Maniolas

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte arrives at Air Force City in Pampanga to grace the 69th Anniversary of the Philippine Air Force as he is welcomed by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — An anti-crime watchdog on Thursday claimed receiving intelligence reports against several police officials, even before President Rodrigo Duterte revealed their alleged involvement in drug trafficking. Dante Jimenez, head of the group Volunteers against Crime and Corruption (VACC), said he had intelligence information on two or three of the five officials whom Duterte shamed in public on Tuesday. Duterte links 5 top cops to drug trade VACC was not able to validate the reports due to limited resources, he said. Jimenez also believes Duterte had strong evidence against the officials and that his exposé was not politically motivated. He urged the President to identify more lawmen and local government officials involved in corruption. “Hindi lang dapat ang mga pulis kundi mga local government officials, hanggang taas pa dapat ang sabihin.” (MNS)

More than 160 self-confessed drug addicts surrender to authorities at the San Juan City Hall, Monday. City officials directed local barangay officials to ask drug users and pushers in their respective jurisdiction to voluntarily surrender and undergo drug rehabilitation. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Military offensives against communist rebels will proceed even as the insurgents pledged to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on illegal drugs, an army spokesman said Thursday. There are no orders to stop offensives or issue guidelines on how to cooperate with the New People’s Army (NPA) on the anti-narcotics drive, said Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Hao, army public affairs officer. “Pag mababawasan ang drug use, mas masaya kami. Ngayon kung magkakasama kami, definitely ‘di kami magkakasama nang sabay,” Hao said. In his first speech as commander-in-chief last Friday Duterte suggested that rebels “use your kangaroo courts to kill them to speed up the solution to our problem.” The Communist Party of the Philippines responded by issuing a call to “disarm and arrest the chieftains of the biggest drug syndicates.” Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said on Monday the NPA’s possible participation in Duterte’s campaign should follow due process. “Linawin lang po natin, iyung pagkakasabi ng ganoon — ang move po ni President Duterte is to enlist the support of NPA to arrest or kill suspected drug lords. Kumbaga, kinikilala niya na mayroon din silang karapatan in order to be able to combat the whole war on drugs. “Kung ano man ang mangyari, it will still go to process, Read More …

Proponents of the Freedom of Information bill hail the technical working group of the House committee on Public Information for the approval of its consolidated version on Wednesday (September 3, 2014) at the House of Representatives in Batasan Complex, Quezon City. From left are Paranaque City Rep. Gustavo Tambunting; Ang NARS party list Rep. Leah Paquiz; Committee on Public Information chairman and Misamis Occidental Rep. Jorge Almonte; Cebu Rep. Gwendolyn Garcia; Akbayan party-list Rep. Barry Gutierrez and Quezon City Rep. Winston Castelo. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — A lawmaker has re-filed the proposed Freedom of Information Act to fully promote good governance, accountability and transparency in all branches of the government. Rep. Raul V. Del Mar (1st District, Cebu City) said the still unnumbered bill seeks to strengthen the right of Filipino citizens to information held by the government by full public disclosure of all government transactions involving public interest. “This same measure was already approved on third and final reading during the 16th Congress. However, due to lack of quorum of the last session day, the subject Conference Committee report was not ratified,” Del Mar said. Under the bill, request of information shall be free of charge and could be requested personally, by electronic means or by mail to the government agency concerned. The FOI Act shall cover the executive, legislative and judicial branches which shall include the national government and all its agencies, departments, bureaus, constitutional commissions and mandated bodies, offices of the Senators and Representatives, the Supreme Read More …

Enchong Dee (MNS Photo) Actor Enchong Dee, who is marking his 10th anniversary in showbiz, plans to reinvent himself by taking on characters that are far from his usual “boy-next-door” roles. The 27-year-old is currently promoting his new movie “I Love You To Death” with Kiray Celis. “Ayoko na nung the usual siguro, ‘yung boy-next-door. Sawang-sawa ka na. Pero siyempre, hindi mo naman maiiwasan ‘yon, babalik at babalik ka rin because ‘yon nga ‘yung strength mo. Siguro I will do that once and then, I will do other things. Kumbaga, variation,” he said. According to Dee, he is also ready to accept more daring roles, including those that may require nudity. “Pag-iisipan ko ‘yon,” he said. “Hindi naman tayo ‘yung basta, ‘O dito sa proyektong ito, maghuhubad ka.’ Okay, maghuhubad ako, ano ang kuwento?” He is even open to do a same-sex kissing scene. “I don’t mind. I will do it. Sabi ko nga, kung yun ang nakaplano,” he said, adding that as long as he likes the project, he will give it his all. “Bilang artista, ang trabaho namin ay hindi maging bida, hindi maging paulit-ulit. Ang trabaho namin ay pag-aralan ang trabahong nabigay sa amin. At kapag nagsabi ka ng yes sa proyektong ‘yun, kaakibat nun ang maraming bagay,” he said. “Kaakibat nun ‘yung promo, hindi ka nagrereklamo sa set, nakikitungo ka sa lahat ng katrabaho mo, simply because you said yes,” he added.(MNS)