Maniolas

Ms. Hasmin Mama, one of the 37 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from Syria, expresses gratitude to the Philippine government and Embassy personnel who helped them come home. These 37 female OFWs arrived Friday (March 7) afternoon via EK 332 of Emirates Airlines at the Gate 3 of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Another batch consisting of 41 Filipinos has been repatriated from Syria with the help of Philippine officials in Lebanon and Syria, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. The DFA said the Philippine embassies in Beirut, Lebanon and Damascus, Syria, worked with the International Organization for Migration to repatriate the 41 last May 6. “The departure of this group of 41 Filipinos brought to 2,305 the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Syria via the Rafik Hariri International Airport in Beirut since the first cross-border operations began on 12 December 2012,” it said in a news release. “This brings the total number of Filipinos repatriated from Syria to 5,334,” the DFA added. The DFA said the IOM shouldered the airfare and expenses for land transportation and meals of the repatriates. It added the May 6 operation was the 50th cross-border operation. A Reuters report said more than 150,000 people have been killed in the Syria conflict, which has become increasingly sectarian as rival regional powers have backed either President Bashar Hafez al-Assad, a member of the Shi’ite offshoot Alawite sect, or the overwhelmingly Sunni rebels who oppose him. Millions more have fled Read More …

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago attends the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing of the P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam Thursday, November 7. Santiago reminded Napoles that she cannot just invoke her right against self-incrimination MANILA, May 14 (Mabuhay) – Former Senator Panfilo Lacson said a lifestyle check is in order against Senator Miriam Santiago now that the Benhur Luy list is out. Santiago earlier called for the release of the Luy list amid the disclosure of the Janet Napoles list that Lacson is holding. On the Napoles list, Santiago’s name was not included. Her name is on Luy’s list, on the other hand. “Barely one day before Luy’s list came out, she was saying that the Luy’s list was more credible. Understandably, crooks often forget petty transactions since they would likely use the loot on less significant expenditures. They only remember the big ones that enter their fat bank accounts,” Lacson said in a statement. He said that since Luy’s list is now out, “the Senate’s self-proclaimed anti-pork ‘crusader’ must be quaking in her shoes while cracking her head thinking of some crazy pick-up lines to divert the issue from her P2.5M rebate aka kickback from her P10M allocation through a Napoles NGO.” Both Santiago and Lacson have been trading barbs through the media. Santiago said Lacson is the “attack dog” of the senators earlier implicated in the pork scam: Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada, and Bong Revilla. Miriam: I will make my detractor pay In a separate statement, Read More …

President Barack Obama scored a hit in the hearts of thousands of immigrants who pin their hopes on stabilizing their stay in their adopted country with a stroke of genius that also left the Republicans in a frantic mood to neutralize their “loss” in the immigration game. President Obama’s impatience, expressed through an executive order now known popularly as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), was an initiative he resorted sans Congressional support to rewrite the nations immigration laws to help millions who are in the U.S. illegally.  On June 15, 2012  he stopped the deportations of those who came to the U.S. when they were young. Obama’s action had both sides of the fence reacting. supporters of an immigration overhaul complainedthat his initiative hasn’t gone far enough while those opposed to his move claimed  he has gone too far and has accused him of “picking and choosing which laws to enforce.” Now comes the Obama administration’s plan to allow high-tech guest workers’ spouses to hold jobs in the U.S. hailed as “a way of keeping the United States globally competitive by making it a more attractive destination for people around the world whose expertise are in the fields of science, technology, engineering and math”.  Affected under the proposal are spouses of as many as 100,000 H1-B visa holders who are  highly skilled and are applying for permanent residence. The proposal announced recently will encourage highly skilled, specially trained individuals to remain in the United States and continue to support Read More …

Claudine Barretto (MNS Photo) After being evasive for months since the Barretto family feud erupted last year, Claudine Barretto finally broke her silence on Sunday, as she accused her sister Gretchen of being “heartless” and a “liar.” Claudine revealed how her tiff Gretchen began back in 2010. “Nagpadala siya ng ambulansya sa bahay namin ni Raymart with a pediatrician. I was with my friends, we were eating. Kilala ko, pediatrician ‘to ni Gretchen. Pumunta ako sa gate, nakita ko nandoon si Marjorie (Barretto), nandoon si Gretchen. Sabi ni Gretchen, ‘Can I please go in?’ Since kapatid ko naman siya, kahit hindi kami okay, pinapasok ko. I didn’t know what this was all about. Pagpasok nila, later dumating na ‘yung pediatrician with the ambulance and I think there were eight men inside,” she said. “I asked my sister, ‘What is this? What are you gonna get me for?’ She just looked at her doctor and she said, ‘Do something.’ I knew my rights, she was trespassing. Sabi ko sa kanila, ‘Saan, sa drug addiction or sa mental illness?’ Kasi hindi ko alam. And then sabi niya ‘Basta doc, nag-overdose iyan,’” Claudine continued. However, Marjorie clarified this 2010 incident in a statement. “Claudine, for your information, mom and dad begged us to rush to your house because your personal assistant told them you’ve finished all your anti-anxiety medicines. We had with us a doctor and an ambulance from a very reputable hospital because we didn’t want you to die, Claudine. We were Read More …