Maniolas

AFP media briefing on military operations vs Maute group: continuation of military operations in the outskirts and nearby localities of Butig town in Lanao del Sur to ensure the safety of residents, following the government’s recovery of the town from the Maute group, in a media briefing at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City on Thursday (Dec. 1, 2016). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) MANILA, Nov. 30 (PNA) – A day after President Rodrigo Duterte hinted of considering talks with the Maute Group, the Commander-in-Chief said on Wednesday that the military offensive against is members will continue because of the group’s “insincerity” in talking peace with the government. The military launched the latest offensive against the Maute Group on Saturday after the ISIS-linked group seized parts of Butig town in Lanao del Sur, the second time it has done so within the year. In an interview with reporters at Camp Evangelista Station Hospital in Cagayan de Oro City, the President said that he is doing everything to prevent a war because he does not want to wage war against fellow Filipinos as much as possible. “To the Maute Group, I said I do not want to declare war against Filipinos, but I told them that they have to stop,” he said. “I did not threaten them, I only said that I hate war. I do not want to wage war, but do not force my hand into it,” President Duterte said. He said that he cannot be forever traveling to Read More …

  President Duterte press conference at Melia Hotel in Lima, Peru: President Rodrigo R. Duterte orders all Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) officials to resign immediately due to reports of corruption during a press conference at Melia Hotel in Lima, Peru on Sunday (Nov. 20, 2016). (Photo by King Rodriguez/PPD/PNA) LIMA, Peru, Nov. 21 (PNA) – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is set to declare the lagoon in Panatag Shoal a marine sanctuary area, a senior security official said Sunday. National Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. disclosed that the President will sign an executive order declaring a lagoon in the Panatag Shoal, internationally known as Scarborough Shoal, a “no-fishing zone” for both Filipino and Chinese fishermen. This ‘unilateral declaration’ has been relayed to Chinese President Xi Jinping during the two leaders’ bilateral meeting held at the sidelines of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Meeting, according to Cabinet officials present during the APEC Media Press Conference with the Philippine media delegation. Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said that President Xi hoped to create something favorable out of this. “We will mobilize government forces to promote our agreements, step up guidance to create a favorable environment. Yun ang sinabi niya (President Xi) pagkatapos mabanggit ni Presidente Duterte yung kanyang unilateral declaration na gawing marine sanctuary,” Andanar said quoting the Chinese leader. The Panatag Shoal is a traditional fishing ground for Filipino fishermen. It was virtually off-limits to local fishermen as they complain of incidents of harassment they received from the Chinese Coast Read More …

Kaye Abad (MNS photo) Kaye Abad will be moving to Cebu following her wedding with Paul Jake Castillo this December but clarified that she will not be abandoning her career as an actress just yet. Explaining her decision to transfer to Castillo’s hometown, Abad, 34, reiterated that she wants to start a family as soon as she can with her fiance, saying she wants to have three kids at most. “Siguro kapag may baby na hindi na ako siguro makakapag-regular show. Siguro guestings, ganyan. But we’ll see. Kung magiging flexibile naman ‘yung schedule, basta kaya. Pero siyempre priority ‘yung family kasi [ma]tagal kong pinangarap ‘yung magkaroon ng sariling pamilya,” she said. In preparation, Abad added that she even started learning the local dialect: “I’m not fluent pero nakakaintindi na. Kasi lahat sila dun Bisaya eh. So when they talk nasanay na ako, naiintindihan ko na and I have to learn kasi they only speak Bisaya or English. Hirap sila sa Tagalog.” Abad and Castillo are set to exchange wedding vows in a private wedding ceremony in Cebu, the couple previously revealed. The two, however, have yet to give an exact date. Around 600 guests are expected to attend their big day, shared Abad, who will be wearing a gown designed by Francis Libiran. The pair had a rustic-themed prenuptial shoot in Subic, Zambales. Abad and Castillo had been close friends before admitting their relationship in April 2014. Abad even said that she had tried to set up Castillo with some Read More …

President-Elect Donald Trump MANILA, Nov. 20 (PNA) – The Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a United States-based non-profit Filipino organization, has welcomed the modified immigration policy announced by President-elect Donald Trump that only criminals would be deported. In a statement e-mailed to this writer on Sunday, MHC pointed out that during the election campaign, then candidate Trump said that if elected he would order the deportation of illegal immigrants. MHC said there are over 500,000 undocumented Filipino immigrants across the United States. “Last Nov. 8, voters elected Republican candidate Donald Trump as the next President of the United States,” the MHC said. The MHC statement, which was signed by its three directors, namely, Rev. Atty. Arnedo S. Valera, Esq., Grace Divina S. Valera, and Jesse A. Gatchalian, said: “We all know the campaign promises Candidate Trump made about mass deportations of 11 million people who entered this country without authorization, or have overstayed their visas. We heard Candidate Trump vowing to build a wall to secure the U.S. border. “It is important to differentiate Candidate Trump from President Trump. Already, President-elect Trump has modified his position on these two campaign promises.He announced this on Nov. 13 in an interview on CBS-TV’s ’60 Minutes’.” “He said only criminals would be deported. His exact words are these: ‘What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gangmembers, drug dealers, where a lot of these people, probably two million, it could be even three million…’ out Read More …

MANILA, Nov 16 (Mabuhay) – Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao said he has no plans yet to run for president but said he is not closing his doors on that possibility. “Wala pa sa isip natin yan, focus tayo sa trabaho natin (I don’t think about if for now, I want to focus on my work),” Pacquiao told reporters on Wednesday when sought for comment on President Rodrigo Duterte’s comment that he could become president. “For President na to ha (This is for President),” Duterte said when he raised the senator’s hand during a courtesy call in Malacañang last Monday night. But Pacquiao said he has not discussed with anyone the possibility of him seeking the highest office in the land. He said the President had just probably made the remark since they have the same advocacy. “Siguro nakita nya na pareho naman kami ng advocacy, pareho kami ng nararamdaman so nasabi nya yun pero sa akin trabaho lang ako (Perhaps he saw that we have the same advocacy, we have the same view so he said that but I want to focus on my work now),” said the senator. Pacquiao said he wants to concentate now on boxing and on his work at the Senate. Asked about the possibility that he would change his mind and consider running for president, the senator said: “Hindi naman natin sinasabing sarado. Ang pagiging Presidente ang Panginoon ang naglalagay dyan… Masyadong mataas yan para pangarapin. Gamapanan natin yung trabaho natin para marami tayong matutulungan Read More …