Rappler Newscast | July 9, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• The tightest presidential race in Indonesia’s history both Jokowi and Prabowo claim victory.
• Senator Bong Revilla wants President Aquino, Mar Roxas, and former president Arroyo on the witness stand in his plunder case.
• Germany crushes Brazil’s World Cup dreams.

JOKOWI, PRABOWO CLAIM VICTORY

The tightest presidential race in Indonesia’s history ended on Wednesday with most credible quick counts showing Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo on track to become his country’s 7th president.
188 million Indonesians were expected to go to the polls from 7am to 1pm in 480,000 polling centers across the world’s largest archipelago.
A high turnout of 72% was recorded, with around 30% voting for the first time.
Jokowi, Prabowo, and running mates cast their vote in their respective voting precincts.
Despite fears of potential violence, polls closed peacefully at 1 in the afternoon.
Among the problems reported: ballots running out and voters unable to cast their votes in their polling stations.
Initial quick counts shortly after polls closed… reveal both Jokowi and Prabowo at a statistical tie.
Joining us is Maria Ressa live from Jakarta…
Maria, what happened today?

Paterno, there is always something new with each Indonesian election, but this one takes the cake – the 3rd time Indonesians are directly electing their president.

Shortly after polls closed at 1 pm, PDI-P party leader Megawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia’s founding father Sukarno and an opposition leader under authoritarian leader Suharto, declared Jokowi and his running mate, Jusuf Kalla, the new president and vice president of Indonesia.

That was followed about an hour later by an announcement by Prabowo and his running mate Hatta Rajasa questioning Jokowi’s camp.

Shortly after that, Indonesia’s President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked both sides to stay calm.  He asked them not to rely on quick counts and to wait for official results.  

I spoke with the man who bankrolled Prabowo’s campaign, his brother Hashim Djojohadikusumo, and he said it was dangerous to make that announcement so early in the day.

Paterno, what’s clear is that this is yet another first for Indonesia – the first time it’s ever had two candidates and the first time both candidates declared they won within 3 hours of the polls closing.

DID TWITTER PREDICT JOKOWI WIN?

Is Twitter influence a deciding factor in predicting the outcome of a presidential election?
In Indonesia, presidential candidates Jokowi and Prabowo put this to the test during the campaign and on election day.
Despite stark differences as candidates, both used social media to boost their campaign.
Being the Twitter capital of the world, it’s no surprise that the amount of tweets sent out from Indonesia on election day was massive.
Indonesian Twitter users had a field day… from hashtags and retweets declaring their support… to photos of their ballots as they voted.
If Twitter noise is an indicator, Jokowi came out ahead.
However, Prabowo’s supporters have also been very active… seen in the final tally of Rappler’s independent poll, which closed Tuesday midnight.
For all news related to the Indonesian elections visit www.rappler.com/indonesia.
Follow live updates from Rappler Indonesia – @RapplerID on Twitter.

 

JOKOWI CONFIDENT HE WON ELECTIONS

Joining us now is Ayee Macaraig live from Jakarta.
Ayee you followed Jokowi today. What was it like out there with his team ?

After the announcement of President Yudhoyono the camp of Jakarta Governor Joko “Jokowi” Widodo holds a victory party that’s not quite one.
Jokowi greets and thanks his supporters…
in a festive rally at the Proclamation Monument here in Jakarta.
It looked, sounded and felt like a victory party…
but you get the sense that the victory Jokowi’s camp declared is not that final.
Jokowi reads the results of credible surveys showing him in the lead…
but at the same time, he asks his supporters to guard the vote until the final results.

JOKO WIDODO, INDONESIAN PRESIDENTIAL BET: Today, a new Indonesia has been built. Today is a new era. I want to reiterate that today’s victory is not the victory of Jokowi-JK, not the victory of the party but the victory of the people of Indonesia. Our task today is to monitor the results of the quick count today until the final count by the KPU. Until it reaches the official count.

The rally starts on a high note…
with rock stars, musicians and artists performing for Jokowi.
But the organizers ask the crowd to leave immediately after his speech…
to heed the call of President Yudhoyono not to mobilize.
Despite the conflicting declarations of victory to Jokowi’s supporters, it was clear who won.

At this point, Indonesians are still unsure who their next president will be…
and are watching the developments from this election closely.
Official results won’t be out until July 22.

Thank you, Ayee Macaraig live from Jakarta.

BONG REVILLA WANTS PNOY, MAR, PGMA AS WITNESSES

Senator Bong Revilla wants President Benigno Aquino, Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, and Pampanga representative Gloria Arroyo to take the witness stand in his plunder case.
The three administration officials are among the witnesses Revilla listed in his pre-trial brief before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan,
Wednesday, which includes movie and television producers.
Revilla says one of the issues to be resolved by the court is whether or not the projects allegedly funded by his PDAF are fictitious and whether or not he knew these to be so.
Revilla’s lawyer Joel Bodegon does not give a reason why his client wants to call in Aquino, Roxas, and Arroyo.
Revilla is charged with plunder and 16 counts of graft before the court for allegedly siphoning off public funds to bogus projects through scam mastermind Janet Napoles.
Among the 3 senators charged over the PDAF scam, Revilla allegedly pocketed the biggest amount in kickbacks at P224 million.

ENRILE GETS TO STAY AT POLICE HOSPITAL FOR NOW

Senator Juan Ponce Enrile is under hospital arrest… for now.
He is detained at the Philippine National Police general hospital.
The Sandiganbayan orders a medical exam for the senator, Wednesday, which must be submitted to the court 3 days from notice.
The court says Enrile will be allowed to make temporary visits to other medical facilities in case of emergency and if the treatment cannot be provided by police hospital.
Expenses for off-site treatment will be shouldered by the senator.
Enrile’s lawyer Estelito Mendoza says the 90-year-old senator is in frail condition and may suffer from attacks that are “immediately fatal.”
Medical reports from last May said Enrile has been diagnosed with chronic hypertension, elevated fasting blood sugar, mild anemia, and “age-related macular degeneration” in both eyes.
Enrile is also on at least 22 different medications for his various health complications.
The prosecution opposes Enrile’s motion, saying the senator had show his ability to function as legislator in the past.
This is Enrile’s third time in jail.
He is detained due to plunder and graft charges in relation to the biggest corruption scandal in recent history.

 

GIGI REYES TO BE DETAINED IN TAGUIG JAIL

Former Enrile aide Gigi Reyes will be detained at Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City.
It is the same facility where authorities hold alleged terrorists from
the Moro National Liberation Front and suspects of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre.
The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday denies her motion to be transferred to the Philippine National Police Custodial Center, where senators also charged for plunder are detained.
Reyes was temporarily detained at the basement of the Sandiganbayan building since the jail in Quezon City could not accommodate her.
Reyes, along with Senator Enrile, is charged with plunder and graft in relation to the public fund corruption scandal.

 

BAGUILAT: AQUINO SHOULD SEND MESSAGE ON LAND REFORM

The Philippines still has around 78,000 hectares to put under its agrarian reform program as the third deadline to complete the distribution of lands to farmers lapsed on June 30.
President Benigno Aquino wants the legislative branch to prioritize the passage of a bill extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP for another two years.
Ifugao Representative and House committee chief on agrarian reform Teddy Baguilat hopes Aquino would bring it up in his State of the Nation Address.

TEDDY BAGUILAT, CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRARIAN REFORM: I think this is the only bill which he has certified recently that hasn’t been acted yet by Congress. And I think the president has to send a strong message to all of us, especially his allies that this is something that he wants, that this is social justice that he needs to accomplish within his term.

Those who oppose the measure say the distribution of land into smaller plots may not be productive or efficient with the ASEAN economic integration drawing closer.
Baguilat says while farmers own their respective land plots, he believes in farmer-owners banding together to create thriving communities of productive plantations.

TEDDY BAGUILAT, CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRARIAN REFORM: I subscribe to the belief that through agrarian reform we can develop small farmer entrepreneurs who will be effective, who will of course organize themselves into cooperatives. That’s the ideal vision. Well-managed cooperative… To me, that vision is still something I think is attainable.

 

POWERFUL TYPHOON NEOGURI LASHES JAPAN’S OKINAWA ISLANDS

Typhoon Neoguri, the strongest typhoon to hit Japan in recent years only had 2 casualties.
Authorities from the southern islands of Okinawa say a 62-year-old man died after he was knocked off his boat in rough waters near Japan’s mainland.
TV network NHK also reports the death of an 81-year-old fisherman.
NHK puts the total of injured people at 25.
Neoguri forced more than half a million to seek shelter as it damaged buildings,
uprooted trees, and brought air and sea traffic to a halt.
Nearly 70,000 Okinawan households had no power.
The Japan Meteorological Agency downgrades all severe warnings for Okinawa Wednesday after the typhoon passed.
Neoguri packs gusts of up to 216 kilometers or 134 miles per hour, approaching one of Japan’s four main islands, Kyushu.

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

wRap #7: OBAMA ASKS FOR $3.7 BILLION TO ADDRESS BORDER CRISIS
US President Barack Obama asks Congress to release $4 billion in emergency funds to confront a surge of migrants from Central America crossing the border into Texas.
Calling it “an urgent humanitarian situation,” Obama says the funds would be allotted for new detention facilities and hire more immigration judges and Border Patrol agents.
The request has become entangled in a fierce political debate over immigration.

wRap #9: PINK FLOYD TO RELEASE FIRST ALBUM IN 20 YEARS
British rock legends Pink Floyd are set to release a new album called The Endless River in October – their first in 20 years.
The band says the new album contains mainly “ambient and instrumental music” with some material based on recording sessions from more than 20 years ago.
Pink Floyd sold over 250 million copies of its albums worldwide.

wRap #10: JK ROWLING GIVES FANS A GLIMPSE INTO HARRY’S FUTURE
Though the last book in the Harry Potter series came out in 2007, author JK Rowling made sure fans relive their best memories through an interactive website called Pottermore.
In a recent post on the site, Rowling writes an article set in a universe years after the events of villain Voldermort’s defeat.
Harry is about to turn 34 and Hermione is now a high-official in the wizard world.
Want to read more? Check out Pottermore.com

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

GERMANY INFLICTS HISTORIC 7-1 ROUT ON BRAZIL

Brazil’s World Cup dream crashes after a deflating 7-1 loss against Germany in the tournament’s semifinals.
Germany advances to Sunday’s final after a brilliant first-half blitz where they scored 4 goals in just 6 minutes.
Miroslav Klose’s goal at the 23rd minute was his 16th overall making him the World Cup’s all-time top-scorer.
It is Brazil’s worst loss in its 100-year footballing history.
Brazil played without striker Neymar who suffered a back injury and top defender and team captain Thiago Silva.
Defender David Luiz dropped to his knees after the loss and apologized to the Brazilian people.
He says, “It’s a very sad day but it’s also a day from which to learn.”
The match also broke records on social media.
On Facebook, it records 200 million interactions among 66 million people.
The match is also the most-discussed single sports game on Twitter with 35.6 million Tweets. 

– 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