SUMMARY
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Today on Rappler.
- The head of the police Custodial Center is fired for Jinggoy Estrada’s wedding anniversary party.
- Former President Gloria Arroyo pleads for bail.
- Smear campaigns escalate as election day nears for Indonesia.
PNP CUSTODIAL CENTER CHIEF SACKED FOR ‘SPECIAL TREATMENT’ OF SENATORS
Senators Bong Revilla and Jinggoy Estrada are in jail over graft and plunder charges for alleged participation in a multi-million peso fund diversion scandal.
The PNP is criticized for giving the senators special treatment after reporters saw family and friends bring food inside the custodial center, way past visiting hours.
Custodial center chief Superintendent Mario Malana was relieved from the post for failure to enforce visiting hour rules.
The PNP started enforcing longer visiting hours for detainees after the incident.
GLORIA ARROYO CITES HOSPITAL ‘DISTRESS’ IN BAIL PLEA
Arroyo’s lawyer Modesto Ticman Jr filed the motion before anti-graft court Sandiganbayan over her plunder case involving P366 million in allegedly misused charity funds.
Plunder is a non-bailable offense.
Attached to Arroyo’s motion is a psychological assessment report, saying hospital confinement is “not conducive” to her “speedy recuperation.”
Clinical psychologist Arnulfo Lopez says Arroyo has trouble sleeping and is experiencing loneliness because of her “confinement, limited contact with her family, and very restricted actions.”
As part of Arroyo’s treatment, Lopez recommends that she is given “unrestricted mobility, interactive lifestyle, engagement in her usual daily routine, and performance of her usual activities as a public servant.”
LPA NOW OVER AURORA
State weather bureau PAGASA says it will continue to rain over parts of Luzon and Visayas on Friday as a low pressure area was spotted 550 km east of Baler, Aurora as of 4 pm Thursday.
The rains cause flash floods around Metro Manila.
The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Check out Rappler’s Project Agos microsite – a one-stop shop for educating the public on how to prepare better for disasters.
Project Agos aims to raise awareness on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management.
It can help people better prepare, respond, and aid in recovery.
Visit rappler.com/projectagos.
DOH TO MUSLIMS: POSTPONE HAJJ PILGRIMAGE DUE TO MERS
About 6,500 Filipinos are set to join millions of pilgrims visiting holy sites in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj in October.
MERS has killed at least 284 people in Saudi Arabia since it first emerged in April 2012.
At least two of the dead in Saudi Arabia are Filipinos.
UNDOCUMENTED FILIPINOS IN THE US
Estimates say at least 300,000 Filipinos live in the US without proper documentation.
Some resort to hiding and falsifying documents to avoid deportation.
In June 2011 Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Jose Antonio Vargas revealed his status as an “undocumented immigrant.”
Vargas says he wants to promote dialogue about the immigration system in the US.
He also produced and directed an award-winning film – Documented.
JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS, DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTED: Look, like the level of ignorance and misinformation when it comes to this issue is just downright oceanic. It’s probably as big as the Pacific Ocean itself.
How many Filipinos in America who are citizens are not even involved in the civic issues in their own communities? Who don’t vote. Who don’t register to vote. Who think of America as just having a nice car, buying a nice house, and sending the Balikbayan box home and then that’s it.
Vargas talks about the stigma of being an undocumented immigrant.
He says there’s a lack of information on the issue. He blames the non-confrontational culture of Filipinos.
JOSE ANTONIO VARGAS, DIRECTOR OF DOCUMENTED: Everybody was, you can’t tell the whole world you’re TNT, you’re not supposed to say anything.
I think as a culture I think we always had a very kind of let’s adapt, let’s assimilate, let’s kind of just blend in, right? There’s that feeling of you don’t wanna rock the boat too much right?
Another undocumented Filipina Akiko Aspillaga details the struggles of staying in the US.
She says, the Philippines has the longest visa waiting line among Asian countries.
AKIKO ASPILLAGA, TED ASPIRE SPEAKER AND UNDOCUMENTED FILIPINA: It’s difficult to actually plan out a future and so many times I had to change that plan and just live on a daily basis especially you know, growing up and being this teenager, a young adult, a lot of these privileges that a lot of folks have and not to have to think about… I did not have. It was one of the most.. hardest thing that I have to live with and you know like I said I just have to live day by day and keep fighting.
Actually, I think the question should be, how can we stay? Stay the legal way. Because my mom came here with a working visa. And we tried to do it as much as possible by the book and still we fall out. With that alone we can see how much there needs to be a change in immigration and its process.
Second-generation Filipino and immigrations lawyer Rio Guerrero also talks about the culture of shame.
He is optimistic immigration reform will happen soon.
RIO GUERRERO, IMMIGRATIONS LAWYER: The Asian community generally in the United States has had a really low number turn out in documented communities… across the board. So it’s partially cultural, there’s the matter of hiya.
The advice of course is different for everybody but for those who are undocumented for the last 12 years it’s been quite a struggle, I hate having to give this story, having to give this advice, but I believe that comprehensive immigration will come.
I still remain hopeful, I mean I think the numbers will eventually be in our favor, but it is a difficult fight.
SINGAPORE DOWNPLAYS REPORT ON FILIPINO ‘BUDGET’ MAIDS
Al-Jazeera earlier reported the maids were put on display in shopping malls and treated like commodities.
In a statement, Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower says it did not find any “inappropriate displays” during its inspection of two agencies.
Recruiters offer maids using stereotypes that describe Filipinos as “smarter” compared to “less smart”
Indonesians and “compliant” Burmese.
The Philippines suspends the accreditation of one of the two Singaporean agencies while it investigates the issue.
WHAT’S AT STAKE IN INDONESIA’S ELECTIONS
Indonesian voters go through the last stages of a highly divisive presidential campaign with two prominent political figures in a close fight — Prabowo Subianto and Joko Widodo.
What is at stake for the world’s largest Muslim population and South East Asia’s biggest economy?
Ayee Macaraig files this v-log.
A former general from the traditional elite and a new generation grassroots leader.
It’s old versus new in Indonesia’s July 9 presidential election…
Only the third time this Southeast Asia nation directly chooses its leader since the fall of dictator Suharto in 1998.
It’s one of the closest races in the country’s history and is one of the most important events in the region.
What exactly is at stake?
This election is seen as a test for Indonesia’s democracy, the 3rd largest in the world after India and the United States.
187 million Indonesian voters face a stark choice between Jakarta governor Joko Widodo or Jokowi, and former special forces commander Prabowo Subianto.
Called the Indonesian Obama, Jokowi is a popular grassroots leader who rose from being a furniture salesman.
He fought red tape and instituted reforms as mayor of the Central Java city of Solo.
Supporters see him as the man who will fight corruption, deeply entrenched in Indonesia but critics hit his inexperience.
Prabowo bills himself as a strongman that Indonesia’s young diverse democracy needs.
But he has a dark record of human right abuses for kidnapping student activists in the unrest that led to Suharto’s downfall.
While Jokowi was the early favorite in this race, Prabowo’s well-oiled campaign cut his lead to 3-7 points with less than a week to go before the polls.
How exactly do Indonesians view the two?
Previously, I supported Jokowi but then after Prabowo emerged, now I choose Prabowo because he is firm. Hopefully, he can do something about corruption, eradicate it.
Prabowo is a strong leader. If we have a weak leader, he might be attacked from behind by another country.
I am traumatized. In 1965, I was arrested by the military. Even though [Prabowo] is a former military general, I am still traumatized. In 1966, I was a member of a leftist youth movement.
Jokowi is a man of the people. He visits his people. He deserves to lead the people That’s why the people have to vote for Jokowi because Jokowi is honest and wise.
Whoever wins, the result of this election will shape the direction of the world’s largest Muslim nation the next 5 years.
With Indonesia being Southeast Asia’s leader, mediator and biggest economy,
The man who leads this nation will also influence this region’s future.
Ayee Macaraig, Rappler, Indonesia.
For all news related to the Indonesian elections visit rappler.com/indonesia.
Follow live updates from Rappler Indonesia – @RapplerID on Twitter.
PISTORIUS SUFFERING POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER – REPORT
A psychologist’s report says athlete Oscar Pistorius could commit suicide.
The BBC says Pistorius is reportedly suffering from post traumatic stress disorder after he shot his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013.
Pistorius denies it was murder, saying he shot Steenkamp by mistake when he mistook her for an intruder.
This comes after a team of psychiatrists presented the results of the four-week assessment of the athlete’s mental health.
The psychiatrists concluded Pistorius does not suffer from a mental illness.
He faces a minimum jail sentence of 25 years if convicted.
WASHINGTON TO TIGHTEN SECURITY FOR US-BOUND FLIGHTS
US authorities will tighten security at some airports in Europe and the Middle East with direct flights to the United States.
US Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says unspecified steps will be implemented in “coming days” following concern that terror groups are developing new explosives to circumvent airport security.
The announcement comes before the US Independence Day celebrations on July 4.
On Sunday, US President Barack Obama warned Europeans who embrace jihad in Syria and Iraq threaten the US because their passports mean they can enter the US without a visa.
THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
wRap #6: CHINA WANTS TO BOOST ECONOMIC TIES WITH PH
China’s ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua says it’s time to strengthen the weak economic links between the Philippines and China.
In a speech to Filipino businessmen, Zhao notes the Philippines has been investing more in China than the other way around.
Zhao does not mention the tense maritime dispute between the two countries.
Total bilateral trade reached $16.39 billion in 2013, making mainland China the Philippines’ number 3 trading partner.
wRap #8: UN SEEKS TO TEMPER EBOLA SCARE
The United Nations says the highly-contagious Ebola epidemic in West Africa can be stopped.
Ebola has infected hundreds of people in African countries Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
Latest figures report 467 people dead from the virus.
Last week, medical charity Doctors Without Borders said the spread of the virus was “out of control.”
The World Health Organization warns, Ebola could spread to other countries.
wRap #9: NASA LAUNCHES SATELLITE TO TRACK CARBON DIOXIDE
Space agency NASA launches a satellite that can track carbon dioxide, the greenhouse gas responsible for global warming.
The successful takeoff comes as a boon after two failed bids to launch Earth science spacecraft in 2009 and 2011.
The Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission aims to provide the most detailed picture of natural carbon dioxide sources.
Human activities, like the burning of oil and coal, send nearly 40 billion tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year.
For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’
MURRAY STUNNED AS BRILLIANT DIMITROV ENDS CHAMP’S REIGN
At the Wimbledon, Andy Murray fails to defend his title as he falls to Grigor Dimitrov Wednesday.
Dimitrov completely outclassed Murray in three sets.
Murray’s loss snaps his 17-match winning streak ending his hopes of becoming the first British man to defend the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936.
Dimitrov will play Novak Djokovic for a place in the final.
– Rappler.com
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| HEAD WRITER / PROMPTER | Katerina Francisco |
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| MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK | Exxon Ruebe |
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| TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN | Charlie Salazar |
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| Francis Lopez | |
| Naoki Mengua | |
| GRAPHICS | Jessica Lazaro |
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