INQToday: Gretchen Barretto's camp deems filing charges against accuser unproductive

Former Trade Undersecretary Ruth Castelo has been appointed as the new spokesperson of the Office of the Vice President (OVP).

Castelo's appointment follows a period during which the OVP did not have a spokesperson, since Michael Poa vacated the position in November 2024.

Vice President Sara Duterte criticized the government for prioritizing politics over assisting overseas Filipinos stranded in Israel and Iran.

Senator Joel Villanueva reintroduced his bill that aims to penalize individuals spreading false news.

The proposed Anti-Fake News Act was one of the priority bills filed by the senator in the 20th Congress.

Gretchen Barretto's lawyer, Alma Mallonga, stated that filing a complaint against the whistleblower linking Barretto to the missing sabungeros case is not beneficial at this time, as public opinion is already formed.

Mallonga emphasized the need to focus on repairing the damage to Barretto's reputation caused by the statements of whistleblower Julie \"Dondon\" Patidongan, also known as Totoy.

According to the source: Inquirer.net.