Oct 142017
 

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte presides over the 19th Cabinet Meeting in Malacañan Palace on October 4, 2017. (MNS photo)

MANILA, Oct 6 (Mabuhay) — President Rodrigo Duterte has fired two employees of Malacañang.

But he did not elaborate on this in his speech at the Agrilink, Food Link, Aqualink 2017 at the World Trade Center on Thursday.

“I promised you corruption. I will stop it. I will stop it. I just fired two… two employees from Malacañan for making a tool and suggesting that, you know, they were suggesting,” he said, before leaving for Brunei.

“Yesterday… I said, talk—I fired Cabinet members at this early. Either you really stay clean, or you have to have clean… no corruption ako diyan,” he added.

Duterte also said the same in his interview with Presidential Communications Operations Office Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson in Brunei.

He said in a video posted on Uson’s personal Facebook page that the two Malacañang employees were using their influence.

“I even fired today, I sign, firing two people from Malacañang for using their influence. Empleyado diyan tapos kung anu-anong pinagsasabi sa labas, na malakas. I hate that,” he said.

Malacañang has yet to respond to requests for clarification on the President’s revelation.

In his speech at the World Trade Center, Duterte also urged the public to call the 8888 hotline for their complaints against government workers. He said he would give them protection.

“As a matter of fact, you’re afraid to make an exposé? Go to Malacañang, there are two small rooms there. I’ll give you the bigger one. Doon ka patirahin ko. And every citizen… there’s an 888. Lagay mo lang. Or if you want, an alias. AKA. Also known as,” he said. (MNS)

Mar 252017
 
Will Arci fall for Daniel Matsunaga?

Arci Munoz Arci Munoz shrugged off the idea of possibly falling for Daniel Matsunaga, who was her training partner in an aerial dance number during the pilot weekend of the ABS-CBN talent show “I Can Do That.” Following their winning routine that weekend, Munoz and Matsunaga immediately gained a following which dubbed their team with the moniker “Darci.” Munoz, however, stressed that her relationship with Matsunaga is purely professional and “for show” only. “Meron kaming kontrata na pinirmahan. May kontrata kami na hindi kami puwede pumasok sa isang relasyon starting nung March 10. Kailangan six months kaming single. Apat kaming pumirma doon. Kasama po si Dandan. Kaya hindi po kami puwede talaga,” she said. Munoz recently broke up with local rock artist Badi del Rosario, the son of Brunei’s Prince Jefri Bolkiah, while Matsunaga was previously in a relationship with Erich Gonzales. While she appreciates the supporters of her tandem with Matsunaga, Munoz said she is not yet ready to love again just yet. “Siguro sign ni God din ito na dapat mag-concentrate muna ako sa mas importanteng mga bagay. Hindi pa muna ako ready,” she said. Munoz also has something to say to those who think she is just using her breakup with del Rosario to create noise because she has a new show. “Wala akong pakialam sa kanila. Hindi ako nagbabasa ng mga comments. I’m going to live my life the way I want to,” she said. (MNS)

Oct 062013
 
Palace budget for Aquino’s trip to APEC, ASEAN meets: a modest P14.3M

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III smiles upon his arrival at Bali airport, Indonesia, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2013 to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum. AP Photo MANILA, Philippines — Amid the furor over the allocation of additional pork barrel to lawmakers in May 2012, President Aquino is attending two regional summits in Southeast Asia with a budget of P14.3 million. The President left on a chartered flight Sunday morning for Bali, Indonesia to attend the 21st Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation Economic Leaders’ Meeting and CEO Summit from Oct. 6 to 8. Joining him was an 84-member delegation, including Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Secretary Gregory Domingo, Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, Cabinet Secretary to the President Jose Rene Almendras, Presidential Management Staff head Julia Andrea Abad, and Presidential Protocol chief Celia Anna Feria. Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario and Strategic Communications Secretary Ramon Carandang flew to the island resort ahead of the delegation. The President and the same delegation would later fly to Brunei Darussalam to attend the 23rd ASEAN Summit and Related Meetings from Oct. 9 to 10. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the government earmarked P14.3 million for the President’s attendance at the two summits. This would cover expenses for transportation, accommodation, food and equipment, among others, for Mr. Aquino and the delegation, he said. “I think we’ve had lower [budget] but it’s safe to say that this is a lesser amount… considering this is essentially two trips,’’ deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in Read More …

Aug 292013
 
Taiwan to spend $100 million to build dock at disputed Spratlys

9:18 pm | Thursday, August 29th, 2013 A handout photo shows Taiwanese garrison forces firing a gun during an exercise held in the Spratlys     AFP FILE PHOTO TAIPEI — Taiwan plans to spend more than $100 million to build a dock big enough for warships in the disputed Spratly islands, a legislator said Thursday, as other claimants strengthen their regional military presence. The plan submitted to parliament Thursday by the coastguard would cost Tw$3.4 billion ($112.4 million). Sources said the spending is expected to be approved. The dock will be an upgrade on the existing pier at the Taiwan-controlled island of Taiping, the biggest island in the Spratlys. It is scheduled to become operational in 2016. “National security authorities have decided to expedite the project as the other countries in the region have been increasing their naval and air force deployment in the past few years, further complicating the issue,” legislator Lin Yu-fang said in a statement. Once it is completed, large supply ships and even naval frigates will be able to berth, said Lin, a legislator from the ruling Kuomintang party who sits on parliament’s defense committee. The current pier caters only to small patrol boats. Once the dock work is completed the runway on Taiping will be extended, Lin said. Taiwan built a 1,150-meter (3,800-foot) runway on Taiping in mid-2006, despite protests from other countries with claims to the disputed island group. Taiwan, Vietnam, Brunei, China, Malaysia, and the Philippines claim all or part of the potentially oil-rich Read More …

Aug 202013
 
US defense chief Hagel to visit PHL

US Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel will visit the Philippines later this month as negotiations on the framework of increased rotational presence of American troops in the Philippines continue between the two countries. In a statement, the Pentagon said that Hagel’s visit will cap the series of stops on the Secretary’s upcoming Southeast Asian trip. Hagel will start in Malaysia from Aug. 24 to 26, followed by Indonesia from Aug. 26 to 27, and Brunei from Aug. 27 to 29 In Brunei, Hagel will “meet with defense counterparts from across the Asia-Pacific region,” said the Pentagon. The US official will meet with defense ministers from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member countries on Aug. 28. The next day, Hagel will participate in the Asian Defense Ministers Meeting-Plus meeting. “Secretary Hagel will conclude his trip in Manila on August 29-30 and return to Washington the evening of August 30,” the statement said. The visit of Hagel will come as Philippines and US officials are negotiating the framework of the increased rotational presence of US forces in the country. The talks between the US and the Philippines began last Wednesday in Camp Aguinaldo. According to officials, at least three more rounds may be held before an agreement can be reached. The next round of negotiations will be held in Washington later this month, said Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Carlos Sorreta, who heads the Philippine government’s negotiating panel. — BM, GMA News

Aug 112013
 
US says Japan has long way to go to open markets

WASHINGTON — Japan still has a long way to go before it can say its markets are open, the top US trade official said on Friday. Trade Representative Michael Froman said he hopes Japan’s recent entry into the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) free trade negotiations will provide opportunities to tear down those barriers. “I think we all bear the scars of trying to open Japan’s market in the past,” Froman told reporters at a briefing, acknowledging the “historical difficulties” in the trade relationship. In their long history of trade disputes, the US has alleged Japanese markets are closed to imports because of restrictive practices that are tolerated or even encouraged by the government. At the same time, Japan has relied heavily on exports as an engine of growth for its sluggish economy. Froman mentioned autos specifically — one of the thorniest issues in trade relations. “Right now, all foreign penetration of the Japanese auto market is six percent, and so I think everyone believes there is a long way to go before we can really say the Japanese market is open,” he said. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 Japan formally joined the US and 10 other Asia-Pacific nations in negotiations to create a major new trade bloc during the 18th round of talks in Malaysia last month. With the addition of Japan, the 12 countries would account for some 40 percent of world trade volume. The other 10 countries are Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Malaysia, Mexico, New Read More …

Jun 152013
 
MILF: New batch of Indonesian ceasefire observers coming

Amid a “deadlock” in peace negotiations, a new batch of Indonesian observers is arriving late June to replace the Indonesian contingent to the International Monitoring Team keeping watch over the ceasefire between Philippine government forces and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The MILF on Sunday cited information from the IMT that the “pioneer” Indonesian contingent, which includes 10 military and five civilian officers, will end its tour of duty June 24. “We can never compensate the contributions of (contingent head) Col. Khairully and his men but surely Allah will reward them and their families for their noble efforts and services to the Bangsamoro aspiration for peace and justice,” said MILF central committee secretariat head Muhammad Ameen. “We hope the Indonesian will stay with the IMT for as long as necessary,” he added. Also, the MILF said the replacements for the Indonesian and two Malaysian IMT members will be coming soon, as the two countries’ governments committed to continue sending members to the IMT. The MILF said the Indonesian contingent under Col. Khairully started its tour of duty on June 24, 2012 and headed the IMT Team Site 5 based in Davao City. It said its central committee is now organizing a farewell program for the outgoing Indonesian IMT officers. The IMT monitors on the ground the implementation of the security, humanitarian, development, socio-economic, and civilian protection aspects of the government-MILF peace process. It has members from Malaysia as head of mission, and from Brunei, Indonesia, Japan, Norway and the European Read More …

May 052013
 
Snub by Chinese foreign minister no big deal–Del Rosario

By TJ A. Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer 3:52 am | Monday, May 6th, 2013 Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, left, shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra at Government House in Bangkok, Thailand Wednesday, May 1, 2013. AP PHOTO/SAKCHAI LALIT MANILA, Philippines—Filipinos shouldn’t make a big deal over the failure of new Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to visit the country even as he called at four other Southeast Asian nations, Malacañang said on Sunday. “We have not given a second thought to the visits to four Southeast Asian countries by the new Chinese foreign minister. The visits are his prerogative,” said Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario in a statement released by the Palace. Undersecretary Abigail Valte, deputy presidential spokesperson, agreed. “We recognize perfectly the prerogative of the Chinese foreign minister to set his own agenda for his trips outside his country,” she said in a radio interview. Wang made his first official visits to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei between April 30 and May 5. Manila and Beijing are locked in a long-running dispute over islands in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea). The Philippines has brought the matter to the United Nations. Portions of the South China Sea are being claimed in whole or in part by China, and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam and Taiwan. Still, Del Rosario said, he looked forward to meeting Wang and working closely with him “at the appropriate time.” “We reiterate our congratulations and wish him great success,” he added.

Apr 242013
 
ASEAN leaders talk China, trade at Brunei summmit

PNoy off to Brunei for 22nd ASEAN Summit. President Benigno Aquino III gives a last-minute talk to members of his Cabinet during send-off at the NAIA Terminal II in Pasay City on Wednesday. Aquino will be attending the 22nd ASEAN Summit in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei on April 25. At left is Vice President Jejomar Binay. Benhur Arcayan BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN – Southeast Asian leaders met in Brunei on Wednesday for talks aimed at easing tensions over the South China Sea and building momentum towards groundbreaking economic partnerships. The annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began in the capital of the oil-rich sultanate with a dinner in which the leaders were looking to rebuild unity after unprecedented infighting last year. The split was over how much pressure the group should try to apply to China over competing territorial claims to the resource-rich South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan, claim parts of the sea, which is also home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes as well as rich fishing grounds. But a push by the Philippines and Vietnam for ASEAN to send a united message to an increasingly assertive China crumbled amid resistance from Cambodia, a close Chinese ally that held the rotating chair of the bloc in 2012. Senior ASEAN figures emphasised ahead of the two-day summit that the group, which for more than four decades has operated by consensus, must work hard to find Read More …

Apr 242013
 
Southeast Asian leaders to talk China, trade

Agence France-Presse 5:25 pm | Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 From left to right, Myanmar’s President Thein Sein, Philippines’ President Benigno Aquino III, Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Thailand’s Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung, Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen, pose for a photo during the 21st Asean Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Sunday, Nov. 18, 2012. AP PHOTO/VINCENT THIAN BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN—Southeast Asian leaders will meet in Brunei on Wednesday hoping to heal wounds from infighting over relations with China, while building momentum towards groundbreaking economic partnerships. The annual summit of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) comes after the bloc suffered deep splits last year linked to territorial disputes with China over the resource-rich South China Sea. Asean members Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Vietnam, as well as China and Taiwan, claim parts of the sea, which is also home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes as well as rich fishing grounds. But a push by the Philippines and Vietnam for Asean to send a united message to an increasingly aggressive China crumbled amid resistance from Cambodia, a close Chinese ally that held the rotating chair of the bloc in 2012. Senior Asean figures emphasized ahead of the two-day summit in Brunei’s capital that the group, which for more than four decades has operated by consensus, must work hard to find common ground on the South China Sea issue. Asean leaders will make a united call in an end-of-summit Read More …