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Acapulco hurricane survivors still struggling to get word to loved ones
Andrea Fernandez, who is eight months pregnant, is distraught, unable to let her husband in another state know that she is fine after Hurricane Otis devastated the scenic resort of Acapulco, on Mexico's Pacific coast, leaving at least 27 dead. But "there is no (cellular) service. I haven't been able to communicate for three days," she said, jostling on a bridge with about 20 others keen to make a call or text to let loved ones know that they are well. "I'm desperate," she said through tears. This picturesque tourist haunt, which lured Hollywood stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Elvis Presley in the 1950s and '60s, is now a bustling city of 780,000 people, living in high-rises and houses on hills and mountains. But it had never experienced a Category 5 hurricane like Otis which -- in a single day -- killed at least 39 people and made local landmarks built over decades look like they had been bombed. Cell phones intermittently pick up signals in some parts of the port, but the situation is hit or miss. One local woman could be overheard telling her loved ones: "There is no way to get out of here! I'll talk to you again when I can. Everything here is gone. It's horrible." Some disgruntled survivors have told local media they were angry to hear tourists were taken to safe places to ride out the storm -- in sharp contrast to the population as a whole. At one point, some tourists keen to contact kin approached journalists on the port's main avenue, Costera Miguel Aleman, asking them to pass on details of a sick person who needed to be evacuated from a damaged building. Francisco Perez, 50, is desperate to get word to his mother. He has accused the authorities of a grossly inadequate response to the devastation Otis wrought. "(They put) some portable (phone) antennas at a couple of places, but... what are we supposed to do?" he asked angrily, as people's focus began turning to the lack of reliable water and food. Otis strengthened with dramatic speed, growing in just hours from a tropical storm to the most powerful category of the five-step Saffir-Simpson scale before hitting land early Wednesday. The World Meteorological Organization described the hurricane as "one of the most rapidly intensifying tropical cyclones on record," exceeded in modern times only by another Pacific hurricane, Patricia, in 2015. The speed with which Otis intensified took the government and weather forecasters by surprise, leaving little time to issue warnings and prepare residents for its arrival. The post Acapulco hurricane survivors still struggling to get word to loved ones appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Former Cabanatuan officials found guilty of direct bribery
Two former officials of Cabanatuan City in Nueva Ecija have been convicted by the Sandiganbayan Sixth Division of direct bribery and breach of conduct charges due to the acceptance of P300,000 in exchange for the passage of a resolution authorizing the construction of a cell site tower back in 2013. Sangguniang Panlungsod member Angelito Duran Saclolo Jr. and secretary Alfredo G. Ortaleza were found guilty beyond reasonable doubt of violating Section 7(d) of R.A. 6713 or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Employees and Article 210 of the Revised Penal Code or Direct Bribery. Both of them were sentenced to suffer an indeterminate penalty of three years as minimum to five years as maximum and pay a fine of P5,000 for their breach of conduct conviction. Meanwhile, they were slapped with five years, five months, and 11 days of prision correctional as minimum to eight years and one day of prision mayor as maximum, as well as pay a fine of P900,000 for their direct bribery conviction. The two of them are also perpetually disqualified from holding public office. Saclolo Jr. and Ortaleza solicited and received P300,000 from Ma. Linda Moya of Richworld Aire & Technologies Corporation for the immediate passage of a Sangguniang Panlungsod Resolution, which allowed and authorized the construction, operation, and maintenance of Globe cell site towers and antennas in Cabanatuan City. Three prosecution witnesses – all officials of Richworld – testified that they were present when Ortaleza demanded and solicited the “kalakaran” in exchange for the passage of the resolution. Ortaleza told Moya that it cost P220,000 per cellular tower. When Moya haggled for a lower amount, Ortaleza referred her to Saclolo Jr. The anti-graft court found their testimonies “straightforward and consistent on material points,” although the accused argued that these were “inconsistent.” Saclolo Jr. likewise denied that he received P300,000 from Moya. While it was true that he was not present when Moya delivered the money, the court said it was very clear he was complicit in the entire transaction. “Even when there is no direct proof of an express agreement between accused Saclolo and Ortaleza to demand, solicit, and receive money from Richworld in consideration of the passage of the pertinent ordinance, their concerted individual and collective acts before, during, and after the commission of the crime, as explained above, indubitably demonstrate their conspiracy and common intent towards the accomplishment of the same unlawful object,” the decision read. The 63-page decision was written by Sixth Division Chairperson Sarah Jane Fernandez with the concurrence of Associate Justices Karl Miranda and Kevin Narce Vivero......»»
Casino gaming around the globe
Gaming has always been a popular human activity. Long before land-based casinos were built, casino games existed and flourished. Bingo, for example, first appeared in.....»»
MLB season begins
Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers take center stage on Thursday as Major League Baseball’s new season gets under way on US soil against the backdrop of a gambling scandal that has engulfed its brightest star......»»
Amigas group celebrate March Birthdays
The Amigas group had a small get-together at Blackbird at the Nielson Tower this month for their March birthday celebrants. Among them was the author, Lanie Fung......»»
Lalamove empowers aspiring women entrepreneurs to start their small businesses in PangNegosyo program
Lalamove, a leading on-demand delivery platform, has launched the Panalong PangNegosyo program for its thousands of women partner drivers to give out a business-starter package to three lady riders or drivers......»»
GForest named 2023 national winner of Energy Globe Award in the Philippines
GCash, the Philippines' leading finance app, through its GForest feature, is the 2023 National Winner of the Energy Globe Award in the Philippines......»»
Six presumed dead after ship destroys major US bridge
Authorities on Tuesday suspended their search for six people missing after a packed cargo ship slammed into a Baltimore bridge, causing it to collapse and blocking one of the busiest US commercial harbors......»»
2 farm-to-market roads completed in Zamboanga del Norte
2 farm-to-market roads completed in Zamboanga del Norte.....»»
Globe gets P5 billion from sale of towers
Telco-to-tech provider Globe Telecom Inc. raised almost P5 billion from the sale of towers in the first quarter, providing it with some of the capital needed to upgrade services and pay debts......»»
DENR defends LLDA on lake sharing
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources defended yesterday the decision of the Laguna Lake Development Authority to increase the share of commercial operators in Laguna de Bay, saying it was the local government units who recommended to President Marcos the modification in the sharing agreement as small fisherfolk could not meet the required supply of fish......»»
Baltimore bridge collapses after cargo ship rams it
A major bridge in the US city of Baltimore almost entirely collapsed Tuesday after being struck by a cargo ship, sending multiple vehicles and up to 20 people plunging into the harbor below. Dramatic footage shows a container ship hitting a footing of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, sending the steel-built structure into the Patapsco.....»»
Missing man found dead in Barangay Bonbon
CEBU CITY, Philippines — A 50-year-old man who had been missing for two weeks was found dead in Sitio Golivas, Barangay Bonbon, Cebu City. The victim was identified as Adriano Fuentes Durano, a resident of Kiniasan, Barangay Bonbon, Cebu City. Police Major Philip John Libres, chief of Malubog Police Community Precinct, stated that on Tuesday.....»»
Major Dingdong Dantes finishes Naval Combat Engineering Officer basic course
Actor Dingdong Dantes is now a Naval Combat Engineering Officer of the Philippine Navy after receiving a certificate for finishing a basic course......»»
Davao police clueless on Quiboloy’s whereabouts
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 24 March) — Police authorities in the Davao region claim they are still clueless on the whereabouts of Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy. The Senate had earlier ordered the arrest of Quiboloy for his continued refusal to attend its investigation of alleged human trafficking and child abuse. Police major Catheine Dela Rey, Police […].....»»
Police beef up security in Davao region for Holy Week
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews / 25 March) – Around 3,000 police personnel have been deployed to secure various areas in the Davao region for the Holy Week observance, an official of the Police Regional Office (PRO)-Davao said on Monday. Police Major Catherine Dela Rey, PRO-Davao spokesperson, said the deployment of more security personnel was intended to ensure that […].....»»
Fishers lose Laguna lake share to private developers
The share of small fisherfolk in the 9,200-hectare Laguna de Bay has been lowered to 53 percent after the Laguna Lake Development Authority increased private operators’ allocation to 47 percent......»»
Shohei Ohtani says interpreter stole money, denies knowledge of gambling debts
Shohei Ohtani says he was unaware Ippei Mizuhara had gambling debts and that he had been lied to repeatedly by the interpreter who had been by his side since he joined Major League Baseball in 2018.....»»
MMDA allows road works during Holy Week
Road diggings will take place along major thoroughfares in Metro Manila this Holy Week when most motorists are vacationing in the provinces, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority announced yesterday......»»
Southeast Asian Police, Prosecutors Join Forces to Fight Scamdemic
Bangkok - Police and prosecutors across Southeast Asia are forging new ways of working together to thwart and pursue the sprawling criminal networks behind the online scam centers that have quickly taken root in the region, experts involved in the effort have told VOA.In a few short years, scamming hubs bilking billions of dollars out of victims across the globe have set up shop in Cambodia, Laos, the Philippine.....»»