Maniolas

Supporters of Sen. Bongbong Marcos protest outside the House of Representatives on Wednesday during the first day of the canvassing of votes. The protesters urged members of the joint canvassing committee to hold a separate date for the proclamation of the winner of the vice-presidential race.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Former Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to issue an order ensuring the safety and integrity of the ballots, documents and equipment related to his poll protest against Vice President Leni Robredo. In an urgent manifestation, Marcos asked the high tribunal to issue a precautionary order directing the Commission on Elections (Comelec), data centers, and telecommunications firms involved in the May 9 elections to preserve the integrity and safety of the following: (a)       all ballot boxes and their contents, including the ballots, voter’s receipts and election returns; (b)       lists of voters, particularly the Election Day Computerized Voter’s List (EDCVL), and voters registration records (VRRs), and the books of voters; (c)       the audit logs, transmission logs, and all log files; and (d)       all other documents or paraphernalia used in the elections, including the automated election equipment and records such as the Vote Counting Machines (VCM), Consolidation and Canvass System (CCS) units, Secure Digital (SD) cards (main and back up), and the other data storage devices containing electronic data on the results of the elections in all of 92,509 clustered precincts throughout the country. Apart from the Comelec, the precautionary order should also cover city/municipal Treasurers, Read More …

President Rodrigo R. Duterte is welcomed by Western Mindanao Command chief Lieutenant General Mayoralgo dela Cruz during his arrival at Edwin Andrews Airbase in Zamboanga City on July 21. (MNS photo) MANILA  (PNA) – President Rodrigo Duterte admitted on Monday that the road to peace is always a rocky road but still hoping his administration could talk again with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF). ”There is no negotiation that comes easy to us especially given the turmoil of our country. We are hoping that we could just talk, maybe we did not understand each other,” the President said during the mass oath-taking of his appointees in Malacanang. President Duterte has lifted the unilateral ceasefire he declared with the communist rebels after the CPP-NPA-NDF did not reciprocate before the 5 p.m. ultimatum last Saturday. ”The best way is really is to talk again and find out whether it is reachable or beyond our reach,” President Duterte said. ”I hope that we can proceed with the talks the Communist Party of the Philippines and I’ll be spending about 10 days after tomorrow,” he added. The President said he will also address the problem in Mindanao, particularly the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). President Duterte clarified that he will not talk with the bandit Abu Sayyaf Group. ”I will not deal with criminals. I will not deal with persons of extreme brutality. There is no redeeming Read More …

By Jelly F. Musico Neophyte Senator Emmanuel Pacquiao (right) administers the oath of office of newly-elected Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III during the opening of the Senate session under the 17th Congress on Monday (July 25, 2016) at the Plenary Hall of the Senate Building in Pasay City. Also in photo are immediate members of the Pimentel family, including former Senate President Aquilino “Nene” Pimentel Jr. (center). (MNS photo) MANILA  (PNA) – Neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao took a committee chairmanship after the Senate adopted Senate Resolution No. 68 that separated the Senate committee on games, amusement and sports into two new standing committees. As the result, Pacquiao has been awarded with the chairmanship of the now Senate committee on sports while Senator Panfilo Lacson got the Senate committee on games and amusement. Pacquiao has now two committees, including the committee on public works approved last week the Senate constituted the first 21 standing Senate committees. On Monday, the Senate announced the chairmanship and members of the 12 more committees. These are the committees on government owned and controlled corporations given to Senator Richard Gordon; climate change to Senator Loren Legarda; banks, financial institutions and currencies to Senator Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero; youth to Senator Joel Villanueva; and, economic affairs to Senator Sherwin Gatchalian. Senator Leila de Lima got the committee on electoral reforms and people’s participation; Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV with the committee on science and technology; Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri with the cooperatives; Senator Sonny Angara with local Read More …

Filipino-American community members asked questions to the guest panelists during the open forum of the Embassy’s Talakayan on the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program on 28 July 2016. WASHINGTON, DC – Filipino-American community members and veterans’ rights advocates gathered on 28 July 2016 at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy for a Talakayan on the Filipino World War II Veterans Parole Program. In July 2015, the White House released the report “Modernizing and Streamlining Our Legal Immigration System for the 21st Century” that announced the parole policy, which is intended to enhance the ability of eligible individuals to provide support and care to their aging veteran family members who are US citizens or lawful permanent residents. Since 08 June 2016, the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has started to allow certain Filipino World War II veteran family members who are beneficiaries of approved family-based immigrant visa petitions an opportunity to receive a discretionary grant of parole on a case-by-case basis, so that they may come to the United States as they wait for their immigrant visa to become available. “This is a victory for us and it matters for our veterans and for their families. It matters for Filipinos and Filipino-Americans and it matters for Americans who know that their country is trying to do right in the face of historic injustice,” said Atty. Marita Etcubañez, Director of Strategic Initiatives in the Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ), the largest legal and civil rights organization for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Read More …

President Rodrigo R. Duterte welcomes United States of America Ambassador Philip Goldberg and Mr. Matthew Cenzer, deputy political counselor at the Music Room in Malacañan Palace on July 19.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg on Thursday said the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) should not be seen in the light of the South China Sea issue. Goldberg said though five locations for U.S. military facilities in the Philippines have been identified in the EDCA, the security deal agreed between two allies remain to be for the strengthening of their relations. He said, the EDCA should be seen in terms of the mutual security relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines, wherein the Armed Forces of the Philippines can be modernized and will be able to conduct joint operations with their American counterparts as treaty allies. It would also pre-position U.S. military assets for humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, he said. “People should understand that that’s the basis for our relationship, and that this is not aimed at China or any other claimants on the South China Sea issue. That should be resolved in a diplomatic and legal fashion,” he said. The Supreme Court upheld the legality of EDCA in January and dismissed appeals to reverse the ruling on Tuesday this week, a few hours before U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry arrived in Manila. Washington and Manila have agreed on five locations for U.S. military facilities in the Philippines, and among them is Read More …