Maniolas

Re-elected Pamra President, Reno Villanueva and wife Lynn Villanueva. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Pilipino American Retirees Association Military Retirees Association’s (Pamra) biennial tour and ball was a resounding success! The Pamra activities started with a tour in Batangas and Bicol that included visits to heritage structures, historical and natural landmarks, churches, enjoying and immersing in various cultural activities and of course feasting, on native delicacies. This biennial week long engagement is a chance for the Pamra members, not only to visit their land of origin, but also a way for these indefatigable men from the military service – comprised of retired members of the US Coast Guard, US Navy, US Army, US Air Force, US Marine Corps, Noaa, USPHS, and US Merchant Marine – to help the local economy via tourism and encourage second and third-generation Filipino-Americans to get to experience and appreciate the country of their grandparents and parents. LCDR Ireneo “Reno” Villanueva of the US Coast Guard (Ret.), currently the president of Pamra shared: “Pamra was founded in 1995 and most of the coast the coastguards who retired went back to the Philippines for a vacation. The first event happened at the Manila Hotel. After their vacation, the group was formed and since then, a reunion every two years transpires here in Manila.” Roy and Naomi Estaris of The Travel Outlet. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO Villanueva served for three decades in the US Coast Guard and now that there is more time in his hands to enjoy the fruits of Read More …

SAN FRANCISCO — On the phone, the woman was so scared for herself and her family in the Philippines, she would only go by the name “Nora.” In 2011, she was working at the Le Coeur de France bakery in Manila when she was approached by the former owner, Analiza Moitinho de Almeida, who had moved to the U.S. Almeida, the daughter of Philippine Social Security chair Juan B. Santos, was starting a new bakery in Beverly Hills and Torrance, California —L’Amande Bakery–and asked Nora to come work for her. Nora said Ana offered $2,000 and an E2 visa. It’s a temporary visa, good for five years for skilled workers to America. Ana took care of everything for Nora and ten others. She is alleged to have made up some things in the paperwork to get the visas. An E-2 visa is for skilled workers. But when Nora and the others arrived, they were put to work as household domestics, doing dishes, cleaning, cooking and yard work for Almeida. On top of that, they did other manual labor like cleaning of Almeida’s rental properties. Oh, and the pay? Not $2,000 a month. Try $360 a month. About the same amount that the workers got if they stayed put in their old jobs in Manila. But this was Los Angeles not Metro Manila. Never mind. They stayed together in the Almeida’s laundry room, sleeping on the floor. Did they even have a banig? “Nora” began crying as I talked to her Read More …

Widows of some of the commandos killed in the Mamasapano incident on Thursday openly called on President Benigno Aquino III to apologize for what befell their loved ones after they successfully neutralized a suspected terrorist in late January.  Julie Cayang-o, widow of PO1 Gringo Cayang-o told GMA News Online on Thursday that the president should apologize for the incident.  “Yes, he must do that! ‘Yung public apology nga ay hindi pa sapat para sa nangyari tapos napakahirap pa nilang sabihin ang totoo,” Cayang-o said in a text message.  Marie Angeli, widow of PO3 Noel Golocan, on GMA News TV asked Aquino why it seemed difficult for him to say sorry for what happened in Mamasapano.   “As wife of isa sa mga fallen 44, lumabas na po lahat ng investigations ng BOI and Senate, bakit hanggang ngayon hindi man lang kayo makapagsabi ng sorry?” she said.  The widow of PO2 Mark Lory Clemencio said Aquino’s apology would only be useless.  “There’s no point. If he does [it], it’s because he is pressured… It’s better [i]f people ask him to step down,” Kristine Clemencio told GMA News Online. The draft report of the Senate joint committee that looked into the Mamasapano incident found Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the tragedy. More than 60 people, including 44 commandos, were killed in Mamasapano. The policemen found themselves in firefights with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and its breakaway Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters after neutralizing Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan in alleged MILF territory on Read More …

At least 39 of the 75-member ad hoc committee tackling the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL) in the House of Representatives have signed a manifesto calling for the postponement of next month’s closed-door deliberations on the measure until the chamber revives its probe into the Mamasapano police operation. Zamboanga City Rep. Celso Lobregat, one of the signatories to the manifesto, said he and his colleagues plan on gathering the signatures of two-thirds of the committee members, or a total of 50 lawmakers.  The panel is set to resume executive sessions on the Bangsamoro bill on April 6,  over a month after it was indefinitely postponed due to the outcry over the January 25 Mamasapano clash. Committee chair Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez plans to hold a two-week long closed-door discussions on the bill,  have the members vote for its approval on April 16.  However, Rodriguez will be forced to shelve the executive sessions if two-thirds of the committee will object to it. “Paano siya (Rodriguez) mag-uumpisa [ng hearing]? He can proceed if he wants to but that will not recognized as a committee hearing,” Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan dela Cruz said.  GMA News Online was unable to reach Rodriguez for comment as of posting time.  Lobregat said that while he is not opposed to the Bangsamoro bill’s passage, he believes the ad hoc committee should only resume its deliberations until the House resumes and completes its investigation on the Mamasapano clash. Over 60 individuals, including 44 Special Action Force commandos, Read More …

Former Special Action Force (SAF) commander Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. will submit the secretly taken video of terrorists Zulkifli Bin Hir alias Marwan and Basit Usman to the Ombudsman to prove that,Operation Plan Exodus was not a suicide mission. “I was forced only to reveal this kind of video to show — although we are happy with the BOI (Board of Inquiry) report — na hindi lahat ng conclusions nila tama,” Atty. Vitaliano Aguirre, Napeñas’ lawyer, told GMA News TV program “QRT” on Tuesday.   The dismissed SAF commander will be attending a clarificatory hearing at the Ombudsman on Wednesday. Aguirre had released the video taken by a civilian informant, which shows Marwan, Usman, and a third terrorist, Amin Baco, meeting in Marwan’s hut in Mamasapano, Maguindanao.  The Philippine National Police BOI had earlier concluded that the SAF operation to arrest the terrorists was “defective from the very beginning”, resulting in the death of 44 police officers.  Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police has criticized the release of the video. “Hindi ko lang matiyak at this point, ito bang mga video na ito part of an intelligence operation na masasabi nating property of the Philippine National Police? Kung ganoon ang circumstance, I would say may violation,”,PNP spokesperson Chief Supt. Generoso Cerbo. Aguirre said he did not know if the PNP  owned the video. — Kathryn Mae P. Tubadeza/DVM, GMA