Pakistan massacre, Bilibid VIPs, dirty money | The wRap

Today on Rappler

• The Taliban massacre 141 in Pakistan – most of them school children as young as 12 years old.
• On drug lords living like kings in jail – the President’s spokesman says it can’t be fixed overnight.
• The Philippines is the 15th largest exporter of dirty money.

GLOBAL OUTRAGE FOR TALIBAN ATTACK ON PAKISTAN SCHOOL
At least 141 people are dead after 6 Taliban gunmen stormed a public school in northwest Pakistan Tuesday.
Most of the dead were students, some as young as 12. The gunmen were killed when the military stormed the school following the attack. Most of the students are children of military personnel. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan group claims responsibility for the massacre in revenge for a major military offensive in the region. World leaders condemn the Taliban massacre as “heinous” and “an act of horror.” 16 year-old survivor Shahrukh Khan pretended to be dead after being shot on both legs. He says, “I saw death so close and I will never forget the black boots approaching me.” Nobel peace laureate Malala Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban in 2012, said she was “heartbroken” by “the senseless and cold-blooded” killing.

PALACE: NO QUICK SOLUTION TO ‘VIP’ DRUG LORDS IN PRISON
Malacañang Palace defends the Justice Department for not acting quickly on the VIP treatment of imprisoned drug lords, saying the problem cannot be fixed overnight. This comes a day after a prison raid exposed the luxury quarters with stripper bars and jacuzzis in the New Bilibid Prison. Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma says Justice Secretary Leila de Lima has been working on the crackdown ever since it came to her attention. The 19 VIP inmates are transferred from Bilibid to the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters.

52 TALENTS WITH CASES VS GMA-7 JOBLESS BY 2015
52 GMA-7 “talents” fighting for employment regularization will lose their jobs in 2015. The 52 refused to accept a contract tying them to a show, in what was seen as a sign-or-get-fired offer. GMA Network says talents are independent contractors even after years of work. Their status deprives them of security of tenure, among other benefits for regular employees.

PH 15TH LARGEST EXPORTER OF DIRTY MONEY IN DEVELOPING WORLD
A study shows the Philippines is the 15th largest exporter of illicit money among developing and emerging economies in 2012. The ranking reflects a portion of the corruption, money laundering, and false trade documentation in the country. Washington-based research and advisory group Global Financial Integrity says in 2012 alone over $9.16 billion in dirty money came out of the Philippines.

CALIFORNIA NEEDS 11 TRILLION GALLONS OF WATER – NASA
Space agency NASA says the state of California needs 11 trillion gallons of water to recover from its three-year drought. The data is based on observations from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites.
California experienced rainstorms in recent days but scientists warn it is not enough to end the drought. Scientists say the entire southwestern United States is far drier than normal, with groundwater levels across the region in the lowest two to 10 percent since 1949. – Rappler.com

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