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SC approves malversation raps vs. Ilocos Norte town vice mayor

News

Mar 142013

SC approves malversation raps vs. Ilocos Norte town vice mayor

The Supreme Court has given the go signal for the Sandiganbayan to hear the technical malversation case filed against a vice mayor from Ilocos Norte for allegedly using public funds to purchase a heavy equipment. In its decision, the Supreme Court second division junked a petition for certiorari filed by Vice Mayor Pacifico Velasco of Bacarra town seeking to stop the Sandiganbayan from hearing the case and accusing the anti-graft court of grave abuse when it denied on June 9, 2005 his motion for reinvestigation of the malversation case lodged against him. “In all, we see no grave abuse of discretion on the part of the Sandiganbayan in denying the motion for reinvestigation,” said the Supreme Court in a decision penned by Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and concurred in by Associate Justices Arturo Brion and Mariano del Castillo. The Supreme Court dismissed Velasco’s claim that the Sandiganbayan denied him his right to move for the reconsideration of the Ombudsman’s recommendation to file malversation charges against him, with the high tribunal noting that he had filed earlier an Omnibus Motion for Reconsideration before the Office of the Special Prosecutor. “(W)hen petitioner filed an Omnibus Motion for Reconsideration, he was effectively appealing a Memorandum issued by the Office of the Special Prosecutor,” the Supreme Court said. “The filing of another [MR] constitutes a prohibited pleading.” The case against Velasco was filed by former Bacarra mayor Philip Corpus Velasco, who accused the vice mayor of misusing public funds to purchase a road grader Read More …

Rain expected over NCR, parts of Luzon this Friday

News

Mar 142013

Rain expected over NCR, parts of Luzon this Friday

Satellite image at 8 a.m., 14 March 2013. | Weather Central After experiencing heavy rain and sleet from a passing thunderstorm Thursday afternoon, Metro Manila residents may still have to bring their umbrellas Friday, state weather forecasters said Thursday afternoon. PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. bulletin, said the tail-end of a cold front is still affecting Northern Luzon but may cause isolated rain showers or thunderstorms in the next 24 hours. “Cagayan Valley region and the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Apayao will experience cloudy skies with light rains. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have partly cloudy skies with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms,” it said. In its extended outlook, PAGASA said Metro Manila may expect “partly cloudy skies with brief rain” with temperatures ranging from 23 to 34 degrees Celsius. But for Saturday and Sunday, it said Metro Manila may expect partly cloudy skies with brief rain. Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds blowing from the northeast will prevail over Northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. “Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate blowing from northeast with slight to moderate seas,” it said. Meanwhile, PAGASA said strong to gale-force winds associated with the northeasterly winds may affect the seaboards of Northern Luzon. “Fishing boats and other small seacrafts are advised not to venture out into the sea while larger sea vessels are alerted against big waves,” it said. — TJD, GMA News

Pope Francis' election 'shocks' Jesuit priest

News

Mar 142013

Pope Francis' election 'shocks' Jesuit priest

Catholics jubillant over election of Pope Francis . Seminarians from Australia show a special edition of the Vatican newspaper Osservatore Romano to diners from Ireland at a restaurant in Rome on Thursday, March 14. Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina was elected as the new leader of the troubled Roman Catholic Church on Wednesday, taking the name Francis and becoming the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years. Reuters/Chris Helgren The election of Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina as the new leader of the Roman Catholic Church has surprised a Jesuit priest, saying Jesuits are commonly “servants, and not people in authority.” In a panel discussion aired on GMA News TV’s “News To Go,” anchor Kara David cited a post on the Twitter account of Catholic News Services quoting Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, also a Jesuit, as saying he was “shocked” with the election of a Jesuit priest as the new pope. “Personally, I’m a bit shocked to have a Jesuit pope. Jesuits think of themselves as servants, and not authorities in Church,” according to Lombardi’s statement. “We, Jesuits, have never considered ourselves better than others. [I’m] glad he chose the name of St. Francis and not Ignatius,” it added. For his part, Father Joe Quilongquilong, a Filipino Jesuit, and assistant professor of spirituality at the Ateneo de Manila University, said Jesuits are more accustomed to being a follower. “Our identity and our spirituality is to obey and serve the Church,” he said during the panel discussion. “But now, as Read More …

SC issues guidelines on Team Patay, Team Buhay oral argument

News

Mar 142013

SC issues guidelines on Team Patay, Team Buhay oral argument

The Supreme Court has issued guidelines on the oral arguments—scheduled for Tuesday, March 19—on the controversial “Team Patay, Team Buhay” posters that were hung in a Bacolod cathedral. In a notice signed by SC Clerk of Court Enriqueta Vidal, the high court informed both respondent (the Commission on Elections) and petitioner (Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra) that they would each be given 20 minutes, regardless of the number of lawyers they would be bringing, to defend their respective positions. The high court last week issued a temporary restraining order that stopped the Comelec from tearing down the controversial posters, which contained a list of supposed bishop-approved senatorial candidates, called Team Buhay, and a list of supposedly undesirable candidates, called Team Patay. The list is based on a candidate’s stand regarding the reproductive health law. Under the Team Patay roster are those who supported the passage of the law while Team Buhay is the list of candidates said to be pro-life and who voted against the bill. The poll body wrote a letter to Navarra asking him to take down the tarpaulins because they violated Comelec rules of the size of election posters. Navarra accused Comelec of violating the principle of the separation of the church and state, as well as the church’s right to expression. In its guidelines, the SC said the oral arguments seek to determine whether any of the parties violated the principle of separation of church and state: the Bacolod diocese when it posted the tarpaulins and Comelec Read More …

Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

News

Mar 132013

Amid Sabah crisis, Malaysia sends new batch of peace monitors for GPH-MILF peace process

Despite its operations against armed Filipino followers of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III in Sabah, Malaysia has sent a new batch of peace monitors to oversee a ceasefire between the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). The MILF on Wednesday said the eighth International Monitoring Team (IMT) contingent headed by Maj. Gen. Dato Fadzil Bin Mokhtar takes over from the IMT Batch 7 led by Maj. Gen. Dato Abdul Rahim Bin Mohd Yusuff. “I don’t think so… We are clear on our mission here to continue monitoring the ceasefire,” an article posted on the MILF website quoted Fadzil as saying, referring to their arrival amid the ongoing operations against Kiram’s followers in Sabah. The MILF article added Fadzil does not think their mission to monitor the ceasefire agreement will be affected by the situation in Sabah. Malaysian security forces continue to hunt down Kiram’s armed followers in Sabah, even as Malaysia rejected Kiram’s offer of a unilateral ceasefire. Earlier Wednesday, a report on dzRH radio quoted presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda as saying Malaysia will remain a facilitator of the peace efforts between the Philippine government and the MILF despite the crisis in Sabah. Other than Malaysia, the IMT has representatives from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Libya and Norway. The MILF said the IMT, which was established in 2004, has a military contingent of 19 members from Malaysia, 15 from Brunei, and 14 from Indonesia. For development, humanitarian and rehabilitation aspects, it has two each from Japan, Norway and the Read More …

PHL still far from water security — ADB

News

Mar 132013

Although the Philippines is surrounded by water and experiences at least 20 cyclones in a year, it is still far from achieving water security, according to the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Based on the National Water Security Index, the Philippines comes out of level two out of five, said Wouter Lincklaen Arriens, ADB’s water resources specialist. “It means it still has some quite a way to go,” Arriens said. The index contained in the Asian Water Development Outlook 2013 measures the water adequacy of 48 countries in Asia and the Pacific region. Although institutional arrangement and levels of public investment has been increasing, a level two in the index means that the Philippine government had “inadequate” legislation and policy toward securing water. Focus on PHL According to the latest study, the Philippine lagged in urban water security index, which gauges water services and management in cities. The country scored one out of five. Urban water security also gauges the country’s public infrastructure and utilities, especially wastewater treatment. To this, Arriens noted: “Much has to be done, especially in cities which is an area of serious concern.” The fastest increase in water demand now comes from industries and cities, ADB revealed. “Cities occupy 2 percent of the world’s land, [but] uses 75 percent of its resources.” The city’s wastewater was often released into rivers and lakes with only a fifth or 22 percent of discharges being treated, the study showed. The study added that 80 percent of Asia’s rivers are in Read More …

Malaysian police believe Raja Muda alive, still in Lahad Datu

News

Mar 132013

Malaysian police believe Raja Muda alive, still in Lahad Datu

Malaysian cops check papers of Sabah residents. Malaysian policemen check a woman’s documents during a security check in Lahad Datu on Monday, March 11. Malaysian police shot dead a teenager and injured a man on March 10 as they try to end a month-long incursion by Filipino gunmen in remote Sabah state that has seen 62 people killed. AFP/Mohd Rasfan Malaysian police believe Raja Muda Azzimudie (Agbimuddin) Kiram, brother of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III, is still alive and in the Lahad Datu district in Sabah and likely could not get past the tight cordon there, a Malaysian news site reported Wednesday. Sabah police commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib also said Agbimuddin is not likely to abandon his followers, who remain the subjects of Malaysian mopping-up operations, The New Straits Times reported. “That is why we have a high confidence that he is still here. Our security at sea is very tight and there is no way he could have escaped,” the NST quoted him as saying. Agbimuddin is leading the armed Kiram followers in Sabah. Malaysian forces continue to hold operations in Sabah to flush them out, after Kuala Lumpur rejected a ceasefire offer from the sultan. Teenage boy killed, considered a terrorist Meanwhile, Hamza said a teenage boy gunned down at Sungai Bilis last Sunday was likely one of Kiram’s followers. Hamza said the boy was among the “terrorists” as he exited from the war zone area. “We could not confirm whether he was a Malaysian or a foreigner Read More …

Smartmatic bags P111M nat'l support center contract for May polls

News

Mar 132013

Smartmatic bags P111M nat'l support center contract for May polls

Technology supplier Smartmatic and its venture partner LRA Pacific Management Consulting, Inc. have bagged the P111-million contract to set up and run the national support center (NSC), which will provide technical assistance for the May 13 midterm elections. “’Yung national support center naka-set up na, magpipirmahan na kami ng kontrata,” Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. told reporters Wednesday. The Comelec Special Bids and Awards Committee has declared the joint venture of Smartmatic and LRA Pacific as the lowest calculated and responsive bid for the provision of NSC. The first bidding, which was earlier pegged at P131 million, was declared a failure in January 2013. Smartmatic was disqualified then for coming in late for the bidding. Only Sterling Global was able to submit its bid on time but was declared “ineligible” for failing to meet the requirements. Both Smartmatic and Sterling filed motions for reconsiderations. In a statement posted on its website, Smartmatic said that under the contract, it “will set up and run the National Support Center (NSC), the unit mandated to render technical assistance to each component of the elections.” Smartmatic said the NSC will be front-ended by a 1,000-seat call center and is going to be powered by its proprietary Election Day Management Platform (EDMP), described as “the election management solution which has seen action in the 2010 elections and numerous other poll projects around the world.” It added that “the EDMP was key to the smooth and well-coordinated end-to-end execution of the 2010 Philippine Read More …

Think tank head: Insurgents, calls for autonomy may 'inflame' Sabah conflict

News

Mar 132013

Think tank head: Insurgents, calls for autonomy may 'inflame' Sabah conflict

Insurgents and groups calling for Sabah’s autonomy may further “inflame” the ongoing conflict in the area between Malaysian authorities and followers of the Sulu sultanate asserting their claim in the territory, the head of a think tank said Wednesday. Amina Rasul-Bernardo, president of the Philippine Center for Islam and Democracy (PCID), warned that the situation in Sabah may encourage some disgruntled residents to respond to calls from some groups to push for the area’s political independence. “Sinasabi ng mga Sabahans, lahat kontrolado, gaya rin ng Mindanao at Manila, lahat kontrolado ng Kuala Lumpur. Na ‘yung benefits ng kanilang resources, hindi naman nila natitikman… Ano ang possibility na yung mga namamaltrato, yung mga dinedeport, na kahit na small percentage of that, ay tumugon dito sa issue na siguro dapat may independence na tayo?” Rasul-Bernardo said in an interview over GMA News’ “News To Go.” She added that such a situation may lead to “destabilization” in the region, which she said has been “very peaceful” for the past years. Followers of the sultanate of Sulu are currently engaged in a battle with Malaysian authorities in Sabah, supposedly to assert the sultanate’s claim on what it calls its ancestral territory. Malaysian news daily The Star reported that 57 of the sultanate’s followers and nine Malaysian security forces have been killed in the battle so far. The Islamic sultanate, which is based in Mindanao, once controlled parts of Borneo. The sultanate’s heirs have been receiving a nominal yearly compensation package from Malaysia under a Read More …

Sabah ownership issue between Sulu sultanate and Malaysia only — Kiram's daughter

News

Mar 072013

Sabah ownership issue between Sulu sultanate and Malaysia only — Kiram's daughter

Sultan Kiram III declares unilateral ceasefire in Sabah. At a press conference in Taguig City on Thursday, Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III (center) gets teary-eyed as he thanked the United Nations and the media for their support. The sultan declared a unilateral ceasefire in Sabah where at least 40 lives have been lost. He also ordered his followers to initiate evasive and defensive posture against Malaysian forces. Sherie Ann Torres The daughter of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III on Friday said negotiations regarding the ownership of Sabah should be between their sultanate and Malaysia only, virtually excluding the Philippine government. In an interview on GMA News’ “Unang Hirit,” Princess Jacel Kiram said the resolution authorizing the Philippine government to represent the sultanate in the territorial dispute has already “lapsed.” “Nag-lapse na po ito. Nakalagay po ‘dun sa kasulatan na in 20 years time, kung wala pong nagawa ang gobyerno… may expiration ‘yung authority. So back to the Sultanate of Sulu na ulit,” she said. The resolution — passed by the sultanate’s council of advisers during the time of Sultan Esmail Kiram I and the late President Diosdado Macapagal — effectively authorized the Philippine government to represent the sultanate in the dispute. The resolution also stated that should the government fail to act on the claim on a given period, its authority will be revoked and the Sulu sultanate may retain their sovereign rights to prosecute their claim on Sabah. “Ang isyu nga po dito is about Sabah, dapat talaga ang Read More …

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