Miriam chooses Duterte, Poe, Teodoro as her running mate in 2016

Photo from Senator Miriam Defensor FB Page

MANILA - As the Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago returns to her work with a bang, she also said on Wednesday that she’s considering running for President in 2016 with Davao Mayor Duterte as her running mate.

"I am considering Duterte in my opium dreams," she said.

Santiago said Duterte will be an excellent vice president, adding that once she will fully recover from lung cancer by the end of the year, she will convince the Davao Mayor.

"I would love to run with [Rody] Duterte whom I have always loved from the very beginning," Santiago said. "We have this mythology in politics that if you are from one region, one part of island grouping of the three, your running-mate must come from the other grouping.”

But Duterte remains to be in no interest for taking the higher office.

Santiago said she also considering  former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro or Senator Grace Poe as a possible running-mate.

"Maybe we can have two women running together, president and vice president? How about that, ladies?" Santiago asked while pointing out Poe. "Miriam-Grace sounds so charming," Santiago added.

While Teodoro already said he is not willing to take the higher office again.

"Apparently, he is making it never," she said.

Speaking to Binay’s alleged Makati City Park Building II, Santiago said Vice-President Jejomar Binay should appear before the Senate inquiry. She also said if the Vice President does not recognize the invitation to the inquiry, he will lose the opportunity to clear himself.

Santiago also punches holes in the Binay camp's constant complaint that the inquiry is politically motivated.

Santiago asked why construction firm Hilmarc's was able to corner lucrative contracts for public buildings.

"You cannot have 20 major contracts unless you have mastered the art of bidding or you have mastered the art of bribing," Santiago said.

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Military not to discontinue operations in Mindanao

MANILA, Philippines- The Armed Forces of the Philippines discarded yesterday NPA’s demand to cease military operations in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental.

New People's Army (NPA) called for the suspension of military operation (SOMO) as exchange for the release of two soldiers who were abducted by the leftist rebels, however, AFP announced its refusal to the demand.

The Commander of the military's Eastern Mindanao Command Major General Aurelio Baladad, indicted the leftist rebels of calling for a SOMO.

“So they could evade pursuing government troops,” Baladad said as he seconded AFP’s refusal.

Spokesman of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-NPA's North Central Mindanao Regional Allan Juanito, called for the SOMO starting yesterday so they can release Philippine Army's 8th Infantry Battalion Private First Class Marnel Cinches and Jerrel Yurong.

Juanito said the NPA wants to "ensure the security of all who will participate in and witness the release."

He added the NPA will no longer probe the two soldiers in hoping for the resumption of stalled peace negotiations between the Philippine government and the CPP's negotiating arm, the National Democratic Front.

The kidnapped of the two soldiers happened while they were on their way to a livelihood mission in Buntungon village, Impasug-ong town in Bukidnown province.

It was said Cinches and Yurong were unarmed and were not in uniform when they were abducted by the leftist rebels.

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DSWD Sec. Soliman confirms spoilage of P2.8M worth of relief goods for Yolanda survivors

MANILA, Philippines– As the Commission on Audit released reports on the spoilage of thousands of food packs worth millions of pesos for the Yolanda survivors, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman confirmed yesterday the findings stating that 7,527 Family Food Packs with an approximate cost of P2,784,900.00 meant for survivors of super typhoon Yolanda were lost to spoilage.

Soliman said in an interview with Radyo Inquirer 990 AM, that the relief goods got wet because they were not covered while in transit from Cebu City to Tacloban City

The COA report revealed that 19,172 canned goods, 81 packs of noodles, and 21 sacks of rice went to waste, adding the losses should put the blame on government agencies, which caused delays in the distribution of goods. As a result, bottled water procured in Manila worth P69,296,400.00 were not distributed in Tacloban City.

However, Soliman said the DSWD has already utilized 90% of total P1,121,890,457 worth of foreign and local cash donations, as of August 28.

“Ito pong (COA) audit na ito ay tiningnan noong November to December 2013. Hindi nila na-examine ‘yung (relief operations) ngayong 2014. As of August 28, ang atin na pong natanggap na foreign and local donations ay P1,121,890,457. At 90 percent po niyan ay amin nang na-utilize, kasama na doon ‘yung nakita nila na P780 million plus na hindi raw na-utilize,” Soliman said

Soliman issued the statement as probe on COA’s report on Typhoon “Yolanda” relief operations which revealed that the department failed to utilize P782,012,090.71 worth of foreign and local cash donations.

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US, PH to hold naval drills near disputed shoal

MANILA, Philippines – US and Philippine troops will participate in a joint Amphibious Landing Exercises near disputed areas in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) this month.

Philippine Navy Public Affairs Officer Lt. Commander Marineth Domingo said the drills will advance soldiers’ inter-operability and combat promptness of the Philippines and US forces while enhancing security cooperation in the region which will run from September 29 to October 10.

Domingo said that "the exercise is meant to improve the interoperability and combat readiness of Philippine and US troops, improve relations of the two militaries and enhance security cooperation in the region.”

"They'll have targets at sea, called 'killer tomatoes. All ships will aim at the hostile objects. Then they will take turns to fire their guns,” Domingo said.

Reportedly, five warships, including a U.S. guided-missile destroyer, and about 1,000 troops will take part in week-long Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) drills, which include live-fire drills 40 miles (64 km) off Zambales, on the western shores of the Philippine island of Luzon.

Exercises will be held at 80 nautical miles distant from two or three ships of the Chinese coast guard are stationed on patrol off the disputed Scarborough Shoal, control of which China seized from the Philippines in 2012.

An official confirmed that Manila will send the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, a former US coastguard cutter, and the BRP Emilio Jacinto, a former British Royal Navy Peacock-class ship, for the drills, along with Polish-made helicopters.

Meanwhile, Philippine and US troops will also pursue humanitarian activities, including medical missions and the construction of school buildings in some parts of the country.

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PHL wants a review of peacekeeping duties

MANILA, Philippines – In amid of the issue between Filipino peacekeepers and  UN Commander Lieutenant General Iqbal Singha, Philippines requesting a review of the peacekeeping mission of the United Nations in view of recent threats to multinational peacekeepers, including Filipino troops.

The review is contained in a letter sent by Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

The two is scheduled for a meeting in New York later this September to discuss the Philippine proposal.

“The recent experience in the Golan Heights presents an opportunity for the global community to again work together on the challenge of fashioning a response to serious threats facing UN peacekeeping,” Del Rosario said in his letter.

“The Philippines strongly proposes discussions aimed at revisiting operational and tactical issues, including UN command and control vis-à-vis safety and security of peacekeepers during kidnapping and siege incidents, accountability of UN peacekeeping mission leaders on decisions made during crisis operations as well as multidimensional contingent plans and procedures to address similar situations,” he said.

Del Rosario said “the Philippines looks forward to working closely with the UN secretariat in resolving these issues.”

Del Rosario stressed out the threats that Filipino and other UN peacekeepers in the Golan Heights between the boundaries of Syria and Israel have had to assert with armed groups.

“This threat was clearly not envisioned in the mandate and parameters of UNDOF (UN Disengagement Observer Force), and quite frankly we all had to struggle to meet the demands of this challenge,” he stated in his letter.

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China kills about 5,000 dogs to stop rabies

BEIJING — The official Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday that the Southern Chinese authorities killed almost 5,000 dogs in one city following the death of five humans last month. Their death was blamed on rabies and as a result,Chinese government implemented a massive campaign that  aimed at stopping of a rabies outbreak.

Xinhua added that the of Baoshan in southwestern Yunnan province slaughtered another 4,900 dogs and vaccinated another 100,000 in its anti-rabies campaign. The city released an urgent order asking for authorities to tightly control dogs and kill stray ones.

Anti-rabies campaigns are not new in China because regional governments often order mass dog culls or issue bans on animal ownership especially dogs to minimize the rabies outbreak. However, such campaigns have  ignited outcry from some dog owners and animal rights activists. Rather than killing the animals,both dog owners and animal right activists plead for disinfecting and vaccinating them.

In 2009, authorities in the northern city of Hanzhong reportedly killed about 37,000 dogs to stop the virus  after a rabies outbreak. This includes  hitting some of the animals to death.

Since 2006 in the southwestern part of China, an estimated  50,000 dogs were hanged, electrocuted or clubbed animals to death in a single week.

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VP Binay rejects challenge to face the Senate hearing

MANILA - Vice President Jejomar Binay has declined to attend the Senator Alan Peter Cayetano’s challenge for him to attend the Senate probe into the allegedly overpriced Makati City Hall Building 2. On Friday, Binay's spokesperson for political affairs Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla spoke to “Morning@AND” and said VP Binay is ready to answer all the allegations against him however, it should not be at the Senate hearing.

"It seems in the Senate, it's more of a grandstanding more than an effort to find the truth... It does not become an issue of 'in aid of legislation' but in aid of politicization," Remulla said.

Cayetano challenged Binay and said on Thursday that if Binay really wants to become the country’s next top official, he should face the Senate and prove that he is free from the allegation in the construction of Makati Building during the time when he was a mayor of Makati. Binay's camp, however, rejected the senator's challenge and declined to attend the hearing.

Remulla slashed back Cayetano and said that he should be the one to prove to the people that he is worthy of becoming the next president questioning his capability of being respectful and sincere in searching out the truth. He said it is true that the Senate probe is only a "political witch hunt" against Binay and his family.

The governor said the vice president would only face the issues charged at him before the Office of the Ombudsmanif  where the  plunder case has been filed against him and his son Makati Mayor Junjun Binay along with several other Makati City government officials.

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