Rappler Newscast | May 8, 2012

 

HEADLINES

Today on Rappler.

Instructions po sa kin na ipaabot sa inyo, na yung ginagawa po sa kanyang pambabatikos sa labas ay gusto na niyang harapin under oath. We will present the Chief Justice.
JUDD ROY
CORONA DEFENSE LAWYER

• The defense says Chief Justice Renato Corona will testify in his impeachment trial.
• TV5 castigates the Tulfo brothers for unethical behavior and violating the station’s code of conduct.
• And, an NCR swimmer breaks 13 year record in 200 meter butterfly.

Story 1: CORONA, OMBUDSMAN TO TESTIFY
After 36 days, Chief Justice Renato Corona finally commits to testify in his own impeachment trial.
In a surprise announcement, defense counsel Judd Roy says Corona will confront head on allegations he has 10 million dollars.
Roy says Corona will face the impeachment court only after the Senate calls as a hostile witness – his former colleague, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales.
Morales is investigating Corona’s assets.
The defense also asks the Senate to summon Harvey Keh of the group Kaya Natin, Akbayan representative Walden Bello, former Akbayan representative Risa Hontiveros,
and others to testify on Corona’s bank records.
These groups filed complaints against Corona before the Ombudsman.
This new twist comes a day after senators intensified calls for Corona to testify saying this will be key to any possible acquittal.

Instructions po sa kin na ipaabot sa inyo, na yung ginagawa po sa kanyang pambabatikos sa labas ay gusto na niyang harapin under oath. We will present the Chief Justice.
JUDD ROY
DEFENSE COUNSEL

Is there a possibility for you to convince the Chief Justice that when he takes the witness stand he will in effect sign a waiver under RA 6426?
PANFILO LACSON
SENATOR-JUDGE

ROY: There is a very strong possibility that he will disclose everything.
LACSON: That’s good enough for me, Mr. Counsel.

The lead defense says they don’t have a choice but to present Corona.
Serafin Cuevas also talks about the emotional state of the Chief Justice.

Pakiramdam ko wala nang remedyo kundi ‘yan na lang. Hindi siya tumestigo, sesentensyahan s’ya. So tumestigo na s’ya para maipaliwanag… Emotionally involved s’ya, kada pag-uusapan namin yan, medyo he’s losing his sobriety, masama ang loob n’ya dahil sa magaspang na pangungusap, nililibak na raw s’ya, hindi lang s’ya pati na ang kanyang buong pamilya.
SERAFIN CUEVAS
LEAD DEFENSE COUNSEL

The impeachment court also grants a request from the defense for a 48 hour continuance so they can prepare for new witnesses.
The trial resumes Monday May 14.

Story 2: ENRILE GETS RECORDS
Kaya Natin lead convenor Harvey Keh submits alleged transaction records of Chief Justice Renato Corona’s foreign and peso accounts to Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.
Keh says he put the documents in a brown envelope and wrote: “I got these documents anonymously. I’m not sure of their authenticity. I am submitting them to your office.”
The documents were received Monday by Enrile’s office before the trial resumed after a long break.
Kaya Natin is a civil society organization which backed the candidacy of President Benigno Aquino III in the 2010 elections.
Keh says the biggest surprise were the euro accounts.
Keh said one account had up to 116-thousand euros and 56-thousand in another.
Based on the current exchange rate of P55 to a euro, the combined balance is worth P9.5 million.
Defense lawyers say they are worried about these accounts that are just surfacing now.
Spokesman Salvador Tranquil III says Corona’s camp knows nothing about these transactions records obtained by Kaya Natin.
Salvador says outsiders cannot introduce evidence – which can only be be brought by the prosecution and the defense.

Story 3: MOTION TO INHIBIT ANGARA
Senator-Judge Edgardo Angara vehemently rejects the defense panel’s motion to inhibit him from the impeachment trial.
Angara warns against knocking down the “pillar” of democracy that is the Senate, saying this implies the Senate can be bought.

You destroy the one pillar of justice, the Senate, which can stand-up even to the Supreme Court or even the President, then you are really knocking down the very pillar that one day you have to seek help and succor from because it can stand up to any person or institution.
EDGARDO ANGARA
SENATOR-JUDGE

Story 4: T3
TV5 may have delivered a first on national television Monday when it provided the platform for Ramon Tulfo’s brothers to curse and threaten with bodily harm celebrity couple Claudine Baretto and Raymart Santiago.
After the airport fistfight Sunday between columnist Ramon Tulfo and the actor-couple brothers Erwin, Ben and Raffy Tulfo let loose a string of threats on their early evening show T3.
Erwin Tulfo is one of the anchors of primetime newscast Aksyon.

Story 5: ERWIN TULFO APOLOGY
TV5’s website Interaksyon.com. says its anchor Erwin Tulfo apologizes for the threats against celebrities Baretto and Santiago.
Erwin Tulfo says in Tagalog “If you did not like what we said, even if you are not a party to this problem, we apologize.”

Story 6: MRTCB & TV5 REACTS
The Movie and Television Review and Classification Board or MTRCB says it will investigate the Tulfo brothers’ remarks on TV5.
MTRCB says the remarks were “uncalled for and unethical” – citing complaints from the public and its own monitoring.
MTRCB will hear the case Thursday, May 10.

Like the MTRCB, TV5 released a statement saying the Tulfo brothers’ behavior was not only uncalled for but also “runs counter to the established Code of Ethics that we all strictly adhere to.”
Its news department says it will take the necessary steps to deal with the issue.

Story 7: MON TULFO
Ramon Tulfo, the columnist in the airport brawl says his brothers were wrong to say the things they did.

Eye to eye is an antiquated law. Yung batas na dapat pinaiiral ay yung kay Jesus of Nazareth. Pag sinampal ka raw sa kanang pisngi, you turn the other cheek. Lahat sila nagsabi na they realize their mistake. Yung public perception, public opinion nasa atin tapes sisirain mo. Ako pa yung naging biktima dapat kinonsulta n’yo naman ako.
RAMON TULFO
PDI COLUMNIST

Story 8: NAIA CCTVs
Confused by conflicting accounts over the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 scuffle?
The security cameras won’t provide an answer.
NAIA General Manager Angel Hurado says there are no CCTV cameras in the baggage conveyor area where the incident happened.
Netizens, including television host Raymond Gutierrez, criticize NAIA for the lack of CCTV cameras.
Singer-songwriter Rico Blanco tweets his disappointment – the “brawl adds more medals to our world-infamous airports”.
Transportation secretary Mar Roxas explains the lack of CCTVs.
The Japanese firm Takinaka, the contractor for airport systems including security cameras never completed the work.

The CCTVs…they should not be shocked because that is what we’re attempting to solve with Takinaka. Ito yung hablahan di ba. Yung issues sa PIATCO sa FRAPPORT sa TAKINAKA. Ito yung hindi tinapos ng TAKINAKA.
Nagkataon lang na ngayon nangyari tong suntukan na ito. Pero kung next year nangyari yung suntukan e di nakuha sila live, in action, colored… three dimensional pa kung gusto ninyo.
MAR ROXAS
TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY

Story 9: CHINA SABER RATTLING
While the Philippines and China continue to trade diplomatic threats over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, business talks behind the scenes may find a temporary solution.
A tense standoff exists between both countries – both sending ships to protect their interests in Scarborough Shoal in a conflict which erupted a month ago today.
Now Philex Mining’s President & CEO Manuel Pangilinan confirms he was in China last week to negotiate with China’s National Offshore Oil Corporation, one of China’s 3 state-owned oil firms.
Philex’s unit, Forum Energy, announced it found natural gas reserves at Recto Bank near Spratlys, that could produce nearly 17 trillion cubic feet of gas – making it the largest discovered so far.
It represents a $75 million investment expected this year.
Since the area is claimed by China and the Philippines, a partnership may bring a natural resolution – at least for now.

Story 10: PALARO UPDATE
Victories in swimming highlight the third day of Palarong Pambansa.
Natashya Gutierrez is live from Pangasinan.
(Live report from Pangasinan runs.)

RESSA: Natashya, what was today like?
GUTIERREZ: Well, Maria NCR’s Delia Cordero created a splash in the first day of swimming here at Palarong Pambansa. Cordero returned from a 1-year hiatus from the games, and broke 2 records in her first 2 competitions. The 16 year old swimming sensation broke the 200 meter butterfly record of Althea Lim set in 1998 with her new time of 2:26.16, beating the old record only by 600th of a second.
Cordero also led NCR team to a new record in the 4 by 50 medley relay by posting a time of 2.09.09 breaking a record also set by NCR in 2008: 2.09.30.
RESSA: That’s exciting. A 13 year old record broken today, what do you expect for tomorrow Natashya?
GUTIERREZ: Well it has only been day 1 of swimming to go, 3 days to go, and of course we’re expecting more records broken with Cordero back in the pool. No records were broken from Athletics, we’re expecting more records in the following days. And obviously in the few days left, more exciting closer games, you know some basketball games had such huge differences and we’re expecting the games to become more exciting as we head for the finals.
Building the Filipino spirit, Natashya Gutierrez live from Pangasinan.

-Rappler.com