Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Don McLean sings at Big Dome Wednesday

MANILA, Philippines — Don Mclean has an idea why his songs still resonate among a lot of people, including some of today’s youth eager to see him perform.

“First, I believe I made good records, and these records fortunately had commercial appeal, people wanted to hear them,” the American singer-songwriter told the Philippine Daily Inquirer shortly after arriving from Singapore for his concert Wednesday night at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

“Second,” he added, “the songs were very different at the time they came out. But they still sound unusual all these years later. They weren’t the ‘simple’ kind of songs.”

McLean, now 65, whose voice doesn’t seem to have been too adversely affected by time, was referring to the tunes that made him one of the most popular figures of the folk-rock era in the 1970s. Two of the songs, “American Pie” and “Vincent,” became top hits not long after they were released.

“American Pie” spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard chart in 1972.


Beyond analysis

The song is memorable not only for its unusual length of over eight minutes, but mainly due to its engaging story about grieving over the death of rock ’n’ roll star Buddy Holly and the passing of the ’60s era. Its lyrics prompted curiosity and were endlessly scrutinized by fans and scholars.

Commenting on the attention that his lyrics had attracted, McLean said in a past interview: “They’re beyond analysis. They’re poetry.”

Indeed, much of the beauty of McLean’s songs could be seen through their carefully crafted lines.

“Vincent,” which also soared to No. 1 in the United Kingdom in 1972, was inspired by the artist Vincent van Gogh’s painting “The Starry Night.” Its lyrics describe the painting itself (“Paint your palette blue and gray …”) and Van Gogh’s tortured existence (“How you suffered for your sanity”).

Other McLean compositions that have stayed in the memory of millions of people include: “And I Love You So,” a 1973 hit for Perry Como and famously covered by Elvis Presley, as well as by Helen Reddy, Shirley Bassey, Glen Campbell and Engelbert Humperdinck; “Wonderful Baby,” a No. 1 hit on the Billboard Easy Listening chart; “If We Try” (“When I see you on the street, I lose my concentration…”); and “Birthday Song” (If I could say the things I feel, it wouldn’t be the same…”).

McLean says that songs do not necessarily have to become hits to affect people.

“For example, the guy who started Greenpeace claims that he was influenced by a song that I wrote called ‘Tapestry.’ And it’s not a hit song. It’s the idea of the song that influences a person to do something that could possibly change the world. It is a false idea to always be thinking of hits. What a songwriter has to do is say the things that matter, write about concepts, political or otherwise, and they will influence people,” he said. (report from Pocholo Concepcion, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Eula Valdez says reprising the villainess role Selina Matias is a tough challenge


Eula Valdez said that she has big shoes to fill in reprising the role of Selina Matias (originally played by Princess Punzalan) in the upcoming remake of the phenomenal hit teleserye of the late 90s, Mula Sa Puso that starred Claudine Barretto, Rico Yan, and Diether Ocampo.

Eula’s last teleserye with ABS-CBN was The Wedding in 2009, while her most unforgettable character was Amor Powers in the 2000 teleserye Pangako Sa ‘Yo.

The character actress recalled how she got the part for the highly anticipated remake slated to air this March.

“Tinawagan ako ni Direk Wenn (Deramas, director and writer of the original teleserye), sabi niya, ‘Gawin mo itong Mula sa Puso, ikaw si Selina. Kunin mo ‘to, paglalaruan kita.’ Okay, game, ha-ha-ha,” Eula laughed.

Eula’s role is the same character that catapulted Princess to fame and made her a runaway winner as the “ultimate villainess in a TV series” in many surveys and polls.

Eula added that she knows that her portrayal will be compared to the original one, and although she is not sure if she can top Princess’s performance, she promised that she will give her best.

“Andun ‘yung fear [to be compared] pero challenge ‘yun sa akin. Ayoko siyang masyadong isipin kasi kung ano ‘yung andyan, kung ano ‘yung ipagawa sa akin, kung paano ko siya ma-visualize, ‘yun ang gagawin ko. Kung makulangan si direk, hindi mo naman mapi-please lahat ng tao, mga manonood. Ngayon kung sabihin nila na gusto nila ‘yung Selina before, may magkakagusto rin sa bago. Kanya-kanya lang ‘yan,” she said.

She continued that instead of giving in to the pressure, she will just deliver what is expected from her and she hopes to give justice to her role with Direk Wenn’s help.

“Role lang naman ito, eh. Kung magalit sila, eh ‘di okay lang di ba? Unang-una hindi na mahirap i-introduce ‘yung character dahil sikat na siya via Miss Princess Punzalan na pagkagaling-galing. Sigurado naman ako at kampante naman kay Direk Wenn na hindi naman niya pababayaan na mangyari ‘yon. Sana magustuhan nila, hoping din ako na magustuhan ng mga tao na ako naman si Selina ngayon.”

The actress is also grateful to Direk Wenn who thought of her as the perfect choice for the part.

“Masaya ako. Sino ang makakahindi kay Direk Wenn? Matagal na kaming magkaibigan. Kilalang-kilala na niya ako, alam na niya kung paano ako pagalawin, tsaka bilib ako sa kanya as a director, and as a writer din.”

Eula also added that a villain role is also a welcome change because her previous roles often lean to “soft” characters. “Nakakatawa naman ‘yung palaging pinaiiyak, na palaging inaapi. Para naman mas ma-relax naman ako ngayon na hindi lumuluha,” she said smiling. (report from Bernie Franco, Push.com.ph)

Report: Bomb scare disrupts Surigao airport operations

A bomb scare disrupted operations at the Surigao City Airport for more than two hours on Tuesday afternoon, a police report said Wednesday.

Caraga Police regional director Chief Supt. Reynaldo S. Rafal said the dummy grenade was discovered by Security Guard Rolando Reyes of the Aviation Security Group, around 1:45 p.m. Tuesday at the airport’s main building entrance and exit area.

Rafal said Reyes immediately called the Explosive and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team of Surigao City Police Station upon finding the suspicious package.

An investigation showed that Reyes found a package with a device that resembled a grenade. However, after members of the EOD team exploded the package, they found out that it contained a fake grenade made from clay.

Rafal said the incident caused panic and commotion by some passengers and personnel at the airport.

Ordering the police to hunt the one who planted the package, Rafal said, “I will not tolerate such act of sowing tension and terror to our people especially in vital installation like airport , we will make sure somebody must have to pay the price of this foolishness." (with a report by Ben Serrano/VVP/LBG, GMA News)

Palawan to gather 10M signatures vs mining

Catholic Church leaders in Palawan are aiming to gather 10 million signatures against mining operations in the province.

The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said Puerto Princesa bishop Pedro Arigo dedicated the signature drive to anti-mining crusader and broadcaster Dr. Gerardo "Gerry" Ortega.

Ortega was gunned down at an ukay-ukay (used clothing store) in Puerto Princesa City in January, shortly after his radio program.

“On January 24, 2011, Palawan and the World lost a good man (and) a zealous advocate for environmental protection and a fearless critic of a cabal of corrupt officials," Arigo said of Ortega.

In a statement, excerpts of which were posted on the CBCP news site, Arigo expressed optimism that they can gather 10 million signatures because most people are now aware of the destruction that mining brings to communities.

Arigo recalled that when Ortega was still alive, he wanted local residents to “see the face of the real Palawan," which “was being ravaged and disemboweled because of selfish mining interests."

The CBCP also cited the environmental advocates who said in a manifesto titled "Doc Gerry's Dream," that Palawan still countless undiscovered species of flora and fauna in its forests and waters.

“Some of these species could unlock solutions to disease and climate change," they said.

The province has earlier been designated as “Man and Biosphere Reserve" by no less than the United Nations.

“Mining in Palawan will mean large-scale destruction of forests and ancestral lands, as well as contamination of bodies of water," they warned.

They expressed fears once Palawan is destroyed, “we don’t just [lose] its resources and heritage" because “the country’s last remaining treasures get destroyed as well." (report from VVP, GMA News)

CA upholds conviction of 3 Indonesians for drug trafficking

The Court of Appeals has affirmed the life sentences meted out on three Indonesians convicted of drug trafficking by a Philippine lower court six years ago.

In 2004, The Indonesians were caught in possession of almost 10 kilograms of methamphetamine hydrochloride, commonly known as shabu. A year later, the Pasay City Regional Trial Court found them guilty of drug trafficking and sentenced them to life imprisonment, with a fine of P500,000 each.

In a 23-page ruling, the Court of Appeals brushed aside the arguments of the three foreigners — Herawaty Ng, Maimum Wagimin, and Khoe Hong Gek — who claimed they did not know that they were carrying illegal drugs.

The CA said the suspects' excuse "cannot constitute a valid defense." It added that mere possession of drugs "per se is punishable under the Dangerous Drugs Act" of the Philippines.

The CA then said it saw no reason to overturn the Pasay City Regional Trial Court's guilty verdict handed down on the three Indonesians in 2005.

“Accordingly, this Court finds no valid or cogent reason to amend, much less, reversed the appealed decision, the same being in accord with the facts, the law and jurisprudence," said the appellate court.

The three Indonesians arrived in the Philippines from Hong Kong in September 2004. An airport x-ray machine detected a crystalline substance in the Indonesians' suitcases.

An inspection conducted by airport security personnel yielded 24 plastic containers containing 9.973 kilograms of shabu. Drug trafficking charges were subsequently slapped on the three Indonesians before the Pasay court.

In October 2005, the lower court ruled that the three foreigners were guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violation of the Dangerous Drugs Act, or Republic Act No. 9165. The suspects received a sentence of life imprisonment and a penalty of P500,000 each.

The drug suspects later appealled the Pasay RTC's ruling, saying that the lower court should not have admitted as evidence the sachets of shabu because these were confiscated without a valid warrant from the court.

They added they did not receive a fair trial because their interpreter was not able to translate well the court proceedings.

The Court of Appeals, however, ruled that the trial court did not have to issue a warrant when a person gives his consent to have his belongings inspected.

“He or she, in effect, waives his or her right to otherwise have a warrant justify the invasion of his or her liberty and privacy," the CA ruled. (report from Sophia Dedace/RSJ, GMA News)

2 killed in Makati shooting

MANILA, Philippines - Four gunmen killed a city hall employee in an eatery in Makati City, on Tuesday afternoon.

Police identified the victim as Mario Reyes, 52, who died of a gunshot wound in the head.

Investigations showed that Reyes was having lunch in an eatery in Baragay Pio del Pilar, when 4 gunmen attacked him around 2 p.m..

A radio dzMM report said the 4 suspects hailed a passenger jeepney and escaped.

Police, meanwhile, killed one of the 4 suspects in a follow-up operation in Barangay San Isidro.

Police said the suspect fired at the arresting officers, which led to a shootout. A policeman was wounded in the gunfight.

Recovered from the slain suspect was a .38 revolver, believed to be used in Reyes's killing.

Police believe that Reyes's killing was related to his job. He was assigned at the city hall's Department of Environment Services and was head of the city's sidewalk and clearinng operations. (reports from radio dzMM and Jacque Manabat, ABS-CBN News)

Balloon vendor strangles 2 kids to death

MANILA, Philippines - A balloon vendor admitted to killing a boy and a girl in Laguna province because the children's father allegedly took P900 from him.

Balloon vendor Joey Aguirre on Tuesday night surrendered to the San Pedro police and admitted to killing siblings Eunice Ann, 8 and Mark Daryl Longno, 4.

"Binabangungot ako eh (I'm having nightmares)," Aguirre told police when asked why he decided to surrender.

The children's father, Daryl Longno, said that the last time he saw his children was on Sunday morning. The children went missing for 2 days until their bodies were found in a vacant lot inside a subdivision in Barangay United Better Living.

Aguirre said he was not planning to murder the children, but as he was leading the kids to the subdivision something pushed him to strangle them.

He said strangled the children to death and abandoned their bodies in the vacant lot.

Aguirre said the children's father tricked him into giving him P900, which would be placed as a cockfight bet. He said he was saving the money for his child's christening.

Police said 2 counts of murder will be filed against the suspect. (report from Francis Faulve, ABS-CBN News)

Facebook revamps comments platform for websites

WASHINGTON - Facebook is revamping a platform designed to power the frequently unruly comments space on websites.

The Palo Alto, California, social networking giant unveiled an updated Comments Box plug-in on Tuesday that websites can use to replace the system they currently use to display comments from readers.

Online publishers have long debated how to bring a measure of civility to their comments forums, which are frequently populated by insults and off-topic ramblings by readers cloaked in anonymity.

Facebook insists that its more than 500 million members use real names and its comments platform shows the Facebook profile picture and name of a reader making a comment.

A user of the Facebook comments platform on a particular website has the option of posting a comment to the site alone.

Or they can choose to have the comment also posted on their Facebook page, which means it will also appear in the News Feed of their Facebook friends with a link to the article being commented on.

Among the websites testing Facebook's updated Comments Box tool is TechCrunch, which said the platform may spell "bad news for you trolls and spammers" who haunt the comments section of the popular technology blog.

Facebook said the Comments Box platform includes moderation tools that allow administrators of a website to blacklist certain words or ban offensive users.

Comments from a user's Facebook friends are highlighted in the comments discussion thread and comments considered spam will be hidden from view.

Users can also serve as moderators by clicking a box against a comment viewed as spam or abusive.

Facebook said readers who don't have Facebook accounts or are not logged into Facebook can comment using other accounts to be announced soon.

Facebook said websites interested in using the revamped Comments Box platform can integrate it into their site with one line of code. (report from Agence France-Presse)

Apple to unveil iPad upgrade

SAN FRANCISCO - Apple was expected to unveil a second-generation iPad on Wednesday as rivals struggle to compete with the original model that has ruled the market since its release last year.

The Internet was abuzz with industry insiders and Apple lovers expressing desires and speculation regarding what the maker of iPhones, iPods, iPads, and Macintosh computers has in store at an invitation-only event in San Francisco.

Cryptic invitations provided the date, time and location of the event and displayed an image of a March 2 calendar page peeling back to reveal a corner of an iPad.

The message on the page reads "Come see what 2011 will be the year of."

Technology analysts have taken to referring to 2011 as the "year of the tablet."

All bets are on Apple taking the wraps off an improved version of the iPad that chief executive Steve Jobs introduced at the same downtown San Francisco venue in January of last year.

Jobs, however, is not expected to play his usual role as host at Wednesday's event. While he has reportedly remained involved in overall strategy and product development, the Apple chief, who turned 56 last week, is on an indefinite medical leave of absence.

Goldman Sachs analysts, in a note to investors, said they expect Apple to "announce the second-generation of its game-changing iPad.

"We expect the device to provide an early line of defense against the wave of tablet competitors arriving in coming months,"
they said.

The Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this year was rife with gadget manufacturers showing off tablets they were racing to get into a market set ablaze by the iPad.

Motorola Mobility chairman and chief executive Sanjay Jha said Monday the US telecom maker is pleased with early sales of the Xoom, its iPad rival.

"They're off to a good start," Jha said of sales of the Xoom, which costs between $600 and $800.

The Xoom is the first tablet powered by "Honeycomb" software crafted specifically for such devices by Internet powerhouse Google and has been heralded as a viable challenger for iPad.

Another upcoming rival, the large-screen version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab, is also powered by Honeycomb.

Apple sold 14.8 million iPads through the end of 2010, according to the company's earnings statements.

The second-generation iPad is expected to be slimmer with increased memory, a more powerful computer chip, and front and rear-facing cameras giving it the "FaceTime" video-conferencing ability featured on iPhone 4 smartphones.

"In today's consumer marketplace, you can't go very long without an upgrade," said Gartner Research analyst Ken Dulaney. "And the other tablets have at least caught up to last year's model."

Dulaney expected much of the event to be focused on improved software, with only minor changes to iPad hardware.

"The product was so good out of the shoot that I don't think there is a radical change forthcoming," Dulaney said. "You make your money off hardware, but the power and control comes from software."

Van Baker, also a Gartner analyst, was certain Wednesday's news will be an iPad boasting iterative improvements but no startling changes and no change in price.

"The 'wow' has already been done -- for all intents and purposes Apple owns the tablet market right now," Baker said.

"Everybody is talking about the Xoom, but who the heck wants to pay 800 bucks when you can get a perfectly good iPad for 500 bucks?" he asked.

The $600 Xoom is only available with monthly data plans that easily add hundreds of dollars a year to the cost of using the tablets.

The six iPad models range in price from $500 to $830 with the three higher-priced models having 3G mobile telecom connection capabilities.

Lower-priced iPads are designed to take advantage of connections at wireless Internet hotspots. (report from Glenn Chapman, Agence France-Presse)

‘Day of reckoning’ for Ombudsman is here, says complainant

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 2) The day of reckoning is here for Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

This was what Former Akbayan partylist Representative Risa Hontiveros and Felipe Pestaño told the justice committee at the House of Representatives Wednesday as they appeared before the congressmen to present their complaint against Gutierrez whom they accused of betraying public trust and violating the Constitution for the “dismal and unconscionably low” performance of her office in convicting erring government officials, and her purported failure to correctly decide on the cases filed in connection with the Arroyo administration’s controversial deal with China’s ZTE Corp. on a national broadband network.

“Simula na ng araw ng paniningil [The day of reckoning is here],” Hontiveros said at the start of the impeachment proceedings against the Ombudsman, adding that Gutierrez has deprived people of the justice they were seeking by dismissing their cases.

The complaint filed by Hontiveros and Pestaño make up one of the two impeachment cases filed against Gutierrez.

Hontiveros filed a complaint following her arrest in a rally in March 2006, but this was thrown out by the Ombudsman, saying the former lawmaker was not arrested but merely taken into protective custody.

Pestano’s complaint stemmed from the Ombudsman alleged inaction on the case of the murder of his son, Navy Ensign Philip Pestano, in 1995.

Felipe Pestano said it pained him to know that they could not get justice for their son’s death from the Navy, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and from the Ombudsman.

In August 2010, two weeks after the Pestanos filed the impeachment complaint, Gutierrez dismissed the case they had filed.

Reports have said that on Sept. 27, 1995, the 24-year-old Pestaño committed suicide on board the naval vessel BRP Bacolod City where he was serving as cargo officer. However, his parents claimed he was murdered because he tried to expose the illegal activities in the vessel, including carrying the illegal cargo of P1 billion worth of shabu.

On 23 March 2010, Pestaño’s death was declared by the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) as a “homicide,” saying the Philippine government failed to conduct an “impartial, effective, and timely” investigation.

Akbayan partylist Representative Arlene “Kaka” Bag-ao, who gave an overview of the first impeachment complaint said that Gutierrez’s “ignorance, incompetence” and “deliberate filing of defective evidence” caused the dismissal of many cases against government officials.

Citing Reports from the Transparency and Accountability Network, Bag-ao said there was “downward trend” in the performance of the Ombudsman that “paints a dim picture” for the country’s anti-corruption drive.

From the 55 percent conviction rate in 2007, the Office of the Ombudsman registered a conviction rate of only 14 percent in 2008.

Bag-ao also said that the 73 percent conviction rate boasted by Gutierrez in 2008 was “deceiving.”

“This tells us that the Ombudsman’s conviction rate not because of number of persons convicted but number of counts for which the accused was convicted,” Bag-ao said.

For instance, she said that the Ombudsman convicted a municipal mayor for 221 counts of charges.

The House justice committee hearings scheduled until Thursday will be “clarificatory” in which the complainants would be expected to present their witnesses and evidence.

Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas, chairman of the justice committee, opened the proceedings, which he described in an interview earlier Wednesday as a “historic moment for the country because this is the first time that an impeachment complaint has gone past sufficiency of the grounds.”

In a separate interview, Congressman Erin Tañada said the proceedings would be a “history for the House, a precedent setting since it is the farthest that any impeachment complaint got to.”

On Tuesday, members of the committee voted that the two complaints against Gutierrez have sufficient grounds, paving the way for the clarificatory hearings.

Tañada said that the farthest that an impeachment proceeding got was with the impeachment case against former Commission on Elections chairman Bernardo Pardo in the late 1990s but which was voted down. (report from Lira Dalangin-Fernandez, Inquirer.net)

No tweets but lots of followers for Charlie Sheen

WASHINGTON - A Twitter account in the name of Charlie Sheen was piling up followers at a blistering pace on Tuesday -- even though the troubled US actor had yet to fire off a single "tweet."

The @charliesheen account had attracted more than 105,000 followers just hours after it was created -- and verified by Twitter.

The only message on the account was a line saying that "@charliesheen hasn't tweeted yet."

In a series of rambling interviews on US television shows on Monday, Sheen railed against the producers of his hit TV show, "Two and a Half Men," demanded a 50 percent pay rise and vowed to sue over its cancellation.

The star, who was briefly hospitalized in January after a mega-party at his Los Angeles home, also rejected the concern of his actor father Martin, calling it the "gibberish of fools."

Hours after the interviews, Sheen's publicist Stan Rosenfield announced he was quitting. (report from Agence France-Presse)

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

DFA chief back in Manila after bringing 400 Filipinos out of Libya

MANILA, Philippines – Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert Del Rosario arrived in Manila on Tuesday afternoon after a four-day visit to North Africa that helped bring to safety some 400 Filipinos from strife-torn Libya this week.

Del Rosario came aboard an Emirates Airlines flight that touched down at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at past 4 p.m.

He was to address reporters at the dignitaries lounge at the NAIA Terminal 1.

The secretary arrived in Tunisia on Saturday morning to personally oversee the repatriation operations to evacuate Filipino nationals in Libya. He then proceeded by plane to Djerba, the city nearest to the Libyan border.

On Sunday morning, Del Rosario, Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr., an embassy officer and driver traveled overland to Libya.

After reaching the Philippine Embassy in Tripoli and visiting the embassy’s relocation site, he gathered the Filipinos awaiting repatriation and quickly organized a convoy of 40 vans and buses to bring some 400 OFWs to the Tunisian border and safety before nightfall. (report from DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Cooking gas up by P16.50 per 11-kg cylinder

MANILA, Philippines – Liquefied petroleum gas retailers and oil giant Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. raised prices of cooking gas by P1.50 per kilogram, effective Tuesday.

This meant that the price of an 11-kg LPG cylinder, used by most households, has increased by P16.50, LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) president Arnel Ty said.

Ty explained in a phone interview that the latest increase in the international contract price of LPG was due to the continuing unrest in the Middle East and North Africa.

“There was an abnormality in the movement of prices due to the crisis in Libya,” he said.

Normally, Ty added, prices of LPG should have begun its downtrend last month up to August before prices begin to shoot up again in the latter part of the year, in anticipation of the winter season.

Ty said the international contract price this month rose by $35 per metric ton to $855 per MT from last month’s price of $820 per MT.

Locally, this had brought the price of an LPG tank from LPGMA member companies to at least P656 from the previous P640 a cylinder.

LPGMA member companies, which supply LPG products to an estimated 30 percent of the Luzon market, carry brands such as Island Gas, Regasco Gas, Pinnacle Gas, Cat Gas, M-Gas, Omni Gas and Nation Gas.

Ty said they were hoping that the political conflicts abroad would soon be resolved so that LPG prices could stabilize by next month. (report from Amy R. Remo, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Court affirms life sentence for 3 Indonesian drug mules

MANILA, Philippines – Three Indonesian nationals stand to suffer the fate of the three Filipinos convicted in China for trafficking illegal drugs to a foreign land.

But the big difference is that the Indonesian drug mules here get to keep their lives entirely behind bars while the convicted Filipinos in Beijing do not.

This after the Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the life sentence handed down by the Pasay City regional trial court (RTC) against the three Indonesians caught carrying over nine kilos of shabu upon their arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in 2004.

In a 23-page decision, the 11th division of the appellate court upheld the conviction of Herawaty Ng, Maimum Wagimin and Khoe Hong Gek.

The CA junked their petition for review, saying their claim of lack of knowledge about the illegal drugs inside their luggage cannot constitute a valid defense.

Accordingly, this Court finds no valid or cogent reason to amend, much less, reverse the appealed decision, the same being in accord with the facts, the law and jurisprudence, stated the ruling penned by Associate Justice Danton Bueser.

Aside from the life sentence, the CA also affirmed the Pasay RTC order for the three Indonesian nationals to pay a fine of P500,000 each.

Records show that the three Indonesians were arrested upon arrival from Hong Kong at the NAIA Terminal II on board Philippine Airlines Flight PR 307 on Sept. 5, 2004.

When their luggage passed through the x-ray machine, its operator detected an image in the monitor similar to a crystalline substance in three suitcases owned by the appellants.

Further inspection made by airport security personnel led to the seizure of 24 plastic containers containing a total of 9.973 kilos of shabu from the appellants’ bags.

Drug trafficking charges were later filed against the three Indonesian nationals before the Pasay RTC.

On Oct.28, 2005, the trial court found the three guilty beyond reasonable doubt of the crime of violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165 and sentenced them to suffer the penalty of life imprisonment. (report from Edu Punay, Philstar.com)

Counsel cries foul on impeachment proceeding

MANILA, Philippines – The legal counsel of Ombudsman Merceditas N. Gutierrez slammed the House Justice Committee, alleging that the probe body violated his client’s Constitutional right to due process.

In a statement sent to The Star, lawyer Butch Diaz said the impeachment process is being carried out with undue haste.

“The Committee on Justice is trivializing and railroading the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Gutierrez in violation of her constitutional right to due process of law and its own rules,” he stressed.

“When a simple and reasonable request to defer the proceedings until the Supreme Court shall have resolved our Motion for Reconsideration is so cavalierly denied and successive hearings are set as if the impeachment is the only issue of national importance that merits their undivided attention, can there still be doubt that the committee is proceeding with indecent haste,” Diaz said.

He said the manner by which congressmen voted separately for two separate impeachment complaints is proof that the rule that only one impeachment proceeding can be initiated against an impeachable official in a year is being violated.

“That is another telling proof that there are two proceedings and not one as required by the Constitution,” he told The Star.

Gutierrez herself and other officials of the Office of the Ombudsman refused to comment on what happened at the House of Representatives wherein members of the justice committee voted that there is sufficient ground to proceed with the two impeachment cases against Gutierrez.

The Ombudsman, despite being given a deadline to respond to the charges against her, did not file a reply and instead went to the Supreme Court on Monday to file a motion for reconsideration, seeking for a reversal on the High Tribunal’s decision allowing Congress to proceed with the impeachment process.

Gutierrez maintains that she has the right to appeal the ruling 15 days from receipt of the same which means that the Supreme Court’s decision junking her petition questioning why two separate impeachment cases are being heard by the House Justice Committee when the Constitution only allows one, is not yet final. (report from Michael Punongbayan, Philstar.com)

Sorsogon prelate vows more protests vs RH bill

MANILA, Philippines – A bishop in Sorsogon said rallies in protest against the passage of reproductive health bill in Congress will intensify in the coming days.

Bishop Arturo Bastes said every diocese in the country should stage its own protest-rallies to pressure President Aquino for him to prevent the passage of the measure.

"I am disappointed because I thought that Pnoy considers it as a non priority bill. But we bishops will continue to fight against it.. and we are determined to fight against it. Even if it will be approved, we will not follow it. Dapat tuloy tuloy pa rin ang mga kilos protesta and I hope many other dioceses will have rallies," Bastes told Church-run Radyo Veritas.

The bishop is confident that the continuous pressure on the government will block the passage of the bill.

"Even if congress will approved if he disapproves it wala. Kung ibi-veto niya ito, walang saysay yang RH bill na yan," Bastes added. (report from Dennis Carcamo, Philstar.com)

Rebel leader in Masbate falls

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected high ranking leader of the New People’s Army was arrested early today in Masbate province.

In a text message, Maj. Harold Cabunoc, spokesman of the Army’s 9th Infantry Division, said a joint police and military operatives collared Vivian Herrero, aka Ka Vivian, around 5:20 a.m.

Armed with arrest warrants for murder and rebellion, government forces net Herrero in an alleged rebel’s safe house in the village of Mabini in Uson town.

The military official cited that Herrero was one of the “most wanted individuals” in Masbate, citing the reward money for her arrest at P150,000.

The suspect is now under the custody of the provincial police office in Masbate. (report from Jun Pasaylo, Philstar.com)

Gov't privatizing RPN 9, IBC 13


MANILA, Philippines - The government will privatize sequestered television networks RPN 9 and IBC 13, and retain only NBN Channel 4, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Sonny Coloma said Tuesday.

“By policy, President Aquino would want us to divest ourselves of the 2 erstwhile private networks that were sequestered in 1986 because according to law, there is only one government television network, and that is People’s Television Network Inc. (Channel 4),” Coloma told reporters.

RPN 9, which is first on the list, will be signing off, albeit only temporary.

"Temporary because they will enter into a new programming concept due to their block time agreement with Solar. 'Yung Solar papalitan yung programming ng Channel 9 and they will adopt the entire programming of ETC, 'yung entertainment channel sa cable. But they will be carrying that now on free TV which is Channel 9," noted Coloma.

The government only holds a 30% stake in RPN 9, following an equity infusion made by Solar Entertainment and a Supreme Court decision awarding a portion of the network to Far East Managers and Investors Inc., an organization affiliated with the estate of the late Ambassador Roberto Benedicto.

RPN 9 and IBC 13 were sequestered after the popular revolt in 1986 ousted dictator Ferdinand Marcos and catapulted the late President Corazon Aquino, mother of President Benigno Aquino, to office.

Coloma gave assurance that employees of RPN 9 will retain their jobs after the privatization.

"Walang mangyayari sa kanila, buo ang sweldo nila, buo ang benepisyo nila. Status quo. Walang pinagbago. Magbabago lang yung programa, yung itsura ng lalabas sa screen. Pero yung mga emplyado na nagtatrabaho, they stay in their places, their employment is secure. They remain employees of the network. There is no impact on the employees."

Coloma said President Aquino wants to amend the charter of NBN Channel 4 to allow the network to broaden its revenue base and find other budgetary support.

He explained that Channel 4 was only allowed to solicit ads during the first 10 years after its charter was signed into law in 1992.

From 2002 onwards, Channel 4 was only allowed to get “institutional revenues” through the advertising support of state agencies like PAGCOR and PCSO.

Coloma said the government also wants Channel 4 to become a “public service channel” that will carry more news, traffic and weather updates. (report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News)

Beware of Facebook ‘likes,’ drug agency warns Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines — Be wary of foreigners suddenly “liking” you on Facebook or other social networking sites, an official of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) advised netizens.

PDEA spokesperson Derrick Carreon said many drug mules or persons used to transport drugs through international borders were befriended and recruited online.

“Some of the mules or couriers we interviewed said they were befriended through the Internet by foreigners. Such cases are increasing,” he said in a forum in Quezon City.

Comparing the cases with those of Filipinos being personally approached by recruiters, the PDEA official said incidents of online “recruitment” of drug mules were now on the rise.

Many Filipino drug mules have been arrested and convicted abroad for illegal drug trafficking. In China, some are facing the death penalty.

“A big percentage” of those arrested, Carreon said, were recruited through online networking sites like Facebook.

“We do not mean to discriminate, but be wary of foreigners ‘liking’ you on Facebook,” he said.

Carreon, in a presentation, noted that those at risk of being victimized by such syndicates were poor Filipinos with little or no educational background.

“It’s the lure of easy money and going abroad. Some things to watch out for are groups of foreigners on the Internet which offer travel,” he said.

Celso Hernandez Jr. of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration’s (POEA) Anti-Illegal Recruitment Branch said Filipinos looking for overseas jobs should always go the legal way.

According to PDEA data, drug syndicates pay mules up to $3,000 for each successful trip. Some are recruited as tourists, while others are promised jobs abroad.

Hernandez said a task force on illegal recruitment would be formed soon in order to give the POEA more forces to run after illegal recruiters.

“Through a task force, we will be empowered to conduct entrapment operations and arrests,” the POEA official said.

The agency, he added, would include a briefer on the dangers of being a drug mule in the pre-orientation seminars of would-be overseas workers.

Carreon said they are also launching a media campaign to warn Filipinos about the dangers of being a drug courier for such syndicates.

Some of the reminders include not accepting packages from strangers at airports, and not being lured too easily by big money. (report from Julie M. Aurelio, Philippine Daily Inquirer)

3 Iloilo cops in hot water over lewd Facebook photos

ILOILO CITY, Philippines – Three police officers in Iloilo City are under investigation over lewd photos posted on social networking site Facebook.

Two of the 3 police officers faced the media on Monday to air their side on the scandal.

Police Officer 1 (PO1) Christian Gallofin cried while he was being interviewed.

He said he was not aware of what happened.

The lewd photos include shots of one police officer showing his penis.

PO1 Rolando Rivera, meanwhile, admitted that he uploaded the pictures on Facebook.

Gallofin, Rivera, and PO1 Jay-R Evangelio face either suspension or dismissal from the service, according to Camp Delgado officials.

Chief Supt. Cipriano Querol Jr., Region 6 police director, said the results of the investigation will be released within the week. (report from Nony Basco, ABS-CBN News Iloilo)

Monday, February 28, 2011

American nabbed for taking videos of topless girls in Cebu

CEBU CITY, Philippines - An American national was caught in the act on Sunday afternoon taking videos of 7 girls, all topless while wrestling in Daanbantayan town in Cebu province.

Officials of Barangay Malbago in Daanbantayan said they first saw the foreigner with the girls whom they thought were all minors while they were putting up a tent in a vacant lot in the mountain barangay.

Barangay Tanods responded and went to check the report. They caught the foreigner taking video of the 7 girls inside the tent. They later reported the incident to the police.

Chief Inspector Rusty Santos of Daanbantayan Police Station investigated the incident.

Santos identified the American national as Joseph Christian Bogo through his passport. The police official said that Bogo arrived in Cebu this February. He has been in the Philippines several times since 2009.

Santos also found out that 3 of the 7 girls were minors aged 14, 16, and 17 years old. The 3 girls said that they are from Pasil in Cebu City.

The 4 other girls told police that they were of legal age and they came from Bogo City. Police said they have yet to verify the information.

Police were able to recover from Bogo a mini-DV cartridge and the video camera he used to record the topless girls.

Bogo said that he knew the girls and they were all friends saying that what they did was just for fun. He said that he calls the video as “catfight, topless girls wrestling”.

But the minors said that a certain “Sheryl” from Pasil recruited them. They said they were paid P2,000 to do the catfight. Another P1,500 would reportedly be given to the girl who wins the fight. Police are still looking for “Sheryl.”

Bogo said that the video is only for his consumption. Bogo admitted that he works as a blogger but said he does not intend to post the video in his blog. He said that he travels from place to place and blogs about them.

Santos said he also saw in the video a woman whom Bogo identifies as his girlfriend. Bogo said that they are planning to get married this May.

The victims were all taken to the Regional Office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Region 7.

Bogo is currently detained at the Daanbantayan Detention Cell. Police said they plan to file trafficking in persons charge against Bogo at Bogo City Regional Trial Court.

Santos said that they have already informed the US embassy regarding the incident so Bogo can be provided with a lawyer.

Bogo also said that he has already informed his family in the US regarding the incident. (report from Carine Asutilla, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas)