For Prisco HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 08/11/2010

For Prisco

HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 08/11/2010 Until he received a moderate tongue-lashing from President Aquino in the aftermath of “Basyang,” a rather moderate typhoon compared to the worst ones that hit the country only recently but still resulted in about a hundred deaths, Nilo Prisco had opted to stay in the sidelines of action, unless his services were needed. And oftentimes they were, especially during typhoon months, when Nilo, as our many sources in the Philippine Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration-Department of Science and Technolgy (Pagasa-DoST) have claimed. He would spend countless days in their aging office, sometimes without sleep, as he joined hands with a few other weather scientists in monitoring many a typhoon’s progress, using antiquated equipment, which they have long appealed for it to be upgraded, if not replaced. It was not the first time the Pagasa had come under fire. It had, in fact, made inaccurate predictions many times in the past. I remember years ago when the Pagasa, which was still under a different head, predicted a rainy day that prompted the cancellation of classes in most parts of Luzon, only to see one of the best days I’ve had in my life, which I spent biking with my kids, under the moderate sun and some friendly wind, which reminded me of clear, unpolluted days of my youth..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100811com6.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Usurping congressional power FRONTLINE Arroyo clone FEATURE Winds of political change blow through Malaysian jungles MR. EXPOSE Pagcor jackpot focus US pilots fly Pakistan flood aid to win hearts and minds HE SAYS For Prisco HE SAYS Beyond Prisco

Beyond Prisco HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 08/11/2010

Beyond Prisco

HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 08/11/2010 Out with the old, in with the new. How we would love to say that about the equipment to be found in Pagasa, or as not many Pinoys know, the Philippine Atmospheric and Astronomical Services Administration-Department of Science and Technology (Pagasa-DoST). But what happened recently was that a long-time Pagasa employee and erstwhile chief got the boot when a new face came in, and it was revealed that never the twain shall meet — that is, Malacañang has said “irreconcilable differences” between Prisco and newly-appointed DoST Secretary Mario Montejo have made it impossible for them to work together. One had to go, and that, as we well know, was Nilo Prisco.  It was Prisco who got reprimanded by President Aquino after “Basyang” swirled in and danced around Metro Manila, and Pagasa failed to warn Malacañang about its change of direction in time. Like a marriage that never got a chance to work out, that relationship, too, died long before it could blossom..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100811com7.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Usurping congressional power FRONTLINE Arroyo clone FEATURE Winds of political change blow through Malaysian jungles MR. EXPOSE Pagcor jackpot focus US pilots fly Pakistan flood aid to win hearts and minds HE SAYS For Prisco HE SAYS Beyond Prisco

SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 By Benjamin B. Pulta and Aycth S. de la Cruz 08/11/2010

Noy has Malacañang lawyers answer petitions SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 By Benjamin B. Pulta and Aycth S. de la Cruz 08/11/2010 No restraining order was handed down by the Supreme Court (SC) yesterday after its initial deliberation into two petitions filed by alleged “midnight appointees” of President Arroyo seeking to invalidate the implementation of President Aquino’s Executive Order (EO) Nos. 2 and 3. SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the two suits filed by lawyer Eddie Tamondong, acting director of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Department of Justice Assistant Secretary Jose Arturo de Castro were taken up by the high tribunal during yesterday’s regular en banc session. The Court directed Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to comment on the two petitions within a non-extendible period of 10 days. “There was no TRO issued yet by the Court, but the respondent was ordered to comment on the two petitions within a non-extendible period of 10 days,” Marquez said. EO 2 revoked the appointments of officials appointed by then President Gloria Arroyo on or after March 11, 2010; those who were appointed prior to March 11 but took their oaths and assumed office after the date; or designated during a 45-day ban under the Omnibus Election Code..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed1.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays By Angie Rosales and Gerry Baldo 08/11/2010

Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays

By Angie Rosales and Gerry Baldo 08/11/2010 Fat bonuses and high salaries of executives from government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) reached as much as P47 billion that contributed to the ever growing budget deficit incurred by the previous administration, Sen. Franklin Drilon said. Drilon vowed to seek reforms in this year’s national appropriations, which he said have been misused and abused over the years. The chairman of the Senate finance committee said the huge salaries of government executives will be tabled for discussion on the proposed P1.64 trillion budget for 2011, a 6.8 percent increase from this year’s P1.54 trillion appropriations. Besides the issue of restoring the automatic appropriations of the debt service and preventing the reenactment of the budget, Drilon said the matter concerning fiscal discipline of the GOCCs will be among those the Senate will address when actual deliberations on the budget start. Drilon earlier filed a resolution to enjoin the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the reported excessive and unwarranted salaries and other perks of officials in GOCCs and government financial institutions (GFIs) adding his committee is ready to start the investigation on Tuesday next week. Allies of the administration in the House of Representatives also sought an investigation into the salaries and allowances of GOCC officials..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed2.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally By Aytch S. de la Cruz and Charlie V. Manalo 08/11/2010

Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally

By Aytch S. de la Cruz and Charlie V. Manalo 08/11/2010 Malacañang continues to shrug off criticisms hurled at President Aquino for distancing himself from the highly-denounced compromise agreement between Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) and its farm workers as two of the biggest rural based organizations in the country, the Unyon ng Mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), the mother federation of Hacienda Luisita-based farm worker groups Alyansa ng Mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) and United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU), and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) have declared Aug. 18 as a national day of outrage against the deal. The nationally-coordinated protest will coincide with the scheduled oral arguments at the Supreme Court regarding the five-year old legal case pending before the high tribunal. Lawyers of striking Luisita farm workers led by Jobert Ilarde Pahilga, executive trustee of Sentra Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra) and lawyer Romeo Capulong of Public Interest Law Center (PILC) will represent the Ambala and ULWU in the case, where they are expected to challenge the compromise deal hatched between the HLI management and some union leaders before the high tribunal. UMA national coordinator Edna Velarde and KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos had sent memorandums to their chapters all over the country to conduct demonstrations against the HLI compromise deal.  Aquino’s spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it is not part of Aquino’s mandate to intervene in the affairs of the HLI especially dealing with the farmers’ gripse since it is now considered to be under the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as a result of a case about the issue pending before it..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed3.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao By Aytch S. de la Cruz and Mario J. Mallari 08/11/2010

Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao

By Aytch S. de la Cruz and Mario J. Mallari 08/11/2010 President Aquino is not about to go against American policy, which is to maintain the US forces in Mindanao, rejecting the appeal of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) for him to remove the US armed presence in that region. This simple request was said to have been forwarded by the MILF chairman, Al Haj Murad Ebrahim, who said that American presence in Mindanao merely complicates the restive situation in the region which might get in the way once they start negotiating next month. Malacañang through presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda yesterday said Aquino is committed to resume the peace process without either party laying down a set of preconditions. “We have not set any preconditions so we hope that they (MILF) will not use as a precondition thd US presence in Mindanao that they are talking about. This is an internal problem that can be resolved by the MILF and the government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP),” Lacierda said at a news conference. Murad also reportedly communicated to some members of the media that they have no intention to go back to square one in the peace negotiations that will be facilitated by the new Aquino administration..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed4.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill By Gerry Baldo 08/11/2010

Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill

By Gerry Baldo 08/11/2010 The move to change the Constitution through a constitutional convention (con-con) has been revived in the Lower House with the filing of House Concurrent Resolution No. 4 and House Bill No. 2264. Introduced by Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga, Jr. of the Lakas Kampi CMD, both resolution and bill seek to amend the 1987 Constitution on the ground that its provisions “have seemingly outlived their purpose.” The resolution stated that the “various proposals for amendments to, or revision of the Constitution are essential for this Republic to directly address the basic needs of the people, and to ensure its competitiveness in a highly globalized economy.” In Barzaga’s resolution, the Cavite lawmaker said the Constitution must be able to provide direction and effectively respond to the conditions at various points in the life of a nation and its people. “Calling for a constitutional convention to propose amendments to the Constitution is the most transparent, exhaustive and democratic means of implementing constitutional reforms,” he said. Barzaga said through the resolution, the Congress with the vote of two-thirds of all its members can call for the constitutional convention.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed5.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

AFP grumblings show up in manifesto 08/11/2010

AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

08/11/2010 Despite claiming that the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is non-partisan and professional, with the morale of the military high with a new Commander in chief, grumblings within the military force are still alive, and kicking in an anonymous manifesto that cropped up in Camp Aguinaldo. The manifesto appears to be related to a third wave of top-level reassignments in the AFP that is upcoming, sparked by today’s mandatory retirement of Western Command (Wescom) chief Vice Admiral Hernani Perez and amids criticisms regarding the military’s promotion system. AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said that the AFP’s Board of Generals (BoG) has already submitted its recommendations to President Aquino, through Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin. “We are waiting for the so-called third tranche. We are just awaiting the approval of Commander-in-Chief President Aquino. We will be informing you as soon as it becomes official,” said Mabanta. Perez, who is a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1976, is reaching the mandatory retirement age of 56 today..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100811hed6.html

HEADLINES SC to Palace: Reply to suits vs EOs 2, 3 Budget overhaul, probes set over GOCC fat pays Palace plays coy on HLI deal as tillers plan big rally Noy junks MILF plea; insists on retaining US forces in Mindanao Cha-cha alive again as GMA ally files bill AFP grumblings show up in manifesto

Easy way out of accountability questions EDITORIAL 08/10/2010

Easy way out of accountability questions

EDITORIAL Click to enlarge 08/10/2010 Poll Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, a nominee for the post of Supreme Court (SC) associate justice, who faces criminal and administrative charges related to alleged election irregularities during the 2010 automated elections, lodged before the Ombudsman by the Philippine Computer Society, has asked the Ombudsman to dismiss the charges. He says that being an impeachable officer, the Ombudsman has no jurisdiction over his case. Sarmiento, who wants to be named SC associate justice, can’t get the nod of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) as the rules say that a nominee, or candidate for that high court post gets disqualified due to pending criminal charges filed against him. But there is a problem in the case of Sarmiento in this specific instance. While he may be an impeachable officer, and the case against him is dropped on account of his constitutional status, it must also be evident that if he gets the post, he will virtually no longer have to account for his alleged election irregularities, along of course with his co-accused, the rest of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioners and other officers..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com1.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

Fooling the workers, again FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 08/10/2010

Fooling the workers, again

FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 08/10/2010 Malacañang is hard put in convincing Filipinos that Noynoy Aquino has no hand in his family’s move to come up with that compromise agreement. Even as his spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, insists that Noynoy was not, in any way, involved in the compromise deal, saying that all he was told were “broad strokes” on the move of his clan, few, if any, truly believe that. Lacierda said: “Let me just state, he (Noynoy) had no discussion or involvement in the compromise deal. He was just informed recently of the compromise…He does not know the details.” Can you believe that? Noynoy, even when informed of the compromise agreement, didn’t even bother to know the details, such as SDO retention or land acquisition? Just what kind of compromise agreement did he think it was, that no questions were even asked by him on the details of the agreement? Little wonder that neither Malacañang nor Noynoy is being believed, because it is impossible for Noynoy not to have known about such a family plan. As a matter of record, Noynoy even came out publicly saying that he was elated that the Hacienda Luisita issue is finally settled.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com2.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region FEATURE 08/10/2010

Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region

FEATURE 08/10/2010 COGEALAC — Strong winds sweeping southeastern Romania have long been seen as a curse but as electricity companies are increasingly turning to renewable energy, the area has become a coveted asset. Romania’s decision to open up its wind-power market has triggered fierce competition among investors, several of whom target the Dobroudja region, described by experts as one of the best sites in Europe. In June, Czech company CEZ started operating its first wind energy unit in Romania, at Fantanele, 260 kilometers (170 miles) east of Bucharest. The 1.1-billion-euro ($1.45-billion) energy farm, expected to become the biggest in Europe next year, will have a capacity of 600 megawatts (MW). But CEZ’s plans to expand to the neighboring village of Cogealac have been hampered by Spanish energy giant Iberdrola, which has set its mind on the same site..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com3.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses MR. EXPOSE Amb. Ernesto Maceda 08/10/2010

SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses

MR. EXPOSE Amb. Ernesto Maceda 08/10/2010 The Commission on Audit (CoA) has released the list of the highest paid government officials. The top three are Armand Arreza, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) Administrator who received a whopping P26,865,923.20 in salaries, allowances, bonuses and reimbursements; Clark Development Corp. (CDC) president Benigno Ricafort P14,506,466.74 and Development of the Philippines (DBP) deputy chief executive officer Edgardo Garcia P12,718,842.61. DBP insiders say that president and chief executive officer Rey David receives much more than his deputy Edgardo Garcia. It is to be noted that in the top 12 highest paid, there are six DBP vice presidents, among them Ernesto Bitonio Jr., P9,309,042.75; Rolando Geronimo, P9,080.633.12; Armando Samia, P6,983,533.14; MariaTheresa Quinine P6,753,136.41 and Jesus Guevara P5,672,395.45. Also in the top 20 is DBP vice president Benilda Tejada who received P5,216,275.46. Not listed are the members of the DBP Boad of Governors who received similar fantastic bonuses, allowances and reimbursements. DBP officials are receiving higher pay than Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and Land Bank officers..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com4.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

Development or low-wage economy AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Ken Fuller 08/10/2010

Development or low-wage economy

AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Ken Fuller 08/10/2010 In reality, the argument about the Philippine Airlines (PAL) pilots is about a lot more than that. After 25 pilots and first officers resigned, with the intention of taking up better-paid options with foreign airlines, PAL threatened them with administrative, civil and criminal charges for breaching their contracts. (Criminal charges? What kind of labor relations regime exists at PAL?) With flights canceled, the government stepped in, warning both pilots and airlines about the damage to the tourist industry. Even before this column gets to its main point there is more to this than meets the eye, as it is alleged that some pilots had been forced to transfer to Air Philippines, PAL’s low-cost subsidiary, at reduced wages. (What was that about breach of contract?) Some of the resigned pilots were, reportedly, directly affected by this, while others feared that before too long they would meet the same fate. Furthermore, the Manila Times reports allegations by the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines that, due to cutbacks, PAL flights have been understaffed during recent times.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com5.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack focus 08/10/2010

Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack

focus 08/10/2010 TOKYO — Kim Jong-ki was an 18-year-old forced laborer digging tunnels for a Japanese arms manufacturer in Nagasaki 65 years ago, on the day a US aircraft dropped an atom bomb on the city. Like the other estimated 1,000 Koreans toiling below ground, Kim worked from dawn to dusk in the port city where Mitsubishi Heavy Industries was churning out warships, torpedoes and other wartime hardware. “We were given only poor meals but no payment,” Kim, now 83 and living in his home country, told AFP by telephone. “Every day we saw American warplanes flying from right to left for aerial bombardments of the city.” This year marks the 65th anniversary of the US raid which made Japan the only nation that has ever been attacked with atomic bombs — first on Aug. 6, 1945 in Hiroshima, and three days later in Nagasaki. But for Kim, this year also brings another important anniversary — 100 years since imperial Japan annexed the Korean peninsula..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com6.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma FEATURE 08/10/2010

Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

FEATURE 08/10/2010 CUPRIJA — “I must be the first man in the Balkans to admit that I have been battered by my wife,” Dusan Stojkovic said with a wry smile, speaking from Serbia’s first safe house for battered men. It took a lot for the man who is in his fifties to reach out and get help, breaking a taboo in a country where men still cling to a fierce macho image. Stojkovic has been in the safe house for abused men in central Cuprija, the first in Serbia, since it was founded in July 2009 by the Safety for Men non-governmental organization. “My wife and her daughters (from another marriage ) hit me with baseball bats,” he told AFP, thumbing through his thick legal file. After the beatings, Stojkovic said, his wife accused him of battering her, saying she fought back in self-defense. He assumed this was his spouse’s way to get her hands on his assets: The house and his dog breeding business. The hardest part for Stojkovic was to convince people that, actually, he is the victim. He was jailed for two months following his wife’s accusations, and when he was released he was ordered to stay away from his own home. His wife has kept his house, his assets and his business. “All this is the result of the court’s denial that men can also be victims of domestic abuse,” said Verica Zivanovic, a lawyer who volunteers for Safety for Men.... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100810com7.html

COMMENTARY EDITORIAL Easy way out of accountability questions FRONTLINE Fooling the workers, again FEATURE Wind turns to gold in remote Romanian region MR. EXPOSE SBMA, CDC, DBP excesses AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Development or low-wage economy focus Korean forced laborers remember Nagasaki attack FEATURE Battered Balkan men struggle to overcome social stigma

DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ 08/10/2010

Peasant group goes to SC to nullify Luisita referendum DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ 08/10/2010 Curiouser and curiouser the Hacienda Luisita’s compromise agreement offered to farmer workers has become. Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes, was quoted by Sen. Gregorio Honosan, who had earlier announced his plan of holding an inquiry into the hacienda owners’ compromise agreement, that the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) adopted and implemented during then President Cory Aquino’s time in Malacañang, was already a done deal, and had been the deal for decades now. No new beneficiaries can avail of the SDO of farmers claiming a stake in the Cojuangco family’s Hacienda Luisita as this has been a done deal several years ago, it was stresed, There was, however, no clarification from the DAR secretary on the reason behind the hacienda owners to come up with a referendum on the workers’ options: Whether they want to own land, or to stick to the SDO. Reports quoting the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) officials said that 70 percent of those who had signed up want the SDO maintained. SDO or that of owning a third of the shares instead of owning a peace of land, which was agreed upon as early as 1991 in relationto the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) law which covers the HLI..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed1.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4

Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls By Aytch S. dela Cruz and Mario J. MallarI 08/10/2010

Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls

By Aytch S. dela Cruz and Mario J. MallarI 08/10/2010 Malacañang yesterday dared National Capital Region Command (NCRCom) chief Rear Admiral Feliciano Angue to present his evidence before the proper forum on his recent revelations that some high-ranking officials of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are still following the culture of partisan politics and that this was evident not only during the 2004 poll exercises but also during the last 2010 elections where President Aquino won. Getting into the Palace act was the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) that has also demanded for Angue to execute a sworn affidavit on the information he knows about the election fraud where some military officers and men were engaged in active cheating. According to PPCRV Chairman Henrietta de Villa, having a sworn statement would be the best way to ensure that the statements the military official has been making would hold up in a legal proceeding. De Villa noted that a sworn affidavit would also show that Angue is serious in really determining the truth to the alleged manipulations of the 2004 presidential polls..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed2.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4

Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps 08/10/2010

Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps

08/10/2010 President Aquino is going to keep his hands off the impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez even as a lawmaker said Malacañang is not sending any signal to the ruling Coalition for Peace and Development in the House of Representatives to pursue the cases filed by allies of the Liberal Party (LP). Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara of the Laban ng Demokrationg Pilipino (LDP) said Aquino is distancing himself from the lower chamber in accordance to the policy of separation of powers of the executive and judiciary. “There’s no signal from Malacañang on what to do with the impeachment... As members of the majority coalition, we did not receive signals from Malacañang on which way to go,” he added.  The LDP is part of the ruling Coalition for Peace and Development which is composed of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD faction of former Interior Secretary Ronaldo Puno, the Nationalist People’s Coalition, Nacionalista Party, Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino, PDP-Laban and some party-list groups including Bayan Muna, Gabriela and Kabataan, among others..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed3.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4

Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks By Charlie V. Manalo 08/10/2010

Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks

By Charlie V. Manalo 08/10/2010 Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado “Dato” Arroyo yesterday took the floor to lash back at critics who delivered “unparliamentary” remarks against his mother, former President Gloria Arroyo, now a representative of Pampanga’s Second District.  Without naming names, the younger Arroyo, in his privilege speech, accused Akbayan Rep. Walden Bello and Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño  of abusing their privilege as members of the House of Representatives when they hurled “unfounded accusations” against the former president in the guise of freedom of speech, Monday and Tuesday. “I believe that the privilege speech is a privilege accorded to a member of Congress to express freely for the good of the country,” said Dato. “What happened last Monday and Tuesday, the privilege speech was used under the guise of freedom (of speech) to hurl invectives which is not acceptable to anyone, be it outside or inside the halls of Congress, young or old, male or female.” Making matters worse, Dato said, was that the invectives was aimed at no less than the former head of state, whom he stressed, successfully steered the country “out of harm’s way in the midst of the global financial meltdown.”..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed4.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO4

RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute By Michaela P. del Callar 08/10/2010

RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute

By Michaela P. del Callar 08/10/2010 The Philippine government yesterday said that Southeast Asian nations do not need US help in solving territorial disputes with China over the potentially resource-rich South China Sea. Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo told reporters that negotiations should be strictly between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) and China, without the US or any other party’s involvement. Asked if he supported US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s statement last month hinting at greater US involvement in the South China Sea dispute, Romulo said: “No”. Clinton, in a regional security meeting in Hanoi, Vietnam last month, made it clear that the US wants unimpeded access to the area that China claims wholly as its own and urged parties to reach an agreement on a formal code of conduct to prevent conflict. Asked if he supports the US position, Romulo said: “We have to talk about it within Asean and of course China. It’s Asean and China.” “It’s (between) Asean and China. Can I make myself clear? It’s Asean and China. Is that clear enough?” Romulo told reporters..... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed5.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4

Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4 By Aytch S. de la Cruz 08/10/2010

Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4

By Aytch S. de la Cruz 08/10/2010 The former Office of the Press Secretary (OPS) is now the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) while a new related office called Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) was created under Executive Order 4 released yesterday to formalize the forming of two offices handling the former functions of the OPS that is wIdely believed as a compromise to two feuding groups within the Palace. Critics have said that with the reorganization, three overlapping Cabinet positions will be created for Spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Herminio “Sonny” Coloma, head of PCOO, and Ricardo “Ricky” Carandang, head of PCDSPO resulting in a questionable increase in the budget of what was the former OPS. The three are also considered spokesmen of Aquino.  .... MORE Source:  The Daily Tribune URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100810hed6.html

HEADLINES DAR: Hacienda SDO a ‘done deal’ Palace to Angue: Show proof military engaged in partisan politics in ’10 polls Noynoy hands off on Ombudsman impeach raps Dato breaks silence; Minority to file plaint vs Bello for anti-GMA remarks RP rejects US involvement in South China Sea dispute Three Aquino spokesmen get Cabinet seats under EO 4