Maniolas

Sen. Antonio Trillanes with members of Magdalo party, shows his certificate of candidacy (CoC) for vice president, at the Palacio del Gobernador in Manila, Tuesday. Trillanes will be running as an independent candidate, but expressed support for Sen. Grace Poe’s presidential bid in the 2016 elections. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – A possible impeachment move could be immediately initiated against Vice President Jejomar Binay if he becomes president, Senator Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV said as the Senate blue ribbon subcommittee concluded on Tuesday its probe on corruption allegations against Binay. Aside from plunder and graft charges, Trillanes said the subcommittee can still recommend more criminal charges, such as tax evasion, against Binay in connection with alleged anomalies he committed when he was still the mayor of Makati City. The subcommittee, headed by Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, had already come up with a partial report, including a recommendation to file plunder and graft charges against Binay over the alleged overpriced Makati City Hall 2 parking building. “Every single act constitutes either a graft charge or a plunder charge or other violations of the Revised Penal Code,” Trillanes, who initiated the Senate probe against Binay, said at a press conference after the hearing. Reminded that Binay would be immune from suit if he gets elected president in the upcoming elections, Trillanes said: “Ganun na nga (That’s how it is) but immediately it can be used as a basis for impeachment.” “So kaya nga kung ma e-elect man si Vice President Binay Read More …

Members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Sub-Committee investigating the alleged overpricing of a 12-story building for the University of Makati’s nursing school watch a presentation on Monday. The building’s construction cost of P1.140 billion is alleged to be overpriced to benefit then mayor Jejomar Binay back in 2007. (MNS Photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The Sandiganbayan has allowed former Makati Vice Mayor Ernesto Mercado to testify against Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, in connection with her pending graft case. In a resolution dated January 22, the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division reversed its July 2015 ruling denying the prosecution’s motion to present Mercado as witness. “A re-examination of the Motion stirs this Court to reconsider. It is axiomatic that the matter of presentation of witnesses by the prosecution is not for the accused, or except in limited sense, for the court to dictate. The prosecution has the discretion as to how to present its case and it has the right to choose whom it wishes to present as witnesses,” the 16-page ruling penned by Associate Justice Ma. Theresa Dolores Gomez-Estoesta read. The resolution was concurred in by Fifth Division chairman Associate Justice Roland Jurado and acting member Associate Justice Samuel Martires. In its new ruling, the court gave weight on the prosecution’s pronouncement in its motion for reconsideration filed in August last year, which said that Mercado can give a competent testimony on how an original copy of a Commission on Audit (COA) ended up in his possession. The prosecution Read More …

— Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Gringo Honasan show their certificates of candidacy at the Commission on Election in Manila on Monday, the first day of filing of COCs. Binay and Honasan will run under the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for the 2016 election. (MNS photo) MANILA, Jan 26 (Mabuhay) – The Freedom of Information (FOI) bill may finally be passed into law after years of languishing in Congress if Vice President Jejomar Binay becomes the next president of the Philippines. In an interview on Tuesday with Mike Enriquez over dzBB radio for the “Ikaw Na Ba? The Presidential Interview” program, Binay said he will ask Congress to expedite the passage of the proposed FOI law if he ends up in Malacañang after the May 2016 national elections. “Ipapakiusap ko sa Kongreso na kung pwede ho ilabas niyo at tapusin niyo na ho ‘yan para magkaroon tayo ng batas tungkol sa freedom of information,” he said, adding that he will certify the measure as urgent so lawmakers will approve it with dispatch. Although Binay wants to give journalists and the public wider access to information on the government and its officials, he said the FOI bill should contain provisions on ensuring accountability from those who request data. “Bago ho sana mangyari na magkaroon [ng FOI law] ay magkaroon ng accountability. ‘Yun ang nagiging balakid at ang rason kung bakit sa tingin ko ang Presidente ay hindi gumagawa ng paraan para maging batas [ang FOI bill],” he said. President Benigno Read More …

The camp of Senator Grace Poe asked the Supreme Court (SC) on Monday (Dec. 28, 2015) to stop the decision of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that disqualified her to run in the 2016 presidential polls. Poe, through her legal counsel, Atty. George Garcia (in left photo), filed the petition for certiorari and urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the Comelec decision. One of the two petitions filed by Poe’s camp challenged the Comelec First Division ruling while the second petition assailed the Comelec Second Division ruling. Poe’s camp also asked the SC to issue a status quo ante order (SQAO) against the Comelec ruling in order that the name of Poe would still be included in the ballot for the 2016 elections. Photo at right shows Poe’s supporters urging the Comelec to allow the lady senator to run for president in the May 2016 polls. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) –Senator Grace Poe promised Monday that she would not impose new taxes, and would even lower existing ones, should she win in the May 2016 presidential election. “Nais kong itulak ang pagbaba ng buwis dahil hindi na makatarungan. Gusto kong babaan at gagawin ko ang lahat para babaan ang buwis,” Poe said. She said the Philippines imposes the highest income and corporate taxes among the member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). “Thirty-two percent ang binabayaran ng mga empleyado natin. Ang corporate tax naman ay 30 percent. Papasok tayo sa ASEAN Read More …

Enrique Gil and Liza Soberano (MNS photo) It looks like it’s going to be another hectic year for Liza Soberano and Enrique Gil as they renewed their contracts with Star Cinema. Aside from their upcoming series “Dolce Amore” which will air next month, the two signed a two-year multi-picture deal with the ABS-CBN film outfit. “I’m excited for the projects to come. We are always looking forward to something different. I’m excited for ‘Dolce Amore’ especially because it’s something where I get to play the princess. I’m also excited about the movie although I don’t know any details about it yet,” Soberano said. Gil is also set to do his first independent movie this year. “I’m going to be doing a movie with direk Paul Soriano, it’s called Dukot so isisingit. It has a nice story. It’s a first for me. It’s an action-suspense thriller. Ako yung maki-kidnap. It’s based on a true story so it is a nice story,” he said. As for Soberano, is the Darna role included in the contract she signed? “No. I don’t know. No one’s telling me anything. Maybe it’s a surprise,” she said letting out a laugh. But if she gets an offer to do the Darna role, Sobrano said: “I’ll take it, I’ll accept it and I’ll work hard for it. But my body is not flattering yet.” (MNS)