Rocco Nacino surprises Lovi Poe with a dinner at the Eiffel Tower.
May 232014
May 232014
Primetime Queen Marian Rivera wears white deep V neck mermaid gown by Boom Sason at The PEP List Awards on Tuesday night, May 20.
May 222014
State witness Ruby Tuason reads her opening statement during the Feb. 13, 2014 Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged pork barrel scam as Justice Secretary Leila del Lima (right) and whistle-blower Benhur Luy (left) listen. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito on Wednesday said he doubts the credibility of the Janet Napoles list, which was given to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. Ejercito was initially included in that list and was later removed after Napoles’ lawyer admitted they made a mistake. Ejercito said she supports President Aquino’s sentiment that Napoles is not the “least guilty” in the pork scam. But her admits the alleged pork barrel scam mastermind’s affidavit is important as it will help lawmakers in crafting laws that will curb corruption in government. “Her testimony will still be very important. I want to know how she did this whole thing. I want to know who she is dealing with in the Executive” he said. “The least guilty are supposed to be classified as least guilty and Janet Lim Napoles is not qualified as she is the one who thought of all these things and made this run,” she added. Ejercito also thinks socialite Ruby Tuason should not have been made a state witness in the pork case. The senator believes Tuason played critical roles in the Malampaya and pork barrel scams. “I think they are both not the least guilty because they are part of the scam. Because the Malampaya thing will not Read More …
May 222014
Jodi Sta. Maria (MNS photo) Actress Jodi Sta. Maria is open to the idea of having a new leading man despite the massive success of her daytime series with Richard Yap, “Be Careful with My Heart.” Sta. Maria said she does not mind if she would be paired with another actor for her next project. “Well I don’t mind. Right now siguro, one step at a time. Siguro let’s finish this first and afterwards maybe I can do another project with ABS-CBN, siyempre,” she said. Sta. Maria admitted, however, that it may take some time before she can separate herself from Maya, her character in “Be Careful with My Heart.” “I know it would be a big challenge for me to separate myself from Maya. Kasi people are now calling me Maya, not Jodi,” she said. “I take it positively na naging effective ako [as Maya] but then, ikinagulat ko lang because I attended this children’s party then ‘yung mga kids came to me, asking me to carry them as if I’m their yaya. I mean, it’s okay… Then ‘yung mga bata sumusunod lang sila, sabi ko hindi ko kayo pwedeng iuwi, hindi ako yaya talaga,” she said. Sta. Maria said she never thought that “Be Careful with My Heart” will be a huge hit.(MNS)
May 222014
The government ads, which ran in Manila newspapers on Sunday, showed a female teacher lecturing in front of her class with a woman in a medical suit holding a doctor’s clipboard sitting on her shoulders. MANILA (Mabuhay) – Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Commissioner Kim Henares said that while it is still too early to know whether the BIR’s latest ad campaign has helped raise taxes, it has helped make professionals aware of their responsibility to pay the right taxes. “We can really not know for sure yet whether the result comes out effectively… I would think there’s an effect in the sense that, like now because of the campaign, doctors are now becoming aware that this [is] their responsibility,” Henares told the Senate committee on ways and means. She said that as a result of the ad campaign, the BIR has an ongoing dialogue with medical groups on their tax obligations. “Now they become aware that this is their liability… The psychology of people [is such that] unless you’re at the edge, they don’t really mind us, they don’t really pay attention to taxes. All they would say is that, ‘I’m not a thief.’ But with the campaign, basically it opened the door to a discussion with the sector,” she said. The committee took up the a resolution filed by Senator Nancy Binay calling for an investigation of the BIR’s “shame campaign” after the agency released an ad that showing how a doctor who was not paying the correct Read More …
May 222014
Philippines Army Soldiers exit a grounded training helicopter during helicopter insert and extract training with U.S. Army Soldiers on Fort Magsaysay, Philippines, April 29, 2014. Philippine and U.S. Army personnel are preparing for an upcoming field training exercise during Balikatan 2014. This year marks the 30th iteration of the exercise, which is an annual Republic of the Philippines-U.S. military bilateral training exercise and humanitarian civic assistance engagement. (U.S. Marine Corps photo by Staff Sgt. Pete Thibodeau/Released) MANILA (Mabuhay) -– A Philippine lawmaker believes the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) won’t provide any protection for Philippine territories in the West Philippine Sea as seen by China’s construction work at the Mabini Reef. Akbayan representative Walden Bello said the Philippines cannot count on the US’ help because EDCA provides no protection for the Philippines in its territorial and sea disputes with China. “The EDCA provides no protection for our territories in the West Philippine Sea. This treaty was not negotiated with the idea of deterring Chinese attacks in Luzon or Philippine territorial waters but specifically to be able to protect Scarborough Shoal, the 9 Spratly Islands and structures that we claim and our continental shelf – there is nothing in this treaty or this agreement that provides that protection,” he said. He noted that the US has already stated several times that the Mutual Defense Treaty with the Philippines does not cover territories in the sea row with China because it was forged before the Philippines claimed ownership of the disputed areas. Read More …
May 222014
Senate President Franklin Drilon supports the enactment of a supplemental budget to fund disaster rehabilitation in the wake of supertyphoon “Yolanda” which heavily damaged a vast area of the Visayas on Nov. 8, 2013. “We urge the President to certify the supplemental budget as urgent to look for resources to support the typhoon victims,” Drilon said in a media interview on Tuesday (Nov. 19) at the Senate Bldg. in Pasay City. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Saying that the time is ripe for more changes to the country’s political system, Senate President Franklin Drilon on Wednesday appealed to his colleagues to give the anti-political dynasty bill a chance. Drilon once again threw support behind the measure, which is being tackled at the committee level at the Senate. “It’s time to end the long wait. I encourage our colleagues to give the bill a chance… Naniniwala po tayo na malaki ang magagawa ng anti-political dynasty law sa sistema ng pulitika sa bansa,” he said. The House of Representatives started earlier this month plenary debates on the anti-political dynasty bill, the first time the bill was sponsored on the chamber’s floor in 27 years. The proposed legislation seeks to limit the political power exerted by political families by prohibiting relatives up to the second degree of consanguinity to hold or run for both national and local posts in successive, simultaneous, or overlapping terms. Article II Section 26 of the 1987 Philippine Constitution states that: “The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities Read More …
May 222014
THE TRANSPORTATION department is asking the San Miguel Corp.’s (SMC) chief to formalize its plan and present a detailed presentation of the $10-billion modern international airport by next week, as there is no unsolicited proposal submitted to the government yet.
May 222014
THE GOVERNMENT has dialed down its expected number of Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects completed before the end of the Aquino administration in mid-2016.
May 222014
DAVAO CITY — The local government is studying the implications of a proposal to build another power plant here, harnessing the city’s water sources.