14 January 2014 • Tuesday

1. 14 JANUARY 2014 • TUESDAY

2. TOP 5:
Obama defends Afghan strategy
US President Barack Obama defended his strategy in the Afghan war
mission after former Pentagon chief Robert Gates said the president
lacked passion for military action. Gates sparked a Washington
firestorm when he suggested in his new memoir that Obama became
disillusioned with the troop surge strategy, and lost confidence in his
troop commanders and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. But in his first
public comments on the criticisms, Obama said he “continued to
have faith” in the US mission in Afghanistan. Speaking on NBC’s
“Today Show,” the former Pentagon chief said his memoir was
hijacked by those pushing a political agenda adding that he “actually
agreed with virtually every decision President Obama made.” But
Gates made no apologies for his blunt criticism of Vice President Joe
Biden whom he said was wrong about every major foreign policy
issue over the past four decades.

3. TOP 4:
Taiwan hits China fishing law while
dismissing PH claim
Taiwan, which calls itself the Republic of China (ROC), rejected
China's new fisheries law but also dismissed Manila's claim
over the Spratly Islands in the disputed South China Sea. The
Philippines earlier slammed China’s new policy, which
requires foreigners to seek China's permission to fish in the
disputed sea. In a statement, Taiwan stood firm in claiming the
Spratly Islands (Nansha Islands), Paracel Islands (Shisha
Islands), Macclesfield Islands (Chungsha Islands), and Pratas
Islands (Tungsha Islands). Taiwan also urged countries
“bordering the islands,” such as the Philippines, “to respect
the principles and spirit” of the United Nations Charter and the
United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). In
place of unilateral measures, Taiwan broached the idea of
joint exploration.

4. TOP 3:
Pope Francis: Post of Cardinal not a
promotion
In a letter to new cardinals, Pope Francis warned them to avoid
“worldliness” and “celebrations” telling them to keep "a
simple and humble heart." He added, “The post of cardinal is
not a promotion or an honor or a decoration. It is simply a
service that demands a wider view and a bigger heart.” The
new cardinals come from 12 countries in 5 continents. One of
the 16 new cardinals is Cotabato Archbishop Orlando
Quevedo, the first cardinal to come from Mindanao. Within his
archdiocese, the Church estimates only 51.54% of the
population are Catholics, while the rest are predominantly
Muslim. Critics tagged the cardinal and 6 other bishops in
2011 as recipients of expensive vehicles from the government
for personal use. Quevedo denied the accusation.

5. TOP 2:
Flashflood, landslide alert up over
Visayas, Bicol
Visayas, Bicol, Caraga and northern Mindanao must prepare for
landslides and flashfloods that may be triggered by the low
pressure area (LPA) in Mindanao. State weather bureau
Pagasa says the LPA was estimated to be 60 km northeast of
Butuan City. On Monday, the LPA already battered parts of
Mindanao still recovering from the devastation of 2012’s
Typhoon Pablo. The affected areas include Surigao del Norte;
the towns of Lupon and Tarragona in Davao Oriental; the town
of Monkayo in Compostela Valley, and Barangay Andap in New
Bataan. Five local government units declared a state of
calamity. At least 13 people have died, 34 others injured, while
more than 25,000 families are in evacuation shelters in 16
towns and 2 cities.

6. TOP 1:
Aquino ratings drop in Luzon
Philippine President Benigno Aquino III continued to enjoy a majority
approval rating of 73%, according to December 8-16 Pulse Asia
survey. It was a decline of 6 points from his 79% in September,
although statistically insignificant considering the error margin of
+/-3. But the survey showed a significant decline in Luzon, excluding
Metro Manila, where he dropped 13 points. The largest island Luzon
along with the top urban center Metro Manila is historically a critical
block. Aquino was criticized for government's slow response in the
aftermath of typhoon Haiyan. The survey also showed more Filipinos
approve and trust Vice President Jejomar Binay than Aquino. Senate
President Franklin Drilon was the biggest loser, seen as a backlash of
the pork barrel scam, where he was linked to the mastermind but
untouched by charges. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno was a
winner in Metro Manila, where her ratings enjoyed significant
improvement.

7. SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Rappler
COPYRIGHT:
13 January 2014
WEBSITE:
www.PhilippineOnlinePortalNews.weebly.com
www.facebook.com/PhilippineOnlinePortalNews
www.twitter.com/POPNews_PH
Philippine Online Portal News
Philippine Online Social Media Technologies, Inc.
POST TOC
POST NMI
All Rights Reserved
2014