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Lebanon court orders ex-car boss Ghosn out of Beirut home: official
A Lebanese judge has decided to evict former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn from his luxury home, a judicial official said Saturday, four years after an investment firm accused him of "trespassing". Ghosn, who took up residency in the Beirut property after fleeing prosecution in Japan in 2019, appealed the ruling on Friday, the official added. A spokesperson for Ghosn confirmed he had appealed. Ghosn and his wife must "vacate the property... within a month", according to a copy of the decision seen by AFP and dated 16 October. The home with pink walls in the Lebanese capital's upscale Ashrafieh neighborhood is worth some $19 million and is registered to Lebanese company Phoinos Investment, the judicial official said, requesting anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media. Phoinos initiated the legal action in 2019 and has accused Ghosn of "trespassing on private property and living in the home without legal basis", the official added. According to the court document, Ghosn said the company was affiliated with Nissan and that "the property was purchased... for his residence, and there is a signed agreement with Nissan that grants him the right to reside" there. Ghosn occupied the home "according to a contractual relationship linking... Ghosn and Nissan", the decision said. However, the end of that relationship and the plaintiff's wish to retake the property invalidates "the legal basis" of his occupancy, it added. In a written statement to AFP, a Ghosn spokesperson said documents that had been unavailable for prior hearings in the cast would support his appeal. "He will now be able to present all the documents held up in Japan that he was unable to secure on time," the statement said. Ghosn, the former chairman and chief executive of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance, was arrested in Japan in November 2018 on suspicion of financial misconduct, before being sacked by Nissan's board in a unanimous decision. He jumped bail late the following year and made a dramatic escape from Japan hidden in an audio-equipment box, landing in Beirut, where he remains an international fugitive. Ghosn has always denied the charges against him, arguing they were cooked up by Nissan executives who opposed his attempts to more closely integrate the firm with French partner Renault. Japan and France have sought his arrest, but Lebanon does not extradite its citizens, and judicial authorities have slapped a travel ban on Ghosn, who holds Lebanese, French, and Brazilian nationality. The post Lebanon court orders ex-car boss Ghosn out of Beirut home: official appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
DOLE lauds outstanding Public Employment Service Offices across nation
The Department of Labor and Employment urged collective action to address the Philippines’ job problems on 25 October during the 23rd National PESO Congress in Palo, Leyte. DOLE Secretary Bienvenido E. Laguesma stressed in his speech the vital role of Public Employment Service Offices or PESO and DOLE’s frontline partners in promoting productive employment at the local level. “The responsibility of realizing the objectives of the Philippine Labor and Employment Plan and the Trabaho para sa Bayan Act is not the DOLE’s responsibility alone. It is jointly shared with our social partners, especially our PESOs. The challenges we face in our employment landscape demand collective action and innovative solutions,” Laguesma said. Laguesma also emphasized the need for open and constructive dialogue with PESO managers across the nation as he bared the department's five-point agenda, which includes strengthening its core functions, fortifying partnerships with employers and educational institutions and digitalizing public employment services. DOLE conferred awards to PESOs with outstanding accomplishments in the past year during the 2022 National Search for Best PESO Awards. Among the accomplishments are the 2.4 million jobseekers employed through the facilitation of PESOs, which translates to a 91 percent placement rate across the regions. PESO Bataan won in the first-class province category, PESO Lanao del Norte in the second-class province category and PESO Aurora in the third to fifth class category. DOLE also hailed PESO Iloilo City as champion for the highly urbanized city category and PESO Oroquieta City, Misamis Occidental for the component and independent component city category. Among the awardees for the municipal PESOs were PESO Villasis, Pangasinan (first class municipality category); PESO Pila, Laguna (second to third-class municipality category); and PESO Llanera, Nueva Ecija (fourth to sixth-class municipality category). The University of Batangas was elevated to the Hall of Fame for winning the search for best PESO in 2018 and 2019 and the Bayanihan Service Award in 2020 and 2021. The university job’s placement office received a trophy and a P250,000 cash prize. The post DOLE lauds outstanding Public Employment Service Offices across nation appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
What’s up in the House?
The House is crumbling. This after they had a fiesta trying to impugn the proposed confidential and intelligence funds for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education. Speaker Martin Romualdez must be smiling from ear to ear, watching his disciples repudiate the proposed CIFs. His ever-loyal sidekick, Reginald Velasco, joined the fray by articulating Romualdez’s statement that the CIF for the OVP and DepEd would be realigned to other government agencies, making it sound like the funds had already been allocated. How can you realign something that does not exist? In short, all the sound bites from the House of Romualdez were only early and divisive politicking. In short, the Unity Ticket is now just a jumbled heap of a wreck. In the case of the ACT Teachers, Bayan and Gabriela party lists, theirs is a dire act of political survival. They have lost their influence on the mass base with the massive surrender of NPA combatants who had returned to the fold of the law. They are mad specifically at VP Inday Sara Duterte for getting rid of the CPP-NPA-NDF in Davao City, which was the first place to be declared insurgent-free. This was to be followed later by the rest of the provinces and cities in the Davao Region. Finally, the rest of Mindanao has been declared free of the CPP-NPA-NDF by the Armed Forces of the Philippines. All these developments happened because of the proper use of confidential and intelligence funds and the information gathered in the process. The commies are mad at the Vice President because it was during her incumbency as mayor that the NPAs finally lost their total grip on Davao City. Furiously mad because they were aware that the city allocated CIF funds to totally cripple and eradicate several decades of communist insurgency in the now progressive and most livable city in the country. I must, however, say here that credit should go to the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and the AFP. NTF-ELCAC is the task force organized by the government in 2018, whose job is to respond to and raise awareness of the communist rebellion in the country. The task force operates in tandem with the Armed Forces of the Philippines and local government units. Now, the legal fronts of the CPP-NPA-NDF are extremely furious and apprehensive because VP Sara Duterte co-chairs NTF-ELCAC. That spells doom for the armed insurgents in the Philippines. As if the attacks on Sara were not enough to demonize and diminish her popularity, France Castro trivialized the warnings of former President Rodrigo Duterte against the feeble House action in dispensing with the proposed CIF allocations for the OVP and DepEd. With bravado, Castro declared she would file a case against the ex-president, comfortable in the assurance of Speaker Romualdez and House Secretary General Velasco that she would be given security. If the present House leadership believes it can further discredit VP Sara by attempting to diminish the immense and unprecedented fame and popularity of her father, then they are in for some surprises. Digong has been a virtual recluse, but now that he has been dragged into the fray, we can expect exciting fireworks. The post What’s up in the House? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Brownlee formula
The issue surrounding Justin Brownlee is a major blackeye to Philippine basketball. It is yet another heartbreaker for Filipinos, who were hoping and praying to see the national team reassert its dominance in the international arena. For the longest time, the Filipinos had struggled internationally. In the Asian Games, for instance, the Philippines emerged victorious in its first four editions — 1951 in New Delhi, 1954 in Manila, 1958 in Tokyo, and 1962 in Jakarta before suffering a string of frustrating finishes. The closest we got to the gold medal was in 1990 when the Basketball Association of the Philippines tasked the Philippine Basketball Association with assembling a team that would reclaim our Asian glory. It was a tall order at the time as the Philippines was coming off a bitter setback at the hands of Malaysia in the 1989 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur. The BAP knew that only an Asian crown would soothe the pain of a nation craving revenge. But it didn’t happen. Coached by Robert “Sonny” Jaworski, the team bannered by Allan Caidic, Benjie Paras, Ramon Fernandez, Samboy Lim, and Chito Loyzaga surrendered to powerhouse China featuring Shan Tao and Ma Jian in the gold medal match. Eight years later, Tim Cone was given the marching orders to assemble another star-studded squad to represent the country in the Bangkok Asian Games in 1998. But like Jaworski, his bitter coaching nemesis at the time, Cone was also unsuccessful as his Centennial Team had to settle for bronze behind China and South Korea. In the next edition in Busan in 2002, hopes were high. Despite a sudden coaching change after American mentor Ron Jacobs suffered a stroke in the final stretch of preparations, Jong Uichico was still able to form a solid team that had a mix of Filipino-foreign stars like Asi Taulava, Eric Menk, and Rudy Hatfield, as well as homegrown stars like Olsen Racela, Kenneth Duremdes, and Danny Ildefonso. But fate wrote a cruel script. The Philippines was ahead, 68-66, in the final 23.9 seconds of the semifinal clash against South Korea. A victory would have sent the Filipinos to the gold medal match against China, while a setback would relegate them to a battle for bronze against Kazakhstan. Racela was at the charity stripe for a chance to ice the game and seal the victory. But he missed both free shots. In a shocking — and heartbreaking — turn of events, Korean gunner Lee Sang Min buried a long three-pointer off a broken play at the buzzer that sent the host country to the finals. The players were crushed while a river of tears flowed through the streets of Manila as the entire country couldn’t believe how merciless the basketball gods could be. Since then, Philippine basketball has been reduced to a mere footnote in Asian basketball. We bombed out of the medal podium in Doha in 2006 and Guangzhou in 2010. We even suffered international embarrassment when head coach Chot Reyes instructed naturalized player Marcus Douthit to shoot at our own basket in Incheon in 2014. In 2018, a legitimate National Basketball Association campaigner, Jordan Clarkson, came along and was billed as the hero who would save Philippine basketball. But he was unsuccessful. The Filipinos’ string of misfortunes continued as Gilas Pilipinas settled for fifth place. Then here came Brownlee, tapped to see action as a naturalized player in the Hangzhou Asian Games. The 35-year-old American was tasked to power a team already familiar to him — guys he had been playing with for more than five years. The coach — Cone — had been his mentor since he arrived in Manila in 2016 and led Barangay Ginebra San Miguel to six PBA titles while winning three Best Import honors. There was no honeymoon period to speak of. He hit the ground running. The result was impressive as Brownlee dropped 36 points to lead Gilas Pilipinas to a razor-thin 84-83 win over Iran in the quarterfinals, before dropping back-to-back three-point bombs in their miraculous 77-76 victory over host China in the semifinals. The Filipinos won their first gold medal in 61 years following a 70-60 victory over Jordan in the final, but an asterisk was attached to the victory after Brownlee tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a banned substance linked to the use of cannabis. At this point, it is unknown whether Brownlee will contest the findings or how long his possible suspension will be. What is clear is that Brownlee made a tremendous impact on Philippine basketball as he proved that the best way to win an international title is to field a naturalized player who is very familiar with the Filipinos’ style of play. Brownlee may not be as exciting and flashy as Clarkson or as tall as Douthit and Blatche, but he knows Philippine basketball like the back of his hand. It’s time for the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to create more Justin Brownlees by recruiting young foreign players who are willing to stay in the country for a longer period — not just to earn and play as imports in the PBA — but to win the hearts and minds of these basketball-crazy Filipinos. Brownlee’s professional career is in great peril, and we may not see him don the Gilas or Ginebra jerseys again. But we should always remember his most significant contribution to Philippine basketball. Nope, it wasn’t the incredible play he delivered against China or how he stood his ground against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the powerful Jordanians that led to the country’s first Asian Games title in 61 years. His most important contribution was the idea that to gain international success, the federation must recruit a naturalized player not based on skills, height, or popularity but on his love, respect, and dedication to the country he wishes to represent. The post Brownlee formula appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
U.S. asserts safe WPS passage for all
It has nothing to do with that particular country, or so they claimed rather cautiously and diplomatically. Navies of the Philippines and the United States opened their bilateral naval exercises yesterday, along with six other countries, at Naval Station Jose Andrada on Roxas Boulevard, Manila. The drills involve at-shore events at the Philippine Navy’s headquarters before going out to sea for exercises intended to improve the allied naval forces’ interoperability. Dubbed Exercise Sama-Sama, or Together, the exercise, according to Philippine Navy chief Vice Admiral Toribio Adaci, has nothing to do with a particular country that has figured in increasing tensions in the West Philippine Sea. But Adaci was obviously referring to China whose coast guard had used water cannons on Philippine Coast Guard-led resupply missions to Filipino troops stationed on the BRP Sierra Madre at Ayungin Shoal in the WPS. Adaci opened the exercise with US Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Karl Thomas. “The exercise is designed to be conducted here in Manila and the southern Luzon area,” Adaci said. Thomas, for his part, stressed the need to recognize the rules-based international order. Strong word “I think it is important that all nations have a right to sail and operate in the West Philippine Sea — free from worrying about being attacked,” Thomas said. “And attack is probably a strong word.” “I would say, free from being coerced, free from being intimidated. You know we want the commons to be common and open and free. And so long as our nations operate in accordance with the rule of law, in accordance with the rules and regulations, with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea,” he said. Like Adaci, Thomas did not mention China, but it is common knowledge that the United States military has been conducting “freedom of navigation” patrols to keep the South China Sea open to international commerce. President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. last week ordered the PCG to cut the 300-meter floating barrier installed by Chinese militia vessels at Bajo de Masinloc or Scarborough Shoal. PN assets in action A 2016 arbitral ruling deemed China’s territorial claim on nearly the entire South China Sea, including areas that overlap the WPS, invalid. The ruling stemmed from a 2013 case filed by the Philippines against China before the Permanent Court of Arbitration, or PCA, after Beijing seized control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012. As the PCA junked China’s nine-dash line South China Sea claim, it affirmed the Philippines’ entitlement to its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone. Around 700 sailors and marines from different PN units are participating in the exercise, which will see in action, among other assets, the BRP Antonio Luna, and an AW109 naval helicopter. For the second straight year, the exercise will include the navies of Japan, the United Kingdom, Canada, France and Australia. They will be participating mainly in humanitarian assistance and disaster response drills. Observers Meanwhile, the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Indonesian Navy are also joining as observers the naval exercise that dates back to 1994 when it was known as Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training. In 2017, its name was changed to Exercise Sama-Sama. Subsequently, the exercise was conducted annually across various regions: In 2017 at Naval Forces Central; in 2018 at Naval Forces Northern Luzon; in 2019 at Naval Forces West; and in 2021 at the Northern Luzon Command. Last year, it was held alongside Exercise Lumbas — the bilateral navy-to-navy exercise between the Philippines and Australia — with the limited participation of France, Japan and the United Kingdom. According to the PN, the primary objective of the exercise is to enhance the capabilities of both nations in responding to regional crises. Additionally, it aims to strengthen its capacities to address non-traditional challenges, including territorial defense, natural and man-made disasters, counterterrorism, maritime security and transnational crimes. The post U.S. asserts safe WPS passage for all appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro
Davao City’s confidential expenses that ballooned to P2.697 billion during Vice President Sara Duterte’s stint as mayor should be probed by the Commission on Audit, a lawmaker said Monday. The call for investigation was prompted by the 2022 report of the CoA, which found that Davao City spent P2.697 billion on confidential expenses between 2016 to 2022, or an average of PP385.3 million per year over the preceding six years. Duterte served as the Davao City mayor from 2016 to 2022 before she assumed the VP post in July of last year. Based on CoA findings, Davao City incurred P144 million of confidential expenses in 2016, which was more than doubled to P293 million in 2017 and further climbed to P420 million in 2018. The city’s confidential fund expenses further grew to P460 million in 2019 and were maintained consistently for the subsequent years of 2020, 2021, and 2022. In an interview on Monday, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, who sought the CoA probe, stressed that the P2.697 billion totality of confidential expenses of Davao City in the previous six years “could have been utilized more effectively to benefit the education sector, specifically by providing much-needed support to teachers.” “We were shocked also [by] the report of the CoA. With this controversy of confidential funds, we are thinking of asking the CoA to investigate,” she said. “The CoA should file an audit observation memo and then ask them to explain maybe the misuse of funds and then file necessary legal action.” She added, “Imagine more than a million a day spent for the confidential funds in a city. I just wonder how it was spent and where it was spent. So, we want the CoA to review if the city government of Davao City led by Vice President Sara Duterte by then really followed the guidelines or the joint circular 2015-01.” The said joint circular outlined by CoA with the Departments of Budget and Management, National Defense, and of the Interior and Local Government, and Governance Commission for GOCCs, contains guidelines on the entitlement, release, use, reporting, and audit of confidential and intelligence funds that are in the General Appropriations Act. Daily Tribune has been asking for Duterte’s comment, but she remained mum on the issue. While Castro admitted that the local government units are entitled to confidential funds for peace and order maintenance, it was “ironic” that Duterte sought allocation of such funds given that she claimed Davao City was “very peaceful, disciplined, and well” during her tenure. "So why is it necessary to have an increasingly confidential fund?" the lawmaker stressed, noting such a fund should be used for other fruitful endeavors. "I remember the time the teachers of Davao City were asking for city allowance, but she did not grant it. Instead, she refused and even got mad with ACT (Alliance of Concerned Teachers) during that time," Castro pointed out. While none in the law limits the amount of confidential funds, the militant lawmaker pointed out that it should be rationalized. A proposed law aimed at imposing a cap and limit on confidential funds, streamlining the allocation of such that would promote transparency and accountability, is currently being crafted, according to Castro. It will be filed in Congress when the session resumes in November. The post Sara Duterte’s P2.7B confidential expenses as Davao mayor should be probed—Castro appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Tolentino: Our athletes are prepared
Team Philippines will be prepared and ready to win when it marches to the 19th Asian Games that will open on Saturday at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Stadium in Hangzhou, China. No less than Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino declared their readiness, saying that they will deploy the best and most prepared athletes in the prestigious quadrennial meet that got delayed by a year due to Covid pandemic. Weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz, the first Filipino to win an Olympic gold medal, will be at the helm together with other standouts like pole vaulter EJ Obiena, swimmer Kayla Sanchez, and boxers Eumir Marcial, Nesthy Petecio and Carlo Paalam. Although expectations will be tempered on the chances of Diaz as she will compete in the heavier 59-kilogram category, she is still expected to make her presence felt as she had already warmed up in the World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia after finishing seventh. Even the boxers will be ready as they are coming off an intensive training in India and Australia in a bid to dominate the Asian Games that will also serve as a qualifying tourney for the Paris Olympics. Tolentino said he has high hopes for the 396-man national delegation. “We are very much prepared. Some of our athletes are coming off from their training abroad,” said Tolentino, who will join Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richard “Dickie” Bachmann in leading the send-off ceremony for Team Philippines on Monday at the Philippine International Convention Center. In the previous edition of the Asian Games in Jakarta in 2018, the Filipinos finished 19th after pocketing four gold, two silver and 15 bronze medals. It was the country’s best finish since grabbing five gold medals in 1951 in New Delhi, seven gold medals in 1962 in Jakarta, eight gold medals in 1958 in Tokyo and 14 gold medals in 1954 in Manila. The first batch of Filipino athletes had already left for Hangzhou. First to leave were Olympian Cris Nievarez and the national rowing team composed of Joanie Delgaco, Tammy Sha, Feiza Lenton, Edgar Ilas, and Zuriel Sumintac with coaches Shukhrat Ganiev, Ed Maerina, Nic Jasmin and Con Fornea. The rowers will kick off their campaign in the men’s single sculls, lightweight men’s double sculls, women’s single sculls, and lightweight women’s double sculls on Wednesday at the Olympic Sports Expo Center. Also first to arrive in the bustling city in Hangzhou, the capital and most populous city in Zhejiang Province, are the staff of the national women’s football team, windsurfers and indoor and beach volleyball players. The national booters, popularly known as the Filipinas, are expected to arrive in the coming days in batches as they kick off their campaign on Tuesday. Tolentino said exceeding their performance in the previous Asian Games will already be considered as a success. “This will be the best of the team. We hope to exceed our performance for the last four years,” said Tolentino, who is pinning his hopes on Diaz as well as Asia’s best vaulter Obiena, Olympic medalists Marcial, Petecio and Paalam, and two-time Olympic medalist Sanchez. “We have high hopes for medals in weightlifting, boxing, swimming, and e-sports, with potential surprises in martial arts as well.” The post Tolentino: Our athletes are prepared appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
EU hits TikTok with big fine over child data
A European Union regulator hit Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok with a 345-million-euro fine over child data breaches on Friday, in the bloc's latest salvo against the business practices of tech titans. The fine, equivalent to $369 million, is the culmination of a two-year inquiry by Ireland's Data Protection Commission (DPC). The Irish watchdog, which plays a key role in policing the EU's strict General Data Protection Regulations, gave TikTok three months "to bring its processing into compliance" with its rules. The DPC in September 2021 began examining TikTok's compliance with GDPR in relation to platform settings and personal data processing for users aged under 18 years old. It also looked at TikTok's age verification measures for persons under 13 and found no infringement, but found the platform did not properly assess the risks to younger people registering on the service. The regulator highlighted in its ruling Friday how children signing up had TikTok accounts set to public by default, meaning anyone could view or comment on their content. It also criticised TikTok's "family pairing" mode, which is designed to link parents' accounts to those of their teenage offspring, but the DPC found the company did not verify parent or guardian status. Ireland is at the centre of the GDPR regime because Dublin hosts the European headquarters of TikTok and the likes of Google, Meta and X, formerly Twitter. In May, the DPC fined Meta a record 1.2 billion euros for transferring EU user data to the United States in breach of a previous court ruling. TikTok, a division of Chinese tech giant ByteDance, is extremely popular among young people with 150 million users in the United States and 134 million in the EU. TikTok 'respectfully disagrees' In response to the fine, TikTok said it "respectfully disagrees" with the verdict and was "evaluating" how to proceed. "The DPC's criticisms are focused on features and settings that were in place three years ago, and that we made changes to well before the investigation even began, such as setting all under 16 accounts to private by default," a TikTok spokesperson told AFP. The platform insists that it closely monitors the age of its users and takes action when needed. TikTok says it deleted almost 17 million accounts worldwide in the first three month of this year due to suspicions that they belonged to people under 13 years old. Earlier this month, the social media giant opened a long-promised data centre in Ireland, as it tries to calm fears in Europe over data privacy. GDPR came into force in 2018 and was the EU's toughest and most famous law on tech, ensuring citizens give consent to the ways in which their data is used. Friday's fine comes after the EU last week unveiled a list of digital giants -- including Apple, Facebook owner Meta and ByteDance -- that will face tough new curbs on how they do business. The post EU hits TikTok with big fine over child data appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES — Mananquil emerges as Phl boxing’s top power broker
When boxing promoter-manager Jim Claude Mananquil is not attending to his stable of fighters, he can be seen just before daybreak minding his family’s tuna export business in General Santos City. “This is what keeps my boxing promotion going,” said the 29-year-old Mananquil, who started promoting at the tender age of 15. Of course, Mananquil didn’t have the proper license to put up fights owing to his being a minor and somebody with a license had to pose as the promoter-on-record. But it was he who assembled all the fighters and took care of the finances, quite a feat for someone whose main weapon for staging a card was his unparalleled love for the fight game. Instead of celebrating, Mananquil had to endure 16 straight losses as most of his boxers — though solidly built — were all as raw and green as a harvested broccoli. “We got kids who had muscular bodies thinking that they would do well in the ring. But everyone lost and I was devastated,” recalled Mananquil, who manages two-belt world super-bantamweight Marlon Tapales. Born and bred in General Santos City, Mananquil fell in love with the fight game at an early age. “I looked up to, of course, Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Zab Judah,” he said. Mananquil didn’t just like boxing. He was so obsessed with the sport that he even wanted to proceed with a professional career after a triumphant debut in 2018. “But my mom objected and told me to just get involved in boxing as long as I don’t fight.” Mananquil was already busy promoting even before he turned 20 and in just a few years he was crisscrossing the United States accompanying his boxers signed up to see action under different promoters. At one time, his boxers set up camp in Miami under a Florida-based Cuban trainer but soon found himself relocating to southern California and Las Vegas with influential American fight guy Sean Gibbons lending a hand. Just a few months ago, Mananquil had two reigning world champions: Tapales and Melvin Jerusalem. But Jerusalem’s reign as World Boxing Organization minimumweight titlist was short-lived. After winning the World Boxing Organization 105-lb title in Tokyo in January, he surrendered the championship in Indio, California, several months later. Following Jerusalem’s loss, Mananquil is now left with Tapales, who is being groomed to figure in a megabuck matchup with Japanese Naoya “Monster” Inoue sometime in December. “My responsibility is to give Marlon the very best preparation so he can win this very important fight,” Mananquil said. The odds are stacked against the southpaw but Mananquil swears nothing is impossible. ‘It’s a tough decision but I really love boxing.’ Whether that multi-million dollar showdown happens or not will be known in the coming days and weeks as both camps are going to hold another round of talks very soon in the hopes of putting a deal in place. The youngest of three kids, Mananquil admits he is torn between the family business and boxing. And if somebody’s going to put a gun to his head, Mananquil would not hesitate to make his choice. “It’s a tough decision but I really love boxing.” Coming from a well-to-do family, Mananquil went to five schools during college. Once, he tried studying in America but went home after just a few weeks, saying his heart was not there. Back in the Philippines, Mananquil enrolled at Ateneo de Davao University, Enderun College and even tried schooling in a small college in General Santos City. Likewise, he went to school at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig but wound up backing out for the nth time and returned to General Santos City. He was always on-the-go. But one thing’s clear, though. Mananquil insists his first and only love is boxing. And if that big fight down the road happens in Tokyo before the end of the year, Mananquil says that would end up becoming the highlight of his young career provided his fighter emerges victorious. But in the meantime, Mananquil will continue to look after the tuna business in the morning to assure that boxing gets the sustenance it badly needs. Right now, Mananquil is rolling with the punches as the family business and boxing seem to be blending well. And if things fall into place, there could come a time when Mananquil won’t even have to be forced to sacrifice one but winds up mastering both. The post ROLLING WITH THE PUNCHES — Mananquil emerges as Phl boxing’s top power broker appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Return separation pay, viral ex-cop told
Brig. Gen. Niño David Rabaya, director of the Philippine National Police-Retirement and Benefits Administration Service, demanded from viral road rage ex-cop Wilfredo Gonzales the return of the money he received despite his dismissal from the police service. Gonzales was dismissed for grave misconduct in 2018, two years after he retired upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 where he got his separation pay. His dismissal which stemmed from a gun-toting incident he was involved in in 2006 led to the forfeiture of his benefits retroactively. In a press conference in Camp Crame on Monday, Rabaya, said Gonzales is required to bring back to the PNP around P588,000 sending him letters demanding the return of the money, since 2019 but they have yet to get any response from him. “It’s basically his terminal leave or leave credits as he also received ‘three’ year lump sum pension starting 2016 to 2019 but when the PRBS was able to receive the dismissal order, his monthly pension which was supposed to start in 2019 was not anymore activated. So basically he is not anymore receiving pension from us,” Rabaya told reporters. “As a matter of procedure, we are already preparing the demand letter for patrolman Gonzales to return the money. We will be taking civil action against him. We have already referred this to our legal then civil action will be taken against him if he refuses to return the amount,” he stressed. The QC People’s Law Enforcement Board started the conduct of a thorough investigation of the incident upon the order of Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte. The probe aims to identify the lapses committed by the police during the settlement of the case. Gonzales is currently in hot water after he was involved in a viral altercation with a cyclist in Quezon City on 28 August. He hit the cyclist on his head and even pulled out and cocked his gun. Gonzales said they had already settled the matter in a police station. It was reported that the cyclist paid Gonzales P500 for the damages to his vehicle during the settlement. Gonzales is now facing charges for alarm and scandal filed by the Quezon City Police District. The PNP Firearms and Explosives Office also revoked the License to Own and Possess Firearm, Firearm Registration and Permit to Carry Firearms Outside Residence of Gonzales. The Land Transportation Office also issued a 90-day preventive suspension on Gonzales’ driver’s license pending the conduct of an investigation on the matter. The post Return separation pay, viral ex-cop told appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
3 Bureau of Corrections officers sacked
Bureau of Corrections director general Gregorio Catapang Jr. on Tuesday revealed that he has ordered the immediate dismissal from service three corrections officers who were found guilty for grave misconduct. Catapang identified the erring BuCor officers as Correction Officers II Marlon Esguerra, Zol PG Plenos and Prison Guard 1 Ernesto Dionglay Jr. Plenos was also ordered to surrender his government issued firearm. The BuCor chief stressed that the sacking of the officer should serve as a warning to erring personnel to shape up or leave the bureau. “We will be relentless in our campaign to reform the bureau of misfits and this is to show that we mean business,” Catapang said. Reports disclosed that Esguerra was found guilty of grave misconduct when he was found to possess seven bricks of tobacco which he hid in his belt. He was scheduled for duty at the office of the Officer of the Day at the Maximum Security Compound of the New Bilibid Prison on 4 May 2018. He admitted the offense, citing financial difficulties. Plenos, on the other hand, was found in possession of six pieces of La Reyna Tobacco while entering the Gate 4 of MaxSecom on 23 August 2017. He also admitted charges against him. Meantime, Dionglay was arrested on 3 August 2017 in possession of 46.55 grams of suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride also known as “shabu” which he hid in his underwear. He was arrested by personnel of the Philippine National Police-Special Action Force detailed at Gate 4 Annex designated as Employees Gate of the MaxSecom. The post 3 Bureau of Corrections officers sacked appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Setting out on a journey towards climate goals
In order to build its climate strategy, Cebu Pacific (CEB) established a cooperation with South Pole, which will aid them towards their environmental goals. Leading climate organization South Pole creates the initiatives and solutions required to empower people all around the world to combat climate change. In support of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the International Civil Aviation Organization approved the long-term global aspirational targets of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 in 2022. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced its "Fly Net Zero" promise to achieve net zero emissions by 2050 a year early. "Cebu Pacific supports global aviation’s goal of achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. With South Pole’s guidance and expertise, we will develop a robust plan of action to prioritize interventions for emission hotspots in our operations. This roadmap will consider and fuse together the tangible initiatives that we have already put in place, as well as plans that will contribute towards our aspirations of meeting aviation’s net-zero commitment," said Mike Szucs, Cebu Pacific’s Chief Executive Officer. Szucs added that the engagement with South Pole involves CEB going through the rigorous process of understanding the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated from its operations and setting its near-term and long-term emission reduction pathways. This roadmap will build into CEB’s current decarbonization strategy, which includes its fleet modernization program, fuel efficiency measures, successful integration of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) into its operations, transition to electric vehicles, and tapping renewable energy, among others. "CEB has been monitoring and reporting its Scope 1 and 2 GHG emissions since 2018. But as with other companies, Scope 3 emissions are a blind spot for Cebu Pacific, and we recognize the complexities in accounting for these emissions. To set a credible emissions reduction pathway, it is essential to have a comprehensive validation of our material emissions. Hence, we are tapping into South Pole’s climate expertise in this area," said Alex Reyes, Chief Strategy Officer, who also leads sustainability in Cebu Pacific. South Pole will support CEB in scoping its activities to identify the relevant Scope 3 emissions from its entire upstream and downstream value chains. "To drive a sustainable long-term recovery in the aviation industry, we must continue to facilitate global climate action to achieve net zero by 2050... By placing climate at the center of its strategy, we are confident that CEB will make great strides in its climate journey, and we are proud to support CEB in achieving its sustainability goals," said Shruti Singh, South Pole’s Director, Climate Strategies for Asia Pacific. CEB’s climate strategy roadmap that will be developed under the engagement ensures that its emissions reduction pathway is aligned with climate science and with the global temperature targets under the Paris Agreement. The aviation industry, which, according to IATA, is responsible for 2–3% of global emissions, has a crucial role to play in this transition. The post Setting out on a journey towards climate goals appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Discordant voices (1)
Two high government functionaries of the government can’t help themselves from being off-key with the position of their principal, the Chief Executive. They are either having difficulty in understanding the clear, unequivocal, and assertive language of the President or they just want to be solo players. In either case, they do not help in projecting a solid, irreversible, and correct foreign policy on the International Criminal Court’s intransigent intrusion on the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. The ICC wants to supplant our judicial system with its own by investigating drug-related killings and crimes against humanity allegedly committed during the presidential term of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and in the latter’s incumbency as Mayor of Davao City. In issuing public statements which are at war with PBBM’s pronouncements on the ICC, they not only undermine the government’s position but give an arsenal to the international interloper to justify its unlawful and vexing interference with the country’s governance. Despite PBBM’s declaration that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the Philippines at the start of his presidency in the face of ICC’s attempts at intruding in our manner of administering justice to criminal offenders, these two high government officials gave pronouncements not only contrary to the President’s but illogical and balderdash submissions. On 17 March 2018, FPRRD ordered the withdrawal of the Philippines from the Rome Statute which created the ICC following the commencement by the ICC’s former special prosecutor Fatou Bensouda of a preliminary examination on whether or not the ICC could properly assume jurisdiction over complaints of drug-related killings. A year after, on 17 March 2019, the withdrawal became effective. In September 2021, former prosecutor Bensouda launched a formal inquiry into the drug war. Instead of slamming the ICC for its attempt to subject the Philippines, by that time already non-member state, the withdrawal has been effective, this government lawyer, who at the time headed the justice department, against FPRRD’s position that the ICC never acquired jurisdiction, filed a deferral request of the contemplated probe. Such filing is inconsistent with the “no jurisdiction” policy of the government. For if the ICC has no jurisdiction, this writer argued then as he criticized the move, why should our government request for a suspension of the investigation when it has no jurisdiction? By filing such deferral request, our country effectively placed itself under the jurisdiction of the ICC. Moreover, this columnist further slammed the deferral request action because the reason for its submission was anchored on the offer of the government to submit proof that its judicial system is working. Why should we be the ones to prove that our system of justice is working? It is the ICC that is accusing us that ours is not working, so it should be the ICC that should provide proof that the Philippines is incapable of prosecuting those committing crimes against humanity and committing mass murders. It is elementary that one who alleges must prove, and not the other being accused. That wrong legal maneuver was supported by the other government official who is a lawyer and who substituted him as the head of the office he once held under the previous administration. The former said that such filing of a request was just an act of courtesy, apparently either not understanding the depth of the folly or ignoring the absurdity and incongruity of the same. As this columnist anticipated and said so on various occasions and platforms, the ICC denied the deferral request. Instead of realizing his mistake, this government counsel, who then was appointed to another office handling legal matters, did another monstrous booboo by submitting a motion for reconsideration, adding another brick of error, and strengthening the contradiction of arguing against the lack of jurisdiction of the ICC but invalidating it by subjecting the Philippine government to its jurisdiction. (To be continued) The post Discordant voices (1) appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bong Go’s office assists conflict-affected residents in Libmanan, Camarines Sur
Senator Christopher “Bong” Go’s office extended assistance to conflict-affected and Geographically-Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas in Libmanan, Camarines Sur on Friday, 14 July. The initiative reflects Go’s continuing commitment to assist the most vulnerable communities in the country, particularly barangays where the distribution of government assistance is hampered due to their geographical locations and the existence of local conflicts. “Our goal is not just to address immediate needs, but also to create long-lasting impacts. We are extending our hand to the communities often neglected and forgotten due to their geographical location or internal conflicts. Everyone deserves equal access to government aid and support, regardless of where they live,” said Go. Go also reminded the residents about the importance of unity and cooperation in overcoming challenges. “In these times of crisis, it is paramount that we come together as one nation. Our strength lies in our unity and collective action,” he stated. During the activity held at Brgy. Villasocorro covered court, Go’s team distributed masks, vitamins, snacks and shirts to 108 beneficiaries. The team also provided several individuals with balls for basketball and volleyball. The Department of Social Welfare and Development also extended financial assistance to the beneficiaries in coordination with the 81st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army. As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Health, Go reached out to individuals with medical issues. Through a video message, he urged them to visit the Malasakit Centers located at the Bicol Medical Center in Naga City and the Bicol Region General Hospital and Geriatric Medical Center in Cabusao. The Malasakit Centers program was initiated by Go in 2018 and was later institutionalized through the Malasakit Centers Act of 2019, which he principally authored and sponsored. The program aims to facilitate easy access to various medical assistance programs provided by DSWD, Department of Health, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, and Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office. There are currently 158 Malasakit Centers operating nationwide, successfully aiding over seven million Filipinos, according to the DOH. Go also stressed the significance of the Super Health Centers, which he initiated, in bridging the healthcare gap especially in communities. Through the concerted efforts of fellow lawmakers, sufficient funding has been allocated for the construction of 307 Super Health Centers in 2022 and additional 322 centers in 2023. The DOH, as the lead implementing agency, identifies strategic areas where these centers will be built. In Camarines Sur alone, 18 Super Health Centers have been funded for construction in 2022 and 2023. Super Health Centers are designed to provide basic health services, including database management, outpatient care, birthing facilities, isolation units, diagnostic services (such as laboratory tests, X-rays, and ultrasounds), pharmacies, and ambulatory surgical units. In addition, specialized services like eye, ear, nose, and throat care, oncology centers, physical therapy and rehabilitation centers, and telemedicine capabilities for remote diagnosis and treatment of patients will also be available. Go, in his capacity as vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, supported a range of projects aimed at improving infrastructure in the province, including the construction of the Mabolo-Almeda Bypass Road in Naga City. Go was also instrumental in the enhancement of the San Fernando Sports Complex in San Fernando town, improvement of the Bula and Nabua Section channel, and construction of the Lalud-Garchitorena Road, among others. On July 13, Go also provided assistance to poor transport sector workers in the town of Calabanga in the province. His office also provided assistance to poor families in Ragay and Libmanan, on 4 and 5 July, respectively. ### The post Bong Go’s office assists conflict-affected residents in Libmanan, Camarines Sur appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
One dead as Japan warns of ‘heaviest rain ever’ in southwest
One person was killed and hundreds of thousands were urged to evacuate their homes in southwestern Japan on Monday, as forecasters warned of the "heaviest rain ever" in the region. Torrential downpours after a week of steady rain have caused rivers to burst their banks and sodden earth to collapse in deadly landslides, including one that killed a 77-year-old woman. The woman's home was engulfed overnight in Saga region, the local fire department told AFP. Her husband was recovered conscious and taken to hospital. A second woman was feared dead after last being seen clinging to a car in rising floodwaters in neighboring Oita region, officials there said. At least nine other people were missing in landslides in Fukuoka and Oita regions, where more than 420,000 people were under a top-level evacuation warning stating: "Your life is in danger, you need to take action immediately." Nearly two million more in Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Saga, Yamaguchi and Oita were under a lower-level warning, urging them to evacuate if they were in hazardous areas. Japan has five levels of evacuation orders, but people cannot be compelled to leave their homes. "Rain and wind gusts were very, very strong. There was lightning. It was so horrible," Takashi Onizuka, 62, of Tachiarai town near Kurume in Fukuoka told AFP. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said the heavy downpours risked flooding and landslides across Fukuoka and Oita. "This is the heaviest rain ever experienced" by the region, Satoshi Sugimoto of JMA's forecast division told reporters. "The situation is such that lives are in danger and safety must be secured," he added. 'People's lives first' Footage on national broadcaster NHK showed a gash in the hillside above a home in Karatsu City that had partly collapsed into a river, with many of its traditional roof tiles smashed or sliding off. Images from elsewhere showed surging rivers washing over bridges that normally sit well above the waterline, and floodwater turning local streets into streams. The prime minister's office said a task force had been established to coordinate a response to the rains. "We have received reports that several rivers have flooded... and that landslides have occurred in various parts" of the country, top government spokesman Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters. "The government is doing its best to get a complete picture of the damage and taking measures under a policy of 'people's lives first'," he added. He warned torrential rain was forecast across much of the country on Tuesday. "If you feel your life is in danger, even just a little, don't hesitate to act," he said. In Fukuoka's Asakura City, officials said the rain was believed to have peaked but there were still fears about flooding. "Water levels in rivers are rising so we're vigilant against the possibility of overflowing," local official Takaaki Harano told AFP. Japan is currently in its annual rainy season, which often brings heavy downpours, and sometimes results in flooding and landslides, as well as casualties. Scientists say climate change is intensifying the risk of heavy rain in Japan and elsewhere, because a warmer atmosphere holds more water. The weather agency said it had already been raining for more than a week in the region. "The area is very wet due to intermittent rainfall for over a week," Yoshiyuki Toyoguchi, land ministry official in charge of rivers, told reporters. "Even with a little rain, river levels tend to rise quickly, which will increase risk of flooding." Landslides are a particular risk in Japan during heavy rains because homes are often built on plains at the bottom of hillsides in the mountainous country. In 2021, rain triggered a devastating landslide in the central resort town of Atami that killed 27 people. And in 2018, floods and landslides killed more than 200 people in western Japan during the rainy season. The post One dead as Japan warns of ‘heaviest rain ever’ in southwest appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Money laundering crackdown ordered
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has instructed all governmental entities and offices to implement the latest approach to combating money laundering and the funding of terrorism. In Executive Order 33 signed by Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin on 4 July, Marcos ordered government agencies to adopt the National Anti-Money Laundering, Counter-Terrorism Financing, and Counter-Proliferation Financing Strategy, or NACS, 2023-2027. Aside from departments, agencies, and bureaus, all national government offices, as well as government-owned and -controlled corporations, were urged to implement relevant plans and programs to execute the NACS 2023-2027. Marcos’ order was apparently in response to the Philippines’ inclusion in the grey list of the Financial Action Task Force’s “Jurisdictions Under Increased Monitoring.” The list tags countries that have not demonstrated substantial and favorable advancements in addressing the FATF’s essential recommendations outlined in its Third Mutual Evaluation Report. The previous version of the strategy was implemented in 2018 by then-President Rodrigo Duterte and took effect until 2022. In the current version, Marcos has authorized the National AML/CT Coordinating Committee, or NACC to restructure its subcommittees. The NACC will be overseen by the executive secretary, with the governor of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas as vice chair. Comprising the NACC are government departments and agencies. The Philippines is currently on the FATF’s grey list, which means the country has some deficiencies in its AML/CTF regime. NACS 2023-2027 aims to address these deficiencies and help the Philippines exit the grey list. To improve the Philippines’ AML/CTF regime, NACS 2023-2027 will move to strengthen the legal framework for AML/CTF; improve the coordination and cooperation between government agencies; increase the capacity of financial institutions to detect and report suspicious transactions; and raise public awareness of AML/CTF risks. The post Money laundering crackdown ordered appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Bye bye ‘Barbie’: Vietnam bans new movie over South China Sea map
Vietnam has banned the upcoming "Barbie" movie from cinemas over scenes with a map showing China's claims to territory in the South China Sea, state media reported Monday. The fantasy comedy film about the famous doll, directed by Greta Gerwig and starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, had been set for nationwide release in Vietnam on 21 July. But its performance schedule has been removed from the websites of the country's major cinema chains following a government decision to ban the film due to scenes featuring the so-called nine-dash line, state media reported. China has long used its so-called nine-dash line to illustrate its expansive claims over most of the resource-rich sea, often to the displeasure of Hanoi, which also claims parts of the waterway. "The film review board watched the film and made the decision to ban the screening of this movie in Vietnam due to a violation regarding the 'nine-dash line'," Vietnam's Department of Cinema director, Vi Kien Thanh, told the Dan Tri news site. Another state media outlet, Tien Phong, reported that the nine-dash line scene appeared multiple times in the movie. All films in communist Vietnam must be approved by censors who screen for gratuitous violence, suggestive sex scenes, or politically-sensitive material. Last year, "Uncharted", the action-and-adventure movie starring Tom Holland, was banned from theatres due to scenes featuring the nine-dash line. And in 2018, Vietnam cut a scene from the romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" that featured a designer bag with a map of the world showing the disputed South China Sea islands under Beijing's control. A year later, Hanoi pulled the animated DreamWorks film "Abominable" from cinemas over the same issue, while Netflix was told last year to ditch episodes of its "Pine Gap" series over similar scenes. The South China Sea is home to valuable oil and gas deposits and shipping lanes, and several of China's neighbours have voiced concern that Beijing is seeking to expand its reach. The post Bye bye ‘Barbie’: Vietnam bans new movie over South China Sea map appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Marine sanctuary jetskiers face charges
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan — The regulatory authority in charge of the upkeep and safeguarding of marine sanctuaries in two Palawan towns has recommended the filing of charges against a group of Iloilo residents who jetskied in the protected areas. The El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area told the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Palawan during its inquiry of the incident on 27 June that it will file charges of violation of marine protected areas against members of the Iloilo Watercraft Association. Protected Area Superintendent Mildred Suza informed the SP that ENTMRPA will file the complaints once they finished gathering the required evidence. Suza claimed that 14 IWA members ignored warnings not to jetski in the El Nido MPA on 6 to 9 June. She identified seven of them as Vincent Tajanlangit, Jerry Collado, Benjie Bastian, Dean Sanson, Julian Juan Tong, Ian Golez and Paul Tinsay. Suza also denied that the Protected Area Management Office did not warn the jetskiers. “At the first sighting of a jetski on June 6, immediately, I instructed the assistant protected area superintendent to investigate the origin and identification of persons or group responsible, and (submitted a) spot report for (the) information of our DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) higher office,” she said. “The group were told that jetskiing is prohibited inside the protected area and they were advised to immediately coordinate with PAMO but the message was ignored,” Suza added. Furthermore, Suza stated that Jenuel Casel, the assistant PASu, accompanied by park rangers, held a meeting with the group of jetskiers to emphasize that jetskiing is strictly prohibited within the protected area. The group claimed it coordinated with the local government of El Nido, the police, and the coast guard, but these agencies have denied any such coordination. The operation of motorized conveyances in protected areas without the necessary permit from the Protected Area Management Board is strictly prohibited under the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 1992. This provision has been further reinforced by the Expanded NIPAS Act of 2018. Meanwhile, the Committee on Environmental Protection chaired by Board Member Ryan Maminta said that the SP will await the final recommendation and action from the PAMB before taking action on the matter. Maminta mentioned that concerned government agencies, particularly law enforcement personnel, will be summoned to a meeting to address their failure to respond to the request for assistance in apprehending the jetskiers. He said they will also come up with recommendations regarding the legislative actions to be taken. One proposal that has been mentioned is to permit regulated activities and identify specific areas where such activities can be conducted. “Another thing is for the strict enforcement of the PAMB resolution, which is based on the E-NIPAS law,” he said. The post Marine sanctuary jetskiers face charges appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Dolly de Leon to star opposite Nicole Kidman in Hollywood series
Dolly de Leon’s career continues to gain traction in Hollywood as she’s set to star opposite Nicole Kidman in a major drama series. Dolly is part of the second season of "Nine Perfect Strangers," according to news reports by Deadline, Variety, and other media outlets. "Nine Perfect Strangers" is based on the 2018 book of the same name, whose story revolves around nine guests at a wellness resort and the resort owner. It premiered in August 2021 on the streaming service Hulu. For the series’ second season, Nicole will return to reprise her role as resort owner Masha Dmitrichenko and, off-cam, as an executive producer. Aside from Dolly, the other new cast members include two-time Oscar nominee Liv Ullmann, Emmy winner Murray Bartlett, television star Maisie Richardson Sellers and Turkish actor Aras Aydin. Dolly is the first Filipino actor to be nominated for best supporting actress at the Golden Globe Awards and British Academy Film Awards. She was recognized for her superb performance in the 2022 international film "Triangle of Sadness," directed by Swedish filmmaker Ruben Ostlund. Last March 2023, Dolly was reported to have been cast in the action-comedy movie titled "Grand Death Lotto," along with John Cena and Awkwafina. She’s currently in the Philippines, working on the Kathryn Bernardo starrer "A Very Good Girl." The post Dolly de Leon to star opposite Nicole Kidman in Hollywood series appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
‘The Flash’ dashes to box office win but stumbles short of estimates
Warner Bros.' "The Flash" sprinted to the top of North American box offices in its opening weekend, in a Friday-to-Sunday run dominated by spin-offs and sequels. But the live-action take on the DC Comics superhero only brought in $55.1 million, according to figures released Sunday by Exhibitor Relations -- earnings that analysts said were "far below estimates" for its debut. Ezra Miller stars as the speedy protagonist, joined by other DC characters including Supergirl and Batman. It dethroned the latest "Transformers" installment, from Paramount, which was last weekend's top earner. Notching the number two spot this weekend was "Elemental," an animated immigrant fable from Pixar, which earned $29.5 million in what was also its opening weekend. Pixar's first totally original new film to hit theaters since the start of the pandemic is set in the fantastical Element City -- where residents made out of fire, water, earth, and air must learn to live in close proximity, despite their highly combustible differences. Out of the top five highest-earning films this weekend, the rest were rounded out by movies with characters already familiar to generations of audiences. Sony's "Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse" picked up $27.8 million, bringing its cumulative domestic total to more than $280 million so far, with an additional $209 million internationally. The film, a sequel to 2018's "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse" and the latest spin on the Marvel Comics superhero, picks up the story of half-Black, half-Latino Miles Morales, using an eye-popping blend of decades-old 2D comic book drawing techniques with the latest computer-generated visual effects. Dropping to fourth place was "Transformers: Rise of the Beasts," which earned $20 million, part of a $103.6 million haul so far. Disney's "The Little Mermaid," a live-action remake of its 1989 animated tale of an underwater princess who gives up her voice in pursuit of true love, brought in $11.6 million. It has now earned some $253.5 million. Rounding out the top 10 were "The Blackening" ($6 million), "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3" ($5 million), "The Boogeyman" ($3.8 million), "Fast X" ($1.6 million), and "Asteroid City" (limited release, $790,000). The post ‘The Flash’ dashes to box office win but stumbles short of estimates appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»