Roxas defends deputy at DILG vying for Sandiganbayan post

 News
Jul 032013
 
Roxas defends deputy at DILG vying for Sandiganbayan post

Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Wednesday defended Interior Undersecretary Rafael Antonio Santos against those criticizing his bid to become the next Sandiganbayan presiding justice. In an interview with reporters at the Supreme Court, Roxas said Santos has performed well both when he was still at the Department of Transportation and Communications, which Roxas used to head, and now at the Department of Interior and Local Government. “Maayos ang kanyang trabaho. Sa haba ng aming pagsasama sa DOTC at saka sa DILG ay wala kang masasabi. Walang mantsa, walang bahid ang kanyang pagserbisyo,” Roxas said. Roxas said he did not necessarily give his “blessings” to Santos, but said he “supported” Santos’ decision to leave the executive branch and return once again to law practice. “Hindi ko maaaring hadlangan ang kanyang pangarap o kagustuhan na bumalik na sa kanyang propesyon sa pagiging abugado. Sinusuportahan ko siya,” Roxas said. “Sabi niya, pagod na rin siya. Nagsilbi na rin siya. Kaya maaari daw bang mag-apply. Oh di sabi ko, okay naman na mag-apply,” he added. Asked what he wanted to tell Santos’ detractors, Roxas said: “Well, hayaan mo sila.” United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) Secretary General Toby Tiangco earlier expressed doubt about Santos’ “agenda” for joining the Sandiganbayan race. Tiangco said: “[But e]ven if he has the blessing of Mar Roxas, Usec. Santos is not exempted from the ‘Tuwid na Daan.’” According to Tiangco, Santos served as undersecretary of Department of National Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz from 2004 to 2006, before being personally handpicked by Roxas Read More …

COA: Cagayan de Oro misspent P11M PDAF from PNoy

 News
Jul 032013
 
COA: Cagayan de Oro misspent P11M PDAF from PNoy

Some P11.5 million from President Benigno Aquino III’s Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) has been misspent by the city government of Cagayan de Oro. In its 2012 report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the fund was not used for its intended purpose, which was the “repair, rehabilitation and reconstruction of school buildings, irrigation systems, flood control and roads and bridges in areas affected by calamities.” Instead, the money was spent on the construction of Indahag Water System Phase 2, which the COA said was not included in the specific list of relief and rehabilitation projects approved by the Department of Budget and Management. The COA said while deviation from the list is allowed, a prior approval of the Office of the President is required by the rules. “As noted, construction of (the) water system is not among the projects or activities to be funded from the PDAF. Any proposed changes, modifications or revision of the defined uses or purposes thereof require prior consent and/or approval of the grantor, in this case, the President of the Philippines or his authorized representative,” the COA said. State auditors said the city administrator has explained that the city government viewed the PDAF allocation as a lump-sum subsidy, which was why it did not wait for the President’s approval when it implemented the water system project. Aquino set aside a total of P50 million from his PDAF for Cagayan de Oro City, one of the hardest-hit areas by flooding due to Typhoon Sendong in December 2011. The Read More …

Palace: Increased US presence in PH still under study

 Entertainment
Jul 022013
 

MANILA (Mabuhay) — Malacañang on Friday said any proposal that would give US troops access to Philippine military bases would be made within the confines of the Constitution. “Allow us to stress that any proposal that will come out of it will certainly be done in accordance with the Constitution and the Visiting Forces Agreement,” […]

Jessy opens up about past romance with JM

 Entertainment
Jul 022013
 

MANILA (Mabuhay) — An emotional Jessy Mendiola finally admitted that actor JM de Guzman was her boyfriend for two years before they decided to end their relationship. During the press conference for her newest series “Maria Mercedes”, Mendiola also explained why she never talked about about their relationship before. “I really can’t speak for him […]

‘Cook’s Illustrated’ editor Doc Willoughby, Filipino food’s secret champion

 News
Jul 022013
 
‘Cook’s Illustrated’ editor Doc Willoughby, Filipino food’s secret champion

By Amy BesaINQUIRER.net US Bureau 6:57 am | Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 NEW YORK—John “Doc” Willoughby was managing editor of Gourmet magazine from 2000 to 2009 when he fell in love with Philippine food and decided he would be one of its secret champions. He became a good friend of ours and brought many of the magazine’s editors and food writers to sample Philippine dishes in our first restaurant, Cendrillon (1995-2009), in SoHo. But no matter how much Doc tried, the unwritten rule for mainstream magazines then was to focus on Europe, and no one wanted to take the risk of promoting an unknown Southeast Asian cuisine to its readers.  Philippine food was still outside of their comfort zone. A decade later, in 2011, Doc was back as executive editor at Cook’s Illustrated (CI) after the print version of Gourmet folded. Cook’s Illustrated is a monthly US-based recipe-driven food magazine he co-founded with Christopher Kimball in the early 1990s. CI does not devote any of its pages to ads and relies purely on its subscription base of 900,000 for sustenance. Doc had an inspired idea. His instincts told him that in the previous three or four years, Americans had significantly broadened their range of culinary interests.  People were now more adventurous and were hankering to discover lesser-known cuisines.  So he thought, why not feature Philippine adobo and get one of their in-house chefs, who had spent a few years in the Philippines, to come up with his own recipe for Read More …

WHO urges gov’t to regulate sale of e-cigarettes

 News
Jul 022013
 
WHO urges gov’t to regulate sale of e-cigarettes

By Jocelyn R. UyPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:42 am | Wednesday, July 3rd, 2013 The World Health Organization on Tuesday, July 2, 2013, urged the government to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes, citing a trend in other countries where people who started using it ended up smoking the real thing. Electronic cigarettes are battery powered devices that vaporizes a nicotine laced liquid solution into an aerosol mist which simulates the act of tobacco smoking. SPENCER PLATT/GETTY IMAGES/AFP MANILA, Philippines—Beware of e-cigarettes. The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday urged the government to regulate the sale of e-cigarettes, citing a trend in other countries where people who started using it ended up smoking the real thing. Dr. Susan Mercado, director for Building Healthy Communities and Populations of the WHO-Western Pacific office, said there was no proof that the use of electronic cigarettes was safe and that it could help people kick the habit of smoking. “In 2010, the WHO organized a global panel of experts to review the evidence and there is no evidence to show that it can help you quit smoking,” Mercado said at a press conference following the Red Orchid Awards ceremonies at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The Red Orchid Awards is a recognition given by the Department of Health (DOH) to government offices, state hospitals and local government units that have been consistent in promoting a “100-percent tobacco-free” environment. At the event, the WHO also awarded a medal of honor to President Aquino, Sen. Read More …

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