LE BOURGET, France – A day after world leaders vowed to unite in a war on climate change, negotiators at the UN talks get down Tuesday, December 1, to the nitty-gritty to tackle a slew of bitterly divisive issues.

The heads of more than 150 nations gathered in the northern outskirts of Paris on Monday in a bid to inject political momentum into what many described as the last chance to avert climate calamity.

"Never have the stakes of an international meeting been so high, because it concerns the future of the planet, the future of life," French President Francois Hollande said in an opening speech.

"The hope of all of humanity rests on all of your shoulders."

US President Barack Obama, China's Xi Jinping and many other leaders vowed their nations would strive to limit heat-trapping "greenhouse" gases that stoke global warming.

The result would be a post-2020 pact that would save Earth's climate system for generations to come, they promised.

"The future is one that we have the power to change, right here, right now," said Obama.

But similar lofty promises have come crashing down during more than two decades of United Nations negotiations.

The UN climate process concerns the use of fossil fuels, the backbone of the world's energy supply – and that means huge interests are at stake.

For years, the annual parlay has been hobbled by finger-pointing and nit-picking, riven especially by arguments between rich and poor nations over who should bear most of the carbon-curbing burden.

Those divisions were quickly exposed on Monday, November 30, as leaders of developing nations hit out at rich countries for perceived hypocrisy in making demands to use fewer fossil fuels after carbon-burning their way to prosperity.

"The prosperous still have a strong carbon footprint and the world's billions at the bottom of the development ladder are seeking space to grow," Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said.

Diplomatic efforts to bridge the divide will begin Tuesday with Hollande holding a summit with 12 heads of state from Africa on how to combat drought and the slow the spread of deserts on the continent.

Obama will also meet with leaders of low-lying island nations to highlight his commitment to help the most climate-vulnerable. 

Dangerous labyrinth

With the debates echoing in their ears and the leaders heading home, lower-level negotiators in the 195-member UN forum have been tasked with creating such a pact by December 11.

They need to start on Tuesday morning slimming down a 54-page draft text that is a labyrinth of opposing positions.

French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius has told diplomats they have until just Saturday to iron out as many differences as they can, before ministers take over to try to resolve the most intractable of political disputes.

Points of contention include agreeing on a systematic review of emissions-curbing pledges and ramping up climate funding for poor countries so that it reaches a promised $100 billion (95 billion euros) a year by 2020, and the legal status of the accord itself.

Poorer countries are also pushing hard for rich nations to transfer clean technology to help them avoid taking the path of carbon pollution.

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<h4>#COP21: The Rappler climate coverage</h4>

<p class="caption">Follow Rappler's extensive coverage of climate change issues and the Paris talks. <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/climate-change" target="_blank">Visit our #ClimateChange site</a>. Follow our <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/specials/114299-live-blog-cop21-un-climate-conference-paris" target="_blank">live blog</a> and <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/specials/114364-cop21-climate-conference-journal-notes-paris" target="_blank">trip journal</a> for daily updates courtesy of the Rappler team in Paris.</p>

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Many powerful nations are comfortable with aiming to limit global warming to 2ºC (3.6ºF) from pre-Industrial Revolution levels, even though this goal is a long way from being achieved.

But dozens of the most vulnerable nations – small island states and poor countries in Africa – are sticking by an optional target of 1.5ºC, arguing that otherwise their combined populations of more than one billion people would be in peril.

Still, there is optimism that a deal can be finally be reached, as nations have already gone further in the UN process this time than ever before.

Nearly all the nations involved have submitted voluntary carbon-curbing pledges, accounting for 95% of greenhouse gases currently being emitted.

This still puts Earth on track for warming of 2.7 to 3.5 degrees Celsius, according to UN climate chief Christiana Figueres. 

But she says this creates the architecture for more ambitious plans in the years ahead that could keep global warming below the 2ºC threshold. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday, December 1, temporarily ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) not to deactivate the registration of 2.5 million voters who failed to have their biometrics taken for the 2016 elections.

SC spokesman Theodore Te said the SC’s temporary restraining order (TRO) covers the Comelec’s “No Bio, No Boto” (No Biometrics, No Vote) policy. 

Te said the TRO is “effective immediately and until further orders.”

In a text message to Rappler on Tuesday, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said around 2.5 million voters completely failed to have their biometrics taken. 

The TRO comes after militant group leaders, on November 25, requested the SC to junk the “No Bio, No Boto” policy as unconstitutional. 

The petitioners, including Kabataan Party-List Representative Terry Ridon, told the SC: “The biometrics validation gravely violates due process as it is an unreasonable deprivation of the constitutional right to vote for millions of Filipinos who have failed to register their biometric information despite existing and active registration – in effect a voter’s re-registration – for various reasons, whether personal or institutional.”

'Repugnant, unconstitutional'

Under the “No Bio, No Boto” policy, a voter needs to have his or her biometrics taken before he or she can vote in the May 2016 elections.

The biometrics requirement is based on Republic Act 10367, which President Benigno Aquino III signed in February 2013.

The Comelec, however, clarified in a resolution on November 3 that voters with incomplete or corrupted biometrics data will be allowed to vote in May 2016.

This means only voters completely without biometrics data cannot vote in the next elections.

Like the petitioners before the SC, Far Eastern University law dean Mel Sta Maria earlier said the “No Bio, No Boto” campaign is “repugnant and unconstitutional.”

Sta Maria said: "Requiring validation via biometrics is a modern way to enhance cleanliness in election and registered voters can be required to undergo it. But to provide 'deactivation' as punishment for non-compliance is as disproportionate as it can get – an overkill, repulsive to what participatory democracy is all about."– Rappler.com

LE BOURGET, France – If mankind fails to curtail global warming, we will have to deal with fallout ranging from massive refugee crises and submerged cities to scorching heatwaves and drought, scientists say.

Starting Monday, 195 nations are huddled in Paris to negotiate a climate rescue pact to rein in the greenhouse gases that drive climate change.

Here is what could happen if they come up empty-handed:

Hotter temperatures

Without additional action, Earth is on track to heat up by about 4ºC (7.2ºF) by the end of the century, compared to pre-industrial levels.

A mountain of scientific evidence tells us this would be a recipe for disaster.

Such as "business as usual" emissions scenario would "lead to a very high risk of severe, widespread and irreversible" impacts, according to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).

Rising seas

By 2100, the world's oceans would rise 26-82 centimeters (10-32 inches) over levels seen between 1986-2005, the IPCC found in its most recent assessment, which includes data up to 2012. More recent studies suggest the increases could be significantly higher.

Driving the rise are ice sheets in Greenland and Antarctica shedding mass faster than ever, melting glaciers, and oceans that expand as they warm.

Even a 2ºC rise as targeted by the UN would submerge land currently occupied by 280 million people, according to Climate Central, a US-based research group. The change could take a few hundred years, or up to 2,000 years.

Extreme weather

Superstorms, bone-chilling cold snaps and intense heat waves could become more common – and more extreme – due to global warming.

While the link between specific weather events and climate remains hard to nail down, recent research has teased out climate change as an aggravating factor for deadly floods, snowstorms, typhoons and heat waves. 

Not all nasty hurricanes or heat waves, however, can be chalked up to climate change, scientists caution.

Water dilemma

Global warming can lead to long-running droughts and devastating floods, which means some parts of the world will not have enough water and others too much. 

Droughts in Syria and California have been tied to climate change. Heavy rains carry the risk of flooding that can send people fleeing for their lives, destroy homes and crops.

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<h4>#COP21: The Rappler climate coverage</h4>

<p class="caption">Follow Rappler's extensive coverage of climate change issues and the Paris talks. <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/environment/climate-change" target="_blank">Visit our #ClimateChange site</a>. Follow our <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/specials/114299-live-blog-cop21-un-climate-conference-paris" target="_blank">live blog</a> and <a href="http://www.rappler.com/science-nature/specials/114364-cop21-climate-conference-journal-notes-paris" target="_blank">trip journal</a> for daily updates courtesy of the Rappler team in Paris.</p>

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Humanitarian crises

Global warming can spur disease, ravage crops and push more people into poverty. Conflict over water or smaller harvests could instigate war or mass migration.

People living on low-lying islands such as the Maldives, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, or the Philippines could become climate refugees, forced to flee their homes due to rising seas.

Impoverished people in the world are already being hurt by heat waves, drought and flooding, because they are both more dependent on the land and lack public services. – Rappler.com

The Department of Labor and Employment tells companies to comply with the law and give their employees their 13th month pay. The Labor Code entitles all rank-and-file workers to receive the 13th month pay as long as they have rendered services for at least a month under the current year.

Mara Cepeda files this VLOG. - Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The conviction of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton over the death of Jennifer Laude is an "incomplete victory" for the family of the 26-year-old transgender woman killed in Olongapo City last year.

On Tuesday, December 1, an Olongapo court found Pemberton guilty of homicide in Laude's death, sentencing him to 6 to 12 years imprisonment and ordering him to pay more than P4 million ($84,862) in damages.

But Laude's family said they did not expect the court's ruling, arguing that the US Marine should have been charged with murder, not homicide. 

"The fight is not totally over. We are not content with the verdict. We wanted him to be convicted of murder," Marilou Laude said in a press briefing after the promulgation of the verdict.

The family's legal counsels  – Harry Roque and Virgie Suarez – also called the ruling a "bitter victory."

The family also called for the immediate detention of Pemberton in the New Bilibid Prisons, in accordance with the original court order. A late appeal by Pemberton's lawyers, however, will mean the marine will return to Camp Aguinaldo pending a review of provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA).

Asked for his reaction, Laude's fiance, Marc Sueselbeck, told Rappler in an email that Pemberton seemed to have gotten away with the crime.

"What guilty verdict?" he wrote.

"His crime was pure murder. No homicide. No accident. So he gets away with it. And I guarantee you, he won't serve time in Philippine jail....He will be deported right away," Sueselbeck added.

Laude's German fiance also said that the verdict was "exactly what [he] expected."

"It was foreseeable and planned [for a] long time as it was the desired result for every involved party but the Laudes," he said.

The court found Pemberton guilty of homicide, not murder, saying that the prosecution failed to establish qualifying circumstances such as treachery and abuse of superior strength. 

But for Sueselbeck, Laude's death was a clear case of murder. The court's ruling of homicide, he said, made it seem that Laude's death was her own fault.

"How can you talk about victory if a murderer is not convicted as that and his [actions] are excused as understandable?" he said.

Sueselbeck added: "Justice would be [when] a victim is treated as one, and a suspect has to face the consequences of his [actions]. Justice can't be finding lame and embarrassing, lazy excuses for his [actions] and putting the blame on the victim. That is the old method of blaming a rape victim for being responsible and guilty just for wearing too short a skirt."

In October 2014, the 26-year-old Laude was found dead in the bathroom of a hotel with her neck leaning against the toilet bowl. 

Autopsy reports later said that she died by asphyxiation due to drowning and strangulation.

The US serviceman was the last person seen checking in at the motel with Laude, according to witnesses.

Pemberton had met Laude at a nearby bar while he was out spending the night with fellow servicemen from the USS Peleliu.

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – A Commission on Elections (Comelec) division unanimously voted to cancel the Certificate of Candidacy of presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe for the 2016 elections, on the basis of her citizenship and residency requirements.

In a 34-page decision, the Comelec's 2nd division granted the petition of petititoner Estrella Elamparo who sought to deny "due course" or to cancel Poe's COC, saying Poe committed "material representation."

“Respondent’s COC, filed for the purpose of running for President of the Republic of the Philippines in the May 9, 2016 National and Local Elections, contains material representations which are false. Hence, it should be denied due course and cancelled," the ruling said.

Citing Poe's COC for senator in 2013 wherein she wrote she is a resident of the Philippines for "6 years and 6 months," the division said Poe is unable to fulfill the 10-year residency requirement for a president.

While Poe claimed it is an "honest mistake," the division said it is not admissible and only "self-serving."

After all, the division said if they would allow Poe, they "will be opening the floodgates for candidates to commit material representations in their COCs and escape responsibility" by "conveniently changing their story in a subsequent COC."

The division also ruled that Poe, as a foundling, is not a natural-born Filipino citizen, a move contrary to the decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal.

"Respondents’ representation in her subject COC that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen is false; Respondent, being a foundling, is not a natural-born Filipino citizen. That respondent is a foundling is shown by her Birth Certificate," the division said.

Comelec Commissioners Al Parreño, Arthur Lim, and Sheriff Abas – all Aquino appointees – signed the resolution.

Fight is far from over

Poe will appeal the decision before the Comelec en banc, according to Poe's spokesman Rex Gatchalian.

"We will exhaust all legal remedies," he said, noting that this is a long process and that the decision was only made at the division level of the poll body.

While Poe expressed disappointment on the decision, she said she will continue the fight.

"I maintain that I am a natural born Filipino and have complied with the ten-year residency requirement based on settled applicable jurisprudence," she said in a statement.

"My critics will use any excuse to exclude me, much like they tried to do when FPJ ran for president, and in the process disenfranchising the people as well. They show a lack of trust in the ability of Filipinos to make the right decision," Poe added.

Elamparo, for her part, welcomed the decision, although she has not received any information yet.

“I’m actually very relieved that they decided in favor of granting the petition because they stood up for the Constitution despite what is perceived to be the public sentiment. It means they have the wisdom and the courage to stand up for the Constitution," she told Rappler in a phone interview.

Elamparo, former chief legal counsel and spokesperson of the Government Service Insurance System, accused Poe of material misrepresentation for claiming she is a natural-born Filipino citizen and also a resident of the Philippines for 10 years prior to May 2016. (READ: Grace Poe 'hurt' by accusation she is 'stateless')

Poe is also facing 3 other cases seeking to disqualify her from running in next year's polls. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Social media was set ablaze on Tuesday, December 1, as US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was found guilty of homicide for the death of Filipino transgender woman Jennifer Laude.  

Laude was found dead on October 11, 2014 at a motel in Olongapo City, where she was last seen with Pemberton.

The US Marine has been sentenced to 6 to 12 years in prison, and ordered to pay more than P4 million in damages to the Laude family.

After the ruling, “Laude” trended on Twitter worldwide, while "Pemberton" trended in the Philippines.

'Bittersweet win'

Netizens expressed mixed reactions over the verdict. Many were taken aback by the amount of compensation the Laudes will receive, the duration of Pemberton's sentence, and the court's decision that the killing was homicide and not murder.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">How to Get Away with Actual Murder: The Jennifer Laude Story</p>&mdash; Richard Bolisay (@richardbolisay) <a href="https://twitter.com/richardbolisay/status/671610874126311424">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">And that&#39;s how you get away with murder. Joseph Scott Pemberton vs. Jennifer Laude case</p>&mdash; Junnel M. (@HeyJunnn) <a href="https://twitter.com/HeyJunnn/status/671607924418994177">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Decision on Pemberton shld&#39;ve been murder, considering he had superior strength and training plus the cruelty done on Laude.</p>&mdash; Teddy Casiño (@teddycasino) <a href="https://twitter.com/teddycasino/status/671607636664578048">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">At most, he will be released when he is 32—as a free man with a lot of life ahead of him.&#10;&#10;While Jennifer Laude&#39;s life is forever lost.</p>&mdash; Ram (@RamuelAsturiano) <a href="https://twitter.com/RamuelAsturiano/status/671605680453738496">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Pemberton meted 6 to 12 years for homicide in Jennifer Laude case.&quot;&#10;&#10;Out in 6 months?&#10;.</p>&mdash; Vincent R. Pozon (@VincentPozon) <a href="https://twitter.com/VincentPozon/status/671607476807077888">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Let it be known that Jennifer Laude&#39;s life costs P30,000. Trans Panic and Ignorance has won in the Philippines. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JusticeForJennifer?src=hash">#JusticeForJennifer</a></p>&mdash; Kris Andres (@andreskris) <a href="https://twitter.com/andreskris/status/671602054675099648">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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'Justice served'

Some Twitter users celebrated the verdict, however.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Ang sarap pakinggan! Pemberton to 6 to 12 years for homicide in Jennifer Laude case <a href="https://t.co/x7C4GEMXdV">https://t.co/x7C4GEMXdV</a> <a href="https://t.co/hdGsylrhxa">pic.twitter.com/hdGsylrhxa</a>&quot;</p>&mdash; Zander Alih (@ZanderAlih) <a href="https://twitter.com/ZanderAlih/status/671601723669020672">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Finally!! Justice is served for Jennifer Laude. ⚖</p>&mdash; Free Presnedi (@FreePresnedi) <a href="https://twitter.com/FreePresnedi/status/671604554002137088">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The Laude family did not get the murder conviction they hope for.Still justice served as Pemberton is convicted for homicide!</p>&mdash; meriam estrella (@yam_estrella) <a href="https://twitter.com/yam_estrella/status/671602957570322432">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>

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Rappler is also getting feedback on the verdict through polls on Facebook and Twitter, with more users on both platforms agreeing with the court's decision as of this writing.

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<div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) {  var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];  if (d.getElementById(id)) return;  js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;  js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3";  fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/questions/1096621730358609/" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/questions/1096621730358609/"><p>Court finds US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton guilty of homicide in the death of Jennifer Laude. Do you agree with the ruling?</p>Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/rapplerdotcom/">Rappler</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/questions/1096621730358609/">Tuesday, December 1, 2015</a></blockquote></div></div>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Court finds US Marine Pemberton guilty of homicide in the death of Jennifer Laude. Do you agree with the ruling?</p>&mdash; Rappler (@rapplerdotcom) <a href="https://twitter.com/rapplerdotcom/status/671630470308696064">December 1, 2015</a></blockquote>
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What do you think of the verdict in the Pemberton case? Write about it on X. – Rappler.com/Noel Lopez

Noel Lopez is an intern with Rappler's Social Media Team.

MANILA, Philippines – After being slammed by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) for cursing Pope Francis, Rodrigo Duterte said he would withdraw if the body asks, but would challenge bishops to a debate about the Catholic church’s “sordid history.”

“You priests, you bishops, you condemn me. And you suggest that I withdraw and I will withdraw, but then I will start to open my mouth. There are so many secrets that children are hiding. This religion is not so sacred,” he told reporters during an ambush interview on Tuesday, December 1. 

The Church, he said, should not be quick to judge him because the institution is also not spotless. 

“Bakit yung mga pare na may kaso, may asawa, may anak bakit hanggang ngayon hindi niyo ma-criticize ang sarili niyo?” he said, visibly distressed. (How come the priests with cases, those who are married, with children, how come you couldn't criticize yourselves?)

Abused by a priest?

He even hinted that he himself endured abuse in the hands of a priest during his high school years at the Ateneo de Davao.

“Kami sa Ateneo noon (We in Ateneo before), and I will tell you the abuses committed against the minors, including me, and I will tell you my story." 

Pressed for more details, Duterte said it happened “first year, second year, third year. We were one generation.”

But he would not elaborate further.

Earlier, Rappler published stories about the sex abuse suffered by a former Ateneo de Zamboanga high school student in the hands of a Jesuit seminarian about 30 years ago.

His 'way of talking'

Duterte lamented that the “small” issue of his cursing has been blown out of proportion.

“We strive to be idealist, prim and proper. There was a slip of the tongue, inadvertence. It was not intended to be that way,” he explained.

He previously told Rappler that the expletive used to refer to the Pope was an expression of his anger at the government for forcing the public to endure traffic jams during the Pope’s visit.

He also said that his generous use of curses is just his way of talking.

Asked why, he said, “Ewan ko rin. Kasi sanay…During the early years, nasa squatter area ako. At least yung bahay namin, puro ‘putang-ina.’ Pag gising ko, ‘putang-inang buhay ito.’ Maliit na bagay ‘yun.”

(I don’t know either. Because that’s what I’m used to. During the early years, I was in the squatter area. At least in our house, it was all ‘son of a bitch.’ When I wake up, ‘fuck this life.’ That’s a small matter.) 

Does he regret what he did?

"Well, in a sense yes, because that's how I really talk and priests, especially those in Davao, know about my mouth," he said in a mix of English and Filipino. 

His running mate, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, came to Duterte’s defense. 

“It really takes a lot to understand Mayor Duterte but if you see where he’s coming from – suffering of the people, miserable lives, people killing themselves because of ideology and religion – these are the things he wants to stop,” he told Rappler. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Several government officials here are hailing the verdict in the case of US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, who has been convicted of homicide and faces 6 to 12 years in prison.

Pemberton was found guilty of killing Filipina transgender woman Jennifer Laude at a motel in Olongapo City in October 2014. The US Marine previously admitted strangling Laude, but claimed it was in self-defense.

In a statement, the camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay welcomed Pemberton’s conviction, saying “justice has been done to the Laude family.”

The Binay camp added, “The Vice President believes the decision will not affect the good relations between the US and the Philippines as the case involved a criminal offense and the Court ruled based on evidence.”

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr also calls the verdict a “triumph of justice,” adding that it shows the country’s judiciary is “fair and impartial.”

But leftist lawmakers are taking a more cautious stance, warning that the fight for justice should not end with the court ruling.

Kabataan Party-list Representative Terry Ridon said that while they laud the decision of the court, “the intricacies of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA)” between Manila and Washington “again come into play.”

Ridon cited the case of Lance Corporal Daniel Smith, saying he was "able to escape like a thief in the night from the clutches of Philippine laws back in 2005.” The lawmaker said there should be no repeat of the Smith case. (READ: LOOKING BACK: Daniel Smith and the Subic rape case)

Ridon also said the 6- to 12-year sentence for Pemberton is too short and “not commensurate to the crime.”

As for where Pemberton will be jailed, Bayan Muna Representative Neri Colmenares said there is no need for the provision in the court’s decision which states that he “shall be confined at the national penitentiary pending clarification of the agreement.”

Colmenares said Pemberton should be imprisoned at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), no questions asked. (READ: Pemberton to return to Camp Aguinaldo)

Congressman Carlos Zarate, also from Bayan Muna, added that Pemberton should not receive “special treatment” any further.– Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Reacting to a verdict disqualifying her from the 2016 elections, presidential aspirant Senator Grace Poe expressed confidence that the Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc will eventually decide in her favor.

"I have faith in the process, and we are confident that the Comelec en banc will side with the interest of the people," Poe said in a statement issued Tuesday night, December 1, hours after media reported on the poll body's 2nd division decision against her. (READ: FULL TEXT: Why Comelec division cancelled Grace Poe's candidacy)

Her spokesman Rex Gatchalian said Poe is "still a candidate and will be a candidate."

The fight is far from over, as they would file appeal the verdict before the Comelec en banc.

"Unang remedy is go to the en banc (First remedy is go to the en banc). We have 7 commissioners. Collectively, we are confident they will see the merits of our position. Our position is grounded on laws and confident it will be sustained," Gatchalian said in a press conference early evening Tuesday.

The presidential survey front runner said she was disappointed, noting that her political opponents would use "any excuse to exclude [her]" from the presidential race.

Below is Poe's full statement:

"I am disappointed in the decision, but this is not the end of the process. We will continue to fight for the rights of foundlings and the fundamental right of the people to choose their leaders.

I maintain that I am a natural born Filipino and have complied with the ten-year residency requirement based on settled applicable jurisprudence. 

My critics will use any excuse to exclude me, much like they tried to do when FPJ ran for president, and in the process disenfranchising the people as well. They show a lack of trust in the ability of Filipinos to make the right decision.

I have faith in the process, and we are confident that the Comelec en banc will side with the interest of the people." - Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – It is the first step in what will likely be a long legal battle for presidential preference survey front runner Grace Poe. 

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division granted the petition of Estrella Elamparo, which sought to cancel Poe's Certificate of Candidacy because the senator supposedly did not meet the residency requirements for presidential bets. 

Poe's camp will "exhaust all legal remedies," spokesman Rex Gatchalian told media in a press conference Tuesday night, December 1. 

Why did the 2nd division, composed of 3 commissioners, decide to rule in favor of Elamparo? Read the resolution in full here:

MANILA, Philippines – US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton, who was convicted of homicide of transgender woman Jennifer Laude in a Philippine court on Tuesday, December 1, will be temporarily detained at the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Custodial Center instead of the New Bilibid Prison, as earlier ordered by the court.

The new order was issued by the Olongapo Regional Trial Court Branch 74 on Tuesday, December 1, following an urgent motion for clarification filed by Pemberton's counsel asking the court to direct his confinement to the AFP custodial center instead.

Hours earlier, the court sentenced Pemberton to 6 to 12 years imprisonment and ordered his temporary detention at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, while the governments of the United States of America and the Philippines clarify provisions of the Philippines-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) over where Pemberton should be incarcerated. 

Based on provisions of the agreement, convicted US personnel will be detained in a facility mutually agreed upon by the two countries.

Philippine Commission on Visiting Forces executive director Eduardo Oban Jr manifested in open court that Philippine government authorities "agreed that the accused, when necessary, shall be confined at the AFP Custodial Center, Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City and under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections."

Judge Roline Ginez-Jabalde ordered Oban to submit within 5 days the memorandum of agreement entered into by the VFA commission and the written agreement between representatives of the United States and the Philippines.

In the meantime, the US serviceman will be temporarily detained at the AFP Custodial Center in Camp Aguinaldo under the supervision of the Bureau of Corrections.

Pemberton was found guilty more than a year after he was tagged in the killing of 26-year-old Laude in Olongapo City.

In October 2014, the Filipino transgeder woman was found dead in the bathroom of a motel. 

Autopsy reports later said that she died by asphyxiation due to drowning and strangulation.

Witnesses identified Pemberton as the last person seen checking in at the motel with Laude, whom he met at a nearby bar. Pemberton had been on shore leave from his US military ship the night he met Laude.

In August 2015, Pemberton admitted strangling Laude but claimed it was in "self defense." – Rappler.com

HARARE, Zimbabwe - China's President Xi Jinping arrived in Zimbabwe on Tuesday on a rare visit by a world leader to a country shunned by Western powers over President Robert Mugabe's widely-criticised record on human rights.

Xi was greeted at the airport by Mugabe, 91, who has ruled since independence in 1980, as hundreds of children waved miniature Chinese and Zimbabwean flags along the road into the capital Harare.

The two leaders will hold talks before attending a state banquet, with new Chinese investments likely to be announced to support Zimbabwe's economy, which has fallen into dire straits under Mugabe's rule.

Mugabe's wife Grace was part of the welcoming party for Xi, who was accompanied by Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan.

"We already have more than 100 Chinese companies who have invested in Zimbabwe and there is a lot of interest in all sectors of the economy from Chinese investors," Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa told reporters.

"This visit gives a guide to Chinese investors that Zimbabwe is a safe destination for their investments."

China is the largest buyer of tobacco from Zimbabwe, and – as in many African countries – has invested in mining, manufacturing and infrastructure.

China built Zimbabwe's National Sports Stadium in the 1980s, as well as rural hospitals and the country's biggest shopping mall, and also provided loans for water schemes and power stations.

'Little improvement' 

But analysts say Zimbabwe's economic troubles, which saw inflation soar to 500 billion percent during a decade-long recession that ended 2009, are unlikely to be solved by new Chinese investments.

"It's not going to change our economic fortunes in the short-term," Antony Hawkins, an economist at the University of Zimbabwe's School of Business, told AFP.

"Considering what has happened with past deals, we are sceptical of promises of big, megaprojects. We have had a lot of Chinese involvement before, but little improvement has happened."

Mugabe, who has often been accused of heading a repressive regime, was in October awarded the Confucius Peace Prize, a would-be Chinese rival to the Nobel Prize.

"This so–called historic state visit is in actual fact a public relations exercise that will not bring any meaningful and tangible benefits to the tottering economy of Zimbabwe," the opposition MDC party said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Xi is expected to visit the Heroes Acre memorial site that honours Zimbabwe's war dead before he flies to Johannesburg ahead of the sixth Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC).

The summit, which will gather leaders from across Africa, comes amid growing African concern over the impact of the Chinese economic slowdown.

Seeking raw material to fuel its booming economy, China has poured investment into Africa and became the continent's largest trade partner in 2009.

But Chinese investment in Africa fell by more than 40 percent in the first half of 2015 due to its reduced demand for commodities such as oil, iron ore and copper.

Before the two-day summit begins on Friday, Xi will hold talks with South African President Jacob Zuma.

Xi, Mugabe and Zuma attended the opening of the climate change summit in Paris on Monday. - Rappler.com

PARIS, France - French police on Tuesday banned demonstrations on Paris' prestigious Champs Elysees avenue and near the venue for the UN climate conference at Le Bourget north of the capital during the two-week talks.

"Other bans could be implemented, depending on the necessity and the circumstances," police warned.

The measures will remain in force until December 13.

French authorities are seeking to avoid any repetition of Sunday's clashes between hard-left demonstrators and riot police in a city still reeling from the jihadist attacks last month that killed 130 people.

The French government introduced a state of emergency following the attacks, and parliament gave the green light to prolong the extraordinary set of security measures for three months.

A mass march by climate activists planned in Paris on Sunday on the eve of the COP21 talks was cancelled. Instead, protesters formed a human chain through part of Paris.

Although the human chain demonstration passed off peacefully, hooded activists then clashed with riot police in a central square which has become a rallying point for post-attacks mourning.

Police used tear gas and made more than 300 arrests. Nine people remain in custody.

The climate rally organizers disowned the hard-left activists who claimed they were protesting against the ban on public demonstrations. - Rappler.com

From strange forks to surprising DIYs, here are some gifts I picked, brought to you by this wondrous, and sometimes, hilarious twin endeavor called science and technology.  

1. F for effort.This is a hilarious book filled with what could have been the most perfect science test answers if the sole criteria were comedy. These were real test answers of kids. My favorite is: “Q: When a child swallows a cleaning product, why is milk often given? A: To make them happy before they die. :)”  

2. DIY smartphone projector. Not only is this made of recyclable materials, it is also foldable so you could bring it anywhere. Best of all, if it breaks, just build another one at hardly any cost. This is perfect for date nights on a budget.

3. USB typewriter. This is for those who have what I call “tech-nostalgia” or having a pining for old gadgets but who are not willing to sacrifice the speed and power that gadgets have now.

4. Planet lollipops Hubble lollipops. This “celestial” candy selection is for those who want to have their universe and eat it too.

5. “We have chemistry” terrariums.  If you and your significant other have not experienced any of those perfect movie scenes where you embrace and kiss in the middle of a lush park or forest, this is for you, or rather the miniaturized you.

6. Muscle Skin suit. If you are having a hard time convincing yourself and others that you have muscles due to some weight challenges especially after the holidays, this would be an unequivocal reminder.

7. Polar bear and penguin ice cubes. Many lifeforms are headed towards extinction because of climate change habitat destruction. If the environmental mess we have is not reminder enough for you, get these ice cube trays so that every time you have a cold drink with ice from these, you will remember that indeed, very soon, many life forms will be waving to us saying “now you see us, now you don’t”.

8. Underwater airplane. If unusual depths are your thing and you have $1.5 million dollars to spare, get this two-seater and zoom across the the wonders below the ocean’s surface. Just make sure you do not ram into the actual wonders below and ruin it for everyone else.

9. Hydrophobic nano shirt. I think this is the best twist to any teleserye scene involving an antagonist splashing a glass of water on the protagonist to humiliate her.

10. Aromafork flavor enhancer. If the holiday feasts are not exciting enough for you, bring your own fork from this set so that your gastronomic highs will even be higher.

11. Personalized waveform ring. I must say this is so geeky, even for me who picked all these items. You can have the sound wave of your own voice or someone else’s or of your favorite music, etched on these rings. You could even merge them and mark the transition with a stone. You would have a lot to explain when asked what is that on your ring but it is probably what you want.

12. World view experience. For 4-6 hours (including ascent time) and $75,000 per passenger, you will be removed from the mess in humanity’s terrain and be lifted 32 kilometers above where you can see the curvature of the earth and the star-studded universe. If I had enough money, I would pay for certain politicians and warlords here and abroad to be given this view so they could really see what they are all fighting for. But if this experience would not be enough to transform them for the better, I would get them on to another vessel to orbit the Earth - indefinitely. Why not send them off to wander into the vastness of space? I thought I will save my money to launch their supporters to follow suit.

Then we will all live happily ever after.

Mind your gifts, everyone. Happy holiday shopping. – Rappler.com

THE HAGUE, Netherlands – Pressure is mounting on the Netherlands to join US-led air strikes against Islamic State (ISIS) extremists in Syria, with several lawmakers late Thursday, December 3, joining calls for a bombing campaign.

The Dutch cabinet however said it will reach a decision to take part in the US-led operation only once "all military and political aspects" of the Syrian conflict had been discussed.     

"As far as we are concerned it's high time action is taken against IS in Syria," Raymond de Roon of the far-right Freedom Party (PVV) told a late-evening meeting of Parliament's Commission for Foreign Affairs.

"It will be good to see a stop being put to IS's Syrian pipeline," added Han ten Broeke, lawmaker for Prime Minister's Mark Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD).

Four Dutch F-16 jet fighters have been pounding IS jihadists in Iraq since October last year, but The Hague at the time said it would not carry out air strikes over Syria without a UN mandate.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders told the meeting that requests have been received from both France and the United States to join the coalition in bombing the Islamic State group in Syria.

"The Netherlands is a small country that's been very active in the fight against ISIS," he said.

"But we can only make that decision once all military and political aspects in Syria have been properly weighed," said Koenders, who indicated it may still take some time.    

Prime Minister Rutte's ruling coalition has been divided over the issue, Dutch newspaper reports said Thursday.

MPs belonging to Rutte's VVD are supporting air strikes in Syria, the center-left daily De Volkskrant said.

Foreign Minister Koenders however, a Labour Party (PvdA) member, had "strong reservations," the paper said.

It added that Koenders preferred a political solution first over Syria's future.

Dutch top military commander, General Tom Middendorp has been calling for air strikes to broaden out into Syria.

"There has been a strong call from the international coalition to deal a blow against ISIS," Middendorp told lawmakers earlier on Thursday.

"Bombing ISIS in Iraq is a bit like treating the symptoms of the disease and not the disease itself," he added. 

Observers say Britain's decision on Wednesday to join the US-led bombing campaign over Syria added further pressure on the Dutch to join the campaign. – Rappler.com

SAN BERNARDINO, USA – A young couple who killed 14 people in a shooting in California had amassed a huge arsenal and carefully planned their attack, authorities said Thursday, refusing to rule out terrorism.

There were competing theories as to what drove US-born Syed Farook, 28, described as a committed Muslim, and his 27-year-old wife Tashfeen Malik to spray gunfire at a holiday party in San Bernardino, about an hour's drive east of Los Angeles.

The attack, which left 21 people wounded, was the deadliest in the United States since the 2012 massacre at a school in Connecticut that left 26 people dead, including 20 children. (READ: Two California shooting suspects named, both dead)

San Bernardino police chief Jarrod Burguan said Farook and his wife – who dropped off their 6-month-old daughter with Farook's mother shortly before the killings – fired about 75 rounds during the attack at a disabilities center that required "a degree of planning."

But the latest mass shooting in the United States could have been worse, after Burguan revealed that explosives rigged to a remote-controlled car were found at the scene of the carnage but the device failed to go off.

Another 1,600 rounds of ammunition were found on the couple and in their bullet-riddled black SUV after a police chase and shootout in which they died. Two police officers were wounded in the rapid exchange of gunfire on a quiet residential street, though neither seriously.

About 5,000 additional rounds, 12 pipe bombs and bomb-making material were also found at the home the couple shared. 

"Nobody just gets upset at a party, goes home and puts together that kind of elaborate scheme," Burguan said, after indications that Farook had attended the party organized by the health department and left following a dispute, only to return a short time later with Malik.

He said the duo were dressed in black military-style gear and carried assault weapons and semi-automatic handguns when they raided the Inland Regional Center shortly before lunch time Wednesday.

President Barack Obama, who ordered flags to be flown at half-staff until Monday, cautioned the motive for the carnage was not yet known, but a terror attack could not be ruled out.

"At this stage, we do not yet know why the terrible event occurred," said Obama, who has repeatedly called on the Republican-controlled Congress to pass tougher gun control measures. 

"It is possible that this was terrorist-related, but we don't know. It's also possible that this was workplace-related."

The FBI also cautioned that it was "way too early" to speculate on the motive.

Dressed in black

Acquaintances told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) that Farook, who worked for the local county as an environmental inspector, married his Pakistan-born wife last year during a trip to Mecca, in Saudi Arabia.

Burguan said the couple had no criminal record. But CNN quoted law enforcement officials as saying Farook had become radicalized and had contact with known terrorism suspects overseas.

An imam at the local mosque that Farook attended denied that and said there was no indication he held extremist views.

A fellow worshipper at the Dar Al Uloom Al Islamiyah mosque said Farook used to pray there two to three times a week, but had not been seen for about 3 weeks.

Another acquaintance said Farook met Malik online and they married in Mecca last year during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.

"I saw her (Malik) a couple times, but never met her," said Nizaam Ali, a university student. "She was covered from head to toe in black."

Fear of backlash

Although officials have yet to release the identity of the victims, some names have begun emerging on social media.

"My husband, Nicholas Thalasinos, was killed in the shooting," wrote Jennifer Thalasinos, a teacher, on her Facebook page.

According to the site Mass Shooting Tracker, the latest attack brings to 352 the number of mass shootings in the United States so far this year. A mass shooting is defined as four or more people shot in one incident.

Local Muslim officials in San Bernardino said a prayer vigil would be held at the local mosque later Thursday to honor the victims.

"We condemn this senseless and horrific act of violence in the strongest possible terms," said Ahsan Khan, president of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community chapter in Los Angeles.

"Our community has been in San Bernardino County for nearly 3 decades, and yet have never seen such depravity."

Abed Ayoub, legal and policy director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said there was fear the attacks would lead to a backlash against the Muslim community.

"We need to stay cautious given the atmosphere and what happened in Paris a few weeks ago and the fallout from that and the continued rhetoric," Ayoub told AFP, referring to the recent terror attacks in France that left 130 dead. – Sara Puig, with Jocelyne Zablit in Los Angeles, AFP/Rappler.com

LOS ANGELES, USA – Six women and 8 men were the victims of the mass shooting in California, US authorities said Thursday, December 3, releasing the names of all 14 of the dead.

The youngest victim of the carnage carried out Wednesday by a husband and wife in the city of San Bernardino was 26 and the oldest was 60.

"This shooting has caused each victim's family, friends and co-workers, along with the first responders, to suffer an enormous personal tragedy," said San Bernardino Sheriff John McMahon in a statement.

"We must stand strong and offer support to each individual affected by this senseless attack."

The victims were identified as:

• Shannon Johnson, 45
• Bennetta Bet-Badal, 46
• Aurora Godoy, 26
• Isaac Amanios, 60
• Larry Kaufman, 42
• Harry Bowman, 46
• Yvette Velasco, 27
• Robert Adams, 40
• Sierra Clayborn, 27
• Nicholas Thalasinos, 52
• Tin Nguyen, 31
• Juan Espinoza, 50
• Damian Meins, 58
• Michael Wetzel, 37

They died when Syed Farook, 28, and his wife Tashfeen Malik, 27, burst into a social services center hosting a holiday party and sprayed the room with bullets.

Farook had attended the party but had apparently left following a dispute, only to return heavily armed with his wife. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (4th UPDATE) – Fire struck a residential area in Sta Cruz, Manila, on Friday, December 4, reportedly hurting 6 people.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the fire began in Barangay 310 in Sta Cruz.

The fire, which declared under control before noon, reportedly injured 6 people, including a firefighter and an inmate from a nearby jail.

Radio dzMM earlier reported that CM Recto Avenue and the stretch in Quezon Blvd near the site of the fire was lined with firetrucks, causing heavy traffic.

Firefighters had difficulty getting into the site, which is lined mostly with homes and establishments built with light materials, because of the narrow streets, the report added.

Cubao fire

Another fire hit Aurora Tower, a 22-storey commercial building in Barangay Socorro in Cubao, Quezon City, on Friday morning. Reports said the fire  started in an office at the 14th floor of the building.

The Philippine Red Cross said the Quezon City fire was raised to 5th alarm at 10:47 am. It was declared under control past noontime.

– Rappler.com

Editor's Note: This is part of a series of interviews with key personalities in the campaign of presidential candidates.

MANILA, Philippines – The recent decision by a Commission on Election (Comelec) division to cancel Senator Grace Poe’s certificate of candidacy may be perceived as a headache for the people handling her campaign.

But her campaign manager, outgoing Cebu 5th district Representative Ace Durano, expressed confidence they will still get a favorable outcome in the end.

Durano, who will be leading the Poe-Chiz Escudero campaign, is also related to presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Durano's father, Danao City Mayor Ramon Durano III, and Duterte are 2nd degree cousins.

In an interview with Rappler Wednesday, December 2, Durano didn’t show any signs of worry. "It's an issue that we are prepared for [and expect] will continue until election,” he said.

Durano said this is a scenario they had been expecting since Poe began leading in presidential surveys.

“When [Poe] became a front runner, our motto became 'prepare for the worst and leave the rest to the Lord.' Being the front runner, I guess, comes with a territory. So we just have to prepare for the worst,” he said.

The poll body's 2nd division ruled that Poe is not a natural-born Filipino and fails to comply with the 10-year residency requirement for those who want to be president.

But on his part, Durano believes otherwise. “My confidence is grounded on the fact that our interpretation gives or renders justice and respects human rights,” he said.

No other issue

Durano also said that luckily, they don’t have to change any campaign strategy, as they have focused on this particular issue since it began hounding Poe.

There's no need for new moves, he explained, since the issue itself is nothing new to them.

“Actually, we expected that this issue will linger because there’s no other issue. This is really the only one issue that detractors can cast a cloud on,” he said.

Since they've focused on this particular issue, they have already devised strategies for possible scenarios.

"The way we plan for contingency is that, for example for this Comelec decision, either it's in our favor or against us. Anyway, this case will still continue because if we have a favorable decision, I'm sure the petitioner would have elevated it nevertheless," he said.

Test of character

Durano's positive reaction to the decision comes from the fact that the issue, he thinks, reveals the positive side of Poe.

"It brings out her character for everyone to see, how she’s handling this particular issue. It's best for us that voters can see at this stage of the process the character of our candidates: how they will handle pressure, how they will buckle and let go of their principles and values," he explained.

As for the campaign team, Durano said the decision boosts them in a positive way. “We’re not in fighting mode. We’re fired up.” 

He claims that they remain "a very nice campaign group” despite the negativity that the issue brings.

"The policy is that we should stay positive and take the high moral ground on every issue,” he said. – Rappler.com

Catch Rappler's full interview with Ace Durano in a podcast to be published on Sunday, December 6. Listen to related podcast interviews with other camps:

• PODCAST: Karina David on harnessing 'people power' for Roxas campaign
• PODCAST: Greg Garcia: VP candidates need a tandem