Maniolas

Members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee investigating the alleged overpricing of a 12-story building for the University of Makati’s nursing school watch a presentation on Monday. The building’s construction cost of P1.140 billion is alleged to be overpriced to benefit then mayor Jejomar Binay back in 2007. (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Senator Antonio Trillanes IV is set to expose Thursday the alleged P100 million-a-year racket on ghost senior citizens in Makati City, when the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee resumes its hearing on alleged anomalies linked to the Binay family. “On our blue ribbon subcommittee hearing, we will be exposing the ghost senior citizens of Makati during the incumbency of the Binays who have been claiming benefits,” Trillanes said. “The whole racket amounts to over P100 million per year,” he added. He said they found out that 45 percent of listed senior citizen beneficiaries were either dead or non-existent. Trillanes added that they will be presenting a witness in Thursday’s hearing. In a press statement, Vice President Jejomar Binay’s spokesperson denied the allegation and urged Trillanes to produce the death benefits of the beneficiaries who are still on the list but were found dead. “The burden is on Senator Trillanes to prove his outlandish conclusion that 45% of senior citizen beneficiaries are non-existent,” Joey Salgado said. “Can he produce actual death certificates and other documents? We doubt it. We expect more half-truths and lies in tomorrow’s hearings.” He said under city guidelines, senior citizens are required to personally apply Read More …

Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Actress Bea Alonzo and leading man John Lloyd Cruz both remained cautious about making a potential sequel to the widely-beloved romantic film “One More Chance.” The two confirmed that they will be working on a new movie together with director Cathy Garcia-Molina but stopped short of saying if it will be connected in any way to the 2007 box-office hit. “Is this a part two, or a sequel, or another story? Maski kami ni Bea, wala pa kaming alam,” Cruz told reporters. Nevertheless, he was asked if he would be open to reprising his role as Popoy opposite Alonzo as Basha. To which he replied: “Hindi siya ganun kadali. Ang sabi ko lang sa kanya [Garcia-Molina], kung makakapagtayo ng magandang kuwento at konektado pa rin sa totoong kuwento ni Popoy at ni Basha, eh bakit hindi?” “Pero kung pipilitin lang natin, siguro para sa akin, pangit kasi pag pinipilit. Lahat ng bagay na pinipilit, pumapangit,” Cruz added. For her part, Alonzo said that she feels thrilled that Filipinos are still demanding for another chapter of the love story given the fact that it came out more than eight years ago. “Siyempre nakaka-excite na may clamor, na gusto ng mga tao,” she said. “Pero kahit ako mas nangingibabaw ‘yung kaba kung kaya ba naming gawin.” (MNS)

President Aquino meets with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Asahi-no-Ma Room of the Akasaka State Guest House during the two countries’ summit meeting on Thursday. Aquino called on Japan to form a united front against China’s increasing assertiveness.(MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Philippines said Saturday it had rebuilt a “strong friendship” with former foe Japan, as its neighbors criticized Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for failing to properly apologize for Tokyo’s aggression during World War II. Since the war, Japan had “acted with compassion” which led to a relationship “characterized by trust and unfailing support in so many fields”, Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said in a statement. “This 70-year history demonstrates to the world that through their relentless efforts, peoples of two countries can attain a remarkable achievement in overcoming issues of the past and establishing strong friendship,” he said. Japan is now the Philippines biggest source of development assistance and the two countries have also been strengthening defense cooperation in the face of separate territorial disputes with China. Del Rosario’s comments were in stark contrast to reactions from China other Asian victims of Japan’s wartime aggression. Beijing called Abe’s statement a non-apology while North Korea derided it as an “unpardonable mockery of the Korean people”. South Korean President Park Geun-Hye said the speech “left much to be desired” and stressed the need for Japan to resolve the issue of Asian women forced to work in Japanese wartime brothels. A Philippine group representing dozens of former Read More …

Jackie Forster (MNS Photo) “Maybe it’s time to let it go.” These were the words of former actress Jackie Forster when asked if she is willing to wait for Andre and Kobe Paras, her children with basketball star Benjie Paras, to welcome her back into their life. “At this point, I’ve asked for forgiveness for whatever it is,” she said. “If there’s something else bothering them, I’m willing to talk about it.” “But it seems like the doors are closed. Ang dami nang nangyari. Nagkasakit na ‘yung kapatid nila, hindi pa rin lumambot ‘yung puso nila. I feel like tama na,” she continued. Forster revealed early last year that Caleigh, one of her three children with her second husband, was diagnosed with leukemia. “Hanggang saan ako magmamakaawa na pagbigyan nila ako,” Forster said of Andre and Kobe. “Parang mas dapat pagtuunan ko na lang talaga ng pansin ‘yung pamilya ko, yung mga nagmamahal sa akin. ‘Yung mga nagpapakita na kailangan at gusto nila ako sa buhay nila.” Forster said that the two have been raised to think that she “just turned their back and abandoned them” – a claim that she hopes to set straight. “It’s not true…Kahit anong gawin nilang paninira sa akin, wala na eh. Tapos na iyon. Pinagdaanan ko na, pinagdusahan ko na kung ano man ‘yung bintang nila sa akin,” she shared. “I just feel like this is the time that I want them to get to know me and show them that I’m here. If Read More …

Traffic on EDSA near the Kamuning Avenue flyover is heavy again on Tuesday after the long, 5-day holiday amid the visit of Pope Francis. Despite some roads being closed for motorcades during the papal visit, the holidays kept traffic light in the metropolis. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a bill that seeks to provide “reliable road instructions to motorists and improve road safety” in the Philippines, which is notorious for having one of the worst road conditions in the world. Under Senate Bill No. 2886, or “An Act Regulating Street and Road Signs, Waiting Sheds, Speed Bumps, Sidewalks, Pavements, Streetlights and Other Similar Infrastructures, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mandated to set specific standards and measurements for all road infrastructures such as road signs, streetlights, pavement markings, waiting sheds, sidewalks and speed bumps across the country. “There is a need to put in place regulations that will promote a uniform and consistent standard for the design and installation of road signs, waiting sheds, streetlights, speed bumps and other road infrastructures not only to promote safety but also to advance aesthetics throughout the country’s thoroughfares,” Escudero said in a statement on Friday. He pointed out the World Health Organization’s report which showed that about 7,000 Filipinos die each year, and thousands more are injured due to road mishaps. Out of this number, 79 percent are due to driver’s errors, 11 percent due to defective vehicles, and 10 percent due to bad Read More …