1. NAPOLES-LINKED ‘NGO’ ENDORSED BY THREE SENATORS
The recent Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing confirmed everyone’s suspicions: Senators Bong Revilla Jr., Jinggoy Estrada, and Juan Ponce Enrile were also part of the pork barrel scam. The three senators were named by former National Agribusiness Corporation vice president for administration and finance Rhodora Mendoza as endorsers of projects to the Social Development Program for Farmers Foundations, Inc. She also named Reps. Conrado Estrella III, Erwin Chiongbian, Rodolfo Plaza, Victor Ortega, Samuel Dangwa, Edgar Valdez, Mark Douglas Cagas IV, Rizalina Lanete, Arthur Pingoy Jr. and Rodolfo Valencia as Congressmen who endorsed the bogus NGO.
2. MANNY PACQUAIO BACK IN TRAINING
Philippine boxing hero Manny Pacquiao started his training by playing basketball in his hometown of General Santos City. The fighting Congressman aims to regain his fighting form that led to eight division wins and world titles. The two-month training in General Santos with his trainer Freddie Roach aims to score for Manny a clear victory against Brandon Rios in their bout, set for November 24 in Macau. Pacman has yet to recover from the stigma of losing to Juan Miguel Marquez in Dec 2012.
3. P-NOY UNABLE CONVINCE NBI CHIEF TO STAY
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and President Aquino were unable to convince National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Nonnatus Rojas to take back his resignation. Rojas submitted an “irrevocable” resignation on Monday after hearing the President comment on the trustworthiness of NBI officials in relation to the surrender of businesswoman Janet Lim Napoles.
4. TAIWANESE VESSEL INTERCEPTED OFF BATANES
The Philippine Coast Guard confirmed that another Taiwanese vessel has been intercepted off the waters of Batanes province and that its lone operator has been taken into custody. Coast Guard spokesman Cmdr. Armand Balilo said the Taiwanese vessel with registry number 3512 was intercepted off Itbayat in Batanes. The development comes just four months after the controversial encounter between a Taiwanese vessel and a Coast Guard patrol craft which resulted in the death of the Taiwanese fisherman. This time, the 54 year-old Taiwanese national has been detained at the Batanes provincial police office, and the intercepted vessel was brought to Basco, Batanes.
5. BINAY DEMANDS SURRENDER OF TAGUIG EMPLOYEES
Tension between warring camps Makati and Taguig has escalated after a physical encounter between employees of the two cities was caught by closed-circuit television camera at Mc Kinley Road, Bonifacio Global City (BGC) . Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay has issued a demand to Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano to surrender the said employees. Besides the physical confrontation, the footage reportedly showed one Taguig employee brandishing a gun at their Makati counterparts. The issue stems from a recent court decision declaring that business-rich BGC and other parts of Fort Bonifacio is part of Makati City territory.
Photo: Manny Pacquiao
