By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
Special to Philippines Today

WASHINGTON D.C. – As the human rights record of the government of President Aquino improves, Philippine Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert F. del Rosario is urging the United States government to release its Foreign Military Financing (FMF) allocation for the Philippines.
Mr. Del Rosario lamented that because the U.S. has tied [...]

MANILA – Seven Chinese fishing vessels, three surveillance ships, and 23 service boats are still operating in Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal, according to Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) chief Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara.
This means that tension between the Philippines and China over the shoal has not eased and may have in fact intensified with the presence of [...]

QUEZON CITY — Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes on Monday said he is optimistic the government will finish the distribution of land to farmer-beneficiaries in Hacienda Luisita in six to 12 months.
At a media conference, Delos Reyes said the timeframe set is “realistic” as they have already lined up a process from [...]

By CLAIRE MORALES TRUE

MANILA — World boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Manny Pacquiao for the second year in a row is the richest among the 287 members of the House of Representatives. In fact, he is the only billionaire since 2010 among the lawmakers who are mostly multi-millionaires.
Lawyer Ricardo Bering, director of the House of [...]

CHICAGO (jGLi) —  Nearly two years ago, 70-year-old Filipino American Loreto M. Gaspar sat at a table beside a nine-year-old schoolgirl in his workplace at Illinois Masonic Hospital in Chicago, Illinois. Gaspar told the girl he liked to touch little girls as he rubbed her thigh and touched her arm.
Gaspar later asked for her phone number [...]

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
Special to Philippines Today

CHICAGO (jGLi) – President Barack Obama sent Wednesday (April 25) the nomination of Filipino American Lorna G. Schofield of New York to the United States Senate for confirmation as a federal judge in the Southern District of Court of New York in place of retiring Judge Shira A. Sheindlin.
Attorney [...]

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
Special to Philippines Today
CHICAGO (jGLi) – A Filipino American owner of a home health care business pleaded guilty Friday (April 20) before United States District Judge Frederick J. Kapala in the outlying suburb of Rockford, Illinois to healthcare fraud and kickback violations, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott A. Verseman.
Merigrace Orillo, 45, [...]

U.S. State Dep’t urges China to exercise restraint

By JOSEPH G. LARIOSA
Special to Philippines Today
 
WASHINGTON D.C. – A spokesman of the U.S. State Department in Washington, D.C. urged Monday (April 23) for “continued diplomatic efforts to resolve the current situation near Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal)” standoff between the Philippines and China in the Philippine Western Sea [...]

TARLAC CITY — Lt. Gen. Anthony Alcantara, chief of the Northern Luzon Command, reiterated on Tuesday that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is committed to defend the country’s sovereignty over Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal even as diplomats from both the Philippines and China are scurrying to find a diplomatic solution to the two-week shoal [...]

As U.S., Filipino troops open war drills, Scarborough Shoal standoff continues

By FRED GABOT
MANILA – The United States and the Philippines opened war games in Palawan amid the rising tension in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea over conflicting claims by six countries of Spratlys chain of islands.
Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III assured that [...]