RANDOMS#IT 001

A VERY BUSY WEEK FOR THE DUTERTES

This week proves to be very pivotal for the Duterte family as Former President Rodrigo Duterte undergoes International Criminal Court proceedings and Current Vice President Sara Duterte faces renewed impeachment complaints in the House.

Amid this are the recent tensions at the EDSA People Power 40th Anniversary asking for accountability for the drug war; a sudden affidavit against the Marcos camp and their allies alleging links to the ICC investigation, which the administration dismisses as a “lousy script” with “suspicious timing to discredit the hearings”; and the National Unity Party (NUP) making official statements that signal caution despite diverging positions within the broader ruling coalition.

Are Philippine institutions finally testing the strengths of dynasties more aggressively, or is this just another cycle of political battles?

The operation to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes aka El Mencho, the notorious head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), sent shockwaves across Mexico as he died this week at the hands of Mexican armed forces.

Central to the story was the involvement of a lover, as intelligence operatives tracked her all the way to Oseguera’s luxury cabin in Tapalpa, Jalisco. Military forces seized the hideout and a heavy gunfight broke out as he tried to escape, but Oseguera was reportedly fatally wounded and died in transit to a medical facility.

As cinematic as it sounds, cartel violence is one of Mexico’s biggest problems, as retaliation is guaranteed for captured or killed cartel leaders, seen with the narco-blockades and dozens of officers killed in the days that followed. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum sees this as a win for her anti-cartel campaign, framing it as an assurance to the Mexican people that the government is once again in control and now has the capacity to do so.

However, many experts believe that this “kingpin strategy” will only result in more violence as cartel corruption is deeply rooted in the country and any loss in its leadership will just bring a power vacuum that Mexico has no shortage of contenders to fill.

“MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE THE MAN”

A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms impressed fans and critics alike with its premiere season, which seems to be a great feat these days. It features the start of the friendship of Ser Duncan the Tall and Egg, set around 70 years before the events of Game of Thrones. It’s based on the short novella series by George R.R. Martin that serves as a break from the grim politics of the lore and focuses on the lives among smallfolk and how they see the world.

Like the novellas, the overall tone of the series is charming and intentionally lighthearted, and many praise its faithfulness to the source material. GRRM has been proactive in collaborating with HBO in the production of its recent franchises including House of the Dragon, reportedly to avoid another disastrous adaptation like the later seasons of Game of Thrones.

Lead actors Peter Claffey and Dexter Sol Ansell also showed chemistry as fans loved their antics on and off the show. Claffey has done well portraying why Ser Duncan the Tall’s legend was worth four pages in the White Book mentioned all the way back in GoT. Nobody would have expected it to be a great spinoff back then, but it certainly adds weight to the legend.

In an era of anti-heroes in media, A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is another recent entry into a wellreceived “straight up good guy” energy that fans find refreshing, likening him to David Corenswet’s portrayal of Superman last year. With everything happening in the world, maybe we really do need more role models with punk-rock kindness to look up to.

Solid Snake is the latest addition to Rainbow Six Siege’s operator roster, as revealed in their new season announcement a few weeks ago. It surprised a lot of players since characters from other franchises usually come only as cosmetic skins for existing operators and have no effect on gameplay whatsoever. However, Ubisoft is changing things up in collaboration with Konami to bring in Snake as a permanent operator with new mechanics that are familiar to fans of Metal Gear Solid.

Snake will be an attacking intel operator, bringing two new mechanics to Siege. The first one is the Soliton Radar, a minimap tool that shows the nearby map layout and even enemies, while the second one is On-Site Procurement, the ability to pick up utility items from fallen operators during the round. This tracks with Snake’s iconic gameplay mechanics from the MGS series, something that Ubisoft hopes fans will enjoy. However, some experienced players can already see from previews that this will make Snake an advanced operator requiring heavy coordination with other players, predicting that his gadgets and abilities will be so unbalanced that a nerf shortly after release is certain.

This collaboration is not just a simple cash grab tie-in. Throughout gaming history, Metal Gear Solid has been one of the most iconic tactical stealth games, alongside Ubisoft’s own Splinter Cell franchise, which puts Snake and Sam Fisher in some sort of unspoken rivalry. However, both studios have celebrated this in a friendly manner, as they have referenced each other in their games through the years. Sam Fisher was officially added to the Siege roster a few years ago and with Solid Snake in the mix, having these two legendary spies finally together in the same game is hopefully a treat for long-time fans of the genre.

CUT FOR TIME: PUNCH AND HIS FRIEND