Melissa Mendez offloaded from plane for causing ruckus

 General
Mar 202015
 
Melissa Mendez offloaded from plane for causing ruckus

ACTRESS Melissa Mendez was offloaded from a flight on Friday for allegedly punching a co-passenger and a cabin crew. In a video uploaded by model/athlete Andrew Wolf on Instagram, he said the incident happened while they were in the middle of a flight to Pagadian City. Wolf said that a certain actress with initials M.M. threw a fit during the flight. “I’ve seen some crazy things in my life. I regularly travel on planes for work, but this has got to be probably one of the most ridiculous things that I have experienced,” he said. Wolf added: “A certain Filipina actress, past her prime may I add, decided to use our reserved seats on the plane. After being asked to move by flight attendants, the captain and even ground security she agreed to go to her seat (after 30 mins of cursing).” “Kept claiming she was some sikat na star dati with initials M.M. She smelled like a beer brewery, you just knew something was gonna happen…. Anyway, half way to our destination to talk to our programmer in Mindanao, this “actress” decided to curse continually at my friend,” he said. Wolf posted a video of a woman, who was easily recognized by the netizens as Mendez. He said the actress received warning from the flight attendants because of her unruly behavior. He then alleged that she punched his friend and cabin crew. “She was given 2 warning cards by flight attendants, but didn’t stop. She punched my friend and Read More …

Batuhan: Put your money where your heart is

 General
Mar 202015
 
Batuhan: Put your money where your heart is

WHICH of these Americans belong together? A Chinese-American, female, middle-class, atheist lesbian. A wealthy, Christian-Arab, heterosexual, male doctor. A lower-class, African-American, Muslim, female student. Tough question, right? That’s because there are so many arbitrary classifications that people assign to each other, and belonging to one group as opposed to another is a function of so many variables. Ethnicity? Race? Nationality? Religion? Sexual preference? You name it, these associations are as numerous and as complex as people are. And oversimplification as to the causes of tension among various people can often be misguided at best, and dangerous at worst. But, throwing caution to the wind, Starbucks went ahead and did it anyway. Prompted supposedly by the racially-charged events in America in recent days, the company’s CEO thought that the best way for his company to get involved was to have the coffee shop attendants (baristas, as they like to style themselves) engage customers in conversations about race. And sure enough, start a conversation he did. Mostly not about race, mind you, but about how ill-thought and poorly-conceived his idea of improving race relations in America was. The thing is, it is not so much about race anymore, but about diversity which troubles America. Look at the recent phenomenon related to the migration of American citizens to join the terror-group ISIS. You get all sorts. There are introverted white male Christian students, gangster-type African-American rappers, female Muslim-American professionals—indeed, it is difficult to point to any characteristic that would motivate one to be Read More …

Casino profit boosts PHL’s global gaming hub ambitions

 Entertainment
Mar 202015
 
Casino profit boosts PHL’s global gaming hub ambitions

Solaire Resort & Casino, a $1 billion resort operated by Bloomberry Resorts Corporation in the reclaimed area by the Manila Bay, is one of the first of multi-casino Las Vegas-inspired projects in Manila. Manila, Philippines |AFP| – A Philippine mega-casino reported Thursday its first annual profit on the back of half a billion dollars in revenues, strengthening the Southeast Asian nation’s bid to become one of the world’s biggest gambling hubs. Bloomberry Resorts, which operates the Solaire Resort and Casino, said it posted a 4.072-billion-peso ($91-million) net profit in 2014, compared with a loss of 1.315 billion pesos in the previous year. Revenues doubled to 24.122 billion pesos from 2013. Solaire, owned by Filipino billionaire and port magnate Enrique Razon, opened in March 2013, the first of four billion-dollar casinos planned on a glittering strip fronting Manila Bay dubbed Entertainment City. The huge casinos are the centrepiece of the Philippines’ campaign to rival Las Vegas and Singapore as one of the world’s biggest gambling destinations, after the Chinese enclave of Macau, the industry’s capital. Analysts said Solaire’s nearly half billion dollars in revenue, in only its second year, showed the Philippines could achieve its goal. “There’s nowhere to go but up, considering the attractiveness of this sunrise industry…. we’ve just started to attract the high rollers,” First Grade Holdings managing director Astro del Castillo told AFP. A second mammoth casino called City of Dreams, a joint venture between Australian billionaire James Packer and Lawrence Ho, son of Macau gambling mogul Read More …

De Lima: TRO on Binay has no legal effect , Peña is acting Mayor

 Entertainment
Mar 202015
 
De Lima: TRO on Binay has no legal effect , Peña is acting Mayor

Some of the transaction windows at the Makati City Hall are shut Friday as supporters of Mayor Junjun Binay occupy the lobby of the building. His supporters gathered in anticipation of authorities serving the suspension order on Binay. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Makati Vice Mayor Romulo “Kid” Peña should start exercising his duties as acting Mayor, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Wednesday. De Lima explained that while the temporary restraining order (TRO) stopping the implementation of the suspension order against Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay has become moot and academic, the same TRO has preserved the legal effect on Peña’s oath taking. Peña was not part of Binay’s petition before the Court of Appeals. “Basta sa amin klarado na moot and academic na ang TRO (It is clear to us that the TRO has become moot and academic). Yung status quo na pine preserve or sought to be preserved by that TRO ay kung nakapanumpa na yung vice mayor (if the vice mayor has already took the oath of office). That is the status quo, that is the situation now,” de Lima told reporters. The Court of Appeals last Monday issued a 60-day TRO against Binay suspension. However, de Lima, in her legal opinion said it was received by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the afternoon while the notice of suspension was served in the morning. “We are of the opinion that the temporary restraining order of the Court of Appeals is without Read More …

Enrile back at PNP General Hospital

 Entertainment
Mar 202015
 
Enrile back at PNP General Hospital

Senate Minority Floor Leader Juan Ponce Enrile (center) arrives at the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City on Friday, July 11, to attend his arraignment on graft and plunder charges in connection with the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. He faces one count of plunder and 15 counts of graft. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile is back at the PNP General Hospital in Camp Crame after nearly a month of confinement at the Makati Medical Center (MMC). In a text message, Chief Inspector Dr. Raymond Santos, officer-in-charge of the PNP General Hospital, said Enrile arrived at the hospital’s specialty ward around 10 a.m. “He’s condition is stable. He just needs to continue taking his maintenance medications,” Santos said. Enrile was rushed to the MMC on February 26, a few days after he celebrated his 91st birthday at the PNP General Hospital on February 14, due to pneumonia. Enrile is currently under hospital arrest for plunder and graft charges in connection to his alleged involvement in the alleged multi-billion peso pork barrel fund scam. Two other senators, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., are detained at the PNP Custodial Center also in connection with the supposed pork scam.  (MNS)

Junjun Binay asks CA to cite in contempt DOJ secretary, Ombudsman

 Entertainment
Mar 202015
 
Junjun Binay asks CA to cite in contempt DOJ secretary, Ombudsman

Makati City Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr. talks to the media on Friday inside the Makati City Hall Building. Binay said he will stay in the building despite a suspension order from the Ombudsman for his alleged involvement in the overpricing of the Makati City Hall Building II. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – After going after Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and several police officials, Makati Mayor Junjun Binay has set his sights on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima. In an amended petition filed on Thursday, Binay has asked the Court of Appeals to also cite Carpio-Morales and De Lima in contempt for defying a restraining order against his suspension. “We already filed an Amended and Supplemental Petition for Contempt to include the Ombudsman and Secretary De Lima,” said Binay lawyer Patricia Alvarez. Last Tuesday, Binay had already filed a contempt plea against Roxas, Makati Vice Mayor Romulo Peña, Department of Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region Director Renato Brion, NCR Police Office regional director Carmelo Valmoria, Southern Police District director Henry Ranola, and ground commander Police Sr. Supt. Elmer Jamias for defying the CA temporary restraining order. The CA’s TRO was issued last Monday in response to a petition filed by Binay last week to contest his six-month suspension over overpricing claims on the construction of the Makati City Hall Building 2. Before the TRO however, the Department of Interior and Local Government had already served the suspension and had sworn in Binay’s vice mayor, Read More …

LTFRB starts bus inspections for Holy Week trips

 News
Mar 192015
 
LTFRB starts bus inspections for Holy Week trips

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board this week started inspecting bus terminals in the provinces in time for Holy Week. In Bacolod City, GMA Bacolod reported Friday that LTFRB teams checked buses in two private bus terminals to make sure they are roadworthy. Also, the LTFRB teams made sure the buses being deployed are not more than 15 years old, in line with the Department of Transportation and Communications’ modernization program. While most of the buses were found roadworthy, the LTFRB team said some had no fare matrix—a violation of LTFRB rules. The bus terminal managers said they are addressing the matter and will post the fare matrices on the buses once the LTFRB releases them. Filipinos are expected to flock to the provinces or to vacation spots to spend the Holy Week with their families. —Joel Locsin/KG, GMA News

American senators seek US strategy to stop China’s South China Sea reclamation

 General
Mar 192015
 
American senators seek US strategy to stop China’s South China Sea reclamation

WASHINGTON – Leading US senators expressed alarm on Thursday at the scale and speed of China’s land reclamation in the South China Sea and said a formal US strategy was needed to slow or stop the work. In a letter to US Secretary of State John Kerry and US Defense Secretary Ash Carter, Republican Senators John McCain and Bob Corker and Democrats Jack Reed and Bob Menendez said that without a comprehensive strategy “long-standing interests of the United States, as well as our allies and partners, stand at considerable risk.” They said China’s land reclamation and construction in the South China Sea’s Spratly archipelago gave it the potential to expand its military reach and was “a direct challenge, not only to the interests of the United States and the region, but to the entire international community.” The letter said Gaven Reef had grown about 28 acres (114,000 square meters) in the past year and previously submerged Johnson Reef (Mabini Reef) was now a 25-acre (100,000-square-meter) “island.” Fiery Cross reef increased in size more than 11-fold since August. “While other states have built on existing land masses, China is changing the size, structure and physical attributes of land features themselves,” the letter said. “This is a qualitative change that appears designed to alter the status quo in the South China Sea.” It said any attempt by China to militarize the artificial islands could have “serious consequences” and could embolden Beijing to declare a new air defense zone in the South China Read More …

PSEi up 57.97 points, closes above 7,800

 General
Mar 192015
 
PSEi up 57.97 points, closes above 7,800

popular . Ms. Universe Philippines Pia Wurtzbach says President Aquino ‘fun to talk to’ ‘Due to misleading info, Aquino angered at lost chance to remedy Mamasapano’ Ex-Sexbomb member Jopay Paguia suffers miscarriage AFP sees no need to deploy more troops in West PH Sea Fil-Am honor student brutally beaten in San Jose mall Bb. Pilipinas Universe is Inquirer Lifestyle’s own, a best friend People to Aquino: Mamasapano explanation ‘not enough’ Aquino headed for downward spiral, says House minority videos PBA: Ginebra’s LA Tenorio comfortable on the floor with Emman Monfort PBA: Agustin credits good defense, big men performance for win over Purefoods PBA: Warner’s maturity big thing for Globalport, says coach Gonzales Crime watchdog wants advisory body composed of bishops, inter-religious leaders Former Tarlac Governor calls Aquino to resign MANILA, Philippines–The local stock barometer on Thursday firmed up above 7,800, tracking the upswing in Wall Street on hints that the US Federal Reserve may not rush into raising interest rates. The Philippine Stock Exchange index was sluggish in early trade but recovered in the afternoon, gaining 57.97 points or 0.75 percent to close the session at 7,814.55. Overnight, US stocks surged after the US Federal Open Market Committee–at the end of a two-day policy meeting–suggested that it would be “patient” on future interest rate increases. The closely tracked Dow Jones Industrial Average was up by 1.3 percent or 227.11 points. The gains were led by the financial, property and services counters, which all went up by over 1 percent.  The Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries