Maniolas

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Friday said Vice President Jejomar Binay’s ratings may continue to slide down as he suffered another decline in Pulse Asia’s latest poll among probable presidential candidates. At a press briefing, Santiago said, “Bababa nang bababa ‘yan. There is no happy news for him in the near future.” In the latest Pulse Asia survey, Binay dropped five percentage points but remained on top of the list of possible presidential contenders in 2016. In the latest survey, Binay had 26 percent. He got 31 percent in the September survey; prior to that, he had 41 percent in Pulse Asia’s polls results released in June. Santiago also noted that Binay may remain on top because he continues to lead among those in the poorest Class E (with 30 percent). However, the feisty senator said members of the Class E may continue to support the Vice President “because they do not have easy access of communication.” “It takes some time for news to filter down to the masses,” she said. “Sooner or later, all of these matters will filter down to the bottom.” Binay and his son Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay Jr. are facing plunder charges in connection with the alleged overpricing of a construction of the Makati City Hall Building II in 2007. The building was bidded out when the elder Binay was Makati Mayor and Junjun was city councilor. Other allegations of graft and corruption have surfaced after the Senate conducted a probe. VP Binay has Read More …

The local distributor of the ActRx TriAct, an herbal drug that is claimed to be effective against dengue and malaria, on Friday disputed assertions made by the Health Department that the clinical trials of the drug were illegal and that the drug could have long-term harmful effects. “It is truly confusing and disheartening because the statement of DOH is founded on conjecture and has the tenor of predisposed opinions without proper verification as to the veracity of the allegations that have been hurled,” said Hexilon Alvarez, president and chief executive officer of Pampanga-based Preferred and Proven Therapies Inc. (PPTI), in an email. Alvarez said that ActRX TriAct was proven not be harmful because the US non-profit organization ActRx Foundation Inc. had secured the approvals from the US FDA, which is under the US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Alvarez provided GMA News Online a copy of a certification issued by the USDHHS’ Institutional Review Board (IRB) acknowledging that it had reviewed on February 22, 2012 the ActRX Foundation Inc.’s proposed protocol for the conduct of clinical trials of “Dengue Fever Treatment with Artemesia Combination Therapy (ACTRx)”. “The ActRx Foundation Inc. proposal IORG0006761-7 Dengue Fever treatment protocol has been provisionally approved… The IRB recommends proceeding with a submission of the actual consent form to be used in the study,” the IRB certification reads. “The US Dept of Health and Human Services and FDA would not have issued the ‘go ahead’ or approval of the protocol to conduct testing on Read More …

The Philippine National Police has formed a special task group to investigate an ambush that wounded Iligan Rep. Vicente Belmonte and killed three people in Laguindigan town in Misamis Oriental Thursday afternoon. Police Regional Office 10 spokesman Superintendent Bernard Mendoza said this aims to coordinate findings and actions on the case, radio dzBB’s Tuesday Niu reported early Friday. Regional police head Chief Superintendent Isagani Genabe Jr. also ordered all town police stations in the province to conduct checkpoint operations against the perpetrators. On Thursday, three people were killed while three others were injured in an ambush on Belmonte’s convoy just as it was leaving the Laguindigan Airport.  In an interview on dzBB Thursday, Mendoza said sketchy initial reports indicated that the congressman and his party had just left the airport and were at the crossing leading to Iligan when the ambush occurred. He said at least two armed men in a van blocked their path and opened fire. The van—reportedly with a yellow license plate—was burning when it was located near the airport, he added. Meanwhile, Mendoza said they are still not discounting the possibility that a personal grudge could be the motive for the ambush. Belmonte had told GMA News TV’s QRT that he believes the ambush was politically motivated. Mendoza said they are still looking at all possible angles and are not discounting anything at this time. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

Samar roads and bridges damaged by Ruby. People cross a bridge which was damaged by Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) in San Julian, Eastern Samar on Wednesday, December 10. Emergency response teams are struggling to reach coastal villages in Samar which was hardest hit by Ruby where thousands of homes have been wrecked, suggesting the Red Cross’s estimated death toll of 27 may rise. Reuters/Erik De Castro The total Typhoon Ruby (Hagupit) damage estimate rose to P3.339 billion as of Thursday night, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said. In its 8 p.m. update, the NDRRMC said the estimate was for southern Luzon, Bicol, Western Visayas and Eastern Visayas and it included P1.426 billion in infrastructure and P 1.912 billion in agriculture. The NDRRMC also said the death toll rose to 19 while the number of affected included 694,277 families or 2,915,262 people. Of these, 186,694 families or 868,264 people are being served inside and outside 3,003 evacuation centers. The NDRRMC added that 8,694 houses were destroyed while 39,087 were damaged. On the other hand, 12, provinces are still experiencing power outages. — Joel Locsin/ELR, GMA News

Be true in your actions, and dedicate your talents to uplift the lives of Filipinos. This was the gist of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno’s Christmas message to the judiciary, posted on the Supreme Court website Thursday.  “Ang buod ng Pasko ay ang pagdiriwang sa pag-alay ng buhay. Ialay natin ang sarili, ang hirap at ginhawa, ang kalungkutan at saya, at ang kahinaan at lakas, para sa Diyos na siyang bukal ng kabutihan at sa taumbayang uhaw sa katarungan at katotohanan,” Sereno said. She also called on the judiciary to dedicate their talents for the country, and to fulfill their promise to live simple lives. On the other hand, she asked the judiciary not to forget the needy and to help them through work and public service. “Maging tapat tayo sa lahat ng bahagi ng ating buhay at bigyan diin natin ang paggamit ng galing at talino na likas sa atin upang maiahon ang ating mahal na bayan,” she said. — Joel Locsin/JST, GMA News