A Repost From Kimberly Jane Tan Of GMA News.TV

Senator wants ex-COA auditor as PHL anti-corruption czar

GMANews.TV - Saturday, February 5

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Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said that he wants former government auditor-turned-whistle-blower Heidi Mendoza to be the "anti-corruption czar" of the country.

"Nirerecommend ko na maging isang anti-corruption czar siya (I recommend that she be the anti-corruption czar). She has the training. She has the integrity. She has the people's support," Cayetano told reporters at a press conference in Pasay City.

Mendoza, as a former auditor of the Commission on Audit, had followed the money trail of transactions by former military comptroller Carlos F. Garcia, who is facing a P303-million plunder suit at the Sandiganbayan.

She left her post at the Asian Development Bank in preparation for her testimony against Garcia.

She had appeared before the House inquiry to testify about the corrupt practices in the military. However, she begged off from participating in the Senate inquiry on the same issue.

Anti-graft council

At his press briefing, Cayetano likewise suggested the formation of an anti-graft council or a commission on good governance that will look into all allegations of corruption in government.

"We should take a more comprehensive approach to good governance," he said.

Cayetano said all the Cabinet members have to do is to order for the creation of an inter-agency fact finding panel, which will submit the needed documents to the anti-graft body.

"Mamimili ng (They can choose the) best of the best," he said.

Cayetano also reiterated his call for the Senate to have its own witness protection program amid the inquiries being conducted by the chamber.

He explained that they just need funding for the protection and transportation of the witnesses. If this is not possible, he said that they can just "strengthen" their sergeant-at-arms.

The Senate is currently conducting a series of hearings on the alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines. — Kimberly Jane Tan/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Reposted From Kimberly Jane Tan of GMA News.TV

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Richard Gutierrez willing to pose nude for Solenn Heussaff...when he's ready

PEP - Saturday, February 5

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Richard Gutierrez willing to pose nude for Solenn Heussaff...when he's ready

Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Nilinaw ni Richard Gutierrez ang balitang itinakas diumano niya si Solenn Heussaff pagkatapos ng Party Pilipinas noong Linggo, January 30. Nakita kasi silang kumakain sa isang restaurant sa Makati at "sweet na sweet" daw sila.

Ayon kay Richard, nagutom lang sila kaya nagdesisyon silang kumain. At kaya raw sila magkasama ay dahil may dubbing sila noong araw na 'yon para sa pinagsasamahan nilang pelikula, My Valentine Girls.

Nakausap ng PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal) si Richard sa presscon ng My Valentine Girls kagabi, February 3, sa Imperial Palace Suites sa Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

SOLENN'S PAINTING. Last Sunday sa birthday celebration ni Richard—who turned 27 last January 21—ay niregaluhan siya ng painting ni Solenn na mismong gawa ng dating Survivor Philippines Celebrity Showdown castaway.

Dahil sa sobrang laki ng painting ay hindi pa raw ito naisasabit ni Richard sa kanyang condo unit. Naghahanap pa raw siya ng perfect wall kung saan ito isasabit dahil napakalaki nga.

Banggit pa ng young actor, "Since that day na ibinigay niya, non-stop pa rin ang trabaho namin. So, sasamahan niya akong bumili at pumili ng frame for the painting.

"Ang galing, sobrang galing! Twelve hours daw na ginawa niya," sabi ni Richard tungkol sa painting.

"Talagang natuwa ako. It was such a sweet gesture for her to do that.

"Alam ko naman na gagawa siya ng portrait ko dahil sinabi niya sa akin. Pero hindi ko ini-expect na magagawa niya agad, kasi alam ko sobrang busy niya, tapos ang dami niyang priorities, ang dami niyang commitments.

"Pero kaya pala hindi siya naglalabas ng bahay, tinatapos niya yung painting. One time kasi niyaya namin siyang lumabas, sabi niya stay home na lang daw.

"Tapos nung ibinigay niya sa akin yung painting, yun daw yung araw na hindi siya lumabas."

Isa ba itong dahilan kaya lalong napalapit si Solenn sa kanya?

"Ever since, before naman, e, we're very close," aniya.

Pero sa mga experience at bagong nangyayari sa kanila ay lalo raw silang nagiging close.

Sobrang na-appreciate din daw ni Richard na pinagpaguran ng isang babae ang ibinigay sa kanyang regalo.

"Iba kasi yun. Pinag-isipan tapos may effort, may oras na ibinigay at sarili niyang design. Iba yun, e, kesa sa mga bagay na nabibili, di ba?" sabi niya.

Paano kung dumating ang time na i-request ni Solenn na mag-pose siya nang nude para i-paint?

"If I'm ready, why not?" mabilis niyang sagot.

For Solenn?

"Yeah. It's okay. Actually, that's not bad idea. Parang remembrance ng kabataan mo at magandang tingnan sa future," saad ni Richard.

Nang tanungin kung mahal na niya si Solenn, tumawa lang ang young actor.

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

A Repost From AFP

World food prices reach record high

AFP - Friday, February 4

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A Filipino butcher sells pork at a market in Quezon City. World food prices have reached their highest level ever recorded in January and are set to keep rising for months, according to the UN food agency which warned that the hardest-hit countries could face turmoil.

ROME (AFP) - – World food prices reached their highest level ever in January, the UN food agency said on Thursday, as economists warned chaos in Egypt could push prices up further and foment more unrest in the region.

Rising food prices have been cited among the driving forces behind the recent popular revolts in north Africa, including the uprising in Egypt and the toppling of Tunisia's long-time president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

And in its latest survey, the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) said its index, which monitors monthly price changes for a variety of staples, averaged 231 points in January -- the highest since records began in 1990.

"The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come," said Abdolreza Abbassian, an economist for FAO, which is based in Rome.

The Index rose by 3.4 percent from December -- with big increases in particular for dairy, cereal and oil prices. The rises were most significant in China, India, Indonesia and Russia, data from FAO's monthly report showed.

Capital Economics, a consultancy in London, blamed extreme weather conditions last year and added: "The resulting increases in food prices have contributed to social unrest in many countries, including in Egypt."

The consultancy warned of a vicious circle in which the crisis in Egypt could raise prices even further since other Arab governments were beginning to restrict exports and stockpile food supplies to prevent similar unrest.

"Even if the crisis in Egypt eases soon, the actions taken by governments elsewhere to prevent similar uprisings in their own countries will add to the upward pressure on global agricultural commodity prices," it added.

The FAO's Abbassian however said some countries had become better at managing price shocks after a series of food riots in 2007 and 2008.

"They have learnt from previous episodes," he said, adding: "There are a lot of factors that could spark turmoil in countries and food is one of them."

The FAO data showed that prices for dairy products rose by 6.2 percent from December, oils and fats gained 5.6 percent, while cereals went up by 3.0 percent because of lower global supply of wheat and maize.

"The increase in prices follows stronger export demand during the last month and concerns about tightening supplies of high quality wheat. The market was also supported by higher oil prices and a weaker US dollar," FAO said.

Meat prices remained broadly stable due to a fall in prices in Europe caused by last month's scare over dioxin poisoning in eggs and pork in Germany, compensated by a slight increase in export prices from Brazil and the United States.

Chris Leather, a policy adviser for international aid agency Oxfam said the news "should ring alarm bells in capitals around the world."

"High global food prices risk hunger for millions of people," he said, calling for concerted international action to prevent price volatility.

He also urged countries to "avoid repeating the mistakes of the past when countries reacted to spiralling prices by banning exports and hoarding food."

Oxfam blamed the price rises on reduced production due to bad weather, increased oil prices making fertilizer and transport more expensive, increased demand for biofuels, export restrictions and financial speculation.

The FAO data showed the Food Price Index averaged 200 points over the whole of 2008, at the height of the 2007/2008 food crisis. The index breached that level for the first time in October 2010 with 205 points and kept rising.

The report showed that Somalia and Uganda have been particularly hard hit in Africa and that the ongoing unrest in Ivory Coast has helped push up prices in West Africa as a whole because of its status as a key transport hub.

But the most dramatic rises were seen in Asia, with a surge in prices across the board in India due to "unseasonal rains" during the harvest season "which resulted in severe damage to the summer crop and supply shortages," FAO said.

Reposted From AFP

A Repost From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

Angel Locsin on being in love: "Masarap 'yon kapag sa tamang tao."

PEP - Thursday, February 3

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Angel Locsin on being in love: "Masarap 'yon kapag sa tamang tao."

Slideshow: Showbiz Photos

Aminado si Angel Locsin na humanga siya sa ginawang pag-amin ni Piolo Pascual sa tunay na estado ng relasyon nila ni KC Concepcion.

Matatandaan na noong nakaraang Linggo, January 30, sa The Buzz ay inihayag ng matinee idol sa publiko na, "I just want it out and I just want them to know that she's taken." (CLICK HERE to read related article)

Napanood ni Angel ang naturang panayam at ito ay kanyang ikinatuwa.

"I'm sorry, pero noong umamin si Piolo na 'she's taken,' 'yon ang pinakapoging nakita ko sa kanya. I mean, 'Ang pogi talaga ni Piolo Pascual!' Parang bumalik 'yong crush ko sa kanya. Pero taken na rin siya. Parang gano'n lang 'yong dating," sabi ng dalagang aktres sa ginawang press conference para sa ikalawang yugto ng fantaseryeng Imortal kanina, Pebrero 2, sa Dolphy Theater ng ABS-CBN.

Nagkasama noon sina Angel at si Piolo sa fantaseryeng Lobo (2008). Ito ay konektado sa kasalukuyang teleseryeng ginagawa niya kasama si John Lloyd Cruz na Imortal.

Ngayong umamin na si Piolo, hindi ba naiisip ni Angel na pumasok na rin sa isang relasyon?

NOT IN A HURRY. Matatandaan na ang huling nabalitang karelasyon ni Angel ay ang anak nina Edu Manzano at Vilma Santos na si Luis Manzano. Ngunit natapos ito noong 2009. May mga bali-balitang muling nag-date ang dalawa noong ikalawang bahagi ng 2010, subalit tila hindi naman ito umusbong sa panibagong relasyon.

Ayon kay Angel, hindi naman siya nagmamadali na magkaroon ulit ng kapareha sa totoong buhay.

Dagdag pa niya, "Well, hindi naman ako naka-taxi. Hindi naman ako naka-metro. Darating naman 'yon, e.

"Kagaya nga ng sinasabi ko, masarap 'yong feeling ng ma-in love. Pero masarap 'yon kapag sa tamang tao."

Kung gano'n, paano niya ipagdiriwang ang Araw ng mga Puso sa Pebrero 14?

"Wala pa. Hindi ko pa alam," nakangiting sagot ni Angel.

Ayon kay Angel, may ilang mga nag-aaya sa kanyang lumabas. Subalit natatawang sinabi niya, "Hindi naman puwedeng sama ka lang nang sama, di ba?"

SHORTY AWARDS. Samantala, sa panayam pagkatapos ng press conference, nagpasalamat si Angel sa kanyang masugid na fans sa pagboto sa kanya sa 3rd Shorty Awards.

Ang Shorty Awards, ayon sa website nito, "honor the best people and organizations on Twitter and social media."

Sa pamamagitan ng micro-blogging site na Twitter, maaaring i-nominate at iboto si Angel ng kanyang avid fans at Twitter followers.

Sa ngayon, nasa ikatlong puwesto ang 25-year-old na si Angel para sa actress category. Sinusundan niya sina Stana Katic ng American TV series na Castle na nasa unang posisyon at ang Bulgarian-Canadian actress na si Nina Dobrev sa ikalawang posisyon.

"Alam mo, I really have the best followers talaga," excited na sinabi ni Angel. "Sila kasi ang nagboboto. Wala akong idea. Siguro dahil 'yon ang paniniwala nila kaya ni-nominate nila ako sa Shorty.

"Nakakatuwa lang kasi kapag nakikita mo, mga taga-ibang bansa daw. Ako lang daw 'yong Pilipinong nakapasok do'n. Sana pumasok ako."

Kung sakali, umaasa ba si Angel na manalo sa Shorty Awards?

"No naman," sagot niya. "Pero maganda kung manalo ka, di ba? Kasi, iba rin 'yong effort ng mga nagboto. Pero kung hindi naman, wala namang problema doon."

Reposted From PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal)

A Repost From Glenda Villena of Yahoo! Southeast Asia

• Eric Quizon: 'My dad is okay'

  By Glenda Villena, For Yahoo! Southeast Asia Saturday January 29, 2011 11:14 pm PST

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Eric Quizon: 'My dad is okay'

By Glenda Villena, For Yahoo! Southeast Asia Saturday January 29, 2011 11:14 pm PST

Award winning actor-director Eric Quizon has debunked misconceptions on the health of his father, Comedy King Dolphy.

During his one on one interview with Yahoo Southeast Asia at the grand press launch of TV5's Babaeng Hampaslupa recently, Eric said his dad is healthy despite his pulmonary condition.

"My dad is okay. That's always what I tell everyone 'cause there's always a misconception. Yes he's not getting any younger,” Eric said.

“Yes, he has a condition, which is Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). It's a progressive disease, there's no cure and sakit ito ng mga nagkakaroon na ng edad. And ang concern lang namin talaga right now he's okay, his heart is okay, all his vitals are okay, it's just that 'yun na nga meron siyang COPD kaya ang concern lang namin talaga is 'wag siyang magkakasakit para di na lalong lumala yung condition niya but otherwise he's okay,” Eric noted.

Eric added that their family is very much happy that Dolphy remains strong and in high spirits despite his condition. “We're very happy that he's still very robust. I was with him kanina nagtrabaho kami, nagtaping kami ng ‘Pidol's Wonderland’ so I think we cannot take that away from him.

He also clarified reports that Dolphy had been frequently checking in the hospital due to his “worsening condition.”

“Minsan may sinasabi na parati daw siya nasa ospital pero he needs to go to the hospital for constant check up. Meron na siyang ganun and 24-hour care, but he's okay," Eric said.

Eric on his career

He may not be seen in front of the camera nowadays, but Eric is perhaps one of the busiest directors in the industry. He along with Joyce Bernal are the directors of TV5's upcoming dramatic series, "Babaeng Hampaslupa."

Eric still misses acting though, but for him, directing gives him a different feeling of fulfillment.

"I love acting. I really miss it. And it just so happens that lately I've been given so many wonderful projects, and sometimes when you work with a lot of good staff, honestly I feel that when I'm an actor I only think of myself. Of course when I'm on the set I think of my co-actors. But when you’re a director and your staff tells you na 'direk sige na please we want to work with you can you just do this,' it feels so good to feel important and respected by your staff," Eric explained.

Eric said he hopes to get back to acting again, with roles that would challenge him.

"No particular role. As long as the role challenges me whether it's a comedy, whether it's a tiny role, I don't mind doing it."

Aside from “Babaeng Hampaslupa,” Eric also directs “Pidol’s Wonderland” on TV5.

Photo by Jerome Ascano, NPPA Images

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Glenda Villena is a showbiz writer and proud mommy blogger who enjoys sharing precious moments with daughter Magi.

Reposted From Glenda Villena of Yahoo! Southeast Asia