Maniolas

Vice President Jejomar Binay greets supporters during his campaign sortie in Borongan City, Eastern Samar on Thursday. Binay was also scheduled to lead the motorcade of United Nationalist Alliance candidates from Catbalogan to Calbayog City in the province of Samar.(MNS photo) GENERAL SANTOS CITY  (Mabuhay) – Vice President Jejomar Binay on Wednesday said the psychological report used in the annulment case of rival presidential aspirant Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte should be left to the judgment and scrutiny of the voting public. “The fact is hindi naman mandatory ‘yung pag-submit ng medical certificate so apparently, kahit may psychological disorder, hindi magiging ground for disqualification (The fact is the submission of a medical certificate is not mandatory. So even if you have a psychological disorder, it will not be a ground for your disqualification),” Binay told reporters upon landing in Manila after campaigning in this city. “Let his physical and mental case be subjected to the voters,” he said. Assessment results of the psychological report used as basis for the annulment of Duterte’s marriage to first wife Elizabeth Zimmerman in 2000 showed that the tough-talking mayor has “narcissistic personality disorder” or “extreme self-conceit.” The assessment said Duterte has a “pervasive tendency to demean, humiliate others and violate their rights and feelings” and “difficulty controlling his urges and emotions.” But Binay said it was “high time” for candidates to be subjected to medical exams, psychological tests included. “I think it’s high time…Siguro tama naman ‘yun. Kasi biruin mo naman, hindi mo nire-reveal Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III joins his official family in prayer before presiding over the Cabinet Budget Presentation Meeting at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace Monday (July 6). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Funding for proposed projects under the fiscal year 2017 Bottom-up Budgeting (BuB) Program will total P35 billion, up by P10.3 billion from this year’s BuB budget, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on Tuesday. Funds amounting to P19.7 billion – or more than 50 percent of the total – will be downloaded to beneficiary local government units (LGUs). “These are cities and municipalities that have complied with the good governance conditions set in the implementing guidelines of the program. These requirements include compliance with the Good Financial Housekeeping component of the Seal of Good Local Governance and implementation of Public Financial Management (PFM) improvement measures,” the department noted in a statement. Under BuB, LGUs and civil society and community organizations jointly identify priority poverty reduction programs and projects to be included in the proposed national budget. “For 2017, funding for BuB programs – specifically those that LGUs can implement –will be released directly to local governments. We are moving from agency-implemented BuB projects to more performance-based direct downloads to LGUs. Of course, the release of these funds will depend on the performance of the LGUs,” said Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad said. “Altogether, our goals are three-fold: to include citizens in local budgeting, to strengthen LGU capacity and accountability, and to Read More …

Supporters of PDP-Laban presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte from Marikina City are ready for the Duterte-Cayetano tandem motorcade from the Marikina Freedom Park to Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College in Marikina City on Tuesday (April 12, 2016). (PNA photo by Joey O. Razon) MANILA (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte continued to surge ahead in a pre-presidential election survey conducted days before his controversial remarks about an Australian rape victim. Duterte kept the lead with 32 percent in the latest ABS-CBN survey conducted by Pulse Asia, seven percentage points ahead of Sen. Grace Poe, who was stuck at second place with 25 percent. Vice President Jejomar Binay and administration candidate Mar Roxas remained at third place where they were statistical tied with 20 percent and 18 percent, respectively. Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago came in at last place with 1 percent. Pulse Asia took the survey from April 5 to 10, about a week before Duterte was heavily criticized for making light of an Australian missionary’s rape and murder in his city in 1989. The survey covered 4,000 registered voters nationwide, with an error margin of plus minus 1.5 percent, meaning Duterte established a clear lead over the other presidential candidates. During an April 13 campaign sortie in Quezon City, Duterte recalled a bloody hostage incident at a Davao prison, which killed 21 people, including Australian Jaqueline Hamill. Duterte said he was angry that the woman, then 36, had been raped by the inmates. But he Read More …

Presidential candidate and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte addresses thousands of Taguig City voters during the grand rally of the Duterte-Cayetano tandem held at FTI Avenue, FTI Complex in Western Bicutan, Taguig City on Monday night (April 11, 2016). (PNA photo by Christopher Lloyd T. Caliwan) MANILA  (Mabuhay) – Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday apologized to the Filipinos for his remark, which many construed as making light of the rape and murder of an Australian missionary. “I apologize to the Filipino people for my recent remarks in a rally. There was no intention of disrespecting our women and those who have been victims of this horrible crime. Sometimes my mouth can get the better of me,” Duterte said in a statement sent to the media. But Duterte insisted that he won’t apologize for “the things I’ve done to protect our people, especially the weak and defenseless, from crime.” The tough-talking mayor was heavily criticized after his controversial remarks about the 1989 gang rape and murder of Australian missionary Jaqueline Hamill by prisoners inside the Davao City Police Office. “They did it ahead of the mayor. Kill them all,” he said in Filipino during a rally in Quezon City on April 12. The mayor refused to apologize after he was interviewed on Sunday, the same day his video went viral on social media. “Do not make me apologize for something which I did not do. It’s a matter of honor… I said it in the heat of anger,” he Read More …