HEADS UP: Filipinos Skip Politics in Family, Friends Group Chats (Oct. 14)

Here’s a Heads Up from reportr on news you need to know today, Oct. 14:

PIXEL WORLD

• Filipinos avoid discussing politics with family, friends and co-workers on messaging apps like Facebook Messenger, a Pulse Asia survey showed.
• Ex-Supreme Court chief Maria Lourdes Sereno showed the internet how to deal with pro-Marcos bashers -- with a “fair warning”, followed by an apology.
• In another viral exchange, a Marcos supporter posted on body language and lying and was corrected by a psychologist. They also made peace.
• The NTC ordered Facebook, Lazada and Shopee to stop the sale of text blast equipment as part of its investigation into the broadcast of emergency notifications on Bongbong Marcos’ candidacy for president.

QUARANTINE NEWS

• Metro Manila will be downgraded one notch to Alert Level 3 from Oct. 16, meaning wider opening for businesses.
• Here’s your guide to quarantine classifications for the entire country.
• For inbound travelers coming from Green List countries, the IATF eased quarantine rules.

2022 ELECTIONS

• When will the party-list system change for the truly marginalized? By the looks of the 2022 candidates, much needs to be done.
• Can a “placeholder” be considered a nuisance candidate? Comelec says, not necessarily.
• Noli de Castro  has withdrawn his candidacy for senator under Manila Mayor Isko Moreno’s party. Moreno’s longtime aide, Cesar Chavez, also left.

LIFE KIT

• You’re not alone. Partly because of the pandemic, people are waking up at the witching hour to dwell on their fears and shortcomings.

NEWS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• Under fire throughout the Duterte administration, Philippine media say their colleague Maria Ressa’s Nobel Peace Prize is a shot in the arm.
• Despite the rise of digital, TV remains the top news source of Filipinos, according to a Pulse Asia poll.
• BDO warned clients over a phishing e-mail that’s disguised as an account deactivation prompt.
• ‘Squid Game’ is now Netflix’s biggest launch hit, trumping ‘Bridgerton’.
• Apple is cutting iPhone 13 production by as many as 10 million units due to the global chip shortage.
• DC Comics debuted the first bisexual Superman as parts of the world celebrated coming out day.
• Sea levels will continue to rise even when global warming stops, underscoring the catastrophic effects of generations of pollution, researchers say.