May 25, 2009 Major News Stories

Pinoy na may AH1N1, 2 na

Kinumpirma na ng Department of Health (DOH) ang ikalawang kaso ng Influenza AH1N1 virus sa bansa.

New flu case; delay school opening 

THE DEPARTMENT of Health (DoH) yesterday confirmed the country's second case of influenza A(H1N1), and has started tracking those who have been in close contact with the patient for testing.

Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said a 50-year-old woman who arrived from Chicago, USA on May 20 tested positive for A(H1N1) at the weekend.

"She only has mild symptoms which include fever and cough. She was immediately started on medication and is currently being monitored," said Mr. Duque.

He added the woman, who did not manifest flu-like symptoms after breezing through the airport's thermal scanner, visited a private clinic a day after her arrival.

The DoH is also tracking at least 25 people who were in the same flight. The patient's household is also under observation.

The virus's incubation is five to 10 days, and the antiviral treatment corresponds to this period.

Health Undersecretary Mario C. Villaverde said all frontline workers have been given prophylaxes.

The first confirmed case is undergoing recovery and is set for discharge should the next test prove negative. Those in contact with the patient have also been tested.

According to World Health Organization data, there are 12,022 confirmed A(H1N1) cases, including 86 deaths, in 43 countries.

Postpone classes

Meanwhile, League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP) President Benjamin C. Abalos, Jr. will recommend a nationwide postponement of the opening of classes on June 1 to monitor students returning from infected countries.

DTI, DepEd: School supplies prices stable

Prices of school supplies such as pad papers, composition notebooks, and pencils have remained stable, according to the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of Education following a joint monitoring recently.

Maguindanao schools cleared of evacuees

The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) has mobilized soldiers to decongest public schools in Maguindanao of thousands of evacuees who have been displaced by the continued fighting between government and separatist rebel forces.

Mandaue college wa kabayad sa kuryente

Gikabalak-ang walay tubig ug suga ang Mandaue City College (MCC) nga gidumala ni Dr. Paulus Marie Cañete sa Jagobiao campus inig-abli sa klase karong Hunyo 1 kay wala kini kabayad sa kaping P700 mil nga bayranan sa kuryente ug tubig.

LTFRB: Taxis to issue receipts in June

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) has announced that taxi drivers will begin issuing receipts to their passengers beginning next month.

Compromise in taxi meter scheme sought

With several taxi groups in Manila planning to increase rates to cover for the expense in implementing the "Special Taxi Metering System," the City Council is asking Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board to consider moving the date in implementing the system.

PhilHealth increases basic benefits by 35%

PhilHealth recently adjusted its basic benefits by 35 percent to allow members bigger coverage.

City to spend P8M for composting 

Cebu City is set to allocate P8 million to cover the cost of establishing composting facilities in the northern and southern parts of the city.

Class suit v siyudad ug towing companies

Naglaraw si kanhi Tinago Barangay kapitan ug karon barangay kagawad Joel Garganera pagpasaka og class suit ug injunction ngadto sa korte batok sa duha ka towing companies, Mayor Tomas Osmeña ug ubang mga opisyales sa siyudad.

City resident complains about towing

A mechanical engineer has filed a complaint against One Stop Towing Services for towing his vehicle while he was attending to a patient at a hospital two weeks ago.

Baquerfo nakalingkod na apan...

Gikompirmar ni Department of Interior and Local Government kon DILG-7 legal officer Danilo Almendras nga si Mayor Rogelio Baquerfo na ang naglingkod sa munisipyo sa lungsod sa Tudela.

CPPO chief drops by Tudela 

Cebu Provincial Police Office acting director Erson Digal visited the town of Tudela to inspect the local station there and check on the peace and order of the town yesterday.

Militants:  Probe cash for rebel returnees

Karapatan wants an independent probe on Central Command funds as they will be asking the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas and the Commission on Audit to look into the matter.

Cops unearth "amazona's" body in Negros 

Police in Oriental Negros dug up a body of a woman, believed to be an "amazona" (a woman communist guerilla fighter) in barangay Tubigon, Sibulan town yesterday afternoon.

NPAs execute Army intel officer

New People's Army (NPA) rebels executed a military intelligence officer last Saturday, a day after they seized him in Monkayo, Compostela Valley.  The body of S/Sgt. Rolen Maglangit, an intelligence officer of the Army's 36th Infantry Battalion based in Agusan del Sur, was found at the boundary of Kilometers 14 and 15 in Barangay Pasian, Monkayo town.

Autopsy showed that Mangangit's body bore 13 gunshot wounds from an M-16 Armalite rifle and two more from an M-14 rifle.

Army sergeant killed during escape try 

Communist rebels on Sunday admitted killing the Army soldier they abducted last Friday in Monkayo town in the southern Philippine province of Compostela Valley.

Suspension of admiral in mess affirmed

The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the order of the Ombudsman placing under a six-month preventive suspension without pay Rear Adm. Constancio Jardiniano and nine other Navy officers and men pending their investigation for alleged misuse of education and training funds.

PhilHealth: Some lying-in clinics "lying"

The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation warned the public against misinformation given by non-accredited lying-in clinics that members of their dependents may avail of the Maternity Care Package from them but that members have to file their claims directly with PhilHealth.

P20 million lost in MEPZ 1 fire

An estimated P20 million worth of property was lost in a fire that swept through one of the departments of a company in the Mactan Export Processing Zone 1 along 5th Street, barangay Pusok, Lapu-Lapu City past 2 a.m. yesterday.

Stiffer fines facing violators of rules vs vessel overloading

THE MARITIME Industry Authority (Marina) issued yesterday two circulars penalizing owners and operators of overloaded vessels, following another sea mishap that left 12 dead on Saturday.

House leadership commits CARP, RH 

THE HOUSE of Representatives leadership has committed to approve major bills to include a new agrarian reform program and on reproductive health before the end of the second regular session on June 5.

Farmers, bishops, NGOs to press House 

Farmers, Catholic bishops and other non-government organizations will hold a rally in front of the House of Representatives in Quezon City to pressure lawmakers to immediately pass the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform bill.

Senate to pass CARP extension bill - Zubiri

Senate Majority Floorleader Juan Miguel Zubiri said they will pass the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform bill before Congress ends its session on June 5.

Taxes on book imports lifted

President Arroyo on Sunday ordered the Department of Finance to scrap the taxes imposed on imported books and reading material.

Atlantis, crew in Calif. after Hubble mission

Space Shuttle Atlantis and its crew of seven returned to Earth yesterday, ending their exalted Hubble Space Telescope repair mission in California after stormy weather prevented a return to NASA's Florida home base.

Manny Tourism Ambassador sa Cebu City

Ilhon unya sa kagamhanan sa dakbayan sa Sugbu ang "Pound for pound King" nga si Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao isip Tourism Ambassador atol sa iyang pagduaw karong Miyerkules.

No final deal on Pacman bout Oct. 17

Talks of Manny Pacquiao facing either Miguel Cotto or Shane Mosley next remain just that: talks.

Floyd to lay "blueprint on beating Pacquiao" 

In London to promote his July 18 fight with Juan Manuel Marquez, comebacking Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. said he would beat Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao with his ring skills and IQ if ever their dream showdown eventually materializes.

Tigers beat Aces; Ginebra nails semis slot

It was evident that COca-Cola wanted it more. The Tigers chased every loose ball, contested every rebound and played with a lot more desire in holding off the Alaska Aces, 81-74, last night at the Ynares Center to secure the No. 8 seeding in the wild card phase of the Motolite PBA Fiesta Cup.  The Ginebra Gin Kings, meanwhile, vented their ire on Rain or Shine to score a 114-71 victory that finally nailed for them an outright Final Four seat.

Kobe's 3-pointer seals Lakers' win

Kobe Bryant sent a 3-pointer over J.R. Smith to give Los Angeles a one-point lead with just over a minute remaining Saturday as the Lakers went on to win 103-97 over the Denver Nuggets for a 2-1 lead in the NBA Western Conference finals.

FilAm summa cum laude in Georgetown U

Filipino American Raymond Patrick Tolentino graduated summa cum laude from Georgetown University here and was named salutatorian of the university's Class of 2009, the Philippine embassy in the US said in a statement.

Mendoza best director award at Cannes

Brillante Mendoza of the Philippines on Sunday picked up the best director prize at the Cannes film festival for his dark movie "Kinatay".

Droga ni Hayden galing daw kay Katrina

Ibinulgar kahapon ni Atty. Lorna Kapunan na ang aktres na si Katrina Halili umano ang nagbigay ng iligal na droga sa kani yang kliyenteng si Dr. Hayden Kho at ang nag dala umano ay ang isang nagngangalang "Omar".  Itinanggi naman ni Halili na pinayagan niya si Kho na i-videotape ang kanilang pagtatalik at inalok niya ito ng droga.

Sa pamamagitan ng kanyang abogado na si Atty. Raymond Palad, sina bi nito na mismong ang video ang makapagsasabi kung may consent niya ang pagbi-video ni Kho ng ka nilang pagtatalik.

Una rito, iginiit ng kam po ni Kho na alam ni Katrina na may kamerang nakasa lang habang katalik ang celebrity doctor.

Mismong si Halili pa uma  no ang nag-ayos ng video bago sila nagtalik sa Holiday Inn sa Ortigas, Pasig City.

Sinabi ni Kapunan na umamin sa kanya si Dr. Eric Johnston Chua, ka ibi gan matalik ni Kho na may com puter business, na inu tos niya ang pag-download ng sex video at sinabihan ang technician na ilagay ito sa personal na hard discs na hindi maaring mabuk san.

Dahil dito, posibleng ang naturang technician umano, ang nagbenta ng Hayden-Katrina sex video ng hindi nalalaman ni Chua. Nabatid din na may una na umanong nag-alok na bilhin kay Chua ang naturang sex video ng P.5 milyon pero tinanggihan nito ang alok.

Lawyer:  P4-million blackmail try on Kho

Somebody tried to blackmail Dr. Hayden Kho and asked for P4 miillion so that his sex video with Katrina Halili would not be publicized.

NBI: Hayden not yet off the hook 

Despite his apology and claim that the videos of his sexual trysts with various women including actress Katrina Halili were uploaded without his consent, Dr. Hayden Kho is not yet of the hook in the investigation being conducted by government agents.

Sites hosting sex videos 'disappear'

Local websites that were used to post the sex-scandal videos of several movie and television personalities have reportedly "disappeared" from the Net.

Accident leads to reconciliation

Television host Ruffa Gutierrez and her mother, talent manager Annabelle Rama, have ended their almost one-month rift after her younger brother got involved in a deadly car accident.

Delgado recovering from lymphoma

Actor Johnny Delgado is very much on the road to recovery after undergoing a series of chemotherapy sessions for Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma, according to his wife, actress Laurice Guillen.

Kids want to hear more bedtime stories

Almost two-thirds of children want their parents to spend more time reading to them before bed, and most prefer Mum's storytelling to Dad's, researchers said on Friday.