Maniolas

Gabby Concepcion & Carla Abellana (MNS photo) GMA Network brings to primetime television Because of You, a light-hearted romantic series, now airing on GMA Pinoy TV. This inspirational drama is about love, family and parenting, its joys & challenges. Because of You is headlined by Carla Abellana as Andrea, Rafael Rosell as Oliver and Gabby Concepcion as Jaime. Carla is excited about her latest project and the privilege of working with Gabby & Rafael, who she both finds professional and easy to work with. “I’m very thankful to GMA for this new project. I’m really happy to work again with Gabby. Excited ako kasi naka-work ko siya briefly lang before at doon ko nalaman na makulit pala siyang tao and very funny. Looking forward ako na mas mag-enjoy sa trabaho with him around and mas maraming matutunan from him. I’m also thrilled to be reunited with Bettina (Carlos) and Tita Celia (Rodriguez).” Gabby likewise reveals that he is very comfortable working with Carla and viewers will definitely enjoy watching their show because it is very light and full of good vibes. “I worked with Carla before and I am so relaxed with her. Sabi nga nila, it’s a walk in the park. Kasi nakasama ko na siya, magaan siya katrabaho. And itong show na ito, light lang. It’s a different approach and story. This is a feel-good teleserye.” Rafael, on the other hand, is very thankful to GMA for continuously giving him good projects and meaty roles including his latest character in Because of You.  “I feel honoured Read More …

— (ROME, Italy) President Benigno S. Aquino III greets Italian and Filipino officials upon arrival at the Fiumicino Airport on Tuesday (December 1) for the Official Visit to the Italian Republic and Formal Visit to the Holy See. Also in photo are Philippine Ambassador to Italy Domingo Nolasco and Philippine Ambassador to the Vatican Mercedes Tuason. (MNS photo) ROME, Italy, Dec 2 (Mabuhay) — President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived here Tuesday evening (Wednesday morning in Manila) to begin the Italian leg of his three-state European trip following a two-day working visit in Paris, France. The Chief Executive and his official delegation took a nearly two-hour Philippine Airlines chartered flight to reach Italy, which hosts the largest Filipino community in the Eurozone area. Highlighting President Aquino’s two-day working visit here are his bilateral meetings with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi scheduled on Wednesday. The President’s discussions with his Italian counterparts will focus on strengthening bilateral ties in honor of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Italy diplomatic partnership on 2017. On Thursday, President Aquino is set to meet with the members of the Filipino community at the Ergife Palace Hotel. Italy is home to some 171, 124 Filipino migrants who can be found mostly in the cities of Milan, Florence, Bologna, Turin, and Rome. — (ROME, Italy) President Benigno S. Aquino III greets Italian and Filipino officials upon arrival at the Fiumicino Airport on Tuesday (December 1) for the Official Visit to the Italian Republic Read More …

Liza Soberano (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — ACTRESS Liza Soberano expressed gratitude to her fans after she received two trophies at the 2015 Push Awards held recently at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City. “Thank you so much to all my supporters and to all the LizQuen supporters who devotedly gave all their time and effort just to vote for us. You don’t understand how much that means to me to see all your hard work pay off,” Soberano said in an Instagram post. Soberano won the Push Elite Female Celebrity of the Year and Push Play Best Female Celebrity award, defeating big names like Kathryn Bernardo, Sarah Geronimo and Anne Curtis in the online poll. Soberano’s on-screen partner, Enrique Gil, bagged three awards and their tandem LizQuen was nominated in the Most Popular Group or Tandem category. The first ever PUSH awards is a digital media awards organized by ABS-CBN’s entertainment website PUSH.com.ph. (MNS)

Pemberton sentenced to 6-12 years in slay of transgender in PHL US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton was sentenced to 6-12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay the Laude family at least P4.5 million for various damages. The court also ordered his “temporary” detention at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. OLONGAPO CITY, Zambales, Dec 1 (Mabuhay) – The Olongapo City court on Tuesday found US Marine Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton guilty of homicide for the October 2014 death of Filipino transgender Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude. Pemberton was sentenced to 6-12 years imprisonment and ordered to pay the Laude family at least P4.5 million for various damages. The court also ordered his temporary detention at the New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa City. “All circumstances form a chain that leads to reasonable conclusion that Pemberton is responsible for the killing of Laude,” Judge Roline Jinez Jabalde of the Olongapo City Regional Trial Court Branch 74 said in her decision as read by Clerk of Court Gerry Gruspe. The prosecution has sought for a murder conviction of Pemberton. The decision, which was read for over three hours with two short breaks, marked the culmination of nearly nine months of marathon trial that started in March 2015. Under the Visiting Forces Agreement between the Philippines and the US, the local courts have one year to complete judicial proceedings against a US soldier accused of a crime in the Philippines. After that period, he/she shall be relieved of any obligation. Laude was Read More …

— Members of Akbayan Youth troop to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at the GMA-Kamuning station in Quezon City on Wednesday wearing safety gear such as helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads to dramatize the dangers posed by riding the poorly maintained MRT 3, which is plagued with problems.(MNS photo) MANILA, Dec 1 (Mabuhay) – Former Metro Rail Transit 3 (MRT-3) General Manager Al Vitangcol III and five incorporators of the Philippine Trans Rail Management and Services Corporation (PH Trams) were charged with graft before the Sandiganbayan in connection with the MRT3 maintenance contract which was supposedly anomalous. Vitangcol and his co-accused conspired in awarding the MRT3 Maintenance contract to PH Trams and its joint venture Comm Builders and Technology Philippines Corporation (CB&T) in October 2012, according to separate complaints filed before the Sandiganbayan on November 27, according to the Office of the Ombudsman through its Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP). Copies of the complaint were released to the media on Tuesday. The former MRT3 general manager and his co-accused were charged with violating Sections 3 (e) and 3 (h) of Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and Section 65 of RA 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act. Named as Vitangcol’s co-accused were PH Trams incorporators Wilson de Vera, Marlo dela Cruz, Manolo Maralit, Federico Remo and Vitangcol’s uncle-in-law, Arturo Soriano, presently the provincial accountant of Pangasinan. The joint venture should have been disqualified under government procurement rules, the complaint noted. Under the contract, Read More …