January 10, 2014 Edition

The Supreme Court asked energy regulators to explain why they approved the rate hike of power distributor Manila Electric Co. or Meralco. Various groups filed petitions against the hike, prompting the Court to issue a temporary restraining order on its implementation. Meralco said it was forced to buy more expensive power because of the simultaneous outages of its power plant suppliers. In a 5-page order released Thursday, the High Court also ordered the the operator of the electricity spot market and 6 other Meralco power suppliers included in the petitions. The Court denied the motion of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) asking to be excused from filing a comment. The OSG earlier said it’s Meralco’s duty to defend itself and the public respondents in the case.

Read the full story on Rappler.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson defended the bunkhouses his department commissioned for the survivors of Typhoon Yolanda/Haiyan. With the construction of permanent homes for millions of survivors expected to take years, Singson said the temporary shelters are better than tents or tarpaulins. Responding to criticism that the bunkhouses fall short of humanitarian standards, “This is where the economics of it come in.” Singson went on to echo the Palace’s view that the bunkhouses need not follow international standards.  He also denied reports of overpriced bunkhouses, and said it is probably a case of not complying with the government’s building requirements because of the lack of available materials.

Read more on Talk Thursday.

Every January, millions of devotees go to Quiapo in Manila for the Feast Day of the Black Nazarene. The religious event draws barefoot followers in a procession honoring an ebony statue of Jesus Christ.  The feast, seen by some as a bizarre exhibition of faith, came to symbolize the Filipino’s attitude towards suffering and redemption. In his homily, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle reminded the faithful to go beyond their personal needs in their devotion. He told them to pray for disaster victims, including those affected by super typhoon Yolanda. “Those who remember God remember their neighbor.” He also said Catholics should denounce corruption.

Read the full story on Rappler.

It’s the time of the year when sanitation takes a back seat to religion. Garbage trucks and streetsweepers followed the procession of the Black Nazarene as faithfully as the devotees, picking up their trash along the way. There’s a plastics ban in the city of Manila but did it have any effect on the garbage collected on the feast of the Nazarene? While a Metro Manila Development Authority official said the ban made a difference, Rappler saw a different story on the ground, with vendors still using plastic to serve and wrap food. Last year, the MMDA collected 32 truckloads of garbage. This year, it expected less garbage because the city government confined vendors to designated areas.

Senator Jinggoy Estrada said the plunder complaint against him over the pork barrel scam is a “high-level political ploy to undermine the opposition” for the 2016 polls. In his counter-affidavit filed before the Ombudsman on Thursday, Estrada denied receiving millions from alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles. Estrada and two other senators face plunder complaints for allegedly siphoning their pork barrel to Napoles’ fake NGOs in exchange for kickbacks. In his response to the plunder complaint, Estrada downplayed the gravity of the testimonies and documents against him. Estrada is a member of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance and is reported to be eyeing the vice presidency in 2016.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The father of a Pakistani teenager killed after tackling a suicide bomber praised his son for saving his fellow students through his bravery. 15-year-old Aitzaz Hassan died in a hospital after stopping the attack at the gates of his school in the northwestern district of Hangu on Monday. Mujahid Ali Bangash said, “I am happy that my son has become a martyr by sacrificing his life for a noble cause… Many people are coming to see me but if they try to express sympathy, I tell them to congratulate me instead on becoming the father of a martyr.” He added, “I will be even more than happy if my second son also sacrifices his life for the country.” The school has around 1,000 students, most of them Shiite in a district with a history of sectarian violence. News of Hassan’s bravery led to an outpouring of tributes on social media. Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States, Sherry Rehman, tweeted: “Hangu’s shaheed (martyr) Aitzaz Hasan is Pakistan’s pride. Give him a medal at least. Another young one with heartstopping courage #AitzazBraveheart.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Afghanistan on Thursday said it would release alleged Taliban fighters tagged by the United States for the death of over a hundred people, including at least 60 from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). A statement said Afghan President Hamid Karzai “ordered the Bagram prisoners’ dossier review board to free those prisoners who are innocent and against whom there is no evidence.” US General Joseph Dunford, commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan, earlier lodged an official objection over the releases. The releases will further strain US-Afghan relations as pressure mounts for the two countries to sign the long-delayed Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) allowing some American soldiers to stay in the country after 2014. President Barack Obama’s deputies said that unless the deal is signed, there will be no option but to prepare for a full US troop exit – the so-called “zero option.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

The killing of beauty queen and soap opera star Monica Spear sparked anger among Venezuelans, as pressure mounted for the government to end violence on the country’s roads and highways. Spear and her ex-husband were gunned down by armed robbers in the Carabobo state Monday night. Their 5-year-old daughter was shot in the leg but survived the shooting. On Thursday, Venezuelan authorities said seven suspects have been arrested, while four remain on the loose. Officials say robbery was the motive behind the incident. Monica’s aunt, Mary Spear, urged the government to act on the country’s high crime rates. CNN reported a nonprofit group that tracks killings in the South American country said there were almost 25,000 violent deaths in 2013.

Read the full story on CNN.

It’s Awards Season in Hollywood, with the People’s Choice kicking off this week, the Golden Globes on Sunday, January 12, the Grammys in 2 weeks and the Oscars climax on March 2. While Sandra Bullock and Justin Timberlake may have walked off with the most awards, the best moments this year merge the make-believe roles of the winners with their real-world lives. A spotlight: when make-believe couple Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev from the Vampire Diaries win the Favorite On Screen Chemistry Award. Why? Because in real life, the two dated and broke up – very meta and ironic.

Read more of the best moments here and here.

Imagine falling asleep while your friends are in a karaoke. A Beyonce song comes up, and two girls walk in and begin to sing and dance with your friends. One of your friends looks up and says, “You look like Kelly Rowlands.” Then she looks at the other girl and says, “Oh my God.” Because she was looking at Beyonce! That’s exactly what happened when Beyonce, Jay-Z and their friends decided they wanted to do what normal people do and walked into a Miami karaoke. Here’s the rub: Beyonce took a picture with the sleeping girl, with Rowland photobombing them!

Read the full story on Miami New Times.