May 1, 2014 Edition

A few days after results of a Pulse Asia presidential poll were published, President Benigno Aquino III urged voters to choose a leader who will continue reforms started by his administration. In his labor day speech in Laguna, Aquino said, “If you believe that what we are doing is right, if you don’t want what we’ve started on the straight and narrow path to go to waste, let’s pick a leader who will continue and further improve on the reforms we’ve made.” Vice President Jejomar Binay emerged as the preferred choice of 40% of survey respondents if elections were held today. Interior Secretary Mar Roxas got 6% and ranked fifth.

Read the full story on Rappler.
The story on the Pulse Asia survey is also on Rappler.

Claiming he was more preoccupied with online subpoenas, Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said he does not pay attention to surveys. On Wednesday, April 30, Roxas told reporters in Filipino, “We are focused on our work and I do not pay attention and give attention to these kinds of things. We are focused on things like this e-subpoena, where we see that carrying out justice in our country becomes faster.” A March 2014 Pulse Asia survey showed Vice President Jejomar Binay being chosen by 40% of respondents as their preferred presidential candidate in 2016. Roxas, a possible standard bearer of the ruling Liberal Party, registered a much lower 6% rating.

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Donning red shirts, members of militant labor groups marched toward Mendiola on Thursday, May 1, to demand better working conditions from government, and the delivery of the Aquino administration’s campaign promises. More than halfway into its term, the Aquino administration, according to the Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino, has failed to deliver on its anti-corruption, pro-poor promise. Earlier, Nagkaisa, the biggest alliance of labor groups and workers’ organizations in the country, said government has failed to address demands to curb power rates, impose tax breaks, and end the system of contractualization.

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A related story on labor demands is also on Rappler.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement Wednesday, April 30, the United States will come to the assistance of the Philippines if it is attacked or if “our armed forces are attacked in the Pacific area.” A day before, US President Barack Obama said the US would support its ally in the event of an attack, citing the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT). Critics have said the MDT does not cover the South China Sea (West Philippine Sea) where the Philippines and China are locked in a territorial and maritime dispute. But Del Rosario said the US, in a 1999 diplomatic letter, affirmed that “the South China Sea is considered as part of the Pacific area.”

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The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Wednesday, April 30, that misuse of antibiotics and poor hospital hygiene is allowing common infections and minor injuries which have been treatable for decades to “once again kill.” In a hard-hitting study of antimicrobial resistance, WHO assistant director-general for health security Keiji Fukuda warned against the devastating effects of misused antibiotics. The situation on the ground has been described by Medical charity Doctors Without Borders as “frightening” as even “last resort” antibiotics are losing the ability to fight bacteria responsible for diseases like diarrhea, pneumonia, urinary tract infections and gonorrhea.

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The International Monetary Fund on Wednesday, April 30, approved a US$17-billion loan package for Ukraine to help its beleaguered economy. The first installment amounting to $3.2 billion will be made available immediately; the entire bailout will be released over two years. Pledged in March, the loan is contingent on strict economic reforms, including the raising of taxes and energy prices, and the freezing of the minimum wage, the BBC reported. The IMF loan is expected to release funds from other donors worth $15 billion.

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A related story is on the BBC.

Without a properly functioning government for 6 months now, Thais are headed to polling places on July 20 in a bid to end the country’s lingering political crisis. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra faces legal challenges even as as protesters sought her resignation to make way for a “neutral” prime minister who could implement anti-corruption reforms. A previous election held in February was voided when voting was disrupted by demonstrators seeking reforms first. Whether or not Yingluck’s name will be on the ballot remains unclear because of the two legal cases that could result in her suspension from office and her being banned from politics.

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Twitter shares sank 8.6% to $38.97 on the New York Stock Exchange after earlier falling to $37.24. This is nearly half its value since its peak on December 26 when it was worth $73.31 per share. Investors were bothered by new user data which showed that in March, there were 255 million active monthly users, below the Wall Street-projected 257 million. For the quarter, Twitter reported a loss of 23 cents per share. Deutsche Bank said that investors were “unforgiving” of the low user data despite “solid” results otherwise.

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After his demolition 7 months ago of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, undefeated World Boxing Council champ Floyd Mayweather returns to the ring on Saturday, May 3, to defend his title. The 37-year-old boxer goes up against World Boxing Association champ Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. In a press conference, Mayweather said it takes more than just power to beat him. “You got to dig deep and be mentally strong, not just physically strong.” In his last fight, Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) became the unified super welterweight world champion by winning over Mexico’s Alvarez in September 2013.

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All for $150,000. This was the auction price of an Oscar statuette won by cinematographer Gregg Toland in 1939 for his work on Wuthering Heights directed by William Wyler and starred in by Sir Laurence Olivier. Regarded as one of the most influential cinematographers in the history of film, Toland was also nominated for best cinematography for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane in 1941. His first nomination was for Les Misérables in 1935. Toland also did the cinematography in 1946 for The Best Years of Our Lives, a film about 3 US servicemen readjusting to civilian life after the Second World War.

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