00:01Senator Panfilo Lakson bears the findings of the flood control corruption probe despite lacking votes for a formal filing.
00:07A South Korean ship catches fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
00:10The country's inflation rate surges to a three-year high of 7.2% in April.
00:1638 Filipino crew members onboard the suspected Hantavirus-infected cruise ship have reportedly not been infected.
00:22And celebrities and anti-Bezos protesters gather at the 2026 Met Gala.
00:35Senator Panfilo Lakson delivers a chairman's report on the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's flood control probe even as it failed
00:42to secure enough votes needed for formal filing.
00:44Lakson calls it a systemic corruption scheme which involves flood control projects, ghost and substandard works, kickbacks and collusion among
00:51officials and contractors.
00:53Where did the money go?
00:56Evidence on record shows how the flood control corruption scandal exposed a systemic, coordinated, multi-actor process.
01:06Isang malawakan sa buatan na ginawanggatasan ang mga proyekto para sa flood control.
01:14Ang pattern ng korupsyon ay systemic at parasitic, magkakaugnay mula sa mga aktor, mekanismo at workflow.
01:24Only seven senators, including himself, signed a partial report on the flood control investigation.
01:30They are Erwin Tulfo, Risa Ontiveros, Bam Aquino, Kiko Pangilinan, Rafi Tulfo, and Senate President Tito Soto.
01:36Nine signatures are required for filing and sponsorship of a committee report.
01:40Meantime, Sen. Rodante Marcoleta criticizes the partial report and calls for more hearings.
01:45Mr. President, I cannot sign a partial report. A partial report is basically unfinished.
01:55Lakson also pushes for reforms such as stricter procurement rules, better oversight, stronger whistleblower protection, and possible scrapping of unprogrammed
02:03funds.
02:06Seoul reports a South Korean ship caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz.
02:10The South Korean Foreign Ministry records no casualties among its 24 crew members and authorities are still investigating what caused
02:17the blaze.
02:18But U.S. President Donald Trump claims this was caused by an Iranian attack.
02:21This as U.S. and Iran begin a new series of attacks to wrestle control over the strategic waterway.
02:27Meantime, Trump also launches a new operation to aid stranded ships in the Strait called Project Freedom.
02:33He urges South Korea to join the operation seeking to open the Strait of Hormuz.
02:37Before this, several merchant ships in the Gulf already reported explosions, with the U.S. destroying six small Iranian military
02:44boats.
02:46The Philippine Statistics Authority reports, inflation in the country skyrocketed to a three-year high of 7.2% in
02:53April.
02:53This as the oil shock continues to push fuel and food prices higher.
02:57This is nearly double March's 4.1% inflation and more than five times higher than the 1.4%
03:03recorded a year ago.
03:04It is also the highest inflation rate since March 2023, and the increase is the largest since the one from
03:10December 1993 to January 1994, when inflation jumped from 7.4% to 12.8%.
03:17The latest data puts the 2026 average inflation at 3.9%, near the top of the government's 2-4%
03:24target range.
03:25Food prices, particularly the cost of rice and fish, are among the main drivers of the faster inflation rate in
03:31April.
03:31The Banko Sentral ng Pilipinas earlier said, inflation could rise to 5.6% to 6.4% as higher
03:39fuel costs drive up food and electricity prices.
03:4438 Filipinos are on board the MV Hondius cruise ship suspected of a Hantavirus outbreak.
03:49Three passengers of the Netherlands-based cruise ship have died.
03:53Hantavirus is a viral infection developed from direct contact with an infected rodent and can cause fatal respiratory illnesses.
03:59But, Health Undersecretary Albert Domingo confirms the 38 Filipino crewmates have not been reported to have symptoms of the virus.
04:07He says they are closely coordinating with the Dutch travel company on the conditions of the Filipinos on board.
04:12MV Hondius departed Argentina on April 1 and visited some of the most remote places on Earth, including Tristan de
04:18Cuna, an island in the South Atlantic between Argentina and South Africa.
04:22A Dutch national died as the ship headed to Tristan de Cuna.
04:25His wife died three days later.
04:27A German female then died of suspected pneumonia May 2.
04:30MV Hondius' operator lists a total of 149 people on board.
04:34The ship is currently in quarantine off the coast of Cape Verde in Africa.
04:40Celebrities flock to this year's Met Gala as protestors gather in front to bash billionaire Jeff Bezos' sponsorship of the
04:46event.
04:46His wife, Lauren Sanchez Bezos, arrived at the annual gala early.
04:50The couple are among the event's main sponsors and named honorary chairs of the fundraiser for the Metropolitan Museum of
04:55Art's Costume Institute.
04:57Protestors outside the famed museum, meantime, call for a boycott over wealth inequality and workers' rights.
05:03They don colorful outfits and banners saying,
05:06Eat the rich, and your red carpet is stained with blood.
05:09Allegations of worker exploitation hound Amazon, Bezos' e-commerce business.
05:14Themed fashion is art, this year's event features stars in outfits that made their bodies a living canvas.
05:20Among some of the A-listers in attendance are Ann Hathaway, Hunter Schaefer, Cardi B, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Cher, Blackpink
05:26members, Hugh Jackman, Bad Bunny, Dwayne Johnson, Sabrina Carpenter, Emma Chamberlain, Blake Lively, and Beyonce, who was an organizer of
05:34this year's event.
05:36And that's today's wrap, I'm JC Gotinga, thank you for watching.
05:40Click the link below for the full story.
05:42For more updates, download the Rappler app.
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