Maniolas

Senator Vicente Sotto III shows a canister of the painkiller “Wariactiv” during his privilege speech at the Philippine Senate, Tuesday. Sotto urged the Dangerous Drugs Board to test the over-the-counter ethyl-chloride spray, which allegedly caused the deaths of 5 Close-up Forever Summer party-goers. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Sen. Vicente “Tito” Sotto III on Wednesday revealed that Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III was one of the 18 senators who have committed support to his group, which is discussing who should lead the Senate in the 17th Congress. “Sa grupo namin kasama si Sen. Koko Pimentel eh,” Sotto said, adding that “two of [Pimentel’s] close friends” in the Senate have also committed support to his group. Pimentel had said that he will seek the Senate presidency. Sotto, meanwhile, clarified that their group has yet to decide who will they field for the Senate presidency during the opening of the next Congress on July 25. Sotto had said that the group is pushing him to be the next Senate president. “Ang aming grupo based on advocacy. Ang imoprtante sa amin ‘tayo ba magkakasama tayo para sa budget reform, working relationship with the incoming president, sa climate change, economy, anti-corruption?’ Kaya yan nabuo namin ang 18 naming kasama na committed dito sa ganito,” he explained. He added: “After that then we decide who will be Senate President, kung sino ang magiging lider namin. Ganoon ang sitwasyon namin ngayon kaya totoo na ganun ang sabi ko na may commitment kami na ganung karami.” Sotto Read More …

Members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) destroy P9.23-million worth of seized chemicals and laboratory equipment used for manufacturing methamphetamine hydrochloride (shabu) in Valenzuela City, Tuesday.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) has allowed Marine Lieutenant Colonel Ferdinand Marcelino to post bail for his temporary liberty. Marcelino, former intelligence officer of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) was arrested in a drug raid last January 21 at a house in Sampaloc, Manila where over P380-million worth of drugs were confiscated. In a 29-page resolution, Judge Lyn Ebora Cacha said there was not enough evidence to deny Marcelino’s request for bail. The court “finds no strong evidence against Lt. Col. Marcelino for several reasons. The petitioner Marcelino was found in the ground floor and there was no illegal drugs confiscated in his possession or in his immediate vicinity.” The court added that there was no proof that Marcelino had any knowledge or control of the illegal drugs found in the area. Marcelino was found resting on a sofa when authorities arrived in the area. “There was no overt act on his (Marcelino’s) part that would show knowledge or control over any substance in the house,” the court added. It also pointed out that authorities also failed to show Marcelino’s connection with the offense that was the subject of the search warrant. Even the house and car keys were not in Marcelino’s possession but found in his companion Yan Yi Shuo. “His mere presence at the Read More …

Gretchen Ho (MNS photo) Athlete-turned-television host Gretchen Ho admitted that while she is hopeful about the future with boyfriend Robi Domingo, they are not planning to settle down anytime soon. “Ipinagdarasal natin na si Lord na ang bahala kung kami talaga, kami talaga. I think it’s going to be a long time pa,” Ho said. “I feel like we are getting deeper in love. During the past years, we were on different life stages, I just got into work and I was adjusting to everything,” she said. “Now, I feel like we are getting to know each other better, we are understanding each other more, we don’t fight as often. We spend more time together because I’m always here, he’s always here. Also a lot of the things that were conflict points are something that we can talk about now, we can reconcile, we can compromise,” she added. Ho admitted that she and Domingo had a misunderstanding before due to lack of time. “’Yun yung number one if we’re going to have a problem it’s really the quality time. But now it depends on the life stage. We are both so driven with work but also realize now how important our relationship is maybe because we are on our third year and more na parang we are realizing how important we are to each other. Parang we are investing more to the relationship. At the same time, we respect also each other’s choices when it comes to our career. So Read More …

Cebuana Lhuillier National Pilipino Protektado Day MANILA  (PNA) –- Cebuana Lhuillier, the country’s largest microfinancial institution, launched Wednesday the National Pilipino Protektado Day, an initiative that promises to provide more security to different communities in the Philippines. During the unveiling of the project on today at the Fairmont Hotel Makati, the company, in partnership with Pioneer Insurance, announced that it will be giving away free microinsurance covers to one million Filipinos within the days leading up to July 21, the date hailed as the National Pilipino Protektado Day. Cebuana Lhuillier president and CEO, Jean Henri Lhuillier said that the project is perfectly inline with the company’s mission of financial inclusion. ”We at Cebuana Lhuiller have been pushing for financial inclusion and this is just one of the many that we believe get us closer to that goal. Disasters wreak havoc to different communities in the country, resulting to loss of life and livelihood, so it is imperative that everyone is properly protected. More than having the usual emergency kits, obtaining microinsurance is another practical way,” he said. During his speech, Lhuillier acknowledged the value of relief operations conducted by government agencies and volunteer groups such as the Department of Social Welfare and Development, The Red Cross, Oxfam International, Global Peace Foundation, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and Boy Scouts of the Philippines. He also announced that the first batch of microinsurance covers will be given to these organization’ constituents. The group were also awarded with emergency relief kits, life vests Read More …

Philippine flags are put on display at Rizal Park in Manila on Thursday in preparation for the commemoration of the 118th National Flag Day on May 28. The National Flag Day celebrates the unfurling of the Philippine flag for the first time after the Battle of Alapan in Imus, Cavite. (MNS photo) MANILA, June 1 (Mabuhay) – The Philippine Navy on Wednesday reiterated that it will “defend and protect what is rightfully ours” during its 118th founding anniversary, which coincided with the commissioning of its biggest ship to date, the BRP Tarlac. Vice Admiral Caesar Taccad, flag officer in command of the Philippine Navy, highlighted the “urgency of the threat against our maritime interests and possibly our territorial integrity,” saying “the enemy stands at our doorstep.” “The need for our country to bring more focus to territorial defense is more pronounced than ever, a need which we have to answer to even while we are addressing our internal security problems our commander-in-chief once said, what is ours is ours,” he said. “Sir, rest assured that your Navy will abide by its duty to defend and protect what is rightfully ours,” Taccad told President Benigno Aquino III, commander in chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), who was the guest of honor at the event. The Philippines is embroiled in an ongoing territorial dispute with China, who claims almost the entire South China Sea, believed to have rich deposits of oil and gas. The Philippines refers to parts of Read More …