Rappler Newscast | July 21, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Leftist congressmen slaps President Aquino with his first impeachment complaint.
• Investigators finally gain access to the MH17 crash site controlled by Ukrainian rebels.
• Jakarta Governor Jokowi leads official tallies in Indonesia’s presidential race.

Story 1: FILED: FIRST VALID IMPEACH COMPLAINT VS AQUINO
The first valid impeachment complaint is filed against president Benigno Aquino after 4 years in office.
At least 28 people sign the document.
Three representatives from the leftist Makabayan bloc endorse the complaint, accusing Aquino of culpable violation of the Constitution and betrayal of public trust over his controversial spending program.
Aquino faces criticism over the Disbursement Acceleration Program or DAP, a spending program meant to boost the economy by transferring funds from slow-moving projects to fast-disbursing ones.
But the Supreme Court declared several acts under DAP unconstitutional.
On July 14, a combative Aquino slammed the justices for their verdict, saying the decision was “difficult to understand.”
Barring technical issues, the House committee on justice will be holding its first impeachment hearing against the President.
But administration allies doubt any impeachment complaint against the President would prosper.

Story 2: SOLGEN ASKS SC TO STOP AQUINO FROM PICKING NEXT JUSTICE
In an unprecedented move, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza asks the Supreme Court to stop President Aquino from choosing a new Supreme Court justice.
Jardeleza was earlier excluded by the Judicial and Bar Council or JBC in the shortlist of nominees to replace retired Justice Roberto Abad.
In a petition filed with the Court on Friday, Jardeleza asked for 3 things: First, declare Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and the JBC as having acted in grave abuse of discretion for excluding him; second, direct the JBC to include him in the shortlist; and third, issue a restraining order stopping the President from appointing Abad’s replacement.
Jardeleza’s petition is unprecedented.
He is effectively asking the Supreme Court to censure the highest official of the land and to block the President from exercising his constitutional mandate.
Reacting to the petition, Iloilo Representative Neil Tupas Jr says Jardeleza should not have gone to the High Court to complain.
He says the Solicitor General should have presented his arguments before the JBC.

Story 3: ‘LARGEST THEATER ON EARTH’ SHOWS IGLESIA’S INFLUENCE
Iglesia ni Cristo begins its week-long centennial celebration by opening the colossal Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
Paterno Esmaquel files this video blog.

PATERNO ESMAQUEL, REPORTING: They call this place the “largest theater on Earth.” This is the Philippine Arena, a 55,000-seater structure worth $8.7 billion or $200 million.

President Benigno Aquino and Iglesia ni Cristo Executive Minister Eduardo Manalo unveil it in time for the Iglesia’s centennial on July 27.
In his speech, Aquino praises the Iglesia, which elected him as a bloc in 2010.

BENIGNO AQUINO, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Malinaw po sa akin: Hindi natatapos sa loob ng kapilya ang inyong pagbubuklod at pananampalataya…Dinadalaw din ninyo ang inyong mga kaanib upang personal silang kamustahin, at aktibo po silang hikayatin na makilahok sa mga gawain ng komunidad. (For me it is clear: Your unity and faith do not end inside the chapel…You also visit your members to personally check on them, and actively encourage them to join community activities.)

He also uses the event to slam his critics.

BENIGNO AQUINO, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: Mayroon pong iilan na anuman ang gawin ko, gaya ng pagdalo rito, ay maghahanap pa rin ng puwedeng ibatikos. Paalala ko lang sa kanila: Kung kapwa ko Kristiyano, tungkulin nating magmahalan sa ngalan ng Panginoon, sa halip na maghasik ng agam-agam at ‘di-pagkakaunawaan. (There are some who, no matter what I do, like attending this event, will always look for things to criticize. I just want to remind them: If you are my fellow Christians, it is our duty to love each other in the name of the Lord, instead of sowing confusion and misunderstanding.)

Other officials and diplomats join the event, proof of the Iglesia’s clout in the country over the past century.
Paterno Esmaquel, Rappler, Bulacan.

Story 4: #GLENDAPH LEAVES ALMOST 100 DEAD, P7.4B IN DAMAGE
Typhoon Glenda — international name Rammasun — left at least 97 people dead, most of them in Quezon province.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council says more than than 1.6 million people in 7 regions are affected.
The typhoon, which hit the Philippines last Tuesday, also left P7.4 billion or $170.4 million in damage to infrastructure and agriculture.

Story 5: #HENRYPH: BATANES UNDER SIGNAL NO. 2
Storm signal number 2 is up over Batanes as Typhoon Henry — international name Matmo — moves toward extreme Northern Luzon.
Cagayan, including the Babuyan and Calayan Islands, remains under Signal No 1.
State weather bureau PAGASA says the typhoon will bring moderate to heavy rain in Cagayan Valley, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol region and Western Visayas.
As of 4pm, the typhoon is located 420 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan.
It is expected to leave the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday afternoon.

Story 6: PROJECT AGOS MICROSITE
Check out Rappler’s Project Agos microsite, a one-stop shop for educating the public on how to better prepare for disasters.
You can track the path of Typhoon Henry on it now and report on our live map.
Project Agos aims to raise awareness on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management.
It can help people prepare, respond, and aid in recovery.
Visit www.rappler.com/projectagos.

Story 7: POE: DAP CONTROVERSY SHOWS NEED FOR FOI
Government officials, policy makers, and journalists gather to discuss the state of the Freedom of Information or FOI Bill Monday.
The public’s right to know is the basis of the FOI bill.
Senator Grace Poe keynotes and says technology makes it even more important to pass the law now because of crowdsourcing – what James Surowiecki’s book calls “The Wisdom of Crowds.”

GRACE POE, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: This belief – that the collective wisdom of the crowd is superior to the personal judgment of even the most exceptional individual / leader – lies at the heart and is really the main rationale for FOI.

As the bill’s sponsor, Poe argues the controversy surrounding the government’s spending program shows the need for a law that will improve transparency.
Poe adds, if the Philippines had the FOI, the Budget Department would have been compelled to disclose the projects to the public beforehand and not after the fact.
The list of projects under the Disbursement Acceleration Program was posted months after the controversy first broke out in September 2013.

GRACE POE, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: I believe the masa is not dumb. Ang Pilipino po ay hindi tanga. Nagmumukha lang tayong tanga dahil kulang tayo sa sapat na impormasyon. (The Filipino is not stupid. We just appear stupid because we lack sufficient information.) Sa pamamagitan po ng FOI maibibigay natin sa ating mga kababayan ang kagustuhan nilang maintindihan ang kanilang gobyerno. Thus, value of the FOI will not only help prevent graft and corruption, but eventually it will teach people to participate and get involved. (Through the FOI we’ll be able to address our countrymen’s need to understand their own government.)

During the panel session FOI Bill co-author Camarines Sur Representative Leni Robredo admits the House has been –quote– “dragging its heels” on the bill.
Robredo says had the FOI been passed earlier, the degree of corruption in the pork barrel scam might have been prevented.

LENI ROBREDO, REPRESENTATIVE, 3RD DISTRICT, CAMARINES SUR: I think things would’ve played differently. Because in a sense, government officials would’ve been more deliberate in identifying projects.

Robredo adds, there should be an effort to educate the people.
She says the FOI campaign is -quote- “sorely lacking” when it comes to making it relevant to what people need, including the link to reducing poverty.
Robredo cites the work of her husband, the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, who made transactions in Naga transparent by making constituents understand the impact of policies on their daily lives.

LENI ROBREDO, REPRESENTATIVE, 3RD DISTRICT, CAMARINES SUR: Only very few village people actually appreciated the transparency board, what it was for. So the next thing my husband did was organize all sectors. And when I say all, it really was all. Even those who were street vendors, or engaged in the laundry business, mga labandera, even those who were engaged in menial jobs were organized. Because when they were organized they were given a voice and a platform.

Story 8: PETILLA TO AQUINO: DECLARE POWER EMERGENCY
Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla asks President Aquino to declare a state of emergency over the Philippines’ limited power supply.
Petilla says an impending shortage will hit the country summer of 2015.
He adds, the country may go on red alert, which means an insufficient supply of energy.
Luzon was earlier placed on yellow alert 5 times from January to June this year and 3 times on red alert from May to June.

Story 9: FORENSICS EXPERTS INSPECT MH17 CRASH SITE
Dutch investigators finally gain access to the crash site of the MH17 Monday to inspect the bodies of victims.
The area is under control of pro-Russian Ukrainian rebels.
The corpses were loaded on a refrigerated train coach, with each wagon carrying a total of more than 200 corpses.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte says the Dutch would be coordinating the task of identifying the 298 dead from Thursday’s crash.
Rutte adds, the priority is to move the bodies to Kiev-controlled territory.
He says,”We want our people back.”
Pro-Russian rebels are believed to have shot down the plane.
The rebels earlier said they moved the bodies of the victims “out of respect for the families.”
As international anger grows, US Secretary of State John Kerry lays out –quote– “extraordinary circumstantial evidence” that Ukrainian rebels shot down the jet with weapons from Russia.
Kerry says US intelligence is convinced a sophisticated SA11 missile system was used to bring down the plane.
Speaking to CNN, Kerry says the Ukrainians –quote– “did not have such a system anywhere near the vicinity at that point in time.”
He adds, “It is clear that Russia supports the separatists.”

Story 10: KIN OF MH17 FILIPINO VICTIM
The tragedy of MH17 hits us here at home.
A Filipino mother and her family were on their way to a reunion in the Philippines on board that Malaysia Airlines plane.
Pia Ranada reports its impact affects many more lives.

Irene Pabellon Gunawan was excited to see her siblings in the Philippines.
With her indonesian husband Hadiono, 20 year old son, Darryl, and 15 year old daughter Sherryl, they were all going to the Philippines to attend the family’s yearly reunion.
Darryl even posted on instagram: “Off to The Philippines & Vietnam for a month!”
He had planned to go to Vietnam after the Philippines. But those plans ended abruptly.
On July 17, their plane, Malaysia Air Flight MH17 was hit by a missile over Ukrainian air space.
Charred bodies lie in a refrigerated train while the metal scraps are still in the fields.
Some 9,000 kilometers away, Irene’s family in the sleepy town of Pagbilao in Quezon waits.
Irene’s siblings have been in a state of anxiety for days.
They offer prayers and wait for news from the media or the government.
Sherryl’s clothes lie folded, ready to be worn.
The room reserved for the Netherlands-based family remains locked.
Tirso Pabellon, Irene’s older brother, says they’ve lost a sister and the pillar of their family.

TIRSO PABELLON, BROTHER OF IRENE GUNAWAN: Siya po ang taong hindi ko malilimutan kahit sa huling sandali kasi siya ang breadwinner ng aming family. Lahat ng pamangkin na hindi namin kaya paaralan hanggang sa mataas na antas ay siya ang nagpuno ng lahat para makatapos sila. Mahal niya ang pamilya namin, bago ang lahat. Pamilya muna ang inuuna niya bago ang sarili. (I will never forget her until the end because she is the breadwinner of our family. She supports our children’s schooling if we cannot. She loves our family before everything else. She always puts family first before herself.)

Kim, Irene’s nephew, still has his aunt’s favorite mug and lighter in their house down the road.

KIM PABELLON, NEPHEW OF IRENE GUNAWAN: Ang huli po naming usap noon ay nung Lunes, bago siya sumakay sa eroplano, ang huling usap namin nun ay mag-iinuman kami. Sabi niya, “I’m so proud of you Kim kasi mas inuna mo yung mga research papers mo.” (Our last conversation was last Monday before she boarded the airplane. We said we would drink together. She said, ‘I’m so proud of you Kim because you prioritize your research papers.)

In the living room, a model airplane reminds them of the tragedy.

TIRSO PABELLON, BROTHER OF IRENE GUNAWAN: Ilang tao yung namatay? Bawat isang pamilya doon na namatay, sampung doble ang nagmamahal doon. Gaano yan? Hindi kaya ng isang eroplano yang isakay, yung pinaka malaki. Buong mundo ang nasaktan. (How many people died? Each family that died was loved by so many other people. How many is that? Not even the biggest plane can fit that many people in. The whole world was hurt.

Their loved ones gone forever, the Pabellons at least want answers.

KIM PABELLON, NEPHEW OF IRENE GUNAWAN: Wala kami sinisisi kasi nangyari na pero kung meron po, yun na po ang responsibilidad na ng gobyerno. Sana tumulong sila na malaman kung sino ang may gawa, kung sino ang may kasalanan sa nangyari. (We do not blame anyone because it already happened but if someone is to blame, that’s the government’s responsibility. I hope they help find out who is at fault for what happened.)

Pia Ranada, Rappler, Pagbilao Quezon.

Story 11: JOKOWI-KALLA TICKET LEADS OFFICIAL TALLY, SET FOR WIN
Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo or Jokowi and running mate Jusuf Kalla lead the official tallies nearly two weeks after Indonesia’s tightly contested presidential race.
Though not final, the provincial tallies from the General Elections Commission or KPU show Jokowi and Kalla with a lead of almost 8.5 million votes over rival ticket Prabowo Subianto and Hatta Rajasa.
These findings are consistent with credible election day quick counts saying Jokowi would win.
The camp of former general Prabowo earlier asked that the announcement of results be postponed after the Elections Supervisory Agency or Bawaslu said it detected polling irregularities in Jakarta.
The agency asked the KPU to investigate the suspected violations.
The Prabowo camp warns it will report the KPU to the police if it pushes through with the announcement of results despite the allegations of fraud.

Story 12: BLOODY SUNDAY AS 100 GAZANS, 13 ISRAELI SOLDIERS KILLED
It’s the bloodiest single day in Gaza in five years.
At least 100 Palestinians and 13 Israeli soldiers were killed in an Israeli assault on Shejaiya, near Gaza City, Sunday.
The Palestinian death toll soars to 438 as Israel ramps up its military offensive, prompting the UN Security Council to open emergency talks to address the escalating violence.
Late Sunday, the Council appealed for an immediate ceasefire, while UN chief Ban Ki-Moon urged Israel to “exercise maximum restraint.”
As war rages, experts say children suffer the most.
At least 73 children have been killed by Israeli fire in the Gaza Strip.
UNICEF says children make up one-third of civilian casualties in the conflict.
More than half of the children killed are under the age of 12.

Story 13: THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ
At number 8, a loneliness epidemic among younger adults in Britain.
This comes a month after the Office of National Statistics found Britain to be the loneliness capital of Europe.
In a report, The Guardian says loneliness is a greater concern among young people than the elderly.
The Guardian cites the close relationship between loneliness and mental health problems like increased stress, depression, and anxiety.
And while social media allows instant communication, young people may withdraw socially when they expect to have idealized versions of their friends’ lives as portrayed on social media.

At number 9, Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine is officially off the market.
Levine married Namibian model Behati Prinsloo in Mexico Saturday.
US Weekly reported around 300 guests attended the wedding.
Levine and Prinsloo started dating in June 2012.
After a brief split up in March 2013, the two reconciled.
Levine proposed to Prinsloo in July 2013.

And at number 10, Prince George shows he’s gotten the hang of walking.
Prince William and Duchess Kate released a photo of the future king to mark his first birthday Tuesday.
The little boy, wearing striped dungaree shorts over a navy blue top, was photographed confidently on his feet with his arms outstretched and his eyes fixed on his destination.
A low-key party at the family home at Kensington Palace will mark the occasion.
For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

Lonely girl image from Shutterstock

– 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