[Rappler’s Best] Jumping jacks

Not to be a killjoy, but arresting the uber-wealthy fugitive that is Zaldy Co is one thing. Bringing him home from where he’s currently detained, the Czech Republic, and in the absence of the Philippines’ extradition treaty with that country, is another story. Jairo Bolledo gives us the reality check in this piece.

It helps to recall the case of former congressman Arnie Teves, who had fled the country after being tagged as the mastermind of the killing of a local politician. Remember, he also managed to stall his deportation for two years.

And just to throw cynics something more to chew on, keep in mind that resigned congressman Co has hurled serious allegations against President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., accusing him of getting P25 billion in kickbacks from budget insertions. Thus, while Co’s arrest is a much-needed boost to the President’s anti-corruption campaign, his return may actually cause some restless nights in Malacañang. 

Indeed, it’s been a week of so-so good news. 

On Friday, April 17, Iran’s foreign minister announced on social media that it has opened the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial ships for the duration of the Israel-Lebanon truce. 

• It turns out that he misspoke, in what The Guardian’s diplomatic editor described as a “set of mismanaged and premature media announcements” not just by Iran but by Donald Trump, too. And so the war is practically back to square one, with the US seizing an Iranian cargo ship on Sunday, April 19.
• The online world is already inundated with propaganda from both sides at a scale made possible by AI. In this Tech Thoughts piece, Victor Barreiro Jr. walks us through AI slopaganda and how it’s being used. 
• In the meme war, it appears that Iran has gained the upper hand. Gelo Gonzales tells us more about the memes, AI, and fake personas that Iran’s propaganda networks have been churning out. 

If you’re still in doubt that Big Tech and its algorithms have turned humans into believers of their own lies, you need to know that the Duterte base has spread this lie, with many of its minions apparently believing it: that President Marcos was rushed to the hospital two weeks ago and had turned comatose. And that the President, who attended the Araw ng Kagitingan rites in Bataan on April 9, was not the real McCoy but an AI-generated image. 

• To show proof of life (and health), Marcos jogged and did jumping jacks in Malacañang last week.  
• The Palace was asked to release the President’s health records. It didn’t. Instead, in another public event, Marcos lifted a sack of rice to show that… he can. 
• Pro-Duterte generals have asked the Supreme Court to compel the President to disclose his state of health. But if the SC chose not to compel then-president Rodrigo Duterte to release his medical records, saying he was seen attending Cabinet meetings and other activities, why should it order the jumping-jacks Marcos to do so? Read more about the SC-Duterte case, which his loyal generals seem ignorant of. 

Meanwhile, while we were sleeping, the Philippines signed a deal with the US to establish a massive industrial hub in the Luzon economic corridor aimed at securing AI and semiconductor supply chains. 

It’s the first of its kind, an economic security zone of around 1,600 hectares  that’s a “new model” for the hubs being developed with 12 other countries under the Pax Silica initiative, according to US Undersecretary of State for Economic Affairs Jacob Helberg.

There’s a lot to unpack here that we cannot do so now because Manila has not provided details about the plan.

Here are some of Rappler’s bests that you shouldn’t miss:

The first US pope has become a force on the global stage, as he warned that the world was “being ravaged by a handful of tyrants.” Read more.

Lala Rimando dissects the war of words between the feuding Lopez cousins. 

Gelo Gonzales explains why we should be concerned that news sites have been blocking an archiving internet tool from saving their pages. 

Iya Gozum brings some cheer: mobile solar pumps have been helping farmers in Central Luzon weather the oil crisis.

Marites Vitug tells us what the “open communication lines” between the Philippine and Chinese coast guards mean. 

China moves to block entrance to Scarborough Shoal, images show

Will there be a Duterte trial? ICC decision due by end April

Where nations stand as Middle East tensions persist

With no halt orders in the way, Monterrazas de Cebu resumes operations

These independent Asian bookstores deserve a spot on your itinerary

– Rappler.com

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