Maniolas

Agence France-Presse 3:38 pm | Sunday, September 28th, 2014 Philippine U.N. Peacekeepers. AP file photo MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines has assigned a thousand-strong force of its United Nations peacekeepers to help guard Pope Francis when he visits Asia’s main Catholic outpost next January, the military said Sunday. The papal security force will include more than 300 soldiers who were withdrawn from the UN-administered Golan Heights buffer zone after the unit fought off an attack by Syrian rebels last month. “We believe that their exposure and experience in peacekeeping operations in Syria will be beneficial towards the successful security of Pope Francis’s papal visit to the Philippines,” said a statement quoting military chief General Gregorio Catapang. Two battalions of Filipino UN peacekeepers, including those withdrawn from the Golan Heights as well as those who had been training to replace them, will join a police-led security detail for the pope, he added. A Filipino battalion comprises about 500 soldiers. The Philippines earlier announced it would not replace its Golan Heights troops due to the worsening security there. The local Catholic church leadership said Pope Francis will be in the Philippines from January 15-19 and will visit the survivors of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), which left about 7,300 people dead across the central Philippines in November last year. Philippine politicians have said Filipino Islamic militants, some of who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State jihadists fighting in Iraq and Syria, could pose a threat during the papal visit. The government has Read More …

By Kristine Angeli Sabillo |INQUIRER.net 1:35 pm | Tuesday, September 23rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines – Malacanang on Tuesday said the Aegis Malaysia video that put the Philippines in a bad light was an advertisement that was “below the belt”. “What we’re very sure of is that we’re the number one BPO (business process outsourcing) center in the world,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a Palace briefing. RELATED STORIES Aegis apologizes to PH for derogatory video Aegis Malaysia urged to explain derogatory video about PH Follow Us Other Stories: Filipinos in Colorado turn out for passports, dual citizenship Free health fair in LA for everyone, including undocumented Owners of care homes arrested for wage theft in SF Bay Area Malaysia pulls out offensive video Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=111559 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

Agence France-Presse 5:03 pm | Sunday, September 14th, 2014 Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — A Canadian Islamic preacher detained for being a security threat in the Philippines was flown back to Canada after agreeing to be deported, the immigration bureau said Sunday. Jamaican-born Abu Ameenah Bilal Philips was returned to Canada late Saturday after being detained last weekend in the southern Philippines while on a lecture tour. This came after immigration commissioners approved his request for voluntary deportation, effectively cutting short the deportation proceedings, the bureau said in a statement. “He was charged for being an undesirable foreign national and for being inadmissible at the time of entry,” the bureau said, explaining Philips’ detention. The bureau earlier said he was blacklisted based on information that he might conduct activities that were a threat to national security. Police said Philips may have ties to extremist groups as they prevented him from holding a series of lectures in the south where the Philippine’s restive Muslim minority is based. In a post on his Facebook page dated September 14, Philips said: “Rejection can be utterly disappointing but we must never forget that every closed door is a redirection to what is better for us”. Philips also acknowledged that he was blacklisted in the United States, Britain, Australia and Kenya, but said this was based partly on statements that were taken out of context. He was the second Islamic convert preacher to be detained by the Philippines since July, Read More …

By Tetch Torres-Tupas |INQUIRER.net 10:29 pm | Thursday, August 14th, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—The National Bureau of Investigation together with the Infanta Municipal Police in Quezon Province took into custody persons believed to have disposed of the body of a Japanese national and his girlfriend that have been missing for almost two months. Yun Okada, 54, and girlfriend Honeylyn Cirunay have been missing since last week of June. Taken into custody by the NBI are Eduardo Manayon, 57; Luisito Avellaneda, 41 and Vedasto Tena, 51. The three executed an affidavit on their participation in disposing the body of the victims. Manayon, in his affidavit, said they were asked by their so-called master to dispose of some trash. He said they have no idea that the “trash” were two dead people. Initially on June 30, they buried the body in a shallow grave, which was originally dug for treasure hunting. However, when they knew that the police were investigating the disappearance of two people, they got nervous and decided to exhume the cadavers and dump them at sea. Five cement sacks were filled up with sand and tied to the victims to make sure that the bodies will sink, Manayon said. The three will become the government’s witnesses. Suspects to the death of the two have been identified by the NBI’s Death Investigation Unit as Don Raleigh Reyes, 20 and Ashley, Okada’s adoptive daughter. Follow Us Other Stories: DND mulls pullout of PH peacekeepers in Liberia, Golan Heights Sea level rising in Read More …

• Alexa Kirby will represent Fil-Am community in Miss World PH contest in Manila Left to right: Judge’s Chair Cory Quirino, winner Alexa Kirby and Grace Labaguis of Synergy Production and Marketing Inc. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO NEW YORK, New York — Alexa Kirby, an 18-year-old, five foot eight summer camp counselor was chosen the first-ever Miss Philippines Quest USA at a coronation ceremony on July 12 at Symphony Space. Kirb was also declared Best in Evening Gown and shared her triumph on stage with four other newly crowned beauty queens: First Princess, Best in Talent, Best in Swimsuit Misook Mendonca; Second Princess Isabella Estella; Third Princess Jenica Balmes; Fourth Princess and People’s Choice Award recipient Erin Manansala. Kirby will represent the Filipino-American community in the 2014 Miss World Philippines pageant to be held in Manila on September 7. She has won a round-trip ticket to the Philippines and an allowance of one thousand dollars. She will also wear a stunning evening gown, courtesy of One.10 Collection, during the Miss World Philippines competition. During the dreaded Q&A, Kirby named young American actress-singer Demi Lovato, who has been vocal about her personal struggles, one of her personal women heroes. “She [Lovato] was able to overcome self-harm problems and is trying to help other people with similar problems to overcome it as well,” she said. A recent graduate of Downington West High School in Pennsylvania, Kirby is a summer camp counselor. She is not new to beauty pageants having joined Miss Teen Pennsylvania USA Read More …