Rappler Newscast | June 6, 2012

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Graft charges are filed against Mike Arroyo over the sale of used choppers to the police at brand-new prices. | Additional tobacco and alcohol levies-- or the sin taxes pass in Congress. |The trust ratings of President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte all go down at the height of the impeachment trial.

Today on Rappler.

  • Graft charges are filed against Mike Arroyo over the sale of used choppers to the police at brand-new prices.
  • Additional tobacco and alcohol levies– or the sin taxes pass in Congress.
  • And, the trust ratings of President Aquino, Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte all go down at the height of the impeachment trial.


Story 1: CHOPPER SCAM
The Ombudsman files graft charges Wednesday against Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo former National Police chief Jesus Verzosa, and 20 others before the Sandiganbayan over the sale of second-hand choppers to the Philippine National Police.
Initial reports from the Sandiganbayan say the graft case is based on a probe conducted by the Ombudsman on the 2009 sale to the PNP of two second-hand helicopters at brand-new prices.
The Robinson choppers, it turns out, were previously owned by Mike Arroyo the husband of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
It’s the second graft case filed against Mr Arroyo before the Sandiganbayan.
He is also facing a graft case connected with the botched NBN-ZTE government computerization deal under the Arroyo government.
Edna Batacan, Arroyo’s lawyer, says they are surprised by the filing of the case since they did not receive a copy of the Ombudsman’s final findings on the matter.
Dropped from the original complaint is former Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno.
Mr. Arroyo claims he had no part in the deal, and that his family corporation merely lent money to Lionair, which sold the helicopters to the PNP.

Story 2: NO BAIL FOR GMA/ BAIL FOR ABALOS
Commission on Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr is confident former President Gloria Arroyo will not be granted bail. She is now detained at the Veterans Medical Memorial Center in Quezon City.
Brillantes is reacting to fears the government’s electoral sabotage case against Mrs. Arroyo may soon be dropped after a witness, Russam Mabang, fails to appear in court.
Brillantes maintains the testimony of another key witness, Norie Unas, is the key to their case, not the testimony of Mabang. He says Unas’ can link Arroyo to the electoral sabotage and the only one who can testify to the events in Malacanang.
Lawyer Ferdinand Topacio tells Rappler the case is already weak but without the testimony of these people, it becomes even weaker.

Story 3: SIN TAX BILL
The bill seeking to raise taxes on so-called sin products — tobacco and alcohol — passes the House of Representatives less than an hour ago.
The bill proposes to raise 33 billion pesos a year in revenues by instituting 2 tiers of taxes for cigarettes and 3 for distilled spirits and fermented liquor.
Here to tell us about that is Rappler’s Business Editor Lala Rimando.

1.  What does this mean?
2.  Does it level the playing field?

Story 4: LAW VS LAUNDERING
Congress ratifies amendments to the Anti-Money Laundering Act or AMLA after the bicameral conference committee rushes to reconcile versions of the bill.
The committee approves a bill allowing the Anti-Money Laundering Council or AMLC to look into bank accounts of suspected money launderers without notifying the depositors.
The approval came just a day after the Senate passed the bill on 3rd and final reading.
It remains unclear if the passage of the bill will keep the Philippines from being blacklisted by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force.
Senators Joker Arroyo, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Vicente Sotto III express concern that politicians’ bank information may be leaked and used to malign them.
But bill sponsors, TG Guingona, Senators Sergio Osmeña III and Franklin Drilon say there are built-in safeguards to respect the rights of depositors.

Story 5: PULSE ASIA
President Benigno Aquino III suffers the steepest decline among top public officials in trust ratings.
in a Pulse Asia survey conducted during the height of the Corona impeachment trial.
Respondents give Aquino a nationwide trust rating of 65 percent in the May survey compared to the 69 percent rating he got in March.
Aquino’s 4 percent decline is the largest among top officials.
Vice President Jejomar Binay, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte also suffer a dip in trust ratings compared to March 2012.
Aquino has the most significant decline from socioeconomic class E, the poorest bracket, which drops by 6%.
In terms of ranking, Binay enjoys the highest trust rating.
His 78% percent is slightly down from his March trust rating of 80%.
After Binay and Aquino comes Enrile at 62% – coming from 63% in March.
Belmonte ranks fourth at 29% compared to 32% in March.
Corona is at the lowest spot at 10%.
For the second time in a row, Binay upstages Aquino as the best performing top official with an 81% approval rating.
Enrile comes in second at 68% while Aquino comes in third at 67%.
Belmonte takes the fourth spot with a performance rating of 37% while Corona is at the bottom with a 12% rating.
Pulse Asia also surveys the performance ratings of government institutions.
Senate has the highest nationwide approval rating at 48%.
The House ranks second at 45% while respondents gave the SC the lowest approval rating at 44%.
In terms of trust ratings, the Senate enjoys the highest approval rating at 44% while both the House and the SC come in at 41%.
The survey was conducted from May 20 to 26 with 1,200 respondents and a 3% margin of error.
New names make it to the survey’s magic 13 for the 2013 race for the senate.
Former Las Pinas Representative and Senator Manny Villar’s wife Cynthia Villar ranks 11-13.
Actress and Batangas Governor Vilma Santos ranks 13-21.

Story 6: MIRIAM BERATES MEDIA
A suggestion to take a psychological test doesn’t sit well with Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago.  She directs her anger at the media.
Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre, who first drew the Senator’s ire for covering his ears while Santiago was berating the prosecutors during the trial says Santiago should take a psychological test before assuming her new post as judge of the International Criminal Court
ABS-CBN reporter Niko Baua asks Santiago to react to Aguirre’s challenge.
This prompts Santiago to storm the Senate media office.
She accuses some journalists of accepting bribes and allowing themselves to be used by her critics.

SANTIAGO: Pwede ba, huwag na ninyo akong ganyanin. Parang hinahamon ninyo ako ng ganyan e. Alam ninyong binastos na ako ng taong ‘yun e. Pagkatapos ngayon binabastos pa rin ako, tapos na ang trial. Wala naman akong ginawang masama sa kanya. Nag-apologize siya, tinanggap ko naman ang apology niya. Ngayon meron pa siyang pahabol na paninira.
Alangan namang i-devote ko ang buhay ko sa mga ganyang paninira na ‘yan. At ikaw naman Mr. Niko Baua, pinapahiram mo sarili mo na gagamitin ka ng taong yun. What conclusion do you think I will reach as an intelligent person?

In his Twitter account, Baua calls the incident unfortunate and says quote I have never been paid and I am very proud of that fact.

Story 7: PNOY IN LONDON
Even in London, President Benigno Aquino III says it’s still more fun in the Philippines.
While on a 3-day visit to the UK, Aquino and his Cabinet take a break from business and diplomatic meetings.  They make a pitch for Philippine tourism stopping for a photoshoot in front of a London double-decker bus with an ad saying – It’s more fun in the Philippines.
Earlier in the day, Aquino began a series of meetings with investors in London sealing a deal with the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corporation or Pasar.
Communications and Strategic planning secretary Ricky Carandang says the Pasar investment will bring 700 new jobs.
The President witnesses the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Rolls-Royce and Cebu Pacific.
The local airline, for $280-million, buys new Trent 700 engines for up to 8 leased Airbus planes for long-haul operations in the second half of 2013.
Aquino also attends the signing of an agreement between Aboitiz Equity Ventures and Gaz Asia Ltd
Malacañang says Aquino will meet with British Prime Minister David Cameron on his last day in the UK, Wednesday, June 6 and will fly to the US on the same day, at the invitation of President Barack Obama

Story 8: THE wRap
Let’s now look at Rappler’s “wRap” for today…
a list of the ten most important events around the world you shouldn’t miss.

At number 1, A US drone strike in Pakistan kills a key Al Qaeda leader. A US military official tells CNN Abu Yahya al-Libi is al-Qaeda’s number 2. He tells CNN that al-Libi -quote- plays a critical role in the group’s external operations.
Some counter-terrorism officials say al-Libi and Ayman al-Zawahiri, who replaced Osama bin Laden, are the only real leaders left.

At number 3, The Philippines and China both agree to withdraw key vessels from the disputed Scarborough Shoal. DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez says only 30 Chinese fishing vessels remain in the area after the withdrawal.
Malacañang says the move eases tension and is a step in the right direction.

At number 8, A solar plane makes history when it lands in the Moroccan capital of Rabat after flying from Spain across the Straight of Gibraltar on the world’s first intercontinental flight powered by the sun.
The Swiss-made Solar impulse is as big as a small commercial plane but as light as a family car.
It relies on 12,000 solar cells built into its wings.
An around-the-world flight is being planned for 2014.

At number 9, American Idol runner up Jessica Sanchez will sing the US national anthem during the Pacquiao-Bradley fight this Saturday, June 9 (Sunday, June 10, in Manila).
Sanchez, who has Filipino roots, will be singing before a live crowd of more than 16,000 fans and tens of millions of viewers worldwide.

And at number 10, Excitement in the gaming world about the new controller & updated version of Nintendo’s gaming console, the Wii U. The Wii U launches at Nintendo’s expo in Los Angeles, and is set for a holiday 2012 release.
The standout difference of the Wii U is its 6.2-inch wireless controller that has a built-in touch screen, front facing camera, speakers, accelerometer, and gyroscope.

Story 9: QUEEN ELIZABETH’S DIAMOND JUBILEE
Queen Elizabeth II greets 1.5 million cheering subjects from the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the crowning moment of her diamond jubilee festivities.
The 86-year-old monarch was not with her husband Prince Philip who is in the hospital with a bladder infection.
A dramatic flypast caps four days of celebrations marking the queen’s 60th year on the throne.
Despite the rain, she waves from the balcony.
With her are Prince Charles and his wife Camilla, Prince Harry, Prince William and his wife Catherine.
In a television message, the Queen thanks organizers and calls her diamond jubilee -quote- a humbling experience.

QUEEN ELIZABETH OF ENGLAND: I hope that memories of all these years happy events will brighten our lives for many years to come. I will continue to treasure and draw inspiration from the countless kindnesses shown to me in this country and throughout the Commonwealth. Thank you, all.

We leave you with images of “Venus in Transit”.

Rappler.com

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