Maniolas

The National Bureau of Investigaiton (NBI) wants to get its hands on the notebook, which supposedly contains a list of individuals that the Ampatuans allegedly bribed in connection with the Maguindanao massacre case. In a report from GMA’s “24-Oras” on Tuesday, NBI Chief Atty. Virgilio Mendez said the bureau could check whether the allegations have basis based on the notebook’s contents. “This notebook contains the list of those alleged recipients of the bribe money. Dito natin makikita kung talagang meron bang pinagbasehan yung mga sinasabi,” Mendez said. Witness Jerramy Joson earlier showed the notebook to the media.  The notebook contains names and contact numbers of individuals involved in the Ampatuan massacre case, with corresponding amounts of money beside the names. According to the report, the NBI recently investigated members of the prosecution regarding the bribery attempt. Among them was Senior Deputy State Prosecutor Richard Fadullon who denied the allegations. “Kung hindi lalahad at lalantad yung tao na yun, we should not even dignify answering any accusations about the notebook,” Fadullon said. Fadullon’s name was purportedly said to be in the notebook revealed by Joson. Also implicated in the notebook was Justice Undersecretary Francisco Baraan III, who denied the allegations. “Hihingin ko sa Ombudsman na agad akong bigyan ng subpoena at ng complaint ng babaeng ito para masagot ko na ang kaniyang mga allegasyon,” Francisco said. The NBI has called on Joson to attend the inquiry to provide more information on the investigation. —Andrei Medina NB, GMA News

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will ask the Palace and the Armed Forced of the Philippines to transfer kidnapping suspect Jovito Palparan, a retired major general, to a military detention facility. In a report on GMA’s “24 Oras” aired Saturday evening, Trillanes there is a need to take care of former members of the military in recognition of their service to the country.   “Hindi natin inaabsuwelto si General Palparan, pero kailangan tratuhin lang natin ng maayos ‘yung mga naging sundalo,” he said. Trillanes, a former Navy officer, also said it is unfair that Palparan is being dubbed “the butcher” since this is a form of prejudgment. On the other hand, the families of the alleged victims of Palparan pushed for his transfer to the Bulacan provincial jail as already ordered by a regional trial court in Malolos. Palparan’s camp is appealing the transfer for his security. Trillanes recently visited Palparan at the National Bureau of Investigation detention center where he is being held.According to Trillanes, Palparan is in good condition and is in high spirits. Palparan was arrested last Tuesday after almost three years in hiding. He has been charged with two counts of kidnapping and serious illegal detention over the disappearance of University of the Philippines students Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeño. Palparan has denied the charges. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News

Raul Goco. Late Solicitor General Raul Goco. OSG file photo Former Solicitor General Raul Goco passed away before dawn Saturday, his son said. In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Goco’s eldest son Emmanuel Pio said his father died at 1:30 a.m. after being operated on Tuesday for aneurysm, which led to pneumonia and renal failure. He was 84. The younger Goco said the wake for the former solicitor general will start at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the Mount Carmel Shrine in New Manila, Quezon City. Burial will be on August 21 at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, he added. Meanwhile, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Malacañang extended its condolences to Goco’s family. “Nakikiramay tayo sa pamilya ng Sol-Gen Raul Goco… We extend our condolences to the family,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Goco served as Solicitor General from August 11, 1992 to September 22, 1996. The Office of the Solicitor General said Goco was born in Manila, and earned his bachelor of law degree from Ateneo de Manila University. He became a member of the Philippine Bar in 1955 and the New York Bar in 1987. He took post-graduate studies at Far Eastern University in Manila and Special Studies at the Academy of American and International Law in Dallas, Texas. He was a government scholar to the United States. Goco practiced private law briefly before joining the Department of Justice and handled agrarian disputes. He worked in the Department of Justice from 1957 to Read More …

The Manila International Airport Authority will seek the help of the Department of Health in boosting an awareness campaign on the threat from the Ebola virus at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. MIAA general manager Jose Angel Honrado said he wants the awareness campaign to be for government and non-government personnel who have direct interaction with passengers. “To the best we can and as far as allowable under government regulations, we are willing to support the Bureau of Human Quarantine to run an awareness campaign in NAIA,” Honrado said. NAIA’s frontline personnel include airline and ground handling staff, Customs and immigration officers, doctors, bridge operators, janitorial personnel and public relations staff. Honrado maintained the call for an awareness campaign is not meant to alarm the public or airport workers. “The intention is to keep everyone informed about Ebola and how they can do their jobs everyday without living in fear or anxiety,” he said. A statement from the MIAA said the move is in line with the call of the World Health Organization to step up public awareness on Ebola. MIAA said it has collaborated with the Bureau of Quarantine against the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome in 2002.  — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

Another anti-‘pork’ rally set on August 25. At a press conference in Quezon City on Tuesday, August 12, convenors of the Abolish Pork Movement urge other groups to join the anti-pork barrel rally set at the Luneta Park on August 25. GMA News Over a week before the scheduled nationwide protest actions on August 25, Malacañang on Wednesday countered calls from anti-pork barrel groups to remove all forms of discretionary funds from the national budget. At a press briefing, presidential spokesman Secretary Edwin Lacierda said that it is impossible to remove all contigent funds in the budget, due to “practical purposes.” “It’s nice to hear all these people, the left would say, ‘Wala. Hindi pwede. Tanggalin na ‘yung contingent fund. Dapat specific.’ But they themselves know it can never happen that way,” Lacierda told reporters. He cited as example calamity funds, which he said the government could not disaggregate because natural disasters cannot be predicted. “You cannot define with exactitude the amount that you’re going to identify to a particular storm or particular natural calamity. These things are force majeure,” he said. Anti-pork barrel groups are scheduled to hold protests along Roxas Boulevard on August 25 against various forms of discretionary funds in the budget and the supposed institutionalization of the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program. The protesters will also launch a people’s initiative to abolish the pork barrel system during the August 25 event.  In August last year, public sentiment against the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), which has Read More …