PPUR officially confirmed as one of the New7Wonders of Nature

By Eamonn Fitzgerald on January 28, 2012 in Puerto Princesa Underground River

Manila/Philippines, Zurich/Switzerland: Puerto Princesa Underground River (PPUR) is now confirmed as one of the New7Wonders of Nature. Making the announcement in Manila, Bernard Weber, Founder-President of New7Wonders, congratulated the people of the Philippines for supporting their national finalist in the global campaign.

“When your very own President Aquino came out in support of the PPUR campaign, I knew that this country was taking the New7Wonders of Nature seriously,” said Weber. “Fans of PPUR all over the world responded to his call for action by voting in record numbers and today’s confirmation is the well-earned reward for this extraordinary display of enthusiasm,” he added.

Mr Weber was speaking during a meeting with Edward Hagedorn, Mayor of Puerto Princesa, Nardz Villafranca, PPUR campaign coordinator and Jean-Paul de la Fuente, New7Wonders Director. Subjects discussed included the arrangement of the Official Inauguration events and the implementation of the strategic plan for promoting PPUR using its title as one of the New7Wonders of Nature.
“This confirmation is wonderful news for Puerto Princesa, and a great example of how now its more fun to be in the Philippines,” said Mayor Hagedorn. “World-wide exposure of our natural beauty on this level is critical both for tourism and for our image nationally and internationally.”
Puerto Princesa Underground River is located some 50km north of the city of Puerto Princesa, on Palawan island in the Philippines. It consists of a limestone karst mountain landscape, several large chambers containing significant formations of stalactites and stalagmites, and an 8.2 km. navigable underground river that winds through a cave before flowing directly into the West Philippine Sea. At the exit, a flawless lagoon is framed by ancient trees growing right to the water’s edge.
In alphabetical order, the provisional New7Wonders of Nature announced on 11 November 2011 are: Amazon, Halong Bay, Iguazu Falls, Jeju Island, Komodo, Puerto Princesa Underground River and Table Mountain. Following Jeju Island, PPUR is the second to be confirmed on a preliminary basis, as New7Wonders has now completed the telephone voting validation in the Philippines. The remaining five provisional New7Wonders of Nature are currently undergoing the three steps of the verification process, namely the national voting validation, the global voting calculation confirmation by an independent audit firm, and the preparation and implementation of the Official Inauguration ceremonies.

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Comelec says Gloria Arroyo’s hospital arrest has limits

  GMA News Online

REUTERS - Former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo poses in her hospital suite at St.Luke's Medical Center in Taguig city, east of Manila, December 9, 2011, while awaiting transfer to a government hospital. Philippine security forces transferred Arroyo from the private hospital to a military medical facility in Manila this afternoon, according to local media. Arroyo, president from 2001-2010 and a now a member of Congress, has been under heavy guard at the private Manila hospital since her arrest last month on charges of rigging results in elections in 2007. REUTERS/Bullit Marquez/Pool (PHILIPPINES - Tags: POLITICS)

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s hospital arrest is a temporary arrangement, with the Pasay City Regional Trial court last year taking into consideration that she was sick.   Sixto Brillantes, Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair, explained that from the very beginning government wanted her confined in a detention cell but agreed to have her placed under hospital arrest at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) in Quezon City.   “Noong una pa, gusto namin sa regular detention na, e. Pumayag lang kami na ilagay lang sa hospital dahil may sakit. Kung wala nang sakit, e ‘di pumunta na siya sa regular cell,” he said.   Comelec, which filed an electoral sabotage complaint against the former President that prompted the lower court to have her arrested on Nov. 18, 2011, is leaving it up to the court to decide where Arroyo should spend her days while waiting for her case to proceed.   Arroyo was then confined at the St. Luke Medical Center in Taguig City’s Bonifacio Global City.   “Maski ano pa i-counter nila, okay lang sa amin pero ang judge ang magde-desisyon diyan in the end… We will definitely oppose already their  motions,” said Brillantes.   On Tuesday, the commission asked the Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) to compel Arroyo’s attending physician to issue a medical report recommend if she is now fit for discharge from the hospital.   GMA News Online called Arroyo spokesperson Elena Bautista-Horn for a statement, but she wasn’t picking up her phone.  — VS, GMA News

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ABS-CBN to cancel 'Happy Yipee Yehey'

By Gerry Plaza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

 Noontime show "Happy Yipee Yehey" will have its final episode next Saturday, February 4, nearly a year after its first episode, ABS-CBN announced.

The show, whose main hosts are John Estrada, Randy Santiago, Toni Gonzaga, Rico J. Puno and Pokwang, aired its pilot on February 12 last year. An original host, Mariel Rodriguez, had moved to TV5 and is now host of the early evening game show "Wil Time Bigtime."

Other "Happy Yipee Yehey" hosts include John Prats, Matteo Guidicelli, and Bianca Manalo.

"Happy Yipee Yehey" is the second noontime show to be cancelled after Willie Revillame's "Wowowee" had been put off the air over the network's ongoing case against the now TV5 host. The show was preceded by "Pilipinas Win na Win" that was hosted first by Kris Aquino and Robin Padilla then eventually emceed by the Hitmakers Rey Valera, Marco Sison, Nonoy Zuniga and Rico J. Puno.

ABS-CBN issued the following statement, which was sent to Yahoo! Philippines OMG! on Thursday, January 26:

"'Happy Yipee Yehey' (HYY) will have its last episode with the grand finals of its "My Girl" search at the AFP Theater on Saturday, February 4, 2012.

ABS-CBN is very grateful to the HYY hosts and production staff for their hard work and contribution in giving our noontime viewers a "happy, yipee, yehey" experience for the past year.

We also extend our deepest gratitude to our viewers, here in the Philippines and in The Filipino Channel (TFC) markets worldwide, for their support to the program.

The HYY hosts will be given new projects that kapamilyas will surely enjoy."

"HYY" was named as “Best Noontime Show” at the 2011 Ateneode Manila University Dangal ng Bayan Awards and was a 2011 Anak TV Seal awardee. With Karen Valeza

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Philippines-US in military talks in response to China rise - report

  Reuters 

REUTERS - The Philippines is in talks with the U.S. government on expanding its military presence in the southeast Asian country in response to the growing assertiveness of China, the Washington Post reported on Thursday.

In recent months, the United States has announced plans to set up a Marine base in northern Australia and station warships in Singapore, moves seen in China as a part of a broader U.S. attempt to encircle it as it grows into a major power in the region.

The newspaper said that negotiations were in the early stages but quoted officials from both governments as saying they were favourably inclined towards a deal.

It said more talks were scheduled for Thursday and Friday in Washington before higher-level meetings in March.

"We can point to other countries: Australia, Japan, Singapore," said a senior Philippine official involved in the talks.

"We're not the only one doing this, and for good reason. We all want to see a peaceful and stable region. Nobody wants to have to face China or confront China."

The Philippines used to host major U.S. military bases until about 20 years ago.

More recently, its relations with China have been strained by conflicting claims to islands in the South China Sea -- an issue which has also tested China's ties with other countries in the region.

Among the options under consideration are operating Navy ships from the Philippines, deploying troops on a rotational basis and staging more frequent joint exercises, the Post said.

Officials in the Philippines were quoted as saying their priority is to strengthen maritime defenses, especially near the South China Sea. They indicated a willingness to host U.S. ships and surveillance aircraft.

(Writing by Jonathan Thatcher; Editing by Michael Urquhart)

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Santiago irked, forced to leave Day 7 trial

  By Shielo Mendoza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Miriam Defensor-Santiago (NPPA Images)

 After yet another heated argument with the prosecution team on Thursday, Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago’s blood pressure shot up and was advised to leave early and rest at home.

Tom Tobias, media relations officer of Santiago, said the senator’sblood pressure read 180/90. He said Santiago will return on Monday for the trial.

When the proceedings began, the senator-judge was irked by the prosecution’s failure to answer her directly.

“Just answer yes or no! I am tired of hearing your voice!” Santiago said to private prosecutor Atty.Arthur Lim. She asked Lim if the prosecution is charging Chief Justice Renato Corona under the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

A further scolding

Santiago further scolded the private prosecutor for arguing with her and even threatened to bar Lim from appearing in court.

“How dare you raise questions to my authority? Don't overstep yourself! You cannot engage in a discussion with me! I am the judge here!” she yelled.

Santiago was absent during the first week of the impeachment trial because of her hypertension.

When she returned on Tuesday, the senator-judge stressed the need to hasten the proceedings and repeatedly hit the prosecution panel for “wasting the time” of the court.

Farinas ‘walks out’

Meanwhile, Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas, member of prosecution panel, reportedly walked out of the trial and told his colleagues, “Bahala na kayo diyan!”

Camille Mathay, daughter of Fariñas, went to Twitter to explain her father’s action. “Dad was disappointed because he wanted to argue but was stopped. He has been wanting to take the stand,” she tweeted.

“If you won't let him talk, why keep him there? Haynaku!!!!!!!” she added.

Nevertheless, Fariñas returned to the session hall after several minutes.

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Only 4 percent of PHL coral reefs in excellent health —DENR

  GMA News Online

Most of the country's coral reefs are in dire condition, putting the Philippines' food security at risk, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) officials said on Tuesday.  

Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau director Mundita Lim said only 4% of the country’s coral reefs, estimated at 26,000 square kilometers, are in “excellent condition.”  

“The rest are candidates for restoration,” she said in a forum at the United Nations Environment Programme’s Land-Ocean Connection Conference.  

Of the 800 coral species in the world, 500 can be found in the Philippines, making its seas one of the most diverse in the world. But Philippine coral reefs have deteriorated over the years because of over-exploitation, illegal fishing practices, marine pollution, and rising ocean temperature and acidification.   

“Our coasts and seas have suffered heavy degradation wrought by over half a century of destructive practices,” Lim during her presentation.  

“The World Resource Institute released a study only this year that the Philippines is one of the nine countries in the world with high to very high exposure to coral reef threats, but low to medium adaptive capacity,” she added.  

Lim said the DENR and the University of the Philippines-Marine Science Institute are studying areas that will be prioritized for rehabilitation.   

Coral reefs are considered underwater forests because of their complex ecosystem that supports a huge amount of wildlife. They are also carbon sinks and a major mitigator of climate change.  

For 2012, Lim said the DENR will rehabilitate 5 hectares of coral reefs. In 2013, it will be increased to 200 hectares.  

The Philippines would also be increasing its marine protected areas, which is cost-effective way of protecting coral reefs and marine life. This would ensure that communities would have a hand in protecting the ecosystem, which is also the source of their livelihood.  

At present, most of the funding for coral reef preservation comes from the private sector. What the government can do is to provide scientific and technical help to the private sector conservationists, Lim said.  

UN and DENR officials said the Philippines and other countries should make sure that the impact of their land-based activities on marine life is reduced to save the world's oceans.  

UNEP Director on Environmental Policy Ibrahim Thiaw  has warned of exploding marine litter from cities, fertilizers, tourism and industrial activities.  

He noted that dead zones are increasing in Asia. Dead zones refer to areas in the oceans where algal blooms, stimulated by fertilizers and sewage, consume all of the oxygen in the water, choking the life out of these areas.  

Over 240,000 sq km of estuaries and shelf areas and some of the most productive waters are affected by this threat  

Thiaw noted that dead zones in the developing world poses huge economic losses for countries dependent on marine resources.  

Nations need to reverse the degradation of the world's oceans as billions of people depend on it for livelihood and food, Thiaw said.  

According to a UN presentation yesterday, healthy reefs can produce up to 35 tons of fish per square kilometers.  

In the Philippines, the seas supply more than 80% of the animal protein of the Filipino public, Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said. More than 60% of the country's 96 million population live near the coast, he added.  

The Bohol Coral Triangle, a major fishing ground, generates $3.4 million of revenues from fishing activities annually, the UN said. The reefs also attract tourists, another income generator for the province.  

The effects of deteriorating ocean life is already felt in the Philippines.

The Department of Agriculture said the country’s commercial and municipal fish production declined last year by 16.3% and 2.9%, respectively.  

The DA acknowledged that there has been a reduction in certain fish species, forcing them to impose closed fishing season in major spawning and fishing grounds.  

Aside from the land-ocean connection conference, the first of its kind, the UNEP is also conducting a high-level Third Intergovernmental Review Meeting (IGR3) on the Implementation of the Global Programme of Action (GPA) for the Protection of the Marine Environmen in Manila.  

The GPA will craft a response to the threats against the world's oceans, Thiaw said.  
Around 500 participants, 200 of whom from different countries around the world, are expected to attend the twin events organized by the UNEP.  

The participants will include representatives from over 70 governments, as well as scientists and marine experts.  

At the end of the meeting on Friday, a non-legally binding document that will guide countries on how to protect their seas and coasts, will be called the Manila Declaration.  

It will be one of the inputs in the UN Rio + 20 Conference on Sustainable Development in June. — TJD, GMA News

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Philippines sets February date for Arroyo arraignment

AFP News 

A Philippine court has ordered ex-president Gloria Arroyo to be arraigned over alleged vote rigging on February 20, with trial dates to be set soon afterwards, a spokeswoman said Wednesday.
Pasay City Regional Trial Court rejected Arroyo's application to have her arrest warrant revoked and set a date for her arraignment, said court legal researcher Selda Domingo. Arroyo is expected to plead not guilty.
The 64-year-old former leader was arrested in November on charges she led a conspiracy to rig the 2007 elections to favour her senatorial candidates. She is in detention.
Arroyo's arrest came after her successor, President Benigno Aquino, launched a drive to stamp out endemic corruption which he blames for worsening poverty in the archipelago nation.
Domingo told AFP that Pasay court judge Jesus Mupas had denied Arroyo's "motion to recall the warrant of arrest", as evidence put forward on her behalf would be better presented at a trial.
"There is no more reason to unduly delay the proceedings and she is ordered to be arraigned on February 20," she said.
Trial dates for Arroyo, who says she is suffering from a rare spinal illness, would be set soon afterwards, she said.
Arroyo, who was president from 2001 to 2010, has also been charged over a second criminal case involving a telecom deal with a Chinese firm, in which her husband and a key political ally allegedly received kickbacks.
Arroyo denied any wrongdoing over the scandal but she was forced to scrap the telecom deal due to public pressure.

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Ramgen slay suspect surrenders to NBI

Philstar – Wed, Jan 25, 2012

MANILA, Philippines - A suspect in the murder of actor Ram Revilla (real name Ramgen Bautista) surrendered to the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday morning.
Ryan Pastera, accompanied by his aunt and lawyer, showed up at the NBI headquarters on Taft Avenue at around 7 a.m.
Pastera’s aunt, who refused to be identified, said they learned that Pastera was implicated in Ramgen’s murder from the media. She said her nephew surrendered to clear his name “and defend himself. He is innocent.”
She said Pastera noticed unidentified people casing their home at night, so he went to the province for a vacation. Pastera’s aunt said they went to the NBI to seek protection from the threats her nephew has been receiving.
The Parañaque City regional trial court earlier ordered the arrest of Pastera, Glaiza Visda, Norwin de la Cruz and Ramgen’s sister, Ramona, in connection with the attack on Ramgen and his girlfriend, Janelle Manahan, on Oct. 28, 2011. Only Ramona, who fled to Turkey, remains at large.
Pastera may have to stay in NBI custody until the Parañaque court decides where he will be detained.
NBI coddled Pastera?
After condemning the NBI for allegedly coddling Pastera for over two months, Manahan’s lawyer, Argee Guevarra, welcomed reports of Pastera’s surrender.
“Did Ryan Pastera really surrender to the NBI or was he in the company or custody of the NBI all this time?” he said, noting that NBI agents “were caught on video” escorting the suspect in to the Parañaque prosecutor’s office during the preliminary investigation last year.
According to Guevarra, Pastera is a fraternity brother and best friend of Hiro Furuyama, the husband of Gail Bautista, a sister of Ramgen. The Furuyamas are undergoing preliminary investigation before the city fiscal.
He called on the NBI to hand over Pastera to the police, as commanded by Judge Fortunato Madrona in a Jan. 13 arrest warrant.
“If the Paranaque City Jail is good enough for RJ Bautista, then it should also be good enough for Pastera. To grant Pastera’s whimsical desire to be detained at the NBI would be a tell-tale sign of special privileges being accorded by the NBI to him,” Guevarra said.
He said they are prepared to “appropriate criminal and administrative charges against recalcitrant NBI agents” if Pastera is not turned over to the police.
Guevarra also urged Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to probe the NBI’s alleged coddling of Pastera so that the NBI “will be purged of elements who see the agency as a private bureau of investigation whose powers can be availed of by paying clients.” - By Sandy Araneta and Aie Balagtas See (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com) 

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Corona, wife income disproportionate to assets

By Shielo Mendoza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

Where did her money come from?

This question surfaced after documents from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) revealed that Chief Justice Renato Corona’s wife, Cristina, acquired a property in La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City with no source of income.

The property is worth P11 million and was purchased in 2003.

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, who testified before the impeachment court on Thursday, said Cristina had registered to become a one-time tax payer for a property sale only in 2003.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, presiding officer of the impeachment court, asked Henares what the BIR did following the discovery that Corona’s wife did not have a clear income source during the date of purchase.

“We only found out about this last Jan. 20 because of the impeachment. There will be further investigation on the matter,” the BIR chief said.

Enrile then disallowed further questions regarding Cristina’s La Vista property. “We can’t assume without probe,” he said.

Henares however noted that Cristina only declared a source of income in 2007 through the alpha list of John Hay Management Corporation where Mrs. Corona is president.

Alpha list is a document submitted by employers to BIR detailing employees, income earned and tax withheld.

Aside from Cristina’s income, the BIR chief also presented Supreme Court's alpha list which showed Corona's earnings as chief justice.

Henares said Corona’s income in 2006 was P465,000 and P488,000 in 2007. She added that in 2008, the chief justice earned P604,000; P621,000 in 2009; and P657,000 in 2010.

The BIR chief noted that the SC failed to submit its alpha list from 2002 to 2005 when Corona was still sitting as associate justice.

In a press briefing, the prosecution panel concluded that based on Corona's total income, the chief justice does not have the ability to acquire his assets worth P22 million he declared in his 2010 statement of assets, liabilities and net worth.

Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, House prosecution panel spokesman, stressed that Corona has no other means of income other than his salary as chief justice.

“Malinaw na malinaw na hindi kayang suportahan ng income ni Chief Justice Corona ang mga ari-arian sa kaniyang SALN. Malaki ang disparity nila,” Quimbo said.

Aurora Rep. Sonny Angara also cited the forfeiture law wherein owning assets which are disproportionate to the declared income of the owner leads to the assumption that they were acquired through ill-gotten wealth.

source: ph.news.yahoo.com

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Miriam throws tantrums, hits 'oration' in impeachment

By Shielo Mendoza | Yahoo! Southeast Asia Newsroom

 Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago threw tantrums on Wednesday after failing to solicit attention during the sixth day of Chief Justice Renato Corona's impeachment trial.

“You should not treat me as a mere observer, I am a judge. Do not drown me out with your screaming. Only I can scream here and my fellow judges,” Santiago said after she was not recognized while the prosecution ande defense were in the middle of a heated debate.

"Kaya tayo tumatagal, may oration pa eh! This is not a school on oratorical skills. This is a school on logic and experience," the veteran senator and lawyer said.

She earlier stressed the need to hasten the impeachment proceedings saying that “justice delayed is justice denied.”

Santiago was also irked with prosecution panel’s persistent questioning on witness Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares even though her testimonies, according to the senator-judge, were already enough.

“Tapos na itong babaeng ito! May trabaho pa iyan! Pauwiin niyo na iyan!

“Let's just abbreviate the process, mark the documents and call the next witness. She is not the proper witness.

“Bakit pa natin papatagalin ito? Huwag niyo kami pilitin sa ayaw namin gawin!” Santiago lamented.

The senator-judge then warned laweyer Arthur Lim, private prosecutor, “You’re in danger of contempt.”

Netizens expressed their concern for Santiago who just recovered from hypertension which kept her from attending the first week of the trial.

“Hinay hinay lang Sen. Santiago. Ang BP niyo po. High Blood po kayo,” said Twitter user iRuianM.

User johndanvic also said: “Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, ang BP nyo po, baka tumaas.”

“Big day today. In between interviews, my bp shot up, got dizzy & fell. Picking myself up is now my favorite sport,” Santiago said in her official Twitter account on Tuesday.

Fortunately, Santiago’s media relations officer assured in a text interview with Yahoo! Southeast Asia that the senator is doing fine and did not fall this time.

source: ph.news.yahoo.com

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