Maniolas

The election of Mayor Rody Duterte to the presidency is a clear repudiation of the failed leadership of the Aquino administration who has done nothing, or very little, to improve the lives of millions of destitute Filipinos. Filipinos all over the country are expecting President-elect Duterte to effect a meaningful and radical change in leadership and how to rid the government of corrupt public officials. The People also expect Duterte not to renege on his campaign vows that he will restore law and order to curb criminality and eradicate the illegal drug syndicates that have corrupted law enforcers in the country. I am hoping, like the rest of you, that a Duterte presidency will bring hope and a bright future for millions of Filipinos who were disappointed with the failed and weak leadership of President Benigno Aquino and also of his predecessors. *** I admire Duterte’s for being magnanimous after his victory in the polls. He immediately offered a hand of reconciliation to all his political opponents and told them to begin a national healing to foster unity among Filipinos, regardless of their political affiliations. Despite all the black propaganda orchestrated by the Aquino administration against Duterte, from being a killer, womanizer and plunderer, with millions of pesos deposited in several banks, the feisty mayor’s supporters never wavered in their conviction to elect him as their new president. Duterte dominated all surveys as the campaign was winding down during the homestretch that prompted the President to make a desperate plea Read More …

MANILA, May 12 (Mabuhay) – Leading vice-presidential candidate Camarines Sur Rep. Leni Robredo on Thursday said she is willing to work with Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the running mate of presumptive president, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. “Nagpapasalamat tayo sa pahayag ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano ukol sa resulta ng eleksyon,” Robredo said in a statement, after Cayetano conceded to her even though she has yet to establish a commanding lead over her closest rival, Sen. Bongbong Marcos, in the ongoing unofficial tally of votes. “Nananatili tayong bukas sa pakikipagtulungan sa kanya para sa patuloy na pag-unlad ng buhay ng ating kababayan. Tayo’y umaasa na matatapos na ito sa lalong madaling panahon at masimulan na ang paghilom ng ating bayan,” Robredo added. In conceding defeat, Cayetano said Robredo is not only leading the race but “already won it with majority of the votes tallied.” “It is often said that the voice of the people is the voice of God. In this regard, I humbly concede my vice presidential bid to Rep. Leni Robredo, who, by all accounts and with 96% of the votes already tallied, is our country’s presumptive Vice President-elect. Rep. Leni is not only leading the race, she has clearly won it,” he said. Robredo received 13,973,756 votes while Marcos got 13,760,369 as of 10:45 a.m. Thursday. Cayetano, on the other hand, got 5,657,300 votes. The other vice presidential candidates –Senators Francis Escudero, Gringo Honasan, and Antonio Trillanes IV – have already conceded. (MNS)

President Benigno S. Aquino III offers a wreath in front of the stained glass mural at the Colonnade of the Dambana ng Kagitingan, Mt. Samat Shrine in Pilar, Bataan during the 73rd Commemoration of the Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valor) on Thursday (April 09, 2015). This year’s theme: “Ipunla and Kagitingan sa Kabataan, Ihanda ang Beterano ng Kinabukasan.” Also in photo are US Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Philip Goldberg and Japan Ambassador to the Philippines His Excellency Kazuhide Ishikawa. (MNS Photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – United States Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg has congratulated Filipinos over the conduct of the recently concluded national and local elections. In a tweet posted Tuesday, Goldberg said: “I congratulate the Filipinos on their exercise of democracy. It reminds the world that PH is such an open & healthy democratic system.” The US envoy said he will congratulate the new leaders who will be at the country’s helm once their victories have been declared official. “Looking forward to congratulating the next leaders of the Philippines once the official election results are in,” he tweeted. The unofficial count of election results indicate Davao City Rodrigo Duterte is the apparent winner in the presidential race. Two of his rivals, administration standard bearer Manuel “Mar” Roxas II and Senator Grace Poe, have already conceded defeat. A Reuters report quoted a US official as saying Monday that Washington is ready to work with presumptive President Duterte despite allegations of human rights abuses in the city he Read More …

Presidential candidate Sen. Miriam Santiago (right) and vice-presidential candidate Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (left), the son of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos, gesture to supporters during a campaign rally in Batac, Ilocos Norte, Tuesday, at the start of the campaign for the May 10 national elections.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. have emerged victorious in the local absentee voting. On a list of total, unofficial results for the local absentee voting provided by Commissioner Rowena Guanzon from Committee on Local Absentee Voting director Allen Francis Abaya on Wednesday, Duterte got 10,283 votes. Vice President Jejomar Binay is a far second with 4,375 votes. Trailing behind Duterte and Binay are Senator Grace Poe with 1,628 votes, former Interior Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas II with 1,419 votes, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago with 1,253 votes and the late ambassador Roy Seneres with 2 votes. Meanwhile, Marcos topped the vice presidential race with 11,638 votes. His closest rival, administration candidate Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo got 2,341 votes. Presidential aspirant-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said in a press conference at the Golden Bay Restaurant in Pasay City on Thursday (April 29, 2016) that he has instructed his lawyer, Atty. Sal Panelo, to have his bank account in the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas branch opened in front of Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday, May 2. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)SCS/acd Following Marcos and Robredo are Senators Alan Peter Cayetano (2,134 votes), Read More …

Sharon Cuneta (MNS photo) Veteran actress-singer Sharon Cuneta is excited to be one of the coaches on the third season of “The Voice Kids.” Cuneta will replace Sarah Gernomino, who earlier explained that she wants to concentrate on “ASAP” and hone her talents as an artist. Cuneta said she is thrilled to join fellow coaches Lea Salonga and Bamboo. “Sobrang excited ako. I will be part of ‘The Voice Kids’ with, of course, Bamboo and Lea Salonga,” she said. But Cuneta’s surprises do not end there. She also teased her fans that she will have a “really big” surprise for them this year. This, she said, is the reason why she has not been active on social media for quite a while. “To all my supporters and fans, my Sharonians whom I love very much, alam kong ang tagal kong nawala sa Facebook, ‘di ba? Sadya po ‘yon. I have been hibernating,” she said. “I’ve been hiding because I have been working on myself para i-surprise kayo. Hindi pa ako tapos but I have lost a lot of weight, preparing for something really big.” When asked to spill some details, she just said: “It is a huge, huge surprise na hindi pa talagang puwedeng i-announce. Pero ang masasabi ko lang po, kumapit po kayo ng mahigpit na mahigpit,” she added. (MNS)