Maniolas

Philippine National Police chief Director General Alan Purisima has said that he was planning to sell his rest house in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija if members of his family would agree, a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras” said on Tuesday. Purisima said it also hurt him to allow strangers into his rest house to prove that his property was not a mansion that his critics say it was. “Alam niyo masakit para sa akin na pinapasok ng ibang tao ang aking bahay pero it’s normal pero kailangan naman siguro ipakita talaga para malinawan ang lahat,” Purisima said.  The 204-square meter rest house inside a 4.5-hectare lot has been the cause of the plunder complaints filed against Purisima. Aside from the main house, the landscaped property features a guest house, gazebo, and a swimming pool as shown to the media on Monday. The property has a fair market value of P3.7 million,  according to the PNP chief’s SALN. However, some groups argued that Purisima failed to declare its right value and called the house a “mansion.”  The PNP chief explained that the entire property was brought in 1998 for P150,000. He then worked hard to reach its current state. For him, the “mansion” was just an “ordinary house.” —Trisha Macas/NB, GMA News

Agence France-Presse 7:12 pm | Tuesday, October 7th, 2014 PARIS — Preventing infection by the Ebola virus entails simple but rigorously-observed methods of barrier protection and monitoring for signs of ill-health, say experts. These are recommendations by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Be alert for symptoms Symptoms of Ebola include fever, headache, joint and muscle aches, weakness, diarrhea, vomiting, stomach pain, lack of appetite and in some cases bleeding. “Transmission is through direct contact with bodily fluids of an infected person, or exposure to objects such as needles that have been contaminated with infected secretions,” said Stephan Monroe, deputy director of the CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases. “Ebola is not contagious until symptoms appear.” The incubation period for Ebola — meaning the time lapse between infection and the onset of symptoms — is up to 21 days. Avoid contact with body fluids The Ebola virus can be spread though mucus, semen, saliva, vomit, stool or blood but is not considered transmissible through airborne droplets, as flu can be, through sneezes and coughs. Statistics show that most people who become infected with Ebola are those who live with and care for people who have the disease, which explains why health workers are especially vulnerable. Caregivers in contact with Ebola patients wear a long-sleeved gown, mask, goggles and gloves. The CDC also recommends routine hand-washing before and after contact with any patient who has a fever, as well Read More …

Protesters, led by Congressman Walden Bello, bottom right, open their yellow and black umbrellas outside the Chinese Consulate at the financial district of Makati city east of Manila, Philippines Thursday, Oct. 2, 2014 to express their solidarity with the pro-democracy protest in Hong Kong which some sectors dubbed as “Umbrella Revolution.” AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) washed its hands of the recent visit of Akbayan Representative Walden Bello in Hong Kong to support the pro-democracy protesters. DFA spokesman Assistant Secretary Charles Jose played down Bello’s travel to Hong Kong citing the lawmaker’s own statement that he was going there of his own capacity and initiative. Previously, the DFA has reiterated the advice of the Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong for all Filipinos to avoid going to or participating in the demonstrations. The consulate warned that the fine for disorder in public areas could be as high as HK$5,000 and/or imprisonment for a year. Jose said that Bello did not coordinate with the DFA before going to Hong Kong. “He made his statement that he went there on his own private capacity and initiative and he went there not representing the legislature,” Jose said. Before travelling to Hong Kong, Bello led Akbayan supporters in a “solidarity protest” at the front of the Chinese Consular Office in Makati expressing their support for the pro-democracy rally in Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, Bello spoke before the protesters and shared his experiences of the Philippine’s 1986 Read More …

Vice President Jejomar Binay no longer owned a piggery and flower farm in Rosario, Batangas as he had divested himself of the business after the 2010 elections, according to an Office of the Vice President-Media Affairs Division (MAD) statement released Monday. Spokesperson and MAD head Joey Salgado explained that Binay had disposed of his interests in the farm – shares that were worth P400,000.00 in 1994. “In 1994, the Vice President started a piggery business in Rosario, Batangas through a sole proprietorship under the name JCB Farms. JCB Farms is duly registered in the BIR–Rosario, Batangas office. JCB Farms is a mere lessee of a 9-hectare property in Rosario, Batangas,” Salgado said. JCB Farms’ Leasehold Improvements were also duly reported in its annual audited financial statements and in the tax declarations duly filed with the appropriate local government unit. According to Salgado, JCB Farms earned for the Vice President an additional net income of P44,350,921.88 from 1994 to 2010. The Vice President also paid taxes amounting to P15,889,581.83 during the said period. The Vice President’s spouse and former-Makati Mayor Dr. Elenita Binay, who owns a flower shop, had also been sourcing supplies from the Batangas flower farm. The statement also said that farm employees had seen helicopter flying around the property last Thursday. “The said helicopter flew around the property for about 20 minutes. According to the employees, this was the first time that such an incident happened,” Salgado said. He added that they would not be surprised if video Read More …

Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza said she did not mislead the public when she testified at a Senate hearing on the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall last Thursday. According to a report on “24 Oras” on Monday, the statement came after former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, pointed out that Mendoza failed to mention that the audit findings she presented were already dismissed by the Sandiganbayan in 2011. At the hearing on Thursday, Mendoza presented the findings of a special audit she conducted in 2001 on the transactions of the Makati government during the term of Mrs. Binay from 1998 to 2001. COA audited on hospital equipment purchased for Ospital ng Makati and office furniture bought by the city. Mendoza explained that the dismissal of the case filed against Mrs. Binay did not invalidate her entire report. Other cases which stemmed from her audit findings are still ongoing, she said. “Masyadong encompassing kung sabihin nating the report was discredited… I did not mislead  the public because I believe na hindi naman ‘yung entire findings ang na-dismiss,” Mendoza stated. Mrs. Binay was cleared of liability in the Ospital ng Makati purchases in 2011 but the case was re-filed by the Ombudsman this year. She is also facing a P13-million graft case before the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division for alleged irregularities in the purchase of office furniture. Grateful for offer of extra security Mendoza meanwhile said she is grateful to Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago for asking to have her placed Read More …