Manila Journal

News and Information About The Philippines

  • Gorilla Mobile

  • My Blog is Worth

  • Archives

  • Currency Converter
    Loading...
    Amount:

    From:

    To:
    Result:
    0.00
    * Conversion Rates by Yahoo! Finance

Archive for April, 2006

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »

Senga okays hard labor for Garcia

Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006

Senga okays hard labor for Garcia – Tempo News!

MANILA (AP) – Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Generoso Senga approved the sentencing of a two-star general to two years of hard labor after his conviction for massive corruption, in a warning to would-be grafters in the force, the military said yesterday.

A military court found Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia guilty last December of massive corruption and illegal acquisition of millions of dollars (euros) while handling the military’s budget, becoming the most senior officer convicted of graft.

Aside from the two-year prison term, Garcia also was dishonorably dismissed from the service and forced to forfeit all pay and allowances, including his pension.

Senga approved Garcia’s conviction yesterday. If the military’s Judge Advocate General’s Office will uphold Senga’s decision, it will be sent to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for final approval, military spokesman Maj. Gen. Jose Angel Honrado said at a news conference.

Garcia had pleaded innocent. He faces separate charges before a civilian anti-graft court.

Rampant graft in the 117,000-member military has sparked several rebellions by disgruntled troops in recent years.

The military has been struggling with corruption and a lack of weapons and equipment in the face of raging Marxist and Muslim insurgencies and terror threats. (With a report from Aaron B. Recuenco)

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Philippine News | No Comments »

TVI mining firm denies Subanens’ accusations

Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006

TVI mining firm denies Subanens’ accusations – MindaNews!

By Bong Garcia Jr.

ZAMBOANGA CITY — The TVI Resource Development Philippines, Inc. has categorically denied the accusations of the Subanen group that filed a complaint with the Panel of Arbitrators (PA) of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Western Mindanao office.

TVI public affairs director Rocky Dimaculangan said the issues the Subanens raised are mere rehash of their unfounded allegations that have been ventilated in various fora, including Congress.

Dimaculangan said TVI’s Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) with the government pre-dates the Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) of the Subanens in Siocon, Zamboanga del Norte.

He said that TVI has entered into a memorandum of agreement with the Siocon Subano Association, Inc. (SSAI) for the development of Canatuan as a gesture of good faith and affirmative action despite the fact that the company enjoys prior rights over the ancestral domain claim and title.

In their complaint filed before MGB on Thursday last week, the Subanens in Siocon town said they were awarded a CADT on June 12, 2003 by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, making them the second indigenous peoples’ community in the country whose rights were fully recognized.

However, Dimaculagan said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has approved the assignment of the MPSA to TVI pursuant to the Deed of Assignment executed between TVI and Benguet Corp. on June 16, 1997.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Philippine News | No Comments »

Manila Hemp

Posted by Editor on 28th April 2006

MANILA HEMP [Manila hemp] the most important of the cordage fibers. It is obtained chiefly from the Manila hemp plant ( Musa textilis ) of the family Musaceae (banana family). It is grown mainly in its native Philippine Islands, where it has been cultivated since the 16th cent. and is known as abacá. The abacá is in no way related to the true hemp; it is of the same genus as the common banana, which it closely resembles except for the inedible fruit. At maturity the plants are cut down, and the long fibers are taken from overlapping leaves that converge at the base to form a false stem. The fibers are exceptionally strong and durable. The coarser ones are used for binder twine, matting, and rope, particularly marine cordage because of their resistance to the action of saltwater; the finer grades are woven into beautiful native fabrics and hemp hats. Manila paper is made chiefly from old Manila hemp ropes and is valuable as a strong wrapping paper. Manila hemp is classified in the division Magnoliophyta, class Liliopsida, order Zingiberales, family Musaceae.

The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition 2006

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Historical Odds and Ends | No Comments »

Lawyers seek SC ruling on VFA provisions

Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006

Lawyers seek SC ruling on VFA provisions – ABS-CBN News!

Lawyers for the complainant in the Subic rape case said Friday they will petition the Supreme Court to clarify a provision in the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) that imposes a one-year time limit for litigation of cases filed against US servicemen.

Lawyer Evalyn Ursua, lead counsel of the complainant, said they will also question a VFA provision that grants custody of US servicemen accused of violating Philippine laws to the US Embassy.

“We’ll have to raise to the Supreme Court the issue of application of VFA to this case. That’s still an open issue. We also have to ask the court to interpret the term ‘judicial proceeding.’ We want a definite ruling on when it starts, whether from arraignment or from the filing of information,” she said in an ANC interview.

Ursua said she also expects presiding Judge Benjamin Ponzon of the Makati Regional Trial Court to decide on their petition questioning the downgrading of charges against three of the four US Marines accused of the rape.

“Before the arraignment the judge must decide on the information whether we would go by the original or amended information (on the downgrade of charges),” she said.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez earlier recommended the downgrading of charges against Keith Silkwood, Dominic Duplantis and Chad Carpentier from principal to accessories. Daniel Smith will remain the principal in the rape case, Gonzalez said.

The four are expected to appear before the Makati RTC at 2 p.m. Friday for the arraignment. Ursua, however, said the complainant will not attend the arraignment since she is not required to attend.

Ursua said the group will be assisted by legal luminaries on difficult legal questions involving constitutional and international law issues in the case. The legal experts are former vice-president Teofisto Guingona, former senator Rene Saguisag and former UP College of Law dean Pacifico Agabin.

The alleged rape happened in Subic in Nov. 1, 2005 after the US marines took part in joint US-Philippine military exercises in the former US naval base.

The allegation has triggered anti-American street protests and leftist groups have attacked the government’s ties with its main security ally, the United States.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Philippine News | No Comments »

Buy PS or ICC-marked TV sets: DTI

Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006

Buy PS or ICC-marked TV sets: DTI – Sun.Star Zamboanga!

THE Department of Trade and Industry, Zamboanga City Office, reminds consumers to be vigilant and purchase only BPS-certified television sets to be assured of the safety performance of the product.

DTI-ZCO Caretaker Engineer Rolando G. Acuña explains that since TV set is a common appliance found in most home, the Bureau of Product Standards has imposed the mandatory product certification of imported and locally-produced television sets to safeguard consumers from risk posed by substandard products.

The type of television sets covered in the mandatory product certification are the Colored and Black and While TV, with 355mm to 737 mm (12 inches to 29 inches) Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) sizes, a voltage between 110 and 250, and frequency between 50 to 60 hertz.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Philippine News | No Comments »

‘Dagupan’s Best’ launched in Bangus festival

Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006

‘Dagupan’s Best’ launched in Bangus festival – Sun.Star Pangasinan!

DAGUPAN CITY — Bangus Festival was launched five years ago to promote extensively the succulent Bonuan Bangus (milkfish). It moved further this year by opening its doors to the development and promotion of other local products like tapa, tocino and longganisa.

Last Thursday, Bangus Festival introduced the “Dagupan’s Best” chaired by Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez. The food preparation competition (six categories) was participated in by 40 people from Dagupan and other towns in Pangasinan.

Winners were Marcela Barrozo (Best Tapa), Celia Yao (Best Tocino), Lourdes Bernal (Best Longganisa), Belinda Natividad (Best Processed Fish), Rowena Tandoc (Best Sweet), and Solidad dela Cruz (Best Processed Fruit).

They received P8,000 each and trophies while the non-winning participants received P1,000 each.

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

Posted in Philippine News | No Comments »

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »