Maniolas

TV host and actor Vhong Navarro faced his alleged assailants Deniece Cornejo, Cedric Lee and Zimmer Raz for the second time during Friday’s bail-petition hearing at the Taguig Regional Trial Court, a report from GMA’s “24-Oras” program said Friday. Cornejo, Lee and Raz were charged with serious illegal detention, a non-bailable case. Nevertheless, the accused still filed their petition. Navarro first faced the suspects in a court hearing last May 6. “Hindi porket sumuko ay ibig sabihin ay bibigyan ka ng bail. They can cite a legal provision to that effect then they should present it to the court but they haven’t done so,” said Atty. Alma Mallonga, Navarro’s legal counsel Mallonga added that her client will pursue the case whatever the result of the petition. Aside from the bail petition, the court also tackled whether Cornejo should be transferred to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology facility in Taguig. She is currently being held at a detention center in Camp Crame. “Well it doesn’t matter as long as she is safe and siya ay ligtas [basta] walang danger to her life and limb,” Cornejo’s legal counsel, Atty. Ferdinand Topacio, said. Cornejo’s grandmother, Florencia was present during the hearing and wore a white shirt which said “Justice for Deniece jail the rapist!” According to the elder Cornejo, their lives had been badly affected by the incident. “Since January 17 na nangyari sa kanya hanggang ngayon pinipilit namin maging normal ang buhay namin,” she said. Navarro has accused Lee and Read More …

Ousted chief justice Renato Corona on Friday said he would rather not comment on a Sandiganbayan ruling freezing his and his wife’s assets, which are valued at P130 million. “No need for a reaction. De cajon na yun per SB (Sandiganbayan) Rules,” was Corona’s brief reply in a text message, without elaborating. Section 3, Rule 57 of the 1997 Rules of Civil Procedure, states that an “order of attachment shall be granted only when it appears by the affidavit of the applicant, or of some other person who personally knows the facts, that a sufficient cause of action exists… (and) that there is no other sufficient security for the claim sought to be enforced by the action.” Even Corona’s legal counsel Magilyn Loja was mum on the Sandiganbayan order. The lawyer had earlier said their camp has yet to receive a copy of the Sandiganbayan order. “But once we receive the resolution, we will have to discuss it with our client so our client can take appropriate action,” Loja had said. The lawyer had also noted that: “(Corona) is in the Philippines and he has been facing all cases filed against him.” Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Teresita Diaz-Baldos, Second Division chairperson, signed the two-page directive granting the issuance of a writ of preliminary attachment, which was dated May 5 but released to the media only on Thursday, May 14. The writ was attached to the P130-M forfeiture case filed by the Office of the Ombudsman against the Corona couple on March Read More …

Live fire drills cap PHL-US Balikatan . A Huey helicopter prepares to drop off troops while Philippine Marines take up positions during a live fire assault simulation drill on the last day of the annual Balikatan military exercise at Crow Valley in Capas, Tarlac on Thursday, May 15. In the simulation, US aircraft dropped bombs while Marines dodged artillery fire. The exercise took place weeks after the allies signed a defense deal against a backdrop of tensions between China and its neighbors. AFP CROW VALLEY – US aircraft dropped bombs and marines tore forward under artillery fire in war games in Tarlac on Thursday, weeks after the allies signed a defense deal against a backdrop of flaring Chinese tensions with its neighbors. The live rounds made a dull thud and kicked up dust as they rained down on a dry riverbed at the start of the hour-long maneuvers, involving about 100 American and 200 Filipino Marines. “We’re training to take over a key enemy position,” US Marines spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jay de la Rosa told AFP from a nearby ridge observation point, as F/A-18 and A-10 aircraft unloaded their payloads. Artillery shells also poured down from nearby hilltops before V-22 Osprey aircraft and conventional military helicopters made paratroop drops of marines on the simulated battlefield, later joined by colleagues aboard armoured vehicles. “It’s a maritime security scenario,” Filipino Navy Captain Annaleah Cazcarro said. “We don’t have a target country,” she emphasized. Thursday’s maneuvers came at the end of 10 days Read More …

Three members of the House of Representatives named in a list of lawmakers allegedly involved in the pork barrel scam have denied dealing with supposed mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. Cebu Rep. Gerald Anthony Gullas said his inclusion in a list of legislators who allegedly received kickbacks for allocating portions of their Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to bogus non-government organizations linked to Napoles was “outrageous” and “makes no sense at all.” “To begin with, I am the only pure first-termer among the 69 incumbent and former members of the House of Representatives ostensibly in the list. This is my first term ever as a congressman. I was not even a congressman yet between the time Janet Napoles and her gang of thieves were plundering public funds, until they were finally caught,” he said in a statement. Gullas said his constituents never had the chance to benefit from his PDAF allocation because the Supreme Court blocked the release of the funds – more commonly known as “pork barrel” – in September 2013, a few months after the scam was first reported by the media. Members of Congress assumed their posts on July 1. The lawmaker said his inclusion in the list that former senator Panfilo Lacson submitted to the Senate blue ribbon committee this week must be part of a strategy by “culpable” parties who stand to gain from public confusion from the existence of different lists. Another version of Napoles’ list is currently with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. “I can Read More …

Some 3.9 million Filipino families said they experienced going hungry in the first quarter of 2014, according to a new survey by pollster Social Weather Station. The 3.9 million families who claimed to have experienced having nothing to eat in the last three months is equivalent to 17.8 percent of Filipino families. The 17.8 percent figure is “marginally lower” than the 18.1 percent in December 2013. Also, the poll found that those who experienced severe hunger, having gone hungry “often” or “always,” rose 0.1 point to 2.8 percent or about 615,000 households. Moderate hunger, or having nothing to eat “only once” or “a few times,” dipped by 0.4 point to 15 percent, or 3.3 million families. The SWS poll was taken from March 27 to 30, and used face-to-face interviews of 1,200 adults nationwide. Sampling error margins of ±3% for national and ±6% for area percentages applied to the survey. By region Regionally, hunger fell by 12.3 points to 12 percent (about 356,000 families) in Metro Manila, and fell by 1.7 points in Mindanao to 18 percent (about 898,000 families). Hunger also fell by 0.8 point to 16.7 percent (701,000 families) in the Visayas. However, hunger worsened by 4.3 points to 20 percent (1.9 million families) in Balance Luzon. Meanwhile, moderate hunger declined in Metro Manila by 9.3 points to 9 percent; 1.6 points to 12.7 percent in the Visayas; and 0.6 point to 16.7 percent in Mindanao. It rose by three points in Balance Luzon to 17 percent. Severe Read More …