Maniolas

VOA It’s hard to imagine that the very thing that made the Philippines rise up and overthrow a government was simply disregarded by the Supreme Court and the powers that be. And now it’s a test for Duterte’s tolerance of a country. Once the High Court dismissed attempts to block the burial of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, it was like a stealth burial. No media. No protests. In the ground. Amen. Facebook. If you haven’t noticed, we live in a time where the political trend is quite simple. Things that would never happen before, that were once thought to be downright “inconceivable,” are happening right now, and with stunning regularity. And it’s not fake news, it’s real. We’re seeing it in the U.S. and, of course, in the democracy built in its own image, the Philippines. And now, despite protests heard round the world and in Filipino communities in the U.S., it finally happened. The late dictator Marcos, supposedly unburied since 1989, finally got covered up with some hallowed dirt.  The “hero’s burial” for Marcos was another win for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, the Filipino Trump, who manages to do as he pleases, justice be damned. INQUIRER FILE “I’m just being legalistic about it,” said Duterte to the media. “He was president, he was a soldier. That’s about it.” Duterte was spectacularly modest about his political achievement. This time, his wish was to honor his personal hero, a man whom Amnesty International says imprisoned 70,000 people during martial law, tortured Read More …

Cyber-crime (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO) CEBU CITY — Agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas (NBI-7) arrested 20 Taiwanese nationals for alleged online fraud. Armed with a search warrant, the agents barged into a five-story house rented by the suspects at Buena Hills Subdivision in Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City, past noon on Monday. Allan Tubi, acting chief of the NBI’s Regional Cybercrime Center Visayas, said the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in the Philippines coordinated with them for the arrest of the Taiwanese nationals who allegedly defrauded their countrymen. Inventory of seized items was ongoing, as of this posting. “Will give you the specific details later,” Tubi said in an interview about 2 p.m. on Monday.  SFM TAGS: Allan Tubi, arrest, cebu city, Crime, cyber crime, Foreign Nationals, Law enforcement, National Bureau of Investigation, online fraud, raid, Seizure, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office of the Philippines For feedback, complaints, or inquiries, contact us.

President Rodrigo Duterte said he missed the socials of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Leader’s Forum due to jet lag. He said he couldn’t keep his eyes open and needed to rest. INQUIRER FILE LIMA, Peru — “Jet lag” did President Duterte in during his first appearance at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit here, forcing him to skip both the gala dinner and traditional family photo of the world leaders. The President said he was still feeling “lightheaded” as the scheduled activities happened to coincide with his sleeping times back home. READ: Duterte ‘falls ill,’ skips Apec gala dinner for world leaders “I sleep at 3:45 [a.m.]. That’s the time here. I really couldn’t keep my eyes open. And even [though] I was listening to others, my eyes start to close on their own,” Mr. Duterte told reporters covering the Apec in this South American country. “I said it’s not good to be present with the greats of the convention with my eyes closed. So I said I better go home. But I also couldn’t sleep though I was sleepy. Jet lag, simply,” he said. Mr. Duterte sent Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay to stand in for him in the two events. “I was not able to attend the socials because I wanted the Secretary of Foreign Affairs…I wanted to promote his acting career,” he joked. But the President said the events he did attend were eye-opening and fruitful. “I said it’s not good to be present with the greats of the Read More …

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau (center) jokes around with fellow leaders during the group photo at the annual Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit in Lima, Peru, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2016. The forum closed with a joint pledge to work toward a sweeping new free trade agreement that would include all 21 members as a path “sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth,” despite the political climate. At right is Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Perfecto Yasay who stood in for President Rodrigo Duterte, whom Malacañang said was indisposed. AP LIMA, Peru — Leaders of 21 Asia-Pacific nations ended their annual summit Sunday with a call to resist protectionism amid signs of increased free-trade skepticism, highlighted by the victory of Donald Trump in the U.S. presidential election. The Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) forum also closed with a joint pledge to work toward a sweeping new free trade agreement that would include all 21 members as a path to “sustainable, balanced and inclusive growth,” despite the political climate. READ: Russia to buy $2.5B in PH agri produce | Duterte ‘falls ill,’ skips Apec gala dinner for world leaders “We reaffirm our commitment to keep our markets open and to fight against all forms of protectionism,” the leaders of the APEC nations said in a joint statement. APEC noted the “rising skepticism over trade” amid an uneven recovery since the financial crisis and said that “the benefits of trade and open markets need to be communicated to the wider public more effectively, emphasizing how trade promotes innovation, employment Read More …