Jul 272014
 
Prosecution failed to prove plunder vs. Arroyo, lawyers say

Activists protest in front of the Pasay City regional trial court in Manila on June 21, 2012, against former Philippine president Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s attempt to be granted bail by the high court. Arroyo was arrested in November 2011 after nearly 10 years in power and now awaiting trial on two separates charges of vote rigging and corruption. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Lawyers of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her accused in the alleged misuse of P366 million in charity funds are set to show the Sandiganbayan that the prosecution has failed to present enough evidence for the plunder cases to hold. Lawyer Vic Orocio, the legal counsel of one Arroyo’s co-accused Raymundo Roquero, said all the defense lawyers in the PCSO fund scam case would file a demurrer to evidence on Thursday. “It’s like a motion to dismiss the criminal case on the ground that the prosecution failed to prove the crime beyond reasonable doubt,” Orocio said. “[All the defense lawyers] will file a motion to demurrer of evidence since the prosecution’s evidence did not proving the elements of plunder. The only evidence they proved was all the accused are public officers,” he added. The prosecution against the incumbent Pampanga congresswoman and her co-accused in its case in May, saying it had no more witnesses to present. The Sandiganbayan First Division, in response, gave the state prosecutors 20 days to come up with a formal offer of evidence, a written document summarizing their case. The Sandiganbayan is Read More …

Jul 262014
 
Journey at Pechanga – Ang dambuhalang resort/casino sa estado na naghahandog ng green-saving at play package sa mga bisita

(photo courtesy of Journey at Pechanga Facebook page) Ang Journey sa Pechanga championship golf course, ay isa sa mga natatanging amenidad sa mga bisita sa Pechanga Resort & Casino, at patuloy na tampok bilang pinaka-mataas na uri ng pampublikong kurso sa bansa. Isang hamon at makabuluhang kurso para sa mga golfers sa lahat ng antas, ito ay naglalatag ng ibat-ibang topograpiya – canyons, ravines, open fairways at gayundin ang tee shot na may 300-foot drop. Nakapaloob sa paanan ng bundok ng kaaya-ayang tanawin sa Southern California wine country sa Temecula Valley sa Pechanga Indian Reservation, kalapit ng Pechanga Resort & Casino, ang Journey at Pechanga ay pumapaimbulog paikot sa mga naglalakihang bato sa kabundukan. Ang Journey at Pechanga’s par-72, 18-hole golf course ay sumasakop sa 7,219 yards. Ayon kay Arthur Hills, Golf course architect, tinagurian nitong “ isang perpektong pagkaka-angkop ng kalikasan, kabuuan at kahalagahan. “ Tinutukoy nito ang kakaibang latag ng lupain na may sagradong pagkakakilanlan at sensitibong kultura sa tribu ng Pechanga. Nakatuon ang Journey sa pagpapaimbulog ng drama at natural na tanging ganda at kakaibang lugar habang pinoprotektahan nito ang sensitibong mga lugar at sa paglalatag ng golf kaakibat ang pinaka-mataas na antas at mga tradisyon. Sa katapat na lugar nakatirik ang pinaka malaking resort/casino sa estado taglay ang lahat ng karangyaang inaasahan ng mga manlalakbay mula sa isang kilalang lugar sa Las Vegas. May antas na AAA Four Diamond na pag-aari sa loob ng 13-taon, ang resort kailan lang ay nakaranas ng isang mayoryang pagbabago sa Read More …

Jul 262014
 
DFA: West PHL Sea arbitration about rights, not ‘who owns what’

The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) arbitration case against China is “not about who owns what” but rather to make clear the entitlements due the Philippines, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said on Saturday. “It is not about determining who owns what in the territories in the South China Sea. That is not our case. Our case is a interpretation of the law, clarification, and validation… Our aim is for the tribunal to say that the nine-dash line is without basis under UNCLOS,” DFA spokesman Charles Jose said in a forum at the University of the Philippines. He added that given that China has said it will not take part in the arbitration proceedings, it will take the tribunal less time to render a decision. Jose said the tribunal might call a hearing after December 15, the deadline given China to respond to the Philippines’ case. “The Tribunal will determine the further course of the proceedings, including the need for, and scheduling of any other written submissions and hearings, at an appropriate later stage,” the DFA had said in a July 2014 newsletter on developments in the arbitration case. Assistant Secretary Jose said that in that possible hearing after December 15, the five-member tribunal may ask the Philippines about details of its claim and other matters for clarification. DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario said on June 17 that with China opting out of the proceedings, “perhaps we could get a quicker resolution from the Read More …

Jul 262014
 
City of Carson secures $1.26-M in grant funds to develop bicycle and pedestrian paths

http://ci.carson.ca.us/ The City of Carson recently secured $1,259,000 in funding through a competitive grant process from Metro to develop a bicycle/pedestrian path along the Dominguez Channel between Main Street and Avalon Boulevard.  This bike path will connect with the existing path on the west side of Main Street which runs to the Harbor Gateway Transit Center – a key hub for bus rapid transit through the South Bay and Los Angeles. This bike path is a critical piece in Carson’s Masterplan of Bikeways.  While Carson has already received $3 million for bike lanes throughout Carson, the bicycle/pedestrian path is separated from traffic and dedicated exclusively to bicycles and pedestrians, making it an extremely safe route for navigating Carson. By providing this connection to the Harbor Gateway Transit Center, the City of Carson and Metro aims to contribute to promote public transit use and contribute to regional efforts to reduce traffic congestion and improve air quality. Mayor Jim Dear commented that the new bicycle/pedestrian path will “provide a key transportation connection for residents, employees, and visitors between Harbor Gateway Transit Center and Carson’s many attractions along Avalon Boulevard including the Community Center, SouthBay Pavilion, and the upcoming Boulevards at South Bay.” “The new bike path is a critical component to the City’s ongoing efforts to improve the health of the people as well as visitors to Carson, by making us a walkable, bikeable, livable community,” added Dear.

Jul 262014
 
Court subpoenas pork barrel scam whistleblowers’ bank accounts

At a media forum, lawyer Levito Baligod said he culled the names of those involved in the multimillion peso anomaly through various interviews and there is no “Benhur List.” Baligod used to be the counsel for whistleblowers Benhur Luy and Merlina Suñas. MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan first division on Wednesday issued subpoenas for the court to access the bank accounts of pork barrel scam whistleblowers led by principal witness Benhur Luy. This after the alleged scam mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles’ lawyer Stephen David filed a request for the court to issue a subpoena. The request was hereby granted. Ordered to appear for the hearing on Thursday to be attended by whistleblowers are representatives from BDO Unibank, Metrobank, BPI, UCPB and Landbank. According to the request for subpoena, the following whistleblowers have the respective number of bank accounts: Benhur Luy – 19 bank accounts Arthur Luy – three bank accounts Gertures Luy – two bank accounts Merlina Sunas – three bank accounts Marina Sula – three bank accounts David had said they would file a request for subpoena to find out if the bank accounts also contained ill-gotten wealth. The whistleblowers have pointed to Napoles as the mastermind behind the billion-peso racket of pillaging lawmakers’ public funds to Napoles’ bogus foundations to implement ghost projects and rake in kickbacks. (MNS)

Jul 262014
 
Bill filed to institutionalize internship program in government

General Manager Sheryll F. Tiburcio of JobsDB Philippines, says that about 10,000 jobs in the hospitality and tourism industry are available at any given time. And more than 100,000 jobseekers are actively pursuing these jobs in the travel and tourism industry with more than 50% or over 50,000 of this figure are those who just graduated from college and university, during the Trabaho para sa Turismo Jobfair at Music Hall, SM Mall of Asia on Wednesday (September 4, 2013). (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker has filed a bill introducing an internship program in the government to improve the system of hiring of full-time government employees. Rep. Delphine Gan Lee (Party-List, AGRI), author of House Bill 3792, said the internship program would provide educational employment experiences to individuals whose service will not be used to displace any employee. “The bill will allow the government agencies to augment entry level functions while providing valuable work experience to prospective government employees” Lee said. “Likewise, it will also improve the recruitment pool by establishing a definite list of individuals who have experience working with particular government agencies,” she added. Lee said that under the proposed Government Internship Improvement Act, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) must take the lead in establishing rules on internship programs as well as gathering pertinent information, making sure that the system is properly carried out across the government agencies and that the best practices are acknowledged and replicated. Lee said the CSC has the role of making sure Read More …

Jul 262014
 
Ex-Corona prosecutor, 2 others join govt team in ‘pork’ cases

Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona (2nd R) with his family waves to his supporters during an interfaith prayer inside a Supreme Court in Manila May 22, 2012. Corona will testify in his Senate impeachment trial on Tuesday after he was accused of failing to disclose several bank accounts containing millions of pesos, and real estate properties in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net worth (SALN). Also seen are (L-R) Corona’s son Francis, Cristina (his wife), Renato and his daughter Carla. REUTERS/Romeo Ranoco (PHILIPPINES – Tags: RELIGION BUSINESS CRIME LAW) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The prosecution team got reinforcements in proving the guilt of Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada and the other accused in the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam. At the sidelines of the hearing on Revilla’s motion for bail before the Sandiganbayan First Division on Thursday, Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano confirmed that he is now part of the prosecution team. Aside from Justiniano, also joining the prosecution team are Jarveen Ho and Hazel Deceña-Valdez, two senior state prosecutors of the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG). “We were deputized by the Office of the Ombudsman. We received the order to join the prosecution team last week,” Justiniano told reporters, adding they have already entered appearances starting Thursday and in the succeeding hearings. Justiniano was part of the prosecution team during the impeachment trial of ousted Chief Justice Renato Corona in the Senate in 2012. He was also part of the defense team in Read More …

Jul 262014
 
Private prosecutor in Corona trial is new Comelec commissioner

Commission on Elections Chairman Sixto Brillantes said on Saturday that lawyer Arthur Lim, one of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona, has been appointed the poll body’s newest commissioner. “We got his appointment papers yesterday (Friday). He has also taken his oath already. I think he will be coming to the Comelec on Monday,” Brillantes said in a phone interview. Brillantes said Lim, whose term runs until February 2, 2018, can help the Comelec resolve election cases since he is a former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines. “Once you become president of the IBP, it means you are a very good lawyer,” Brillantes said. Lim replaces former Commissioner Grace Padaca, whose interim appointment expired on June 11. — JDS, GMA News

Jul 262014
 
House resolution commends Iglesia ni Cristo for building PHL Arena

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez has filed House Resolution 1304 to commend the Iglesia ni Cristo for constructing the Philippine Arena, which is said to be the largest indoor arena in the world. According to a “24 Oras” report aired Saturday evening, Benitez said the world-class arena, which has a minimum capacity of 55,000, “will have socio-economic impact” in terms of tourism, jobs, youth development, and sports “as it will open possibilities of hosting bigger sports tournaments and international events.” Construction of the arena cost an estimated P7.8 billion and was paid for with donations from Iglesia ni Cristo members. The arena is not for the exclusive use of INC, but the church “[reserves] the right to determine what kinds of activities will be held here based on wholesome Christian principles and values that our church upholds.” — JDS, GMA News