It’s more fun to be original EDITORIAL 01/08/2012

It’s more fun to be original

EDITORIAL

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01/08/2012
The Department of Tourism (DoT) reportedly burned buckets of money to come up with the new campaign to sell the wonders of the country and called it “It’s more fun in the Philippines” that turned out to be another plagiarized masterpiece.

It was Switzerland that coined the original concept way back in 1951 and that tourism magnet of a country may have inspired the expensively commissioned outfit to lift its entire tourism program and pass it off as its own original concept.

It is not the first time that the country’s tourism officials were caught red-handed using a copied idea for tourism promotion. Tourism Secretary Ramon Jimenez’s predecessor, Alberto Lim, was also largely assailed for the “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” campaign logo that was identical with that of Poland..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120108com1.html

No big deal FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 01/08/2012

No big deal

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

01/08/2012
Malacaang and naturally, the House prosecutors are making such a big deal out of the claimed statements of assets and liabilities networth (SALn) disclosure of two Supreme Court Justices, Antonio Carpio and Lourdes Sereno, both of whom are perceived to be eyeing the top judicial post and are seen to be robustly cooperating with prosecutors and Noynoy in putting Chief Justice Renato Corona down to get him to resign, for one of them to take over the vacancy.

And guess who asked for the SALn, if not a yellow pro-Noynoy group of Harvey Keh.
But the disclosure isnt a big deal really, since what was disclosed were merely summaries of the SALn that did not disclose details that a SALn would..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120108com2.html

Syria: Heart of a global struggle? (w/ Video)

Syria: Heart of a global struggle?

Thousands attended the funerals of 26 people killed in Friday’s terrorist attack in Damascus. But while the world focuses on violence within the country, Syria is just a pawn in a big geopolitical game, political analyst Jamal Wakim told RT.

­According to the umbrella Syrian National Council – which includes the Muslim Brotherhood – Friday’s bombing "clearly bears the regime’s fingerprints," as cited by AFP..... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/syria-bombing-foreign-plot-341/

Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz if crude exports blocked

Iran says it will close Strait of Hormuz if crude exports blocked

Tehran’s leadership has decided to order a blockade of the strategic Strait of Hormuz if the country’s oil exports are blocked, a senior Revolutionary Guard Commander said as reported by Iranian press.
­The strategic decision was made by Iran's top authorities, Ali Ashraf Nouri said, as cited by the Iranian Khorasan daily.

"The supreme authorities … have insisted that if enemies block the export of our oil, we won't allow a drop of oil to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. This is the strategy of the Islamic Republic in countering such threats," Nouri said..... MORE
Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/iran-ready-block-strait-hormuz-361/

Homeland Security monitors journalists

Homeland Security monitors journalists

Freedom of speech might allow journalists to get away with a lot in America, but the Department of Homeland Security is on the ready to make sure that the government is keeping dibs on who is saying what.

Under the National Operations Center (NOC)’s Media Monitoring Initiative that came out of DHS headquarters in November, Washington has the written permission to retain data on users of social media and online networking platforms. .... MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/homeland-security-journalists-monitoring-321/

New Libya, new friends: NTC welcomes Sudanese leader wanted for genocide (w/ Video)

New Libya, new friends: NTC welcomes Sudanese leader wanted for genocide

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has arrived in Libya for the first state visit with Libya's National Transitional Council. Meanwhile, human rights groups condemn the move as Bashir is wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges.

Upon his arrival in Tripoli, the Sudanese president was met by NTC chair Mustafa Abdel Jalil and other members of the interim government. Bashir offered his nation’s help in disarming Libya’s former rebel fighters and integrating them into the army and police.....MORE

Source:  RT.com

URL: http://rt.com/news/sudanese-president-visit-libya-345/

Impeachment dj vu TABLETS OF STONE Larry Faraon, OP 01/08/2012

Impeachment dj vu

TABLETS OF STONE

Larry Faraon, OP

01/08/2012
Will the Senate beauty and the beast shed real tears and hug each other if ever Chief Justice (CJ) Renato Corona fails to be convicted by the Senate? Who shall be the dancing queen this time at the Senate floor if ever Corona gets acquitted? Will Rep. Neil Tupas and the array of prosecutors walk out of the impeachment court and proceed to where most probably Edsa, again? Of course, the left leaning groups and the civil society would be out there at the overrated Edsa shrine grounds praying with lighted candles and red banners hoping for a reincarnation of a People Power or a dash of lightning current to strike CJ Coronas brain and tender his resignation, which would make trial by publicity or moral force the regular wheel of cyclical justice. Will there be present the likes of an Apostolic Nuncio or a Cardinal Archbishop of Manila ousting a sitting CJ and installing an administration puppet to the post?.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120108com6.html

Group: Slaying affirms RP as no man’s land for media By Gina Peralta-Elorde 01/08/2012

Group: Slaying affirms RP as no man’s land for media

By Gina Peralta-Elorde 01/08/2012
The Philippines had retained the notoriety of being among the world’s most dangerous places for journalists, press freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders said in a statement while at the same time strongly condemning the murder the other day of Christopher Guarin, publisher of the newspaper Tatak News Nationwide and anchorman for radio station dxMD which was the first slaying of a journalist the group recorded for the year.

Guarin was shot dead in an ambush in General Santos City last Thursday.

The group said the forming of an investigative body to look into the slaying was welcome but it noted that similar bodies in the past did not produce “great results.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120108hed2.html

Impeach signatories face raps over unverified writ By Charlie V. Manalo 01/08/2012

PAGUIA, ADAZA ASK SENATE TO FREEZE TRIAL

Impeach signatories face raps over unverified writ

By Charlie V. Manalo 01/08/2012

Administrative and criminal cases are being readied against the 188 lawmakers who have signed the impeachment complaint against Chief Justice Renato Corona for abusing their discretion in transmitting to the Senate the Articles of Impeachment even though it was not verified as required under the Constitution, according to both former assemblyman Homobono Adaza and lawyer Alan Paguia yesterday.

At the weekly Kapihan sa Annabel’s, Adaza and Paguia took turns in explaining why the House members could be liable administratively and criminally based on the impeachment they have “haphazardly” transmitted to the Senate..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120108hed1.html

Healing process for affected studes, teachers in CdO, Iligan starts 01/08/2012

Healing process for affected studes, teachers in CdO, Iligan starts

01/08/2012
After classes resumed on Tuesday, students and teachers in the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan began a journey toward healing.

“Our schools serve as venues for students and teachers to talk about what they have gone through and what they feel buried deep inside,”Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Armin Luistro said. “Talking, sharing experiences, will allow them to process their emotions. The resumption of classes will also allow us to conduct a head count to find out the whereabouts of those who are absent.”

Luistro clarified that affected schools are not holding regular classes during the first few days. “They will be doing mostly prayers, play therapy, and psycho-social debriefing. We will be using alternative delivery modes for learning.”.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120108nat6.html

Quezon blast kills teen, wounds 2 others 01/08/2012

Quezon blast kills teen, wounds 2 others

01/08/2012
LUCENA CITY, Quezon — A bomb explosion killed a boy and seriously injured two other persons in Barangay Paaralan, Plaridel, Quezon on Wednesday, a belated police report said.

Senior Insp. Jaytee Tiongco, Plaridel chief of police, identified the fatality as Nico Alvarez, 15, who suffered multiple wounds in the body and head and died while being rushed to the District Hospital in Gumaca town.


In his report to Senior Supt. Erickson Velasquez, Quezon police provincial director, Tiongco identified those injured as Manilo Caridad, 50 and Arjay Cabanas, 15..... MORE
Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120108nat1.html

Begging whale sharks off Cebu sea stirs debate 01/08/2012

Begging whale sharks off Cebu sea stirs debate

01/08/2012

 Whale sharks begging for food off Cebu sea have sparked a debate on whether feeding the giant fish may ultimately be hurting the creatures, officials said yesterday.

While the mayor of the coastal town of Oslob insists that the practice of feeding the whale sharks does no harm and is good for tourism, environmentalists have recommended that it be halted.

Fishermen in Oslob in the central resort island of Cebu have been feeding whale sharks with baby shrimp since the 1980s and now use this feeding to make the creatures rise to the surface of the water for the amusement of tourists..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120108nat2.html

Quezon blast kills teen, wounds 2 others 01/08/2012

Quezon blast kills teen, wounds 2 others

01/08/2012
LUCENA CITY, Quezon — A bomb explosion killed a boy and seriously injured two other persons in Barangay Paaralan, Plaridel, Quezon on Wednesday, a belated police report said.

Senior Insp. Jaytee Tiongco, Plaridel chief of police, identified the fatality as Nico Alvarez, 15, who suffered multiple wounds in the body and head and died while being rushed to the District Hospital in Gumaca town.

In his report to Senior Supt. Erickson Velasquez, Quezon police provincial director, Tiongco identified those injured as Manilo Caridad, 50 and Arjay Cabanas, 15. .... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20120108nat1.html

Quiapo fiesta revelers asked to refrain from throwing trash By Jason Faustino 01/08/2012

Quiapo fiesta revelers asked to refrain from throwing trash

By Jason Faustino 01/08/2012
The EcoWaste Coalition, a waste and pollution watchdog, yesterday reiterated its appeal for a garbage-free Feast of the Black Nazarene that is expected to draw millions of devotees from near and far.

The group renewed its plea as replicas of the Black Nazarene are paraded this afternoon around Quiapo by faithful followers in the lead up to the massive procession on Monday, Jan 9..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120108met3.html

QC intensifies security to protect taxpayers from crooked individuals 01/08/2012

QC intensifies security to protect taxpayers from crooked individuals

01/08/2012
The Quezon City government has deployed more security personnel and uniformed policemen inside and outside the city hall compound to protect the taxpaying public from unscrupulous individuals and fixers who promise to deliver faster service for a fee.

Mayor Herbert Bautista, in an interview with members of the Quezon City Press Club last Friday, said he ordered concerned QC Hall departments, especially the Department of Public Order and Safety headed by Elmo San Diego, to assign more personnel to the premises of the different income-generating offices where tax payments for business and real property usually peak during the first quarter of the year..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120108met5.html