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AUGUST 3, 2019
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Duterte questions Cory Aquino’s
agrarian reform legacy
LATEST NEWS
PACC targets to finish lifestyle
check on PCSO execs in 2-3 months
The Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission is eyeing to conclude its
ongoing lifestyle check on at least "13 to 20" officials of the Philippine
Charity Sweepstakes Office in two to three months amid the alleged
massive corruption in the agency. "In two to three months tapos na namin
ang aming investigation, evaluation at pasasgutin na rin namin sila. The
report will be submitted to the President for recommendation, tapos po
this will be submitted to Office of the Ombudsman for criminal aspect of
the case," PACC Commissioner Greco Belgica said in an interview on
Super Radyo dzBB on Saturday. "We will begin with at least 13 to 20
officials na identified po namin, meron po kaming intelligence reports na
nakalap," Belgica added. While the PACC official did not identify the
PCSO officials under investigation, he said they are current and former
officials who held positions that have "discretion kung sino ang bibigyan
ng franchise at kung magkano ang tatanggapin." To recall, Belgica said
President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-corruption unit is set to conduct a
lifestyle check on former PCSO General Manager, PCSO chairman
Anselmo Simeon Pinili, and the board of directors. "I initiated this
lifestyle check dahil after magsalita ang ating Pangulo na he's shutting
down all PCSO operations for massive corruption so napapanahon lang
na tingnan natin 'yung mga tao na involved doon baka yumaman na po
'yan more than their salaries, unjustified na 'yung kanilang mga
kayamanan. "Maraming reports na hindi nare-remit 'yung tamang dapat
naibibigay sa gobyerno... so nalulugi ang gobyerno," said Belgica, noting
that the controversial Small Town Lottery (STL) is being used as a front
for the jueteng, an illegal numbers game. On July 26, Duterte ordered the
closure of the operations of PCSO’s betting schemes as he ordered an
investigation on the alleged corruption within the PCSO. Operations of
the more popular lotto was lifted last Tuesday after the Palace found no
anomalies and said regulations have been followed. The National Bureau
of Investigation is also conducting a probe and a case buildup on alleged
graft and corrupt practices inside the PCSO and its various gaming
operations.
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President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday questioned
the agrarian reform legacy of Corazon Aquino, the
country’s first female leader who belonged to a
wealthy and landed family.
Duterte said Aquino exempted Hacienda Luisita, a
vast sugar plantation estate once owned by her clan,
in Tarlac from the coverage of land distribution
which was the centerpiece of her social legislative
agenda. The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law
was passed in 1988, two years into Aquino’s six-
year term.
“Hindi niya sinali yung kanya. She exempted her
[land]. So you call her what, the one who freed,
emancipated? It’s an incongruity,” the president
said in a speech before land reform beneficiaries in
Davao City, a day after the 10th death anniversary
of Aquino who succumbed to colon cancer on
August 1, 2009.
GMA News Online has sought comment from
Aquino's son, former President Benigno Aquino III.
Hacienda Luisita used to occupy 6,435 hectares but
over the years, portions of land have been sold to
industrial companies.
The stock distribution plan had been in place since
1989 when the Hacienda Luisita Inc. forged an
agreement with thousands of farmers to get stocks
instead of land.
The issue on land distribution had reached the
Supreme Court which decided in November 2011
to give the more than 4,300 hectares of land to
farmer beneficiaries.
Duterte said Aquino’s claim to fame was the death
of her husband, former Senator Benigno “Ninoy”
Aquino Jr., who fell by an assassin’s bullet at the
Manila International Airport on August 21, 1983,
following a three-year exile in the United States.
Ninoy Aquino's death sparked various protests and
catapulted CorazonTRENDING NEWS
to the presidency in February
Class cancellations for
1986 following the ouster of President Ferdinand
Marcos in a bloodless People Power revolution.
Saturday,
“Cory Aquino maybe popular,August 3, 2019
she is popular today.
Why? For losing the husband in the hands of Mr.
Marcos,”
Classes Duterte said. August 3, 2019, have been
for Saturday,
canceled
Duterte has in some
been areas due
criticized fortohisbad weather.with
closeness
the Marcos family, the political rival of Saturday,
Below are the class cancellations for the
August even
Aquinos, 3, 2019:
allowing the late dictator to be
buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani in 2016. —
Metro Manila:
LDF/NB, GMA News
Caloocan - all levels, public and private
Las Piñas - all levels, public and private
Malabon - all levels, public and private
Makati - preschool to high school, public and
private
Mandaluyong - all levels, public and private
Manila - all levels, public and private
Marikina - all levels, public and private
Parañaque City - all levels, public and private
Pasay - all levels, public and private
Pateros - all levels, public and private
Quezon City - all levels, public and private
San Juan - all levels, public and private
Taguig City - all levels, public and private
Valenzuela City - all levels, public and private
Provinces:
Bacoor, Cavite - all levels, public and private
Imus, Cavite - all levels, public and private
Rizal - all levels, public and private
Schools:
Polytechnic University of the Philippines —
National Capital Region branches and campuses
except classes in College of Law and Graduate
School)
University of Makati
 FOREIGN NEWS

Katy Perry and including musicologists from all over

are expressing their dismay over this.
Co-Writers Call “We will continue to fight at all
appropriate levels to rectify the
‘Dark Horse’ injustice,” the statement concludes,
Decision a
presumably meaning that, as expected,
an appeal is in the offing.
‘Travesty of Justice’ The statement was issued by Perry’s
attorney, Christine Lapera, on behalf
of the writers, who are Perry;
producers Dr. Luke (Lukasz
Gottwald), Cirkut (Henry Walter) and
Max Martin (Karl Sandberg); rapper
Juicy J (Jordan Houston); and lyricist
Sarah Hudson.
The jurors in the copyright case came
in with a judgment that Perry should
pay the Christian rapper Flame
(Marcus Gray) $550,000 after
determining that her 2013 hit
borrowed from his 2008 song “Joyful
defendants’ attorney, Aaron M. Wais,
“They’re not seeking fairness. They’re
seeking to obtain as much money as
possible.”
The plaintiffs contended that “Dark
Horse” was responsible for $31
million coming in to Capitol, counting
not just profits from the single itself
but the album and live DVD on which
it appeared. Capitol disputed that
accounting and maintained that after
production and promotion expenses,
the label’s profits from the song were
only $650,000.
Essentially, Gray’s attorney wanted to
argue that “Dark Horse” was
responsible for virtually the entire
success of the entire “Prism” album
and its offshoots, while Capitol
wanted to argue that, as one of 13
songs on the album (or 16 on the

T
he writers of Katy Perry’s
song “Dark Horse,” who were
found by a jury to have
infringed on the copyright of
Flame’s song “Joyful Noise” in a a
$2.78 million decision this week,
issued a statement today calling the
decision a “travesty of justice.”
“The writers of Dark Horse view the
verdicts as a travesty of justice,” the
statement reads. “There is no
infringement. There was no access of
substantial similarity. The only thing
in common is unprotectable
expression — evenly spaced “C and
“B” notes — repeated. People
Noise.” Capitol will be responsible for
paying most of the $2.78 million
balance.
Lawyers for Gray and his co-writers
had asked for nearly $20 million in the
damages phase of the trial, which
began Tuesday, after the first phase in
which the jury ruled Gray’s song had
indeed been copied. Defense lawyers
had argued that $360,000 was a
reasonable figure.
“These defendants have made millions
and millions of dollars from their
infringement of the plaintiff’s
copyright,” Gray’s attorney, Michael
A. Kahn, said in court. Countered the
deluxe edition), the album’s earnings
should be divided by that many
numbers. Clearly, the jury decided that
the answer lies somewhere in the
middle.
However, that process may take
months or years, as an appeal seems
likely. A motion from Perry’s lawyers,
requesting U.S. District Judge
Christina Snyder to rule that no
reasonable jury could find copyright
infringement based on the evidence
presented at trial, is still pending. If
Snyder takes Perry’s side, the
damages ruling is moot.

Demise of US-Russia nuclear treaty fuels fears of new arms race

T he United States vowed to upgrade its cruise and ballistic missile capability as the collapse Friday of a Cold War nuclear pact
with Russia triggered fears of a new arms race. As Washington placed the blame firmly on Moscow over the demise of the
Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) treaty, President Donald Trump said any new disarmament pact would also need
China to come on board. Russia in turn accused the US of making a "serious mistake" in turning its back on the INF, which the United
Nations said had played a pivotal role in maintaining peace and stability for more than three decades. The pact had been widely
proclaimed as a beacon of hope when it was signed back in 1987 by then US president Ronald Reagan and Soviet leader Mikhail
Gorbachev as they agreed to limit the use of conventional and nuclear medium-range missiles. But its unraveling had been on the
cards for months amid a worsening in ties between Russia and the US. "Russia is solely responsible for the treaty's demise," US
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a statement confirming Washington's formal withdrawal, minutes after Russia also
pronounced the agreement void. Russia's suggestion of a moratorium was swiftly rebuffed by NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg as not
credible while saying the 29-country transatlantic alliance did not want to see a renewed battle for military supremacy."We will not
mirror what Russia does," Stoltenberg told a news conference in Brussels. "We don't want a new arms race. And we have no intention
to deploy new land-based nuclear missiles in Europe," he said. But there was clear unease in European capitals, with France's foreign
ministry voicing concern that the treaty's collapse "increases the risk of instability in Europe and erodes the international arms control
system." "Europe must not become the scene of a new arms race," Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg urged.
But Trump's new defense secretary said the US had already begun work to develop "mobile, conventional, ground-launched cruise and
ballistic missile systems." As the United States had "scrupulously complied" with its INF obligations while it was party to the treaty,
"these programs are in the early stages," Mark Esper said. "Now that we have withdrawn, the Department of Defense will fully pursue
the development of these ground-launched conventional missiles as a prudent response to Russia's actions," he added, without saying
where the missiles could be stationed. Russia's foreign ministry said Washington was making a "serious mistake" pulling out of the
treaty, adding in a statement that the US had run a "propaganda campaign" accusing Russia of violating the deal.
'Serious mistake' Under the deal, missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,500 kilometers (310 to 3,420 miles) were eliminated.
That paved the way for the mothballing of Russian SS-20 missiles and American Pershing missiles deployed in Europe.
For years, Washington has accused Russia of developing a new type of missile, the 9M729, which it says violates the treaty -- claims
that NATO has backed up. The missile has a range of about 1,500 kilometers, according to NATO, though Moscow says it can only
travel 480 kilometers. The White House launched a six-month withdrawal procedure for leaving the treaty in February.
Soon after, Moscow began its move to pull out, and last month Russian President Vladimir Putin formally suspended its participation.
The INF treaty was considered a cornerstone of the global arms control architecture. But the United States accused Russia of repeated
violations and said the bilateral pact had given other countries -- namely China -- free rein to develop their own long-range missiles.
Trump reiterated on Friday that he wanted to see China also sign up to any new treaty. "We'd certainly want to include China at some
point," Trump told reporters. "That would be a great thing for the world."
US-China tensions -- mainly over trade and maritime disputes -- have been center stage at the meeting of foreign ministers from the
Association of Southeast Asian nations in Bangkok this week, where Pompeo has peddled Washington's "Indo-Pacific" strategy to
counter Beijing's economic and military might in Asia.
Pompeo said Friday the US was "seeking a new era of arms control that moves beyond the bilateral treaties of the past" as he also
called on Beijing to join discussions.
The INF deal was seen as one of two key arms deals between Russia and the US -- the other being the New START treaty, which
keeps the nuclear arsenals of both countries well below their Cold War peak.
That deal expires in 2021 and there appears to be little political will from Moscow or Washington to renew it, experts say.
China has already rebuffed calls from the US to join the New START treaty in the future.
 ENTERTAINMENT

SUDOKU PUZZLE It is finally time. Netflix's hit sci-fi show, Stranger Things, premiered its
third season just now. All eight episodes of the third season are now
available to stream around the world.

Watch Stranger Things Season 3 on Netflix

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Re-arrange the letters, O O U S W T D N E J R, to spell just one word. What is it?
David's father has three sons : Snap, Crackle and _____ ?
What belongs to you, but other people use it more than you?
Poor people have it. Rich people need it. If you eat it you die. what is it?
How do you spell candy in 2 letters ?

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