Binay skips Senate, Abu Sayyaf, Pope on annulments | The wRap

Today on Rappler.

• Vice President Binay ignores the Senate’s invitation to address corruption charges.
• The military says the Abu Sayyaf’s cash ransom video may encourage more kidnappings.
• Pope Francis says the system for Church annulments is deeply flawed.

BINAY SNUBS INVITATION TO ADDRESS ALLEGATIONS
Vice President Jejomar Binay snubs the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing Thursday.
Instead, Binay flew to Cebu City to meet with supporters.
The Vice President faces corruption charges for a city building built when he was mayor of Makati.
Senate Blue Ribbon chair TG Guingona says the vice president wasted an opportunity to clear his name.

TG GUINGONA, PHILIPPINE SENATOR: Nakakalungkot dahil hindi rin binigyan ni Bise-Presidente ng pagkakataon ang publiko na madinig ang panig niya upang makabuo sila ng sarili nilang pananaw at kongklusyon sa mga isyung ito.

(It’s sad because the Vice-President did not give the public a chance to hear his side so that they could come to their own conclusions on the issues he’s facing.)

At the hearing, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano says it’s strange that Binay’s old company Agrifortuna is paying the electricity bills of the Batangas property, not Antonio Tiu’s company Sunchamp.
Former Binay ally turned critic Ernesto Mercado also says part of the Batangas property used to be under his name.
Earlier Senator Miriam Santiago said the Instagram posts by Binay’s daughter Joanna Marie with the caption “our place in Batangas” may be submitted as evidence in court.

14,000 STILL LIVE IN DANGER ZONES IN TACLOBAN
A year after Super Typhoon Haiyan or Yolanda hit Tacloban City, mayor Alfred Romualdez says around 3,000 families, or 14,100 people continue to live in danger zones close to the sea.
The Tacloban City government will prohibit residents from building houses in danger zones.
But the mayor admits, in his words — “There’s nowhere to move to.”
Typhoon Haiyan killed 6,300 people in November 2013.

AFP ALARMED AT MILITANTS’ RANSOM SHOWCASE
Armed Forces chief Gregorio Catapang warns a video posted by the Abu Sayyaf of stacks of cash – presumably ransom –  may encourage other kidnappings.
In the video, Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Rami claims the money was the full $5.7 million ransom for the release of two German hostages freed last month.
The Philippine military also fears the Abu Sayyaf may go on an arms spending spree.

SEAL WHO KILLED BIN LADEN IDENTIFIED
The identity of the soldier who killed terrorist leader Osama bin Laden is revealed.
London-based Daily Mail identifies the SEAL team member as 38 year-old war veteran Rob O’Neill who was in the US Navy for 16 years before retiring.
Esquire magazine referred to him as “The Shooter” and portrayed in movies Zero Dark Thirty, Captain Phillips and Lone Survivor.

POPE SACKED CHURCH OFFICIAL FOR SELLING ANNULMENTS
Pope Francis says he once fired a church court official caught offering to facilitate marriage annulments for cash.
He revealed this during a lecture to students attending a course at the church’s High Court.
The pope says the current annulment system is deeply flawed.
He adds, he wants annulment decisions to be easier, quicker and cheaper to obtain for ordinary people.

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– Rappler.com

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