PNoy apologizes for NAIA air conditioning problem, blames govt procurement system

 News
Apr 162014
 

The heat is on at the NAIA

The heat is on at the NAIA. Sweltering heat and a non-functioning air-conditioning system plague departing passengers at the NAIA Terminal 1 on Tuesday, April 15, causing at least one case of fainting. Ariel Fernandez

President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday apologized for the air conditioning problem at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 1, blaming the matter on the government’s procurement system.

“Humihingi tayo ng paumanhin at pasensiya pero talagang sa higpit ng mga patakaran sa gobyerno… hindi ka naman puwedeng umorder ngayon at deliver within 30 days,” Aquino said during an interview with reporters at the North Port Passenger Terminal Complex in Manila.

He explained that the contract to supply new air conditioners for the 30-year-old Terminal 1 was awarded in November last year but the air conditioners will only be delivered in August this year.

“Ngayon pinapatanong ko bakit ganoon katagal? Alam ninyo sa gobyerno, pag meron kang gustong bilin, normally apat na buwan mula sa inorder mo hanggang mai-deliver pero inaabot ng siyam na buwan,” he said.
 
“Custom-made ba itong mga aircon na ito, hindi off-the-shelf? Hinihintay ko iyong feedback noong umabot nga sa atin iyong problema doon sa T1,” he added. — RSJ, GMA News

Napoles back in Laguna detention after checkup due to abdominal pain

 News
Mar 212014
 
Napoles back in Laguna detention after checkup due to abdominal pain

Alleged pork barrel mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles was brought back to her detention cell at Fort Sto. Domingo in Sta. Rosa, Laguna after attending a court hearing and undergoing a checkup at Ospital ng Makati due to abdominal pain. A staff of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 150 said Napoles left OsMak past 3 in the afternoon. “Pinaverify ni Judge (Elmo Alameda), kaaalis lang daw sa OsMak ni Napoles mga 15 minutes ago,” a staff told GMA News Online over the phone. Napoles was brought to the hospital around noon after attending the hearing on her motion to undergo medical surgery and confinement at St. Luke’s Medical Center-Global.   During the hearing, Napoles personally appealed to the court to allow her to have an operation in a hospital of her choice with a doctor also of her choice. But Judge Alameda said Napoles should remember that she cannot exercise her civil and political rights in full because she is a detained person. The court is expected to issue its resolution on the motion next week and if granted, the surgery will most likely be conducted at Ospital ng Makati. Napoles is currently detained in Laguna for a serious illegal detention case. She is also facing plunder charges at the Ombudsman for allegedly masterminding a P10-billion pork barrel scam. Through her non-government organizations, Napoles is accused of funneling lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund, commonly known as pork barrel, to ghost projects. — RSJ, GMA News

Senate panel to summon Delfin Lee to housing scam probe

 News
Mar 192014
 
Senate panel to summon Delfin Lee to housing scam probe

The Senate housing committee will summon detained businessman Delfin Lee to its probe on the alleged Globe Asiatique housing scam, Senator JV Ejercito said Wednesday. Ejercito, chairman of the Senate panel, said Lee needs to face the investigation because he is the alleged mastermind of the anomaly, which reportedly defrauded thousands of Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) members. “We would like to inquire and investigate on the policies of Pag-IBIG then, how this double sale of housing units occurred, how a company like Globe Asiatique acquired a loan from Pag-IBIG using ghost housing loan applicants, and how we could protect people from this manipulative and anomalous housing loan scheme,” he said in a text message. The investigation will be set in two to three weeks, and will include victims of the supposed anomaly, he added. Lee is currently detained at the Pampanga Provincial Jail following his arrest early this month over a P6.6-billion syndicated estafa case. In 2008, Globe Asiatique entered into a Funding Commitment Agreement with Pag-IBIG for the housing project. It allegedly got at least P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds for home buyers. (Click here to see infographic on the Globe Asiatique housing anomaly) However, an investigation by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) supposedly showed Lee made false representations and submitted fake documents to secure the loans. From the 9,951 alleged Pag-IBIG borrowers in the Globe Asiatique deals, 1,000 could not be located, 400 denied applying for housing loans, and 200 had incomplete documents for the Read More …

PNoy wants sanctions for officials who approved Leviste parole

 News
Dec 082013
 
PNoy wants sanctions for officials who approved Leviste parole

President Benigno Aquino III on Monday said he is looking into the possibility of imposing sanctions against officials of the Board of Pardons and Parole who approved the parole application of former Batangas Governor Jose Antonio Leviste. “Pinahanap ko na rin, meron bang sanctions puwede doon sa Board of Pardons and Parole; ni-review ko na rin paano ba naa-appoint diyan sa Board of Pardons and Parole. Ni-review iyong buong system para hindi mangyari uli itong ganito,” Aquino told reporters in a chance interview during the anniversary celebration of the Department of Labor and Employment in Quezon City. In questioning the approval of the parole application, Aquino noted that Leviste’s “escape” two years ago is not indicative of good conduct. “Paano magiging good conduct iyong nasa labas ng piitan habang nagse-serve ng sentence? So hindi ko maintindihan kung bakit maco-consider man lang,” he said.  Leviste was charged with murder for the 2007 shooting of his long-time aide Rafael de las Alas. He was convicted in January 2009 for the lesser offense of homicide, with the court saying the killing of De las Alas did not appear to be premeditated. He was punished to serve a minimum sentence of six years and a maximum sentence of 12 years, but it was slashed to just a little under five years after he earned “good conduct time allowance.” He re-emerged in the headlines in May 2011 when he was reported to have “escaped” from prison. He was re-arrested, transferred to the maximum security facility, Read More …

Senate focuses on ‘pork,’ P20-B rehab fund for calamity victims in budget deliberation

 News
Nov 182013
 
Senate focuses on ‘pork,’ P20-B rehab fund for calamity victims in budget deliberation

The Senate on Tuesday began plenary deliberations on the proposed 2014 budget, with two issues in focus: the controversial “pork barrel” fund and the P20-billion rehabilitation fund for victims of recent calamities, including super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). Senate finance committee chairman Francis Escudero presented before his colleagues suggested amendments to the P2. 268-trillion spending plan passed by the House of Representatives last October, which included the removal of the priority development assistance fund (PDAF) in the budget. “Obligasyon natin na tugunan ang mithiin ng ating mga kababayan… Amidst all the despair, the least we can do is to rise above pork-tainted political bickering,” Escudero said on the Senate floor.  On Monday, the Senate decided to let individual senators determine what to do with their P200-million annual discretionary funds. Fourteen senators moved to completely delete their PDAF for next year. Escudero also formalized the proposal to create a P20-billion rehabilitation fund for victims of recent calamities, including typhoons Labuyo, Santi and Yolanda, as well as earthquake that shook Bohol last month. The Senate finance chairman said the rehabilitation fund will go “directly to implementing agencies” and will be used to repair irrigation systems, school buildings, roads, bridges and historical sites by recent natural disasters that hit the country.  In his sponsorship speech for the 2014 proposed budget, Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto urged his colleagues to support the P20-billion rehabilitation fund. “A proposed budget cannot be impervious to disasters When catastrophe strikes, a budget cannot be immune to changes,” Recto said. Read More …

Immigration chief Ricardo David resigns

 News
Jul 152013
 
Immigration chief Ricardo David resigns

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David has resigned from his post, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte announced Tuesday. Valte said President Benigno Aquino III accepted David’s resignation, stated in a letter dated July 12. The President’s spokesperson said she has no information on David’s replacement at the moment. David also served as chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. — RSJ, GMA News

Comelec chief Brillantes: Getting source code still slim

 News
Feb 272013
 
Comelec chief Brillantes: Getting source code still slim

Elections chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Wednesday said the poll body is in the last part of its negotiations with Dominion Voting Systems, but he admitted that the chance of getting the source code remains slim. “I’m still waiting. I’m still in negotiation with Dominion. Hopefully, something happens before the first week of March,” Brillantes told reporters.   “We are already on the last part of negotiations. (I am) not very much (optimistic). I would say at this point, it’s about 50-50,” he added. The source code is still with the SLI Global Solutions, which tested it and certified it as ‘functionally capable.’ SLI, however, cannot release it without a go-signal from Dominion which is in a legal battle with Smartmatic. “The only pending lang is whether we can ask SLI to bring the source code here so that it can be reviewed by parties and interested groups. Right now, we already announced that we are having difficulty because Dominion does not want to give the go signal for SLI to bring it here,” he said. Dominion wants Smartmatic to pay $10 million for using the former’s technology during the 2010 polls. Brillantes earlier offered to put the money in escrow.   But Brillantes reiterated that with or without the source code review by political parties, “we will proceed with the automated elections.” “Whether we get it or not, we already have the binary code. This is regardless of the presence of the source code. Meron namang source code, hindi Read More …

Multiple organ infection may have led to Lolong's death, necropsy shows

 News
Feb 202013
 
Multiple organ infection may have led to Lolong's death, necropsy shows

Lolong, the Philippine crocodile that held the record as the world’s largest crocodile before it died earlier this month, may have suffered from multiple organ infection even before it was captured in 2011. This was one of the findings of a necropsy conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau, according to a report of Jun Veneracion on GMA News’ Saksi Wednesday night. “Based dun sa nakita dun sa lesions, talagang hindi rin siya tatagal… [may] multiple organ infection,” said PAWB Director Theresa Lim.  Lolong was found dead last Feb. 10. With its death, the Guinness World Records now recognizes Australia-based Cassius as the world’s biggest crocodile in captivity. Lim said Lolong may have already been weakening due to infection of major organs including the heart, kidneys and liver. She also said this condition could have preceded the pneumonia earlier tagged as the cause of Lolong’s death. “Maaring before pa siyang nahuli meron na siyang infection,” she said. The “Saksi” report also quoted Dr. Emilia Lasticay of the University of the Philippines’ College of Veterinary Medicine as saying they are still trying to establish if Lolong’s condition was chronic. “We are trying to establish yung timeline kung recent lang ang condition o kung matagal na ang condition,” she said. — RSJ, GMA News

For the first time, media will be allowed to vote ahead of Election Day

 News
Feb 132013
 
For the first time, media will be allowed to vote ahead of Election Day

For the first time, media personnel who will not be able to vote on election day due to work will now be allowed to cast their votes ahead of the elections. In Resolution 9637, the Commission on Elections said media practitioners, even the technical and support staff who are actively engaged in information gathering and news reporting, are now entitled to avail of the local absentee voting. The resolution was promulgated on February 13. Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez said they will be coming out with application forms soon, adding that they expect between 10,000 to 20,000 media workers to avail of the local absentee voting. Among those who can avail of the local absentee voting are print journalists, television journalists, photojournalists, online journalists, radio journalists, documentary makers and those in television/ radio production who are duly registered voters. For the May 13 polls, the local absentee voters can only vote for 12 senators and  a party-list group.  In the past, only government officials and employees, members of the National Police and Armed Forces who are temporarily assigned to perform election duties in places where they are not registered voters, are allowed to participate in local absentee voting. The voting will be held from April 28, 29, 30 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Members of the media can vote at the Comelec office where they filed their applications while for the others, the AFP and PNP, head of office, supervisor or commander should designate the place of voting not later Read More …

Senate to turn over financial documents to COA

 News
Jan 292013
 
Senate to turn over financial documents to COA

The Senate will be turning over its financial documents to the Commission on Audit (COA) on Wednesday, Senate accounts committee chair Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Tuesday. “Ready na, nasa sa akin yung mga dokumento. Tamang-tama bukas mayroon kaming meeting with COA chair [Grace Pulido-Tan] so dadalin ko na tuloy,” Lacson told reporters. He issued the statement after Tan in a letter asked that the Senate “make available” to them papers, documents and information connected to the augmentation and realignment of Senate funds. Tan said the documents shall be used to “carry out a no-holds barred audit of the Senate finances.” Lacson said that as of Tuesday 1 p.m., the available documents from the Senate accounting department are submissions from the offices of individual senators. He said this will cover the years 2009 to 2012. “Lahat lahat [ng financial documents]. Basta yung pondo ng mga individual senators nandoon, yun ang ituturn over ko bukas. Hindi ko pa rin nakikita kasi nandun nakakahon siya, naka-envelope siya pero as required, magco-comply kami,” he said. “[Pero] wala pa yung sa Senate proper. Sabi ko madaliin nila, kailangan madala ko lahat,” he added. Lacson said he will also meet with Tan to clarify some things in her letter. “[Una] ano yung sakop nung hinihingi niyang mga dokumento? Pangalawa yung liquidation by certification or by submission of documents, receipts etc kung kailan dapat magsimula?” he said.  “Of course alam namin effective immediately effective 2013 pero icocover ba nila yung past years na magrerequire ba ng magsubmit Read More …