October 27, 2014 Edition

Vice President Jejomar Binay turns the controversy over alleged overpriced Makati buildings into a war of the classes. Obviously referring to Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II and Senator Antonio Trillanes, he called his critics “elitists and anti-poor.” In a statement, Binay said, “Whoever thought of ‘nogog’ was clearly being insulting. Surely those who thought of that word are wealthy hacienderos, because ‘nognog’ is a slur against those who are dark-skinned.” Binay was referring to the so-called “Operation Plan Stop Nognog 2016.” He said, “They are doing all of these things to prevent me from running or becoming president of our country.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Bureau of Immigration barred Marc Sueselbeck, the German boyfriend of slain transgender Filipino woman Jennifer Laude, from leaving the Philippines. Sueselbeck was scheduled to leave Manila Sunday evening but the bureau said his departure was deferred due to a pending deportation case. Sueselbeck was charged with “undesirability” after he entered Camp Aguinaldo’s premises on October 22 during a protest and confronted a soldier who tried to prevent him and Laude’s sister Marilou from entering the camp.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Davao is the commercial center of southern Philippines. It boasts of litter-free streets and a strict no smoking policy. Entrepreneurs such as Crocodile Park owner Philip Dizon say business has never been better in Davao. He shares why the Davao business community is bullish about the prospects of the city.

Watch the full interview on Rappler.

Dilma Rousseff was re-elected president of Brazil on Sunday, October 26, the country’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal said, after a down-to-the-wire race against challenger Aecio Neves. Leftist Rousseff fought a tough campaign against centrist Neves, fending off the business-world favorite’s accusations of economic mismanagement. Rousseff had 51.45% out of 98% counted ballots.

Read the full story on Rappler

Indonesian President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo finally unveiled his 34-member cabinet on Sunday, October 26 – almost a week since its expected announcement. Consisting mostly of professionals and technocrats, each member of the Jokowi cabinet was vetted by anti-corruption agencies. The move is a first for Indonesia and was received well by the public. However, some questioned whether the agencies should be determining the cabinet composition. Jokowi said on Wednesday, October 22, that he had to replace 8 of the names on his initial list because anti-corruption agency Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) raised some red flags. The cabinet will be formally inaugurated on Monday, October 27.

Read the full story on Rappler. Full cabinet list available here.

Former senator Raul Roco would have turned 73 last Sunday, October 23, if he did not succumb to prostate cancer in 2005. Considered by those close to him as “the best president we never had,” Roco laid down the groundwork for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in the House of Representatives. When he became senator, he authored important bills on lifting the ban on political advertisements, allowing overseas Filipino workers to vote, and the Anti-Sexual Harassment Law.

Read some of Roco’s memorable quotes on Rappler.

Oscar-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, fashion designer Josie Natori, and Columbia University Dean of Academic Affairs Sheila Coronel led the recipients of the highest honors at The Outstanding Filipino Americans in New York (TOFA) Awards 2014 held Carnegie Hall, Saturday. Coronel is an investigative journalist, and was founding executive director of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) known for her work in exposing corruption under the Estrada presidency. Jason Tengco, a senior advisor at the White House told the people gathered there, “The glass and bamboo ceiling has to be broken for generations to come. The Filipino Americans remind us it’s not just about visibility but leadership roles.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Despite not advancing to the second round, national basketball team Gilas Pilipinas made the country proud when it held its own against some of the best teams in the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain. But pride turned to disappointment weeks after when they competed in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Gilas team captain Jimmy Alapag talked to Rappler about what happened in FIBA Spain and the Asian Games in South Korea. He also talked about the team’s basketball program and what’s next for Gilas.

Watch the first part of the Alapag interview here.

Heads up, iPhone photography enthusiasts – the Apple app store will be giving away Camera+ for free until November 16. Camera+ is a must-have app for those who want to take their iPhone photography to the next level with a wider array of controls, presets, and editing features. It originally costs $2.99. Camera+ is only available to US app store users.

Read the full story on Rappler to find out how non-US Apple users can switch to the US app store.

After a highly publicized word war, controversial actor Derek Ramsay and estranged wife Mary Christine Jolly have reportedly settled for the sake of their son Austin. A report from entertainment site PEP says a Makati Regional Trial Court judge confirmed that the ex-couple entered into a compromise agreement.

Read the full story on Rappler. For the PEP story, click here.