Rappler Newscast | January 30, 2013

Story 1: GOV’T TO SC: LET US COLLECT REAL-TIME DATA
The government wants the Supreme Court to keep Sec. 12 of the Cybercrime Prevention Act because it is the “heart” of the law.
Sec. 12 allows authorities to conduct warrantless real-time collection of traffic data.
Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza says this would allow law enforcers to locate and identify hackers through their Internet Protocol addresses.
To address fears the law could be used to violate the privacy of innocent people, Jardeleza says authorities will only collect traffic data on suspected cyber criminals.
He says, “We categorically say RA 10175 does not authorize Big Brother surveillance.”
Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno says if Sec. 12 is nullified, the law will be considered “good for nothing.”
But the provision is problematic.
During the oral arguments on the cybercrime law, Jardeleza says Sec 12 is “constitutional, but just barely.”
The provision allows authorities to collect data without a court warrant if there is “due cause” but justices say it does not define what “due cause” is.
Justice Mariano del Castillo says if due cause has no clear definition, Sec.12 could be open to abuse.

Story 2: MANILA ARCHDIOCESE: WE DID NOT PURSUE CASE VS CELDRAN
The Archdiocese of Manila says it did not pursue the case against tour guide and reproductive health advocate Carlos Celdran.
In a statement, the archdiocese says public prosecutors pursued the criminal case against Celdran.
On Monday, Celdran was found guilty of “offending religious feelings” for interrupting a service at the Manila Cathedral.
He held up a placard with the word “Damaso”, referring to the villainous priest in Jose Rizal’s famous novel “Noli Me Tangere.”
A statement from the Archdiocese reads, “While deeply disturbed by the incident, then Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales gave instructions for the Archdiocese to no longer pursue the case.”
It adds, “The prosecution presented four witnesses, none of whom were from the Archdiocese of Manila.”

Story 3: PH DROPS IN PRESS FREEDOM RANKING
The Philippines ranks 147 out of 179 countries in the 2013 World Press Freedom Index, dropping 7 places from its 2012 rank.
The index is compiled by Paris-based organization Reporters Without Borders.
While last year’s index was marked by Arab Spring protests, the organization says this year’s rankings are not influenced by any “dramatic political developments.”
National Union of Journalists of the Philippines secretary-general Rowena Paraan says the Philippine ranking is no surprise, given the Aquino administration’s lack of decisive action against media attacks and its failure to pass the Freedom of Information bill.
In a January 2013 report, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility records 4 work-related killings involving journalists in 2012, a decline from 6 in 2011.
While there were fewer media killings in 2012, CMFR says none of the cases since 2009 have been solved.

Story 4: POLICE PADLOCK GWEN GARCIA’S OFFICE
Cebu police padlocks suspended Governor Gwen Garcia’s office Wednesday after she left the provincial capitol to go to Oslob, Cebu.
Sun Star Cebu reports Garcia left her office Tuesday night.
On his Twitter account, Garcia’s younger brother Pablo John hints his sister still plans to return to her office.
Radio DZMM says Acting Governor Agnes Magpale ordered police to lock the office.
In an ANC interview, Magpale says she can no longer tolerate Garcia’s presence in the capitol, calling it a “mockery.”
Magpale says, “[Garcia] will step out, campaign and return. She is turning the capitol building into a hotel.”
Garcia is running to replace her brother as representative of Cebu’s 3rd district.
This is not the first time Garcia left her office since her suspension.
Early this month, she went to the Sinulog festival.
Garcia has lived in her office since the Office of the President suspended her last December 2012 for grave abuse of authority.
Garcia has filed a petition questioning the order before the Court of Appeals.
The Court held oral arguments on the case but did not issue a temporary restraining order.

Story 5: US NAVY WANTS TO CUT SHIP IN PARTS
The US Navy changes its mind and now wants to dismantle the USS Guardian to minimize damage to the Tubbataha coral reefs.
US Navy spokesman Lieutenant commander John Stockman says the new plan has been submitted to the Philippine Coast Guard for final approval.
Stockman says they will -quote “ensure that it is done safely while minimizing damage to the surrounding marine environment.”
The minesweeper ran aground on January 17 inside the protected area of the UNESCO World Heritage site.
The US Navy initially decided to lift the ship with giant cranes and transfer it to a barge.
The Philippine Coast guard says it has not received the draft of the new plan from the US Navy.

Story 6: FILIPINO SURVIVORS OF ALGERIA SIEGE BACK IN PH
4 Filipinos who survived the hostage crisis in Algeria arrive in Manila Tuesday along with the bodies of 4 Filipinos killed in the attack by Islamist gunmen.
DFA spokesperson Raul Hernandez says the survivors were repatriated after medical treatment in Algeria.
A total of 8 Filipinos are confirmed dead, while one remains missing.

RAUL HERNANDEZ, DFA SPOKESPERSON: What we’re trying to undertake now is to be able to get the DNA sample, and we are working with the employment agency on this so that we can send it to our team in Algeria as soon as possible to facilitate the identification of the remains of the lone missing OFW.

Story 7: SOUTH KOREA LAUNCHES ROCKET
South Korea launches a rocket Wednesday in its third attempt to put a satellite in orbit.
The rocket launch was initially scheduled on October 26, 2012 but was postponed twice for technical reasons.
Space center officials say it takes 9 minutes for the Korea Space Launch Vehicle to reach its target altitude and deploy the payload satellite.
A positive outcome ensures the future of South Korea’s launch program.
South Korea is under enormous pressure to launch a rocket, given rival North Korea’s success last month.
Despite a successful satellite construction program, South Korea still has to catch up with the other Asian powers, China, Japan and India, who now have launch capability.

Story 8: KERRY CONFIRMED AS AMERICA’S NEXT TOP DIPLOMAT
US Senator John Kerry is the new US Secretary of State.
The US Senate votes 94-3 in favor of Kerry, following the approval of his nomination by the Foreign Relations Committee.
Outgoing state secretary Hillary Clinton calls her successor the “right choice”.
Clinton is expected to leave her post Friday.
During a confirmation hearing last week, Kerry called for “fresh thinking” as he outlined his foreign policy agenda.
He says, “American foreign policy is not defined by drones and deployments alone.”
As the incoming state secretary, Kerry faces a number of challenges as the United States tries to rebuild ties in the Middle East in the wake of the Arab Spring revolts.

Story 9: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

At number 2, the bodies of 78 young men are found Tuesday in a river in Aleppo city, adding to the grim list of massacres committed during Syria’s 22-month conflict.
The gruesome discovery comes ahead of a briefing by peace envoy Lakhdar Brahimi to the UN Security Council.
Rebel fighters say regime snipers are behind the massacre, but security officials accuse rebels of the killings.
The official Syrian state news agency says the jihadist Al-Nusra Front carried out the executions.

At number 3, US President Barack Obama says long-sought reforms to a “broken” immigration system are within America’s grasp.
Obama seeks to lock in rare momentum towards a major cross-party compromise over the divisive issue.
Obama’s plan would nudge 11 million illegal immigrants towards citizenship and let foreign students stay on after graduation to boost the US economy.

At number 5, Weeks after its CEO visited North Korea, Google rolls out detailed Google Maps of the isolated state.
Google official Jayanth Mysore says a “community of citizen cartographers” helped complete the North Korea maps.
Mysore says the maps are important to South Koreans who still have family there.
Ironically, the people least able to benefit from the Google publication are North Koreans themselves, who live in one of the most highly censored societies on the planet.

And at number 9, A Filipina is part of the team working on the Oxford English Dictionary and is pushing to include Filipino-coined words like “presidentiable” and “senatoriable”.
Danica Salazar wants the official recognition of Philippine English and the publication of a Philippine English dictionary by the Oxford University Press.
She says the way Filipinos speak and use English can enrich the language.