Aquino blames "political enemies" for spreading rumours about his health

Philippine President Benigno Aquino III - image source: getrealphilippines.com

Says anyone can see if he has stitches on his head

Manila: President Benigno Aquino blamed “political enemies” for spreading false rumours that he fainted and was unconscious until doctors gave him oxygen at the presidential palace last Friday, adding that he was out of town last Friday and remained active on Saturday.

“I am not new in politics. I’m torn between responding (or not) to people who started it. I admit I could not stop those who wish me ill. They have already prepared permutations of the false stories that they have started to spin against me,” said Aquino, but did not give more details.

“I started looking for the basis of these rumours, which I might have missed, but I never saw one,” said Aquino, adding, “I don’t think I was faltering in raising the flag and doing other things during the commemoration of the opening of Emilio Aguinaldo Museum in Kawit, Cavite last Friday.”

“Because of my short hair, anyone can see if I have stitches (on my head or nape after I allegedly collapsed last Friday). Touch my head, it has no hematoma,” Aquino said.

Noting what he would do next to defend himself, Aquino said, “My mother once said we should pray for people who think that way [against other people].” He added, “In contrast, those who trust me have open eyes, ears, and mind (and would not malign me with rumours).”

After he cancelled a short-notice press conference with beat reports after lunch of Saturday, Aquino said he was at the firing range in Malacañang on the same day.

Bureau of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alacal were with him at the firing range, he said, adding they all had dinner at Gloria Maris, a restaurant at the Gateway Mall of Araneta Centre in Cubao, suburban Quezon City on Saturday evening.

Palace spokesperson Edwin Lacierda also sent text messages asking about these allegations, Aquino admitted. Reporters quoted Lacierda and deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte’s who were asked about the president’s state of health.

Aquino allegedly passed out and was nearly unconscious after a bout of heavy cough. Doctors gave him oxygen at the House of Dreams, his official residence in Malacanang, the presidential palace.

Since he was elected in 2010, Aquino never gave up heavy smoking.

The Philippine Constitution calls for daily issuance of the president’s medical record once he gets seriously ill.

The vice-president takes over the post of an incapacitated president.- Gulf News

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Meet the FOX star who made Mayweather-Pacquiao bout a reality

Gabriel Salvador - Bjoern Kommerell

Gabriel Salvador may or may not win an Emmy for his recurring role on the FOX television series “Bones.” But the Bronx native will receive an award of sorts when he sits ringside at the May 2 mega-fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Salvador will be seated next to Leslie Moonves, the CEO of CBS/Showtime, as gratitude for Salvador’s role in making the long-anticipated bout a reality. It was Salvador, a graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School in the north Bronx, who brokered the initial meeting between Moonves and Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach. That meeting provided the spark that ultimately led to an agreement for a fight five years in the making.

“Les deserves every bit of the credit for making things happen,” Salvador told The Post. “But I’m very delighted about my little part in helping this match get set up. Everybody talked about how it couldn’t get done. But I actually helped get it started, and that’s what I’m very proud of.”

Here’s how the confessed “New Yorker through and through” got things going, beginning with his son, Elijah Rueda, who is a senior at Brooklyn Tech and trains at Roach’s Wild Card Boxing Club while visiting his father in Los Angeles.

“Every time Elijah would go to the gym, I’d stand off to the side and watch my son train,” Salvador said. “Every now and then I’d say to Freddie, ‘You’ve got to make this [Mayweather-Pacquiao] fight happen.’ Freddie would say, ‘It’s out of my hands. There’s not much I can do.’ I told Freddie that one day, ‘I’m going to have an opportunity to set something up, and when I have that opportunity, I need you to trust me.’ ”

Salvador supplements his established acting career by working as a waiter at the popular Craig’s Restaurant in West Hollywood, where Moonves frequently dines. His idea was to get Roach and Moonves together to “open the lines of communication,” knowing Mayweather was under an exclusive contract to Showtime and Roach had the ear of the Pacquiao camp.

“When Les would come in the restaurant, he’d sit at my table, and we would talk about boxing,” said Salvador, who calls Felix “Tito” Trinidad his favorite fighter. “I thought if we’re ever going to get the [Mayweather-Pacquiao] fight done, we need somebody to facilitate all the parties and put them in communication with each other. I thought what better person to do this than Mr. Moonves. I said to Les, ‘Why don’t we set up something where you can sit down with Freddie Roach. We’ll just sit down … and see what happens.’ ”

That was May 2014. A few weeks later, Roach, Moonves and Salvador met for drinks at the Montage in Beverly Hills. Roach had sparkling water. Moonves had Ketel One Orange on the rocks.

“We started talking about legacy,” Salvador said. “That’s how we started the conversation. What’s going to be the legacy of Manny Pacquiao? What’s going to be the legacy of Mayweather? And what’s going to be the legacy of Freddie Roach?”

After that initial meeting, Roach arranged a sit-down between Moonves and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, with whom he previously wasn’t on speaking terms. Moonves then brokered a meeting with Arum and Mayweather adviser Al Haymon. That got HBO, which has rights to Pacquiao, talking with Showtime execs, which ultimately led to the fight being announced last February.

“I knew the only way this would happen is if people were in communication with each other and not talking bad about each other,” Salvador said. “I like to put people together. When they say, ‘It can’t be done,’ I like to try to find a way to get things done.”

Salvador’s acting skills will be on display April 9 and May 7 when he plays Alex Rockwell in “Bones.”

“It’s a great role they literally wrote for me,” said Salvador, who studied at Cornell before moving to Los Angeles. “It’s a guy who has a troubled past and is trying to make good on his life, but has his past catch up to him. It’s a role

I’m really proud of.”

He’s also proud of his role in making Mayweather-Pacquiao happen. - NYP

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Philippines will buy additional 24 new Combat Aircrafts making 36; additional for 12 FA-50

Eurofighter Typhoon (European Union)

Phl to buy 24 more combat aircraft from South Korea

WASHINGTON – The Philippines is planning to purchase 24 more combat aircraft, adding to the 12 FA-50 fighter jets it had ordered from South Korea in 2014, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

It did not specify when or from whom the aircraft would be ordered.

The FA-50s were the first order by the Philippines for advanced combat aircraft in decades amid the increasing tensions with China over disputed territories in the South China Sea.

The SIPRI report from Stockholm on Monday said the five biggest weapons exporters in 2010-14 were the United States, Russia, China, Germany and France, and the five biggest importers were India, Saudi Arabia, China, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.

The top five exporters were responsible for almost 74 percent of all arms exports.

The report said many states in Southeast Asia significantly modernized and expanded their fleets of combat aircraft in 2010-2014.

Singapore received 32 F-15E jets from the United States in 2010-14 and in 2014 ordered six A330 tanker aircraft from Spain.

Vietnam received 24 Su-30 fighter jets from Russia and eight more are on order.

Indonesia received three Su-27 and six Su-30 aircraft from Russia, the first five of 24 F-16C aircraft from the US and 16 T-50 light combat aircraft from South Korea. It has placed an order for 50 KFX combat aircraft from South Korea and has plans to procure a large number of new combat and tanker aircraft.

Thailand received 12 Gripen-C combat aircraft from Sweden.

Malaysia is looking at several potential suppliers for a planned order of 18 new combat aircraft and has four A400M tanker/transport aircraft on order from Spain. - Yahoo News

Top 10 powerful Combat Aircrafts to chose from:

No.1 Lockheed Martin / Boeing F-22 Raptor (USA)

No.2 Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet (USA)

No. 3 Eurofighter Typhoon (European Union)

No. 4 Dassault Rafale (France)

No. 5 Sukhoi Su-27 (Russia)

No. 6 McDonnel Douglas F-15 Eagle (USA)

No. 7 Mikoyan MiG-31 (Russia)

No.8 Lockheed Martin F-16 Fighting Falcon (USA)

No.9 Saab JAS 39 Gripen (Sweden)

No.10 Chengdu J-10 (China)

Would china allow the Philippines to order this Chengdu J-10 at a cheaper price, on time delivery, safe without self destructing remote control device and purely business or Politics will reign? - Source: Military-today.com

 

 

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