Pamalakaya hits China incursions on Ayungin Shoal

 News
Apr 212014
 
Pamalakaya hits China incursions on Ayungin Shoal

Philippine Daily Inquirer 5:26 am | Tuesday, April 22nd, 2014 China was warned Thursday against trying to tow away the BRP Sierra Madre from Ayungin Shoal, as this could be considered an attack against the Philippines and prompt the United States to defend the country in keeping with their Mutual Defense Treaty. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines–The fisherfolk group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas, or Pamalakaya, has assailed China for violating Philippine sovereignty by insisting that Ayungin Shoal (Second Thomas Reef) and eight other rock formations in the West Philippine Sea belong to Beijing. Pamalakaya vice chair Salvador France yesterday asked the Chinese government to “respect the Filipino people’s legitimate claim over these islets and the body of water where they are located.” He said the rock formations are inside the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. France also asked Beijing to “demilitarize Ayungin Shoal and other areas occupied by Chinese military forces.” Chinese naval units “should also stop harassing Filipino fishermen trying to make a living in the West Philippine Sea,” France said. Aside from Ayungin Shoal, France was also referring to Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, Mischief Reef, McKennan Reef, Subi Reef, Gaven Reef, Johnson Reef, Cuarteron Reef and Fiery Cross Reef. Pamalakaya also slammed the United States for “meddling in the current row between the Philippines and China.” Washington has been “manipulating all South China Sea-related issues to effectively promote increased US military presence in the contested waters,” it said. For its part, the Philippine government is “consistently playing Read More …

Filipinos in Middle East urged not to panic amid MERS-CoV scare

 News
Apr 212014
 
Filipinos in Middle East urged not to panic amid MERS-CoV scare

Department of Foreign Affairs building INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) advised Filipinos in the Middle East to remain calm and not panic amid the spread of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) as well as false rumors regarding it. The DFA and Department of Health (DOH) issued Monday eight reminders for Filipinos on how they can help stop the spread of the virus and urged them to not believe in rumors. “One rumor alleges that ‘UAE health authorities’ have warned people to stay away for 72 hours from places such as malls, beaches hospitals, parks, and other locations that are believed to be ‘hotspots for the new killing virus’,” DFA said. “The Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) subsequently denied issuing this statement,” it said. The World Health Organization (WHO) has not declared any outbreak or epidemic of MERS-CoV in the Middle East. There are also no travel restrictions to and from the Middle East. Recently, one Filipino health worker has died in Saudi Arabia, another who returned to the Philippines from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) had tested positive for the virus abroad before he tested negative here. The DFA advised Filipinos to follow these eight reminders to prevent the further spread of the virus: 1.    Practice proper hand hygiene always, by washing your hands with soap or hand rubs with alcohol before and after eating; before and after handling, cooking and preparing food; after coughing, sneezing and using the toilets; Read More …

Binay, Drilon approval and trust ratings go up –Pulse Asia

 News
Apr 202014
 
Binay, Drilon approval and trust ratings go up –Pulse Asia

While the approval and trust ratings of President Benigno Aquino III dipped, that of Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senate President Franklin Drilon went up, a recent survey by Pulse Asia showed. In a media release Monday, Pulse Asia said Binay and Drilon experienced gains in their national approval ratings and overall trust ratings. A survey conducted from March 19-26, 2014 showed Binay’s approval rating went up by seven percentage points from 80 percent in December to 87 percent in March while his trust rating went up by nine percentage points from 77 percent in December to 86 percent in March. On the other hand, after a big dip in his ratings last year, Senate President Franklin Drilon came back with a 15-percentage-point increase in both his approval and trust ratings. Drilon’s approval rating went up from 43 percent in December to 58 percent in March while his trust rating rose from 40 percent in December to 55 percent in March. In September last year, Drilon’s ratings were pulled down by the pork barrel scam which hounded the Senate. Drilon was dragged into the controversy after he admitted meeting businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the scam, at a party. He denied having any transactions with her. His approval rating further went down to 43 percent in December from September’s 50 percent, while his trust ratings plunged from 46 percent in September to 40 percent in December. President Aquino’s ratings Survey results released earlier this month showed a slight Read More …

Miriam wants Senate ‘pork’ probe to continue for Gigi Reyes testimony

 News
Apr 202014
 
Miriam wants Senate ‘pork’ probe to continue for Gigi Reyes testimony

Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday asked the Senate blue ribbon committee to continue its probe on the alleged pork barrel scam to hear the testimony of Jessica “Gigi” Reyes, former chief of staff of Senate now Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile. In a letter, Santiago asked Senate blue ribbon chairman Teofisto Guingona III to invite or even summon Reyes, who returned to the Philippines from the United States last Saturday.  Santiago added that the Senate committee can still continue its probe on the alleged anomaly, although Guingona already released a draft panel report recommending plunder charges against certain personalities, including Enrile and Reyes, earlier this month.  “I believe that the testimony of Atty. Reyes would serve to round off and clarify certain aspects of the partial report, and that the committee findings could be the proper subject of an addendum or similar subsequent report on Atty. Reyes’s testimony,” Santiago said in her letter. GMA News Online sent a text message to Guingona to ask for his reaction to Santiago’s letter, but he has yet to respond as of posting time. Last April 1, the Office of the Ombudsman also recommended plunder charges against Enrile and Reyes for allegedly pocketing pork barrel funds from a scam supposedly engineered by detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles. Reyes is being accused of receiving pork barrel kickbacks for Enrile, and signing documents for the release of these discretionary funds on the senators’ behalf. She has denied these accusations in documents submitted to the Ombudsman. Also Read More …

Obama on mission to quiet Asia skeptics

 News
Apr 202014
 
Obama on mission to quiet Asia skeptics

President Barack Obama. AP FILE PHOTO WASHINGTON – Five years after refashioning US foreign policy to emphasize Asia, President Barack Obama will face questions over his strategy’s content and staying power in the region this week. Obama will counter the impression that events, including carnage in Syria and the East-West showdown over Ukraine have dragged his administration’s attention elsewhere. He will argue in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia and the Philippines that the “rebalancing” policy – of withdrawing US military, economic and human resources from Middle East wars and deploying them to emerging Asia – remains on track. Obama will embark on his fifth visit as president to Asia when he lands in Japan on Wednesday. This journey, the first of two to the region this year, will make up for the embarrassment of skipping regional summits in November because of domestic political battles. He seeks progress in tough talks with Japan over the proposed Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade deal, hung up over auto and agricultural market access. The TPP would cement Obama’s legacy in Asia, but talks on the 12-nation pact lost momentum last year. Obama must also walk a fine line, bolstering alliances with nations which see the United States as a counterweight to powerful China, while avoiding angering Beijing. He will also press on with efforts to ease the dispute between US allies South Korea and Japan, insist North Korea will get no reward for belligerence and complete a revival of US relations with Malaysia. Can Obama Read More …

NDRRMC: Two more die in Holy Week fire, drowning

 News
Apr 202014
 
NDRRMC: Two more die in Holy Week fire, drowning

At least two more people were reported killed in a fire and a drowning incident during the Holy Week, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Monday. In its 7 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said one person was killed in a fire that occurred at Block 71 in Lot 8, Phase 2A in Mabuhay Homes in Brgy. Darangan, Binangonan, Rizal. The NDRRMC said the fire started at about 8:53 p.m. Thursday and reached the first alarm before it was put out at 9:30 p.m. It estimated the damage to property at P100,000. But it was not until 10:40 p.m. that the body was found at the fire scene. Meanwhile, the second fatality was a drowning victim identified as Jeffrey Borreo, who drowned at the Sta. Monica Beach Resort in Infanta, Quezon at 7 p.m. Good Friday. The two incidents brought to 31 the number of fatalities from incidents recorded during the Holy Week. — Joel Locsin/RSJ, GMA News

Pacquiao to pay courtesy call on PNoy on Monday

 News
Apr 202014
 
Pacquiao to pay courtesy call on PNoy on Monday

One week after his victory over Timothy Bradley Jr., Filipino boxing champ and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao will pay a courtesy call on President Benigno Aquino III in Malacañang on Monday. State-run Philippines News Agency on Sunday cited a text message from the Palace to reporters indicating the courtesy call will be at 1 p.m. at the Palace’s Music Room. On April 13, Pacquiao regained the World Boxing Organization (WBO) Welterweight title from Bradley via unanimous decision. He returned to the Philippines on Good Friday and got a hero’s welcome in General Santos City, his hometown. — Joel Locsin/JDS, GMA News

DOH to release names of Etihad passengers yet to be tested for MERS-CoV

 News
Apr 202014
 
DOH to release names of Etihad passengers yet to be tested for MERS-CoV

The government will release the names of around 300 passengers who were on the same flight home as the overseas Filipino worker initially diagnosed with Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the United Arab Emirates. According to a report on “24 Oras” aired Sunday evening, although the male nurse has since tested negative for MERS-CoV, the Department of Health said he could have passed the virus on to other passengers. The nurse was first tested in the UAE, with the positive result released after he had already left for the Philippines. The test result prompted the DOH to quarantine him and his family. They have since been discharged. Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy, program manager at the National Center for Disease Prevention and Control, said the DOH is aware that releasing the other passengers’ names could make their neighbors shun them out of fear of being infected. “Pero ang punto kasi namin dito, mas lalo silang hindi iiwasan ngayon kung mapatunayan nating wala nakuhang mikrobyo sa kanila,” he said in the report. The DOH has managed to track down around 100 people who were passengers on Etihad Airways Flight EY 0424. The rest have yet to heed the call to come in for quarantine and swab testing, prompting the department’s decision to release the names. Lee Suy said the Health department can ask the Philippine National Police to help convince the passengers to submit to swab tests, which are free. He added that passengers already in the provinces can proceed Read More …

PNoy urges Pinoys in Easter message: Continue self-sacrifice for others  

 News
Apr 192014
 
PNoy urges Pinoys in Easter message: Continue self-sacrifice for others  

President Benigno Aquino III on Sunday urged Filipinos to practice self-sacrifice for others, even as he vowed to make permanent the reforms achieved under his administration. In his Easter message, Aquino also reminded Filipinos to follow the example of Jesus Christ, who he said sacrificed Himself to give mankind a chance at redemption. “Tandaan po natin, dumaan si Hesukristo sa marami at matinding kalbaryo. Sa halip na sumuko, tinanggap niya ito ng buong-buo para mabigyan tayo ng oportunidad na makamtan ang buhay na walang hanggan. Ito naman ang hamon sa atin bilang kanyang mga tagasunod. Bigyang halaga natin ang pagkakataong … maiwaksi ang kasamaan at marating ang kaharian ng Diyossa harap ng mga pagsubok, paghihirap o ginhawa, nawa’y lagi nating isabuhay ang kanyang mga dakilang aral, ang paggawa ng tama, pagmamahal at paglingap sa kapwa,” he said On the other hand, he said his administration will seek to make sure Filipinos have the opportunities to improve their lot in life even after he steps down from office in 2016. “Nais natin maipadama sa mas nakakarami narito man po tayo o nakababa na sa pwesto, mananatili at dadami pa ang mga oportunidad para sa ating mga kababayan. Lubusin natin ang mga pagkakataong ito. Nasa kamay po natin ang susi ng ganap na pag-asenso. Tiyak pong sa ating malasakit sa isa’t isa at sa patnubay ng Panginoon, mararating natin ang katuparan ng ating mga panalangin at mithiin,” he said. Aquino said that under his watch, the nation has risen from rampant graft Read More …

Cardinal Tagle's Easter message prays for ‘true peace’

 News
Apr 192014
 
Cardinal Tagle's Easter message prays for ‘true peace’

As Christians celebrate Easter Sunday, Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, in his Easter message, prayed that the “true peace coming from the Risen Christ” would provide the Philippines the opportunity to start a “new life.” “We call on Jesus to breathe the Holy Spirit on the Filipino people so that we may experience a fresh start in our quest for peace especially in the Bangsamoro autonomous region, in communities ravaged by earthquakes, typhoons and armed conflicts, in our fight against corruption, unscrupulousness, human trafficking, new forms of slavery, abuse of children and women, dehumanizing destitution and the wastage of creation, to name a few,” Tagle said. The archbishop noted that peace expresses the hope that the sinner may become whole again, as peace “is a plea to start again.” “We pray, ‘Risen Jesus, enter our locked hearts, homes, offices and institutions and bring us your peace!’” Also, Tagle called on faithful to be ready to be sent on a mission, the way Jesus was sent by the Father. He said Easter is indeed a “missionary event,” transforming otherwise timid and fearful disciples into bold and determined missioners. “I call on all Christians, especially the lay faithful on this Year of the Laity to heed the Risen Lord who sends us to bring His word, peace and hope to all strata of human life and society. If peace and new life are illusive in our time, it is partly because we do not fulfill our mission. So at Easter we Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries