De Lima belies Clooney plea for Arroyo

 Entertainment
Mar 132015
 
De Lima belies Clooney plea for Arroyo

Defense Secretary Volatire Gazmin, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas attend the 5th public hearing on the Mamasapano incident. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Department of Justice (DOJ) insists that the continued detention of former President and now Pampanga Representative Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo does not violate her human, civil, and political rights, even as the Aquino government has yet to officially receive official notice on the case lodged by international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney before the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) on behalf of Arroyo. In a 42-page complaint, Clooney, wife of Holywood A-lister George Clooney, argued that the Philippine government violated several provisions of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights on its treatment of Arroyo, who is being tried for the non-bailable offense of plunder for the alleged diversion of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) funds during her stint as president. Clooney said Arroyo’s health has deteriorated because of her continued detention, and her full recovery hindered. She urged the UNHCHR to ask for Arroyo’s release from detention to allow her to seek treatment abroad mainly for her lingering cervical spine problem. While Justice Secretary Leila de Lima pointed out that “any specific comment on the merits of the case would be highly speculative” at this point, she stressed that Arroyo’s detention is a matter carefully decided by the Philippine’s anti-graft court, the Sandiganbayan, after going through the regular judicial process. De Lima barred Arroyo from leaving the Philippines Read More …

BIFF mortars, not AFP artillery, destroyed Maguindanao houses – military

 Entertainment
Mar 132015
 
BIFF mortars, not AFP artillery, destroyed Maguindanao houses – military

Mourners take part in a memorial for the victims of the Mamasapano encounter in front of the Philippine National Police Headquarters in Quezon City Tuesday. The groups demand truth and accountability from those involved in the bloody clash, which resulted in the death of 44 PNP-SAF officers, 18 Moro rebels, and 7 civilians. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Mortar fire from the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, not military artillery, destroyed houses in Datu Saudi Ampatuan town in Maguindanao, the Armed Forces of the Philippines said Wednesday. Reacting to complaints by residents of Elian in Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Lieutenant Colonel Harold Cabunoc, AFP public affairs chief, quoted reports from units involved in the ongoing “all-out” offensive against the BIFF that “when they were approaching the said community, the BIFF bombarded them with mortar fire, hitting the said houses.” He also said field reports showed “the adjacent house where the alleged artillery fire occurred remains intact, a sign that the damage could not have been caused by a 105mm (howitzer shell) high explosive blast.” Cabunoc said the AFP has declared civilian communities “no fire areas,” meaning no high explosive munitions, whether from the ground or the air, can be used there. Nevertheless, he said, 6th Infantry Division commander, Major General Edmundo Pangilinan, “has ordered a civil military operations battalion to assess the reported damage and to extend assistance in repairing houses” as he assured that the AFP would “adhere to the rules of engagement and the provisions of International Humanitarian Law to Read More …

AFP extends all-out offensive vs. BIFF for another 3 days

 Entertainment
Mar 132015
 
AFP extends all-out offensive vs. BIFF for another 3 days

Relatives and supporters of the SAF 44, members of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force (PNP-SAF) who were killed during the Mamasapano clash, march along EDSA on Sunday. The march turned out to be a solemn memorial honoring the troopers who died on January 25. (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Armed Forces of the Philippines on Wednesday extended for another three more days its all-out offensive against the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters, the splinter group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. AFP spokesperson Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc said AFP chief General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. ordered another extension for the clearing operations in the affected areas. “Due to ongoing operations and the objective has not yet been accomplished,” Cabunoc said when asked why the all-out campaign against the BIFF was extended again. This is the third extension since the military announced that it was set to end its all-out offensives against BIFF members last week. At the same time, Cabunoc said they are still verifying the location and condition of Filipino bomb maker and Abu Sayyaf member Basit Usman. On the other hand, Army’s 6th Infantry Division public affairs officer Capt. Jo-Ann Petinglay said two members of the Philippine Marines were killed in an encounter with the BIFF from 4 p.m. to midnight on Tuesday. Petinglay, however, declined to identify the Marine fatalities while their family has yet to be informed. She added that clearing operations are ongoing at in the so-called SPMS (Salvu, Pagatin, Mamasapano and Shariff Aguak) Read More …

‘Stronger’ storms feared as dry spell forecast in PHL

 Entertainment
Mar 132015
 
‘Stronger’ storms feared as dry spell forecast in PHL

Residents stand on the ruins of their house amidst other destroyed houses after Super Typhoon Haiyan battered Tacloban city in central Philippines November 10, 2013. One of the most powerful storms ever recorded killed at least 10,000 people in the central Philippines province of Leyte, a senior police official said on Sunday, with coastal towns and the regional capital devastated by huge waves. Super typhoon Haiyan destroyed about 70 to 80 percent of the area in its path as it tore through the province on Friday, said chief superintendent Elmer Soria, a regional police director. (MNS photo) Manila, Philippines |AFP|  – The disaster-haunted Philippines is likely to be hit by stronger typhoons this year as warming ocean surfaces contribute to a dry spell, the state weather service warned Wednesday. The Asian archipelago, whipped by about 20 typhoons and storms each year, is now in the grips of the “El Nino” phenomenon that can make storms “stronger” and more “erratic”, weather service chief Vicente Malano said. “El Nino may cause the behaviour of tropical cyclones to become erratic, affecting (their) tracks and intensity,” he said in an advisory, adding that the same number of storms are expected. “The tropical cyclone tracks are expected to shift northward and (their) intensity could become stronger,” Malano said. Super Typhoon Haiyan, the strongest ever to hit land, left more than 7,350 people dead or missing in central regions of the Philippines in November 2013 as it dumped tsunami-like waves on coastlines, wiping out entire towns. Read More …

Drilon says Binay Jr. should accept suspension order

 Entertainment
Mar 132015
 
Drilon says Binay Jr. should accept suspension order

SENATE INQUIRY ON ICC: Senate President Franklin Drilon (left) denies he has anything to do with the bidding for the construction of the Iloilo Convention Center. “To set the record straight, I had nothing to do with the bidding for the project. I did not participate in the constitution of the Bids and Awards Committee. I did not interfere with any part of the bidding process, nor did I nominate or appoint the winning bidder,”Drilon told the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee on Thursday, Nov. 13, 2014. The Senate is conducting an inquiry into the alleged overpricing of the convention center. Also in photo is Senator Teogisto “TG” Guingona III, chair of the Blue Ribbon Committee. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Makati City Mayor  Jejomar Erwin “Jun-Jun” Binay  Jr. should  accept the  suspension order of the Office of the Ombudsman just like what some senators did when they were also  ordered suspended over the  “pork barrel” scam, Senate President Franklin Drilon said on Wednesday. “He should follow what our colleagues did  in the Senate. They accepted the suspension  as part  of the process…”  Drilon  told reporters. The Senate leader was apparently referring to Senators  Juan Ponce Enrile, Jose Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon  “Bong” Revilla Jr, who were  suspended  by the Senate  on orders of the  Ombudsman. The  three senators   have been  detained after being  charged  with plunder and graft over the  pork barrel scam. Binay, on the other hand, was  placed  under preventive suspension by the  Ombudsman in connection with the Read More …

In photos: Underwater tour of battleship Musashi

 News
Mar 132015
 
In photos: Underwater tour of battleship Musashi

MANILA, Philippines —Microsoft co-founder and entrepreneur Paul Allen on Friday sponsored an unmanned underwater probe of the World War II Japanese battleship Musashi that was blown into pieces in an undersea explosion 70 years ago. The Musashi sank at the Sibuyan Sea in Romblon in October 1944 during the battle of Leyte, losing half of its 2,400 crew. It was last seen disappearing into the water in one piece. Here are screen captures of the underwater inspection: Crew of the Octopus observe a moment of silence for the sailors who lost their lives onboard the Musashi. The ROV about to be loaded onto the Octopus. The ROV about to be loaded onto the Octopus. The ROV being winched into the Octopus. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. According to Japanese colleagues, the Musashi sank with five aircraft onboard. The Musashi’s massive propellers, which propelled the massive warship across Philippine waters some 70 years ago. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. The entrance to the Musashi’s secondary gun barbette. Real-time position of the ROV tracked via GPS on the Octopus. After the fifth wave of US attacks, the Musashi started listing. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. The wreck of the Musashi, one of the largest battleships in history. The Bluefin-12 Read More …

Girls Got Game PH sports camp empowering Filipinas

 News
Mar 132015
 
Girls Got Game PH sports camp empowering Filipinas

Girls Got Game [via Facebook] A roving summer sports camp designed for underprivileged girls in the Philippines is being offered by former athletes to give mind and body training to pre-teen girls as a way to help them rise out of their current economic difficulties. The Girls Got Game (GGG) PH camp runs for four consecutive days and is conducted in poor neighbourhoods around the country. GGG PH offers training in the team sports of basketball, football/soccer, and volleyball. The camp program consists of physical training with skills and drills, followed by friendly matches. Mental and emotional training are also part of the camp activities where female role models share stories with the campers. GGG PH envisions the life lessons through sports will empower the young Filipinas to reach for goals beyond their current dire economic situations. The GGG PH website explains how the camp can help girls, “We run our camp following the GGG Way, our philosophy of putting the girl at the center of everything we do. All decisions are made with her best interest in mind, and this includes (1) making sure she is surrounded by credible and inspiring role models, (2) we are developing her holistically in mind, body, and spirit, (3) she feels safe and comfortable enough to learn and make mistakes, and that at the end of the day, (4) she has a rockin’ good time playing sports.” The non-profit organization is led by managing directors Krizanne Ty and Nikka Arcilla, together with logistics Read More …

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