Aquino bans Chiz, Loren, Grace Poe from climbing UNA stage

President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III has banned "common candidates" from sharing the stage when campaigning with opposing slate United Nationalist Alliance (UNA). Liberal Party (LP) secretary-general Joseph Emilio-Abaya disclosed the president personally asked Senators Francis "Chiz" Escudero and Loren Legarda as well as Movie and Television Classification and Review Board (MTRCB) chair Grace Poe-Llamanzares not to join UNA senatorial bets on stage during campaign season. "The president clarified that in a meeting with them last week. They agreed on it so it's clear that no arms were twisted. Loren and Chiz will not climb the stage with UNA. That's also applicable to Grace Poe," Abaya revealed. Abaya, who will act as LP president following Interior secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas' leave of absence from the party, explained the aim of the request is to distinguish president's allies who are in direct coalition with him from his allies that are also part from other coalitions. Sen. Franklin Drilon, LP's campaign manager, clarified the need to ask Escudero, Legarda, and Poe-Llamanzares - who were also adopted as UNA's guest candidates - not to climb up UNA stage to avoid serious "conflict of interest." "They are in administration ticket. If UNA will adopt them, we cannot prevent UNA. But it will be difficult if they go up the stage of UNA because they will be endorsing the candidates of UNA," Drilon explained. "It will be very difficult if they will be endorsing the candidates of the administration. That will be a difficult conflict of interest. If they mount their stage, how can you campaign for 18 candidates when there are only 12 slots?" he reiterated. Llamanzares, daughter of the late action icon Fernando Poe Jr, confirmed she committed to campaign exclusively with the candidates that President Aquino endorsed. "You will not see me campaigning with UNA. There has been an agreement and I thank (former president Joseph "Erap") Estrada and Vice President (Jejomar) Binay because they understand my situation," Llamanzares told reporters. "I talked to them and they understand that it is important for me to follow the president's policy in the coalition," she added. Llamanzares, an independent candidate, clarified she will not join LP but explained she coalesced with Aquino's party in expression of her confidence to his administration. "It's better this way. Because I believe in the leadership of the president. I'm here because of him. But I maintain independence in deference to UNA. That's a factor as well," Llamanzares said. For her part, Legarda expressed reservation about the president's request, refusing to reveal the final arrangement between administration slate and UNA's line-up concerning campaign strategies for common candidates. "Those are the logistical things that can be worked out on the ground," Legarda told reporters. Legarda noted she wants her last national campaign to be the "least cost of dirt." She said she wants to spread her environmental advocacy and "not just political noise." Symbolic of that, Legarda gave out banaba seedlings for the plant boxes in Intramuros, where the Commission on Elections holds office. "I had to ask what kind of plants would grow here," she said. She added she will limit the use of tarpaulins, and use the campaign to hold seminars on disaster risk reduction and climate-change adaptation. Meanwhile, Escudero denied President Aquino asked him personally about the arrangement, expressing his intention to conduct his campaign sorties on his own. Admitting some gray areas in the policy, Abaya and Drilon noted they do not plan to impose sanctions on common candidates who might climb up to endorse other bets on UNA stage.

election

A decent election. This is the kind of campaign the Liberal Party (LP) promises to launch against other coalitions, as they announced their complete line-up for the 2013 senatorial polls. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV - a former TV host, youth advocate, and President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's first cousin - led the slate which is mostly composed of incumbent and former elected officials. "I am the youngest one to run in this elections. I am hoping that the people would want to see young people in the Senate who can give new and fresh ideas there," the younger Aquino said. Bam admitted that formal arrangements were only made last week, months after he announced his intent to run for Senate. Meanwhile, the chief executive himself formally announced the senatorial bid of first-time senatorial aspirants like MTRCB chief Grace Poe-Llamanzares, incumbent Aurora Rep. Juan Eduardo "Sonny" Angara, and former Las Pinas City Rep. Cynthia Villar, wife of his 2010 presidential polls foe, Senator Manuel Villar. He also endorsed the reelection bid of former Senators Maria Anna Consuelo "Jamby" Madrigal, who was also Aquino's 2010 poll rival, and Ramon "Jun" Magsaysay Jr. as well as incumbent Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Antonio "Sonny" Trillanes IV. Incumbent Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III, who bolted out of United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) months ago, also received the endorsement of the administration slate with former Akbayan party-list member Risa Hontiveros. This is the second senatorial race for Hontiveros, who lost in the 2010 national elections. On the other hand, the chief executive also endorsed reelectionist Senators Loren Legarda and Francis "Chiz" Escudero even though the top senatorial bets were already adopted as guest candidates in UNA. Newly-appointed Interior Secretary Manuel "Mar" Roxas, who recently filed his leave as LP president, vowed they would launch a campaign that is marked with “decency, honor, and integrity.” LP campaign manager Senator Franklin Drilon said they would launch a media-oriented campaign, tapping the online media to get their advocacies across instead of filling sorties with funfare like in the previous elections.

spratly islands

The Philippines has deployed 800 more Marines and opened a new headquarters to guard its interests in the disputed Spratly islands, which China also claims, a senior military official said Sunday. Straddling vital shipping lanes and believed sitting atop vast reserves of mineral deposits, including oil, the Spratlys chain in the South China Sea has long been considered a flashpoint for conflict in the region. Apart from the Philippines and China, the Spratlys are claimed in whole or in part by Vietnam, Brunei, Malaysia and Taiwan. Lieutenant General Juancho Sabban, appearing to want to assuage Beijing in particular, said the deployment was only meant as a defensive measure and should not be seen as an aggressive move. "These two battalions which arrived recently will be augmenting protection of our islands," Sabban, who heads the military garrison which has jurisdiction over the Spratlys, told AFP. "We are just on a defensive posture and are ensuring the defence of our islands. It is better to defend than retake islands once other claimants occupy them." He said a Marine brigade headquarters had also been created on the nearby Philippine province of Palawan, facing the South China Sea, "to provide command and control" over the forces. The Marines will not be stationed on the Spratlys but will patrol nearby. Sabban accused China of continually fortifying its structures on islands in the Spratlys that Beijing controls, though at present "no claimant countries have manifested any offensive action". "We are not there to create a situation where it will lead to an accidental conflict and escalate into a regional problem," Sabban stressed. China, which is in a dispute with Japan over islands in the East China Sea, has been accused of ramping up tensions in the South China Sea. The Philippines and Vietnam over the past year raised alarm over Beijing's assertiveness. China claims all of the South China Sea, which Manila calls the West Philippine Sea, even waters close to its Asian neighbours. Sabban's announcement came just days after incoming Chinese leader Xi Jinping met a special Philippine envoy and expressed hope bilateral ties would improve. The meeting was set months after both sides were locked in a tense standoff in Scarborough shoal, another outcrop in the South China Sea north of the Spratlys.

nokia models

HELSINKI (Reuters) - Struggling phone maker Nokia has knocked 10-15 percent off the prices of two of its top of the range smartphones, hoping to boost sales before newer models arrive in markets in November. Nokia has cut the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 percent and the Lumia 900 by 10 percent in Europe, according to device pricing data compiled by British research firm CCS Insight. Nokia declined to comment. Earlier this month, Nokia launched Lumia 820 and 920, which many see as crucial for the Finnish company's survival. But the newest models will only go on sale in November, leaving the company's sales team struggling with older smartphone models for over a month. Nokia had already slashed the price of the Lumia 800 by around 15 percent earlier this month and made smaller cuts for its other Lumia models. Once the world's biggest mobile phone maker, Nokia fell behind rivals in smartphones and has racked up more than 3 billion euros ($3.86 billion) in operating losses in the last 18 months. In early 2011, it bet its future on Microsoft's Windows Phone software. Windows accounts for only around 3 percent of global smartphones, while Google's Android platform controls two-thirds of sales and Apple has around a quarter. Competitive pricing is considered crucial for Nokia to lure back customers, even though pricing does not seem to be an issue for rival Apple. In Belgium, for example, more than 10,000 people have pre-registered for the latest iPhone even before a local price has been set.

kris aquino

Senatorial aspirants came in a trickle to file their certificates of candidacy Monday morning, but colorful candidates managed to spice things up. An aspiring senator, Danilo Magtira of Tondo, listed his profession as a "Talentadong Pinoy" and his civil status as married. His supposed spouse: A certain Kris Aquino. On his Certificate of Candidacy, he said he was nominated by both First Lady Imelda Marcos and Manila Rep. Carlos Lopez. Also running for senator is Salam Luisong Taguian, who called himself a "maharlika" and heir to the entire Philippines. He said he was the legitimate heir of "01-4", and that he is running because he felt pity for the country. He promised "land for the landless" and that there will be no more squatters if he wins. "Whatever I want shall be done he said," adding China should respect private property over the disputed Scarborough Shoal. Asked by reporters whether he had already made contact with China over his territorial claim, he said he hasn't. "Let the government do something for me for once." Meanwhile, among the reelectionists, it was "Senator Aquilino "Koko" Pimentel III who filed a Certificate of Candidacy.

Anne Curtis, Ginebra and other tidbits from PBA Opening Day

Email Print PBA Chairman Robert Non with Barangay Ginebra players. (PBA Images) The Araneta Center was abuzz yesterday with long lines queuing at the Araneta Coliseum as early as 2pm, for the chance to witness the opening ceremonies and inaugural game of the 2013 PBA Season Philippine Cup between the GlobalPort Batang Pier and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings. Truly, yesterday was such a treat for the fans present at the Big Dome as the players from all ten PBA teams were scattered all over the hallway waiting to be called in for the presentation of teams on the hardcourt. This gave fans the opportunity to meet the players, pose with them for pictures, get autographs, and even converse with them. Children and adults alike were giddy as they posed with player after player, sharing rare moments with their cage idols. A little past half past four in the afternoon, the lights dimmed and the coliseum announcer requested everyone to stand for the Philippine National Anthem. A light, dance, video, and acrobatic show ensued, showcasing the league's different teams. Several fans were made a part of the show, as they unfurled a huge Philippine flag, brought in candles as an 11-year old girl recited a prayer and sang, and stood on court wearing their favorite team colors. Commissioner Chito Salud addressed the crowd, giving a report about what transpired last season, and what to expect this season, which he dubbed as the "2013 Season of the PBA." He urged the fans to keep supporting the league, and the players to always play hard, with dignity, and respect for each other, and cautioned that he would "weed out" any would-be hooligans who inflict harm and injury on others during games. Then, to everyone's delight, one by one, the beautiful muses for each team were called in. The PBA Board of Governors with the team muses. (PBA Images) The lovely ladies did not parade in with the players, but rather met their respective team representatives to the PBA Board of Governors at halfcourt before walking over to their designated spots. Each Governor, except one, made sure to greet his team's muse with a "beso". It was Mikee Romero of GlobalPort who merely shook the hand of his team's muse, Sam Pinto, which left most men in attendance shaking their heads wondering. Anne Curtis was splendid in a blue outfit for the San Mig Coffee Mixers. Other muses were Stephany Stefanowitz (Air 21), Rizzini Alexis Gomez (Alaska), Georgina Wilson (Barangay Ginebra San Miguel), Sophie Albert and the rest of the Artista Academy girls (Meralco), Isabelle Daza (Petron), Camille Guevarra (Rain or Shine), Ciane Xavier (Barako), and Alice Dixson (Talk 'N Text). San Mig Coffee muse Anne Curtis looked radiant in a blue dress. (PBA Images) Then Pinoy rap group Salbakuta came on the floor to rap the introductions for each team. Players entered the court from different spots in the stands, walking through the aisles right beside the fans, who enjoyed being so close to them. Smoke and music filled the air as the announcer shouted out each name. It was nice to see the players horse around with each other and interact with players from other teams as they stood on the Araneta court. The rookies were visibly in awe of what was happening, smiling as they looked around and took in the scene. Clearly, they were also enjoying the festivities. The announcer called on the Chairman of the Board of Governors, Robert Non of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, to formally declare open the 38th Season of the PBA. Mr Non thanked everyone for coming and promised bigger and better things this season. He, of course, took the opportunity to urge on his team's fans, the Barangay Ginebra, to do the "Gi-neb-ra" chant, as the Kings rushed to midcourt and stood around him for a few seconds. He then declared open the 2013 PBA Season as the crowd of almost 19,000 cheered. As the remains of the opening ceremonies were cleared up, celebrities Bayani Agbayani and Tuesday Vargas kept the crowd entertained with their humor and interaction with fans in the crowd, whom they asked to sing songs. One Alaska fan's nerves got the best of her and she never was able to sing "Dancing Queen", as she said she would. GlobalPort and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel came in to warm-up. Superstar Gary David entertained the crowd when, during a stretching drill, he started dancing to the tune of Gangnam Style playing in the background. Players from both teams threw out souvenirs to the crowd and, finally, the game was underway. Barangay Ginebra newcomer LA Tenorio started the game and the Barangay faithful loudly welcomed him during introductions. Rookie Chris Ellis also drew cheers from the crowd, especially whenever he would get the ball for a possible slam dunk, something he is already famous for this early in his career. Rudy Lingganay of GlobalPort scored the first two points for the 2013 PBA Season, but the lead his team had at that point was the only one it would enjoy. Barangay Ginebra went on a tear as Allein Maliksi scored six quick points, ably backed up by Billy Mamaril and Rico Maierhofer. Three pointers by Global Port kept them in the game at the end of one, trailing by just six, 26-20. In the second quarter, Batang Pier offseason pick-up Willie Miller struggled to keep his team afloat. He made a few baskets, but frequent turnovers forced by the great defense of Barangay Ginebra, which forced Global Port into two or three 24-second violations, caused the lead to expand to sixteen, 55-39, at the half. The Ginebra frontline was thoroughly dominating the Global Port big men, as rookie Keith Jensen came off the bench to immediately produce, and Rudy Hatfield was patrolling the middle and grabbing rebounds. GlobalPort's Rabeh Al-Hussaini and Ginebra's Billy Mamaril. (PBA Images) Things only got worse for Glenn Capacio's team in the third quarter as they could not buy a basket. Capacio went deep into his bench, but could not find any relief. On the other hand, with Tenorio orchestrating and almost everyone else for Barangay Ginebra following his lead, the Kings pulled away even further to lead 86-64 at the end of the third. David was having one of his worst offensive nights in recent memory, as he struggled to even get his shot off. He was held scoreless until very late in the game, hitting several free throws to finish with only nine points, the first time he did not score in double figures in more than forty games. The teams went through the motions in the fourth quarter, and GlobalPort made a short run to cut the lead down to just eleven. However, time quickly passed and the game ended with Barangay Ginebra's finishing kick pegging the final score at 110-90, a twenty-point victory in its opening game before a throng of adoring fans. GlobalPort needs to make adjustments quickly. The pressure of playing in a full house on opening day versus the crowd favorites obviously got to the Batang Pier, but there is obviously room for vast improvement. Jondan Salvador fought bravely underneath the boards, but he needs more muscle from his frontline allies. Angel Raymundo and Rabeh Al-Husseini started last night, but only made their presence felt on occasion. David will not play as terribly as he did last night often, so fans should look for a bounce-back-in-a-big-way game from him coming soon. Miller is still a shot-maker extraordinaire, but as I said in my team-by-team review, there will be an adjustment on how he fits in and works with David. All-in-all, this was not a glamorous debut for the Batang Pier. Nowhere near the team that made the Finals in last year's Philippine Cup, they might struggle for wins. Barangay Ginebra fans, on the other hand, liked what they saw. Tenorio was adjudged Best Player of the Game even if he only scored two points, since he had nine rebounds and ten assists, playing the point well in only his first game in Ginebra red. Caguioa entertained the crowd, as did Jayjay Helterbrand in limited minutes. Willie Wilson was also his usual reliable self. Everyone, though, was talking about the Ginebra frontline. While Caguio topscord with 18, Mamaril and Maierhofer had 14 apiece, rookies Jensen and Ellis had 13 and 12, respectively, Hatfield had 11, Kerby Raymundo had 8, and Maliksi finished with 7. Balanced frontline scoring and rebounding spelled instant success for Barangay Ginebra. Dylan Ababou and Elmer Espiritu did not even get a chance to play, and we all know how effective both of them can be. I said that determining the frontline rotation of Barangay Ginebra will be the key on how far they may go. For Coach Siot Tanquincen, it seemed anyone he put in knew what to do and did it pretty well, if not excellently. Let's see how their next few games go, though, before we bring them up to sure title contender status. In sum, the opening day was a day of celebration, a day for the fans. There was a festive, party atmosphere at the Big Dome yesterday. PBA officials made sure the opening ceremonies were fairly short but entertaining, and there was barely a dull moment the entire time. It's too bad the game was not a close one, but that did little to dampen the spirits of those present, as most of the crowd stayed until the final buzzer. And, of course, Anne Curtis was there. Enough said. With the mix of talent, old and new, and the unending support of the PBA fans, we are all looking forward to another banner season. O, ano? Habang maaga pa, kampihan na!

love

ve 0001. Every teardrop is precious so better make sure that if you drop some, it’s worth crying for you can never pick them up and put them back to your eyes. 0002. Learn to appreciate the rainbow after cursing the rain. It’s just like loving again after experiencing the pain. 0003. Never expect love to always be at its best cause if you do, you’ll never learn to appreciate its existence. 0004. Don’t force yourself to fall in love just because you think it’s your turn. Wait for a while, maybe cupids are having a hard time searching for the heart that deserves the kind of love you can give. 0005. To reach for another is to risk involvement, to expose your feelings is to expose your true self, to love is to risk not to be loved in return. 0006. Words and hearts should be handled with care for words when spoken and hearts when broken are the hardest things to repair. 0007. Love doesn’t count on the laughter that you shared but on the pain and tears you tried to get over with just for the sake of holding on. 0008. Telling someone how you feel does not hurt as much as not saying anything at all to that someone who is deeply in love with you. 0009. You can close your eyes from the things you don’t want to see but you can never close your heart from the things you don’t want to feel. 0010. No love can hurt as much as the love that can never be and no thought can hurt as much as the thought of a love that could have been. 0011. Remember that the more we try to forget someone we love, the more painful letting go will become. 0012. The greatest pain in life is to be ignored, to lose the person you love to someone who doesn’t care at all. 0013. Be careful to whom you give your heart because when you give your heart to someone, you’re not only giving that person the right to love you back but also the power to hurt you. 0014. If you think it’s time to let go, then just let go. There’s no point in looking back to what you have already lost. 0015. It is tough to stay single in this world where everybody expects you to be with somebody. What they fail to realize is that staying single is not about having no choice. Rather, it’s an opportunity to make intelligent choices. 0016. Just when you think things can't get any worse, they do. I've learned that life is like an hourglass. Sooner or later, everything hits rock bottom. All you have to do is be patient and wait for someone to turn everything back around. 0017. The reality of the other person lies not in what he reveals to you but in what he cannot reveal to you. Therefore, if you want to understand him, listen not to what he says but to what he does not say. 0018. The heart is the center of our chest but it beats at the left side. I guess that’s the reason why the heart isn’t always right. 0019. When you make decisions, follow your heart and not your mind. For if your mind’s decision fails, you regret. But if your heart fails, you just smile and say, “Nice try.” 0020. Happiness lies in those who cry, those who have been hurt, those who have searched and those who have tried. For only they can appreciate the importance of people who have touched their lives. 0021. Real tears are not those that fall from the eyes and cover the face but are those that fall from the heart and cover the soul. 0022. When all the wishes in your mind, all the dreams you’ve had and all the things you’ve ever hoped for soared into the sky and were reflected in someone’s eyes, then you have found your destiny. 0023. Love until it hurts and when it hurts, love some more. Love until you don’t care about the pain, until you stop expecting anything in return, until all that matters is loving that person the best way you can.