Rappler Newscast | August 19, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Transport officials blame MRT drivers for the Taft train accident.
• In a surprise move, the Supreme Court includes Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza in the shortlist for new Associate Justice.
• Malaysian police foil bombing plans inspired by ISIS.

DOTC: CASES TO BE FILED VS MRT3 PERSONNEL FOR ‘GROSS NEGLECT’

Transportation officials blame the drivers of the Metro Rail Transit trains that derailed near Taft station last Wednesday.
The accident injured 36 people.
Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya on Tuesday says the two train operators failed to follow safety procedures in the trains’ qoute- “coupling” or linking procedure.
The trouble began when an MRT3 train stalled between the Magallanes and Taft stations.
According to standard operating procedure, another train – called the “assisting train” – should unload its passengers and push the stalled or “distressed train” to the nearest station.
The “distressed train” turns off its brakes and is completely dependent on the “assisting train.”
Abaya says one of the drivers cranked the joining mechanism after the “coupling” procedure, causing the first coach to detach from the second coach.  
One of the drivers said the trains unlinked “at the peak” or the highest point of the Magallanes station.
This caused the train that lost power to free fall and bulldoze through the station’s safety barriers.
The Transportation Department also found out there was “poor coordination” between the drivers and the managers of the Magallanes and Taft stations.
Abaya says the train drivers and others involved will face administrative charges.
Abaya adds the department will implement a re-training of MRT3 personnel.

ABAYA TO RESIGN? ‘ONE TEXT, I COULD GO’

Will transport secretary Jun Abaya resign?
On Tuesday he says he’s not one to cling to power, but will leave his post if asked to.

JUN ABAYA, TRANSPORT SECRETARY: It is a privilege for me to work in government.
I would not have lasted long in any other presidency, but again, text lang sa akin, I could go.

Abaya’s been under fire after a series of accidents in the MRT3, with commuter groups calling for his resignation.
Malacanang Palace earlier defended Abaya.
Presidential spokesman Sonny Coloma said the transport secretary still enjoys President Benigno Aquino’s trust.

SC: INCLUDE JARDELEZA AS HIGH COURT NOMINEE

The Supreme Court on Tuesday grants Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza’s plea to be included in the list of nominees for the Associate Justice post.
Voting 7-4, the SC en banc decides in favor of the government’s top lawyer in his running conflict with Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno.
Sereno earlier raised integrity issues against Jardeleza during the closed-door deliberations of the Judicial and Bar Council.
SC Spokesperson Theodore Te says Sereno and Justice Antonio Carpio inhibited from voting, while another unnamed justice was on leave.
Widely considered as President Benigno Aquino’s choice for the post, Jardeleza was dropped from the list by the Judicial Bar and Council or JBC.
The JBC, which vets and screens judicial nominees, is headed by Sereno.
The SC decision on Jardeleza’s petition comes a day before Aquino’s constitutionally prescribed deadline.
Aquino has 90 days to issue an appointment after the retirement of Justice Roberto Abad last May 22.
This is Jardeleza’s 3rd attempt to join the 15-member High Court.

‘VP BINAY WILL NEVER LEAVE AQUINO’S SIDE’

Vice President Jejomar Binay and President Aquino may find themselves in rival camps in the 2016 elections…
but Makati Mayor Junjun Binay says his father will “never leave the side of President Aquino.”
The elder Binay is the clear leader in early presidential polls.
In a TV interview Monday, the younger Binay said his family does not take offense when Aquino clashes with the Vice President on issues.
The Binays and Aquinos share a history that go back to the anti-Marcos movement in the 80s.
After the dictator was toppled, Jejomar Binay was appointed Makati’s officer-in-charge when the late former president Cory Aquino assumed the presidency in 1986.
The younger Binay said his father proved to be a loyal friend and supporter to the Aquino matriarch.
He said, “My father was willing to stake his life. He will take a bullet for the Aquino family.”

SOUTHWEST MONSOON CAUSES HEAVY RAIN IN METRO MANILA

Heavy rain pours on Metro Manila Tuesday but there’s no typhoon within the Philippine area of responsibility.
State weather agency PAGASA says the southwest monsoon caused the downpour.
In its latest update weather bureau PAGASA says as of 5pm…
the Philippines will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies…
and experience isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
On Monday PAGASA forecast occasional rains to hit the Ilocos region, Bataan and Zambales.

PROJECT AGOS MICROSITE

Check out Rappler’s Project Agos microsite…
a one-stop shop to help the public prepare better for disasters.  
Project Agos aims to raise awareness about climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management.
You can see what to do before, during and after natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
Visit www.rappler.com/projectagos.

E-SHUTTLES ABOUT TO HIT PH ROADS

Jeepneys are the most common public transportation for the Filipino commuter.
But its days may be numbered.
Pia Ranada tells us why.

Jeepneys,
the flamboyant king of Philippine roads
may just be dethroned.
In this warehouse in Cavite
A new fleet of jeeps are being made
These e-shuttles are bigger
more spacious
and run completely on electricity.
Aling Trining says riding the e-shuttles is like a breath of fresh air.

ALING TRINING, COMMUTER: Maginhawa, maluwag. Komportable. Nakaka tayo ka. (ano yung pagkakaiba niya sa typical jeep na sinasakay niyo?) Hindi maingay.

It’s refreshing, spacious, comfortable. You can stand up. (How is it different from the typical jeep?) It’s not noisy.

But it’s different in other ways.

JAY MELOTO, OPERATIONS HEAD, PANGEA PHILIPPINES: With traditional jeepneys, its at the back and what this does is passengers on the road who want to get in the vehicle would have to go on the road so that’s why we changed it and put it in the side so they’ll be on the curb, on the sidewalk and for us this will be more safe.

Roberto Martin, president of jeepney driver association Pasang Masda says its a big improvement.
His group invested in the first 30 shuttles and traded in their old jeeps

ROBERTO ‘KA OBET’ MARTIN, PRESIDENT, PASANG MASDA: Sa nakita ko rito at iminaneho ko ito, wala pong lahat yung nararamdaman kong init ng makina, yung polusyon, higit sa lahat yung presyo ng petrolyo wala na kaming problema. Ito na po yung tinatawag kong total solution sa problema na matagal naming naranasan sa lumang, tipikal na jeep.

From what I saw while driving it, our problems with the heat of the engine, the pollution, above all the price of gas are gone. This is what I call the total solution to the problems we have experienced for so long with the old, typical jeep.

Thirty COMET shuttles are in various stages of production.
They will be on the streets of Metro Manila in the next few months.
Their first run will be in Quezon City: from SM North EDSA to the Katipunan LRT Station via Luzon Avenue.
There will be designated stops
and passengers will use a card with credits to pay for a ride.
The fare will be the same as any jeepney.
Shuttle drivers get paid a monthly salary with benefits.

JAY MELOTO, OPERATIONS HEAD, PANGEA PHILIPPINES: Usually if you have a high tech product that you’re bringing somewhere you usually develop the product for the rich but what I like about this product, me and my colleagues is we’re designing the best for the least.

The future has left the garage.
Pia Ranada, Rappler, Cavite.

MALAYSIA MILITANTS PLOTTED ISIS-INSPIRED ATTACKS – POLICE

Malaysian police foil bombing plans drawn up by radical Islamic militants inspired by terrorist group Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.
Counterterrorism official Ayob Khan on Tuesday says 19 suspected militants arrested from April to June were planning to bomb nightspots.
Bars and the Carlsberg brewery near Kuala Lumpur were targeted because drinking alcohol is forbidden in Islam.
Khan adds the all-Malaysian group had visions of establishing a hardline Southeast Asian Islamic caliphate…
spanning Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines and Singapore.
The group planned to travel to Syria to be trained by ISIS.
Some began raising money via Facebook to travel to Syria under the pretext of “humanitarian work.”
The plotters include professionals and two housewives.
Charges against the 7 include promoting terrorism to possession of home-made rifles.
The Soufan Group estimates about 12,000 foreign fighters joined ISIS in the past 3 years, more than the 10,000 who fought in Afghanistan in the late 80s.
ISIS overran large swathes of Iraq in a ruthless campaign to establish a Middle Eastern caliphate.

ISRAEL, PALESTINIANS EXTEND GAZA TRUCE BY 24 HOURS

A new 24-hour ceasefire takes effect in Gaza Tuesday…
after Israeli and Palestinian negotiators agree to extend a 5-day truce.
Both sides agree to extend talks to work on a long-term deal– in what many hope will permanently end weeks of bloodshed in Gaza.
More than 2,000 Palestinians and 67 Israelis have died.
Talks in Cairo focus on an Egyptian proposal that meets some of the Palestinian demands such as easing Israel’s blockade on Gaza.

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

FRANCIS: UN, NOT US, SHOULD STOP AGGRESSION IN IRAQ

Pope Francis says collective action through the United Nations should stop “unjust aggression” in Iraq.
The pope earlier emphasized how it is “acceptable to stop an unjust aggressor…”
but implicitly criticizes the US air strikes in Iraq, saying one nation cannot decide alone how to end the aggression.

WRIST INJURY FORCES NADAL OUT OF US OPEN

Tennis champ Rafael Nadal will miss this year’s US Open because of a right wrist injury.
He is the US Open’s defending champion.
This is not the first time for Nadal to miss the tournament.
In 2012 a knee injury kept him out of commission.
Nadal was also forced to pull out of the Toronto and Cincinnati Masters due to the injury he suffered in training last month.

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

 

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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