Pinoy prelate remembers John Paul II as pope who 'out-prayed' priests

 News
Jul 062013
 
Pinoy prelate remembers John Paul II as pope who 'out-prayed' priests

A Filipino prelate who had the privilege of dining often with the late Pope John Paul II was among those who were least surprised by the Vatican’s announcement that the globetrotting pontiff will soon be declared a saint. In a phone interview with GMA News Online, Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said Pope John Paul II was such a prayerful man that he even “outprayed” priests at his dinner table. “Ang tagal niya magdasal before and after a meal. Kaming mga kasama niya excited nang kumain, pero siya, taimtim pa ring nagdarasal,” Cruz said. “Pagkatapos kumain, matagal na naman siyang magdadasal. Sobrang tagal natunaw na ata yung kinain niya,” the former President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) added in jest. The Vatican on Friday announced John Paul II, the first non-Italian pope in 450 years, and the “good pope” John XXIII, will be made saints. Cruz said his close friendship with John Paul II began when he was chosen as the secretary general of the Federation of Asian Bishops Conferences (FABC) in 1983. As an FABC executive, Cruz traveled to Vatican at least once a month to meet with other senior officials of the Catholic Church. Cruz said John Paul II had an “aura of holiness” that the late Jaime Cardinal Sin once said he used to feel whenever he embraced the pontiff during meetings at the Vatican. “May nararamdaman kaming space ‘pag niyakap namin siya. At ang sabi nga namin, yung space na ‘yun ay personal space niya Read More …

PAGASA: Cloudy skies, rainy weather over much of PHL Sunday

 News
Jul 062013
 
PAGASA: Cloudy skies, rainy weather over much of PHL Sunday

Cloudy skies and rainy weather may prevail over several parts of the country in the next 24 hours due to the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone, state weather forecasters said Saturday afternoon. PAGASA, in its 5 p.m. bulletin, said the ITCZ is affecting mainly Palawan and Mindanao, even as parts of Southern Luzon, Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao may expect rain. “Mimaropa, Bicol region, Eastern Visayas and Mindanao will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said. It added Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.” PAGASA also said light to moderate winds from the east to southeast will prevail over Luzon and Visayas and coming from the east over Mindanao. The coastal waters throughout the archipelago will be slight to moderate, it added. Earlier, PAGASA forecasters said they do not expect any low-pressure area or cyclone this weekend, though the ITCZ may bring rain. — LBG, GMA News

VP Binay pushes discipline among police force

 News
Jul 062013
 
VP Binay pushes discipline among police force

Vice President Jejomar Binay on Saturday called for discipline in the ranks of the Philippine National Police, so police personnel can regain the respect of Filipinos. In a post on his Facebook page, Binay said he was saddened by the tarnished image of the police, due to recent incidents involving personnel who engage in practices like extortion. “At masisisi ba naman ang taong-bayan kung magkaroon sila ng di-magandang imahe ng kanilang pulis? Pulis na pumuputok ang uniporme sa kalakihan ng tiyan; pulis na mangongotong; pulis na abusero; pulis na protektor ng ‘petty criminals’ o sindikato (Can you blame Filipinos for having a not-so-good impression of our police, if policemen have bulging bellies, engage in extortion or abuse their authority, or even protect petty criminals)?” he said. He also said it was dismaying to read reports of police personnel engaged in crimes such as kidnapping, rape, and robbery-extortion. Binay urged the police force to serve as models of discipline, especially in obeying the laws that they enforce, if they want to restore their image. This includes obeying traffic signs such as ‘no left turn’ or wearing seat belts even when riding a mobile patrol vehicle. “Sa usaping ito, ang ating kapulisan ang dapat maging larawan at halimbawa ng disiplina sa ating kapaligiran (Police must serve as examples of discipline),” he said. Also, he said discipline serves as the guide in exercising duties and responsibilities. Binay said rediscovering Filipino values and ethical standards laid down by our ancestors is crucial in attaining Read More …

PH sets conditions for continued Golan Heights deployment

 News
Jul 062013
 
PH sets conditions for continued Golan Heights deployment

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:47 pm | Saturday, July 6th, 2013 Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario. AP FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno Aquino is willing to extend the deployment of Filipino peacekeepers in the conflict-stricken Golan Heights if the United Nations agrees to certain conditions regarding the safety of the Filipino soldiers, Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario said Saturday. Del Rosario said the President was open to maintaining the country’s troops in the volatile ceasefire zone between Syria and Israel beyond the scheduled troop rotation on August 11 if safety and security conditions improve. At least 340 Filipino peacekeepers are detailed to the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) at the ceasefire zone, which has been wracked by a spillover of violence between Syrian government and rebel forces. “We are submitting our conditionalities [to the United Nations] for enhancing safety and security of Philippine peacekeepers in UNDOF,” Del Rosario told the Inquirer. “If these are approved, and the risk exposure does not exceed tolerable limits, the President has agreed for our people to remain beyond August 11 with a reassessment thereafter to be made every six months.” Del Rosario earlier proposed to Aquino the withdrawal of the Philippine contingent, currently UNDOF’s biggest, following  two separate abductions of Filipino “Blue Helmets”—21 in March and four in May— and the wounding of one during heavy fighting among Syrians in June. The Philippines sent an assessment team to the Golan last month to determine if safety and security conditions in the area Read More …

Unruly passenger on Qantas flight sent back to Australia

 News
Jul 062013
 
Unruly passenger on Qantas flight sent back to Australia

By Jerome AningPhilippine Daily Inquirer 3:41 pm | Saturday, July 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—Because of his alleged unruly behavior on a Qantas Airlines flight to Manila, an Australian man was sent back to Sydney immediately after arriving at Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Thursday evening, the police said Saturday. Mamudu Kamara, 33, was detained by air marshals of the Australian Federal Police  aboard flight QF-019 after he allegedly tried to force his way into the cockpit two-and-a-half hours into the eight-hour flight from Sydney. An AFP agent detailed at the Australian Embassy in Manila notified the NAIA-based Philippine National Police’s Aviation Security Group about the incident. Upon the plane’s arrival at NAIA Terminal 1 at 7 p.m., the handcuffed Kamara was escorted by the four air marshals who had arrested him to the NAIA immigration office for document and then to the PNP-ASG clinic for a medical checkup. He was sent back to Sydney on the Qantas flight’s return trip about an hour later. Chief Inspector Felindo Navarro of the ASG, who responded to the embassy’s advisory, said Kamara became abusive to cabin crew members after finding out that his mini-television screen was not working. When the crew would not fix the monitor, Kamara became angry and then rushed toward to cockpit and tried to open the cockpit door, apparently to personally complain to the pilot. Kamara was then restrained by the air marshals with assistance from the crew. The pilot made the decision to continue the flight to Manila. Read More …

PHL bishops: John Paul II's sainthood to draw more youths to Catholic faith

 News
Jul 062013
 
PHL bishops: John Paul II's sainthood to draw more youths to Catholic faith

The Vatican’s decision to canonize the late Pope John Paul II may draw more young people to the Church, a Philippine Catholic bishop said Saturday. Legazpi Bishop Joel Baylon said John Paul II served as an inspiration to the youth and had been a role model to Church leaders and the world’s Catholics. “He could draw thousands of young people and listen to him so I hope this time that he is becoming a saint, he could draw more young people closer to the Church,” Baylon said in an article posted Saturday on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. Baylon also noted John Paul II was instrumental in “awakening the spirit of generosity and enthusiasm among the young people to love the Church.” Filipinos particularly have a special place in their hearts for John Paul II, who visited the Philippines twice – in 1981 and 1995. In his 1995 visit, he interacted with young Filipinos and youths from all over the World during the World Youth Day celebration. “That’s why it’s really a blessing for the youth that he will become (a) saint,” Baylon said. The CBCP noted Pope Francis on Friday approved a miracle needed to canonize Pope John Paul II, and waived some Vatican rules to honor Pope John XXIII. Both popes are closely identified with the historic Second Vatican Council meetings that brought the Church into modern times. For his part, Lipa (Batangas) archbishop Ramon Arguelles said the canonization of the two popes “speaks Read More …

Two children aboard carjacked AUV in QC released in Manila

 News
Jul 062013
 
Two children aboard carjacked AUV in QC released in Manila

Two girls who were aboard an Asian utility vehicle that was carjacked by a group of armed men early Friday in Quezon City were released in Manila before dawn Saturday. Philippine National Police Anti-Kidnapping Group head Senior Superintendent Renato Gumban said the two were released at 2:30 a.m., radio dzBB’s Paulo Santos reported. Gumban cited information reaching him indicating the children were abandoned near a fast-food outlet at the corner of Taft Avenue and Quirino Avenue. No ransom was reportedly paid for their release. On Friday, armed men carjacked a green Mitsubishi Adventure AUV (ZGK-141) along Regalado Avenue in Quezon City. The driver, who managed to escape, said his vehicle was hit from behind by a white Montero-type sport-utility vehicle driven by the suspects. When he got down, three armed men from the Montero poked firearms at him and held him, but he managed to slip away and flee. The men then drove off with the green AUV, with the two girls still on board. — LBG, GMA News

US warns against travel to Mindanao

 News
Jul 062013
 
US warns against travel to Mindanao

Agence France-Presse 2:24 pm | Saturday, July 6th, 2013 MANILA, Philippines—The United States has warned Americans against travel to Mindanao just days after Australia and Canada issued similar advice. A “security message” from the US embassy in Manila earlier this week said diplomatic staff had been restricted from travelling to three cities on the southern island of Mindanao. It was followed by a US State Department travel warning dated July 5 advising Americans to exercise extreme caution when travelling to Mindanao, citing “criminal gangs… (and) terrorist groups” in the area. It also called on Americans to defer non-essential travel to the Sulu archipelago, a chain of islands off Mindanao where Al-Qaeda-linked extremists are active. “It (the travel warning) reflects continuing threats in the Sulu archipelago and the island of Mindanao due to terrorist and insurgent activities,” the US embassy said in a statement. Australia and Canada issued warnings on Wednesday about fresh threats of terrorism and kidnapping in the southern Philippines. Canberra has barred its diplomats from travelling to Davao, Cotabato and Zamboanga — the same three Mindanao cities that US embassy staff are not allowed to travel to. An embassy spokeswoman declined to comment on the nature of the threat against Americans. The Philippine National Police also did not know of any specific threat against Americans in Mindanao, said spokesman Senior Superintendent Reuben Sindac. Mindanao and surrounding islands are a hotbed of various armed groups including communist guerrillas, bandits, Muslim insurgents and the Abu Sayyaf, an Islamic extremist group Read More …

PAGASA: Thunderstorm affecting parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan

 News
Jul 062013
 
PAGASA: Thunderstorm affecting parts of Metro Manila, Bulacan

Residents of Metro Manila and Bulacan may have to take precautions against flash floods due to rain from a thunderstorm, state weather forecasters said on Saturday afternoon. In a 1:00 p.m. thunderstorm advisory, PAGASA said rain may fall over the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Valenzuela, Navotas) area of Metro Manila. PAGASA also said the thunderstorm may affect Santa Maria and Balagtas in Bulacan and nearby areas in the next two hours. “All are advised to take precautionary measures against heavy rains, strong winds, lightning and possible flash floods. Keep monitoring for updates,” it advised. PAGASA earlier said the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone affecting parts of Southern Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao may bring rain to most parts of the country. This was noted despite their models showing there is little chance of a cyclone forming in the Philippine Area of Responsibility this weekend, PAGASA said. – VVP, GMA News

Philex gets reprieve

 General
Jul 052013
 
Philex gets reprieve

By Ronnel W. DomingoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:44 am | Saturday, July 6th, 2013 ON AUG. 1 last year, Tailings Storage Facility No. 3 of Philex Mining Corp. in Itogon, Benguet, leaked and spilled 20 million metric tons of silt into the Balog Creek and Agno River. As of late April, Philex officials said cleanup in the creek was 98-percent complete. RICHARD BALONGLONG MANILA, Philippines—The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has allowed Philex Mining Corp. to operate the Padcal mine in Benguet beyond July 7 or when the four-month temporary resumption of operations ends following the breach of a tailings pond in August last year. In a notice issued on Friday and addressed to Philex president and chief executive Eulalio B. Austin Jr., MGB Acting Director Leo L. Jasareno said the mining company was authorized to continue remediation works on Tailings Storage Facility No. 3 (TSF3). But Jasareno said the go-ahead was only temporary in that Padcal’s continued operation was allowed while the MGB “is thoroughly reviewing the pertinent technical details” of the repair works. He added that Philex’s request for permission to continue the production and storage of fresh tailings at TSF3 would be referred to the interagency and Cabinet-level Mineral Industry Coordinating Council. Jasereno also said that Philex should continue complying with requirements on the “submission of weekly reports by the third-party monitoring team regarding the structural integrity of TSF3 and the status of the remediation measures being implemented.” Excessive rainfall spawned by a typhoon in August 2012 caused Read More …

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