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Lozada wants 3 Sandiganbayan justices to inhibit themselves from his graft cases

 News
Jun 232013
 
Lozada wants 3 Sandiganbayan justices to inhibit themselves from his graft cases

The camp of whistleblower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. has asked the entire fourth division of the Sandiganbayan to inhibit itself from the graft cases he is facing before the anti-graft court. In a four-page motion to recuse filed late Friday, Lozada’s camp accused Associate Justice Gregory Ong, who chairs the Sandiganbayan fourth division, of forming a “negative opinion” against Lozada. Lawyer Jose Manuel Diokno, Lozada’s counsel, said in the motion that Ong’s remarks during hearings on Lozada’s case last May indicate the magistrate’s supposedly negative opinion against the whistleblower. Diokno said Ong admonished Lozada in court for smiling and for being “escorted by too many people.” The associate justice also supposedly said that Lozada “loves talking.” “The foregoing comments indicate that His Honor has formed a negative opinion about Mr. Lozada; that it would be better if Mr. Lozada and his supporters do not personally attend the trial; and that Mr. Lozada talks too much and smiles too often,” the defense camp said in the motion. Lozada’s lawyer also said that Ong seems to be “monitoring the situation of Mr. Lozada vis-a-vis President Benigno Aquino III even if this is neither material nor relevant to the cases at bar.” The defense particularly took offense on this comment supposedly made by Ong in open court: “Para kung may importante kayong meetings or you want to go to the media and say something against our President again, you won’t be arrested, okay?” Aside from Ong, the defense camp also wants Associate Justices Jose Read More …

Win now, study later: Preparing neophyte politicians for the tasks ahead

 News
Jun 232013
 
Win now, study later: Preparing neophyte politicians for the tasks ahead

How do you prepare a politician with zero experience in government for three to six years in office—and do it in less than a week? This is the challenge being faced by some institutions which offer crash courses to newly-elected local officials and lawmakers to try to prepare them for the tasks ahead. The University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (UP-NCPAG), for instance, recently organized a five-day course for Senator-elect Nancy Binay. Before winning her Senate seat last elections, Binay served as personal assistant to her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay. Maynard Matammu of the UP-NCPAG’s Center for Policy and Executive Development, one of the persons who prepared Binay’s crash course, explained that the topics tackled during Binay’s course were “customized” based on the senator-elect’s preferences. “We drafted the course and met with the senator. We informed her about the specific topics per session and who the resource persons will be. We made sure that the course will touch on her priority areas and subjects that were in her platform,” Matammu said in an interview. He said the center has been organizing these courses for years as part of its “extension services” to the public. In Binay’s case, her course included introductory discussions on the Philippine administrative system, the Senate, the economy and the national budget process—all tackled in sessions that lasted for an hour and a half. The course likewise allowed Binay to have “sessions with experts” on Read More …

New law provides PhilHealth coverage to all

 News
Jun 212013
 
New law provides PhilHealth coverage to all

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday signed into law a bill ensuring PhilHealth coverage to all Filipinos, including indigents and persons with disabilities, Malacañang announced Friday. Republic Act 10606, or the National Health Insurance Act of  2013, amends Republic Act 7875 or the National Health Insurance Act of 1995. “Iyong Section 6 ng dating batas, inamiyendahan din po ito. Iyong coverage po nito ay ngayon mandatory na,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a briefing. Section 6 of RA 7875 said enrollment to the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) “shall not be made compulsory in certain provinces and cities” until such a time that the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation “shall be able to ensure that members in such localities shall have reasonable access to adequate and acceptable health care services.” The new law provides that all citizens of the Philippines, regardless of social and economic status, shall be covered by NHIP. According to the new law, “the Program shall be compulsory in all provinces, cities and municipalities nationwide, notwithstanding the existence of Local government unit-based health insurance programs.” PhilHealth lauded the passage of the law, calling it proof of the government’s commitment to the health of all Filipinos. “Mas naging malinaw or may emphasis na the state shall provide a comprehensive health care service for its citizens,” said Greg Rulloda, PhilHealth’s vice president for corporate affairs. “The law emphasized rin that the state will prioritize the healthcare needs of the underpriviledged, the elderly and persons with disabilities,” he added, Read More …

DOJ wraps up probe on slain Batangas fiscal

 News
Jun 212013
 
DOJ wraps up probe on slain Batangas fiscal

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Friday wrapped up its preliminary investigation on the killing of Batangas assistant provincial prosecutor Alexander Sandoval. During the proceedings at the DOJ main office in Manila, the panel handling the complaint refused to grant a request from the camp of suspect Ana Marie Mendoza, a former mayor of Sta. Teresita town in Batangas, to be given more time to file a counter-affidavit. According to lawyer Norberto Malit, Mendoza’s legal counsel, their camp wanted an extension because they were not furnished with a copy of the complaint, which included charges of murder and illegal possession of firearms. The DOJ panel thumbed down the request and instead submitted the case for resolution. Under the rules, the panel has at least 60 days or two months to come up with a resolution stating whether to dismiss the complaint or elevate it to the courts. Apart from Mendoza, also implicated in the killing was her husband, Barangay Kalayaan chairman Hermogenes Mendoza, and several others. Mendoza, with her face covered, arrived at the DOJ on board a white van and escorted by the Philippine National Police-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group of Batangas. Several supporters of the Mendoza couple also dropped by the DOJ to show their support to them. Sandoval was on his way to a court hearing on June 13 when he was shot nine times by a suspect on a motorcycle. The incident happened along the national highway in Barangay Muzon in San Luis town, near the Read More …

Palace: No favoritism in giving out P10,000 bonus to DPWH personnel

 News
Jun 212013
 
Palace: No favoritism in giving out P10,000 bonus to DPWH personnel

Malacañang on Friday said President Benigno Aquino III wasn’t playing favorites when he announced that all employees of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will receive a P10,000 bonus on the department’s anniversary. “Kapag nagkakaroon po talaga sila ng anibersaryo ang isang ahensiya o isang departamento ng pamahalaan, meron po talagang instances na nagkakaroon, nagbibigay iyong what they call, ‘milestone anniversary bonuses,’ doon ho sa mga kawani. So hindi po ito unique sa DPWH,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing. In a speech during the DPWH’s 115th anniversary celebration Thursday, Aquino lauded the department for its “fast, honest and reliable” execution of the government’s infrastructure programs. He also announced that he has approved a P10,000 anniversary bonus for all DPWH employees and officials. Valte expressed hope that other government agencies will understand the circumstances, in particular weather monitoring bureau PAGASA, which has been crying out for the government to release its much needed allowances. “Hindi naman po sana ito maging dahilan ng kanilang inggitan. Iyong pagdating naman po sa hazard and longevity pay [ng PAGASA employees], in-explain din po ng Pangulo ‘yan kahapon na talagang pinapatignan kasi kung ano naman po iyong benefits na dapat due to them,” Valte said. The government also appealed for patience from departments, in particular to teachers from the Department of Education, who have yet to receive their Performance Based Bonuses from 2012. “Itatanong po natin sa DepEd kasi hindi po talaga sabay-sabay ang labas ng PBB, ng Performance-Based Read More …

JBC wraps up interviews for Sandiganbayan top post; lawyer disqualified

 News
Jun 212013
 
JBC wraps up interviews for Sandiganbayan top post; lawyer disqualified

The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) on Friday concluded its two-day public interviews of the second and final batch of candidates for the vacated Sandiganbayan presiding justice post. The conclusion of the interviews came with the “disqualification” of one of the 10 candidates—Jasper Lucero, a private lawyer—for failing to submit necessary documents needed before the interview. The last two candidates to face the JBC panel were a Sandiganbayan justice who wants closed-circuit television cameras during anti-graft trials, and a Justice undersecretary who had previously applied in other plum judicial posts. During his interview, Justice Alex Quiroz said it was his “dream” to have Sandiganbayan proceedings open to the public through CCTV cameras and the internet. “I have a dream should I be appointed. Since criminal proceedings in open court should be in public, it is my wish that a court be covered by a CCTV [camera] and the same would be connected to the Internet,” he told the panel, led by JBC chair Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. He also said he wanted to cut down the Sandiganbayan’s use of paper by 30 percent in a bid to turn it into a “paperless” anti-graft court. “I’ve been with the prosecution. Now, I’m in the judiciary so I’ve seen all those aspects,” said Quiroz, the fifth most junior member of the Sandiganbayan. “I don’t think there is any applicant (who) possesses such credentials as being a prosecutor, being at the Office of the Solicitor General, then judiciary,” added the 55-year-old Quiroz. Read More …

DOJ recommends kidnap-for-ransom raps vs 7 people in Rolito Go abduction

 News
Jun 212013
 
DOJ recommends kidnap-for-ransom raps vs 7 people in Rolito Go abduction

Criminal charges were recommended against seven people implicated in the the abduction of murder convict Rolito Go and his nephew Klemens Yu inside the New Bilibid Prison on August 14 last year. In a resolution, the Department of Justice found probable cause to charge Emilio Ortiz, Lawrence Yurong, Emerson Guazon, Fernando Francisco, Armando Mondero, Jerry Dueñas, and Reynaldo Tadtad. They were being charged for violation of Article 267 of the Revised Penal Code for “kidnapping for ransom.” Meanwhile, a certain “Kumander Rico” and several “John Does” or unidentified suspects were cleared “for lack of positive identification and showing of clear participation in the crime charged.” Mondero himself was a former inmate at the NBP who was earlier arrested along Litex Road in Commonwealth, Quezon City. He was nabbed on the basis of a warrant of arrest issued by the Regional Trial Court Branch 19 in Malolos, Bulacan. Go was convicted for the killing of Eldon Maguan, an engineering student, in 1991 in a traffic altercation in San Juan City. “The Task Force resolved that it was established that the principal objective of the respondents in depriving complainants of their liberty was to obtain ransom money from the complainants’ family as can be gleaned by respondents’ repeated demands for the same,” the DOJ said. Go’s disappearance was discovered after the daily roll call. His relatives claimed he was taken forcibly from the prison, and that his abductors had demanded a P1-million ransom. He resurfaced a day after he disappeared and was placed Read More …

Two justices embroiled in controversies face JBC for top Sandiganbayan post

 News
Jun 202013
 
Two justices embroiled in controversies face JBC for top Sandiganbayan post

Two Sandiganbayan justices who have been embroiled in controversies—one for a widely publicized case and the other in a citizenship row—on Friday faced the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) for their bid to become the next highest official of the anti-graft court. During her interview, Sandiganbayan Justice Teresita Diaz-Baldos of the Second Division stood by her controversial decision to approve the plea bargain agreement of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, saying it was better than having him acquitted. Garcia was accused of pocketing P303 million while still in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. On March 16, 2010, the Sandiganbayan approved the Ombudsman’s request for Garcia to enter into a plea bargaining agreement that would allow Garcia to plead guilty to two lesser offenses, return around half of what he allegedly stole from government coffers, and post bail. In her JBC interview, Baldos said she thinks the government should be more careful in releasing to the public copies of statements of assets, liabilities, and net worth, saying these can be used to harrass public officials. “There should be guidance in maintaining the confidentiality of these public documents,” Baldos stressed. Citizenship controversy Next to be interviewed was Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Gregory Ong, who earlier became the subject of a citizenship controversy, with Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio questioning Ong’s Filipino citizenship before the Supreme Court due to his Chinese roots. Ong was originally appointed by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as an associate justice of the Supreme Court, but his appointment was rejected by Read More …

PHL sends clear message to tusk dealers: We're not open for business

 News
Jun 202013
 
PHL sends clear message to tusk dealers: We're not open for business

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) spearheaded the crushing of over five tons of elephant tusks Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City in a strong message to local and international tusk dealers. Laid out in the center’s parking lot, the tusks were broken down using a backhoe. After this, a steamroller flattened what remained of the tusks estimated to be worth P40 million. The shattered remains of the tusks will then be taken to the Bureau of Animal Inudstry where a cremation process will ensure the total destruction of the tusks. —KG, GMA News

Britain rejects involvement of pope in Falklands dispute

 News
Jun 202013
 
Britain rejects involvement of pope in Falklands dispute

UNITED NATIONS – Britain and a representative of the Falkland Islands on Thursday rejected the idea of Pope Francis intervening in the long-running dispute with Argentina over the islands, which Buenos Aires claims are Argentine territory. In 1982 Britain sent its armed forces to the Falklands to repel an Argentine invasion of the contested South Atlantic archipelago, which Argentina calls Las Malvinas. Just over 30 years later, memories of the conflict remain and Argentine President Cristina Fernandez has mounted a campaign to renegotiate the islands’ sovereignty, lobbying Pope Francis on the issue and rejecting a March referendum in which Falkland residents voted to remain a British Overseas Territory. “I think the last thing we need is religion inserted into this,” said Mike Summers, a member of the Falkland Islands Legislative Assembly. Mark Lyall Grant, Britain’s U.N. ambassador, echoed his remarks, saying: “I certainly share the view that religion is not likely to solve anything.” Pope Francis, the first Latin American pontiff, said in 2012 when he was archbishop of Buenos Aires that Britain had “usurped” the disputed islands from Argentina. In 2011, he said the islands were “ours,” a view most Argentinians share. Argentine Foreign Minister Hector Timerman told reporters that London should engage in direct talks with Buenos Aires on the dispute. Lyall Grant said Britain was open to dialogue with Argentina, but only if the Falklanders are involved, a position Timerman dismissed. “I am the foreign minister of Argentina,” Timerman said. “I want to talk with the foreign Read More …

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