COMELEC acting Chairman Christian Robert Lim (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) admitted they are already delayed with their preparations for the 2016 national elections.

One of the already delayed projects is the procurement of 23,000 MOR voting machines, the contract for which should have been awarded already this month.

“Two months delayed. (Is there a domino effect?) Yes, there is, as I said earlier it will affect procurements, warehousing, transmission, everything,” COMELEC acting Chairman Christian Robert Lim said.

Earlier, COMELEC Bids and Awards Committee disqualified Indra Sistemas and Smartmatic because their financial bid proposals did not match the requirements.

The motions for reconsiderations of the two companies are now pending before the BAC.

If the BAC’s original decision is affirmed, however, it will result in a re-bidding which will again consume some time.

According to Lim, they will work diligently to beat the deadline and they will extend working hours, if necessary.

“Our customization could be cut down from 6 months to 4 months, we have to work overtime,” he said.

The COMELEC further admitted that they find it difficult especially because only four commissioners were left.

Sometimes, this is also the reason why it took them long to come up with a decision.

“(How difficult it is when there are only four of you?) It’s really difficult because the moment somebody dissented, nothing will happen, there will be no action,” Lim said.

Until now, a new COMELEC chairman is yet to be appointed to replace retired Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. (Grace Casin / UNTV News)

A man shovels snow off of the sidewalk during a snow storm in New York March 3, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/LUCAS JACKSON

(Reuters) – A late winter storm pummeled the eastern United States on Thursday ahead of a cold front, canceling almost 5,000 flights as Kentucky dug out from up to 23 inches (58 cm) of snow that had stranded hundreds of drivers.

Winter storm warnings and advisories were in place from the Middle Atlantic states into southern New England, as well as from the lower Mississippi Valley to the southern Appalachians, the National Weather Service said.

Up to 4 more inches (10 more cm) of snow are possible across the northern Middle Atlantic area late on Thursday before the storm tapers off, the weather service said.

A Delta Air Lines (DAL.N) plane arriving in heavy snow at New York’s LaGuardia Airport from Atlanta slid off the runway into a fence. No serious injuries were reported.

In Kentucky, Governor Steve Beshear declared a state of emergency as traffic halted on interstate highways, leaving hundreds of motorists stranded overnight.

About 30 miles (37 km) of Interstate 65 near Elizabethtown had been shut down, but he told CNN that some traffic was beginning to move.

“It is moving again, thank goodness,” Beshear said.

Traffic on Interstate 24 near Paducah was also starting to move slowly, but as temperatures fell after nightfall icing was again a problem, transportation officials said.

Cancellations were announced for hundreds of school districts, government offices and legislatures in the District of Columbia, New Jersey, South Carolina and Tennessee.

In Washington, federal offices and Congress shut down, and sledders ignored a police ban to stage a “sled-in” on Capitol Hill. “We’re out here sledding for America,” sledder Mai Fernandez told Reuters Television,

Slick travel conditions were reported throughout the Ohio River Valley and surrounding states, and one person was killed in a vehicle crash in Dickson County, Tennessee.

In Dallas, a man who was outdoors photographing the snowfall was shot to death, but there were no arrests and no known motive, police said.

A total of 4,858 U.S. flights were canceled, according to FlightAware.com. Airports in Dallas, Washington, Philadelphia and the New York metropolitan area were hardest hit.

Parts of Massachusetts got up to 12 inches (19 cm) of snow, but there was no official word on whether Boston had broken its annual snowfall record. Two inches (5 cm) would break the city’s record annual total of nearly 108 inches (274 cm) set in 1995-96.

(Reporting by Curtis Skinner and Barbara Goldberg; Additional reporting by Tim Ryan and Ian Simpson in Washington, Tim; Steve Barnes in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Steve Bittenbender in Louisville, Kentucky; Editing by Kevin Liffey, Lisa Von Ahn and Ken Wills)

Apple CEO Tim Cook stands in front of a screen displaying apps available for the Apple Watch at a presentation at Apple headquarters in Cupertino, California October 16, 2014.
CREDIT: REUTERS/ROBERT GALBRAITH

(Reuters) – Apple Inc (AAPL.O) has allowed some companies to test their apps on its yet-to-be-launched Apple Watch and adjust the tools to the watch’s design, Bloomberg reported.

Facebook Inc (FB.O), United Continental Holdings Inc (UAL.N), BMW AG (BMWG.DE) and others have spent weeks at Apple’s headquarters, working with the smartwatch to test and fine-tune apps that will debut alongside the device, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the process.

The watch, which will let consumers check their email, pay for goods at retail stores and monitor personal health information, will be Apple’s first major product launch since the iPad in 2010.

The company has scheduled a special event in San Fransisco on March 9 where it is expected to showcase Apple Watch, which will be launched in April.

Apple uses extreme measures to keep its work secret – Internet access is blocked inside the rooms and no outside materials can be brought in, Bloomberg reported, citing a person who attended the tests.

Apple spokeswoman Trudy Muller and Facebook spokeswoman Johanna Peace declined to comment. Reuters could not immediately reach United Continental and BMW for comment outside regular business hours.

German carmaker BMW said on Thursday its talks with Apple did not involve developing or building a car, denying a German magazine report.

(Reporting by Supriya Kurane in Bengaluru; Editing by Gopakumar Warrier)

An Iraqi soldier looks on as smoke rises from oil wells in the Ajil field east of the city of Tikrit in the Salahuddin province, March 4, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/ MAHMOUD RAOUF

(Reuters) – Islamic State militants have set fire to oil wells northeast of the city of Tikrit to obstruct an assault by Shi’ite militiamen and Iraqi soldiers trying to drive them from the Sunni Muslim city and surrounding towns, a witness said.

The witness and a military source said Islamic State fighters ignited the fire at the Ajil oil field to shield themselves from attack by Iraqi military helicopters.

The offensive is the biggest Iraqi forces have yet mounted against IS, which has declared an Islamic caliphate on captured territory in Iraq and Syria and spread fear across the region by slaughtering Arab and Western hostages and killing or kidnapping members of religious minorities like Yazidis and Christians.

Black smoke could be seen rising from the oil field since Wednesday afternoon, said the witness, who accompanied Iraqi militia and soldiers as they advanced on Tikrit from the east.

Control of oil fields has played an important part in funding Islamic State, even if it lacks the technical expertise to run them at full capacity.

Before IS took over Ajil last June, the field produced 25,000 barrels per day of crude that were shipped to the Kirkuk refinery to the north-east, as well as 150 million cubic feet of gas per day piped to the government-controlled Kirkuk power station.

An engineer at the site, about 35 km (20 miles) northeast of Tikrit, told Reuters last July that Islamic State fighters were pumping lower volumes of oil from Ajil, fearing that their primitive extraction techniques could ignite the gas.

Bombing in August damaged the Ajil field’s control room, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration.

The outcome of the battle for Tikrit, best known as the home town of executed Sunni president Saddam Hussein, will determine whether and how fast the Iraqi forces can advance further north and attempt to win back Mosul, the biggest city under Islamic State rule.

The army, backed by Shi’ite militia and Kurdish Peshmerga fighters, has yet to reconquer and secure any city held by Islamic State, despite seven months of air strikes by a U.S.-led coalition, as well as weapons supplies and strategic support from neighboring Iran.

Tehran, not Washington, has been the key player in the current offensive, with Iranian Revolutionary Guard general Qassem Soleimani seen directing operations on the eastern flank, and Iranian-backed militia leading much of the operation.

Iran’s regional rival Saudi Arabia expressed alarm on Thursday. “The situation in Tikrit is a prime example of what we are worried about. Iran is taking over the country,” Prince Saud al-Faisal, foreign minister of the Sunni Muslim kingdom, said after talks with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry.

A spokesman for the local Salahuddin tribal council said 4,000 Sunnis were also taking part in the Tikrit campaign, part of an overall force of more than 20,000 troops and militiamen.

MILITIA LEADER KILLED

Soldiers and militia are also advancing along the Tigris river from the north and south of Tikrit, preparing for a joint offensive expected in coming days. They are likely to attack first the towns of al-Dour and al-Alam to the south and north of Tikrit.

Their approach has been slowed by roadside bombs, snipers and suicide attacks.

An Islamic State suicide bomber drove an explosives-laden tanker on Wednesday night into a camp on the eastern edge of al-Dour, killing a leader of the Iranian-backed Asaib Ahl al-Haq militia, Madi al-Kinani, and four others, a military source said.

Al-Ahd, the militia’s television channel, confirmed Kinani’s death on Thursday, when he was buried in the Shi’ite holy city of Najaf, south of the capital Baghdad.

A Salahuddin police source said an eight-vehicle convoy of Islamic State insurgents attacked Iraqi forces at dawn on Thursday in al-Muaibidi, east of al-Alam. The source said the army returned fire, killing four militants and burning two of their cars.

An online video published early on Thursday purported to show Islamic State militants in Tikrit and al-Alam, taunting their attackers.

“Here we stand in central Tikrit, that’s the mosque of the martyrs behind us … You claimed, as usual that you raided the Sunnis and their homes and have claimed al-Dour, al-Jalam, al-Alam, Tikrit and others. By God, you have lied,” a fighter said.

In Baghdad, 10 people were killed on Thursday in a series of bomb and mortar attacks, police and medical sources said.

The deadliest incidents were in the southeastern, Sunni neighborhood of Nahrawan, where three people were killed by a bomb in a market, and the northern district of Rashidiya where three soldiers were killed by two roadside bombs.

(Additional reporting by Mostafa Hashem in Cairo; Editing by Mark Trevelyan and Giles Elgood)

Rescue workers help passengers after a Turkish Airlines passenger crashed while attempting to land at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport February 25, 2009. The plane broke into three parts when it hit the ground next to the runway, according to CNN Turk.
CREDIT: REUTERS/TOUSSAINT KLUITERS/UNITED PHOTOS

(Reuters) – A Turkish Airlines plane with 134 passengers and crew aboard crashed in light fog while trying to land at Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport on Wednesday, killing nine people and injuring dozens.

Officials said some 84 people were taken to hospitals, including 25 who were severely hurt, when flight TK 1951 from Istanbul crashed into a field short of a runway at Schiphol, Europe’s fifth-largest airport by passenger volume.

Six were in critical condition.

“We cannot say anything about the cause at the moment,” acting local mayor Michel Bezuijen told reporters. “The priority…is providing help and care.”

The bodies of three crew members, left in the cockpit amid the plane’s wreckage for investigation, were later taken out. Dutch media said the pilot and co-pilot were among the dead.

Officials said they had found the plane’s flight data recorder and that it would be analyzed.

Earlier, Dutch officials said 135 people were on board the plane, but that was revised to 134.

Dutch television showed what appeared to be covered bodies on the ground near the crumpled, single-aisle Boeing 737-800.

At least four Americans, who work for the plane’s manufacturer Boeing, were on the plane, an official said.

The airliner lay in three parts, with the tail section of the fuselage ripped off, and a wide crack just behind the cockpit. The engines had broken off and no fire was visible.

The plane broke up when it collided with the ground north of a runway at Schiphol, which is 20 km (12 miles) southwest of Amsterdam’s center. Survivors were rushed to hospitals in Amsterdam as well as nearby Haarlem and other cities.

“We fell suddenly and stopped,” said a passenger who gave only his surname, Mutlucan. “There was a lot of screaming. We crashed and landed in what looked like a field.”

“The pilot told us we would be landing in 15 minutes, but seven or eight minutes later we hit the ground.”

LIGHT WINDS

Weather reports at the time of the crash indicated decent visibility despite misty conditions, and light winds.

“I thought it was a car collision. We heard a sort of loud and strange sound,” eyewitness Randy Cordes, 14, told Reuters. “I saw one engine that was burning but the fire died quickly.”

Officials said late on Wednesday they were still trying to confirm passenger identities, which included Dutch, Turkish and U.S. nationals.

A flight from Istanbul carrying relatives of crash victims was to land later on Wednesday.

The Turkish airliner crashed 1 mile short of the “polderbaan” runway, the furthest from terminal buildings, on an approach from the north between Schiphol and Haarlem.

Dutch Transport Minister Camiel Eurlings has said Turkish Airlines met all safety regulations at Schiphol, but added in a statement that the cause of the accident will be investigated.

“The pilot is an experienced one who is a former member of the Turkish Air Force,” Turkish Airlines Chief Executive Temel Kotil said.

Wednesday’s crash was the 11th accident involving a Turkish Airlines flight in the past 20 years, the NLR Air Traffic Safety Institute in Amsterdam said in a statement.

Turkish Airlines had a troublesome safety record in the 1970s, with 608 lives lost in around two years, but the modern airline’s safety record has improved. Wednesday’s crash was its second fatal incident this decade, according to the Flight Safety Foundation.

The crash appeared to be the worst at Schiphol since an El Al cargo plane crashed into high-rise apartment blocks in 1992, killing 43 people, 39 of them on the ground.

(Writing by Reed Stevenson; Additional reporting by Aaron Gray-Block, Niclas Mika, Catherine Hornby in Amsterdam, Philip Blenkinsop in Brussels, Paul de Bendern and Alexandra Hudson in Istanbul, Ibon Villelabeitia in Ankara and Tim Hepher in Paris; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)

Ang mga grupong nagsusulong ng pangkapayapaan para sa Mindanao (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines — Bilang pagsuporta sa all-out peace campaign, inaprubahan kamakailan ng House of Representatives at ang Senate of the Philippines ang House Resolutions No. 1952 at Senate Resolution 1204 na nagdedeklara na ngayong March 6 ay ang National Day of Healing for Unity, All-out Peace and All-out Justice.

Ibat ibang peace groups ang nakiisa upang ipakita ang pagsuporta nila sa pagsulong sa Bangsamoro Basic Law upang maitaguyod ang kapayapaan para sa mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao at tutulan ang panawagan para sa all-out offensive operation laban sa BIFF.

Ilan dito ay ang Mindanao Peace Weavers, Friends of the Bangsamoro, Generation Peace Network, Mindanao Solidarity Network, Binhi ng Kapayapaan, Anak-Mindanao, Aksyon para sa Kapayapaan at Katarungan at Young Moro Professionals Network.

Isa si Ara Belleng na biktima ng karahasan sa Mindanao at nilisan ang tahanan doon, “Huwag po natin patayin iyong pag-asa ng mga moro para sa kapayapaan at progreso sa Mindanao.”

Hangad naman ni Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process na si Sec. Teresita Deles na maisulong ang tunay at pang-matagalang kapayapaan sa na naka-base sa katotohanan at katarungan.

“Iyong gusto kong i-continue to of course remember the sacrifice of those who have fallen and we know that that is on both sides of the conflict,” ani Deles.

Si former Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. ay dumalo sa peace campaign at nagbigay ng kaniyang mensahe, “Kailangan mapasa pero we have to improve sapagka’t maraming mistakes. It’s like a house being built, kailangan inspeksyunin muna.”

Dumating din sa peace campaign si former Senator Santanina Rasul at ilang miyembro ng PNP at Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Nagsisilbi din ang all-out peace campaign upang hingin ang pagkamit ng katarungan sa 44 na PNP SAF Commandos maging ang pagkamatay ng 18 MILF at mga sibilyan na nadamay kasama ang 8 taong gulang na namatay sa madugong engkwentro sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao.

Nananawagan ang ating mga kababayang Moro na ikonsidera ng pamahalaan ang pagpasa sa Bangsamoro Basic Law at pakinggan ang boses ng mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao na ang hanap ay kapayapaan. (AIKO MIGUEL / UNTV News)

House Committee on Energy Chairman Rey Umali (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Energy (DOE) is now getting more generation capacity to resolve the looming power shortage this summer.

According to House Committee on Energy Chairman Rey Umali, businessmen and companies committed 960 megawatts (MW) under the Interruptible Load Program (ILP).

This is much more than the doe’s 115 megawatts target.

The lawmaker, however, said if the 960 MW will be maximized, we do not have to worry about the looming brownout this summer season.

“What is important is we have 960 megawatts of commitments, we tested it already and 75% participated so that is my assurance that the rotating brownouts will not happen,” Umali said.

The Department of Energy, on the other hand, fears that Luzon consumes more power this summer season.

Last Friday, Luzon consumed 7500 MW and reached up to 7800 MW last Sunday.

DOE, added that this might increase on May.

DOE reminded the consumers to save electricity these summer months.

“I hope big (power) plants wont shutdown but the problem is every now and then they would shutdown,” Umali added.

To date, it is not yet clear as to where P200 million will come from to pay to the businessmen and companies who joined the ILP.

Umali said debates are underway in the Bicam as to whether the government will shoulder this expense through the Malampaya fund or it will be passed on to the consumers.

Both Houses of Congress are set to pass the proposed emergency power to be given to the President.

“Monday is our next Bicam. If we can agree by Monday then that is it and we will probably ratify this in both chambers on Tuesday. By Wednesday it will be forwarded to the President,” he said. (Grace Casin / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Inside a taxi (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Due to the continuous decrease in oil prices, commuters will enjoy a lower taxi fare, starting Monday, March 9.

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) approved the P10-rollback in taxi flag down rate nationwide.

The cut will bring the flag down rate for regular taxi to P30 from the current P40, while P60 from the current P70 for airport taxis.

The succeeding 300-meter charges, however, remain at P3.50 on regular taxis, and P7.00 in airport taxis.

LTFRB Chairman Atty. Winston Ginez said there is no need for taxi meters to be calibrated.

The LTFRB appealed to taxi operators to give considerations to commuters for the immediate implementation of the fare cut.

“They only have to put a notice and deduct the P10 for the average fare,” Ginez said.

LTFRB clarified that the 20% discounts for students and senior citizens is still effective.

The petition was filed by Negros Oriental Rep. Manuel Iway, citing recent rollbacks in diesel and gasoline prices.

However, the Philippine National Taxi Operators Association (PNTOA) plans to block the implementation of the fare cut.

The PNTOA President, Bong Suntay, called the LTFRB move ‘unjustified’.

He said LTFRB failed to consider other factors such as inflation and heavy traffic, which cause limited number of trips taxis could make in a day, hurting their income.

Suntay said that despite the decreasing oil prices, they are anticipating increases in toll fees, minimum wage and higher cost of spare parts.

He added that they are still recovering from high fuel costs in the previous years. The last taxi fare increase was in 2010.

A taxi driver can ferry 30-35 passengers in a day. With the P10-rollback, he will lose P350.

“We are not happy with the reduction, it’s a loss to our profit,” said Petronilo Tinga, taxi driver.

“Prices of gasoline is not stable, this will affect our income,” Arnulfo Meraca said.

“Of course this will affect their profit, just like what i always said, they do not want choosy drivers but they do not want the taxi drivers to earn. It’s like, if you want good service you have to pay for good service, just like employees, if you pay peanuts you get monkeys,” Atty. Bong Suntay of PNTOA said.

Those who will not comply with the fare cut will be fined P5,000.

The LTFRB will also decide on the nationwide fare adjustment for UV Express and buses next week. (Mon Jocson / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Captured image at NAIA thermal scanner in March 2014 (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) confirmed that two nurses and a respiratory technician working in Saudi Arabia had been tested positive for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus (MERS-CoV).

One of the nurses is 56 years old and worked at the emergency room; the second one was assigned at the oncology section.

“Our embassy in Riyadh confirmed that 3 Filipinos are infected with MERSCOV in Saudi Arabia,” DFA Spokesperson Charles Jose said in an interview.

The hospitals where the three Filipinas worked were not named.

The 56-year old nurse is now in isolation and the other two are undergoing examinations to arrest the deadly disease.

“Our embassy in Riyadh and our Consulate General in Jeddah will continue to monitor the new Filipino MERS cases as well to encourage our nationals in Saudi Arabia to take extra precautionary measures,” Jose said.

It was learned that they were infected by patients with MERS-CoV who were also confined in the hospitals they were working in.

The DFA is coordinating with the families of the patients to inform them of their condition.

Their employers will be covering their medical expenses.

The DFA reminded our fellow Filipinos working in the Middle East, especially health workers, to follow infection prevention protocols in hospitals to avoid being infected with MERS-CoV and other diseases.

Last month, a Filipina nurse who returned to the country was tested positive for MERS-CoV.

After several weeks of treatment at the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), she recovered and has been released from the hospital.

The DFA once again appealed to our countrymen in the Middle East who will be returning to the Philippines to undergo examinations before travelling to make sure that the deadly virus will not enter the country. (Joan Nano / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Senator Jinggoy Estrada inside a Sandiganbayan courtroom (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – The Sandiganbayan 5th Division has allowed Atty. Orlando Negdradas Jr., the financial investigator of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) to attend the bail hearing of Sen. Jinggoy Estrada on Monday to present their investigation into the bank accounts and several properties of the Senator.

The court agreed with the prosecution that the AMLC report is important to prove that Estrada received directly from the illegal funds in his transactions in the PDAF scam.

This is to prove that there was a series of transactions between the Senator and the corporation of Janet-Lim Napoles.

The Sandiganbayan 5th Division stressed that the Senator cannot fight for his right to privacy and confidentiality in this issue because he is a government official, and the interest of the state rests on his plunder and graft case. (UNTV News)

A text message from the head of the BOI, CIDG Chief Police Dir. Benjamin Magalong. (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – The PNP’s Board of Inquiry was not able to complete its report on the Mamasapano clash investigation. This is the reason why it failed to release the said result on Friday.

A text message from the head of the BOI, CIDG Chief Police Dir. Benjamin Magalong said, they will be submitting the result on Monday. This was also previously stated by DILG Sec. Mar Roxas.

According to PNP Spokesperson and Public Information Office Chief Police Chief Superintendent Generoso Cerbo Jr, the BOI is still waiting for the final reports of the operational audit team.

“He is still gathering the final reports from some members of the operational audit team. No final report is yet ready for submission,” he said.

Members of the operational audit team, on the other hand, assured that they will be sending their report before the day ends.

Cerbo stressed that the result will be released to the public so it would be better to wait for the BOI to finish.

“You will know of it, we will make an announcement about it,” he added.

According to the PNP, the result of the fact-finding of the BOI can be used to file charges against personalities behind the operation and the MILF and the BIFF who mercilessly killed the SAF 44.

Even the DOJ is waiting for the result of the BOI investigation for the filing of charges against responsible persons.

“Whatever document they can furnish us, they can share with us and then that’s the time that I can make any categorical statement,” Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said.

The PNP previously said that they are giving the BOI a month to wrap up their investigation but it has asked for a one-week extension and said that the results will be released March 6. (LEA YLAGAN / UNTV News)

Tamerlan Eskerkhanov, detained over the killing of Boris Nemtsov, is escorted inside a court building in Moscow, March 8, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/MAXIM SHEMETOV

(Reuters) – Russian authorities said on Sunday they had charged two men over the killing of Kremlin critic Boris Nemtsov and said one of them was a former senior policeman from the mainly Muslim region of Chechnya who had confessed to involvement in the crime.

The two were among five men, all ethnic Chechens, frogmarched into a Moscow courtroom on Sunday, forced by masked security officers gripping their bound arms to walk doubled over, a Reuters reporter at the court said.

The men stood in metal cages as television crews were ushered in to film them.

Nemtsov was shot dead on the night of Feb. 27 within sight of the Kremlin walls, in the most high-profile killing of an opposition figure in the 15 years that President Vladimir Putin has been in power.

Judge Natalia Mushnikova ordered that all five men should remain in custody.

Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a Putin ally, said the former policeman, Zaur Dadayev, was a pious Muslim who had been angered by cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo.

Nemtsov, a liberal, had defended the cartoons after Islamist gunmen killed 12 people at the Charlie Hebdo office in Paris in January. Russian investigators said last week they were looking into the possibility that Islamist militants had killed Nemtsov.

“All who know Zaur confirm that he is a deep believer and also that he, like all Muslims, was shocked by the activities of Charlie and comments in support of printing the cartoons,” Kadyrov wrote on his Instagram account.

Kadyrov described Dadayev as “a true patriot of Russia” who had received several medals for bravery but had subsequently resigned from his interior ministry regiment for reasons the Chechen leader said were unclear.

There have been cases in the past where employees of Russian law enforcement agencies have been prosecuted after moonlighting for organized crime groups.

CONFESSION

“Dadayev’s involvement in committing this crime is confirmed by, apart from his own confession, the totality of evidence gathered as part of this criminal case,” Mushnikova told Sunday’s court hearing.

The other man charged is Anzor Gubashev. The three other suspects are his brother Shagid Gubashev, Ramzan Bakhayev and Tamerlan Eskerkhanov. Previously, investigators said they only had two suspects in custody.

Separately, Russia’s Interfax news agency, quoting a Chechen law enforcement source, said a man killed in a standoff with police in the Chechen capital Grozny late on Saturday had also been wanted by police in connection with Nemtsov’s killing.

When police arrived at an apartment block, the man threw one grenade at officers and then blew himself up with a second, Interfax said.

Some associates of Nemtsov, a 55-year-old former deputy prime minister who became a Putin critic, say the Kremlin stands to gain from his death. Russian officials deny involvement and Putin has condemned the killing.

The court hearings on Sunday were given extensive coverage on state-controlled media, and presented as proof the authorities were conducting a thorough investigation – not the cover-up some of Nemtsov’s friends say they anticipate.

But associates of Nemtsov say they will not be satisfied unless prosecutors track down whoever orchestrated the killing, rather than just the people who pulled the trigger.

There was no word from investigators on who the suspects were alleged to have been working for.

Several other high-profile killings in Russia, including the 2006 shooting of journalist Anna Politkovskaya, have been attributed to gunmen from Chechnya and other parts of the North Caucasus region, while those who ordered the crimes were never firmly identified.

Chechnya has seen violent separatist insurgencies over the past two decades. It is now firmly under the control of Kadyrov, a former rebel who changed sides and pledges loyalty to Putin.

(Additional reporting by Christian Lowe, editing by Gareth Jones)

Contributed photo of Cavite Rep. Lani Mercado Revilla with her son Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla (PHOTO CREDITS: Cavite Representative Lani Mercado Revilla)

MANILA, Philippines – Nakalabas na ng ospital si Cavite Vice Governor Jolo Revilla matapos ang isang linggong gamutan.

Sabado nang muling sumailalim sa isang operasyon ang bise gobernador upang tanggalin ang tubo na nakakabit sa kaniyang dibdib.

Ayon sa tagapagsalita ng pamilya Revilla na si Attorney Raymond Fortun, bagama’t masakit pa rin ang sugat ng actor/politician minabuti nito na sa bahay na lamang nila sa Alabang magpagaling.

Binigyan si Jolo ng oral medication ng kaniyang doktor at kailangan nitong magpacheck up sa ospital isang beses isang linggo.

Ayon pa kay Fortun, nagsumite na rin ng 30 days sick leave ang bise gobernador para sa kaniyang full recovery.

“Ang laki ng improvement kasi niya simula ng dalawin siya nung Tuesday ng tatay niya minarapat niya na gusto na niya umuwi kasi probably mas madali talaga magpahinga at lalong gumagaling kapag nasa bahay,” pahayag nito.

Nagpapasalamat naman ang pamilya Revilla sa mga nag-alay ng dasal sa bise gobernador para sa mabilis na paggaling nito.

February 28, Sabado ng umaga nang isugod sa ospital si Jolo matapos aksidenteng mabaril ang sarili habang nililinis ang kaniyang baril. (Sherwin Culubong / UNTV News)

A view of a sign at a remembrance event for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 on the one year anniversary of MH370’s disappearance, in Kuala Lumpur, March 8, 2015.
CREDIT: REUTERS/OLIVIA HARRIS

(Reuters) – The disclosure that an underwater locator beacon battery in the flight data recorder of MH370 had expired could be key in legal action against Malaysia Airlines over the fruitless search for the jetliner, lawyers for families of the passengers said on Monday.

U.S. law firm Kreindler & Kreindler LP, which is representing around 20 families, said the expired battery was “potentially very significant” in determining compensation if it had hurt the search for the missing plane.

A 584-page interim report into the disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER said the beacon battery for the flight data recorder had expired in December 2012 and was not replaced. The beacon is designed to send a signal if a crash occurs in water.
The oversight was blamed on a failure to properly update a computer system in the engineering department of Malaysia Airlines, Malaysia’s Department of Civil Aviation said in the report released on Sunday, one year after the plane vanished during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

“This airline, which allowed its crew and plane to fly with expired batteries on critical equipment, continues to reject offering any kind of meaningful settlement to the families without them first proving the losses they suffered, without any actual evidence of a crash,” Kreindler & Kreindler LP aviation attorney Justin Green said in an email to Reuters.

“The airline … even more clearly now may be responsible for the unsuccessful search for this plane.”

In January, Malaysia Airlines officially declared the disappearance of MH370 an accident, clearing the way for the airline to pay compensation to victims’ relatives while the search for the plane goes on.

Investigators believe the plane, carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, was flown thousands of miles off course before eventually crashing into the ocean off Australia.

The search along a rugged 60,000 sq km patch of sea floor some 1,600 km (1,000 miles) west of the Australian city of Perth has found nothing so far.

The search in this area, which experts believe is the plane’s most likely resting place, could be wound up in May after Australia’s deputy prime minister said last week discussions were under way between Australia, China and Malaysia on whether to call it off soon.

However, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak and the Chinese government said they remained committed to the search. Most of the passengers were from China.

The interim report offered no definitive cause for the plane’s disappearance, adding there was nothing suspicious in the financial, medical or personal histories of the pilots or crew.

“The disappearance of MH370 is without precedent, and so too is the search – by far the most complex and technically challenging in aviation history,” Najib said in a statement.

(Editing by Dean Yates)

Sinupalpal ni Paul Reguera ng DOJ Justice Boosters si Bobsky Panican ng MMDA bilang bahagi ng pagpigil sa Black Wolves na makapasok sa quarterfinals. (Madz Milana / Photoville International)

MANILA, Philippines – Nakagawa ng bagong record sa UNTV Cup ang DOJ matapos makapasok sa quarterfinals ng season 3 matapos pataubin ang MMDA Blackwolves, 86-75, sa Ynares Sports Arena nitong Linggo.

Binuhat ni DOJ process server Rico Escalante ang Justice Boosters sa kanyang 18 pts., 4 rebs. at 2 assts performance.

Ang DOJ na hindi nanalo ng kahit isang laro sa unang dalawang seasons ng UNTV Cup ay nakatatlong panalo sa pagtatapos ng elimination round at sa unang pagkakataon ay aabante sa quarter final round.

“This season very special sa amin ito, 1st win 1st second round ngayon quarter finals I hope every thing will be first,” ani Jerome Tadeo, Coach ng DOJ Justice Boosters.

Samantala, nalusutan ng AFP Cavaliers ang PNP Responders, 68-63, kung saan nagsilbing bayani si Sergeant Alvin Zuniga na may 13 pts. at 2 rebs.

“Na-secure namin ang win team, defense ang naging key kung bakit kami nanalo,” saad ni Zuniga.

Sa pagtatapos ng UNTV Cup season 3 elimination round, nakuha ng Malacanang Patriots ang over all no.1 spot at automatic na pasok sa semifinals sa bisa ng 7 wins at 1 loss card.

Number 2 ang Judiciary Magis at isa pang slot sa final 4 sa record na 6 wins 2 loss slate. 3rd ang Senate Defenders na may anim na panalo sa sa walong laro. Pang-apat ang AFP Cavaliers na may 5-3 record.

Number 5 ang PNP Responders bitbit ang 5-3 slate.

Number 6 ang DOJ Justice Boosters na may tatlong panalo sa walong laro. Eliminated na ang MMDA Blackwolves at BFP Firefighters.

Sa susunod na linggo magsisismula na ang quarterfinals kung saan makakaharap ng Team Senate ang Team DOJ. May twice to beat advantage ang Defenders.

Magtatapat naman sa isa pang quarterfinals pairing ang AFP at PNP kung saan may twice to beat edge ang Cavaliers. (JP Ramirez / UNTV News)

(Left-Right) Ang composer at interpreter ng awiting papuri ng “Ikaw Ang Musika” na sina Joshua Carias at Paula Bianca. (FRED ALVIOR / Photoville International)

MANILA, Philippines – Sa ikalawang linggo ng eliminasyon sa buwan ng Marso sa A Song of Praise (ASOP) Music Festival, tinanghal na “song of the week” ang awiting “Ikaw ang Musika” na likha ng baguhang kompositor na si Joshua Carias.

Tumugma ng lubos ang female rock ballad voice ng Viva artist na si Paula Bianca sa awitin.

Ayon kay Joshua, “Nabigyan niya ng justice eh. Natuwa ako sa ginawa niya kaya nga nung isang pasada ng rehearsal niya, okey na eh. Sabi ko, bitiwan mo lang ng emosyon, kargahan mo ng emosyon, pasok ‘yan.”

“Yung sa song na ‘to parang hinukay ko talaga lahat ng emosyon na naramdaman ko all through my life. So this is, this is a very challenging song despite na hindi siya ‘yung super birit pero eto talaga ano, ang labanan dito eh emosyon so talagang marami akong binaong emosyon,” pahayag naman ni Paula Bianca.

Dalawang ballad entries ang nakalaban ng komposisyon ni Joshua, ang “Lahat Man ay Mawala” ni Jetroeuel Quimoy na inawit ng singing champion na si RJ Buena at “Sa Iyo Ama” ni Niño Mas at Carlos Lacson na inawit naman ng isa sa MICA sisters na si Celina Cercado.

Muli namang nakasama ni “Doktor Musiko” Mon Del Rosario bilang hurado ang dalawa sa miyembro ng Music ang Magic na sina Jet Montelibano at Fe Delos Reyes. (Adjes Carreon / UNTV News)

DFA Spokesperson Asec. Charles Jose; Libya Google Map

MANILA, Philippines – Kabilang ang apat na Pilipino sa 9 na foreigners na dinukot ng mga armadong lalaki sa Al Ghani oil field sa Libya noong Marso 6.

Ito ang kinumpirma ni Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Charles Jose ngayong Lunes.

“The Fils were working for VAOS Oil Services, an Austrian-owned company that is headquarters in Tripoli. There are 52 other Fils employed by VAOS but they were evacuated from Al Ghani much earlier,” pahayag nito.

Noong Pebrero, tatlong Pilipino ang una nang dinukot ng hindi pa tukoy na grupo sa Mabruk Oil Field, Libya.

Ayon kay Jose, patuloy na nangangalap ng impormasyon ang DFA at Philippine Embassy sa Libya ukol sa kinaroroonan ng mga dinukot na Pilipino.

Nakikipag-ugnayan na rin sila sa mga employer ng naturang mga OFW.

“The embassy has stepped up coordination with the VAOS officials and authorities to locate the abducted Filipinos and work for their safe and immediate release,” saad pa ni Jose.

Muli namang hinikayat ni Jose ang mga overseas Filipino worker sa Libya na magpalista na sa repatriation program ng pamahalaan.

Hunyo ng nakaraang taon pa nang ipatupad ng DFA ang alert level 4 o mandatory repatriation sa Libya, kung saan tinatayang apat na libong OFW na rin ang napauwi sa bansa.

Tiniyak rin ng DFA na gumagawa ng hakbang ang pamahalaan upang mailayo sa kapahamakan ang mga manggagawang Pinoy sa Libya. (Bianca Dava /UNTV News)

Ex-APEC Representative Edgar Valdez (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Hindi naghain ng plea sa kasong plunder at 7 counts of graft kaugnay ng PDAF scam si dating APEC Partylist Rep. Edgar Valdez ngayong araw ng Lunes.

Hindi rin nagpasok ng plea si Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Mario Relampagos at iba pang opisyal ng DBM.

Samantala, not guilty naman ang ipinasok na plea ni Janet Lim Napoles at iba pang kapwa akusado sa graft, habang hindi pa rin humaharap sa korte at nagtatago si John Raymond De Asis, kapwa akusado sa kasong plunder.

“Last Friday we filed a motion to defer arraignment but then proceeded with the arraignment that’s why we thought it wise not to enter any plea. Si Valdez refused to enter any plea otherwise it might render the petition for certiorari moot and academic,” pahayag ni Atty. Joel Ferrel, abogado ni Valdez.

Samantala, magkakaroon na rin ng bail hearing sa plunder case ni Valdez.

Ayon sa kanyang abogado, sa loob lang ng labindalawang pagdinig ay maaari nang matapos ang bail hearing dahil kumpiyansa silang walang matibay na ebidensyang mailalatag laban sa dating kongresista.

Sinabi ni Atty. Ferrer na kwestiyonable ang kasong plunder na isinampa laban sa dating kongresista.

“The threshold amount was not met, meaning to say P50 million sa plunder considering the amounts involved hindi aabot ng P50 million so elements of which is nag-fail na,” saad pa ng abogado.

Inaasahang haharap bilang kauna-unahang testigo laban kay Valdez si Carmencita Delantar, mula sa Department of Budget and Management (DBM).

Kasalukuyang nakaditine sa BJMP sa Camp Bagong Diwa si Valdez kasama sina Janet Lim Napoles at Atty. Gigi Reyes na pawang mga akusado rin sa pork barrel scam. (Joyce Balancio / UNTV News)

Ang pagsasanay ng AFP at PNP chorale para sa benefit concert ng Galant 44 na gaganapin sa March 19, 2015. (UNTV News)

MANILA, Philippines – Sa unang araw pa lamang ng ensayo ng ilang miyembro ng Philippine National Police (PNP) at Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chorale, damang-dama na ang pagnanais ng mga ito na makatulong sa mga pamilya ng mga nasawi sa madugong engkwentro sa Mamasapano, Maguindanao noong Enero 25.

Sa pamamagitan ng kanilang mga tinig, makikibahagi ang mga naturang grupo sa idaraos na benefit concert na may titulong “Songs for Heroes” para sa tinatawag na gallant 44 na gaganapin sa Marso 19 sa SM Mall of Asia Arena sa Pasay City.

Ito ay sa pangunguna ng nag-iisang public service sa bansa, ang UNTV.

“We are happy and we are honored to be part of the show. At least maipahatid din namin yung aming pakikiramay sa SAF 44 namin,” pahayag ni Major Allan Cabanlong. “Mas lalo naming gagalingan kasi alay namin yun para sa kanila,” dagdag nito.

Nagustuhan rin ng mga ito ang napiling awit para sa naturang benefit concert.

“Very suitable po sya dun sa event natin na yun na nakikiramay tayo, yung song mararamdaman mo po yung nasa song na… yung lungkot, yung pagkawala ng ating mga minamahal. Sa amin po hindi lamang sa pagkanta kundi nasa puso po namin yung kinakanta po namin na pakikiramay po,” saad naman ni Police Inspector Delia Gesultura.

Malaki ang pasasalamat ng pamunuan ng PNP Chorale sa UNTV sa pagsasagawa ng kauna-unahang gallant 44 related concert na sila mismong mga pulis at sundalo ang bahagi ng programa.

Ayon kay PO3 Eldiango Polino, “Ang UNTV ang isa sa channel na nakapag-isip ng ganitong programa at maraming maraming mabebenipisyuhan itong ginawa ng UNTV, napakaganda po.”

“Magugustuhan po yung mga kanta na yun kasi nababagay sa tema po ng ginagawa ng UNTV. Ngayon pa lang praktis namin, masaya na yung feelings namin,” saad pa nito.

Makakasama ng AFP at PNP Chorale ang ilang magagaling na mang-aawit sa industriya ng musika sa Pilipinas upang ipadinig ang mga napapanahong awitin para sa pamilya ng SAF 44. (Adjes Carreon / UNTV News)

FILE PHOTO: Fredie Roach (L) and Eight Division World Champion Manny “PACMAN” Pacquiao (R) answers the media questions at a press conference in promotion of his fight then against Chris Algeiri. (Ernesto Papas Fernandez / Photoville International / UNTV News)

Manny Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach spoke about the upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Roach’s biggest challenge will be when his protégé Manny Pacquiao faces off with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas on May 2 in a long awaited mega bout.

“I don’t think he’s (Mayweather) passed it at all. I think his legs are a little shot, a little worn, and I think Pacquiao has better legs at this moment at this time. I think maybe Pacquiao is a little faster and hits a little bit harder. Mayweather has a little fragile hands and is not the biggest puncher in the world. But I think we have more assets to win the fight I feel,” he said.

The duel between Mayweather and Pacquiao has been savoured by boxing fans as to who will take the mythical title of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

Showtime and HBO will jointly broadcast the bout, which is one of the most eagerly anticipated in boxing since the classic 1975 ‘Thrilla in Manila’ between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

The fight has been five years in the making and roach is confident it will live up to the hype.

“I do believe it will live up to the hype at this point. I think it will be a better fight now because Mayweather doesn’t move as much as he used to so he has to exchange a little bit more so it does make it more exciting. But five years ago I would have probably favoured Mayweather, now I favour Pacquiao,” Roach said.

Pacquiao lost much of his appeal after successive defeats to American Timothy Bradley and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012, prompting talk of his possible retirement, though he has since bounced back with three impressive wins.

The welterweight showdown in Vegas is projected to be the most lucrative ever in boxing history with Mayweather expected to have a 60-40 split advantage on revenues, earning a minimum of $120 million and Pacquiao at least $80 million. (Ray Consolacion / UNTV News)