6 more groups joining party-list polls

Comelec expects more new groups, but will start printing ballots on Monday

Six more groups have been added on Tuesday to the list of organizations that can participate in the party-list elections in May, bringing the total to 150.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) released the official list of 144 groups last Friday, including a gay group which the Supreme Court ordered included while a review of its disqualification is pending.

The 6 additional groups, according to Comelec spokesperson James Jimenez, had filed their petitions for inclusion earlier, but the processing of their petitions were not completed in time for last Friday's announcement.

They are the: Alliance for Rural and Agrarian Reconstructioon, Inc. (ARARO) LPG Marketers Association, Inc. (LPGMA) Alyansa Lumad Mindanao, Inc. (ALLUMAD) Alyansa ng OFW Party (Alyansa) Ang National Coalition on Indigenous People's Action (Ang NCIP) Bagong Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang Samahan sa Sektor ng Transportasyon (Bangon Transport).

The total number of groups, 150, competing for partylist representation in Congress comprise half of the maximum 300 names that could be printed on one side of the election ballot.

Jimenez is anticipating that more groups will be added to the list since the poll body is still processing other petitions.

He maintained, however, that the printing of ballots will still start on January 25.

Meanwhile, the Comelec started accepting Tuesday the list of nominees of qualified party-list groups.

Jimenez stressed the importance of submitting the names of nominees. "The Comelec is under obligation to publish the names of the nominee. This will help the public in deciding with party list organization they will support."

Jimenez clarified that the nominee "need not be marginalized...in your own personal circumstance." The nominee should only be "at least has root or intimately involved with that sector" and have the "necessary tools and skills to craft national legislation of some significance."

Jimenez's interpretation is in accordance with the spirit of the Party List Act. The Supreme Court, however, said in a 2001 ruling that the nominees of marginalized groups should themselves belong to that marginalized sector.

The poll body will accept names of nominees for partylist representation until March 6.

Press Secretary Remonde passes away

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was declared dead by doctors at the emergency room of the Makati Medical Center, reports said.

Remonde was reportedly declared dead at 11:51 a.m. after revival efforts failed.

According to Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar, Remonde was rushed to the hospital after being found laying unconscious in the bathroom at his house in Bel-air, Makati City, around 10:40 a.m.

Reports said the Palace official suffered a heart attack.

No official announcement has been made by the Makati Medical Center. - By Dino Maragay (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

2 Filipinos confirmed killed in Haiti quake

A member of the Philippine peacekeeping forces in the quake-ravaged Haiti has been confirmed killed after her body was pulled out from the collapsed headquarters of the United Nations Stabilization Mission.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said the remains of Philippine Navy Petty Officer Pearlie Panangui was among those recovered from the collapsed Christopher Hotel, which was being used as headquarters of the UN Stabilization Mission in the city of Port-au-Prince.

The recovery of the female peacekeeper's body brought the confirmed Filipino fatalities in Haiti to 2.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said in a statement that the body of Jerome Yap, a United Nations staff member serving with the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti, was recovered 6:15 p.m. Monday (Manila time).

"Mr. Yap's remains were recovered by search and rescue teams amidst the rubble of the Minustah headquarters [in the city of Port-au-Prince] several hours after the bodies of the special representatives of the secretary general Hedi Annabi and several others were pulled out of the ruins," the DFA said in a statement.

It said Yap, a native of Pampanga province, served as an executive assistant to Luis Carlos de la Costa, deputy special representative of Annabi.

The DFA said the Philippine mission has already relayed the sad news to his family in New York and in Pampanga.

The news about the recovery of Yap's body was conveyed by Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commander of the 10th Philippine Peacekeeping Contingent, which has been actively participating in search and retrieval operations in the calamity-stricken country.

Meanwhile, 2 Filipinos have been rescued from under the collapsed UN Stabilization Mission headquarters and the Caribbean Supermarket.

Four more, including 2 Filipino peacekeepers and 2 overseas Filipino workers, have been reported missing.

The 2 peacekeepers -- Army Sergeant Eustacio Bermudez, Air Force Sergeant Janice Arocena -- are believed trapped at the collapsed UN headquarters.

Report: Remonde found unconscious at Malacañang

Press Secretary Cerge Remonde has been rushed to the hospital after being found laying unconscious at the Malacañang Palace, a radio report said today.

The report quoted Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar as saying that Remonde was discovered laying unconscious in his office bathroom at the Palace.

A press conference will be held today to explain the incident, the report added.

No other details are available as of this posting. - By Dino Maragay (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Ivler in stable condition after surgery

he prime suspect in the killing of a Palace official’s son has begun to normalize after undergoing surgery in a Quezon City hospital, a radio report said.

Quoting attending physicians at the Quirino Memorial Medical Center, the report said Jason Ivler's medical condition has stabilized after undergoing an operation to treat the bullet wounds he sustained after a gunfight with authorities.

Ivler — the suspect in the slaying of Renato Ebarle Jr. on Nov. 18 last year — was wounded after trading shots with National Bureau of Investigation agents who were serving an arrest warrant this morning at his home in Blue Ridge A Subdivision, Quezon City.

Doctors have to remove Ivler’s spleen and part of his intestine that were hit by bullets, the report added.

NBI agents have handcuffed Ivler, who also lost 600 cc of blood, to his hospital bed inside the intensive care unit right after the surgery. According to reports, this was to ensure that the suspect won’t commit suicide while in confinement. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Philippine truck accident kills 19

Nineteen people were killed after the truck they were riding turned over in the southern Philippines, a police official said on Monday.

The dump truck was carrying 56 people back from a wedding when it turned over while driving through V. Sagun town in the southern island of Mindanao on Saturday, said Senior Superintendent Ramon Ochotorena.

Thirteen people died at the scene while the others died in hospital, he added.

Ochotorena, who is the regional police chief, said the driver of the truck was in police custody and could face charges of reckless driving leading to multiple deaths.

Heavy rain may have made the road slippery, Ochotorena said, but he also said that witnesses reported the driver was drinking heavily before the accident

Jason Ivler wounded during QC arrest

Jason Aguilar Ivler, the suspect in the killing of a Palace official’s son last November, was arrested by elements of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Monday morning.

NBI Director Nestor Mantaring said Ivler exchanged gunfire with NBI agents who entered the Ivler home at Blue Ridge A Subdivision in Quezon City early Monday.

"Ivler had a baby armalite and a bandolier. He just started shooting but he was also shot. Before he was shot, at least two operatives were hit," Mantaring said in a radio dzMM interview.

Mantaring identified the casualties as Anna Lira Labao of the NBI Intelligence Service Division and Atty. Julito Magno, head of the NBI Special Action Unit. Both are out of danger, he added.

Ivler was rushed to the Quirino Memorial Medical Center after sustaining gunshot wounds to the right shoulder and left upper abdomen.

Dr. Fernando Lopez, chief of the hospital's surgery department, said Ivler's vital signs have already stabilized although he would have to undergo surgery to remove his spleen.

"The patient has been stabilized and his vital signs are OK at the moment. He's currently under general anesthesia. The bullet went through his abdomen and pierced his large intestine," he said in a separate radio dzMM interview.

Ivler has been the subject of a police manhunt after allegedly shooting dead Renato Ebarle, Jr., the son of assistant secretary Renato Ebarle, Sr., during a traffic altercation along Boni Serrano Avenue in Quezon City on November 18, 2009. Ebarle died of 3 gunshot wounds in the body.

A Palace official, meanwhile, praised the NBI for arresting the suspect who had been in hiding for two months.

"The arrest of Ivler is a big personal relief to the Ebarle family and friends. The NBI and all those who helped in his arrest deserve high commendation. The arrest of Ivler should also hopefully help address the issue of road rage," Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said in a statement. Secret room

The NBI agents raided Ivler’s house at No. 23 Hillside Drive in Blue Ridge A Subdivision at around 6 a.m.

A report by ABS-CBN Correspondent Maan Macapagal said Ivler’s mother, Marlene, allegedly tried to hide her son from authorities.

“Sabi ng mother ni Jason wala siya doon pero nagpursigi pa rin ang NBI,” Macapagal reported.

“His house was like a maze,” she continued, noting that the NBI had a hard time finding the murder suspect.

Mantaring said Ivler was hiding in a storeroom when he started shooting at the NBI agents. He added that Ivler's mother was in a separate room when the shooting started.

Several media members were even caught in the crossfire. “We don’t know where to go... Papasok sa closet, nagsisisikan,” Macapagal said of the ordeal of the members of the press.

Mom, house staff could face charges

The NBI director said Ivler's mother could face charges for harboring Ivler despite a warrant of arrest for the suspect.

"We have information that Jason never left the house. They have already raided the house twice before but never found him," he said.

He said Ivler probably tried to fight arrest since he knew that murder is a nonbailable crime.

Assistant Secretary Ebarle noted that Ivler's mother even told police that she received an e-mail from her son, saying that he was already in the United States.

Ebarle said charges should be filed against the house staff of Ivler home as well as Ivler's stepfather, Asian Development Bank (ADB) official Stephen Pollard, for harboring a known criminal.

The Palace official thanked law enforcers for not letting up on the case and for finally arresting Ivler. "It's good that he was finally arrested because he could hurt a lot more people," he said.

"Today is the 60th day since my son was killed. He was killed on November 18. This is my only son. It's been very hard for us but this morning, our prayers were answered," he added. False alarm

An overseas Filipino worker (OFW) was earlier mistaken to have been Ivler, after having the same first and middle names of the suspect.

Jason Vivar Aguilar, 26, of Pandukot in Calumpit, Bulacan arrived in the Philippines on January 7 from Qatar after Doha police thought he was Jason Aguilar Ivler, a wanted suspect in Manila. Aguilarworked as a welder for one month in Qatar.

Ivler’s name was already on the Interpol Red Notice List since his warrant of arrest was released in the Philippines on December 23, 2009. Malacañang also offered a P1-million reward for any information that would lead to Ivler’s arrest.

Ivler, an American citizen, faced a criminal case in 2004 which accused him of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.

He was involved in a deadly car accident that killed presidential adviser Nestor Ponce, Jr. in August 2004. – With reports from ANC and Maan Macapagal, ABS-CBN News

Probers urged to look into Ivler's connections

A Palace official whose son was gunned down in the shooting spree on Nov. 18 last year in Quezon City wants a more in-depth probe on the suspect's connections in other government agencies.

In a radio interview, Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr. — father of the victim Renato Jr. — urged investigators to find out how Jason Ivler's mother Marlene Aguilar, his stepfather Stephen Pollard, and his uncle managed to help the suspect to successfully evade authorities for several months.

Ebarle works for the Office of the Presidential Chief of Staf.

"Aside from the main case, I think investigators should also look into the involvement of the mother and stepfather and the rest of the family," he said.

Ebarle claimed that Ivler has an uncle in the Philippine National Police who had helped his nephew evade arrest for his previous criminal case.

"I think this colonel should be investigated for giving aid and comfort to a fugitive," the Cabinet official said.

Ivler has already jumped bail for a previous criminal case involving the death of another motorist.

After months of hiding, he was finally nabbed this morning in his residence in Quezon City after a gunfight with agents of the National Bureau of Investigation. The firefight left Ivler in critical condition after suffering several gunshot wounds.

Though his family was glad to see that Ivler has been finally arrested, Ebarle said they have yet to see justice given to his son.

"It’s not yet over. We will still wait for the final resolution on the case," he added. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

'Bistek' tops SWS survey for QC mayoral bets

If elections were held today, former Herbert "Bistek" Bautista would overwhelmingly win as mayor in Quezon City, based on the latest Social Weather Stations survey.

The SWS said that of the 500 registered voters interviewed by its researches face-to-face, 75% prefer Bautista for the mayoralty post.

Quezon City 2nd district Rep. Mary Ann Susano was mentioned by 9% of the respondents followed by former presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor with 7%, Ismael Mathay Jr. 5% and Antonio Inton 3%.

The SWS said the December 16 to 19 survey was sponsored by Giovanni Estrada.

It said that the 500 registered voters randomly picked as respondents were divided from the 4 districts of the city.

Quezon City councilor Joy Belmonte, daughter of incumbent Mayor Sonny Belmonte's daughter, meanwhile, led the survey on candidates for city vice-mayor.

Belmonte was preferred by 60% of the respondents followed by Janet "Babes" Malaya with 19% and actress Aiko Melendez with 17%.

Gunmen shoot Philippine passenger bus, wound 11

An official says suspected extortionists opened fire on a passenger bus in the southern Philippines, wounding at least 11 people on board.

Regional military chief Lt. Gen. Benjamin Dolorfino says two gunmen attacked the bus late Saturday as it was traveling to Pagadian city in Zamboanga Sibugay province.

He said troops rushed to the scene to evacuate victims and track down the attackers. He said the driver was listed in serious condition Sunday at a local hospital.

Extortion gangs and Muslim rebels are known to operate in that part of the country's south. Much of the highway there has no street lights, making it dangerous for motorists to travel at night.

Witness says Ampatuans sending death threats

On December 9, 2009, a man wearing a heavy-hooded jacket was whisked into a waiting Air Force plane at the General Santos City airport. He had just been extricated by government troops from an area where Ampatuan followers were still believed to be lurking around. As soon as the plane touched down at the Villamor Air Base, the mysterious star witness was escorted away to safety, and kept under a tight security blanket.

On December 11, the eyewitness executed an affidavit detailing his explosive testimony on the Maguindanao massacre. It was not until he took the witness stand on January 13, 2010 that his identity would be revealed: Rasul Sangki, the vice-mayor of Ampatuan town, where the massacre took place.

Sangki was kept on the witness stand for more than five hours, including an hour-long grilling by defense counsel, Atty. Sigfrid Fortun.

In an interview after the hearing, Sangki admitted he was very nervous during his testimony, and yet he never wavered, never stealing a glance at the accused, Andal Ampatuan Jr, so as not to be distracted. Sangki said he would only look at Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes and the prosecution panel.

Still, Sangki, who is a grandnephew of the Ampatuan clan’s patriarch, Andal Ampatuan Sr, being a third cousin of his father, Datu Abdullah Sangki, the mayor of Ampatuan town, was prepared to go down the witness stand to identify Andal Jr. and tap him on the shoulder for identification, if not for the opposition of the defense counsel, which was sustained by Judge Solis-Reyes.

Reacting to his sister Aminah’s affidavit, which charges him of lying to cover up his involvement in the massacre and of being a drug addict, Sangki says she may have been forced to make the false allegations, because among those he implicated as having taken part in the massacre is his brother-in-law, Datu Banari Ampatuan, vice mayor of Mamasapano town. (Aminah Sangki Ampatuan’s affidavit has yet to be submitted to the court).

Rasul says his conscience bothered him, and he could not sleep after witnessing the massacre of 57 people on that fateful day of November 23. “ Sleep was elusive, I was thinking of my family, how could I reveal what happened if something would happen to them?”

It was only after the government ensured the safety of Sangki’s family that he issued an affidavit in the office of the NBI in Manila.

Even under the safekeeping of the government, Sangki says he continues to receive threats from the Ampatuans, who sent a message, “We will wipe out the Sangki family.”

Sangki says he has not seen his family since he came forward to reveal what he knows about the massacre. "I really miss them so much. Since my father and mother arrived from Mecca in early December, I have not seen them.”

But he is willing to make the sacrifice. “This is not just for myself but for my family. I am happy now that I have told the truth, with the help of Allah, so that the families of the victims will attain justice.”

But the memory of what he witnessed will be hard to erase.

Describing how Andal Jr. killed the members of the Mangudadatu convoy, he says, ”he kept shouting and shouting, like Rambo.”

His only prayer now is for the nightmares to stop, now that he had summoned enough courage to tell the court what he knows.

Bakunawa eats the sun behind a curtain of clouds

A native myth tells of Bakunawa, a dragon-like snake that rises from the sea once or twice in a man’s lifetime, and reaches up to the sky to brazenly eat the sun or the moon. But this time, Bakunawa chose to consume the sun while hiding behind a curtain of clouds – at least for viewers in suburban Quezon City.

Notwithstanding the pesky cloud formations that obstructed the view, the throng of people who trooped to the Astronomical Observatory at the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman got several good glimpses of the longest solar eclipse the country has seen in recent history.

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The spectacular astronomical event of the moon moving across the solar disk – which started at 3:49 p.m. Friday in Metro Manila – drew a crowd of about 50 astronomy enthusiasts including students in school uniform, employees from nearby offices, community residents, and kids as young as seven years old. [See: Cosmic Kid: Gabo’s fascination with the cosmos]

The eclipse, which lasted until 5:51 p.m. in Metro Manila, is the longest since 1992, according to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa). It added that the eclipse was visible in various parts of the world, in a wide swath that goes across central Africa, the Indian Ocean and eastern Asia. “Annular sa ibang bansa pero as observed sa Pilipinas, partial lang ito (It's an annular eclipse for the other countries, but as observed here in the Philippines, it's just a partial eclipse)," said Renato de Leon, Pagasa specialist. In an annular eclipse, the sun appears as a bright ring when directly in line with the moon, which in turn appears to the viewer on earth as a smaller dark disk.

Obstructive clouds

At exactly 4 p.m., however, dark clouds coming from the south of Metro Manila started to cover the sun, which by then had manifested a barely noticeable outline of the moon’s edge.

The obstructive clouds elicited a collective gasp from the expectant crowd. “Wala na (It's all over)," some of the viewers remarked. Around 4:15 p.m., the clouds started to diffuse to show a partial view of the sun, which by then was already covered by the moon by 15 percent, according to de Leon's assessment.

For the most part after that, the relentless clouds proved to be a spoiler for the highly anticipated event. As if they had a will of their own, thumbing their nose at the throng of eclipse watchers, the clouds continually moved across the sun, blocking its visibility several times. According to de Leon, the clouds' movement was due to the prevailing weather condition of a northeast monsoon wind or amihan. “Mukhang wala nang pag-asa (Seems hopeless)," he said at one point. Even so, the crowd lingered at the Pagasa facility's rooftop as well as on the Observatory's front yard, tinkering with their own telescopes, cameras and the simple filters distributed by the agency's personnel.

Eclipse maximum The eclipse's maximum finally came at 4:53 p.m. and the clouds started to part, if only slightly, and allow just a few minutes of seeing the moon covering about a quarter of the sun. The crowd gathered around the two telescopes set up by the Observatory, hoping to catch a direct and projected view of the eclipse. The children started chanting, “Ayan na! Nakikita ko na! (There it is! I see it already!)"

The partially-blocked sun is reflected through this 6-inch telescope. Piya Constantino

The eclipse neared its end at 5:51 p.m. just as the sun was sinking below the horizon. The crowd started thinning out. “Ok naman siya, panira lang ang clouds. Bihira lang kasi tayong makakita ng sun na lumulubog bilang crescent (The eclipse was okay, but the clouds were a spoiler. It’s just that we seldom see the sun setting as crescent-shaped)," said Edward Bornilla Jr., a member of the UP Astronomical Society, a student organization. Two Observatory telescopes

To prepare for the event and the anticipated influx of visitors wanting to view the celestial event, the Observatory set up two telescopes: one on its rooftop and another on its front yard. The one at the rooftop, a refracting telescope with a 6-inch lens, projected the view of the eclipse on a calibrated paper for indirect view. The other, a reflecting telescope with a 7-inch lens set on the front yard, provided a wider view, where visitors can look directly at the sun through a filter fitted on the eyepiece. The Observatory has two other telescopes which are used for data-gathering, according to de Leon. In instances when an astronomical event such as an eclipse is expected, the Observatory is opened to the public for free, he added. During regular days, however, a minimal fee of P25 is charged for the use of the telescopes.

Seven-year-old Gabriele 'Gabo' Talub eagerly awaits his turn at the telescope. Piya Constantino

Four Observatory specialists were there during the eclipse to assist the viewers. A technician was also nearby to document the eclipse using a digital camera attached to a telescope. Myth and superstition

Apart from drawing in the sky-watching enthusiasts or simply curious viewers, eclipses are also known to pique the Filipino's penchant for superstitious beliefs. Revelinda Talub, a resident of Meycauayan, Bulacan who traveled to the Observatory with her family including her seven-year-old grandson, said she has heard of stories relating eclipses to disastrous events. “Ang alam ko lang, nagti-trigger daw 'yan ng earthquake (What I’ve heard is that it triggers earthquakes," she said. Louise Vincent Amante, a Humanities professor who came to watch the event, also said eclipses are believed to be harbingers of bad omen, such as wars and pestilence. “A year before the Second World War, a total solar eclipse put Europe in total darkness, and people eventually connected the eclipse with the most devastating war in world history," he said.

Amante also recounted a variation of a story in Philippine mythology, originating from the Visayan region, which told of a serpent-like creature springing from the seas to eat the sun and the moon. The creature, named Bakunawa, is described to be part-dragon and part-snake, with such features as scales, claws and fangs. “The people would then have to make noise to distract the Bakunawa and make it spit out the sun," Amante said.

This time around, at least for viewers of the eclipse along the famous Manila Bay, Bakunawa slowly went down into the sea with its solar prey still partly in its mouth. A most spectacular sight indeed. – JV, GMANews.TV

Comelec approves 144 party-list groups

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has given 144 party-list organizations the go-signal to field bets in the May polls.

The controversial gay rights group Ang Ladlad has made it to the list but not 162 other party-list aspirants.

In its 33-page Resolution No. 8744, the Comelec said the groups’ petitions for accreditation have been approved on the recommendation of the agency’s law department.

The Comelec said the accredited party-list groups have been carefully scrutinized for their track records, programs of action, and nationwide visibility and influence.

Comelec Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal said Ang Ladlad’s inclusion in the list was on orders of the Supreme Court.

The high tribunal earlier said Ang Ladlad should stay on the list pending the resolution of its petition against a Comelec ruling barring it from the party-list polls.

The poll body said the 144 approved party-list groups should each submit not later than March 6 a list of five nominees or those who will take House seats in case they are elected.

Larrazabal said the names of the nominees would be published by the Comelec to enable the public to check their backgrounds.

The party-list system was conceived in 2001 to ensure that marginalized sectors are given representation in Congress.

But in the 2007 polls, some party-list organizations became controversial because of their nominees.

Two of them were Kasangga whose nominee Lourdes Arroyo is a sister of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, and Ang Bantay whose nominee, retired military general Jovito Palparan, is being accused by militant groups of human rights violations.

Larrazabal said concerned individuals may contest with the Comelec the choice of a nominee if they think he or she does not deserve to represent a certain sector.

Larrazabal, however, said the poll body does not compel party-list groups to include the names of their nominees in their campaign materials because the party-list system is not personality-based and that voters should not go for the nominees when they choose a party-list group.

For women’s cause

A party-list group, which has raised eyebrows for proposing an expiry date on marriage license, claims it is a strong advocate of women empowerment with its livelihood programs aimed at making them financially independent.

The 1-ABAA (1-Akong Babaeng Astig Aasenso), which was among the party-list groups accredited by Comelec, said it has lined up livelihood and skills training programs for women.

“Our advocacy is to promote entrepreneurship among women, to provide them with skills and means to set up their own businesses,” Margie Tajon, 1-ABAA president, told The STAR.

She said women are generally vulnerable to abuse if they are dependent on their partners. Empowered women can pursue small time businesses and join the ranks of successful women entrepreneurs.

Tajon said most of their members are women engaged in various small time businesses. The group’s legislative agenda is to enact laws that will allow women easy access to financial capital and other support from the government.

The 1-ABAA hogged the limelight recently when it proposed an expiry date on marriage to spare incompatible couples from lengthy and costly legal proceeding in case they seek annulment.

Tajon clarified that its proposal aims to further strengthen marriage by allowing couples to renew and assess their relationship over time.

“If the couple really love each other then the decision to extend marriage will be mutual,” she said.

In the wake of the controversy, the group said it might settle for another scheme which is to allow couples to set a timeframe for the renewal of their marriage vows.

“We have to live with the realities of time that some couples are really not compatible so why not give a chance to become free again without going into lengthy legal process?”

Disqualification contested

Meanwhile, a retired police general and a popular singer have questioned before the SC their disqualification from the senatorial race by the poll body.

Romeo Maganto and Anthony Castelo asked the High Court to nullify Resolution No. 8713 issued by the Comelec last month and allow their names to be included in the ballots for the May 10 polls.

The two contested the position of the poll body that they lack capability to wage a nationwide campaign since they both registered as independent candidates – even if they were later adopted by the Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL).

They alleged that Comelec’s ruling was “issued in evident discrimination” and “rendered in grave abuse of discretion.”

“Unless the respondent commission is ordered to include the names of petitioners Maganto and Castelo in the electronic ballots, for the May 10, 2010 elections, they will suffer grave and irreparable damage and injury because they would be forever prevented from running for senator by the sheer fact that their names will not be included in the electronic ballots among those voted upon in the May 10 elections,” the petition read.

Maganto and Castelo submitted to the SC letters of KBL party to Comelec endorsing them as senatorial bets.

They also questioned why the Comelec accepted the appeal of another disqualified senatorial hopeful, Nanette Espinosa, whose appeal was based on the same arguments as theirs.

Comelec has rejected the endorsement of KBL because it came late.

Maganto and Castelo were excluded from the initial list of approved candidates for failing to prove that they were capable of launching a nationwide campaign.

Maganto, a retired police general, filed his COC as an independent last Nov. 25. He justified his being independent by saying that he didn’t want to antagonize his friends in both the administration and the opposition.

He claimed to have millions of supporters all over the country.

Castelo, on the other hand, filed his COC last Nov. 30.

Aside from Maganto and Castelo, KBL will be fielding six senatorial candidates, namely Shariff Ibrahim Albani, Alma A. Lood, Regalado Maambong, Ma. Judea G. Millora, Imelda Papin, and Hector Villanueva.

KBL’s presidential bet is Dodong Acosta, with broadcaster Jose “Jay” Sonza as his running mate. With Edu Punay and Perseus Echeminada

Party-list groups accredited by the Commission on Elections:

1. 1-AANI

2. 1-Aangat Pilipino (1-AK)

3. 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy (1-CARE)

4. 1-Ako Babaeng Astig Aasenso (1-ABAA)

5. 1Guardians Nationalist of the Philippines Inc. (1Ganap/Guardians)

6. 1st Kabalikat ng Bayan Ginhawang Sangkatauhan (1st KABAGIS)

7. A Blessed Federation of Farmers and Fishermen International inc. (A Blessed)

8. Aangat Tayo (AT)

9. Abakada Guro (ABAKADA)

10. Abang Lingkod Inc. (Abang Lingkod)

11. Abante Ilonggo (aba Ilongg)

12. Abante Katutubo Inc. (Abante Ka)

13. Abante Mindanao (Abamin)

14. Abante Tribung Makabayan (ATM)

15. Abono

16. Action Brotherhood for Active Dreamers Inc. (Abroad)

17. Action for Democracy and Development for the Tribal People (Add Tribal)

18. Action for Dynamic Development Inc. (ADD)

19. Act Teachers

20. Action League of Indigenous Masses (ALIM)

21. Adhikain at Kilusan ng Ordinaryong Tao para sa Lupa, Pabahay, Hanapbuhay at Kaunlaran (Ako)

22. Adhikain ng mga Dakilang Anak ng Maharlika (ADAM)

23. Adhikaing Alay ng Marino sa Sambayanan Inc. (Alon)

24. Adhikaing Tinataguyod ng Kooperatiba (ATING KOOP)

25. Advocacy for Teacher Empowerment Through Action Cooperation and Harmony Towards Education Reform (A Teacher)

26. Advocates for Special Children and the Handicapped Movement (Asahan Mo)

27. Agapay ng Indigenous Peoples Right Alliance (A-IPRA)

28. Agbiag Timpuyog Ilokano (AGBIAG)

29. Agila Pwersa ng Nagkakaisang Magsasaka (AGILA)

30. Agila ng Katutubong Pilipino (AGILA)

31. Agri-Agra na Reporma para sa Magsasaka ng Pilipinas Movement (AGRI)

32. Agrarian Development Association (ADA)

33. Agricultural Section Alliance of the Philippines (AGAP)

34. Ahon Pinoy (AHON)

35. Akap Bata

36. Akbay Pinoy OFW-National (APOI)

37. Akbayan Citizens Action Party (Akbayan)

38. Ako Ayoko sa Bawal na Droga (Ako)

39. Ako Bicol Political Party (AKB)

40. Aksyon Magsasaka Partido Tinig ng Masa (AKMA-PTM)

41. Aksyon ng Mamamayang Nagkakaisa (Amana)

42. Alagaan Natin Ating Kalusugan (Anakalusugan)

43. Alagad

44. Alay Buhay Community Development Foundation (Alay Buhay)

45. Alay sa Bayan ng malayang Propesyunal at Repormang Kalakal (Abay Parak)

46. Alliance of Advocates in Mining Advancement for Nation Progress (AAMA)

47. Alliance for Barangay Concerns Party (ABC)

48. Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD)

49. Alliance for Philippines Security Guards Cooperative (AFPSEGCO)

50. Alliance for Rural Concerns (ARC)

51. Alliance for Association of Accredited Workers in the Water Sector (1-TUBIG formerly AAWAS)

52. Alliance for Bicolnon Party (ABP-Bicolnon)

53. Alliance for National Urban Poor Organizations Assembly Inc. (ANUPA)

54. Alliance for People’s Organizations (APO)

55. Alliance of Regional Coalitions Against People’s Povery (ARCAPP)

56. Alliance of Volunteer Educators (AVE)

57. Alliance Transport Sector (ATS)

58. Alma sa Paghihikahos at Ignorasya (ALMA)

59. Alyansa ng Mamamayang Naghihirap (ALMANA)

60. Alyansa ng Media at Showbiz (AMS)

61. Alyansa ng mga Grupong Haligi ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Mamamayan Inc. (AGHAM)

62. Alyansa ng Bayanihan ng Magsasaka, manggagawang Bukid at Mangingisda (ABA)

63. An Waray

64. Anak Mindanao (AMIN)

65. Anak Pawis (AP)

66. Ang Agrikultura Natin Isulong (AANI)

67. Ang Asosayon Sang Mangunguma Bisaya-Owa Mangunguman (AAMBIS-OWA)

68. Ang Galing Pinoy (AG)

69. Ang Laban ng Indigong Filipino (ALIF)

70. Ang Ladlad LGBT Party (ANG LADLAD)

71. Ang Mata’y Alagaan (AMA)

72. Ang Tao Muna at Bayan (A TAMBAY)

73. Angat Ating Kabuhayan Filipinas (ANAK)

74. Arts Business and Science Professionals (ABS)

75. Atong Paglaum

76. Asosasyon ng mga Maliliit na Negos-yanteng Gumaganap (AMANG)

77. Association for Righteousness Advocacy in Leadership (ARAL)

78. Association of Laborers and Employess (ALE)

79. Association of Administrators and Professionals and Seniors (AAPS)

80. Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives (APEC)

81. Babae Para sa Kaunlaran (BABAE KA)

82. Bago National Cultural Society of the Philippines (BAGO)

83. Bagong Bayan na nagtataguyod ng Demokratikong Ideolohiya at Layunin (BANDILA)

84. Bagong Henerasyon (BH)

85. Barangay Association for National Advancement and Transparency (BANAT)

86. Bayan Muna

87. Bayani

88. Batang Iwas sa Droga Foundation (BIDA)

89. Bigkis Pinoy Movement (BIGKIS)

90. Binhi-Partido ng mga Magsasaka Para sa mga Magsasaka (BINHI)

91. Biyaheng Pinoy Labor Association (Biyaheng Pinoy)

92. Biyayang Bukid

93. Buhay Hayaan Yumabong (Buhay)

94. Butil Farmers Party (Butil)

95. Champions for Innovative Employment (CHINOY)

96. Citizen Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC)

97. Citizen Power Movement (CPM)

98. Coalition of Associations of Senior Citizens in the Country (SENIOR CITIZENS)

99. Cocofed-Philippine Coconut Producers Federation (COCOFED)

100. Coconut Farmers Association of Linamon Lanao del Sur (COFA)

101. Confederation of Nonstock Savings and Loan Association Inc. (CONSLA)

102. Cooperative Natcco Network (COOP-NATCCO)

103. Democratic Independent Workers’ Association (DIWA)

104. Filipino Muslim Organization (FIL-MUS)

105. Firm 24-K Association (FIRM 24-K)

106. First People’s Representative for Indigent Student Athletes (1ST PRISA)

107. Gabriella Women’s Party-List (GABRIELLA)

108. Green Force for the Environment Sons and Daughters of the Mother Earth

109. Itenerant Vendors Alliance of the Philippines (IVAP)

110. Kababaihang Lingkod Bayan sa Pilipinas (KLBP)

111. Kabalikat ng Mamamayan (KABAYAN)

112. Kabataan party-list

113. Kabukluran ng mga Kababaihang Filipina sa Timog Katagalugan (BUKLOD FILIPINA)

114. Kalahi Sectoral Party (KALAHI)

115. Kalinga Advocacy for Social Empowerment and Nation-Building Through Easing Poverty (KALINGA)

116. Kapatiran ng mga Nakakulong na Walang Sala (KAKUSA)

117. Kasangga sa Kaunlaran (ANG KASANGGA)

118. Kasosyo Producer-Consumer Exchange Association (AA-KASOSYO PARTY)

119. Katipunan ng mga Anak ng Bayan All Filipino Democratic Movement (KAAKBAY)

120. Katribu Indigenous Peoples’ Sectoral Party (KATRIBU)

121. Kaunlaran ng Agrikultura Asensadong Bayan Probinsiya Angat ng Bayan (KAAGAPAY)

122. Koalisyon ng Katutubong Samahan ng Pilipinas (KASAPI)

123. One Advocacy for Health Progress and Opportunity (1-AHAPO)

124. Organization of Regional Advocates for Good Governance Onward Nation Building (ORAGON)

125. Pamilyang OFW-SME Network Foundation (OPO)

126. Parents Enabling Parents Coalition (PEP)

127. Partido Katutubong Pilipino (KATUTUBO)

128. Partido Manggagawa (PM)

129. Pilipimo Association for Country – Urban Poor Youth Advancement and Welfare (PACYAW)

130. Pro-active in Climate Change Leaders (PCL)

131. Puwersa ng Bayaning Atleta (PBA)

132. Social Movement for Active Reform and Transparency (SMART)

133. Sulong Barangay Movement (SB)

134. The True Marcos Loyalist (For God, Country and People) Association of the Phils. (BANTAY)

135. Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP)

136. Una ang Pamilya (1 ANG PAMILYA), which is formerly Alliance of Neo-Conservatives (ANC)

137. United Movement Against Drugs Foundation (UNI-MAD)

138. United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK)

139. Vendors and Traders of the Philippines

140. Veterans Freedom Party (VFP)

141. Women Power (WPI)

142. Yes We Can

143. You Against Corruption and Poverty (YACAP)

144. Youth Leagues for Peace Advancement (LYPAD) - By Sheila Crisostomo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Roxas: My ambition is not my mission

Vice-presidential race frontrunner Mar Roxas on Friday said he has set aside any hurt feelings he may have had after he backed out of the presidential race to support the candidacy of Liberal Party standard-bearer Sen. Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.

In an interview with TV Patrol World, Roxas said he is 100% behind the candidacies of Aquino and other Liberal Party members who are running in the 2010 elections.

"My ambition is not my mission. For me, what is important is that our country moves forward, that we raise our countrymen from poverty. I have seen that we will achieve this change, this better future faster through the candidacy of Sen. Noynoy Aquino," he said in Filipino.

Roxas, grandson of former Philippine president Manuel Roxas, gave way to Aquino's candidacy for president after the latter expressed his intention to run in the May 2010 polls. Both senators are members of the Liberal Party.

During the interview, Roxas dismissed talk that he is being left out of Aquino's campaign by various factions inside the Liberal Party.

He added that his role as Aquino's runningmate is to support the latter in whatever decision he makes. "Sometimes you are at the tiller steering the ship and sometimes you are at the oars, moving the boat forward. And sometimes you are handling the pail to bail out water from the vessel. I will do whatever Sen. Noynoy needs to make him a successful president," he said.

He noted, however, that he will speak out against any wrongdoing since his mandate comes from the people. "If I see something wrong, I will speak out and in that way safeguard the best interests of the country," he said.

Asked if he feels threatened about the improving ratings of vice-presidential candidate Loren Legarda, Roxas compared the electoral race to a basketball game with changing scores every quarter. "What's important is that we're leading and I hope that in May, we will win," he said.

Responding to a question posted on abs-cbnNEWS.com, Roxas said he would love to have kids with his wife, former ABS-CBN broadcaster Korina Sanchez. The two were married last Oct. 27, 2009.

Baguio City Council blocks Athletic Bowl deal amid public uproar

After a week of sustained online buzz — including the emergence of a group on the popular social network site Facebook — the controversial Athletic Bowl deal faces more obstacles as the Baguio City Council moved to recall its confirmation.

The Athletic Bowl controversy broke into the open last week, when Baguio-based media, bloggers and Facebook users raised a howl about alleged irregularities surrounding the land development deal. [See: Baguio OKs ‘irregular’ Athletic Bowl deal] During the first council session this week, Baguio’s councilors quickly moved to recall their confirmation of the scandal-ridden Athletic Bowl development plan, whose memorandum of agreement (MOA) was signed by City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. and an individual named An Ho Yul. An’s representation has fueled speculation that the unknown “group of investors" that wanted to develop the Athletic Bowl area, as written on the MOA, consisted of Korean nationals.

At least seven city councilors have filed resolutions withdrawing their confirmation of the deal. “For a contract to be valid, the parties must be duly authorized by the entities they represent," said Isabelo Cosalan Jr., one of the councilors.

The councilors opposing the deal said their motions invalidate the MOA since any transaction entered into by the city government must be confirmed by the city council.

Councilor Perlita Rondez, chairman of the committee on Burnham Park Management who was absent during the December 21 confirmation of the MOA, denounced the deal in a privilege speech on Monday.

Rondez was quoted as saying that she would refer the deal, which is allegedly disadvantageous to the government, to the Commission on Audit.

Explaining his rejection of the Athletic Bowl deal, Cosalan invoked Executive Order (EO)695 issued by President Arroyo in October 2008 "devolving fully Burnham Park to the city government of Baguio."

EO 695 bars the city government from mortgaging or alienating any portion of the park.

Under the plan, the investors will build a hotel, a driving range and a bus terminal, among others. Critics have noted that the city government was giving away to the developer an Olympic-sized swimming pool that is now part of the property.

Problematic approval

Cosalan admitted that Resolution 515-2009, which approved the MOA signed by Bautista and An, “did not follow the rules or procedures of the city council."

In a statement, Sangguniang Kabataan President Ysabelle De Vera said: “We were not given the chance to study the matter, or to consult my fellow youth leaders on their stand on this memorandum of agreement."

De Vera added that they were consulted only after the resolution was passed.

De Vera also said the Athletic Bowl deal was not originally part of the council’s agenda on December 21, adding that the item had become part of the session only through a suspended motion.

The council was supposed to approve the deal last December 14, but it was deferred for unknown reasons, De Vera said. Mayor weighs in Mayor Bautista, who is in hot water following the deal, could not immediately be reached for comment.

In an earlier press briefing, Bautista claimed that the Internet buzz on the deal had “scared the investors away" and that the signing “never meant the project was already for implementation."

The MOA left spaces for the start and end of the project, which raised more questions about its validity.

Bautista was quoted as saying that that the deal was not yet final, and that the parties would still have to sit down after government bidding rules are followed. – Nikka Corsino/FVI/JV/NPA, GMANews.TV

One in three newborns in Philippines 'unwanted'

One in three newborns in the Philippines is unwanted or unplanned, the government said Thursday, as the country struggles with a population explosion and the Church's opposition to birth control.

The fertility rate of Filipino women stood at 3.3 children, even though four out of 10 said they preferred to have only two children, the National Statistics Office said in a statement, citing the results of a national survey.

Among its findings, the study found that 36 percent of all newborn children were either unwanted or "mistimed".

Fifty three percent of births to women aged between 40 and 44 were unplanned, with 84 percent of such births unwanted, it added.

In general, women with a lower level of education and those from poorer households wanted to have more children.

The Philippines population is projected to reach 94 million this year, up by more than five million from the 2007 census count.

The influential Roman Catholic Church, which forbids artificial birth control, has consistently opposed population control programmes. As a result, the government is reluctant to fund family planning schemes.

The survey also found 73 percent of married women would use birth control if it were available, 22 percentage points higher than the 51 percent that did use such methods.

The rate of those wanting, but not having access to, family planning had increased since a similar survey in 2003, it added.

'We're safe!' Haiti-based Pinoys tell kin via chance Internet link

Amid the rubble, some Filipinos in Haiti were still able to get in touch with their families in the Philippines to let them know of their safe if precarious situation. As aired over the GMA7 late-night newscast Saksi, a number of Filipinos languishing in Haiti in the aftermath of the devastating Wednesday earthquake were able to connect to the Internet and talk to their loved ones here. “Sa mga kamag-anak ko sa Pilipinas, hinihingi ko lang po ang dasal niyo (To my relatives in the Philippines, just please pray for me)," Joan Ramirez said in between heart-rending sobs as she talked to her family. A weeping Rosalyn Fabian similarly recounted their condition on the streets of Haiti. “Hirap na hirap na kami dito. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa nakikita ang kapatid ko (We are in a very difficult situation here. Up to now, my sister has not yet been found)," she recounted. This page requires a higher version browser

Generator among the street rubble

The distressed Filipinos chanced upon a generator on the streets of Haiti and were able to connect to the Internet. Communication to the Caribbean country remains sporadic only through satellite phones, as power has yet to be restored. “Ang kinatatakutan namin dito, after ng earthquake, maaaring magkaroon ng gulo, gutom (What we’re fearing here after the earthquake is that there might be chaos, hunger)," another Filipino said in an Internet conversation with his family. Jovita Cornejo, meanwhile, is still thankful that she was able to talk to some of her relatives, although three others remain missing. “Sana ligtas sila, makauwi pa sila, makabalik pa rito sa amin (I hope they’re safe, and that they will still be able to come back here)," she told GMA News reporter Susan Enriquez in the newscast. John Granada was likewise able to talk to her mother and sister in Haiti, but he still fears for their safety as they were reportedly staying on the streets. “’Yung mga Pilipino doon, nagsama-sama. ‘Yung bahay nina ate dun, may crack na kaya sama-sama sila sa kalsada (The Filipinos there banded together. My sister’s house sustained cracks, so they went with the other Filipinos on the streets)," Inquiries from kin back home

As this developed, a number of Filipinos here sent messages to GMANews.TV asking for help in locating their missing relatives in Haiti. A resident of Muntinlupa said his brother is working for a cable company in Haiti and they have yet to hear from him. Another said her aunt is also in Haiti and they have likewise yet to confirm her condition. GMANews.TV staff called the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) hotlines and tried to verify if the names given by concerned relatives are on its list, but were told that the missing Filipinos’ kin should directly call the Red Cross headquarters. The Department of Foreign Affairs, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the PNRC have created hotlines which families of Haiti-based Filipinos could call for information on their relatives. [See: RP government, PNRC hotlines for info on Pinoys in Haiti] – JV, GMANews.TV

Filipina rescued from collapsed supermarket in Haiti

A Filipino has been rescued from a collapsed supermarket in the quake-hit Haiti, the military said Friday.

The military said that according to Lt. Col. Lope Dagoy, commander of the Philippine peacekeeping force in Haiti, the rescued Filipino was Aurora Aguinaldo.

Philippine authorities have yet to get more details about Aguinaldo's identity.

Annalin Maning, a former overseas Filipino worker, earlier told ANC's Top Story that 4 to 6 Filipinos were working at a Caribbean supermarket in Haiti's capital city of Port-au-Prince. She said she used to work at the same supermarket.

Maning also said that her husband and 2 more relatives are working in the quake-hit country. She said she has not received any word from them.

The Department of Foreign Affairs earlier said that a total of 462 Filipinos are in Haiti, including 172 peacekeepers and 290 civilians.

Aguinaldo was the second Filipino to be rescued alive.

Fellow Filipino peacekeepers earlier recovered Army Corporal David Catacutan from the Montana Hotel, which was being utilized by the United Nations.

Tapping sounds

Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner, spokesperson of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, told reporters Friday that sounds of tapping and crying voices have been heard by Filipino peacekeepers involved in search and rescue operations at UN Stabilization Mission headquarters at the Hotel Christopher.

Brawner said the good news keeps the military in high hopes that Filipino peacekeepers -- Army Sergeant Eustacio Bermudez, Air Force Sergeant Janice Arocena and Navy Petty Officer 3 Pearlie Panagui -- are still alive.

"Naniniwala tayo na buhay pa rin ang tatlo nating peacekeepers (We believe that the three peacekeepers are still alive)," the military spokesman said.

The 3 are believed trapped on the 2nd floor of the collapsed hotel.

Rescue teams from different countries have started to go to the calamity-stricken country, bringing with them heavy equipment for the retrieval operations in several collapsed buildings, including the UN headquarters.

UN's commander for peacekeeping mission Hedi Annabi remain trapped with hundreds of workers at the hotel. At least 17 UN workers have been confirmed killed.

Meanwhile, Brawner urged Filipinos who have relatives working in Haiti not to worry.

"Huwag kayong mag-alala. Huwag kayong mangamba. Ligtas na po ang mga OFW natin sa Haiti (Don't worry. Our OFWs in Haiti are already safe)," he said. With reports from ANC and Ryan Chua, ABS-CBN News

1 of 4 Filipino soldiers rescued from collapsed Haiti hotel

One of the four soldiers trapped inside a collapsed hotel after a devastating earthquake hit Haiti has already been rescued, according to the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said Corporal David Catacutan was hauled out of the Montana Hotel in Haiti around 11:30 a.m. today.

Catacutan, a member of the Philippine contingent forces in Haiti, sustained slight contusions due to the incident, which was triggered by a magnitude-7.2 earthquake yesterday. He was already brought to his detachment to rest and recuperate from his injuries.

Three other Filipino military personnel — Perlie Panague of the Philippine Navy, Sgt. Janice Arocena of the Air Force and Sgt. Eustacio Bermudes Jr. of the Army — have yet to be accounted for.

But Brawner expressed confidence that they will rescue other Filipino soldiers who remain trapped in Christopher Hotel where the UN headquarters is located.

"The family has been informed about the rescue and last night the members of the families of the others were informed also that their member is still missing but we are hopeful that we will be able to rescue the three others who were believed to be trapped at the second floor of the Christopher building," the AFP spokesman said.

The four are members of the 157-strong peacekeeping contingent in Haiti. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

PDEA dismayed over acquittal of drug suspects

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) expressed disappointment over the recent acquittal of three high-profile drug suspects who were arrested during an operation by anti-narcotics agents last July 6, 2007.

PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said they are dismayed by the dismissal of the drug case against Fernando Tinga, his brother Alberto and their nephew Alan Carlos Tinga by judge Raul Bautista Villanueva of the Taguig City Regional Trial Court Branch 267.

"Is there such a thing as a hometown decision in the disposition of drug cases? We are confident that our agents did their job well and exercised regularity in the performance of their duties as mandated by Republic Act 9165. However, this is part of the limitations of law enforcement," Santiago said.

He said he has already ordered the PDEA-Legal and Prosecution Service, headed by lawyer Alvaro Lazaro, to look into the reasons for the suspects’ acquittal.

"We will be consistent and relentless. We will not be demoralized. We will openly voice out our opposition to dismissals and acquittals of drug cases and suspects and we will take note of the lessons learned from these cases," Santiago said. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Sharon Cuneta on adopted baby boy: My girls love him

Megastar Sharon Cuneta has promised that the public will see her adopted son once his adoption becomes final and official.

"Sana maayos agad ang papeles para magkaroon na ng passport at para mapakilala ko na sa inyo," Cuneta said in an interview after her birthday concert at the Araneta Coliseum.

The actress said she hopes the adoption process will be completed before he turns 1 year old.

"Okay na okay [si baby Miguel]. We are just protecting him, but he is a very healthy baby boy. He is a very pleasant baby. Naa-upset lang siya kapag gutom parang ako… Nakakatuwa kasi ang liit pa niya humahagikgik na," she added.

Cuneta said her 3 daughters – KC, Frankie and Miel – instantly fell in love with Miguel when they saw him. She said Frankie and Miel are “very loving and accepting” of their baby brother.

"Even my girls love him very much. Very welcoming si KC. Wala namang swapang sa anak ko," the actress said.

Cuneta announced her plan to adopt a baby boy during her acceptance speech at the 35th Metro Manila Film Festival awards rites in December of last year. She was named best actress for her performance in “Mano Po 6: A Mother’s Love.”

Cuneta’s announcement came after her reported visit to Hospicio de San Jose, a Catholic Welfare institution and a home of orphans, abandoned and special children and elderly people.

Star-studded concert

Meanwhile, Cuneta held a star-studded concert at the Araneta Coliseum to mark her 44th birthday.

Richard Gomez, Robin Padilla, Zsa Zsa Padilla, Karylle, Pops Fernandez, Martin Nievera, Arnel Pineda, Jed Madela, Sam Milby, Eric Santos, Ai-Ai delas Alas and Randy Santiago were among the brightest stars who performed in the concert.

High profile couples Kris Aquino and James Yap and Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo were also present.

ABS-CBN bigwigs led by Eugenio Lopez III, the network’s chairman and chief executive officer, came to show their love and support.

Aside from her showbiz friends, the family and non-celebrity friends of the megastar also came in full force.

8-yr-old boys save drowning man at Aussie beach

Two 8-year-old boys in a young lifeguards training program rescued a man who was struggling in the ocean off Australia's east coast.

Jake Satherley told Australian Broadcasting Corp. radio that he and friend Spencer Jeams saw a middle-aged man having trouble Sunday off Northcliffe beach, in Queensland state.

"We saw him put his hand up and saying, 'help, help,' so we went over to him and pulled him on our board," Satherley said Monday.

The boys are part of the under-14 lifeguard training program at Northcliffe Life Saving Club.

Club president David Shields said he'd never seen a rescue like it.

"They really did perform well above their years," he told ABC. "We're just so proud of them and the way they acted instinctively."

Nearly 50,000 Australian children ages 5 to 13 are enrolled in junior life saving programs, according to Surf Life Saving Australia.

Z Gorres undergoes 2nd major surgery

Two months after his victory that resulted to a brain injury, ZC Oliveros “Z” Gorres’ survival is considered a miracle.

Gorres, who went through an emergency brain surgery in November, is recovering well from his head injury. He can now talk softly and eat regular food.

The Filipino fighter won over Luis Melendez of Colombia in their 10-round bout in November via unanimous decision.

Before his victory, a left straight punch from Melendez landed on Gorres’ temple in the 10th round which caused the blood clot in his brain.

“Mga anak hintayin niyo ang pagbabalik ko, yung promise ko sa inyo, pag-uwi ko diyan. Sa mga taong sumusuporta at nagdadasal, salamat sa inyo,” he addressed his young children.

Gorres went through his 2nd major surgery because doctors needed to put back the part of the skull that was taken out in the 1st surgery.

“Katatapos pa lang ng operation niya. The operation lasted for 2 hours and according sa doctor nakausap natin sa loob hindi naman nagkaroon ng komplikasyon dun sa operasyon. Maganda naman ang pagkakaopera. Wala naman major bleeding na nangyari sa loob,” said University Medical Center (UMC) physician Dr. Benito Calderon.

Attending physicians are hopeful that Gorres will recuperate fast and that no infection would occur.

Surging hospital bills

Meanwhile, his hospital bills at the UMC are increasing. The surgery even drove up his already costly hospital bills.

Because of this, doctors who performed Gorres’ 2nd surgery volunteered their service for free.

Gorres’ insurance covered for only $50,000, which was used up on his 1st day at the hospital.

His family physician, Dr. Calderon, said the UMC management tried to release the boxer last week as the hospital management believed that Gorres is stable and fit enough to travel back to the Philippines.

His family, meantime, continues to seek financial help especially with his impending return to the Philippines in the next few weeks.

‘Z Gorres bill’

Gorres’ plight touched the hearts and raised awareness in the boxing community.

Frank Slaughter, a boxing coach at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), is calling for a state bill that would protect all fighters—the “Z Gorres bill” would give additional protection for underinsured fighters in case of injury.

“Our country has been very good to the Philippines. We’ve always sent aid to the Philippines. As a matter of fact, UMC has sent humanitarian aid in the past to the Philippines. We want them to step up,” said Slaughter.

Gorres’ trainer, Tony Martin, sent a call for help to the Philippines’ most famous boxer, pound-for-pound king and 7-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

“Manny, if you’re watching, take time out from what you are doing in the Philippines right now. Just take one hour of your time to visit UMC [where] a fellow countryman and a fellow boxer [is] and say ‘how are you?’ That’s all we require,” Martin pleaded.

Saudi national posing as pilot breaches NAIA security

A 19-year-old Saudi national was arrested for breaching security at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 1 by posing as an airline pilot, airport officials said Tuesday.

Angel Atutubo, assistant general manager of the Manila International Airport Authority, said Hani Bokhary was arrested around 5 p.m. Monday while loitering around the Terminal 1 wearing a pilot's uniform.

Atutubo said aviation policemen failed to immediately discover Bokhary's unauthorized stay at the airport because they assumed that he was a regular airline pilot.

He said Bokhary's disguise was discovered after a lady immigration officer examined his passport, which revealed that he was a dependent and son of a pilot.

Bokhary was immediately brought to the Bureau of Immigration's detention facility at Camp Bagong Diwa in Bicutan, Taguig.

Atutubo said a charge of "misrepresentation" was being readied against the Saudi national.

He said the immigration department has ordered the immediate deportation of the suspect.

Atutubo, meanwhile, clarified that there was no breach in security at the airport regarding the Saudi national's case.

"We would not consider it a breach. He went through X-ray and walk through inspections. There was simply a human error because [our security people] failed to immediately scrutinize [his identity] because he was wearing a pilot's uniform," he said.

The NAIA airport was went on alert after the botched bomb attack of a young Nigerian national while aboard a Northwest flight from Amsterdam to Detroit.

The Nigerian national was badly burned when a device failed to detonate the explosives allegedly stitched into his underwear. With reports from Edwin Sebidal, radio dzMM and Alex Santos, ABS-CBN News

Maguindanao rebellion suspects given 10 days

The Department of Justice (DOJ) on Tuesday gave Maguindanao rebellion suspects a 10-day deadline to submit their counter-affidavits.

The DOJ warned at least 600 rebellion suspects, including members of the powerful Ampatuan clan, that they would not be given another extension to submit their responses to the charges filed by police against them if they fail to meet the 10-day deadline, which ends on January 22.

The clan's patriarch, former Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and his son, suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, submitted their counter-affidavits during Tuesday's hearing.

The justice department's prosecution panel explained to the rebellion suspects that it is serious in its statement that they will resolve the case in 60 days. The 60-day deadline started last December 12.

Among those charged with rebellion were policemen, military personnel and paramilitary members alleged allied with the Ampatuan clan.

The Ampatuans were accused of leading a rebellion to avoid police arrest in connection with the November 23 massacre of 57 people, who included their political rival in the May 2010 local polls, the Mangudadatus.

Ampatuan Sr. and other members of the clan were arrested after Malacañang imposed a week-long martial rule in some parts of Maguindanao province. Report from Timi Nubla, ABS-CBN News

Grenade hurled at cathedral in southern Philippines

A grenade went off on Sunday outside a Catholic cathedral on a southern Philippine island which has seen bloody Muslim extremist attacks in recent years, the military said.

Unidentified men hurled the grenade before dawn in Jolo island's capital town of Jolos, said Brigadier General Rustico Guerrero, head of an anti-terrorism task force.

The blast shattered some cathedral windows but no one was injured.

Previous grenade explosions in the area have been blamed on the Abu Sayyaf, a Muslim extremist group linked by intelligence agencies to the Al-Qaeda network.

However, Guerrero said there were no immediate suspects in the latest blast.

Jolo, a Muslim-dominated island with a Christian minority, has long been a haunt of the Abu Sayyaf who are blamed for the worst terror attacks in Philippine history.

In September, two US soldiers who were training local forces against the Abu Sayyaf were killed by a roadside bomb planted by extremists on Jolo island.

Blast rocks Jolo Cathedral

An explosion rocked the Cathedral in Jolo, Sulu this morning, the military disclosed today.

Eastern Mindanao Command spokesman Maj. Joel Lazo said the incident happened around 5:40 a.m. within the compound of Jolo Cathedral.

There were no reported casualty during the blast from a still undetermined explosive device which damaged the windows of the Cathedral, Lazo added.

Investigators are still looking into the incident.

Last year, two explosions also rocked the Jolo Cathedral. - By Dennis Carcamo (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Villar cuts Noynoy's lead to 11%

Senator Manny Villar of the Nacionalista Party has further cut the lead of survey frontrunner Senator Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino in a special survey of Social Weather Stations (SWS) commissioned by the Villar camp after Christmas.

Based on the December 27-28 SWS Special December Survey, Aquino's lead over Villar was down to 11% from 27% in November 4-8, and 22% in December 8-10.

A total of 2,100 respondents were asked to choose from a list of presidential candidates who they were likely to vote as president if elections were held on the day the survey was conducted.

In the December 27-28 survey, 44% picked Aquino, while 33% chose Villar.

In the latest survey, Aquino was down 2% from the December 5-10 SWS survey (from 46% to 44%), while Villar was up 6% (from 27% to 33%).

Another significant change was the number of undecided: it fell from 4% in December 5-10 to only 1% in December 27-28.

Former President Joseph Estrada was chosen by 15%, statistically the same as the December 5-10 survey where he got 16%.

Administration candidate Gilbert Teodoro of the Lakas-Kampi got the same level of support as in the December 5-10 survey with 5%.

Brother Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas also got the same support as the early December survey with 1%.

Senators Richard Gordon, Jamby Madrigal, and Ang Kapatiran's JC de los Reyes got less than 1% support.

Villar has been outspending his rivals in political advertisements in recent months.

He has marketed himself as someone who comes from the ranks of the poor and will work to help the poor, while Aquino has projected himself as the clean candidate.

The special SWS survey has a margin of error of plus/minus 2.2%.

Aquino's base 'solid'

In response to the survey, Aquino's campaign spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino's base remains solid, despite their limited ad spending.

"Despite the absence of air war, we maintained our base. Our base is very solid," he said.

Lacierda said Villar got more support at the expense of other candidates, but not Aquino. "Hindi kami nabawasan. He got his votes from other candidates."

He pointed out that the 2% drop in Aquino's ratings is within the 2.2% margin of error.

He attributed Villar's numbers to heavy political advertisements.

"He has spent a lot on advertising. We only have a few so far. Wait for us to advertise," Lacierda said.

He said the Aquino camp is "not bothered" by the survey results.

"It is very clear that we have a solid base. Our message against corruption is clear," he said.

'Watch out for Noynoy's ads'

Liberal Party spokesman Lorenzo Tañada III, for his part, said: "Our numbers are stable. We have not lost anything. His (Villar's) increase did not come from us."

Tañada said that "admittedly, we cannot match his war chest."

"We will have to be smarter in using our resources. Our ads will have to be smarter in using our resources. Our ads will be strategic and tactical," he said.

With a month left before the start of the official campaign period for national posts, Tañada said their ads "are being conceptualized."

He said the LP's target is for Aquino's rating to "go beyond 50%."

"If we can do that, panalo na kami," he said.

Another special child's mom to sue Cebu Pacific

Another mother is readying charges against the Gokongwei-led airline Cebu Pacific for trying to force her and her special child off a Manila-bound flight last December 23.

Stella Santos told ABS-CBN's Umagang Kay Ganda that she and her son Harvy, who has Down syndrome, was in the same Cebu Pacific flight with Marites Alcantara and her son, John Arvin, a special child with Global Developmental Delay.

Santos said she was also approached and asked by a Chinese-looking flight crew to get off the plane. She said the crew did not fully explain why they were being asked to board another flight back to Manila.

"I refused to agree with them. I said 'If you will push through with this, I will sue you. This is our right,'" she said, breaking down into tears as she recalled the humiliating experience.

Santos said that she later found out that they were being asked to get off the plane because of the presence of another special child.

She said that she was told by other passengers that according to the plane's crew, it was against the airline's policy to have 2 "mentally-ill" passengers in the same flight.

Alcantara, in a news item aired over ABS-CBN's TV Patrol World on Wednesday night, said that the purser and cabin crew of the Cebu Pacific plane kept repeating that her son is banned from the plane because he was mentally-ill.

"They have a manual daw. Bawal daw sumakay ang mga mentally ill...pilit nila kaming pinapababa na para kaming kriminal na kulang na lang ay hatakin palabas ng eroplano 'yong anak ko (They said they have a company manual, which states that mentally ill people are not allowed inside the plane...they pressured us to get out of the plane as if we were criminals.)," she told ABS-CBN News.

Alcantara, however, said that her son's condition called Global Developmental Delay, is not considered as a mental illness.

"Kahit sinong psychiatrist ang tanungin mo, walang mali sa anak ko. Hindi siya considered mentally ill...lumuluha na lang siya when they humiliated us. Ang sakit-sakit na nanay ka tapos pinoprotektahan mo anak mo, pero may gumaganyan sa kanya (You can ask any psychiatrist and they would all say that nothing is wrong with my child. He is not considered mentally ill. He was crying when they humiliated us. It really hurts for a mom when people treat her child like that)," she explained.

The airline has issued a written public apology for the incident. It said the incident was "a result of the cabin crew's misinterpretation of government regulations designed to assure the safety of passengers."

"Cebu Pacific has no policy that discriminates against persons with special needs," Cebu Pacific added. Four round-trip tickets

Santos said that after news about the incident broke out, she received a call from the Cebu Pacific management. She said the airline apologized repeatedly and even offered her 4 free round-trip tickets.

"Salamat po sa offer pero ang kahihiyan namin, iyong nasaktan ang anak ko sa ginawa nila. (Thank you for the offer, but with the humiliation my son experienced)," she said, adding that free roundtrip ticket would not be able to convince them to forget the humiliating experience.

Santos said she had already talked with her lawyers and they are already preparing charges against the flight's crew and the airline.

Alcantara's lawyer, Salvador Panelo, had also said that they will file charges against the airline and its crew for violating Republic Act 7610.

"Bawal ang ginawa nila according to Republic Act 7610. Protected di lamang ang special children kundi children mismo sa batas na iyon. (What they did was not allowed, according to Republic Act 7610. That law not only protects special children, but all kids as well)," said Panelo.

'I did not favor any district'

President Arroyo maintained yesterday that she has not unduly favored any congressional district in allocating multimillion-peso government projects even as her officials cited her record of having built the most number of roads and bridges in the country, more than her three predecessors combined.

Mrs. Arroyo was reacting to an allegation by Liberal Party senatorial candidate and Akbayan party-list Rep. Risa Hontiveros that the President poured in at least P459 million worth of projects in the second district of Pampanga where she is seeking a congressional seat.

“Our (national) budget is more than P1 trillion and of course it would go to different districts. Like this place, Calauan, (Laguna), we put in here P600 million,” the President said in her brief message to residents of a government relocation site in the Laguna town.

Mrs. Arroyo visited the 107-hectare relocation site for families displaced by tropical storm “Ondoy” and typhoon “Pepeng” last year.

She said the P600 million was part of the P12-billion total budget allocated for relocation.

“If we put in here P600 million, what more in other areas and districts,” she said.

Malacañang officials hit Hontiveros for her “creative and selective presentation of facts to suit a conclusion she has already made.”

Pittance

Public Works Secretary Victor Domingo said the reported amount was a pittance compared to the billions of pesos badly needed by the region.

While deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said the allegation “did not upset her unduly,” Domingo disclosed that Mrs. Arroyo called him up past midnight Thursday to clarify the reports.

Domingo said the correct amount should have been P200 million and not P459 million. He said P250 million was for the bypass roads sought by investors and locators in Clark and Subic as well as to ease commerce and access to the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport.

He said the P200 million was for flood control projects as the two districts, including Mrs. Arroyo’s, are the lowest in elevation in Pampanga.

The flood projects were designed to benefit nearby provinces as Pampanga acts as catch basin for rainwater coming from mountain ranges.

Domingo said the original government plan was the P3.8-billion Pampanga Flood Development Project that would benefit the provinces of Bulacan, Zambales, Bataan and Tarlac.

He said there was a bigger flood control project for Metro Manila and the entire Southern Tagalog region worth over P30 billion.

“That’s why the amount for the projects there (Pampanga) that is benefiting other provinces is small compared to the actual amounts needed,” he said.

“The sensationalist charge by a senatorial candidate in the opposition about alleged favoritism in infrastructure spending in the President’s home district can only be described, charitably, as a creative and selective presentation of the facts,” Olivar said.

He said the Arroyo administration has so far built a total of 47,800 kilometers of major roads and 289,900 linear meters of bridges from 2001 to 2009, totaling P226 billion, much more than the combined accomplishments of the three immediate preceding governments that lasted a total of over 14 years.

He said the level of spending was further enhanced last year when the government had to adopt a stimulus spending program to protect the economy from the global recession.

Olivar said it was understandable that levels of government spending would vary from one part of the country to another, depending on such factors as the local infrastructure gap, the requirements of investors and demographic growth, and calamity risks, among others.

“In fact, we are sure that there were other districts, not just in Pampanga, where infrastructure spending last year exceeded the P450-million level that the critics claim as a benchmark for favoritism,” he said.

“Sadly, the opposition party behind this latest canard cannot seem to shake its fixation on the President. Instead of treating her like a punching bag, and the presidency as something to be inherited, when will we start hearing from them about platform, record, character and talent?”

“Not only is this thing (spending for Pampanga district) legal, it is also proper, understandable, beneficial to our countrymen who live in that part of the country,” he said.

Nothing wrong

Presidential son Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo said there was nothing wrong with his mother’s huge pork spending for her district in Pampanga.

“What’s wrong with the President addressing the needs of her cabalens? GMA surely does not want to go down in history as a president who failed the aspirations of her townmates,” he said.

“How can you be a good President if you cannot take care of the needs of even your own district?” he asked, taking potshots at Hontiveros.

“The President is merely taking care of the needs of the people the way a good leader should,” he said.

“The president, the vice president, the senators and the congressmen all have their pork barrels. It’s just a question of how they are used,” Arroyo pointed out.

He said Hontiveros’ revelations were a “classic case of a senatorial wannabe resorting to politicking in furtherance of her political ambition.”

He also rebuffed Hontiveros’ accusation that Mrs. Arroyo’s spending smacks of electioneering. “Using her line of reasoning, then all of us who have used our pork barrel for the benefit of our constituents could also be accused of electioneering,” he said.

“And for the record, the president also had an infinity of infrastructure projects constructed for the past years all over the country, including areas where the opposition are in power and this includes Cagayan de Oro,” he said. “Why zero-in on Pampanga only?” he asked.

To the rescue

“Assuming President Arroyo spent that much for her district in Pampanga, there is nothing wrong because the people benefited from the projects and these are properly accounted for,” said administration Rep. Rodolfo Albano III of Isabela.

“And it’s not only in Pampanga that President Arroyo initiated pro-people projects. These are all part of her agenda to improve people’s lives,” Albano added.

Baguio City Rep. Mauricio Domogan appealed to opposition candidates to stop using Mrs. Arroyo in their electoral campaign.

“Using President Arroyo to gain higher rating, votes and political mileage is unfair because she has nothing to do with their bids,” said Domogan, vice chairman of the House committee on justice.

“What is improper and shameless is for supposedly pro-people candidates to keep on criticizing the President without doing anything concrete to help alleviate the plight of the masses,” Domogan said.

“PGMA is not legally barred from running in her district as representative just because she introduced public works projects therein as president of the Philippines,” Maguindanao Rep. Simeon Datumanong said.

“Why attack her on the implementation of projects that are giving relief to the people? The President is doing her very best to provide services for the people and critics should not make an issue out of it because there is nothing wrong,” Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay said.

“When you run for a national position you should be ready with the platform of what you can do for our country. You do not try to muddle the issues,” Rep. Amelita Villarosa said.

Quezon Rep. Danilo Suarez said the P459 million spent for Pampanga’s second district was “no big deal” as other lawmakers “get a lot more than that amount.”

At the Serye Café news forum in Quezon City, Suarez cited news reports about Sen. Edgardo Angara’s “insertions” in the P1.541-trillion national budget for 2010.

“I understand that Sen. Angara has given his province P800 million for this year. That’s on top of a senator’s annual pork barrel allocation of at least P200 million,” he said.

“That’s what you get when you are in power, and Sen. Angara is in power as Senate finance committee chairman,” he said.

Poll rival speaks

Adonis Simpao, Mrs. Arroyo’s only rival in the congressional race, said the President should target the gubernatorial post and not a House seat if she is really serious about helping her province mates.

“If President Arroyo really wants to continue to serve Kapampangans beyond her presidential term as she had declared, she should have filed her candidacy not for Congress in one district, but for Pampanga governor,” Simpao told The STAR in a telephone interview.

“I am happy for projects that benefit the people” but “are we sure that all the funds were really poured into the projects?” he asked.

“We know how close some Pampanga mayors are to the President,” the LP bet said.

Selfish agenda

“The expenditures were driven by purely political considerations - her candidacy. Governance is about allocating scarce resources. She clearly did not govern in this instance,” Sen. Francis Escudero said.

“I do not begrudge those who benefited from this self-serving act. But these allocations show how the politics of patronage has become a norm in the past nine years,” Escudero said.

“This negative example makes it imperative for the next administration to take the necessary steps to prevent fiscal abuses of this nature by future presidents,” he said.

Escudero said his own pork barrel allocations had been withheld since 2005 after he figured prominently in the impeachment moves against Mrs. Arroyo.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said there was nothing wrong in spending for one’s district but Mrs. Arroyo’s move was questionable because of her political plans.

“Still you cannot remove the impression that she is spending much on her district because she will run there as congresswoman,” Estrada said. With Delon Porcalla, Aurea Calica, Ding Cervantes, Evelyn Macairan - By Paolo Romero (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)

Fil-Am Muñoz wants to be 'Manny Pacquiao' of MMA

A jubilant Mark Muñoz after his TKO win over Ryan Jensen in UFC 108. (Photo by UFC.com)

Up and coming Filipino-American mixed martial artist (MMA) Mark Muñoz is a self confessed Manny Pacquiao fan.

In fact, he wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of MMA.

“[I’m a] huge [fan of Pacquiao]. Very very huge,” Muñoz said in a phone patch interview with several sports scribes in the Philippines. “Actually, I trained with Freddie Roach when I was in LA. The reason why I wanted to train with Freddie is that I can see Manny.”

The 6-foot tall fighter known as the “Filipino Wrecking Machine” said he doesn’t just admire Pacquiao’s boxing skills but also his down-to-earth attitude.

“I got to see him train and how he treats people,” said Muñoz, who already scored 2 wins in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). “He’s a very good role model aside from his boxing. He’s a very good person.”

“That’s what I wanted to be. I definitely wanted to be the Manny Pacquiao of mixed martial arts,” he added.

Muñoz broke into the MMA scene with two successive wins in the World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) where he scored first-round victories over Chuck Grigsby and Ricardo Barrios.

Although he lost his fighting debut in the UFC to veteran MMA fighter Matt Hamill, he made it up by scoring two more victories over Nick Catone and Ryan Jensen.

‘Mayweather’s just scared’

When asked about the cancellation of Pacquiao’s bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr., Muñoz said the American boxer is only looking for excuses to postpone the fight.

“I think Mayweather is scared, I think he’s putting it off,” said the MMA fighter.

Muñoz, one of the many fight fans who wanted the mega-bout to happen, said the cancellation only made the Pacquiao-Mayweather clash bigger than it was.

“It’s actually a big fight, huge fight right now but I think they‘re gonna make it a bigger fight because now it wasn’t gonna happen so people are talking about it now. I think it’s gonna happen,” he said.

He also frowned over the demand by Mayweather’s camp to have Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style drug testing.

Muñoz said he is puzzled over the move to change the drug testing process that has been used in boxing for years and years.

“I think he’s just finding a reason to cancel the fight. I don’t like how it’s been carried out, I don’t like it at all,” he said.

Still, Muñoz wanted the fight to push through.

“It has to happen,” he said.

Police probe fire at Ampatuan farm

Police are looking into a fire that burned down 7 houses at an Ampatuan-owned mango farm in Datu Hoffer town in Maguindanao.

At past 7 p.m. on Tuesday, authorities noticed the fire in the mango farm owned by the Ampatuan clan in Barangay Limpongo, meters away from Datu Hoffer police station.

The incident took place after police and representatives from the Commission on Human Rights discovered possible grave sites at the mango farm. They said the farm may have served as a mass grave in 2001.

Police said some of the gutted houses were owned by the caretakers of the mango farm.

Some of the residents said armed men possibly angry at the Ampatuans torched their houses. Police, however, said they did not see any suspicious armed group prior to the incident.

The residents said they were able to see the people behind the torching of houses, but they are not certain of their identities.

Authorites have yet to determine the motive behind the incident.

Meanwhile, a police team raided the staff house of former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., the clan's patriarch, in Davao City around 7 p.m. Wednesday.

Armed with a search warrant issued by the Davao City Regional Trial Court Branch 11, police breached the staff house and looked for several firearms allegedly hidden in vaults.

Policemen, however, only found 2 empty vaults inside the staff house.

The raid was conducted as part of the government's crackdown on the Ampatuan clan's armories in various parts of Mindanao.

The former governor has been charged by police for his alleged involvement in a rebellion and the massacre.

Ampatuan Sr.'s sons, Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr., suspended Maguindanao governor Sajid Ampatuan and suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy Ampatuan have been arrested and brought to different detention facilities. With reports from Lora Mae Andor, ABS-CBN Central Mindanao and ANC News@8

GMA poured P459-M worth of projects in her district: critic

President Arroyo poured a whopping P459 million worth of infrastructure projects in the second district of Pampanga, where she’s seeking a congressional seat in 2010, according to documents provided by Liberal Party senatorial candidate Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros.

Documents from the Department of Public Works and Highways as of Nov. 30, 2009 show that most of the projects involved construction or improvement of roads, drainages, and desilting and declogging of rivers.

It smacks of electioneering and should be a reason to disqualify the President from joining the congressional race, Hontiveros said. The lady lawmaker has filed a disqualification case against President Arroyo.

“That’s the most compelling reason why she should be disqualified from running. As the highest official of the land, virtually no one, not a sitting legislator and especially not an ordinary civilian like Mr. Adonis Simpao, can compete with the resources that she has at her disposal,” Hontiveros said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The most expensive projects are the following:

P150-M for the Lubao Bypass Road of San Fernando-Olongapo Road including ROW, Pampanga 2nd Legislative District

P100-M for the access road to the proposed BASA Airbase Interchange along Subic, Clark, Pampanga, 2nd legislative district

P30-M for the concreting and rehabilitation of Babasukan Road in Porac

P20-M for the upgrading of San Fernando-Lubao Road, San Antonio-Guagua Section

P20-M for the upgrading of San Fernando-Lubao Road, Sta. Monica-Lubao Section

P20-M for the dredging of mouth of Third River (Downstream section near Pampanga Bay) using government owned dredgers

P12-M for the construction of slope protection along Porac River, Pulunmasle, Guagua

P10.5-M for the completion/construction/rehabilitation/improvement of Multi-Purpose Building in Lubao

P9.1-M for the concreting of roads in various barangays in Lubao

Based on Hontiveros’s calculations, the infrastructure projects in President Arroyo’s district are 9 times more than the annual allocation for each congressman.

Uneven playing field

“She went thru a building frenzy, as if creating her own road to Congress, and perhaps, to the Prime Minister position that she obviously covets,” Hontiveros wrote.

“GMA’s participation in the race makes the fight uneven. It is not even a question of the resources that she can mobilize to give herself undue advantage, but her capacity to deploy those resources for partisan purposes. She has shown in 2004 that she is willing to use her position to influence an election official and to mobilize the military to protect her votes. If she can use the funds of the government in a spending spree for her district, then nothing prevents her from abusing her powers to ensure her victory,” she added.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is scheduled to hear on January 7 the disqualification case filed by Hontiveros against President Arroyo, who is the second Philippine president to run for a lower post after serving as head of state.

Hontiveros argued that incumbent president should not be allowed to seek reelection in any position.

“The intention of the ban is to protect the election for the highest position from the undue influence that a sitting president could exercise. We believe that the same principle applies for local positions. The same compelling reasons that rationalize the ban exist in the case of a sitting president running for a local position. Otherwise, it would be absurd,” she said.