Dutch disaster relief worker killed in Pampanga

Wednesday, July 4, 2012
MANILA — Police said a Dutch activist who heads a volunteer disaster relief organization has been fatally shot outside his office in a robbery.
Police investigator Menchu Nucup said Wilhelm Geertman had just stepped out of a car and was about to enter his home and office in northern Pampanga province’s San Fernando city Tuesday when two men on a motorcycle tried to grab his bag and shot him in the back.
She said the gunmen fled with the bag, which is believed to have contained about P1.2 million ($27,900) the 67-year-old had withdrawn after closing a bank account.
Geertman lived in the Philippines for more than 30 years, spoke fluent Filipino and was executive director of Alay Bayan Inc., which helps disaster victims. (AP)
Qualified and ‘truly’ independent Chief Justice sought
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
THE same standard demanded of deposed Chief Justice Renato Corona should be required by the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) when it screens the 25 aspirants who accepted their nomination, a senior lawmaker said Tuesday.
Albay Representative Edcel Lagman, former House Minority Leader, said the JBC should recommend only the “most qualified and truly independent-minded” nominees.
Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.
The JBC is the screening body, which will recommend at least three names to President Benigno Aquino III, who will then appoint Corona’s replacement.
“The standards of not being beholden to the appointing power, impartiality, credibility and independence must constitute the same inflexible yardstick by which the President ought to measure the next Chief Justice,” Lagman said.
“What were perceived as the negative factors which rooted out Corona must be the same factors which must weed out potential errant nominees,” he added.
Corona was ousted after the Senate impeachment court in May voted 20-3, finding him guilty of untruthful declaration of assets and net worth.
Lagman also urged Aquino, who “campaigned publicly” for Corona’s conviction, to desist from appointing a nominee who actively participated in the impeachment trial of the former chief magistrate, either as prosecutor, judge or witness, or one who is perceived to have coveted the position of Chief Justice.
Among those vying for the post are acting Chief Justice Antonio Carpio, who was perceived as Corona’s rival, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, one of the witnesses of the House prosecution panel in the impeachment trial.
De Lima defended herself from accusations that she lacked independence due to her loyalty to the President.
“I was able to prove my independence when I headed an independent constitutional body and I can do that again. I can prove again my sense of independence and my capacity for independence if I join again another independent body (Supreme Court),” she told reporters.
Before her appointment to the Department of Justice, de Lima was chairperson of the Commission on Human Rights from 2008 to 2010, where she came out with statements critical of the Arroyo administration’s involvement and handling of rights abuses by the police and military.
President Aquino is required to name the new top magistrate 90 days following the vacancy or until August 27.
Meanwhile, one of the prosecutors in the impeachment trial of Corona said the President should also consider the “unknown” nominees outside the Judiciary.
“All of them are qualified. As we all know, the President has the political will to appoint even an unknown if he thinks he or she has a proven track record,” Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (Cibac) party-list Representative Sherwin Tugna told reporters in a press conference.
Tugna added the live television coverage of JBC interviews scheduled to begin on July 24 will remove any public apprehension on the appointment to be made by Aquino.
“Apprehensions will be cured in the live TV coverage of the JBC selection process because there, the public will see if the nominees have competence, integrity and are sincere. We will also be able to see their independence through the live media selection process,” he said. (Kathrina Alvarez/Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)
Palace: US spy planes not provocation move vs China
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
A MALACANANG official said Tuesday that President Benigno Aquino III’s plan to ask the United States to deploy spy planes over the West Philippines Sea should not be taken as “provocative” stand against China.
In an interview with Reuters Monday, Aquino confirmed that he might be requesting for US P3C Orion spy planes to fly over the Scarborough or Panatag shoal, which has been a subject of dispute between the Philippines and China for several months now.
Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Weimin warned the Philippine government from issuing “provocative” comments that may aggravate the situation.
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang said flyovers of US surveillance planes should not be seen as aggression toward China since there are no military components involved.
He said it is merely part of expanding the maritime monitoring capability of the Philippines at the West Philippine Sea.
“They are not meant to be provocative; they are merely meant to monitor our territory. There’s no offensive capability here. So this should not be viewed as a provocative statement,” Carandang said.
“There are civilian applications for taking photos, aerial photos. I’m sure you’re all aware of Google Earth. Nobody thinks that if Google Earth flies over Luzon or Scarborough then that’s going to be a provocation. They are basically doing the same thing. If ever, we’re just taking shots of the terrain. So it’s really monitoring,” he explained.
Last month, Aquino pulled out a lightly armed Philippine Coast Guard ship and a fishing vessel stationed around the Scarborough Shoal due to bad weather.
He ordered the conduct of reevaluation as to whether there is a need to redeploy ships to the shoal.
Carandang noted the US spy plane could be a boost to the current surveillance and monitoring being done by the government in the country’s territorial waters.
Aquino earlier admitted that the country has no aircraft with the same capability as the US P3C Orion to reconnoiter the disputed shoal.
Carandang said sending spy planes over Panatag shoal remains an option at the moment.
He, meanwhile, said that China should not be worried and there should not be an issue if the flyover of US spy planes will push through.
He added that no new treaties needed for the overflight since it is part of the US government’s commitment to assist the Philippines in its defense and monitoring capabilities.
“The President, in the same interview, also said that the Philippines has taken efforts to deescalate the situation — that effort continues. But I think in order for us to be able to properly deescalate, we also have to be able to monitor what’s happening in our territory,” he said.
Aquino will meet his entire Cabinet on Thursday to discuss the issue and the overall relations between China and the Philippines.
Carandang said there are no pressing issues to be discussed but the President would only want to be apprised of the effects of the ongoing issue with China.
He said the economic teams are expected to explain the implications on trade in light of the issue on banana exports and tourism.
With regard to investments, Carandang said the government has not detected any slowdown on investments, noting that the Philippines has bigger direct investors into China than China into the Philippines. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/07/04/dutch-disaster-relief-worker-killed-pampanga-230136
RH ‘not a magic wand’ vs child labor, maternal deaths
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
PROPONENTS of the proposed reproductive health (RH) law cannot claim that the measure will address both maternal mortality and child labor problems in the country, a senior legislator said Tuesday.
In a statement, Parañaque Representative Roilo Golez cited China and Nigeria — both of which implement RH laws — as having more alarming numbers of child workers than the Philippines.
Have something to report? Tell us in text, photos or videos.
In the latest report of the International Labor Organization (ILO), it estimated that there are 250 million children between the ages of five and 14 who work. Of the number, 61 percent are working in Asia.
“After decades of pro-RH, and one-child policy backed by a strong pro-abortion program and more than 10 years of 10 percent economic growth, China still has more than 10 million child workers. With that record in China, how can the pro-RH group call the RH bill a magic wand against child labor?” Golez asked.
The same ILO report stated that in as of October 2011, there were 5.49 million children at work in the Philippines, of which 3.028 million were considered child laborers and 2.462 million were reported to be exposed to hazardous child labor.
“What they don’t disclose is that child labor is a major problem worldwide, including in countries with strong RH and abortion laws especially in China, the model for RH of many RH advocates in the Philippines,” he added.
Golez also noted that pro-RH groups are listening to United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), whose executive director and country head for the Philippines are both from Nigeria.
The legislator said that according to a report of the United Nations Children Funds (Unicef) on child labor, at least 15 million children under the age of 14 are working across Nigeria.
“On maternal mortality, Nigeria is a very high number nine in the world while the Philippines is a very low no. 76, yet the pro-RH group idolizes the UNFPA head who is from Nigeria,” Golez said.
“RH in Nigeria is apparently a big failure in the fight against child labor, maternal mortality and HIV,” he said.
Earlier, RH author and Albay Representative Edcel Lagman cited studies by the UNFPA, World Health Organization, and the United Nations Development Programme, which, he said, confirms that correct and consistent use of contraceptives will prevent maternal deaths.
Lagman emphasized that effective contraception leads to better birth spacing which translates to longer intervals between pregnancies; fewer births to very young or older women; and reduces the chances of malnutrition in mothers and therefore contributes to their overall well-being and the health of their children. (Kathrina Alvarez/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/manila/local-news/2012/07/03/rh-not-magic-wand-vs-child-labor-maternal-deaths-230023

Aquino to host dinner for Queen Sofia of Spain
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
MANILA – President Benigno Aquino III will be hosting a banquet in honor of visiting Queen Sofia of Spain and her delegation in Malacanang Tuesday.
The dinner is set at 6:30 p.m. in Malacanang’s Rizal Hall.
Queen Sofia arrived in the country Monday (July 2) for a five-day visit.
The purpose of her visit is to inspect the various development cooperation projects funded by the Spanish government through its development cooperation agency – Agencia Espanola de Cooperacion Internacional para el Desarollo (AECID).
She will meet with the officials of AECID-assisted projects in Manila and in the provinces such as in Legaspi City in Albay and Zamboanga City.
The Queen is also scheduled to visit the National Library, the National Museum, and the University of Santo Tomas (UST).
Queen Sofia was accompanied by Spain’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Jesus Gracia Aldaz, Chief of Secretariat of the Royal Household of Her Majesty General Jose Cabrera Garcia, and other high-ranking officials from the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier said that the Queens visit “is a reaffirmation of Spain’s commitment towards addressing the myriad developments and challenges the Philippines and the rest of the world are facing today.”
“It is a positive reflection of the Philippines’ long-standing and special partnership with Spain, most especially in the area of development cooperation,” the DFA added.
In 2011, the Spanish government’s official development assistance to the Philippines amounted to a total of 28.9 million Euros in grants and loans. The implemented programs and projects are aligned with the development priorities of the Aquino administration particularly in the areas of democratic governance and citizen’s participation, basic social needs, environment, culture and development, gender and development, and the prevention of conflict and peace-building.
Philippines-Spain relations have steadily grown through the years marked by sustained cooperation in the fields of education, culture, sports, agriculture and fisheries, tourism, energy, health, labor, social security, defense, and mutual legal assistance, among others.
In 2011, Spain ranked as the Philippines’ 28th largest trading partner with total bilateral trade amounting to $329.6 million. (Jill Beltran/Sunnex)
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/07/03/aquino-host-dinner-queen-sofia-spain-229987

Clark Wine Center was built in 2003 by Hong Kong-based Yats International Leisure Philippines to become the largest wine shop in Philippines supplying Asia’s wine lovers with fine vintage wines at attractive prices. Today, this wine shop in Clark Philippines offers over 2000 selections of fine wines from all major wine regions in the world. As a leading wine supplier in Philippines, Pampanga’s Clark Wine Center offers an incomparable breadth of vintages, wines from back vintages spanning over 50 years. Clark Wine Center is located in Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone adjacent to Angeles City, just 25 minutes from Subic and 45 minutes from Manila.

Things to do in Clark Philippines and Pampanga: do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga. It is lauded by food and wine lovers in Manila, Subic and Pampanga as the best wine shop outside Manila as well as a good place to buy wine in Pampanga.

Residents of Pampanga Angeles City, Subic, Tarlac and Clark Philippines know of this wine shop as one of the best places in Clark, a good night out place and simply the best place to hang out, enjoy some good wine with cheese on the roof deck with good atmosphere, or just relax and unwind with friends and family in a cool place. This wine shop in Clark Pampanga is recognized by many to be one of the best places to buy fine vintage wine in the Philippines. Located near Mimosa Leisure Estate surrounded by golf courses, resorts and a casino, this well known wine shop is frequently visited for its good selection of wine not available in Manila or Subic. Clark Wine Center is open 7 days a week from 10am to 8pm. Private dinners, wine tastings and group gatherings can be organized by advanced reservation.

Foodies and wine lovers travel north from Manila to wine and dine at Philippines’ best fine dining restaurant in Pampanga Clark Freeport worth the 60-minutes drive for a memorable evening of good food with vintage wine at Yats Restaurant & Wine Bar. Most guests would stop by this famous wine shop called Clark Wine Center to bring home a few good bottles of fine vintage wine also. Other visitors may find the wine selections in some of the restaurants in Angeles City Pampanga to be less than interesting, so they stop by this wine shop near Angeles City Pampanga Clark Philippines, buy some good wines and bring these bottles of good vintage wines to the restaurants so they can enjoy the dinner.

Wines from Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhone, Loire, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Alsace, USA, Australia, New Zealand, Italy, South Africa, Chile and Argentina etc. are well represented in this Clark Wine Shop which is lauded by wine and food lovers from Manila and tourists from abroad as the best place to buy wine in Pampanga.

This is one of the frequently visited places for wine lovers from Manila and Angeles City to buy wines in Pampanga.

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Yats Leisure Philippines

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023

Tel: 0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Road, Ortigas Centger,
Metro Manila, Philippines 1605

Tel: (632) 637-5019 0917-540-3626 ask for Rea or Chay

Log on to this web site for more information about Yats Wine Cellars as the leading wine importer and wine supplier in the Philippines:

ats Wine Cellars Leading Wine Supplier in Philippines

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to
www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com