Palace denies SAF 44 widows’ allegations of neglect

 Entertainment
Jan 222016
 
Palace denies SAF 44 widows’ allegations of neglect

Family members of the SAF 44 are prayed over by churchgoers at the close of the mass on Sunday at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish Church in Claret School in Quezon City. Relatives and supporters of the slain troopers in Mamasapano held a memorial march Sunday from Cavite. (MNS Photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Malacañang on Wednesday denied the claims of widows of two Special Action Force (SAF) commandos that their family have yet to receive the financial assistance promised to them by the government. In a statement sent by Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr., he said all mandatory benefits had been released by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) as of April last year. Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos earlier raised the complaints of Virgie Viernes and Merlyn Gamutan that they have yet to receive the aid pledged by the government. Marcos said such complaints justify the reopening of the Senate investigation on the Mamasapano incident. Coloma said the Viernes family, which includes the victim’s wife, parents and sister, received a total of P1.3 million; while the Gamutan family, which includes the victim’s wife, father, in-laws, and niece, got 2.6 million. He said all concerned government agencies have acted on the requests from the kin of the SAF 44 upon the directive of President Benigno Aquino III. “The government has given extensive assistance to the families of the members of the PNP SAF who were killed in action on January 25, 2015 in Mamasapano, Maguindanao,” Read More …

Emotional Zanjoe confirms breakup with Bea

 Entertainment
Jan 222016
 
Emotional Zanjoe confirms breakup with Bea

Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo (MNS photo) An emotional Zanjoe Marudo confirmed reports that he has called it quits with actress Bea Alonzo. The 33-year-old “Tubig at Langis” star was nearly brought to tears after he admitted that he had broken up with Alonzo. “Wala naman madaling way so kailangan talagang pagdaanan,” Marudo replied when asked on how he is coping with his failed relationship. Marudo and Alonzo have been together for more than five years. The latter first confirmed that she was in a relationship with Marudo back in October 2011. In a recent interview, Alonzo admitted that the problems in her relationship with Marudo had stemmed from a lack of time for each other. She was quoted as saying that she does not have a “perfect relationship” with the actor. (MNS)

Grace Poe’s my sister’ – Bongbong

 Entertainment
Jan 222016
 
Grace Poe’s my sister’ – Bongbong

— Artist Randalf Dilla polishes his 8 x18.5 feet oil and acrylic painting “Salvage Memories, Salvage Lives” at Hiraya Gallery in Manila, Friday. The masterpiece, which depicts human rights issues during the Martial Law era, will be exhibited in commemoration of its declaration on September 21. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has only one word to describe Senator Grace Poe: “sister.” “Wala. Pinaninindigan ko na e (I am already standing by it),” Marcos said in jest when he played “fast-talk” during a weekly forum at the Senate on Thursday. An urban legend that Poe is an illegitimate child of the senator’s father and namesake, the late President Ferdinand Marcos with former actress Rosemarie Sonora, has become a running joke for the two lawmakers until Sonora’s own daughter, actress Sheryl Cruz, did not find the joke funny. Poe was found in a church in Iloilo and was later adopted by the late Fernando Poe Jr. and veteran actress Susan Roces. Her being a foundling is now one of the subjects of the disqualification cases filed against her in a bid to stop her from joining the May 2016 presidential race. Senator Marcos also described in one word other presidential bets: “brilliant” for his presidential running mate, Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago, “friend” for both former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and “rising” for Vice presidential Jejomar Binay, who topped the latest presidential survey of the Social Weather Stations. He also has one word Read More …

Plunder trial of Napoles, Reyes begins

 Entertainment
Jan 222016
 
Plunder trial of Napoles, Reyes begins

Janet Lim Napoles arrives at the Senate for the Blue Ribbon Committee hearing on the alleged P10 billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam, which reportedly involves her group and several legislators. (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – The plunder trial of alleged pork barrel scam mastermind Janet Lim Napoles and Gigi Reyes began Wednesday at the Sandiganbayan, with Napoles’ property custodian first to testify. The two women’s plunder case on their alleged involvement in Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s alleged P172 million kickbacks is the first pork barrel case to move on to the trial phase since the scandal broke out in 2013. Marina Sula, property custodian of Janet Lim Napoles Corporation who became president of Masaganang Ani Para sa Magsasaka Foundation Inc. (MAMFI), was the first witness to testify in the trial. In Wednesday’s hearing, Sula narrated how she helped Napoles come up with names of fake non-government organizations (NGOs) used in funneling money from lawmakers’ pork barrel. She said Napoles instructed her and another employee, Merlina Sunas, to produce a list of possible names of NGOs. She claimed to have registered at least 20 fake NGOs at the Securities and Exchanges Commission, and opened bank accounts for each organization. During the direct examination, Sula identified the incorporators of the NGOs involved in Enrile’s case as house helpers and drivers of Napoles, while two are relatives of Sunas who had no knowledge that they would be registered as NGO officials. It was also mentioned in the hearing that Napoles had Read More …

Defective waivers and the imperious need to tax

 Economy
Jan 202016
 

As markets continue their slow-motion crashes around the world, private entities and governments alike are scrambling for liquidity against a backdrop of bursting bubbles and declining asset prices. The Philippine government is no exception. In an unprecedented move, the Philippine Supreme Court’s (SC) Third Division overturned a long-standing rule in order to increase the government’s revenue base from assessments.

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