Maniolas

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago announces during a press conference on Wednesday (July 2, 2014) that she has been diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. “God never asks us for an opinion. God just goes ahead and does whatever is in His hands. I just say okay,” Santiago says. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Just a day after her colleagues approved the proposed P2.6 trillion 2015 national budget on 3rd and final reading, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago maintained that next year’s appropriations is not pork-free and is an election budget meant to influence the outcome of the presidential elections. “It is meant to give more money to the President’s allies and departments of government which are viewed as crucial to the end result of the elections. One example is the [Department of the Interior and Local Government]. There is no more grassroot agency closer than the DILG,” she said. She questioned the huge budget of the agency headed by presumptive Liberal Party standard-bearer, Mar Roxas. The House version of the budget allots P141.1 billion to the DILG in 2015. Santiago questioned the DILG’s projects to put up water systems, a function that should be within the scope of the National Irrigation Administration. “The DILG is one of the most glaring examples of lopsided budgeting,” she said. She earlier claimed there is as much as P37 billion in pork barrel funds in the budget. Santiago expressed satisfaction at the deletion of the phrase “at any time” in the provision that allows the Read More …

Still dazed after a year since Super Typhoon Yolanda  delivered a devastating wallop never been experience in the history of the Philippines, now comes another foreboding calamity represented by Typhoon Ruby with at least nine provinces in the Visayas are expected to reel from its effects. An estimated 4.5 million people stand to suffer the “whip”  of typhoon “Hagupit, the international name of Ruby, which already has activated the panic mode button from the affected areas with reports of “panic buying of food breaking out in the areas affected”. The memories of the massive devastation from Supertyphoon Yolanda which occurred just a little over year ago still cause traumatic nightmares to thousands whose lives have been shattered with little possibility of living normal lives again or even a semblance of it. In areas hit by calamities, the poor and the marginalized get to suffer more from inadequate reaction and government neglect. Poor Myanmar Responds to Call for Help Presidential Achievement Awardees: Orange County has its ample share of talented Filipino-American entrepreneurs and professionals whose dedication to their adopted community has served as an inspiration to others even after they have elected to work behind the scene after giving their share. Others still, in spite of some physical limitations continue to serve and share their wisdom as guide posts for a new breed of leadership.The Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County had the pleasure of honoring its past presidents with “Lifetime Achievement Award” for their leadership at its 20th Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III converses with Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan Purisima during the 34th Association of Southeast Asian Nations Chiefs of Police (ASEANAPOL) Conference at the Luzon Ballroom of the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City on Tuesday (May 13, 2014). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Office of the Ombudsman has ordered the preventive suspension of Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima in connection with a supposed anomalous contract the PNP entered into with a courier service in 2011. At a press briefing Thursday, Assistant Ombudsman Asryman Rafanan announced Purisima’s suspension for six months without pay amid administrative investigation. The order has been issued to the Department of Interior and Local Government. “Upon receipt, [the] DILG secretary must immediately implement [the order],” Rafanan said. At present, Purisima is also facing two plunder complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman over his alleged hidden wealth. He is currently under fire for his sprawling resthouse in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, and the allegedly questionable renovation of the PNP chief’s official quarters inside Camp Crame. Aside from Purisima, also suspended for six months without pay pending administrative investigation are: Police Director Gil Meneses, former chief of the Civil Security Group (CSG); and former officials of the PNP Firearms Explosive Office, namely P/C Supt. Raul Petrasanta, P/C Supt. Napoleon Estilles, P/SSupt. Allan Pareno, P/SSupt. Eduardo Acierto, P/SSupt. Melchor Reyes, P/SSupt. Lenbell Fabia, P/Supt. Sonia Calixto, P/CInps. Nelson Bautista, P/SInsp. Ford Tuazon, and P/CInsp. Ricardo Zapata. Read More …

(photo courtesy of www..pagcor.ph) MANILA (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker has filed a measure mandating the Philippine Games and Amusement Corporation (PAGCOR) to appropriate funds to support the titling of all lands being utilized as public school sites. In filing House Resolution 1652, Rep. Gavino C. Pancho (2nd District, Bulacan) said the Department of Education (DepEd) is using many properties as sites for public schools nationwide without legal ownership. Pancho said majority of these school sites, which are owned by the local government units or leased from private individuals, lack the proper legal documentation to support any efforts by DepEd on the transfer of ownership. “There are also parcels of lands, which were verbally donated and similarly lack the proper legal documents to support the land transfer of ownership,” Pancho said. “Upon the death of the donors their heirs claim ownership of the land resulting to court litigation, with most of these cases now pending in the court while some have reportedly been subjected to or pending demolition,” Pancho added. Pancho said the State should to provide all lands being utilized by the DepEd as public school sites with legitimate titles. “PAGCOR which is an active responsible and responsive partner of the government in nation-building programs should support the mandatory titling of all lands being utilized as public school sites and the registration of these real properties with the Registry of Deeds under the name of the Department of Education,” Pancho said. (MNS)

Camarines Sur Rep. Maria Leonor Robredo (right) and Philippine National Railways (PNR) General Manager Joseph Allan Dilay inspect on Tuesday a train that will be used in the PNR service to Calamba. The railway extension project will serve an additional 3,000 to 5,000 passengers daily. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Members of the House committee on Public Information will push for the Senate’s adoption of the lower chamber’s version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill, saying it is stronger than the counterpart measure passed by senators. Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo said that there were several similarities between the Senate and the House’s versions of the bill, one of the details which set the latter apart from the former is the inclusion of an open data provision that requires the government to upload on the Open Data Philippines website datasets generated in the implementation of agency mandates, programs, activities, and projects. “Palagay po namin mas malakas [ang bersyon ng House ng FOI] dahil binibigyan nito ng mas malaking obligasyon ang gobyerno na i-publicize ‘yung information na kailangan ng publiko. Napakahalaga sa bicam na mailagay ‘yung open data provision dahil pag nangyari ito, tayo ang unang bansa sa mundo na sabay na ang paglabas ng FOI at open data [law],” she told reporters in a press conference Wednesday. The panel passed the FOI bill last month after deliberating on the measure for almost a year in the technical working group. The proposed legislation was heralded by the committee members as Read More …