At least 300 families were affected in a fire that razed a residential area in Manila’s Sta. Cruz district Monday evening. The fire started after 7 p.m. at Abad Santos Street in Sta. Cruz in Manila, radio dzBB’s Cecilia Villarosa reported. The BFP alarm was quickly raised to Task Force Bravo, then to Task Force Charlie. At about 9:23 p.m., the fire was placed under control. No one was initially reported injured in the fire. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News
As Pope Francis continues to promote humility and modest living among the world’s religious, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle took a pedicab ride on Sunday. Cardinal Tagle rode the pedicab on his way to the venue of a housing project launch in Malibay, Pasay City, according to a GMA News’ “24 Oras” report on Monday. —Kathryn Tubadeza/NB, GMA News
Vice President Jejomar Binay’s net satisfaction rating fell to a record-low in the fourth quarter of 2014, a new Social Weather Stations poll found. Binay’s net satisfaction rating fell to a +44 (65 percent satisfied, 20 percent dissatisfied) from a +52 (70 percent satisfied, 17 percent dissatisfied) in September. This was a downgrade from a “very good” in the third quarter to a “good” in December. The Vice President’s previous record low was a “very good” +57 in the third quarter of 2010. Binay has been accused of profiting from the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II, and for secretly owning a 350-hectare estate in Rosario, Batangas. The SWS poll was taken from Nov. 27 to Dec. 1 among 1,000 adults nationwide. It has sampling error margins of ±2% for national percentages; ±6% each for Metro Manila, Balance Luzon and Mindanao; and ±3% for the Visayas. SWS classifies net satisfaction ratings of +70 and above as “excellent”; +50 to +69 as “very good”; +30 to +49 “good”; +10 to +29 “moderate”; +9 to -9 “neutral”; -10 to -29 “poor”; -30 to -49 “bad”; -50 to -69 “very bad”; and -70 and below “execrable.” The poll results were published on the Business World website. Government officials Despite the drop in Binay’s satisfaction rating, the Vice President sill managed a better score than those of Senate President Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., and Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Drilon and Belmonte also saw a drop in their satisfaction ratings Read More …
For the next three days, the Philippine National Police and other government agencies will hold more dry runs of their responses to various scenarios that may occur during Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines. The PNP went on full alert for the papal visit on Monday, canceling and all leaves and with police officers expected to be at their posts at any time, radio dzBB reported. “Ang PNP at ibang ahensyang kasama [sa seguridad] ay 100 percent ready… May ginagawang mobilization ng personnel natin actually from other regions para mag augment sa NCR,” PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said. Among this augmentation force are police officers from the Ilocos region, who arrived Sunday and are billeted at the Rizal Memorial Stadium. Also, starting Monday, senior PNP officials will hold daily walk-through inspections of venues which the pope will visit. An inspection was held on Sunday at the Mall of Asia area in Pasay City, where the pope is scheduled to meet with families. Pope Francis will be in the Philippines from Jan. 15 to Jan. 19. He is scheduled to visit Metro Manila and Leyte. Pope Francis will be visiting Metro Manila and Leyt efrom Jan. 15 to Jan. 19. — Joel Locsin/DVM, GMA News
Vice President Jejomar Binay on Sunday denied that he planned to use the advertisements of the Home Development Mutual Fund, better known as the PAGIBIG Fund, for media mileage, “24 Oras” reported. Senator Alan Peter Cayetano had accused the Vice President of planning to use the PAGIBIG advertisements for political gain in the upcoming 2016 general elections. Also, Senator Antonio Trillanes accused Binay of awarding PAGIBIG mass housing projects to favored contractors. Binay is the chairman of the PAGIBIG Fund. “Alam naman nila na nagsisinungaling lang sila. Ako pa nga ang nagsasabi roon sa PAGIBIG, huwag ninyong ilalabas ang mukha ko,” Binay said. These new allegations against Binay may be discussed in upcoming Senate blue ribbon committee hearings. The Vice President has been the subject of Senate blue ribbon committee hearings due to corruption allegations, among which are the allegation that the Makati City Hall Building II was overpriced and his alleged ownership of a property in Batangas which he failed to declare in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth. — Rouchelle R. Dinglasan, GMA News
Christian activists will welcome Pope Francis with postcards that they will deliver on Monday to the Apostolic Nunciature in Manila, where Pope Francis will be staying during his five-day visit to the Philippines. Promotion for Church People’s Response, a member of umbrella activist group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, said it will deliver the postcards during a “Pilgrimage of Welcome.” In a statement, it said the so-called pilgrimage will start at St. Scholastica Archives-Museum in Manila and end at the Papal Nunciate. “Personal welcome messages and articulations of the cry of the poor are handwritten on the backs of postcards in six designs that combine relevant photographs with proclamations of Pope Francis,” it said. During the pilgrimage, participants will wave welcome pennants or flaglets and ask the pope to “hear the cry of the poor” and “stand with us for justice and peace.” A serenade and prayer will be held at the Papal Nunciate to “express our journey of solidarity with the poor as we deliver the postcards,” the group said. The group said that for the last 90 days, a “Giving a Voice to the Cry of the Poor Campaign” was initiated by the National Clergy Discernment Group, Religious Discernment Group, Task Force for Urban Conscientization-Association of Major Religious Superiors, Citizens Alliance for Just Peace, and the Promotion of Church People’s Response. The PCPR said the groups are hopeful the pope “will speak to the real situation of the toiling majority during his visit.” — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News
The Commission on Elections has invited former poll commissioner Gus Lagman to show how the results of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines can be altered. Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said he has sent Lagman a letter asking him to meet with the commission en banc. “I said: It is your duty as former Comelec commissioner that you should inform us on how it can be easily tampered. Turuan niya kami kako para mapag-preparahan namin yan for 2016 since we will be using the same machines. So we invited him na pumunta siya dito at pakita mo sa amin yan,” he said. Brillantes noted that Lagman did not raise the issue while he was a commissioner. “He was in the Comelec for 10 months. He never said this. He never mentioned PCOS machines being rigged, which could be easily rigged, that is the adjective there. He did say you can probably manipulate it but not easily. Now he is saying it is very easy and I dare him to show it to us,” the poll body chief added. Brillantes said that if Lagman fails to prove his allegations, the former poll official should refrain from criticizing the Comelec. Lagman was a Comelec commissioner from 2011 to 2012 when President Benigno Aquino III decided against reappointing him. He has since joined election watchdog groups in criticizing the use of the PCOS machines. Lagman ready Lagman, for his part, said he is ready to prove that the PCOS machines can be Read More …
The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Friday started hearings on petitions for fare reductions for buses and taxis. Photos tweeted by the office of LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez showed the hearing started at about 9 a.m. Ginez led the hearing, which was also attended by stakeholders. Earlier, the LTFRB scheduled for Friday the hearing of petitions for lower fares on taxis, buses and Utility Vehicles (UV) nationwide. Former LTFRB board member and Negros Oriental Rep. Manuel Iway had filed a petition to cut the flagdown rate of taxis to P30 from the current P40 and to decrease by P1 the additional P3.50 charge for every 300 meters covered. Iway also asked the LTFRB to reduce the minimum bus fare to P8 from the current P10 and the additional charge for the succeeding kilometers to be lowered as well. He cited the lower prices of fuel in seeking the fare reduction. Before this, the LTFRB on Dec. 11 ordered a P1 rollback on the minimum jeepney fare in Metro Manila. However, some taxi operators called the reduced flag-down rate unfair. A report on 24 Oras quoted Philippine National Taxi Operators Association president Bong Suntay as saying the petition calling for lower flag-down rate was “unfair.” —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News
Forest debris awashed by Seniang litter shores of Misamis town. People sift through logs, sticks and dead animals washed on the shoreline of Talisayan, Misamis Oriental on Wednesday, January 7, after some of their huts were destroyed by the debris that reportedly came from Agusan and Surigao provinces following strong rains brought by Typhoon Seniang. Gerry Gorit The damage from Tropical Storm Seniang rose to P809.9 million as of Friday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In its 8 a.m. update, the NDRRMC noted increases in the damage caused by Seniang to both agriculture and infrastructure. Of the total P809,941,934.75 damage as of Friday, P719,205,534.75 was to agriculture while P90,736,400 was to infrastructure. The damage estimate covered Mimaropa in Luzon; Western, Central and Eastern Visayas; Zamboanga Peninsula, Northern Mindanao, Davao, and Caraga. On the other hand, the death toll remained at 66, with 43 injured and six missing. At least 124,305 families or 578,549 people were affected. Some 27 roads and 20 bridges in Bicol, Western, Central and Eastern Visayas, Northern Mindanao and Caraga remained impassable. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News
Starting Monday, Jan. 12, the Philippine Coast Guard will implement no-sail zones in areas near the venues of Pope Francis’ engagements. Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo said the security measure will be in effect until Jan. 19, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported Thursday. Balilo said they will advise owners of motor bancas and yachts in Manila Bay against getting near the Mall of Asia and Quirino Grandstand. The Coast Guard will also implement a similar policy in the waters near Tacloban City and Palo town in Leyte. Pope Francis is due to arrive in Manila on Jan. 15. During his visit, he will take part in public engagements in Pasay City, Manila, and Leyte – including a lunch with victims of supertyphoon Yolanda. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News