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U.S. EXPORTS CHICKEN TO CHINA THEN IMPORTS BACK FAKE CHICKEN

Fake noodles. Fake eggs. Fake beef.Recent media reports show that some Chinese companies have been manufacturing fake food using both organic and inorganic ingredients. These fake food have yet to find their way to America (or have they, already?)Well, fake chicken from China may soon hit the shelves and refrigerated sections of U.S. supermarkets, and the U.S. government may have had a hand in it.In 2014, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) gave four Chinese companies approval to export cooked poultry products to the United States. But it was largely a symbolic move.That’s because the only chickens that China can legally export to the United States must first be imported from countries that have USDA approved poultry standards. America, Canada and Chile are the only countries that make the grade.So some enterprising Chinese food manufacturers import USDA-approved chicken from the U.S., sell them locally at extremely profitable margins, then produce fake chicken to export back to the U.S.Looks like China did put one over the United States.For Filipinos in the U.S., their chicken adobo may never taste the same again…

['Pol Pinoy']

13/07/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/07/13/u-s-exports-chicken-to-china-then-imports-back-fake-chicken/

Adobo Chronicles

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Duterte slams De Lima

President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday linked his staunchest critic, Sen Leila de Lima, to the illegal drug trade, calling her an “immoral woman” whose driver, who he claimed was also her “lover,” collected drug payoffs for her.Without naming the senator in a speech in Camp Crame, the tough-talking President accused De Lima of “political posturing when you yourself has a very sordid personal and official life.”READ: Duterte blasts female senator: She’s ‘immoral’, an ‘adulterer’But Mr. Duterte, at an airport interview later, named De Lima as the senator he had referred to in his remarks.“Here is a senator complaining. One day I will tell you that her driver himself, who was her lover, was the one collecting money for her during the campaign,” the President said in his nationally televised speech at the 115th Police Service Anniversary at Camp Crame.“Here is an immoral woman, flaunting, well of course insofar as wife of the driver was concerned, (her) adultery,” he said. “Here is a woman who funded the house of her lover and yet we do not see any complaint about it. Those money came readily from drugs.”“It’s so foul,” De Lima, on the verge of tears, told Senate reporters. “It’s character assassination.”De Lima, chair of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, is scheduled on Monday to start an inquiry into Mr. Duterte’s bloody war on illegal drugs.She said she would present witnesses to show that police “scalawags” were behind the summary execution of some suspected drug dealers.Nearly 600 suspected drug peddlers and users have been killed in police operations since Mr. Duterte took office six weeks ago, police say, but rights groups put the number at more than 1,000.Ready to face inquiry“We are willing to submit ourselves for an investigation before anybody,” Duterte said, adding some of the killings were carried out by drug gangs.“But do not attribute acts of other criminals upon my government. The fight against drugs will continue unrelenting until we have destroyed the apparatus operating in the entire country,” he added.In its annual report, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency said that by the end of 2015, the narcotics problem had affected 99 percent of barangays in Metro Manila alone.The Dangerous Drugs Board said that in 2012, 1.3 million Filipinos were drug users, mainly of “shabu,” or methamphetamine hydrocloride, allegedly supplied by Triad gangs from China.There have been cases when police officers have killed suspected drug dealers in handcuffs, in police custody or inside prison cells, civil rights lawyers have said.Police have said they will not condone wrongdoing but that some may have been killed by rogue officers.Mr. Duterte won the presidency in May on a single platform of suppressing crime and drugs, declaring war on narcotics on his first day in office. He has identified 160 officials, police and judges in a name-and-shame campaign to stop the drug trade.“I myself, who ordered the campaign against drugs, take full and sole responsibility for it,” he said, cautioning police against using excessive force in making arrests. “Do not kill if you’re not in danger of losing your life.”While Mr. Duterte said he would not accuse De Lima of receiving the drug money from her driver, he said that “by the looks of it, she has it.”He said the senator’s driver was accepting money from somebody in “Muntinlupa,” referring to New Bilibid Prison, where convicted drug lords were allegedly directing business from behind bars.Davao Death SquadDe Lima, justice secretary of former President Benigno Aquino III, has been at loggerheads with Mr. Duterte for a long time.As chair of the Commission on Human Rights during the Arroyo administration, she had placed him under investigation for his supposed involvement with the Davao Death Squad (DDS) when he was mayor of Davao City.Mr. Duterte had previously admitted that he was behind the DDS, a shadowy group of vigilantes that owned up to the extrajudicial killings in Davao City.Despite allegations he was involved in summary executions, he had been elected half a dozen times, serving the city for over two decades.De Lima’s actions against him evidently left a deep scar on the President. He recalled in his speech how she had once threatened to unmask him as protector of the DDS.He said he was in possession of a CD (compact disc) containing the digital recording of the then CHR chair’s interview with the media before the start of the CHR investigation. In that interview, he said, De Lima told reporters that “I will prove that Duterte is connected with the DDS.”“Until now, she keeps on yakking and has forgotten the tape which I have recorded,” the President said. “I would like her to eat it in (my) presence, but I could not do it because it’s not an accepted edible food for human beings.”No letdownDirector General Ronald dela Rosa, in his address at the Philippine National Police founding anniversary, vowed “no letdown” in efforts to go after criminals.”“We will not stop combing streets and communities to detect illegal drug activities, arrest the culprits and give peace and safety to our citizens,” he said.From July 1 to Aug. 11, Dela Rosa reported that the PNP had conducted 306,991 visits on houses of alleged pushers and users under Oplan Tokhang (“knock and plead”) to convince them to mend their ways.As a result, 518,310 drug users and 45,799 suspected drug pushers had surrendered to authorities. There were also 7,830 arrests and 572 killed in antidrug operations, he said.Dela Rosa said the PNP would also continue efforts to rid its ranks of those involved in illegal drugs and other crimes. Since the Duterte administration took over, 18 PNP personnel have been dismissed, two suspended and 37 cases filed while another 30 with supposed links to illegal drugs have submitted themselves for investigation.PandemicSen. Alan Peter Cayetano yesterday said that Mr. Duterte, during a meeting with senators in Malacañang on Monday, described the illegal drug problem as a “pandemic” and that he would not stop his name-and-shame campaign against officials involved in the narcotics trade.“He has a new list. I assume they are done vetting. But he said this will continue. Because it’s part of an intelligence gathering, vetting,” Cayetano said.“The President did tell us that he will not stop from naming. But there’s a process. It’s not easy to be put on the list, and there’s a vetting system,” he added.Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri, among the seven senators in the meeting, said the President was “sickened to the core” at the level of official involvement in drugs.He said Mr. Duterte’s list came from military and police intelligence.“That’s why he was so frustrated that night. The magnitude of the problem is so immense. He actually joked “just impeach me so I can go back to Davao,” Zubiri said.Sen. Ralph Recto, who was also present at the meeting, said Mr. Duterte even read out some of the names. He, however, did not share what he heard.“What is clear is that the President is serious in fighting the drug problem,” Recto said. With reports from Tarra Quismundo, Jerome Aning, Jeannette I. Andrade/TVJRELATED STORIESEmotional De Lima calls Duterte tirades ‘character assassination’WHAT WENT BEFORE: Davao Death Squad

['Marlon Ramos']

24/08/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/807231/duterte-slams-de-lima

Inquirer

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Marawi-crisis affected families receive Qurbani meat packs

MARAWI CITY –– Islamic Relief Philippines led by its head of mission Omar Rahaman on Thursday distributed Qurbani meet packs of two kilos each to the Marawi-crisis affected families at the evacuation centers in barangay Buadi-Itowa.This is in celebration of Eid-al-Adha or the feast of sacrifice.“We hope that this initiative will bring hope and sense of contentment to the displaced families and would remind everyone to renew our faith in Allah, just like what Prophet Ibrahim did,” Rahaman stated.He added that non-Muslim Marawi-crisis affected families also received the meat packs.In 2017 Islamic Relief has distributed Qurbani meat packs to 3 million beneficiaries affected by natural disasters and armed conflict in 33 countries, including the Philippines.Last May, during the holy month of Ramadan, over 15,000 vulnerable people in Marawi City and Maguindanao province received Ramadan food packs from Islamic Relief Philippines.Islamic Relief Philippines mission head Omar Rahaman led the distribution of 3870 kilos of Qurban meat to 1,800 families living in tents and temporary shelters, August 22 and 23 in Marawi City.

[]

24/08/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/24/marawi-crisis-affected-families-receive-qurbani-meat-packs/

Manila Bulletin

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PH reelected to int’l maritime council

The Philippines has been re-elected to the council of the United Nations’ International Maritime Organization in charge of maritime safety, security and environment protection, the Department of Transportation said on Monday.The Philippines obtained 124 out of 160 votes on December 1 under Category C, placing 13th among 20 elected IMO member-states under the said category.Category A are states with the largest interest in providing international shipping services while Category B are those with the largest interest in international seaborne trade. Category C meanwhile are states not elected under A or B, which have special interests in maritime transport or navigation and whose election to the Council will ensure the representation of all major geographic areas of the world.Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA) Administrator Al Amaro said the Philippines’ obtaining a higher position is attributed to the “strong and progressive image of the Philippines under the leadership of President Rodrigo Duterte and the good reputation of Filipino seafarers to worldwide maritime operations.”“The Philippines winning a slot in this prestigious international maritime Council is not only a victory for the DOTr, but a victory for Filipino seafarers, the entire Philippines, and for all of us Filipinos,” Amaro said.The Philippines ranked 18 in IMO Category C in 2015.According to government data, Filipino seafarers comprise over 25 percent of the 1.5-million mariners worldwide. They provide $5.575 billion to the Philippine economy through remittances.

['Reicelene Joy Ignacio']

2017-12-04 21:39:40+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/ph-reelected-intl-maritime-council/366660/

Manila Times

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Teddyboy’s tweet sparks word war

NEWLY appointed Ambassador to the United Nations Teddyboy Locsin Jr. has been engaging netizens in a word war through his Twitter account (@teddyboylocsin), following his controversial tweet that “the drug menace is so big it needs a Final Solution like the Nazis adopted. That I believe. No rehab.”The tweet—posted on Aug. 21, or more than a month ahead of President Duterte’s own controversial remarks that referenced Adolf Hitler’s murder of millions of Jews and Mr. Duterte’s own desire to kill all drug addicts in the Philippines—was bashed by netizens.On Aug. 24, Locsin tweeted, “You may find this hard to believe but the Nazis were not all wrong, give or take killing millions of the wrong people. Keep an open mind.”Many believe that the incident was the subject of an online article, “Obituary For the Formerly Brilliant” (jessicarulestheuniverse.com), written by author and blogger Jessica Zafra. People have been talking that the “mentor” Zafra was alluding to is Locsin.Locsin—a former Makati representative in Congress and newspaper publisher, columnist and now a broadcast journalist—is said to have deleted the tweet.But the incident has not stopped Locsin from firing off a series of expletive-laden rants just on Monday, in reply to his critics’ bashing of another of his tweets, following a quote from the Senate hearings on extrajudicial killings initiated by Sen. Leila de Lima.After Inquirer.net posted on its Twitter account Senator De Lima’s comments, “Warrantless arrests can be done if suspect is caught in the act,” Locsin tweeted: @inquirerdotnet, @AttyLeila, @10avendanoINQ: “Ah, shut the fuck up you fat bitch. GMA had a TRO from the Supreme Court and you spat on it.”To @roncerod, @celeridadpo and @MarionA56n, Locsin said, “I will continue to fuck, you ugly fuck faces. Look at all of you, look at your own faces.”To @celeridadpo, who on Oct. 1 posted, “To the brave patriots fighting the good fight online: Our Ambassador to the UN just deleted his Tweet that praised the Nazis. Good job,” Locsin countered: “To the brave patriots fighting the good fight online, fuck you…”On Oct. 2 Locsin tweeted: “@celeridadpo I will remember you, you fuck face. Find this guy, and make his life hell.”‘Loyalty has limits’In her “obituary” piece, Zafra lamented: “For a long time I have felt like a child whose beloved parent has dementia. I have watched as the sharp, shining intellect I had admired and respected was corrupted, dulled, and reduced to smearing excrement on the walls.“This person I looked up to as a mentor, who introduced me to great works of literature and humanist thought, who supported my own attempts at writing and taught me that language is a weapon, who helped me through my constant ineptitude about money, who even shared my love of cats, is gone.“The surrogate parent who offered me advice and comfort when my own mother died, is no longer with us …“He has one last thing to teach me: that loyalty has its limits. Mine ends when literature and history are twisted to justify the unjustifiable.”In another Twitter exchange with a woman, Locsin said he was posting comments for “shock value” and “to exercise my mind.”

['Pocholo Concepcion']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/821499/teddyboys-tweet-sparks-word-war

Inquirer

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Duterte slams US, praises Russia

Sparks flew during President Duterte’s first meeting with his acknowledged idol, Russian President Vladimir Putin, on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Economic Leaders’ Meeting here with the Philippine leader lambasting the United States and Western nations as bullies and hypocrites, while praising Russia as a great country.Mr. Duterte, who had long expressed admiration for Putin’s strongman rule, told the Russian leader that the Cold War had stood between their two countries as the Philippines, a former US colony, was historically identified with the West.“I have been looking for this moment to meet you, Mr. President, not only because you represent your country but [because] of your leadership, too,” he told Putin, who formally extended an invitation for him to visit Russia.For his part, Putin congratulated his Philippine counterpart. He called the May 9 election that Mr. Duterte won “indeed a very bright day,” noting it came on the Russian holiday marking victory over Nazi Germany.Putin said the Philippine leader had done much quickly in “developing the all-around partnership between our countries and with respect to promoting greater trust and confidence between us.”Unequal treatmentDuring their 45-minute meeting, Mr. Duterte unburdened his gripes about what he described was the unequal treatment that the United States had accorded the Philippines as a treaty ally.But the present setup would soon change, according to Mr. Duterte who has upended the country’s historical military alliance with the United States, repeatedly saying he was shifting toward China and Russia as part of what he described as his independent foreign policy.“It was good (while) it lasted,” Mr. Duterte told Putin of what he has called his “separation” from the United States.“Of late, I see a lot of these Western nations bullying small nations. And not only that, they are into so much hypocrisy,” he said.“And they seem to start a war but are afraid to go to war. That is what is wrong with America and the others. They’ve been waging wars in so many places—in Vietnam, in Afghanistan and in Iraq for one single reason that there was a weapon of mass destruction, and there was none,” he added.As part of his shift in foreign policy, Mr. Duterte said his country wanted to engage more with Europe.“We’ve been longing to be part also of—despite the distance—we have been longing to be part of Europe, especially in commerce and trade around the world,” he said.Tight securityThe talks between the two leaders were held at noon on Saturday (1 a.m. Sunday in Manila) in a hotel room under tight security, with the media allowed to cover only the first 10 minutes of the meeting before they were shepherded out.Putin, dressed in a dark suit, acted like Mr. Duterte’s host, warmly shaking his hand as well as those of the rest of the Philippine contingent, which included the latter’s right-hand man, Bong Go, and Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, who both took selfies during the meeting.For his part, Mr. Duterte did not offer to shake hands with Putin’s subordinates and was the first to take his seat.The Russian leader was all-smiles at first, but his expression turned serious as an interpreter began translating Mr. Duterte’s rambling litany of complaints against the United States and Western nations.‘Not a good idea’He said the United States “forced” the Philippines to contribute soldiers in its wars in Vietnam and Iraq.“They also got Filipino soldiers in both Iraq and Vietnam and nothing happened … And they [compelled] my country to contribute military forces,” Mr. Duterte said.He cited the case of Angelo dela Cruz, a Filipino worker who was kidnapped in July 2004 by Iraqi insurgents fighting a US-led campaign to overthrow Saddam Hussein. The kidnappers demanded the pullout of Philippine troops in exchange for the worker’s release.Then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo acceded to the demand of the insurgents, and Dela Cruz was released.When Manila pulled out its noncombat troops, however, Washington “made it hard for us,” Mr. Duterte told Putin.“These are the things I see which is not a good idea,” he added.‘Very encouraging’Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay described Mr. Duterte’s talk with Putin as “very encouraging.”“We had agreed to really foster stronger trade relationship with Russia. We acknowledge that in the past, somehow, even as we are celebrating long years, 70 or 40 years of diplomatic relations with Russia, our relationship has not really matured especially in the area of trade and investment and commercial relationship,” he said.“But this time, we are going to push through for it,” Yasay added.He said Putin had invited Mr. Duterte to visit Russia.“This will be preceded by a trip that I would have to undertake this December, and I look forward to even a more optimistic and closer and more detailed discussion of the President with the head of state of Russia,” Yasay said.“That will mark the beginning of our entering into various agreements that will achieve our objective and goals,” he said.Mr. Duterte missed the gala dinner for Apec leaders on Saturday evening, sending a message to the Peruvian hosts that he was sick.By staying put in his hotel, he may have avoided a potentially awkward encounter with US President Barack Obama, who canceled a meeting with him at another summit in September after the Philippine leader called him a “son of a whore.”

['Dj Yap']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/846171/duterte-slams-us-praises-russia

Inquirer

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AFP: fighting in Marawi now confined to just ‘two and a half barangays’

The fighting in Marawi is confined to two and a half villages, in an area less than one square kilometer, the military said on Friday.The conflict between forces and Islamic State-affiliated extremists, raging for 10 weeks now, has killed 114 government troops and 45 civilians, along with 471 rebels.Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said soldiers are in high spirits despite the growing number of casualties.“Our troops are in a very high state of morale, all leaning forward to finish this operation at the soonest time possible,” Padilla said in a press briefing in Malacañang.“Despite the number of casualties and wounded that we have had in the past few weeks, this does not deter the troops and our ground commanders from pursuing the mission and accomplishing the much-needed liberation of Marawi,” Padilla said.Donations from the private sector have poured in for the families of the slain soldiers.The government’s Landbank account for AFP casualties in Marawi has received P108 million in donations.The Landbank account for the internally displaced persons from the city has received P834,000.But Padilla said the numbers should not confuse the people. He said the government and the private sector are in full support of displaced Marawi residents, with the state having spent some P200 million for those in evacuation centers.The P200 million has been used for food and nonfood items and other forms of assistance for the evacuation centers, he said.According to Padilla, the bank donations from the private sector was its way of showing the bereaved families support for their loss.“The private sector and the business community’s assistance to our families who have lost loved ones in the fight in Marawi is merely an indication of their commiseration and their sympathy for the families, so as to assuage the hurt that they feel or the loneliness or the sadness that they are experiencing as a matter of loss because we cannot bring back the lives,” he said.Aside from the bank donations, Go Negosyo partners also provided P1.25 million each to the families of the slain soldiers during a recent ceremony in Malacañang. The bulk came from an anonymous businessman who donated P1 million for each family.

['Leila B. Salaverria']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/918563/afp-fighting-in-marawi-now-confined-to-just-two-and-a-half-barangays

Inquirer

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House to investigate ‘outing’ of homeless

Despite explanations from government officials, the House of Representatives will investigate the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in connection with its hauling off hundreds of street children and homeless people to detention centers and beach resorts during the recent visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines.Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo, chair of the committee on Metro Manila development, on Sunday said he was just waiting for the go-signal from the committee on rules to open the inquiry, to which Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman would be summoned as principal resource person.“We will not hesitate to conduct an investigation and get to the bottom of it. We will determine the legality and morality of this alleged attempt to cover up the true state of our socioeconomic status,” Castelo said in a text message.Kabataan Rep. Terry Ridon will file a resolution Monday asking Castelo’s committee to compel Soliman to explain reports that the government took the “eyesores” from the streets of Metro Manila and kept them in municipal detention centers and resorts while the Pope was in the country.Soliman has acknowledged that about 490 homeless families were taken off Roxas Boulevard and taken to Chateau Royale, a beach resort in Nasugbu town, Batangas province, for “training” financed from the DSWD’s “modified conditional cash transfer (CCT) program.”She said the families were removed before the Pontiff arrived because they would have been “vulnerable to syndicates” and discrimination.Gov’t programThey were given training under a government program that would give 11,000 street dwellers rent-free housing for up to a year, she said. The unheard of program was launched last year, according to her.She denied the homeless people were hidden from the Pope. “You cannot hide poverty. When the Pope landed, the first things he saw were the shanties by the river,” she said.There is no river near Villamor Air Base, where the Pope’s plane landed on Jan. 15.Backing up Soliman’s explanation, President Aquino’s deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said on Friday that the DSWD was evaluating street dwellers to see if they were eligible for housing assistance from the government.Not the first timeValte said this was not the first time the DSWD took homeless families into the program, as it had been done twice before, when there were no visiting VIPs.Still, no one was buying the officials’ explanations.In an interview with radio dzBB anchor Rowena Salvacion, Rep. Emmi de Jesus of the women’s party Gabriela said she would ask the Commission on Audit (COA) to conduct a special audit to determine what funds were used for the “outing” of the homeless people.“If it is proven that the fund came from the CCT, then this is anomalous. Her (Soliman’s) explanation that the trip merely coincided with the Pope’s visit is preposterous,” she said.De Jesus said the militant bloc in the House would consolidate the resolution to investigate the banishment of the street dwellers and make privilege speeches condemning Soliman’s actions.Soliman lamented the controversy that followed her department’s helping the homeless people. She said there was nothing wrong with letting homeless families enjoy a week’s stay in an expensive resort.Criticized for helping poor“They say we should all help the poor and when you help them and bring them to a place like that (Chateau Royale), you are asked why you brought them there. Where would we bring them? Don’t they deserve to be there?” Soliman said in an interview in Zamboanga City on Sunday.She said her department spent P4.3 million for 490 families and staff members during the six-day “training.” It cost P1,193.50 per person a day, covering three meals, two snacks, the amenities and clean accommodations, she said.Soliman said the President had been informed about the controversy.Aquino’s instruction was “to keep explaining what you’re doing,” she said. “He said this is part of our regular program.”Under the modified CCT program, Soliman said, the government aimed to keep families off the streets by training them how to live in a house.In Metro Manila, a total of 2,479 families have been under the program since 2012, according to the DSWD.During the orientation, basic literacy and life skills for the adults and character building for the children are discussed.Also discussed with the adults are self-understanding and parenthood, differences between the sexes, and family relations, the DSWD said. The children are taught personal hygiene and values.According to Soliman, there are three types of homeless people in Metro Manila—the victims of eviction and fire, who stay in the streets for a year or two, those displaced by conflict and disasters, and those who are unable to recover from these tragedies and give birth to a second or a third generation of street dwellers.–

['Gil C. Cabacungan', 'Nikko Dizon']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/667854/house-probes-dswd-isolation-of-homeless-street-kids-during-pope-francis-visit

Inquirer

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Catholic Priest Says He Prayed For Duterte To Get Sick, Gets Sacked

A Filipino Roman Catholic Priest said during a recent homily that he prayed for President Rodrigo Duterte to get sick.Well, that priest got sacked!A lesson in Separation of Church and State…

['Pol Pinoy']

06/09/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2018/09/06/catholic-priest-says-he-prayed-for-duterte-to-get-sick-gets-sacked/

Adobo Chronicles

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Enrile, political scions join senatorial derby

The nation thought that at 94, former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has had enough of politics.Enrile pulled a surprise on Tuesday when he announced that he would run for senator, joining scions of premartial law senators like former Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, human rights lawyer Jose Manuel “Chel” Diokno and former Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III in filing their certificates of candidacy (COCs) for senator.Also filing their COCs for senator were Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, Taguig-Pateros Rep. Pia Cayetano, former Sen. Jinggoy Estrada and reelectionist Sen. Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV.Mar Roxas is the son of the late former Sen. Gerardo Roxas, while Chel Diokno is the son of the late human rights lawyer and former Sen. Jose Diokno. Erin Tañada is the grandson of the late former Sen. Lorenzo Tañada and the son of former Sen. Wigberto Tañada.Bam Aquino is a nephew of former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., whose assassination on the tarmac of then Manila International Airport in 1983 sparked widespread protests that culminated in the ouster of dictator Ferdinand Marcos three years later.The elder Roxas, Diokno, Tañadas and Aquino had fought the Marcos dictatorship.Imee Marcos is the eldest daughter of the dictator, while Pia Cayetano is the daughter of the late former Sen. Rene Cayetano. Jinggoy Estrada is a son of former President Joseph Estrada, who is also a former senator.Join the fun“I want to join the fun,” Enrile told Inquirer.net over the phone on Tuesday.When his fourth term as senator ended in 2016, Enrile told his colleagues that his service to the nation also ended.His fourth term in the Senate was tainted with allegations of corruption as he was accused of being involved in the P10-billion pork barrel scam. This led to his hospital arrest at the Philippine National Police General Hospital.In August 2015, the Supreme Court, citing his age and health, allowed Enrile to post bail for the nonbailable offense of plunder.Through his lawyer, Joseph Sagandoy, Enrile filed his COC at the main office of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila.Enrile said his age was not a hindrance.“I’m 95 (years old), but you know, you don’t need a wrestler in the Senate. You need somebody who understands the problems and the solutions (of the country),” he said.Actually, he’s only 94, having been born on Feb. 14, 1924.While Enrile acknowledged having problems with blood pressure, weak hearing and poor vision because of his age, he said, “I think my brain is still up to it.”LP candidatesRoxas filed his COC at the Comelec headquarters as a candidate of the Liberal Party (LP), along with Aquino, Diokno and Tañada.Marcos, a candidate of the Nacionalista Party, said she wanted to be the “alternative voice” of the people in the Senate.She said she was not concerned with the antimartial law sentiment that many Filipinos still harbor to this day.“Our country is already ready for a different perspective and to listen to our side of the story,” she said.No to admitting wrongdoingMarcos noted that while the Marcoses had apologized to those “who were hurt due to unforeseen events” during his father’s iron-fist rule, she and her family would never admit to any wrongdoing.“Why would we admit something we never did?” she asked.Diokno noted that no matter what the governor said, the country “knows the truth.”“The facts are there. It is fully documented not only by our agencies but even in other countries,” he said.According to Tañada, the narrative that the Marcoses were trying to propagate that the martial law era was only a fight between Marcos and Aquino was not accurate as it could be said that it was, in fact, “the people against Marcos.”In February 1986, Marcos and his family were forced to live in exile in the United States after they were booted out of power by Filipinos in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.Mindful of the vitriol against him and his party, especially from administration supporters, Roxas said the LP campaign was not just a repeat of 2016.“This campaign is about today, about our future. How an ordinary Filipino could be able to fit his P500. That is what we should provide solutions to,” said Roxas, the LP standard-bearer in the 2016 presidential election.Despite the widespread use of social media, Aquino said the LP would employ “old-school” strategies to win back the Senate.“We would go around communities, talk to various sectors and engage the public. We have to go back to the people and ask them what they want from the government,” he said.Not a token advocateAmid criticisms of her being a token women’s rights advocate, Cayetano urged her critics to look at her record.Cayetano, who has repeatedly been called out for her soft stance on President Duterte’s statements against women, said these were matters best left to the President’s spokesperson.Citing “unfinished business” as his motivation, Estrada expressed confidence that his pending cases would not adversely affect his comeback bid for the Senate.Estrada, out on bail for his alleged involvement in the P10-billion pork barrel scam, said he would be able to win one of the 12 Senate seats up for grabs in May given his “track record” and the public’s “sympathy” toward him.His confidence stems from the fact that he won in the 2004 Senate race despite being charged with plunder.As of Tuesday, the Comelec had received 104 COCs for senator and 115 applications for party-list representatives.Click here for more elections stories.

['Jovic Yee', 'Maila Ager']

2018-02-03 00:03:37+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1043835/enrile-political-scions-join-senatorial-derby

Inquirer

Credible

Smuggled cars to be destroyed

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has put his foot down on the smuggling of luxury cars and vowed to destroy them this coming Tuesday.In a forum on indigenous people in Davao City on Thursday night, Duterte said the smugglers should “watch their money burn” because he will arrange a tractor to run over the smuggled luxury cars.“I will bulldoze them this Tuesday. I’ve instructed [Bureau of Customs] Commissioner Isidro Lapeña to not] sell them because the situation will remain the same. [The smugglers] will still be the only ones who will benefit from [the sale] and they will be the only ones who will wait for the next auctions. It is legal and it is cheap because it is auctioned,” he added.According to Duterte, the “style” of the smugglers is to import the luxury cars and send them to a fake consignee.“Fake news, fake name, fake address. And because no one owns [the smuggled cars], then no one is there to pay for the tax,” he said.“So, your style is you just wait. Then after a year, six months, the ones responsible for arranging the selling of [the cars] will have them auctioned. And you’ll still be the only ones who will buy them because you’re the only ones who’ve been informed that there is an auction,” Duterte added.The President said even if the smugglers kept on importing cars, he would bulldoze the vehicles every day.“You want luxury cars? Have them imported and pay for them in advance because you like them so much. But don’t fool with us because you’ve always been, you’re fooling the government. I don’t care about what you’ll say about me. I don’t care as long as I am doing my job,” Duterte added.Also on Thursday, Malacañang spokesman Harry Roque said the destruction of luxury vehicles will be a stern warning to smugglers in the country.“The government is serious in its fight to curb smuggling and corruption and hope to make the Bureau of Customs as a showcase in our good governance drive,” Roque added in a news briefing in Baguio City.“It is common knowledge that many apprehended luxury vehicles ultimately end up in the market where they can easily win in auction,” he said.The Customs bureau seized millions worth of used McLaren, Lamborghini and Ferrari sports cars at the Manila International Container Port last November.

['Ralph Villanueva']

2018-02-03 00:03:37+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/smuggled-cars-destroyed/377860/

Manila Times

Credible

Limutan Falls: Bagac, Bataan’s hidden, emerging tourism jewel

The construction of an access road to Limutan Falls in Barangay Binukawan in Bagac town will be expedited, as ordered by Gov. Abet S. Garcia to further boost Bataan’s tourism potential.Garcia also asked Raymond Rivera, newly-designated head of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) to protect the area around Limutan Falls from illegal logging activities to preserve its unique natural beauty, being one of the remaining active waterfalls in the province.Rivera assured the Governor that efforts and initiatives are being undertaken to protect and preserve the waterfalls and its vicinity, which hosts century-old trees.Locals claim that their ancestors named the falls Limutan for its stunning, unforgettable beauty.Although remote, several tourists and hikers have been frequenting the site, which prompted the Governor to allocate funds for its development.

[]

22/03/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/22/limutan-falls-bagac-bataans-hidden-emerging-tourism-jewel/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Dream on

Every president who is called upon to deliver a State-of-the-Nation Address is essentially painting a dream and asking his or her people to work and help achieve that dream. After six SONAs of each and every president, what do we remember of their speeches but a few punchy lines, one or two quotable quotes, the rest being a fog of words and sentences?Like rating a fortune-teller after his forecast of the New Year’s foreseeable gains and losses, only the most dedicated pundit and oppositionist would bother to record what was reported in the latest SONA and later, at an appropriate time, to bring it up as a set of pluses and minuses, mostly the latter, against the speaker. Under circumstances the other presidential candidates in 2016 might not have foreseen, this President is now forced to be the fightingest Chief Executive and Commander-in-Chief. After Marawi, he has promised to end the NPA’s attacks on government forces and civilians; the dream comes at a high cost.Now, more than ever, the flag’s symbols must be understood and defended with more vigor by the young and ablebodied, every citizen who professes to love their country not only because it’s the only one they’ve got but because it’s their homeland and cradle of their dreams. (During the presidential campaign, only the candidate from Davao posed with the flag, conspicuously, for his propaganda materials.)A few days ago, balladeer Anthony Castelo announced at a party that his best friend, Freddie Aguilar, is now the presidential assistant for culture and the arts. Freddie, father of the universal song hit “Anak,” almost won an appointment as head of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, until critics who have never written a song or lyric or performed in an arts festival shouted it down. Today, Freddie’s dream, one I happen to share, is to change the last line, a defeatist one, of the national anthem, “Ang mamatay nang dahil sa iyo” (To die for you, beloved country).Freddie knows the power of words – have you heard the lyrics of Anak? – and he believes that that line should revert to the old version, “Lupa ay langit sa piling mo” (My country in heaven’s embrace). Now, that’s a dream young and old, high and low, can own.

['Maynila Dyaryo']

24/07/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/24/dream-on/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Philippine Bishops Not Happy About EDSA People Power Anniversary Rally This Sunday

Since the first EDSA People Power, the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines have always been supportive and at the forefront of protest rallies against the government. But alas, the robed church hierarchy is frowning at this year’s commemoration of EDSA I on February 25.Protest organizers have called on the people to stage a mass walkout this Sunday.That means that Catholics will be walking out of Sunday masses at churches nationwide.So expect churches to be ghost towns this Sunday.It will be a big loss of revenue for the Catholic Church because of empty Sunday collection baskets.The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is holding an emergency meeting today to come up with a strategy to discourage people from participating in the EDSA rally and instead fulfill their obligation by attending mass and contributing to the Sunday collection.For starters, the CBCP has banned all nuns, priests and seminarians from participating in the EDSA rally.

['Pol Pinoy']

22/02/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2018/02/22/philippine-bishops-not-happy-about-edsa-people-power-anniversary-rally-this-sunday/

Adobo Chronicles

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SAMPAL SA MUKHA NG INQUIRER ANG GINAWA NG REPORTER NG TV-5! NAGBIBGAY NG TOTOONG SITWASYON SA MARAWI

Ikinuwento ng isang residente sa Marawi City ang pananakop ng Maute Group sa ilang establisyimento sa lugar gaya ng Amai Pakpak Hospital, City Jail, isang bangko, at pagsunog sa Dansalan College.Bali-balita rin ang umano'y pagpugot ng Maute Group sa dalawang guwardiya ng ospital matapos mamatay ang kasamahan nilang pinagamot doon.So what can you say about this one? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, and don't forget to share this post to your family and friends online. And also, visit our website more often for more updates.

[]

2016-11-12 00:27:47+08:00

http://www.newsmediaph.com/2017/05/sampal-sa-mukha-ng-inquirer-ang-ginawa.html

News Media PH

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‘Manang’ Imee welcomes ‘kabsat’ Grace

Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos warmly welcomed presidential candidate Grace Poe to the province, jokingly telling reporters that they were “kabsat Macoy [siblings under Macoy],” a reference to the urban legend that they are sisters.Asked what she thought of a Poe-Marcos victory in the May elections, Imee responded that it would be “Marcos-Marcos,” before ribbing reporters for raising the issue.Imee’s brother, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is the running mate of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who lags in a field of five presidential aspirants in recent surveys.Some sectors in the Ilocos region are rooting for Poe, a senator who visited Laoag City on Thursday, on the grounds that she and Marcos are a better tandem.“We want a new leader untainted by corruption [and] it’s her, Grace,” said Ricardo Tolentino, a local mango trader.Mango growersTouching down at Laoag International Airport at 7 a.m., Poe was welcomed by local businessmen, many of them mango growers from Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur and Pangasinan province.They carried placards and tarpaulins with photographs of the senator along with her adoptive parents, the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. and actress Susan Roces.“We have our all-out support for [Bongbong Marcos] but we want Grace for President. We want a new leader … who is not indebted to anybody like old politicians … so that she can institute reforms and clean up our government,” Tolentino said.While Poe was welcome in the province and is a friend of the Marcos family, Imee said this was not an indication that the Marcoses were supporting her bid for the presidency.Imee said her brother was carrying Santiago as his candidate for President. Santiago would understand that the Marcoses have to welcome other candidates to the province, the governor said.“But everybody is our friend because we all know that in the end, what is most important is that we work well together. The Philippines has to be united,” Imee said.Waiting for right timePoe noted that it was difficult for her supporters to come out in the open at this point because she had no party. She said her supporters were waiting for the right time.Not coming out at this time to support Poe is not a problem for ordinary Ilocanos.Market vendors rushed to hug Poe and pose for pictures as she munched on empanada, while students jostled with each other and shrieked as they shook her hand.“We shook hands. I won’t wash my hand for a while,” a vendor said.Wheelchair-bound Goring Miranda sat quietly in the corner of the market’s vegetable section. She had asked her family to bring her to the market so she could see Poe up close. Her face lit up when Poe sauntered over, took her hand and touched it to her forehead, a gesture of respect.Baseless rumorPoe, who called Governor Marcos manang (elder sister), said she could not help it if people played around with the rumor about her Marcos parentage, but insisted that there was no basis for it.She noted that one of her relatives felt bad about the rumor, alluding to actress Sheryl Cruz, daughter of Rosemarie Sonora, the sister of Roces.If there was anything good that came out of it, it was that she got to know Bongbong better.“In some way, I’ve gotten to know Senator Bongbong, who has been supportive in this issue and he told me not to give up. He said he was willing to undergo the DNA test but there is no basis for it,” Poe said.Panday locationsThe presidential candidate also said her family had known the Marcoses for a long time. But her visit to the province was to introduce herself to Filipinos.During her trip, Poe also talked about her adoptive father, actor Fernando Poe Jr.Ilocos Norte was where the actor, known by his initials FPJ, shot his famous Panday movie, she told market vendors and shoppers at the Batac public market, who appeared excited to see her. One even shouted that she was “so cute.”She also repeatedly reminded the Ilocos Norte residents that the province was close to her heart because their family regularly visited it.Joined by Imee Marcos, Poe visited the shooting locations of FPJ, including San Agustin Church and the sand dunes of Paoay, where she posed with the statue of FPJ.City HallThey met at Batac City Hall and were also together when Poe faced students of Mariano Marcos State University.Imee said that while there were questions about Poe being a natural-born Filipino, for them there was no doubt she was an “Ilocana.”Poe is facing disqualification from the presidential race for supposedly not being a natural-born Filipino since she was a foundling and for not meeting the 10-year residency requirement.Accompanying Poe during her Ilocos Norte sortie was Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, a senatorial candidate.Moreno, a former actor, got his fair share of shrieks from the crowd as they went around the province.Poe’s visit came two days after Bongbong held his proclamation rally here with Santiago.Despite the late dictator being ousted in a popular uprising and his family going on exile, the Marcoses have made a political comeback and is now poised to have one of their own move a step closer to Malacañang.Bongbong is rising in surveys for the vice presidency, edging closer to the topnotcher, Sen. Francis Escudero, Poe’s running mate. Ilocanos are believed to be solidly behind the Marcoses.

['Leila B. Salaverria', 'Leilanie Adriano']

2016-11-12 00:27:47+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/764138/manang-imee-welcomes-kabsat-grace

Inquirer

Credible

59 Marawi evacuees die of various illnesses

At least 59 evacuees displaced by the fighting in Marawi City have died of various illnesses, Health Secretary Paulyn Jean Ubial said here on Thursday.Muslim Mindanao health secretary Dr. Kadil Sinolinding said the fatalities include three children, who had died of dehydration, and two adults, who had complications of hypertension.“There are 40 cases of deaths due to dehydration” and the 19 others had died of conditions existing before the fighting started on May 23, Ubial said at a dengue forum here.“These patients with health conditions [were] confined in hospitals but opted to [return to the] evacuation centers [where they] succumbed to death due to aggravating conditions,” she said.“Some evacuees were suffering from kidney diseases and were undergoing dialysis while others died of cancer and heart diseases,” she said.She said the government had set up 68 evacuation centers in Lanao del Sur, of which Marawi is the capital, Lanao del Norte province, Iligan City and Cagayan de Oro City.Ubial said health officials were also concerned about the numerous families that remained outside the evacuation centers.She said 218,551 people were displaced by the fighting but only about 20,000 of them were in the evacuation centers, raising concerns about the health of almost 200,000 people.“We are monitoring 20,000 evacuees in different temporary shelters and given medical assistance [but] the thousands of evacuees staying outside evacuation camps are our major concern,” she said.“We are addressing it,” Sinolinding said of the centers under his jurisdiction. “The evacuees are highly vulnerable to water-borne diseases in crowded and unsanitary places.”Among the health complaints reported by evacuees were acute gastroenteritis, upper respiratory tract infections, diarrhea and skin diseases, DOH records showed.Ubial said these diseases were widespread due to the cramped evacuation camps but doctors, including Sinolinding, and health workers were doing daily rounds in evacuation centers.“We do not want to count deaths when we, as health providers, can do something to prevent it. We should be counting healthy [evacuees],” Sinolinding told the Inquirer by phone.Since May 23, DOH-Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has provided medical intervention to 4,003 evacuees, including examination, provision of medicine, referrals and hospital care.The military said many Filipinos are also helping to deliver relief to the evacuees, but Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla said there was no need to aggravate an already dangerous situation.“You need not personally deliver them yourself because you will unnecessarily put yourselves in the danger areas,” he said during the Mindanao Hour briefing in Malacañang.Padilla cited the incident where Australian journalist Adam Harvey was shot in the neck in Marawi.Padilla made the reminder after an aid convoy, led by former Rep. Teddy Casiño, were prevented from entering Marawi City.“In the interest of safety, we have been working closely with the local government and its social welfare and health arm to provide the services needed by the evacuees without necessarily having other people from the outside exposed to danger,” he said.

['Edwin O. Fernandez', 'Leila B. Salaverria', 'Mar S. Arguelles']

2016-11-12 00:27:47+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/906262/59-marawi-evacuees-die-of-various-illnesses

Inquirer

Credible

Through his school, Indian upland folk make steep progress

Who do you blame when students fail in school? The children or the educational system?Three decades ago at Ladakh in northern India, up to 95 percent of students in the desert region failed each year in the government exams, which would have qualified them to proceed to Grade 11. But rather than take a look at how the lessons were taught, people were quick to blame the students for their poor performance.As someone who grew up in one of the region’s remote villages, Sonam Wangchuk knew he had to do something not only to help the students but also to improve his locale’s educational system.After all, he believes that “any system that produces such failure is at fault.”In 1988, Wangchuk attacked the heart of the problem by establishing the alternative learning institution Students’ Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh (Secmol), which catered to students who had failed in the government exams.Did Wangchuk sit the students down for a strict and intensive review of their lessons? Quite the contrary.Creative, child-friendlyHe subjected them to a “creative, child-friendly and activity-based” curriculum that reconnected them to their culture and identity as a Ladakhi. He wanted them to experience an education that “made sense” to their situation as mountain dwellers—one that he himself was deprived of.Wangchuk recalled that his “true learning” stopped when he first went to school at the age of 9. Apart from the “harsh treatment,” he said that the medium of instruction was one he did not quite understand.“I was made to feel like a mentally challenged person because I came from the mountains and didn’t speak the language used in school. Our life experiences were also so different from what they teach in textbooks. Minorities were made to feel that there was something wrong with them,” Wangchuk recalled.While most people in Ladakh speak Ladakhi, Urdu is the language used in school. And since the textbooks used are sourced from the capital, New Delhi, the settings and city life examples in them did not make sense to the students who have lived in the mountains all their life.Critical thinkingWangchuk and his group of volunteer teachers at Secmol decided to change the situation by drawing up textbooks that are “more relevant to the lives of the children.”They also made students take more responsibility by encouraging critical thinking and peer learning, and delegating to them tasks that help in the school’s operations—from tending the gardens to milking the cows and welcoming visitors. The students are even tasked to look after the school’s solar power installations that Wangchuk had developed.Success replicatedSuch changes, Wangchuk said, helped improve the students’ performance in the exams. From a dismal 5 percent when they started in 1988, the students’ passing rate in the exams eventually soared to 75 percent in 2015. The alternative learning model was also replicated in at least 33 schools in the region.The accomplishment has not gone unnoticed, with Wangchuk receiving at least 11 awards over the years for his initiative.The latest accolade is the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Award that recognizes Wangchuk’s “uniquely systematic, collaborative and community-driven reform of learning systems in remote northern India, thus improving the life opportunities of Ladakhi youth, and his constructive engagement of all sectors in local society to harness science and culture creatively for economic progress, thus setting an example for minority peoples in the world.”‘Culturally irrelevant’Wangchuk and five other awardees were feted in ceremonies held on Friday afternoon at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, with Vice President Leni Robredo as keynote speaker.While Wangchuk may have helped start a movement that transformed Ladakh’s “culturally irrelevant, environmentally inappropriate” education system to one that is more “child-friendly,” he himself admitted that the result was “still far from what the children deserve.”Factory schoolingFor one, Wangchuk said, he hoped that the system they had developed would not remain as a mere alternative to students.“For now, making children engage in what they love and learn from it appears to be an alternative because the mainstream [kind of education] is just like factory schooling. Hopefully, this would change,” he said.Asked why the government seems to be holding back in embracing their education model, Wangchuk said the problem lay with the people themselves.“Governments don’t do things that the people don’t demand. In democracies, governments want to be seen to be doing things needed by the people. When the people aspire for change, governments will want to bring [about] that [change]. Otherwise why go through all the pain and trouble of bringing change when the people don’t even aspire for it,” he said.Though he is an engineer by profession, Wangchuk feels strongly about providing and promoting better education, especially among children who have less in life. The gap between the rich and the poor can only be bridged by education, he said.“If the basic education is not right for the poor or much better for the rich, the gap will remain. Education is an equalizer, so it is very important that everybody gets a fair chance,” he added.

['Jovic Yee']

2016-11-12 00:27:47+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1027074/through-his-school-indian-upland-folk-make-steep-progress

Inquirer

Credible

Belgica lambasts Ombudsman for investigating Bato: “Daming nakatambak na kaso sa inyo; Investigate De Lima and PNoy first”

The Dap Buster Greco Belgica slammed Conchita Carpio-Morales after the Ombudsman announced her plan to investigate PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa because of his trip to Las Vegas that funded by Senator Manny Pacquiao.According to the Ombudsman, The PNP Director General may violated the Section 7 of the Republic Act 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.Greco Belgica defended Bato quickly on his Facebook fanpage and slammed the Ombudsman for not focusing in bigger cases like DAP, PDAF and the drug involvement of Senator Leila De Lima.He also wished that the Office of the Ombudsman abolished and labeled the agency as the most corrupt in the country.“Ang daming kaso sakanila on DAP at PDAF at Drug trafficking ni De Lima pinatutulog nila. Buong bayan na ang nagpuprostesta sa DAP at Pork at droga patay malisya lang sila.” Belgica said.Belgica also asked the Ombudsman in his other Facebook post if she’s still working with the former administratio. He believes that Morales protecting the interest of the allies of former President Noynoy Aquino“If you can investigate BATO, whats stopping you from investigating DAP? Don’t insult us, and rob us at the same time.” Greco Belgica said.

['View All Posts Pinoytrending']

2016-11-12 00:27:47+08:00

https://pinoytrending.altervista.org/belgica-lambasts-ombudsman-investigating-bato-daming-nakatambak-na-kaso-sa-inyo-investigate-pnoys-dap-first/

Pinoytrending Altervista

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Daughter defends dad: Julia Abad testimonial highlights Ph #Kamaganak Inc culture

Julia Abad, chief of the Presidential Management Staff, and daughter of Budget Secretary Butch Abad recently posted on her Facebook page a statement in defence of her father. She writes that the public should not let allegations made by Janet Lim-Napoles "shake our belief that a reformist public service is possible."She goes on to state "I am Julia Abad, government employee, wife and mother. And I am proud to tell you, Butch Abad is my father."On the one hand, this sounds like a testament to the Abad family's commitment to a tradition of public service. Considering Ms Abad's mother, Henedina Razon, now serves as Representative of Batanes, not a few Filipinos will see this as confirmation that, for the Abads, POLITICS is a FAMILY BUSINESS. Furthermore, it's a reminder that their family's close relationship with the Aquinos stretches back to 1989 when Butch Abad served as DAR Secretary. Not to be overlooked is the fact that the Abad family's presence in three key positions — PMS Chief, Budget Secretary and Congresswoman — could influence and facilitate the transfer of DAP money to Batanes.-----------This is a GRP Featured Comment. Source:http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/05/budget-secretary-butch-abads-loyal-chief-of-staff-clare-amador-defends-her-boss/comment-page-1/#comment-469990

[]

2017-05-26 00:07:12+08:00

https://grpshorts.blogspot.com/2014/05/daughter-defends-dad-julia-abad.html

GRPundit

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NPA hits Davao Mayor for being Martial Law supporter, Inday Sara replies with a twist

Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte was hit by another remark from the CPP-NPA for being overzealous Martial Law Supporter.The rebels accused Duterte for arresting 300 people in Davao in the second day of Martial Law.Inday Sara was quick to respond with a question with a clue on it. Click below the watch video.Any thought? Leave your comments below.

[]

2017-05-26 00:07:12+08:00

http://duterte.today/npa-hits-davao-mayor-for-being-martial-law-supporter-inday-sara-replies-with-a-twist/

Duterte Daily Stories

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INC rallies faithful around 2017 'sharing' theme

INC rallies faithful around 2017 ‘sharing’ themeBy home/News/Nation/INC rallies faithful around 2017 ‘sharing’ themeThe Iglesia ni Cristo (INC or Church of Christ) will mark the 61st birthday of Executive Minister Eduardo V.Manalo on Sunday with the launch of its 2017 theme, “Ikinararangal ko na ako ay Iglesia Ni Cristo” (I am proud to be a member of the INC), rallying its millions of members around a call that seeks to highlight the progress the church had made since its humble beginnings in Santa Ana, Manila.INC General Auditor Glicerio Santos Jr. said the new theme is in line with the church’s aggressive expansion programs that aim to inspire its members to reach out and share their faith with non-members of the INC.“The INC has witnessed unprecedented growth under Ka Eduardo­—1,642 chapels, and 74 of these are located outside the country. We now have a presence in every continent in the world,” Santos added.“More and more people have embraced the faith and the church, which has grown by leaps and bounds since Brother Felix Manalo founded the church in 1914. We believe that this has become possible through His guiding hand, the leadership of Ka Eduardo and the example being made by our membership and our communities, and this is something everyone in the INC should be proud of,” he said.The INC has congregations in 130 countries and territories in six continents.Established in 1914 by its first Executive Minister, Brother Felix Y. Manalo, the INC has become one of the biggest and fastest-growing churches in the country and the world.“To put the growth of the church in perspective, we have to remember that the church’s membership was still growing in the Philippines before Ka Eduardo was born,” Santos said.“In Brother Eduardo V. Manalo’s administration, the church’s numbers have grown significantly. That is something all INC members can take credit for, since all of them have, in their own ways, contributed to this unparalleled growth,” he added.

['Jing Villamente']

2016-11-10 21:27:17+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/inc-rallies-faithful-around-2017-sharing-theme/295873/

Manila Times

Credible

Baguio folk ‘brr-ave’ the cold to attend first dawn Mass

It was an almost freezing start for Misa de Gallo (dawn Masses) here when the early morning temperature plunged to 11.5 degrees Celsius at 5 a.m. on Saturday.From 14.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and Thursday, the mercury dropped to 12.5 degrees Celsius on Friday morning.Saturday’s temperature was the lowest since the onset of the northeast monsoon on Oct. 27, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration.The chilly weather, which usually lasts until late February, draws as many as 500,000 tourists to this city.That number could double with the opening of the Pozorrubio exit at the Tarlac-Pangasinan-La Union Expressway (TPLEx), which cuts to less than four hours the travel time from Metro Manila to Baguio, local officials said.The temperature drop may boost the tourism economy in Baguio City and nearby Benguet province, but it’s bad news for the local vegetable industry.‘Andap’Extreme cold winds could lead to frost, called “andap,” around vegetable farms in Benguet towns, among them Buguias. Some of these farms are carved along mountainsides that are significantly higher in elevation than Baguio, and could experience temperatures as low as 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, much lower than those recorded in the city.But according to the Benguet provincial government, there has been no report of frost just yet.The lowest temperature recorded in Baguio was on Jan. 18, 1961, when the mercury plummeted to 6.3 degrees Celsius.Military ruleIn Mindanao, Catholic prelates assured the faithful that the continued imposition of military rule in the island will have no effect on the observance of the nine-day “Simbang Gabi,” which began on Saturday.“Martial law will not affect the observance and celebration of the Misa de Gallo. When I was in Basilan, we’d [even] be happy when the military were around during the Mass,” said Ozamiz Archbishop Martin Jumoad.“Our soldiers are professional, respectful and well-disciplined. Let us not think badly of [them],” Jumoad said during the start of the dawn Masses.Marawi siegeMarbel Bishop Dinualdo Gutierrez agreed, adding that the situation was normal in Mindanao.Congress in a special joint session on Wednesday voted to allow President Duterte to extend military rule in Mindanao for another year.The President cited the threats posed by communist rebels and terrorist groups in the aftermath of the five-month Marawi City siege as conditions that necessitated the one-year extension of martial law in the island.On May 23, President Duterte imposed military rule in Mindanao after the Maute terrorist group attacked Marawi City.Earlier, members of the Catholic Church criticized the extension of military rule in Mindanao, with Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo warning that it could signal the start of a “creeping authoritarianism” in the country.In his blog, Pabillo said it would now be easier for Mr. Duterte to declare martial law in the entire country after getting support from a “subservient Congress.”Other prelates, among them Marawi Bishop Edwin dela Peña and Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, also voiced their opposition to the extension of military rule in Mindanao.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

2018-10-06 00:04:43+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/953121/baguio-folk-brr-ave-the-cold-to-attend-first-dawn-mass

Inquirer

Credible

Palace denies Duterte linked ‘drug lord’ to Chinese envoy

MALACAÑANG on Friday clarified that President Rodrigo Duterte did not link a suspected drug pusher to Chinese Ambassador to the Philippines Zhao Jianhua.Duterte, during his meeting with alumni of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) on Thursday, said a certain Michael Yang, a businessman, was close with Zhao.Duterte even said Yang joined the entourage of Chinese Premier Li Keqiang when he visited the country.Palace spokesman Harry Roque, Jr. in a press briefing, said the statement of Duterte was taken out of context and that the President actually defended Yang, a Davao-based businessman.“I think it’s very clear that what the President meant to say was: number one, he cannot believe that Michael Yang is involved in the drug trade; and number two, because he was saying he could not believe that Michael Yang is involved in the drug trade, the report that the President linked the Chinese Ambassador to a drug lord is obviously false,” Roque said.Roque slammed the articles written by numerous online news outlets and singled out online news site Rappler, whose reporter, Pia Ranada-Robles, was banned in February from covering presidential events.“That report by Rappler is wrong, false; even malicious. It is also very dangerous, because it could possibly endanger the bilateral relations between the Philippines and China,” Roque said.He added that Rappler should be “responsible” and “give the profession of journalism a favor by issuing the corresponding errata and to correct its story.”Rappler and all other news sites corrected their articles an hour before the briefing.“The story is based on a speech which we had just seen, their interpretation of what the President meant, of course, lacks absolutely — has absolutely no basis; and it is only but proper if they have any sense of responsible journalism that they correct their story,” Roque said.“It’s important that they correct their story, because their story in turn, [has] been cited by international wire agencies, and obviously because it has gone international, it would have dire consequences for the diplomatic relations between the Philippines and China,” he added.Ranada-Robles sent a question to Roque later in the briefing, but this was shunned by the presidential spokesperson who said he was “not in the mood” to answer her query.

['The Manila Times']

2018-10-06 00:04:43+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-denies-duterte-linked-drug-lord-to-chinese-envoy/448909/

Manila Times

Credible

PH is worst place to be a driver–Waze

The report should come as no surprise: drivers in the Philippines are the least satisfied in the world, according to a survey by the traffic-beating app Waze.Waze, which claims over 90 million active users globally, released on Friday its Driver Satisfaction Index 2017, that showed the Philippines at the bottom of a list of 39 countries.The app, which has been downloaded in 185 countries, surveyed only areas where it had more than 40,000 monthly active users.Broader approachWaze said it took a broader approach in the survey than other indices, which typically only consider the time spent by motorists on the road.Considered in Waze’s index were traffic density, road safety, driver services (such as access to gas stations and parking), road quality, socioeconomic conditions (access to cars and gas prices), and so-called Wazeyness, or the “happines and helpfulness of the Waze community.”Numerical scoreCountries were given a numerical score to indicate “where in the world are the best and worst places to be a driver.”A score of 10 meant drivers were “satisfied,” while 1 meant “miserable.”None of the 39 countries in the 2017 index achieved a score above 8, nor did any country score below 3.The Philippines ranked No. 39 with a score of 3.02 in the 2017 index, down from 3.13 last year. Its ranking fell from 2016, when it was the second-worst—just above El Salvador, which inched higher to the 37th spot this year with a score of 3.56.Filipino drivers gave the lowest marks to traffic density (1.6), socioeconomic conditions (0), and Wazeyness (0.9). Relatively higher were road safety (6.97), driver services (4.34) and road quality (5.9).Most satisfiedAccording to the 2017 Waze index, the top 10 countries with the most satisfied drivers were the Netherlands (7.9), France (7.85), United States (7.55), Czech Republic (7.49), Belgium (7.41), Spain (7.08), Slovakia (7.03), United Arab Emirates (7.03), Sweden (6.95) and Hungary (6.81).Joining the Philippines in the bottom 10 were Singapore (4.04), Colombia (4.03), Guatemala (3.91), Ukraine (3.89), Panama (3.84), Russia (3.78), Indonesia (3.71), El Salvador (3.56) and Dominican Republic (3.35).National crisisA Department of Transportation spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The department earlier took the lead in solving the country’s traffic woes. It also proposed legislation to designate traffic as a national crisis, which is now pending with lawmakers.The Duterte administration has proposed an aggressive infrastructure drive, including big-ticket transportation projects aimed at cutting land, sea and air congestion.Most of the projects are covered by the government’s “build, build, build” initiative.

['Miguel R. Camus']

09/01/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/944636/philippine-news-updates-metro-manila-traffic-waze-driver-satisfaction-index-2017

Inquirer

Credible

The challenge of public service

Former Vice PresidentI have been often asked if, other than public service, I have other passions in life. My reply is that I only have one passion and that is to serve. I consider myself a servant-leader, whether as a public official or as a private citizen.I have always been someone who helps people, even as a young boy. A natural boy scout, if you will. The passion for service became more pronounced when I became a student activist at the University of the Philippines (UP). I immersed myself in the lives of ordinary farmers and workers, joining them in their protests to improve their working conditions. This also led me to become a lawyer. I took on cases of ordinary laborers, fishermen, and unions. During martial law, I became active as a human rights lawyer. A major opportunity to serve opened up when I was appointed OIC mayor of Makati immediately after the 1986 EDSA Revolution.During my long career in government, I never stoped learning. I attended seminars. I enrolled in several diploma, masteral, and graduate courses at UP, National Defense College of the Philippines, Philippine Christian University, and the Center for Reseach and Communication, which later became the University of Asia & the Pacific. I also became a Kennedy Fellow at Harvard University. I love reading and studying, and I believe that public officials and those in leadership positions should never be afraid to learn new things. Leaders who think they know everything are certain to fail. And that goes for both the public and private sectors. We should develop a certain degree of intellectual humility. We should accept that we do not know everything. Once we think that way, we become open to new ideas and insights. We listen to people more and this guides us in making decisions.My election as Vice President, I think, can be attributed to our efforts to extend to the citizens of Makati the benefits they deserve as taxpayers. These benefits were unheard of at that time. Over the years, the distinct services we give to the people of Makati became known nationwide. People were talking about Makati, or as we fondly say, “Ganito kami sa Makati.” So naturally the people wanted national leaders who are committed to service and improving their lives. Makati was also extending assistance to hundreds of local governments. We began this sister-city program in the 1990s. This also helped spread the good news about Makati and what we have accomplished as a public servant.In my long public career, I have faced several difficulties and challenges but the biggest one for me is the pre-occupation with partisan politics, or putting personal or group interests above the interest of the people. This often gets in the way of governance. I have encountered this several times. I try to be as inclusive as possible, offering my hand as a team player despite political differences. Sometimes the offer is accepted, sometimes it is not. But this should not discourage a public official. We do our best with what is given us.After more than 30 years in public service, do I have any regrets? I think engaging in what-ifs and what-could-have- beens is counter productive. You cannot change the past. You can learn from it, but do not dwell too much on the past. Use your experiences, whether positive or negative, to move forward.Government service is a thankless job. It is not for prestige or for perks. It requires dedication, selflessness and a real passion to serve. The reward, however, is the feeling of self-fulfillment when you see the lives of people change for the better because of the things you do and when they express their thanks and gratitude.Joining government today is an even bigger challenge. The world is rapidly changing and the change is technology-driven. Governments must therefore evolve. It cannot remain static. Government must constantly innovate in order to keep pace with the rapidly changing world and the changing needs of citizens.Aside from harnessing technology to make services more efficient and accesible to citizens, I would argue for less bureaucracy and more creative thinking in government. Sadly, paralysis by analysis is still prevalent. Government, to my mind, must learn to talk less and do more. And do it faster, and more efficiently. We can learn from the private sector, and I was perhaps the first local official who introduced private sector practices in government.I am optimistic that if government pursues the path of decisiveness, certainty and competence, we can reduce economic and social disparities and give the people the service they deserve. Political will is not enough. We also need decisive and competent people to implement programs. There must be real change, not only in rhetoric but in action, in the way government works and serves.To those who aspire to be public leaders, I advise them to be sincere and authentic. Rise above political affiliations and partisan considerations and see yourselves as leaders not just of one group or party but of the people.And when you do become leaders, always trust the Almighty and His Divine plan. Never doubt yourself and always deal with people with sincerity and humility.jcbinay11@gmail.com

[]

09/01/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/01/09/the-challenge-of-public-service/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Piston to strike vs PUJ phaseout

Transport group Pinagkaisang Samahan ng mga Tsuper at Opereytors Nationwide (Piston) has announced that it will stage another strike on Monday to protest the government’s plan to phase out public utility jeepneys (PUJs).“We are warning commuters who might be affected by another strike that we will [hold] on Monday starting at 6:00 a.m. up to 4:00 p.m.,” Piston chief George San Mateo said in an interview on Tuesday.According to San Mateo, Piston and the No to Jeepney Phaseout Coalition expect to get a 90-percent participation rate or about 59,000 out of 65,000 jeepney drivers in Metro Manila alone.He said Alabang (Muntinlupa City), Novaliches (Quezon City), Monumento (Caloocan City), Manila and Cubao (also in Quezon City) will serve as rally centers on Monday.Bulacan, Cavite, Rizal, Laguna and Batangas will most likely hold a nationally coordinated protest action too, San Mateo added.“The Department of Transportatn (DoTr) admitted that it could only provide 170,000 units for the 180,000 old jeepneys that they plan to phase out. We will not be able to fully upgrade. Even the rehabilitation period that we proposed will only be valid until 2020,” he said.Under the government’s modernization program for public utility vehicles, a new jeepney will cost P1.6 million to P1.8 million.Operators and drivers, however, have been saying that only 200 drivers will be able to avail of the P80,000 subsidy offered to them for purchase of a jeepney.“Even the lawmakers said in past hearings [in Congress] that this [modernization] program is raw,” San Mateo said.The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Department of Finance (DoF) earlier said P2.2 billion will be provided for 28,000 jeepney drivers in 2018.This amount will be on top of another P1 billion loan program offered by the Land Bank of the Philippines.The DBM and the DoF are yet to come up with guidelines on the subsidy and other forms of financial assistance to beneficiaries.

['Mary Gleefer F. Jalea']

2018-03-16 00:03:13+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/piston-to-strike-vs-puj-phaseout/386421/

Manila Times

Credible

What will Duterte do in Brunei, China?

President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday afternoon, left for his state visits to Brunei Darussalam and China where he will meet his fellow state leaders to discuss enhancement of special ties and trade relations between the Philippines and its neighbors.President Duterte said he will meet with Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah in Brunei Darussalam, and the talks will center on enhancing special relations between the two countries.“We will discuss of further enhancing the special ties and reaffirm the enduring relations between our two countries and peoples,” he said in his departure speech at Davao International Airport.“I will seek to foster closer cooperation, especially within the context of ASEAN,” the President said.Among the priority areas for discussion are the stronger two-way trade and investments, developing the country’s Halal sector and the micro, small and medium enterprises.The President is also set to seek strengthening joint resolve to secure just and lasting peace in Mindanao along with growth and development.He said in terms of growth and development, he will seek to further strengthen joint resolve at securing just and lasting peace in Mindanao.“Brunei has been a steadfast partner for peace. As the Philippines enters into important phases in our peace talks, Brunei will continue to play an important role,” he said.In the area of defense and security cooperation, President Duterte said he will seek collaborative undertakings in the sharing of expertise on maritime security issues as well as in capacity building.He said he will also seek closer collaboration and mutual support in his campaign against illegal drugs, an important step towards attaining the common goal of realizing an ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Drug-Free Community.“I am also set to meet with the Filipino Community in Brunei. It will be an opportunity to thank them for their contributions to socioeconomic development and to apprise them of developments here at home,” he said.From Brunei, the President will proceed to Beijing for his first state visit to China. (PNA)

[]

2016-10-17 10:44:25+08:00

http://duterte.today/will-duterte-brunei-china/

Duterte Daily Stories

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PHILIPPINE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS: MANNY PACQUIAO VS. DINGDONG DANTES IN 2022

Actor Dingdong Dantes.Dantes, who recently married fellow actor Marian Rivera in what was billed a ‘Royal Wedding,’ is 34 years old and is ineligible to run for president in 2016. The miniimum age to run for president is 40. Aquino was the Best Man during the Dantes-Rivera wedding.The actor is on the short list of the Liberal Party’s senatorial slate for 2016.Champion boxer Manny Pacquiao, 36, had previously announced his intention to run for president. Like Dantes, Pacquiao is not qualified to run in 2016 because he is under-age. But the boxer is already an elected congressman, representing his province of Sarangani. He ran under the banner of the Nacionalista Party.Fast forward to 2022. Dantes vs. Pacquiao for Philippine president.Who would you vote for? Participate in The Adobo Chronicles poll below:

['Pol Pinoy']

27/04/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/04/27/philippine-presidential-elections-manny-pacquiao-vs-dingdong-dantes-in-2022/

Adobo Chronicles

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Actress Agot Isidro Wants Mocha Uson’s Position At MTRCB

The big news yesterday was the appointment of Duterte supporter and blogger Mocha Uson as Assistant Secretary of the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO). Most Duterte supporters were elated over the appointment while the Yellowtards were fuming.In announcing Uson’s appointment, Malacañang said that by accepting the new position, Uson is deemed to have resigned her position as member of the Movie and Television Ratings and Classification Board (MTRCB), creating a vacancy in the self-censorship body.Upon learning of the new PCOO appointment, actress Agot Isidro sent a letter to Malacañang expressing her desire to be appointed to replace Uson on the MTRCB.It will be recalled that Isidro took to her social media account to label Duterte a “psychopath,” to which the president responded that the actress had the constitutional right to free speech.In her letter to Malacañang, Isidro said that she is well qualified for the position and that she will make for an unbiased member of the MTRCB.

['Pol Pinoy']

09/05/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2017/05/09/actress-agot-isidro-wants-mocha-usons-position-at-mtrcb/

Adobo Chronicles

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Senator Hontiveros Files Lawsuit To Stop Jover Laurio From Having Facial Surgery

Showbiz personality Xander Ford is making headlines again, thanks to Senator Risa Hontiveros.Hontiveros has filed a lawsuit seeking to stop anti-Duterte blogger Jover Laurio, a.k.a. Pinoy Ako Blog (PAB) from having facial reconstruction similar to Ford’s.At issue here is the classified information Hontiveros received from sources close to PAB.Laurio reportedly wants to look like the lady Senator.”I have nothing against plastic surgery, but when one seeks facial transformation to look like me, then it becomes quite personal, and I have to seriously object to it,” Hontiveros told The Adobo Chronicles.

['Pol Pinoy']

28/11/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2017/11/28/senator-hontiveros-files-lawsuit-to-stop-jover-laurio-from-having-facial-surgery/?share=email

Adobo Chronicles

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Ditch Escudero, Osmeña advises Poe

Sen. Sergio Osmeña III on Monday said that Sen. Grace Poe should run for President next year as an independent candidate even as he advised her against teaming up with Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero.“I think the best option (for her) is to run for President as an independent… so she will not be a captive of any political party,” said Osmeña, who has been running in elections as an independent candidate.Osmeña said that Poe, who is fast emerging as a strong presidential contender, is “winnable” on her own and does not need the backing of political parties, which are just “political cliques” that are “fleeting and temporary alliances.”Osmeña cited the case of the late Sen. Raul Roco and Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, who both ran for President as independent candidates and received “formidable numbers of votes.”Asked what he thought of a proposed Poe-Escudero tandem, Osmeña said that a “package deal” was not a good idea.“What if you want to support her but you don’t want Chiz? Why would you put yourself in that position? That’s all I’m saying. It could be Grace-Serge, Grace-anybody. But don’t go for the package, it’s hard enough to sell yourself first. You’re saying, take me and you also have to take everybody else along with me. It’s better not to be saddled with a running mate,” he said.Poe and Escudero have yet to announce their plans for 2016. But Poe earlier said that if she would run for President, she would be “comfortable” teaming up with Escudero, a family friend who was the spokesman of her late father, Fernando Poe Jr., when he ran for—but lost—the presidency in 2004.Senate President Franklin Drilon, meanwhile, denied that the Liberal Party was in “panic mode” as it awaits President Aquino’s endorsement of his successor.“We are the Golden State Warriors, not the Cleveland Cavaliers. We have a deep bench, we are not in panic mode,” Drilon said at the weekly Kapihan sa Diamond Hotel media forum, referring to the two American basketball teams squaring off in the 2016 National Basketball Association championship.

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2018-07-25 00:05:17+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/698713/ditch-escudero-osmena-advises-poe

Inquirer

Credible

Basilan court declares ASG terrorist group

A court in Basilan province has declared the Abu Sayyaf a terrorist organization in a ruling that provides the government with another legal weapon against bandits who have survived years of US-backed offensives.The Sept. 7 ruling by the Isabela City Regional Trial Court (RTC) represents the first time that the 2007 Human Security Act has been applied to declare a criminal group a terrorist organization, the Department of Justice (DOJ) said on Friday.Judge Danilo Bucoy of the Isabela RTC Branch 2 granted the DOJ’s application for the proscription of the Abu Sayyaf, saying terrorism was “essentially enshrined in the bandit group’s preamble.”“After due notice and hearing, the organization commonly known as the Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) and/or Al-Harakatul Al-Islamiyya is hereby declared a terrorist organization,” Bucoy said in his ruling, a copy of which the DOJ released on Friday.“Though the word terrorism is not stated in the preamble, its concept and essence are all over it and are therefore deemed written into it,” the ruling said.De Lima lauds rulingJustice Secretary Leila de Lima lauded the ruling, saying it would strengthen and extend the long arm of the law in going after the Abu Sayyaf.“The proscription against the ASG as a terrorist organization which was granted by the Regional Trial Court of Basilan only formalizes the longstanding position of the government that the group is nothing more than a terrorist organization, thereby boosting the government’s effort to put an end to its existence and to capture all its members,” De Lima said.She said the declaration would allow the government to file criminal charges not just against Abu Sayyaf members, but also against “supporters and financiers of the organization under the Human Security Act and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act.”Enacted in 2012, the terrorism financing law supplemented the 2007 antiterror law, “criminalizing the financing of terrorism and related offenses, and by preventing and suppressing the commission of [those] offenses through freezing and forfeiture of properties or funds while protecting human rights.”Boosts antiterror law“It adds to the government’s legal arsenal in its fight against terrorism in the Philippines, specifically against the ASG and its allied organizations and individual supporters, both foreign and domestic,” De Lima said.While the ruling was made by a Basilan court, the jurisprudence could be invoked nationally, bolstering the impact of the anti-terror law across the country, she said.“[T]he RTC declaration applies all over the Philippines because the law does not distinguish what province the RTC is located so long as the court declares the proscription against a terror group, it is a proscription for purposes of enforcing the Human Security Act anywhere in the Philippines,” De Lima said.

['Tarra Quismundo']

2018-07-25 00:05:17+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/721376/basilan-court-declares-asg-terrorist-group

Inquirer

Credible

I did not receive money – Bello

Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello 3rd on Tuesday maintained his innocence amid allegations of corruption, saying he did not receive any money from recruitment agencies.He admitted that there were attempts to bribe him but he returned the money.“I did not receive any money. There were those who tried but I have them returned and told them not to do it,” Bello said in Filipino in a radio interview.The Labor chief said he treasures his friendship with President Rodrigo Duterte and would not do anything to destroy it.In his State of the Nation Address, Duterte warned his friends in government not to give him reasons to sack them.“I value friendship, make no mistake about it. But it has its limits,” the President said.“This is a lonely place I am hemmed in. Do not make it lonelier by forcing me to end our friendship because you gave me the reason to end it. It pains me to end — the loss of friendships. And that is why I appeal to you to help me in my cause so that our friendship will endure.”Bello is facing two graft complaints before the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission. In both cases, Bello and former Labor undersecretary Dominador Say were accused of extortion.

['William Depasupil']

2018-07-25 00:05:17+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/i-did-not-receive-money-bello/422998/

Manila Times

Credible

Wailing wall becomes mural of untold history

Visual artist Emil Yap vividly described the vacant lot inside a church compound in Baclaran as “the saddest place.”It was a dump, he recalled of the area, while the southern wall of the National Shrine of Our Mother of Perpetual Help in Baclaran, Parañaque, used to be the hangout of people down on their luck.Most of them were overseas Filipino workers who had been duped by illegal recruiters, househelp kicked out of their employers’ home, and abused women and their children.Today, after two years of hard work, that drab wall has become the country’s longest mosaic mural called “Panagpo,” a place of “convergence among devotees and God,” Yap said.The mural, which opens to the public today to mark International Human Rights Day, has also become therapy to the families of victims of extrajudicial killings (EJK) in the government’s war on illegal drugs.For 10 months, family members of drug war victims, some of them young mothers with toddlers in tow, helped paint the mural and laid down the mosaic tiles.Bro. Geraldino Loyola, the project’s spiritual director, said the Redemptorist shrine was among the few churches that provided temporary shelter and livelihood to the families who feared for their lives.The church’s resident psychologist also asked Yap to tap the families as part of “art therapy” to help them overcome their trauma.BrokenLoyola and Yap said they would never forget how the families cried for joy when they finished a portion of the mosaic mural: “Our lives are like these tiles,” they said. “We are all broken, but when we are pieced together, we become a beautiful work of art.”Said Loyola: “That is the message we want to tell them and other Christians: that despite their sufferings, it is not yet the end of their lives. There will always be people who would help them build their hopes back.”Sculptor Manilito Mondejar, who previously carved the statue “Flame of Courage” in the Baclaran church compound for desaparecidos, created another art in memory of child victims of EJK.Loyola described the unnamed sculpture as “like the usual scene in tokhang drug operations (police summary executions). A father carries the body of his young son while holding a mallet to symbolize the workers and the poor who make up most of the victims in this senseless war.”Others might see the church’s action as political, but Loyola described it simply as “a Christian responsibility.”He explained: “As Christians, we should all believe that every human has a right to life. We should condemn oppression.” He added: “As Christians, when someone is oppressed, we should not keep silent but help them.”The “Panagpo” mural does just that.The idea for the mural was first brought up in August 2015 by Fr. Joseph Echano, then the rector of the church. Echano asked Yap to conceptualize a work of art based on Pope Francis’ encyclical, “Laudato Sí” (Praise be to you), that would also be a way to celebrate the 150th jubilee year of the icon of the Mother of Perpetual Help.Common homeThe Pope’s encyclical urged Catholics to take care of their common home, the Earth, that “now cries because of the harm we [have] inflicted on her by our irresponsible use and abuse of the goods which God has endowed her.”The mural stands 3-meter (10-feet) high and 213-meter (700-feet) long, much shorter but no less symbolic that the 6.5-kilometer-long Hanoi Ceramic Mosaic Mural by the dyke walls of Red River in Vietnam.The mosaic mural’s two main sections are based on the Canticle of the Sun written by Saint Francis of Assisi, which was also cited by Pope Francis in “Laudato Sí”: “Brother Son” which tells the history of the country from the pre-Spanish colonization era to the contemporary years, and “Sister Moon” which depicts the lives of the “untold, silenced and marginalized sectors.”At the foot of the mural are the country’s flora and fauna, whose names are written in ancient baybayin (prehispanic alphabet).From a blue and green scheme to represent the myth of creation and the colonization years, the panels turn red and orange as it moves further down the country’s history.“Our history is full of bloodshed and sacrifice for our freedom. It is through armed struggle that our society evolves and changes for the better,” Yap said, pointing out on the panels the killing of the Gomburza martyrs that led to the Philippine Revolution, the Balangiga massacre, and the Japaneseinvasion during World War II.‘Salvation’The more contemporary scenes show countless faces of women and children crying, with a mother pushing a luggage trolley on her way to a flight out of the country, armed men pointing guns at protesters, and the island of Mindanao sitting on a number of dead bodies.“But there’s salvation,” Yap said, pointing at the figure of the Redeemer Father near the end of the mural with his hands reaching out.Sculptures of the “Madonna and Child

['Dexter Cabalza']

03/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/951064/emil-yap-national-shrine-of-our-mother-of-perpetual-help-baclaran-church-panagpo-international-human-rights-day-extrajudicial-killings

Inquirer

Credible

PCSO officials face P50-B plunder case

Members of the board of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and small town lottery (STL) operators are set to be charged today (Thursday) with plunder for allegedly conspiring to defraud the government.Interestingly, PCSO Chair Erineo “Ayong” Maliksi, a former Cavite governor, was not included in the P50-billion plunder case to be filed in the Office of the Ombudsman.Maliksi, who was named chair on April 22, 2015, reportedly does not get along with other members of the PCSO.Diego Magpantay, a former teacher and now the head of Citizens Crime Watch, said that Inquirer reports and the public hearing in the House of Representatives on alleged fraud in the state-sanctioned lottery were eye-openers that prodded his group to look into the supposed anomaly.“The news reports and the Congress hearings caught our attention. When we conducted our own research, we discovered the huge anomaly in the PCSO operation of the STL,” Magpantay told the Inquirer.The government started STL in 1987 in hopes that it would stamp out “jueteng,” an illegal numbers racket. Both involved betting on two-number combinations.Magpantay claimed he was a close associate of antipork activist Quintin Paredes San Diego, who was killed by hired gunmen in Dingalan, Aurora province, in November last year.RespondentsRespondents in the complaint are members of the PCSO board—General Manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas II, Francisco Manuel Joaquin III, Mabel Mamba and Betty Nantes, and Remeliza Gatbuyo.In a text message to the Inquirer, Rojas described the charges against the PCSO board members as “baseless.”“There are 80 plus provinces nationwide and we conduct STL in only 14 provinces,” Rojas said. “Any and all kinds of numbers game activity in the 70 plus provinces [such as jueteng or masiao] are not sanctioned by the PCSO [and as such] are all illegal.”The PCSO board’s performance, he said, is “closely monitored” by the Governance Commission for government-owned and -controlled corporations.“As such, we believe the case filed against the board will be dismissed for lack of merit,” Rojas said.Asked why PCSO Chair Maliksi was not included in the complaint, Magpantay said: “Maliksi had acted in the interest of the PCSO and even asked the [National Bureau of Investigation] to conduct an investigation. I believe he is not party to the anomaly because he asked for an investigation.”Case against MaliksiLast month, a group called the Filipino Alliance for Transparency and Empowerment said it would file corruption charges against Maliksi in the Office of the Ombudsman for reportedly hiring ghost consultants and giving unwarranted favor to his driver under the agency’s financial assistance program to patients.The STL operators named in the complaint were CTG Prime Ventures Inc. (for the province of Nueva Ecija), Ramloid Gaming Corp. (Laguna), Batangas Enhanced Technology Systems Inc. (Batangas), Diamond Gaming and Research Center Corp. (Bulacan), Piroutte Corp. (Quezon) and Golden Matrix Gaming and Amusement Center (Zambales).“In our research, we got hold of special audit reports of the Commission on Audit (COA) that show huge anomalies in the STL sales and remittances. We also have PCSO resolutions that show the supposed connivance between the board of directors and the STL operators,” Magpantay said.

['Nancy C. Carvajal']

03/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/763708/pcso-officials-face-p50-b-plunder-case

Inquirer

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Aquino is best Philippine president says..

MANILA, Philippines – In a long list of Philippine chief executives including his own grandfather, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II picked Benigno Aquino III as “the best president in Philippine history.”During a Town Hall forum organized by CNN Philippines recently, Roxas was asked who he thought was “the best president in Philippine history except for your grandfather.”“I would say Noynoy Aquino, undoubtedly,” said Roxas on Thursday, December 10, of the man who has endorsed his presidential bid for 2016.He added: “Undoubtedly, ang tawag sa 'tin ay sick man of Asia, para tayong lumpo, may sakit, hindi tayo nakakasabay sa ating mga kapitbahay na bansa. Ngayon, tawag sa 'tin, Asia's bright star. Malayo nang narating natin. Nagsimula lahat ito sa Daang Matuwid mula nung 2010. It's amazing what we can attain as a people, maglagay ng daang malinis at matuwid na pamunuan.”(We used to be called the sick man of Asia, we were a lame duck, we were sick, we weren’t at par with our neighbors. Now we’re called Asia’s bright star. We’ve come a long way and this started because of Daang Matuwid in 2010. It’s amazing what we can attain as a people, if your leaders follow the straight path.)Roxas was anointed by Aquino as his preferred successor when he steps down in 2016. He is also president-on-leave of the ruling party, which Aquino chairs. (READ: Aquino as 'minister mentor' under Roxas presidency?)Aquino and Roxas go a long way. In 2009, Roxas was set to be LP’s standard-bearer for the 2010 national elections, he but slid down at the last minute for then Senator Aquino, whose numbers shot up following the death of his mother, democracy icon and former president Cory Aquino.Instead, Roxas ran for vice president in 2010, but lost to then Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay. Vice President Binay is now seeking the presidency too.Six years later, it’s Roxas’ turn to vie for the presidency. His is a campaign that is hinged on the promise of continuity and of “Daang Matuwid (Straight Path),” the administration’s tagline for its good governance, transparency, and anti-corruption platform.

['Hot News Philippines']

03/02/2017 0:00

http://hotnewsphil.blogspot.com/2016/09/aquino-is-best-philippine-president-says.html

Hot News Philippines

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DILG: All systems go for Boracay reopening

A week before Boracay’s “soft reopening” to tourists, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said everything was in order for the big day.The big difference this time?“There will be a lot of laws and ordinances to be implemented in Boracay under [DILG] supervision to make sure that there will be no repeat of what happened before,” Interior Secretary Eduardo M. Año said in a statement on Friday.Sewerage treatmentFor instance, he said, only business establishments accredited by the interagency task force that have sewerage treatment plants and secured environmental compliance certificates would be allowed to operate by the Oct. 26 reopening.The “no floating structure” ban within 3 kilometers of the shoreline will also be in effect.Earlier, administrative cases were filed against 18 erring local government officials for alleged negligence and mismanagement of the island.Año said the six-month closure of the island allowed the authorities to fix Boracay’s “immediate” environmental problems. Still, he said, it would take two years for the island to be completely rehabilitated.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

03/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1044994/dilg-all-systems-go-for-boracay-reopening

Inquirer

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Sona promises: Has Aquino improved the energy sector?

When President Aquino delivers his final State of the Nation Address (Sona), those most concerned about electricity need only to refer to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) accomplishments.The DOE officer in charge, Zenaida Y. Monsada, said 102 power generation projects had been commissioned and committed (work ongoing) under the administration, with a total capacity of 6,549.45 megawatts.That is a big leap from the nine power projects (with total capacity of 1,338 MW) credited under the previous administration.READ: First Gen raises P7.5B for power projectsWhether a supply of 6,549 MW is enough may not be as much a source of concern as whether the volume is sufficient to prevent outages in the future.In Aquino’s 2014 Sona, he gave no indication that he would declare a state of power emergency to gain special powers to avert a supply shortage last summer. It turned out he did not have to.The President said he ordered then Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla to coordinate with stakeholders to address the tightness in supply that raised the possibility of outages.Petilla projected a reserve shortfall of about 200 MW in Luzon from March to May this year. He said a buffer of 400 MW to 500 MW was needed.The President blamed the shortage on legacy power plants that may experience unexpected outages due to old age, regular maintenance shutdowns and delay in the construction of new ones. The El Niño phenomenon was also a threat to hydropower plants.READ: Luzon, Visayas may face 800MW power shortage in 2015Luzon did not experience widespread brownouts over the summer. While a number of tight-supply situations are expected to occur over the second half of this year, the DOE has assured that new power plants are opening.Backup measureThere is also a back-up measure in the form of the interruptible load program (ILP) in which businesses with generator sets may generate power to ease demand from the grid in exchange for compensation.So far, so good, it seems.Petilla, who recently quit as energy secretary, has said he believes Luzon and the Visayas can survive the next tight spots in power supply, especially if committed power projects are delivered on time.Processing time cutThe carrot-and-stick approach of the DOE has drawn more investors to the energy and power sectors, he said. He noted that the processing time for service contracts had been cut to 45 days (particularly for renewable energy, or RE) from two years.Petilla said there had been a huge uptake in RE not only due to faster processing of applications but also due to the recent implementation of guidelines for incentives under the feed-in-tariff (FIT) scheme.FIT incentivesPetilla said encouraging projects to qualify for FIT incentives was so successful that the installation capacity for solar had been expanded to 500 MW from 50 MW and there was a proposal for wind capacity expansion to 400 MW from 200 MW.READ: FIT race heats up in solar, wind segmentsResolving the dispute between Korean firm Kepco and the state-owned Manila Waterworks and Sewerage System over the Angat hydroelectric complex is another accomplishment cited by the DOE. Kepco’s partnership with San Miguel Corp. was formalized.Supply, demand updateBesides the backup capacity under the ILP and energy-saving information campaign, the DOE established regular updates on the grid’s supply/demand outlook, Petilla said.“Now we can predict what kind of prices will be in the spot market and we can be on the lookout,” he said.READ: WESM seeks P814M from customersWhile addressing the power issue in Luzon, the DOE has improved the outlook and capacity of cooperatives by instituting discipline and making it known that nonpaying cooperatives will be disconnected from the grid, Petilla said.CircularsBefore leaving his post, he issued several circulars, including one that impose penalties on power suppliers who fail to deliver promised power projects or energy supply. The circular is seen to benefit Mindanao, which is experiencing lingering power outages due to poor contracting by electricity cooperatives.One circular tightens the implementation of open access by requiring big users to find alternative suppliers besides their current distribution utility. Another circular seeks to ensure a 30-percent share of RE in the country’s energy mix.Bidding for supply contractsA circular, which focuses on lowering electricity rates, requires competitive bidding for supply contracts of distribution utilities, such as Manila Electric Co. That means they will no longer “self-negotiate” the generation charges that are eventually passed on to consumers.Another often volatile issue that the DOE deals with is oil price, but that is a nonissue given the oversupply in the global markets.Unresolved issuesOn Luzon’s electricity price shock in late 2013, Petilla said the DOE had done “everything that needed to be done.” It is now up to the Energy Regulatory Commission to resolve the issue and put it to rest, he said.Where the DOE has not made headway given the hit taken by oil firms from soft demand since 2014, as well as geopolitical issues in the oil-and-gas-rich West Philippine Sea, is the bidding of new oil exploration sites. Few investors applied for such areas, raising concerns on new investments in the sector.Ongoing is the privatization of the assets of National Power Corp. (Napocor) so it can pay off its debts and restore its financial health.READ: ‘Consumers to shoulder P62-billion Napocor settlement’In his first Sona in 2010, the President criticized the previous administration for making Napocor sell electricity at a loss to prevent increases in electricity rates from 2001 to 2004. He said this resulted in huge debts that the nation had to pay and inefficiencies that adversely affected customers.Fast forward to April 2015. Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (PSALM) said privatization had helped trim down the financial obligations assumed from Napocor by 42 percent to P698.9 billion as of end-2014 from P1.2 trillion as of end-December 2000 (inclusive of interest).PSALM, which is tasked with privatizing Napocor assets and managing its debts, is ticking off more items on its privatization list between now and 2017.AuctionsPSALM is set to auction off contracts for the management of the bulk energy output from Leyte and output from the Mindanao coal-fired power plant.The tender for the Independent Power Producer Administrator (IPPA) for the bulk energy of the Unified Leyte Geothermal Power Plants (ULGPP Bulk) is tentatively set on Aug. 12.The tender for the IPPA of the 200-MW Mindanao coal-fired power plant is on Sept. 23.The ULGPP is composed of the 125-MW Upper Mahiao, 232.5-MW Malitbog and180-MW Mahanagdong power plants, and the 51-MW optimization plants. The ULGPP is covered by power purchase agreements between Napocor and Energy Development Corp.Also up for auction this year are Power Barge 104 and the decommissioned Sucat Thermal Power Plant.Next year, the IPPA contract for the Caliraya-Botocan-Kalayaan hydro-electric power power (HEPP) is up for bidding.READ: NDC, PNOC Renewables sign to build P90M mini-hydropower plant in Nueva EcijaAgus-Pulangi complexIn 2017, the Agus-Pulangi HEPP complex may be up for bidding, subject to consultation with Congress as stated in the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) of 2001.This one is a tricky matter. The continuing deterioration of the Agus and Pulangi plants, along with questions on whether it would be privatized (and if so, how), is the subject of many groups’ opinions given that the hydro plants supply half of Mindanao’s power.With a combined capacity of 982-MW installed capacity and the top supplier in Mindanao’s grid, it is too large to sell to a lone owner. That would result in a near-monopoly, which is against Epira.For now, the hydropower complex is under Napocor’s care.The remaining power generation assets that are not scheduled for auction are the Malaya Thermal Power Plant and the Casecnan Multipurpose Project.According to PSALM, the privatization of Malaya, a must-run facility, is subject to instructions from the DOE.The privatization of the Casecnan facility is under the Department of Finance’s review.Missionary electrificationNapocor, meanwhile, is establishing new Small Power Utilities Group (Spug) areas on Calaguas Island in Camarines Norte province and Camandag Island in Western Samar province.On top of managing 296 Spug plants across the archipelago, Napocor continues to identify and assess new areas—islands and sitios (settlements) that are not connected to the main grid for missionary electrification.READ: P5.4B earmarked for NEA electrification programThe DOE’s qualified third party program allows and sets the criteria for private companies to participate in missionary electrification projects, Napocor said.

['Riza T. Olchondra']

03/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/707641/sona-promises-has-aquino-improved-the-energy-sector

Inquirer

Credible

Donald Trump’s Next Executive Order: Jail Hillary Clinton

Now everybody knows that when Donald Trump promises to do something, he delivers. And deliver he did on almost all of his campaign promises so far: repealing Obamacare, building a border wall with Mexico, creating a Muslim registry, closing the door on refugees and immigrants, and many others.There is just one major campaign promise that he hasn’t fulfilled, but it’s coming next week: to jail Hillary Clinton.Many will recall that during his presidential campaign, Trump said to Clinton: “If I win, I am going to instruct my attorney general to get a special prosecutor to look into your (missing email) situation, because there has never been so many likes, so much deception.”When asked by The Adobo Chronicles why he has not acted on that promise, Trump said, “Just you wait. As soon as my nominee for attorney general Jeff Sessions is confirmed by the Senate, that promise will come true.”Sessions passed the first confirmation hurdle when the Senate Judiciary Committee approved his nomination. Soon after, in a vote for 53-42, the Senate moved to start debate on his confirmation.White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer confirmed that a draft Executive Order is waiting to be signed by Trump, instructing Sessions to hire a special prosecutor to start the jailing process for Mrs. Clinton.However, Spicer said that “because President Trump is a nice person and recognizes his long friendship with Bill and Hillary, he will pardon Mrs. Clinton when his second term as U.S. president is up.Yes, Trump just promised that he will win a second term. Will he deliver?

['Pol Pinoy']

03/02/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2017/02/03/donald-trumps-next-executive-order-jail-hillary-clinton/#respond

Adobo Chronicles

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‘Junjun Binay can still run for office’

SUSPENDED Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. may still pursue his reelection bid and file his certificate of candidacy (COC) this week despite an order from the Office of the Ombudsman perpetually disqualifying him from holding public office, according to election law experts.Former Commission on Elections Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said that Binay could still file a motion for reconsideration with the Ombudsman. Should that fail as well, Binay may elevate his case to the Court of Appeals to seek a temporary restraining order.“If, for example, the Court of Appeals sustains his dismissal, Binay can still elevate the case to the Supreme Court,” Brillantes told reporters.In the meantime, he said Binay may still file his COC between today (Monday) and Friday.“If he (Binay) files his COC this week, that’s still okay. The Comelec will receive it [or] they can refuse it,” Brillantes added.According to him, although the Ombudsman’s dismissal was “immediately executory,” it could not be enforced right away because Binay was still serving a six-month suspension over a separate case involving alleged irregularities in the construction of the Makati City Science High School building.“The dismissal can’t be implemented yet. No one can be removed because he remains suspended until now. Once the suspension period ends, only then can he be dismissed,” Brillantes said.The preventive suspension was issued last July and would end in January. Currently serving as acting Makati mayor is Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña.Former University of the East law dean Amado Valdez, former University of the Philippines law dean Pacifico Agabin and election lawyer Romulo Macalintal also agreed that the dismissal order, though immediately executory, was not yet final and may still be subject to judicial review before implementation.“[Junjun Binay] can file his COC and argue that the decision is not yet final,” Valdez said.Agabin said the same thing in a text message to the Inquirer: “Yes, he can file his COC if he appeals the Ombudsman order.”“We have a lot of cases where a candidate under custody… or in jail was allowed to file a COC and won the elections. He could file a motion for reconsideration and appeal to Court of Appeals if denied,” Macalintal said.

['Jerome Aning']

19/06/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/729989/junjun-binay-can-still-run-for-office

Inquirer

Credible

ADOBO CHRONICLES EXCLUSIVE: VP Leni Robredo’s Expenses For L.A. Trip

Last week, Rappler’s star reporter Pia Rañada exposed the cost of President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign trips which ran into millions. The Rappler “exclusive” however failed to report on the trillions for the country that were the direct result of the presidential trips.Now, our star reporter, Pol Pinoy, has an exclusive for The Adobo Chronicles.We wanted to avail of actual numbers from the Office of the Vice President (OVP) for this report, but despite the Freedom of Information (FOI) act, Leni Robredo and her social media staff have consistently denied requests for data from the news media.So, Pol Pinoy painstakingly resorted to true-to-life estimates on the total cost of Robredo’s travel to Los Angeles, California, to grace a symphony event.Please note that these numbers are mere estimates and have not been audited by the Philippines’ Commission on Audit (COA).Meanwhile, the OVP continues to appeal for donations to help with the relief and rehabilitation of the victims of the terrorist siege in Marawi. Please contact OVP on how you can send them your hard-earned money to help boost Robredo’s image.As for what Robredo is bringing back to the Philippines from this trip, this is it, a self-portrait, a gift from the event organizers:

['Pol Pinoy']

19/06/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2017/06/19/adobo-chronicles-exclusive-vp-leni-robredos-expenses-for-l-a-trip/

Adobo Chronicles

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Vice President’s side was ignored, Binay camp laments

The camp of Vice President Jejomar Binay on Friday denied the claim of the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee that he did not answer allegations of overpricing in the construction of Makati City Hall Building II.Lawyer Rico Quicho, spokesperson for Binay, reminded the senators that Binay submitted a notarized affidavit on Nov. 6, 2014, “debunking and answering point [by] point” the accusations against him and members of his family.Quicho was commenting on reports that the blue ribbon subcommittee, in a partial report on its investigation of corruption allegations against Binay, said the Vice President did not take advantage of the offer to him to defend himself at the hearings.“It is a validation of our position that the Senate has, from the very start, already prejudged the issue. They have made up their minds even before the hearing started and will not listen, tolerate, or entertain statements and facts contradicting them,” Quicho said in a statement.Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, Senate blue ribbon subcommittee chair, acknowledged that Binay submitted an affidavit to the inquiry, which he said was considered in the preparation of the panel’s partial report.READ: Binay camp: Anticlimactic after 21 one-sided hearings“It was not enough to sway the arguments, the ideas, the points. It was not enough to sway the conclusion,” Pimentel said.He said the subcommittee received so many records and testimonies that not all could be mentioned in the report. But this does not mean, he said, that they were not considered.While Binay submitted a statement, Pimentel said, he did not back it up with testimony before the subcommittee.Had Binay done so, there would have been a greater chance of him being quoted in the report, Pimentel said.“The question is, would it change the conclusion?” Pimentel said.He said Binay’s affidavit was more like a legal memorandum, full of legal arguments.The points raised were covered and considered, he said, but the other side had stronger points.“Unfortunately for him, [it was] not enough to persuade and change minds because the other side of the argument or issue had more credible, substantive, and logical evidence and arguments,” Pimentel said.The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee recommended the filing of plunder and graft charges against Binay, his son, Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay, Makati City Hall officials, resident auditors, contractors and his longtime aides Gerardo “Gerry” Limlingan and Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy.Former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado alleged at the hearings that Makati City Hall Building II was overpriced at P2.3 billion.In his eight-page affidavit, the Vice President said “there was no overprice of the Makati City Hall Building II nor any irregularity committed.”Binay said: “Constructing the Makati City Hall Building II into five phases or splitting the contracts, with the conduct of bidding for each phase, is not prohibited by the Procurement Act (Republic Act No. 9184). Section 65.1(d), Rule 21 of the IRR (Implementing Rules and Regulations) of RA 9184 provides that splitting of contracts is prohibited only if the purpose is to avoid bidding, circumvent rules on alternative procurement, or circumvent limits of approving authorities.”Annex “C” of the RA 9184 IRR allows for a minimum of 28 calendar days and a maximum of 144 days for the conduct of the entire procurement process for projects costing more than P50 million. “Thus, the claim of the Commission on Audit (COA) Chair Grace Pulido-Tan that the process should take six months is not correct.”“[B]ased on the records, the procurement or bidding process for each phase of the Makati City Hall Building II project was conducted within the allowable periods of the law.”“The awarding of contracts to a lone bidder after the conduct of biddings is not prohibited by the Procurement Act.”“In Phase 1 of the Makati City Hall Building II project, the winning bidder bested (two) other bidders. For Phases 2 to 5, the lone bidder was the same contractor. Based on the records, there was no reason to disqualify the contractor.”The subcommittee report said Hilmarc’s Construction Inc. was a “favored contractor” that had bagged several multimillion-peso contracts from Makati City Hall.On the alleged overpricing of the building, Binay said:National Statistics Office (NSO) data cannot prove that the building is overpriced because “there are different scopes of work, specifications, design and bills of material.”“NSO data cannot prove that the Makati City Hall Building II is overpriced. The NSO data has inherent limitations. The NSO based its computations on approved building applications and documentary requirements and not on actual construction cost.“The market value appraisals cannot likewise prove that the Makati City Hall Building II is overpriced. As admitted by Mr. Federico Cuervo, the resource person of the Senate, his testimony was only hypothetical costing.”The Davis Langdon & Seah Handbook cannot prove that the building is overpriced because the handbook “expressly states that its data is subject to limitations.”Mere ocular inspection of the building, even by experts, cannot prove overpricing. “As held by the Supreme Court in the case of Ariola v. Commission on Audit, there must be an actual canvass or price quotations on the subject materials from accredited suppliers to prove there was an overprice.”Rights violatedBinay also said that his constitutional rights “were and continue to be violated,” including his constitutional right not to be subjected to a congressional inquiry if the rules of the Senate are not complied with, the right to due process of law, and the right to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.“The hearing has veered toward false criminal accusations against me. It must be emphasized, the Senate shall constitute as the impeachment court in case the House of Representatives initiates impeachment proceedings. Therefore, the senators are unmindful of their role as potential senators-judges. Worst, these senators are acting as prosecutors, judges and even as witnesses,” he said.“As declared by Sen. [Antonio] Trillanes IV, among other things, his objective is to put me in jail,” Binay said.Trillanes said on multiple occasions that he would not stop until Binay was jailed for his alleged crimes.

['Niña P. Calleja']

2016-12-26 21:55:56+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/694799/vice-presidents-side-was-ignored-binay-camp-laments

Inquirer

Credible

Martial law victims lose again in court

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed its earlier decision to dismiss a petition by victims of human rights violations under the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos to enforce a Hawaii court ruling that awarded them $2 billion in compensation from the strongman’s estate.In a three-page resolution dated Jan. 3, the court’s former 12th Division stood by its July 2017 decision to uphold the ruling of the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) that the claims on the Marcos estate could not prosper due to a lack of jurisdiction and a violation of due process.“Consequently, the final judgment rendered therein [by the Hawaii court] is not binding,” said the CA’s resolution, written by Justice Normandie Pizzaro.The other division members, Justices Joseph Lopez and Manuel Gaerlan, concurred.The martial law victims said they would appeal the CA’s decision in the Supreme Court.The case originated from a class suit filed in April 1986 by more than 9,500 Filipinos who claimed damages for human rights violations under Marcos in the US District Court in Hawaii.The petitioners were led by former Commission on Human Rights Chair Etta Rosales, film director Joel Lamangan and retired judge Priscilla Mijares.Final judgmentOn Sept. 24, 1992, after a three-week trial on liability, the court found the Marcos estate liable for torture, death and disappearances. The jury awarded the plaintiffs about $1.97 billion in total damages.On Feb. 3, 1995, the federal district court entered final judgment in the class action, which was affirmed by the US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in December 1996.The compensation was to be paid by the Marcos estate, a juridical entity that arose after the execution of the late dictator’s last will and testament following his death in 1989 in Hawaii, where he had fled with his family after his ouster in the 1986 Edsa People Power Revolution.The claimants sought recognition and enforcement of the Hawaii ruling from the Makati RTC, but the Marcos estate protested.The appeals tribunal affirmed the lower court’s view that the Hawaii ruling was null and void for failing to meet the standards of what a valid judgment is in the Philippines.The court said that applying Philippine judicial processes, the Hawaii court would have no jurisdiction on the matter because the complaint was erroneously filed as a class suit and the bulk of claimants remained unidentified.“In merely using a scheme of statistical sampling to determine a compensation schedule and to compute an aggregate judgment for compensatory damages, the Hawaii court gave no opportunity to the unnamed claimants the full rehabilitative potential litigation and overlooks the individual harms purportedly suffered, as well as giving no opportunity for the Marcos estate to confront each and every claimant. Consequently, the final judgment rendered therein is not binding as to the right to due process of both parties was violated,” the appeals court said in its Jan. 3 ruling.No to foreign impositions“Further, the final judgment was constitutionally infirm because, although the complaint in MDL 840 was filed under the Alien Torts Statute, also called the Alien Torts Claims Act, the same was disposed of on the basis of a different law (presumably the Torture Victim Protection Act). This invalidates the disposition considering that a decision that does not conform to the form and substance required by the Constitution and the law is void and deemed legally nonexistent,” it added.The court said in its July 2017 decision that the “rules of comity should not be made to prevail over our Constitution and we cannot allow foreign impositions to trample upon our sovereignty.”Despite the nonrecognition of the Hawaii court’s ruling, lawyers for the martial law victims over the years provided compensation for the plaintiffs from the alleged ill-gotten and hidden wealth of the Marcos family that had been recovered.Rosales was disappointed that the appellate court twice refused to recognize the historic Hawaii court decision, but assured that the martial law victims would not back down and would ask the Supreme Court to overturn the CA ruling.“There is no basis not to grant the enforcement. This is a legitimate, historical decision by the United States court—the first time that Marcos was deemed guilty of human rights violations,” Rosales told the Inquirer on Friday.She pointed out that the Hawaii class suit had been legitimized and cited in court decisions internationally and in the Philippines, especially in the July 15, 2003 Supreme Court decision which said the Marcoses’ accumulated ill-gotten wealth and ordered the forfeiture of $658 million of their Swiss deposits in favor of the Philippine government.Rights victims claims boardThe seized deposits have become the source of funding for the compensation of martial law victims under the Human Rights Victims Claims Board (HRVCB).The claims board has received more than 75,000 claims and processed nearly 60,000. It is expected to announce the final number of legitimate claims, estimated to be more than the 9,539 Hawaii plaintiffs, before its term ends in May.Under the law creating the HRVCB, petitioners in the Hawaii class suit enjoy “conclusive presumption” as acknowledged claimants, Rosales said.“Who is the Court of Appeals acting for? Is this because human rights victims are ordinary people and are not in power? Is it because the other party (Marcos family) want to be Vice President or President of the Philippines? Is this an issue of justice or power?” Rosales said.Lamangan, who was a torture victim, told the Inquirer that the victims had the right to receive the Hawaii court’s damage award.“These are the people who were killed, imprisoned, maimed, tortured during that regime,” he said. “Some of those who disappeared were never found at all. Some of the victims are getting old, some of them have already died … and it is only right for them to be given the $2B now.”

['Jerome Aning']

2016-12-26 21:55:56+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/957862/martial-law-victims-lose-again-in-court

Inquirer

Credible

Agot Isidro humirit ulit Sinisi ang Pangulo sa traffic, Inuuna lang daw ang pagmumura

I’ve checked Agot Isidro’s Facebook account and I did not see this post. Probably it has been deleted.See image below:Ngayun lang ako natrafficng subra, grabe nman. ito ba yung pinag mamayabang ni Duterte na accomplishment nya? Kahit simplingtrafficdi nya ma ayos ayos. Mas ino-una kasi ang pag mamayabang at pagmura.This picture has been showing up on my Facebook news feeds and has been circling over the internet.Her message hits President Duterte again:

[]

2016-12-26 21:55:56+00:00

http://www.pilipinasonlineupdates.com/2016/10/agot-isidro-humirit-ulit-sinisi-ang.html

Pilipinas Online Updates

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Estrada had asthma, not pneumonia – son

FORMER senator Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada on Monday dismissed reports that his father, former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, had pneumonia.“Contrary to what had been said and reported in the media, my father has no pneumonia,” Jinggoy said in a prepared statement.According to the former senator, his father suffered an asthma attack caused by fatigue and the weather.Jinggoy made the clarification after news reports came out that said the Manila mayor had been confined for three days at Cardinal Santos Medical Center because of pneumonia.The reports quoted Jinggoy’s younger brother, Sen. Joseph Victor Ejecito, in a radio interview on December 23.According to Ejercito, his father contracted pneumonia likely because of fatigue.“My father is now well, and is resting after he was discharged from the hospital,” Jinggoy said.The Estrada family thanked the public who prayed for the immediate recovery of the former president.Ejercito was recently absolved by the Sandiganbayan of charges of graft in relation to the purchase of P2.1 million in firearms for the police in San Juan City (Metro Manila) when he was still the mayor there.

['Jefferson Antiporda']

2016-12-26 21:55:56+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/estrada-asthma-not-pneumonia-son/303819/

Manila Times

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Senator seeks ban on plastic straws

IN a bid to reduce the country’s contribution to marine plastic pollution, Sen. Risa Hontiveros on Thursday filed a bill that seeks to ban single-use plastic straws and stirrers in all establishments serving beverages.She filed Senate Bill 1866 otherwise known as “The Plastic Straw and Stirrer Ban of 2018.”SB 1866 prohibits food service establishments that serve beverages from using any single-use beverage straw and stirrer made of plastic or any other non-biodegradable material.“Through this bill, we hope to start a national conversation on the need to reduce plastic pollution in our landfills and the oceans by discouraging people from using single-use plastic materials,” Hontiveros said in a statement.The measure also mandates food service establishments and other service providers occupying fixed spaces, such as sari-sari stores, to prominently display signs informing their customers of their “no plastic straw and stirrer” policy.Violators will be fined P50,000 for the first offense, P80,000 for the second offense and P150,000 plus suspension of business permits for a period of one year for the third offense.Hontiveros noted that based on a recent waste audit, the Philippines was found to be the third biggest contributor of plastic wastes to the world’s oceans, behind China and Indonesia.She said trash is of such magnitude that it has created six garbage patches in the world’s oceans, with the Great Pacific Garbage Patch as the largest containing about 79,000 tons of plastic debris that spans 1.6 million square kilometers, twice the size of France.Among the most common plastic products found in oceans are beverage straws and stirrers.“If we can persuade the people of the positive effects of not using plastic straws and stirrers, we can also encourage them not to use other single-use plastics such as bags and bottles,” Hontiveros said.

['Jefferson Antiporda']

2018-07-06 00:02:00+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/senator-seeks-ban-on-plastic-straws/416329/

Manila Times

Credible

Robredo gets rousing welcome in Negros

Government officials, the clergy, students and civil society gave Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo a rousing welcome in Negros Occidental province on her first sortie outside Metro Manila a day after her declaration of her bid for the vice presidency.After Robredo called on him at the Bishop’s House in Bacolod, Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra said, “I think the scenario is favorable for her as can be gleaned from the sentiments of the people.”“I just wish her all the best in her campaign and for the people of the Philippines to be able to judge for themselves with the Grace of God in order that we will have the leader that we deserve,” he said.Robredo had been invited to speak at Sacred Heart Seminary long before she decided to run for Vice President, the bishop said.Robredo said she asked the priests to pray for her because “every day will be a constant struggle. The campaign will be difficult.”“I’m diving into this with no bullets, no resources, without anything, with no political capital, my machinery I will rely on the party,” she said.Robredo also spoke to students at Carlos Hilado Memorial State College in Talisay City, a gathering of friends that included top officials of Negros Occidental and Bacolod City at the Capitol and before civil society supporters at the L’Fisher Hotel in Bacolod City.Robredo said she had worked closely with her husband, the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo, who as a public official served the people without calling attention to himself.Working as a public defender for the poor, and with nongovernment organizations and civil society serving farmers, fishermen and the urban poor prepared her for the challenge she has taken on today, Robredo said.“If we love what we do, we do not measure the cost,” she said, adding that her husband’s inspiration gives her the strength to believe that the challenge ahead is not impossible.Among the political leaders supporting Robredo in Negros Occidental are Gov. Alfredo Marañon who wields formidable political clout in the province, and former Negros Occidental Gov. Daniel Lacson Jr. and Rafael Coscolluela.Robredo speaks from the heart, Marañon said. Her sincerity and her track record at helping the poor make her a formidable candidate, he said. As a lawyer, she did not join a big law firm, but instead worked for the rights for the poor who could not afford to pay for legal help, he said.It is important that she cares for those who have less in life, he said. The governor said while the Liberal Party was initially courting Grace Poe to be its vice presidential bet, he believed Robredo is much more qualified than Poe and has the capability as Vice President to step in as President should the need arise.Robredo’s running for Vice President is recognition that something that has been good ought to be continued, Lacson said, citing not only the legacy of President Aquino but that of Jesse Robredo.Coscolluela said Robredo brought a new element to the 2016 elections. “She is a combination of heart, sincerity, the legacy of Jesse Robredo’s good governance and everything good,” he said.She will be a very positive addition to the campaign of LP standard-bearer Mar Roxas, he said.Given her experience, training, education and six years as Vice President if she wins would make her a potential president in the future, he said.Also at the gathering of friends were Rep. Evelio Leonardia, Mayor Monico Puentevella, councilors of Bacolod City, and officials of various towns and cities of Negros Occidental.

['Carla P. Gomez']

05/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/728570/robredo-gets-rousing-welcome-in-negros

Inquirer

Credible

Estrada disowns Ng, Yenko transactions

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday distanced himself from transactions of businessman Juan Ng and former San Juan City Administrator Francis Yenko involving his pork barrel funds, saying he had never authorized them or anybody else to undertake any such deal.In a statement, Estrada described as “misleading” an Inquirer report saying he had received kickbacks from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) that were coursed through “conduits.”“First of all as I have repeatedly mentioned before, I never authorized anybody, Mr. Ng, Mr. Yenko, or whoever to transact with my PDAF. So whatever transactions that they may have, if they have any, I have nothing to do with it,” Estrada said.“Any supposition that they acted as my conduits in the alleged PDAF scam is mere speculation,” said the senator, who has been detained at the Philippine National Police Custodial Center at Camp Crame since June last year following his indictment for plunder and graft.“As the prosecution has so far presented zero concrete evidence against me during the course of the six-month bail proceedings, they now resort to black propaganda and unfair media tactics to make it appear that the evidence against me is overwhelming when in fact and in truth there is none,” Estrada said.Insisting his claim of innocence, he said the Inquirer article “was clearly a ploy to condition the minds of the public that I stole public funds.”“This accusation is totally untrue,” Estrada said. “Why was the report first leaked to the media, before being presented to the court or before providing a copy to the respondent…? Clearly we are being tried by publicity here.”Speaking with reporters after his bail hearing Monday, Estrada said the prosecutors were trying to portray the accused as “thieves.”“I think that is unfair,” Estrada lamentedThe Inquirer report stated that there was no direct transfer to Estrada from the bank accounts of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles or her nongovernment organizations (NGOs). But it said that there were “significant check deposits or transactions” from Napoles or her NGOs to Estrada’s alleged conduits, and these amounts were supposedly later traced to his bank accounts.Most of the checks from Napoles and her NGOs allegedly went to the accounts of Ng and Yenko.According to him, the Inquirer’s “malicious headline” was intended to condition the public to think that he had pocketed public funds.“This accusation is totally untrue,” he said.Estrada also blasted the leak to the media of the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s financial investigation report on the transactions involving his PDAF allocations, which he said was apparently the source of the Inquirer story.He said he had formally and repeatedly sought such reports and other documents so that he would be apprised of the allegations against him and could issue a proper response.“Clearly we are being tried by publicity here,” he added.He also said that when the Office of the Ombudsman was investigating him and other respondents, they were not given the chance to rebut the allegations against them.They were also denied copies of the affidavits of corespondents or witnesses which were cited as basis in filing criminal charges against them, he added.

['Leila B. Salaverria', 'Marlon Ramos']

05/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/664166/estrada-disowns-ng-yenko-transactions

Inquirer

Credible

Junjun Binay P25M loan unpaid, renewed 25x

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay has deposits in various banks not commensurate to his declared income in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN), according to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) report to the Court of Appeals.The AMLC said Binay took out a P25-million loan on Dec. 28, 2011, from BDO Unibank Inc., which he renewed monthly 25 times.“Said loan availment was renewed/repriced on a monthly basis from Jan. 27, 2012, to June 24, 2013. However, there is no evidence of payment,” the AMLC report said.The net proceeds of the loan—P24,877.054.79—were credited to his account on Dec. 28, 2011.The following day, five withdrawals were made totaling P24 million, the report said.The report also said Binay had two other loans amounting to P25,990,00

['Nancy C. Carvajal']

05/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/692862/junjun-binay-p25m-loan-unpaid-renewed-25x

Inquirer

Credible

BJMP hiring jail officers

Central Luzon is in need of personnel to beef up its regional operations.“Applicants for Jail Officer 1must be Filipino citizens aged 21-30 years old who are holders of a bachelor’s degree, of good moral character, and must have passed the neuro-psychiatric evaluation, medical examination, and drug test,” BJMP Regional Director J/CSupt. Romeo Ogoy said.Male applicants must be at least 1.62m tall and females at least 1.57m tall.They must also weigh not more or less than 5kgs from the standard weight corresponding to his/her height, age, and gender.“A waiver for age and height requirements shall automatically be granted to applicants belonging to cultural communities,” Ogoy added.Applicants must likewise have not been dishonorably discharged from previous employment nor have been convicted by final judgment of an offense or crime involving moral turpitude.“Those who are interested and qualified may visit our Administration Office at the BJMP Regional Office in the Regional Government Center, Maimpis, City of San Fernando, Pampanga,” Ogoy announced.They may also contact (045) 455-3901or 09274120978 for more information.

[]

05/02/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/05/bjmp-hiring-jail-officers/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

‘Kagawad’ slain in Calapan City

‘A motorcycle-riding gunman shot and killed a village councilman in Barangay Isabel, here, last Friday, the city police chief said.Superintendent Jonathan P. Paguio confirmed that Kagawad Roberto D. Abrigo, 47, of Barangay Isabel was killed at 2:18 p.m. Friday after being shot by the gunman who quickly fled in the direction of northern Baco town.Paguio said investigators were working on the motive in Abrigo’s killing as he was an upright citizen and not involved in illegal drugs.

[]

29/07/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/07/29/kagawad-slain-in-calapan-city/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Jover Laurio Seeks Malacañang Press Corps Accreditation

Jover Laurio, a.k.a. Pinoy Ako Blog (PAB) has sent Usec Mocha Uson a formal request for accreditation with the Malacañang Press Corps.Laurio, who was recently named “Filipino of the Year” by the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said that under the MPC and Malacañang guidelines, she is more than qualified to be accredited.”Not only am I the ‘Filipino of the Year,’ but I also have more than 5,000 followers. Plus, I am attending law school,” she said. “If Rappler’s Pia Ranada can be accredited, why can’t I?”Uson has recommended favorable action on Laurio’s request. The controversial blogger — known for her ‘resibo’ — will be assigned a seat between Uson and The Adobo Chronicles.

['Pol Pinoy']

09/01/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2018/01/09/jover-laurio-seeks-malacanang-press-corps-accreditation/?share=email

Adobo Chronicles

Suspicious

No Labor Day breakfast at Palace with Aquino

President Aquino is flying to Cebu province for the 113th Labor Day rites in the country on Friday, a departure from the holding of a breakfast meeting with selected members of moderate workers’ groups in Malacañang last year.Asked why the President was going to Cebu, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on Thursday said Aquino “wishes to spend time with members of the workforce not just in Metro Manila but also in other regions and provinces nationwide.”Coloma denied claims by some of the President’s critics that he was just avoiding the usual antigovernment rallies and other May 1 mass actions.“Not once did he evade expressions of sentiments by the people, whom he considers his bosses,” Coloma added.Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the government dialogue with labor groups would continue even with no formal Labor Day meeting with the President.Malacañang was mum if Aquino has any surprise gifts for both state workers and minimum wage earners as the nation marks Labor Day.Instead, Coloma said “the President and his Cabinet have been doing their homework” during the past four years and 10 months.In a text message, he pointed out “since the President assumed his post (in July 2010), the government has provided many work-related benefits to the country’s labor force.”These include an “increase in the take-home pay due to the increased tax exemption for workers’ 13th-month pay, as well as additional livelihood opportunities,” he told the Inquirer.Coloma, head of the Presidential Communications Operations Office, also cited the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey that found that unemployed Filipinos had dropped by 3.4 million in the first quarter of 2015.The SWS poll showed the country’s joblessness rate falling from 27 percent, or an estimated 12.4 million adults, in December 2014 to 19.1 percent, or about 9 million adults in March this year.This was the lowest unemployment figure during the past four-and-a-half years, according to SWS.The survey also found that more Filipinos were optimistic about job opportunities in the next 12 months.Coloma said that under the Aquino administration, “there has been an increase in the quality of the workplace due to the strict implementation of the country’s labor laws and standards.”“Add to that the strong support the government has been giving to overseas Filipino workers and those in the vulnerable sectors,” he said.Baldoz also assured workers and labor groups that their demands were being addressed by the government.“On the issue, for example, of protecting the income of minimum wage earners, Baldoz said the President has already signed into law Republic Act No. 10653 last Feb. 12 increasing the tax exemption of 13th-month pay and other benefits to P82,000,” she said.The Bureau of Internal Revenue has also issued Revenue Regulation No. 1-2015 expanding the list of “de minimis” (minimal) benefits to include collective bargaining agreement-derived and productivity incentives amounting to P10,000, she added.She said the request of the labor sector for assistance to minimum wage earners through the proposed Labor Empowerment Assistance Program, in the form of rice, medicine and other basic needs subsidy, was still up for discussion with the Development Budget Coordinating Committee.Productive dialogueIn a statement, Baldoz said productive dialogue between the government and organized labor transcended the time frame of the Labor Day commemoration.“Members of President Aquino’s Cabinet, as instructed, continue to meet and dialogue with our workers even beyond the Labor Day commemoration, and this is a commitment that we have with them,” Baldoz said in response to questions why there was no dialogue between the President and labor leaders on May 1 just like last year.“Some of the Labor Day dialogue issues have already been resolved, and our dialogue partners acknowledge the government responses to these issues,” she added.Baldoz shrugged off insinuations that the President was commemorating Labor Day in Cebu to avoid the sight of workers’ marches and rallies.“Many seem to forget that under the administration, workers have become our development partners, not the nemesis. They are very much welcome to commemorate Labor Day through their own tradition of peaceful and orderly rallies and street marches.‘Entering the lions’ den’“That’s guaranteed by the Constitution and our laws. The President is going to the territory of the ALU-TUCP (Associated Labor Unions-Trade Union Congress of the Philippines), one of the country’s largest labor federations, so he is entering the lions’ den, so to speak,” she said.Baldoz added that she had deployed top officials of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) nationwide to attend to workers’ concerns, observe Labor Day events and dialogue with workers.Aquino is scheduled to attend a JobStart Employers forum at J. Center Mall in Mandaue City. He will be accompanied by Baldoz and Undersecretary Ciriaco Lagunzad III.Also expected to attend the forum are Richard Bolt, Asian Development Bank country director, and Canadian Ambassador to the Philippines Neil Reeder.Job fairs will also be held at the DOLE provincial office and the Abellana Sports Complex, both in Cebu City; Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City and the SM malls in Cebu City and Consolacion town.There are about 220,000 unemployed people in Cebu and other Central Visayas provinces, according to DOLE records.RELATED STORIESPNP units on heightened alert amid expected Labor Day protestsLabor groups to raise joblessness, cheap wages when they meet Aquino Tuesday

['Jerry E. Esplanada', 'Tina G. Santos']

16/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/688674/no-labor-day-breakfast-at-palace-with-aquino

Inquirer

Credible

What Duterte may discuss with Leni Robredo over dinner

Coming on the heels of her disastrous radio/TV interview with Ted Failon, the honorable dumbass Vice-President has said she has accepted the dinner invitation of the President. The invitation was made at the graduation rites of the PNPA which both of them attended.[In reference to thearticle So, you want Robredo to be President .]Much to the consternation of his detractors and political enemies, Duterte's first 9 months in office has been relatively successful compared to his predecessor.A German Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) hostage and a Korean businessman were killed but Duterte apologized pronto. He doused the flame with water before it could even emit smoke. This is an improvement over his predecessor who wouldn't even take the calls of Hong Kong's administrator then over the Luneta Hostage Crisis.The independent foreign policy strategy he has crafted is paying off. China and Japan has committed to billions of pesos of official development assistance mostly for infrastructure development. The other day, the President met with the US Ambassador to the Philippines Sung Kim who made an almost billion peso commitment for the development of Mindanao despite the budget cuts at the State Department in line with Trump's America First policy. Duterte will mark his first year in office with solid gains to report in his second State of the Nation Address (SONA).But his Presidency is being threatened by an impeachment complaint filed by the Magdalo party-list representative. Two of his staunchest supporters in the House of Representatives are feuding and government agencies controlled by his political enemies are still out to indict him for what they claim to be extra-judicial killings in the drug war.Fitch has maintained the investment grade rating of the country but warns of risk from political instability. His political enemies will manufacture this instability as they will not stop until Duterte is ousted.Robredo can try and burnish her image all she wants but she will never be ready for the Presidency. Nine months in office and she has no solid achievements to speak of. Her Cabinet stint was lackluster. Even an on the job trainee could've done better as Housing Czar. The Vice-President is all about image and packaging.The President is the real thing. He governs and leads the way for his Cabinet to work on their stated goals. The biggest challenge is to plug the infrastructure gap and generate employment in order to maintain economic growth and make it more inclusive. This is where the judgment is still out on Duterte.---------------------------RG San Luis as posted on Facebook

[]

16/05/2017 0:00

https://grpshorts.blogspot.com/2017/03/what-duterte-may-discuss-with-leni.html

GRPundit

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‘It’s either heaven or hell for PH in 2016 polls’

The Philippines can be heaven- or hell-bound, depending on how Filipinos cast their votes in 2016.Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) president and Lingayen Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas made this statement as he urged Filipino voters to make prayer and discernment the prerequisites in choosing their candidates.“Make your vote a product of your prayer and discernment…Remember, your vote can bring heaven to the Philippines. Your vote can also bring hell to the Philippines,” Villegas said in a video presentation during Thursday’s launch of “One Good Vote,” the education campaign of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV).“Think of what Jesus would do…If Jesus will vote, how will he vote? Make sure your vote comes from God, a product of your prayer and discernment,” he said.The PPCRV program aims to help Filipinos choose the right leaders and combat vote-buying and vote-selling.“Let us stop the culture of vote-buying. But it’s not enough that we avoid or stop vote-buying. Let’s also make one good vote. One good vote means one intelligent vote, one discerned vote,” he said.Villegas also urged prospective candidates in the 2016 elections to join the “tipanan” or gathering in every ecclesiastical territory, which is one of the features of the One Good Vote Program.The tipanan may include the creation of covenants or agreements among the candidates for peaceful elections.Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle also urged Filipinos planning to run in next year’s elections not to take advantage of the “vulnerable” sector in society just to get elected.“I appeal to all, especially the candidates: Let us not take advantage of the vulnerable, including the poor and destitute—those who almost have nothing in life. It’s like violating or trampling on one’s dignity when you capitalize on the need of somebody in order to manipulate emotionally, spiritually,” Tagle said, referring to the culture of vote-buying and -selling rampant among the poor.Tagle also appealed to Filipino voters to choose the country’s next leaders according to their conscience.“We should vote according to our conscience. This is the most sacred part of our being because we believe that through our conscience, we are able to hear the voice of God. That is why voting based on our conscience is a sacred act,” Tagle said.Meanwhile, PPCRV chair Henrietta de Villa said the One Good Vote drive aims to pave the way for a “clean, honest and peaceful” 2016 national elections.The former ambassador to the Holy See expressed hope that the campaign will lead to the eradication of rampant vote-buying in the country, which has perennially polluted the national political arena down to the smallest barangay.“It is specialized. It is people-driven. It is community-conscience based,” De Villa said at the campaign’s launch.RELATED STORIESSenators in 2016: Who’s running for whatPDP-Laban to vet Duterte for 2016Roxas says no to BinayBinay: Next President should not be a newbie in gov’t

['Tina G. Santos']

16/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/686293/its-either-heaven-or-hell-for-ph-in-2016-polls

Inquirer

Credible

Bongbong demands 3 hearing officers for poll case vs Leni

Former Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is demanding that three hearing officers be designated to tackle each of the main issues he raised in his election protest against the victory of Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo in last year’s national polls.Speaking as the guest of honor at Monday’s opening of the Pahiyas Festival here, Marcos said his lawyers have asked the Supreme Court (SC), sitting as the Presidental Electoral Tribunal (PET), to designate at least three hearing officers to assist the Tribunal during the preliminary conference in a bid to expedite the much-delayed election protest proceedings.He said the seven-page Urgent Ex-Parte Motion to Designate Hearing Commissioners was filed through his counsel George Erwin Garcia. Earlier, the Tribunal had set the preliminary conference on June 21, 2017 at 2 p.m.Marcos had raised three main issues in his election protest: The “flawed” Automated Election System (AES); the failure of elections in several provinces in Mindanao; and the unauthorized introduction by Smartmatic’s Marlon Garcia of a new hash code (or a new script/program) into the Transparency Server on the day of the elections.Marcos said the designation of at least three hearing commissioners “will better facilitate an orderly, simplified and expeditious disposition of this electoral contest considering that there are three causes of action raised in this election protest.”

[]

16/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/16/bongbong-demands-3-hearing-officers-for-poll-case-vs-leni/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Online campaign to rename NAIA back to Original name MIA.

Hounded by congestion, absence of facilities, poor service and corruption among airport staff in later years, NAIA has actually been regularly tagged as one of the worst airports in the world by several travel websites.In 2015, NAIA lastly relinquished its title in The Guide To Sleeping in Airports' list to a Nigerian airport, but stays the 8th worst in Asia.It was then relabelled to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) on August 17, 1987 by virtue of Republic Act No. 6639 under the late president Cory Aquino.Originally named Manila International Air Terminal, the nation's main international entrance was moved to its present place in 1948 following the Philippine self-reliance.In 1981, the Terminal 1 was built and was named Manila International Airport (MIA), and replaced the old terminal as the brand-new worldwide terminal.

['Hot News Philippines']

02/10/2017 0:00

http://hotnewsphil.blogspot.com/2016/10/online-campaign-to-rename-naia-back-to.html#comment-form

Hot News Philippines

Suspicious

Amid war dance, calls for calm

Local and tribal leaders on Sunday appealed for calm amid calls for vengeance from family, friends and sympathizers for the deaths of three Ifugao Special Action Force (SAF) commandos at the hands of Moro rebels in Maguindanao province.Ifugao Rep. Teodoro Baguilat Jr. dismissed speculation that the relatives and friends of the slain troopers were out to exact revenge, following the staging of a “him-ong,” a tribal ritual said to be equivalent to a war dance.“We appeal to our people not to put extra meaning to rituals like [the him-ong] because this is not the way to honor our departed heroes,” he said in a telephone interview.Baguilat said he was trying to quell misconception, especially on social media, that the Ifugao had pledged to avenge the deaths of PO3 Robert Allaga, PO3 Franklin Danao and PO2 Joel Dulnuan.They were among the 44 SAF troopers slain in clashes with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) on Jan. 25.Dancing ‘warriors’On Feb. 3, tribal leaders and family members in the upland village of Poitan in Banaue town staged a him-ong during burial rites for Allaga, regarded as a hero for giving up his life for another SAF commando, PO3 Robert Lalam of Kiangan town, his distant cousin.Photos of the ritual went viral online with media reports and online comments claiming the Ifugao people were out to seek revenge.The website of Nurturing Indigenous Knowledge Experts (Nike), a cultural preservation program in Ifugao, defines the him-ong as a dance performed during burial rites of an Ifugao who has been killed.In this ritual, community members dressed in native attire perform a dance that simulates actions in battle between spear-wielding warriors, Nike said.As they approach the burial site, performers dance to the beat of a “bangibang,” a wooden percussion instrument, and to chants, usually by women, that narrate the story of the battle and beseech the gods to bring misery to those responsible for the death of a tribal member.The ritual is traditionally staged by Ifugao people not necessarily to vow revenge but mainly to appease the gods and ask that such a tragic death be the last in the community, Baguilat said.He said the people’s expressions of outrage should be taken only as “part of the healing process” and these should not foment further animosity among Filipinos.“We know of many stories of how Cordillerans and other tribes have been living peacefully with Muslims,” he said.Supt. John Luglug, Nueva Vizcaya police director and a cousin of Allaga, said that while their clan was deeply hurt by Allaga’s violent death, exacting revenge had no place in modern times.“I don’t think there is a need for revenge. As God has said, ‘Revenge is mine,’” he said.Family members of Dulnuan also dismissed sentiments of vengeance but hoped the government would show its resolve to make the perpetrators answer for their crimes.“We will just let the wheels of justice take its course. We will closely follow what the government will do about this,” said Carmen Dulnuan, the slain SAF commando’s mother.Mourning in IsabelaIn Isabela province, at least 2,000 people in Aurora town on Sunday joined the funeral march for PO3 Andres Duque Jr., one of the slain troopers.Duque’s wife, Melanie, said she would cherish the memory of her husband for offering his life for the country.“Their heroism is for the next generation. This is our only consolation as we grieve,” she said.Duque, 37, left behind three children, ages 13, 12 and four months. He served at SAF for eight years.“We are grieving. I could barely say the word ‘beautiful’ due to my father’s fate. However, I thank everyone for the sympathy as we mourn our father’s loss,” said Duque’s daughter, Nicole Andrea Lein, 13.Two other slain SAF commandos from Isabela—PO3 Rodrigo Acob Jr. and PO1 Loreto Capinding II—were buried in their hometowns last week.In a statement, Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the government had not been “selective” in extending help and compassion to the families of the slain SAF troopers.“All the financial, educational, livelihood, medical, housing and other forms of assistance were offered to the families. They were the ones who decided how we could help them most,” he said.Roxas condolencesRoxas also went to Bataan province early morning on Feb. 5 to visit the wake of PO3 John Lloyd Sumbilla and talk to the slain trooper’s mother and wife.After his Bataan visit, Roxas said, he proceeded to the wake of PO3 Junrel Kibete in San Jose del Monte City in Bulacan province and condoled with his family.Earlier, Sumbilla’s mother, Telly, said the family was informed Roxas would visit the wake of her son on Feb. 3 but this was reset to Feb. 4.She fumed when Roxas failed to show up on Feb. 4 and voiced her frustration to police officials who came that day.Roxas said he failed to go to Bataan and Bulacan on Feb. 4 because he was called to a meeting by President Aquino.–

['Melvin Gascon']

02/10/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/671444/amid-war-dance-calls-for-calm

Inquirer

Credible

PHILIPPINES : ‘BUTTERFLY LADIES’ WILL HEAD ALL THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT

Maria Lourdes Sereno.It is further predicted that the next Senate president and next Speaker of the House will both be women. Among the candidates are Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Representative Imelda Romualdez Marcos, respectively.So the possibility of all three branches of government being ruled by women is just around the corner. When it happens, the Philippines will be known not for the Iron Lady, but its Butterfly (sleeves) ladies!Meanwhile, male politicians are gearing up to be part of Gilas, the Philippines’ national basketball team — either as players or members of the coaching team, their best chance of maintaining some semblance of machismo.

['Pol Pinoy']

02/10/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/10/02/philippines-butterfly-ladies-will-head-all-three-branches-of-government/?share=email

Adobo Chronicles

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On Health: Here’s what Duterte wants for the poor

PRESIDENTIAL candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte is pushing for the deployment of more doctors in the Philippine countryside, and better pay for them.Appalled by recurring reports of inadequate public health services especially for rural Filipinos, Duterte said it is incumbent upon any administration to do what it can to ensure the health and wellbeing of the majority of Filipinos.Public health indicators showed a “serious imbalance” in terms of access to health services,” Duterte noted in a statement.He observed that poor regions like parts of Bicol, Eastern Visayas, Caraga and the Autonomous Region have low access to health services, including access to potable water, sanitation facilities and toilets.He also noted that although access to basic health care has been improved by the automatic membership to Philhealth of government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) beneficiaries numbering about 4.5 million families, the increasing demand for health services is not being met by adequate health facilities and the appropriate number of medical workers.“We need to build more health centers and hire medical practitioners to man them,” he said, adding that such professionals must be offered more attractive compensation packages.Duterte added that if government can improve agricultural productivity and diversify the production of agricultural products, “we can ensure better nutrition to the poor by supplying them with cheap but quality food.”This will “vastly improve” their health situation, he said. | Peter LaviñaAny thoughts? Leave your comments below!

[]

2016-04-25 21:52:46+08:00

http://duterte.today/duterte-health-plans/

Duterte Daily Stories

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BuCor: Surprise Bilibid raid nets contraband, luxury items

Authorities swooped in on the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa on Saturday, resulting in what the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director said was the confiscation of “illegal contraband.”Director Franklin Jesus Bucayu said the raid held jointly by the BuCor, the National Bureau of Investigation, the Special Action Force, the Muntinlupa police and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency around 6 a.m. led to the seizure of cash amounting in the thousands, ledgers and notebooks used in “illegal transactions,” and mobile phones, among others.Bucayu initially said the amount of cash confiscated was P600,000, but later said he would verify this.He could not immediately say if illegal drugs were recovered from the raid.“This was a surprise inspection. Several kubols of inmates who were on suspicion of possessing illegal contraband and luxurious items were the ones raided,” Bucayu said over the phone.He identified these five inmates as Noel Arnejo, Gianfranco Pasco, Edelberto Durano, Brando Ramirez and Joselito Valiente.The BuCor director said none of them was a suspect in the blast that killed one inmate and injured 19 others on Thursday.“They will be investigated and those who had contraband we seized will be charged (at kakasuhan yung mga nakuhaan natin ng contraband),” he said.But a member of the NBI’s criminal investigation division who was among those who took part in the raid but refused to be identified for lack of authority to speak on the matter later told the Philippine Daily Inquirer three inmates who were rounded up by authorities were “witnesses” to Thursday’s incident.“No, no one is a suspect. But they saw the blast,” he said.Reporters who tried to confirm this information were made to wait outside the NBP headquarters until an official spoke to them, but no one came as of 2 p.m.Calls to Supt. Richard Schwarzkopf, NBP officer in charge, during that time were answered by a female who said he was in a meeting.RELATED STORIES1 dead, 19 hurt in Bilibid blastBilibid VIPs tipped off on raid

['Kristine Felisse Mangunay']

2017-12-14 06:14:03+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/663724/bucor-surprise-bilibid-raid-nets-contraband-luxury-items

Inquirer

Credible

Marawi Hero who got jailed for killing an alleged drug lord regains his freedom after five months

Remember the viral story of a jailed Scout Ranger who killed an alleged drug lord in Cavite? He’s now free and now spending time with his family!The good news was posted by Scout Ranger Books Facebook page that also helped to share the story of Sgt. Darwin Aurelio on social media five months ago.“Maraming salamat sa mga sumuporta kay Sgt. Darwin Aurelio, ang ating Scout Ranger na galing sa Marawi na nakulong dahil nakapatay ng drug lord sa Cavite. Pagkatapos ng 5 months sa piitan, nakalaya na siya.” The Facebook page announced.The wife of Sgt. Aurelio also thanked all the people who contributed to the freedom of her husband.“Ako po ay asawa ni Sgt Darwin Aurelio Nagppasalamat po ako sa lahat ng mga rangers, lrr, s mga kabatch Nya mga Opisyal nya.at s abogado Nya. Marming Salamat sa dasal at suporta saking asawa..maraming salamat ulit po s inyo lalo na Kay sir Dennis Eclarin… God bless po… Marming salamt din s laht n nagdasal at sumoporta samin, sundalo man o hndi po…mas higit pa sa regalo natanggap namin pamilya… Umiiyak po ako habang nagppaslamt po ako s inyo dhil sa kaligayhan po… Kasi masya n po ulit mga anak ko na naklya na papa nila…. Advance merry Xmas and happy new year po s inyo lahat……God bless po s lahat….” Mrs. Aurelio said in her message.Sgt. Aurelio will now happily spend his Christmas together with his family.The story of Sergeant Darwin Aurelio has gone viral on the internet after the wife of the Marawi hero narrated how his husband was arrested for killing an alleged drug lord in Trece Martires Cavite.As a member of the Scout Ranger, several pro-military Facebook pages helped Mrs. Aurelio to share the story of Sgt. Aurelio on the internet.According to the story, Sgt. Aurelio, who just came back from Marawi City was arrested by the authorities without warrant of arrest after he killed an alleged drug lord known as ‘butchoy’Here’s the summary of the story:Sgt. Aurelio turned down an invite to join the Guardians; as a consequence, the family was harassed by gun-toting men led by an alleged drug lord.They reported the incident to the police but got a negative response. Police said they can’t act on the report since nothing happened to them. The family insisted the harassment constitutes ‘death threats’ but the police did nothing.Sgt. Aurelio killed the alleged drug lord in self-defense after the latter tried to snuck in from behind while pointing a gun at the head of Sgt. Aurelio. But, Sgt. Aurelio beat the alleged drug lord to the draw, killing the latter instantly. On that same day, Sgt. Aurelio left Cavite.In retaliation, the family of the alleged drug lord promised retaliation.On July 9, Sgt. Aurelio returned to Trece Martirez to visit his family while escorting wounded soldiers and KIA’s in Marawi to the Fort in Metro Manila. In the evening of July 9, Sgt. Aurelio’s father was rushed to the hospital after sustaining gunshot wounds but was announced DOA.Two policemen arrived to investigate. When the policemen learned that Sgt. Aurelio killed an alleged drug lord, things suddenly turned for the worse as the police in civilian clothes jumped in to arrest Sgt. Aurelio without presenting a warrant of arrest.The harassment, Dennis Salcedo alleged continued in the police station. His mother sustained bruises in the forehead and in the ears, swollen hand and welts in an unspecified areas of the body.The story reached thousands of shares on Facebook and netizens expressed their sympathy to the family of the soldier.

['View All Posts Pinoytrending']

2017-12-14 06:14:03+08:00

https://pinoytrending.altervista.org/scout-ranger-got-jailed-kill-alleged-drug-lord-gains-freedom-five-months/

Pinoytrending Altervista

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Drilon: No need for LP meet to proclaim Roxas

With Interior Secretary Mar Roxas the only party member signifying any interest in running for President, there will be no need for the Liberal Party (LP) to hold a convention to choose its standard-bearer, according to Senate President Franklin Drilon.Drilon, the LP’s vice chair, said nobody has contested Roxas’ status as the party’s presumptive standard-bearer. What needs to be discussed is who will be on the party’s senatorial slate, he said.“There is a convention mentioned in our laws, but given the reality that only Secretary Roxas has expressed an intention to run for the presidency, I don’t see any need for a convention,” Drilon told a forum at the Luneta Hotel.Only when another LP member says that he or she also wants to run for president will there be a need for the party to convene, he said.Roxas himself has yet to declare that he would seek the presidency, but in an earlier interview, Drilon disclosed that Roxas was interested in becoming the party’s standard-bearer.President Aquino, the LP’s titular head, is expected to announce his anointed one after he delivers his last State of the Nation Address on July 27.In the meantime, the President has met with Sen. Grace Poe and is scheduled to meet with Sen. Francis Escudero, two senators who do not belong to any political party.Poe, who has emerged as a contender in the presidential preference surveys, is being urged by her supporters to run for President. There are LP members who want Poe to be the Roxas’ vice presidential running mate.But Poe has said she would be “comfortable” teaming up with Escudero. Neither Poe nor Escudero has made a final decision on whether or not to run in 2016.Drilon said Aquino “is entitled to throw a wider net.”“The President is not only the chair of the Liberal Party, he is also the President of the country. He had a platform when he came into power, and that is the platform of good governance, and it is natural for him to look for candidates who in his judgment can continue the platform and principles on which he has governed the country for the last five years,” he said.

['Leila B. Salaverria']

2016-01-19 17:38:11+08:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/699196/drilon-no-need-for-lp-meet-to-proclaim-roxas

Inquirer

Credible

Netizens pushes Maine Mendoza to become the next “DARNA”

People are still discussing about the upcoming comeback of Darna and everyone already gave their bets if who is really the one who will become the next Darna.The ALDUB Nation is also pushing Maine Mendoza to become the next Darna.According to them, Maine Mendoza is more qualified than any actresses in the Philippines because she is popular, beautiful and fit.“We believe that Meng deserves to become the next Darna and we feel that she is destined to portray our legendary Pinay Superhero” One of the fans of Maine said to our source.But some people think that this is impossible because Maine Mendoza is not an actress of ABS CBN, but the fans of Maine is still hoping, they are expecting that Darna will become more successful if they choose Maine.Some fans also created some edited pictures of Maine Mendoza wearing Darna costume.(Facebook)Do you think Maine Mendoza is qualified to become the next Darna?

['View All Posts Pinoytrending']

2016-01-19 17:38:11+08:00

https://pinoytrending.altervista.org/netizens-pushes-maine-mendoza-to-become-the-next-darna/

Pinoytrending Altervista

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YMCA SHOCKED BY RESULTS OF ITS MEMBER SURVEY

There was a time when YMCA was the top fitness and health club in the United States. Over the last decade, however, YMCA’s ranking has been slipping, thanks to aggressive marketing strategies pursued by newer clubs like 24 Hour Fitness, Club One, Fitness 19 and Bally Total Fitness. Unlike its top competitors, the “Y” has been slow to resort to social media in its membership campaign. This could very well be the reason that the club is not reaching the younger generation of gym enthusiasts.As part of its efforts to revitalize its club facilities nationwide, YMCA has enlisted the support of its current members to recruit family and friends, offering financial incentives for every new member they sign-up. To launch this membership campaign, YMCA has sent a survey to all its existing members asking them how they learned about the club, as a way to determine the best medium to advertise for new recruitment.As completed surveys started pouring into the national headquarters in Chicago, YMCA’s communications and marketing departments could not believe what they are seeing in the survey. On the question “How did you hear about the YMCA,” a whopping 65% of respondents said “Village People.”The “Y” is reportedly considering to hire the 70’s American disco group to headline its new advertising campaign. The campaign’s meme? “It’s fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A.”

['Pol Pinoy']

27/01/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2014/01/27/ymca-shocked-by-results-of-its-member-survey/?share=email

Adobo Chronicles

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ADOBO CHRONICLES EXCLUSIVE: MANNY PACQUIAO HAS A MESSAGE TO FANS AND CRITICS (VIDEO)

Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao’s unanimous decision loss to Floyd Mayweather in the ‘Fight of the Century’ in Las Vegas last May 2 continues to elicit cries of disappointment and protest from fans and critics.Many are clamoring for a rematch while others have gone to the lengths of filing class-action lawsuits against Pacquiao for failing to disclose his shoulder injury before the fight.The Adobo Chronicles caught up with Pacquiao just hours after he underwent surgery to repair his torn right shoulder rotator cuff.He praised the Lord and has this special message to both fans and critics.

['Pol Pinoy']

10/05/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/05/10/adobo-chronicles-exclusive-manny-pacquiao-has-a-message-to-fans-and-critics-video/#respond

Adobo Chronicles

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P1.2B chopper deal crooked, says BIR whistle-blower

A P1.2-billion military contract for the purchase of refurbished helicopters was tailor-made for a specific company to ensure that it would win the deal, a Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) officer who helped facilitate the transaction has alleged.Rhodora Alvarez, a BIR revenue district officer who claimed to have been involved in the negotiations, accused Department of National Defense (DND) officials of adjusting the terms of reference and contract requirements for the purchase of 21 helicopters in order to favor Rice Aircraft Services Inc. (Rasi), which thrice had failed the bidding.The contract was eventually awarded to a joint venture of Rasi and Eagle Copters, Ltd.Blue ribbon probeAt a hearing of the Senate blue ribbon committee on Wednesday, Alvarez identified Undersecretary Fernando Manalo and Assistant Secretary Patrick Velez of the DND special bids and awards committee as the officials involved in customizing the contract to favor Rasi.Rasi delivered seven of the 21 UH-1 helicopters that had been contracted, but some of them allegedly only have limited use because of defects, putting the lives of Air Force men at risk, said Sen. JV Ejercito.Manalo and Velez immediately disputed Alvarez’s allegations and said they can present documents of their own to disprove her claims.Manalo alleged that Alvarez was fabricating stories because she had tried but failed to extort money from Rasi, after failing to explain to the company the allegedly huge expenses she had incurred in facilitating the deal.“In the statement given by Rice Aircraft Services, Ms Rhodora is trying to extort money from Rice. When Rice discovered a huge amount she spent that she could not explain, she demanded 15 percent, otherwise she would have the contract canceled,” he said.As for the allegations that DND officials customized the terms of reference for Rasi, Manalo said these were part of Alvarez’s lies.According to Manalo, Alvarez had been introduced to him as the local representative of Rasi and was one of those defending the project on the company’s behalf.Velez, meanwhile, said he had never had meetings with Rasi representatives outside of the office.He said the items changed in the terms of reference, which Alvarez cited in her testimony, were not mandatory requirements and only necessary in certain instances.In her testimony, Alvarez said that she came to be involved in the helicopter deal after she met and befriended Rasi’s former country manager, Thach Nguyen.She said that after she helped Nguyen to obtain clearances, the latter began confiding in her about the helicopter contract and bringing her along to meetings at the DND.Eventually, she became involved in negotiating the helicopter deal on behalf of Rasi and worked closely with Manalo and Velez, Alvarez said. She said she also worked later with Robert Rice, the Rasi president.UnpaidAlvarez said she was not paid for these services and even used her own car.“My intention really at the start was service. I just want our country to have the best 21 refurbished helicopters,” she said.Alvarez alleged that the contract provision for a pre-delivery inspection was removed in the terms of reference by Manalo and Velez, with the concurrence of the defense secretary, she said.Had the inspection been required, authorities would have found that Rasi’s units were not compliant with the required specifications and the aircraft would not have been delivered to the country, she said.According to Alvarez, the initial plan was for the supplier to deliver six refurbished helicopters, make seven helicopters operational, and upgrade eight helicopters.But since Rasi could not deliver on this plan, the deal was adjusted to the delivery of 21 helicopters, she said.

['Leila B. Salaverria']

2018-08-15 00:05:18+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/692662/p1-2b-chopper-deal-crooked-says-bir-whistle-blower

Inquirer

Credible

Proposed P1,000 budget for NCIP scored, hailed

Slashing the budget of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) will cripple the titling of ancestral lands to which indigenous peoples (“lumad”) are entitled, according to Lakas at Alyansa ng Nagkakaisang Ayta ng Sambales (Lakas).“This so little budget will further slow down the research, documentation and issuance of titles for ancestral lands. It will paralyze the NCIP,” Carlito Domulot, Lakas adviser, told the Inquirer by telephone from Zambales province on Wednesday.But a group advocating lumad rights and education hailed the decision of the House of Representatives on Tuesday to give the NCIP just P1,000 for 2018.The agency has failed to protect indigenous peoples (IPs) from human rights abuses and is even “complicit” in attacks on national minorities, according to the Save our Schools (SOS) Network.The budget slash for the NCIP was proposed by Bayan Muna Rep. Carlos Zarate, who said the agency had failed to prevent the killing of lumad leaders.Ancestral domainThe NCIP enforces the protection granted to indigenous peoples by the 1997 Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (Ipra) and grants certificates of ancestral domain title and certificates of ancestral land title.According to Domulot, the House decision may be the “revenge of lawmakers who have mining interests in the domains of indigenous peoples since they cannot remove the provision of free and prior informed consent [which is enforced by Ipra, or Republic Act No. 8371].”“Do these lawmakers want us to go on our knees and beg them to help NCIP?” he asked.Ricardo Guiao, an Aeta who organizes communities in Porac town in Pampanga province, said the House decision was unjust. “If they proceed to give the NCIP just P1,000, there won’t be government services for indigenous peoples’ communities,” he said.Guiao said Congress should give priority to the NCIP now that the agency was implementing the mandatory representation of indigenous peoples on councils at the barangay, town, city and provincial levels.“I hope the lawmakers would reconsider their decision,” he added.Abolish NCIPIn Tagum City, SOS Network spokesperson Rius Valle said the group had long called for the abolition of the NCIP because of its role in the military’s counterinsurgency campaign that brought violence and disaster to lumad communities.“The NCIP failed not only in responding to the plight of the lumad, but it has also become instrumental in grabbing land of and deceiving the [national minorities],” Valle said.Through free, prior and informed consent under Ipra, Valle said the NCIP had given foreign mining firms an opportunity to rob lumad farmers of their lands and destroy their communal ways of owning land by enabling a handful of lumad leaders ownership of vast tracts of tribal land.Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines in Surigao del Sur and coconvenor of Friends of the Lumad said what was really needed was a review of the law that created the NCIP.Villasanta said that despite its existence, the NCIP had not helped the sector that it was meant to uplift and protect.

['Chris Panganiban', 'Frinston Lim', 'Julie Alipala', 'Tonette Orejas']

2018-08-15 00:05:18+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/930550/proposed-p1000-budget-for-ncip-scored-hailed

Inquirer

Credible

SC clips Congress power on detention

The Supreme Court (SC) has clipped the power of Congress to detain persons cited in contempt during legislative inquiries.The high court set a precedent when it ruled against the Senate in connection with the case of Aegis Juris fraternity leader Arvin Balag, who was detained at the Senate on October 18, 2017 during the legislative inquiry on the hazing death of University of Santo Tomas (UST) law freshman Horacio “Atio” Castillo 3rd.Balag was cited in contempt for refusing to answer questions about the hazing in September 2017. He filed a petition asking the high court to order his release, arguing among others that the investigation was not in aid of legislation but “in aid of prosecution.”The SC ordered his release in December 2017.In a 21-page en banc decision penned by Associate Justice Alexander Gesmundo, the tribunal said the period of imprisonment under the inherent power of contempt of the Senate should end at the conclusion of the legislative inquiry.“As long as there is a legitimate legislative inquiry, then the inherent power of contempt by the Senate may be properly exercised. Conversely, once the said legislative inquiry concludes, the exercise of the inherent power of contempt ceases and there is no more genuine necessity to penalize the detained witness,” the court said.It added that the indefinite detention of persons cited in contempt impairs their constitutional right to liberty.The 15-man court opined that legislative inquiry in aid of legislation shall end upon the approval or disapproval of the committee report or upon the term expiration of Congress.Without a limit to the period of detention, the court said there would be a possibility of life detention against witnesses since the Senate is a continuing body.However, the SC did not order the Senate to set up a period of detention. Instead, it advised Congress to enact a law or amend the existing law for such matter if it wants to supplement its power of contempt by extending the period of imprisonment beyond the conduct of its legislative inquiry.

['Jomar Canlas']

2018-08-15 00:05:18+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/sc-clips-congress-power-on-detention/430431/

Manila Times

Credible

FOI order covers executive branch

Fulfilling a campaign promise of transparency, President Duterte has signed an executive order (EO) allowing public access to documents and information in all government agencies under the Office of the President.Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said Mr. Duterte signed on Saturday the executive order adopting the long-pending freedom of information (FOI) bill that would cover for a start the executive branch of government.READ: Lawmakers push for FOI lawSenators vowed to reintroduce the FOI bill that they had failed to pass at the close of the Aquino administration.Aquino had vowed to pass the bill—which had undergone various incarnations even before his term—but failed to get it done despite his much-ballyhooed “daang matuwid,” or righteous path, governance.Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III, who is likely to be elected Senate President today, promised yesterday: “The FOI bill will push through. That’s what we will do.”“The executive order is like a law in the executive department,” Pimentel said.But for this to be applicable to the other government branches, a law is required.Andanar said there was “substantive pushing and pulling” for two weeks before the President signed the order.He said the President’s move would be welcomed by “champions of good governance who … fought tooth and nail for the last 29 years to strengthen the right to information as inscribed in our 1987 Constitution.”“After 29 years and only (after) 25 days (into the presidency) of Rody Duterte, this is already a record-breaking speed of cornerstone or milestone or a landmark executive order being signed,” he added.Media boycottJournalists, however, should not expect Mr. Duterte to end his “cold war” with them anytime soon.Neither should the public look forward to him certifying as urgent the passage of the FOI bill to include state offices under the judiciary and legislative branches.According to Andanar, the President’s FOI order in the executive branch had nothing to do with his decision to shun media interviews.The former Davao City mayor, known for his uncouth behavior and expletive-ridden rants, verbally attacked the press on June 2 after an international media watchdog called for a boycott of his press briefings. This followed his statement that corrupt journalists are legitimate targets of assassination.“The President has [more than] 30 Cabinet members. He has a working executive department and he has alter egos to answer for the questions that the media has for the President,” he added.Full disclosureThe executive order, titled “Operationalizing in the Executive Branch the People’s Constitutional Right to Information and the State Policies of Full Public Disclosure and Transparency in the Public Service and Providing Guidelines Therefor,” said it was consistent with the Constitution.“Every Filipino shall have access to information, official records, public records, and to documents and papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government research data used as basis for public-development,” according to the directive.Reading the order, Andanar said, information would refer to “any records, documents, papers, reports, letters, contracts, minutes and transcripts of official meetings, maps, books, photographs, data, research materials, films, sound and video recording, magnetic or other tapes, electronic data, computer stored data, or other like or similar data or materials recorded, stored or archived in whatever format.”However, requests would be denied regarding information that “falls under any of the exceptions enshrined in the Constitution, existing law or jurisprudence.”The President also instructed every agency in the executive branch to “formulate their respective implementing details” 120 days after the effectivity of the FOI order.MilestoneMr. Duterte said government agencies should not charge any fee for granting the requests, except for “reasonable fee to reimburse necessary costs.”Sen. Grace Poe, while calling Mr. Duterte’s order “a milestone,” said the executive branch must be clear about exceptions to the open access and penalties to officials who would fail to comply.“There are several exceptions that are mentioned I believe in the Constitution, especially when it comes to the right to privacy, which you will also have to trade off once you’re in government,” she said.Sen. Francis Pangilinan said: “Transparency is key in a country with a history of corrupt government officials. We need transparency to hold our officials more accountable to their actions. Once we achieve that, public servants will always have the trust of the people.”“There’s one important benchmark by which this FOI order should be measured, on how fast government permits can be secured. Clear, concise, cheaper way of getting government documents like passports and licenses,” Sen. Ralph Recto said in a statement. With reports from Tarra Quismundo and Nico Alconaba, Inquirer Mindanao/TVJRELATED STORIESMedia groups welcome Duterte EO on FOIDuterte signs FOI order

['Marlon Ramos']

01/03/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/798766/foi-order-covers-executive-branch

Inquirer

Credible

Solon calls for sustainable forest management strategy

A solon is calling for the implementation of a sustainability strategy for the country’s forests to ensure it benefits both for present and future generations.Senator Loren Legarda, head of the Senate committee on climate change, said the government should develop and adopt a sustainable forest management strategy based on a rational allocation of the forestland uses and promotion of land use practices that increase productivity and conserve soil, water, and other forestland resources.“Our forests provide various ecosystem services, the most basic of which is a production of food and supply of water. Certainly, we need to manage our forests in a manner that would ensure that these ecosystem services would be sufficiently provided to our people now as well as to the future Filipinos,” said Legarda.“Aside from the rational allocation of forestland uses, we should protect existing forest resources and conserve biodiversity, rehabilitate or develop denuded areas to expand the forest resource base and promote food production activities,” she added.The lawmaker has included these proposals in Senate Bill 402, the proposed Sustainable Forest Management Act.This bill seeks to establish a plan for sustainable forest management guided by several principles, principally through community-based forest management (CBFM) and watershed as the basic forestland management unit.The CBFM strategy is providing access rights and responsibilities to forest resident families, local communities, and indigenous peoples to undertake the management of appropriate forestland resources on a sustainable basis.

[]

01/03/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/01/solon-calls-for-sustainable-forest-management-strategy/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Carly Fiorina Attacks ‘The Other Woman’ In The Presidential Race; Donald Trump Reacts

Carly Fiorina opened the Republican undercard presidential debate with a sexist joke.“You know, I’m not a political insider. I haven’t spent my lifetime running for office. The truth is I have had and been blessed by a lot of opportunity to do a lot of things in my life,” Fiorina said. “And unlike another woman in this race, I actually love spending time with my husband.”Almost immediately, Donald Trump reacted to Fiorina’s comment and angrily tweeted, “Leave Melania alone!”Melania, of course, is Mrs. Donald Trump.But then, Fiorina was referring to Hillary Clinton, the other woman in the presidential race.

['Pol Pinoy']

14/01/2016 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2016/01/14/carly-fiorina-attacks-the-other-woman-in-the-presidential-race-donald-trump-reacts/

Adobo Chronicles

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Carandang’s accuser barred from law practice for 2 years

The lawyer who brought the complaint that led to Malacañang’s suspension of Overall Deputy Ombudsman Melchor Arthur Carandang has been barred by the Supreme Court from practicing his profession for two years for unethical conduct.His misdeed? Endlessly blocking the enforcement of a lower court’s ruling arising from his failure to settle a P34,000 loan he took out from the Government Service and Insurance System (GSIS) 50 years ago.The high court said Eligio Mallari violated the lawyer’s oath by resorting to “dilatory moves” in preventing the GSIS from foreclosing two parcels of lands which he used as mortgage for a loan he got in 1968.The suspension order was meted out on Mallari on Jan. 10 but was made public only on Friday

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

27/10/2016 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/967621/carandangs-accuser-barred-from-law-practice-for-2-years

Inquirer

Credible

Mabilogs defend ‘white house’

Mayor Jed Patrick E. Mabilog and his wife, Marivic, are staunchly denying that their house next a river park was built from ill-gotten wealth.Mabilog, who has been named by President Rodrigo Duterte as a drug syndicate protector, has been fending off allegations that he had enriched himself since being elected mayor in 2010.The house was the focus of graft and plunder complaints filed against Mabilog in June, 2015 by former Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada before the Office of the Ombudsman Visayas.Mejorada alleged the house and its furnishings could be worth more than R50-million.But Mabilog said it was mainly his wife who had spent for the construction of what city residents have come to refer to the “white house.”Marivic Mabilog said she and her husband decided to invite Iloilo media representatives to the house earlier this week following recurring criticisms on social media, particularly on Facebook.She said she was hurt by the postings and the insinuations.“We saved for this house. This is the fruits of our labor. This is to tell everyone the truth about this house,” said Mrs. Mabilog, who worked as accountant and comptroller for geodetic engineering firm in Calgary, Canada for 21 years.She estimated that the house is worth only R8-million, not R50-million as Mejorada claims. She added the house was declared in the statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) of her husband.The house sits on a 200-meter property which is part of the Mabilogs’ ancestral land.Mejorada alleges that the property covers 555 square meters.

[]

27/10/2016 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2016/10/27/mabilogs-defend-white-house/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

De Lima seeks to junk case due to mistrial

The continuous verbal attacks of President Duterte against Sen. Leila de Lima will be added to the list of reasons why the “trumped up” charges against her in a Muntinlupa City court should be dismissed, according to the lawmaker’s legal counsel.The lawyer said the De Lima legal team had withdrawn on Friday its motion to quash the illegal drug trade case against her at Branch 205 of the Muntinlupa Regional Trial Court (RTC) filed on Tuesday.“Aside from the previous reasons we have cited, we will add the prejudicial statements of Mr. Duterte in our motion for the judge to dismiss the case due to mistrial,” said one of De Lima’s lawyers.In a court order dated Aug. 17, 2017, Judge Amelia Fabros-Corpuz granted the prosecution’s “urgent motion for extension of time with motion to reset” the hearing to file its rejoinder to De Lima’s reply. The prosecutors were given 15 days, deferring De Lima’s arraignment to Sept. 15.Former Sen. Rene Saguisag, who has been attending De Lima’s hearing, said he recommended the defense lawyers to file a motion to dismiss the case on grounds of mistrial.He said there was no way De Lima could get a fair trial since the President and his men, particularly Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre II and presidential chief legal counsel Salvador Panelo, would not stop giving the lady senator a guilty verdict.“And for the President to keep condemning someone being tried by the court, it will really sway policemen, prosecutors and judges to toe the line,” the 78-year-old Saguisag said.The illegal drug trade case against De Lima and coaccused Jose Adrian Dera stemmed from the complaint of the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption filed in the Department of Justice.The complaint used the statements of drug convicts during a series of hearings by the House of Representatives investigating the illegal drug trade in New Bilibid Prison allegedly committed by De Lima and Dera in March last year.De Lima’s camp maintained that the senator at that time was already a private citizen, as she resigned as justice secretary on Oct. 12, 2015, to run for senator.Meanwhile, De Lima will be spending her 57th birthday in detention for the first time on Aug. 27.Her birthday wish? “My vindication to come soon, that’s my birthday wish,” De Lima said in an interview after attending a hearing at the Muntinlupa RTC on Friday.

['Dexter Cabalza', 'Julliane Love De Jesus']

2016-11-04 21:05:20+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/923883/de-lima-seeks-to-junk-case-due-to-mistrial

Inquirer

Credible

Wheelchair attendant returns P102,457

An airport worker was commended by a Nueva Ecija congresswoman for returning a lost plastic pouch containing more than a hundred-thousand-peso cash and bank cards.The pouch found by Valiente Namion was left unattended on a pushcart at the Arrival Conveyor Area of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.Namion, a wheelchair attendant of the Integrated Workers Services Cooperative, immediately turned over his find to the Lost and Found Section of the Intelligence and Investigation Division.During inventory, the pouch yielded 102 pieces of one thousand peso bills, four pieces of one hundred peso bills, 1 piece of twenty-peso bill, three pieces of five centavo coins, 21 pieces of one peso coins, six pieces of 25 centavo coins and two pieces of ten centavo coins with a total amount of P102,457.70.The Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) Media Affairs Division said around 9: 20 a.m., a certain Wendell Tagapulot from the office of Nueva Ecija Rep. Magnolia Antonino-Nadres claimed that the congresswoman owned the pouch, which had been unintentionally left on the pushcart when she met her granddaughter at NAIA Terminal 1.General Manager Ed Monreal of the Manila International Airport Authority and NAIA Terminal 1 Manager Dante Basanta lauded Namion for his honesty.BENJIE L. VERGARA

['Benjie Vergara']

2016-11-04 21:05:20+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/wheelchair-attendant-returns-p102457/294838/

Manila Times

Credible

WHY POPE FRANCIS CHANGED PLAN TO ENTER THE U.S. VIA MEXICO

Pope Francis is back in The Vatican after his successful visit to Cuba and the United States.Unknown to many, the Pontiff had originally wanted to enter the United States from Mexico, crossing the U.S. Border between Tijuana and San Diego via a rented Fiat. It was a gesture that Francis wanted to undertake as a way of shining the spotlight on the issue of immigration.Unfortunately, the plan did not materialize because of some passport and visa problems.The pope has a Vatican passport which allows him to travel anywhere in the world as a head of state. But he also recently renewed his Argentine passport and national identity card.Because entering the U.S. via Mexico was not part of his official itinerary, the Pope could not use his Vatican passport. He had to use his Argentine passport and needed an entry visa for the U.S.Argentina is not among the countries participating in the Visa Waiver Program (VWP) of the United States. The VWP exempts citizens and passport holders of the participating countries from visitor visa requirements.Because the Pope’s decision to enter the U.S. through Mexico was last-minute, he didn’t have enough time to apply and secure a U.S. visa using his Argentine passport.The immigration system of the United States is so broken that even the Holy Father is not immune from the strict and sometimes ridiculous visa requirements to visit the land of opportunity.

['Pol Pinoy']

29/09/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/09/29/why-pope-francis-changed-plan-to-enter-the-u-s-via-mexico/

Adobo Chronicles

Suspicious

How frustrating it is to be a Filipino practicing democracy

How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Duterte. To be absolutely passionate for change, so desperate for extreme measures, but have to compromise on so many things with a PR disaster of a candidate. How frustrating it must be to be a woman who believes in the goodness of his heart but cannot stomach the reality of his misogyny. How frustrating it must be to desire so badly to break free of the shackles of an apathetic government and want to use a dirty, filthy hammer just to do it.How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Roxas. To be utterly convinced that he’s the lesser evil but be saddled with the fact that he’s a charmless nincompoop who’s bungled too many important issues that it’s extremely easy to turn voters away from him. How frustrating it must be to have a candidate so closely tied with the utter failure of an administration so callous as to have allowed brazen misuse of funds in the most conspicuous places like the LTO and MRT. How frustrating it must be to have to defend mediocrity just to uphold the status quo.How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Poe. To believe in the sincerity of a candidate whom people cannot trust to keep her word, to have to defend the promises of a woman who is capable of swearing an oath and turn her back to it; to have to convince others that one who can abuse the technicality of a basic legal requirement will actually uphold our laws. How frustrating it must be to try and convince others that inexperience jumping into ambition for the highest post in the land is completely well-meaning and not at all the machinations of the oligarchy. How frustrating it must be to try and believe that backing her isn’t just trading one set of masters for another.How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Santiago. To know that she is the best, most capable candidate yet grapple with her dismally low popularity. How frustrating it must be to want to throw support for someone with a proven track record but with a completely uncertain future, someone whose heart doesn’t even seem to be in the race at all and who has shown questionable choices in allies.How frustrating it must be to be a supporter of Binay. To be convinced that a character so devoid of any redeeming qualities should be President, one must either be deeply misguided or completely naive. How frustrating it must be to live in either reality.How frustrating it must be to be a Filipino. To know that this country deserves so much more yet carry upon our backs the yoke of an ignorant, badly educated, squabbling electorate. How frustrating it must be to yearn for someone great but be forced to support deeply-flawed and wanting candidates. This is our lot as a people, and it breaks us. It tears us apart.

[]

2016-04-20 05:28:38+00:00

https://www.getrealphilippines.com/2016/04/frustrating-filipino-practicing-democracy/

Get Real Philippines

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Is The Anti Distracted Driving Act A Conspiracy Against Uber and Grab?

"But jeeps don't have electronics on their.. wait. Is that a f*ck*ng TV on the windshield?!"The Anti Distracted Driving Act is now in effect. It's a new law being enforced starting today, May 18, 2017, in order to curtail the ever increasing numbers of vehicular accidents on the road.While the said law's purpose is a good one, many netizens feel that it is biased and only works against those who drives with the aid of navigational gadgets and apps.Although, it was stated in the law that drivers may still use navigational apps, it also says that no electronic gadget should be affixed on the car's dashboard and steering wheel neither in areas where they can interfere with the driver's line of sight. Coincidentally, these areas inside the car is where users of navigational gadgets and apps usually install them.Uber and Grab drivers are the ones who would have to adjust the most for their operation relies heavily on these electronic gadgets. Which leads to many netizens intriguing question: does the Anti Distracted Driving Act a conspiracy against Uber and Grab drivers?If so, perhaps the answer to this question can found by answering other equally harder questions: did the taxi companies' owners lobbied for this law? Who are they? (Yep, I know. Too many questions).And if it is not a conspiracy against Uber and Grab, and is no more than a good law to punish drivers who does not pay attention to their line of sight, then why isn't there a crackdown on penalizing public utility jeeps whose dashboards and windshield are often studded with gizmos, personal effects, Baguio barrel man and array of signs?Sadly, despite the fact that we live in a time of information and technology, we cannot truly know the answers to these questions. But you can add your own questions in the comments. Like and share so we get more questions.

['Vic Patnugot']

12/01/2016 0:00

http://pinoynewsblogger.blogspot.com/2017/05/is-anti-distracted-driving-act.html#more

Pinoy News Blogger

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Yet Another Scam At Manila’s International Airport: Laglag Piso

The Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila can never seem to escape the headlines.Just months after the laglag bala (drop a bullet) scheme was uncovered, a new scam is all but brewing. (Laglag bala was a scheme in which unsuspecting airline passengers were questioned and detained after airport personnel supposedly found live bullets in their bags and luggage — all for the purpose of extorting money).The new scam is called laglag piso (drop the peso) and it involves what appears to be a collusion between airport security and taxi operators.Foreigners arriving at NAIA are offered a taxi ride to their hotel or destination and are handed a rate card that quotes the fixed fare in U.S. dollars, instead of Philippine pesos. The dollar rates are not only illegal, but exhorbitant. What could be a fare of just a few hundred pesos can turn out to be thousands of pesos, in dollar equivalent.When questioned about the newly-discovered scam, Manila International Airport Authority General Manager Joseph Angel Honrado said he has no control over the activities at the airport. “My role is merely to coordinate.”It’s exactly what he said when questioned in the Philippine Senate about the laglag bala scheme.Traveling to Manila? Drop the peso. Hang on to your U.S. dollar. It will go a long way. Away from your wallet, that is!

['Pol Pinoy']

12/01/2016 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2016/01/12/yet-another-scam-at-manilas-international-airport-laglag-piso/#respond

Adobo Chronicles

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IN THE KNOW: The Inter-Parliamentary Union

Formed in 1889, the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) is a group of foreign parliamentarians committed to promoting democracy, equality, human rights and peace through political dialogue and concrete action.The IPU has 178 member parliaments, which include countries such as China, Russia, India, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Australia and the Philippines. Its headquarters is in Geneva, Switzerland.In April last year, the IPU Committee on Human Rights of Parliamentarians received approval from then Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to check on the condition of Sen. Leila de Lima, who is detained on drug charges.De Lima is facing three counts of violation of Section No. 5 of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 in relation to trafficking and criminal liability of government officials.The charges, filed by the Department of Justice in February 2017, were raffled off to three branches of the Muntinlupa City Regional Trial Court.The committee, in its resolution, said De Lima “is targeted due to her outspoken criticism of the impact of the current government’s policies on human rights in the Philippines.”A month later, three members of the IPU went on a three-day mission to examine De Lima’s case. They also met with Pimentel and asked the then Senate President to ensure De Lima’s rights were not violated.In its 16-page report released in July, the IPU cast doubt on the evidence presented in each of the three drug charges filed against De Lima.Another lawmaker and outspoken critic of President Rodrigo Duterte, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, is facing revived rebellion charges after Mr. Duterte voided his 2011 amnesty on the grounds that the former Navy officer who staged a mutiny 15 years ago failed to apply for amnesty.Trillanes later said his arrest was a clear example of Mr. Duterte harassing his critics, “the ones telling the truth whom he could not face.”

[]

17/07/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1045420/in-the-know-the-inter-parliamentary-union

Inquirer

Credible

PHILIPPINE CATHOLIC BISHOP: ‘GAYS CAN BECOME SAINTS, BUT NOT CORRUPT POLITICIANS’

A ranking could also become saints, Villegas answered:“Well, that’s a different case altogether. These politicians who cheat on their wives and steal money from the people are committing a grave sin not only to themselves but to many people who suffer as a result of the misdeeds. And that would disqualify them from sainthood.”Villegas urged corrupt politicians to repent, reform their lives and to return every single centavo that they stole from taxpayers. “That, he said, is the only way for them to become holy and qualify for sainthood.”

['Pol Pinoy']

17/07/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/07/17/philippine-catholic-bishop-gays-can-become-saints-but-not-corrupt-politicians/?share=email

Adobo Chronicles

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Filipinos back MILF peace talks—SWS

Most Filipinos believe peaceful negotiations are more effective in dealing with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed, but the number of adults who held this opinion declined from last year.“Despite the recent drop in March 2015, the ratio of those who prefer peaceful negotiations to those who prefer military operations is 2 to 1,” SWS said.In the survey, conducted from March 20 to 23, two months after the Mamasapano incident, 45 percent of the respondents said peaceful negotiations were more effective, 20 percent said military operations were more effective and 35 percent said peaceful negotiations and military operations were equally effective.Compared to the same month last year, those who believed that peaceful negotiations were more effective decreased by 17 points from 62 percent while those who said military operations were more effective rose by 11 points from 9 percent. Those who said military operations and peaceful negotiations were equally effective rose by 6 points from 29 percent.Since 1999, there have been 12 national surveys on the effective means in dealing with the MILF. SWS noted that peaceful negotiations had been consistently seen as the more effective way compared to military operations.On Jan. 25, Special Action Force commandos went to Moro rebel-controlled Mamasapano to arrest Malaysian terrorists Zulkifli bin Hir, alias “Marwan,” and Amin Baco, alias “Jihad,” and their Filipino associate, Basit Usman. The commandos killed Marwan but the mission left 44 commandos, 17 MILF fighters and three civilians dead.Usman was killed in a military operation in Guindulungan town, Maguindanao on Sunday.A previous report on the same survey also found lower satisfaction with the government’s performance on 12 out of the 16 issues rated. In particular, ratings on issues concerning peace efforts fell.The score on the issue of defending the country’s territorial rights dropped from plus 40 last December to plus 22 in March, while the issue on reconciliation with Muslim rebels was scored minus 3 in March, down from plus 15 in December 2014, and the government’s performance on the issue of reconciliation with Communist rebels declined from plus 17 to minus 3.Overall, the Aquino administration got a plus 19 net satisfaction score, down 15 points from plus 34 in December last year and one grade from “good” to “moderate.”The survey used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide and had a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percentage points for national percentages.The question on the effective means in dealing with the MILF is part of a module on the Mamasapano incident and the Bangsamoro Basic Law which were included in the SWS survey in partnership with The Asia Foundation. The full results of the module will be presented in a public forum on May 15 at the Balay Kalinaw Conference Hall at UP Diliman.–Inquirer ResearchRELATED STORIES‘If peace talks fail, there will be more Marwans’Mindanao business, civil society groups: Continue peace process

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

20/02/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/689245/filipinos-back-milf-peace-talks-sws

Inquirer

Credible

A personal governance charter

Individuals may be persuaded to observe the personal governance discipline in the domains of their personal life. They may specify a few key strategic initiatives to pursue; a performance measure to use for assessing progress; and a performance target to attain for any given year.Observance of a strict governance discipline, however, can be dreary. It would require a struggle, one which needs to be carried out day in and day out. This may be essential; however, many individuals also find the need for “something” that will help them sustain their struggle.That “something” is once again the big picture they need to have in very clear terms about their entire life, and more specifically their life of work. The big picture is painted in bold strokes by the following:Personal Vision. Individuals have to ask themselves, what is it that I want to accomplish in 5 years? The question may be framed somewhat differently: what do I want to become in about 5 years’ time; or simply, what do I dream of achieving within that time frame of 5 years or so?Personal Mission. This question, which individuals are encouraged to confront and answer, takes them way beyond a mere 5-year time horizon. It asks: at the end of a life time of work, what positive difference do I expect to make in the world around me? Or more dramatically, at the end of my life, what may I be known for as my distinctive contribution to family, friends, and community?Personal Core Values. It is essential for individuals to think deeply and get to one’s personal core, and there discover the deepest convictions they personally hold and believe in, and wish to hang on to. This need not be a litany. Indeed, a focus on three personal core values, for as long as they represent one’s personal ideals, by which they wish their life to be shaped and formed, is highly recommended.The bigger picture, drawn by the “better spirits” that every individual has, can provide cohesion and encouragement to the day-to-day struggle to observe personal governance discipline. Somehow, this bigger picture helps pull all the initiatives, performance measurements, and performance targets together; it helps provide sense, meaning, and direction to them.Then, there too is the encouragement and motivational aspect that the bigger picture gives. Precisely because individuals have a clear dream of what they wish to accomplish, and a life-long mission they need to carry out, then they should find the needed motivation and continuing encouragement to keep struggling and observing personal governance discipline, so as to better align their work and all the domains of their life with their personal core values.A personal governance charter can be a powerful tool placed at the hands of individuals who keep trying to become good governance assets in the enterprise where they work.

[]

20/02/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/02/20/a-personal-governance-charter/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Civilians, military get ready for ‘Big One’

As part of the preparation for the “Big One” in Metro Manila, the national government on Thursday tested the readiness of the Philippine Air Force (PAF) facility here as a backup command center for disaster response.The PAF’s Haribon hangar, reused after the United States left the former Clark Air Base in June 1991, served as site of the exercise in the event a 7.2-magnitude earthquake expected in Metro Manila because of the Valley Fault System (VFS).A siren that rang for five minutes signaled the start of the 9 a.m. drill.Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, chair of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), and Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman joined the exercise.“The drill is the people’s response here and the command center operation in Clark is in response to severe damage in Metro Manila,” said Renato Solidum, chief of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).“You need to have a backup command center,” he said.Clark, 100 kilometers north of Metro Manila, would “not be significantly affected” by a 7.2-magnitude temblor.Haribon hosts several hangars and repair centers and stands next to the Clark International Airport, making the movement of personnel, equipment and goods faster, according to Josefina Timoteo, regional head of the NDRRMC.The East Valley Fault straddles 10 kilometers in Rizal province, while the West Valley Fault runs more than 100 km through Metro Manila and Rizal, Bulacan, Cavite and Laguna provinces.Solidum said the potential risks from a 7.2-magnitude quake were higher in Metro Manila, with a population of more than 10 million.Without any interventions and should it strike at night, the Big One in Metro Manila could kill 31,000 people and seriously injure 130,000 people, Phivolcs said.Experts believe the valley fault is “ripe,” based on its pattern of movement every 600 years.Solidum said the NDRRMC had scheduled more earthquake drills. “It is already in the mindset of the NDRRMC to continue the earthquake drills. There is a planned drill for Metro Manila and surrounding provinces,” he added.Government agencies and private companies participated in the drill, with people practicing the duck-cover-hold technique.“There is no right time to be prepared than now,” Timoteo said.At the regional police headquarters in Camp Olivas in Pampanga province, police and fire protection personnel conducted the drill. Some 200 of them evacuated to the parade ground after dropping to the ground, finding cover and holding on.Soliman said a lesson learned from the 2013 Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan), which devastated the Visayas was the need for a large space where assets and aid could be accommodated.“In Tacloban City, the airport can fit only two C-130 planes. Here, we could fit in as many as we want,” she noted.For the first time, the NDRRMC operations center was placed outside Metro Manila for the quarterly drill as organizers wanted to consider the possibility that a 7.2-magnitude quake can level the seat of government and paralyze even disaster response operations.Corazon Jimenez, general manager of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, said the second Metro Manila earthquake drill would be held in June. The provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal will join the event.“We are already planning the next drill and we want to incorporate our past experiences so we can improve our response. For one, there is a need to improve the communication, I had a hard time making contact,” she noted.

['Tonette Orejas']

23/09/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/780834/civilians-military-get-ready-for-big-one

Inquirer

Credible

DONALD TRUMP DUMPS FOX NEWS TO CNN’S DELIGHT

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump is done with FOX News, and CNN couldn’t be happier.Trump has reignited his war of words with FOX, vowing on his Twitter account that he will stay off the network for the “foreseeable future.”Trump declared in a tweet Wednesday morning that he believes he has been treated “very unfairly” by FOX, leading him to decide to dump the network.Earlier, FOX decided to pull Trump’s appearance on “O’Reilly Factor” after the Republican presidential frontrunner criticized O’Reilly and Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly in tweets sent on Monday and Tuesday.CNN, the heir apparent to FOX News, celebrated Trump’s tweet by popping champagne bottles in the newsroom.“This means I can have more news segments with Trump and more intelligent discussions on important issues in the political campaign,” CNN anchor Don Lemon said.CNN’S ratings have been in decline for the last few months and the cable network is hoping that more appearances by Trump would help boost its viewership.

['Pol Pinoy']

23/09/2018 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/09/23/donald-trump-dumps-fox-news-to-cnns-delight/#respond

Adobo Chronicles

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Erice texts Grace Poe, denies involvement in smear campaign

Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice has taken matters into his own hands and has personally texted Senator Grace Poe for a meeting about her plans for the 2016 elections.The Liberal Party (LP) official said he texted Poe and asked for a meeting to also assure her that he was not behind the actions of Rizalito David who filed disqualification cases against Poe before the Commission on Elections and the Senate Electoral Tribunal over her citizenship.Erice also texted Poe to advise her regarding her readiness for the 2016 presidency, as LP bet Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II is set to gun for the position.“Sen. Grace (ma’am). May I respectfully seek an audience so I can personally assure you that I am not part of those who (question) your being a Filipino, as being maliciously peddled in the social media. I have some information that I can share with you regarding this,” Erice’s text message to Poe read.“I made it clear in my other comments that it should be taken as an (advice) and advocacy rather than criticism. Last year, I was the first one who (espoused) the idea of a (Mar-Poe) tandem as the perfect team and up to now it is my belief. I am sorry but it is my opinion that you are not yet ready for the presidency, but I will respect whatever will be your opinion and decisions. After all, we are accountable for whatever we say or do as (public officials),” the text message further read.“We can agree or disagree on issues but I will always respect you. Thanks (ma’am),” Erice concluded.Poe seemed to have dumped Roxas’ offer to become his running mate when she told him in a meeting Sunday night that he has other options for vice president.In an interview Monday, Poe confirmed that Roxas visited her at her home in San Juan City on Sunday night, and that among the things they discussed was his offer for her to be his running mate.Previously, Roxas also made an appeal to Poe on national television for her to be his vice president.“I told [him] he had many potential vice presidential candidates to choose from,” Poe said.

['Marc Jayson Cayabyab']

03/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/714741/erice-texts-grace-poe-for-meeting-on-2016-plans

Inquirer

Credible

Duterte to look into ‘grandiose’ PCSO party

President Duterte, who dislikes extravagance, will look into the alleged lavish Christmas party of the government-run charity agency, according to presidential spokesperson Harry Roque.Roque himself, however, could not immediately say if the reported P6-million to P10-million price tag for the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) party at the posh Edsa Shangri-La Hotel’s Isla Ballroom was extravagant.“Well, I think you know that the President does not tolerate extravagance, so we do not know yet. I’m sure the President will look into the matter. As you know, he’s very sensitive to what is reported by his own people in the different branches of government,” he told reporters on Thursday.“Let’s just say that with or without an order, the President takes heed,” he added.Sandra CamThe allegedly extravagant party on Tuesday was reported by newly appointed PCSO board member and former “jueteng” whistle-blower Sandra Cam, who criticized it and refused to join the “very grandiose” festivities in protest.PCSO General Manager Alexander Balutan told the Inquirer the party had cost P6 million, not P10 million as Cam had claimed.Asked if he considered even the smaller amount still too much, Roque said he could not immediately say. He said he would have to first check how much was spent by PCSO officials.He noted that the PCSO was a “nationwide organization.”Funds for the poorThe PCSO is tasked with raising and providing funds for health programs, medical assistance and services, and charities of national character for the poor, mainly through lotteries.The amount spent for the party was smaller than the P14 million that had been approved by the budget department, Balutan said. The money saved would be used for victims of recent calamities, he added.PCSO Chair Jose Jorge Corpuz said the P6 million was for 1,580 employees nationwide.Balutan said PCSO employees worked hard to raise the agency’s earnings from P37.4 billion to a record high of P51 billion this year.“They were already stripped of their Christmas bonuses, 13th month pay. What they get are only basic salaries,” he added.

['Jodee A. Agoncillo', 'Leila B. Salaverria']

03/11/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/954297/duterte-to-look-into-grandiose-pcso-party

Inquirer

Credible

‘LAGLAG BALA’ AFTERMATH: MANILA-BOUND PHILIPPINE AIR LINES FLIGHT LEAVES HONOLULU EMPTY

In what is being described as unprecedented in the history of commercial aviation, a scheduled Philippine Air Lines (PAL) flight bound from Honolulu to Manila left with a full crew but not a single passenger.PR 101 was scheduled to take off at 11:10 a.m. on Monday from Honolulu International Airport. The Airbus A330 left after a 30-minute delay without a single paying passenger.What puzzled airline officials and crew was that the original manifest showed a fully-booked flight.When it was time for boarding, ground crew started noticing that no one was checking in at the gate. Despite repeated announcements over the public address system that passengers needed to board the flight, not a single one did. The plane finally departed at 11:40 a.m. with only the crew on board.The Adobo Chronicles caught up with many of the passengers who were holding boarding tickets to PR 101, many of them with their bags and balikbayan boxes in tow.They said they decided not to board their flight for fear that they might be victimized by the reported laglag bala scheme at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). The scheme involves bullets being ‘planted’ into the bags of unsuspecting passengers for the purpose of extortion by the perpetrators.The passengers said they will re-schedule their trip only after they have been assured by Philippine government officials that the laglag bala scheme has been fully nipped in the bud.“It is absolutely ridiculous that airline passengers going through NAIA have to wrap their bags and luggage in plastic just so they do not to fall prey to these unscrupulous schemers,” one Filipino long-time Hawaii resident said.

['Pol Pinoy']

03/11/2017 0:00

https://adobochronicles.com/2015/11/03/laglag-bala-aftermath-manila-bound-philippine-air-lines-flight-leaves-honolulu-empty/

Adobo Chronicles

Suspicious

Boracay locals say algal bloom just a natural phenomenon

Locals are defending the presence of the algal bloom in the shorelines of this world-renowned island.Septuagenarian Mila Yap-Sumndad said there is nothing to be alarmed about in the occurrence of green algae in the shores of the white sand beaches in the island.Sumndad said the green algae normally appear in January, and peaks in the summer months.She believed that the algal bloom was not caused by the increasing tourist population in the island.“It is there every year and usually becomes thick starting from March until May,” she said.Barangay Captain Lilibeth Sacapaño of Balabag said the algae have been present even before the development in the islands started.The 51-year-old Boracay local said the algae were even believed as the source of the island’s white sandy beaches.“We even used to play with these algae during our younger years. They are already here decades ago,” she stressed.Sangguniang Bayan Member Datu Yap-Sumndad likewise stressed that Boracay’s water is not polluted, contrary to reports aired by a television network.The SB member stressed that algae formation is not only present in Boracay but even in nearby non-touristy beaches.He said that algae are also present in some beaches in Buruanga town and Hambil or Carabao Island in Romblon, which are not frequented by tourists.The councilor said the local government unit of Malay is also working together with other organizations in the island to mitigate the impact of tourism on the environment.The councilor urged the public to disregard the false information on the algal bloom in Boracay.“We should work together to protect the image of Boracay,” he said, noting that Boracay could also “primarily impact the tourism industry of the country as well.”

['I Dont Care', '_O', 'Boracay Eco Watch']

15/03/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/03/15/boracay-locals-say-algal-bloom-just-a-natural-phenomenon/

Manila Bulletin

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‘NFA rice may end up with rice traders again’

OPPOSITION Sen. Paolo Benigno Aquino 4th on Friday expressed concern about the possibility of the imported rice procured by the National Food Authority (NFA) ending up in the hands of rice traders again, leaving the buffer stock of the grains agency depleted.Aquino raised such possibility since the corruption allegation surrounding NFA Administrator Jason Aquino has not been acted upon by Malacañang.“The government should look into allegations against Aquino rather than entrust him with the task of importing thousands of metric tons of rice,” the opposition senator said.The NFA administrator was blamed for the depletion of NFA buffer stock early this year, which led to the sudden spike on the prices of commercial rice in the market.“It was his blunder that caused the rice price increase and added to the burden of Filipino families,” Sen. Aqiuno pointed out.The initial shipments of the 250,000 metric tons of imported rice approved by the NFA council last February arrived in the country early this month in Subic and Surigao.The 16,000 tons of rice were distributed in provinces surrounding Subic and Surigao to stabilize rice prices in the area. The supply for Metro Manila and other regions in the country are expected to arrive in succeeding trenches.“What happened to the allegations against the NFA leadership? Now the imported rice has started to arrive, we should make sure that things would not happen again wherein the NFA rice and its buffer stock would just end up in hands of rice traders,” Aquino added.During a Senate hearing on the rice issue, the NFA admitted it failed to comply with the required 15-day buffer stock since last year because of natural and man-made calamities experienced by the country in 2017, including the five-month Marawi siege.The NFA head claimed that the agency anticipated the rice shortage and submitted a request for rice importation as early as October 2017 to the NFA Council, but its request to import 250,000 metric tons (MT) of rice in January was denied due to the stable price in commercial rice and the good local rice production forecast.But some resource persons who attended the hearing alleged that while the NFA is only allowed to sell rice to retailers, the agency allowed its stocks to be sold to favored rice traders through dummy rice retailers.Allegations were also made that the NFA rice was illegally sold to traders who then re-bagged and sold it as commercial rice at P42 to P45, or about 55 to 66 percent higher than the NFA selling price of P27 to P32.Mayor Teresa Alegado of Cebu during the hearing noted that the practice was so blatant that traders were selling the NFA rice without even bothering to re-bag this.Rice watchdog Bantay Bigas also pointed out that smugglers are taking advantage of the entry of the rice imported by the NFA fromVietnam and Thailand as it coincides with the scheduled arrival of the rice imports.“Rice importation only breeds rice smuggling,” Bantay Bigas spokesperson Cathy Estavillo said in reaction to the interception Thursday of shipment of 100,000 sacks of Thailand rice worth P187 million by the Bureau of Customs (BoC) at the Manila International Container Port (MICP).Based on BoC’s assessment, the shipments came from Vietnam and consigned to Sta. Rosa Farm Products Corporation.The current rice importation policy is causing the increasing number of smuggling cases in the country as it only gives opportunity for illegal rice imports from private traders to enter the Philippines, Bantay Bigas said.Experience tells us that rice importation permits sold to private traders were used to create an opportunity for illegally imported rice to enter the country,” Estavillo said.According to her, the proposed rice tariffication would even worsen rice smuggling as the government welcomes any private trader who can afford to import rice.Despite the NFA controversies President Rodrigo Duterte has retained Aquino as NFA head but returned the agency under the control of the Department of Agriculture.The president also ordered the removal of the powers of NFA Council chairman and Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., a move which Sen. Aquino said was unnecessary and leaves the NFA even more prone to corruption and impunity.Evasco was pushing for a government-to-private mode of procurement to make the process more transparent while Aquino wanted a government-to-government mode, which is prone to corruption.WITH EIREENE JAIREE GOMEZ

['Jefferson Antiporda']

2018-06-15 23:22:58+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/nfa-rice-may-end-up-with-rice-traders-again/408549/

Manila Times

Credible

Lacson exposes more police scams

Close circuit television footage of a police officer planting “shabu” (crystal meth) in table drawers inside an office was presented by Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Thursday to show that the kidnapping and murder of South Korean Jee Ick-joo was not an isolated case of “tokhang-for-ransom,” or police extortion under cover of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs.During a Senate hearing on Jee’s grisly slaying, Lacson cited other similar cases of officers demanding money from people allegedly being pursued in the government’s war on drugs.Lacson told Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa that he did not want to put the PNP on the spot by showing the video “but to impress upon you that this is not an isolated case.”The chair of the Senate committee on dangerous drugs and public order said the video was given to him by a “very scared” source whose office was raided by policemen on Oct. 26, 2016.Lacson said that according to his source the planting of shabu was done by a man with a cap and backpack who also robbed the office the equivalent of P7 million before the raid. He said his source also had to “cough up P2 million” following the raid.The former PNP chief said he decided to present the video because there was no case graver than that of Jee as well as “to [put] it on record that this was not isolated and many similar cases are happening.”Dela Rosa asked Lacson where the supposed police raid happened. Lacson said he would disclose details “in confidence” but added the source would not file any complaint out of fear.Lacson said the officers who raided the office were from the PNP Special Operations Task Group.Dela Rosa said the faces of the men in the video were clear and that he would act immediately to investigate the case.Lacson also said anticrime advocate Teresita Ang See had told him there were 12 other cases of police arresting people for alleged involvement in illegal drugs and demanding money for their release but that the shakedown “did not prosper.”But he cited the case of a 46-year-old Chinese-Filipino who was kidnapped by eight policemen who demanded money from him in exchange for being cleared of alleged involvement in illegal drugs. The man’s uncle gave P1 million to the policemen, who also were able to get money from his ATM account at a bank on Ongpin Street in Binondo, Manila, Lacson said. Later, he said, the policemen demanded an additional P3 million.In spite of the payoffs, he said, an illegal drug case was filed against the victim.Lacson said another man, taken from Muntinlupa and brought to Pasay City by the police last Oct. 24, was also charged even after his family was able to produce P200,000 of the P500,000 demanded.The man remains in jail.Lacson said there were other similar cases in Bulacan and Makati.“These are incidents to show that there are excesses committed by our policemen and if this is not monitored and the PNP doesn’t know about it and no action is taken, then you cannot arrest the situation,” Lacson said.Lacson urged Dela Rosa to strengthen counterintelligence efforts as he underscored the need for a special unit or composite team to “check on our people.”The team—which can have 100 members—can come from various PNP units that can conduct counterintelligence and pounce on people committing shenanigans, he said.Lacson said Ang See did not go to the police to report the cases.“Trust is something you must earn, it cannot be demanded,” he said. “I hope you know where I am coming from, I love the PNP and I want you to succeed for obvious reasons.”RELATED VIDEO

['Christine O. Avendaño']

2017-06-29 21:04:17+00:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/865896/lacson-exposes-more-police-scams

Inquirer

Credible

Palace disputes HRW drug findings

Malacañang on Friday slammed a report recently released by an international human rights group, which said President Rodrigo Duterte triggered a “human rights calamity” as he waged a bloody war on drugs during his first year in power.In a news conference, Presidential Communications Secretary Ana Maria Paz Banaag said the government’s war against illegal drugs cannot be considered a human rights calamity as it seeks to protect the people.“We don’t feel good about the comments of the Human Rights Watch [HRW] report but we also have to be firm that and we have to realize that the President stood and won on a platform of genuine change. He wanted a better life for the Filipino people, of course,” Banaag told reporters.She said the HRW should acknowledge the number of drug dependents that had surrendered to authorities and subject themselves to a rehabilitation program.“Human Rights Watch should not brush aside all the programs especially the enforcement side. How many operations had been conducted by the enforcement agencies and anti-drug agencies? It is not a joke to enforce 62,000 anti-drug operations. That’s so much sacrifice and of course also we have around 1.3 million drug surrenderers. These things, the government is doing something about this through the inter-agency committee against illegal drugs,” Banaag added.She assured the public that the Duterte administration was working to address alleged extrajudicial killings in the country.“The government is not sitting down, watching lives being wasted just this way. So with this one, of course, we say that the President had only wanted so much for his countrymen,” Banaag said.The New York-based Human Rights Watch, in a statement, said Duterte has “unleashed a human rights calamity on the Philippines in his first year in office.”“President Duterte took office promising to protect human rights but has instead spent his first year in office as a boisterous instigator for an unlawful killing campaign,” Phelim Kine, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said.“Duterte has supported and incited ‘drug war’ killings while retaliating against those fearless enough to challenge his assault on human rights,” Kine added.Human Rights Watch cited its field research in March, which found that “government claims that the deaths of suspected drug users and dealers were lawful were blatant falsehoods. Interviews with witnesses and victims’ relatives and analysis of police records expose a pattern of unlawful police conduct designed to paint a veneer of legality over extrajudicial executions that may amount to crimes against humanity.”Official data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) pegged the total number of homicide cases at 9,432 from July 2016 to March 2017.Of this number, 1,847 deaths were said to be drug-related, while 1,894 were not.The remaining 5,691 cases, approximately 60 percent of the total figure, were still under investigation.Duterte’s anti-narcotics drive has also resulted in a 26.45 percent drop in the estimated total drug market and 28.57 percent reduction in index crime, according to the PNP data.

['Catherine S. Valente']

2017-06-29 21:04:17+00:00

https://www.manilatimes.net/palace-disputes-hrw-drug-findings/335629/

Manila Times

Credible

SC on trial: Bersamin lashes back at Leonen

Associate Justice Lucas Bersamin, who wrote the Supreme Court’s decision that allowed Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to post bail last week, has taken exception to a dissenting magistrate’s “gross distortions” over how the majority ruling on the plunder case was reached.In a one-page letter sent Monday to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno and furnished all the other members of the court, Bersamin also accused Justice Marvic Leonen of “unprecedented invasion of the autonomy of the majority in arriving at its main opinion.”Bersamin also sought “rectification of the gross distortions contained in Justice Leonen’s dissent that have not only put me in a bad light but worse also impugned the integrity of the seven members of the Court who joined my ponencia (majority opinion) by claiming they signed the ponencia without knowing the version they were joining.”Bersamin asked that the two issues be discussed in Tuesday’s en banc session. He said he also circulated on Monday a “rejoinder” that would contain the two issues which he would submit for discussion Tuesday.The apparent spat stemmed from Leonen’s account in his 29-page dissenting opinion as to how the majority opinion on the grant of bail came about.The justice said a draft decision originally circulated by Bersamin early this year adopted mainly the legal arguments raised by Enrile, which was centered on the Supreme Court taking judicial notice of evidence to establish two generic mitigating circumstances that would lower the penalty to be imposed even before trial or a hearing for the determination of whether the evidence of guilt is strong happened in the Sandiganbayan.However, Leonen said that when the case was deliberated during the en banc session on Aug. 11, Bersamin proposed the idea of dropping all discussions on the legal points pertaining to whether bail was a matter of right and focusing instead on the grant of bail on “humanitarian” grounds.Bersamin then committed to circulate a revised draft, which he did so on Aug. 14. The new draft granted bail to Enrile based on his medical condition by which Leonen aired concerns about, saying the basis of the grant of bail gave rise to new issues that must be further discussed.In the Aug. 18 en banc, Leonen said Bersamin insisted on vote and said he would agree to wait for a more extensive written reflection of the issues raised by Leonen.Bersamin, according to Leonen, declared that he was abandoning the Aug. 14 draft in favor of his earlier version, which was premised on the idea that bail was a matter of right based on judicial notice and the judicial declaration of the existence of two mitigating circumstances—his age and his voluntary surrender.After increasing the bail from P500,000 to P1 million, the court voted 8-4 in favor of Bersamin’s latest version.Leonen said that later in the afternoon, Bersamin passed around the final copy of the majority opinion. However, Leonen said this was not the version voted upon in the morning deliberation but “substantially” the same as the Aug. 14 version that granted bail on humanitarian grounds.Leonen later issued his dissent which was joined by Sereno and Justices Antonio Carpio and Estela Perlas-Bernabe. Bersamin’s ponencia was joined by Justices Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-de Castro, Arturo Brion, Diosdado Peralta, Mariano del Castillo, Jose Perez and Jose Mendoza.Enrile, who has been detained for about a year, was charged with plunder in the Sandiganbayan in connection with the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund scam allegedly orchestrated by businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.The Supreme Court earlier granted the senator’s motion for a bill of particulars, which would allow him to secure specific details of the crime imputed to him.

['Jerome Aning']

30/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/715923/sc-on-trial-bersamin-lashes-back-at-leonen

Inquirer

Credible

Roque: Duterte will not order the killing of priests

President Duterte does not want Catholic priests killed, presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said on Thursday.Roque made the statement after Mr. Duterte’s critics likened the President’s tirades against the Catholic Church to an invitation to attack Church people.“When it comes to the killings of priests, the President will never say that you should kill priests,” Roque said at a press briefing.Roque said Mr. Duterte was amenable to a dialogue with the Church.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

30/05/2017 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1001004/roque-duterte-will-not-order-the-killing-of-priests

Inquirer

Credible

Four slain in Bulacan buy-bust ops

Four armed drug peddlers were killed in a fire fight with police during three separate buy-bust operations in the province over the weekend.Senior Supt. Romeo Caramat Jr., acting Bulacan police director, identified two of the slain suspects in as Rolando Paraiso of Barangay Mambog, Malolos City, and a certain “Allen” from Bocaue.Supt. Hyrell Bruno, city police chief, said the suspects tried to flee on board a motorcycle after realizing that they were transacting with an undercover buyer in Barangay Longos.A running gun battle ensued which resulted in the death of the duo. Seized from them were a caliber .38 revolver, a hand grenade, and four sachets of suspected “shabu.”Also reported killed were suspects Jeffrey Maningas Tabianan alias “Teptep” and Richard Ramos Felipe alias “Balat,” a farmer, of Barangay Batasan Matanda, San Miguel this province.Citing the report of Pandi town police chief, Chief Insp. Manuel de Vera, Caramat said Tabianan was killed following a similar buy-bust operation conducted at Mayumi St., Saint Dominique, Barangay San Roque, Pandi.Tabianan’s cohort, identified only as “Eseng” eluded arrest.It appeared that Eseng recognized one of the cops conducting the buy-bust, causing him to make a run for it. On the other hand, Tabianan opened fire at the police, who then retaliated and killed him.Seized from the crime scene were an improvised handgun loaded with ammunitions, two caliber 9mm cartridges cases, one deformed fired bullet, two open transparent plastic sachets with alleged shabu residue, four caliber 38 live ammunitions, and two P100 bills used as buy-bust money.Meanwhile, the Drug Enforcement Team of San Miguel town here also conducted a buy-bust operation in Barangay Batasan Matanda. Supt. Isagani Enriquez, town police chief, said that the operation resulted in the death of Ramos.Ramos reportedly resisted arrest and fired at the cops. He was then shot.Seized from the suspect were three transparent plastic sachets of suspected shabu, one caliber 38 revolver loaded with three live ammunition and two fired cartridge cases in its cylinder, six ammunitions of a caliber 38, and one open transparent plastic sachet containing white powder.Aside from the neutralization of the drug pushers, Caramat added that 27 other drug suspects were arrested during different buy-bust operations in the cities of San Jose del Monte and Meycauayan as well as the towns of Guigunito, Pulilan, San Miguel, Bocaue, Paombong, Baliwag, Santa Maria, and Marilao.Some 72 plastic sachets of suspected shabu were collected during this series of operations.

[]

30/05/2017 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2017/05/30/four-slain-in-bulacan-buy-bust-ops/

Manila Bulletin

Credible

Labor group demands dismissal of DTI chief amid soaring prices

A moderate labor group is planning to ask President Rodrigo Duterte at their scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, to fire Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez for his supposed failure to monitor and control the price of basic commodities.The Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) said it was time for Lopez to leave his post as he had “done nothing to protect the people from profiteers who are taking advantage of the vulnerable situation we are in right now.”The Federation of Free Workers (FFW) echoed the TUCP’s sentiment, noting the Duterte administration’s lack of political will to put in place a price ceiling on basic commodities.“We don’t understand why the Department of Trade and Industry wants to maintain the income of companies instead of looking after the welfare of Filipinos,” FFW vice president Julius Cainglet said on Monday.Last week, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported that the nationwide inflation rate in September soared to a new nine-year high of 6.7 percent.The increase was mainly driven by the higher cost of food and nonalcoholic beverages, which rose by 9.7 percent last month.Gov’t measuresResearch group Ibon Foundation said putting a price ceiling and suspending the excise on fuel were key steps the government could take to help arrest the surging prices.“If the government does that it would show that it is serious in addressing inflation,” said Ibon executive director Sonny Africa.Metro Manila was the only region that saw inflation rate decline, from 7 percent in August to 6.3 percent last month.Inflation in all other regions are rising, with Bicol posting a 10.1-percent inflation, the highest level in the country.Africa said he believed inflation decelerated in Metro Manila because products were being diverted to the capital region to moderate the political impact of inflation.“It’s damage control at the expense of the regions. There is really a need to support consumers in Metro Manila, but this should go alongside with the same kind of support for the regions,” he said.Apart from calling for Lopez’s sacking, TUCP president Raymond Mendoza said the group would also urge the President to act on its proposed P320 across-the-board wage increase.To date, wage boards in most parts of the country have implemented measly wage adjustments of P9 to P56.

['Philippine Daily Inquirer']

27/02/2018 0:00

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1040534/labor-group-demands-dismissal-of-dti-chief-amid-soaring-prices

Inquirer

Credible

Ano ang Ulam ni Helmet Girl? Finally Revealed!

vulturesChezka Bautista or more popularly known as Helmet Girl has been making waves on social media after a video showing her and her partner being apprehended by traffic enforcers went viral.According to the caption of the said video, Chezka was rude toward the apprehending officers. In her defense, she said in a post that it was the traffic enforcers who were rude first, laughing and mocking them as they apprehend them.Chezka and her boyfriend were apprehended for the violation of the 'no/not wearing helmet violation' and was then issued a traffic violation ticket. The couple riders and enforcers went on their separate ways but not without hard feelings, apparently. Then, in some sick twist of fate, the couple and the same group ofenforcers bump into each other again just minutes after their first encounter.This time the couple was again apprehended for not wearing their helmets, not properly at the least. This time, it was being captured on video. This time, the enforcers look so hungry, but whether that hunger is geared toward doing their duty or for the tasty take-out ulam helmet girl was carrying in her helmet, we cannot say for sure.One officer engaged the riding couple in a heated argument reiterating that what they are doing was for the riders' own safety. The officer said something along the lines 'not wearing helmet properly can lead to your day being ruined by fatal accident'. The girl was not moved, though, and was clearly agitated which she later explained in her own post that it was because the traffic officers was rude to them.It's hard to say for sure who's really at fault in the altercation. The video did not capture the events before the moment the girl tried to smash the enforcer's Android phone so we can't hope to judge it fairly. What we can do aside from waiting for the proper investigation is to find out what was the ulam Helmet Girl was carrying.Ano ang ulam ni Helmet Girl? Apparently, that was the question that boggled the minds of the netizens. Whatever it was, we can assume that it was safe and unharmed because it was wearing a helmet.Anyway we at Pinoy News Blogger are good at providing these kind of very important details. So we utilized every available resources we can muster and had all our manpower diverted to this very important task. We even outsourced and hired a turo-turo tindera and tasked her to watch the footage and to identify the ulam by sight. But it was to no avail. The video resolution was not high enough, even for an expert, to identify the viands nestled in the helmet.That didn't stop us though. We pressed on and finally found the answer straight from the one who stress-ate the ulam in question: Chezka Bautista the Helmet Girl herself.We can now go to sleep peacefully. Helmet Girl's ulam was a saucy viand called mechado and a Filipino dish called sinigang or tamarind soup.

['Vic Patnugot']

27/02/2018 0:00

http://pinoynewsblogger.blogspot.com/2018/02/ano-ang-ulam-ni-helmet-girl-finally.html#more

Pinoy News Blogger

Suspicious

Why the rush?

lifting term limits, creating more elective posts, imposing clear restrictions on press freedom, and granting the sitting President the sole power to enact laws during a still undetermined transition period.These proposals are disturbing, to say the least. And while I have high hopes that the Constitutional Commission created by the President will come up with a draft constitution tempered by sobriety and their collective wisdom, legislative leaders have made it clear that the legislators comprising the Constituent Assembly will have the final say. In fact, several legislators and the ruling party think tank have crafted their own versions of the proposed federal charter. A House sub-committee is currently working on a supposed harmonized version of the new charter.Which prompts me to ask the obvious: Why the rush? Shouldn’t a matter of grave importance to the nation and the future generation of Filipinos be handled with sobriety, caution, intensive study, and open discussion?Why not consider, for example, an honest to goodness assessment of how the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has fared as an autonomous regional grouping?Since its creation in 1989, the ARMM has received a generous slice of the national budget. In the 2018 budget, for example, the ARMM is among the top ten recipients with P24.9 billion. Over decades, the region received substantial amounts from foreign countries and development agencies for various infrastructure, social and development projects. If we add to these the PDAF of the ARMM congressmen, we can say that the region could hardly be considered cash strapped.Yet, according to the 2015 poverty targeting survey of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the ARMM is the poorest region in the country.At least 11 percent or 573,446 of the 5.1 million poorest households are in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi, according to the same survey which was released in 2016. These provinces comprise the ARMM.An honest-to-goodness assessment of the ARMM experience would help us uncover factors and issues that inform the dynamics of governance in an autonomous region.We need to uncover the levels of efficiency in management practices, particularly transparency and accountability in transactions, or the lack of it. We need to look into the extent of the central government’s influence on the affairs of the region, the dynamics between the professional bureaucracy and the traditional and political elites, the existence of an informal or “shadow” economy, and the impact of a local culture that gives importance to the interest of clans and social hierarchies.The chronic poverty and underdevelopment in the ARMM remind us that the issue of empowered and developed local governments go beyond the mere grant of self-governance. The ARMM has been in existence for the last 29 years yet the region remains poor and underdeveloped. Will we have to wait for more than 29 years for lesser developed States under a federal system to break free from poverty? And what will it take for these states not to fall into the same pit as ARMM?Each province or region has its distinct social and political culture that influences local governance. Such an assessment would provide important learnings for those who want to rush us into federalism. Whether they are interested in learning is another matter.jcbinay11@gmail.com

[]

27/02/2018 0:00

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/02/27/why-the-rush/

Manila Bulletin

Credible