Rappler Newscast | April 24, 2013

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ASEAN leaders to tackle China, trade. PH govt deploys extra troops to protect candidates. UNA slams Aquino administration over latest poverty statistics.

Today on Rappler. 

  • The 22nd ASEAN summit opens Thursday in Brunei. First up: maritime disputes with China.
  • The government deploys extra troops to protect candidates after a series of communist rebel attacks.
  • The United Nationalist Alliance slams the Aquino administration over the latest poverty statistics.

Story 1: ASEAN LEADERS TO TACKLE CHINA, TRADE
Southeast Asian leaders meet in Brunei Wednesday for the annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations or ASEAN.
The bloc is expected to tackle maritime disputes with China on the resource-rich South China Sea.
ASEAN members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam claim parts of the sea.
In July 2012, an ASEAN foreign ministers’ meeting ended without a joint communique because of divisions over how to handle the issue.
The Philippines and Vietnam wanted the communique to make specific reference to their disputes with China.
But Cambodia, hosts of the talks and a close China ally, blocked the moves.
According to a draft statement obtained by AFP, ASEAN leaders will make a united call in the 2013 summit for talks with China on the issue
through — quote — “friendly consultations in accordance with universally recognized principles of international law.”
The Philippines is expected to push for the creation of a Code of Conduct on the South China Sea at the summit.
Foreign Affairs spokesperson Raul Hernandez earlier said ASEAN already agreed on elements to be included in the COC, and only China’s approval is needed to formalize the agreement.
ASEAN leaders will also talk about deeper economic integration within the bloc and with other countries in the region.

Story 2: FRENCH PARLIAMENT ADOPTS GAY MARRIAGE LAW
Voting 331 to 225, France’s lower house National Assembly adopts a bill legalizing same-sex marriage and adoptions for gay couples Tuesday.
The bill’s approval comes after months of opposition protests.
Justice Minister Christiane Taubira says it is a quote — “historic” moment in French history, adding, “This law… brightens the horizons of many of our citizens who were deprived of these rights.”
Shortly after the vote, lawmakers from right-wing parties filed an appeal with the Constitutional Council to strike down the law.
The council will have a month to make a ruling.
The bill must still be signed by President Francois Hollande.

Story 3: GOV’T SENDS TROOPS TO PROTECT CANDIDATES
The Philippine government deploys 500 extra troops to protect candidates for next month’s elections after communist rebels ramp up armed attacks.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda says the New People’s Army is attacking “soft targets,” including politicians, to blackmail them into paying for “permits” to campaign without interference.
Lacierda says –quote– “You want to challenge us? Go ahead make our day.”
Lacierda tells the candidates –quote– “There is only one armed forces and we will protect you.”
On Saturday, the NPA ambushed Ruthie Guingona, the 78-year-old mayor of Gingoog City, killing two of her aides and injuring her and two policemen.
After the ambush, the NPA warned politicians to seek permission before campaigning in their strongholds.
The NPA steps up its attacks in Mindanao Tuesday, lobbying a grenade at a police station and kidnapping a soldier in separate incidents.

Story 4: PALACE: ELECTION DAY A NON-WORKING HOLIDAY
Malacañang says Election Day, May 13 is a non-working holiday.
In a statement, Malacañang says: “The President wishes to enable the Filipino people to exercise their right to suffrage. We enjoin all eligible to use this non-working holiday to participate in the electoral process.”
An estimated 52 million Filipinos are eligible to vote in the 2013 senatorial and local elections.

Story 5: COMELEC SPOKESMAN LOST CHANCE TO VOTE
Commission on Elections spokesman James Jimenez will not be able to vote in the May 13 polls.
In an interview Wednesday, Jimenez says his registration was deactivated because he didn’t vote in the two previous elections.
He also did not register for local absentee voting.
Though he heads the Comelec’s information department, Jimenez says he didn’t know his registration was deactivated.
He adds, “I thought I was still active…It’s a common mistake that a lot of people make.”

Story 6: UNA: POVERTY DATA DEBUNK AQUINO’S GROWTH ‘SPIN’
The United Nationalist Alliance uses the newest data on poverty to attack the administration’s –quote– “spin” that the economy is improving.
In a press statement, UNA campaign manager Toby Tiangco responds to the National Statistical Coordination Board report showing poverty incidence in the first semester of 2012 is virtually unchanged from the same period in 2006 and 2009.
UNA says the data shows the administration’s efforts to trumpet the 6.6% economic growth in 2012 “starkly juxtaposed with reality.”
Tiangco says, “What happened? Didn’t they say the economy is improving. Here we are, why are many still poor?”
UNA candidates Nancy Binay and Cagayan Rep Jack Enrile say the government must focus on the agriculture sector to alleviate poverty.
A day after the release of the figures, the Palace says government will create jobs and programs to increase the productivity of farmers.
National Anti-Poverty Commission Chair Joel Rocamora says it will take more than one administration to alleviate poverty.
He adds, “It’s going to take a long time for problems of inequality to be dealt with, but it doesn’t mean that this government has not done anything.”

Story 7: TRACK ATHLETE’S PAIN AND GLORY
Sports teaches valuable lessons to athletes. This track runner from NCR learns getting up from a fall is just as important as winning.
Devon Wong reports.

For all the hour athletes train for their sports, these final moments are bittersweet.
The preparations and hard work of strict athletic discipline ends within minutes.
One race determines everything, and seconds can mean the difference between pain and glory.
For Marilyn Avila, this is her last shot before she graduates.
She’s a veteran at Palaro with 3 games under her belt.
But she’s never won a single medal for an individual event.

MARYLYN AVILA, TRACK ATHLETE FROM NCR: Winning is not everything in running. Losing is just as important because it helps make us stronger.

Marilyn’s outlook is positive.  But this Palaro hasn’t been kind to this young athlete.
Marilyn had a tough first run earlier in the competition when she tripped during her 100m hurdles.
She picked herself up to finish the race but was knocked over again by another athlete.

MARYLYN AVILA, TRACK ATHLETE FROM NCR: I felt bad because I trained so long and hard and it had to end that way.

Marilyn goes into her last day of competition with wisdom from years of relentless training

DEVON WONG, REPORTING: There are only three medals awarded at each event.  Divided by the hours that each athlete puts into training for Palaro, the odds are slim.  But these games aren’t just a test of athletics for these young athletes, it’s a test of attitude.

Perseverance wins both on and off the field.
All athletes at Palaro gain skills that take them beyond the arena.

MARYLYN AVILA, TRACK ATHLETE FROM NCR: After the accident yesterday, when I fell over I was able to prove to myself that I can do it. I can be at par with everyone else.

The medals may be the glory.  But the pain builds character.
Devon Wong, Rappler, Dumaguete

Story 8: NCR CONTINUES DOMINANCE IN #PALARO2013
In day 3 of Palarong Pambansa 2013, NCR’s Regina Castrillo continues to shine.
Castrillo races her way to 3 more gold medals while breaking 2 more records in the swimming competitions.
Central Luzon’s Rafael Barreto also wins his 3rd gold medal.
He sets his 2nd record of the competitions as records continue to fall in swimming halfway through the games.
Playoffs in the basketball and volleyball tournaments begin tomorrow.
Defending champs boys basketball and girls volleyball NCR remain unbeaten after the elimination round.
NCR is still leading big in the medal tally with 88 medals, 45 of them gold.
Western Visayas is second with 37 while CALABARZON, host Central Visayas and Central Luzon round out the top five, with 27, 25, and 22 medals respectively.

Story 9: MARQUEZ TO FIGHT BRADLEY NEXT, NOT PACQUIAO
The two boxers who beat Manny Pacquiao in 2012 are set to face each other in September.
Promoter Bob Arum confirms Juan Manuel Marquez will be taking on undefeated boxer Timothy Bradley.
The WBO welterweight crown is on the line, the title that Bradley took from Pacquiao in a split decision back in June 2012.
The deal pushes back plans for a possible fifth fight between Pacquiao and Marquez.
Pacquiao, who lost to Marquez in December, wants to fight Marquez in Macau.
But Arum is not convinced a Pacquiao-Marquez fight staged in Asia will generate strong pay-per-view revenue.

Story 10: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 3, President Barack Obama meets with Qatari emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani at the White House Tuesday to discuss the Syrian crisis.
Obama says the US is cooperating closely with Qatar and other countries to find an end to the slaughter in Syria and remove Bashar al-Assad as president.
Obama adds they also hope to –quote– “strengthen an opposition that can bring about a democratic Syria.”

At number 4, Hackers break into the Associated Press’s Twitter account which falsely reports President Barack Obama was injured after two blasts at the White House.
A tweet on the news agency’s @AP account read: “Breaking: Two explosions in the White House and Barack Obama is injured.”
Almost immediately, the wire service says on its corporate communications feed that its @AP Twitter account was hacked before promptly suspending the service.
AP is working with Twitter to investigate the breach while the FBI is doing its own investigation.
Online activists backing the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad claim responsibility for the hack.

And at number 9, Apple’s quarterly profit dips for the first time in nearly a decade despite a rise in revenue from the same period a year earlier.
The company posts a profit of US$9.5 billion in the first 3 months of this year, compared to a profit of $11.6 billion in the same quarter in 2012.
The number of iPhones and iPads sold in the quarter rose but the profit it makes from its devices shrank to 37.5% from 47.5%.

– Rappler.com

Newscast production staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER Lilibeth Frondoso
DIRECTOR Rupert Ambil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER Rodneil Quiteles
  Dindin Reyes
HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER Katerina Francisco
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK Vicente Roxas
  Exxon Ruebe
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN Charlie Salazar
  Adrian Portugal
  Francis Lopez
GRAPHICS Jessica Lazaro

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