Maniolas

Senator Leila de Lima welcomes Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa before the start of the Senate hearing on the extrajudicial killings.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday revealed it could only so far investigate more than 500 of the 756 drug-related deaths due to its lack of manpower. At the resumption of the Senate inquiry on the spate of alleged extrajudicial killings, PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said that in these 756 deaths, the drug suspects were “presumed” to have resisted their arrest, by fighting it out with lawmen and snatching their firearms. “Otherwise, kung hindi sila nanlaban, eh di buhay sana sila, your honor,” Dela Rosa told Sen. Leila de Lima when asked if the “nanlaban” angle was the PNP’s “official version” of these deaths. “Unless proven otherwise there is controverting evidence, I presume my men are performing their duties regularly,” Dela Rosa added. Chief Supt. Leo Angelo Leuterio, head of the PNP’s Internal Affairs Service, said that of those being investigated, 23 have already been proven to be “legitimate,” while the rest remains under investigation. By “legitimate,” Leuterio said the probe had proven there was “prima facie” (“at first sight”) evidence to show the suspects had indeed been killed by cops while resisting arrest. When asked by De Lima why only a fraction, or 581 deaths in 569 police operations, of the total 756 deaths had been investigated, Leuterio blamed the shortage on his office’s Read More …

COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS CONVENES FOR 17th CONGRESS: Senate President and new Commission on Appointments (CA) Chairman Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (3rd from left, front row), along with San Juan City Representative and new CA Vice Chairman Ronaldo Zamora (4th from left, front row), pose for a souvenir photo with the new members of the CA in the 17th Congress during a plenary session on Wednesday, August 17, 2016. Also in photo are (from left to right, top row) Senators Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquaio, Franklin Drilon, JV Ejercito, Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, Juan Miguel “Migz” Zubiri, and Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, with Davao del Norte 2nd District Representative Antonio Floirendo Jr, Occidental Mindoro Representative Josephine Ramirez-Sato, Cebu 4th District Representative Benhur Salimbangon, Cavite 5th District Representative Roy Loyola, Valenzuela 1st District Representative Wes Gatchalian, Davao Oriental 2nd District Representative Joel Mayo Almario, Iloilo City Representative Jerry Treñas and Senator Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV, along with (from left to right, front row) Senators Loren Legarda and Ralph Recto, and Isabela 1st District Representative Rodolfo Albano III, A Teacher Partylist Representative Julieta Cortuna and Manila 6th District Representative Rosenda Ann “Sandy” Ocampo.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The second-quarter performance of the Philippine economy puts the country on track to meet government targets for this year and the next, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said Thursday. “The numbers are good for the Duterte government to hit its growth targets of at least seven percent this year’s second semester and 6.5 to 7.5 Read More …

By Jill Beltran Miss Universe Pia Alonzo-Wurtzbach visits the new Department of Tourism Office: Miss Universe Pia Alonzo-Wurtzbach receives a token of appreciation from Department of Tourism (DOT) Secretary Wanda Corazon Teo during the former’s visit at the new DOT Headquarters along Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. in Makati City on Monday (July 18, 2016). In a press conference after their meeting, Secretary Teo said she is grateful for the full support the reigning Miss Universe is giving to DOT’s efforts to host the upcoming Miss Universe contest in the country. “We are really hopeful that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will grant our request, especially now that this undertaking would practically entail no expense on the part of government. More importantly, it would give a big boost to businesses and livelihood of millions of people, in line with our ‘shared tourism’ program,” the DOT Chief said. (PNA photo by Jess M. Escaros Jr.) MANILA  (PNA) – Traffic gridlock in Metro Manila and public safety are among the major concerns of the Department of Tourism (DOT) in hosting the Miss Universe pageant in the country next year. These were the key issues discussed during the first meeting of the Philippine Host Committee (PHC) recently, which comprises several agencies, in preparation for the highly-anticipated beauty pageant. “The maddening traffic mess is obviously the one single problem that beset our daily economic activities in Metro Manila, and we will find ways so as not to aggravate this with the hosting of Miss Universe,” said Read More …

President Rodrigo R. Duterte, members of the Government of the Philippines (GPH) Peace Panel, and members of the National Democratic Front (NDF) Peace Panel join hands at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace on August 15. MANILA (Mabuhay) — A Malacañang official on Thursday said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against Senator Leila de Lima are rooted in her supposed assumption that the chief executive himself is linked to extrajudicial killings. In a statement, presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella pointed out that Duterte understands that “public discourse has its dynamics and perimeters,” as exhibited in his previous exchange with the Supreme Court Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno. “However, he has taken umbrage with Sen de Lima’s approach, of not only taking the moral high ground with regard to drug-related deaths, but her assumptions that said deaths are directly attributable to PRRD’s War on Drugs,” he stated. President Rodrigo R. Duterte and members of the National Democratic Front (NDF) Peace Panel do the fist gesture at the President’s Hall in Malacañan Palace on August 15. (MNS photo) The newest word war started Wednesday afternoon in Camp Crame when Duterte hinted that a senator was linked to the narcotics trade through her driver who happened to be her lover. He said that the senator went to Davao City to investigate his connection to the so-called vigilante group Davao death squad and its violation against human rights. Press to reveal the name of the human rights crusader in a news briefing later that afternoon, Duterte Read More …

Senate to probe killings of drug suspects Confiscated FAs presented to PNP chief in General Santos City (August 16, 2016) – Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa, Philippine National Police chief, presents to journalists during his visit at the police regional office on August 11 the cache of seized assorted high-powered firearms from police operations in Central Mindanao Region. (Isagani Palma–Malungon Information Office/with PRO-12 PNP Press Corps) MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa assured the senators on Tuesday that police officials “will bare all” during the scheduled Senate investigation on the spate of killings of drug suspects next week. “Yung pagpunta lang namin dun sa Senado is a sign that we are true to our words, we are true to our deeds. Wala kami[ng] itatago, kung ano ang gusto nilang malaman, ibibigay namin,” Dela Rosa said at a press conference before a command conference with his officials. “Huwag silang mag-alala, ilalabas naming lahat, lahat ng kailangan nilang data ibibigay namin, lahat ng gusto nilang malaman, sasabihin namin,” he added. The Senate committee on justice and human rights, chaired by Sen. Leila de Lima, is set to conduct its probe on August 22 and 23. Dela Rosa had earlier expressed his readiness to attend the investigation. Asked on the advice of Sen. Panfilo Lacson that the PNP should keep its cool during the Senate probe, Dela Rosa said he appreciates the concern of the former PNP chief. “I appreciate the concern of our former boss, Sen Read More …