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Vol. 3. No. 15
LOS ANGELES
A Balita Media Publication
Wednesday - Tuesday, Dec. 25-31, 2013
Don’t let PHL become a ‘forgotten crisis’: UN chief MANILA, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on donor nations Sunday to ramp up aid to typhoon-battered Philippines as it grapples with a funding shortfall on the long road to recovery. “We must not allow this to be another forgotten crisis,” Ban told reporters a day after touring the storm-ravaged city of Tacloban. He said the UN had only achieved 30 percent of the $791 million in aid it had appealed for to boost relief and rehabilitation efforts in areas devastated by Super Typhoon Haiyan last month. “I am appealing (to) the donor community, to speed up, scale up their support,” Ban said, adding that he had met with the ambassadors of key donor countries in Manila on Sunday. He said he was deeply moved and inspired by his visit to Tacloban on Saturday, where despite the many challenges “people are working hard to recover”.
Ban acknowledged some bottlenecks in relief efforts in the immediate aftermath of the typhoon owing to logistical challenges in reaching remote central Philippine islands impacted by the typhoon. However, he said the UN stood firm in its commitment to help the Philippines as it lays out an ambitious plan to rebuild storm battered areas. Super Typhoon Haiyan walloped the central Philippines on November 8, triggering giant tsunami-like waves that swallowed entire communities. The typhoon, one of the strongest ever to hit land, left 6,102 people dead and 1,779 others missing, according to a government tally. Ravaging an area the size of Portugal, it inflicted $12.9 billion in damage and left 4.4 million people homeless. The Philippine government said it would need $8.17 billion over four years in a massive rebuilding effort.
President Benigno S. Aquino III bids farewell to United Nations (UN) Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon at the Malacañan Palace Grounds after the courtesy call on Saturday (December 21, 2013). The UN Chief is also scheduled to visit communities that were devastated by super typhoon Yolanda in Tacloban City, one of the areas hit hardest by the super typhoon when it made landfall in the Visayas and Southern Luzon last November 08, 2013. (MNS photo)
DOJ-NBI task force to probe Enrile, CEZA on Miriam’s allegations
President Benigno S. Aquino III, accompanied by Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff General Emmanuel Bautista, inspects the troops during the 78th AFP Founding Anniversary at the AFP General Headquarters Grandstand in Camp General Emilio Aguinaldo, Quezon City on Friday (December 20). This year’s theme is: “Tagumpay Noon, Bayanihan Ngayon, Karangalan Nating Lahat Bukas”. (MNS photo)
PNoy: PHL to buy more planes, ships, choppers for military MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) -The government will be acquiring more ships, choppers, and cargo planes for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), President Benigno Aquino III said Friday. “Hindi na po manhid ang gobyerno sa pangangailangan ninyo. Ang tugon natin tuloytuloy na modernisasyon,” Aquino said during his speech at the AFP 78th founding anniversary celebration in Camp Aquinaldo. He specifically said that the Aquino administration will be purchasing two more C-130 cargo planes to add to the existing three
and two more naval helicopters in addition to the three they recently purchased worth P1.33 billion He also said that they will be adding more ships to BRP Gregorio del Pilar and BRP Ramon Alcaraz . “Malaki ang inaasahan sa ating mga kawal kaya naman marapat lang na bigyan kayo ng estado ng sapat na kapasidad upang tumugon sa inyong tungkulin,” he said. Aside from the new equipment, the President also assured soldiers that the government See CHOPPERS, page 10
Al-Qaeda apologizes for deadly Yemen hospital attack SANAA, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – A deadly Al-Qaeda attack this month on a Yemeni defense ministry hospital was a mistake and the jihadist network is ready to pay blood money, a top jihadist commander has said. The brazen daylight attack on the defense ministry complex on December 5 left 56 people dead, including patients and foreign medics from the Philippines, Germany, Vietnam and India. Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has already claimed responsibility for the attack and late Saturday its military chief said in an online video the assault on the hospital had not been authorized. “The attack was on the ministry of defense, it was not on the hospital,” said AQAP military commander Qassem al-Rimi. Rimi said the militants were told to stay away from the hospital and a prayer hall in the sprawling defense ministry complex, but that one lone jihadist disobeyed orders. “We told them (jihadists) to be cautious, not to enter the prayer place or the hospital. Eight of our brothers were cautious, and one did not. May Allah forgive him and have mercy on him,” said Rimi. AQAP admits its mistake and offers “apologies and condolences” and accepts “full responsibility” for the attack, including the paying See AL QAEDA, page 10
MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – The government formed a special joint task force to investigate Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago’s allegation against Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile involving an economic zone in Cagayan. In a statement Friday, the Department of Justice said the task force is jointly composed of seven members from the DOJ and its attached agency, the National Bureau of Investigation. Covered by the investigation are the supposed illegal gambling, illegal logging and illegal importation happening in the Cagayan
Economic Zone Authority (CEZA). According to the department, the task force will also look into alleged falsification of statement of assets, liabilities and net worth. “The special task force is mandated to evaluate the evidence gathered and recommend possible courses of action or legal processes including, but not limited to, the filing of the appropriate criminal complaints as the evidence may warrant for purposes of the conduct of the corresponding preliminary investigation, and request for investigation by the Anti-Money Laundering Council,”
the DOJ said. The probe will seek to determine civil liability for possible forfeiture of ill-gotten wealth, the DOJ said. Chaired by Justice Undersecretary Jose Justiniano, the special task force will have as members Assistant State Prosecutors Niven Canlapan and Nolibien Quiambao, State Counsel IV Adonis Sulit, and State Counsel I Charles Romulus Cambaliza. The task force members from the NBI are lawyers Jonathan Mengullo and Catherine CampoSee MIRIAM, page 10
Obama hopes for immigration reform in 2014 WASHINGTON, December 20, 2013 (AFP) – US President Barack Obama spent much of Friday’s lengthy press conference looking back at 2013, but he often returned to an issue he believes has a silver lining for the New Year: immigration. Calling comprehensive immigration reform “the biggest thing that I wanted to get done this year,” Obama said he saw potential for a major breakthrough in the months ahead, and suggested House Speaker John Boehner might be ready to move on a historic immigration overhaul. “There are indications in the
House that even though it did not get completed this year, that there is a commitment on the part of this speaker to try to move forward legislation early next year,” the president told reporters at the White House. “And the fact that it didn’t hit the timeline that I’d prefer is obviously frustrating, but it’s not something that I end up brooding a lot about,” he added. Obama said he hoped the sweeping bipartisan immigration bill that passed the Senate this year could soon form the basis for reform. “Let’s see if we can break through the politics on this,” he
said. Last June the Senate passed the most comprehensive rewrite of US immigration laws in a generation. The landmark bipartisan legislation would provide $46 billion in border security and overhaul the nation’s visa system to allow more high-tech and lowskilled workers. But House conservatives torpedoed it, arguing that the Senate plan of allowing the 11 million people living in the shadows to apply for US citizenship was tantamount to amnesty for illegal immigrants. While Boehner said the House would never vote on the See IMMIGRATION, page 10
Aquino signs P2.265-T ‘pork-less’ budget for 2014 MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – With more than a week before the end of the year, President Benigno Aquino III on Friday signed the P2.265-trillion budget for 2014 sans the controversial Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). At a ceremony in Malacañang, Aquino signed the 2014 General Appropriations Act, which is 13 percent or P258.7 billion higher than the current year’s budget. Of the P2.265-trillion budget, 37.2 percent (P841.8 billion) will go to social services; 26.2 percent (P593.1 billion) to economic services; 16.7 percent (P377.6 billion) to debt burden; 16 percent See PORK-LESS, page 10
President Benigno S. Aquino III signs into law Republic Act No. 10633, the Php 2.265-trillion General Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2014, in a ceremony at the Rizal Hall of the Malacañan Palace on Friday (December 20). Witnessing the ceremony are Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. and Representatives Pangalian Balindong, Maria Zenaida Angping, Cesar Sarmiento and Emil Ong. (MNS photo)
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Lawyer Raymond Fortun: I am real target of gunman who shot my wife MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – Lawyer Raymond Fortun believes he was the real target of the gunman who shot his wife in front of their house in Las PiĂąas City Thursday evening. “Hindi ako naniniwala na ang target dito ay yung misis ko. Yung misis ko ay napakabait na tao,â€? Fortun said. He was still wearing the shirt stained with his wife’s blood when he talked to reporters. “The only reason na mangyayari yung ganito is because some people are not pleased with what I do as a lawyer,â€? he added. Fortun is one of the legal counsels of the petitioners against the Aquino government’s controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP). He is also the lawyer of Angelito San Juan, the man who rented a Two Serendra condominium unit
damaged by the May 31 blast that killed four people. He is the younger brother of Atty. Sigrid Fortun, lawyer for some members of Ampatuan family who are currently detained for alleged involvement in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre of 58 people. The Fortun brothers were also members of the defense panel during the impeachment trial of former President and now Manila mayor Joseph Estrada. Fortun’s wife, Carole, is now in stable condition, the report said. Initial police reports indicate she was hit in her right cheek and the bullet exited through her nape. In a post on his Facebook page, Atty. Fortun said “the bullet missed my wife’s carotid artery by a couple of millimeters. No major blood vessels, bones or
Zambo town mayor, 3 others killed in NAIA 3 ambush MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – The mayor of Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur and three others were killed in an ambush at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 Friday morning. Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) General Manager Jose Angel Honrado said Mayor Ukol Talumpa and several others were shot at by unidentified gunmen at the loading bay area of NAIA 3 at 11:15 a.m., causing panic among the people at the terminal. Talumpa, his wife Lea, and two others, 25-year-old Saripuddin Talumpa and 18-month-old Philip Thomas Estuesta, were declared dead on arrival at the Vilamor Air Base Hospital. Four others were injured but Honrado refused to reveal their names. It was not yet established whether the four injured were included in Talumpa’s party. Honrado said Talumpa and his relatives arrived at the airport at around 10 a.m. He came from Zamboanga del Sur via Cebu Pacific flight 5J 852. He said witnesses are now coordinating with investigators. He also appealed to others who witnessed the shooting to come forward, as he admitted that no closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was installed to cover the site where the ambush incident occurred. The MIAA chief, however, said a cellphone video captured the ambush incident and investigators are set to examine it. Suspects wore police uniforms Chief Supt. Jose Erwin Villacorte, director of Southern Police District (SPD), said police checkpoints have been established with-
in 1.5-kilometer radius of the airport. Villacorte said they received reports that the gunmen were on board a motorcycle and were in police uniforms. “Magko-coordinate kami ng Aviation Security as to how the investigation will go. [There is] information na may riding-in-tandem in police uniform. Iyun ang information na aming na receive. Iyun ang aming ibinigay sa aming mga stations,� he said. Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) personnel are now processing the crime scene, where blood marks and the victims’ luggage were seen. The victim’s other relatives who were at the airport, meanwhile, refused to comment on the incident. Police are now investigating how the suspects managed to smuggle a firearm, said to be a .45-caliber pistol, inside the NAIA terminal. Previous attempts Today’s shooting, apparently, was not the first attempt on Talumpa’s life. Last September 19, 2012, a police officer escorting Talumpa, then vice-mayor of Labangan, was injured after an unidentified suspect hurled a grenade at the official’s vehicle. Authorities said the grenade exploded near Talumpa’s vehicle while it was parked outside a recruitment agency in San Pedro St., Pagadian City. Talumpa was inside the vehicle with his wife and another relative when the explosion occurred. PO1 Mohamad Mangumpara, who was still outside of the vehicle, was the only one hurt in the blast. Talumpa also escaped a slay try in Ermita, Manila in 2010. (MNS)
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facial nerves damaged.� He thanked friends for their prayers, and added: “Hopefully there would be no complications so I can bring Carole home for Christmas.� According to a witness, two men in a motorcycle passed near Mrs. Fortun’s car past 8 p.m. The victim, who had just attended a Mass, was getting off her vehicle when she was shot. “May nakatigil na motor at isang kotse. Yung motor nasa likod ng kotse, yung kotse ang target nila,� the witness said. “’Pag abante ko may narinig akong pumutok, nag U-turn ako pabalik, tinulungan ko si Mrs. Fortun,� the witness added. Seconds later, Atty. Fortun arrived and rushed his wife to the hospital. (MNS)
Taiwan woman in fatal Malaysia kidnapping returns home TAIPEI, December 21, 2013 (AFP) – A Taiwanese tourist whose husband was killed by gunmen in a kidnapping at a Malaysian island resort returned to Taiwan on Saturday after she was rescued in the southern Philippines. Television footage showed Chang An-wei, 58, dressed in a loose T-shirt and wearing sunglasses, walking to a minibus parked at an airport near Taipei after she arrived in the early afternoon, waving briefly to the media and giving a thumbsup sign. Local media said she is expected to go to a hospital in Taipei for medical check-ups later Saturday. Chang was found by Philippine marines at a village near Talipao, a town on the remote Philippine island of Jolo where Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants are known to operate, and was taken to a local military hospital for a medical check-up on Friday. “I think I just want to say I deeply appreciate the Philippine military for giving me such a big help and assistance to rescue me. Thank you very much,� Chang said in English in a pre-recorded message aired by several Taiwanese news channels on Saturday. Chang and her husband Hsu Li-min were holidaying on Pom Pom island in Sabah state, which is near the Sulu island group that includes Jolo, when gunmen attacked on November 15, kidnapping her and killing her husband, according to Taiwanese officials and media. Foreign ministry officials in Taiwan said that
Hsu’s body was cremated in Malaysia and that his family brought back his ashes to Taiwan last month. Taiwanese media said Chang’s family allegedly paid the kidnappers around $300,000 in ransom to secure her release. “She was not abused ... the kidnappers wanted money, not her life,� Chang’s brother Chang Takung told reporters. He declined to disclose any detail relating to the negotiations for her release. Philippine authorities said the identities of Chang’s kidnappers were unknown, though Abu Sayyaf gunmen who are known to carry out kidnappings operate in the area. A Jordanian television reporter, Bakr Atyani, walked free from a Jolo jungle earlier this month, 18 months after he was abducted by the Islamist militants. The Abu Sayyaf is a small Islamist movement that has been blamed for a string of terrorist attacks and kidnappings of foreigners in the Philippines. US Special Forces have been rotating through Jolo and other parts of the southern Philippines for more than a decade to train local troops battling the group, which is on Washington’s list of “foreign terrorist organisations�. Abu Sayyaf gunmen are believed still to hold a number of foreign as well as Filipino hostages on Jolo, including two European birdwatchers and a Japanese treasure hunter, according to Philippine officials.
Makati police official denies Binay aides were first to pull out firearms MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – One of the security guards of Makati City’s upscale DasmariĂąas Village was the first to pull out a firearm in the November 30 confrontation with Makati Mayor Junjun Binay’s bodyguards, the city’s highest ranking police official claimed Friday. Makati Police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban said Binay’s bodyguards only pulled out their firearms after one of the village’s security personnel brandished his shotgun. “Makikita rin sa video na masyadong na-focus sa security escort ni mayor, pero hindi masyadong na-emphasize kung bakit sila nagkasa. Kasi nga, ‘yung security guard ang unang naglabas ng shotgun,â€? he said. Video of the incident, which was first published on the Philippine Daily Inquirer website, shows Mayor Binay, son of Vice President Jejomar Binay, alighting from his vehicle and talking with the security guards who prevented his convoy from exiting through the village’s Banyan gate. For security reasons, the village does not allow vehicles to past through the gate past 10 p.m. However, in an Inquirer article on Thursday, the general manager of the DVA defended the security guards who barred the convoy of Binay. “The rules apply to everybody,â€? DVA general manager Mike Bucoy was quoted as saying in the report, stressing that the village has no VIP policy. Video In the video, one of Binay’s aides is seen bringing out a pistol and rifle, and then later handing the rifle to another bodyguard before apparently loading his pistol. The video appears to contradict public statements by Binay’s camp, which is seeking to downplay the incident. Lukban said Binay instructed his bodyguards not to engage in a gunfight, although he noted that it is natural for the mayor’s bodyguards to think about protecting him. “Ang iniisip ng kanyang mga security ay proteksyunan ang kanyang VIP,â€? Lukban said. “Kaya nilang i-bully ang security guard na ito, magmatigasan. Pero namagitan si Mayor Junjun, siya na ang namagitan, pumipigil sa kanyang security,â€? Lukban added. Courtesy While Lukban commended the security agency for its firm commitment to its standard protocol, he said they should have allowed Binay’s convoy to enter the village when the official’s presence have been verified. “Bagama’t tama ang ginawa nila dahil mayroon tayong standard procedure doon na huwag agad na maniniwala, sapat na sana ang makita nila for verification ang VIP,â€? he said, noting that the mayor’s sister, Senator Nancy Binay, was with him. “The fact na nakita na nila ‘yung tao, nagpakilala, nagpakumbaba si Mayor Binay, hindi pa rin pinadaan – siguro mali na ito,â€? Lukban added. “Kino-commend ko ang security agency dahil talagang may nangyayari, may nagkukunwari, gumagamit ng mga pangalan, gumagamit ng mga plate number, gumagamit ng high-quality na sasakyan, para gumawa ng kanilang sindikato,â€? he
explained. Lukban noted that courtesy should be given to VIP officials like the President, Vice President and local chief executives once their presence is verified. ‘Embarassment’ Lukban said the duties of a security guard do not only stop in protecting people. “Ang scope kasi ng security at ang trabaho ng security guard, hindi lang po natatapos sa pagbibigay proteksyon sa lugar at sa tao, ang pagbibigay ng security ay kasama na ang maiwasan ang pagbibigay ng embarassment lalo na sa mga sinasabi nating VIP,� he said. “So siguro sa bagay na ito, mayroon man tayong rulings, dapat hindi natin sila sabihing ganito kakitid ang utak namin, sarado. It’s a matter of fact of courtesy and not giving an embarassment to VIPs ng bansa natin,� Lukban added. He noted that the on-duty security guard should have asked the guidance of his higher-up if ever he had any doubts against the official. “Ang nakakalungkot lang dito sa parte ng security guard na napag-alaman natin, instead na kung talagang siya ay may doubt na si mayor siya, o hindi niya nakilala, hindi niya nagawang kumuha ng guidance sa kanyang higher superior,� he said. “Bakit ba tayo nagkakaroon ng ganitong seguridad? To prevent ‘yung mga intruder, ‘yung mga sindikato na sinasabi natin,� Lukban added. However, Lukban said police have no authority over security agencies to require them to give courtesy to high officials. “We don’t have the authority to require them, but we can explain to them itong courtesy na pwede nating ibigay,� he said. (MNS)
DOH reports 1st firecrackerrelated injury this year MANILA, Dec. 22 (Mabuhay) – A nine yearold boy from Tondo, Manila is the first firecracker-related victim this year, the Department of Health (DOH) reported Sunday. Assistant Health Secretary, Dr. Eric Tayag said via Twitter that the boy sustained injuries, without mentioning any specific site for the wound, from using piccolo, a scratchbanger type firecracker. The DOH stated the piccolo is among the firecrackers where the most injuries resulted from. In the same day last year (Dec. 22, 2012), there were seven injuries recorded in the same period. According to the DOH, the number of firecracker-related injuries have reduced by eight percent from 2,021 cases in 2011 to 931 in 2012. Health Secretary, Dr. Enrique Ona, meanwhile, urged the public, especially children to use alternative noisemakers to firecrackers such as Filipino-style trumpets or “torotots� for safer, injury-free holiday celebrations.
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Pope urges action to house homeless families VATICAN CITY, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – Pope Francis on Sunday urged political and social actors around the world to do “all they can” to ensure that all families have a roof over their heads. “There are so many families without homes, either because they never had one or because they lost them for so many different reasons,” the pontiff said after reciting the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer. “Family and home go together,” he said, asking “everyone – social services, authorities – to do all they can so that all families can have a home”. Looking out over St Peter’s Square from his podium in a window of the Apostolic Palace, the 77-year-old pope spotted a banner reading “The Poor Can’t Wait”, and said “That’s a nice one,” drawing hearty applause. Francis, since his election in March, has established himself as a global voice on the side of the dispossessed.
Bethlehem eyes tourist boom after dark decade BY PHILIPPE AGRET
BETHLEHEM, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – After a decade of unrest, Bethlehem has seen a surge in visits to Christ’s traditional birthplace, raising hopes of a tourism bonanza in the West Bank town despite Israel’s separation barrier. The Palestinian territories’ top tourist destination is a victim of the barrier which cuts off the town from nearby Jerusalem, just 10 kilometers (six miles) away. Israel began work on its sprawling barrier – dubbed the “apartheid wall” by Palestinians – in 2002 at the height of the second intifada, or uprising. It defends the construction as a crucial protective measure, pointing to a drop in attacks inside Israel as proof of its success. Palestinian tourism minister Rola Maayah sees the barrier as a key obstacle to encouraging visitors to the town. “Bethlehem, one of our main tourist attractions is circled by 27 settlements. As a result, we are surrounded by high walls, fences and menacing checkpoints which put tourists off,” Maayah said. “We could develop tourism, attract people from all over the world, but it’s not possible because of the Israeli occupation,” she added. The expansion of nearby Israeli settlements has deliberately helped to isolate the city, Palestinians say. But since a UNESCO decision in June 2012 to grant world heritage status to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity – hailed as a “historic” diplomatic victory by the Palestinians – the town has been eyeing a tourist bonanza that could boost the local economy. In Bethlehem, where nearly one quarter of its 25,000 residents are unemployed, two out of three households rely on tourism for their income. Between 2011 and 2012, more than two million people visited the town. The record crowds brought much-needed revenues after a tough decade for tourism during the second intifada. “There was a significant jump in tourism in Palestine in 2012 with an 18 percent rise in the number of visitors,” Maayah said. A little over half of these were foreigners. ‘Bethlehem is not a museum’ With 3,800 rooms, Bethlehem accounts for nearly half of the West Bank’s hotel capacity. But the occupancy rate (65 to 70 percent) is unevenly distributed throughout the year. “We are booked up in advance for Christian holidays, but there are lots of empty rooms the rest of the year,” said the deputy head of the Bethlehem board of commerce, Fairouz Khoury. To redress this imbalance, Vera Baboun, a Palestinian Catholic and Bethlehem’s first female mayor since 2012, aims to encourage visitors to stay longer. “Our visitors should know that Bethlehem is not just about the nativity,” said Baboun. The pilgrims – who mostly come from Russia, the United States and Poland – descend on the town by the coachload, queueing to see the Church of the Nativity, one of Christianity’s oldest and holiest, leaving immediately afterwards. Those who linger for more than a few hours are rare. “This year our motto is ‘Come home for Christmas,’ which means: take the time to wander around the alleys of the Old City, talk to the residents, help them to live here,” Baboun explained. “Bethlehem is not a museum,” she said. Palestinian tourist guides have also complained they suffer because of the favorable treatment granted to their Israeli competitors. Some 150 Israelis are authorized to work as guides in Bethlehem, compared with 42 Palestinians permitted to work in Israel and east Jerusalem, the chamber of commerce said. “They take more than 80 percent of the market,” complained Mohammed Awadallah, a Palestinian guide. But Israeli authorities, who have long courted the lucrative market in catering to Christian pilgrims in the Holy Land, deny the accusations. “We do everything we can so that Christians can visit the holy sites,” Israeli Tourism Minister Uzi Landau said.
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Aquino lauds AFP response to disasters, Zambo siege MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno Aquino III on Friday lauded the Armed Forced of the Philippines (AFP) for its immediate response to various disasters that hit the country this year as well as the recent crisis in Zamboanga City. In his speech during the celebration of the AFP’s 78th anniversary in Camp Aguinaldo, Aquino thanked the military for ensuring peace and order during the midterm elections last May and the barangay polls last October. Aquino also expressed gratitude to the AFP for its immediate rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of the magnitude 7.2 quake that hit Bohol and other parts of Visayas last October 15, and super typhoon “Yolanda” which struck central Philippines last November 8. He also lauded the AFP for being able to rescue over 200 people who were taken hostage by the Nur Misuari faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as the rebels laid siege to Zamboanga City last September. “Wala pong duda, sa patung-patong na pagsubok na dinaanan ng bansa ngayong taon, taas-noo ninyong maipagmamalaki sa ating mga ninuno at sa mga kababayan natin ang ipinakita ninyong tapang, sigasig at pananagutan sa serbisyo,” Aquino said. “Pinatunayan ninyo sa buong mundo na gaano man kalaki ang hamon na idulot ng mga mapagsamantala at mga dumarating na sakuna, anumang
banta o peligro, gaano man kalayo at kaliblib na pook, basta’t tumbasan lamang ng tapang at dedikasyong tumulong, makakabangon ang mga Pilipino,” he added. As he lauded the service given by the AFP, the president said the government is committed to continue its modernization program, noting that two additional C-130s will be purchased for the military. He also noted that apart from the three newly purchased Augusta Westland naval helicopters from Italy, two more units are set to arrive in the country. Aquino, who led the awarding of officers and soldiers who have shown exemplary performance on the field, also urged the AFP to work on gaining the trust of the Filipino people. “Hindi sapat ang manalo lang sa mga laban at ang panandaliang tigil-putukan. Ang mas mahalaga, pagwagian ang puso at isipan ng ating mga kababayan at ang tiwala nilang pag may sundalong Pilipino, panatag ang kalooban,” he said. “Kumpyansa akong patuloy na magiging sandigan ng sambayanan ang Sandatahang Lakas ng Pilipinas... Taas-noo ninyong ipagmalaki na kayo ang mga kawal ng bayan, ang mga kawal ng Pilipino na buong tapang at katapatang naglilingkod sa nag-iisa at minamahal nating bansa,” he added. (MNS)
Aquino rallies support from Filipinos to continue anti-graft fight MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III called on all Filipinos to continue supporting his administration in its fight against graft and corruption as he spelled out the measures that his government has initiated to tackle the problem. “You have my word: I will continue working towards that goal; and I call on all Filipinos, and all peoples across all continents, to do the same and campaign against corruption,” the President said in his message during the first state conference on the United Nations Convention Against Corruption in Malacanang on Thursday. “I have full faith that, together, we can build a Philippines – and a world – far more just, and far more inclusive, than ever before.” The President said that he envisions the time when he leaves public office, and he would be able to say this generation did not choose to subscribe to the old system fueled by greed, self-centeredness, and backroom deals. Instead, Filipinos have chosen to follow an era of honesty, transparency, and accountability, he said. The chief executive also spelled out the measures that his government has initiated to eliminate corruption. Among this measures include going after tax evaders and in the past three years, the government has filed a total of 423 cases under the RATS, RATE, and RIPS programs.
RATS stands for Run After the Smugglers, RATE for Run After Tax Evaders, and RIPS is Revenue Integrity Protection Service. The government also appointed an entirely new set of deputy commissioners to take charge of the Bureau of Customs as well as recalling all personnel in the agency who worked outside their jurisdictions back to their mother units, the President said. To ensure greater transparency, the Department of Budget and Management instituted the zerobased budgeting system, he said. Under this system, instead of continuously funding the same projects every year, regardless of their effectiveness, the government commits to study every single project to determine what truly benefit the people. The government is also studying a National Payroll System that could eliminate payroll padding and ghost employees in the bureaucracy. It will abolish the physical payroll checks and salaries as the money goes directly to employees’ ATM accounts, he said. And in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda, the government launched a government portal called FAiTH – or the Foreign Aid Transparency Hub, the President said. Through the portal, people from all over the world can find records of aid the national government has received, and track how that aid is coursed through government channels. (MNS)
DPWH chief vows corrupt-free reconstruction in typhoon-hit areas PALO, Leyte, Dec. 20 (Mabuhay) – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Rogelio Singson vowed to fight against misuse of funds intended for reconstruction activities in typhoonstricken areas. In a meeting Thursday with 16 regional directors, typhoon-affected DPWH employees and maintenance personnel who assisted in disaster response, Singson said that he will not forgive officials who will attempt to misuse rehabilitation funds. “Our fight against corruption will continue. We will make sure that budget will be used to rebuild areas destoyed by ‘Yolanda’ and should not fall into wrong hands,” Singson said. “I’m warning those who will take advantage in this task that we will not forgive you whether you are a congressman, regional director or division chief.” He said he had a meeting this week with rehabilitation czar former Senator Panfilo Lacson to discuss measures to ensure that reconstruction efforts will not be tainted with corruption, more so that these funds have been entrusted to the Philippine government by donor countries. The government aims to substantially complete the recovery efforts by June 2016 or before the end of President Benigno S. Aquino III’s term. It is expected to rebuild the lives of about 16 million people in central Philippines. Singson led the distribution of initial assistance to storm-affected DPWH employees in the region.
Those whose houses were totally washed away received P5,000 each. Workers with partially damaged houses got P2,500 each. The DPWH chief vowed to give more assistance to displaced employees in the region on top of the early release of 13th month pay, productivity enhancement incentive and collective negotiation incentive. The department also provided P1,500 each for the more than 1,000 maintenance personnel from different regions who took part in debris clearing and emergency infrastructure repair. “The different disasters that hit our country this year is a defining moment to DPWH that we are a new department. We were perceived as a corrupt agency but now people can depend on us during calamities,” Singson said. DPWH Regional Director Rolando Asis thanked their central office and other regional offices for responding to the needs of the region after the catastrophe. “After the typhoon, our regional office had only eight dump trucks, a back hoe and a pay loader to do the daunting task. You came in to help us and we’re able to make roads passable and clear road sides from debris. Thank you for your help,” Asis said. The DPWH regional office was able to clear the road from the city’s airport to Coca Cola junction a day after the typhoon. The field office started to receive augmentation force Sunday night as transportation and communications system were shutdown by the storm’s fury. (MNS)
AT&T to join rivals with ‘transparency report’
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WASHINGTON, December 20, 2013 (AFP) – AT&T said Friday it would join rivals in the tech and telecom sector in publishing a “transparency report” about demands for information from law enforcement agencies. The announcement came a day after a similar announcement from sector rival Verizon, which follow releases from big technology firms including Google, Apple and Microsoft, and intense scrutiny of these firms in light of revelations of wide-ranging US government surveillance programs. AT&T said in a statement it would release a semiannual report starting in early 2014 with information “to the extent permitted by laws and regulations.” The report will include the total number of law enforcement agency requests in criminal cases, subpoenas, court orders and warrants. AT&T said it believes that “any disclosures regarding classified information should come from the government, which is in the best position to determine what can be lawfully disclosed and would or would not harm national security.” The telecom giant said that “protecting our customers’ information and privacy is paramount,” and
that it complies with legal requests in the countries where it operates. “We work hard to make sure that the requests or orders are valid and that our response to them is lawful,” the AT&T statement said. “We’ve challenged court orders, subpoenas and other requests from local, state and federal governmental entities—and will continue to do so, if we believe they are unlawful. We do not allow any government agency to connect directly to our network to gather, review or retrieve our customers’ information.” The announcements from AT&T and Verizon come after a period when the telecom firms were notably absent from a debate on disclosures about the scope of US surveillance programs from fugitive former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden. But the telecom and tech firms are still barred from releasing data on national security requests from the FBI and US intelligence services. A push by the tech sector to get authorization to release the sensitive data requests got a boost this week from an independent review board appointed by President Barack Obama, which recommended that this data be published.
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UTREACH Obama shrugs off suggestions of worst year in office WASHINGTON, December 20, 2013 (AFP) – US President Barack Obama on Friday shrugged off suggestions that 2013 has been his worst year in office but conceded frustration at the failure of Congress to tighten gun regulations. In a final news conference before flying to Hawaii for the Christmas holidays, Obama said that “we have had ups and we have had downs” throughout his five years in the White House. “I think this room has probably recorded at least 15 near-death experiences,” Obama said when asked if 2013 was his worst year. With surveys showing voter approval of him at below 50 percent in some of the lowest marks of his presidency, Obama said: “If you’re measuring this by polls, my polls have gone up and down all throughout the course of my career. I mean, if I was interested in polling, I wouldn’t have run for president.” But Obama acknowledged that he was stung by the failure to push through Con-
gress measures to combat gun violence, such as background checks for weapons purchases, in the wake of the December 2012 massacre of 20 children and six school workers at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. “There are areas where there have obviously been frustrations where I wished Congress had moved more aggressively,” Obama said. “Not passing background checks in the wake of Newtown is something that I continue to believe was a mistake,” Obama said. But Obama credited the debate following the Sandy Hook massacre with pushing states to “increase gun safety and to make sure that we don’t see tragedies like this happen again.” However, numerous states have also loosened gun rules in the wake of Newtown in a backlash led by the National Rifle Association, the powerful pro-gun pressure group.
US economy grew at robust 4.1% pace in third quarter WASHINGTON, December 20, 2013 (AFP) – The US economy grew at a robust 4.1 percent annual rate in the third quarter, much faster than previously estimated, the Commerce Department said Friday. It was the strongest growth in the world’s largest economy since the fourth quarter of 2011, when the pace hit 4.9 percent. The upward third-quarter revision was largely due to consumer spending that was much stronger than previously estimated, the department said. The department’s third and final estimate of gross domestic product growth was sharply higher than the previously estimated 3.6 percent, as well as the 2.8 percent initially estimated. The GDP revision surprised analysts who on average expected the 3.6 percent figure would be unchanged. In the second quarter, GDP increased at a 2.5 percent rate. Consumer spending, which accounts for about two-thirds of activity in the world’s largest economy, rose 2.0 percent in the July-September period, instead of the 1.4 percent increase previously estimated. Spending on services, the bulk of the US economy, rose 0.7 percent, with improved gains notably seen in health care and recreation services. The prior estimate was zero growth. Inventory growth accounted for about 40 percent of the growth in the third quarter, compared with about 15 percent in the second quarter.
“Not only was third-quarter GDP above 4.0 percent for only the third time since the expansion began in 2009, the mix of growth looks better (though still not great) than a month ago after the first revision,” said Chris Low and Jay Morelock of FTN Financial in a research note. “Preconditions are in place for much stronger economic expansion in 2014,” said Scott Hoyt of Moody’s Analytics. Hoyt highlighted that forward-looking indicators are mixed, with rapid inventory accumulation a drag, but expectations for faster consumer spending and continued advances in residential investment still positives. “Consumer spending is increasing at about the same pace as overall GDP,” he said. The GDP report came two days after the Federal Reserve scaled back its assetpurchase program, known as quantitative easing (QE), after determining that the US economy was improving sufficiently to withstand a smaller stimulus. The Fed will reduce monthly bond purchases in January by $10 billion, to $75 billion. “The strong Q3 growth performance vindicates the Fed’s decision to begin tapering QE3,” said Sal Guatieri of BMO Capital Markets Economics. “It also suggests the economy is poised for stronger growth in the new year than the middling 2.0 percent pace of the past year, meaning the tapering process will continue.”
US federal judge strikes down Utah gay marriage ban LOS ANGELES, December 20, 2013 (AFP) – A federal judge on Friday struck down Utah’s ban on gay marriage, saying that the western state’s law-approved by voters in a referendum in 2004 – violates the US constitution. Judge Robert J. Shelby of Utah’s Federal District Court, said the state’s law conflicts with the right of same-sex couples to equal protection under the 14th Amendment to the constitution. Gay groups welcomed the ruling, which comes after neighboring New Mexico on Thursday became the 17th US state to legalize same-sex marriage. “Few questions are as politically charged in the current climate,” said Shelby. “This... is especially true where, as here, the state electorate has taken democratic action to participate in a popular referendum on this issue. “It is only under exceptional circumstances that a court interferes with such action,” he wrote in the 53-page ruling, based on a lawsuit filed by three gay and lesbian couples who wish to marry in Utah, but are
unable to do so. “But the legal issues presented in this lawsuit do not depend on whether Utah’s laws were the result of its legislature or a referendum, or whether the laws passed by the widest or smallest of margins. He continued: “The question presented here depends instead on the (US) Constitution itself.” Utah’s “current laws deny its gay and lesbian citizens their fundamental right to marry and, in so doing, demean the dignity of these same-sex couples...Accordingly, the court finds that these laws are unconstitutional,” he wrote. Marriage laws are governed by individual US states, nearly 30 of which have amended their constitutions to ban same-sex marriage. Efforts to give same-sex couples the same rights as heterosexuals have gathered steam in recent years. One of the most important victories came in June when the US Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as a union between one man and one woman.
Mega Millions winner comes forward WASHINGTON, December 18, 2013 (AFP) – One of two Mega Millions winners came forward Wednesday to claim her share of the $636 million jackpot, the second-biggest in US lottery history. Ira Curry popped into the Georgia state’s lottery headquarters holding her ticket with the lucky numbers eight, 14, 17, 20, 39 and Mega Ball seven. “It’s unreal. It’s like I’m still dreaming,” Curry, who lives in an Atlanta suburb, said in a statement issued by the Georgia Lottery. The jackpot was $20 million shy of the record $656 million that was shared by three
Mega Millions ticket holders in March 2012. A state lottery official said Curry had used the birth dates of family members as the basis for selecting her winning numbers. In lieu of an annuity, Curry opted for a single cash payout from the jackpot she’ll share with a California ticket holder who has yet to come forward. Mega Millions is sold in 43 of the 50 US states. New rules went into effect in October that lowered the odds of winning to one in 259 million, but kept the price of tickets at one dollar each.
DMV reminds motorists of new 2014 laws
SACRAMENTO – With 2014 just around the corner, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is reminding motorists of some of the new laws that will become effective in the new year. The following laws go into effect on January 1, 2014, unless otherwise noted. The following laws go into effect on January 1, 2014, unless otherwise noted. Bicycles: Passing Distance. AB 1371 (Bradford), known as the Three Feet for Safety Act, will require a motor vehicle driver passing a bicycle that is proceeding in the same direction to pass with no less than 3 feet between any part of the vehicle and any part of the bicycle or driver. When three feet is not possible, the motor vehicle must slow to a reasonable and prudent speed and only pass when no danger is present to the bicyclist. Failing to do so can incur a fine, regardless of a collision or not.This law will take effect September 16, 2014. Clean Air Vehicle Decals / “HOV Stickers.” AB 266 (Yee) and SB 286 (Blumefield), together extend sunset dates for low emission, zero emission vehicles to operate in high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) without meeting occupancy requirements to January 1, 2019. Commercial Driver’s License. AB 1047 (Linder) will allow the DMV to conduct the commercial drive test for the holder of an out–of–state commercial learner’s permit. The department would electronically transfer the information to the motor vehicle department in the applicant’s state of residence. AB 1047 also modifies the license class definitions to require a driver operating a bus weighing more than 26,000 pounds to hold a commercial Class B license and a driver operating a bus weighing 26,000 pounds or less to hold a commercial Class C license. DMV Vehicle Registration Pilot Program. SB 806 (Hueso) authorizes DMV to establish a pilot program to evaluate the use of alternatives to stickers, tabs, license plates, and registration cards, subject to certain requirements. It will also enable the DMV to experiment with electronic license plates, as well as facilitate DMV’s ability to explore cost–effective alternatives to California’s traditional metal license plate, plastic–coated registration
stickers, and paper registration cards. Registration and Vehicle Transfers Between Family Members. AB 443 (Lowenthal) prohibits the transfer of ownership of a vehicle to a relative or a revocable living trust until all parking or toll–violation fines and penalties reported to the DMV are paid by the transferee. Teen Drivers. SB 194 (Galgiani) will prohibit a person who is under 18 years of age from using an electronic wireless communications device to write, send, or read a text–based communication while driving, even if it is equipped with a hands– free device. Veterans License Plates. AB 244 (Bonilla) Requires the California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVet) to sponsor a veterans’ special interest license plate and requires the DMV to issue the veterans’ plate if CalVet meets the current statutory requirements. This law creates, in addition to the current Honoring Veterans design of the Veteran’s Organization Plate, a new program to reissue the Veteran design that was issued prior to January 1, 2010. These plates are available to all vehicle owners. The Department of Veterans Affairs must secure 7,500 pre–paid applications in order for the department to implement this plate program. Additionally, the Department of Motor Vehicles will begin the process of implementing AB 60 (Alejo)—the new law requiring DMV to issue a driver license to an applicant who is unable to submit satisfactory proof that he/she is legally present in the Unites States —by drafting new regulations and preparing field offices to process new applications. The new law becomes operative by January 1, 2015. The applicant will be required to meet all other driver license qualifications. For complete information on chaptered bills enacted in 2013, please refer to the Legislative Counsel website at www. LegInfo.ca.gov. Save Time, Go Online! Doing business with the DMV has never been easier. The DMV offers an array of services to customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through its Website including online advance appointments for written and drive tests; vehicle registration and driver license renewals, etc.
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Aquino vows to build better future for typhoon ‘Yolanda’-affected families PALO, Leyte, Dec 23 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Sunday the government remains committed to work together with international partners, local non-government organizations and various stakeholders to build a better future for the families affected by super typhoon “Yolanda” and other calamities. In his message during the inspection and turn-over of bunkhouse units ceremony at the Regional Government Center, Candahug, Palo in Leyte, the Chief Executive said the government is accelerating efforts aimed at helping the typhoon-ravaged provinces recover from the calamity. The government, working in close cooperation with international partners, rapidly mounted an unprecedented humanitarian response to deliver relief assistance to more than 4 million people displaced by the typhoon. “Mahigit isang buwan na nga mula ng huli tayong magkita dito sa Palo at talagang marami nang positibong pagpababago. Hindi lang eto makikita sa mas maayos na kapaligiran at sa nakumpuni na mga infrastraktura kundi maging sa mga mukha at kilos ng mga kababayan nating Palonon,” President Aquino said. The President commended his
constituents for displaying resilience and strength in the aftermath of “Yolanda.” “Gaano man katindi ang pagsubok at pinsalang dinulot ang bagyong Yolanda sa inyong munisipilidad, bakas na ang bumabalik niyong sigla at kumpyansa,” he said. “Mula nga po sa madilim na yugto na ating pinagdaanan itong nakalipas na buwan hanggang sama-sama nating pagtugon sa mga hamon, nabuo ang matibay nating samahan,” the President said. The President vowed the government would not only rebuild calamity-ravaged areas, but make new structures that are more disaster resilient. On December 18, the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) was launched to restore the economic and social conditions of the affected areas “at the very least to their pre-typhoon levels and to a higher level of disaster resilience.” The RAY strategic plan includes housing, infrastructure, facilities and utilities; employment opportunities; assistance with livelihood, especially with vulnerable workers in the agriculture and service sectors; and support for cross-cutting social and environmental objectives. (MNS)
Damages caused by ‘Yolanda’ now at P36.69B MANILA, Dec 23 (Mabuhay) – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on Monday announced that the damages caused by super typhoon Yolanda to properties and infrastructures reached P36.69 billion. Damage to agriculture was estimated at P18,354,305,869.88, including P7,634,314,370.29 in crops, P5,964,666,346.39 in fisheries, and P2,890,222,123.22 in livestock. While damage to infrastructure was estimated at P18,336,576,627.39 which includes roads, bridges, and other structures with P14,523,925,177.39 and health facilities with P1.272,434,800. NDDRMC said that as of December 21, the Task Force distribution for water and foods has distributed a total of 3,344,110 food/rice packs, 532,286 liters of water, 109,601 canned goods, and 244,444 high energy biscuits were provided in Tacloban City, Ormoc City, Baybay City, and other municipalities in Leyte Province, Eastern Samar, Western Samar, Biliran, and Southern Leyte. As of Monday, the death toll remained at 6,109, with 27,665 injured and 1,779 still missing. Yolanda affected 3,424,593 families or 16,078,181 people in 12,139 villages in 44 provinces were affected, while 890,895 families or 4,095,280 people were displaced. Of those displaced, 20,949 families or 101,527 people are still staying in 381 evacuation centers.
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PHL payments surplus surges to four-month high in November – Bangko Sentral MANILA, Dec 20 (Mabuhay) -- The Philippine balance of payments (BOP) surplus hit a four-month high on increasing exports and remittances in November, according to Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Central bank data released Friday show the country’s balance of payments position registered a surplus of $837 million in November from $5-million surplus a month earlier. The latest BOP number is the highest since July’s $1.099 billion. But the 11-month BOP tally was $4.66 billion, down 45.7 percent year-on-year. “Well, basically the drivers of the balance of payments in November were increases in ex-
ports and remittances,” Bangko Sentral Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo told reporters at a briefing Friday. Cash remittances – money sent through banks and transfer agents – grew at annual rate of 7.0 percent to $2.062 billion in October, the highest monthly amount on record, latest government data on money transfers showed. Guinigundo said the remittance numbers for November are likely be higher as Filipinos living and working overseas were sending back more money to their loved ones for the holiday season and to help in the efforts to rebuild the places destroyed by Typhoon Yolanda.
Exports receipts grew by 14 percent annually to $5.025 billion in October, faster than the 5.1 percent in September and 6.1 percent in October last year, latest government data also showed. “The improving BOP position in November shows the incipient recovery in the global economy,” said Guinigundo. BOP is the summary of transactions between the Philippines and the rest of the world. Guinigundo said aid money for relief and reconstruction in Yolanda-hit areas has not been accounted for, as most of those announced last month were pledges. Thus, the BOP surplus is expected to increase. (MNS)
Aquino appoints new Immigration Commissioner MANILA, Dec 21 (Mabuhay) – President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed Siegfred B. Mison as the new commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration (BI), Malacañang announced on Saturday. Mison’s appointment was signed by the President December 18, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday. The President also appointed
lawyer Nonnatus Cesar R. Rojas as Regional Prosecutor for the Office of the Regional Prosecutor in Ilocos Region. The Office of the Regional Prosecutor is under the National Prosecution Service of the Department of Justice. Rojas became the chief of the National Bureau of Investigation but he eventually resigned. The President also designated Vicente B. Malano as acting administrator of the Philippine
Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), and Florita R. Villar as undersecretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Other appointees include Gregorio Ramon A. Tingson as commissioner of the National Youth Commission in Luzon, and Dominador Santos Jr. as new member of the Board of Dentistry under the Professional Regulations Commission.(MNS)
SC orders Ombudsman to explain on petition of ex-president Arroyo’s co-accused MANILA, Dec. 20 (Mabuhay) --The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Office of the Ombudsman (Ombudsman) to submit its explanation on the petition filed by a co-accused of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (2nd District) in connection with the plunder case pending before the Sandiganbayan. In a resolution of the SC en banc dated last Nov. 26 but released on Friday, it ordered the Ombudsman to comment within a period of 10 days from notice in view of the petition filed by former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Rosario Uriarte. The SC made the ruling
without giving due course to the main petition of the case. “Acting on the petition for certiorari, the court resolved, without giving due course to the petition, to require the respondents to comment thereon within 10 days from notice hereof,” the ruling said. Uriarte is still in hiding until now in view of a pending nonbailable warrant of arrest against her. In her petition, Uriarte asked the SC to dismiss the P365.9-million plunder case filed against her before the Sandiganbayan stemming from the alleged misuse of intelligence funds of the PCSO. Uriarte argued that even in the preliminary investigation conducted by the Ombudsman, necessary elements of plunder under
Section 2 of Republic Act No. 2080 were not established as the law requires commission by a public officer or connivance with relatives or subordinates in amassing ill-gotten wealth worth at least P50 million. The Ombudsman alleged that Arroyo, Uriarte along with other PCSO and Commission on Audit (COA) officials, conspired to divert lottery funds to the intelligence fund of the Office of the President (OP). Other co-accused in the case are former PCSO assistant general manager Benigno Aguas and board of directors Sergio Valencia, Manuel Morato, Jose Taruc V, Ma. Fatima Valdez, along with former COA Chairman Reynaldo Villar. (MNS)
Bill seeks to expand NDRRMC membership MANILA, Dec. 21 (Mabuhay) – A lawmaker has filed a bill in the House of Representatives seeking to give the officials of the Department of Health (DOH) and the Philippine Red Cross important roles in the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Under House Bill No. 2414 authored by Rep. Teodorico Haresco Jr. (Lone District-Aklan), the representatives of the DOH and the Red Cross to the NDRRMC will be designated as
vice-chairman of the Disaster Risk Management for Health and vice-chairman of Emergency Aid Management, respectively. At present, Haresco said the officials of DOH and the Red Cross are involved in the NDRRMC, but only as ordinary members. The bill seeks to amend Republic Act No. 1012, otherwise known as an Act Strengthening the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act or the Philippine Disaster Act of 2010.
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BETHLEHEM, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – After a decade of unrest, Bethlehem has seen a surge in visits to Christ’s traditional birthplace, raising hopes of a tourism bonanza in the West Bank town despite Israel’s separation barrier. The Palestinian territories’ top tourist destination is a victim of the barrier which cuts off the town from nearby Jerusalem, just 10 kilometers (six miles) away. Israel began work on its sprawling barrier – dubbed the “apartheid wall” by Palestinians – in 2002 at the height of the second intifada, or uprising. It defends the construction as a crucial protective measure, pointing to a drop in attacks inside Israel as proof of its success. Palestinian tourism minister Rola Maayah sees the barrier as a key obstacle to encouraging visitors to the town. “Bethlehem, one of our main tourist attractions is circled by 27 settlements. As a result, we are surrounded by high walls,
fences and menacing checkpoints which put tourists off,” Maayah said. “We could develop tourism, attract people from all over the world, but it’s not possible because of the Israeli occupation,” she added. The expansion of nearby Israeli settlements has deliberately helped to isolate the city, Palestinians say. But since a UNESCO decision in June 2012 to grant world heritage status to Bethlehem’s Church of the Nativity – hailed as a “historic” diplomatic victory by the Palestinians – the town has been eyeing a tourist bonanza that could boost the local economy. In Bethlehem, where nearly one quarter of its 25,000 residents are unemployed, two out of three households rely on tourism for their income. Between 2011 and 2012, more than two million people visited the town. The record crowds brought much-needed revenues after a tough decade for tourism during the second intifada.
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My father threatened to kill me, says Gretchen Actress Gretchen Barretto said her father, Miguel Barretto, threatened to shoot her and two of her siblings when he supposedly learned of their plans to testify in court against their youngest sister Claudine. Gretchen made the accusation as she spoke with reporters shortly before a hearing on a case involving Claudine and husband Raymart Santiago at the Marikina Regional Trial Court on Thursday. The older Barretto actress, along with another sibling, JJ, gave their testimonies supporting Santiago’s allegations against their sister in the closeddoor hearing. “Nandito ako, may takot, pero haharapin ko ‘to dahil ito ang katotohanan,” said Gretchen. “At least nandito kayo. Pag may mangyari, alam ninyo.” The actress’ testimony is in relation Santiago’s legal feud with Claudine, who accused of him “physical, sexual, psychological and economic” abuse supposedly dating back to 2002. The former couple married in church rites in March 2006. They have two children – an adopted daughter, Sabina, 9; and a biological son, Santino, 6. Responding to Claudine’s accusations, which were detailed in an Anti-Violence against Women and Their Children (VAWC) case in August, Santiago accused his wife of domestic violence, having a history of drug abuse, and being mentally ill. The actor’s statements were supported by accounts of Gretchen, along with two other Barretto siblings, Marjorie and JJ, in the same affidavit.
According to Santiago’s legal counsel, Atty. Ruth Castello, the hearing on Thursday was specifically on the consolidated cases of Claudine’s petition for a temporary protection order against her husband, and their custody battle over Sabina and Santino. Shortly after the hearing, Gretchen was asked to detail her father’s alleged threat against her. The actress said the Barretto patriarch learned of her plan to appear in court from her eldest sibling, Mito. “Sinabihan ng daddy ko ang kapatid kong lalaki, ang pinakamatanda, at ang pamangkin ko na si John, na pag mag-testify daw si JJ, at nalaman niyang mag-te-testify si JJ, sabi niya babarilin niya,” she said. “At sinabi naman ng aking pamangkin na, ‘Tita Gretch, Tita Marj will testify.’ At sabi niya (Miguel Barretto), ‘I will kill them.’” Gretchen, in a published statement in October, detailed Claudine’s alleged mental illness and drug use, and how their family supposedly conspired to have the youngest of seven siblings hospitalized for treatment. This was in response to Miguel Barretto’s statements defending Claudine, and criticizing her and Marjorie for “bullying” their sister. He also urged Gretchen and Marjorie to drop the Barretto surname. The siblings’ feud with their parents first went public in April, when their mother, Inday, released a statement saying she has disowned Gretchen in favor of Claudine. (MNS)
Gretchen Barretto
Jose Manalo faces child abuse raps
Jose Manalo
THE 17-year-old daughter of comedian Jose Manalo filed a complaint against him for allegedly not being able to support their financial needs before the Quezon City Regional Trial Court (QCRTC) on Friday. “Eat Bulaga” mainstay Manalo, whose real name is Ariel Manalo, was charged with violation of Republic Act 9262 or the Anti-Violence against Women and their Children Act for failure to provide financial support to their family which forced her to stop schooling. The complainant was represented by a legal counsel, Atty. Dennis Pangan. As stated in the six-page complaint, the comedian abandoned their family residence in Quezon City on January 6, 2012 without leaving any information of his whereabouts. The teenager added that since his father abandoned them, Manalo allegedly stopped giving financial support despite repeated pleas of her mother. She said that she stopped going to school in August 2013 because they don’t have enough money for transportation and other school expenses. The complainant also disclosed that she enrolled in Raffles Design Institute in Taguig City on October 2013 since the comedian allegedly promised her that he will provide for her tuition. She added that his father only sent financial support for her education when her mother, the comedian’s estranged wife, cried and begged to him during the mediation proceedings at the Philippine Mediation Center in Quezon City on the same month. In the meeting, Manalo allegedly got all the sched-
Rhian Ramos, KC Montero break up Rhian Ramos and KC Montero have ended their relationship after almost two years of being a couple, the actress confirmed Tuesday. “If there’s such a thing as a good breakup, then I have one,” the 23-year-old TV star said, referring to her amicable split with Montero. While she did not specify when they decided to end their relationship, Ramos said it happened before typhoon “Yolanda” made landfall last November 8. Ramos is only happy to remain friends with Montero, saying they continue to regularly see each other even after the separation. “Sometimes kasi, the people that you really want to keep in your life, you just make sure they’re there... I want him to be a friend that I can have around for a lifetime,” she said. Asked if she is ready to entertain new suitors, Ramos said, “No, not really. I just want to be able to take the next bit of time to discover myself and be good to me and, wala, just grow up by myself.” (MNS)
ule of the payments of the school fees of the complainant. Manalo however paid the initial fees with promise to pay the next installment due on December 1, 2013 but refused to give them his contact details in spite of their request. “Direkta na lang daw niyang dadalhin sa school ko ang kailangang bayad,” the complainant told reBOOK YOUR FLIGHTS porters. WITH US! But Manalo allegedly intentionally humiliate the complainant by not paying AIRPORT TRANSFER AVAILABLE school fees due last December BUY ONE ROUNDTRIP TICKET FROM 1, 2013. March 08, 2013 TO March 08, 2014 Because of AND GET A CHANCE TO WIN A ROUNDTRIP TICKET TO MANILA!!! non-payment -tax exclusive of the school fees, the school sent let- PLEASE CALL MANILA TRAVEL FOR CRUISE INQUIRIES TEL: ters and text 714.956.5668 messages to 714.991.8669 the complain714.600.7818 ant reminding Mon to Fri - 9am to 5pm • Sat 9am to 2pm of her school o b l i g a t i o n s , website: www.manilatravel.150m.com email: manilatravelinc@yahoo.com reports said. CST No.: 208278040
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Jolo Revilla: Jodi is not pregnant CAVITE Vice Governor Jolo Revilla denied rumors that his girlfriend, actress Jodi Sta. Maria, is pregnant. In an official statement, Jolo said it will be his first and final statement regarding the issue. He posted, “She is not pregnant and we are not yet married.” Jolo added that what they have right now “is something special” and he’s keen to keep the relationship away from the prying eyes of the public. “We want to keep it private because I love her so much. Kung sakaling totoo man ‘yan, kayo po unang unang makakaalam. Godbless,” said Jolo.
Jolo and Jodi went public with their relationship fourth quarter of last year. The “Be Careful with My Heart” actress said in a prior interview that she has not give up on love but wary on getting married after her failed relationship with estranged husband Pampi Lacson. “Sa totoo lang hindi ko pa talaga naiisip ang kasal, so erase-erase muna ‘yan. Hindi naman sa na trauma, hindi pa lang talaga ako ulit handang gawin,” she said. Jodi and Pampi are parents to son Thirdy while Jolo has a kid with ex-girlfriend Grace Adriano. (MNS)
April Boy retires from showbiz due to cancerA tearful April Boy Regino has announced that he will soon be retiring from show business as he continues his battle with prostate cancer. Regino has decided to bow out from the music industry because he is no longer fit to hold shows or gigs. The singer behind such hits as “Di Ko Kayang Tanggapin” publicly admitted that he was diagnosed with cancer two years ago. “Tigil na po ‘ko habang buhay. Ang isang tao dapat tanggapin niya na kahit gustong-gusto niya pa ‘yung ginagawa niya, kailangan na din niyang tuldukan,” he said. As much as he wants to continue his career, the 44-year-old singer said he is left with no other choice as his condition has made him weaker. “Kapag naririnig ko [ang mga tao], ‘Idol, ‘wag ka titigil, wala na kaming inspirasyon.’ Sasabihin ko, ‘Pasensya na kayo. Mahal ko rin kayo. Pero ‘di ko alam kung bakit gusto ko nang tumigil.’ Siguro sa pagod ko na rin po. Lahat po ng tao dumarating ‘yung pagkapagod. Parang pagod na pagod na ko,” he said. Regino promised to continue his fight with cancer for his loved ones and his supporters. “Masayang-masaya po ako dahil sa tulong ng Panginoon nagkaroon na naman ako ng panibagong lakas pero nagpapagaling pa po ako,” he said. “Nung sinabi po ng asawa ko na, ‘Bumangon ka. Magpalakas ka. Tutulungan tayo ng Diyos.
April Boy Regino
Magdasal lagi tayo na pagalingin ka.’ Wala pong imposible sa Kan-
ya. Naku, napakabait po ng Diyos sa ’kin,” he added. (MNS)
Jolo Revilla and Jodi Sta. Maria,
Willie wants to mend ties with ABS-CBN this Christmas Willie Revillame expressed his desire to mend ties with ABS-CBN this Christmas. Speaking at the launch of his Christmas album with songwriter Lito Camo at his mall in Quezon Willie Revillame City, Revillame said he is willing to ask for forgiveness from people in his former home network. “Puwede naman akong magpakumbaba or humingi ng tawad sa kung sinong nasaktan. Lagi dapat sa puso natin may forgiveness. Kung nagkamali ako, pasensya na, ganun talaga. Masyado lang akong nag-concentrate sa programa noon. Maliit na bagay naaapektuhan ka kasi sobrang mahal mo ang programa,” he said. Saying he’s willing to let go of what happened in the past, Revillame insisted he is not the type who bears a grudge toward anyone. Revillame also shared that ABS-CBN’s Sagip Kapamilya rented his plane for one month to deliver relief goods in devastated areas in the Visayas. It’s a first step, he said, in reconciling with the network which was a big part of his life and career. The controversial TV host, however, said he would love to do his former noontime program again if he would be given the chance to return to the Kapamilya network.
“Kung babalik ako sa ABS-CBN, ‘Wowowee’ pa rin ang gusto kong gawin kasi ‘yang ‘Wowowee’ na yan, iyan ang nagbigay sa akin ng lahat ng ito. Kung may maging usapan, gusto ko ‘Wowowee’ pa rin, kung anong oras man nila ilalagay, maghihintay lang ako,” he said. Revillame transferred to the No. 3 network TV5 in 2010, after the controversial end of his fiveyear program with ABS-CBN, “Wowowee.” His first TV5 show, “Willing Willie,” similarly drew controversies, among them involving allegations of child abuse when a 6-year-old contestant was supposedly made to perform as a “macho dancer.” The controversy, which involved advertisers pulling out from the show, prompted Revillame to announce it would go on hiatus. A month later, it resumed as the reformatted “Wiltime Bigtime.” Yet another revamp as “Wowowillie” marked the program’s transfer to a noontime slot in January this year. Revillame’s “Wowowillie” aired its final episode last October 12 after seven months on air. In his first announcement of the program’s end in May, Revillame said it would mark his retirement from television. (MNS)
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NOVENA of CONFIDENCE O Lord, Jesus Christ, to Your Most Sacred Heart I con¿de this intention. (Here, mention your request).Only look upon me, then do what Your Heart decides....I count on You...I trust in You...I throw myself at Your mercy...Lord Jesus! You will not fail me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I believe in Your love for me. Sacred Heart of Jesus, I have asked for many favors, but I earnestly implore this one. Take it, place it in Your Sacred Heart. When the Eternal Father sees it covered with Your Precious Blood, He will not refuse it. It will be no longer my prayer but Yours, O Jesus. O Sacred Heart of Jesus, I place my trust in You. Let me never be confounded. Amen. – FELYN
PRAYERS MIRACULOUS MAMA MARY OF ODLOT PRAYER FOR FIINANCIAL HEALING Loving Father, you are our Creator, our refuge, our strength and our Great Provider. You made us all that we are and you are the source of all that we posses. I come before you trusting in your goodness and great love for me. In response to your call “Come to me all of you who are weary and I will give you rest.â€? I come with expectant faith believing that you are God who answers all prayers in a way that is best for each one of us, especially what is good for our soul and in accordance with your will. I now have deep Âżnancial problems, Lord and I have no one to run to except you. Forgive me for all my past failures and actions that may have led me to this crisis and help me learn from them. Inspire me with ways and means to help ease my Âżnancial burdens. Guide me in the proper management of my Âżnances. Deliver me from the tendency to want to many things, especially those that are unnecessary. Deliver me from envy when I see blessings of people around me. Send to me generous hearts that can help alleviate my Âżnancial troubles and help me to be trustworthy, responsible and dependable in all my dealings with them. Thank you for always being there to bring me love and hope in times of despair and frustration, courage in times of fear and doubt, and peace in times of anxiety. With conÂżdence in your love and mercy, give me the patience to humbly wait for your answers to my prayer for Âżnancial healing. These I pray in Jesus name, with Mama Mary, with the angles and saints. Amen – FELYN
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is working on other benefits for them and their families. “Sa maayos na pamamahala nasusuklian natin ng makabuluhang suporta ang pagmamalasakit ninyo sa ating bayan makakaasa kayong... isinusulong ng gobyerno ang makakabuti sa inyong kapakanan,” he said. In his speech at the same event, AFP chief of staff Gen. Emmanuel Bautista thanked Aquino for his “unwavering support” to
their modernization efforts. He likewise committed to “develop” their capabilities and “further professionalize” their troops. “We will be a world-class armed forces, a source of national pride. We may have a long way to go but we have already set our transformation direction as inspired by the lead and steady vision for reform of President Benigno Aquino,” he said. Bautista, however, also asked
AL QAEDA From page 1
of blood money to compensate the families of the victims, Rimi said. AQAP, which is considered by Washington as the most dangerous affiliate of Al-Qaeda, is also willing to pay for the medical treatment of civilians wounded in the hospital attack, he added. “Whatever our Sharia (Islamic law) commands us we will do. Because we are preachers of Sharia and not frauds,” he said, according to an English translation of comments he made in Arabic. Following the December 5 attack Yemeni state television aired footage from a hospital security camera showing a heavily armed
gunman shooting in a hospital corridor. At one point he lobs a hand grenade at a group of doctors and nurses and in further footage a gunman can be seen executing a man and a child. AQAP said earlier this month that its militants struck at the defense ministry a control centre for US drone attacks against jihadists in Yemen. The Washington-based think tank New America Foundation says there have been 93 strikes by drones since 2002 in Yemen, killing between 684 and 891 people, among them between 64 and 66 civilians.
MIRIAM From page 1
sano of the Anti-Graft Division. The task force will investigate CEZA administrator and chief executive officer Jose Mari Ponce and James Kocher for supposed illegal importation of vehicles at the Cagayan Special Economic Zone and Freeport. Kocher is Enrile’s son-in-law who supposedly operates a car import business inside the freeport and is allegedly involved in smuggling, the DOJ said. Gambling and illegal logging The task force is also probing into the business of First Cagayan License and Resort Corp. which has been authorized to issue seven-year licenses so that foreign companies can operate online gambling. Another target of the task force is Meriden Vista Gaming Corp., which has been authorized to hold gaming operations including jaialai in the freeport. San Jose Lumber, whose license expired in 2007, is also being probed for supposedly doing illegal logging. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered the task force to submit regular reports and come up with a final report three months after getting the order to form the
Wednesday - Tuesday, Dec. 25-31, 2013
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panel. In her fiery privilege speech delivered earlier this month, Santiago linked Enrile to various crimes under the Penal Code – smuggling, illegal logging, and gambling in CEZA, and plunder. She ended up asking De Lima to specifically investigate the thousands of deaths and disappearances during the Martial Law era, during which Enrile served as defense minister for the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos from 1972 to 1986. A native of Cagayan, Enrile previously served as assemblyman (1984-1986) and congressman (1992-1995) of the province’s first district. “Off hand, we can look into allegations pertaining to alleged smuggling, alleged illegal logging, and alleged gambling, especially online, those related to CEZA,” De Lima told reporters in Manila on Dec. 6. In fact, De Lima said the government already has an ongoing investigation which dates back to the tenure of the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robreo, who was killed in a plane crash, concerning some of the matters raised by Santiago against Enrile. (MNS)
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New Obama aide apologizes for Republican cult slur WASHINGTON, December 18, 2013 (AFP) – A veteran Democratic operative recently signed up to revitalize the Obama administration apologized Wednesday after comparing Republicans to a cult which perpetrated a mass murder-suicide. John Podesta, a former chief of staff for ex-president Bill Clinton, will work for the White House for a year to try to unblock President Barack Obama’s jammed second-term agenda. Republicans pounced Tuesday after Podesta was quoted by the Politico news organization saying that Obama was facing a “cult worthy of Jonestown in charge of one of the houses of
Congress.” The Jonestown massacre in 1978 in Guyana included the killing of a US member of Congress and also saw 900 people die in a mass suicide pact among devotees of an agrarian cult which moved from California to create a utopian world. As a Washington political storm erupted, Republicans took the opportunity to score points off Obama’s new advisor. “If this is the attitude of the new White House, it’s hard to see how the president gets anything done again,” said Brendan Buck, a spokesman for House Speaker John Boehner. Podesta, a veteran of swiftly
building Washington outrages, quickly took steps to calm the row. “In an old interview, my snark got in front of my judgment. I apologize to Speaker Boehner, whom I have always respected,” Podesta said on Twitter. The brouhaha over Podesta’s remark, made in an interview earlier this year, will likely fade as soon as the next political brushfire breaks out. But it is a window into the deep antipathy between the two parties in divided Washington, where Democrats control the Senate and the White House and Republicans run the House of Representatives.
Village Buildah is launching a car raffle fundraising A Mercedes Benz 2014 C250 car will be raffled off with proceeds supporting The Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Gawad Kalinga and Typhoon Haiyan victims (December 13, 2013 – Los Angeles) – Village Buildah, a nonprofit 501(c) (3) foundation, is launching their car raffle fundraising on Sunday, December 22, 2013 at 6pm at the Airtel Plaza Hotel in Van Nuys. With the purpose of giving hope and shelter to indigents and a mission to pay it forward to help the poor by pooling their resources, Village Buildah supports with Gawad Kalinga in building villages with values formation.
Through Western USA, a community of 30 families, living under a bridge for more than 30 years in Barangay Guihing Hagonoy, Davao Del Sur in Mindanao was chosen to be the recipient of the first out reach of 24 homes. This fundraising will complete 6 more homes. “This is a perfect time to be true to ourselves and appreciate all there is to our life. The blessings we have received, we want to pass it on and give back to the community. Village Buildah Foundation will take every opportunity to help and this will be our social responsibility,” said Gene Gatmaitan, founding member and chairperson of Village Buildah.
Credited with the heart to help and an oath of stewardship for mankind, the founding members, all of which are alumni from San Sebastian College, Central Luzon State University, University of the East, UP Los Banos, San Beda College and Silliman University, are bounded by their common creed to give back. Village Buildah Foundation serves to be an agent and facilitator of progress and development as well as improve the social well being of the underprivileged. The grand raffle date is set on June 28, 2014. Visit their website at www.villagebuildah.com for more information.
Boehner may soon allow a vote on the four separate measures on immigration reform and border security that have already passed through the House Judiciary Committee. Boehner and his Republican
Party are under heavy pressure ahead of 2016 presidential elections to improve their standing among Hispanic voters for whom immigration is a cherished political goal after a huge debacle in the last presidential elections.
IMMIGRATION From page 1
Senate measure, he has signaled his support for a “step-by-step” approach to reform. And House Republican Tom Cole, a close Boehner ally, opened the door even further, telling The Hill’s Friday newspaper that
PORK-LESS From page 1
(P362.6 billion) to general public services; and 4 percent (P89.5 billion) to defense. The 2014 budget is supposed to be free of PDAF, which has been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, although budget watchdogs claimed discretionary funds were not completely removed from it. According to the Department of Budget and Management, most
of the P25.2 billion originally allocated for PDAF have been “rechanneled” to the regular programs and projects of agencies, especially those needed for response to recent disasters. In a statement on Friday, Senate President Franklin Drilon commended the “speedy” approval of the budget, saying this will “translate to the timely activa-
tion of urgently needed services, particularly the rehabilitation of calamity-stricken areas.” He specifically said that the funding appropriated to agencies involved in the ongoing relief and rehabilitation efforts “could be implemented and accessed in time by those who need them.” The 2014 budget includes a P20-billion rehabilitation fund for areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda and P80 billion in the unprogrammed fund to serve as “standby authority and ready authorization for spending for the foreign donations and grants for victims of typhoon Yolanda.” Drilon said Congress also allocated P13 billion in calamity funds and P4.8 billion in quick response funds. Earlier, Congress approved a P14.6-billion supplemental budget and extended the validity of the remaining P12-billion 2013 calamity funds by another fiscal year. “All in all, there will be about P145 billion funds made available in 2014 for the government’s rehabilitation of areas damaged by the past calamities,” Drilon said. “In crafting the budget, the Congress took into consideration the need for urgent aid to our countrymen burdened by the damages of disasters. The sizeable amount of funding is absolutely necessary to equip the government in fulfilling its responsibilities to those left helpless by the calamities,” he added. (MNS)
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MOTORING Cuba lifts 50-year-old restrictions on car imports (HAVANA-AFP) – Cuba announced Thursday it will allow unrestricted car imports for the first time in half a century, marking the end of an era that made icons of the island’s vintage automobiles. The official newspaper Granma said the decision to allow cars to be imported for sale at market prices on the island was taken Wednesday by Cuba’s council of ministers. It said the decision will gradually free up retail sales of all manner of vehicles –automobiles, vans, trucks and motorcycles -- and ends the practice of granting some Cubans special permission to bring in vehicles as a privilege. Granma acknowledged the so-called “letters of
authorization” issued by the transport ministry had generated “resentment, dissatisfaction and, in not a few cases ... (were) a source of speculation and enrichment.” Holders of the letters, however, will still be first in line to buy cars while the new system is phased in, Granma said. Opening Cuba’s domestic car market to imports is likely to have fateful consequences for the lovingly maintained 1950s Chevys, Fords and Pontiacs that have survived a 50-year-old US embargo. But the changes are a long-awaited element of President Raul Castro’s attempts to gradually liberalize Cuba’s Soviet-style economy.
Cuba announced Thursday it will allow unrestricted car imports for the first time in half a century, marking the end of an era that made icons of the island’s vintage automobiles. ©Mike Cohen
Kia to present premium coupe concept in Detroit
The Honda Vezel will roll into US dealerships in the second half of 2014.©Honda
Honda’s new crossover launches in Japan, headed for US in 2014 (Relaxnews) – A new compact SUV available with a choice of fuel or hybrid engine, the Honda Vezel hits the Japanese market Friday, December 20. The Vezel is expected to arrive in the US in the second half of 2014 before heading to Europe in 2015. The Honda Vezel runs on a 1.5L fuel engine, paired in the hybrid version with an electric motor and the brand’s Intelligent Dual-Clutch Drive transmission (i-DCD). This hybrid drivetrain
was developed as a replacement for a 2.0L engine. The Vezel enters the market as Honda’s first hybrid equipped with the Real Time All-WheelDrive system, which works to ensure optimal distribution of power to all four wheels. This option is also available on the standard fuel-engine version. Honda plans to market the crossover in the US from the second half of 2014 and in Europe from 2015.
(Relaxnews) – The South Korean manufacturer is teasing a new, sporty concept car slated for unveiling at the North American International Auto Show, which opens in Detroit on January 18, 2014. Developed by the Kia Motors Design Center in Irvine, California, the 2+2 coupe has a shapely, rounded design. Little else can be determined from the mysterious teaser photo released by the company, which says that the car offers “head-turning looks whilst providing superb driving enjoyment whether on the road or at the track.” The name of the concept has not yet been revealed. The North American International Auto Show takes place in Detroit from January 18 to 26, 2014. Website: naias.com
A first look at Kia’s next concept: a 2+2 coupe. ©Kia
The life-sized Lego car that isn’t just hot air (Relaxnews) – Your dream wheels might include a Jaguar, a Porsche or a BMW. But have you considered driving a car made of Lego that runs on air? Two inventors have made this improbable-sounding vision a reality, by building a drivable hotrod with 500,000 of the Lego toy bricks. The entire vehicle, with the exception of the wheels, tires and gauges, is made of Lego. The machine reaches top
speeds of 17 mph (27 km/h), so you won’t be speeding around the block, but on the other hand it runs on compressed air so it’s a pretty green mode of transport. It comprises four orbital engines with 256 pistons. The concept was the brainchild of Australian entrepreneur Steve Sammartino, and was realized with the help of Romanian technology fanatic Raul Oaida. After meeting online, Oaida built the car in Romania and had it shipped
to Melbourne. The concept “vehicle” was christened the “Super Awesome Micro Project” and was crowd-funded via a single tweet sent by Sammartino in order to raise funds of $25,000. The car’s future is unclear for the moment, but the pair say they could be open to the idea of displaying it at car shows. For more information, visit www.superawesomemicroproject. com
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ATHLETICS Racing: End of era as Hollywood Race Park closes after 75 years LOS ANGELES, December 22, 2013 (AFP) – Hollywood Park, once America’s most famous horse racing showplace with legendary moviemakers and film stars among its patrons, closed Sunday after 75 years with a final slate of 11 races. Such equine icons as Seabiscuit, Citation, Affirmed, John Henry and Zenyatta competed at the impressive venue in suburban Inglewood, which opened on June 10, 1938. Film industy legends were among 600 shareholders who founded the track to attract the rich and famous, including Bing Crosby, Walt Disney, Al Jolson, Warner brothers studio’s Jack Warner, MGM’s Sam Goldwyn and noted producers Darryl Zanuck and Mervyn LeRoy. But as cinematic generations changed, so too did the fortunes of US horse racing, with simulcast betting and more wagers being done through the Internet helping reduce live attendance at tracks. A real estate development is planned on the site of a track where Cary Grant once strolled with starlets and famed comedians once enjoyed their leisure hours, a place where only nostalgia remains. “People stop to talk and none of them, I really mean none of them, still believe they are going to tear this place down for real estate. We’ve all been told that, but nobody seems to believe it,” 86-year-old box seat usher Richard Warren told the Los Angeles Times. “It’s losing an old friend. “I remember Fred Astaire, sitting in these boxes. Then there would be Lucy and Desi Arnaz and they’d be arguing about something and they’d be with Jimmy Durante and he’d be just sitting there smoking a big cigar and ignoring them.” Triple Crown winner Citation captured the 1951 Hollywood Gold Cup, the last race of his career and one that took him above $1 million in winnings, the first horse to crack that mark. Seabiscuit, made famous to 21st Century sport and film fans in a 2003 movie, won the inaugural Gold Cup in 1938. Shared Belief, prepared by Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollendorfer, won the 33rd and
Hollywood Park Racetrack: A real estate development is planned on the site of a track in Inglewood, Greater Los Angeles area, California, where Cary Grant once strolled with starlets and famed comedians once enjoyed their leisure hours, a place where only nostalgia remains. Photo: Doc Searls
last CashCall Futurity earlier this month in the final major event at Hollywood Park, a $750,000 race for two-year-olds that had showcased the next year’s Kentucky Derby hopefuls. “I’ve loved the place and I hate to see it go,” Hollendorfer said. The largest crowd to attend races at Hollywood Park was 80,348 on May 4, 1980. The first Breeders’ Cup was staged at Hollywood Park in 1984, handling more than $11.4 million in wagers with a crowd of 64,625 and an estimated television viewership of 50 million people. Panamanian jockey Laffit Pincay Jnr broke Bill Shoemaker’s former career victories record of 8,833 at Hollywood Park on with a victory on December 10, 1999. Pincay established a new mark of 9,530 races before retiring in a ceremony at Hollywood Park in 2003, although Pincay’s record was eclipsed by Russell Blaze in 2006.
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