TELCOs' free mobile alerts during natural and man-made disasters and calamities sought

Mobile phone service providers across the country may soon be required to send out free alerts at regular intervals in the event of an impending tropical storm, typhoon, tsunami or other calamities once a bill filed in the House of Representatives is enacted into law.

Rep. Teddy Casiño (Party-list, Bayan Muna) has filed House Bill 5660 mandating the telecommunications service providers to send out alerts as required by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) and Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and other relevant agencies.

"Alerts shall be at no cost, whether direct or indirect, to the consumers and shall be included as part of the service providers auxiliary service. These may be in the form of SMS or text messages, MMS or email as needed and appropriate," Casiño said.

In filing the bill, Casiño cited the declared policy of the State of protecting its citizenry at all times, in the events of natural or man-made disasters and calamities. It shall likewise exhaust all possible means to notify and inform its constituents of the impending disasters to prevent injuries, destruction and loss of lives and property.

According to Casiño, the tragic loss of lives during typhoon season is almost a yearly spectacle, which the world can only watch in awe and disbelief. An average of 19 tropical cyclones or storms enter the Philippine area of responsibility in a typical year and of these usually six to nine make landfall.

Casiño said when tropical storms Ondoy and Pepeng struck the country almost three years ago, leaving hundreds dead and missing, thousands of families displaced and millions affected, the country bitterly mourned the ineptitude of the government to respond to calamities and provide needed assistance to the victims.

"Victims blame the government's lack of proper response to the situation. Often, the victims are caught unaware as they were not fully informed of the disaster looming in their midst," Casiño stressed.

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Manila all set for “Lakbayaw” festival

The city government of Manila is all set for the annual “Lakbayaw” festival in line with the feast of Sto. Niño de Tondo on Sunday, January 15.




The “Lakbayaw Street Dance Festival” will cap the festivity wherein ati-atihan groups, schools, community, and even religious organizations in Manila will compete in the dance fest.




Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said medical teams will be deployed in some areas in the city to ensure the safety of the public.




Thousands of devotees are also expected to attend the hourly masses at the Sto. Niño de Tondo Parish in Tondo, Manila from 10:00 p.m. on Saturday until 11:00 p.m. Sunday.




Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle will lead the Sunday’s celebration.




The feast of the Sto. Niño which is celebrated every third Sunday of January is one of the biggest and grandiose festivals not only in Metro Manila but in some parts of the country as well.




Fluvial processions, Eucharistic celebration, colorful parades, and different kinds of celebrations will be held in the month of the Holy Child.

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Palace elated over survey ranking the Philippines as 8th friendliest country

Malacanang expressed elation over the HSBC Expat Explorer Survey result, which ranked the Philippines as the eighth friendliest country in the world.

Earlier, the 2012 Index of Economic Freedom, published by The Wall Street Journal and The Heritage Foundation gave the Philippines a 57.1 score for economic freedom, making its economy the 107th freest in the 2012 Index. The score is 0.9 point higher than last year.

“We’re also happy to note that in one of the surveys conducted by HSBC, the Philippines ranked as one of the… the eighth friendliest country out of most of the countries rated in the world. And this is why we believe na talagang it really is more fun in the Philippines,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.

“The administration will always promote what is good… what is good with the economy and people,” Valte said countering the criticisms being leveled against the Aquino administration.

According to HSBC’s Expat Explorer Survey released last year, the Philippines is the eighth friendliest country in the world for expatriates. HSBC surveyed 3,385 expats in 100 countries between May and July 2011.

The countries were ranked based on four categories: ability to befriend locals, success in learning the local language, capacity for integrating themselves into the community, and ease in which they fit into the new culture.

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Quiet, Please

SENATOR Panfilo Lacson yesterday lamented the public disclosure of evidence to be used by the prosecution panel in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

The media had come out with a copy of a deed of sale for a condominium unit worth P14 million purchased by Corona and his wife in 2009. The copy was furnished by the House prosecution panel.

Rep. Niel Tupas, a member of the prosecution panel, said that they would use this document as evidence against Corona to prove their allegation that the Supreme Court head failed to submit correct information in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN). But Corona said that the purchase of the condominium unit was reflected in his 2010 SALN.

The Senate, convening as an impeachment court, will start on January 16 the impeachment trial of Corona. The House of Representatives impeached him last December.

Lacson said he "cannot sit idly" by as a senator-judge while the rules on impeachment trials, which prohibit the parties concerned from making comments and disclosures on the merits of a case, are blatantly violated.

"If we allow such undisciplined public presentation of evidence by any party in utter disregard of the ethics of their legal profession to continue, the Senate may lose control of the situation and I am certain it will damage not just the Senate as an impeachment court but the sacredness of the whole impeachment process as well," he said.

He noted the Rules of Procedure on Impeachment Trials unambiguously prohibit senator-judges, as well as prosecutors, the person impeached, their counsel and witnesses "from making any comments and disclosures in public pertaining to the merits of a pending impeachment trial."

But Lacson said some parties that continue to make public comments or so-called "disclosures" on the case threaten to make a mockery of the proceedings.

"We should not allow such mockery to go unchecked. Either we throw our impeachment rules out the window or straight to their faces," he said.

What violation?

The lawmakers-prosecutors took exception to Lacson’s admonition arguing they have not violated the impeachment rules.

One of the spokesperson of the 11-man prosecution panel, Marikina Rep. Romero Quimbo, said the public has the right to know about the basis of filing articles of impeachment against Corona.

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Judges slam cheap media tricks of prosecution

House prosecutors do not appear to be scoring any favorable points with their “trial by publicity” on the impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona, with the lower court judges joining the criticisms and warnings aired earlier by senators against the prosecutors’ penchant for releasing “evidence” and convicting the CJ through publicity.

A group of lower court judges have criticized the House prosecution panel for making public documentary evidence in the impeachment trial of Corona.

The Metropolitan and City Judges Association of the Philippines (MetCJAP) said the move of the prosecution team to expose the document proving Corona’s ownership of a 300-sq. m. apartment in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City was an apparent resort to “trial by publicity” that could undermine the independence of the impeachment court.

“Making public the chief justice’s alleged acquired properties ahead of the scheduled pre-trial and/or trial before the Senate is certainly foul,” MetCJAP president and Cagayan de Oro City Judge Cesar Merlas said.

Merlas added they would call on the senators to take the necessary action against the prosecution team led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr.

Apart from the penthouse in Bellagio condominium, Corona’s purported ownership of a house in the posh La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City, another house in

the posh La Vista Subdivision in Quezon City, another house in Loyola Heights in Quezon City, a condominium in Makati City and another one in Bonifacio Ridge in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig were likewise bared in the House in press conferences as they insisted, along with Malacañang, for the CJ to make public his Statement of Assets and Liabilities Networth (SALn).

Two associate justices of the High Court, Justices Antonio Carpio and Lourdes Sereno, known to be pro-Aquino and perceived to be part of the group pressuring Corona to resign, for one of them to be appointed chief justice, upped the pressure by disclosing not their SALns, but merely a summary of their SALn, which automatically received fulsome praise from President Aquino.

But the judges said: “The prosecutors should come to the impeachment court with clean hands,”

The group also vowed to closely monitor the impeachment trial in the Senate, as they reiterated that they consider the impeachment of the Chief Justice an attack to the judiciary as an institution. The judges held a “court holiday” last month to protest the impeachment of Corona by allies of President Aquino in the lower house of Congress.

The prosecution panel’s move drew flak from Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and Senators Panfilo Lacson and Francis Escudero who advised the lawmaker-prosecutors to follow the Rules of Impeachment, which clearly state that respondents, complainants and witnesses are called on to refrain from talking about the merits of the case.

Corona’s legal team led by retired SC Justice Serafin Cuevas aid it would not seek a contempt citation from the impeachment court.

Cuevas told reporters in an interview that the reminder from the senator-judges on the impeachment rules prohibiting discussion of merits of the case in the public would suffice.

Still, the chief justice’s lawyer pointed out that the graft charges have remained “conjectural and speculative allegations” since they still do not have supporting evidence.

He explained that the questioned apartment is a conjugal property of Corona and his wife Ma. Cristina, and the prosecution has yet to show evidence that it was acquired through illegal means.

Cuevas also argued that the new allegations against the CJ, apart from the 300-sq. m. apartment in Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City made public by the House prosecution panel last Tuesday would not stand in the impeachment trial.

He explained that rules of procedures provide that the prosecution cannot present evidence or new allegation not included in the complaint.

The House, in its complaint filed last Dec. 12 and signed by 188 congressmen, had alleged that the property could have come from ill-gotten wealth, but has yet to present a proof.

Corona, in his answer filed last Dec. 26, responded: “Complainants speculate that he (Corona) has not reported this in his SALn and that its price is beyond his income as a public official. CJ Corona admits that he and his wife purchased on installment a 300-sq. m. apartment in Taguig, declared in his SALn when they acquired it.”

The House prosecution panel also yesterday vowed to abide by rules of the Senate Impeachment Court even as they said that c oming out with some evidence against CJ is not meant to antagonize the senators.

Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, spokesman of the prosecution team, said the prosecution panel is mandated follow the rules of the Senate.

“Our group is committed to strictly follow the rules of the Senate Impeachment Court. We will abide by the ground rules and directives issued by the senator-judges,” Angara told reporters.

Senate President Enrile and several other senators on Thursday chided Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas, head of the prosecution panel, for presenting to the media documents that would be submitted as evidence in the impeachment trial against Corona.

Enrile claimed that the prosecution team, by coming out with the “14.5-million condominium units of Corona, is resorting to trial by publicity. Enrile said that the prosecution team should withdraw the impeachment case if it wants to try Corona through public opinion.

Angara clarified that by coming out with the evidence against Corona the prosecution team did not intend to disregard the impeachment rules.

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Noy buddy behind LRA expos bared

It seems the revelations over Chief Justice Renato Coronas alleged excessive wealth, including the list of supposed 45 titles to his properties, were the handiwork of the so-called Kaibigan, Kaklase and Kabarilan (KKK) (friends, classmates and shooting buddies) network of President Aquino.

The use of the Executive Departments resources, particularly by the presidents classmates and friends to backstop Malacaangs agenda in ousting Corona, was revealed by a source in the SC who declined to be identified, saying the recent supposed lists of documents on properties owned by Coronas family and released by the Land Registration Authority (LRA), an agency under the Department of Justice (DoJ), were done with a

lot of help from a close friend of Aquino who now heads the agency.

The LRAs present administrator Eulalio Diaz III was a classmate and close friend of the president since grade school and is part of the Ateneo Law class of 1985 along with executive secretary Paquito Ochoa and Senator Teofisto TG Guingona III.

Other members of the class include Bureau of Internal Revenue Kim Henares, Florencio Abad and Edward Serapio.

Every one knows how hard it is to transact with that agency but as it turns out its not that hard when the documents are needed for the presidents personal vendetta, the source said.

Corona earlier denounced this as a blatant attempt at a smear campaign the recent public statement of the House prosecution panel alleging no less than 45 unreported titles supposedly belonging to the magistrate.

Earlier, the CJ had scored the prosecution for the list of properties, saying that they (President Aquino and his allies) are trying to portray him as a thief, adding: I am not a thief like them.

In a statement, Corona pointed out that the list includes several titles for one and the same property, or parking slots for one and the same condominium unit.

In some cases, the titles are in the name of persons I do not even know, he added.

In others, properties belonging to my balaes (daughter-in-laws parents) are listed and claimed to be mine. There are many repetitive entries to make the list deliberately long to create a false and misleading impression about my assets, Corona complained.

As I have repeatedly declared, my SALn (Statement of Assets and Liabilities Networth) contains all the properties that I own all five of them, he said and described the list from the Land Registration Authority (LRA) enumerating 45 titles as black propaganda (meant) to poison the peoples minds.

I condemn this list of titles as a hoax, calculated to cleverly inflict maximum damage to me in the eyes of the public. By its sheer number alone, it smacks of bad faith and deception, Corona said.

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War Inc. (2008) - Date Added: 01/01/2012

 

to  click hair Required Software: VLC Media Player Movie Format: DivX Movie Size: 1.67gb Information about this movie: A political satire set in Turaqistan, a country occupied by an American private corporation run by a former US Vice-President

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Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 (2011) - Date Added:

Movie Size: 647mb
Information about this movie: Harry, Ron and Hermione search for Voldemort's remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord.

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Now we come to Quran, almost every person believes that Quran is the only authentic and sacred book of this universe because books of other Prophets are either changed or not present today. The whole Quran is science in itself and calls the people to discern the hidden realities of the universe. It is said hundreds of times in Quran that there are signs for those who think and understand. Quran explains every field of science and predicts even those things that man does not know. From the creation of this world and man and to the destruction of this universe, Quran explains everything. To prove this following statement is enough, "There is no discovery or invention of the science which is against the basic teachings of Quran and Hadith," Therefore Muslims, Christians, Hindus and Jews, they all know that Quran is the only book of this world that can guide them to find the hidden realities of this universe. Then where the problem is? This is the real question and here is its answer. Islam says, "We should explore nature and universe to believe in oneness of Allah and to get the blessings of Muhammad (SAW)." It means that the ultimate result should be the formation of a society where, by new discoveries, positive changes come and people becomes obedient to Allah Almighty. This is also the purpose of our creation and science makes it clear for us to be obedient to Allah and Prophet Muhammad (SAW). What we have done is our wrong approach towards science. We have started to use science with materialistic approach which means we believe only those things that happen before our eyes or that have physical existence. This phenomenon makes us materialist. Basically this concept is against the construct of science because science can only predict something. It is true that there are so many theories that are considered final but on the other hand it is also true that they are not final verdicts. With the progress of science theories change time to time. Take the example of Biology that after every fifty years changes completely. Atom was considered undividable but now it has more than hundred sob-atomic particles. It is because Quran is final verdict not the science and Quran does not require any scientist. Science supports spirituality and those things that do not exist physically. With the scientific discoveries we can predict that there is Heaven and Hell, and that there is life after death. How strange it is that we believe Newton's Gravitational Law and do not believe that if gravitation force is pulled out nothing will survive on the earth. To make it short, Islam does not believe the materialistic approach towards science rather it takes science as an instrument to guide the people and to make the Quran and Hadith clearer for humanity. Its predictions are and discoveries, if we take them in their real sense, do take us near to Allah and show us the authority of Almighty. How strange it is that Quran that is sent for all the humanity, does not has the link with an ordinary field science.

Education means to know about something. Then why there is placed a difference in Islamic Education and Modern education. Education is education, whether that is science or fiqa. Both are going to one destination i-e Almighty Allah. Then why these people are putting parents and our youth in confusion that some are selling oxford/Cambridge education, some are sitting in madras and some are trying to mix them.

Education is Education. The modern science is being defined as "system of knowledge gained by systematic research and organized into general laws".

The Humans are asked, on various occasions in the Quran, to research, to make some thorough investigations about the universe and to find the hidden truth in the things around us. So, whether it is science, history, math or any other subject all is knowledge, all is education The ALLAH ALMIGHTY has invited us to look around and observe the things in order to solidify our belief in HIM. We believe in ALLAH but it will solidify our belief in HIM even more.

Then why is this difference? There is no difference as we are welcomed to observe, to feel and to understand the things to come closer to our CREATOR. It means that we are entitled to learn science as science is the systematic way to observing a fact or finding a fact for which we are asked to.

Now from where does this concept of "Islamic Education" and "Modern Education" come? In fact we put ourselves in confusion to some part of Islam and preaching only that part is given the name "Islamic Education". Will anybody let me know what Islam really is? Islam is the complete code of life which covers all the knowledge exists on this face of Earth.

Now-a-days whenever we discuss the politics we keep Islam aside. Is it right? Of course not! The Quran says:

Mafhoom: Indeed The Messenger of ALLAH is the best example for you.

And we find The Messenger of ALLAH, Hazrath MUHAMMAD (P.B.U.H) making the policies in the state of MADINA. Now what is this? Does it not prove that politics is a part of Islam?

The economic policies of Hazrath Umer Farooq (The second Caliph) amazed the European economists. Is it not Islam?

In gazwa-e-Badr some of the enemies were captured and those, who were educated among them, were asked to teach the Muslims. Can anybody tell me what they taught to the Muslims, Islamic Virtues? What do you think?

May ALLAH guide us towards the right way and help us in our life.

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