Faces of the news

Dr. Francis Cruz

Living up to his billing as an explosive witness, he told the Senate blue ribbon, health and finance committees that Department of Health (DOH) personnel had covered up the Dengvaxia fiasco. As a consultant to then Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial in January, he raised “red flags” about the procurement of the dengue vaccine for the immunization program with Ubial. First, it didn’t go through the undersecretary for health services, Dr. Vicente Belisario. Second, one batch of the supplies was expiring in one year and four months. “I told Secretary Ubial that the red flags were scary and it was possible that there would be a big cover-up because of the involvement of some DOH personnel,” he told senators. He said Ubial was “harassed” into implementing the program, but did not say who were involved. He said he told Ubial to let the Department of Justice investigate the red flags. He said he also informed the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption about the case.

Francisco Duque III

The health secretary is just as outraged as the parents of the more than 800,000 children that received the Dengvaxia vaccine. He’s demanding that the French drug maker Sanofi refund the P3.5 billion the government had spent for the vaccines, and set up an “indemnity fund” to cover the hospitalization cost for vaccinated children who would fall ill. Appearing before the Senate, he accused Sanofi of “mental dishonesty” over its failure to come clean on the vaccine. “They could have been more forthright. I am pregnant with doubts, pardon me for my term, but I am pregnant with doubts that we should not allow this,” he said. The chief health official did not rule out the filing of charges against the drug maker if allegations of a lack of transparency were proved. Duque, who served as health secretary during President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s term, replaced Paulyn Ubial, whose appointment was rejected by the Commission on Appointments.

SC Justice Francis Jardeleza

Testifying at the House hearing on the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, he dredged up the chief magistrate’s action toward his appointment to the Supreme Court. To block his appointment, Sereno used an “illegally secured” top-secret document on the Philippines’ sea row with China, he said. He was referring to his March 2014 memorandum on the exclusion of the Taiwanese-occupied Itu Aba island in the Spratlys from the Philippines’ arbitration case against China. This, he said, was forwarded through a secure e-mail for then President Benigno Aquino III. “I was accused of being disloyal, of being a Judas to our country. But in my view, it is the Chief Justice who acted disloyally, who was a Judas to our country. Why would she use this top-secret document? What for?” he said. “Who’s the one who committed an act of treason now?” said Jardeleza three years after she attempted to block his appointment to the high tribunal.

Retired Justice Arturo Brion

Not only did three sitting Supreme Court magistrates testify in the impeachment proceedings against Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, even recently retired Associate Justice Arturo Brion joined the fray. Brion was called in by the House of Representatives justice committee to talk about the case of Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza. As the Judicial and Bar Council chair, Sereno blocked the erstwhile solicitor general’s nomination on the grounds of integrity over his legal position in the West Philippine Sea maritime dispute, but this was overturned by the SC on the day of President Benigno Aquino III’s deadline to appoint him in 2014. Brion wrote a scathing concurring opinion in Jardeleza’s case and reiterated before the House that Sereno “manipulated” the nomination process. The SC was able to resolve the case in Jardeleza’s favor on the last day itself. This was one of the grievances that three years later turned into an open display of disdain for Sereno.

Laila Ulao

A nurse from Jolo, Sulu, won best actress in an international film festival held in Putrajaya, Malaysia, on Dec. 4. Laila Ulao bagged the top acting plum at the first Asean-China Film Festival for her performance in Sheron Dayoc’s “Women of the Weeping River.” Dayoc is one of the Inquirer Indie Bravo! honorees this year. Ulao failed to attend the awards ceremony because she was on vacation in Jolo at that time. Ulao, who trained and worked as a nurse in Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay, previously bagged two acting citations for her debut film from the QCinema and Young Critics Circle. “I never expected to win abroad,” she told the Inquirer. “I brought my father’s name to a foreign land. This is a huge thing for me. I’ve always dreamt of making my family proud.” She dedicated the trophy to her family who “remained by my side” throughout the “roller-coaster ride” that is her life this year. “I am super happy. It’s my first international award.”

Carlo Biado

After seven years, the Philippines made its way back on top of world pool. Carlo Biado captured the World 9-Ball Championship title to cap what has been a sensational year for the veteran billiards player. The 34-year-old downed Roland Garcia, 13-5, in an all-Filipino final in Doha, Qatar, to rule the tournament the Philippines last won in 2010 with Francisco “Django” Bustamante. Efren “Bata” Reyes also emerged as champion in 1999, Ronato Alcano in 2006 and Alex Pagulayan topped the event in 2003, but he was representing Canada then. “I’m very, very happy … it has been a long time,” Biado said. “Finally, we got the title.” Biado’s triumph came five months after he clinched the gold in the 2017 World Games in Poland. He also topped the same event in the Southeast Asian Games in August in Kuala Lumpur. Biado came close to his first major win in 2015 but lost to Taiwanese Ko Pin-yi, 11-9, in their battle for the World 10-ball title.