Sandiganbayan chief admits low disposition of cases in 2014 due to ‘pork’ cases

 Entertainment
Jun 162015
 
Sandiganbayan chief admits low disposition of cases in 2014 due to ‘pork’ cases

Senate President Franklin M. Drilon and Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero listen as Senator Teofisto “TG” Guingona III, Chair of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, question resource persons during the second public hearing on the alleged P10 billion priority development assistance fund (PDAF) scam involving Janet Lim Napoles and certain lawmakers, which were reportedly used in anomalous projects by bogus nongovernment organizations.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Amparo Cabotaje-Tang on Thursday admitted that hearing cases related to the pork barrel scam took its toll last year on the disposition of other cases pending before the anti-graft court. In a chance interview at the sidelines of the opening ceremony for the celebration of the court’s 37th founding anniversary, Tang said they have rendered decision to fewer cases in 2014 as compared to 2013. Tang said this was due to the various motions and other pleadings connected to the pork barrel scam cases that the Sandiganbayan needed to resolve. “Hindi kami nakapag-focus sa decision-making kasi marami kailangang i-resolve—motion for bill of particulars, motion for determination of probable cause at motion to quash,” Tang said. She said in 2014, only about 8.2 percent of cases pending with the Sandiganbayan had been resolved as compared to 13 percent of pending cases resolved in 2013. Pork barrel scam It was in June last year when the Office of the Ombudsman filed the first batch of pork barrel scam-related cases with the Sandiganbayan. Among the personalities charged with plunder and graft were Senators Juan Ponce Read More …

SC justices’ SALNs out online in the coming days – spokesman

 Entertainment
Jun 162015
 
SC justices’ SALNs out online in the coming days – spokesman

(Supreme Court of the Philippines} MANILA (Mabuhay) – For the first time in its history, the Supreme Court will make the Statements of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth (SALNs) of its 15 magistrates available online. SC Public Information Office chief and spokesman Theodore Te on Thursday said summaries of the justices’ SALNs would be released on the Supreme Court’s website either this week or next. “If I get the [summary reports] this afternoon, I can release it already,” said Te. Te clarified that only summaries and not full SALNs would be posted on the Supreme Court website. “Full SALNs are still subject to guidelines,” he said. During their summer session in Baguio two months ago, the justices approved the format of the summary report of their SALNs. The SC said the summary report would be prepared by its Public Information Office, which is headed by Te. The SC earlier said the summary report would be uploaded to its website “as soon as all the information is complete.” In August 2012, the SC, led by Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, released not only a summary of the justices’ SALNs, as is done at the House of Representatives, but also an inventory of their assets and liabilities. The SALN release came some two months after the high court released guidelines for releasing the SALNs of judges and justices. Over the years, SC justices kept their SALNs secret because of an en banc resolution issued on May 2, 1989 preventing such disclosures. The Read More …

Sandiganbayan OKs Bong Revilla’s motion for additional therapy sessions

 Entertainment
Jun 162015
 
Sandiganbayan OKs Bong Revilla’s motion for additional therapy sessions

Senator Bong Revilla, shown in photo on his way to be detained on plunder and graft charges, said his lawyer, Sal Panelo, only talked about the rats and roaches in his cell in jest. Revilla’s lawyer has said the senator’s family saw rats “as big as cats” inside the senator’s cell. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan First Division has granted the request of detained Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. to increase the duration of his remaining physical therapy sessions on Thursday. In a short hearing Thursday morning, Revilla’s lawyer Reody Anthony Balisi read before the court his client’s motion to have the senator’s therapy sessions each extended to two hours instead of just an hour. In their motion, Revilla’s lawyers cited the recommendation of Senior Inspector Francisco Agudon III, the attending physician at the PNP General Hospital, to continue the senator’s physical therapy to complete six sessions and to increase the duration of his physical therapy to two hours per session. Revilla’s camp said such medical attention is necessary “so that he (Revilla) may attain the fullest medical treatment possible, an so as not to render nugatory the proper medical treatment that this Honorable Court has kindly allowed him to undergo.” Attached medical records of Revilla revealed he is suffering from herniated nucleus pulposus lumbar region, Achilles tendinitis, osteoarthritis both heels and acute T/C de Quervain’s tenosynovitis. After hearing Revilla’s plea as read by his lawyer, First Division chairman Justice Efren Dela Cruz said in open court that Read More …

Setting things straight: The treatment of denied VAT refund claims

 Economy
Jun 152015
 

The need for clear and definitive rules on the proper treatment of input value-added tax (VAT) from zero-rated/export sales in case of denial has never been as important as today. As more VAT refunds are denied by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the taxpayers’ clamor to address the issue on the recovery of VAT for zero-rated/export sales becomes inevitable.

VP Binay respects PNoy’s decision not to endorse him

 Entertainment
Jun 152015
 
VP Binay respects PNoy’s decision not to endorse him

Veteran singer Jim Parades (4th left in front) leads other protesters as they march around the financial district of Makati on Wednesday to stop Vice President Jejomar Binay from running for the presidency. The group cites allegations of corruption against Binay makes him unfit for the job. (MNS Photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Vice President Jejomar Binay respects the decision of Pres. Benigno Aquino against endorsing him for the presidential race in 2016, but he assured the public he can continue the reforms initiated by the current administration. “The President has spoken so we have to respect it. Ang sinasabi ko lang is from my experience, when I was a mayor (of Makati), iyong mga magagandang programa ng mga nauna sa aking mayor ay ipinagpatuloy ko,” he said in an interview with reporters Thursday. On Thursday, Aquino ruled out the possibility of endorsing Binay, who earlier expressed hope that the President will consider him for the country’s top elected post. “Hinahanap ba niya ang suporta ko? 2010, sa ibang grupo siya tumakbo. 2013, nanguna siya ng ibang grupo. Parang medyo ang layo ng kurba,” Aquino said. Binay’s camp, meanwhile, is still hopeful that Aquino will change his mind. “Politics being the art of the possible, there is nothing that can prevent President Aquino from changing his mind in 2016,” lawyer JV Bautista, one of Binay’s spokesperson, said. He echoed the statement that the Vice President will respect Aquino’s decision. “It is entirely the prerogative of President Aquino to choose whom to Read More …

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