Rappler Newscast | February 15, 2013

Story 1: SABAH STANDOFF: ‘PUBLICITY STUNT’
The mayor of a group of Filipinos involved in the standoff in Sabah, Malaysia says no one believed the group’s “absurd” claim they would go to Sabah.
Nazif Abduraman, mayor of Simunul town in Tawi-Tawi, says police did not take seriously the claim of about 80 to 100 Filipino gunmen now surrounded by Malaysian security forces in Sabah.
Abduraman says the move is a “publicity stunt.”
He adds, “We just laughed at them initially. Little did we know they would actually do it.”
Police say they received a report on February 7 about a plan to enter Sabah from the island-town of Simunul.
The report says Datu Agimodin Jamalul Kiram and his followers plan to “create havoc” in the coming general elections in Malaysia.
The Kiram family is one of the heirs of the Sultan of Sulu, which ruled over islands in the Sulu Sea including Sabah, then known as North Borneo.

Story 2: PROCLAMATION RALLIES: TEAM PNOY VS UNA
The election season formally kicks-off with the start of the official campaign period.
United Nationalist Alliance and Team PNoy hold rallies at almost the same time.
But how different are their strategies?
Carmela Fonbuena reports.

The lines are drawn.
On the first week of the official campaign period, Team PNoy and United Nationalist Alliance or UNA show different tacks on the campaign trail.
Team PNoy launches a campaign made for TV.
Short and sweet.
Candidates deliver quick sound bytes and the program ends with President Aquino’s endorsement.
The venue – Plaza Miranda – is small but historic.
It evokes memories of the heroism of President Aquino’s parents in fighting the Marcos Dictatorship.
The narrative is clear. In this elections, President Aquino remains the central character.
The 12 senatorial candidates are supporting characters who need to win so the beautiful story the administration has created in the past 3 years may continue.
The narrative is told again and again as Team PNoy visits vote-rich Southern Tagalog the following days.
Vice President Binay pulls an astute move in launching UNA’s campaign in Cebu – a vote-rich province with 2.5 million voters.
UNA resorts to the tried and tested formula of winning the vote of the poor, the biggest chunk of the Philippine voting population.
It’s an old-style press-the-flesh campaign – a fiesta where candidates court voters with long speeches and celebrities entertain the crowd.
The strategies are not surprising.
A younger politician, President Aquino has seen how campaigns have changed and how media can help candidates win elections.
But it’s not to say that the old campaign strategies do not work anymore. UNA’s so-called kings, former President Joseph Estrada and Vice President Binay know that – then and now – whoever wins the heart of the poor voters wins the elections.
Carmela Fonbuena, Rappler, Manila.

Story 3: PHILEX TO PAY P1-B FINE IN FULL
Philex Mining Corp. says it will pay the government on February 18, a day before the deadline for the fine imposed for the Padcal mine leak in August.
In a statement, Philex senior vice president for corporate affairs Mike Toledo says they will settle the over P1.034 billion fine in full.
This comes after Mines and Geosciences Bureau Chief Leo Jasareno says the government denies Philex’s request to pay the fine on installment basis.
Philex has contested the fine, saying the leak occurred following days of torrential rain in the area.
Philex is asking the government to allow it to partially operate the tailings pond as part of the rehabilitation efforts.

Story 4: VITUG VLOGS: WHAT DOES AN EX-POPE DO?
In an unprecedented move, Pope Benedict the 16th announced his resignation earlier this week.
Rappler’s editor at large Marites Vitug asks, what’s next for the pope?
Here’s her video blog.

Pope Benedict the 16th’s resignation is an act of great honesty and deep humility.
He admitted that he no longer has the physical strength to lead the church because of his advanced age.
The 85-year old pope said: “I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me.”
He introduced something novel in the history of the Vatican.
Instead of hanging on to the post despite illness and frailty– and eventually dying on the job– like his predecessors did, he chose to pass on the leadership to younger and more able men.
Some are startled and are asking: What does an ex-pope do?
It seems hard to imagine a living former pope in our midst.
A good life in service and prayer can still await Pope Benedict the 16th.
Today, people are living longer, thanks to advances in science and state-funded health care systems.
Pope Benedict has already surpassed the life expectancy in Italy, which is 81 years old, and his country of birth, Germany, which is 80.
According to the book, The Blue Zone, there are a few things people can do to live longer.
First, create an environment that encourages physical activity.
Second, say no to overeating.
Third, cultivate a sense of purpose and fourth, surround yourself with the right people.
The author of The Blue Zone spent years researching the secrets of longevity in various parts of the world, including Okinawa in Japan and Sardinia in Italy.
For the pope, there is life after 85.
This is Marites Vitug for Vitug Vlogs.

Doctors lab white coat image from Shutterstock.

Story 5: ‘BLADE RUNNER’ TO APPEAR IN COURT FOR MURDER CHARGE
A sobbing Oscar Pistorius is formally charged by a South African magistrate on Friday with murdering his model girlfriend on Valentine’s Day.
The 26-year-old sprinter breaks down in the dock as the magistrate announces a single charge of killing his lover, blonde cover girl Reeva Steenkamp, who suffered fatal wounds to the head and hand in the shooting in the early hours of Thursday.
The sprinter known globally as ‘Blade Runner’ became an international celebrity during last year’s London Olympics
He is the first double-amputee to line up on the starting blocks beside able bodied competitors.
Pistorius is also the star of a Nike ad, which is interestingly titled “Bullet in the chamber.”
The sports apparel company has pulled out the ad and issues a statement expressing –quote “sympathy and condolences to the families concerned” but declines further comment on the incident.
Pistorius is not the first Nike endorser to crash and burn.
Golfer Tiger Woods and cyclist Lance Armstrong figured in separate major controversies forcing Nike to pull out ads of the two athletes.

Story 6: METEOR STRIKE IN RUSSIA HURTS ALMOST 500
A meteor streaking across a Russian town explodes Friday, injuring hundreds of residents.
An Agence France-Presse report says almost 500 are injured.
Interior Minister spokesman Vadim Kolesnikov says 102 people called for medical help after they were injured from broken glass from the explosions.
An amateur video shown on Russian television shows an object speeding across the sky about 11:20AM Philippine time.

Story 7: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 2, The United States will share with the Philippines information on the grounding of the USS Guardian in Tubbataha.
US Secretary of State John Kerry tells Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario the US will consult Manila…
before publishing the results of its probe into the incident.
Kerry says US Navy high-ranking officials are willing to “accept and answer queries” from Philippine investigators.
The USS Guardian ran aground on January 17 inside the protected area of the marine park.

At number 3, National Bookstore pulls Chinese-made globes from its shelves.
Foreign Affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez says the globes show China’s nine-dash line encompassing the South China Sea.
He says the decision came after a dialogue with the bookstore management, which claimed they were unaware of the “misinformation.”
China’s 9-dash line outlines its claims to virtually all of the South China Sea.

At number 4, In a Google+ Fireside Hangout on Thursday, US President Barack Obama answers a question about the transparency of his administration especially on the drone war overseas.

BARACK OBAMA, US PRESIDENT: It is not sufficient for citizens to just take my word for it that we are doing the right thing. What we’ve done so far is to try to work with Congress on oversight issues.

Debate about the use of drones has slowly been mounting, following the September 2011 killing in Yemen of cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, a senior Al-Qaeda operative who was an American citizen.

Story 8: ONE BILLION DANCING, ONE BILLION RISING
On the 15th anniversary of global activist movement V-day, thousands dance and rise to end violence against women.
Pia Ranada reports.

PIA RANADA, REPORTING: Here in Tomas Morato in Quezon City, hundreds gather to strike, dance and rise against violence against women. In a few moments, Filipinas from all sectors, children and even men dance the One Billion Rising dance steps.

Even these kids couldn’t help but bust a move!
But why dance as a form of protest against the abuse of women?
Representative Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela Party List says…

LUZVIMINDA ILAGAN, REP, GABRIELA: The body has been violated. The dance uses the body and so we take back the body. We take back the creativity of dancing not only to show that we are one with other women, but we use the dance to protest, to show our opposition to all the forms of violence.

There is singing and poetry reading with the theme of no to violence against women.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte helped organizers stage the event in her city.
She says the campaign is just the tip of the iceberg for projects aimed at helping women.

JOY BELMONTE, VICE-MAYOR, QUEZON CITY: We’re also very active in GAD issues, that’s gender and development issues. And in fact, I was really happy because we just opened a protection center for women and children and even LGBTs in the Quezon City General Hospital.

Though the participants were mostly female, men calling themselves V-men could be seen among the crowd, proudly wearing the OBR t-shirts, brandishing placards and dancing with everyone else.
Self-proclaimed V-man Congressman Teddy Casiño says…

TEDDY CASIÑO, REP, BAYAN MUNA: I’m here to be in solidarity with the campaign against violence against women. Every act of violence against a woman is also an act of violence against their brothers, their husbands, their grandfathers, their children. It is an issue of all people and it degrades humanity in general.

Finally, at around eight-thirty PM, the risers danced in full force, simultaneously executing well-practiced dance steps.
In the face of violence, oppression and abuse, they offer dance, celebration and an unconquerable spirit.
Pia Ranada, Rappler, Manila.