Aquino rejects Butch Abad resignation

MANILA, Philippines Skewered over the unconstitutional Disbursement

Acceleration Program (DAP), Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has offered to resign,
but President Benigno Aquino III rejected this.
The President, at the start of the Cabinet budget presentation aired over
government TV station Friday morning, said Abad tendered his resignation
Thursday, but decided not to accept it.
Let me explain why. The notion in the current atmosphere is DAP was bad for our
people. Even our most vociferous critics grant the DAP has benefited our people,
he said.
To accept his resignation is to assign to him a wrong. And I cant accept the notion
that doing right by our people is a wrong, he added.
His statement rejecting Abads resignation drew applause from the Cabinet officials.
It was the first time the President issued a statement since the Supreme Court
struck down the presidential budgetary prerogative Tuesday last week.
It declared unconstitutional the circular allowing the release of savings from the
Executive Department to agencies and projects outside the national budget
approved by Congress.
The other day, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the Executive
Department disagreed with the high court ruling which, in effect, imputed criminal
liability to the good men and women in the bureaucracy.
He said the ruling in effect imputed criminal liability to the good men and women
in the bureaucracy.
MANILA President Benigno Noynoy Aquino III reacted to being called the Pork
Barrel King this Wednesday October 2, as he defended the legality of his pork,
including the latest disclosed chunk of it called Disbursement Acceleration Program
(DAP). This pork barrel fund was exposed after Senator Jinggoy Estrada and later,
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago and former Senator Joker Arroyo, revealed the
illegality of the said funds, which were allegedly used as incentive for legislators
who supported the impeachment of former chief justice Renato Corona in 2012.
Aquino dared the pork barrel critics to impeach him.
Aquino was branded by progressive groups such as the Kilusang Mayo Uno as Pork
Barrel King because his pork barrel fund amounting to P1.3 trillion ($30 billion) is
the biggest pork barrel or discretionary lump sum fund allocation. And now, to be
added to this are funds under Aquinos DAP. Created by his administration in 2011,
the DAP is a spending mechanism that Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said was
meant to fast-track disbursements and push economic growth in light of the global
slowdown and the onslaught of recent calamities.
But Aquinos spending under DAP reportedly did not help create jobs, economist
Ben Diokno commented in a TV interview. In Congress, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Terry
Ridon filed House Resolution 359 this Wednesday urging the House Committee on
Appropriation and the Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability to
investigate the Aquino administrations Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).
Apart from being used as a tool to control Congress, the DAP may prove to even be
illegal and unconstitutional, Ridon said.
Over the past several days, Aquino has been accused, like his predecessor Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo, of using his pork barrel DAP funds to allegedly bribe senators
and congressmen to ensure his political agenda. In 2011, Aquino allegedly used the

P85.5 billion ($2 billion) DAP funds (at least three times bigger than the corruptionridden Priority Development Assistance Fund or PDAF) in order to ensure the swift
impeachment of then Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona. Not one of the
congressmen who refused to sign the impeachment resolution received funds from
the DAP.
In 2012, the Aquino regime reportedly released P1.27 billion ($29.3 million) in extra
pork barrel funds under the DAP to the senate before and after the impeachment
proceedings against Corona. In the months during the impeachment hearings, at
least P530 million ($12.2 million) was reportedly disbursed to senators to allegedly
influence the proceedings.
A few months after Coronas conviction by the senate, senators who voted to side
with Malacaang against Corona received P50 million ($1.2 million). Three senators
who voted to acquit Corona did not receive such fund disbursements. On the other
hand, Aquinos key ally Sen. Franklin Drilon received P100 million ($2.3 million) in
DAP funds during the same period.

Apple iPhone threat to national securityChinese media

BEIJINGChinese state broadcaster CCTV has accused US technology giant Apple of
threatening national security through its iPhones ability to track and time-stamp a
users location.
The frequent locations function, which can be switched on or off by users, could
be used to gather extremely sensitive data, and even state secrets, said Ma Ding,
director of the Institute for Security of the Internet at Peoples Public Security
University in Beijing.
The tool gathers information about the areas a user visits most often, partly to
improve travel advice.
In an interview broadcast Friday, Ma gave the example of a journalist being tracked
by the software as a demonstration of her fears over privacy.
One can deduce places he visited, the sites where he conducted interviews, and
you can even see the topics which he is working on: political and economic, she
said.
The frequent locations function is available on iOS 7, the operating system used by
the current generation of iPhones released in September 2013.
CCTV has only just discovered this? said one incredulous Chinese microblogger.
The dispute is not the first time Apple has been embroiled in controversy in China,
where its products are growing in popularity in a marketplace dominated by
smartphones running Googles Android operating system.
Apple lost a lawsuit against a Chinese state regulator over patent rights to voice
recognition software such as the iPhones Siri just this week.
In March 2013 the Californian company was notably the target of criticism
orchestrated by the Chinese media on behalf of consumers, who were critical of
poor after-sales service.
And in 2012 the US firm paid $60 million to settle a dispute with another Chinese
firm over the iPad trademark.
The privacy scare also reflects mutual distrust between the US and China after a
series of allegations from both sides on the extent of cyber-espionage.
Leaks by former US government contractor Edward Snowden have alleged
widespread US snooping on China, and this month it was reported Chinese hackers
had penetrated computer networks containing personal information on US federal
employees.
A MANUFACTURER and distributor of patented nutritional supplements in 15
countries worldwide introduced to the market its new product -- LunaRich X, a
premium nutritional supplement which is the most pure and concentrated form of
Lunasin, a naturally occurring peptide discovered by Filipino research scientist Dr.
Alfredo Galvez.

Reliv International introduced LunaRich X, which was named winner in the People's
Choice Stevie award for favorite new consumer product during the 11 Annual
American Business Awards.
Galvez was in Bacolod City yesterday for a short visit and gave presentations to
doctors and professionals on Lunasin, a novel health ingredient and a major
breakthrough in epigenetics and cancer research.
Galvez is gaining attention and recognition in the US for the Lunasin technology.
He discovered Lunasin at UC Berkeley in 1996 and his years of research and studies
have shown its significant effect in disease prevention and ability to block cancer
pathways.
Lunasin is making history and receiving anecdotal evidence on its numerous health
benefits from anti-cancer, anti-inflammation, cholesterol reduction, lowering of
insulin resistance and diabetes control.
Recently, Galvez and his team was able to develop a formulation that allows
Lunasin to retain its bioactivity even when ingested, therefore, maximizing its effect
in gene expression to promote optimal health at the epigenetic level.
This will actually be the second visit of Galvez in Bacolod. He provides significant
information about the latest advancements in cholesterol management, cancer
research and about Lunasin which is becoming more and more popular in the US.
He also gives interesting perspective on how a Filipino scientist like him is playing a
significant role in the field of epigenetics.
Limang Segundo
ISANG matanda nang paniniwala na ligtas pang kainin ang pagkaing nahulog sa
sahig kung madadampot ito sa loob ng limang segundo. Hindi malaman kung saan
nagmula ang ganitong sabi-sabi na kumakalat hindi lang sa Pilipinas kundi pati na
rin sa ibat ibang bansa.
Pero hindi pa ba talaga kontaminado ng anumang mikrobyo sa loob ng limang
segundo ang halimbawa ang tinapay, hotdog, chocolate, pizza pie, kendi, kanin, at
iba pang pagkain na nalalaglag sa sahig o lupa o semento? Puwede pa ba siyang
isubo at hindi mananakit ang iyong tiyan o magdudulot ng ibang peligro sa iyong
kalusugan? Basta damputin lang ito agad bago matapos ang limang segudo simula
nang ito ay malaglag?
Marami nang naglitawang mga argumento sa paniniwalang ito na tinutukan din ng
pag-aaral ng mga scientist at ibang dalubhasa. Isa sa pinakabago ang isang
pahayag nitong nakaraang linggo ng mga eksperto ng Loyola University Health
System sa Amerika.
Ayon kay Dr. Jorge Parada, medical director ng Infection Prevention and Control
Program ng Loyola University Health System sa Amerika, kontaminado na agad ng
anumang dumi at bacteria ang anumang bagay sa oras na mahulog sa sahig at
hindi na ito mareremedyuhan sa anumang paglilinis. Mungkahi nga niya, ang
paniniwalang limang segundong patakarang ito ay dapat palitan ng kapag merong
duda, itapon.
Kapag anya hinugasan ang isang hotdog na nahulog sa sahig, nababawasan lang
ang dumikit na mga mikrobyo rito. Meron pa ring naiiwan ditong mga peligrosong
bacteria.

Nauna nang nagsagawa ng pag-aaral sa naturang paniniwala ang isang high school
student na si Jillian Clarke noong kanyang internship sa University of Illinois noong
2003. Pinahiran niya ng E-coli bacteria ang ilang tiles sa semento at naghulog dito
ng biskuwit. Natuklasan niya na agad na kumapit dito ang bacteria sa loob ng
limang segundo. Pinatunayan din niya na mabilis agad na nakokontaminahan ng
mikrobyo ang ibat ibang pagkain na nahuhulog sa lapag. Dahil sa pag-aaral niyang
ito, nakatanggap siya ng 2004 Ig Nobel Prize in public health. Sa ibang pag-aaral,
lumitaw na kahit wala pang limang segundo ay makakapitan na agad ng bacteria
ang isang tinapay o bologna halimbawa na nalaglag sa sahig. Dumarami lalo ang
mikrobyo kapag tumagal pa sa sahig ang pagkain nang isang minuto. Wala rin
umanong kaibahan sa dami ng kumakapit na bacteria sa pagkain kahit dalawang
segundo o anim na segundo lang itong tumagal sa sahig pagkaraang malaglag.

Bionic eye para sa mga bulag

(AGHAM AT TEKNOLOHIYA) PANDAYAN Ni Ramon M. Bernardo (Pang-Masa) | Updated
April 27, 2014 - 12:00am
Kasalukuyan umanong sinasaliksik at ineeksperimento ng isang tinatawag na
Boston Retinal Implant Project (BRIP) sa Amerika ang pagbuo ng isang bionic eye na
magpapabalik sa paningin ng mga bulag.
Pero makikinabang lang muna sa bionic eye na ito yaong dati nang nakakakita na
nabulag lang dahil sa mga sakit o dahil sa katandaan.
Ano ang BRIP? Sabi sa website nito, itinatag ito noong 1980s bilang kolaborasyon
ng Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at ng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology at binubuo ng mga biologist, engineer at
physicians para lumikha ng mga medical device na makakatulong sa mga bulag.
Ang bionic eye ay isang implant na batay sa isang maliit na chip at ikinakabit sa
likod ng retina sa likod ng mata (eyeball). Isang ulta-thin wire ang nagpapalalas sa
sirang optic nerve ng mata. Layunin nito na maghatid ng liwanag at imahe sa vision
system ng utak. Ang gagamit nito ay pagsusuotin ng isang salamin na may
nakakabit na malinggit na battery-powered camera at isang transmitter na
maghahatid ng mga imahe sa chip na nakakabit sa likod ng retina. Tinataya ng mga
researcher na tatagal nang hanggang 10 taon ang device na ito.
Ayon sa paliwanag ng mga scientist, epektibo lang ang bionic eye sa mga bulag na
dating nakakita o hindi ipinanganak na bulag dahil alam na ng utak nila kung paano
magproseso ng visual information. Wala umanong kakayahan ang utak ng mga
taong ipinanganak na bulag para magproseso ng datos na tinatanggap sa
pamamagitan ng wire. Kailangan ding gumagana kahit bahagya ang optic nerve na
siyang sitwasyon ng mga bulag na dating nakakakita o hindi ipinanganak na bulag.
Sinasabi ng mga reasearcher na, bagaman meron pang mga limitasyon ang device,
malaking pakinabang ito sa maraming tao lalo na iyong nagkaroon ng age-related
macular generation na nagbubunsod ng pagkabulag at sa nagkaroon ng tinatawag
na retinitis pigmentosa (a genetic condition).
Ayon sa pananaliksik ng Center for Genomics and Systems ng New York University,
merong 3,000 anyo ng mga bacteria na matatagpuan sa mga perang papel. Ito ay
batay sa pagsusuri nila sa mga dollar bills. Kabilang sa mga bacteria na ito ay
yaong nagdudulot ng ulcers, pneumonia, food poisoning, at staph infections. Kaya,
dahil hindi naman maiiwasan ang mga perang papel, ipinapayo nila na ugaliing
maghugas ng mga kamay pagkatapos humawak ng ganitong pera.