Former Finance chief Jayme passes on

 Economy
Apr 042013
 
Former Finance chief Jayme passes on

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Finance mourned the passing of former President Corazon Aquino’s Finance chief Vicente Jayme on Thursday, remembering his campaign for good governance “at a time when his country needed it most.” “When (Jayme) was appointed by President Aquino, Ting was a brilliant Finance Secretary whose legacy will be remembered as having steered the Philippines away from the brink of financial collapse,” Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said in a message of condolences issued on Thursday. Jayme, who co-founded the National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) and led the Asian Development Bank from 1990 to 1997, is also regarded for his prudence in enacting policies in a period of the country’s history when it was still rebuilding from the Martial Law days. “We want to let Ting Jayme’s family and friends know that the DOF family that he helped build condoles with them as well,” Purisima said.

Comelec releases list of party-list nominees

 News
Apr 042013
 
Comelec releases list of party-list nominees

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has released the official list of the nominees of party-list groups, political parties, sectoral organizations and coalitions that will participate in the May 13 elections. The list is posted on the poll body’s website. There are 136 groups on the list, but only 123 will be part of the May 13 elections as the others have been earlier disqualified by the Comelec. Some of the party-list groups also have two sets of nominees due to warring factions within the organization. The Comelec will decide on who will represent the party-list after it wins in the elections. Among those with two sets of nominees were Ako Bicol, Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperativa, Anak Mindanao, Abakada Guro, Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption, Coalition of Association of Senior Citizens in the Philippines Inc, and Trade Union Congress Party. In November last year, the poll body disqualified 12 party-lists whose nominees supposedly do not represent the sector they are claiming to represent. The Comelec has also disqualified seven party-lists that have sitting representatives in the 15th Congress — Ang Galing Pinoy, whose representative is Mikey Arroyo, son of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo; Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy; regional group Ako Bicol; APEC and 1-CARE, which claim to represent electricity consumers; and Aangat Tayo, representing urban poor, women, elderly and youth; and Kapatiran ng mga Nakulong na Walang Sala, which represents penal institutions and prisoners. These groups, however, was able to get a status quo ante order from the Supreme Court. Section Read More …

NBI intensifies manhunt ops vs Rasuman co-accused

 News
Apr 042013
 
NBI intensifies manhunt ops vs Rasuman co-accused

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is stepping up its efforts to locate Cagayon de Oro investment scam ringleader Jachob Rasuman’s co-accused, some of whom are reportedly in Metro Manila. The intensified operations came following the arrest of Rasuman’s wife, Princess Tomawis Rasuman, in Quezon City Wednesday night. “I directed NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas to intensify the manhunt for the other co-acuused of Coco Rasuman kasi wala pa sila. Hindi pa sila nahuhuli,” De Lima told reporters. “Ang balita namin, mukhang dito lang sila (sa Metro Manila) kaya pinapa-intensify ko na iyong manhunt para makuha sila para kumpleto na sila,” said De Lima, insisting that all of the suspects should get arraigned soon. In a counter-affidavit he submitted to the special panel of prosecutors last March, Rasuman asked the DOJ to dismiss the case against him as he denied that he duped supposed investor-complainants, who he said he has never even met before. Rasuman’s camp insisted that syndicated estafa charges should never have been filed, adding that if ever there was a crime, “it’s simple estafa.” Rasuman’s camp also belied accusations he was engaged in a Ponzi scheme, which entices investors to put money in the company in exchange for huge returns in two months. According to Investopedia, a Ponzi scheme is a fraudulent investing scam promising high rates of return with little risk to investors. The Ponzi scheme generates returns for older investors by acquiring new investors. Mr. Rasuman claimed he is operating a legitimate business of car trading Read More …

If tasked, DOJ ready to look into Imee Marcos' offshore trust — De Lima

 News
Apr 042013
 
If tasked, DOJ ready to look into Imee Marcos' offshore trust — De Lima

If ever she would be put to task, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Thursday said she would look into a report that Ma. Imelda “Imee” Marcos is beneficiary of a secret offshore trust in the Carribean. “If it gets refered to us, it’s our duty to preliminary look into that. Kapag me positive finding, that’s the time to make a formal probe,” De Lima told reporters. However, she refused to further comment on the issue, saying: “Huwag niyo muna ako tanungin. Di ko pa nakita document. How can I comment? So lets see,” she said. Under Executive Order 643 issued in July 2007 by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the Presidential Committee on Good Government was transferred under the DOJ from the Office of the President. The almost 27-year-old PCGG was created through Executive Order No. 1, the first edict that the late President Corazon Aquino signed shortly after the Marcos regime was toppled in 1986. According to a report of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Imee Marcos is one of the beneficiaries of the Sintra Trust, which financial records uncovered by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists show was formed in June 2002 in the British Virgin Islands. The PCIJ report said that apart from Marcos, other beneficiaries are her adult sons with estranged husband Tomas Manotoc: Ferdinand Richard Michael Marcos Manotoc, Matthew Joseph Marcos Manotoc, and Fernando Martin Marcos Manotoc. The PCIJ said that having offshore trust was “a primary way her father allegedly stashed away hidden wealth Read More …

HARANA PARTICIPATES AT THE PACIFIC ARTS MOVEMENT SPRING SHOWCASE

 Entertainment
Apr 042013
 

After its critical success at the Busan International Film festival, the Hawaii International Film Festival (Audience Award winner), and the Dubai International Film festival, highly acclaimed Filipino documentary HARANA will participate at the forthcoming Pacific Arts Movement Spring Showcase, formerly called the San Diego Asian Film Festival from 18 to 25 April 2013.  Screening dates […]

CONSUL GENERAL DE LA VEGA MEETS WITH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OF RIVERSIDE COUNTY

 Entertainment
Apr 042013
 

Los Angeles, 01 April 2013 – The Philippine Consulate General in Los Angeles, led by Consul General Maria Hellen Barber De La Vega conducted a three-day consular outreach program at the West Oaks Plaza in Houston, Texas, U.S.A. on 22-24 March 2013. The consular outreach program was undertaken in cooperation with the Philippine American Chamber of […]

Office supplies trader faces tax evasion raps

 Economy
Apr 042013
 
Office supplies trader faces tax evasion raps

MANILA, Philippines  – The Bureau of Internal Revenue filed on Thursday criminal charges against a trader of office supplies for tax evasion and other violations of the tax code. BIR filed the complaint against Kristian Soriano at the Department of Justice “for willful attempt to evade or defeat tax, deliberate failure to supply correct and accurate information in his Income Tax Return (ITR) and Value Added Tax (VAT) Returns for taxable year 2010 and Perjury, in violation of Sections 254, 255 and Section 267 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.” Soriano is the sole proprietor of Natriks Enterprise, which trades office supplies. Charged with Soriano is his certified public accountant Crisanto Laguardia, Jr. who certified his financial statements in 2010. Soriano reportedly under-declared his firm’s 2010 sales by P125.16 million or 13,381 percent, after being paid by the Philippine National Police a total of P133.66 million in a transaction made in 2010. Soriano, however, declared only P935,382.77 in his income tax return during the same year. “Under Section 248 (B) of the Tax Code, an under-declaration of taxable income by more than 30 percent is considered substantial underdeclaration and constitutes a prima facie case of fraud tantamount to tax evasion,” the tax bureau said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 BIR added that Soriano was sued for a total tax liability amounting to P101.9 million for deficiency taxes in 2010. Laguardia, meanwhile, was charged for issuing unqualified opinion in his certification of Soriano’s 2010 financial Read More …

GRAND PARK HOSTS ROCKAYOURSOUL: LA’S CELEBRATION OF GOSPEL, DANCE AND AILEY

 Entertainment
Apr 032013
 

– Thousands Expected to Join Largest-Ever Participatory Recreation of Excerpts from Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater’s Revelations —- The Public Will ‘Wade in the Water,’ Dancing Right in Grand Park’s Fountain – WHAT: Grand Park http://grandparkla.org/ and The Music Center http://musiccenter.org help Angelenos welcome the upcoming engagement of Alvin Ailey® American Dance Theater to town in grand style with a free, […]

Puro Arte: Filipinos on the Stages of Empire

 Entertainment
Apr 032013
 

Book talk by Lucy Burns UCLA Department of Asian American Studies   Wednesday, April 10, 2013 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM 314 Royce Hall UCLA Campus Asian American Studies Faculty Lucy Burns speaks about her newly published book Puro Arte: Filipinos on the Stages of Empire (NYU Press, 2012).  She will be joined by writers R. Zamora Linmark, Irene Suico Soriano, […]

US Reiterates Commitment to Address Grounding of USS Guardian, Full Cooperation on Independent Probe by PH

 Entertainment
Apr 032013
 

WASHINGTON DC (2 April 2013) – Reiterating Washington’s apology over the grounding of the USS Guardian, Secretary of State John F. Kerry today assured Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. Del Rosario that the United States will cooperate with the Philippines in addressing issues related to the damage caused by the incident on Tubbataha Reef. “Secretary […]

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