Immigration bureau admits VP Binay aides Limlingan, Baloloy may have left PHL

 General
Jul 082015
 
Immigration bureau admits VP Binay aides Limlingan, Baloloy may have left PHL

Vice President Jejomar Binay delivers his speech during the launching of the United Nationalist Alliance as a political party on Wednesday at the Makati Coliseum. Binay lambasted the Aquino administration anew and promised alternatives offered by his party. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Bureau of Immigration (BI) on Wednesday admitted that two of Vice President Jejomar Binay’s close aides who are wanted by the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee may have fled the country without passing through the immigration. Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, a member of the subcommittee, earlier disclosed that Binay’s longtime financial officer, Gerry Limlingan, and his personal secretary, Eduviges “Ebeng” Baloloy, have left the country amid the corruption allegations against their boss. BI spokesperson Elaine Tan, who was present during Tuesday’s hearing, said that as per Immigration records, Limlingan’s latest arrival in the country was more than 10 years ago, or on October 17, 2003. Baloloy’s latest arrival, meanwhile, was on September 6, 2014. But Tan was quick to clarify that the BI only holds jurisdiction over “formal ports and exits.” “It’s a possibility. We’re not discounting that,” Tan said when Trillanes asked if it was possible that Limlingan and Baloloy left without passing through the BI. Both Limlingan and Baloloy are listed as beneficiaries of a bank account of a construction company that secured at least P180 million worth of projects with the city government of Makati. This was disclosed in the Anti-Money Laundering Council’s petition for a freeze order on certain accounts associated with Binay. Read More …

DOH: Foreigner tests positive for MERS

 Entertainment
Jul 072015
 
DOH: Foreigner tests positive for MERS

A monitor connected to a body temperature scanner shows passengers arriving from South Korea at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport on Tuesday. The WHO said the outbreak of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) in South Korea is the largest seen outside the Middle East. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — The Department of Health confirmed Monday that a foreigner from the Middle East who recently arrived in the Philippines has tested positive for MERS-Cov. Health Secretary Janette Garin said the 36-year-old foreigner was admitted to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine last Saturday after showing symptoms of MERS-CoV infection on July 2. “He was tested on July 4. At 5 p.m., the test yielded a positive result,” she said in a press briefing. She said the patient’s viral load is low, which meant that the patient could be recovering. She said the patient had no diabetes or high-blood pressure. One person who came in contact with the patient is in isolation after manifesting symptoms of MERS infection. A DOH task force is now doing contact tracing after the latest finding. It was the second case of MERS-COV in the Philippines. The first case was discovered in January, a Filipino nurse working in Saudi Arabia who survived. Garin noted that there is no documented community transmission of the MERS coronavirus, saying that most infections happen inside a hospital. “Health workers are usually at risk. Transmission also occurs during repeated and close contact with a family member or a household companion,” she Read More …

Erich, Daniel Matsunaga share love story

 Entertainment
Jul 072015
 
Erich, Daniel Matsunaga share love story

Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsunaga (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) -– Weeks after admitting that they are already a couple, Erich Gonzales and Daniel Matsunaga sat down together to talk at length about how they took their friendship to the next level. Gonzales and Matsunaga said it was when the Japanese-Brazilian model joined the series “Two Wives” in January that they started to get to know each other better. “Nung una niyang pagpasok [sa show], normal lang. Masaya ako to see him and maging parte siya ng ’Two Wives.’ Walang ilangan at all. Kahit nung una naming kilala sa Palawan, nandoon agad ‘yung connection. I don’t have to pretend na prim and proper ako dapat. Kung ano lang ako, nakita niya kaagad,” Gonzales said. At that time, Gonzales was still with her non-showbiz boyfriend although their relationship was already on the rocks. Despite Gonzales and Matsunaga’s growing closeness, the actress decided not to tell the latter about the status of her love life. “He had nothing to do with it naman so sa akin lang yun. Ang alam niya okay lang ako, okay lang lahat,” she said. For Matsunaga, working with Gonzales in “Two Wives” was more on just being professional. “[Gusto ko na siya] pero alam ko yung walls, what I can and what I cannot. Pero that time was really more on being professional. She was there all the time for me. Our friendship really became much stronger there. We got to know each other better. We were there Read More …

Senior expat takes pride in his ‘1734’ PHL map copy

 Entertainment
Jul 072015
 
Senior expat takes pride in his ‘1734’ PHL map copy

‘Document’ portend to show what belongs to China, what’s ours By Abner T. Galino Los Angeles Fil-Am resident Rizal Reyes says he was given the “1743” Philippine map 10 years ago during a trip in Barcelona, Spain. Photo: Abner Galino It is certainly more than an amusing coincidence to find a burning fervor for the motherland on an expatriate named Rizal Reyes, a senior in his middle 80’s and a resident of mid-city Los Angeles. He confirmed that his father was indeed a fan of national hero Dr. Jose Rizal. But, –  here comes the surprise – he was not a Rizal fan but of Andres Bonifacio, and for the same reasons just like many other Filipinos who favor the plebeian over the intellectual nationalist. Of course, Rizal and Bonifacio were never rivals. The debate on who should be crowned national hero came up during the American occupation of the Philippines. Rizal eventually got the prime spot at Luneta, aptly named Rizal Park, while Bonifacio got to stand in front of the Philippine Post Office building (which is just about four miles away). And so it came to be that the lovers would head to Luneta while the marchers who seek redress from government would gather at Liwasang Bonifacio. As far as politics is concerned, we know which of the two places became more exciting and relevant. 1743 Philippine map But this story is not about Rizal and Bonifacio. This story is about patriotism and a map, although not an Read More …

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