Bongbong degrees, Gringo plot, AFP vs. BIFF | The wRap

Today on Rappler:

• Did Senator Bongbong Marcos lie about his university degrees? 
• A former general says, senator Gringo Honasan once plotted to kill the Marcos family.
• The military declares an all out war against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters.

DID BONGBONG MARCOS LIE ABOUT OXFORD, WHARTON?
A Rappler exclusive:
Did Senator Bongbong Marcos lie about his university degrees?
In his resumé, Marcos lists a bachelor of arts degree in philosophy, politics, and economics from Oxford University in 1978 and a masters in business administration or MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in 1981.
But Rappler’s fact-checking shows Oxford and Wharton records do not show any Ferdinand Marcos Jr in their lists of graduates.
On Tuesday, Marcos says he earned a diploma in political science at St. Edmund Hall, Oxford University in England in 1978 but did not specify it to be a bachelor’s degree.
He adds, he took up post-graduate studies at Wharton but was unable to complete the course because he was elected Vice Governor of Ilocos Norte in 1980.

EDSA AMID CRISIS: AQUINO SLAMS ‘DESPERATE’ CRITICS
President Benigno Aquino slams “desperate” critics taking advantage of his worst political crisis.
During the 29th anniversary of the EDSA Revolution Wednesday, Aquino pushes for the peace process in the southern Philippines.

BENIGNO AQUINO, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Sinisikap po nating manatili ang kaayusan. Ngunit alam din nating habang palapit tayo nang palapit sa katuparan ng ating mithiin, lalong magiging desperado ang mga kontra dito.
(We’ve been trying to maintain peace. But we also know that while we get closer and closer to the fulfillment of our dreams, those against us would become more desperate.)

Aquino challenges his detractors to offer solutions.

BENIGNO AQUINO, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: ’Di po nating maiwasang isipin na ayaw nilang magkaroon ng kapayapaan dahil sila mismo ang nakikinabang sa gulo at karahasan. Ang gusto nila, muling magkanya-kanya ang mga Pilipino at mawala ang tiwala natin sa isa’t isa upang isulong ang kanilang pansariling agenda.
(We can’t help but think they don’t want peace because they themselves gain from chaos and violence. They want Filipinos to go on their own ways and lose their trust in each other, so they can push for their own agenda.)

This year’s commemoration of the revolution that toppled a dictator from power causes massive traffic jams because of EDSA’s closure.
People express outrage online, with some saying those who organized the celebration were “inconsiderate”and the idea “stupid.”

GRINGO PLOTTED TO KILL MARCOS – ALMONTE
A retired general says when Senator Gringo Honasan was still in the military he plotted to kill dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family.
In his memoir as told to Rappler’s Marites Vitug, retired general Jose Almonte recalls when Honasan led the Reform the Armed Forces Movement or RAM, the initial plot was to attack Malacañang.
Honasan’s plan was to kill the Marcoses and then-Colonel Red Kapunan would lead the attack against the Presidential Security Group.
The days dragged and the plots changed, and in the end history changed its course.
In November 1985 Marcos called for a snap presidential election and millions of Filipinos persuaded Corazon Aquino to run against him in February 1986.
When the official tally showed a Marcos victory, Filipinos went out to the streets to protest led by then chief of staff Fidel Ramos who would eventually succeed Aquino as president.
Almonte also says former senator Baby Arenas, who at one point had a relationship with Ramos,
wanted to use the Ramos political machinery to succeed him in Malacañang.
Almonte recalls how Arenas asked for his help to win a Senate seat in the 1995 midterm elections.
She dreamed of becoming Senate President and then Philippine president, but lost.

AFP ORDERS ALL-OUT WAR VS BIFF
Military chief General Gregorio Catapang on Wednesday orders all-out war against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters or BIFF.
The BIFF is the breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, which is engaged in peace talks with the government.
The MILF, which is conducting its own probe into the clash between police and Moro rebels, will submit its findings to Malaysia first.
Malaysia is the facilitator of the peace process.
Catapang reminds his unit commanders to properly coordinate operations “within the framework of the ceasefire mechanisms” to avoid clashes with the MILF.
BIFF split from the MILF over disagreements on the peace process.
BIFF troops were among those who attacked police commandos hunting down top-level terrorist Marwan last January 25.
On Tuesday night armed men razed 3 houses in Mamasapano including a hut where terrorist Marwan was neutralized.
Reports say another terrorist, Abdul Basit Usman, also stayed in one of the huts and fought government forces using the house as his cover.
Local authorities are still trying to penetrate the area to verify the incident.

ONLINE CHILD ABUSE MOVING TO SKYPE, BITCOIN – EUROPOL
Europe’s police agency Europol warns: child pornographers are shifting from stand-alone websites to legitimate chat sites and apps like Skype, making the fight against the trade more challenging.
Child porn peddlers are also using hard-to-trace virtual currencies like Bitcoin to avoid leaving money trails.
The Philippines remains a hotbed of activity, with poor children lured into prostitution.
Philippine police recently busted a pedophile ring that streamed live sex involving children as young as 6.

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Production Staff