Bullet-planting scandal a hot topic on social media

By By Charmie Joy Pagulong | Philippine Star Sat, Nov 7, 2015

The laglag-bala (bullet-planting) scandal at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) has
become a hot topic on social media websites and has become a global topic.
A video of a television show in Japan demonstrating how the bullet-planting scheme works made the
rounds over social media websites.
The video, originally posted yesterday by Facebook user Shinjoy Noisap Martinez, showed Japanese
TV hosts explaining how the bullets are planted airport security officials would inspect the bag and
spot the bullet inside the bag and detain the passenger who owns the luggage found with bullets.
The segment hosts also explained the plastic wrapping services offered at NAIA to prevent pilferage
and tampering. The cost of plastic wrapping is P160 per bag, regardless of the size of the luggage.
The video also showed tourists with plastic-covered luggage.
Martinez posted the video with a caption saying the Philippines is a country of embarrassment
because of the scam and that even Japan has made it a big issue.
Another netizen commented on the same post that she is nervous about going back to the
Philippines, fearing she might be victimized.
The owner of the video replied that he is planning to go home this December but due to the alarming
incidents of bullet planting, he will just postpone it and go home next year.
In another post, Facebook user Wilfredo Garrido mentioned how paranoid travelers are in one of the
worlds worst airports.
One of the last victims of the bullet planting scam was Japanese national Kazunobu Sakamoto,
whose luggage was found with 9 mm round upon x-ray inspection. He was arrested on Oct. 25 and
charged with illegal possession of ammunition, along with an OFW bound for Hong Kong who
allegedly carried a bullet for a carbine rifle inside her handcarried bag. Sakamoto posted bail of
P80,000.
Overseas workers earlier expressed fear they might fall victim to the scam when they return home for
the holidays.
The public outrage focused on the airport officials and security personnel at the NAIA.
The bullet-planting scheme even became a mobile game application allowing smartphone users to
play while waiting for their flights at the countrys airports.
A Filipino developer recently launched the game application Tanim Bala (bullet planter), which can
be downloaded through Google Play.
Users will have to move their cursor from left to right to avoid bullets that fall into their luggage.
These greedy administrators want to plant a bullet in your bag and if they succeed, youll end up
paying $1,000. Of course you would not let them do that! the app description read.
The app, created by developer Argene Tanyong of Kulit Games, received mostly positive response
from Android smartphone users. It currently has a rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.

Tanyong said he decided to come up with the game as a stress reliever, particularly among travelers
worrying about the possibility of falling victim to the scam. He added he is now working on an iOS
version for Apple users.
The scam also made it to a primetime show of a leading news channel in the US.
The issue was tackled by Greta van Susteren, host of the Fox News program On the Record, last
Nov. 4 amid outrage in the Philippines over the extortion racket that reportedly targets tourists and
migrant workers.
In the segment Off the Record, Susteren said an American friend of Filipino descent had warned
her of the scheme after being informed that the television host is traveling overseas next week.
The television commentator then cited reports about the supposed planting of bullets in the luggage
of travelers to extort money from them.
There are reports that at the Manila international airport, international travelers, as many as 30 in
the last 12 months, five of those in just the last two weeks, are being targeted by Filipino airport
security officials who plant live ammunition in their luggage and then bust the international traveler
for having bullets in his bag, van Susteren said.
She said some passengers were even held for days and were told that they can pay a fine or sit in the
slammer facing charges.

The iPad Pro is in the starting blocks

AFP Relax Sat, Nov 7, 2015

It was during the keynote speech at the Apple event on September 9, 2015 that the group unveiled its
biggest and most powerful tablet. The iPad Pro is set to hit retail this month, with reports suggesting
it will drop November 11 or 13. The new tablet will be in direct competition with the brand new
Surface Pro 4 and the upcoming Google Pixel C, each of which is regarded as a viable alternative to a
laptop computer.
The iPad Pro has a 12.9 inch screen with a resolution of 2732x2048 pixels. It is described as the most
powerful ever produced by Apple with its new A9X chipset that can compete with many laptop
computers. It will be offered in three metal finishes (silver, gold and space grey). It will be available
in the US from $799 for the Wi-Fi model and from $1079 for the Wi-Fi + cellular model.
This tablet will have a stylus as an add-on option, which is a first for Apple. The iPad Pro MultiTouch screen's tactile sub-system has been specifically designed to operate with this Apple Pencil,
which is aimed to be as precise as possible for all artistic and 3D design purposes. It is compatible
with all apps, including an office suite such as Office. The new "Smart Keyboard" is connected
directly to the tablet, without Bluetooth, and its design is very slim and resilient.
Hybrid devices midway between a tablet and a PC
With these features, the iPad Pro looks like a credible rival to a laptop. It is in the same market
position as Microsoft with its Surface Pro range.
This new generation Microsoft tablet, with a starting price of $899, is bigger (12.3 inches) and
thinner (8.4mm) than the Surface Pro 3. Its stand-out feature is its new stylus, which has up to 1024
degrees of pressure sensitivity -- a first for a touch screen, according to RedmondMag.
And Google recently unveiled a similar tablet, derived from its Chromebook Pixel, with an aluminum
body, a USB Type-C port and an LED battery charge indicator. This 10.2 inch tablet (2560x1800
pixels) can also be used with a keyboard, available as an option, making it a high-performance hybrid
solution. This Pixel C tablet is retail for a starting prices of $499 in the US.

How to be a Graceful Pooper

By Ella Tan | MedHatter Fri, Nov 6, 2015

I know at least two people (one male and one female) who cannot do Number 2 at work or in a public
toilet. They will drive home as soon as they feel a rumble down under, determinedly holding it all in while
praying for smooth traffic conditions.
Some of us consider releasing a load as a seriously private affair. There is no letting go if there are people
within hearing or sniffing distance of gassy explosions, splashing, or the odour of eau de toilet.
Top image: http://bit.ly/1Hw8gLz
But holding back is both unhealthy and dangerous. Traffic cops dont take kindly to speeding just because
youre about to sh** your pants!
If only more toilets were built to mask the stinks and noises of bowel movements. Only the super-polite
Japanese seem to include features like deodorization to neutralize unpleasant odours and music of your
choice Beethovens Fifth Symphony will cover wind and splashes but might cause constipation in others.
Weve come a long way from our rural origins. Our village relatives might still be unabashedly doing their
poo-poo anywhere convenient (field, roadside, train cabin, back of bus, park) but as citizens of a worldclass city, we must show more regard for others.
Besides lighting a match or two (phosphorus neutralizes methane) when you next let-it-go bear in mind
advice extracted and modified from WomensHealth.mag.com by Patricia Rossi, author of Everyday
Etiquette http://bit.ly/20yFvd5

In the Office Rest Room

Space yourself out. Pick a stall as far away as possible from any that are already
occupied, so you and other poopers can maintain a little privacy.
Put a layer of toilet paper on the water surface. The toilet paper muffles the noise
poop makes when it hits the water and creates less of a splash.
Do a courtesy flush while you goand another after. Besides masking any
embarrassing sounds, flushing as soon as the poop plops prevents the odor from
reeking up the entire bathroom.
Dont carry on a conversation. If you recognize your coworkers shoes two stalls
down, resist the urge to chat.
Check to make sure the bowl is empty before exiting. Dont be that rude person
who leaves a deposit behind for the next user to have to flush, says Rossi. Oh, and
if youve left skid marks, do a few flushes to get rid of them.
Leave your phone at your desk. Texting or talking on it in the stall is unhygienic (and
its gross for the other party to hear flushing sounds). And dont use office toilet
time to catch up on reading. Others might be waiting to use the loo.

Pregnant women should stay active to avoid

depression
A

Pregnant women suffering from symptoms of depression are more likely to sit down for long periods
of time, suggests a new UK study which also demonstrated that physical activity reduces the risk of
gestational diabetes.
To avoid feeling depressed, putting on too much weight, and contracting gestational diabetes, it is
better for pregnant women not to spend too much time sitting, especially in the second trimester,
suggest researchers at Warwick University and George Eliott Hospital NHS Trust in the UK.
Their study, which was presented at the Society for Endocrinology annual conference in Edinburgh
in the UK, involved 1,263 pregnant women. The participants had to report on their level of physical
activity and emotional well-being in the first trimester of pregnancy and at the end of the second.
The team discovered that the pregnant women with the most depressive symptoms were also those
who were the most likely to spend a lot of time sitting. The results took into account such variables as
the participants' BMI and socio-economic status.
The women who spent more time sitting down during the second trimester and did fewer amounts of
moderate or vigorous physical activity gained significant amounts of weight between the first and
second trimester.
The researchers also noted that these women had a higher blood glucose level in the 28th week of
pregnancy and were therefore more at risk of developing gestational diabetes.
"Encouraging women to take breaks from sitting down might be an easier public health policy to
implement than increasing their physical activity during pregnancy," concluded Dr Ponnusamy
Saravanan, one of the study's co-authors.
The researchers noted that the advice of reducing sitting time has the potential to benefit pregnant
women's mental and physical health, as well as their weight and their baby's health when born, if the
approach is applied as a preventative measure from the start of pregnancy.
It is estimated that approximately 10% of women suffer from moderate to severe depression during
pregnancy and that of those women, over 25% subsequently suffer from postnatal depression.

Mt. Hibok-Hibok named Asean heritage park

By By Rhodina Villanueva | Philippine Star 7 hours ago

The Philippines has gained its eighth ASEAN heritage park after environment ministers from the 10member Association of Southeast Asian Nations unanimously approved the nomination of Mt.
Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument (MTHHNM) during a recent meeting in Hanoi,
Vietnam.
As MTHHNM steps into the pantheon of Southeast Asias natural treasures, we wish to generate
greater appreciation for the environmental uniqueness of this natural park in the island province of
Camiguin, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Ramon Paje said.
The inclusion of Mt. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok in the list was made during the 13th ASEAN Ministerial
Meeting on the Environment, which was attended by environment ministers and their
representatives.
ASEAN heritage parks, or AHPs, are protected areas recognized for their uniqueness, diversity and
outstanding values.
With the naming of MTHHNM as an AHP, it is now part of a regional network of national protected
areas with high conservation importance for their rich ecosystems.
We hope that with the declaration, Camigueos and the rest of the Filipinos as well as the provinces
visitors will appreciate its value and resources and take extra steps to conserve it for the enjoyment of
future generations, Paje said.

Pope wanted to be a butcher

Philippine Star 7 hours ago

The Hague When he was still knee-high to a grasshopper, Pope Francis never dreamt of becoming
the leader of the worlds 1.3 billion Roman Catholics. His secret desire? To be a butcher.
When I was little, there were no shops where they used to sell things, the pontiff said in an
interview published Friday, as he recounted his life growing up in the Argentine capital, Buenos
Aires.
There was a market with a butcher and a fruit-seller. I used to go with my mother and my grandma
to do the shopping. I was little, four years old. And they asked me What do you want to be when you
grow up? and I said butcher!.
The revelation came during an interview with a Dutch paper, Straatnieuws, sold by homeless people
in the central city of Utrecht.
The pontiff, the first to grace the Vatican from Latin America, also confided that he missed being able
to walk on the streets.
In his modest home district of Buenos Aires, there was a small square where he played football,
although with little success. Those who played like I did were dubbed the hard potatoes. In other
words, we had two left feet.
But I would play, and often Id be goalie.
Its been a tough week for the pontiff, after two people were arrested last weekend for allegedly
leaking confidential documents revealing gross financial mismanagement at the Vatican.
Francis has sought to lead a drive for reforms within the secretive Vatican to clamp down on
unbridled spending.
Golden cage
The pope again explained why he had snubbed the grand official Papal Apartments with some 10
rooms, comparing it to a funnel. Its big, but with a small door.
It means isolating oneself. I thought I cant live there, it wouldnt be good for my mental health.

Instead, the pope chose to take up residence in a two-room flat in the Domus Sanctae Marthae
residence, where he can receive visitors and eat with others in the canteen.
Like that, the golden cage doesnt seem such a cage, said Francis, who also revealed that he would
love to be able to go out for a pizza from time to time.
But he brushed aside his new-found celebrity, saying I dont think about the fact that Im famous.
I tell myself, you have an important position now, but in 10 years time no one will still recognize
you, he added with a laugh.
He also again lashed out at cardinals who revel in a life of luxury that their elevated position within
the Church can allow them.
If a believer talks of poverty and the homeless, and lives the life of a Pharoah, thats just not
possible, he told the Dutch paper.
In the Church, there are those who instead of serving, or thinking of others, take advantage of the
Church. The careerists who are too attached to money, he said.

Two US officers arrested over death of 6-year-old boy

Two US law enforcement officers have been arrested on charges of murder and attempted murder
over the fatal shooting of a six-year-old boy in Louisiana, officials said.
The death of Jeremy Mardis will add to growing criticism over perceived brutality in US police forces
after several high-profile incidents over the last year.
City marshals Norris Greenhouse, 23, and Derrick Stafford, 32, were arrested on Friday following an
incident in Marksville on November 3 in which they opened fire on a vehicle, killing the boy and
critically wounding his father, Chris Few, who was driving.
The boy was reportedly hit by five bullets, in the head and the chest.
Another two officers that were involved were also placed on administrative leave.
Colonel Mike Edmonson of Louisiana State Police said the boy died while strapped into the front
passenger seat.
"He didn't deserve to die like that," he told reporters at a press conference late on Friday, saying the
police badge had been "tarnished."
Citing police body-camera footage of the incident, he described it as "the most disturbing thing I've
seen."
He said it was "a complex case."
Investigators told the WBRZ TV station that the four officers had tried to pull the driver over.
He then allegedly tried to back down a dead-end street toward the marshals, who responded by
opening fire. Few was badly wounded and his son was killed.

The TV station quoted Louisiana State Police as saying no weapons were recovered from the vehicle.
The Washington Post said Mardis was the youngest victim of a fatal police shooting this year.

Duterte: I 'might just run' as president

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 11/08/15 2:12 PM
MANILA - Hope does not seem lost for the supporters of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who hinted Sunday that
he may still throw his hat in the ring and join the 2016 presidential race.
"I do not like the way oppressed Filipinos are being treated now. Oppressed na, wala pang matakbuhan," Duterte
said on his local radio show in Davao City. "Kapag sinobrahan ninyo ang kastigo sa Pilipino, I might just decide to run
as president."
The Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) earlier chose Duterte as a substitute for
presidential candidate Martin Dino who withdrew his bid.
In Resolution No. 2, S 2015 signed October 27, 2015, PDP-Laban leaders called Duterte "concededly the strongest
presidential hopeful of the party."
Duterte, meanwhile, told reporters he is getting tired of responding to speculations that he will eventually join the
presidential race by beating the December 10 deadline to replace Dio.
"I really do not know. I really do not know how to solve the problem of the Philippines. I cannot be the savior of this
republic," he said.
Despite shunning the country's top post, however, Duterte has continued to comment on what he would do as
president to solve the country's various problems.
For instance, the mayor said if he were the country's president, he will have the perpetrators of the alleged bullet
planting scam at airports swallow bullets. [SWALLOW BULLETS]
''Kapag ako maging presidente, ipalulunok ko talaga ang bala, ang naninigarilyo nga pinakain ko ang sigarilyo, ang
nagdala ng pekeng dokumento pinakain ko,'' he said.

In his radio show Sunday, Duterte also said that should he run as president, former Metro Manila Development
Authority (MMDA) chairman Francis Tolentino will be part of his senatorial slate.
Duterte said he supports Tolentino's aim of forming a National Disaster Recovery Agency and push for laws that will
promote disaster preparedness and environmental sustainability.
"Mayroon kang calamity fund but that is to meet the exigencies of the moment -- tubig, pagkain. But how about after?
Because then, there would be a greater problem of setting society back to where it was before," Duterte remarked.
The Commission on Elections earlier said it will not work on the substitution of Duterte as presidential candidate of
the PDP-Laban until the mayor accepts the party's decision.
The poll body has not received a letter from Duterte indicating his willingness to stand as Dio's substitute for the
presidential race.
The PDP-Laban has also yet to file a new certificate of nomination and acceptance for Duterte. The substitution will
not be valid without Duterte's consent, the Comelec said.

Filipino wins transgender pageant in Thailand

Bangkok, Nov 7 (IANS) Trixie Maristela from the Philippines was crowned Miss International Queen
2015 at the world's largest transgender beauty pageant held in Thailand's resort city of Pattaya, the
media reported on Saturday.
The 29-year-old graduate from the University of Philippines on Friday received the crown and a
prize money of 400,000 baht ($11,161) and the option of free cosmetic surgery in Bangkok, The
Bangkok Post reported.
The first runner-up was Valesca Dominik Ferraz from Brazil and the second runner-up was Sopida
Siriwattananukoon from Thailand.
Twenty-seven contestants from 17 countries participated in the event formatted like other beauty
pageants with a talent and a swimsuit portion.
Miss International Queen, organised by Thailand's transgender cabaret show Tiffany's, is held
annually in Pattaya and aims to create transgender rights awareness among international
communities.
Since its start in 2014, past winners include contestants from Thailand, the US, Mexico, Japan, South
Korea, Brazil, Venezuela and the Philippines.
Thailand has no laws recognising same-sex unions. However, it has a very strong lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender community, with many being a part of the country's entertainment
industry.

Tick tock Big Bens time might be running out

Yahoo Travel

Brittany Jones-Cooper

Big Ben needs immediate repairs or some fear it could stop ticking. (Photo: Thinkstock)
In addition to the city soundtrack of London, visitors can also count on one familiar sound as
they stroll through the streets the bongs of Big Ben.
But after more than 150 years of service, the clock may be silenced for a short time, anyway.
Its no surprise that after decades of use, the clock is in bad shape. It needs extensive repairs,
and according to CNN, British lawmakers warn that it may stop if its not refurbished.
According to a parliamentary report seen by the Sunday Times, the clock apparently has issues
with the bearings behind the hands and the pendulum. Some even speculate that the problem is
so bad that the hands could fall off.

The main issue with repairs is that they will be very expensive. The four hour hands on Big Ben
are made of gunmetal and weigh a startling 660 pounds each. Similarly, the smaller minute
hands are nearly 14 feet long, weigh 220 pounds, and are made of copper.
Related: The Weekender: The Perfect Three Days in London

The large hands of Big Ben weight up to 660 pounds. (Photo: Thinkstock)
While some estimate that the price tag for fixing the clock could be $45 million, no official figures have
been released. Still, a parliamentary spokesperson told CNN that a feasibility study has been conducted
on Elizabeth Tower (the building housing Big Ben), and they are working to determine the best course of
action.
Committees of both Houses are currently considering the study and will provide advice [on] how best to
proceed, he said. No decisions on works, timescales or costs have been agreed.
If the speculation is true, we hope they come to a resolution soon. After all, time is ticking.