Rappler Newscast | August 29, 2012

Today on Rappler.

• Senator Sotto hits back at critics accusing him of plagiarism.
• The Integrated Bar of the Philippines asks Supreme Court justices to release their Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
• Senator Trillanes blames Peping Cojuangco for Filipino athletes’ poor performance in the London Olympics.

Story 1: SOTTO BLASTS CRITICS, BACKS BLOGGING BILL
Senator Tito Sotto says he is a victim of cyber-bullying after he was criticized for plagiarizing from a blogger in his speech against the Reproductive Health bill.
In a privilege speech Wednesday, Sotto does not apologize.  Instead, he proposes crafting a bill that will define and regulate blogging in the Philippines.
He claims, he is the first senator to be a victim of cyber-bullying.

TITO SOTTO, SENATE MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER: Yung blanket disclaimer ay pag amin ko po na ang research materials na nilalaman ng aking talumpati ay batay sa mga pag-aaral ng mga ginagalang na eksperto. Pero ano po ang nangyari? Doon po sa tinatawag nating Internet, yang Twitter, Facebook, mga blogs, websites. Ako na po ang kauna-unahang senador ng Pilipinas na naging biktima ng cyber-bullying na yung iba mayroon pang sinusulat na gusto daw akong kasuhan sa pangyayaring ito. Gusto ko ipaalam sa kanila na wala pong krimen na plagiarism sa Pilipinas.

Sotto argues that anyone who sings a song without attributing it to the composer is also guilty of plagiarism.

TITO SOTTO, SENATE MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER: Dapat daw may mga attribution at kung anu-ano. Pag ginawa po natin iyan, lahat ng kakanta ng Magkaisa, Balatkayo, kanta ng VST & Co., pag di sinabi ako ang composer, pwedeng icharge ng plagiarism, kung maniniwala tayo sa kanila.

Sotto also moves to strike from the Senate record the paragraph copied from American blogger Sarah Pope.
Sotto will deliver the last part of his speech against the RH bill on September 4.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile defends Sotto, saying what matters is whether Sotto’s arguments against the RH bill are sound.
The Senate President says he does not condone plagiarism and admits he is not Internet literate.

JUAN PONCE ENRILE, SENATE PRESIDENT: Di ako nagi-Internet kaya nung lumabas ‘yung suplong o question tungkol sa Majority Floor Leader, tinanong ko, ‘Ano ba iyong blog’ dahil wala akong blog. ‘Di ko alam ang blog. Akala ko parang slogan ang blog. Iyon pala parang libro yata daw iyon sa Internet na nilalagay mo doon ang iyong mga panaginip, mga opinyon, mga ideya, mga kaalaman.

Story 2: CEAP BACKS CBCP, RESPECTS PRO-RH PROFESSORS
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines backs the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines in opposing the Reproductive Health bill, but says it respects Catholic university professors who support the bill.
CEAP National Advocacy Commission chair Fr. Joel Tabora says the organization does not have a unified position on the bill.
Earlier, CBCP president Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said Catholic schools should not teach anything against official Church teaching.
This was a reaction to a statement by Ateneo professors supporting the bill, saying it is compatible with Catholic teaching.
Tabora says the professors’ stance comes from “rational deliberation and a search from their conscience.”

FR. JOEL TABORA, CEAP NATIONAL ADVOCACY COMMISSION CHAIR: Faith seeks understanding, and understanding seeks faith. It’s the mandate of the Catholic university, and if you stop the discussion, you kill the university. But if you kill the Catholic university, you hurt the Church.

Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas says there is no truth to speculation the teachers will be terminated, adding they are not “trigger-happy” in imposing sanctions.

SOCRATES VILLEGAS, LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN ARCHBISHOP: I just want to caution you that we bishops are not trigger-happy with imposing penalties, because we are first brothers, by baptism and we are first fathers who need to guide and to correct.

Story 3: IBP ASKS SC JUSTICES TO DISCLOSE WEALTH
The Integrated Bar of the Philippines asks Supreme Court justices to follow Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno’s lead and disclose their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth.
IBP President Roan Libarios says Sereno’s move should encourage other Supreme Court members to disclose their wealth and address concerns on transparency in the courts.
On Tuesday, Sereno says she would be releasing her SALN in response to news reports about her involvement in businesses.
A Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report shows a certain “Maria Lourdes Sereno” involved in AccessLaw Inc., SMETRIX Inc. and MRM Studios Inc.
Sereno previously released to Rappler a summary of her 2010 SALN which shows she had net assets of more than 17 million pesos.
Sereno says she will release her SALN on Thursday, August 30.

LOURDES SERENO, PHILIPPINE CHIEF JUSTICE: A statement will be issued soon that will indicate that has taken place in yesterday’s en banc session and that will include disclosure of the statement of assets and liabilities of the chief justice.

Story 4: DILG CHIEF NAMED NEXT WEEK
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda says President Benigno Aquino will name the replacement of the late Interior and Local Government Secretary next week before leaving for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.
At the Senate, Senator Panfilo Lacson believes the Liberal Party will have first crack at the position.

PANFILO LACSON, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Dapat hindi competition ito. It all boils down to the President exercising that prerogative to appoint kung sinuman yung gusto niyang i-appoint sa isang cabinet position.

LP President Mar Roxas earlier said if given the chance, he would give the position to Cavite representative Jun Abaya.
Abaya is the secretary-general of the LP and a good friend of Robredo.
House majority leader Neptali Gonzales backs Roxas saying Abaya embodies the qualities of the late Secretary Robredo.
The others being considered for the post are former Isabela governor Grace Padaca, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, and Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

Story 5: PH, CHINA MAY DISCUSS TERRITORIAL ROW AT APEC
The presidents of the Philippines and China will likely discuss a territorial row on the sidelines of a regional trade summit in Russia next month.
Foreign Undersecretary Laura del Rosario says President Benigno Aquino III will reaffirm Philippine claims to parts of the South China Sea while seeking to ease tensions with China.
Aquino and Chinese President Hu Jintao are due to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation leaders’ summit next month.
On Wednesday, US ambassador to the Philippines Harry Thomas says the US wants to see a “peaceful resolution” of the territorial conflict between the two countries.

HARRY THOMAS, US AMBASSADOR TO THE PHILIPPINES: We don’t take sides on this issue. We think it should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international norms. We are against economic coercion and we think this should be decided at the negotiation table.

Story 6: PIMENTEL ON LEAVE: WHERE DID THAT COME FROM?
Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel denies taking a leave of absence as president of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
Pimentel denies the announcement of United Nationalist Alliance spokesperson JV Bautista that Pimentel will go on leave from the party because he is running with the administration’s senatorial slate for 2013.

KOKO PIMENTEL, SENATOR: I do not know where that came from. I did not file any leave. I did not mention any intention of going on leave and Attorney JV Bautista does not hold any critical position in the party so I do not know what is his business making this announcement affecting the president of the party.

PDP-Laban formed an alliance with former President Joseph Estrada’s Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino to form UNA, the rival coalition to the administration’s Liberal party.
Instead of taking a leave of absence, Pimentel says he will inhibit from all UNA and campaign-related matters.
Pimentel bolted UNA over the inclusion of resigned Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri in its senatorial slate.
Pimentel accuses Zubiri of cheating in the 2007 polls.

Story 7: TRILLANES: COJUANGCO IS STUMBLING BLOCK TO PH SPORTS
Senate Committee on amateur sports chair Sonny Trillanes blames the Philippine Olympic Committee for the country’s poor performance in the London Olympics.
Trillanes slams POC president Peping Cojuangco for his lack of vision and failure to provide clear leadership and reform programs.
He goes as far as calling Cojuangco “the greatest stumbling block to sports development.”
The senator believes the government needs to views the value it gives to sports.
He says, “Sports in not only winning of medals but also an integral part of growing our citizens properly.”

Story 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 4, On the eve of the 7th Anniversary of Katrina, category one storm “Hurricane Isaac” hits the southeastern portion of Louisiana state in the United States.
The National Hurricane Center warns of “strong winds and a dangerous storm surge” along the Gulf coast.
The storm causes storm surges and flooding in several areas including Shell Beach in Louisiana and Waveland, Mississippi.
Forecasters predict the surges will get worse, while a power company reports 150,000 homes are without power.

At number 6, things seem to be looking up for the Philippines.
After a 6.4% growth rate in the first quarter of 2012, reports from international observers are mostly optimistic.
The most recent is by the New York Times which called the Philippines  “Asia’s bright spot”.
The August 27 report makes an interesting case for the country’s high population growth rate, calling it “a driving force for economic growth.”

At number 7, Syrian opposition fighters claim up to 400 people were killed last weekend in the town of Daraya southwest of Damascus.
If accurate, the incident would be the worst single attack by government forces since the civil war broke 17 months ago.
Government calls the attack on Daraya a counter terrorism operation saying the area was cleansed of “terrorists”.
Human rights groups claim most of the dead were civilians.

And at number 9, Prosecutors in France agree to probe the 2004 death of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat.
Medical records state Arafat died in a military hospital near Paris of a stroke resulting from a blood disorder, but family members claim he was poisoned.
Swiss-scientists hired by a documentary crew found traces of the radio active element polonium-210 on some of Arafat’s belongings including his trademark keffiyeh.

Story 9: NASA BEAMS FIRST SONG FROM MARS
NASA transmits the first song to be broadcast from Mars, Tuesday.
The song is ‘Reach for the stars’ by Grammy award winning artist WILL I AM of the group Black Eyed Peas.
It is then beamed back by the Curiosity rover to NASA’s Propulsion Laboratory in California.
It was done as part of efforts to get the youth more interested in science.

Story 10: FOLAYANG HEADLINES ‘PRIDE OF A NATION’ MMA EVENT IN PH
The Philippines’ biggest Mixed Martial Arts event in the history of the Philippines, “Pride of a Nation,” is just around the corner.
On Friday, August 31, some of the best MMA fighters in the world will gather in Smart-Araneta Coliseum, for 12 fights in 5 different weight classes.
Of the 24 fighters competing, 5 are Filipino. Eduard Folayang, who is coined MMA’s Manny Pacquiao, will be up against Japan’s Felipe Enomote.
Headlining the event are Bibiano Fernandes and Japan’s Shinya Aoki. The public weigh-in takes place tomorrow, Thursday at Araneta.

– Rappler.com