Rappler Newscast | August 07, 2012

Today on Rappler:

• Rainfall during the past 22 hours exceeds record levels of 2009 typhoon Ondoy, known internationally as Ketsana.
• Non-stop rain triggers a landslide in Fairview.
• Reproductive Health bill critics vow to inject ‘killer amendments’ to dilute the bill.

Story 1: ONDOY RELIVED
Like a nightmare relived, record rainfall shut down a stunned capital in the Philippines.
Many – like 52 year old security guard Anastacio San Ruiz – lost homes today.
While finishing his shift, his children text him their home is under water.  
By the time he gets out of work, his family is trapped on the roof.  
He stops to get food he carefully wraps in plastic, then wades through the water to go home, crossing dirty waters.
This is what the day was like for many across Manila.
According to the head of the disaster response agency, 50% of Manila was flooded Monday evening and 30% is under waist – or neck-deep water by Tuesday afternoon.

Story 2: RAINFALL OVER METRO SURPASSES ‘KETSANA’
Rainfall during the past 22 hours exceeds the record levels of 2009’s tropical storm Ondoy, international name Ketsana.
From 4:45 pm on Monday to 3 pm Tuesday, 472 mm of rain falls.
This is more than the 455 mm, 24-hour accumulated rainfall during tropical storm Ketsana.
An enhanced southwest monsoon is causing the non-stop rain drenching large parts of Luzon.
It is expected to continue for the next 24 hours.
At least 15 people are dead and 1 missing as torrential rain triggers a landslide and widespread flooding.
Police also report 4 deaths by drowning in Bulacan and 2 deaths in Batangas.
Nearly a million people across 11 regions are affected by the floods.
Vehicles cannot pass through 15 national roads submerged under water.

BENITO RAMOS, NDRRMC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Anybody for that matter, nababahala. Dahil, ‘yun na nga, unusual. Unusual ito. Hindi ito bagyo. Paulan-ulan pero namemerwisyo kaya nababahala tayong lahat hindi lang mga ilang tao.

Story 3: FORCED EVACUATION AS MARIKINA RIVER CONTINUES TO RISE
Residents near the Marikina River are forced to evacuate as its water level continues to rise.
The river’s level is “critical,” – higher than 20 meters.
State weather bureau PAGASA raises a “red warning signal” over Metro Manila, with heavy to intense rainfall for the next two hours.
Evacuees are now at 11 centers across the city.
4 areas in Luzon are now under a state of calamity: Malabon City, Bataan, Masantol, Pampanga, and Cainta, Rizal.

Story 4: LANDSLIDE IN FAIRVIEW
Non-stop rain causes a landslide in Fairview, Quezon City – killing one on the spot and burying two families.
Residents say the nine-day rain loosened the soil under four homes in Barangay Commonwealth.
Two of the four homes collapse Tuesday morning and slide down a low hill.
The homes belong to the Baylon and Simbulan families.
Latest update: a total of 8 bodies were retrieved from the rubble, while one person found alive died in the hospital tonight.

Story 5: MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN METRO ON 24/7 DUTY
The Department of Health puts all government hospitals and health facilities in Metro Manila on a “code blue alert.”
This means medical personnel and DOH operation centers will be on 24-hour duty.
The Health Department also issues a leptospirosis alert and advises people in flooded areas to go to the hospital at the first sign of fever.
Leptospirosis symptoms include fever, muscle pain, and headache.

Story 6: TWEETS ON GOD’S WRATH OVER RH BILL
Are the skies weeping over the RH bill’s triumph Monday, when it moved to another phase in the legislative agenda?
Some anti-RH supporters on the net seem to think so.
Twitter user Naj asks on Twitter with hashtag RH Bill, “Is God sending a message by letting the rain pour?”
Goys Valbuena jokes about rain and condoms. He says, “If it’ll rain, CBCP should not allow the use of umbrellas…artificial protection is not good…”
Shortly after the House of Representatives ended the debates over the law Monday, pro-RH Twitter users saw it coming – saying anti-RH groups will claim the weather is a direct consequence of the vote.
Twitter user Fatima says, “Of course some politicians and bishops will claim that the rain today is God’s wrath for the vote for RH Bill yesterday.”
Anti-RH Jade Ilagan comments, “This rain could be God’s expression of his stand re the #RHbill. Yes, we need to be practical, but still, our MORALS make us who we are.”
Pro-RH Aileesa Lim tweets “Yes, God IS punishing us w/ rain & floods because of the #RHBill. That MUST be it. Because it NEVER rains & floods in the Philippines. EVER.”

Story 7: ANTI-RH LAWMAKERS THREATEN ‘KILLER AMENDMENTS’
The Reproductive Health bill scores a major victory Monday, when the House of Representatives voted to end the period of debate.
This is the first time it’s reached this stage in more than a decade and means the controversial bill now has a chance to pass in the current 15th Congress.
But anti-RH bill lawmakers vow to insert provisions that will dilute the measure until it becomes unacceptable even to its proponents.

PABLO GARCIA, CEBU REPRESENTATIVE: There will still be period of amendments and many will introduce the so-called killer amendments that will kill the bill. And finally, the bill will still be submitted for approval or disapproval and my gut feeling is it will be disapproved.

On Monday, RH bill principal author Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman says advocates are “at the threshold of victory.”
He hopes to get the measure passed within the month.
Former Health Secretary Alberto Romualdez says the vote on Monday sends a clear signal to the Catholic Church, which vigorously opposes the bill.

ALBERTO ROMUALDEZ, FORMER HEALTH SECRETARY: I consider this a historic moment. Our Congress demonstrated that it is truly a democratic institution…Contrary to what many conservative Catholics believe, what Catholic bishops want, they do not necesarily get. Democracy is democracy whether or not you are a Catholic.

Story 8: SYRIA PRIME MINISTER DEFECTS
Syria’s prime minister joins the rebel movement and accuses President Bashar al-Assad of carrying out “genocide” against his own people.
Riad Hijab is now the highest-ranking official to flee al-Assad’s regime when he crossed into Jordan Sunday night.
In a statement, Hijab announces his defection from a “regime of killing and terror.”
The defection comes as government forces prepare to launch an assault on rebels in Aleppo.
Washington welcomes the defection, saying it shows al-Assad is losing his grip on power.
Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zohbi later says the defection will have no impact on the Syrian state.

Story 9: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 3, In a rare move, The New York State Department of Financial Services threatens to strip the state banking license of Standard Chartered for being a “rogue institution” that hid $250 billion dollars in transactions tied to Iran — a violation of U.S. law.
In a statement, the bank claims 99.9% of its transactions with Iran complied with U.S. Treasury regulations.

At number 6, The results of an environmental impact study of the mine tailings leak from the Padcal mine of Philex Mining will be out in a week.
The Environment Department and the Mining and Geosciences Bureau says rivers will be examined for possible toxic chemicals. The mining bureau says appropriate fines will be imposed if violations are found.

At number 7, Major Philippine carriers Philippine Airlines, its budget arm, AirPhil Express and Cebu Pacific say local and international flights are pushing through despite the torrential rain and floods battering Metro Manila and 9 other nearby regions.
New Zealand is also experiencing a natural ‘calamity’ as a volcano – Mount Tongariro – spews out an ash cloud 20,000 feet high, disrupting local flights.
International flights –which cruise above 20,000 feet –will not be disrupted.

And at number 9, the first images of the landing of rover Curiosity on Mars is not the only thing that went viral Monday.
32-year-old NASA flight director Bobak Ferdowski also became a new internet celebrity.
Dubbed the “NASA Mohawk Guy,” Ferdowsi quickly catches the attention of viewers witnessing the NASA landing as images of his patriotic hairdo — a blue and red mohawk with yellow stars on the side of his head — and pearly white smile immediately circulate on social networks Twitter, Facebook and Reddit.

– Rappler.com