Rappler Newscast | March 14, 2014

STORY 1: MH370 SEARCH OPS GO WEST, NEW LEAD SURFACES

The search for missing jet Malaysia Airlines flight 370 continues.
CNN reports, another lead comes from Chinese researchers who say they recorded movement on the seafloor
of waters surrounding Malaysia and Vietnam an hour and a half after final contact.
The movement was spotted about 116 kilometers northeast of the plane’s last confirmed location.
In a statement, the University of Science and Technology of China says, “Judging from the time and location of the two events, the seafloor event may have been caused by MH370 crashing into the sea.”
Search efforts led by the United States shift from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean after the United States government reveals “new information” indicating the plane may have gone down in the west.
The US deploys a Navy ship and a surveillance plane to the Indian Ocean Thursday.
The move follows reports that MH 370’s communication system continued to “ping” a satellite for a number of hours after the plane disappeared off radar.
On Wednesday, US officials say military spy satellites detected no sign of a mid-air explosion when the plane went missing.
With 239 passengers on board, the plane was bound for Beijing, but vanished off radar somewhere across the Gulf of Thailand.
The international hunt initially focused on the plane’s intended route but Malaysian officials say it may be possible that the plane turned back after taking off from Kuala Lumpur.

 

STORY 2: CHINA ON AYUNGIN: PH BROKE ITS PROMISE

China accuses the Philippines of breaking its promise to remove a stranded ship from the disputed Second Thomas or Ayungin Shoal.
On Thursday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang says the Philippines made an “unequivocal commitment” to tow the ship away from Ayungin.
Qin says the Philippines has yet to live up to its promise.
He also accuses the Philippines of sending two ships loaded with construction materials to build facilities in the disputed area.
The Philippines’ Department of Foreign Affairs did not deny China’s claim but says the stranded ship was in Ayungin before the Philippines signed a key declaration in 2002.
The official also denies the ships were carrying construction materials.
The ships reportedly contain supplies for troops deployed in the Spratly group of islands.
Located in the West Philippine Sea or South China Sea, Ayungin, along with the Spratlys is the subject of a historic case the Philippines filed against China.
China’s show of force comes after the so-called “water cannon incident,”
and before the deadline of Manila’s written pleading in its case against the rising superpower.

 

STORY 3: MIRIAM: NAPOLES SHOULD PAY FOR ‘ROCK STAR’ JAIL STATUS

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago slams alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles’ so-called “rock star” status in jail.
During a speech in De La Salle University Friday, Santiago says “If Napoles as a person of interest refuses to cooperate by providing information, which she apparently possesses about the scam, there is no acceptable reason why government should single her out for special treatment among the more than 70,000 detention prisoners in the country.”
Santiago urges President Benigno Aquino to force Napoles to choose between an ordinary stay in jail at the government’s expense or stay in an “enhanced facility” at her expense.
She says the Philippine National Police should stop excessive spending for Napoles’ stay at the Fort Sto Domingo police camp in Sta Rosa, Laguna.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said last month that the PNP only followed the order of the court and that Malacañang’s “hands are tied.”
Napoles’ upkeep costs about P150,000 a month, a far cry from the ordinary prisoner’s estimated P1,600 monthly.
Napoles faces a plunder complaint for supposedly conniving with top lawmakers to transfer funds meant for development projects to bogus non-governmental organizations.

 

STORY 4: BINAY CONVOY MEETS ACCIDENT IN IFUGAO

A car belonging to the convoy of Vice President Jejomar Binay fell into a ravine near Banaue, Ifugao Friday morning.
Binay is unhurt. He was in another vehicle when the accident happened.
Three of the 4 people on board were injured and were rushed to the Good News Clinic and Hospital in Banaue.
Binay was on his way to Banaue to lead the turnover medical equipment and wheelchairs to senior citizens.
The 3 injured passengers were Binay’s photographer Roman Campita, driver Sergeant Danilo Tamo, and Alexander Solis.
Campita is airlifted Friday afternoon for treatment of a shoulder injury.

 

STORY 5: PMA: CUDIA CHARGED 3 TIMES WITH HONOR VIOLATION

Philippine Military Academy Cadet Jeff Cudia had been charged twice of violating the academy’s Honor Code before the latest incident that may cost him his diploma.
Cudia, a candidate for class salutatorian, was ordered dismissed allegedly for lying about his late dismissal from a class.
In a radio interview, PMA public affairs chief Major Agnes Lynette Flores says
Cudia was accused of committing two other violations, both involving of allegations cheating.
Flores says the charges were dismissed after a preliminary investigation proved Cudia had permission to commit the first of the two reported offenses.
Flores says “The investigators saw that there was justification so it was dismissed.
The second time, it was also dismissed so it didn’t turn into a big issue of cheating.”
Flores says this should put to rest allegations Cudia is being singled out.
The PMA’s Honor Code states that cadets do not lie, cheat, steal, nor tolerate those who do so.
Cudia’s fate is now up to President Benigno Aquino, who is reviewing his appeal.
Malacañang says the President will make a decision before the PMA graduation on Sunday.

 

STORY 6: ISRAEL SUSPENDS ISSUING VISAS IN PH

A strike by Israeli diplomats affect Israeli embassies worldwide.
The embassy in Manila will temporarily stop issuing visas to Filipinos.
The strike is part of a legally recognized labor dispute initiated by a union of Israel’s Foreign Ministry employees.
It began on March 4 and affects Israeli embassies around the world.
Israel’s embassy in the United States says this is a wake-up call to the dire situation of hardworking diplomats.
An Israeli diplomat says the strike could even make Pope Francis’ first trip to the Holy Land in May “impossible.”
The Vatican says there were no plans to cancel the trip but confirmed the strike could result in “complications.”

STORY 7: SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE DAY

The city of Paris in France offers free public transportation.
Can it happen in the Philippines? Our followers give a resounding ‘no.’
Carlo Dela Cruz says “Our jeepney drivers income are far [too] low to sustain their [families’ daily needs]. Making public transportation free will affect all drivers’ income.”
Melannie Joy Lando says, “Not really. Actually, not at all. We get horrible service now that we pay for transportation.
I shudder to think what service would be like if nobody had to pay.”

STORY 8: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

At number 5, Western diplomats are preparing a draft resolution against Russian actions in Crimea aimed at isolating Moscow.
Al Jazeera reports the United States planned to circulate the draft at the end of a Security Council meeting on Syria.
Diplomats want to vote on the draft resolution a day before a planned referendum, asking Crimeans if they want to leave Ukraine and join the Russian Federation.
Western powers say Russia’s actions in Ukraine are illegal and violate international agreements.

At number 8, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg expresses his frustration about government spying and hacking programs to US President Barack Obama.
The White House confirms Zuckerberg’s Facebook post on the phone conversation between him and Obama.
Zuckerberg is frustrated over an investigative report showing how the National Security Agency
“weaponized the Internet,” making it possible to inject malware into innocent people’s computers en masse.
Zuckerberg says, “The US government should be the champion for the Internet, not a threat.”

At number 9, Former News of the World royal editor Clive Goodman says the late British Princess Diana leaked a royal phone book to him.
Goodman tells a British phone-hacking trial that Diana sent him a “green book” containing contact details of Prince Charles’s household and staff.
Goodman says, “She was in a very bitter situation with the Prince of Wales at the time,
she felt she was being swamped by the people close to him.”
Goodman denies accusations of paying police for royal phone books

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

 

STORY 9: CHERIE GIL TAKES SOLO STAGE FOR ‘FULL GALLOP’

Actress Cherie Gil takes on the challenging role of fashion editor Diane Vreeland in the solo 2 act play, Full Gallop.
G Tongi reports, it was also a journey of strength and self-discovery for the actress.

Actress Cherie Gil recently treated friends from the press to a special sneak preview of her one woman show, Full Gallop.

Gil takes on the challenging role of “The Grand Dame of Fashion,” Diana Vreeland, fashion editor for Harpers Bazaar and Vogue in the sixties.

‘Full Gallop’ explores the brilliance of a woman at the top of a fashion empire for whom reinventing style was a constant challenge and adventure.

Full Gallop director Bart Guingona says Full Gallop is as challenging as they come.
He believes only Gil can portray the iconic Vreeland for the stage.

BART GUINGONA, DIRECTOR: She’s a very good character actress.

And Vreeland is a character.

She’s a real character. She’s larger than life. She’s opinionated.

Cherie had a very instinctive reading of her.

So sabi ko, “wow, perfect.” (So I said, “Wow, perfect.”)
You know, it’s funny because when she put on the make-up.
I was floored. I said, my God, you do look like her, ‘di ba?

Cherie Gil definitely looks the part of Vreeland, and with fashion designer Rajo Laurel on her team, it’s Diana Vreeland incarnate.

Laurel will be creating six different sets of costumes for each night of Gils’ performance.

RAJO LAUREL, FASHION DESIGNER: Diana Vreeland has always been a person of interest for me. This woman has truly formed what we know as contemporary fashion today. It hasn’t even began, she was already formulating all these trends. And then in this visage of a caricature, she was not pretty. She was very strange-looking – very big nose, long long hands, jet-black hair she would, you know.. and then I read her biography and her autobiography and i was just drawn to this sort of like dramatic persona. And I fell in love with her.

Cherie Gil has also fallen in love with Vreeland.
She explains why she’s drawn to portraying strong women.

CHERIE GIL, ACTRESS: I’ve been separated five years. Maybe it’s also a personal journey. And I’ve been alone. I’m not gonna cry…’cause we do that on the side, behind closed doors. And I’m not gonna lie. I am using this part of my journey to be able to invite that at least a little bit of that strength because it ain’t easy to be alone. Only with you, I’m honest. You get that out of me, G… oh my god…and Rappler.

An artist totally devoted to her craft, Cherie Gil goes through her own journey of self discovery as she explores the character of Vreeland.

The play is a challenging 44 page script that Gil must deliver in a two act performance.
Director Guingona gives her this advice.

BART GUINGONA, DIRECTOR: If you don’t do something that scares you, then it’s not worth doing. So, I keep telling her, you know, be afraid. Good. But deal with it.

Calling it her “edge work,” Gil channels Diana Vreeland in Full Gallop not just through a physical transformation, but with a subliminal and psychological depth befitting a woman of substance and style.
G Tongi, Rappler, Manila.

Full Gallop opens March 14 at the Carlos P. Romulo Auditorium at the RCBC in Makati.

Newscast Production Staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER	Lilibeth Frondoso
DIRECTOR	Rupert Ambil
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER	Rodneil Quiteles
	Dindin Reyes
HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER	Katerina Francisco
	Marga Deona
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK	Exxon Ruebe
	Emerald Hidalgo
	Jaene Zaplan
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN	Charlie Salazar
	Adrian Portugal
	Francis Lopez
	Naoki Mengua
GRAPHICS	Jessica Lazaro
	Raffy de Guzman
3D GRAPHICS	Sten Bautista