Rotary Journalism Awardees

The Philippine STAR was awarded a Hall of Fame Award, for winning the Newspaper of the Year award three times; and the first and only newspaper to win such an award from Rotary Club of Manila.

President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Miguel Belmonte received the Rotary Journalism Award for 2014.

The Freeman in Cebu, a sister publication of the STAR, won the Regional Newspaper of the Year Award. Queenie Sanchez-Bronce, editor-in-chief, received the award.

Your columnist was awarded a Special Award as a STAR columnist.

Other winners were Philippine Daily Inquirer (Newspaper of the Year), Business World (Business Newspaper of the Year),  GMA Channel 7 Network Inc. (Television Station of the Year), DWIZ 882 kHz (Radio Station of the Year), Maria Ressa (Journalist of the Year), Jojo Robles (Opinion Writer of the Year, Columnist Manila Standard Today), Atom  Araullo (Male Broadcast Journalist of the Year for Television, Newscaster ABS-CBN 2), Bernadette Sembrano (Female Broadcast Journalist of the Year for Television, Newscaster ABS-CBN 2), Anthony Taberna (Male Broadcast Journalist of the Year for Radio DZMM, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.), and Niña Corpus (Female Broadcast Journalist of the Year for Radio, DZMM, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.).

The Rotary Club of Manila Journalism Awards is now on its 34th year.

Failing grade

Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo, chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference-Episcopal Commission on Public Affairs, gave President Aquino a failing grade.

Bishop Pabillo said P-Noy’s handling of the economy and his fight against corruption after four years is a failing mark. It is his responsibility to uplift the lives of Filipinos.

He said war on poverty was one of Aquino’s campaign promises but he has yet to prove it after serving more than half of his presidential term. “So if there is any improvement in the economy then where is the money? They say our economy is increasing but it did not reach the people,” Bishop told a radio interview.

More ‘donations’

Msgr. Josefino Ramirez admitted receiving P2 million from Janet Lim-Napoles, not P2.5 million, and was donated by Napoles to a microfinance program under Caritas Manila. In addition, Ramirez disclosed he received P434,451 as payment of airline tickets for a trip to Rome, for him and four Chinese priests. Ramirez also received P800,000 for taking care of 14 batches of Chinese priests and nuns. Also, P334,000 as “stipends” on several occasions for “priests/nuns, deacons.”

The Benhur Luy files also record a payoff of P235 million to officials of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to drop the illegal detention case filed by Luy against Napoles.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is now tasked to investigate who are the NBI officials who received the payoffs.

Armand Padilla received P30 million commission for Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) projects.

All of these recipients of commissions should be subpoenaed by the Blue Ribbon Committee.

Lawmakers’ denials

Congressman Roilo Golez, Benhur Salimbangon, Emil Ong, Gerry Salapuddin, and Amado Bagatsing have issued denials of receiving kickbacks from Janet Lim-Napoles.

The Blue Ribbon Committee has subpoenaed the Benhur Luy digital files. Why didn’t they ask Luy to turn over his files when he testified before the Senate?

The Blue Ribbon Committee should schedule hearings at least twice a week. There are several witnesses who will testify.

Only 7 PPP projects awarded

Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said that the Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) Program is the solution to our slow infrastructure building program. He admitted that only 7 PPP projects worth P62 billion has been awarded. Fifty seven PPP projects are in the pipeline.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) have stated that our infrastructure building program requires more funding.

Meanwhile, Department of Budget and Management Secretary (DBM) Butch Abad said that P32.2 billion in funds have already been released for the rehabilitation of Yolanda-affected areas.

Yolanda projects delay

Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) Secretary Ping Lacson admitted that only 10% of housing requirements for Yolanda victims have been accomplished.

Tens of thousands of survivors remain in evacuation centers from Leyte to Zamboanga; 25,000 are still in evacuation centers in Zamboanga City.

Part of the problem is the policy of the administration of not releasing enough funds to local governments.

Tidbits: Two Chinese nationals were kidnapped by suspected members of Abu Sayyaf in Isabela City, Basilan. The snatched victims were Dina Lim Iraham, 45, a businesswoman, and her daughter Yahong Lim Tan, 19. 

P52 million has been lost in a fish kill in Lake Bato, Camarines Sur.

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is set to disqualify Mayor Benedict Calderon of Roxas, Isabela and Mayor Alfred Gesmar of Norzagaray, Bulacan for vote buying.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has suggested that the Philippines should relax its restriction on land ownership by foreigners.

The deaths of Filipinos due to Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in Saudi Arabia has reached 5.

Thailand’s army declared it is mounting a coup d’etat with Thailand’s military junta chief, General Prayuth Chan-ocha. General Chan-ocha has declared himself the acting prime minister.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) have announced a ban on the employment of overseas workers (OFWs) to Thailand.

Greetings to avid readers Atty. Villongco, Atty. Felipe Gozon,  Fausto Preysler, Danny Sta. Maria, Cecile Castro, Fleury Mauricio, Lourdes San Juan, and Congresswoman Baby Arenas.