INQToday: Signal No. 2 up due to Typhoon Ofel; Duterte shows up at House quad comm drug war hearing

Here’s a quick roundup of today’s top stories:

Typhoon Ofel keeps strength; Signal No. 2 up over 2 areas

Typhoon Ofel (international name: Usagi) has maintained its strength as it moved west northwestward over the Philippine sea, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) reported on Wednesday.

Based on the state weather bureau’s 11 a.m. bulletin, Ofel was last spotted some 485 kilometers (km) east northeast of Daet, Camarines Norte or 610 km east of Infanta, Quezon.

Ex-president Duterte shows up at House quad comm drug war hearing

After many rumors and barbs between him and the House of Representatives lawmakers, former president Rodrigo Duterte showed up at the quad committee’s drug war hearing on Wednesday — a meeting that was initially canceled, but eventually pushed through.

Duterte arrived at  9:57 a.m., at the Batasang Pambansa complex’s People’s Center.  He was accompanied by his former spokesperson, lawyer Salvador Panelo.

Teodoro cites ‘increasing demand’ from China for PH to give up WPS claims

There is an “increasing demand by Beijing” for Manila to give up its claims in the heavily disputed South China Sea despite the 2016 arbitral ruling that invalidated its sweeping claims in the strategic waterway, Defense Secretary Gilberto “Gibo” Teodoro Jr. said on Tuesday.

“What we see is an increasing demand by Beijing for us to concede our sovereign rights in the area because of our need to explore and exploit the resources in these areas for the benefit of our own people,” Teodoro said at a press briefing in Canberra after his meeting with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles.

China Coast Guard harasses, blocks Filipino fishers in Escoda Shoal

China Coast Guard harassed and blocked a Filipino boat from entering Escoda (Sabina) Shoal twice last month, a fisherfolk revealed.

This was revealed in a three-page handwritten sworn statement of boat captain Arnel Lepalam furnished to the media on Tuesday night.