Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David has resigned from his post, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced Tuesday. Valte said President Benigno Aquino III accepted David’s resignation, stated in a letter dated July 12. The President’s spokesperson said she has no information on David’s replacement at the moment. David also served as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News
(UPDATED 1:00 p.m.) – In a close vote, Supreme Court justices on Tuesday extended indefinitely the status quo ante order (SQAO) stopping the implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law. The SC imposed a status quo ante order on the law last March, delaying its implementation. The order was supposed to expire on July 17 but the high court extend it on Tuesday. The SC Public Information Office said the justices voted 8-7 to extend the status quo ante (Latin for “the way things were before”) order against the health measure. “SC, voting 8-7, ordered SQAO in RH Law extended until further orders effective immediately,” the SC PIO said. The status quo ante order directs the parties to observe the status or situation before the implementation of the RH law. The controversial law mandates the government to use public to distribute contraceptives, deploy midwives, and teach sex education in elementary among others. The extension came a day before the original 120-day SQA order, issued on March 19, was to expire on Wednesday. In the original SQA order, the justices voted 10-5. The five who dissented in the earlier voting were Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, and Associate Justices Antonio Carpio, Mariano del Castillo, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Marvic Leonen. The second round of oral arguments on the controversial law is scheduled for July 23, when petitioners are expected to continue presenting their arguments against the law, enacted by President Benigno Aquino III in December 2012. During the first day of Read More …
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is questioning the circumstances of the deaths of two suspected criminals in Laguna who were shot while in police custody and being transferred from Cavite on Monday night. In a press conference in Manila, De Lima said many questions have to be answered on the deaths of Ricky Cadavero alias “Kambal” and Wilfredo Panogalinga alias “Kulot,” who were said to have been shot dead by their police escorts after the two supposedly tried escaping. Cadavero and Panogalinga were being held for illegal possession of firearms. The police officers were transporting Cadavero and Panogalinga back to Camp Vicente Lim in Laguna from Cavite, where the two underwent inquest proceedings when the shooting hyappened on Monday. An initial police report said that at a little past 6:30 p.m., as the police convoy was passing through San Pedro, Laguna on the Magsaysay Highway, the van carrying Cadavero and Panogalinga was shot at by unknown gunmen on two motorcycles. Superintendent Chito Bersaluna, head of the San Pedro Police, said that it was at this point that Cadavero and Panogalinga made a grab for their police escorts’ weapons. The officers resisted and the two alleged gangster ended up getting shot. The police officers suffered minor injuries. Meanwhile, the motorcycle-riding gunmen sped away. The other vehicle in the police convoy then rushed Cadavero and Panogalinga to the nearest hospital, but they were declared “dead on arrival.” Cadavero and Panogalinga were in police custody as they were arrested by the Philippine National Police last Friday Read More …
The businesswoman implicated in the P10-billion ghost project scam involving legislators’ pork barrel funds has fired back with her own accusations against a probable witness in the case. “Hindi po. Ako ay isang mother ng mga anak ko. Si Benhur ‘Kilap Kilap’ Luy ang scammer,” Janet Lim Napoles said in a one-on-one interview with GMA News’ Vicky Morales on Saksi on Monday. This was Napoles’ response to allegations that she is the “mother of all scams,” after being implicated in multi-billion peso ghost projects being probed by the National Bureau of Investigation. Her accuser, Luy, said Napoles’ company JLN Corporation was tapped in ghost projects of the government, including the fertilizer fund scam, the Malampaya fund scam, and several other projects implemented with money coming from the Priority Development Assistance Fund. The ghost projects were pegged in one report as totalling P10 billion worth, and the scam had allegedly been going on for 10 years. “Wow, napakalaki niyan, P10 billion. Buong release na ‘yan ng Kongreso at Senado. So bakit for 10 years ngayon lang sila nagsalita?” Napoles said, frowning. Sitting with her legs crossed and her hands on her lap, Napoles appeared calm. However, her voice rose as she called for proof of the accusations against her. “Kaya nga ho, nakakahiya. Nananawagan naman ako kay Ma’am na sana mapatunayan muna ng mga whistleblower bago naman po idamay nila, dinungisan ang isang institusyon na Senado, dahil lang sa mga whistleblower na gustong magtago, magkubli ng katotohanan,” Napoles said, referring to Senator Read More …
After receiving a warm welcome from the Filipino community in Hawaii, the crew of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, the Philippines’ newest warship, prepared to leave and continue their journey to the Philippines. Photos posted on the BRP Ramon Alcaraz’s Facebook page on Tuesday (Philippine time) showed the crew busy making preparations for the trip home. “(The ship’s crewmembers are) conducting refueling, coordination on the engineering requirements, admin(istrative) and logistical requirements and the testing of other equipment to be utilized during the voyage,” the captions on the photos read. The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said the BRP Ramon Alcaraz is expected to reach the Philippines on August 3. During its stay in Hawaii, the crew headed by Capt. Ernesto Baldovino toured the USS Arizona Memorial.Five enlisted personnel of the BRP Ramon Alcaraz also took their oaths of re-enlistment:EN2 Regidor Labrador, EN3 Tomas Ciruelos Jr.,EN3 Ernesto Cabahug,S2YN Erica Celemin, andEN3 Marlon Martonito. Last weekend, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz arrived in Hawaii to a warm welcome from the Filipino-American community there. An earlier Philippines News Agency report said Hawaii is the frigate’s second port call en route to the Philippines. Last June 28, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz (PF-16) docked at San Diego 28 for refueling and re-provisioning. Following its Aug. 3 arrival, the newest warship may be commissioned in September. The ship is named after Filipino naval hero Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, who gained distinction in World War II by shooting down three Japanese Zero fighters who tried to attack his ship. – Read More …
CONTRARY to projections that second-quarter rice production would be lower year-on-year, the country’s palay production rose 1-2%, an Agriculture department official said yesterday.
SOUTH Korea’s largest importers organization is set to visit the country this week in a bid to strengthen its ties with the Philippines, the Trade department said in a statement yesterday.
WHY DOES a taxpayer go to court seeking value-added tax (VAT) refund when he knows he does not comply with the requisites for a tax refund?
(Updated 6:20 a.m.) In its 5 a.m. Tropical Cyclone Warning, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said that the low pressure area east of Infanta, Quezon has developed into a tropical depression named Isang. This has prompted PAGASA to raise Public Storm Signal Number 1 over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Ifugao, Cagayan including the Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Isabela, Quirino, Aurora, Mt. Province, Kalinga and Apayao. Those living in areas under the Storm Signal are alerted against possible landslides and flashfloods. As of 4 a.m., the center of Isang was estimated to be 300 km east of Infanta, and had maximum winds of 45 kph. Estimated rainfall within its 300 km diameter is between 5-15 mm per hour (moderate-heavy). Isang was moving west-northwest at 19 kph. It is expected to be 20 km east of Tuguegarao City by Wednesday moring. By Thursday it is expected that Isang will be 230 km northwest of Itbayat, Batanes. — DVM, GMA News
By Jocelyn R. UyPhilippine Daily Inquirer 5:18 am | Tuesday, July 16th, 2013 Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr.: Allegation baseless MANILA, Philippines—The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Monday denied arbitrarily detaining an American it had arrested three years ago for overstaying his visa. In a statement, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. belied the claim of Walter Francis Groves that the bureau had been violating his rights since his arrest on March 23, 2010. David said the BI could not allow Groves’ deportation pending the final resolution of his estafa case in the Makati City regional trial court. While Grove’s case had been “provisionally dismissed,” David said it could still be revived should the parties to the case fail to comply with the compromise agreement reached at the proceedings. David also cited the contention of prosecutor Roberto Lao—who was assigned to the BI by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima—that under the rules the bureau had to wait two years from the date of the provisional dismissal of the case before Groves could be deported to the United States. “But if the court would issue a clearance that there was no more pending case against him, we would waste no time and deport him immediately aboard the first available flight to the US,” David said. He also said he could not approve a bail petition filed by Grove because the deportation order against him was final. Earlier, Grove filed a complaint against David in the Office of the President, charging that he Read More …