Maniolas

The arrested Chinese workers in Pampanga. Photo courtesy of Bureau of Immigration The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has arrested a total of 1,240 illegal Chinese workers inside a posh rest and recreation center in Clark, Pampanga. In a report to BI Commissioner Jaime Morente, the joint operation against the Chinese nationals were conducted by the BI’s Fugitive Search Unit  and the Angeles City Police led by Senior Superintendent Sidney Villafor. “Our immigration officers have started conducting verification of passports (of the suspects),” Morente said. Immigration Spokesperson Atty. Maria Antonette Bucases-Mangrobang said the Chinese nationals are working in call center type of operations  and investigation is still ongoing to identify the owner. Initial evaluation showed that some of the arrested Chinese nationals have working visas. “But we still have to determine the type of working visa…We still have to check if the actual work when they were arrested is the same as that indicated in the working visa. It is not just enough that they have a working visa,” she said adding that some have arrived in the country as tourists. On who will be deported, Mangrobang said the Board of Commissioners will still have to determine that based on the evidence to be submitted by the Immigration’s Intel. “It will be assessed to determine the necessary actions to take as far as these foreign nationals are concerned,” she added. The arrested Chinese nationals are currently at the Fontana Food Center and are being secured by elements of the Special Action Read More …

Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III said the House of Representatives cannot dictate them over what to do with Sen. Leila de Lima, a News To Go report said Friday.  This came after the House committee on justice issued a show cause order against De Lima, following the testimony of her former driver-bodyguard Ronnie Dayan and his daughter, Hannah Mae, saying the senator asked him to snub the House inquiry on the proliferation of drugs at the New Bilibid Prison, despite a subpoena issued against him.  During the hearing, Rep. Harry Roque also called on the Senate to “remove” De Lima from office to “maintain the integrity of the institution.”  In response, Pimentel was quoted as saying this is unrealistic.  The requests should also be coursed through proper channels, he added.  Earlier, De Lima’s partymates in the Senate rallied behind her, and said the House should recognize the inter-parliamentary courtesy. —Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/KG, GMA News

Since coming to power in June, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has made global headlines, a rarity for national leaders in Southeast Asia. His comments on his country’s relations with major powers – the US, China, Japan and Russia – have been extraordinary for their divergence from conventional wisdom. Now the time has come for him to demonstrate his leadership finesse in representing the region. The Philippines is the incoming chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, succeeding Laos, which has done a good job despite limited resources and modest expectations. In contrast, the Philippines has the most outspoken leader in Asean and expectations are high that it will raise the bloc’s profile to a new level in the year ahead as it takes over the rotating duty at the helm. Adding to this sense is the fact that the chairmanship coincides with the association’s 50th anniversary. Manila has indicated it is ready for the task, even conceiving the sweeping, snappy new theme “Partnership for changes, engaging the world”. READ: Duterte formally accepts PH hosting of Asean summit in 2017 It’s clear that whatever the Philippines has in mind for its tenure as Asean chair will have to take into account the historic importance of this milestone, coming at a time when the region is facing serious challenges. Several agenda items stand out as being the most critical. Firstly, the Philippines will give top priority to making Asean a people-centered, peopled-oriented community. The Asean Economic Community has entered its second Read More …

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA — A 67-year-old Dutch man was arrested in Caloocan for alleged illegal possession of firearms and ammunition, the Northern Police District said. Cornelis Kok was allegedly in possession of a .45-gun, a Colt MK IV, with a magazine loaded with six rounds of live ammunition. He has been staying at Bustos, Bulacan with wife Rina Kok, Supt. Ferdinand del Rosario, the deputy for administration of Caloocan police, reported on Wednesday. As part of protocol, Caloocan police said they informed the Ministry of Netherlands through Richard Van Kooj about Kok’s arrest. A complaint for illegal possession of firearms will be filed against him before the city prosecutor. Kok was at a bus terminal on Second Avenue and about to go home when security guard Jerry Silva noticed the firearm. Police are still determining why he brought the guns in a public place. Kok presented documents to prove there was nothing illegal about the gun but police said the papers “bore visible marks of being spurious.”  SFM TAGS: .45-gun, Caloocan City, Caloocan City Police, Colt MK IV, Cornelis Kok, Crime, Ferdinand del Rosario, Foreign Nationals, illegal possession of firearms, Law enforcement, police investigation, Rina Kok For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

President Rodrigo Duterte “charmed” New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully on Tuesday as he justified the Philippine government’s controversial war on illegal drugs. Mr. Duterte also commiserated with the country over the strong earthquake that struck its South Island earlier this month. Mr. Duterte discussed a wide range of topics with McCully, including cooperation between the two countries against terrorism in the Asia Pacific region and the need to maintain peace and stability in the region, Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar said. The two leaders conveyed their desire to boost bilateral cooperation between their countries, particularly through improved trade and investment in key areas such as the dairy industry, said Andanar. The President made a brief stop in Auckland on his way home from Peru, where he attended the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit with other world leaders. He also met with and posed for pictures with Filipinos in Auckland, many of whom even mimicked his signature clenched fist pose. “[The President] highlighted the importance of the Philippines’ fight against criminality particularly against illegal drugs, emphasizing its vital importance in the Philippines and the region, and warned of its dire consequences if unchecked,” Andanar said. McCully for his part said he discussed the disputed South China Sea with the “charming” Philippine leader. McCully said the pair had a wide-ranging discussion late on Tuesday but declined to comment on whether Duterte’s controversial drugs crackdown was discussed. “He’s a tough guy but he was warm, courteous and actually quite charming,” McCully told Read More …