Philippine News
Iggy Arroyo's Body Can Now Leave London; Costs Issue Raises Eyebrows
Declining to be interviewed after the hearing, Grace Ibuna is hustled out of the Rolls Building to a waiting people carrier
February 21, 2012
The remains of former Negros congressman Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo will now be flown back to the Philippines
Grace Ibuna & Bernardina Arroyo-Tantoco awarded joint custody of body, costs in excess of of £94,000 will be passed to Alicia Arroyo
Judge orders release of witness statements and "Iggy" Arroyo's will to the media as legal battles move to Manila
ARROYO's BODY: Lawyer Hints At Criminal Charges Against Grace Ibuna
February 15, 2012
The high profile arrest this morning of Francisco "Pacqui" Miranda Ortigas III (above) at the Philippine Stock Exchange has brought into sharp focus the battle between Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo's wife, Alicia "Aleli" Arroyo, and his lover, Grace Ibuna, over "Iggy's" body which is being fought in a London court, and a letter sent to Ibuna's London lawyers.
Ortigas' arrest was for the charge of "concubinage" as a result of a complaint by his wife. The reason it is such a high profile case is that "Pacqui" Origas is extremely wealthy and was formerly Ambassador to Mexico.
[More]Iggy's Body Stays On Ice
Photographers waiting outside the court
February 10, 2012
All parties must appear at next hearing
Judge says case is really about inheritance
Ignacio Arroyo's body will remain in Britain for at least a further ten days, a High Court judge ordered Friday.
Mr Justice Peter Smith, sitting in the Chancery Division, ordered that Grace Ibuna must provide concrete evidence that she has the authority to handle "Iggy" Arroyo's body. She must have authenticated paperwork proving she can move the body the judge told barrister Philippa Daniels.
Ibuna did not appear today at the injunction hearing which effectively became a continuation of the ex-parte hearing last week.
[More]Visayan Earthquake: 43 Dead, Search Goes On For Missing People
February 7, 2012
Panic in the streets - as the 'quake hit
Rescuers in the Philippines continued to search Tuesday for dozens of people still missing following an earthquake that triggered devastating landslides and powwerful aftershocks.
[More - With Videos]UPDATED: Tug-Of-War In London Court Over Iggy's Body
February 6, 2012
The High Court in London was the setting last Friday as Grace Ibuna took out an injunction preventing Ignacio Arroyo's body being moved - much to the annoyance of the Arroyo family
In a dramatic twist to the "Iggy" Arroyo fiasco it can now be revealed that Grace Ibuna, Arroyo's partner at the time he died in the London Clinic, had taken out a High Court injunction last Friday in the British courts to prevent Arroyo's body being moved.
His wife, Alicia "Aleli" Morales-Arroyo, from whom he was estranged, had travelled to London accompanied by her lawyer, Lorna Kapunan, to claim the body to return to the Philippines for the wake and burial. They returned to Manila empty handed on Saturday.
[More]2012 Civil Service Commission Examinations
January 30, 2012
by Carlo Lorenzo J. DatuCITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga, Jan. 30 (PIA) -- Civil Service Commission (CSC) Regional Office 3 is now accepting applications for the first Career Service Professional and Sub-professional Paper and Pencil Tests of 2012 which is scheduled on May 27. (Phone numbers below relate to Central Luzon, links at the bottom give details for entire Philippines)
[More]US Military To Boost Presence In PHL
The Philippines says it is considering a U.S. proposal to deploy surveillance planes on its territory to enhance Manila's ability to patrol disputed areas in the South China Sea.
[More]"Iggy" Arroyo Dies In London
Ignacio (Iggy) Tuason Arroyo, Jr. has died in London. The brother in law of former President Gloria Arroyo, he was declared dead earlier today in a very brief statement made by the London Clinic which had been treating him.
[More]Two Years In A US Hospital, Former Newsman Prepares To Fly Home
January 18, 2012
MHC CO-Executive Directors Grace Valera and Jesse A. Gatchalian with MHC Envoys Carl Abella and Jeannette Calahong visit former Philippine News Agency (PNA) Editor-in-Chief Diosdado Beltran at the Commonweatlh Rehab (used to be Inova's) in Fairfax, VA
After two years stuck in a hospital near Washington DC, Diosdado "Dado" Beltran, 67, a former news editor of the Philippines News Agency who survived a near-fatal stroke while visiting his daughter in the United States two years ago, is flying home on January 19, thanks to the Migrant Heritage Commission (MHC), a non-profit and non-government organization (NGO) based in Metropolitan Washington, D.C.
[More]US Senators Support Philippines In S. China Sea Dispute
Four U.S. senators visiting Manila have been discussing the South China Sea territorial dispute and touting their support for the Philippines.
Arizona Senator John McCain reiterated the U.S. stance that...
[More]
UNESCO Condemns Killing of Journalists In The Philippines And Syria
The head of the United Nations agency in charge of defending press freedom condemned the recent murders of journalists in the Philippines and Syria.
[More]
Prelate not closing doors on RH talks with Aquino
"Seventy-three percent of Filipinos believe that family planning is a personal choice and a right, and that government should provide Filipinos with information and services - that is according to the latest Social Weather Stations survey," she said, ...
»Seafdec pushes aquaculture biotechnology in Asean
JOEBERT D. Toledo, the Filipino scientist who heads the Aquaculture Department (AQD) of the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Council (Seafdec), was candid enough. Genetic manipulation, he said, is not yet acceptable to aquaculture production.
Priest convicted of child molestation may be deported
by Henni Espinosa, DALY CITY, California - The former lover of a Filipino priest who was convicted of child molestation is finally speaking out. Father Jose Superiaso may have served his time in prison, but his former lover ...
Filipino doctor nabbed for defrauding US government
GOVERNMENT operatives arrested over the weekend a United States-based Filipino doctor who was accused of defrauding the US government's health care program of $3 million (P129 million). Suspect Dr. Eric Chan, alias Eric Uy Garchitorena, with last known ...
Airphil Express plane overshoots runway in the Philippines ...
Airphil Express plane overshoots runway in the Philippines. Source: AFP. A passenger jet with nearly 140 people on board has overshot the runway after landing at Kalibo International Airport in the Philippines. The Airphil Express A320 jet, ...
WikiLeaks cables: Philippine bank secrecy laws under fire | The ...
By Ian Chen
MANILA, Philippines - The US government had criticized Philippine laws and local court rulings that block investigation and prosecution of suspected corrupt.
New storm brewing off Mindanao
By Kristine L. Alave MANILA, Philippines-The weather bureau has warned residents of southern Mindanao-which is not on the usual track of typhoons-to brace themselves for heavy rains in the next few days as a low pressure area approaching the region ...
Urgently Needed: Transparency in US-Philippine Relations
Recent developments in US-Philippine relations should evoke concern among citizens of the Philippines and their representatives in Congress. Washington's two-point agenda in the Philippines is no secret: to contain China's ascent to power and refocus ...
Philippines to deport 8 Chinese miners
MANILA, Philippines - Eight Chinese nationals will be deported from the Philippines after they were caught working illegally for a mining firm, an immigration official said Tuesday. Their arrests last week were the third time groups of Chinese had been ...
»Philippines arrests doctor in $3M US fraud case
MANILA, Philippines (AP) - Philippine government agents have arrested a doctor accused of defrauding a California health care program of more than $3 million. National Bureau of Investigation official Claro de Castro Jr. said Tuesday that Dr. Eric ...
Impeach trial resumes; bank exec testifies anew
By Katherine Evangelista MANILA, Philippines - The Senate, acting as an impeachment court, resumed the trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona Wednesday, the 18th day of the proceedings. Leonora Dizon, branch manager of the Bank of Philippine Islands on ...
Fight is over Rep. Ignacio Arroyo's assets, says lawyer
By Gil C. Cabacungan MANILA, Philippines-The tug-of-war over the remains of Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo is now turning out to be a fight over the supposedly huge fortune he left behind. Lawyer Lorna Kapunan, counsel of Ignacio's legal ...
Argentine Fight Fans Riot
Fans of Argentina's former world champion Luis Lazarte, 40, threw chairs and other objects into the ring while one supporter tried to punch the Filipino winner Johnriel Casimero at the end of an International Boxing Federation fight Friday.
A Chair-Throwing Riot Broke Out After A Boxing Match Last Night In ...
By Dom Cosentino
The video above shows the scene at the Club Once Unidos of Mar del Plata in Buenos Aires, Argentina, after Filipino Johnriel Casimero defeated Argentine Luis Lazare via TKO in the 10th round to claim the IBF interim flyweight title
Horse fighting still thrives in Philippine province
Filipinos watch as horses fight in Kidapawan City in the southern Philippine province of North Cotabato on Saturday, February 11, 2012, the eve of the 14th Foundation Anniversary of Kidapawan. (Geonarri Solmerano / Mindanao Examiner Photo)
Textile scientists bare veggie wear
At least that's what the Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) proved Filipinos can do to help the local fabrics industry as the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) bared on Wednesday evening 40 apparels made from Philippine tropical ...
IMO chief visits PHL, meets with top Malacañang officials
Sekimizu "recognized the importance of Filipino seafarers to the world's commercial shipping industry," as they make up about 25 percent of the total commercial shipping manpower in the world. Last month, Sekimizu met with Enrique Manalo, ...
Speak out: Is education democratic in our country?
Budget cut on education is a perennial problem of the Filipino youth. It does not only make education inaccessible, it also results to the deterioration of the quality of education. As a manifestation, in the Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) World's ...
Allow US Medicare coverage in PH hospitals for Fil-Am retirees
"Our Filipino American immigrant professionals are retiring at the rate of 100 PER DAY. They are part of the daily "tsunami" of the American "baby boomers" who reach the age of 65. Under US law, they can take their Social Security pensions anywhere in ...
Former Filipino congresswoman's lover killed in shooting just as police arrive
It was late Friday evening when police received a call from ex-congresswoman Nanette Castelo-Daza about a "commotion" at her home in Barangay (village) Teachers' Village East, Quezon City. When two patrolmen arrived a little past 11 pm, ...
US soldiers, Filipino workers fired at in Basilan
By Julie S. Alipala ISABELA CITY, Philippines - A team of US soldiers and about a dozen Filipino construction workers were fired at by unidentified men shortly before 7 am Saturday in Barangay (village) Amaloy in Ungkaya Pukan, Basilan, ...
12-year-old Filipino launches second novel
RIYADH - Nigel Willem Canlapan, a 12-year-old Filipino boy living and studying in the Kingdom's capital, has launched his second novel here recently. The Philippine Embassy in Riyadh hosted the book launching, which at least 100 young Filipino ...
Filipino students, groups attend cultural meet
Dubai: At least 500 students and various organisations in Dubai took part in Friday's Be a Cause programme aimed at re-educating expatriates on Filipino values and respect for UAE culture. The event was held under the guidance of the Islamic Affairs ...
10 yrs after: Bt corn areas in PHL increase
TEN years after the commercialization of Bacillus thuriengensis (Bt) corn in the Philippines, areas planted to biotech crops continue to increase, an annual report of the International Acquisition for Agri-Biotech Applications (ISAAA) on biotech crop ...
Russia`s cargo flight lands in quake-hit Philippines: Voice of Russia
A cargo flight from Russia loaded with 30 tons of food, tents and blankets, has landed in the Philippines. A 6.9 magnitude earthquake hit the center of the Philippine Archipelago on February 6, claiming the lives of at least 40 people, with ...
Radio jockey sued for tsunami yarn
Charges filed against a radio commentator who allegedly triggered hysteria among residents of Cebu City when he reportedly spread rumours that a tsunami was about to hit the area moments after a magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked central Philippines last Monday.
Palparan: AFP not coddling me
MALOLOS CITY ,Philippines - Retired Army general Jovito Palparan yesterday denied that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is coddling him, saying that even if retired generals would offer him help, he would turn it down. "This is my own fight, ...
Scholars divided on Jose Rizal's true love
By Pablo S. Trillana III (Editor's Note: The author is the supreme commander of the Order of the Knights of Rizal and legal counsel of the Philippine Historical Association.) Who was Jose Rizal's true love? That's a question appropriate for
Koreans Plan $200M Paper Facility
By MELODY M. AGUIBA MANILA, Philippines - Korean-owned Corn Pulp & Paper Holdings (CP&P) mulls the establishment of a $200 million pulp and paper facility in Isabela utilizing corn stalks from the corn growers in the province as raw material.
'Senate should respect SC order'
By Evelyn Macairan (The Philippine Star) Updated February 12, 2012 12:00 AM 0 MANILA, Philippines - Senators acting as judges in the impeachment trial of Chief Justice Renato Corona should respect the Supreme Court (SC) order stopping them from ...
Death toll at 41 in Philippines quake
Manila - The death toll in a magnitude-6.9 earthquake in the central Philippines rose to 41, with 67 people still missing and feared dead, the Office of Civil Defence said on Sunday. The toll rose after rescue teams recovered two bodies from landslides ...
'Demolition Man' who made the Bali bomb goes on trial
Monday's trial follows a nine-year flight from justice that took Patek from Indonesia to the Philippines to Pakistan, reportedly in pursuit of more terrorism opportunities. He was finally caught in January 2011 in the same Pakistani town where US Navy ...
'No return of US military bases in Phl'
By Pia Lee Brago (The Philippine Star) Updated February 12, 2012 12:00 AM 0 MANILA, Philippines - A redeployment of US forces to the Philippines after the pullout of US troops and military facilities in Okinawa may be considered at the invitation of ...
Edmonton entrepreneurs turn Philippines billboards into fashion accessories
Unable to find a manufacturer in Canada, Talamayan and McQuay eventually found one in the Philippines. There, they were able to process the bags in Manilla and source the billboards, too, creating as little a carbon footprint as possible.
Pinoy netters outlast foes in 4-hour doubles
By Joey Villar, The Philippine Star IRIGA CITY, Camarines Sur, Philippines - The Philippines ran into a tougher Pacific Oceania as Fil-Am Ruben Gonzales and Johnny Arcilla turned back a gritty pair of Cyril Jacobe and Daniel Llarenas in a gruelling, ...
ABAP chief PSA's exec of year
MANILA, Philippines -- As the man at the helm of a sport that consistently produces world-class Filipino athletes, Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines (ABAP) president Ricky Vargas has been the hands down choice of the Philippine ...
Aid Boat Capsizes
By ELENA L. ABEN MANILA, Philippines - A boat with 100 sacks of rice intended for earthquake victims in Negros Oriental capsized in the waters of Tanion Strait Saturday, authorities reported. All 35 people on board the MB Agape, including 10 workers ...
Philippines wants rice tender to finish by mid-March
The Philippines wants to finish a planned tender for a total of 500000 tonnes of rice by the middle of March at the latest to ensure its buffer supply is ready before the lean harvest season starts, Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said on Friday.
Gunmen attack US project, Philippine worker wounded
ISABELA, Philippines: A Philippine man was wounded Saturday when gunmen attacked a United States-funded road project in an area of the south where Islamist militants operate, the Filipino military said. Gunmen shot at a small group of construction ...
Philippines earthquake - in pictures
Fearful residents camp out
By Danny Dangcalan (The Philippine Star) Updated February 08, 2012 12:00 AM 0 BACOLOD CITY, Philippines - Residents in southern Negros Occidental camped out overnight and stayed in open fields and parks for fear of a tsunami after a 6.9 magnitude ...
Scant hope for Philippine quake missing
THOUSANDS of soldiers in the quake-hit Philippines are scouring villages buried under landslides, but authorities say hopes of finding dozens of missing people alive are dim. Two days after a 6.7 magnitude quake flattened homes, destroyed bridges and ...
Central Philippines earthquake update
Eddie DU1EV said 'They have established their command centre on board the Philippine Coast Guard search and rescue vessel BRP Davao del Norte. HEROs have been busy forwarding traffic from the disaster areas to Cebu and Manila.
Iggy Arroyo's Body Can Now Leave London; Costs Issue Raises Eyebrows
Declining to be interviewed after the hearing, Grace Ibuna is hustled out of the Rolls Building to a waiting people carrier
February 21, 2012
The remains of former Negros congressman Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo will now be flown back to the Philippines
Grace Ibuna & Bernardina Arroyo-Tantoco awarded joint custody of body, costs in excess of of £94,000 will be passed to Alicia Arroyo
Judge orders release of witness statements and "Iggy's" will to the media as legal battles move to Manila
