POPNews|today (02•03•2014)

1. Featuring
The wRap (Rappler)
03 FEBRUARY 2014 • MONDAY

2. TOP 5
Napoles also
partook of Loi
Estrada’s pork
Suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet
Lim Napoles benefitted from the Priority
Development Assistance Fund of both Senator
Jinggoy Estrada and his mother, former
senator Loi Ejercito Estrada. Similarly, both
mother and son allegedly got commissions in
exchange for allocating their pork barrel to
fake non-governmental organizations linked
to Napoles. Funds were coursed through the
Department of Agriculture, as indicated by
letters addressed by Loi Estrada to then
Agriculture secretaries Arthur Yap and
Domingo Panganiban from 2005 to 2007.
Napoles got through mother and son via Ruby
Tuason, then the social secretary of former
President Joseph Estrada.

3. TOP 4
Military offensive
against BIFF ends
Done. The military has officially ended
operations against the Bangsamoro Islamic
Freedom Fighters (BIFF), intended to protect
the peace process with the Moro Islamic
Liberation Front from possible spoilers.
Known as “Operation Darkhorse,” the weeklong offensive resulted in the death of 52 BIFF
members and the wounding of 49 others. Four
BIFF camps were also captured, along with an
improvised explosive device (IED) factory. On
the government side, one soldier was killed
and 20 were wounded; 8 civilians caught in
the crossfire were also wounded, including
journalists. Smaller-scale operations will be
conducted by the military to pursue the
remaining splinter groups.

4. TOP 3
Search for
survivors of
volcano eruption
begins
Government officials on Sunday, February
2, started searching for the dead in the
aftermath of Mt Sinabung’s eruption that
killed at least 15 people. The volcano
erupted on Saturday, unleashing hot
rocks and ash up to 2,000 meters into the
air. Rescuers had to search for bodies
buried in ash up to 12 inches thick.
Residents of Sukameriah village, in the
“red zone” around the volcano, had been
evacuated. Mt Sinabung is one of
Indonesia’s 129 active volcanoes that
straddle the Pacific Ring of Fire.

5. TOP 2
Protesters mar
voting in Thai
polls
Results of the Thai elections may not be known
for at least weeks as opposition protesters
prevented voters from casting their votes in
thousands of polling stations in Thailand. The
disruption also means there may be an
inadequate number of members of
parliament to convene parliament and
appoint a government until new elections are
held in areas where voting was not held. This
has pushed Thailand into political
limbo, which, experts say, could invite a
military or judicial coup. Protesters want to
force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to
step down, believing she is a mere puppet for
elder brother Thaksin, who was ousted in a
military coup in 2006.

6. TOP 1
Basyang leaves at
least 6 dead
At least 6 people were left dead by Tropical
Storm Basyang (Kajiki), while 5 others
were reported missing, the National
Disaster Risk Reduction and Management
Council (NDRRMC) said Monday, February
3. Basyang, the second weather
disturbance to hit the country in
2014, killed 5 in Cebu and one in Southern
Leyte. The NDRRMC said 3 of those who
died drowned in a flood, two were
electrocuted, and one was buried in a
landslide. The 5 reported missing in Cebu
included 4 Filipinos and one Korean. The
motor banca they were riding sank at sea
between Danao City and Camotes Island.

7. SPECIAL THANKS TO:
Rappler
COPYRIGHT:
13 January 2014
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