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Monday, October 4, 2010
20+ Public Records Niches - **Over $7,000,000 Paid Out In Bonuses!
Make $100 Startup Bonus on Your First 10 Sales! Over 20 Sub-Niches to Choose From: People Search, Criminal Records, Court Records, Death Records, Military Records, Reverse Email, Reverse Phone, and more. http://ping.fm/6AeR1
People Search Affiliates.com: #1 For Over 2 Years
Make money today! Most lucrative people search products on CB for 2+ years in Reverse Phone - Email Search - Vital Records - Family History. All new aff area w/Ppc landing pages, keyword lists, seo tools, & more at
http://ping.fm/b8DFY
http://ping.fm/b8DFY
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Win The RAZER Power Gaming Suite - Frag Harder, Be Deadly Precise, Get the Unfair Advantage
In celebration of Razer's 133,337 fans on Facebook, we are going to game-change someone's (possibly yours) gaming setup. We'd like to think that it's something we'd give back to our fans in appreciation for all the support, and what better than with all the very best that Razer has to offer. This sort of giveaway has never been done before. Not until today, and possibly not again for a very long time.
It's not just one person who's going to be benefiting from this madness. 1,337 Razer L33T Packs are available to be won. That's quite a fair bit to go around and it's easy to snag one. To stay fair to all participants - we pick winners randomly.
We're giving away Razer's award winning gaming peripherals to gamers who dare to step up to the ante. Just be the top ten gamers to score massive frag points by inviting others to witness the ultimate giveaway by Razer.
To complete your entry, remember to join this Power Gaming Suite http://ping.fm/aPOoa
It's not just one person who's going to be benefiting from this madness. 1,337 Razer L33T Packs are available to be won. That's quite a fair bit to go around and it's easy to snag one. To stay fair to all participants - we pick winners randomly.
We're giving away Razer's award winning gaming peripherals to gamers who dare to step up to the ante. Just be the top ten gamers to score massive frag points by inviting others to witness the ultimate giveaway by Razer.
To complete your entry, remember to join this Power Gaming Suite http://ping.fm/aPOoa
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Why you should join today...
* You start with a $50 balance and it's free.
* PayBox will add up to $20 per day to your account for participating as we prepare to launch our new service.
* You get $5 per person you refer to PayBox.
* You'll be an EarlyBird user—before PayBox opens to the public.
* You'll help shape the development of the best payment system ever designed for the Internet.
* You could have hundreds or thousands of dollars in your account by the time we launch, without ever making a deposit!
* You start with a $50 balance and it's free.
* PayBox will add up to $20 per day to your account for participating as we prepare to launch our new service.
* You get $5 per person you refer to PayBox.
* You'll be an EarlyBird user—before PayBox opens to the public.
* You'll help shape the development of the best payment system ever designed for the Internet.
* You could have hundreds or thousands of dollars in your account by the time we launch, without ever making a deposit!
Friday, September 3, 2010
4 hurt in Davao building collapse (11:22 a.m.) Sept. 4, 2010
FOUR construction workers were injured after part of a building of Ayala Land Corporation in Bajada, Davao City collapsed Saturday morning.
According to workers, they were bringing cement to the fourth floor of the building when a portion of the structure collapsed.
More info at Sunstar Network Online.
According to workers, they were bringing cement to the fourth floor of the building when a portion of the structure collapsed.
More info at Sunstar Network Online.
"I will destroy Manny Pacquiao!!!", Floyd Jr retaliates:
As expected, Floyd Mayweather Jr. wouldn't let Manny Pacquiao get away that easily.
A day after the Filipino boxing star made it known that it's Floyd Jr. who needs him and not the other way around, the brash American boxer answered back and boasted that he can easily beat Pacquiao if and when their highly-anticipated match finally comes to reality.
In his latest UStream broadcast, Mayweather repeatedly stressed Pacquiao won't be able to beat him, and even called the world’s current pound-for-pound fighters names, from 'Poochiao', 'midget' to 'chump.'
"Once I beat him, it's going to be a cakewalk," said Floyd Jr. "And then it's on to the next, and on to the next." More on top sports stories...
A day after the Filipino boxing star made it known that it's Floyd Jr. who needs him and not the other way around, the brash American boxer answered back and boasted that he can easily beat Pacquiao if and when their highly-anticipated match finally comes to reality.
In his latest UStream broadcast, Mayweather repeatedly stressed Pacquiao won't be able to beat him, and even called the world’s current pound-for-pound fighters names, from 'Poochiao', 'midget' to 'chump.'
"Once I beat him, it's going to be a cakewalk," said Floyd Jr. "And then it's on to the next, and on to the next." More on top sports stories...
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Facebook Update
Soon Facebook will no longer support Profile boxes from applications. Learn more about this change in the Help Centre. http://ping.fm/PEhgM
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Gunmen seize trader in Marawi, Southern Philippines
" Unidentified gunmen seized a Muslim trader on Tuesday in Marawi City in Lanao del Sur province in the southern Philippines, police said.
http://ping.fm/oL8ya
http://ping.fm/oL8ya
Hurricane Earl hits Category 4, but course may hange
Hurricane Earl was upgraded to a Category 4 storm last night, but forecasters are still unsure what kind of impact the storm will have on New England.
According to the National Weather Service, Earl’s maximum sustained winds surged to 135 miles per hour yesterday as it was about 100 miles north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Kevin Cadima, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, said the storm is moving north-northwest and is expected to be somewhere west of the Bahamas by early today.
A hurricane is considered to be Category 4 when it has maximum sustained winds between 131 and 155 miles per hour.
If Earl stays on its current course, by Friday it is expected to be about 150 miles southeast of Nantucket, Cadima said, but he cautioned that the projected track of the hurricane can vary widely and said much could change between now and then.
According to the National Weather Service, Earl’s maximum sustained winds surged to 135 miles per hour yesterday as it was about 100 miles north-northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Kevin Cadima, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Taunton, said the storm is moving north-northwest and is expected to be somewhere west of the Bahamas by early today.
A hurricane is considered to be Category 4 when it has maximum sustained winds between 131 and 155 miles per hour.
If Earl stays on its current course, by Friday it is expected to be about 150 miles southeast of Nantucket, Cadima said, but he cautioned that the projected track of the hurricane can vary widely and said much could change between now and then.
Monday, August 30, 2010
S.Korea Welcomes Sanctions on North, Offers Aid
* New sanctions target North Korea's leadership
* Seoul says sanctions regime now complete
* South offers first large-scale aid since ship sinking
SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - South Korea welcomed expanded U.S. financial sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday, but made its first large-scale offer of aid to its destitute neighbour since the sinking of one of its warships in March.
President Barack Obama broadened financial sanctions on North Korea on Monday and froze the U.S. assets of four North Korean citizens and eight firms in part to punish the diplomatically isolated state for the sinking of Cheonan corvette which killed 46 sailors. [ID:nN30179987]
U.S. officials hope the measures, which target North Korean entities that trade in conventional arms and luxury products and that counterfeit U.S. currency, will also sharpen pressure on the North's leader Kim Jong-il to abandon his nuclear programmes.
Washington views the atomic capabilities of the North, which tested nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009, as a threat to its allies South Korea and Japan, and as a proliferation risk.
Pyongyang has said it wants to restart stalled nuclear disarmament talks, but both Seoul and Washington insist it accepts responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan before they engage in dialogue. http://ping.fm/Ppkib
* Seoul says sanctions regime now complete
* South offers first large-scale aid since ship sinking
SEOUL, Aug 31 (Reuters) - South Korea welcomed expanded U.S. financial sanctions against North Korea on Tuesday, but made its first large-scale offer of aid to its destitute neighbour since the sinking of one of its warships in March.
President Barack Obama broadened financial sanctions on North Korea on Monday and froze the U.S. assets of four North Korean citizens and eight firms in part to punish the diplomatically isolated state for the sinking of Cheonan corvette which killed 46 sailors. [ID:nN30179987]
U.S. officials hope the measures, which target North Korean entities that trade in conventional arms and luxury products and that counterfeit U.S. currency, will also sharpen pressure on the North's leader Kim Jong-il to abandon his nuclear programmes.
Washington views the atomic capabilities of the North, which tested nuclear devices in 2006 and 2009, as a threat to its allies South Korea and Japan, and as a proliferation risk.
Pyongyang has said it wants to restart stalled nuclear disarmament talks, but both Seoul and Washington insist it accepts responsibility for the sinking of the Cheonan before they engage in dialogue. http://ping.fm/Ppkib
Ping.fm - Buzz This, Integrate That!
Hello again Pingers! How is everyone doing this fine Tuesday? We wanted to do a quick update for you to explain the new stuff we have available for your social networking goodness.
First off, what's all this Google Buzz about? Well we know
From: http://ping.fm/eskjU
First off, what's all this Google Buzz about? Well we know
From: http://ping.fm/eskjU
Drug Kingpin is also Wanted in the States on a $2 Million Reward
Mexico nabs U.S.-born drug lord 'La Barbie' Mexican authorities captured a legendary Texan on Monday who is accused of a bloody climb to the top echelon of one of the hemisphere's most powerful drug cartels.
Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as "La Barbie" for his looks, faces a slew of charges in Mexico, but also is wanted in the United States, where he has been indicted for smuggling thousands of pounds of cocaine into this country.
The U.S. government has offered a reward of up to $2 million for his capture.
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle late Monday, a Houston lawyer representing Valdez, 37, said he fears his client will be tortured or worse before he can be returned to the United States for trial.
"I do not think anyone is safe in the hands of the Mexican military" defense attorney Kent Schaffer said. "Something is going to happen."
Most recently, Valdez was indicted in Atlanta on federal charges he imported and distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine from 2004 to 2006.
U.S. prosecutors contend the drugs were often smuggled north through Texas and then on to Atlanta, which is a hub for cartel activity in the Southeastern United States.
In turn, millions of dollars in proceeds were sent back to Mexico a similar way, according to court papers.
Valdez is said to have been a standout high-school football player in the Texas-Mexico border city of Laredo, where a coach nicknamed him Barbie for his hair and eye color.
It is unusual for an American to climb so high in the ranks of Mexican organized crime, but not unprecedented.
Texas-born Juan Garcia Abrego was captured in Mexico in the 1990s and sent to Houston, where he was convicted of drug-trafficking crimes as the head of the Gulf Cartel. He is now serving multiple life sentences.
A Mexican federal government source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Valdez was captured by federal police outside Mexico City and he was being held in the capital city at a secure location.
"A result of intelligence gathered by the modernized federal police force he was arrested in the State of Mexico," the source said.
'A big deal'
Gary Hale, the recently retired chief of intelligence for the Drug Enforcement Administration's Houston Division, said Valdez could be among the top five traffickers in Mexico.
"It is a big deal to capture a cartel head who happens to be a U.S. citizen," said Hale, who is owner of Grupo Savant, a law-enforcement and intelligence consulting firm.
Hale said he doubts Valdez will be harmed because any allegations of rights abuses involving such a high-profile prisoner could jeopardize U.S. financial assistance.
According to the U.S. government, Valdez was part of the Sinaloa Cartel before one of its chief leaders established his own organization.
That leader, Arturo Beltran Leyva, was killed in December 2009 in a shootout with the Mexican military.
His death was believed to have left the throne of power to Valdez, but also left a target clearly on his back. He was in a war with Beltran Leyva's brother, Hector, for control of the business.
While Valdez hasn't been formally charged for carnage in Mexico, he's widely been blamed for killings and rivals have sought to mock him by hanging and mutilating his soldiers, as well as leaving public messages with insults.
The attorney, Schaffer, said his client was on the run and knew time was running out.
"You die, get caught or spend your life looking over your shoulder," he said.
"We thought there was a distinct possibility," he said of Valdez's capture, which he found out about through a Valdez family member. As a result, Schaffer had been hired to look at options in the event Valdez was captured.
He hopes he'll be sent back to the United States.
As of Monday night, Schaffer said he was still trying to find his client.
By DANE SCHILLER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://ping.fm/su6eN
Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as "La Barbie" for his looks, faces a slew of charges in Mexico, but also is wanted in the United States, where he has been indicted for smuggling thousands of pounds of cocaine into this country.
The U.S. government has offered a reward of up to $2 million for his capture.
In an interview with the Houston Chronicle late Monday, a Houston lawyer representing Valdez, 37, said he fears his client will be tortured or worse before he can be returned to the United States for trial.
"I do not think anyone is safe in the hands of the Mexican military" defense attorney Kent Schaffer said. "Something is going to happen."
Most recently, Valdez was indicted in Atlanta on federal charges he imported and distributed thousands of kilograms of cocaine from 2004 to 2006.
U.S. prosecutors contend the drugs were often smuggled north through Texas and then on to Atlanta, which is a hub for cartel activity in the Southeastern United States.
In turn, millions of dollars in proceeds were sent back to Mexico a similar way, according to court papers.
Valdez is said to have been a standout high-school football player in the Texas-Mexico border city of Laredo, where a coach nicknamed him Barbie for his hair and eye color.
It is unusual for an American to climb so high in the ranks of Mexican organized crime, but not unprecedented.
Texas-born Juan Garcia Abrego was captured in Mexico in the 1990s and sent to Houston, where he was convicted of drug-trafficking crimes as the head of the Gulf Cartel. He is now serving multiple life sentences.
A Mexican federal government source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said Valdez was captured by federal police outside Mexico City and he was being held in the capital city at a secure location.
"A result of intelligence gathered by the modernized federal police force he was arrested in the State of Mexico," the source said.
'A big deal'
Gary Hale, the recently retired chief of intelligence for the Drug Enforcement Administration's Houston Division, said Valdez could be among the top five traffickers in Mexico.
"It is a big deal to capture a cartel head who happens to be a U.S. citizen," said Hale, who is owner of Grupo Savant, a law-enforcement and intelligence consulting firm.
Hale said he doubts Valdez will be harmed because any allegations of rights abuses involving such a high-profile prisoner could jeopardize U.S. financial assistance.
According to the U.S. government, Valdez was part of the Sinaloa Cartel before one of its chief leaders established his own organization.
That leader, Arturo Beltran Leyva, was killed in December 2009 in a shootout with the Mexican military.
His death was believed to have left the throne of power to Valdez, but also left a target clearly on his back. He was in a war with Beltran Leyva's brother, Hector, for control of the business.
While Valdez hasn't been formally charged for carnage in Mexico, he's widely been blamed for killings and rivals have sought to mock him by hanging and mutilating his soldiers, as well as leaving public messages with insults.
The attorney, Schaffer, said his client was on the run and knew time was running out.
"You die, get caught or spend your life looking over your shoulder," he said.
"We thought there was a distinct possibility," he said of Valdez's capture, which he found out about through a Valdez family member. As a result, Schaffer had been hired to look at options in the event Valdez was captured.
He hopes he'll be sent back to the United States.
As of Monday night, Schaffer said he was still trying to find his client.
By DANE SCHILLER
HOUSTON CHRONICLE
http://ping.fm/su6eN
Nora Aunor fails to sing during Australia show
Nora Aunor fails to sing during Australia show
MANILA, Philippines – Superstar Nora Aunor was emotional during her concert in Australia.
During the show, the seasoned actress, who is also known for her golden voice, was struggling to sing on stage but failed. Aunor, who did not sing at all during the concert, explained that she lost her singing voice after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Japan recently.
MANILA, Philippines – Superstar Nora Aunor was emotional during her concert in Australia.
During the show, the seasoned actress, who is also known for her golden voice, was struggling to sing on stage but failed. Aunor, who did not sing at all during the concert, explained that she lost her singing voice after undergoing cosmetic surgery in Japan recently.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Witness to Philippines massacre shot dead
A witness to the massacre of 57 people in the southern Philippines last year has been shot dead, raising concerns about whether others will be prepared to testify against members of a powerful clan charged with the murders.
Suwaib Upham was killed in Parang town on 14 June, but details were only released this week. He was a member of a civilian militia implicated in the 23 November massacre, the country's worst incident of election-related violence.
Upham had agreed to testify against members of the Ampatuan clan, who are among the nearly 200 people who have been charged with the murders on the southern island of Mindanao. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government to act swiftly to protect witnesses and their families.
"Massacre witnesses are dying while the government sits on its hands," Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at HRW, said in a statement today. "This sends the worst possible message to other witnesses thinking of coming forward."
Andal Ampatuan Sr, the clan's patriarch, his four sons and a brother are awaiting trial in Manilla.
There have been concerns about the government's commitment to solving the case, as the Ampatuans, who had ruled the province for a decade, were strong supporters of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose term ends on 30 June
"We have directed our security forces to take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators, utilising all the special powers available under the state of emergency that the president declared and continue to maintain in the province," a presidential spokesman, Gary Olivar, said.
Fifty-seven people, including at least 30 journalists, were killed when about 100 armed gunmen attacked their convoy on the way to witness the filing of nomination papers for a member of the Mangudadatu clan, rivals to the Ampatuans, to stand in last month's local elections.
The candidate, Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, lost his wife, two sisters and four other relatives in the massacre. He was elected as governor of the troubled Maguindanao province in the 10 May elections.
Suwaib Upham was killed in Parang town on 14 June, but details were only released this week. He was a member of a civilian militia implicated in the 23 November massacre, the country's worst incident of election-related violence.
Upham had agreed to testify against members of the Ampatuan clan, who are among the nearly 200 people who have been charged with the murders on the southern island of Mindanao. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government to act swiftly to protect witnesses and their families.
"Massacre witnesses are dying while the government sits on its hands," Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at HRW, said in a statement today. "This sends the worst possible message to other witnesses thinking of coming forward."
Andal Ampatuan Sr, the clan's patriarch, his four sons and a brother are awaiting trial in Manilla.
There have been concerns about the government's commitment to solving the case, as the Ampatuans, who had ruled the province for a decade, were strong supporters of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose term ends on 30 June
"We have directed our security forces to take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators, utilising all the special powers available under the state of emergency that the president declared and continue to maintain in the province," a presidential spokesman, Gary Olivar, said.
Fifty-seven people, including at least 30 journalists, were killed when about 100 armed gunmen attacked their convoy on the way to witness the filing of nomination papers for a member of the Mangudadatu clan, rivals to the Ampatuans, to stand in last month's local elections.
The candidate, Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, lost his wife, two sisters and four other relatives in the massacre. He was elected as governor of the troubled Maguindanao province in the 10 May elections.
Witness to Philippines massacre shot dead
A witness to the massacre of 57 people in the southern Philippines last year has been shot dead, raising concerns about whether others will be prepared to testify against members of a powerful clan charged with the murders.
Suwaib Upham was killed in Parang town on 14 June, but details were only released this week. He was a member of a civilian militia implicated in the 23 November massacre, the country's worst incident of election-related violence.
Upham had agreed to testify against members of the Ampatuan clan, who are among the nearly 200 people who have been charged with the murders on the southern island of Mindanao. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government to act swiftly to protect witnesses and their families.
"Massacre witnesses are dying while the government sits on its hands," Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at HRW, said in a statement today. "This sends the worst possible message to other witnesses thinking of coming forward."
Andal Ampatuan Sr, the clan's patriarch, his four sons and a brother are awaiting trial in Manilla.
There have been concerns about the government's commitment to solving the case, as the Ampatuans, who had ruled the province for a decade, were strong supporters of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose term ends on 30 June
"We have directed our security forces to take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators, utilising all the special powers available under the state of emergency that the president declared and continue to maintain in the province," a presidential spokesman, Gary Olivar, said.
Fifty-seven people, including at least 30 journalists, were killed when about 100 armed gunmen attacked their convoy on the way to witness the filing of nomination papers for a member of the Mangudadatu clan, rivals to the Ampatuans, to stand in last month's local elections.
The candidate, Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, lost his wife, two sisters and four other relatives in the massacre. He was elected as governor of the troubled Maguindanao province in the 10 May elections.
Suwaib Upham was killed in Parang town on 14 June, but details were only released this week. He was a member of a civilian militia implicated in the 23 November massacre, the country's worst incident of election-related violence.
Upham had agreed to testify against members of the Ampatuan clan, who are among the nearly 200 people who have been charged with the murders on the southern island of Mindanao. New York-based Human Rights Watch called on the government to act swiftly to protect witnesses and their families.
"Massacre witnesses are dying while the government sits on its hands," Elaine Pearson, acting Asia director at HRW, said in a statement today. "This sends the worst possible message to other witnesses thinking of coming forward."
Andal Ampatuan Sr, the clan's patriarch, his four sons and a brother are awaiting trial in Manilla.
There have been concerns about the government's commitment to solving the case, as the Ampatuans, who had ruled the province for a decade, were strong supporters of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, whose term ends on 30 June
"We have directed our security forces to take all necessary measures to apprehend the perpetrators, utilising all the special powers available under the state of emergency that the president declared and continue to maintain in the province," a presidential spokesman, Gary Olivar, said.
Fifty-seven people, including at least 30 journalists, were killed when about 100 armed gunmen attacked their convoy on the way to witness the filing of nomination papers for a member of the Mangudadatu clan, rivals to the Ampatuans, to stand in last month's local elections.
The candidate, Esmael "Toto" Mangudadatu, lost his wife, two sisters and four other relatives in the massacre. He was elected as governor of the troubled Maguindanao province in the 10 May elections.
Philippine officials condemns racist attack vs Pinoys in Ireland
The families of 2 Filipinos who fell victims to racist attacks in Northern Ireland are safe, the Philippines' foreign affairs department reported Thursday.
The Philippine Embassy in London said the family of Isish Calungsod and individuals belonging to other ethnic groups were targeted in a racially-motivated arson attack in the township of Whiteabbey, 8 kilometers north of Belfast in Northern Ireland, last June 22, 2010.
“The embassy has been in touch with Mr. Calungsod and Mr. Arnel Verzonilla and they and their families are safe,” the embassy said in a statement.
The attack left Calungsod’s house and the vehicle of Verzonilla, scorched.
The Philippine post also urged the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to undertake swift and effective action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Such hate crimes should be eradicated and the root causes addressed to ensure that these acts do not undermine the cross-community successes in Northern Ireland in recent years,” said the embassy.
It added, “the Embassy underscores its support for the Filipino community in this country, especially towards the smooth, secure and productive integration of Filipinos into Northern Ireland communities and the greater UK society”.
The Philippine Embassy in London said the family of Isish Calungsod and individuals belonging to other ethnic groups were targeted in a racially-motivated arson attack in the township of Whiteabbey, 8 kilometers north of Belfast in Northern Ireland, last June 22, 2010.
“The embassy has been in touch with Mr. Calungsod and Mr. Arnel Verzonilla and they and their families are safe,” the embassy said in a statement.
The attack left Calungsod’s house and the vehicle of Verzonilla, scorched.
The Philippine post also urged the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to undertake swift and effective action to bring the perpetrators to justice.
“Such hate crimes should be eradicated and the root causes addressed to ensure that these acts do not undermine the cross-community successes in Northern Ireland in recent years,” said the embassy.
It added, “the Embassy underscores its support for the Filipino community in this country, especially towards the smooth, secure and productive integration of Filipinos into Northern Ireland communities and the greater UK society”.
Philippine officials condemns racist attack vs Pinoys in Ireland
MANILA, Philippines The families of 2 Filipinos who fell victims to racist attacks in Northern Ireland are safe, the Philippines' foreign affairs department reported Thursday.
Aquino: Award from Manila govt too early
Kabilang si President-elect Benigno Aquino III sa mga pinarangalan sa paggunita ng Araw ng Maynila. Bagamat nagpasalamat, maaga pa raw para mabigyan siya ng parangal sa public service. Samantala, libreng concert naman ang hatid ng Maynila sa anibersaryo nito.
Can Aquino clean the country’s corruption-riddled government?
Itigil ang korupsyon at katiwalian sa bansa. Ito ang ipinangako ngayong laban ni President-elect Benigno Aquino III laban na minana niya pa mula sa kanyang mga magulang ni si Ninoy at Cory.
Binay says still not accepting Aquino offer
Nagmatigas si Vice-President elect Jojo Binay sa bagong alok ni President-elect Noynoy Aquino. Kaya ang malinaw pa lang sa ngayon ay ang dalawa sa magiging miyembro ng gabinete ni Aquino.
Source: Chiara Zambrano.
Source: Chiara Zambrano.
Two members of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group were killed earlier this week while four soldiers were hurt in two firefights in Sulu last Tuesday, the Navy spokesperson said Thursday.
The soldiers were also able to overrun a command and control facility and satellite camp by a composite team of Abu Sayyaf bandits and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels in Talipao town, according to Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Arevalo said the fighting was triggered by recent harassment of development projects in the province by the enemy forces, prompting civilians in the area to report the enemy movement to the military.
The first clash occurred at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Mahala when soldiers intercepted the evading Abu Sayyaf and MNLF forces, while the second clash happened later in the afternoon.
Two unidentified members of the Abu Sayyaf members were found dead after the firefights, while four soldiers were injured, Arevalo said. Two rifles and assorted ammunition were also recovered from the camps.
Col. Romeo Tanalgo, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, identified Habier Malik as the leader of the MNLF forces. Malik is said to be in alliance with Abu Sayyaf leader Yasser Igasan.
Source: Andreo Calonzo
The soldiers were also able to overrun a command and control facility and satellite camp by a composite team of Abu Sayyaf bandits and Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels in Talipao town, according to Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo.
Arevalo said the fighting was triggered by recent harassment of development projects in the province by the enemy forces, prompting civilians in the area to report the enemy movement to the military.
The first clash occurred at 10 a.m. Tuesday in Barangay Mahala when soldiers intercepted the evading Abu Sayyaf and MNLF forces, while the second clash happened later in the afternoon.
Two unidentified members of the Abu Sayyaf members were found dead after the firefights, while four soldiers were injured, Arevalo said. Two rifles and assorted ammunition were also recovered from the camps.
Col. Romeo Tanalgo, commander of the 2nd Marine Brigade, identified Habier Malik as the leader of the MNLF forces. Malik is said to be in alliance with Abu Sayyaf leader Yasser Igasan.
Source: Andreo Calonzo
Meralco eyes cage return via PBA next season
Make way for the Meralco Reddies’ possible return to local basketball’s big scene next season.
The company with a rich basketball tradition, is now knocking on the Philippine Basketball Association doors.
Talk N Text board governor Ricky Vargas confirmed the news to GMANews.TV, stressing that the company is expressing its interest to join either as an expansion squad or by acquiring an existing franchise.
Talk N Text is a company being controlled by Manny V. Pangilinan’s group, which is also the majority owner of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
“There’s a plus and minus when it comes to joining the PBA as an expansion squad or by buying an existing franchise," Vargas said in a telephone interview. “Of course, if Meralco joins as an expansion squad, we can bring in players from the amateur ranks."
But Meralco doesn’t have a basketball team competing in commercial leagues since the old squad folded during the early 1970s, and chances of making it to the PBA next season is to acquire an existing franchise.
Sta. Lucia Realty and Barako Coffee, two teams which unloaded their marquee players, are reportedly being eyed by Meralco. Of the two, the Realtors will most likely be bought out.
PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios welcomed this new development.
“This is good news if indeed Meralco joins the PBA next season. I’m happy that the company sees the PBA as a good vehicle in terms of promoting their company," said Barrios.
Barrios would be delighted more to see if Robert Jaworski, Philippine basketball’s Living Legend, would join the squad – as a member of its coaching staff.
There were reports that Jaworski is being considered in handling a key position in the team’s coaching staff.
Jaworsk was the Reddy Kilowatts' biggest star when the team was still competing in MICAA. Aside from Jaworski, the team was bannered by Francis Arnaiz, brothers Alberto and Tino Reynoso, Orly Bauzon, Alfonso Marquez, Jimmy Mariano and Larry Mumar. Handling the team was Lauro “The Fox" Mumar.
They won the championship in 1971.
But the team was forced to quit competing in MICAA, then the most glamorous commercial league before the PBA, when Jaworski alongside Big Boy Reynoso, were banned for life by Basketball Association of the Philippines president Lito Puyat and the MICAA for two years.
According to basketball historian Jay P. Mercado of MYPBA, a rich source of basketball information, Jaworski and Reynoso reportedly mauled referees Joe Obias and Edilberto Cruz in the game against the Crispa Floro Redmanizers in December 1971 that led to their suspension.
Possible coach
Aside from Jaworski, grandslam coach Norman Black, who joined the Tropang Texters as consultant in the PBA, looms as the strong candidate for the head coaching post.
Black, owner of 10 PBA championships, including a rare grandslam with San Miguel Beer in 1989, also handles the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.
The Blue Eagles are also being strongly supported by Pangilinan. Two other teams – the Smart-Gilas national developmental team and the San Beda Red Lions – are also being bankrolled by the man known as MVP.
Ironically, Black and Jaworski were together with the first all-professional RP team that finished silver in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.
Black, along with Rino Salazar, was assistant to Jaworski.
Source: Rey Joble
The company with a rich basketball tradition, is now knocking on the Philippine Basketball Association doors.
Talk N Text board governor Ricky Vargas confirmed the news to GMANews.TV, stressing that the company is expressing its interest to join either as an expansion squad or by acquiring an existing franchise.
Talk N Text is a company being controlled by Manny V. Pangilinan’s group, which is also the majority owner of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
“There’s a plus and minus when it comes to joining the PBA as an expansion squad or by buying an existing franchise," Vargas said in a telephone interview. “Of course, if Meralco joins as an expansion squad, we can bring in players from the amateur ranks."
But Meralco doesn’t have a basketball team competing in commercial leagues since the old squad folded during the early 1970s, and chances of making it to the PBA next season is to acquire an existing franchise.
Sta. Lucia Realty and Barako Coffee, two teams which unloaded their marquee players, are reportedly being eyed by Meralco. Of the two, the Realtors will most likely be bought out.
PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios welcomed this new development.
“This is good news if indeed Meralco joins the PBA next season. I’m happy that the company sees the PBA as a good vehicle in terms of promoting their company," said Barrios.
Barrios would be delighted more to see if Robert Jaworski, Philippine basketball’s Living Legend, would join the squad – as a member of its coaching staff.
There were reports that Jaworski is being considered in handling a key position in the team’s coaching staff.
Jaworsk was the Reddy Kilowatts' biggest star when the team was still competing in MICAA. Aside from Jaworski, the team was bannered by Francis Arnaiz, brothers Alberto and Tino Reynoso, Orly Bauzon, Alfonso Marquez, Jimmy Mariano and Larry Mumar. Handling the team was Lauro “The Fox" Mumar.
They won the championship in 1971.
But the team was forced to quit competing in MICAA, then the most glamorous commercial league before the PBA, when Jaworski alongside Big Boy Reynoso, were banned for life by Basketball Association of the Philippines president Lito Puyat and the MICAA for two years.
According to basketball historian Jay P. Mercado of MYPBA, a rich source of basketball information, Jaworski and Reynoso reportedly mauled referees Joe Obias and Edilberto Cruz in the game against the Crispa Floro Redmanizers in December 1971 that led to their suspension.
Possible coach
Aside from Jaworski, grandslam coach Norman Black, who joined the Tropang Texters as consultant in the PBA, looms as the strong candidate for the head coaching post.
Black, owner of 10 PBA championships, including a rare grandslam with San Miguel Beer in 1989, also handles the Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP.
The Blue Eagles are also being strongly supported by Pangilinan. Two other teams – the Smart-Gilas national developmental team and the San Beda Red Lions – are also being bankrolled by the man known as MVP.
Ironically, Black and Jaworski were together with the first all-professional RP team that finished silver in the 1990 Asian Games in Beijing.
Black, along with Rino Salazar, was assistant to Jaworski.
Source: Rey Joble
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
How much would you like a toothbrush?
How much would you like a toothbrush?
Can anyone tell me what is you desired toothbrush and how much does it cost?
Can anyone tell me what is you desired toothbrush and how much does it cost?
Monday, June 21, 2010
NEW ONE STOP SERVICE OFFERED FOREIGNERS SEEKING PERMANENT RESIDENCE IN THE PHILIPPINES
American author, entrepreneur and Philippines consultant Will Irwin announced last June 20, 2010 that his development team which brought foreigners PhilAgrivest, Inc and Sunset Beach Villas on Tablas is now providing a "One Stop" service for investors to provide them free assistance in obtaining a permanent resident visa (SSRV) for the Philippines.
Most foreigners retiring to the Philippines have 3 primary needs to deal with:
(i) How to make ongoing income to supplement their pension
(ii) Purchase of a residence
(iii) How to obtain a permanent resident visa
Irwin's development team, which provides foreigners the opportunity to create ongoing, residual income by the purchase of shares of stock in PhilAgriVest, Inc (www.philagrivest.com), meets the first primary need.
For meeting the second primary need, Irwin's development team is soon to launch its first ocean front luxury retirement community (Sunset Beach Villas), with resort amenities (to include a medical clinic), at prices less than 10% of what a retiree would pay in their home country. Irwin will be announcing the formal launch of this project in late June. He will also be offering foreigner's investment shares in the development company, as he did with PhilAgriVest, Inc.
Uniquely, Mr Irwin recognized a way to provide the SSRV permanent resident visa on a
"FREE" basis. For investors in either of his developments, his team is offering a free service to process a permanent resident visa (SSRV) for them.
The $10,000 six month bank certificate of deposit requirement for the SSRV can now be withdrawn and invested in PhilAgriVest, Inc or the ocean side retirement community development company shares, or in a Villa or condominium at the Sunset Beach Villas development, and the investor can still qualify and keep his permanent retirement visa.
So in effect, by first processing his planned $10,000 investment in PhilAgriVest or in Sunset Beach Villas through the SSRV, the investor/home buyer gets all 3 of his primary needs met, and the permanent residence visa becomes "Free" of any bank CD requirement - and Irwin's development team provides the SSRV service for Free.
For those of you seeking an investment to provide you ongoing, residual income to supplement your pension, or those of you looking for an oceanfront retirement villa lifestyle investment in the Philippines, be sure to contact Will Irwin and his team to process your special retiree permanent resident visa (SSRV).
Will Irwin is the author of 9 E books and more then 50 published articles on life in the Philippines as a foreigner. In addition to PhilAgriVest, Inc and the upcoming Sunset Beach Villas, he operates 3 buisnesses in the Philippines. He continuously seeks business models which permit foreigners and OFW's seeking retirement in the Philippines, which will provide ongoing, residual income.
Source: PR-Inside
Most foreigners retiring to the Philippines have 3 primary needs to deal with:
(i) How to make ongoing income to supplement their pension
(ii) Purchase of a residence
(iii) How to obtain a permanent resident visa
Irwin's development team, which provides foreigners the opportunity to create ongoing, residual income by the purchase of shares of stock in PhilAgriVest, Inc (www.philagrivest.com), meets the first primary need.
For meeting the second primary need, Irwin's development team is soon to launch its first ocean front luxury retirement community (Sunset Beach Villas), with resort amenities (to include a medical clinic), at prices less than 10% of what a retiree would pay in their home country. Irwin will be announcing the formal launch of this project in late June. He will also be offering foreigner's investment shares in the development company, as he did with PhilAgriVest, Inc.
Uniquely, Mr Irwin recognized a way to provide the SSRV permanent resident visa on a
"FREE" basis. For investors in either of his developments, his team is offering a free service to process a permanent resident visa (SSRV) for them.
The $10,000 six month bank certificate of deposit requirement for the SSRV can now be withdrawn and invested in PhilAgriVest, Inc or the ocean side retirement community development company shares, or in a Villa or condominium at the Sunset Beach Villas development, and the investor can still qualify and keep his permanent retirement visa.
So in effect, by first processing his planned $10,000 investment in PhilAgriVest or in Sunset Beach Villas through the SSRV, the investor/home buyer gets all 3 of his primary needs met, and the permanent residence visa becomes "Free" of any bank CD requirement - and Irwin's development team provides the SSRV service for Free.
For those of you seeking an investment to provide you ongoing, residual income to supplement your pension, or those of you looking for an oceanfront retirement villa lifestyle investment in the Philippines, be sure to contact Will Irwin and his team to process your special retiree permanent resident visa (SSRV).
Will Irwin is the author of 9 E books and more then 50 published articles on life in the Philippines as a foreigner. In addition to PhilAgriVest, Inc and the upcoming Sunset Beach Villas, he operates 3 buisnesses in the Philippines. He continuously seeks business models which permit foreigners and OFW's seeking retirement in the Philippines, which will provide ongoing, residual income.
Source: PR-Inside
NPA rebels seize soldier, militia in Mindanao
DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / June 20, 2010) – Communist rebels held a government soldier and a militiaman after stopping public vehicles at a checkpoint in the southern Philippines, officials said.
Officials said the two hostages - Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Arguilles, of the 25th Infantry Battalion, and Job Latiban - were seized Saturday in the village of Uper Ulip in Compostela Valley’s Monkayo town.
“The two were just passing by the village when dissident-terrorists collared them,” said Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division.
He said some 30 New People’s Army set up the checkpoint and inspected passing vehicles for soldiers. Civilian passengers were also forced to attend a lecture by rebels about their cause and later freed.
Garcia did not give other details about the abduction, but said troops were sent to track down the rebels and rescue the duo.
The latest strike by rebels came days after they freed three soldiers and a government militia after almost a month in captivity in Compostela Valley.
The four - Army Corporals Marcial Bawagan, Ariel Asumo, Eduardo Alcala and Victor Pitogo - were taken prisoners in the town of Mawab on May 12.
Anvil Guinto, a spokesman for the rebel’s Crucifino Uballas command, said the release of the prisoners came after their families appealed to the NPA to free the four men who are being accused of violating human rights of civilians in the province.
“The release is in recognition of the appeals made by the families, religious groups and personalities, well-meaning individuals and progressive groups on their behalf,” he said. ”The NPA accords the released POWs the chance to conduct themselves in a manner respectful of the people's rights and the international laws of war. Their arrest and subsequent detention should also serve as a warning to officers and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and their intelligence and paramilitary units.”
On Friday, rebels also attacked a group of policemen and wounding three of them in Davao Oriental’s Cateel town. Security officials said as many as five rebels were either killed or wounded in the fighting after a failed raid on a police station in the town.
The NPA is the military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines which have been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
Source: The Mindanao Examiner
Officials said the two hostages - Staff Sergeant Bienvenido Arguilles, of the 25th Infantry Battalion, and Job Latiban - were seized Saturday in the village of Uper Ulip in Compostela Valley’s Monkayo town.
“The two were just passing by the village when dissident-terrorists collared them,” said Army Captain Emmanuel Garcia, a spokesman for the 10th Infantry Division.
He said some 30 New People’s Army set up the checkpoint and inspected passing vehicles for soldiers. Civilian passengers were also forced to attend a lecture by rebels about their cause and later freed.
Garcia did not give other details about the abduction, but said troops were sent to track down the rebels and rescue the duo.
The latest strike by rebels came days after they freed three soldiers and a government militia after almost a month in captivity in Compostela Valley.
The four - Army Corporals Marcial Bawagan, Ariel Asumo, Eduardo Alcala and Victor Pitogo - were taken prisoners in the town of Mawab on May 12.
Anvil Guinto, a spokesman for the rebel’s Crucifino Uballas command, said the release of the prisoners came after their families appealed to the NPA to free the four men who are being accused of violating human rights of civilians in the province.
“The release is in recognition of the appeals made by the families, religious groups and personalities, well-meaning individuals and progressive groups on their behalf,” he said. ”The NPA accords the released POWs the chance to conduct themselves in a manner respectful of the people's rights and the international laws of war. Their arrest and subsequent detention should also serve as a warning to officers and elements of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police and their intelligence and paramilitary units.”
On Friday, rebels also attacked a group of policemen and wounding three of them in Davao Oriental’s Cateel town. Security officials said as many as five rebels were either killed or wounded in the fighting after a failed raid on a police station in the town.
The NPA is the military wing of the outlawed Communist Party of the Philippines which have been fighting for decades for the establishment of a Maoist state in the country.
Source: The Mindanao Examiner
Gay dads take pride in fatherhood this Father's Day
MANILA, Philippines – In a beauty parlor in Quezon City, Dors Medina works to support his son 15-year old Justin Jay or JJ.
JJ was only 8 months old when Medina adopted him.
“Pinaliwanag ko sa kaniya kung sino ako sa buhay niya na hindi ako yung biological parents nung bata,” said Medina. “Binigay ko po sa kaniya ang lahat ng hilig niya.”
Often, JJ was ridiculed by his peers for having a homosexual father. But he never hid the truth and is proud to say that his father is a good provider.
“Kailangan ko po tanggapin yun kasi siyempre po bilang kapalit na din po sa pag-aalaga niya sa akin. Hanggang sa pagpapalaki po,” said JJ.
Jimmy Matuseno also works as a beautician in a parlor in Manila. He has 3 biological children. The eldest is 6, the second is 5, and the youngest is 2.
According to Jimmy, he will not hide his true identity to his children but will try to change his lifestyle.
“Basta't sa akin, napag-aral ko sila kahit ganito ang trabaho ko ‘di ako nanlalamang ng tao. Kahit ganito ang tatay nila, okey lang sa akin,” Matuseno said.
He added that it’s about time gay men try to build families of their own.
Matuseno stated, “Mga pare magbago na tayo. Eto na ‘yung future kailanagn natin ‘to. Kailangan natin mag-anak, kailangan nating may alagaan, meron tayong palalakihin.”
Father’s Day is a very important occasion for Medina and Matuseno.
They said their homosexuality does not, in any way, diminish their sense of fatherhood.
JJ was only 8 months old when Medina adopted him.
“Pinaliwanag ko sa kaniya kung sino ako sa buhay niya na hindi ako yung biological parents nung bata,” said Medina. “Binigay ko po sa kaniya ang lahat ng hilig niya.”
Often, JJ was ridiculed by his peers for having a homosexual father. But he never hid the truth and is proud to say that his father is a good provider.
“Kailangan ko po tanggapin yun kasi siyempre po bilang kapalit na din po sa pag-aalaga niya sa akin. Hanggang sa pagpapalaki po,” said JJ.
Jimmy Matuseno also works as a beautician in a parlor in Manila. He has 3 biological children. The eldest is 6, the second is 5, and the youngest is 2.
According to Jimmy, he will not hide his true identity to his children but will try to change his lifestyle.
“Basta't sa akin, napag-aral ko sila kahit ganito ang trabaho ko ‘di ako nanlalamang ng tao. Kahit ganito ang tatay nila, okey lang sa akin,” Matuseno said.
He added that it’s about time gay men try to build families of their own.
Matuseno stated, “Mga pare magbago na tayo. Eto na ‘yung future kailanagn natin ‘to. Kailangan natin mag-anak, kailangan nating may alagaan, meron tayong palalakihin.”
Father’s Day is a very important occasion for Medina and Matuseno.
They said their homosexuality does not, in any way, diminish their sense of fatherhood.
Election officer's son kidnapped in S. Philippines
Police are now tracking down the suspects behind the alleged abduction of a son of an election official in southern Philippines on Sunday, a local police officer said Monday.
Chief Superintendent Bienvinido Latag, police director for Mindanao Muslim Autonomous Region identified the victim as Nuraldin Yusof, son of Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Elias Yusof.
In a text message to Xinhua, Latag said the younger Yusof failed to return home after praying at a local mosque in Dansalang village, in Mindanao's northern city of Marawi at around 7:30 p.m. "An unidentified person called the commissioner two hours later, demanding the revocation of May election results in the municipalities of Malabang, Pikong, Taraka and Masiu, in Lanao del Sur province in exchange for his son's release," Latag said.
The police official said police are now conducting an investigation into the alleged kidnapping.
Source: Xinhua
Chief Superintendent Bienvinido Latag, police director for Mindanao Muslim Autonomous Region identified the victim as Nuraldin Yusof, son of Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Elias Yusof.
In a text message to Xinhua, Latag said the younger Yusof failed to return home after praying at a local mosque in Dansalang village, in Mindanao's northern city of Marawi at around 7:30 p.m. "An unidentified person called the commissioner two hours later, demanding the revocation of May election results in the municipalities of Malabang, Pikong, Taraka and Masiu, in Lanao del Sur province in exchange for his son's release," Latag said.
The police official said police are now conducting an investigation into the alleged kidnapping.
Source: Xinhua
Philippines: A paradise for tourists
"Land of the sun caressed, Pearl of the Orient seas, our Eden lost!” That’s what Dr. Jose P. Rizal wrote in “My Last Farewell” (“Mi Ultimo Adios”) about his beloved country, the Philippines.
The country has a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers and these are distributed in 7,107 islands (of which only 2,500 have names and 450 are inhabited). “The islands abound with white-sand beaches, exotic tropical vegetation, and beautiful lakes and rivers,” wrote the All-Asia Travel Guide.
What makes the Philippines truly distinct among other countries is the fact that it has unique places and things that can be found only in the country. Much less, it is paradise for tourists.
As the travel guide, published by the Far Eastern Economic Review, puts it: “Places in the Philippines worth visiting are so numerous that the tourist can only hope to see a few of them.”
To start with, here are some of those you should not fail to visit:
If you visit the Philippines during summer, Baguio should be on top of your list. A highly urbanized city in northern Luzon, it was established by Americans in 1900. Its name comes from the Ibaloi word bagiw, which means “moss.” Being at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters, the place is conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids. And due to its cool mountain weather, Baguio is considered the summer capital of the Philippines. Because of its many pine trees it is also called the “City of Pines.”
About 100 kilometers north of Baguio in Banaue are the breathtaking rice terraces, touted to be “the Eighth Wonder of the World.” The rice terraces, described as “the stairway to heaven,” are a living monument to the ingenuity of tribal Filipino farmers who have tilled the steep slopes for over 2,000 years.
Terraced agricultural fields are common in Asia but the Banaue rice terraces are the most extensive. If stretched end to end in a line, the terraces measure 48,280.4 kilometers -- about 10 times longer than the Great Wall of China or about half the earth’s circumference.
Some 90 kilometers south of Manila is Taal, the homeplace of Taal Volcano, a 406-meter-high crater and said to be the world’s smallest volcano. It is described as “a crater within an island within a lake” because it stands as an island at Taal Lake. The lake was formed after the volcano, which used to be much larger, collapsed. The ridges around Tagaytay City, which overlooks the lake, are believed to be part of the crater of the old volcano.
Five hundred fifty-three kilometers from Manila is the famous Mayon Volcano, the main landmark of Albay Province. It is the country’s most active volcano and considered to be the world’s most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone. Towering at a height of 2,462 meters above sea level, it overlooks Legaspi City. Its eruption in 1911 killed 1,300 people and buried the town of Cagsawa.
The island of Palawan, considered the country’s last frontier, is a haven for environmentalists. For one, there’s the world famous St. Paul Subterranean National Park, a massive white rock mountain which is 1,028 meters above sea level and stretches towards Cleopatra’s Needle. Its main feature is the underground river, with its 8.2 kilometers of labyrinthine caves carved by rainwater and the waves of South China Sea.
In Visayas, the most visited place is Cebu, the oldest city in the country which has many points of historical interest, including Mactan Island where Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan met his death.
Across the strait from Cebu is the island of Bohol, celebrated for the unusual Chocolate Hills, consisting of thousands of cone-shaped mounds scattered over 50 square-kilometers. Each hill rises 30 to 120 meters above the surrounding plateau.The hills look like chocolate drops when the grass turns brown. “The hills are best observed at dawn or dusk,” said a native in the area.
Don’t miss these points of interest while in Bohol: Baclayon, the oldest stone church in the country; the market site of the Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact in barrio Bohol, about three kilometers from Tagbilaran; and the Hinagdanan Cave.
But the most famous tourist attraction in the Visayas is Boracay Island. Its long white sand beaches rival the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The fun doesn’t end when the sun sets. Its nightlife pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink, and fun until the next morning.
Mindanao has its fair share of places to visit. The teardrop-shaped Siargao Island faces the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Deep, the second deepest body of water in the world. However, this hidden tropical jewel in Surigao hosts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In fact, it is the surfing capital of the Philippines because its surfing waves are comparable to that of Hawaii’s. American surf photographer John Callahan discovered the remarkable waves of Cloud Nine in 1993.
Davao, the most developed city in Mindanao, is known for Mount Apo (the country’s highest peak at 2,954 meters above sea level), durian (the fruit which smells like hell and tastes like heaven), and waling-waling (the queen of Philippine orchids). It is also home to the endangered Philippine eagle, the country’s national symbol. Tourists can also eat to their heart’s content the sweetest fruit in the world -- the mango.
And these places are just for starters?
Source: Henrylito D. Tacio
The country has a total land area of 300,000 square kilometers and these are distributed in 7,107 islands (of which only 2,500 have names and 450 are inhabited). “The islands abound with white-sand beaches, exotic tropical vegetation, and beautiful lakes and rivers,” wrote the All-Asia Travel Guide.
What makes the Philippines truly distinct among other countries is the fact that it has unique places and things that can be found only in the country. Much less, it is paradise for tourists.
As the travel guide, published by the Far Eastern Economic Review, puts it: “Places in the Philippines worth visiting are so numerous that the tourist can only hope to see a few of them.”
To start with, here are some of those you should not fail to visit:
If you visit the Philippines during summer, Baguio should be on top of your list. A highly urbanized city in northern Luzon, it was established by Americans in 1900. Its name comes from the Ibaloi word bagiw, which means “moss.” Being at an altitude of approximately 1,500 meters, the place is conducive to the growth of mossy plants and orchids. And due to its cool mountain weather, Baguio is considered the summer capital of the Philippines. Because of its many pine trees it is also called the “City of Pines.”
About 100 kilometers north of Baguio in Banaue are the breathtaking rice terraces, touted to be “the Eighth Wonder of the World.” The rice terraces, described as “the stairway to heaven,” are a living monument to the ingenuity of tribal Filipino farmers who have tilled the steep slopes for over 2,000 years.
Terraced agricultural fields are common in Asia but the Banaue rice terraces are the most extensive. If stretched end to end in a line, the terraces measure 48,280.4 kilometers -- about 10 times longer than the Great Wall of China or about half the earth’s circumference.
Some 90 kilometers south of Manila is Taal, the homeplace of Taal Volcano, a 406-meter-high crater and said to be the world’s smallest volcano. It is described as “a crater within an island within a lake” because it stands as an island at Taal Lake. The lake was formed after the volcano, which used to be much larger, collapsed. The ridges around Tagaytay City, which overlooks the lake, are believed to be part of the crater of the old volcano.
Five hundred fifty-three kilometers from Manila is the famous Mayon Volcano, the main landmark of Albay Province. It is the country’s most active volcano and considered to be the world’s most perfectly formed volcano for its symmetrical cone. Towering at a height of 2,462 meters above sea level, it overlooks Legaspi City. Its eruption in 1911 killed 1,300 people and buried the town of Cagsawa.
The island of Palawan, considered the country’s last frontier, is a haven for environmentalists. For one, there’s the world famous St. Paul Subterranean National Park, a massive white rock mountain which is 1,028 meters above sea level and stretches towards Cleopatra’s Needle. Its main feature is the underground river, with its 8.2 kilometers of labyrinthine caves carved by rainwater and the waves of South China Sea.
In Visayas, the most visited place is Cebu, the oldest city in the country which has many points of historical interest, including Mactan Island where Portuguese Ferdinand Magellan met his death.
Across the strait from Cebu is the island of Bohol, celebrated for the unusual Chocolate Hills, consisting of thousands of cone-shaped mounds scattered over 50 square-kilometers. Each hill rises 30 to 120 meters above the surrounding plateau.The hills look like chocolate drops when the grass turns brown. “The hills are best observed at dawn or dusk,” said a native in the area.
Don’t miss these points of interest while in Bohol: Baclayon, the oldest stone church in the country; the market site of the Sikatuna-Legaspi blood compact in barrio Bohol, about three kilometers from Tagbilaran; and the Hinagdanan Cave.
But the most famous tourist attraction in the Visayas is Boracay Island. Its long white sand beaches rival the best beaches of more popular destinations such as the Caribbean and the South Pacific. The fun doesn’t end when the sun sets. Its nightlife pulsates with many bars and restaurants serving food, drink, and fun until the next morning.
Mindanao has its fair share of places to visit. The teardrop-shaped Siargao Island faces the Pacific Ocean and the Philippine Deep, the second deepest body of water in the world. However, this hidden tropical jewel in Surigao hosts one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. In fact, it is the surfing capital of the Philippines because its surfing waves are comparable to that of Hawaii’s. American surf photographer John Callahan discovered the remarkable waves of Cloud Nine in 1993.
Davao, the most developed city in Mindanao, is known for Mount Apo (the country’s highest peak at 2,954 meters above sea level), durian (the fruit which smells like hell and tastes like heaven), and waling-waling (the queen of Philippine orchids). It is also home to the endangered Philippine eagle, the country’s national symbol. Tourists can also eat to their heart’s content the sweetest fruit in the world -- the mango.
And these places are just for starters?
Source: Henrylito D. Tacio
Jovit Baldivino hurt by claims he's not poor
MANILA, Philippines – Rising star Jovit Baldivino, the 1st grand winner of “Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT),” said he's hurt by insinuations that he lied about his background in order to win the sympathy of the public as well as the nod of the 3 PGT judges.
In an interview on “The Buzz” Sunday, Baldivino, the 16-year-old shy siomai vendor from Batangas, whose voice is being compared to Arnel Pineda of “Journey,” was asked to share the most painful intrigue thrown at him so far.
Baldivino replied: “‘Yong sinabi po nila na hindi po ako mahirap.”
During his audition, the PGT winner shared that he would sell siomai to finance his education and help his family. He further captured the hearts of judges Ai Ai delas Alas, Kris Aquino and Freddie Garcia, as well as hundreds of PGT viewers, after giving a heartfelt rendition of Journey’s “Faithfully.”
It was the start of Baldivino’s steady rise to stardom. During PGT’s finale, he received almost half of the total overnight text and online votes, besting 11 other finalists.
Baldivino also shot down allegation that his fame has gotten into his head. “Hindi po totoo ‘yon. Hindi ko po gagawin ‘yon.”
Kris defends Jovit
Baldivino has found an ally in PGT judge and “The Buzz” host Aquino, who defended the young singer.
She said: “Sino ba naman ang magpre-pretend na mahirap ka? At ‘yong sa kanya daw to gain sympathy, pinalabas niya [na mahirap siya] para mas maawa sa story niya.”
During the audition, Aquino explained that she and her co-judges were not given any background information about the contestants so as to prevent biases.
“The very first time na ininterview ka, doon lang binulong na magtanong kayo tungkol sa siomai. At nabanggit lang na there was a time na nagkasakit ang father mo…. Sa audition, when there were at least 2,000 of you na pinagdaanan namin, hindi ba ang galing naman masyado ng foresight mo na nakaimbento ka ng ganoong kwento?”
She also said she was a witness to how Baldivino was loved even by other finalists of the show.
“When he won, everybody embraced him among all the others na kasama mo. At siya, genuine din ang pagyakap sa kanila. That means ang mga nakasama mo sa ‘Pilipinas Got Talent’ na ka-kompetensya mo, natuwa para sa’yo. So, kung malaki ang ulo mo at mayabang ka, walang yayapos sa’yo,” Aquino said.
Meeting Arnel Pineda
Meanwhile, the much-awaited first meeting between Baldivino and his idol, Pineda, happened Sunday on “The Buzz.”
Pineda made a surprise appearance on “The Buzz” to personally greet Baldivino.
Upon the prodding of the studio audience, the 2 singers sang a portion of “Too Much Love Will Kill You” together.
“Nagpapasalamat ako. Kung hindi po talaga sa’yo, wala din po ako dito ngayon,” Baldivino told Pineda.
When asked to give an advice to Baldivino, Pineda reminded the young singer to take good care of his health.
Pineda added: “[‘Yong mga] opportunity na dumating sa’yo, sana mahalin mo. Kasi buti ka, at the age of 16 nakuha mo na ang fame mo. Ako, it took me 25 years. Ang dami mong supporters. They have your back.”
Source: Trina Lagura
In an interview on “The Buzz” Sunday, Baldivino, the 16-year-old shy siomai vendor from Batangas, whose voice is being compared to Arnel Pineda of “Journey,” was asked to share the most painful intrigue thrown at him so far.
Baldivino replied: “‘Yong sinabi po nila na hindi po ako mahirap.”
During his audition, the PGT winner shared that he would sell siomai to finance his education and help his family. He further captured the hearts of judges Ai Ai delas Alas, Kris Aquino and Freddie Garcia, as well as hundreds of PGT viewers, after giving a heartfelt rendition of Journey’s “Faithfully.”
It was the start of Baldivino’s steady rise to stardom. During PGT’s finale, he received almost half of the total overnight text and online votes, besting 11 other finalists.
Baldivino also shot down allegation that his fame has gotten into his head. “Hindi po totoo ‘yon. Hindi ko po gagawin ‘yon.”
Kris defends Jovit
Baldivino has found an ally in PGT judge and “The Buzz” host Aquino, who defended the young singer.
She said: “Sino ba naman ang magpre-pretend na mahirap ka? At ‘yong sa kanya daw to gain sympathy, pinalabas niya [na mahirap siya] para mas maawa sa story niya.”
During the audition, Aquino explained that she and her co-judges were not given any background information about the contestants so as to prevent biases.
“The very first time na ininterview ka, doon lang binulong na magtanong kayo tungkol sa siomai. At nabanggit lang na there was a time na nagkasakit ang father mo…. Sa audition, when there were at least 2,000 of you na pinagdaanan namin, hindi ba ang galing naman masyado ng foresight mo na nakaimbento ka ng ganoong kwento?”
She also said she was a witness to how Baldivino was loved even by other finalists of the show.
“When he won, everybody embraced him among all the others na kasama mo. At siya, genuine din ang pagyakap sa kanila. That means ang mga nakasama mo sa ‘Pilipinas Got Talent’ na ka-kompetensya mo, natuwa para sa’yo. So, kung malaki ang ulo mo at mayabang ka, walang yayapos sa’yo,” Aquino said.
Meeting Arnel Pineda
Meanwhile, the much-awaited first meeting between Baldivino and his idol, Pineda, happened Sunday on “The Buzz.”
Pineda made a surprise appearance on “The Buzz” to personally greet Baldivino.
Upon the prodding of the studio audience, the 2 singers sang a portion of “Too Much Love Will Kill You” together.
“Nagpapasalamat ako. Kung hindi po talaga sa’yo, wala din po ako dito ngayon,” Baldivino told Pineda.
When asked to give an advice to Baldivino, Pineda reminded the young singer to take good care of his health.
Pineda added: “[‘Yong mga] opportunity na dumating sa’yo, sana mahalin mo. Kasi buti ka, at the age of 16 nakuha mo na ang fame mo. Ako, it took me 25 years. Ang dami mong supporters. They have your back.”
Source: Trina Lagura
Charice to sing anthem at Aquino inauguration
ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Kris Aquino disclosed here on Monday that it would be the Philippines' international singing sensation Charice Pempengco who will sing the national anthem during her brother President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's inauguration on June 30.
Kris made this announcement after saying last week that the task of singing the national anthem during the inauguration was a toss-up between "Journey" lead vocalist Arnel Pineda and Charice.
Kris and elder sister Viel Aquino-Dee were in town to thank Zamboangeños for the support they gave their brother in the last elections.
They also came to Zamboanga to distribute school supplies to nearly 200 special children in 2 public schools Monday morning.
Viel also said they are expected to announce the complete list of Cabinet secretaries before the week ends.
Children from Sta. Maria Central School thanked the Aquino sisters for finding time to visit them. They also wrote a letter intended for the president-elect.
In the letter, they expressed their dreams and expectations from the new president, from fixing their broken arm chairs to giving their parents jobs.
Viel and Kris also went to Tetuan Central School amid the rain.
Kris admitted the family has to "woo" Zamboangeños more since their brother ranked second to former President Joseph Estrada in last month's presidential race.
But, she said, they believe the Aquino administration will be able to work with the local government.
In the last elections, re-electionist Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat did not endorse any presidential candidate.
Kris said the numbers in the last elections do not count.
Before the Aquino sisters arrived, Bishop Romulo Valles said he was looking forward to having a private moment with the Aquino family and Sister Agnes of the Carmelite sisters.
He said he will reiterate the prayer of hope and determination that the new president be true to his promise of "kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap" (if there is no corruption, there is no poverty).
Kris acknowledged that Bishop Valles and Sister Agnes have been a great help to the Aquino family, giving them guidance and prayers even before the elections.
She said they would take a moment during their stay in Zamboanga City to thank them personally.
Source: Jewel Reyes
Kris made this announcement after saying last week that the task of singing the national anthem during the inauguration was a toss-up between "Journey" lead vocalist Arnel Pineda and Charice.
Kris and elder sister Viel Aquino-Dee were in town to thank Zamboangeños for the support they gave their brother in the last elections.
They also came to Zamboanga to distribute school supplies to nearly 200 special children in 2 public schools Monday morning.
Viel also said they are expected to announce the complete list of Cabinet secretaries before the week ends.
Children from Sta. Maria Central School thanked the Aquino sisters for finding time to visit them. They also wrote a letter intended for the president-elect.
In the letter, they expressed their dreams and expectations from the new president, from fixing their broken arm chairs to giving their parents jobs.
Viel and Kris also went to Tetuan Central School amid the rain.
Kris admitted the family has to "woo" Zamboangeños more since their brother ranked second to former President Joseph Estrada in last month's presidential race.
But, she said, they believe the Aquino administration will be able to work with the local government.
In the last elections, re-electionist Zamboanga City Mayor Celso Lobregat did not endorse any presidential candidate.
Kris said the numbers in the last elections do not count.
Before the Aquino sisters arrived, Bishop Romulo Valles said he was looking forward to having a private moment with the Aquino family and Sister Agnes of the Carmelite sisters.
He said he will reiterate the prayer of hope and determination that the new president be true to his promise of "kung walang corrupt, walang mahirap" (if there is no corruption, there is no poverty).
Kris acknowledged that Bishop Valles and Sister Agnes have been a great help to the Aquino family, giving them guidance and prayers even before the elections.
She said they would take a moment during their stay in Zamboanga City to thank them personally.
Source: Jewel Reyes
Another leftist leader arrested in S. Philippines
Another New People's Army (NPA) commander fell into the government hands in a village in southern Mindanao region of the Philippines, the military said Monday.
The ranking officer of the NPA, Gerald Bate, was arrested in Cruz town in Davao del Sur province last Friday, bringing the total number of NPA leader to fall into government's hand in this region to five. He was arrested by the joint elements of the 39th Infantry Battalion and the Criminal Investigation Group (CIDG) based on information from residents.
Carlos Holganza, commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, welcomed the capture of another NPA leader.
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades. Military estimates the NPA strength at more than 4,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.
Peace talks between the government and the leftists bogged down in 2004 after the United States included the NPA and its parent body as foreign terrorist organizations.
A few years ago, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the military to end the insurgency on or before her term ends on June 30 this year, but AFP chief Delfin Bangit admitted in May that the timeline cannot be met.
Source: Xinhua
The ranking officer of the NPA, Gerald Bate, was arrested in Cruz town in Davao del Sur province last Friday, bringing the total number of NPA leader to fall into government's hand in this region to five. He was arrested by the joint elements of the 39th Infantry Battalion and the Criminal Investigation Group (CIDG) based on information from residents.
Carlos Holganza, commander of the Army's 10th Infantry Division, welcomed the capture of another NPA leader.
The NPA, armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, has been waging a guerrilla campaign in the countryside for four decades. Military estimates the NPA strength at more than 4,000 men scattered in more than 60 guerrilla fronts throughout the country.
Peace talks between the government and the leftists bogged down in 2004 after the United States included the NPA and its parent body as foreign terrorist organizations.
A few years ago, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo directed the military to end the insurgency on or before her term ends on June 30 this year, but AFP chief Delfin Bangit admitted in May that the timeline cannot be met.
Source: Xinhua
Krista Ranillo engaged; Pacquiao 'intrigue over'
MANILA, Philippines – Young actress Krista Ranillo is getting married next year, and she and 7-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao are now "good friends."
In a phone interview with ABS-CBN News, Ranillo announced that she is marrying her childhood sweetheart in 2011.
Reports said the 2 met again in the United States where Ranillo went to at the height of the controversy that cast her as the "People’s Champ's" other woman.
According to entertainment columnist Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star, Ranillo’s boyfriend has a Chinese surname and is said to own a supermarket in California.
Ranillo said she is now moving on with her life following the controversy.
Aside from her upcoming wedding, she will study law in the US. She will go back to the country at the end of July to fulfill her commitments in show business.
The alleged affair between Ranillo and Pacquiao was one of the major issues that rocked the world of showbiz in 2009. The rumor surfaced while they were shooting their first film together, “Wapakman.”
Despite their repeated denials, photos of them together surfaced and were uploaded in the Internet, sparking frenzy for weeks.
She flew to the US to cool down and has been there for almost 10 months since the controversy broke out.
Ranillo's statements came out in Lo’s Monday Funfare column with the headline, “Krista tells all: It’s Over.”
“What I meant when I said 'it's over’... ang ibig sabihin ko lang po na-overcome ko na ‘yong mga intrigues na pinagdaanan ko. I can say that I've moved on,” she said.
She also reiterated that she did not stay to the US to hide her pregnancy as what was rumored.
“No, I’m not pregnant. I was never pregnant. My conscience is clear,” she said.
She also disclosed that she and Pacquiao “have become good friends” even after the controversy.
“Ang masasabi ko lang, siguro, sa lahat ng nasabi sa amin ni Manny, we have become good friends. Ang importante may peace na sa lahat ng concerned,” she added. -Report from Marie Lozano, ABS-CBN News
In a phone interview with ABS-CBN News, Ranillo announced that she is marrying her childhood sweetheart in 2011.
Reports said the 2 met again in the United States where Ranillo went to at the height of the controversy that cast her as the "People’s Champ's" other woman.
According to entertainment columnist Ricky Lo of The Philippine Star, Ranillo’s boyfriend has a Chinese surname and is said to own a supermarket in California.
Ranillo said she is now moving on with her life following the controversy.
Aside from her upcoming wedding, she will study law in the US. She will go back to the country at the end of July to fulfill her commitments in show business.
The alleged affair between Ranillo and Pacquiao was one of the major issues that rocked the world of showbiz in 2009. The rumor surfaced while they were shooting their first film together, “Wapakman.”
Despite their repeated denials, photos of them together surfaced and were uploaded in the Internet, sparking frenzy for weeks.
She flew to the US to cool down and has been there for almost 10 months since the controversy broke out.
Ranillo's statements came out in Lo’s Monday Funfare column with the headline, “Krista tells all: It’s Over.”
“What I meant when I said 'it's over’... ang ibig sabihin ko lang po na-overcome ko na ‘yong mga intrigues na pinagdaanan ko. I can say that I've moved on,” she said.
She also reiterated that she did not stay to the US to hide her pregnancy as what was rumored.
“No, I’m not pregnant. I was never pregnant. My conscience is clear,” she said.
She also disclosed that she and Pacquiao “have become good friends” even after the controversy.
“Ang masasabi ko lang, siguro, sa lahat ng nasabi sa amin ni Manny, we have become good friends. Ang importante may peace na sa lahat ng concerned,” she added. -Report from Marie Lozano, ABS-CBN News
Heat blamed for Filipino engineer's death in Saudi
A Filipino engineer in Saudi Arabia died of heart attack last week while at work.
Labor Attaché David Des Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Al Khobar confirmed that 60-year old Wilfredo Bautista suffered a heart attack inside his office past noon on June 14.
Bautista's office was on the fourth floor of the Gulf Center Building in Al Khobar.
An engineer for Tariq Hajj Architects, Bautista is a native of Baliuag in Bulacan where his family resides.
Dicang said Bautista’s family has already been informed of his death..
“Hindi ako makapaniwala dahil limang minuto lamang nang dumaan siya sa harap ng opisina ko at nagbatian pa kami (I could not believe what happened as he even greeted me five minutes before he died when he passed by my office)," said Ricardo Senapilo, a secretary at a nearby office, in an email to GMANews.TV.
Senapilo added that the company’s doctor tried but failed to revive Bautista. He said Bautista’s heart attack was caused by extreme heat based on information he heard from Bautista’s officemates.
According to Dicang, they are now coordinating with Bautista’s company to process documents required for the shipment of his body to the Philippines, which is expected in a month's time.
Among the requirements are a medical report, a death certificate from the hospital and a report from the local police.
“We can’t estimate how long the processing of his repatriation will take, but we hope it won’t take long since he died of a natural cause," Dicang told GMANews.TV in a phone interview.
He added the company will submit to the Saudi’s labor ministry a computation of Bautista’s monetary benefits, such as insurance, to be sent to the family.
By: Jerrie M. Abella
Labor Attaché David Des Dicang of the Philippine Overseas Labor Office in Al Khobar confirmed that 60-year old Wilfredo Bautista suffered a heart attack inside his office past noon on June 14.
Bautista's office was on the fourth floor of the Gulf Center Building in Al Khobar.
An engineer for Tariq Hajj Architects, Bautista is a native of Baliuag in Bulacan where his family resides.
Dicang said Bautista’s family has already been informed of his death..
“Hindi ako makapaniwala dahil limang minuto lamang nang dumaan siya sa harap ng opisina ko at nagbatian pa kami (I could not believe what happened as he even greeted me five minutes before he died when he passed by my office)," said Ricardo Senapilo, a secretary at a nearby office, in an email to GMANews.TV.
Senapilo added that the company’s doctor tried but failed to revive Bautista. He said Bautista’s heart attack was caused by extreme heat based on information he heard from Bautista’s officemates.
According to Dicang, they are now coordinating with Bautista’s company to process documents required for the shipment of his body to the Philippines, which is expected in a month's time.
Among the requirements are a medical report, a death certificate from the hospital and a report from the local police.
“We can’t estimate how long the processing of his repatriation will take, but we hope it won’t take long since he died of a natural cause," Dicang told GMANews.TV in a phone interview.
He added the company will submit to the Saudi’s labor ministry a computation of Bautista’s monetary benefits, such as insurance, to be sent to the family.
By: Jerrie M. Abella
RP post in Riyadh verifying if body found inside drum is Filipino
The Philippine Embassy in Saudi Arabia is confirming if the dead body found inside a drum in Riyadh is of a Filipino.
Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that the Embassy received reports Sunday of a dead body found dumped inside a drum in Riyadh’s major district of Al Bat’ha.
“We have confirmed that there is indeed a dead body found in Al Bat’ha, and we are now verifying the victim’s nationality," Reyes said in Filipino.
Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a separate interview that based on reports from the Filipino organization Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, the drum was found in front of the Riyadh branch of Sky Freight Forwarders morning of Sunday.
According to Monterona, bystanders first thought the drum was a cargo container scheduled for delivery. The drum, however, was noticeably different from the ones usually used by the forwarding company, prompting the bystanders to open it.
Unconfirmed rumors are circulating in the area that the body was dismembered, Monterona said.
Reyes said they are now coordinating with the local police, but expressed doubts they would get information about the incident soon. “Usually, police authorities here do not reveal anything unless they have all the evidence they need," he said.
Reyes was unable to confirm if the body had indeed been dismembered.
Monterona said Filipinos in Riyadh usually converge in the commercial district of Al Bat’ha, where Filipino restaurants, money remittance centers and shops selling cheap devices can be found.
He said the district is dubbed “little Quiapo" by Filipino expatriates there.
“The incident is very unfortunate regardless of the victim’s nationality, but we’re hoping it was not of a Filipino national as it will surely cause alarm the large population of Filipinos here," said Monterona. - Jerrie Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV
Vice Consul Roussel Reyes told GMANews.TV in a phone interview that the Embassy received reports Sunday of a dead body found dumped inside a drum in Riyadh’s major district of Al Bat’ha.
“We have confirmed that there is indeed a dead body found in Al Bat’ha, and we are now verifying the victim’s nationality," Reyes said in Filipino.
Migrante-Middle East regional coordinator John Leonard Monterona said in a separate interview that based on reports from the Filipino organization Kapatiran sa Gitnang Silangan, the drum was found in front of the Riyadh branch of Sky Freight Forwarders morning of Sunday.
According to Monterona, bystanders first thought the drum was a cargo container scheduled for delivery. The drum, however, was noticeably different from the ones usually used by the forwarding company, prompting the bystanders to open it.
Unconfirmed rumors are circulating in the area that the body was dismembered, Monterona said.
Reyes said they are now coordinating with the local police, but expressed doubts they would get information about the incident soon. “Usually, police authorities here do not reveal anything unless they have all the evidence they need," he said.
Reyes was unable to confirm if the body had indeed been dismembered.
Monterona said Filipinos in Riyadh usually converge in the commercial district of Al Bat’ha, where Filipino restaurants, money remittance centers and shops selling cheap devices can be found.
He said the district is dubbed “little Quiapo" by Filipino expatriates there.
“The incident is very unfortunate regardless of the victim’s nationality, but we’re hoping it was not of a Filipino national as it will surely cause alarm the large population of Filipinos here," said Monterona. - Jerrie Abella/KBK, GMANews.TV
Prelate to Noynoy: Stop sex education in schools
A Catholic bishop on Monday urged President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to stop the government's sex-education program in schools as soon as she assumes the presidency on June 30.
"Being a Christian, [Aquino should] do what is according to moral law, according to the dignity and rights of every Filipino," said Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, chairman of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Commission on Family and Life, in an article posted Monday night on the CBCP news site.
The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement this school year its Adolescent
Reproductive Health program in 80 public and elementary and 79 high schools.
Aniceto reiterated parents have the sole responsibility of teaching their children about human sexuality. But in cases where parents are working abroad and their children are left behind, he said the burden of teaching sex education would fall with the relatives, parent-teacher associations, Church-based groups such as Couples for Christ and Catholic Women’s League, and parish-based youth organizations.
For her part, Human Life International-Asia executive director Dr. Ligaya Acosta criticized government for insisting that children need a course of instruction in sex education. She said sex education “is actually a course in systematic behavior modification, designed to change the child’s entire belief system."
She claimed there is a rapid escalating rate of teen pregnancy and an exploding Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in nations where there is sex education and aggressive contraceptive use.
“The glaring truth is that researches around the world substantiate the fact that the more contraceptive programs are aimed at the young, the more pregnancies, abortions, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer of the cervix results," she said. - KBK, GMANews.TV
"Being a Christian, [Aquino should] do what is according to moral law, according to the dignity and rights of every Filipino," said Pampanga Archbishop Paciano Aniceto, chairman of the
Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines Commission on Family and Life, in an article posted Monday night on the CBCP news site.
The Department of Education (DepEd) will implement this school year its Adolescent
Reproductive Health program in 80 public and elementary and 79 high schools.
Aniceto reiterated parents have the sole responsibility of teaching their children about human sexuality. But in cases where parents are working abroad and their children are left behind, he said the burden of teaching sex education would fall with the relatives, parent-teacher associations, Church-based groups such as Couples for Christ and Catholic Women’s League, and parish-based youth organizations.
For her part, Human Life International-Asia executive director Dr. Ligaya Acosta criticized government for insisting that children need a course of instruction in sex education. She said sex education “is actually a course in systematic behavior modification, designed to change the child’s entire belief system."
She claimed there is a rapid escalating rate of teen pregnancy and an exploding Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic in nations where there is sex education and aggressive contraceptive use.
“The glaring truth is that researches around the world substantiate the fact that the more contraceptive programs are aimed at the young, the more pregnancies, abortions, promiscuity, sexually transmitted diseases, and cancer of the cervix results," she said. - KBK, GMANews.TV
Minus Ampatuans, Maguindanao celebrates peaceful polls
SHARIFF AGUAK, Maguindanao — In this province where the worst pre-election violence in Philippine history happened on Nov. 23, there was reason to celebrate when worst-case scenarios on election day did not happen.
Soldiers and policemen were already tearing down posters of candidates and other election paraphernalia a day after the elections. At the provincial capitol grounds, soldiers sought refuge from the searing heat under trees like it were an ordinary day.
Two days after the elections, the 6th Infantry Division hosted a breakfast meeting at Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town to celebrate the success of the country’s first nationwide automated elections, particularly Maguindanao’s “generally peaceful" polls.
In the past, no celebration, cleaning up of election paraphernalia, or relaxing under the shade of trees were possible in the first week after election day because soldiers were still be busy patrolling the areas or securing venues of electoral canvassing.
To be sure, a number of violent incidents were recorded on the day of the election in Maguindanao: There was mortar firing and a firefight at 1:15 a.m. in Ampatuan town. Two grenades were launched at 10 a.m. in Datu Piang. A grenade was lobbed but did not explode in Paglat poblacion. The Army fired two rounds of 81mm mortar toward 100 “armed lawless group" in Datu Salibo, temporarily stopping the voting. A firefight broke out between armed supporters of vice mayoral candidates Bhernie Amolintao Bagundang and Muslimin Guiama Baliwang at the voting precinct in Barangay Kapinpilan, North Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.
Two civilians were reported killed, one of them a certain Lano, former chair of Barangay Kapimpilan, North Kabuntalan and a supporter of mayoral candidate Abutazil Zainudin.
Still, Brig. Gen. Ariel Bernardo, assistant chief of the 6th Infantry Division and head of Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly, Peaceful Elections), said that voting in Maguindanao was “generally peaceful with isolated and confined violent incidents at a few expected traditional contested areas."
Threat groups
The worst-case scenarios did not happen. A month before the elections, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) identified several threat groups: the “Southern Philippines Secessionist Group," or more commonly known as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; “armed terrorist groups"; “local/foreign terrorist organizations"; and “partisan armed groups," commonly referred to as private armies.
“Maguindanao remains to be a volatile area due to the presence of MILF forces and the partisan armed groups," the EastMinCom said in a slide presentation before an election-monitoring group in Davao City on April 14.
According to the presentation, of five areas with 51 “partisan armed groups," 42 were in Maguindanao with about 3,330 armed followers.
A list sent by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations to the EastMinCom chief on Dec. 11 showed an inventory of 1,891 members of the civilian volunteer organizations or CVOs. Another report from the same office, dated Dec. 6, listed 346 members of the Special Civilian Armed Auxiliary (SCAA) units in four SCAA companies.
According to Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, EastMinCom spokesperson, the SCAA companies have been disarmed and disbanded but not the 1,891 CVOs.
Cabangbang said the CVOs were in areas where frequent skirmishes with the MILF happened. But they were placed under the supervision of the military instead of the police, he said.
Only the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) were supposedly armed, not the CVOs. But Executive Order 546 issued by President Gloria Arroyo in July 2006, apparently to appease then Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., allowed the arming of CVOs.
Only 735 firearms were seized in Maguindanao from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12 last year, of which 697 were high-powered. Cabangbang said there were only 160 armed men who remain unaccounted for in Maguindanao since the massacre. All of them were implicated in the killings, he said.
All eyes
Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr., executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance and former president of the Notre Dame University in Cotabato City, acknowledged that all eyes were on Maguindanao in this year’s elections “because of the (Ampatuan) massacre and the notoriety of Maguindanao (during elections)" where “you don’t know when to proclaim your candidates."
The province was notorious for delivering “command votes" during elections. Under the Arroyo administration, it gave a 12-0 victory to the administration’s senatorial candidates in the 2007 mid-term elections and figured in the 2004 “Hello Garci" controversy involving elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and Mrs. Arroyo.
In Maguindanao, Garcillano resurfaced in November 2005, after months of hiding since the controversy was exposed.
In the run-up to the polls, Mercado said the fear of national parties was what was being “cooked" in Maguindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. But the computerization of elections helped solve the problem.
“For the first time, 85 percent of local election winners (were) known within 24 hours," Mercado said. "Within 24 hours, nationally, we (had) a president. The vice presidency (was) still a tossup between (Jejomar) Binay and (Manuel) Mar Roxas but within 48 hours, we (knew) already the winning 10 senatorial candidates. This has never been done in the whole history of Philippine elections."
Generally peaceful
Bernardo of the 6th Infantry Division and head of Task Force HOPE attributed the “generally peaceful" elections to the cooperation of various sectors, including candidates and civil society poll watchers, and the agreement the MILF and the government peace panel’s ceasefire committee signed on April 23.
The “Guidelines for Mutual Understanding between the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for Ceasefire-Related functions for the May 10, 2010 National Elections" were implemented from May 3 to 13.
Section 10, for example, provides that elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces-MILF “should not go near polling centers and avoid displaying firearms along routes leading to the areas where electoral activities are ongoing."
Bernardo, a former member of the government’s CCCH, said the MILF had adhered to the April 23 guidelines “largely and extensively."
On election day, the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Post was deployed to serve as the advance monitoring and response group in Barangay Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan. The group was composed of representatives of the International Monitoring Team, government, and MILF.
Contributing factor
The active participation of civil society — like the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc. or Citizens Care and the Parish Pastoral Center for Responsible Voting — in monitoring the elections and the presence of foreign observers also contributed to the “generally peaceful" voting in Maguindanao.
But the absence of the Ampatuan patriarch and his politician sons in the 2010 elections, their first to be so in nine years, was also said to be a significant factor to the “generally peaceful" elections. They were detained in Bicutan, and on trial for multiple murder charges and for masterminding and taking part in the Nov. 23 massacre.
The Ampatuans left behind were mostly women as some of the male Ampatuan leaders were at large.
Early this year, the clan exerted legal efforts to prevent the transfer of patriarch Andal Sr. from Davao City. Or, if that was not possible, to have ARMM Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan and brother-in-law Akmad “Tato" Ampatuan walk out of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group detention facility in General Santos City as free men in early April.
Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra had tried to drop Zaldy and Tato from the charge sheet, but a flaring of public anger and mass protests averted that attempt.
On election day, there was tarpaulin display at the round ball in Shariff Aguak for Zaldy and Tato: Welcome Home. Neither of them got the chance to savor that message.
(MindaNews is the news service arm of a cooperative of Mindanao-based journalists. VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for “true.") —VS, GMANews.TV
Soldiers and policemen were already tearing down posters of candidates and other election paraphernalia a day after the elections. At the provincial capitol grounds, soldiers sought refuge from the searing heat under trees like it were an ordinary day.
Two days after the elections, the 6th Infantry Division hosted a breakfast meeting at Camp Siongco in Datu Odin Sinsuat town to celebrate the success of the country’s first nationwide automated elections, particularly Maguindanao’s “generally peaceful" polls.
In the past, no celebration, cleaning up of election paraphernalia, or relaxing under the shade of trees were possible in the first week after election day because soldiers were still be busy patrolling the areas or securing venues of electoral canvassing.
To be sure, a number of violent incidents were recorded on the day of the election in Maguindanao: There was mortar firing and a firefight at 1:15 a.m. in Ampatuan town. Two grenades were launched at 10 a.m. in Datu Piang. A grenade was lobbed but did not explode in Paglat poblacion. The Army fired two rounds of 81mm mortar toward 100 “armed lawless group" in Datu Salibo, temporarily stopping the voting. A firefight broke out between armed supporters of vice mayoral candidates Bhernie Amolintao Bagundang and Muslimin Guiama Baliwang at the voting precinct in Barangay Kapinpilan, North Kabuntalan, Maguindanao.
Two civilians were reported killed, one of them a certain Lano, former chair of Barangay Kapimpilan, North Kabuntalan and a supporter of mayoral candidate Abutazil Zainudin.
Still, Brig. Gen. Ariel Bernardo, assistant chief of the 6th Infantry Division and head of Task Force HOPE (Honest, Orderly, Peaceful Elections), said that voting in Maguindanao was “generally peaceful with isolated and confined violent incidents at a few expected traditional contested areas."
Threat groups
The worst-case scenarios did not happen. A month before the elections, the Eastern Mindanao Command (EastMinCom) identified several threat groups: the “Southern Philippines Secessionist Group," or more commonly known as the Moro Islamic Liberation Front; “armed terrorist groups"; “local/foreign terrorist organizations"; and “partisan armed groups," commonly referred to as private armies.
“Maguindanao remains to be a volatile area due to the presence of MILF forces and the partisan armed groups," the EastMinCom said in a slide presentation before an election-monitoring group in Davao City on April 14.
According to the presentation, of five areas with 51 “partisan armed groups," 42 were in Maguindanao with about 3,330 armed followers.
A list sent by the Office of the Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations to the EastMinCom chief on Dec. 11 showed an inventory of 1,891 members of the civilian volunteer organizations or CVOs. Another report from the same office, dated Dec. 6, listed 346 members of the Special Civilian Armed Auxiliary (SCAA) units in four SCAA companies.
According to Lt. Col. Randolph Cabangbang, EastMinCom spokesperson, the SCAA companies have been disarmed and disbanded but not the 1,891 CVOs.
Cabangbang said the CVOs were in areas where frequent skirmishes with the MILF happened. But they were placed under the supervision of the military instead of the police, he said.
Only the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU) were supposedly armed, not the CVOs. But Executive Order 546 issued by President Gloria Arroyo in July 2006, apparently to appease then Gov. Andal Ampatuan Sr., allowed the arming of CVOs.
Only 735 firearms were seized in Maguindanao from Nov. 24 to Dec. 12 last year, of which 697 were high-powered. Cabangbang said there were only 160 armed men who remain unaccounted for in Maguindanao since the massacre. All of them were implicated in the killings, he said.
All eyes
Fr. Eliseo Mercado Jr., executive director of the Institute for Autonomy and Governance and former president of the Notre Dame University in Cotabato City, acknowledged that all eyes were on Maguindanao in this year’s elections “because of the (Ampatuan) massacre and the notoriety of Maguindanao (during elections)" where “you don’t know when to proclaim your candidates."
The province was notorious for delivering “command votes" during elections. Under the Arroyo administration, it gave a 12-0 victory to the administration’s senatorial candidates in the 2007 mid-term elections and figured in the 2004 “Hello Garci" controversy involving elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and Mrs. Arroyo.
In Maguindanao, Garcillano resurfaced in November 2005, after months of hiding since the controversy was exposed.
In the run-up to the polls, Mercado said the fear of national parties was what was being “cooked" in Maguindanao and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. But the computerization of elections helped solve the problem.
“For the first time, 85 percent of local election winners (were) known within 24 hours," Mercado said. "Within 24 hours, nationally, we (had) a president. The vice presidency (was) still a tossup between (Jejomar) Binay and (Manuel) Mar Roxas but within 48 hours, we (knew) already the winning 10 senatorial candidates. This has never been done in the whole history of Philippine elections."
Generally peaceful
Bernardo of the 6th Infantry Division and head of Task Force HOPE attributed the “generally peaceful" elections to the cooperation of various sectors, including candidates and civil society poll watchers, and the agreement the MILF and the government peace panel’s ceasefire committee signed on April 23.
The “Guidelines for Mutual Understanding between the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front for Ceasefire-Related functions for the May 10, 2010 National Elections" were implemented from May 3 to 13.
Section 10, for example, provides that elements of the Bangsamoro Islamic Armed Forces-MILF “should not go near polling centers and avoid displaying firearms along routes leading to the areas where electoral activities are ongoing."
Bernardo, a former member of the government’s CCCH, said the MILF had adhered to the April 23 guidelines “largely and extensively."
On election day, the Joint Ceasefire Monitoring Post was deployed to serve as the advance monitoring and response group in Barangay Kitango, Datu Saudi Ampatuan. The group was composed of representatives of the International Monitoring Team, government, and MILF.
Contributing factor
The active participation of civil society — like the Citizens Coalition for ARMM Electoral Reforms Inc. or Citizens Care and the Parish Pastoral Center for Responsible Voting — in monitoring the elections and the presence of foreign observers also contributed to the “generally peaceful" voting in Maguindanao.
But the absence of the Ampatuan patriarch and his politician sons in the 2010 elections, their first to be so in nine years, was also said to be a significant factor to the “generally peaceful" elections. They were detained in Bicutan, and on trial for multiple murder charges and for masterminding and taking part in the Nov. 23 massacre.
The Ampatuans left behind were mostly women as some of the male Ampatuan leaders were at large.
Early this year, the clan exerted legal efforts to prevent the transfer of patriarch Andal Sr. from Davao City. Or, if that was not possible, to have ARMM Gov. Datu Zaldy Ampatuan and brother-in-law Akmad “Tato" Ampatuan walk out of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group detention facility in General Santos City as free men in early April.
Acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra had tried to drop Zaldy and Tato from the charge sheet, but a flaring of public anger and mass protests averted that attempt.
On election day, there was tarpaulin display at the round ball in Shariff Aguak for Zaldy and Tato: Welcome Home. Neither of them got the chance to savor that message.
(MindaNews is the news service arm of a cooperative of Mindanao-based journalists. VERA Files is put out by veteran journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for “true.") —VS, GMANews.TV
BP oil spill prompts review of RP drilling procedure
Prompted by the ongoing disaster in the Gulf of Mexico where a BP oil rig exploded in April, the Energy Department said Monday it is initiating a review of government's drilling procedures with stakeholders taking part in it.
“We do have some existing procedures, but we’ll probably have to update them to deal with what has happened in the [Gulf of Mexico]," Energy Secretary Jose C. Ibazeta said.
He noted that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is now in its second month and that the Philippines should also look into contingency plans to prevent such an accident in its own shores.
“We’ll hold a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss existing procedures on how to deal with matters on oil drilling safety," Ibazeta said.
The stakeholders’ meeting is scheduled this Thursday, June 24, at the Energy Department headquarters in Taguig City.
Representatives from Galoc Production Corp., Nido Petroleum, ExxonMobil Philippines, Norasian, Philodrill, Philippine National Oil Company, and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. would be attending the meeting.
Joining them are representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, and Petroleum Association of the Philippines.
The Philippines is aggressively encouraging private investors to join the country’s oil and gas exploration industry.
The department said that although there has not been any major blowout or oil spill in any of the exploratory and developmental drilling operations in the country, the Philippines is preparing itself for any contingency.
Stringent standards in the set-up and implementation of a Health, Safety, and Environmental plan by service contractors are in place, that they must submit an emergency response plan and oil spill contingency plan before an exploration program is approved, according to the department.
They also need to have the equipment for drilling-safety and oil spill recovery. —VS, GMANews.TV
“We do have some existing procedures, but we’ll probably have to update them to deal with what has happened in the [Gulf of Mexico]," Energy Secretary Jose C. Ibazeta said.
He noted that the Gulf of Mexico oil spill is now in its second month and that the Philippines should also look into contingency plans to prevent such an accident in its own shores.
“We’ll hold a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss existing procedures on how to deal with matters on oil drilling safety," Ibazeta said.
The stakeholders’ meeting is scheduled this Thursday, June 24, at the Energy Department headquarters in Taguig City.
Representatives from Galoc Production Corp., Nido Petroleum, ExxonMobil Philippines, Norasian, Philodrill, Philippine National Oil Company, and Shell Philippines Exploration B.V. would be attending the meeting.
Joining them are representatives of the Philippine Coast Guard, Maritime Industry Authority, and Petroleum Association of the Philippines.
The Philippines is aggressively encouraging private investors to join the country’s oil and gas exploration industry.
The department said that although there has not been any major blowout or oil spill in any of the exploratory and developmental drilling operations in the country, the Philippines is preparing itself for any contingency.
Stringent standards in the set-up and implementation of a Health, Safety, and Environmental plan by service contractors are in place, that they must submit an emergency response plan and oil spill contingency plan before an exploration program is approved, according to the department.
They also need to have the equipment for drilling-safety and oil spill recovery. —VS, GMANews.TV
Astig: Couple uses education to bridge Muslims, Christians
Kapayapaan ang matagal nang minimithi ng mga taga-Mindanao. Kaya para sa isang dating peryodista at kanyang asawa, hindi ito imposibleng makamit kung idadaan sa edukasyon at pagkakasundo ng mga kabataang Muslim at Kristyano.
Lakas-Kampi reps to vote for Belmonte if...
Halos na-korner na ni congressman-elect Feliciano Belmonte ang pagiging House Speaker dahil makukuha niya ang boto ng iba't ibang partido. Pero lumalabas na may kapalit ang suporta ng Lakas-Kampi-CMD!
Arroyo dines and dances with media
Nakikanta, at nakisayaw si Pangulong Arroyo sa mga reporter na tumututok sa Malacañang. Pero hanggang sa huli, iniwasan niyang mapag-usapan ang pulitika.
By: Willard Cheng
By: Willard Cheng
Arnel Pineda OKs duet with Jovit Baldivino
MANILA, Philippines - After singing with some of the country's top talents, Journey frontman Arnel Pineda is now setting his sights on singing a duet with Pilipinas Got Talent champion Jovit Baldivino.
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Pineda said he is giving his all-out support for the young Batangueño who has been dubbed the "next Arnel Pineda."
"OK na OK. Mangyayari yan. I'm going to support him, syempre kababayan natin yan," he said during an outreach program in Quezon City.
Pineda, who is in town after recording a new album with Journey, trekked 3 kilometers to bring food, slippers, hygiene products and toys to 100 kids in an impoverished area in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Sitio Bangkal, Quezon City. Pineda, together with volunteers from the Arnel Pineda Foundation, gave some basic reading lessons to the children.
Pineda said he chose the area for the outreach after hearing about the needs of the kids.
"I really hope that more help will come to them especially medical help since you will have to walk 30 minutes just to get to the place. We need to reorient them in using their resources here as alternative medicine. Sa education, we are here para maturuan sila ng moral values, family, hygiene. gusto namin ma discuss kung ano natutunan nila sa school," he said.
In an earlier interview, Pineda said he put up the foundation to give street kids continuous education as a means out of poverty. He said that, coming from a poor family himself, he knows the value of getting a good education to get ahead in life.
by: Abs-Cbn NEWS
In an interview with ABS-CBN News, Pineda said he is giving his all-out support for the young Batangueño who has been dubbed the "next Arnel Pineda."
"OK na OK. Mangyayari yan. I'm going to support him, syempre kababayan natin yan," he said during an outreach program in Quezon City.
Pineda, who is in town after recording a new album with Journey, trekked 3 kilometers to bring food, slippers, hygiene products and toys to 100 kids in an impoverished area in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Sitio Bangkal, Quezon City. Pineda, together with volunteers from the Arnel Pineda Foundation, gave some basic reading lessons to the children.
Pineda said he chose the area for the outreach after hearing about the needs of the kids.
"I really hope that more help will come to them especially medical help since you will have to walk 30 minutes just to get to the place. We need to reorient them in using their resources here as alternative medicine. Sa education, we are here para maturuan sila ng moral values, family, hygiene. gusto namin ma discuss kung ano natutunan nila sa school," he said.
In an earlier interview, Pineda said he put up the foundation to give street kids continuous education as a means out of poverty. He said that, coming from a poor family himself, he knows the value of getting a good education to get ahead in life.
by: Abs-Cbn NEWS
Noynoy urged to address human trafficking
MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is the third largest exporter of migrant workers in the world, next to India and China.
The Visayan Forum, Inc. says, of some 9 million Filipinos working abroad, only 13% are professionals while the rest are unskilled workers who end up in difficult and often inhumane working situations.
Speaking on ANC's Dateline Philippines on Sunday, Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, president and executive director of the Visayan Forum, Inc., says women and children make up 70-80% of the 300,000 cases of human trafficking in the Philippines.
"This data, we believe, is just the tip of the iceberg," Oebanda says, citing the difficulty with monitoring cases of human trafficking. "It's not representing the whole number of trafficking victims inside and outside the country. In the Visayan Forum alone, we have 61,000 being helped in our ports and airport facilities."
Oebanda admits there is a stigma attached to the problem while a culture of acceptance also exists. She says there is also connivance involved, with local communities allowing recruitment to proceed unhampered.
Last week, the US State Department placed the Philippines under the Tier 2 watch list, citing it as a source and transit point for human trafficking for prostitution and forced labor.
It said the Philippines also lacks support for the prosecution of human trafficking cases.
Labor export, poor conviction
Flores-Oebanda said that aside from the Philippines' migrant culture, human traffickers also capitalize on the country's poor conviction rate against traffickers.
She said the government should strengthen laws against human trafficking even as it pushes for jobs for its work force.
"The more government advocates for the labor market, the more we need to strengthen our laws, so falling into the cracks of human trafficking can be addressed," Oebanda says.
"We have conviction for commercial exploitation but not for forced labor. There are around 380 ongoing cases in court. Last year, there were only eight convictions," she laments.
Despite the Anti-Trafficking Law of 2003, Oebanda says it's easy to prosecute suspects in prostitution cases, but hard to pin down perpetrators of forced labor.
"Three months ago, 15 immigration officers in Clark, Pampanga were arrested. What happened to those cases?" Oebanda says, citing the need for greater transparency.
Amid the reality that domestic workers are vulnerable to forced labor trafficking, Oebanda, who participated in a labor convention in Geneva says, the International Labor Organization (ILO) is discussing an international standard for domestic workers.
A safe haven
Partly in response to the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), the Visayan Forum, together with the Angelo King Foundation, has built the "Center for Hope" in Antipolo City, which is meant to provide a safe haven for survivors of human trafficking.
"The halfway house can accommodate a maximum of 100 victims at one time...At the safe house, we have skills training," Oebanda says. "We partnered with Microsoft to give training, to ensure that the girls are not there just to undergo psychosocial therapy, but also to prepare them for prosecution and build their capacity to restart their lives."
Invigorated campaign
Oebanda also urged the incoming Arroyo government to seriously look into the country's human trafficking situation.
She hopes the next administration will allocate resources to line agencies to help build such facilities, and toughen-up the law and the conviction rate of trafficking cases to ensure the well-being of overseas Filipino workers.
-By Caroline J. Howard, ANC
The Visayan Forum, Inc. says, of some 9 million Filipinos working abroad, only 13% are professionals while the rest are unskilled workers who end up in difficult and often inhumane working situations.
Speaking on ANC's Dateline Philippines on Sunday, Ma. Cecilia Flores-Oebanda, president and executive director of the Visayan Forum, Inc., says women and children make up 70-80% of the 300,000 cases of human trafficking in the Philippines.
"This data, we believe, is just the tip of the iceberg," Oebanda says, citing the difficulty with monitoring cases of human trafficking. "It's not representing the whole number of trafficking victims inside and outside the country. In the Visayan Forum alone, we have 61,000 being helped in our ports and airport facilities."
Oebanda admits there is a stigma attached to the problem while a culture of acceptance also exists. She says there is also connivance involved, with local communities allowing recruitment to proceed unhampered.
Last week, the US State Department placed the Philippines under the Tier 2 watch list, citing it as a source and transit point for human trafficking for prostitution and forced labor.
It said the Philippines also lacks support for the prosecution of human trafficking cases.
Labor export, poor conviction
Flores-Oebanda said that aside from the Philippines' migrant culture, human traffickers also capitalize on the country's poor conviction rate against traffickers.
She said the government should strengthen laws against human trafficking even as it pushes for jobs for its work force.
"The more government advocates for the labor market, the more we need to strengthen our laws, so falling into the cracks of human trafficking can be addressed," Oebanda says.
"We have conviction for commercial exploitation but not for forced labor. There are around 380 ongoing cases in court. Last year, there were only eight convictions," she laments.
Despite the Anti-Trafficking Law of 2003, Oebanda says it's easy to prosecute suspects in prostitution cases, but hard to pin down perpetrators of forced labor.
"Three months ago, 15 immigration officers in Clark, Pampanga were arrested. What happened to those cases?" Oebanda says, citing the need for greater transparency.
Amid the reality that domestic workers are vulnerable to forced labor trafficking, Oebanda, who participated in a labor convention in Geneva says, the International Labor Organization (ILO) is discussing an international standard for domestic workers.
A safe haven
Partly in response to the Trafficking in Persons Report (TIP), the Visayan Forum, together with the Angelo King Foundation, has built the "Center for Hope" in Antipolo City, which is meant to provide a safe haven for survivors of human trafficking.
"The halfway house can accommodate a maximum of 100 victims at one time...At the safe house, we have skills training," Oebanda says. "We partnered with Microsoft to give training, to ensure that the girls are not there just to undergo psychosocial therapy, but also to prepare them for prosecution and build their capacity to restart their lives."
Invigorated campaign
Oebanda also urged the incoming Arroyo government to seriously look into the country's human trafficking situation.
She hopes the next administration will allocate resources to line agencies to help build such facilities, and toughen-up the law and the conviction rate of trafficking cases to ensure the well-being of overseas Filipino workers.
-By Caroline J. Howard, ANC
Poll official's son abducted by men who seek to annul votes
The son of a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official was abducted by unidentified men who reportedly sought the annulment of certain votes in Lanao del Sur, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said on Monday.
Nuraldin Yusoph, the 22-year-old son of Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusoph, was abducted on Sunday night at the Bato Ali Mosque in Barangay Sabala Amanao, Marawi City, a report from PNP Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Director Chief Supt. Bienvenido Latag said.
Nuraldin, the sixth of Yusoph's 10 children, is married and has a four-month old child.
Initial reports showed that Nuraldin was praying inside the mosque when several armed men forcibly took him, Latag said. Suspects supposedly demanded annulment of votes in the municipalities of Malabang, Picong, Taraka and Masiu in Lanao del Sur, Latag said.
Of these four towns, only Masiu held special elections, Latag said in a separate interview.
The Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office is conducting intelligence monitoring to locate the victim, he said.
Communicating with the kidnappers
Yusoph confirmed the kidnapping, saying the abductors immediately contacted him and allowed him to talk briefly with his son.
The Comelec commissioner received the call from an unidentified person at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, two hours after his son was kidnapped, PNP’s Latag said separately in a text message.
It was during this call when the demands were made, Latag’s text message added.
The younger Yusoph is "okay," the commissioner told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday.
The motive behind the kidnapping is probably "political" and "election-related," he said.
However, the commissioner refused to elaborate any further.
In a separate interview on Monday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that they're "fortunate" that the kidnappers are "very communicative."
"To some extent nailalabas ang lahat ng gusto nila (they were able to give their demands)," he said.
However, he refused to divulge the specific demands of the abductors because the poll body supposedly does not want to "jinx" the situation.
"It's aimed to pressure the commission to do certain things... we have to make sure that that's all that is," he said.
The Comelec has yet to come up with a shortlist of suspects responsible for the kidnapping, Jimenez said.
"These things are being validated right now, unfair din naman sa mga talunan, all of a sudden suspect sila (it would be unfair to immediately blame those who did not win in the past elections)," he said.
The Comelec’s first priority is the safe return of the commissioner's son, he said.
But at the same time, it is maintaining the government’s policy of "no negotiation," Jimenez said.
The kidnappers are wrong for assuming that Yusoph alone will be able to persuade the Comelec to make certain decisions regarding the elections, Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said.
"It's no cause for alarm. It's part of the game," he told reporters in an interview on Monday.
The Comelec will also look into placing additional security detail for its officials and their immediate family members.
"That will be subject to the existence of a credible threat," Jimenez said.
In GMA News’ 24 Oras report, Jimenez said that no poll body commissioner has yet requested additional security.
In Malacañang, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said the police should do their best to rescue Nuraldin Yusoph.
“We deplore this criminal incident and we remind the police authorities concerned to exert their utmost efforts in recovering the victim and bringing the perpetrators to justice," Olivar said.
NBI, police begin efforts
On Monday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced it has begun tracking down Yusoph’s kidnappers.
The bureau’s special task force under lawyer Arnel Dalumpines has started taking testimonies from witnesses in the abduction, NBI spokesman Edward Villarta said in a separate report.
"Umpisa pa lang sila magimbestiga. Kumukuha sila ng statement. Kanina nakausap namin si Commissioner Yusoph," Villarta said in an interview on dzXL radio late Monday.
(We just started investigating the incident. The NBI team is now gathering statements. We also talked to Commissioner Yusoph.)
Villarta declined to say what the elder Yusoph had told NBI investigators so far.
In a separate interview on late Monday afternoon, PNP’s Latag said that a crisis management committee has already been created to "address the situation."
Members of the crisis committee include PNP and army leaders as well as Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong.
No action has been taken by the committee so far, Latag said, adding that they will continue to monitor the situation. - VS, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV
Nuraldin Yusoph, the 22-year-old son of Comelec Commissioner Elias Yusoph, was abducted on Sunday night at the Bato Ali Mosque in Barangay Sabala Amanao, Marawi City, a report from PNP Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Regional Director Chief Supt. Bienvenido Latag said.
Nuraldin, the sixth of Yusoph's 10 children, is married and has a four-month old child.
Initial reports showed that Nuraldin was praying inside the mosque when several armed men forcibly took him, Latag said. Suspects supposedly demanded annulment of votes in the municipalities of Malabang, Picong, Taraka and Masiu in Lanao del Sur, Latag said.
Of these four towns, only Masiu held special elections, Latag said in a separate interview.
The Lanao del Sur Provincial Police Office is conducting intelligence monitoring to locate the victim, he said.
Communicating with the kidnappers
Yusoph confirmed the kidnapping, saying the abductors immediately contacted him and allowed him to talk briefly with his son.
The Comelec commissioner received the call from an unidentified person at 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, two hours after his son was kidnapped, PNP’s Latag said separately in a text message.
It was during this call when the demands were made, Latag’s text message added.
The younger Yusoph is "okay," the commissioner told reporters in an ambush interview on Monday.
The motive behind the kidnapping is probably "political" and "election-related," he said.
However, the commissioner refused to elaborate any further.
In a separate interview on Monday, Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said that they're "fortunate" that the kidnappers are "very communicative."
"To some extent nailalabas ang lahat ng gusto nila (they were able to give their demands)," he said.
However, he refused to divulge the specific demands of the abductors because the poll body supposedly does not want to "jinx" the situation.
"It's aimed to pressure the commission to do certain things... we have to make sure that that's all that is," he said.
The Comelec has yet to come up with a shortlist of suspects responsible for the kidnapping, Jimenez said.
"These things are being validated right now, unfair din naman sa mga talunan, all of a sudden suspect sila (it would be unfair to immediately blame those who did not win in the past elections)," he said.
The Comelec’s first priority is the safe return of the commissioner's son, he said.
But at the same time, it is maintaining the government’s policy of "no negotiation," Jimenez said.
The kidnappers are wrong for assuming that Yusoph alone will be able to persuade the Comelec to make certain decisions regarding the elections, Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said.
"It's no cause for alarm. It's part of the game," he told reporters in an interview on Monday.
The Comelec will also look into placing additional security detail for its officials and their immediate family members.
"That will be subject to the existence of a credible threat," Jimenez said.
In GMA News’ 24 Oras report, Jimenez said that no poll body commissioner has yet requested additional security.
In Malacañang, Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar said the police should do their best to rescue Nuraldin Yusoph.
“We deplore this criminal incident and we remind the police authorities concerned to exert their utmost efforts in recovering the victim and bringing the perpetrators to justice," Olivar said.
NBI, police begin efforts
On Monday, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced it has begun tracking down Yusoph’s kidnappers.
The bureau’s special task force under lawyer Arnel Dalumpines has started taking testimonies from witnesses in the abduction, NBI spokesman Edward Villarta said in a separate report.
"Umpisa pa lang sila magimbestiga. Kumukuha sila ng statement. Kanina nakausap namin si Commissioner Yusoph," Villarta said in an interview on dzXL radio late Monday.
(We just started investigating the incident. The NBI team is now gathering statements. We also talked to Commissioner Yusoph.)
Villarta declined to say what the elder Yusoph had told NBI investigators so far.
In a separate interview on late Monday afternoon, PNP’s Latag said that a crisis management committee has already been created to "address the situation."
Members of the crisis committee include PNP and army leaders as well as Lanao del Sur Governor Mamintal Adiong.
No action has been taken by the committee so far, Latag said, adding that they will continue to monitor the situation. - VS, RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV
Robbers shoot, rob Japanese in Bulacan
A 47-year old Japanese was shot by three unidentified robbers in Balagtas, Bulacan Sunday evening.
Victim Masad Miwa sustained bullet wounds on his left leg and was brought to the Balagtas Doctors Hospital for treatment.
In his report Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan police director, said that at 9:15 p.m. Miwa was on his way home walking along M. Galvez Street in Barangay Wawa when the robbers, one of them armed with a handgun, blocked his path and grabbed his bag.
When Japanese refused to let go of his bag, the armed robber shot him twice on the left leg.
Taken from Miwa was his bag containing P12,000 cash, ¥60,000, a JAL Visa card, a Citibank card, and his driver’s license.
The robbers fled on board a motorcycle. —Amita O. Legaspi/VS, GMANews.TV
Victim Masad Miwa sustained bullet wounds on his left leg and was brought to the Balagtas Doctors Hospital for treatment.
In his report Senior Supt. Fernando Villanueva, Bulacan police director, said that at 9:15 p.m. Miwa was on his way home walking along M. Galvez Street in Barangay Wawa when the robbers, one of them armed with a handgun, blocked his path and grabbed his bag.
When Japanese refused to let go of his bag, the armed robber shot him twice on the left leg.
Taken from Miwa was his bag containing P12,000 cash, ¥60,000, a JAL Visa card, a Citibank card, and his driver’s license.
The robbers fled on board a motorcycle. —Amita O. Legaspi/VS, GMANews.TV
NegrosOcc police ordered to raise initiatives vs bank robbery
Following the daylight robbery staged by two suspects at the Rural Bank of Barotac Viejo in Iloilo City last week, the Negros Occidental PNP leadership has ordered police chiefs in the province to intensify surveillance and monitoring of local banks.
Police Senior Supt. Manuel Felix, PNP Negros Occidental director, ordered police chiefs of the 31 cities and municipalities in the province to intensify anti-criminality initiatives including checkpoint and dragnet operations and police visibility.
Negros Occidental PNP spokesman Police Chief Inspector Rico Santotome Jr. said that field commanders told to rehearse anti-bank robbery operations to avoid a repeat of last week’s incident wherein robbers carted P1.5 million in cash from the Iloilo City rural bank on June 18.
In 2009, the police in Hinigaran town, with the help of bystanders, foiled a bank heist. The robbers were arrested, while two other accomplices were killed in a shootout with the police led by Senior Inspector Sonny Boy Bernus, who responded to the robbery in progress at the branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. —Carmela G. Lapeña/VS, GMANews.TV
Police Senior Supt. Manuel Felix, PNP Negros Occidental director, ordered police chiefs of the 31 cities and municipalities in the province to intensify anti-criminality initiatives including checkpoint and dragnet operations and police visibility.
Negros Occidental PNP spokesman Police Chief Inspector Rico Santotome Jr. said that field commanders told to rehearse anti-bank robbery operations to avoid a repeat of last week’s incident wherein robbers carted P1.5 million in cash from the Iloilo City rural bank on June 18.
In 2009, the police in Hinigaran town, with the help of bystanders, foiled a bank heist. The robbers were arrested, while two other accomplices were killed in a shootout with the police led by Senior Inspector Sonny Boy Bernus, who responded to the robbery in progress at the branch of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. —Carmela G. Lapeña/VS, GMANews.TV
Friday, June 11, 2010
Open Letter to GMA's Midnight Appointees
Open Letter to GMA’s Midnight Appointees
By Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO)+
The start of a new Presidency with a clear and legitimate mandate from our people is an opportunity to re-build and re-affirm our unity as a democracy. The need for unity is even more compelling now as our society emerges from 9 years of politics damaged by questions of the legitimacy of the outgoing Arroyo Administration. The midnight appointees of GMA are left-over seeds for our continued discord, sown by an exiting president who apparently does not care for our people’s united effort to move forward with their new leader.
Yet, these midnight appointees do not have to accept these very questionable appointments that would pressure the new administration to uproot them. We note with admiration the fine example of GMA manicurist Anita Carpon who was reported to have declined her midnight appointment to the Board of the Pag-IBIG Fund. The delicadeza evident in the restraint of a simple manicurist is a modest but much appreciated contribution to our people’s unity behind the new administration.
We therefore appeal to all midnight appointees of GMA to rise to the level of Ms. Carpon by voluntarily resigning from the posts to which they were appointed starting March this year, without prejudice to the new President re-appointing those among them who are qualified. Doing so shall demonstrate their good-faith intention to serve our people honourably and well. Refusing to do so would put into question their patriotism and ability to function in their posts with any degree of effectiveness.
We ask all midnight appointees to help the Filipino people and the incoming administration focus on the many grave problems of the nation. Please relieve the Aquino government of the added burden of having to seek ways to enforce the constitutional mandate against your midnight appointments. We ask those who remain honourable among these midnight appointees to seriously consider becoming part of the solution by resigning, rather than remaining part of the problem by ignoring this appeal.
Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO)
Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)
Makati Business Club (MBC)
US Pinoys for Good Governance
References:
Karina Constantino David
Former Chair, Civil Service Commission
Isagani Cruz
Former Undersecretary, Department of Education
Angelito Banayo
Former Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs
Nixon Kua
Former General Manager, Philippine Tourism Authority
By Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO)+
The start of a new Presidency with a clear and legitimate mandate from our people is an opportunity to re-build and re-affirm our unity as a democracy. The need for unity is even more compelling now as our society emerges from 9 years of politics damaged by questions of the legitimacy of the outgoing Arroyo Administration. The midnight appointees of GMA are left-over seeds for our continued discord, sown by an exiting president who apparently does not care for our people’s united effort to move forward with their new leader.
Yet, these midnight appointees do not have to accept these very questionable appointments that would pressure the new administration to uproot them. We note with admiration the fine example of GMA manicurist Anita Carpon who was reported to have declined her midnight appointment to the Board of the Pag-IBIG Fund. The delicadeza evident in the restraint of a simple manicurist is a modest but much appreciated contribution to our people’s unity behind the new administration.
We therefore appeal to all midnight appointees of GMA to rise to the level of Ms. Carpon by voluntarily resigning from the posts to which they were appointed starting March this year, without prejudice to the new President re-appointing those among them who are qualified. Doing so shall demonstrate their good-faith intention to serve our people honourably and well. Refusing to do so would put into question their patriotism and ability to function in their posts with any degree of effectiveness.
We ask all midnight appointees to help the Filipino people and the incoming administration focus on the many grave problems of the nation. Please relieve the Aquino government of the added burden of having to seek ways to enforce the constitutional mandate against your midnight appointments. We ask those who remain honourable among these midnight appointees to seriously consider becoming part of the solution by resigning, rather than remaining part of the problem by ignoring this appeal.
Former Senior Government Officials (FSGO)
Management Association of the Philippines (MAP)
Makati Business Club (MBC)
US Pinoys for Good Governance
References:
Karina Constantino David
Former Chair, Civil Service Commission
Isagani Cruz
Former Undersecretary, Department of Education
Angelito Banayo
Former Presidential Adviser on Political Affairs
Nixon Kua
Former General Manager, Philippine Tourism Authority
Aquino urged to seize coco levy fund from Uncle Danding
MANILA, Philippines - Militant group Anakpawis challenged incoming President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to make good on his promise to fight corruption and fast-track the recovery of the coco levy fund from his uncle, businessman Eduardo "Danding" Cojuanco.
Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano said it was high time for Aquino to focus on resolving the decade-old issue involving the multibillion-peso coco levy fund that coconut farmers have yet to benefit from.
Mariano feared that Cojuanco, who was accused of purchasing shares in diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp. through coco levy over 2 decades ago, would attempt to use his clout to evade charges and secure sweetheart deals.
But Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Commissioner Ricardo Abcede said it was not fair to put the responsibility of recovering the coco levy fund on the shoulders of Aquino, since the decision on the case was up to the Supreme Court.
The PCGG is the government agency tasked to oversee assets sequestered from late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his allies, including Cojuanco.
Abcede said it was the Supreme Court that should speed up the resolution of the string of coco levy-related cases.
The moment a decision is made, he said, Aquino may now step into the picture and decide how best to use the money.
Abcede noted that President Arroyo's original plan for the coco levy fund was to put in in a foundation that would benefit some 18 million coconut farmers in the country.
-Zen Hernandez
Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano said it was high time for Aquino to focus on resolving the decade-old issue involving the multibillion-peso coco levy fund that coconut farmers have yet to benefit from.
Mariano feared that Cojuanco, who was accused of purchasing shares in diversifying conglomerate San Miguel Corp. through coco levy over 2 decades ago, would attempt to use his clout to evade charges and secure sweetheart deals.
But Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) Commissioner Ricardo Abcede said it was not fair to put the responsibility of recovering the coco levy fund on the shoulders of Aquino, since the decision on the case was up to the Supreme Court.
The PCGG is the government agency tasked to oversee assets sequestered from late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his allies, including Cojuanco.
Abcede said it was the Supreme Court that should speed up the resolution of the string of coco levy-related cases.
The moment a decision is made, he said, Aquino may now step into the picture and decide how best to use the money.
Abcede noted that President Arroyo's original plan for the coco levy fund was to put in in a foundation that would benefit some 18 million coconut farmers in the country.
-Zen Hernandez
Comelec still prefers PCOS for 2013 polls
Despite the problems encountered by the voting machines in the recent automated elections, a Commission on Elections (Comelec) official on Thursday said he would still prefer the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines to be used in the 2013 polls.
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Lararazabal said it would be better to use the PCOS machines because the voters are already familiar with them.
"The system is ideal for 2013. Personally PCOS would be (better)... people are already informed, they already know how to vote," he told reporters in an interview.
He said the only thing that would probably change are the size of the font and ovals on the ballot. The country used 25-inch ballots in the May polls, which were fed to PCOS units that counted and transmitted the results to different servers.
The consortium of Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) provided the Philippines with 82,200 voting machines and other technologies needed for automating the polls for the price of P7.2 billion.
But a few days before the elections, some machines failed to read votes accurately, forcing Smartmatic to pull out and replace the compact flash cards of all the voting machines deployed all over the country.
Larrazabal admitted that the technology was far from being perfect, but “it heralded a new era of elections in the country."
The commissioner noted, however, that the choice of what technology to use in 2013 will still have to be determined by the en banc.
On the other hand, he said that the poll body would welcome a law that would require all voters to have biometrics. "We need biometrics [because] this will allow [the Comelec] to really cleanse the voters' list," he said.
Larrazabal said they are planning on commissioning an independent evaluation of the automated elections, as well as on starting their voter education projects earlier. - Kimberly Jane Tan
Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Lararazabal said it would be better to use the PCOS machines because the voters are already familiar with them.
"The system is ideal for 2013. Personally PCOS would be (better)... people are already informed, they already know how to vote," he told reporters in an interview.
He said the only thing that would probably change are the size of the font and ovals on the ballot. The country used 25-inch ballots in the May polls, which were fed to PCOS units that counted and transmitted the results to different servers.
The consortium of Smartmatic-Total Information Management (TIM) provided the Philippines with 82,200 voting machines and other technologies needed for automating the polls for the price of P7.2 billion.
But a few days before the elections, some machines failed to read votes accurately, forcing Smartmatic to pull out and replace the compact flash cards of all the voting machines deployed all over the country.
Larrazabal admitted that the technology was far from being perfect, but “it heralded a new era of elections in the country."
The commissioner noted, however, that the choice of what technology to use in 2013 will still have to be determined by the en banc.
On the other hand, he said that the poll body would welcome a law that would require all voters to have biometrics. "We need biometrics [because] this will allow [the Comelec] to really cleanse the voters' list," he said.
Larrazabal said they are planning on commissioning an independent evaluation of the automated elections, as well as on starting their voter education projects earlier. - Kimberly Jane Tan
2 senators urge Comelec to correct PCOS defects before next use in 2013 polls
Two senators on Friday urged the Commission on Elections to first thoroughly review the automated election system employed in the May 10 elections and correct all the defects before deciding to use precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in the next polls.
"Before Comelec uses PCOS again, all defects must be corrected first. Otherwise we will used as guinea pigs again," Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said in a text message to GMANews.TV.
Pimentel said the automated election system (AES) used in the recent polls left a long trail of deficiencies that must be cured if the next elections will be automated again.
However, he hastened to add that such automation glitches did not suffice to nullify the electoral exercise.
In a separate text message, Senator Francis Escudero said it is more prudent to finish all post-election review and analysis to improve the AES before using it again.
“I am sure that it can still be improved a lot more. It was surely better than manual but with many imperfections. These imperfections must be weeded out before deciding to use it again," he said.
On Thursday, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Lararazabal said it would be better to use the PCOS machines because the voters are already familiar with them.
Pimentel, in a press statement issued Friday, said the PCOS machines were not completely reliable and were tainted by certain anomalies.
He decried that voters were denied the right to know how and if the votes they had cast for their chosen candidates were duly recorded by the PCOS machines.
“The paper trail that I, as a lawmaker, was assured would be available for that purpose, never materialized in any of the election machines used all over the country. All that came out of the PCOS machines was an inane, silly and childish message that said: ‘Congratulations! You have successfully voted’," he said.
These observations and evaluations on the conduct of the automated polls were contained in Pimentel’s report as a member of the joint committee of the l4th Congress that canvassed the votes for the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Pimentel noted that there were several certificates of canvass electronically sent to the national canvassing and consolidation server (CCS) that contained data errors. Strictly speaking, he said, those mistakes should have resulted in the nullification of the votes enumerated in the certificates.
Citing the analyses of information technology experts, he said the errors and deficiencies of the AES could be blamed on the lack or the disabling of safeguards that should have been built into the PCOS machines, as required by the AES law.
For instance, he said that the Philippine Computer Society found out that a number of devices or “compensating controls" were not installed in the voting machines to enable them to function with a 99.995-percent accuracy.
These compensating controls were listed down by the U.S.-based Systest Lab which tested the PCOS machines, and were supposedly certified by a technical evaluation committee of the Commission on Elections.
“Small wonder that Ambassador Tita de Villa, head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) reported to the Joint National Canvassing Board that on the average the errors recorded by the PCOS machines was .007 percent, not .005 percent that was demanded by the contract between Smartmatic, the PCOS machines provider and the Comelec, the government agency in charge of ensuring orderly, clean and honest automated elections in the country," Pimentel said.
Commenting on the erroneous dates on the closure of the polls inscribed on some COCs transmitted to Congress, Pimentel said this indicated that the PCOS machines could have been tampered with or that the machines simply committed errors that corrupted the documents.
For example, he said that in Bacolod City, copies of the canvass reports from precincts in the city stated that the polls closed on Jan. l8, 2010. In Manila, there were election returns that bore the dates April 28, May 4 and May 9, indicating they were prepared and transmitted even before elections were held.
Pimentel cited the interpretation of Philippine Computer Society director Edmundo Casino on the inaccurate date and time stamped on the election returns:
“The only plausible explanation for this (anomaly) is that some cloned or similar PCOS device were used for scanning counterfeit ballots printed elsewhere in some clandestine areas so that the erroneous number of votes of the candidates for local or national positions on the dates and times shown in the election returns were recorded and captured as if they were genuinely ‘original’ in the compact flash memory card. And possibly during election day, the CF card bearing the pre-scanned and pre-counted results could have been switched with unused and real CF card."
Pimentel also criticized the Comelec and Smartmatic for the following missteps:
1. The arbitrary removal of security safeguards like the digital signatures of the members of the Board of Election Inspectors, which were supposed to accompany the electronically-sent canvass reports from the provinces and the cities.
2. The disabling of the ultraviolet (UV) reader in the PCOS machines intended for detecting security markings in the official ballots.
3. The non-obligatory use of 76,000 portable UV lamps that were purchased at a cost of P30 million.
4. The non-audit of CF cards which contained instructions for the PCOS machines to read entries in the ballots.
5. The failure or delay in conducting random manual audit of election results as mandated by the AES law.
6. The failure to follow a ladderized system for transmitting election results.
"Before Comelec uses PCOS again, all defects must be corrected first. Otherwise we will used as guinea pigs again," Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said in a text message to GMANews.TV.
Pimentel said the automated election system (AES) used in the recent polls left a long trail of deficiencies that must be cured if the next elections will be automated again.
However, he hastened to add that such automation glitches did not suffice to nullify the electoral exercise.
In a separate text message, Senator Francis Escudero said it is more prudent to finish all post-election review and analysis to improve the AES before using it again.
“I am sure that it can still be improved a lot more. It was surely better than manual but with many imperfections. These imperfections must be weeded out before deciding to use it again," he said.
On Thursday, Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Lararazabal said it would be better to use the PCOS machines because the voters are already familiar with them.
Pimentel, in a press statement issued Friday, said the PCOS machines were not completely reliable and were tainted by certain anomalies.
He decried that voters were denied the right to know how and if the votes they had cast for their chosen candidates were duly recorded by the PCOS machines.
“The paper trail that I, as a lawmaker, was assured would be available for that purpose, never materialized in any of the election machines used all over the country. All that came out of the PCOS machines was an inane, silly and childish message that said: ‘Congratulations! You have successfully voted’," he said.
These observations and evaluations on the conduct of the automated polls were contained in Pimentel’s report as a member of the joint committee of the l4th Congress that canvassed the votes for the presidential and vice presidential candidates.
Pimentel noted that there were several certificates of canvass electronically sent to the national canvassing and consolidation server (CCS) that contained data errors. Strictly speaking, he said, those mistakes should have resulted in the nullification of the votes enumerated in the certificates.
Citing the analyses of information technology experts, he said the errors and deficiencies of the AES could be blamed on the lack or the disabling of safeguards that should have been built into the PCOS machines, as required by the AES law.
For instance, he said that the Philippine Computer Society found out that a number of devices or “compensating controls" were not installed in the voting machines to enable them to function with a 99.995-percent accuracy.
These compensating controls were listed down by the U.S.-based Systest Lab which tested the PCOS machines, and were supposedly certified by a technical evaluation committee of the Commission on Elections.
“Small wonder that Ambassador Tita de Villa, head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) reported to the Joint National Canvassing Board that on the average the errors recorded by the PCOS machines was .007 percent, not .005 percent that was demanded by the contract between Smartmatic, the PCOS machines provider and the Comelec, the government agency in charge of ensuring orderly, clean and honest automated elections in the country," Pimentel said.
Commenting on the erroneous dates on the closure of the polls inscribed on some COCs transmitted to Congress, Pimentel said this indicated that the PCOS machines could have been tampered with or that the machines simply committed errors that corrupted the documents.
For example, he said that in Bacolod City, copies of the canvass reports from precincts in the city stated that the polls closed on Jan. l8, 2010. In Manila, there were election returns that bore the dates April 28, May 4 and May 9, indicating they were prepared and transmitted even before elections were held.
Pimentel cited the interpretation of Philippine Computer Society director Edmundo Casino on the inaccurate date and time stamped on the election returns:
“The only plausible explanation for this (anomaly) is that some cloned or similar PCOS device were used for scanning counterfeit ballots printed elsewhere in some clandestine areas so that the erroneous number of votes of the candidates for local or national positions on the dates and times shown in the election returns were recorded and captured as if they were genuinely ‘original’ in the compact flash memory card. And possibly during election day, the CF card bearing the pre-scanned and pre-counted results could have been switched with unused and real CF card."
Pimentel also criticized the Comelec and Smartmatic for the following missteps:
1. The arbitrary removal of security safeguards like the digital signatures of the members of the Board of Election Inspectors, which were supposed to accompany the electronically-sent canvass reports from the provinces and the cities.
2. The disabling of the ultraviolet (UV) reader in the PCOS machines intended for detecting security markings in the official ballots.
3. The non-obligatory use of 76,000 portable UV lamps that were purchased at a cost of P30 million.
4. The non-audit of CF cards which contained instructions for the PCOS machines to read entries in the ballots.
5. The failure or delay in conducting random manual audit of election results as mandated by the AES law.
6. The failure to follow a ladderized system for transmitting election results.
DOJ absolves Revillame from ULTRA stampede
MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Alberto Agra affirmed Friday a previous justice department decision absolving Willie Revillame from the ULTRA stampede.
Agra said he found no reason to reverse the decision since Revillame had no direct or indirect participation in the stampede being the show's host.
He said there there was no "proximate cause" in being the program's host.
Part of the Agra resolution read: "This resolves the motion for reconsideration filed by private complainants of this department's resolution promulgated on Aug. 22, 2007 (resolution no. 575 series of 2007) in the above-captioned case, dismissing the complaint against respondent Wilfredo Revillame and directing the chief state prosecutor to move for his exclusion from the informations for reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and serious physical injuries."
"After a careful examination of the motion and the records of this case, we find no cogent reason to alter or modify, much less reverse, our findings. The grounds raised in the instant motion were already duly considered and passed upon in the resolution sought to be reconsidered," it added.
The decision is final since it is already in response to a motion for reconsideration filed by relatives of the victims.
The victims, however, can still file before the Court of Appeals as another option.
Revillame, meanwhile, thanked the DOJ for dismissing the case, according to Revillame's lawyer, Atty. Dexter Lacuanan.
The February 4, 2006 stampede occurred after hundreds of families pushed their way into the ULTRA stadium to attend the first anniversary of Revillame's show "Wowowee." A total of 71 people were killed and 300 more were injured during the stampede.
Charges of reckless imprudence resulting in multiple homicide and physical injuries were filed against Revillame, which was later dismissed.
W. Visayas' dengue record: 1,647 cases with 5 deaths
MANILA, Philippines – The regional health department in Western Visayas has raised the alarm on dengue fever as it has already recorded more than 1,500 cases in the last 5 months.
The regional health department said a total of 1,647 cases of dengue have been reported from January to June 10 of this year.
It said that the number of cases may increase with the onset of the rainy season.
Based on records of the regional health department, Negros Occidental has the most number of dengue cases with 522 victims and 2 deaths followed by Iloilo province with 126 dengue victims and also 2 deaths.
Third on the list is the province of Capiz with 301 dengue cases with 1 death.
Bacolod City on the other hand has 266 cases, followed by Iloilo City with 126 dengue cases, Aklan with 92 cases and with 1 death.
Meanwhile, Guimaras has 16 dengue cases and Antique has 13 cases.
The health department advises the public to take precautionary measures to avoid dengue.
The Department of Health has said that the most effective way to fight dengue is to implement the 4 S -- Search and destroy the breeding grounds of mosquitoes, Self-protection measures, Seek early medical consultation, and Say no to indiscriminate fogging.
The DOH will spearhead a 5-kilometer run on June 20 to increase the public’s awareness on dengue.
- Joyce Clavecillas, ABS-CBN Iloilo
Negros dengue cases up 148% in 1st 5 months of 2010
Barely had the rainy season started in the Philippines when health authorities reported a 148-percent rise in dengue cases in Negros Occidental in Western Visayas in the first five months of 2010.
Provincial Health Officer Luisa Efren said at least one dengue-related death from Jan. 1 to May 29 has been recorded, according to a report on Visayan Daily Star Friday.
Efren said there were 463 cases from Jan. 1 to May 29, compared to only 187 in the same period last year.
She did not identify the "lone" dengue fatality but described the patient as being from Himamaylan City, and that the patient died from dengue shock at the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City.
Efren noted there were three deaths in the province during the same period last year.
The report also identified the top five dengue-hit areas this year as Silay City with 76 cases, Cadiz City 59, Sagay City 50, Escalante City 28, and Bago City 28.
Municipalities and cities that also have recorded dengue cases are Manapla with 28, La Carlota City 23, Victorias City 23, Talisay City 20, E.B. Magalona 16, Calatrava 14, San Carlos City 14, and Toboso 12.
Other cities and towns that have less than 10 cases are Kabankalan City with 8, Himamaylan City 7, Isabela 6, Hinoba-an 5, Ilog 5, Moises Padilla 5, Murcia 5, Candoni 4, Cauayan 4, Hinigaran 4, Sipalay City with 4, Don Salvador Benedicto 3, La Castellana 3, San Enrique 3, Pontevedra 2, Pulupandan 2, Valladolid 1, and Binalbagan 1.
Iloilo dengue cases
Last May 29, health authorities reported they were also monitoring a dengue outbreak in a town in Iloilo province, also in Western Visayas.
A report on Iloilo-based news site The News Today said the supposed outbreak took place in Tubungan town.
The provincial health office sent an Epidemiologic Surveillance Unit (ESU) to verify initial information showing the outbreak was in the town’s Cadapdap village.
Information received by the health authorities showed at least 15 residents in the village had been affected.
The report quoted Provincial health office assistant chief Ma. Socorro Quiñon as saying, “An area with highest number of reported dengue cases is not a good indication," adding that at four deaths has been recorded in the province since January 2010. The deaths were in the towns of Guimbal, Oton, Pototan and one component city of Passi.
From January to June 10 last year, 286 dengue cases were already recorded in the province.
Meanwhile, Quiñon said they are expecting the number of dengue cases to increase during the rainy season. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV
Provincial Health Officer Luisa Efren said at least one dengue-related death from Jan. 1 to May 29 has been recorded, according to a report on Visayan Daily Star Friday.
Efren said there were 463 cases from Jan. 1 to May 29, compared to only 187 in the same period last year.
She did not identify the "lone" dengue fatality but described the patient as being from Himamaylan City, and that the patient died from dengue shock at the Lorenzo D. Zayco District Hospital in Kabankalan City.
Efren noted there were three deaths in the province during the same period last year.
The report also identified the top five dengue-hit areas this year as Silay City with 76 cases, Cadiz City 59, Sagay City 50, Escalante City 28, and Bago City 28.
Municipalities and cities that also have recorded dengue cases are Manapla with 28, La Carlota City 23, Victorias City 23, Talisay City 20, E.B. Magalona 16, Calatrava 14, San Carlos City 14, and Toboso 12.
Other cities and towns that have less than 10 cases are Kabankalan City with 8, Himamaylan City 7, Isabela 6, Hinoba-an 5, Ilog 5, Moises Padilla 5, Murcia 5, Candoni 4, Cauayan 4, Hinigaran 4, Sipalay City with 4, Don Salvador Benedicto 3, La Castellana 3, San Enrique 3, Pontevedra 2, Pulupandan 2, Valladolid 1, and Binalbagan 1.
Iloilo dengue cases
Last May 29, health authorities reported they were also monitoring a dengue outbreak in a town in Iloilo province, also in Western Visayas.
A report on Iloilo-based news site The News Today said the supposed outbreak took place in Tubungan town.
The provincial health office sent an Epidemiologic Surveillance Unit (ESU) to verify initial information showing the outbreak was in the town’s Cadapdap village.
Information received by the health authorities showed at least 15 residents in the village had been affected.
The report quoted Provincial health office assistant chief Ma. Socorro Quiñon as saying, “An area with highest number of reported dengue cases is not a good indication," adding that at four deaths has been recorded in the province since January 2010. The deaths were in the towns of Guimbal, Oton, Pototan and one component city of Passi.
From January to June 10 last year, 286 dengue cases were already recorded in the province.
Meanwhile, Quiñon said they are expecting the number of dengue cases to increase during the rainy season. — LBG/RSJ, GMANews.TV
'Father Cool' gets a surprise party from Pinoys
THE HAGUE - A Dutch pastor dubbed as “Father Cool” by the international community in The Hague received a big surprise from Filipinos and expatriates.
Father Sjaak de Boer has been serving for 13 years as pastor of the Church of Our Saviour, the English-speaking church of Filipinos in The Hague.
Because the international community loves “Father Cool” so much, they gave him a big party for his 50th birthday, which the Dutch calls Abraham.
“He’s the longest priest that we ever had since I joined the parish so ibig sabihin he has really contributed a lot to the growth of the parish and that’s the reason why we are all very grateful to his leadership,” said Manuelito Tomas, who has been going to the same church for 26 years now.
Fr. Sjaak has a very strong charisma and his cool style is embraced by people of all ages.
“I try to talk about things that matter in the world so that they can identify themselves with what’s going on. I try to connect faith to solidarity and spirituality to something that gives hope and has meaning. Then the prayer, the heart, the hands, the head, they go together,” Fr. Sjaak said.
His Mass is so unique that every Sunday, the church is always jam-packed.
“It’s good to include as many people as you can [in the Mass] so it’s not just the priest and altar servers but it’s also many groups, many volunteers so everybody feels this celebration is their celebration, that they’re not just looking at it, they’re participating in it,” said Fr. Sjaak.
Many Filipinos are inspired to join and be active in the church service like Ernie Pineda. Since 1992, Pineda has been assisting in the Mass every Sunday.
“Matulungin siya [Father Sjaak], kahit anong kailangan mo palagi siyang nasa sa iyo, spiritual or whatever, nandyan siya kaya mahal siya ng tao,” Pineda said.
But the Pinoys, too, are very close to the priest’s heart.
“They eat well, they cook well, they like to party, and it’s all good Catholic living,” said Fr. Sjaak.
He regards the Filipinos as a big gift to the international community because of their never-ending service and undying dedication to the Church.
“The Filipino people take with them all over the world that gentle atmosphere of their country, the music and their faith, which is contagious,” he said.
The priest hopes that with the help of Pinoys and expats, he will be able to maintain his mission of making Christ visible to the world.
- Loui Galicia, ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau
Pinoy anti-graft lawyer gets Harvard award for excellence, leadership
A Filipino lawyer received an award for academic excellence and leadership from the prestigious Harvard University in the United States late last month.
Lawyer Gerard Mosquera received the 2010 Lucius N. Littauer Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government last May 25.
“I plan to continue to do work that will help fight corruption, promote transparency and accountability, and improve governance, either in government or as an active member of the civil society," Mosquera said after receiving the award.
The award is the highest recognition given by the Harvard Kennedy School for exemplary academic achievement, public service and leadership.
Mosquera holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and was at the top five percent of Harvard Kennedy School’s Class of 2010, with 577 students from 80 countries.
Mosquera, a native of General Santos City, made a name for himself in anti-corruption work.
Since 2005, he has served as Chief of Party of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s anti-corruption program in Timor-Leste.
He also served as technical adviser for anti-corruption to the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor.
In the Philippines, he briefly served as Director in the Office of the Ombudsman.
Mosquera placed second in the 1992 Bar Examinations, and holds a Masters of Law degree from Kings College London and graduated with honors from the Ateneo School of Law.
He once served as Integrated Bar of the Philippines chapter president for General Santos City and South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces.
He has four children with wife Myra. — LBG, GMANews.TV
Lawyer Gerard Mosquera received the 2010 Lucius N. Littauer Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government last May 25.
“I plan to continue to do work that will help fight corruption, promote transparency and accountability, and improve governance, either in government or as an active member of the civil society," Mosquera said after receiving the award.
The award is the highest recognition given by the Harvard Kennedy School for exemplary academic achievement, public service and leadership.
Mosquera holds a Masters degree in Public Administration and was at the top five percent of Harvard Kennedy School’s Class of 2010, with 577 students from 80 countries.
Mosquera, a native of General Santos City, made a name for himself in anti-corruption work.
Since 2005, he has served as Chief of Party of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)'s anti-corruption program in Timor-Leste.
He also served as technical adviser for anti-corruption to the United Nations Mission of Support in East Timor.
In the Philippines, he briefly served as Director in the Office of the Ombudsman.
Mosquera placed second in the 1992 Bar Examinations, and holds a Masters of Law degree from Kings College London and graduated with honors from the Ateneo School of Law.
He once served as Integrated Bar of the Philippines chapter president for General Santos City and South Cotabato and Sarangani provinces.
He has four children with wife Myra. — LBG, GMANews.TV
Govt, MILF to continue peace talks under next admin
The Philippine government and Moro rebel negotiators agreed Thursday to continue talks to end the decades-long separatist rebellion in the country's troubled south after President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo steps down later this month.
In their final meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the current government peace panel and representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a declaration to pursue a political settlement, a Philippine foreign affairs official said.
Congress is expected next week to officially proclaim opposition Senator Benigno Aquino III, the son of the country's democracy icons, as Arroyo's successor after last month's national elections.
The official ballot count shows that Aquino could win as president by a landslide. Arroyo, who has been president since 2001, is to step down on June 30.
"Today, we put closure to this stage of the peace negotiations with a clear statement by both parties that we will preserve our gains and accomplishments, and work our best for the continuation of the talks," Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, the chief government peace negotiator, said in a statement.
The Kuala Lumpur declaration "will provide a smooth transition to the next administration," Seguis said.
The two sides welcomed the participation of the European Union in the International Monitoring Team, which monitors the cease-fire, and the involvement of Norway as the newest team member.
Malaysia has been brokering the talks since they began in 1997.
The declaration said the negotiators also discussed "new formulas" that will respond to the aspirations of Muslims for a just peace and self-governance.
Arroyo's administration failed to seal a preliminary peace pact after it was opposed by Christian politicians in 2008. The Supreme Court declared the pact unconstitutional, sparking fierce fighting that killed hundreds and displaced about 750,000 people. A cease-fire has taken hold since then.
Aquino has said he will restart talks with the rebels and will consult all affected groups, including Christian politicians, to ensure acceptance of any peace pact.
The rebels have congratulated Aquino on his expected victory, saying in an editorial on their website last month that he deserved "the admiration of all" for a near-impossible feat of having the winning edge in the elections even though he decided late to enter the presidential race.
"Noynoy is surely a good man, but as president, it remains to be seen," the rebels said, calling Aquino by his nickname.
They praised his late parents — the late President Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983 on his return from exile to unite the opposition against then dictator Ferdinand Marcos — for supporting the cause of minority Muslims.
In their final meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, the current government peace panel and representatives of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front signed a declaration to pursue a political settlement, a Philippine foreign affairs official said.
Congress is expected next week to officially proclaim opposition Senator Benigno Aquino III, the son of the country's democracy icons, as Arroyo's successor after last month's national elections.
The official ballot count shows that Aquino could win as president by a landslide. Arroyo, who has been president since 2001, is to step down on June 30.
"Today, we put closure to this stage of the peace negotiations with a clear statement by both parties that we will preserve our gains and accomplishments, and work our best for the continuation of the talks," Foreign Undersecretary Rafael Seguis, the chief government peace negotiator, said in a statement.
The Kuala Lumpur declaration "will provide a smooth transition to the next administration," Seguis said.
The two sides welcomed the participation of the European Union in the International Monitoring Team, which monitors the cease-fire, and the involvement of Norway as the newest team member.
Malaysia has been brokering the talks since they began in 1997.
The declaration said the negotiators also discussed "new formulas" that will respond to the aspirations of Muslims for a just peace and self-governance.
Arroyo's administration failed to seal a preliminary peace pact after it was opposed by Christian politicians in 2008. The Supreme Court declared the pact unconstitutional, sparking fierce fighting that killed hundreds and displaced about 750,000 people. A cease-fire has taken hold since then.
Aquino has said he will restart talks with the rebels and will consult all affected groups, including Christian politicians, to ensure acceptance of any peace pact.
The rebels have congratulated Aquino on his expected victory, saying in an editorial on their website last month that he deserved "the admiration of all" for a near-impossible feat of having the winning edge in the elections even though he decided late to enter the presidential race.
"Noynoy is surely a good man, but as president, it remains to be seen," the rebels said, calling Aquino by his nickname.
They praised his late parents — the late President Corazon Aquino and Benigno Aquino Jr., who was assassinated in 1983 on his return from exile to unite the opposition against then dictator Ferdinand Marcos — for supporting the cause of minority Muslims.
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