Latest news with #Manuel
GMA Network
17 hours ago
- Politics
- GMA Network
Opposition to Senators: Are you protecting VP Sara or the public interest?
Are the Senators protecting the Vice President Sara Duterte instead of the public interest? Opposition lawmakers and impeachment complainants from the Makabayan coalition asked this question on Tuesday in response to Senate President Francis "Chiz" Escudero's statement that the convening of the Senate impeachment court for the trial of impeached Vice President Duterte depends on the plenary vote of the senators, even though the Constitution states that a Senate impeachment trial 'shall forthwith proceed' once a verified complaint or resolution of impeachment is filed by at least one-third of all the members of the House. 'To the Senate as an institution, malinaw naman iyong mandato nila mula sa Constitution na talagang wala silang choice kundi gampanan iyong kanilang tungkulin na mag proceed roon sa impeachment trial. Habang hindi nila ginagawa iyong kanilang tungkulin, naproproteksiyonan rito iyong may kasalanan sa taumbayan: si Vice President Sara Duterte,' House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro said in a press conference. (The Senate has a clear mandate in the Constitution: they are required to proceed with the impeachment trial. While they are neglecting their duty, they are protecting someone who wronged the people: Vice President Sara Duterte.) 'Kaya kailangan ituloy 'yun [impeachment]. Kaya hinahamon po yung mga senador. Lalong lalo na 'yung mga nananalo diyan. Talagang patunayan ninyo na gagawin ninyo 'yung inyong obligasyon sa taong bayan,' she added. (That is why we need to proceed with the impeachment trial. I challenge the senators, especially those who won in the 2025 elections. Prove to us that you will act according to your mandate given by those who voted for you.) Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel agreed, saying that turning a blind eye to the Vice President's apparent questionable disbursement of P612 million in confidential funds is tantamount to committing corruption. 'Okay lang ba sa ibang makapangyarihan na iba-iba ang standards pagdating sa pagpapanagot ng mga kurakot kasi pare-pareho lang rin pala sila na mga kurakot na pinoprotektahan ang isa't isa? 'Yan ang tanong natin. Para sa mga senador na humaharang sa impeachment trial, maliit na bagay lang ba ang P612.5 million na confidential funds?' Manuel said. (Is it okay for some of these powerful public officials that the ways of exacting accountability vary because they are all corrupt just the same? That is our question. To those senators blocking the impeachment trial, is P612.5 million a pittance to you?) 'Nasanay na ba sila sa korapsyon? Kaya parang wala lang sa kanila ang maraming lumabas na ebidensiya ng paglustay ng impeached Vice President sa pera ng bayan? Habang pinoprotektahan nila ang kakayahan ng isa't isa na gamitin ang pera ng bayan para sa sariling interes, lalong na pag-iiwanan ang taong bayan. Kaya ang panawagan po natin, no more delays, no more dribbling. Start the impeachment trial now,' Manuel, one of the over 250 lawmakers who signed the impeachment complaint against the Vice President alongside Castro, said. (Have they become so used to corruption that is nothing to them that so much evidence has emerged of the Vice President misusing the nation's money? While they are protecting each other's ability to use public money for their own interests, the Filipino people are more and more left behind.) Escudero said that the Senate plenary vote is supreme, but prior to this, he had said that the Senate impeachment court could not be convened because the House impeached the Vice President on February 5 which is the last session day before Congress adjourned to give way for the campaign period for the May 12 midterm polls. Over 200 congressmen endorsed the impeachment campaign against the Vice President who is accused of betrayal of public trust, culpable violation of the Constitution, graft and corruption, and other high crimes mainly over alleged misuse of around P612.5 million worth of confidential funds and threatening to kill President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos, Jr., his wife Liza and SpeakerMartin Romualdez. 'Solemn duty' In a separate statement, Akbayan party-list Representative Perci Cendaña asked the Senate President if he was afraid of the Vice President to begin with due to the delays. "Natatakot ba siya kay Sara Duterte? Hindi po ito Paris Fashion Week. Convening the Senate as an impeachment court is a solemn constitutional duty, not a seasonal accessory you put on or discard depending on the political weather, or one's personal agenda,' Cendaña said. (Is he afraid of Vice President Duterte? This is not Paris Fashion Week.) 'It is a uniform of duty worn whenever the Constitution demands it,' he added. Bayan president Renato Reyes, for his part, said the Senators should think long and hard because being silent on accountability will eventually catch up on them. Reyes referenced the 2001 impeachment trial of then-President Joseph Estrada, which was upended due to the lack of senator-judges' votes for the opening of the second envelope that would supposedly show strong evidence of Estrada's involvement in corruption. Since the second envelope was not opened, throngs of people packed EDSA, calling for Estrada's resignation, if not conviction before the Senate impeachment court. The days-long protests were followed by the military and police to withdraw support to Estrada, prompting him to leave Malacañang. Then Vice President Gloria Arroyo was installed as President. 'We are confident in the evidence that the prosecutors will present. We are confident that if we are able to present the evidence, maiintindihan ito at susuportahan ito ng taong bayan at kikilos ang taong bayan para hilingin ang pananagutan [the Filipino people will understand and support and they will move to seek accountability]. We did not have the numbers to open the second envelope in 2001, but it triggered something more important: it triggered people power,' Reyes said. Estrada was eventually detained for six years and convicted of plunder by the Sandiganbayan in 2007. Arroyo pardoned him in October 2007 or six weeks after his conviction. GMA News Online has reached out to the Senate for comment. — BM, GMA Integrated News
Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Times
Riding a polo pony — how hard can it be?
Polo may be the only sport in the world more sensibly played on elephants. Cannoning round a field on a horse, swinging a croquet mallet the wrong way round, is like driving a Formula 1 car one-handed while using your other arm to practise your serve. In India, they play polo on elephants. Elephants are generally more inclined to lumber than speed, and come with their own elephant whisperer to steer. Alas, I'm in southwest London not Rajasthan, it's decades since I sat on a horse, and I've never had a riding lesson in my life. Nevertheless, I arrive for my first ever polo lesson well prepared. I am wearing cowboy boots and two bras. I am invincible. For one hour only, Nube is my horse. She lives at Ham Polo Club and looks at me doubtfully, as well she might. 'Her name is Spanish for 'cloud',' says my teacher, Manuel, stroking her nose. I sign a waiver promising that any calamity that befalls me will be entirely my fault. I look at Nube, wonder what the Spanish is for 'oh shit', then haul myself into the saddle and very nearly straight over the other side. When I'm safely installed, they insist that Nube is placid and small, even though the ground seems a long way down. But she is also a polo pony, and polo has always struck me not as placid but borderline lethal. We clippety-clop to the training ground and I hope for the best. • Read more luxury reviews, advice and insights from our experts Ham is a rural idyll near the A3, a place of vast green polo lawns, broadleaf trees and little white clubhouses stacked with catering company chairs. Traditionally, summer in England isn't summer without the royals being photographed at a polo match, from Charles and Camilla in the 1970s to William and Harry in the 2000s. Just once, there was Meghan and Kate at the Guards Polo Club in 2019, back when everyone was playing happy families, but no more. These days, Charles is too old, William's too busy, Harry plays furiously in Santa Barbara or Florida, and Kate's always been allergic to horses anyway. Polo, though, is still indelibly associated with the royals. Chestertons, the estate agents, sponsors the annual Polo in the Park weekend in central London, in a bid to combine the sporting and the social with diversity (not just posh people), inclusivity (not just country types) and, presumably, selling houses. Described as the world's biggest polo festival, Polo in the Park is a veritable melting pot at the Hurlingham Club in Fulham, where the Princess of Wales used to bring George and Charlotte for tennis lessons when they were little. Back at Ham, Nube and I are bonding, a bit. She makes it clear with every snort and toss of her head that I am an idiot and she knows best, and she is not wrong. Polo ponies are trained to be extremely responsive, I am told, but the flipside of that is that they need to be told exactly what to do. This is difficult when your main focus is not falling off. I hold the reins in my left hand, as Manuel's shown me, and grip the front of the saddle with my right, to his consternation. I'm used to saddles with pommels, I tell him. The last time I got on a horse was when I lived on Vancouver Island in my twenties, and over there the saddles have pommels. A couple of times a week, I'd pick up a toffee-coloured horse called Rocky from the local stable after work and we'd head off fearlessly into the forest to explore. That was then, I was 24 and Rocky, bless him, was a Ford. Nube is a Ferrari. How I sit, and lean to swing the mallet, how I hold the reins, where and how I kick and with which part of my heel are all carefully calibrated parts of the equation geared to getting her to do what I want. Get any part of it wrong and Nube will effectively shrug, take the path of least resistance and do what she wants, which is stop. Manuel is an Argentinian professional polo player who's been riding since he could walk. He makes cannoning round a field swinging a mallet look as easy as falling off a log, or indeed a horse. From my reassuringly stationary position at the side of the pitch, I watch him demonstrate a rising trot. 'Now your turn,' he says, with an encouraging smile. I rack my brains for diversionary polo-related small talk. 'Is Prince Harry any good at polo?' I ask. He considers this with the seriousness all things polo deserve. 'He's a decent amateur,' he replies. 'Now lift the reins so she knows to move forward and kick your heels. Keep kicking so she knows to keep going.' 'And Prince William?' I ask, exhausting my supply of polo-related small talk quicker than I'd hoped. 'Probably a bit better,' he says, adding that he didn't like Harry's Netflix programme Polo at all. It concentrated on the social side, not the sport itself, he complains, so he watched two episodes and gave up. The gist of his conversation is that polo is about adrenaline and sportsmanship and manly excitement, not royals, or blondes necking bubbly on the sidelines. 'Your turn!' he says cheerfully. 'I'll come too!' So off we set. I go bounce, bounce, bounce and start to worry for Nube's spine and my own. Manuel confirms that he has had a bad back for years, which is discouraging, but we persevere. My steering seems OK even though my rein handling is deemed erratic — 'lift the reins, don't pull! She thinks you want her to stop! Kick!' — but the bouncing improves sufficiently that we try a figure of eight round two traffic cones, with success if not aplomb. I grasp my mallet, activate my core, and lean over to hammer the ball two, maybe even as far as three feet ahead. I swear under my breath, Nube snorts and soon I'm getting cross. I want to be good at this, but I'm not. I want to look at ease in the saddle, but I don't. I could ride a bit when I was younger, and had a pommel, so why can't I do it now? I read Black Beauty as a child. I know my Jilly Cooper. I watched Rupert Campbell-Black canter elegantly across my TV screen in Rivals and honestly, how hard can this be? Every so often Nube and I find our rhythm and I get a tantalising glimpse of just how wonderful riding must be. Then it's gone and I'm bouncing around in the saddle like a double bra'd jack-in-the-box. After my lesson, I walk bow-legged back to the clubhouse. The polo ponies look down their noses at me from their stalls. Nube is led away without so much as a disdainful backward glance. In the distance, real polo players gallop across the pitch with languid grace, turning on a dime and belting the ball to kingdom come. Rocky would have been good at this, I think, if he'd ever got the chance, but next time I think I'll try elephant polo. Anyone can ride an elephant. How hard can it be? Chestertons Polo in the Park is at Hurlingham Park on June 6, 7 and 8.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office seeks help finding missing teen
IBERIA PARISH, La. () – The is requesting assistance from the public in locating Rhia Manuel, a 15-year-old girl, who has been reported as a runaway juvenile. Officials said Manuel was last seen today at approximately 4:30 p.m. at her residence in the 4100 block of Relius Ransonet Road in Iberia Parish. She is described as having waist length black braids, and brown eyes and standing approximately 5 feet, 3 inches tall and weighs 110 pounds. She is possibly wearing a grey shirt and black shorts. Anyone with information regarding Manuel's whereabouts is urged to contact the Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office. Iberia Parish Sheriff's Office seeks help finding missing teen College basketball player killed, two others injured in Camp County shooting Louisiana lawmakers seek to address insurance crisis with Fortified Roof Grant Bill ahead of hurricane season City of New Iberia invests in drainage improvements Michigan couple wins lottery jackpot on wedding anniversary Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Otago Daily Times
26-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
'An absolute legend' retires: No more ruff days at work for Jock
Christchurch shelter rescue canine Jock has taught hundreds of school kids about dog safety over the past 12 years. But it is finally time for the huntaway greyhound cross, who is Christchurch City Council's longest-serving education dog, to officially retire this year. Thirteen-year-old Jock was a spritely pup when he came into the Animal Shelter in 2014. When he was about 1, the friendly canine was adopted by the city council's animal management education co-ordinator Kym Manuel. Photo: Christchurch City Council Manuel now says it was one of the best decisions she has ever made. "Jock has been an absolute legend. "He came into the shelter as just a young pooch, and now at 13 he has toured the country for presentations at schools, libraries and public places." Jock was the original star of the Christchurch City Libraries Reading to Dogs programme and took part in the pilot session more than a decade ago. He is now one of the five dogs working to teach dog safety as part of the city council's DogSmart and DogSafe education programmes. Photo: Christchurch City Council Manuel said the free education programmes were developed by the animal management team to teach dog safety to children and adults to reduce the risk of dog attacks. "We realised there was a gap in our education approach, so shifted our strategy to focus on prevention and keeping the public safe." The DogSmart school programme works with pupils in years 1 to 8 and gives young kids an opportunity to safely interact with a dog. Photo: Christchurch City Council When Jock retires, his leash will be handed over to the current roster of canines who are on a mission to help our communities get dog smart. All of the dogs are family pets and are temperament tested before being gently introduced into the programmes, Manuel said. Animal management also offers DogSafe workplace training, which is designed to help prevent dog attacks on employees who come across dogs in their course of work. To find out more and apply for a free DogSmart or DogSafe training session, visit
Time of India
24-05-2025
- Time of India
Man gets 40 years' rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting minor
Kochi: A fast track special court sentenced a North Paravur native to 40 years of rigorous imprisonment for sexually assaulting a three-year-old boy. Judge T K Suresh also imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on him. The case pertains to the crime which occurred on Feb 21, 2023. The accused was the boy's immediate neighbour. Five held for assault: Mulavukadu police arrested five persons for allegedly creating ruckus on the road while wielding a sword during a drunken argument and threatening a young man and his mother, who recorded the incident on his phone. The accused also allegedly broke the man's phone and shoved the mother. Police identified the arrested persons as Manuel, Anoop, Sunas, Muhammad Rafi and Aneesh. Man held with ganja: City police arrested a 48-year-old man with 8.212kg of ganja while transporting it in an autorickshaw in Kalamassery. The arrested person was identified as Nooruddin A M from Palluruthy. The ganja was found stuffed in a bag placed at the back of the autorickshaw. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Brother's Day wishes , messages and quotes !
