KIEV, Ukraine – US Vice President Joe Biden arrives in Kiev late Sunday, December 6 to reassure its pro-Western leaders that Washington remains committed to Ukraine despite stepped-up efforts to work with Russia against Islamic State (IS, formerly known as ISIS or the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq) jihadists.

Biden's 3-day visit is his 4th to Kiev since Russia annexed Ukraine's Crimea peninsula in March 2014 and then watched with approval as pro-Kremlin insurgents carved out their own region in the eastern industrial heartland of the ex-Soviet state.

He will meet Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Monday, December 7 and deliver a highly anticipated address to parliament the following day.

"We do not know if there is any other historical precedent for a foreign official giving a speech like this," said one senior US administration official in a teleconference with reporters.

Washington and Kiev's EU allies support Ukraine's view of Russia being an "aggressor" that orchestrated the separatist revolt in reprisal for the February 2014 ousting of a Moscow-backed president – an assertion the Kremlin denies.

Both the US and EU have slapped stiff economic sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin's inner circle and have helped train and equip Ukraine's dilapidated and underfunded army with defensive equipment such as advanced radar.

But the situation changed when Russia launched ferocious air strikes against Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's enemies on September 30.

Washington accused Putin of trying to prop up his most important Middle East ally by targeting Western-backed Syrian rebels instead of ISIS and other extremists holding parts of Syria and Iraq.

Yet ISIS's claim that it downed a Russian airliner carrying 224 holidaymakers and crew from Egypt on October 31 appears to have prompted Moscow to focus more on bombing oil infrastructure and other jihadist targets.

The November 13 Paris attacks further prompted French President Francois Hollande to try to enroll Russia in a "grand coalition" against ISIS including the US and some European and Arab states.

Hollande's mission has been treated with caution by the White House and overt fright by Ukraine, a country of about 40 million.

The senior US official said Biden would take extra care to stress that the overtures toward Putin in no way affected the West's support for Kiev.

"I think that is going to be a major theme of the trip – that nothing that is going on in the Middle East has changed one iota of our commitment to the Ukrainian people and to their security," the US official said. (READ: US starts training Ukraine forces to fight pro-Russian militants)

Getting serious about corruption

Yet Biden arrives in a country whose morale is sagging due to Poroshenko's seeming inability to erase corruption that has ravaged Ukraine for much of its recent history.

Poroshenko's prosecutor-general has particularly fallen prey to accusations of blocking investigations and hiring workers who have since been detained with huge stashes of gold and cash in their flats.

This, along with Kiev's failure to win back the east after 19 months of bloodshed that has claimed more than 8,000 lives, is souring the public's mood toward the government and helping the resurgence of Ukrainian far-right groups.

"Much more needs to be done to reform the prosecutor-general's office so that it actually enables anti-corruption efforts as opposed to standing in the way of those efforts," the US official said.

"So that will be I think something that is talked about."

Analysts say the main problem rests in the government's failure to break the hold big business has enjoyed over much of Ukrainian politics for more than 20 years. 

"Ukraine has 1,833 state corporations that are a persistent source of corruption," said Anders Aslund of the US-based Atlantic Council.

"The government has failed to privatize one single enterprise because of deeply ingrained vested interests."

Poroshenko has taken credit for dismissing nearly 4,000 graft-tainted prosecutors. He also introduced a high-ranking official on Tuesday, December 1 responsible for rooting out bribe-taking and at least partially limiting the sway of shadowy tycoons.

But some analysts remain unconvinced.

"The adoption of even the best and highest-profile decisions that 'suit Biden' only underscores the absence of a coherent strategy for reforming our country," Ukrainian political commentator Yevgen Magda said. – Dmitry Zaks, AFP/Rappler.com

LE BOURGET, France – Diplomats crafting the blueprint for a worldwide climate rescue deal tendered their 48-page offering Saturday, December 5, concluding a bitter 4-year haggle that seemed often to teeter on the brink of collapse.

While the Draft Paris Agreement has been welcomed as a crucial step in the right direction, it remains littered with clashing proposals from countries at odds on how to divvy up responsibility for curbing Earth-warming greenhouse gases, and forking out the cash.

Environment ministers face a considerable task when they gather from Monday, December 7 to translate the template into a 195-nation plan to preserve our planet's hospitable climate and the future of humankind. (READ: What’s happening in Paris in December? 10 things to know)

These are the crunch issues:

Money, money, money

In 2009, rich countries pledged to mobilize $100 billion (92 billion euros) a year in climate finance for developing nations from 2020.

The money must ease the shift from cheap and abundant coal to renewable energy sources ("mitigation", in climate jargon), and shore up defenses ("adaptation") against climate change impacts such as freak storms, drought and sea-level rise.

But does private money count? And loans? What about money from richer, fellow developing nations, multilateral agencies and development aid? Who qualifies for funding? How much of the money will go to mitigation, and how much to adaptation?

These are the questions still dividing developing nations and rich ones, many of which resist attempts to write any obligation or liability into the text.

More recently, the world's poorest nations are demanding additional money to cover climate change-induced losses.

Blame game

The talks are taking place under the auspices of a 1992 climate treaty which enshrined the principle of "common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities".

It assumed that rich countries have polluted for longer, and bear a bigger responsibility for addressing the resulting problem – a distinction developing nations wish to retain.

They also demand some leeway on coal use as millions of people rise out of poverty.

Wealthy countries argue much has changed in 20 years, and nations once tagged "developing" have become big polluters in their own right.

China is now the world's number one greenhouse gas emitter, and India is number 4 after the United States and European Union.

How hot is too hot?

In 2010, UN countries adopted a goal of limiting average global warming to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-Industrial Revolution levels.

But small island states and many poor nations – which will be hit first and hardest by the impact of climate change – are pushing for a lower ceiling of 1.5 C.

The draft agreement lists both temperature targets as options under the caption "Purpose". It will now be up to ministers to take the political decision which one they retain, or perhaps both.

Slashing emissions

The agreement's very "long-term goal" is still in dispute.

Will it set a deadline for emissions to peak and a rate for their decline thereafter? Will it set a target date for reaching zero emissions? Will it call for carbon to be removed in its entirety from the energy economy? All the options are still in there.

Ratcheting

A pillar of the Paris agreement is a list of voluntary national pledges for reducing emissions from burning coal, oil and gas.

But commitments received so far, even if fully honored, place the world on course for warming far beyond the targeted safe level, scientists say.

Many countries want a mechanism to periodically review, and ramp up, the pledges.

But how often will assessments take place? From when? Will there be an obligation on nations to automatically improve on their earlier pledges, and how frequently?

Legal questions

Falling under the UN climate forum, the agreement will be considered "binding" under international law – though there is no penalty for non-compliance, merely a loss of face. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former president and now Manila mayor Joseph Estrada revealed he is "very likely" to support the presidential candidacy of Senator Grace Poe.

In a press release on Sunday, December 6, Estrada's camp said that he revealed in a recent interview with radio station dzMM that he will definitely support Poe – his goddaughter and daughter of his friend, the late action star Fernando Poe Jr.

"It is very likely, because the father of Grace Poe was more than a brother to me," he said.

Estrada's statement came days after a Commission on Elections (Comelec) division disqualified Poe on the basis of her citizenship and residency requirements.

"She was born here in the Philippines. She was found in the vicinity of a church. And you know that FPJ is a kind and merciful person, so he took care of Grace and treated her as his own daughter. He provided for her studies here and abroad,” he said in defense of Poe.

He said that Poe did well as a senator, making her very qualified to be a president.

"The way I see it, if she’s not a candidate for president, these complaints will not be put to the fore, or these will not be scrutinized as such. Because she is now a candidate for president, they are trying to find ways to discredit her,” he added.

Estrada ran for another shot in presidency in 2010, with then Makati City mayor Jejomar Binay as his running mate. Estrada lost to now President Benigno Aquino III, while Binay won.

When Binay declared his interest to run for president, Estrada initially reaffirmed his support to him. Binay even shrugged off as “hearsay” claims that Estrada will endorse Poe.

Despite defending Poe against detractors when she filed her presidential candidacy, Estrada was still undecided on whom to support in the 2016 elections.

Presidency again

With Poe being disqualified by a Comelec division, Estrada expressed interest to run anew for president.

"That [possibility of him running again for president] is only if the Opposition will not have anyone left to vie for the presidency. But if there still are the opposition contenders… and there’s also the candidate of the Administration, that will be fine, so I will not run for president,” he said.

Poe's camp will still appeal the decision before the Comelec en banc.

But in the event that Poe's disqualification becomes final, Estrada cannot substitute for her. Section 19 of Comelec Resolution No. 9984 says that a candidate may be substituted by another from the same political party or coalition.

Poe filed his certificate of candidacy as an independent candidate. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) will hear on Monday, December 7, the civil forfeiture case filed by the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) against Vice President Jejomar Binay, his family, and alleged accomplices in public fund laundering.

The new AMLC case comes after the lapse of the original 6-month freeze order on Binay’s assets filed on May 11, 2015.

In a petition filed on November 12 before the Manila RTC, a copy of which was obtained by Rappler, AMLC asked for a freeze order (provisional asset preservation order or PAPO) that covers 139 bank accounts and 19 real properties under the name of Binay, his family, and some associates.

This order would prevent the identified personalities from making "any transaction, withdrawal, deposit, transfer, removal, conversion, concealment or other disposition" using the covered assets, the petition said.

The petition identified bank accounts and properties under the names of 52 individuals and 13 organizations:

People:

• Jejomar C. Binay
• Jejomar Erwin S. Binay Jr.
• Gerardo S. Limlingan Jr.
• Ernesto S. Mercado
• Antonio L. Tiu
• Ann Loraine B. Tiu
• Anna Marie A. Gregorio
• Bernadette C. Portollano
• Carmelita P. Galvan
• Celeste Maya R. Limlingan
• Charisse Raissa P. Galvan
• Clara Mae U. Ong
• Claude Kristoffer Sedillo
• Cresenciano C. Dueñas
• Daniel C. Subido
• Domingo C. Comia
• Edgar Romeo G. Galvan
• Edgardo G. Lacson
• Eduviges D. Baloloy
• Ellen I. Pascua
• Erlinda S. Chong
• Eulogio J. Comia
• Fernando V. Comia
• Francisco Baloloy
• Frederick D. Baloloy
• Gerardo Martin C. Limlingan
• Hilario A. Comia
• Hipolito V. Comia
• James L. Tiu
• Jennifer V. Baloloy
• Jose B. Orillaza
• Kenneth Sabino S. Tan
• Kritopher James D. Dueñas
• Laureano R. Gregorio Jr.
• Lily H. Crystal
• Man Bun Chong
• Margarita Anne Aurea T. Subido
• Marguerite E. Lichnock
• Maria Luz A. Oreta
• Mario A. Oreta
• Maureen Ann O. Ferrer
• Melisa Gay L. Manganip
• Merdika Amor Baloloy
• Mitzi O. Sedillo
• Narciso J. Comia
• Pei Feng Lee
• Renato Comia Sr.
• Renato V. Comia Jr.
• Rodelio C. Dueñas
• Romeo C. Dueñas
• Roselita H. Lopena
• Tomas B. Lopez Jr.

Organizations:

• Abba Land Inc.
• Agrifortuna Inc.
• JC Binay Foundation Inc.
• Meriras Realty and Development Corporation
• Metrowaste Solid Waste Management Corporation
• AMM-J Earthworks Solutions Inc.
• Powerlink.com Corporation
• Twin Leaf Group Inc.
• Cups and Mugs Kitchenette
• Earthright Holdings Inc.
• Sunchamp Realty Estate Development Corporation
• Subido Pagente Certeza Mendoza and Binay Law Offices
• Greenergy Holdings Inc.

At least 23 individuals and 3 organizations mentioned in this petition were also identified in the earlier freeze order.

AMLC filed the case based on the following findings during its bank inquiry:

• multiple bank accounts were maintained by the subjects (persons and entities), either individually or jointly, with several banks
• multiple fund transfers were made from bank accounts in the names of the subjects to other accounts of the same or other subjects, either within the same bank or to other banks, and subsequently withdrawn
• the financial transactions, particularly deposits and trust fund contributions/placements, were made predominantly in cash and in rounded figures
• the financial transactions appear to have no underlying legal or trade obligation, purpose or economic justification
• the amounts involved were not commensurate to the business or financial capacity of the subjects
• the financial transactions were conducted during the construction of the Makati City Hall II Parking Building and Makati Science High School Building, and during the implementation of the joint venture agreement between the Boy Scouts and Alphaland, and many withdrawals and terminations were made after the Senate hearings

“Probable cause exists that the funds transacted by these persons and entities represent the proceeds of unlawful activities of violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019), in relation to the Anti-Plunder Law (RA 7080), for which Binay is facing charges. Accordingly, the AMLC issued Resolution No. 65, Series 2015, authorizing the filing of a Petition for Civil Forfeiture,” said in the petition.

AMLC conducted the investigation after the Office of the Ombudsman recommended in November 2014 a probe "for possible violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2001 of Binay, certain members of his immediate family, and close associates."

The petition added that the identified assets “be declared forfeited in favor of the Government and ordered to be placed at the disposal or under the authority of AMLC.”

Illegal petition

The camp of Binay claimed that the AMLC petition is baseless and unathorized by law.

In a press release on Sunday, December 6, Binay's spokesperson for political concerns Rico Quicho said that the petition violates Republic Act 1379, which prohibits the filing of civil forfeiture cases against public officials "within one year before any general election or within three months before any special election."

He added that despite AMLC earlier claiming that Binay deposited billions of pesos in 242 bank accounts, it asked the Manila court to freeze only one account, "an admission that it had no solid evidence against Binay."

"It is about time to revisit the mandate of AMLC and audit its performance since it has obviously allowed itself to be tainted with grossly erroneous and highly partisan activities," Quicho said.

Binay earlier claimed that AMLC should also probe the transactions of Liberal Party leaders so it won't be accused of being biased. – Rappler.com

LE BOURGET, France – Nobel laureate Al Gore said at the Paris climate summit on Thursday, December 3, that humanity must change how it lives, travels and grows food in order to avert global warming catastrophe. 

"Do we really have to change the energy and transportation and agriculture and forestry systems in the world and shift to a low-carbon pattern?" the former US vice president asked in a speech. 

"The answer is 'Yes'... because now the answer is coming from nature itself," he said. 

Gore pointed to a string of extreme droughts, record-breaking downpours and high tides, along with melting Arctic ice as evidence of climate change.

"The television news every evening is like a nature hike through the Book of Revelations," said Gore, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for his work on climate change.  

He added that the scientific community is "virtually unanimous" on the existence of man-made climate change and the evidence is "just as clear as it is for the existence of gravity."

Gore is in the French capital for the global climate conference, which kicked off Monday with 150 world leaders in attendance and aims to craft a world agreement to cut emissions in order to curb global warming.  

"Hopefully there will be no doubt that we are going to solve the climate crisis," Gore said during a separate press appearance on Thursday. 

"One hundred and fifty heads of state, the largest number ever gathered in history, are in the same place on the same day, and not a single word of climate denial."

Gore also sounded a hopeful note about humanity's ability to end its reliance on fossil fuels and shift to green energy sources. He said the amount of electricity provided by wind has grown exponentially and the cost of solar power has plummeted. 

"Business community, investors... and others have brought the technologies of solar photovoltaics, wind power and efficiency... to the point where these new approaches are extremely competitive," he said. 

A slideshow put together by Gore about the dangers of climate change was the basis of the popular 2006 documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," which won two Academy Awards.

Negotiators in Paris will aim to strike a bargain that limits global temperature rise to two degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) over pre-industrial times by limiting greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – France's far-right National Front (FN) is widely predicted to take a step towards gaining control of at least one region for the first time, as polls opened Sunday, December 6, 3 weeks after jihadist attacks in Paris left 130 people dead.

Around 44 million people are eligible to vote, with France under tight security and in a state of emergency following the country's worst-ever terror attacks, which have thrust the FN's anti-immigration and often Islamophobic message to the fore.

First projections are expected at 1900 GMT with FN leader Marine Le Pen on course to top the poll in the economically-depressed Nord-Pas-de-Calais-Picardie region in the north, once a bastion of the left.

Her 25-year-old niece Marion Marechal-Le Pen seems to be heading for an equally strong score in the vast southeastern Provence-Alpes-Cote d'Azur region that includes beaches thronged by sun-seekers in the summer.

Opinion polls give the FN between 27% and 30% of the vote in the first round, a similar score to the centre-right Republicans led by former president Nicolas Sarkozy.

Hollande's Socialists languish

President Francois Hollande, who will cast his vote Sunday morning in Evry, to the south of Paris, has seen his personal ratings surge as a result of his hardline approach since the Paris attacks.

However his Socialist party has not enjoyed a similar boost, and is languishing at around 22% of the vote.

The FN is also expected to compete for power in the eastern Alsace-Champagne-Ardennes-Lorraine region that borders Belgium and Germany, according to polls by Ipsos and Odoxa.

Analysts predicted the FN could take all three regions in the second round on December 13 – if traditional parties refuse to join forces against them.

Victory would not only put the party at the head of a regional government for the first time, but would also give Marine Le Pen a springboard for her presidential bid in 2017.

She has made much in her campaign of the so-called Jungle migrant camp in Calais, where thousands of people have been camped for months trying to reach Britain and northern Europe.

With the FN also locked in a close race for Burgundy and Franche-Comte in the east, leading politicians on the left and right appealed to their supporters to go out and vote on Sunday to head off a historic FN win.

Prime Minister Manuel Valls urged activists at his only election rally on Thursday, December 3, to "appeal to patriotism" to ensure a massive turnout, with Marine Le Pen accusing him of waging "total war" against her.

But the Republicans' deputy leader Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet claimed the election battle was far from over. 

"Our duty is not to be paralysed by the polls and wait for the inevitable to happen, but to fight and fight till Sunday and prove the polls wrong," she said.

The FN – whose leaders have repeatedly linked terrorism with immigration – has been climbing in the polls since the carnage in Paris on November 13.

When it emerged that at least two of the attackers had entered Europe posing as migrants, it allowed the FN to trumpet its message of "we told you so."

But any election triumph will depend on whether the other parties are able to forge alliances against it.

Socialist leaders will begin talks after the first results come in on Sunday to decide if they will pull out of some second-round battles, with the Republicans meeting the following day to agree their strategy.

One Socialist expected to win is Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, a popular choice in the northwest Brittany region. – Nicolas Gubert and Dominique Chabrol, AFP / Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is open to investigations on the reported burying of relief goods intended for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in Leyte.

In a press release on Sunday, December 6, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said she welcomes "any investigation that would give the Department the opportunity to clarify the issue."

“As I have said, there are personnel in the Department that have been negligent in their jobs to keep the relief goods in good condition. We are not washing hands on this, we will establish the liability ofthe persons involved here and make them accountable, in accordance with civil service rules,” Soliman said.

DSWD was criticized for its lapses in the distribution of relief goods to Yolanda-stricken areas. (READ: Soliman admits lapses in Yolanda relief, won't resign)

On Wednesday, the DSWD office in Eastern Visayas admitted to Interaksyon that 284 sacks of rice supposedly for Yolanda relief operations rotted while in storage in a warehouse in Dagami town, Leyte.

An informant tipped the local police to a site in Barangay Macaalang, where the sacks of spoiled rice were buried.

According to Interaksyon, Senior Inspector Anthony Florencio, local chief of police, initially denied the report. Later, after inspecting the site himself, he confirmed that the sacks were marked with logos from the National Food Authority and the DSWD.

In defense, Soliman explained that the goods were already unfit for human consumption.

“Our goal here was to make sure that the goods will not reach the affected families anymore. That is why these were disposed of immediately,” she said.

DSWD has already ordered a 'thorough investigation', with Soliman assuring that the result will be made public.

Earlier, Binay expressed disappointment over DSWD, and claimed that “this was not the only time food for calamity victims had gone to waste.” – Rappler.com

YANGON, Myanmar – Myanmar's feared former junta leader Than Shwe has endorsed his one-time nemesis Aung San Suu Kyi as a "future leader" of the country, according to his grandson.

Than Shwe, a postal clerk turned general who ran the country with an iron fist for nearly 2 decades, met with democracy champion Suu Kyi on Friday, December 4.

Her party is preparing for power after November's massive election win.

The talks mark a dramatic turnaround in fortune for Suu Kyi, who was kept under house arrest for 15 years by the 82-year-old retired general for leading the democracy movement against his army.

"Everyone has to accept the truth that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi will be the future leader of Myanmar after winning the elections," Than Shwe was quoted as saying on a Facebook post late Saturday by his grandson, Nay Shwe Thway Aung.

Daw is a term of respect.

"I will support her earnestly as much as I can if she really works for the development of the country," he added, according to the post.

The former strongman's grandson said he acted as an intermediary for the talks. 

Win Myint, a spokesman for Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party, confirmed the Friday meeting, adding it was the first time the pair had met since 2003.

Suu Kyi, 70, is barred from the presidency by an army-scripted constitution, but has said she will govern from "above the president" when her party take their seats in the new year.

Than Shwe ruled Myanmar from 1992 to 2011, when he handed power over to a military-backed semi-civilian government.

It is unclear if his reported comments offer support for Suu Kyi's bid to change the charter, including the clause that bars her from the nation's top office because her sons have foreign passports.

Reconciliation not revenge

The NLD scooped up nearly 80 percent of contested seats in last month's breakthrough election, a massive mandate to govern after nearly half a century of military rule.

But the army still holds a strong hand. It retains 25 percent of all parliamentary seats, gifted by the charter, as well as key bureaucratic posts that give it control of the country's security apparatus.

The NLD leader has been at pains to urge reconciliation with the army as she eyes a smooth transition to power. 

Suu Kyi also met with President Thein Sein and the powerful army chief last week in the capital Naypyidaw, with both men re-iterating their public commitment to help her new government. 

The government has denied rumours that the elderly Than Shwe is guiding the pace of reforms from behind the scenes. 

But analysts say the meeting between the former junta leader and Suu Kyi is still a major indicator of a peaceful handover of power by a military that has marshalled reforms over the last four years.

Many NLD supporters remain cautious of a military that is renowned for its political chicanery and repressive reflexes. 

The NLD won a similar share of the vote in 1990, only to see the army annul the result and tighten its grip on the country for another generation. – Hla-Hla Htay, AFP/Rappler.com

WASHINGTON, USA – President Barack Obama will make a rare primetime address to the nation Sunday, December 6, laying out how he will keep Americans safe and defeat the Islamic State group, days after 14 people were shot dead in California.

Obama declared Saturday that the United States "will not be terrorized," as ISIS praised the couple behind a mass shooting in San Bernardino as "soldiers" of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

"We are Americans. We will uphold our values – a free and open society," Obama said in his weekly address.

Investigators are combing over evidence and looking into the background of Syed Farook, 28, and his 29-year-old Pakistani wife Tashfeen Malik, the pair who opened fire Wednesday at a social services center.

The FBI said federal agents raided a property in Riverside, California, but declined to provide the address.

NBC News reported that the FBI had searched the home of Enrique Marquez, a friend of Farook's who originally bought the assault rifles used in the shooting but who is not considered a suspect.

"I heard the windows crashing, the garage door being torn, doors being broken down ... they were forcing their way in," neighbor Freddy Escamilla told Agence France-Presse.

'Destructive ideology'

In his address from the Oval Office on Sunday at 8:00 pm (0100 GMT Monday), Obama will try to reassure Americans in the wake of the shooting, which the FBI is investigating as a possible act of terrorism.

If proven to be terror-related, it would be the deadliest such assault on American soil since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Obama last gave an Oval Office address in August 2010 to mark the end of US combat operations in Iraq.

In addition to an update on the probe, Obama will "discuss the broader threat of terrorism, including the nature of the threat, how it has evolved, and how we will defeat it," the White House said.

"He will reiterate his firm conviction that ISIL (ISIS) will be destroyed and that the United States must draw upon our values – our unwavering commitment to justice, equality and freedom – to prevail over terrorist groups that use violence to advance a destructive ideology."

Top security officials have indicated that the couple had been radicalized. But the White House and the FBI say there are no signs they were part of a larger group or terrorist cell.

In an English radio broadcast, IS praised the two as "soldiers of the caliphate" and martyrs, but did not specifically say they were members of the group.

The heavily armed pair, who also wounded 21 in their attack, died in a shootout with police after a manhunt.

The rampage was the worst in the United States in three years and revived impassioned debate on gun control in a country where such mass killings have become routine.

The New York Times published a front-page editorial – the first since 1920 – calling for an end to "the gun epidemic in America."

In contrast, the president of Liberty University, a conservative Christian school, urged students to get permits to carry concealed weapons on campus.

"I've always thought if more good people had concealed carry permits, then we could end those Muslims before they walked in," Jerry Falwell Jr. said at the school's convocation to loud cheering.

Quiet couple

Authorities say Malik and Farook, who was US-born, carefully planned their attack.

David Bowdich, the assistant FBI director in charge of the Los Angeles office, said investigators were examining a Facebook posting in which Malik is believed to have pledged allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made around the time of the attack.

The family's attorneys said that while the two were devout Muslims, there was no hint they had become radicalized.

Relatives have been at a loss to explain what triggered the killing spree, describing them as a quiet couple who kept to themselves.

They had a six-month-old daughter, whom they left with Farook's mother before the shooting.

"How can he leave his only child, you know? And how could the mother do this?" one of Farook's sisters, Saira Khan, told The New York Times.

'New approach needed'

Washington has long warned of the threat of homegrown, self-radicalized extremists.

"We have moved to an entirely new phase in the global terrorist threat and in our homeland security efforts," Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told the Times.

Terrorists have "in effect outsourced attempts to attack our homeland. We've seen this not just here but in other places," he added.

"This requires a whole new approach, in my view."

Donald Trump, the 2016 Republican presidential frontrunner, gave little doubt as to how he would deal with any terror threat from within.

"I would handle it so tough, you don't want to hear," CNN quoted him as saying. – Peter Stebbings, with Jocelyne Zablit in Los Angeles, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III poured champagne on the nose of the new FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea on Saturday, December 5, in a ceremony that officially turned over the assets to the Philippine Air Force.  

A series of acceptance tests were conducted following the arrival of the two FA-50s on November 28, the first batch out of the total 12 jets to be delivered until 2017. They cost the government P18.9 billion ($401.6 million). (READ: PH Air Force returns to supersonic age: Fighter jets arrive in Clark)

The assets are assigned to the Air Defense Wing, the air force unit responsible for territorial defense. Air Force chief Lieutenant General Jeffrey Delgado said they will be deployed to secure land, airspace and maritime territory including the country's Exclusive Economic Zone. It may also be deployed for surveillance, reconnaissance, interdiction, and close air support missions.

One of the weakest militaries in Asia, the Philippines acquired the FA-50s to achieve "minimum credible defense" against the aggressiveness of China in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). It also filed a case against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague. (READ: PH's closing remarks at The Hague)

Strictly speaking, the FA-50 is a lead-in fighter trainer aircraft but it is also called a fighter jet because of its minimum fighter capabilities. The FA-50 design is derived largely from the US' F-16.– Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelans voted Sunday, December 6, in tense elections that could see the opposition seize legislative power from the socialist government and risk sparking violence in the oil-rich, cash-poor nation.

With the country suffering from soaring inflation and poverty, a broad opposition coalition is vying to gain control of the National Assembly and force a change of course by anti-US leader Nicolas Maduro.

That could mark a potential political shift in the Latin American country of 30 million, which has the world's biggest oil reserves but also widespread poverty.

Or it could lead to political deadlock and even a repeat of riots that killed 43 people last year, analysts and political leaders warn.

Polling stations opened at 6:00 am (1030 GMT) in balloting widely seen as a referendum on Maduro's economic leadership after 16 years with him and his predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, at the helm.

"We will conquer!" Maduro bellowed at a rally this week, dismissing his opponents as "lazy and inept."

He and Chavez invested the country's vast oil wealth in projects to build homes, roads and schools.

But since the mustachioed former bus driver was elected after Chavez's death in 2013, the revolution has faltered as oil prices have plunged.

Families are suffering shortages of basic supplies. Soaring inflation has slashed their spending power.

"There is too much insecurity, too much scarcity. All basic goods are hard to come by: diapers, oil, rice," said one voter, Carlos Silvera, 33.

'Yankee imperialism'

Surveys by Venezuelan pollsters Datanalisis and Venebarometro have indicated a broad opposition coalition, the Democratic Unity Roundtable, is likely to win a majority of the vote.

But it was unclear exactly how those votes might translate into seats under the system of electoral constituencies, which is considered to favor the government side.

Maduro's critics have accused him of rigging the voting districts in his favor. He has dismissed them as stooges of "Yankee imperialism."

International authorities have criticized Maduro for not letting foreign observers monitor the election.

"What we all want is a clean and transparent election," said former Colombian president Andres Pastrana.

"We hope the opposition will publicly agree to accept the results peacefully," he added, speaking in Caracas.

Polls were due to close at 2230 GMT. First results are not expected before 0230 GMT Monday.

'Unstable situation'

An opposition win could herald a broader shift in Latin America, where Argentina's leftist government lost a presidential election last month.

But analysts said Venezuela's vote would be less decisive, and potentially volatile, since opposition parties have little in common beyond their disdain for Maduro.

His term as president runs until 2019, unless the opposition wins a big enough majority to force him out by constitutional means.

If the opposition wins a smaller majority, Maduro could manipulate the result in his favor or just rule by presidential decree, said analyst Luis Vicente Leon, head of Datanalisis.

"The assembly could seek to impeach the president, but he could try to dissolve the congress," said Leon.

"It would be a very unstable situation."

Maduro has been accused of intimidating opponents. Opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez was jailed last year after being convicted of inciting violence in the protests.

A prosecutor in the case later said false evidence was used against him.

On the eve of the election, Pastrana told reporters that Maduro had promised to let Lopez vote, though the government did not immediately confirm the claim.

Another senior opposition figure, Henrique Capriles, warned opposition radicals against taking to the streets.

"Venezuela is a bomb ready to explode," he told Agence France-Presse. – Roland Lloyd Parry, AFP/Rappler.com

KAROR LAL ESAN, Pakistan – Estranged relatives of a Pakistani woman involved in a mass shooting in California spoke Sunday, December 6, of their shame at her crimes, as former classmates and teachers painted a picture of a quiet, religiously conservative student.

Tashfeen Malik, 29, and her husband Syed Farook, 28, gunned down 14 people at a social services center in San Bernardino, an act praised by the Islamic State group who hailed the couple as "soldiers" of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

According to her uncle Malik Ahmed Ali Aulakh, who is a former provincial minister, Tashfeen was born in the village of Karor Lal Esan in the central province of Punjab but moved to Saudia Arabia around 1989.

Tashfeen's father Gulzar Malik an engineer, had grown distant from his family and "he never came back even to attend the marriages of close relatives", added Aulakh.

"We are ashamed and shocked about this act done by our niece – why did she do something so gruesome? We can't believe it," he told Agence France-Presse.

Malik Omar Ali Aulakh, another of her uncles, added: "We have not kept in touch with Gulzar's family and he avoided contacting us."

The southern region of Punjab from which Tashfeen hailed has long been associated with Sufism, a mystical form of Islam whose adherents worship with song and dance, attend shrines and devote themselves to historic saints – practices viewed as heretical by more orthodox Muslims.

Indeed, according to Mohammad Jamil, a neighbor of Tashfeen's father, one of Tashfeen's uncles himself was a Sufi devotional singer.

"We don't want Muslims to do such things. Such people should be punished, must be punished," said Jamil, adding: "She has dishonored Pakistan." 

It is still not clear where Tashfeen became radicalized, but by the time she returned to Pakistan in 2007 to pursue a degree in pharmacology at the Bahauddin Zakariya University, she was devoutly religious and wore a veil, according to former instructors.

"She was not outspoken or ultra-modern but she was religious minded, polite and submissive," said Dr Khalid Hussain Janbaz, chair of the pharmacy department. 

"I don't think she could have done what they have accused her of, she was a very good student who never created problems for staff or classfellows," added Dr Hussain Shah, an associate professor in the department.

Pakistan's government Sunday issued a statement condemning the attack, even as its interior minister said Islamabad could not be held responsible. 

"A country or a national or a religion cannot be held responsible for a crime committed by an individual and I appreciate a wise approach adopted by the US administration on the issue," minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told reporters in Islamabad. – Sattar Qamar, AFP/Rappler.com

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuela's opposition won control of the state legislature, electoral authorities said Monday, December 7, in a blow to the oil-rich country's socialist government that has held the congress for 16 years.

The broad, mostly center-right MUD coalition won a majority of 99 out of 167 seats in the state legislature, the head of the National Electoral Council (CNE), Tibisay Lucena, announced.

Socialist President Nicolas Maduro promptly appeared on television saying he accepted the defeat, a blow to his leadership during a dire economic crisis.

"We have come with our morals and our ethics to recognize these adverse results, to accept them and to say to our Venezuela that the constitution and democracy have triumphed," he said.

Fireworks erupted over the capital Caracas as opposition supporters celebrated.

Maduro's United Socialist Party of Venezuela won 46 seats in the single-chamber National Assembly, Lucena said. The results for 22 other seats had not yet been confirmed.

The result strengthens the opposition's hand against Maduro though it was short of the super majority the MUD had hoped for.

"Venezuela has won," tweeted senior opposition leader Henrique Capriles.

"We always said this was the way: humility, maturity and serenity."

Maduro called for the opposition to "live together" with his side.

He softened his tone from before the elections when he had vowed to hold onto power "no matter how."

"We have lost a battle today, but the struggle to build a new society is just beginning," he said.

"A counter-revolution has triumphed, which has imposed its own way, its war," he said, in reference to what he alleges is a US-backed "economic war" against Venezuela by businesses.

Hit by falling prices for the oil exports on which it relies, the country of 30 million is in an economic crisis, with families suffering shortages of basic food and supplies. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Japan is launching a new diplomatic unit this week to collect and analyse information on international terrorism, the government said Monday, December 7, in light of attacks on its citizens overseas and global assaults including those last month in Paris.

The beheading of two Japanese citizens earlier this year, claimed by the Islamic State (ISIS) group, and the deaths of 10 others in a hostage crisis in Algeria in 2013 have highlighted the vulnerability of Japanese people abroad.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, the chief government spokesman, said the new unit, within the foreign ministry, will focus on gathering and analysing information.

"We will take full measures to prevent terrorism and to protect Japanese nationals from harm," Suga told a regular press conference.

The unit, due to start operating Tuesday, will have about 20 personnel in Tokyo and 20 more based in Japanese diplomatic missions abroad, officials have said, and will concentrate on four geographic areas: Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East and North and West Africa.

The government had originally planned to start the unit in April 2016. But recent major terrorist attacks, such as those in Paris, prompted the start date to be brought forward, a Japanese diplomat said.

Until the last few years Japan had been virtually unaffected by international terrorism, though there have been several incidents in the past, including when one of its aircraft was hijacked in the 1970s by a domestic group allied with a Palestinian faction in the Middle East.

Suga also expressed Japan's solidarity with the United States shortly after President Barack Obama gave a speech in which he vowed to defeat ISIS following last week’s deadly rampage in California, which the US leader described as an act of terrorism.

Suga added that Tokyo will work closely with the US and other countries "to prevent acts of terrorism".

Japan has taken other steps in recent years to upgrade its intelligence-gathering capability including launching satellites to monitor North Korea, which has carried out nuclear tests and routinely threatens Japan.

The country is also making a point of showing that it is increasing security as it prepares to host the next G7 summit in May as well as the summer Olympics in 2020. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of Grace Poe did not ask the 3 members of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Second Division to inhibit from the case filed against the senator by lawyer Estrella Elamparo.

This, after the Second Division in a unanimous decision granted Elamparo's petition and ordered the cancellation of Poe's certificate of candidacy (COC) for president in the 2016 elections.

Poe's lawyer George Garcia filed a 63-page motion for reconsideration on Monday, December 7 at the Comelec office in Intramuros, Manila. They are hoping for a reversal at the Comelec en banc, which includes the 3 commissioners from the Second Division. 

"Wala po kaming pinapa-inhibit na commissioners although sinuggest po namin na baka naman – at nakadepende na sa kanila pong diskresyon – sapagkat kanilang desisyon po ang aming kinukwestyon ay nasa kanila na po yan kung dedesisyunan nila na mag-voluntary inhibit," Garcia told reporters on Monday.

(We did not ask any commissioner to inhibit although we suggested that maybe – and this depends on their own discretion – since it is their decision we are questioning, it is up to them if they decide to inhibit voluntarily.)

Garcia said their camp still believes in the "credibility, integrity, and independence" of the 3 commissioners who are part of the division: Al Parreño, Arthur Lim, and Sheriff Abas.

"Naniniwala pa rin kami na pwedeng magbago ang kanilang boto. Pwedeng pagtingin nila sa aming mga ebidensya, baka sakali na 'yung ebidensya ay tingnan nila ng kauna-unahang pagtingin at sabihin nilang tama nga po kami."

(We still believe they can still change their votes. It is possible that after they see our evidence, maybe they will look at the evidence for the first time and say we are right all along.)

'Look at our evidence'

Garcia said the division earlier committed "errors in judgment and grave abuse of discretion" when it "disregarded" the evidence presented by their camp.

The division granted Elamparo's petition and ruled that Poe has not met the 10-year residency requirement for a president since she wrote in her 2013 COC for senator that she has been a resident of the Philippines for 6 years and 6 months. (READ: Grace Poe's residency in PH: When do we start counting?)

"Sana tingnang mabuti 'yung mga ebidensya namin. Kapag na-review nila at puro kasinungalingan, walang kwenta, okay lang po, tatanggapin namin, pero sana tingnan nila ng mabuti," Garcia said.

(I hope they take a good look at our evidence. If after their review, they find out it is full of lies or has no value, that's okay, we will accept that, but I hope they take a good look at it.)

After filing their appeal before the Second Division, Poe's camp expects the division to elevate the motion to the en banc Tuesday, December 8.

Garcia asked the Comelec to treat this case against Poe as any ordinary case and not a special one. (READ: Lawyer asks Comelec: Why prioritize disqualification cases vs Grace Poe?)

"Base sa aking karanasan…Hindi po siguro aabutin na makapagdesisyon kaagad ang Comelec hanggang December 15. Sana naman po, ang aming pakiusap, 'wag naman po sanang i-compromise 'yun pong pag-aaral mismo sa kaso at 'yung pag-aaral mismo ng aming ebidensya sa hinahabol nating timetable na [December 15]," he said.

(Based on my experience...The Comelec may not have a final decision on this case until December 15. Our request is that they don't compromise studying the actual case and the actual evidence just so they can fit it into the timetable of December 15.)

The poll body is scheduled to release the official list of candidates on December 15. Garcia said Poe's name should not be removed from the list until a final decision is made on the pending disqualification cases at the Comelec. (READ: Poe not qualified? Let her run first, lawyer tells Comelec) –Rappler.com

MULTAN, Pakistan – The woman who with her husband shot dead 14 people in California last week attended one of Pakistan's most high-profile religious seminaries for women, a teacher at the madrassa told the Agence France-Presse (AFP) Monday, December 7.

Tashfeen Malik, 29, studied at the Al-Huda Institute in Multan, which targets middle-class women seeking to come closer to Islam and also has offices in the US, the UAE, India and the UK, said the teacher at the seminary who gave her name only as Muqadas.

The institute has no known extremist links, though it has come under fire in the past from critics who say its ideology echoes that of the Taliban.

But her attendance offers fresh insight into Malik's journey towards Islamic extremism, that likely began with her upbringing in Saudi Arabia, continued during her time as a student in Pakistan and culminated with her swearing allegiance to the Islamic State group shortly before embarking on her killing spree.

Malik and her husband Syed Farook, 28, were hailed as "soldiers" of the self-proclaimed caliphate following the massacre on Friday at a social services centre in San Bernardino. 

Investigators suspect that Malik, who went to the United States on a fiancee's visa and spent extended periods of time in both Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, may have radicalised her husband. 

The probe is trying to establish if she had contact with Islamic radicals in either country.

"It was a two-year course, but she did not finish it," the teacher Muqadas said. 

"She was a good girl. I don't know why she left and what happened to her."

The teacher did not say when Malik studied at the seminary, but fellow classmates at the Bahauddin Zakariya University said she had attended the madrassa after classes at the university, which she attended from 2007-2012.

Farrukh Saleem, a Karachi-based spokeswoman for Al-Huda told AFP: "We are trying to establish whether she attended Al-Huda as a regular student or was just a listener."

She added: "Government or law enforcement agencies have never suspected us of spreading extremism -- instead we preach the peaceful teachings of Islam and the prophet of Islam."

'More susceptible'

Al-Huda, founded in 1994, is one of the most well-known female madrassas in the country which are thought to teach hundreds of thousands of students each year. 

Unlike other such seminaries, it mainly targets Pakistan's influential middle and upper classes, often holding religious study circles inside members' houses.

One of Malik's former classmates at the Bahauddin Zakariya University in Multan, where she studied pharmacology, told AFP she had attended the madrassa after classes, saying she "drastically changed" during her time there. 

"Gradually she became more serious and strict," said the student, requesting anonymity.

A second university student who also requested anonymity confirmed the account.

Arif Jamal, an analyst at the Washington-based Middle East Institute, said: "Her attendance suggests that she had embraced a more modern yet austere variant of Islam that was at odds with the Islam practised traditionally by her larger clan.

"It may have made her more susceptible to the ideology of a transnational terrorist group like IS," he added.

But he cautioned that Al-Huda's graduates rarely become militants. "So Al-Huda attendance alone doesn't answer the question of how she may have made the leap from being a conservative or even Salafi Muslim into a jihadist."

Pakistan has pledged to crack down on religious seminaries suspected of being breeding grounds for intolerance or even fostering extremism, with the country's information minister Pervez Rashid terming them "universities of illiteracy and ignorance".

However the government's efforts to rein in madrassas have prompted anger from many clerics who accuse the authorities of maligning religious leaders in a bid to build an "anti-Islamic narrative". – Khurram Shahzad, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Naming peace and order as his top priority, independent vice-presidential candidate Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he wants to bring back the death penalty.

"I'm really hoping for the re-institutionalization of the death penalty," Trillanes said in a news conference Monday, December 7.

According to Trillanes, the death penalty is needed to curb illegal drug cases that form part of a "national security problem."

He clarified, however, that he rejects the arbitrary killing of criminals.

Trillanes acknowledged the "fascination" for brazen law enforcement given problems in public safety, especially in Metro Manila. Still, he said killing a suspect without due process will only worsen the situation. 

"We don't need to kill people arbitrarily. Because once you start doing that, you can't control it. You wouldn't know when to stop. Next thing you know, the death squad you employ will be employed by others with the same interest," he said in a mix of English and Filipino.

In contrast, presidential bet Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly said he is willing to kill to stop criminality.

Asked if he will be the "Duterte" who won't bring criminals to funeral parlors, Trillanes answered: "Definitely."

Eyeing DILG

In his news conference on Monday, Trillanes also said he wants to be the interior secretary if he wins the vice-presidential race.

Should he get the post, he said he wants modernize the police and empower barangays.

"We should increase our budget for intelligence operations, and we should activate our barangay networks so we can be aware about what's happening on the ground at any given time. Barangay officials should be the most informed of all the public officials regarding what's happening," he said.

He also supported a national identification system as a tool to curb criminality.

The "Filipino ID" measure, which has been pending before a Senate committee, aims to integrate all government-issued IDs into one.

Leftist groups have strongly criticized the integrated ID system, arguing that it will only intrude into the privacy of citizens. But Trillanes said "developed countries all over the world" implement this to deliver better social services.

On BBL: I'm not holding my breath

The senator, who is a staunch critic of the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), remained firm in his stance that the measure is not yet ready to be implemented.

"We need to put the necessary safeguards to make sure that this will not create a bigger problem. Aside from the unconstitutional provisions we need to insert specific security provisions," Trillanes said.

The senator said he doesn't see the BBL passed any time soon. 

Trillanes said: "Based on the political climate right now, let's just say the windows are closing very fast and I'm not [going to] hold my breath. I sincerely doubt it."

"We need to pursue a more inclusive peace agreement with the Muslim insurgents," he added.

Trillanes ranked 6th in a recent survey of vice-presidential bets, with 5% of respondents saying they will vote for him. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Lawyer Estrella Elamparo on Monday, December 7, asked the Second Division of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to reconsider its ruling regarding Senator Grace Poe's citizenship.

Although the poll body granted Elamparo's petition to cancel Poe's certificate of candidacy (COC), it said the senator did not mislead the public on purpose about her citizenship.

"The evidence is not conclusive that respondent deliberately attempted to mislead, misinform or hide a fact from the electorate when she declared in her subject COC that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen. On the issue of citizenship, there is no material misrepresentation committed by the respondent," the decision read.

But Elamparo argued in her motion that there is a "malicious pattern of misrepresentation" in the various documents Poe submitted as evidence to the Comelec. She cited at least 4 documents:

1. Petition for Retention and/or Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship under Republic Act 9225 - Elamparo argued that in the said document, Poe wrote she was born to Ronald Allan Kelley Poe (Fernando Poe Jr) and Jesusa Sonora Poe (Susan Roces) and not adopted by them.
2. At least two condominium certificates of title both dated February 9, 2006, and a transfer certificate of title dated June 1, 2006 - Elamparo said that in all 3 documents, Poe wrote that she and her husband are both Filipinos, when her Petition for Retention and/or Reacquisition of Philippine Citizenship was only granted July 18, 2006.

"There is a clear pattern in respondent's conduct – she has no qualms misrepresenting her citizenship every now and then to achieve her objectives or to make the shoe fit, so to speak," Elamparo noted.

"If despite all these circumstances which appear on record, she is still afforded the benefit of the doubt, a dangerous precedent will be set."

Considering also the Constitution, Poe's education, and her experience as lawmaker, Elamparo said there is substantial evidence to prove Poe knew she was not a natural-born Filipino and yet misrepresented that she is one in her COC for president.

"It was simply impossible for respondent to have been ignorant of the law given the circumstances discussed above. If she will still insist on being that ignorant, then why, pray tell, would she have the temerity to run for President?" she asked.

Poe camp cites SET ruling

But Poe's lawyer George Garcia dismissed Elamparo's claim, saying they are ready to answer her motion before the Comelec en banc.

He reiterated there was still no final decision on Poe's citizenship when she filed her COC in October, so she could not have lied about it.

While the Comelec Second Division ruled there was no misrepresentation as far as citizenship is concerned, it did say in its decision that Poe's claim in her COC "that she is a natural-born Filipino citizen is false."

This is contrary to the final decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) which upheld Poe's natural-born status. Poe's camp cited the SET decision in its motion for reconsideration filed also on Monday.

"Ang SET ang kauna-unahang ahensya ng ating pamahalaan, kauna-unahang korteng nagsabi na si Senadora Grace Poe ay natural-born Filipino citizen," Garcia explained.

(SET is the very first agency of our government, the first court that ruled Senator Grace Poe is a natural-born Filipino citizen.)

He added: "Ang Senate Electoral Tribunal ang sole o nag-iisang huwes patungkol sa isyu ng kwalipikasyon ng mga miyembro ng senado. Nangangahulugang kung kwalipikado ang isang senador na maging senador dahil siya ay may residency at may citizenship, nangangahulugan siguro na siya po ay natural-born citizen pagka siya ay tatakbo bilang pangulo ng ating bansa."

(The Senate Electoral Tribunal is the sole or the only court with jurisdiction on the issue of the qualification of members of the Senate. If a senator is qualified before the SET because of her residency and citizenship, it should also mean she is a natural-born citizen and qualified to run for president.)

Poe's camp expects the Second Division to elevate their motion for reconsideration to the Comelec en banc on Tuesday, December 8, where they are hoping for a reversal of the order to cancel Poe's COC for president. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – Empower indigenous women in fighting climate change, urged UN Women executive director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on Monday, December 7 as the Paris climate talks (COP21) entered its second week.

Mlambo-Ngcuka praised the current draft climate agreement for shifting from being "gender-blind" to one that includes "gender references," including the controversial section on climate finance.

However, the text needs more work in strengthening indigenous rights, Grace Balawag of the Indigenous Peoples' International Center for Policy Research and Education told Rappler during the International Indigenous Women's Day at the COP21.

The current draft cites the need to respect the knowledge and traditions of indigenous peoples (IPs) in terms of adaptation to the impacts of climate change; however, this part is left out in terms of mitigation and loss and damage.

With only a few days before the climate negotiations come to a close, IP rights advocates are worried whether the climate agreement will be truly inclusive.

"Indigenous knowledge is still scientific, it's been proven for years. Although we still need to work with scientists," Balawag argued. "And mitigation is not separate from adaptation."

The problem is that many policymakers do not see indigenous knowledge as "legitimate."

Some of the most contentious issues across different countries is shifting cultivation, better known as kaingin in Filipino. The traditional practice is common among different indigenous communities, with variations across groups. 

Although several studies, including one by the United Nations Framework Convention on climate change, have cited that kaingin is not to blamed for deforestation in Asia, several governments still deem the practice illegal and destructive. (READ: Signals: Blame game)

The criminalization of kaingin is not only disrepectful to IP rights, but may also be harmful to their food security and livelihood as many IPs depend on small-scale farming for their day-to-day survival, advocates say.

Balawag added that advocates are closely working with the Philippine delagation to COP21, "The Philippines is pushing for IP rights, but it needs support from other governments."

Affected

Around 200 million migrants worldwide are fleeing their homes due to the effects of climate change. Many of them are indigenous women and girls, Mlambo-Ngcuka stressed.

But IP women refuse to remain as mere victims of climate change, emphasizing that they, too, are taking part in the battle.

"Listen to the solutions indegenous women have always been advocating for," advised Mlambo-Ngcuka. "Women’s agency in climate action is key in healing our planet."

"You can trust women with the future of the next generation," she added.

In many agricultural communities, it is the indigenous women that act as guardians of the environment. They are also responsible for feeding the entire family.

Climate change, however, has made it more difficult for indigenous women to fulfill such obligations.

In Africa, for example, certain wild fruit species are disappearing due to extreme weather events. Such fruits are eaten during food shortages.

Food, nutrition, and water security, sanitation, and health are also impacted by climate change, as more families are threated by droughts and typhoons.

"Climate change threatens the very existence of indigenous women," said Alina Saba of Nepal's Limbu community. 

For Saba, many indigenous women are still unaware of climate change and its impacts, hence the need for more education and agricultural support from governments.

"This is not fair, we need to give them proper information on why this is happening and why they’re facing this challenge," she stressed.

But before programs are implemented, consultations and consent must be first ensured, Saba said. – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Antonio Trillanes IV challenged Vice President Jejomar Binay to explain his allegedly anomalous bank transactions instead of citing legal technicalities to evade prosecution.

The senator who started the yearlong Senate inquiry into corruption allegations against the opposition standard-bearer welcomed the Anti-Money Laundering Council's (AMLC) petition for civil forfeiture against Binay. 

An independent vice presidential candidate, Trillanes rejected statements from the Binay camp that the petition violated a prohibition against the filing of civil forfeiture cases a year before the polls. 

“Sa akin, that's beside the point. That's the technical side. Tingnan natin ang issue. Bakit ka may billions in the first place? Hindi iyong 'di ka pwedeng kasuhan,” Trillanes told Rappler on Monday, December 7. 

(To me, that's beside the point. Let's look at the issue. Why do you have billions in the first place? Don't say you can't be sued.) 

Trillanes was referring to the petition that the AMLC filed on November 12 asking the Manila Regional Trial Court to issue a provisional asset preservation order, and an asset preservation order against Binay, his son, and alleged dummies. 

The petition identified bank accounts and properties under the names of 52 individuals and 13 organizations including the Vice President, and his son, dismissed Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. 

The AMLC filed the petition after the lapse of a 6-month freeze order on Binay's assets filed last May. It said the total value of the frozen assets was P427.26 million ($10.02 million), and $250,524.25. Now, the agency wants the assets forfeited in favor of the government. 

Trillanes said the new petition vindicated the Senate investigation that remains suspended. 

“Ibig sabihin may nakitang findings ang AMLC that confirm their earlier freeze order. May suspicious transactions that warrant the forfeiture of these assets. It affirms our allegations. Supposed to be ito ang ilalabas namin sa hearing kung natuloy,” he said. 

(It means AMLC had findings that confirm their earlier freeze order. There were suspicious transactions that warrant the forfeiture of these assets. This was what we were supposed to bring out in the hearing, if it pushed through.) 

The senator said that the Senate blue ribbon sub-committee intended to hold a hearing on corruption allegations against Binay last week but gave way to budget deliberations.

In August 2014, the Senate began its Binay inquiry that spanned a record 24 hearings. Trillanes openly admitted that the probe was meant to derail Binay's presidential bid. 

One of 5 presidential aspirants in the May 2016 polls, the former Makati mayor is accused of earning kickbacks from the allegedly overpriced Makati parking building, the Makati Science High School, and a supposedly anomalous joint venture agreement between the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), and property firm Alphaland. Binay is BSP national president. 

The AMLC said the allegedly fraudulent bank transactions coincided with the same period as the 3 projects. 

The Senate panel stopped its hearings in August 2015 as Trillanes and other senators focused on preparing for the elections. It released a partial report in May but the inquiry was left hanging without a full report. It remains unclear if – and when – the hearings will resume. 

Binay won't touch funds for now 

The Binay camp said that even without an asset protection order, the Vice President will cooperate with the investigation.  

“Vice President Binay volunteered to the court that he will not touch the funds in his account in order for the court to properly resolve the legal issues,” said Rico Quicho, Binay's spokesperson for political affairs. 

“This is a voluntary act to show that Vice President has nothing to hide and is confident in his position that the AMLC petition is not only illegal, but also a clear act of political harassment,” Quicho added. 

The Manila court held a hearing Monday where Binay's lawyer, Claro Certeza, filed an omnibus motion against the AMLC petition. The Office of the Solicitor General, which represents AMLC, has 10 days to respond. 

VP Binay's lawyer, Atty Claro Certeza, after the hearing at the Manila RTC pic.twitter.com/ldGZvxMwPj

— Ayee Macaraig (@ayeemacaraig) December 7, 2015

Binay's office reiterated that the AMLC petition was a “blatant violation” of a forfeiture law that prohibited the filing of cases “within one year before any general election or within 3 months before any special election.”

In July, the Vice President filed a P200 million ($4.41 million) civil case against various government officials including Trillanes and AMLC officials for damages resulting from libel. 

Binay accuses the AMLC, the Senate, and the Office of the Ombudsman of being part of an administration-backed campaign to destroy his candidacy. He is facing several plunder complaints and investigations, with corruption the biggest challenge to his campaign. 

The Vice President lost his front-runner status in the presidential race in the wake of the investigations. 

Mercado invokes immunity  

Another respondent in the forfeiture case was Binay's ally-turned-whistleblower, former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado. 

Mercado was the primary witness in the Senate hearings, where he admitted benefitting from the allegedly overpriced projects. 

Like Trillanes, Mercado said the new AMLC petition vindicated him even if it also sought to forfeit his assets. 

“Wala na akong ganoong kalaking nahuli sa aking pera. Nakikita sila ng 4 na account ko na existing. One is yung aking personal sa BDO na may P299,000. One is yung aking account sa BPI, yung aking Coron Underwater Garden na P631,000. Yung isa P631,000 ata at yung isa, parang ganun lang,” Mercado told Rappler. 

(I don't have that huge amount anymore. They found 4 existing bank accounts. One is a personal account at BDO with P299,000. The other is with BPI under Coron Underwater Garden with P631,000. Another is P631,000, I think, with the last with the same amount.) 

He plans to file a motion to dismiss the case against him. While saying he can defend himself, Mercado invoked the “transactional immunity” he got from the Senate.

“Kahit ano pa ang sinabi sa Senado, hindi pwedeng gawing ebidensiya laban sa akin,” he said. (No matter what I said in the Senate, it can't be used as evidence against me.) – with a report from Mara Cepeda/Rappler.com