THE RUFUS B. RODRIGUEZ DAILY NEWS: Association of Southeast Asian

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Miyerkules, Mayo 8, 2013

6 senatorial candidates slugging it out for last 3 slots Philippine Daily Inquirer

Nine administration and three opposition candidates are leading the race for the Senate, according to the final preelection poll taken by the Social Weather Stations on May 2 and 3.

But those in the last three spots are not sure of still being there next Monday, Election Day.

One administration candidate and five opposition candidates are slugging it out for these last three spots.

The nine administration candidates are Team PNoy’s reelectionist Senators Loren Legarda, Alan Peter Cayetano, Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and Antonio Trillanes IV, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara and political newcomers Grace Poe and Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino.

The three opposition candidates are United Nationalist Alliance’s Nancy Binay, San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito and reelectionist Sen. Gregorio Honasan.

Fighting to wrest the last three spots from Angara, Trillanes and Honasan are Cagayan Rep. Juan Ponce Enrile Jr. (UNA), former Sen. Ramon Magsaysay Jr. (LP/Team PNoy) and former Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri (UNA).

Legarda still tops

Controversy swirling around Legarda (NPC/Team PNoy) involving underdeclaration of assets failed to dislodge her from the first place in the Top 12 of the latest SWS poll.

On May 2, self-styled public interest advocate Louis Biraogo accused Legarda of not declaring real property on Park Avenue, New York City, for four years.

Legarda denied the accusation, calling it “black propaganda” intended to pull her down from the top in the preelection polls.

Results of the latest SWS poll showed Legarda with 57 percent, 2 percentage points down from her April rating.

Legarda’s rating could be virtually unchanged from last month, considering the poll’s margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points.

Biggest gainer

Poe (Independent/Team PNoy), former chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board, posted the most gain, with 45 percent, 6 percentage points up from her April rating.

Poe, who ranked fifth in the latest SWS poll, previously occupied the 10th to 11th spot.

Villar (Nacionalista Party/Team PNoy) suffered the biggest decline, garnering 44 percent, 5 percentage points down from her rating last month.

Villar slid from third to fourth place in April to sixth to seventh place in the latest poll.

The rest in the top nine spots saw minor changes from their April ratings, considering the poll’s error margin.

Trailing Legarda was Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano (NP/Team PNoy, 50 percent), who also shed 2 percentage points from the April poll.

Newcomer

Political newcomer Nancy Binay (UNA) retained the third to fourth spot, with 48 percent, down by 1 percentage point from last month.

Tied with Binay in third to fourth spot was Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero (Independent/Team PNoy, 48 percent), up by 1 percentage point from his April rating that put him in the fifth place.

Along with Villar in sixth to seventh spot was San Juan City Rep. JV Ejercito (UNA, 44 percent), up by 1 percentage point from the previous poll, where he ranked seventh to eighth.

Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III (PDP-Laban/Team PNoy) secured the eighth place with 43 percent, unchanged from his previous rating. His previous ranking, however, was seventh to eighth.

In ninth place was Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino IV (LP/Team PNoy), first cousin of President Aquino, who slid from sixth place last month, garnering 41 percent, down 3 percentage points from the previous poll.

Both in 10th to 11th place were Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara (LDP/Team PNoy, 38 percent) and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (NP/Team PNoy, 38 percent).

The rear

At the tailend of the list of probable winners was Sen. Gringo Honasan (UNA), whose 37 percent rating was unchanged from last month’s poll, in which he placed 12th to 13th.

Although they failed to make it to the top 12, three candidates could still statistically figure in the top 12: Enrile Jr. (35 percent, 13th place), former Senator Magsaysay (33 percent, 14th to 15th place) and Zubiri (33 percent, 14th to 15th place).

Noncommissioned poll

For the noncommissioned poll, SWS asked 2,400 registered voters nationwide the question, “If the elections were held today, whom would you most probably vote for senator of the Philippines?”

Twelve of the 24 seats in Senate are at stake in midterm elections next Monday.

SWS said 44 percent of respondents chose a full slate of 12 candidates; 3 percent were either undecided or did not have an answer; another 3 percent had invalid ballots.—Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Power interruptions continue in NCR as NGCP maintains power supply back to normal

A day after a massive power outage hit Luzon, some areas in Metro Manila were still experiencing power interruptions early Thursday morning.

The affected areas include parts of Quezon City where power was restored Wednesday night but went out again before dawn Thursday, radio dzBB's Allan Gatus reported.

However, the Department of Energy maintained power had been restored as of Wednesday night, and the Thursday morning outages could be "localized."

"Baka 'yan ay localized. Baka within the distribution system," DOE Electric Power Industry Management Bureau Director Mylene Capongcol said in an interview on dzBB radio.

She said that as of 11:50 p.m. Wednesday, power had been restored and the yellow notice reflecting a deficiency in reserve power had been lifted.

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines said that as of 6 a.m., there was a reserve of 262 megawatts for Luzon, whose system capacity outlook for Thursday was at 8,567 megawatts.

For Visayas, it said the system capacity outlook was at 1,803 megawatts, with reserves of 359 megawatts.

Investigation

Capongcol said their initial investigation showed a failure in the special protection system of the Calaca Unit 2 and the Calaca Biñan line that eventually cascaded and resulted in the loss of 3,500 megawatts.

She said the DOE has tasked the NGCP to complete its evaluation.

Also, she said the DOE asked the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association to submit logs of the generation facilities involved. —KG, GMA News

Lunes, Mayo 6, 2013

Malaysia elections: Pasir Gudang MCA members quit council posts

By Chuah Bee Kim and Teoh Pei Ying
New Straits Times
Tuesday, May 07, 2013

JOHOR BARU - Thirteen Pasir Gudang MCA division members resigned from their state government posts yesterday in line with the MCA president's call for the party not to hold office in state and central governments if they win in less than 15 parliamentary seats in the 13th General Election.

Pasir Gudang MCA branch secretary Ang Ah Ngo said the 13 members tendered their resignation at noon yesterday. He said their letters would be handed over to the respective departments.

Those who resigned were members of the Johor Baru City Council, Johor Baru Central municipal council, Pasir Gudang municipal council, two community leaders from the MCA branches in Plentong and Masai, and a hospital visitors' board.

"We came to this decision following the results of the 13th General Election, which we fared worse than the 2008 general election.

"All the members are honouring the promise made by party president (Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek) who said that no member will hold a federal or state government post if the party secured less than 15 parliamentary seats," said Ang.

He said the decision was not made because of the defeat of its candidate, Tan Cher Pu, in the Johor Jaya state seat.

"We will still continue to serve the community through the party. As MCA members, we have to honour the word of our president.

"We also want to thank the state government and all those who have given us their support. We hope the state government will accept our resignation," he said.

Dr Chua had tweeted after the results of the election that he would not take up any posts in the government. He also said MCA members would do likewise and respect the voters' decision.

In Alor Star, Kedah MCA chief Datuk Chong Itt Chew said they, too, would not accept any political appointments or state government posts.

China sends large fleet to disputed islands

China has sent one of its largest recorded fishing fleets to disputed islands in the South China Sea, state-run media said on Tuesday, amid tensions over Beijing's assertion of its claims in the region.

PHOTOS

Kalayaan island in the Spratlys, a chain of islets in the South China Sea. (AFP/Kayalaan Municipal office/File - Kayalaan Municipal Office)

BEIJING: China has sent one of its largest recorded fishing fleets to disputed islands in the South China Sea, state-run media said on Tuesday, amid tensions over Beijing's assertion of its claims in the region.

A flotilla including 30 fishing vessels set sail on Monday for the Spratly Islands, an archipelago disputed between China and other countries including Vietnam and the Philippines, the China Daily reported.

The fleet left China's southern province of Hainan for a 40-day trip to the region, the report said, and includes two large transport and supply ships.

Chinese fishing boats regularly travel to the Spratlys, parts of which are also claimed by Taiwan and Brunei, but the fleet dispatched Monday was as large as one described as the biggest ever launched from the province when it set off last year.

China will make "every effort to guarantee the fleet's safety," the report quoted an official from the department of ocean and fisheries as saying.

China and neighbouring countries have long used fishing fleets and maritime patrols to assert their territorial claims, and have upgraded their naval forces in recent years as tensions over claims in the South China Sea have risen.

The Philippines and Vietnam have complained that China is becoming increasingly aggressive in its actions in the area -- such as harassing fishermen -- and also through bullying diplomatic tactics.

The waters around the Spratlys are rich in fishing resources and it is believed they could hold large oil and gas reserves.

Mom’s Saliva Can Strengthen Babies’ Immune Systems By Bonnie Rochman Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2013/05/06/moms-saliva-can-strengthen-babies-immune-systems/#ixzz2SeMtZVro

Picking up a dropped pacifier and sucking it clean may help infants to be better germ fighters.

The practice not only protects babies from the nasty microbes on the floor, but passes on good bugs that can lower the risk of allergies, according to a new study from Swedish researchers published in Pediatrics. “Parental sucking of their infant’s pacifier is associated with a reduced risk of allergy development and an altered oral flora in their child,” they write.

Infants whose parents use their tongues to burnish binkies were more likely to have different strains of bacteria in their gut, and with more helpful bacteria populating the intestines, the less likely the babies were to develop allergies and eczema.

When the 184 infants in the study were four months old, the scientists collected saliva samples to determine which types of bacteria resided in their guts. At six months old, parents reported whether their infants used pacifiers and how moms and dads cleaned them. The researchers checked back in with the parents when their babies were 18 and 36 months old to see if the infants had developed allergies and when the first symptoms appeared.

(MORE: Bacteria on Binkies: A Recipe for Crankiness)

By 18 months, 25% of the babies had eczema, 15% had developed some type of food allergy and 5% had been diagnosed with asthma.

But the children whose parents sucked on their pacifiers to sanitize them were one-third less likely to have eczema, which is considered the earliest sign of allergies, at 18 months than kids whose parents relied on other techniques — such as rinsing the binkies in tap water or boiling the pacifier. By the time the kids were 3 years old, those who had their pacifiers sucked clean were still considerably less likely to develop eczema than kids whose parents employed other cleaning strategies.

And it didn’t seem that parents were passing on more germs or infections to their little ones with the practice; regardless of how a parent cleaned a pacifier, all of the babies in the study developed an average of one and a half colds in their first six months of life.

To delve even deeper into the power of parents’ saliva, the researchers also looked for correlations between how a mother delivered her child and her tendency to suck the pacifiers clean. Moms who delivered vaginally tend to favor the cleaning practice more than C-section moms. (Those with a college degree, meanwhile, were less likely.) Indeed, vaginally-delivered babies are already exposed to more maternal bacteria thanks to their transit through the birth canal; tack on the oral bacteria from a parent’s mouth and babies in this group had the lowest incidence of eczema: 20%. C-section babies whose parents didn’t lick their pacifiers had the highest rate — 54% — of eczema.

So while it might seem unsanitary, sucking on that pacifier may end up giving babies just the right kind of good germs to better equip them to battle the more dangerous ones.

(MORE: Bring Back the Binky? Study Finds Pacifiers Actually Boost Breast-Feeding)

INC says it still has no list of senatorial bets to endorse (The Philippine Star)

MANILA, Philippines - The Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) still has no list of senatorial candidates it intends to endorse.

The office of INC spokesman Bienvenido Santiago said as of yesterday afternoon, the INC has not made any announcement as to the names of senators to be supported.

However, it is still possible executive minister Eduardo Manalo would make an announcement within the week.

The INC has reportedly between three million to 10 million members worldwide.

A radio station has reported that the INC has thrown its support behind seven members of Team PNoy and five from the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

The seven Team PNoy candidates are reportedly Aurora Rep. Edgardo Angara, Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, former Movie and Television Review and Classification Board chair Grace Poe, Senators Loren Legarda, Antonio Trillanes IV, and Alan Peter Cayetano, and former lawmaker Cynthia Villar.

Headlines ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1

The five UNA candidates are reportedly San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito, former senator Richard Gordon, Nancy Binay, Sen. Gregorio Honasan, and Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile.

The INC reportedly prefers former President Joseph Estrada for mayor of Manila, over Mayor Alfredo Lim.

In Quezon City, the INC reportedly picked the six lawmakers running under the Liberal Party.

Ejercito remains hopeful that he would get the endorsement of the influential INC.

“I fervently hope and pray for the INC’s endorsement,” he said.

Angara said he would wait for the official announcement from the INC.

“One thing for certain is that all 33 candidates for the Senate are hoping for their endorsement,” he said.

UNA senatorial candidate Jack Enrile appealed yesterday to the “conscience and independent” voters as the campaign ends this week.

“Our voters are becoming more intelligent, independent and conscience-led because of the advance of education, the expanded coverage of social and professional media, and the growing patriotism among our young voters,” he said. – Evelyn Macairan, Paolo Romero

New sex 'superbug' may be more infectious than AIDS

WASHINGTON: Doctors are warning of a new sexually-transmitted superbug which they fear could ultimately prove to be even more deadly than AIDS.

The antibiotic-resistant strain of gonorrhoea - now considered a superbug - was discovered in Japan two years ago.

Experts have warned that the bacteria's effects could match those of AIDS.

"This might be a lot worse than AIDS in the short run because the bacteria is more aggressive and will affect more people quickly," said Alan Christianson, a doctor ofnaturopathic medicine.

Even though nearly 30 million people have died from AIDS related causes worldwide, Christianson believes the effect of the gonorrhoea bacteria is more direct, 'CNBC News' reported.

"Getting gonorrhoea from this strain might put someone into septic shock and death in a matter of days. This is very dangerous," Christianson said.

"It's an emergency situation. As time moves on, it's getting more hazardous," said William Smith, executive director of the National Coalition of STD Directors.

This gonorrhoea strain, HO41, was discovered in Japan two years ago in a 31-year-old female sex worker who had been screened in 2009.

Since it resists current antibiotic treatment, the strain has been placed in the superbug category with other resistant bacteria, such as MRSA and CRE.

These superbugs kill about half the people they attack, and nearly one in 20 hospital patients become infected with one, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Though no deaths from HO41 have been reported, efforts to combat it must continue, Smith said.

"We have to keep beating the drum on this. The potential for disaster is great," he said.

Huwebes, Mayo 2, 2013

Embassy warns Filipinos against camping out RIYADH: ABDUL HANNAN TAGO

The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh has delivered a stern warning to Filipinos residing in the Kingdom to refrain from public rallies and protests, as they are a violation of Saudi laws and an impediment to the embassy’s ability to deliver services to community members.
In a text message, Ambassador Ezzedin Tago said: “We did not authorize anyone to call on our behalf,” in reference to advice given from unofficial sources encouraging OFWs to rally near embassy premises.
The embassy had earlier received inquiries from Filipinos regarding whether they could camp on embassy premises and in areas adjacent to the Philippines Overseas Labor Office (POLO) and the Filipino Workers Resource Center (FWRC) in order to seek repatriation.
In a statement issued yesterday, the embassy made it clear that it had not authorized any person or group regarding such action, nor had it received consent from the Saudi government for camp arrangements.
Filipinos with irregular status who are affected by the recent developments regarding labor and immigration law violations need only visit the embassy or POLO to have their respective cases documented and enable them to be given appropriate advice or assistance, the ambassador explained.
At present, the embassy is recording information on the status of overstaying Filipinos for documentation purposes and these cases are forwarded to Saudi authorities for consideration and resolution in accordance with existing regulations.
In a related development, families of stranded OFWs in Jeddah were unhappy with the outcome of the dialogue with Philippine Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario recently.
According to Garry Martinez, chairperson of the group advocacy group Migrante International, the dialogue was just a repeat of the Department of Foreign Affairs' promises since the Jeddah tent city was set up.
“Insofar as demand for free, immediate and mass repatriation is concerned, no commitment was made by the DFA,” he said.
Martinez, along with Migrante Middle East Coordinator John Leonard Monterona and some of the OFWs’ relatives, held talks with DFA officials recently. The talks were a result of negotiations with the DFA following the OFW families’ decision to camp out in solidarity with workers outside DFA gates yesterday.
Martinez said that all the DFA offered were piecemeal solutions and token actions with the hope of appeasing families who are already into day two of the solidarity camp-out.
“They promised to prioritize the cases of OFWs whose families joined in the dialogue. But the families were not appeased. Like their relatives at the tent city, they are united in the demand for free, immediate and mass repatriation of their loved ones,” he said.
After the dialogue, Migrante and the families decided to pack up camp at the DFA and proceed to set up camp at Mendiola. “We’ve been to the DFA but received no commitment from them. It’s time to bring our demands to President Aquino.”
“We want to hear what the president has to say. It’s been 24 days since the Jeddah tent city was established and we haven’t had any statement from him. If he’s still too busy campaigning for his candidates, then we hope that this could finally get his attention,” Martinez said.

Cops seize firearms, ammunition from Negros mayor's house

Police seized a cache of high-powered firearms and ammunition from the residential compound of a Negros Occidental town mayor during a predawn search Thursday.

The Philippine National Police used a search warrant to inspect the compound of Pulupandan Mayor Magdaleno Peña, radio dzBB reported.

Peña was not at home at the time the raid was conducted, but may face charges of illegal possession of firearms, Western Visayas police head Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. was quoted in the dzBB report as saying.

Among the high-powered firearms seized from the house were an AK-47 assault rifle, an M-16 rifle and a shotgun, along with a cal-.45 pistol.

The PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group was still conducting an inventory of the firearms and ammunition found in the raid as of Thursday afternoon, the dzBB report said.

Police have been intensifying their efforts against illegal firearms as the campaign period for the May 13 elections is in the homestretch. — BM, GMA News

Murder suspect strolls out of Philippine jail AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE

MANILA: A former policeman on trial for murder in the Philippines escaped from jail yesterday, then embarrassed authorities further by speaking to media outlets over the phone.
Ex-police superintendent Cezar Mancao, charged with murder over the 2000 killings of a well-known publicist and his driver, casually walked out of a detention centre in Manila with the help of prison wardens, authorities said.
“His escape is a big slap to the bureau’s face,” National Bureau of Investigation director Nonnatus Rojas told reporters after confirming the escape.
The NBI is the investigative arm of the justice department, in whose supposedly heavily secured facility Mancao was held.
Rojas said two guards who apparently let Mancao escape had been detained.
Footage from a security camera showed Mancao calmly leaving his cell before dawn carrying a bag containing his personal belongings, according to Rojas.
Mancao, who has been in jail since 2009, then spoke with national television and radio stations to explain that he fled because he feared he would be killed in detention.
“I reached the point where I could not take it any more,” he repeatedly said in the interviews.
The escape is the latest embarrassment for Philippine law enforcers, who have long been dogged by accusations of incompetence and corruption.
In 2003 Islamic militant Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi walked out of a high-security prison inside the national police headquarters in Manila as then-Australian Prime Minister John Howard was on a state visit.
Mancao and another policeman, Michael Ray Aquino, were charged with murder in 2001 over the murder of publicist Salvador Dacer and his driver. The two accused were proteges of then-national police chief Panfilo Lacson, who headed a special anti-crime task force which rights group said carried out summary executions of criminals.
Mancao had told prosecutors that Lacson, now a senator, ordered the killing because Dacer was seen as a critic of their political patron, then-president Joseph Estrada.
Lacson fled the country for about one year to avoid prosecution and only returned after he was cleared by a court. However authorities pursued the charges against Mancao and Aquino, who remains in jail.

Martes, Abril 30, 2013

Over 13-K motorcycle-related injuries in the last qtr of 2012 –DOH Published: April 30, 2013

A total of 13,883 injury cases of motorcycle accidents for the last quarter of 2012 were reported by the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday.

According to the DOH, the data came from 86 participating government and private hospitals.

It was also disclosed that nine out of 10 dead-on-arrival (DOA) motorcycle riders were not wearing helmet at the time of accident, in the DOH’s Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (ONEISS)

“To reduce or avoid injuries, the DOH recommends the promotion of ‘safety first' mindset and attitude,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona said in a statement.

Ona noted that road safety is both a personal commitment and a shared responsibility of all road users. Everyone should do their share for an injury-free society.

More than half (59.8 percent) of the total reported injury cases occurred among the 20 to 59 years age group. Injuries among children aged 0 to 19 accounted for 34.7 percent of the total reported cases.

Among those injured, male to female ratio is almost 25:10. The DOH, however, noted that a 30:10 male to female ratio was observed at the 15 to 44 years age group. On the other hand, the 65 years old and above group had a 9:10 male to female ratio.

Central Luzon registered the highest (19.3 percent) reported injury occurrences, followed by the National Capital Region (14.8 percent), Cordillera Administrative Region (12.6 percent), Davao Region (11.7 percent), Cagayan Valley Region (10 percent), Northern Mindanao (6.6 percent), and Western Visayas (6.5 percent).

Majority (71.7 percent) of the total injury cases were unintentional or accidental, about 26.3 percent were intentional (due to violence), and 0.6 percent were self-inflicted injury cases.

For the last quarter of 2012, there were more injury cases reported on the month of October (39.2 percent), followed by November (39 percent), and December (21.1 percent).

The number one cause of reported injuries were transport/vehicular crash (32.1 percent), followed by assault/mauling (23 percent), fall (16.9 percent), and contact with sharp objects (13.2 percent).

Other reported causes of injuries were bites/stings (9.1 percent), burns (1.5 percent), gunshots (1.1 percent), chemicals (0.3 percent), and hanging and drowning at 0.1 percent each.

Most of the reported injuries occurred on the road (41.1 percent), home (26.3 percent), workplace (four percent), and school (2.2 percent).

Almost all (99.5 percent) injury cases reached the hospital alive. Majority (85.4 percent) were discharged after being treated at the emergency room or out-patient department, while only about 9.6 percent were admitted for further treatment. (PNA)

Lunes, Abril 29, 2013

No drop for Chiz in latest Pulse Asia surveys, unlike in other polls

Unlike the surveys conducted by the Social Weather Stations (SWS), the latest Pulse Asia surveys show that Senator Francis Escudero's ranking remains unchanged despite the recent negative press about his love life.

The latest Pulse Asia pre-election national survey, conducted from April 20 to 22, showed thatEscudero remained at second place next to re-electionist Senator Loren Legarda.

His ranking in the Pulse Asia March 16-20 survey was also the same.

This is contrary to the last two SWS surveys which showed him d ropping from second place to third to fourth places and then to fifth place.

The parents of Escudero's girlfriend, actress Heart Evangelista, held their first press conference against the senator on March 19.

LP vs UNA

Of the 16 candidates who have a "statistical chance of winning," 11 were from the Liberal Party-led coalition while five were from UNA, just like in the last survey conducted by the firm in March.

The 11 administration candidates were: re-electionist Senators Loren Legarda (1st-2nd place), Escudero (1st-3rd), former MTRCB chair Grace Poe (3rd-4th), Alan Peter Cayetano (3rd-7th), former Las Pinas Rep. Cynthia Villar (4th-9th), Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV (4th-10th), President Benigno Aquino III's cousin Benigno "Bam" Aquino (4th-10th), Sen. Koko Pimentel (6th-12th), Aurora Rep. Edgardo Angara (8th-14th), former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros (12-17th), and former Sen. Jun Magsaysay (12-17th).

On the other hand, the five UNA bets were: San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada (5th-11th), Vice President Jejomar Binay's daughter Nancy (5th-11th), former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri (10th-16th), re-electionist Sen. Gregorio Honasan (11th-16th) , Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile (11th-16th).

Former Sen. Richard Gordon, who was previously in the list, dropped to 14th-18th places after losing 8.3 points.

Also among those who lost substantial points were, Pimentel (9.0), Honasan (8.9), Cayetano (8.7), Enrile (5.2), and Binay (5.0).

Among the 16, only Poe and Hontiveros gained points. Poe gained 0.3 points while Hontiveros 1.5, allowing her to break into the top 16.

The other candidates ranked in the survey were former Senator Maria Consuelo "Jamby" A. Madrigal (17th-18th), Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn (19th-21st), Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay (19th to 22nd), Bro. Eddie Villanueva (19th-22nd), former Senate President Ernesto Maceda (20th-23rd), former Tarlac Governor Tingting Cojuangco (22nd-24th),, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino (23rd-24th), Sammy Alcantara (25th-29th), JC De Los Reyes (25th-32nd), Ramon Montaño (25th-32nd), Bro. Lito Yap David (25th-33rd), Grego Belgica (25th-33rd), Bal Falcone (26th-33rd), Ricardo Penson (26th-33rd), Llasos (26th-33rd), and Christian Señeres (28th-33rd). - VVP, GMA News

MILF chair to candidates: “you can come and talk to our people”

By Carolyn O. Arguillas on April 29 2013 11:39 pm

DARAPANAN, Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao (MindaNews/29 April) — The chair of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said candidates running for elective posts on May 13 “can come and talk to our people” but the MILF stand has not changed: “we will not participate … but we will not prevent people to participate.”

“If they want to vote, they can vote,” MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim told a press conference at the launching Monday noon of the Facility for Advisory Support for Transition Capacities (FASTRAC), a three-year program in partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank.

Along the three-kilometer stretch from the highway to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front’s main gate, posters of candidates lined the roadside, many of them posted on coconut trunks.

There were no posters of national candidates (for senators), just regional (for the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao or ARMM) and local (for Maguindanao).

Most of the posters were from the team of Datu Tucao Mastura and Ali Midtimbang, candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for governor and vice governor of Maguindanao, and Mastura’s nephew, Vice Governor Ismael Mastura who is now running for ARMM Assemblyman.

The elder Mastura is mayor of Sultan Kudarat town where the MILF camp is based, Midtimbang is former Talayan mayor

Mayor Mastura is a brother of MILF senior peace panel member Michael Mastura, father of Ismael.

Posters of ARMM gubernatorial bet Pax Mangudadatu and his running mate Bashier Dimalaang Manalao were also visible.

Mangudadatu, former governor of Sultan Kudarat province, is an uncle of incumbent Maguindanao governor Esmael Mangudadatu of the Liberal Party while Manalao is former governor of Lanao del Sur.

A few posters of the first district congressional candidates – reelectionist Bai Sandra Sema (Liberal Party) and Baisendig Dilangalen (Ind), were also seen. Russman Sinsuat, Jr. who is

Mastura-Midtimbang posters dominate on the road to the
MILF's Camp Darapanan. MindaNews photo by Carolyn O. Arguillas

running for provincial board member under the Liberal Party also had some campaign materials.

There were no posters of reelectionist governor Mangudadatu and the ruling party’s candidate for ARMM governor, Mujiv Hataman and his running mate, Al-rashid Lucman although Hataman has reportedly been endorsed by both Mastura and Esmael Mangudadatu.

Both candidates for Maguindanao governor have repeatedly committed their support to the Framework Agreement on the Bangsamoro which the government and MILF peace panels signed on October 15, 2012.

“The MILF has not changed its official policy of non-involvement in the ongoing electoral process,” Murad said, adding this has been “the policy of the MILF since the very beginning.”

“We will not participate in the electoral process but then we will not also prevent the people to participate.”

Murad clarified that ‘it is only the MILF officials who are prevented from participating (in the elections).

“Now at this point in time you’d notice that when you enter Camp Darapanan, you will notice there are so many posters of candidates (along) the route. This is not a violation of the policy. We do not see it as a violation of the policy. We do not see also as a violation of the policy for candidates to come and talk to our people because as I have said, we are not preventing them. If they want to vote, they can vote. Only some officers are prevented from voting,” Murad said.

He acknowledged that there are candidates “coming to Darapanan to talk to our people” but did not name them. But he reiterated that the MILF’s policy on the elections has not changed. “The policy remains as is,” he said.

When a reporter asked if it is true that the MILF would hold a “proclamation rally” in Shariff Aguak town on May 5, allegedly to announce the candidates they would support, Murad replied there is no such rally.

“That is not true. There is no proclamation rally of the MILF because we are not participating in the elections. So there is no truth to the information that there will be a proclamation rally on May 5. We are not a party to that. The MILF is not a party to that,” he said .

Asked if there was an MILF activity in Shariff Aguak on May 5, Murad replied their provincial committee may have “but it is not related to the political exercise.” (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews).

PH buying 2 brand-new warships

The Philippines is getting two brand-new frigates as part of the modernization program of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Defense Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said on Monday.

He told reporters that the Department of National Defense (DND) had earmarked P18 billion for the purchase of the two vessels through a public bidding. He said a number of countries, including South Korea, Spain and Singapore, would participate in the bidding.

Manalo also disclosed that the DND had been negotiating for a government-to-government acquisition of 12 jet fighters from South Korea.

He said the DND had decided to scrap previous plans to acquire refurbished frigates since secondhand vessels would be more costly to maintain. He said the DND had allocated P9 billion for each frigate, or fast warship.

“The purchase of the frigates has been in the pipeline,” Manalo said. “We are just waiting for the Navy to submit their ‘decision package.’ After that, we will review it and issue an acquisition decision memorandum signed by (Defense) Secretary Voltaire Gazmin,” he said.

Manalo said the process could take a week. “After that, we’ll schedule one or two prebid conferences.”

“We originally wanted to buy secondhand frigates but then we realized that it would be expensive in the long run if we are going to buy secondhand,” he added.

He noted that older ships required more maintenance repairs compared to new vessels. He said the DND had previously approved P6 billion for each refurbished frigate.

The Philippine Navy has only one battleship, the 48-year-old Hamilton-class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which the Philippines acquired from the United States in 2011.

A second warship, the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, would finally sail to the Philippines in June after undergoing repairs in Charleston, South Carolina.

The Navy earlier said the Alcaraz, a 45-year-old frigate, was expected to arrive this month.

The Hamilton-class cutter was acquired for P450 million by the AFP from the US Coast Guard on May 22, 2012, as part of the US government’s military assistance program for the Philippines.

In his State of the Nation Address last year, President Aquino announced that the Alcaraz would arrive from the United States in January 2013 as part of the much-needed AFP upgrade.

“We are not sending paper boats out to the sea. Now, our 36,000 kilometers of coastline will be patrolled by more modern ships,” the President then said, referring to the decades-old vessel, which the US Coast Guard decommissioned on March 30, 2012.

Formerly known as USCGC Dallas, the AFP’s second frigate was named after the late Commodore Ramon Alcaraz, a World War II hero who commanded the Q-boat Abra, which shot down three Japanese aircraft.

Like its sister ship, the Alcaraz was classified as a high-endurance cutter built in 1968.

Heart Evangelista goes sexy for men's magazine ABS-CBNnews.com

MANILA, Philippines – It’s confirmed: actress Heart Evangelista is on the cover of the “election issue” of the men’s magazine Esquire Philippines.

The former Kapamilya actress, who is currently in a relationship with re-electionist senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, is seen wearing a white, low-neck tank top bearing the word “vote” and a pair of black panties on the cover of Esquire Philippines’ May 2013 issue.

Heart Evangelista appears on the "election issue" of Esquire Philippines. Photo from the magazine's Facebook page

“Heart Evangelista wants you to vote wisely,” the magazine said on its Facebook page when it uploaded a photo of the cover on Tuesday afternoon.

Evangelista, 28, has often made the news for her controversial relationship with 43-year-old Escudero, whose marriage was annulled just last year.

The actress’ parents, Cecille and Rey Ongpauco, called for a press conference last month to express their disapproval of Evangelista’s relationship with the senator. The Ongpauco couple called Escudero a “braggart” and an “alcoholic” who is just “manipulating” their 28-year-old daughter to achieve his political goals.

Evangelista has consistently defended her boyfriend from her parents, and even said in one interview that she has considered marrying without their permission.

PH buying 2 brand-new warships

By Marlon Ramos