Maniolas

THE 15-MAN Bangsamoro transition committee (BTC) will be racing against time and practically against federalism to draft a replacement to the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which was shelved by the previous Congress following a deadly clash that left 44 police commandos dead last year. Members of the government peace panel left early Friday for Kuala Lumpur to activate the implementation phase of previously signed agreements with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF). Presidential peace adviser Jesus Dureza said that the implementing stage of the Bangsamoro peace accords will be formally launched on Saturday, during which the composition of the BTC will be finalized to embark on two tasks: the crafting of an enabling law for the Comprehensive Agreement of the Bangsamoro (CAB), and the drafting of proposed constitutional amendments. Replacement of BBL “The (Bangsamoro Peace and Development) Roadmap is for us to come together, get all the Bangsamoro groups to come together and then craft the replacement of the BBL that did not pass and recommend this to Congress for enactment and hopefully we can entrench and install the Bangsamoro government units as quickly as possible while our national government is working toward federalism as the end-game,” Dureza said. Dureza said the government was hoping that an enabling law to expand a Muslim autonomous region would be signed soon. “We hope for an early passage of an enabling law (for the CAB) that is inclusive and will converge all the signed agreements with Read More …

The US Embassy in Manila on Friday reiterated its concern about President Rodrigo Duterte’s homophobic comments against Ambassador Philip Goldberg and hinted Washington was reconsidering aid to the Philippines. But Mr. Duterte said he would not apologize to Goldberg. “He did not apologize to me when we saw each other, why would I apologize to him? He started it,” Mr. Duterte said in a televised interview on Friday. Goldberg drew Mr. Duterte’s ire during the presidential campaign when he commented about a joke made by the candidate during a rally. Mr. Duterte spoke about the gang-rape and murder of an Australian missionary during a prison riot in Davao City in 1989. He said the missionary was so beautiful and he should have been the first to rape her. Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Amanda Gorely responded, saying violence against women was unacceptable and should not be trivialized. Joining her, Goldberg, speaking in an interview on CNN Philippines, said the United States did not condone any statement by anyone that degraded women or trivialized serious issues like rape. Mr. Duterte yesterday said Goldberg’s comment hurt him, as it came during the campaign.   ‘I was hurt’ “I was hurt, it was election time. Now I’m somewhat OK,” he said. “Who would not get angry, it was election time and you would say things like that?” he added. Speaking at a military camp in Cebu City on Aug. 5 after a meeting with US Secretary of State John Kerry, who pledged $32 Read More …

In this Aug. 9, 2016 file photo, former Philippine President Fidel Ramos listens to a question during a press briefing at the Philippines consular office in Hong Kong. AP FILE PHOTO Former President Fidel V. Ramos on Friday said China had welcomed him to visit Beijing for discussions in the wake of last month’s ruling of an international arbitration tribunal in favor of the Philippines over China’s excessive claims in the South China Sea. President Rodrigo Duterte has appointed Ramos his special envoy to China to initiate talks with Beijing after the UN-backed Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled last month that China’s claim to almost all of the South China Sea had no basis in international law.   READ: Ramos accepts Duterte offer to become special envoy to China The tribunal also found that China violated the Philippines’ rights to fish and explore resources in waters within its 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone in the strategic waterway. Ramos, speaking in Hong Kong near the end of a two-day trip undertaken to rekindle Philippine ties with China, said he had met with two Chinese officials and they had discussed the need to build trust and confidence to reduce tensions in the South China Sea through talks. A longtime advocate of closer Philippine-Chinese ties, Ramos said he had discussions with Fu Ying, chair of the foreign affairs committee of the National People’s Congress, China’s communist-controlled legislature. Fu Ying is a former ambassador to the Philippines. Formal discussions Ramos said he Read More …

Milpitas Mayor Joe Esteves (in barong Tagalog) hands Vice President Leni Robredo a letter of congratulations and gratitude for being a “great model” for citizens in the Philippines while ConsulGeneral Henry Bensurto Jr. (extreme left) and Milpitas City Council Member Gary Barbadillo (extreme right) look on. JUN NUCUM SAN FRANCISCO – Filipinos here gave a rousing welcome to Vice President Leni Robredo who stopped by this famous City by the Bay August 7 after a speaking engagement at a Filipino American empowerment conference in Pennsylvania. Robredo had visited the Filipino community here 19 months ago, when she was still the representative of the 3rd district of Camarines Sur in Congress. Her position may have changed, but the Robredo plain-folks trademark was still evident when she again greeted Bay Area kababayan at the packed Kalayaan Hall of the Philippine Consulate during a forum jointly sponsored by the University of the Philippines Alumni Association of San Francisco (UPAAA-SF) and the consulate. Atenean Group of San Francisco Bay Area members led by Leiza Danan-Leon (fourth from left) flocked to the Philippine Consulate to see and hear Vice President Leni Robredo. JUN NUCUM Robredo veered from a prepared speech and reprised at length her recollections as a simple mother of three who was bent on remaining on the sidelines, but who finally cast her lot in politics due to public clamor following her husband’s death. Running for and winning the second highest position of the land had never dawned on her before the opportunity Read More …

Christy Lynn Jaski of Wilmington, North Carolina confessed to molesting a 14-year-old Filipino boy she was in the process of adopting. FACEBOOK WILMINGTON, North Carolina — A North Carolina woman has pleaded guilty to sex charges involving a 14-year-old boy who her family was in the process of adopting from the Philippines. The StarNews of Wilmington reports 43-year-old Christy Lynn Jaski pleaded guilty Tuesday, August 9, to three counts of misdemeanor sexual battery. Jaski was sentenced to three years of probation and must register as a sex offender for 30 years. [In 2004, Jaski launched a ministry dedicated to helping families raise money for adoptions. Through her efforts, more than 20 children have been placed with families in several states, according to a report in UK’s Daily Mail.] Prosecutor Lance Oehrlein says Jaski kissed and groped the boy sometime between December 2014 and January 2015. Oehrlein says Jaski also sent messages to a friend in the Philippines admitting she had kissed the child. She was arrested in February 2015. Jaski’s attorneys say Jaski hasn’t had any contact with the boy since he was removed from the Jaski family’s home and placed in another state. Latest Athletics standouts’ turn to shoot for medal in Rio This is happiest PH team, says ‘lucky charm’ Star ‘always outhustled’ says Barroca 15 Manila-bound flights diverted due to bad weather Recommended Disclaimer: Comments do not represent the views of INQUIRER.net. We reserve the right to exclude comments which are inconsistent with our editorial standards. FULL DISCLAIMER View Read More …