Maniolas

Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan on Thursday gave the camps of detained Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., his staff Richard Cambe, and Janet Lim-Napoles 10 days to comment on the motion seeking their transfer of detention. Prosecutors earlier said the current detention areas of the three – PNP Custodial Center for Revilla and Cambe and Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna for Napoles – have no legal basis as these are not detention cells. The prosecutors said Section 3, Rule 113 of the Revised Rules on Criminal Procedure states that an accused arrested by virtue of an arrest warrant must be delivered to the nearest police station or jail. “As understood in our jurisdiction, ‘jail’ refers to a facility or place of confinement for inmates undergoing trial and is managed and supervised by the provincial government and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology,” they said. The prosecution wants the three to be transferred to an ordinary detention facility like Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, saying aside from lack of basis, their continued detention at their present locations affords them special treatment as they are subjected to different rules and procedure not afforded to all other detention Read More …

Coleen Garcia says she’s a sneakerhead no more.

Filipinos wade through a flooded street at the financial district of Makati, south of Manila, Philippines on Tuesday, Aug. 20, 2013. Some of the Philippines’ heaviest rains on record fell for a second day Tuesday, turning the capital’s roads into rivers and trapping tens of thousands of people in homes and shelters. The government suspended all work except rescues and disaster response. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Employers of private firms are being urged by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to give extra incentives or benefits to employees who report for work amid inclement weather or calamities. Labor Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz said that because pay rules state that employees who report for work shall receive no additional pay during calamities, employers may instead provide extra incentives and benefits. Baldoz said employers should ensure the safety and welfare of employees by providing free food, transportation, personal protective equipment and first-aid medicines. “To alleviate the plight of employees in times of crisis, employers may provide such extra incentives or benefits to employees who reported for work,” she said. On Wednesday, Baldoz reminded all private sector employers on the rules for pay on the suspension of work due to typhoon “Glenda.” She said that the “no work, no pay,” policy applies, unless there is a favorable company policy, practice, or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) granting payment of wages on the said day. “When the employee has accrued leave credits, a worker or employee may be allowed to utilize such leave so Read More …

Could pacemakers become a thing of the past?©Picsfive/shutterstock.com (WASHINGTON–AFP) – Injecting a certain gene into cardiac muscle has been shown in animal studies to help a weakened heart beat more strongly, scientists said Wednesday. If shown to be safe and effective in people, experts said the procedure might one day replace the need for electronic pacemakers, though that knowledge is years away. “This development heralds a new era of gene therapy, where genes are used not only to correct a deficiency disorder, but actually to convert one type of cell into another to treat disease,” said lead author Eduardo Marban, director of the Cedars-Sinai Heart Institute. It is the first time that a heart cell has been preprogrammed in a living animal in order to cure a disease, said Marban. Gene therapy has long been viewed as a promising but risky field, particularly after early attempts to use it in people in the 1990s showed it could be dangerous and even fatal. Marban said the use of a mild virus as a delivery vector for the gene should reduce concerns that typically arise in gene therapy, such as the potential for a deadly immune reaction or the possibility that the process could lead to the formation of a tumor, but acknowledged that more research is needed. The study in the journal Science Translation Medicine details a therapy in which a gene known as TBX18 is injected into an area the size of a peppercorn in the pumping chambers of the Read More …

By Elena Johnson This heart-healthy, cholesterol-free recipe for vegetarian chicken salad is perfect for summertime cookouts. Since the Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips are already cooked, you won’t even need to turn on the stove. This quick and easy salad is delicious on toasted bread for picnic sandwiches or, served in a lettuce cup, an elegant dish for a backyard dinner party. Chicken-Free Salad Chicken-Free Salad 4 – 6 servings 12 oz. Beyond Meat Chicken-Free Strips, cut into ½ inch pieces 2 stalks celery, finely chopped ½ small red onion, finely chopped Approximately 30 green seedless grapes, halved ⅓ cup parsley, finely chopped ½ teaspoon salt 1 ½ teaspoons black pepper ⅓ – ½ cup egg-free mayo, such as Just Mayo, to taste  Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Stir gently until thoroughly combined. Adjust seasoning to taste. Assemble sandwiches using toasted bread or serve in lettuce cups. About the Author Elena Johnson Elena Johnson is a second-generation Filipino American living in Baltimore, MD. As a vegan chef and caterer she has been reinventing her family’s recipes and sharing them with friends, relatives, and those interested in vegetarian cooking. Elena is also the Special Projects Manager at Compassion Over Killing, a national animal advocacy organization focusing on cruelty to animals in agriculture and promoting vegetarian eating as a way to build a kinder world for all. Elena combines her passion for vegetarian food with a love of teaching by offering cooking demonstrations to the public. To learn more about Read More …