May 29, 2014 Edition

Philippine economic growth slowed down in the first quarter of 2014 due to the lingering effects of disasters that struck the country last year, the government announced on May 29. The Philippine Statistics Authority said growth stood at 5.7% in January to March, slower than the 6.3% rate recorded in the fourth quarter and the 7.7% in the first quarter of last year.

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In a wide-ranging speech on foreign policy to US military cadets at West Point on May 28, President Barack Obama said that those who ““suggest that America is in decline, or has seen its global leadership slip away – are either misreading history or engaged in partisan politics.” He warned the US was ready to respond to China’s “aggression” toward its neighbors at sea but said Washington should lead by example by ratifying a key treaty. “America must always lead on the world stage,” he said. “But US military action cannot be the only – or even primary – component of our leadership in every instance. Just because we have the best hammer does not mean that every problem is a nail.” Obama said that America should shun isolationism and that its military must be prepared for crises.

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Read a related story on the West Point speech on the New York Times.

Thailand’s information technology ministry blocked Facebook on May 28 and planned to hold talks with other social networking sites to stem protests against the military government, Reuters reported on May 29. “We have blocked Facebook temporarily and tomorrow we will call a meeting with other social media, like Twitter and Instagram, to ask for cooperation from them,” Surachai Srisaracam, permanent secretary of the Information and Communications Technology Ministry, told Reuters. As social media users reacted with alarm, the army interrupted national television to deny it had blocked Facebook. Some users were unconvinced with the junta’s denial, speculating that it could have been a trial run for a possible blackout in the future, or a warning shot to social media users not to criticize the coup.

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The camp of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles on May 29 admitted they made a mistake in including Cebu 1st district Representative Gerald Gullas in the list of lawmakers implicated in the corruption scam. Napoles transacted with the young Gullas’ grandfather, Eduardo, a former congressman, Napoles’ lawyer clarified. Gerald is a neophyte lawmaker who won his first congressional seat during the May 2013 elections. It’s not the first time Napoles’ list was tainted by supposed encoding errors. Shortly after the release of her initial list submitted to De Lima, Napoles asked that Senator JV Ejercito’s name be removed because of an encoding mistake.

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Two of the wealthiest members of the House of Representatives – at least on record – come from the Philippines’ poorest region, the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. Maguindanao 2nd district Representative Zajid Mangudadatu (P215.8M) and Tawi-Tawi Representative Ruby Sahali (P173.72M) belong to the 20 wealthiest members of the lower house based on their 2013 Statement of Assets, Liablities and Net Worth. Both are neophyte House members who belong to powerful political clans in the South. Mangudadatu is the brother of Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu, while Sahali is the daughter of former Tawi-Tawi governor Sadikul Sahali. The 3 wealthiest in the Aquino Cabinet, on the other hand, are former businessmen: Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez, and Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima.

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Read the full story on the Cabinet Secretaries’ wealth on Rappler.

The daughter of a fugitive Korean tycoon accused of being responsible for last month’s ferry disaster was detained in custody in France on May 28, pending extradition proceedings. Yoo Som-Na is the daughter of Yoo Byung-Eun, the head of the family which controls Chonghaejin Marine Co., the company which owned and operated the Sewol ferry that capsized and sunk on April 16 and claimed around 300 lives. A judge had decided against releasing her on bail following her arrest under an international arrest warrant. Korean authorities want to talk to her in connection with their investigation into the ferry sinking.

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In a Senate hearing on May 28, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), which regulates telcos, proposed making Internet a “basic service” instead of a “value added service.” This would mean giving government the ability to regulate speed and price, NTC Commissioner Gamaliel Cordoba said. Senate trade committee chairman Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV agreed with the NTC’s proposal. He said Internet should be made a basic service by amending the Public Service Act of 1936.

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The move is expected to help Apple, which was a pioneer in online music, ramp up its efforts to counter the successful models of streaming services like Pandora, Spotify and others. On May 28, Apple announced plans to buy Beats Music and Beats Electronics, maker of high-end audio equipment and streaming music service calls, in a deal worth $3 billion. It’s Apple’s largest acquisition ever, and it involves getting Beats co-founders to join the California company. Bringing Beats into the Apple fold will weave iTunes Radio service into more devices, and even spread the App Store for mini programs to other programs.

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Defending champion and world number one Serena Williams was knocked out of the French Open on May 28 by Spain’s Garbine Muguruza as the women’s tournament was thrown wide open. It was the earliest exit for a defending champion at Roland Garros since 2005 when Anastasia Myskina of Russia went out in the first round. Wednesday’s defeat was Serena’s worst at a Grand Slam in terms of games won and was only the second time in her career she had been beaten at a major in the round of 64.

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Celebrated African-American author, poet and civil rights activist Maya Angelou died on May 28, 2014. She was 86. Mayor Allen Joines of Winston-Salem, North Carolina told Fox TV affiliate WGHP in the southern state that Angelou was found dead on Wednesday evening (Manila time) by her caretaker. Angelou is best known for her autobiographies that focused on her childhood and early adulthood, including “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” from 1969. In her most recent post on Twitter, Angelou wrote: “Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God.”

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