besguerra

4 oil firms to cut fuel prices

General

Dec 202014

popular . Mayweather: I’m a ‘rich coward’; Pacquiao is financially troubled 3 Sandiganbayan justices quit cases vs Jinggoy Estrada Aquino announces increase in soldiers’ subsistence allowance The year of the youngbloods 4 cops charged over summary killings Cosco sets P1-billion share buyback Pemberton shows up for first time How Mika Lagdameo prepares her children for success videos Simbang Gabi at the Gesu (Day 5 – Dec. 19, 2014) 8 children killed in home in northern Australia Hack attack vs Sony Pictures spurs call for more North Korea sanctions Laude family wants Pemberton in local jail during trial Simbang Gabi at the Gesu (Day 4 – Dec. 18, 2014) INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Petron has announced a price rollback on its fuel prices effective December 21. The following price cuts would take effect 12:01 a.m. this Sunday: 10 per liter for gasoline 35 per liter for diesel 40 per liter for kerosene On December 11, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board slashed the minimum fare of public utility jeepneys (PUJs) from P8.50 to P7.50 due to the price rollbacks of fuels products. RELATED STORIES Jeepney fare rolled back LTFRB approves P1 provisional jeepney fare rollback in NCR Tags: fuel News oil prices Petron roll back Related Stories: Australia investigates ‘paedophile’ father in Thai baby scandal Bangladesh ferry owner faces charges in sinking Bangladesh ferry owner faces charges in sinking Bangladesh ferry owner faces charges in sinking Bangladesh ferry owner faces charges in sinking Bangladesh ferry owner faces charges in sinking Read More …

US Navy men in Tubbataha Reef case punished; compensation coming – Goldberg

News

Dec 182014

US Navy men in Tubbataha Reef case punished; compensation coming – Goldberg

popular Coleen: Billy is the perfect partner Pacquiao Las Vegas betting underdog vs Mayweather Aiza Seguerra, Liza Diño plan to have a baby through IVF Cavs coach David Blatt loves the ‘Philippines’ MJ’s worst is 10 times better than Kobe’s best, says Miller Binay confirms cohosting radio show US spy jailed in Cuba for 20 years comes home Donkey dies after being sat on in Spanish Nativity scene videos US, Cuba declare historic breakthrough in ties AFP celebrates 79th anniversary Simbang Gabi at the Gesu (Day 3 – Dec. 17, 2014) Arlyn de la Cruz makes directorial debut in MMFF New Wave entry 2014 MMFF New Wave US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA MANILA, Philippines — US Navy officers responsible for the grounding of a US Navy ship in Tubbataha reef in 2013 have no more military career, according to US Ambassador Philip Goldberg. Goldberg said on Thursday that people “responsible” for the USS Guardian “received punishment” for the accident that led to the destruction of precious coral reefs in the area. “Basically, their careers are over,” Goldberg said in an interview with ANC’s Karen Davila, adding that the US government was “sorry for what happened.” The ambassador also indicated that the US government would eventually pay compensation to the Philippine government for the accident. “We have an agreement I think to pay the compensation. We’re just waiting for the bank account information,” he said. “We gonna make sure that it doesn’t Read More …

US must still produce Pemberton in court—De Lima

News

Dec 182014

US must still produce Pemberton in court—De Lima

popular Coleen: Billy is the perfect partner Pacquiao Las Vegas betting underdog vs Mayweather Aiza Seguerra, Liza Diño plan to have a baby through IVF Cavs coach David Blatt loves the ‘Philippines’ MJ’s worst is 10 times better than Kobe’s best, says Miller Binay confirms cohosting radio show US spy jailed in Cuba for 20 years comes home Donkey dies after being sat on in Spanish Nativity scene videos US, Cuba declare historic breakthrough in ties AFP celebrates 79th anniversary Simbang Gabi at the Gesu (Day 3 – Dec. 17, 2014) Arlyn de la Cruz makes directorial debut in MMFF New Wave entry 2014 MMFF New Wave Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Regardless of the custody battle, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said the US government should produce Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton before the Olongapo Regional Trial Court for his appearance on Friday. “Irrespective of the issue of custody and the VFA (Visiting Forces Agreement), US authorities have a commitment to make him available to proceedings like that. That one is not subject to debate,” De Lima said Thursday. She said, “I am sure the US authorities would realize the implications or repercussions if they refuse to produce Pemberton.” Pemberton is scheduled to appear before the Olongapo RTC Branch 74 on Friday following the issuance of the warrant for his arrest. He was charged with murder for the death of Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude. RELATED STORIES US rejects PH demand for custody of Pemberton Read More …

2 US ships dock at Subic amid row over Pemberton custody

General

Dec 182014

2 US ships dock at Subic amid row over Pemberton custody

Alava Pier of the Subic Bay Freeport . Photo by Robert Gonzaga SUBIC BAY FREEPORT, Philippines—Two American military ships carrying an undetermined number of troops arrived here on Thursday for a port visit and to replenish supplies, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) officials said. The USNS Richard Byrd and USNS Carl Brasher docked at the Alava Pier here between 8 and 10 a.m. Some of the civilian crew of the two ships were allowed to leave their ships but were not permitted to go outside this free port, an SBMA official, who asked not to be identified for not having been authorized to speak on the matter, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The official said all military troops, however, were confined in their ships. The ships will stay in the free port in the next three days, according to the official. The arrival of the US ships came as the American government rejected the request of the Philippine government to get custody of US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton, the soldier charged with murder for the killing of transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude in an Olongapo City motel on Oct. 11. Pemberton is held in a detention facility supervised by the American and Philippine governments in the Armed Forces of the Philippines in Quezon City. Earlier, SBMA Chair Roberto Garcia said American military ships would resume port calls to this free port only after a major development in Pemberton’s case. Garcia said business owners in Olongapo City and the Read More …

Del Monte group posts profit

General

Dec 152014

Campos-led Del Monte Pacific Ltd. (DMPL) posted a modest profit in the quarter ending October, reversing the loss in the previous quarter but still weighed down by the expenses incurred for its recent big acquisition in the United States. In August to October, the second quarter in its fiscal year, DMPL posted a group net income of $200,000, a reversal of the $21.9-million net loss in the first quarter. The group earlier aligned its financial year with that of newly acquired Del Monte Foods Inc. (DMFI) in the US which is May to April. For the six months that ended in October, the group incurred a net loss of $21.7 million due mainly to non-recurring acquisition-related expenses in the first quarter. The group earlier embarked on a leveraged buyout of the consumer food business of DMFI. In the second quarter, the group posted $548 million in sales, of which the DMFI contributed $435.1 million. “We are committed to significantly deleverage DMPL’s balance sheet by reducing debt in the next quarter through an international perpetual preference share offering followed by a rights issue which are expected to raise $515 million,” DMPL chief executive director and managing director Joselito Campos Jr. said in a statement. In the second quarter, cash flow as measured by earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (Ebitda) hit $59.4 million while net income before acquisition-related and other non-recurring expenses reached $20.7 million. The Ebitda level for the quarter was more than double that of the first quarter Read More …

Speaker Belmont hits BIR silence on Mighty tobacco taxes

General

Dec 092014

Speaker Belmont hits BIR silence on Mighty tobacco taxes

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has questioned the “deafening silence” of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)on Mighty Corp.’s alleged fraudulent practices to evade hundreds of millions of pesos in tax and duty payments that its rivals claim have allowed it to corner a quarter of the cigarette market in such a short time. Belmonte said he would not allow a company like Mighty to sabotage Congress’ decade-long efforts to extract more revenues from cigarette and alcoholic drinks. “I have to ask the oversight committee to give me a report on Mighty’s operations. It’s really a BIR affair but we have not been hearing about this. Their silence is really deafening,” Belmonte said at the weekly “Ugnayan sa Batasan” press conference. Suddenly a big company Belmonte has ordered the commissioning of a legislative oversight panel as provided under Republic Act No. 10351, also known as “An Act Restructuring the Excise Tax on Alcohol and Tobacco Product,” to look into whether private companies were paying the right taxes; whether government agencies such as the BIR and Bureau of Customs were collecting the proper taxes and duties; and whether the sin tax collections were being used for the designated beneficiaries, specifically the Department of Health’s universal healthcare program. Belmonte noted that the BIR had been asked by some cigarette manufacturers to look into tax evasion charges against Mighty but he was wondering why no inquiry had yet been made. “Congress might as well find out why Read More …

Edca shows subservience of PH to US, Senate told

News

Dec 082014

Edca shows subservience of PH to US, Senate told

MANILA, Philippines—Since it allows the United States to preposition troops and materiel in the country for free, the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) is a case of “negotiated subservience,” a University of the Philippines professor and public policy think tank official said on Monday. Professor Roland Simbulan, also vice chair of the Center for People’s Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG), told the Senate Edca allowed for the entry of American troops, facilities and war materiel anywhere in the Philippines at no cost to the United States. CenPEG is a public policy research and advocacy think-tank that seeks to empower the poor in a democratic manner. It is also thus not far-fetched that the Philippines would be dragged into the international conflicts and “wars of intervention” of the US, Simbulan said. The Edca would also boost American “intervention” in the Philippines given the presence of its troops throughout the year, he added. One-sided agreement “Edca, like other previous agreements, is patently one-sided or onerous and is a clear-cut case of negotiated subservience,” said Simbulan in a paper he submitted to the Senate foreign relations committee. “So why do we agree to them and accept and inflict upon ourselves this kind of negotiated subservience?” he said. The committee, chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, on Monday conducted a hearing to determine whether or not the Senate should insist on its right to ratify the Edca. The agreement was made between the US and Philippine governments without Senate concurrence contrary to the Constitution. Members Read More …

De Lima seeks Laude family’s opinion of prosecutors’ actions

News

Dec 082014

De Lima seeks Laude family’s opinion of prosecutors’ actions

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima: So which is which?. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Justice Secretary Leila de Lima wants to hear from the family of slain transgender woman Jennifer Laude their assessment of the government prosecutors’ performance during the preliminary investigation of the case. Despite the Laudes’ lead counsel Harry Roque Jr.’s criticism of the panel of prosecutors led by Olongapo City Prosecutor Emilie Fe de los Santos, De Lima on Monday said she heard another lawyer of the family say that they were satisfied with the way the preliminary investigation was being handled. “I read somewhere that another lawyer of the Laude family reportedly expressed satisfaction with the progress of the case at the preliminary investigation level. And yet, here’s attorney Roque adopting an opposite stance, i.e., in attack mode versus city prosecutor De los Santos. So which is which?” De Lima said in a text message to reporters. “I think there’s a need for the Laude family to clarify who among these lawyers is truly representing their interests,” she added. De Lima also scored Roque’s plan to file a motion for De los Santos’ inhibition from the case just a few days after the panel wrapped up its investigation and considered the complaint submitted for resolution. “Attorney Harry keeps mentioning this plan of his only through the media. And he reacts negatively whenever the DOJ (Department of Justice) issues any comment or statement in response to his public statements. I don’t get him,” De Lima said. Misconstrued Read More …

US, Japan, Singapore, Australia helping PH assess ‘Ruby’ damage

News

Dec 082014

US, Japan, Singapore, Australia helping PH assess ‘Ruby’ damage

AFP chief of staff Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang: Very good disaster response mechanism. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Military teams from the United States, Japan, Singapore and Australia are helping the Philippines assess the damage caused by Tropical Storm “Ruby” to determine the foreign aid required. Maj. Emmanuel Garcia, commander of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Civil Relations Group-7, told reporters on Monday that the United States had deployed nine teams; Japan, eight; Singapore and Australia, four each, to areas affected by the cyclone, internationally known as “Hagupit.” Garcia said similar offers of military assessment teams were made by Canada, the United Kingdom, Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China. He said that a US plane U-28 survey indicated light casualties and no major damage to infrastructure and that food supplies had been prepared in Tacloban City and Cebu province. Survey flights were also scheduled for Borongan City and Dolores and Catarman towns. Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang, AFP chief of staff, said a Philippine Air Force (PAF) C-130 cargo plane from Palawan province reached the affected areas in the Visayas at 10 a.m. Monday following clearing operations at Borongan and Catarman airports, which allowed the immediate delivery of relief to typhoon victims. Catapang said the C-130 was scheduled to fly to Cebu to get relief stocks and transport disaster response teams. “Borongan airport is now open so that we can bring disaster response teams and deliver relief goods there,” Catapang said. He said another PAF C-130 departed from Zamboanga City Monday Read More …

Apec told of bright prospects amid dark skies

News

Dec 082014

Apec told of bright prospects amid dark skies

APEC MEETING Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan preside at the opening meeting of senior officials from the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation—one of nine events leading to a summit to be hosted by the Philippines in November next year. GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE MANILA, Philippines—The Philippines is out to show that it has come a long way since it first hosted the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Summit in 1996. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. was upbeat on Monday at the opening of the two-day Apec Informal Senior Officials Meeting at the Makati Shangri-La hotel—one of nine events leading to the summit of the 21-member organization that the country will host in November next year. “Though there are dark skies overhead and the rest of the country, these stand in stark contrast to the bright prospects of Apec and its member economies,” Ochoa said in his speech to the gathering as Tropical Storm “Ruby” swirled toward the capital. “It has been almost two decades since we last hosted Apec in 1996. We have come a long way since, and this is something that we hope to display in the coming months as we hold the various Apec meetings leading to the Apec Economic Leaders’ Meeting in November 2015,” Ochoa said. He said the story and experiences of the country’s “remarkable turnaround” in recent years would help enrich the discussions of the region’s priorities in the coming summit. Ochoa asked the delegates to join Read More …

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