Maniolas

“I will be the next president” is perhaps what Philippine’s Vice President Jejomar Binay is telling U.S. President Barrack Obama as he welcomes the U.S. president upon his arrival at an airport in Manila April 28, 2014. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The camp of Elenita Binay, the wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, will file cases against the Office of the Special Prosecutor (OSP) of the Ombudsman for reviving cases already dismissed with finality three years ago. In a statement, Joey Salgado, Binay’s spokesman, said this could all be part of the demolition job against the vice president who has admitted several times that he will be seeking the presidency in 2016. Salgado is referring to the reopening of malversation charges against Mrs. Binay in connection with the purchase of beds for the Ospital ng Makati during her tenure as Makati mayor. As a result, the Sandiganbayan Third Division issued on May 20 a hold departure order. Salgado lamented the manner by which the OSP had conducted their review of the dismissed cases, which, he said, “showed undue haste, harassment, and the blatant absence of transparency.” He said there was not even any new evidence or witness to support the revival of the cases. “We had hoped that given the highly charged political atmosphere arising from the revelations of Janet Lim-Napoles, the Ombudsman’s OSP, would have shown greater prudence to avoid allegations that it is persecuting those who are not allies of the administration,” he said. Salgado noted that Read More …

Filipino boxer and incumbent Congressman Manny Pacquiao, right, raises the hand of his wife Jinkee shortly after filing their respective Certificates of Candidacy (COC) for next year’s midterm elections at the local Commission on Elections office in Alabel township, Sarangani province in southern Philippines Tuesday Oct. 2, 2012. Pacquiao is seeking reelection for his province’s lone congressional district while his wife is running for vice-governor of the province. Pacquiao’s younger brother and a sister-in-law have also entered politics and are running as Congressman in another province and as a village chief respectively. (MNS photo) MANILA (AFP) – Being world boxing champ, a heavyweight politician, an actor and a preacher is not enough for the Philippines’ irrepressible Manny Pacquiao – now he wants to be a professional basketballer. The pint-sized 35-year-old has caused shockwaves and much disbelief with his adoring fans at home by declaring his intention to become a playing coach for an expansion team in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). “Even when I was a kid, even before I learnt to box, basketball was my first love,” Pacquiao, who has won an unprecedented eight boxing world titles in different divisions, told reporters this week. Pacquiao stands at 1.69 metres (five feet, seven inches) and has no history as a basketballer in competitive leagues, but intends to serve as playing coach for the newly created Kia Motors team when the next PBA conference starts in October. He defended himself against critics who said he would be no match for the Read More …

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Brian Johnson poses for a photograph with Philippine soldiers after conducting helicopter insert and extract training on Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, April 29, 2014. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Pete Thibodeau MANILA (Mabuhay) – Pristine Ulugan and Oyster Bays in Palawan province do not only have great value not only as a haven for nature lovers, but great strategic potential for the military. The Armed Forces of the Philippines is considering allowing the United States military to use the venues for training, under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA). “(K)asi nakita natin ang potential niya at kailangan magkaroon ng paraan para ito ma-develop into a naval facility,” AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said. EDCA, signed earlier this year by the Philippines and the US, expands cooperation between the two countries and allows the US military to build military facilities in “agreed locations.” It is seen to help the Philippines deter incursions by countries like China to disputed parts of the South China Sea, which the Philippines refers to as the West Philippine Sea Ulugan Bay is a harbor for sea vessels especially in bad weather. The military’s Naval Forces West had moved its headquarters there while the Navy has a detachment in the area, he added. On the other hand, Oyster Bay is a potentially strategic area considered for US troops’ use, as one can get to the West Philippine Sea from there via Ulugan Bay. Palawan Governor Jose Alvarez noted such a potential Read More …

Children hold plates on top of their heads against rainfall as they queue for free meals during Christmas celebrations at the town of Bislig, Tanauan in Leyte province, central Philippines December 24, 2013, a month after Typhoon Haiyan battered central Philippines. The Philippines has warned that predators might prey on Yolanda victims. (MNS photo) TACLOBAN, June 2, 2014 (AFP) – Tens of thousands of students in the central Philippines began the school year on Monday in steamy tents and other makeshift classrooms, seven months after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region. The government said it had hoped to rebuild or repair 20,000 classrooms before students returned, but new regulations requiring higher building standards so schools withstand future typhoons led to delays. “These are the birth pangs of making sure that resiliency…would be the basis for better structures,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in Manila. “In the meantime, the students will be studying in structures which are not yet resilient, but we hope for their understanding.” At the Panaluran Central School in Tacloban, a coastal city which bore the brunt of the typhoon, hundreds of sweat-soaked children crammed into three temporary classrooms made from steel frames and corrugated iron sheets as the temperature outside hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). “It is pitiful to see them packed like sardines,” said housewife Gina Villamor as she anxiously waited for her children, aged 6 and 10, to finish their first day at school. “It is so hot in there. And there is no Read More …

Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia, Jr. (left standing) speaks with businessmen for the Houston leg of the 3rd Philippine Investment Roadshow in the United States held late last month. The investment roadshow, initiated by Ambassador Cuisia, seeks to highlight the remarkable feat and success the Philippine economy achieved by highlighting positive macroeconomic developments under the administration of President Benigno S. Aquino III, encouraging international investors to do business in the Philippines. ATLANTA, Georgia – In order to move forward, it is not enough to just build back. We need to build back better. This was the message of Philippine Chamber of Mines President Phillip Romualdez American corporate executives and investors who attended the 3rd Philippines Private Sector-Led Investment Roadshow here early this week. In his remarks during the  Philippines: Asia’s New Emerging Tiger business forum, Romualdez provided a situation report on the devastating effects of Typhoon Haiyan, which struck Tacloban City and other parts of the Eastern Visayas in November, and shared with attendees the Proposed Tacloban Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan (TRPP). “Nine out of 17 regions, covering 44 provinces and 59 cities in the Philippines were hit by Typhoon Haiyan. Over 16 million people were affected, with over 4 million displaced,” said Romualdez. “The most severely damaged region is Eastern Visayas with over 4 million people affected by the typhoon and suffering 35 percent of total damages.” Romualdez said Haiyan also greatly affected the social sector, which sustained the most damage at 65 percent, followed by the economic sector at 31 percent, and infrastructure Read More …