Massacre witness admits to ‘half-truth’, incomplete affidavits

By Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines – A witness in the Maguindanao massacre has admitted that his first affidavit was "half-truth" and that the two other affidavits he executed were incomplete.

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Palace hails judge for deferring Trillanes verdict

By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang Thursday lauded Makati Regional Trial Court Judge Oscar Pimentel for his postponement of the promulgation of the coup d’etat charges filed against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other members of the Magdalo Group that figured in the Oakwood Mutiny in 2003.

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51 Passengers Brought to Safety in Sta. Ana, Cagayan

Manila, Philippines - On the eve of the expected onslaught of Super Typhoon “Juan” (International codename: Megi), elements of the Philippine Coast Guard rendered assistance to three passenger shipping vessels carrying a total of 51 persons stranded along the vicinity waters off Santa Ana in the Province of Cagayan around 7:30 p.m. of Sunday.

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Expert Sees Need for Court Deference to Amnesty Proclamation

MANILA, Philippines (PNA) — A lawyer believes it is proper for the court to already defer prosecuting cases involving detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and others implicated in failed military uprisings during the previous administration in view of President Benigno S. Aquino III's issuance of Proclamation 50 which grants amnesty to them.

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Prosecutors: After 7 yrs of trial, nothing happened

MANILA, Philippines—After the presidential amnesty, is anyone still interested to know the judge’s verdict on the first ever coup d’etat case tried in a Philippine court for seven years?

This was the lament of Senior State Prosecutor Juan Pedro Navera after President Benigno Aquino III granted amnesty to more than 300 military officers and soldiers accused of trying to overthrow the administration of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

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Once Quiet Cebu Town is Now a Booming Tourist Site

By MARS W. MOSQUEDA JR.

October 10, 2010, 5:32pm

ALOGUINSAN, Cebu — From a small quaint fishing village, local folks living quiet simple lives, fourth-class Aloguinsan town in Cebu province now thrives with tourists, with everyone benefiting from its booming transformation into a tourist destination.

From fishing and farming as the main source of livelihood in this town with a population of some 27,000, Aloguinsan residents now gain additional income by promoting the town’s ecotourism activities.

“Ecotourism is really a big thing for Aloguinsan. We empower our people and promote tourism so people are given alternative livelihood,” said town mayor, Cynthia Moreno, whose municipal government hired a tourism consultant to promote the locality’s attractions.

Aloguinsan’s best kept secrets are now out and international tourists, especially wealthy tourists from Europe looking for unusual tourist destinations, have been visiting to see the town’s beauty.

Among Aloguinsan’s attractions is Bojo River, where a community of fishermen and their families operate an educational and entertainment tour, giving tourists a hands-on experience in the average day in the life of a fisherman.

Among the packages the town offers are mangrove ecology and bird wildlife lectures, handicraft demos, a river tour, cultural and heritage walk, a kayak adventure, dolphin and bird watching tours.

Moreno said the local government is intent on maximizing these adventure tourism features in the coming months what with the positive feedback, plus growing interest in this town following its recent inclusion in the Suroy-Suroy sa Sugbo caravan. The latter was started in 2005 by the Cebu provincial government under its Tourism and Heritage Council which basically brings busloads of tourists to well-kept but off the beaten track historical, cultural, gastronomical and natural attractions spread through Cebu’s 44 towns and seven cities.

Philippine massacre probe focuses on Arroyo ally

By AARON FAVILA, Associated Press Writer Aaron Favila, Associated Press Writer – 23 mins ago

AMPATUAN, Philippines – Philippine authorities, under intense public pressure to make arrests in the country's worst election massacre, said Wednesday they are investigating a member of a powerful clan allied with the government along with four police commanders.

Officials recovered six more bodies Wednesday, bringing the death toll in Monday's attack on an election caravan to 52, including 18 journalists.

No suspects have been formally named in the killings, which provoked outrage beyond the Philippines, with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and media and human rights watchdogs calling on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to swiftly punish the attackers. Full Story.