Rappler Newscast | October 28, 2014

Today on Rappler.

• Senator Grace Poe says she has no plans for the 2016 elections.
• Pemberton’s lawyer says there’s no basis for the Jennifer Laude murder charge against him
• Kids can now go clubbing in New York City.

GRACE POE FOR 2016? ‘NO PLANS AT ALL,’ SHE SAYS
Senator Grace Poe says she has “no plans at all” for the 2016 national elections.
This comes after Poe was asked about a possible presidential run in 2016.
A day earlier, Poe delivered a privilege speech calling for a “re-engineering” of the government’s action against hunger and malnutrition in the Philippines.
Poe says people should not make a big deal out of her speech, saying she’s merely fulfilling a campaign promise.

US MARINE SAYS NO BASIS FOR LAUDE MURDER CHARGE
The lawyer of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton says there’s no basis to charge him with murder.
Lawyer Rowena Flores says if prosecutors elevate the case to court the murder charge should be reduced to homicide.
Murder carries a penalty of life imprisonment, while homicide – 20 years.
Pemberton was last seen with transgender woman Jennifer Laude who died by drowning.
Laude’s body was found in a toilet with strangulation marks on the neck.

 

SENATE BLUE RIBBON TO SEND INVITATION TO BINAY THIS WEEK
The Senate Blue Ribbon Committee will formally invite Vice President Jejomar Binay to face corruption allegations against him.
Committee chair Senator TG Guingona says the committee will issue the invitation within the week.
Meanwhile, Binay’s wife Elenita posts a P70,000 bail on graft charges at anti-graft court Sandiganbayan.
Mrs. Binay says she posted bail ahead of her arrest warrant for a medical check-up abroad.

TWO SCHOOLS OF THOUGHT ON THE BANGSAMORO BILL
Is the Bangsamoro Basic Law constitutional, or not?
Former justices and legal experts debate on the controversial peace deal at the House of Representatives.
Former Supreme Court Justice Vicente Mendoza says he still doubts the constitutionality of some provisions in the Bangsamoro Basic Law.
He cites the usage of the term “Bangsamoro territory” as an example.

 

VICENTE MENDOZA, FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: To call the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao the Bangsamoro territory is to consider it as a separate part of the Philippines although under its jurisdiction. The reference in the bill, says the autonomous region as a territory, as the ancestral homeland of the Bangsamoro people, is contrary to the Constitution.

 

But another former Supreme Court justice, Adolf Azcuna, says the Bangsamoro Basic Law is constitutional.

 

ADOLF AZCUNA, FORMER SUPREME COURT JUSTICE: The proposed law that it is, in its preamble, that it is in consonance with the Constitution. So I think that should lay to rest the concern.. the exercise does not mention the Constitution at all.
Now in this proposed Bangsamoro Law, we also define the Bangsamoro territory. I again notice – the provision says that the Bangsamoro territory shall remain part of the Philippines. It is not separated

 

The Bangsamoro Basic Law needs to go through two rounds of voting before it can be passed into law.
More on this in Angela Casauay’s story on Rappler.

 

EBOLA VIRUS SPREADS TO HALLOWEEN OUTFITS
How about coming as the Ebola virus for Halloween?
An online retailer in California comes up with Ebola-themed outfits for those looking to add some shock value to their Halloween get-ups.
Brands On Sale’s CEO Johnathon Weeks says they sold hundreds of Ebola containment suit costumes – complete with face shield, breathing mask, safety goggles and latex gloves.
With fear of Ebola sweeping the United States, the costume stirred up anger online but Weeks says “America and the rest of the world need to lighten up.”

THE wRap: YOUR WORLD IN ONE READ

 

MOBILE APP DEVELOPED TO TRACK EBOLA
Tech giant IBM develops a mobile application to help Ebola-hit communities in West Africa.
It allows people in affected areas to send free text messages to alert authorities about Ebola-related problems.
The app also maps the location of the sender.
IBM says it can also create maps to allow health workers and governments to respond.

 

COCOA CAN HELP REVERSE MEMORY LOSS
That chocolate drink could be worth the indulgence.
Scientists say some ingredients in cocoa such as flavanols could reverse age-related memory decline.
A neurology professor says if a person with the memory of a 60 year-old drank high-dosage flavanol cocoa for at least 3 months, memory will improve to that of a typical 30 or 40-year-old.

 

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

 

NEW YORK’S HOTTEST NEW TREND: CLUBBING FOR KIDS
Clubbing for kids? There’s such a thing.
CirKiz opens top New York clubs to children once a month.
Children dance, dabble into spinning music at the DJ booth and are encouraged to touch the equipment but the music volume, the songs’ content and the party food are kept in check.
One of the founders DJ Jesse Sprague says  the environment “helps to develop a creative mind, having the kids be in a stimulating sensory environment.”

 

– 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