Maniolas

Senator Antonio Trillanes IV will run for a higher position in the 2016 elections but did not disclose which position he is eyeing. “Kung anong posisyon yun specifically, we will abide by the Nacionalista Party,” he said in a “24 Oras” report aired on Saturday. He said that former senator Manuel Villar Jr., party president, has said the NP will make that decision in December. Trillanes is serving his second term at the Senate. A former Navy officer, Trillanes ran for the Senate in 2007 while detained over his participation in mutinies against the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. In 2010, President Benigno Aquino III signed a proclamation granting him and other members of the Magdalo amnesty for joining the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny, February 2006 Marine standoff and the 2007 Manila Peninsula incident. He joined the Nacionalista Party in 2012 and ran under the Liberal Party-led Team Pnoy coalition in the 2013 elections. — JDS, GMA News

Malacañang on Saturday welcomed the “release” on Friday of a Filipina resort worker and a Chinese tourist who were abducted from Sabah last April. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr also said the release indicates the Philippines’ cooperation with its neighbors is bearing fruit. “Ikinalulugod natin ang balitang iyan. Hindi tayo tumitigil sa paglaban sa aksyon na ganyang kriminalidad na nakakaapekto sa imahe ng ating bansa,” Coloma said on government-run dzRB radio. He also lauded the cooperation between Philippine and Malaysian forces in resolving “cross-border” issues such as international crimes. “Maaring matukoy dito ang mainam na pakikipag-ugnayan ng ating bansa at kapit-bansa tulad ng Malaysia at Indonesia sa pagresolba ng ganoong usapin,” he said On Friday evening, Malaysian media reported Marcelita Dayawan, 40, and Gao Hua Yuan, 29 – were rescued Friday morning. The report said the two were rescued from Jolo at 10:30 a.m., then brought to the east coast of Sabah. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Hamza Taib said both victims arrived there 4:30 p.m. On the other hand, the report did not say if the armed men behind the abduction were indeed from the Abu Sayyaf. Last April 2, armed men abducted Dayawan and Gao from the Singamata Adventures and Reef Resort. A separate report on Malaysia’s Bernama news agency said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak claimed no ransom was paid. He also thanked the security forces for successfully securing the release of the two victims, adding the government was taking steps to facilitate Read More …

The Philippines on Saturday reaffirmed its solidarity with the World Health Organization in observing “World No Tobacco Day” to promote health and wellness. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the occasion should bolster public awareness of the health risks associated with tobacco use. “The Philippines joins the World Health Organization (WHO) today, 31 May, in observing ‘World No Tobacco Day’ that seeks to promote the reduction of tobacco consumption as a vital health and wellness measure.  This observance heightens public awareness on the health risks associated with tobacco use and advocates the adoption of effective policies to reduce tobacco consumption,” he said in a statement. On the other hand, he noted the WHO commended the Philippines as one of the countries in the world that pushed for reforms in the government’s health agenda by enacting the Sin Tax Law. The law, Republic Act No. 10351, restructured taxes on alcohol and tobacco products, with the proceeds going to the government’s health program. Also, Coloma said the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance (SEATCA), the tobacco control coalition in the ASEAN region, recognized President Benigno Aquino III and the Departments of Health and Finance for passing and implementing the law. Quoting a statement by SEATCA, he said the coalition recognized Aquino’s efforts in “inspiring leadership and unwavering political will to push forward a revolutionary sin tax reform law thereby putting public health before profits and ensuring tobacco control measures.” — Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivers his keynote speech on Friday, May 30, 2014 in Singapore. Abe is in Singapore to attend the 13th Asia Security Summit. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E) TOKYO — Japan wants to play a greater defense role in Asia to promote peace and prosperity amid tensions over territorial disputes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Friday. In a speech in Singapore at the Shangri-La Dialogue, an international security conference, Abe raised concerns about escalating tensions in the South China Sea, and urged all countries in the region to observe the rule of law and not use force or threats. Abe also outlined new guidelines that will ease Japan’s self-imposed limits on military exports and defensive activities, and pledged to contribute more to the region in those areas, as well as through official development aid. “Japan intends to play an even greater and more proactive role than it has until now in making peace in Asia and the world more certain,” Abe said. He promised “seamless” support for Southeast Asian countries in defending their territories by combining defense programs and government aid. Abe said efforts “to consolidate changes to the status quo by aggregating one fait accompli after another can only be strongly condemned,” an apparent reference to China’s recent assertiveness in pressing its territorial claims in the region. He did not identify China by name, but praised the Philippines and Vietnam for their efforts to resolve the disputes through dialogue. Abe’s government has been trying to ease constitutional restraints on Japan’s military, which currently can Read More …