Is boxer-turned-politician Pacquiao building a dynasty?

General Santos, south Philippines (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - If Philippine political families can build dynasties, why not boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao? Pacquiao himself has announced his reelection bid in 2013 as representative of Sarangani's lone congressional district in south Philippines. His wife, Jinkee, is running for vice governor of the province, while his youngest brother, Rogelio, wants to become a congressman of neighbouring South Cotabato, too. The boxer's People Champ Movement has teamed up with Philippine Vice President Jejomar Binay's United Nationalist Alliance in fielding Rogelio in the congressional race for the first district of South Cotabato. Rogelio, chairman of Barangay (village) Apopong in General Santos, will run against the incumbent, Representative Pedro Acharon Jr., a former mayor. Jinkee will be the running mate of Steve Chiongbian Solon, the incumbent vice governor, who will be seeking the gubernatorial post against possibly incumbent Governor Miguel Dominguez, who is in his last term. The team-up indicates an alliance that Pacquiao has forged with the Chiongbians, a family that has kept a tight grip on Sarangani politics. It has obscured Pacquiao's victory over another Chiongbian, Roy, in the 2010 congressional race. Roy, the brother of then outgoing Rep. Erwin Chiongbian, questioned Pacquiao's residency but failed to have him disqualified. Pacquiao claimed he had lived in Sarangani before his foray into politics. Pacquiao then took pride in defeating a "billionaire" and part of a political dynasty. His supporters credited the boxer's "charisma and propoor" outlook for his victory. In 2007, however, Pacquiao lost to former Rep. Darlene Antonino-Custodio in the mayoral race in General Santos City, despite reportedly spending about 120 million pesos (US$2.8 million) in the election campaign. In next year's mayoral battle, the boxer has tapped Councilor Ronnel Rivera, a son of a fishing magnate, against Custodio. Jinkee filed her certificate of candidacy for vice governor in Alabel town on Tuesday, according to Alvin Quinanola, the province's election officer. Another member of the Pacquiao family, Lorelie, is also into politics, having won as chair of Barangay Labangal in General Santos in the 2010 barangay elections. Lorelie is the wife of Pacquiao's brother, Bobby.

Google overtakes Microsoft, Apple climbs six places in Interband's "Best Global Brands"

On October 2 brand consultancy agency Interbrand released its 13th annual "Best Global Brands" report. While Coca-Cola retained pole position, Google was ranked above Microsoft for the first time since the report began and Apple climbed six places to second position. Interbrand compile the rankings in the "Best Global Brands" report by assessing the brands across three key areas: "financial performance of the branded product or services," "the role of the brand in the purchase decision," and "the strength of the brand." Interbrand's methodology is the first of its kind to be ISO Certified and a full breakdown of the methodology can be found at: http://goo.gl/j0EVK. This year's "Best Global Brands" revealed some interesting changes among the world's biggest software/ tech companies. While drinks brand Coca-Cola retained its number one spot, Apple climbed six places, from eighth place in 2011 to second place in 2012. According to Interbrand, Apple's ascent up the charts is due to a combination of increased sales in both emerging and developed markets, a continuing sense of brand loyalty from its customers and a strong emphasis on brand protection. According to Interbrand, Apple has generated a net profit of $8.8 billion this year and has experienced an increase in brand value of 129 percent. Apple's rival Samsung also demonstrated strong growth climbing from 17th position to ninth this year with a 40 percent increase in value. Interbrand attributes this meteoric rise to the company's strong smartphone sales and online buzz surrounding the launch of the Galaxy SIII and the Galaxy Note. Google, in fourth position, has, for the first time in the history of Interbrand's "Best Global Brands" report, overtaken rival Microsoft. Google experienced a 26 percent increase in brand value over the past year yet remained in fourth position, Microsoft however experienced -2 percent growth in brand value from last year, causing it to fall from third position in 2011 to fifth position in 2012.

Jinkee Pacquiao's foray into politics

After making a name of her own as a celebrity beauty endorser, the wife of People's Champ Manny Pacquiao has set out to make her mark in politics. Jinkee Pacquiao is running for vice governor of Saranggani, the province represented by her husband who is now seeking a second term in Congress, reports said. The Pacquaios filed their certificates of candidacy at the local Commission on Elections office Tuesday, along with Saranggani Vice Governor and gubernatorial bidder Steve Solon. Jinkee's decision to run was finalized only hours before Manny's scheduled filing, reports claimed, noting that it was the outcome of consultations between Manny and some allies. Pacquiao leads a regional political party called the "People's Champ Movement," which is affiliated with Vice President Jejomar Binay's United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). At an earlier UNA media briefing, Pacqiao has floated the possibility that his ally, incumbent Sarangani Governor Miguel Rene Dominguez, will run as vice governor. Dominguez has been governor for three consecutive terms. "Pinag-iisipan pa niya kung tatakbo siya as vice-governor o magpapahinga muna (He is still deciding between running as vice-governor and taking a break)," Pacquiao said. Dominguez, however, declined Pacquaio's offers, noting that he prefers an executive post over legislative ones, reports said.

Senators flip-flop on Cybercrime Law

Senators who voted for the passage of the Cybercrime Prevention Act now seem to be skating around the issue as the law continues to draw the ire of Filipinos and the attention of the international community. One by one, lawmakers have vowed to file bills to amend the newly approved law, particularly to repeal its provisions on online libel, which they say "slipped under their noses." "I do not suggest that we 'throw the baby out with the bath water,' but the libel clause must be amended and free speech upheld," Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr. said in a statement on his official Facebook account Wednesday. "I will file a bill to that effect and support all efforts made in the same direction," he added. His statement comes amid several petitions filed by various groups urging the Supreme Court to block the implementation of the law which takes effect Wednesday. The Cybercrime Prevention Act also grabbed the global spotlight, with international watchdog Human Rights Watch saying that it violates free speech and a Forbes article calling it "a mix of ignorance to technology and the desire to exert further control over a population." Like Marcos, Sen. Francis "Chiz" Escudero said he is set to file amendments to the law. The addition of online libel "was a mistake," he said, although declining to provide any reason or motive as to its inclusion. "I will just admit our shortcomings, personally, because I can’t speak for other senators," Escudero added. For his part, Marcos noted that the committee report he signed included no libel provisions. "The records will show that when the Libel Clause was introduced and approved on the same day, I was away on 'official business,'" he said. Also saying that she will file an amendment is Sen. Pia Cayetano, who admitted that no one blocked the libel provisions when they were brought to the floor. "It was impeachment period, when Cybercrime Bill was called, I reviewed portion on child porn, which is my area of responsibility," Cayetano said via her Twitter account Tuesday. She added that she would have blocked the libel provision if she "had seen seen it or if someone pointed it out." "Sadly we cannot catch every provision all the time," she tweeted. Even the law's author, Sen. Edgardo Angara, said he will move to amend the Cybercrime Law when Congress resumes Oct. 8. He particularly cited provisions granting the Department of Justice (DOJ) powers to restrict and block access to computer data based on prima facie evidence, reports said. Angara also asked DOJ to suspend the implementation of the provisions in question. Aside from Cayetano, Escudero and Marcos, 10 other senators voted in favor of the Cybercrime Law. These were Senators Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada, Gregorio "Gringo" Honasan, Panfilo "Ping" Lacson, Manuel "Lito" Lapid, Loren Legarda, Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel, Ramon "Bong" Revilla, Vicente "Tito" Sotto, Ralph Recto and Manny Villar. Only Sen. Teofisto "TG" Guingona III voted against the bill, claiming it to be "oppresive and dangerous." Guingona late September asked the High Court to void certain provisions in the bill, including libel. "Let me clarify this to avoid confusion, the country needs a Cybercrime Prevention Act, however, this law that was passed recently contains problematic provisions," Guingona said in an earlier statement. "Without these confusing and vague provisions, this law is necessary," he added. Marcos, however, noted: "This is no time to make excuses nor to blame anyone for what I cannot agree to with regards the libel clause." "Having said that, I would rather be accused of a lapse in supervision than not do anything to correct it," Marcos said.

Angara: Nothing wrong with political dynasty

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara admitted on Wednesday that his family is a political dynasty, but that is not actually a bad thing. "I think we are a dynasty but we have a legacy," he said. He said that people can check progress in Aurora province and judge for themselves. He's now seeking a Senate seat and formally filed his Certificate of Candidacy. "Hindi na namin ikahihiya ang ginawa namin (for Aurora)," he said, referring to his three terms as a member of the House of Representatives. He added the Angaras who ran for political office in Aurora were qualified and did not rely on goodwill created by their incumbent relative. Angara, son of Senator Edgardo Angara and nephew of Aurora Governor Bellaflor Angara-Castillo, has a degree from the London School of Economics and studied law at the UP College of Law. He has a master of laws degree from Harvard Law School. He said voters should look at the track records of candidates and not give those from political families "a free ride." Congress must own up to Cybercrime law Angara meanwhile said Congress must own up to the passage of the controversial Cybercrime Prevention Act, provisions of which have been criticized for violating basic rights. "I don't think it can be denied anymore that a law has been passed," he said. Lawmakers have been criticized for allowing provisions, including one imposing a stiffer penalty for online libel, in the bill. Angara said the online libel provision was not in the version that the House deliberated on. Senator Angara was the author and sponsor of the Senate version of the law, which is the subject of eight petitions opposing it at the Supreme Court. Rep. Angara said he is open to amending the law, but only with respect to removing the criminal penalty on online libel. He added online libel already existed as a crime even before the passage of the Cybercrime Prevention Act. He defended, however, a provision giving the government authority to take down websites if the Department of Justice finds probable cause that the Cybercrime Law has been violated. He said the law was meant to punish child pornography and similar crimes. Angara said he trusts the Justice department to use the authority "judiciously" as Justice Secretary Leila De Lima has previously promised.

Beauty out of a deadly storm’s debris

In a strange way, the logs and trees that came tumbling down when Typhoon Sendong let loose three months' worth of rainfall in one night on Iligan City were victims of neglect like the flood's human victims. Sculptor Julie Lluch, who was born and raised in the city, dislikes it when the term "killer logs" is used. After the retrieval of bodies and relief work, usable logs were stockpiled and commandeered by the city government, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the building of new houses. These were cut for lumber and distributed. Unheeding of superstitious beliefs that the storm's flotsam was haunted by voices of the flood victims, a curious Lluch and her sister Almita L. Cruz saw potential for art. In February this year, they made countless trips to and from Barangay Saray where logs and debris were beached along a five-kilometer coastline. They saw many beautifully shaped driftwood. Cruz recalled, "A lot of it was grotesque, but there was beauty in it. Nobody touched them, except to use as firewood. People marked them for firewood on first come, first served basis." Barangay Captain Robert Fuentes described the calamity period: "The logs were so many that they looked like they had formed an island." Some stood 47 feet tall with a width that couldn't be embraced by four adults. He discouraged barrio folks from making charcoal out of the debris for selling to lechon makers and showed them what could be done with the tree's roots as an alternative livelihood from the traditional fishing and broom-making. Lluch with what looks like arms grasping stones His carpentry hobby enabled him to show them how buyers from Manila and Cebu were willing to shell out P35,000 from a sala set made of driftwood. It was an exercise in turning a setback into something positive. He met the Lluch sisters who were thinking of working along the same lines. The three are part of the show "Debri(s)efing Art: An Exhibit of Found Natural Sculpture" at Lluch's residence at the Lluch Park Garden in Palao, Iligan City, on view until Oct. 6. Visitors have enthused that the works deserve wider viewing. There are talks of bringing them to Cagayan de Oro City and if a sponsor can be found, to Manila. Cruz recalled her initial hesitance in getting involved, "I was too busy with rehabilitation, the distribution of food, receiving guests and donors in behalf of my son (Mayor Lawrence Cruz) and taking care of my family. Then I saw these fantastic shapes on the shore." In the past, she had gone into plant rentals and the occasional landscape jobs for friends to finance her hobby of collecting plants and making dish gardens. The exhibit was her first time to work with driftwood. She saw it as a way of "sharing with the people what we had seen and preserve it. We didn't count the costs. This made us see that we can't move things without people." Saving pieces of wood required digging them up and pulling them from the sand. Cruz said a piece jutting out was "like the tip of the iceberg." When they dug deeper, they found something bigger that took from 10 to 12 persons to carry. These were hauled to Lluch's open-air garden pavilion by dump truck or by motorized pedicab depending on the size. Almita Lluch Cruz Cruz said of the editing process, "I'd look at a piece, follow some principles of bonsai where nothing jars the eyes." Most of the time the sisters agreed on what to make out of something which explains why the works are unsigned or untitled. Collaboration was the key. The Lluch sisters, Fuentes and a team of six workers worked with small chain saws, rooters, grinders with different teeth, small sickles, plain saws, sand paper for a good six months. The pieces received a final coating of Tuff Coat to enable them to withstand the elements when exposed outdoors. The types of wood Lluch only heard from her father and grandfather when they talked about their timber concession business in the old days became visible and palpable to her: apitong, balayong, dao, lauan, tugas. She said whoever looks at the work sees what he/she wants to see: orchids, sailboats. Fuentes said a particular driftwood seemed like a whale from a distance when he saw it floating in the sea with children riding on it. He pulled it in and turned it into a bench. Cruz pointed out parts of a driftwood where she saw "violent bruises" from the uprooting and tumbles it went through. The three all felt elated at what could come out of debris that might have ended up as ashes.

Tropical Storm

A fishing trawler lies on the side after hitting the rocks as tropical storm Norman was nearing the coast in Mazatlan September 28, 2012. Tropical Storm Norman formed off the west coast of Mexico and was expected to make landfall north of the tourist resort and cruise ship destination of Mazatlan by Friday evening, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said on Friday. The storm was located about 145 miles west of Mazatlan and had maximum sustained winds of 45 miles per hour, the center said, adding that "a little strengthening" was possible before landfall. REUTERS/Stringer (MEXICO - Tags: ENVIRONMENT)

Storm 'Marce' in, storm signal up

e Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has reported the presence of a new storm within the Philippine area of responsibility. PAGASA named the severe weather disturbance as Tropical Storm "Marce," which was spotted at about 240 kms west of Iba, Zambales on Wednesday afternoon. In its 5 pm update, the state weather bureau said "Marce" packs maximum sustained winds of 85 kph near its center and a gustiness of up to 100 kph, prompting Public Warning Storm Signal #1 over Bataan and Zambales. Pagasa warns affected areas will experience 30 to 60 kph-strong winds in the next few days. Moving in a slow south southwest direction at 7 kph, the storm would reach 420 kms west of Manila by Thursday or about 630 kms west of the capital by Friday, weather forecasters said. Pagasa also warns the new storm will dump moderate to intense rainfall or 10 to 25 mm amount of rainfall in areas that will be covered by Marce’s 400-km diameter. PAGASA also warned the storm will enhance the rain activities of Southwest Monsoon, bringing in a stormy weather in the rest of Metro Manila, Central Luzon, Southern Luzon and the Bicol regions.

Pinoy netizens ‘go black’ on Facebook to protest Cybercrime Law

Filipino netizens are turning their Facebook profile photos into black as a sign of protest against the controversial Cybercrime bill. A group called Philippine Internet Freedom Association is currently encouraging more people to switch to the "black" profile photo to support mounting protests against the Cybercrime law. For weeks, the debate has moved away from the political and "industry expert" circles to the citizens who are now taking action against what is perceived to be a draconian law covering the Internet. As part of a personal protest, some people also carry Facebook status messages that shows a "black bar" that is followed by "[STATUS BLOCKED] (RA NO 10175)." Senator Francis Escudero is set to file amendments to the bill on Tuesday, as he earlier admitted he made a mistake of signing this law. Earlier, Senator Teofisto Guingona who is among the more vocal opponents of the Cybercrime bill, says that the law, signed by President Benigno Aquino III on September 12, violates the Constitution. Senator Guingona hit on the law's vague provisions, including one on online libel, which can supress the citizen's right to freedom of speech and expression. Hacktivists, dubbed Anonymous Philippines, had been defacing government websites to protest the Cybercrime law, that is to take effect on October 3. Among the government websites that were hit include the National Telecommunications Commission, the Philippine Information Agency, the Food Development Center, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and the Metropolitcan Waterworks and Sewerage System. One of the controversial provisions of the law will throw anyone in jail for 12 years if they're found posting defamatory comments on social networks, which is a tougher penalty versus an existing libel law that applies to "traditional media." According to this Interaskyon story, there will be more government websites that will be attacked due to mounting opposition to the Cybercrime law. +++ What are your thoughts about the Cybercrime law?

Palace: Thou shall not fear cybercrime law

Hackers and not the government are the ones depriving Filipinos of Internet access, the Palace said, amid mounting protests against the Cybercrime Prevention Act which takes effect Wednesday. "[H]ackers who claim to be aligned with critics of the Cybercrime Act are the ones who have engaged in online vandalism, depriving the broader public of access to much needed government information and services online," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement. Several government websites have been crippled in the days leading to the law's Oct. 3 rollout, with netizens floating the possibility that even the government's main portal gov.ph as well as websites of the Senate and House of Representatives have been compromised. The Cybercrime Law's critics should condemn "online vandalism and bullying with as much vigor and passion," Lacierda said. "[V]igilantism harms the cause of freedom of expression and civil liberties for all netizens," he added. This, as Lacierda assured the public that the new law will not rob Filipinos of online rights. "[N]o government entity has moved to deprive anyone of access to the Internet or to suppress civil liberties as exercised online," Lacierda noted. "The Cybercrime Prevention Act was enacted by Congress to address legitimate concerns about criminal behavior on the Internet and the effects of abusive behavior," he added. Lacierda also noted that the government "recognizes and respects" proposed amendments to the law as well as efforts at raising questions about the constitutionality of some of its provisions. At least seven petitions against the new law have been filed before the Supreme Court, which said Tuesday that it will not move to block the Cybercrime Act's implementation. Senator Francis Escudero meanwhile said he will file a bill seeking to repeal the law's libel provisions, which has drawn most flak from freedom of expression advocates. "In the meantime we believe there is an opportunity for reasonable discourse between concerned stakeholders and the Department of Justice," Lacierda said. He also urged "fullest and widest participation" of stakeholders in drafting the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the Cybercrime Prevention Act.