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PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE CYBERFORUM

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JDLC = Napanice.

by Red Angel (no login)

Want proof?

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Seek and you shall find!



HURRY! BEFORE THE PROOF GETS DELETED!

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Red Angel

Posted on May 16, 2005, 12:18 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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BORING NA, NAGGER PA.

by Lemuel G. Abarte (no login)

PARANG MATANDANG ULYANING BABAE.

Posted on May 16, 2005, 2:10 AM
from IP address 203.131.139.86

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MORE NONSENSE POSTS FROM LEMUEL

by Red Angel (no login)

No comments needed
..
.
.
.
.
.










Posted on May 16, 2005, 6:36 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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Just a reminder.

by Lemuel G. Abarte (no login)

Hold on to your wallet.

Posted on May 16, 2005, 2:13 AM
from IP address 203.131.139.86

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THE PHILIPPINES' DEBT TO REVENUE IS WORSE THAN ARGENTINA

by Napanice (no login)

RP is no Argentina alright, it is worse and the three year old leadership is totally incompetent when it comes to economic, social and political reforms. No wonder the government is now scrambling for higher taxes, the incurred debt by the Macapagal administration alone accounts for more than 30 percent of the national obligation and interest payments are taking up a big chunk of the budget.

No wonder deficit spending is a way of life in the government, despite the billions of remittance dollars sent home by overseas workers the economy which is based on importation of practically all consumer goods has resulted in a constant flow of cash out of the country.

Defaulting on the national debt could happen anytime soon, specially if the overseas employment is affected by international events like Iraq.

Nap
===========================================

RP is no Argentina, stress govt officials

Government officials on Sunday rejected comparisons between the economies of the Philippines and Argentina, saying much of the Philippines’ debt burden is in long-term obligations while tax revenues should grow with new tax bills.

Tom Byrne, an analyst at Moody’s Investors Service, said during a break in the annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank last week that the Philippines’ debt of $75-billion is equivalent to 525 percent of its revenue last year, almost double that of Argentina’s debt ratio before its $95-billion default.

Byrne said all of the Philippine’s fiscal ratios show that the country is in much worse shape than Argentina in 2001.

In a statement, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the new tax bills "help ensure that the Philippines will be able to honor its international obligations and should not be compared with Argentina."

Moody’s cut the Philippines’ sovereign ratings by two steps in February to four rungs below investment grade, citing a damaging build up of public debt.

Congress has since passed long-delayed amendments to value-added tax (VAT).

Purisima insisted that comparing the economies of the Philippines and Argentina was "much like comparing apples with oranges."

Philippine economic growth had been on an up-trend since 2001, unlike Argentina, which suffered a three-year recession before it defaulted on its obligations, he said.

"Proper debt management puts the average maturity profile of the country’s medium to long-term external debt at 17.1 years," Purisima said, with average annual maturities at between $5 billion and $6 billion.

This "allows it to buy time for the government from diverting resources to repay maturing principal debt while it resolutely addresses the economy’s structural weaknesses," he said.

Balance of payments inflows are steady with growing remittances from an overseas Filipino work force; the country’s larger external sector gives it

greater flexibility to service foreign debt. Exports last year were equivalent to 45.8 percent of gross domestic product, Purisima said.

The new VAT bill lifted exemptions and also raised the corporate income tax by 3 percentage points to 35 percent, with projected combined annual proceeds of P56 billion to P61 billion.

It also authorized President Arroyo to raise the VAT by 2 percentage points to 12 percent next year, which would expand annual collections to P97 billion to P105 billion.

The President had warned last year that the government needed P80 billion per annum from new revenue bills to help avoid a debt default.

On Sunday Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Moody’s comparison of the Philippines and Argentina is "faulty and based on the wrong premise."

"We take strong exception to these doomsayers. We have had tough fiscal times but they have to give us credit for the overall gains in the economy," Bunye said.

"We have hurdled phase one of our agenda by passing key revenue measures. Our budget is in place. Revenue collections are up. There is renewed interest among investors especially in the mining sector," Bunye said. Ma. Theresa Torres and AFP


Posted on May 15, 2005, 2:09 PM
from IP address 67.101.146.189

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ALTERNATIVE ENERGY SOURCE, COCONUT OIL

by Napanice (no login)

Let's hope this project does not involve the greedy politicians and military people who will intimidate the people through charges of environmental violations and then takeover the business for their own benefit. It's been done before, specially during the Marcos years.

Nap
====================================

Diesel substitute from coconut oil

BY LYN RESURRECCION

ODIONGAN, Romblon— A processing plant producing from coconut an environment friendly substitute for diesel oil was inaugurated in Barangay Anahao here during the weekend.

The project, whose product is coco-methyl ester (CME), is seen as a step toward boosting the coconut industry in this province, the second-largest producer in the country with a daily harvest of 720,000 nuts.

The plant of Romtron Philippines is the first government-initiated CME project in the country. There are three other CME manufacturers, all privately owned.

Science Secretary Estrella Alabastro said the Department of Science and Technology chose Romblon as the project site because of the availability of raw materials and the high cost of transporting fuel, like diesel from Luzon to the islands that make up the province.

"So it makes sense that we look for an alternative fuel. CME is a very wise choice because the raw material comes from here. It also benefits the farmers," Alabastro said.

CME is a good substitute for diesel for both stationary and automotive engines. It emits no sulfur and less smoke, making it friendly to the environment.

It is produced through esterification, where coconut is made to react with methyl alcohol with the use of sodium hydroxide as catalyst. The end product is glycerine.

Graciano Yumul, director of the Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD), said the product will be sold in Romblon in three months under the name Romtron Bio Diesel.

To make the price attractive, Romtron Bio Diesel will be sold at P28 a liter or P1 lower than diesel’s P29 a liter.

The proposed price — which is very much lower than that of commercially available CME at P125 a liter — is possible because the raw materials are locally sourced and distribution does not entail high handling and transport costs, government officials said.

Gov. Perpetuo Ylagan, who has been supporting the project since his earlier stint in Congress, said the project would help stabilize the price of copra in the province, which fluctuates from a high of P16 a kilo to a low of P3 a kilo.

Romblon Rep. Eduardo Firmalo said the plant would have a big impact on the province’s economy — which is among the poorest in the country — because it will not only give the residents jobs but also increase their income.

"We are pushing for economic self-sufficiency," he said.

The project started in 2001 with the DOST agencies PCIERD, Industrial Technology Research Institute, DOST Southern Luzon Regional Office and the Romblon Provincial Science and Technology Center as the lead implementing agencies.

Saint Vincent Ferrer Parish and Multipurpose Cooperative Inc. was chosen as the private implementing agency because of its track record as a successful cooperative. The cooperative, which started 15 years ago with a seed money of P10,000, has a current capitalization of P50 million.

Alabastro said that the project is consistent with government efforts to popularize clean fuel in support to the Clean Air Act and the memorandum circular of President Arroyo mandating the use of 1 percent CME blends in government vehicles.

She said the Romtron would serve as a showcase in demonstrating the viability of CME. It is expected to be replicated in other coconut-producing areas.


Posted on May 15, 2005, 8:12 AM
from IP address 67.101.146.189

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NOW DO WE KNOW WHERE GLORIA'S BORROWED BILLIONS WENT?

by Napanice (no login)


Abat went on to say that “the extent of graft and corruption under President Arroyo is worse. It is the government's money that is being used in corruption. That is how the Arroyo government is using government money.”


RETIRED GENERAL GROUPS REGRET SUPPORTING GMA, EDSA II
Abat: Gloria worse than Erap

By Mario J. Mallari
Monday, 05 16, 2005

Retired Maj. Gen. Fortunato Abat was back in fighting form yesterday as he again criticized President Arroyo, branding her and her administration as being worse than that of ousted President Joseph Estrada and his government.

And in admitting this, the retired general also expressed regret for supporting Mrs. Arroyo against the now detained leader, at Edsa II, the coup d'etat that installed Mrs. Arroyo to Malacañang.

In comparing the two administrations, Abat pointed out that under Mrs. Arroyo, the levels of corruption are worse.

Abat, who was earlier threatened with being charged for sedition for publicly calling for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo, noted that during Estrada's term, the charges leveled against him had to do with jueteng, gambling and immorality which issues, the retired general admitted, had little to do with corruption involving public funds.

“During the time of Erap (Estrada's nickname), it was all about jueteng, gambling and immorality and the charges were more focused on (alleged) money-laundering,” said Abat, who once served as former President Ramos' defense secretary and chairman of a government board of a Poro-Point body, as an appointee of Mrs. Arroyo.

Abat went on to say that “the extent of graft and corruption under President Arroyo is worse. It is the government's money that is being used in corruption. That is how the Arroyo government is using government money.” During the presidential campaign, it was alleged that the President, who was running for the top seat, used public money to fund her election campaign. There were exposés on her misuse of the road tax amounting to close to P2 billion which was used to fund her “street sweepers' project”; the OWWA funds amounting to a little over P.5 billion used by the newly appointment Health Secretary Franciso Duque for yet another Arroyo campaign gimmick, the GMA PhilHealth cards, which were given for free, to get the voters, but which were later suspended, as the funds had run dry.

The government agencies were also tapped to fund her political advertisements, which ad exposures went way over the required frequencies, as stated in the election law.

Also exposed was the active participation in the alleged electoral fraud of both the police and the military elements, among other allegations.

Estrada was accused of accepting jueteng payola as alleged by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson. The former president was subsequently tried before the Senate as an impeachment court, but the trial was made to collapse by the House Prosecutors when they walked out, a development the presiding justice, Chief Justice Hilario Davide Jr., allowed as he failed to call the prosecutors back.

The walk-out led to the so-called elite Edsa II coup d'etat I that catapulted then Vice President Arroyo to the presidency after then Armed Forces chief and now Interior and Local Government Secretary Angelo Reyes led the military leadership in withdrawing support from Estrada.

The former President is currently under detention at his private villa in Tanay, Rizal as hearing of the plunder charges slapped against him before the anti-graft Sandiganbayan is ongoing.

The prosecution, however, has failed to prove its charges against the detained leader and Singson's testimony on alleged jueteng payoffs and diversion of the tobacco excise tax amounting to P130 million, and then Equitable PCI Bank Trust Officer, Clarissa Ocampo's testimony on Estrada and Jose Velarde being one and the same, have been disproved by the defense witnesses.

Ocampo, as well as Singson, have been found to have perjured themselves, in framing the former president.

“Erap is much better,” Abat noted. “He is accused of gambling, jueteng but he had a lot of good people assisting him (in governance),” Abat pointed out.

Under the Arroyo administration, Abat said the country slumped further with the present fiscal crisis.

“We are in a worse situation. Why are we in a fiscal crisis? That's because of corruption. When there is graft and corruption, there is malgovernance,” Abat said, reiterating his earlier call for the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo from power.

Abat said he and the civil society groups supported the ouster of Estrada and the subsequent installation of Mrs. Arroyo as Estrada's constitutional successor on the promise that she was going to lead the country to progress.

“Yes I regret it (supporting Edsa II). We supported her because she said she was going to bring us progress but that did not happen. President Arroyo should be blamed for what was done and what was not done,” Abat said.

The retired general, a staunch Arroyo supporter who actively participated in the ouster of Estrada, along with his former boss, former President Fidel Ramos, was instrumental in getting the retired generals to move against Estrada.

He also served as ambassador to China.

Abat said he had expected Mrs. Arroyo to bring in reforms from 2001 to 2004, or the time Estarda was deposed to the time when Estrada's term was supposed to end. “But nothing happened…We are even now the worst basket in Asia,” the retired general added.

“She was supposed to bring us progress but we sank further and further,” said Abat of Mrs. Arroyo, whose approval ratings have been plunging dangerously. The latest satisfaction rating showed Mrs. Arroyo to have a negative 12 percent rating — and has become the most unpopular president in the history of the Philippines.

Some 59 percent of the Filipinos have also expressed the sentiment in surveys that they want a change in leadership.

Estrada, in recent surveys, has earned a 44 percent trust rating, or a positive 9 percent net trust rating, while Mrs. Arroyo, who is in power and position, earned negative trust ratings.

In calling for the President's ouster, Abat is pushing the setting up of a revolutionary council, a transition government composed of senior political leaders, civil society groups, and chiefs of the AFP and the police.

Abat is also among the prime movers behind the Coalition for National Salvation (CNS) a group composed of various multisectoral organizations supporting the ouster of Mrs. Arroyo.

Abat, who is closely identified with Ramos, was branded by the latter as a “Marcos general who did not even join the Edsa I revolt,” with Ramos claiming that he has a 100 percent coup-slaying average while denying that he was involved in the ouster moves against Mrs. Arroyo.

The President reportedly has been in a panic over the possibility of her being ousted with the continued calls from the retired generals, her former civil society groups and a restive military.

While she maintains that she has not ordered a loyalty check on the military, she and the presidential spouse have, however, been meeting with several generals and officers, while the First Gentleman has been reported to have been making the rounds of battalion commanders while claiming to be giving away free dentures to the soldiers, stating that such was the idea of the President, as she cares for the soldiery.



Posted on May 15, 2005, 7:57 AM
from IP address 67.101.146.189

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More oldie pics of da Pinas!

by Anonymous (no login)

http://philippinepicture.cjb.net/

This is the same URL I posted previously but the guy refreshed the collection.

Posted on May 15, 2005, 1:22 AM
from IP address 70.16.234.70

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pagbabalik tanaw

by (no login)

Heto ang KAPAYAPAAN na alam natin, noong wala pang KAUNLARAN..............

Si Nanay ay nasa bahay pag-uwi namin galing sa paaralan;
Walang mga bakod at gate ang magkakapit-bahay,
kung meron, gumamela lang

10 sentimos o diyes lang ang baon: singko sa umaga, singko sa hapon; Merong free ang mga patpat ng ice drop: buko man o munggo

Mataas ang paggalang sa mga guro at ang tawag sa kanila ay Maestro/a

Di binibili ang tubig, pwedeng maki-inom sa di mo kakilala.

Malaking bagay na ang pumunta sa ilog para mag-picnic, o kaya sa tumana;

Grabe na ang kaso pag napatawag ka sa principal's office o kaya malaking kahihiyan kapag bagsak ka sa exam;

Simple lang ang pangarap: makatapos, makapag-asawa, mapagtapos ang mga anak...

Pwedeng iwan ang sasakyan at ibilin sa hindi mo kakilala; wala namang lock ang mga jeep na Willy's noon

Mayroon kaming mga laruan na gawa namin at hindi binili:
trak-trakan (gawa sa rosebowl ang katawan at darigold na maliit ang mga gulong, "sketeng" (scooter) na bearing na maingay ang mga gulong at de-sinkong pako para sa preno; patining na pinitpit na tansan lang na may 2 butas sa gitna para suotan ng sinulid (pwede pang makipag-lagutan); sumpak, pilatok, boca-boca, borador, atbpa.

Di nakikialam ang mga matanda sa mga laro ng mga bata:
kasi laro nga iyon.

Maraming usong laro at maraming kasali: laste, gagamba,
turumpo, tatsing ng lata, pera namin ay kaha ng Philip
Morris, Malboro, Champion (kahon-kahon yon!)

May dagta ang dulo ng tinting na hawak mo para makahuli tutubi, nandadakma ka ng palakang tetot, pero ingat ka sa palakang saging dahil sa kulugo;

Butas na ang sakong ng Spartan mong tsinelas - suot mo pa rin; Namumugalgal ang pundiya ng kansolsilyo mo kasi nakasalampak ka sa lupa.

Sa modernong buhay at sa lahat ng kasaganaan sa high technology... di ba minsan nangarap ka na rin... mas masaya noong araw!
Sana pwedeng maibalik...

Takot tayo ngayon sa buhay. Kasi maraming napapatay, nakikidnap, maraming addict at masasamang loob...
Noon takot lang tayo sa ating mga magulang at mga lolo at lola. Pero ngayon, alam na natin na mahal pala nila tayo kayat ayaw tayong mapahamak o mapariwara... Na una silang nasasaktan pag pinapalo nila tayo...

Balik tayo sa nakaraan kahit saglit..

Bago magkaroon ng internet, computer, at cellphone.

Noong wala pang mga drugs at malls.
Bago pa nauso ang counter strike at mga game boys.
Tayo noon... Doon...< /P>

Tinutukoy ko ang harang taga o tumbang preso kapag
maliwanag ang buwan;

Ang pagtatakip mo ng mata pero nakasilip sa pagitan
ng mga daliri pag nanonood ka ng nakakatakot sa
"Mga Aninong Gumagalaw"

Unahan tayong sumagot sa Multiplication Table na
kabisado na tin, kasi wala namang calculator.

Pag-akyat natin sa mga puno;

pagkakabit ng kulambo, lundagan sa kama;

Pagtikwas o pagtitimba sa poso; pingga ang pang-igib ng lalake at may dikin naman ang ulo ng babae;

Inaasbaran ng mga suberbiyo;

Nginig na tayo pag lumabas na ang yantok-mindoro o buntot-page.

Nai-sako ka rin ba? O kaya naglagay ka ba ng karton sa pwet para hindi masakit ang tsinelas o sinturon?

Pamimili ng bato sa bigas;
tinda-tindahan na puro dahon naman;
bahay-bahayan na puro kahon;
naglako ka ba ng ice-candy o pandesal noong araw?

Karera sa takbuhan hanggang maubos ang hininga;
pagtawa hanggang sumakit ang tiyan;

Meron pa bang himbabao, kulitis at pongapong? O kaya ng lukaok, susuwi at espada?

Susmaryosep ang nadidinig mo pag nagpapaligo ng bata...
Estigo santo kapag nagmamano.

Mapagod sa kakalaro, minsan mapalo;

matakot sa "berdugo" at sa "kapre";

Tuwang-tuwa kami pag tinalo ang tinale ni itay kasi may tinola!

Yung crush mo?

Pag recess: mamimili ka sa garapon ng tinapay - alembong, taeng-kabayo o biscocho?

Pwede ring ang sukli ay kending Vicks (meron pang libreng singsing) o kaya nougat o karamel; Kung gusto mo naman - pakumbo o kaya kariba, mas masaya kung inuyat;

Puriko ang mantika, at mauling na ang mukha at ubos na ang hininga mo sa ihip kasi mahirap magpa-rikit ng apoy.

Madami pa...

Masarap ang kamatis na piniga sa kamay at lumabas sa pagitan ng daliri para sa sawsawan; ang palutong pag isawsaw sa sukang may siling labuyo;
ang duhat kapag inalog sa asin; ang isa-sang isubo ang daliri kasi puno na ng kanin...

Halo-halo: yelo, asukal at gatas lang ang sahog;

Sakang ang lakad mo at nakasaya ka kasi bagong tuli ka;

o naghahanap ka ng chalk kasi tinagusan ang palda mo sa eskwelahan.

Lipstick mo ay papel de hapon; Labaha ang gamit para sa white-side-wall na gupit;

Naglululon ka ng banig pagkagising; matigas na amirol ang mga punda at kumot; madumi ang manggas ng damit mo kasi doon ka nagpapahid ng sipon, di ba? Pwede rin sa laylayan...

May mga program kapag Lunes sa paaralan; May pakiling kang dala kung Biyernes kasi magi-isis ka ng desk.

Di ba masaya? Naalala mo pa ba?

Wala nang sasaya at gaganda pa sa panahon na yon... Masaya noon at masaya pa rin tayo ngayon habang ina-alaala iyon...

Di ba noon...ng mga desisyon ay ginagawa sa awit na "sino ba sa dalawang ito?
Ito ba o ito?" Pag ayaw ang resulta di ulitin: "sino ba sa dalawang ito? Ito ba o ito?"...

Awit muna: Penpen de Serapen, de kutsilyo, de almasen. How how the carabao batuten...

Presidente ng klase ay ang pinakamagaling, hindi ang pinaka-mayaman; Masaya na tayo basta sama-sama kahit hati-hati sa kokonti; Nauubos ang oras natin sa pagku-kwentuhan, may oras tayo sa isat-isa; Naaasar ka kapag marami kang sunog sa sungka; kapag buro ka sa pitik-bulag o matagal ka ng taya sa holen.

Yung matatandang kapatid ang pinaka-ayaw natin pero sila ang tinatawag natin pag napapa-trouble tayo.

Di natutulog si Inay, nagbabantay pag may trangkaso tayo; meron tayong skyflakes at Royal sa tabi.

Kung naaalaala mo ito... nabuhay ka na sa KAPAYAPAAN! Pustahan tayo nakangiti ka pa rin!





Posted on May 14, 2005, 7:08 AM
from IP address 210.213.179.103

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THERE'S A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOME FILIPINOS

by Napanice (no login)

In the Philippines, unemployment is running at about 11 percent nationally and rising, and, with 700,000 new college graduates every year, the economy cannot create enough skilled jobs to accommodate them. Therefore,

More middle-class Filipinos seek brighter future in Canada


Posted 11:52am (Mla time) May 13, 2005
By Mynardo Macaraig
Agence France-Presse

MANILA--Despite its cold climate, Canada is fast becoming the country of choice for many middle-class professional Filipinos who are leaving the tropical Philippines in droves to seek a better future for themselves and their families overseas.

Armed with a college degree and a good career history with a multinational electronics firm in Manila, Ferdie Del Rosario plans to quit his job and emigrate to Canada.

Taking a day off from his job as a supervisor at Amkor Technology, he has brought one of his small children along to a seminar on becoming a Canadian citizen.

Del Rosario points to his daughter, playing on the aisle during a seminar break, and says he is doing it "for the future of my kids".

He says his life here is comfortable but even he is worried about what lies ahead for the Philippines.

"You can see the situation: there are so many graduates but not enough jobs. In my job, there are college graduates who are just machine operators."

Unemployment is running at about 11 percent nationally and rising, and, with 700,000 new college graduates every year, the economy cannot create enough skilled jobs to accommodate them.

A million Filipinos are expected to leave the country this year, most of them in search of temporary, higher-paying jobs. But a growing number are pulling up stakes for good in a country where 51 percent live on two dollars a day or less.

For the optimistic crowds who attend the seminars organized by the Canadian government's Citizenship and Immigration ministry, there is little sign of wistfulness about leaving the land of their birth.

Offered free of charge twice a week to those approved immigrants to Canada, the seminars prepare Filipinos about the realities of their new country: the cold weather, the culture shock and having as much as 30 percent of their salaries go to taxes--a sharp adjustment for Filipinos who are used to evading taxes back home.

Canadians based in the Philippines say there is much to love in the Southeast Asian country: a comfortable, tropical climate, beautiful beaches, fresh fruits and fresh seafood.

But at one recent seminar, the would-be migrants, mostly professionals or skilled workers, said they would be glad to leave "the pollution" and "bribery."

The only things the Filipinos said they would miss are the friends and family they will be leaving behind--and the low-cost househelp that every middle-class Filipino family can afford.

Filipinos are the third largest group of immigrants to Canada, just behind the Chinese and Indians. Approximately 12,000 immigrated last year alone, Canadian officials said.

The number excludes 2,000 Filipino caregivers allowed into Canada each year under a special program which lets them become permanent residents after about three years.

In the past, the United States was the migrants' first choice. But stricter US immigration regulations, Canada's more open policy to skilled workers, state-subsidized schools and health care are attracting more Filipinos.

The Canadian government advises migrants to bring enough money to survive for six months because it may take them that long to settle and find a job.

The immigrants are not intimidated by advice that their educational and professional qualifications may not count as much in Canada--or tales from earlier migrants about how they had to start working at the bottom of the ladder.

Teachers in government schools get paid about 200 dollars a month here in the Philippines, about half what they can earn as domestic helpers in Hong Kong. Government doctors earn around 400-500 dollar a month in the Philippines but in north America they can earn many times that each month as nurses.

Many are willing to endure this because they have lost hope in a home country which suffers from sluggish economic growth, political squabbling and corruption.

Gloomy sentiments about the Philippines have been growing for years. A July 2002 survey by Manila-based polling outfit Pulse Asia Inc. found that 24 percent of adults said they would "migrate to another country and live there" if given a chance.

Options of preventing the country's best and brightest from leaving are few. "Well, what can we do about it? Tell me, can I prevent you from leaving? I don't think so," says Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas.

One prospective migrant, dancer Jojo Lucila proudly recalls how he choreographed some of the official Philippine Independence Day parades in recent years.

But in his trips abroad, he was impressed by the discipline and way of life in Canada. "It is a good place to raise kids. Once there, you hardly see people blow their horns when they drive."

Lucila says "the straw that broke the camel's back" was joining his children in watching the televised corruption trial of deposed Philippine president Joseph Estrada.

His kids seemed more impressed by the eloquence of the lawyers rather than the moral issue of a president being tried for plundering his country, he recalls.

"You can't tell what are the obvious values [here]. Our system is too disorderly. You don't know who to trust. We want our kids to have a choice of understanding a better country, [learning] what is right and what should be done," he said.

Louise Belanger, Philippine manager of the Canadian Orientation Abroad project does not recall any case of a Filipino going to Canada and then returning home in disappointment.

One woman wrote to her, saying she wanted to give up after only six months. She was advised to stick it out and in a year, she found her desired job as a chartered accountant, Belanger recalls.

Glenda Carabit, assistant professor at a small provincial college, says she is going because "at my age, 40, I have served the country that long. I can spend the rest of my life as a Canadian."

She is confident that the she will be able to cope with the new environment. "I'm a Filipino. We can handle these things," Carabit says.

"It's a trend. Everybody is going now," she adds.


Posted on May 12, 2005, 10:18 PM
from IP address 68.164.171.145

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Re: THERE'S A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR SOME FILIPINOS

by IZO (no login)

I would say a genearl amnesty to all drug pushers and small time drug dealers and those who committed crimes against graft and corruption. Thereafter a punishment to the offenders must be strictly implemented irregardless of who you are.
Overhaul to our existing tax system. Making the collection simple.
Culture change in dealing with graft and corruption more so among government workers, civilian and military alike.
Government to launch programs to reverse our countries status from importer to exporter. Basic commodoties or cheap (rubbish) medicine source from India. Why? The government can make our own pharmaceutical industry. No problem..
Before casting your vote think about what that candidate can do to make life easy for your kids.

Posted on May 13, 2005, 3:52 AM
from IP address 211.31.168.152

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BIG DEAL! SAME SITUATION IN A LOT OF COUNTRIES

by Red Angel (no login)

MAYBE YOU SHOULD GO AND FINISH HIGH SCHOOL FIRST.

You probably didn't get to take up 2nd Yr. HS Biology classes on immigration/emigration.

EVERYONE is entitled to form an opinion, EVEN FOOLISH IDIOTS LIKE YOU.




Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 7:56 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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Hindi naman totoo ang pinagsasabi mo, ano?

by Lemuel G. Abarte (no login)

Aling bansa? Patunayan mo nga.

Posted on May 14, 2005, 12:03 AM
from IP address 203.131.139.86

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Current events lang iyan Lemuel.

by Red Angel (no login)

Ang lakas ng loob mong sabihing mahina ang utak ko, mahina ka namang magbasa ng mga lathalaing hindi tungkol sa panggagantso sa katangahan mo.


Magbasa ka ng mga international magazines. Mag-subscribe ka kaya sa Economist muna para ma-umpishan ka. Saka na iyung ibang lathalaing mas malalim ang nilalaman dahil baka dumugo ang ilong mo.


Red Angel




Posted on May 14, 2005, 12:17 AM
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HOW MANY OF THESE OFFICIALS WILL BE CHARGED WITH PLUNDER?

by Napanice (no login)

It only works when Chavit Singson himself makes the accusation along with his personal notebook that details the dates of the payoffs, sort of. When people see that the justice system is highly biased, their confidence on the rule of law slowly vanishes and lawlessness becomes more palatable to their taste specially when one becomes a victim of crime.

Nap
==========================================

Mayors, cops on the take
'Jueteng' all over Isabela, says governor

Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the May 14, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

"JUETENG" thrives in all 36 towns of Isabela and mayors refuse to help wipe it out because they benefit from its operation, provincial Gov. Grace Padaca alleged yesterday.

Padaca said the local police could not crack down on jueteng because up to 80 percent of their operational funds came from the mayors, and urged the regional police from outside Isabela to carry out the raids on the jueteng dens.

Padaca spoke of the extent of the gambling network in her province during a press conference while seated beside Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes and Philippine National Police chief Director General Arturo Lomibao.

Lomibao said it had "not been verified" that local police were benefiting from alleged jueteng money received by mayors and that the supposed financial assistance for the local police was "between policemen and mayors."

"But per se, that is an illegal disbursement so we will not condone that kind of funds being given to them," Lomibao said.

He conceded that police, indeed, had an inadequate budget.

Padaca did not say how much mayors were allegedly receiving from jueteng operators.

Described as a P13-billion industry, jueteng has supposedly brought in millions of pesos for officials who have allowed it to operate under their noses. Allegations of jueteng payoffs helped bring down the government of former President Joseph Estrada.



Posted on May 13, 2005, 4:16 PM
from IP address 68.164.171.145

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WILL THE POPE HAVE AN EPIPHANY?

by ALL CAPS PIG (no login)

The elevation of Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger to head the Roman Catholic Church is a clear and concise message from the College of Cardinals: "We are royally teed off."

Everybody knows that the new pontiff is a tough guy who will not only throw the moneychangers out of the temple, he'll kick them in the behind as they leave the building. Pope Benedict believes strongly in good and evil, and he's not shy about pointing fingers. His letter to American bishops about politicians and abortion cost John Kerry dearly in the last election.

The cardinals, of course, perfectly understand that Benedict is not exactly a cuddly guy and will not be "reaching out," as they say in California. But his hard-line theological approach appeals to church elders who have had enough.

In the past three decades, church attendance in the USA and Western Europe has dropped through the floor. Just 25 percent of American Catholics attend mass weekly, and the number is in the single digits in longstanding Catholic countries like France. Secularism now rules the western world, and there are not enough priests to serve the remaining faithful. How do you say things are not good in Latin?

In the face of this spiritual decline, the Catholic Church has decided to make a stand. It will not compromise, and it will not pander. You either toe the line or hit the bricks. Up to you.

As a lifelong Catholic, I don't like this approach, but I understand it. The West is now besieged by forces that want to wipe spirituality completely out of the public square. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is the point organization in this effort. It supports all abortion on demand, including late-term, no parental consent for minors having abortions, euthanasia with consent, gay marriage and the free speech rights of the North American Man-Boy Love Association, which has posted instructions on how to rape children on its website.

The ACLU opposes public funding for the Boy Scouts because their oath mentions G-d, the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools, public displays of the baby Jesus at Christmas and any restraint on Internet pornography in public libraries.

For the most part, the western media sympathizes with the ACLU and promotes its point of view. Thus, the secular message is a constant in our society — the hits just keep on coming.

And where is the opposing point of view? Well, there are a few media outlets that give traditionalists a fair shake, but very few.

So the Catholic cardinals feel isolated and surrounded. They can preach to the choir on Sunday but get battered by the news and entertainment media the rest of the week. A strong papal voice countering that situation is soothing. And that's why Cardinal Ratzinger is now Pope Benedict XVI.

I believe organized religion can be a champion of human rights and provide resistance to secular societies, which, if they progress much further, will never be able to defeat the fanatical Islamic fundamentalists. The more permissive the western world becomes, the more it rejects discipline and avoids confronting evil, the greater the danger to freedom will be.

Pope Benedict is facing a rapidly changing world, and perhaps he will be a strong and persuasive shepherd against evil. The danger is that he will be so rigid that he will erode the spiritual core even further, thereby helping the secularists.

But the new pope may have an epiphany and realize good people will rally against evil if the case of clear and present danger is made rationally and with compassion. I am praying that happens. The other side is hoping it will not.

Bill O'Reilley
c/o Da Pig
Bwahawr!

Posted on May 13, 2005, 11:56 AM
from IP address 70.16.240.131

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SO WHO'S AFRAID OF THE NATIONAL ID SYSTEM?

by Napanice (no login)

Obviously, it's those who have something to hide. From birth certificate, driver's license, school id's almost everyone who needs to be identified has a way of tracing their records both in public and private institutions.

But now, we're talking about individuals who at one time or another have violated the law or have joined groups that engage in activities such as rebellion, terrorism, and human traficking. These are the people who would rather remain unknown to the authorities.

The Philippine government however is in a difficult position to institute a national id system, firstly because of the prohibitive cost and secondly because millions of citizens are out of the country and tracking them down is almost an impossible task.

That's what happens when leadership is incompetent.

Nap
======================================================

Party-list solons, militants ask SC to stop 'Natl ID'

Nine party-list legislators and militant leaders on Friday filed a petition before the Supreme Court (SC) seeking to stop President Arroyo from enforcing a unified national identification system.

Named respondents in the petition were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, National Economic and Development Authority Director-General Romulo Neri, and the administrator of the National Statistics Office (NSO).

Those who filed the petition are: Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo, Teddy Casino, and Joel Virador; Anakpawis Reps. Crispin Beltran and Rafael Mariano; Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza, Minority Floor Leader Francis Escudero, Parañaque Rep. Eduardo Zialcita, Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tanada III, Bayan chairperson Dr. Carol Pagaduan-Araullo, Bayan secretary-general Renato Reyes Jr., Karapatan secretary-general Marie Hilao-Enriquez, ACT chairperson Antonio L. Tinio, COURAGE chairperson Ferdinand Gaite, AGHAM chairperson Dr. Giovanni Tapang, KMP spokesperson Wilfredo Marbella, GABRIELA spokesperson Lana Linaban, Atty. Amado Gat Inciong, Renato Constantino, Jr., Dean Pacifico Agabin, NCCP general secretary Sharon R. Duremdes, and Bro. Edmundo L. Fernandez (FSC) of AMRSP.

Ocampo said Mrs. Arroyo short-circuited the process by issuing Executive Order (EO) 402 and violated several laws.

"Not only did the President disregard the decision of the Supreme Court against the unified identification system as expressed in Ople v. Torres, et al., but the Executive Order is also in violation of the confidentiality clause of RA 8282 or the Social Security Act of 1997. She undermined the legislative power of Congress," Ocampo said.

The petitioners say EO 420 is "part of a superstructure for getting juicy information and instilling fear among the citizenry – whether activists, opposition figures or just simple private citizens."


Posted on May 13, 2005, 10:50 AM
from IP address 68.164.171.145

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RED ANGEL BLOCKED FROM POSTING IN PHNO

by DSP (no login)

"I've been blocked for the past three days.
Did I do something 'bad' lately?
I Don't think so. :-D"

================================================================================

I AM SO PROOOOOOOOUD OF THIS. No wonder journalists are being shot left and right in Pinas. There's got to be a common denominator. I think I know what it is.

DSP


Posted on May 4, 2005, 7:37 PM
from IP address 70.105.0.57

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Who and why was REd Angel Blocked from posting in PHNO., Can we ask Webmster?

by Anonymous (no login)

What happen to freedom of speach.. Radio and press reporters are being murdered in the Philippines. IN PHNO, posting are being block mysteriosly. Is napanice involved? This is the internet. Is there a central Judicial and control system that we can file complaint? At least be free from intimidation> In PHNO there is apparently a dictator who is very open intimidating members? Nanakot ng Pinoy. Ano kaya sa tunay na buhay, may bayag kaya?

Posted on May 5, 2005, 2:40 PM
from IP address 202.128.68.119

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Keep Red Angel blocked

by DSP (no login)

He can afford a new ISP every day.

Throw-Away-ISPs Pig


Posted on May 5, 2005, 9:27 PM
from IP address 70.16.247.176

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As you said, he can't be blocked

by Feling (no login)

if he wants to post, he can do that anytime and every which way. He's probably just bored or busy or both.

Posted on May 7, 2005, 11:02 AM
from IP address 4.231.167.1

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Nah, he's bored out of his gourd

by DSP (no login)

No combat. He's back in the sites where he has to prove his advanced age prior to entering.



Posted on May 7, 2005, 12:47 PM
from IP address 70.105.15.146

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I should not have butted in

by Feling (no login)

it looked like he was at least entertaining himself for a few days. On the other hand, it may be that he was already bored and so my butting in was right on cue. Terrible thing, this retirement; even fun gets to be boring after a while.

Posted on May 10, 2005, 1:59 PM
from IP address 4.131.131.144

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OH! BUT I LIKE BUTTS!

by Red Angel (no login)



Feel free to always butt in!

I never get bored staring at women's butts!





Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:04 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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Yeah, I just had to show my Driver's License to buy beer!

by Red Angel (no login)

How FUN is THAT?


Red Angel



Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:23 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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BORED? Moi?

by Red Angel (no login)

Busy! Yess! Yess! Always, to do something, there is!
Watch Yoda, by Palpatine get toasted is NO FUN!


Red Yoda

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:26 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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Updated Tip on the New Pope

by Lemuel G. Abarte (no login)

The new Pope Joseph Ratzinger was born and baptized in Erev Pesaj, a "Shabbath Shabbaton" (Highly Solemn Shabbath)in saturday April 16th, 1927 (14 shel Nisan shel 5687)!!!

Posted on May 4, 2005, 9:56 PM
from IP address 203.131.139.86

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Let's see, that would be.....

by DSP (no login)

16, Muharram,1425. Inshallah! Allah Akbar!

Gentilepig



Posted on May 5, 2005, 9:16 AM
from IP address 70.16.247.176

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Or, .....

by DSP (no login)

Saturday, 13 Shawwal 1345 A.H., to be more precise.

GettingIntoItPig


Posted on May 5, 2005, 9:18 AM
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High MIDICHLORIAN Count?

by Red Angel (no login)

Hmmmmmmm...The Chosen One, is he.



Red Yoda





Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:21 AM
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Unusual births

by Lemuel G. Abarte (no login)

This is because of the destruction of the ozone layer.

Cosmic rays can induce unusual fetal formation.

For example, the albino gene is a mutation of the gene that determines our skin pigmentation. Once cosmic rays hit this gene, the albino gene becomes as a result.

Cosmic rays can only be prevented with the presence of the ozone layer and the earth's magnetic field. Plus, the earth's magnetic field has shifted by more than 22 feet.

Next time, stay out of the sun, but you cannot prevent cosmic rays from hitting you.

Posted on May 8, 2005, 5:23 PM
from IP address 203.131.139.86

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We've had albinos throughout history. Was the ozone layer messed up way back when?

by DSP (no login)

Curious and curiouser.

DSP


Posted on May 8, 2005, 6:05 PM
from IP address 68.238.29.74

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Is this a THEORY OF YOURS or are there studies to prove it?

by Red Angel (no login)

Cosmic rays affecting fetal development?

Hhhhmmmmmmmmm...Pretty unusual. The dark side of the COSMIC force! Yessss! Affect, it has, the fetus Lemuel was! Yess Yess...



Red YODA





Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:20 AM
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THE TYPICAL FILIPINO PLAN - SHOUTING, WALKOUT, TENSION, ILL WILL.

by Napanice (no login)

PPI planholders walk out as PICC forum turns into shouting session

By CAI U. ORDINARIO, The Manila Times Researcher

A forum for plan holders of Pacific Plans Inc. (PPI) ended Saturday with angry participants storming out, accusing the officials of the beleaguered preneed company of trying to deceive them.

The forum at the Philippine International Convention Center started off on the wrong foot. The plan holders were made to wait for more than an hour before the program began.

The PPI showed a PowerPoint presentation explaining the situation of the company from 1992, when the education sector was deregulated up to time it filed for rehabilitation last month.

Tension began to build up after the presentation. Simeon Marfori II, a plan holder and executive vice president of the Davao Chamber of Commerce who flew in from Davao City Friday night just to attend the forum, stood up and shouted his concerns.

"We appreciate the presentation but we’ve been waiting here for [more than] an hour. We just want our questions answered. We want a dialogue!" Marfori shouted.

"We are hearing propaganda and it was obviously a lot of BS," he said.

Other plan holders were equally livid. Instead of answering the issues about the amount and time of payment of their children’s tuition, the PPI

officials resorted to public relations, they said.

"We want to know if you’re going to pay, how much you’re going to pay, and if and when you’re going to pay," said Philip Piccio, the head of the plan holders’ coalition.

Others urged the PPI to transform the forum into a dialogue to allow the plan holders to bring their questions to the floor.

"Face the problem upfront and answer the problem. Don’t lie to us, just explain [the truth]," Piccio said.

The two emcees tried to calm down the plan holders, asking them to wait for questionnaires to be distributed at the end of the program where they can write down their comments.

The questionnaire asked plan holders if they agree or disagree with four provided statements using range of agreement of 1 to 5.

The statements were:

• That Pacific Plans has done its best to explain the situation through letters and fliers sent to the plan holders;

• That Pacific Plans’ efforts to explain to its plan holders (in newspapers, fliers, the website, letters, assemblies, symposiums at the office) are adequate and enough;

• That the plan holder understands that the PPI did its best to provide a solution that is most equitable to all concerned plan holders;

• That the plan holder understands why it is correct that the rehabilitation is necessary so that ultimately, all the funds are secured and distributed equitably and to the best interest of all plan holders.

The questionnaire, however, failed to appease the plan holders, who were mostly parents faced with the burden of paying their children’s schooling needs.

"We need concrete answers. From the start, it was already scripted," said Jon Sta. Maria, who has seven plans for his four children.

The absence of pertinent PPI officers added to the plan holders’ aggravation. The only officer present was Jeanette Tecson, a lawyer, who had to leave at 2:45 p.m. for another meeting only to return after the walkout.

"It’s very disappointing. We expected our questions to be answered," said Catalina Cruz, who had signed up for PPI’s education, pension and memorial plans.

Several plan holders said they would definitely attend the gathering of the plan holders’ coalition at the Saint Paul’s Quezon City gym next Saturday.

Many think it is the only way they can get their questions answered.

Tecson said the comments of the plan holders were uncalled for, considering that the forum was an "information dissemination venue" meant only for employees of the Yuchengco Group of Companies (YGC) who were also plan holders.

"They did not understand that this was for YGC employees only. We were hoping for a little civility from them," she said.

But another plan holder, Nida Brioso, said the PPI actually sent an invitation to all plan holders and not only to YGC employees. She told The Times she received a letter three days earlier inviting her to attend the meeting although she was not a YGC employee.

Brioso, who has PPI educational plans for her two children, said they had opened the letters for her.

Tecson said the PPI has P941 million to finance the tuition requirements for this school year. She said, however, there was still no assurance that the funds would be enough to cover all 16,000 plan holders who will be using their plans this school year.

Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco, who heads the Yuchengco Group of Companies, had come to the rescue of the preneed company and offered to raise P250-million worth of liquidity from his own pocket.

The PPI is a member of the Yuchengco Group of Companies, which includes the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. and RCBC Savings Bank.

In a statement Yuchengco said he is raising P250 million from his "personal resources" to bail out the PPI.

In addition, the company has P341 million set aside from its funds as tuition support.

The PPI has sought P300-million worth of equity from foreign investors as soon as it closes its books on its open-ended plans.

Tecson said the company would secure a liquidity window for plan holders who wish to cash their plans before its National Power Corp. bonds mature in 2010.

The bonds were supposed to be allotted for the payment of PPI plan holders’ plans. Tecson admitted, however, that foreign investors would think twice before infusing capital into a troubled company like the PPI.


Posted on May 7, 2005, 10:50 AM
from IP address 67.101.149.120

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Certainly! Even this forum illustrates that

by Feling (no login)

don't you think? We just need to add: sulking

Posted on May 7, 2005, 11:00 AM
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IS THIS MESSAGE TITLE CONSIDERED SHOUTING IN DA PORUM?

by DSP (no login)

Outshouted minds want to know.

ALL CAPS PIG


Posted on May 9, 2005, 8:02 PM
from IP address 141.152.45.39

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Anger leads to Hate, Hate leads to Suffering!

by Red Angel (no login)

Learned well, you have, my old Padawan!

Red YODA







Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:16 AM
from IP address 68.226.148.189

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What do these three have in common?

by DSP (no login)

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahwr!



Posted on May 8, 2005, 6:15 PM
from IP address 68.238.29.74

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Wives with better intellect and edumacation?

by Red Angel (no login)

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:11 AM
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Newsreport: Loren agrees to pay for cost of vote recount

by Feling (no login)

LOREN  AGREED  TO  SHOULDER  EXPENSES IN  POLL  RECOUNT

MANILA, May 10, 2005 (STAR) Former senator Loren Legarda has agreed to shoulder the cost of recounting ballots and election returns in her electoral protest case against Vice President Noli de Castro, whom she accused of cheating in the May elections last year.


In a six-page motion, Legarda asked the Supreme Court, sitting as the Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), to issue an order setting the amount she must deposit to conduct the first part of her protest.


Legarda has sought a recount of ballots and election returns contained in ballot boxes from three provinces she had identified as the best examples of manifest errors.


She also asked the PET to immediately order the segregation of ballot boxes now in the custody of Congress which will be the subject of her requested recanvass of elections returns from the provinces of Lanao del Sur, Lanao del Norte and Surigao del Sur.


De Castro earlier filed an omnibus motion asking the PET to determine the cost of revision and transport of election paraphernalia that Legarda would have to shoulder.


He said the cost for the recounting and recanvass of election returns and the compensation for the revisors in all six provinces identified by Legarda in her protest will cost P18.7 million. — Jose Rodel Clapano


WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF HER WINNING IN THE RECOUNT?

Posted on May 10, 2005, 2:04 PM
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"WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS OF HER WINNING IN THE RECOUNT?"

by dsp (no login)

She will be out 18.7 million peanuts?

MustBeNice! Pig


Posted on May 10, 2005, 9:37 PM
from IP address 141.152.45.39

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She will be VICE PRESIDENT and highly probable to replace Gloria

by Erap pa rin (no login)

A woaman president again.

Posted on May 11, 2005, 2:28 PM
from IP address 202.128.68.117

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With 18.7 million peanuts? Why would I want a veep with that kind of purse?

by DSP (no login)

Duh.


Posted on May 11, 2005, 5:02 PM
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Because of the BIG, HUMONGOUS PURSE?

by Red Angel (no login)

They could make a peanut oil factory out of all that peanuts!




Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:05 AM
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The recount is waste of money and time.

by Red Angel (no login)

Same thing happened with Miriam Santiago in 1992 Elections.
People just don't learn from history and keep repeating it.

Back then irregularities were more rampant and widespread. She lost on the count and the recount.

This past election was less bloody, cheating was not as rampant and widespread as before. FPJ and Loren lost.
They will also lose on the recount.

The best thing they should have done is get over it and move on.

They don't even have the wisdom to do that.


Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:10 AM
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To Moonyeen: Sorry to hear about your mom's death

by Feling (no login)

I wish there was something I could say that would ease the pain of losing someone so dear to you. Time, like a river, will bear some of the grief away and only memories of the comfort, joy, and strength that her presence in your life will remain. This I know. For now, continue to be strong and steadfast. You are, after all, your mother's daughter.

Posted on May 6, 2005, 9:45 AM
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Thank you Feling...

by Moonyeen (no login)


Can't stand to see her lying in a coffin. I want her memories stay with me alive. Her smiles and her sweet face when she was with me..I want to keep that forever in my mind.

Thank you Feling for all the moral support you have given me. When I am always down I always run to you for advise.



Thank you...Moonyeen


Posted on May 7, 2005, 9:02 AM
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Condolences

by Red Angel (no login)

...
...
...
...






Red Angel

Posted on May 13, 2005, 8:06 AM
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IDLED NUCLEAR POWER PLANT WILL EAT UP THE VAT

by Napanice (no login)

Bataan power plant to eat up VAT-generated revenues--solon

Posted 05:52pm (Mla time) May 13, 2005
By Klara Añonuevo
INQ7.net

THE PHILIPPINES is not yet “over the hill” even with the passage of the value-added tax (VAT) measure, a pro-administration lawmaker at the House of Representatives said on Friday.

Camarines Sur Representative Rolando Andaya, chairman of the committee on appropriations, said the government still needed to pay 6.3 billion pesos for the loans used to build the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP).

In 2006, the BNPP debt will eat up 2.08 billion pesos of government resources, 1.14 billion pesos in 2007, 217 million pesos in 2008, and 210 million pesos in 2009.

“The debts will be finally extinguished in 2018 -- 44 years after they were incurred -- but only after the government will pay 464 million pesos spread out in nine years, beginning 2010,” Andaya said in a statement.

From 1986 to 2004, the government spent 61 billion pesos for the payment of the plant's loans, Andaya said.

Andaya's statement was in response to Supreme Court Justice Reynato Puno’s call to repudiate the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant's graft-ridden debts.

“It should have been done earlier, when, basking on the afterglow of the first EDSA revolt, we were held by the world in awe and we could have used that goodwill to ask for debt forgiveness,” he said.

He explained that the plant loans had been “traded, sold, dispersed and commingled,” and were no longer in the hands of one entity alone.

Andaya warned however that the debt could increase depending on the peso-dollar exchange rate.




Posted on May 13, 2005, 7:39 AM
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DYNAMITE FISHING ALIVE AND WELL, ENVIRONMENTAL DESTRUCTION IS GUARANTEED.

by Napanice (no login)

GERMAN LEADS EFFORTS TO SAVE BOHOL'S REEFS

PANGLAO, BOHOL, May 10, 2005 (STAR) (AFP) — Holger Horn looks out across the tranquil waters off Panglao island and says: "It wasn’t always like this... quiet and peaceful."

When the former German army officer first arrived on the tropical island four years ago he thought he had found his little piece of paradise among the gently swaying palms, white beaches and crystal clear waters that surround the island.

But not all was as it appeared in the popular diving resort.

"When I came here four years ago dynamite fishing was rampant," he tells Agence France Presse. "And as you know diving and dynamite fishing do not belong together. So I started to fight back."

The tall and athletic Berliner, now 45, is an unlikely guardian of the coral colonies of the Southeast Asian archipelago. Some of the most spectacular formations can be found off Panglao and the nearby islands of Balicasag and Pamilacan.

A dive instructor by day, Horn doubles as a board member of the Bohol Islands Marine Triangle program, funded by the UN Development Program to conserve the marine life of Bohol Sea, a major highway for the transoceanic traffic of sea creatures from giant whales to tiny krill.

For his efforts, Horn has won an honorary commission into the Philippines Coast Guard.

"In the beginning nobody cared. Then I took over to care for the reefs and now you can see great areas of improvement. It’s really wonderful to see how nature is rebuilding," Horn says.

Compared to those of many other countries, "the diversity of the Philippine coral reefs is still quite in the upper level," he added.

Last year, a French-led research team identified some 1,200 different species of crabs and shrimps and around 6,000 mollusk species in the waters off Panglao, many of them not previously known to science.

But pressure from fishing fleets and marine tourism, funneled into Panglao from major tourist gateways like nearby Cebu City, have put the vast underwater gardens in jeopardy.

The environment department says the destruction of the reefs, breeding grounds and sanctuaries for many of the creatures of the sea, went into overdrive in the 1970s when fishermen tossed dynamite or poison into the water to stun or blind the fish.

Some of the damage was not even deliberate.

"There are types of corals that grow about 10 centimeters in one year. So for example, you throw an anchor at a coral garden and you destroyed two square meters. It takes five to 10 years to get it to grow back," Horn says.

From the start, conservation was an alien concept to many residents, who have fished the sea for generations.

"But the perception has changed," he says, a point driven home by the reality of declining catches.

"Look at them today, the marginal fishermen. They come back with a handful of fish and they can’t even feed their families," he says.

The government has restricted fishing in shallow waters to small fishermen, set up community-based marine sanctuary projects, and encouraged marine tourism including scuba diving and whale watching.

Some 15,000 scuba divers visit Panglao and the nearby islands every year, drawn by 18 established dive sites in the area.

The son of a marine biologist who instilled in his son an abiding fascination with the sea, Horn says cultural factors also play a big influence in marine conservation.

"I found out that the Philippines has great laws, rules and regulations and ordinances but they really lack implementation," he says.

One reason, he says is that these laws are foreign to many residents. "You are dealing here with people who spent one or sometimes three years in elementary school, and sometimes they don’t even know how to write properly. So how do you make them understand that these ordinances are so important?"

Even some of the rich and presumably better educated tourists disappoint him because they take trophies or souvenirs from the dive sites.

"Our base for an effective tourism industry is the coral reefs. So if we don’t have intact coral reefs, the resorts can’t (attract tourists) and will have to close down," he says.

Within the project site, only traditional means of fishing are now allowed. Permanent buoys are planned so vessels would stop using destructive anchors in the protected site.

The Bohol Islands Marine Triangle board is supervising a zoning survey to delineate which areas to declare as sanctuaries, fishing areas, tourism sections or navigational corridors.

Also planned are a user-fee scheme under which every scuba diver would be charged P50, and boats that damage corals by indiscriminately dropping anchors would be fined. Proceeds would pay for fish wardens to guard the sanctuaries and support communities involved in the project.

The Panglao municipal council also passed an ordinance requiring new restaurants or hotels to put up proper waste disposal systems.

Horn says Panglao is learning its lessons from Boracay, another world-famous island resort in Aklan that hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons a few years back due to E. coli bacteria infection of the water.

Horn, who runs his dive shop with his Japanese girlfriend, says he loves the Philippines and hopes to "settle down" in Panglao eventually.

"It’s more than the diving actually. I like the culture. The Filipino culture is quite easygoing. The climate is quite nice. The people are normally nice and friendly and cheerful."



Posted on May 13, 2005, 6:48 AM
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ANOTHER WORLD RECORD FOR THE PHILIPPINES!!

by Napanice (no login)

Whatever happened to the award of $2 Billion for the Human Rights victims during the Marcos era? That was almost 20 years ago and the government has not even lifted a finger to see that justice is done.

Unfortunately there's no law that will punish any judge for sitting on a case be it criminal or civil. Lawyers are in pig's heaven because corrupt justices are more than willing to make deals that involve money in exchance for delays and TROs (Temporary Restraining Order) that become permanent.

Nap
=====================================================

RP HOLDS LONGEST RECORD IN TRYING GRAFT CASES

MANILA, May 13, 2005 (STAR) By Aurea Calica - The Philippines could lay claim to another dubious world record — that of having the longest average time in trying graft cases, an expert said yesterday.

"Seven years. It must be a world record," said Tony Kwok, a consultant hired by the Office of the Ombudsman and a former chief of Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption. He was referring to the average amount of time it takes to resolve a graft case here.

"It is good that you have corrupt officials investigated and prosecuted, but the most important thing is that they should be punished promptly. That is what is, in fact, lacking in this country at the moment," he said.

Kwok said he based his claims on personal experience and that he has been to many countries, offering advice on how to handle corruption cases. He pointed out that in Hong Kong, 90 percent of corruption cases are resolved in one year or less.

"Unless you have an efficient court system where corruption cases can be tried and dealt with easily and the corrupt people... sentenced promptly and appropriately, it’s difficult to succeed in the fight against corruption," he said.

Asked how many years it would take for the government to finally declare victory over graft and corruption, Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo said yesterday it was hard to give a deadline "because there is one problem that we have to solve, that is the delay in the prosecution of cases."

At yesterday’s press briefing marking the 17th anniversary of the Office of the Ombudsman, Kwok said a study conducted by the Supreme Court found that "it takes almost seven years for a case to be finished at the Sandiganbayan." He said, however, this was not the fault of the justices. "There are just too many cases."

Marcelo called on Congress to speed up the passage of anti-corruption bills, including one measure seeking to restructure the Sandiganbayan.

"Even if we have a lot of investigators and a lot of prosecutors, if we don’t have sufficient number of courts and justices at the Sandiganbayan, we will not make any headway," he said.

According to Marcelo, Senators Joker Arroyo and Manuel Roxas II have filed bills seeking to increase the number of justices and courts at the Sandiganbayan.

He said Arroyo wanted to triple the current number of anti-graft court justices to hasten the prosecution of cases, especially the high-profile ones.

Roxas, on the other hand, proposed that corruption cases involving P5 million or less should be handled by just one Sandiganbayan justice.

At present, Marcelo lamented that regardless of the amount involved in the case, it takes three Sandiganbayan justices to try it. He said this was a "big waste of executive time," and while the justices are all "very good and very diligent," there are only 15 of them in the anti-graft court.

Marcelo noted that each of the Sandiganbayan’s five divisions is tasked with handling at least 2,000 cases.

"That problem has to be resolved. Unless we can have swift prosecution and swift conviction, it would be hard to (effectively) curb graft and corruption," he said, reiterating that the remedy lies initially with the legislature.



Posted on May 13, 2005, 6:11 AM
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WHAT THE JAPANESE MUST BE SAYING ABOUT THE MACAPAGAL ADMINISTRATION

by Napanice (no login)

"This is a typical example of bad garbage," Mr. Taniyama said, with disgust. "The problem at this location is that there is no community leader. If there is no strong leader, there is chaos."





Posted on May 12, 2005, 1:00 PM
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Re: WHAT THE JAPANESE MUST BE SAYING ABOUT THE MACAPAGAL ADMINISTRATION

by IZO (no login)

Tell that Japanese yakuza to GET ****.

Posted on May 13, 2005, 3:09 AM
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THE MAIN ISSUE IS FUEL

by (no login)

Filipinos are indeed being entertained and sidetracked from the main issue: FUEL!

It is the exhorbitant costs of fuel that have caused the rising of transportation costs, the commodities costs, school fees and all.

Killings, however remote and far from civilization are being played up, corruption, smuggling, drug trafficking, and AGAIN, THE INFAMOUS JUETENG has been recycled to get the attention of people away from the real issue: FUEL!

Where are our brave and fighting Congressmen for the cause of the poor? The Senators who are fond of investigating anything under the guise of "Aide to Legislation". WHY ARE THEY ALL MUM ABOUT THE ISSUE OF SELF GENERATED, DISCOVERED, OR DEVELOPED FUEL?

THERE WAS DINGLE WHO FIRST BROUGHT OUT THE IDEA OF HYDROGEN POWER FOR CARS WITH ONLY WATER FOR FUEL. THEN CAME THE KAOSH OR 15 PARTS AIR AND ONE PART GASOLINE; AND NOW, A SUPPOSEDLY BETTER PURE WATER FUEL BY A "CASTILLO".

WHY HAS THE DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY, THE NSDB, EVEN MALACANANG AND CONGRESS HAVE ALL KEPT QUIET IN THIS REGARD? CAN'T WE LOOK FOR THESE GUYS THAT HAVE THE HYDROGEN OR WATER FOR GAS AND START GETTING EVEN WITH THE OIL COMPANIES THAT HAVE SQUEEZED OUR COUNTRY DRY WITH THEIR ALL TOO OFTEN PRIZE HIKES?

Posted on May 13, 2005, 2:23 AM
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HOW HEADLINES ARE WRITTEN IN PHNO

by ALL CAPS PIG (no login)

Two boys were playing hockey on the pond on Boston Common, when one was attacked by a vicious, rabid dog.

Thinking quickly, the other boy took his hockey stick and managed to wedge it down the dog's collar and twist, luckily breaking the dog's neck and stopping its attack.

A reporter who was strolling by saw the incident, and rushed over to interview the boy.

"Young Bruins Fan Saves friend from Vicious Animal..." he starts writing in his notebook.

"But, I'm not a Bruins Fan," the little hero replied.

"Sorry, since we're in Boston, I just assumed you were," said the reporter and started again.

"Red Sox Fan Rescues Friend from Horrific attack..." he continued writing in his notebook.

"I'm not a Red Sox fan either!" The boy said.

" I assumed everyone in Boston was either for the Bruins or the Red Sox. So, what team do you root for?" the reporter asked.

"I'm a Yankees fan! We just moved here from New York!!" the child beamed. The reporter started a new sheet in his notebook and wrote:

"Little Bastard from New York Kills Beloved Family Pet."

Posted on May 12, 2005, 9:36 PM
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TRADITIONAL POLITICIANS, DE VENECIA AND ANGARA, POLITICALLY CHALLENGED.

by Napanice (no login)

The political summit called by Joe De Venecia and Edgardo Angara is turning out to be just another circus and comedy show for the public. We've heard all this good talk and promises before, mostly coming from the incumbent power grabber Gloria Macapagal. Two years before the last presidential election, she swore before the monument of our national hero that she will not run for president.

Two years later, Gloria Macapagal proved herself a liar and ran for election. Now why should anyone believe the words of traditional politicians like Macapagal, De Venecia and Angara?

Nap
==================================

Miriam shakes up political summit

By PATRICIA ESTEVES, The Manila Times Reporter

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Thursday rocked a summit of political party leaders by daring them to sign a written promise not to run for public office again to prove their sincerity and credibility.

Santiago, who was invited to the meeting of the standing committee of the Second Philippine Political Parties’ Conference, said unless the likes of Speaker Jose de Venecia and Sen. Edgardo Angara, who presided over the meeting, give up their political ambitions, the conference will lack credibility and amount to nothing.

"Let’s all sign a written declaration that we will not run for public office so that the results of this conference can be taken as a work of scholarship rather than as a political road show," Santiago told reporters before attending the discussion.

"This conference is a collective soul-searching without any results, because if there had been results, we wouldn’t be holding this conference," she said.

Santiago also urged President Arroyo to dismiss her Cabinet officials and replace them with brilliant professionals who are no older than 40.

"In this country nobody trusts any person above 40. All politicians are perceived corrupt, particularly those who send their children to schools in the US or in Europe," Santiago said.

She also took a jab at generals who refuse to retire at age 55 "to try and inveigle [others into appointing them to] public positions and make as much corrupt money as possible."

Her challenge for the politicians to resign was lost on Angara.

"I think that is an extreme suggestion. I don’t think that she meant that literally. I think it was more to dramatize the importance that politicians become more relevant," Angara said.

De Venecia challenged the summit participants to help get the peace talks under way again.

Rep. Satur Ocampo rose to the challenge and agreed to go to Utrecht, the Netherlands, to help reactivate the stalled peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front.

De Venecia presented a seven-point agenda to be taken up at the political parties’ conference in August:

• Human capital development such as health, housing and population management

• Land use, natural resources development and environment

• Income, jobs and wealth creation

• Food security such as aquaculture and agricultural infrastructure

• Government system and governance such as constitutional reform, corruption issues, debt restructuring, development of political parties and reform of campaign finance

• Peace process with the National Democratic Front, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and other insurgent groups

• Fiscal and financial resources management.

Instead of a political summit, Akbayan Party-list Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales proposed a people’s summit to allow the public to air its concerns to the government.

At a press conference Rosales said that political leaders should listen first to the people.

"What are their needs? They want legislation for wage increases, they also want to amend Electric Power Industry Reform Act of 2001 and scrap the Oil Deregulation Law. If their needs are heeded, they will support the government," she said. With Efren L. Danao and Ronnie E. Calumpita


Posted on May 12, 2005, 11:42 AM
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GLORIA SHOULD CREATE ANOTHER TASK FORCE TO PROTECT BAYAN MUNA MEMBERS.

by Napanice (no login)

Ok, so journalists are a special breed of citizens that need extra protection from the government when their lives are threatened but how about members of activist groups like Bayan Muna who are also targeted for termination by forces unseeen? Who is going to protect them now that like the journalists, more of them are being murdered?

Nap
========================================================

Bayan Muna leader, barangay official shot dead in Leyte

A Protestant pastor who headed the Bayan Muna chapter in Eastern Visayas was shot dead Thursday afternoon.

Chief Supt. Dionisio Coloma Jr., Region 8 police chief, identified the victim as Rev. Peter Edison Lapus.

Lapus was shot by unidentified gunmen at about 5:30 p.m. while attending the burial rites for his father-in-law in Barangay Crossing, San Isidro, Calubian.

Coloma said a barangay official, identified as Alfredo Malinao, was also hit by a stray bullet and later died in a hospital in Leyte.

San Isidro Police are now looking for the killers.

Lapus, married with two children, was a minister of the North Eastern-Leyte Conference of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines. He was chairman of Bayan Muna in Eastern Visayas and head of the Katungod-Sinirangan Bisayas.

Reports reaching ABS-CBN said Lapus received death threats two weeks after another Bayan Muna leader, lawyer Felidito Dacut, was shot dead March 14 in Tacloban City.

Lapus became the third Bayan Muna leader to be killed this year after Dacut and Romeo Sanchez, the party's regional coordinator in the Cordillera. Sanchez was killed in Baguio City on March 9.

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had condemned the killings as part of "systematic attacks and violence" against human rights activists.

The AHRC also cited the killings of other known supporters of Bayan Muna, namely Marcelino Beltran, Councilor Abelardo Ladera and Fr. William Tadena.

The Commission called on the government for immediate action to prevent further deaths of Bayan Muna leaders and supporters.


Posted on May 12, 2005, 9:44 AM
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SAY NO TO POWER GRAB, BUT HOW ABOUT MASSIVE CHEATING IN THE ELECTIONS?

by Napanice (no login)

Let's just say that as long as the right parties are winning that any thought of extra-constitutional means should be prohibited, but the ideals of EDSA 1 and 2 can always be relied upon for "nationalistic" motives when the opportunity presents itself.

This is another dog and pony show by that dog-eared traditional politician Joe de Venecia, whatever happened to his Con Ass obsession to change the form of government to something like Singapore's authoritarian rule?

Nap
=========================================

Political parties say no to power grab

The country's major political parties Thursday pledged to uphold legal processes and reject moves to seize power through "extra-constitutional" means.

Speaker Jose de Venecia, who convened a summit of various political groups, said: "The political parties came up with a united declaration, a common stance, frowning upon, discouraging any attempts of illegal seizure of government and extra-constitutional efforts to bring down the government."

The political summit, the second since May 2002, was held at Manila Hotel and was attended by the country's mainstream political parties.


"We have to make sure that political parties and leaders are relevant in our society," de Venecia said. "Governments come and go but political parties are here to stay," he said.

The parties' declaration came amid rumors that some sectors are out to oust President Arroyo in the face of worsening conditions brought about by the soaring prices of basic commodities.

An alliance of various organizations led by former defense chief Fortunato Abat earlier pressed for the ouster of President Arroyo for allegedly failing to deliver the people from economic hardships.

On Wednesday, Francis Ricciardone, outgoing US ambassador to the Philippines, said his government will oppose any attempt to overthrow the Arroyo administration.

Ricciardone spoke Wednesday night at the Foreign and Overseas Correspondents Association of the Philippines forum in Makati.

"But the worst option I can imagine and the only one we, the United States of America, would actively and strenuously oppose -- is extra legal ones: violent overthrow, extra-legal overthrow of the government," Ricciardone said.

Among other issues discussed during the Manila Hotel summit were the strengthening of the Government Service Insurance System and Social Security System; the extension of the implementation of the Special Assets Purpose Vehicle law for two to four years more; the improvement of the educational system; and the modernization of the Commission on Elections, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces.

De Venecia, head of the ruling Lakas-CMD, organized the first summit of political parties in May 2002.

He said the parties' common declaration on issues will be formally transmitted to President Arroyo.

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile represented jailed ex-president Joseph Estrada's Partido ng Masang Pilipino; Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, People's Reform Party; Sen. Alfredo Lim, KKK-Laban; Sen. Edgardo Angara and former Rep. Miguel Romero represented the Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino.

Sen. Manuel Villar and Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla represented the Nacionalista Party while House Deputy Speaker Benigno Aquino III represented the Liberal Party.

Senate Majority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Rep. Teodoro Locsin Jr. and Makati Jejomar Binay attended the summit for PDP-Laban.

Rep. Luis Villafuerte represented Kampi while House Deputy Speaker Emilio Espinosa and Tourism Secretary Ace Durano represented the Nationalist People's Coalition.

House Majority Leader Prospero Nograles and Surigao del Norte Rep. Ace Barbers represented Lakas.

Members of party-list organizations boycotted the summit.


Posted on May 12, 2005, 9:21 AM
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WHERE ARE ALL THE BILLIONS THAT GLORIA MACAPAGAL BORROWED?

by Napanice (no login)

Arroyo borrowed the most, says NGO

By DARWIN G. AMOJELAR, The Manila Times Researcher

More than a third of the national government debt was incurred by the Arroyo administration, which borrowed the most, compared with its three predecessors, according to the nongovernment Freedom from Debt Coalition.

Citing its own set of data, the NGO said the three-year administration of President Arroyo borrowed P1.2 trillion or P475 billion higher than the P725-billion debt incurred by the Estrada administration.

The Ramos and Aquino administrations incurred borrowings of P401 billion and P383 billion.

The Bureau of Treasury earlier reported that the national government’s outstanding debt as of December 2004 stood at P3.81 trillion, a 13.6-percent increase compared with 2003 figures.

Ana Maria Nemenzo, FDC president, said the country’s rising debt is due to mismanagement of the government’s fiscal account.

"The debt problem worsens because of the government’s inefficiency," she added.

Government data showed that domestic debt last year rose to P2 trillion; foreign obligations reached P1.8 trillion.

Debt guaranteed by the national government rose to P0.83 trillion, posting a 17.7-percent increase compared with year ago figures.

The FDC data also showed that each Filipino owed P44,823 and the government gave up P1.2 million in debt-service payments a minute.

Nemenzo also expressed pessimism that the government will resolve its fiscal problems soon, despite moves in Congress to expedite the passage of the value added tax bill, which is expected to generate the bulk of needed revenues aimed at balancing the government’s budget by 2010.

She instead called for public audit of the country’s debt.

"We should have a clear borrowing policy to guide us in the future because most of the time, the borrowing was done by the government. There were no checks and balances," Nemenzo said.

The FDC’s clamor for a debt audit comes on the heels of additional borrowing done by the Arroyo administration.

The government announced on Tuesday that it completed borrowings of $750 million from the international-credit markets, allowing it to secure about half of its $4-billion foreign borrowing requirement for this year.

These borrowings are aimed at capping the government’s deficit at P180 billion this year.


Posted on May 11, 2005, 2:17 PM
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ROSIE CONTRILLAS AND BELLA FERNANDES

by ALICIA CIASICO (no login)

I AM TRYING TO LOCATE ROSIE CONTRILLAS AND BELLA FERNANDES. PLEASE CONTACT ME ALICIA CIASICO @43 BENCE CRESCENT, SASKATOON SK S7L 4H9 CANADA.

Posted on May 11, 2005, 11:47 AM
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MACAPAGAL SHOULD BE TOLD THAT PROTECTION OF LIVES IS NOT EXCLUSIVE TO JOURNALISTS.

by Napanice (no login)

Now this decision by a president is pure politicking, she knows better than protect just the media. Whatever happened to all the check points and gun ban rules? Whatever happened to task forces that at one time were harrassing the muslim communities? Why can't she become presidentiable by ordering her recycled cabinet appointees to protect the public instead by enforcing curfews and gun bans with the full force of the law?

Nap
================================================================

Arroyo orders DILG to draw up plan to solve, prevent media slays

President Arroyo on Wednesday directed Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes to draw up a tight plan to solve and prevent the killing of journalists.

"I’d like it to be like the tight plan in solving the kidnapping cases," the President said in a press conference at Malacañan

The Chief Executive said Reyes will have to convene a consultative meeting with all stakeholders, including private sector leaders, to solve and prevent the killing of Filipino journalists.

"In the killings of journalists, let us all work together," the President urged.

Documented records show that 24 journalists have been killed in the Philippines in the last three years. The figure brought to 67 the total number of media personalities killed in the country since 1986.

The President and Speaker Jose de Venecia have put up a P5-million booty as reward for information that will lead to the solution of crimes involving the murder of journalists. The President contributed P3 million and the Speaker, P2 million.

President Arroyo said the fund would be beefed up if warranted. "We will provide the resources available," she assured.



Posted on May 11, 2005, 9:01 AM
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POLICE ESCORTS FAIL TO PROTECT POLITICIAN

by Napanice (no login)

Local police officers may fall under the central command of the Philippine National Police but it is very clear what job they are actually assigned to do. Obviously they're not well trained to provide bodyguard service to politicians and putting their lifes on the line for a corrupt leader is probably not in their job description either.

Nap
==========================

Wednesday, May 11, 2005

Santa Rosa mayor slain

Gunmen attack local executive inside City Hall after mass wedding

By Anthony Vargas, Reporter

The mayor of Santa Rosa City, Laguna, was gunned down with one of his bodyguards moments after he officiated at a mass wedding at city hall Tuesday.

Leon Arcillas died from wounds in the head, neck and body at the Perpetual Help Hospital in Biñan, Laguna, police said.

Also killed was Police Officer 2 Erwin Rivera, one of the mayor’s security escorts. Another bodyguard, Police Officer 2 Nonoy Almendraz, was treated at the same hospital for gunshot wounds.

A police investigator, Victo­riano Perya, said the killing of Arcillas “is similar to those carried out before by the NPA [New People’s Army].”

The NPA is the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, which wounded Arcil­las in a July 2003 assassination attempt and had issued death threats against him since, Perya said.

From the number of shots fired, it was likely that more than one gunman took part in the attack, mingling in the crowd during a civil wedding for 11 couples, police said.

A report reaching the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame said Arcil­las and his escorts were walking in the hallway on the second floor of the new Santa Rosa City Hall when the gunmen fired at them at around 10:30 a.m.

One of Arcillas’ escorts reportedly fired back at the attackers, who escaped by mixing with the crowd.

Chief Supt. Jesus Versoza, Southern Tagalog police chief, said there were at least two suspects, judging from the spent shells recovered from the scene.

Police said Arcillas, who was on his third term as mayor, had been getting death threats from an NPA group based in Mindoro Occidental.

Arcillas’ killing took place as the PNP was intensifying its campaign against loose firearms and syndicates of hired killers.

His body was taken to the Rogelio Lim de Mesa Memorial Chapel and was later transferred to Lipa, Batangas, by his wife, Ofelia.

Jovie Perlas, a clerk working at City Hall, said he heard six to seven shots, “then I saw a man in blue uniform with a .45-caliber pistol running down the hall, telling everybody to stay inside their rooms.”

“The guard at the desk also fired his gun and he was running after someone,” Perlas said.

There were unconfirmed reports that the gunman was with another man and two women who had joined the couples who had been married by Arcillas.
--AFP with Abigail C. Gomez (trainee)



Posted on May 11, 2005, 7:04 AM
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ARE CORRUPT POLITICIANS KILLING JOURNALISTS?

by Napanice (no login)

With the country tagged as the number two most corrupt in the area, the murders of media professionals who expose the wrong doings of elected leaders nationwide points to a serious lack of competence among the law enforcement organization to investigate and charge those involved.

And it is also evident that those who get away with murder are now becoming the target of vendetta as well. And the police are not helping by proposing to arm the affected parties when it's obvious that they have all the firepower they need.

Nap
===========================================================

Zambo gov threatened slain journalist, says victim's brother

By DAVID DIZON, abs-cbnNEWS.com

Zamboanga del Norte Governor Rolando Yebes threatened Klein Cantoneros before he was killed May 4, Arvin Cantoneros, the younger brother of the slain journalist said Wednesday.

Yebes dismissed Arvin's allegations.

"Kalokohan 'yan. Gawa-gawa lang 'yan. If it is true, then they should show proof. They should have filed it in a police blotter. They also should present tapes of Cantoneros' radio broadcasts of how I allegedly threatened him," Yebes told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Yebes accused DXAA-FM, the radio station where Cantoneros worked, of violating the rules of the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) for not keeping broadcast records.

Arvin said Klein told him about the threats several times before the May 4 incident.

"He told me that he had been criticizing Governor Yebes in his program...and that he had been receiving death threats afterwards from the governor," Arvin told abs-cbnNEWS.com. The threats were sent via text messages.

Arvin said Klein did not say how he knew the threats came from Yebes.

The governor said the allegations came from the Amatong family, owners of DXAA-FM radio and his political rivals. He said he was being singled out by his rivals after he defeated former Governor Isagani Amatong in the 2004 election.

"I am just new in politics. I defeated a politician that has 18 years experience in politics. Now they are trying to ride on this issue to somehow remove me," Yebes said.

He said his record as Bureau of Customs regional collector for 27 years remains untarnished. "No case was filed against me in my time with the bureau," the governor said.

Yebes said Cantoneros started criticizing him when he campaigned for the gubernatorial race, adding that the slain journalist was a "tricycle driver-turned-broadcaster who was not even recognized by the KBP."

Killer from Dipolog?

Cantoneros was gunned down last week by at least three motorcycle-riding gunmen while on his way home in Barangay Santa Filomena.

Arvin said one of Klein's killers might have been from Dipolog City because the slain journalist recognized the killer.

"Ang sabi niya, namukhaan niya yung bumaril sa kanya pero hindi niya alam sa pangalan. Maaaring taga-Dipolog," he told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

Arvin said Klein had a gun issued by the 10th Infantry Battalion (IB) of the Philippine Army. Klein was a "military asset," he said. He also admitted that Klein was not a licensed gun holder but had a mission order from the 10th IB.

He said Klein had several death threats because of his hard-hitting commentaries. "There was at least one time that a gunman tried to shoot him but the gun jammed," he said.

DXAA-FM station manager Jett Opilac, however, said Klein failed to mention any assassination attempt.

"He never mentioned anything about any previous attempt against his life. He always mentioned in his broadcasts whenever he received a death threat but never anything about an assassination attempt," Opilac told abs-cbnNEWS.com.

The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group on Monday released an artist's sketch of one of three possible suspects in the Cantoneros killing.

Senior Superintendent Pedro Tango, Task Force Newsmen chief, said the suspect was spotted by several witnesses inside 8 Food Park Restaurant in Dipolog City where Cantoneros was having dinner at 10:30 p.m. on May 3.

The suspect was described as around 40 years old, 5’8" tall, slim and sporting long hair. Tango said the suspects sat near Cantoner