Rappler Newscast | July 1, 2014

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3 schemes in the DAP are declared unconstitutional. President Aquino says Aunor’s drug use cost her the title of National Artist. Japan allows sending troops into battle to help allies

Today on Rappler.

  • The Supreme Court declares 3 schemes in the Disbursement Acceleration Program unconstitutional.
  • President Aquino says actress Nora Aunor’s drug conviction cost her the National Artist bid.
  • Prime Minister Shinzo Abe announces Japan can send troops into battle to help an ally against a common enemy.

 

SC: 3 DAP SCHEMES UNCONSTITUTIONAL

The Supreme Court declares 3 specific schemes in the government’s Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP unconstitutional.

These are the creation of savings prior to the end of the fiscal year and the withdrawal of these funds for implementing agencies, the cross-border transfers of savings of the executive department to offices outside it; and funding of projects, activities, programs not outlined in the General Appropriations Act or GAA.

The justices voted 13-0-1.

In late 2013, 9 petitioners questioned the constitutionality of the DAP before the court.

The court has yet to release its full decision.

DAP is a program initiated in 2011 to transfer unused funds from slow-moving projects to fast-moving ones.

The government defended the program, saying it was necessary to fast-track growth in the economy.

 

ESTRADAS ON DAP: ABAD’S HEAD MUST ROLL

Senator Jinggoy Estrada says budget officials must be held accountable after the Supreme Court declares 3 DAP schemes unconstitutional.

In a statement Tuesday, the senator says heads must roll and budget officials must be held accountable.”

It was an obvious reference to Budget Secretary Florencio Abad, a key ally of President Aquino.

In a privilege speech in September 2013, Estrada said senators who voted to convict former Chief Justice Renato Corona in 2012 were allotted an additional P50 million each.

Abad later said the money came from DAP, but denied it was a bribe.

Like Estrada, Senator Miriam Santiago welcomes the court’s ruling.

She earlier criticized the DAP as unconstitutional.

Along with former Senator Joker Arroyo and Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr, Santiago was one of the 3 senators  who did not get an allocation from DAP. 

 

AQUINO CONDEMNS HAZING, SUSPECT SURRENDERS

A suspect in the death of a De La Salle College of St. Benilde student due to hazing surrenders Tuesday.

The suspect, who is also a member of fraternity Tau Gamma Phi, turns himself in the Manila Police District. 

President Benigno Aquino condemns hazing in response during a speech Tuesday.

Aquino urges fraternity members to help eliminate the dangerous tradition.

He adds, “To inflict such harm on people you will call ‘brothers’ really escapes any logic I can fathom.”

 

AQUINO CITES ‘DRUG USE’ FOR NORA AUNOR SNUB

Why did President Aquino drop the name of Nora Aunor from the National Artist list?

He answers the question Tuesday. The reason? Her drug use.

In 2005, Aunor was arrested in the United States for alleged possession of illegal drugs.

Charges were eventually dropped in 2007 after she went through a rehabilitation program.

Aquino acknowledges this, but says an award for Aunor may send a mixed message.

He says, “I don’t want there to be a message that sometimes, illegal drugs is okay or acceptable.”

Artists and fans protested Aunor’s exclusion.

The National Artist title is given to a Filipino for significant contribution to arts and culture.

The list is submitted to the President by the National Commission of Culture and Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

 

JAPAN TO PROCLAIM RIGHT TO ‘COLLECTIVE SELF DEFENSE’

The Japanese government proclaims the right to send its soldiers into battle even when the country is not under direct attack.

This is the most significant recasting of Japanese military policy since the crafting of its pacifist constitution.

Despite widespread public opposition, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will invoke the right to exercise so-called “collective self-defense.”

This means Japanese troops will be able to help allies like the United States if they come under attack from a common enemy, even if Japan is not the object of attack.

Supporters say the change is necessary because of China’s territorial claims with Japan and the threat of North Korea.

But the move causes anger in Japan.

Weekend newspaper polls show at least half of Japan’s population is against a more aggressive military stance.

Thousands of people protest against the change, with one protester even attempting suicide by setting himself on fire.

 

HONG KONG BRACES FOR HUGE PRO-DEMOCRACY PROTEST

Huge crowds gather in Hong Kong for a massive pro-democracy rally Tuesday, in a show of defiance against Beijing.

This comes after an informal poll on electoral reform drew an unexpectedly high turnout of nearly 800,000 votes.

China promised to let Hong Kong residents vote for their next leader in 2017, but has ruled out voters choosing candidates.

A study released Monday shows nearly 44% of around 800 Hong Kong residents surveyed said they did not trust Beijing.

July 1 marks the anniversary of the handover from Britain to China in 1997, under a “one country, two systems” agreement.

That agreement allows residents civil liberties not seen on the mainland, including free speech and the right to protest.

 

INDONESIA RULING PARTY BACKS PRABOWO’S PRESIDENTIAL BID

Despite an earlier declaration it would remain neutral, Indonesia’s ruling Democratic Party throws its support behind presidential candidate Prabowo Subianto.

The party of outgoing President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono says Prabowo had a vision that were “in line with the Democratic Party.”

Prabowo already enjoys the support of Indonesia’s second-biggest party, Golkar, and several small Islamic parties.

It’s also another blow to Prabowo’s rival Joko Widodo, who won supporters as Jakarta governor.

In the latest opinion survey, Widodo leads with just 4 percentage points, down from an earlier lead of 25 points.

 

SYRIA REBELS SAY IS CALIPHATE ‘NULL AND VOID’

Syrian rebels says the creation of a caliphate by the terrorist group Islamic State or IS is “null and void.”

This comes a day after IS, previously known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS, announced the establishment of a caliphate straddling Iraq and Syria that would be led by a supreme religious leader.

Among those who rejected the caliphate are the Islamic Front, Syria’s biggest rebel coalition and Majlis Shura Mujahideen al-Sharqiya, an alliance in an eastern province near Iraq.

The signatories of the statement have all been at war against IS.

In 2013, Syria’s rebels welcomed IS in their bid to oust President Bashar al-Assad but turned against the jihadist group because of its abuses.

 

ISRAEL FINDS TEENS’ BODIES, VOWS TO MAKE HAMAS PAY

The bodies of three missing teenagers were found in Israel Monday night — early Tuesday morning in Manila.

The government accuses Islamist group Hamas of the murder.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says, “Hamas is responsible and Hamas will pay.”

The discovery of the bodies comes 17 days after the teenagers disappeared, triggering a huge manhunt.

Hamas dismisses the allegations, with spokesperson Sami Abu Zuhri accusing Israel of fabricating the kidnapping as an excuse to crack down on it.

 

EX-FRENCH PRESIDENT SARKOZY ‘DETAINED FOR QUESTIONING IN GRAFT PROBE’

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is detained for questioning in a widening corruption probe.

Sarkozy turns himself in Tuesday, a day after investigators detained his lawyer and two magistrates.

The investigators want to establish if Sarkozy abused his power by promising a high-ranking judge a prominent position in Monaco in exchange for information about a probe into illegal campaign funding.

The case could be devastating for Sarkozy’s hopes of a political comeback in time for the next presidential campaign in 2017.

 

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

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