Maniolas

Workers of the National Printing Office (NPO) wait for the resumption of printing of the 2016 official ballots, Thursday. The printing of the ballots was stalled due to a complaint filed by presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago due to the exclusion of the name of her party on the printed ballots.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Malacañang on Saturday urged the voting public to watch the presidential and vice presidential debates organized by the Commission on Elections (Comelec). “Siguro maliit na sakripisyo ito para sa bayan na manood tayong lahat, pag-usapan ang mga sagot at ang mismong mga tanong, at sa paraan na ito makakatulong sa ating desisyon sa bayan,” Communications Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III said over radio dzRB, citing that all presidential and vice presidential debates will be held during Sundays. The first of the three presidential debates will be held in Cagayan de Oro City this Sunday, February 21 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. It will be hosted by GMA Network and the Philippine Daily Inquirer. TV5 and The Philippine Star will host the Visayas leg of the presidential debates on March 20 while ABS-CBN and Manila Bulletin will lead the Luzon debate on April 24. The lone vice presidential debate will be hosted by CNN Philippines, Business Mirror and Rappler on April 10. Quezon said that the debates will be mostly beneficial for the voting public as it will give them better appreciation of all the presidential and vice presidential candidates. All presidential candidates — Vice President Read More …

Once reported to have millions in back taxes, the Philippine Bureau of Internal Revenue now says that boxer-turned-congressman Manny Pacquiao is the top taxpayer after remitting $3.72 million in taxes. Reports said the amoung was about 64 percent higher than the second-highest taxpayer. MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Jabbed by possible disqualification in the May senatorial race, and swarmed by global outrage at his LGBT comments, boxing icon Manny Pacquiao still appears unperturbed. “I’m not bothered, that’s the world. I mean, Jesus lives in me so I’m always happy,” Pacquiao told reporters after a training session in General Santos City Saturday. “Sabi nga ng Bible, everyday has enough troubles of its own, so don’t be bothered about that,” Pacquiao said. Senatorial hopeful Walden Bello earlier said that Pacquiao may face disqualification if he pushes through with the megabout with Timothy Bradley in April. Bello argued that Pacquiao will exceed the allowed airtime for candidates during the bout and will also earn him free media mileage. Pacquiao said he is willing to postone the match if the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will order him to. But the boxing great noted that this is not the first time that he will be fighting in the ring during election period. “Kung iyan ay against the law, sa rules, bakit hindi. Pero hindi naman ito ang unang laban ko na tumakbo ako sa eleksyon, mga nakalipas na eleksyon lumaban din ako. Wala naman,” Pacquiao said. Pacquiao fought Jorge Solís in April 2007, a month before he Read More …

Eugene Domingo (MNS Photo) GMA Network never fails to bring happier days to every Kapuso as it launches the first comedy anthology in the country with Dear Uge. It premieres internationally on February 15 via GMA’s flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV. Dear Uge is hosted by no less than award-winning comedienne/actress and TV host Eugene Domingo, who is very thrilled about her latest show in the Kapuso Network. She is very happy and proud of the show’s concept which is one-of-a kind, amusing, and primed to bring “kilig” to TV viewers. “I believe it’s pioneering, this type of TV show. This time mas light ang topic and most definitely, funny side ng love ang ipapakita,” says Eugene. [Translation: “I believe it’s pioneering, this type of TV show. This time, the topic is lighter and we’re most definitely showing the funny side of love.”] In Dear Uge, the stories, characters and plot twists will be entertaining. Even Eugene’s hosting and narration will be comical and have an identity of its own. In the show, she is Urbana Genoveva Esperanza, a ‘variety store’ owner who hosts a web show called Dear Uge. She will also have a charming sidekick played by Divine Grace Aucina, a theatre actress from the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA). Making this show unique and exciting are Eugene’s cameo roles in each episode. Aside from the talented cast in lead roles, she will play various interesting characters that will have home viewers laughing out loud with her Read More …

RANCHO MIRAGE, California) President Benigno S. Aquino III joins fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders, during the first retreat session of the Special US-ASEAN Summit on the theme of “Promoting an Innovative, Entrepreneural ASEAN Economic Community.” at the Sunnyland’s Garden and Center in Rancho Mirage. The summit is a follow-up to the elevation of US-ASEAN dialogue relations into a Strategic Partnership last November in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (MNS photo) LOS ANGELES, California  (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III arrived in Los Angeles International Airport on Tuesday afternoon for a two-day working visit following his participation to the US-ASEAN Leaders Summit. President Aquino left Palm Springs International Airport after attending the special summit hosted by US President Barack Obama with leaders from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) at the Sunnyland’s Estate in Rancho Mirage. On Tuesday morning (February 16), the President attended the second retreat session themed “Protecting Peace, Prosperity, and Security in the Asia-Pacific.” He also joined a family photo opportunity with other world leaders. (California is 16 hours behind Manila) While in Los Angeles, President Aquino will participate in a series of business meetings with the top executives of Walt Disney International, Western Digital Corporation, and AECOM’s Enterprise Growth Solutions. (RANCHO MIRAGE, California) President Benigno S. Aquino III is welcomed by United States President Barack Obama at the Sunnylands Garden and Center in Rancho Mirage, the venue of the Special US-ASEAN Summit hosted by the United States of America (USA). The summit is a Read More …

Senator Grace Poe (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – With the conclusion of the oral arguments on Tuesday, the Supreme Court should resolve immediately Sen. Grace Poe’s plea challenging her disqualification from the May 2016 presidential elections. This was according to legal experts on Wednesday, who also said that should the high court uphold Poe’s disqualification by the Commission on Elections late in the campaign period, the votes she would be getting would be wasted. Election lawyers Edgardo Carlo Vistan II and Romulo Macalintal, and former Integrated Bar of the Philippines national president Vicente Joyas all agreed that the high tribunal should already decide on Poe’s two petitions. Vistan said in the event Poe’s disqualification is upheld by the SC but voters still end up voting for her in the May polls, those votes “cannot be credited to her as they would be considered stray votes.” Since January 19, the high tribunal conducted a total of five rounds of oral arguments on the Poe cases. “It is important that the Supreme Court resolve the disqualification cases against Sen. Grace Poe expeditiously,” said Vistan, adding that just because the Comelec had already started printing the 57 million ballots does not make the resolution of the Poe cases less urgent. “Even if the ballots would be printed already with Sen. Poe’s name as one of the presidential candidates, there is still an urgent need for a speedy resolution of the case so that the Comelec can make appropriate adjustments to the automated vote Read More …