Rappler Newscast | September 15, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• The Senate invites Vice President Binay to explain charges of corruption against him; the first time a sitting vice president is called to a legislative probe.
• The government says no casualties from Typhoon Luis – international name Kalmaegi.
• Retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan moves to the Philippine Army detention cell.

 

Story 1: SENATE INVITES VP BINAY TO EXPLAIN KICKBACK ALLEGATIONS
For the first time, a sitting vice president is called to a legislative investigation.
A Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee invites Vice President Jejomar Binay to a hearing on September 25…
regarding the alleged overpricing of a Makati city hall building.
The building is the basis of a plunder complaint filed against the Vice President and his son, incumbent Makati Mayor Junjun Binay.
In an earlier Senate hearing, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado…
said Binay got a 13% kickback from city projects when he was still mayor.
The Vice President was supposed to address the accusations against him in a special event Monday…
but postponed it to visit the typhoon-hit provinces of Cagayan and Isabela.
In a text message to Rappler, Binay’s spokesman says the Vice President will decide whether to accept or reject the invite after the address.

 

Story 2: GOV’T CLAIMS #LUISPH BROUGHT ‘ZERO CASUALTY’
The government says there are no casualties so far from the onslaught of Typhoon Luis — international name Kalmaegi — over the weekend.
The disaster management council excludes the deaths from the sinking of M/V Maharlika 2 off Southern Leyte…
saying the incident was only an “indirect” impact of the typhoon.

 

ALEXANDER PAMA, NDRRMC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: So far wala tayong na-aattribute na directly as a result of Luis may namatay. It’s a little bit debatable if it’s a result of Luis. Kasi may ibang mga barko doon, yung ibang mga barko naman na hindi na-disgrasya, hindi na-aksidente, so it boils down na nag-umpisa doon sa naging depekto o derangement ng barko.

 

(So far, there have been no deaths attributed to Luis. Because there were other ships there. No accidents occured in the other boats so it boils down that it started as a defect of the ship.)

 

The typhoon is out of the Philippine area of responsibility…
but state weather bureau PAGASA says the the provinces of
Zambales, Bataan, Mindoro and Palawan may experience occasional rains.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country should expect isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.

 

Story 3: PROJECT AGOS MICROSITE
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.

 

Story 4: PALPARAN IS ‘HOME,’ NOW IN ARMY HQ DETENTION CELL
Retired Army Major General Jovito Palparan is home.
He smiles as he arrives at the Philippine Army headquarters Monday, following a court order to move him from the Bulacan Provincial Jail to the Army Custodial Center.
The general, tagged as The Butcher by human rights activists, is accused of masterminding the abduction of 2 University of the Philippines students in June 2006.
The Malolos regional trial court ordered his arrest in 2009…
but Palparan evaded arrest until soldiers captured him in August 2014.
He earlier asked the court to transfer him from the Bulacan jail because of alleged threats to his life.
Palparan says there is an assassination threat against him from the New People’s Army.
Human rights activists protest the transfer…
but military chief General Gregorio Catapang Jr says he’s happy that the court granted Palparan’s request.
He adds, “We look forward to his safety while undergoing trial.”
The military says the general won’t be given special treatment.

 

LT COL NOEL DETOYATO, ARMY SPOKESPERSON: As ordered by the court with presiding judge Teoodora Gonzales, the PH Army will take custody of major general Palparan. He will be detained at the Philippine Army custodial center. We will abide by the provisions of the transfer as stipulated by the court order. He will be presented to the court when needed. No special treatment because it is stipulated in the court order.

 

Joining Palparan in the custodial center are his co-accused in the abduction of the 2 UP students.

 

Story 5: SOLIMAN ADMITS LAPSES IN YOLANDA RELIEF, WON’T RESIGN
Despite calls urging her to resign over spoiled food packs intended for survivors of Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan, social welfare secretary Corazon Soliman says she won’t resign.
Soliman takes responsibility for the 7,527 food packs that got spoiled in transit from Cebu to Tacloban.
But Soliman adds, the food packs only comprise 0.17% of the 4 million given out to typhoon survivors.
Responding to calls for her resignation, Soliman says, “I don’t want to be distracted because there is still much more to be done.”
“We accept our lapses and we will correct them.”
The secretary adds the department has already utilized 90% of the donations for the victims of the typhoon that hit Central Philippines in November 2013.

 

Story 6: THE wRap
Let’s now look at Rappler’s “wRap” for today…
a list of the ten most important events around the world you shouldn’t miss.
At number 5, British Prime Minister David Cameron says Britain would hunt down the killers of an aid worker beheaded by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or ISIS.
On Saturday, the terrorist group released a video showing the killing of David Haines, the third Western hostage to be killed in less than a month.
In the video, Haines identified himself and explained that he was paying the price for Cameron’s moves against ISIS.
The terrorist group threatens to execute another British captive, Alan Henning.
At number 6, Appearing in Iowa Sunday, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton jokes about her potential 2016 White House bid, telling Democratic supporters she was –quote– “thinking about it.”
Clinton said she will announce next year whether she will run for president.
Iowa, a small farming state of 3.1 million, holds disproportionate sway in US presidential politics due to its caucuses.
A CNN/ORC International poll released Friday shows the former first lady is already polling ahead…
with 53% of Democratic voters in Iowa favoring Clinton.
And at number 8, More than 1,000 activists rally in Hong Kong Sunday to protest Beijing’s proposal for a highly restricted form of universal suffrage.
Protesters carry black cloth displaying Chinese characters that read ‘civil disobedience’ and ‘boycott classes.’
Last month, Beijing said candidates for Hong Kong’s 2017 polls will be vetted by a pro-Beijing committee.
Pro-democracy groups vowed to usher in a new “era of civil disobedience” against the decision.
For the full top 10 visit Rappler.com’s ‘the wRap.’

 

– 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