Singaporean killed in QC home; cops eye victim’s helper

 News
May 272013
 
Singaporean killed in QC home; cops eye victim’s helper

By Julie M. Aurelio Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:07 pm | Monday, May 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines — A Singaporean was found dead inside his Quezon City home with a single hack wound in what police suspected to be a robbery carried out by the victim’s helper. The body of Peter Lee, 50, a resident of Detroit Street in Barangay (village) Pinagkaisahan, was discovered at the receiving area of his house at around 4:20 p.m. Sunday. Police Officer 2 Rhic Pittong, the case investigator, said the foreigner suffered a hack wound in the nape. The victim is believed to have been robbed since his wallet and IPhone 4 were not found, although no other items were missing. It was Lee’s driver, Julio Cariño Jr., who discovered the body upon the driver’s arrival from Dau, Pampanga. Cariño last saw Lee alive after his boss dropped the driver off at around 12:44 p.m. on Sunday at a bus station for his trip to Dau. The driver said the victim’s teenaged driver, a certain JR was with them at that time. Pittong suspected that the helper, said to be 16 to 18 years old, 5’3″ to 5’4″ tall and of medium built, might be involved in the killing. Cariño claimed that when he got back from Dau in the afternoon, JR and his personal belongings were no longer in the house. The driver also recalled hearing JR getting scolded by their boss although the driver did not know the reason for the scolding. The Read More …

PH to show coast guard video of shooting to Taiwan prosecutors

 News
May 272013
 
PH to show coast guard video of shooting to Taiwan prosecutors

By Tetch Torres-Tupas INQUIRER.net 2:42 pm | Monday, May 27th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines-The Philippine government has agreed to show to Taiwanese prosecutors the video of the Philippine Coast Guard that recorded the shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat that killed a Taiwanese fisherman in the Balintang channel. “Everything that is with us will be offered to the Taiwanese investigators,” National Bureau of Investigation Deputy Director Virgilio Mendez told reporters Monday. The first batch of Taiwanese probers arrived in the country a few hours after NBI investigators left for Taiwan. On its first day, Mendez said the investigators will conduct ballistics examination, then an inspection of the vessel. “And then we will discuss what will happen on the third day,” Mendez said adding that part of the discussion will be the possible access to Coast Guard personnel involved in the incident. The Taiwanese probers, meanwhile, said their activity will be based on reciprocity. “What we offered to the Philippine team in Taiwan, they will offer the same to us,” the Taiwanese investigator said. The eight-man team from the NBI tasked to conduct an investigation into the Philippine Coast Guard’s shooting of a Taiwanese fishing boat has arrived in Taiwan Monday morning. Security was tight at the Taoyuan International Airport when the team of investigators arrived at past 10 a.m. on board Philippine Airlines flight PR896. The NBI team will be meeting with officials from the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (Meco), Taipei Economic and Cultural Office (Teco), and the Taiwanese Ministry Read More …

Palace: No report yet on Coast Guard negligence in May 9 incident

 News
May 252013
 
Palace: No report yet on Coast Guard negligence in May 9 incident

Malacañang on Saturday said it has not received any report that Philippine Coast Guard personnel could be held liable in an encounter in disputed waters that killed a Taiwanese fisherman last May 9. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte reiterated the government’s call to the public to wait for the final result of the probe, after a newspaper reported on the supposed liability of the Coast Guard. “Wala pang isinusumite, mabuti hintayin natin ang final na result bago pag-usapan ang sinasabing detalye,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. A 65-year-old Taiwanese fisherman was killed in the incident, prompting Taiwan to freeze the hiring of Filipino workers and discourage its residents from traveling to the Philippines. On Saturday, a report on The Philippine Star quoted a source that said initial findings may indicate criminal negligence by the Philippine Coast Guard personnel involved. It said its source indicated Coast Guard personnel in the incident may face criminal and administrative charges for possible violations of rules of engagement, excessive use of force, and neglect of duty. But the Coast Guard initially said its men fired on the Taiwanese boat as it was about to ram the Philippine vessel. Meanwhile, Valte reiterated President Benigno Aquino’s  stance that a fisheries agreement with Taiwan may have to wait until after the present row is settled. A fisheries agreement had been one of Taiwan’s demands following the May 9 incident. “I think the president has spoken very clearly about the proposed fisheries agreement, he had actually mentioned it Read More …

PAGASA: Rain expected over north Luzon and Mindanao

 News
May 252013
 
PAGASA: Rain expected over north Luzon and Mindanao

Rainy weather may be expected over parts of northern Luzon and Mindanao on Sunday, even as thunderstorms brought rain to parts of Metro Manila and Luzon Saturday. PAGASA said the diffused tail-end of a cold front is affecting the northern and eastern sections of Luzon while the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone is affecting Southern Mindanao. “The regions of Ilocos, Cordillera, Cagayan Valley, the provinces of Aurora and Quezon, Bicol region, Zamboanga Peninsula, Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and SOCCSKSARGEN will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said in its 5 p.m. bulletin. It added Metro Manila and the rest of the country will have “partly cloudy to at times cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly over the western section.” For Sunday, PAGASA said Metro Manila may expect temperatures of 24 to 34 degrees Celsius while Tuguegarao City may have temperatures of 23 to 32 degrees Celsius. Angeles and Olongapo Cities may have temperatures of 25 to 34 degrees Celsius. PAGASA also said light to moderate winds from the southeast to south will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and coming from the east to northeast over Mindanao. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added. Meanwhile, PAGASA’s Twitter account said thunderstorms brought rain over Metro Manila and nearby provinces, including: – Pinatubo and San Marcelino in Zambales – Candelaria, Mayantoc, Masinloc Sn Jose, Botolan, Bamban and Cabangan in Zambales – Quezon, Mandaluyong, Manila, Marikina, Pasay, Taguig, Parañaque Read More …

Know how to avail of SSS,GSIS educational loan

 News
May 252013
 
Know how to avail of SSS,GSIS educational loan

Need to enroll for college but short in cash? You may avail of the Social Security System or Government Service Insurance System education loans as long as you are an active contributing member with a monthly income of P25,000 or below, a television report on Friday said. SSS can provide up to P20,000 educational loan in one semester for a college student taking up a four-year course, Sherrie Ann Torres reported on GMA’s “24 Oras” on Friday. For those taking up vocational course, SSS can extend P10,000 loan. “After the four-year course plus the one year grace period, so our member starts paying or amortizing for six years. Three percent lang lumalabas ‘yung loan sa SSS so very affordable ang loan repayment,” said Luz Generoso, assistant vice president at SSS Loans and Assets Management Department. In April, SSS president and chief executive officer Emilio de Quiros Jr said members earning P25,000 and below per month are now eligible for Educ-Assist loans from the previous P15,000 maximum monthly income requirement. Meanwhile, for GSIS members, the state-run agency provides one-time educational loan for its members worth P4,000, the “24 Oras” report said. GSIS also provides scholarships to 200 incoming college freshmen, whose parents are from low to middle ranking regular government employees. A scholar with a four-year college course will receive P20,000 per semester and a monthly allowance of P2,000. “Dapat incoming freshman ka, so dapat magsimula tayo sa umpisa. Basta po ang bata ay nakapasa doon sa eskuwelahan na kanyang napupusuan [pwede Read More …

Taiwanese women stage lightning rally at Malacañang compound

 News
May 252013
 
Taiwanese women stage lightning rally at Malacañang compound

A group of Taiwanese women wearing mourning attire slipped past presidential guards and managed to hold a lightning rally inside the Malacañang compound in Manila Saturday. The 13 women brought a streamer demanding a public apology from the Philippine government for the death of a Taiwanese fisherman in an encounter in disputed waters on May 9. During their demonstration, presidential guards and anti-riot police had a hard time escorting them out of the compound but eventually allowed them to finish their activity peacefully, radio dzBB’s Divine Caraecle reported. One of the demonstrators was a former Taiwanese councilwoman, according to a GMA News “Flash report.” Presidential guards and police eventually allowed the demonstrators to read the contents of a letter seeking an apology. The dzBB report said the Taiwanese also asked President Benigno Aquino to heed their call for a public apology and to resolve the issue soonest. For his part, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office head Ramon Carandang was quoted in the GMA News Flash report as saying the Philippines is focusing on the investigation of the incident. Tension remains between the Philippines and Taiwan over the May 9 incident, although both sides have agreed to a parallel investigation on the incident. — LBG, GMA News

Hopes high for a visit from Pope Francis in PHL in 2016 — CBCP

 News
May 252013
 
Hopes high for a visit from Pope Francis in PHL in 2016 — CBCP

The Philippines may get a visit from Pope Francis (Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio) in 2016 if a request by the Vatican is any indication, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said. CBCP president and Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma said he received a request from the Vatican to move the 2016 International Eucharistic Congress (IEC) slated in Cebu City to an earlier date: January 25 to 31, instead of May 23 to 29. “Two weeks ago, we received a letter from (Archbishop Piero Marini, president of the Pontifical Committee on the International Eucharistic Congress) asking us if we could move the event to the second preferred date because the pope has another schedule in May,” Palma said in an article on the CBCP website on Wednesday. “We told them that January is fine because our suggestion was to make the pope’s visit to the Philippines a priority,” he added. The Philippines had already started preparations for hosting the event, which is expected to draw thousands of laity and Church leaders from around the world. Held every four years, the 51st International Eucharistic Congress 2016 will reflect on the theme “Christ in You: Our Hope of Glory.” Meanwhile, Palma called on the Filipino faithful to continue praying Pope Francis will indeed make a papal visit to the Philippines. “We know that the pope continues to inspire us and his visit will have an enormous impact on our faith and our Christian life,” he said. Pope Francis’ first international visit Meanwhile, Read More …

Seamen may file complaints at sea

 News
May 242013
 
Seamen may file complaints at sea

By Tina G. SantosPhilippine Daily Inquirer 6:46 am | Saturday, May 25th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Filipino seafarers may file work-related complaints even while aboard ocean-going vessels, according to the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA). POEA Administrator Hans Leo Cacdac said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz had issued Department Order No. 127 directing the opening of communication lines between Filipino sailors and the POEA to strengthen the modes of conciliation and mediation of labor disputes in the maritime industry. “The department order effectively aligns with Regulation 5.1.5 of the Maritime Labor Convention 2006 of the International Labor Organization which requires the mandatory implementation of onboard complaints procedure for the fair, effective and expeditious handling of seafarer complaints alleging breaches of the requirements of the said convention, including labor and employment rights of seafarers,” Cacdac said. Aggrieved seafarers usually filed complaints only upon their return to the country, the POEA said. But Cacdac said a seafarer could now communicate to the POEA an onboard complaint either through postal mail addressed to the POEA administrator, Blas F. Ople Building corner Edsa and Ortigas Ave., Mandaluyong City, Philippines 1501; through e-mail addressed to onboardconci@poea.gov.ph, or by calling the office at tel. nos. 8336992, 5516641 and 5511560. Cacdac said the POEA would provide the seafarer with impartial advice on the complaint and assist him in going through the complaint procedures. He gave assurance that all information gathered during consultation would be kept in strict confidence and evaluated in accordance with existing rules and regulations governing the employment Read More …

Rescue of Russian mountaineer from Mt. Mayon proved costly

 News
May 242013
 
Rescue of Russian mountaineer from Mt. Mayon proved costly

By Mar ArguellesInquirer Southern Luzon 6:45 am | Saturday, May 25th, 2013 LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines—Russian tourist Mark Yuchyugyaev’s fascination with the majestic beauty of the Mayon Volcano proved to be costly, in more ways than one. To rescue the Russian tourist who went on an unauthorized Mayon Volcano climb and was injured in the process, the government had to shell out at least half a million pesos. Raffy Alejandro, regional direct of the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) in Bicol, said the government spent at least P520,000 during the two days of search and rescue (SAR) operation to extract Yuchyugyaev from a gully near the mouth of the volcano’s crater. Alejandro broke down the expenses as follows: P450,000 for the fuel used by the two Philippine Air Force helicopters during the two-day operation, or a flying time of about three hours for each helicopter at a fuel cost of P75,000/hour, and food and supplies amounting to P70,000 for the four teams of 35 personnel dispatched during the search. Alejandro said the bill for the entire exercise was charged to the Disaster Emergency Response fund of the PAF and the provincial government of Albay. Yuchyugyaev, who is now hospitalized at the Bicol Regional Teaching and Training Hospital (BRTTH) for a broken ankle, told officials here that despite his accident, he would still want to scale the 2,600-meter-high Mayon Volcano in the future. He said he was mesmerized when he saw the majestic Mayon Volcano in a tourist brochure, which made him Read More …

PCG report on grounded US ship due

 News
May 242013
 
PCG report on grounded US ship due

Philippine Daily Inquirer 6:39 am | Saturday, May 25th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is expected to release next week its report on the grounding of the US Navy minesweeper, the Guardian, at the Tubbataha Reef last Jan. 17. According to PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo, the report is about 90-percent complete. It will be submitted next week to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya who will then forward it to President Aquino. According to Balilo, the report will include what actually happened or what caused the incident, as well as measures and recommendations to prevent its recurring. The 68-meter long Guardian ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef and damaged more than 1,500 square meters of the reef, which the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has declared a World Heritage Site. The Guardian was cut into pieces and removed from the reef last March 30. The US government has committed to rehabilitate the portion of the reef that was damaged by the Guardian but its discussions with the Department of Foreign Affairs on the matter have been kept confidential. Tina G. Santos Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: Commander Armand Balilo , Philippine Coast Guard , President Aquino , Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya , Tubbataha Read More …

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