Today on Rappler.
- President Aquino says Janet Napoles does not meet the criteria to become a state witness.
- Media personalities hit a newspaper for reporting they received cash payments in a corruption scandal.
- In tears, South Korea’s president takes full responsibility for the mishandling of the ferry disaster.
Story 1: AQUINO ON ‘NAPOLIST’: GOAL IS TO BRING HOUSE DOWN
President Benigno Aquino says the woman in the center of the latest corruption scandal, Janet Napoles, is not fit to become a state witness.
On Monday, Aquino says Napoles does not meet at least one requirement to be a state witness: that she must not be the most guilty in the scam, where lawmakers diverted public funds to her fake NGOs.
The President says, “She is the common connection of all…How are we going to say she is ‘not the most guilty’ if she is at the center of it all?”
The justice department is still vetting Napoles’ statements after she volunteered information and offered a list of names who allegedly benefitted from the scam.
There are at least 3 lists circulating, all supposedly from her, but they don’t match.
Aquino says some people may be intentionally muddling the issue and changing names in the lists to –quote– “bring the whole house down” and make it appear that everyone is guilty.
Story 2: DE LIMA: ‘NOT AT ALL SLEEPING WITH THE ENEMY’
Justice secretary Leila de Lima says she is not -quote- “sleeping with the enemy” after being criticized for entertaining the testimony of Janet Napoles.
De Lima says it’s unfair to accuse her of acting as Napoles’ lawyer.
She say it’s her job to prosecutes individuals involved in the biggest corruption scandal to hit the country in recent years.
Senator Chiz Escudero earlier asked De Lima if she had a deal with Napoles.
He was referring to the meeting between the two in April, when Napoles told De Lima she was willing to tell all she knew about the scam.
De Lima asks the public to allow her to do her job by listening to the testimony of the woman at the center of the corruption scandal.
Story 3: SENATORS TO JUSTICE DEPARTMENT: PROBE NAPOLES HUSBAND TOO
Senators ask the justice department to include the husband of Janet Napoles in its corruption investigation.
Senator Koko Pimentel says Rehabilitation Secretary Ping Lacson identified retired Marine Major Jimmy Napoles as the source of his version of the list of officials Napoles said she dealt with.
Senator Chiz Escudero also backs calls to summon Jimmy Napoles when the Senate continues its probe on the scam.
He adds, “If the affidavit and history of [the scam] came from Jimmy Napoles, then he knows so much.”
Story 4: JOURNALISTS VS INQUIRER IN PORK BARREL CONTROVERSY
Journalists criticize a report saying they received cash payments from the pork barrel scam.
On Sunday, the Philippine Daily Inquirer reported the accounting entries of scam whistleblower Benhur Luy showed cash gifts to several prominent journalists and media personalities, including ABS-CBN’s Korina Sanchez, GMA-7’s Mike Enriquez, TV5’s Luchi Cruz-Valdes, and several others.
Sanchez, Enriquez, and Cruz-Valdes deny receiving payoffs from Napoles.
The Inquirer says the information came from Luy’s hard disk drive, given by his parents in April 2013.
But Luy’s former lawyer Levito Baligod said the files given by Luy’s family did not contain those who allegedly benefitted from the scam.
How and from whom the Inquirer got its supposed list is unclear.
The National Union of Journalists in the Philippines says the controversy should serve as a much-needed spark for the media to start cleaning its ranks.
NUJP called on fellow members of the media to “take the bull by the horns” and “come together” to address the problem of corruption.
It adds, “It is time that the Philippine media…recognize the problem and save ourselves and our people from ourselves.”
Story 5: EX-NABCOR EXECS COPIED NAPOLES PORK BARREL SCAM
A Rappler exclusive: Former executives of the National Agri-Business Corporation or Nabcor copied the setup of the pork barrel scam.
Affidavits of former employees show how then Nabcor president Alan Javellana and other officials transacted with favored NGOs for the supposed implementation of a P105 million Technical Studies fund.
A special audit report also showed some P1.4 billion of pork barrel was downloaded to Nabcor and siphoned to dozens of NGOs, including those that were fronts for alleged pork barrel queen Janet Napoles.
The Nabcor executives allegedly plundered a total of P300 million or $15 million.
This amount was taken from the agriculture department’s special fund, called the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani Fund.
Story 6: 4,000 CHINESE AWAIT VIETNAM EVACUATION
Thousands of Chinese nationals evacuate from Vietnam as tensions rise after territorial disputes between the two countries.
More than 3,000 Chinese have already returned home over the weekend.
On Sunday, China sent 5 ships to bring home nationals.
Two more ships arrived Monday.
Two Chinese nationals were killed and about 140 injured when angry mobs damaged hundreds of foreign-owned businesses in Vietnam last week.
Relations between the Communist neighbors turned sour after China sent an oil rig in the disputed South China Sea earlier this month.
Story 7: 31 CHILDREN BURNED TO DEATH IN COLOMBIA BUS ACCIDENT
At least 31 children burn to death in a bus on fire in Fundacion, northern Colombia Sunday.
Fundacion’s mayor says the children, aged 1 to 8, were returning home after a religious service.
Police initially blamed the fire on a mechanical problem, but the mayor says the bus driver was reportedly handling a container with gasoline.
Story 8: SOUTH KOREA PRESIDENT SAYS RESPONSIBILITY ‘LIES WITH ME’
South Korean President Park Geun-Hye takes full responsibility for the mishandling of last month’s Sewol ferry disaster.
On April 16, the Sewol ferry sank off the southern coast with 476 people on board.
At least 286 people died. Most were high school students.
In tears, Park says -quote- “The ultimate responsibility for the poor response to this accident lies with me.”
She also dismantles the coast guard, criticizing its failure to immediately respond to the tragedy.
The coastguard’s responsibilities will be split between the police and a newly created ministry of national safety.
The Sewol’s captain and three crew members face charges for abandoning the ship and its passengers.
Story 9: TRANSGENDER WOMAN WANTS ‘POLITICAL RECOGNITION’ OF GENDER EQUALITY
New York-based Filipina transgender woman model Geena Rocero visits the Philippines.
Rocero is pushing for her campaign #GenderProud, which advocates transgender rights.
GEENA ROCERO, TRANSGENDER MODEL/ACTIVIST: It’s important for countries all over the world to acknowledge that.. which allows transgendered and gender-variant people, like intersex people to change name and gender marker on your legal documents without being forced to go through surgeries. Having that right to really reflect who you really are… it’s one of the most basic principles and tenets of humanity.
Rocero says while being part of the LGBT community is celebrated in the Philippines, it is still not “politically recognized.”
She says Gender Proud aims to change that.
GEENA ROCERO, TRANSGENDER MODEL/ACTIVIST: So at the core, I believe the core of Gender Proud, is I’m trying to just merge this global paradox. I think it should be both culturally celebrated and politically recognized with the same rights as with any human being.
Rocero also emphasizes the role of the LGBT community in helping boost the Philippine economy.
She says institutions should be more open to the rights of transgenders, because they comprise a considerable chunk of the working population.
GEENA ROCERO, TRANSGENDER MODEL/ACTIVIST: With World economic [forum] being here… we’re gonna say that we are a country, the Philippines wants to be this country that’s this major player, especially in economic standards. If there’s a big set of your population that’s being marginalized, how could you flourish as a country? You need to allow your people to dream. For them to know it’s possible to achieve things.
Story 10: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 7, Paleontologists identify the fossils of the largest dinosaur ever to roam the Earth.
First discovered in 2011, the fossils are of a giant Titanosaur, a long-necked, long-tailed sauropod that lived about 95 million years ago.
The dinosaur weighs about 100 tons — the equivalent of more than 14 African elephants.
At number 8, Filipino scientists discover a plant species that eats metal.
The nickel-eating shrub Rinorea niccolifera was first spotted in Zambales.
Scientists say the plant is valuable because it can reduce metal contamination in soil.
It can accumulate and tolerate metal elements at levels “100 times greater than those typically measured” in plants that grow in similar environments.
At number 9, Google says it could take several weeks to figure out how it could comply with a recent order from the European Court of Justice.
The court earlier ruled individuals have the right to ask Google to delete personal data and “be forgotten” online when their data becomes outdated or inaccurate.
Following the court ruling, Google received takedown requests. Among them, a convicted pedophile and a former politician.
And at number 10, Classic monster movie “Godzilla” claims the top spot of the North American box office on its opening weekend, raking in $93.2 million.
A reincarnation of the 1954 classic, “Godzilla” stars Bryan Cranston and Juliette Binoche, and continues the original movie’s exploration of the threat of nuclear disasters.
“The Amazing Spider-Man 2” took in a total of $172 million since its release three weeks ago.
It sits at number 3 in the box office, after the film “Neighbors” which earned $26 million.
3D Image of Titanosaurus via Shutterstock
– Rappler.com
Newscast Production Staff
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