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Two years is an added burden – parents

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Two years is an added burden – parents


By ANNE MARXZE D. UMIL and IGAL JADA SAN ANDRES
Bulatlat.com
Main story: K+12, worsening shortages to greet school opening
Related stories: Rushed trainings, lack of materials mar implementation of K to 12
Lawmakers expect problems on June 4 school opening

MANILA – If there is someone who worries about the implementation of the K to 12 program – it’s the parents. The addition of two years to basic education does not sit well with the parents especially those who work hard just to send their children to school.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd), one of the benefits of the K to 12 program is that it is affordable. However, the Alliance of the Concerned Teachers (ACT) said the additional two years in the four years of high school is an additional cost to parents.

“How can it be affordable when the DepEd added two years to the four years of high school? Of course it is an additional cost to parents. A parent does not only spend money in tuition but also in transportation, school projects and food,” said France Castro, secretary general of ACT..... MORE

SourceBulatlat.com

URL: http://bulatlat.com/main/2012/05/30/two-years-is-an-added-burden-%E2%80%93-parents/

Lynch mob prevails EDITORIAL 05/31/2012

Lynch mob prevails

EDITORIAL
Click to enlarge
05/31/2012
The conviction of Chief Justice Renato Corona came grudgingly for most of the senator-judges who voted, by their own admission, based on their belief of the quasi-political nature of the impeachment process which in plain language would be going along with the herd that holds Corona of having exploited his position as head of the Supreme Court (SC) to enrich himself.

The vote declaring Corona guilty of the allegation in the second impeachment article of his not having fully disclosed his wealth in his statement of assets, liabilities and networth (SALn) was indeed overwhelming and so did the expression of reservations for most of the votes.

Watching some of the judges labor through explaining their vote to convict was perhaps similar to witnessing the pain of Pontius Pilate wash his hands after handing Jesus Christ to the mob..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120531com1.html

All pain, no gain FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 05/31/2012

All pain, no gain

FRONTLINE
Ninez Cacho-Olivares
05/31/2012
Just what did the nation gain in getting the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court impeached and convicted, especially as the Aquino administration used up all the resources of government to attain that which he had wanted even before he assumed the presidency in 2010?

In the past five months, when Noynoy Aquino’s focus was entirely on demonizing Renato Corona and ensuring his conviction, hardly anything moved by way of improving the economy or for that matter, improving the plight of the poverty-stricken Filipinos.

The mantra of Noynoy was setting up Corona as the example of his determination to rid the judiciary of graft and corruption and reforming the courts, although too many Filipinos see through that hypocritical mantra, as it is much too clear that the obsessively vindictive Noynoy made this conviction his personal fight against yet another perceived political foe identified with the previous administration..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120531com2.html

US ready to act on Syria outside UN?



US ready to act on Syria outside UN?


The US has hinted at taking actions against the Syrian regime bypassing the authority of the UN Security Council. This comes as pressure is piling up on Damascus following massacre in Houla that claimed over 100 lives.

US Ambassador to the UN Susan Rice has said that if the council does not take swift action to pressure Syrian authorities to end 14-month crackdown on the anti-government uprising, the Security Council members may have no choice but to consider acting outside the UN.

Members of the international community are left with the option only of having to consider whether they are prepared to take actions outside of the Annan plan and the authority of this council,” Rice said on Wednesday after the 15-member council met in a closed door session to discuss last week’s massacre..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://www.rt.com/news/us-sanctions-syria-un-649/

Obama's kill list - All males near drone strike sites are terrorists

Obama's kill list - All males near drone strike sites are terrorists


Depending on whom you ask, the Obama administration has either executed hundreds of civilians abroad with poorly planned drone strikes or none at all. A new report, however, finally offers insight into those conflicting conclusions.

A New York Times article published on Tuesday unearths a lot of information about the White House’s largely secretive drone program: despite being a hallmark of the presidency of Barack Obama, authorities working under the commander-in-chief — as well as Obama himself — are for the most part mum when questions arise about the administration’s ongoing air strikes by way of unmanned robotic aircraft. In particular, the question of civilian casualties and the death toll of innocent Afghans and Pakistanis who have lost their life at the hands of Washington’s war machine are often left unanswered or, even worse, addressed differently. According to the Times’ latest write-up, though, the Obama administration has some scandalous opinions on who can and can’t be killed by its murder program..... MORE

SourceRT.com

URL: http://rt.com/usa/news/drone-strike-obama-casualties-604/

Abortion — What is it? VIEWPOINTS Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz 05/31/2012

Abortion — What is it?

VIEWPOINTS
Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz
05/31/2012
This article — together with the two following others — is especially and ardently dedicated to those who are performing abortions, as well as those who are assiduously moving and decidedly promoting the passage of the notorious “Reproductive Health Bill.”

The only reason behind this article and the two hereafter coming, is one and the same: Do not say that you have not been told, have not been warned. Say not wherefore that you do not know that the said bill — which is a population control legislative priority of no less than the Commander-in-Chief — does not include abortion, considering that some contraceptive pills are also abortive in content and finality. So it is than when contraception fails, abortion takes over eventually to also lessen people.

Question: What is abortion? In plain and direct language, abortion is the deliberate killing of an unborn human being while still in the maternal womb and herein growing moment by moment, day by day.
Abortion is a deliberate killing — knowingly, willingly, intentionally — of a yet unborn child. Abortion is the purposeful slaughter of a human being when still in the mother’s womb and where the same stays from the conception to his or her joyful and triumphant birthday..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120531com6.html

Dictatorship creeps in INSIDE CONGRESS Charlie Manalo 05/31/2012

Dictatorship creeps in

INSIDE CONGRESS
Charlie Manalo
05/31/2012
With the conviction of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice (CJ) Renato Corona by the Senate in its capacity as an impeachment court, President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino was finally to fit in the last two remaining pieces in the puzzle signaling the start of his quest for a dictatorial rule.

First, the Senate’s overwhelming vote to convict the Chief Justice was a clear indication that Noynoy may now be in control of the two chambers of Congress, one of the rare instances it had happened, with the last one occurring during the time of the late President Cory Aquino, who scored a whopping 22-2 victory over the opposition led by former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada and now Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile.

Of course, the situation then was understandably in favor of Cory, Noynoy’s mother, as the people were still then euphoric over the first Edsa uprising which toppled the regime of the late strongman, President Ferdinand Marcos Sr..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20120531com5.html

Victory bash at Palace lasted until early morning By Fernan J. Angeles 05/31/2012

Victory bash at Palace lasted until early morning

By Fernan J. Angeles 05/31/2012

Moments after the Senate impeachment court ruled to convict Chief Justice Renato Corona, a fleet of cars with special plates bearing number “8” swarmed Malacañang Palace in what a top Palace official claimed as an unexpected visit of the House prosecutors eagerly excited to share the victory to the President.

The unex-pected visit lasted until 2 in the morning sources said was an apparent victory party for the ousting of Corona.

Answering media queries, deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte confirmed (in a text message) that President Aquino had unexpected visitors Tuesday night hours after the chief magistrate, on a vote of 20-3, was convicted by the Senate impeachment court which found Corona guilty for violating Article II of the first impeachment complaint against an SC chief justice..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120531hea6.html

Not Drilon nor Carpio as CJ, Noynoy urged By Angie M. Rosales 05/31/2012

NO ACTING CHIEF JUSTICE ALLOWED IN CHARTER — ENRILE

Not Drilon nor Carpio as CJ, Noynoy urged

By Angie M. Rosales 05/31/2012

A day after the ouster of Renato Corona as head of the Supreme Court as a result of a Senate impeachment court vote to convict him, the next logical question is who takes his place but what was mostly offered yesterday are those who should not assume the post of Chief Justice.

A close Palace ally in the Senate yesterday hinted the inclination of President Aquino to pick an “outsider” of the Supreme Court as replacement of Corona.

Unless the Chief Executive has already had a change of mind recently, Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero said he would be proven wrong.

In his various television appearances and radio interviews, Escudero was consistent in underscoring this fact that from what he personally knows on the matter is that the President’s inclination is to choose from those outside of the SC..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120531hea1.html

SC to vote on PCOS purchase sans Corona By Benjamin B. Pulta 05/31/2012 A Supreme Court minus impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona will take up the cases ques-tioning the allegedly anomalous multibillion-peso contract for supposedly defective vote counting machines to be used in next year’s elections. Speaking to reporters, acting spokesman Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra announced that “the court has resolved to place in the agenda of June 13, 2012 the Comelec-PCOS (Commission on Elections-Precinct Count Optical Scan) machines case where it will be put to a vote.” The SC is-sued last April 24 a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM from proceeding with the contract.

SC to vote on PCOS purchase sans Corona

By Benjamin B. Pulta 05/31/2012

A Supreme Court minus impeached Chief Justice Renato Corona will take up the cases ques-tioning the allegedly anomalous multibillion-peso contract for supposedly defective vote counting machines to be used in next year’s elections.

Speaking to reporters, acting spokesman Ma. Victoria Gleoresty Guerra announced that “the court has resolved to place in the agenda of June 13, 2012 the Comelec-PCOS (Commission on Elections-Precinct Count Optical Scan) machines case where it will be put to a vote.”

The SC is-sued last April 24 a temporary restraining order (TRO) enjoining Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM from proceeding with the contract..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120531hea2.html

KL pardons 3 Pinoys on death row 05/31/2012

KL pardons 3 Pinoys on death row

05/31/2012
Three overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) have been saved from the death penalty in Sabah after the Malaysian government granted them pardons, Vice President jejomar Binay said.

The Philippine Embassy in Malaysia identified the three as Basir Omar, Jaliman Salleh and Aldipal Hadani.

In his talk with Malay-sian Foreign Minister Dato’ Sri Anifah Aman last Tuesday, Binay, also the presidential adviser on OFW concerns, thanked the Malaysian government for granting the pardons..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20120531hea4.html

BoC, DA urged to go after smugglers of agri products By Benjamin B. Pulta 05/31/2012

BoC, DA urged to go after smugglers of agri products

By Benjamin B. Pulta 05/31/2012

A holiday on the sale of rice, vegetables, fish, pork and chicken is being mulled by leaders of the agricultural sector to force the government to dismantle the smuggling syndicates.

“We do not want to come to that point but the continued inaction leads us to the strong possibility of a market holiday to dramatize our point against the continued smuggling of foodstuffs which is threatening the local agricultural producers,” Abono chairman and Swine Development Council director Rosendo said, adding the allied industries of the pork and chicken sectors have decided to join them in forming a united front to confront the problems of uncontrolled smuggling and over-importation.

The group called on Customs Commissioner Rufino Biazon to institute the necessary mechanisms to check rampant syndicated smuggling of agricultural products..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120531met1.html

86 schools and universities, 65 dorms found violating fire safety regulations By Gina Peralta-Elorde 05/31/2012

86 schools and universities, 65 dorms found violating fire safety regulations

By Gina Peralta-Elorde 05/31/2012

At least 86 schools and universities and 65 dormitories in Metro Manila have been found by the Bureau of Fire Protection to have violated certain fire safety rules and regulations.

BFP officer-in-charge Chief Supt. Samuel Perez in a report to Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse Robredo said of the 86 schools and universities inspected, 46 were in Manila, 21 in Muntinlupa, 11 in Makati and eight in San Juan, while the 65 dormitories were from the city of Manila.

The inspection was conducted by teams from Manila Fire District under Fire Marshal Felixberto Abrenica, San Juan fire marshal Chief Insp. Gilbert Dolot, Makati fire marshal Supt. Ricardo Perdigon and Muntinlupa fire marshal Chief Insp. Rodrick Aguto..... MORE

SourceThe Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/metro/20120531met4.html

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