Maniolas

Various anti-crime groups called for the resignation of Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Dir. Gen. Allan Purisima following his refusal to comment silence on the recent crimes involving cops. In a report from GMA’s “24-Oras” program on Wednesday, the Volunteers Against Crime and Corruption (VACC) said Purisima should start speaking up about the issues plaguing his leadership. “Si General Purisima ay hindi na talaga katanggap-tanggap sa mga taong dapat pinagsisilbihan niya. Nagtatago siya sa saya ng presidente. Hindi dapat ganoon,” VACC Founding Chairman Dante Jimenez said. Jimenez’s sentiments were echoed by the Movement for the Restoration of Peace and Order (MRPO) and also asked for Purisima’s resignation. “Kahit kami we have confidence in him but then as a gesture to show your men that you stand on principles the first thing you do is resign. Hindi lang siya, [pati] ‘yung ibat-ibang station [commander],” Teresita Ang See from the MRPO said. Last Tuesday, Purisima failed to attend a Senate hearing for the modernization and reorganization of the PNP which irked Senator Grace Poe. “He has gone far too long relying on his spokespersons to speak for him. I don’t see any reason why the PNP chief should be exempt from having to directly address the people,” Poe said. But PNP spokesman C/Supt. Reuben Sindac explained that there was just a miscommunication between the two parties. “The Chief of PNP submits to the authority of the Senate and he respects that. Kaya po sa susunod na pagimbita he said he will be Read More …

A year after the Department of Justice filed the plunder charges before the Ombudsman against three senators in connection with the pork barrel scam, it continues to verify the pieces of evidence against the third group of lawmakers that it said were also involved in the multibillion-peso racket, a report from GMA’s “24-Oras” said Wednesday. According to DOJ Secretary Leila de Lima, the National Bureau of Investigation is still verifying the documents especially those with alleged forged signatures. “Naniniguro lang talaga tayo. We don’t want that na maapektuhan or madilute ‘yung mga kaso na yan dahil mahaluan ng mahina-hina na kaso,” De Lima said. Whistleblowers of the pork barrel scam are admitted to have forged various documents. Still, the problem lies with the said forging of other documents related to the third batch. “May mga dokumento na admitted to be forged for example the liquidation papers. Pero ‘yung endorsement ng lawmakers, unless there is a good explanation that is expected to be genuine,” she said. Thirty-three lawmakers, including former Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon, composed the second batch of respondents charged by the DOJ before the Ombudsman in November 2013 in connection with the scam.  —Andrei Medina/NB, GMA News

By Matikas Santos |INQUIRER.net 10:04 am | Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 This undated handout photo released on March 30, 2013 by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) shows the stern of the USS Guardian before being lifted by a boat crane during its salvage operation at Tubbataha reef, in Palawan island, western Philippines. AFP FILE PHOTO/PCG MANILA, Philippines – Even after the Supreme Court denied the petition for a writ of kalikasan against the United States (US), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said it would continue to pursue compensation for the damage on Tubbataha Reef caused by a US Navy ship. “We will continue our ongoing discussions with the US government on the matter of securing full compensation for the damage caused to the Tubbataha Reef,” the DFA said in a statement Wednesday. The high court said in its unanimous decision that it has no jurisdiction over the case but that the US was still liable under United Nations Convention of the Law of Sea (Unclos). More than 2,300 square meters of coral reefs at the Tubbataha Reefs National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged when the USS Guardian ran aground last January 2013. The US cut the ship into pieces so it could be removed from the reef without causing further damage. US Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg said in a recent event that they were set to make an announcement regarding the compensation “very soon.” RELATED STORIES SC: No to US payment for damages in Tubbataha Read More …

Dispute should be settled by int’l arbitration By Christian V. Esguerra |Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:07 am | Wednesday, September 17th, 2014 European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, right, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III address the media at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. They discussed the Mindanao Peace negotiations, trade and investment, bilateral development cooperation and maritime issues. AP PHOTO/YVES LOGGHE BRUSSELS—The Philippines and the European Union (EU) agree that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through international arbitration. This was made clear when President Aquino sat down on Monday with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso at the EC headquarters in the Berlaymont building here, as both leaders emphasized the need to settle differences between China and its neighbors peacefully. With both the Philippines and the EU seeking the same route, Aquino said “China will have to listen,” noting that the EU is its “biggest trading partner.” Beijing, which is claiming around 90 percent of the South China Sea, has rejected international arbitration, insisting that disputes should be resolved bilaterally with individual claimants like the Philippines. “Let me stress that the European Union encourages all parties to seek peaceful solutions, through dialogue and cooperation, in accordance with international law—in particular with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea [Unclos],” Barroso said in a joint press conference with Aquino at the EC headquarters. The European Union, he said, is a “proud” party to the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Read More …

By Tetch Torres-Tupas |INQUIRER.net 2:46 pm | Tuesday, September 16th, 2014 In a photo released by the U.S. Navy, the mine countermeasures ship USS Guardian sits aground in this Jan. 22, 2013 file photo on the Tubbataha Reef in the Sulu Sea in the Philippines. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court on Monday rejected a plea by environmental groups to require the USS Guardian to pay for damages when it ran aground and damaged the Tubbataha Reef in Palawan. In a decision penned by Associate Justice Martin Villarama, the high court said damages should be made in a separate civil suit as provided under the writ of kalikasan. The high court’s ruling is contained in its unanimous ruling with 13-0-2 vote dismissing the petition for writ of kalikasan filed by the following: Bishop Pedro D. Arigo of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Bishop Deogracias S. Iñiguez, Jr., Bishop-Emeritus Of Caloocan, Frances Q. Quimpo, Clemente G. Bautista, Jr. of Kalikasan-Pne, Maria Carolina P. Araullo and Renato M. Reyes Jr. of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN); Rep. Neri Javier Colmenares of Bayan Muna Party-List, Roland G. Simbulan, Ph.D., Junk VFA Movement, , Teresita R. Perez, Ph.D., Rep. Raymond V. Palatino, Kabataan Party-List, Peter SJ. Gonzales of Pamalakaya; Giovanni A. Tapang, Ph.D., Agham, Elmer C. Labog, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Joan May E. Salvador, Gabriela, diver Jose Enrique A. Africa, Theresa A. Concepcion, Mary Joan A. Guan, Nestor T. Baguinon, Ph.D., and public interest lawyer Edsel F. Tupaz. Associate Justice Jose Catral Mendoza is on sick Read More …