While devout Catholics see Holy Week as a time to reflect, many Filipinos spend the time at the country’s many beaches and other vacation spots. But not all trips end well, as nearly 60 deaths were recorded by National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council in the past observances of Holy Week in 2013 and 2014. According to GMA News Research, the most common causes of deaths over the Holy Week in the past two years were drowing and vehicular accidents.
Senate Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano has accused actor Robin Padilla of playing politics when the latter specifically named him as one of the lawmakers who should brush up on history before giving their opinion on the Bangsamoro. “May special mention (ang pangalan ko) kasi malapit siya sa mga Tinga, so everytime na may mga issue po talagang tinutuligsa kami,” Cayetano said in a radio interview Monday morning. He said Padilla was a supporter of the Tingas during the 2010 and 2013 elections. The Tingas and Cayetanos are political rivals in Taguig. He added the Cayetanos and Muslim residents has invited the actor several times to show the development in Taguig. “Nagsalita siya nung 2010 at 2013 para sa mga Tinga…ilang beses po naming winelcome si Robin Padilla sa Taguig, ilang beses po siyang minessage. Iniimbitahan siya ng mga Muslim para maipakita yung development,” the senator said. Cayetano said that he is ready to talk with Padilla but unfortunately the latter has already branded him as anti-Muslim because of his opposition to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law. “Kung history pag-uusapan, magkape kami ni Robin wala pong problema yan pero ang problema tinanggap na nya yung propaganda na ako ay anti-Muslim. Pag ikaw po ay anti-MILF hindi ibig sabihin na ikaw ay anti-Muslim, anti-peace,” he said. Cayetano has repeatedly made statements against BBL and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Padilla, in a post on his Instagram account Monday night, belied the accusations of Cayetano saying there was no politics involved in Read More …
The Office of the Solicitor General has asked the Court of Appeals to suspend hearings on Makati Mayor Junjun Binay’s petition contesting his preventive suspension. Assistant Solicitor General Hermes Ocampo said the CA hearings should be stopped pending the resolution of the Office of the Ombudsman’s petition with the Supreme Court against Binay’s petition. “We filed a motion to suspend proceedings on the grounds of judicial courtesy, considering last week, March 25, respondent Ombudsman filed a petition for certiori before the honorable Supreme Court,” Ocampo told the CA justices from the Sixth Division. “While the SC has not issued a TRO (temporary restraining order), we respectfully invoke the limited and qualified application of the doctrine of judicial courtesy,” he added. CA Associate Justice Jose Reyes Jr., however, thumbed down the suspension plea. “The principle of judicial courtesy should be applied with prudence and caution on order for justice to be served,” he said. Ocampo said pushing through with the CA hearing would render the petition with the SC “moot and moribund.” In response, Binay lawyer, Claro Certeza, opposed the solicitor general’s request, saying, “There is no basis for this honorable tribunal to suspend proceedings.” He cited Rule 65, Section 7 of the Rules of Court. Section 7 on “Expediting proceedings; injunctive relief” states: “The court in which the petition is filed may issue orders expediting the proceedings, and it may also grant a temporary restraining order or a writ of preliminary injunction for the preservation of the rights of the Read More …
The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada regarding the ordered attachment and freeze of his assets, in relation to his alleged involvement with the pork barrel scam. In a five-page resolution issued Monday, the anti graft court denied Estrada’s motion which asked the court to reverse its earlier ruling to temporarily freeze P183.793 million worth of his assets pending the resolution of of his plunder and graft cases. “As movant has not filed a counter bond and as his arguments heron are unmeritorious, there is therefore no compelling reason to lift the attachment while the main case is still pending,” the court said. Estrada’s main argument is that his plunder and graft cases have yet to be decided. However, the Sandiganbayan said in its decision that since a writ of attachment was an ex-parte motion, a case didn’t need to be resolved for the order to freeze an accused’s assets to be valid. “With regards to motions in general, the Rules of Court requires only that motions be heard; it does not direct the court to order the filing of comments or oppositions to the motion before the motion is resolved,” the court said. The decision also referenced the Supreme Court in saying stopping the freeze order would be grossly unfair to the prosecution, which was well within its rights to ask for the freeze of Estrada’s assets “On the other hand, borrowing the words of the Supreme Court, ‘allowing Read More …
Makabayan bloc wants PNoy to attend Mamasapano hearing. House members under the Makabayan bloc on Monday, March 30, present a letter requesting President Benigno Aquino III to attend the House of Representatives’ hearing on the January 25 Mamasapano incident after the Holy Week. Xianne Arcangel Although House leaders aren’t keen on inviting President Benigno Aquino III to the resumption of the House of Representatives’ hearings on the Mamasapano clash next week, the progressive Makabayan bloc isn’t giving up hope that he will show up and answer the 20 questions its members have prepared for him. In a letter dated March 30, the seven-member bloc asked Reps. Jeffrey Ferrer and Jim Hataman-Salliman, chairs of the two House committees investigating the bloody Jan. 25 police operation, to invite Aquino to the hearings scheduled on April 7 and 8 to shed light on a number of issues surrounding the incident, such as the extent of the United States’ involvement and his knowledge about the covert police mission. “In light… of the findings of the Senate committee on public order and the Philippine National Police Board of Inquiry, it is necessary for the House of Representatives to investigate further into significant issues raised but not completely resolved by the said bodies… An analysis of both the Senate and BOI reports will lead to the conclusion that it is only the President himself who will be able to shed light on these matters,” the group said.The progressive bloc is composed of party-list representatives Neri Colmenares Read More …
Amid the Holy Week exodus, at least one province-bound bus was not allowed to proceed with its trip Monday, after an inspection team caught it showing lewd movies. Inspectors from the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board caught the showing during an inspection at the Araneta Center bus terminal, radio dzBB’s Allan Gatus reported. Photos tweeted by Gatus showed the bus belonged to R. Volante line and had license plate EVP-120. One of the photos even showed the driver of the “offending” bus having a poster of Jesus Christ. The MTRCB and Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board conducted the inspections as the Holy Week exodus is expected to peak until at least Wednesday. The MTRCB wants to make sure the films shown do not go beyond Parental Guidance. “Ito’y napakalaswang panoorin para ipalabas sa publiko,” the dzBB report quoted MTRCB board member Gladys Reyes as saying. Children are expected to be among the passengers of buses bound for the provinces, as Filipinos try to spend Holy Week with their loved ones. Earlier, the LTFRB held their own inspections, to make sure the buses are safe and roadworthy. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
The Catholic Church in the Philippines will hold a second collection at Mass for the poor and for victims of recent calamities on Mar.29, Palm Sunday. Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle said this is part of the 40th anniversary activities of the Church’s “Alay Kapwa” program. “I trust that each [of the] parishes will contribute for Alay Kapwa,” Tagle said in an article posted on the website of Church-run Radio Veritas. Also, Caritas Manila, Radyo Veritas and the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ National Secretariat for Social Action-Justice and Peace will hold a telethon on Holy Monday for the Caritas Damayan Disaster Risk Reduction Management Program. Radio Veritas president and Caritas Manila executive director Fr. Anton Pascual said the proceeds will fund the Catholic Church’s social action centers. These centers will implement programs to help the poor and victims of calamities. Pascual said the Philippines is one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, being visited by an average of 20 cyclones. He said Caritas Manila responds to such calamities via relief assistance and pre-disaster trainings and help in the restoration and rebuilding of communities. “Funds raised from Alay Kapwa will be used as emergency funds for both natural and human-caused calamities like typhoons, floods, fire, earthquakes, and other tragedies and crises, and for disaster prevention and mitigation programs,” he said. “In this season of Lent, especially in this Year of the Poor, our Catholic faith teaches us to do acts of charity. We encourage everyone to Read More …
The Philippines dismissed concerns by China over Manila’s plan to repair military facilities in the South China Sea, a foreign ministry spokesman said on Saturday, insisting Manila has sovereign rights over territories in the disputed areas. The possible repair “is no way comparable to China’s massive reclamation activities, which not only violate international law…but also unnecessarily raise regional tensions”, spokesman Charles Jose said in a statement. “China’s recent statement expressing concern over what the Philippines plan to do should not distract us from the real issues in the South China Sea, which are China’s illegitimate ‘nine-dash line’ claim,” Jose said. Maritime lawyers note Beijing routinely outlines the scope of its claims with reference to the so-called nine-dashed line that takes in about 90 percent of the 3.5 million square kilometers South China Sea on Chinese maps. The South China Sea is believed to be rich in oil and gas. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Taiwan lay claim to parts of the sea, where about $5 trillion of ship-borne trade passes every year. The territorial dispute is seen as one of Asia’s hot spots, carrying risks that it could spiral out of control and result in conflict as countries aggressively stake their claims. On Friday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said it was “seriously concerned” by the remarks by Philippine Foreign Minister Albert del Rosario on the possible resumption of repairs on an airstrip on Thitu Island. “This is not only a serious infringement of China’s sovereignty, but it Read More …
Women’s groups staged a joint peace parade in Quezon City on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, the peace agreement between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Signed in March 2014, the CAB is a new framework to achieve peace in Mindanao, a landmark document born out 17 years of negotiations. The two merged parades, “Women’s March for Peace” and “SUROY-SUROY SA KALINAW: Kapayapaan sa Mindanao, Kapayapaan Nating Lahat,” were initiated respectively by civil society organization WE ACT 1325 and the Philippine National Police. “Ang laban para sa kapayapaan ay laban ng mga kababaihan. Panahon na upang iparinig natin sa buong sambayanan ang samang-samang tinig ng mga kababaihan,” proclaimed government peace panel chair Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer during the start of the event held at the Quezon City Memorial Circle, where the women gathered before marching to the streets. Ferrer, who has stood by the peace agreement even amid the public uproar that stemmed from the bloody Mamasapano incident, stressed that women are among those most affected by the armed conflict in Mindanao. At least, 60 were killed in the Mamasapano clash last January 25, including 44 police commandos, who were on a covert anti-terror mission in Maguindanao. The bloodbath has threatened the passage of the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law, which defines the structure and powers of the Bangsamoro entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). “Bagama’t walang pinipili ang giyera, isang katotohanan Read More …
Malacañang on Saturday appealed to Filipinos to practice energy conservation not only for an hour on Saturday evening, but also in their daily routines. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said it is not enough to switch off appliances for just an hour a year at Earth Hour. “We appeal to everyone to do their own little share to save energy… it also contributes to the general well-being of everyone when it comes to environmental situation. Not just from 8:30 to 9:30 (at Earth Hour), we can incorporate little energy saving mesasures in our daily lives,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. “Let’s not limit (our) participation to conservation of one hour a year,” she added. On Saturday evening, Filipinos are expected to take part in Earth Hour, a period when everyone symbolically switches off lights to support calls for energy conservation. Valte said that as the years pass, more and more people are participating in the yearly event. But she said that beyond shutting out lights, people should continue “to do more on a daily basis to conserve energy.” “This is symbolic … hopefully in all other things we can implement … There are many things we can do to contribute to energy conservation,” she said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News