Rappler Newscast | December 10, 2012

Today on Rappler.

• The shock of the weekend – as boxing champ Manny Pacquiao falls to Juan Manuel Marquez.
• Catholic bishops will watch closely as lawmakers cast their votes on the Reproductive Health bill.
• The Philippines will support a re-armed Japan to balance China.

Story 1: FILIPINOS IN SHOCK OVER PACQUIAO LOSS
Pacquiao fans reel as their hero, boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, falls to arch rival Juan Manuel Marquez.
Boxing fans show disbelief on social networking site Twitter.
Mai Roxas tweets, “I really don’t know what just happened…”
Crystal Alvarez tweets, “Noo! Pacquiao lost :(“
Emil Ferlise is immediately concerned, saying “Hope Manny is okay.”
Peter Flores thinks Pacquiao should hang his glove. He tweets, “I think Pacquiao should quit after this fight. Mayweather is never gonna make that fight happen anyway.”
But professional boxer Mikael Zewski says, “I dont think Pacquiao should retire, he wasn’t tired, slow and powerless. He got KO’d thats not an aging factor.”
Sunday’s match was the 4th meeting between the two.
Natashya Gutierrez tells us why this victory was the most resounding for Marquez.

It was a punch heard around the world.
A short right. That’s all it took for Mexican fighter Juan Manuel Marquez to drop world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao like a sack of potatoes.
The knockout came at the last second of the 6th round.
It was Pacquiao’s first since 1999.
And it caught everyone by surprise.
Pacquiao had been out punching his arch rival, and was ahead in the unofficial scorecards before the devastating hit.

FREDDIE ROACH, PACQUIAO’S TRAINER: He never saw it coming. When we watched the replay it was a one-two punch. Manny was swinging a little bit and he got caught. It was a great knockout.

The fight is the fourth between the two in the past 8 years.
Marquez’s win gives a definitive end to the two’s storied rivalry. At least for now.
Already, there is talk about a possible rematch which both Marquez and Pacquiao say they are open to.

BOB ARUM, BOXING PROMOTER: If there’s a demand for a fifth fight, the guys want to do it again, what better fight can you make? I mean you have 2 guys who want to fight.

Knocked unconscious, Pacquiao was unable to attend the post-fight press conference and was taken to the hospital for brain scans.
A triumphant Marquez meanwhile, celebrated the victory he has longed for since 2004.
Pacquiao won 2 of their last 3 fights, while the first bout was a draw. But none of the three were as clear a victory as this.

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ, BOXER: This victory I think really gives justice to us, and this victory is not only for me but the whole country of Mexico. I’m very very happy.

Pacquiao has been cleared by the hospital of any serious injuries.
In a statement, Pacquiao congratulated his opponent and said, “I have no excuses. It was a good fight and he deserved the victory. I think boxing fans who watched us were winners too…I am looking forward to a nice rest and then I will be back to fight.”
In a separate television interview, Pacquiao also called the hit “a lucky punch.”
It was a stunning end to a thrilling fight.
But is it the beginning of the end of Pacquiao’s remarkable career?
Natashya Gutierrez, Rappler, Manila.

Story 2: ANALYSIS: WHY PACQUIAO LOST TO MARQUEZ
Rappler sports analyst Carlos Cinco takes apart Pacquiao-Marquez 4.
He says before round 5, Pacquiao had control of the fight.
All three official judges unanimously had Pacquiao up by a point, 47-46, as Pacquiao appeared to be gaining momentum.
According to ESPN Stats Info, Pacquiao outlanded Marquez 94-51 in total punches and 68-41 in power punches in the first 6 rounds.
Cinco says: Had Pacquiao chosen to play defense instead of lunging in recklessly at the end of that fateful 6th round, he would most likely have gone on to win the fight.

Story 3: ‘PABLO’ TOLL AT 647; UN STARTS AID DRIVE
The United Nations launches a $65-M global aid appeal Monday to help survivors of Typhoon Pablo.
The typhoon slammed Mindanao last week, leaving at least 647 people dead and nearly 800 still missing.  More than 5 million are affected.
UN humanitarian coordinator Luiza Carvalho says the funds would initially help provide food, water and emergency shelter to 480,000 people in the worst-hit areas.
Landslides and floods from the typhoon destroy entire communities, and desperate families line the roads, holding signs and begging for food.
Carvalho says the typhoon, the strongest to hit the region for more than 80 years, left its many poor residents without the means to feed their families.
She says the UN aid program will help survivors rehabilitate the devastated farm sector.
Australia leads foreign aid pledged for the typhoon’s victims, committing P515 million in humanitarian assistance.
The United States is the second largest donor with P127-M.

Story 4: SIN TAX PASSES BICAM, LAST BATTLEGROUND
The sin tax reform bill overcomes its final hurdle after the bicameral conference committee approves the reconciled version of the measure.
Delegates from the Senate and the House of Representatives finish hammering out the final version after a 4-hour meeting Monday.
Senator Franklin Drilon calls the approval a “breakthrough.”
He says, “This is a reform measure that this President has pushed for and which we will have after he signs the bill into law.”
Drilon expects President Benigno Aquino to sign the bill into law before Christmas.
Last week, the bicam agreed to raise an additional P33.96 billion in revenues from tobacco and alcoholic products in 2013 for the first year of implementation.

Story 5: BISHOPS WILL WATCH SOLONS CAST VOTES ON RH BILL
Catholic bishops say they will be present in the plenary to watch lawmakers cast their votes on the Reproductive Health bill on Wednesday.
Fr Melvin Castro of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines says the anti-RH lawmakers asked them to come.
Anti-RH Cagayan de Oro Rep Rufus Rodriguez says they are ready for a vote, but adds they will still pursue their amendments.
RH bill sponsor Albay Rep Edcel Lagman says the bishops are welcome in the House of Representatives.
But he says -quote- “They are cautioned not to demean congresspersons by treating them like docile sheep to be watched and shepherded.”
Lagman adds, “If the veiled purpose of the bishops’ presence in the gallery is to sow fear…they will not succeed.”

Story 6: AIR PASSENGER BILL OF RIGHTS IS OUT
Transportation Secretary Joseph Abaya and Trade Secretary Gregorio Domingo sign the Air Passenger Bill of Rights Tuesday.
It will take effect on December 21, in time for the Christmas traffic rush.
The bill aims to protect travelers by setting guidelines on airline processes, including overbooking, ticket refunds, cancelled or delayed flights, and misleading advertisements on fares.
A key aspect of the joint administrative order is “full disclosure.”
Airlines will be compelled to disclose both in print and verbally the terms and conditions when passengers rebook flights or refund tickets.

Story 7: SC CHANGES FORMAT OF BAR EXAMS
The Supreme Court changes the format of the 2013 bar exams.
This year’s exams consisted of 60% multiple choice questions and 40% essay questions.
The 2013 exams will now have 80% essay questions and 20% multiple choice.
The change is proposed by Justice Arturo Brion, who heads the SC committee on bar examinations.
The examiners will give weight to the students’ understanding and appreciation of the facts, laws, and resolution of the issues through application of the law.

Story 8: PH BACKS REARMED JAPAN TO ‘BALANCE’ CHINA
Foreign department spokesman Raul Hernandez says the Philippines will support Japan dropping its pacifist constitution to become a full-fledged military force as a balance against a rising China.
Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario says the Philippines will strongly support a re-armed Japan as a counterweight to what it sees as Chinese provocation.
He says, “We are looking for balancing factors in the region and Japan could be a significant balancing factor.”
China claims most of the South China Sea, including waters close to the shores of its neighbors.
It is contested by the Philippines as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam, which have overlapping claims to some or all of those same areas.

Story 9: APECO: WE DIDN’T COERCE AURORA RESIDENTS TO SELL LAND
Last week, Rappler brought you the story of 120 residents from Casiguran, Aurora, marching to Manila to protest the Aurora Pacific Ecozone and Freeport Authority.
APECO says “Marchers who claim that their land was taken forcibly from them are informal settlers in a school reservation owned by the Aurora State College of Technology.”

EVELYN TORRES, SAN IDELFONSO RESIDENT: Dahil pinipilit niya pong bilhin sa amin ang lupa na aming sinasaka sa halagang P60,000 per hectare lang po. Ang sabi ko po ay hindi ko binebenta ang lupa namin kasi ang lupa ay buhay. Paano po kung kukunin nila sa amin yan? Para nanilang pinatay kami.

The statement says APECO has neither coerced any one to sell their land, nor did it offer to buy land at an unreasonably low price.
APECO says it has been negotiating with every private owner, and has been buying lands at prices ranging from P240,000 to P300,000 per hectare, almost twice the assessed value.
It says, claims that APECO has been buying land in the area for P60,000 are lies.
It adds, fear of fisherfolks that they will be deprived of their livelihood is unfounded, and peddled as propaganda by anti-government instigators.

Story 10: LGBT COMMUNITY: IT’S TIME FOR GOVT TO RECOGNIZE LGBT ISSUES
LGBT groups join the Metro Manila Pride March Saturday.
The celebration coincides with Human Rights Consciousness Week and National Lesbian Day.
The groups want the government to recognize the importance of LGBT issues.
Devon Wong reports.

A choir of children serenade the audience.
A minister delivers opening remarks.
The blushing lovers are Ivy and Tiffany, exchanging vows in front of the Makati City Hall.
The ceremony is a significant step for the couple, but they know it is far from legal.
On the surface, Filipinos are very tolerant of gay relationships. But this doesn’t translate on paper.

TET GALLARDO, PRIDE MARCH TASK FORCE: I don’t know why there’s a disconnect between the social norms that are very accepting, and the formal regulations that are sort of very strict and rigid.

Supporters of the LGBT community believe it’s time for the government to recognize the importance of LGBT issues.

ZEUS YIAMOUYIANNIS, UNITARIAN UNIVERSAL CHURCH: There’s an effort here to understand that it’s not just a personal issue. It’s a political issue; it’s a civic issue. It’s a human rights issue. And any time you stand outside a City Hall, you’re saying ‘we are people’.

The Anti Discrimination Bill is still waiting to be passed. Recent amendments now include rights under sexual orientation and gender identity.
But opponents of the bill believe these changes could open the door to same-sex marriage, a shift they claim would jeopardize the country’s deep rooted catholic values.
Pride Marchers are determined make queer identities a part of mainstream Filipino culture.

JIGS MAYUGA, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Other than the fact that you go out to gay clubs and that you talk amongst yourself in cafes, it’s important that people know you’re here and that you’re visible and that you pay taxes and that you want to be here and you won’t be discriminated against anymore.

Until the Philippine government shows more commitment to legalizing LGBT rights, Tiffany and Ivy plan to practice their own commitments, symbolically.
Devon Wong, Rappler, Manila

Story 11: REPORT: NORTH KOREA REPLACING FAULTY ROCKET STAGE
A South Korean newspaper says North Korea is replacing a faulty section of a long-range rocket in a bid to put its launch schedule back on track.
On Sunday, North Korea says it is delaying the launch because of unspecified “problems” found by technicians at the Sohae satellite launch station.
The launch is slated between December 10 to 22.
On Monday, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper cites satellite images that suggest the faulty rocket section is being replaced to allow the launch to go ahead.
The newspaper says Iranian missile experts are also offering technical assistance for the planned launch.

Story 12: AUSTRALIAN POLICE: APPLE MAPS GLITCH COULD BE DEADLY
Australian police warn motorists about using Apple’s new map system after rescuing several people stranded in the wilderness.
Victoria state police say drivers were sent “off the beaten track” while attempting to get to the inland town of Mildura.
Apple’s map system shows Mildura as being in the heart of the Murray Sunset National Park, about 70 kilometers from its actual location.
Six motorists are rescued after following directions on their iPhones, with some stranded for up to 24 hours without food or water.
In September, Apple apologized for its glitch-ridden maps application in the new operating system used by the iPhone 5.

Story 13: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 6, Opposition leaders in Egypt reject a move by President Mohammed Morsi to annul a decree that gives him more powers.
The decree, issued on November 22, strips the judiciary of any right to challenge Morsi’s decisions.
The opposition says protests will continue on Tuesday, even as Islamists vow to hold counter demonstrations.
Morsi announced a vote on a new constitution would push through on December 15.
The spokesman of the opposition National Salvation Front says it rejects the referendum which they foresee will lead to more division and sedition.

At number 8, The owners of an Australian radio station promises to review processes after a nurse caught in a prank call involving British royals killed herself.
The chair of King Edward VII’s Hospital wrote the executives of Southern Cross Austereo, owners of radio station 2Day FM, to protest the prank call that resulted in Jacintha Saldanha killing herself.
She was duped by the station’s two presenters who misrepresented themselves as Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Charles.
Because no receptionist was on duty, Saldanha, a 46-year-old mother of two, answered the call and put them through to a colleague who divulged details about the Duchess of Cambridge’s recovery from morning sickness.
The call was pre-recorded and broadcast to listeners in Sydney.
The owners of the radio station said the outcome was “unforeseeable and very regrettable.”

At number 9, The widely revered Nelson Mandela, the father of democratic South Africa, “looks well after a restful night,” according to the spokesperson of President Jacob Zuma.
The BBC reports the 94-year-old Mandela is frail with a fading memory.
But visitors say he’s in good spirits.
Mandela is admitted to the hospital on Saturday for tests and is being treated by a medical team in Pretoria.
He was South Africa’s first black president between 1994 and 1999 and was the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993.

And at number 10, “Miss Saigon” is returning to the stage in 2014, with producer Sir Cameron Mackintosh at the helm.
Mackintosh tells Philippine Star columnist Ricky Lo that he just needs to find a theater for his successful West End production.
He says, “When we did the show in London 25 years ago, we spent over a year looking for the cast. I hope that in the next 18 months it would be back in London.”
“Miss Saigon” held auditions 3 weeks ago in Manila.
It will celebrate its 25th year in 2014.

Story 14: PH AZKALS, SINGAPORE LIONS DRAW 0-0
The Philippine Azkals match against the Singapore Lions ends in a draw, 0-0, in the first leg of the AFF Suzuki Cup semifinals at the Rizal Memorial stadium in Manila, Saturday.
Singapore’s aggressive play in the first half leads to several chances to score but Azkals keeper Ed Sacapaño manages to deny them and keep a clean sheet for the Philippine team.
Evaluating the game, Azkals coach Michael Weiss says they need more ball possessions in the midfield.
Both teams will meet again on Wednesday for the second leg of the semifinal in Singapore.
In European football, Lionel Messi breaks German legend Gerd Mueller’s 40-year-old record for the most goals in a calendar year on Sunday.
He nets his 85th and 86th goals of 2012 in FC Barcelona’s 2-1 win over Real Betis.

– Rappler.com