Maniolas

MANILA, Philippines–Don’t conclude until the investigation is over. This was the advice of the Philippine National Police to those who are speculating that the United States had a hand in the Mamasapano, Maguindanao operation that went awry and killed 44 elite policemen. PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo Jr. INQUIRER.NET FILE PHOTO In a briefing on Tuesday, PNP spokesperson Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr. said the PNP will maintain the statement of sacked Special Action Force head Police Director Getulio Napeñas that his unit solely carried out the arrest of Malaysian terrorist Zulkifli bin Hir or Marwan. Napeñas said earlier in congressional hearings that the US had no direct involvement in the bungled operation except for the medical and rescue assistance. But several sources have claimed that the US funded and led the operation. However, the US Embassy denied the involvement of the US apart from providing a helicopter to airlift the wounded. “General Napeñas’ statement is still subject to the investigation of the House and Senate as well as the PNP’s Board of Inquiry. We better wait for the result of the investigation,” Cerbo said. However, Cerbo said the PNP will not deny that the US is giving police forces “support.” “We don’t deny that the PNP receives support, not only from the US, in terms of equipment, capability enhancement, training and information sharing. We have an arrangement with ASEAN countries,” he said. But as to the US’ direct involvement in the Mamasapano mission, Cerbo advised the media to wait for Read More …

Carmelo Arcilla. File photo MANILA, Philippines – The government has signed its first air agreement for this year opening up more commercial opportunities for the airlines of the Philippines and Singapore through higher seat entitlements and limit on the frequencies, as well as additional co-terminal points. Carmelo Arcilla, executive director of the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB), said in a text message that a new Memorandum of Understanding on Air Services was signed by the Philippines and Singapore last Friday. “Overall, the agreement opens up more commercial opportunities for the airlines of the two countries,” he said. Arcilla pointed out that the new air pact increased the current capacity entitlements between Manila and Singapore by 7.1 percent to 18,888 seats per week for each country from the current 17,627 seats per week. Likewise, the list of co-terminal points for the Singaporean carrier that currently includes Cebu, Davao, and Puerto Princesa was expanded to include Iloilo and Bacolod. “It means that Singaporean carriers can fly to Cebu for example and then proceed to Davao,” he said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 According to him, both the Philippines and Singapore also agreed to increase the limit on the frequencies for 5th freedom to 10 per week from eight per week. Fifth freedom rights refer to the right to fly passengers to third countries from a country with which an airline’s resident country has an outstanding air services agreement. “This means that a Singaporean carrier for example can operate a Read More …

PROPERTY giant Ayala Land Inc. grew its net profit last year by 26 percent to P14.8 billion on the back of robust revenues booked from the residential development and leasing portfolio segments. Consolidated revenues for the full year 2014 reached P95.2 billion, 17 percent higher year-on-year, which the company attributed to its ability to seize opportunities for growth amid positive market conditions. “We are pleased with the performance of each of our business lines in 2014 and their contributions to our overall growth,” ALI president Bernard Vincent Dy said in a press statement on Monday. “Moving forward, we will continue to introduce new residential projects and scale-up our commercial leasing operations in support of our 2020 Vision.” The 2020 vision seeks to ALI’s net profit by 20 percent each year in the next six years, with the end-goal of breaching the P40-billion mark by the year 2020. ALI launched four estates last year – Alviera Pampanga, Altaraza Bulacan, Arca South Taguig, and Atria Park District Iloilo – which opened up to new development over 1,200 hectares of land. “Opportunities that will allow us to build integrated sustainable developments will remain our top priority.  Not only do these estates become great places to live and work, but they also provide business and job opportunities to many Filipinos.” Dy said. On property development – which includes the sale of residential lots and units, office spaces, as well as commercial and industrial lots – ALI reported revenues of P65.9 billion in 2014, 21 Read More …

While the country’s attention was drawn to the death of 44 SAF policemen in an operation in Maguindanao, a House of Representatives committee quietly conducted a hearing the other week on the difficulties that politicians allegedly go through in their banking transactions. The hearing is an offshoot of House Resolution 1857, which seeks an inquiry into the practice of banks of refusing to accept deposits to the accounts of their legitimate depositors, or the opening of news accounts of relatives, of politically exposed persons even for amounts not covered by law. Its proponent, Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, said the banks’ action was “causing undue convenience, damage and prejudice” to those persons. A politically exposed person (PEP) is “a natural person who is or has been entrusted with prominent public positions in the Philippines or in a foreign State, including heads of state or government, senior politicians, senior national or local government, judicial or military officials, senior executives of government or state owned or controlled corporations and important political party officials.” At the hearing, Fariñas cited his experience of being treated as a “criminal perpetrator” when he tried to deposit P450,000 in his Citibank account. Citibank denied the imputation and said it conducts due diligence in the acceptance of deposits in compliance with banking regulations. A Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) official stated banks should accept deposits as long as they do not exceed P500,000 and are not suspicious under the Anti-Money Laundering Act. Treatment It is no surprise that the congressmen Read More …

The prospect of speaking as a solitary figure on a stage to hundreds of people almost always “brings shivers up the spine” of even the most accomplished executive. Others often complain of “butterflies in the belly.” That’s because “to err is human.” And if we believe Murphy’s Law, “if something can go wrong, it will–at the most inopportune time.” And it can go very wrong very fast before the eyes and ears of at least a hundred people. Worse, your error in delivery can be picked up by a powerful microphone, and your highly visible embarrassing moment caught by television. And yet, speak in public we must. If you need to “rally the troops” in launching a product that will catch competition by surprise, you as CEO or COO will have to stand at an elevated structure–and, yes, speak! On the first Monday of every month, if you are one of those ranking officials handling a department in government, you will be the featured speaker in a flag ceremony. So, the employees will either love you their boss for your inspiring Monday morning speech, or they will have one more reason to get back at you by spreading an embarrassing–or ho-hum story–to prove that your feet, after all, are made of clay. Or, you are finally conferred a well-deserved doctorate and, garbed in hood and toga, you deliver a speech that inspires graduates in commencement rites. You can deliver a brief memorable speech and be an exemplar for their dreams Read More …