Maniolas

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former senator Kit Tatad exchanged heated words during a forum on Saturday over Vice President Jejomar Binay’s plans to run for president and the allegedly-overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2. “Ang sa aking paniniwala, ang Binay presidency would be so much worse than an Arroyo presidency,” Trillanes, who was detained during the Arroyo administration for participating in mutinies against the government, told GMA’s “24 Oras” after the forum. He asserted during the forum that Binay’s overpriced projects — including the building — may exceed the P10-billion pork barrel scam. “Dun sa pork barrel scam, ang mga naakusahang senador ay daang-daang milyon ang naakusa sa kanila, and a lot of people already found it scandalous. Pero dito po, dalawang bilyon po ang involved, and it involves the vice president of the republic,” Trillanes said. Tatad, a known supporter of the vice president, replied that the Senate lost “the moral authority to investigate anyone” after their involvement in the pork barrel scam. “Imbestigahan muna nila ang sarili nila,” Tatad, who was a senator during the presidency of Joseph Ejercito Estrada and minister of public information under President Ferdinand Marcos, retorted. He said that the Senate has yet to regain the public trust over allegations that senator-judges were bribed with funds from the Disbursement Acceleration Program to convict impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona. Trillanes, who is part of a Senate sub-committee investigating the alleged overpricing, replied: “It’s very unfortunate kung sa panahon ni Kit Tatad, with all due Read More …

A security guard was gunned down in Makati City Friday afternoon, and police are turning to Twitter to help track down the perpetrator. The Makati City police posted descriptions about the suspect on Twitter. “(The perpetrator is) 5’4″ (tall), military look, wearing red bulcap, (has a) mole on left cheek,” the Makati Deputy Chief of Police for Administration said. It also asked netizens Twitter to retweet the description. Police identified the victim as Valentin Gabasa Balasa, a security guard who died from two gunshot wounds to the head. “He was said to be buying a cigarette when fired upon,” it said. The suspect was last seen walking on foot toward a fast-food outlet at Buendia. “Suspect armed and dangerous. Kindly tweet us as soon as possible. Makati SWAT team and other personnel at location,” police said. Citing initial information, the police said the shooting occurred along Pasong Tamo corner dela Rosa Street in Barangay Pio del Pilar. A separate report by GMA News’ Ruth Cabal on “24 Oras” said the Makati police initiated dragnet operations against the gunman. —Joel Locsin/NB, GMA News

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. admitted Friday that he had requested the mayor of General Nakar in Quezon province to have a non-government organization controlled by Janet Lim Napoles implement a livelihood project funded by his pork barrel allocation in 2012. Marcos, however, said that “at no time did I direct, authorize or cause the approval of the disbursement of P10 million to the SDPFFI (Social Development Program for Farmers Foundation, Inc.),” one of Napoles’ alleged bogus NGOs. SDPFFI was then headed by whistleblower Benhur Luy, at that time a close aide of Napoles. In a press statement, Marcos said that he received sometime in 2012 a request from the municipality of General Nakar to finance a livelihood project. He granted the request for financial assistance as the project was included in the menu of projects allowed to be funded under the Priority Development Assistance Fund pursuant to the 2012 General Appropriations Act or GAA.   “This request, together with other projects proposed for funding under the Senator’s PDAF was submitted for review to the Senate Legislative Budget Research and Monitoring Office and the Committee on Finance for the endorsement of the Senate President,” Marcos said. Marcos added that the Senate President transmitted these requests to the DBM and it was the DBM that determined the validity of the requests and projects prior to the issuance of Special Allotment Release Orders (SARO).   He said the DBM bases its evaluation on whether the requests for financial assistance were in accordance Read More …

Lawyer Stephen David, counsel of businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles on Friday said he was satisfied with how the testimony of the prosecution’s witness, Commission on Audit (COA) assistant prosecutor Susan Garcia, worked in favor of his client.   During her testimony before the Sandiganbayan Third Division, Garcia said the COA found irregularities with how the PDAF of Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, amounting to P345 million was released to the non-government organizations (NGOs) associated with Napoles.   “No projects implemented at all considering our review of the documents and the reply of the supposed beneficiaries,” Garcia told the court, referring to the COA’s special audit report on the PDAF allocations of several lawmakers, including Enrile, from 2007 to 2009.   She said that after the findings of their audit report, the COA issued Notices of Disallowance (NDs) to Enrile, his chief of staff Lucila “Gigi” Reyes, his deputy chief of staff Antonio Evangelista, as well as the presidents of the NGOs the PDAF money was allocated to.   “The Notice of Disallowance is to inform them of their civil liabilities as well as to order them to return the money,” Garcia said. ‘Notices of Disallowance still under appeal’ Garcia said the NDs are still under the period of appeal. Under COA rules, disallowed sums must be returned to the government once appeals are denied with finality by the Commission when the period for filing an appeal has expired without the subject officials seeking a reconsideration of the ND. David, however, said Read More …

Sereno swears in Jardeleza as new SC associate justice. Newly appointed Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardaleza (left) takes his oath of office before Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno on Wednesday, August 20. Jardeleza’s appointment by President Benigno Aquino III was announced on August 20. Roy Lozano At least for now, new Supreme Court Associate Justice Francis Jardeleza and his oppositors in the high court appear to be keeping the peace. Led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, Supreme Court justices all welcomed Jardeleza as their colleague, according to a report on “24 Oras” Thursday. Sereno, who was one of those who opposed Jardeleza’s bid to be an associate justice, administered the oath of office to Jardeleza. Jardeleza was greeted by the other justices and given a tour of the Supreme Court building in Manila. He was initially excluded from the shortlist of nominees prepared by the Judicial and Bar Council. He questioned this before the Supreme Court and was eventually included in the list. The former solicitor general becomes the 173rd Supreme Court justice, replacing the retired Roberto Abad. When asked if he was happy about his appointment, he said, “yes, of course.” Even Commission on Audit chairperson Grace Pulido-Tan, who was on the JBC shortlist, was happy for Jardeleza. Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban said he sees no problem between Jardeleza and his colleagues in the high court. He said that while they may disagree “vehemently” on some issue, they would still be friends in the end. Read More …