00:00Today on Rappler
00:06President Marcos says the Philippines will be dragged kicking and screaming into the war over Taiwan.
00:18Two Chinese ships collide in an apparent attempt to harass Philippine ships near Scarborough Shoal.
00:24President Marcos names top 15 flood contractors, some with links to Zaldico and Sara Diskaya.
00:30Israel kills an Al Jazeera journalist claiming he was a Hamas cell leader.
00:35And Chris Aquino will live in preventive isolation for six months.
00:42President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. doubles down on the Philippines' need to prepare should a war break out over Taiwan.
00:48This as he hits back at China for accusing him of playing fire on issues bearing on China's core interests.
00:55I don't know what they're talking about.
00:57Playing with fire?
00:58I was just stating facts.
01:02We do not want to go to war.
01:05But I think if there is a war over Taiwan, we will be drawn.
01:12Hihilain tayo sa ayat gusto natin.
01:15Kicking and screaming.
01:17We will be drawn and dragged into that mess.
01:20Marcos has long made public his stance that the Philippines would not be able to stay out of the conflict should a war break out between China and Taiwan, citing the migrant Filipino population in Taiwan and its proximity to the Philippines' northernmost provinces.
01:34A week ago, during his state visit to India, Marcos said, if there is an all-out war, then the Philippines will be drawn to it.
01:42Beijing then accused Manila of going back on its words, fudging and hollowing out on the one-China principle and harming the China-Philippines relations.
01:50Marcos says on Monday that planning for contingencies in Taiwan is just planning.
01:55Come on, let's be, huwag na tayong mag, hope, I love this saying, hope is not a plan.
02:01How do we get our people out?
02:03How do we protect the, kung magkagulok, gera na nga dito.
02:07E malapit na sa atin.
02:09Ano nga gawin natin?
02:10Manila has not changed its one-China policy.
02:12In an apparent attempt to harass Philippine ships and chase them away from Scarborough Shoal, two Chinese ships collided with each other on Monday, August 11.
02:24Philippine Coast Guard video show China Coast Guard Vessel 3104 sailing towards the PCG's BRP Suluan before it collided with the People's Liberation Army Navy Ship 164.
02:35The incident occurred some 10.5 nautical miles east of Scarborough Shoal or Bajo de Masinluc.
02:40The PCG says the CCG vessel was chasing the BRP Suluan at high speed when it performed a risky maneuver leading to the impact to the PLA Navy warship.
02:50Hindi yata nila na miscalculate nila na patakbo nang mabilis yung BRP Suluan.
02:59So while the BRP Suluan increased her speed, moving further away that fast,
03:06ang China Coast Guard 3104 also increased her speed.
03:12And itong si PLA Navy, kung mabilis yung liku niya at mabilis din yung takbo ng China Coast Guard,
03:19it was very difficult for them to make it stop already.
03:23That's why the collision happened.
03:24The PCG says the impact resulted in substantial damage to the CCG vessel's forecastle, rendering it unseaworthy.
03:33Tariela said the Philippines offered support, including medical assistance to the CCG vessel, but received no response.
03:40The China Coast Guard routinely uses dangerous maneuvers against Philippine vessels in the West Philippine Sea to disrupt Manila's missions.
03:47President Ferdinand Marcus Jr. says he was, quote,
03:52not accusing anyone of anything yet, but the initial findings of the flood control projects ordered during his fourth State of the Nation Address
03:59gave an idea how these have been conducted.
04:03From July 2022 to May 2025, the Marcus administration carried out 9,885 flood control projects,
04:11worth a total of 5.45.64 billion pesos.
04:14The Department of Public Works and Highways says of this amount, 100 million, or around 20%, went to 15 contractors.
04:25SunWest, ranked 8th on the list, is a business group based in Albay and co-founded by a cubical representative Zaldico.
04:33Rappler's research, published in March, showed that from 2016 to 2024, the company secured 38 billion pesos in projects,
04:4028 billion pesos for roads and bridges, and 7 billion for flood control.
04:45Rappler reached out to Cozcam for comment.
04:48SunWest sold Rappler in March, quote,
04:50The loans from SunWest Inc. to other companies are regular and arm's-length transactions
04:54that have nothing to do with the personal finances of a shareholder.
04:59Meantime, an election watchdog coalition Right to Know Right Now or R2KRN investigative report
05:04shows Sara Deskayo is the president, as of 2023, of Alpha and Omega General Contractor and Development Corporation.
05:11Securities and Exchange Commission documents also list Deskaya as a co-founder of St. Timothy Construction,
05:17but she said in April that she sold her chairs in 2018.
05:21The two companies rank second and third on the list.
05:24Israel's military says it targeted and killed a Hamas cell leader posing as an Al Jazeera journalist
05:32in an airstrike on Gaza City on Sunday, which the Qatari broadcaster condemned.
05:38Al Jazeera says Anas al-Sharif was among four Al Jazeera journalists and an assistant
05:42who died in a strike on a tent near Shifa Hospital in eastern Gaza City.
05:46A hospital official adds there were seven people killed in the strike.
05:52Palestinian journalist groups and Al Jazeera condemned the killings,
05:55saying there were three other journalists who were killed.
05:59Al Jazeera adds the attack, quote,
06:01is a desperate attempt to silence the voices exposing the impending seizure and occupation of Gaza.
06:07A press freedom group and a UN expert had warned that Al-Sharif's life was in danger
06:11due to his reporting from Gaza.
06:14UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression Irene Kahn said last month,
06:19Israel's claims against Al-Sharif were unsubstantiated.
06:24Chris Aquino will be living in preventive isolation for six months at her family compound in Tarlac.
06:31Aquino says in an Instagram post that a growing number of her autoimmune diseases
06:35prompted her to make the brave choice.
06:37The actress shares that she will soon undergo a six-to-eight-hour infusion of a powerful immunosuppressant,
06:43which she says will totally wipe out her immunity.
06:45This on top of her current daily and injectable treatments.
06:49She adds, quote,
06:50Trust me, it's difficult to accept every night when I sleep that there may be no tomorrow for me.
06:56For nearly two months, 54-year-old Chris Aquino had been staying at a private beach property
07:01owned by a kind and generous family supporting her recovery.
07:04She also shares that her eldest son, Josh, traumatized by her condition,
07:09is now living with her cousin while her younger son, Bimby, remains with her.
07:14Aquino has been battling her autoimmune illnesses since 2018.
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