Maniolas

An hour before the arraignment of Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. Thursday morning, his supporters gathered near the Sandiganbayan to insist on his innocence in the pork barrel scam. At least 50 Cavite residents, mostly from Bacoor where the Revillas hail, arrived at Sandiganbayan around 7 a.m. “Ipaglaban ang katotohanan, walang kasalanan si Sen. Bong,” the supporters shouted. “Not guilty si Sen Bong. Wala kaming nalalaman na ginawa niyang kasalanan,” Gemma Vinzon Tonggo told reporters. She said they were not able to bring any placard because they learned of the arraignment only Wednesday night. “Ipaglalaban namin ang katotohanan. Mabait si Sen. Bong dahil marami siyang scholars, maraming pinagawang kalsada at madaling lapitan,” Elsie Diwata said. Rep. Lani Mercado, wife of Revilla, saw the supporters outside the Sandiganbayan when she arrived and thanked them through a text message sent to one of them. “Salamat, Kokoy, kita ko kayo. TY sa support,” she said in a text message to Kokoy Gozun. Revilla will be arraigned for plunder together with his aide, Richard Cambe, and alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. The senator is also facing 16 counts of graft.  Tagged “Pogi” by whistleblowers, Revilla and his co-accused allegedly received P224.5 million in kickbacks from 2006 to 2010 for funding the ghost projects of Napoles NGOs. —KG, GMA News

Suspected pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles arrived at the Sandiganbayan Thursday more than an hour early for her arraignment. Napoles was in a convoy that arrived shortly after 7 a.m., radio dzBB’s Sam Nielsen reported. The Sandiganbayan First Division set the arraignment for Napoles, Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., his aide Richard Cambe, and their co-accused at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday. Napoles’ convoy left Fort Sto. Domingo in Laguna early Thursday for the anti-graft court in Quezon City. The convoy was traveling at 90 kph, the report said. At the court premises, police bomb squads inspected the area to ensure safety, dzBB’s Rowena Salvacion reported. Philippine National Police chief information officer Chief Supt. Reuben Theodore Sindac on Wednesday said the PNP has mobilized several police units to ensure the security of Revilla and Cambe, who have been detained at the PNP Custodial Center since Friday, and Napoles. “Everything is now in place for the arraignment. We are ready,” he said. Napoles is facing plunder and graft charges along with Senators Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile for allegedly diverting lawmakers’ allocations of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (pork barrel) into fake NGOs. According to the Ombudsman, the scheme that went on for nearly a decade involved the creation of fake NGOs, which received funding for agricultural and livelihood projects that either did not exist or were grossly overpriced. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

The three senators accused of plunder in connection with the P10-billion pork barrel fund scam have all opposed a request by the Office of the Ombudsman for the creation of special courts that will exclusively handle criminal cases stemming from the mess. In a comment he submitted to the Supreme Court, Senator Jinggoy Estrada said creating special divisions of the Sandiganbayan would raise “equal protection” and “due process” issues as it departs from established rules, procedures, and practices of the Sandiganbayan. He also said that the “national magnitude” and complexities of issues involved in the case were not compelling reasons to create special divisions. “The three Sandiganbayan divisions to which the PDAF cases were raffled on 13 June 2014, are all capable to hear and try the PDAF cases, thus, obviating any need to create special divisions,” Estrada said. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile, in a separate comment, said assigning special courts would “subvert the carefully crafted system” of raffling off cases, which he said was intended to ensure that members of the court that will preside over a case are and appear to be independent and impartial. “Considering the highly charged and biased environment prevailing in regard these cases, and that the request is made by the Ombudsman, the impression that may be created is that the Supreme Court has now joined the clamor for the condemnation and punishment of those involved in the so-called PDAF cases, including the accused in the case,” Enrile said. Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. Read More …

Troops from the Philippines and United States will participate in the 20th Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) joint military exercises on Thursday. The US Embassy in Manila on Wednesday said a US Navy task group that includes ships, aircraft, Sailors and Marines will take part in the exercise. Exercise events will occur in “several locations ashore and at sea including Subic Bay, San Antonio in Zambales, Sangley Point in Cavite City, and Ternate.” “This year’s CARAT Philippines will focus on combined operations at sea, amphibious landings, diving and salvage, and maritime patrol and reconnaissance flights.  Sailors and Marines will exchange best practices and share information with their Philippine Armed Forces counterparts during multiple professional exchanges and seminars ashore,” it said. The embassy added that civil action projects, community service events and band concerts would facilitate interaction with the local community. Previous CARAT exercises were held in Mindanao (2012), Palawan (2011), Subic Bay (2010 and 2013), Cebu (2009) and other locations. “As in years past, the sea phase will take place in international waters west of Subic Bay,” the embassy said. No relation to current events The embassy said CARAT, which promotes regional maritime cooperation with many participating navies, “is not in response to current events.” The Philippines is in the middle of a dispute with China over territories in the West Philippine Sea. The US supports the Philippines’ move to bring the matter up for arbitration before a United Nations tribunal. The embassy said the 2014 CARAT series began Read More …

PNoy, Abe discuss territorial dispute with China . President Benigno Aquino III shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the start of their meeting at the prime minister’s official residence in Tokyo on Tuesday, June 24. The two leaders are expected to discuss the ongoing territorial dispute with China in a bid to maintain peace in the region. AFP/Yuya Shino/Pool President Benigno Aquino III arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2 early  Tuesday from his one-day working visit to Japan, radio dzBB reported. On his arrival, Aquino said his trip and discussions with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were significant. Both countries had agreed to cooperate on tourism, car manufacturing, solving Metro Manila’s traffic problem, and support of the Mindanao peace process. Aquino also emphasized Abe’s support for the Philippines’ position on the territorial rows in the region’s seas. “Sa immediate na antas, isinusulong natin ang moratorium sa mga gawaing direktang nagdudulot ng tensyon. Sa intermediate naman, muli nating inilalatag ang panawagan para sa buong pagpapatupad ng ASEAN-China Declaration of Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, or DOC, at ang agarang pagbubuo ng isang binding Code of Conduct, o isang isang binding COC. Sa final approach naman, naniniwala tayong bibigyang-linaw ng arbitration ang maritime entitlements ng lahat ng partido, na siya naman magiging matibay na basehan para maresolbahan ang maritime disputes para sa kapakanan ng lahat,” he said. “Ang paninindigan po natin: Magagawa natin ito sa patuloy na pagbubuklod at pagdadamayan, at sa pagpiling Read More …