Maniolas

Del Rosario: SAF officers used Google maps, not tactical maps. At the resumption of the House hearings on the January 25 Mamasapano incident on Tuesday, April 7, Army Col. del Rosario tells lawmakers that the Special Action Force officers only used Google maps, not tactical maps, to show location of trapped SAF commandos. GMA News The House committees investigating the Mamasapano clash on Tuesday asked three military officials to submit their mobile phones for forensic examination to check whether they were telling the truth or not. On the motion of Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop, Basilan Rep. Jim Hataman Salliman, the chairman  of the House Committee on Peace, Reconciliation, and Unity, asked Lt. Gen. Rustico Guerrero, head of the Western Mindanao Command; Brig. Gen. Edmundo Pangilinan, commander of the 6th Infantry Division; Col. Gener del Rosario, head of the Army 1st Mechanized Brigade to submit their phones for examination. “If you could please, those mentioned persons, comply,” Salliman said. Acop was asking the military officials the reason why they did not fire the artillery as reportedly requested by the Special Action Force officials. “In your standard operating procedure,  you were given the sole prerogative to fire artillery support, it was there and you did not exercise that. This is for Colonel Del Rosario, you sent a text message to your boss, tama? Nagsasabi na kayo ng iba, iba yung sinsabi ng Philippine National Police,” he said. “Could you please submit your celphone for forensic exams so that we can find out Read More …

It was wrong for Malacañang to use the results of the recent Social Weather Stations survey to surmise that the public has started to understand President Benigno Aquino III’s position as regards the Mamasapano incident, a political management expert said on Wednesday. Political campaign strategist Malou Tiquia, founder and general manager of Publicus Asia Inc., said Aquino’s seemingly better ratings in the latest SWS survey should not be compared with those released by Pulse Asia a few weeks ago. Tiquia made the remark after Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a statement that public gave the President a higher satisfaction rating of 47 percent in the SWS survey than the 38 percent in Pulse Asia’s earlier poll because of more information as regards the Mamasapano tragedy. “To say that SWS captured a correction on the dip is wrong because the questions asked were different. You cannot compare apples and oranges in the case of what is being measured,” Tiquia said in an online correspondence with GMA News Online. According to Tiquia, Pulse Asia asked its respondents, thus: “Mayroon ako ritong mga pangalan ng ilang mga opisyal ng ating pamahalaan.  Pakisabi ninyo ang inyong opinion tungkol sa pagganap nila ng kanilang tungkulin nitong huling tatlong buwan….” She said that SWS, on the other hand, asked: “Please tell me how satisfied or dissatisfied you are with the performance of Benigno Aquino III as President of the Philippines…” “Spins or propaganda may hide the real culprit for the dip but that may not Read More …

A national consumers rights group has urged Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to probe allegations of corrupt practices in the judiciary. In a statement sent to media on Monday, Coalition of Filipino Consumers (CFC) secretary general Perfecto Jaime Tagalog said they have learned that some members of the Court of Appeals have accepted money from “influential individuals” with pending cases. “This should not happen as cases should be decided based on merits,” Tagalog said. “They are supposed to be living and leading decent lives as magistrates.” “But not all justices are for sale. There are just exceptions,” Tagalog added, stressing that only a small percentage of them are tainting the judiciary. Reacting to the CFC’s call, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Malacañang supports calls for Sereno to probe corruption in the judiciary. “We are all against corruption in all its forms. We are, however, recognizing the role of the separation of powers and the existence of the three branches of government. We will defer to the Chief Justice as to how the Supreme Court handles corruption cases within their branch,” he said. The CFC’s appeal came barely a year after the Supreme Court ordered the Court of Appeals to investigate four regional trial court judges dragged into the alleged influence-peddling in the judiciary involving a certain “Ma’am Arlene.” “Ma’am Arlene” is described in earlier news reports as the judiciary’s version of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. “Ma’am Arlene” allegedly throws birthday parties for appellate court justices and trial Read More …

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle on Maundy Thursday made a wish for more priest choosing to serve in poor parishes. Tagle made the wish before the archdiocese’s priests at a Chrism Mass at the Manila Cathedral, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site said. “I look forward to the time when our priests would be vying for assignments in the poorest parishes,” the CBCP news site quoted Tagle as saying in his homily. He said it is the duty of priests to serve those most in need, particularly now as this is the Year of the Poor. The prelate recounted a meeting he had with survivors of a fire that destroyed several houses in the Parola compound in Manila earlier this year, where 15,000 were displaced. He noted that despite their plight, those affected still had “their faith unshaken and stronger than ever amid the devastation.” Those affected by the fire appeared thankful and happy that “God loves them regardless of what they have been through,” and that the Church “made an effort to be with them, to join them in their hardships.” Fr. Jeremiah Adviento of the Nuestra Señora de la Soledad de Camba Parish, which has jurisdiction over Parola, was with Tagle cardinal when he visited the area, recalled Tagle rode a jeepney to the site. Adviento added Tagle held Mass last April 1 in a makeshift basketball court. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News

Chedeng, still packing sustained top near-center winds of 165 kilometers per hour as of Friday morning, could make landfall Sunday evening or early Monday morning in Isabela just south of the town of Palanan, PAGASA said in its latest bulletin. Chedeng also has wind gusts of up to 200 kph, PAGASA said. Cyclones with maximum sustained winds of over 118 kph are classified as typhoons by PAGASA. State weather forecasters warned that the seas east of the Luzon mainland will be rough as Chedeng moves closer, with waves as big as 4.5 meters or almost 15 feet and would be dangerous to sea vessels.  Fishing boats and small seacraft were advised not to venture out to sea, while larger vessels were alerted against big waves. The rough seas can affect coastal areas as far down south along Southern Luzon and further down to the Eastern Visayas. PAGASA’s forecast for the whole country is partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms. As of 4:00 a.m. Chedeng was 810 kilometers east of Virac, Catanduanes and is moving northwest at 15 kph.  — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News