Former Maguindanao Governor Ampatuan, 74, Died

By JONATHAN DE SANTOS, GMA News 

Andal Ampatuan Sr., patriarch of the Ampatuan clan of Maguindanao and one of the principal accused in the deaths of 58 people in 2009 in the worst case of election-related violence in Philippine history, died on Friday, July 17.

Andal Ampatuan Sr., in this file photo, is wheeled out of Pasay Regional Trial Court after an electoral sabotage hearing in 2012. He pleaded not guilty to the charges he has been accused of together with ex-Pres. Gloria Arroyo, ex-Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos, and election supervisor Lintang Bedol. Danny Pata

Ampatuan, former governor of Maguindanao province, was vice mayor of Maganoy town — now called Shariff Aguak — before the People Power revolution of 1986. 

Malacañang appointed him acting mayor of the town after the revolution.

Journalist Ellen Tordesillas wrote shortly after the 2009 massacre that "from then on, Andal Sr. never looked back." In the 1988 elections, Andal Sr. was elected as mayor and, Tordesillas writes, "was also charged for the murder of his poll rival, Surab Abutasil."

From 1988 to 1998, the Ampatuan patriarch served as mayor before running, and winning as governor of Maguindanao province. In the meantime, other members of the clan ran for, and were elected to, various local posts.

It was in 2001, after another event on EDSA ended the administration of another president, that Ampatuan and his clan further solidified their hold on the province.

According to a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report published in 2008, the clan managed to do so by maintaining a huge armed group and by maintaining close ties with Malacañang.

"To some political analysts, it is easy to explain why the Ampatuans command solid hold on Maguindanao: The clan enjoys close ties with the Palace in faraway Manila, simply because the clan has managed to deliver the votes for administration candidates," PCIJ reported then.

Citing a report by the Center for People Empowerment in Governance, the PCIJ report said the Ampatuans helped then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo "ensure her influence over the whole of Mindanao."

With around 200 armed men in its civilian volunteer organization — private armed groups authorized by executive order — the clan also "support[ed] the internal security requirement of the capitol or the municipio" while also discouraging dissent and opposition, the report said.

That opposition included the Mangudadatu clan, former political allies of the Ampatuans, who decided to field Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu in the 2010 gubernatorial elections.

On November 23, 2009, a convoy carrying journalists, lawyers, and relatives — including Vice Mayor Mangudadatu's wife and his sister — headed to the Commission on Elections office in Shariff Aguak to formalize his candidacy for governor.

The convoy did not reach town.

Andal Sr., sons Andal "Unsay" Ampatuan Jr. and Zaldy, and more than 100 others have since been charged with murder in connection with the massacre, where 58 people, including more than 30 journalists, were killed.

He had also been charged with electoral sabotage for allegedly manipulating elections for the Arroyo administration.

Arroyo allegedly instructed him over the phone to deliver a 12-0 victory for senatorial bets of the administration in the 2007 elections.

His co-accused included former President Arroyo and former poll chairman Benjamin Abalos. —KG, GMA News

FHM Philippines 100 Sexiest 2015: The Victory Party

By Neps Firmalan

Photography by Ryan Ong, Jonathan de Jesus, Mark Jesalva

After serving you the first-ever FHM BroCon, we continued the sexiest of our country's traditions and gave those who were invited back to the SMX Convention Center a fitting encore to the manliest event of the year: The 2015 FHM 100 Sexiest Victory Party!

Unlike that annoying friend of yours who brags about the many awesome thing he's seen in his life, we won't spout about how much we "wished you were also there." The fact is, we couldn't possibly accommodate everyone. However, that doesn't mean we CAN'T SHARE THE GOOD TIMES WITH EVERYONE!

More is here: www.FHM.com.ph 

Concrete Road Brings Hope to Badjau Fisherfolk in Tawi-Tawi

By John Unson (philstar.com) 

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A Badjau seaside village in Bongao, capital of Tawi-Tawi, now linked to the municipal center with a concrete feeder road (right) built by the public works department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. John Unson

COTABATO CITY, Philippines - Badjau fisherfolks and seaweed growers in the southern coast of Bongao town in Tawi-Tawi now have a concrete road connecting their village of stilt houses to the mainland.

Ethnic Badjaus in Barangay Simandagit could hardly bring their daily catch of assorted fishes, crabs and lobsters to the town market during the rainy days before the 1-kilometer road was built for them by the executive department of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The road project was a joint initiative of the Department of Public Works and Highways in the autonomous region and the District Engineering Office in Tawi-Tawi, a component province of ARMM.

“We in the regional government are contented with the quality of the road built there by our engineers in the province,” engineer Don Loong, regional secretary of DPWH-ARMM said Tuesday.

Loong, accompanied local officials, inspected last week the newly-built road, constructed as part of the ARMM administration’s confidence-building measures meant to build cordiality with Tawi-Tawi’s Badjau sectors.

Loong said the concrete road was built over what used to be a muddy stretch of a pathway connecting the seaside village to the center of Barangay Simandagit, where there are public transportations that can bring passengers to the town proper.

Heart will stop painting if….

FUNFARE By Ricky Lo (The Philippine Star)

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Heart Evangelista and husband Sen. Chiz Escudero at the opening of the PortrAYAL exhibit where Heart’s displayed work was titled Forgotten

For a while, Heart Evangelista stopped painting when she felt that her style was not improving. But it was her husband, Sen. Chiz Escudero, who rekindled Heart’s interest in painting when he gave her a big canvas as pasalubong from his trip to Europe.

But if…and that’s the BIG IF…Chiz decides to run for whatever position in 2016, sources said that Heart will have no choice but to temporarily quit painting again since she will have to hit the campaign trail with him.

As of now, Chiz is mum about his plan even if it’s easy to tell just by reading his lips and discerning his actions (that speak louder than words).

When Funfare asked Chiz about it during a brief “ambush” interview two Saturdays ago when he fetched Heart at GMA after the airing of Startalk (in which Heart is a co-host), he admitted that he and Sen. Grace Poe have been constantly in touch. “In fact,” said Chiz, “I was with Grace the other night with her mom (Susan Roces).”

Like Grace who, according to surveys, is a popular choice for the presidency, Chiz is an Independent (although they can be “adopted” by any party). Having been friends for years, Grace and Chiz are comfortable with each other. Chiz was the spokesman for Grace’s father FPJ when he ran for president in 2004. FPJ was believed to have won, but…

From Startalk, Heart and Chiz proceeded to SM Megamall A.R.T. Center where Chiz opened PortrAYAL (LAYA), the benefit exhibit of the Actors Guild of the Philippines. As one of the participants, Heart chose a 48”x 72” oil painting called Forgotten. Asked why she called it that, Heart simply smiled.

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The start for the filing of COCs (Certificates Of Candidacy) is in October, barely two months away. If you’ve been following the front pages, you must be wondering why Grace insisted on having Chiz with her on a nationwide sortie with DILG Sec. Mar Roxas (the alleged administration standard bearer) suggested by Pres. Noynoy Aquino. Watch the front pages for the latest development.

Incidentally, could it be true that Grace and Chiz will issue a “joint statement” anytime…soon? Stand by.

- See more at: http://www.philstar.com/entertainment/2015/07/15/1476939/heart-will-stop-painting-if....#sthash.0KVq76OW.dpuf

Philippines Hopes for Favorable Ruling on China Sea Row

By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star)

Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Hermino Coloma Jr. STAR/File photo

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines is optimistic and looking forward to a favorable ruling regarding the jurisdiction the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) has over Manila’s maritime case against China.

The hearings, scheduled to start tomorrow at The Hague until July 13, will deal with the issue of whether the PCA has jurisdiction over the case or not.

“If the decision of the arbitral tribunal would be favorable to the Philippines, the country will be given an opportunity to present the merits of its petition in oral arguments,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said over state-run dzRB yesterday.

Coloma noted that the hearings set this week are only preliminary.

“We believe in the strength of our position that is grounded on the principles stated in the UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea),” Coloma said.

The Philippine team is led by Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., accompanied by a delegation of mostly lawyer-officials.

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 Coloma said the three branches of government – executive, legislative and judiciary – are one in supporting the Philippines’ case against China.

Among officials included in the high-level team in the Netherlands are Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. from the legislative, and Supreme Court Justices Antonio Carpio and Francis Jardeleza from the judiciary.

Solicitor-General Florin Hilbay, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and retired Armed Forces chief and now undersecretary for security cluster Emmanuel Bautista are also in the delegation.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte earlier pointed out that the delegation, composed of leaders of both houses of Congress and members of the judiciary and the executive, “clearly shows the support of government for the case (is) across the board… It’s a country effort.

“A lot of the members of the delegation have something to contribute to the discussions… on the dispute involving the West Philippine Sea, and they would also like to see the progress of our complaint, of our memorial before the tribunal,” Valte said.

She clarified that it is the PCA, which is also under the United Nations, and not the International Tribunal on the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) that is hearing the case, which has jurisdiction as China’s refusal to take part in proceedings has prompted the need for compulsory arbitration.

 In an informal briefing, Valte said President Aquino directed Ochoa to make sure that the government’s case against Beijing is presented well.

Tropical Storm Linfa to Bring Flood Risk to Philippines

By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist

July 3, 2015; 7:05 PM ET

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While the Philippines will escape Tropical Storm Chan-hom, which will eventually make a run at super typhoon status, the same cannot be said for Tropical Storm Linfa.

Tropical Storm Linfa formed early Friday morning local time in the southern Philippine Sea and remains on track to target Luzon Island of the Philippines with heavy rain this weekend.

Linfa will move into northern Luzon later this weekend as a strong tropical storm, but impacts to the inland will start sooner. Outer bands of heavy rain will reach Luzon's northeastern coast on Saturday before spreading westward through Sunday. Drenching rain will persist in northwestern Luzon on Monday.

"The biggest threat is flooding," stated AccuWeather Meteorologist Rob Richards. "Rainfall amounts will generally be on the order of 75 to 150 mm (3 to 6 inches)."

There will be locally higher amounts with some communities being inundated with 300 mm (12 inches).

RELATED: 
AccuWeather Philippines Weather Center
AccuWeather.com Forecast for Bagio
West Pacific Typhoon and Tropical Center

English Students Flock to Philippines For Low Cost and Sunshine

By: MINORU SATAKE, Nikkei staff writer

Maria Dobroskokina, left, studies English at a school on Cebu.

MANILA -- The Philippines is becoming a popular destination for the study of English. It offers good teachers, inexpensive lessons, and lots of beaches that students can enjoy when they are not in class. As more companies in Asia and elsewhere see English as vital to their globalization strategies, the island nation is likely to keep pulling in students.

     South Korean and Japanese school operators were some of the first to discover what the Philippines offers as a place of study: low costs and a high standard of English among Filipinos, thanks to the status of English as an official language. These companies opened language schools in the Philippines to accommodate their own nationals. Today, low fees for private lessons attract students from a variety of countries, including Russia and China. 

Warm environment

Maria Dobroskokina, 25, from Volgograd in southern Russia, enrolled in QQEnglish school on the island of Cebu in January. Back home, she worked for a newspaper, but she wanted to study abroad to improve her English. The U.K. and Malta are popular destinations for Russians to study abroad, but they are not cheap. A little research online led her to the school on Cebu.

     "On Cebu, the total cost, including accommodation and daily expenses, is about a half that of Malta. I was able to afford one-on-one lessons.  I feel I made big progress with my English in four months here," said Dobroskokina. The country's easy visa application  and warm weather are also a plus for Russian students.

     According to the QQEnglish, which is operated by a Japanese company, the number of non-Japanese students began to rise several years ago. In 2014, students from China, Taiwan and Russia accounted for 20% of its students. Staff from those countries help to bring in more students, along with Internet advertising and word of mouth.

Natural advantages

The Philippines began catching on as a destination for would-be English speakers more than a decade ago, when a South Korean company launched a foreign language school in the country. Since then, studying in the Philippines has become common in South Korea, where English fluency is a must for many job seekers. In Japan, too, there is concern that the English taught in the regular school curriculum is inadequate.  Now more Japanese-owned schools are sprouting up in the Philippines. The number of Japanese who studied in the country reached 30,000 in 2014, an eightfold jump in four years, according to the Philippine Department of Tourism.  

   In Japan, many universities recognize academic credits from Cebu schools, while big companies are sending employees to schools in the Philippines to hone their English skills.

   In the Philippines, high school education is almost entirely in English, and most official documents are written in that language. The country, which turns out more than 500,000 college and vocational school graduates a year, has a large pool of inexpensive, well-qualified teachers.

FHM Philippines Sexiest 2015: Jennylyn Mercado

By Gelo Gonzales

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Jennylyn Mercado is the sexiest woman in the Philippines today!

Let that sink in for a moment, FHM bros. Close your eyes, take a deep breath, and telepathically send your congratulations to the woman who topped the polls for FHM Philippines' 100 Sexiest Women In The World 2015.

After consistently making it in the Top 10 of the 100 Sexiest in recent years, the three-time cover girl (January 2008, November 2009, and June 2013) makes the jump from the fourth spot and ascends the throne, succeeding Marian Rivera in the process.

Now, open your eyes, and have one long look at her:

Catch Jennylyn and the rest of the 99 beauties in the July issue of FHM Philippines, which includes the 100 Sexiest Women In The World 2015 supplement!

European Commission Lifts Ban on all Philippine Airlines

Rappler.com

Published 8:09 PM, June 25, 2015

Updated 9:41 PM, June 25, 2015

BAN LIFTED. The European Commission will now allow Philippine carriers to fly in European airspace. File photo by Agence France-Presse

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – All local airlines can now enter the European airspace, joining national flag carrierPhilippine Airlines (PAL) and budget carrier Cebu Pacific. (READ: PH carriers to know by July if they can fly to Europe)

The European Commission (EC) announced on Thursday, June 25, that all airlines certified in the Philippines have been taken out from the European Union Air Safety List due the tight oversight being conducted by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Removed from the list were PAL Express (formerly Air Philippines Corporation), Cebu Pacific’s Cebgo (formerly Tiger Airways Philippines and Southeast Asian Airlines);Air Asia Incorporated; Air Asia Zest; Island Aviation Incorporated; Magnum Air Incorporated (Skyjet); and South East Asian Airlines International Incorporated (Seair-I).

“After 5 years of hard work, we are finally able to release the airlines certified in the Philippines from the European Air Safety List. The Philippines is an important country with a sizeable and rapidly growing aviation sector,” said Violeta Bulc, European Union commissioner for transport.

“Today’s result can serve as an example for other countries which have difficulty to match their safety oversight capabilities with the growth of their industry,” she said.

Opportunities

The lifting of the ban would allow and encourage Europeans to tap the services of the Philippine carriers when travelling to the Philippines or to other countries, said CAAP spokesperson Eric Apolonio.

The decision comes after a 5-man EU safety assessment team gave a positive review of the airlines following a series of inspections in April.

This led to the suspension of the operations of Skyjet and Seair last May 15 due to safety issues.

The suspension of Skyjet and Seair was lifted last June 7.

While the 7 carriers largely service only domestic and Asian routes, Apolonio said the EU decision will still benefit them.

Previously, European insurance companies would not cover people who flew on airlines on the EU Air Safety List, he said.

"European tourists will be encouraged to use low-cost carriers in the Philippines now," boosting the number of visitors who will want to fly around the archipelago, Apolonio told Agence France-Presse.

PAL now flies to London and is planning to add more European destinations, while Cebu Pacific is applying to fly to Italy.

Lubomir Frebort, EU chargè d’ affaires, congratulated CAAP for overseeing the operations of airlines operating in the Philippines.

“Within this period of time, the Philippines was able to get full lifting from the ban due to CAAP’s openness to improve its oversight functions, complemented by readiness of Philippine air carriers to enhance their own safety and operation standards,” Frebort said. – Rappler.com, with a report from Agence France-Presse

Philippine Vice President Binay Quits Cabinet Amid Graft Probes

MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay, who is running for president next year, has resigned from the cabinet in a break with President Benigno Aquino as he is investigated for corruption.

Binay is being probed by the Ombudsman's office for alleged corrupt practices while serving as mayor of the financial district of Makati in the capital Manila.

He was mayor for two decades and his approval and trust ratings remain the highest among the country's top five national officials, beating Aquino, according to a survey by independent pollster Pulse Asia released on Monday.

But his ranking in surveys for possible candidates in the 2016 presidential election fell to second place for the first time this month, according to Pulse Asia and another pollster, Social Weather Stations.

"This is voluntary and there is nothing that can change his mind," Mar-Len Abigail Binay, Jejomar Binay's daughter and a member of the House of Representatives, said in a radio interview, adding her father was "very tired" of not being able to fight the accusations.

Allies of Aquino in the Senate have been steering months-long probes into allegations of kickbacks, ill-gotten wealth, bid rigging and money laundering against Binay, his son who is the current Makati City mayor, and his business associates.

(Reporting by Rosemarie Francisco; Editing by Nick Macfie)