President Benigno Aquino III is doing ‘okay’ at his job, but he did much better a year ago. In the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, satisfaction with the national government’s performance fell 15 net points in the first quarter of 2015 from a score of +34 in the fourth quarter of 2014. In survey results, released Tuesday, April 21, less than half of the respondents (48%) said they were satisfied with the way the Aquino administration performed, while 29% said they were dissatisfied and 23% remained undecided. This is the lowest drop in satisfaction ratings for Aquino. Malacanang acknowledged the decline saying that there was “significant room for improvement.”

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Philippine President Benigno Aquino III has personally asked Indonesian President Joko Widodo to grant clemency for Mary Jane Veloso, a 30-year-old Filipina on Indonesia’s death row. The Philippine embassy in Indonesia delivered Aquino’s letter to the Indonesian government “toward the end of last week.” The Department of Foreign Affairs said this is Aquino’s third letter to the Indonesian government to save Veloso and the first letter he addressed directly to Widodo. The Indonesian President has taken a hard line against granting clemency for convicted drug traffickers, despite pressure from foreign governments to spare the lives of their nationals.

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The Supreme Court may soon revisit the ‘condonation doctrine’ which absolves reelectionists of misdeeds committed in a previous term. The move to revisit the doctrine comes as the Supreme Court, currently in summer sessions in Baguio, hears oral arguments on the jurisdiction of the Sandiganbayan over the Ombudsman. The discussion relates to the Ombudsman’s preventive suspenion against Makati Mayor Erwin Jejomar “Junjun” Binay Jr. For Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, this doctrine first applied in the Philippine legal system in 1959 puts in peril over P389 billion in government funds. This amount is based on the Internal Revenue Allotment distributed in 2015 to local governments. Sereno said the doctrine goes against many Constitutional and statutory provisions on public accountability. Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio also suggested a review of the doctrine.

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Philippine students will soon have “lifetime immunity” against tetanus once the Department of Health (DOH) rolls out a P100 million ($2.26 million) immunization program. In a forum on Tuesday, April 21, Health Secretary Janette Garin announced the adolescent and school-based immunization program. More than 2.4 million grade 1 students will received the tetanus-diptheria (TD) vaccine while some 1.67 million grade 7 students will receive the measles, rubella, tetanus, and diptheria (MRTD) vaccine. Garin said these vaccines are crucial to Filipinos. The program, which will begin in August, also includes giving human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine to 300,000 female grade 4 students in the 20 poorest provinces.

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It’s Earth Day, that annual reminder that we only have one planet which we need to protect. Rappler’s MovePH and Social Media Teams put their heads together to come up with this neat initiative to spread the good vibes today. First, we know Earth Day is about conserving the planet for future generations to enjoy; so how about encouraging kids to join the “Earth for Kids” campaign to teach them about saving the environment. You can also join a Twitter conversation, hosted by @MovePH, on how to protect the earth. Finally, you can catch those nasty smoke belchers on the streets and make the public aware of the evils of air pollution. Do your part to save the earth for everyone!

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A US couple were given long jail terms Tuesday, April 21, for the “sadistic” murder of the woman’s mother, whose body was found stuffed in a suitcase outside a luxury hotel on Indonesia’s Bali island. Tommy Schaefer, 21, was found guilty of the premeditated murder of Sheila von Wiese Mack on the resort island and jailed for 18 years. His girlfriend and the victim’s daughter, 19-year-old Heather Mack who was pregnant at the time of the crime, was found guilty of assisting in the murder and given a 10-year prison term. The judge gave Mack a lighter prison term because she needed to care for her baby daughter, who was born last month.

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A man from Venezuela with muscular dystrophy completed the 26.2-mile Boston Marathon to the cheers of well-wishers and supporters. Maicke Melamed, 39, crossed the finish line before 5:00 am on Tuesday, April 21, some 20 hours after he started. Despite the cold rain, Melamed said that “human creativity” and “human magic” kept him going. On Tuesday, he was given a race medal by Boston Mayor Marty Walsh. The 2015 Boston Marathon is one of the most popular marathons in the world. In 2013, twin bombs exploded in a terrorist attack killing a few people and injuring many.

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A woman, whose husband ran off with their neighbor’s wife and kids, was ordered by a village council in northern India to either pay the husband of the neighbor’s wife or live with him as compensation. The woman, Mamta, was told by the council that she had to pay the abandoned man 300,000 rupees ($4,775) in compensation for her husband’s actions or move in with Rajendra. It was unclear whether the woman was asked to live with him as his spouse or as his employee in the house. Police are investigating the village council’s orders.

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Kenny Bayless has been appointed to referee the Floyd Mayweather Jr vs Manny Pacquiao fight on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The decision was announced at a hearing by the Nevada Athletic Commission on Wednesday morning, April 22 Manila time. The 64-year-old referee has officiated over 100 world title fights since starting his career in 1991. He is known for his “What I say you must obey” catchprhase and has been the third man for a number of both fighters’ fights. Meanwhile, three American judges will decide the outcome should the fight complete the twelve round distance or end in a technical decision. Burt Clements and Dave Moretti of Nevada were selected along with Glenn Feldman of Connecticut.

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Japan’s state-of-the-art maglev train set a world speed record Tuesday, April 21, in a test run near Mount Fuji, clocking more than 600 kilometers (373 miles) an hour. The 7-car maglev – short for “magnetic levitation” – train, hit a top speed of 603 kilometers an hour, and managed nearly 11 seconds over 600 km/h Central Japan Railway said. The maglev hovers 10 centimeters (4 inches) above the tracks and is propelled by electrically charged magnets. JR Central wants to have a train in service in 2027 plying the route between Tokyo and the central city of Nagoya, a distance of 286 kilometers. The trip would take 40 minutes, less than half the present journey time by the Shinkansen bullet trains.

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