Maniolas

Senate Committee on Sports Chairman and Senator Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquaio and Senator Loren Legarda give words of encouragement to the members of the Philippine Chess Olympiad Team, headed by Asia’s first grandmaster (GM) Eugene Torre, during their visit to the Senate on Tuesday, August 30, 2016. Torre and the other members of the Philippine’s men and women’s chess teams will fly out to Baku, Azerbaijan tomorrow to compete for the 42nd World Chess Olympiad which will be held from September 1 to 14, 2016.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Manny Pacquiao and officials of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) on Tuesday urged President Rodrigo Duterte to release the PSC’s share of funds from the annual income of Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) as mandated by law. Under Republic Act (RA) 6847 or the Philippine Sports Commission Act, “five percent of the gross income” of PAGCOR “shall be automatically remitted directly” to the PSC. During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Sports however, PAGCOR explained that the five percent remitted to the PSC is computed from the deducted 15 percent of government share. PSC chairman William Ramirez said he intends to raise the matter with the President. Senator Manny Pacquiao, chair of the Senate Committee on Sports, discusses a proposal which seek to establish the Philippine Boxing Commission. “Considering the growing popularity of this sport and the number of champions it has produced for the country, it is about time that we give attention and consideration to this sport Read More …

Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (middle) discusses to the media how Congress will play an important role if the country decides to shift to nuclear power, during the Conference on the Prospects for Nuclear Power in the Asia-Pacific Region organized by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Tuesday, August 30, 2016 at the Diamond Hotel, City of Manila. “Because of the huge expenditure involved, plus the controversial nature of the decision, I believe that we need a law to be in place before we can pursue nuclearization of our energy sector,” he said. Also in photo are Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi (left) and IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Nuclear Energy Mikhail Chudakov (right). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III on Tuesday denied that he was deliberately shying away from the “word war” between President Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Leila de Lima. “Di naman ako tahimik (I am not being silent about it). I’m just respectful,” Pimentel said at the sidelines of a conference on the prospects of nuclear power held in Manila. “I know the chairmanships have been distributed. I know that the chairman or the chairperson calls the shots with his or her committee,” he said. De Lima is currently the chairperson of the Senate committee on justice, which has been holding hearings on the increasing number of summary killings linked to the President’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. Because of her inquiry and her previous investigation, as head Read More …

Evangeline “Vangie” Paredes with Embassy’s Chargé d’ Affairés, Minister Patrick A. Chuasoto at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy on 25 August 2016. WASHINGTON, DC – Members of the Filipino-American community in the Metro DC area came together on 25 August 2016 at the Romulo Hall of the Philippine Embassy to fete Ms. Evangeline “Vangie” Paredes, who turns 100 years old this year. Ms. Paredes is a former secretary of President Manuel Quezon and has been a prominent member of the community for the past seven decades. The celebration was also part of the Philippines’ observance of National Language Month and History Month. “The month of August means many things to many people in many places. For Filipinos, the month of August is very significant. Filipinos celebrate Buwan ng Wika – National Language Month – under Proclamation No. 1041 of 1997 by former President Fidel V. Ramos. The national commemoration used to beLinggo ng Wika, a week-long celebration that happened every August 13 to 19, coinciding with the birthday of former President Manuel L. Quezon, known as Ama ng Wikang Pambansa, or Father of the National Language, who was born on 19 August 1878,” said the Embassy’s Chargé d’Affairés, Minister Patrick Chuasoto, in his welcome remarks. “August has also been designated as ‘History Month,’ under Proclamation No. 339 signed by President Benigno Aquino III in 2012. August is indeed a month that witnessed many turning points in Philippine history,” Minister Chuasoto added. Rita Cacas, founder and President of the Rita M. Cacas Foundation, Inc., Read More …

Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) operatives conduct an inventory of ingredients used in the manufacture of illegal drugs at the Henson Plastic factory warehouse in Valenzuela City on Friday. PDEA agents raided the alleged shabu laboratory and confiscated an undetermined amount of ingredients used to make shabu.(MNS photo) MANILA, Aug 29 (Mabuhay) – With hundreds of thousands of individuals surrendering to authorities for admitted drug use, Malacañang on Sunday declared success in the administration’s campaign against illegal drugs. “Kung makikita po natin ‘yung first phase ng laban kontra droga ay nagwagi na tayo, ‘yung first phase po ito. Ito ‘yung susumahin natin ‘yung mahigit 700,000 na sumurrender or who turned themselves in para magpa-rehabilitate,” Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said in an interview over state-run dzRB radio. Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) released on August 2 shows that nearly 600,000 drug users have surrendered from July 1 to August 2. Andanar said the government was now ready to “move on to the second phase of the drug campaign,” which will be explained by President Rodrigo Duterte himself. Andanar recalled Duterte’s commitment during the campaign to suppress the problem of illegal drugs, crime, and corruption in the country within three to six months. “Ito’y ginagawa naman ng Pangulo, sa mas lalong madaling panahon. Ang pangako ng ating Pangulong Duterte, ay ito ay malinis, within three to six months, mga 70 to 80 percent, ay malinis na ito,” he said. The Palace official said the “matrix” released by Duterte establishing the Read More …

MANILA, Aug 29 (Mabuhay) – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has temporarily suspended the printing of ballots for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections. According to Comelec chief Andres Bautista, this is in line with a seeming agreement to push the elections back anew between President Rodrigo Duterte and Congress. “As you know, it seem that it’s already a consensus between the President and Congress to postpone the barangay and SK elections. We deemed it prudent to first suspend the ballot printing,” Bautista said. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Andres Bautista personally observes the biometric registration of voters for the forthcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections at the Lucky China Mall in Binondo, Manila on Friday (July 22, 2016). (MNS photo) The poll chief said they “are hopeful that Congress will pass a law quickly regarding the postponement.” Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said printing will resume by September 1 if there is no confirmation of postponement. The poll body has to print a total of 85 million ballots—57 million for barangay elections, and the remaining 28 million for SK. Printing began on August 21, with a deadline slated on October 21. So far, at least 411,000 ballots have been printed for Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur. The postponement of the said elections is deemed the “most prevailing sentiment” among lawmakers. Duterte—who earlier said barangay and SK polls must push through this year—said Friday that he is now in favor of the postponement because of the possibility of “drug Read More …