10 Reasons why Philippines should be 1st stop in Asia

 News
Feb 122014
 
10 Reasons why Philippines should be 1st stop in Asia

The Philippines was never very high on my travel bucket list. No one really talked about the place, and it seemed to have a reputation for being a rather dangerous place to travel through. Besides, all travellers knew that Thailand had all the best beaches, China had all the work opportunities and Vietnam had all the best food. Why bother going to the Philippines? Then finally in March this year I got the chance to visit. What I discovered was a country inhabited by the friendliest people on Earth, littered with unimaginable beaches and an infectious family like culture that made you never want to leave. Some of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in Asia were hidden in faraway corners of the country, still unheard of by much of the backpacker crowd. What I still can’t figure out is how so many travellers in Asia pass on this country full of beautiful people, fresh tropical fruit, picturesque islands and untouched natural beauty. Safe, cheap, beautiful; I ended up staying for 6 months! It’s easily become my new favourite spot in Asia. Need more proof? Here’s 10 reasons why you need to skip Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos and head straight to the Philippines on your next trip to Asia. The amazing people It’s amazing how friendly the people are here. How the place got a reputation for being dangerous, I have no idea. There was one time where I ran out of cash in El Nido, and since the Read More …

Ruby Tuason: Jinggoy's 'pork cut' delivered to house of Loi Estrada's ex-aide

 News
Feb 112014
 
Ruby Tuason: Jinggoy's 'pork cut' delivered to house of Loi Estrada's ex-aide

The house of former First Lady Loi Estrada’s former aide in Makati was once used as a drop-off point for Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s kickbacks in the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, potential state witness Ruby Tuason said in her affidavit. In her sworn statement submitted to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Tuason identified a certain Justa Tantoco as the owner of the house in Dasmariñas Village where a total of P11.97 million for Senator Estrada, son of the former First Lady, was supposedly brought. Tuason, a resident of Dasmariñas Village, added that based on the accounting record of Benhur Luy, principal whistleblower of pork barrel scam, the transaction in Tantoco’s house was “consummated through a certain Matt Ranillo.” A report on news magazine Asiaweek published in 2000 identified Tantoco as the former First Lady’s chief aide. The magazine report even portrayed Tuason as someone familiar with the former First Lady’s relationship with her husband, former President Joseph Estrada. Previous reports published on lifestyle pages of local broadsheets meanwhile portrayed Tantoco as a “civic-oriented” and “charity-oriented” socialite. A report on “News To Go” also identified Tantoco as a friend and former aide of the former First Lady. Last December, GMA News Online published a report on how the former First Lady, who also served as senator from 2001 to 2007, also supposedly benefited from transactions with JLN Corporation, Janet Lim-Napoles’s company. The information was based on payment vouchers submitted during a 2005 legal dispute between actor Matt Ranillo III and Read More …

Govt recovers P1.3-B Marcos Swiss accounts

 News
Feb 112014
 
Govt recovers P1.3-B Marcos Swiss accounts

The government has recovered the last tranche of Marcos Swiss accounts worth a total of P1.3 billion ($29 million) after a Singapore court ruled that the Philippine National Bank (PNB) had the legal title to the deposits.  At a press briefing Wednesday, Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) chairperson Andres Bautista said the amount has been remitted to the National Treasury on February 5. The accounts were worth $23 million in 2003 and have since gained interests.  “The recovered amount form part of the Swiss bank accounts of former President Ferdinand Marcos and his family that were ordered forfeited by the Philippine Supreme Court in 2003 but which were held up in litigation in Singapore since then,” said Bautista.  In 2003, the Supreme Court granted the forfeiture of the bank deposits, allowing PNB to give most of the money back to the Philippine Treasury under an escrow agreement.  But the funds were held up in Singapore after complaints were filed against it by human rights lawyers. Singapore’s high court ruled in favor of PNB in 2012.  Singapore’s appeals court affirmed the high court decision on December 30.  Marcos signed on Sept. 21, 1972 Proclamation No. 108 that imposed Martial Law in the Philippines, following increasing civil strife and threats of communist takeover.  The abuse of authority of the Marcoses and their cronies led to the 1986 People Power Revolution which toppled the regime. — Siegfrid O. Alegado/RSJ/KBK, GMA News

Red Cross to build 'better' homes in Yolanda-affected areas

 News
Feb 112014
 
Red Cross to build 'better' homes in Yolanda-affected areas

Now that the recovery phase has started in areas devastated by super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), the Philippine Red Cross is setting its eyes on building “better” houses for the survivors. At a press conference in Manila on Wednesday, PRC chairman Richard Gordon said that after the initial emergency response, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Red Crescent Movement (RCM) would prioritize building permanent homes for the survivors of the killer typhoon. He said the houses they are planning to build will be “better” as each will be erected away from danger zones and can withstand winds of up to 250kph. The PRC, which Gordon leads, is ICRC’s chapter in the Philippines. Officials of the ICRC and the RCM met Wednesday to discuss future support for typhoon victims. Also at the meeting in Manila, PRC’s secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang told reporters the two international aid organizations are set to rebuild some 50,000 houses; repair 70,000 more damaged homes; and relocate 5,000 families away from areas now considered as danger zones. She said the funds for rebuilding and repairs will be sourced from the 300 million Swiss francs raised for the Yolanda survivors. On the other hand, Gordon said 45 percent of the total funds raised will be for the housing project in Yolanda-affected areas. — Amanda Fernandez /LBG, GMA News

PNoy woos ARMM residents, asks them to give Bangsamoro law a chance

 News
Feb 112014
 
PNoy woos ARMM residents, asks them to give Bangsamoro law a chance

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday appealed to the people of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to give chance to the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is expected to result in a Bangsamoro Political Entity. “Nananawagan [po ako] nawa’y bigyang daan ninyo ang hakbang [na] ito… hinihimok ko po kayo ay tumaya rin sa pag-asa na makakamit natin ang ganap na pagbabago sa ARMM,” Aquino said during his speech at the 2nd ARMM LGU Summit on Good Governance and Development in Davao City. He issued the statement after the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) signed the last and most contentious of the four annexes to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro (FAB) last January. The annexes will be used as guides in the drafting of the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is expected to result in a Bangsamoro Political Entity that will replace ARMM. Government peace panel chair Miriam Coronel-Ferrer said they hope to present the Bangsamoro Basic Law, which is being crafted by a Bangsamoro Transition Commission, to Congress early this year.   Aquino, however, had expressed worry that they may have difficulty passing it in Congress. After Congress enacts the law, a plebiscite will be held for it to be approved. According to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, the plebiscite will be held in the “envisioned core territory of the Bangsamoro.” It said this includes the current ARMM provinces and Marawi City; the cities of Cotabato and Isabela; the six Read More …

Palace: No overpayment to Cojuangcos for Hacienda Luisita

 News
Feb 102014
 
Palace: No overpayment to Cojuangcos for Hacienda Luisita

Malacañang on Monday denied that the Cojuangco clan of President Benigno Aquino III was overpaid by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in its acquisition of clan-owned Hacienda Luisita. “Ayon sa DAR, walang kalabisan ang pagbabayad sa Hacienda Luisita sapagka’t sinunod nila ang batas hinggil dito,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message to reporters. He added that the Palace recognizes the power of Congress to initiate an inquiry on the issue. Coloma issued the statement after ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio questioned DAR’s “overpayment” of more than P167 million in interest for the sugar plantation owned by Aquino’s relatives. Aquino divested himself of interest in Hacienda Luisita Inc. in 2010. The Conjuanco clan was paid over P471.5 million after the Supreme Court ordered the distribution of almost 5,000 hectares of land to some 6,000 farmer-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita Inc., Tinio said, citing information from the DAR and Land Bank officials. But Anthony Parungao, DAR undersecretary for legal affairs, had said that no overpayment was made. He added the compensation for Hacienda Luisita should be pegged against the value of the estate in 1989, not 1998.  — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

Enrile: Gigi Reyes not authorized to discuss ‘pork’ with Ruby Tuason

 News
Feb 102014
 
Enrile: Gigi Reyes not authorized to discuss ‘pork’ with Ruby Tuason

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday denied authorizing his former chief-of-staff, Jessica “Gigi” Gonzales Reyes, to discuss pork barrel transactions with potential state witness Ruby Tuason on his behalf. In an interview, Enrile maintained that he never received government funds from Tuason through Reyes. “Pork barrel funds? Walang ibinibigay sa akin na pork barrel funds. Kickback? I don’t know. I do not live with Mrs Reyes. I do not live in her house,” the senator told reporters. He added that he is confident Reyes will not further implicate him in the alleged anomaly. He said as far as he knows, his former chief-of-staff never received kickbacks from pork barrel transactions. “What will she [Reyes] say? I have faith in her honesty and integrity… There has never been any occasion when she violated that degree of rectitude expected of a public servant,” Enrile said. Ruby Tuason Last Friday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that Tuason, through an affidavit, admitted to personally delivering pork barrel kickbacks to Enrile, through Reyes, and to Senator Jinggoy Estrada. De Lima also said that Tuason even recalled an incident when Enrile dropped by at a coffee meeting between her and Reyes. Reyes resigned last January as Enrile’s chief-of-staff at the height of accusations that she had power over Senate matters and authority to sign on behalf of her boss. She left the country last August at the height of the pork barrel scandal. Last September, Reyes posted a statement on her Facebook page Read More …

Comelec: PCOS machines for 2016 polls might not come from Smartmatic

 News
Feb 102014
 
Comelec: PCOS machines for 2016 polls might not come from Smartmatic

The Commission on Elections might turn to other suppliers to provide the precinct counting optical scan (PCOS) machines for the 2016 presidential polls, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Monday. On the sidelines of the hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System, Brillantes said that the poll body is considering other companies along with Smartmatic-Total Information Management, which supplied the PCOS machines for the May 2013 elections. “PCOS machines pa rin ang gagamitin natin for the 2016 elections, but it might not necessarily be the Smartmatic PCOS. Maraming alternatives,” he said. The Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) is set to hold a technology fair on February 21 for companies interested in bidding for the contract. The council was created to issue a recommendation on the kind of voting technology the Comelec should adopt for use in the 2016 polls. Brillantes said that among the options being considered by the poll body is using both the old PCOS machines from Smartmatic and the new ones it is planning to purchase. Smartmatic has claimed that the 82,000 PCOS machines purchased from it by Comelec for P1.8 billion could last even until the 2016 elections. Comelec said in its report to the joint oversight committee that it will have to shell out P12.9 billion should it replace all the old machines with new ones. The cost, however, would go down to P6.9 billion if the poll body decides to use the existing PCOS machines and just purchase additional units. Read More …

Ambush leaves Chinese trader, wife wounded

 News
Feb 092014
 
Ambush leaves Chinese trader, wife wounded

By Maricar B. BrizuelaPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:19 am | Monday, February 10th, 2014 NAIA terminal 3. FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—A Chinese businessman and his wife are still in critical condition after two men on a motorcycle repeatedly fired at their vehicle on Saturday afternoon in Pasay City. Minjiang Sy, 48, suffered a wound in the chest and right arm while his wife, Qing Xiam, 43, was shot in the head and back, a Pasay City police report said. Both remain confined in a hospital in serious condition. In the report signed by Pasay police chief Senior Supt. Florencio Ortilla, the couple and their two children had just left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 when they were attacked at 4:30 p.m. “The family’s car was traversing the stretch of Andrews Avenue and heading toward Roxas Boulevard when two unidentified gunmen on a motorcycle shot the car several times,” the report said. Investigators added that after their assailants left, Sy asked for help from people in the area who took them to the hospital. The couple’s children who were in the backseat suffered just minor cuts and bruises after they were hit by pieces of the shattered windshield and windows, the police added. Scene of the Crime Operatives found eight bullet casings and a slug at the site. Investigators said they have yet to determine the motive behind the shooting. The couple’s children have not been able to give any information either, they added. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories Read More …

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