Melo apes Gloria’s ‘I am sorry’ spiel By Marie A. Surbano and Aytch S. de la Cruz 04/07/2010

Says P700-M poll scam a ‘lapse in judgment’ Melo apes Gloria’s ‘I am sorry’ spiel By Marie A. Surbano and Aytch S. de la Cruz 04/07/2010 Poll Chairman Jose Melo yesterday did a Gloria Arroyo, as he claimed that the commission en banc had a “lapse in judgment” — the same reason President Arroyo used after it was established that it was her voice on the infamous “Hello Garci” tapes, where she was caught ordering then Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Virgilio Garcillano to pad her votes for her to win over the then opposition standard bearer, Fernando Poe Jr., by 1 million votes. But Arroyo never quite apologized for cheating at the polls. What she had admitted to was a lapse of judgment on her part for having spoken to an unnamed commissioner. Melo said much of the same thing, not quite apologizing or explaining why; only saying that the en banc had a lapse in judgment. He also said that the en banc totally scrapped the acquisition of the anomalous ballot secrecy folder which nearly cost the Comelec P700 million..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100407hed1.html

HEADLINES Melo apes Gloria’s ‘I am sorry’ spiel Noynoy: LP open to adopting Lakas bets Elite forces deployed to rescue abducted Swiss SC seeks parties’ comments on CJ case Erap to give Gibo, Noynoy run for their money in Tarlac Villar drops, Erap, Noynoy, Gibo steady —Pulse Asia

Elite forces deployed to rescue abducted Swiss By Mario J. Mallari 04/07/2010

Elite forces deployed to rescue abducted Swiss

By Mario J. Mallari 04/07/2010 The armed forces deployed hundreds of troops yesterday to look for an elderly Swiss snatched by suspected Islamic militants, as friends raised concerns over his frail health. Troops erected road blocks and fanned out across the southern Zamboanga peninsula after gunmen forcibly took Carl Reith, 72, from his beach-front home Sunday night, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) spokesman Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said. Deployed were elite military forces to conduct land and sea operations in pursuit of the abductors, earlier tagged as a combined group of bandits from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and Abu Sayyaf group.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100407hed3.html

HEADLINES Melo apes Gloria’s ‘I am sorry’ spiel Noynoy: LP open to adopting Lakas bets Elite forces deployed to rescue abducted Swiss SC seeks parties’ comments on CJ case Erap to give Gibo, Noynoy run for their money in Tarlac Villar drops, Erap, Noynoy, Gibo steady —Pulse Asia

Comelec can’t count? EDITORIAL 04/07/2010

Comelec can’t count?

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 04/07/2010 Clearly, the claimed cancellation of the close to P700 million contract for “secrecy folders” which is nothing but a poll scam, was yet another “face saving” measure of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners after being caught red-handed foisting a scam on the Filipino people. There was an awarding by the commission for the procurement of 1.8 million secrecy folder costing P3.80 per piece but passed on as P380 per piece--an astronomical overprice. The spin being given by the commissioners, after this scam was bared, was that it was canceling the contract because not only was the price extravagant, but also that the number of folders was beyond the ordinary needs of the commission. But can’t the commissioners and the executive director, Jose Tolentino, along with other poll executives involved in this scam, count?... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com1.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

The new Ateneo way FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/07/2010

The new Ateneo way

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/07/2010 Amazing just how elastic the moral values of the so-called “moral guardians” are. Big business honcho Manuel “Manny” Pangilinan gave a speech before Ateneans which was later found to have been plagiarized from several celebrities abroad, among whom are Oprah Winfrey and JK Rawlings. Only when it hit the Internet through Facebook and other social networking sites, did Pangilinan write a letter of apology to the Ateneo president, Fr. Nebres, admitting that his speech was a case of plagiarism, but that he was taking full responsibility for it. He has asked to be retired as chairman from the Ateneo trust foundation of some sort, and chairman of the Ateneo Alumni Association thing.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

The new Ateneo way FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/07/2010

The new Ateneo way

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 04/07/2010 Amazing just how elastic the moral values of the so-called “moral guardians” are. Big business honcho Manuel “Manny” Pangilinan gave a speech before Ateneans which was later found to have been plagiarized from several celebrities abroad, among whom are Oprah Winfrey and JK Rawlings. Only when it hit the Internet through Facebook and other social networking sites, did Pangilinan write a letter of apology to the Ateneo president, Fr. Nebres, admitting that his speech was a case of plagiarism, but that he was taking full responsibility for it.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ FEATURE 04/07/2010

Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’

FEATURE 04/07/2010 DILI — East Timor police have declared war on mysterious “ninjas” accused of murder and subversion in a new twist to the young country’s struggle to establish security. The latest whispers of ninjas to transfix the nation emerged after the murders of a 15-year-old girl in the western district of Bobonaro on Dec. 22 and a baby boy in Covalima, also in the west, on Jan. 19. Police chief Longuinhos Monteiro donned full military gear to lead the operation, telling reporters that “any ninjas who want to take us on, your final stop will be Santa Cruz cemetery.”... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com3.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

Melai for president! HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 04/07/2010

Melai for president!

HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 04/07/2010 They have screaming fans wherever they go. And if they were political barnstormers, they would be sure winners in the coming May 10 polls. But the tandem of Melai and Jason, which goes with a weird conjunction of “Melason,” was not made for political purposes. Melason is here to entertain, although rather annoyingly for creatures not inclined to following show biz happenings like this rubbernecker, but surely for Rose, my son’s angel for a sitter, who makes sure she follows Melai and Jason’s activities from their Big Brother days, resulting in sleepless nights and late wake up calls. Melason has changed television the way Nora Aunor did to Philippine movies in her prime. Melai is not exactly the Anne Curtis type whom PR man Air Urquiola would love to adorn his dreams. Melai, however, would pass only for La Aunor’s personal assistant, her looks, depending on a scriptwriter and director’s imagination, may be limited only to several roles that would require a fast-talking, Visayan-accented gal who would fall in love with her boy equivalent, a role surely reserved for Jason.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com4.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

That’s entertainment SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 04/07/2010

That’s entertainment

SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 04/07/2010 Melai — or Melissa Cantiveros — was, indeed, asked by Boy Abunda, in his show Bottomline, what she thought of politics in the Philippines. She was asked many questions, from her stand on pre-marital sex to education, and, of course, her burgeoning romance with fellow reality show contestant Jason Francisco. Like many Pinoys, Melai expressed her views with plenty of facial contortions, mainly signifying her dissatisfaction with our government system and proclaiming her aim to try and use her newfound popularity to help others in her own way. For all her comedic wit, this “Inday kengkay” from Gensan showed that she is aware of the sore lack of services in our country, having grown up in a low-income family in the province herself.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com5.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park FEATURE 04/07/2010

Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park

FEATURE 04/07/2010 HEIQIAOMU — In an imperial yellow coat and stylish shades, China’s dwarf emperor toddles from his tiny mushroom house to rapturous applause and a welcoming volley of ear-splitting techno music. Barely a meter tall, the mini-monarch squats proudly on a royal stool as his court of dwarves and midgets — dressed as fairies, warriors, cooks, and monks — regale hundreds of paying visitors with a high-pitched, syrupy ballad. China’s imperial days may be long gone, but this scaled-down version lives on at the “Dwarf Empire,” a popular attraction at a theme park that opened in September in southwestern Yunnan province... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com6.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing ANALYSIS 04/07/2010

Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing

ANALYSIS 04/07/2010 CAPE TOWN — The killing of South Africa’s far-right leader Eugene Terre’ Blanche could tempt isolated retaliation from white extremists, amid fears of flaring racial tensions, analysts say. The attack came as South Africa’s readied to showcase 16 years of democracy at the football World Cup in June. President Jacob Zuma was quick to call for calm early Sunday, just hours after Terre’Blanche’s bloodied body was found on his farm. His extremist Afrikaner Resistance Movement (AWB), which carried out a wave of deadly bombings ahead of South Africa’s first all-race polls in 1994, also urged calm. The AWB, known for its swastika-style emblem and paramilitary style in the past, said it would coordinate its reaction at a meeting on May 1.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100407com7.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Comelec can’t count? FRONTLINE The new Ateneo way FEATURE Timor police declare war on mysterious ‘ninjas’ HE SAYS Melai for president! SHE SAYS That’s entertainment FEATURE Dwarfs a big hit at China theme park ANALYSIS Retaliation could follow Terre’Blanche killing