Maniolas

By Julliane Love de Jesus |INQUIRER.net 3:25 pm | Friday, September 12th, 2014 INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–At least four Chinese nationals were arrested on Friday in a raid at a covert drug laboratory in a San Fernando, Pampanga subdivision. Chief Inspector Roque Merdegia Jr., Philippine National Police Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Force (PNP AIDSOTF), said in a text message to INQUIRER.net that ‎about 400 kilos of suspected “shabu” (methamphetamine hydrochloride) were seized. Merdegia, however, could not give an estimate yet on ‎the value of shabu seized. The raid was a joint operation of the PNP AIDSOTF and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA). RELATED STORIES PNP slams acquittal of 3 Chinese drug suspects 10 kilos of shabu seized from Chinese national in buybust operation–report Follow Us Other Stories: UK envoy supports US attack vs ISIS California solons push for ‘Health for All’ law for the undocumented Aquino to talk of good governance, economic growth in European trip Filipinos, other residents march against violence in SF neighborhood Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Short URL: http://globalnation.inquirer.net/?p=111019 Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Read More …

A mall chain and a theme park are offering discounts to government employees in mid-September as part of the 114th Philippine Civil Service anniversary. The Civil Service Commission said government employees who have official government IDs may avail of discounts at SM department stores and the Manila Ocean Park. In a post on its website, the CSC said the Manila Ocean Park offers two discount tour packages. On the other hand, SM will hold six days of back-to-back special sales for government workers in SM Department Stores nationwide from Sept. 15 to 17. SM will also offer discounts for government workers in its Supermarket and Hypermarket stores Sept. 19 to 21. But government workers who want to avail of this should show their government IDs and SM Advantage or Prestige Card, or BDO Rewards Card. Earlier, the Light Rail Transit Authority said government workers may avail of free rides on the Light and Metro Rail Transit systems on September 19. The LRTA said free rides for government employees on Sept. 19 will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. LRT-1 links Roosevelt in Quezon City to Baclaran while LRT-2 links Recto in Manila to Santolan. MRT-3 links North Avenue in Quezon City to Taft Avenue in Pasay City via Epifanio delos Santos Avenue. The CSC, in Memorandum Circular 06, had set several activities to mark the anniversary of the Philippine civil service. These include: – display of anniversary banner in all government offices– R.A.C.E. to Serve fun run at SM Read More …

The Department of Justice’s decision to order the filing of tax evasion charges against Jeane Napoles is not a maneuver to increase pressure on her mother, alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian said Thursday. “[The DOJ’s decision] is not a pressure tactic since Jeane has been asked by the BIR (Bureau of Internal Revenue) in the past to justify how she’s able to own a lot of properties here and abroad,” the lawmaker, who is a member of the administration Nationalist People’s Coalition, said. For Gatchalian, there is no basis to link the DOJ’s decision to run after Jeane for tax evasion to the prosecution of the cases against her mother since they are implicated in two different crimes. “Jeane is being investigated for tax evasion while her mother is detained for serious illegal detention, aside from facing plunder charges,” he said. In an eight-page resolution, Senior Assistant State Prosecutor Edna Valenzuela said there’s probable cause to indict Jeane for her failure to pay more than P17 million in taxes despite her ownership of several pieces of property in the US and the Philippines.   Among the properties registered under her name are a condominium unit in Los Angeles, California worth P54.73 million, and her share in a farm lot in Bayambang, Pangasinan worth P1.49 million. Jeane’s total tax liability has ballooned to P32 million, inclusive of interest, for 2011 and 2012. ‘Squeeze move’ Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan Dela Cruz, however, sees the DOJ’s Read More …

Mercado: VP Binay got 13% cut from every Makati project . At the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee probe on the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II on Thursday, September 11, former Makati City vice mayor Ernesto Mercado said Vice President Jejomar Binay received 13-percent kickback from every project during his term as city mayor. He said the money was always delivered in three bags, one of them for Binay’s son Junjun, the incumbent Makati mayor who was a former city councilor. Benjie Castro Senator Nancy Binay on Thursday said she would pray that former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado would be enlightened and tell the truth on the issue of the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall Building II. In an interview with reporters, Binay joked that Mercado could have been “possessed” when he testified before the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on Thursday. “Siguro ipagdadasal ko na lang siya na maenlighten at magsabi ng katotohanan. Baka nasasapian kasi e,” she said. The senator said she was especially hurt that Mercado, a principal sponsor in her wedding, was lying at the expense of the Binay family. “Ninong ko nga yun. Yun ang nakakasakit kasi ginagawa niya ito sa akin e kung tutuusin dapat pangalawang ama ko siya, ninong ko siya sa kasal tapos ganito yung ginagawa  niya sa akin, ginagawa nya sa aking pamilya,” Binay said. Binay denied Mercado’s accusation that she received the kickbacks supposedly for her mother, Dra. Elenita Binay. “I deny na ginagawa ko yun. Hindi ko Read More …

Merlina Suñas, the whistleblower who accused Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad of once conspiring with alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles, has backpedaled from her statement, a defense lawyer claimed Thursday. During cross-examination, Suñas supposedly denied that Abad benefited from any of Napoles’ schemes, a statement that ran contrary to her affidavit, said lawyer Remigio Michael Ancheta, legal counsel of Richard Cambe, an accused in the pork barrel scam case. “The witness’ credibility is in question,” Ancheta said in an interview after the continuation of Revilla’s bail hearing. “She stated in her affidavit that in 1997 to 1999, before senators, then-Congressman Butch Abad and others were already in on the scam. I asked her about what particular transactions she was referring to, and suddenly she said there were no transactions. I asked her if she was saying that part of her affidavit was not true, and she said it was not,” he said. In a November 2013 affidavit, Suñas said that Abad was one of Napoles’ first conspirators in Congress when he was still Batanes congressman. Abad has repeatedly denied transacting with Napoles, and claimed that he is being implicated in the pork barrel scam to destroy the credibility of the Aquino administration. Suñas was testifying in the bail hearing of Cambe, Napoles and Cambe’s boss, Senator Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. The three, along with Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, have been charged with graft and plunder for allegedly diverting millions of public funds Read More …