Hayden Kho lose his medical license, Court of Appeals decision

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MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) revoking the license of Hayden Kho to practice cosmetic surgery.

Associate Justice Edwin Sorongon of the appellate court’s 8th division in his decision affirmed the power of the PRC to suspend or revoke a certificate of registration and license of erring professionals.

“The practice of medicine is not a natural right but a privilege bestowed by the State on those who show that they possess, and continue to possess, the qualifications required by the conferment of such privilege,” according to the court’s  June 29 ruling, citing the Basics of Philippine Medical Jurisprudence and Ethics.

Kho, a celebrity cosmetic surgeon, was stripped of his professional license after his videotaped steamy tryst with actress Katrina Halili in 2009 was leaked. Halili, who lost her court case against Kho, had claimed she was not aware the surgeon was recording their sex encounter.

The PRC found Kho, who then was a physician of the Belo Medical Group, Inc. (BMGI), guilty of charges of immorality and dishonorable and unethical conduct, affirming a decision rendered by the Board of Medicine on November 20, 2009. He filed a motion for reconsideration that the PRC denied in a ruling dated February 8, 2010.

Kho, in his appeal said the circulation of the video could not warrant the revocation of his license “because it was concededly not done in relation to the practice of his medical profession.”

But the appeals court said that the disqualifying immoral conduct need not be directly connected with the practice of the profession.

“(A) relation between the complained act constituting immorality or dishonorable conduct to the practice of medicine need not exist. It may pertain to life in general as there can be no dichotomy to separate a physician’s existence into his professional and personal being.”

The appellate court said that the standard of morality expected of medical professionals is quite high since the State recognizes the fact that physicians should protect the health, safety and well-being of the public.

X Factor Philippines: "Osang audition shocked the judges"

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BAMBOO LIVE INTERVIEW @ ANC: "Must watch video for the Filipino Youth of today"

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X Factor Philippines 2012 - Osang:"Must watch audition, as Osang rocks the judges"

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Willie Revillame's critics cleared of "boy macho dancer" controversy libel case

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MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City prosecutors’ office has dismissed the child abuse and libel complaints against a psychologist and two bloggers who criticized TV celebrity Willie Revillame last year for letting a teary-eyed, 6-year-old boy dance like a macho dancer on his game show.

Assistant City Prosecutor Raymund Oliver Almonte junked the complaints against Dr. Lourdes Carandang, Froilan Grate and John Silva for insufficiency of evidence.

Almonte said the comments made by the three respondents were directed at Revillame, host of the then TV5 show “Willing Willie,” and not at the boy’s parents who filed the complaints.

“In fact, the statements made … detest(ed) the alleged abuse committed. They were also aimed at preventing the occurrence of the same incident in the future,” Almonte noted.

Revillame drew public uproar in March 2011 after the TV host, during one segment, prodded the boy to do the “body wave,” a sexy dance move, even with the child already breaking in tears. A video clip of the scene quickly spread on the Internet.

Carandang, a child psychologist and mother of Malacañang’s Communication Secretary Ricky Carandang, wrote the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board to express her “professional assessment” of the incident, citing its effects on children watching the program.

Silva also criticized the incident on his Facebook page, while Grate created a Facebook account and sent emails to various government agencies, taking Revillame to task.

In their complaints, the boy’s parents claimed that their son cried during the program because he got afraid of one of the show’s cohosts, Bonel Balingit.

The parents also argued that the criticisms made by the three respondents were tantamount to an imputation of vice or defect on them, being the boy’s parents.

As a result of the respondents’ actions, their child—who came out “happy” right after his appearance on the game show—became more shy and withdrawn, they said.

The complainants also noted that Grate uploaded an “edited” video of the segment to make it appear as though their son was being forced to dance.

In her defense, Carandang said her letter to the MTRCB conveyed a fair comment on matters of public interest and therefore considered privileged communication and protected under libel laws.

She also noted that the letter did not name the boy or his parents, thus lacking the element of identification under libel laws.

Grate pointed out that libel through the Internet could not be punished under existing laws, stressing that he acted with good intentions and justifiable motives. He added that there was nothing on the Facebook page he created that maligned the boy or his parents.

For his part, Silva said the Facebook posts and the letters he wrote could not be considered malicious as these were made out of a civic and moral duty to protect the rights of a child.

In his resolution, Almonte said there was no probable cause to press libel charges, citing the complainants’ failure “to establish that the respondents bore a grudge against them, or that there was rivalry or ill feeling … or that the respondents had the intention to injure their reputation.”

As to the allegations of child abuse, the fiscal said the parents failed to show proof that the respondents were liable under Republic Act 7610 or the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

“Allegation is not tantamount to proof. It is a basic rule in evidence that the burden of proof lies with the party who makes the allegations,” Almonte added.

Lawyer Harry Roque, whose law firm CenterLaw promotes free expression, welcomed the dismissal of the complaints.

“A giant win for freedom of expression. It protects the integrity of the Internet as a key infrastructure for free exchange of ideas,” he said.

Lawyer Romel Bagares, Grate’s counsel, added that under current definitions of libel, the offense cannot be committed through the Internet.

“Free expression on matters relating to public justice, such as child exploitation, is protected both under international law and constitutional law,” Bagares said in an interview.

Anne Curtis is No. 1 in the 100 Most beautiful stars

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Anne Curtis leads YES! Magazine’s 100 Most Beautiful Stars list for 2012, the latest accolade for an actress whose career just keeps going and glowing.

Does she ever feel ugly or inadequate in the looks department?

Yes, Anne does get those bad hair days when she just can’t get the girl in the mirror to smile back at her.

“Yung feeling na hindi ako beautiful, and pangit na pangit ako sa sarili ko? Yes, it happens,” she says.

“And my make-up artist can attest to that. Kasama ang team ko, there are days talaga na kahit ano ang gawin nila, I feel na ang chaka-chaka ng itsura ko. But I guess, normal lang naman ‘yun, lalo na ‘pag napuyat ka. But once naman na na-complete ang sleep or rest ko, talagang when I look in the mirror, ang saya ko and it reflects naman. Kaya, I can say na ‘ang ganda ko today’ in the mirror. And I feel most beautiful when I am with my family and my friends.”

So what’s the secret to that glow? Apart from the fact that her love life is aglow.

“It may be a cliché, but it’s the beauty that you exude from within. Kung lahat ng nasa paligid mo maaliwalas, naki-carry ‘yun sa mga nangyayari sa ‘yo with your life, hindi ba? So, being asked what I need to do when I get into that pangit mode, hindi ko rin alam what I can advise. But what I know for sure, you need to love yourself first and take care of it. And be content with what you have. Make the most of what life offers you.”

A Box Office Queen title. High-profile projects and endorsements left and right. Now, this Most Beautiful Star crown. What else is lacking?

“I’ve done my best na to really really fulfill my dream of becoming a singer. God didn’t gift me with that. Pero since it’s my passion, talagang I prayed harder na kahit just this once lang, mapagbigyan ako ni God and nangyari naman,” she says, referring to her “No Other Concert” at the Smart Araneta Coliseum back in January.

“Kung ano pa ang kulang, siguro dance concert naman. Or sa ibang bagay, start a family. Find a husband. When the time comes, I just want to be ready sa kung ano pa ang dadating sa akin,” she adds.

Anne gives credit to the people who take care of her wardrobe, hair and makeup.

“What else is beautiful in me? Talagang I’m very thankful lang to the whole staff. Siguro lang, I was able to find a team that I was comfortable with sa mga shots or pictorials that were done kaya lumabas ‘yung gusto nila.

“And gusto ko lang naman i-pursue my dream. I was able to sing na. Sa malaking venue pa. Basta lang achieve what I want. And see what I find beautiful in myself. It always boils down to my voice,” she quips.

And without batting an eyelash, the Most Beautiful Star breaks into song, the infectious pop tune “Call Me Maybe”. As usual, everybody basks in her glow.

Killer crocodile "Lolong" sets record as world’s largest in captivity

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Lolong, a man-eating beast feared by locals, has set a Guinness Book of World Records mark as the world's largest saltwater crocodile in captivity.

The giant crocodile measures 20.24 feet, weighs more than a ton and was blamed for several deaths before its capture by officials in the southern Philippines town of Bunawan in September, 2011.

And while Lolong has brought some tourist dollars into the small town, its capture has also stirred fears that other giant killer crocs might be lurking in the local waters.

"There were mixed feelings," Bunawan Mayor Edwin Cox Elorde told the Associated Press. "We're really proud because it proves the rich biodiversity of our place but at the same time, there are fears that Lolong may not be alone."

In fact, Elorde says he spotted an even larger crocodile escape when he and about 100 others combined their efforts to capture Lolong. It took a combination of ropes and cranes to bring in the giant crocodile, which was pursued after a child was killed in 2009 and a fisherman went missing. Lolong was named after an official who died of a heart attack after traveling to Bunawan to assist in the capture.

Since its capture, Lolong has become something of a tourist attraction and is the star of a new ecotourism and research center in the town. And while the park has brought in $72,000 in park fees since Lolong's debut, most of that money goes to feeding and taking care of the crocodile.