Here are today's headlines – the latest news in the Philippines and around the world: - Martin Romualdez says ‘nothing to hide’ as he appears before ICI for first time - Ombudsman Remulla lifts Duterte-time SALN restriction rule - DepEd urges LGUs to exercise ‘balance and prudence’ in class suspensions - Inter-agency team formed to probe murder of NIA whistleblower Kyle Antatico - Hamas hands over all living hostages to Israel, Trump says Gaza war over
00:06Former House Speaker Martin Romualdez appears before the Independent Commission on Infrastructure and denies any wrongdoing
00:19Ombudsman Boeing Remulya lifts restrictions on SAL ENS in his first memorandum circular
00:24The Education Department calls on local governments to exercise balance and prudence in declaring classes' pensions
00:31A special interagency investigation team is formed to probe the murder of whistleblower Nairu Kyle Antatiko
00:37And Hamas hands over all living hostages to Israel under a U.S.-brokered ceasefire deal
00:43Later, Representative and former House Speaker Martin Romualdez appears before the Independent Commission on Infrastructure or ICI Tuesday, October 14
00:53He denies any wrongdoing in connection with flood control and other public works scandal
00:58Romualdez, cousin of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. spent about two hours in the ICI office
01:04It's about facts and evidence and political noise or speculation
01:13The ICI commissioners were able to ask me many questions and I was able to answer it
01:22I'm ready to come back to the commission anytime I'm invited so if I can share more information, I will do so
01:29Romualdez also talks about his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth or SAL EN
01:34Sir, are you wanting to release your SAL EN?
01:37I will do at the instance of the commission
01:41In a statement his office released, Romualdez says he has nothing to hide and has ceased he was not part of the bicameral conference committee
01:49He adds he is willing to do anything that will help speed up the investigation
01:53House and Senate hearings invited research persons who said Ko and Romualdez allegedly received kickbacks from infrastructure projects
02:01Companies linked to Ko also cornered billions worth of government contracts
02:05Ombudsman Boeing Remulya lifts existing restrictions on statements of assets, liabilities and net worth or SAL EN
02:14He issues his first memorandum circular as the newly appointed Ombudsman Tuesday, October 14
02:20Remulya overturns the order of his predecessor Samuel Martires that limited access to SAL ENs under the Ombudsman's jurisdiction
02:28His office says quote, this decision is guided by a simple principle
02:33The public has a legitimate right to know how those in government acquire and manage their wealth
02:38Transparency in this area is not a slogan, it is a safeguard against corruption and a deterrent to abuse of power
02:45Last week, Remulya announced his office will allow access to public official SAL ENs and will order the Ombudsman's Field Investigation Office to resume the conduct of lifestyle checks
02:56The Department of Education urges the local government units to exercise balance and prudence in declaring class suspensions
03:05It also notes extended class suspensions can disrupt learning
03:09This after Laguna Governor Sol Aragones suspends face-to-face classes in the province from October 14 to 31
03:16She cites earthquake preparedness in case the big one strikes Metro Manila and nearby areas
03:22Her Facebook Live was captioned, face-to-face classes in all levels in Laguna are suspended due to quote-unquote
03:29Nakaambang lindol or an imminent quake
03:32While many supported Aragones decision, others expressed frustration over the lack of scientific basis behind it
03:39They argue, since earthquakes cannot be predicted, a two-week class suspension is successive if the intent is merely to prepare school buildings
03:47Meantime, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says quote
03:52We agree with the suspension of classes if it is for checking the integrity of buildings
03:57But disagrees with Aragones decision if based on the claim that quote
04:01An earthquake is about to happen in the next two weeks
04:04Law enforcement groups Northern Mindanao create a special inter-agency investigation team in Cagayan de Oro City
04:13To probe the murder of whistleblower Nairo Kyle Antatiko, a former National Irrigation Administration legal researcher
04:20PNP Region 10 spokesperson Major Joe Navarro says investigators have identified a person of interest based on the initial leads
04:29The NIA central office meantime has offered 100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of those behind Antatiko's killing
04:37Police also say they were looking into the circumstances surrounding Antatiko's resignation from the NIA
04:43His relatives tell Rappler he resigned in July
04:47Antatiko was receiving death threats since November 2024, shortly after he began flagging alleged NIA coast projects which farmers never benefited from
04:57Hamas releases their last remaining Israeli hostages while thousands of Palestinian prisoners return to the West Bank and the Gaza Strip
05:06All of these comes after a US-brokered ceasefire deal seen as a big step towards ending the two-year war in Gaza
05:13Trump says in a speech to the Israeli parliament
05:16Today the skies are calm, the guns are silent, the sirens are still, and the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace
05:26Despite these, huge obstacles remain for a resolution to this generations-old conflict
05:32This includes how exactly the Gaza Strip will be confirmed and the potential creation of a Palestinian state which the Israeli government vehemently rejects
05:41Hamas has also reportedly killed at least 33 people affiliated with the gang following the ceasefire agreement
05:48Hamas cites crime and security concerns as the reason behind the killings
05:53And that's today's wrap, I'm Ayla De La Cruz
05:56Thank you for watching
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