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Imperial laughter DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 04/13/2012

Friday, April 13, 2012

Imperial laughter

DIE HARD III
Herman Tiu Laurel
04/13/2012
The mandarins in Washington must be laughing their bellies out, how clever they must think themselves to be making half the World scamper around for cover to their screams of “The Sky is Falling.” The US ordered its minion states create the fable of a North Korean (NK) “missile” test, poking its surrogate state Japan to threaten to shoot down the NK rocket “if it threatens any part of Japan.” While ordinary folks don’t have the means to judge if that is even possible, not having the maps and the trajectory the NK leadership announced, a few who might have taken the trouble to look up on the Internet would see that the trajectory flies South, away from Japan, and toward the seas of east of Taiwan and the Philippines. In the Philippines, the scare fanned across Metro Manila, 600 or 700 kilometers away and covered by the mountain ranges of Cagayan and Quezon provinces. A bishop called on the people to pray. How silly Filipinos must look to the Western powers.

The NK leadership and the nation are made out to be mindless and stupid fanatics by Western propaganda and some Philippine “intelligentsia” pick this up perfunctorily. One view from a religious official repeats the lie that “NK leaders allow its people to starve” betraying ignorance of historical realities of Korea.

The geography of many nations, and Korea is no different, is often divided to a northern region of cold climes harsh on agriculture and a warmer south conducive to food production; for NK this reality plus the economic sanctions and embargo imposed by the US upon it, as it does on countries like Cuba or Iran, limit imports of agricultural inputs and goods. NK uses its only leverage, its political-defense potential to obtain food reserves, is a testament to its concern. The West sheds crocodile tears for hungry people, as it does for Africa. Iran has rushed to import hundreds of thousands of tons of grain to beat the recent US economic sanctions deadline.

The “missile test” claim is belied by the opportunity given to Filipinos to witness and verify the truth about this NK racket test. Over his radio program on DWAD, Rep. Crispin “Boying” Remulla informed the audience that he was officially invited to visit NK and observe the NK rocket test launch. Unfortunately, Remulla declined the invitation and for which he could not give a satisfactory reason. I think that he, as the public official of the Philippines privileged to be invited to the NK racket launch, had a duty to the Filipino people to proceed to Pyongyang to ascertain the nature and intention of the rocket launch. He could have then reported back to the nation and confirm to all the US and Japanese allegations that the NK did indeed launch a “missile.” Boying Remulla did, I recall, say something about being “careful” hence declining the invitation; but “careful” for what, that he would not offend the US Embassy? I wonder.

State Department or Wall Street, the imperial mandarins always get good laughs from the Philippines. One headline certainly made them happy, “Gov’t readies vaccine PPP.” The PPP (Public-Private Partnership) projects are the old BOT (build-Operate-Transfer), and hybrid IPP (Independent Power Producer), scams where government contributes taxpayer’s money, sovereign guaranteed contracts for a captive Filipino market in joint venture with private (usually foreign firms or with local dummies) corporations which it securitizes to raise funds then charges exorbitant “deregulated” rates or prices. The PPP Center said “(The) government can save approximately P240 million to P360 million out of the P1.2-billion annual purchase cost of the vaccines,”— if the vaccines are needed at all. Vaccines are being questioned more and more as nutrition’s primary role is increasingly recognized, in 2010 GMA bought billions of swine flu vaccines which still wait to be used today.

The imperial mandarins turn every Philippine crisis into their opportunity. One headline reveals what they have in mind for Mindanao’s power price crisis: “Mindanao may go nuke.” Of course, this is uranium nuke, which is “so last century.” After Chernobyl and Fukushima they must be shelved forever, the correct nuclear technology for this century is Thorium Nuclear Power. China and India are already in this direction. Thorium is four times more abundant than uranium (we have our own in Palawan), produce less than 1 percent waste of today’s uranium reactors and cannot be weaponized, failsafe and thus cost a fraction of uranium reactors to build, and according to Filipino physicist Dr. Roger Posadas, Filipinos have existing technology to build them indigenously. The imperial mandarins are getting their surrogates to unload their poison plants and uranium stockpiles on the Philippines.

The laughing US mandarins are laughing all the more watching the Power summit in Davao next week as they have all past power summits. They foisted the Epira on the Filipinos. Yesterday a headline declared “Metro brownouts loom” and subtitled “Power rate increases also feared with Malampaya Facility’s Shutdown” — thanks to Shell-Texaco. Thanks too to Cory Aquino and the Yellows giving all these to them.
In the meantime, while fear over NK’s rocket is kept up, NASA has a $750 million Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite (UARS) satellite set to fall from the sky in weeks; pieces could land in densely populated areas on six continents including parts of Britain, Europe, North and South America and Asia. No scare here?

(Tune in to 1098AM, DWAD, Sulo ng Pilipino/Radyo OpinYon, Monday to Friday, 5 to 6 p.m.; watch Destiny Cable GNN’s HTL edition of Talk News TV, Saturdays, 8:15 to 9 p.m., with replay at 11:15 p.m., on “More Hocus PCOS” with Bono Adaza and Jun Estrella; visit http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com for our articles plus TV and radio archives)

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120413com6.html

Doctor of what? FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/13/2012

Doctor of what?

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
04/13/2012
Noynoy was conferred an honorary Doctor of Laws degree by Centro Escolar University Wednesday, and all too suddenly, there went Noynoy, blasting away at the entire judiciary, the Supreme Court, apellate courts and regional trial courts and naturally, his favorite punching bag, the Chief Justice.

Hey, Noy, in case you don’t know it yet, an honorary doctor of laws does not make you an instant legal eagle, or a constitutional expert.

But apparently, Noy believes that, with that honorary law degree, he has become not just a legal expert but a constitutional expert in just a few minutes after conferment and can speak about the law, of which he does not seem to know..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120413com2.html

Assange show premiere: Time to watch 'The World Tomorrow' (VIDEO & PHOTOS)



Assange show premiere: Time to watch 'The World Tomorrow' (VIDEO & PHOTOS)

You've been waiting and we've been teasing. Julian Assange. The World Tomorrow. Arguably the most anticipated news show of 2012 premieres next week on RT.

­Dateline  – Tuesday, April 17. Timeline – 15:30 Moscow time, 11:30 GMT, 07:30 am in New York and 21:30 in Sydney. The world will be watching "The World Tomorrow".

In the spirit of WikiLeaks we'll be publishing exclusive trailers, sneakpeaks, previews and behind-the-scenes content to bring you Assange's show in-full on "The World Tomorrow" official video-page.

The announcement that RT would host Assange's show created a global media stir, with many questioning the RT/Assange link-up. In a pre-show interview (details TBA) Assange explained his rationale..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/assange-world-tomorrow-premier-date-time-934/

N. Korea’s space aspirations subject for talks, not sanctions – Moscow

N. Korea’s space aspirations subject for talks, not sanctions – Moscow

Moscow doesn't think new sanctions are appropriate against North Korea following a failed rocket launch on Friday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has stated.

“We do not believe in new sanctions, they won’t bring any change,” Lavrov said. “The Security Council should thoroughly consider the violation of its resolution. But its reaction should be balanced,” he added..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/politics/koreas-talks-sanctions-moscow-968/

UFO mystery: Latest sighting in Siberia

UFO mystery: Latest sighting in Siberia


An unidentified glowing object is said to have crashed down from the skies in Russia’s Siberia, causing a powerful explosion. A search for the mysterious item is underway amid speculations of what on Earth it could be.

­Witnesses describe seeing a bright glow covering the sky, followed by a shining object falling with a strange clanging sound and disappearing in the distance with a blast.

­The unidentified object supposedly fell in the taiga forest of the Irkutsk region, 15 kilometers from the nearest village of Vitim, on Friday night. The head of the regional administration said a group of researchers has been sent to inspect the area and question witnesses..... MORE
SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/siberia-ufo-fall-meteorite-958/

Remembering NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 04/13/2012

Remembering

NO HOLDS BARRED
Armida Siguion-Reyna
04/13/2012
Just as I had thought that an old woman’s musings regarding her childhood would go unnoticed, there in my e-mail’s inbox, outside of commentaries about the President, the Vice President, the Senate President, some senators and congressmen, and Renato Corona, were two lovely reactions to my last outing’s “Many summers ago.”

Cesar Mariano is nostalgic, going down memory lane recalling an “open” countryside, for he, too, had lived through the “great experience of savoring” the fruits of the 17 different trees I enumerated. “Savor” is the correct word to use, for it means “to enjoy or appreciate completely, especially by dwelling on it,” ‘yun bang kahit sa alaala, natatandaan mo pa ang tunog ng mismong lutong ng bayabas na kinagat mo sa iyong kabataan, mula sa puno na naro’n lang sa inyong bakuran..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120413com4.html

Be calm and collected CROSSROADS Jonathan De la Cruz 04/13/2012

Be calm and collected

CROSSROADS
Jonathan De la Cruz
04/13/2012
It is well that P-Noy and Foriegn Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario have decided to lower the decibel on the reported standoff between our biggest warship, the second hand Hamilton class cutter BRP Gregorio del Pilar, and two Chinese patrol boats over the presence of Chinese fishing boats in the Scarborough Shoal (Panatag Shoal to us), an islet 125 miles off the coast of Zambales which we insist forms part of our 200-mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ). There is really no need for us to be aggressive and break a sweat over this latest incident. This matter can and should be resolved in as calm and collected a manner as possible. Saber rattling will not get us anywhere, only sober diplomacy can.

So even as we maintain as we must that the shoal is well within our EEZ we have to consider the realities on the ground. First, the Chinese have probably laid a far stronger claim on the shoal noting that it is included as Huangyan Island in old Chinese maps dating as far back as the 5th century — the so-called six dash nautical sheet. Too, China asserts that the area has always been considered a fishing ground for Chinese fishermen mostly from the nearby Hainan island and thus owned by it..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120413com5.html

RP blinks, pulls out warship By Michaela P. del Callar and Mario J. Mallari 04/13/2012

RP blinks, pulls out warship

By Michaela P. del Callar and Mario J. Mallari 04/13/2012

All that Philippine government’s huffing and puffing against China ended in the Aquino government blinking over the Scarborough Shoal standoff, losing face in the process, as the government ordered the pullout of the country’s warship, BRP Gregorio del Pilar, as a third Chinese ship had entered the fray.

But Manila still claimed that the impasse was not over.

The Philippine warship was removed from the standoff with Chinese vessels Thursday, but Manila said the dispute was far from over with both nations deploying more non-military boats in the area..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120413hea1.html

Government must stop power rate hikes — solons By Charlie V. Manalo 04/13/2012

Government must stop power rate hikes — solons

By Charlie V. Manalo 04/13/2012

On the eve of the government-sponsored Mindanao Power Summit, members of the Anakpawis Party-list trooped to a Meralco business center in Quezon City in a symbolic protest against the latest round of power-rate hikes and demanding that the Aquino government put immediate stop to the upward trend of power rates across the country.

“The Aquino government must stop the nationwide power-rate hikes or be prepared to be declared as an epic failure in addressing the people’s concerns,” Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano said.

Starting this month, Meralco customers will have to pay additional P0.33 centavos per kilowatt hour (kwh) after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) approved Meralco’s petition to increase its generation charge. Customers consuming up to 101 kwh will pay P33.33; P66 more for using 200 kwh; P99 more for using 300 kwh; P132 more for using 400 kwh; and P165 more for using 500 kwh..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120413nat3.html

Boycott SM Baguio — bishop By Pat C. Santos 04/13/2012

Boycott SM Baguio — bishop

By Pat C. Santos 04/13/2012

Calling SM Baguio a “monster,” a Catholic bishop called on the faithful to boycott the mall should it pursue its deforestation plans at its backyard as part of its expansion.

In a statement, Baguio Bishop Carlito Cenzon said boycotting the mall would be an effective way to let the SM management know the community is against its planned deforestation.

“Do not patronize them. Stay away from them,” said Cenzon. “Let’s start the boycott. They already showed how hard-hearted they are.”.... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120413nat4.html

Bro. Eddie to appeal estafa, harassment suit filed against him By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/13/2012

Bro. Eddie to appeal estafa, harassment suit filed against him

By Benjamin B. Pulta 04/13/2012

A lawyer representing influential religious leader Eddie Villanueva yesterday said they plan to appeal the latest decision of the Court of Appeals (CA) upholding the televangelist indictment for estafa which he said was meant to persecute and penalize him for siding with the political opposition at the time.

Villanueva who leads the Jesus is Lord Movement (JIL) through his lawyer Lorna Kapunan claimed the filing of the P15 million estafa case by the previous administration was politically motivated considering that he was then in the opposition.

A ruling earlier issued by the CA had upheld the justice department’s filing of a P15-million estafa case against him before the Mandaluyong Regional Trial Court..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120413met5.html

Eight Koreans arrested for ‘Pitbulls fight’ locked in BI jail 04/13/2012

Eight Koreans arrested for ‘Pitbulls fight’ locked in BI jail

04/13/2012
Eight Koreans arrested recently in San Pablo City and Calauan in Laguna for operating an illegal gambling involving pitbulls are now detained in Immigration Jail in Bicutan, Taguig City.

Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. ordered the Koreans’ confinement after they were released for further investigation by the San Pablo City Prosecutor’s Office and after charges for immigration violations were filed against them.

David said he was disturbed to learn that the Koreans were the same group of foreigners caught by the police in Indang, Cavite last Dec. 3 for engaging in online dogfight operations..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120413met4.html

Bus rams truck on Nlex; three killed, 14 injured By Arlie O. Calalo 04/13/2012

Bus rams truck on Nlex; three killed, 14 injured

By Arlie O. Calalo 04/13/2012

Three persons were killed while 14 passengers were injured after a provincial bus bound for Manila rammed a truck early yesterday morning on the expressway in Valenzuela City.

Dead on the spot were William de Jesus, 54, the bus driver and a resident of Pilar, Bataan; bus conductor Jonalito Junio and a passenger identified as Aguilar Bonza, 49, both residents of Dinalupihan, Bataan.

Responding policemen and medical volunteers rushed the 14 passengers of Genesis Liner with license plate TWJ-568 to the MCU Hospital in Caloocan City..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120413met1.html

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