Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino lll delivers his speech during the opening ceremony of Publish Asia 2016 Conference, with the theme “Mapping Challenges and Opportunities in the New Asian Media Game,” held at the Manila Hotel in One Rizal Park in Manila, Wednesday, March 30, 2016. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) will finalize by next week a draft bill aimed at relaxing the country’s strict bank secrecy law in order to combat money laundering. AMLC member and Insurance Commissioner Emmanuel F. Dooc told reporters Thursday that President Aquino has committed to certify the bill as urgent, although he admitted there may no longer be material time to pass the bill before the change in administration by midyear. Dooc said AMLC met Wednesday night, during which they went through the draft bill. “We should liberalize or relax the bank secrecy law because now it is clear that it is a deterrent or obstacle to address money laundering offences,” he said.  Dooc pointed out the senators’ frustration with key personalities invoking the law amid an investigation of the $81 million stolen from Bangladesh’s central bank that ended up in the Philippine financial system and casinos. All of AMLC members—including its chair Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. and Securities and Exchange Commission Chairperson Teresita J. Herbosa—were amenable to at least relaxing the bank secrecy law, although Dooc said he was pushing for total lifting. “Now there’s a sense of urgency to review laws with regards Read More …

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada (left) endorses Senator Grace Poe for President during his own proclamation rally for reelection in Manila on Monday. Estrada did not endorse Poe’s running mate, Senator Chiz Escudero, but instead chose Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for vice-president.(MNS photo) ANGELES, Pampanga  (Mabuhay) – “I am not an OJT (on-the-job training).” This was how presidential candidate Senator Grace Poe shot back at Vice President Jejomar Binay on Thursday when the latter reportedly called her again an OJT, noting how she answered the issue on the West Philippine Sea during the second presidential debate in Cebu last March 20. “Yan ang problema pag nagmamaliit ng mga OJT. Marami naman tayong mga OJT pero hindi naman ako OJT sapagkat matagal na rin ako kahit papano…” she said when sought for comment on Binay’s remarks. (That’s the problem when some are underestimating those undergoing OJT. We have a lot of OJT but I’m not one of them because I have been serving the public for quite a long time.) “Wala sa haba yan kung hindi sa kalidad ng paninilbihan,” she added. (It’s not about the length but more of the quality of service.) During the debate, Poe’s rival Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte asked her what she would do if she was awakened in the middle of the night by news that two of the country’s Coast Guard cutters were bombed by China. “Ang kailangan nating gawin ay, siyempre, ang presidente kailangan bumangon agad at kasama…Hindi ba? Hindi naman pwedeng mamaya Read More …

RCBC –Jupiter Branch Manager Maia Santos-Deguito takes an oath before testifying during a Senate hearing on the US$81 million money-laundering scandal, at the Philippines Senate on Tuesday. Deguito was summoned to shed light on the Philippines’ biggest anti-money laundering case involving money stolen from the central bank of Bangladesh.(MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Filipino-Chinese businessman William Go is planning to file more charges against Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) Jupiter branch manager Maia Deguito and former senior customer relations officer Angela Torres. Go said he wants to see Deguito in jail after he was linked to the $81 million money laundering scheme and his accounts frozen. “Siyempre sa ginawa niya sa akin, sa gulo. Wala akong kamalay-malay,” he said. Go earlier filed criminal charges against the two bank officials after they claimed the businessman received P20 million in cash withdrawn from Go’s account last February 5. He said an independent report of Truth Verifier Systems, Inc. confirmed that his signatures in the withdrawal slip for the P20 million are forgeries. Go’s lawyer, Ramon Esguerra, said they will file falsification charges against Deguito and Torres. “The first one was [on] the withdrawal slip of the 20 million-peso withdrawal; the second and the third one will be on the basis of the falsified opening bank documents, both of which have been scientifically found, in so far as Mr. Go’s signature is concerned, have been falsified,” Esguerra said. Go debunked Torres’ claim that she personally brought the money to Go’s car outside the Read More …

Dingdong Dantes (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The relationship between father and son is a big factor in how the latter sees the world and how he wants to take it on – just ask actor Dingdong Dantes. In an interview, Dingdong credits his success to the way his parents raised him. He said his father, in particular, has always had open communication lines with him and respected his opinions even when he was younger. José Sixto Z. Dantes Jr., now 68 years old, remains an important and inspiring figure in his life. “Sa pag-develop nya sakin, ’yung mga values na shinare nya… thankful ako don,” Dingdong said. “Actually, I owe everything to him.” The actor summed his dad’s parenting style as “less talk but still full of authority.” “He helped me define my goals,” the actor said. “Mahalaga na mayroon tayong good relationship hindi lang sa ating tatay kundi pati sa mga magulang, kapatid, kaibigan.” Though already married to actress Marian Rivera who gave birth to their first child, Letizia, early this year, he said they’ve not neglected their folks, holding get-togethers regularly (“at least once a week, Sundays usually” he said) to keep the bond strong. “Nandyan siya (father) para palakihin ako kaya ibabalik ko naman sa kanya ang pag-aalaga,” Dingdong said. “It’s payback time.” Looking back, the actor said his father has always wanted to have a joy ride with him on his restored vintage motorbike. José also wishes to have a farm and to fly a Read More …

By Nimfa U. Rueda DNC Chief Executive Officer Amy Dacey (photo courtesy of https://twitter.com/amykdacey) LOS ANGELES – As the race for the White House heats up, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) continues to tap better ways to reach Filipino-American and other Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) voters. DNC Chief Executive Officer Amy Dacey told reporters yesterday (Wednesday in Manila) they have expanded their grassroots outreach to members of the nation’s fastest-growing ethnic group. “We’re looking at how we’re communicating with them…and how they’re getting their information about the party, what we stand for, the general election and our candidates,” Dacey said in a roundtable discussion with the media in downtown Los Angeles. “We’re working on the local level everyday to do that. Peer-to-peer conversation, people hearing from members of their community matters a lot.” Studies show AAPIs will soon outnumber Latinos as the largest immigrant group coming to the United States. While AAPIs are concentrated in California and New York, they are also rapidly growing in the battleground states of Nevada, Virginia, and Florida. That means capturing the Asian American vote is important in the November elections, according to the Asian American Advancing Justice, which is set to release new polling data on AAPIs today (Thursday in Manila). In the last few presidential elections, Fil-Ams and other AAPIs had leaned heavily democrat, and the DNC hopes to get more of them to vote. “The issues that (Democrats) are focusing on are very tuned in to the Filipino-American community, especially the Read More …