Ex-ARMM gov, 2 others get 56 years for malversation

MANILA, Philippines - The Sandiganbayan on Wednesday convicted a former governor of Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and two of his officials of multiple counts of malversation of public funds.
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Sentenced to 56-year imprisonment were Datu Zacaria A. Candao, his brother and former executive secretary Abbas A. Candao, and former disbursing officer Israel B. Haron.
Candao was found guilty on nine counts of malversation while his brother was convicted on 43 counts and Haron on 52 counts.
A single criminal charge against a fourth defendant, former cashier Pandical Santiago, was dropped due to his death before the completion of the trial.
The case was in connection with the fraudulent disbursements of public funds amounting to P21 million from December 1992 to March 1993.
The anomaly was discovered after then President Fidel V. Ramos ordered a special audit into ARMM's transactions from 1992 and 1993.
On top of the jail terms, the three defendants were also ordered to pay a total of P41.4 million – P3.86 million from former governor Candao, P16.84 million from Abbas, and P20.7 million from Haron.
The three were likewise banned from holding any public office in the future, the Sandiganbayan First Division said.
The three were charged after the special audit team discovered illegal withdrawals totaling P11.12 million under ARMM's account with the Philippine National Bank and another P9.93 million under an account with the National Treasury.
The said fund releases were later traced through 52 PNB checks made payable to Haron and were countersigned by either of the two Candaos. Witnesses presented by Special Prosecutor's Office Director Raymundo Julio Olaguer testified that during audit, Haron failed to produce disbursement vouchers that would have proven the legitimacy of the withdrawals.
The anti-graft court also noted that the accused failed to submit evidence that the funds really went to their supposed purpose which was the peace and order campaign of the Office of the Regional Governor-ARMM. The Sandiganbayan also junked disbursement vouchers belatedly submitted to COA by the defendants as “of doubtful validity” and of little probative value. It said the defendants' admission of the authenticity and due execution of all 52 checks drawn from the ARMM accounts established the existence conspiracy among them. "In a conspiracy, all those who in one way or another helped and cooperated in the consummation of the crime are considered co-principals since the degree or character of the individual participation of each conspirator in the in the commission of the crime is immaterial. Thus, liability exists notwithstanding the accused's non-participation in every detail in the execution of the crime," the anti-graft court said. - GMANews.TV

Escudero: Was plan to buy gadgets using intel funds OK'd by Arroyo?

MANILA, Philippines - Scrutinizing former Philippine National Police (PNP) comptroller Eliseo dela Paz's alibi that the P6.9 million he carried in Moscow was from the agency's intelligence funds, an opposition senator on Monday asked the PNP leadership whether the plan to buy arms and spy gear using intelligence fund was approved by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
In a press statement, Sen. Francis Escudero said intelligence funds are controlled by the President citing the provision in the national budget which grants the chief executive the sole authority to approve its release.
"Under budget laws, the President is the sole issuer of intelligence funds. She is the disburser-in-chief of 'intel' money," Escudero said.
On Friday, Director General Jesus Verzosa said the P6.9 million cash hand-carried by dela Paz in Russia came from the PNP's intelligence fund allocated for the purchase of intelligence equipment.
Escudero said if the PNP will insist on this justification, it must show the paper trail asking the Office of the President's approval for such a purchase.
The senator said "shopping list" must have the approval of Malacañang, "as the latter's dominion over the budget is so great that no government agency today can buy a tricycle without the permission of the Office of the President."
He was referring to a rule requiring Malacañang clearance for the purchase "of anything that has a motor in it and move on wheels."
Escudero said that while the President is not expected to "micro-manage" the use of intelligence funds, it is safe to assume that she does not "rubber stamp" the approval of request for intelligence funds either.
The senator said the "administrative practice" is that approval for the release of funds is preceded by "the justification of the requesting agency and the evaluation made by the approving authority."
He said this power is reiterated in Section 20 of the General Provisions of Republic Act 9498, the General Appropriations Act for 2008, which states that "no amount in this Act shall be released or disbursed for confidential and intelligence activities unless approved by the President of the Philippines."
Escudero said, in addition to intelligence funds provided for in the budgets of agencies, "savings authorized by special provisions to be used for intelligence and counter-intelligence activities can be released only upon approval of the President of the Philippines."
He said once released, the 80 percent of funds must be used for field operations, as required by the same section.
He said the justification usually centers on "the programs, projects, and activities" to be funded including the equipment that will be bought.
He said for 2008, some P1.360 billion had been appropriated for "confidential and intelligence expenses" of 20 agencies.
He said the biggest recipient is the Office of the President with P650 million, P500 of which is for the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission; next is the Philippine National Police with P270 million; Department of National Defense with P151.6 million, of which about P119 million is shared by the AFP General Headquarters and the three major armed services. - GMANews

UN rallies 15 M Pinoys to join drive vs poverty

The United Nations began yesterday its UN Millennium Campaign to call on government leaders to step up efforts to alleviate poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by 2015.
At least 15 million Filipinos are expected to be mobilized tomorrow in the global event dubbed "Stand Up, Take Action Against Poverty."
Salil Shetty, director of the UN Millennium Campaign organizing the event, said the campaign coincides with the commemoration of the International Day for Poverty Eradication and the Philippines' National Week for Overcoming Extreme Poverty.
"This October 17-19, world leaders will hear directly from their people that they will no longer simply watch while 50,000 people die of preventable causes each day," Shetty said.
"World leaders have just recommitted to achieving the MDGs and from this moment on, citizens will be holding them accountable for taking urgent action to deliver on their promises," she said.
In September 2000, world leaders from 191 member countries of the UN adopted the Millennium Declaration and pledged to "spare no effort to free our fellow men, women and children from the abject and dehumanizing conditions of extreme poverty."
The Millennium Declaration gave fruition to the MDGs, a set of eight time-bound goals encapsulating the world's development aspirations by 2015.
Its goals include eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, promoting gender equality and empowering women, reducing child mortality, improving maternal health, combating HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases, ensuring environmental sustainability, and developing global partnership.
Halfway towards the target date of 2015, the UN takes stock of the gains made and the challenges ahead to attain the eight goals.
While the Philippines is progressing well in its bid to achieve most of the MDGs, faster pace of gains is urgently needed to reach 2015 targets, it said.
UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative Nileema Noble said the Philippines is now on track to meet the MDG targets on poverty reduction, nutrition, gender equality, reducing child mortality, combating HIV and AIDS, malaria and other diseases and access to safe drinking water, despite a series of natural disasters and challenges in the political environment. - Pia Lee-Brago (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
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RP calls for progress in UN disarmament committee

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines reiterated Thursday its call for progress in international disarmament efforts, especially in curbing the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons (SALWs).
A statement on the Philippine mission to the United Nations website said the call came as the UN again tackles the issue during the 63rd Session of the General Assembly.
"The Philippines' main concern remains to be the proliferation and the uncontrolled spread of small arms and light weapons or SALWs," said Philippine representative to the UN Hilario Davide Jr.
Davide said SALWs are easily acquired and easily transported and smuggled because of their small size, and are easily used with minimum training.
He urged the international community to move the disarmament agenda forward.
Also, Davide underscored the importance the Philippines places on the efforts of the United Nations to curb the illicit flow of small arms and light weapons.
"Given their mass spread and proliferation, SALWs have killed and maimed a great number of combatants and innocent civilians alike," he said.
Davide also called for the elimination of nuclear weapons and support for international agreements that promote peace and nuclear non-proliferation such as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT).
The Philippines is a state party to both international agreements which form the cornerstone of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, said Ambassador Davide, adding that the country is a major contributor to both, specifically the CTBT.
"The Philippines is proud to be a contributor to the CTBT with its hosting of three facilities that form part of the International Monitoring System," Davide said as he cited the seismological monitoring stations in Davao and Tagaytay and the radionuclide station in Quezon City.
"The International Monitoring System created by the CTBT, aside from being able to detect nuclear explosions given its 337 facilities all over the world, also has civilian uses such as tsunami warning," he added.
Davide also cited Philippine support for the Landmine Treaty and the Cluster Munitions Treaty that was negotiated in Dublin in May this year.
"Landmines and cluster munitions have an adverse impact on civilian populations since many of them are left unexploded long after a conflict has ended and they victimize innocent civilians including children," he said.
"The Philippines as one of the largest contributors of Peacekeepers to the United Nations would like to see the elimination of these types of weapons since they could end up harming our troops while they are serving abroad carrying out the mandate of the 192-member United Nations," he added.
Davide urged member states of the UN to show the political will necessary so that progress can be achieved in the complex field of disarmament. - GMANews

European Union assures ARMM of P470 M humanitarian package

COTABATO CITY -- The European Union assured officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) of a P470 million humanitarian package for thousands of Muslim and Christian villagers displaced by the continuing hostilities between the military and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) forces.
In a meeting here with ARMM officials the other day, EU Ambassador Alistair Mcdonald also appealed to the MILF and the Philippine government to resume peace talks.
Mcdonald said of the seven million Euros or P470 million they have earmarked for rehabilitation, P270 million is intended for the immediate needs of people displaced by the military-MILF hostilities.
The remaining P200 million, according to Mcdonald, will be spent for long-term projects needed to cushion the adverse impact to the lives of evacuees of the conflicts in their communities.- John Unson (Philstar News Service, www.philstar.com)
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The Worst 'Healthy' Foods Posted Mon, Oct 06, 2008, 12:55 pm PDT

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If you want to lose weight, it may seem like a good idea to trade candy bars for granola bars or to swap bacon and eggs at breakfast for the classic bagel (it’s shaped like a zero; how bad could it be?).
Sadly, it’s just not that simple. Customers’ nutrition knowledge is rising, so food marketers are desperate to attract the right kind of attention from the eating public. So they’re twisting nutritional buzzwords to trick us into eating the kinds of foods that can actually help make us fat. We need to be more careful than ever to make sure we’re feeding ourselves and our families the very best real health foods — not sugar-infused calorie bombs disguised as weight-loss foods.Read up for our latest batch of dietary phonies. They may look good on the front label, but they’ll get you in the end if you're not careful. Granola Bar200 calories15 g sugars Eat this instead! 1 oz cheddar cheese with Triscuits150 calories5 g sugars Ever wonder what keeps a granola bar together? The answer: high-fructose corn syrup, which quickly raises blood sugar and cancels out most of the potential benefits the granola almonds and oats might give you. Switch over to good old-fashioned cheese and crackers, and you trade sugar and calories for protein and fiber. It's a big deal that will make you smaller, as will steering clear of the sugar bombs. By the way, these are the most sugar-packed foods in America.
Yogurt with Fruit on the Bottom190 calories30 g sugars Eat this instead!Plain yogurt with fresh fruit mixed in110 calories15 g sugars Pass on these over-sweetened yogurt cups; they contain as much sugar as a soft drink. Almost all of that comes directly from the “fruit,” which is swimming in high-fructose corn syrup. Yogurt and fruit can be a great way to start your day, but do it yourself by mixing a cup of nonfat plain yogurt with a half cup of mixed berries.
Bagel with Cream Cheese700 calories40 g fat13 g saturated Eat this instead!Cheese omelet425 calories18 g6 g saturated Bagels are bogus. The bread is bad enough, containing 300 calories and 60 grams of carbohydrates, but tack on the liberal cream cheese schmear (by our survey of popular breakfast chains, up to 4 ounces for a single bagel!) and your "harmless" breakfast sandwich weighs in as worse than a Whopper. The omelet swap will save you nearly 300 calories, plus provide a surge of metabolism-boosting protein. And a recent study from the University of Connecticut found that eating eggs can help raise HDL (good) cholesterol. And while you're being vigilant, watch out for the 20 Unhealthiest Drinks in America!
Dried Fruit175 calories45 g sugars Eat this instead!Fresh fruit, like an apple or a peach70 calories15 g sugars OK, so dried fruit won’t totally derail a day of good eating (unless you down the whole bag of banana chips), but it’s far from being a harmless snack. First, because the dehydrating process sucks most of the volume from the fruit, you can eat cups of the stuff, and 600 calories later, still not feel any fuller. More troubling, though, is the fact that Sun-Maid and Ocean Spray add sugar to the fruit, making Craisins closer to candy than Mother Nature’s original intention. The choice is clear: Stick to the original, straight from the tree. Fish Sandwich600 calories30 g fat11 g saturated Eat this instead!Grilled chicken sandwich300 calories13 g fat4 g saturated Fish is good for you, except when it’s battered, fried, robed in cheese, and bathed in tartar sauce. The lesson? Even the biggest star can be sabotaged by the supporting cast. To this end, avoid any menu item with the word "crispy," the restaurant industry’s favorite euphemism for “fried.” Make sure your next fish or chicken sandwich is grilled, dressed with fresh produce, and topped with a low-cal barbecue sauce, or even ketchup and mustard. And watch the salt; these 20 foods are the saltiest in America!
Stick margarine (1 Tbsp)100 calories11 g fat2.5 g saturated2.5 g trans fat Eat this instead!Whipped butter (1 Tbsp)50 calories6 g fat1.5 g saturated In their haste to remove saturated fat from butter, margarine makers created the margarine monster — a dangerous lipid called trans fat, with more dangerous links to heart disease than saturated fat. Pick up whipped butter instead; by whipping air into the spread, manufacturers decrease the caloric density of a tablespoon of butter, and they make it easier to top your toast. If you buy margarine, make sure it’s the type found in the tub, hopefully with an added bonus like omega-3s folded into the mix.
When eating out, make these 15 top restaurant swaps to avoid caloric disasters. And check out our definitive restaurant report card to identify the best places for healthy eating at fast food and chain restaurants throughout America.
Eat better at home, too. Shop for the 125 healthiest supermarket foods in America.
Keep your kids happy and healthy with twists on these 10 favorites.Look here for 17 foods that women should be eating to stay fit.