TAIPEI, Taiwan – Flags flew at half-mast across Taiwan Monday, February 15, as the island mourned more than 100 people who died when an earthquake toppled an apartment complex, as families demanded justice.

Many residents of the 16-story Wei-kuan complex in the southern city of Tainan were buried in rubble after the 6.4-magnitude quake on February 6. 

Rescuers called off the search for survivors over the weekend after all the missing were accounted for.

All but two of the 116 dead were from the building. More than 380 people were inside the complex on the night of the quake.

Lunar new year celebrations scheduled by government agencies were called off Monday, and Tainan's government sought the freezing of further assets belonging to the developer and architects of the building.

Anger is growing over accusations of shoddy building work – prosecutors have said there were flaws in the building including inadequate steel reinforcement bars, and the developer is among three men facing charges over the disaster.

Frustration grew after photos of rubble at the site showed foam and tin cans had been used as filling in concrete structures.

"The developer really had no conscience constructing such a building. He should be severely punished," Liu Kun-min, whose brother, sister-in-law and two sons were killed in the quake, told the Apple Daily newspaper. 

Tainan's city government on Monday sought to freeze Tw$220 million ($6.6 million) in assets belonging to nine people – among them the developer Lin Ming-hui, his shareholders, two architects and a contractor.

The government is acting on behalf of 93 families involved in the collapse.

"The developer left so many people dead and homeless," a man surnamed Chang, who was pulled out from the rubble, told Apple Daily.

"We certainly want compensation. It's good to see the Tainan city government take more active steps to freeze their assets."

Lin and architects Cheng Chin-kui and Chang Kui-pao, as well as a contractor linked to the building, have already seen Tw$30 million in assets frozen by the Tainan district court last week at the request of the city government. 

Lin, Cheng and Chang are in custody and facing charges of professional negligence.

A further Tw$10 million was frozen by the court at the request of the non-profit Legal Aid Foundation acting for two people who were severely injured.

"They are angry and frustrated, they want the three to be brought to justice," Emilia Hsieh, spokeswoman for the foundation, told Agence France-Presse. 

Hsiao Po-jen, head of the city government's legal affairs, said Monday that a relative of architect Cheng had been stopped trying to withdraw more than Tw$10 million from his bank account. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III left the Philippines on Monday, February 15, for his last Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit as chief executive. 

Aquino said he was flying to the United States upon the invitation of US President Barack Obama to help boost the joint strategic partnership between the US and ASEAN.

In his departure speech on Monday, Aquino said the US has a big role in maintaining peace and stability in the region, particularly in the face of the dispute over the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

Aquino said ASEAN countries remain one with the US in pushing for the rule of law in the oceans. (READ: Aquino to raise South China Sea row at ASEAN-US Summit)

“Para sa ating lahat, malinaw naman: pantay ang lahat sa harap ng batas,” the Philippine president said. (For all of us, it is clear: everyone is equal in the face of the law.)

He added, “Ito nga po ang pinakahuling ASEAN Summit na dadaluhan ko bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas.” (This is the last ASEAN Summit I am attending as President of the Philippines.)

In this context, he plans to share with ASEAN leaders his insights on the peace process, as well as his moves to address extremism.

Aquino said he remains positive even if the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which aims to create a more powerful Muslim region in the southern Philippines, failed to prosper in Congress.

“Naudlot man ang panukalang Bangsamoro Basic Law sa ating Kongreso, di nagbabago ang ating posisyon ukol sa BBL: Ito pa rin pinakatamang landas tungo sa kapayapaan at kaunlaran para sa Mindanao,” he said.

(While the BBL was stalled in Congress, our position on the BBL remains unchanging: It is still the best way toward peace and prosperity in Mindanao.)

“Sa ating pagpupulong, ilalatag natin ang mga kongkretong hakbang na ating ipapatupad sa kabila ng pagkabinbin ng BBL,” he added. (In our meeting, we will show the concrete steps we will take despite the stalling of the BBL.)

Aquino said that after the ASEAN-US Summit, he will undertake a working visit to Los Angeles.

He said he, like his father, was invited to speak before the Los Angeles World Affairs Council. 

The President is set to return to the Philippines on Friday, February 19. – Rappler.com

BEIRUT, Lebanon – Suspected Russian air strikes hit a hospital supported by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Syria on Monday, February 15, killing 9 people including a child, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.

"A building that housed a hospital supported by MSF was destroyed on Monday by aircraft, presumably Russian," near Maaret al-Numan in the northern province of Idlib, said the British-based monitor.

The raids also left dozens wounded, said the Observatory, which relies on a network of sources on the ground.

MSF confirmed in a statement that a hospital supported by the aid group in Idlib province was "destroyed in air strikes" on Monday.

It did not give a death toll but said at least eight members of staff were missing after four rockets hit the 30-bed facility, which had 54 staff, two operating theatres, an outpatients' department and an emergency room.

"This appears to be a deliberate attack on a health structure, and we condemn this attack in the strongest possible terms," said Massimiliano Rebaudengo, the head of MSF's Syria mission.

"The destruction of the hospital leaves the local population of around 40,000 people without access to medical services in an active zone of conflict," Rebaudengo said.

The organisation supports around 150 hospitals in Syria.

Russian warplanes have conducted air strikes in Syria since September 30 in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

The Observatory says it determines whether strikes were carried out by Syrian, Russian or US-led coalition aircraft based on the location of the raids, flight patterns and the types of planes involved. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine authorities pledged Monday, February 15, to auction off as soon as possible millions of dollars' worth of jewellery recovered from late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), created to recover the millions stolen by Marcos and his allies, has also launched a website aimed at retrieving hundreds of art masterpieces believed to have been obtained by theMarcos family with "ill-gotten wealth," said commissioner Andrew de Castro.

The renewed effort comes as Ferdinand Marcos's son and namesake takes the lead in the race to win election in May as the country's next vice-president.

(READ: Auction houses ready Philippines' Marcos jewels for possible sale)

De Castro said authorities hope to auction off most of the jewels before President Benigno Aquino steps down in June and a new president and vice-president take over.

"Regardless of who is in power after June 2016, it is our duty to dispose of the jewellery as soon as possible," he told AFP.

The long-hidden collection, seized in three batches after Marcos was overthrown in a popular revolt in 1986, has been cited by critics as proof of how his family enriched itself while the nation sank deeper into poverty during his 20 years in power.

Former first lady Imelda Marcos amassed a huge collection of jewels, valuable art and shoes even as other Marcos relatives and allies gained fortunes, critics have said.

De Castro said appraisals by auction houses put the value of the seized jewellery at more than a billion pesos ($21 million).

Although ownership of part of the collection is still being contested by the Marcosfamily in court, the government is free to sell of the bulk of the jewels, de Castro said.

The PCGG described the jewels as "diamonds-studded tiaras, necklaces, brooches, earrings, belts and other gems (including a) 25-carat pink diamond".

The government is now working to set a date for the public exhibition of the recovered artefacts and their eventual sale.

The commission on Monday also launched a website listing great artworks that the Marcos family are believed to have obtained.

The website, www.missingart.ph includes works by great artists including Henri Matisse, Edgar Degas and Rene Magritte that still have to be recovered.

De Castro said more than 200 artworks are still missing and the website is intended to help in their recovery as well as to increase "awareness" of the family's crimes.

The government estimates that Marcos and his allies stole about $10 billion when he was in power. The PCGG has recovered less than half of that, de Castro said.

The son of the late dictator, Ferdinand Marcos Junior, is running for vice-president, raising fears the family will regain its influence. – Rappler.com

MISAMIS ORIENTAL, Philippines – From this vote-rich province in Northern Mindanao, vice presidential candidate Alan Peter Cayetano emphasized his and his standard-bearer’s vision of a progressive Mindanao. 

Duterte is the only presidential candidate who has the interests of the region and its people at heart, said the senator during sorties in Misamis Oriental on Monday, February 15.

“He stands for the small people in Mindanao who believe in independence, who believe Mindanao what should be given what it’s due, who believe the wealth of Mindanao is being stolen and transferred to Metro Manila,” Cayetano said in Filipino in front of hundreds of supporters in Tagoloan, a city in Misamis Oriental. 

Duterte was unable to attend any of the events here because the private jet he was supposed to ride experienced "engine problems," said his camp.

Crowds waited for over 4 hours just to see Duterte and were disappointed by the news. Cayetano filled in for the presidential bet.

Development for all regions is the Duterte-Cayetano tandem’s pitch for the audience. (READ: Duterte, Cayetano platform focuses on crime, economy)

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Earlier today: Alan Peter <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cayetano?src=hash">#Cayetano</a> explains why Duterte-Cayetano tandem is a cut above other 2016 tandems. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/m2JGTVMrhP">pic.twitter.com/m2JGTVMrhP</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/699226458586116097">February 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Cayetano repeated their tandem’s plan to distribute government investments to all parts of the country instead of continuing the present state in which a huge chunk of the national budget goes to Metro Manila.

“Sa buong Pilipinas, P1 trillion ay nandoon po sa Metro Manila alone. Ang buong Mindanao po wala pang P500 billion,” he told vegetable farmers in Santa Cruz, Tagoloan, citing findings from Senate budget hearings. 

(In the whole Philippines, P1 trillion is in Metro Manila alone. The entire Mindanao doesn’t even get P500 billion.)

To spread growth, the tandem’s most radical proposal is to lead the shift to a federal form of government for the Philippines. 

In federalism, more power and resources are given to local government entities while only responsibilities of national interest are left to a central government based in Metro Manila.

But before the shift to federalism, which could take several years to achieve, Cayetano said their pair would bring development to Mindanao by doing 4 things:

• Provide P1 billion fund for every region to allow the poor, including smallholder farmers, to loan money to up small and medium enterprises
• Transfer the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to Mindanao (currently both are based in Quezon City)
• Establish a Mindanao Railway System
• Build more food terminals with cold-storage facilities to help Mindanao farmers

Cayetano made sure to emphasize something else: that a vote for their tandem is a vote for real change, while voting anyone else would only ensure the continuity of a lacklustre status quo.

“Kung ilalagay 'nyo si Grace Poe, ilalagay 'nyo lang si VP Binay, ilalagay 'nyo lang si Mar Roxas, pero tingnan 'nyo po plataporma nila…. Kung itatanim natin pareho din lang, huwag 'nyo aasahan na iiba sistema natin,” he told the farmers.

(If you elect Grace Poe, VP Binay, Mar Roxas, but look at their platforms…. If you plant the same thing, don’t expect the system to change.)

'Because he is from Mindanao'

Some of those who heard him believe him. 

Farmer Nelson Tomonlay said he is voting for the tandem hoping they will help the plight of Mindanao farmers. 

“Para mabigyan talaga ng pagkakataon na yung mga farmers natin sa Mindanao…Pinabayaan yung mga farmers dito sa Mindanao,” he told Rappler. 

(So that farmers in Mindanao are given the opportunity because they have been left behind.) 

{source}

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Earlier today, here&#39;s what farmer Nelson Talondoy in Misamis Oriental thinks of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DuterteCayetano?src=hash">#DuterteCayetano</a>. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVote?src=hash">#PHVote</a> <a href="https://t.co/mzlWt62xxf">pic.twitter.com/mzlWt62xxf</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/699223339965902848">February 15, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Asked why he believes Duterte and Cayetano can fulfill their campaign promises, he said, “Kaya po, kasi may experience na, sinasabi nila 'yung sa Davao at saka 'yung isa pang lungsod, bayan na inimplement nila yung mga programa, so proven na.” 

(They can do it because they already have experience. They talked about Davao and another city where they implemented these programs so it’s proven.)

Pastor Ching Roa, of the influential Roa clan who share the surname of Duterte’s Mother (Soledad Roa), is a solid Duterte-Cayetano supporter.

Sitting on the front row of the large gathering in Tagoloan Dome, he said he likes the tandem’s pro-Mindanao platform.

“Because Duterte is from Mindanao and he is kind, helpful, transparent, honest real. Cayetano is an economist. Honest also, real, transparent,” he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

He agrees with the saying that Duterte is Mindanao’s hope. 

“How many presidents have we had? Has there been any improvement in Mindanao? None. Only now. Duterte is the man. Cayetano is the man,” he said.

Misamis Oriental, with over 860,000 registered voters, is the Northern Mindanao province with the most number of voters.

Local government officials come mostly from the two dominant parties, Liberal Party and the United Nationalist Alliance. 

But local journalists say while party alliances will play a part in the elections, many local leaders are expected to support Duterte. 

The Misamis Oriental sortie happened as news broke over a new Social Weather Stations surveys which showed Duterte tied for second place with Grace Poe. 

Cayetano said: "We are very thankful to everyone for this. We only ask for two things: that you pray for us and listen to our platform."

Recent electoral surveys show Duterte is the top choice for president in Mindanao. – Rappler.com

BRUSSELS, Belgium – Thousands of European steelmakers descended on the EU capital Brussels on Monday, February 15, demanding that officials do more to stop the flood of cheap imports from China.

Police said about 5,200 representatives from Europe's struggling steel industry circled the EU's Berlaymont headquarters demanding that China be denied market-economy status, an official designation that would make it harder to raise barriers against cheap Chinese steel products.

"Say 'no' to MES for China," said a banner carried by steelworkers dressed in hardhats and fluorescent uniforms, referring to the market economy status long denied Beijing.

China joined the World Trade Organization in 2001 as a developing country economy run largely by the state but was promised a review within 15 years to win a change in status to put it on a par with its major trading partners.

Without the market economy status, the WTO's 162 member countries are much freer to slap anti-dumping measures on cheap Chinese products.

The Unites States and Canada are determined to continue denying China the designation, but fears are that Europe may forge ahead in an effort to avoid angering Chinese authorities.

Though declining for years, the European steel sector counts for 11 percent of the world's total output and employs about one million people in some of Europe's most economically fragile regions.

"If surrendered, China MES could cost the EU millions of jobs and hundreds of billions of euros in lost growth," said a statement by AEGIS, a lobby grouping several industries that would be affected by the change in status.

"We are calling on EU leaders to deny Market Economy Status to China, as it simply is not yet a market economy," it added.

The European Commission, which handles trade matters for the EU's 28 member states, has until the end of the year to make a decision.

At a news briefing, Commission spokesman Daniel Rosario insisted that the decision would be strictly based on technical grounds.

"We are not engaging in a broader philosophical discussion on whether China is a market economy or not," he said.

"This is a specific discussion in the very specific and strict framework of the anti-dumping legislation of the EU," he said.

Last week, it tried to pre-empt industry anger by announcing three new probes into China steel imports. Of 37 EU trade defence measures currently in force, 16 involve Chinese products. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – At his campaign kick-off event held Tuesday, February 9, presidential candidate and Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte expressed outrage over national issues.

Duterte said he curses because these issues make him "angry."

What are these issues? Watch this video. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, who refused to defend the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the Supreme Court (SC) case filed by Grace Poe, said the senator had met the 10-year residency requirement for presidential candidates. 

In his opening statement before the SC on Tuesday, February 16, Hilbay said Poe made a valid claim when she said she had been a resident of the Philippines "for at least 10 years."

"In the first place, it is a fact that she has been in the Philippines since 2005. In the second place, her life in the Philippines from 2005 to today is a coherent narrative of a permanent return to one’s roots and a permanent abandonment of one’s second home," Hilbay argued. 

The SC is hearing oral arguments for the 5th day on the consolidated petitions filed by Poe, who is seeking a reversal of the Comelec rulings to cancel her certificate of candidacy (COC) for president in the 2016 elections.

Hilbay in January refused to defend the poll body in the case filed by Poe against the Comelec. This was after the Office of the Solicitor General defended the Senate Electoral Tribunal ruling in favor of Poe. (READ: FULL TEXT: SolGen defends SET ruling in favor of Grace Poe)

The SET earlier junked a petition to disqualify Poe as senator, based on claims that she is not a natural-born Filipino.

'Home is where your children are'

On Tuesday, Hilbay said that, for most Filipinos, "where your children are is where your home is," and Poe came back to the Philippines in 2005 with her children after she removed them from American schools and transferred them to schools in Manila. 

"In other words, petitioner’s pivot to the Philippines is definitely marked by her presence here and her children’s return and subsequent enrollment. These facts are more telling than an alien certificate of registration or an immigrant status from the Bureau of Immigration. People’s lives revolve around experiences and relationships, not paper."

Hilbay also noted that Poe’s re-acquisition of her Philippines citizenship in 2006 is "totally irrelevant to her residence," since the SC itself has repeatedly declared that citizenship and residency are "two separate formal qualifications with independent rationale."

"Citizenship establishes formal political allegiance; residence indicates presumed familiarity. Couched in logical terms, a citizen need not be a resident – as is the case with many dual citizens – and a resident need not be a citizen."

He continued: "Obviously, one does not need citizenship to acquire familiarity with the politics and economics of a jurisdiction. It follows that one’s residence can precede the acquisition or reacquisition of citizenship."

Length of stay a valid declaration

The solicitor general also tackled Poe’s declaration in her 2012 certificate of candidacy for senator, where she said she had been a resident in the Philippines for 6 years and 6 months.

Hilbay said it was a mistake for Comelec to consider Poe’s declaration as "conclusive and binding" in determining the length of her residence as qualification for the presidency. 

He gave an example of a natural-born Filipino who has been a Philippine resident from birth but declares his residence as only 5 years or his residence when he came back to the country after finishing his master’s degree abroad. 

"The residence qualification for the Senate is only two years, and the candidate could have placed an even longer period of residence if he understood what residence means under our election laws. Following the language of Section 78 [of the election code], declaration is false, but not materially so. It is therefore a valid declaration."

If the same candidate runs for the presidency 3 years later, Hilbay argued, he has the right to declare a longer period of residence and not just add the 3 years on top of his prior declaration of 5 years.

"The situation of Senator Grace Poe fits this basic model. She could have pegged her residence at 2005 in her certificate of candidacy for the Senate, but did not. Nothing prevents her from making that declaration now in her certificate of candidacy for president because both declarations would be valid under Section 78 of the election code,” he said. – Rappler.com 

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Two senatorial candidates revealed on Tuesday, February 16, an alleged scheme of polling firms in the conduct of pre-election surveys.

Lawyer Lorna Kapunan said the first thing she would do once she wins a Senate seat is to ban pre-election surveys. After all, she said, they are used for “mind conditioning.”

At a press conference in Iloilo, she recounted receiving a message from a stranger, who asked money in exchange for advanced information on where the next survey would be conducted. The intention was for candidates to time their sorties during survey data gathering and increase their name recall.

“As a matter of fact, I’d tell you one story, I hope it’s not true. Somebody texted me, in fact 2 or 3 times, I got a text 'Attorney, matutulungan kita para ma-improve ang survey results mo.' Kaya daw n'ya ang Pulse at 'tsaka yung SWS. And if they are listening now, you better clean up your ranks,” Kapunan said. (I can help you improve your survey results. The sender said they can fix Pulse and SWS.)

“Sabi nila in the next two weeks, dito po ang aming survey areas – X, Y, Z. Sasabihin na for an X amount ibibigay po namin sa inyo kung saan namin kukunin 'yung survey sampling namin. Doon po kayo mag-concentrate in the next 2 or 3 weeks, tadtarin 'nyo po ng posters, bayaran 'nyo yung mga radio dun. Doon po kayo umikot para maganda ang labas 'nyo sa survey,” she added.

(They said in the next two weeks, these are our survey areas – X, Y, Z. They will say, give us an X amount and we will give you the places where we will get our sampling. Then you concentrate there in the next 2 or 3 weeks, fill it with your posters, pay the radio stations there. Visit the area so your ranking will be good.)

Kapunan said she will push for a law that would ban pre-election surveys, stresssing the need for election laws that “could not be used as a racket” or sideline.

“So I’m saying to myself, gago ba ako (am I stupid)? If that’s the way survey results are done, who are we fooling? You’re not only fooling the public, you’re fooling yourself because it’s not a fair indication of how you’re faring. It just shows that you campaign in the right place and therefore you place high," she said.

Re-electionist Senator Vicente Sotto III, a consistent front-runner, was just a seat away from her when she said that. 

Kapunan added: "I’m not saying that those who are placing high are doing that, but I’m saying that we must have election laws that can’t be used as a racket,” she said."

Another senatorial candidate, Susan “Toots” Ople, revealed getting the same messages as Kapunan. Both candidates are outside the so-called Magic 12 or the winning circle in the senatorial race. (READ: Sotto, Lacson keep lead in new SWS survey)

Ople also asked polling companies to do a background check on their interviewers or staff to erase doubts.

“I suggest do a background check or investigate, baka nagagamit lang sila (they are probably being used) and they don’t even know it,” she said.

Despite ranking low in polls, Ople said her mantra remains to be “we should be running scared” and said she would continue to work hard during the 90-day campaign period.

Kapunan and Ople are on the senatorial slate of presidential candidate Grace Poe. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China will move nearly 10,000 people to make way for the world's largest radio telescope which promises to help humanity search for alien life, state media reported on Tuesday, February 16.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), nestled between hills in the southwestern province of Guizhou, is due to start operation this year.

Provincial officials have vowed to relocate 9,110 residents living within 5 kilometers of the listening device by September, the official Xinhua news agency said.

The relocations will "create a sound electromagnetic wave environment", it cited a top regional official named Li Yuecheng as saying.

Residents will receive 12,000 yuan ($1,800) in subsidies for their troubles, with some getting extra support for housing, it said.

FAST, built at a cost of 1.2 billion yuan, will dwarf the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico as the world's largest radio telescope, which is some 300 meters in diameter.

Xinhua earlier cited Wu Xiangping, director-general of the Chinese Astronomical Society, as saying that the telescope's high level of sensitivity "will help us to search for intelligent life outside of the galaxy".

In the past China has relocated hundreds of thousands of people to make way for large infrastructure projects such as dams and canals. Many complain of poor compensation.

The area surrounding the telescope is remote and relatively poor. Xinhua earlier said it was chosen because there are no major towns nearby.

As well as upping investment in astronomy, Beijing is accelerating its multi-billion-dollar space exploration program, with plans for a permanent orbiting station by 2020 and eventually a manned mission to the moon. – Rappler.com

LAHORE, Pakistan – A team of Pakistani researchers claims to have unearthed a 1.1 million-year-old stegodon tusk in the central province of Punjab, potentially shedding new light on the mammal's evolutionary journey.

Stegodonts, distant cousins of modern elephants, are thought to have been present on earth from around 11 million years ago until the late Pleistocene period, which lasted until the end of the last Ice Age around 11,700 years ago.

The tusk measures some 8 feet (2.44 meters) in length and is around 8 inches (20.3 cm) in diameter, making it the the largest ever discovered in the country, according to the team.

It was found by researchers from the zoology department of the University of Punjab during an expedition in the Padri village of Jhelum district, said Khurram Shahzad, a spokesman for the university.

Professor Muhammad Akhtar, who led the research trip, told Agence France-Presse: "This discovery adds to our knowledge about the evolution of the stegodon, particularly in this region.

"It also sheds light on what the environment was like at the time of the animal's life."

Dr Gerrit Van Den Bergh, a paleontologist at the University of Wollongong in Australia who has done extensive research on the ancient mammals including in Pakistan, said: "If you have a complete tusk, that's quite special – they are quite rare."

He cautioned however that further verification, including of the dating, would be required.

Akhtar said the fossil belonged to the late Pleistocene period and its age was determined using a uranium-lead radioactive dating technique.

Stegodonts were known for their long, nearly straight tusks and low-crowned teeth with peaked ridges.

This indicated they were browsers or mixed feeders in a forested environment, in contrast to the high-crowned plated molars of mammoths and elephants which allowed them to graze.

They were strong swimmers and are thought to have originated in Africa but to have quickly spread to Asia, where most remains have been found. 

"Around 1.2 million years ago they were still thriving," said Van Den Bergh. "They are mostly an Asian species but remains have been found further afield. Recently a molar fragment was discovered in Greece."

He added that the species' extinction coincided with the emergence of modern humans, though it was difficult to say with certainty that men hunted stegodonts. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, February 16, defended its unanimous decision not to issue receipts from vote-counting machines (VCMs) on election day.

In a joint congressional hearing, Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista said the poll body junked the proposal to issue receipts for two main reasons.

First, he said, politicians can use the receipts in vote buying. Second, issuing receipts can add 5-7 hours to the voting time in election precincts. 

“The disadvantages of printing the receipts far outweigh the advantages,” Bautista said in a hearing of the joint congressional oversight committee (JCOC) on the automated election system.

Bautista also said a “big concern” is that “there might be losing candidates who might question the results, basically instructing their supporters that when the machine prints out the receipt, regardless of what the receipt says, they will say that it’s not correct.” 

“And this kind of organized conspiracy of a losing candidate can really cast doubt on the credibility of the elections,” the Comelec chairman said.

He said this is why the Comelec en banc, or the commission sitting as a whole, voted 7-0 “not to enable the feature of printing the receipt.” 

Alongside the issue of printing receipts, another proposal discussed during the hearing is displaying the votes on the VCM screen.

Bautista said the Comelec has not made a “hard decision” on displaying votes on the VCM screen. Still, election commissioners have made a preliminary vote on this topic: 4-2, in favor of not activating this feature.

Chong: 'I find it so absurd'

The Comelec, however, drew ire for junking these verification features for the general public even as it activated a similar mechanism for persons with disability (PWDs).

Bautista said the Comelec is activating a feature to allow blind or illiterate voters to double-check the votes cast by “assisters” on their behalf. 

He said the poll body, for one, spent on headphones to help blind or illiterate voters in verifying whether or not the assister really followed his or her instructions. The headphones will allow PWDs to “hear the names of the candidates” they voted for. 

Glenn Chong, a former congressman who said he was a victim of cheating, questioned why the Comelec has this verification feature for PWDs but not for the general public. 

“I find it so absurd, your honor,” Chong told Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, chairman of the JCOC on the automated election system.

“It's so absurd that most of us, we are able-bodied, we can read, we can write, yet we are prevented from verifying our ballots, whereas the few PWDs, without bias to them, they are willing to allot money for them,” Chong said.

Brillantes: 'Mas magaling pa si Mr Chong'

Eventually, former Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr shot back at Chong.

Known for his short temper when it comes to critics, Brillantes said previous sets of Comelec members already voted unanimously to junk the printing of receipts from vote-counting machines. 

Brillantes said that, in 2010, the Comelec already voted 7-0 against the voting receipts. 

The Comelec issued another 7-0 ruling against the voting receipts in 2013.

“Ngayon, 2016, ni-reject na naman ng pito,” Brillantes said, referring to 7 members of the poll body. (Now, in 2016, it’s again being rejected by 7.)

“Hindi ko alam kung bakit mas magaling pa si Mr Chong doon sa 21 na commissioners,” he said. (I don’t know why Mr Chong seems to know more than the 21 commissioners.)

Chong replied: “Your honor, it does not necessarily mean that if the Comelec rejected it, that becomes truthful and legal. It does not, Mr Brillantes.”

Minutes later, Brillantes walked out of the session hall after other election watchdogs started speaking. On his way out, the former elections chief mumbled, “As usual.” 

Watchdog: 'Forget ease in voting'

Maricor Akol of the group Automated Election System Watch, for her part, said the Comelec seems bent on junking the voting receipts despite the demands of election watchdogs. 

“May kasabihan nga na 'pag ayaw, maraming dahilan,” Akol said. (There’s a saying that if you don’t want it, you can come up with excuses.)

She stressed that the Comelec should order the printing of receipts because of the “close fight” for government posts in 2016. 

Akol said: “Forget the speed, forget the ease in voting. What should be done is that you must make the people accept the results.”

Despite these claims, veteran election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said: “I fully agree with the Comelec that there is a danger in printing or giving receipts to the voters, in terms of vote buying and in terms of delaying the conduct of the elections.”

Pimentel said he is appealing to the Comelec “to revisit their decision” on voting receipts, but said he understands the poll body’s position.

On one hand, he said, there’s a way to address concerns that politicians will use receipts in vote buying. That is, to have voters leave the receipts in the voting precincts.

Pimentel, on the other hand, said he agrees with the Comelec that issuing receipts can lengthen the voting process. He said, “I also see their point.” – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It is not the first time Solicitor General Florin Hilbay sided with presidential candidate Grace Poe’s claim that foundlings like her are natural-born Filipinos, but on Tuesday, February 16, he had numbers to back him up.

MANILA, Philippines – Vice presidential candidate Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr accused the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) of politicking in its intensified efforts to search for wealth allegedly obtained by his family illegally.

“Nakakapagtaka lang na ang PCGG, ngayon na kandidato ako, na kampanya ngayon, basta sila gumagalaw. Palagay ko eh may pamumulitika nang kasama 'yan,” he told reporters on Tuesday, February 16, during a sortie in Pasig City. 

(It's curious that, now that I'm a candidate, that it's the campaign period, the PCGG is moving. I think politicking is involved here.)

On Monday, February 15, the PCGG said it was preparing to auction off the jewelry sequestered from the Marcos’ family and which were believed to cost at least $21 million or more than P900 million. 

Commissioner Andrew de Castro earlier said that they hope to finish the auction before President Benigno Aquino III steps down from office in June.

"Regardless of who is in power after June 2016, it is our duty to dispose of the jewellery as soon as possible," he said.

The commission – created by President Corazon Aquino in 1986 to recover the alleged ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family and their cronies – also recently launched a website that would help trace the Marcos-owned art pieces of masters, such as Michaelangelo, Vincent Van Gogh, and Pablo Picasso. 

“Ano ba'ng hinahanap nila? 'Di ba pinasok na bahay ko? Pinasok na bahay namin? 'Di ko talaga alam,” he said when asked of his reaction. 

(What are they looking for? Didn’t they searched my house already? Our house? I really don’t know.) 

There are fears that the PCGG’s operations will be impeded should Marcos win as vice president – something not unlikely since the latest survey shows he is now tied with erstwhile front runner Senator Francis Escudero for the top spot.

Marcos said the fears are baseless since the cases are with the courts now, beyond the executive's influence. “Bakit namin pipigilan? Nasa korte 'yan eh. Kahit sino di kayang pigilan 'yan eh. Kapag nasa korte lahat kailangang sumunod,” he said.  

(Why are we going to stop them? No one can really stop them. If it's a court order, everybody has to follow.) – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – To keep up its campaign against corrupt public officials, the Office of the Ombudsman wants to push key legislative measures that could enhance its Constitutional powers, functions, and structure.

Among these measures is the proposal to allow the anti-graft agency to directly file a petition for forfeiture of suspected ill-gotten properties even while preliminary investigation has not yet concluded. (READ: How to catch a thief, the Ombudsman way)

"We can't just file for forfeiture proceedings until after the preliminary investigation is conducted. So we're advocating the passage of bills that would at least come up with provisional remedies while the preliminary investigation is being conducted," Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales said.

"We are asking Congress to allow us, in the case of real properties, to register adverse claims, to prevent the owner from disposing of the property and alerting would-be buyers that this property is in danger of being confiscated because it appears to be ill-gotten," she added.

Morales said strengthening the Ombudsman's capacity for asset recovery of suspected ill-gotten properties will "paralyze" corrupt public officials "where it hurts the most."

The proposal is one of several measures that Morales highlighted in her lecture on anti-corruption efforts delivered at the Ateneo Professional Schools in Makati City on Tuesday, February 16.

The former Supreme Court associate justice was awarded the 2016 Metrobank Foundation Professorial Chair for Public Service and Governance.

Campaign against corruption

The agency tasked to probe and prosecute erring public officials faces a heavy workload. As of December 31, 2015, a total of 11,056 administrative and criminal cases remain pending with the Ombudsman. Based on figures from the first half of 2015, it receives an average of 390 complaints every month.

"Because of this heavy workload, we work on Saturdays. Sometimes even Sundays," said Morales, who has been heading the anti-graft body since late July 2011.

These numbers, Morales said, can be read two ways: the pessimistic view – that corruption persists despite government's efforts – and a more optimistic perspective, which suggests that more people have become aware of corruption and are trusting the Ombudsman to investigate complaints.

"I lean towards the optimistic side...but the Ombudsman needs to do more to really create a significant impact," she said.

Last year, the anti-graft office resolved a total of 6,707 administrative and criminal cases. While it also registered a 2% increase in new cases filed, the Ombudsman reduced its year-end docket by 16%.

But to be more effective in its campaign against corruption, Morales said her office needs more powers.

Aside from strengthening its forfeiture powers, the Ombudsman is also pushing for access to bank records of public officials, the authority to enter public premises and seize public property for evidence gathering, and an exemption from the regulated use of wiretapping for investigations. 

Her office is also seeking the allocation of at least 30% of successfully recovered assets as additional funding to the Ombudsman.

Additional funding would also help the Ombudsman attract a skilled workforce by providing an attractive compensation and retirement package.

Public cooperation needed

In her lecture, Morales also outlined the various systems put in place by her office to speed up the resolution of cases, such as the setting up of a complaint and case monitoring system and the prioritized disposition of high-profile cases.

But she also stressed the importance of involving citizens in the anti-corruption campaign.

"Without the support and cooperation of the people, the office won't have the ordnance to wage the war against corruption. We seek to actively engage the people's involvement, not only to make them aware of the anti-corruption programs but to make them vigilant," Morales said.

She added, "They have a choice not to become victims of graft and corruption. A paradigm shift is needed. One does not have to be a member of civil service to be a public servant. One needs only to bear in mind the best interest of the public, and to put it above one's own if conflict arises."

Morales said that having the best systems, personnel, and technology in place will "amount to nothing" if people do not have one simple virtue: honesty.

"A society of honest people will be intolerant to corruption. Honesty is the most sustainable cure to corruption that must be passed on from generation to generation. We don't need a revolution to be honest, we only need an evolution of mindset," she said. – Rappler.com

DAVAO CITY, Philippines – The Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) is still discussing the application of independent candidates seeking to be part of the party’s senatorial slate.

PDP-Laban national president Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III said on Sunday, February 14, that independent candidates who have applied include retired general and former Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) director Dionisio Santiago, former Quezon City representative Dante Liban, former Interior Secretary Rafael Alunan, and pastor Greco Belgica. 

Jueteng whistle-blower Sandra Cam is also applying but “she does not have the inside track,” said Pimentel.

Cam supposedly got angry at the staff of Alan Peter Cayetano for allegedly preventing her from delivering a speech during PDP-Laban standard-bearer Rodrigo Duterte’s proclamation rally on February 9. 

But Pimentel said Cam had no right to feel bad about the incident.

"No one should feel bad, lalo na if kunyari, merong auto, nakisakay ka lang, so ikaw pa yong nanuyo, ikaw pa ‘yong nagfi-feel bad na nakikisakay ka lang, ikaw yong hitch-hiker. You don't have the right to feel bad kasi more than 12 ang nag-apply sa partido and we cannot afford to accommodate them all, so dapat di magalit ‘yong di ma-accommodate," Pimentel told Rappler.  

(No one should feel bad because if for example you are just riding on, you are the one asking for favors, and then you will feel bad that you are just riding on, you are the hitch-hiker. You don’t have the right to feel bad because more than 12 applied with the party and we cannot afford to accommodate them all. So the one who can’t be accommodated should not get angry.)

Cam, however, said, that pending the PDP-Laban decision, she is moving and is actively campaigning for Mayor Duterte. 

"I move around I am campaigning for Duterte," she told Rappler.

Cayetano has told media that there are no senatorial candidates officially endorsed by the tandem.

“As for the senatoriables, wait for his decision and the campaign team’s on who is officially in. But the entire tandem has not yet decided whether or not to endorse anyone,” he said on February 11.

The senatorial candidates applying for PDP-Laban membership are often seen with Duterte during sorties. After speaking, Duterte mentions them so they can be recognized by the crowd.

“There are individual friends of the mayor, individual endorsements and the mayor is very kind but we never announced that we have an official DC slate. There are meetings ongoing for the campaign team to communicate that to them,” said Cayetano.

He added that one factor to consider in endorsing an entire line-up of 12 senators is the cost of bringing them to sorties. 

“Right now, the focus of the campaign team is to put Mayor Duterte in Malacañang…We have to make sacrifices for individual campaigns so for those who truly love Mayor Duterte, let’s sacrifice also a bit,” said the senator. – with reports from Pia Ranada/Rappler.com

CEBU CITY, Philippines – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday, February 16, promised Cebu that he would prioritize the vote-rich province in his eyed mega infrastructure program if he is elected president.

Binay made the vow at the formal launch of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)-One Cebu alliance at the Waterfront Hotel.

“Under my presidency, each region and province will have funding for at least one mega project per year. And we will start here in Cebu,” the UNA standard-bearer said.

Binay first bared his plan to build a major infrastructure project per region and per province at a forum in December 2015, but did not say then that Cebu would be the first beneficiary of the program.

In his speech, the Vice President accused the Aquino administration of neglecting Cebu. He cited a National Competitiveness Council survey that ranked Cebu as the 3rd most competitive in the country in 2015, when it used to be ranked first.

He also promised Cebuanos that he would reopen Malacañang sa Sugbo – first established by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in 2004 as the official residence of the Philippine president in the Visayas – as a point of access for people in the region to reach the president.

Arroyo had established Malacañang sa Sugbo to show her gratitude to the province, which is credited for her controversial, narrow victory over the late actor Fernando Poe Jr in the 2004 elections.

Cebu province has the highest number of registered voters in the country. According to figures released by the Commission on Elections, Cebu now has 2.7 million registered voters, up by 200,000 from 2.5 million in 2013. 

While Binay won the vice presidency in 2010, he lost to Manuel Roxas II in Cebu, getting only 400,000 votes while Roxas secured over a million votes. Both candidates are gunning for the presidency in the May elections.

Alliance formalized

Following its formalized alliance with UNA, One Cebu promised to help deliver victory for UNA candidates in Cebu in the upcming elections.

UNA's gubernatorial bet, Winston Garcia, is running against the Liberal Party's bet, reelectionist Governor Hilario Davide III.   

One Cebu's Pablo John "PJ" Garcia said that UNA and One Cebu have been long-time allies, and that day's launch only formalized that relationship.

Former Cebu governor now Cebu 3rd District Representative Gwen Garcia recalled Binay's support for her when she was suspended in 2012.  "When I was suspended and persecuted by the administration, it was Vice President Jejomar Binay who stood up for me," she said.

She also said "it is crucial that Cebuanos elect a president that will cooperate with the provincial government of Cebu."

In December 2012 – months before the 2013 elections – UNA leaders headed by Binay flew to Cebu to express their support for the then Cebu governor, who had defied a suspension order. (READ: Cebu and Garcia suspension: Who’s battle is it?)

The Office of the Ombudsman issued a 6-month suspension on Garcia for grave abuse of authority for usurping the powers of then Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez in 2010.

There are 6 Garcias running in May, aside from Winston, Gwen and Pablo are running ffor congressional seats in their respective districts.

Former Barili vice mayor Marlon Garcia, Dumanjug Mayor Nelson Garcia, and Gwen's daughter, Christina, are all running for mayor in their respective municipalities. – Rappler.com

ANKARA, Turkey – Turkey on Tuesday, February 16, denounced Russia's bombing campaign in Syria as "barbaric," saying the assault had killed civilians including children and the elderly. 

"Those vile, cruel, and barbaric planes have made close to 8,000 sorties since September 30 without any discrimination between civilians and soldiers, or children and the elderly," Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said in parliament. 

Tensions between Turkey and Russia have soared over Moscow's backing of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and Russia's air campaign against what it claims are "terrorist" targets in the country.

Turkey has long backed Assad's ouster and like other Western nations accuses Russia of predominantly bombing Syrian rebel groups backed by Washington and its allies instead of the Islamic State group.

Assad's forces have most recently used Russian air support to move ever closer to the rebel stronghold of Aleppo in northern Syria, which alarmed Ankara that Syrian Kurdish militia could take control of the region near the Turkish border.

Ankara considers the PYD and its YPG militia to be branches of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) which has waged a decades-long insurgency against the Turkish state.

Turkish artillery has struck Syrian Kurdish targets since the weekend. Russia has described Turkey's shelling of Kurdish and Syrian regime positions in the north of the country as a "provocative" action.

Davutoglu on Tuesday accused Kurdish fighters of being "Russia's legion working as mercenaries" with a priority aim of harming Turkey's interests.

"The YPG and PYD are not representatives of the Kurds, not of Syria, they are Russian legionaries and mercenaries," he said. – Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, United States – The United States and Cuba will sign a bilateral agreement Tuesday, February 16, authorizing up to 110 scheduled daily commercial flights to Havana and 9 other destinations on the communist island.

The deal restores regular flights between the two countries for the first time in more than half a century.

Once the accord is signed, US authorities will immediately invite American airlines to submit applications to operate the flights, with routes due to be set at some point in the summer, officials said.

"The Cuban government (will give) thorough consideration to future requests from the US government to increase this level of service," US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Transportation Affairs Thomas Engle said.

"The two governments reaffirm their commitment to strengthen their already close cooperation in aviation safety and security matters."

The United States announced plans to resume the flights in December, on the one-year anniversary of the start of reconciliation between Washington and Havana.

Under the new arrangement, airlines in the two countries can now strike deals in such areas as code-sharing and aircraft leasing, the Cuban embassy said at the time.

However, tourist travel still remains illegal under the trade embargo that the Americans slapped on Cuba in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power in a communist revolution.

The US Treasury Department has, however, set 12 categories of authorized travel.

"Initially, the US carriers will be allowed to fly 20 scheduled frequencies per day to Havana, the largest market, and remember that the current level is zero," Engle said.

"And also allowed to fly 10 scheduled frequencies per day to any other city in Cuba that has an airport open to international service."

Besides Havana, flights will be allowed to Camaguey, Cayo Coco, Cayo Largo, Cienfuegos, Holguin, Manzanillo, Matanzas, Santa Clara, and Santiago de Cuba.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Brandon Belford said Cuban airlines will still have to obtain their own licenses from US authorities.

"So we do not anticipate Cuban owned aircraft serving the US in the near future," he added.

Commercial flights between Cuba and the United States were cancelled 53 years ago but since the mid-1970s authorized charter flights have been allowed under certain conditions.

The United States and Cuba formally restored diplomatic relations in July and re-opened embassies in each other's capitals. – Rappler.com

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – It was her first time to join the campaign sorties of her daughter, and Susan Roces made sure she got the message across.

At an evening rally in Jaro, Iloilo, on Tuesday, February 16, the veteran actress expressed anger over the “oppression” against presidential bet Senator Grace Poe.

“Ramdam na ramdam na sobra na ang pang-aapi! At dapat nang tapusin 'yan! Sabi nga ni FPJ, dapat nang kalusin,” a feisty Roces told Ilonggos, borrowing a reference from one of the blockbuster movies of her late husband, Fernando Poe Jr.

(Too much oppression! And it should be stopped! Like what FPJ said, it should be changed.)

Roces recounted how she was hesitant about Poe’s presidential bid. After all, she said, she needs her daughter’s attention, as she is a senior citizen. But she said she knew Poe is fighting for something bigger.

“Dahil nakikita ko sa kanyang mata at pagiging masigasig sa kanyang laban dahil ang 'pinaglalaban n'ya hindi lang sarili n'ya kundi karapatan ng mga foundlings at mga karapatan ng mga inaapi!” Roces said.

(Because I see in her eyes and her persistence in this battle, she is fighting not just for herself but for the rights of foundlings and those oppressed!)

Poe is facing the risk of disqualification over issues of citizenship – that, as a foundling and a former American citizen, she not considered natural-born Filipino – and residency. (READ: TIMELINE: Grace Poe's citizenship, residency)

Roces, Poe’s adoptive mother, maintained Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen as a foundling. She recalled how Poe was found at the Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo with her umbilical cord still attached.

“Ang masasabi ko ay ito: s'ya ay Pilipino, s'ya ay anak ko. Ang kanyang mga magulang ay si Ronald Allan Poe (FPJ) at Jesusa Poe (Roces),” Roces said.

(All I can say is this: she is a Filipino, she is my daughter. Her parents are Ronald Allan Poe and Jesusa Poe.)

“Di man galing si Grace sa aking sinapupunan, s'ya ay laging nasa aking puso. May mga ibang nagsasabi o nagkukuwestyon na hindi daw s'ya dapat maging pangulo dahil di raw sya Pilipino. Eh ano s'ya, basta lang nag-landing lang s'ya dito?” she added.

(She may not have come from my womb, but she is always in my heart. There are others who are saying, questioning, that she should not become president because she is not Filipino. Then what is she? Did she just land here out of nowhere?)

Early morning Tuesday, Roces visited public markets in the city to seek support for Poe and her team in the province widely known as a stronghold of the Liberal Party.

Poe said her mother, 74, would play an active role in the campaign just as she did in the 2013 senatorial elections and during the 2004 presidential campaign of FPJ. 

Grace Poe topped the 2013 polls nationwide. Her father, FPJ, lost to then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in an election marred by allegations of systematic and massive fraud. – Rappler.com