Rappler Newscast | March 11, 2014

 

STORY 1: PH PROTESTS CHINA’S MOVES IN AYUNGIN SHOAL

The Philippines protests China’s latest moves in the disputed Ayungin Shoal in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.
Chinese state media Xinhua says the Chinese Coast Guard drove away two Philippine ships from the shoal on Sunday after spotting the two vessels carrying construction materials approaching the disputed reef.
Philippine foreign affairs spokesman Raul Hernandez says China used a megaphone, sirens, and a digital signboard to drive civilian vessels away.
He also says the vessels were contracted by the Philippine Navy to “conduct rotation of personnel and resupply operations.”
A stranded Philippine warship remains in Ayungin, and serves as a military detachment.
China wants the Philippines to withdraw the ship.
The DFA says it also urged China to “desist from any further interference” with the Philippines’ efforts to resupply its troops in Ayungin.
The latest incident comes after earlier reports that China used water cannons to drive local fishermen away from the disputed Panatag Shoal.
The Philippines has filed a case against China before an international court.
China claims the entire South China Sea, despite competing claims from neighboring countries.

STORY 2: COURT ORDERS PNP, NBI TO EXPLAIN DELFIN LEE ARREST

The Court of Appeals or CA orders the National Bureau of Investigation and the police to explain the arrest and detention of property developer Delfin Lee.
The CA also orders authorities to present Lee before the court Wednesday after it approved Lee’s habeas corpus petition in a 2-page order released Tuesday.
Lee appealed for relief from “unlawful and involuntary deprivation” of his liberty by the Philippine National Police or PNP.
The property developer faces syndicated estafa charges for his alleged use of ghost borrowers to obtain P6.6 billion in loans from the Pag-IBIG Fund in 2009.
Lee was arrested last week, but his lawyers say a November 2013 ruling by the CA invalidated the warrant for his arrest.
They welcome the court’s order, adding they hope it would lead to Lee’s release from what they believed to be “unlawful detention.”

STORY 3: NAPOLES AVERSE TO CONFINEMENT IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITAL

Alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles does not want to seek medical treatment in government facilities.
On Tuesday, special counsel Bruce Rivera says Napoles was taken aback by the lack of facilities in the Camp Crame General Hospital.
Napoles reportedly had a “bad experience” at a government hospital during her last medical examination in February.
The Crame hospital had to rent a 2D transvaginal ultrasound machine from the PNP’s health service provider.
Last week, Napoles filed a new motion for medical surgery and hospital confinement to remove a myoma in her uterus.
But this time, Napoles made it clear she did not want to be treated at any government facility.
In her motion, she insisted on seeking treatment at St. Luke’s Medical Center.
Her lawyers list down 3 reasons for her request: modern equipment, relationship with doctors, and a patient’s right.
Napoles is currently detained at Fort Sto Domingo in Laguna for allegedly detaining former aide Benhur Luy.

 

STORY 4: SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE DAY

Janet Napoles’ dislike for government hospitals sparks outrage from netizens.
Alvin Olmedo says, “Beggars cannot be choosers. And criminals do not deserve to have their wishes to be granted.”
Ulysses Rallon says, “Is it not part of being a prisoner that most of your liberties are forfeited?
Otherwise if she has all the discretion there is [no] difference between a prisoner and a free man.”

 

STORY 5: CUDIA WILL NOT GRADUATE FROM PMA

Philippine Military Academy cadet Aldren Jeff Cudia loses his appeal.
He won’t be graduating on March 16, as the institution decided to uphold the decision of the honors committee to dismiss him for violating the honor code.

MAJ GEN DOMINGO TUTAAN, AFP SPOKESPERSON: Yes, he’s being recommended for dismissal from the cadet corps of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. Major General Lopez made mention that they are reaffirming the first recommendation of former superintendent as far as the dismissal of Cadet Cudia.

The PMA Honor Committee – a body composed entirely of students – declared him guilty of violating the Honor Code when he supposedly lied about the reason he was late in one class.

The Honor Code implores cadets not to lie, cheat, steal or tolerate those who do so.

Cudia, a candidate for class salutatorian, appealed his dismissal.
But on Saturday, sources told Rappler it was already known to them that Cudia would not be among the graduates.
During the welcome dinners for Siklab Diwa class on March 4, only 223 cadets were present.

Cudia was the 224th member of the class.

STORY 6: ERC ORDERS CUT IN POWER PRICES

Luzon power consumers may expect lower electricity bills for December and January after the Energy Regulatory Commission or ERC ordered a cut in the prices at the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market or WESM.
The ERC orders WESM operator Philippine Electricity Market Corporation or PEMC to calculate and implement “regulated prices” for the months when the Malampaya natural gas facility in Palawan was on maintenance shutdown.
The ERC says “lack of competition” in WESM resulted in a “contrived supply shortage” that drove electricity prices to record highs.
Blaming high prices in the WESM, power distributor Meralco imposed a record-high 4-peso and 15-centavo per kilowatt hour increase in its rate in December.
But the Supreme Court stopped the rate hike, following complaints from consumer groups.

STORY 7: SEARCH ZONE FOR MH370 EXPANDS TO 100 NAUTICAL MILES

The search for the missing Malaysian plane that disappeared Saturday enters its fourth day, with still no sign of the jet.
Malaysian authorities say they’re expanding the search area as they continue to look for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
From a radius of 50 nautical miles, the search zone expands to 100 miles around the area where the plane disappeared over the South China Sea.
Authorities are baffled over the disappearance of the plane, with 40 ships and more than 30 planes joining in the search.
Beijing blames Kuala Lumpur for the lack of information, as tearful relatives of the 153 Chinese passengers expressed frustration with the response effort.
Nearly two-thirds of the 239 people on board were from China.
Malaysia earlier launched a terror probe after at least two of the passengers were found to have traveled on stolen passports.
On Tuesday, Malaysian police identify one of the passengers who used a stolen passport – a 19-year-old Iranian man named Pouria Nour Mohammad Mehrdad.
But authorities say it’s likely he was simply trying to emigrate to Germany.
Interpol identifies the other passenger as 29-year-old Delavar Seyed Mohammadreza.
Officials say both had no apparent links to terror groups.

STORY 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

At number 4, pilot and CNN columnist Bill Palmer explains the lack of clues on the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.
Palmer says the lack of a distress call is “not particularly perplexing.”
He says from a pilot’s perspective, calls to ground personnel “could do little to help the immediate situation.”
Palmer says the investigation may have parallels to Air France 447, which crashed in the ocean beyond radar coverage north of Brazil in June 2009.
It was the last passenger jet to mysteriously disappear before MH 370.
Findings showed electrical problems contributed to the Air France disaster.

At number 8, former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden says he does not regret leaking the mass spying programs of the US National Security Agency or NSA.
He says it sparked a needed public debate on spying, benefitting “every society in the world.”
In a Google Hangout from Russia to the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, Snowden says he revealed the NSA’s programs to foster “a better civic understanding” of classified information.
He adds that “the key factor is accountability” and that the US Congress needs a watchdog to oversee the NSA.
Snowden is charged with espionage in the US, and received temporary asylum in Russia.

At number 9, researchers in the United States say they developed a prototype blood test able to tell if a healthy person will develop Alzheimer’s disease within 3 years.
The test is 90% accurate. IT looks for 10 signatures of fatty proteins called lipids.
Researchers say the test could help families make early decisions on how to take care of relatives developing Alzheimer’s.
It could also help find a treatment to the fatal degenerative disease.
Alzheimer’s is caused by toxic proteins that destroy brain cells.
The World Health Organization says around 35 million people have the disease.

At number 10, it’s official – Britain’s Prince Harry is off the market.
The prince and his longtime girlfriend Cressida Bonas were spotted in a public engagement for the first time Friday.
Public appearances over the weekend suggest the relationship between the two is now official.
The media first reported Harry’s relationship with Bonas in July 2012.

For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

STORY 9: MAKATI, PASIG TOP TIME MAGAZINE ‘SELFIEST CITIES’ LIST

Makati City and Pasig City are home to the most number of selfies online.
According to Time Magazine’s ranking of the ‘Selfiest Cities in the World,’ Makati and Pasig together create more selfies, or self-shot portraits shared on social media, than any other area on the planet per capita.
The Philippines’ financial capital and its neighbor have 258 selfie-takers for every 100,000 citizens.
Other Philippine cities make it to the roster —
Cebu City comes in at number 6, and Baguio City, Quezon City, and Iloilo City make it to the top 100.
This comes as no surprise, with the Philippines called the social media capital of the world.
There are over 30 million Filipinos on Facebook alone.

New York City comes in next after Makati and Pasig, with the Manhattan borough boasting 202 selfie takers per 100,000 citizens.
Time plotted out more than 400,000 Instagram photos tagged “selfie” with geographic coordinates.

STORY 10: A WICKED FAREWELL

The Manila run of world-renowned musical Wicked comes to an end.
This goodbye came with tears, laughter and a serenade.
G Tongi reports.

Wicked In Manila closes its curtain after a successful run of 42 shows.
It’s a bittersweet ending for the entire cast.
Glinda, played by Suzie Mathers, graduates from the show after 6 years.

Next stop in a couple of weeks is their home turf in Melbourne, Australia.

G TÖNGI, REPORTING: I’m here at the CCP artist entrance for the closing night of Wicked. The fans have come in droves just to wish the Australian cast goodbye as they head back to Australia.

Indeed it’s a touching moment.
The fans of the show couldn’t let the Australian cast go home without a memorable goodbye.
They patiently waited for the cast to appear to serenade them with one of the songs from the show, “For Good.”

STEVE DANIELSEN, FIYERO IN ‘WICKED’: Aww, I mean after tonight, I was tearing up like a three year old on stage. You guys are amazing! You know, standing ovations every night, so generous, so loving. We’re just so happy to be here!

EMILE CASCARINO, NESSAROSE IN ‘WICKED’: It’s sad. It’s bittersweet. Im excited to go home and see my family and friends again but we’ll miss you guys so much. You’ve been so kind to us. Thank you for having us, sincerely from our hearts!

EDWARD GREY, BOQ IN ‘WICKED’: Overwhelmed! It’s so beautiful. Honestly, more than any of us could have expected. We couldn’t have asked for a warmer welcome!

Glinda and Elphaba are here to greet the fans. Jemma Rix and Suzie Mathers.
The Filipinos are in love with them. They just can’t get enough of Wicked!

Jenn Gaisano a graduating communications major from Ateneo organized the seranade for the cast.
Gaisano says the show has changed her life.

JENN GAISANO, WICKED FAN: Being changed for good, that’s really something that puts a handprint on our hearts.
G TÖNGI: Are you sad they’re leaving?
JENN GAISANO: Definitely sad! I’m gonna miss them. It’s Suzie’s last season! Watched Wicked 5 times, once in Singapore and 4 times in the Philippines!!

It’s been a memorable time at the theater and the fans keep clamoring…

FANS OF WICKED MANILA: It’s been WICKED!!!

G Tongi, Rappler Manila