HONG KONG: A Rodrigo Duterte impersonator sparked frenzy and confusion during Sunday mass when he walked into a Hong Kong church popular with the city’s Filipino community.
Accompanied by Howard X — the Hong Kong-based impersonator of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un — the Filipino actor arrived at St. Joseph’s Church dressed in the Philippine president’s signature relaxed white shirt.
Hundreds of distracted worshippers erupted into cheers and took photos of the impersonator, who goes by the stage name Cresencio Extreme.
They settled down for the hour-long service but many continued to grin and glance at him.
“Is that Duterte?” whispered an incredulous-looking woman, who said the man appeared too young to be the Philippine leader.
As soon as mass ended, worshippers mobbed Cresencio Extreme, many screaming and taking photos with their mobile phones as he waved at them and shook their hands.
Outside the church, some examined photos of the impersonator, saying it was odd that he did not have any bodyguards and that his personality seemed off.
While most did not mind the stunt, one woman who identified herself as Linda found it “impolite.”
“Coming in here to make a scene — our Duterte is not like that,” she said.
The Philippine president has repeatedly attacked the Church since taking office in 2016, accusing the Catholic clergy of sexual abuse.
And the Church has been one of Duterte’s most outspoken critics, particularly over alleged human rights abuses during his deadly anti-narcotics campaign.
Hong Kong is home to around 200,000 Filipinos, mostly women working as domestic helpers.
Duterte, Kim Jong Un doppelgangers spark frenzy at Hong Kong church
Duterte, Kim Jong Un doppelgangers spark frenzy at Hong Kong church
- Hundreds of distracted worshippers erupted into cheers and took photos of the impersonator
- Hong Kong is home to around 200,000 Filipinos, mostly women working as domestic helpers
Cambodia takes back looted historic artifacts handled by British art dealer
- The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia: Cambodian officials on Friday received more than six dozen historic artifacts described as part of the country’s cultural heritage that had been looted during decades of war and instability.
At a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Hun Many, the 74 items were unveiled at the National Museum in Phnom Penh after their repatriation from the United Kingdom.
The objects were returned under a 2020 agreement between the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts and the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British art collector and dealer who allegedly had the items smuggled out of Cambodia.
“This substantial restitution represents one of the most important returns of Khmer cultural heritage in recent years, following major repatriations in 2021 and 2023 from the same collection,” the Culture Ministry said in a statement. “It marks a significant step forward in Cambodia’s continued efforts to recover, preserve, and restore its ancestral legacy for future generations.”
The artifacts were described as dating from the pre-Angkorian period through the height of the Angkor Empire, including “monumental sandstone sculptures, refined bronze works, and significant ritual objects.” The Angkor Empire, which extended from the ninth to the 15th century, is best known for the Angkor Wat archaeological site, the nation’s biggest tourist attraction.
Latchford was a prominent antiquities dealer who allegedly orchestrated an operation to sell looted Cambodian sculptures on the international market.
From 1970 to the 1980s, during Cambodia’s civil wars and the communist Khmer Rouge ‘s brutal reign, organized looting networks sent artifacts to Latchford, who then sold them to Western collectors, dealers, and institutions. These pieces were often physically damaged, having been pried off temple walls or other structures by the looters.
Latchford was indicted in a New York federal court in 2019 on charges including wire fraud and conspiracy. He died in 2020, aged 88, before he could be extradited to face charges.
Cambodia, like neighboring Thailand, has benefited from a trend in recent decades involving the repatriation of art and archaeological treasures. These include ancient Asian artworks as well as pieces lost or stolen during turmoil in places such as Syria, Iraq and Nazi-occupied Europe. New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art is one of the prominent institutions that has been returning illegally smuggled art, including to Cambodia.
“The ancient artifacts created and preserved by our ancestors are now being returned to Cambodia, bringing warmth and joy, following the country’s return to peace,” said Hun Many, who is the younger brother of Prime Minister Hun Manet.
