• 6 AUGUST - *1907 - Gen. Macario Sakay, one of the Filipino military leaders who had continued fighting the imperialist United States invaders eight years into the Ph...
    11 years ago

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Erap, PMP to take legal action vs toll VAT By Gerry Baldo 04/08/2010

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Erap, PMP to take legal action vs toll VAT


By Gerry Baldo
04/08/2010

TARLAC CITY -- Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) standard bearer former President Joseph Estrada yesterday said that his party plans to take legal action to oppose the additional taxes on basic commodities and on toll rates in the north and south Luzon expressways.

Estrada, flanked by PMP senatorial bets former Sanlakas Rep. JV Bautista, former Negros Occidental Rep. Apolinario “Jun” Lozada and reelectionist Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, in an interview with reporters covering the PMP campaign, said they will not allow additional taxes to burden the poor.

“The party will oppose that. This is going to add more weight to the load the Filipino people are already carrying on their shoulders,” Estrada said, explaining that there is no need for additional taxes “because we already have road user’s tax and the expanded value added tax or eVAT.”

The former president pointed out that the consequences of the additional taxes would trickle down to the poor who cannot even afford a decent meal a day.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100408hed3.html

Binay warns vs fake ballots 04/08/2010

Binay warns vs fake ballots


04/08/2010

United Opposition vice presidential candidate Jejomar Binay yesterday warned the Commission on Elections as well as the watchdog groups that would monitor the polls next month that a flood of fake ballots will most likely swamp thousands of precincts on Election Day following reports that the Comelec will be buying ultraviolet (UV) lamps to scan ballots before they are processed by the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines.

“UV markers can easily be purchased, so we can expect that there will be a lot of fake ballots that will be branded
with these UV seals that will be passed off as genuine,” he said.

He noted that the solution of the Comelec — to use UV lamps to scan the ballots, which should have initially been a function of the PCOS machines — adds another layer of human intervention to the already time-strapped system.
This makes the entire process vulnerable to cheating by the usual suspects, he added.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100408hed5.html

Trapo is, as trapo does EDITORIAL 04/08/2010

Trapo is, as trapo does



EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
04/08/2010

After slamming the Arroyo administration and its allies in government and categorizing them as the evil, along with all others not allied with him and his party, the sanctimonious Liberal Party (LP) bet, Sen. Noynoy Aquino, is apparently ready to embrace what he calls the “evils” within the Arroyo government. But he still makes a distinction, saying that he and his party will open the doors only to the Lakas-Kampi bets who are lesser evils.

In a Bulacan sortie two days ago, Aquino was quoted as saying that he and the LP are open to adopting members of the ruling administration party who are caught in the crossfire of the mess stirred by the throw of support of some party leaders to a candidate other than their own, but only to those who have committed less sins..... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com1.html

Funding: A Lakas-Kampi problem today FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/08/2010

Funding: A Lakas-Kampi problem today



FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
04/08/2010

It may be the administration party, but the campaign funds aren’t flowing freely, that’s for sure, mainly because party members seeking a seat in the House of Representatives today have the misfortune of not having as their presidential candidate, Gloria Arroyo and more unfortunately, having, as their presidential bet, Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro, who does not appear to be rating well in the pre-election surveys, a month before the polls are scheduled.

Campaign money usually flows from the presidential bet, his party, down to his local candidates, rather than senatorial candidates.
Thus, in 2004, when Gloria Arroyo sought the presidency, and with her having to win at all cost — including poll fraud cost — she had to let the money faucet flow, from her to her local candidates, especially the strong ones..... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com2.html

India gropes for response to Maoist menace ANALYSIS 04/08/2010

India gropes for response to Maoist menace



ANALYSIS

04/08/2010

NEW DELHI — With the massacre of 75 policemen in a jungle ambush, India’s Maoists have shown they remain a potent national security threat despite a major four-month offensive to curb their operations.

Tuesday’s attack in a densely forested area of Chhattisgarh state was the deadliest to date and is likely to embarrass the government, which since late last year has been pursuing a concerted effort to flush the rebels out.
Home Minister Chidambaram said he was shocked by the high casualty toll.

“This shows the savage nature of the Maoists — the brutality and savagery which they are capable of,” he said.
The ambush again showcased the Maoists’ ability to strike in strength and then melt back into their jungle hideouts before security reinforcements arrive.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com3.html

Principled upbringing BLURBAL THRUSTS Louie Logarta 04/08/2010

Principled upbringing



BLURBAL THRUSTS
Louie Logarta
04/08/2010

There is a joke about former party-list Rep. Jaime Zarraga, who claims to head the Voice of Manila Broadcasting Corp. (VoM) and Exodus Broadcasting Corp., that’s making the rounds through the magic of text messaging, something to the effect that of all, bar none, the handsomely-remunerated executives in the lucrative telecommunications industry in the country, he comes across as the one who’s “best dressed.”

Why? It’s due to the number of suits — criminal suits mind you and not the masterpieces manufactured by Giorgio Armani or Burberry — he has on his hands right now. As of last count, Zarraga, who used to represent the Hanay ng Aping Pinoy (loosely translated: ranks of exploited or abused Filipinos) or HAPI, faces a string of 752 criminal cases for large-scale illegal recruitment, syndicated estafa and the like dating to as far back as 1995. Said warrants weren’t served for such a long time, we were told, as the subject dropped out of circulation until he got himself elected to Congress, which made him virtually untouchable at least temporarily.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com4.html

When is a missed deed a misdeed? SILVER LINING Dean Ernest Maceda 04/08/2010

When is a missed deed a misdeed?



SILVER LINING
Dean Ernest Maceda
04/08/2010

Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo owned up to a collective “lapse in judgment” by the commission en banc on their unanimous approval of the P700 million ballot secrecy folder contract. “There is some sort of lapse on the part of the BAC (Bids and Awards Committee) and there was some sort of lapse on the part of the en banc in a sense that we relied so much on the recommendation of the people down below.”

The people down below are, however, pointing their fingers up above. Comelec BAC head Ma. Leah Alarkon said that it was the Comelec en banc, in an order dated February 17, that ordered them to buy the folders. “The February 17 order of the en banc to procure the ballot secrecy folders include the requirements for specifications. BAC will buy based on what is required of us by the commission.”.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com6.html

Clarification LETTER 04/08/2010 Dear Editor

Clarification



LETTER

04/08/2010
Dear Editor:

This refers to the article published in your newspaper on March 25, 2010, “SBMA official charged with graft.”

Lawyer Chito Cruz, identified in the said article as the SBMA senior deputy administrator for support services, is no longer connected with SBMA.

Based on the records of our Human Resource Management Department, Cruz was hired by SBMA on Dec. 27, 1999 and his contract ended on Oct. 15, 2004.

The incumbent SBMA Senior Deputy Administrator for Support Services is lawyer Ramon Agregado.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com7.html

Thanking Dean Maceda LETTER 04/08/2010

Thanking Dean Maceda



LETTER

04/08/2010
 Dear Editor:

We read with interest the column of Dean Ernest Maceda (“April fools?”). We thank him for his kind words about the principled campaign that Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard-bearer Gibo Teodoro has been waging in his quest for the presidency.... MORE


SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100408com8.html


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