Rappler Newscast | August 26, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• A former vice mayor of Makati drops the bomb on his old ally Vice President Binay, saying they both benefitted from an overpriced Makati building.
• The House committee on justice declares all 3 impeachment complaints against President Aquino sufficient in form.
• The teenager whose death sparked racial protests in the United States is laid to rest.

EX-BINAY AIDE: VP, NANCY EARNED FROM BUILDING, CAKES

Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado drops the bomb on his former ally, Vice President Jejomar Binay.
Testifying at a Senate hearing Tuesday, Mercado says he and Binay “benefitted” from the building.

Q: Kayo ba ay kumita sa transaksyong ito? (Did you earn from this transaction?)

ERNESTO MERCADO FORMER MAKATI VICE-MAYOR: Alam po ninyo po di ako sinungaling. Ako ho ay magsasabi ng totoo dahil pagtatawanan po ako ng taong bayan at ninyong lahat. Noong nagtanong pa lang kayo may tumawa na. Ako aaminin ko sa phase 1 at phase 2, nakinabang po ako. Kung ang vice mayor nakinabang, aba’y siguro higit na nakinabang ang mayor dito. Kasi ako po hindi pumipirma ng kontrata. Tinatanong nyo din lang naman ako nang tapatan.. kung ako ho ay nakinabang, imposibleng ‘di nakinabang ang mayor.

(I am not a liar. People will laugh at me. Actually, when you asked the question, people already laughed. In phase 1 and 2 of the building, yes, I earned from that. If the vice mayor benefitted from it, then perhaps the mayor benefitted even more here. It’s impossible that the mayor did not benefit from it. I don’t sign contracts. And frankly, if I got kickbacks, it’s impossible for the mayor to not get his own kickback.)

Q: Vice Mayor Mercado, ano yan, based on your personal knowledge, or implikasyon lang yan dahil sa nakinabang ka, pakiramdam mo nakinabang yung mas mataas sa iyo?

(Vice Mayor Mercado, is this based on your personal knowledge or are you implying that since you got kickbacks you feel your superior did so as well.)

ERNESTO MERCADO FORMER MAKATI VICE-MAYOR:
Iyon naman po ang kalakaran eh.

(That’s how things work.)

Mercado refuses to say how much he or Binay earned.
He says he will only give details in court.
Mercado was a longtime ally of the Vice President since 1986, but had a falling out in 2010 when the elder Binay broke a promise to support him as mayor of Makati.
The Vice President backed his son, now Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
Mercado claims he did not want to run for mayor, but Binay got to him through his father.

ERNESTO MERCADO, FORMER MAKATI VICE-MAYOR: Kaya lang naman niya ako nakumbinsi, pinuntahan nya ang aking ama na noon malapit nang mamatay, sabi niya sa tatay ko – “Tatay, kumbinsihin mo naman po itong kaibigan ko na pagbigyan akong magmayor siya.” Noong makaalis po si VP sabi ng tatay ko napakaswerte mo. E di ako naman ho sumubo ako bagamat ako po ay may takot baka maging biktima ako ng pangako. Pero sabi ng tatay ko napakaswerte ko kaya pumayag ako.

([Binay] managed to convince me when he visited my father on his deathbed. He told my father “Tatay, please convince my friend to run for mayor.” When he left my father said I was lucky. I gave in, but I had fears that I might be holding to an empty promise. But my father said I was lucky, so I decided to run.)

Mercado also implicated Binay’s eldest daughter, Senator Nancy Binay, who owned a pastry business which supplied City Hall with cakes for senior citizens.
Mercado alleges the cakes supplied by Nancy were overpriced.

Q: Let me clarify: when you say that Senator Nancy is in charge, what do you mean – binabantayan niya? Is she oversight, or negosyo niya ba yun?

(Let me clarify: when you say that Senator Nancy is in charge, what do you mean – she supervises them? Is it her business?)

ERNESTO MERCADO, FORMER MAKATI VICE-MAYOR: Alam ko po negosyo niya talaga yun, although wala po talaga ako – hindi na po ako naghanap ng dokumento dahil magkakasama naman po kami noon. Alam ko talaga negosyo niya yun actually kinukwestiyon ko nga ho yon, sabi ko pati ba naman yang cake, anliit na bagay nyan, pwede naman magnegosyo ng iba.

(I know it’s her business, although I never asked for any papers because we were all working together. I know it’s her business and I’ve been questioning it because it’s such a small business, she can venture into other businesses.)

Senator Nancy Binay denies the allegation.
She adds, the cake issue shows she is
“the next family member on their demolition list.”
The week before, Binay’s political rival Renato Bondal claimed the cakes cost P1,000 or almost $23 each.
The Makati City government dismissed the claim, saying it only cost P306 or $7 each.
Bondal later said the P1,000-price tag was just a “guess.”

TEARY-EYED ABIGAIL BINAY FAILS TO ‘CONFRONT’ CAYETANO

More on the Binays…
Makati Representative Abby Binay shows up at the Senate on Tuesday vowing to confront Senator Alan Peter Cayetano.
Cayetano alleges she was behind the graft case filed against the senator and his wife, Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano.
Senator Cayetano says the complainant, Rod Vera, was Binay’s law school classmate.
He also alleges that Abby Binay’s “Thursday group,” associates who visit her house every Thursday, are the ones behind the case.
The congresswoman denies having a hand in the case.

ABBY BINAY, MAKATI REPRESENTATIVE: Ang tawag ko kay Mayora Lani, kapatid. Ganoon kami kalapit kaya masakit ang ginagawa nila sa akin.

(I call Mayor Lani “sister.” That’s how close we are, and that’s why I’m hurt with what they’re doing.)

Binay fails to confront Cayetano who was not in the Senate.
Cayetano later says he’s not avoiding Binay but had an “appointment outside.”
He says the Binays know how to get in touch with the Cayetanos in private and to “let their father answer.”

3 IMPEACH RAPS VS AQUINO DECLARED ‘SUFFICIENT IN FORM’

After much debate, the House committee on justice votes all 3 impeachment complaints against President Benigno Aquino sufficient in form.
Lawmakers voted 53-1-1 and 42-7-4 on two complaints.
No objections were raised against the third one.
The first complaint against Aquino involves Malacanang’s controversial spending scheme.
Parts of the scheme were declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
The third complaint involves the defense deal between the Philippines and the United States.
The complainants accuse Aquino of violating the Constitution, graft and corruption, and betrayal of public trust.
The next round of deliberations will be on Tuesday, September 2.
All 3 complaints will go through at least two more rounds of voting to determine if they are sufficient in substance before they go to plenary.
A complaint will be rejected If the committee finds it insufficient in substance.

‘PH GROWTH TO SLOW DOWN AFTER AQUINO’S TERM’

The government expects the country’s economic expansion to slow down after President Benigno Aquino’s term.
Data from the Department of Budget and Management show the Philippine economy is projected to grow by 6.5% to 7.5% in 2014, and 7% to 8% in 2015.
By the end of the Aquino administration’s term in 2016, the economy is expected to expand at a faster pace — between 7.5% to 8.5%.
But by 2017, growth will slow down to between 7% and 8%.
The Philippine economy in 2013 registered a stellar growth of 7.2%, surpassing the government’s target of 6% to 7%.
In the first quarter of 2014, economic growth slowed down to 5.7% due to the lingering effects of Super Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan.
The Philippine Statistics Authority and the National Economic and Development Authority are scheduled to announce the country’s 2nd quarter performance Thursday.
Several institutions have different forecasts.
The Asian Development Bank projects Philippine growth to slow down to 6.4% in 2014 and 6.7% in 2015 from 7.2% in 2013 – all below the government target.
The World Bank downgrades its forecasts to 6.4% from 6.6% for 2014, and to 6.7% from 6.9% in 2015.
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific offers a more optimistic projection saying the Philippine economy is projected to expand by 6.7% – within the range of the government’s 2014 target of 6.5% to 7.5%.
ANCHOR BACK ON CAM

HEAVY RAINS FOR METRO MANILA, CALABARZON ON WEDNESDAY

State weather bureau PAGASA says Metro Manila and the Calabarzon region should be ready for moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms Wednesday.
In its 5pm bulletin Tuesday, PAGASA says the low pressure area as of 4pm is 50 kilometers south of Infanta, Quezon Province.
Central Luzon, the Mimaropa region and the northern provinces of Benguet, La Union and Pangasinan can also expect light to moderate rainshowers and thunderstorms.
Visayas, Mindanao and the rest of Luzon will have slightly fairer weather with isolated rain.

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 on 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.

LIBERIAN MEDIC TREATED WITH EXPERIMENTAL EBOLA DRUG DIES

A Liberian doctor treated with experimental anti-Ebola serum ZMapp died Sunday.
Authorities say doctor Abraham Borbor was showing signs of progress until he died.
The Ebola epidemic has claimed more than 1400 lives as of Sunday.
A Spanish priest infected with Ebola who received ZMapp also died on August 12.
Liberia received ZMapp supplies from the United States on August 13 after administering the experimental drug on US citizens early this month.
The American missionaries were declared cured last week.
The lab producing ZMapp says the very limited stocks of the drug are all used up.
There is no available cure or vaccine for Ebola, but several drugs are being developed.

FERGUSON: THOUSANDS BID FAREWELL TO SLAIN US TEENAGER

The black teenager shot by a white officer in Missouri on August 9 is laid to rest Monday.
The death of Michael Brown ignited protests and reopened old wounds in the United States.
The eulogy portrayed him as a victim of abusive police whose untimely death demands justice.
Activists, religious leaders, senior officials and politicians joined the Brown family and friends to offer condolences.
Missouri governor Jay Nixon, who was asked by the family to stay away, did not attend the service.
The protests in Ferguson have subsided, but the debate over Brown’s death continues.
Accounts of Brown’s death vary.
Just days shy of starting college, Brown was walking down the street after leaving a convenience store.
Police say Brown stole a box of cigars when he was shot at least six times by white policeman Darren Wilson.
Police allege Brown was trying to grab Wilson’s gun.
But a witness says Brown was shot as he held his hands in the air in a clear sign of surrender.
Protests following Brown’s death erupted into riots and clashes with police.

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

BREAKING BAD LEADS WINNERS AT 2014 EMMYS
TV series Breaking Bad leads the list of winners at the 2014 Emmys on Tuesday Manila time.
Breaking Bad brings home the Outstanding Drama Series Award and Outstanding Writing for A Drama Series.
Its cast bag the awards for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Outstanding Supporting Actor, and Outstanding Supporting Actress.
Game of Thrones, among the most nominated, loses in all major acting categories.
Comedian Billy Crystal also pays a special tribute to comedy icon Robin Williams.

YOUTHS USING E-CIGARETTES HAVE TRIPLED SINCE 2011
Is there a new generation of nicotine addicts emerging in the US?
The US Center for Disease Control and Prevention says the number of young people who never smoked a cigarette but used e-cigarettes…
tripled to around 263,000 in 2013 from 79,000 in 2011.
A study published in the journal Nicotine and Tobacco Research says 44% of non-smoking youth who use e-cigarettes say they intend to smoke conventional cigarettes within the next year.

ASTRONOMERS IDENTIFY SITES FOR ROBOT LAB LANDING
The European Space Agency or ESA lists 5 possible sites for the first-ever landing on a comet named “67P”.
ESA will be sending down a robot laboratory called Philae in mid-November which will carry out a series of tests on the comet’s surface.
The ESA says choosing the right spot for the landing that offers the most potential for scientific treasure is a “complex process.”

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