MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) upheld its earlier decision granting Senator Juan Ponce Enrile's motion to be provided with a bill of particulars detailing the plunder charges against him in relation to the pork barrel scam.

In its en banc session on Tuesday, April 12, the SC denied the motion for reconsideration that sought the reversal of its August 2015 decision.

In August last year, the SC ordered the Ombudsman to provide Enrile with specific details of the plunder charges filed against him, after the senator sought the annulment of the July 2014 resolution of anti-graft court Sandiganbayan denying his motion for a bill of particulars.

Enrile faces plunder and graft charges over the multi-million peso pork barrel scam.

The SC required the bill of particulars to contain the following information:

1. The particular overt acts alleged to constitute the “combination or series of overt criminal acts”
2. A breakdown of the amounts of commissions allegedly received, stating how the amount of P172,834,500 was arrived at. 
3. A description of the "identified" projects where kickbacks were received
4. The approximate dates of receipt, “in 2004 to 2010 or thereabout,” of the alleged kickbacks from the identified projects
5. Names of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) allegedly controlled by Janet Lim-Napoles, which were the alleged "recipients and/or target implementors" of Enrile's pork barrel projects
6. The government agencies where Enrile allegedly endorsed Napoles' NGOs

Enrile, along with detaied senators Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Revilla Jr, are accused of channeling development funds to the fake NGOs allegedly controlled by Janet Lim-Napoles. 

The 92-year-old Enrile was freed on bail last year. The two other senators remain detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center in Camp Crame. – Rappler.com

STRASBOURG, France – The EU unveils plans on Tuesday, April 12, to limit the rampant use of tax havens by the world's biggest multinationals, a measure the authorities say is made even more urgent by the Panama Papers scandal.

The European Commission, the EU's executive arm, said under the new rules big companies operating in Europe would have to make public what they earn in each member of the 28-nation bloc.

Country-by-county reporting has for years been a major demand of tax activists who accuse big corporations of secretly shifting profits to low or no tax jurisdictions, often through the use of shell companies such as those exposed in the Panama Papers leak. (READ: Panama Papers: Lessons from a leak)

Longstanding criticisms of corporate tax policy blew up into the open with the Lux Leaks scandal in 2014, which exposed the secret sweetheart tax deals given to huge corporations – including IKEA and Pepsi – by the small duchy of Luxembourg.

EU Financial Services Commissioner Jonathan Hill will make the announcement at 1300 GMT at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.

Hill is Britain's representative on the Commission and a close political ally of Prime Minister David Cameron who is under pressure in London for family links to an offshore fund exposed by the Panama Papers leak.

"This is a carefully thought through but ambitious proposal for more transparency on tax," Hill said in a statement ahead of the plan's release.

"While our proposal ... is not of course focused principally on the response to the Panama papers, there is an important connection between our continuing work on tax transparency and tax havens that we are building into the proposal," he said.

The EU plan closely follows recommendations by the OECD agreed by G20 leaders last year. They would apply to all global companies with sales worth 750 million euros or above worldwide and with activities in the EU.

The EU said this amounts to about 6,000 companies – including 1,000 Asian firms – or 90% of all corporations above that size.

EU sources told AFP that companies will need to disclose information such as total sales, the nature of their business activity, profit before tax, tax actually paid and accumulated earnings. The date would be posted on a company's website.

But in a disappointment to tax campaigners, the EU plan is largely limited to activity in Europe, except if those earnings come from a black-listed tax haven.

"As long as the proposal doesn't cover all countries, multinational corporations will still have plenty of opportunities to hide their profits," said Tove Maria Ryding, a tax specialist at the European Network on Debt and Development.

"So instead of solving the problem, this proposal would be moving the problem from one country to another, with multinationals still able to avoid taxes," she said. – Alex Pigman, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, April 12, unanimously junked its plan to hold the national canvassing of votes in the Manila Hotel, Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said.  

Guanzon said the Comelec decided to hold the canvassing in the government-owned Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) instead.

She pointed out that the PICC "is government-owned and -controlled corporation (GOCC)."

"It is a GOCC, and it can do all the civil works we require," Guanzon said. These civil works include setting up a stage where the national board of canvassers will sit when meeting.

Guanzon earlier told Rappler it was the office of Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista that proposed the canvassing of votes in the Manila Hotel.

The Comelec drew flak for this plan. This was also the case with the proposed P26.55-million ($574,300) "bib vest" uniforms for election inspectors, which the Comelec junked partly due to public anger.

Comelec: Not about 'frivolity'

Before scrapping the planned canvassing in the Manila Hotel, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez rejected claims it was "all about frivolity."

"If people think that it’s all about frivolity, then perhaps it would be enlightening if they could inquire deeper into the thing that they’re commenting on, rather than just engaging in knee-jerk reactions," Jimenez said.

Jimenez added: "It’s very easy to stoke outrage using a few keywords. Just use words that people normally equate with luxury – for instance, like Manila Hotel. ‘Hotel, ergo luxury, ergo expensive.’ That’s not fair, right?"

The national canvassing in the PICC will involve votes for senator and party-list representatives.

The canvassing of votes for president and vice president is traditionally held in Congress. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Public Attorneys Office (PAO) on Tuesday, April 12, accused Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad of blocking retirement benefits of retired government lawyers and decried their treatment as “second-class lawyers and citizens”.

PAO chief Persida Rueda Acosta sought an audience with Justice Secretary Emmanuel Caparas, asking him to grant the benefits of PAO retirees who are either sick, ageing, or dying.

“It is the right of the PAO retirees to receive their benefits. What we are asking is the full implementation of the PAO law,” Acosta told reporters, referring to Republic Act 9406, which reorganizes and strengthens the Public Attorney’s Office.

40 retirees of PAO asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) to enable the full implementation of the PAO law under RA 9406.

PAO is challenging Budget department’s legal opinion which contradicts the PAO law. In a legal bulletin, the Department of Budget and Management said "R.A. No. 10071 was later enacted, providing under Section 166 that the Prosecutors of the NPS shall enjoy the same rank, salaries, allowances, and retirement benefits of justices and judges, as the case may be."

However, the bulletin said, "Section 16 last paragraph of R.A. No. 10071 limits the retirement benefits granted thereunder to the Prosecutors of NPS, to wit: 'Section 16. xxxx The salaries, allowances and other emoluments herein fixed shall not apply to officers other than those of prosecutors in the National Prosecution Service, notwithstanding any provision of law assimilating the salaries of other officers to those herein mentioned.'”

In a manifesto, the PAO retirees said, “The DBM cannot suddenly reverse itself through an alleged DBM Legal Opinion belatedly issued, when it previously allowed our contribution to the GSIS [Government Service Insurance System] to be decreased for about six (6) years or since May 2010, thereby treating us as SPECIAL MEMBERS of the GSIS with the advent of RA 10071.”

"We, the undersigned 40 retirees of the PAO, hereby express our fervent support to the full implementation of RA 9406, especially with regard to the retirement benefits and privileges granted therein in relation to RA 10071, in the light of the Letter dated March 11, 2016 of Secretary Abad of the DBM to Secretary Caparas of the DOJ, which has come to our attention," their petition said.

PAO is insisting lawyers are entitled to the same benefits as prosecutors who are under the National Prosecution Service.

Enduring the notion that some PAO lawyers are "second-class citizens" in the DOJ, the lawyers said what has kept them going is their love for their calling and their passion to help the poor. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – "Any time, any place."

This was Vice President Jejomar Binay's response to the challenge of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte for a one-on-one debate on morality, graft, and corruption, following the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) standard bearer's continued attacks against him.

“‘Yung debate, okay lang, any time, any place (I'm okay with the debate – any time, any place)," said the Vice President told reporters  in Malate, Manila on Tuesday, April 12, when asked about Duterte's challenge to him. 

But in the same breath, Binay wondered aloud what they would debate about since he believed that Duterte himself had "admitted" to killing criminals.

Ang tanong ko lamang: ano ang pagdedebatihan natin e inamin mo nang berdugo ka sa pagpapatay ng mahirap? Ano ang pagdedebatihin namin?” he told reporters

(My only question is: what are we going to debate about when you had already admitted that you’re an executioner of the poor? What will we debate on?) 

According to Binay, he does not see the point of engaging in a debate with Duterte on the proposed topics, since the corruption claims against him have yet to be proven while Duterte himself had supposedly "admitted" the "morality" issues against him.

“E yung graft and corruption [ay] bintang. E ‘yung morality, admitted,” said the Vice President, alluding to the public admissions of the tough-talking mayor that he had killed criminals in fighting crime in Davao City, and will do the same on a national scale if elected president. (READ: Duterte on how to fight crime: It has to be 'bloody')

(The accusations of graft and corruption against me are mere allegations. But he had admitted the morality [issues against him].)

“Baka mamaya style na naman, cheapy-cheapy niya ‘yun (This might just be one of his cheap tricks),” added Binay. 

‘Moral responsibility’ vs Duterte

On Tuesday, Binay met with members of the Kababaihan ng Maynila and urged them to campaign against Duterte. This time, he alleged that Duterte had no respect for women.

“Si Mr Duterte ay kandidato sa pagkapangulo, walang-wala pong respeto sa babae (Mr Duterte, a candidate for president, does not have respect for women),” the  Vice President said, drawing applause from the female audience members.  

“Kayong mga babae, kayo ay mga ina ng inyong anak….Responsibilidad po natin, that’s a moral responsbility ng bawat isa. Ano ho ‘yung responsibility na kung magtulung-tulong po tayo at ipaliwanag sa mga dapat ipaliwanag na ‘di dapat iboto si Duterte,” said Binay, echoing a similar statement he made in Caloocan City. 

(You, women, are the mother of your children. It’s our moral responsibility to help each other in explaining to others that people should not vote for Duterte.)

Duterte publicly admitted that he is a womanizer, brazenly kissing women on the campaign trail. (READ: Duterte, his 6 contradictions and planned dictatorship) 

Despite these, he has also funded projects for women, and supports women’s rights.

Binay vs Duterte, Poe, Roxas

The UNA standard-bearer stepped up his attacks against Duterte since his rival began surging in the election polls last week. 

The latest ABS-CBN and Social Weather Stations polls released this week showed Duterte grabbing solo lead in the 5-way presidential race. 

Binay has since included in his speeches that Duterte commits extrajudicial killings that also victimize women, children, and the poor. He called the Davao City mayor “berdugo na pumapatay ng mahirap (an executioner who kills the poor).” 

Duterte denied his involvement in extrajudicial killings in Davao City, an alleged anti-crime strategy critics believe he would conduct on a national scale if he is elected president. 

In response to Binay's tirade, Duterte called Binay a “berdugo ng pera ng tao (executioner of the people’s money)" during a rally in Taguig on Monday night.

The Vice President just laughed this off on Tuesday and criticized his rival's use of Filipino. “Maling Tagalog ata ‘yun. ‘Yung berdugo ay pumapatay ng tao. Wala hong berdugo sa Makati, nagnanakaw. Patawarin na natin, ganun talagang managalog ‘yun e,” he said. 

(That’s the wrong way of speaking Tagalog. An executioner kills people. There is no executioner nor thief in Makati. Let’s forgive him because that's how he speaks Tagalog.)

BInay did not spare his other rivals for the presidency, though he did not name them. He took a swipe at Senator Grace Poe over her citizenship and residency issues during his speech at the Tuesday sortie – matters that had been resolved by the Supreme Court.

“Meron isang kandidato na “Ah! Ako rin ay marami ring karanasan.” Oo nga, ang karanasan mo ay tumigil ka sa Amerika,” said Binay.  (There’s a candidate saying she has experience. Yes, experience of living in America.)

He scored Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, who led led the interior department as well as the transportation department, for being a slow decision-maker.

“Meron naman hong isang kandidato diyan ay pamumuno ng teka-teka. Ayaw gumawa ng desisyon. ‘Yung PPP (public-private partnership) na kailangan po natin sa infrastructure requirements natin, e natapos na’t natapos ang kanyang panunungkulan ay hindi niya nadesiyunan,” said Binay.

(We have a candidate who is an indecisive leader. He does not want to make decisions. The PPP projects that we need for infrastructure did not come into fruition during his term.)  – Rappler.com

LIBREVILLE, Gabon – The number of children used by Nigeria's Boko Haram to stage suicide bombings has risen more than 10-fold in one of the most "horrific" aspects of the Islamist insurgency, the United Nations said on Tuesday, April 12.

Experts said the group, which has been weakened by a multinational military offensive, is now trying to spread terror by using children for attacks in crowded markets, mosques and even camps for people fleeing Boko Haram violence.

This has had disastrous consequences for children, especially girls, who had survived captivity and sexual violence by Boko Haram, said a report by UN children's agency UNICEF.

"The number of children involved in 'suicide' attacks in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger has risen sharply over the past year, from four in 2014 to 44 in 2015," UNICEF said.

More than 75% of the children involved in such attacks are girls, it added.

"Let us be clear: these children are victims, not perpetrators," said Manuel Fontaine, UNICEF regional director for west and central Africa.

"Deceiving children and forcing them to carry out deadly acts has been one of the most horrific aspects of the violence in Nigeria and in neighbouring countries," he said.

The report was released two years after Boko Haram kidnapped 276 teenagers in the dead of night from the small town of Chibok in northern Nigeria. A total of 219 students are still missing.

Disturbing trends

The report, entitled "Beyond Chibok", said alarming trends have surfaced after Boko Haram started attacking countries neighbouring Nigeria.

"Between January 2014 and February 2016, Cameroon recorded the highest number of suicide attacks involving children (21), followed by Nigeria (17) and Chad (two)," it said.

During the same period, nearly one in five suicide bombers was a child and three quarters of them were girls.

Last year, children were used in one out of every two attacks in Cameroon, one out of eight in Chad, and one out of seven in Nigeria.

UNICEF said the number of Boko Haram suicide bombings had increased from 32 in 2014 to 151 last year.

"The calculated use of children who may have been coerced into carrying bombs, has created an atmosphere of fear and suspicion that has devastating consequences" for them, it said.

"As 'suicide' attacks involving children become commonplace, some communities are starting to see children as threats to their safety," said Fontaine.

"This suspicion towards children can have destructive consequences; how can a community rebuild itself when it is casting out its own sisters, daughters and mothers?" he said.

An estimated 20,000 people have been killed since Boko Haram launched its campaign of violence in 2009 to carve out a hardline Islamic state in northeast Nigeria.

More than 2.6 million people have fled their homes since, but some of the internally displaced have recently begun returning after the Nigerian military captured swathes of territory back from the insurgents.

But UNICEF underscored that the repercussions were devastating for children caught up in the conflict.

It said nearly 1.3 million children have been displaced, about 1,800 schools are closed – either damaged, looted, burned down or used as shelter by displaced people and more than 5,000 children reported either as unaccompanied or separated from their parents. – Michel Cariou, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in its motion for reconsideration filed before the Supreme Court (SC) in March said "chaos or anarchy will not be far behind" if Grace Poe is allowed to run despite what dissenters claimed to be an absence of a majority vote on her citizenship.

Justice Marvic Leonen said Comelec's prediction of chaos and anarchy "is to caricature and simplify the extended opinions expressed by the justices of this court who did not agree with the Commission."

"Worse, the evil that the Constitution sought to avoid by not endowing it with unbridled power to determine the qualification of a candidate has come to pass," Leonen said in his 9-page concurring opinion released Saturday, April 9.

"It is not unreasonable to fear that the Commission is now partial against a candidate for the elections for president. Its actuations can easily be misinterpreted as participating in the partisan voices of those who are supporting a different candidate for the elections."

It has been a week since the High Court ruled with finality on Poe's case, allowing the senator to run for the presidency in the May polls. The vote was still 9-6 in favor of her.

In his opinion, Leonen said it is dangerous to reduce the complex opinion of the Court.

"I reject the premise that propaganda is necessary to shape meaningful social consciousness in a democracy. With every bone in my body, I refuse to accept that our people should forever be malleable through the maintenance of a political economy of ignorance," he said.

"Yet it is during elections that those who are part of our 'invisible government' thrive. They attempt to shape opinion by giving incomplete information. Press releases may be characterized by partisan simplification of complex issues of citizenship and residence. Public relations are enhanced when they color speculative outcomes with strident voices or hysteria about a future with 'chaos and anarchy'."

He said it is during this season that the public is "treated as a passive subject, vulnerable only to dominant sources of media and information."

"The prize is not a strong and informed sovereign people; rather, it is the statistics of powerful pollsters prior to elections."

Leonen emphasized the importance of diligence, patience, and an open mind when reading through "more than 600 pages of opinion" from the justices.

"In deciding these consolidated petitions, we have endeavored to be transparent and legible because we were all aware of the possible repercussions of our decision….Each of us can come to our own decision based on our own premises and in light of our own consciences and reason," he explained.

"That the conclusion is not what one expects should not be the sole basis to conclude that the contrary opinion is unreasonable, illogical, or brought about by some malevolent motive." (READ: Sereno to dissenters on Poe: 'We are 7, you are 5')

'Premature' to rule on Poe's qualifications

Justices Diosdado Peralta and Jose Mendoza also issued their separate concurring opinions on Saturday. This is the first time the two justices are writing about the case. (READ: SC justices explain votes on Grace Poe case)

Peralta said Comelec and private respondents Estrella Elamparo, Amado Valdez, Francisco "Kit" Tatad, and Antonio Contreras merely reiterated in their motions for reconsideration the same issues already raised and discussed before the SC.

While he is part of the majority who ruled in favor of Poe, Peralta said the SC should have limited itself to determining whether Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion, "and nothing more".

But the main decision of the SC released in March said there is more than sufficient evidence that Poe has Filipino parents and is therefore a natural-born Filipino.

It also ruled that Poe is correct in claiming in her certificate of candidacy (COC) that she would have been a resident of the Philippines for 10 years and 11 months on the day before the 2016 elections.

Peralta, however, agreed with Justice Benjamin Caguioa that a "more thorough discussion of and ruling on Poe's qualifications specifically as to her natural-born citizenship, as well as her 10-year residency, are premature."

For him, the SC should rule on Poe's qualifications only after she is proclaimed winner of the elections, and through a petition filed before the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET). (READ: Dissenters on Poe case: Why can't Comelec rule on her qualifications?)

Mendoza, on the other hand, expressed his reservation about Poe's residency. He believes the SC should not make a definitive ruling on the issue yet, since it should be tackled and resolved also by the PET, "the sole judge of all contests relating to the election, returns, and qualifications of the president-elect in appropriate cases."

Comelec's grave abuse of discretion

In his opinion, Peralta reiterated the SC ruling that the Comelec committed grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction.

"Indeed the fact that the Comelec clearly overlooked facts which tend to prove that Poe did not deceive or mislead the electorate in filling up her COC or that the Comelec overstepped its bounds by ruling on Poe's qualifications as a candidate for president is patent not only in the records, but in the assailed resolutions of the Comelec itself, which clearly support the Court's finding of grave abuse of discretion on the Comelec's part and the reversal of the latter's rulings."

Mendoza is also part of the majority who voted to grant the petitions for certiorari filed by Poe, but he nevertheless sided with Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe in proposing the abandonment of the doctrine that a candidate's COC "becomes material only when there is or appears to be a deliberate attempt to mislead, misinform, or hide a fact which would otherwise render a candidate ineligibile."

Bernabe voted against Poe, along with 5 other SC justices.

For Mendoza, a candidate's material misrepresentation in his or her COC should be determined by fact or law, and not measured by a claim of good faith.

"Otherwise, the Comelec would become impotent in petitions under Section 78 because a questioned candidate can effortlessly evade scrutiny by simply invoking his good faith," he said, proposing the abandonment of this doctrine be prospective in application.

Read the concurring opinions of the 3 justices below.

Concurring Opinion – Leonen

Concurring Opinion – Mendoza

Concurring Opinion – Peralta

– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (3rd UPDATE) – The anti-graft court Sandiganbayan has granted bail to two former congressmen and businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles in connection with their plunder cases stemming from the alleged misuse of the  Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

On Wednesday morning, April 13, the Sandiganbayan's Fourth Division cited weak evidence of guilt in granting the bail petitions of former Masbate representative now Masbate Governor Rizalina Seachon-Lanete and Napoles.

The court set bail at P500,000 for each of them.

Radio dzMM reported that Lanete paid a total of P830,000 – P500,000 for the plunder charge and P330,000 for 11 counts of graft.

While Lanete would be released after completing the procedure for posting bail, Napoles would remain in jail as she is serving a life term time for the illegal detention of her former employee, Benhur Luy, the primary whistleblower in the pork barrel scam.

The court had earlier rejected Napoles' petitions for bail in PDAF scam cases involving detained senators Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr and Jinggoy Estrada, and Senator Juan Ponce Enrile.

Lanete is charged with plunder and 11 counts of graft for misusing P112.29 million ($2.44 million) of her PDAF or pork barrel from 2007-2009.

In exchange for kickbacks, Lanete allegedly allowed her PDAF to be unlawfully diverted to ghost projects of foundations controlled by Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the PDAF scam.

Also on Wednesday, the Sandiganbayan's Fifth Division granted the bail petitions of Napoles and former APEC party list representative Edgar Valdez, also in connection with the PDAF scam.

Valdez faces plunder charges and 7 counts of graft for allegedly pocketing up to P95 million ($2.06 million) in public funds through the illegal diversion of his PDAF to fake non-governmental organizations run by Napoles.

"Taking all the evidence and the pertinent law and doctrinal rules together, it would appear that for purposes of bail, there appears to be doubt as to the total amount of alleged ill-gotten wealth amassed, accumulated, and/or acquired by accused Valdez, directly or indirectly with Napoles and De Asis, covered by the instant Information," the court said.

The court set ail at P1.5 million each for Valdez and Napoles.

Valdez, who has been detained since earlier 2015, will gain temporary freedom upon completion of all the necessary procedures.

Napoles is facing other graft and plunder cases in connection with the biggest corruption scandal in Philippine history.

Plunder is typically a non-bailable offense punishable with reclusion perpetua, but bail may be granted if there is no strong evidence of guilt.

The Supreme Court, however, granted Enrile's petition for bail last year. In his petition, the 92-year-old senator had argued that the life sentence for plunder will not apply to him even if he is convicted, because two mitigating circumstances could lower his punishment: his advanced age and his voluntary surrender.

'Be diligent'

Following the development, the chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, which investigated the PDAF scam, said, "At this juncture, we strongly urge the prosecution to be diligent in presenting sufficient evidence and the court to exercise due caution in its proceedings."

"After all, this is people’s money, more so public trust, that we are talking about," Senator Teofisto Guingona III added.

He said that public concern about the bail grant is "understandable" as it involves people accused of plunder.

Guingona stressed, however, that the grant of bail to Napoles and Lanete "is not indicative of acquittal as their cases are still at the preliminary stage and appeals can still be made."

"Furthermore, the illegal detention suit filed against her by PDAF scam whistleblower Benhur Luy still firmly guarantees her stay in jail despite the plunder bail," added.– Rappler.com

US$1 = P46

MANILA, Philippines – Starting Friday, April 15, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will begin its re-implementation of the no-contact apprehension policy, where motorists caught violating traffic rules through closed circuit television (CCTV) footage will be fined.

Under the policy, erring motorists will be given notices specifying the date, time, location, and nature of the traffic violation committed. The motorist may contest the violation before the MMDA's Traffic Adjudication Division (TAD) within 7 days from receipt of the notice.

If the TAD denies the motorist's petition, a motion for reconsideration may be filed within 15 days from receipt of the TAD resolution. If this is denied, the motorist may file an appeal before the Office of the Chairman, which will issue a final and executory decision.

Motorists who do not contest their violation will be sent a final notice to pay fines. If violators fail to settle these fines, the MMDA will submit the vehicle's license plate to the Land Transportation Office, with the recommendation that the vehicle's registration not be renewed until the fines are settled.

MMDA Chairman Emerson Carlos expressed confidence that motorists will be more cooperative with the new scheme.

"What we are after here is to instill discipline among the motorists," he said. – Rappler.com     

MANILA, Philippines – Not too long ago, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II was the only presidential bet who made it a point to call out, hit and criticize the tough-talking and popular Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

It helped that Duterte was consistent in attacking the administration bet, singling him out for government's alleged failure to fix traffic, manage disasters or address concerns on other basic services.

Roxas would bewail this in his campaign sorties, accusing Duterte of using him as a platform to boost his popularity.

But it is by no accident that the Davao mayor crafted himself to be Roxas' exact opposite.

In general, Filipino voters tend to be reactionary, pollsters said in the book "Ambition, Destiny, Victory" written by Rappler editors Chay F Hofileña and Miriam Grace Go on the 2010 presidential race. Pulse Asia's Ana Maria Tabunda said in the book: "We elect the antithesis of the previous."

Indeed, the brash, cursing, whimsical antithesis of Roxas (and the soon-to-be-previous administration) is now the front runner in the polls. 

And now Roxas has company – all joining the fray in hitting Duterte for his stand here or his statement there. 

In two successive campaign sorties, Jejomar Binay took a dig at Duterte. (READ: Binay: Duterte is an executioner)

Senator Grace Poe, who was the survey front runner before Duterte’s surge, took a less confrontational route and made her strongest statement on fighting crime. Peace and order, of course, is the cornerstone of Duterte’s campaign.

Roxas was not far behind, going a step forward in his pronouncements on Duterte.

In a press conference on Tuesday, April 12 in Misamis Occidental, Roxas emphasized how the Davao mayor was the “biggest danger” to the country “since Ferdinand Marcos.”

On April 12, the results of an ABS-CBN poll conducted by Pulse Asia Research, Inc. showed the Davao mayor ahead of the pack with 30%, trailed by Poe with 25% and Binay and Roxas with 20% and 19%, respectively.

The ABS-CBN poll, conducted from March 29 to April 3, solidified what another survey conducted around the same time showed: Duterte was on the rise while his rivals were either slipping or plateauing.

Call to action

But if the Binay and Poe camps this week decided to make a quick shift in strategy when it came to Duterte and the problem of criminality, the Roxas campaign didn’t really shift gears.

Instead, it decided to be more specific in its messaging.

This is indicated in the statement released by Roxas spokesman Akbayan Representative Ibarra Gutierrez on the earlier Social Weather Stations (SWS) poll.

“Mukhang dumadami ang nahuhumaling sa pulitika ng pagkatakot na dala ni Mayor Duterte. Para mapawi ang takot, ibibigay natin ang ating kalayaan at karapatan sa kanya. Banta siya sa demokrasyang tinatamasa natin. Nananawagan kami sa lahat ng disenteng Pilipino, kumatig kay Mar,” read the statement, which was emailed to media hours after the SWS poll was made public.

(It is becoming clear that more and more of our countrymen are being seduced by the politics of fear of Mayor Duterte. To ease our fears, we give him our freedom and rights. He is a threat to the democracy we cherish. We call on all decent Filipinos to rally to Mar.)

Tight race no more

It was a striking departure from the coalition’s usual answer to every survey – that the poll showed the race was still tight, and that the “most important” survey would happen on May 9, election day. It wasn’t that Roxas’ numbers dipped dramatically in this round of opinion polls, because they didn’t.

In every SWS, Pulse Asia, or Laylo survey that showed Roxas at 3rd or 4th, the coalition – or Roxas himself – would be quick to express optimism at the statistical differences.

But the key difference was that Duterte was pulling away from the pack.

“Si Mar lang ang may napatunayang integridad, karanasan, at husay para isakatuparan ang pangarap natin na magkaroon ng isang disenteng bansa. Si Mar lang ang napatunayan na kayang humarap kay Mayor Duterte, may solidong suporta, at may organisasyon para magtagumpay. Sa tunay na survey sa Mayo, ipakita natin na matapang tayo at hindi magpapadala sa takot. Ipakita natin ang ating suporta para sa demokrasya. Suportahan natin si Mar at Leni,” continued Gutierrez’ statement.

(Only Mar has proven to be capable to standing up to Mayor Duterte, to have a solid base of support, and to have an organization that can deliver victory. And when the real survey comes in May, let us show our courage in not giving in to fear. Let us show our support for democracy. Let us support Mar and Leni.)

It wasn’t just a reaction to another survey but a call to action. The same day, Roxas and his running mate Leni Robredo’s supporters egged on fellow supporters to make their choice known on social media.

“Disente (Decent)” were their supporter’s battle cry, hitting the Davao mayor for his supposed links to extrajudicial killings in Davao and brashness (in words and in deed.)

Roxas, meanwhile, criticized his friend-turned-foe for “fooling” the electorate.

Citing figures from the police, Roxas questioned how Duterte can eradicate crime in 3-6 months (among his biggest campaign promises) when Davao City itself is “one of the most dangerous places in the country.”

“So kung hindi niya mapaliwanag kung papaano niya susugpuin ang krimen sa Davao City lang mismo kung saan siya ay naging mayor dalawampung taon mahigit, papaano niya ipapaliwanag, papaano niya lilinawin sa sambayanang Pilipino na sa loob ng anim na buwan, susugpuin niya ang krimen sa buong Pilipinas?” said Roxas.

(If he can’t explain how to stop crime in Davao City where he was mayor for 22 years, how will be able to explain to the entire country how he intends to stop crime within 6 months?)

“Pambobola ito. Kasinungalingan ito. At ako, pagod ako sa panloloko sa mamamayang Pilipino. Dahil itong mga statement, itong mga generalities na ito, walang lugar ito. Pagod na ang Pilipino sa pambobola, pagod na ang Pilipino sa mga matatamis na pangako, at dahil ilang beses na silang nabigo,” he added.

(He’s fooling Filipinos. He’s lying. And I’m tired of people fooling the Filipino people. Because these statements, these generalities, they have no place in this country. Filipinos are tired of being fooled, of hearing promises that time and time again have failed.)

Duterte himself has yet to truly elaborate on his plan to eradicate criminality, save for statements saying he would tap the military and police to do it. His running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, insists "political will" is all it takes. 

Can the tide still turn?

Still, Gutierrez insisted the coalition was not “too concerned” with Roxas’ numbers.

“If you look at yung current to frontrunners don sa surveys si Senador Poe at saka si Mayor Duterte, historically talaga namang taas baba yung kanilang mga numero. So, kami, we rather be a slow and steady sa pagtaas at kaysa naman doon sa ikaw magsu-surge at biglang babagsak na naman,” he told reporters in an interview at the LP headquarters on Tuesday, April 12.

(If you look at the numbers of the frontrunners in the survey – Senator Poe and Mayor Duterte, historically their numbers have been erratic. So we’d rather be slow and steady in our rise instead of surging and suddenly falling.)

But Roxas’ numbers haven’t been “steadily” increasing. Since the campaign period began on February 9, Roxas has yet to get past the 22% mark.

Anti-Duterte vote

The ruling party is banking on local machinery and ironically, Duterte’s rise, as keys to victory in the lead-up to the May 9 polls.

“They're taking seriously all his pronouncements and his candidacy. I think there's a real possibility for there to be a consolidation of an anti-Duterte vote,” Gutierrez said.

Said Roxas: “Ako, nananatili akong kumpiyansa na sa dulo, tayo ang mananaig. At in fact, isa sa mga katunggali ko ang nagsabi din, something to that effect, na ‘yung dalawang kandidatura na may political infrastructure on the ground kumbaga, may makinarya on the ground, isa doon ang Liberal Party ng Daang Matuwid. Kaya naniniwala ako na sa dulo, mananaig tayo.”

(I’m still confident that in the end, we’ll win. In fact, one of my rivals even said that only two candidacies have political infrastructure on the ground… and one of those is the Liberal Party. So I believe that in the end, we’ll win.)

Roxas was referring to Binay, who earlier said the race would still be between himself and the ruling party’s bet. 

Back in March, when Duterte was non-stop in criticizing all that could possibly be criticized about Roxas, the LP was quick to dismiss the Davao mayor.

“I ignore him and I continue to ignore him,” Roxas once quipped, when asked to react to Duterte’s allegations that funds meant for Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) rehabilitation had been misused.

Well, Roxas can't ignore him now. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) tandem has become more aggressive in its attack against presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. 

On Wednesday, April 13, Vice President Jejomar Binay published a Facebook video telling voters that it is their “moral responsibility” to prevent a Duterte presidency. (WATCH: Binay: Duterte is an executioner)

Binay’s running mate, Senator Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan II, also released a political advertisement this week with the same theme.

Since April 8, the UNA standard-bearer’s speeches in campaign sorties have included tirades against Duterte, who has surged in election polls last week and has now grabbed the solo lead back-to-back in the latest ABS-CBN and Social Weather Stations surveys.  

Duterte vows that if he is elected president, he would end crime within 3 to 6 months but has not given a detailed plan on how he intended to achieve this. Days after coming under attack, however, he modified his promise and said he would just "suppress" crime, conceding that it is impossible to end it.

The Davao mayor's public remarks about shooting criminals, killing thousands, and even his quips about belonging to the Davao Death Squad have led critics to accuse him of tolerating vigilanteism as a way to solve crime.

This is the premise of Honasan’s television advertisement, which is posted on his Facebook account.  

The senator warns voters against those who would kill even children out of “mere suspicion,” echoing the public statements of Binay against Duterte. 

Duterte, however, has already denied his involvement in extrajudicial killings, saying he has only ordered the shooting of criminals who put up a violent resistance. 

Asked why the UNA tandem is only zeroing in on the Davao City mayor just now, Binay’s communications director Joey Salgado said it is because they were finally able to gather "enough evidence." (READ: Binay on Duterte's debate dare: 'Any time, any place’)

“It was only recently that we validated these reports from concerned citizens of Davao City. What sounded like mere bluster from Duterte turned out to be true,” Salgado told Rappler. 

‘Worse than Martial Law’

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Binay’s video, entitled “Right to Life,” was posted on his official Facebook account early Wednesday morning.

He addresses the public and tells them that those who will vote for Duterte would later regret their decision when the mayor is elected. 

“Pero kay Duterte, kapag nangyari sa inyo ang ginawa niya sa Davao na pagpatay ng mga bata, mga mahihirap, at mga mangmang batay lamang sa kanyang suspetsang may ginawang mali, lumabag sa batas, saka ka pa magsisisi kapag ginawa sa ’yo 'yan at pinatay ang iyong mahal sa buhay,” says Binay. 

(With Duterte, if what he has done in Davao happens to you or to your loved ones – the killing of children, the poor, and the illiterate based on mere suspicion of going against the law – that is only when you will regret your vote.)

The Vice President even brings up his stint as a human rights lawyer during the martial law years to strengthen his message against the tough-talking mayor. 

“Mga kabababayan, tutulan po natin ‘to. Hindi po dapat manaig ito. Tayo po ay naglaban sa martial law. E itong sinasabi po ni Mr Duterte, masahol pa sa martial law,” said Binay.

(My countrymen, let us put a stop this. This should not happen. I fought against martial law. What Mr Duterte is saying is worse than martial law.)

Solve poverty first, then crime

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Honasan's political advertisement begins with a teenage boy with a sack over his face. He is brought to a dark, undisclosed location by 3 men riding a van. 

“Paano kung anak mo ay napaghinalaan lang (What if you child was merely accused)?” 

The boy is roughly thrown on the ground. 

“Dadamputin na agad at bubugbugin para sapilitang umamin (Will he be nabbed and beaten up to force him to admit to something he did not do)? ”  

The boy, kneeling down, pleads to his captors.

“Paano kung sa anak mo mangyari ang ganito (What if this happens to your child)?”

The video fades to black, but a gunshot is heard in the background. (READ: Your life under the next dictator)

Honasan then appears on screen. 

“Ubusin man natin ang lahat ng pinaghihinalaan na gumawa ng krimen, hindi pa rin ito ang solusyon sa tunay na problema (We may get rid of all those we suspect to have committed crimes, but this is not the solution to the real problem),” says the former soldier, rebel, and coup plotter.  

At the end of the video, Honasan puts forth his party’s longstanding message that poverty is the moral problem that the UNA tandem would seek to address.

“Dahil ang tunay na problema ay kahirapan. Kaya para masugpo natin ang krimen, sugpuin muna natin ang kahirapan (Because the real problem is poverty. To solve crime, we need to address poverty first)."– Rappler.com

BRASILIA, Brazil – Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff took off the gloves Tuesday, April 12, branding her vice president a traitor and coup-plotter ahead of an impeachment vote in Congress, with a party once in the ruling coalition set to cast a ballot against her.

In a blistering speech, Rousseff, 68, charged: "If there were any doubts about my reporting that a coup is under way, there can't be now."

Referring to Monday's (April 11) leak of an audio recording in which Vice President Michel Temer practices the speech he would make if Rousseff is impeached, the president said: "The conspirators' mask has slipped.

"We are living in strange and worrying times, times of a coup, and of pretending, and betrayal of trust," she said in the capital Brasilia. 

"Yesterday, they used the pretense of a leak to give the order for the conspiracy."

Rousseff is in the final stretch of a bruising attempt to save her presidency from impeachment on charges that she illegally manipulated government accounts to mask the effects of recession during her 2014 re-election.

Temer, who will take over if Rousseff is impeached, countered that a war was being waged against him on both a personal and professional level.  

"I'm not waging war, I'm defending myself," he told Globo News.

But making it clear he was ready to step in Rousseff's shoes, Temer, 75, added: "Without being pretentious, but with much modesty, I must say that I have a lot of experience in public life." 

After a congressional committee voted to recommend Rousseff's ouster in chaotic and bad-tempered scenes late Monday, the stage was set for a weekend showdown in the full lower house.

Scramble for votes

Deputies were due to start debating Friday, April 15, with a decisive vote on Sunday, officials said.

"Voting will begin on Sunday [April 17] at 2:00 pm (1700 GMT) and we calculate that the result will be late that evening," a spokesman for the speaker's office told Agence France-Presse.

If the house reaches a 2/3 majority, or 342 deputies, Rousseff's case is sent to the Senate. Anything less, and Rousseff will walk away with her job.

The latest survey of the 513 deputies in the lower house by Estadao daily showed 300 favoring impeachment and 125 opposed. That left the result in the hands of the 88 deputies still undecided or not stating a position.

Then, after hours of meetings, the Progressive Party announced it has decided to pull out of the ruling coalition, and that most of its 47 lawmakers will vote for her to be impeached.

The PP is one of the larger parties previously largely favorable to her.

Corruption scandals

Rousseff is hugely unpopular as Brazil sinks into its worst recession in decades. The political system has also been paralyzed by a huge corruption scandal at state oil company Petrobras.

In the latest arrest in the probe, dubbed Operation Car Wash, a former senator who helped lead an anti-corruption committee was charged Tuesday with taking more than $1.5 million in bribes to help corrupt companies avoid scrutiny.

Rousseff and allies, led by ex-president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, have fought back hard in the last few days, describing the impeachment drive as a thinly veiled coup plot.

"I would never have thought that my generation would see putschists trying to overthrow a democratically elected president," Lula, who ruled from 2003 to 2011, told thousands of supporters Monday in Rio de Janeiro.

He singled out Temer and Cunha, who has been charged with stashing millions of dollars in bribes in Swiss accounts.

However, Lula himself is charged with money laundering in a Car Wash-related case, and supporters of impeachment say that Rousseff's allegedly illegal manipulation of government accounts fits a pattern of incompetence and corruption.

Impeachment procedure

If the lower house does approve Rousseff's impeachment, the case goes to the Senate.

The Senate must then confirm it will take the case, at which point Rousseff would step down for up to 180 days while a trial was held. Temer, who recently left the ruling coalition to enter the opposition, would take over.

To depose Rousseff, the Senate would need to vote by a two-thirds majority, with Temer remaining president to serve out her term.

After winning Monday's skirmish in the committee, opponents of Rousseff declared they were on a roll.

"It was a victory for the Brazilian people," said opposition deputy Jovair Arantes, predicting that the result would carry with "strong" pro-impeachment momentum into the full chamber's vote.

But pro-government deputy Silvio Costa said he was also confident.

"The opposition is very arrogant" after Monday's committee victory, he said.

There were worries that passions will spill over as the lower house vote approaches. Large crowds of both Rousseff supporters and opponents were expected in the capital Brasilia and will be separated by a metal barrier.

More than 4,000 police and firefighters will be on duty, G1 news site reported, and security has been stepped up at Congress, with heavy restrictions on access to the building. – Eugenia Logiuratto and Damian Wroclavsky, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Office of the Ombudsman announced on Wednesday, April 13, that it has ordered the filing of charges against Baguio City Representative Nicasio Aliping Jr and 3 others for destroying part of a forest reserve and watershed in Tuba, Benguet. 

The Ombudsman said in a statement that Aliping and contractors William Go, Bernard Capuyan, and Romeo Aquino are facing trial before the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for violation of Sections 77 and 78 of the Revised Forestry Code.

It said that based on the findings of Environmental Ombudsman, Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Gerard Mosquera, Aliping conducted earth moving activities in April 2014, "using heavy equipment that resulted to the uprooting of 293 pine trees, with 415 Benguet pine tree samplings damaged."

This was for the construction of a road leading to his property.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the complainant in the case, estimated the total damage at P10.3 million.

The investigation also showed that “the cause of the turbidity of the water supply [was due] to the massive land development within and around the property of Aliping.”

This means that because of the land development, earth sediments got into the local water supply.

The DENR noted that Mount Sto Tomas, where the development was made, "was declared forest reserve, thus it cannot be converted into private property.”

No permits, no land ownership

The lawmaker admitted he did not have the required permits for the operation, and had no documents to prove ownership of the property involved.

Aliping undertook the activities through the construction corporations owned by Go, Capuyan, and Aquino.

"It is clear as daylight that the cutting of trees and other earthmoving activities were done without authority….Aliping’s use of the 3 backhoes/heavy equipment in his earthmoving activity is undisputed,” the Ombudsman said.

The Revised Forestry Code prohibits any person to cut, gather, collect, remove timber or other forest products from forest land, without any authority.

In 2014, Church leaders and concerned residents asked the Supreme Court to stop Aliping's road construction activity at Mount Sto Tomas. (READ: SC asked to stop road work dirtying  Benguet water supply)

In 2012, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales revitalized the Environmental Ombudsman that handles complaints involving violations of environmental laws committed by public officials and employees. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Stop or suppress crime?

It may just be a play on words but recently, Rodrigo Duterte has been making some clarifications in his speeches when talking about his most famous campaign promise: to stop crime, drugs, and corruption in 3 to 6 months.

“I can promise you, I will suppress crime – hindi ‘stop,’ that’s impossible – not in months, but in weeks,” he told a crowd of thousands in Taguig City on Monday, April 11.

The next day, during a rally in Cainta, he made the same clarification.

“Synonym ng suppression is stopping. Hindi ko talaga mai-stop as in stop (I cannot really stop as in stop). For as long as there is society, and there are men and women and children in a society there will always be crime. When I say ‘suppression,’ it’s really ‘stopping',” he said. 

“Ngayon kung gusto mo talaga ‘stop', my orders, barilin niyo lahat. Pag dinemanda kayo, sabihin niyo sa fiscal, si Duterte ‘yan. Isali mo si Duterte kasi siya ang nagbigay ng order,” he continued.

(Now, if you really want ‘stop’, my orders will be, ‘shoot all the criminals.’ When they file a lawsuit, tell the fiscal, it’s because of Duterte. Include Duterte because he gave the order.) 

'Impossible' to stop crime

And yet in previous speeches, he rarely made that clarification, simply using the word “stop.” For instance, in his speech in UP Los Baños, he said, “Sabi ko (I said), I would stop drugs and crime and criminality in 3 to 6 months.”

Admitting he knows it’s impossible to totally stop crime, Duterte told reporters in Cainta, “As long as there is society, you will never run out of criminals.”

Asked why he uses the word “stop” in his campaign promise, he said, “To be emphatic about it…Pag sinabi mong (When you say) ‘stop’, it means the effort, doesn’t mean to say, subjective ‘yan eh.”

Critics, including his rivals for the presidency, have expressed skepticism about Duterte’s ability to deliver his anti-crime promise.

His response to such skepticism is always, “If I cannot do it in months, I will never be able to do it even if you give me 10 years.” 

But in Taguig, Duterte added that the first step he would take is to “raise [crime and drugs] as a national security threat. I will go after druglords, big-time [criminals]. As for children, let’s just rehabilitate them.”

He has also said he would “use the military and police to hunt them down and shoot them if they put up a violent resistance." 

To make sure the law enforcers do their job, he would double their salaries and give them more benefits.

'50% is political will'

His running mate Alan Peter Cayetano reiterated during the Cainta rally that when it comes to solving crime, “50% of the problem is political will.”

While this may sound simplistic, he said a good president could significantly reduce crime by sheer force of will and strong directives to law enforcement.

“Ang peace and order po, hindi parang kalye o tren ‘yan na kailangan mo 2, 3 taon. Ang peace and order, ‘pag hindi mo kaya sa 6 na buwan, hindi ka dapat maging pangulo ng Republika ng Pilipinas,” he said.

(Peace and order is not like a road or train project which needs 2, 3 years. In peace and order, if you can’t do it in 6 months, you should not be president of the Republic of the Philippines.)

Crime and the spread of drugs are emerging as top voters' concerns. – Rappler.com

DAMASCUS, Syria – Polls opened in areas of war-torn Syria controlled by President Bashar al-Assad on Wednesday, April 13, for a parliamentary vote dismissed by regime opponents as illegitimate.

Polling stations opened at 7 am local time (0400 GMT) in areas under government control – about 1/3 of the country's territory where about 60% of the population lives – and will remain open for 12 hours unless the electoral commission decides to extend the deadline "because of crowds".

The vote coincides with the beginning of a second round of UN-brokered peace talks in Geneva aimed at ending the 5-year conflict, with the future of Assad's rule a key sticking point.

The election is expected to see his Baath party maintain control over parliament, although several parties are participating.

The controversial polls come at a tense time as violence has surged in recent days, threatening a fragile six-week ceasefire, and as UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura tries again to reach a consensus on ending the war in Geneva. 

The talks are aimed at agreeing a roadmap to peace, including forming a transitional government followed by general elections, to end a conflict that has killed more than 270,000 people and displaced half of the country's population.

The vote is the second ballot since the beginning of the war in 2011, and 11,341 candidates initially submitted papers to run for the 250 seats in parliament.

Some 3,500 candidates remain in the race, after the rest withdrew "saying they had no chance of winning", Hisham al-Shaar, the head of the Supreme Judicial Elections Committee, told reporters.

Walls across the capital Damascus were covered with candidate posters, and from the top of one of the city's tallest buildings a banner of the Baath party – which has controlled the country for more than half a century – proclaimed: "The elections of resistance." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – "Don’t take it literally."

Presidential bet Grace Poe said her statements on continuing the legacy of her father, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr, should not be taken at face value by critics.

Some citizens – both online and on the ground – hit Poe for such statements, saying FPJ had no legacy in public service, only in television and film.

"People are saying, eh sa gobyerno wala naman nagawa yan (FPJ has not done anything in government). Don't take it literally. The point is whether we’re in government or the private sector, a person we would like to emulate paves the way for us on how our conduct will be,” Poe said in a luncheon for online media which she hosted on Wednesday, April 13.

Poe stood by what she has repeatedly said – that she would continue what FPJ started.

The memory of FPJ is among the pillars of Poe's campaign. She mentions his name in all her campaign speeches, especially in front of Class CDE audience. (READ: The 10 staple lines in Grace Poe's speeches)

“But for me, it's second nature. I always say that. Why? Because when I say simulain ng iyong magulang, ano ba ang simulain? Kung ano ba ang naging ehemplo sa 'yo ng iyong magulang. Simulain sa 'kin ni FPJ [ang] pagiging matulungin niya – Di s'ya perfect, ha? Marami rin s'yang flaws – pero yung pagiging matulungin, yung pagiging tapat, yung pagiging matapang,” she said.

(But for me, it's second nature. I always say that. Why? Because when I say what your parents started, what does it mean? What example your parents showed you, what your parents taught you. FPJ taught me to be helpful – he was not perfect, he had many flaws, 'mind you – but being helpful, being honest, and being brave.)

Poe recounted how FPJ, together with her godfather former President Joseph Estrada, stood up to bullies in the movie industry.

“Nung time nila may mga gang-gang, pero silang dalawa ni Erap, sila lang 'yung artista na di nagbabayad ng tong doon sa mga Big 4 whatever. (During their time, there were lots of gangs. Together with Erap, they were the only actors who did not give money to the Big 4 whatever.) They stood their ground against the ones that were extorting against artists at that time," she said.

In defending her father, the neophyte senator said FPJ was among the pioneers of the Movie Workers Welfare Fund or Mowelfund, an organization that helps workers in the film industry.

Poe also said her father, as a private citizen, sent many children to school.

Poe maintained she would not apologize for her statements, saying these are not mistakes.

“So 'yun lang naman sinasabi ko na simulain ni FPJ na ipagpatuloy na tumulong sa kapawa saan ka man, sino ka man. (That's what I meant with FPJ's legacy, to continue helping other people, wherever you are, whoever you are.) I don't need to apologize for that, to them, to feel na I made a mistake saying it. That’s really intentional. I really wanted to let people know that FPJ really did his share as a Filipino, as a Christian, to help. We should do what we can whether we're in government or in the private sector,” she said.– Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines incurs billions in productivity losses due to traffic, and the situation in the capital region may just get worse if the government fails to arrest the worsening traffic jams that paralyze Metro Manila every day.

It's a major concern not only for Metro Manila residents, but for potential investors looking to do business in an economy that was among the fastest-growing in Asia in 2015.

The next leader of the Philippines is faced with the task of untangling the traffic chaos, easing the commuting burden for residents, and enticing investors. But the transportation problem isn't just isolated to Metro Manila: to spur development in rural areas, transportation facilities and infrastructure must be set up as well.

With the national elections just weeks away, what plans and promises have presidential candidates laid out? 

Jejomar Binay

Revamp the Metro Rail Transit (MRT3). The Vice President has promised to redesign and re-engineer the glitch-ridden train line – a frequent headache for metro commuters – within the first 100 days of his presidency.

Expand the railway system. Binay has also promised to revive the government-run train line, the Philippine National Railways (PNR). Once spanning over 1,000 kilometers, Southeast Asia's oldest rail system has since been neglected and has incurred losses. Binay plans to revive the "Bicol Express" line and restructure the PNR to isolate its financial problems. 

He also plans to push through with the construction of a subway along the major thoroughfare EDSA.

Split up the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC). Binay said the DOTC has too many attached agencies, and that it should be broken up to better focus on traffic and transportation issues. 

Monitor and supervise coordination among agencies. If elected president, Binay said he would be more "hands on" in fixing the traffic problem, acting as supervisor of the agencies to ensure that they meet their plans and targets.

Improve airports, build new ones. Binay vowed to improve existing airports and ensure they have running water. He also promised to build new ones in strategic areas to encourage economic development. 

He promised to oversee the completion of the Laguindingan Airport and expand the highway from Cagayan de Oro to Iligan City in Northern Mindanao. To ease air traffic in Manila, Binay is also pushing for the construction of an airport in Cavite and the development of the Clark International Airport in Pampanga.

Rodrigo Duterte

Build, improve airports and seaports. The Davao City mayor believes that the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Pasay City can no longer handle the volume of passengers. Instead, the Clark airport should be used as an alternative airport, with a fast train to ferry passengers to and from Manila.

Duterte has also promised to have an airport built in extreme Northern Luzon.

He also proposed transferring seaports further south in Luzon to avoid having too many trucks clog Metro Manila's streets. Duterte said that this will also be beneficial to traders.

Add more MRT carriages. To improve mass transit, Duterte said he plans to add 30 or 50 more carriages for the MRT3. 

Create new train lines. As an additional option for Metro Manila commuters, Duterte said he also wants to put up a new train line that will run along the Pasig River.

The Davao mayor also said he plans to have 3 major railway lines built: one connecting Manila to Bicol, one from Manila to Batangas, and a rail system in Mindanao.

His running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, said the proposed Mindanao line will run 2,000 kilometers in Northern Mindanao.

Grace Poe

Build more airports. Citing the need to boost tourism and investment, the senator has vowed to construct new airports and rehabilitate existing ones within the first 3 years of her term if elected president.

These include airports in Bohol, Iloilo, and Bacolod City. She has also promised to build a second airport in Negros Occidental, expand Laoag Airport in Ilocos Norte, and build an international airport in Pangasinan. Like the other candidates, she also wants to push for the full use of the existing Clark airport.

Complete infrastructure projects already in the pipeline. Poe promised that she would be able to ease traffic within a year by adding more trains, completing pending train line projects, and ensuring that the train projects are awarded to competent contractors.

Poe earlier called for the sacking of transportation chief Joseph Emilio Abaya for his "incompetence" in addressing the metro's traffic problems.

Manuel Roxas II 

Fix the bus franchise system. Roxas said he plans to terminate the various bus franchises and have only one operator take charge of a specific route. This system, he said, will do away with the current scenario where dozens of buses compete with each other along the same route, adding to traffic and congestion. He also plans to change the "boundary system" and have bus drivers be paid fixed salaries. 

Develop Clark Airport as main gateway. Citing the country's growing population, Roxas said NAIA can no longer accommodate the high volume of passengers. Instead, the bigger, 2,000-hectare Clark airport Pampanga should be developed as the country's main aviation hub. 

Build a high-speed train from Manila to Clark. But for the Clark plan to be feasible, Roxas said there should be a high-speed train linking Metro Manila to the Clark Airport, similar to systems in other countries. Roxas said the 90-kilometer distance could be covered within 35 minutes.

Continue ongoing infrastructure projects. As administration standard-bearer, Roxas has consistently vowed to continue and expand the projects started by the Aquino administration. In a visit to Kidapawan City, Roxas also promised the completion of the M'lang airport that would make North Cotabato more accessible to tourists and investors. 

Miriam Defensor Santiago

Establish rail and urban transit systems. The senator plans to build a new railway system that will run from Manila to Sorsogon in Bicol region. She also plans to establish a "modern, integrated urban transit system" in Metro Manila that will reach urban communities in the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.

Establish mixed-use centers. Santiago has vowed to put up mixed-use government centers that will have residential, commercial, and entertainment facilities in the National Capital Region and in each of the 17 regions. 

Increase infrastructure budget. Santiago said she plans to set aside at least 5% of the Philippines' resources to develop infrastructure and spur the country's development to be at par with its neighbors.

– Rappler.com 

CHANGSHA, China — A judge ruled against a gay couple in China's first same-sex marriage case that attracted several hundred supporters to the courthouse Wednesday, April 13, in a landmark moment for the country's emerging LGBT rights movement.

The court in the central city of Changsha dismissed the suit brought against the local civil affairs bureau for refusing to issue the couple a marriage registration certificate.

The couple's lawyer Shi Fulong said he expected the judge would rule against them but not so soon — within just a few hours. "It goes against the spirit of the laws of the people's republic of China," Shi said.

Plaintiff Sun Wenlin said he would appeal until he exhausts all legal options.

The lawsuit comes amid growing awareness of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues in China, where society and the government have generally frowned on non-traditional expressions of gender and sexuality.

China doesn't legally recognize same-sex marriage and officials with the central government have said they do not see the law changing soon.

Sun, his partner Hu Mingliang, and the lawyer entered Changsha's Furong District courthouse Wednesday morning amid cheers from roughly 300 supporters, some of whom had waited outside since 5 am or traveled overnight from neighboring provinces. Court officials allowed in about 100 spectators and then pleaded with fervent college students that the courtroom was full and that they had to turn others away.

Sun said the police had earlier visited him at the apartment he shares with Hu to try to talk him out of pursuing the lawsuit, but left after he reiterated his determination to press forward with the case.

"I hope I can pave the way as far and wide as possible so that people who want to do the same will see how much we have tried and what possibilities can there be," Sun, 26, told The Associated Press in an interview the night before the hearing.

While homosexuality is not illegal in China, the country's LGBT movement is still in its infancy and it is rare for same-sex couples to live openly. – Gerry Shih, with Wayne Zhang, AP / Rappler.com

SRINAGAR, India – Angry residents clashed with police in Indian Kashmir Wednesday, April 13, one day after 3 civilians were killed when soldiers fired on protesters incensed by the alleged molestation of a girl.

Soldiers fired at the protesters on Tuesday, April 12, as they stormed an army bunker and set it on fire in the northern town of Handwara, near the de facto border dividing Kashmir between India and Pakistan, police and witnesses said.

Two protesters were shot dead and a woman working in a nearby field later died of a bullet wound. Another injured protester was in critical condition in hospital, said Kashmir's director general of police K. Rajendra.

A curfew was imposed in parts of Kashmir including the main city of Srinagar on Wednesday amid fears of violent protests, as separatist leaders opposed to Indian rule called for a general strike over the deaths.  

"We imposed restrictions in the old town of Srinagar and in Handwara to prevent violence," Rajendra told Agence France-Presse.

But small groups of residents took to the streets of Handwara after the woman was buried, throwing stones at police who responded with tear gas, an Agence France-Presse photographer on the scene said.

The army has expressed regret at the shootings and ordered an inquiry, saying in a statement that anyone found guilty "would be dealt with".

But the incident is likely to heighten tension in the region where many resent the large Indian troop presence and  accuse some of them of rights abuses.

Handwara residents stormed the bunker on Tuesday after a soldier from the post was accused of assaulting a local girl as she tried to use a nearby public toilet, police and witnesses said.

Kashmir's new Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti warned the shootings would have a "negative impact" on her government's efforts to promote peace in the region.

Kashmir is divided between India and Pakistan but each claim the region in full. They have fought two of their three wars over it.

Since 1989 a rebellion against Indian rule by about a dozen rebel groups – seeking independence or a merger of the territory with Pakistan – has left tens of thousands dead, mostly civilians.

Hundreds of thousands of Indian troops are deployed in the region, making it one of the world's most militarized zones.

They enjoy immunity from prosecution in civilian courts unless specifically permitted by New Delhi. – Rappler.com

CAINTA, Philippines – The mayor of the second most vote-rich town in Rizal endorsed the presidential candidacy of Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday, April 12. 

Kit Nieto, who is seeking reelection this May, is a member of the Nationalist People’s Coalition, the second largest political party in the country. NPC leaders have announced the party will be supporting presidential candidate Grace Poe. 

That didn’t stop Nieto from giving Duterte a warm introduction during the latter’s rally in Cainta. The rally was held right outside the Municipal Hall.

“Mayor, kami’y tumatanggap ng maraming kandidato dito pero pag pinagsalita namin kayo sa lobby, pakikinggan namin kayo. Pag pinagsalita namin kayo sa flag pole, pakikinggan namin kayo at pag-iisipan namin, pero pag may kandidato, ako mismo gumawa ng entablado, iboboto namin kayo,” he said to loud cheers from the audience. 

(Mayor, we receive a lot of candidates here but if we let you speak in the lobby, we will listen to you. If we let you speak at the flag pole, we will listen to you and think about it, but if there is a candidate who I myself built a stage for, we will vote for you.)

“Mga kasama, isang obligasyon ng isang ama ng bayan na ipaalam sa inyo ang aking personal na desisyon, na aking pagkakatiwalaan na magiging desisyon niyo rin. Ang aking pangulo, Digong Duterte,” he finished before surrendering the microphone to Duterte.

(My companions, it is my obligation, as the father of this town, to tell you my personal decision which I trust will be your decision as well. My president is Digong Duterte.) 

When asked by reporters if he is officially endorsing Duterte, Nieto said,  “Yes I am, I’ve been supporting him since day one.”

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="ro" dir="ltr">Duterte, Cayetano arrive in Cainta municipal hall. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PHVoteDuterte?src=hash">#PHVoteDuterte</a> <a href="https://t.co/5hfD91HN0f">pic.twitter.com/5hfD91HN0f</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/719821863841452032">April 12, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Duterte had campaigned in Rizal twice before. But in a visit to Antipolo City, he did not get any endorsement from the Ynareses, an influential family whose members include the current Rizal Governor Rebecca Ynares and the Antipolo City Governor Jun Ynares.

The Ynareses also belong to NPC. (READ: Duterte eyed as NPC presidential bet)

The Davao City mayor, now a front-runner in pre-election surveys, badly needs more support in Rizal, which, with 1.8 million voters, is a key province.

According to surveys, Duterte remains a 3rd-placer in the Balance of Luzon, with more people favoring Grace Poe or Vice President Jejomar Binay.

Cainta is also the hometown of Binay’s spokesman, Mon Ilagan, who previously served as the town’s mayor. – Rappler.com