Mario Maurer is willing to do a movie in the Philippines

Pumunta ang The Buzz sa Thailand nitong nakaraang linggo at pinalad makasilip sa isang clothing pictorial ng Thai teen heartthrob na si Mario Maurer.

Nagkaroon ng chance ang TV program na ma-interview ang binata na sikat na sikat ngayon sa bansa.

Minahal ng mga Pinoy si Mario dahil sa Thai movie na Crazy Little Thing Called Love at marami ang nahumaling sa dugong Chinese-German actor.

Dagdag pa niya, malaking oportunidad daw kung makagagawa siya ng pelikula sa bansa.

“I never expected I’d get famous in (the) Philippines nor in China or in Taiwan,” simula niya. Bukas din siya na makapareha ng isang Pinay actress.

Ang libangan daw niya ay pagkolekta ng mga vintage car models.

“And I collect many books about cars,” dagdag pa niya.

Sinabi pa niya na mayroon nga raw siyang maliit na model ng Philippine jeep at itinatago niya ito sa isang cabinet niya sa bahay.

Kapag may libreng oras, ang pinagkakaabalahan daw niya, “I usually go skate-boarding (or) go to the gym and lift weights with my friends.”

Meron din daw siyang simpleng pangarap.

“I just wanna build a house with a little bit of space and I want to make a garage and next to the garage I want to make a skateboard park. I want to wake up in the garage and walk a little bit and I have my skateboard park.”

Sa tipo naman niyang babae, paglalarawan ni Mario, “I like (a) sweet girl, kinda happy girl, funny girl. I like girls who dress up nice.”

Sinabi pa sa report ng The Buzz kahapon na pinaplano ngayon ng Star Cinema na kunin si Mario para makagawa ng movie sa bansa.

“If I have a chance to do a movie in the Philippines (it) would be very great,” anang aktor.

Sinabi rin ni Mario na bibisita siya sa bansa para sa endorsement ng isang clothing brand. (Bernie Franco, Push.com.ph)

Kim Chiu reveals she has new suitors

Sa report ng The Buzz ay inamin ng aktres na si Kim Chiu na may mga lalaking nanliligaw sa kanya, pero tumanggi ang dalaga na idetalye ito.

“Nahiya naman ako. Sasabihin ko nililigawan ako nito tapos hindi naman pala,” pagbibiro ng aktres na bida sa upcoming teleserye na My Binondo Girl.

Nang tanungin kung ano ang reaksyon niya sa mga bago niyang manliligaw, ang nahihiyang tugon ni Kim, “Andyan lang naman (sila) and thank you dahil wala lang... ganyan lang,” sabay tawa niya.

Samantala, sunod-sunod naman ang achievements na natatamo ni Kim. Natapos na ang dream house ng aktres na walang dudang mamahalin.

Bukod pa rito ay nakapagtapos na siya ng high school.

At isa na rin siya sa ikinokonsiderang top endorsers sa bansa ngayon.

Sinabi rin ni Kim na balak niyang ipagpatuloy ang kanyang pag-aaral.

Pero hindi pa niya alam kung kailan pero ang gusto raw niyang kurso ay may kinalaman sa business.

“ ‘Di ka naman forever nasa showbiz, nasa limelight. Gusto ko ‘yung pera ko may pinupuntahan, umiikot and kumikita.”

Masaya rin si Kim dahil pumunta pa sila ng Hong Kong para dun i-shoot ang ilang eksena ng kanyang upcoming teleserye.

First time kasi niyang magti-taping sa ibang bansa.

“Masaya and excited kasi bagong experience for me. Hindi naman lahat ng show ng ABS-CBN magsi-shoot sa ibang basa, so nagpapasalamat and thankful (na) nabigyan ako ng ganitong chance.” (Bernie Franco, Push.com.ph)

Shaina on alleged split with John Lloyd: ‘Maligaya kami so hindi na namin kailangan magsalita’

Despite their efforts to shrug-off rumors, issues still hound John Lloyd Cruz and Shaina Magdayao’s relationship.

There are new speculations that the couple got engaged and the actor’s proposal happened during their European vacation last month.

John Lloyd allegedly gave Shaina a ring.

“Hindi…hindi naman dapat itinatago kung binigyan ka. Pero hindi talaga,” Shaina denies.

But on the other hand, some reports say that John Lloyd and Shaina are not in good terms now.

“Alam ninyo kung lahat ng binibintang sa amin sasagutin namin---Para saan at para kanino? Alam namin totoo. Bayaan na lang natin dun sila masaya. Masaya silang namimintas so ibigay na natin kaligayhan nila. Maligaya kami so hindi na namin kailangan magsalita.”

Shaina went on by saying, “Kung hindi kami tinitira, hindi kami titibay ng ganito. Nagpapasalamat kami kasi isa sila sa mga trials namin.”

Meanwhile, Shaina tells Push.com.ph how proud she is that John Lloyd is hailed as the Most Beautiful Star of 2011 by a showbiz magazine.

“Agree naman ako dun. Oo naman. I’m very proud of him kasi siya ang kauna unahang lalaki natawag na most beautiful.” (Fionna Acaba, Push.com.ph)

Karylle hopes to have more projects outside the country

Dumating kamakailan sa bansa si Karylle after spending two months sa Singapore para mag-taping ng musical TV series na Kitchen Musical kung saan kasama niya si Christian Bautista.

Pero lilipad pabalik sa Singapore ang singer-actress sa Singapore ngayong araw, August 9, para ituloy ang taping until the end of September.

Hindi nga raw niya napapanood madalas ang mga episodes dahil sobrang demanding ng schedule para sa show pero nakakarinig siya ng magagandang feedback.

“Nakausap ko si Christian, sabi niya ang ganda, so sobrang na-excite (ako) tapos nawala ang lahat ng kaba ko. Kasi wala kaming idea kung ano ang hitsura ng finished product. Talagang secret nila hangga’t ‘di nila nalalagay lahat ng kanta, special effects or whatever,” kwento ni Karylle.

Nang matanong siya sa kung ano ang plano niya sa kanyang international career, sinabi ni Karylle na pagkatapos ng Kitchen Musical ay magiging open pa rin siya sa mga international offers.

“Itong show na ito hopefully after this magkaroon ng iba pang offers, kung sa theater naman, ‘pag dumating na lang kasi lagi namang may auditions, gaya nito nag-audition ako for this.”

Hindi rin siya nangangamba para sa kanyang career sa Pilipinas dahil sa tulong ng technology ay pwede pa rin daw siyang maging in touch with her fans.

“Actually everyone is interactive, everyone is on Twitter. Nagsusulat na lang ako, nagba-blog din ako once in a while. Gumagawa rin ako ng mga video ganyan.”

Best friends daw sila ni Christian sa TV show. Masaya rin niyang ibinalita na marunong nang sumayaw ngayon si Christian dahil required ito sa kanya.

“Isa na po siyang ganap na dancer. ‘Yung choreographer namin don is from Australia. Nung huli naming dance number talagang napatingin ako na dancer na talaga itong si Christian.” Araw-araw nga raw silang magkakasama doon.

Sa October daw ay ipapalabas ang pilot episode sa ABS-CBN at ang mga susunod na episodes naman ay ipapalabas sa Studio 23 at sa AXN cable channel.

Kung si Christian daw ay natutong sumayaw, ang kay Karylle naman, “Ngayon marunong na akong magluto. Dati pa-bake-bake lang ako nai-intimidate talaga akong magluto kasi di ba parang ang perfect ng cook sa mga TV parang konting ganyan lang, magic. Tapos ngayon ako kaya ko na rin magluto.” (Bernie Franco, Push.com.ph)

Empress admits she’s not ready to start dating yet

Empress said she is not in any hurry to get into a relationship despite reports trying to link her to her Guns and Roses co-star Ejay Falcon.

“Gentleman talaga siya and harmless. Okay naman siya sa mga ibang nakilala ko na nakasama ko at saka mga ibang friends ko. Si Ejay talaga may respeto siya sa mga babae. Tsaka minsan kapag tiningnan mo yung isang tao, maju-judge mo na siya kahit hindi mo siya kilala. Pero si Ejay pag nakilala mo talaga siya, kahit sandaling panahon pa lang, makukuha mo na kagad yung personality niya which is gentleman siya, may respeto siya sa mga babae at sa mga tao. Magalang naman siya so okay naman. Pinupuri nga siya ni mama kasi mabait naman daw siya,” she said.

Empress also admitted she finds it hard to believe rumors that her co-star is a playboy.

“Mukang hindi ko naman nakikita na babaero siya. Siguro pag-extend yung Guns and Roses makikita ko na babaero siya (laughs),” she joked.

The 18-year-old actress said that even though her parents accompany her to tapings for Guns and Roses, she does not consider them to be super strict with her.

Empress said Ejay already understands this about her.

“Hindi naman po kasi siyempre kung nanay ka tapos babae yung anak mo, siguro ganun din naman yung mararamdaman mo na lalo na artista laging wala tapos madaming nakakasama, nakakatakot talaga. So naintindihan ko naman yung pati si Tita Becky (Aguila, her co-manager) strikto talaga dahil sa mga nangyayari sa showbiz ngayon. Kaya naintindihan ko naman yun kaya siyempre sa sarili ko, gusto ko din alagaaan yung sarili ko na huwag muna talaga. Habang wala pa, wag munang ipilit. Malinaw naman yun, bago pa naman kami magkasama, malinaw na kay Ejay yun. Klaro na sa kanya yun,” she stressed.

The former Rosalka star also admitted that she knows she is not ready to start dating yet.

“Hindi pa rin ako ready talaga. At saka never pa ako nagsabi kay mama na parang may date ako ngayon or kaya may dalaw. So nahihiya ako magpaalam or magsabi. Hindi ko kasi alam kung ano yung reaction nila. Tsaka hindi rin ako kumportable kung kami lang. kasi kami ni mama, parang open kami, pero pagdating sa mga ganyang bagay, parang nahihiya talaga ako. So hindi ko alam kung paano ko gagawin. Okay lang kasi hindi ko naman focus yun at saka wala namang pagkakataon para mag-focus dun. Alam ata ng lahat ng Star Magic na strikto sila mama so bago pa nila ako i-text, alam talaga nila na parang, ‘Uy ‘wag mong ligawan yan kasi strikto yung parents nyan,’ parang ganyan. So may nagtra-try naman talaga, tinatanong nila kung totoo, sinasabi ko naman na oo totoo yun. So natatakot sila kagad (laughs). In fairness naman kasi kay Ejay, kilala na siya ni mama eh. So mas maganda talaga kung friends muna. Siguro gusto nila yung kilala talaga nila,” she said.

Empress said it’s still too soon to tell how she would react if Ejay decides to court her, but she admitted she enjoys his company while their on the set.

“Tingnan muna natin. Patagalin pa muna natin kasi parang ang ikli pa lang ng panahon eh. Siyempre dahan-dahan muna. Siguro mas maganda dahan-dahan muna kasi sayang naman yung hinintay kong ilang taon kung go lang ng go di ba? Sa kung nagpaparamdam man siya, di ba multo lang nagpaparamdam? (laughs). Hindi kasi kapag yung mga girls ang tinanong mo kung nagpaparamdam na ba yung lalake, hindi mo alam kaya dapat yung lalake yung magsasabi,” she said.

The talented young actress said there is a lot to look forward to in their scenes in Guns and Roses in the coming weeks.

“Medyo masungit talaga siya so medyo nagsusungit na rin ako pero yung mga ginagawa naming ngayon, tine-taping namin ngayon, makikita nila yung mga malaking mga pagbabago sa aming dalawa so more kilig factor yun para sa mga manunuod,” she added. (Rhea Manila Santos, Push.com.ph)

Kathryn Bernardo doesn't mind being compared to Julia Montes

After being catapulted to star status by their hit teleserye Mara Clara, Kathryn Bernardo and Julia Montes will clash once again, this time on the big screen via Star Cinema’s upcoming offering Way Back Home.

Those who got hooked on the rivalry between Kathryn and Julia’s characters in their TV series are in for a new treat in Way Back Home.

Kathryn shared, “Iba po itong movie, hindi tulad ng Mara Clara na maraming sampalan and sabunutan. Walang masyadong sakitan, more on the dialogue.”

Kathryn confessed that she is feeling the pressure to follow up the success of Mara Clara by making their launching movie a box office hit.

“Nararamdaman talaga namin ‘yung kaba kasi iba na ang pelikula. Sa TV isang click lang makakapanood na ang mga tao. Pero sa movie kailangan nang magbayad. Iba rin ang acting sa movie kaya mas challenging.”

In the movie, Kathryn will play Joanna who after years of living with amnesia comes home to her real family.

But the lost time has alienated Joanna from everyone, most especially to her elder sister Jessica, played by Julia.

Kathryn explained that she doesn’t mind being typecast playing goodie-oppressed roles on screen.

“Hindi ako natatakot na ma-typecast na api-apihan lagi. Pero sana mabigyan din ako ng chance na gumawa ng bago para maiba naman. Nasa management po ‘yun kung anong roles ang bagay sa akin.”

For her impressive acting talent, Kathryn is now being tagged as Judy Ann Santos’s successor.

But the teen actress said she prefers establishing her own name in the industry.

“Sobrang thankful kasi sobrang laking artista ni Ms. Juday. Malaking compliment na maikumpara sa kanya. Pero sabi na sa akin ni Ate Juday noon na ayaw naman niyang pati ‘yung pag-arte niya e gayahin ko. Gusto niya gumawa ako ng sarili kong name. Kaya ngayon happy siya sa nagiging takbo ng career ko.”

Both Kathryn and Julia are predicted to be on their way to superstardom.

That’s why aside from playing rivals onscreen, they are also being pitted against each other as to who is more talented and popular.

However, Kathryn said that despite the intrigues, she and Julia remain good friends.

“Hindi talaga maiiwasan ang comparison sa artista lalo na sa aming dalawa ni Julia. Pero alam namin pareho na hindi kami dapat magpaapekto. For as long as alam naming dalawa kung ano ang totoo friends pa rin kami. Kapag work, work lang. Wala namang personalan sa amin ni Julia. Effective si Julia kapag eksena kaya makaka-react ka talaga nang tama.” (Napoleon Quintos, Push.com.ph)

Facebook ban spurs picket at Ateneo de Davao

Students and some faculty members picketed the Ateneo de Davao University last week in protest of the restrictions imposed on them in going online on social networking site Facebook within campus.

Students complained that they were required to pay more than P1,300 as “information technology fee" each semester.

But the administration of Ateneo de Davao clarified that Facebook is “not totally banned" in their university, but rather the restrictions prohibit students from going to the popular site from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. only.

School officials said that the sheer number of people who go on Facebook on campus heavily overburdens the university’s internet service bandwidth, such that it negatively impacts on the university’s other online services.

“Most of our books are not really physically in the library. It’s online, they [students] can read these books while they are inside the campus," Assistant to the President of Ateneo de Davao University Jeremy Eliab told GMA News.

“Now, if Facebook is eating the bandwidth, it’s impossible to download the whole book," he explained.

“We want our personnel to focus more on – not on social networking – but on their necessary work, basically educational work," he added.

Eliab also said the ban was also a disciplinary measure to prohibit students from accessing Facebook during their classes.


Faculty statements

After the official announcement of the ban, an open letter was issued stating: “The College Faculty Union of Ateneo de Davao University (CFU) vehemently protests the blocking of social networking sites such as Facebook and Friendster, including other sites. The blocking is initiated by the Technical Service Office (TSO) of the university, as the internet site claims to be [sic]. This infringes on the freedom of information and of expression which requires thorough discussion beforehand to determine what constitutes a violation or not. The CFU will file grievance as initial and LEGAL response directed to the head of TSO."

On his blog, Ateneo de Davao professor Dominique Cimafranca noted that the picketers held up placards with Facebook’s blue-and-white “f" logo and the statement “Stop Facebook Ban."

“They do know what an ‘F’ means academically, right?" he wrote wryly that he had quipped to his fellow faculty member.

Also last week, another university in Mindanao, state-run University of Southern Mindanao prohibited school personnel from going on Facebook, Twitter, and other social networking sites during office hours. (report from Marlon Anthony Tonson/VS, GMA News)

DepEd opposes Ateneo de Davao Facebook ban

The Department of Education (DepEd) opposes the partial ban on Facebook in Ateneo de Davao University, the morning newscast “Dobol B sa News TV" reported Tuesday.

DepEd communications head Kenneth Tirado said that the school should instead teach students to use social networking sites like Facebook responsibly, according to the newscast. A good alternative would be the prohibition of the use of social networking sites while in class, Tirado reportedly added.

Last week, some students and faculty members of the Ateneo de Davao staged a picket to protest the Facebook restriction, considering that students were required to pay over P1,300 as “information technology fee" each semester.

But the Ateneo de Davao administration clarified that Facebook is “not totally banned" in the university as the restriction only covers 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In an interview aired on GMA News’ “Saksi" newscast Monday, Ateneo de Davao assistant to the president Jeremy Eliab explained that Facebook eats into the bandwidth of the university’s Internet connection, making it difficult to use some online services.

“Most of our books are not really physically in the library. It’s online. They can read these books while they are inside the campus. Now if Facebook is eating the bandwith, it’s impossible to download the whole book," Eliab said.

“We want our personnel to focus more on not on social networking, but on their necessary work, basically educational work," he added. (report from Paterno Esmaquel II/TJD, GMA News)

ABS-CBN News: Davao City flash floods kill 15

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (UPDATE) - Heavy rains caused flash floods in parts of Davao City Tuesday night, killing 15 people and affecting more than 25,000 residents.

A report from ABS-CBN Regional Network Group said 7 of the 15 fatalities were children. Majority of the victims lived near the Matina Pangi River.

Davao Mayor Sara Duterte said the flash floods struck 4 barangays after a heavy downpour caused the Matina Pangi River to overflow Tuesday night.

"This is not the first time that the river has overflowed but it is the first time that it overflowed in all 4 areas at medyo mataas yung tubig. It's more than 10 meters in some parts and in some, up to 20 meters.

Completely submerged yung ibang lugar. Yung iba inabot ang second floor," she told ANC's "Headstart."

An ABS-CBN report said some residents in Matina Crossing climbed trees or stayed on the roofs of their houses to escape the raging flood.

The mayor has canceled classes in the affected barangays. The four affected villages are Matina Crossing, Balusong, NHA and Matina Pangi.

Members of the 911 Urban Search and Rescue Unit used 3 rubber boats to rescue residents trapped in their homes. Elements of the Regional Public Safety Batallion, Philippine Air Force and Coast Guard also helped in the rescue operations.

The local government has designated the Central Park Gym in Bangkal and GSIS gym in Matina as temporary evacuation shelters.

Duterte said she will convene the city council for a special session Wednesday morning if they will declare state of emergency for the 4 baranagays hit by flash floods.

"The water is already gone. Mabilis umakyat at mabilis din dumaba. Overflowing river siya pero sobra hindi ko ma-describe. It was 3 hours of heavy rain," she said.

Science and Technology Undersecretary Graciano Yumul said an isolated thunderstorm caused the heavy downpour.

"What happened is that 8mm of rain fell for a 2-hour duration so that is classified as heavy. It was an isolated thunderstorm embeeded in the Intertropical covergence zone...Isolated thunderstorm biglang bumubuhos at biglang nawawala," he said. (report from Francis Magbanua, ABS-CBN Davao)

ABS-CBN News: 2 dead, 12 hurt in Davao City accident

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - Two people, including a toddler, died while 12 others were injured when a truck rammed 3 vehicles in Matina, Davao City on Tuesday afternoon, police said.

The fatalities were identified as 3-year-old Antoine Francisco and Imee Belardo.

Francisco was on board the taxi cab while Belardo was a passenger of a multicab. The toddler's mother, Glocie Francisco, was injured.

The truck also hit a bus, according to investigators.

The other injured victims were identified as Jonamae Anojado, Carmia Aninon, Rene Avellana, Roel Hermoginez, Eric Ramona, Irene Tatad, Lanie Bustamante, Jennilyn Palmero, Ronald Brion, and Eduardo Perez.

They have been brought to nearby hospitals.

An initial investigation said Henry Bengil was driving the truck coming from the high portion of Shrine Hills when the vehicle's brakes reportedly failed.

The vehicle first hit a taxi before heading straight into a car wash shop.

Police are now preparing criminal charges against the truck driver. (report from Hernel Tocmo, ABS-CBN News Southern Mindanao)

GMA News: Flash floods hit Davao City; 4 confirmed dead

(Updated 9 a.m.) At least four people were confirmed dead in the wake of flash floods that hit Davao City following a three-hour downpour since late Tuesday night.

Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte also said at least three children remain missing, even as the city mulls declaring a state of calamity on four affected villages.

"Yung official count namin nasa punerarya is apat na dead bodies... Nalunod ang mga bata. meron kaming anim na missing bata, tatlo ang na-recover, and lahat sila nalunod, nadala ng tubig baha," she said in an interview on dzBB radio.

On the other hand, she said at least 40 families have lost their homes to the floods.

She also said the local Department of Public Works and Highways had recommended that a bridge near the highway be opened only to motorcycles.

"Recommendation ng DPWH, hindi na padaanan ng sassakyan. Motor na lang pwede. Nag-divert kami ng traffic ngayon (The DPWH recommended that vehicles not be allowed to pass through the bridge, and that only motorcycles can cross it. We are diverting traffic along the bridge now)," she said.

The mayor added she had called special session of the city council for Wednesday afternoon to assess the damage caused by the flood.

She said the city council expects to decide by Wednesday afternoon whether to declare a state of calamity in the four affected villages.

Earlier, Duterte said the affected villages include Matina Pangi, Matina Crossing, Matina Aplaya, and Talomo village.

As of 9 a.m., Duterte said the weather had cleared, and is very sunny. She added the floods had mostly subsided.

"Nag-call off kami ng search-and-rescue sa apektado ng baha dahil bumaba ang tubig at ang iba bumalik sa bahay except those nawalan ng bahay dahil sa tubig baha. Ang nawalan ng bahay estimated 40 families as of this hour," she said.

Raul Tolibas of radio dzBB's Davao affiliate, a resident of the city, said the floods hit the National Housing Authority (NHA) Subdivision, Bangkal, and Flores Villages.

"Ang tubig 8 feet ang lalim (Floods reached eight feet in some areas)," he said.

"Rescuers did not allow us to get near the flooded areas. The floods also left vehicles to be stranded along the highway there," he added.


Cause of floods

The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said an inter-tropical convergence zone was behind the floods that hit Davao.

"Dala ito ng [intertropical convergence zone] ITCZ na nakakaapekto sa Mindanao," PAGASA forecaster Rene Pamil said on dzBB radio.

PAGASA's 5 a.m. bulletin had also warned of flash floods and landslides in parts of Mindanao.

"Mindanao will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms becoming cloudy with widespread rain over Northern and Eastern Mindanao which may aggravate flashfloods and landslides," it said.

The rest of the country will be partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms mostly in the afternoon or evening. (report from LBG/GMA News)

Commotion as Sandara Park, 2NE1 arrive in Manila

MANILA, Philippines - A slight commotion greeted K-pop sensation 2NE1, including former teen idol Sandara Park, when they arrived at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila Friday.

Airport reporters were incensed after they were shoved and jostled by security personnel protecting the K-pop group. A woman, allegedly a live production staff of PULP, even flipped the bird on reporters while a Korean man threatened one reporter that he would be fired.

The group arrived Friday onboard an Asiana Airlines flight OZ701 from South Korea.

2NE1 will perform at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, June 4. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Kim Chiu does her first international magazine pictorial in Hollywood

Last March, Kim Chiu flew to Los Angeles, California in a whirlwind schedule which included performing in the Star Magic show tour and to do the cover shoot for Metro magazine’s Big Style issue out this month.

Except for a temporary scare when Kim lost her wallet at the airport, the pictorial went on as scheduled, full steam ahead.

The 21 year-old flew to the US a few days ahead of her fellow celebrities to join the Metro team in one of their grandest photo shoots ever.

The cover pictorial, which took six months in the making, also included Hollywood heartthrob Matt Lanter, who is part of the cast of the hit TV series 90210, which is shown through Metro’s partner cable channel, Velvet.

Although this was not her first time to grace a Metro cover, Kim admitted it was definitely an unforgettable experience to do the shoot with a foreign actor.

“I was in awe. First of all, I was thrilled that I’ll be doing a photo shoot in the U.S. I felt privileged when I found out that I’d be doing this with Matt Lanter,” she told Metro magazine.

The statuesque chinita, who wore clothes shipped in from Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore, and New York, was up bright and early for the 7 am calltime for the shoot held at locations like Hollywood Boulevard and The W Hollywood Hotel.

Despite battling jetlag, the pretty actress had instant rapport with Matt, which showed through their photos.

Despite being constantly dressed by some of the country’s top designers, Kim admitted it took awhile for her taste in fashion to evolve to what it is now.

“I still don’t consider myself fashionable, it’s a work in progress. There are many talented Filipino designers. I feel honored every time I get to wear their creations,” she said in Metro’s cover story entitled L.A. Confidential.

Currently busy taping for her upcoming new series Binondo Girl, Kim is looking forward to moving on from the intrigues and issues hounding her personal and professional life, mostly due to the fact that her love team with Gerald Anderson is on indefinite hiatus.

“I just pray and acknowledge that everything I have and don’t have is a gift from God,” she said in Metro.

To read more about Kim and Matt’s Hollywood encounter as well as the hottest news in fashion lifestyle, get your copy of the June issue of Metro magazine’s Big Style issue, available at all leading bookstores nationwide.

This month’s issue also features the hottest new restaurants, bars and books, and gadgets. Metro magazine is published monthly by ABS-CBN Publishing. (report from Rhea Manila Santos/Push.com.ph)

Christian Bautista admits he feels pressure to deliver a good performance in 'The Kitchen Musical'

After being cast as Daniel, the budding cook on the first ever pan-Asian television musical drama series The Kitchen Musical, Christian Bautista will be joining the rest of the Pinoy cast, which includes Karylle, Thou Reyes, and Ikay Canoy of Akafellas, in Singapore for four months where they will be subject to an intensive boot camp with the rest of the production.

Auditions for the original series, which took place last year, was a cutthroat competition of the country’s best musical talents.

Unfortunately, Christian was not able to participate in the initial screening.

“Ang ginawa nung production group na ito, called The Group from Singapore ay binuo muna nila yung show bago nila binenta. So gumawa sila ng pilot, so yung pilot na yun may isang buong storya tapos nung nagustuhan na nung ibang mga companies, saka sila nag-final casting. Nung gusto nila ako i-interview for the role, nasa Indonesia ako kaya natuwa naman ako nung ipinasok na lang nila ako. I’m just very happy that I got a call from them saying they were looking for me. It’s an honor naman. Kasi daw, meron na akong presence sa Southeast Asia. Kilala na ko,” he shared during the presscon for The Kitchen Musical held last May 30 at D’Ace Plaza in Pasig City.

The 29-year-old singer, who has already gained popularity in other Southeast Asian countries like Indonesia, Singapore, and Malaysia, admitted that foregoing the audition process actually put a bigger pressure on him instead of making things seem easier.

“I’m very happy and very excited. Pressured din. Nakakatakot talaga. Kasi kailangan galingan ko eh, hindi na puwede yung dadaya-dayain mo yung galing mo. Kung sasayaw ka, kailangan itodo mo yung sayaw mo so I’m excited also kasi matututo ako magluto, matututuo ako sumayaw. Malay niyo pagbalik ko na dito marunong na ako talaga ‘di ba? Hindi nila ako in-audition so kelangan mag-deliver talaga ako,” he said.

Christian, who was out of the country for two months last year to film a movie in Indonesia, said that his stint on The Kitchen Musical will be the longest he’s ever been away from the country.

He will be flying to Singapore this Sunday after his last appearance on ASAP until October.

“Ngayon lang ako mabibigyan ng experience na kahit mawala ako ng konti, after ng four months ay mapapakita ko naman sa madaming bansa so it’s a good investment. Okay siya na opportunity,” he admitted.

Christian also brushed off speculation that his extended absence might affect his popularity in the country.

“Meron din akong takot na ganyan. Yung perspective ko ngayon nag-iiba-iba na eh. Parang I’ve been wanting to do soap operas and movies here or a teleserye, something like that and wala pa, hindi pa dumadating and then here comes again a project from the regional scene,” he shared.

Christian credits his manager from Stages, Carlo Orosa, for helping him get to where he is today.

“Pero kami ni Carlo, iniisip namin na ganito pala ung resulta ng lahat ng sakripisyo na ginagawa naming effort outside the country, dahil lagi kaming wala, doing stuff sa Indonesia, doing this sa Thailand, parang hindi naman masyado nagre-reflect sa Philippines, parang mas nakikilala pa ako sa ibang bansa. And then this comes and then ipapalabas pa sa Studio 23 pa. It’s like an answered prayer,” he explained.

The singer-actor shared that his fans should expect to see a more diversified Christian Bautista in The Kitchen Musical, especially since there are a lot of exciting dance sequences required from all the cast members.

“Hopefully pagbalik ko, mas marunong na ako sumayaw at magluto (laughs). Mga pop songs rin kakantahin namin dito, parang Glee rin na mga remake. Hindi ako producer pero I believe na yes it was inspired by that show, but ito all Asian cast and crew,” he said.

Christian also sent out a message for his fans who will miss him in the local scene, saying they can always keep in touch with him through social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook.

“I trust my fans and I believe in my fans. I love my fans na talagang susuportahan nila ako kahit saan, wherever I am and I’m very thankful and I love them,” he said. (report from Rhea Manila Santos/Push.com.ph)

Mark Gil gives his side on the Andie Eigenmann-Albie Casiño controversy

Hindi pa rin natatapos ang issue sa pagitan nina Andi Eigenmann at Albie Casino.

Kung kamakailan ay nagbigay ng official statement ang ina ni Andi na si Jaclyn Jose tungkol sa alitan ng dalawa, ngayon ay naglabas na rin ng saloobin ang ama ni Andi na si Mark Gil dahil sa nasabing gulo.

Nasasaksihan daw ni Mark ang mga pinagdadaanan ni Andi ngayon.

“She would talk to my wife more than me. Kasi I always keep that respect. Walang detalye pero totoo nga raw. Pero hindi ako galit or anything pero siyempre masama ang loob ko dahil tatay ako eh, anak ko yun, umiyak siya oo,” seryosong kuwento ni Mark.

Sobrang naapektuhan si Mark sa mga naging post ni Albie sa social networking site na Formspring.

“Ang facts ko lang yung Formspring, doon ako nabo-bother, huwag na, 24/7 everyday that’s enough. That’s not a man’s thing, men don’t do that. I hope a friend would tell him. Don’t talk anymore kasi tapos na, may sugat na, pinapalalim mo pa, dinidiin mo pa. you’re not only hurting one person, you’re hurting one family,” emosyonal pang pahayag ng aktor.

Umaasa naman daw si Mark na maaayos din ang gusot sa pagitan nina Andi at Albie.

Sana ay humarap din daw sa pamilya ni Andi ang binata.

“It’s not my issue but I believe it will die down eventually, pero sana tama na comments. Then personally since we know each other, nayakap na kita, tinanggap ka na namin. You’ve been to my house, Tita Cherry (Albie’s mom), hey it would be nice to have an apology,” pakiusap pa ni Mark kay Albie. (report from James Cantos/Push.com.ph)

PNP forms TF Apoyon

The top leadership of the Philippine National Police has ordered the creation of Task Force Apoyon to probe the circumstances behind the death of veteran Davao newsman Satur P. Apoyon.

The PNP said it will proceed with the investigations despite lack of interest on the part of the Apoyon family.

The police said it is under obligation to do the fact-finding, or file charges when appropriate, because the victim is a newsman.

Newsmen deaths have become a priority for government following international criticism of unsolved murders victimizing media men in the Philippines.

Chief Superintendent Jaime Morente, director of the Police Regional Office 11, earlier ordered the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) and the Governor Generoso Municipal Police Station to conduct a backtrack investigation to determine the circumstances behind the death of the former bureau chief of the Philippines News Agency (PNA) Davao.

Morente said the report of the medico-legal officer of Governor Generoso hinted foul play behind the death of Apoyon, 75, due to the stab wound on his right abdomen.

The wife of Apoyon, meanwhile, said she was not inclined to believe the foul play theory.

Annie Apoyon told a GMA News interview that the wound could had been sustained when her husband fell to the sea and carried by waves to Davao Oriental.

Insp. Emmanuel Caquilala, Governor Generoso chief of police, said Apoyon was found by fishermen at mid-sea about seven to 10 miles at the boundary of Malita, Davao del Sur and Governor Generoso, Davao Oriental. He was hooked by “payao,” a fish aggregating device made as temporary shelter for fish in the area.

Caquilala said Apoyon’s bloated body was seen around 10 a.m. Tuesday and they were able to bring him to Governor Generoso at 6 p.m. He theorized that he was already dead three or four days.

Morente said the police have to determine the actual cause and time of death and the person or persons behind the incident to give justice to the Apoyons. “An investigation must be pursued,” Morente said.

Senior Superintendent Rene Aspera, director of the DCPO, affirmed the conduct of a backtrack investigation and revealed that his investigators are already coordinating with Satur's family.

He said their earlier investigation revealed that Satur was last seen by a colleague walking aimlessly in one mall along J.P. Laurel Avenue at around 6:00 p.m. on May 19.

Aspera said Satur was also seen in Matina, kilometers away from his residence at 71 Opal Street, Bangkal, Davao City at around 2 p.m. on the same day.

“We theorize that he took a ride in one of the vans which took him to Davao Oriental. But we are still pursuing the investigation to shed light on the cause of his death,” Aspera said. (with PNA)

Duterte won’t forgive clerk for stealing P2.3-million

There is no plan to forgive, Davao City Vice Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said of his jailed secretary who stands accused of stealing from him P2.3-million.

Speaking with local reporters, Duterte said he valued the services rendered to him by his long-time secretary, 40-year old Hezelene S. Osiones, "but the amount is significant."

Duterte corrected earlier reports that the P2.3-million was only for his charity fund to help cancer patients. He said most of the money were intended to pay lawyers handling the election protest filed against his daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

Elements of the San Pedro police station arrested Osiones, at Jollibee store in Dipolog City on May 26 where she supposedly tried to hide after taking the P2.3-million cash from Duterte's vault in the office.

She was charged with qualified theft after Prosecutor Shahruddin Roberto Sencio Jr. found probable cause to hold her for court trial based on the affidavit executed by the vice mayor. No bail was recommended for the respondent's temporary liberty. It was learned that Osiones was among Duterte's trusted employees at the City Hall for the past nine years.

In March and May, this year, Duterte reportedly handed to his executive assistant, Christopher Go, P500,000 and P1,500,000 to pay for attorney's fees and other legal expenses in relation to the election protest filed and various cases filed against him before the Office of the Ombudsman and Sandiganbayan.

On March 11, Duterte also handed to Go P31,932 for cancer patients. Due to other administrative works, Go turned over the money worth P2,031,932 to Osiones for safekeeping.

Last May 25, Duterte instructed Go to get P500,000 from the vault inside his office and send it to Manila-based lawyers as payment for their legal services.

But when Go opened the vault, he found out that the money was missing. Witnesses testified that Osiones did not report for work on that day. (report from Mindanao Insider Daily)

Phivolcs: Magnitude-4.1 quake rocks Ilocos Norte

A magnitude-4.1 quake rocked parts of Ilocos Norte in northern Philippines before dawn Friday, even as state seismologists said no damage was expected.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quake was recorded at 5:37 a.m. and was tectonic in origin.

In its bulletin, Phivolcs said the epicenter of the quake was traced to 53 km northwest of Burgos town in Ilocos Norte.

However, Phivolcs did not immediately cite specific areas where the quake was felt.

No aftershocks were expected from the quake, it added. (report from RSJ/GMA News)

Royal wedding eve: Crowds swell outside the abbey

With just hours to go before his wedding to Kate Middleton, dedicated royal watchers camped outside got an unexpected surprise - a visit from Prince William.

The 28-year-old groom-to-be emerged from his residence Thursday night to greet the hordes of well-wishers gathered along the processional route. Dressed in khakis and grinning broadly, William shook countless hands as his photo was snapped on cell phones and digital cameras.

The visit lent further excitement to the carnival atmosphere near the abbey, where hours earlier 29-year-old Kate had a final run-through with William's best man, Prince Harry.

A throng of curious tourists, dedicated monarchists, souvenir vendors, William-watchers and Harry-hunters have turned the Union Jack-bedecked streets into a scene of festive chaos.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime thing. Not many kings-to-be are going to be married anytime soon," said 26-year-old Sarah White, camped out with her sister, Liz. "Everyone's making friends and is in good spirits - or at least will be until tomorrow." (report from Jill Lawless/Associated Press)

Militant tribes stage rally against Quiboloy

Militant tribal groups are seeking the intervention of the Davao City government and have urged the City Council to conduct a probe on the reported violations of their rights in Sitio Kahusayan in Barangay Manuel Guianga, Tugbok District.

To press their case, the tribal groups staged rallies in front of the church led by Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy Sunday and near City Hall last week.

Security men at the Kingdom of Jesus Christ compound of Pastor Quiboloy, according to ABS-CBN News Davao reports, pleaded to the rallyists to disperse to no avail.

The Pastor, a “spiritual adviser” of the ruling Duterte family, has yet to issue his official statement on the claims of the rallyists.

In a press conference before Holy Week, the Kahugpongan sa mga Lumad (KSL) together with PASAKA Regional Confederation of Lumad Organizations in Southern Mindanao condemned "latest threats and harassment by forces" which they alleged were identified with the Pastor. These forces were supposedly backed by military soldiers under 84th Infantry Battalion.

The tribal leaders are claiming the religious leader ordered a road construction in the area, and just a day after 3 backhoe units were brought in the area, 84th IB soldiers also begun their patrol operations.

The road is allegedly in pursuit the Pastor's supposed desire to expand his prayer mountain and tourism project in Kahusayan village and even other villages in Barangay Manuel Guianga.

“We believe that the recent deployment of 84th IB elements prove how influential Quiboloy is in using for his vested interests the armed forces to secure his territorial expansion,” said the activist tribal groups.

The tribal groups claimed their ancestral lands were affected by the road-building.

“The land where Datu Dominador Diarog’s blood was spilled is the same land now being bulldozed,” said said Diolito Diarog, a Kahusayan leader and the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General.

Datu Dominador Diarog was killed three years ago over alleged land dispute. Pastor Quiboloy has denied any hand in the murder.

In the still unresolved murder case, armed men encircled and opened fire at the house of the Diarog family, killing in the process Datu Dominador aside from wounding his wife and two children.

The City Council conducted an investigation a few years ago on the reported land dispute case being the motive behind the killing of Diarog. Subsequent City Council resolutions ordered a status quo of “fences” around affected areas until lands had been surveyed.

But still, according to the tribal groups, the fences were moved and even built stronger by Quiboloy’s men.

“Despite this recent attacks on our human rights, we will never give up our struggle in regaining and defending our ancestral lands that our ancestors and Datu Doming Diarog fought and died for, it has been 3 years now since his death but we continue to call for justice for Datu Doming Diarog and respect the rights of the lumads,” said the PASAKA Deputy Secretary General. (report from Mindanao Insider)

EC: Border row might affect elections

The violent border conflict between Thailand and Cambodia might affect the approaching general election, Election Commission member Sodsri Sattayatham said on Monday.

Mrs Sodsri said more troops and security units would have to be deployed to the disputed border area when they should be used elsewhere to help oversee the election process.

She called on the government to quickly end the border row before the election is held.

The EC will meet the different political parties on May 2 to discuss regulations regarding election campaigning, she said.

Mrs Sodsri said the commission will consider the role of politicians who are still banned from politics, as some of them still have direct or indirect political influence. (report from Bangkok Post)

Pokwang joining 'Happy Yipee Yehey?'

MANILA, Philippines - Comedienne Pokwang, who hosted the defunct shows "Wowowee" and "Pilipinas Win na Win," said she misses hosting an afternoon program.

She made the statement during her recent appearance on ABS-CBN's newest noontime show "Happy Yipee Yehey" to promote her movie, "Pak! Pak! My Dr. Kwak" by Star Cinema and M-Zet Films.

"Na-miss ko ito," she said.

John Estrada, one of the hosts of "Happy Yipee Yehey," asked Pokwang if she would consider being part of their show.

"Kung pagbibigyan ka ba na makasama namin, papayag ka ba?," he said during the show on Monday last week. Pokwang then proceeded to do her usual comic act instead of giving a straightforward response.

"May malaki kaming sorpresang ibibigay sa inyo pagkatapos ng linggong ito," Estrada told the audience.

Mariel Rodriguez, who used to host "Wowowee" and "Pilipinas Win na Win" with Pokwang, earlier said that "Happy Yipee Yehey" will soon have additional co-hosts, Push.com.ph reported.

The wife of action star Robin Padilla refused to name them as ABS-CBN management has yet to make the announcement. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Sexy actress Juliana Palermo gives birth to baby boy

MANILA, Philippines - Sexy actress Juliana Palermo has given birth to a healthy baby boy, an online report said Monday.

Celebrity website Philippine Entertainment Portal (PEP) said Palermo gave birth to her first child last March 21 at The Medical City in Pasig City via caesarean section.

She named her baby "Ace Christian," PEP added.

Palermo revealed late last year that she is 4 months pregnant by her New Zealand-based non-showbiz boyfriend.

The sexy actress said, however, that she has no plans of getting married anytime soon. (report from Pep.ph/abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Xian Lim regrets that his friendship with AJ Perez was cut short

Xian Lim still couldn’t believe that he just came AJ Perez’s wake.

Xian told Push.com.ph, “This is a super sad experience First time mangyari sa akin ito.” He added that when he visited the wake last April 18, he saw the devastation on the face of AJ’s father, Gerry Perez.

“Kapag nakita mo dad niya you might breakdown. Grabe.”

Xian and AJ sat side by side for one week as guest judges on Showtime from March 21 to 26.

The two would frequently see each other around the ABS-CBN compound whenever there were events since they have the same handler in Star Magic.

They also worked together last year in the comedy film Mamarazzi top-billed by Eugene Domingo and Andi Eigenmann.

Xian said he was disappointed that his budding friendship with AJ was cut short by a terrible accident.

“I am very sad that AJ Perez passed away. He was the type of person you wouldn't have an awkward moment with. There was always something to talk about. Nagkasama kami sa Showtime for one week and start na sana yun ng isang magandang friendship but it ended too soon. Rest in peace AJ Perez. I will miss you.”

Though he wanted to take a break during Holy Week, especially now that he is grieving the death of a friend, Xian still had to work.

He was in Boracay doing shows for Studio 23.

“Every year we do the Barkada Gimmick event to bring Studio 23 closer to people. We give them a good time with performances, awards, food, party, and all.”

The 21-year-old actor/model is also set to begin taping for the new teleserye Binondo Girl where he will play the leading man of primetime princess Kim Chiu.

“Kim is a really good friend of mine. I see na magiging masaya ang bonding naming lahat dito sa bagong show and I know I will be comfortable around her.” (report from Napoleon Quintos/Push.com.ph)

Bianca Gonzalez talks about Mariel Rodriguez and Toni Gonzaga’s birthday surprise for her this year

After celebrating her 28th birthday last month, Bianca Gonzalez admitted that even though she does not usually prepare for her natal day, she was surprised several times on her birthday this year.

First off, good friends Mariel Rodriguez and Toni Gonzaga, with whom she has a regular Thursday lunch date with despite their hectic schedules, surprised her with an impromptu celebration in Mariel’s dressing room the day before her birthday.

“Sabi ni Mariel, ‘Text mo ako kapag nandiyan ka na sa studio.’ So nag-text naman ako sa kanya. Nagpunta na ako sa dressing room niya. Pagpasok ko, nakasalang na pala siya pero may nakita na ako na mga balloon, tapos may box ng cake. Sabi ko, ‘Para sa akin ‘to. Wala naman sigurong may birthday ngayon.’ Tapos yung yaya ni Mariel nakita kong parang nagulat siya ng konti. Tapos umupo lang ako roon. Pagpasok ni Mariel galit na galit siya. ‘Sabi niya, ‘Bakit hindi ka nag-text? Sabi ko mag-text ka. Dapat isu-surprise ka namin,” she shared in an exclusive interview with The Buzz magazine.

Mariel also showed how she went all out for her friend by holding a banner that said “Happy Birthday Bianca G. We love you!”

Bianca said that she really appreciates the effort her friends made for her birthday despite being busy that day.

“So yun, nag-konting salo-salo bago pumunta si Toni sa shooting ng pelikula niya at bago puntahan ni Mariel si Robin (Padilla). So may konting party kami roon. Yun na ang gift nila sa akin. Ganon talaga kami. Sa Christmas din kasi kami talaga nagbibigay ng gift sa isa’t isa. Pagdating sa birthday, we make it a point na nagkikita-kita kami,” she shared in The Buzz magazine.

Bianca’s manager and good friend Boy Abunda also had a nice gift for the 28-year-old host.

“Hindi ko pa nakukuha kasi gusto niyang pumili raw ako ng designer tapos bibigyan niya ako ng damit. Sosyal nga si Tito Boy. Pero hanggang ngayon wala pa akong napipili. Nahihiya kasi ako. Sinasabi ko nga sa kanya, ‘Tito Boy sigurado ka?’ kasi siyempre ang mahal noon, ‘di ba?” she said in the exclusive feature story.

Bianca’s loyal fans also gave her the most memorable birthday by surprising her in her dressing room while doing SNN.

“Pagbalik ko sa dressing room, idinesenyo nila lahat. As in first time na may nakagawa sa akin ng ganoon. Sobrang na-touch ako!” she said in The Buzz magazine.

Bianca also couldn’t help but write about her fan’s efforts in her personal blog, www.iamsuperbianca.com, which read, “That evening after a loooong, haaaard days work, I got the one of the sweetest surprises of my life. I got back to my dressing room and I saw this. My whole dressing room decked out in photo collages, flowers, balloons, gifts, cakes, letters. The sweetest! aaaaaaaaaaw.. :),” she wrote.

Bianca also received an unexpected floral arrangement from President Noynoy Aquino which arrived at her home.

The pretty host celebrated her birthday in a simple way, with her mom and rumored boyfriend cager JC Intal.

“Buong araw talaga ng birthday ko nasa bahay ako. We had lunch together with my mom. Simple lang,” she told The Buzz magazine.

In her blog, Bianca admitted that she doesn’t want to make a big fuss about her birthday.

She wrote “I never really celebrate big on my birthday, I've never thrown a party and I've never made an event out of it. I just really like spending my birthday with the people important to me, doing something simple but special!” (report from Rhea Manila Santos/Push.com.ph)

CBCP: More than 130,000 joined Visita Iglesia online

MANILA, Philippines - More than 130,000 joined the Visita Iglesia online, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said.

This is far better from the 40,000 number of visitors who registered last year. Philippine Star said the online version of the Holy Week tradition had fewer registered viewers last year because the website crashed.

Visita Iglesia online, launched by the media office of CBCP, is a website that offers a "virtual experience of celebrating Lent, the Holy Week and Easter at the comfort of one's room."

It was primarily launched for overseas Filipino workers.

Here, users can listen to the pasyon (sung readings of the Gospel account of Christ's Passion), watch videos of the Seven Last Words, read homilies and take part in the Stations of the Cross via a computer with an Internet connection.

"The liturgy is a community act and being so it is most meaningfully celebrated in the context of the community or the parish," CBCP media director Msgr. Pedro Quitorio said in the group's website.

Visita Iglesia Online features 14 shrines and pilgrimage churches, as well as reflections given by Filipino priests. (report from abs-cbnNEWS.com)

No to a hero’s burial, no to a revision of history

MANILA, Philippines -- Unfazed by criticisms for its stand against interring former President Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) stands by its position and reiterates calls for lawmakers to withdraw their support to House Resolution 1135.

Sorsogon Rep. Salvador Escudero, proponent of the resolution urging President Benigno S. Aquino III to allow the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, said in a radio interview that “he was saddened by CEAP’s opposition to his resolution” and urged them to “be open-minded and heed the Lord’s Prayer about forgiveness.’’

But CEAP president Fr. Gregorio Bañaga, in an interview with the Students and Campuses Bulletin, says true reconciliation should be based on justice.

“Who doesn’t want to be reconciled? We want unity and reconciliation, we want to move on, but let it be true reconciliation based on justice. We cannot reconcile and at your back, I stab you. Nelson Mandela formed a truth commission in South Africa to review the crimes and violations against human rights and their laws. They (violators) were not jailed but they had to confess, accept their mistake and repent. And then they moved on. Is there ever a statement by the Marcoses admitting that they indeed repressed human rights? Are they repentant? That is why in our statement, we quoted St. Augustine, ‘charity cannot substitute for justice denied’,” explains Fr. Bañaga.


Preventing a revision of history

Fr. Bañaga stresses that CEAP came up with a statement because they want to prevent a revision of our history.

“Falsehood might be peddled. What was the reason why the first EDSA Revolution happened? Do you mean to say that the Filipino people at that time made a mistake in throwing away the dictatorship. Filipinos easily forget the past. And because we easily forget, we never learn,” laments Fr. Bañaga, stressing that the decision to bury the late president at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, will “even exacerbate and show the separation and the division of the people.’’

As it is, the resolution is already dividing the nation, even as more congressmen are starting to show support for the resolution. As of presstime, there are 219 solons who have signed the resolution. Furthermore, a Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted from March 4 to 7, revealed that 50 percent of Filipinos were in favor of the burial of Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani while 49 percent were not.

The former President is currently buried in a refrigerated crypt in his hometown in Batac, Ilocos Norte.


Fake war hero?

In the resolution initiated by Escudero, an agriculture minister during the Marcos administration, Marcos is described as “a well-decorated soldier, a veteran of World War II, a survivor of the Bataan Death March, and the longest serving president of the Republic who built the modern foundations of the Philippines.”

Therefore, according to the resolution, a burial at the Libingan ng mga Bayani “will not only be an acknowledgement of the way Marcos led a life as a Filipino patriot, but will also be a magnanimous act of reconciliation which will strengthen the bonds of solidarity among the Filipino people.”

CEAP in its statement, said “that these exaggerated claims about Marcos cannot be farther from the truth, and do not at all justify a hero’s burial for him.”

Fr. Bañaga says American historian Alfred McCoy has long debunked the tale of Marcos as a well-decorated soldier. “Mccoy said 25 years ago that the Maharlika guerrilla unit which Marcos supposedly organized and led did not exist. Marcos was in the war, perhaps as an ordinary soldier. But to say that he was a hero is something else. And history does not seem to prove that,” he points out.


Marcos' rise and fall

The CEAP statement underscores that Marcos became “the longest serving Philippine President because he declared martial law, used military repression to silence opponents, destroyed what was then an imperfect but working democratic system, and perpetuated himself in power through an authoritarian Constitution which was never legitimately ratified.”

“The media was repressed and there was no news about what was really happening, particularly the excesses of the Marcos regime and repression of human rights. So what the people saw was President Marcos’ astuteness, intelligence, political savvy and some achievements. But as he stayed longer in power the true situation of the nation became apparent and the noble objectives of his party became corrupted. He stayed in power for 14 years. To do that, he had to change the Constitution. So we cannot really say that he did a lot. He did many things but in the end, we became even worse. The Philippines became the sick man of Asia,” Fr. Bañaga says, adding that the former President must not be compared to Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew who was a person of integrity.

Fr. Bañaga also compared the solons’ attempt to paint a false image of the late President and his regime to the outrageous claim of some people that the Holocaust never happened.

“This is something similar to some guys in Germany who denied that the holocaust ever happened, that it is not true that Adolf Hitler ordered the killing of six million Jews. They said it was just a fiction of the imagination. But in Adamson University, some Jewish professors came here at that time and were given sanctuary. They taught here. So how could you deny that it never happened,” says Fr. Bañaga who is also the president of Adamson University.


Significance of burial place

The real meaning of being interred at the Libingan ng mga Bayani must also be defined to know who deserves to be buried there, he adds.

“In a survey on who should be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, on top of the list of Filipinos are Jose Rizal, Andres Bonifacio, Ninoy and Cory Aquino. Yet the Aquino family is not even insisting that they be buried there. Not even all the Presidents of the United States are in Arlington Cemetery,” he notes.

But if the late President would indeed be buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, Fr. Bañaga says it will definitely have serious implications on the youth, the country and the world.

He believes the youth will be even more confused with the real meaning of history while the country will be further divided and have a lot of unrest, instead of peace.

“We are the ones who started the power of a peaceful revolt. In fact, people power was enshrined in our Constitution, during the time of President Cory. That was our gift to the world. So if we bury him at the Libingan ng mga Bayani, other nations will think that there was really no reason for our revolt in the first place. So what are we going to teach? We will revert history, we will reverse everything,” he says.

Fr. Bañaga says they are continuing to appeal to the congressmen who have signed the resolution to withdraw their signatures and support to this proposal.

“The Libingan ng mga Bayani is hallowed ground meant for true heroes. It was established as a memorial to pay fitting tribute to the gallant Filipino men and women who have brought honor to the country by fighting for freedom and democracy. How can we bury among our heroes the very man whose dictatorial regime we rejected and ousted during the EDSA people power revolution 25 years ago? It will be nothing less than a desecration and nullification of the Filipino people’s long struggle and victory for democracy which we are proud to have gifted the world as an example of non-violent political change,” declares CEAP in its statement. (report from Rachel C. Barawid/Manila Bulletin)

MMDA braces for thousands returning to Manila

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is bracing for the return of tens of thousands of people to Manila following the long Holy Week holidays.

The MMDA said that as of noon on Sunday, vehicular traffic going back to Manila is smooth and light.

The agency, however, expects the traffic to get heavy in afternoon until Monday, as Filipinos who traveled to the provinces make their way back to the metropolis.

“We have 1,000 people deployed just getting ready for this,” MMDA spokesperson Tina Velasco told ANC.

The MMDA noted that about a quarter of a million people left Metro Manila during Holy Week, based on figures from the North and South Luzon Expressway officials.

The MMDA also reminded motorists that the number-coding scheme, which was suspended during the Holy Week break, will resume on Monday. (report from ANC/abs-cbnNEWS.com)

Hubby on Pilar Pilapil’s condition: She's already OK

MANILA, Philippines – Until awarded actress Pilar Pilapil is released from a hospital, the most patient one to take care of her is husband Pastor Bernie Peñas.

That is aside from Pilapil’s immediate family like only daughter Pia Pilapil, her blind better half Gerry Gonzalo and their 4 children.

Brother Bernie does not only attend to his wife’s needs but also talk to Pilar’s fellow actors and friends from the press.

According to Peñas, he and Pilar have agreed that it is not yet time to give media interview to avoid pressure and tension that could add up to the actress’ traumatic experience.

There are a number of movie journalists who want to have an audience with Pilapil, said Bernie.

“In due time, she might tell her story,” said Peñas.

Pilapil has been attacked by suspected carjackers and kidnappers more than a week ago.

“But she’s already okay. Thank God for His amazing grace,” said Peñas in his text message. (report from Boy Villasanta/abs-cbnNEWS.com)

2nd Sikh man dies after attack in California

SACRAMENTO, California—The death of an elderly Sikh man on Friday has turned the work of police into a double homicide investigation as they try to determine whether a shooting in a Northern California suburb last month was a hate crime.

Gurmej Atwal, who was 78, had lost the use of most of his organs after being gunned down in near Sacramento on March 4, his son, Kamaljit Atwal, told The Associated Press. His father had been on a ventilator and unable to talk for most of the time he had been in the hospital.

"We are in a great grief," Kamaljit Atwal said.

But his father did speak briefly with Elk Grove police, who said he and his friend, Surinder Singh, might have been targeted because they wore turbans, which often are confused with the head coverings of Muslims.

Singh, who was 65, died the day of the shooting.

Police said Atwal gave a description of a suspect, which they would not release. Sgt. James Fuller said his department is working overtime on current leads, but the description has been among the most useful. He called Atwal's death "tragic."

"It just adds to the senselessness of the whole investigation," Fuller said.

Atwal and Singh were shot during one of their regular afternoon strolls together in the suburb just south of the state capital.

The violence provoked repeated calls for tolerance from the community, which has collected $52,000 in reward money to go to anyone who provides information that would lead to an arrest.

The shooting also was denounced on the floor of the state Legislature this week. Lawmakers, some wearing turbans as a sign of solidarity, attended American Sikh Day on Wednesday outside the Capitol.

Atwal is survived by 10 grandchildren, four children and his wife, Balbir Kaur. He was born and raised in Punjab, India, before retiring and moving to the U.S. to live with his son. (report from Lien Hoang/Associated Press)

Moderate earthquake hits off northeastern Taiwan

TAIPEI, Taiwan—Taiwan's Central Weather Bureau says a moderate earthquake has struck off the northeastern coast of the island. No casualties or damage were immediately reported.

The bureau says the magnitude-5.7 quake hit at 9:11 a.m. (0111 GMT) Saturday and was centered at sea 155 miles (250 kilometers) northeast of the capital, Taipei, with a depth of 86 miles (140 kilometers).

Earthquakes frequently rattle Taiwan, but most are minor and cause little or no damage.

However, a magnitude-7.6 quake in central Taiwan in 1999 killed more than 2,300 people. (report from Associated Press)

Mild quake shakes Surigao del Sur

A tectonic earthquake – the 17th to hit Mindanao this month – shook Tandag, Surigao del Sur, at 8:44 a.m. Saturday, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said.

Phivolcs said no damage was expected from the magnitude 2.1 quake, whose epicenter was located 45 kilometers southeast of Tandag.

No aftershocks were expected, Phivolcs said, describing the earthquake as a shallow one.

On Friday afternoon, a magnitude-3.6 quake occurred near General Luna on Siargao Island. It also was tectonic in origin.

Since the start of the month, Phivolcs said it has recorded 17 quakes in Mindanao, most of them in the Surigao area.

The strongest quake recorded in Mindanao this month occurred at sea some155 kilometers off General Santos City on Friday, which registered a magnitude of 5.2.

No damage was reported from the quake and no tsunami warning was issued.

The Philippines sits within the so-called ring of fire, where continental plates regularly collide, causing jolts. Some earthquakes are too weak to be felt but others cause massive damage. (report from Allan Nawal/Inquirer Mindanao)

Tornadoes, severe weather strike US, 1 killed

MONTGOMERY, Alabama—Officials say tornadoes have touched down in the southern state of Alabama, killing one person and causing multiple injuries.

The severe weather was part of a system that has already slammed the South and killed nine people in Oklahoma and Arkansas.

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley said Friday night that one person was killed in the state. No further details on the death or the injuries were immediately released.

The storms began late Thursday in Oklahoma, then pushed into Arkansas. By late Friday, tornadoes had also been reported in Mississippi and strong winds knocked down trees in Georgia.

In Alabama, the governor declared a state of emergency for all counties. In Mississippi, a state of emergency was declared for 14 counties. (report from Associated Press)

Strong quake shakes buildings in Tokyo

TOKYO – A strong earthquake of magnitude 5.8 hit central Japan on Saturday morning, the US Geological Survey said Saturday.

The quake, which shook buildings in Tokyo, struck at 11:19 am (0219 GMT), 83 kilometers (52 miles) north of the capital and at a depth of 20 kilometers, the USGS said.

Operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) said the tremor did not disrupt the emergency crews who are working around the clock to cool crippled reactors at a nuclear plant hit by a devastating earthquake and tsunami last month.

That earthquake – the biggest ever recorded in Japan -- struck on March 11, triggering a huge tsunami and leaving 13,591 people dead, with another 14,497 still unaccounted for.

Tens of thousands of people lost their homes, while many others were forced to evacuate after a series of explosions at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant sent radiation spewing into the air.

The radiation leaks have resulted in bans on produce from the affected area and hurt the fishing and farming industries because of public fears over radioactivity in food.

On Friday, Japan's government ordered TEPCO to offer payouts to tens of thousands of people made homeless by the ongoing crisis.

The total cost from collapsed or damaged houses, factories and infrastructure such as roads and bridges is estimated to reach 16-25 trillion yen over the next three fiscal years, according to the Cabinet Office.

There were no immediate reports of any damage or casualties from Saturday's quake, which the Japan Meteorological Agency said had a magnitude of 5.9 and struck at a depth of 70 kilometers underground. (report from Agence France-Presse)

Video, texts of Brazil school shooter show anger

RIO DE JANEIRO — Videos, photos and written documents left by the man who shot to death 12 public school students were released Friday, and reveal an angry, delusional character whose rambling messages parallel in part those left by the Virginia Tech student who killed 32 people in 2007.

Wellington Oliveira, 23, killed himself after carrying out the April 7 massacre in the Rio de Janeiro school he attended as a child. The country was shocked by the magnitude of the killing; there had never been a school shooting like this in Brazil.

But the young man's own words released Friday did little to help the country come to terms with his actions.

In videos and letters, Oliveira mentions God, quotes the Bible extensively, and discusses the quotations in long, rambling passages. He also says the attack was motivated by the bullying and humiliation he suffered as a student and continued to suffer into adulthood.

He cites Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho as "a brother" along with a Brazilian teenager who in 2003 shot and wounded six students in the school where he'd studied, then killed himself.

Oliveira thanks the two for their "bravery," and for leading the way, using language similar to that used by Cho in videos he'd made before dying, which are widely available on the Internet.

Like Cho, Oliveira refers repeatedly to others who were bullied as brothers. Like Cho, he says he was once weak and now is strong and will seek revenge for himself and others who like him were persecuted; also, Oliveira and Cho both blame school officials and bullies for the attacks they are about to commit.

"I hope this serves as a lesson, especially to those school officials who stood by with their arms crossed as students were being attacked, humiliated, ridiculed," Oliveira says in one video.

He says: "I want to leave very clear that I am not responsible for the deaths that will occur, even though my fingers will be on the trigger... Each time you see someone making fun of someone else for their physical appearance, the clothing or any reason... remember that type of person is responsible for all these deaths, including my own."

Among the seven photos of Oliveira recovered from his computer and released, two show him in poses similar to those seen in photos of Cho available on the Internet. In one, Oliveira stands with a gun in each hand, arms outstretched to the side; in another, he stares at the camera, with a gun pointed at the viewer.

The families whose children Oliveira killed are still grappling with their loss; classes at the working class suburban school have not resumed yet. On Friday, the mayor of Rio, Eduardo Paes, said "the city would compensate the families of the dead kind of compensation has to be discussed."

The amount of the compensation and the date of the payment haven't been determined yet.

In spite of the mayor's promise, the mother of one of the children who died said she plans to sue the school.

Noeli da Silva Rocha, 38, lost her daughter, Mariana Rocha, in the attack.

"How can they let the criminal who did this walk in and kill a whole bunch of children? Whose mistake was this? Wasn't it the school's?" she told G1, Globo TV's Web site, after a parent-teacher conference at Tasso da Silveira school. "They'll have to pay." (report from Juliana Barbassa/Associated Press)

Obama signs budget bill, despite concerns

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Friday signed into law a bill funding the US government through September, despite his concerns about the measure's restrictions on his executive power.

The signing was a formality after Obama and fellow Democrats agreed with Republicans on a budget bill that cut more than $38 billion from domestic programs and foreign aid for the remainder of fiscal 2011.

But Obama said he would seek to overturn language barring the transfer of detainees from the US military prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to the United States or, unless conditions are met, to the custody of other countries.

Obama, who ran into congressional opposition from both sides when he tried to close Guantanamo, said in a statement that prosecuting the alleged terrorists in the US criminal system "must be among the options available."

Obama said he signed the bill "despite my continued strong objection to these provisions," in order to avert a government shutdown.

"Nevertheless, my administration will work with the Congress to seek repeal of these restrictions, will seek to mitigate their effects, and will oppose any attempt to extend or expand them in the future," he wrote.

Obama challenged the constitutionality of a separate section of the bill prohibiting the expenditure of funds for White House "czars" -- top advisers on issues such as health care and energy.

Obama said such legislative efforts "violate the separation of powers" -- as spelled out in the US Constitution -- "by undermining the president's ability to exercise his constitutional responsibilities and take care that the laws be faithfully executed.

"Therefore, the executive branch will construe section 2262 not to abrogate these presidential prerogatives," he wrote.

A government shutdown was averted April 8 when Obama, Senate Democrats and leaders in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives agreed on a budget bill just moments before the government effectively would have run out of money.

But the agreement is nevertheless a source of division within both camps: on the left, some Democrats believe the cuts are too severe; on the right, ultra-conservative Tea Party members want more cuts. Fifty-nine of them rejected the compromise Thursday in the House.

The legislative battle foreshadows at least two others: the budget battle for the fiscal year begins in October; and the proposed increase in the debt ceiling. All of this takes place with the backdrop of the 2012 presidential election. (report from Agence France-Presse)

Christie Caputolan is leaving to Singapore

Tomorrow, will be Christie Caputolan's farewell here in Davao City.

In a recent interview from the KaJoyfulness network, Christie is about to leave the Philippines just to have her work in Singapore. Her flight to Singapore will be tomorrow at 5:00pm.

Christie is deeply emotional to leave the country and her home, but she needs to communicate on the internet once a week when she get to work in Singapore as a DH or domestic helper.

Christie had to hug her mom, Teresita and her son, Jared for the last time before leaving. (report from the KaJoyfulness network news team)

Glenn Cañones is going to church for Holy Week

KaJoyfulness talent Glenn Cañones is going to the church at Shrine Hills in Matina, Davao City this coming Holy Week.

In a recent interview by the KaJoyfulness network team earlier in the morning, Glenn is about to go to church with his relatives for their sacrifice: praying. Praying is the most essential way to be in the church for the Holy Week or Semana Santa.

On the other hand, the other KaJoyfulness talents such as Charity Jane Momo, Ivy Momo, Lorena Tubo, Ediza Kris Pacate, Melody Dacula, Merry Christine Tabacon, Regen Tabequero and Shirley Sombilon will also go to the church in Shrine Hills, Matina this coming Holy Friday. (report from the KaJoyfulness network news team)

James and Heat eye ultimate prize

MIAMI – LeBron James left Cleveland in search of an NBA title, and now "King" James and his fellow Miami Heat stars have a chance to show the much-discussed move was worth it.

James, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player, provoked the wrath of Cavaliers fans when he opted to join fellow free agents Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

More than the move itself, his widely criticized television programme to announce it was seen as a sign of hubris, earning James jeers at the Heat's away games around the country.

A slow start for the superstars didn't help, but Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said the adversity had only made the team stronger.

"We've developed a resiliency," Spoelstra said. "And a lot of it was a residual of the things we had to experience collectively – failure, pain, extreme noise from the outside."

With their first-round Eastern Conference series against Philadelphia due to start on Saturday, Spoelstra offered his players a reminder of their goal, bringing out the Heat's 2006 NBA championship trophy at a team meeting.

"Inspiration and motivation," James said of seeing the hardware up close. "Two words that describe it for me."

While James's playoff disappointments with the Cavaliers have been widely cited as the motivation for his move, Wade was also considering his free agent options after the Heat were ousted in the first round last season.

"This will be my last first-round exit for a while," Wade vowed, and he said he had thought a lot lately of those words.

"I meant it," he says.

Philadelphia coach Doug Collins knows his underdog 76ers will be up against an immensely talented group of players, who still feel they have plenty to prove.

"When those three guys got together last summer, Saturday is what they were shooting for," Collins said. "They did get through the regular season, but they're pinning their hopes on starting Saturday, that they can make a championship run."

That has been the plan all along, and James said he's looking forward to the next phase.

"I'm ready," James said. (report from Agence France-Presse)

Texas equals AL record by turning 6 double plays vs Yankees

NEW YORK – Undefeated Matt Harrison and Texas equaled an American League record by turning six double plays as the Rangers picked up where they left off last October by beating the New York Yankees 5-3 Friday.

The teams played for the first time since Texas battered the Yankees to win last year's AL championship series in six games. The Rangers won this time with pitching, thanks to Harrison (3-0) and his sure-handed fielders on a chilly, windy evening.

Texas turned double plays on grounders by the first six hitters in the New York lineup – Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones and Nick Swisher.

This was the 15th time an AL team made six DPs in a game. The major league mark for double plays in a game is seven by San Francisco in 1969.


Blue Jays 7, Red Sox 6

At Boston, Jose Bautista singled in the go-ahead run in a four-run seventh inning as Toronto deepened the misery of the struggling Boston.

The Red Sox dropped to 2-10, matching their poorest start in history.

Brett Cecil (1-1) gave up homers to Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis in the third when Boston went ahead 3-0. Toronto tied it on Corey Patterson's two-run double in the fifth and Travis Snider's RBI double in the sixth.

Bobby Jenks (0-1) started the seventh for Boston and allowed all four runs, making it 7-3.


Indians 8, Orioles 2

At Cleveland, Justin Masterson pitched seven strong innings for his third win, Asdrubal Cabrera had four RBIs as Cleveland kept the AL Central standings flipped upside down.

Masterson (3-0) allowed just one run and four singles. He went 6-13 last season, and didn't get his third win until July 1 — in his 16th start.

Cabrera's two-run single highlighted Cleveland's four-run third inning off rookie Zach Britton (2-1), who gave up five runs and eight hits in six innings.


Rays 5, Twins 2

At St. Petersburg, Florida, Wade Davis pitched seven strong innings, and Johnny Damon and Kelly Shoppach drove in two runs each to lead Tampa Bay over Minnesota.

Davis (1-2) limited the defending AL Central champions to three singles and Danny Valencia's fifth-inning RBI double to help the Rays to their fourth straight win and fifth in seven games following an 0-6 start. Minnesota has dropped three in a row and five of its last six.


Royals 6, Mariners 5

At Kansas City, Missouri, Luke Hochevar gave up one hit in seven innings, and Jeff Francoeur homered and drove in three runs to help Kansas City beat Seattle for its fifth victory in six games.

Ichiro Suzuki led off the game with a double, the only hit Hochevar (2-1) would allow. Hochevar retired 16 in a row after walking Luis Rodriguez with two outs in the second before exiting after seven innings and 100 pitches.

Mariners left-hander Erik Bedard (0-3), who missed all of last season after having his third shoulder surgery in as many years and has not won since June 7, 2009, gave up five runs and seven hits in 4 2-3 innings. He walked three and struck out six. (report from Associated Press)

Tight matches, pure sportsmanship at the 4th Adobo Football Cup

MANILA, Philippines – On its fourth year, the Adobo Football Cup saw its tightest match-ups yet. The inter-ad agency tournament organized by adobo magazine, the country's leading advertising, brand communications and design publication, saw ten teams battle it out, five-a-side, at the University of Makati Football Field last March 26.

Sports channel Balls TV, JWT Manila, Leo Burnett Manila, defending champion Publicis, and the tandem of Virus and NuWorks Interactive were in Group A. Ace Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO Guerrero/Proximity, NetBooster, Y&R, and the combined forces of DDB and DM9 (yellow) made up Group B.

None of the four semi-finalist teams were able to score, even through the full six-minute overtime. The decisions for the finals were made through penalty kicks. Ace Saatchi & Saatchi prevailed over Balls TV with only a single goal. JWT trumped DM9/DDB.

The finals match saw Saatchi's Deo Calumba scoring the only goal against JWT, securing victory for the agency, which will keep the Cup until next year's tournament.

JWT Manila, also returning winners of Best in Team Spirit, came in first runner-up. The Balls TV team, which included TV personalities Atom Araullo, Jake Cuenca and TJ Manotoc, walked away with the Bronze trophy.

Deo Marco "Cultured" Calumba of Ace Saatchi & Saatchi was named Best Midfielder; teammate Lawrence "Thonks" Kwek, who braved an injury and defied the university nurse's warning, was Best Goalkeeper. Balls TV's Paolo Buendia was Best Defender and Adobo Cup regular Ebong Joson of JWT was Most Valuable Player. With four goals in the entire tournament, Winston Tan of DM9/DDB was awarded with the Golden Boot. Individual awardees received a trophy, a one-month membership from Fitness First and a gift pack from Alaska.

Since its inception five years ago, adobo magazine has been an avid supporter of Philippine football. It recently hosted the official cinema screening of the independent film Happyland, on the futkaleros of Tondo.

The Adobo Cup 2011 was co-presented by Alaska in cooperation with Fitness First. The event was also sponsored by Ensogo, McDonald’s, Gatorade, Nike and Yehey!, media partners Balls TV, INQUIRER.net, Garage Magazine, and Manila Bulletin. (report from Inquirer.net)