Maniolas

Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister General Tanasak Patimapragorn will visit the Philippines April 6 to 7, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Wednesday. In an announcement, the DFA said this will be the Thai deputy prime minister’s first official visit to the Philippines. During his visit, Patimapragorn will meet DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario to “discuss the progress of bilateral relations between the Philippines and Thailand,” the DFA said. “The two ministers will also discuss issues of mutual concern in the fields of economy, trade and investments, agriculture, education, defense, technical cooperation, as well as relevant developments in the region,” the DFA added. Patimapragorn served as the Supreme Commander of the Royal Thai Armed Forces and was appointed Foreign Affairs Minister in September 2014. The DFA said Thailand is one of the Philippines’ “long-standing friends and closest partners in the region.”  Engagement and cooperation between the two countries in various areas spanned 67 years. “Formal bilateral relations between the Philippines and Thailand were established with the signing of the Treaty of Friendship on 14 June 1949,” it said.  — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. on Tuesday said the military has “neutralized” about fifty percent of the forces of Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. In an interview with reporters, Catapang said the rest of the members of the armed group  splintered into small groups to evade the pursuing soldiers. On Monday, the military terminated its “all-out offensive” against the  group. The military offensive has killed 139 BIFF men and wounded 53, while twelve were captured. Catapang said the military is open to talking peace with the BIFF. “Hopefully they can also join us, we are willing to talk to them, if they want to, if they want peace, peace talks we can do that for as long as if they will not anymore harm or disturb the peace in these areas,” he said. Catapang ordered the offensive on Feb. 25, exactly a month after the deadly Jan. 25 Mamasapano incident in Maguindanao, which claimed the lives of 44 Philippine National Police-Special Action Force troopers. The SAF commandos were then on a mission to arrest terrorists Malaysian Zulkifli bin Hir also known as Marwan, Filipino bomb maker and Abu Sayyaf member Basit Usman, and Malaysian bomb maker Amin Baco alias Jihad. The elite police force figured in an hours-long gunfight with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, its splinter group, the BIFF, and private armed groups.  — ELR, GMA News

Is it really more fun in the Philippines? Maybe its residents can convince you. Filipinos are one of the happiest citizens in the world according to a global survey. The Philippines follows close behind ten Latin American countries – most of them sharing ranks based on the results of a Gallup poll Positive Experience Index released a day before the United Nations International Day of Happiness on March 20. Gallup asked 1,000 individuals aged 15 or older in 143 countries in 2014 if they had positive experiences on the day before the survey. Results are based on telephone and face-to-face interviews. Gallup compiled the “yes” responses from five questions: “Did you feel well-rested yesterday?”, “Did you smile or laugh a lot yesterday?”, “Did you learn or do something interesting yesterday?”, “Were you treated with respect all day yesterday?” and “Did you experience the following feelings during a lot of the day yesterday? How about enjoyment?” into a Positive Experience Index score for each country. Paraguay topped the survey with a score of 89. In second, third and fourth places are Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala which all received a score of 84. Honduras, Panama and Venezuela shared the fifth, sixth and seventh place on the list with a score of 82. Costa Rica, El Salvador and Nicaragua got 81, placing eighth, ninth, and tenth. The Philippines received a score of 80, sharing the spot with Singapore, Switzerland and Uruguay. Money isn’t everything. Latin American countries aren’t the wealthiest countries but they Read More …

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division on Monday denied the motion for reconsideration filed by detained Sen. Jinggoy Estrada regarding the ordered attachment and freeze of his assets, in relation to his alleged involvement with the pork barrel scam. In a five-page resolution issued Monday, the anti graft court denied Estrada’s motion which asked the court to reverse its earlier ruling to temporarily freeze P183.793 million worth of his assets pending the resolution of of his plunder and graft cases. “As movant has not filed a counter bond and as his arguments heron are unmeritorious, there is therefore no compelling reason to lift the attachment while the main case is still pending,” the court said. Estrada’s main argument is that his plunder and graft cases have yet to be decided. However, the Sandiganbayan said in its decision that since a writ of attachment was an ex-parte motion, a case didn’t need to be resolved for the order to freeze an accused’s assets to be valid. “With regards to motions in general, the Rules of Court requires only that motions be heard; it does not direct the court to order the filing of comments or oppositions to the motion before the motion is resolved,” the court said. The decision also referenced the Supreme Court in saying stopping the freeze order would be grossly unfair to the prosecution, which was well within its rights to ask for the freeze of Estrada’s assets “On the other hand, borrowing the words of the Supreme Court, ‘allowing Read More …

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) will exhaust all legal remedies to save the 30-year-old Filipina migrant worker on Indonesia’s death row. In a statement, Presidential adviser on OFW (overseas Filipino worker) concerns and Vice President Jejomar Binay said that the DFA office of Asia and the Pacific Affairs has assured him that the government would file a second petition for judicial review to possibly stop the execution of Mary Jane Veloso. Binay also renewed his appeal to Indonesian President Joko Widodo to help lift Veloso’s death sentence. Veloso is a widow with two young children who has not been involved in any crime until she was accused of drug trafficking. The Vice President met on Palm Sunday with Veloso’s parents, Celia and Cesar, at the Makati City hall where he discussed the government’s next move to save their daughter. During the meeting, he spoke with DFA assistant secretary Minda Calaguian-Cruz who assured him of the plan to file another appeal for the review of Veloso’s case with the Indonesian Supreme Court. While the Indonesian Supreme Court has denied the Philippine government’s initial request for a judicial review, where Veloso’s lawyers had raised the absence of a capable translator during her trial, it had said it would wait for the conclusion of any outstanding legal appeal before executing 10 foreigners – including Veloso – who were convicted of drug offenses. Veloso, along with nine other persons, were sentenced to die by firing squad. The OFW was convicted Read More …