Remembering the art & life of Lino Brocka

 General
Jun 022014
 
Remembering the art & life of Lino Brocka

National Artist for Film Lino is known for directing films such as Bona, Wanted: Perfect Mother and Jaguar     MANILA, Philippines – Last month was the 23rd death anniversary of filmmaker and National Artist for Film Lino Brocka who died in a car accident on May 21, 1991. Film lovers are lucky that the cable channel, Cinema One, continues to show some of his classic films, among them, Ina, Kapatid, Anak which showed actors Lolita Rodriguez and Charito Solis at their best. The parting scene between sisters had a quiet Solis looking at Rodriguez from the window. That scene was so taut and illuminating it bagged for Solis the Best Actress award over her closest competitor, Rodriguez. On the other hand, Brocka’s 1970 film, Wanted: Perfect Mother, was a virtual nostalgia trip as we saw today’s adult stars in their rare childhood roles namely Snooky Serna, Gina Alajar and Arnold Gamboa, among others. Of course, we saw a younger version of Caridad Sanchez and Mary Walter and the rare appearance of the emcee for all seasons, Eddie Mercado. The film had a virginal Boots Anson-Roa paired with the once young and dashing Dante Rivero. Indeed, today’s cineastes can have the best of Brocka not just on cable channel but on YouTube as well. We were able to savor Tubog Sa Ginto, which was a far more engrossing movie than the hit teleserye, My Husband’s Lover. Here, you see a young Eddie Garcia making it with the younger Mario O’Hara to the shock of Read More …

Qatar court junks bail bid of 3 Pinoy ‘spies’ – report

 Entertainment
Jun 022014
 
Qatar court junks bail bid of 3 Pinoy ‘spies’ – report

A batch of 37 female overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) repatriated from Syria, arrive at 4 p.m. Friday (March 7) via EK 332. OWWA personnel and from Office of the Vice President (center photo) assist the returning OFWs upon their arrival at the Gate 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Court of Appeals in Qatar has junked the petition for bail filed by the three Filipinos convicted of espionage and economic sabotage there. The lawyer of the three Filipinos said they should be allowed to post bail as the verdict on them is not yet final and that they have been in jail for the past five years. He also reportedly said that the three –  one sentenced to death and two meted with life imprisonment – could not leave Qatar as there is a travel ban imposed on them. The petition for bail was filed on the first day of hearing before Qatar’s Court of Appeals. The next hearing is set in October. The three were convicted last April 30 for allegedly passing along Qatar security and defense information to the Philippine government and allegedly committing economic sabotage. The Philippine government has denied any involvement in the case. (MNS)

Probe alleged US spying in PHL – lawmaker

 Entertainment
Jun 022014
 
Probe alleged US spying in PHL – lawmaker

An MV-22 Osprey tiltrotor aircraft takes off from the flight deck of the USS Bonhomme Richard during aviation operations exercises in the East China Sea, April 23, 2014. U.S. Navy photo by Petty Officer 2nd Class Adam D. Wainwright MANILA (Mabuhay) — A lawmaker wants the House of Representatives to probe into the alleged US spying operations in the Philippines through the National Security Agency’s MYSTIC program. In a resolution, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry Ridon urged the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and Committee on Information and Communications Technology to conduct a joint congressional inquiry to investigate and ascertain the scope of MYSTIC. Online publication The Intercept, which releases whistleblower and fugitive Edward Snowden’s leaks, claimed the MYSTIC collects “metadata” from mobile networks in countries such as the Philippines, the Caribbean, Mexico, and Kenya. “All told, the NSA is using MYSTIC to gather personal data on mobile calls placed in countries with a combined population of more than 250 million people,” The Intercept said. One of the leaked documents that pertain to MYSTIC also exposed that the program serves as “legitimate commercial services for telcos” while covertly doing “signal intelligence.” Ridon speculated that the country’s own National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is involved in MYSTIC’s operations. “Given the information from Snowden’s documents, it is possible that the NTC has given express approval for the embedding of the MYSTIC program in the country’s telecommunications systems,” he said. “With the possible involvement of the NTC, and the advanced capability of the MYSTIC program, Read More …

Napoles has even more jewelry than shown in photos – Baligod

 News
Jun 022014
 
Napoles has even more jewelry than shown in photos – Baligod

Businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles has more expensive jewelry hidden in a vault than what was shown in photos by Napoles’ former aide, lawyer Levito Baligod said. “Yung mga nakikita ng mga kasambahay niya [Napoles] na nandoon lamang sa bahay niya, hindi pa yun yung mahahalagang jewelry niya….Yung mga nasa bahay, pang araw-araw lang niya yun. Yung mas mahahalagang jewelry niya at precious stones and metals nasa vault ‘yan ng isang bangko,” Baligod said in an exclusive interview aired on GMA News “24 Oras” Monday evening. Baligod, who used to represent whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas, now serves as the lawyer of Napoles’ former aide, who last Friday showed GMA News photos of the alleged jewelry collection believed to be worth millions of pesos. In a same interview, the said former aide—who refused to be identified for security reasons—said Napoles owns more pieces of jewelry which she was not able to take photos of. “Hindi ko po nakuhanan yung parang mga black pearl ata yun na nakabalot sa black na tela…kay Napoles lang po yun lahat, iba pa po yung sa mga anak niya na babae,” she said. The former aide, who used to live with the Napoleses, said she used to clean some of the pieces. ‘Bakit may tag?’ In a separate interview, Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David maintained that his client does not own the jewelry collection shown in the ex-aide’s photos. David said that most of Napoles’ jewelry pieces were no longer in her possession. “May mga alahas Read More …

Even with delay, chief negotiator sees Bangsamoro law passed in 2014

 News
Jun 022014
 
Even with delay, chief negotiator sees Bangsamoro law passed in 2014

The chief government negotiator in the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) remains confident that the Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), which resulted from the successful negotiations, will be passed within the year. This, despite the fact that Congress has yet to receive the draft of the proposed legislation, less than two weeks before it adjourns on June 13.  Congress won’t resume its session until July 28 when President Benigno Aquino III delivers his state of the nation address. Senators have indicated that the ‘real work’ begins when both houses of Congress starts scrutinizing the draft basic law. “Kaya pa naman,” Prof. Miriam Coronel-Ferrer told reporters at the sidelines of the House panel hearing on the addendum on the envisioned Bangsamoro waters. Coronel-Ferrer defended Malacañang against criticism that it was taking too long to review the draft submitted by the Bangsamoro Transition Committee. “The goal is to produce something that will be publicly discussed, so at the very least dapat kapag lumabas na yung bill in public, it has gone through a thorough review process already,” she said. Review ongoing In Malacañang, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the draft of the BBL is still being studied by the Office of the President, almost five months after the government and the MILF signed the peace accord that became the basis for crafting the document. The measure will formalize the creation of the Bangsamoro political entity that will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. House leaders have urged Malacañang Read More …

VP Binay's wife to file grave abuse raps vs. special prosecutor over ‘harassment’

 News
Jun 022014
 
VP Binay's wife to file grave abuse raps vs. special prosecutor over ‘harassment’

Vice President Jejomar Binay’s wife, former Makati mayor Elenita Binay, will file grave abuse charges against the Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor for supposedly “reviving” graft cases against her. Mrs. Binay’s lawyers are preparing the charges against the special prosecutor for “harassment” and for showing “undue haste” in filing the graft cases, the vice president’s spokesman Joey Salgado said in a statement Monday. “We had hoped that given the highly-charged political atmosphere… the Ombudsman’s Office of the Special Prosecutor would have shown greater prudence to avoid allegations that it is persecuting those who are not allies of the administration,” Salgado said. Mrs. Binay is facing graft and malversation cases before the Sandiganbayan Third Division for the purchase of allegedly overpriced beds for the Ospital ng Makati during her incumbency. The vice president’s wife, who served as Makati mayor from 1998 to 2001, is also facing separate graft cases before the anti-graft court’s Fourth Divison for alleged anomalies in the bidding for furniture for the Makati City Hall in 2001. Both Sandiganbayan divisions have already issued hold-departure orders against Mrs. Binay in connection with these cases. Binays being linked to ‘pork’ scam? Salgado further said that there are attempts to link the vice president and his daughters in the alleged pork barrel scam through “a white paper masquerading as an investigative report” supposedly being peddled to the media. The vice president’s two daughters are currently members of Congress: Nancy Binay is a senator while Abigail Binay has a seat at Read More …

Students suffer in Philippine typhoon zone as schools open

 News
Jun 022014
 
Students suffer in Philippine typhoon zone as schools open

Tens of thousands of students in the central Philippines began the school year on Monday in steamy tents and other makeshift classrooms, seven months after Super Typhoon Haiyan devastated the region. The government said it had hoped to rebuild or repair 20,000 classrooms before students returned, but new regulations requiring higher building standards so schools withstand future typhoons led to delays. “These are the birth pangs of making sure that resiliency… would be the basis for better structures,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in Manila. “In the meantime, the students will be studying in structures which are not yet resilient, but we hope for their understanding.” At the Panaluran Central School in Tacloban, a coastal city which bore the brunt of the typhoon, hundreds of sweat-soaked children crammed into three temporary classrooms made from steel frames and corrugated iron sheets as the temperature outside hit 30 degrees Celsius (86 Fahrenheit). “It is pitiful to see them packed like sardines,” said housewife Gina Villamor as she anxiously waited for her children, aged 6 and 10, to finish their first day at school. “It is so hot in there. And there is no electric fan.” Haiyan, the most powerful typhoon ever recorded on land, left more than 7,000 people dead as it tore across the central Philippines in November last year. Storm surges higher than trees that swept kilometres inland compounded the devastation, destroying entire towns. More than 1,000 schools in the typhoon zones were damaged or destroyed, according to the education Read More …

Peso sheds 4 centavos on Monday

 Economy
Jun 022014
 
Peso sheds 4 centavos on Monday

MANILA, Philippines – The peso shed 4 centavos against the dollar on Monday, closing at 43.8 from the previous day’s 43.76. Total volume transacted at the Philippine Dealing System amounted to $772.4 million, lower than the $883 million posted on Friday. The peso opened the week at 43.8.

Amid conflict, more than 50 Filipinos in Libya already eye repatriation, DFA says

 News
Jun 022014
 
Amid conflict, more than 50 Filipinos in Libya already eye repatriation, DFA says

By Matikas SantosINQUIRER.net 5:03 pm | Monday, June 2nd, 2014 OFWs from Libya INQUIRER FILE PHOTO MANILA, Philippines – At least 51 Filipinos in the strife-torn country of Libya have volunteered to be repatriated since the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) raised crisis alert level 3. “There are now 51 Filipinos who have registered in the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli for voluntary repatriation since alert level 3 was raised on May 29, 2014,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a press briefing Monday. “We will be sending an augmentation team anytime this week, to augment embassy personnel and the rapid response team and they will be meeting with the employers, officials, and the Filipino community,” he said. The security situation in Libya has deteriorated in the past days after a former military general and troops loyal to him launched an attack against militiamen in Benghazi City. Heavy fighting has been reported in the city by Aljazeera news agency as the two sides clashed. Peace and security in Libya has been unstable since the 2011 revolution that ousted and killed long-time dictator Moammar Gadhafi. According to records of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas there are at least 2,700 Filipinos in Libya as of December 2012. RELATED STORIES Binay advises Filipinos in conflict-stricken Libya to leave Alert level 3 raised for Filipinos in Libya Follow Us Other Stories: Rescued Filipina kidnap victim set to be repatriated to PH DFA mum on taking action vs racist Hong Kong textbook Japan hits back at China Read More …

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