AFP declares war… on lechon

de leche
 The Philippine Star

 19 Dec 2014

 By JAIME LAUDE

 A-4 NEWS

While observing a truce with communist rebels during the holidays,

soldiers have been asked to wage war on another front – against lechon de
leche.
“Be health conscious. Don’t eat too much lechon de leche ( suckling pig),
which leads to more cholesterol,” Armed Forces chief Gen. Gregorio
Catapang told the troops on the sidelines of the AFP’s 79th anniversary at
Camp Aguinaldo yesterday.
Roasted pig is a popular Filipino dish during special occasions,
particularly Christmas and New Year.
Catapang noted that persons with health issues are advised to eat lechon
de leche in moderation to avoid heart and high-blood pressure
complications.
The AFP chief also ordered the 125,000- strong military to be security
conscious during the holidays.
“Be security conscious when you go malling with your families, or while
driving your car around or reporting to your routine military duties,”
Catapang said.
Catapang said the unilateral ceasefire, which started yesterday, only
covers communist rebels.
He said there would be no letup in operations against the terrorist group
Abu Sayyaf and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and their
lawless cohorts.
 Bilibid guns traced to politicians
 The Philippine Star

 19 Dec 2014

 By AIE BALAGTAS SEE

 A-18 METRO

Top business leaders graced the opening of Globe Telecom’s newest Generation 3
flagship stores at SM North EDSA in Quezon City and in Limketkai Mall in Cagayan de
Oro, providing customers a new retail experience at par with international standards.
Photo shows (from left) Globe president and CEO Ernest Cu, SM EDD Corp. VP Hans Sy
Jr., SM Prime Holdings president Hans Sy, SingTel Group CEO Chua Sock Koong, Eight
Inc. founder and CEO Tim Kobe, Globe chairman of the board Jaime Augusto Zobel de
Ayala, Globe head for retail transformation and stores management Joe Caliro and
Jaime Alfonso Zobel de Ayala.
Politicians, including Rep. Joaquin Carlos Rahman Nava of the lone district of
Guimaras, own three of the guns recovered from the luxurious detention house of drug
lord Peter Co in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Records of the Philippine National Police’s Firearms and Explosives Office show that
a caliber .22 Walther pistol (Z004605) is registered under Nava’s name. The license was
approved on Dec. 29, 2011 with an expiry date on Nov. 19, 2015.
A caliber 5.56 Bushmaster rifle with serial number L433821, meanwhile, belongs to
losing congressional candidate Carlitos Tiquia. He ran and lost in Valenzuela City in the
2013 elections.

A 9mm Browning pistol was registered to barangay councilman Vicente Alindada Jr.
of Caloocan’s Barangay 8 in Sangandaan.
A fourth gun, a 9mm Browning pistol, belongs to Avelino Nicanor, reportedly a
government official.
“We want to get their side first. We also want to know, how come the guns registered
under their names were in Peter Co’s possession?” a source said.
The men will be subpoenaed to explain their side because the firearms were never
reported lost or missing, the source said.
Five firearms were confiscated from Co’s fully furnished kubol or detention house
when fully armed NBI agents and policemen raided NBP last Monday. The guns were on
top of the P1.14 million and illegal drugs confiscated from him.
The fifth gun was subjected to macroetching because the serial number had been
defaced.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who led the raid, divulged that these men were
operating “20 to 50” percent of the overall narcotic trade in the country.
The NBP is under Bureau of Corrections, which is supervised by the Department of
Justice.
 NBI probe of Ona to proceed –
De Lima
 The Philippine Star

 19 Dec 2014

 By EDU PUNAY

 A-4 NEWS

The probe into Health Secretary-on-leave Enrique Ona would proceed despite his
reported resignation, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said yesterday.
De Lima said the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) would come up with its
report and recommendations on the alleged questionable procurement of vaccine by the
Department of Health approved by Ona in 2012. “The NBI probe will proceed.
Resignation does not extinguish an administrative case,” De Lima told The STAR.
De Lima, however, said she has yet to confirm with Malacañang if Ona had indeed
resigned.
Citing a source, The STAR reported on Wednesday that Ona had submitted his
resignation letter to President Aquino.
It was not clear, however, whether Aquino accepted the resignation.
The source said the letter was submitted early this week but did not provide other
details.
According to the source, the cases were more about command responsibility or
ministerial duties than corruption, as well as other issues raised by groups that Ona
dealt with.
On Monday, Ona called his office to gather his personal belongings and had them
sent to his home in Pasig City, fueling talks that he was out of the DOH.
Malacañang, however, has not been clear on Ona’s status but DOH Undersecretary
Janette Garin had been designated as acting secretary, not as officer-in-charge, an
indication of a change in leadership.
Earlier this week, Ona submitted a sworn affidavit to the NBI in connection with the
alleged anomalous purchase of P833 million worth of anti-pneumonia vaccines in 2012.
In a 10-page affidavit, Ona insisted that he chose PCV 10 that was a lot cheaper than
PCV 13, and there was nothing questionable about the purchase.
“In the midst of the medical debate on which vaccine is more cost-effective, I, as the
secretary of health, exercised my best judgment in deciding to procure PCV 10, instead
of PCV 13. While I do not exactly recall the specific prices of each vaccine, I know that
PCV 10 is substantially lower than PCV 13,” Ona said.
He added that contrary to news reports, the purchase of PCV 13 was never endorsed
by the World Health Organization.