February 19, 2012 03:33 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 19, 2012) - Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, the main proponent of the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill now pending in the House of Representatives, welcomed yesterday the acceptance by Church leaders of his challenge to a grand debate on the issue.
However, Lagman admits that in order for the debate to take place, the premise should be laid out and this would entail that the bishops should first accept certain principles such as the freedom of informed choice and the country’s population problem before any debates can start.
February 17, 2012 02:45 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 17, 2012) - A witness admitted yesterday to having seen a copy of Chief Justice Renato Corona's bank document in possession of hitherto unnamed member of the House of the Representatives even before Feb 2, 2012, the day when the prosecution claims they got possession of the controversial document from an unknown "little lady."
On Jan. 31, 2012, Quezon City Rep. Jorge “Bolet” Banal asked Philippine Savings Bank branch manager Annabelle Tiongson for help in authenticating a photocopy of what appeared to be a signature card for a dollar account in the bank belonging to one Renato Corona.
February 17, 2012 01:46 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 17, 2012) - In response to President Aquino's most recent swipe at Chief Justice Renato Corona, the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) urged the public yesterday to withhold judgment until the the on-going impeachment trial of the chief magistrate is completed.
In a statement, Dennis Habawel, IBP spokesman, said the public must await Corona’s turn to present evidence before making any conclusion.
February 17, 2012 12:52 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 17, 2012) - The debate on population management shares the limelight again as 17 non-governmental organizations (NGOs) launched a signature campaign to push for the immediate passage of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill, which has been pending in Congress for more than 15 years.
According to Eden Divinagracia, executive director of the Philippine NGO Council on Population, Health and Development Inc. (PNGOC), the RH bill is a “mechanism to uplift the stature of living of common Filipino people.”
February 17, 2012 12:27 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 17, 2012) - An impeachment complaint filed by a taxpayer against President Aquino was nipped in the bud after at least two prominent opposition congressmen refused to take it seriously.
“I think it won’t fly. There is no ground to impeach the President,” House of Representatives, Minority Leader Danilo Suarez said.
February 16, 2012 09:05 PM
FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City (Feb 16, 2012) – Having less in life does not make a person greedy especially in times of disaster. This attribute was shown by two low-ranking Army soldiers during the search and retrieval operations in the earthquake-shaken community in La Libertad, Negros Oriental.
Privates Danny Faigane and Marlon Vera were members of the disaster response team which was immediately deployed in that town, following the 6.9 magnitude earthquake which pummelled the village of Salonggon on February 6.
On February 13 at around 10:00am, the two soldiers were removing dirt and mud from an upper level of a house when they unearthed a metal box containing P70, 000.00. They also found another bundle of cash amounting to P20,000 in the same vicinity.
February 16, 2012 04:43 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 16, 2012) - Amid claims and counter-claims about the authenticity of the documents presented by the prosecution panel, the impeachment court ordered the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) yesterday to produce the original records of the bank accounts of Chief Justice Renato Corona for comparison before the Senator-jurors.
On Day 18 of the trial, Senate President and impeachment court presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile ordered PSBank president Pascual Garcia III to bring the customer identification and specimen signature card of Corona for two peso-denominated accounts in the bank.
February 16, 2012 03:53 AM
MANILA, Philippines - Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman, principal author of the Reproductive Health (RH) bill in the House of Representatives, has called for a dialogue with Catholic Church leaders on the touchy issue.
Lagman, issued the statement after Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle expressed willing- ness to resume dialogue with Malacañang officials on the bill.
February 16, 2012 02:18 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 16, 2012) - The petition of Chief Justice Renato Corona to stop his impeachment trial had to be raffled off for the second time after a Supreme Court (SC) Justice appointed by President Aquino declined to take charge of the case.
An insider yesterday told The Philippine Star that Associate Justice Estela Perlas-Bernabe does not want to be the ponente or member-in-charge of Corona’s case.
February 14, 2012 05:50 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 14, 2012) - Complying with a subpoena to present Chief Justice Renato Corona's initial bank deposits, a branch manager of the Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) revealed yesterday at the impeachment court that Corona opened five time deposit accounts containing millions of pesos in May 2007, twice in 2009, and twice in 2010,
PSBank Katipunan branch manager Annabelle Tiongson said Corona opened his first time deposit account on May 16, 2007 under account numbers 089121011957 with an opening balance of P2,000,000.
February 11, 2012 08:11 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb. 11, 2012) - Chief Justice Renato Corona and his family have to contend with a tax evasion probe even as the impeachment trial against the chief magistrate continues.
BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares sent separate summons to the Chief Justice, his wife Cristina, their daughter Ma. Carla and her husband Constantino Castillo III, to answer separate tax evasion inquiries.
February 11, 2012 04:08 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb. 11, 2012) - The usefulness of the statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) is now being put to test in holding government employees accountable from the level of Chief Justice who is now under impeachment trial to that of lower-level positions.
An employee of the state-run Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) in Davao City failed the government’s lifestyle check after he did not file his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN) and allegedly amassed unlawful wealth.
February 9, 2012 01:35 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 9, 2012) - Despite the defense's objections and a pending petition for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) at the Supreme Court, the Senate impeachment court allowed the testimony of the president of Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) who presented bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona's peso accounts - but not the dollar accounts.
Asked by Senate President and impeachment court presiding officer Juan Ponce Enrile why he would not disclose the five dollar denominated accounts, PSBank president Pascual Garcia III said doing so would expose him to criminal liability because of stringent provisions in the Bank Secrecy Law pertaining to dollar accounts.
February 8, 2012 03:27 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 8, 2012) - The 6.9 earthquake that struck the Visayas on Monday triggered landslides that buried houses and at least 100 people in Barangay Solongan, La Libertad town in Negros Oriental.
“The authorities estimate that about 100 persons were buried,” said Minda Morante, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Central Visayas, yesterday.
Morante said they have not regarded the estimate as an official figure because retrieval operations are still ongoing in the area.
February 8, 2012 02:46 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 8, 2012) - In an emotional testimony frequently interrupted by objections from the defense counsel and admonition from the chair, the president of the Philippine Airlines (PAL) employees union alleged that Chief Justice Renato Corona played a role in flip-flopping of the Supreme Court on cases against the flag carrier.
The prosecution presented Roberto Anduiza, president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP), as its first witness against Corona for Article 3 of the impeachment complaint. Under Article 3, Corona is being accused of making the high court reverse some of its rulings.
February 8, 2012 12:58 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 8, 2012) - While the Senate impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona is ongoing, another Supreme Court (SC) justice is getting closer to being impeached.
Voting 27-4 with one abstention, the House committee on justice handily hurdled the third step of its four-step impeachment process by finding “sufficient ground for impeachment” against Justice Mariano del Castillo for alleged plagiarism and misrepresentation.
Minutes before it found enough ground to pursue the impeachment complaint against Del Castillo, the committee, by a 28-5 vote, threw out a motion presented by former minority leader Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman to dismiss the case.
February 7, 2012 02:54 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 7, 2012) - In a decision arrived at during a closed-door caucus called in the midst of the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona yesterday, Senators acting as judges allowed the subpoena and presentation of Corona'a bank account records as requested by the prosecution.
The alleged supicious accounts are held by Philippine Savings Bank (PSBank) and Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI).
February 7, 2012 01:37 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 7, 2012) - The death toll of a magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit Negros Oriental at noon yesterday has risen to 52, disaster management officials said.
The tremor centered five kilometers northwest of Tayasan, Negros Oriental struck fear among those caught inside violently shaking buildings, caused landslides and cracks in highways, made several bridges impassable and left the integrity of some buildings in doubt. At least one multi-storey building is reported to have crumbled to the ground.
February 3, 2012 12:27 AM
FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City (Feb 2, 2012) – The Commander of all Army forces in the country has reminded his troops to always adhere to the AFP IPSP Bayanihan Rules of Engagement (ROE), an Army official said.
Major Harold M Cabunoc, Army Spokesperson, said that a directive was handed down by Lieutenant General Emmanuel T Bautista to all of the major unit commanders all throughout the archipelago.
February 1, 2012 09:19 PM
The health insurance coverage of around 5 million families identified and provided by their Local Government Units (LGUs) and /or sponsors under the Sponsored Program in CY 2011, whose expiry date was December 31, 2011, is hereby extended to March 31, 2012 at no cost to the LGU.
This development will ensure continued health insurance coverage for over 10 million poor and low-income families under the Sponsored Program of the National Health Insurance Program (NHIP), including the 5.2 million poor families determined as poor by the National Household Targeting System for Poverty Reduction (NHTSPR) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) who had also been provided health insurance coverage with National Government funding.
February 1, 2012 06:00 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Feb 01, 2012) - The Corona family might be awash in undeclared cash as indicated by the pattern of buying properties on "almost cash basis" and the uncovering of secret dollar accounts traced to their names and the prosecution team is now eyeing the presentation of the bank records of Chief Justice Renato Corona and his wife Cristina.
The prosecution team aims to bolster its argument that the chief justice, now on impeachment trial, has substantial assets not declared in his Statement of Assets Liabilities and Networth (SALN).
January 30, 2012 12:17 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Jan 30, 2012) - While in the thick of the impeachment trial against Chief Justice Renato Corona, the House committee on justice shall find time to tackle the impeachment complaint against another Supreme Court (SC) justice, Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.
Despite being busy as lead prosecutor of the House of Representatives for the impeachment trial of Corona, House justice committee chairman Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas said his panel has scheduled a hearing tomorrow at 9:30 a.m.
January 29, 2012 03:24 AM
MANILA, Philippines (Jan 29, 2012) - Believing that the conclusion that Chief Justice Renato Corona amassed ill-gotten wealth shall surface as a matter of course, the prosecutors in the on-going impeachment trial of the chief magistrate say there is no need to ammend the complaint as suggested by some senators.
By the ruling of the impeachment court, prosecutors are barred from presenting evidence of Corona's ill-gotten wealth for reason that it is not properly alleged in the Article 2 of the complaint. However, the senate tribunal also ruled that evidence of properties and other assets not declared in Corona's Statement of Assets Liabilities and Networth (SALN) may be presented.
January 28, 2012 07:07 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Jan 28, 2012) – Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now confirmed as one of the New7Wonders of Nature, said founder-president of
New7Wonders founder Bernard Weber has officially confirmed that Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now one of the New Wonders of Nature.
Weber congratulated the Filipinos for supporting the PPUR being its national finalist in the global campaign.
January 28, 2012 01:49 PM
MANILA, Philippines (Jan 28, 2012) - For his alleged involvement in misuse of a World Bank (WB) loan and perceived abuse of his office by lawyering for Chief Justice Renato Corona who is facing an impeachment trial at the Senate, SC Supreme Court (SC) Administrator spokesman Jose Midas Marquez is being sued for criminal and administrative offenses.
In a three-page complaint filed before the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday, Akbayan party-list Rep. Walden Bello said Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales should investigate Marquez for possible violations in his discharge of official functions.
