Rappler Newscast | June 9, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Senator Bong Revilla delivers an emotional, MTV style speech directed at his fans that sets social media on fire.
• Pakistani Taliban storm Pakistan’s Karachi Airport.
• Boxer Manny Pacquiao is now a basketball coach in the PBA.

 

Story 1: REVILLA PRIVILEGE SPEECH TURNS INTO A SHOW
Senator Bong Revilla delivers an emotionally-charged privilege speech before the Senate Monday.
He maintains his innocence in the pork barrel corruption scandal.
Unlike his first speech in January, Revilla adopts a conciliatory tone with President Benigno Aquino.

BONG REVILLA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Mr. President, nasabi ko na nga po dati, malinis po ang aking konsensiya. Ngayon na naisampa na ang kaso laban sa amin, hayaan niyo na po kaming harapin ito sa husgado. Ipaubaya na po natin ito sa korte at doon ko na po ipagtatanggol ang aking sarili. (Mr. President, I once said my conscience is clear. Now the charges are pressed against us, allow us to face the courts. Let’s leave it to the court, and I’ll defend myself there.)

Revilla also urges Aquino to lead the Philippines to unity.

BONG REVILLA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Kung mamarapatin, may panawagan po ako sa ating Pangulong Aquino. Alam ko pong marami tayong ‘di pagkakaunawaan sa usaping pulitikal, ngunit iisa lang ang hangarin natin para sa bayan. (If I may, I have a request for President Aquino. I know we’ve had many political disagreements, but we have the same goal for the nation.) Lead this country not with hatred but with love. Lead the country towards unity and not partisanship. Push our nation’s interest and not political agenda. Bibihira ang nabibigyan ng pagkakataon na maging pangulo. At mapalad ka Pangulong Aquino. (It’s a rare opportunity to become president. You are lucky, President Aquino.)

On the verge of tears, Revilla pulls out his own list, but it is not a list of officials involved in corruption.
It turns out to be a “thank you” list to honor family, friends and supporters.

BONG REVILLA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Unang una, at higit sa lahat, nagpapasalamat ako sa Diyos na alam kong hindi niya ako bibigyan ng pagsubok na hindi ko malalampasan. Lord salamat po sa pagkakataon na higit ko Kayong nakilala. (First and foremost, I thank the Lord who I know won’t give me challenges I can’t overcome. Lord, thank you for the opportunity to know you more.) Pangalawa sa aking listahan ay ang aking ama at pamilya na patuloy nagbibigay sa akin ng lakas at tibay. Daddy, I love you, babangon tayo. (Second on my list is my father and my family who continue to give me strength. We will rise again.) To my wife and kids, we shall overcome! Senator Jinggoy Estrada – Kosa, hanggang dito ba naman magkasama tayo? (Senator Jinggoy Estrada, my cellmate, even up to this point we’re still together?) Senator JV – Sa maikling panahon ng pagkakasama natin, nakita ko ang puso mo na tulad ng iyong ama. Isa lang ang hiling ko, sana magkasundo na kayo ng kapatid mo. (Senator JV – for the short time we’ve worked together, I’ve seen that you have a heart just like your father’s. I just wish for one thing – for you and your brother to patch things up.) Senator Enrile – I can only wish I live a full life like yours.

At the end of his speech, Revilla plays a music video featuring a song he recorded.
In the end he says he is just saying goodbye – and only temporarily.

Story 2: SOCIAL MEDIA POST OF THE DAY
For our social media post of the day:
Senator Bong Revilla’s speech takes the Philippine online community by storm.
Revilla earned public outrage and disbelief, with netizens turning current catchphrase “Boom Panes”, a disparaging monicker, into “Bong Panes.” Gabrielle de Juras tweets, “It’s a little insulting to think that the senator thinks he can sway the Filipinos with such theatrics.”
Jodesz Gavilan says “Revilla pulled a Beyonce on us. Debuted a song without prior marketing.”
Adrian Cuenca uses emoticons to express himself. He says, “This is what I think of his speech.”
The Janet Napoles parody account says she’s hurt, she wasn’t mentioned in Revilla’s thank-you list.
Memes using Revilla’s TV show Kap’s Amazing Stories include memorable phrases associated with his speech such as “tama na ang pagbebengga” and “my conscience is clear.”
Someone creates a parody Twitter account – @songrevilla, only to be suspended a few hours after.

Story 3: JPE, ESTRADA, REVILLA CHARGED WITH GRAFT

The Ombudsman files graft charges at the Sandiganbayan against senators Bong Revilla, Juan Ponce Enrile, and Jinggoy Estrada Monday, along with at least 7 other key personalities allegedly involved in the siphoning of public funds.
The latest charges come after a plunder case filed against the 3 last Friday.
It took the Ombudsman nearly 9 months to finish its probe and finalize these charges.
Revilla faces 16 counts of graft involving a total of P517 million along with his chief political staff Richard Cambe, alleged fund diversion mastermind Janet Napoles, and Napoles’ driver-bodyguard John Raymond de Asis.
Enrile faces 15 counts of graft involving a total of P345 million along with his chief of staff Gigi Reyes, Napoles, John Ronald Lim, and De Asis.
Estrada faces 11 counts of graft involving a total of P278 million along with his staff Pauline Labayen, Napoles, and De Asis.
Graft is punishable by imprisonment of 6-15 years, permanent disqualification from public office, and government seizure of assets for whatever amount they gained.
Plunder, on the other hand, is a non-bailable offense.

Story 4: WEALTH OF BELMONTE, HOUSE LEADERS CLIMB PAST 4 YEARS

The net worth of most House leaders increased over the past 4 years.
Summaries of the Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth of congressmen show House Speaker Sonny Belmonte is one of the richest lawmakers in the country, with a net worth of P819.75 million.
His wealth almost tripled in 2011, a year after he re-entered Congress following his years as Quezon City mayor.
From P283.3 million in 2010, it went up to P726.22 million in 2011.
Belmonte attributes the increase to the sale of his shares in the Philippine Star to businessman Manuel Pangilinan.
In comparison, House Majority Floor Leader Neptali Gonzales records a net worth of P18.34 million in 2013, a big drop from his P42.48 million net worth in 2010.

Story 5: CHINA DEFENDS OIL RIG IN DISPUTE WITH VIETNAM
On Sunday, China defends deploying an oil rig in waters also claimed by Vietnam.
A statement on China’s foreign ministry website says the drilling operations near the Paracel Islands fall within China’s “sovereignty and jurisdiction.”
It accuses Vietnam of acting aggressively towards Chinese personnel by “illegally and forcefully disrupting” work and ramming Chinese boats 1,400 times.
Earlier, a Vietnamese fishing boat sank near the rig on May 26.
The two countries traded accusations over the sinking incident.
On Friday, Vietnam released footage showing a large Chinese ship chasing and ramming the fishing boat.
Tensions over the oil rig sparked violent anti-Chinese riots in Vietnam last month.
China claims nearly all of the South China Sea conflicting with claims by Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Story 6: GUNFIRE AT KARACHI AIRPORT
At least 28 die as Pakistan’s security forces clashed with militants who stormed into Karachi airport armed with grenades and suicide vests.
The attack began late Sunday, when the gunmen entered from two sides of the airport.
Smoke was seen billowing from the airport as militants clashed with airport security, backed by police, paramilitary squads and elite commandos.
Three huge blasts followed as suicide bombers detonated explosives.
A government spokesman says the military called in additional troops, as gunfire resumes several hours after the initial attack that killed at least 24 people.
The Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for the attack, saying it was retaliation for the death of their leader Hakimullah Mehsud, who was killed in a US drone strike in November.

Story 7: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 3, Two gunmen kill a civilian and two police officers in Las Vegas Monday.
The two officers were having lunch when they were shot and robbed of their weapons and ammunition.
The attackers then exchanged fire with a civilian at a nearby Walmart store.
The gunmen then turned their guns on themselves in what police describe as a “suicide pact.”

At number 9, Tennis star Rafael Nadal won his 9th French Open and 14th Grand Slam title Sunday, beating Novak Djokovic.
The victory makes him the first man to win 5 Roland Garros crowns in a row, recording 66 wins and only one defeat.
On the women’s front, Maria Sharapova defeated Romania’s Simona Halep on Saturday.
It’s Sharapova’s 5th Grand Slam title.

And at number 10, The secretive Central Intelligence Agency or CIA jumps into the world of social media with its official Twitter and Facebook accounts.
Its first post on Twitter? “We can neither confirm nor deny that this is our first tweet.”
Within two hours of its first tweet, the CIA gets at least 90,000 retweets and at least 115,000 followers.
Twenty-four hours later, it has over 500,000 followers.

Story 8: MANNY PACQUIAO NAMED PBA HEAD COACH OF KIA FRANCHISE
After dominating the world of boxing and entering public service, Manny Pacquiao now turns his attention to professional basketball.
Pacquiao is named head coach of the KIA Columbian Autocar Corporation in the Philippine Basketball Association or PBA
KIA is one of 3 new teams entering the PBA in its 40th season, which will start on October 19.
Pacquiao says his modest, short-term goal for the team is to not be an embarrassment.
The Sarangani representative is also preparing for his next bout on November 23.
It will collide with the PBA’s season-opening Philippine Cup conference.
Pacquiao stresses everything will be a matter of time management.

– 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