rescuers search for survivors of philippine earthquake

8/3/2019 Rescuers Search for Survivors of Philippine Earthquake

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Rescuers Search for Survivors of Philippine Earthquake

Rescuers in the Philippines continued to search Tuesday for dozens of people still missingfollowing an earthquake that triggered devastating landslides and powerful aftershocks.

At least 43 people were confirmed killed after the 6.7-magnitude quake struck late Mondaymorning in a strait just off the heavily populated central Philippine island of Negros.

Dozens of people are believed to be injured or missing in mountainous areas that have been cutoff from rescue workers because of heavy landslides. Some villagers used their bare hands andshovels to dig through the rubble because heavy equipment had not arrived.

Officials say more than 700 aftershocks rattled the area in the 20 hours after the original quake,forcing many local residents, such as Fidela Folio, to spend Monday night outside or in their vehicles.

³We just wanted to be sure, like what happened earlier when people ran out of their homes in panic and there was a stampede. That is why we are staying beside the road.´

Authorities warn that the aftershocks could last for weeks.

Prosecution tells summoned bank officials tocome or face penaltyMANILA, Philippines²The prosecution team on Wednesday warned bank officials being

summoned by the impeachment court that they could be penalized if they refuse to come onWednesday.

³The subpoena has been issued for the bank officials directing them to come tomorrow at 2 p.m.If they refuse to come, there are sanctions that can be issued by the Impeachment court on them,´Aurora representative Juan Edgardo Angara, spokesperson for the prosecution said in an ambushinterview.

When asked if the bank officials could go to the Supreme Court if they refuse to come to theSenate, Angara said that it was ³in their right´ but it was clearly stated in the Constitution thatthe power to decide and hear cases of impeachment rests in the Senate.

The impeachment court on Monday granted the request for the issuance of subpoena for the bank officials and bank account records allegedly owned by Corona.

The court cited Republic Act 1405, the Bank secrecy law, and Republic Act 6426, the foreigncurrency deposits act.



Marikina representative Romero Quimbo said in an earlier press briefing that ³the secrecy of bank deposits law provides for a clear exception, which is impeachment, and for foreigncurrency-denominated deposits, [the impeachment court] used the ruling in Salvacion whichspecifically said that the secrecy of foreign currency deposits cannot be used as a shield to

protect a crime.´

He said that the subpoenas were not illegal and clearly allowed in the law.

PNoy guarantees govt assistance to quake-hit areas; no plans to visit yet

President Benigno Aquino III has no plans yet to visit earthquake-hit areas in Visayas, but ensured thatall the concerned government agencies are now on the ground providing assistance to affectedresidents, his spokesperson said Tuesday.

At the moment, the President is concentrating on making sure that the concerned agencies are givingthe responses that [are] needed, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said at a press briefing

when asked if Aquino is planning to visit the affected areas.

The President is deeply concerned about our countrymen in the affected areas. He is focused on

ensuring that services resume at the soonest possible time, Valte added.

Valte said Aquino, whom she said is busy with numerous meetings, is in constant contact with

concerned officials and Cabinet members to ensure the timely delivery of assistance.

Ngayong marami siyang meetings, he has asked them (Cabinet) to constantly update him of the

situation, she said.

More than 40 people are feared dead in the magnitude 6.9 earthquake that hit some areas in the

Visayas on Monday noon, but the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)has so far confirmed 15 fatalities, with 52 others injured and 29 more missing.

Call for calm

Valte said Aquino is appealing to the affected residents to remain calm and cooperate with theauthorities as the government works to bring the areas back to normality.

She said the NDRRMC, together with the local government units of the affected areas, is conductingDamage Assessment and Needs Analysis (DANA) as instructed by the President.

Aquino also ordered concerned agencies to activate their response teams to aid the victims, Valte said.

Govt in action



The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has placed its quick response teams on

standby while the military and the police have initiated evacuation efforts, search and rescueoperations, and helped in the distribution of relief goods.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has also conducted clearing and re-routingoperations in roads and bridges that were rendered impassable.

Valte said rehabilitation efforts are underway for damaged infrastructure while the Department of Energy is restoring power back to affected areas.

She further said the NDRRMC, Office of Civil Defense, Philippine Coast Guard, and Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and their corresponding regional offices will continue to monitor thesituation and disseminate advisories and bulletins to the public, particularly to coastal communities in

Negros Oriental and Cebu that need to be watchful of sea level changes due to aftershocks. KBK,GMA News

Palace: No term-sharing for Carpio, CoronaMANILA, Philippines - Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte on Tuesday said thereis no truth to reports that Sen. Teofisto "TG" Guingona III tried to broker a term-sharing deal

between Chief Justice Renato Corona and Associate Justice Antonio Carpio.

The report said that Guingona was allegedly acting on behalf of President Aquino. Valte said thePresident "has nothing to do" with the alleged deal.

A report from the Daily Tribune said Guingona allegedly approached Corona last year about the proposed term-sharing deal, which was then allegedly rejected by the chief justice.

Luisita farmers thumb down new SolGenMANILA, Philippines - The Hacienda Luisita farmers see a conspiracy in the appointment of Francis Jardeleza as Solicitor General.

In a statement, the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) and theUnyon ng mga Manggagawang Agrikultura (UMA) vowed to block Jardeleza¶s appointment.

"He is the yes man of the Cojuangcos. Isn't it obvious that once he became the SolGen he willsurely compromise the government's position in Hacienda Luisita," said Rodel Mesa, UMAsecretary general.



"We are hell bent opposing his appointment; clearly the installment of Jardeleza was part of theCojuangco-Aquino's political game plan to ensure favorable decision for himself, his relativesand his allies. Truly KAMAG-ANAK INC; spells Aquino's administration,´ he added.

Jardeleza was appointed to replace Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz, who resigned Friday

night due to personal reasons.

Jardeleza, a former counsel for San Miguel Corp., was deputy ombudsman for Luzon.

Mesa asked: "How come he will perform his duty as the people's lawyer when his entire career spent under the Cojuangco's employment? We have no doubt that in our minds that his loyalty of service is not for the people but for the Cojuangco-Aquino's.´

He said the position of solicitor general is very strategic since it represents cases in behalf of thegovernment.

³You just can't give it to a person with an extremely bias to its benefactor. The intention iscrystal clear; Aquino wants to reverse the government stance on Hacienda Luisita under Jardeleza's stewardship,´ he said.

Ambala chairman Felix Nacpil Jr. added: ³His position as a government official will not defer him to follow his personal interest that is to heed Aquino and the Cojuangco's wishes to takeHacienda Luisita back in their arms. That is why he is not fit for the position".

"We are calling all upon our allies and supporters to take a stand with the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita to reject and condemn this latest move of Aquino. We will make sure that thisact of the president will be dealt with massive protest in the soonest possible time inside and

outside Hacienda Luisita,´ he said.

F arewell to a founding father

SINGAPORE - At about 11am on a sunny Tuesday morning, the body of one of Singapore's foundingfathers, former Deputy Prime Minsiter Toh Chin Chye - borne on a ceremonial gun carriage - arrived atMandai Crematorium.

The arrival was met by a 11-strong Honour Guard, as well as family members and friends.

At the funeral service, eulogies were given by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, Dr Toh's brother Toh ChinKooi and sister Toh Chooi Gait, grandson Matthew Ng and former MP for Jalan Besar Loh Meng See.

In his eulogy, Mr Lee said that Dr Toh's passing marked the fading of the founding generation, withSingapore well into a post-Independence phase.

Without Dr Toh and his fellow Old Guard, Mr Lee said this modern, prosperous metropolis that



Singapore now takes for normal would not exist.

The Prime Minister said Dr Toh's passing should remind Singaporeans of how the country got to where itis today, how much they owed to him and his generation, and how heavy a responsibility Singaporeanshave to carry their vision forward and to take the country higher and further into a brighter future.

In his eulogy, MP Loh Meng See called Dr Toh a man of conviction and courage who treated the lessprivileged and disadvantaged with respect and dignity.

Dr Toh's grandson Matthew, in an emotional speech, said he had been touched by the outpouringofplatitudes in tribute to his "kong kong". "I didn't realise how many lives he had touched until this

week," said Matthew.

At the end of the service, the National F lag draped over Dr Toh's coffin was presented to his family by

the Honour Guard, and a minute of silence was observed for the former PAP chairman. The NationalF lag will be flown at half-mast at all Government buildings today. TAN WEIZHEN, WITH ADDITIONALREPORTING BY CHANNEL NEWSASIA

UN chief calls for more ratifications for nuclear test ban treaty

New York, US (PANA) - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has urged eight key countries thathave not yet ratified the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) to do so, in order toaccelerate its entry into force.

The UN, in a brief statement on Monday, listed the eight countries yet to ratify the treaty as China , North Korea, Egypt, India, Iran, Israel, Pakistan, and the US.

According to the statement, Ban made the call when he met Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa in New York.

"During their meeting , the Secretary-General stressed the importance of Indonesia¶s ratificationof the CTBT, given that the country is one of the so-called Annex 2 States, whose endorsementis required for the treaty to enter into force," it said.

T upas still heads prosecution team, admits owning house

MANILA, Philippines - It¶s not true that he has been replaced as head of the prosecution team.

But Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas admitted yesterday owning a house at Xavierville Subdivision inQuezon City.

However, he clarified that the structure costs P14 million and not P50 million as reported by adaily broadsheet.



Tupas said he has yet to declare the property in his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth(SALN) as he just acquired it in 2011.

He said the property would be included in the SALN he would file this year.

As a congressman, Tupas has a salary of some P25,000 a month, the report said.

The report added the Tupases also own a condominium unit in Tandang Sora, Quezon City.

³Even without a loan, I can buy the house,´ he told reporters.

House prosecution panel spokesman Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo said the camp of Chief JusticeRenato Corona could be behind the allegations against Tupas.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives also confirmed that Tupas remains as its lead prosecutor in the Senate impeachment trial of Corona.

Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said the House would not replace any member of its prosecution panel in the middle of the impeachment trial. ± With Jess Diaz

Pasay RTC defers Abalos arraignment toMarch 5The Pasay City Regional Trial Court has postponed the arraignment of former Commission onElections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos to March 5 after his lawyer sought to have the

charges of electoral sabotage dismissed.

Judge Eugenio de la Cruz of RTC Branch 117 gave Comelec prosecutors 10 days to commenton Abalos¶ pleading which his lawyer Brigido Dulay, filed on Friday. Abalos has argued that thecase against him was without basis.

³This motion to quash is effectively a call to dismiss the charges because it is baseless,´ Dulayexplained to reporters, adding that if it had any merit, the case ³should have been filed before theSandiganbayan, not in the regional trial court.´

After prosecutors filed their comment on Abalos¶ pleading, De la Cruz told Dulay to submit

their own comment before the judge resolved the matter.Abalos is charged with 11 counts of electoral sabotage for allegedly manipulating the electionresults in South Cotabato, together with provincial election supervisor Lilian Radam, in 2007.

Abalos purportedly ordered Radam to tamper with the votes cast for administration senatorial bets Joker Arroyo, Edgardo Angara, Ralph Recto, Mike Defensor, Prospero Pichay Jr.,Vincente



Sotto III, Vicente Magsaysay, Tessie Aquino-Oreta, Juan Miguel Zubiri and Luis Singson, andfor opposition candidate Loren Legarda.

Abalos is also facing another electoral sabotage case at Pasay City RTC branch 112.

In Mandaluyong City, Mayor Benhur Abalos reiterated his appeal for house arrest for his father,saying that the latter was old and had hypertension.

A brief tribute video to Abalos, a former mayor of the city, shown Monday during Benhur¶sstate of the city address, made city hall employees and residents cry.

Employees, residents and members of Abalos¶ family near the stage of the Mandaluyonggymnasium were seen wiping tears while the video clip was being played. With reports from

Niña Calleja and Tetch Torres, INQUIRER.net

M iriam asks Senate to review decision on Corona bank accounts

Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Wednesday asked the Senate impeachment court toreconsider its decision approving the prosecution's subpoena requests for the bank accounts of impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona.

During the 13 th day of the impeachment trial, Senate Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III read aletter from Santiago questioning the Senate¶s decision.

Santiago cited three reasons why she wants the impeachment court to reconsider its ruling.

y the subpoena would violate the court¶s own ruling that evidence on ill-gotten wealth shall

not be allowed to be presented;y the court¶s issuance of subpoena, even for dollar accounts, was in violation of Republic

Act 6426, which disallows the opening of a foreign currency deposit, unless with awritten permission from the depositor;

y the cases that the prosecution cited to support its request for the issuance of subpoena³are all off-tangent,´ referring to the 1997 case of Salvacion, 2000 case of China Bank Corp., and 2006 case of Ejercito.

The Senate, sitting as the impeachment court, on Monday granted the prosecution¶s request tosummon documents and officials from banks where Corona supposedly had accounts.

The court ruled that these evidence and testimonies still fall under Article II of the impeachmentcomplaint, which accuses Corona of errors in his Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth(SALN).

Senator Panfilo Lacson, however, questioned Santiago¶s capacity to question the Senate rulingon the subpoena requests, since she was absent when her colleagues deliberated on the requestson Monday afternoon.



Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile, the presiding officer, said that each senator-judge in theCorona trial has the right to question the court¶s rulings.

³I think proper thing to do is to hear the views of a judge who is absent during the caucus,´

Enrile said.He said he will hear Santiago¶s side first in a caucus on Wednesday noon and will issue adecision before the trial resumes later in the afternoon. ± with Mark D. Merueñas/KBK, GMANews

'Patrol ng Pilipino' bares Iggy Arroyo storyMANILA, Philippines -- ABS-CBN Europe Bureau correspondent Rose Eclarinal looks into thelife of the late Rep. Ignacio ³Iggy´ Arroyo, the controversial younger brother of former First

Gentleman Mike Arroyo on Tuesday, February 7, in ³Patrol ng Pilipino.´Before Iggy died, he was a prominent newsmaker for confessing as Jose Pidal in 2003 and for appearing in a controversy involving the sale of allegedly Arroyo-owned choppers to thePhilippine National Police in 2011.

Amidst all the issues hounding him up to his last breath, who is Iggy Arroyo in the eyes of hisfamily and friends?

In Tuesday¶s episode, Jeff Canoy will also return to Cagayan de Oro and Iligan to check on thesurvivors of tropical storm Sendong who have been provided temporary shelter and struggling to

get their lives back on track.³Patrol ng Pilipino´ was hailed as the Best Documentary Program in the recently concludedGandingan: The UPLB Isko't Iska's Broadcast Choice Awards for its report on the ongoingconflict between the Philippines and China over Spratly Islands, which are said to be rich innatural resources , presented by Chiara Zambrano.

Stradcom seeks renewal of LTO dealLocal technology firm Stradcom Corp. has submitted a proposal to renew its multibillion-peso

information technology (IT) contract with the Land Transportation Office (LTO), which expiresnext year.

In a statement, the company reiterated its assertion that the government should honor Stradcom¶srights under its concession deal that gives the firm preferential treatment in choosing the LTO¶snew IT contractor.



³Stradcom believes that it would not only be difficult for any other corporation to beat its proposal but that it would be wise for the government to renew the contract as it would be moreadvantageous to the government since it would allow the government to continue providing theservices at zero expense,´ Stradcom said in a statement.

Stradcom¶s proposal comes amid the Department of Transportation and Communications¶(DoTC) recent discussions with top tech firms about different technologies that can be used toreplace the computer systems Stradcom already has in place. Stradcom¶s contract with the LTOexpires in February 2013.

Under its proposal, Stradcom said it would rehabilitate its existing facilities at LTO sites acrossthe country, including the central office for P1 billion. The company said it would also upgradethe LTO¶s existing IT infrastructure, system and facilities, also estimated at P1 billion.

Stradcom would also conduct human resource development or training programs for LTO¶s3,000 employees, apart from the development and roll-out of public service programs, such as

online license renewal for overseas Filipino workers.Stradcom, aside from paying taxes to the national government, will also grant an annual revenueshare of P200 million, or a total of P2 billion, over the said 10-year renewal concession period.

The IT provider said it would also address the perennial issue of driver¶s license card production by providing the driver¶s license cards at half their present cost. The national government wouldsave about P300 million in one year alone, or a total of P3 billion over a 10-year period.

Stradcom president Cezar Quiambao in a letter said the company was likewise open to other counter-proposals of the government.

However, he said, if the DoTC has already adopted a policy decision to bid out a new LTO ITProject under existing build-own-operate (BOO) procurement laws, Stradcom would seek thetransitory renewal agreement or contract that would ³help manage the impact to about 800

private personnel directly and indirectly employed under and by virtue of the LTO IT Project.

He has requested a meeting with the DoTC within 30 days to discuss whether or not to renew theexisting BOO agreement.

Maguindanaons build peace through Sagayan tradition

MAGUINDANAO, Philippines ± Residents of Maguindanao launched in Buluan town Mondaythe first ever ³Sagayan Festival´ to highlight the rich cultural and geographic potentials of the province, adversely overshadowed by conflicts and calamities in recent years.

Maguindanao Gov. Esmael ³Toto´ Mangudadatu said the week-long festivities are to show thatthe cultures and traditions of ethnic Maguindanaons are meant to propagate harmony, foster inter-community cooperation, and inculcate subservience to Allah among the natives.



The term Maguindanaons, which refers to the Moro community in the province, literally means³people of the flooded plains,´ or those that dwell in the marshlands in the ilod (downstream)and Raya (upper delta) of what are now the first and second districts of Maguindanao,respectively.

Reeling off from pain

A blue-blooded Moro politician, Mangudadatu, who started only as a mayor in Buluan town and,after having served for three consecutive terms lasting from 1998 to 2007, as vice mayor of thesame town, was elected provincial governor in 2010.

He got to the helm of the provincial leadership, but painfully lost in the process his wife(Jenalyn), more than a dozen other relatives, and two of his lawyers, who were slaughtered inAmpatuan town on November 23, 2009 while on their way to file on his behalf his candidacy for Maguindanao governor for the May 2010 elections.

The atrocity, now known as the Maguindanao Massacre, also left more than 30 journalists dead,who were with Mangudadatu¶s wife to cover the filing of his certificate of candidacy at the provincial capitol in Shariff Aguak municipality.

Mangudadatu said amid the pain that they still feel, they want to show, through the SagayanFestival, that the province has gradually been reeling from the adverse impact of the incident,dubbed as the country¶s worst election-related violence ever.

Through the activity, he said they can show that there is fragile peace now creeping around the36 towns in Maguindanao.

³We ought to thank President Aquino, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the PeaceProcess, the new administration in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the ArmedForces, and the Philippine National Police for the `winds of peace and development¶ now gentlysweeping through the four corners of Maguindanao,´ Mangudadatu pointed out.

He also expressed deep appreciation of the extensive role of the peace panels of the governmentand the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, joint GPH-MILF ceasefire committee, and theMalaysian-led International Monitoring Team, in the religious implementation of all preliminarysecurity agreements meant to ensure the cordiality of the on-going peace talks.

Sagayan¶s background

Sagayan, which is a Maguindanaon word, is a war dance that has always been part of the merry-makings during special occasions and weddings among ethnic Maguindanaons.

It is performed by the Maguindanaons and Maranaws of Lanao del Sur, where dancers depictferocity of warriors when they defend land, race and religion.



Dancers act as fighters and carry bladed weapons and wear beads that make noise when theydance, as if to distract the attention of enemies.

Contemporary Maguindanaon historians assert that while it is a war dance, it does not depictfeudalism, but rather shows the zeal of the Moro people and their leaders to protect their

communities from any form of conquest or abuse.

³It is also meant to show the resilience of the Moro communities and their strength to readily riseor bounce back from every fall, or from any devastation,´ explained Rep. Sandra Sema of thefirst district of Maguindanao, chairperson of the Cotabato City Tourism Council from 1998 to2010.

Luring investors

Mangudadatu said he is optimistic the festival will help convince prospective investors in thecountry and abroad that the business climate in the province has also been improving

dramatically lately.

Records obtained by The Star from the ARMM¶s Regional Board of Investments showed thatthere have been more than P200 million worth of expansions the past 18 months in existingforeign-backed agricultural industries in the second district of Maguindanao, and in Chinese-owned business establishments in Sultan Kudarat and surrounding towns in the first district of the province.

Raquel Magalona, Sagayan Festival¶s organizing chairperson, said the weeklong celebration willfeature a Grand ³Kanduli (thanksgiving rite) and the Buluan exportable Tilapias raised at themajestic Buluan Lake.

The event is also to be capped with a trade fair showcasing indigenous crafts and industries suchas cloth weaving and production of brasswares.

Review: Acer Aspire S3Acer¶s Aspire S3 is the first µUltrabook¶ released in the New Zealand and Australian markets.Ultrabooks ± ultra-thin and light laptops intended to offer long battery life without compromisingon performance ± are set to be 2012¶s µbig thing¶ in PC form factors. Perhaps the best descriptionof the Intel-sponsored initiative (though also the least politic one), is to introduce competition

into the MacBook Air¶s previously-impenetrable niche.Straight out of the box, the 13-inch Aspire S3 is a beautiful piece of hardware. Just 13mm at itsthickest point, it¶s substantially thinner than the 13-inch MacBook Air (which is 17mm at itsthickest, though more starkly tapered toward the front). It¶s also essentially the same weight:

both are just under 1.4kg.

The fully Aluminium/Magnesium frame doesn¶t have the rigidity of the MacBook Air¶s



aluminium unibody, but stills feels exceptionally solid. The Aspire S3¶s seams and joins are allvery subtle, worked nicely into the design. There are no ill-fitting parts or gaping edges, as youmight find a cheap plastic-cased laptop.

The 1366 x 768 screen is sharp and clear, though somewhat lacking in brightness.

Disappointingly, colours are notably washed out across the board (deep red, green and blue huesall appear much paler than they should). Whether this bothers you will really depend on the typeof computing you¶ll be using the Aspire S3 for.

If you¶re trying to edit photographs, design websites or similar visual work, the colour inaccuracies will really provide a hurdle. No amount of calibration will fix this: as far as wecould tell, it¶s an inherent limitation of the hardware. If you¶re just web browsing, watchingYouTube clips or knocking out your thesis in Word, the advantages of the S3¶s form factor couldeasily justify the limitations in colour reproduction.

The grey-on-silver island keyboard is attractive and full-sized, but does have a few limitations.

Key travel is very shallow ±hard on the fingers during long stretches of typing, but isunderstandable given the S3¶s thin body. Less understandable is the classically-styled (L-shaped)Enter key, which cuts far too close to the Backslash key above and can lead to mistyping. Thearrow keys are also decidedly undersized, each with less than half the surface area of the other keys. If you¶re trying to select and edit text without using the mouse, as one might do on alaptop, this is going to be a major annoyance.

The touchpad is a good size ± around 12cm/4.7 inches diagonally ± and the whole surface isusable for cursor movement. In fact, there are no buttons marked at all. To click, you can either tap anywhere on the pad (left click) or press the lower left or right corner, under which the click

buttons are hidden. Right-clicking can be a little difficult, but overall the touchpad provides aneasy and reliable way to navigate Windows.

Powering our review model was an Intel Core i5-2467M CPU, backed by 4GB of RAM and a320GB hard drive. This model sells for a very reasonable $1,599. Several variants are available,up to a $2,499 model with an Intel Core i7 CPU and 256GB SSD.

As an Ultrabook, the Aspire S3 uses Intel¶s on-CPU graphics. This means the S3 lacks DirectX11 support, and is rather limited in terms of graphical performance. Expect to see this improve infuture generations of Ultrabook: Intel's next generation of Core i processors (codenamed µIvyBridge¶) will feature DX11 support, and purportedly improve the on-chip graphics performance

beyond that offered by the current generation (Sandy Bridge). As for the S3, it¶s never going to be a gaming machine, nor a top-shelf multimedia powerhouse, but it¶s no slouch in the CPUdepartment.

Overall performance is commensurate with the ultra-portable laptops in our recent roundup,while the S3 is decidedly thinner and lighter than the average set by that class. Acer and Intelhave effectively shrunk the smallest class of laptop, without compromising performance to do so:it¶s an impressive outcome, and hints at good things to come over the Ultrabook frontier.



Following the style of the MacBook Air, connectivity is admittedly a little limited on the AspireS3. You¶ll get an SD card reader, headphone socket, two USB 2.0 ports (no USB 3), HDMI out,Wireless N and Bluetooth 4.0. The lithium-polymer battery is not user replaceable, so there¶s noway to carry a spare.

The USB ports, HDMI output and power socket are all along the rear edge ± great for keepingcables tidy and out of your mousing area, but annoying when you¶re connecting and unpluggingUSB drives or other peripherals frequently.

Particularly useful ± and novel ± is the S3¶s µInstant On¶ technology. Close your Ultrabook, andit falls asleep. After 8 hours, it falls into a deeper sleep which will preserve the battery for up to50 days. Wakeup time? Less than two seconds. Similar µinstant on¶ functionality was the onething that swayed me, personally, to a MacBook Pro when purchasing my last laptop. Now it¶sno longer the sole domain of Apple, with Ultrabooks promising that same massively time-savingfunction.

Battery life in our relatively demanding µproductivity¶ test was 3 hours and 22 minutes ± almost30 minutes less than our non-Ultrabook ultraportables averaged. Acer advertises battery life upto 7 hours ± under less demanding use, such as light web browsing or word processing, I foundthat figure really was achievable. More so, the µinstant on¶ technology means you can pop thelaptop to sleep if you walk away for even a minute or two ± something you probably wouldn¶t dowith a slower-waking machine. That way, without a doubt, lies the road to great battery life.

The Aspire S3 is worth going out and buying, right now, if you need a laptop that focuses on portability, but still delivers reasonable processing power. Beware, though, if you need USB 3,great graphical performance or good on-screen colour accuracy. None are things you¶ll find inthe Aspire S3, and none are issues that can be upgraded or optimised away.

G oogle algorithm inventor creates new search engine

Massimo Marchiori, inventor of the algorithm behind Google, prepares for a media conference inPadua, Italy on Monday where he unveiled his new creation 'Volunia,' a social search enginewhich allows users to interact with those who are looking at the pages.

Kaspersky rules out IPO should the others?High quality global journalism requires investment. Please share this article with others using thelink below, do not cut & paste the article. See our Ts&Cs and Copyright Policy for more detail.Email [email protected] to buy additional rights.

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Kaspersky Labs is one of a group of European IT security companies that has been talking aboutfloating since at least 2007. But Eugene Kaspersky, the company¶s founder and majorityshareholder, has now announced the company is planning to stay private after all.



He is buying back the 20 per cent stake General Atlantic bought in the company a year ago, and preserving all the freedom and flexibility that unlisted status affords.

³Eugene Kaspersky has made it clear in the medium to long term that he prefers it to remain a private company, staying nimble and focused on organic growth,´ said David Eggers, chief

financial officer of Kaspersky. Mr Eggers pointed out that the company generates a lot of cashand has no need to go to the public markets for fundraising.

General Atlantic, which bought the shares from Mr Kaspersky¶s ex-wife Natalya, has beenreluctant to talk about the transaction. They were rumoured to have paid $200m last year for thestake, valuing the company at $1bn. It is not clear if they have lost or gained on the deal. Thecompany is also buying back shares from other, smaller shareholders, whom they declined toidentify. There are no more institutions as shareholders following these deals.

Mr Kaspersky¶s announcement about staying private comes less than a week after thedisappointing stock market debut of AVG, the Dutch security company. AVG shares fell below

their initial offer price on their first day of trading on the Nasdaq. Mr Eggers said AVG had notinfluenced the Kaspersky decision, but Mr Kaspersky could well be congratulating himself onhaving sidestepped a similar fate.

The two moves do not bode well for other IPO hopefuls such as Avast, the Czech internetsecurity company, which has also filed for a $200m Nasdaq IPO. Avast declined to comment onits IPO plans to the Financial Times. Analysts said that Avast could well fare better than AVG,however, as the filing documents had revealed stronger growth prospects for the business.

Kaspersky and AVG¶s moves could also spell an even longer wait for Sophos. The UK ITsecurity company has twice had to pull IPO plans, and eventually sold a large stake in itself to

Apax Partners in 2010 as something of a halfway house solution. Eventually Apax will want anexit but that prospect of that still looks very distant.

Panda Security, the Spanish anti-virus company, meanwhile, already effectively shelved IPO plans last September when it announced a round of job cuts and booted out itsCEO. Investindustrial the south European investment group and Gala Capital, the private equitycompany, which bought 75 per cent of Panda¶s shares in 2007, face a long wait for a return.Let¶s hope that they too, like Eugene Kaspersky, enjoy the freedom and nimbleness of owning a

private company.

Apple becomes third-largest mobile playerSAN FRANCISCO: An outbreak of iPhone fever made Apple the third hottest mobile phonemaker worldwide at the end of 2011, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC).

Apple jumped into the third spot globally from fifth place in the final quarter of the year due to arecord-breaking quarter for iPhone shipments, IDC said in figures available online Monday.



Apple vaulted over South Korea's LG and China based ZTE in the mobile phone marketrankings, IDC said.

Nokia remained king, shipping 113.5 million mobile phones in the final quarter of the year toclaim nearly 27 per cent of the market.

Samsung was second with 22.8 per cent of the market, or 97.6 million handsets shipped.

Apple sold 37.04 million iPhones in the quarter which ended on December 31, giving it a marketshare of 8.7 percent.

A total of 427.4 million mobile phones were shipped in the final months of 2011 in a 6.1 percentincrease from the same quarter a year earlier, IDC said.

IDC warned that the growth rate in the fourth quarter of 2011 was weaker than the 9.3 percentseen in the prior three-month period of the year.

"The mobile phone market exhibited unusually low growth last quarter, which shows it is notimmune to weaker macroeconomic conditions worldwide," said Kevin Restivo, senior researchanalyst with IDC's Worldwide Mobile Phone Tracker.

"The introduction of high-growth products such as the iPhone 4S , which shipped in the fourthquarter, bolstered smartphone growth," he said.

"Yet overall market growth fell to its lowest point since the third quarter of 2009 when the globaleconomic recession was in full bloom."

G oogle celebrates Dickens' 200th birthday with a new DoodleAs in the past, clicking on the Doodle would lead to a search results page on the graphic's subject

²in this case, Charles Dickens.

UK's The Telegraph said the characters in the doodle included those from Dickens' works "AChristmas Carol" and "Great Expectations ."

It said these included Ebenezer Scrooge, the main character in "A Christmas Carol" who was acold-hearted, tight-fisted and greedy man in the beginning but was changed in the end.

The Telegraph said other characters depicted included Cratchit, an abused underpaid clerk of Scrooge; and Pip (Philip Pirrip), an orphan whose growth and development was depicted inDickens' novel "Great Exectations" .

Dickens was born February 7, 1812 and died June 9, 1870.

He was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period.



Many of his writings were originally published serially, in monthly installments. ² TJD, GMANews

Jinggoy opposes subpoenas for Corona bank recordsMANILA, Philippines - Senator-judges will decide in a caucus today whether or not to approvethe prosecution's request to subpoena the bank accounts of Supreme Court Chief Justice RenatoCorona.

As they enter week 4, Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada warned of the possibleimplications, once Corona's bank accounts are subpoenaed. The senator cited the case of theEstrada impeachment trial.

"If you can do that to a Chief Justice or to a President, you can do that to any ordinary person, toany businessman, baka nga magkaroon ng bank run, as what happened during the time of theimpeachment trial of my father," said Senator Jinggoy Estrada on ANC's Headstart. "They

presented Equitable Bank. Nagkaroon yata ng bank run yung Equitable bank."

"Yung dollar account ni President Estrada, Citibank voluntarily presented to the impeachmentcourt which is violative of the law. That's why my father sued them for doing that."

Estrada recalled the case of his own father: former President Joseph Estrada who was also thesubject of an impeachment trial and the controversial decision not to open the second envelopewhich allegedly contained incriminating bank documents.

"If that second envelope was opened, he should have been acquitted at wala tayong GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo na nagdusa ang taong bayan 9 na taon, and I think the 11 senators who votednot to open the 2nd envelope were proven right," he said.

Wake-up call for judiciary

Senator Estrada believes, the Corona impeachment trial will undoubtedly be a wake-up call tothe judiciary. But regardless what their verdict might be, he said the trial's outcome could be badfor the country.

"If we convict the chief justice, people will say Malacañang is in full control of all branches of government; if we acquit him, Malacañang will still try to find ways in ousting the Chief Justice,hindi na titigil yan. Never-ending story na yan."

Asked if he would be willing to take over as Presiding Officer of the impeachment trial, in theabsence of Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, the senator was self-effacing, and said thehearings may only further drag on.



"Walang sinasabi sa rules that the Senate Pro-Tempore will sub, only for legislative sessions. Idon't want to be presiding there over the Corona Impeachment Trial. If I will have to take up thechallenge presiding, yung four hours na hearing, magiging eight hours... Memoryado nila yungRules Of Court, ako hindi. I'm not a lawyer."

Like father, like son?

Senator Estrada looks back at the time he chose to run as mayor of San Juan instead of finishinghis law studies. He also conceded, it is difficult to surpass, or even equal the achievements of hisfather.

"My dad really wanted me to be a lawyer....I do not have his charisma. Mas maganda siyanglalaki sa akin. He's done a lot for country--as mayor, senator, vice-president, president. Mahirap

pantayan and kanyang achievements," he said.

Given his father's legacy, Senator Estrada insists, he is pressured to work harder.

"I don't want people to say, 'Anak lang ni Erap yan, artista lang yan.' I don't want people to saythat I am only a Senator because of my father," he said.

For now, the senator can only hope that the Corona impeachment trial ends soon to give closureto the landmark case, and allow lawmakers to go on with their legislative duties.

Lawyer: No quid pro quo for defendingCoronaMANILA, Philippines - Defense lawyers are not expecting any favors from Chief Justice RenatoCorona after defending him for free in the impeachment trial, a defense team spokesman saidTuesday.

Speaking to radio dzMM, former justice undersecretary Ramon Esguerra said Corona's case isnot the first pro bono case that the defense lawyers have taken.

"Hindi ito dahil may hinihintay kaming kapalit kundi dahil na rin sa dala ng pagkakaibigan.Yung pakikisama. Kung inaakala nila na mayroon kaming special favor na matatangap kay Chief Justice, hindi naman siguro pwedeng husgahan at that particular point o malaman agad natin atthat particular point kung may conflict of interest especially kung may case I handle for somebody," he said in the interview.

He said the Chief Justice could always inhibit if ever one of the cases that the defense lawyersare litigating reaches the Supreme Court.



Defense lead counsel Serafin Cuevas earlier complained before the Senate impeachment courtabout the "avalanche" of lawyers joining the prosecution panel. He said getting more lawyerscould mean a higher budget for the impeachment trial.

In response, Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas said the private prosecutors were giving their

legal services for free. He also noted that Corona was barred from receiving large donations or gifts especially from lawyers who might have pending cases before the Supreme Court.

³Pro bono raw sila, yet they have pending cases before the Supreme Court. Bawal sa publicofficials tumanggap ng mga regalo na ang halaga ay malaki," he said.

³Magagaling na abogado de campanilla sila, mahal ang rates ng mga iyan," he added.

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, however, said Corona cannot be deprived of his right to seek legal representation of his own choice.

Panel finds sufficient grounds to impeach delCastilloMANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - The House of Representatives justice committee on Tuesdayfound sufficient grounds for the impeachment complaint filed against Supreme Court AssociateJustice Mariano del Castillo.

Twenty-seven congressmen voted in favor, 4 dissented while 1 congressman, Albay Rep. EdcelLagman, abstained in the vote if the complaint had sufficient grounds.

The complaint stems from the alleged acts of plagiarism in a decision del Castillo wrote as ponente in a case filed by comfort women wherein he allegedly failed to acknowledge foreignauthors and misinterpreted their work to justify his decision.

Lawyer Harry Roque, who represented the comfort women in the SC case, said the impeachmentcase against del Castillo has no political motive.

"It's purely justice to victims of war crimes and to authors whose works were plagiarized andtwisted," he said in a statement.

Justice committee chairman Niel Tupas Jr. said that after the declaration of sufficiency inground, the committee is set to call two hearings next week - one day to listen to thecomplainants of the impeachment and the next day to hear the respondent's side.

Tupas said del Castillo may appear or he can choose to send a representative or a lawyer when heis subpoenaed by the committee.



After the hearings, the committee will vote if there is probable cause in the complaint to send itto the plenary.

Before the vote, Lagman questioned the jurisdiction of the committee and motioned for theautomatic dismissal of the case against del Castillo because the 60-session day limit for the

committee to decide on the case has expired.

In a letter to Justice committee chairman Niel Tupas Jr., Lagman said: ³It is respectfullysubmitted that the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano delCastillo be dismissed automatically since the Committee on Justice has ousted itself of

jurisdiction for failure to dispose of the complaint within the 60-day reglementary period pursuant to Section 8 of Rule III of the House Rules on Impeachment Proceedings and Section3(2) of Article XI of the Philippine Constitution.´

He said that based on his computation, there has been 84 session days since the complaint has been filed February last year. His argument was supported by Rep. Simeon Datumanong and

Rep. Rodolfo Albano.Tupas dismissed allegations that the impeachment complaint against del Castillo is meant to

pressure the magistrate to testify against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

He said the impeachment against del Castillo will not overlap with the impeachment of Corona.

PNoy refused Llamas' offer to resignMANILA, Philippines - President Benigno Aquino rejected presidential political adviser Ronald

Llamas' offer to resign following the publication of a photo showing him buying pirated DVDs,sources told ABS-CBN News.

Llamas verbally made the offer to resign when he met President Aquino last Friday.

He also apologized to the President after a picture was published showing him buying piratedDVDs in a Quezon City mall late January. The photo was taken by Bandera associate editor Donna Policar.

The President refused Llamas¶ offer to resign. Aquino later told reporters that Llamas still enjoyshis trust and confidence, saying the act of buying pirated DVDs has nothing to with his function

as a political adviser.³He still performs the role that he was brought into the Cabinet for. So therefore he does enjoythe trust. It is not connected with his core function but, having said that, there [are] still«sanctions that should be levied,´ Aquino has said.

The President has tasked the Office of the Executive Secretary to conduct an investigation andcome up with the recommendation.



Miriam files MR on subpoenas for CJ bank records

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATE) - Senator-judge Miriam Defensor Santiago filed a motion for reconsideration seeking to reverse the impeachment court¶s move to subpoena the bank documents of Chief Justice Renato Corona.

While the filing of the appeal would not prejudice her final vote, she said she only wants thedefense to a have a second chance to argue its case against the summons.

She cited three reasons:

- It appears that the subpoena would violate this Court¶s own ruling that evidence shall NOT beallowed on ill-gotten wealth. (Complaint, Art. 2, para. 2.4.) Since 2.4 is the only paragraph that

specifically mentions ³bank deposits,´ any requests for subpoena concerning any bank depositsshould be rejected.

- It appears that the Court¶s resolution allowing subpoena even for foreign currency depositsappears to be a direct violation of R.A. No. 6426. The Supreme Court ruled in Intengan v. Courtof Appeals, G.R. No. 128996 (2002), that this law is violated if a foreign currency deposit isexamined, except only when the depositor gives written permission. This is the only exception,and it is not present in this case.

- The prosecution cited the 1997 case of Salvacion, 2000 case of China Banking Corp., and 2006case of Ejercito. It appears that all three cases are off-tangent.

Caucus

Minutes into the 13th day of trial, senator-judge Vicente Sotto III read a letter from the absentSantiago.

In her letter, she suggested that the defense and prosecution debate on the issue.

She said they will then be asked to file a memorandum, which will be discussed in caucus. ³Ishall, despite my ill health, attend the caucus,´ she said.

She said her motion is ³superfluous,´ to avoid technical objections.Yesterday, lead defense counsel Serafin Cuevas verbally objected to the court¶s resolution.Senator-judge Francis Escudero said only him and his colleagues can file a motion for reconsideration.



³There is no such requirement in the Impeachment Rules. Perhaps what he referred to was theSenate Rules, which can apply as a supplemental reference, but only if it is relevant to theimpeachment,´ Santiago noted.

Nonetheless, she said that she was filing the motion under the principle of ex abundanti cautela,

which means ³from an abundance of care.´

³In other words, my motion is merely precautionary, because in my view the motion can be filedeven only by defense counsel, and does not need to be filed by a senator-judge,´ she said.

Gray area

Senate President Judge Juan Ponce Enrile did not rule on the matter.

Instead, he called for a caucus Wednesday at 12:00 noon.

³The chairman would not make a ruling to deny nor sustain the motion and give the senator thechance to be heard. The ruling will be made tomorrow before a witness will be called to stand ,´he said.

The bank managers were called tomorrow to testify.

De Lima, Lacierda face disbarment forcriticizing Corona

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila De Lima and Presidential Spokesperson EdwinLacierda have been slapped with a disbarment case before the Supreme Court(SC) for "contemptuous" utterances and remarks against Chief Justice Renato Corona.

In a 5-page petition filed last January 16, lawyer Agustin Sundiam asked the high tribunal toallow the commencement of proceedings for the disbarment and/or suspension of respondentsfrom the practice of law, and to impose disciplinary actions.

Sundiam said that by "echoing" what he called "contemptuous remarks" made by PresidentAquino against Chief Justice Renato Corona during the 1st National Criminal Justice Summit atthe Manila Hotel last December 5, De Lima and Lacierda violated the Lawyer's Oath, the Code

of Professional Responsibility, and the Rules of Court in the Philippines.During the said event, which happened days before the initiation of an impeachment complaintagainst Corona by administration allies at the House of Representatives, President Aquino

bashed Corona for being a "midnight appointee" of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo,and for supposedly being a roadblock in his reform agenda.



"[K]ung may isang lingkod-bayan na tumatanaw ng utang ng loob, hindi sa taumbayan na siyangdapat na bukas ng aming kapangyariha, kundi sa isang padron na isiniksik siya sa puwesto,maaasahan po kaya natin siyang intindihin ang interes ng Pilipino?" Aquino said in his speech,with the Chief Justice merely a seat away from him.

"Shortly thereafter, the respondents also made utterances and remarks on national televisionwhich were bannered in all newspapers in the country and which this Honorable Court may take judicial notice, echoing the said contemptuous remarks of the President of the Philippinesapparently in their respective aforesaid capacities as cabinet members," Sundiam, in his petition,said.

"These contemptuous remarks of the respondents are violative fo the Lawyer's Oath, the Code of Professional Responsibility and Section 20(b), Rule 138 of the Rules of Court which direct therespondents-lawyers to observe and maintain the respect and dignity due to the courts of justiceand judicial officers," he added.

Sundiam alleged that the remarks issued by De Lima and Lacierda against the Chief Justice -- thehead of a co-equal branch of government -- constitute indirect contempt as defined and punishedunder the 1997 Revised Rules on Civil Procedure.

Sundiam's petition further alleged that "the subject remarks were calculated precisely to degradeor tend to degrade the administration of justice, and erode and undermine the people'sconfidence" in the Supreme Court and the judicial officers.

Complainant/petitioner stressed that respondents' stature notwithstanding, the Supreme Courtshould apply the Rules and doctrines it has laid down "with equal force to every and all citizens."

"[E]specially and including the respondents, since no one is above the law in our democratic andrepublican State," Sundiam said.

De Lima reaction

Asked for comment, De Lima, through text message, told ABS-CBN News she merely exerciseda right in openly criticizing Corona.

"With due respect, whatever utterances are alluded to in this latest disbarment complaint, thesame are not contemptuous. It is called free expression, a constitutional right which the Chief Justice himself has publicly exercised in at least 2 occasions before an assembly of court

sympathizers."The justice chief said she will formally respond to the complaint in due time.

Lacierda, has not replied to ABS-CBN News' request for comment.

SC directs de Lima, Lacierda to file comment



The Supreme Court, in en banc session last Tuesday, voted to require De Lima and Lacierda tofile their comment within 10 days receipt of notice.

De Lima was also directed by the high tribunal to submit her comment on a separate disbarmentcase filed by lawyer Ricardo Riversa for defying a temporary restraining order(TRO) issued by

the SC last November 15 against a travel ban imposed by the Department of Justice(DOJ) onformer first couple Gloria and Mike Arroyo.

No cases had been filed against the Arroyo couple then before a trial court.

'Did Corona commit a high crime?'MANILA, Philippines - The question of what are impeachable offenses surfaced on day 11 of the Corona impeachment trial, as prosecutors continued to present proof on Article 2 or the chief

justice's alleged failure to disclose his true wealth in his statements of assets, liabilities and net

worth (SALNs).

A debate on whether Corona can be impeached for filing questionable SALNs ensued after Senator-judge Ralph Recto asked one of the registrars of deeds the meaning of the differentitems in the SALN.

He asked if the fair market value, zonal valuation and deeds of sale should all be disclosed in theSALN. The fair market value is the price by which 2 parties decide on, while zonal value is fixed

by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for purposes of taxation. The price in the deed of sale,meanwhile, follows closely the zonal valuation.

All parties agreed that all these should be included in the SALN.Recto also noted there is room for corrective measures. A person who has omittedunintentionally some details may correct his or her SALN. If found it was unintentional on his

part, he is not liable under the laws.

Prosecutor Elpidio Barzaga said omission, or leaving some items blank in the SALN, falls under the crime of perjury.

"According to the Supreme Court, if there has been omission or not a faithful or true declarationof the properties, the filer will be liable for perjury because statements as far as the SALN is

concerned is made under oath," he said.Is perjury a high crime?

Enrile then posed the question: ³If it is a crime, is it a high crime?´

"No, your honor. It is not a high crime," Barzaga replied.



Enrile then said: "All right, you read the Constitution . Culpable violation of the Constitution,treason, bribery, graft and corruption, and other high crimes could be the basis for impeachment.So that's the law."

Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas, head of Corona's defense team, said the Chief Justice is not

liable for any discrepancies in his SALNs.

"If there may have been discrepancies, inaccuracies, or incompleteness, these can me remediedafter a review of the SALN has been made. If it is not intentional, no criminal liability or anyadministrative liability is incurred by the filing official," he said.

Other senator-judges also stood up and reminded the prosecutors about what is provided in theConstitution.

Joker: Evidence must amount to impeachable offense

"Not every offense, omission is an impeachable offense," said Senator Joker Arroyo. "So theresponsibility of the prosecution is to present evidence that would amount to an impeachableoffense, and the defense must defuse it."

Arroyo noted that United States President Bill Clinton was impeached, but senators acquittedhim because they did not believe that the accusations lodged against him were impeachableoffenses.

"We might be wasting our time discussing crimes that are not impeachable," Senator-JudgeFrancis Escudero said.

Arroyo added, ³What we¶re overlooking here, we should check if offenses have reached level of impeachable offenses.´

Escudero agreed, saying: ³Assuming he¶s seen on television jaywalking, is it already animpeachable offense? Pag nakita syang nagbigay ng lagay para mapabilis ang kaso, is it alreadyan impeachable offense.´

He noted that in the United States, there is a ³range´ for a particular offense.

Prosecution: Corona betrayed public trust

Prosecution panel chief Rep. Niel Tupas explained that their complaint says Corona's failure totruthfully disclose his SALN is a betrayal of public trust

He cited an opinion of Fr. Joaquin Bernas, one of the authors of the 1987 Constitution.

Bernas has explained some issues regarding what the Constitution says about impeachableoffenses.



"The offenses for which an officer may be convicted on impeachment are 'culpable violation of the Constitution, treason, bribery, graft and corruption, other high crimes, or betrayal of publictrust,'" he said in his blog .

"The word 'other' modifying 'high crimes' indicates that every offense in the list must be a 'high

crime.' This meaning is dictated by the principle of legal construction that the word 'other' makesthe meaning of all those enumerated of the same level of gravity. In legal gobbledygook this isthe eiusdem generis rule," he added.

Enrile has ordered the 2 parties to submit a legal memorandum on the issue.

After the trial, prosecution panel spokesman Rep. Sonny Angara said the framers of the 1987Constitution added betrayal of public trust as an impeachable offense due to the high crimescommitted by the Marcoses.

"Pinakamahalaga po diyan, iyung pagtaksil at pagkalulo sa tiwala ng publiko o betrayal of public

trust, kasi nga malawak po iyan kaya nga yan ang intension ng ating may akda ng ating SaligangBatas na talagang panagutin po ang mga makasalanang opisyal," he said.

Tamano explains betrayal of public trust

ANC's resident legal analyst, lawyer Adel Tamano, explained that betrayal of public trust is alsoa ground for impeachment introduced in the 1987 Constitution.

"What are the grounds for impeachment? Under Article XI, Section 2 of the Constitution, thereare 6: 1 - culpable violation of the Constitution; 2 - treason; 3 - bribery; 4 - graft and corruption,5 - other high crimes, 6 - betrayal of public trust."

"You might ask what is high crimes. The easiest way to understand it is that these are crimes of such gravity. For example, murder, it is so serious that is is so obvious that an impeachableofficial should be removed from public office. The impeachable act is so grave that it constitutesa high crime," Tamano explained.

"Fr. Joaquin Bernas, when he talks about betrayal of public trust in his book, he says betrayal of public trust is a catch-all provision, and even acts that are not necessarily criminal can be a betrayal of public trust," he said.

"But if you take a look at the Constitutional records, it is very clear that not every act is a

betrayal of public trust," he added.Tamano said any impeachable act has to be of such magnitude that it impacts on the moralfitness of the official, leaving no other recourse but to remove the official by impeachment.

Recto asks: Was there intent to deceive?



In an interview with ANC after day 11 of the trial, Senator-judge Ralph Recto said they will look into the "timeliness" of Corona's declaration of 5 properties.

"Should we fault him for declaring them in 2010 kung nakaligtaan in the previous years? I don'tknow, but we will look into that later on."

Recto said that while Corona declared 5 properties in his SALNs, some declarations were "late inmany instances."

He added that the Senate impeachment court also needs to review the valuations of the declared properties.

"Dapat ilalagay mo iyung value. Iyung assessed, iyung market value, and the third will be thetransaction value," he said. "Iyun ang maliwanag sa batas, tatlo eh. Kung 2 out of 3, ano ang ibigsabihin niyan?"

"Kung 1 out of 3, kung transaction cost lang ang inilagay niya, may misdeclaration din ba iyondahil di niya na-fill up iyung acquisition?" he added. "The current fair market value, that'sanother issue."

Recto said he will grill Corona's lawyers when they present their own evidence in theimpeachment court.

"I will confront them as well with many parts of the law," he said.

"Katulad niyan iyung accounting. Iyan ba may deceit on the part of the Chief Justice?" he asked.

"Halimbawa na hindi pa nata-transfer sa iyo iyung ownership of the property pero iyungaccounting practice, dapat, may nilagay ka na roon na advance payments o di kaya mayliabilities ka pa for installments," he added.

"Was there a willful intent on the part of the Chief Justice to reduce his net worth and not todisclose his properties? I think that these are valid issues that we should ask the defense also later on," Recto said.

Corona didn't break law, says defense lawyer

A lawyer Corona's defense team admitted on Tuesday that there were "inaccuracies" in the

Chief Justice's SALN when he belatedly declared several real estate properties years after theywere acquired.

Esguerra said Corona broke no law when he disclosed ownership of the real estate properties belatedly in his SALN.

Under Republic Act 6713, government workers are given the opportunity to correct their SALNs.



Meantime, House prosecution spokesman Lorenzo Tañada III feels Corona may be preparing todo an "I am sorry³ speech regarding his SALNs.

He said Corona may be preparing to explain the discrepancies in his SALN by saying ³I amsorry, lapse of judgment" similar to then-President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's speech,

apologizing for talking to a poll commissioner during the 2004 polls.

Tañada said many officials have been dismissed from service for not accurately declaring their SALNs. -- with reports from RG Cruz, ABS-CBN News

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