Daily News Highlights – May 27, 2015 Edition

Congress will soon debate the merits of a proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in plenary session after a joint Lower House committee approved the bill on Tuesday, May 26. The committee on ways and means, and committee on appropriations conducted back-to-back hearings on Tueday as lawmakers raced to beat the deadline to pass the bill before Congress adjourns session on June 11. Approved provisions include the devolution of capital gains taxes on real properties, estate tax, donors tax and documentary stamp tax. The proposed bill also increases the share of revenue from income taxes and mineral resources from 70% to 75%. 

Read the full story on Rappler.

Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II gave the public an indication of his plans in 2016 on Tuesday, May 26 when he told reporters he was “ready to face the task of continuing [what President Benigno Aquino III] started.” He added that the country is now in a good place. Roxas is being touted as the standard-bearer of the ruling Liberal Party for 2016, although he has yet to formally announce his plans to run. President Aquino said that Roxas was “top of the list” to succeed him, but added that the Liberal Party was still in the process of consolidating its 2016 plans. The President said he will announce who the standard-bearer would be after his last State of the Nation Address in July 2015. 

Read the full story on Rappler.

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said last week he would not seek a national post, but his actions indicate otherwise. On Tuesday, May 26 Duterte’s voice appears in several radio ads released in different Bisaya-speaking cities. In the ads, the charismatic but controversial mayor pokes fun at the differences between the Bisya and Filipino languages. He ends the ads by saying he is “a Bisaya and a true Filipino.” Duterte has conducted “listening tours” across the country and in Hong Kong, fueling speculation that he is preparing to seek higher office in 2016. 

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Cebu provincial board on Monday, May 25 placed the province under a state of calamity following a prolonged dry spell that has affected most of its towns and cities. The decision will allow the provincial government to access its calamity funds to aid local government units that are most affected by the drought, which include Alcantara, Asturias, Carmen, Tabuelan, Argao, Borbon, Moalboal, Oslob and Tuburan. These towns have also declared a state of calamity in their localities. The local weather bureau announced a “mild” El Niño in Cebu, but warned the situation could worsen in the coming months.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A 14-year-old Austrian schoolboy was convicted on Tuesday, May 26, of planning to bomb a Vienna train station in the name of the Islamic State. He was sentenced to 8 months behind bars. The teenager of Turkish origin was found guilty of belonging to a “terrorist” organization in his hometown of Sankt-Poelten. At the time of his arrest in October 2014, the boy was looking to buy ingredients for a bomb. His defense lawyer said the boy had only been toying with the idea; and that he was influenced by propaganda and a need to be recognized.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development called on the public to stop reposting the photo of a boy with a leash around his neck to protect him from possible trauma in the future. “It’s not a joke,” said DSWD Director Joel Espejo echoing statements made by Secretary Dinky Soliman. The photo shows a naked boy of about 3-4 years old on a leash being treated like a pet. The photo was allegedly taken and uploaded by the boy’s mother. The post has angered thousands of netizens and prompted an official investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation. DSWD found and rescued the child on Tuesday, May 26. 

Read the full story on Rappler.

Editor’s note: We previously used a background file photo of a Reception and Study Center for Children in Zamboanga, which had nothing to do with the story. We apologize for the error and have made the necessary correction. 

The Manila Electric Company (Meralco) said that power outages are unlikely if there is enough reserves during a scheduled maintenance shutdown of several power plants in June and July. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, May 26, Meralco President Oscar Reyes said “we’re hoping to get through summer without any disruption in service, at least within our franchise area.” At least 4 power plants are scheduled to undergo a maintenance shutdown in June, with another 4 in July. Reyes added that with continue demand management and prudent usage, the power distributor will be able to weather the summer. 

Read the full story on Rappler.

Tony Meloto broke his silence on Tuesday, May 26 to respond to critics over  his perceived “sexist and elitist” views. Meloto specifically refers to a speech he gave at the University of Hawaii in April to a group of Filipino-American academics, which was received with mixed reviews. A statement by the University of Hawaii-Center for Philippine Studies (UH-CPS) called Meloto’s speech and perspective “sexist” and “elitist”, and made reference to Meloto’s views on the beauty of Filipina women and why they should marry foreigners. But Meloto says his words were taken out of context. Rappler published the full text of his response.

Read the full text on Rappler.

A teacher in the US state of Montana has made a deal with his students that he couldn’t refuse. The deal is to cancel the final exam for his students if multi-awarded musician Taylor Swift calls him up. The idea, first pitched by student Ike Stoner, started out as a joke and was quickly shared on Facebook. As of this writing, the post has more than 270,000 shares and 25,000 likes. Now let’s see if Taylor does make that call.

Read the full story on Mashable.

The Philippines and many parts of the tropics are experiencing unprecedented hot weather, which could persist until June, according to the weather experts. With this scorching heat, doctors say people need to guard against heat stroke or when the body overheats and cannot cool down by sweating due to dehydration. If you feel faint, dizzy, or weak, you may be suffering from heat stroke. Make sure to avoid direct exposure to the Sun, drink lots of water, and wear breathable clothing to stay cool. If you are with someone who is suffering from heat stroke, make them sip cool water, lie down, and remove clothing to cool the body rapidly. Heat stroke is no joke, so make sure to respond quickly before the situation gets worse.

Read more about heat stroke and how to prevent it on Rappler.