Pinoy News Updates

'Pablo:' At least 7 dead, 24 missing

2012-12-04T05:30:00.003-08:00

MANILA, Philippines (2nd UPDATE) – Typhoon "Pablo" (international name: Bopha) killed at least 7 people on Tuesday, December 4, as the strongest storm to hit the country this year forced more than 50,000 to seek refuge in emergency shelters, officials said.

Six people were killed, including an elderly woman who was crushed to death when a tree fell on her house, the Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted rescue officials as saying Tuesday afternoon. The AFP said the officials did not identify the other 5 or say how they had died.

It's not clear if the 6 already include the 3 members of a family who died in Compostela town, Compostela Valley.

At around 6 pm Tuesday, the local Army told reporters that a soldier died in a flashflood in New Bataan town, Compostela Valley. At least 20 people were also reported missing in the town.

Four fishermen were also reported missing off Mindanao's east coast, said Freddie Bendulo, planning and development officer of Davao Oriental province.

Capt Severino David of the Army's Eastern Mindanao Command disaster response task group, said rescue teams were having difficulty reaching New Bataan, Compostela Valley, as many roads remain closed due to landslides caused by heavy rains.

He said a flashflood hit the area washing out homes and a military

patrol base. A first lieutenant was reported injured while a sergeant

was reported killed.

David could not ascertain the time the flashflood took place but said

it happened sometime between 4 a.m. and 10 a.m. at the height of

Pablo's onslaught in the area.

While it has slightly weakened, Pablo has forced over 53,000 people out of their homes.By early afternoon, the typhoon had slowed and weakened somewhat with top gusts of 195 kilometers an hour, the state weather service said.

A total of 145 flights to and from Mindanao and the central islands had been grounded since Monday night and more than 3,000 ferry passengers were stranded as vessels were ordered to stay in port.

Moving to Visayas

Civil defense chief Benito Ramos said the storm had altered course and was expected to hit the central islands of Bohol, Negros and the popular tourist resort island of Cebu later on Tuesday.

Hundreds of people are killed each year by the 20 or so tropical cyclones that hit the Philippines, but Ramos said the low casualties so far from Bopha were down to government efforts to move people to safety.

"So far, casualties have been minimal. We attribute this to the cooperation of our people and the efforts of local officials," he told reporters.

Winds blew roofs off some buildings and residents of coastal and low-lying communities in Mindanao moved into shelters as floods hit some areas, according to residents and AFP reporters.

Evacuation centers

In its latest update issued at 12 nn, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said 53,441 persons have flocked to 94 evacuation centers in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Including those who did not evacuate, the affected Filipinos comprised 57, 501 and came from Regions VIII, X, XVI, and Caraga.

Most evacuees came in Surigao del Sur, which was initially expected to be the site of Pablo's landfall early Tuesday morning. The NDRRMC said 33,521 persons have relocated to the province's 35 evacuation centers.

Benito Ramos identified two of the dead as Merlinda Balante, a 60-year-old woman from Manay, Davao Oriental, and Jigger Gumunit, 30, from Panaon, Misamis Oriental.

The national government earlier aimed for zero casualties due to Pablo, especially after an almost week-long preparation for the typhoon that has caught wide international attention. President Benigno Aquino III himself on Monday, December 3, led the call to take the typhoon seriously. "This typhoon is no joke," Aquino said. (Watch more in the video below.)

Despite the low number of casualties, however, Pablo has inflicted damage on roads and infrastructure.

Compostela Valley's provincial capital in Nabunturan, for example, was built only a few years ago, but is now severely damaged. The typhoon broke its roof and glass windows, and flooded the building up to the 3rd floor.

In Mawab town, Pablo damaged a main road, stranding passengers. It submerged many houses in the town in 3-foot flood waters, and also damaged banana plantations. – Rappler.com, with reports from Agence France-Presse and Karlos Manlupig in Compostela Valley

'Pablo' kills 2 upon landfall - Official

2012-12-03T22:57:00.000-08:00

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Pablo claimed two lives after it made landfall on Davao Oriental early Tuesday morning, December 4, officials said.

A 22-year-old man from Caraga town, Rossel Anong, died after he fell from the stairs and hit his head, according to provincial police director Senior Superintendent Rommil Mitra.

Mitra said another person died in the town of Manay, but he could not provide the person's name as of posting time.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mitra said a fallen tree in Manay, Davao Oriental injured two people at around 4 am.

Pablo has also triggered floods and landslides in various parts of the Philippines, with the typhoon packing winds of 165 km/h – stronger than those brought by Tropical Storm Sendong, which killed over 1,400 people in 2011.

Due to Pablo, over 40,000 Filipinos have flocked to evacuation centers as part of the government's objective to survive the disaster with zero casualties. – Rappler.com

Black Tuesday: Netizens rally vs Anti-Cybercrime law

2012-10-01T22:31:00.001-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – Various groups opposing Republic Act (RA) No. 10175 or the Cybercrime Prevention Act trooped to Padre Faura in Manila to call on the Supreme Court (SC) to strike down controversial provisions of the law and restrain government from implementing these provisions.

Their protest action, dubbed ‘Black Tuesday,’ began at around the same time the justices of the high court sat in en banc session, and on the agenda, the various petitions against the legislation. To date, there are 7 petitions filed against RA No. 10175.

The protesting groups used different antics to dramatize their cause.

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), one of the petitioners, held the usual program with loud speakers in tow. They were led by Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casino who said the version of the law passed at the lower House did not include, for example, criminalizing libel in cyberspace, the takedown powers of the Department of Justice (DOJ) over websites, and the monitoring of correspondences and data traffic of subject persons and sites.

The Philippine Internet Freedom Alliance or Pifa, for its part, brought a tarpaulin that read: ‘Stop Cyber Martial Law.’ Its members were gagged with black tape to symbolize government’s “silencing” of their rights to free speech, among others.

The group said the freedom to use the Internet to express their advocacies as well as criticize government is very important to them.

Pifa is an advocacy group. It has a website that opens discussions on various proposed legislations and public projects.

A social networking group, headed by popular personality Marlene Aguilar and her Facebook friends, also came. They were a bit bold — putting up the dirty finger to express their dismay to the assailed law.

Aguilar warned President Aquino that Anonymous Philippines, the group behind the defacing and hacking of government websites, is only a fraction of what she called Anonymous Global, which is ready to attack Philippine websites to no end in protest of RA No. 10175. Aguilar said this is an “army” Pres. Aquino cannot defeat.

A group of photographers-bloggers also came to take part in the protest.

The Manila Police District sent anti-riot policemen who were monitoring the protest action as it progressed.

Petitioners against RA No. 10175 before the high court are the following: Louis Biraogo, Disini, et al., ALAM party list, Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, Adonis, et al., Palatino, et al., and Bayan et al. u

Collectively, the provisions of the law they want declared unconstitutional are the following:

– Sec. 4 (a)(3), which includes data interference, defined as “the intentional or reckless alteration, damaging, deletion or deterioration of computer data, electronic document, or electronic data message, without right, including the introduction or transmission of viruses,” in the list of cybercrime offenses;

– Sec. 4(b)(3), which lists computer-related identity theft, defined as the intentional acquisition, use, misuse, transfer, possession, alteration or deletion of identifying information belonging to another, as one of computer-related offenses;

– Sec. 4(c)(4), which criminalizes libel, not only on the internet, but also on “any other similar means which may be devised in the future;”

– Sec. 5(a)(b), which identifies other offenses punishable under the law, such as: (a) Aiding or Abetting in the Commission of Cybercrime; and (b) Attempt in the Commission of Cybercrime;

– Sec. 6, which raises by one degree higher the penalties provided for by the Revised Penal Code for all crimes committed through and with the use of information and communications;

– Sec. 7, which provides that, apart from prosecution under the law, any person charged for the alleged offense covered will not be spared from violations of the Revised Penal Code and other special laws;

– Sec. 12, which authorizes the real-time collection of traffic data;

– Sec. 17, which authorizes service providers and law enforcement agencies to “completely destroy the computer data subject of a preservation and examination” order;

– Sec. 19, which authorizes the DOJ to block access to computer data when such data “is prima facie found to be in violation of the provisions of this Act;” and

– Sec. 20, which states that those who fail to comply with provisions of Chapter IV (Enforcement and Implementation), specifically orders from law enforcement agencies, shall face imprisonment of prision correctional (6 months and 1 day to 6 years) in its maximum period or a fine of P100,000 or both, for each noncompliance.

Source: ABS-CBN News

Jesse Robredo confirmed dead, DILG secretary dies in plane crash

2012-08-20T19:45:00.000-07:00

Jesse Robredo, Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), has been proclaimed dead after his lifeless body was recovered at the crash site off the coast of Masbate City.

Teary-eyed, transportation and communications secretary Mar Roxas broke the sad news on Tuesday, August 21, 2012 at the search and rescue operations command post near the crash site.

Roxas said the remains of Secretary Robredo and companions were found inside the fuselage/plane wreckage by a British volunteer technical diver at a depth of about 180 feet below the sea, more or less 800 meters away from the shore, at around 8:15 a.m. Tuesday.

Secretary Robredo was 54-years-old at the time of his death. He is survived by his wife, Atty. Lenny Robredo, and three children.

The DILG official, along with pilot Captain Jessup Bahinting and his co-pilot, Nepalese flight student Kshitiz Chand, were declared missing over the weekend.

The fourth passenger, Jun Abrasado, Robredo’s aide, survived the crash with minor injuries. He later joined the search and rescue operations after being given first aid.

Reports said the tragic incident happened around 4:30 pm on Saturday, August 18.

The twin-engine Piper Seneca carrying Robredo and his companions came from Mactan Airport in Cebu and was about to make an emergency landing at the Masbate Airport when it crashed into the sea about 300 meters off the coast of Masbate City.

The plane was heading for Naga City, Robredo’s hometown. The DILG secretary was reportedly rushing to go home to attend the awarding ceremony for his youngest daughter who won in a swimming contest, Naga City mayor John Bongat told ABS-CBN News.

Robredo was able to call his wife before the plane crashed in the waters of Masbate.

Reports said Robredo told his wife that the plane had encountered engine problems, but the conversation suddenly got cut-off and Mrs. Robredo was unable to contact her husband thereafter.

Source: CoolBuster

Downpours, flooding swamp Manila

2012-08-07T18:12:00.002-07:00

Deadly torrential rains submerged much of the Philippine capital and surrounding areas yesterday, forcing nearly 270,000 people to flee their homes with more flooding expected in the north of the country as a tropical storm passes through the region, officials said.

Steady rains for the past 10 days, killing more than 50 people, are set to continue until today, the Philippines weather bureau said, fuelled by Tropical Storm Haikui in the Philippine Sea northeast of Taiwan. The storm is headed for China’s Zhejiang Province where more than 250,000 people have been evacuated ahead of expected landfall late today.

“It’s like Waterworld,” said Benito Ramos, head of the Philippines’ national disaster agency, referring to a Hollywood movie about a flooded world.

Schools, financial markets and public and private offices were ordered shut, including outsourcing firms whose corporate clients are mainly from the US and Europe.

Disaster officials said over half of Manila was swamped by floods as high as 3m, worsened by a high tide and the release of water from dams in surrounding provinces.

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III, in an emergency meeting briefly interrupted by a power failure at the main army base in Manila, ordered officials to exert maximum effort to aid residents in flooded areas.

Officials have deployed army troops, police and emergency workers with rubber boats and amphibious trucks.

The monsoon rains, which dumped about 300mm or three times the daily average of 80mm to 100mm from late Monday to yesterday, were the heaviest in three years, the weather bureau said.

Most major roads in Manila were inundated by knee to waist-deep floodwaters. Some flights were delayed or canceled. Power, water and communications in flooded areas were disrupted. Some of the affected residents were marooned on the roofs of their houses.

“There are about 5,000 people here,” said Ester Ronabio, a public-school teacher and volunteer in one of the temporary shelter areas in low-lying Marikina City in the eastern part of Manila.
“We can’t control the flow of people,” she added.

In a sign of the difficult scramble to move people to safety, Aquino appealed to an anti-graft court to release dozens of rubber boats held as evidence in a case against senior police officials for use in evacuation efforts.

Residents of Manila expressed concern the rains were a repeat of Typhoon Ketsana in 2009, which killed more than 700 people and destroyed US$1 billion worth of private and public property.

“The floods are so deep where we live, we don’t want a repeat of Typhoon Ketsana a few years ago,” said Melanio David, a father of four. “We got scared so we evacuated last night.”

Source: Taipei Times

Philippine flag raised today at London Olympic Village

2012-07-27T18:14:00.001-07:00

LONDON — In its first official act as member of the London Olympic family, Team Philippines will join several other nations in the traditional welcome and flag-raising rites on Saturday inside the sprawling Games Village, home to more than 15,000 athletes and officials from 204 nations in the next three weeks.

Nine athletes and a handful of officials as well as some guests from the Philippine Embassy and Filipino community will be in attendance during the morning program as Team RP and at least 10 other countries join the traditional ceremony ahead of the Games’ grand opening on July 27.

Only boxer Mark Anthony Barriga and BMX rider Danny Caluag will not be around during the 11:30 a.m. rite, which concludes with a 25-minute cultural performance by 75 young Britons reflecting the nation’s music, culture and tradition.

According to Team Philippines chief of mission Manny Lopez, Ambassador Enrique Manalo will grace the affair along with a few members of the Filipino community in this beautiful city now in the midst of Olympic fever.
“This (flag raising) is our first official act as member of the London Olympic family,” said Lopez, who arrived on Wednesday to pave the way for the arrival of the Filipino athletes and officials at the Village.

In another highlight, an athlete each from the countries joining the ritual this morning will sign on the Olympic Truce Wall, which forms the backdrop for the ceremonies set at the Plaza in the heart of the Village.
Lopez said long jumper Marestella Torres will most likely do the honor for Team Philippines, being a two-time Olympian and the most battle-scarred member of the team supported by ICTSI, Bank of Philippine Islands, Mizuno, Samsonite, Petron, Procter & Gamble, PSC, Philracom, Smart Sports and TV5.

The traditional exchange of gifts will also take place after the rites, with Lopez giving the Village mayor a commemorative passenger jeepney.

Barriga and Caluag won’t make it because they have yet to conclude their final buildup, with the boxer still training in Cardiff, Wales and the cyclist doing his chores in the Netherlands. They will join their teammates on July 24.

Source: Tribune

Dolphy dies at 83, on the 10th of July 2012 at Makati Medical Center

2012-07-10T08:14:00.001-07:00

Rodolfo Vera Quizon a.k.a. Dolphy has died aged 83 just short of his birthday about the 25th of July in the intensive care unit with the MMC or Makati Medical. He was taken there about the 9th of June struggling with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and confined under intensive care since that time. Dolphy is survived by his wife singer Zsa Zsa Padilla and 18 children.

Dolphy has been 19 when he made his very first movie with Fernando Poe, Sr. in Dugo at Bayan (I recall Bataan), billed as Rodolfo Quizon. It absolutely was the dad of his future friend actor Fernando Poe, Jr., who first paved just how and gave him a break in films playing bit roles being a character actor.

Before he started like a stage performer throughout the Japanese occupation from the Philippines. Dolphy was turning 17 when Benny Mack took him in as a chorus dancer, one month at Avenue Theater after which he transferred to Lyric Theater. He also appeared in shows on the Orient Theater. Golay was his first stage name. During air raids, they might interrupt the show and run for cover in the air-raid shelter inside the orchestra section, together with the audience. If no bombs exploded, the show then resumed.

Magnitude 6.8 Hits East Coast of Honshu Japan

2012-03-14T03:37:00.003-07:00

After a year, another earthquake with magnitude of 6.8 hits the east coast of Honshu, Japan. This was the place where the magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit last year, March 11, 2011.

More information about this earthquake, http://goo.gl/x3w2H

Tsunami alert is now raised to Japan and to other neighboring countries.

A picture in Japan after the tsunami hits the Island.

California surfers waited in water for tsunami

2011-03-11T16:45:00.000-08:00

SANTA CRUZ, Calif. -- Some California surfers rode high water from a tsunami caused by the Japanese earthquake, while other beaches were closed.

In Santa Cruz, it was a typical good day for surfing before the water pulled out of Monterey Bay toward the Pacific Ocean when the tsunami hit.

Around 8:10 a.m., within seconds, the water dropped by about 9 feet as the harbor turned into a river as water was sucked out to sea.

Surfers who had been paddling on their boards were able to walk with them on the wet sand. Others stayed in water, despite warnings from lifeguards to come in.

A couple of boats broke loose and part of a dock was also pulled away during one of several surges, each of which took about 10 minutes.

Source: MiamiHerald

Washington Coast Tsunami Advisory still in effect at 3:30 p.m. Friday

2011-03-11T16:43:00.000-08:00

SOUTH BEND - The Pacific County Emergency Management Council is advising residents that the West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center has downgraded the tsunami warning along the coasts of California and Oregon to an advisory, there is no change in the tsunami advisory along the Washington Coast.

The PCEMA Council is advising residents of Pacific County that the major threat of tsunami from the 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan earlier this morning has likely passed. More than eight hours have passed since the anticipated arrival of tsunami waves. The West Coast Alaska Tsunami Warning Center has maintained a tsunami advisory for the Washington Coast. Note there could be lingering effects from the earthquake in Japan and/or additional aftershocks capable of generating tsunamis. Residents are cautioned to stay off the ocean beaches until further notice.

The public is cautioned to remain alert and to pay attention to the news media and any future warnings and alerts. This notice will be updated as conditions change. Questions regarding this announcement and questions regarding this incident should be forwarded to the Pacific County Emergency Operations Center at 360-875-9341 or 642.9341.

Source: Chinookobserver

Tsunami Waves Hit U.S.—Some Damage in Hawaii, California

2011-03-11T16:38:00.000-08:00

In Japan the magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck at 2:46 p.m., local time, along a segment of the undersea Japan Trench northeast of Tokyo, where the Pacific Ocean seabed dives under the Eurasian tectonic plate.

It's the fifth largest earthquake to be recorded anywhere in the world since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. (Get tsunami facts.)

Hours after the earthquake in Japan, the first tsunami waves struck Hawaii, where peak heights of between 7 and 11 feet (2 and 3 meters) have been reported on Maui and the Big Island. One hotel near Kealakekua Bay on the Big Island reported water in its lobby, according to the Associated Press, but overall damage was minimal.

On the U.S. mainland, the tsunami had been predicted to hit the northern Oregon coast first, at approximately 7:15 a.m. Instead, the waves came in first along the state's southern shores, at about 7:48 a.m., according to television reports.

But that discrepancy is nothing to be ashamed of, geophysicist Seth Stein told National Geographic News. "These models are very good today. They're not perfect, but they're getting better."

Wave heights in Oregon were relatively small—appearing to be about 3 or 4 feet (90 and 120 centimeters) on TV broadcasts. And unlike in Natori, Japan (picture), the wave did not come in as a wall of breaking foam. Rather, the tsunami in Oregon was much like the tide coming in and out, again and again, every 10 to 15 minutes.

Farther down the U.S. West Coast, California suffered damages to docks and boats.

At the northern port of Crescent City, "the harbor has been destroyed," city councilman Rich Enea told the Times-Standard newspaper, which reported crushed city docks and as many as 35 ruined boats.

Overall, though, reports suggest the state escaped the tsunami largely unscathed.

(See tsunami pictures.)

Tsunami Shaped by Seafloor

Though generally relatively small in the U.S., wave heights from the tsunami varied a bit, said Stein, of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.

"What we're seeing is [the effect] of local seafloor topography. Some harbors will get big waves, and some will get small ones."

For example, many low-lying areas, which might otherwise seem vulnerable to flooding, are up rivers, which deflect and attenuate waves as they move inland—reducing the flooding, said Chris Goldfinger, director of the Active Tectonics and Seafloor Mapping Laboratory at Oregon State University.

By contrast, "other places have amplification by the local bathymetry. ... ," Goldfinger said via email.

On a broader scale, Northwestern's Stein added, "You have longer-range effects, like whether the wave gets focused by the bottom of the ocean" as it travels from Japan.

Authorities in Hawaii also noted that tsunami waves can bounce back and forth between the islands, prolonging the sloshing.

Trading One Earthquake Zone for Another

In a twist of fate, Oregon State's Goldfinger was at a seismology meeting in Chiba, Japan, listening to a talk about the 2004 Sumatran tsunami, when Friday's Japanese tsunami struck.

"We watched the tsunami come in live [on TV] in Sendai and Iwaki," he told National Geographic News by email. "Ships washing into town, amazing. Here in Chiba, you could literally feel the plates grinding."

But the big damage won't be from the grinding—it's the flooding that's most destructive, said Northwestern's Stein. "That was the case in Sumatra too, whereas the tsunami did enormous damage."

(Related: "Earthquake Fault Under Tokyo Closer Than Expected, Study Finds.")

Tsunami Is Wake-up Call for U.S. West

Friday's tsunami, scientists said, is another wake-up call to residents of the coastal Pacific Northwest, where the tectonics are very similar to those in the Japan Trench. (Video: Tsunami 101.)

“This is an earthquake of the same type, with about the same magnitude and proximity that we face here in the Pacific Northwest from the Cascadia Subduction Zone,” geologist Robert Yeats said in press statement.

“What you are seeing in Japan today is what you will also see in our future. Except they are better prepared than we are," added Yeats, of Oregon State University.

Northwestern's Stein agreed, telling National Geographic News, "At some point in the future, one will have to think about a similar scenario on the [Pacific] Northwest."

Source: National Geographic

Tsunami hits north-eastern Japan after massive quake

2011-03-11T01:16:00.000-08:00

Japanese television showed cars, ships and even buildings being swept away by a vast wall of water after the 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

The quake has sparked fires in several areas including Tokyo, and numerous casualties are feared.

It struck about 250 miles (400km) from the capital at a depth of 20 miles. There have been powerful aftershocks.

The tremor hit at 1446 local time (0546 GMT). Seismologists say it is one of the largest earthquakes to hit Japan for many years.

The tsunami warning was extended to the Philippines, Indonesia, Taiwan, the Pacific coast of Russia and Hawaii.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the wave could extend as far as Chile.

Tsunami waves hit Japan's Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures, officials said.

Japan's NHK television showed a massive surge of debris-filled water sweeping away buildings, cars and ships and reaching far inland.

The earthquake also triggered a number of fires, including one at an oil refinery in Ichihara city in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo, engulfing storage tanks.

There were reports of about 20 people injured in Tokyo after the roof of a hall collapsed on to a graduation ceremony.

Residents and workers in Tokyo rushed out of apartment buildings and office blocks and gathered in parks and open spaces as aftershocks continued to hit.

Bullet train services to northern Japan were halted, rapid transit in Tokyo was suspended and some nuclear power plants automatically shut down.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan said there had been no radiation leaks.

In a televised address, he extended his sympathy to the victims of the disaster and said an emergency response headquarters had been set up.

He said the earthquake had a magnitude of 8.4 while the US Geological Survey said it measured 8.9.

Source: BBC.Com

JAPAN MARKETS-Nikkei futures slide, yen dips after big quake

2011-03-11T01:11:00.000-08:00

TOKYO, March 11 (Reuters) - Japanese stock futures plunged nearly 5 percent and the yen dipped on Friday after Japan was hit by a 8.9 magnitude earthquake that violently shook buildings in Tokyo and triggered a 10-metre tsunami.

The earthquake, which the U.S. Geological survey graded 8.9, took place shortly before regular trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange ended, disrupting trade at the very end of the day.

While the Tokyo and Osaka exchanges was open as usual for after-hours trading in bond and stock futures, phone lines were down across Tokyo, making it difficult to trade.

Before the quake struck, the Nikkei was down more than 1 percent and JGBs got a boost from the slide in Wall Street shares on Thursday.

"The phone was not working so we couldn't trade. I was lucky enough to have a long position so I didn't have to do anything. But to be honest, I was busy making phone calls to my family and I don't remember when cash bonds stopped trading," said a fund manager at a U.S. asset management firm in Tokyo.

The Bank of Japan vowed to ensure financial market stability and liquidity.

Osaka Nikkei stock index futures dropped 4.7 percent to as low as 9,950, the lowest since December 2010, before last trading at 10,010. The cash Nikkei ended down 1.7 percent at 10,254.

Ten-year Japanese government bond futures edged up 0.16 point to 139.36 in after-hours trade after having surged 0.66 point during the regular session. The 10-year yield fell 3 basis points to 1.270 percent.

"The markets are taking it very badly, but I would wait for a clearer picture to assess how bad it is," said Tim Condon, chief economist for Asia at ING in Singapore.

"It is still too early days to tell whether there will be continued selling in the stock markets. The construction sector might get a big boost out of this."

The yen dropped to session lows near 83.30 to the dollar before recovering back to 82.95, down only slightly from just before the quake

Traders noted that the yen surged after the 1995 Kobe earthquake due to Japanese repatriation of foreign assets.

Nikkei futures traded in Singapore were at 10,005 after having plunged as far as 9,950. (Additional reporting by Saikat Chatterjee in Hong Kong; Writing by Kevin Plumberg)

Remember the 8 dead hostages, Aquino told

2010-10-12T02:28:00.001-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – Several lawmakers on Tuesday took a dig at President Benigno Aquino III for his “kid’s glove” treatment of top officials responsible for the August 23 hostage-taking fiasco, reminding him to remember that eight people, all Hong Kong tourists, were killed in the incident.

The President should just have adopted the recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) and allowed the courts or appropriate body to do what it must on the case of the officials, they said.

“Malacanang's kid’s-glove treatment of those responsible in the August 23 hostage rescue blunder is another black eye for the government. It is an insult to the victims and the Filipino people who were put to shame by the ineptitude and incompetence of an amateur administration,” Anakpawis Representative Rafael Mariano said.

Minority Leader and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman questioned the exclusion of Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno and former Philippine National Police chief Jesus Versoza from the charges, while lesser officials were held accountable by the President.

“The death of eight foreign tourists due to the irresponsible handling of the crisis situation makes it hard to justify the President’s action to exculpate everyone involved from criminal negligence,” he said.

Lagman also scored Malacanang for keeping the portion on “recommendations” and “conclusions on responsibility,” which he said made the President’s ultimate action suspect from the start.

He urged the House committees on public order and safety and on good government to begin at once their inquiry into the matter to allow Congress make its own independent assessment of the incident.

Bayan Muna partylist Representative Teodoro Casino said the President should have just heeded the recommendation of the IIRC, headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima.

“Unfortunately, the President prejudged the criminal liabilities of those involved when he should have just allowed the fiscal’s office to conduct preliminary investigations and determine probable cause, as recommended by the IIRC,” he said.

By assuming the fiscal’s role, Casino said Aquino “prematurely shielded his friends,” Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Puno, “from potentially heavier liabilities that should have been decided by the public prosecutor.

Zambales Representative Ma. Milagros Magsaysay said the President’s decision on the IIRC report was a “slap” on De Lima, who worked hard in coming up with a report.

“PNoy (President Aquino) is doing exactly the same accusation to GMA (former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo), which is coddling people in the official family who have done wrong or have been remiss in their duties,” she said.

Albay Representative Al Francis Bichara, chairman of the foreign relations committee, said the President should be prepared for the backlash for not heeding the decision of the IIRC.

“There will be a lot of reactions to that effect, that would be a slap on the face because he gave the commission the authority to investigate, and then he does not follow its recommendations. I’m sure there will be reactions to that and the President should be prepared for that, to justify whatever changes he introduced,” he said.

Asked if the changes that the President made on the IIRC report was acceptable to him, Bichara said, “They should have done the report themselves, instead of delegating it to the commission.”

The partylist Akbayan welcomed the filing of charges against several officials, but also expressed disappointment for absolving Puno and Versoza.

“We question a part of the recommendation that absolved two top officials despite the facts showing their imprudence and negligence over the incident. We hope that in the coming days the Office of the President will seriously reconsider some of these points,” the group said.

Deputy Speaker and Quezon Representative Lorenzo Tanada III said it remains a prerogative of the President to decide what to do with the IIRC report.

“I refer to the wisdom of the President, it’s his prerogative,” he said.

Quezon City Representative Winston Castelo said Aquino “exercised his presidential prerogative” in reviewing the IIRC report. “It’s not total rejection. The President considered substantially the IIRC findings whose mandate is only recommendatory,” Castelo said.

Kasangga partylist Representative Teodorico Haresco said Aquino did the right thing by not dragging everyone “into the entire mess.”

Haresco said the President should not be faulted for supporting Puno, saying he is in the best position to judge the people around him.

“Personally I cannot blame the President if he is sticking it out with Undersecretary Puno because he knows that at the end of the day, he can only count on his true and loyal friends who stuck it out with him through thick and thin. These proven loyalties are irreplaceable even at this time when everyone wants to be the president's friend,” he said.

Muntinlupa Representative Rodolfo Biazon said what happened was a lapse in judgment on the part of the officials in charge of the crisis situation.

What the government needs to do is “examine the allocation of responsibility and authority in handling crisis situations,” he added.

Source: Inquirer

Magdalo soldiers welcome amnesty

2010-10-12T02:25:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines – The Magdalo group of soldiers involved in the 2003 Oakwood Mutiny on Tuesday welcomed President Benigno Aquino III's grant of amnesty to soldiers charged with involvement in various failed coup attempts during the Arroyo administration.

"With humility and gratitude, nagpapasalamat kami kay President Noynoy Aquino for signing the amnesty proclamation. Sana'y magbigay daan ito sa bagong yugto ng aming mga buhay (With humility and gratitude, we thank President Aquino for signing the amnesty proclamation. We hope this will give way to a new chapter in our lives)," Magdalo Group spokesman 1st Lieutenant Ashley Acedillo said.

He added that over 300 soldiers would benefit from the amnesty signed by the Commander in Chief. Despite the granting of the amnesty, Acedillo said that

Magdalo soldiers would not stop their fight against corruption within the military institution.

"We will continue to wage our fight against corruption and irregularities, but we will do this in government service or in our private capacities," Acedillo said.

He added that among those that are expected to benefit from the signing of the amesty are the Magdalo soldiers who were involved in the Oakwood Mutiny led by detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and the Manila Peninsula siege.

Likewise, soldiers who were involved in the Marines stand-off at Fort Bonifacio, led by Colonel Ariel Querubin, are also included in the amnesty.

Meanwhile, AFP spokesman Brigadier General Jose Mabanta Jr. said that though the Commander in Chief has signed the amnesty, Congress has to concur before any of the soldiers will be released.

In a separate interview, AFP deputy spokesman Major Enrico Ileto said that a total of 101 officers and 185 enlisted personnel were initially charged before the military court for their alleged involvement in the Oakwood mutiny.

Of the 185 EPs, one remains on absence without leave while the rest pleaded guilty to lesser offense and were subsequently sentenced with either demotion or forfeiture of pay and confinement. The 184 EPs have been restored to full-duty status, Ileto added.

Of the 101 officers, six are still facing charges, namely Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, Captain Nicanor Faeldon, 1st Lieutenant Warren Lee Dagupon, and 2nd Lieutenants Alquin Canson, Edwin Duetao and Junibert Tubo.

Charges against 11 others have been dropped for lack of sufficient evidence, while the remaining 84 pleaded guilty and were discharged from military service, Ileto said.

He added that in the Manila Peninsula siege in 2007, 12 officers and five enlisted personnel were charged in the military court but only two--Faeldon and Ret. Brigadier General Danilo Lim--remain on trial.

Likewise, nine out of the 29 officials initially tagged in the February 2006 Marines Standi-off remain facing charges, Ileto said.

Source: Inquirer

Solons deny inflating pork barrel

2010-10-10T00:14:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - Lawmakers denied they were able to wring from Malacanang a P50-million increase in their so-called pork barrel.

Several legislative districts will, in fact, be getting an equitable allocation of P50 million, they said.

Some representatives get P70 million annually in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF), more than others.

Rep. Elpidio Barzaga (2nd District, Cavite) said most House members don’t have enough to cover for the needs of their respective districts.

He noted Reps. Danilo Ramon S. Fernandez (1st District, Laguna), Roman Romulo (Lone District, Pasig City) and Romero Quimbo (2nd District, Marikina City) even receive P5 million, P5 million and P1 million, respectively.

An equitable allocation was discussed during an all-member caucus on Friday afternoon.

The lawmakers, specifically the administration allies, allegedly threatened to delay the passing of the P1.64-trillion proposed budget for 2011 due to inequitable allotments in the PDAF. Thus, the Department of Budget and Management supposedly agreed to providing the congressional district an additional P50 million.

Rep. Janette L. Garin (1st District, Iloilo) agreed there was no discussion at all about increasing the PDAF allocations.

“The consensus was to allocate a minimum of P50-million per district, to be identified and implemented by the [Department of Public Works and Highways]. These include existing projects awaiting completion,” she added.

For his part, Rep. Cesar Sarmiento (Lone District, Catanduanes) explained the PDAF still remains at P70 million for some while the allocation for “those districts whose budget for road projects in the proposed GAA is lower than P50 million are increased to P50 million.”

“People would always put a bad connotation on the use of our so called pork barrel and demand for transparency on how it is spent. But what they do not know is that our constituents rely heavily on our allocations specially the soft projects. PDAF is not only focused on hard projects, it can be used in some other forms that would greatly benefit a lot of people in our districts,” Barzaga said.

He said the PDAF is also used for other projects such as school buildings, multi-purpose buildings, medical assistance, financial assistance for those who are in need, etc.

He stressed that lawmakers do not have any say on the release of the PDAF allocations.

A congressman is limited to identifying the priority projects in his district, he cited for example. The government agency where the PDAF budget was allocated will then get to implement the project, he explained.

Source: ABS-CBN news

Senators close down Lacson’s office

2010-10-10T00:12:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—Mounting pressure from the Commission on Audit (COA) has forced the Senate leadership to close the office of fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson.

Lacson’s colleagues arrived at the decision in an emergency caucus in the middle of their session last Wednesday, according to one senator, who asked not to be identified. “It was unanimous,” he told the Inquirer.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gathered senators that afternoon after he learned that the COA was poised to question disbursements made by Lacson’s office without the fugitive lawmaker’s certification.

The COA apparently needed Lacson to personally certify expenses culled from budget items such as the maintenance and other operating expenses and capital outlay under his office.

Lacson fled the country early this year before the court could issue an arrest warrant against him in connection with the murder of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000.

Lacson denied involvement in the killing and alleged that the previous administration of President Macapagal-Arroyo was out to persecute him. He is yet to return despite the change in leadership.

Sought for comment, Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said there was “no politics involved” in the Senate’s decision to close Lacson’s office and withdraw its funding.

“This is nothing personal,” he said in a phone interview.

During the caucus, the Inquirer informant said one senator even suggested that the Senate “declare abandonment” in the case of the missing Lacson. But the majority prevailed with the sentiment that such a move would be “too harsh.”

“The best recourse was to stop his office and let the Senate secretariat absorb his employees—around 20 of them—so they won’t lose their jobs,” the source said.

The source said senators were also open to reopening Lacson’s office once he returns to the country to face the criminal charges against him.

Source: Inquirer

Nueva Ecija Town Vice Mayor Shot Dead

2010-10-10T00:07:00.000-07:00

Gunmen shot dead yesterday morning the incumbent vice mayor of a Nueva Ecija town, the latest of the spate of killings involving government officials in the country in this month alone.

Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz Jr., spokesman of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said Licab, Nueva Ecija Vice Mayor Luisito Caraang died in a nearby hospital after sustaining at least two bullet wounds.

Caraang was reportedly jogging at the vicinity of Barangay San Casimiro at around 5 a.m. when motorcycle-riding gunmen shot him from behind.

Cruz said investigation is still being conducted to determine the motive and identify the perpetrators.

Senior Insp. Danilo Eduardo, Licab town’s chief of police, said they are looking at several angles in their investigation of the killing.

It was reported that the vice mayor had not mentioned receiving any death threat before he was gunned down.

Upon learning of the incident, Nueva Ecija provincial police director Senior Supt. Roberto Aliggayu ordered a police hot pursuit operation against the escaping suspects.

The lawmen also established checkpoints in the possible escape routes of the gunmen.

To hasten the investigation of the incident, Aliggayu organized a Special Investigation Task Group (SITG) “Caraang,” which composed of different police units in the province.

Caraang was the latest victim of assassinations in the country in the past days.

Last week, an election officer of Tuburan, Basilan was gunned down followed by a barangay captain in Sultan Kudarat.

On Monday, a judge was shot dead in Ilocos Sur while a municipal treasurer was killed in Ilocos Norte on the same day.

Another election officer was wounded along with two other companions when they were ambushed in Lanao del Norte.

The spate of killings prompted the PNP leadership to intensify the campaign against loose firearms, which are the ones used in killings, through the checkpoints being conducted over the implementation of the nationwide gun ban for the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 25.

Source: MB dot Com

Puno says Aquino asked him to stay

2010-10-06T00:03:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines—President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has asked beleaguered Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno "to continue" despite being embroiled in two major controversies.

Puno was not only implicated for his alleged involvement in illegal numbers game jueteng but he may also be held liable for his handling of the bungled August 23 hostage-taking that left eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage-taker, a dismissed police officer, dead.

To spare the President from these controversies, Puno had offered a courtesy resignation when Aquino was in the United States.

Asked if he had pursued it to the President, Puno said, "I was about to pero sinabihan ako ng Presidente to continue e (but I was told by the President to continue)."

"Hindi na nga ako nakapagsabi sa kanya e (In fact, I was not able to tell that to him)," he said when pressed by reporters after testifying at the Senate on the jueteng controversy.

Puno refused to comment, however, on the reported statement of the President that cases would be filed against him for the botched hostage rescue.

"Hindi ko pa nababasa. Wala pa namang nilalabas eh (I haven’t read it. There is no order yet)," he said, "I have to see it first, my lawyers have to see the final report."

Source: Inquirer

Aquino seeks dialogue with Catholic bishops

2010-10-03T21:12:00.000-07:00

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino is seeking a dialogue with Catholic bishops and other religious leaders on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill even as he stands firm on his position that Filipino couples must be free to choose the way to manage their families but must exercise responsible parenthood.

“The state has an obligation to educate all of its citizens as to their choices. The state was not empowered by any law to dictate upon any couple how they should plan their family,” Mr. Aquino told reporters in an ambush interview at the President Corazon C. Aquino High School in Baseco, Tondo where he distributed Philippine Health Insurance cards to residents.

Many Catholic bishops have criticized the decision of the government to distribute contraceptives and educate couples both on artificial and natural birth control methods.

Some Muslim religious leaders have also voiced opposition to a state-sanctioned family planning program stipulated in the RH bill. The issue came to a head when some influential bishops even threatened to call for civil disobedience to compel the President to soften his stand.

Mr. Aquino said that while he has not yet closely examined the new RH bill, “my stand has not changed” since the campaign.

But he said his and the bishops’ opposing views on family planning might only have been blown out of proportion. He disclosed he had met with a few bishops for a dialogue and would set another one with as many of them as possible.

“This issue is really inflammatory. But I suppose that if we are really looking for order and a so-called consensus by having the respective positions clarified, why shouldn’t we achieve that?” he said.

Mr. Aquino said that when he was still a lawmaker and also during the campaign, he had batted for changes in some of the provisions of the RH bill. He also stressed he was against abortion.

The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that while Mr. Aquino’s stand on the issue had angered some prelates, it had not given up on dialogue as a means to resolve the issue.

Mr. Aquino said the details of the proposed dialogue with the bishops were still being worked out.

Bill’s prospect bright

Despite the Catholic Church’s stand, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said he expects the RH bill to finally breeze through both chambers of Congress, considering the strong support it enjoys from Mr. Aquino and the House leadership.

“The support of President Aquino and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. ensures the early passage of the RH bill,” Lagman told reporters during the weekly Kapihan sa Sulo Hotel forum in Quezon City.

Lagman is the principal author of the re-filed version of House Bill 96 also known as the “Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2010.”

The House minority leader said Mr. Aquino’s firm stand on the RH bill would be one of the issues that they would consider in assessing his first 100 days in office.

“It (RH bill support) will mitigate the initial setback of the Aquino administration,” he said.

Lagman also appealed to the Catholic Church to focus on saving souls and leave the task of saving the lives of women and children in the country to the government.

He said that when the first version of the RH bill was filed in the 11th Congress in 1999, the population of the Philippines was only 75 million. The Philippines is now the 12th most populous country in the world with a population of 94.3 million. He said that in a decade, the country’s annual population growth has averaged two million.

“It must be underscored, however, that reproductive health goes beyond a demographic target because it is principally about the right to health and sustainable human development,” Lagman said.

He said the bill’s beneficiaries are the poorest of the poor, particularly women.

“The heart of the bill is freedom of informed choice. Neither the state nor the Church has the authority to compel the people or the faithful what family planning method to adopt. The choice belongs to parents, couples, particularly to women who have the inherent right over the their bodies,” Lagman said.

Condoms or incentives

Instead of giving condoms and contraceptives to married couples, why not give them incentives to plan small families?

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone made the suggestion yesterday to “reframe” the acrimonious debate on reproductive health and population control.

He said instead of enacting a law on population management and angering the Catholic Church, Congress could give incentives to parents with no more than four children.

“These could be in the form of an income tax discount or free education in a state college or university for some or all of the children,” he said.

“We could come up with a menu of other offers that could encourage couples to have small families. Anchoring an acceptable or middle-ground policy on population control based on incentives may not entirely please the bishops, but it is a good starting point, a fresh approach,” he said.

Earlier, Davao City Rep. Karlo Nograles said there is no need for a law on reproductive health to control the country’s population.

“Why do we have to legislate population management when in fact, even without it, our people have always been free to do what they think is best for their family? I think it’s best that we just leave it that way and let our people choose what they want,” he said.

“It’s not illegal to use condom so why waste time and people’s money just to make a law that encourages the use of condom? It doesn’t make sense,” he said.

He said such a law, if enacted, would only enrich manufacturers of condom and other contraceptives.

Nograles lamented that the reproductive health issue has unnecessarily involved not only Congress but the entire nation as well.

He called discussions in the House of Representatives on the RH bill a waste of time.

He said Belmonte himself, even if he is for reproductive health, is not sure about the result of any vote on the RH bill.

“He promised to have it discussed extensively and voted on, but that he would leave the matter to everyone’s conscience,” he added.

He warned RH bill proponents not to underestimate the power and influence of the Catholic Church in lobbying against the measure.

He noted that even though the majority of House members supported the bill in the last Congress, many of them wilted under pressure from Church leaders and Church-based organizations.

Nograles’ father, former Speaker Prospero Nograles, had tried but inexplicably failed to have the RH bill debated in the plenary.

In September last year, he even wrote a confidential memo to House leaders setting a timetable for plenary discussions and voting.

In the final debate, only three speakers on each side would be allowed, and then the voting. Nograles’ plan did not materialize.

Miriam’s appeal

Meanwhile, Sen. Miriam Santiago has appealed to CBCP president Bishop Nereo Odchimar to “discard excommunication as a response to reproductive health bills pending in Congress.”

“If I were to be excommunicated, I would be expelled from the Church, more particularly from the Eucharist. I would thus be placed in the same category as those guilty of so-called serious sins, such as apostasy, murder, heresy, and adultery,” Santiago said in a letter to Odchimar dated Oct.1.

Earlier, Odchimar was quoted in news reports as having threatened Mr. Aquino with excommunication for his “pro-choice” stand. The CBCP later clarified that it has never issued such a threat.

“I plead that I am not guilty of mortal sin, defined in our Church as a fundamental rejection of God, and the reorientation of one’s whole life away from all that is good and just. On the contrary, I am a strong advocate of social justice, particularly the anticorruption crusade,” Santiago said.

“May I respectfully submit that the penalty of excommunication for pro-RH (reproductive health) legislators, who are merely exercising the preferential option for the poor under liberation theology, would be too extreme and disproportionate. It will raise constitutional issues about church-state relationship,” she added.

She also said that she is “humbly but morally convinced that the arguments for contraception are superior.”

Source: PhilSTAR

US army mulls charges over brutal Afghan killings

2010-09-28T01:21:00.000-07:00

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, Washington (AFP) - – A US soldier who allegedly killed three Afghan civilians for fun was "not a monster" but a drug-addled victim naive about what he was saying, his lawyer has said.

The defense came as US army chiefs heard pre-trial testimony about the killings, which could prove an explosive case for the US military.

But the first day of hearings, which focused on Specialist Jeremy Morlock, one of a group of accused soldiers, stalled amid a decision by several witnesses and three of the accused to invoke their right to remain silent.

Authorities say five of the 12 troops on trial opened fire on Afghan civilians in unprovoked assaults over several months in southern Kandahar province, with the rest accused of dismembering bodies and removing bones.

Monday's hearing, opened by investigation leader Colonel Thomas Molloy, focused on Morlock of Wasilla, Alaska.

The 22-year-old, who appeared in court with bags under his eyes but looking younger than his years, faces charges of premeditated murder over the deaths of three Afghans killed between January and May this year.

Morlock is one of five soldiers charged with murder in the case; seven others are accused of trying to block the investigation. They also facing charges of using hashish and severely beating a comrade who blew the whistle.

In a potential wrinkle for the case, prosecutors said Monday that more than 10 key witnesses -- three of them accused soldiers -- had decided to invoke their right to refuse to testify.

As a result, Monday's session focused on testimony from officers who led the investigation last May and interrogated Morlock.

Special Agent Shannon Richey, testifying by telephone from Afghanistan, said Morlock admitted during questioning that he participated in several situations in which civilians were killed.

But Morlock's lawyer Michael Waddington argued that his young client was on medication during the questioning.

"Instead of treating him (Jeremy Morlock), they doped him up," he told reporters.

He said Morlock began taking the medication in November 2009.

"The prescription drugs were provided by the army. So he was under the influence of drugs throughout the whole story, until the day he got back here.

"He's a good kid, he's a young man, he's very impressionable, he's naive, he comes from a small town in Alaska, he is suggestible.

"He's not a monster, he's not a sociopath, he's not a psychopath."

The soldiers were deployed with Bravo Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, from the 2nd Infantry Division's Stryker brigade, at Forward Operating Base Ramrod.

The military hearing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, south of Tacoma in Washington state, will determine if there is enough evidence to proceed to trial, with more hearings due in coming weeks for the other soldiers.

The case could have explosive ramifications for the war effort as US-led forces try to win over local Afghans and counter Taliban insurgents in the pivotal Kandahar battlefield.

The charge sheets include macabre allegations of dismembering corpses, though authorities have not specified if the bones they say some men took were from the bodies of slain civilians.

US officials acknowledge they are concerned about the fallout from the case, which threatens to undermine efforts by the American military to secure the confidence of wary Afghans.

Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said earlier this month that the charges represented "an aberration" for an American force of nearly 100,000 in Afghanistan.

Source: Yahoo! News

Medvedev ends embattled Moscow mayor's 18 year rule

2010-09-28T01:17:00.001-07:00

MOSCOW (AFP) President Dmitry Medvedev on Tuesday fired Moscow's strongman mayor Yury Luzhkov, ending a controversial 18 year rule that saw the Russian capital boom but also attracted bitter criticism.

The firing of Luzhkov, one of Medvedev's boldest moves since coming to power in 2008, came after the mayor was lambasted by the Kremlin for his aloof handling of the wildfire crisis over the summer that blanketed Moscow in smog.

A decree, published on the Kremlin web site, ordered Luzhkov, 74, to be "dismissed from the position of Moscow mayor because he has lost the confidence of the Russian president."

The decree, which comes into force immediately and was published while Medvedev is on an official visit to China, appointed Luzhkov's deputy, Vladimir Resin, as acting mayor.

In a snub, Medvedev's spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said Tuesday that the president had no plans to meet Luzhkov. The Russian president has the power to fire the mayor of Moscow and all the other leaders of Russia's regions.

"There are two ways that a regional leader can leave his post before his term ends. He can leave voluntarily by announcing his resignation or with a harsher wording of loss of confidence," Timakova said.

"The mayor returned from holiday yesterday. Today the president signed a decree. You can draw your own conclusions from that," Timakova told reporters in Shanghai.

The Kremlin publicly criticised Luzhkov's decision to take a holiday during the August smog that engulfed the capital, and the mayor was targeted in a series of mud-raking documentaries shown on Russian television this month.

The mayor has long been dogged by corruption allegations over the business activities of his wife, construction billionaire Yelena Baturina, and has also been criticised by conservationists for destroying Moscow's historic centre.

Luzhkov's city hall controlled a vast budget of 32 billion dollars in 2009 as well as a property empire.

His dismissal came as the Kremlin seeks to freshen up the ranks of regional leaders, recently accepting the dismissals of a number of long-serving regional governors, who since 2005 have been appointed by the president.

Luzhkov on Monday had said in televised comments that he would not stand down as mayor voluntarily.

Luzhkov was appointed mayor by President Boris Yeltsin in 1992 and became popular with Muscovites for his beautification projects, which included rebuilding the Church of Christ the Saviour, blown up by the Bolsheviks.

He comfortably won mayoral elections before the post became a presidential appointment in 2005.

But the mayor also became a bete noire for the liberal opposition, sending in riot police to put down even small anti-government rallies and also notoriously describing gay rights rallies as satanic.

It remains to be seen how the move will be viewed by Medvedev's predecessor in the Kremlin and strongman Prime Minister Vladimir Putin who has been noticeably more restrained in his attitude to the Moscow mayor.

Luzhkov became Moscow mayor in 1992 at a time when Putin was still an obscure provincial official in Saint Petersburg and a complete unknown nationwide.

Source: Yahoo News

Aquino enjoyed meeting Filipinos, eating comfort food in US

2010-09-28T01:14:00.000-07:00

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's schedule in the United States was so packed that at one point he reportedly had 13 meetings in a day, but there were a few bright spots in his action-packed working visit.

Among them? American comfort food.

In a one-on-one interview with GMA News' Sandra Aguinaldo before he departed for Manila, Aquino said among the enjoyable parts of his week-long working visit was his interaction with the Filipino communities and American comfort food.

"It was 11 years ago since I last visited America... siyempre yung comfort food nasubukan ko ulit dito sihotdog, si hamburger, tsaka si pizza," he said.

Aquino and some other officials ate In-N-Out burgers at the holding area of the San Francisco International Airport upon their arrival in the US last week.

He had pizza a few times throughout the visit, and caused quite a stir on the streets of New York when he and his entourage had hotdog sandwiches from a corner stand.

Aquino and his delegation heard Mass at the Basilica Parish Church of Mission Dolores in San Francisco California Monday morning (Manila time) where he was joined by members of Filipino communities from Alaska, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Northern Nevada, Oregon, Utah, Washington State and Wyoming, according to the government's Official Gazette.

In his address after the Mass, Aquino told the Filipino communities that the government was able to secure billions of dollars' worth of investments for the Philippines.

"We came here to generate support from foreign leaders and entice investments, to create jobs for our people and to improve the business climate in the home country. We traveled here to carry forward every Filipino’s dream for a prosperous nation. And I am happy to share with you the news that we are returning home with very substantial commitments," said the president.

Aquino also met with the Filipino community in San Francisco.

The day before, Aquino attended a roundtable discussion with Filipino-American scientists and engineers and trustees of the Philippine Development Foundation USA. He also attended the Philippine Development Forum Gala to "honor outstanding achievers in the fields of Science and Engineering Education, and to celebrate Filipino-American talent," according to the Official Gazette.

Aquino and some members of his delegation arrived in Manila around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday. Aquino said in his arrival statement that more than 43,000 jobs for Filipinos will be generated in the next three years owing to the $2.4 billion in investment deals he and his delegation secured in the US. The Philippines was also granted $434 million by the Millennium Challenge Corporation for social welfare programs.

Source: GMA News

Philippines police kill 3 Islamist militants in south

2010-09-05T05:07:00.000-07:00

Another shame to Filipinos! I am not proud to be a Filipino for all of these, beginning with the hostage crisis last Aug 23, 2010. I am not sure if I will be leaving this country soon to escape from this shameful deeds of our Goverment.

I found this article in Google Search.

- Starts here! -

(Reuters) - Philippine police commandos killed three Islamist militants, including the brother of a top Muslim rebel leader, during a raid on a remote southern island, the head of national police said on Sunday.

Jesus Verzosa said police commandos stormed before dawn on Sunday the jungle lairs of al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf militants near Maimbung town on Jolo island, where Malaysian bomb-maker Zulkifli bin Hir, alias Marwan, was believed hiding.

"Our boys killed three Islamist militants during the raid, but, we're not sure whether the Malaysian Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader was in the area during the assault," Verzosa said, adding guns, munitions and important papers were seized in the hideout.

"I have placed all our forces in the south under full alert because we're anticipating retaliations from the local rebels. We're hardening the soft targets in the south."

The brother of Abu Sayyaf leader Gumbahali Jumdail, alias Abu Pula, was among those killed in the attack, Verzosa said. Jumdail and Marwan are among top Islamist militants in Southeast Asia wanted by the U.S. State Department.

The 300-member Abu Sayyaf group has been blamed for bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in the troubled south of the mainly Catholic state. Since 2002, U.S. troops have been helping train and advise Filipino troops fight Islamist militants in the south.

Source: Reuters

Outgoing PNP chief takes responsibility for hostage tragedy

2010-09-05T05:04:00.000-07:00

Outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa on Sunday took full responsibility for the bungled attempt to rescue the mostly Hong Kong nationals held hostage by a disgruntled former policeman in Manila last August 23.

He, however, maintained that the hostage tragedy, which left eight hostages dead and has caused tension between the Philippines and China, has nothing to do with his decision to seek an early retirement from the police force.

“My decision to render an early retirement has been announced more than a month ago. More than ever, it is imperative to take responsibility especially with regards to what has transpired in the past week," Verzosa said in a statement.

“In this regard, as chief of the National Police, I take responsibility and accountability of all the PNP units and all police personnel in everything they do and failed to do," he added.

Verzosa, who was supposed to retire on December 25, will step down on Sept. 15.

With Aquino's blessing

Malacañang, on the other hand, confirmed Verzosa’s claim that he sought early retirement even before former Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, who was dismissed from the PNP over a robbery-extortion case, hijacked a busload of tourists in Manila’s Rizal Park. Mendoza, who was demanding his reinstatement, was killed at the conclusion of the 11-hour hostage drama.

“Matagal nang ipinahiwatig ni General Verzosa ang kagustuhan nito kay Pangulong Aquino. Noon pang pagpasok ng administrasyon ng ating Pangulo. At ito ay tinanggap ng Pangulo at iyan ang dahilan kung bakit ipapatupad ang kanyang kagustuhan hinggil sa early retirement," said Presidential Communication Operations Office head Herminio Coloma in an interview by Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday.

(General Verzosa informed President Aquino about his plan for early retirement during the start of the new administration, and the President accepted it. What will happen now is just the manifestation of that plan.)

Aside from Verzosa, other members of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class of 1976 also sought for early retirement, Coloma said. These were PNP director for personnel and records management Abner Cabalquinto and PNP director for logistics Luizo Ticman, who are both set to retire in October.

Coloma said Verzosa told President Aquino early in his administration about his and his other classmates’ plan to seek early retirement to give the other PMA graduates in the PNP a chance to be promoted and head the police organization.

“Nililinaw natin, ito at matagal nang napagkasunduan bago pa man nagkaroon ng hostage crisis noong nakaraang lingo (So to clarify everything, Verzosa’s decision to seek early retirement has been agreed upon long before last week’s hostage crisis)," Coloma said.

No replacement yet

Coloma said President Aquino would name Verzosa’s successor soon.

“Iyun po ay ihahayag ng ating Pangulo sa takdang panahon. Hintayin na lang po natin ang paglalahad ng ating Pangulo (The President will name Verzosa’s successor at the right time. For the meantime, let’s just wait for our President’s announcement)," he said.

Among those vying for the post are Deputy Director General Raul Bacalzo, deputy director general for administration Perfecto Palad, and directorial staff head Benjamin Belarmini.

Moving on

Verzosa, in his statement, said the PNP will now undergo “a time of transition" and asked the public for support and cooperation.

“The PNP will now undergo a time of transition. The support and cooperation of every sector most especially the public is needed. It is now time to move forward and start anew," he said.

He assured the public that the PNP is “exercising all means in order to attain the effective resolution" of the hostage tragedy.

Source: GMA