The pain of a tragedy is assuaged by the lessons learned from it.
That is the case with the disaster that was how the Aquino government handled the damage wrought by super typhoon Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) in November 2013.
It was a reference point in several presentations in last Wednesday’s “Earthquake Resilience Conference” organized by the Carlos P. Romulo Foundation, Zuellig Family Foundation, and the Manila Observatory at the Manila Polo Club.
We trust Sen. Grace Poe would be astute in dealing with the reported courtship by the Liberal Party for the 2016 elections with no less than President Aquino and Interior Secretary Mar Roxas leading the wooing.
Although the talks were about the 2016 elections, Grace said there was no discussion on whether the Liberal Party is getting her as its standard bearer or running mate of Roxas, who, reports said, has told his party mates that he wants to push through in 2016 his 2010 aborted presidential plans.
This is supported by LP stalwarts Budget Secretary Butch Abad and Transportation Secretary Emilio Joseph “Jun” Abaya saying Roxas will carry the party’s banner in 2016.
Senate President Franklin Drilon even went further. Calling Roxas LP’s “presumptive candidate,” he called on Roxas to declare his intention for the presidency now.
Adrift in the Andaman Sea are hundreds of thousands of people in the verge of death due to hunger, thirst and victims of human cruelty.
They are the Rohingyas, a Muslim ethnic group mainly living in Myanmar. It is estimated that they number some 800,000 and comprise 80 to 90 percent of the state of Rakhine.
Boatloads of them have fled Myanmar where they are being persecuted. Myanmar does not consider them its citizens. History accounts say they migrated from Bengal during the 1700s during the British rule. Although some scholars say they are indigenous to the state of Rakhine.
That is the question of many people reading reports of massive withdrawals from Vice President Jejomar Binay’s alleged 242 bank accounts under his name as well as under the name of his wife former Makati Mayor Elenita Binay and son Junjun, Makati mayor. A number of the accounts are also in the name of his alleged dummies.
The amounts mentioned are mindboggling. In the Inquirer story on the report of the Anti-Money Laundering Council which was the basis for the freeze order by the Court of Appeals of suspected Binay accounts, the total amount mentioned is P11 billion since 2008.
This has become urgent with President Aquino’s recent meeting with her on the possibility of running for higher office in 2016.
One of the issues Poe’s prospective political opponents have prepared to raise is her citizenship.
It is a known fact that the 2013 senatorial race topnotcher was a foundling. She was found in Jaro Cathedral in Iloilo City. A kind woman took care of her and later gave her to the then King and Queen of Philippine Movies Fernando Poe, Jr and Susan Roces.
There are, of course, juicier version of her parentage. One is that she is allegedly the daughter of Susan Roces’ sister, Rosemarie Sonora, with the late President Ferdinand Marcos.
To be held at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, it will be aired on AXN at 8:05 p.m.
Four of the nine finalists are from the Philippines: El Gamma Penumbra, shadow players; Junior New System, dancers; Gerphil Flores, singer; and Gwyneth Dorado, singer.
We have an abundance of talent!
The actor was mentioned by Caloocan Rep. Edgar Erice, a Liberal party member, as one of those they are eyeing for the senatorial lineup in next year’s national elections.
Dantes, in an article in Pep.ph, said he was honored by his inclusion in the LP list but, “ nakapagdesisyon naman po ako na wala talaga sa plano ko na tumakbo in any elected post.”
He said he wants to focus on his career while being a husband to actress Marian Rivera and a father to their coming baby.
“Kaya wala po sa plano ko ‘yan and there are lot of things to do. I’m categorically saying that I’m not running in any electoral post this 2016,” he stressed.
Reports said items found in the baggage handlers’ lockers included a gold ring and earring, a G-Shock wristwatch, a Seiko wristwatch, and three branded men’s sunglasses and padlocks.
Officials of the Manila International Airport Authority, the office that oversees international airports in the country, said they have outsourced baggage handling at the airports so the handlers were employees of one of the accredited companies.
MIAA General manager Angel Honrado said the six were suspended. At the same time, he advised passengers not to put valuables especially cash and jewelry in their checked-in baggage.
Yesterday, everything was quiet. So I know who between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather won.
Mayweather won by unanimous decision affirming what he always brags about himself as the “undefeated champion.”
Alex Pal, a Dumaguete-based journalist related in Facebook that he was not able to see “The Fight of the Century” but he asked the taxi driver what was the result. The driver replied: “Natapos naman ang 12 rounds pero natalo si Pacquiao. Anonymous ang decision.”
Alex’s reaction: “Wahaha!”
I don’t watch boxing because I don’t enjoy watching two people hit each other but I follow stories about Pacquiao. I admire him for rising from poverty through hard work.
“China has all the capital and we have the property so why don’t we try and develop that property as a joint venture?”he said.
Amid concerns expressed by President Aquino and Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario over massive reclamations being done by China around their occupied reefs in the disputed Spratlys in South China Sea, Binay further said: “Personally, my feeling is we will continue to insist (on) our sovereignty over those properties but at the same time we hope we can create a situation where we can improve bilateral relations with China.”
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, who has been conducting a series of lectures on the South China Sea dispute, said in his lecture last April 27 with judges and justices that joint development of the Spratlys with China is not possible without violating the Constitution.