Person behind blog identified!

                       Self-proclaimed bloggers have identified the personalities allegedly behind the “Silent No More” blog which claimed that the seven majority senators refused to sign the controversial resolution condemning the spate of killings of minors in the government’s war against drugs.

                       Rey Joseph “RJ” Nieto, the owner and administrator of blog site “Thinking Pinoy,” said a certain Edward Angelo “Cocoy” Dayao was the anonymous blogger who attacked senators who were not able to sign the Senate Resolution 516.

                      During the first hearing of the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on the spread of “fake news” yesterday, Nieto said he was able to “uncover” the blogger’s identity when he, along a fellow blogger, looked into the advertisements in the Silent No More blog.
He said the ads led to Dayao’s account, which, he later learned, also maintains websites

                      MadamClaudiaAko.com, ProPinoy.net, and other blogs critical of the current administration.

                     Dayao, he insinuated, was a “former member” of the Presidential Communications Operations Office during the term of former President Benigno S. Aquino III.

                      Facebook “blogger” Mark Lopez also mentioned the names of former presidential spokespersons Edwin Lacierda and Abigail Valte and former Undersecretary Manuel Quezon III, who likewise appeared in the hearing.

                    The ex-Palace officials categorically denied the claims and belied hiring Dayao in the PCOO.
Liberal Party Senators Bam Aquino and Francis Pangilinan were also implicated when Nieto said Dayao “co-founded” the websites with one Niña Terol.

AFP rescues 17 Maute Hostages!

                        Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana on Wednesday confirmed the rescue of 17 more people from the hands of the Daesh-inspired Maute Group inside war-torn Marawi City.

                        Lorenzana said the hostages, consisting of nine males and eight females aged 18-75 years old are now in the hands of the military.

                        Lorenzana however kept mum on the details of the rescue.
“It is confidential because efforts to rescue the remaining hostages are ongoing,” Lorenzana said in a text message.

                       The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Joint Task Force Marawi earlier said that at least 45 to 50 civilians still remain in the hands of the terrorist group.
Meanwhile, Col. Romeo Brawner, Joint Task Force Ranao chief said six Maute terrorists were killed during Tuesday’s operation.

                     “So this brings to 759 the total number of terrorists killed since the war started,” he said during a phone interview.

                    “On the side of the military we have not recorded any additional casualty,” Brawner added.
A total of 155 soldiers have already died since the start of the siege last May 23.
During the same operation, government troops reportedly seized nine IEDs at an abandoned house located in Brgy. Matampay, this, as part of Brigada Marawi, a move to clear the city from IEDs and other unexploded ordnance.

Are you ready to face life’s challenges?

                       I recently went through some personal challenges that affected my personal life.

During the moment when it happened, it seems like that the challenge seems to be overwhelming and insurmountable.

                      It is either I will allow myself to be eaten up and defeated by it or I will learn how to face it and overcome it. To cut the long story short, I exhausted all my energy and effort to face and solve the challenge. By the grace of God it was fixed.


                      Challenges and trials in life are unavoidable. Many fail because of tremendous challenges, but there are some who also overcome and win.
But what is the difference between the two? I believe it is HOW THEY THINK.
Everything starts and ends with the mind. The outcome of life is not dictated by how challenging the situation is, but is determined by how you think.

                     If you believe you can do it, you are right! If you believe you can’t, you are also right!
The decisions that we make on a daily basis passed through our mind, whether it’s a minor or major one. We think a lot, but the question is, what are we thinking? Is it negative or positive? Happy or sad? Fearful or exciting? How we think will reflect on how we live.

                     Our mind is the battleground. The rise and fall of a person starts with how he thinks. No one can ever win in life with a defeated mindset. So we should be very careful on how we prepare our mind for battle.

                     If you are ready to win in life you need to have “mental toughness.”
What is mental toughness?
It is the ability to stay strong in the face of adversity. It is the ability to keep your focus and determination despite the difficulties you encounter.
It is the voice at the back of your mind that tells you to keep on going, keep on pushing, and keep on trying, even when the going gets tough.

                     Developing your mental toughness can help you be more emotionally resilient, push you to go further and harder, and build an armor around you to let you persevere against the bullets that life may fire your way.

                     So if you want to win and succeed in life, this is the time for you to make a conscious decision.
What are you going to entertain in your mind? Are you going to entertain the possibility or the impossibility?

                     Are you going to think about the problems or solutions? Are you going to focus on the opportunity or the difficulty?
If you are ready to win, I believe you know what you need to choose.

THINK. REFLECT. APPLY.
Are you a winner or a loser? Do you think you possess a winning or a losing mindset? Are you ready to face life’s possible challenges?

WINNING OR LOSING begins and ends in the mind.

Is Marijuana Harmful to Health?

                       The controversial issue on whether or not to allow the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes has continued to divide the people.

                       Perhaps some sectors should open their minds on the subject now that even the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has given its support to allow the medical use of marijuana provided that safeguards are taken.

                       PDEA Director-General Aaron Aquino said that the agency supports the intention and purpose behind the proposed bill that seeks to provide the right of access to medical cannabis and further research into its medicinal properties.

                      Also, PDEA reportedly recognizes the need of patients to have access to safe, affordable, available medical cannabis in health conditions where cannabis has been found to be effective in its prevention and treatment.

                     However, PDEA has proposed some amendments to the bill to ensure that marijuana will not be abused in any way.

                    Among its recommendations is for marijuana and cannabis to be clearly defined and the bill to be very specific and only legalize the use of tablet or capsule preparations of the medicinal component of cannabis and not cannabis by itself.

                   It also wants the genuine relationship with the patient be established before a doctor can certify a patient’s need to use medical cannabis.

                   The PDEA chief also wants to include a statement indicating that the cultivation, possession, use, sale, administration, dispensation, delivery, distribution and transportation of cannabis not in accordance with the bill shall be deemed a violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

                    Aquino clarified that under existing laws, the use and sale of marijuana which remains a dangerous drug is prohibited and PDEA will continue to enforce the law.

                   Apart from permitting patients to take tablets or capsules, perhaps the law should also allow the use of cannabis oil extract (liquid form) which is also medicinal and taken orally as an anti-cancer treatment.

                  The Committee on Health of the House of Representatives has recently gaiven its permission to the proposed bill of Isabela Representative Rodolfo Albano III to allow the use of medical marijuana.

                  Firing Line believes this is all well and good if it serves to help improve and relieve the sickness of some people.

                  However, believe me when I say the bill will pass through an eye of a needle when it reaches the Senate where a strict lawmaker simply cannot accept the legalization of any kind of prohibited drug.

President Trump sets to visit PH

                       UNITED States President Donald Trump’s coming visit to Manila this November is most significant on so many levels.

                      It will be his first visit to this part of the world which has been wondering about the US commitment to the region since Trump unexpectedly withdrew the US from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade agreement right after he won the US presidential election in November, 2016. The TPP would have been the largest trade agreement in history, culminating seven years of negotiations among Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, Vietnam, and the US.

                      But Trump said it was bad for the US economy, although critics said that more likely, Trump rejected it as an Obama initiative. In any case, it gave way to a rival China-led Asia-Pacific free trade area grouping ASEAN’s 10 nations plus China, Japan, South Korea, India, Australia, and New Zealand – but not the US.

                     The world has been wondering what the US proposes to do now that it seems to be distancing itself from all these Asia-Pacific nations. They look forward to President Trump’s coming visit to Asia for the Manila ASEAN summit with stops in China, Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam. They await his stand on America’s relations with our part of the world.

                       Trump’s visit also comes at a time when the US is involved in a tense and dangerous dispute with North Korea. The leaders of both countries – North Korea’s Kim Jong Un and the US’s Trump – have threatened to destroy each other.
Trump’s coming visit to Manila may help win support for United Nations efforts to stop North Korea’s nuclear and missile weapons development program.

                       And then the Philippines has a special reason to welcome President Trump. The relations between the two countries have deteriorated since former US President Barack Obama voiced criticism of possible human rights violations in President Duterte’s campaign against drugs.
President Trump has been more accepting and more open to President Duterte’s campaign and when he comes to visit in November, the two may just hit it off, give rise to a new era of close PH-US ties. “President Trump will definitely receive a very warm welcome in Manila,” Secretary of Foreign Affairs Alan Peter Cayetano said last Saturday.

                      We look forward to the coming visit of President Trump. And we have high expectations that his visit will help resolve so many issues and problems that threaten world peace and development today.

Duterte to make public bank records!

                     President Duterte is willing to make public his bank records “at the right time,” Malacañang said on Tuesday amid an investigation initiated by the Office of the Ombudsman into his alleged hidden wealth.

                     Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella explained that the President is not necessarily avoiding the investigation into his wealth but is merely trying to rid the bureaucracy of corruption first.

                   “The President is really coming from the position where he knows exactly what the picture is. And so it is not just a question of him clearing his name, it’s a question of you know addressing the entire setup of what he perceives to be the system of corruption that is prevailing within government,” he said in an interview with reporters at the Palace.
Asked if the President will ever disclose his bank records, Abella said: “if necessary and at the right time, yes.”

                     In his visit to Marawi City last Monday, the President said he was ready to release his bank records if Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno and Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales will do the same. Duterte reiterated his challenge to Sereno and Morales to resign with him and show their financial documents to Congress for scrutiny.

                   Duterte also said he would “not obey” the Ombudsman for not only alleged corruption but for holding fabricated and illegally acquired bank information for its inquiry. He turned the tables on the Ombudsman by disclosing plans to create a commission to probe the Ombudsman for alleged selective justice and other corrupt practices in handling cases.
Abella, however, explained the President’s refusal to place himself under the jurisdiction of the Ombudsman was mainly due to his suspicion about the integrity of certain persons.
“Hindi niya sinasabing he doesn’t want to be investigated. Ang sinasabi lang po niya, at this stage, not at this time,” he said.

                   He added that Duterte enjoys immunity from lawsuits as the country’s leader.

How much to become Xander Ford?

                    The new look of Marlou Arizala has taken the internet by storm.
To some netizens, his transformation is more than just a before-and-after story. It's his revenge against bashing, and his rise above the hate.

                    The 20-year-old guy who was dubbed "One Pants Man" on social media for wearing "iisang maong" in various occasions is now a potential "leading man" on memes.
He was bashed excessively for being GGSS or "Guwapong-guwapo sa Sarili," and has finally fit the society's standard of guwapo.

                    He already said goodbye Marlou, and has started using Xander Ford.
All the changes were a dream come true.

                    "Natupad ko na po yung pangarap ko...kinalimutan ko na yung mga nakaraan kasi itong bagong 'to, ito na yung bagong mamahalin niyo." After Rated K showed all the cosmetic surgeries and treatments he had undergone, the next question was: How much did his total makeover cost?
Research and phone calls led PEP.ph (Philippine Entertainment Portal) to these figures.
PHP95,000 for Rhinoplasty, which enhanced the projection of his nose, and Alarplasty, which reshaped the width of his nostrils

                     PHP60,000 to PHP70,000 for Mentoplasty, aka chin augmentation
                     PHP60,000 for mandibular angle augmentation with fillers
                     The costs came from The ICON Clinic, which performed the procedures.


                     PHP16,000 to PHP35,000 for his 4D Eyebrow cloning, a thickening procedure
                     PHP15,000 to PHP35,000 for the permanent lip tint procedure (three sessions)
                     PHP7,000 for his anti-wrinkle procedure
                     PHP500 to PHP3,800 for his semi-permanent eyelash extensions


                    The costs came from Prettylooks, Xander's sponsor.
                    Ceramic veneers were also bonded onto his front teeth.
                    PHP160,000 for eight teeth (PHP20,000 per tooth)
                    Hence, the estimated total cost of Xander's makeover is PHP465,800