Maniolas

President Benigno Aquino III is leaving it up to the Department of Education (DepEd) to decide on the proposal to implement a three-day school week in the most congested schools in Metro Manila, Malacañang said Thursday. “Pinauubaya po ng ating Pangulo kay Secretary [Armin] Luistro at sa Kagawaran ng Edukasyon ang pagkilos at ang inisyatiba para magbigay ng agarang katugunan at kalutasan sa mga suliraning ito,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference. Coloma issued the statement after a DepEd official said the three-day school week scheme seems to be a viable solution to the perennial classroom shortage in the Metro.  “Ang kagandahan lang nito, mabre-break yung numero ng estudyante na papasok sa isang paaralan,” Education Assistant Secretary Jesus Mateo told GMA News TV’s Balitanghali on Wednesday. “Halimbawa kung ang isang paaralan, ang kakayanin lang ay isang libo na mag-aaral pero ang pumasok ay dalawang libo, ang mangyayari niyan, yung isang libo pwedeng Monday, Wednesday, Friday yung isa namang grupo pwedeng Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, pero extended hours,” Mateo added. On Thursday, Coloma agreed that this move may address the problem. “Sa halip na magiging siksikan nga, ang ginawa nila ay inadjust nila yung time para mabigyan ng sapat na oras at sapat na lugar at sapat na pasilidad lahat,” he said.  Earlier, DepEd said it has yet to conduct studies about it but the Palace on Thursday said the government will ensure that whatever is decided will benefit the students. “Kaya ito ay pinapatupad Read More …

Lawyer Levito Baligod, the former counsel to several pork barrel scam whistleblowers, married his girlfriend of nine months Wednesday. Baligod, a widower who lost his first wife to cancer in February 2013, wed Marilou Galenzoga, a former Leyte mayoralty candidate, a report on GMA News TV’s “Unang Balita” said Thursday. Present in their wedding was Vice President Jejomar Binay, who served as one of the principal sponsors. Another prominent personality, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno, was also a sponsor. Baligod, at a media forum on Monday, said they picked Binay as a principal sponsor because “he is like a mentor to her,” referring to Galenzoga. Galenzoga was a regional officer of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), the coalition formed by Binay and former President and now Manila mayor Joseph Estrada for the 2013 elections. Despite Binay’s affiliation with Senators Juan Ponce Enrile and Jinggoy Estrada, both UNA members tagged in the alleged pork barrel scam, Baligod said there was no politics in choosing Binay as a sponsor. “My fiancé is the regional chair of UNA in Region VIII. Her relationship with Vice President Binay transcends politics. Kaya ‘di accurate na sabihin political move na ninong namin siya,” Baligod said, adding that he thought long and hard before including Binay’s name in their roster of sponsors. He finally gave the decision to Galenzoga. “Sabi ko if you really want him [to be ninong], let’s get him,” Baligod said. Binay has already expressed his intention to run for president in the 2016 Read More …

The husband of a Filipina woman killed in a seemingly random attack in New Zealand said Thursday that his family was “lost in darkness” after her death. Blessie Gotingco, a 56-year-old mother-of-three, disappeared on Saturday night on her way home from work in central Auckland. Her body was discovered in a cemetery not far from her home two days later and police on Wednesday charged a 27-year-old man with murder. The cause of death has not been revealed. The killing has shocked New Zealand, where such attacks are relatively rare, and Gotingco’s husband Antonio said he had been overwhelmed by the outpouring of support from across the small South Pacific nation. He said he had known his wife of 30 years since they attended primary school in Cebu City, describing her as his best friend. “She is the light of our home and without her we will be lost in darkness,” he said in a statement released by New Zealand Police. “Right now we are just trying to pretend that everything is OK but deep inside we are broken hearted. We have been robbed, she is gone too soon.” The accused man, who has been granted interim name suppression, was remanded in custody at an Auckland court on Wednesday to reappear on June 18.

Malacañang does not seem keen on ordering a lifestyle check on officials implicated in the pork barrel scam despite calls from several lawmakers, a spokesperson hinted Thursday. “We note the call for a lifestyle check of public officials. There are, however, requirements under existing laws, such as the Anti-Graft Law (RA No. 3019) & the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards of Government Officials & Employees (RA No. 6713) before such check can be lawfully conducted.  This is in line with the Constitution’s guarantee to due process of law,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. told GMA News Online. He issued the statement after militant lawmakers called on President Benigno Aquino III to order a lifestyle check on all government officials, including allies, tagged in the scam to determine whether they benefited from the multibillion-peso fraud. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Neri Colmenares, the House member with the 12th lowest net worth in 2013, said the Cabinet secretaries tagged in the controversy should also allow government agencies to look into their bank accounts to prove they did not amass ill-gotten wealth. Coloma, however, said the administration has “consistently advocated openness, transparency and accountability of public officials.” “In line with this advocacy, the SALNs (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth) of the President and Cabinet members have been released and made available to the public,” he said. Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who are close political allies of the President, have been listed as pork Read More …

By Tetch Torres-TupasINQUIRER.net 1:00 pm | Monday, May 26th, 2014 INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—Two former senators who voted to kick the US military bases out of the Philippines in 1991 on Monday asked the Supreme Court to declare as unconstitutional the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca). At the same time, former Senators Rene Saguisag and Wigberto Tañada and several other petitioners also asked the high court to issue a restraining order against Edca’s implementation. Other petitioners include former UP President, Dr. Francisco “Dodong” Nemenzo Jr., Dean Pacifico A. Agabin, Sr. Mary John Mananzan, Atty. Steve Salonga who is a son of former Senate President Jovito R. Salonga, lawyers Harry Roque, Evalyn Ursua and Edre Olalia, Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo and Dr. Roland Simbulan, and  former Representative Teddy Casiño of Bayan. In a 61-page petition, petitioners said the government cannot use the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty between the US and the Philippines in justifying Edca’s implementation because the MDT has already been superseded by the 1987 Constitution which renounces war as a national policy. Petitioners added that Edca “also does not provide any substantial, long-term real benefit, much less distinct advantage or improvement in our position vis-à-vis the United States.” The Edca was signed last April. Critics say its signing was fast-tracked in time for the Philippine visit of US President Barack Obama in April. ‘Edca a magnet for war,’ says lawmaker  Santiago confident SC will declare EDCA unconstitutional  Follow Us Other Stories: Navy to hold anniversary at base facing West Philippine Sea TFC launches ‘Galing ng Filipino Dance Move Promo’ PH Consulate hiring for overseas voter registration Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free Read More …