Former President Marcos Buried at "Libingan ng Mga Bayani" With 21-Gun Salute noon Friday

Former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani. Photo: GMA News Twitter

Marcos buried at Libingan ng mga Bayani

Former President Ferdinand Marcos is finally buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) Friday, 27 years after his death.

Marcos' remains were transported early Friday from the Marcos Museum and Mausoleum in Batac, his hometown in Ilocos Norte to the LNMB in Taguig City.

His body arrived at the LNMB before noon, National Capital Region Police Office Chief Oscar Albayalde told CNN Philippines.

Members of the media were not allowed to witness the ceremonies.

[video]

The surprise burial of former president Ferdinand E. Marcos at Libingan ng mga Bayani cemetery.Nov. 18, 2016 12:00 Noon

Albayalde said Marcos was given a 21-gun salute. Several soldiers in green uniform were seen standing in a formation around noontime.

Earlier, Albayalde described it as a "very simple and very fast ceremony."

Marcos was buried at the LNMB on "Black Friday," a name given by Marcos' critics as they hold massive protests against Marcos' burial in several areas in Metro Manila.

Surprise rites

Anti-Marcos burial petitioners denounced the "unexpected" burial.

Former Bayan Party-list representative Satur Ocampo said the petitioners were shocked to know about the burial, because they had just announced that they would file a motion for reconsideration to stop the burial.

Philippine National Police Chief Ronald Dela Rosa earlier told CNN Philippines the he only found out Thursday that the burial will push through the next day. He said President Rodrigo Duterte knew about the planned burial.

Alam niya (Duterte) iyan, wala naman tayong espesyal na instruction. Maniguro lang tayo na peaceful yung paglibing, walang gulo na mangyari," Dela Rosa said.

[Translation: "(Duterte) knows. There are no special instructions. We just have to make sure the burial is peaceful and there nothing untoward happens."]

The long road to LNMB burial

Marcos died in exile in Hawaii in 1989 after a people power revolt ousted him in 1986.

His remains have since been kept in an air-conditioned crypt in the Marcos Museum when the body was brought back to the country in 1993.

A 1992 agreement between then President Fidel Ramos and the Marcos family allowed Marcos to be buried in the Philippines but on conditions that the body would be flown straight to Ilocos Norte and there would be no burial for Marcos at the Heroes' Cemetery.

Marcos' critics opposed the burial at the Libingan because of the alleged human rights abuses, including extrajudicial killings, torture, and enforced disappearances committed during his term.

His family is also accused of amassing ill-gotten wealth   during his years in power.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government said for over 20 years, the Marcoses were able to amass about US$5-10 billion of wealth from the Philippine government.

President Rodrigo Duterte gave Marcos family and supporters a flicker of hope when he ordered Marcos' burial at the Heroes' Cemetery on August 7.

The Philippine Army started with its preparations, amid pending petitions of Martial law victims at the Supreme Court.  

On August 23, the High Court issued a stay order to stop the preparations.

After over two months of hearing oral arguments against the burial, the Supreme Court on November 8 dismissed all the petitions, finally allowing Marcos' burial at the Libingan by a vote of 9-5.  - CNN Philippines' Senior Correspondents Ina Andolong, JC Gotinga, and David Santos contributed to this report.

Continue reading

OMBUDSMAN: Sen. Villanueva, Son of Religious Brother Eddie Ordered Dismissed for 2008 - ₱10 Million Pork

Senator Joel Villanueva. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE

Sen. Villanueva ordered dismissed from public service over 'pork'

Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales has ordered the dismissal from public service of Senator Joel Villanueva for his administrative liability over the allegedly anomalous use of P10 million from his pork barrel allocation as a House member.

In a statement on Monday, Morales said the former Cibac representative was found guilty of grave misconduct, serious dishonesty, and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.

Villanueva's dismissal stemmed from his indictment for malversation, graft and falsification of public documents over the allegedly anomalous disbursement of his P10 million Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) when he was a party-list congressman.

Morales said she had ordered the filing of two counts of violation of Section 3(e) of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act No. 3019), one count for malversation of public funds and malversation through falsification of public documents against Villanueva and his co-accused.

Also indicted were former Department of Agriculture (DA) secretary (now Bohol third district representative) Arthur Yap, Villanueva's staff Ronald Samonte, DA employee Delia Ladera, NABCOR representatives Alan Javellana, Romulo Relevo, Ma. Julie Villaralvo-Johnson, Rhodora Mendoza, and Maria Ninez Guanizo; and Aaron Foundation Philippines, Inc. (AFPI) President Alfredo Ronquillo.

Villanueva is the son of Jesus is Lord Church founder Bro. Eddie Villanueva.

Villanueva was appointed Tesda Director General with a Cabinet rank by then-President Aquino. He served as Citizens Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) representative from 2001 to 2010. He won as senator in the 2016 polls.

According to the Ombudsman, the budget department on June 10, 2008, released Villanueva's P10-million PDAF to a bogus NGO to implement agri-based livelihood projects in Region XI.

Two days later, Villanueva requested Yap to release the fund to National Agri-business Corporation (NABCOR) as implementing agency, with the AFPI as NGO-partner.

Yap and Nabcor then entered into a memorandum of agreement on June 19, 2008.

Villanueva's PDAF was supposedly spent for pechay, radish, sitaw, okra, hybrid yellow corn seedlings, liquid fertilizers and threshers from the supplier MJ Rickson Trading Corporation

The items were intended to benefit the residents of the towns of Pantukan, Nabunturan, Tambongon, Bongabong, Napnapan, Mipangi, Anislagan and Magsaysay in the Compostela Valley province.

But the transaction was fraught with irregularities, said the Ombudsman, citing information that the localities were not suitable for farming as vast portions of land were planted to bananas and coconuts.

No name in the supposed list of beneficiaries was a registered voter or a resident of the province, the Ombudsman added.

Local officials also told the Ombudsman that no agri-based livelihood projects were implemented by AFPI.

Documents also showed that the bogus NGO AFPI had no financial capability to implement Villanueva's P10 million livelihood project from his pork barrel because it has a small capital stock contribution of only ₱68,000.

Ombudsman field investigators also discovered that the supplier, MJ Rickson, could not be located at the business address in Martiniko Street, Malabon City.

The supplier was also not licensed by the Fertilizer and Pesticide Authority nor registered with the Department of Trade and Industry.

The Ombudsman accused the respondents of submitting fabricated and undated documents to support the "ghost project" such as Accomplishment Reports, Disbursement Reports, Acceptance Reports, and liquidation documents.

The Ombudsman said it was informed by the Commission on Audit that the latter has disallowed the P10-million transaction in 2014 due to the anomalies.

In his defense, Villanueva alleged that his signatures in the documents were forged.

But Morales said "laws and regulations were disregarded by public respondents when Villanueva directly selected NABCOR and AFPI to implement his livelihood projects and the IA officers accepted and accommodated Villanueva by facilitating the processing and approval of the PDAF releases."

"NABCOR officers did not even bother to conduct a due diligence audit on AFPI as to its technical and financial capability and simply accepted and relied on the representation of Villanueva and AFPI to undertake the projects in contravention of existing procurement laws," Morales added.

Morales cited the Supreme Court decision junking the pork barrel system that lawmakers were responsible for the releases of their PDAF.

"In a Congressional Pork Barrel System, it is the legislator who exercises actual control and custody of the PDAF share," Morales said.

The Ombudsman ordered Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III to implement the dismissal order against Villanueva.

Villanueva is also part of the third batch of pork barrel scam raps involving the bogus foundations of alleged mastermind Janet Lim-Napoles. - Inquirer

Continue reading

Sweden More Investments to the Philippines: JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jets Wants to Arm Air Force for $30M Each

Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Photo: defenceindustrydaily.com

§  Sweden’s biggest ever 70 Executives trade delegation Arrived the Philippines

§  The Philippine’s GDP growth accelerated to 7% in the second quarter from 6.8% in the first, making it one of the region’s fastest growing economies

§  USA refused to sell High-Powered-Arms to the Philippine Police

§  Sweden wants to armed the Philippines and other Asian Countries

Sweden eyes ‘great opportunities’ in the Philippines

Sweden trade minister's push comes as US firms flee the country because of President Duterte’s anti-American outbursts

Sweden’s biggest ever trade delegation to the Philippines, led by Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg, arrives in Manila Monday and coincides with the reopening of the country’s embassy in the capital Manila.

“The Philippines is a very interesting export market,” Damberg said in an emailed response to questions.

“I see great opportunities to deepen our trade relations with the Philippines by promoting Swedish solutions. I believe that a Swedish embassy in Manila will help to open doors for increased Swedish exports and encourage new contacts.”

Damberg and the 70-member business delegation will meet with Philippine Transportation Secretary Arthur Tugade and Trade Secretary Ramon M. Lopez to discuss industry and infrastructure investments.

The Philippine’s GDP growth accelerated to 7% in the second quarter from 6.8% in the first, making it one of the region’s fastest growing economies.

Many companies Swedish Ambassador-designate Harald Fries said he has spoken to since arriving in Manila have expressed a positive outlook for the Philippine economy.

Among those is defense contractor Saab Group which is opening a new office in Manila and is reportedly in pole position to secure a deal to sell its JAS 39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Philippine Air Force.

[video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxMYFYDNF_g ]

Sweden’s JAS 39 Gripen Fighter Jet Video: SAAB

The ambassador told local media that Saab, a company providing air, land, naval and civil aerospace products and services, could offer coastal surveillance equipment and even submarines to the Philippines.

Also IKEA has decided to establish stores in the country, the ambassador said.

“They have been here for a long time checking the situation and finally (they feel the time is right),” Fries told the Philippine Star.

Participating companies also include Atlas Copco, Ericsson, Scania, Volvo Bus, SEB and Swedish Match.

The Swedish push comes as other countries have grown increasingly worried about developments in the country due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-American outbursts and controversial war on drugs, in which some 2,000 people have been killed in alleged extra-judicial executions in just a few months.

The head of the American Chamber of Commerce to the Philippines, Ebb Hinchliffe, said several US trade delegations to the country have been canceled and that some American companies have chosen to do business elsewhere. Also the European Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines has raised alarm.

Damberg has expressed concern over the bloody war on drugs, and said that Sweden strongly rejects the executions taking place.

During his visit, Damberg will meet with representatives of a human rights organization, as well as representatives of opposition parties.

“Perhaps it’s even more important to have an embassy in countries where there are challenges. Our increased presence in the region makes it easier for us to support Swedish companies to do right,” Damberg said in an interview – Asia Times

Continue reading