Rappler Newscast | August 1, 2013

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Sy is the PH richest. Escudero wants exhaustive probe on pork barrel scam. Risk control organization says the BIFF likely behind the CDO bombing.

Today on Rappler.

  • Businessman Henry Sy Sr is the Philippines’ richest for the 6th straight year.
  • Sen Escudero wants an exhaustive probe on the pork barrel scam instead of piecemeal reports.
  • A risk control organization says the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters is most likely behind the Cagayan de Oro bombing.

 

Story 1: HENRY SY PH’S RICHEST 6 YEARS IN A ROW
Businessman Henry Sy Sr is once again the richest Filipino in the country.
It’s the 6th straight year he’s topped Forbes magazine’s rich list.
Forbes reports the collective wealth of the 50 richest people in the Philippines reaches $65.8 billion in 2013, more than a quarter of the country’s total gross domestic product.
The 88-year-old Sy operates the Philippines’ biggest shopping mall network– SM, the most valuable real estate firm, SM Prime Holdings, and the biggest bank by assets, BDO Unibank.
His wealth is estimated at $12 billion.
In second place is tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan with $7.5 billion.
Tan owns beer maker Asia Brewery, tobacco manufacturer Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco and Philippine Airlines.
The 79-year-old is richer by $3 billion, making him this year’s biggest gainer.
In third place is Andrew Tan, the man behind Alliance Global, which owns property giant Megaworld and the local franchise of fast food McDonald’s.
Enrique Razon Jr drops to 4th place with $4.5 billion.
His port business International Container Terminal Services saw a rise in shipments, while his gaming arm Bloomberry Resorts reversed its loss this year.
John Gokongwei Jr is the 5th richest in the Philippines.
The Gokongwei family controls conglomerate JG Summit, which owns budget carrier Cebu Pacific.
At 6th place: Jaime Zobel de Ayala and family.
The Zobels own the Bank of the Philippine Islands, Ayala Land, Globe Telecoms and water distribution company Manila Water.
At 7th place: the family that controls Aboitiz Equity Ventures, whose core businesses include power, banking, and food.
David Consunji and family are at 8th place.
He is behind DMCI Holdings, a construction giant that now gets most of its income from power generation, water and real estate.
George Ty and family are at 9th place.
He’s the man behind GT Capital, which controls Metrobank, one of the country’s largest universal banks.
Rounding up the top 10 is husband-and-wife team Lucio and Susan Co behind hypermarket chain Puregold.
Puregold is the second largest retail chain in the country, next to the Sy family’s SM.
Forbes says the Philippines now has 17 billionaires.
Two other Filipino billionaires make it to the magazine’s world’s richest list – businessman-turned-politician Manuel Villar and the Cebu-based Aboitiz family. 

Story 2: ESCUDERO: PROBE ‘PORK’ INSTEAD OF PIECEMEAL EXPOSÉ
Senator Chiz Escudero insists on an exhaustive Senate probe on the pork barrel scam, saying it’s better than “piecemeal reports” coming out of the media.
This comes after the Senate’s leadership shot down the idea to do an internal probe of the scam because of conflict of interest.
The Philippine Daily Inquirer exposed the scam, where lawmakers allegedly gave development funds for ghost projects in exchange for commissions.
Rappler also learned the list of lawmakers and non-governmental organizations involved is longer than what the whistleblowers provided.
Senate President Franklin Drilon says he prefers to wait for the National Bureau of Investigation to complete its probe before holding a Senate inquiry.
But Escudero says there are advantages to a Senate hearing.

CHIZ ESCUDERO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Palitan ng pananaw at sagot sa media, hindi naman under oath yun e. Yun ang lamang at pagkakaiba ng isang senate inquiry kung saka-sakali. Under oath lahat ng sasabihin at babanggitin diyan.  At hindi yung tulad ng nangyayari ngayon sa media na nagbabatuhan lamang ng akusasyon. (The exchange of opinion in media is not under oath. The difference with a senate inquiry is that statements are made under oath and in public. Unlike what’s happening in media now where the parties trade accusations.)

The minority in the House of Representatives is also pushing for a congressional probe on the pork barrel scam. 

Story 3: HENARES ON CUSTOMS POST AND BIR REFORMS
Tax chief Kim Henares discusses reform initiatives in the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
Henares earns a reputation for heading a name-and-shame campaign against tax evaders.
Credit rating agencies also cite improved collections under her term.
Henares says simplifying processes helped the bureau reach its targets.

KIM HENARES, INTERNAL REVENUE CHIEF: What worked is really making things simple. Eliminating discretion. How do you make things simple? By eliminating as much discretion as possible. When I started this job, it’s a very simple instruction to all my people — read the national internal revenue goal, apply it strictly, that’s it.

Henares is also confident the BIR will find any irregularity on the ongoing probe over an alleged multi-million peso pork barrel scam, involving several lawmakers and Janet Lim-Napoles.
Napoles and her daughter were thrust into the spotlight in recent weeks, after photos surfaced of her daughter’s lavish lifestyle.

KIM HENARES, INTERNAL REVENUE CHIEF: We like people to earn money, but just make sure to pay the right taxes. It’s your right if you want to flaunt your wealth, just make sure that you have paid the right taxes.

The tax chief also addresses rumors she’s being eyed to head the Bureau of Customs.
This comes after President Benigno Aquino criticized the bureau in his State of the Nation Address for corruption and incompetence.
Henares says she’s not surprised she is being considered for the post.

KIM HENARES, INTERNAL REVENUE CHIEF: To be honest, I’m not surprised in the sense that Customs collection, 80% of their collection are really internal revenue taxes. So it’s a natural thing to think about the Bureau of Internal Revenue. Interested? I’ve not really thought about it. As far as I’m concerned, I’m very focused at what I’m doing in the now, I don’t want to think about what will happen, may or may not happen, I’d like to concentrate on what we’re doing, because like I said we have 71 projects and we have a very strict timetable, we want to deliver by 2014. 

Story 4: REPORT: BIFF ‘MOST LIKELY’ BEHIND CDO BOMBING
A risk control organization investigating the deadly July 26 Cagayan de Oro bombing believes the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters or BIFF is “most likely” behind the attack.
The BIFF is a breakaway group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF.
In a report prepared by the organization for a foreign company, the agency labels the blast a “terror bombing attack” and says the BIFF “is the only armed group with the capability and the motive to conduct such a terrorist activity.”
Its assessment is separate from the Philippine National Police’s ongoing probe on the explosion that killed 8 and injured 46 others.
The report looked at 5 armed groups responsible for past bombings: the MILF, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Abu Sayyaf Group, the Al-Khobar Gang and BIFF.
The report concludes the BIFF is behind the blast, citing its opposition to the peace process and its recent attacks in North Cotabato and Maguindanao.

Story 5: BELLO: REMOVE MALE LABOR ATTACHES
Akbayan Representative Walden Bello talks about the sex-for-flight scandal and what must be done to address it.
Bello is also chairman of the House committee on overseas workers’ affairs.
He says his sources from the foreign affairs and labor departments also discovered –quote- wider issues of sexual manipulation and harassment of female OFWs in the Middle East.
Bello says both departments already removed those involved from their posts…
but he’s not happy with the move.

WALDEN BELLO, CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSEAS WORKERS’ AFFAIRS: Some of these people have already been terminated which I worry about because if you have  cases like this which are criminal in nature, you should really make sure that you keep the accused within your agency and not allow them to escape.

Bello says the probe shows the sex-for-flight scheme has been going on for some time.
He says male labor attaches and welfare officers create a “volatile situation.”

WALDEN BELLO, CHAIRMAN, HOUSE COMMITTEE ON OVERSEAS WORKERS’ AFFAIRS: Yes, we do have have to operate shelters but we really do have to clean them up. One of the measures, of course, although there’s no guarantee, is that, we should no longer have male labor attaches, assistant labor attaches, welfare administrators. The ambassador, really, really have a hands-on approach. We cannot have a situation is just theoretically head. 

Story 6: DFA: SPY PLANES TO GATHER EVIDENCE VS CHINA
The Department of Foreign Affairs says US spy planes over the South China Sea or West Philippine Sea could help the Philippines in its arbitration case against China.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario confirms US spy planes are providing crucial intelligence on Chinese military activities in disputed parts of the West Philippine Sea.
Del Rosario says the information from the spy planes is of “significant importance” to the Philippines.
He says, “We do have an interest in terms of what is going on in our exclusive economic zone and we want to know if there are any intrusions.”
US Navy P-3 Orion surveillance aircraft fly over areas the Philippines claims to be within its legal territory but where China has deployed its military vessels.

Story 7: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 6, More than 10 people die in China’s commercial hub Shanghai as the city deals with its highest temperatures in at least 140 years.
The China Meteorological Administration issues a high temperature warning for several provinces, saying temperatures could reach 41 degrees Celsius.
Experts blame a subtropical high pressure system and lack of rain for the record-breaking heatwave.

At number 7, American scientists move closer to growing a complete human ear from animal tissue.
The BBC reports scientists took living tissues from cows and sheep and grew them on a wire frame that has the 3D shape of a real human ear.
The research team says human clinical trials could start in 5 years.

And at number 9, Filipino contestant Jonathan Allen Yabut wins in the debut season of “The Apprentice Asia.
A senior product manager at GlaxoSmithKline Philippines, Yabut beats 11 other contestants from 7 countries.
He becomes a top-salaried apprentice of the show’s host, AirAsia group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes.
Yabut’s victory comes after a gruelling barrage of tasks that required sharp business instincts, passion and persistence.

Story 8: GILAS PILIPINAS BEGINS FIBA ASIA TITLE BID
Gilas Pilipinas begins its title bid in the 27th FIBA Asia Championship hosted by the Philippines.
The team needs at least a third place finish to advance to the FIBA Asia World Cup which will be held in Spain.
The Philippine National Basketball team faces off with Saudi Arabia for their first match in the tournament.
Saudi Arabia placed 3rd in the 2012 Gulf Tournament.
They are the smallest team in FIBA Asia 2013.
In an earlier game, Jones Cup 2013 champions Iran scored a big win over Malaysia, 115 to 25.
Visit Rappler’s FIBA Asia 2013 microsite for updates on the Gilas Pilipinas matches and other games.
And vote your Gilas MVP.

– 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
  Naoki Mengua
GRAPHICS Jessica Lazaro
  Matthew Hebrona


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