Top CPP leader Benito Tiamzon and wife arrested in Cebu

 News
Mar 222014
 
Top CPP leader Benito Tiamzon and wife arrested in Cebu

(Update 10:01 p.m.) Authorities arrested two leaders of the Communist Party-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front in Cebu on Saturday afternoon. According to a GMA News flash report, Benito Tiamzon and his wife Wilma were arrested by Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police personnel in Barangay Zaragoza in Aloguinsan, Cebu. “Wilma Tiamzon is the secretary general of the CPP/NPA while her husband, Benito, is the chairman of the CPP/NPA. They were arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest for their crimes against humanity that include murder, multiple murders, and frustrated murder,” General Emmanuel Bautista, chief of staff of the AFP, said. Benito is included in the “Big Five” fugitive list alongside fellow NPA leader Jorge Madlos. His arrest follows the arrest of Delfin Lee, who was nabbed in connection with a multibillion-peso estafa case. Last Wednesday, President Benigno Aquino III hinted another big-name fugitive would be arrested soon, but did not elaborate. A Palace official, who refused to be identified, said Benito Tiamzon was the fugitive Aquino was referring to. The arrest comes as the New People’s Army prepares to mark its 45th anniversary on March 29. — with reports by Rie Takumi and Andrei Medina/VC/JDS, GMA News

AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP intensifies offensives as NPA anniversary nears 

The Armed Forces of the Philippines has  raised the alarm on possible hostilities by the New People’s Army as the Communist Party of the Philippines’ armed wing approaches its founding anniversary, a military official said on Saturday. In a text message to GMA News Online, Armed Forces public affairs office chief Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala said they have intensified “combat operations in all areas of interest against [the communist rebels] to prevent them from launching attacks and for [government troops] to dictate on the momentum of the focused military operations.” “This increase of operational tempo is inherent in every command as we deny the enemy from their terroristic acts against our people,” he added. Last week, at least four suspected NPA rebels, two of whom are allegedly high-ranking officers, were captured by the military after a firefight in Sorsogon. Captain Bethany Cadungan, spokesperson for the Army’s 903rd Infantry Brigade, said Elias Florentino Pura, Rodrigo Lasar, William Doroja, and one alias “Ino” were captured after around 10 minutes of fighting. Lt. Col. Medel Aguilar, 9th Infantry Division spokesman, said Pura surrendered and yielded an M653 baby armalite rifle. The military also seized a cal. 45 pistol, two improvised explosive devices, a hand grenade, a laptop, and backpacks containing personal belongings. Pura is the secretary of Larangan 1, Komprob (Komiteng Probinsya) Sorsogon while Ino is the finance officer of the NPA in Sorsogon, the military said. He is also reportedly the finance officer of the Bicol regional party committee. Colonel Joselito Kakilala, commander of Read More …

AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

 News
Mar 222014
 
AFP standing by to resume search for missing Malaysian jet 

The Armed Forced of the Philippines is ready to resume the search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 even as the focus of the search has shifted to the Indian Ocean. “We will continue should the need arise,” AFP spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala told GMA News Online on Saturday. Zagala added that the military suspended the search last Sunday after finishing the scan areas within Philippine territory where the missing plane could be. In an earlier report, the AFP said they searched all areas within Philippine territory but found nothing. Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing past midnight on Saturday, March 8, an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur.  During the initial search and rescue operations, the AFP sent out three Navy ships and two airplanes to help international efforts to locate the missing plane. — Andrei Medina/JDS, GMA News

Unicef, WHO to donate typhoon-resistant vaccination equipment

 News
Mar 222014
 
Unicef, WHO to donate typhoon-resistant vaccination equipment

The United Nations Children’s Fund and the World Health Organization are set to donate typhoon-and earthquake-resistant vaccines and immunization equipment in an effort to ensure the cold chain storage management of vaccines in Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan)-affected areas. The WHO, UNICEF, and the Department of Health (DOH) plan to establish the cold chain storage system first in Tacloban City, one of areas hit hardest by Yolanda, and then expand the program across typhoon devastated communities. Equipment used to maintain the cold chain, a temperature-controlled system essential to retain the protective ability of vaccines and immunizing agents, will be donated to 450 DOH health care facilities. These include 5,000 temperature-monitoring devices, 4,000 vaccine carriers, 800 cold boxes, 400 back-up generator systems,150 ice-lined refrigerators, 50 solar-powered refrigerators and 200 Sure Chill freezers, which allows the facilities to operate for more than ten days without electricity. Also 16 walk-in cold rooms for vaccine storage will be constructed at the regional and provincial levels, where three million doses of measles/rubella and oral polio vaccines will be stored. WHO, together with UNICEF, also trained health workers to improve vaccine and cold chain management. WHO already delivered 16 solar-powered vaccine refrigerators in Leyte to enable autonomous storage of vaccine stock replenishment from the DOH’s warehouses within the third week of the Yolanda crisis. WHO also provided a million doses of measles/rubella vaccine for the DOH program, along with AD mixing syringes and safety boxes, and two domestic refrigerators for use in Tacloban. Cold chain equipment were also Read More …

Boracay’s White Beach one of world’s best

 News
Mar 212014
 
Boracay’s White Beach one of world’s best

Boracay The tourist favorite White Beach in Boracay has been recognized by a popular travel ratings website as one of the best in the world. Named such for its powder-fine white sand, White Beach ranked 19th on TripAdvisor’s list of Top 25 Beaches in the World for 2014. For the list, TripAdvisor took into account insights from millions of the travel ratings site’s users. Topping the list of best beaches in the world is Baia do Sancho in Brazil, followed by Grace Bay in Turks and Caicos, Flamenco Beach in Puerto Rico, Rabbit Beach in Italy and Whitehaven Beach in Whitsunday Islands. In TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Beaches in Asia list, White Beach ranked No. 1, beating counterparts in India, Thailand, China and other countries in the region. Other Philippine entries in this list include Secret Lagoon Beach in El Nido, Palawan, which ranked fourth; and Yapak Beach in Boracay, which ranked sixth. In 2012, Boracay was hailed by TripAdvisor as the second beach destination in the world. The post Boracay’s White Beach one of world’s best appeared first on Good News Pilipinas. Related posts: Discovery Shores Boracay cited as one of PHL’s best Discovery Shores scoops major Travel + Leisure Awards Palawan and Boracay named two best islands in the World PHL wins China’s Best Tropics Island Destination award

Palace exec: SolGen Jardeleza ‘very’ qualified for SC justice post 

 News
Mar 212014
 
Palace exec: SolGen Jardeleza ‘very’ qualified for SC justice post 

While saying the decision is up to the Judicial and Bar Council, a Malacañang official on Friday said Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza is “very qualified” for the soon-to-be vacated post of Supreme Court Associate Justice Roberto Abad. “He’s very qualified. His years in practice as a private practitioner and also now as Solicitor General, and previously as Deputy Ombudsman… his record speaks for itself,” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said at a press conference in Malacañang. Jardeleza is among the 14 candidates vying for the post of Abad, who will retire in May. Lacierda said he can vouch for Jardeleza since they have “worked more directly” with him as the lawyer of the executive branch. Earlier, however, the Palace official said Commission on Audit chairperson Grace Pulido Tan is also competent enough to vie for the post. “With respect to Chairman Grace Tan, again, her record also speaks for itself,” he said on Friday. But Lacierda quickly noted that they will just wait for the decision of the JBC. “Labas kami diyan sa pagpili kasi nasa JBC pa… they will still whittle down the list to a certain number,” he said. “The President normally keeps a distance until such time that the final list is submitted to him… he takes time to sit down with the nominees and interview them and assess and guage those in the list,” he added. The JBC is the body constitutionally mandated to create a shortlist of nominees for vacant posts in the judiciary, the Office Read More …

Napoles back in Laguna detention after checkup due to abdominal pain

 News
Mar 212014
 
Napoles back in Laguna detention after checkup due to abdominal pain

Alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was brought back to her detention cell at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna after attending a court hearing and undergoing a checkup at Ospital ng Makati due to abdominal pain. A staff of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 said Napoles left OsMak past 3 in the afternoon. “Pinaverify ni Judge (Elmo Alameda), kaaalis lang daw sa OsMak ni Napoles mga 15 minutes ago,” a staff told GMA News Online over the phone. Napoles was brought to the hospital around noon after attending the hearing on her motion to undergo medical surgery and confinement at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global.   During the hearing, Napoles personally appealed to the court to allow her to have an operation in a hospital of her choice with a doctor also of her choice. But Judge Alameda said Napoles should remember that she cannot exercise her civil and political rights in full because she is a detained person. The court is expected to issue its resolution on the motion next week and if granted, the surgery will most likely be conducted at Ospital ng Makati. Napoles is currently detained in Laguna for a serious illegal detention case. She is also facing plunder charges at the Ombudsman for allegedly masterminding a P10-billion pork barrel scam. Through her non-government organizations, Napoles is accused of funneling lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund, commonly known as pork barrel, to ghost projects. — RSJ, GMA News

UNDP chief to meet with PNoy on post-Yolanda recovery efforts

 News
Mar 212014
 
UNDP chief to meet with PNoy on post-Yolanda recovery efforts

The head of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) will meet with President Benigno Aquino III next week on the government’s recovery efforts, four months after super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) struck central Philippines. In a statement, the UNDP said its administrator, Helen Clark, will travel to Tacloban City in Leyte “to see first-hand the ongoing recovery activities in the areas devastated by typhoon Yolanda.” Clark will meet with Aquino, Cabinet officials and Asian Development Bank (ADB) president Takehiko Nakao during her three-day visit to the Philippines, the statement added. During her stay in the Philippines, the UNDP chief will also sign an agreement with Japan on “increased support to Yolanda recovery work.” Clark will likewise witness the historic signing of the final peace deal between Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), scheduled on March 27. Clark’s visit to Yolanda-hit areas was announced days after Audit chief Grace Pulido Tan noted

MNLF invited to signing of Bangsamoro peace pact — Lacierda 

 News
Mar 212014
 
MNLF invited to signing of Bangsamoro peace pact — Lacierda 

Malacañang on Friday said it has invited the Moro National Liberation Front to witness the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB), even though the group is opposing the pact. “I asked Secretary Ging Deles, yes, merong invitation to the MNLF [pero] wala pa kaming final list ng kung sino [ang pupunta],” presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during a press conference. Last week, Deles announced that the Philippine government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will sign the final peace agreement on March 27. The MNLF, however, claims it was excluded from the talks, and that this CAB abrogates the 1996 peace agreement it signed with the government in Jakarta. The Palace has denied MNLF’s claim and asked the the group to give the framework deal a chance. Signing In a statement on Friday, government peace panel chief negotiator Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said the CAB signing “seals the partnership for peace and prosperity between the government and the MILF.” “This partnership is based on our shared aspiration to heal the wounds of conflict, enable meaningful autonomy for the Bangsamoro, and nurture peace and development in Muslim Mindanao,” she said. Ferrer said the CAB “brings together” all the major agreements signed by the parties in the course of the 17-year negotiations. She said the most important parts are the framework agreement and the four Annexes, which will pave the way for the creation of the new Bangsamoro political entity.   Lacierda said they expect more than a thousand guests to Read More …

CA upholds Devanadera's misconduct conviction, orders her to pay P760,000

 News
Mar 202014
 
CA upholds Devanadera's misconduct conviction, orders her to pay P760,000

The Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of former Justice secretary Agnes Devanadera of misconduct in connection with the attorney’s fees she received from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in 2007. In a 23-page decision, the CA’s Sixth Division “partially granted” a March 4, 2010 decision and a February 10, 2012 review by the Office of the Ombudsman finding Devanadera guilty of simple misconduct, simple neglect of duty, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of duty. The CA, in its ruling penned by Associate Justice Romeo Barza, affirmed the Ombudsman rulings but said they were “subject to modifications.” Among the modifications was the penalty imposed on Devanadera, who, aside from being a former Justice secretary, also served as Solicitor General during the Arroyo administration. “In lieu of the penalty of one year without pay, she is ordered to pay a fine equivalent to her salary as government corporate counsel for six months,” the CA said. The CA also ordered Devanadera to “restitute to the Office of Government Corporate Council trust liability account” an amount of P760,000. The Ombudsman had convicted Devanadera and her former head executive assistant Rolando Faller in connection with an agreement with the GSIS to handle the extrajudicial foreclosure of delinquent real estate loans in 2007. In exchange, the Chief Government Corporate Counsel (OGCC) would get special assessment fees for its help. The two officials allegedly received various amounts from the special assessment fee that the GSIS had put up, including P500,000 for Devanadera Read More …

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