Sen. Bong Revilla’s brother now a suspect!

Sen. Bong Revilla’s brother now a suspect!

(updated)

Joseph Bautista Revilla, a younger brother of slain actor Ram Bautista Revilla, is now among the three prime suspects in the murder of his brother, according to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

In his report to the PNP high command, Senior Supt. Bill Beltran, the police chief of Parañaque City (Metro Manila), on Tuesday disclosed that Joseph, 18, did not resist arrest midnight of Monday and is now in police custody, accompanied by his lawyer Ricardo Galido.

According to Beltran, they have solid evidence against the younger Revilla based on testimonial account of witnesses.

“He [Joseph] was being pointed to by two other suspects and also identified by witnesses,” he said.

Joseph’s alleged accomplices in the crime have been identified as Roy Francis Tolisora and Michael Altia y Cruz, who were both arrested on Sunday.

Beltran said that they have ruled out robbery, love triangle and politics in the killing of Ram and are now looking at the angle of sibling rivalry or personal feud between the two brothers

He added that they would soon file the information sheet against the suspects before the fiscal’s office, which will determine if there is probable cause to warrant the filing of corresponding criminal charges before the proper court.

Beltran confirmed that Ram and Joseph have the same parents and both were living in the same house where the crime happened.

The two are sons of former Sen. Ramon Revilla Sr. and half-brothers of Sen. Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. and Bacoor (Cavite) Mayor Stike Revilla.

Sen. Bong Revilla Jr. and the entire Revilla clan were shocked upon learning of the alleged involvement of another member of the family in the murder of Ram and called on authorities to ensure that their investigation would result in true identification of true perpetrators of the crime.

In a statement, the senator also on Tuesday said that they could not believe the latest breakthrough in the case of his half-brother wherein investigators were also considering Joseph as a suspect in the murder.

“This is a tragic death made even more tragic by the fact that a family member is being implicated,” Revilla added as he made it clear that whoever was behind the crime should be made answerable.

The family called on Task Force Revilla “to make sure that the result of the investigation must not lead to irreparable damage to the innocent, especially to their family members.”

Ram, 22, was stabbed and shot dead by the suspects who were wearing bonnets in his house at BF Homes Parañaque sometime after 11 p.m. on October 28.

Ram’s girlfriend, who was with him when the incident happened, was also shot in the face and shoulder but survived the attack.

She is now recuperating at the intensive care unit of the Asian Hospital in Alabang, Muntinlupa City (also in Metro Manila).

Chief Inspector Enrique Sy, the head of Task Force Revilla, said that the girlfriend remained under intensive care but has given a statement to investigators.

Earlier, Sy said that based on initial investigation, it appeared that there were eight people in the killing of Ram even as he refused to name the mastermind, pending the filing of proper charges.

A witness, he added, claimed that the eight were guns-for-hire and planned the killing for at least a month.

“Ang ating witness na kasama doon sa stage ng planning kasama siya pero di kasama sa pag-execute ng plan (Our witness joined the planning but he was not among those who executed the plan),” Sy said during a radio interview.

He added that the mastermind behind the killing was not that well-known.

Police are still tracking down three more suspects in the slaying of Ram.

Ram Revilla’s interment was set for today. From: Manila Times

Treasonous

“The President only backtracked somewhat after a few days by ordering our soldiers and policemen to go after those responsible for the Al-Barka massacre. Perhaps he noticed rather belatedly that he was losing the confidence of his soldiers. The public was crying out for justice for the 19 soldiers who were killed in Al-Barka, as well as the other soldiers, policemen and civilians who were killed in other encounters with the MILF and other Muslim rebel groups.”

By Ernesto Herrera

I wish I could be more optimistic about the peace process between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front but there has been little evidence that any meaningful deal is in the offing.

Now that the Armed Forces and the Philippine National Police have started going after what they carefully called “lawless elements” in Mindanao, many of whom are in fact also MILF members, I fear that a peaceful, negotiated settlement with the rebel group would be further obscured.

Not that there was much hope to begin with. There was no evidence that the MILF leadership was willing to accept less than their proposed and territorially ambiguous Moro substate in Mindanao, or some sort of the same political arrangement, which would be like another form of the fiasco that was the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain.

The MOA-AD, which was forged by the Arroyo administration with the MILF in 2008, was a treasonous piece of paper that had already been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.

After President Aquino met with MILF chairman Al Haj Murad Ebrahim in August, the MILF made public its new demand for a Moro substate. Recently we also heard of this entity called areas of temporary stay (ATS), which are practically safe havens for the rebel group.

Our soldiers had unfortunately entered one of these ATS in Al-Barka, Basilan, and 19 of them were killed. Outrageously enough the MILF blamed our troops for not coordinating with them, for entering the ATS without their permission. More outrageous is the fact that the President agreed with the MILF and found fault with our soldiers. Talk about honoring our fallen soldiers and from the commander in chief no less!

The President only backtracked somewhat after a few days by ordering our soldiers and policemen to go after those responsible for the Al-Barka massacre. Perhaps he noticed rather belatedly that he was losing the confidence of his soldiers. The public was crying out for justice for the 19 soldiers who were killed in Al-Barka, as well as the other soldiers, policemen and civilians who were killed in other encounters with the MILF and other Muslim rebel groups.

Members of the government peace panel must explain this ATS and the other concessions they may have made with the MILF. As Senator Chiz Escudero said, they should explain when the agreement was entered into, what is its legal basis, how many are there, and where are they located.

“Congress was never informed about it. We would not have known that there was such a creature if the massacre didn’t happen,” he said.

We should not give these kinds of concessions to the MILF, a rebel group that looks at our government as a foreign, colonial government, and whose fractious ranks also include murderous thugs, kidnappers, thieves and terrorists. If this ATS was the idea of the President’s peace advisers then they should be held accountable for this treasonous blunder.

Incidentally, the President was also criticized for giving P5 million from government coffers to the MILF, even before a peace accord was forged with it. Rep. Milagros Magsaysay of Zambales said this is like giving money to an enemy of the state which is also considered treasonous.

Don’t get me wrong. Who doesn’t want peace? But the MILF has hamstrung the peace process for decades with their lopsided preconditions for dialogue that they well know the government side cannot deliver.

This is the same problem we have with other Muslim separatists and communist insurgents. We cannot give in to their demands without violating our Constitution because their demands infringe on Philippine sovereignty and the right of other citizens, in fact, the majority of citizens.

The MILF does not represent Muslim Mindanao. They can’t even control their own members.

Their group is wracked by dissention. They’ve got rogue commanders fighting against their own group. Some have even joined the Abu Sayyaf bandits or at least have formed an alliance with them.

The moderate Muslims in the areas being claimed by the MILF don’t want a separate substate of whatever you may call it.

And what about all the other Christian Filipinos and Lumads who chose to settle in these areas,
including the Cotabato provinces, Maguindanao, Sultan Kudarat and other Southern Mindanao areas?

These Christian-and Lumad populations have staked their whole lives there. They built productive farms, businesses and other livelihoods. The MILF does not speak for them as well.
It’s hard to imagine the government evacuating these populations for an MILF substate. They won’t take that sitting down. Besides, under a democracy, decisions that affect citizens are essentially made by the citizens themselves. People should play a role in deciding policy. Each citizen has equal representation. So the MILF is not the sole arbitrator for Muslim Mindanao.

Also, what will happen to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao when the MILF lays claim to the same lands? The ARMM is based on our Constitution and was created by law. How can the MILF substate supersede the ARMM?

If we wanted to be honest, there are really no meaningful concessions we could make to the MILF’s demands, at least without Constitutional change and without violating the laws of the land.

Allowing the MILF to nibble away at Philippine territory would only escalate conflict, instead of bringing peace and prosperity to Muslim Mindanao, as recent events have shown.

The President took an oath to preserve, protect and defend the Constitution to the best of his ability. He should be the first to shun substates and areas of temporary stay that are so blatantly unconstitutional and disadvantageous to the nation.

Arrest order out on ex-general and wife

The Court of Tax Appeals has ordered the arrest of former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot, a retired general, and wife Erlinda in connection with the tax evasion case filed against them by the Department of Justice.

In a resolution dated Sept. 28 but released only on Friday, the court’s second division has affirmed the Justice department’s holding the Ligot couple liable for evading payment of P153.20 million in taxes exclusive of interest and penalty charges for the year 2003.

The second division is composed of Associate Justices Juanito Castañeda, Jr., Caesar Casanova, and Cielito Grulla.

“After due deliberation and careful consideration of the information and the supporting documents, this court finds the existence of probable cause for the issuance of awarrant of arrest against herein accused,” the justices said.

The court set the bail bond for the Ligot couple’s temporary liberty at P20,000 each. The order covers only one count of four tax evasion charges filed against the Ligots.

Last July, the Justice department recommended the criminal prosecution of the Ligot couple for allegedly evading payment of P400 million in taxes for the years 2001 to 2004. Ligot’s brother in law, Edgardo yambao, was also implicated in the tax evasion case and also charged for his failure to file his income tax return in March, 2010.

In a resolution approved by Prosecutor General Claro Arellano, the Ligot spouses were indicted for violation of the National Internal Revenue Code, which penalizes the attempt to evade tax and penalizes the failure to file income tax return, supply correct and accurate information, respectively.

“It is crystal clear that respondents wilfully evaded payment of taxes on income derived from sources outside their employment for the years 2001 to 2004,” the resolution stated.

Government probers did not give credence to the claim of the respondents that they never generated any undeclared income and unpaid taxes close to the amount of P428 million.

The DOJ added that Erlinda, despite the fact that she was a housewife, was also obligated to file income tax return.

In its complaint, the BIR claimed that the former military comptroller failed to file his ITR in 2001 while his wife likewise ignored filing her ITRs in 2001 to 2004.
They also failed to declare their income in 2001 worth P41,854,181.57; P103,601,281.22 in 2002; P165,367,784.39 in 2003; and P184,995,700.14 in 2004.

The BIR further disclosed that the Ligots used this amount to purchase several properties and maintain huge bank deposits.

From 2001 to 2004, while general was still in service, he made several deposits and investments including two deposits with Citibank, US$1,288,418.91 and US$1,582,488.52.

He also purchased several pieces of property in Malaybalay and Rizal provinces, a Paseo Parkview Tower II condominium unit in Salcedo Village, Makati, and a Toyota Hilux.

His wife Erlinda likewise made several bank deposits including a US$200,000 deposit with Citibank. She also purchased several properties in Paseo Parkview Tower II condominium unit in Makati, US$322,181.00 real property in Anaheim, California and a US$599,500.00 property in Buenas Park, California.

The couple is also facing a forfeiture case filed against them in 2005 before the Sandiganbayan Fourth Division for amassing P135.28-million in unexplained wealth. by Rey Requejo and Elaine Ramos

Lara Bohinc, the Filipino community deserve an apology!

We the undersigned believe that the comments made by designer Lara Bohinc are unacceptable, why is the Nationality of her maid of any relevance?

We would request an apology for the offence caused!

SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION: CLICK HERE

Published by Malcolm Conlan

Most designers would jump at the chance to gift celebrities with their creations.

But Lara Bohinc, who counts Samantha Cameron and Michelle Obama as fans, believes stars should pay for the goods they receive – and even almost refused to give Kate Moss one of her belts.

The Slovenian-born Royal College of Art graduate revealed that when asked for the piece for Kate, she had to ensure she would actually wear it.

‘I think celebrities should buy their own jewellery’: Lara Bohinc doesn’t think Kate Moss deserved one of her belts..

Bohinc, who has a store on Sloane Street in London, told The Telegraph: ‘Kate Moss asked for a belt once, so I gave it to her, but I had to say, “Are you sure she’ll be wearing it?” I didn’t want to see it on her Filipina maid.

‘I think celebrities should buy their own jewellery.

‘I don’t send stuff to anyone.’

Lara Bohinc makes chunky, gold art-deco inspired pieces..

The designer has made a name for herself selling chuncky, art-deco inspired pieces that have celebrities flocking to her store.

Her popularity rose after Samantha Cameron gave Michelle Obama one of her cuffs as a present at the G20 Summit in 2009.

Samantha Cameron, pictured in February, wearing a Lara Bohinc necklace..

But Bohinc claims she had no idea the Prime Minister’s wife had made the purchase.

Lara said: ‘It was an amazing surprise.

‘Samantha Cameron’s people came into the shop to buy it, but they didn’t say who they were, so I had no idea.’

P-Noy thanks Apl.De.Ap

President Aquino has thanked Allan Pineda Lindo Jr., also known as apl.de.ap of the award-winning group Black Eyed Peas, for his noble efforts to build classrooms and empower the Filipino youth.

The President met apl.de.ap at the residence of Rafael Lopa, president of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF), last Monday night to express his gratitude.

Apl.de.ap, the Filipino-American rapper currently visiting Manila, has launched the “We Can Be Anything” education campaign together with NCAF and Ayala Foundation. The advocacy seeks to build 10,000 classrooms in the country in a bid to reduce the shortage of schools in the country.

“The President dropped by yesterday to personally extend his gratitude to Allan Pineda, Apl.de.ap for his APL Foundation which is in partnership with the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation for the construction of classrooms in the country,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin

“It was held in the residence of Rapa Lopa, the president of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation. He hosted dinner for Allan Pineda. The President just dropped by to extend his gratitude,” Lacierda said.

By GENALYN D. KABILING

WORLD’S WORST: Only in the Philippines

“The Guide to Sleeping in Airports website named Singapore’s Changi Airport, Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport and South Korea’s Incheon as the world’s top airports…
Naia earns P8.5 billion in cash from terminal fees every year, not including the revenues from concessionaires, the airlines and parking fees. The big question, he said, is where does all this money go, and why isn’t it being used for the betterment of the airport.”

By: Ernesto Herrera

As aviation reviews go, I am more concerned about the International Civil Aviation Organization’s negative assessment of the Philippine aviation industry, which had led to our downgrading by the United States Federal Aviation Administration in 2008 and blacklisting by the European Aviation Safety Agency in 2010, than I am about the Ninoy Aquino International Airport being tagged as the worst in the world by the website The Guide to Sleeping in Airports, which also ranked Naia 5th worst in the world last year.

Not that the website review does not matter. The consistent ranking of Naia among the world’s worst, and this year’s topnotcher, was based on reviews of travelers who complained, among other things, of “safety concerns, lack of comfortable seating, rude staff, hostile security, poor facilities, no (or few) services to pass the time, bribery, being kicked out and general hassles of being in the airport.”

These problems need to be addressed for sure, number one among them, the extortion which has plagued Naia for the longest time, and which can be found in many forms, from the luggage trolleys that passengers have to pay for even if they are supposedly free, to the policemen and other personnel who solicit money from passengers.

But these are managerial and operational problems that can be solved with available resources, efficient management and political will.

Robert Lim Joseph, chairman of the Tourism Educators and Movers of the Philippines, told Karen Davila on ANC’s Headstart on Thursday that there is enough revenue to improve Naia’s facilities.

Joseph said Naia earns P8.5 billion in cash from terminal fees every year, not including the revenues from concessionaires, the airlines and parking fees. The big question, he said, is where does all this money go, and why isn’t it being used for the betterment of the airport.

There is certainly more than enough revenue to make Naia’s facilities world-class. As suggested by Joseph, the government should conduct a thorough audit of the terminal fees and other Naia earnings to make sure the money is going where it should and not to line the pockets of corrupt officials.

This should be done before considering privatizing the airport altogether. Adding comfortable seats, putting up service kiosks and help desks, refurbishing comfort rooms, and stamping out corruption—in other words addressing the complaints posted in The Guide to Sleeping in Airports website—does not need privatization, just common sense, good management and good people.

The bigger problem is that Naia has already reached its saturation point and there is not much room for expansion. According to a study by the Department of Transportation and Communication, the rated capacity of all four Naia terminals is about 32 million passengers a year. This year, the airport is expected to service 30 million passengers. It is not only reaching the limit runway-wise, but terminal-wise as well. This could not be dealt with regardless of how much money you spend improving Naia. This requires another airport altogether.

But isn’t this what Naia 3 was supposed to be for when it was built, to solve the overcrowding at the older Naia terminals? Beset by unresolved legal and technical issues with the Philippine International Airport Terminal Co. and German shareholder Fraport AG, Naia 3 is operating at a third less than its intended capacity of 13 million passengers a year. Would we still need to develop the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport if Naia 3 could be made fully operational?
This is one of the things the DOTC needs to study before selling Naia and before making the Clark airport the country’s premiere gateway, which would entail among other considerable costs a high-speed train from Mabalacat, Pampanga to Metro Manila, preferably in the central business district of Makati.

There are several conglomerates who are more than willing to buy and operate Naia, Naia 3 and DMIA, among them San Miguel Corporation and Metro Pacific Corporation, but privatization needs to be studied carefully.

The Guide to Sleeping in Airports website named Singapore’s Changi Airport, Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok airport and South Korea’s Incheon as the world’s top airports. Changi and Incheon are operated by private companies while Chek Lap Kok is operated by the Airport Authority Hong Kong, which receives no government money and will soon be publicly listed.

The argument could be made that an airport could operate more efficiently when privately run, as it is driven by the bottom line of profitability. Unfortunately we have had sad experiences wherein privatization only led to exploitation and overcharging the public.

There are many ways to involve the private sector in airports, whether through capital investment in new infrastructure or by turning over to them operation and management of airport facilities. However, we have to make sure that these measures would lead to greater efficiency and accountability to the public and travelers.

Almost half of projects 6 months delayed—DPWH

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson has admitted that P52.56 billion worth of construction projects this year have been delayed for six months, prompting House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to urge him to give priority to flood-control projects slated for 2012.

Belmonte issued the statement Friday following Singson’s admission that P24.16 billion or 45.9 percent of all his department’s projects for this year started only in July, and mainly as a result of “longer preparation of program works.”

Singson had told Congress that the rest of the public works projects were still to be bid out, and that of the three pubic-private partnership programs that his department was pursuing only one —the Daang Hari-South Luzon Expressway connection—would be bid out, and only in December. The two other flagship projects had yet to reach the bidding stage.

“As of July 2011, out of the total 2,124 projects being implemented with a total cost of P52.566 billion, 1,631 projects were advertised with a total cost of P36.472 billion,” Singson had said in his report to Congress.

“Of the projects advertised, 1,516 costing P31.120 billion were bid out, of which 1,255 with a total cost P24.16 billion were awarded or already started.”

The House on third reading approved Public Works’ P109.63-billion for 2012.

In defending his budget, Singson said his department had listed seven priorities, and among those were the flood-control projects of “highest impact and economic returns.” The public-private partnership projects were priority number 3.

Singson said that of the 15,872 kilometers of national arterial roads, 91 percent were paved, but 18 percent of the paved sections needed to be rehabilitated.

He said a bridge program to support agriculture was delayed by the Agrarian Reform Department’s slow identification of sites, adding that of the 418 bridges planned, only 26 sites were identified.

by Christine F. Herrera

Tell-tale signs of a Weak Leader?

“Also likely to incite this eruption of violence was PNoy’s reversal of Arroyo’s other policy of demanding ceasefire before talking peace. Plainly, when negotiations are conducted amid fighting, insurgents have a huge incentive to mount assaults with the triple objectives of expanding control, amassing weapons and ‘revolutionary taxes’, and degrading state forces—thus, boosting the insurgents’ position on the battlefield as well as the negotiating table...This month alone, NPA firefights were reported in Compostela Valley, Agusan, Surigao, North Cota-bato, Negros, and Mindoro.”

Tell-tale signs of a weak leader?

By: Ricardo Saludo

Along with our countrymen, this writer expresses heartfelt sympathy and sadness for families and friends of nearly 30 soldiers killed by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front last week. Just two days after the death of 19 Scout Rangers in Basilan last Tuesday, another eight soldiers fell, the MILF claimed.

If one’s memory of the Arroyo years serves this former Cabinet member right, last week’s casualties are the worst losses sustained by our courageous fighting men in the past decade at least. The MILF seems bent on catching up with the ferocity of the communist New People’s Army, which has intensified its own assaults nationwide since Benigno Aquino 3rd became president.

This month alone, NPA firefights were reported in Compostela Valley, Agusan, Surigao, North Cota-bato, Negros, and Mindoro. Insurgents also burned equipment in Bukidnon and Negros, and kidnapped a Surigao del Sur mayor and his two military escorts. Provincial Governor Johnny Pimentel warning of more abductions.

Then there were the recent attacks on three Surigao del Norte mines, which even prompted a stern statement from New York-based Human Rights Watch. That plea for peace fell on deaf ears: the communists have threatened more foreign-operated mines.

Rebel assaults have escalated since July 2010 despite President Aquino’s scrapping of his predecessor’s firm no-ceasefire-no-peace-talks policy and her counter-insurgency campaign combining military action with development initiatives. A few months after repeating the ceasefire-first line in his 2010 State of the Nation Address, PNoy went ahead with negotiations.

Then, in place of the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ Bantay Laya strategy, which trimmed NPA forces and influence by a quarter during Gloria Arroyo’s rule, PNoy launched the Bayanihan program with a reduced security component. The AFP even dropped the ‘communist-terrorists’ (CT) tag in favor of CNN (for Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front).

Now, some are wondering if the insurgents were, in fact, emboldened by, not despite, PNoy’s about-face from Arroyo’s tough tack.

Consider a few things. First, anti-government groups normally crank up their activities, peaceful or armed, to test a fresh administration. Some rebels might ease off the trigger if a new Commander-in-Chief pulls back the troops from a decade of relentless counter-insurgency. But it is just as likely if not more so for insurgents to take advantage of AFP restraint for battlefield resurgence. Just imagine what radiator water does when the cap is opened.

Also likely to incite this eruption of violence was PNoy’s reversal of Arroyo’s other policy of demanding ceasefire before talking peace. Plainly, when negotiations are conducted amid fighting, insurgents have a huge incentive to mount assaults with the triple objectives of expanding control, amassing weapons and ‘revolutionary taxes’, and degrading state forces—thus, boosting the insurgents’ position on the battlefield as well as the negotiating table. The temptation to attack is even greater when the military is prevented from responding in kind.

With the MILF there is a further trigger to attack: any perceived violation of Muslim freedom and territory. In 2000 then President Joseph Estrada waged all-out war and took the Front’s Camp Abubakar headquarters. On December 30 that year, Manila’s worst terrorist bombings hit commuter trains and malls. Arroyo, for her part, faced attacks by MILF units after the military took its Buliok base and when the Supreme Court blocked talks on Muslim ancestral domains.

What PNoy move could have ignited Basilan? Notably, the assault happened days after the High Court narrowly cleared the law postponing this year’s election for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao and empowering the President to appoint ARMM officials. While the MILF expressed no open protest, countless Muslims oppose the scheme, including rebels fighting to be free of Manila’s power.

It doesn’t help restrain rebel violence that President Aquino has come across as a less hands-on, proactive security and crisis leader than the past three Commanders-in-Chief. Fidel Ramos was a former Armed Forces chief; Erap continues to advocate all-out war. While Arroyo faced down coup plotters and hostage takers, Aquino was largely unseen when terrorism and calamity struck.

Moreover, his surprise Tokyo meeting with MILF Chairman Murad Ebrahim—a huge concession and propaganda win for the Front—and PNoy’s pursuit of talks with “CNN” sans ceasefire, may have signaled an overriding desire to sign peace pacts at all costs. The President’s response to the Rangers’ deaths may further buttress this view.

“The instruction,” reported AFP operations chief Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta after PNoy’s October 21 command conference, “was that operations against the MILF should not be pursued because of the existing ceasefire.” Nor will the government press for the arrest of rogue commander Dan Laksaw Asnawi who allegedly led the Basilan attack.

Sadly, that stance may lead to more sacrifices for our heroic men in uniform.

Prostitutes for hire on Facebook

Facebook is becoming an increasingly popular place to book prostitutes online. "Malaysia No 1 Call Girl Service. 3C Agent: 012959****" is one of the pages set up to enable clients to hire girls from China, Thailand and Indonesia.

As of 7pm on Thursday, it had 2,080 "likes", reported Sinar Harian.

"Service will be provided only around Klang Valley. Please don't call us to confirm, we don't provide service in other countries, please cooperate,'' said a post on Thursday.

The website asked customers to check into a hotel, call the 3C Agent to request the type of girl wanted and make payment before the service is provided.

A reporter from the daily tried calling the number but it went unanswered.

Later that day the page owner wrote another post stating "We are full this month and too busy to entertain customers, we only take SMS."

The cost ranges from 180 ringgit (US$57) to 700 ringgit ($223) and clients can view the pictures of the women before purchasing.

Federal Criminal Investigation Department principal assistant director of anti-vice, gaming and secret society deputy director SAC Abdul Jalil Hassan said: "We are aware of the existence of the Facebook page. So far no one has been arrested for offering sex through the Internet," he added.

From Asia News Network

Miriam Defensor Santiago wishes for 'Genie in a Bottle'

If a genie asked what Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s wish would be, she said it would be to stop the senators from conducting legislative investigations.

According to the rules of the Senate, its committees may conduct formal inquiries or investigations in aid of legislation or when they refer to the implementation, reexamination or formulation of any law.

However, senators should stop conducting these investigations because they actually do not result in any substantial legislation so they do not serve its constitutional purpose, Santiago said in a forum Friday at the University of the Philippines College of Law.

“When these senators conduct these so-called public hearings on television, they display ignorance of the rules of court. That should be a crime in itself,” the feisty Senator said.

Santiago lamented her colleagues are merely serving as “subordinates of fiscal,” during legislative inquiries.

The veteran senator pointed out that even at the end of the investigation, all they can possibly do is make a recommendation to the Office of the Ombudsman which she said is merely doing a preliminary work for a preliminary investigation of an ordinary fiscal.

“It has no weight in our judicial system. It has zero capability in judging what justice should be administered. We are acting, in effect, when we conduct these scandalous hearings, a fiesta of legal ignorance,” Santiago stressed.

The senator was particularly urged to end legislative investigations when she delivered a sponsorship speech before the Senate on the International Criminal Court (ICC) particularly the Rome Statute.

She recalled having to engage in debate and interpellation with senators whom she said are ignorant of the court rules.

Santiago to resign?

Santiago is a judicial candidate to the ICC for the term 2012-2021. The ICC is a permanent and independent court with jurisdiction over crimes of international concern such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crime of aggression.

She earlier announced that if she wins the position in the ICC, she will resign as senator of the republic.

In August, the Philippines recently became the 117th of the 119 State Parties of the ICC from all the regions of the world. The treaty will come into force in November.

“Our membership in the ICC is nothing less than a signal contribution to the globalization of international justice because the Court is arguably the most important institutional innovation since the founding of the United Nations,” Santiago said in the forum sponsored by the UP Institute of International Legal Studies and the Philippine Coalition for the ICC.

The senator will leave next week to campaign her candidacy as judicial candidate for the elections in December in New York.

“We are opening a window into the future and the future suggests that after accession to the Rome Statute, the Philippines still needs to undertake wide-ranging tasks,” Santiago said.

She further recommended establishing a commission for experts to engage in a thorough professional study of emergent problems and approaches under Philippine law in relation to the Rome Statute.

By Shielo Mendoza

Stars show support for Red Cross Million Volunteer Run

PRC Chair Richard J. Gordon, and officers of the PRC QC Chapter—including Dr. Edna Azurin, president; Hermogenes Jarin, vice chairman; Maria Paz Ugalde, secretary; Ma. Elisa Allado, assistant secretary; Rosalind Wee, treasurer; Alberto Galarpe, assistant treasurer; Teofista Pajara, auditor; Alfredo Alex Cruz III, counselor; and Ernesto Isla, business manager and Lily Monteverde —were all present at the launch of Red Cross Million Volunteer Run on Thursday.

The campaign is in line with the United Nations’ declaration of 2011 as the International Year of Volunteers.

It seeks to boost the 143 Red Cross, a flagship volunteer program wherein Red Cross trains 44 people in every barangay – one leader and 43 members – as disaster responders and providers of humanitarian assistance that includes first aid, basic health care, among others.

“We are hoping to enliven the culture of volunteerism in the country,” Gordon said.

Joining them is actress Marian Rivera, who expressed elation to be part of what she described as an “honor.”

“Matagal ko na hong gusto mag-volunteer talaga and I’m thankful na nabigyan katuparan ito,” Rivera stressed. “Nakakataba ng puso kasi sa dinami-dami ng artista, isa ako sa pinili nilang maging celebrity endorser nila.”

She vowed to involve herself in the advocacy a “hundred percent.”

“Lifetime commitment ito," she said. "Pipilitin ko sa abot ng aking makakaya na tumulong sa Red Cross sa kahit anong paraan, simula sa fun run na ito.”

CLICK HERE TO JOIN THE RED CROSS MILLION VOLUNTEER RUN

Other celebrities who have pledged their participation in the event, which will be held on Dec. 4, are Mikael Daez, Isabelle Daza, German Moreno, Ronnie Ricketts, Pia Guanio and Paolo Bediones.

Military won’t attack Moro rebels

Ringkasan ini tidak tersedia. Harap klik di sini untuk melihat postingan.

Bigatin Friends... The VIP mentality

"Throwing one’s weight around to circumvent rules is not excusable no matter how pressed for time one is....Being connected with him, no matter in what menial or inconsequential way, they too feel are elevated and therefore superior enough to break rules..."

Written by : MA. ISABEL ONGPIN

For some the Llamas’ aides joyride with arms they had no permit to carry is a tempest in a teapot. For most, it is a symbol of execrable public behavior by what are in effect public servants via their public official employers and a bad mark on the administration they serve. In truth, there is much of ordinary Filipino cultural behavior involved.

It happens time and again that bodyguards, errand people, aides and such of public officials assume superior airs, act with impunity and have no inhibitions about breaking the law or assuming advantages beyond those of ordinary citizens. In time and more often than not, their actions are soon so repellent that they bring on to their bosses condemnation and odium.

It is actually common behavior. They feel they have become privileged and superior because they work for someone they think has elevated them to that level by his government position. Being connected with him, no matter in what menial or inconsequential way, they too feel are elevated and therefore superior enough to break rules. Thus, these who are effectively underlings, strut about taking on the airs of a special class of people who do not have to follow the rules of ordinary citizens. And in an ironic twist, some of them actually impose the same behavior on their unthinking and insensitive bosses by treating them as gods, parting the rules, the people, the furniture, etc. from their path.

The public servants involved take it as a matter of course, probably because bearing the burden of office, they think they deserve it. Or, in the same mode of being burdened, are distracted enough to be out of focus or unaware that their subalterns are causing them to break rules of good or dignified and democratic behavior.

Here are some examples: At the airport a newly-elected senator was due to arrive. Meanwhile an earlier flight’s passengers were exiting the airport terminal waiting for their cars or taxis, but found the whole curb from beginning to end barred from access to their cars or taxis by the seven vehicles of the senator ranging from luxury cars to trucks and vans.

The senator was nowhere near the exit, his plane had probably not even landed but his whole retinue of cars and aides had taken over public space causing disorder and discomfort to the rest. It seemed to them it was their right to be there took precedence over everyone else’s rights.

The ensuing mayhem meant passengers had to haul their luggage beyond the curb, between the vehicles parked, and into the other half of the street. Meanwhile, the drivers, aides, go-fers were out of their vehicles idling, smoking and shooting the breeze, ignoring the security guard’s attempts to make them move on. So much so that he just gave up and resorted to carrying suitcases to help women who could not manage moving their bags beyond the curb, between the vehicles and across half of the street.

At an electoral exercise day at a crowded barangay polling place, a cabinet secretary arrived while there was a line of citizens waiting their turn. His aides quickly parted a way for him to reach the end, fill in his ballot and leave for his office. Next day there was a Letter to the Editor excoriating the undue advantage, reviling the cabinet secretary. I read it and went into shock, it was my own husband during his two-minute government service who was named. I went into a rage and expressed my complete support for the aggrieved party and read him the riot act about public behavior as a public official. Of course, he had an appointment, was in a hurry and hardly noticed what exactly his aides had done. He had other matters on his mind. Not an excuse, I said. As for the aides, I called them together and told them off in no uncertain terms about what not to do next time. They had come down from the previous authoritarian regime and had taken in its bad habits. Next scene they were in a huddle to ponder and figure out what made me so angry and how to do better next time according to what they thought were my rules. They were just the right rules.

What are the lessons to be learned here by public officials in cases like the above which will rightly get them the blame and the administrations they serve unnecessarily compromised? Choose the right people to hire as a public official. Give them a seminar on the behavior of the servant official rather than the superior official vis-à-vis the general public. It should be made very clear to them what they should do and what they cannot do. Certainly using the low-numbered car when the boss is away is an obvious no-no to most of us, but it has to be spelled out anyway before it happens. Throwing one’s weight around to circumvent rules is not excusable no matter how pressed for time one is. Perhaps a proper and humble by-your-leave to the people affected should be the norm in cases like this. If they deny the permission, then one has to abide by their refusal.

The given is that a public official and his or her retinue think they have carte blanche about how to behave in public. This is usually taken to mean acting like rulers of old or celebrities of the present. Maybe some do not quite think that way, but they let their minions behave that way using their position as an excuse. Aides and other employees have to be carefully selected for discretion democratic behavior and humility. There is no other way. Just as taking advantage of public office to enrich oneself or gain unwarranted privileges, using the office an excuse to act superior or privileged is not allowed. Breaking rules of polite and courteous behavior should never be tolerated.

And the burden is on the public officials who are the superiors of these employees. When bad behavior happens, throw the book at these abusers in some form or another. That and his own good behavior is every public official’s responsibility.

CAMSUR: A case of bad governance?

The complaint also alleged that (LRay) Villafuerte, in connivance with his wife and two sons, funneled to a company called Republic Wake Parks Inc. public funds which were used to build the multi-million-peso Republic Nuvali Wakepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna which now directly competes with the CamSur Watersports Complex run by the provincial government...

Taken from Jojo Robles

Speaking of bad governance, it must be noted that this is never a monopoly of politicians on the national level. The allegations of plunder against Camarines Sur Governor Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte Jr., if true, are good examples of this.

The crime was originally defined as the accumulation or acquisition by any public officer of ill-gotten wealth of at least P75 million. An amendment brought this down to P50 million and made it punishable by life imprisonment and perpetual disqualification from public office.

The plunder charges against Villafuerte were filed by former Vice Governor Mariano Trinidad in his capacity as a registered voter and taxpayer and includes Villafuerte’s wife and two sons as respondents. Also charged with plunder and dishonesty, grave misconduct and conduct grossly prejudicial to the best interest of the service are six other provincial government officials.

Trinidad’s complaint alleges that Villafuerte and his co-accused, over a period of six years, repeatedly violated the Local Government Code, the Government Procurement Act and Commission on Audit rules. Trinidad said the respondents entered into “anomalous, irregular and highly disadvantageous contracts, extended undue and unwarranted advantage to third parties in exchange for pecuniary benefit, and fraudulently conveyed government funds in a number of tourism-related activities.”

Among these were the unlawful disbursement of public funds amounting to P28 million for the 2006 Kaogma Festival; the 2008 World Wakepark Championship where the respondents; and the 2010 CamSur Marathon where the accused allowed a private corporation to perform the duties of Provincial Treasurer and failed to account for P5.5 million in revenues. In seven transactions identified in the complaint, Trinidad said the provincial government lost a total of P104.5 million.

The complaint also alleged that Villafuerte, in connivance with his wife and two sons, funneled to a company called Republic Wake Parks Inc. public funds which were used to build the multi-million-peso Republic Nuvali Wakepark in Sta. Rosa, Laguna which now directly competes with the CamSur Watersports Complex run by the provincial government. The ex-vice governor said Villafuerte’s acts, “all done in the name of tourism, will establish a pattern of how he, his family and his cohorts siphoned government funds and funneled the same to their pockets.”

In 2008, the National Statistical Coordination Board named CamSur and Maguindanao as the worst-governed provinces for their failure to deliver social services to the people. Villafuerte will have to explain how, if what he says is true that CamSur has surpassed Boracay and Cebu as the premier tourist destination, the revenues from the purported 2.3 million tourist arrivals in the province were spent.

We’ve heard that Villafuerte, whose third and last term as governor ends in 2013, wants to run for senator. But what the governor should really be doing is explaining to his constituents if the charges Trinidad filed last Monday before the Office of the Ombudsman are true.

In Maguindanao, few people expect any progress, given the poverty of that province and the thievery of its officials. But Villafuerte keeps saying that CamSur is rich and progressive, even if objective agencies say otherwise.

THE WORLD's WORST AIRPORT- NOW PAY UP!

“Forget about sleeping in this airport! You will not want to even close your eyes here...The site also alleged that corruption is still a problem in the most important gateway to the country. And yet, the airport keeps charging fees from users, despite the overall deterioration of the facility.”

Taken from: Jojo Robles

Speaking of airports, the Sleeping in Airports Web site has announced a change in its standings. From fifth worst in the world, the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is now the rating site’s absolute worst for 2011. The site’s Guide to Sleeping in Airports, which evaluates the facilities and user-friendliness of the world’s air terminals, earlier made news locally when it panned NAIA for being the worst in Asia.

NAIA Terminal 1 “is in bad shape,” the site said. “Earlier this year, some bad press regarding the state of the airport made airport officials promise to clean its Terminal 1 toilets and provide running water and soap. Imagine... they actually had to ‘promise’ to offer this!”
The site found nothing to praise about the old international terminal, which is used by all international airlines. It had a better opinion of the new Terminal 3, used by local budget carriers, but warned that the facility was defective.

The latest bad review is not really news to Filipinos who have long suffered from the mismanagement and near-permanent state of disrepair at what is still the most-used airport in the country today. The terminal named after the assassinated father of President Noynoy Aquino has not seen a major refurbishing in decades.

The review site noted that part of the ceiling of Terminal 1 even collapsed recently. “Forget about sleeping in this airport! You will not want to even close your eyes here!”

The site also alleged that corruption is still a problem in the most important gateway to the country. And yet, the airport keeps charging fees from users, despite the overall deterioration of the facility.

“Bribery and theft exist,” according to the online guide, which suggests airports that are friendly enough to sleep in, especially while waiting for connecting flights to other destinations, to budget travelers. “Airport taxes are collected, but the money does not seem to go towards the betterment of the airport. Document holders have been told their papers are not correct, but a fee of X amount should clear up the matter.”

So far, the general manager appointed by Aquino to NAIA has not replied to the latest “improvement” in the standings of the terminal that he is supposed to be in charge of. We remember that this official took extreme umbrage at the first bad review posted by the site.
Of course, for the people who have seen the spanking news airports of Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore and Seoul (just to mention a few nearby) will know that mere palliative measures will not fix NAIA.

Ninoy Aquino must feel that perhaps he should have died somewhere else.

Banning of sex toys in Baguio pushed

A 15-year-old Scout councilor filed a resolution requesting Baguio City Government to ban the selling, availing and possessing of sex toys.

University of Baguio Science High School student Jayvin So said the increasing number of sex toys in the market, especially in adult shops in the city, pollutes the minds of the youth.

So takes over Councilor Philian Weygan-Allan as chair of the Ethics, Governmental Affairs and Personnel committee for a day.

“[Sex toys] do not contribute [any good] to the welfare of our community, especially to the welfare of our youth,” So said.

Other scout councilors agreed that sex toys should be inaccessible to minors.

Majority of the scout councilors for a day voted to pass the resolution.

Copies of the resolution will be submitted to the Baguio City Police Office, Department of Trade and Industry, City Treasurer’s Office, Department of Interior and Local Government, Association of Barangay Councils and City Social Welfare and Development Office.

So and the rest of the scout councilors took over the City Hall for a day as part of the Scout Officials for a Day program of the Boys and Girls Scouts of the Philippines.

By JM Agreda

QC’s DIRTY little SECRET

"Woe to QC’s non-poor, who would have to foot the bill for this symbiotic perversion between the city leadership and its majority squatting constituents...Why did politicians—including members of the QC Council—troop to squatter settlements every election year to court their votes by promising them the moon?"

QC’s DIRTY little SECRET

The Quezon City government’s plan to impose another tax on legitimate homeowners so it can raise more money purportedly to fund housing units for squatters is turning out to be a scam worse than a recent land-grabbing incident.

Despite the opposition by 80 subdivision and village associations, the QC Council is hell-bent on railroading the ordinance imposing the so-called socialized housing tax or SHT, with the city mayor poised to sign the measure regardless of the objections raised by those who would be subject to such an imposition.

In arguing for the SHT, the proponents highlight the oppressive living conditions of the squatters, who supposedly suffer the indignity of cramped sub-human quarters that have been the breeding ground of disease and social malaise.

But the SHT proponents forget to add that some of those living in such squalid quarters could afford not only the basic necessities of electricity and water, but also amenities such as refrigerators, microwave ovens, air conditioners, and yes, even flat-screen TVs. At a creekside community on the fringes of the National Children’s Medical Center, school-age children are picked up and dropped off by yellow buses!

No, this is not about class war, but that is what the proponents of the new tax appear to be foisting against those opposed to the measure. In arguing for the new tax, the proponents want to make it appear that the rich don’t want to part with 0.05 percent of the assessed value of their property in excess of P100,000. But not all legitimate homeowners in QC would qualify as belonging to socioeconomic class AB. Some are even hard-pressed paying their annual property taxes.

At the risk of dishonest argumentation, the SHT proponents argue for the new tax by pointing out the blighted state of squatter settlements while admitting the high cost of in-city land. The LGU’s insistence on in-city dwelling for squatters is a travesty if we take into account how middle-class workers have reconciled with the fact that they can no longer afford in-city housing, thus the property boom at the periphery of Metro Manila.

The SHT proponents claim they need a five-year period to build up a fund for socialized housing. But how sure are they that the pooled money—an estimated P300 million— would be enough to sustain their program? Flat out, we contend that the program would fail to muster enough resources for the following reason: moral hazard. The SHT would be an incentive for every potential squatter in the Philippines to move to QC just so they can get a chance at owning a home. The SHT therefore is an open invitation for legalized squatting.

Given such a scenario, the SHT would only worsen, and not solve, QC’s problem of overstretched resources, since the number of residents, especially squatters, would balloon, thus adding pressure to already strained budgets for health, education and other social services.

The proponents of the SHT claim the new tax springs from Republic Act 7279, or the Urban Housing and Development Act—the so-called Lina law named after its main sponsor at the Senate back then. The new tax however would be on top of the idle land tax the LGU already imposes. Given the realty tax levied on homeownes, the SHT is tantamount to double taxation, something the Constitution prohibits.

The LGU claims that only members of a syndicate stand to benefit from the status quo. How true, but the biggest syndicate that will benefit from the new tax is the QC Council. The move underscores the rent-seeking behavior of a locality that ironically prides itself in being the country’s richest LGU. No wonder a “lesser-endowed” LGU like Makati City could afford to grant more perks to its residents.

If it had been serious about uplifting the conditions of squatters, then why did the QC leadership let the illegal settlers mushroom, especially in state-owned land such as the National Government Center and near or at hazardous areas such as creeks, under bridges, and the like? Why did politicians—including members of the QC Council—troop to squatter settlements every election year to court their votes by promising them the moon?

Like the previous national govenrment, the ruling clique at QC had a decade to solve such problems, and yet there was no improvement, only a worsening that made the city the country’s squatter capital.

The LGU’s insistence on the SHT smacks of an arrogance bred by more than a decade reign of a clique that had been swept to power and kept there by the very squatters who stand to benefit from the exaction on legitimate homeowners.

The potentate’s arrogance is reflected in the thankless attitude of its subjects when the legitimate owner of the squatted land finally secures a court order reclaiming the fruits of their labor. Instead of graciously giving up so many years of rent-free accommodations, the squatters have the gall to challenge the court order and demand payment from the real owner.

Woe to QC’s non-poor, who would have to foot the bill for this symbiotic perversion between the city leadership and its majority squatting constituents.

And that is QC’s dirty little secret. (Manila Times editorial)