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.

Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/399539/ph-buying-2-brand-new-warships#ixzz2RzHl63YP 

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US green card limbo: for one Filipino, a long wait by Ivan Couronne, Agence France-Presse

WASHINGTON - Arnulfo Babiera applied for a US green card a decade ago, in the hopes of reuniting with his sister, a naturalized citizen. But at the current rate, his wait could extend until 2027.
Foreigners seeking to immigrate to the United States under a family reunification program may however see changes on the horizon, with a new reform seeking to resolve the four million cases in limbo, like that of Babiera.

"That is my dream, going to the United States of America -- to earn more, to support my family here. My income would be greater than it is here," Babiera told AFP by telephone from his home in Davao, in the southern Philippines.

Babiera, a 58-year-old employee of a recruitment agency, earned the right to come to the United States when his sister Elizabeth filed a green card application on his behalf in 2003.

But US law places a cap on the number of green cards each year granted to a specific country to seven percent of the total. There are so many requests from China, Mexico, India and the Philippines that the wait seems endless.

Applications are handled in the order in which they are received. For Filipino siblings of US citizens, immigration authorities are now processing applications filed in October 1989. Babiera could be waiting another 14 years.

For Mexican brothers and sisters, authorities are looking at cases dating back to 1996. For the unmarried children of US citizens, the backlog dates to April 2006, no matter what the nationality.

"I'll be retired before he comes here, I think!" said 56-year-old Elizabeth Babiera, a nurse who lives in the Washington suburbs.
"I have nobody here. I see the other families, they have all their brothers and sisters here, and I envy them."

The Babiera family green card drama is the unfortunate consequence of a law that no longer corresponds to the reality of the flow of immigrants into the United States.

Madeleine Sumption, an expert at the Migration Policy Institute, notes that between 4.3 million and 4.7 million people have earned the right to live in the United States on a permanent basis, but have been unable to move here.

But a draft immigration reform bill unveiled earlier this month by a bipartisan group of US senators includes a clause that would speed up the processing of the family green card applications.
From late 2014, and by 2021, all pending green card petitions should be handled.

"The backlog is just not an efficient way to run an immigration system, and yet because the law has not changed for so long, it's become the defining characteristic of how the policy functions here," Sumption said.

For backers of immigration reform, it is inconceivable to even think about creating a path to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented migrants in the United States before dealing with those who followed rules and waited at home.

"They are at the back of the line. Everyone who applied before them legally goes first," said Republican Senator Marco Rubio, a co-author of the bill.

Whenever his green card comes through, Babiera will be one of the last foreigners to get one via a brother or sister.

The reform proposal, which will be debated in Congress in the coming months, calls for the sibling green card clause to be abandoned. Only children and spouses of US citizens and permanent residents will qualify.

US lawmakers henceforth want to prioritize immigration on the basis of employment, and not family ties.
 

4 people stabbed at US church – police Associated Press

ALBUQUERQUE, New Mexico – Police said a 24-year-old man stabbed four people at a Catholic church in New Mexico as a Sunday mass was nearing its end.

Police spokesman Robert Gibbs said Lawrence Capener jumped over several pews at St. Jude Thaddeus Catholic Church around noon Sunday and walked up to the choir area where he began his attack.

The injuries to the four church-goers weren’t life-threatening. All four were being treated at hospitals.

An off-duty police officer and others at the church subdued Capener and held him down until police arrived.

Some of those who were stabbed were members of the choir.

Gibbs said Capener is now being interviewed by police and is expected to face felony charges.

It’s not yet known whether Capener has an attorney.

Gibbs said investigators didn’t yet know the motive for the stabbings, whether Capener had ties to the victims or whether he regularly attended the church.

Archbishop of Santa Fe Michael Sheehan released a statement saying he was saddened by the attack.

“I pray for all who have been harmed, their families, the parishioners and that nothing like this will ever happen again,” Sheehan said.

The church didn’t immediately return calls seeking comment on Sunday afternoon.

Palace to NPA: Go ahead make our day

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
By:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/

MANILA -- "You wanna challenge us? Go ahead, make our day."

This was the challenge raised by Malacañang, through presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, to the communist New People's Army (NPA) who reportedly belittled the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to enforce President Benigno Aquino III's order to crush the rebels' "checkpoints," which the government calls as roadblocks.

Lacierda said that the government forces have intensified their operations against the illegal activities of the NPA, including the setting up of roadblocks to extort money from local candidates.

Aquino has ordered the dismantling of NPA roadblocks after the rebels' ambush on the convoy of Gingoog Mayor Ruth de Lara Guingona who was hurt in the incident. The mayor's police escort was also injured while her two civilian supporters were killed when her convoy did not stop at the guerrillas’ roadblock in the city.

Lacierda said that the AFP has moved a Marine battalion to Misamis Oriental to pursue the perpetrators in the attack.

He said that the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is now considered a bandit group.

"The CPP-NPA was borne out of legitimate grievances in the past. They have now been reduced to a bandit group," he said.

Since it is now election season, he also said that the rebels are now engaged on "attention grabbing," because "this is the time for them to earn money" through the permit to campaign.

Lacierda said that the Aquino administration is always committed to hold peace negotiation with the rebels. But it is the Maoist group which shut its door to pursue the peace process.

"There is no ongoing peace process. We have committed to talk to them, they have refused to talk to us," he said.

Those rebels who just went to the mountains because of the disillusionment on the past administrations could now return to the folds of law because the current government has changed, he said.

"This administration is committed to making --- ensuring that you will have a better life. And so come down from the mountains. Who doesn't want peace?" Lacierda said. (SDR/Sunnex)

Dynasty, RH stand crucial for Senate bets

By Amando Doronila
 Philippine Daily Inquirer 
12:29 am | Monday, April 29th, 2013  

CEBU CITY—Sharp exchanges punctuated the debate among the senatorial candidates on what to do to implement the constitutional ban on political dynasties, the topic of the third and final episode of the Inquirer Senate Forum here on Friday.

The exchanges crystallized the public’s strong sentiment against the domination of Philippine politics by a few but influential and powerful families. The question that surfaced is whether the next Senate will push legislation to give teeth to the constitutional ban.

The intensity of the debate showed that political dynasties are one of the most contentious issues in the May 13 midterm elections, along with the controversial reproductive health (RH) law that has put the Catholic Church in a collision course with the Aquino administration, which backed the measure in Congress.

Their stand on the two issues would either make or break the 33 senatorial candidates’ political fortunes, as indicated by the public’s reaction to them in the three episodes of the Inquirer Senate Forum (the first was held in the University of the Philippines in Diliman and the second in Baguio City).

The three forums tapped into the vein of the views of the senatorial candidates, as the winners will be the policymakers who will shape the national agenda, including political dynasties, the RH law, the economy, poverty, education and taxes.

Social cross-section

The eight candidates, who took part in the Cebu forum, represented a cross-section of society—incumbent office holders, those seeking reelection, and the NGO (nongovernment organizations) sector, with no financial base to fund a campaign, unlike the candidates from political families who had ample resources.

In a way, the candidates from the NGO sector who are seeking electoral support are pitting themselves against the resources of the embedded political families. What are their chances against the goliaths of the dynastic families?

Although they are fighting an uphill battle, the aspiring “outsiders,” the Inquirer forums have found, are rich in ideas and have much to offer to the voters. They can, if elected, democratize the social base of the Senate.

A sort of consensus emerged in the Cebu forum, i.e., there was a need to level the playing field by bringing down the prohibitive costs of electoral campaigning, especially of political advertising.

Independent senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño opened fire on the dynasty issue. After a stint in the House, representing the Left in Philippine politics, Casiño appeared to have already acquired the airs of a veteran senator when he pointed out that he had authored several antidynasty bills, but none of them went to the plenary “because of opposition from lawmakers belonging to big political families.”

Second-degree

Using his own definition of political dynasty, Casiño said the wife, children, parents and siblings—or second-degree relatives—should not be allowed to run for the post being vacated by an outgoing elected official. Singling out Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Casiño said, “There are other families who have young and budding politicians.”

Angara is running for the Senate as a candidate of the administration’s Team PNoy, led by President Aquino himself, scion of the country’s most powerful dynasty, which has produced two presidents (the incumbent and his mother, former President Cory Aquino).

Casiño lamented the fate of the antidynasty bills being killed in Congress. How can the bills be reported out to the floor after the President has stubbornly refused to certify them as urgent legislation?

Angara replied that Casiño’s definition does not apply to him because his father, outgoing Sen. Edgardo Angara, is retiring in June after serving in the Senate for 24 years. “Everyone must be given equal opportunity to serve,” the younger Angara said. But voters, he said, should not elect him because of his family name but because of his track record.

The six other candidates in the forum were former Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, Rizalito David of Ang Kapatiran Party, Mary Grace Poe of Team PNoy, Samson Alcantara of the Social Justice Society, and independent Ricardo Penson.

Charter definition

According to Alcantara, there is no need to define what a political dynasty is because the Constitution is clear that “political dynasties are prohibited, whether they are good or bad.”

David and Penson agreed that the Constitution had already sufficiently defined what a political dynasty was. But they pointed out that the constitutional prohibition had not been implemented because the electorate had kept on voting the wrong officials into office.

Villanueva reiterated his earlier position that no one should be discriminated against in serving the country through the government because of his or her family name, so long as he or she is competent and of good moral standing.

A religious leader, Villanueva has a son, Joel, who is chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a government agency.

Casiño, David, Penson and Alcantara, a lawyer, are against political dynasties.

Zubiri made a pitch for a broad public health care system subsidized by the state. He belongs to a political family in Bukidnon. He is the son of Bukidnon Gov. Juan Zubiri Jr. and the younger brother of Bukidnon Rep Jose Ma. Zubiri III. He contended that there are scions of political clans who have excelled and surpassed the performance of their parents and grandparents.

Underrepresented

Zubiri took pains to point out that his region, Mindanao, is grossly underrepresented on the two main contending tickets. It is represented only by him and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III of the dynasty founded by former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Dynastic lineage runs across interlocking party lines. None of the two alignments can claim superiority in being able to push antidynasty legislation in the next Congress. Both are blighted on this issue.

There is no more ironic setting for the third Inquirer Senate forum than Cebu. As the campaign heated up, I observed that the walls in the city were plastered with election posters that carried the pictures of candidates from Cebu’s political dynasties.

Among the cities or ethnic regions of the country, Cebu has the most political dynasties. The posters carry the names of families that have ruled the region since the turn of the 20th century—the Osmeñas, Duranos, Garcias, Sottos and Cuencos.

According to a study by Bobby Tuazon of the Center of People Empowerment in Governance, 94 percent of the provinces (73 out of a total of 80) have political dynasties. The average number of political families per province is 2.31. Cebu accounts for at least six. Whether the density of dynasties has made Cebu more democratic and more economically progressive is an issue that calls for further academic research.

Lawmakers receive P10.6-B 'pork'

by Jess Diaz
The Philippine Star

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) appears to be speeding up the release of pork barrel funds to senators and congressmen, many of whom are seeking reelection or other posts in next month’s polls.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has exempted pork barrel funds from the ban on the release of money from the national treasury provided these are not used for election purposes.

As of last Friday, the DBM website showed that a total of P10.6 billion of the P25-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) had already been released. PDAF is the official name of the congressional pork barrel.

The P10.6 billion is almost double the P5.8 billion that was out as of March 8, or less than a month ago.

Of the P10.6 billion, P9.4 billion has been made available to members of the House of Representatives and P1.2 billion to senators.

Of the amount released to House members, P7.6 billion was for those elected from legislative districts and P1.8 billion for party-list groups.

Among the recipient-lawmakers are senatorial candidates of the administration Team PNoy coalition and the opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

The biggest recipient is reelectionist Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III of Team PNoy, who has received P167.3 million.

Senate colleagues Loren Legarda, Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, and Antonio Trillanes IV, who are also seeking reelection under the administration coalition, have received P90.5 million, P88.8 million, P7.3 million, and P30 million, respectively.

Some P50 million has been released to another Team PNoy senatorial candidate, Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara.

UNA candidates are also getting their share of the pork barrel. Sen. Gregorio Honasan has received P54 million, while Reps. Joseph Victor Ejercito of San Juan and Jack Enrile of Cagayan have received P32 million and P15 million, respectively.

The campaign managers of the administration and the opposition are also getting their share. Some P41 million has been made available to Sen. Franklin Drilon of Team PNoy and P16 million to his UNA counterpart, Navotas Rep. Tobias Tiangco.

Other senators who have received their allocations are Edgardo Angara, P80.2 million; Pia Cayetano, P12.1 million; Jinggoy Estrada, P95.5 million; Juan Ponce Enrile, P5 million; Teofisto Guingona III, P31.2 million; Ferdinand Marcos Jr., P51 million; Sergio Osmeña III, P82.5 million; Francis Pangilinan, P98 million; Ralph Recto, P23 million; and Manuel Villar Jr., P49.5 million.

Vicente Sotto III and Lito Lapid have availed themselves of their full half-year allocation of P100 million each.

There are no entries in the DBM website for Miriam Defensor-Santiago and Ramon Revilla Jr., while Joker Arroyo and Panfilo Lacson have not been using their annual P200-million fund since their election to the Senate more than 11 years ago.

Party-list groups that have been disqualified by the Comelec are among the recipients of pork barrel funds.

These groups have questioned the Comelec decision before the Supreme Court, which has decided to return their cases to the poll body with a new set of parameters for qualifying or disqualifying them.

They have received their share of pork barrel funds even if the Comelec insists on their disqualification.

They include Ako Bicol, which has received P90 million; Alliance for Democracy and Nationalism, P35 million; Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives, P35 million; and 1st Consumers’ Alliance for Rural Energy, P69.8 million.

Meanwhile, Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo said the Aquino administration should tap pork barrel funds to finance programs under the Magna Carta for the Poor.

“If they are going to utilize (pork barrel) properly, it will really help the poor and not coursed it through the hands of legislators because that is not their job,” said Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, Justice and Peace.

Last month, President Aquino vetoed the proposed Magna Carta for the Poor, explaining that it would be a “mission impossible” for the government to allocate around P3.3 trillion from the P2-trillion annual national budget to fund the programs outlined in the bill.  – With Evelyn Macairan, The Philippine Star

Bet for municipal council in NCotabato town shot dead

By John Unson (philstar.com) 

 Updated April 29, 2013 - 1:59pm

COTABATO CITY, Philippines  --- A still unidentified gunman shot dead Sunday night a candidate for the municipal council in troubled  Banisilan town in North Cotabato.

Senior Supt. Danny Peralta, director of the North Cotabato police, said the victim, Gafur Omar, was on his way home from a late campaign engagement at the town proper of Banisilan when a gunman approached from behind and repeatedly shot the victim with a pistol.

Peralta said Omar, who was a candidate for municipal councilor, died on the spot.

Peralta said investigators are still trying to determine if the shooting incident was politically-motivated.

Two security escorts of a re-electionist councilor in the same town were wounded in an ambush about a month ago. The councilor survived the ambush unscathed and was quick to blame Moro guerillas identified with a rival clan as behind the attempt on his life.

Peralta said he has deployed a company of  policemen to Banisilan as part of the security measurest to stave off any escalation of election-related hostilities in the area.

Banisilan accounts for most number of still unresolved “rido,” or clan wars involving armed Moro clans in North Cotabato.

Muslim extremists kill two soldiers in southern Philippines

Muslim extremists linked to Al Qaeda killed at least two soldiers in an ambush Sunday in the restive southern Philippine province of Basilan.

Regional military spokesman Col. Rodrigo Gregorio said Monday members of Abu Sayyaf militants killed Sgt. Richard Hamin and Private First Class Julieto Tanses in an attacked around 1:00 p.m. in the village of Ubit in Lamitan City.

Gregorio said the two soldiers, both under 32nd Infantry Battalion died of multiple wounds.

"They were heading back to their camp when they were ambushed," he said.

The Abu Sayyaf, active in southern Philippines, was founded in the 1990s and has perpetrated a number of high-profile attacks, including kidnapping, bombing and beheading.

 Xinhua | 2013-4-29 10:54:58  By Agencies

No internet but need your files? Google Chrome's offline sync is the answer

Users of Google Drive who may not always have Internet access can now create and edit drawings and have access to their other files stored on the cloud-based service with a new automatic offline sync feature.

In a Google+ post, Google said it may take time for all users of Google Drive to see the changes, which it said are now being rolled out. The feature is available for Google's Chrome browser.

"If you've set up Google Drive offline, you can now create and edit drawings offline. In addition, all of your Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides will now be automatically available offline (space permitting), so you won't have to worry about remembering that specific file before catching your flight!" it said. 

However, Google reiterated only one Google account per Chrome profile can set up offline access to Drive.

"If you are unable to set up offline access because another user has already done so, you can create a new Chrome profile and then follow the above steps to add offline access for your account," it said. 

A separate article on “PC World” added a user must enable offline access for the feature to work.

"Chrome previously allowed offline editing for individual documents, but that meant you had to plan ahead and choose which files to sync. Now, the Drive app for Chrome syncs all files automatically," it added. 

“PC World” also said that if a user edits a document offline on one computer while someone else edits the online version, "Drive will combine the text from both documents once you’re back online."

"You won’t lose any text this way, but you may have to edit down the combined work," it added. – KDM, GMA News 

By:www.gmanetwork.com

Velarde endorses 3 more candidates

By Jocelyn R. Uy

The White Vote Movement led by the Catholic charismatic group El Shaddai endorsed three more senatorial candidates on top of the six it earlier named for the May 13 elections.

In an event held at the Velarde-owned Amvel City in Parañaque City on Saturday, El Shaddai leader and the movement’s spokesman Mike Velarde announced that they were also supporting United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) candidates Nancy Binay, Richard Gordon and Miguel Zubiri.

The three were in addition to the earlier endorsed candidates: UNA’s JV Ejercito, Gringo Honasan, Mitos Magsaysay and Team PNoy’s Koko Pimentel, Antonio Trillanes IV and Cynthia Villar.

In exchange for El Shaddai’s support, Velarde said that the candidates were made to sign a “pledge of commitment” to always fight for the Catholic Church’s stand once they get elected.

“They made a commitment that if they win, they will fight any proposed law that is against the family and anything that will lead to the annihilation of the Filipino race and things that are against the Word of God, against the commandments of God,” said Velarde.

He said the White Vote Movement will also monitor the candidates they endorsed “so we can also guide them.”

Earlier, Velarde explained that the movement was supporting these candidates because they stood with the Church in opposing the reproductive health (RH) law.

Other groups involved in the White Vote Movement include Couples for Christ-Foundation for Family and Life, Catholic Women’s League, Focolare Movement and Bukas Loob sa Diyos.

Velarde said previous experience showed that some candidates the El Shaddai had supported in last elections voted for the RH law.

“I pleaded with them to defer the bill for further deliberations so the people may know the truth and yet when the voting came, they were there. Anyway, there is always a day of reckoning. We won’t get back at them but we will act towards the right direction,” said Velarde in his speech.

The candidates the movement endorsed have also been dubbed “Team Buhay” by the Diocese of Bacolod because they voted against the family planning measure, except for Villar.

But Velarde noted that since Villar’s husband, Sen. Manuel Villar, voted against the RH bill, “his vote can be considered as the vote of the wife.”

CDO congressional debate ends in fistfight

A congressional forum in Cagayan de Oro ended up in a brawl.

Supporters of reelectionist Congressman Rufus Rodriguez and City Councilor Ian Mark Nacaya were offended by each others’ heckling, and eventually resorted to a fistfight to settle their conflict.

The students watching the debate at a university in Cagayan de Oro were dismayed by the scuffle, saying their elders should have behaved better and served as role models.

- Umagang Kay Ganda, 26 April 2013

Google-based trading strategy would have made big returns

LONDON - A trading strategy based on changes in the number of times financial phrases are searched on Google could have generated returns in excess of 300 percent over the last decade on the Dow Jones, a study has found.

The findings could prove particularly useful for computer-driven trading firms that use the Internet and Twitter to help gauge investor sentiment.

The study by academics from Warwick Business School, University College London and Boston University, analysed changes in the frequency with which 98 terms such as "revenue" and "unemployment" were used in searches from 2004 to 2011.

Using the data to trade the Dow Jones Industrial Average Index would have returned a "substantial profit", they said.

The study examined volumes of searches for a list of keywords - which Google makes publicly available - and sold the Dow Jones short at the beginning of the week if search volumes on the word were higher than the previous week, and bought the index if volumes were lower.

"The initial hypothesis was that an increase in search volume was a sign of investor concern," said co-author of the report Dr Tobias Preis of Warwick Business School.

By employing the strategy on the keyword "debt", for instance, an investor would have seen a return of 326 percent since 2004.

Reuters Posted at 04/26/2013 10:40 AM | Updated as of 04/26/2013 10:40 AM

100 houses razed in Bacolod

At least 4,000 people lost their homes after a fire razed some 100 houses in a residential area in Bacolod City Wednesday noon.

The fire hit six sub-villages in Barangay Banago in Bacolod even as arson investigators verify information that a mentally challenged person started the fire.

The displaced residents were relocated to the Domingo Lacson National High School, according to a report on Visayas-based news site The Daily Guardian.

It took firefighters some two hours to place the fire under control.

The fire spread quickly since many of the houses were made of light materials

Fire Officer 3 Cornelio Silva said many residents claimed a mentally challenged resident of Purok Katilingban Zone 1 may have started the fire.

He said the residents saw the resident setting fire to a curtain in her house, after dancing and shouting that she would burn her house. —KG, GMA News

By: www.gmanetwork.com

ARMM needs 13,000 cops on May 13; only 7,000 available

By Lore Mae Andong, 

ABS-CBN News Central Mindanao 

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanaothe (PNP-ARMM) is already ironing out its security preparations for the May 13 polls.

Regional Director Police Chief Superintendent Noel Delos Reyes told ABS-CBN News Wednesday that they have determined a need for 13,000 personnel to be deployed on election day.

However, there are only 7,000 policemen available in the region.

The official said the issue was already brought up to  higher authorities.

Other than the deficit in the police force, another problem is the inaccessibility of some polling centers such as those in far-flung barangays, where election paraphernalia need to be transported much earlier due to poor road conditions.

Delos Reyes said worst are those areas which need choppers just to deliver the election paraphernalia, including the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

The PNP-ARMM is now identifying which polling centers might be confronted with this problem.

Poor communication signal in other areas is also being looked into, according to the official.

They are set to conduct a simulation exercise days before the election to find out how fast their response will be and what areas they have to improve on.

The PNP-ARMM will also be in close coordination with the Coordinating Committees on the Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH). The latter will be tapped if there is a need for coordination, since policemen will be deployed in polling centers in areas controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Delos Reyes said they have prepared 300 police personnel in case they need to serve in the elections as Board of Election Inspectors (BEIs).

He said they have received information that some BEIs may decline to serve due to their past experiences of threats and intimidation.

"We are just anticipating that there might be a need but they still have to undergo training," he said.

He explained, however, that this will still be the call of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), adding the PNP is just showing its willingness to serve as BEIs if needed.

A joint monitoring center will also be set up in the  compound of PRO-ARMM at Camp Bgen. Salipada K. Pendatun, Parang town in Maguindanao to watch and monitor election activities all over the region.

Delos Reyes said all of these will be a challenge to the police force.

He said that while they are preparing for a worse-case scenario, they are still hopeful that the midterm polls will be peaceful and fair.

He added the mid-terms polls will serve as a gauge of what may happen in the 2016 elections.

13 injured, 1 dead in Iloilo accident

MANILA, Philippines – Thirteen people were wounded while one person died in a vehicular accident in Jaro, Iloilo City.

A jeep, driven by Armand Villanueva, slammed into a parked truck in Iloilo City, wounding 13, including children, and killing Moreli Gregorios, 36. The victims were returning home to Jaro, Iloilo City after a beach outing in the nearby municipality of Dumangas.

Eyewitnesses said the jeep was speeding as it approached a curve in the road, an area which authorities have tagged an accident-prone area.

Investigators said Villanueva may have been drunk while driving, as there were bottles of alcoholic beverages found in the jeep.

The victims are continually being monitored at hospital.

ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 04/25/2013 10:31 AM | Updated as of 04/25/2013 10:31 AM

Aquino declares May 13 special non-working holiday

MANILA, Philippines – President Benigno Aquino III has declared May 13, Election Day, a special non-working holiday throughout the country, Malacañang announced Wednesday.

In a statement, Malacañang said the President “wishes to enable the Filipino people to exercise their right to suffrage” as he urged “all eligible to use this non-working holiday to participate in the electoral process that forms the bedrock of our democracy.”

by: INQUIRER.net  

KOKO PIMENTEL, NUMBER 2 SA MOCK POLLS

Nakuha ni reelectionist senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III ang number 2 sa Mock Polls para sa mga senador na isinagawa ng Movement for Good Governance (MGG) na ginanap sa Ateneo Professional Schools sa Rockwell Makati, kamakailan.

Nanguna sa mock polls si dating senador Ramon Magsaysay, Jr., pumangalawa si Pimentel at pangatlo si Riza Hontiveros. Silang tatlo ay pawang kasapi sa team P-Noy.

Ang mga katangian at kapintasan ng mga kandidatong senador ay binusising mabuti ng panel of experts batay sa scoreboard na inihanda ng MGG.

Ang mga kandidato ay binigyan ng grado kung sila ay pumasa o bumagsak batay sa sumusunod na criteria - competence, track record effectiveness, integrity, stewardship at reform.

"Ang scoreboard ay makatutulong sa mga Filipino anuman ang antas ng kanilang buhay para pag-aralan ang katangian ng mga kandidato kung sila ay karapat-dapat manungkulan sa public office," ani Winnie Monsod, chair ng MGG.

Sa ibang de kalidad na pag susuri sa katangian ng mga kandidatong senador, isa sa mga nangunguna si Pimentel.

by:www.senate.gov.ph

Espinosa leaves TV5, moves up MVP's corporate ladder

Ex-Unilever honcho replaces Espinosa

MANILA -- Hong Kong's First Pacific Co. Ltd. has appointed Ray C. Espinosa, president and chief executive officer of TV5, as its new associate director, head of government and regulatory affairs, and head of communications bureau.

As a result, Espinosa will be stepping down as president and chief executive officer of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co.'s MediaQuest Holdings Inc., which controls the group's media assets including TV5, but will remain as director of said unit.

PLDT, a unit of First Pacific, added in the statement Espinosa will keep his post as director of the telco giant, as well as of other affiliates of the firm: Manila Electric Co., and Metro Pacific Investments Corp.

Manuel V. Pangilinan, managing director at First Pacific and chairman at PLDT, said in the statement the move will "bring Ray’s experience and expertise in telecommunications, information technology, media, and broadcasting – including his wealth of knowledge in national and regional regulatory frameworks – to the highest level of our Group."

"This will serve the Group well in navigating the legal and regulatory environment where we will need and develop greater synergies and dynamism in all those areas where Ray is strong," he continued.

Pangilinan said Espinosa will be replaced by Noel C. Lorenzana as president and chief executive officer of MediaQuest.

"Noel faces a tough job as he takes on the challenge of turning around TV5, while maintaining the growth momentum at Cignal TV towards leadership in the Pay-TV industry," Pangilinan said.

"Noel’s background in the telco space and in fast moving consumer goods will be of immense advantage in his ability to bring the worlds of media and telecommunications closer," he added.

Lorenzana currently sits as PLDT's head for individual business and head for Smart Communications Inc.'s consumer wireless division. His appointment as MediaQuest's president and chief executive officer comes side-by-side his being chosen to head PLDT's newly-formed Multimedia Office, tasked to coordinate a multi-screen strategy for the firm.

Lorenzana previously held posts at consumer goods giant Unilever's units in the Philippines, and in Malaysia and Singapore.

Meanwhile, Charles A. Lim will replace Lorenzana as PLDT Group's head for individual business.

"The changes described above will take effect on 1st June 2013," PLDT said.

Singapore-based DanaTeq enters PH market

MANILA, Philippines - Singapore-based company DanaTeq Pte has entered the Philippine market.

DanaTeq, a pioneer in dynamic real-time analytic-based campaign management solutions, recently signed two service agreements with the Philippine’s major telecommunications companies.

Under the deal, DanaTeq will implement next generation intelligent service networks for the two telcos for enhanced customer care and better servicing to end users.

"End users will soon feel a change on how these telecommunications companies deal with them. It will be more personal and targeted. Our system will increase the number of services currently being offered and increase the speed at which this service is rolled out to market. It will be revolutionary in terms of the local market, which is why extensions and new service agreements have been made for DTQ for continued development and consultation," said Sergey Popov, DTQ’s Chief Technology Officer, in a statement.

Aside from telcos, DTQ is looking to expand and target various sectors such as banking and finance and fast moving consumer goods.

"The local telcos are just a start. We will be talking and making presentations to major banks in the next few weeks. The point is – as long as there is a customer that can be measured, observed and studied in terms of its needs and wants by a particular company or industry, then our solution has relevance. Companies can only benefit and draw valuable insight from what we offer and this offering only gets better," said Cody Martinson, DTQ’s Chief Executive Officer, in a statement.

Aside from its Philippine operations, DTQ is looking at entering other markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and North America.

Founded in 2009, DTQ aims to build the next generation of intelligent service networks. It has assembled a skilled team of intelligent network architects and engineers to develop and deploy Intelligent Service Networks for existing and Greenfield Mobile Telecommunications Operators.

ABS-CBNnews.com

Asia United Bank plans $9.7-B IPO in May

MANILA - Philippine lender Asia United Bank is seeking to raise as much as P9.7 billion through an initial public offering next month, a regulatory filing showed, becoming the latest firm to tap the stock market in what has become a top investment destination in Southeast Asia.

The initial public offering comes after the Philippines saw a record $2.53 billion raised from IPOs and follow-on deals last year. The main Philippine share index hit a record high on Monday and is the best performer in Southeast Asia so far this year, buoyed by optimism about the country's economy.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has approved Asia United's planned May 7-14 initial public offering, the filing showed. Pricing will be finalized on May 3 with the bank aiming to list on the Philippine Stock Exchange on May 17.

Asia United Bank plans to sell up to 88 million primary common shares for as much as P110 per share. There is an overallotment option of up to 8 million shares.

The company will use the proceeds to finance its expansion.

The listing is subject to approval by the Philippine Stock Exchange.

It will be the second local IPO this year following Philippine Business Bank's P3.2-billion listing in February.

It also comes after Philippine conglomerate LT Group Inc.'s record P37.7-billion follow-on share offer this month that drew strong interest from international investors.

The main stock index has risen about 22 percent this year, getting an extra lift after the country won its first investment grade rating last month from Fitch Ratings.

UBS AG has been mandated as the sole global coordinator. Together with Credit Suisse, it will also act as bookrunner and lead manager for the offering.

Asia United Bank, which is owned by Philippine snack food manufacturer and exporter Republic Biscuit Corp., increased its full-year net profit by 20 percent in 2012 to P1.36 billion on robust trading gains and interest income.