Rappler Newscast | September 5, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Friday traffic gets worse as vehicles are stuck in a monster jam at the North Luzon Expressway.
• Doctors recommend hospital arrest for Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.
• Scientists discover an enormous dinosaur in Argentina.

 

TOLENTINO: MMDA NOT TO BLAME FOR NLEX CONGESTION

 

What caused the nightmare traffic at the North Luzon Expressway or NLEX, Friday?
Netizens take to social media, complaining about the hours of standstill traffic going southbound.
Replying to commuters, the NLEX tweeted the Metro Manila Development Authority or MMDA’s “one-truck lane” policy was to blame for the traffic.
In an interview with television channel ANC, MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said the “one-truck lane” policy only applies to C5 road, far away from NLEX.
He added, “Some are probably barking up the wrong tree.”
Later Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said the real cause was a “realignment rerouting” in Caloocan city.
In an earlier tweet, the NLEX also said a “1 truck lane policy” in the city of Manila was to blame.
Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno pointed out, “Navotas and Caloocan also passed the same ordinance.”

 

TACLOBAN AIRPORT CLOSED TO LARGE AIRCRAFT TILL DECEMBER 3
The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines or CAAP says aircrafts larger than turbo propeller jets are banned from the Daniel Romualdez Airport in Tacloban City until December 3.
The airport runway is under repair due to potholes.
Local airline Cebu Pacific cancelled its Tacloban-bound flights using Airbus aircraft from September 4 to 30.
Cebu Pacific says it is arranging additional flights to accommodate affected passengers.
The Tacloban airport was severely damaged when Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda made landfall in central Philippines in November last year.

 

MAGUINDANAO DECLARES A STATE OF CALAMITY
Maguindanao declares a state of calamity Friday…
with 26 towns submerged in flood waters due to rain by low pressure areas.
Data from Maguindanao’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council says homes of more than 180,000 individuals or around 35,000 families are submerged.
Maguindanao Governor Esmael Mangudadatu announces relief distribution will be on Monday.
It is the third time Maguindanao has declared a state of calamity.
The province is one of the most affected by floods in the country.

 

Check out Rappler’s Project Agos microsite…
a one-stop shop to help the public prepare better for disasters.  
Project Agos aims to raise awareness on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction and management.
You can see what to do before, during and after natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
Visit www.rappler.com/projectagos.

 

PGH DOCTORS RECOMMEND HOSPITAL ARREST FOR ENRILE
Doctors from the Philippine General Hospital or PGH recommended hospital arrest for Senator Juan Ponce Enrile Thursday.
The senator is confined at the Philippine National Police General Hospital inside Camp Crame due to his health.
Cardiologist John Añonuevo testified before anti-graft court Sandiganbayan that Enrile’s heart is weakening and he is at risk for a stroke or a heart attack.
Pulmonologist Leonora Fernandez said Enrile is also suffering from asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease due to his smoking.
The doctors also recommended a transfer to the Philippine Heart Center in Quezon City.
Since his detention, Enrile also had eye check-ups at the Asian Eye Institute in Makati City.
He has age-related macular degeneration, which may lead to blindness without regular treatment.
On Monday, the Senate suspended Enrile for 90 days.
He cannot perform his duties as senator.
Enrile faces plunder and graft charges for his alleged involvement in the multi billion peso pork barrel scam.
The senator allegedly pocketed P172 million or almost $4 million in kickbacks.

 

DOH: FILIPINO NURSE TESTS NEGATIVE FOR MERS
After days of further testing, the health department says the Filipino nurse who earlier tested positive for the MERS Coronavirus is negative for the disease.
On Wednesday, two nurses from Saudi Arabia arrived in the country. According to the nurse’s supervisor in Saudi Arabia, one of the them
– a 37-year-old Filipina from General Santos City – tested positive for MERS-COV.
Testing by health authorities in Saudi Arabia and the Philippines’ Research Institute for Tropical Medicine yield negative results.
Department of Health Spokesperson Lyndon Lee Suy confirms, “The Philippines remains to be MERS-CoV free.”
The MERS or Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is a highly fatal illness characterized by fever, cough, often accompanied by diarrhea.

 

NO FUNDS FOR CHA-CHA, BANGSAMORO IN COMELEC’S 2015 BUDGET
The Commission on Elections or Comelec says there is no funding in its proposed 2015 budget for plebiscites on charter change and the Bangsamoro.
At the House hearing on the Comelec budget Thursday Comelec Chair Sixto Brillantes said
they requested P36 billion or $826.3 million from the Budget Department or DBM.
The DBM lowered the poll body’s budget to P16.9 billion or $387.9 million.
Removed from the Comelec’s budget are the following allotments: P7 billion or $160 million for a charter change plebiscite, P679 million or $15.5 million for the Bangsamoro political entity, and P321.5 million or $7.3 million for recall elections.
Talks of amendments to the 1987 Constitution surfaced in August when President Benigno Aquino admitted he is open to charter change.
Meanwhile, the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF in March signed a historic peace agreement that will give rise to a new political entity in Mindanao to be known as the Bangsamoro.
To proceed with the plebiscite, the Bangsamoro Basic Law needs to be passed and approved.
Despite the reduction or removal of some items, Comelec’s 2015 budget is 487% higher than its 2014 budget of P2.9 billion or $66.42 million…
because of the poll body’s preparations for the 2016 elections.
The amount also includes  the purchase of additional precinct count optical scan or PCOS machines and biometric voter’s identification devices to be used on election day.

 

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

 

BOYCOTT OF PEACE SUMMIT SEEN AS S. AFRICA BARS THE DALAI LAMA’S ENTRY
A summit of Nobel peace laureates in South Africa may face a boycott after the country refused to issue a visa to the Dalai Lama.
An aide of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader confirms the South African government will not grant a visa to avoid disturbing relations with China.
A spokesman for South African laureate and former archbishop Desmond Tutu says other invited guests will boycott the summit if the Dalai Lama is not allowed into the country.
This is the 3rd time in 5 years South Africa denied the Dalai Lama entry.

 

WHO: 1 SUICIDE EVERY 40 SECONDS AN AVOIDABLE TRAGEDY
The World Health Organization or WHO releases a report showing one person commits suicide every 40 seconds.
WHO chief Margaret Chan says suicide is an avoidable tragedy that fails to grab attention because of taboos and stigma.
The study covers 172 countries and is released
3 weeks after Hollywood actor Robin Williams’ apparent suicide.
The WHO also warns publicized reports of suicide raise the risk of copycats.

 

JOAN RIVERS DIES, BUT ‘SHE WOULD WANT US TO RETURN TO LAUGHING SOON’
Comedian and TV host Joan Rivers dies Thursday afternoon or early Friday morning Manila time.
She was 81.
Rivers was on life support since August 28 when she reportedly stopped breathing during a medical procedure on her vocal cords.
Rivers is known for her biting humor where she pokes fun at people and herself.
She rose to popularity when she guested on Johnny Carson’s “The Tonight Show” during the 80s.

 

For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

 

MEET DREADNOUGHTUS, A SUPERMASSIVE DINO
Scientists on Thursday said they discovered a supermassive dinosaur in Argentina.
The dinosaur died about 77 million years ago.
Dubbed Dreadnoughtus schrani, the dinosaur measured 26 meters or 85 feet from nose to tail and weighed about 60 tons… that’s seven Tyrannosaurus rex put together.
Paleontologist Kenneth Lacovara discovered the fossils in 2005.
He said it is “by far the best example we have of any of the most giant creatures to ever walk the planet.”
Lacovara added, Dreadnoughtus was a herbivore, and would have eaten vast quantities of plants growing in the forest.

GILAS PILIPINAS EXITS FIBA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WITH A WIN
Gilas Pilipinas ends its FIBA World Championship campaign with a win.
They may not have made it to the next round, but fans are still proud of the national team.
Rodneil Quiteles files this report from Seville, Spain.

 

After 5 tries, Gilas Pilipinas finally wins a game in the FIBA World Cup…
defeating Senegal, 81 to 79.
It’s the first win for the Philippines in 40 years…
And passionate Filipino basketball fans from all over the world are elated.

 

RAMIL PARANTAR, FILIPINO GILAS PILIPINAS FAN FROM NORWAY: Overall po, the best. Mataas po. Despite na 1-4 tayo, pero makikita ninyo naman sa lahat ng laro nila e close game po
(Overall, their performance was really high. Even though we finished with a 1-4 record, we saw in all the games, they were right there.)

 

ROY PAUNLAGUI, GILAS PILIPINAS FAN FROM BATANGAS: Flew all the way here galing pang Santo Tomas, Batangas just to watch the win. Sulit na sulit!
(Flew all the way here from Santo Tomas, Batangas just to watch the win. It was worth it!)

 

Iba, iba. Daig pa ang nag-champion. Kaya natin ‘to makakapasok pa ulit tayo.

 

(It’s a great feeling, even better than winning the championship. We can do it. We can make it to the World Cup again.)

 

Gilas head coach Chot Reyes is happy with the win, but can’t help but feel a little regret.

 

CHOT REYES, GILAS PILIPINAS HEAD COACH: One lucky bounce here, one lucky bounce there. Croatia game, Jeff’s last shot, Jayson’s last opportunity against Argentina. Had we converted then we would be going to Madrid now. There’s just a tinge of regret for that.

 

But he says they did enough to prove the country belongs to the world stage

 

CHOT REYES, GILAS PILIPINAS HEAD COACH: We showed the whole tournament that we belong, that we could compete, and tonight we showed that we could win.

 

It’s a promising run for a team.
Many thought they would not come so close to their opponents.
Gilas Pilipinas showed the world the Philippine brand of basketball…
Staying true to never giving up…
fighting with all their hearts.
Team captain Jimmy Alapag hopes the next group to wear the Gilas jersey will take the country to the next level.

 

JIMMY ALAPAG, GILAS PILIPINAS TEAM CAPTAIN: I’m just praying that the next generation, the next group of guys will continue to work and bring the Philippines back into the world stage, try to get two wins, and get to the second round.

 

Rodneil Quiteles, Rappler. Spain.

 

 – 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