• 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

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

The Daily Tribune

(Without Fear or Favor)

Specials:

Bulatlat.com

World Wildlife Fund for Nature-Philippines

The Philippines Matrix Project

Stimulus repackaging EDITORIAL 0/16/2011

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Stimulus repackaging

EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
10/16/2011
Noynoy and his wards are talking to oblivion the supposed P72-billion stimulus package, or more appropriately “repackaging” of government projects that would have no lasting effect on the economy.

Noynoy bared his so-called package during a forum with the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (Focap) making it too obvious that the unveiling was meant more than anything to stimulate his public image abroad.

The stimulus package used basically the same gimmick in the past administration in which ordinary budget items are spruced up to look like new initiatives meant to jump start a slowing economy..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com1.html

Real intent FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 10/16/2011

Real intent

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
10/16/2011
With Noynoy, through his mouthpiece, saying that Gloria Arroyo, presumably along with her family members, can seek medical help abroad and that it would be up to her to stay on, and not return, perhaps now explains a lot behind the many threats of filing cases against the Arroyos issued by Noynoy and his allies.

Noynoy and a lot of his yellows really want to do a repeat of what Cory Aquino did during her time, which was to ensure the exile of Marcos, his family and close friends and allies, and thus, succeeded in the complete destruction of her political foes by giving the public a circus without the bread.

Presidential mouthpiece Edwin Lacierda said the Palace does not worry over a possible decision by Gloria to go on self-exile.

“That is something for her to decide…we will do what we have set out to do. As to what her course of action, again, that is for her to answer and not us,” said Lacierda when asked what Malacañang would do in the event she seeks political asylum..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com2.html

Earthworms help to slow climate change 16.10.2011

Earthworms help to slow climate change

16.10.2011


Earthworms help both with the wetting of the soil, and retention of water in the dry season. The animal has the mouth and anus on opposite cavities...

They has proven to be a survivor of nature. They have inhabited the planet for 300 million years according to researchers, and now it was discovered that they prevent floods and droughts, which are reflections of global warming..... MORE

SourcePravda.ru

URL: http://english.pravda.ru/society/stories/16-10-2011/119339-Earthworms_help_to_slow_climate_change-0/

Jittery China government tightens media controls ANALYSIS 10/16/2011

.Jittery China government tightens media controls

ANALYSIS

10/16/2011
BEIJING — China’s propaganda authorities are trying to tighten controls over the Internet as they fear social unrest in the face of a cooling economy and mounting public anger at official corruption, analysts say.

With more than half a billion Chinese now online, authorities in Beijing are concerned about the power of the Internet to influence public opinion in a country that maintains tight controls on its traditional media outlets.

“The reform of the cultural system” is on the agenda for a four-day annual meeting of top Communist Party officials that begins on Saturday — a term widely seen as including measures to ensure media and Internet firms serve the authorities’ aims.

Already leading Internet firms have been pressured to tighten their grip on the web, with propaganda chief Li Changchun, fifth in the Communist Party hierarchy, recently meeting the heads of China’s main search engine Baidu.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com3.html

Private sector, equally corrupt N.O . N.O.N.S.E.N.S.E Jacinto ‘Jing’ Paras 10/16/2011

Private sector, equally corrupt

N.O . N.O.N.S.E.N.S.E
Jacinto ‘Jing’ Paras
10/16/2011
Former Chief Justice Artemio Panganiban has mentioned in his column that CEO’s of big business in the country have pledged to renounce corruption, bribery and to conduct their business ethically in accordance to a new “Unified Code of Conduct.”

This anti-corruption campaign was launched by the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, European Chamber of Commerce, American Chamber of Commerce and the Hills Program on Governance of AIM.

Their main thrust is to address the core idea of corruption not only in big business but the entire business community. This move is laudable in the sense that corruption always connotes wrongdoings of government officials. But the truth really is that anomalies in government do not come about without any private persons or juridical entities involved..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com5.html

‘Crime does not pay’ VIEWPOINTS Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz 10/16/2011

‘Crime does not pay’

VIEWPOINTS
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz
10/16/2011
The world famous and time tested maxim that “Crime does not pay” does not sink in the mind of criminals — for one reason or another.

In the strong group of the enticement of wealth, the allure of power and/or the seduction of the flesh, criminals become numb to the distinction between vice and virtue; become blind to what hurts or benefits others. The odious conclusion they reach is that yes: “crime pays!” — it pays for their feeling of omnipotence, for their exemption from the laws of the land, for their freedom from conviction and consequent punishment.

It pays for their insatiability in accumulating and keeping heaps of money in their vaults, in the hands of their conspirators, in local and foreign banks — under other names of course. It pays for their acquisition as well as retention of might and influence, for their immunity from prosecution and freedom from imprisonment. It pays for their carnal living, expensive pleasures and luxurious lifestyle. All these payments, however, infallibly and eventually come to a big stop — leaving them pitifully denuded of honor and stripped of human dignity. Then, they trampled upon people. Now, they are trampled upon by people..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune
 
URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com7.html

Wang-wang, no! Bang-bang, yes! TABLETS OF STONE Larry Faraon, OP 10/16/2011

Wang-wang, no! Bang-bang, yes!

TABLETS OF STONE
Larry Faraon, OP
10/16/2011
It is called presumptive power. Several past administrations brandished their own style of cruising afloat their respective political powers.

The late Ferdinand Marcos basked on the colonial submission of the Filipino who had been “cultured” by subsequent hegemonies of Spain and the United States. He basically began with the traditional political patronage of an “Apo” and eventually the disciplintary imposition through a martial rule.

Madame Cory Aquino failed to maximize the “revolutionary powers” she vested upon herself as she had to confront with her own self-deficient handling and managing the tremendous powers handed over to her by real and pseudo nationalists and patriots. But her presumptive power rested on persuasion, mostly charismatic and idealistic but personally based; it’s her person and personality that were looked upon by the people as a legacy that unmistakably prompted the election of her son as the present leader...... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20111016com6.html

Palace downplays crisis scenario over SC clash By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011

SHOOTS DOWN JELAC PROPOSAL

Palace downplays crisis scenario over SC clash

By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011

The Palace shrugged off a proposal to create a body that would provide a venue for a continuing dialog between the Executive and the Judiciary while at the same time belittling the possibility of a constitutional crisis as a result of its heated exchange with the Supreme Court (SC) as it insisted that the high tribunal made a confusing decision over the case between the Flight Attendants and Stewardess Association of the Philippines (Fasap) and the Philippine Airlines.

Deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said that heated exchange between the Palace and the Senate was just a way of venting the sentiments of each side and there’s no way that this would lead to a constitutional crisis.

Valte claimed that if ever presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda made remarks that offended Chief Justice Renato Corona and members of the judiciary, this was just a natural reaction from a lawyer who has taken notice of SC’s flip-flopping on the Fasap case.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111016hed1.html

Not even reservists can confer Marcos honors — Malacañang By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011

Not even reservists can confer Marcos honors — Malacañang

By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011
After denying former President Marcos a state burial, Malacañang is also rejecting even the offer of military reservists to give the former strongman proper military honors.

Deputy presidential spokesman Abegail Valte said that giving military honors to the former president is against President Aquino’s decision not accede to the request of the Marcoses to give him a state burial.

“The president has already spoken, he has already made a decision on the matter. Let’s respect the decision,” she said in reaction to the reported offer of the Reserve Officers Legion of the Philippines (ROLP) to provide Marcos full military honors at “the Libingan ng Mga Bayani in Taguig City or anywhere the Marcos family decides to bury former President Ferdinand Marcos.”

ROLP spokesman retired Army Col. Octavio Alvarez said the group had approved a resolution offering its military service to the Marcos family as he noted that every soldier has the right to be buried at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani because it was intended as burial grounds for soldiers..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111016hed3.html

RP activists join worldwide ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011

RP activists join worldwide ‘Occupy Wall Street’ protests

By Virgilio J. Bugaoisan 10/16/2011
HONG KONG — Protesters across the Asia-Pacific region, including the Philippines, yesterday joined worldwide demonstrations inspired by the “Occupy Wall Street” and “Indignants” movements.

Rallies are planned in more than 950 cities across 82 countries in Europe, North America, Latin America, Asia and Africa in a show of power by a movement born on May 15 when a rally in Madrid’s central square of Puerta del Sol sparked a protest that spread nationwide, then to other countries.

In Manila, around 100 members of militant group Bayan marched to the US Embassy to express their anger at the inequities and excesses of free-market capitalism.

In Hong Kong, a demonstrator from a group calling themselves “Left 21” said the “Occupy Central”
rally in the former British colony was more than just an act of solidarity with the Wall Street protest, which began in September..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20111016hed5.html

NPA rebels attack gov’t project, burn heavy equipment in Negros Oriental 10/16/2011

NPA rebels attack gov’t project, burn heavy equipment in Negros Oriental

10/16/2011
A group of heavily-armed New People’s Army (NPA) rebels attacked an ongoing government construction project in Negros Oriental and burned heavy equipment last Friday.

Burned were back hoe, crane, two dump trucks and bulldozer which were being parked at the government’s multimillion-peso project along the National Highway at the boundaries of Manjuyod and Bindoys town, Negros Oriental.

According to police report, three armed NPA rebels arrived at the project site and poured gasoline on heavy equipment owned by the L & L construction of Lawrence Limkaichong, husband of 1st District Rep. Jocelyn Limkaichong.

Lawrence Limkaichong is the mayor of La Libertad town in northern Negros Oriental..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20111016nat7.html

SC rules MMDA acted illegally in demolishing wall of building owned by retired justice on Edsa By Benjamin B. Pulta 10/16/2011

SC rules MMDA acted illegally in demolishing wall of building owned by retired justice on Edsa

By Benjamin B. Pulta 10/16/2011

The Supreme Court has ruled the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) acted illegally in demolishing the wall of a building owned by retired SC Justice Emilio Gancayco along Edsa.

In a 19-page decision by Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno, the SC en banc upheld the decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) which held the MMDA went beyond its powers when it demolished the subject property eight years ago.

The MMDA claimed that it demolished the property pursuant to the Building Code in relation to Quezon City Ordinance No. 2904 issued on March 27, 1956 which required the relevant property owner to construct an arcade with a width of 4.50 meters and height of five meters along Edsa from the north side of Santolan road to one lot after Liberty Avenue, and from one lot before Central Boulevard to the Botocan transmission line.

The SC, however, pointed out under sections 205, 207 and 215 of the Building Code, the authority to order the demolition of any structure lies with the building official..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111016met2.html

Foreigners desiring to witness Lanzones Festival need not go to BI main office By Conrado Ching 10/16/2011

Foreigners desiring to witness Lanzones Festival need not go to BI main office

By Conrado Ching 10/16/2011
Foreigners who will visit the annual Lanzones Festival to be held next week on Camiguin Island will have a chance to update their visas without going to the immigration’s main office in Intramuros, Manila.

This after Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. approved yesterday the request of the Camiguin provincial government for the bureau to set up an immigration booth when the province celebrates its festivity on Oct. 20.

David said a team of BI officials will travel to Camiguin and man the booth which will serve as a one-stop shop for foreign tourists who will be visiting the island during the festival.

The BI chief added aside from providing visa extension services, the one-stop shop will also entertain queries and disseminate information about the various services provided by the BI to foreigners visiting the country..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20111016met5.html

Blog Archive