Maniolas

By Maila Ager |INQUIRER.net 3:54 pm | Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 Jeffrey Laude, also known as Jennifer. FACEBOOK PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – Two senators pushed anew on Tuesday for a review of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) as they condemned the killing of a Filipino transgender allegedly by a US Marine in Olongapo City. “The VFA should be reviewed especially on the aspect of crime prevention,” Senator Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, an opposition member, said in a text message to reporters on Tuesday. “Yes, kinukendena ko. No matter who is guilty. Kawawa naman yung tao. No one deserves to die that way,” Sotto added, referring to 26-year-old victim, Jeffrey “Jennifer” Laude. Laude was killed last Saturday allegedly by the suspect identified as Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton. The suspect is said to be part of the US Marine Corps 2nd Battalion 9th Marines assigned at the West Pace Express. Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero also called on the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to revisit and propose amendments to the VFA. “The police and prosecutors should act fast lest the prescriptive period be breached,” Escudero said in another text message, referring to the one-year period provided for in the VFA, IN which the Philippines should complete judicial proceedings against any US personnel. “In the meantime, as before, I call on and urge the DFA to revisit and seek the amendment of the VFA regarding (its) lopsided criminal jurisdiction provision,” he said. Senator Loren Legarda also condemned Laude’s killing, saying “justice must be served soon.” RELATED STORIES Protesters storm US embassy, demand junking Read More …

By Bong Lozada |INQUIRER.net 3:16 pm | Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 Defense department spokesman Peter Galvezgar INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines –The Defense Department on Tuesday said the murder of the transgender in Olongapo at the hands of a US marine was an isolated case and should not be connected to the relations between the Philippines and the US. “This is an isolated case, albeit a tragic one,” said Peter Paul Galvez, DND spokesman. “This is an unfortunate incident and the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines would like to extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Jeffrey Laude.” Galvez said the homicide and the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement should be looked taken separately after the Philippine-American agreement was dragged into crime. “The exercises and the homicide are two different issues let us look at it at proper perspectives,” Galvez said. On Saturday, Laude was found dead in an Olongapo hotel with a US Marine tagged as a suspect. The American serviceman was later identified as Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton. American Marines and Navy personnel are in the country after participating in Phiblex, a bilateral war exercises between the US and the Philippines. Galvez also defended the exercise and Edca, saying that without the Americans, there would be no help in developing the naval capabilities of the Philippines. RELATED STORIES PH, US want thorough probe into transgender slay US Marine tagged in transgender slay named Transgender kin decry ‘slow gov’t response’ Follow Us Read More …

Agence France-Presse 3:07 pm | Tuesday, October 14th, 2014 SYDNEY — Australia said Tuesday it would introduce a “premium investor visa” to give immigrants permanent residency after a year if they invest Aus$15 million (US$13 million) in the country. The visa, available from next July, builds on the Significant Investor program under which people who sink Aus$5 million into Australia are granted a minimum four-year visa. “The government will reform the program to encourage more high net-worth individuals to make Australia home,” Prime Minister Tony Abbott said in a joint statement with the immigration and trade ministers. They said the changes would “leverage and better direct additional foreign investment, while maintaining safeguards to ensure the migration program is not misused.” The reforms include a reassessment of where the investments were made so they matched the government’s “national investment priorities.” Some 436 Significant Investor visas were granted between November 24, 2012 — when the program was launched — to the end of last month, according to immigration department figures. A total of Aus$2.18 billion was invested in Australia through the program, with 88 percent of visa holders hailing from China. The government also announced a review of its 457-class skilled visa program, which was tightened under the previous Labor government amid claims of abuse by employers and disadvantage to local workers. There will be “greater flexibility” in English-language testing and skill requirements, and a streamlining of the sponsorship and visa application process. Abbott did not specify which industries would benefit from Read More …

Religious leaders demanding President Benigno Aquino III’s resignation should focus on strengthening the moral fiber of their flock and not on meddling in politics, an administration ally in the House of Representatives said Sunday. Cavite Rep.  Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said he sees no basis for Aquino to resign despite the controversies he is facing because his administration has been effective in implementing reforms promoting good governance. “We have the separation of the Church and State…. Sa pananaw ko, itong ating mga kaibigang obispo should concentrate more [on] strengthening the moral fiber of all Catholics and all the people in the Philippines rather than asking for the resignation of the President,” he said in an interview over dzBB radio. The public’s satisfaction with Aquino, Barzaga noted, bounced back last month after falling to a record low in June, a new survey by pollster Social Weather Stations suggests. For the lawmaker, the President’s high satisfaction rating only proves the National Transformation Council (NTC) was wrong in alleging that Aquino has “lost the moral right to lead the nation.” “The voice of the people is the voice of God. Eh yon na,ang ating mga kababayan, ipinakita na ang kanilang boses sa pamamagitan ng halalan and we have to respect that,” Barzaga said. The NTC—a multi-sectoral group composed of religious leaders and civil society members—has called on Aquino to step down from office for “damaging the moral fabric of society.” Among the group’s prominent members are Cebu Archbishop Emeritus Ricardo Cardinal Vidal and Davao Read More …

Why the sudden change in priorities? For the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s sudden interest in alleged overpricing in the construction of the Makati City Hall Building II that a Senate panel is already investigating shows partisanship in government. “No one is above dilaw (yellow),” UNA interim president and Navotas Rep. Tobias “Toby” Tiangco said on Sunday, referring to the campaign color of the administration Liberal Party. He said De Lima’s credibility as Justice secretary has eroded after she expressed openness to participate in the ongoing Senate Blue Ribbon subcommittee inquiry into the Makati building despite the abundance of other controversies that need to be investigated. Tiangco said De Lima appears to be practicing a “double standard of justice” by sitting on investigations regarding the P900-million Malampaya Fund Scam, P10-billion pork barrel controversy and the alleged extortion attempt on a Czech firm for a Metro Rail Transit (MRT)-3 train contract. “We are aware that members of the Liberal Party who were recipients of the Malampaya Fund, PDAF and even DAP, are being shielded from the investigation. This only goes to show that De Lima is not keen in sending to jail allies of the President,” he said in a statement. De Lima said Thursday that the Department of Justice (DOJ) could conduct a separate probe on the Makati City Hall Building II as more details emerge from the Senate inquiry. She noted, however, that there is no basis to start a preliminary investigation yet. NBI, DOJ Read More …