Maniolas

Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang on Friday denied reports that Hong-Kong based journalists were barred from entering the Philippines for heckling President Benigno Aquino III in Indonesia last year. “According to Bureau of Immigration (BI) Commissioner Siegfred Mison, there is no such ‘blacklist’ of journalists who are denied entry to the Philippines on account of their actions during the Apec summit in Bali, Indonesia, last year,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a statement. Reports from news websites, such as the South China Morning Post, said the nine journalists were forced to return to Hong Kong after being denied entry. One of them, Now TV cameraman Eric Lee Kwok-keung, was given a letter from the airline he traveled with. The letter, published by SCMP, said the Office of the President requested that the nine be prevented from entering the country and from covering the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Manila for the “heckling of President Benigno S. Aquino III during the latter’s visit to Bali, Indonesia during the October last year CEO Summit.” But Coloma insisted that the “specific actions attributed to the journalists in the 2013 APEC summit, is not one of the grounds for denial of entry into the country.” He said the BI will verify from its records if indeed the cameraman was denied entry. “The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), which is the office that gives accreditation to international and Filipino journalists covering official government events, has not started the Read More …

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER file photo. MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang on Friday said it is hoping that the country’s ranking in the Global Terrorism Index will improve in the future, as it compares its own data with that of the Institute for Economics and Peace. “We’d like to see what those incidents are and compare it with the data that our law enforcement agencies have,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said. “But certainly, I think everyone is unified in the goal that we want to lessen these incidents.” The Institute for Economics and Peace this week released its Global Terrorism Index, which ranked the Philippines as 9th out of 162 countries with terrorism activities. It said that 292 deaths and 444 injuries recorded in the country were attributed to terrorism. “We are trying to see what incidents have been counted because we see the difference from the incidents in 2011, 2012, 2013 and the most recent year,” Valte said. The undersecretary also assured the public that the government is doing everything to keep global terrorism groups like the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) away from the country. “We have been coordinating and cooperating with our neighbors just to make sure that the Philippines will remain free from any ISIS recruitment and we’ve said this in the past couple of days,” she said. On Thursday, Malacañang echoed the statement of the Armed Forces of the Philippines that there are no confirmed reports of ISIS recruitment in the country despite Read More …

Obama HUD nominee Nani Coloretti. US TREASURY PHOTO • US Senate has failed to act on March nomination• Appointment would make Nani Coloretti among Obama’s top Fil-Am officialsWASHINGTON, DC – Young Filipino American community leaders applauded President Barack Obama’s nomination of Nani A. Coloretti as housing and urban development deputy secretary making her, upon confirmation, the fourth female deputy secretary and one of the highest-ranking Filipino Americans serving in the administration. In turn, Kaya: Filipino Americans for Progress, urged the US Senate to swiftly confirm Coloretti’s appointment. The Senate has made no significant action since Coloretti’s nomination for deputy at the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) department last March 10. Kaya stated that as her strong resume indicates, Coloretti is more than qualified and capable of being a significant part of HUD’s efforts to create strong and inclusive communities across the country. “Nani’s nomination demonstrates President Obama’s commitment to diversity and great talent in his cabinet,” said Kaya Co-Chair Romeo Ymalay. “Her confirmation would ensure the representation of the Filipino American community and the greater AAPI community in developing policies that impact us.” Coloretti is currently serving as the assistant secretary for management at the US Department of the Treasury, a position she has held since 2012. Previously, she served as the deputy assistant secretary for Management and Budget from 2009 to 2012. Prior to joining the administration, she worked in the San Francisco Mayor’s office from 2005 until 2009, most recently serving as budget director. Coloretti is a recipient Read More …

The Senate blue ribbon subcommittee investigation on corruption charges against Vice President Jejomar Binay may last until May 2015, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said Wednesday, adding that their goal is to send Binay to jail. In an interview with GMA News TV’s “Unang Balita,” Trillanes said the investigation could take a few more months because it is already dealing with other allegations of corruption involving Binay aside from the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building II. Trillanes also countered President Benigno Aquino III’s observation that the panel is releasing evidence on a piecemeal basis, saying they are just gathering more information on the other allegations. “Liliwanagin natin, hindi naman po ito pautay-utay. Lahat ng ebidensiya ukol sa Makati Parking Building, nasa Ombudsman na po at sa DOJ (Department of Justice). Hindi lang po kasi naimpormahan ang presidente of the status,” he said. On Tuesday, Aquino called on the subcommittee to present all evidence against Binay at once instead of doing it on a piecemeal basis. Meanwhile, Trillanes said with the investigation, they aim to send the vice president to jail for his alleged ways of corruption. “Sa akin, ang ating objective is to make sure na makulong si Vice President Binay. Milyun-milyon na po ang nanakaw nito,” he said, adding that they have more to expose in the upcoming hearings, including more alleged overpriced buildings in Makati and other types of corruption. Binay has denied the allegations but backed out of a public debate with Trillanes scheduled for November 27. Read More …

Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle: Appeal for support. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NIÑO JESUS ORBETA MANILA, Philippines–Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle is appealing to the Catholic faithful to support a global campaign to raise funds and refurbish the crumbling Pontifico Collegio Filippino, the “Home in Rome” to Filipino diocesan priests. “The restoration of the Collegio will help preserve the environment of excellence it has established through the years, a quality that would redound to the entire Catholic community,” Tagle said in a statement. Inaugurated in 1959, the four-story structure outside the Vatican walls—known officially as the Pontifical College Seminary of Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage—on Via Aurelia in Rome “is in pretty bad shape,” according to CBCP News, the official news service of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. Quoting the Collegio’s rector, Fr. Gregory Ramon Gaston, the CBCP said the building’s pipelines and heating system were in bad need of an upgrade, while its dilapidated walls and cracked floors were in need of major repair. The high construction cost in Europe, however, was a “major concern,” said Gaston, who added that the subsidy the Collegio received from residents’ lodging fees and guests’ donations were just enough to cover its daily operations. Highlighting the importance of the Collegio and how it helped support the life of the Church, Gaston said it had produced more than 500 alumni, many of whom were bishops, archbishops and papal nuncios who later became professors and members of the Diocesan Read More …