PMA cadet Cudia given until March 19 to appeal dismissal – Palace 

 News
Mar 092014
 
PMA cadet Cudia given until March 19 to appeal dismissal – Palace 

Philippine Military Academy cadet Aldrin Jeff Cudia has until Mar. 19 to submit a position paper on his dismissal for allegedly violating the academy’s honor code, Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said Sunday. In an interview over government-run dzRB, Coloma said Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista met with Cudia on Feb. 24 and gave the cadet until the next day to submit his appeal. That deadline was moved to Mar. 4, and again to Mar. 19. “Sa pananaw po ng AFP, ito ay isang magandang pagkakataon para sa kanya na maipaliwanag nang buo ang kanyang posisyon. At ang gabay naman po na ginagamit ng AFP sa paghawak ng kaso ni Cadet Cudia ay ‘yung katotohanan at patas na pagtingin,” he said, citing a statement by AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Ramon Zagala In a report aired on “Balitanghali” Saturday, Cudia’s family claimed they have two sworn statements from sympathetic witnesses who say the honor committee absolved him in an 8-1 vote, but that the vote was later overturned.    The Cudia family did not provide copies of the supposed statements. Cudia is technically dismissed from the academy after the honor committee found him guilty of

Despite inconsistencies, Cunanan's testimony has weight – lawyer

 News
Mar 062014
 
Despite inconsistencies, Cunanan's testimony has weight – lawyer

Cunanan denies involvement in pork barrel scam. On-leave Technology Resource Center Director-General Dennis Cunanan told the Senate blue ribbon committee on Thursday, March 6, that he never received any kickbacks from the alleged P10 billion pork barrel scam. “Kung meron man ako, bakit hindi ko aaminin? Lalo na sa sitwasyon ngayon,” a teary-eyed Cunanan said. Benjie Castro Despite his denial that he received kickbacks from the multi-billion-peso pork barrel fund scam, the testimony of on-leave Technology Resource Center director general Dennis Cunanan was strong enough to prove the guilt of the senators implicated in the anomaly, one of his lawyers said. “In fact, meron siyang mga naipakitang dokumento na nagpapatunay na yung mga senador mismo ang nage-endorso. Sa mga endorsement letter na yun, nakapangalan na dun, nakasaad na kung anong mga foundations at NGOs (non-government organizations) ang papupuntahan ng kanilang PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund),” lawyer Odessa Bernardo said in a phone patch interview with Jiggy Manicad aired on GMA News’ “Quick Response Team (QRT), Thursday afternoon.  Cunanan, the new provisional state witness in the P10-billion pork barrel scam, appeared for the first time at the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing on the anomaly, Thursday. During the hearing, he submitted copies of the endorsement letters, which allegedly came from the offices of Senators Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and Juan Ponce Enrile. In the supposed letters, the the three senators listed the bogus NGOs of detained businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles as beneficiaries. Cunanan even pointed out during his testimony that Read More …

The rape of Pepsi Paloma

 News
Mar 052014
 
The rape of Pepsi Paloma

We were eating lunch at a Daly City home and watching “Eat Bulaga!”, the popular noontime variety show on GMA TV, when someone commented that he read on Facebook that two of the show’s hosts, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon, were involved in the gang rape of a young Filipino American actress named Pepsi Paloma in 1982. The Eraserheads PHOTO/PHILIPPINE DAILY INQUIRER Three young Filipino kids, all recent immigrants, joined in the conversation and said that they also heard of the Pepsi Paloma rape case. I expressed surprise because it occurred long before any of them were born. They explained that they learned of the rape from the song “Spolarium” composed and performed by the Eraserheads, their favorite Filipino rock band. When I Googled the lyrics of “Spolarium” by the Eraserheads, I found these words: at ngayon di pa rin alam kung ba’t tayo nandito pwede bang itigil muna ang pagikot ng mundo   umiyak ang umaga anong sinulat ni enteng at joey dyan sa gintong salamin di ko na mabasa pagkat merong nagbura ahhh… (And we still don’t know why we’re here, please stop the turning of the world, the morning cried, what did enteng and joey write in the golden mirror I couldn’t read because someone erased it). Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III. INQUIRER file photo According to these diehard fans of the Eraserheads, “enteng” is  Vic Sotto and “joey” is Joey de Leon and the something that was erased was their criminal record. The meaning Read More …

2 Coast Guard ships ready to guard Panatag Shoal on gov’t go-signal

 News
Mar 032014
 
2 Coast Guard ships ready to guard Panatag Shoal on gov’t go-signal

AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines — Not a single Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) vessel has been deployed to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) since PCG ships and their Chinese counterparts faced off in the West Philippine Sea rock formation for two weeks in mid-2012. But Commander Armand Balilo, PCG spokesperson and chief of the public affairs office, told the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday, that at least two Coast Guard ships—the search-and-rescue vessel BRP Corregidor (001) and the buoy tender BRP San Juan (AE-391)—were “on standby” at the PCG headquarters in Port Area, Manila and could be sent to the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) rock formation “if ordered by the higher-ups.” Balilo was referring to “Malacañang through the DOTC,” not the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, tasked by the government to oversee security in the West Philippine Sea. The 540-ton Corregidor is 56 meters long, has a cruising speed of  26 knots and a range of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Built by the Australian shipbuilding firm Tenix, the multi-role vessel was commissioned by the PCG in June 2002. In November, it was one of several PCG vessels that ferried relief goods to Eastern Visayas provinces ravaged by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan). The 730-ton San Juan, nearly 57 meters long, was built by Niigata Engineering, a Japanese shipbuilding company. It runs at a slow 12 knots but has a cruising range of over 2,000 nautical miles. The ship was commissioned in February 1998 by the Read More …

Chinese caught with shabu-making instruments charged in court

 News
Mar 032014
 
Chinese caught with shabu-making instruments charged in court

By Julie M. AurelioPhilippine Daily Inquirer 8:49 pm | Monday, March 3rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines — A Chinese national arrested over the weekend has been charged before the Quezon City courts for allegedly smuggling instruments used in manufacturing illegal drugs. A case of possessing equipment, apparatus and other paraphernalia has been filed against Zhang Youhou, 46 of Jianxi, China, after he was caught with boxes of glassware with illegal drug residue. Chief Superintendent Richard Albano, the Quezon City Police District director, said they have been checking with the Chinese Embassy and the Bureau of Immigration the suspect’s real name, his background, immigration status, and his criminal record. Zhang was arrested at 3 p.m. Friday after a security guard at the Araneta Center Bus Terminal inspected his packages, which yielded the glass equipment. Senior Inspector Roberto Razon, head of the District Anti-Illegal Drugs-Special Operations Task Group, said the foreigner was subjected to inquest proceedings for violating Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Inquest prosecutor Rogelio Antero recommended a P40,000 bail for the suspect. Razon said two 25-ml volumetric pipettes were found to have traces of methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu. Zhang’s contraband included beakers, petri dish, glass flasks, test tubes, exhaust fan, and electric stove stashed inside a styrofoam box initially declared to be mining equipment. The Chinese national was supposed to board a bus bound for Masbate when security guard Alxander Bayle accosted him for the equipment. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Read More …

Water cannon incident an act of aggression—Akbayan

 News
Mar 022014
 
Water cannon incident an act of aggression—Akbayan

By Bong LozadaINQUIRER.net 1:50 pm | Monday, March 3rd, 2014 MANILA, Philippines—In another episode on the Philippine-China dispute over the areas in the West Philippine Sea, a militant group said that the water cannon incident at Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) is a “clear” act of aggressive behavior. Akbayan picketed outside the Chinese Consular Office at the World Center in Makati Monday morning to protest Chinese claims on the Panatag Shoal and uphold Philippine claims on the disputed islands. “They sent their maritime vessels in a territory which is an integral part of the Philippines,” Emman Hizon, deputy Secretary-General of Akbayan said. “They did not only infringe Philippine sovereignty, but an act of aggression against Filipino fishermen who were only undertaking fishing activities for Philippine nationals.” Hizon said that the water cannon incident was not only an act of “bullying,” but also a “clear act of aggression.” He added that China is offering incentives to the Philippines to ease the dispute, like the pulling out of their ships and increasing business investments in the country. “We are telling them the Philippine government that Philippine sovereignty is non-negotiable; we are not taking the incentives,” Hizon said. Multilateral talks According to Hizon, his group is supporting President Benigno Aquino III’s stand after the Chief Executive said that the key to the dispute would be through multilateral talks between the countries, which lay claim to the shoal. “We believe the resolution to this dispute should be settled on a multilateral, pluralistic fashion and reject Read More …

No Coast Guard vessels near Panatag Shoal, says spokesman

 News
Mar 022014
 
No Coast Guard vessels near Panatag Shoal, says spokesman

This undated handout photo taken by the Philippine Navy and released April 11, 2012, by the Department of Foreign Affairs shows Chinese surveillance ships off Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal. AFP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – Not a single Philippine Coast Guard vessel has been deployed to Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal) since Coast Guard ships and their Chinese counterparts faced off in that part of the West Philippine Sea for two weeks in mid-2012. The Inquirer learned this Monday from Cmdr. Armand Balilo, chief of the Coast Guard’s public affairs office, who said, however that the search-and-rescue vessel BRP Corregidor (001) and the buoy tender BRP San Juan (AE-391) were “on standby” at the PCG headquarters in Manila and could be sent to the area “if ordered by the higher-ups.” By higher-ups Balilo was referring to “Malacañang through the DOTC,” not the Western Command of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, which has been tasked by the government to oversee security in the West Philippine Sea. The Coast Guard is now under the jurisdiction of the Department of Transport and Communication. It used to be part of the Philippine Navy. The 540-ton Corregidor is 56 meters long, has a cruising speed of  26 knots and a cruising range of more than 1,000 nautical miles. Built by the Australian shipbuilding firm Tenix, the multirole vessel was commissioned by the PCG in June 2002. It was one of several PCG vessels that ferried relief goods to Eastern Visayas provinces ravaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda in Read More …

Malaysia on lookout for ‘leader from Sulu’

 News
Mar 022014
 
Malaysia on lookout for ‘leader from Sulu’

6:02 am | Monday, March 3rd, 2014 KOTA KINABALU—Malaysia’s security forces are closely monitoring information that another leader from Sulu in the Philippines plans to enter Sabah in order to meet with local political figures. Sabah police commissioner Hamza Taib said that should the Sulu leader—whom he did not name—follow the proper channels of entry into Sabah, this would not be a problem. “But if he threatens the security of the state, the police will act accordingly. “At the moment, we are keeping an eye on the individual (a senior leader of a Sulu group), who is planning to come to Malaysia to meet with a political leader. “As far as I am concerned, this individual can enter Malaysia legally as we are a free country and we do not stop people from coming here,” he said. “However, if anyone tries to cause chaos or threaten us, we will not hesitate to take stern action,” he told reporters after launching the second phase of a motorcycle patrolling unit at Taman Suria near Penampang here yesterday. Hamza was commenting on a statement by the inspector general of the  police, Khalid Abu Bakar, that a senior leader of a Sulu group was planning to enter Sabah. The Sulu leader reportedly claimed his group was not related to the one led by Agbimuddin Kiram, the brother of the late self-proclaimed Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram, which entered Lahad Datu’s coastal village of Tanduo on Feb. 12 last year, demanding the return of Sabah to Read More …

Hong Kong acts to stem abuse of maids

 News
Mar 022014
 
Hong Kong acts to stem abuse of maids

A 44-year-old woman, surnamed Law, with covered head, is escorted by police officers for an investigation at her home in Hong Kong, on Jan. 21, 2014, for alleged maid abuse. Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger. AP HONG KONG—Hong Kong has vowed to strengthen legal oversight over maid employment agencies following a spate of abuse cases that have caused widespread shock and anger. City authorities said they would step up surveillance against unscrupulous agencies and look into increasing penalties against those who take advantage of maids. The semiautonomous Chinese city is home to nearly 300,000 maids from mainly Southeast Asian countries—predominantly the Philippines and Indonesia—and criticism from rights groups over their treatment is growing. Earlier this year, the alleged torture of an Indonesian maid by her Hong Kong employer caused uproar, with thousands of helpers taking to the streets to demand justice in January. Images of the injuries sustained by Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, 22, who was reportedly left unable to walk following eight months of abuse, shocked the Southern Chinese city but campaigners warned such assaults were merely the tip of the iceberg. A 39-year-old female employer was arrested on suspicion of assault, a police statement said, following reports that she had attacked her maid with a knife. A spokesperson for the labor department said it would step up surveillance on agencies and show offenders that the government is serious about the Read More …

Filing charges over ‘pork’ scam up to DOJ, not Malacañang – Coloma

 News
Mar 022014
 
Filing charges over ‘pork’ scam up to DOJ, not Malacañang – Coloma

Malacañang said Sunday that filing charges over the alleged misuse of the Priority Development Assistance Fund is up to the Department of Justice. “Wala po sa hurisdiksyon ng Malacanang ang pag-aaral ng mga kaso o mga usapin hinggil diyan,” Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over government radio on Sunday.  “Simula sapul, malinaw po ang batayang prinsipyo ng ating Pangulo at pamahalaan. Kinakailangang hayaan yung ebidensya na magturo kung saan patungo yung imbestigasyon,” he added. The statement came after Navotas Rep. Toby Tiangco, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) secretary general, said said Saturday that the investigation into the so-called pork barrel scam seemed to be aimed only at members of the opposition. The opposition stalwart on Saturday said the Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation have yet to file charges against administration allies named in a Commission on Audit report on alleged misuse of their PDAF. Tiangco said members of the Liberal Party who were identified in a COA report released last August as having received excess “pork barrel” allocations from 2007 to 2008 have yet to face charges.  “Imagine, inabot na ng 200 days pero wala pa ring nakakasuhan sa mga kaalyado ng Liberal Party? What’s really obvious and dubious is that the cases are all focused on the opposition. Ayaw na nilang idagdag ang mga kaibigan nilang sumawsaw sa PDAF. Malinaw na may cover up dito,” he said in a statement. But Coloma said Sunday that the findings of the Audit commission still Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries