Trending news#: 12 'Ang Babae sa Septic Tank' makes it to Oscars shortlist

MANILA, Philippines – Cinemalaya 2011 Best Film "Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" (The Woman in the Septic Tank) has made it to the shortlist of films for consideration in the Foreign Language Film category of the 84th Academy Awards.
The film is one of the 63 entries in the said category.
"Ang Babae sa Septic Tank" tells the story of three filmmakers who did a pre-production, a courtesy call on their lead actress (played by Eugene Domingo) and an ocular inspection of the Payatas dumpsite, their film's major location.
Aside from Best Film, the movie also won Best Actress (Domingo), Best Director (Marlon Rivera), Best Screenplay (Chris Martinez) and Audience Choice Award in the New Breed Category at the 7th Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.
Star Cinema, ABS-CBN's movie outfit, distributed the film in mainstream theaters last August. -- Report from ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

Trending news#: 11 De Lima opposes lowering of age of criminality

MANILA, Philippines - Justice Secretary Leila De Lima has expressed opposition to proposals on lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 15 years old to 9 years old.
In a message delivered at a joint Department of Justice (DOJ), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) media forum in Quezon City with the theme "Understanding the Children in Conflict with the Law," De Lima stressed that the recent spate of crimes involving minor offenders should not be used to justify proposed amendments on the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006.
"If the criminal syndicates are considered the problem, neither lowering the age nor putting children in jail is the solution. Arresting and putting children to prison is easier than cracking a whip at a syndicate. It is faster than providing programs and infrastructure to prevent them from offending. But it will not address the causes of offending," she said.
"Lowering the age will violate the very essence of justice if children who have been exploited by criminal syndicates are penalized instead of the adults who had exploited them," she added.
De Lima said it is government's responsibility to pursue and put the adult criminal syndicates behind minor offenders to jail.
There are moves to lower the age of criminal responsibility due to the recent arrests of children in conflict with the law involving incidents such as robbery and rape. The suspects in these crimes were arrested but were turned over to the DSWD because they cannot be prosecuted.
Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act or Republic Act(RA) No. 9344, a child 15 years old or below at the time of the commission of the offense shall be exempt from criminal liability and only subjected to an intervention program.
Child offenders are victims, too
De Lima said the community, especially parents, schools, and mass media have a major role to play in helping children stay out of crimes.
"These children are victims of circumstances beyond their control, of chronic poverty and alarming culture of violence rampant in a child's home, school and community. Hence, children should be treated as individuals with problems who need help and need to be provided with appropriate assistance and services, to ensure the full protection of their rights to survival, protection, development and participation," she said.
The justice chief particularly highlighted the role of mass media in preventing juvenile delinquency. She also called on media practitioners to maintain the highest standards in reporting about minor offenders.
"I urge the media practitioners to maintain the highest critical and professional standards when reporting cases on children in conflict with the law. I urge them to provide a balanced and evidence based reports about children so that they are not subjected to inappropriate and sensationalized publicity."
And while she disagrees with moves to lower the age of criminal responsibility of children in conflict with the law, De Lima said minor offenders should still not be completely free of accountability, only that a "different or special justice system for them is prescribed by law."
"The Juvenile Justice System will still hold them accountable through child appropriate procedures that will see through their atonement.
"Within the framework of restorative justice, RA 9344 provides that children exempt from criminal responsibility shall undergo appropriate intervention programs, designed in consideration of several factors such as circumstances of the child, the needs of the child, the influence of the family and environment on the grown of the child, and the ability and willingness of the parents/guardians to guide and supervise the child," De Lima said.
De Lima called on the public, especially since October is National Children's Month, to "take on his and her duty to promote children's rights and support the law.

Trending news#: 10 Pumatay kay given Given Grace nasa kamay na ng Pulisya.

Pagkakita pa lang sa itinuturong gumahasa at pumatay sa estudyanteng si Given Grace Cebanico, umapaw agad ang galit ng kanyang mga mahal sa buhay.
Pilit ipinasok ng mga pulis sa selda ang suspek.
Sa bigat ng damdamin, halos wala na sa sarili ang mga kamag-anak ng dalaga.
Martes nang matagpuan ang bangkay ni Given sa madamong lote sa loob ng UP Los Baños (UPLB).
Pinagnakawan, at saka pinatay ang 19 anyos na dalaga.
Base sa resulta ng crime lab, kumpirmado na ring siya ay ginahasa.
Naaresto kagabi ang isa sa mga suspek na kinilalang si Percival de Guzman, isang tricycle driver.
Positibong kinilala si de Guzman ng isang testigo.
Umamin siya sa krimen matapos ma-recover ang telepono ni Given sa kanya.
Itinuro naman ni de Guzman ang umano'y kasabwat na si Lester Ivan Rivera, isang security guard na tumakbo sa Floridablanca, Pampanga.
Kaninang umaga, isinuko si Rivera ng kanyang lolo sa mga pulis.
Sa loob ng selda, nagturuan pa ang dalawang suspek kung sino ang pasimuno sa krimen.
Sa isinagawang press conference ng Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) CALABARZON, halos hindi nakayanan ng tatay ni Given na marinig ang nangyari sa panganay na anak.
“With respect to the father, sinuntok nila [ang biktima] hanggang sa mawalan ng malay, bago ni-rape,” sabi ni Senior Superintendent Edwin Jose Nemenzo, regional director ng PNP-CIDG CALABARZON.
Malaking bagay naman sa pamilya Cebanico ang mabilis na pagkaaresto ng mga suspek sa krimen.
“At least, madadala namin ang aming anak sa huling hantungan na nakamit ang justice,” sabi ng ama ni Given na si Daniel.
Kaninang tanghali, nagsagawa ng indignation rally ang UP Los Baños community.
Sigaw nila ay hustisya kay Given.
Puno ng emosyon ang pagbabalik-tanaw ng kanyang mga kaibigan, kaklase, at guro sa naging buhay ng dalaga.
Ayon sa kanila, masipag, matalino, malambing, masayahin at may natatanging hilig sa pagkanta si Given.
“Ang sakit-sakit po, hanggang ngayon hindi pa rin namin matanggap na wala na siya sa amin. Ang hirap gumising sa umaga na wala na siya,” sabi ng roommate ng biktima na si Naryne Amansec.
“Inaalagaan namin sila hanggang sila ay maka-graduate, para kaming binawian ng anak, bilang mga teachers,” sabi naman ni Vladimir Mariano, direktor ng Institute of Computer Science ng UPLB.
Bukod sa paghingi ng hustisya, hinimok din nila ang kinauukulan na higpitan ang seguridad sa loob at labas ng UP Los Baños nang hindi na maulit ang karumaldumal na krimen.
Ngayong gabi na nakatakda ang inquest proceedings sa 2 suspek.
Pero kanina, muntik pa umanong tumakas ang isa sa mga suspek na si Lester Rivera, pero napigilan naman siya ng mga pulis.

“PRAYBEYT BENJAMIN’ opens in theaters nationwide on Oct. 26!

In this movie Vice plays the role of Bejamin Santos whose family has a long tradition of serving in the military. In fact, the movie’s stunning opening traces the roots of the Santos’ military service, from the days of Lapu-lapu and the Katipunan, up to the current times. Conflict ensues when Lolo Benjamin which was played by Eddie Garcia fins out that his grandson (Vice) cannot continue the tradition because he is gay. But when Lolo Benjamin is captured by terrorists, the grandson enters the military and musters all his masculine strength to save his dear grandfather, and the rest of the war-torn country as well.

Helping Praybeyt Benjamin in his quest are the member of a misfit platoon played by, among others, Derek Ramsay, DJ Durano, Vandolph, Jimmy Santos, Eddie Garcia, Dennis Padilla, Carlos Agassi, Malou De Guzman, Tutti Caringal, Kean Cipriano and Nikki Valdez.

This movie is the result of Vice’s good collaboration with the blockbuster director Wenn Deramas. Be thrilled and be awed by Vice Ganda when “PRAYBEYT BENJAMIN’ opens in theaters nationwide on Oct. 26!

Cast and characters

Main cast

• Vice Ganda as Private Benjamin "Benjie" Santos VIII
• Jimmy Santos as Benjamin "Ben" Santos VII
• Eddie Garcia as Benjamin Santos VI
• Derek Ramsay as Brandon
• Nikki Valdez as Lucresia Alcantara
• Kean Cipriano as Emerson
• DJ Durano as Dominador "Dondi" Rosales
• Vandolph Quizon as Buhawi Manay
• Carlos Agassi as Paul Marigma
• Dennis Padilla as Bentot Santos

Supporting cast

• Bodie Cruz as George Carang
• Tutti Caringal as Ringo Daway
• Malou de Guzman as Lilibeth Santos
• Ricky Rivero as Bigboy Carnate
• Rubi Rubi
• Abby Bautista