GMA News Online / News / Nation

Sandiganbayan orders arrest of 13 ex-DBP execs

 News
Aug 012013
 
Sandiganbayan orders arrest of 13 ex-DBP execs

The Sandiganbayan has issued arrest warrants against former Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) officials and other private individuals who were implicated in the alleged P660-million behest loans extended to a Roberto Ongpin-led corporation in 2009. Among those ordered arrested was former Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, who is also the erstwhile chairperson of the DBP. “The court found that probable cause exists for the issuance of warrants of arrest against all the accused-movants,” the Office of the Ombudsman quoted the anti-graft court as saying in a statement Thursday. Aside from Sto. Tomas, the other ordered arrested were: Alexander Magno Ramon Durano IV Floro Oliveros Renato Velasco Benedicto Ernesto Bitonio Jr. Arturo Baliton Perla Soleta Warred De Guzman Teresita Tolentino Marissa Cayetano Nelson Macatlang Rodolfo Cerezo The resolution also ordered the arrest of Deltaventures Resources, Inc. (DVRI) president Josephine Manalo and Goldenmedia Corporation treasurer Ma. Lourdes Torres. Ongpin is the general manager of DVRI. Since Ongpin and other ex-DBP officials have posted bail, the Sandiganbayan have not issued arrest warrants against them, the Ombudsman statement read. Those who posted bail were former DBP president and vice-chairman Reynaldo David, and ex-officers Franklin Velarde, Joseph Donato Pangilinan, Miguel Romero, Edgardo Garcia, Armando Samia, Rolando Geronimo, Jesus Guevarra II, and Cresencia Bundoc. Last year, the Ombudsman filed criminal charges against Ongpin and former DBP officials in connection to the P660 million loan extended by the state-run bank to Ongpin’s DVRI.  DBP extended two loan facilities in the amounts of P150 million and P510 Read More …

Long lines due to 'hakot system' as village poll registration deadline nears

 News
Jul 302013
 
Long lines due to 'hakot system' as village poll registration deadline nears

Long lines in the registration for barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections? It’s all “hakot,” according to poll commissioner Grace Padaca. “Na-o-obserbahan namin na maraming hakot lang na pinapatransfer lang ng mga kandidato ng barangay. Sila ang nakakapagdagdag sa pila,” Padaca said in a phone interview with GMA News Online. By “hakot,” the poll commissioner was referring to the usual practice by politicians of renting a vehicle and then bringing residents to register for the elections. The practice is also done during election day. The 10-day registration for the village polls started July 22 and will end July 31. Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. earlier said there will be no extension of the deadline. At the Comelec office in Manila, the registration seemed like a stampede as registrants shoved against each other and lines were abandoned, according to a report on “24 Oras.” An election officer in the Quezon City Comelec office even shouted at the irate registrants: “Huwag kayo magtulakan!” The situation was worse in the Comelec office in Iloilo City: some registrants fainted while waiting in line and had to be brought to the hospital. The over-all scenario was similar to the last day of registration for the May 2013 elections—the usual long lines of registrants screaming for the doors of Comelec offices to open. A certain Leonard Francisco, interviewed on GMA News’ “Quick Response Team,” lamented the disorganized registration process for the village polls. “Sobrang gulo po ng proseso sa loob ng Comelec.Hindi maganda, Read More …

Poll watchdog says P30M 'intel funds' is Comelec's version of pork barrel

 News
Jul 302013
 
Poll watchdog says P30M 'intel funds' is Comelec's version of pork barrel

An election watchdog on Tuesday branded the P30-million intelligence fund given by Malacañang to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) the poll body’s version of the controversial pork barrel. During a hearing at the Court of Appeals, the Automated Elections System (AES) Watch presented three checks issued to former Comelec Commissioner Gus Lagman to prove that government funds were used as “intelligence and confidential funds.” Lagman said the first check, for P200,000, was issued to him in August 2011. The following month, he received another check, this time for P800,000. Finally, a P250,000 check was issued to him in December 2011. Lagman, who is also a member of AES Watch, said the checks were described in the disbursement as “intelligence and confidential funds.” The former Comelec official said he deposited the checks in his accounts, thinking the funds were to be used for the poll body’s investigation into elections cases that the body was trying at the time. But when he was asked by the poll body’s chief accountant to liquidate the amount on March 19, he found out that the money was made to appear to have been used for a different purpose. “Para i-liquidate iyon, kailangan ko lang raw pirmahan iyong isang dokumento, isang one-page document na sinasabi na ginastos ko kung saan saan,” he said. “Nakalagay sa dokumento, expenses for several items. Sabi ko di naman totoo ito, so isinauli ko na lang,” Lagman said. He said he could not remember what those “items” were but said the Read More …

Solon seeks suspension of PDAF implementation for 3rd quarter of the year

 News
Jul 302013
 
Solon seeks suspension of PDAF implementation for 3rd quarter of the year

If Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza could have his way, “pork barrel” implementation for the third quarter of the year should be suspended pending the investigation on the alleged misuse of pork barrel funds, or formally known as Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Instead, legislators should focus on their job, which is crafting laws, Atienza said in a statement Tuesday. “We recommend that we suspend the implementation of the PDAF,” Atienza said. “(Instead we should) buckle down to our real work of legislation.” “We are all honorable men and have been elected to legislate, get the country moving towards economic growth and not get involved with the delivery of basic services that could be best done by local government units,” the former Manila mayor said. He said P200 billion in PDAF could have easily built 10 million homes for the poor and one million classrooms, and provide facilities like CT scan, dialysis and MRI equipment to public hospitals. “But when we look back at how this money has been utilized, all we see are waiting sheds, basketball courts, covered courts and now the scandalous allegations of giving money to non-existent NGOs,” Atienza said. House members get P70 million in PDAF every year while senators has an allocation of P200 million. House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales has yet to give a comment on Atienza’s proposal. In a text message to GMA News Online, Budget Secretary Butch Abad said they will implement it if the Congress adopts it. “If Congress adopts the Read More …

Bam, Trillanes, Grace Poe won't mind abolishing 'pork barrel'

 News
Jul 302013
 
Bam, Trillanes, Grace Poe won't mind abolishing 'pork barrel'

At least three senators have expressed readiness to let go of their “pork barrel” funds amid the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP)’s call to junk these controversial allocations. At a press briefing Tuesday, Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV said there is “weight” in the call by Roman Catholic Church officials to junk the priority development assistance fund (PDAF). “Kung wala namang pork barrel, I don’t think any of us will be lesser legislators … If tomorrow, the President or the Senate President will call for the abolition of the pork barrel, I won’t mind,” Aquino said. The neophyte lawmaker said he plans to use his PDAF to fund programs that will create job opportunities for ordinary Filipinos.  “Ako naman, if the pork barrel is there, we will use it for right purposes,” he said. Earlier in the day, Bam, who is President Aquino’s first cousin, said he opposes proposals from some of his fellow lawmakers to stop the release of “pork barrel” funds to non-government organizations (NGOs).   At a separate briefing, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV said he also won’t mind having these discretionary funds abolished, since it is the Executive Department which benefits from the PDAF anyway.   “Either way, okay lang. Kung mayroon, e di gagamitin natin nang maayos. Kung wala, tuloy lang tayo sa trabaho natin. Itong pork barrel, this is a policy tool of the president to get his legislative agenda done,” Trillanes said. On Monday, incoming CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas Read More …

Lawyer: Comelec printed ballots even after May 13 polls

 General
Jul 302013
 
Lawyer: Comelec printed ballots even after May 13 polls

A former Commission on Elections (Comelec) lawyer on Tuesday accused the poll body of printing additional ballots two months after the May 13 elections, saying it could be used for “ballot switching.” At a press conference in Manila, Melchor Magdamo showed the media photographs of the ballots supposedly printed in the last two weeks at a printing house in Quezon City. He said he learned about the printing from a group of employees from the poll body’s “intelligence group” who were “disgruntled” over reports that the Comelec had used its P30-million intelligence fund to spy on groups critical of the May 13 elections. “Iyong isang grupo doon sa Comelec, nalaman na P30 million pala ang intelligence fund. Nagalit sila, bakit ang liit ng suweldo nila tapos P30 million pala ang fund,” Magdamo said. Magdamo suspected that the supposed additional ballots will be used for possible ballot-switching. “Lahat ng areas na may genuine ballots dapat bantayan lahat kasi that is prone to switching,” he said. Comelec: That’s unlikely But Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Magdamo’s accusation was “unlikely” especially since “the printing of the ballots was done in a very transparent manner.” “Unang una, ang policy natin is one ballot is to one voter… And as any extra ballots were printed, it would have been impossible to keep it a secret, especially for the purpose na sinasabi niya,” Jimenez told GMA News Online by phone. He also pointed out that the pictures Magdamo showed to the media to serve as proof Read More …

Sabah police: Kiram revenge letter a hoax

 News
Jul 272013
 
Sabah police: Kiram revenge letter a hoax

A letter that threatened a revenge attack by followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Sabah turned out to be a hoax after all, Sabah police claimed Saturday. Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib disclosed this, according to a report by Malaysia’s Bernama news agency posted on Malaysia’s The Star Online. The letter dated July 3 had warned of an attack by Kiram followers in Sabah this August, supposedly in retaliation of the deadly clashes in Sabah earlier this year. “Please don’t spread such rumors to scare the public,” Hamza said. He added Sabah residents should remain calm and stop speculating, and instead cooperate with the security forces to prevent such incidents. Earlier this year, Kiram’s followers engaged Malaysian forces in a standoff that lasted three weeks. The standoff ended in deadly clashes March 1 and 2. In turn, Malaysian forces mounted offensive operations to flush out Kiram’s followers from Lahad Datu. Earlier this month, a letter circulated supposedly signed by a “Militant Commando” who claimed to be acting on behalf of Kiram’s family. But the police did not take the rumors lightly – Hamza said they took steps to tighten security. Such steps included mobilizing 100 strike force personnel who can respond quickly to any contingency. On the other hand, he urged the community to keep alert for any suspicious activity, and to inform security forces accordingly. — LBG, GMA News

LPA in Davao Oriental; floods, landslides threaten Bicol, Vis-Min

 News
Jul 272013
 
LPA in Davao Oriental; floods, landslides threaten Bicol, Vis-Min

A potential cyclone, a low-pressure area, moved to Davao Oriental in Mindanao Saturday afternoon, even as state weather forecasters warned of flash floods and landslides over Bicol in southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the next 24 hours. PAGASA said that as of 4 p.m., the LPA was estimated at the vicinity of Davao Oriental, embedded in the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone affecting Palawan, Visayas and Mindanao. “Bicol region, Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with moderate to heavy rain showers and thunderstorms, which may trigger flash floods and landslides,” PAGASA said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. Also, it said Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Mimaropa will have “cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms.” PAGASA’s extended weather forecast for Metro Manila indicated cloudy skies with rain showers or thunderstorms until July 31. The rest of Luzon will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms,” PAGASA added. Earlier, PAGASA said that if the LPA became a cyclone, it would be locally codenamed “Jolina.” Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to occasionally strong winds from the southwest will prevail over Palawan and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to occasionally rough. — LBG, GMA News

CDO bistro hit by deadly blast was filled with lung disease experts attending convention

 News
Jul 272013
 
CDO bistro hit by deadly blast was filled with lung disease experts attending convention

Cagayan de Oro blast kills six people. Bomb squad operatives inspect the area where the Friday night blast ripped through a crowded bistro in Cagayan de Oro City. Bobby Lagsa Six people were killed and more than 40 wounded in the Philippines when a bomb struck a restaurant filled with doctors after a national convention, police said Saturday. Police said the improvised explosive device went off around midnight (1600 GMT Friday) at a popular restaurant in the southern port city of Cagayan de Oro. Most of the victims were doctors and pharmaceutical salesmen who had just attended a national convention of lung-disease specialists at a nearby hotel, said the city police chief, Senior Superintendent Graciano Mijares. “This is one of the busiest areas of Cagayan de Oro…. somebody left a bomb on a chair at the bistro,” he told reporters. He declined to speculate on the motive for the bombing, saying an investigation was under way. Cagayan de Oro is located on the main southern island of Mindanao, which has been blighted by a decades-old rebellion by elements of the large Muslim minority in the mainly Catholic Asian nation. Local businessman Noel Arcenas, who owns an electronics shop at the shopping complex where the restaurant is located, said at least 100 people were inside the bistro when the explosion occurred. “I felt then heard the blast,” said Arcenas, who added he was standing about 15 metres (49 feet) away. “I looked around and saw this ball of white smoke. People Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries