Maniolas

Senators investigating alleged overpricing in a Makati government building should “follow the rules” on a challenge raised by Vice President Jejomar Binay — former Makati mayor — on their jurisdiction to do so, a spokesman for the city said. Joel Salgado said Senate President Franklin Drilon and the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee should “follow their own rules” after it resumed its investigation into the controversial Makati City Hall Building II. “Drilon says that no one is above the law. We agree, and that includes the senators. Under the rules of the Senate, neither Drilon nor the subcommittee can cite anyone in contempt and order their arrest. It has to be the whole committee,” Salgado said in a tweet on Saturday. He then said the whole committee must resolve the jurisdictional challenge before it can proceed with the investigations, adding that the Office of the Ombudsman has technical authority over the case. “All we want is for Drilon and the sub-committee to follow their own rules,” Salgado said. The lawyer added that neither Senate President Drilon, nor the subcommittee, had the right to cite the Binays for contempt or arrest them. Despite their protests, Drilon affirmed their jurisdiction over the investigation on Friday, saying that all issues related to it was delegated to the subcommittee headed by Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III. “It is only the report of the subcommittee, which would have to be approved by the main committee,” he said. Pimentel said last September that the committee could cite Mayor Read More …

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front is wary over the possible spread of influence of the jihadist Islamic State in the Philippines if the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails to hurdle the legislative process. GMA News stringer Ferdinandh Cabrera quoted chief MILF negotiator Mohagher Iqbal as saying talks between the government and the MILF should show unity and sincerity in attaining peace to steer the Muslim community away from ISIS influence. “The danger of ISIS is not the actual confrontation but we have to look up to two situations: One is the ideology of radicalism which is infectious, the other one is that if we fail in this engagement — with this present Bangsamoro Basic Law — and eventually become irrelevant then that’s the danger, Iqbal said. Iqbal also noted that the MILF can help curb the spread of extremism in Mindanao. “If the Bangsamoro people will be empowered and the Bangsamoro Basic Law will be passed in the Congress as a good legislation, I think the MILF will play a very vital role in moderating the situation in Mindanao,” he said. BIFF, Abu Sayyaf side with IS Earlier in August, clips were uploaded on the video sharing site YouTube showing both the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) and the Abu Sayyaf rebels pledging support to the Islamic State (IS). BIFF spokesman Abu Misry Mama said: “We have an alliance with the Islamic State and Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.” Authorities describe the Abu Sayyaf as a radical group having links with the al-Qaeda Read More …

Agence France-Presse 3:50 pm | Saturday, October 4th, 2014 In this March 30, 2014, file photo, Philippine Marines raise the Philippine flag on the first day of their deployment on the dilapidated navy ship LT57 BRP Sierra Madre at the disputed Second Thomas Shoal, locally known as Ayungin Shoal, off the West Philippine Sea. The Philippines on Monday, Aug. 18, slammed what it called China’s “illegitimate sovereignty patrols” of Philippine waters, following President Aquino’s revelation that two Chinese research vessels had been spotted on oil-rich Recto Bank in the West Philippine Sea. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–Malacañang said Saturday it has shelved planned improvements on a military airstrip in the disputed South China Sea to support its bid for a UN ruling against Beijing over the tense territorial row. The Philippines infuriated China in March by asking a United Nations tribunal to declare Beijing’s territorial claims in the South China Sea a violation of international law. China claims almost all of the sea, a vital avenue for world trade that is also believed to harbor vast oil and gas reserves. But its claims overlap in parts with those of the Philippines, as well as Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. President Benigno Aquino’s spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the government had suspended long-planned upgrade work on a military runway in the disputed Spratly islands to boost chances of a favorable ruling at the UN. “We wanted to maintain the moral high ground in light of the case we filed at the (UN) Read More …

Amid pockets of verbal confrontations between pro-democracy protesters and groups of “anti-protesters” in Hong Kong on Saturday, no police personnel were seen around to ensure order and safety in the protest area, a television report said. Hong Kong-based GMA News stringer Azon Cañete told “Balitanghali” there were at least four or five incidents of verbal confrontations between “anti-protesters” and student protesters. “Magulo ang nangyayari ngayon, nagsisigawan, nag-aawayan, muntikan nang magsalpukan…” Cañete said. “Kapansin-pansing walang pulis, supposedly apat o limang commotion ang nangyari dito, pero wala kaming natatanaw ni isang pulis [na namagitan],” she said. “Sabi ng protesters dito, mula umaga, walang silang nakikitang pulis.” Earlier, the police announced they had arrested 19 men – including some people believed to have ties with the city’s organized crime gangs – over clashes during the ongoing pro-democracy protests. In those clashes several emonstrators injured and bloodied. But policemen have not been seen in the area since then, Cañete said. ‘Patient’ protesters Meanwhile, Cañete said that despite being provoked by anti-protesters, the protesters remained “calm.” “Ang mga protester, ang haba ng pasensya… Nasa mukha na nila ang mga kamay ng panduduro ng anti-protesters, pero kalmado lang sila…” “‘Yung bystanders, sila ung nagagalit kasi dinuduro ang mga estudyante. Inaawat na rin ng protesters ang bystanders na huwag awayin ang mga nanduduro, sinasabihang huwag magalit,” she added. Also, Cañete said protesters suspect the anti-protesters may have been paid by the government to disrupt the otherwise peaceful assembly. “Isang grupo na bayaran na para sila ay guluhin… Read More …

A government team tasked to recover paintings that the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ family allegedly bought with ill-gotten wealth went home empty-handed after searching the family’s mansion in Ilocos Norte. The team inspected the mansion in Batac, Ilocos Norte for two hours but failed to find any painting, according to a report on “24 Oras” Friday. However, a lawyer representing the Marcoses spoke with the team. Last Tuesday, government agents seized at least 15 paintings believed to be part of the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth from an ancestral home of the former leader in San Juan City. It took authorities seven hours to serve a writ of attachment from the Sandiganbayan for the paintings at the time. On Monday, the anti-graft court ordered the Marcos family to surrender eight paintings by European artists that it said were illegally acquired using taxpayers’ money. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News