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History

Monkey Bay was ruled by the Muslim Yao chief and slave trader, Mponda, during the 1880s. In the late 19th century, the first Bishop of Likoma, Chauncy Maples, drowned near Monkey Bay in Lake Malawi. In the 1960s, there was a Fisheries Research Laboratory in Monkey Bay, funded by the then-Nyasaland colonial government.

DAVAO. An incensed man rants at the firemen who responded to the fire incident as the fire razed a total of 270 houses Thursday at Muslim Village on Km. 11 in Sasa, Davao City. (Seth Delos Reyes)

Saturday, August 24, 2013


PHILADELPHIA â€" A Philadelphia woman has turned up alive nearly two weeks after her family held a funeral and burial.

KYW-TV reports that 50-year-old Sharolyn Jackson showed up at a mental health facility last Friday.

A body found July 20 on a Philadelphia street had been identified as Jackson. A spokesman for the Philadelphia Health Department says Jackson's son and a social worker who knows her viewed pictures of the body and identified it as being hers.

Services for Jackson were held Aug. 3.

The now-buried body will be exhumed in hopes of correctly identifying the remains. (AP)

Mao. Senyalan...

Reason 7: Cows Are Nice

In all likelihood you drank their milk as a child and I'd bet anything your first coloring book had outlines of cows on its pages. Has a cow ever done one mean thing to you?

I thought not.

Reason 6: Meat Just Ain’t What It Used To Be

Unlike the steak mom and dad used to cook up on weekends, the meat you eat today has probably been pumped full of hormones to make it grow faster and antibiotics to prevent disease. Although such drugs have all been individually tested and approved by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration), what has never been tested is whether these drugs may be harmful in combination. Meaning, in combination with all other chemicals and drugs you unknowingly absorb, breathe, and drink every day, including those in the air and those in the water. So whether or not an individual chemical, hormone or antibiotic has been proven to have a harmful affect or not, no one really knows what a combination of several chemicals, hormones and antibiotics will do to you.

Reason 5: Mad Cow Disease. Obviously.

Mad cow disease was first discovered in the United Kingdom in 1986 and after that, it blossomed into a full-scale epidemic, affecting about 180,000 cattle over the next fifteen years. There is mounting evidence that it may cause variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which is not only fatal but kills you within fourteen months of diagnosis. So far, only three cases in the U.S. (227 worldwide) have been reported… but that number will eventually rise.

Reason 4: Lots of Beef Can Lead to Type 2 Diabetes

According to recent research, red meat consumption is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and three extra servings of red meat every week increases the risk of developing diabetes by 50 percent. That’s a pretty disheartening statistic. And you thought it was the cake and ice cream that would get you.

Reason 3: Your Risk of Colon Cancer Goes Up

Quite a few studies have provided evidence of red meat potentially causing colon cancer, and a U.S. study which involved 148,610 participants between the ages of 50 and 74 showed that a high consumption of red and processed meats substantially increased the risk of colorectal cancer. Fish and fowl, though, had the opposite effect: long-term consumption of large amounts of these appeared to ward off cancer of the colon and rectum.

Harvard says so.

Reason 2: Red Meat Can Cause Cardiovascular Disease

Time and again scientists have demonstrated a connection between eating large amounts of red meat and an individual’s risk for heart disease. Now, a recent study suggests this link between red meat and disease does not derive from the saturated fats and cholesterol, but the fact that your gut microbes break down a compound found in the meat known as carnitine, which in turn produces trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO). And TMAO has been associated with atherosclerosis, the fatty build-up in your arteries which in turn may cause a heart attack.

But, if you are trying to decide whether red meat is safe to eat, ou should know that the following seven red flags have been raised. Still, it’s up to you to decide. Is it worth it? How much is too much?

Reason 1: Red Meat May Increase Alzheimer’s Disease Risk

Scientists believe when proteins called Tau and beta-amyloid accumulate in the brain they either disrupt nerve cells or kill them â€" and this may be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease. A new study from UCLA, though, suggests that iron accumulation is another possible contributing factor. Using an unusual MRI technique, researchers found that iron had begun to accumulate in the brains of 31 Alzheimer's patients. Specifically, they discovered this build-up in a part of the brain which is generally damaged in the early stages of the disease. How does this connect to red meat? Well, it's full of iron, and a high-red meat diet can lead to iron build up.

http://health.yahoo.net/
By Susan Scutti
Fri, Aug 23, 2013





You’re an individual. That means, no matter what the latest study says, it may or may not apply to you since your body chemistry is unique and may react differently than what is reported. Most of us have (or know) some crazy uncle who smokes, drinks, and eats hamburgers daily and he just turned 95 and still there’s no sign of dementia, heart disease, cancer â€" nothing. (Why researchers don’t do studies on people like him, instead of the ones who get sick, I’ll never know.)

Weather

Issued at: 5:00 a.m., 24 August 2013

Southwest Monsoon affecting the western section of Luzon. Meanwhile, at 4:00 am today, the Low Pressure Area (LPA) was estimated based on all available data at 630 km East of Davao City (7.0 °N, 132.0°E).

Metro Manila


24°C to 31°C
Partly cloudy to at times cloudy with isolated rainshowers & thunderstorms
    Moderate to Strong Southwest
Manila Bay: Moderate to Rough

Other silent film fare: US and the PHL

Kristin Kneedler, cultural officer of the US Embassy, said the 1925 movie, “The Phantom of the Opera” directed by Rupert Julian, is their contribution to this year’s festival.

Kneedler said they tapped Razorback to provide music to the famous movie dealing with the mysteries at the Paris Opera House and the love struck opera ghost, Christine, and Raoul.

The Philippine film featured this year is “Kamera Obskura” (2012) by director Raymond Red. The movie is about a group of film historians finding a rare Filipino silent film of unknown origins.

“Kamera Obskura” is a film within a film, and it challenges the viewers to travel back in time and re-imagine the lost silent cinema heritage in the Philippines. The musical group Spy will play Pinoy Blues, among others, to accompany “Kamera Obskura.” â€" VC, GMA News

The U.S.'s silent film entry, "The Phantom of the Opera." 7th Manila International Silent Film Festival

Other silent film fare: Europe

Professor Emanuela Adesini, cultural attaché of the Italian Embassy and officer for the Promotion of Italian Language and Culture, said they are presenting “La Grazia” (The Grace) and the rock band “Sino Sikat.”

Adesini said the 1929 film by Aldo de Benedetti was “one of the best films produced in Italy in the late 1920s” and was based on the short story “Di Notte” (At Night) written in 1894 by Nobel Prize for Literature Winner Grazia Deledda.

“La Grazia” is a love story in a small village in Sardinia, Deledda’s hometown, where ancient traditions and strict code of honor among shepherds clash with the unpredictable laws of passion and love.

Dr. Petra Raymond, director of Goethe-Institut Philippinen, said the movie “Ich Mocthe Kein Mann Sein” (I Don’t Want to be A Man) “deals with stereotypes of gender and the linked expectation of people’s behaviors.”

Raymond said the film was released in Germany in October 1918, one month before the voting right for women was introduced in Germany. It will be accompanied by the Composers’Lab led by Professor Jonas Baes of the UP College of Music and composer Oser, of the Jazz School of Munich.

Jose Maria Fons, senior cultural officer of the Instituto Cervantes de Manila, said “El Abuelo” (The Grandfather), directed by Jose Buchs and released in 1925, was adapted from the novel of famous author Benito Perez Galdos.

The music of the group Earthmover supplements the story of “El Abuelo” which revolves around the discovery of one of the film's two granddaughters being illegitimate and the search for the true descendant of the Count of Albrit.

Japan's silent film entry, "Keisatsukan" (A Police Officer). 7th Manila International Silent Film Festival

Opening with 'Keisatsukan' (A Police Officer, 1933)

The seventh edition of Asia’s lone international silent film festival will open on August 23, Friday, with the screening of “Keisatsukan” (A Police Officer), a 1933 Japanese crime film to be accompanied by the Filipino rock and blues musical group, Pulso.

Shuji Takatori, director of the Japan Foundation, Manila, said they had encountered “difficulties” in locating a copy of the 121-minute “Keisatsukan” directed by Tomu Uchida, whom he described as “among the masters of Japanese cinematic lyricism.”

Takatori said “Keisatsukan” was based on the 1932 bank robbery which inspired a novel. The copy of “Keisatsukan” to be shown is from the National Film Center of the National Museum of Modern Art-Tokyo, he said.

An era of silence

This year's scheduled lineup. 7th Manila International Silent Film Festival
Teodoro Granados, executive director of the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), said the MISFF pays tribute to the origins of cinema and the era of silent films and the live sound and music that accompanied the silent films.

“It was an era of silence, and yet, as we will witness in this roster of films, then as it is today, we see a shared language that pervades national cinemas all over the globe. These films will be brought to life by ground-breaking and genre-bending Filipino musicians, a feature that makes this festival unique,” Granados said.

During the silent film era, live musical accompaniment was either provided by a solo pianist or a full-blown orchestra. The MISFF differs from other silent film festivals abroad, however,  as it showcases local Filipino bands performing live scores before audiences, organizers said.

The MISFF past editions featured groups such as Tropical Depression and Radioactive Sago Project.

By IBARRA C. MATEO
August 23, 2013 5:02pm


Organizers of the 7th Manila International Silent Film Festival (MISFF) said six silent films from Japan, Italy, Germany, the U.S., Spain, and the Philippines are to be shown until August 25, Sunday, for free on a first-come, first-served basis, at the Shang Cineplex in Mandaluyong.

All the film showings will be accompanied by live music from Filipino bands such as Pulso, Sino Sikat, and Composers’Lab, alongside German musician Pierre Oser, and other bands such as Razorback, Earthmover, and Spy.

Alfonso L. Salcedo, Jr., BPI executive vice-president and head of corporate banking, said, “We’ve been talking about the second half. The battleground will really be in lending, both on corporate and consumer lending.”

“Among corporates, the sentiment is still optimistic. We continue to see industry loan growth to be mid-teens. This is probably sustainable, and in the medium or long term, that is healthy,” he said, adding that BPI’s corporate lending will probably be a “bit faster” than the industry average but will still be “around those levels.”

Mr. Salcedo noted growing interest in the Philippines among Japanese, Korean and American firms, particularly in the manufacturing sector.

“The renewed interest in economic zones is expanding and firms are moving some production lines from China and Thailand, adding the Philippines as another production center,” he said.

BPI shares closed at P89.10 apiece yesterday, down P5.30 from their close of P94.40 last Friday. Trading was suspended on Monday and Tuesday due to the heavy rains, while Wednesday was a holiday marking Ninoy Aquino Day. -- Diane Claire J. Jiao

TAPERING FEARS

Officials of the Ayala-led bank were optimistic of growth prospects this year, but they cautioned that volatility in the market triggered by the US Federal Reserve’s looming taper could hit trading gains.

Emerging markets have been hard-hit with foreign capital fleeing back to developed countries amid fears the well of easy money will dry up.

The Fed said it could reduce its $85-billion monthly bond-buying program within the year -- analysts predict the taper could begin by September -- amid signs the US economy is gaining traction.

“The most impact will be on trading gains. Banks will no longer have a huge trading income,” said Mr. Paner, also the treasurer of BPI.

“We will probably not double the first half income. A lot of the profit will come from the core intermediation business,” Mr. Consing added.

BPI’s net income rose by 27% to P12 billion as of June from the P9.4 billion a year ago. Interest income, driven by the lending business, grew 6%. But it was the 23% jump in non-interest income that drove BPI’s performance, with foreign exchange and securities trading surging 24% and 14%, respectively, among others.

Universal and commercial banks, including their subsidiary banks and quasi-banks, must have a capital adequacy ratio (CAR) of at least 10%, with Tier 1 capital making up at least 7.5%. Tier 2 capital can account for the remainder.

Lower Tier 2 capital, as well as hybrid Tier 1 capital, will be “derecognized” as qualifying capital after December 31, 2015, the BSP said.

BSP Deputy Governor Nestor A. Espenilla, Jr. said last Friday that the recent moves of banks to retire their lower Tier 2 notes “make sense” since they trim interest costs.

“What is happening is some banks are exercising call options or are shortening the life of their existing Tier 2 notes because those debt papers were issued when interest rates were higher,” he had said.

After the redemption at the end of the year, BPI’s CAR will stand at 13.5%, BPI executive vice-president Antonio V. Paner said at the sidelines of the CFO summit. It will decline from the 14.3% notched in the first semester but it is still above the 10% minimum required by the BSP.

http://www.bworldonline.com/
Posted on August 22, 2013 10:01:45 PM


BANK of the Philippine Islands (BPI) will redeem P5 billion in lower Tier 2 notes in December to cut back on interest costs and prepare for new capital requirements under Basel III.

In its meeting on August 20, BPI’s board of directors agreed to exercise its call option on the lower Tier 2 notes issued in December 2008, with the redemption date set for December 13, 2013.

“We will redeem our Tier 2 notes. It is expensive for us and no longer compliant with Basel III,” Cezar P. Consing, the Ayala-led bank’s president and chief executive officer, said in an interview yesterday at the sidelines of the Annual Corporate Treasury & CFO Summit.

Banks have been retiring their lower Tier 2 notes after the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) released in January the new capital requirements under Basel III -- a set of international standards devised after the 2008 global financial crisis to strengthen the industry’s ability to absorb shocks and manage risks.

The new capital framework will be implemented starting January 1, 2014, with Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital considered as the only compliant forms since they have loss absorption features. This means they are liquid and readily available, so banks do not need to rely on capital infusions from the public during times of shock.

Speaking of his findings, lead researcher Mike Bowers told the Today Show:

“We can’t say that this is the end-all-be-all reasoning - but it is one of the first avenues with which we can start to explore why women tend to be more verbal than men.”

For further commentary I went to a chatty pub near my home to size up peoples’ reactions to the findings

“I really don’t know what to make of this,” said Sherry D. from Long Island, NY.

“I feel that women may talk more because they have more to do and say,” Sherry continued.

“They work, take care of children and entertain much more than men do. They also have ideas that need to be expressed in ways that people can understand. Talking more provides better explanations of what those ideas are. When women are done talking people get what it is that they said. Women also have a lot of feelings and want to express those as well. Feelings can be complicated and it often takes quite a bit of talking to fully express those feelings. If the brains of men and women are different it is for a reason - which is why research is important â€" not just to find out why people talk more but to find cures for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.”

“Are you going to print everything I’m saying in the paper?” Sherry then inquired.

Speaking of the study from the male perspective, Frank K., from Queens, NY enthusiastically opined:

“It’s interesting isn’t it?”

Why women talk more than men - the biological reasons for a Chatty Cathy
by Dr Charles Fiscella
Posted on Monday, February 25, 2013 at 05:49 AM


Studies have confirmed that women talk considerably more than men do â€" up to tree times as much. In fact, one study showed that during an average day women spoke about 20,000 words compared to 7,000 words a day for the average man.

But why is there such a disparity between the sexes when it comes to chit chat?

Scientists at the University Of Maryland School Of Medicine are working on answers.

Their new study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience, showed that female brains have higher levels of the protein FOXP2, a substance researchers have termed the “language protein.”

Previous studies have shown that FOXP2 is essential for speech production in both sexes.

As part of the study, scientists examined brain material from recently diseased 4 and 5 year old children and found that the females had 30% more FOXP2.

He he, terrified tiramisu man ni...

This is no little sinkhole in someone's yard, this sinkhole has already swallowed up 24 acres of land. The video footage released of this sinkhole shows how it just sucked up trees, land and even water as it opens up. It looks like the bottom just fell out of the earth that this land was sitting on and it took only seconds for the sinkhole to claim its surroundings.

So far 350 residents of Bayou Corne have been evacuated for fear their homes may be in danger. Authorities are monitoring the sinkhole and updating alert statuses related to seismic activity within the sinkhole and for the surrounding area. Watch the video above and see if you agree that the power unleashed by mother nature in this case is a jaw-dropping sight to see.

Sinkhole swallows trees: Louisiana town evacuated as 24 acre sinkhole grows
http://www.examiner.com/


August 22, 2013


A sinkhole swallows trees in the Louisiana bayou swamp and this is caught on video at the exact moment the sinkhole forms. The amazing video shows how the sinkhole swallows trees, taking them under the water in seconds. This is a show only nature could provide. According to UPI.com on Aug. 22, the sinkhole in Assumption Parish swampland continues to expand.

This huge sinkhole, which first opened up in August of last year, is being monitored by authorities as it continues to grow. It has been swallowing up land in Louisiana at such a fast rate that the sinkhole has now forced an entire town in Louisiana to evacuate.

Quote from: diablo on August 17, 2013, 07:57:33 PM
now, i am proud to say that i rub shoulders with very important persons.

Did it never occur to your idiot brain, the likelihood that I'm the kind of person you would want to rub shoulders with?

Back off, buffoon. You're making everyone sick.

Quote from: diablo on August 17, 2013, 07:57:33 PM
i could have easily taught you how to make money. all the money you want or need.

Did it never occur to your idiot brain, the likelihood that I'm richer than you?

Quote from: diablo on August 17, 2013, 07:57:33 PM
i am just sad that you choose to make an enemy of me. we could have been friends.

Kutob ra tawon ta sa cut and paste ani. Unsaon wa man tay talent, di sama sa uban nga highly gifted creative writers, highly gifted and highly creative...

Lake Sebu is one of the Philippines’ most important watersheds and a major provider of irrigation to the provinces of Sultan Kudarat and South Cotabato. It is located in the ancestral domain of the T'boli and Ubo tribes. The DOT has promoted the lake as one of the prime eco-tourism destinations in Mindanao. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Mt. Kanlaon bisects the Negros Island, and it is also the highest peak in Central Visayas. This makes it popular among mountain climbers and hikers. The fact that it is an active volcano adds a certain kind of thrill. Mt. Kanlaon is truly only for the daring. Apart from trekking, it also has an art gallery, a zipline, and it also offers river trail adventures. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Pagudpud is a coastal town located at the northernmost tip of Ilocos Norte. It is known as the “Boracay of the North”, but it has so much more to offer apart from its pristine coastline. Pagudpud’s Bangui Bay also features 20 wind turbines, which makes it Southeast Asia’s first windmill farm. Pagudpud is also a highly popular surfing site. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Panglao is found in the Municipalities of Dauis and Panglao, in the province of Bohol. It is known for its white sand beaches, several resorts, and over the years has emerged as one of the Philippines’ top beach destinations. It has been cited in CNN Travel as one of the Philippines’ best beaches and island destinations.; It is a pleasant alternative to the much more popular Boracay. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Siargao is an island of nine municipalities in the province of Surigao del Norte. Known as the “Surfing Capital of the Philippines”, Siargao is mainly responsible for introducing surfing to the country. Apart from surfing, Siargao is also open to other activities such as cave explorations and rock climbing. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Siquijor is the third smallest province in the Philippines. It is recognized as a center of mystic power and a capital of mystic activities and black magic. Siquijor is known for the infamous agimat and gayuma. In spite of this, Siquijor offers incredible sites and sights and is rapidly becoming one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Philippines. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Mount Pulag borders the provinces of Benguet, Ifugao, and Nueva Vizcaya. It is the Philippines’ third highest mountain and Luzon’s highest peak. The mountain hosts more than five hundred plant species. The dwarf bamboo, for instance, is endemic to the mountain. It also houses several endangered species of mammals. Mount Pulag is definitely a haven for nature lovers. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Taytay is a highly popular wreck diving site in the northern coast of Palawan. It is also a famous site for dolphin watching. Taytay also has several easily accessible historical landmarks. It was one of the 12 finalists in the 2013 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Sagada is already well-known for its rice terraces, but the Sumaguing Caves provide a different kind of adventure altogether. The Sumaguing Caves are the largest of Sagada’s many caverns, and it is a popular site for spelunking, trekking, and recreational cave exploration. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Mt. Pinatubo is no longer the terror that it was more than two decades ago. It is now a prime tourist destination which offers various kinds of adventures for those gutsy enough to go through it. You could trek through Pinatubo’s Crow Valley Canyon, view its crater through a chartered light aircraft, visit the Tayawan Caldera, and even get a Pinatubo spa using lahar sediments left by the eruption. (Photo and caption from philippinegems.com)

Help! I just can't stop laughing!

Called "the ultimate poet's poet" by Gioia, Justice was revered for spare, elegant writing that displayed an encyclopedic embrace and masterly reinvention of traditional forms, including the sonnet, villanelle and sestina. He also wrote syllabics, couplets, free verse, epigrams, ballads and odes.

His inspirations were similarly diverse, from Baudelaire and Wallace Stevens to blues lyrics and nursery rhymes. This eclecticism produced powerful effects, as in "Counting the Mad," an early poem about madness and despair that owes much to the architecture of a children's ditty, "This Little Piggy":

This one was put in a jacket,

This one was sent home,

This one was given bread and meat

But would eat none,

And this one cried No No No No

All day long.

"He took this cute, little baby's rhyme and filled it with the most horrifying material," said poet and longtime friend Robert Mezey. "If he had written nothing else but 'Counting the Mad' he would be immortal."

Donald Justice, 78; Pulitzer-Winning 'Ultimate Poet's Poet'
http://articles.latimes.com/
August 16, 2004|Elaine Woo | Times Staff Writer


When Dana Gioia, the poet and chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, spoke last week of his friend Donald Justice, he could not avoid reciting some of his favorite Justice poems. That is a common response among poets, a jealous and competitive lot who do not easily offer such tribute to one of their own.

Justice, who was 78 and had pneumonia and Parkinson's disease when he died Aug. 6 in Iowa City, Iowa, was one for whom they made singular exception. He published just a dozen volumes over a four-decade career (his "Collected Poems" will be published this week), but he won nearly every top prize in American poetry, including the Pulitzer Prize in 1980 and the Bollingen Prize in 1991. He was offered the position of poet laureate by the Library of Congress last year but declined it because of poor health.

Suspicious Lines...

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 08/22/2013 10:04 AM | Updated as of 08/22/2013 10:06 AM


MANILA â€" A fisherman who went missing at the height of tropical depression "Labuyo" was found in the waters of Japan, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Thursday.

The PCG said 48-year-old Batanes resident Julio Balanoba was rescued by Japanese coast guard personnel.

Balanoba, who was riding a motorboat, went missing last August 11 as Labuyo battered northern Luzon.

The Filipino fisherman was found by Japanese coast guard personnel conducting air and sea patrol.

He was brought to Yaeyama Hospital in Okinawa after sustaining leg bruises.

Balanoba said his boat encountered problems after his shirt got jammed in its engine. Strong waves then brought him to the waters of Japan.

He said he survived being in the middle of sea for days due to his ample supply of bananas and watermelons.

Japanese authorities are now preparing the repatriation of Balanoba to the Philippines. - report from Noel Alamar, dzMM

Wa pa ko kainom og kape, fully awake na. Kudos to my coffee cup!

Quote from: hubag bohol on August 22, 2013, 03:38:38 PM
Other body parts were also found in Lapu-Lapu City Wednesday. "May torso, leg, an arm, but we list them as body parts," Cebu Disaster Management Chief Niel Sanchez said.

Forty-five others remain missing, over 20 of whom are children.

Other body parts were also found in Lapu-Lapu City Wednesday. "May torso, leg, an arm, but we list them as body parts," Cebu Disaster Management Chief Niel Sanchez said.

Forty-five others remain missing, over 20 of whom are children.

A total of 831 people were on board the M/V St. Thomas Aquinas, 715 of whom were passengers while 116 were crew members, when it collided with Sulpicio Express Siete, last August 16.

The Sulpicio vessel, which carried 36 crew members, sustained damage but did not sink.

The collision also caused an oil spill. A team of technical divers have been deployed to stop the leak.

Over 200 military, coastguard and police are also helping mop up a large oil spill that has leaked from the sunken ferry, polluting valuable mangroves, fishing grounds and popular beach resorts. -- Report from Dexter Ganibe, dzMM; With report from Ron Gagalac, ABS-CBN News; Agence France-Presse

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 08/22/2013 3:09 PM | Updated as of 08/22/2013 3:09 PM


MANILA -- A body with no feet was found off Cordova, Cebu Thursday afternoon, bringing the number of fatalities in the collision between passenger vessel M/V St. Thomas Aquinas of 2GO Group Inc. and cargo ship Sulpicio Express Siete to 75.

The body of the still unidentified person was found by residents of Barangay Bangbang past 1 p.m.

The body will be brought to a funeral home in Cebu City.

Meanwhile, a right foot was found off the shore of Barangay Calawisan in Lapu-Lapu City also this afternoon.

Authorities have yet to confirm if the recovered foot was one of the missing feet of the body found in Cordova.

A number of those who were involved in the case have passed away. Custodio died of cancer in prison in 1991. Avsecom soldier Cordova Estelo was stabbed to death in 2005.

Sgt. Pablo Martinez was released for humanitarian reasons when he turned 70 in 2007. The rest of the soldiers were granted clemency by then President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and released in 2009.

Sandra Burton died in 2004 at the age of 62.

(VERA Files trustee Luz Rimban based part of this article on the script she wrote for "Agosto Beinte Uno: Ang Pagpatay kay Ninoy Aquino," produced by ABS-CBN, and airing at 11 p.m. on Aug. 25. VERA Files is put out by senior journalists taking a deeper look at current issues. VERA is Latin for true.)

The Sandiganbayan had declared C1C Rogelio Moreno, a constable and one of those who fetched Aquino from the China Airline plane, as the gunman.

It was Moreno who shot Aquino, the court said, based on the bullet’s downward trajectoryâ€"entering just below the left ear and exiting through his chin. Moreno was behind and to the left of Aquino as they were descending the stairs.

Moreno and 15 others were convicted and served time. The soldiers have maintained innocence and insisted that the assassin was Rolando Galman, who managed to penetrate the tight security cordon and waited for Aquino under the stairs. Galman was in turn riddled with bullets.

It is the same story pushed by Marcos as early as the evening of Aug. 21, 1983. Marcos said Galman was a communist hitman.

The tape then records what sounded like Burton comparing notes with fellow foreign correspondents, everyone recalling what they heard and trying to reconstruct the moments when they heard the shots.

In one portion of the tape, the conversation turns to who killed Aquino, and Burton points out that a Japanese reporter had seen one of the men in khaki, referring to one of Aquino’s escorts, being the gunman.

But a man contradicts her saying, “I did not see a man in khaki uniform shoot Aquino.” To this day, the question who shot Aquino remains subject to debate.

The tape also captures Burton and her fellow passengers after they had disembarked and ran into people waiting to meet the passengers from the China Airlines flight.

Local journalists who covered the airport at the time had been herded by military men to the entrance to the tube where they were to await Aquino. When they learned of the commotion at the tarmac, they interviewed the disembarking passengers to ask them what happened.

One conversation was that of Burton and a Filipino.

Man: “What did you see? Who did it?”

Burton: “Soldiers.”

Man: “How many of them?”

Burton: “I don’t know. I think we’d better wait.”

Man: “Did you recognize him? Aquino?”

Burton: “Yeah.”

Man: “What’s your name?”

Burton: “No, I’m not gonna... this is not the place to talk. We had just seen two assassinations take place right outside our window.”

What is significant about the tape are the reactions of Aquino’s fellow passengers and the conversations Burton had with them.

Burton apparently kept recording as she discussed with fellow foreign journalists what happened.

Some eight minutes into the tape, Burton is heard saying, “It’s very confusing, I mean, I don’t know.” She then answers more questions from someone who sounded like an American.

Man: “They shot Ninoy?”

Woman, presumably Burton: “Yeah.”

Man: “Where?”

Burton: “Right at the bottom of the stairs.”

Man: “When Ninoy was still on it or when...”

Burton: “No, when he got off. I’m sure he’s dead.”

The court decided to listen to it in the sound studio of former actor Jose Mari Gonzales in San Juan. The studio was packed with the usual courtroom crowdâ€"court personnel, prosecutors, defense attorneys, witnesses.

"I remember they decided to dim the lights so that those listening could focus on the tape," said Bautista, who is also ABS-CBN legal counsel. "And shortly before the tape was played, the room fell silent. And I found myself standing in a corner right beside this big speaker."

Burton’s tape records faintly the sound of someone saying, “Eto na (This is it).” Footage shot by a foreign TV crew captures the words by now familiar to Filipinos who lived through the events surrounding the Aquino assassination. "Eto na, eto na! Ako na, ako na! Op! Pusila, pusila (This is it, this is it! Let me, let me! Shoot, shoot)!"

And then, the gunshot.

When Aquino's widow Corazon (“Cory”) became president, the Supreme Court ordered a retrial. The case became a landmark in Philippine jurisprudence on exemptions to the rule on double jeopardy.

The case was sent back to the Sandiganbayan. The highest official charged in the case was Brig. Gen. Luther Custodio, head of the Aviation Security Command, the unit of the AFP that maintained security at the airport.

Ver, one of the respondents in the original case, had fled the country after the EDSA People Power revolt toppled the Marcos government. He lived in exile in Thailand.

Also charged but later acquitted was Gen. Jesus Singson, deputy chief of the Civil Aeronautics Board in 1983.

Singson's lawyer and son-in-law Mario Bautista remembers the trial and in particular the day the Sandiganbayan listened to Burton's tape.

The proof they presented to the Supreme Court: the statement made by former Deputy Tanodbayan Manuel Herrera, chief of the prosecution panel in the Aquino case, that ousted president Ferdinand Marcos had influenced the Tanodbayan (now the Ombudsman) and the Sandiganbayan into acquitting all respondents, including Marcos' trusted ally and friend, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Fabian C. Ver.

"Magmoro-moro na lang kayo (You just put up a show)," Herrera quoted Marcos saying in a two-hour meeting with justices and prosecutors in Malacanang when the case started.

Marcos’ parting words, according to Herrera, were: “Thank you for your cooperation. I know how to reciprocate.”

Herrera said the trial was scripted, right from the start when the case was assigned in a "make-believe raffle" done in the absence of the media to the installation of TV monitors beaming the trial directly to Malacanang, and the suppression of vital evidence.

Burton, then in her 40s, was called to testify and became one of close to 200 witnesses who appeared before the Agrava Fact-Finding Board that investigated the assassination. She turned her tape over to prosecutors.

After an inquiry that lasted a year, the Agrava Board recommended the filing of murder charges against several military men before the Sandiganbayan under then Justice Manuel Pamaran.

In December 1985, the Pamaran court acquitted all respondents.

In 1986, concerned citizens petitioned the Supreme Court to reopen the case, slamming the Pamaran trial as a sham.

For the past 20 years, Burton’s recording has been in the Sandiganbayan’s custody, forming part of the evidenceâ€"20,000 pages of documents, hundreds of photographs, video and audio recordingsâ€"the court had collected in the course of the trial against the military men involved in Aquino’s assassination.

For the first time, the Sandiganbayan has made the recording available for broadcast. A portion of it will be heard on the ABS-CBN documentary "Agosto Beinte Uno: Ang Pagpatay kay Ninoy Aquino" commemorating the slain senator's 30th death anniversary.

The sounds on Burton’s tape capture the atmosphere in the plane in the final seconds before Aquino disembarks, the moment he is shot, and the passengers’ reactions when they realized that the person they had just shared a flight with was now dead on the tarmac.

These are the voices Time Magazine correspondent Sandra Burton captured on her microcassette recorder on the afternoon of Aug. 21, 1983, right after China Airlines Flight 811 carrying former Sen. Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. landed at the then Manila International Airport.

Burton and several foreign correspondents had accompanied Aquino on the final leg of his journey home from three years of exile in the United States.

When the plane landed, three soldiers boarded and escorted Aquino out. Seconds later, he was dead.

Aug 21, 1983: Voices tell the story
By VERA Files | The Inbox â€" 21 hours ago



Aquino and Galman on the airport tarmac


By Luz Rimban, VERA Files


The tape recording starts with the sound of the plane landing and people talking among themselves.

"Everybody remains on board," one of them says.

Moments later, a single gunshot rings out and women are wailing.

"What happened? What was that?" a woman's voice asks.

More gunshots. The wailing becomes louder.

Then an order from several men: "Inside, inside, inside!"

"The soldiers… shot Ninoy. He's dead out there," a woman cries out.

Apil-apil na pud ang Senado?

"We have yet to ascertain the extent of compliance or non-compliance with labor standards and occupational health and safety by the two ships," said Baldoz.

The Board of Marine Inquiry is already set to look into possible administrative and criminal liabilities against operators of the two ships.

Similar to the proposal of Kabataan Representative Terry Ridon, Pimentel said government agencies like the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina), which regulates water transport utilities, and the Philippine Coast Guard must adopt measures so that smash-ups are avoided.

Philippine Span Asia Carrier Corp., which operates M/V Sulpicio Express Siete, was involved in at least five major tragedies in the past, including the sinking in 1987 of the ferry, Dona Paz which killed 4,300 individuals, considered as the world’s worst peacetime maritime disaster.

PSACC used to be the Sulpicio Shipping Lines, Inc., which was renamed in 2009 following its suspension over the sinking of Princess of Stars off Romblon at the height of Typhoon "Frank". (Virgil Lopez, HDT/Sunnex)

Passenger vessel M/V St. Thomas Aquinas was reportedly carrying 116 crew members while the Sulpicio cargo ship had on board 36 seafarers.

Aside from possible administrative and criminal liabilities, owners of the colliding ships in Cebu, MV Saint Thomas Aquinas 1 and MV Sulpicio Express Siete, could be facing violation of labor standards.

In a statement, the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) related that its Central Visayas regional office found possible violations of labor standards and occupational health and safety.

"Initial investigation showed that both ships have no health and safety committee or safety officers," said Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz.

Because of this, she said it would be better if a more extensive probe would be conducted.

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/
Thursday, August 22, 2013


SENATOR Aquilino Pimentel III joined a party-list lawmaker on Thursday in calling on Congress to investigate the sea mishap off Talisay City in Cebu to find ways to prevent a similar accident in the future.

Pimentel said it is important to address the problems causing ship collisions even when the vessels are declared sea worthy to sail by authorities in clear weather conditions.

The collision between cargo ship M/V Sulpicio Express Siete and passenger vessel M/V St. Thomas Aquinas on August 16 has left more than 70 people dead. The captains of both ships refused to claim responsibility for the accident, which occurred at Lauis Ledge, scene of minor sea mishaps in the past.

Background

The show was inspired by and loosely modelled on the New Zealand/British/Rhodesian Long Range Desert Group, which used modified trucks armed with machine guns as their transport through the treacherous desert terrain, and Popski's Private Army. The title of the program refers to the nicknames given to some of the British Commonwealth forces in the North African campaign (Rats of Tobruk or Desert Rats). Consequently, at the time of the original telecast many British viewers took offense at the dominance of American characters on the program, the result being that the show was pulled from the BBC.

Cast

The four members of the Allied patrol were:


Sgt. Sam Troy


Sgt. Jack Moffitt


Pvt. Mark T. Hitchcock


Pvt. Tully Pettigrew

The Rat Patrol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia



http://epguides.com/


The Rat Patrol is an American television program that aired on ABC during the 1966â€"1968 seasons. The show follows the exploits of four Allied soldiers â€" three Americans and one Englishman â€" who are part of a long-range desert patrol group in the North African campaign during World War II. Their mission: "to attack, harass and wreak havoc on Field Marshal Rommel's vaunted Afrika Korps".

He he, luto na, oi, white bread lang ni siya...

The never-ending promise...

Nia pay lain...

Klaro nga milyonir kay mahalon ang gisul-ob...

15. Texas oil and gas magnate T. Boone Pickens

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images


Pickens spent his whole life â€" from delivering newspapers to taking over Gulf Oil â€" making money via acquisition. The corporate raider now has a net worth of $1.4 billion because of it.

So it's no surprise that Pickens isn't in favor of handing his money over for free, even to his children. Pickens is one of America's billionaires to take The Giving Pledge, donating at least half of his money to charity.

And when asked about leaving money for his kids, he had this to say: "I've long stated that I enjoy making money, and I enjoy giving it away...I'm not a big fan of inherited wealth. It generally does more harm than good."

14. Director and producer George Lucas

AP Photo/Lucasfilm Ltd. & TM, Lisa Tomasetti


Lucas signed on to Bill Gates and Warren Buffett's Giving Pledge back in July of 2010, promising to give at least half of his wealth away by the time of his death.

“I am dedicating the majority of my wealth to improving education,” Lucas wrote in his pledge letter.

The father of four also said in a statement that he would donate the $4 billion+ Disney paid him to acquire Lucas Films to charity as well.

13. British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber

Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images


Having racked up hundreds of millions of dollars and becoming a knight thanks to his work as a theater composer, Webber wants to use that money to encourage teaching the arts.

Webber once said that "(A will) is one thing you do start to think about when you get to my age. I don't think it should be about having a whole load of rich children and grandchildren. I think it should be used as a way to encourage the arts."

His five children will be "taken care of," but the majority of the estate will go towards arts programs.

12. Hedge fund manager John Arnold

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite


John Arnold may only be 40 years old, but last October he closed his hedge fund, Centaurus Energy, and retired after amassing an estimated wealth of $4 billion over the last 10 years.

Now, Arnold and his wife Laura have dedicated the rest of their lives to giving away that wealth through their foundation to support innovative ideas, instead of to their three children.

"Because of our backgrounds and because of our own experiences, we just don't believe in dynastic wealth," said Laura Arnold in an interview posted on givesmart.org.

11. Media mogul Ted Turner

Michael Loccisano/Getty Images


Turner is such a prominent philanthropist that he is as famous for giving away money as he is for making it.

After accumulating his wealth through the founding of media outlets like CNN and TBS, Turner has gone on to give literally billions of dollars to causes like the United Nations Foundation.

Turner has five children from three marriages, but they shouldn't expect a large endowment once he passes. Whether jokingly or not, Turner was quoted in 2010 as saying he was "almost to the edge of poverty" and just wants enough money to cover funeral expenses when he dies.

10. British Chef Nigella Lawson

AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau


Lawson is a best-selling author and TV personality, which made her a millionaire even before she married (and then later divorced) wealthy advertising tycoon and art collector Charles Saatchi.

Though Lawson herself comes from a wealthy background, she seems to be a firm believer in not giving her two children that same advantage. She came under fire for saying, "I am determined that my children should have no financial security. It ruins people not having to earn money."

She followed up that statement by saying she didn't plan on leaving her kids "destitute," but stood by the idea that they would have to support themselves after school ended.

9. Businessman Chuck Feeney

The Atlantic Wire


Chuck Feeney is the the co-founder of Duty-Free Shoppers Group (those airport shops), and was one of the world's billionaires in the late 1980s until he transferred all his wealth to his foundation, Atlantic Philanthropies, according to Forbes.

Before giving away their inheritance, he also went to great lengths to teach his children the value of saving money, including making his kids chat with their friends on payphones, work during their vacations, and work through college, according to The Daily Mail.

Today, it's rumored Feeney doesn't even own a house or a car. He once famously told The New York Times, "I want the last check I write to bounce."

8. Home Depot co-founder Bernard Marcus

Bernard Marcus, left (AP Photo/Alan Mothner)


Marcus grew up in Newark, New Jersey to Russian immigrant parents, and went on to start Home Depot. His retail success helped him accumulate $1.5 billion in net worth. His philanthropic efforts include funding the Georgia Aquarium and starting the Marcus Foundation.

Not wanting his kids to inherit large sums of money â€" for their own good, he told Forbes â€" Marcus plans on giving the majority of his Home Depot stock to his foundation, which benefits the handicapped and education.

7. Actor Jackie Chan

REUTERS/Jonathan Alcorn


The movie star announced in 2011 that he had decided to give away half his money to charity when he dies. Chan added that he was not planning on leaving his son Jaycee any of the millions of dollars he has made during his film career.

"If he is capable, he can make his own money. If he is not, then he will just be wasting my money," Channel NewsAsia quoted Chan as saying.

6. Microsoft founder and CEO Bill Gates

Stefan Postles/Getty Images


Bill Gates is one of the richest people in the world. But he and his wife Melinda aren't interested in keeping their money for themselves, or for their three children.

"I knew I didn't think it was a good idea to give the money to my kids. That wouldn't be good either for my kids or society," he told The Sun in 2010.

Instead, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was founded in 1994, and today has assets of over $37 billion. The Foundation even started "The Giving Pledge," which invites other wealthy individuals to join the Gates' lead and donate half their money to charity.

5. Australian iron magnate Gina Rinehart

Paul Kane/Getty Images


Rinehart â€" the richest woman in Australia â€" wants to cut her children out of their inheritance.

She herself inherited her company and fortune from her father, Lang Hancock, and her children were also named in his estate.

But court documents in the Australian media show that Rinehart doesn't believe her four kids are fit to manage the family fortune.

“None of the plaintiffs has the requisite capacity or skill, nor the knowledge, experience, judgment or responsible work ethic to administer a trust in the nature of the trust in particular as part of the growing HPPL Group,” she once claimed in court papers.

4. Rockstar Gene Simmons

Frazer Harrison/Getty Images


The bassist for KISS, one of the best-selling American bands of all time, is a self-made man. He was born in Israel, moved to Queens with his mother, and started a group that would end up compiling 28 gold records over the years.

Simmons wants the same path for his two kids, Nick and Sophie. He told CNBC several years ago: "...in terms of an inheritance and stuff, they're gonna be taken care of, but they will never be rich off my money. Because every year they should be forced to get up out of bed, and go out and work and make their own way."

So the $300 million bucks that belong to Simmons will be headed somewhere else upon his death.

3. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg

Andrew Burton/Getty Images


Bloomberg gets paid $1 a year for his government duties because with a net worth of $19.5 billion, he's pretty much set financially. 

But Bloomberg is also an avid philanthropist, having donated millions to Johns Hopkins University, the Carnegie Corporation, and thousands of other non-profits.

In his letter to The Giving Pledge, Bloomberg wrote that "nearly all of my net worth will be given away in the years ahead or left to my foundation."

Bloomberg's two daughters, however, may be left to foot the bill upon his death. Bloomberg once said, "the best financial planning ends with bouncing the check to the undertaker."

2. EBay founder Pierre Omidyar

Brian Harkin/Getty Images


Ever since Omidyar became a billionaire when he was 31 years old, the eBay founder has made it his life's work to donate the majority of his money to those less fortunate instead of to his three children, according to Forbes.

He signed the Gates and Buffett Giving Pledge in 2010, and continuously gives eBay shares to the Omidyar Network, his philanthropic investment firm.

He and his wife Pam are also the single biggest private donors to the fight against the human trafficking industry.

1. Business magnate Warren Buffett

REUTERS/Rick Wilking


As an incredibly wealthy investor and philanthropist, Buffett has pledged to give away 99% of his wealth, either during his life or when he dies. He started by promising 83% of it to the Gates Foundation, according to FORTUNE Magazine.

The Oracle of Omaha isn't worried about his children not getting their fair share. Echoing a common sentiment on this list, Buffett said in his letter to the Gates Foundation: "I want to give my kids just enough so that they would feel that they could do anything, but not so much that they would feel like doing nothing."