Today on Rappler.
- The Catholic Church claims it has 140 votes to junk the Reproductive Health bill.
- President Aquino gives economic managers two weeks to study charter change.
- American swimmer Michael Phelps is being called the greatest Olympian in history.
Story 1: CHURCH SAYS IT HAS 140 VOTES VS RH BILL
The Catholic Church claims it has at least 140 votes to junk the Reproductive Health bill in the House of Representatives.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines says its bishops surveyed lawmakers in their dioceses.
Of the 215 surveyed, only 49 say they will vote for the RH bill.
140 say they will vote against the bill and 26 are undecided.
On August 7, the House votes on whether or not to end debates and move on to amendments.
Only 5 more votes are needed to secure the majority vote needed to prolong debates.
Voting to end the debate means good news for RH bill supporters.
House majority leader Neptali Gonzales II says it’s hard to say how the vote will go, with both sides claiming they have the numbers.
The bill is at the amendment stage at the Senate.
Story 2: AQUINO GIVES ECON TEAM 2 WEEKS TO STUDY CHA-CHA
President Aquino gives the economic managers two weeks to review the implications of a charter change.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima confirms Wednesday that Aquino has given the team marching orders to conduct the study after the July 30 meeting attended by Aquino, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte.
Purisima says, “We first have to do our research. We will look at the laws in other countries.”
Aquino is not keen on changing the 1987 Constitution, which was crafted during the administration of his mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.
But Enrile and Belmonte stress only the economic provisions will be amended, especially the 40% cap on foreign ownership of corporations.
Story 3: TYPHOON GENER LEAVES 12 DEAD
After causing death and destruction in the Philippines, Typhoon Gener, international codename Saola, is still on course towards eastern Taiwan and Japan’s Ryukyu Islands.
The Philippines’ NDRRMC says the typhoon leaves 12 people dead, 1 person missing, 5 injured, and 129 others rescued.
Agricultural damage is estimated at 2.13 million pesos across 3 regions in Luzon and Visayas.
Pagasa says Gener will enhance the Southwest Monsoon that will bring rains and moderate to strong winds over Luzon and Western Visayas.
Public storm warning signal number two is up over the Batanes, Calayan, and the Babuyan group of islands.
Signal number one is up over the rest of Cagayan and Apayao.
Story 4: 12 FOREIGNERS RESCUED OFF MAGUINDANAO
Marine troops rescue 12 foreigners from the sea off Datu Blah Sinsuat town in Maguindanao, Tuesday night.
A Marine rescue station spotted 3 people floating in the ocean.
The Marines initially rescue the 3, who tell them about 9 other companions.
Rescued are 6 Indonesians, 5 Malaysians and one Burmese.
The men tell investigators their ship was hijacked on July 27 somewhere near Malaysia.
On July 30, the armed hijackers ordered the crew to jump off the ship with their life vests on.
They say the pirates had apparently come from Indonesia.
The local government of Datu Blah Sinsuat town is taking care of the foreigners.
Story 5: WORD WAR BETWEEN PH, CAMBODIA OVER ASEAN
Cambodia says the Philippines engaged in “dirty politics.”
Cambodian Ambassador to the Philippines Hos Sereythonh disagrees with an article written by Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio.
She says Cambodia failed to gain consensus and to issue a joint communiqué for the first time in 45 years. That’s not true, says Hos.
The Cambodian ambassador says 8 of 10 Asean states agreed to the 132 points in the proposed joint communiqué.
The only paragraph that did not get the majority’s nod was the one on bilateral disputes between the Philippines and China, and Vietnam and China.
He adds, since the summit began, the Philippines and Vietnam wanted to include their “national bilateral” disputes with China in the joint statement.
Hos says the two countries wanted to sabotage and hijack the joint communique, and calls their actions quote “un-Asean”.
Hos blames the 2 countries for the -quote-“souring of the mood” during the summit.
He says, “to try to blame Cambodia…is dirty politics and therefore it should have no place in Asean.”
Story 6: DOJ TO NBI: PROBE DEATH OF HAZING VICTIM
The Department of Justice directs the National Bureau of Investigation to probe the death of a law student allegedly because of hazing.
The NBI has until August 3 to submit its initial findings on the death of Marc Andrei Marcos, a first year law student in San Beda College.
He died July 30 due to injuries allegedly sustained from hazing.
He is the second victim of alleged hazing from San Beda.
Story 7: READY FOR FIRST GAY SENATOR? BINAY THINKS SO
Vice President Jejomar Binay says his United Nationalist Alliance is considering gay activist Danton Remoto for its senatorial slate.
Asked if the Philippines is ready for its first openly gay senator, Binay says “We live in modern times…That is no longer an issue.”
Remoto cofirms he is running for the Senate in 2013.
In 2010, he wanted to run for senator but the Commission on Elections disqualified him.
In past interviews, he said he was open to joining any party except the ruling Liberal Party.
Remoto says LP President Mar Roxas initially offered him in a slot in the LP slate in 2009 but when Roxas slid down to run for vice president, Roxas stopped talking to him.
But Binay says UNA will first have to see what Remoto can offer.
Story 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 5, Power is restored to 3 electricity grids that failed in India, causing an unprecedented blackout affecting more than 600 million people.
The crisis affected 20 out of the nation’s 29 states, including the huge cities of New Delhi and Kolkata.
The government announces an investigation into its case – a blow to the image of the world’s 2nd most populous nation as it strives for global economic clout.
At number 6, US President Barack Obama orders new economic sanctions against the energy sector and some financial firms in Iran, even as concerns continue over its nuclear program
Obama’s executive order comes just as the US Congress prepares to vote this week on new legislation imposing even stricter sanctions on Iran.
Tehran has been attempting to diversify the way it gets paid for oil sales, including the use of gold and barter.
And at number 10, Google beats Facebook and Twitter in purchasing Wildfire Interactive – a startup that helps marketers manage their presences on social media sites.
Reports say the deal amounts to $250 million dollars but official terms were not disclosed.
Wildfire gives the Internet giant access to an easy-to-use yet powerful tool to grow, engage, and monetize audience on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and LinkedIn.
Story 9: CHOT REYES PBA RETIREMENT INTERVIEW
In an exclusive retirement interview, former Talk N Text Coach Chot Reyes tells Rappler about leaving the PBA, coaching the men’s national basketball team, and divulges personal stories he has never shared before.
CHOT REYES, FORMER TALK ’N TEXT HEAD COACH: What people don’t realize, and this is the first time I’ll say this in public, when Ali Peek got shot, I was at home watching a video and I got a call it was Ali Peek. And I say, Ali, what’s up? And he says, hey coach, someone shot me. I don’t want to die coach, I’m bleeding to death.
Story 10: MICHAEL PHELPS MAKES OLYMPIC HISTORY
As the London Olympics enters day 5, Michael Phelps makes history but not before he has to settle for a silver medal, his first.
Natashya Gutierrez reports on the ups and downs of Day 4.
American swimmer Michael Phelps is being called the Greatest Olympian ever, but his achievement comes after a heartbreaking loss.
On Day 4, Phelps swims the 200 meter butterfly, an event he has won the past 2 Olympics.
He is expected to win gold, and be the first male swimmer in history to win the same event 3 Games in a row.
But Phelps settles for silver as he loses to South African Chad Le Clos by five hundredths of a second on the very last touch.
Later, Phelps swims with the USA men’s relay team for the 4×200 m freestyle.
Their first place finish gives Phelps his 19th medal, his first gold in London, and makes him the most decorated athlete of all time.
In fencing, a similar roller coaster fate.
South Korean fencer Shin A Lam suffers a controversial defeat, that deprives her of the gold medal epee.
The tearful athlete refuses to leave the piste for 70 minutes as her team appeals the decision, which is eventually rejected.
Distracted, Shin loses her bronze medal match adding to her dismay.
The International Fencing Federation offers her a special medal for sportsmanship.
In badminton, players from China, South Korea and Indonesia face charges from the Badminton World Federation, after they appear to miss shots on purpose, in an attempt to lose.
A loss at that point means weaker opponents in the final eight, which would help give them a higher chance at making the finals.
China still ties the USA with 23 medals each, but China has 13 golds to USA’s 9.
For the Philippine team, boxer Mark Barriga wins his first light flyweight fight and advances to the next round.
Natashya Gutierrez, Rappler.
– Rappler.com
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