March 4, 2013 Edition

12 more people died in a new clash Sunday between Malaysia police and Filipinos in Sempora, raising the death toll to 26. Six Malaysian policemen and 6 Filipino gunmen were killed in the incident. Malaysia’s national police chief Ismail Omar said police were “ambushed” by gunmen during a security sweep. Ismail also said police were pursuing another group of armed men in Kunak, another town in the area. Fears mounted that violence linked to a deadly standoff in Lahud Datu, Sabah had spread to other areas. Semporna is 300 kilometers (190 miles) from the site of the 3-week standoff. The leader of the intruders in the Friday clash, Jamalul Kiram III, 74, claims to be the heir to the Islamic sultanate of Sulu, which once controlled parts of the southern Philippines and the Malaysian state of Sabah on Borneo.

Read more on Rappler here and here 

Co-author of the book “Under the Crescent Moon: Rebellion in Mindanao” Rappler Managing Editor Glenda Gloria revisits the Jabidah massacre and the roots of the Sabah stand-off. Gloria outlines the complex ethnic and historical conflicts that start with former President Ferdinand Marcos’ adventurism in the 1960s: the Jabidah massacre, the murder of mutinous Muslim recruits in a covert operation to reclaim Sabah. Gloria connects this to MNLF leader Nur Misuari’s loss of Malaysia’s friendship amid the Asian financial crisis of 1997 and Malaysia’s strategy of fighting Muslim fundamentalism by allowing moderate Islam to flourish. Finally, Gloria points out where the Philippines can do a better job in handling the problem.

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Scientists in the US say they cured a baby of HIV through drug therapy.
It is seen as a breakthrough that could help thousands of HIV-positive babies worldwide. The baby was born in rural Mississippi in 2010 to a mother who was HIV-positive. Doctors at the hospital gave the baby a regimen of AIDS drugs already in the market. After 18 months of treatment, the doctors lost contact with the mother and child, and when she returned to the doctor after 5 months, tests showed the baby was already HIV negative. Repeated tests using more sensitive methods still confirm the baby is HIV free. Some scientists said it could also be possible that the treatment actually stopped the virus from infecting the baby, instead of curing the patient. The only other case of a patient cured of HIV was that of the “Berlin patient.” Timothy Brown was suffering from HIV and leukemia in 2007 when he underwent a bone marrow transplant that cured him of both diseases. As of 2012, Brown said he is still HIV-free.

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Resigned Cardinal Keith O’Brien of Britain admits his sexual conduct had “fallen below the standards expected of me.” In a statement, the former head of the Catholic Church in Scotland apologized “to those I have offended… to the Catholic Church and people of Scotland.” O’Brien resigned in the wake of claims that he made sexual advances towards priests which date back to the 1980s — allegations which he initially denied. The allegations include claims that one priest received unwanted attention from O’Brien after a late-night drinking session, while another priest reportedly claims that O’Brien used night prayers as cover for inappropriate contact. O’Brien also angered the gay community with his hardline public stance on homosexuality. He was named “bigot of the year” in 2012 by the gay rights charity Stonewall. He said, “I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland.” He also confirmed he will not take part in the papal election conclave.

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The resignation of Pope Benedict XVI could change the nature of the modern papacy. Vatican experts and some church leaders said Benedict’s decision sets limits for future popes. This also makes them more subject to pressure from critics. Experts said this feeds the view that Popes are not just spiritual leaders of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics but chief executives managing a multinational conglomerate. The possibility of resignation could allow the cardinals to choose a younger man, knowing that a limited term is an option, or an older one, knowing that he could quit if unable to fulfill his duties. South Africa’s Cardinal Wilfrid F. Napier said “The precedent has been set.” Such issues have never been on the table during the modern papacy. Not everyone is pleased about it, and some worry about a destabilizing effect. Australian Cardinal George Pell said Benedict’s example could prompt critics to “mount a future campaign” against a successor “to get him to resign.” Benedict, when he was Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, worked closely with Pope John Paul, and watched as the old Vicar grew increasingly infirm. The experience is believed to have been a factor in Benedict’s decision to resign.

Read more on New York Times

The debate over the controversial Team Patay/Team Buhay posters continues. Commission on Elections Chair Sixto Brillantes says the poll body will file an election offense case against the Diocese of Bacolod for defying the order to take down its posters. The posters, which campaigns against pro-reproductive health candidates, are oversized, according to Comelec rules. Three days after Comelec notified the diocese, the Bacolod Cathedral cut the posters in half, but Brillantes says the posters’ size still defy regulations. On Saturday, Brillantes posts a photo of the posters on Twitter, saying: “I want you to judge. Tell me if this is not oversized? If this is not meant to influence voters?”

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Chad says its soldiers in Mali killed the mastermind of the January raid on an Algerian gas plant that left at least 37 foreign hostages and 30 militants dead. On Saturday, the Central African country’s military spokesman announced Mokhtar Belmokhtar was killed in an operation in the Ifoghas mountain range. Belmokhtar, a notorious militant active in smuggling and kidnapping, claims to have organized the raid on the Ain Amenas gas plant in retaliation for French intervention in Mali. Belmokhtar is one of four leaders of Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb brigades during the 2000s. He broke with the group last year to form his own organization, the Signed-in-Blood Battalion. Soldiers from Chad are fighting Islamist militants in northern Mali as part of a French-led international force. Both the American military and French Defense Ministry say they are still confirming the report on Belmokhtar’s killing.

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Vice President Jejomar Binay and former President Joseph Estrada visit Cagayan de Oro City, leading the opposition’s first sortie in Mindanao.
For the first time in two weeks, Estrada and Binay join UNA’s senatorial candidates to endorse them in what has traditionally been known as Erap country. The Estrada-Binay tandem won big in Cagayan de Oro in 2010. Speaking to a crowd of over 50,000 people, Binay declares, “Mindanao belongs to UNA and UNA belongs to Mindanao.” The sortie coincided with Bukidnon’s annual Kaamulan ethnic thanksgiving feast, providing a grand pyrotechnic display and musical performances for the crowds. In their speeches, UNA senatorial candidates highlight the importance of addressing Mindanao’s power crisis and helping the region’s farmers. UNA’s bets also take a jab at the Aquino administration’s handling of the Sabah standoff. Zambales Rep Mitos Magsaysay says the people of Mindanao are closely watching how the government handles the issue. Mindanao is home to the majority of the country’s Muslim population.

Read more on Rappler here and here 

US-based company Solid Gold Bomb pulls shirts listed on Amazon off the market after discovering it had slogans that appeared to promote rape and violence against women. Twitter users express outrage over the shirts, which had the slogans “Keep Calm and Rape On” and “Keep Calm and Hit Her.” The company’s founder apologizes and says the slogans were computer-generated and were not deliberately created. Amazon’s spokesman Ben Howes and blogger Pete Ashton say the shirts were never actually printed and for sale. Ashton says companies like Solid Gold Bomb offer slogans and designs which are printed on demand when a customer orders one.

Read more on CNN 

The Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this year is a showcase of new gadgets and operating systems. Nokia unveils two new phones to the Windows 8-powered Lumia family, while Firefox launches its new smartphone OS. Korean tech giant Samsung also holds its own Samsung Forum in Jakarta, introducing a slew of devices it hopes would “shape a new era of technology.” The showcase features the world’s largest Ultra Highdef TV, a multi view 3D TV, and a 45mm prime lens for Samsung’s NX-300 mirrorless camera. TechRap anchor Josh Villanueva tries out Samsung’s new 8-inch tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 8. The iPad mini competitor can take phone calls, has optional expandable memory, and an S pen perfect for drawing or taking notes. Watch more in this week’s episode of Tech Rap.

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