Jun 172013
 
It’s back to school for Senator-elect Nancy Binay on Monday as she began a five-day course on lawmaking at the University of the Philippines (UP).

Binay, a neophyte politician who placed fifth in the recent Senate polls, went along with members of her staff at the UP National College of Public Administration and Governance on Monday morning for a legislative training course.

“Today, I am here and I am ready to learn kung ano yun mga ins and outs diyan sa Senado,” the senator-elect said in an interview aired over GMA News TV’s “Balitanghali.”

Before her Senate stint, Binay served as personal assistant to her parents, Vice President Jejomar Binay and former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay. The senator-elect finished a tourism degree from UP.

GMA News’ Sherrie Ann Torres reported that the legislative training course was “customized” for Binay’s needs as a senator.

Aside from Binay, other first-time politicians also started taking crash courses to prepare them for their duties.

Musician Lito Camo, elected a board member for the second district of Oriental Mindoro, joined some 4,000 other neophyte local government officials at the UP NCPAG on Monday in an introductory course on local lawmaking.

Cavite vice governor-elect Jolo Revilla was also seen attending the UP NCPAG course.

“Yung tungkol sa mga batas, gusto ko rin malaman. Alam niyo naman, musikero ako. Baka mamaya sabihin ng mga tao, hindi naman pagko-compose ang gagawin sa sangguniang panlalawigan. At least, para wala silang masabi,” Camo said in a television interview. Andreo Calonzo/BM, GMA News

Feb 072013
 
PNoy warns vs. 'fake' admin allies, takes swipe at Revilla

President Benigno Aquino III used a Liberal Party event in Cavite province on Thursday to take a swipe at politicians who he said are just pretending to be allies of the administration, a report on “24 Oras” said. “Paalala lamang po, asahan na po ninyong may mga nagpapanggap at may mga nakikisakay diumano sa ating krusada,” he said in his speech without giving names. “Matuto po tayong kumilatis ng mga susunod na lider ng bansa upang matiyak na aarangkada tayo sa katuparan n gating mga pangarap at hindi na kailanman lumihis pa,” he added. At one point, the president even said the electorate should not take their chances on “agimat” or “anting-anting (amulets)” — a statement that could be construed as referring to Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. and his family. “Huwag po tayong umasa sa tsamba o sa agimat o anting-anting,” Aquino said. Aquino gave the speech days after the opposition party Lakas-CMD said it is eyeing Revilla, an actor known in some of his popular movies as “Agimat,” as its standard bearer in the 2016 presidential election. Cavite is a known bailiwick of the Revilla political clan. Revilla’s father, Ramon Revilla Sr., is a former actor and senator popularly known for his movies about amulets. His wife, Lani Mercado, is the incumbent congresswoman of Cavite’s second district while his son, Jolo Revilla, is running for vice governor in the May elections. The “24 Oras” report by Theresa Andrada said Sen. Revilla did not directly comment on Aquino’s statement Read More …