Rappler Newscast | June 14, 2013

Story 1: 2 DEAD, 55 RESCUED AS SHIP SINKS OFF MASBATE
Two passengers die and 55 are rescued after a ship sinks off Burias Island, Masbate, Friday.
Civil Defense regional director Bernardo Alejandro says the 55 documented passengers of MV Our Lady of Mt Carmel have been rescued.
But in a television interview, Alejandro says they will continue rescue operations because some passengers might have been undocumented.
Officials do not know the cause of the incident.
Ship captain Lauro Mateo says the ship may have been unbalanced by two passenger buses and a large truck it was carrying.
The vessel is a roll-on, roll-off ferry used to transport people, vehicles and cargo.
The vessel’s management denies earlier reports the ship experienced “mechanical failure.”
In a statement, Medallion Transport spokesperson Ricardo Labial Jr. says, “[Philippine Coast Guard] personnel…conducted thorough pre-departure safety inspections.”
To assist the Philippine Coast Guard, the Naval Forces Southern Luzon deploys a patrol craft, a patrol gunboat, and an islander aircraft from Cebu.

Story 2: 3 LOSERS FAIL TO REPORT POLL EXPENSES
Only 29 senatorial bets filed their Statements of Contributions and Expenditures with the Commission on Elections by the Thursday deadline.
Because of the bad weather, the poll body remained open until 8pm to receive campaign expense reports.
Senator-elect Chiz Escudero submits his campaign expense report Friday morning.
Comelec chair Sixto Brillantes Jr says the poll body will fine those who did not meet the deadline.
The Comelec Law Department says 3 defeated bets have not filed their SOCEs.
Those who do not file their expense reports cannot assume office.  

Story 3: GOVT GROUNDS CEBU PACIFIC PILOTS AFTER NAIA INCIDENT
The pilots of the Cebu Pacific plane involved in a runway incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport are suspended pending results of an investigation.
On Thursday, the plane skidded to the right portion of the NAIA runway after it landed during heavy rain, damaging 5 runway edge lights.
None of the 95 passengers are hurt.
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines says the probe and the pilots’ suspension are part of protocol.
In a statement, Cebu Pacific says, “The aircraft is currently undergoing a thorough check, and awaiting release back into service.”
The NAIA incident does not disrupt operations of the airport, the country’s main international gateway.
The incident happens less than 2 weeks after another Cebu Pacific aircraft skidded off the runway of the Davao international airport.

Story 4: PALACE ON PSE BLOODBATH: NOT US, IT’S THEM
Malacañang says “external factors” caused Thursday’s stock market tumble, the steepest one-day fall since the stock market crash in 2008.
On Thursday, local shares plummet 442.57 points or 6.75% to 6,114.08 at the close of trades, almost wiping out the gains for this year.
Presidential Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang points to an “indiscriminate selling off of stocks by global fund managers” as the main reason.
He adds, “We believe that this does not have any reflection on the fundamentals of the economy.”
On Friday, the Philippine Stock Exchange index rebounds, climbing up 128.18 points or 2.1% to 6,242.26.

Story 5: VITUG VLOGS: DO A KABANG
Dog hero Kabang made headlines after the dog saved 2 children.
Rappler’s editor at large Marites Vitug says Kabang’s heroic actions redefine dog vocabulary.
Here’s her video blog.

Kabang, the provincial dog who risked her life—and lost half her face—to protect 2 children from a rushing motorbike, is home after a 7-month treatment in the US.
She has not only nourished our souls.
She has also rescued dog vocabulary from the gutter.
Take canine devotion.
We use this to describe some politicians’ unquestioning subservience to, let’s say, a party boss.
But what Kabang showed us was fidelity to her human friends.
We also use the word lapdog in a negative way, a variation of canine devotion.
We say, for example, a lapdog of the president.
While Kabang is no longer small enough to be cuddled in our laps—that’s what a lapdog really is—she certainly is a loyal dog.
In the street protests of the ‘70s and ‘80s, tuta was one of the most derisive words used.
I remember the shouts and chants of “tuta ni Marcos!” referring to the soldiers, policemen and high government officials defending martial law.
But puppies are among the most lovable creatures on this earth.
Why not make Kabang part of our lingo?
Let’s do a Kabang! Let’s do something good and noble for others and, for once, forget that the world revolves around us.
This is Marites Vitug for VitugVlogs.

Story 6: FBI: SNOWDEN UNDER CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION
The US Federal Bureau of Investigation launches a criminal investigation against Edward Snowden for exposing secret US surveillance programs.
FBI Director Robert Mueller tells the House Judiciary Committee the disclosures have –quote– “caused significant harm to our nation and to our safety.”
He adds, “We are taking all necessary steps to hold the person responsible for these disclosures.”
Mueller’s comments offer the first explicit confirmation the US government is pursuing the former CIA employee.
Snowden is now in Hong Kong, where he vowed to contest any US attempt to extradite him.

Story 7: NSA TO REVEAL NUMBER OF THWARTED TERROR ATTACKS
A top US lawmaker says the National Security Agency will release the number of terror plots it stopped thanks to its sweeping data surveillance program.
Senator Dianne Feinstein says the NSA will reveal this on Monday.
NSA chief General Keith Alexander told a hearing earlier this week “dozens” of plots were foiled thanks to the program.
The decision to reveal more about the controversial programs comes after several US lawmakers express concern about their scope and reach…
with Republican Senator Rand Paul vowing to sue the NSA for what he called a vast overreach of power.

Story 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 4, Turkish protest leaders go into emergency talks with Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan after demonstrators reject his “last warning” to evacuate the park at the center of the mass anti-government protests.
Thousands of defiant protesters spend another night in Gezi Park after rebuffing Erdogan’s olive branch to clear out in exchange for a referendum on the park’s planned redevelopment.
Two weeks ago, the fight to save the park’s 600 trees prompted a brutal police crackdown, snowballing into nationwide protests against Erdogan and his Islamic-rooted government, seen as increasingly authoritarian.
Taksim Solidarity representatives travel to the capital Ankara for late-night talks with Erdogan, their first since the unrest began.

At number 6, the World Bank slashes its growth forecast for China’s economy this year to 7.7% from 8.4%, warning of a potential “sharp” slowdown triggered by a fall in investment.
The projection is lower than the 7.8% expansion the country recorded in 2012,  its weakest in 13 years.
The World Bank’s projection follows the International Monetary Fund’s growth forecast of 7.75%, down from the previous 8%.

And at number 8, the US Supreme court rules naturally occurring human gene sequences cannot be patented.
But it says DNA which is artificially copied and replicated can be patented.
The court says, “A naturally occurring DNA segment is a product of nature and not patent eligible merely because it has been isolated, but cDNA is patent eligible because it is not naturally occurring.”
The nine justices reviewed a 2012 appeals court decision which allowed a biotechnology company, Myriad Genetics Inc, to patent two genes it found had links to breast and ovarian cancer.

Story 9: WADE, LEBRON LEAD HEAT IN GAME 4 WIN VS SPURS
Dwyane Wade flashes some of his old brilliance to push Miami Heat to a 109 to 93 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.
Wade delivers his best performance in the series so far, reminiscent of the 2006 NBA Championship series where he won Finals MVP.
He tallies 32 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals.
Reigning MVP LeBron James set the tone early for the Heat.
He finishes with 33 points, the first time in the series where he scored over 20.

Newscast production staff