MANILA, Philippines – Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel "Mar" Roxas II said he would understand if Davao City Third District Representative Isidro Ungab, an LP stalwart, decides to support the presidential bid of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.

There are speculations that Ungab, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, is jumping ship.

"I can understand that. Taga-Davao City siya. Hindi pa kami nag-uusap ... Hindi ko alam kung totoo 'yan, pero kung totoo na nangyari 'yan, that's understandable," Roxas told reporters on Monday, December 7.

(I can understand that because he's from Davao City. We haven't talked yet ... I don't know if that's true, but if it's true, that's understandable.)

Ungab's chief of staff Cristina Tuaño told Rappler they have yet to release a statement, but refused to confirm anything.

The congressman has been a known Duterte ally since he began holding local office in Davao City.

In a text message to Rappler, Davao City First District Representative Karlo Nograles said Ungab's rumored move to the Duterte camp is expected since it was the mayor who pushed Ungab to run.

"Every election, Mayor Rudy was in the forefront, campaigning for Ungab for Congress," said Nograles, who, along with his father, former Speaker Prospero Nograles, already declared support for Duterte after being political rivals for 30 years.

Some of Ungab's most recent updates on Facebook are also about the Davao City mayor.

He posted news articles on Duterte topping a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey, and also shared on Friday, December 4, a photo of Duterte with church leaders. (READ: CBCP slams Duterte for cursing Pope Francis)

Meanwhile, Akbayan Party-list Representative Barry Gutierrez, spokesperson of the LP-led "Daang Matuwid" coalition, said he does not want to preempt Ungab's decision since "defections" from their allies in Mindanao "have proven to be unfounded."

Gutierrez still believes the support of officials from Mindanao "remains firm." – Rappler.com

PARIS – Five days to save the world.

That’s all the time ministers from over 190 countries have to finalize the world’s action plan to keep global warming at stake. 

France’s foreign minister Laurent Fabius opened the final week of the UN climate conference in Paris on Monday, December 7. He reminded ministers gathered there of the deadline he, as conference president, wants to stick to:

• Wednesday, December 9 - First overview of the final agreement must be completed
• Thursday, December 10 - Agreement must be finalized
• Friday, December 11 - Agreement must be formally adopted

“The time for decisions has come,” he told ministers and negotiators, emphasizing the political nature of the final week of the summit.

The status of the draft agreement has lifted spirits. As of posting, it is 21 pages long, an achievement given that it was at 55 pages when the conference began, said Philippine delegation member Purple Romero. (READ: One more week to change the world: the Paris Promise)

The weight of words

Fabius said the draft now has “fewer options and solutions can be seen more clearly.”

Fewer pages in the document mean negotiators have been able to agree on certain options for climate action, allowing bracketed parts to be deleted. Bracketed items are words suggested to be part of the agreement but still up for discussion and can be removed at any time.

The choice of which words to use determines the level of ambition and efficacy of the final deal.

For instance, on December 3, there were 1,080 open brackets and 141 options. Two days after, this was whittled down to 567 open brackets and 68 options, according to an analysis by the group, Paris Agreement.

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">UN Sec-Gen Ban Ki-moon describes Paris climate agreement as a &#39;peace agreement&#39; in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/COP21?src=hash">#COP21</a> press con here in Paris <a href="https://t.co/OMsLxsYReC">pic.twitter.com/OMsLxsYReC</a></p>&mdash; Pia Ranada (@piaranada) <a href="https://twitter.com/piaranada/status/673840888645353472">December 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Romero said the 21-page number is a good sign. It is 3 times shorter than draft agreements in previous climate conferences as they entered into their final weeks.

But a lot of major issues remain unresolved in the draft. These include climate finance, whether the deal’s goal should be to limit warming below 2°C or 1.5°C, and whether to include human rights provisions.

'What did you do?'

While Fabius reminded the ministers of their concrete deliverables, other world leaders and experts brought home the message of what’s at stake for the entire world. 

“Your work here this week can help eradicate poverty, spark a clean energy revolution and provide jobs, opportunities and hope for tomorrow…I count on your leadership and wise decisions for humanity,” said UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The head of the UN’s highest scientific body on climate change, Hoesung Lee, said, “By the end of this year, we may have reached a temp increase of 1C. Please be more ambitious and start action immediately.”

The environmental minister of Tonga, a small island state in the Pacific, reminded them that his country’s very existence is threatened by global warming impacts, specifically rising sea levels.

“Sea level rise in Tonga is 6.4 millimeters per year, 3 times the global average…Tonga considers climate change the single greatest threat to the livelihood and well-being of her people,” said Siaosi Sovaleni. 

The UN’s climate chief, Christiana Figueres, said this question keeps her up at night:

“‘What did you do?’ The same question will be asked of you. May we be able to stand tall and say we did everything that was necessary.” – Rappler.com

For live updates on #COP21, check out Rappler's liveblog.

MANILA, Philippines – For the second time this year, an order from the Supreme Court (SC) is threatening the schedule for the May 2016 presidential elections. 

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista on Sunday, December 6, said the poll body might have to postpone the elections because of a recent temporary restraining order (TRO) from the SC. 

The SC issued a TRO on December 1 against the Comelec’s “No Bio, No Boto” (No Biometrics, No Vote) policy. This TRO stopped the Comelec from deactivating the registration of 2.5 million voters who failed to have their biometrics taken for the 2016 elections.

Bautista on Sunday said the TRO will derail the Comelec in its preparations. He pointed out that the Comelec is also handling disqualification cases against presidential bets.

“Maraming hamon kaming hinaharap. E kami naman, ginagawa namin ang lahat ng magagawa para ma-meet natin 'yung deadline,” Bautista said in an interview with dzBB’s Nimfa Ravelo. (We're facing many challenges. We’re doing all that we can to meet the deadline.)

“Pero kung mangyari na, kumbaga, hindi namin kakayanin, anong gagawin natin? Baka kailangan nating i-postpone 'yung ating halalan,” Bautista said. (But if it so happens that, in a way, we can't make it, what can we do? We might need to postpone the elections.)

Comelec to SC: Lift the TRO

In another interview on dzMM, Bautista said the Comelec needs to finalize the list of voters by December 15.

Bautista said the problem is, the SC is soon taking its Christmas break. He also heard reports that Tuesday, December 8, might be the SC’s last full session before the holidays.

“Basta ang aming pakiusap, kung puwede, siguro ang mas maganda, i-lift muna nila ang TRO. Kung gusto nila magpa-oral arguments, kami naman po ay handa,” the Comelec chairman said on dzMM.

(Our request is, if possible, it will be better if they will first lift the TRO. If they want to hold oral arguments, we will be ready for it.)

Bautista added that before issuing the TRO, the SC should have consulted the Comelec first through oral arguments.

He would have wanted to present the Comelec’s timeline, he said.

He added that the “No Bio, No Boto” policy is based on a law that President Benigno Aquino III signed in 2013. (READ: Comelec defends 'unconstitutional' biometrics requirement)

Referring to the timing of the petition, he said, “Kung talagang may problema ang batas, bakit ngayon lang?” (If there’s really a problem with the law, why just now?)

This is not the first time that a move by the SC threatened the election timeline.  

Putting elections 'in limbo'

In April, the SC issued a ruling that rendered the Philippines’ 82,000 vote-counting machines useless. 

This SC ruling stopped the maintenance and repair of precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines based on a contract betwen Comelec and technology provider Smartmatic.

The High Court agreed with the petitioners that the P268.8-million ($6.08-million) Comelec-Smartmatic deal should have undergone public bidding.

The ruling derailed the Comelec’s schedule because the poll body couldn’t use the PCOS machines without being repaired.

Eventually, however, the Comelec bounced back when it conducted a public bidding and decided to lease 93,000 vote-counting machines from Smartmatic.

In 2013, the SC also issued orders that affected the Comelec while preparing for the midterm elections that year.

These orders included the following:

• An order to loosen the requirements in screening party-list groups
• A status quo ante order to stop the Comelec from implementing airtime limits on political ads
• A status quo ante order to stop the Comelec from implementing its money ban

Back then, a teary-eyed Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr even threatened to quit because of the series of SC rulings against the poll body.

Saying the SC puts elections “in limbo,” Brillantes told reporters in 2013: “With this series of decisions coming from the Supreme Court – TRO, status quo ante – sabi ko, para namang lumalabas na, parang sila na ang nagpapatakbo ng eleksyon. Akala ko ba kami?” 

(With this series of decisions coming from the Supreme Court – TRO, status quo ante – I said, it looks like they're the ones running the elections. I thought it was us?) – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – A Chinese state news agency has suspended four employees, a report said, following a typographical slip that suggested President Xi Jinping was resigning.

The error came in a Friday, December 4, story about a speech Xi gave during a China-Africa summit in Johannesburg last week. 

Staff at the state-run China News Service switched two Chinese characters with similar sounds, accidentally changing the word in question to write that Xi's remarks were a "resignation" not a "speech," Hong Kong's South China Morning Post reported Sunday.

Some news sites published the report in its original form before later retracting it, the paper said.

Since Xi's ascension to the head of the Communist Party in 2012, he has increasingly become the focus of fawning adulation by state media, leading some experts to say that a nascent cult of personality may be developing around him.

Last Friday, during his Africa trip, Xi's name appeared in 11 out of 12 headlines on the front page of the Communist Party's official newspaper, the People's Daily.

"Praise for the glorious leadership of Xi Jinping is marquee coverage," David Bandurski, an expert on Chinese media at the University of Hong Kong, wrote in a recent post about the phenomenon, noting that the paper was mentioning the leader's name at rates unseen since the era of Mao Zedong. – Rappler.com

TOKYO, Japan – Japanese police on Monday, December 7, arrested a man for allegedly pointing a laser ray at a helicopter operating from a US base on Okinawa. 

The alleged pointing of the green light at a Marine helicopter from the Futenma air base took place in July, according to the police in Okinawa, where opposition to the American military presence is high. 

Katsuro Hiraoka, 56, a resident of Ginowan city where the base is located, was arrested on charges of "forcible obstruction of business," a police spokesman said, adding that the US military had reported the incident.

Hiraoka has posted anti-US messages on his blog, Fuji Television reported in its evening news program. The broadcaster also showed the flag of the former Soviet Union flying in the yard of his home.

The base is situated in the middle of a crowded urban area on the southern island and is widely seen as posing a potential danger to residents there were an aircraft to malfunction or crash.

The arrest comes amid a spate of such incidents at airports elsewhere involving laser pointers, which are seen as potentially having the ability to interfere with the eyesight of crew members.

The British Airline Pilots Association said last month that a "military strength" laser caused significant damage to the eye of a British Airways co-pilot when it was shone into his cockpit earlier this year as the plane was landing at London's Heathrow Airport, burning his retina in one eye. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine presidential candidates have ignored human rights in their campaigns despite the violence which plagues the country, Amnesty International said Monday, December 7.

The rights group spoke out as a survey was released showing the frontrunner for the 2016 poll was a mayor dubbed "Dirty Harry" who has openly boasted of personally killing criminals. (READ: Duterte tops SWS poll before cursing Pope)  

Amnesty International (AI) Philippines said it asked the five leading presidential hopefuls to give them a copy of their human rights agenda but none complied, despite repeated requests.

"Unfortunately, this challenge has not been accepted as Amnesty International Philippines has yet to receive word from the offices of presidential candidates regarding their human rights platform," the rights group said.

AI Philippines said President Benigno Aquino's preferred successor, Mar Roxas, and rivals Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Senator Grace Poe and Senator Miriam Santiago have not provided any policy details platform on human rights.

The Southeast Asian nation sees numerous killings of journalists, political figures and petty criminals.

A survey released Monday by the respected Social Weather Stations group revealed Duterte, the longtime mayor of Davao, leads his rivals in the race to succeed Aquino. 

In a report earlier this year, Human Rights Watch said Duterte's so-called "Davao Death Squad" had killed more than 1,000 people during his tenure as mayor of the city on the southern island of Mindanao. (READ: Duterte: 'Am I the death squad? True')

AI Philippines campaign coordinator Wilnor Papa said his group has long called for an investigation of Duterte but "the government seems to look the other way".

He said the popularity of Duterte and his anti-crime message should not detract from the need to promote human rights.

"We do understand where the Filipino people are coming from... but we don't believe that to get peace and order, you need extra-judicial executions, you don't need short cuts (to due process)," he said.

AI Philippines also rated Aquino, who ends his six-year term next year, poorly, saying he had made little progress in ending extra-judicial killings, reining in the police and military and stopping torture by the security services.

Papa said that in the run-up to the May elections, AI Philippines would also "make sure our voices are heard, to show that human rights is not something that can be ignored".

Critics say the Philippines has long suffered from a "culture of impunity" where powerful figures feel they can get away with murder. – Rappler.com

BEIJING, China – China's capital issued its first-ever red alert for pollution on Monday, December 7, as a new blanket of choking smog was projected to descend on the city.

From Tuesday morning half of Beijing's private cars will be ordered off the road, with an odd-even number plate system in force, and 30 percent of government vehicles also garaged.

Outdoor construction sites will cease operations, but only some industrial plants will have to "implement measures to limit or stop production", said Beijing's Environmental Protection Bureau on its verified social media account, adding that fireworks and barbecues were also banned. 

"People should to the best of their ability reduce outdoor activities," it said. "If you are engaging in outdoor activities you should wear a mask or take other protective measures."

Kindergartens, primary and middle schools were urged to close, it added, without explicitly making the measures mandatory.

Chinese social media users deemed the government's protection measures lackluster. 

"If you don't give us a day off school, what's the point of even talking about this?" asked one. 

Many railed that the measures inconvenienced people without dealing with the real sources of smog, with one user saying: "Those big trucks with excessive emissions, steel plants of excess capacity, and coal mines – going after any one of those would be better than fixating on cars if you really want to fix the haze; that’s useless."

A red alert, issued when severe smog is expected to last more than 72 hours, is the highest of Beijing's four-tiered, colour-coded warning system. 

The capital has never issued it since the adoption of an emergency response programme for air pollution in 2013, despite frequent bouts of serious smog. 

Monday's red alert came just a week after a thick grey haze shrouded the city with concentrations of PM2.5 -- harmful microscopic particles that penetrate deep into the lungs -- as high as 634 micrograms per cubic metre.

The reading given by the US embassy dwarfed the maximum recommended by the World Health Organisation, which is just 25 micrograms per cubic metre.

It also coincided with global climate change talks in Paris, where Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed "action" on greenhouse gas emissions.

Most of China's greenhouse gas emissions come from the burning of coal for electricity and heating, which spikes when demand peaks in winter and is the main cause of smog.

The issue is a source of enduring public anger in China, which has seen breakneck economic growth in recent decades but at the cost of widespread environmental damage.

'Gas chamber'

On Monday evening, Beijing PM2.5 levels were 206 micrograms per cubic metre according to the US embassy, and 187 according to local authorities, with visibility significantly better than the previous week.

"If today is a red alert, then what was it I was seeing last week?" asked one incredulous user.

Another felt too battered from the last round of smog to feel consoled by the city's upgraded alert: "I'm already indifferent, it's all a gas chamber anyway." 

Pollution is blamed for causing hundreds of thousands of premature deaths every year.

China is estimated to have emitted nearly twice as much carbon dioxide as the United States in 2013, and around two and a half times the European Union's total. 

Beijing has pledged that emissions will peak "around 2030", without saying at what level and implying several years of further increases.

It has promised to reduce coal consumption by 100 million tonnes by 2020 -- a small fraction of the 4.2 billion tonnes it consumed in 2012 -- and cut 60 percent of "major pollutants" from coal-fired power plants, without specifying the chemicals in question. – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – How come agriculture is not included in the current draft of the Paris climate agreement?

The room fell silent as the question was raised on the sidelines of the Paris climate talks. After a week of climate negotiations, agriculture failed to be included in the text despite its hefty role in food security.

Around 100 countries worldwide, however, mentioned agriculture in their climate action plans or the Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDCs), the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defended.

The Philippines is one of the countries that briefly touched on agriculture in its INDCs, putting it in the context of disaster resilience. 

But advocates are asking for the full inclusion of agriculture in the official climate agreement, with emphasis on the need to support small-scale farmers – producers of 80% of the world's food.

With only a few days left for the climate negotions to wrap up, the chances of agriculture getting into the text is now slim.

In next year's climate talks in Morocco, however, it would surely be on the table, assured FAO Deputy Director General Maria Helena Semedo.

Reality

Nearly 80% of the poor live in rural areas, shared Janos Pasztor, UN Assistant Secretary-General on Climate Change. 

These families depend on agriculture for their food and livelihood. With climate change already happening, their daily survival is put at risk. This is manifested in lower yields due to droughts, typhoons, rising temperatures, among several impacts of climate change.

Drought alone accounts for 20% of malnutrition globally. Crop yields may decrease by as much as 25% by 2050.

Aside from agriculture, Pasztor and Semedo suggested governments to invest on nutrition. Less than 1% of global investments go to nutrition; ironically, there are over 800 million people experiencing chronic hunger. 

"We produce enough food. But why people are hungry? They don't have access to food," said Semedo, which is why social protection for the world's most vulnerable is vital. This includes the agricutural workers, the poor, indigenous peoples, the elderly, women and children.

Food insecurity is worsened by climate change, experts say.

In the Philippines, if a child is born during or in the aftermath of a typhoon, they are 15 times more vulnerable to dying just two years after the typhoon, the World Food Programme observed.

Meanwhile, food wastage is another problem. The world wastes 30% of its food. In fact, the total food wasted globally is the size of China, FAO said.

Imagine how many rumbling stomachs could have been silenced by such amount. 

In Paris, technical experts and advocates continue to huddle in hopes of answering some of the world's hunger and climate problems within the next few days.

Beyond the city of love, however, remains the harsh reality that several mouths are going unfed for days on end. – Rappler.com

GENEVA, Switzerland – The United Nations appealed Monday, December 7, for a record $20.1 billion (18.6 billion euros) to provide aid to a surging number of people hit by conflicts and disasters around the globe. 

"Suffering in the world has reached levels not seen in a generation," said UN humanitarian aid chief Stephen O'Brien.

"Conflicts and disasters have driven millions of children, women and men to the edge of survival.... They desperately need our help," he said in a statement launching the annual aid appeal.

The global appeal from UN agencies and other humanitarian organisations aims to gather funds to help more than 87.6 million of the some 125 million people expected to require assistance next year.

Conflicts and serious crises are raging in 27 countries, and six of them – the Central African Republic, Burundi, Nigeria, South Sudan, Syria and Yemen – have spilled over to surrounding regions, bringing the total number of countries currently in peril to a staggering 37, the UN said.

The conflicts have already forced more than 60 million people to flee their homes worldwide, with those escaping violence in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan especially sparking Europe's biggest migration crisis since World War II.

"Mass movement of people, be it refugees or people fleeing within their own countries, has become the new defining reality of the 21st century," UN refugee chief Antonio Guterres said.

"The international humanitarian system is all too often the only safety net that exists for people fleeing wars," he said, insisting: "It has to be funded on a scale that's realistic and commensurate with today's immense challenges." 

Funding gap

With so many conflicts raging out of control, the UN said the amount needed next year was five times more than what it requested a decade ago.

The appeal also dwarfs the $16.4 billion requested last December in the initial appeal for 2015.

But as needs soar, donor countries are increasingly struggling to fund a multitude of often chronically underfunded aid programmes.

Donors have only managed to provide 49 percent of the amount needed this year, and full funding of the 2015 appeal is highly unlikely.

"Humanitarian organisations approach the end of this year with a funding gap of a record $10.2 billion," the UN statement said, warning that the shortfall in funds was having very dire consequences on the ground.

The World Food Programme has for instance been forced to scale back desperately needed assistance for Syrian refugees in neighbouring countries, even temporarily halting food handouts to hundreds of thousands of refugees in Jordan.

"It is clear that with the present level of resources, we are not able to provide even the very minimum in both core protection and life-saving assistance," Guterres said.

World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan also stressed the desperate need for more funds.

"The number of people now affected by conflicts and other crises is unprecedented, with an unprecedented impact on their health," she said in the statement.

"WHO and its partners are committed to ensuring that everyone, especially women and children, get the healthcare they desperately need," she said.

"But we urgently require more funding in order to do so."  – Rappler.com

PARIS, France – US Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Paris on Monday, December 7, for the final intense days of negotiation at a UN conference seeking a landmark pact on climate change.

Senior US officials said Washington was cautiously optimistic the talks, scheduled to end on Friday, would unlock an ambitious deal to lower carbon emissions and combat the impact of global warming.

But some areas of hard bargaining remain, particularly in climate finance.

"We're trying to shift the paradigm from one of developed countries only providing public assistance to a broader paradigm to where all countries are engaged in a partnership together to try to mobilize resources both public and private, because without that there's no way that countries will be able to transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient economy," an official said.

US negotiators said they expected tough talks on finance to go on at least until late Wednesday, but that they still have hope a serious deal can be reached. 

"We want an ambitious agreement," a senior official told reporters before Kerry left Washington.

"We mean that countries should come back at around 2020, maybe 2021, to put forward the next round of commitments," he said, referring to the roster of voluntary emissions curbs that lie at the heart of the envisioned accord.  

"For the United States that would be 2030 because our current commitment is for 2025.  

"And we would hope that countries that currently have a 2030 commitment would examine whether, in the light of five more years of technology development and political will, they might be able to do something more ambitious at that time."

After arriving at Le Bourget airport on the northern outskirts of Paris, Kerry was to proceed immediately to a private meeting with his French couterpart, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius.

Kerry and a large US negotiating team plan to spend the entire week in Paris taking part in technical and political negotiations on a final deal and taking part in public events to push support for the issues. – Rappler.com

LONDON, UK – A suspect charged with attempting to kill a man at a London Underground train station had images associated with Islamic State (ISIS) jihadists on his mobile phone, a court heard Monday, December 7.

Muhaydin Mire, 29, appeared at Westminster Magistrates Court in London charged with the attempted murder of a 56-year-old man at Leytonstone station in east London on Saturday.

Prosecutors allege that the attack was an act of terrorism and images and flags associated with Islamic State were allegedly found on his phone. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago cited the case of former US President Jimmy Carter to say that she, too, can “beat” cancer – her latest effort to assure voters that her illness will not undermine her presidential bid. 

Santiago said she was “encouraged” by reports that Carter was “cured of brain cancer following cutting-edge treatment.” The senator is suffering from stage 4 lung cancer, and is among 5 presidential bets in the May 2016 polls.  

The 70-year-old Santiago referred to Carter's statement over the weekend that his recent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan “did not reveal any signs of the original cancer spots nor any new ones.” 

Carter, 91, started treatment in August for stage 4 melanoma, the most serious type of skin cancer, according to medical research group Mayo Clinic. The cancer was originally detected in his liver but spread to his brain. 

Santiago “cheered” Carter's latest announcement. 

“The positive development in the case of Mr Carter's cancer trumps the macabre wishes of my naysayers that I should die before I finish a 6-year term as president. If Mr Carter can do it, I, too, can beat cancer to serve the Filipino people,” she said in a statement on Tuesday, December 8. 

A prominent international law expert and colorful political figure, Santiago announced in July 2014 that she has stage 4 lung cancer. She filed a candidacy for president in October after saying that her cancer was “controlled,” and her condition “stable.” 

Santiago took exception to calls for her to release her medical records. She criticized Sylvia Estrada Claudio, a medical doctor who wrote an open letter on Rappler saying the public has the right to know if she is fit to serve a 6-year term. The senator invoked privacy, saying Claudio was merely out to destroy her name. 

Santiago's health is a major issue in her campaign – observers are questioning how she can campaign and serve as president. She has been on medical leave from the Senate for over a year. 

In her last Senate appearance in November, the usually fiery senator had difficulty reading a speech, and suffered from shortness of breath. She admitted that her condition was due to her cancer.

Still, Santiago stressed on Tuesday that her health is not an election issue. 

“My cancer should no longer be a concern in the presidential campaign. I challenge my opponents and their allies to debate instead on issues of national concern. The cancer that demands our urgent attention is corruption and poverty,” said Santiago, an anti-corruption advocate. 

Doctors' caveat 

While Santiago said Carter was “cured” of cancer, some doctors quoted on US media preferred to call the news “the best possible outcome” for the former president. 

Carter's treatment was a combination of surgery, radiation, and immunotherapy, which uses the body's immune system to fight cancer. The Nobel peace laureate said he will continue to receive regular 3-week immunotherapy treatments of a drug called pembrolizumab. 

In a report of the New York Times, oncologist Dale Shepard of the Cleveland Clinic said a patient in Carter's situation needs to go 3 to 5 years without evidence of cancer before doctors can say with confidence that he has been cured. 

“His greatest risk was that he was going to get disease developed in new locations, but seemingly that hasn’t happened,” Shepard said.

The American Cancer Society's Leonard Lichtenfeld also told CNN that Carter needs to undergo further treatment and tests for any new cancer growth or recurrence. 

“For every patient, our hope and prayer is that this progress continues for many months and even years given these new treatments, but we don't know what the course of the disease is going to be. Right now, it's excellent, the best possible outcome, but every day is a new day," he said.

Still, medical experts said Carter's news shows the importance of continued scientific research and trials, and the need to make drugs more affordable. 

"You can actually see that it can have benefits – this particular case with the former president puts a face to this – and how people can really benefit from this [but] this therapy costs tens of thousands of dollars a month,” Shepard said. 

It is a cause Santiago is also pushing for. The senator filed a bill to improve research and programs on childhood cancer survivorship. 

She also filed a resolution calling for a Senate inquiry into “the legislative measures that will ease the pain of cancer patients in the Philippines.” 

Santiago said: “Every year, 98,200 Filipinos are diagnosed with cancer and 59,000 of these patients die. What is more alarming is the fact that 75% of those who die first have to endure unimaginable pain.” 

“It is inhumane for a government to ignore the plea of its people, especially of those in agony due to cancer.” – Rappler.com 

MANILA, Philippines – A trainer aircraft manned by an instructor and a student pilot made an emergency landing half a kilometer from the shoreline of Calapan City in Oriental Mindoro on Tuesday, December 8, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said.

The CAAP said in a statement on Tuesday that the Cessna 152 trainer aircraft – manned by Captain Angelo Zerna and student pilot Mark Mendoza – plunged into Oriental Mindoro waters at around 10:14 am.

Colonel Bert Dulay, CAAP Aircraft Accident Investigation Inquiry Board (AAIIB) lead investigator, said Zerna and Mendoza were immediately brought to the nearest hospital and were in stable condition.

The CAAP Operation and Rescue Coordinating Center (ORCC) said that the aircraft operated by Sapphire International Aviation Academy was conducting touch-and-go flight landing procedures when it encountered a malfunction.

The CAAP described said a touch-and-go landing is part of the training to fly a fixed-wing aircraft such as a Cessna 152. It involves landing on a runway and taking off again without coming to a full stop.

Dulay said that operations of the school’s same aircraft type was immediately suspended pending the investigation. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – For female local leader Leona Ungco, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is the only presidential candidate who can effectively change the status quo – especially in public order and safety. 

"Kailangan natin talaga ng pagbabago kasi marami ng kurapsyon, marami nang problema ang Pilipinas. Marami siyang maco-contribute [to solve] traffic, drugs," said Ungco, coordinator of the Progressive Ladies League of the Philippines - Taguig chapter. 

(Our country needs change because we have a lot of problems, including corruption. He can contribute a lot [to solve] traffic and illegal drugs.)

Ungco is among hundreds of Duterte supporters from all over Metro Manila who flocked to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, December 8, as the Davao City mayor reaffirmed his certificate of candidacy (COC) for president.

Mothers, female students, and women leaders were among those present. And like Ungco, they strongly believe in Duterte's iron-fist approach to criminality. Some of them are even willing to look past his womanizing ways.

A mother of four girls, Ungco told Rappler: "Nasa babae naman 'yun eh kung papatol ba sila eh 'di 'yun na 'yun. Pag pumatol na sila, sila na may pagkakamali nun, 'di na si mayor, kasi si Mayor Duterte siguro naman namimili din 'yan." 

(It is up to the women if they will submit to it. If they do, they are the ones to blame, not the mayor, because I think Mayor Duterte is also selective when it comes to the kind of woman he dates.)

A female student who supports Duterte also said she is not offended by his womanizing, and even praised the mayor for being honest. (READ: Rodrigo Duterte: Yes, I'm a womanizer)

"Natural na sa Pilipino 'yun. Sa totoo lang, natutuwa ako kasi umamin siya. Bakit 'yung ibang pulitiko, dami-daming kabit, hindi naman umaamin," 17-year-old Katherine Adriano said.

(It is a natural thing for Filipinos. Actually, I'm glad that he admitted he is a womanizer. Other politicians have many mistresses but they don't tell the truth.)

But Duterte has drawn flak, especially from gender rights advocates.

In a previous statement, women's group Gabriela denounced his womanizing, stressing that presidential candidates should uphold "the highest standards towards uplifting society's views on women."

"Treating women as objects is an affront to women and should not be flaunted. This reeks of machismo and reinforces the society's low regard of women."

Killing criminals 'okay'

Duterte's female supporters also defended him from accusations that he orders the summary execution of criminals in his city. (WATCH: Rappler Talk: Human Rights Watch on Duterte and the death squads in Davao)

"Nakikita namin na 'yung kanyang pamumuno ay maganda. Ang mga pinapatay ni Duterte ay masasamang tao, mga nanggagahasa, mga kurap. Pumatay man, nasa tama," Filomena Dizo of Taguig said in an interview with Rappler.

(We see that his leadership is exemplary. Duterte only kills the bad people – rapists, corrupt [officials]. While he kills people, it is for justice.)

Another supporter said that human rights only protect criminals from being penalized.

"Kasi ang sinasabing human rights, kahit yung masasama sinasagip nila, imbes na matakot ang mga tao, 'di na natatakot kasi may sumusuportang human rights," Adel dela Cruz said.  

(Because of the concept of human rights, even criminals are protected. They are not afraid because of human rights.)

Morality 'not a popularity contest'

Sociologist Clifford Sorita said that these supporters' view of their presidential bet's actions is natural.

"A group that they are forming is geared to one person. Sometimes, the tendency is blinded to the shortcomings of the leader that they refuse to see the morality of the same issue," Sorita said in a phone interview with Rappler.

However, he reminds the public not to simply accept unfavorable practices just because many others do it.

"Morality is not a popularity contest. I don't think it is fair to simply say that one thing is moral because a group of people accept [it]." – Rappler.com

SINGAPORE – The United States has deployed a P-8 Poseidon spy plane in Singapore for the first time ever, both countries said, amid simmering regional tensions over Beijing's island-building in the disputed South China Sea.

China is locked in a territorial dispute with 4 Southeast Asian countries – including Washington allies Vietnam and the Philippines – and the US in October sent a warship near the disputed Spratly Islands chain, arguing for its right to freedom of navigation.  

Singapore and Washington stressed the need for a strong US military presence in the region, where the plane was deployed Monday, December 7, and will remain until December 14.  

US Defense Secretary Ashton Carter and his Singapore counterpart Ng Eng Hen "welcomed the inaugural deployment of the P-8 Poseidon aircraft", in a joint statement issued after a meeting in Washington on Monday.

The plane's deployment "would promote greater inter-operability with regional militaries through participation in bilateral and multilateral exercises", the statement said.  

The deployment would also support disaster relief and maritime security efforts, it added.

A separate statement from Singapore's defense ministry said both ministers "reaffirmed the importance of a strong US presence in the Asia-Pacific in ensuring regional peace and stability".

Regional diplomats said the deployment of the sophisticated spy plane is likely aimed at sending a message to China about Washington's resolve to oppose what they describe as Beijing's aggressive moves in the South China Sea, including its building of artificial islands in the disputed waters, through which much of the world's trade passes. 

"The unstated message of course is that this deployment is aimed at China," a Southeast Asian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.

"And the message is that the US is here to stay, ready to support its friends and allies in the region," the diplomat told AFP.

The P-8 aircraft is a modified Boeing 737 jet equipped with advanced sensors and radar designed to gather intelligence and hunt down submarines.

A CNN crew aboard a P-8 Poseidon aircraft that flew from the Philippines over the artificial islands in May said they received repeated warnings from the Chinese navy to leave the area.

China claims almost all of the sea, including waters close to the shores of smaller Southeast Asian states.

Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan are the other claimants, but the Philippines and Vietnam are the most vocal against China's blanket claims.

Singapore is not a claimant, but officials in the city-state say it has an interest in the freedom of navigation because of its open, trade-dependent economy. – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – The Office of the Ombudsman has found probable cause to charge Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito for graft and technical malversation in connection with the anomalous procurement of high-powered firearms by the San Juan city government when he was mayor in 2008.

The Ombudsman said in a statement on Tuesday, December 8, that Ejercito is liable for violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act or Republic Act No. 3019, for San Juan's purchase of high-powered firearms for disaster relief and mitigation purposes.

Also facing technical malversation charges are former vice mayor and now city councilor Leonardo Celles, and the following members of the city council at the time of procurement:

• Vice Mayor Francisco Zamora
• Andoni Carballo
• Vincent Pacheco
• Angelino Mendoza
• Dante Santiago
• Rolando Bernardo
• Grace Pardines
• Domingo Sese
• Francis Peralta
• Edgardo Soriano
• Jannah Ejercito-Surla
• Ramon Nakpil
• Joseph Torralba

The Ombudsman also found probable cause that the following violated Section 3(e) of RA 3019:  bids and awards committee members City Administrator Ranulfo Dacalos, Treasurer Rosalinda Marasigan, City Attorney Romualdo Delos Santos, City Budget Officer Lorenza Ching, and City Engineer Danilo Mercado.

Dacalos, Marasigan, Delos Santos, Mercado, and Barazon were also found guilty of misconduct and were ordered suspended without pay for 6 months.

"[Ejercito] acted in concert with the members of the city council who authorized him to purchase firearms using the city’s calamity funds, paving the way for the application of public funds for a purpose different from the one for which they were originally appropriated by law," said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales.

'Hasty procurement'

Based on its investigation, the Ombudsman discovered that in February 2008, Ejercito requested the city council for authority to purchase high-powered firearms using the city's calamity fund, justifying it as “an investment for disaster preparedness.”

In response, the councilors passed City Ordinance No. 9 (Series of 2008) authorizing Ejercito to purchase firearms for the San Juan police department.

In 2008, the respondents purchased 3 units of model K2 caliber 5.56mm sub-machine guns, and 17 units of Daewoo model K1 caliber 5.56mm sub-machines guns, for a total amount of P2.1 million.

Under DBM-DILG Circular No. 2003-1, high-powered firearms are not among the items contemplated for disaster relief and mitigation. The Ombudsman also noted that there was no declaration placing San Juan under a state of calamity.

In its 20-page joint resolution, the Ombudsman found that there was a “hasty procurement of specific high-powered firearms of a particular brand sans competitive bidding."

It said the absence of "any post-qualification, bolstered by bid documents bearing dates earlier than the publication of the invitation to bid" point to an "unwarranted benefit, advantage, and preference” given to the supplier.

'Clear conscience'

In a statement, Ejercito expressed confidence that the case would not prosper and said his lawyer, Sigfrid Fortun, would file a motion for reconsideration with the Ombudsman.

"My conscience is clear....I am ready to answer every accusation hurled at me regarding technical malversation," he said.

He noted that the purchase of the high-powered firearms for the San Juan police was the city's deterrent against "the spike of criminal incidents within the metropolis such as robbery-holdup, kidnap for ransom, and gun for hire."

He said that acting on the advice of the Commission on Audit,  the Calamity Fund was not used for the purchase of the weapons.

"San Juan City’s record in COA is clear. There was no Notice of Disallowance since there had been no anomaly or malversation. In fact, at the end of 2008, the Calamity Fund remained intact" Ejercito said.

The senator also questioned the timing of the filing of the charges against him.

"The timing of this case is questionable. No doubt this is politically motivated especially that the complainant wanted to be anonymous. This issue has long been dead, why is it being resurrected 7 years after, from my time as Mayor of San Juan? Are they determined to jail me for protecting the interests of the people of San Juan against lawless elements?" he asked.– Rappler.com

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Malaysia's embattled premier will preside over a tense ruling party assembly this week amid calls for his removal over a funding scandal that has left the party facing one of the biggest crises in its half-century rule.

Najib Razak is under fire over the revelation in July that nearly $700 million was transferred into his personal bank accounts, and allegations of smothering subsequent investigations while assuming draconian powers for himself.

Najib is believed to retain significant support from powerful party officials within his United Malays National Organization (UMNO), despite internal grumbling after the UMNO-controlled ruling coalition suffered its worst-ever general election showing in 2013.

Political analysts generally see his position as safe.

But the funds fiasco has raised the pressure, with some leading UMNO figures warning the party faces defeat in elections due by 2018 if Najib remains in charge.

Late Monday night former deputy prime minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who was purged from the cabinet after he called for transparency in the scandal, urged Najib to leave office until multiple investigations now under way are completed.

At a rally in Kuala Lumpur attended by hundreds of his supporters, he warned that UMNO risked losing the next election, and called for an end to "deep-rooted" money politics and patronage.

'Do the right thing'

"Ask your moral conscience. Do the right thing for the interests of the people and the country," Muhyiddin said in comments directed at Najib.

UMNO's general assembly begins in earnest on Wednesday and runs through the end of the week. 

The political turmoil has rattled public and investor confidence in the government.

UMNO has dominated Malaysia through coalition governments since independence in 1957, often facing accusations of corruption, money politics and trampling of democratic rights.

But Najib, 62, the son of one of Malaysia's founding fathers, is believed to retain the firm allegiance of the nearly 200 UMNO division chiefs who run the top-down party apparatus around the country.

"Najib has all of the important party machinery in his hand to keep this assembly under control," said Saifuddin Abdullah, a former deputy minister under Najib who moved to the opposition amid the recent turmoil.

Najib last week called for unity, saying people should "stop spreading and believing slander".

Muhyiddin has been barred from speaking at the assembly, which is expected to be tightly controlled.

"It's sad, because it shows the direction of the party. But there many people who are afraid of what could happen to the party if it splits, so they stick with Najib," said Saifuddin. 

Also working in Najib's favour is disarray within the opposition after its former leader Anwar Ibrahim was jailed in February for five years on sodomy charges.

The case has been widely criticised, including by the US State Department.

Trust deficit

Najib is expected to neutralise any internal party challenges.

But UMNO is seen facing an uphill task to restore confidence, exacerbated by public dissatisfaction over rising living costs and his handling of the economy.

Last month Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, an UMNO vice president, said the party "is now facing a trust test, which is very complicated and worrying". 

Ibrahim Suffian, head of independent polling firm Merdeka Center, said overcoming this is "going to be a big challenge, but (UMNO's coalition) has huge advantages in controlling the levers of power and there is still time (before the elections)."

Najib has yet to detail the source or purpose of the nearly $700 million that was put into his bank account shortly before the 2013 elections, which his coalition narrowly won.

The discovery followed months of allegations that huge sums were missing from a state-owned company Najib launched. 

Najib and the company, 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB), both vehemently deny any wrongdoing.

Last week parliament rushed through a bill giving the premier sweeping powers to suspend civil liberties in the name of security.

The opposition called it a blatant move by Najib to shore up his power that took Malaysia down the "road to dictatorship". – Dan Martin, AFP/Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III urged lawmakers to "seize the historic opportunity" of laying the foundations for long term peace in the country by passing the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), Malacañang said on Tuesday, December 8.

Aquino made the call to members of the House of Representatives during a two-hour meering in Malacañang on Tuesday – a move seen to expedite the passage of the administration measure before Congress goes on recess on December 19. 

“He said that passing the BBL now has become more imperative in view of the increased threats posed by global terrorism and radicalization," Palace Communications Secretary Herminio "Sonny" Coloma Jr said in a note sent to reporters.

"The President urged the members of Congress to rise to the challenge of being able to 'change the narrative,' referring to the cycle of violence and poverty that has stalled peace and progress in Mindanao," he added.

Coloma said the luncheon meeting was attended by around 120 lawmakers and other government officials, including Cabinet members. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr gave brief welcome remarks, followed by the President's message, and the closing remarks of House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II.

Senate President Franklin Drilon and Belmonte earlier set December 16 as the new deadline to enact the measure, after Congress failed to pass it last October.

Congress will go on recess starting December 19. While it will resume session from January 18 to February 5, lawmakers would be busy with the campaign season by then. As early as few months ago, House members could not complete a quorum. (READ: 4 scenarios if Bangsamoro bill is not passed)

'All stakeholders' will be given opportunity

In an apparent move to appease critics, Aquino told the lawmakers that the proposed BBL gives all stakeholders an opportunity to participate in the democratic process and “significant change,” citing new investments in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Minadanao amounting to P9.8 billion from 2011 to 2014.

Anti-BBL supporters have accused the government of ignoring other major stakeholders in the peace process, including the Sultanate of Sulu, the Moro National Liberation Front, the Lumad or indigenous people, Christians, local government officials, and businesses.  

Coloma said the peace process with the MILF was discussed between Aquino and Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi during his recent official visit to Italy, as well as with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.

"He was asked about how the Philippine government has succeeded in achieving an agreement with the Bangsamoro and he pointed out that the BBL provides a template for peace building that may be considered by the international community,” Coloma said.

The proposed BBL implements the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed in March 2014, after 17 years of negotiations.

It seeks to create a new  autonomous government in Muslim Mindanao to replace the ARMM, that is parliamentary in form, with greater powers and resources. –Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – Former president and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal Arroyo will be spending Christmas and New Year at her home in Quezon City.

Arroyo, who remains under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center, had requested for furloughs this holiday season.

On Tuesday, December 8, the Supreme Court granted Arroyo’s request, allowing her to stay in her La Vista Subdivision residence during the following periods: 

• December 23, 2015 (8 am) to December 26, 2015 (5 pm)
• December 30, 2015 (8 am) to January 2, 2016 (5 pm)

Meanwhile, the high court also ordered the Office of the Solicitor General to comment on Arroyo’s urgent motion for house arrest within 20 days.

The former president is detained over a plunder case stemming from the alleged misuse of P365.9 million in Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds from 2008 to 2010.

Her plunder trial is on hold until February 2016, following a Supreme Court ruling.

Arroyo's camp has cited the findings of the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which said that her detention "violates international law." – Rappler.com

MANILA, Philippines – The camp of petitioner Rizalito David asked the Supreme Court (SC) to review the final decision of the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) upholding the natural-born status of Senator Grace Poe.

In a 74-page petition for certiorari filed past 3 pm Tuesday, December 8, David's camp asked the High Court to:

• issue a writ of certiorari, reversing or setting aside the decision and resolution of the SET
• issue a TRO or writ of preliminary injunction to restrain or enjoin the enforcement of the decision, in the meantime that the Court has yet to consider the main petition

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<blockquote class="twitter-video" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Petitioner David also here. <a href="https://t.co/NdcsXlp2ZF">pic.twitter.com/NdcsXlp2ZF</a></p>&mdash; Jee Y. Geronimo (@jeegeronimo) <a href="https://twitter.com/jeegeronimo/status/674129347448442880">December 8, 2015</a></blockquote>
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"What we want here is harangin ang pag-enforce or pag-implement ng maling desisyon – with all due respect – ng Senate Electoral Tribunal," David's lawyer Manuelito Luna told reporters (What we want here is to block the enforcement or implementation of the wrong decision – with all due respect – by the Senate Electoral Tribunal.)

David's petition highlighted the dissenting opinions of the 3 SET members who voted to disqualify Grace Poe as senator: Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, and associate justices Teresita Leonardo-de Castro and Arturo Brion.

The SC justices, together with Senator Nancy Binay, were outnumbered by the majority who voted to uphold Poe's natural-born status: Senators Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV, Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Vicente "Tito" Sotto III, and Cynthia Villar. (READ: Senators explain votes on Grace Poe's disqualification case)

Carpio earlier said all 3 of them will inhibit from the case. But Luna said they expect the opinions of the 3 justices to "carry weight" now that the case is being elevated to the SC.

"The 3 are distinguished justices, they are one of the most brilliant, if not the most brilliant, justices in the country, and we believe that their opinions reflect the correct interpretation of the Constitution," the lawyer said. 

Luna cited in particular Carpio's opinion that international laws cannot be applied automatically to confer natural-born citizenship to foundlings such as Poe. (READ: Why did SC justices vote to disqualify Grace Poe?)

"We [also] pinpointed that Senator Poe failed to register in the separate registry for foundlings and therefore, she is not entitled or cannot avail of the legal presumption of natural-born citizenship because she is an unregistered foundling," he added. (READ: TIMELINE: Grace Poe's citizenship, residency)

As for the 5 senators in the majority, Luna said they committed instances of "grave abuse of discretion or reversible errors" when they voted in favor of Poe.

"We believe that they have trespassed or went beyond the bounds of reasonableness and valid adjudication of a very important and Constitutional issue such as this which involves no less than the status of Senator Grace Poe," Luna said.

Tuesday's SC en banc session is the last one for 2015, but David's camp said the High Court has existing guidelines for urgent petitions that need immediate attention.

"We leave that up to the Honorable Court…. We believe that the matter is of extreme urgency and of utmost importance, considering Poe is a candidate for president and there are pending disqualification cases against her," Luna noted. – Rappler.com