Maniolas

Philippine soldiers in a pass-in review during the Testimonial Review and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Change of Command Ceremony at the AFP General Headquarters Grandstand, Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo in Quezon City Friday (July 18, 2014) being witnessed by President Benigno S. Aquino III. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday said it was unfazed by rumors of a coup d’état against President Benigno Aquino III since it is confident that the men and women of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) were satisfied with the government. “The reason for the lack of interest is, I think, primarily the reforms that the Aquino administration has already implemented with respect to the armed forces. We have provided mission-essential equipment to the people on the ground,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said when prodded about the issue. He also said there would be no loyalty check among the members of the military since “there is no issue.” “There is no such truth to the coup rumors,” Lacierda said.  Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. earlier said that while the President has received death threats, they are not considered serious. Senator Antonio Trillanes earlier said that he received word about retired generals planning to destabilize the government through the help of active members of the AFP. But AFP spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala said there were no such reports. He said as far as the rank-and-file personnel of the AFP were concerned, they were not being recruited into any destabilization plot. Read More …

On why Sarah Geronimo tops the list of YES! 100 Most Beautiful Stars, editor-in-chief Jo-Ann Maglipon says, Sarah is “at her prime.”

Sherwin T. Gatchalian – Member of the Philippine House of Representatives from Valenzuela City’s First District (photo courtesy of http://en.wikipedia.org/) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Valenzuela City Rep. Sherwin Gatchalian vowed on Monday to push for the passage into law of House Bill No. 4714 which seeks to totally prohibit hazing and impose graver penalties on fraternities, sororities, student organizations and school administrators who will be involved in violent hazing in the future. He made the pledge before the parents of Guillo Cesar Servando who died exactly a month ago after undergoing violent hazing in the hands of members of the Tau Gamma Phi Fraternity chapter of De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde. Gatchalian’s filing of House Bill No 4714 was prompted by the death of the 17-year-old Servando, a sophomore student of DLS-CSB who died last June 28 due to injuries from hazing conducted by members of the said fraternity. Aurelio Servando and his wife were invited by Congressman Gatchalian as his guests when President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his fifth State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa Bldg. in Quezon City. Yellow stickers bearing the anti-hazing logo and support for the Servando Act were distributed in the House of Representatives to mark the first month of Guillo Cesar’s death. “I call on the families of hazing victims as well as groups who are against hazing to join me and Mr. and Mrs. Servando in pushing for the immediate passage into law of the Servando Act (HB 4714) that will Read More …

I would like to share the following riveting  Pulmonary Embolism story sent to my attention recently by Dr. Jep Palo , an Intensive Care Specialist, who works at the Medical City Hospital in Mandaluyong, Metro Manila. One misstep and it would all be over, even doing everything right, we could still lose this day and in the days to come. When death comes knocking, few people are ready to receive Him. Tonight, my patient is a woman, young enough to be out of place in the ICU, though by far she was the one who needed our full attention. She was rushed to the ER late this morning  with blue lips, unable to breathe and within minutes her athlete’s heart  gave up on her. Resuscitation was underway when I arrived in the ER.  Our hospital staff gave the best demonstration of a coordinated life-saving effort that I have never experienced in recent memory. In our book, she was beautiful, but she kept slipping away, so we administered electric shocks, chest compressions and adrenaline injections to restart her heart.  Repeatedly, the calls rang out loudly: “Code! Start compressions,” even though our medical team never left her bedside. Whew! Watching her face, I remembered thinking, “she’s much too young to go through something like this, but I must  focus on the monitor.” During “near end” situations like these Catholic doctors like us would pray the “Hail Mary.” An ultrasound machine was brought to the ER revealing clues of the would-be killer. Our patient’s heart flitted in and out of view, in between CPR compressions, Read More …

Janet Lim Napoles arrives at the Senate for the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, which reportedly involves her group and several legislators. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Malacañang on Saturday voiced hopes the court issue that delayed the transfer of businesswoman Janet Napoles from Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology detention facility in Taguig City will be cleared soon. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte noted Napoles’ transfer would benefit the Philippine National Police as her detention in Laguna is a big drain on police resources. “Sana ma-clarify ng Makati court. Hopefully it will be reconciled already dahil mukhang mas pabor sa PNP ang Camp Bagong Diwa dahil mas kaunti ang mababawas sa resources ng PNP,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio. But in the meantime, she pointed out the PNP will continue to follow the court’s orders. “Ang PNP sumusunod lang sa atas ng korte,” she said. On Friday night, the transfer of Napoles to the BJMP facility was deferred, with PNP spokesman Chief Superintendent Reuben Theodore Sindac saying they want to clarify legal issues first. Once they get the clarification, he said they are ready to turn Napoles over to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology. Sindac said they expect to get the clarification on Monday. Until then, he said Napoles will stay at Fort Sto. Domingo. Earlier Friday, Napoles was brought back to Fort Sto. Domingo from the Read More …