KAKAMMPI News

Danilo Garcia (The Philippine Star Today)) - October 23, 2020 - 12:00 am MANILA, Philippines - Some Bureau of Immigration (BI) employees have been earning multi-million in recent years, including a security guard item with a net worth of P10 million. A lifestyle check conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) found that an employee with a salary grade of P32,000 per month has a net worth of P27.9 million. This includes a variety of proprietary condominium units and expensive vehicles. A 'chief of staff' with a 'security guard' item and a salary of just over P14,000 per month has a net worth of more than P10 million. He only has a net worth of less than P4 million in 2015 which suddenly swelled with the influx of POGO in the country. As a result, the NBI plans to summon BI employees involved in the 'Pastillas Scam' to be re-investigated. A video footage of the meeting of senior officials and some BI employees will be provided specifically. It ...

Joy Cantos (The Philippine Star Today)) - October 23, 2020 - 12:00 am MANILA, Philippines - Former House Speaker and 1st District Davao del Norte Rep. Pantaleon Alvarez that Pope Francis will also be open to divorce or annulment of marriage in all countries around the world. Alvarez made the statement after Pope Francis supported the 'civil union' or homosexuality of homosexuals that he said would be recorded in the history of the world and a proof that the rights of people in love should be respected. Alvarez says what is the value of a marriage if the love between the couple is gone and the children and even the peace of a home are affected by the bad relationship. During the 17th Congress, Alvarez introduced House Bill 7303, "An Act Instituting Absolute Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage in the Philippines," which passed the last and third readings in the House but was pending in the Senate. Although divorce is recognized in other countries such as the Unite...

Published October 21, 2020 3:03pm The Hawaii church manager of Filipino pastor Apollo Quiboloy was sentenced to 30 days in prison on Monday for lying about a suitcase that contained hidden cash found in the pastor’s private jet back in 2018. According to a report on Hawaii News Now, Felina Salinas, a U.S. citizen, attempted to board a private jet with Quiboloy in 2018 and told federal agents that the suitcase was hers. It turned out that the case hid more than $300,000. Salinas was initially charged for smuggling the money, but was reduced after she pleaded guilty to making a false statement. “She had no idea what was in that luggage. She had no idea there was money in there. So I mean it went from currency smuggling to giving a false statement,” Attorney Michael Green said in the report. Aside from imprisonment, she was also slapped with a $500 fine. Meanwhile, Quiboloy was never charged for the incident.—Ma. Angelica Garcia/AOL, GMA News

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing a P100-million agreement between the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) for COVID-19 tests. Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra said his department is giving the review "preferential attention" and will come out with a legal opinion within the week. Under the memorandum of agreement (MOA), PhilHealth reportedly made an advance payment of P100 million to the PRC for COVID-19 testing services despite Philippine laws mandating reimbursements instead. Guevarra said PhilHealth chief Dante Gierran had requested an opinion on the MOA before PhilHealth "makes a decision to pay its indebtedness to the Phil Red Cross." PhilHealth owes the PRC over P930 billion. The PRC stopped COVID-19 tests chargeable to PhilHealth after October 14 until the state insurer pays its overdue balance. Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said the government will pay half of PhilHealth's debt to t...

Published October 23, 2020 4:42am A returning overseas Filipino worker (OFW), who has been waiting for the result of a test for the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) for a week may have to wait a little longer as the specimen taken from him could not be located, according to the Thursday report of Mariz Umali on Saksi. Darwin Ramirez arrived in the country last Oct. 15, it has been six days since a swab sample was collected from him. He then followed up on the result of the test. "Wala daw ang sample nila doon, baka daw nasa ibang laboratory hindi pa napadala," Ramirez said. "'Di nila sure kung nasaan o 'di nila ma-locate kung saang laboratory dinala ang mag sample namin," he added. Ramirez is among a group of OFWs who are waiting for the test results as Philhealth has yet to pay its debt to the Philippine Red Cross amounting to about P1 billion. The day that Ramirez arrived in the country is also the same day that the Philippine Red Cross stopped proc...

Published October 20, 2020 3:40pm By JOJO DASS DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — A Filipina who had gone through hard times and has become successful in Dubai has been paying it forward, offering three subdivided rooms free of rent to fellow overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) rendered jobless by the pandemic. “I know how it feels to be ‘empty.’ Alam ko ang pakiramdam ng walang work, walang source of income at puro palabas ang pera,” said 36-year-old Michico Lopez Ramos, who arrived in Dubai some 15 years ago and had lived through at least three visit visas, which she had to continuously renew to be able to stay in the city while looking for work. A visit visa has a duration of up to three months. “‘Empty,’ as in ubos… yung tipong wala na ring mahingian ng tulong kagaya nila ngayon. Kasi lahat naman affected ng pandemic. Walang source of income yung iba kasi natanggal sa work, nagbawasan ng sweldo and what’s even worse is that continuous ang monthly bills,” Ramos, regional sales directo...

(Agence France-Presse) - October 23, 2020 - 9:21am WASHINGTON, United States — The US Food and Drug Administration on Thursday granted full approval to the antiviral drug remdesivir as a treatment for patients hospitalized with Covid-19, after conditional authorization was given in May. Gilead said the drug, sold under the brand name Veklury, was the only specific treatment for Covid-19 approved so far under a more rigorous process. However, other treatments have received authorization for emergency use, though that approval can be revoked once the public health emergency sparked by the coronavirus pandemic is over. Other medications, like the steroid dexamethasone, are also being used in the fight against Covid-19. Gilead's shares on the New York Stock Exchange jumped four percent soon after the announcement. "The FDA is committed to expediting the development and availability of Covid-19 treatments during this unprecedented public health emergency," said FDA Comm...