Maniolas

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is wary over the possible spread of influence of the jihadist Islamic State in the Philippines if the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails to hurdle the legislative process. GMA News stringer Ferdinandh Cabrera quoted chief MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal as saying talks between the government and the MILF should show unity and sincerity in attaining peace to steer the Muslim community away from ISIS influence. “The danger of ISIS is not the actual confrontation but we have to look up to two situations: One is the ideology of radicalism which is infectious, the other one is that if we fail in this engagement — with this present Bangsamoro Basic Law — and eventually become irrelevant then that’s the danger, Iqbal said. Iqbal also noted that the MILF can help curb the spread of extremism in Mindanao. “If the Bangsamoro people will be empowered and the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be passed in the Congress as a good legislation, I think the MILF will play a very vital role in moderating the situation in Mindanao,” he said. BIFF, Abu Sayyaf side with IS Earlier in August, clips were uploaded on the video sharing site YouTube showing both the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf rebels pledging support to the Islamic State (IS). BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama said: “We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.” Authorities describe the Abu Sayyaf as a radical group having links with the al-Qaeda Read More …

Amid pockets of verbal confrontations between pro-democracy protesters and groups of “anti-protesters” in Hong Kong on Saturday, no police personnel were seen around to ensure order and safety in the protest area, a television report said. Hong Kong-based GMA News stringer Azon Cañete told “Balitanghali” there were at least four or five incidents of verbal confrontations between “anti-protesters” and student protesters. “Magulo ang nangyayari ngayon, nagsisigawan, nag-aawayan, muntikan nang magsalpukan…” Cañete said. “Kapansin-pansing walang pulis, supposedly apat o limang commotion ang nangyari dito, pero wala kaming natatanaw ni isang pulis [na namagitan],” she said. “Sabi ng protesters dito, mula umaga, walang silang nakikitang pulis.” Earlier, the police announced they had arrested 19 men – including some people believed to have ties with the city’s organized crime gangs – over clashes during the ongoing pro-democracy protests. In those clashes several emonstrators injured and bloodied. But policemen have not been seen in the area since then, Cañete said. ‘Patient’ protesters Meanwhile, Cañete said that despite being provoked by anti-protesters, the protesters remained “calm.” “Ang mga protester, ang haba ng pasensya… Nasa mukha na nila ang mga kamay ng panduduro ng anti-protesters, pero kalmado lang sila…” “‘Yung bystanders, sila ung nagagalit kasi dinuduro ang mga estudyante. Inaawat na rin ng protesters ang bystanders na huwag awayin ang mga nanduduro, sinasabihang huwag magalit,” she added. Also, Cañete said protesters suspect the anti-protesters may have been paid by the government to disrupt the otherwise peaceful assembly. “Isang grupo na bayaran na para sila ay guluhin… Read More …

A government team tasked to recover paintings that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ family allegedly bought with ill-gotten wealth went home empty-handed after searching the family’s mansion in Ilocos Norte. The team inspected the mansion in Batac, Ilocos Norte for two hours but failed to find any painting, according to a report on “24 Oras” Friday. However, a lawyer representing the Marcoses spoke with the team. Last Tuesday, government agents seized at least 15 paintings believed to be part of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth from an ancestral home of the former leader in San Juan City. It took authorities seven hours to serve a writ of attachment from the Sandiganbayan for the paintings at the time. On Monday, the anti-graft court ordered the Marcos family to surrender eight paintings by European artists that it said were illegally acquired using taxpayers’ money. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News

Senate President Franklin Drilon on Friday affirmed as valid the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee’s ruling asserting its jurisdiction over the investigation in the alleged overpricing in the Makati City Hall Building II project. “Yes, that is valid. As I have said, under our rules, all issues related to the investigation is delegated to the subcommittee,” Drilon told reporters in an interview. “It is only the report of the subcommittee, which would have to be approved by the main committee,” he added. Implicated in the alleged overpricing are Vice President Jejomar Binay, a former Makati mayor, and his son, incumbent Mayor Junjun Binay, who was councilor when the building was constructed in 2007. On Wednesday, lawyer Claro Certeza, the younger Binay’s legal counsel, filed a manifestation before the blue ribbon committee asking that the subcommittee, headed by Senator Koko Pimentel, stops its investigation until the issue of jurisdictional challenge has been decided by the mother committee. However, Pimentel said that since it was only a manifestation, no ruling was necessary and it will just be put on record. But the camp of Vice President Binay is not satisfied with Pimentel’s decision, saying the committee is “railroading its own rules.” “If a jurisdictional challenge is raised by any party, then the committee must first resolve it before proceeding to an inquiry,” he added, citing Section 2 of the Senate blue ribbon committee rules. Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the absence of the camp of Binay during the hearings, Drilon said: “Kahapon, humingi Read More …

President Benigno Aquino III has formed a national panel composed of Cabinet officials to lead government preparations for Pope Francis’ visit to the Philippines in January next year. In Memorandum Circular No. 72, Aquino directed the committee, to be lead by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., to coordinate with the local Roman Catholic Church leaders and the private sector in preparing for the papal visit. “All heads of the different government departments, local governments as well as the private sectors are encouraged to participate and coordinate all efforts to make sure that the visit of His Holiness in our country next year will be well organized and peaceful,” Ochoa said in a statement Friday. Pope Francis, the leader of the Roman Catholic Church and the head of state of Vatican City, is scheduled to visit the Philippines from January 15 to 19 next year. Manila Archibishop Luis Cardinal Tagle said the Pope would visit areas affected by super typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas as well as some places in Manila. This will be the first papal visit to the Philippines after two decades. The last time a head of the Roman Catholic Church visited the country was in January 1995, when then-Pope John Paul II led the celebration of World Youth Day in Manila. Pope John Paul II (now called St. John Paul II) also visited the Philippines in 1981. Peace and order, traffic plan The committee will also supervise peace and order preparations, and the crafting of a traffic Read More …