Maniolas

Senator Leila de Lima ,President Benigno Aquino III , New Bilid Prison,Justice Secretary, Vitaliano Aguirre II , Liberal Party MANILA, Oct 20 (Mabuhay) — Senator Leila de Lima on Thursday said the House of Representatives should now move on from the “circus of sex, violence and videotape melodrama” it has turned into after the justice committee released its findings on the illegal drug trade inside the New Bilibid Prison (NBP). In a statement, De Lima said the House justice panel investigation missed its opportunity to unearth the extent of the NBP drug trade because it focused its inquiry on her. “I would say, though, that I hope that, somehow, something positive would come out of all of these after all the public shaming and maligning that I was put through – not to my embarrassment, but, in truth, to the embarrassment of the House of Representatives, which was turned into a circus of sex, violence and videotape melodrama,” De Lima said. “The inquiry has missed the opportunity to unearth the true extent and reason for the drug problem by being so myopic in scope, as it was obsessively focused solely on my alleged involvement,” she added. De Lima, former Justice secretary, said she hopes that the inquiry would result into true and lasting reforms in the country’s correction facilities, and the approval of the necessary legislation, such as the BuCor Modernization Act, and true and lasting reforms in our correctional facilities. “Sana nga lang ay maka-move on na ang House Read More …

President Duterte looks at the perspective of the proposed Drug Addiction Treatment Center to be donated by the Friends of the Philippines Foundation: President Rodrigo R. Duterte looks at the architect’s perspective and blueprint of the proposed Drug Addiction Treatment Center to be donated by the Friends of the Philippines Foundation during a lunch meeting at Dadong Roast Duck Restaurant in Beijing, China on Wednesday (Oct. 19, 2016). (Photo by King Rodriguez/PPD/PNA) MANILA, Oct 19 (Mabuhay) – President Rodrigo Duterte did not consult officials of his Cabinet before he made statements in scrapping the Philippines’ joint military exercises with the United States, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Wednesday. At the Commission on Appointments (CA) panel hearing on Lorenzana’s ad interim appointment, Senate President Pro-Tempore Franklin Drilon asked: “You cannot deny that we are also benefiting from this (PH-US joint exercises), so why should we terminate this?” Lorenzana then replied: “Mr. chair, I really don’t know because the President has been issuing statements without consulting the Cabinet.” Lorenzana said there is no final decision yet to suspend the military exercises next year. “It is still on,” he said. He said Duterte has asked him to make a presentation to the Cabinet soon with regards to the status of military exercises, and other agreements and treaties. The Defense secretary earlier said that the US “are still hoping” to conduct military exercise with the Philippines. Duterte had said that the recently concluded exercises with the US military will be the last under his Read More …

PIMENTEL ADMINISTERS OATH TO NEW S.E.N.A.D.O. OFFICERS: Senate President Koko Pimentel (8th from right) administers the oath of office to the newly elected officers of the Samahan ng mga Empleyadong Nagkakaisa Sa Adhikain Ng Demokratikong Organisasyon (S.E.N.A.D.O.), Tuesday, October 18, 2016. In photo are (from left), Pedro Tolentino, Jun Nicolas, Jr., Joseph Maico, Ollie Sulit, Ditas Ampa, Jocelyn Tomarong Celda, Atty. Joseph Babia (President), Joyce Dela Cruz, Maryjane Uskaner, Caloy Begino, Daks Millamena (Vice-President), Pedro Samaniego, and Roger Pacete. (MNS photo) MANILA, Oct 19 (Mabuhay) – State prosecutors have asked Senate President Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III to explain the delay in implementing the suspension order against Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito in connection with his pending graft trial. In a motion submitted to the anti-graft court’s Fifth Division, state prosecutors also asked the office of San Juan City mayor Guia Gomez to explain why it has yet to suspend city administrator Ranulfo Barte Dacalos and City Legal Officer Romualdo Corpuz Delos Santos, who are among Ejercito’s co-accused in the case. State prosecutors argued that the August 22 resolution of the Sandiganbayan on Ejercito and his co-accused’s suspension has become final and executory since the Supreme Court has also not issued a writ of preliminary injunction in response to the writ of certiorari filed by the senator and his co-accused. They also noted that none of the accused have filed a motion for reconsideration to appeal the court’s decision. The Sandiganbayan ordered the suspension of Ejercito and his two co-accused for Read More …