MANILA, July 29 (Mabuhay) — Although unsure how much bonuses the officials of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) received, Malacañang on Monday these perks, saying the agency is generating billions in net income now. “Relative po iyong sinasabi nila at saka let me just check lang with them kung talagang magkano iyong bonus […]
A former Commission on Elections (Comelec) lawyer on Tuesday accused the poll body of printing additional ballots two months after the May 13 elections, saying it could be used for “ballot switching.” At a press conference in Manila, Melchor Magdamo showed the media photographs of the ballots supposedly printed in the last two weeks at a printing house in Quezon City. He said he learned about the printing from a group of employees from the poll body’s “intelligence group” who were “disgruntled” over reports that the Comelec had used its P30-million intelligence fund to spy on groups critical of the May 13 elections. “Iyong isang grupo doon sa Comelec, nalaman na P30 million pala ang intelligence fund. Nagalit sila, bakit ang liit ng suweldo nila tapos P30 million pala ang fund,” Magdamo said. Magdamo suspected that the supposed additional ballots will be used for possible ballot-switching. “Lahat ng areas na may genuine ballots dapat bantayan lahat kasi that is prone to switching,” he said. Comelec: That’s unlikely But Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said Magdamo’s accusation was “unlikely” especially since “the printing of the ballots was done in a very transparent manner.” “Unang una, ang policy natin is one ballot is to one voter… And as any extra ballots were printed, it would have been impossible to keep it a secret, especially for the purpose na sinasabi niya,” Jimenez told GMA News Online by phone. He also pointed out that the pictures Magdamo showed to the media to serve as proof Read More …
MANILA, July 29 (Mabuhay) -– More than six months since she expressed regret over her “wasted” friendship with Maja Salvador, Kim Chiu still chooses to keep mum every time she is asked about her former best friend. In an interview at the sidelines of the “Bakit Hindi Ka Crush ng Crush Mo” press conference, Chiu […]
MANILA, July 29 (Mabuhay)- House Speaker Felicianio “Sonny” Belmonte said his brother, Ricardo, is filing a courtesy resignation from the Bureau of Customs today. He denied that his brother is the frontrunner to take over in case the Customs chief position becomes vacant. “Palaging may away sa Customs, there’s always mga plots and subplots. I […]
MANILA (Mabuhay) — Paparazzi be warned. In a proposal sure to please the country’s celebrities, the Arroyos have filed a bill criminalizing invasion of privacy committed by photographers. House Bill 1390, or the Anti-Invasion of Privacy Act of 2013, seeks to protect individuals from unscrupulous photographers — as well as videographers — “who trespass properties […]
By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 3:33 pm | Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 This handout photo released by Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration on July 22, 2013 shows three Filipino fishermen hold on their small boat on the sea near the southern Kaohsiung city. Taiwan’s coast guards have rescued three Filipino fishermen who spent five days adrift when a storm blew their small boat hundreds of kilometers off course, officials said. AFP PHOTO/ TAIWAN’S COAST GUARD ADMINISTRATION MANILA, Philippines-Three Filipino fishermen were rescued by the Taiwanese Coast Guard crew who found them drifting on a lifeboat for several days after their fishing boats capsized 37 nautical miles south of Taiwan last July 15. The three fishermen, Ronald Dumaran, Gener Mendoza, and Edwin Zoilo, the boat captain, went out to sea on July 15 and encountered heavy rains and strong waves whipped up by a storm that overturned their boat on the 17th. Zoilo, during an interview with reporters at the Manila Economic and Cultural Office (MECO), recounted how they spent five days and four nights drifting on their capsized boat before they were rescued by the Taiwanese Coast Guard on July 21. “Kung ano mangyari sa amin, kung anong makain namin na madaanan sa laot, paghati-hatian naming. Yung isang pirasong ‘kapikon’, parang alimasag, pinagtatlo namin. Hinati ko ng tatlo, walang lamangan,” he said. (Whatever happened to us, what we found floating along, we divided among ourselves equally. We caught a crab and divided it into three.) “Nung umulan, sumahod din ako ng tubig, nakasahod Read More …
MANILA (Mabuhay) – SEASONED actors Richard Gomez and Dawn Zulueta will revive the magic of their team up on the big screen in an upcoming Star Cinema movie. The two recently signed a contract with ABS-CBN’s film outfit for the said movie project, which is part of Star Cinema’s 20th anniversary year-long celebration. According to both […]
MANILA, July 27 (Mabuhay) — President Benigno S. Aquino III expressed strong belief in the capabilities of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in fulfilling its mandate to protect the lives of the Filipinos. In his speech during the celebration of the 24th National Annual Convention of the School for Reserve Commission and Armed […]
MANILA, July 27 (Mabuhay) — Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Alan LM Purisima on Saturday instructed all police officers in Region 10 to immediately arrest and file the appropriate charges against the suspect/s behind the bombing of a Cagayan De Oro bistro which killed around six persons and wounded 38 others Friday night. “The […]
By Karen BoncocanINQUIRER.net 10:38 am | Tuesday, July 30th, 2013 Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello MANILA, Philippines — After securing the chairmanship for the committee on overseas workers affairs at the House of Representatives, Akbayan’s Walden Bello on Tuesday said that he would seek the investigation of the alleged sexual exploitation cases on distressed female Filipino workers in the Middle East. In a phone interview with INQUIRER.net, Bello said that their group had not received word from both the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on their separate inquiries into the alleged involvement of Philippine Embassy and labor officials in the scandal. “We have not been appraised of developments in the investigation. Although we have constantly asked for updates, we have not received information other than being told that they are already investigating,” he said. Bello exposed the sexual exploitation cases months ago, prompting the DFA and the DOLE to ask the officials named in these cases to return to the Philippines for an investigation. But it was not just the “slow pace” of the two departments’ investigation which prompted the Akbayan lawmaker to launch a congressional inquiry. “We had planned this ever since. This was planned irrespective of their investigation. We said that once Congress opens, we will file a resolution whereby the House would conduct and inquiry. We filed the resolution on July 1 and yesterday I was appointed chairman of the Overseas Workers Affairs Committee,” he said. “The first order of Read More …