Philippine boat likely fired heavy guns: prosecutor

2013/05/11 16:34:19

(By Chen Chao-fu and Elizabeth Hsu)
enditem /pc

Taipei, May 11 (CNA) The Taiwanese fishing boat that was fired on Thursday by a Philippine government vessel was riddled with bullet holes, which suggests that "heavy weapons " were probably used in the incident, a Taiwan prosecutor said Saturday.

A total of 52 bullet holes were found on the Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, said Liu Chia-kai from the Pingtung District Prosecutors Office after examining the 15-ton vessel that is registered in Liouciou Township, Pingtung County, in southern Taiwan.

On the port side, there are 10 holes where the bullets penetrated parts of the boat that are quite thick, which means they may have been shot from "heavy weapons," but it could not be ascertained whether they were from 50-caliber machine guns, Liu said.

Ballistics analysis will be carried out on the bullet shells that were found on the boat, and the 52 bullet holes have been photographed as evidence, he added.

The boat is "a scene of devastation," said one of the forensics technicians who checked the boat, which is now docked at Ta Fu fishing port on Siaoliouciou Island off Pingtung.

A 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman Hung Shih-cheng was killed when the Philippine government vessel opened fire on the the Kuang Ta Hsing on which he was working.

Taiwan prosecutors said Hung was killed by a bullet that penetrated the right side of his neck. Liu has asked that the body be taken to Kaohsiung for forensic examination.

The shooting took place 164 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan's southernmost tip Thursday, in waters in the overlapping exclusive economic zones of Taiwan and the Philippines.

Taiwan has said that the Philippines should take full responsibility for the shooting, which it described as "excessive use of force."

"Under no circumstances should a Philippine government vessel shoot at a Taiwanese fishing boat that is not armed," Foreign Minister David Lin said Friday, stressing that the incident occurred in the overlapping economic zones of the two countries.

Meanwhile, Hung Yu-chih, skipper of the Kuang Ta Hsing and son of Hung Shih-cheng, denied that the incident was triggered by his attempt to ram the Philippine government vessel.

Hung Yu-chih said it was not possible for his boat to ram the much bigger Philippine vessel and that the crew had not taken any aggressive action as a Phillippine Presidential Office spokesman claimed.

After the shooting began, the unarmed fishing boat attempted to flee as fast as possible, he said, stressing that it was the other vessel that opened fire.

"The bullets came like rain," forcing the fishing boat crew to seek shelter in the cabin, but that is where his father was shot, the skipper said.

Will Danding keep hold on Negros?

by Rappler.com 

 

MANILA, Philippines - Business man Danding Cojuangco's hold on Negros Occidental politics is being challenged.

Negros Occidental is the Philippines’ sugar capital.

It is home to rich hacienderos who export sugar to Europe and the United States.

These hacienderos also control local politics under the leadership of outsider turned kingmaker Danding Cojuangco.

VICE-GOV LIM-AO ALVAREZ:

All politicians here in Negros, he treats us very fairly. He doesn’t ask for any favor. What he wants is for the good of the province. I think everybody likes him.

Elections used to be boring in Negros.

Government positions were decided not so much by the ballot, but in meetings of Danding’s party, the United Negros Alliance or UNA.

But in an unexpected twist of events, Governor Freddie Marañon decides to seek re-election, in defiance of Danding who had already anointed Vice Gov Lim-ao Alvarez as gubernatorial candidate.

VICE-GOV LIM-AO ALVAREZ:

The problem started when governor Maranon changed his mind because he promised that he is not running anymore.

GOV FREDDIE MARAÑON:

Only fools don’t change their mind. 19 mayors persuaded me to run.

UNA breaks apart and for the first time in history, candidates are facing serious opponents.

Allies are fighting former allies. Friends are fighting friends. Negros politics is changed.

The split puts on the line Danding’s clout as political kingmaker of the province-- which fuels his influence in national politics.
Negros Occidental’s 1.6 million voters – the country’s 4th biggest voting province – is a bargaining chip he can offer national politicians.

VICE-GOV LIM-AO ALVAREZ

Even senators, they are even to the point of begging for the endorsement of the Ambassador. When you’re in local politics, here in Negros I think it’s only Ambassador Cojuangco who matters.

Marañon says he has grown his own political network, capable of defeating his former patron’s machinery.

GOV FREDDIE MARAÑON

It’s a big challenge. It’s an uphill battle. But it’s the people that support me – the grassroots, the religious sector, the fisher folks, the farmers. Those that benefitted from my program.

The elections here is more than just a battle between two former allies now at each other’s throats.

It is a test of Danding Cojuangco’s grip on this vote-rich province. Carmela Fonbuena, Rappler, Negros Occidental. - Rappler.com

---

Crucial reforms at stake in Monday’s polls

By Karl Malakunas
Agence France-Presse

Election posters of national and local candidates fill a vacant lot along Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City. INQUIRER/RAFFY LERMA

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines holds elections on Monday seen as crucial to President Benigno Aquino’s efforts to transform society, but with deadly violence, corruption, and nepotism posing familiar threats.
More than 18,000 positions will be contested in the mid-term elections — from the town level up to the nation’s Congress — and Aquino is banking on landslide wins for his allies to cement his reform agenda.
“The President needs to be able to have a strong coalition in both houses of Congress to be able to push through critical measures,” Budget Secretary and ruling Liberal Party powerbroker Florencio Abad told Agence France-Presse.
Since taking office in 2010 following a landslide election win, Aquino has maintained record high popularity ratings while overseeing strong economic growth and efforts to tackle corruption that have won international acclaim.
In the Philippines, presidents can only serve one term of six years, and Aquino has said he is determined to leave a permanent legacy that will ensure the Philippines is no longer the “sick man of Asia”.
One key plank is ending a decades-long Muslim rebellion in the south of the country that has claimed an estimated 150,000 lives and stifled economic growth.
Aquino is close to signing a peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, the main rebel group, but he will then need Congress to endorse the pact.
All the seats in the lower house and half in the Senate are being contested in the mid-term elections.
The Philippines has a plethora of parties, and politicians frequently shift allegiances, so controlling Congress is extremely difficult.
But Aquino secured support for key reform initiatives in his first three years in office, and he is confident that big victories in both chambers on Monday will ensure an even more productive second half of his term.
Abad said other initiatives that Aquino was eyeing over the next three years included expanding the tax base to pay for a better social safety net, and reform of the mining sector so that big firms pay higher taxes.
However, deep-rooted problems that have plagued the Philippines for decades are expected to again impact Monday’s election, and continue to haunt the political landscape long after Aquino has left office.
The Philippines is infamous for a brutal brand of democracy where politicians — particularly at the local and provincial levels — are willing to bribe, intimidate or kill to ensure they win.
More than 50 people have already been killed in election-related violence, including candidates and their aides. Philippine military and police will be on high alert Monday in a bid to stamp out any last-minute attacks.
Efforts by the Commission on Elections to curb violence and vote-buying turned into farce in the final days of campaigning, when the Supreme Court blocked the commission from enforcing controversial bans on selling alcohol and carrying large amounts of money.
Activists have warned that political dynasties which dominate politics in the Philippines, including the Aquino clan, are set to strengthen their chokehold on the country.
The Philippines is ruled by remarkably few families — with roughly 70 percent of the members of current Congress belonging to a dynasty — and polls are showing the elite are set to become even more dominant.
A host of colorful names are contesting the elections, including boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, who is seeking a second term as a member of the lower house.
Pacquiao, a former street kid but now one of the country’s richest men, is looking to create his own dynasty.
His wife, Jinkee, is running to become vice governor of a southern province despite having no political experience, while one of his brothers is also running for Congress.
Imelda Marcos, wife of dead dictator Ferdinand, is almost certain to win a second term in the lower house at the age of 83 representing a northern province where her family enjoys dynastic rule.
Her daughter is running unopposed for provincial governor

Philippines probes shooting death of Taiwanese

By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Facing yet another flashpoint over disputes in the West Philippine Sea, the country’s top diplomat said Saturday that the Philippine maritime agencies have initiated an investigation into the “unfortunate” shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman off Batanes, maintaining that the incident occurred during lawful operations within territorial waters.

Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Saturday that the Philippine Coast Guard and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are already looking into the incident Thursday, when PCG officers fired at a Taiwanese fishing boat in an apparent effort to defend themselves.

Taiwanese Hung Shih-chen, 65, was killed in the incident, raising a howl in Taiwan and strong demands for an investigation, apology and compensation.

In a statement on Saturday, Del Rosario said results of the investigation will soon be released. Notably, he referred to the shooting as an “unfortunate” incident that ensued amid legitimate anti-poaching operations of Philippine maritime agencies.

“The PCG and BFAR are now investigating the incident which resulted in the unfortunate loss of life of a Taiwanese fisherman during the routine lawful enforcement activities against poaching in Philippine waters,” said Del Rosario in a brief statement sent via text message.

“The result of the investigation will be made available in due course,” he added.

Asked whether Manila has already reached out to Taipei over the incident, Del Rosario said the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO) “is in communication with the government of Taiwan.” MECO is the Philippines’ representative office in Taiwan.

The PCG had said its personnel only acted in self-defense in shooting at Taiwanese fishing vessel Kuang Ta Hsing No. 28, which at the time was sailing some 80 kilometers off the Balintang Channel near Batanes.

The vessel, then carrying three Taiwanese and one Indonesian as crew, allegedly tried to ram the Philippine patrol boat.

The Taiwanese side meanwhile alleged that the ship “came under attack” and that Philippine officers opened fire without any warning.

The incident happened amid still unresolved disputes in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea), potentially resource-rich waters contested by the Philippines, Taiwan, China, Vietnam, Brunei and Malaysia.

Now the subject of a Philippine plea before the United Nations arbitral tribunal, China was quick to criticize the incident, calling it a “barbaric” act.

China recently sent a 30-vessel fishing fleet into the West Philippine Sea, a move seen to assert its claims over almost all of the West Philippine Sea amid the Philippines’ move to halt its string of incursions into established maritime boundaries.

Groups urge deeper probe on Luzon-wide blackout

By Dennis Carcamo

MANILA, Philippines - Poll watchdog Kontra Daya on Thursday called on Malacañang to order an investigation into the massive power outage that struck Metro Manila and nearby provinces.

"Malacañang should determine the true cause of the outage so that these can be prevented. We are quite concerned with the attitude of the Department of Energy that seeks to downplay the impact of the outage by saying that these things happen frequently," said Kontra Daya convenor Fr. Joe Dizon.

Dizon also called on the Commission on Election to discuss its contingency measures aside from the battery packs attached to the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines, which would be used during the May 13 national and local polls.

"It is not enough that PCOS machines have battery packs. What about the entire polling precinct? What about the transmission and canvassing of votes? There are too many variables which cannot be addressed by the PCOS battery pack," Dizon said.

Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr. said it was too early for the government to immediately rule out sabotage if it has not yet undertaken a thorough probe of the power outage.

"From the reports we have gathered, the reasons for the outage were events external to the power plants. Something happened outside the plants that we are not yet aware of. That this event can affect five plants, through some kind of domino effect, is truly a cause for concern," Reyes said.

"Malacañang should make public a full report within the week, just before the elections. It should refrain from downplaying or trivializing the incident, by saying that these happen all the time, or that these can easily be fixed. We call on the people to be ever vigilant especially in the next few days," he added.

Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said in an interview with ABS-CBN News that the massive power outage that hit Luzon was caused by a technical problem at the Calaca 2 power plant in Batangas.

Petilla said that the Calaca 2 power plant tripped first and then it "cascaded" down to five other plants.

He said that they are now investigating why the Calaca 2 power plant's auto shut off did not work.

He explained that the Calaca 2 power plant should have automatically shut down, which would have activated its back-up generator and could have prevented the massive power outage.

"Yesterday six [plants] shut down because the auto-shut off of a power plant, for some reason, did not work. That is what we are investigating," Petilla said.

The energy secretary had assured that "there is no reason to believe" that Wednesday's massive power outage was “sabotage."

"Rest assured this won't happen on election day," he said.

STUNNED beachgoers in New Zealand stumbled over what looks like the carcass of a mysterious marine animal.

The bizarre-looking corpse washed ashore last week, fuelling speculation that it is the remains of a prehistoric sea monster washed up ashore from the deep, Sun Live reports. The 9-metre-long corpse has basic flippers and a gaping jaw with long, sharp teeth.

A video posted to YouTube showed the 9-metre long corpse on Pukehina Beach in the Bay of Plenty. Calling it a “strange marine creature”, the narrator added: “can anyone help us identify it?”.

The video sparked a flurry of speculation that the carcass was some prehistoric ‘sea monster’.

Discovery News said the latest “monster” carcass find in New Zealand was part of a long history of discoveries of mysterious sea creatures. The bizarre, rotting corpses are often mistakenly identified as sea monsters or dinosaurs, or even just mysterious “blobsters”.

In 2003, the bizarre 12-metre, 13-tonne “Chilean blob” shocked the world when it washed ashore on Los Muermos beach, BBC News reports. Puzzled marine biologists speculated the blob could be a type of giant squid, but DNA tests on the blubbery mass eventually determined it was the remains of a sperm whale.In 1896, a 2-metre tall sea creature corpse washed ashore in St Augustine, Florida. Scientists eventually determined it was a new type of giant octopus.

Marine mammal expert Anton Van Heldon examined the latest ‘monster’ carcass in New Zealand and believes it is a killer whale, based on the fin structure. Killer whales, or orcas, are sometimes spotted in the Bay of Plenty.

Does the Philippines deserve its investment grade? by Edsel Tupaz and Daniel Wagner

Over the past decade the Philippines' sovereign credit rating oscillated between "negative" and "stable," reflecting concern about the ability of the government to collect sufficient tax revenue, manage its budget, and sustain a high rate of GDP growth.

Three years ago, President Aquino embarked on a long overdue path to correct what had become endemic deficiencies in the Philippine economy.

Over the past 10 weeks, the country has been rewarded for its efforts, with Fitch, the Japan Credit Rating Agency, and S&P all categorizing the Philippines as "investment" grade. Does it really deserve that designation?

Moody's retains its rating at a notch below investment grade, but will undoubtedly follow the others in due course, reflecting a rising chorus of voices in the investment community expressing confidence in the country's future.

The external position of the Philippine economy -- its current account balance, external payments position, and foreign exchange reserves -- has been solid under President Aquino's fiscal management.

The public deficit (2 percent of GDP) and debt-to-GDP ratio continue to fall, inflation remains at 3 percent, and the country's GDP in 2012 grew at 6.6 percent -- higher than Indonesia (6.2 percent) and Malaysia (6.0 percent), and not far behind Asia's perpetual economic leader, China (7.6 percent).

Year to date, the Philippine peso and stock market (ranked 5th best globally) are among the best performers in the world.

Cleary, much of the credit must go to the President, and his willingness to tackle some long simmering issues. Since taking office in 2010, President Aquino managed to pass the 'sin tax' law covering such items as alcohol and cigarettes, increased tax collection rates, and successfully impeached the now former Supreme Court chief justice of former President Arroyo, on grounds of undeclared wealth. Because of Aquino's "straight path" platform, the Philippines ranked 105th (out of 174) in Transparency International's Corruptions Perceptions Index in 2012, on par with such countries as Algeria and Mexico. When he assumed power, the country was ranked 134th, on par with countries such as Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Clearly, the country is making good progress in that regard.

But what progress has been made in terms of simply doing business in the Philippines? Despite its newly minted investment grade credentials, the World Bank's 2013 'Doing Business' indicators continue to give the Philippines a low grade. Out of 185 countries in its index, the Philippines ranks just 138th, sandwiched between Ecuador and the Ukraine. In six of the ten categories, the country ranks in the lowest third, and particularly poorly in terms of both starting a business and resolving insolvency (at 161st and 165th, respectively). Also, the Philippine rankings actually fell in 7 of the 10 categories since last year. This stands in stark contrast to what is implied by its investment grade ranking.

Beyond the ease in doing business, regulatory risk remains a challenge, and the country's judiciary remains notoriously corrupt. While the political risk associated with attempted coups over the past several decades has notably diminished in recent years, election-related killings and violence remain a problem. And the country's rising level of net foreign direct investment remains a fraction of that of its neighbors, or other investment grade countries throughout the world. Given all this, what explains the relative haste with which the three ratings agencies upgraded the Philippines?

Apart from perhaps wanting to maintain a sense of consistency, given that Indonesia was also recently upgraded to investment grade by Fitch and Moody's -- even though its currency has not performed as well and it incurred its first current account deficit in 15 years last year -- one explanation might be a tendency to overemphasize a country's external profile while underemphasizing development indices such as the inclusivity of economic growth, per capita development across social strata, the Gini coefficient, and absolute poverty.

Recently, the Philippine National Statistical Coordination Board reported that despite the series of consecutive credit rating upgrades made by various agencies over the past 3 years, poverty levels in the Philippines remain unchanged. As of 2012, about 22 percent of Filipino households were considered poor by absolute standards, compared to 23 percent in 2009. A 2008 Asian Development Bank study stated that the Philippines has the largest number of higher education institutions in Southeast Asia, and the number of examinees in professional licensure exams continues to rise, yet passing rates continue to drop. In addition, the Philippine underemployment rate increased from 19 percent in 2011 to 22.7 percent in 2012. In other words, some important, underappreciated indicators are going in the wrong direction.

The Aquino administration has been quick to focus on how long the "trickle down" process can take, but it did not dispute the findings of the report. To date, President Aquino's technocrats are struggling to reconcile high credit scores, on one hand, and inclusive growth, on the other. So far, there has been no adequate reason cited -- other than Kuznet's inverted-U curve (circa the 1950s), where income inequality should eventually decrease, but only after sustained growth in the long term. On that basis, the Philippines must have high sustained growth for many decades to make a real difference in the absolute poverty rate.

So this appears to be a "Tale of Two Countries" -- one with significantly improving economic indicators and an activist President determined to smash through some of the unfortunate legacies of the Post-Marcos era, and the other -- an unbroken legacy of poverty, regulatory ineffectiveness, and judicial corruption. The ratings agencies appear to have focused primarily on the former, presumably under the assumption that it will take time to address the latter.

Much will depend on what happens after President Aquino leaves office in three years time. Will his reformist legacy continue, or will the country slide back into its old ways? At least three ratings agencies appear to be saying that there is a better chance that meaningful reform will continue in the longer-term. Clearly, the Philippines has a great deal of untapped potential. Nouriel Roubini, a perennial pessimist, forecasted that should the Philippines continue to defy the global recession, and if it were to consistently register GDP growth rates between 7 percent and 9 percent annually, as one HSBC study claimed, the Philippine economy may be among the largest economies by 2050. This assumes an uninterrupted path to nirvana, however, which is rather unlikely to occur, particularly given the vicissitudes of the global economy and the plethora of challenges facing the Philippines.

More likely is that the country will encounter its share of obstacles along the way, some of which will be externally derived, but many of which will undoubtedly be self-imposed. To truly deserve its investment grade rating, the Philippines needs to achieve much outside the realm of economic indicators. Being rated, as it is, one notch above junk status, it wouldn't take much for the country to fall back below an investment grade rating. Rather than beating its chest too much about what it has just achieved it, the government would be wise to focus on how best to avoid losing it.

Remains of Pinoy tour guide brought down from Mayon

The remains of one of five people who died in the wake of Mayon Volcano's steam-driven eruption last Tuesday were brought down from the volcano early Thursday.

A report on "Unang Hirit" said the remains of Filipino tour guide Jerome Berin were brought by members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Tactical Operations Group.

Berin died in Tuesday's incident along with two German men and a German woman, and a Germany-based Spanish national.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council also said a Thai climber previously reported as missing was rescued but with injuries.

Boonchai Jattupornpong, 35, suffered burns and a broken right arm when he was found at 3:07 p.m.,the NDRRMC said.

A report on dzBB radio said Jattupornpong was to be brought down from Mayon on Thursday, along with the remains of the five fatalities.

The NDRRMC said eight other injured were brought to the Bicol Regional Training and Teaching Hospital. They were identified as:

- Kenneth Jesalva, Filipino tour guide, 21
- Bernard Hernandez, Filipino, 25
- Calixto Balunso, 30
- Nicanor Mabao
- Udomkiat Taweebhurut, Thai, 45
- Tanut Ruchipiyrak, Thai, 26
- Nithi Ruangpisit, Thai, 26
- Benjama Sansuk, Thai, 40

Unharmed were an Austrian woman, Filipino tour guide Jorge Cordovilla, and Filipinos Arvin Bellen, Ruel Llarena, 28; Marlon Bunao, 25; Alfredo Baio, 30; and Bonifacio Deeluis, 25.

The NDRRMC said the Austrian was off to Manila while Bellen, Llarena, Bunao, Baio and Deeluis were "found unharmed and went home safe." — LBG, GMA News

Alaska overcomes 16-pt deficit to snatch Game 3 By Calvin D. Cordova Cebu Daily News

Not a few fingers would have pointed at RJ Razul had the Alaska Aces lost this one.

Jazul missed a layup that could have given the Aces the win in regulation but the second stringer guard more than made up for the crucial miss by coming alive in the overtime period to lead Alaska to a wild, 89-82 win over the San Mig Coffee Mixers last night in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal round of the 38th PBA Commissioner’s Cup at the jam-packed Araneta Coliseum.

Behind Jazul, the Aces dominated the overtime period where it limited the Mixers to just two points to salvage the victory that gave them a crucial 2-1 series lead.

Alaska, which lost the series-opener, needs just one more win to advance to the finals for the first time in the post-Tim Cone era.

Blown out in Game 2, 67-86, San Mig seemed headed for a big bounce back victory when they led by as many as 16 points in the first half and took a fat, 45-32 lead into the final two quarters of play.

The Mixers still had their way early in the third until rookie Calvin Abueva willed the Aces back into the game.

The energetic rookie scored nine straight points in 15-4 run as Alaska started to chip away at the deficit and went into the fourth down by just five points, 54-59.

In the fourth, Alaska turned to Jvee Casio to run the show as the diminutive point guard uncorked 10 straight points in a big rally that saw the Aces forcing only the second deadlock of the game at 70-all with 6:48 left.

Alaska finally stole the lead when Cyrus Baguio completed a fastbreak layup but San Mig tied the contest anew at 75-all with 1:29 left.

Alaska surged ahead again on a basket by Sonny Thoss but Joe De Vance canned a booming triple to hand the lead back to San Mig, 78-77, 54.2 seconds remaining.

Alaska import Robert Dozier threw the ball over in the next play and fouled James Yap seconds later.

Normally a deadshot from the free throw line, Yap could only make one of his two free throws for a 79-77 lead with 21.3 seconds to go.

Already out of timeout, Alaska was forced to inbound the ball at the other end of the court. Casio dribbled the length of the court before flipping a pass to Thoss, who scored underneath while being fouled by Marc Pingris.

Thoss made the bonus free throw and Alaska seemed just 13.2 seconds away from icing the big comeback win after taking an 80-79 edge.

San Mig, however, got a huge break in the next play when Casio was called for a foul while trying to stand his ground over the shooting Bowles.

Time and time again, Bowles saved the Mixers with his late-game heroics but caved in this time as he missed his first free throw before making the next, tying the count at 80-apiece with 4.9 seconds left.

Alaska hurriedly inbounded the ball and Abueva quickly attacked the basket before dropping a pass to a wide-open Jazul, who missed the layup, much to the chagrin of the Alaska bench.

Jazul, however, didn’t let his team down in the overtime, opening the period with a three-point play before burying a triple as the Aces surged to an 86-80 lead.

PJ Simon converted a floater in the 3:31 mark but San Mig wouldn’t score from that point on.

Abueva took the Best Player of the Game honors with 24 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and one block with no turnover.

BOX SCORES

ALASKA (89)- Abueva 24, Baguio 13, Casio 12, Dozier 11, Thoss 11, Jazul 6, Belasco 5, Hontiveros 3, Espinas 2, Dela Cruz 2.

SAN MIG (82)- Bowles 19, Barroca 15, Pingris 15, Mallari 7, Devance 7, Yap 7, Simon 6, Najorda 2, Reavis 2, De Ocampo 2.

Corpse that looks like mysterious 'sea monster' discovered on Pukehina Beach, New Zealand

A mysterious corpse that resembles a prehistoric 'sea monster' washed ashore in New Zealand. Picture: YouTube Source:Supplied

STUNNED beachgoers in New Zealand stumbled over what looks like the carcass of a mysterious marine animal.

The bizarre-looking corpse washed ashore last week, fuelling speculation that it is the remains of a prehistoric sea monster washed up ashore from the deep, Sun Live reports. The 9-metre-long corpse has basic flippers and a gaping jaw with long, sharp teeth.

A video posted to YouTube showed the 9-metre long corpse on Pukehina Beach in the Bay of Plenty. Calling it a “strange marine creature”, the narrator added: “can anyone help us identify it?”.

The video sparked a flurry of speculation that the carcass was some prehistoric ‘sea monster’.

Discovery News said the latest “monster” carcass find in New Zealand was part of a long history of discoveries of mysterious sea creatures. The bizarre, rotting corpses are often mistakenly identified as sea monsters or dinosaurs, or even just mysterious “blobsters”.

In 1896, a 2-metre tall sea creature corpse washed ashore in St Augustine, Florida. Scientists eventually determined it was a new type of giant octopus.

In 2003, the bizarre 12-metre, 13-tonne “Chilean blob” shocked the world when it washed ashore on Los Muermos beach, BBC News reports. Puzzled marine biologists speculated the blob could be a type of giant squid, but DNA tests on the blubbery mass eventually determined it was the remains of a sperm whale.

Marine mammal expert Anton Van Heldon examined the latest ‘monster’ carcass in New Zealand and believes it is a killer whale, based on the fin structure. Killer whales, or orcas, are sometimes spotted in the Bay of Plenty.

What’s wrong with Kris Aquino tipping a cabbie? Plenty, says Comelec By Philip C. Tubeza, TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer

What’s wrong with giving a cab driver a fat tip during an election campaign?

Plenty, in the view of Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes who said popular television host Kris Aquino could be liable for vote-buying.

“It looks like you’re campaigning, you’re making an appeal and then you give a prize,” commented Brillantes.

“Anyone could ride a taxi, go campaigning and then give out cash,” he said.

The Comelec chief was actually reacting to media reports of a story that Aquino gave reporters, about how when she was campaigning in Cebu City last week, she let the taxi driver keep the change from the P1,000 bill she handed him after he agreed to vote for three senatorial candidates she was endorsing—Sen. Francis Escudero, Grace Poe Llamanzares and her cousin, Bam Aquino.

Palace defends Kris

Not surprisingly, Malacañang on Wednesday said it disagreed with the Comelec chief and defended President Aquino’s celebrity sister.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it was apparent that Aquino “decided to let the taxi driver keep the change after he made it known to her that he was voting for the three candidates.”

The taxi driver “needed no persuasion nor was the money given in exchange for his vote as defined by the law,” she said.

“We respect Chairman Brilliantes’ opinion but disagree with it,” she said.

Brillantes said, however, that it would not be easy to charge Aquino. For one thing, there would have to be a complainant, he said.

“It’s not that easy. Who will be the complainant? She can always deny it. I don’t know if she would admit that under oath. I will not make any conclusion,” he said.

Vote-buying is an election offense and violators could face up to six years of imprisonment, the loss of the right to vote, and disqualification from holding public office.

Brillantes said Aquino’s narration of what happened showed that she gave the driver money “in good faith.”

“As far as she is concerned, she does not find anything wrong with it. It was like she was happy because she campaigned (for her candidates) and the driver said, ‘okay,’” he said.

‘In good faith’

“I think it was done in good faith. I’m making statements here… I might be jailed,” he added in jest.

Aquino, who has disclosed that she intends to run for governor of Tarlac in 2016, took time out from her busy schedule to pitch for Escudero, Llamanzares and her cousin in a two-day swing through General Santos, Davao, Cebu and Tacloban cities last week.

Talking with reporters while campaigning in Cebu City, Aquino said she took a taxi from the airport to her hotel and gave the driver a fat tip after the latter agreed to vote for her three candidates.

“I reminded him that apart from Chiz, and Grace, don’t forget Bam Aquino. When he said yes, I doubled my payment. I gave him P1,000 and told him keep the change,” she said.

6 senatorial candidates slugging it out for last 3 slots Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nine administration and three opposition candidates are leading the race for the Senate, according to the final preelection poll taken by the Social Weather Stations on May 2 and 3.

But those in the last three spots are not sure of still being there next Monday, Election Day.

One administration candidate and five opposition candidates are slugging it out for these last three spots.

The nine administration candidates are Team PNoy’s reelectionist Senators Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Antonio Trillanes IV, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and political newcomers Grace Poe and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino.

The three opposition candidates are United Nationalist Alliance’s Nancy Binay, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito and reelectionist Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Fighting to wrest the last three spots from Angara, Trillanes and Honasan are Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (UNA), former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (LP/Team PNoy) and former Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (UNA).

Legarda still tops

Controversy swirling around Legarda (NPC/Team PNoy) involving underdeclaration of assets failed to dislodge her from the first place in the Top 12 of the latest SWS poll.

On May 2, self-styled public interest advocate Louis Biraogo accused Legarda of not declaring real property on Park Avenue, New York City, for four years.

Legarda denied the accusation, calling it “black propaganda” intended to pull her down from the top in the preelection polls.

Results of the latest SWS poll showed Legarda with 57 percent, 2 percentage points down from her April rating.

Legarda’s rating could be virtually unchanged from last month, considering the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Biggest gainer

Poe (Independent/Team PNoy), former chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, posted the most gain, with 45 percent, 6 percentage points up from her April rating.

Poe, who ranked fifth in the latest SWS poll, previously occupied the 10th to 11th spot.

Villar (Nacionalista Party/Team PNoy) suffered the biggest decline, garnering 44 percent, 5 percentage points down from her rating last month.

Villar slid from third to fourth place in April to sixth to seventh place in the latest poll.

The rest in the top nine spots saw minor changes from their April ratings, considering the poll’s error margin.

Trailing Legarda was Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (NP/Team PNoy, 50 percent), who also shed 2 percentage points from the April poll.

Newcomer

Political newcomer Nancy Binay (UNA) retained the third to fourth spot, with 48 percent, down by 1 percentage point from last month.

Tied with Binay in third to fourth spot was Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero (Independent/Team PNoy, 48 percent), up by 1 percentage point from his April rating that put him in the fifth place.

Along with Villar in sixth to seventh spot was San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito (UNA, 44 percent), up by 1 percentage point from the previous poll, where he ranked seventh to eighth.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (PDP-Laban/Team PNoy) secured the eighth place with 43 percent, unchanged from his previous rating. His previous ranking, however, was seventh to eighth.

In ninth place was Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (LP/Team PNoy), first cousin of President Aquino, who slid from sixth place last month, garnering 41 percent, down 3 percentage points from the previous poll.

Both in 10th to 11th place were Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (LDP/Team PNoy, 38 percent) and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (NP/Team PNoy, 38 percent).

The rear

At the tailend of the list of probable winners was Sen. Gringo Honasan (UNA), whose 37 percent rating was unchanged from last month’s poll, in which he placed 12th to 13th.

Although they failed to make it to the top 12, three candidates could still statistically figure in the top 12: Enrile Jr. (35 percent, 13th place), former Senator Magsaysay (33 percent, 14th to 15th place) and Zubiri (33 percent, 14th to 15th place).

Noncommissioned poll

For the noncommissioned poll, SWS asked 2,400 registered voters nationwide the question, “If the elections were held today, whom would you most probably vote for senator of the Philippines?”

Twelve of the 24 seats in Senate are at stake in midterm elections next Monday.

SWS said 44 percent of respondents chose a full slate of 12 candidates; 3 percent were either undecided or did not have an answer; another 3 percent had invalid ballots.—Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Power interruptions continue in NCR as NGCP maintains power supply back to normal

A day after a massive power outage hit Luzon, some areas in Metro Manila were still experiencing power interruptions early Thursday morning. 
 

The affected areas include parts of Quezon City where power was restored Wednesday night but went out again before dawn Thursday, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported.

 

However, the Department of Energy maintained power had been restored as of Wednesday night, and the Thursday morning outages could be "localized."

 

"Baka 'yan ay localized. Baka within the distribution system," DOE Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Director Mylene Capongcol said in an interview on dzBB radio.

 

She said that as of 11:50 p.m. Wednesday, power had been restored and the yellow notice reflecting a deficiency in reserve power had been lifted.

 

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said that as of 6 a.m., there was a reserve of 262 megawatts for Luzon, whose system capacity outlook for Thursday was at 8,567 megawatts.

 

For Visayas, it said the system capacity outlook was at 1,803 megawatts, with reserves of 359 megawatts.

 

Investigation

 

Capongcol said their initial investigation showed a failure in the special protection system of the Calaca Unit 2 and the Calaca Biñan line that eventually cascaded and resulted in the loss of 3,500 megawatts.

 

She said the DOE has tasked the NGCP to complete its evaluation.

 

Also, she said the DOE asked the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association to submit logs of the generation facilities involved. —KG, GMA News

Malaysia elections: Pasir Gudang MCA members quit council posts

By Chuah Bee Kim and Teoh Pei Ying
New Straits Times
Tuesday, May 07, 2013

JOHOR BARU - Thirteen Pasir Gudang MCA division members resigned from their state government posts yesterday in line with the MCA president's call for the party not to hold office in state and central governments if they win in less than 15 parliamentary seats in the 13th General Election.

Pasir Gudang MCA branch secretary Ang Ah Ngo said the 13 members tendered their resignation at noon yesterday. He said their letters would be handed over to the respective departments.

Those who resigned were members of the Johor Baru City Council, Johor Baru Central municipal council, Pasir Gudang municipal council, two community leaders from the MCA branches in Plentong and Masai, and a hospital visitors' board.

"We came to this decision following the results of the 13th General Election, which we fared worse than the 2008 general election.

"All the members are honouring the promise made by party president (Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek) who said that no member will hold a federal or state government post if the party secured less than 15 parliamentary seats," said Ang.

He said the decision was not made because of the defeat of its candidate, Tan Cher Pu, in the Johor Jaya state seat.

"We will still continue to serve the community through the party. As MCA members, we have to honour the word of our president.

"We also want to thank the state government and all those who have given us their support. We hope the state government will accept our resignation," he said.

Dr Chua had tweeted after the results of the election that he would not take up any posts in the government. He also said MCA members would do likewise and respect the voters' decision.

In Alor Star, Kedah MCA chief Datuk Chong Itt Chew said they, too, would not accept any political appointments or state government posts.

Survivor of Limo Fire 5 Describes What Happened

One of the survivors of a limousine fire that killed five people on a San Francisco Bay bridge is describing the terrifying moments — and disputing the driver's version of events of what happened when the limo burst into flames.

With a cut visible on her face, an emotional Nelia Arellano told San Francisco's KGO-TV that she yelled at the driver to stop the car, but he "didn't want to listen."

When the driver, Orville Brown, did finally stop, Arellano says he did nothing to help the women get out of the burning car after he exited.

Brown has said that, at first, he misunderstood what one of the passengers in the back was saying when she knocked on the partition between the passenger area and the driver and complained about smelling smoke.

Brown says he helped the survivors escape through the partition.

———

Information from: KGO-TV.

SPORT Andrew Bogut's Golden State Warriors lose NBA thriller to Spurs

 

Chicago Bulls stun Miami Heat in game one

Chicago Bulls stun defending champions Miami Heat on the road in game one of their second round playoff series.

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Golden State centre Andrew Bogut, right, and San Antonio's Kawhi Leonard go after the ball during game one of their NBA playoff series. Picture: Darren Abate Source: AP

GOLDEN State suffered a heartbreaking 129-127 defeat to the San Antonio Spurs in game one of the second round of the Western Conference playoffs today.

A three-pointer by Manu Ginobili with 1.2 seconds left proved to be the game-winner, finishing off a Warriors squad that led by as much as 18.

The Warriors got 44 points and 11 assists from Stephen Curry, who played 58 minutes. But the Warriors' defence couldn't stop the Spurs onslaught. San Antonio point guard Tony Parker scored 16 of his 28 points after the third quarter to lead the Spurs to the come-from-behind victory.

The Spurs closed the fourth quarter on an 18-2 run to send the game to overtime.

In today's other game, Nate Robinson led the injury-hit Chicago Bulls to a stunning 93-86 upset win over reigning champions Miami Heat in the opening game of their NBA second round series.

"We've been hit all year with a lot of different things, but I like the mental toughness of our team," Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. "This is just one game."Robinson finished with 27 points and nine assists for the Bulls, who snapped the Heat's 27-game winning streak during the regular season and have now handed them their first loss in their last 13 games.

Robinson played with 10 stitches in his mouth after hitting his face on floor. He left the game to get medical attention but returned later.

"It was just a hustle play that went wrong," Robinson said. "You have to play through it."

James had 22 of his 24 points in the second half for Miami, which lost its third game in its last 44 going back to February 3.

Miami will also host game two on Wednesday in the best of seven series.

The Heat, who had been idle for the past week, looked rusty down the stretch and the Bulls scored the last 10 points.

The Heat's superstar trio of James, Wade and Chris Bosh combined for just 12 points in the opening half, their lowest first-half total of the season.

The Bulls bottled up James late in the fourth as they appear to have developed a formula this season for beating the mighty Heat.

"Our offence was not as fluid and efficient as it normally is, and you have to give credit to their defence for that. We need to show more poise, patience and aggressiveness," Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra said.

After Chicago ended Miami's 27-game winning streak during the regular season, James complained about the Bulls physical play, especially the defence of Kirk Hinrich and Taj Gibson.

James didn't have to contend with injured Hinrich on Monday, but he did have his hands full with the rest of the Bulls' balanced attack.

On top of missing Hinrich and injured former MVP Derrick Rose, Luol Deng also didn't play against Miami with complications from a spinal tap procedure.

Deng, 28, underwent the spinal tap last week to rule out meningitis.

The complications from the procedure led to further problems. Deng reportedly had to return to a Chicago emergency room on Sunday morning after being released from the hospital Saturday.

Injuries aside, the Bulls showed their depth as five players finished in double figures, including forward Gibson who came off the bench to score 12 points.

Jimmy Butler had 21 points and 14 rebounds, while Joakim Noah added 13 points and 11 rebounds for the Bulls, who held a commanding 46-32 advantage on the glass and a 17-8 edge in second-chance points.

Since the 2005-06 season, the teams have met in the playoffs four times, including a Chicago series sweep in 2007. The Heat won in 2006 and 2011.

AFP