Gov’t hints at ‘rift’ in CPP could be affecting peace talks

 News
May 062013
 
Gov’t hints at ‘rift’ in CPP could be affecting peace talks

By Nikko DizonPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:54 pm | Monday, May 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines–The government on Monday hinted at a rift within the so-called “reaffirmist faction” of the Communist Party of the Philippines that could be influencing the stalled peace negotiations between the government and the communist rebels. Presidential peace adviser Secretary Teresita Deles: Now for the difficult part. INQUIRER file photo Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Deles said the government peace panel’s recent consultations with communities affected by the decades-long insurgency have raised one important question: is the government even talking to the right people? “Who are we talking to? Are they the right people? That was the advice to us, that we should examine that question,” Deles said at the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines forum. CPP founder Jose Ma. Sison and Luis Jalandoni are heading the negotiating panel of the CPP and its political arm, the National Democratic Front and armed group, the New People People’s Army. Government chief negotiator Alex Padilla said that according to the government’s intelligence sources, Benito and Wilma Tiamzon, members of the CPP’s Central Committee, are now the ones “in-charge.” Padilla said that one indication that Sison may no longer have control over the CPP’s people on the ground was when the latter reneged on the documents that he himself presented during the “special track” on the talks that was proposed by the CPP-NDF-NPA panel itself. Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, Read More …

Filipino bride, 4 others killed in California limousine fire

 News
May 052013
 
Filipino bride, 4 others killed in California limousine fire

Agence France-Presse 7:15 am | Monday, May 6th, 2013 SAN FRANCISCO—A woman and four members of her bridal shower burned to death in a horrific accident, when their rented limousine caught fire en route to a party in California celebrating her wedding, US media reported Sunday. The limo driver and four women managed to escape the burning vehicle, but the bride and four of her friends perished in the blaze, news reports said. “We don’t know what caused the accident yet,” California Highway Patrol Officer James Evans told The San Francisco Chronicle. “It wasn’t a traffic collision, we do know that, but we are still investigating.” The Chronicle reported that the woman for whom the bridal shower was thrown had recently married and had planned to return to her native Philippines for another ceremony next month. But for unknown reasons, the party-bound vehicle—which was en route to a wedding shower in nearby Foster City—burst into flames on the San Mateo Bridge, just south of San Francisco. The dead women, all in their 30s and 40s, included newlywed Neriza Fojas, 31, of Fresno, according to the Chronicle, which quoted the deceased woman’s sister. 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: Accident , Fire , Philippines , US Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Read More …

Q1 foreign tourist arrivals up

 News
May 052013
 
Q1 foreign tourist arrivals up

By Jocelyn R. Uy Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:10 am | Monday, May 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—There were 1.27 million foreign tourists who visited the country during the first quarter of the year, setting the pace for the government to reach the 5.5 million mark for 2013, according to the Department of Tourism (DOT). The first-quarter visitor arrivals marked a 10.76-percent growth from the 1.15 million visitors recorded during the same period last year. “This marks the second time that foreign tourist arrivals breached the one-million mark in the first quarter,” the DOT said on Sunday. Records showed that Korea remained the leading visitor market, capturing 25.83 percent of the total inbound traffic, followed by the United States, with 186,064, or 14.63 percent, of the overall visitor volume. At least 114,269 visitors from Japan have been recorded from January to March, accounting for 8.99 percent of the total market share, while arrivals from China have reached 98,242. Rounding up the top five visitor markets for the first quarter is Taiwan, with 53,867 tourists. The country also enjoyed significant number of visitors from the following countries: Australia, 53,679; Singapore, 41,524; Canada, 38,486; Hong Kong, 36,005; United Kingdom, 32,475; Malaysia, 27,212; and Germany, 22,491. “Month after month, we bear witness to a steady upward performance and new record highs. This only means that the efforts of the department and its partners are bearing fruit,” said Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez Jr. “To achieve our 2013 target of 5.5 million and 2016 target of 10 Read More …

Snub by Chinese foreign minister no big deal–Del Rosario

 News
May 052013
 
Snub by Chinese foreign minister no big deal–Del Rosario

By TJ A. Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:52 am | Monday, May 6th, 2013 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, May 1, 2013. AP PHOTO/SAKCHAI LALIT MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos shouldn’t make a big deal over the failure of new Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit the country even as he called at four other Southeast Asian nations, Malacañang said on Sunday. “We have not given a second thought to the visits to four Southeast Asian countries by the new Chinese foreign minister. The visits are his prerogative,” said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a statement released by the Palace. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, agreed. “We recognize perfectly the prerogative of the Chinese foreign minister to set his own agenda for his trips outside his country,” she said in a radio interview. Wang made his first official visits to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei between April 30 and May 5. Manila and Beijing are locked in a long-running dispute over islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Philippines has brought the matter to the United Nations. Portions of the South China Sea are being claimed in whole or in part by China, and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. Still, Del Rosario said, he looked forward to meeting Wang and working closely with him “at the appropriate time.” “We reiterate our congratulations and wish him great success,” he added.

To put more allies in Senate, PNoy ramping up support for admin bets

 News
May 052013
 
To put more allies in Senate, PNoy ramping up support for admin bets

The administration slate bears his name, so President Benigno Aquino III is pulling out all the stops to make sure that most, if not all, of his senatorial bets will emerge victorious in the 2013 polls. Last week, the President accompanied the administration senatorial ticket, which was called “Team Pnoy,” almost every day during sorties in provinces where he dominated the voting during the 2010 national polls. The Liberal Party (LP)-led senatorial slate went with Aquino last week to vote-rich Pangasinan, Camarines Sur and Quezon province, as well as the President’s home province, Tarlac. Data culled by GMA News Online also showed that the President was present in 11 of the 12 provincial sorties the administration ticket mounted in the past month. Aquino also graced the LP-led coalition’s kickoff for the local race in vote-rich Manila last April 1. At a press briefing last week, the President said that he wants to “increase efforts” for the 12 candidates he is endorsing for Senate seats in the upcoming polls. “I think I am leading also by example. We believe we are espousing a certain ideology,” Aquino said at a press conference last Tuesday. The President likewise assured the public that while he is campaigning for his slate, he makes sure that he does his duties as the country’s top elected official. He said he checks ongoing projects, conducts dialogues with local officials, and meets with the security sector when he visits provinces for sorties. TV ads The President does not only Read More …

PAGASA: Thunderstorms in parts of Luzon Sunday, expect more across PHL on Monday

 News
May 052013
 
PAGASA: Thunderstorms in parts of Luzon Sunday, expect more across PHL on Monday

(Updated 7:52 p.m.) While state weather forecasters do not expect the rainy season to arrive until at least late May, thunderstorms brought moderate to heavy rain to several parts of Luzon Sunday. PAGASA, in posts on its Twitter account, said the thunderstorms occurred over parts of Southern Luzon and Ilocos in the afternoon, and Central Luzon in the evening. As of 7:11 p.m. Sunday, PAGASA noted a thunderstorm with moderate to heavy rain affected parts of Mariveles, Limay, Orion and Bagac in Bataan. Light to moderate rain may fall over parts of Mindanao, while Metro Manila and the rest of the country may expect isolated rain showers and thunderstorms on Monday, state weather forecasters said Sunday afternoon. In its 5 p.m. bulletin, PAGASA said easterlies or warm winds from the east are affecting the eastern section of the country. “Caraga and Davao region will have cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms. Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening,” it said. Metro Manila experienced a high temperature of 35.6° Celsius Sunday, and may expect temperatures of 25 to 36°C on Monday. Also expected to have a high temperature of 36°C on Monday are Angeles and Olongapo Cities in Central Luzon. For Monday, moderate to occasionally strong winds from the northeast to east will prevail over Northern Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to ocassionally rough. Light to moderate Read More …

Comelec to ignore suits vs PCOS machines

 News
May 052013
 
Comelec to ignore suits vs PCOS machines

By Jocelyn R. Uy, Philippine Daily InquirerPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:24 pm | Sunday, May 5th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines — The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said on Sunday it would just ignore the lawsuit filed by civil society groups before the United Nations Committee on Human Rights over the use of the controversial precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in the upcoming balloting. “Officially, we are not going to do anything with it. We will just disregard it since we are already too close to the elections to mind the AES Watch and their complaint to the UN,” said Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in an interview with reporters. Last week, civil society groups such as the Concerned Citizens Movement, Center for International Law and the Automated Election System Watch announced that it was filing a complaint against Comelec for failing to ensure the free expression of the will of voters in the 2010 elections by foregoing security measures and opting for the same system for the 2013 balloting. The groups also cited the lack of a source code review in 2010 in their complaint. Brillantes had branded the complaint as a mere “publicity stunt” by critics of the Comelec. “Maybe because they cannot win here in our courts anymore, including the Supreme Court, that’s why they went to the UN. They can even go anywhere in the world if they want,” the poll chief had stated upon learning of the complaint. Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said on Sunday the UN Read More …

DOTC: 8 domestic flights canceled due to aircraft situation

 News
May 052013
 
DOTC: 8 domestic flights canceled due to aircraft situation

At least eight domestic flights were canceled Sunday, six of them due to “aircraft situation,” the Department of Transportation and Communications said. In posts on its Twitter account, the DOTC said four of the flights belonged to air carrier Cebu Pacific, while the other four belonged to Zest Air. Two of the canceled Cebu Pacific flights included 5J-919: Manila to Caticlan and  5J-920: Caticlan to Manila The other two were 5J-341: Manila to Kalibo and 5J-342: Kalibo to Manila Meanwhile, the canceled Zest Air flights were: – Z2-202: Manila to Marinduque– Z2-203: Marinduque to Manila– Z2-412: Manila to Busuanga– Z2-413: Busuanga to Manila The DOTC did not give further details on the “aircraft situation” that caused the cancellations. Caticlan is a gateway to world-famous Boracay, while Busuanga and Marinduque are also popular tourist attractions. — LBG, GMA News

PPCRV: 350,000 volunteers ready for poll duty

 News
May 052013
 
PPCRV: 350,000 volunteers ready for poll duty

With just one more week to go before the May 13 elections, a Church-based poll watchdog group on Sunday declared that 350,000 of its volunteers—including 70,000 frontliners—are ready for poll watching duties. The Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting said it is finalizing preparations to enhance the visibility of the 70,000 frontliners who will be assigned to help desks and polling places. “Okay ang deployment ng volunteers. Ang aming pinag-abalahan ngayon nakakuha kami ng materials, pero hanggang ngayon sourcing ako sa T-shirt. Nakaprint na ng 50,000 shirts sa kagandahang loob ng donor, nagsisigasig pa ako makakuha ng 20,000,” PPCRV chairperson Henrietta de Villa said in an interview on dzBB radio. She said the 70,000 volunteers should be wearing PPCRV shirts and IDs as they have to enhance their visibility at help desks and polling places. The PPCRV is a deputized citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections for the May 13 elections. De Villa also downplayed the effect of some Catholic dioceses’ cutting their working ties with her group, saying there are still many volunteers willing to work with the PPCRV. Volunteers being ‘pirated’ De Villa also said that some volunteers are being “pirated” by political parties for the elections, but that the group is not worried. “Siyempre doon may bayad [pero] ako hindi sumasama ang loob ko. Sabi ko mabuti na lang naka-training sa amin ang tamang pagbantay hindi lang sa pamamagitan ng isang technical poll watching consideration. Pati ang values meron kami nioon sa training,” she said. De Read More …

DFA chief: Chinese envoy's decision to skip PHL in Asian tour a prerogative

 News
May 052013
 
DFA chief: Chinese envoy's decision to skip PHL in Asian tour a prerogative

The Department of Foreign Affairs on Sunday said the decision of China’s new foreign minister not to visit the Philippines in his Southeast Asia tour is a prerogative. In a text message, DFA chief Albert del Rosario said his office has “not given a second thought” to newly-appointed Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi’s choice of countries in the region to visit. “The plan for these visits is his prerogative… We look forward to meeting at the appropriate time with the new foreign minister and working closely with him,” Del Rosario said. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte meanwhile said the Palace does not want to speculate why the Philippines was not included in the Chinese foreign minister’s itinerary. “It will not be healthy to engage in speculation. We recognize the prerogative of the Chinese foreign minister to set his own agenda for his trips outside his country,” Valte said in a separate interview over state-run dzRB radio. Last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying announced that Wang will be visiting Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam from April 30 to May 5 “at the invitation” of the foreign ministers of these Southeast Asian countries. Chinese news service China Briefing said the four Southeast Asian countries are Wang’s first overseas destinations since his appointment in March. Also, it said the tour marks the first time in over 15 years that a Chinese envoy gave priority to Asian destinations. The news agency likewise said the four countries “were likely picked for being Read More …

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