Daily News Highlights – March 9, 2016 Edition

Two petitioners who sought to disqualify Senator Grace Poe from the 2016 presidential race will file separate appeals following the Supreme Court’s decision allowing Poe to run. Manuelito Luna, lawyer of former Senator Francisco “Kit” Tatad, as well as former University of the East Law Dean Amado Valdez, said that the ruling was unconstitutional. Luna called it a “perfect recipe for chaos” while Valdez said he would file a motion for reconsideration “based on betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.”

Read more on the petitioners’ comments regarding the SC ruling.

Read this story on Poe’s reaction to the SC ruling.

Here’s what the other presidential candidates had to say about the SC ruling.

The Commission on Elections now finds itself in a state of emergency after the Supreme Court unanimously ordered the poll body to issue voting receipts. This ruling, in effect, practically requires the Comelec to overhaul crucial processes that took months to finish. “This is a day of sadness not for the Comelec, not even for the Supreme Court, but for Philippine democracy and the rule of law,” said Comelec Commissioner Arthur Lim.

Read Rappler’s story and watch the Comelec’s press conference on the SC decision.

Read this story on the SC decision on voting receipts.

A new Pulse Asia survey shows that Vice President Jejomar Binay would be the biggest gainer among the presidential candidates if Senator Grace Poe is ultimately disqualified. “In the event that Senator Poe does not pursue her presidential bid, Vice President Binay would gain the most as 32% of her original voters would instead vote for him,” said Pulse Asia president Ronald Holmes. The survey, commissioned by ABS-CBN, also showed Poe and Binay statistically tied for first place.

Check out the highlights of the survey.

President Benigno Aquino III appointed Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras as acting secretary of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). Almendras replaces Albert del Rosario, who resigned due to health reasons. Almendras, who first served under the Aquino administration as energy chief, is part of the President’s inner circle.

Here’s more on Almendras’ appointment to the DFA.

Suspected Chinese hackers allegedly stole nearly $100 million from the Bangladeshi government’s reserve account in New York, with the money illegally transferred online to the Philippines and Sri Lanka. Bangladesh’s central bank said it has recovered part of the money and is in contact with the Philippines’ anti-money laundering authorities to track down the rest. Bangladesh’s finance minister also said they will sue the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, but the bank denies its systems were breached.

Get more details about the alleged bank hacking.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un said his scientists have successfully miniaturized thermonuclear warheads to place on a ballistic missile. This is the first time Kim has so explicitly claimed a breakthrough that experts see as a game-changing step for the North’s nuclear capabilities. “The stronger our nuclear strike capability gets, the more powerful our deterrent to aggression and nuclear war grows,” he said. 

Take a look at Pyongyang’s latest claim.

Slovenia and Croatia will begin preventing most migrants from passing through their territory on Wednesday, March 9. Slovenia said access would only be granted to “foreigners meeting the requirements to enter the country,” those wishing to claim asylum, and migrants selected “on a case by case basis.” This latest twist in Europe’s migrant crisis could set off a domino effect among Balkan states.

Get the latest updates on the migrant crisis.

Tens of thousands of sky gazers witnessed the total solar eclipse that swept across Indonesia on Wednesday, March 9. A festival, fun run, traditional dances, and other events took place nationwide for the tourists who turned up to view the phenomenon. Partial eclipses were also visible over other parts of Asia and Australia.

Check out this story on the total solar eclipse.

View the Slooh livestream of the total solar eclipse.

Tennis superstar Serena Williams showed support for rival Maria Sharapova, saying the Russian player had “showed a lot of courage” in revealing that she failed a doping test at this year’s Australian Open. “I think most people were happy that she was up front and very honest,” Serena also said. Sharapova had tested positive for Meldonium, a drug which was only added to the banned list earlier this year.

Read this story on Serena Williams’ comments about Maria Sharapova’s drug controversy.

Here’s what the creator of Meldonium, Professor Ivar Kalvins, had to say.

The manufacturer of Meldonium, Latvian pharmaceutical company Grindeks, also weighed in on the issue.

Television host and actress Kris Aquino announced on Instagram that she was taking time off from showbiz to rest and take care of her sons. Kris said she was leaving ABS-CBN after “a total of 10,354 days” working for the broadcasting network. “Our relationship as a family started October 28, 1996 and it will soon end this March 23, 2016,” she said.

Here’s a look at Kris’ Instagram posts about her showbiz hiatus.