Maniolas

By Priam F. Nepomuceno President Benigno S. Aquino III graces the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Testimonial Parade and Review at the Grandstand of the AFP General Headquarters (GHQ), Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (June 27). (MNS photo) MANILA (PNA) – For jump-starting the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Modernization Program, outgoing President Benigno S. Aquino III has the gratitude of the entire military. This was disclosed by AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla in an interview Sunday. “We are very thankful for our Commander-in-Chief for understanding the (modernization needs of the) AFP and doing his best to see to it that the (minimum deterrent) requirements are acquired,” he added in Filipino. During the Aquino administration, significant progress has been made in the implementation of the AFP Capability Upgrade and Modernization Program where PHP60.14 billion has been released from July 10, 2010 to April this year, for all three Major Services, which includes the Army, Navy and Air Force. President Benigno S. Aquino III confers the Philippine Legion of Honor with a degree of Officer on RAdm. Raul Ubando in a ceremony during the Armed Forces of the Philippines Testimonial Parade and Review at the Grandstand of the AFP General Headquarters, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Monday (June 27). (MNS photo) Some of the equipment acquired in this period include the two Hamilton-class cutters, six multi-purpose assault craft, 113 armored personnel carriers, three brand-new C-295 medium lift aircraft, two C-130 heavy Read More …

Commission on Election Chairman Andres Bautista demonstrates the function of a vote-counting machine (VCM), which will be used for the May 9 national and local elections, at a warehouse in Sta. Rosa, Laguna, Thursday. The machines are currently undergoing Hardware Acceptance Test (HAT).(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chief Andres Bautista said Tuesday that the poll body can successfully run the barangay elections even without the help of its three top commissioners. This, after Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon said that she and Commissioners Robert Lim and Luie Guia will not participate in the conduct of village polls scheduled for October. Bautista said “Doon po sa tatlong pangalan, hindi po ako makapaniwala na si Commissioner Guia, sasabihan iyan dahil alam ko very professional iyan.” “Pero kung ganyan talaga, wala naman pong problema. Kaya pa naming patakbuhin ang ating halalan.” Guanzon announced yesterday that three of them would not participate in running the village elections so they could focus on the many cases pending in their division. Before this, Bautista’s fellow Comelec commissioners issued a joint memorandum accusing him of “failure of leadership” over various issues, including the delayed release of honoraria for election workers and a mall company’s alleged demand for damages after the cancellation of mall voting. Guanzon and Guia also questioned over the weekend Bautista’s trip to Japan last Thursday when he allegedly left without designating an acting chair. Bautista stressed that he has issued a travel alert and that he has referred to existing memos Read More …

Jake Cuenca (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Actor Jake Cuenca was all smiles when he finally got his 2016 World Cinema Festival best actor award from Diane Ventura, screenwriter and director of the indie movie “Mulat” (Awaken). The film festival was held in Brazil last May. For Cuenca, this latest achievement has inspired him to further improve. “This is a very a lovely surprise. But obviously, parang it just motivates me to do even more indie movies. Kasi after this movie, I went to school. So parang tingin ko mas marami pa akong pwedeng ibahagi at mas marami akong maipapakita pa ,” Cuenca said. Despite the win, Cuenca said he doesn’t want to become “overconfident.” “With the award, put it on your cabinet, and forget about it kasi kapag masyado mong dinibdib ‘yon, lumalabas ‘yung overconfidence mo. Mawawala ang pagiging estudyante mo ng pelikula,” he explained. “Awaken” will be shown in Toronto, Canada in August and in the Philippines this November. Meanwhile, Cuenca, who starred in the hit soap “Pasion de Amor,” is set to return on the small screen in the upcoming series “Because You Love Me,” which stars Gerald Anderson. He will also be doing a new movie with singer Angeline Quinto. Cuenca also gave his unsolicited advice to young actors. “Wala akong pinatatamaan I’m just saying, this is just what I noticed with the young ones: sana malaman nila na instead of being on your throne, read your script and perform and that’s the way to the Read More …

Incoming Department of Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol has lots of bright ideas to help turn around the moribund agriculture business in the Philippines. Piñol is in the United States this week to explore possibilities of acquiring farm machineries on long term loans to maximize rice production. During a press conference in Irvine’s University Research Park, arranged and hosted by the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of Orange, Piñol disclosed that his number one priority once he assumes his post is to make sure that food will be available and affordable for all Filipinos He also vowed to stop the rampant corruption in the Department of Agriculture to ensure that government funds intended for farm workers will not be pocketed by corrupt officials and employees in the department. Piñol told members of the Fil-Am Chamber that among other things he also intends to develop the country’s fisheries, and aquatic resources, and make the Philippines rice-sufficient and to revive the once flourishing copra and abaca industries. He said he would encourage farm workers, with ample government support and funding, to maximize farm production. The Philippines has a total agricultural land area of 13 million hectares. In spite of this vast land area, however, the country sadly and shamefully continues to import rice from other countries to meet the growing demand of its expanding population. It will be recalled that when President Benigno Aquino became president, he promised to make Philippines self-sufficient. Well, that has yet to happen. Piñol said he would look Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III receives from Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo the Diwata 1 Microsatellite Book during the courtesy call of Department of Science and Technology (DOST) officials at the President’s Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Monday (June 20). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Revised Anti-Carnapping Act, which imposes stiffer penalties for the perpetrators of carnapping, is now up for President Aquino’s approval. House Bill 4544, authored by re-elected Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District, Pampanga), Evelina Escudero (1st District, Sorsogon) and Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City), aims to increase the years of imprisonment for carjackers and gives a more elaborate description of who can be considered as violators of the anti-carnapping law. Under the proposed measure, the person guilty of the crime regardless of the vehicle’s value shall be imprisoned for 20 years but not more than 30 years. The current anti-carnapping law only imposes 14 to 17 years and four months of imprisonment. When the crime is committed without violence, imprisonment years shall be 30 up to 40 years while carnapping with violence shall be life imprisonment as the penalty. HB 4544 also entails carnapping as a non-bailable offense especially if the evidence of guilt is strong. The bill also adds punishment from six to 12 years imprisonment to persons who participate in the concealment of the crime. Public officials and government employees who are involved are also subject to dismissal in service and shall be perpetually disqualified from holding any public office if Read More …