October 21, 2014 Edition

On the basis of the Visiting Forces Agreement, the prosecutor expects Joseph Scott Pemberton, suspect in the killing of Jennifer Laude, to appear during the preliminary investigation on Tuesday, October 21. Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles Jose said the VFA says “US military authorities shall, upon formal notification by the Philippine authorities and without delay, make such personnel available to those authorities in time for any investigative or judicial proceedings.” The US embassy said his appearance will depend on what his Philippine lawyers say. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima had said prosecutors “will insist” that Pemberton be present to avoid perceptions of “special treatment.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on De Lima’s statement is also on Rappler. Details about the departure of the 4 American witnesses who submitted sworn statements are likewise on Rappler.

Joko “Jokowi” Widodo became Indonesia’s 7th president as he took his oath on Monday, October 20. “In the name of God, I swear that I will fulfill my obligation as the president of Indonesia as best as I can and as fairly as possible,” the 53-year-old former furniture exporter said. The leader of the world’s third largest democracy also acknowledged in his first interview the “high hopes and the high expectations” of Indonesians. He said it is a burden that has to be “realized soon.” He added, “The people want a huge transformation immediately, but everything has a process. It’s not as easy as flipping the palm of your hand.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story is also on Rappler.

Marc Sueselbeck, the German fiancé of transgender woman Jennifer Laude, said on Monday, October 20, he is not ready to forgive US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton. The American serviceman, last seen with Laude, is suspected of having killed her on October 11. “How can I forgive him? I’m not in the position to forgive him…I have more anger in my heart than probably most of the people here,” Sueselbeck said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A large majority of Filipinos, 79%, want Vice President Jejomar Binay to face the Senate Blue Ribbon Subcommittee and explain his side. The Vice President has been the subject of corruption exposés that alleged kickbacks and the use of dummies. The proportion of those who strongly agree Binay should face the Senate was highest in Metro Manila at 64%, followed by the balance of Luzon at 58%, Mindanao at 54% and the Visayas at 51%. Binay’s camp however said it would be “futile” for him to face the Senate because it has become a “kangaroo court.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on the Binay camp’s reaction to the survey is also on Rappler.

Will peacekeepers from the United Nations (UN) return to the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, following an improvement in the situation there? Argentina’s ambassador to the UN Maria Cristina Perceval said the UN is planning a return, given the continuing dialogue between Syria and Israel. She did not provide a timetable, however. The UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) was created by the UN Security Council to maintain the ceasefire between the two sides and monitor the area of separation in the Golan after their 1973 war. The Philippines had pulled out its peacekeepers because of the deteriorating condition there.

Read the full story on Rappler.

The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), one of the biggest political parties in the country, is dismissing calls to impeach Vice President Jejomar Binay. NPC secretary-general and Batangas Representative Mark Llando Mendoza said impeachment was “counter-productive…untimely…potentially divisive and costly political exercise.” The NPC is the first political party to make a stand against impeachment. It had previously supported President Benigno Aquino III and the Liberal Party in campaigns to impeach former ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and former chief justice Renato Corona.

Read the full story on Rappler.

A related story on the meeting between the President and the Vice President is also on Rappler.

President Benigno Aquino III told reporters the bureaucratic process, his administration’s “bottom-up budgeting” approach, is taking time and is causing delays in the implementation of rehabilitation plans in the Eastern Visayas. He said post-disaster needs assessment must emanate from local government units and cannot be imposed by “Imperial Manila.” A 6,000-page Yolanda Rehabilitation Plan was submitted to the President on August 1, 2014. While Aquino virtually approved most of the plan, he wants a timeline for the rehabilitation projects.

Read the full story on Rappler.

It was the hottest September yet since 1880, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said, marking the “38th consecutive September with a global temperature above the 20th century average.” The record high for September was at 15.72 Celsius, or 0.72 C above the 20th century average. A report from NOAA said that except for February, every month in 2014 has been among the hottest on record. The months of May, June, August and September were “all record warm,” NOAA said.

Read the full story on Rappler.

15-year-old Marlisa Punzalan won the X-Factor Australia grand finale on Monday, October 20. She won by a slim margin of .01% over Dean Ray who took 2nd place and Brothers 3 who took 3rd place. During Sunday’s final round, Marlisa sang 3 songs – “Yesterday,” “Never Be The Same” with Jessica Mauboy, and “Stand By You.”

Read the full story on Rappler.

Superstar singer Charice Pempengco told US television host Oprah Winfrey that when she decided to publicly come out as gay she was “ready to lose my career, lose my fans.” Appearing on the Oprah Winfrey Network’s “Where Are They Now” episode, the singer said that before she came out she was “already a mess” and felt that she was portraying a character for her mother and her family to be happy. Oprah first interviewed Charice in 2008 when her team discovered her on YouTube. It paved the way for international exposure.

Read the full story on Rappler.