Petron, Chevron to slash oil price Tuesday
Chevron Phil. will also slash oil prices Tuesday.
Effective 12:01 a.m., Chevron will cut diesel prices by P0.25 per liter and gasoline and kerosene prices by P0.50 per liter, according to communications manager Toby Nebrida.
Also effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, independent oil player Phoenix Petroleum will also reduce gasoline prices by P0.50 per liter and diesel prices by P0.25 per liter.
Four oil firms including Petron Philippines and Chevron (formerly Caltex) will roll back its pump prices on Tuesday.
In a text message, Petron media officer Raffy Ledesma said they would decrease their gasoline and kerosene prices by P0.50 per liter and diesel prices by P0.25 per liter.
Chevron, Seaoil, and Jetti will implement similar price adjustments, according to a report dzBB radio.
Price movements for Chevron, Jetti and SeaOil will take effect at 12:01 a.m, swhile Petron's will be at 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Ledesma said the movements were made to reflect the international prices.
Labor group bats for wage hike, to announce bets on May 1
Farmers told to brace for looming La Niña
City buses barred
EIGHT Kaohsiung buses belonging to the Cebu City Government were held by police officers in Barili for traveling without plate numbers or registration papers.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña blamed the Capitol for the incident, saying the children aboard the buses ended up missing a meal because of the interception.
But a Capitol consultant, lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, quoted the police as saying not all the passengers were children. He added the buses were seen roaming around the province even before the incident.
"There might be a connection with a partisan political objective," said Sepulveda, who added he intends to ask the Commission on Elections (Come-lec) about this.
Acting Cebu Provincial Police Chief Erson Digal belittled text rumors the apprehensions were political. He invoked a standing policy to conduct checkpoints throughout the province because of the elections.
Digal said the first bus was stopped at 11:40 a.m. and those that followed were also stopped at the checkpoint.
A total of eight buses passed by the checkpoint and all of the buses had no plate numbers and no registration papers from the Land Transportation Office.
Digal denied rumors circulated through text that it was Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia who ordered them stopped because her convoy could not overtake them. Garcia's reelection bid is being challenged by resigned Cebu City councilor Hilario Davide III, an ally of Mayor Osmeña.
"Rehistro ra gyud na. Nganong gipadako man? (These buses were not registered. Why is this being blown out of proportion?)," Digal said.
Asked if the buses were plastered with campaign materials of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, he admitted he was not aware of this and said it was irrelevant.
Digal said their daily activity journals are full of reports about similar violations by motorcycles and private vehicles.
"We have a strict no plate, no travel policy. That's an old policy," he explained.
This policy was reinforced after criminals perpetrated crimes using vehicles with no plate numbers, making it hard for the police to trace the owner.
Digal added there was no truth to rumors that the buses were held for long, saying it was treated like a traffic violation.
After the licenses of the drivers were confiscated and a temporary operator's permit was issued to them, they were allowed to go.
The buses were on their way to Badian town, ferrying children.
Osmeña said the police officers in Barili should have shown consideration and spared the children.
"Nangita lang sila ug sala pero kanang luoy ba. Naapil ang mga bata, ang akong mga bata. Unya dili man ni dako nga violation…pero ang mga bata wa pa sila nangaon…These children are the poorest of the poor ug ambot lang unsa'y tuyo sa Capitol nga nangita'g technicality," said Osmeña.
Osmeña said the buses are not yet properly registered since these are new vehicles given by Kaoshiung, a sister-city in Taiwan.
The buses intercepted are part of the 15 buses that were supposed to ferry close to 1,000 street children and their accompanying adults, to a summer camp of the Cebu City Task Force on Street Children.
This is supposed to take place from April 26 to May 1 at the Matutinao Elementary School, Badian.
The City-owned Kaoshiung buses were made available for free. Such requests are approved by the mayor or vice mayor's offices.
One Cebu will "dig down to the bottom" of the incident, its spokesman said.
In a press conference at the governor's office, Sepulveda said City Hall needs to explain why these buses have been traveling around Cebu Province since last week. He said he has seen these buses himself.
"They have a lot of explaining to do," he said.
As for the text messages blaming the Capitol for the interception, Sepulveda said the "master at City Hall" may be trying to create a fake picture, that's why they "created" the story about children being on board.
One Cebu, he added, does not use government-issued vehicles in their campaign sorties, but would rather borrow from supporters.
All towns, he said, were alerted about the incident. Any Kaohsiung bus will be stopped and its papers, checked.
Sonny, Georgia advise Tomas: Drop Mike, for legacy's sake
MAYORAL candidate John Henry "Sonny" Osmeña has one last appeal to his estranged cousin, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña: Drop Vice Mayor Michael Rama.
The former senator said he is willing to withdraw his candidacy if the mayor decides to support Georgia Osmeña, instead of Rama, the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan's standard-bearer.
"Lisod kaayo nga ang atong syudad sa Sugbu ipiyal ni Tommy anang iyang ginganlan og (It's not right for Tommy to entrust the city to someone he has previously described as a) drug lord protector," Sonny said. "I'm willing to sacrifice."
Hours after the ex-senator made his offer in a radio interview, Georgia, the mayor's younger sister, issued a press statement echoing the appeal.
"I am elated and, at the same time, humbled that my cousin finally realized that what is at stake here is not our political party, but the future of the Cebuanos that our father had zealously served in his lifetime," Georgia said.
She said Sonny's appeal was "a nice gesture" and that it is not too late for her older brother to change his mind.
Tomas, as of yesterday, said he saw no need to do so.
He described his cousin as "untrustworthy and unreliable."
"There have been so many instances when he stabbed me in the back," the mayor said.
He added he no longer wants to talk about Georgia, who is running for the first time this year for elective office.
Lawyer and council candidate Raymond Garcia of Kugi, Uswag Sugbo (Kusug) said Georgia, at least, does not have any reported links to alleged drug lords.
"There was never a vice mayor and now mayoralty candidate in the history of Cebu City that was accused by an incumbent mayor of being a druglord protector. To leave the reins of the city government to an alleged druglord protector would put in jeopardy Mayor Osmeña's legacy to the Cebuanos," said Garcia, whose father Alvin is also running for mayor.
"If indeed Mayor Osmeña would support Georgia Osmeña and drop Rama, this would not only save Tommy's relationship with his sister, but more importantly, he will be remembered by the Cebuanos as the mayor who saved the city from a mayor who has alleged links with drugs. Please, spare this city from drugs," Raymond added.
"Endorse anyone but Rama."
A statement that Osmeña made against Rama, during a barangay captains' gathering last year, has given the opposition one of its issues against the BOPK's mayoral candidate. Osmeña later said he did not think Rama protected a druglord, but may have made a poor judgment call when one of his friends asked for help during a police operation against illegal drugs.
In December, former senator Osmeña also offered to withdraw his candidacy if the opposition would unite and field only one candidate for Cebu City mayor.
At present, there are 10 candidates. (ETB)
Group holds rally vs. Rama in front of Cebu City Hall
AN anti-drug crusader running for Cebu City councilor led youth volunteers yesterday morning in a silent protest rally at Plaza Sugbo.
James Philip "Jimboy" Tionko, executive director of Krusada Batok sa Droga, led 17 of its members in a rally against Vice Mayor Michael "Mike" Rama, whom they are accusing of being a protector of a drug lord.
During the rally, the group distributed stickers saying, "No to Drugs, Kasabot Na Mo."
Last week, Tionko and other members of the foundation declared Rama as their "public enemy number one" because of his reported links to an alleged drug dealer and a gambling lord.
In a news conference yesterday, Rama said he will be filing this week a libel case against Tionko and other people involved in destroying his reputation.
"I'm filing a libel case against people who are involved in maligning my reputation and my family and they should be ready for that. These people who want to run at my expense, I am not going to give it to them. I will never run away from that fight," said Rama.
Rama said he is now preparing documents for the case.
"I want people to know that no one has the right to destroy any one," he added.
Former senator John Henry "Sonny" Osmeña, who is running against him for the mayoral post, may also be among the persons who will face the libel case if it's proven that "he is among those who may have agreed to an unfounded accusation."
"Whoever you may be, somebody up or down, you have no right to destroy what I have built and my family," he said.
During the launching of Tionko's crusade against drugs, Osmeña admitted he is supporting Tionko's campaign. Tionko is a former staff worker of Osmeña when the latter was still in Congress.
Osmeña said he will welcome the suit.
He said he retrieved articles online about Rama's alleged attempt to stop a raid against a drug lord in 2008.
"We will welcome it pero magbantay siya kay ang tanan among gipanulti nagagikan man sa Internet. Ang among gisulti naa man sa Internet. Dili na namo tinumo-tumo.
So ug mangiha siya, maayo tingali'g tun-an, abugado man kuno na siya, nga duna ba siya katungdanan o rason nga mokiha (Our statements are based on news reports we found online. We did not make them up. Since he's a lawyer, let him study the case carefully)," said Osmeña.
Tionko, for his part, just laughed off of the threat of Rama.
He said his claims are based on newspaper reports and the statements of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
He said if Rama will file a case against him, the vice mayor should also include the mayor, the police and the former Dangerous Drugs Board vice chairman Clarence Paul Oaminal.
Last year, Osmeña accused Rama of protecting a drug lord when the vice mayor allegedly interfered in a police operation in Barangay Sambag 2.
The mayor, however, recanted his allegation and said the vice mayor only committed a lapse in reacting to a call from a friend.
City Councilor Sylvan "Jack" Jakosalem, an ally of Rama and chairman of the committee on dangerous drugs, said he has never heard of Rama being a protector of drug lords.
"In fact, he (Rama) was very supportive and had encouraged anti-drug activities of Cosap (Cebu City office for Substance Abuse Prevention), police and the city council.
This is clearly political since the issue is suddenly brought up right before elections with not a bit of evidence," he said.
However, yesterday's silent protest didn't last long.
The group was asked to leave by City Hall consultant Jerry Marquez.
Marquez said the protesters should have secured a permit from the City before conducting a rally.
Tionko, for his part, said the group has the right to hold a protest in a public place.
"And in all honesty, do you think we will be given a permit? But since we are law-abiding, we left. But in fairness, they were polite in asking us to leave," said Tionko.
Gibo molibot sa Sugbo alang sa mga rali
SUNODSUNOD nga mga rali ang ipahigayon ni Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro karon sa Sugbo alang sa lain niyang hugna sa pagpangampanya sa Sugbo.
Si Teodoro gikatakda nga makigkita sa mga lokal nga kandidato sa kalungsoran ubos sa partidong One Cebu.
Alas 9 sa buntag unang bisitahan ni Teodoro mao ang 1st district. Anha siya mohunong sa lungsod sa Minglanilla ug sa 10 adto na usab siya siyudad sa Toledo.
Nianang ala 1 sa hapon siya makigtagbo sa mga kandidato ug uban pang mga supporter sa lungsod sa Daan Bantayan.
Pagka alas 2 sa hapon, motabok na usab siya sa lungsod sa Medillin alang sa Sinulog Mardi Gras ug pagka alas 4 sa hapon adto na usab siya sa siyudad sa Bogo.
Group trains poll volunteers
WITH the elections only two weeks away, more attention is being paid to the safety of poll equipment and the readiness of election officials and volunteers.
Security will be tight during the transfer of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines from the main hub in Cebu City to its sub-hubs in the province.
Acting Cebu Provincial Police Chief Erson Digal said the police's security arrangements are in place, in coordination with the 78th Infantry Battalion.
Meanwhile, the civil society group Pagbabago! is training their volunteers to monitor and document election-related offenses, fraud and violence.
"Today's session highlights the significance of a partnership with the academe in this election," convenor Janet Albina told at least 40 volunteers from institutions like the University of the Philippines, St. Theresa's College and Cebu Institute of Technology, parish leaders and some workers, too.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Michael Rama, also national president of the Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines, said the automated election requires the full cooperation of all voters and stakeholders to ensure that the new system "reveals the true will of the people."
Rama, in a news conference, said he plans to meet with Comelec officers to find out if they are 100 percent ready for the elections and have covered the whole city in their voter education campaign.
"There are just too many new things. Unfamiliarity in the use of the PCOS machine requires comprehensive education to ensure understanding of the process, especially that concerns have been encountered," he said.
Digal said the Special Reaction Unit and Regional Mobile Group (RMG) 7 are prepared to escort the machines, in coordination with the provincial Comelec office.
All that is needed, he said, is the schedule for the transfer.
He did not say when these machines will be transferred or to where, as Smartmatic has requested that the locations and other details be kept confidential for security reasons.
Under Cebu Province, excluding the cities of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, the police will be transporting 1,047 PCOS machines.
Some 3,000 PCOS machines arrived in Cebu Thursday night on board the Superferry 12 from Manila.
Special Weapons and Tactics personnel escorted the machines to an undisclosed warehouse, which has been identified as the main hub.
Anticipated cases of harassment, fraud and election-related violence surfaced among the most common concerns in yesterday's Pagbabago! seminar.
It included a basic orientation on the automated electoral system, the group's history, a basic people's criteria for the elections and guidelines for the Election Day monitoring.
Trained volunteers will be dispatched outside voting precincts on May 10, in partnership with the church-based election monitor C-Cimpel. C-Cimpel's volunteers are authorized to stay inside polling precincts.
Organizers said they aspire to be multi-sectoral, which is why they have also conducted training sessions for Minglanilla's Mary Help of Christians Technical Institute for Women, a batch of workers in Lapu-Lapu and farmers in various mountain barangays in Cebu.
More than 1,000 volunteers have been trained, but there's still a need, Albina said, for more people to volunteer and contribute to a clean and fair election.
Comelec agrees to give source code to PPCRV
Boxes containing Zamboanga ballots get wet
No way to hack results of May voting – NTC
BY DARWIN G. AMOJELAR Senior Reporter
WITH only 14 days to go before the May 2010 elections, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) assured that there is no way to hack results of this year's polls.
"There's no way to hack [the results] because it is a private network [that is behind the country's first automated elections]. The network is encrypted," Edgardo Cabarios, NTC director of common carrier and authorization department, said on Monday.
Cabarios added that even telecommunication companies, or telcos, have no knowledge of the security code of the network.
The election results will be transmitted to the central server of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), municipal canvasser, the server of the dominant minority party and that of the dominant majority party, citizens' arm and the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas.
The NTC official, however, said that there is a possibility of delay in transmitting the data because of error in Internet connection.
"But it [delay] would only last for minutes," Cabarios added.
Earlier, the telcos said that they would be using mobile GPRS and Digital Security Line (DSL) to transport the election results from the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines.
Representatives of Comelec and the joint venture of Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM), along with Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co., Smart Communications Inc., Globe Telecom, We are I.T. Philippines Inc. and Digital Telecommunications (Digitel), earlier signed a deal to ensure accuracy in the counting and transmitting of the votes.
The agreement, under which the telcos will relay the results of the elections to the data and canvassing centers nationwide, is part of the P7.2-billion poll automation contract between Smartmatic and Comelec.
Also earlier, Smartmatic said that 70 percent of the country has a working mobile satellite.
For areas with weak signals, it would be providing mobile satellite antennas, the Broadband Global Area Networks or BGANs.
The laptop-sized BGANs are easier to use than normal satellites, which are bulky and heavy, because they can be lugged around.
Smartmatic-TIM, the poll body's supplier of some 82,200 PCOS machines, said that it is set to deploy 5,600 BGANs and 680 Very Small Aperture Terminals in 30 percent of the areas with unreliable signals.
The PCOS machine is a paper-based voting system, wherein the marked ballot is fed into a scanning machine that records and electronically tallies the votes. The results would then be automatically transmitted. A PCOS machine covers about 1,000 voters.
Smartmatic-TIM said that it has bought from the telcos some 70,000 SIM cards that will be used for the elections.
Nograles warns: More Lakas members to quit on Teodoro
DAVAO CITY, PhilippinesHouse Speaker and city mayoral candidate Prospero Nograles on Monday warned that more members of the administrations Lakas-Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino-Christian Muslim Democrats will quit on the partys standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro as Election Day nears.
The old members of Lakas have left him and others will leave Gibo very, very soon because they feel he has a very slim chance to win, Nograles said in a statement.
He has not taken off, Nograles said, referring to Teodoros struggle in the surveys. And he quit on Lakas in midstream. We have no choice but to quit on him also.
Nograles had earlier threatened to leave Lakas-Kampi-CMD as he claimed that the party was being run without consultation with its members.
Nograles also scoffed at Teodoros support for the Dutertes here.
Gibos support for the Dutertes means nothing as far as Davao politics or the presidential elections are concerned. It cannot make him win as president, Nograles said.
He said this was because the Dutertes were supporting the candidacies of Liberal Partys Senators Benigno Noynoy Aquino III and Manuel Mar Roxas II.
Likewise, Nograles said Teodoro has no political clout here.
Hes is just a lot of hype. Parang ampaw, he added.
Nograles is running against incumbent Mayor Rodrigo Dutertes daughter, Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, for the position of mayor.
Justice chief Agra won't inhibit self in Maguindanao case
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) Justice Secretary Alberto Agra on Monday said he will not inhibit from resolving the appeal filed against his resolution ordering the dropping of 57 counts of murder in favor of two primary accused in what is considered the most brutal crime in the country.
My faith in my own objectivity has not been shaken, for there is no reason for me to doubt myself. I have and always will act in accordance with my conscience and with due regard to my oath as a lawyer and a public servant, Agra said.
Agra and Department of Justice prosecutors have been at odds after he ordered the junking of 57 counts of murder against suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Zaldy Ampatuan and Mamasapano Mayor Akmad Ampatuan.
I will say with a straight face, on the honor of my fathers name, I did not receive a single centavo from any quarter to release the resolution or rule in that manner, Agra said during Mondays flag ceremony at the DoJ.
"The decision was based on evidence and arguments brought before me, read in the light of prevailing jurisprudence, with my heart leaning towards the victims, but my mind fixed on the rule of law," said Agra, who is being criticized for his decision.
Agra told DoJ employees and prosecutors that he stands by his resolution and that he will not resign. He added that he will no longer entertain any more interviews until after the motion for reconsideration on the Maguindanao massacre case has been resolved.
I will not resign. I have no plans of withdrawing from the challenges that this office holds. You presence today, my resolve to continue public service strengthens. To everyone who supported, believed, and loves me, I thank you. Dont worry, Al Agra may be a cry-baby but he is strong, he said.
Agra said he will consult and take the opinions and observations of the prosecutors handling the case.
The DoJ prosecutors led by Chief State Prosecutor Claro Arellano denounced Agras resolution saying they were neither consulted nor informed before its release.
The Department of Justice is supposed to be the sword and shield of law and order. We are deeply concerned that the resolution will all the more convince a long skeptical public that our criminal justice system is impotent when the accused are politically influential, Arellano said in a statement he read at the steps of the Department of Justice building in Manila Monday morning last week.
Relatives of the victims already filed a motion for reconsideration questioning Agras resolution.
Meanwhile, Agra said he will come up with a final ruling this week on the appeal filed by lawyers representing the families of the 57 victims seeking a reversal of his resolution ordering the dropping of charges against two Ampatuan clan members.
Agra stood pat on his objectivity on his decision, which is why he met with prosecutors who are protesting his resolution.
Agra announced his latest moves on this case during the Department of Justices mornings flag-raising rites where officers and employees from the Witness Protection Program and Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) wore white as a sign of support.
Meanwhile, Chief State Prosecutor Cayetano Arellano said there are other avenues which the victims could go to, to seek redress for Agras resolution.
Arellano, who leads the prosecutors who raised protest against Agra, stood by his position that the resolution should be revisited by the acting chief justice.
Villar did not pressure SEC—Barin
PSE covering up expose on Villar firm—Enrile
Villar's mother comes out to defend 'poor son'
MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) An emotional mother of presidential candidate Senator Manny Villar came out in public for the first time Monday to defend her son against allegations that he was a liar, especially on his claims that he came from a poor family.
When asked why she decided to face the media, Curita Nanay Curing Villar broke into tears, saying, "Kasi aping-api na yung anak ko e [My son is being persecuted]."
Asked how she knew that her son was being criticized, she said, "Kasi nababasa sa dyaryo e. Nasasaktan din mga katapid niya. Minsan kinuwento sa akin, nasasaktan din naman ang mga kapatid niya [They read it in the newspapers. His siblings are also hurt, I am told that his siblings are also hurt]."
Nanay Curing, 86, has been blind since 2007.
"Diyos ko kayo na lang po ang bahala [My God, I leave it up to you], she said in between tears. "Mahal na Birhen ikaw na ang tumestigo sa aking mga anak...kayo na po ang magtanggol sa mga anak ko [Virgin Mary, you be the witness for my children please defend them]."
"Kawawa naman po siya. Nagtiis na nga po ako ng hirap, naapi na ako sa palengke pati ba naman ang anak ko? Pati ba naman ang anak ko, naapi pa ngayon? [My poor son. We endured poverty. I was oppressed in the public market and now even my son? Even my son is being maltreated now]." she said.
"Akala nyo ba di ako nasasaktan dun sa pinagsasabi sa anak ko? Halos ikamatay ko na. Halos ikamatay ko na [You think I dont get hurt with what is said about my son? It almost killed me. It almost killed me]," Nanay Curing as she broke down again.
It was at this point when the senators' sisters Gloria, Lourdes, Cecille and Vicky stopped the interview.
While Lourdes was being interviewed after the press conference, Gloria lost her temper when a reporter asked the reason for the briefing, saying that this might be misconstrued that the mother was being used by Villar in his campaign.
"Patay na kanyang ina, sinasama pa...Buti nga nanay ko nakakapagtanggol pa sa kapatid ko. Yung ina nila patay na ginamit pa nila di ba? [Their mother is dead but they still include her Our mother is still alive so she can defend my brother. Their mother is dead but they still use her)" said Gloria, who was apparently referring to Villar's rival, Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III and his late mother, former President Corazon Aquino.
"Sino ba ang unang nanggamit? Hindi ba lahat ng posters niya? Andun ang nanay at tatay niya, so kami ngayon lang kami lumilitaw kasi sobra na, personal na [Who used their mother first? Didnt they put their mother and father on all their posters? We came out just now because its all too much, its getting personal]," she lamented.
"Bago nila kami tapunan ng putik, tingnan muna nila yung mga putik sa mukha... Hindi kami nanggagamit ng aming magulang, sumasagot lang kami sa kanila. Sila ang nauna [Before they hurl mud at us, they should look at the mud on their own faces. We dont use our parents, we are only answering them. They did it first]," she further said.
Gloria also criticized television networks ABS-CBN, GMA7, and other media practitioners for allegedly being unfair to her brother.
She specifically pointed to GMA7 personalities Arnold Clavio and Winnie Monsod.
"Bigyan niyo naman ng tsansa kapatid ko. Alamin niyo naman ang katotohanan bago kayo magsalita. Yang ABS-CBN na yan masyadong unfair sa kapatid ko yan, Channel 7 very unfair sa kapatid ko...[Give my brother a chance. Find out the truth first before you start talking. ABS-CBN and Channel 7 have been very unfair to my brother],"she said.
"Masyado kayong unfair, you media people, you are unfair. Yang si Clavio na yan si Monsod na yan, my God, di nila kami kilala para sabihin yan [You are so unfair, you media people, you are unfair. Clavio and Monsod, My God, they dont know us for them to be able to say those things against us]," she said.
"Yang Channel 2 na yan kung apihin yang kapatid ko sa media, kung bigyan ng airtime ang kapatid ko, hindi makapagtanggol ang kapatid ko sa mga sinasabi ng kalaban e. Ang airtime ng mga kalaban napakatagal, ang kapatid ko pinapasasdahan lang nila ang mukha [Channel 2, they mistreat my brother through media. They dont give him enough airtime to defend himself against the accusations of his opponents. The other camps airtime is so long while they only show my brothers face in passing]," she further said.
Instead of mudslinging, Gloria said presidential candidates should focus on track-records and accomplishments
After calming down, Nanay Curing again talked to the media and even rendered a song for them.
She gave a few lines of the song "Stardust," which Gloria said her mother would sing with the senator during family gatherings.
Nanay Curing ended her interview with one appeal to the media, "Pakiusap ko lang, pakiusap ko lang, maniwala kayo sa kanya [Villar]. Galing sa puso niya ang kanyang itutulong. Di po paimbaaw. Maawa po kayo sa amin. Mahirap man kami, mayroon kaming pusong maawain. Maawa po kayo sa anak ko [My only request is for you to believe in him. He will help from the bottom of his heart. Have pity on us. We may be poor but we have merciful hearts. Have pity on my son]."
Remulla admits visiting Ampatuan Sr.
MANILA, Philippines Nacionalista Party spokesman and senatorial bet Gilbert Remulla admitted visiting a member of the influential Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao last month because of personal safety and security reasons and not to seek endorsement or support for him and the party.
Yes I did, I dont deny it but its for personal and security reasons why I did it. (And so to elaborate on it) I think will be a little bit more dangerous, Remulla told a press conference or Monday when asked of his reported visit to Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr.
Ampatuan is one of the prime suspects in the 2009 Maguindanao massacre of 57 people, including 32 media workers.
Let me reiterate that my stand against the Maguindanao massacre is ever stronger than before. And as a former journalist, I condemned what has happened and I believe that the victims of the Maguindanao massacre has to be given justice and the prime suspects have to be tried completely, Remulla added.
Another LP spokesman and senatorial bet Adel Tamano could not hide his relief that Remulla finally clarified the issue and at the same disappointment for visiting Ampatuan.
Gilbert, I think you did the right thing by admitting that you went there. But you are my friend, and I think its also the right thing for us to say that I am unhappy with the fact that youve gone there, Tamano said speaking on the same forum.
I would like to get it from you, to make it very clear that the NP did not, in anyway, sanction, did not in any way empower you to talk to the Ampatuans because it has to be very clear, he said.
As one of the spokesmen, I have been saying from the start that we will never make any deals with the Ampatuans. We will never seek any endorsement from them because an endorsement from the Ampatuan who is a creation of GMA is an endorsement from GMA, he further said.
GMA is President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
To remove any shadow of doubt, Tamano asked a categorical statement from Remulla that his meeting with Ampatuan did not have the sanction of the NP or that he did not even consult the party.
I think that should be overly stated, that it has nothing to do with party, Remulla responded to Tamano.
It wasnt a political visit at all. It had nothing to do with politics and I said it was about safety and security reasons, he pointed out.
After the press con, the two immediately cleared to reporters any tension arising from that exchange.
Tamano explained he was just surprised by Remullas admission because he had been saying from the start that they would not seek the endorsement of the Ampatuans.
An endorsement of the Ampatuans, he pointed out, would be a kiss of death.
Estrada says Villar 'a big liar'
MANILA, Philippines - Former president Joseph Estrada on Monday called Nacionalista Party standard-bearer Sen. Manuel Villar a "big liar" for denying that he used his influence to pressure members of the Philippine Stock Exchange Board board so he can increase his profit from the public listing of his company's shares in 2007.
In a press conference, Estrada said Villar is concocting lies to mislead the public about his participation in the stock market deal.
"Hindi kami ang nakuryente sa istorya kagaya ng sinabi ni Mr. Villar. Siya ang nakuryente at patuloy niyang kinukuryente ang taong bayan sa kanyang mga kasinungalingan," the former president told reporters.
Estrada has claimed Villar earned billions in an irregular transaction involving the shares of his holding company, Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc. He challenged Villar to explain allegations that Villar exerted his influence as then Senate President to convince the PSE board into allowing him to use his locked-up shares in his real estate firm.
Villar assumed the Senate presidency in 2006 and was replaced by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in November 2008.
Estrada added Villar lied in his Statement of Assets and Liabilities when he did not include the P5 billion-P8 billion profit he and his wife made from the sale of their shares in Vista Land and Lifescapes Inc.
The former president also challenged Villar to personally face the allegations being thrown at him, instead of letting other people answer for him.
"Mr. Villar is the biggest liar. You are aspiring for the highest position in the land so be man enough and face your accusers. Siya ang humarap sa taong bayan at hindi ang kanyang mga alipores," Estrada said.
Villar's lawyer, Nalen Rosero-Galang, earlier challenged Estrada and Enrile to produce evidence that Villar manipulated the share price of Vista Land in the stock market.
Rosero-Galang said the public offering of the shares of stock of Vista Land & Lifescapes was done in compliance with the requirements of the Securities Regulation Code and the rules of the Philippine Stock Exchange.
Stock market manipulation occurs when market players profit from the swings in the stock price. At the time Villar made a visit to the PSE boardroom, Vista Land's shares have just been listed and were not yet being traded by public investors.
Villar's camp had said Estrada is in no position to throw a stock market issue against someone else since Villar's 2007 visit to the PSE board was "nothing compared to" Estrada's role in the biggest scandal that brought the local capital markets to their knees.
Estrada was involved in the 1999 BW Resouces scandal. The listed gambling firm's stock price zoomed by over 18,000% in a year's period triggering an investigation by the regulators. Estrada made a call to Perfecto Yasay, then the Securities and Exchange chairman, for the regulator to spare the BW owner from the investigations.
Gordon tells voters, media: Just ignore surveys
MANILA, Philippines -- Four days after suing survey firms for damages, presidential candidate Richard Gordon said the media should just "ignore" election survey results.
Sought for comment on Monday on a new survey showing rival Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III leading the race by a wide margin, consistent fifth-placer Gordon said: "The media should ignore these survey results."
Last week, Gordon sued survey firms Social Weather Stations (SWS) and Pulse Asia for their misleading surveys and asked the Quezon City regional trial court for a temporary restraining order.
Gordon said the publication of survey results had jeopardized his presidential campaign.
He said: "People are telling me: 'We want to vote for you, but the surveys say youre not gonna win."
Gordon said the publication of surveys was not part of "public service" as election surveys were "not valid and have no basis."
He said: "I wish the media will be smarter than that (publishing survey results)."
Gordon barnstormed Cavite on Monday. In earlier speeches, he said that if people believed survey results, then elections should no longer be held and the country should just believe the survey results to save money.
His running mate Bayani Fernando expressed support for Gordon's suit against pollsters.
In a phone call to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Fernando said he no longer believed in surveys. He said his percentage of votes stopped increasing after he stopped subscribing to the survey results.
Fernando said: "The moment I stopped paying for the surveys, my ranking no longer improved. Before, when I was still subscribing, my points were increasing."
Fernando went around Valenzuela City on Monday.
Roxas still on top; Binay edges Legarda - Inquirer.net
Sen. Manuel "Mar" Roxas II remained the top contender for the vice presidency, while Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay climbed up to second place in a statistical tie with Sen. Loren Legarda, results of the latest Social Weather Stations survey showed.
Of the 2,400 registered voters surveyed from April 16 to 19, 39 percent said they would have voted for Roxas for vice president if the elections were held at the time. This is a three-point drop from his March rating.
Support for Roxas has been declining since December 2009, but he maintains a considerable lead over his rivals.
"I am deeply grateful to our people who continue to trust and support my candidacy. Rest assured that we will push for good governance to end the sufferings of our people and lead this nation into genuine change," Roxas said in a statement.
Binay gained four points to 25 percent, placing him in second place with Legarda, who lost a point to 24 percent, given the survey's margin of error of plus-or-minus two percentage points.
Binay's ratings have been on the rise since December, while Legarda's have been dropping.
The ratings of other vice presidential candidates are as follows: 3 percent for Bayani Fernando, 2 percent for Edu Manzano, 1 percent for Perfecto Yasay, and less than half a percent each for Dominador Chipeco and Jose "Jay" Sonza.
Senatorial, party-list race
In the senatorial race, reelectionists Ramon "Bong" Revilla Jr. and Jinggoy Estrada remained ahead of the pack.
The succeeding nine candidates have consistently been on the list of 12 possible winners since December, according to SWS.
In the party-list race, Bayan Muna leads 12 groups most likely to gain at least one seat in the House of Representatives. The militant group garnered 5.9 percent.
The SWS said 29 other groups could get at least one slot, using the new computation introduced by the Supreme Court in a ruling on April 12, 2009.
The high court changed the formula for allotting party-list seats last year, junking the two-percent threshold and increasing the number of party-list seats. This was in order to fill up the party-list slots equivalent to 20 percent of the House seats, as prescribed by the Constitution.
The Comelec followed the new Supreme Court formula in computing the number of party-list seats in the 2010 elections.
The party-list system was enshrined in the 1987 Constitution to enable marginalized sectors to participate in legislation. There are 187 party-list groups vying for a spot in the 57 reserved House seats in this year's elections.
Asked about the SWS survey, Fernando said he no longer believed in opinion polls.
He said his percentage of votes stopped increasing after he ended his subscription to the survey results.
Fernando said: "The moment I stopped paying for the surveys, my ranking no longer improved. Before, when I was still subscribing, my points were increasing."
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Coin shortage not in supply but circulation, says BSP - Philippine Information Agency
"There is no shortage in the supply of our coins but we have shortage in its circulation," said Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)-Zamboanga City Acting Deputy Director Melodino S. Patiño, during the Multi-Sectoral Consultative Dialogue with stakeholders on its National Coin Recirculation Program conducted on April 23 at the Astoria Hotel
With issue besetting not only Zamboanga City but the entire Philippines on the alleged shortage of Philippine coins, the BSP Branch Head urged the public to help ensure efficient recirculation of our currency by using it.
Mr. Patiño reported, as of as of December 31, 2009, there were 15.6 billion pieces of coins in circulation all over the Philippines with a total face value of P16.9 billion.
He said all these coins weighed 76.7 million kilos or visually equivalent to or approximately 23,968 passenger jeepneys with a net weight of 1600 kilograms to a maximum gross weight of 3200 kilograms per jeepney.
Mr. Patiño explained that 88% of total coins in circulation are low denomination coins like the 25-sentimo, 10-sentimo, 5-sentimo, and the 1-sentimo yet there is still a perceived shortage of coins particularly these low denomination coins.
"Clearly the problem is not supply, but circulation" the BSP branch head said.
He said that public should help in the efficient recirculation by using it and not just left it stagnant in piggy banks or garapons, drawers, or worst in garbage beams and thrown in streets.
Patiño said the "missing" coins could be in churches, schools, gasoline stations, and various foundations and even in business establishments.
"We need to flush out coins in storage" he said. He emphasized, the public should make it a habit to use and accept coins as legal tender because "and barya ay mahalaga" (coins are important) he concluded.
Landing the perfect job - Google it
While summer traditionally means vacations, many Filipinos use the season to look for jobs, especially to fresh graduates joining the workforce. A quick look at Google Insights for Search, a tool that enables people to know more about what Filipinos search for on Google, reveals that searches for jobs in the Philippines typically spike between March and May.
Filipinos are also the top searchers for job hunting worldwide, which may partially explain the country's relatively low unemployment rate of 7.5 percent.
The latest Job Availability Index, using data from an online job portal, shows a 4.7 percent increase in job vacancies posted online between January this year and the same period last year. With so much competition for jobs, it helps to arm yourself with useful tips on searching — and landing that perfect job online.
1. SEARCH SMARTER
Use search engines wisely and make sure to be as specific as possible when doing job-related searches. Limit your results to only pages from the Philippines, and even to those that are written in Filipino only. It helps to define the function and area you wish to target, so for instance, "IT jobs Cebu City" will be more useful than just the generic term "jobs." And with blogs becoming an increasingly popular format to spread job information, Google Blog Search (www.blogsearch.google.com) is a great way to browse for updates and read job-related articles.
2. REMEMBER THE GOOD ONES
Once you've found web pages, blog articles, and forum discussions that contain the job hunting information you need, save previously visited pages from your web history. If you use the Chrome browser by Google (www.google.com/chrome), you can even sync your bookmarks to your Google account, so that you can access them from any computer that has Chrome installed, even in Internet cafes.
3. KEEP YOURSELF POSTED
Get an email as soon as a job-related listing pops up on Google's search proper regularly forget to sign in and check for potential interview schedules.
5. GET SOME HELP
Managing job applications could be daunting, and it may help to turn on Gmail Labs, which are quirky, experimental features you could use to customize your job hunting experience online. Just sign in to your Gmail account and click the Labs icon beside the Settings tab on the top-right corner. Useful features include the Forgotten Attachment Detector, to ensure your resume is always attached, Quick Links to your bookmarked pages, Superstars to identify job-related e-mails, and even Undo Send in case you accidentally forward a NSFW (Not Safe For Work) email to a recruiter.
6. UPDATE YOUR RESUME AND WRITE YOUR COVER LETTERS
Your CV is your first step to being noticed, and there's nothing more off-putting to a recruiter than getting an outdated one, or a cover letter that's addressed to the HR head of a competing company.
Getting a second pair of eyes to proofread your CV and cover letters is essential. Make sharing easier by uploading them onto Google Docs (www.google.com/docs), an online word processor that enables real-time collaboration between several people on the same document. With every change and comment you make automatically saved, you never have to worry about managing multiple versions of the same document again. And while you're at it, you might want to try your hand at video resumes, another way for you to distinguish yourself from the job pool. Watch some and then upload one of your own to YouTube (www.youtube.com).
7. SHOWCASE YOUR TECHNOLOGY SKILLS
Being tech-savvy is a plus in today's job-hunting environment. Why not create a website with your updated resume, portfolio, and recommendations? Google Sites (sites.google.com) allows you to easily create rich web pages for potential employers, collect all your job-related information in one place, and control access to viewership, all without knowing a single line of HTML.
8. DO YOUR RESEARCH
Many candidates end up applying to dozens of jobs at the same time and end up spouting generic bits of information when asked during an interview why they'd like to work for a particular company.
That's the surest way to failure. Use Google to read up on the company before you interview.
9. KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING
Now that you know your interview schedule, make sure you're not late because you got lost getting to the office location. Google Maps (www.google.com/maps) allows you to look up names of places and street addresses. You can plot your route, make and print your own maps, and even get exact driving directions. Want to help other job hunters out there? Head on to Google Map Maker (www.google.com.mapmaker) and add roads, landmarks, and buildings for others to use.
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Lakers may need to grind out wins to secure series against Oklahoma City
Former Lakers Coach Pat Riley often argued the playoffs didn't start until one of the teams stole a road game. That's either the most comforting or most delusional thought to tell Lakers fans now.
That's because Lakers are tied 2-2 with eighth-seeded Oklahoma City, and the latest loss didn't exactly go down to the wire. The Lakers lost 110-89 Saturday to the Thunder in a game that featured zero redeeming qualities from the defending champions. The fact that the Thunder has played pretty competitively with the Lakers isn't a huge surprise. OK, I did predict the Lakers would win the series in five, and that's obviously not going to happen. And I didn't expect any Oklahoma City wins to feature severe beatdowns. But because of the Thunder's youth and talent level and the Lakers' inconsistency, it's not at all surprising this series has become far more intriguing than your typical No. 1 versus No. 8 first-round matchup.
The Oklahoman's Darnell Mayberry makes a pretty strong case in explaining why the Thunder currently controls the series, with many of the items becoming a constant source of frustration for Lakers fans, including the OKC's athleticism, its defense, OKC guard Russell Westbrook, its free throws and its confidence. After reading the list, it really did get me wondering if the Lakers are capable of limiting those threats when they haven't been able to do so this series.
The Lakers may have home-court advantage, but that's a false luxury to have considering that their Game 1 and Game 2 victories didn't exactly come in convincing fashion. The Lakers' benefited mostly from a strong start inGame 1 and Ron Artest's strong defense on Kevin Durant, while the Thunder appeared sluggish and tight, perhaps because this was the team's first playoff game. But OKC made it competitive in the final three quarters. In Game 2, it took Lakers guard Kobe Bryant to go on a tear, scoring 15 fourth-quarter points to bail out the team, something he's done too many times this season.
At this point for the Lakers, it's not a matter of who controls the series and plays the best. The fact that the Lakers lack any long-term consistency and cohesiveness may bite them sooner or later. And the fact the team neglected on sharpening its play during the latter half of the season means there should be no sympathy given to the Lakers if they fall short in defending their title. But for the sake of simply advancing to the next round, the Lakers need to worry more about finding ways to grind out a win than in making it pretty.
That doesn't mean the Lakers shouldn't amp up their intensity in practice Monday and try to play their best basketball, beginning Tuesday in Game 5 at Staples Center. But let's face it. The Lakers have tried reworking their foundation and sharpening their play for the last month, and inconsistency still looms. In the regular season, I deemed it more important that the team actually shows marked improvement in all phases of their play rather than worrying about racking up wins. But the complete opposite approach is necessary in the postseason because wins are what dictates whether a team advances to the next round, not whether they put on an astounding performance.
If that means Bryant needs to bail out his team, let him fire away. Just make sure that happens if Bryant's shot is there and Durant isn't targeting him as a marked man. If that means the Lakers need to relentlessly feed the post, then let Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol do their thing inside. Just make sure Oklahoma City isn't denying penetration and constantly double-teaming the bigs. If that means the game hinges on Artest limiting Durant to the point that he gets himself in foul trouble down the stretch, so be it. Artest isn't an asset on offense anyway. If that means Lakers forward Lamar Odom needs to have another candy fix to find his energy, let him chomp on Skittles, M&Ms and the like. Just make sure his sugar high doesn't come crashing down.
The bottom line is the Lakers have too many problems, but not enough time to fix them. Grinding out wins doesn't suddenly erase the Lakers' long-term issues in later rounds in the postseason, but it'll at least prevent a first-round playoff exit.
Pacquiao photo endorsing ally"s political rival, fake
Vilma Santos: Disqualification case a 'desperate move' by rival
BATANGAS CITY, Philippines -- Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto called the disqualification suit filed against her by the camp of her rival, Armando Sanchez, as a political harassment and a "really desperate move" by her detractors.
Sanchezs lawyer, Ferdinand Topacio, filed the complaint against Santos-Recto with the Commission on Elections in Manila over the incumbent governors huge campaign posters that exceeded the legal limit.
Santos-Recto was on Tingoy Island campaigning and was reached by phone by the Philippine Daily Inquirer hours after the complaint against her was filed.
Santos-Recto's lawyer Aries Liwag said the case was actually a criminal case and procedures involved in trying the case would not affect Santos-Rectos candidacy at this point. He expressed confidence the case would not prosper.
Liwag warned Sanchezs camp that they would file a counter-suit against him for oversized posters too.
He added said that in the first district, Sanchezs camp ignored the oversized posters of Eduardo Ermita of the Lakas-Kampi CMD, a candidate for a seat of Congress.
Liwag said they had not received a notice from the Comelec central office or a copy of the complaint.
Oyo to wed Kristine this year or next – Vic Sotto
Wedding bells will be ringing for Oyo Sotto and Kristine Hermosa "within the year or the next" according to the would-be groom's father Vic Sotto.
In an interview on "Startalk" last Saturday, the TV host-comedian was serious about his revelation. "Oyo talked to me about it [wedding]. So andun yung plano [but] kung anuman yung mga detalye, wala pa. May plano," Vic disclosed.
Vic – who even co-starred with Kristine as his leading lady in two "Enteng Kabisote" movies – said he was in favor of the union. He shared, "Whatever their decision would be, I'll be there to support them. Right now, wala pa akong masabing detalye kasi wala pa eh. But they're of age, masaya sila, nakikita ko na they are happy. As I always say kaya nga nakikipag-relationship is to eventually get married and live together."
Dina Bonnevie, Vic's ex-wife and mother of Oyo and Danica Sotto-Pingris, also knows about their son's plans to wed Kristine.
"Yes, Dina knows about it. They grew up together. Dina and I talked about it the last time we saw each other."
Meanwhile, Kristine's ex-husband Diether Ocampo refused to comment on the issue. "Pasensya na, no comment ako," the actor said when asked to react on his ex-wife's forthcoming marriage.
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Tuesday: heavy rain shower, Max Temp: 30°C (86°F), Min Temp: 26°C (79°F)
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