Literal wake-up call
The magnitude 3.5 earthquake that shook several parts of Cebu province, with epicenter tagged by Phivolcs at six kilometers from Minglanilla town, struck at 7:17 a.m., Friday, July 17, waking up many people who now routinely rise late from bed.
The comments in social media ranged from "getting a rude wake-up call" to "hearing a dumbtruck (sic) above us" and "being near a scene of violent and noisy love-making."
Out from kitchen's heat
Cebu City Administrator Floro Casas Jr., city administrator (the equivalent of City Hall manager), is already being congratulated for his "impending" appointment to the diplomatic service.
Greetings and felicitations have poured in social media. There were no specifics yet about his coming new job as of Friday afternoon.
A controversial figure in the current administration, Atty. Casas has been publicly blamed for a number of alleged irregularities. But no formal complaints have been filed, just innuendos, sometimes nasty accusations, mostly regarding purchases of materials and equipment in the course of the anti-Covid-campaign.
A new job would take him out of the heat in the kitchen but if any case would be filed, it would still follow him.
Who'll take over Casas's position as city administrator?
Won't inhibit in INC cases
Court of Appeals (CA) Justice Priscilla Baltazar Padilla is the new Supreme Court chief justice, replacing newly retired Justice Andres Reyes Jr. A #5 topnotcher in the 1984 bar, Padilla served the CA for 14 years.
A member of the influential Iglesia ni Cristo (INC), she had told the Judicial and Bar Council she would not inhibit in cases that her religious group would have interest in, saying the SC ruled that mere membership in a fraternity, social organization, or even a religious organization does not automatically disqualify a judge.
A hypothetical but not improbable SC case involving the Catholic Church and INC would be interesting: would Padilla stick to her no-inhibition rule?
A first-time applicant, Padilla has bypassed more-senior justices, a situation recalling the case of Ma. Lourdes Sereno whose appointment also set aside older and more experienced justices already in the high court.
Padilla is the 13th Duterte appointee but with three of them having retired, she is the 11th. At 60, she will have 10 years to serve, unless she is impeached, dies, or is incapacitated before her term.
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