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)
Saturday, April 16, 2011
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Cop dies as car rams post in Cebu town
MANILA, Philippines -- A policeman died Tuesday dawn after the car he was driving rammed into an electric post in Minglanilla town, Cebu, police said.
The Minglanilla police identified the fatality as Police Officer 2 Ivan Juarez who was assigned to the Naga Ctiy Station.
Juarez was driving his Mitsubishi Lancer car from Naga to his home in Talisay when accident occurred in Sitio Pungtod, Barnagay Sangi. He died at Minglanilla district hospital due to head injuries. (report from Jhunnex Napallacan/Inquirer Visayas)
The Minglanilla police identified the fatality as Police Officer 2 Ivan Juarez who was assigned to the Naga Ctiy Station.
Juarez was driving his Mitsubishi Lancer car from Naga to his home in Talisay when accident occurred in Sitio Pungtod, Barnagay Sangi. He died at Minglanilla district hospital due to head injuries. (report from Jhunnex Napallacan/Inquirer Visayas)
3.4-magnitude quake shakes Antique--Phivolcs
MANILA, Philippines -- A mild quake hit Antique early Tuesday the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said.
In its website, Phivolcs said that the 3.1 quake hit 90 kilometers southeast of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique at 3:24 a.m., Tuesday.
No damages were reported and no aftershocks are expected, Phivolcs said. (report from Katherine Evangelista/Inquirer.net)
In its website, Phivolcs said that the 3.1 quake hit 90 kilometers southeast of San Jose de Buenavista, Antique at 3:24 a.m., Tuesday.
No damages were reported and no aftershocks are expected, Phivolcs said. (report from Katherine Evangelista/Inquirer.net)
DoH team flies to Palawan village to check on increasing diarrhea cases
MANILA, Philippines -- A Provincial Health Office Medical team flew this Tuesday to a remote area in Palawan to confirm the number of diarrhea cases and treat them, an official from the Department of Health told Radyo Inquirer.
Dr. Romeo Ocampo , chief of Planning, Monitoring and Surveillance, said that medical team was on its way via helicopter to Rizal.
“Our medical team is now on its way to Rizal via helicopter. The only easy way to get there is through a helicopter because if we travel by land, it will take us five-hours to get to the municipality, another two hours to the villages and a five-hour walk to get inside the mountainous part.” Ocampo said speaking in Filipino.
“The number of fatalities in the Municipality of Batarasa is still going up but there were no additional deaths as of today,” Ocampo said.
Water samples from Batarasa River were confirmed to be positive for fecal contamination, Ocampo said.
The chances of contamination in these areas are very high because the residents do all their daily activities in the rivers, including bathing and getting water for food and drink, said Ocampo.
Ocampo said putting up water districts in these places was not practical because most of the villagers were tribesmen and nomads.
They tend to leave and go to different places. (report from Inquirer.net, Danica Marie Hermogenes/DZIQ-Radyo Inquirer)
Dr. Romeo Ocampo , chief of Planning, Monitoring and Surveillance, said that medical team was on its way via helicopter to Rizal.
“Our medical team is now on its way to Rizal via helicopter. The only easy way to get there is through a helicopter because if we travel by land, it will take us five-hours to get to the municipality, another two hours to the villages and a five-hour walk to get inside the mountainous part.” Ocampo said speaking in Filipino.
“The number of fatalities in the Municipality of Batarasa is still going up but there were no additional deaths as of today,” Ocampo said.
Water samples from Batarasa River were confirmed to be positive for fecal contamination, Ocampo said.
The chances of contamination in these areas are very high because the residents do all their daily activities in the rivers, including bathing and getting water for food and drink, said Ocampo.
Ocampo said putting up water districts in these places was not practical because most of the villagers were tribesmen and nomads.
They tend to leave and go to different places. (report from Inquirer.net, Danica Marie Hermogenes/DZIQ-Radyo Inquirer)
Ship officer, 3 others charged for rape aboard ship in Visayas
A ship officer and three companions were charged this week for allegedly sexually assaulting a 22-year-old woman aboard a ship over the weekend.
The four were charged before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office Monday for the incident aboard the M/V Calbayog, radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported on Tuesday.
Those charged for the alleged assault were ship officer Timoteo Sampayan, 32; Aldrin Albarando; Alvin Nalda; and Layman Degañon.
Aside from the charges, the four were barred from boarding the M/V Calbayog and its sister ships, the report said.
The initial investigation showed that the four reportedly invited the victim to Sampayan's cabin, where a brief drinking session and the alleged assault took place.
When the ship docked in Cebu City, the woman reported the incident to authorities who eventually arrested the four. (report from VVP/GMA News)
The four were charged before the Cebu City Prosecutor's Office Monday for the incident aboard the M/V Calbayog, radio dzBB's Cebu affiliate reported on Tuesday.
Those charged for the alleged assault were ship officer Timoteo Sampayan, 32; Aldrin Albarando; Alvin Nalda; and Layman Degañon.
Aside from the charges, the four were barred from boarding the M/V Calbayog and its sister ships, the report said.
The initial investigation showed that the four reportedly invited the victim to Sampayan's cabin, where a brief drinking session and the alleged assault took place.
When the ship docked in Cebu City, the woman reported the incident to authorities who eventually arrested the four. (report from VVP/GMA News)
Japan raises nuke crisis severity to highest level
TOKYO — Japan raised the severity of its nuclear crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant to a level 7 from 5, putting it on par with the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986.
The rating reflects the initial severity of the crisis not the current situation which has seen radiation levels drop dramatically.
"This is a preliminary assessment, and is subject to finalisation by the International Atomic Energy Agency," said an official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the government's nuclear watchdog, which made the announcement with the Nuclear Safety Commission.
Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated its northeast on March 11, and is facing a major humanitarian and economic crisis.
The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, is published by the IAEA and ranks nuclear and radiological accidents and incidents by their severity from 1 to a maximum of 7. (report from Reuters)
The rating reflects the initial severity of the crisis not the current situation which has seen radiation levels drop dramatically.
"This is a preliminary assessment, and is subject to finalisation by the International Atomic Energy Agency," said an official at the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency (NISA), the government's nuclear watchdog, which made the announcement with the Nuclear Safety Commission.
Japan is struggling to regain control of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant after a massive earthquake and tsunami devastated its northeast on March 11, and is facing a major humanitarian and economic crisis.
The International Nuclear and Radiological Event Scale, is published by the IAEA and ranks nuclear and radiological accidents and incidents by their severity from 1 to a maximum of 7. (report from Reuters)
Metro Manila cops go on full alert starting April 13
The police in Metro Manila will go on full alert starting on April 13 to ensure peace and order during the Holy Week exodus and break.
Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said all leaves of police personnel will be canceled for the moment, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported Tuesday.
Bartolome said some 5,000 personnel will be available for deployment starting on Wednesday.
In the meantime, he deployed some 350 bus marshals and motorized anti-street crime operatives to maintain peace and order in the streets.
Metro Manila police also inspected bus terminals to make sure the buses are safe and roadworthy.
Inspections at seaports
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started implementing tighter inspections at seaports to prevent maritime accidents as province-bound Filipinos began to crowd seaports for their Holy Week vacation.
In Manila, shipping companies noted a 50-percent hike in the number of passengers flocking to seaports to go to provinces, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported.
However, the report quoted Gian Carlo Galvez, a spokesman for Negros Navigation, as saying they expect the bulk of vacationers to show up at seaports starting this weekend.
The PCG also reiterated its order to its units nationwide to remain on alert, especially during the Lenten exodus and the rest of the summer season.
On Monday, PCG authorities intercepted air guns, bladed weapons and several other deadly weapons from passengers heading for the provinces to spend the Holy Week vacation.
The PCG said the weapons were found despite its repeated advisories to passengers not to bring such items.
Many of the items, including the air gun, were found during an x-ray scan of passengers’ baggage at the terminals of shipping firms, the report said. (report from VVP/GMA News)
Metro Manila police chief Director Nicanor Bartolome said all leaves of police personnel will be canceled for the moment, radio dzBB's Glen Juego reported Tuesday.
Bartolome said some 5,000 personnel will be available for deployment starting on Wednesday.
In the meantime, he deployed some 350 bus marshals and motorized anti-street crime operatives to maintain peace and order in the streets.
Metro Manila police also inspected bus terminals to make sure the buses are safe and roadworthy.
Inspections at seaports
Meanwhile, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) started implementing tighter inspections at seaports to prevent maritime accidents as province-bound Filipinos began to crowd seaports for their Holy Week vacation.
In Manila, shipping companies noted a 50-percent hike in the number of passengers flocking to seaports to go to provinces, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported.
However, the report quoted Gian Carlo Galvez, a spokesman for Negros Navigation, as saying they expect the bulk of vacationers to show up at seaports starting this weekend.
The PCG also reiterated its order to its units nationwide to remain on alert, especially during the Lenten exodus and the rest of the summer season.
On Monday, PCG authorities intercepted air guns, bladed weapons and several other deadly weapons from passengers heading for the provinces to spend the Holy Week vacation.
The PCG said the weapons were found despite its repeated advisories to passengers not to bring such items.
Many of the items, including the air gun, were found during an x-ray scan of passengers’ baggage at the terminals of shipping firms, the report said. (report from VVP/GMA News)
Monday, April 11, 2011
LTFRB warns bus firms on unannounced fare hikes
MANILA, Philippines—Bus companies imposing unannounced fare hikes in time for the summer vacation may have their franchises suspended or cancelled for illegally taking advantage of commuters, the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said.
The government has not approved any hike in provincial bus fares yet, according to the LTFRB, which encouraged commuters to report operators that have started to charge higher rates.
“If we receive any reports of overcharging by bus operators, we ask the companies involved to explain why their franchises should not be revoked,” LTFRB board member Manuel Iway said in an interview.
Provincial Bus Operator Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) executive director Jose Galzim said the group’s members had implemented a hike in fares starting 12:01 a.m. on Monday to help cope with rising fuel prices.
The group said it had implemented a rate of P1.35 for every kilometer after the first five, which was the rate approved by the LTFRB in 2008. The group decided not to implement the fare adjustment in 2008 due to the decline in fuel prices, Galzim told Radyo Inquirer DZIQ.
Galzim said the group’s decision was not tantamount to overpricing because the adjustment was still made within the bounds of the LTFRB-approved rates.
Meanwhile, Iway said the LTFRB would monitor any bus far increases over the approved rates.
At present, the minimum fare for provincial buses stands at P8.50 for the first five kilometers. Every succeeding kilometer costs P1.35.
Iway said PBOAP, whose members are mainly bus companies traveling to Central and Northern Luzon, has not filed any petition to increase fares.
The Southern Luzon Bus Operators Association (Soluboa) currently has a petition to increase ordinary provincial bus fare rates from P1.30 to P1.80 per kilometer and air-conditioned provincial bus fares to P2.10 per kilometer.
Iway said the LTFRB would meet to either approve or deny Soluboa’s petition to hike fares.
Since the start of the year, fares for taxis, jeepneys and Metro Manila buses have been raised to reflect the higher prices of petroleum products, which make up the bulk of drivers’ and operators’ expenses.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said it would conduct random inspections to determine if buses traveling this coming Holy Week meet minimum safety standards.
“We want to make sure that passenger vehicles, especially buses, are in the condition to travel long distances to ferry travelers to their destinations safely,” LTO chief Virginia Torres said.
Buses failing to pass LTO inspections would be grounded, she said.
Torres said a huge percentage of road mishaps resulting from mechanical defects may be avoided by becoming more vigilant in enforcing LTO safety guidelines.
Inspections will be done on bus companies in Quezon City/Cubao, Pasay, Caloocan and Manila, which have the most crowded terminals during the long holidays. (report from Paolo Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The government has not approved any hike in provincial bus fares yet, according to the LTFRB, which encouraged commuters to report operators that have started to charge higher rates.
“If we receive any reports of overcharging by bus operators, we ask the companies involved to explain why their franchises should not be revoked,” LTFRB board member Manuel Iway said in an interview.
Provincial Bus Operator Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) executive director Jose Galzim said the group’s members had implemented a hike in fares starting 12:01 a.m. on Monday to help cope with rising fuel prices.
The group said it had implemented a rate of P1.35 for every kilometer after the first five, which was the rate approved by the LTFRB in 2008. The group decided not to implement the fare adjustment in 2008 due to the decline in fuel prices, Galzim told Radyo Inquirer DZIQ.
Galzim said the group’s decision was not tantamount to overpricing because the adjustment was still made within the bounds of the LTFRB-approved rates.
Meanwhile, Iway said the LTFRB would monitor any bus far increases over the approved rates.
At present, the minimum fare for provincial buses stands at P8.50 for the first five kilometers. Every succeeding kilometer costs P1.35.
Iway said PBOAP, whose members are mainly bus companies traveling to Central and Northern Luzon, has not filed any petition to increase fares.
The Southern Luzon Bus Operators Association (Soluboa) currently has a petition to increase ordinary provincial bus fare rates from P1.30 to P1.80 per kilometer and air-conditioned provincial bus fares to P2.10 per kilometer.
Iway said the LTFRB would meet to either approve or deny Soluboa’s petition to hike fares.
Since the start of the year, fares for taxis, jeepneys and Metro Manila buses have been raised to reflect the higher prices of petroleum products, which make up the bulk of drivers’ and operators’ expenses.
Meanwhile, the Land Transportation Office (LTO) said it would conduct random inspections to determine if buses traveling this coming Holy Week meet minimum safety standards.
“We want to make sure that passenger vehicles, especially buses, are in the condition to travel long distances to ferry travelers to their destinations safely,” LTO chief Virginia Torres said.
Buses failing to pass LTO inspections would be grounded, she said.
Torres said a huge percentage of road mishaps resulting from mechanical defects may be avoided by becoming more vigilant in enforcing LTO safety guidelines.
Inspections will be done on bus companies in Quezon City/Cubao, Pasay, Caloocan and Manila, which have the most crowded terminals during the long holidays. (report from Paolo Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Twin fire hits Quezon City
MANILA, Philippines – A huge fire raged a squatter area in Quezon City this afternoon, razing shanties made up of light material in Purok 1-A of Barangay Culiat.
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire of still unknown origin started around 4:15 p.m. The BFP has raised the alarm to Task Force Alpha as the blaze immediately spread in the area.
Traffic along the westbound lane of Commonwealth has been closed and being re-routed to Tandang Sora flyover.
Early today, more than 90 families lost their homes after a fire of unknown origin hit a residential area in Barangay Central.
Santiago Laguna, director of the Bureau of Fire and Protection in Metro Manila, said the fire broke around 10:37 a.m. in Agham Road corner East Avenue in Barangay Central. It was declared under Task Force Bravo at 10:55 a.m.
Personnel from the Philippine Red Cross reported that three persons were hurt in the incident, namely, Carlito Parillo, Marisa Almada, and an unidentified man.
More than 30 structures, made up of light materials, were razed by the fire. Last February, a fire also hit the nearby area, evicting more than a hundred families. (report from John Nulud and Edward Sumile/Philstar.com)
The Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said the fire of still unknown origin started around 4:15 p.m. The BFP has raised the alarm to Task Force Alpha as the blaze immediately spread in the area.
Traffic along the westbound lane of Commonwealth has been closed and being re-routed to Tandang Sora flyover.
Early today, more than 90 families lost their homes after a fire of unknown origin hit a residential area in Barangay Central.
Santiago Laguna, director of the Bureau of Fire and Protection in Metro Manila, said the fire broke around 10:37 a.m. in Agham Road corner East Avenue in Barangay Central. It was declared under Task Force Bravo at 10:55 a.m.
Personnel from the Philippine Red Cross reported that three persons were hurt in the incident, namely, Carlito Parillo, Marisa Almada, and an unidentified man.
More than 30 structures, made up of light materials, were razed by the fire. Last February, a fire also hit the nearby area, evicting more than a hundred families. (report from John Nulud and Edward Sumile/Philstar.com)
Indonesian lawmaker resigns after porn scandal
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A conservative Indonesian lawmaker who helped pass a controversial anti-pornography law resigned Monday after he was caught watching explicit videos on his computer during a parliamentary session.
The scandal broke Friday after a local photojournalist filmed Arifinto, a member of the Prosperous Justice Party, watching pornography for several minutes as fellow lawmakers debated plans to build a new Parliament building. The blurred out images have been published online and on the front pages of newspapers almost every day since.
The case has transfixed this predominantly Muslim nation, dominating headlines and discussions on Facebook and Twitter. Critics on the social networking sites have blasted the lawmaker, with some calling him a hypocrite and others saying he should be prosecuted under the pornography law he helped pass.
Fifty-year-old Arifinto, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, apologized to his constituents Monday and told reporters during a hastily arranged news conference he was stepping down from Parliament immediately.
"It's my decision," said the father of five, insisting he had received no pressure from his staunchly Islamic party. "Nobody tried to coerce me."
Indonesia, a secular country of 237 million people, has more Muslims than any other country in the world. Though most are moderate, a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.
They have pushed through controversial laws — including the tough anti-porn bill that went into effect in 2008 despite strong opposition from the public and some members of government.
The law was used in January to sentence Nazril "Ariel" Irham, lead singer of the country's most popular band Peterpan, to 3 1/2 years in jail after two homemade sex tapes found their way to the Internet. Last year the editor in chief of Playboy Indonesia was also given two years behind bars.
Many argue that the law is vaguely worded and carries overly harsh penalties. (report from Philstar.com)
The scandal broke Friday after a local photojournalist filmed Arifinto, a member of the Prosperous Justice Party, watching pornography for several minutes as fellow lawmakers debated plans to build a new Parliament building. The blurred out images have been published online and on the front pages of newspapers almost every day since.
The case has transfixed this predominantly Muslim nation, dominating headlines and discussions on Facebook and Twitter. Critics on the social networking sites have blasted the lawmaker, with some calling him a hypocrite and others saying he should be prosecuted under the pornography law he helped pass.
Fifty-year-old Arifinto, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name, apologized to his constituents Monday and told reporters during a hastily arranged news conference he was stepping down from Parliament immediately.
"It's my decision," said the father of five, insisting he had received no pressure from his staunchly Islamic party. "Nobody tried to coerce me."
Indonesia, a secular country of 237 million people, has more Muslims than any other country in the world. Though most are moderate, a small extremist fringe has become more vocal in recent years.
They have pushed through controversial laws — including the tough anti-porn bill that went into effect in 2008 despite strong opposition from the public and some members of government.
The law was used in January to sentence Nazril "Ariel" Irham, lead singer of the country's most popular band Peterpan, to 3 1/2 years in jail after two homemade sex tapes found their way to the Internet. Last year the editor in chief of Playboy Indonesia was also given two years behind bars.
Many argue that the law is vaguely worded and carries overly harsh penalties. (report from Philstar.com)
16 dead bodies found in northern Mexico--army
MEXICO CITY--At least 16 more dead bodies have been found over the past two days in various parts of Tamaulipas state in northern Mexico, the defense ministry announced late Sunday.
The gruesome find brought to 88 the number of bodies found in the country in the past week.
According to the announcement, the bodies were unearthed from four common graves around the community of San Fernando.
Seven major drug gangs are operating in Mexico and their bloody clashes with each other and the authorities have left over 34,600 people dead since December 2006.
In addition, the Human Rights Commission said more than 5,000 people have been reported missing in Mexico, and many are presumed to be victims of the drug violence.
President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown against the drug gangs in 2006 but has so far failed to stem the violence. (report from Agence France-Presse)
The gruesome find brought to 88 the number of bodies found in the country in the past week.
According to the announcement, the bodies were unearthed from four common graves around the community of San Fernando.
Seven major drug gangs are operating in Mexico and their bloody clashes with each other and the authorities have left over 34,600 people dead since December 2006.
In addition, the Human Rights Commission said more than 5,000 people have been reported missing in Mexico, and many are presumed to be victims of the drug violence.
President Felipe Calderon launched a military crackdown against the drug gangs in 2006 but has so far failed to stem the violence. (report from Agence France-Presse)
Alleged drug mule recruiter fails to submit counter-affidavit
MANILA, Philippines—The alleged recruiter of executed Filipina drug mule Sally Ordinario-Villanueva failed to submit her counter-affidavit on the kidnapping case filed against her by Villanueva’s brother.
Assistant State Prosecutors Stewart Allan Mariano gave Tita Cacayan on or before April 25 to submit her counter-affidavit.
“If she fails to submit a counter-affidavit on April 25, we will already submit the case for resolution,” Mariano told reporters after the preliminary investigation.
Cacayan personally appeared during the preliminary investigation. However, she still has no lawyer. She also denied using other aliases.
The kidnapping case is related to a criminal case in Pasay City Regional Trial Court where two of Cacayan’s alleged cohorts are undergoing trial.
Charged in separate criminal information sheets before the Pasay City RTC in March 2010 were Elpidio Gonzales and Jhun Enumeng for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Both Gonzales and Enumeng were accused of transporting 37 pieces of tubular capsules suspected of containing heroin at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Also seized from the suspects were six pieces of capsules believed to contain heroin.
Records of the case showed that the two respondents allegedly used Jason Ordinario, the younger brother of Sally, to transport the prohibited items to another country by means of swallowing the capsules containing the illegal drugs.
On the other hand, Jason pointed to Cacayan as the one who recruited him and his older sister in the illegal activity.
Villanueva, in her affidavit identified Cacayan as the source of drugs she carried to China. She said it was Cacayan who recruited her for a job in Xiamen and provided her an empty suitcase she used for her travel. She said she is not aware that the suitcase containing over 4,000 grams of illegal drugs.
Villanueva, Ramon Credo were executed in Xiamen in China while and Elizabeth Batain was executed in Shenzhen for drug trafficking on last month. (report from Tetch Torres/Inquirer.net)
Assistant State Prosecutors Stewart Allan Mariano gave Tita Cacayan on or before April 25 to submit her counter-affidavit.
“If she fails to submit a counter-affidavit on April 25, we will already submit the case for resolution,” Mariano told reporters after the preliminary investigation.
Cacayan personally appeared during the preliminary investigation. However, she still has no lawyer. She also denied using other aliases.
The kidnapping case is related to a criminal case in Pasay City Regional Trial Court where two of Cacayan’s alleged cohorts are undergoing trial.
Charged in separate criminal information sheets before the Pasay City RTC in March 2010 were Elpidio Gonzales and Jhun Enumeng for violation of Republic Act No. 9165, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
Both Gonzales and Enumeng were accused of transporting 37 pieces of tubular capsules suspected of containing heroin at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA).
Also seized from the suspects were six pieces of capsules believed to contain heroin.
Records of the case showed that the two respondents allegedly used Jason Ordinario, the younger brother of Sally, to transport the prohibited items to another country by means of swallowing the capsules containing the illegal drugs.
On the other hand, Jason pointed to Cacayan as the one who recruited him and his older sister in the illegal activity.
Villanueva, in her affidavit identified Cacayan as the source of drugs she carried to China. She said it was Cacayan who recruited her for a job in Xiamen and provided her an empty suitcase she used for her travel. She said she is not aware that the suitcase containing over 4,000 grams of illegal drugs.
Villanueva, Ramon Credo were executed in Xiamen in China while and Elizabeth Batain was executed in Shenzhen for drug trafficking on last month. (report from Tetch Torres/Inquirer.net)
PH tops Google’s worldwide “resorts” search list
MANILA, Philippines—With the summer season now in full swing, the Philippines has ranked on top of a list of “resorts” that people all over the world look for on Google.com, the search-engine giant said in a statement.
The country also made it to the Top 10 of three different lists related to the words’ “vacation,” “summer” and “beach,” results of Google’s summer “Zeitgeist” showed.
The company’s “Zeitgeist,” which translates to “spirit of the times” in German, is a measure of the most-searched terms on Google.com, the world’s leading search engine.
“In our tropical country where vacations in beaches or resorts can be pursued all year round and weekend trips to nearby pools or beaches is the local norm, the Philippines’ ranking … does not come as a surprise at all,” the company said in a statement.
“With this much love for summer vacation in beaches and resorts, Google looks into the most popular local destinations for the first quarter of this year,” the company said.
Trailing the Philippines in the resorts list were Fiji, South Africa, India, Singapore, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Iraq, Canada and Namibia.
On the list of summer-related searches, the Philippines placed sixth. On vacation searches, the Philippines ranked ninth, and on searches involving the beach, the country was in fifth place.
On all of the lists, the Philippines was the highest-ranked country from Asia.
The results also showed that Coron, Palawan, which features pristine white-sand beaches and is largely undeveloped compared with Boracay, was ranked the fastest-growing local destination searched on Google.
Coron started to gain popularity ever since Banyan Tree Holdings announced plans to develop Diwaran Island in the area as the single largest integrated island resort in all Asia by 2012.
“The island paradise is popular for being a great shipwreck diving spot as well as for its therapeutic Maquinit Health Springs,” Google said in a statement.
Behind Coron was the town of Sagada in Mountain Province, about 275 kilometers north of Manila. Completing the Top 10 list of fastest-rising local destinations were Laguna, Pagudpud, Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Tagaytay, Camarines Sur and Baguio.
“Compared with the 2010 Summer Zeitgeist, which was dominated by beaches, this year’s list shows Filipinos seeking destinations other than sand and sea,” the company said.
Google said there was a notable decrease in searches on “beach” and “resorts” during the first quarter of this year compared with last year.
This may be connected with the late onset of summer this year, and an increasing trend around visiting more historical sites that do not involve being in the water to cool off.
“In 2010, the country experienced an unusually hot summer, with temperature hitting 39 degrees centigrade, prompting Pinoys to seek the water in unusually high numbers,” Google pointed out.
Tourism has been tagged by the government as one of the major drivers for economic development, especially in the countryside.
The government has set a target of doubling the number of tourists visiting the Philippines from over three million in 2010 to six million by 2016.
The government is focusing on eliminating infrastructure bottlenecks, allowing more foreign airlines to fly to the country, and aggressive marketing to achieve this goal. (report from Paolo Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The country also made it to the Top 10 of three different lists related to the words’ “vacation,” “summer” and “beach,” results of Google’s summer “Zeitgeist” showed.
The company’s “Zeitgeist,” which translates to “spirit of the times” in German, is a measure of the most-searched terms on Google.com, the world’s leading search engine.
“In our tropical country where vacations in beaches or resorts can be pursued all year round and weekend trips to nearby pools or beaches is the local norm, the Philippines’ ranking … does not come as a surprise at all,” the company said in a statement.
“With this much love for summer vacation in beaches and resorts, Google looks into the most popular local destinations for the first quarter of this year,” the company said.
Trailing the Philippines in the resorts list were Fiji, South Africa, India, Singapore, the United States, Trinidad and Tobago, Iraq, Canada and Namibia.
On the list of summer-related searches, the Philippines placed sixth. On vacation searches, the Philippines ranked ninth, and on searches involving the beach, the country was in fifth place.
On all of the lists, the Philippines was the highest-ranked country from Asia.
The results also showed that Coron, Palawan, which features pristine white-sand beaches and is largely undeveloped compared with Boracay, was ranked the fastest-growing local destination searched on Google.
Coron started to gain popularity ever since Banyan Tree Holdings announced plans to develop Diwaran Island in the area as the single largest integrated island resort in all Asia by 2012.
“The island paradise is popular for being a great shipwreck diving spot as well as for its therapeutic Maquinit Health Springs,” Google said in a statement.
Behind Coron was the town of Sagada in Mountain Province, about 275 kilometers north of Manila. Completing the Top 10 list of fastest-rising local destinations were Laguna, Pagudpud, Boracay, Bohol, Puerto Princesa, Tagaytay, Camarines Sur and Baguio.
“Compared with the 2010 Summer Zeitgeist, which was dominated by beaches, this year’s list shows Filipinos seeking destinations other than sand and sea,” the company said.
Google said there was a notable decrease in searches on “beach” and “resorts” during the first quarter of this year compared with last year.
This may be connected with the late onset of summer this year, and an increasing trend around visiting more historical sites that do not involve being in the water to cool off.
“In 2010, the country experienced an unusually hot summer, with temperature hitting 39 degrees centigrade, prompting Pinoys to seek the water in unusually high numbers,” Google pointed out.
Tourism has been tagged by the government as one of the major drivers for economic development, especially in the countryside.
The government has set a target of doubling the number of tourists visiting the Philippines from over three million in 2010 to six million by 2016.
The government is focusing on eliminating infrastructure bottlenecks, allowing more foreign airlines to fly to the country, and aggressive marketing to achieve this goal. (report from Paolo Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Stradcom warns of possible shutdown of computerized vehicle registration
MANILA, Philippines -- Technology firm Stradcom Corp. has warned of a possible shutdown of the database and computer systems it operates for the Land Transportation Office (LTO) if the agency continues to refuse remitting payments to the private firm.
This will mean the 300,000 transactions handled by the LTO will have to be done manually, making the agency’s records prone to manipulation, which will allow “carnapping” syndicates to thrive.
At a briefing on Monday, the LTO’s exclusive information technology (IT) provider said the agency owed Stradcom over P1 billion in payments for providing the technology that has been automating transactions and record-keeping at the LTO.
Stradcom officials said LTO chief Virginia Torres has withheld payments to the company since October of last year “for no apparent reason.”
Stradcom’s revenues come from connectivity and computer fees paid by motorists whenever they register vehicles or get drivers’ licenses.
“At first, we were confused as to why she had ordered payments to Stradcom withheld,” Stradcom spokesperson Margaux Salcedo told reporters.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) earlier said payments to Stradcom have been withheld due to an ongoing intra-corporate dispute between the company’s current chairman Cezar Quiambao and a group led by Bonifacio Sumbilla and Alderito Yujuico.
The department has issued two separate memoranda ordering the LTO to pay Stradcom, but these have been ignored.
In a letter to Torres in March, Quiambao said, “We cannot indefinitely sustain normal operations and maintenance of our LTO IT project’s systems and database without the remittance of payments you’ve been withholding for services duly rendered.”
The company said the withholding of payments could be used as a “force majeure” or a situation beyond its control that Stradcom could invoke to shut down its operations.
“LTO employees will be unable to process manually the combined average of 300,000 daily transactions that computerization allows,” Salcedo said.
“The process of registering vehicles and drivers licenses will once again take weeks to months instead of being achieved in one hour, as has been made possible by computerization. Criminals will be emboldened. Expect the proliferation of ‘fixers’ as well as ‘carnappers,’” she added.
Salcedo said Stradcom would do its “best” to maintain operations, but she did not say how long this could be maintained without the company earning any revenue.
When reached for her statement, Torres declined to give a comment.
The Department of Justice earlier recommended Torres’ suspension for bungling the handling of the dispute, leading to the shutdown of Stradcom’s operations for seven hours last December 9 in a failed takeover of the company by the Sumbilla group. (report from Paolo Montecillo/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Manila gov’t files graft complaint vs former mayor over dredging project
MANILA, Philippines—The Manila City government has filed graft complaints against former Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza and two others, catching Atienza’s camp by surprise.
The complaint, filed by Assistant City Administrator Amando Tetangco, alleged that the DENR and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission entered into anomalous transactions in the dredging of the Pasig River, which was started in 2008 and finished on September 2010.
Also included in the complaint were Architect Deogracias J. Tablan Jr. and engineer Alan Gatpolintan, executive director and assistant executive director of the PRRC respectively during the dredging.
Tetangco, in his complaint, asked the Ombudsman to “conduct a thorough investigation of the Pasig dredging project; require the respondents to submit proof of their actual accomplishments and expenditures relative to the project; and…charge them with the offenses stated in this complaint...for having entered into a project without public bidding, for being grossly advantageous to the government, for violating environmental laws and the Local Government Code and for being overpriced.”
Tetangco asked that Atienza, Tablan and Gatpolintan be charged with violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The dredging project was awarded to Belgian contractor Baggerwerken Decloedt (BDC) in a contract agreement signed on Oct. 15, 2008. It involved the removal of 2.93 million cubic meters of debris or sediment in the river spanning three kilometers from Del Pan Bridge toward Manila Bay, the reason why Manila was taking the lead in the complaint, Tetangco said in an interview.
Tetangco found it curious that while “the prevailing contract price for dredging is pegged at P200 per cubic meter of silt...the dredging for approximately 2.83 million cubic meters was exorbitantly priced at P4.5 billion. This means that the contract price for each cubic meter of dredged material was roughly P3,000.”
Tetangco said he filed the complaint on March 28, but it was only publicized by media this week.
Sought for comment, Atienza’s camp said they had not received a copy of the complaint, but said it was obviously politically motivated.
“The only reason I see why this issue would arise now is because [Mayor Alfredo Lim] is also facing plunder complaints for the Century Park Hotel issue, and that will be resolved soon,” Eric Cham, information officer for Atienza, said over phone.
Tetangco denied acting for Lim, saying the dredging project should be treated with transparency, and the complaint's delay was because they were able to complete documentary evidence only recently.
Atienza is Lim’s known rival for Manila city’s mayoralty. A recount of the Manila mayoral 2010 election results is ongoing, prompted by a poll protest filed by Atienza, who alleged fraud in the automated polls. (report from Jaymee T. Gamil/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
The complaint, filed by Assistant City Administrator Amando Tetangco, alleged that the DENR and the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission entered into anomalous transactions in the dredging of the Pasig River, which was started in 2008 and finished on September 2010.
Also included in the complaint were Architect Deogracias J. Tablan Jr. and engineer Alan Gatpolintan, executive director and assistant executive director of the PRRC respectively during the dredging.
Tetangco, in his complaint, asked the Ombudsman to “conduct a thorough investigation of the Pasig dredging project; require the respondents to submit proof of their actual accomplishments and expenditures relative to the project; and…charge them with the offenses stated in this complaint...for having entered into a project without public bidding, for being grossly advantageous to the government, for violating environmental laws and the Local Government Code and for being overpriced.”
Tetangco asked that Atienza, Tablan and Gatpolintan be charged with violations of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act and the Government Procurement Reform Act.
The dredging project was awarded to Belgian contractor Baggerwerken Decloedt (BDC) in a contract agreement signed on Oct. 15, 2008. It involved the removal of 2.93 million cubic meters of debris or sediment in the river spanning three kilometers from Del Pan Bridge toward Manila Bay, the reason why Manila was taking the lead in the complaint, Tetangco said in an interview.
Tetangco found it curious that while “the prevailing contract price for dredging is pegged at P200 per cubic meter of silt...the dredging for approximately 2.83 million cubic meters was exorbitantly priced at P4.5 billion. This means that the contract price for each cubic meter of dredged material was roughly P3,000.”
Tetangco said he filed the complaint on March 28, but it was only publicized by media this week.
Sought for comment, Atienza’s camp said they had not received a copy of the complaint, but said it was obviously politically motivated.
“The only reason I see why this issue would arise now is because [Mayor Alfredo Lim] is also facing plunder complaints for the Century Park Hotel issue, and that will be resolved soon,” Eric Cham, information officer for Atienza, said over phone.
Tetangco denied acting for Lim, saying the dredging project should be treated with transparency, and the complaint's delay was because they were able to complete documentary evidence only recently.
Atienza is Lim’s known rival for Manila city’s mayoralty. A recount of the Manila mayoral 2010 election results is ongoing, prompted by a poll protest filed by Atienza, who alleged fraud in the automated polls. (report from Jaymee T. Gamil/Philippine Daily Inquirer)
Dollar buoyed after US shutdown avoided
TOKYO—The dollar rallied in Asian trade before easing on Monday after Washington avoided a government shutdown by agreeing to cut around $38.5 billion from federal spending, dealers said.
The news was "positive for the dollar," said Yuichiro Harada, senior vice president of the Forex division at Mizuho Corporate Bank.
However, dealers warned that its momentum would fade, with the focus now on US March consumer price index data due Friday and speeches by Federal Reserve officials for clues on the course of monetary policy.
The euro was supported after South African President Jacob Zuma said in Tripoli on Sunday that Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi had accepted an African Union peace plan designed to end the current conflict, dealers said.
However, it faded in later trading.
The single currency was at $1.4454 from $1.4480 late Friday. The yen was at 84.74 to the dollar from 84.82, after the greenback earlier rose to 85.16.
The Japanese unit was at 122.50 to the euro from 122.73.
A dramatic 11th-hour deal slashing spending staved off a US government shutdown, ending a rancorous budget row between President Barack Obama and his newly empowered Republican foes.
Party leaders clinched the agreement, including $38.5 billion of extra spending cuts, after intense bargaining, barely an hour before the federal government effectively ran out of money at midnight on Friday.
The yen's relative weakness since Japan and its G7 counterparts staged a concerted intervention in March has been driven partly by heightened risk appetite, fuelling demand for high-yield currencies, dealers said.
The greenback was mixed against other major Asian currencies, rising to 1,084.21 South Korean won from 1,083.03 on Friday, 43.05 Philippine pesos from 42.99 and to 30.06 Thai baht from 30.02.
The US unit fell to Sg$1.2556 from 1.2570 and to 8,642.50 Indonesian rupiah from 8,650.50. It was unchanged at Tw$28.93. (report from Agence France-Presse)
The news was "positive for the dollar," said Yuichiro Harada, senior vice president of the Forex division at Mizuho Corporate Bank.
However, dealers warned that its momentum would fade, with the focus now on US March consumer price index data due Friday and speeches by Federal Reserve officials for clues on the course of monetary policy.
The euro was supported after South African President Jacob Zuma said in Tripoli on Sunday that Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi had accepted an African Union peace plan designed to end the current conflict, dealers said.
However, it faded in later trading.
The single currency was at $1.4454 from $1.4480 late Friday. The yen was at 84.74 to the dollar from 84.82, after the greenback earlier rose to 85.16.
The Japanese unit was at 122.50 to the euro from 122.73.
A dramatic 11th-hour deal slashing spending staved off a US government shutdown, ending a rancorous budget row between President Barack Obama and his newly empowered Republican foes.
Party leaders clinched the agreement, including $38.5 billion of extra spending cuts, after intense bargaining, barely an hour before the federal government effectively ran out of money at midnight on Friday.
The yen's relative weakness since Japan and its G7 counterparts staged a concerted intervention in March has been driven partly by heightened risk appetite, fuelling demand for high-yield currencies, dealers said.
The greenback was mixed against other major Asian currencies, rising to 1,084.21 South Korean won from 1,083.03 on Friday, 43.05 Philippine pesos from 42.99 and to 30.06 Thai baht from 30.02.
The US unit fell to Sg$1.2556 from 1.2570 and to 8,642.50 Indonesian rupiah from 8,650.50. It was unchanged at Tw$28.93. (report from Agence France-Presse)
Sandigan junks graft case vs VP Binay's wife
The Philippine anti-graft court has dismissed the graft case filed against former Makati City mayor Elenita Binay, wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay, and her co-accused in connection with the alleged overpricing in the purchase of office partitions and furniture in 2000 and 2001.
The Sandiganbayan Second Division cited weak evidence as reason for the dismissal of the case. It said even the prosecution has admitted that the information it filed in the case did not conform with the evidence.
Binay was accused of former Makati City Hall officials and officers from furniture firm Office Gallery International Inc. in an alleged excess purchase of office partitions and furniture for the new City Hall amounting to P58.04 million.
Binay's co-accused were former city administrator Nicanor V. Santiago Jr, general services department head Ernesto A. Aspillaga, and private defendants Li Yee Shing, Jason Li and Vivian M. Edurise, corporate officers of Office Gallery International Inc.
“(T)his court is duty-bound to spare the accused from the unnecessary burden, expense and anxiety of having to defend themselves in public trial. The admission made in open court early on by the Prosecution that the Information they filed in this case does not conform with evidence on record, foretold a bleak conclusion to this case," the court said in its 69-page decision.
The decision was penned by Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval, the division chairman, and was concurred in by Associate Justices Teresita V. Diaz-Baldos and Samuel R. Martires.
The court said that based on Prosecutor Rodrigo Coquia’s statements during trial, the information was unclear about what the offense really was — undue injury caused to the government on account of the alleged excess purchase or overprice; or unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference given to Office Gallery International Inc. because the transaction was a negotiated purchase.
Little weight was also given to testimonies by members of a team of government auditors, led by newly-appointed Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, as the court noted that the system they relied on was full of inconsistencies.
The court noted that the prosecution used a photocopy of the Furniture Layout Plan and used it as its basis in computing the supposed overprice. Under questioning by Justice Martires, State Auditor III Dean Suson Montalban acknowledged that they came up with the figure for the excess purchase by a simple comparison of the Layout Plan with the purchase request and purchase order.
“It is beyond belief that the Prosecution came to Court with evidence comprising merely of a bare comparison of the number of partitions purchased as appearing in the Purchase Order, on one hand, and partitions planned to be used as indicated in the Furniture Layout Plan, on the other, without referring to a confirmatory physical count of the partitions actually used in the City Hall," the court pointed out. (report from KBK/GMA News)
The Sandiganbayan Second Division cited weak evidence as reason for the dismissal of the case. It said even the prosecution has admitted that the information it filed in the case did not conform with the evidence.
Binay was accused of former Makati City Hall officials and officers from furniture firm Office Gallery International Inc. in an alleged excess purchase of office partitions and furniture for the new City Hall amounting to P58.04 million.
Binay's co-accused were former city administrator Nicanor V. Santiago Jr, general services department head Ernesto A. Aspillaga, and private defendants Li Yee Shing, Jason Li and Vivian M. Edurise, corporate officers of Office Gallery International Inc.
“(T)his court is duty-bound to spare the accused from the unnecessary burden, expense and anxiety of having to defend themselves in public trial. The admission made in open court early on by the Prosecution that the Information they filed in this case does not conform with evidence on record, foretold a bleak conclusion to this case," the court said in its 69-page decision.
The decision was penned by Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval, the division chairman, and was concurred in by Associate Justices Teresita V. Diaz-Baldos and Samuel R. Martires.
The court said that based on Prosecutor Rodrigo Coquia’s statements during trial, the information was unclear about what the offense really was — undue injury caused to the government on account of the alleged excess purchase or overprice; or unwarranted benefits, advantage or preference given to Office Gallery International Inc. because the transaction was a negotiated purchase.
Little weight was also given to testimonies by members of a team of government auditors, led by newly-appointed Commission on Audit Commissioner Heidi Mendoza, as the court noted that the system they relied on was full of inconsistencies.
The court noted that the prosecution used a photocopy of the Furniture Layout Plan and used it as its basis in computing the supposed overprice. Under questioning by Justice Martires, State Auditor III Dean Suson Montalban acknowledged that they came up with the figure for the excess purchase by a simple comparison of the Layout Plan with the purchase request and purchase order.
“It is beyond belief that the Prosecution came to Court with evidence comprising merely of a bare comparison of the number of partitions purchased as appearing in the Purchase Order, on one hand, and partitions planned to be used as indicated in the Furniture Layout Plan, on the other, without referring to a confirmatory physical count of the partitions actually used in the City Hall," the court pointed out. (report from KBK/GMA News)
Phivolcs: No tsunami threat from Japan quake
State seismologists on Monday allayed fears of a tsunami reaching the Philippines following a magnitude-7.1 quake that hit Japan Monday afternoon.
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tsunami alert in the Philippines is at level "0," meaning no evacuation is needed.
"PHIVOLCS Tsunami ALERT Level is 0. This is for information purposes only and there is no tsunami threat to the Philippines from this earthquake," it said in a bulletin.
It said the quake occurred at 4:16 p.m. (Manila time), along the east coast of Honshu in Japan.
The quake came a month after a magnitude-9 quake and a tsunami devastated Japan's northeast area.
"No destructive Pacific-wide threat exists based on the historical and tsunami data. However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the epicenter," the Phivolcs bulletin said. (report from KBK/GMA News)
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the tsunami alert in the Philippines is at level "0," meaning no evacuation is needed.
"PHIVOLCS Tsunami ALERT Level is 0. This is for information purposes only and there is no tsunami threat to the Philippines from this earthquake," it said in a bulletin.
It said the quake occurred at 4:16 p.m. (Manila time), along the east coast of Honshu in Japan.
The quake came a month after a magnitude-9 quake and a tsunami devastated Japan's northeast area.
"No destructive Pacific-wide threat exists based on the historical and tsunami data. However, earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within a hundred kilometers of the epicenter," the Phivolcs bulletin said. (report from KBK/GMA News)
Hohmann nips buddy Souquet, captures Philippine Open crown
Compatriots and bosom buddies Thorsten Hohmann and Ralf Souquet battled it out in a classic finale of the Philippine Open Pool men’s championship on Monday at the SM Megamall.
The two German former world champions, who were seeking their first-ever championship on Philippine soil, pushed each other to the limit up to the 21st and final rack.
In the end, Hohmann got the better of the match and claimed this year’s championship in a nail-bitter of an encounter, 11-10.
So the player who wasn’t supposed to join in this WPA event wound up victorious and capped an interesting story here. (report from Rey Joble/GMA News)
The two German former world champions, who were seeking their first-ever championship on Philippine soil, pushed each other to the limit up to the 21st and final rack.
In the end, Hohmann got the better of the match and claimed this year’s championship in a nail-bitter of an encounter, 11-10.
So the player who wasn’t supposed to join in this WPA event wound up victorious and capped an interesting story here. (report from Rey Joble/GMA News)
PNP intensifies security measures for Holy Week
Police forces nationwide have been ordered to intensify security initiatives in preparation for the upcoming Holy Week, when thousands are expected to troop to the provinces for the expected long weekend.
Director General Raul Bacalzo, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said he specifically instructed police units to intensify existing checkpoints and enforce anew the PNP’s "Oplan Sita" and "Oplan Bakal" campaigns, and the Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives (MASCO).
"Kailangan makita uli natin yung ating mga kapulisan sa kalsada lalo na yung ating MASCO (We need to see our police on the streets, especially the MASCO)," Bacalzo told reporters in an interview Monday.
He said they recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Practical Shooting Association and the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators to enlist the help of security guards in terms of police visibility.
"Sila ang ating (They will be our) force multipliers," he said.
Bacalzo said he also instructed police regional directors, particularly the National Capital Region Police Office, to ask mall owners to allow uniformed personnel to guard shops and terminals.
"So I expect inspections again of bus terminals, the airports and the train terminal by our directors of the field," he said.
He noted, however, that the alert level in all areas remains normal as of the moment. (report from Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News)
Director General Raul Bacalzo, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said he specifically instructed police units to intensify existing checkpoints and enforce anew the PNP’s "Oplan Sita" and "Oplan Bakal" campaigns, and the Motorized Anti-Street Crime Operatives (MASCO).
"Kailangan makita uli natin yung ating mga kapulisan sa kalsada lalo na yung ating MASCO (We need to see our police on the streets, especially the MASCO)," Bacalzo told reporters in an interview Monday.
He said they recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Practical Shooting Association and the Philippine Association of Detective and Protective Agency Operators to enlist the help of security guards in terms of police visibility.
"Sila ang ating (They will be our) force multipliers," he said.
Bacalzo said he also instructed police regional directors, particularly the National Capital Region Police Office, to ask mall owners to allow uniformed personnel to guard shops and terminals.
"So I expect inspections again of bus terminals, the airports and the train terminal by our directors of the field," he said.
He noted, however, that the alert level in all areas remains normal as of the moment. (report from Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News)
Woods becomes that Tiger again
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) – For the better part of two hours Sunday, he was that Tiger Woods again.
The one who boomed drives off every tee box, threw darts at flags stuck in the toughest spots on golf's toughest greens and pulled in spectators from every corner of Augusta National the way a magnet gathers iron shavings. For a while, anything still seemed possible.
Woods birdied three of the first five holes and in quick succession, the par-3 sixth and long par-4 seventh, then hit a fairway metal nearly 280 yards from the fairway on the par-5 eighth to 8 feet. He rolled that one in for eagle.
Woods finished each of the first three rounds of the Masters saying that all he needed to win this thing was a good start. And now, two hours after turning for home following a blistering 31 on the front nine — and a tie for the lead at 10-under — that was all it turned out to be.
"It was a nice little run there," Woods said after posting a final round 67, still hoping for a spot in a playoff that never happened.
It was nearly 6 p.m., by the time Woods walked off the 18th green, the sun already dipping low in the sky. A half-dozen pairs, including eventual winner Charl Schwartzel, were still out on the course. He was watching a TV in the second-floor locker room of the Augusta National clubhouse, polishing off a sandwich brought in by an attendant, when the telling moment arrived. Woods' caddie, Stevie Williams, leaned back in a chair and exhaled, then got up and started peeling off his Masters coveralls. He wouldn't need them until next year.
There was a time when Woods' name bubbled up atop the leaderboard here and you might as well send the rest of the field home. Back then, his rivals' knees buckled or their nerves frayed, causing them to attempt shots they didn't have. Woods still scares opponents, to be sure, just not the way he did once. His last chance to do that came at the par-5 15th, after rocketing a long iron onto the green and within 5 feet of the cup. Instead, this eagle try slid past the hole on the right.
A tap-in birdie left Woods still tied for the lead. But he came home with three straight pars, leaving his fate in the hands of the dozen guys behind him still jockeying for position, something he rarely did before.
Someone asked Woods if he could take back one shot and hit it again, which one would that be.
"We can't do that. We do that every week and we would go crazy," he said, "wouldn't we?"
True.
But nobody else gets do-overs, either, and this week was as close to one as anybody gets. Woods returned to Augusta National a year ago after falling farther faster than most of us thought possible. The tentative applause when he returned to competition last year was replaced by full-throated roars as Woods shot himself back into contention Friday, the galleries a dozen deep, urging him on the same way they had in his salad days. For all that, he only managed to move up one spot, from a tie for fourth to a tie for third this time around.
Plenty of things have changed in that span, yet for all the changes that have been made public since, the one thing Woods likely would most want back is strictly professional. The man simply can't putt the way that Tiger Woods could, let alone at the biggest moments in the biggest tournaments. He was flawless inside 6 feet and deadlier than everybody else from 15; now he's just about average.
Not surprising, the hinge for the round of 66 on Friday that catapulted Woods into contention was his putter, which he needed just 26 times. When Woods talks now about how much better he is hitting the ball since retooling his swing, he's right. And Sunday's 67 could have been so much better, if only because he needed 30 putts. He wrote off a missed a par-save at No. 12 as a "pull" and that missed eagle at No. 15 as a "block."
"I should have shot an 3- or 4-under on the back," Woods conceded, "and I only posted even."
Even the most technically oriented golf teachers will admit that putting is, at its root, a mental exercise. Woods has tried switching the same model of putter he used early all his golfing life and recently switched styles, from a blade to a mallet. None of them has helped him close the gap.
Plenty of self-appointed coaches watching on TV and more than a few pros have offered advice on how Woods could, or should do that. Nearly all of it has been focused on those few inches on either side of the golf ball. More likely, though, the problem with his putting still resides somewhere squarely between his ears. (report from Philstar.com)
The one who boomed drives off every tee box, threw darts at flags stuck in the toughest spots on golf's toughest greens and pulled in spectators from every corner of Augusta National the way a magnet gathers iron shavings. For a while, anything still seemed possible.
Woods birdied three of the first five holes and in quick succession, the par-3 sixth and long par-4 seventh, then hit a fairway metal nearly 280 yards from the fairway on the par-5 eighth to 8 feet. He rolled that one in for eagle.
Woods finished each of the first three rounds of the Masters saying that all he needed to win this thing was a good start. And now, two hours after turning for home following a blistering 31 on the front nine — and a tie for the lead at 10-under — that was all it turned out to be.
"It was a nice little run there," Woods said after posting a final round 67, still hoping for a spot in a playoff that never happened.
It was nearly 6 p.m., by the time Woods walked off the 18th green, the sun already dipping low in the sky. A half-dozen pairs, including eventual winner Charl Schwartzel, were still out on the course. He was watching a TV in the second-floor locker room of the Augusta National clubhouse, polishing off a sandwich brought in by an attendant, when the telling moment arrived. Woods' caddie, Stevie Williams, leaned back in a chair and exhaled, then got up and started peeling off his Masters coveralls. He wouldn't need them until next year.
There was a time when Woods' name bubbled up atop the leaderboard here and you might as well send the rest of the field home. Back then, his rivals' knees buckled or their nerves frayed, causing them to attempt shots they didn't have. Woods still scares opponents, to be sure, just not the way he did once. His last chance to do that came at the par-5 15th, after rocketing a long iron onto the green and within 5 feet of the cup. Instead, this eagle try slid past the hole on the right.
A tap-in birdie left Woods still tied for the lead. But he came home with three straight pars, leaving his fate in the hands of the dozen guys behind him still jockeying for position, something he rarely did before.
Someone asked Woods if he could take back one shot and hit it again, which one would that be.
"We can't do that. We do that every week and we would go crazy," he said, "wouldn't we?"
True.
But nobody else gets do-overs, either, and this week was as close to one as anybody gets. Woods returned to Augusta National a year ago after falling farther faster than most of us thought possible. The tentative applause when he returned to competition last year was replaced by full-throated roars as Woods shot himself back into contention Friday, the galleries a dozen deep, urging him on the same way they had in his salad days. For all that, he only managed to move up one spot, from a tie for fourth to a tie for third this time around.
Plenty of things have changed in that span, yet for all the changes that have been made public since, the one thing Woods likely would most want back is strictly professional. The man simply can't putt the way that Tiger Woods could, let alone at the biggest moments in the biggest tournaments. He was flawless inside 6 feet and deadlier than everybody else from 15; now he's just about average.
Not surprising, the hinge for the round of 66 on Friday that catapulted Woods into contention was his putter, which he needed just 26 times. When Woods talks now about how much better he is hitting the ball since retooling his swing, he's right. And Sunday's 67 could have been so much better, if only because he needed 30 putts. He wrote off a missed a par-save at No. 12 as a "pull" and that missed eagle at No. 15 as a "block."
"I should have shot an 3- or 4-under on the back," Woods conceded, "and I only posted even."
Even the most technically oriented golf teachers will admit that putting is, at its root, a mental exercise. Woods has tried switching the same model of putter he used early all his golfing life and recently switched styles, from a blade to a mallet. None of them has helped him close the gap.
Plenty of self-appointed coaches watching on TV and more than a few pros have offered advice on how Woods could, or should do that. Nearly all of it has been focused on those few inches on either side of the golf ball. More likely, though, the problem with his putting still resides somewhere squarely between his ears. (report from Philstar.com)
GMA News TV to provide all access pass to Royal Wedding
Anxious to see the upcoming wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William of Wales to Catherine Middleton? Dream no more, because on April 29, GMA News TV will be airing the live footage of the wedding.
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. on that date, GMA News TV, with the help of BBC via Reuters, will guarantee every viewer all access pass to the much awaited wedding.
This belies rumors that one Philippine network has clinched the exclusive right to air the Royal Wedding in the Philippines. “There is no single rights holder to coverage and airing of the wedding," a foreign-based wire agency executive said.
In addition, three of GMA Network’s top news anchors — Jessica Soho, Vicky Morales and Connie Sison — will be covering the event, backed by the network’s veteran field producers, cameramen, and London-based stringers.
Beginning April 18 and up to the time the couple leave for their honeymoon, GMA News TV will provide royal watchers with daily news updates and trivia on the wedding. Viewers will be given insights on the historical context and protocol involved at every step of the event.
GMA News TV will also be airing a special documentary by Indigo Films entitled “Kate and William: Inside the Royal Wedding" on April 24, the Sunday before the wedding.
The documentary features interviews with the couple and their close friends as well as designers and suppliers involved in the historic event. (report from GMA News Online)
Pakistan's spy chief to visit US amid tensions
ISLAMABAD (AP) — Pakistan's spy chief is on his way to the United States as the two nations' counterterrorism partnership is at a low point.
A Pakistani intelligence official says Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha was headed on Monday to the U.S., where he was expected to meet with the CIA chief. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media on the record.
Pasha's Inter-Services Intelligence agency is angry and embarrassed over the case of a CIA contractor who shot and killed two Pakistanis in January.
Some reports have said the two agencies are not cooperating as closely as they once did as a result.
The CIA and the ISI have worked together on capturing Taliban and al-Qaida militants and missile attacks along the Afghan border. (report from Philstar.com)
A Pakistani intelligence official says Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha was headed on Monday to the U.S., where he was expected to meet with the CIA chief. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to media on the record.
Pasha's Inter-Services Intelligence agency is angry and embarrassed over the case of a CIA contractor who shot and killed two Pakistanis in January.
Some reports have said the two agencies are not cooperating as closely as they once did as a result.
The CIA and the ISI have worked together on capturing Taliban and al-Qaida militants and missile attacks along the Afghan border. (report from Philstar.com)
DFA assures safety of Phl forces in Cote d'Ivoire
MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) reported today that the six officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Cote d’Ivoire under the United Nations’ mandate are in good hands.
This after Lt. Col. George Tagle, one of the six AFP officers assigned in UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), confirmed the report.
Tagle said he was already transferred to a more secured place, but cited that three of his fellow officers are in areas controlled by supporters of opposition candidate Alassane Quattara.
The other two officers were assigned outside the borders of UN headquarters, he added.
Tensions raised in the area since the start of the second round of the 2010 presidential elections between incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition’s Ouattara.
The two rival politicians both claimed they won the polls. However, a few countries and international organizations have recognized Ouattara as the legit winner of presidential elections. (report from Edward Sumile/Philstar.com)
This after Lt. Col. George Tagle, one of the six AFP officers assigned in UN Operation in Cote d’Ivoire (UNOCI), confirmed the report.
Tagle said he was already transferred to a more secured place, but cited that three of his fellow officers are in areas controlled by supporters of opposition candidate Alassane Quattara.
The other two officers were assigned outside the borders of UN headquarters, he added.
Tensions raised in the area since the start of the second round of the 2010 presidential elections between incumbent president Laurent Gbagbo and opposition’s Ouattara.
The two rival politicians both claimed they won the polls. However, a few countries and international organizations have recognized Ouattara as the legit winner of presidential elections. (report from Edward Sumile/Philstar.com)
Bb. Pilipinas 2011 winners bared
MANILA, Philippines — (UPDATE) The Binibining Pilipinas pageant crowned early Monday its newest beauty queens namely Shamcey Supsup as Bb. Pilipinas-Universe, Dianne Necio as Bb. Pilipinas-International and Isabella Manjon as Bb. Pilipinas-Tourism.
Supsup, a magna cum laude graduate from the University of the Philippines College of Architecture, will be representing the country in the Miss Universe pageant to be held in Sao Paolo, Brazil in September.
Meanwhile, Necio, who won as first runner-up in last year’s Binibining Pilipinas, will be representing the Philippines in the Miss International competition to be held in Chengdu, China later this year.
Also named during the awarding ceremonies held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City were Janine Tugonon, 1st runner-up, and Mary Jean Lastimosa, 2nd runner-up.
The coronation was hosted by actors KC Concepcion and Derek Ramsay together with former title holders Precious Lara Quigaman (2005 Miss International) and Miriam Quiambao (1999 Miss Universe 1st runner-up). It was aired over ABS-CBN channel 2.
Present during the coronation to relinquish their titles were Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2010 and Miss Universe 4th runner-up Venus Raj, Bb. Pilipinas-World 2010 Czarina Gatbonton and Bb. Pilipinas-International 2010 Krista Kleiner.
This year’s contest, which featured 40 candidates, marked the renewed partnership between ABS-CBN and the Binibining Pilipinas Charities Inc., organizer of the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant. (report from Don Lejano/Inquirer.net)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Flordelina Macabiog resigned her work
CEBU CITY - Yesterday, April 9, Saturday, Flordelina Macabiog had been resigned from her work at A. Bandiola Marketing.
In a recent post in her Facebook profile, she posted last night and said: "happy kayo na nag-resign ako?? Wala na akong work, naghirap na ako, as in naglimos na ako dito sa Cebu... I'm sure masaya na ang mga insecure na tao... Hahaha..."
Flor also said in her post that "God is watching", meaning that someday, there will be karma to them.
The KaJoyfulness network was shocked of what happened to Flor. (report from the KaJoyfulness network)
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