Maniolas

Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan First Division has granted the request of detained Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to increase the duration of his remaining physical therapy sessions on Thursday. In a short hearing Thursday morning, Revilla’s lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi read before the court his client’s motion to have the senator’s therapy sessions each extended to two hours instead of just an hour. In their motion, Revilla’s lawyers cited the recommendation of Senior Inspector Francisco Agudon III, the attending physician at the PNP General Hospital, to continue the senator’s physical therapy to complete six sessions and to increase the duration of his physical therapy to two hours per session. Revilla’s camp said such medical attention is necessary “so that he (Revilla) may attain the fullest medical treatment possible, an so as not to render nugatory the proper medical treatment that this Honorable Court has kindly allowed him to undergo.” Attached medical records of Revilla revealed he is suffering from herniated nucleus pulposus lumbar region, Achilles tendinitis, osteoarthritis both heels and acute T/C de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. After hearing Revilla’s plea as read by his lawyer, First Division chairman Justice Efren Dela Cruz said in open court that Read More …

Kathryn Bernardo (MNS photo) Min Bernardo, the mother of teen superstar Kathryn Bernardo, vented her frustration on Twitter over the spread of fake nude photos of her daughter online. She said, unedited: “Happy ba kayo sa mga ginagawa nyo?? Ano ba napapala nyo, kumikiTa at sumisikat siguro kayo??Ano naman ang susunod?? Sana huag kayong makarma” The post was re-tweeted over 6,000 times with 7,000 favorites. Former actress Karla Estrada, the mother of Bernardo’s onscreen partner Daniel Padilla, similarly called out those responsible for spreading the fake “scandal.” “Wala tayong makukuhang respeto sa taong walang respeto sa sarili,” said Estrada, who has developed a close relationship with Bernardo. “Tandaan mo digital na karma ngayon… Ingat!” The fake photos of Bernardo came after the pilot week of her new teleserye “Pangako Sa ‘Yo,” in which she co-stars with Padilla, Jodi Sta. Maria, Angelica Panganiban and Ian Veneracion. (MNS)

Senator Grace Poe (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Sen. Grace Poe has nearly tied Vice President Jejomar Binay in the latest presidential preference survey conducted by independent think tank IBON Foundation. The IBON survey conducted from May 13 to 23, 2015 showed that 13.8 percent of respondents wanted Binay to be the next highest leader of the country while 13.7 percent of respondents preferred Poe. Coming in third place was Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who was preferred by 7.6 percent of the respondents. IBON explained that the respondents were not given any names of potential candidates during the survey but were asked to name the person they preferred to be the next president. The survey had 1,496 respondents. The IBON survey has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent. While he has repeatedly stated that he has no plan of seeking re-election, President Benigno Aquino III landed in fourth place with 4.2 percent of respondents wanting him to remain in office. Following Aquino in the ranking was his close ally and former running mate Interior Secretary Mar Roxas who was preferred by 3.8 percent of the respondents. The IBON said among the issues when the survey was conducted were the corruption allegation against Binay as well as the mounting speculation that Poe will run for President. IBON Foundation executive director Sonny Africa said that the results of poll surveys might change significantly once personalities file their certificates of candidacy. Of the five personalities that topped the IBON survey, Read More …

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago asks questions to Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Chief Negotiator Mohagher Iqbal during the third public hearing on the Mamasapano incident. Santiago asks committee to reconsider showing Mamasapano video, says it can be admissible as evidence in court. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago has called for a Senate investigation on the P53.14 billion underpaid income taxes Malampaya contractors allegedly owe the government. In Senate Resolution 1388, Santiago said the government must balance the interest between profit of investors and state revenue while at all times ensuring that public interest is primordial. She said the Commission on Audit stated that Malampaya gas field owes the government P53.14 billion in underpaid income taxes from 2003 to 2009. The contractors claimed that the amount was deductible from the government’s 60 percent share of taxes during the period. This view was supported by the Department of Energy, but COA said Presidential Decree 87 and 1459 are clear that the minimum government share was 60 percent of the net earnings of any exploration. Among the contractors involved were Shell Philippines Exploration BV, Chevron Malampaya LLC, and Philippine National Oil Company. “Congress should intensify existing legislation to clarify revenue sharing issues on the Malampaya gas field project,” Santiago said in the resolution. Malampaya is a deepwater gas-to-power project located in Palawan supplying three gas turbine power plants with a combined capacity of 2,760 megawatts of power. The companies extracting natural gas are required to pay corporate income taxes. Read More …

The Queen of All Media started delivering the ‘padama’ when LBC surprised media by  sending ‘padala’ to celebrate her launch as their first celebrity brand endorser The Queen of All Media started delivering the ‘padama’ when LBC surprised media by sending ‘padala’ to celebrate her launch as their first celebrity brand endorser Manila, Philippines – In an event titled From LBC to the World, With Love, Kris Aquino was recently launched as the first celebrity brand endorser of LBC Express, Inc., the leading courier service, logistics and money remittance provider in the Philippines. Just as Kris’ every step continues to capture the collective imagination of the Filipino people wherever they are, LBC brings the “padama” in every “padala” with 4,400 branches, partners, and agents in more than 20 countries. Before the event, guests were asked to name their favorite city and if they thoughtfully did, they would receive a box full of goodies representing that city – a curated mix of signature delicacies, curios, and fun stuff.  Some of the surprised guests were lucky enough to receive their packages the morning after the event. Two weeks later, happy guests are still posting their boxes full of treats from around the world. To highlight LBC’s global presence, employees from as far as Italy, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America personally greeted Kris Aquino through a wall-to-wall panoramic screen in The Eye at Green Sun. A high-energy video montage of employees around the world dancing also entertained the excited Read More …