WATCH: Top 5 News Stories This Week, December 8-14

MANILA, Philippines – Significant wins give Filipinos cause for some joy as the holidays approach: Journalist Atom Araullo won his red-tagging case against SMNI hosts; Sofronio Vasquez became the first Filipino and Asian to win “The Voice USA”; the civil war in Syria has ended after 13 years.

But thousands of Filipinos face an uncomfortable, possibly bleak Christmas away from their homes under the shadow of a restive Kanlaon Volcano. The political storm surrounding Vice President Sara Duterte still brews, and she doesn’t help by refusing to clarify some glaring questions.

Read more about each story:

#5 After snubbing NBI probe, Sara Duterte says she has no plans to hide; Sara Duterte on ‘fabricated’ receipts: I can’t discuss intelligence operations
#4 Thousands face bleak Christmas in Negros Occidental’s evacuation centers; Marcos signs law requiring evacuation centers in every town
#3 Journalist Atom Araullo wins game-changing civil suit vs red taggers
#2 With Assad gone, new era starts in Syria as the world watches
#1 Filipino singer Sofronio Vasquez wins US version of ‘The Voice’

Watch the video for a quick run through these stories. – Rappler.com

Producer, presenter, video editor: JC Gotinga
Videographer: Jeff Digma
Graphic artists: Marian Hukom, Raffy de Guzman
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso