Rappler Newscast | April 22, 2014

Rappler.com

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Napoles confirms the involvement of senators. A study shows Filipinos like the US more than Americans. SoKor ferry death toll exceeds 100

Today on Rappler.

  • Janet Napoles confirms to Justice Secretary de Lima, 3 senators are involved in the pork barrel scam.
  • A Pew Research study shows Filipinos like the United States more than Americans do.
  • The death toll from the South Korea ferry tragedy exceeds 100.

 

STORY 1: DE LIMA: NAPOLES TAGGED JPE, BONG, JINGGOY IN PORK SCAM

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima says alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles confirms 3 senators are involved in the corruption scandal.
De Lima met with Napoles Monday night, before Napoles was scheduled for surgery at the Makati Hospital.
De Lima says a “tearful” Napoles wanted to become a state witness…
and tell what she knew about …
how lawmakers allegedly siphoned public money to fake NGOs in exchange for kickbacks.
De Lima says Napoles’ upcoming surgery this week motivated her to testify.
She adds, “She sent feelers before the Holy Week.
She said she’s ready to speak up, she’s ready to tell all.”
The justice secretary says Napoles submitted her affidavit and provided more details…
about the alleged involvement of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Bong Revilla, and Jinggoy Estrada in the scam.
De Lima also says Napoles implicated more people in the biggest corruption scandal in recent Philippine history.
Napoles faces plunder charges over the scam.
If admitted as a state witness, she becomes immune from criminal prosecution.
But De Lima says the department will have to evaluate Napoles’ affidavit first to determine if she can be a state witness.

 

STORY 2: JINGGOY: DE LIMA FLIP-FLOPPING ON NAPOLES

Senator Jinggoy Estrada accuses Justice Secretary de Lima of flip-flopping on the possibility of accepting Janet Napoles as state witness.
He questions De Lima’s decision to meet with Napoles Monday night.

JINGGOY ESTRADA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Hindi ko nga alam kung bakit pabagu-bago ang statements ng DOJ, sinabi she’s not eligible to be a state witness, tapos ngayon gusto na mag-state witness, hindi ko maintindihan. Kasi noong una, as I’ve read in the newspapers, before ha, before this came out na si Mrs. Napoles is not eligible to be state witness… there’s something fishy.

(I don’t know why the DOJ keeps changing its statements. They once said she’s not eligible to be a state witness, now they want her to be one. I don’t understand, because at first, as I’ve read in the newspapers before this came out, they said that Mrs. Napoles is not eligible to be state witness… there’s something fishy.)

In February, De Lima was quoted as saying “She denies everything like the last time when she appeared here in the Senate. Definitely she will never qualify.”
Estrada says the meeting between De Lima and Napoles is a sign the justice department is bent on pinning down the senators implicated in the scam – Senators Enrile, Revilla and him.
Estrada says it’s possible the administration threatened Napoles to convince her to turn against the opposition senators.
Estrada, Revilla and Enrile face plunder charges for allegedly conniving with Napoles to funnel pork barrel funds to her fake NGOs.
Napoles is also a respondent in the plunder case.


STORY 3: ERAP IN HK TO BRING COMPENSATION FOR HOSTAGE VICTIMS

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada leaves for Hong Kong Tuesday, bringing an undisclosed amount of money as compensation for the families of the 8 Hong Kong tourists who died during the 2010 Manila hostage crisis.
That event strained the relationship between the Philippines and Hong Kong.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino earlier said there was no need for the Philippines to apologize but Estrada says it’s time Philippine officials admit they are at fault.
He says, “There were 8 people who came here to have a vacation but were killed instead. Of course we should apologize – those who died were defenseless.”
A source from the Estrada camp earlier told Rappler the Hong Kong meeting was initiated by Malacanang although dialogue between Hong Kong and the Philippines was a “joint effort” by the Manila local government and the national government.

 

STORY 4: SC EXTENDS ANEW TRO ON MERALCO RATE HIKE

The Supreme Court once again extends the temporary restraining order or TRO on the December 2013 rate hike of Manila Electric Company or Meralco.
Leftist legislators asked the court to extend the TRO, saying millions of consumers would be left “unprotected” if the order is lifted.
In February, the Court already extended its initial TRO stopping Meralco from implementing its 4-peso and 15-centavo per kilowatt hour rate increase.

 

STORY 5: SANDIGANBAYAN DENIES ARROYO MOTION FOR BAIL

For the third time, the Sandiganbayan denies the request of former President Gloria Arroyo to be released on bail because of her health.
The Sandiganbayan says Arroyo is not “very sick” as her lawyers would like the court to believe.
Members of the Special First Division vote 3-2 against granting the motion.
The majority says evidence of guilt against Arroyo is strong based on allegations she conspired with former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office.
Arroyo’s original petition was denied in November 2013 and again on appeal last February.

 

STORY 6: PH HAS MORE ‘FAVORABLE’ VIEW ON AMERICANS

Just in time for US president Barack Obama’s visit to the Philippines…
A study reveals Filipinos like the US more than Americans do.
Data from the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project show 85% of Filipinos surveyed have a more “favorable” view of Americans – higher than the US, which came in second with a score of 84%.
Overall, the Philippines also has the most “favorable” view of the United States.
Americans themselves did not figure in the top 3 with a “favorable” view on their own country.
Most Filipinos surveyed say the US puts a premium on the Philippines’ interest when it comes to international policy.
84% of Filipinos say they have “confidence” in the US president in contrast to only 57% of Americans.
The Philippines is also among the Top 3 countries with high approval of Obama’s international policies.
74% of Filipinos express confidence China “will never replace the US as the world’s leading superpower.”
Not surprisingly, 81% of Filipinos see the US as a “partner” of the Philippines.

 

STORY 7: DEATH TOLL IN KOREA FERRY DISASTER CROSSES 100

The death toll from the South Korea ferry tragedy exceeds 100 Tuesday, as dive teams continue recovering more bodies from the submerged ship.
At least 108 people are confirmed dead, with 194 still missing.
Most of the 476 people on board were children on a school trip when the ship capsized and sank last week.
Angry relatives demand answers from the captain and crew of the ship, who were among the first to evacuate while hundreds remain trapped.
Police detain Captain Lee Jeon-Sook and several crew members over the disaster.
Asked by reporters why only one of the ship’s 46 life rafts was used, one crew member says the conditions made it impossible to deploy the rafts.
He says, “We tried to gain access to the rafts but the whole ship was already tilted too much.”

 

STORY 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

At number 7, a New York court orders the US government to reveal secret papers justifying drone attacks against suspected terrorists.
The case was brought to court by The New York Times…
following the 2011 drone attacks in Yemen that killed three victims, who were US citizens either by birth or naturalization.
Human rights groups say the drone strike program lacks clear legal limits…
but US officials say the campaigns weakened Al-Qaeda’s core leadership and reduced the threat of an attack on US soil.

At number 8, fifty-five Al Qaeda members are killed in what has been described as Yemen’s “unprecedented” joint aerial campaign with the United States.
Yemen says three senior Al Qaeda members are among those killed.
The operation targeted and destroyed an al-Qaeda training camp in the rugged mountains of Mahfad using drones.
The US considers Yemen’s Al Qaeda branch to be the most active in the world.

At number 10, a 16-year-old boy survives freezing temperatures and a lack of oxygen in the wheel well of a Hawaiian Airlines plane.
FBI officials say the boy appears to have been unconscious during the entire 5-hour flight.
It is extremely rare to survive a flight in a plane’s wheel well.
Many who try end up freezing to death or dying from a lack of oxygen.

For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

 

STORY 9: NOKIA TO BECOME MICROSOFT MOBILE BY APRIL 25?

Microsoft will close its acquisition of Nokia’s mobile phone business Friday.
In a statement, Microsoft announces the completion of the transaction several months in the making.
Microsoft says the deal will “help Microsoft accelerate innovation and market adoption for Windows Phones.”
Once final, Microsoft’s first order of business might be to kill off the Nokia brand name altogether.
A leaked internal letter supposedly sent by Nokia to its suppliers says,
“Upon the close of the transaction between Microsoft and Nokia,
the name of Nokia Corporation will change to Microsoft Mobile.”
There is no official statement confirming or denying this rumored change.
Nokia was once the world’s leading cellphone manufacturer.
But the company struggled to stay profitable because of the poor showing of its Windows Phone-based Lumia smartphone.
The company’s biggest challenge was to remain relevant after the iPhone’s launch in 2007 ushered in a new age of smartphones.


STORY 10: SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE DAY

Space exploration agency NASA launches its #GlobalSelfie project Tuesday.
The #GlobalSelfie is part of NASA’s Earth Day celebration.
To join, step outside, take a photo of yourself…
and upload it on social media with the hashtag #GlobalSelfie.
NASA will compile the photos and launch the mosaic in May.

 

– Rappler.com

Newscast Production Staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER Lilibeth Frondoso
DIRECTOR Rupert Ambil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER Rodneil Quiteles
  Dindin Reyes
HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER Katerina Francisco
  Marga Deona
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK Exxon Ruebe
  Emerald Hidalgo
  Jaene Zaplan
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN Charlie Salazar
  Adrian Portugal
  Francis Lopez
  Naoki Mengua
GRAPHICS Jessica Lazaro
  Raffy de Guzman

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