Faces of the news

Mohagher Iqbal

Even as the fighting has reduced Marawi City to rubble, a leader of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has indicated openness to help the government end the conflict. While the government was lukewarm to it, the offer was a welcome relief, coming as it did amid the rising death toll and continued destruction of the lakeside city. “It is not impossible, especially if the civilian interest is at stake. If there is a request, the MILF leadership will probably consider the idea,” said Mohagher Iqbal, chair of the MILF peace implementation panel. Terrorist leader Abdullah Maute had told an emissary that the militants were willing to withdraw from the city if the MILF would intervene to end the conflict. But President Duterte said the conflict would not end unless the “last terrorist is taken out.”

Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein

President Duterte remains top of the mind of international rights advocates, including Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein. In a London speech, the United Nations High Commissioner for human rights scored Mr. Duterte and US President Donald Trump for “breaking long-held taboos” in their respective support for extrajudicial killings and torture. “The dangers to the entire system of international law are therefore very real,” he said. In the same speech, he jabbed at Britain’s Prime Minister Theresa May for suggesting that laws could be overturned if they hindered the fight against terrorism. The response from one of Mr. Duterte’s spokespersons was cordial. “I would advise him to go to the Philippines, and see for himself [the situation],” said Secretary Martin Andanar. Otherwise, “they can say what they want.”

Finance USec Karl Chua

Facing a room full of bloodthirsty lawmakers could be daunting for a young technocrat like Finance Undersecretary Karl Kendrick Chua. Uprooted from a high-paying World Bank job, Chua has become the poster boy of potentially unpopular taxes. But the first package of the Duterte government’s tax reform programs passed enough muster at the House of Representatives in late May, in part due to the diligence of this 38-year-old in trying to explain esoteric terms to legislators decades older than him. As one observer of the marathon hearings quipped, “congressmen have taken a liking to him, as if he’s their son.” But would his charm be enough to pass the entire package within three years and finance the ambitious “build, build, build” program of the administration?

Justin Bieber

Filipino fans rejoiced over the announcement that international pop superstar Justin Bieber will bring his current world tour, “Purpose,” to the country on Sept. 30 at Philippine Arena. The 23-year-old Canadian singer-songwriter had just become famous worldwide with the release of his chart-topping debut album, “My World 2.0,” when he first performed in the country at SM Mall of Asia open grounds on May 10, 2011. Three more albums—2011’s “Under the Mistletoe,” 2012’s “Believe,” and 2015’s “Purpose”—followed, all of which became No. 1 on the Billboard charts. Bieber’s coming Philippine concert will end the “Purpose” tour. The cost of mounting the show is said to be very expensive, so the promoter decided to hold it at the 55,000-capacity Philippine Arena to keep ticket prices down.

Russell Westbrook

After putting on a show all season, Russell Westbrook capped his historic campaign with the 2017 NBA Most Valuable Player award. The Oklahoma City Thunder guard had pulled off the unthinkable—dropping 42 triple-doubles to shatter Oscar Robertson’s single-season record of 41 set in 1961-1962. Westbrook also led the league with 31.6 points on top of 10.7 rebounds and 10.4 assists to join Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for an entire season. “I never thought I would be able to say that I broke Oscar Robertson’s record, and that’s just a true blessing,” Westbrook said. Known for his fierce and jaw-dropping plays on court, Westbrook had another great moment, but this time on stage during his MVP acceptance speech where the superstar turned emotional thanking his family.
Chris Ross

In a team teeming with talent, Chris Ross stood out yet again. San Miguel Beer’s cat-quick guard bagged the Best Player of the Conference plum as his all-around play helped the Beermen move within a win of a championship in the 2017 Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup. Ross—who already won the Finals Most Valuable Player award twice—averaged a league-best 8.06 assists on top of 13.19 points, 5.19 rebounds and 2.94 steals. Although he finished statistically tied with teammate Alex Cabagnot, the 6-foot-1 Ross earned more votes to capture the highest individual honor of the conference. But Cabagnot doesn’t mind yielding to the reigning Defensive Player of the Year: “He’s been playing excellent for us, not just for this conference but also for the whole year.”