Maniolas

The Sandiganbayan Fifth Division has allowed with finality the opening of the bank accounts of pork barrel scam primary whistleblower Benhur Luy and the other witnesses in the supposed multi-billion anomaly. In a resolution issued on October 24, made available to the media only on Wednesday, the court upheld its earlier ruling dated August 22, granting the motion filed by the lawyers of Janet Lim-Napoles, the alleged mastermind of the multi-billion pork barrel fund scam, to issue subpoena on the bank accounts of Luy, his mother Gertrudes Luy, as well as those of whistleblowers Merlina Suñas and Marina Sula. The Fifth Division refused to heed to the motion for reconsideration filed by the prosecution last month asking the court to overturn its original ruling, for “lack of merit”. “The motion for reconsideration and to quash/recall the subpoena duces tecum… on the bank account transactions and all other bank records of Benhur K. Luy, Gertrudes Luy, Merlina Suñas and Marina Sula is hereby DENIED for lack of merit,” the court said in its ruling.   The court retained the power of the subpoena earlier issued to the following banks where Luy, Gertrudes, Suñas and Sula are deemed to have accounts: Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI)Metropolitan Bank and Trust Company (Metro Bank & TCO)United Coconut Planters Bank (UCPB)Metrobank Card Corp.Banco De Oro Unibank Inc. (BDO)Land Bank of the PhilippinesPhilippine Savings Bank (PS Bank)Citibank  The court likewise reaffirmed the granting of Napoles’ request to issue subpoena on the Land Registration Authority (LRA) Read More …

MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Trade and Industry has expressed its willingness to provide new or additional incentives for companies that will set up research and development (R&D) centers in the country to help boost the local manufacturing and services sectors. Such incentives will be especially beneficial for the Philippine semiconductor and electronics industry, which is being urged to upgrade to high-value activities to enable local players to move up the global value chain. Although there are existing incentives for R&D, as provided under the 2013 Investment Priorities Plan, the agency will still welcome any proposal from the private sector for other incentives that could be included in the IPP to further strengthen R&D in the country, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo said. Speaking at the 13th CEO Forum of the Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Inc. (Seipi), Domingo stressed the importance of R&D to the country’s manufacturers. “For the semiconductor and electronics industry, which is a major growth driver of the economy, it is important that it not only survive but continue to thrive in a highly competitive market. The industry must pursue and manage the shift from legacy products, which currently account for 80 percent of output, to new generation products,” Domingo said. “To spur innovation or the shift to high value manufacturing, the Board of Investments is focusing investments by affirming fiscal and nonfiscal incentives for R&D including the establishment of research and testing laboratories, centers of excellence and technical, vocational and educational training institutions,” he Read More …

Two weeks ago, I wrote a column about traffic here and in other parts of the world that I had the good fortune (misfortune?) to experience. I wrote that other cities—even those with smaller populations and much less corruption (perceived or otherwise) from government or from its traffic enforcers—had as much or even worse traffic levels as we do. Some, like LA, didn’t have a subway or a mass transport system like our MRT; but they had better and more disciplined drivers and much better law enforcement. Paris had few buses but had a highly efficient underground metro system. Still, those two megacities experienced gridlocked traffic just as heavily and regularly as we Manilans do. But I delve into this topic once again because I have just come from India. It was my first trip to India, and for those who have been there (particularly in New Delhi or Mumbai, the latter of which I have just returned from), you probably know what I will be talking about. Those Indians know traffic. A 20-minute 5-kilometer drive can turn into an hour-long snooze fest if you hit the road at the wrong time. But more than just seething collectively in stationary agony, they put the pedal to the metal practically every chance they get—once the lights turn green. Then it’s cutting from one lane to another (oftentimes without warning), tailgating so closely that one car seems like it’s towing another at high speed, and overtaking like there’s no tomorrow. And lots Read More …