Chief Justice Sereno discloses her SALN

To avoid the problem in the future regarding wealth and properties, Chief Sereno disclosed her Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth. Here is the news:

MANILA, Philippines - One of the first official acts of newly appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno is to authorize the unconditional disclosure of her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) to the public. 

Sereno informed the other 13 justices of her decision for full disclosure of her SALNs during today's en banc session which she presided for the first time as chief magistrate.

Her move will no longer entail compliance of a June 13 resolution issued by the high court on the manner by which SALNs of justices and judges may be released to the public.

The resolution identifies the guidelines requesting parties should comply with for the release of the SALNs. The high court says this will ensure that “requests for SALNs must be made under circumstances that must not endanger, diminish or destroy the independence, and objectivity of the members of the Judiciary in the performance of their judicial functions or expose them to revenge for adverse decisions, kidnapping, extortion, blackmail or other untoward incidents.”

Sereno's decision covers all her SALNs since she was appointed to the high court in 2010.

Early this year, Sereno, together with Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, released to the public a summary of their SALNs.

Sereno's predecessor, former Chief Justice Renato Corona, was convicted by the Senate Impeachment Court for non-disclosure of all his assets in his SALNs in spite of his insistence that it is not an impeachable offense.

Philippines is worried of prortectionsim in other advanced economies

Should some countriesd implement its protection policies, Philippines business remittances will be affected.

Here is the news: 

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas is concerned about the growing protectionism in many advanced economies, particularly on employment in the services sector, describing it as a threat on investments in the country’s business process outsourcing sector.

Such a stance may reduce overseas employment opportunities for Filipinos, and affect the country’s remittances.

According to BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo, governments of some advanced economies, and a few from the Middle East, have been discouraging employers in their countries from outsourcing jobs or from hiring migrant workers.

He said the Philippines, as well as other developing economies affected by protectionist policies on the services sector, should speak up against such policies.

The Philippines has submitted several papers on protectionist policies in the services sector to international bodies, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean), Guinigundo said.

“The wave of protectionism seems to be rising,” Guinigundo told reporters. “This is going to affect countries like the Philippines.”

If protectionist policies in the services sector intensify, Guinigundo said, this will significantly affect growth of the Philippines and other developing or emerging economies.

In the case of the Philippines, a significant portion of the estimated $1 billion to $2 billion in foreign direct investments every year is accounted for by investments in the BPO sector.

Also, remittances from Filipinos based abroad, which amounted to about $20 billion last year, helped fuel consumption of at least 10 percent of households in the country.

The Philippines is the fourth biggest recipient of remittances in the world, next to China, India and Mexico.

Guinigundo said protectionist policies would not only harm developing countries, but also employers from those countries that have adopted these policies.

Some firms in the United States, for instance, are able to withstand its sluggish economic performance because they are able to reduce operation costs through outsourcing. Labor costs in the Philippines and other developing countries are much lower than in the advanced economies, he noted.

The adoption of such policies is not the way to move the global economy forward, he added.

philippines is wor

Newly Sworn-in Chief Justice of Supreme Court has low psycho rating

The psychological test results of the new Chief Justice of Supreme Court was found to be low. Here is the news:

The Palace on Sunday played down reports claiming that newly appointed Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno scored low in a psychological test required by the Judicial and Bar Council, saying the leaked information was unverified.

“We do not want to comment on the supposed results. The sources of the report have not been verified. It is an unconfirmed report,” said deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte.

She said there was no official statement from the council on the subject.

A daily newspaper (not the Manila Standard) on Friday published alleged leaked information about the psychological tests, which allegedly had Sereno and Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza scoring a 4 on a scale of 1 to 5, with 5 being the lowest.

The report also said the test results characterized Sereno as “dramatic and emotional.”

Sereno took her oath before President Benigno Aquino III on Saturday, making her the first female chief magistrate with a potential to serve for the next 18 years before reaching the retirement age of 70.

“Everyone can be assured of independence of the chief justice,” Sereno told reporters after the Palace ceremony, addressing concerns that she was beholden to the President who appointed her to the Court in 2010.

Valte also denied the claims by some groups that Sereno would be a Palace puppet in the high court.

First Female Supreme Court Chief Justice Sworn in

Maria  Lourdes Sereno was sworn in as the first female Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines after she was appointed by President Benigno Aquino. Here is the news:

MANILA (1st UPDATE) - The new Chief Justice, Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno, has taken her oath of office before President Aquino in Malacañang a day after the Palace announced her appointment.

Sereno was accompanied by her husband Mario Jose Sereno and children Maria Sophia and Jose Lorenzo.

Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban and other members of Supreme Court attended Sereno's oath-taking, including Associate Justices Martin Villarama, Mariano del Castillo, Bienvenido Reyes, and Estela Perlas-Bernabe.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima congratulated Sereno, giving her a buss on the cheek after the oath-taking.

De Lima said she feels no rancor now even after she was disqualified by the Judicial and Bar Council in the final selection process due to a pending disbarment case against her.

"I congratulated her and I said that the Supreme Court will now be in good hands," de Lima told reporters.

"Her youth and brillance would go a long way in ensuring that we can look forward to a judiciary that would be worthy of the people's trust," de Lima added.

It was also at the Palace where Sereno first took her oath as the President’s first appointee to the Supreme Court in August 2010.

Today, Sereno becomes the first female chief justice of the country.

At the age of 52, Sereno will serve a term of 18 years until her age of retirement at 70.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda earlier said that the President Aquino chose Sereno, believing that she can lead the judiciary in carrying out “much-needed reforms.”

Lacierda added that the judiciary now has a “historic opportunity to restore the people’s confidence in the judicial system.”fem

Commission on Appointments to confirm DILG Secretary Robredo

After five times of refusing to confirm the appointment of the late DILG Secretary Robredo,  Commission on Appointments is doing it posthumously. Here is the news:

With or without a confirmation of his appointment by the Commission on Appointments (CA), the late Jesse Robredo will still be in the official roster of interior and local government secretaries.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, chairman of the CA, made this clear yesterday even as he bared that the late DILG chief was set for confirmation this month.

“He had a valid appointment as secretary. He will be a secretary of the interior and local government in the political history of this country, confirmation or no confirmation. It has no bearing. Every signature that he made before his death are all valid,” Enrile said.

The CA bypassed Robredo five times.

“There were questions about him from some members of the commission and that’s why there was a delay on his confirmation. That problem was settled earlier and his confirmation was scheduled for this month,” Enrile said.

But CA members are in a quandary over what to do with Malacañang’s nomination of the late DILG chief.

“We are facing a dilemma. Do we still confirm him or do we send his nomination to the archives?” a member of the House panel in the commission told The STAR yesterday.

He said he did not want to be quoted by name for fear of being labeled a kontrabida (villain). The lawmaker also said he doubted whether the CA could confirm Robredo posthumously.

National Days of Mourning for DILG Jesse Robredo

In honor of the late DILG Secretary Robredo, the Philippines is going to observe days of mourning. Here is the news:

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino signed last night Proclamation No. 460, declaring National Days of Mourning for Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo starting yesterday until the day of his interment.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino signed the proclamation upon arriving from Naga City where he escorted the body of Robredo back to his family from Masbate City, site of the plane crash that killed the secretary and two pilots.

As provided for by law, the proclamation said the national flag “shall be lowered to half mast from sunrise to sunset in all government buildings and installations in the Philippines and in our posts abroad, for a period of six days.”

From yesterday until the date of internment, the national flag shall be lowered to half mast in Malacañang, the City of Naga, and in all offices and installations of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Local Government Academy, National Police Commission, Philippine National Police and Philippine Public Safety College.

Plane Crash

Search and rescue operation is going on in the planes crash site of Interior Secretary's plane hours ago,

Here's the news: 

A Cessna aircraft carrying Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo crashed in the sea off Masbate City Saturday afternoon, according to a Masbate official.

Masbate Vice Governor Vince Revil said the plane carrying Robredo and several others crashed 150 meters away from the Masbate airport.

“Nag-emergency call that they are going to have an emergency landing sa Masbate City Airport pero nag-crash ang plane about 150 meters away from the airport , nag-crash sa dagat,” Revil told “TV Patrol: Weekend.”

Revil said Robredo’s aide, identified as Capt. Jun Abrazado, has been rescued from the crash site. Revil said Abrazado was the one who pinpointed the location of the crash site.

Search and rescue operations are ongoing for Robredo and the two pilots.

Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang, meanwhile, confirmed that search and rescue operations are currently ongoing.

“The aircraft was off the coast of Masbate when contact was lost earlier today. We will be updating the public as details are confirmed: speculation is not useful at this point,” Carandang said in a statement.

According to Revil, Robredo’s plane came from Cebu and was headed to Naga City.

Engine trouble

Philip Morris Employee Suspended

Carabuena, a Philip Morris employee beat an MMDA traffic enforcer. His action was videotaped and became viral.

The company is pressured to take action on the employee although, it is already his personal time that he is using.

Here is the news about his suspension. 

MANILA, Philippines—Philip Morris Fortune Tobacco Corp. has suspended Robert Blair Carabuena, who was videoed slapping a traffic enforcer of Metro Manila Development Authority during an altercation on August 11.

In a statement, the company confirmed that Carabuena was an employee and was being investigated.

“PMFTC has suspended Mr. Carabuena pending the outcome of the investigation,” the statement said. “PMFTC reiterates that it does not condone inappropriate conduct by any of our employees.”

The company also stressed that when Carabuena argued with the MMDA traffic enforcer, he was on his personal time and not on duty for the company.

MMDA has announced that it would file charges against Carabuena.

Rolito Go back to prison, Chief and guards sacked

Rolito Go claimed that he and his nephew were kidnapped for a ransom of Php 1 million. No ransom was paid. Here is the news about Rolito Go's disappearance from the Bilibid Prison, 

Convicted murderer Rolito Go is back in the stockade, the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief has gone on leave and five jail guards have been sacked as President Benigno Aquino ordered a probe into how a high-profile inmate disappeared from prison for at least 24 hours.

Police on Thursday said their investigation showed that Go  and a nephew who was with him  were “forcibly taken” from a minimum security compound at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, but Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said this was being looked into.

Go disappeared from prison on Tuesday evening. Police were able to get him back on Wednesday at about 11 p.m.

De Lima said Mr. Aquino was dismayed by what happened, given that measures had been adopted following reports that prominent inmates had been allowed to “live out” in the past.

“He is disappointed because, you know, this kind of incident keeps happening,” De Lima told reporters.

“He (the President) said,  ‘he thought all the safeguards and all the reform initiatives have been put in place to avoid similar incidents.’ He’s really disappointed and that’s why he immediately ordered an investigation,” she said.

De Lima said Mr. Aquino’s reaction was  “How can it happen again, if it’s true that it’s abduction or kidnapping for ransom right within the NBP?”

Pangilinan takes leave

Malacañang praised the Philippine National Police for recapturing Go. “It is good that while one agency was apparently remiss in its duties, another agency stepped up,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda.

Lacierda added: “To emphasize the principle of command responsibility and help the investigation, Bureau of Corrections Director Gaudencio Pangilinan has offered to go on leave, and the President has accepted it.”

Lacierda said the NBP  would be under the direct supervision of De Lima “pending the appointment of an officer in charge.”

De Lima said Pangilinan went on leave “for the sake of an impartial and thorough investigation.”

“Let’s not preempt him,” De Lima said when asked if Pangilinan was expected to resign.

“Maybe he’s thinking about it, maybe he’s not yet thinking about it, maybe he has a good explanation, maybe he can explain the level of responsibility and the level of efficiency and competence that was expected of him as the overall administrator of the facility,” the justice secretary added.

Rolito Go is missing

Did he escape or is a victim of kidnap ransom syndicate? Rolito Go is missing. Here is the news:

Another high-profile prisoner at the state penitentiary has given prison officials the slip.

Rolito Go, a convicted road rage killer, was reported missing from the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) in Muntinlupa City on Tuesday night. But his relatives claimed Wednesday that he was kidnapped along with his nephew.

Three Philippine Daily Inquirer sources supported the claim of Go’s family, saying this was not the first time that a rich prisoner at the NBP or their relatives had fallen prey to a kidnap-for-ransom syndicate.

In a briefing for reporters, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima sounded unconvinced it was kidnapping.

“Imagine, kidnapped right in the NBP. Only in the Philippines,” De Lima said.

De Lima said Go was reported to have been last seen at the Ina ng Awa church at the prison compound where he was assigned as a church worker with his nephew, Clemence Yu, a registered nurse.

Go is suffering from colon cancer, and has had surgery.

De Lima said Yu came every day to dress Go’s surgical wounds and give him medicine.

Corruption over?

 source:http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/187763/aquino-tells-adb-corruption-over
Saying the days of corruption that flourished under Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were over, President Aquino on Friday gave his word to international lenders that he would put to good use the money they would lend to the Philippines—and they could check this out later.
“You will continue to see results. You will continue to see a Philippines that is finally living up to its potential,” Mr. Aquino said in his speech that capped the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) board of governors.
“We are prepared to follow through on our commitments, and you are by all means welcome to see if we’re living up to our word,” he declared.
“Investors and Filipinos alike see what is happening: Here is a country determined to turn the corner by instituting genuine, wide-ranging, meaningful reform, and acting on its belief that good governance is the bedrock of equitable progress,” the President said.
“We have had six positive ratings actions since we took over government a little less than two years ago—a stark contrast to the single upgrade and six downgrades in the nine years of the previous administration,” he added.

Number of Poor Families on the rise- SWS

An estimated 11.1 million Filipino households considered themselves poor in March, up from 9.1 million households in December, a recent survey by Social Weather Stations found.

The results of the survey, first published in BusinessWorld, found 55 percent of respondents rating their households poor, 10 points higher than the 45 percent three months earlier.

Those who said they were poor in terms of food accounted for 45 percent, which translates to approximately 9.1 million families, a rise of nine points from the 36 percent or 7.2 million families recorded in the previous quarter.

The figures are the highest so far under the Aquino administration.

Very Optimistic Prediction for Economy

Administration officials are optimistic that the Philippine economy will expand by 5 to 6 percent in 2012, higher than the 3.7-percent growth posted in 2011.

Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano W. Paderanga Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of the 45th Asian Development Bank governors’ annual meeting in Manila that the government’s expenditures program was getting on track and economic indicators were looking “good.”

ADB president Haruhiko Kuroda said the Philippines and its neighbors were poised to weather the effects of a mild recession in the Euro zone this year, but stressed the urgent need for member-countries to address the wide income inequality in their jurisdictions.

Kuroda said the crisis in the Euro zone was not expected to cause a significant drag on growth rates of Asian economies and on remittances that countries like the Philippines receive.

“We expect a rosier 5 to 6 percent GDP growth for 2012” not only because of “strong spending” but also because of the government’s “strong resolve on good governance,” Public Works Secretary Rogelio L. Singson said.

GDP or gross domestic product is the value of goods produced and services rendered in the country in a given period. It excludes remittances by overseas Filipino workers and earnings of Philippine firms abroad.

Singson enumerated other signs of economic improvement:

Good performance of the Philippine Stock Exchange which had seen more than 17 record closing highs since January.

A banking system that is “one of the healthiest in Southeast Asia.”

Father Raped two Daughters with the Help from the Mother

For months, two teenaged girls were allegedly drugged by their father each time he raped them as their mother held their arms to prevent any struggle.
The sisters’ ordeal only ended when the father allegedly raped a third victim—a classmate of one of his daughters—who was able to escape and report the abuses to the police.
The blood-curdling picture of parenting warped by drugs and diabolic lust emerged with the father’s arrest on Thursday in Quezon City.
Supt. Crisostomo Mendoza of the Novaliches police substation said the sisters, aged 14 and 16, were allegedly forced by their 33-year-old father to take “shabu” before they were raped.
The suspect’s 35-year-old live-in partner, the girls’ mother, allegedly helped her man perpetrate the crime by firmly holding the girls in place as they were being ravished.

Corazon Cojuangco Aquino died of colon cancer

The former President, Corazon Cojuangco Aquino died at age 76 after more than a year of battling colon cancer. She was the widow of the late Senator Benigno Aquino whose death stirred the nation to rally against the dictatorship.

Here is the excerpt of the news:

Former President Corazon Cojuangco Aquino has passed away.

She was 76.

Her son Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III confirmed that she died of cardio-respiratory arrest at exactly 3:18 a.m. Saturday at the Makati Medical Center.

Mrs. Aquino has been diagnosed with colon cancer early in 2008 and has been confined at the Makati Medical Center for more than a month.

Mrs. Aquino, widow of Senator Benigno Aquino Jr., will be remembered as an icon of democracy, having led a military-backed popular revolt in 1986 that ousted a dictator who ruled the country for 20 years.

UK Reopening its door to Philippine Nurses

The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) reported yesterday in Dec. 4 that the United Kingdom has re-opened its doors to Filipino nurses.

“After a lull of over a year, the United Kingdom is again hiring Filipino nurses,” Labor Secretary Marianito Roque said in an interview.

Roque said an initial batch of 160 Filipinos would be deployed to various hospitals and retirement homes in Britain.

Over a year ago, the United Kingdom adopted stricter regulations in the hiring of foreign nurses, thus virtually closing the door for the employment of Filipino nurses there.

“For a while there has been no vacancy for Filipino nurses in UK, but because of the aging population there, they realized they need our Filipino nurses to take care of them,” Roque noted.

Roque expressed confidence that the recruitment of 160 Filipino nurses in UK signals the start of growth in demand for Filipino nurses worldwide.

“We hope that more Filipino nurses will be recruited to work in UK and other countries abroad,” Roque said.

The Philippine Nursing Association reported that the country is now experiencing a surplus of Filipino nurses due to the declining demand in the United States.

Roque had previously ordered a dialogue with all the stakeholders at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office to determine the real situation of the country’s nursing sector.

He said DOLE conducted the dialogue to determine whether there is really a shortage or a surplus of nurses so that the government could come out with appropriate measures.