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Corona lawyers end case

arielbcatubig — Fri, 25 May 2012 11:00:13 +0000

MANILA (Updated 7 p.m.) -- Lawyers of Chief Justice Renato Corona have made a formal offer of evidence to mark the end of their presentation of facts to dispute the allegations against the magistrate.

Lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas made the manifestation on Friday as earlier mandated by Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile.

Filipino captain, navigation officer sentenced to 7 months in jail

daryl_anunciado — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:05:58 +0000

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — The captain and the navigator of a ship that ran aground on a New Zealand reef last year in what authorities have called the country's worst maritime environmental disaster were each sentenced Friday to seven months in jail.

About 400 tons of fuel oil spilled on Astrolabe Reef near Tauranga and at least 2,000 sea birds died in the Oct. 5 grounding of the cargo ship Rena.

Judge Robert Wolff from the Tauranga District Court sentenced the ship's captain, Mauro Balomaga, and navigating officer, Leonil Relon, both of the Philippines.

Ombudsman: Corona is a certified liar

arielbcatubig — Fri, 25 May 2012 09:56:21 +0000

MANILA (2nd Update, 6:50 p.m.) -- Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales called Chief Justice Renato Corona a “certified liar” for saying she allowed herself to be used by Malacanang to get back at him.

"I am fuming mad. He is a certified liar," she said on GMA News TV following the testimony of Corona on Day 42 of his impeachment trial. "Hindi ako nagpapagamit sa kahit na sino (I never allowed myself to be used by whomever)."

Corona will not resign, dares Ombud to step down

laureenjean — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:43:06 +0000

MANILA (2nd Update, 4:50 p.m.) -- Chief Justice Renato Corona said Friday that he will not give up his post despite calls for his resignation, but instead challenged Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales to step down.

Corona admitted that he has $2.4 million, which was a result of his investment in foreign exchange for the past 45 years, but denied the $10 million claim of Morales.

Impeachment court won't summon bank managers

arielbcatubig — Fri, 25 May 2012 08:06:56 +0000

MANILA -- Senator-judges maintained its earlier position not to summon bank managers in response to Chief Justice Renato Corona's request as part of his move to waive the confidentiality of his peso and dollar deposits.

Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, after nearly an hour of caucus with senator-judges, said the impeachment court is not a producer of evidence since it is constitutionally-mandated to just hear and decide on the case.

"We take note of this waiver of the Chief Justice but we cannot act on it," he said on Friday.

Corona submits waiver without condition

laureenjean — Fri, 25 May 2012 06:34:00 +0000

MANILA (6th Update, 3:40 p.m.) -- Chief Justice Renato Corona returned to the Senate impeachment court on Friday to submit a waiver opening his dollar and peso accounts for scrutiny of the tribunal.

In his three-minute opening statement, Corona told presiding officer Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile that he is submitting his waiver, which he signed on Tuesday, without condition.

Corona lawyer mum on unconditional waiver on bank accounts

arielbcatubig — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:33:37 +0000

MANILA -- A lawyer for Chief Justice Renato Corona has neither confirmed nor denied that the magistrate will likely open his bank accounts for scrutiny by the impeachment court without any condition.

"Let's wait later, thanks," defense spokesperson Rico Paolo Quicho told Sun.Star in response to a television report Thursday night suggesting that Corona apparently had a change of heart.

Corona on Tuesday said that he will bare all his assets but only until Senator Franklin Drilon and the 188 congressmen who signed his impeachment case last December would do the same.

Corona 'lost' case due to walkout, Aquino ally says

arielbcatubig — Fri, 25 May 2012 05:16:08 +0000

MANILA -- Chief Justice Renato Corona probably lost his bid to win back public support after his unceremonious exit during the impeachment trial last Tuesday, an ally of President Benigno Aquino III said.

Senator Franklin Drilon, a member of the ruling Liberal Party, said Corona also abused the court's liberality when he delivered a three-hour narrative testimony in the Senate impeachment court.

Corona leaves hospital to attend trial

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:57:32 +0000

MANILA (2nd Update, 12:56 p.m. ) -- Chief Justice Renato Corona has left The Medical City in Pasig around 12:50 p.m. to attend today's impeachment trial despite his health condition.

Doctors of Corona advised him on Wednesday not to leave the hospital after he was admitted Tuesday night for difficulty in breathing and dizzines due to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Days after deaths, another crowd attempts Everest

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 04:27:59 +0000

KATMANDU, Nepal — Officials say a wave of climbers are heading to the Mount Everest summit and several have already succeeded in what is expected to another busy weekend on the top of the world.

Last weekend four climbers died on their way down from the summit amid a traffic jam of more than 200 people scrambling to conquer the peak as the weather worsened. A similar crowd is expected this weekend, but there are no reports of climbers in trouble and the weather is good.

Earthquake rattles New Zealand city

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 03:40:26 +0000

CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand — A magnitude-4.7 earthquake has rattled the quake-weary New Zealand city of Christchurch. There are no initial reports of serious injuries or damage.

Authorities reportedly closed the inner city after Friday's quake and asked people to leave as a precaution.

The city has been rocked by hundreds of quakes since a magnitude-6.1 in February 2011 killed 185 people and destroyed much of the downtown.

Asian stocks muted as Europe, China woes weigh

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:59:07 +0000

BANGKOK — Asian stock markets struggled for firm footing Friday as investor nerves were tested by fizzling economic growth in China and the lack of a concrete plan to pull Greece back from the brink of bankruptcy.

Media reports that some of China's biggest banks will miss their annual lending targets for the first time in seven years rattled markets, analysts said. Hesitation to take out loans suggests companies are delaying investment due to uncertainty about the economic outlook.

Impeachment court may hold weekend trial

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:24:19 +0000

MANILA (Updated 10:23 a.m.) – The Senate, sitting as impeachment court, is ready to hold trial on Saturday and Sunday if there is a need, even as impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona is set to return to the witness stand at 2 p.m. on Friday despite his health condition.

Corona was admitted at The Medical City in Pasig Tuesday night after having difficulty in breathing and dizziness due to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Boy's eyes gouged out in ritual

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 02:07:19 +0000

MEXICO CITY — Police in a Mexico City suburb arrested a mother and several relatives Thursday for allegedly gouging out the eyes of her 5-year-old son in what authorities said appeared to have been a drug-fueled ritual.

The boy was taken to a hospital in Nezahualcoyotl, a part of Mexico state bordering Mexico City, in serious condition early Thursday and later transferred by helicopter to a more specialized facility in the capital, officials said.

Jessica Sanchez: No ill feelings against Phillips

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 01:51:02 +0000

MANILA (Updated 9:02 a.m.) -- After losing to Phillip Phillips in the American Idol season 11 finale on Thursday morning (Philippine time), Jessica Sanchez admitted having no bad feelings against the Georgia-born singer.

Filipino-Mexican-American Sanchez, 16 years old, said she is happy for Phillips's victory.

"That moment, I told him, ‘You’re gonna win this.’ I was smiling at him the whole time. I was ready to just give him a big hug, and that’s what I did when they announced it," she said in a press conference after the finale show at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles.

Group: South Sudan troops kill, torture minority tribe

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:51:34 +0000

JUBA, South Sudan — South Sudan military forces tasked with carrying out a disarmament campaign among feuding ethnic groups are raping, torturing and killing members of a minority community, community leaders and aid workers say.

The disarmament campaign follows two outbreaks of violence linked to cattle raids between the Murle and Lou Nuer tribes over the last year in the remote state of Jonglei. Hundreds — and likely more than 1,000 — people were killed in the two clashes.

James, Bryant lead All-NBA team

jhayar_book — Fri, 25 May 2012 00:05:00 +0000

NEW YORK — LeBron James was the leading vote-getter for the All-NBA team, while Kobe Bryant earned his 10th first-team selection, tied for second on the career list.

Bryant, a first-team pick for the seventh straight season, joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Elgin Baylor, Bob Cousy, Michael Jordan, Bob Pettit, and Jerry West with 10 selections to the first team. Karl Malone is the leader with 11.

Jessica Sanchez still Bataan’s ambassador to the world

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:26:47 +0000

BALANGA CITY – This city northwest of Manila still considers Jessica Sanchez as Bataan’s ambassador to the world despite her failure to bag the American Idol title in the finale Thursday (Manila time).

City Mayor Jose Enrique Garcia III even invited Sanchez to do her first concert in Bataan, preferably on top of historic Mt. Samat, when she visits the Philippines.

“She will not only be performing in front of her kababayan but she is the ambassadress of Bataan to the world,” the mayor said.

“We, in Balanga City, are very proud of you, Jessica,” he added.

Phillips talks winning 'Idol,' making music

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 23:12:12 +0000

LOS ANGELES — Everyone expected Phillip Phillips to win "American Idol" — except Phillips himself.

Shortly after cleaning the confetti out of his hair, the folksy, guitar-strumming crooner who bested vocal powerhouse Jessica Sanchez on Wednesday still seemed surprised that he'd actually won.

"I can't really feel anything," Phillips said, sitting on a couch in his backstage dressing room.

The 21-year-old received the winning share of the record-high 132 million viewer votes cast after Tuesday's final showdown with the 16-year-old Sanchez.

Facebook launches iPhone camera app

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:38:30 +0000

NEW YORK — Facebook's rocky initial public offering hasn't stopped life at the world's biggest online social network. On Thursday, the company unveiled a camera app for the iPhone.

The app can be downloaded from Apple's App Store and works like most other camera applications for smart phones. To take a photo, you tap a camera icon in the upper left corner of your screen, aim and shoot. You can then add filters, crop or tilt your photo, and share it on Facebook.

101-year-old US man killed by 91-year-old driver

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 22:11:06 +0000

BURBANK, California — Even at 101 years old, Otto Jensen showed little sign of slowing down. The former boxer from Denmark still ran a photography studio and often could be seen crossing the street in front of it to get to a senior center he frequented.

On Tuesday night, while crossing that four-lane Burbank street, Jensen was struck and killed by a car driven by a 91-year-old woman.

Isabela ex-guv to bring case to High Court

armiesheila — Thu, 24 May 2012 10:15:30 +0000

MANILA -- Former Isabela governor Grace Padaca will bring to the Supreme Court the decision of the anti-graft court ordering her arrest in connection with graft and malversation of public funds case filed against her and three others.

Bombo Radyo reported that Padaca was surprised with the decision as she was not given a chance to file a motion for reconsideration. The case was filed by Isabela Vice Governor Santiago Respicio before the 2007 elections.

Padaca admitted that the warrant of arrest issued against her has not yet been served, but stressed she is ready to post bail.

Palace: Jessica Sanchez journey is just beginning

arielbcatubig — Thu, 24 May 2012 09:14:35 +0000

MANILA (2nd Update) -- Malacañang extended its congratulations to Filipino-American-Mexican singer Jessica Sanchez for her second place finish in the prestigious singing contest "American Idol."

Sanchez lost to 21-year-old country crooner Phillip Phillips who is the fifth male singer in a row to win the "Idol" title.

The "Idol" grand finale was held Thursday (Manila time) at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles, USA.

Lady Gaga angers Thai fans with fake Rolex comment

daryl_anunciado — Thu, 24 May 2012 08:48:15 +0000

BANGKOK — Lady Gaga wants to go shopping in Bangkok — for a fake Rolex.

The singer made the comment to her 24 million Twitter followers, sparking an online uproar Thursday in Thailand where some fans called it offensive, insulting and bad for the country's image.

It's the latest publicity-making turn of events as "The Born This Way Ball" travels through Asia.

Lady Gaga's provocative lyrics and costumes have angered Catholic groups in South Korea and the Philippines and Islamists in Indonesia, where the show may be banned.

Palace: Retirement can't save Corona from charges

arielbcatubig — Thu, 24 May 2012 07:37:33 +0000

MANILA -- Malacañang said Thursday that Chief Justice Renato Corona could still be hounded by charges even if he retires from Supreme Court or resigns.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the embattled chief magistrate will not be immune from prosecution even if he is not in government service anymore.

Bacolod sugar firm charged with tax evasion

arielbcatubig — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:56:36 +0000

MANILA -- A Bacolod-based company engaged in the trading of goods such as molasses was slapped with tax evasion for failing to remit P17.10 million to the government despite repeated demands.

Anecito Campos, president of Jolinecaa Corporation, was charged with violation of Section 255 of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997.

Records of investigation showed that Jolinecaa was issued a Letter of Authority (LOA) by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) for the examination of its books of accounts and other accounting records for all internal revenue taxes covering 2006.

South Korea to chemically castrate repeat sex offender

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:38:05 +0000

SEOUL, South Korea — South Korea plans to chemically castrate a sex offender convicted of repeated crimes against children, the country's first use of the punishment, officials said Thursday.

The 45-year-old man will get an injection Friday that lowers testosterone-suppressing hormones and aims to inhibit sexual impulses, Justice Ministry officials said on condition of anonymity citing department rules.

Senate won't render decision if Corona resigns: senator

arielbcatubig — Thu, 24 May 2012 06:12:41 +0000

MANILA -- It could be a far-fetched scenario but Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada admitted it will be useless for the impeachment court to hand its verdict if Chief Justice Renato Corona decides to quit before judgment day.

Corona has since promised that he will finish the months-long process and accept the decision of the senator-judges on the complaint, which centered on the magistrate's violation of a constitutional provision on declaring all assets to the public.

Lawmaker denies involvement in Pimentel’s break-up with wife

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:54:55 +0000

MANILA -- A lawmaker from Visayas has denied involvement in the break-up of Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III and his wife of 12 years, former beauty queen Jewel May Lobaton.

“I categorically deny having anything to do with the break-up of a relationship. We have been implementing different advocacies that are very important to the people of Bacolod, most especially the children and the needy,” Bacolod City Representative Anthony Golez said.

Corona to attend Friday trial

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 05:20:58 +0000

MANILA (4th Update, 4:21 p.m.) -- The medical team of Chief Justice Renato Corona said Thursday afternoon that the chief magistrate is now in stable condition, but said it would be risky for him to attend the impeachment trial on Friday.

Corona was admitted at The Medical City in Pasig Tuesday night after having difficulty in breathing and dizziness due to hypoglycemia or low blood sugar.

Cebu guv to take oath as PDP-Laban member

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:51:48 +0000

CEBU CITY – Governor Gwendolyn Garcia will take her oath Thursday as an official member of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), a radio report said.

Garcia’s oath-taking will officially mark her alliance with Vice President Jejomar Binay’s United Nationalist Alliance, a coalition of the PDP-Laban and former President Joseph Estrada’s Partido ng Masang Pilipino.

The oath-taking came after Garcia’s plan to run for the Senate in the 2013 elections.

76ers top Celtics to force Game 7 in East semis

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:49:19 +0000

PHILADELPHIA — A tough and determined Philadelphia 76ers team beat the Boston Celtics 82-75 on Wednesday, squaring their NBA Eastern Conference semifinal series at 3-3, setting up a deciding Game 7 in Boston.

Jrue Holiday scored 20 points and Elton Brand had 13 points and 10 rebounds for the Sixers as the pattern of the series continued with alternating wins.

Boston's Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo could be playing their last game together Saturday if they can't find a way to hang onto the ball and put away this Sixers team.

Divorce ‘won’t solve marital problems’

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 04:29:56 +0000

MANILA -- The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) expressed strong opposition on Wednesday against moves to legalize divorce in the country.

In a phone interview, CBCP–Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (ECFL) executive secretary Fr. Melvin Castro said the Catholic Church is against such moves as it attempts to destroy marriages.

“We should protect the sanctity of marriage as marriage is a life-long commitment. Any marital problem cannot be solved by divorce,” Castro said.

Asia stocks mixed as Europe holds another summit

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:45:34 +0000

BANGKOK — Asian stock markets struggled to make headway Thursday as the lack of a breakthrough in Europe's attempts to shake off its debt crisis kept sentiment gloomy.

Worries over Greece intensified after European leaders adjourned a summit without taking concrete measures to prevent Europe's debt crisis from exploding and Greece from making a messy exit from the region's shared currency.

Jessica Sanchez, Phillip Phillips set new ‘Idol’ record

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 03:04:44 +0000

Obama, Bush testimony sought in 9/11 case

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 02:36:07 +0000

DEFENSE lawyers in the September 11 case at Guantanamo are seeking the testimony of former President George W. Bush and President Barack Obama in a motion to dismiss charges, according to a legal motion released Wednesday.

Lawyers for three of the five defendants charged with planning and helping carry out the attacks say the charges should be dismissed because Bush, Obama and other top officials have made many statements that could influence potential jurors in their eventual trial before a special tribunal known as a military commission, according to the motion.

Jessica Sanchez-Jennifer Holliday duet wows judges, critics

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:57:57 +0000

MANILA (Updated 9:40 a.m.) -- Jessica Sanchez once again wowed judges and audience of the American Idol in her performance with Jennifer Holliday.

Sanchez and Holliday had spectators on their feet while the two sang Grammy Award-winning R&B/pop hit "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going."

Doha and Baku cut from 2020 Olympic bid field

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 01:16:29 +0000

QUEBEC CITY — Doha and Baku were eliminated from the race for the 2020 Olympics on Wednesday as the IOC trimmed the field of candidates from five cities to three.

Tokyo, Madrid and Istanbul made the cut as the International Olympic Committee executive board settled on a shortlist of finalists.

Doha, capital of the Gulf state of Qatar, and Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, were rejected for a second time in a row after failing to make the final list for the 2016 Games.

$18.5-M settlement for 'Transformers 3' injury

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:49:03 +0000

CHICAGO — The family of a woman left with brain damage after an accident during the filming of "Transformers 3" has reached an $18.5-million settlement with Paramount Pictures.

Gabriela Cedillo was working as an extra in 2010 when she was hit in the head by a piece of flying metal during the filming of a stunt sequence in Hammond, Indiana. An investigation found a weld connecting a car to a tow cable failed.

Her attorney says the 26-year-old needs constant care. Part of the settlement will be set aside for monthly payments to ensure Cedillo has care for the rest of her life.

Former nanny sues Sharon Stone, claims harassment

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:33:14 +0000

LOS ANGELES — Sharon Stone is being sued by a former nanny who claims the Oscar-nominated actress insulted her Filipino heritage and fired her after discovering she had been paid overtime.

Erlinda T. Elemen sued seeking unspecified damages on Wednesday, 15 months after she was fired. The lawsuit states that Elemen worked for Stone for more than four years and was promoted to head nanny, but was fired after the actress demanded she return overtime payments.

HP to cut 27,000 jobs to save up to $3.5B annually

jhayar_book — Thu, 24 May 2012 00:03:38 +0000

SAN FRANCISCO — Hewlett-Packard Co. is cutting 27,000 jobs in an effort to recover from management missteps that hobbled the Silicon Valley pioneer as its rivals raced ahead with more innovative products and services.

The streamlining announced Wednesday represents HP's largest payroll purge in its 73-year history. The reductions will affect about 8 percent of HP's nearly 350,000 employees by the time the overhaul is completed in October 2014.

The cuts come eight months after HP hired Meg Whitman as CEO to turn the company around.

Anne Hathaway's ex to be released from US prison

jhayar_book — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:20:05 +0000

LORETTO, Pennsylvania — An Italian ex-boyfriend of actress Anne Hathaway is about to be released from a U.S. federal prison following a real-estate scam.

Federal Bureau of Prisons spokesman Chris Burke says Raffaello Follieri is scheduled to be released Friday from a prison in Pennsylvania.

Follieri pleaded guilty to cheating investors by falsely claiming he had Vatican connections that enabled him to buy church property at a discount. He was sentenced in 2008 to 4 1/2 years in prison.

US: China's sea claims exceed what treaty permits

jhayar_book — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:04:55 +0000

WASHINGTON — Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton says U.S. failure to approve the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea weakens its advocacy for allies in the disputed South China Sea.

Clinton said that China's claims in those waters exceed what is permitted by the convention. She was speaking at a hearing Wednesday of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, where she and top military leaders offered an impassioned plea for the U.S. to join the pact.

Tracking Terror: Malaysian tells Philippine ordeal

jhayar_book — Wed, 23 May 2012 23:02:58 +0000

SUNGAI BULOH, Malaysia — A Malaysian wildlife trader held captive by suspected Abu Sayyaf militants for a year in the southern Philippines says he saw group members as young as 15 skilled in using M16 rifles that were prevalent in the impoverished region.

Nazarrudin Saidin's account in an interview with The Associated Press gives a rare glimpse into the operations of the al-Qaida-linked militant group, blamed for many ransom kidnappings, bomb attacks and beheadings over more than two decades.

5,000 elephants killed in Republic of Congo

daryl_anunciado — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:18:46 +0000

BOMASSA, Republic of Congo — A wildlife official says that about 5,000 elephants have been killed by poachers over the past five years around the Nouabale Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo.

Thomas Breuer, a senior technical official of the Wildlife Conservation Society project in the park, says that authorities must take action and double guards around the park.

Breuer says that while poaching around the park is intensifying, poaching inside is not as prevalent. He says the number of elephants inside the Nouabale Ndoki National Park have grown to an estimated 7,000.

Isabela ex-guv, 3 others ordered arrested

armiesheila — Wed, 23 May 2012 14:20:19 +0000

MANILA -- The anti-graft court ordered Wednesday the arrest of former Isabela governor Grace Padaca and three others in connection with the malversation of public funds case filed against them.

The Sandiganbayan 5th Division reportedly issued the arrest warrant after it found probable cause to criminally charge Padaca, former municipal councilor Servando Soriano, Dionisio Pine and former provincial legal officer Johnas Lamonera for improperly awarding a P25-millin contract to a non-government organization (NGO) to implement the Province’s agriculture program.

Fire hits Mandaue City

laureenjean — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:29:22 +0000

CEBU -- Almost 200 houses, mostly made of light materials, were gutted after a fire hit Paknaan, Mandaue City on Wednesday.

Mandaue City Fire Officer 2 Edgar Campoamor said the alarm was received at 8:16 a.m. The fire authorities declared the flames under control 28 minutes after.

June 18 declared as holiday in Ifugao

arielbcatubig — Wed, 23 May 2012 09:18:02 +0000

MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III has declared June 18 as a special non-working day in the province of Ifugao in celebration of its 46th Foundation Day. June 18 falls on a Monday.

President Aquino issued the declaration through Proclamation 379 to give the people of Ifugao the full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.

Ifugao was formerly a part of the old Mountain Province. It was created as an independent province on June 18, 1966, by virtue of Republic Act 4695, or the "Division Law of Mountain Province."

2 female US fugitives arrested in Manila

arielbcatubig — Wed, 23 May 2012 08:13:55 +0000

MANILA -- Two female fugitives in the United States were arrested in the Philippines in separate operations, police said Wednesday.

National Capital Region Police Office Chief Alan La Madrid Purisima said the two foreigners were nabbed on May 18 in different locations in Metro Manila.

Chief Supt. Mario dela Vega identified the suspects as Marilyn Ong, 56, single, businesswoman and was arrested at Alabang Zapote Road, Muntinlupa City and the other one was Edna Alfuerto, 55, married, treasury manager of Stonework's Company, and was nabbed during follow up operation.

Basas willing to fight case vs Coronas in court

laureenjean — Wed, 23 May 2012 07:44:44 +0000

MANILA (2nd Update) -- The children of Jose Ma. Basa III said they are willing to argue their case against Chief Justice Renato Corona and his wife in appropriate court and “continue our father’s fight for justice.”

Facing the media after Wednesday's impeachment trial of the Chief Justice, Carmen, Ana, Isabel, Franchesca, and Eric Basa said Corona's statements against their father were "completely false."