#ThewRap: Things you need to know, January 19, 2017

Hello, Rappler readers! 

An American military commander warns that Asians radicalized by the terrorist group ISIS threaten to launch attacks in their home countries. Outgoing US President Barack Obama warns successor Donald Trump he’ll come out of hibernation and speak out when the latter threatens core American values.

In the Philippines, senators want to investigate the proliferation of fake news and trolls online, and one of them even seeks to penalize Facebook for not acting on this phenomenon that threatens the credibility of online journalism. President Rodrigo Duterte summons provincial governors this time — more than a week after the mayors — to confront them on the proliferation of illegal drugs in their areas. Local authorities explain the factors that contributed to the neck-deep flashfloods in Cagayan de Oro. The country will also see the first common station of its 3 main mass rail transit systems operational by April 2019.

Here are the big stories you shouldn’t miss: 

 

ISIS recruits from Asia likely to target home countries – US commander  

 

Admiral Harry Harris of the United States Pacific Command warned on January 18 that the Asia-Pacific region is at risk of attacks by Islamic State (ISIS) group fighters returning to their home countries. As the group loses territory in the Middle East, radicalized fighters from Bangladesh, Indonesia, and elsewhere are likely to target their native countries. “It’s not a theory. It’s real. In the past year alone, ISIL has made its murderous intentions clear in places like Bangladesh, Indonesia, the Philippines, Malaysia, and the United States,” he said at an geo-political conference in New Delhi. The warning follows a similar warning from a Jakarta-based think tank in October, which said the main danger lies in the strife-torn southern Philippines where a handful of Islamic extremist groups have sworn allegiance to ISIS.

 

Obama has a warning for Trump in his farewell press con 

 

Barack Obama vowed to speak up if Donald Trump threatens core US values and reassured Americans “we’ll be okay” on January 18, in a political swan song after 8 years as president. During his final press conference and public appearance before Trump’s inauguration on January 20, the 55-year-old President said he was stepping back but would return to the political breach in extremis. “I want to do some writing, I want to be quiet a little bit and not hear myself talk so darn much,” but any effort to enforce systematic discrimination, erode voting rights, muzzle the press or round up young immigrants, would cause him to speak out.

 

PH senators train guns on Facebook, fake news, trolls  

 

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV filed Senate Resolution 259, urging the committee on public information and mass media to probe the “proliferation of false, erroneous, distorted, fabricated and/or misleading news and information on social media, as well as on the so-called social media trolls.” He said there is an “immediate and imperative need” to investigate the issue, as it threatens the “viability and credibility” of online journalism and also violates a citizen’s right to truthful and accurate online news and information. Senator Francis Pangilinan, meanwhile, filed Senate Resolution 271, seeking a Senate inquiry into the proliferation of fake news on social media, and penalizing Facebook for its “inaction” on these things.

 

Duterte to confront governors on drug problem in their provinces  

 

President Rodrigo Duterte will hold a closed-door meeting with governors from all over the country at Malacañang Palace at 2 pm today, January 19. Over a week ago, on January 10, busloads of mayors went to the Palace to meet with Duterte in 3 batches, days after the President announced his intention to confront mayors about the spread of illegal drugs in their communities. In his meeting with mayors, Duterte said he cursed in front of them and showed them his “final” list of suspected drug personalities: “Sinabi ko talaga sa kanila, totoo iyon and I said, pardon my language because very, may mga – putang ina ninyo!” (I really told them, it’s true, I said, pardon my language because – you sons of bitches!)

 

Why the flashfloods? 2 weeks’ worth of rain dumped on Cagayan de Oro in 6 hours  

 

Excessive rains, garbage that clogged drainage systems, and shanties that stood in waterways all contributed to the flash floods that submerged Cagayan de Oro on January 16, local authorities said in a briefing on Wednesday. Engineer Arthur Cupay, planning and design head of DPWH Region X, one factor that led to the flash floods that displaced thousands was the amount of water that the low pressure area and tail-end of a cold front dumped on the city. The 160 mm of rainwater dumped in just 6 hours was equivalent to 2 weeks’ rain. In 2011, he recalled, Typhoon Sendong dumped more than 180 mm of water, causing floods in the city – almost 1,000 died, while 1,500 more had gone missing.

 

MRT-LRT common station up in 2019, and this is what it’ll look like  

 

Construction of the common station for the Metro Rail Transit and Light Rail Transit will begin December this year, after the government and the private builders finally signed a memorandum of agreement on Janary 18. The MRT-LRT common station is a P2.8-billion, 13,700-square-meter project to be built between SM North EDSA and TriNoma malls in Quezon City. It will connect the LRT1, the MRT3, and also the MRT7. The first common station for the country’s 3 major mass rail transit systems is targeted for completion in April 2019. Click here for the proposed design.