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Relief Efforts Continue in Philippines; Family Member Rescues Cousin From Kidnapper

Aired November 11, 2013 - 15:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: Hello, everyone. I'm Kyra Phillips in for Brooke Baldwin. How ironic that on this Veterans Day, we honor the U.S. military. We're seeing America's best respond to what may be the worst disaster the Philippines has ever experienced. The country's president has now declared a state of national calamity with as many as 9.5 million people impacted.

But three days after Super Typhoon Haiyan hit, no one knows how high the death toll could get and now we believe 10,000 lives have been lost, and another storm still on the way. CNN international, Kristie Lu Stout live in Manila now. Kristie, a crucial step as we've been talking about today is getting aid to the survivors. Have the U.S. Marines arrived?

KRISTIE LU STOUT, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: They have arrived. And they are making a big difference already.

It's 4:00 a.m. in the morning here in the Philippines. There have been no aid flights all night because there's no power on the ground, there's no power in hard-hit Tacloban City, no power to light up the runways so the pilot can safely land.

But U.S. Marines are now on the ground in hard-hit Tacloban City. They're there with C-130 aircraft. They're there with aid and they're there with a plan to make that airport functional on a 24-hour basis, even at this time of night, the much-needed aid could be flown in to the survivors who desperately need it. The Philippines, their special forces are also on the ground there, providing aid and also a plan to restore order and restore law.

Now, meanwhile, the survivors there, they are struggling. Remember, this storm, it made landfall about four days ago, 4:00 a.m. local time on Friday. They have been closed up, sealed off from the outside world for four days now. They desperately need just the essentials, food, water, medicine, power generators, shelter, et cetera.

Some of the survivors have been speaking with CNN there in Tacloban City, and they say what they're going through is worse than hell, and they also say -- these are doctors talking to CNN there in the impact sight, saying that they can't go on because they don't have the medicine and supplies they need to help people there on the ground -- Kyra, back to you.

PHILLIPS: Well, Kristie, and now Chad Myers is telling us about another storm that is forming. How are survivors getting ready for that?

STOUT: That's right. It's a very, very frightening scenario here.

We have a new storm system, high possibility it will turn into a storm system southeast of the Philippines. It looks like it's following the same path as the Super Typhoon Haiyan. And it's going to add more rain, which is the last thing that the displaced needs. According to the Philippines government, over 600,000 people are displaced, 600,000 people are homeless because of the super typhoon.

In addition to that, because of that super typhoon, the ground is already saturated. Even if it's an insignificant rainmaker, a minor storm system, it can cause major damage because the area will be that much more prone for landslides, mudslides, and also flooding, a very worrying scenario -- back to you, Kyra.

PHILLIPS: Kristie Lu Stout, we will be talking a lot. Thanks.

As Kristie mentioned, the United Nations says more than 600,000 Filipinos are displaced from Haiyan, which wiped out multiple locations, by the way, in the Philippines, including Tacloban.

Many people are haunted by what Haiyan took from them. One mother talked to "The Philippine Daily Inquirer" about seeing her daughter life. Listen to this chilling quote: "'Ma, just let go, save yourself,' said the girl whose body was pierced by wooden splinters. 'I was holding her and I kept telling her to hang on, that I was going to bring her up, but she just gave up.'"

Well, the grief, the devastation, survivors are overwhelmed. Adding to it all is a stench that they can't escape.

Here's CNN's Paula Hancocks. And a warning, too, her story has some pretty disturbing images.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

PAULA HANCOCKS, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): This sign refers to a very different time. Now all that greets visitors on the road to Tacloban is devastation.

(on camera): Three days on since the storm itself, there are still bodies by the side of the road. Now, we can't show you the faces of these bodies. It's just too graphic. You can still see the terror as the wave hit on the faces of these bodies.

And they're still here three days on. Some of them are crudely covered. Other are just open and have blackened skin from the sun. Now, the officials say they're looking at the living, which is what you would understand, but they have to get rid of the bodies. This is a health issue for those people living and trying to survive around here.

The stench is overpowering. And, of course, they have to start considering disease. This is the Tacloban convention center. We're told by the locals that a lot people came in here to try and protect themselves from the storm. But as you can see, the water reached the second story. And the locals say that anyone on the ground floor not expecting this storm surge simply didn't make it.

(voice-over): Many residents used this school as a shelter from the storm, but the water engulfed it. This resident says a lot of children died in here. Only a few managed to survive. No one knows how many lost their lives. Down the road, a public well is being put to use.

ROSELDA STUMAPIT, VICTIM: Right now, we don't have enough water. Even though we are not sure that it's clean and safe, we still drink from it because we need to survive.

HANCOCKS: We see just two trucks in two hours making their very slow way into the city at the heart of desperation.

Paula Hancocks, CNN, Tacloban, the Philippines.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: Well, that was rough to watch.

You know, within all that devastation, here's a moment that actually gave people not only a glimmer of hope, but happiness. A woman actually gave birth to this baby girl at a makeshift medical center. She labored on a dirty piece of plywood surrounded by wreckage left behind from the storm.

The mother went into labor early this morning, we're told, and had to walk several miles to the airport before catching a ride. And here's the gut-wrencher. She named that baby girl after her mom, who has been missing since the storm hit.

It turns out that Haiyan may be the strongest storm on record now. We're talking sustained winds 195 miles per hour. Even sturdy evacuation shelters were no match for 16-foot-high storm surge. As the storm crossed the string of the Philippine islands, huge walls of water pushed ashore, carrying debris, and, yes, people with it, and the danger is far from over.

(WEATHER UPDATE)

PHILLIPS: And, tonight, CNN's Anderson Cooper will be in Manila for a close-up look at the destruction and how aid workers and survivors are coming together now for that recovery effort. That's tonight, 8:00 and 10:00 Eastern right on CNN.

And coming up, what caused a cougar to maul a worker to death inside a cage at an animal sanctuary? We're going to talk with an expert.

Plus, nearly a year after a Newtown police officer saw the horrors inside Sandy Hook, he still isn't back at work. And now he could lose his job. Does he even have a case? And PG-13 movies, they are supposed to be less violent, less racy than R-rated ones, but a new study suggests that's not the case. We will discuss it next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: So if your kids watch a movie and tell you, don't worry, it's PG-13, you might want to check it out for yourself. You might want to see something like this.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: Get everything on the plane.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Yes, that's a PG-13 movie, "Live Free or Die Hard," released in 2007. Here's another one, PG-13. Oh, yes, a lot of bang- bang there. That's "Terminator Salvation," released in 2009.

In case you hadn't noticed, there's a lot more violence now in PG-13 movies. Well, how much more? A new study is out and it might surprise you. It found that in PG-13 movies, gun violence since 1985 has tripled. Beginning in 2009, PG-13 movies became every bit as violent as R-rated movies. In 2012, PG-13 movies contained more violence that movies rated R.

Dan Glickman is with us now. He's a past president of the Motion Pictures Association of America.

Dan, three times as much gun violence now in PG-13 movies than 1985. Why?

DAN GLICKMAN, FORMER PRESIDENT, MOTION PICTURES ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: Well, you would have to study what kind of violence it is because, by and large, gun violence and violence in R movies is much more intense than the violence in PG-13 movies.

But one thing we have now that we didn't have 5, 10, 15 years ago is there are descriptors on movies. In addition to the letters PG-13 and R, it tells you why it's been rating the way it is, it talks about the level of violence or language or sexual context, and all this is done to give parents more information about what's in a movie.

Yes, there probably is more violence today in movies than there was 15 or 20 years ago, but it puts more of a burden on parents to read the descriptors, read the critical reviews, and hopefully will be in a position to advice their children what kind of movies to see or not to see.

PHILLIPS: There's been a lot of controversy over the rating system, it's drawn a lot of criticism over the years, that it's secretive, that it lacks consistent standards, that it's stacked in favor of big- money film studios. You took some heat for that. So I have to ask you, did you sort of lead us down this path? GLICKMAN: Well, I hope not. And I think the system is on the level, and, by and large, the raters are parents and grandparents who have children or grandchildren, and the ratings are designed to give basically parents information to help their children decide what's in their best interest or not.

It's an art and not a science in terms of how to do this kind of thing. But, you know, we're always looking for better ways to do it. Look, the entertainment industry has to be a part of the discussion about the whole issue of violence in our society, but they're not alone responsible for it. There are many other players involved with it, and it's up to really parents to work the system, to understand the system in order to best advise their children about what to do.

PHILLIPS: But when it comes to the ratings, OK, people familiar with the industry are saying, look, if a producer is aiming for a PG-13 movie, they need to watch out for language. They need to watch out for sex. But, hey, don't worry so much about the violence. You know, that's OK. In your opinion, is rough sex worse than a bloody massacre?

GLICKMAN: This is a cultural thing in America.

I mean, rough sex and a bloody massacre both justify higher ratings, depending upon the nature of the movie. But, you know, the truth of the matter is that the ratings reflect our culture. Our culture historically has been much more concerned about sexual context, about nudity, than it has been about violence. Violence is a big problem in our society.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: What about the studies that have been done saying that it's this type of media violence that impacts aggressive real-life behavior? And, Dan, the last thing we want to see is another school shooting.

GLICKMAN: You're right, we don't want to see it. Those studies have been rather inconclusive. "The New York Times" today talks about the studies and they have competing evidence about whether you go and watch a movie and whether it makes you more likely to commit a violent act or not.

I don't think we can make decisions on how to rate movies based on those kinds of inconclusive studies.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: But the study that is talks about this research and that it's a very big concern.

GLICKMAN: It is a concern. But the question is, what do we do about it? In the last five years, this is new. We have rating descriptors now that absolutely describe what a movie is about. If a parent looks at that, they can get a much better idea.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: But bottom line, ratings don't matter. I as a parent, I have to make sure what my kid is watching and not watching.

GLICKMAN: You should watch the ratings, you should watch the descriptors, and you need to be a big part of what your kid does when it comes to entertainment. That's just the bottom line here.

There's the responsibility of the parent or the guardian to make sure they know what their kid is doing. But the ratings themselves have to be accurate. I hope that the rating system continues to evolve to become more and more accurate all the time.

PHILLIPS: Dan Glickman, appreciate you joining me.

GLICKMAN: You're welcome. Thank you.

PHILLIPS: Let's take a look at this chilling picture.

That's a kidnapping victim being rescued after a nightmare ordeal. It wasn't the police who discovered her and saved her. Instead, the woman's family finds her and kills the kidnapper. Was it justified? You're going to hear about the dramatic confrontation next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PHILLIPS: Well, a Louisiana woman escapes her kidnapper thanks to her cousin. He took the law into his own hands and shot the suspect dead after he found the man stabbing her.

This picture puts it all into perspective. That's Bethany Arceneaux in the arms of a family member after cops say she was abducted by her ex-boyfriend Scott Thomas, but her 29-year-old cousin whose identity right now is being protected found her when he heard her screaming from inside an abandoned house. Police say that Arceneaux's cousin kicked down the door, shot the suspect when he saw him repeatedly stabbing her.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MARCUS ARCENEAUX, UNCLE OF VICTIM: She was just hollering. She was hollering like her life was in danger. And when they heard the hollers, they said, man, just a chill went through their body.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PHILLIPS: Arceneaux is expected to recover from her stab wounds. That's the good news.

Criminal defense attorney Drew Findling is here.

OK. So now the cousin, the sheriff's department said he shouldn't be charged. He's not going to be charged. This is justified. What do you think?

DREW FINDLING, ATTORNEY: This is amazing because we have spent so much time the last year-and-a-half talking about stand your ground. So many people like me have said, hey, what about good old self- defense, or as in this matter defense of a third person?

Louisiana law is very clear. If Ms. Arceneaux could have justifiably defended herself, that is, if she was in fear of death or serious bodily injury, which she was because she was about to be killed, then a third person can come in and defend her. The law is so clear in Louisiana. Those of us that live in the Southeast are very familiar with self-defense laws, particularly the defense of third person's laws as exist in Louisiana.

She will not get charged I think under any set of -- or her relative will not get charged under any set of circumstances.

(CROSSTALK)

PHILLIPS: What about the DA, though? Is there any way the DA could change this dynamic and bring about changes?

FINDLING: Yes, great, great question.

The way things work is that law enforcement cannot charge you and then the district attorney can step in and say, well, we respect your opinion, but we're going to go ahead and charge a certain crime anyway. The onus then is going to be on the district attorney.

But you have to remember that district attorneys are elected officials. What is their community going to think if law enforcement takes a pass on the case and they turn around and indict this cousin? I can just imagine in this type of scenario an outpouring of support for the cousin.

PHILLIPS: Oh, yes. And can I tell you, when you look at that picture, we're wrapping this up, but just one more time, can we just go to the photo? I saw this this morning, and just seeing the family member holding her, I mean, it's just -- that says it all. You look at her face. You look at her condition. I would love to know what he was saying to her.

We will definitely stay on the case, but there are a lot of people, as you said, rooting for that cousin.

FINDLING: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: He's a hero. Drew, thanks.

FINDLING: Absolutely.

PHILLIPS: Well, coming up, a wildcat kills a veteran worker inside an animal sanctuary. You are going to hear what happened moments before her death.

Plus, an older white guy wins a local election after leading voters to believe he's black.

And a family in America desperately searching for their loved ones in the Philippines after disaster strikes the area. Stay here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)