National News

MANILA, Jan. 21, 2010-Retired Catholic Bishop Teodoro Bacani maintains he is against Joseph's Estrada's comeback bid for the presidency, saying the country needs a new leader.

Bacani, one of Estrada's spiritual advisers, said it's a high time to have genuine reforms in the government and that includes filling it up with better leaders.

"Personally, I am against his candidacy because the country really needs real reforms... wherein there is a new leader who will lead us," he said.

Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) recently opened 10 new branches beefing up its network to 60 branches nationwide. Last January 18th, PVB simultaneously opened 10 new branches all over the country. These are located in Pasay City, Malolos, Bulacan; Santiago City, Isabela; Olongapo; Lipa, Batangas; San Pablo, Laguna; Kalibo, Aklan; Tagbilaran, Bohol; Pagadian, Zamboanga de Sur; and Koronadal.  Late last 2009, the Bank opened 5 new branches in Luzon as part of its branch expansion and rationalization plan.

LEGAZPI CITY-Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino acknowledged on Tuesday the surge in the latest Pulse Asia survey of his cousin and rival, former Defense Secretary Gilberto "Gibo" Teodoro.

"My younger cousin's increase in figures in the latest survey, I admit, is dramatic," Aquino said.

The latest Pulse Asia survey conducted the first week of December showed Teodoro up by three points from his previous survey rating.

"But the increase is only in terms of small numbers."

MANILA, Oct. 7, 2009-The National Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) has formally appointed its new head.

Jose Cuisia, Jr., a prominent businessman and a member of the Opus Dei, was recently appointed as Chairman of the independent poll watchdog.

Mr. Cuisia succeeds Henrietta de Villa who resigned last month to devote more time to her work as head of the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV), which focuses on voter's education.

Namfrel is a poll watchdog accredited by the Commission on Elections to conduct quick count of votes.

LEGAZPI CITY, Sept. 9 -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) has announced Wednesday that mobile personnel were dispatched since August this year to Hong Kong.

PhilHealth said this is to provide access and information to Filipinos on the agency's membership updates and renewal, claims and benefits, and premium remittance concerns.

MANILA, Sept. 5- Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Saturday asked Malacañang to sign into law the Anti-Torture Bill once the House of Representatives ratifies the consolidated version of the landmark legislation.

The Senate ratified Wednesday the measure seeking to end the human rights violations allegedly committed by state agents. The reconciled version of bill was approved by the bicameral conference on Monday.

MANILA, Sept. 4, 2009- Evangelist Bro. Eddie Villanueva of the Jesus is Lord (JIL) movement is not dropping his renewed quest for the presidency to support Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

In a statement, Bro. Eddie Villanueva vowed to pursue his presidential bid for the 2010 elections as Bangon Pilipinas' standard bearer.

Villanueva said he respects the decision of Senator Mar Roxas and Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio in uniting behind Aquino, but it will not dissuade him from pushing through with his plans for the country.

MANILA, August 27, 2009- The head of the Catholic bishops' leadership has welcomed moves to prosecute those who are allegedly using public funds on the so called political "infomercials."

Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines president Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the Senate probe could help ferret out the truth who among those officials is abusing people's money.

MANILA, August 20, 2009- Amidst plans to revive the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Catholic bishop asked the government peace panel to avoid the same mistake it did in the past.

According to Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez, the government must take into consideration last year's Supreme Court decision on the Memorandum of Agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD), which it ruled as being "unconstitutional".