Trillanes, Duterte lawyer face off at BPI Julia Vargas

MANILA, Philippines- Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte’s legal counsel has met with Senator Antonio Trillanes IV on Monday, May 2 at the Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI) Julia Vargas branch in Pasig City in order to address the hidden wealth accusations of the lawmaker to the tough talking mayor.

The camps of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and Senator Antonio Trillanes IV meet up for a face off at BPI Julia Vargas.

Atty. Sal Panelo, Duterte’s lawyer, was authorized to open the presidential candidate’s bank account and issue a bank certification that the presidential aspirant never amassed P211 million.

“I have addressed the bank to issue the necessary documents. Based on the records of the bank, walang P211 million sa kanyang deposit mula pa noong ito'y binuksan niya at hanggang ngayon,” Panelo told GMA News.

Trillanes, who is currently running for vice president, has alleged the PDP-Laban standard bearer of failing to declare P211 million in his ”secret” BPI accounts at Julia Vargas branch in 2014. Although Duterte agreed to open his bank accounts in order to disprove Trillanes’ claims, he demanded that the senator execute an affidavit on his accusations as well as name his sources first.

Panelo added that Trillanes needs to prove the existence of the money since bank secrecy laws prohibit banks and employees to disclose account details of its clients.

“Mayroong batas na nagsasabing hindi puwedeng mag-reveal ang bangko na anumang impormasyon kaugnay sa deposito ng isang kliyente. Nakalagay din sa batas na nagbabawal sa isang empleyado na maglabas ng impormasyon sa deposito sapagkat sila ay idedemanda sa ilalim ng batas,” Panelo explained.

(There’s a law that prohibits the bank from revealing any information about the account of a client. It is also indicated in the law that an employee is prohibited from revealing any information about the client’s account since they can be sued under the law.)

Furthemore, Panelo revealed that they will not be disclosing the entire history of Duterte’s bank accounts.

Meanwhile, Trillanes told ABS-CBN News that he has issued an affidavit yet Duterte still refused to sign the waiver or open his bank account.

LOOK: Statement of Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV on meeting with Atty. Sal Panelo pic.twitter.com/mcMiOvOFNL | via @jeffcanoy #Halalan2016

— ABS-CBN News (@ABSCBNNews) May 2, 2016

Kapamilya actor Robin Padilla also expressed his support for Duterte by showing up at the face off. A vocal supporter of Duterte, Padilla threatened to withdraw all his money from the Ayala-owned bank because of the “political hack job” against his presidential bet.

“Meron tayong batas na dapat sinusunod. Dapat si Sen. Trillanes, sinasabi niyang isang senador, hindi niya dapat sinasabi na walang rule of law... Magwiwithdraw muna ako,” Padilla said.

( We have a law to follow. Sen. Trillanes shouldn’t say that there is no rule of law. I will withdraw first.)

--Mini, The Summit Express

Samsung launches all new Galaxy A5, A7 (2016) in the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - When choosing a smartphone, aesthetics play as much value as features. It should be able to do all the things you would expect a smartphone to do while looking good on the job—and even better if you can get it at a great price.

The first brand that comes to mind? Samsung—specifically their Galaxy A Series, where everything you love about their flagship smartphones are translated into a more accessible but equally stylish and powerful device that rises above its competitors. Earlier this year, the Galaxy A5 (2016) was introduced, and now the latest addition to this line—the Galaxy A7 (2016).

Samsung Galaxy A7 2016 available in black and gold colors.

Absolutely Sleek

Samsung is no stranger to design innovation. The brand is known to rise above in design aesthetics, and their capability of building that design around a powerful and highly capable device. It’s not surprising therefore that this continues to demonstrate itself in the Galaxy A Series.

Taking design cues from Samsung’s flagship line, the Galaxy A Series (2016) adds style to your life with an all new sleek, metal and glass design that showcases a youthful and premium vibe. The slim design fits comfortably and perfectly borders the Galaxy A7’s FHD 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, while the Galaxy A5 has a slightly smaller 5.2-inch screen.

Samsung Galaxy A5 2016 also available in black and gold colors.

Complementing the luxurious feel of the smartphones is the confidence that the Galaxy A Series’ sturdy build can easily keep up and even rise above with the fast-paced lifestyles of its users. The screen is made of durable Gorilla Glass 4, so no need to worry about nicks and scratches.

Absolutely Powerful

What use is a great looking smartphone—which you have to carry around and use everyday—if it’s not good enough to keep up with your needs? This goes beyond basic communication capabilities, because while it is important, your smartphone should help you rise above every situation.

The smartphone market is so competitive that brands would do anything to capture the market’s attention. Why anyone would want a smartphone with limited screen size, lower resolution, and poor quality camera, no one would know. But with Samsung’s Galaxy A Series, there’s no need to compromise to subpar features and inferior hardware.

For starters, the camera has a Quick Launch feature that allows you to turn it on in just 0.7 seconds so you can capture moments as they happen. Easily take clear and crisp photos with a 13MP rear and 5MP front camera, F1.9 lens and Optical Image Stabilization. So whether you’re shooting in low light, taking a panoramic shot, or just want to snap a quick Selfie, the Galaxy A Series will make sure your photos rise above.

The Galaxy A Series (2016) is powered b an Octa Core 1.6GHz processor for topnotch performance. For added security, both models have the fingerprint scanner so you can unlock your device by just a touch of a fingertip. It is also LTE Cat6 for fast downloading and uploading of high-quality videos and files. For those who have a lot of friends and a lot of content, the Galaxy A Series is Dual SIM hybrid with an expandable memory of up to 128GB so you don’t need to worry about not having enough memory space.

And to make the most out of all these features, Samsung made sure that both devices come with equally powerful fast-charging batteries, which goes from 0 to 100% in just 110 minutes. The Galaxy A7 and the Galaxy A5 are backed with 3,300mAH and 2,900mAh batteries respectively, allowing for extended, heavy usage. The Galaxy A Series (2016) will surely help you rise above your tasks with its powerful and highly efficient performance.

Rise Above With The Galaxy A Series

All in all, the new Galaxy A Series (2016), whether it’s the Galaxy A5 or the Galaxy A7, offer powerful and essential smartphone options that rise above compromise when it comes to quality, functionality, and design.

The Galaxy A5 (2016) and Galaxy A7 (2016) are now available locally for P19,990 and P22,990 respectively. --Samsung Mobile PH, The Summit Express

Power Duo, Ody Sto. Domingo advance to PGT 5 Grand Finals

MANILA, Philippines - Acrobatic dancesport duo Power Duo and magician Ody Sto. Domingo advanced to the grand finals of Pilipinas Got Talent (PGT) Season 5 as announced during the fourth weekly results night on Sunday, May 1, 2016.

Angono's pride Power Duo who wowed the judges on their breath-taking performance got the highest percentage of votes, a whooping 57.38%, automatically sending them to the grand finals.

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Magician Ody Sto. Domingo managed to survive the deadlock against dance group DMX Comvalenoz. Judges Freddie M. Garcia and Robin Padilla picked DMX Comvalenoz while judges Vice Ganda and Angel Locsin chose Sto. Domingo.

Based on the PGT rules, in case of tied judges' votes, public voting result will prevail. Sto. Domingo got 30.41% while DMX Comvalenoz received 7.76% of votes.

Power Duo and Ody Sto. Domingo also bested other semi-finalists Kundiman singer Francis Anne Virtudazo (1,29%), arnis performers M.A.T.T.I. (1.11%),  and acoustic trio The Raes (2.06%).

Power Duo and Ody Sto. Domingo joined the roster of grand finalists of PGT Season 5 which also includes Next Option, Sto. Tomas Bulilit Generation, Amazing Pyra, Crossover Family, Mastermind and UA Mindanao.

Hosted by Luis Manzano and Billy Crawford, "Pilipinas Got Talent" airs Saturdays after "Home Sweetie Home" and Sundays after "Wansapanataym."

Do you agree with the results of fourth PGT 5 semi-finals week?