De Lima can’t see how Aquino is ‘ultimately responsible’ for Mamasapano

 Entertainment
Mar 192015
 
De Lima can’t see how Aquino is ‘ultimately responsible’ for Mamasapano

President Benigno S. Aquino III visits the wounded soldiers confined at the V. Luna Hospital in Quezon City and the Army General Hospital in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City on Monday afternoon (March 16). President Aquino personally thanked the injured troopers for their gallantry and bravery during their separate encounters with members of the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in Maguindanao, and the Abu Sayaff Group in Jolo and Basilan in the all-out offensive launched by the military against lawless elements in Mindanao. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Wednesday warned of hasty conclusions such as President Benigno Aquino III being “ultimately responsible” for the Mamasapano incident just because he knew about the mission to capture Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan and other suspected terrorists in late January. “Ang dapat ingatan natin ung mga hasty conclusions, hasty and reckless conclusions na just because alam ng Pangulo iyong operations ay he is now deemed to be really liable or deemed to be really accountable to each and every aspect of  that operation,” De Lima in an interview. “Kaya gusto ko rin malaman kung ano ang basehan ng Senate report,” she added. The joint committee of the Senate in its report has found Aquino “ultimately responsible” for the results of the mission after he allowed the the suspended Philippine National Police chief Director-General Alan Purisima to oversee its planning and execution. The operation led to the killing of Marwan but also to an encounter with Moro Islamic Liberation Front fighters Read More …

Aquino responsible for Mamasapano but has yet to consider apology – Malacañang

 Entertainment
Mar 192015
 
Aquino responsible for Mamasapano but has yet to consider apology – Malacañang

President Benigno S. Aquino III personally extends his condolences to the family of slain Marine Corporal Josen Mias and Sergeant Francis Jeffel Flores during the wake at the Fort Bonifacio Naval Station Mortuary in Taguig City on Monday afternoon (March 16). President Aquino recognized the heroism of the two marines killed in encounters with Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in Maguindanao. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday said that while President Benigno Aquino III has taken responsibility for the Mamasapano debacle it does not necessarily mean that he will apologize for it. “We had discussions with him yesterday but none touching on the call for him to issue an apology over it,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte told Palace reporters when asked about calls for Aquino to give a public apology. “So far, he has been focused on what can be done in the aftermath of the January 25 incident and he has been focused on these things,” she added when asked why Aquino has not considered apologizing despite saying he was also responsible for what happened. Both former President Fidel Ramos and Senator Grace Poe said the President should consider saying sorry for his involvement in the botched operation, which resulted in the deaths of 44 policemen, 18 Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) fighters and five civilians. “Why is it so difficult for him to say sorry about that?” Ramos told reporters on Wednesday. “Saying I’m sorry humbly and sincerely would do 90 percent of the job Read More …

2 gov't-owned banks to merge

 Economy
Mar 192015
 
2 gov't-owned banks to merge

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – A congressional panel in the House of Representatives today voted for the approval of the merger of two government-owned banks. Batangas Province Representative Nelson Collantes, chairman of the House committee on banks and financial intermediaries as well, said panel members had voted unanimously for the merger of the Development Bank of the Philippines and the Land Bank of the Philippines with the latter as the surviving entity. Collantes said the merger seeks to fuse the two banks financial capabilities, improve the delivery of services, and achieve economic efficiency. “The merger will improve the balance sheet capabilities of the merged bank, thus resulting in a stronger bank which will have a competitive edge over other banks both in the domestic and global markets,” Collantes said. The lawmaker said the consolidated entity would be more effective, efficient and sustainable in carrying out the mandates of both banks, particularly in anticipation of the wave of foreign banks that may enter the Philippine market upon the Asean integration in 2015. 

Napeñas balked at giving whole truth on US role in Mamasapano —Poe

 General
Mar 192015
 
Napeñas balked at giving whole truth on US role in Mamasapano —Poe

Senator Grace Poe admitted Thursday that she was shocked by the alleged hesitation of relieved Special Action Force chief Director Getulio Napeñas Jr. in telling the Senate joint committee the whole truth about participation of Americans in the Mamasapano operation in January. The senator said it took a while before Napeñas answered the questions of the senators during the executive session on the US involvement and the latter was inconsistent with his answers. “What shocked me the most was at the very beginning he was untruthful. We were asking him, “So were there Americans there?” And it took a while (before he) said yes. And then, ‘Papaano? nakipag-usap ba kayo? Did you coordinate?’” His initial answer was ‘Bigla na lang nandoon na e’,”  Poe narrated the conversation in a television interview. “How will you believe that? That foreign… that the American was actually there because he just showed up? And then we said, ‘Ilan?’ At first, tatlo o dalawa ba? Biglang naging apat, naging anim… Tapos later on we found out, they were already setup in the command post with television monitoring equipment etc.” she added. Poe said it was acting Minority Leader Vicente Sotto III who was able get the information from Napeñas.  “Senator Tito Sotto was the one who was able to get it out of him to say, ‘May Amerikano e, yung pangalan e….’ Basta he mentioned the name and that’s what we had to say because he figured out na mukhang may nagsasabi dito,” she said. Read More …

Fitch Ratings affirms credit standing as Aquino's public approval rating slumps

 Economy
Mar 192015
 
Fitch Ratings affirms credit standing as Aquino's public approval rating slumps

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) – The affirmation by Fitch Ratings of the credit standing of the Philippines has buoyed hopes for the continued economic growth of the country this year despite a simmering political crisis brought about by the botched police operation in the Southern Philippines last Jan. 25. On Wednesday, Fitch Ratings affirmed the country’s BBB-long term foreign currency issuer default rating (IDR) and BBB-local currency IDR with outlook for both as “stable.” “The Philippines’ five-year real GDP growth was estimated to be 6.3 percent at the end of 2014, which is far above the ‘BBB’ median of 3.0 percent,” Fitch said. Fitch said its decision to affirm the credit ratings of the Philippines reflects the country’s “strong macroeconomic performance.” Philippine economic managers were quick to welcome the affirmation by the American rating agency. Governor Amando Tetangco Jr. of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), the country’s  central bank, said Fitch’s decision noted the continued improvement of the Philippines’fundamentals. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 “The Philippine economy has reached a level of resiliency that is more comfortable than that of its peers as a result of accumulation of sufficient foreign exchange buffer, sturdy financial system, and price stability. All of these are anchored on prudent monetary policy and effective supervision of banks and other financial institutions,” Tetangco said in a statement released Wednesday. Unlike Tetangco, however, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the country remain to be underrated by the Fitch Ratings but expects the country’s investment Read More …

 Older Entries  Newer Entries