Maniolas

In this file photo taken on August 23, 2010, Philippine policemen take position as they start their attack on a hijacked tourist bus in Manila. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Hounded by diplomatic tension with Hong Kong for more than two years, President Benigno Aquino was relieved to put the August 2010 Manila hostage drama that caused the problem finally behind him, Cabinet Secretary Rene Almendras said. Following months of negotiations, the Philippine and Hong Kong governments resolved the row after the victims’ families accepted Manila’s expression of “sorrowful regret” and over P100 million offer of compensation. The compensation, described as “tokens of solidarity” and reportedly raised by traders and private individuals, could total HK$20 million (about P115 million), according to a Manila councilor. “He (the President) sounded very happy when he texted me,” Almendras, the government’s point-man in the negotiations, said in an interview on Thursday after briefing reporters on the agreement. “With all the problems that we have, however small the problem is, if you solve it, it’s one less thing to worry about.” The administration had been dogged by the Aug. 23, 2010 drama in which eight HK residents were killed in a botched police rescue of a busload of tourists taken hostage by a dismissed Manila policeman. The hostage-taker was killed, and many others were hurt. It was the first test for the young administration in handling a hostage crisis, and it drew protests from Hong Kong and Beijing. The agreement restored bilateral relations between Manila and Read More …

Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—While no restrictions have been imposed on travel to the Middle East, the Department of Foreign Affairs continues to advise Filipinos in the Arabian Peninsula to take precautionary measures amid the continuing threat of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome–Corona Virus (MERS-CoV). In public advisory issued jointly with the Department of Health, the DFA said Filipinos in the Middle East should take care of their health, particularly those working and residing in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, where deaths due to the virus have been recorded. “Currently the World Health Organization has not declared any outbreak or epidemic of MERS-CoV in the Middle East. There are no travel restrictions to and from the Arabian Peninsula. Despite these, we are encouraging Filipinos in the Middle East to practice the precautions below for their own protection,” said the public advisory released Monday afternoon. The advisory was released as the government continued to account for passengers of Etihad Airways Flight No. EY 0424 that arrived on April 15 carrying a Filipino nurse who had been exposed to the virus at a Middle Eastern hospital. The nurse was already cleared of the virus, along with some 241 other passengers who were declared free of the illness. As of Monday, the government was still trying to locate 174 other passengers who have yet to be tested. In the advisory, the DFA and DOH reminded Filipinos to practice proper hygiene, particularly through handwashing or use Read More …