Maniolas

Malacañang on Saturday said the Supreme Court did not seek funding for electronic courts (e-courts) for 2014 and 2015, in reply to reports quoting Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno as saying a lack of funds may threaten the creation of such courts. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said they checked the Department of Budget and Management’s records and found the high court did not request funds for the purpose. “Wala rin sila ni-request na pondo for the e-courts for 2014 and 2015,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Earlier this week, Sereno lamented key reform programs, including the creation of more electronic courts, are being threatened by a lack of funds. She said these e-courts provide random electronic system and raffling, which remove human intermediation that makes courts prone to corruption. “The problem is that the executive department deleted our request for funding of more e-courts,” she said. Still, Sereno appealed to the public to continue believing in the judiciary. “Judiciary is strong if the people believe in it… I hope the people will work for a strong and independent judiciary,” she added. Meanwhile, Valte said the executive department acted on the judiciary’s request for an information technology project, the Enterprise Information Systems Plan (EISP). “Sa ating nakikita, at least under this administration, patuloy ang suporta na binibigay sa kasamahan natin sa judiciary,” she said.  — Joel Locisn /LBG, GMA News

President Benigno Aquino III’s announcement that he will celebrate the end of his term by July 1, 2016 should be enough to stop those who are pushing for his term extension, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Friday. “The statement of the President…should now end all these divisive efforts to amend the political provisions of the Constitution,” he said in a press statement, referring to moves to extend the President’s term beyond 2016. In a radio interview last Thursday Aquino said he is

The Department of Education over the weekend reassured the public it has not abandoned its vision of forming God-loving learners. DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro also stressed the agency does not have any fundamental disagreement with groups that want to promote love of God among learners. “We maintain that the formation of God-loving learners is a vision that we have not surrendered. We do not have any fundamental disagreement therefore with the position of various groups who wish to promote the love of God among our learners,” he said in a statement. He also affirmed the constitutional principle of “benevolent neutrality” towards religion and spirituality. Luistro maintained as well that the DepEd will continue to promote the spirit of inclusivity and remain open to dialogue, saying this is “a part of learning to live together.” Earlier Friday, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas chided the DepEd for removing the formation of “functionally literate and God-fearing Filipinos” from its vision. “A vision statement is not an empty platitude. It guides the articulation of policy. It orientates plans of action. While maka-Diyos remains one of the Department’s core-values, we maintain that the formation of God-fearing pupils and students is a vision that cannot be surrendered,” he said. He found it unfortunate that the 2013 version of the DepEd’s vision, “there is no more mention of God, nor of the salutary fear of Him that, Scripture tells us, is the beginning of all wisdom.” While the DepEd does Read More …

Philippine military Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak on Friday sought prayers for some 75 Filipino United Nations peacekeepers locked in a standoff with armed Syrian rebels in Golan Heights. Tumulak said a Filipino military chaplain is with the Philippine contingent that has rejected rebels’ demand to give up their arms. An article posted late Friday on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site said Tumulak called on Filipinos to pray for the troopers’ safety.  In the meantime, Tumulak said the Filipino chaplain, whose identity he did not reveal, was part of the country’s contingent under the UN Disengagement Observer Force. He said chaplains “take care of the spiritual needs” of Filipino peacekeepers. Tumulak added chaplains preside over Masses inside military installations, hear confessions, provide spiritual counseling and spiritual direction. —Joel Locsin/NB, GMA News

Dennis Roldan found guilty of kidnapping Fil-Chi boy in 2005. Former Quezon City congressman and actor Dennis Roldan listens as the guilty verdict was handed down by Pasig RTC Judge Rolando Mislang on Tuesday, August 26, over the 2005 kidnap for ransom of a Filipino-Chinese boy. Two other co-accused were also found guilty of the crime. Mariz Umali From the hard court to the House of Representatives to National Bilibid Prisons, Dennis Roldan — convicted Tuesday for the kidnapping of a Filipino-Chinese boy in 2005 — has spent most of his adult life in the limelight, whether he liked it or not, or for good or bad. A report on “24 Oras” on Tuesday said Roldan, real name Mitchell Gumabao, first made a name as a professional basketball player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 1983. He later on left the hard court for a stint in showbiz, starring in several movies and soap operas for years. It was while in showbiz that he adopted the name Dennis Roldan. Politics hooked Roldan in the 90s. He initially served as councilor in Quezon City then as third district representative from 1992 to 1995. However, things started to go south for Roldan in March 2002 when he accidentally ran over an 11-year-old child in Quezon City. Although the victim died, no charges were filed against Roldan, who shouldered the kid’s hospital and burial bills. Then in 2005, he and several others were arrested for the kidnapping of then-three-year-old Kenshi Yu. The Read More …