Rappler Newscast | May 5, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• War games between the Philippines and the United States begin near disputed territories.
• Deniece Cornejo, the model wanted for coercing actor Vhong Navarro, surrenders to the police.
• The biggest sporting event in the Philippines opens.

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Story 1: PH-US TROOPS BEGIN WAR GAMES NEAR DISPUTED WATERS
The Philippines and the United States begin the annual Balikatan war games Monday.
The Balikatan exercises will run from May 5 to 16 in military bases near the provinces of Palawan and Zambales.
Both provinces are near territories claimed by Manila and Beijing.
Philippine military chief General Emmanuel Bautista says the war games will demonstrate maritime security cooperation between both nations.
He adds, military cooperation with the US is important in “maintaining stability in Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific.”

GEN. EMMANUEL BAUTISTA, PHILIPPINE MILITARY CHIEF: Balikatan demonstrates that while the Philippines and the United States are mutually guided by the peaceful resolution of conflicts, we shall develop our collective capacity to meet any threat to undermine peace and security.

About 3,000 Filipino troops and 2,500 American troops will participate.
This year’s war games will also focus on humanitarian assistance and disaster response.
The newly-signed 10-year military deal brings the Balikatan to a “new level.”
It allows US troops to preposition defense equipment and construct military facilities.
The Philippines asked for US military assistance in the wake of Chinese aggression in the disputed West Philippine Sea or South China Sea.
During his state visit to Manila, US President Barack Obama vowed “ironclad” commitment to defend the Philippines against external attacks.

Story 2: MRT EXPRESS TRIAL RUN PUSHES THROUGH MAY 7-20
After being put on hold, the trial run for Metro Rail Transit express trains will push through.
In an advisory Monday, the transportation department says the tests will run from May 7 to 20, during peak hours in the morning and afternoon.
From 7 to 9 am, three express trains headed southbound will start at the North Avenue station.
The first train will pick up passengers at the Quezon Avenue station; the second, at the GMA-Kamuning station; the third, at the Cubao station.
All 3 trains will unload passengers at the Buendia, Ayala, Magallanes, and Taft Avenue stations.
From 5 to 7 pm, the express trains will start northbound at the Taft Avenue station.
The first express train will pick up passengers at the Magallanes station; the second, at the Ayala station; the third, at the Buendia station.
All 3 trains will unload passengers at the Cubao, GMA-Kamuning, Quezon Avenue, and North Avenue stations.
The MRT 3 system services 580,000 passengers daily – beyond its designed capacity of only 360,000.
The transportation department says congestion will be eased with the acquisition of 48 new train cars, but the first batch won’t arrive until 2015.

Story 3: FILIPINO NETIZENS BECOMING ‘DILIGENT’ IN MANAGING FINANCES
An online survey by Nielsen Global shows Filipinos register high consumer confidence, placing second among countries in Southeast Asia and third globally.
Based on the results released Monday the Philippines registers 116 points in consumer confidence or a 2-point increase from the last survey conducted in the aftermath of Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan.
Indonesia posts the highest consumer confidence with 124 points.
Thailand is third at 108 points.
Nielsen Philippines managing director Stuart Jamieson also says Filipino consumers are becoming diligent in managing their finances.
69% of Filipinos say they were “channeling their spare cash into savings” during the first quarter of 2014.

Story 4: DE LIMA TO SENATE: WAIT FOR PROPER TIME TO GET NAPOLES LIST
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima acknowledges the Senate’s power to compel the release of names of people allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam.
But she says the Senate should wait for the proper time to get the list of lawmakers named by alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Napoles.
Napoles earlier met with De Lima, promising to tell everything she knew of the illegal diversion of lawmakers’ funds.
While some senators call for the release of the list, De Lima says she will do so once Napoles’ testimony is validated by the justice department.

Story 5: DENIECE CORNEJO SURRENDERS TO THE POLICE
Model Deniece Cornejo surrenders to the Philippine National Police or PNP after weeks of evading arrest.
The PNP chief’s spokesperson says Cornejo met with police chief Alan Purisima at his office Monday.
Cornejo was evading a standing arrest warrant issued by a Taguig court.
She and 6 others face serious illegal detention and grave coercion charges over the beating of actor Vhong Navarro.
Cornejo claims Navarro raped her, but her complaint was dismissed for lack of probable cause.

Story 6: RAMON ANG CONFIRMS ONGOING TALKS FOR STAKE IN GMA NETWORK
Businessman Ramon Ang confirms ongoing talks with shareholders of broadcasting company GMA Network for a possible acquisition of a stake.
GMA-7 chair Felipe Gozon also confirms talks with Ang following a series of failed negotiations with Ang’s rival businessman, Manuel Pangilinan of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company or PLDT.
The PLDT Group, through MediaQuest, expressed interest in acquiring up to 79% stake in GMA-7 for P48 billion.
The talks eventually collapsed, with Pangilinan telling reporters that the group is not keen on reviving talks.

Story 7: PALARONG PAMBANSA 2014 OPENS
The 57th Palarong Pambansa officially opens Monday.
Delegates from all 17 regions brave the morning heat at the Laguna Sports Complex.
Governor ER Ejercito welcomed the athletes while Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada summed up the spirit of the event.

JOSEPH ESTRADA, MANILA CITY MAYOR: Today we begin another important milestone in the history of our Palarong Pambansa. You will be competing today not just certainly for medals and honors but to bring about unity and understanding among us.

Also in attendance are up and coming basketball stars Jeric and Jeron Teng.
They led the torch lighting ceremony along with Olympian Michael Martinez.
Games began a day earlier.
Zeanne Cabrera of host region Calabarzon bags this year’s first ever gold medal.
She defeats rival and 2013 titlist Jerremay Rubias in the Javelin throw event.
In basketball, the National Capital region begins their attempt to reclaim the title by dominating Eastern Visayas.
But in baseball, defending champions Western Visayas drop their first game while losing 2 players to injury.

Story 8: REGION VII SOFTBALL TEAM BOUNCING BACK FROM QUAKE, SUPER TYPHOON
Still on Palarong Pambansa: Young athletes from Region VII face more than the usual hurdles in their quest for the gold.
Jane Bracher reports.

The road to Palaro was never easy.
The common hurdles: trainings, grades, qualifiers.
But others had to make an epic journey: they survived an earthquake and a super typhoon to get here.
This 14-year old Jan Reese from Cebu.
She’s been playing softball all her life.
A tremor turned her life upside down in 2013.

JAN REESE, SOFTBALL PLAYER: At that time, there was a road being repaired. Then we thought the tremor was due to the road repairs. My brother and I panicked. I screamed for my dad because it was so scary.

Jan dreams of getting a scholarship and helping her parents.

JAN REESE, SOFTBALL PLAYER: Yes, that’s my dream, for me to get into the national team.

Coach Jackson Genolaga says she has the potential to represent the country in the future.
But super typhoon Haiyan set back their quest for medals in secondary girls softball.

JACKSON GENOLAGA, COACH, REGION VII SECONDARY GIRLS SOFTBALL: After the earthquake, my players did not report. My training was really affected. Right now I don’t think they can win because of the earthquake and typhoon. Maybe next year we can bounce back. Hopefully.

Region VII’s softball team do not expect to win gold this year.
But they know that what doesn’t kill them makes them stronger.

JANE BRACHER, REPORTING: An earthquake and a typhoon might have temporarily hampered this team, but as the undertrained Region VII girls softball team competes, they are proving that nothing can hold them down for good. Jane Bracher, Rappler, Laguna.

Story 9: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 6, what do Beyonce, Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Sheryl Sandberg have in common?
They’re all firstborn children.
Salon magazine cites research from the University of Essex in the UK showing how firstborn girls are likely to be the most successful.
The study says oldest children are 16% more likely to excel academically than younger siblings, while eldest daughters are an additional 4% more likely to go on to higher education than eldest sons.
Lead researcher Feifei Bu says “parental investment” is a possible explanation.

At number 9, a group of acrobats are seriously injured when a platform collapsed during their act at a circus performance in Rhode Island.
Eight of the acrobats were hanging by their hair in a chandelier-like fashion.
Police say the metal apparatus from which they were hanging collapsed and all eight fell on a performer on the ground.
The injured acrobats were rushed to the hospital.

And at number 10, in the Philippines, The Amazing Spider-Man 2 registers earnings amounting to P112.6 million, or $2.5 million on its second day.
It’s the country’s biggest all-time first two days’ gross.
Columbia Pictures says the new record dislodges Iron Man 3, which grossed P110.9 million.
In this Andrew Garfield-starrer, Spider-Man continues to protect the city of New York and makes sacrifices in his personal life to protect those he cares about.

– 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
	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