Rappler Newscast | May 23, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• The World Economic Forum comes to a close. Industry leaders say the biggest challenge for ASEAN is inclusiveness.
• Budget Secretary Butch Abad says the pork barrel scandal shows government is transparent and accountable.
• Thailand’s military bans Yingluck Shinawatra from leaving the country without permission.

Story 1: WEF ENDS, LEADERS CALL FOR SOCIAL INVOLVEMENT

The World Economic Forum on East Asia ends Friday.
After a series of discussions on the state of East Asia, the forum’s main organizers share their insights from each of the sessions.
World Wildlife Fund president Yolanda Kakabadse says there is a need to involve the youth who are more in tune with a rapidly-evolving world.

YOLANDA KAKABADSE, PRESIDENT, WORLD WILDLIFE FUND: The most important one, I think, is recognizing that the problems today are completely different than the ones from last week… We need to be permanently renovating our way of thinking, looking into new options, new technologies.

Lawson Japan Chairman Takeshi Niinami says the region must deal with poverty and move towards a fair distribution of wealth, leading to an emerging middle class.

TAKESHI NIINAMI, CHAIRMAN, LAWSON JAPAN: I definitely believe this emerging middle class will play a key role in terms of economic growth.

Lippo Group CEO James Riady says inclusiveness is one of the biggest, most challenging issues of ASEAN.

JAMES T. RIADY, CEO, LIPPO GROUP: It reflects the gaps that we have – income gaps. Wealth gaps. Geographical gaps. Infrastructure gaps. We have all those issues in front of us. At the same time, if you look at the sectoral, agriculture is huge in ASEAN. And yet in this area you don’t have the inclusiveness.

WEF Southeast Asia head Sushant Palakurthi Rao says this year’s forum emphasizes the power of staying connected.
He adds networks are crucial to progress.

SUSHANT PALAKURTHI RAO, WEF SOUTHEAST ASIA HEAD: This year’s East Asian meeting reflected the many connections we have, but also the connections we need – to create stronger communities of purpose, to ensure there’s economic growth with a purpose for future of economic progress. As they say in the Philippines, they don’t only say that it’s more fun in the Philippines, they also say… “Walang mahirap na gawa kapag dinaan sa tiyaga.”

Story 2: US: LAW MUST RULE IN DISPUTES
Security remains an issue.
With an aggressive China moving in, sending ships and deploying an oil rig to disputed areas, international powers call for a peaceful resolution of maritime disputes.
US Pacific Commander Samuel Locklear says it’s important to commit to following the rule of law to solve disputes.

SAMUEL J. LOCKLEAR III, COMMANDER, UNITED STATES PACIFIC COMMAND: You will never stop having friction in this part of the world because a good economic growth, good competition is good for the region, and that springs competition, springs friction.

New America Foundation Singapore senior fellow Parag Khanna says economic development in the region ramped up tensions over disputed territories.

PARAG KHANNA, SENIOR FELLOW, NEW AMERICA FOUNDATION: We didn’t have these disputes decades ago because the economies weren’t growing as much, there wasn’t a need to harness those raw materials as urgently as now.

The Philippines, a vocal critic of China’s aggressiveness, urges ASEAN to push for a legally binding Code of Conduct that would help ensure peace and stability in the region.
Philippine foreign affairs undersecretary Laura del Rosario says delaying negotiations on the code may mean changing environments and parameters.

LAURA DEL ROSARIO, FOREIGN AFFAIRS UNDERSECRETARY: We are not acting fast enough. And there’s so many changes happening. So eventually when we discuss the COC, from what point are we going to discuss it? Because when we started talking about it, the changes now were not yet there.

The United States also pledged its support for peace and stability in the region and denied the US pivot to Asia is a reaction to China.

SAMUEL J. LOCKLEAR III, COMMANDER, UNITED STATES PACIFIC COMMAND: The US position out here is not to contain China, militarily we welcome them in, we welcome more transparency, we welcome more exercises…The only person that can contain China is China.

Story 3: PHILIPPINES, INDONESIA SEAL HISTORIC MARITIME DEAL
The Philippines and Indonesia sign a historic deal that draws a boundary between the two countries’ overlapping exclusive economic zones or EEZs.
It took 20 years to set this boundary between the Mindanao Sea and Celebes Sea.
The Philippines’ foreign affairs department says the deal will help guide fishermen and the two countries’ coast guard and law enforcement authorities.
This is the Philippines’ first maritime boundary treaty.
Philippine President Benigno Aquino and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono witness the signing of the deal in Manila.

BENIGNO AQUINO III, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: This is an agreement that is founded on the principles of international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea. It serves as solid proof to our steadfast commitment to uphold the rule of law and pursue the peaceful and equitable settlement of maritime concerns.

Speaking in Bahasa Indonesia, Yudhoyono says setting maritime boundaries will allow the two countries to cooperate for better.
He also says the deal is a –quote– “a good example that any border disputes including maritime border tension can be resolved peacefully.”

Story 4: INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: CHINA MUST ABIDE BY ‘CODE’
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa says ASEAN aims to be an organization that can unite without the threat of another country.
He says the maritime deal between the Philippines and Indonesia show the region there’s another way.

MARTY NATALEGAWA, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: It’s not given that we are always in a state of vicious cycle of tensions and mistrust and Indonesia and PH working hand-in-hand, I think, can be part of that game-changing, momentum-building situation.

Natalegawa says the South China Sea conflict is a ‘litmus test’ for ASEAN.
He adds it’s not about taking sides, but delivering what he calls its – quote- “centrality role.”
China claims most of the islands in the South China Sea, overlapping claims by the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia and Brunei.

MARTY NATALEGAWA, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: Well we have to recognize that there is no military solution to this issue…Security is common goods. It must be enjoyed by all. It cannot be at the expense of the other. That is why we have to promote peaceful settlement of disputes.

He also says China’s power is not a threat.
But he says, China must abide by ASEAN’s code of conduct on the South China Sea.

MARTY NATALEGAWA, INDONESIAN FOREIGN MINISTER: We see China’s rise as being an opportunity, not necessarily as a challenge…So China is a very strong important part of ASEAN but it must actually deliver on the commitments on the declaration of conduct that we have all signed and worked on.

Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for the Economy Chairul Tanjung says Indonesia is set to benefit from ASEAN integration.
He adds ASEAN’s 6 first member nations have already taken down most tariff controls and is already a free trade market.
According to his estimate, Indonesia controls almost 40 percent of the ASEAN economy.
Asked who will be the winners and losers in the upcoming integration, he says ASEAN is a “sharing and caring” organization and the community of nations should mitigate the potential negatives.

CHAIRUL TANJUNG, INDONESIAN COORDINATING MINISTER FOR THE ECONOMY: So we don’t want to make it somebody got the benefit much, somebody is lost so much. So somebody who got the benefit so much have to be caring and sharing to the somebody who lost. So that is the principle of Asia.

Story 5: INDUSTRY LEADERS: RECALIBRATE ECONOMIC GAUGES
Industry leaders ask, is it time to re-calibrate existing gauges, like the GDP and the millennium development goals, for economic growth?
Nestle’s Nandu Nandkishore says the world needs to move beyond GDP as a measure.

NANDU NANDKISHORE, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT, NESTLE: The only way we can sustainably create value for our shareholders is if we simultaneously create value for the society in which we operate.

Indonesia’s Sintesa Group CEO Shinta Widjaja Kamdani says the Millennium Development Goals are stepping stones to sustainability.
She says Indonesia has reduced its poverty level in two.

SHINTA WIDJAJA KAMDANI, CEO, SINTESA GROUP: Indonesia is still far behind, but we’re looking into having alignment with stakeholders.

International Monetary Fund’s Naoyuki Shinohara stresses the importance of a carefully-designed program for the equitable sharing of prosperity.

NAOYUKI SHINOHARA, DEPUTY MANAGING DIRECTOR, INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND: Redistribution of income can have positive contribution to growth, if the design is right. I think that is the conclusion.

Story 6: INVESTORS: PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS IDEAL
During the discussions on strategic infrastructure across the ASEAN region, investors agree that public-private partnerships are ideal to accelerate construction.
Vinacapital Group’s Don Lam lauds the efficiency of privatization.

DON LAM, CEO AND CO-FOUNDER, VINACAPITAL GROUP: One thing Vietnam does, a lot of now, is just privatize the infrastructure asset. That’s the quickest way for the government to get the money, use that money for a new project.

Asian Development Bank’s Stephen Groff brings up the issue of distinguishing between authentic needs and vested interest in infrastructure development.

STEPHEN P. GROFF, VP-OPERATIONS, ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK: We all too often, you know, in this region, in the world, we see vested interests masquerading as national interest, and we need to do much better in distinguishing between those two things.

Shipping magnate Enrique Razon Jr. says vested interest masquerading as national interest happens all over the globe.
He adds governments take a long time to get programs off the ground, but once momentum kicks in, they move at a good pace.

ENRIQUE RAZON JR, CHAIRMAN, ICTSI: It’s almost a golden age for financing, especially for governments. Our government in particular is investment grade, cost of funding is very cheap at the moment… you just have to be patient.

Story 7: CARDINAL TAGLE, OFFICIALS DISCUSS CIVIC ENGAGEMENT
In an interactive session at the Forum, a top Philippine church official joins cabinet secretaries, civic society and youth leaders from around the world to define the future of civic engagement and determine the steps to get there.
Sectoral leaders focus on technology, the youth, women, among other things and say institutions need to adapt.
Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle says education is important to help people become more involved in society.
He adds, “There is a desire [that] we should enhance civic responsibility…[But] for civic engagement to be sustained, people should be trained in their responsibility to society.”

Story 8: ABAD: PORK BARREL SCAM SHOWS GOV’T IS TRANSPARENT
Will corruption scandals like the multi-billion peso pork barrel scam scare investors?
Put on the spot about the government’s anti-corruption drive, Budget Secretary Butch Abad says the scandal can be seen in a positive light, showing this administration is transparent and is accountable.

BUTCH ABAD, BUDGET SECRETARY: What is critical and what has been lacking for so long a time is credibility. People are looking at, is this government serious, is it going to be consistent, are we really reaching a regime of predictability and stability here? That’s why they held off for some time, they were not coming in for some time, but now what they’re seeing is not just leadership but policies, processes, institutions are actually moving in that direction. A credit rating upgrade is not just a financial and economic assessment. It’s a social as well as a political assessment of a country’s ability to fulfill its commitment.

With an overhauled disbursement system replacing the Priority Development Assistance Fund, Abad says legislators have to work with the executive to meet both the country’s needs and those of their constituents.

Story 9: NAPOLES STAYS IN HOSPITAL
The alleged mastermind of the latest corruption scandal, Janet Lim Napoles, will remain in the hospital.
A Makati regional trial court suspended its earlier decision ordering her to return to her detention cell in Laguna by Friday.
On Wednesday, doctors recalled its discharge order after noting Napoles’ — quote –“excessive vaginal bleeding.”
Doctors have three days to submit a progress report on Napoles’ condition.

Story 10: THAI ARMY BARS EX-PM, 154 OTHERS FROM LEAVING
Thailand’s military bans ousted prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and at least 154 other prominent figures from leaving Thailand without permission.
The military also summons Shinawatra and several others to report to the military junta, one day after declaring a coup and imposing a nationwide curfew.
This comes just days after the army declared martial law.
Military chief General Prayut Chan-O-Cha censors media and suspends most of the constitution, drawing criticism from Washington, Europe and the United Nations, who all call for civilian control to be restored.
Thailand has been locked in a nearly decade-long political crisis since a military coup unseated Yingluck’s older brother Thaksin in 2006.
This is the 12th successful military coup Thailand has had since 1932.

Story 11: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 7, China and Russia veto a draft resolution by the United Nations Security Council that would refer Syria to the International Criminal Court for crimes committed in a 3-year civil war.
It’s the 4th time China and Russia blocked Western resolutions.
This paralyzes the efforts of the Security Council to end a war estimated to have killed more than 160,000 people.
British ambassador Mark Lyall Grant calls the two countries’ move “disgraceful.”

At number 8,The Russian Foreign Ministry demands an official explanation from British authorities after Prince Charles reportedly compared Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine to those of Hitler.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich says, “If these words were really said, then undoubtedly they are not worthy of a future British monarch.”

And at number 10, Two Filipinas impress judges during the blind auditions of The Voice Australia.
Fely Irvine, a Filipino-Scot based in Sydney, got judges Ricky Martin and Joel Madden to turn their chairs when they heard her rendition of Rihanna’s “We Found Love.”
Irvine joins another Filipino, Jhoanna Aguila, who sang “You’ve Got The Love” by Florence and the Machine.

– 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