Rappler Newscast | September 17, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• After being criticized for saying he’s open to a second term, President Aquino acknowledges it’s open to abuse of power.
• Senator Santiago favors granting President Aquino emergency powers to address a looming power crisis.
• A day before the historic vote new polls show Scotland could narrowly reject independence.

 

AQUINO: 2ND TERM OPEN TO ABUSE OF POWER

 

Facing public outrage over talk of reelection, President Benigno Aquino acknowledges a second term is open to abuse of power.
Speaking to reporters Monday after visiting Spain, Aquino says a second term might open the possibility for one who “might not have altruistic intentions” to abuse his power in the future.

 

BENIGNO AQUINO III, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: If you have somebody who is dead set on retaining power for life, by opening up this possibility of a reelection, then siyempre some quarters are saying, “Go into a parliamentary system without term limits,” there is that big danger that somebody will suddenly decide to never leave. You have to weigh that risk, that real risk. Ngayon eh whether you like it or not, there is one term, period.

 

But Aquino also says reelecting him as President has a “host of benefits,” and is possible even if the Constitution prohibits this.

 

BENIGNO AQUINO III, PHILIPPINE PRESIDENT: The people who are saying run again are saying I did a good job in the past four years. Siyempre you become more efficient, without a learning curve, in a second term. That’s the plus.

 

Aquino’s critics and even a number of allies have thumbed down Aquino’s proposal to lift the term limit.
But a Malacañang official close to Aquino earlier told Rappler the idea was “never serious.”
It was supposedly meant to make the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is eyeing the presidency in 2016, to slow down on their campaign aggression.

 

 

MIRIAM FAVORS EMERGENCY POWERS FOR AQUINO

Senator Miriam Santiago favors granting President Aquino emergency powers to avert a looming power crisis… but only for 6 months.
In a news briefing, Santiago says there is no time to build more power plants…
to address the expected power shortage in the summer of 2015.

 

MIRIAM SANTIAGO, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: We cannot build any more power plants because we just don’t have the time and it costs too much. We need to give him these powers so that he can make sure that the outages will not follow the schedule drawn up by the experts

 

The energy department says an additional 400 to 500 megawatts are needed as buffer supply.
Aquino earlier asked Congress to grant him powers to contract additional power generating capacity.
Santiago says Aquino should be given emergency powers immediately but Senate President Franklin Drilon and Senator Serge Osmena say the process cannot be rushed.

 

 

US SHOULD VOLUNTEER TO PAY FOR TUBBATAHA DAMAGE – MIRIAM

Senator Miriam Santiago says the United States should volunteer to pay for the damage its warship inflicted on Tubbataha Reef.
This comes after the Supreme Court said the matter of seeking compensation is up to President Aquino.
The Court added it does not have jurisdiction over the case against the US because of a legal principle that makes states immune from suit.
The US said it was prepared to provide compensation for the damaged marine reserve but petitions filed before the Philippine Supreme Court led to an impasse in negotiations between the Philippines and the US.

 

PHILIPPINES CONDEMNS, VOWS TO HELP ‘THWART’ ISIS

The Philippines condemns extremist group ISIS or the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria.
In a statement Wednesday, the Department of Foreign Affairs or DFA says the Philippines will do its part in global efforts to thwart ISIS.
This comes after Reuters on Saturday reported two Filipinos died fighting for the terrorist group.
The DFA says the reported deaths “remain unconfirmed.”
It adds, Philippine security officials are monitoring possible recruitment by ISIS and other foreign extremist groups in the Philippines.
Intelligence officials earlier said at least one Filipino has gone to fight the jihad in Syria while rebels from the Abu Sayyaf and Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters claim to have pledged their allegiance to ISIS.

 

EVACUATIONS UNDERWAY AS MAYON SPEWS LAVA

Lava cascades down Mayon Volcano Wednesday…
as authorities rush to evacuate thousands of people ahead of a possible deadly eruption.
On Monday, authorities raised Alert Level 3 or the critical mode and declared a state of calamity over areas surrounding the volcano.
At least 8,000 of the target 50,000 people are moved to temporary shelters, with the operation expected to run for 3 days.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says more magma was moving up the crater each day.

 

WORLD LEADERS IN BIGGEST CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT

About 120 heads of state will attend the United Nations’ Climate Change summit on September 23, making it the biggest gathering of world leaders on the issue.
UN chief Ban Ki-Moon urges governments and businesses to announce commitments that will support an ambitious climate change treaty in 2015.
What’s on the agenda and what’s at stake for Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines?
Ayee Macaraig is at the UN Headquarters in New York.
She files this video blog.

 

The cost of inaction is greater than the cost of action.
This is a key theme as the United Nations prepares to host the biggest climate change gathering of world leaders in history.
On September 23rd, 120 heads of state and government including Philippine President Benigno Aquino will be here at the UN Headquarters in New York to announce concrete actions to fight climate change.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon will host the UN Climate Summit…
to support separate UN negotiations to come up with a legally binding treaty by 2015 to avert the dangerous effects of climate change.
A week before the summit…
The Secretary-General and UN officials announce that hundreds of business leaders from key industries like oil and gas, land use and forestry will also attend the summit to discuss investments in clean energy and low-carbon growth.
The Secretary-General says the absence of the top leaders of China and India, two of the top global greenhouse gas emitters, will not be a hindrance to the success of his summit.
He says the summit will discuss pressing issues like getting developed nations to give financial and technological support to developing countries to help them adapt to climate change and build resilience.

 

BAN KI-MOON, UN SECRETARY-GENERAL: I expect governments, the wide range of actors in key sectors of the global economy from energy, cities, industries, transport, forestry, there should be a firm commitment that we should reduce greenhouse gas emissions so we will be able to contain the global temperature rise within 2 degrees centigrade.

 

UN officials admit that there is no enforcement mechanism for the commitments announced in the summit.
After all, the main venue for climate negotiations remains the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
Still, leaders we interviewed say Southeast Asia has a lot at stake in this event.

 

HERU PRASETYO, HEAD OF INDONESIAN NATIONAL REDD+ AGENCY: Southeast Asia is archipelagic and has a lot of coastlines and that is something very important to note, climate change is something that is impacting us archipelagic countries in more ways than landlocked countries.

 

Besides leaders, businessmen and civil society groups,
there will also be star power in the climate summit.
The Secretary-General announces the appointment of actor Leonardo DiCaprio as UN Messenger for Peace with a special focus on climate change issues.
The Wolf of Wall Street star will address the opening of the climate summit.
Celebrity or not, this event is an effort of the world body to put climate change squarely on top of the global agenda, at a time when global attention is divided on multiple crises happening one after the other.
Ayee Macaraig, Rappler, United Nations.

 

‘NO’ NARROWLY LEADS AS SCOTLAND CAMPAIGN ENTERS FINAL DAY

New opinion polls show Scotland could narrowly reject independence, a day before a historic vote that could split the United Kingdom.
Three polls released late Tuesday all showed the pro-independence side gained ground but the “No” campaign was still ahead by a slim margin.
Rival camps set out Wednesday to convince undecided voters with the Better Together and Yes Scotland campaigns both planning rallies of supporters in central Glasgow on the eve of the vote.
Leader of the pro-independence Scottish National Party, Alex Salmond, urges voters to end the 307-year-old union.
Earlier, leaders of three main British parties pledged to give the Scottish parliament more powers if voters reject independence.

 

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

 

KOREAN COLD WAR AT THE GAMES
South Koreans are banned from carrying North Korean flags into Asian Games venues.
Organizers in Seoul say anyone waving North Korean flags at an event could face arrest.
Meanwhile, North Korea’s reporters at the Asian Games will have to file stories using fax machines because their web access is restricted in South Korea.
The Asian Games officially open in Incheon, Friday.

 

BOEING, SPACEX TO BUILD SPACE TAXIS
US space agency NASA selects Boeing and SpaceX to build spacecraft to carry astronauts to the International Space Station by 2017.
NASA has been unable to send astronauts to space since the retirement of the space shuttle in 2011.
It awarded $6.8 billion to the two companies, adding to the more than $1.4 billion it spent since 2010 to help private companies develop their own crew transport vehicles.

 

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

 

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Newscast Production Staff

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER / WRITER	Lilibeth Frondoso
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ASSOCIATE PRODUCER / PUBLISHER	Rodneil Quiteles
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	Marga Deona
MASTER EDITOR / PLAYBACK	Exxon Ruebe
	Emerald Hidalgo
	Jaene Zaplan
TECHNICAL DIRECTOR / CAMERAMAN	Charlie Salazar
	Adrian Portugal
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GRAPHICS	Jessica Lazaro
	Raffy de Guzman