‘Doppleganger’ Roxas joins Noy’s US mission By Aytch S. de la Cruz 09/22/2010

‘Doppleganger’ Roxas joins Noy’s US mission
By Aytch S. de la Cruz
09/22/2010

President Aquino’s ad-mitted subaltern, defeated vice presidential candidate Manuel Roxas II who some columnists called Aquino’s doppleganger, will be a member of the official delegation in Aquino’s seven-day working visit to the United States as Malacañang confirmed Roxas’ slot yesterday, saying that Roxas’ experience as an investment banker earned him his ticket to the US trip. 

The inclusion of Roxas raised eyebrows as the Palace had said that the delegation will only bring those really needed for the US trip, prompting criticisms that Aquino continues to work under the shadow of Roxas who the Palace said will serve as one of Aquino’s counsels in negotiating with American businessmen.

Two of Aquino’s communi-cations group officials said Roxas’ international expertise and his so-called “connections” with a lot of American business leaders was the principal reason behind his being included in the delegation.

Lacierda said Roxas used to be a banker in New York and has worked with an investment company before, Allen & Co., which is based in Manhattan.

Lacierda added Roxas was serving in his capacity as a personal senior adviser of Aquino and that there is “nothing unusual” about it given the friendship they had with each other for years..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100922hed4.html

Hong Kongers outraged by ‘full of holes’ IIRC report By Gerry Baldo 09/22/2010

Hong Kongers outraged by ‘full of holes’ IIRC report
By Gerry Baldo
09/22/2010

A Hong Kong survivor, Li Yick-biu, and HK legislators were reportedly outraged over the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report, saying the report was “full of holes” and incomplete.

The South China Morning Post yesterday reported that Li criticized the IIRC report, describing it as “full of holes” as it failed to explain whether the severe head injury suffered by survivor Jason Leung Song-xue was inflicted by the hostage-taker or police.

“There are so many doubtful points in the report, especially how Jason was injured,” survivor Li was quoted as saying. “Were his injuries caused by the handle of hostage-taker (sacked police officer Rolando) Mendoza’s rifle or by the police sledgehammer?”

Li also questioned why the accounts of the survivors— Lee Ying-chuen and Jason’s mother, Amy Leung Ng Yau-woon — were not included in the IIRC report.

The IIRC report posted in the online Official Gazette Monday evening stated that the survivors’ affidavits were not included due to lack of material time, although the head of the probe panel, Justice Chief Leila de Lima, earlier had claimed that the three affidavits of the survivors taken in Hong Kong corroborated the testimony of the bus driver in the matter of Mendoza having killed the hostages at close range..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100922hed5.html

Huge P17.6-billion DA budget raises old corruption fears By Gerry Baldo 09/22/2010

Huge P17.6-billion DA budget raises old corruption fears
By Gerry Baldo
09/22/2010

Legislators yesterday questioned the unusually huge budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) even as Anakpawis Rep. Rafael Mariano said the agency’s budget proposal was not clear on where the whopping P17.6 billion allocation would be spent.

During the Arroyo admi-nistration, diversion of funds from DA projects was suspected as the usual sources

of political seed money.

“This lump sum allocation is vulnerable to corruption,” Mariano said.

Mariano demanded that Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala explain how he intends to use the funds allotted to the DA which included the P5.2 billion funding for the nationwide implementation of the National Rice Program, which, according to the lawmaker, is actually a continuation of the irregularity-laden Gintong Masaganang Ani (GMA) rice program under the Arroyo administration.

The lawmaker listed down a breakdown of the P17 billion lump sum fund under DA consisting of P50 million for the Young Farmers Program; P170 million for the payment of right of way; P1.8 billion for the repair of irrigations nationwide; P500 million for the Balikatan Sagip-Patubig; P250 million for the feasibility study and detailed engineering of various projects nationwide; P100 million for the so-called 4H club; P 5.2 billion for the National Rice Program (nationwide); P 483.6 million for the National Corn Program (nationwide); P2.5 billion for the repair, rehabilitation and construction of farm to market roads in key production areas; P926.8 million for high value commercial crops; P682 million for the National Livestock Program and P5 billion for Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100922hed6.html

No definite plan to rehabilitate RP facilities in Spratly — DND 09/22/2010

No definite plan to rehabilitate RP facilities in Spratly — DND
09/22/2010
The Department of National Defense (DND) yesterday maintained that it has no definite plan to rehabilitate government facilities at the Philippine-held territories on the disputed Spratly group of islands on South China Sea.

At a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo DND spokesman Eduardo Batac said the planned visit of defense officials at the Philippine-held Kalayaan Island Group (KIG) is part of the tradition of new leaderships both of the DND and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

“We are not even discussing this… KIG is part of traditional visits of the new leadership whether in AFP or the department to visit outlying outpost. In fact, the trip

might be just a side trip to the visit to Wescom (Western Command). Remember the SND (secretary of National Defense) and the chief of staff are doing the rounds to visit these major commands,” said Batac.

Batac stressed there is no solid plan to rehabilitate government facilities at the disputed islands.

“As far as I know, there is none (on the department level) maybe at the level of the AFP,” said Batac.

The DND spokesman, however, said that if there would be rehabilitation, it would only be on a need basis..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100922nat4.html

No sense of pride and dignity EDITORIAL 09/21/2010

No sense of pride and dignity

EDITORIAL

Click to enlarge

09/21/2010
Unbelievable!

Less than a hundred days into the presidential

office, and too many mistakes are being made by Noynoy Aquino and his boys in Malacañang, so much so that it is already glaringly evident that Noynoy just can’t hack the presidential job, as he remains clueless on almost everything, as well as his clear absence of leadership qualities.

Sen. Joker Arroyo likened the running the affairs of government by the Aquino administration as one run by a student council.

“The government is run like a student government,” he said, pointing out that executive officials, appear to be engaged in what he described as “hit or miss action” on pressing matters.

“Now, in running the affairs of the government, they should also think about how to be effective. Up to now people are waiting for policy directions, even we legislators are waiting. These are the problems. They should wake up. This is the reality of the situation. This is not a student government,” the senator said.

The truth is, a lot of Filipinos share this sentiment, as expressed by the senator. Well over 70 days in the presidential office, there has been no policy direction. The country and the Aquino government are aimlessly drifting at sea with a leaderless captain, not knowing what to do and how to get to land..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com1.html

Bowing to China FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 09/21/2010

Bowing to China

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

09/21/2010
Stop speculating, says the Palace. Just wait for Noynoy to approve the release of the botched hostage rescue report.

That’s easy to say, but speculations were bound to rise, owing to the stupidity of the Palace occupant to take too long to have the report released to the public, made worse when Malacañang announced that the Chinese government takes first crack at the report, when it should be the Filipinos first.

And why shouldn’t there be speculations that the report is being crafted to please the Chinese government as Noynoy says that the panel report is merely recommendatory and that more legal studies are in the offing, apart from refusing to even inform the people just what the report contains?

As things stand today, the speculations have become reality, as Noynoy intimated that changes in the report are forthcoming.

It was a cock and bull story Malacañang wove about Noynoy not having finished reading the 83-page report, three days after its submission. And even worse is that reason his miscommunications officials had for the long delay, stating that Noynoy was reading the report during his “vacant” time..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com2.html

‘Master of blue jeans’ holds key to fashion riddle FEATURE 09/21/2010

‘Master of blue jeans’ holds key to fashion riddle

FEATURE

09/21/2010
PARIS — Workaday staple and fashion favorite, blue jeans have conquered the planet. But were they born in the textile mills of New Hampshire, on France’s southern coast or the looms of north Italy?

Art historians believe they have found a piece of the centuries-old puzzle in the work of a newly discovered 17th-century north Italian artist, dubbed the “Master of the Blue Jeans,” whose paintings went on show in Paris this week.

Running through his works like a leitmotif is an indigo blue fabric threaded with white, with rips revealing its structure, in the skirts of a peasant woman or the jacket of a beggar boy.

“The works are very attached to the detail of clothing — it was very rare for a painter to characterize the poor with such detail,” said curator Gerlinde Gruber, who helped to identify the anonymous artist’s works.

“And there is blue jean in every painting except one,” she said.

Other details in his work, such as a knotted white kerchief in a painting entitled Mother Sewing, enabled curators to locate the scenes in northern Italy, in the region of Venice.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com3.html

Dreaming NO HOLDS BARRED Armida Siguion-Reyna 09/21/2010

Dreaming

NO HOLDS BARRED

Armida Siguion-Reyna

09/21/2010
It’s the state I slip into, whenever our President leaves, whoever the President may be. I make-believe big and gung-ho and with so much optimism, that I invariably get what I want, my wish ko lang. So what, if it’s only in my fancy? The road to somewhere starts from nowhere.

I write this knowing that you shall read it on the anniversary of President Ferdinand Marcos’ declaration of martial law, where then there was censorship and yet understandably so. But I’m going ahead of what I want to say.

I write this knowing that our President Benigno Aquino is off to witness the signing of the $434 million Millennium Challenge Corp. grant in New York between Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima and a representative of the MCC, in its Web site described as “an innovative and independent US foreign-aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty.” 

P-Noy gets to the city that doesn’t sleep Tuesday morning, plunges into meetings with US business leaders, and proceeds to the Waldorf Astoria Hotel on Park Avenue, where he is to be met by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Together they watch the signing of the document aimed “to reduce poverty and spur economic development in the Philippines,” after which they listen to speeches from our Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo and his US ka-level, and then meet..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com4.html

Individualism and retribution AN OUTSIDERS VIEW Ken Fuller 09/21/2010

Individualism and retribution

AN OUTSIDERS VIEW

Ken Fuller

09/21/2010
Whenever I read something in the press to which I might respond in the future, this outsider will copy and paste the piece, saving it in my “Articles” file. (Is this a suicidal anomaly — a newspaper columnist who only reads newspapers on the Internet?) If the column is written fairly soon, it may have to take its place in a queue, behind pieces already awaiting the weekly e-mail to the Tribune. (And what a comfortable feeling it is to have several columns in reserve!)

Sometimes, a copied and pasted piece will, frankly, be forgotten, and by the time I remember it the topic will have become outdated. Then there is the odd occasion when I am struck by something another columnist has written but am unsure precisely what it’s saying to me. On these occasions — and this is one of them — the piece may lay in the file for a few weeks before I take another look at it.

On Aug. 4, Ma. Ceres Doyo had this to say in her Inquirer column: “A wicked smile forms on my lips and a nasty glint appears in my eyes whenever there’s news of car thieves and carjackers, and their ilk — lowlifes from hell — getting mowed down in a bloody gun battle with law enforcers. I feel like shouting, ‘And here’s a few more for your skulls, for the car you stole from me.’”... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com5.html

Khmer Rouge tribunal faces uphill struggle with second trial focus 09/21/2010

Khmer Rouge tribunal faces uphill struggle with second trial

focus

09/21/2010
PHNOM PENH — Three decades after their reign of terror, four Khmer Rouge leaders are finally set to go on trial, but the case poses a major challenge and has been described as “the most complex since Nuremberg.”

A UN-backed tribunal on Thursday indicted four former members of the regime for genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in connection with the deaths of up to two million people between 1975 and 1979.

The accused, whose trial is expected to begin in early 2011, are “Brother Number Two” Nuon Chea, former foreign minister Ieng Sary, his wife and former social affairs minister Ieng Thirith and former head of state Khieu Samphan.

“Some people have said, and I believe they are right, that this is the most complex trial since the Nuremberg trials,” said outgoing co-investigating judge Marcel Lemonde, referring to the landmark Nazi trial after World War II.

The indictments set the stage for the second trial at the hybrid court — made up of Cambodian and international legal officials — following a landmark conviction in July that saw former prison chief Kaing Guek Eav sentenced to 30 years for overseeing the deaths of 15,000 men, women and children..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com6.html

Faded dreams for Mozambican labors in East Germany FEATURE 09/21/2010

Faded dreams for Mozambican labors in East Germany

FEATURE

09/21/2010
MAPUTO — A handful of tattered photos are all that remain of Mozambican Anacleto Amade’s two years in East Germany, where he worked in the 1980s under a labor scheme between the then-communist allies.

But his memories of friendships abroad and walking in the snow are scant comfort now. Like most of the 15,000 Mozambicans sent to work in East German factories, Amade said he has never been paid his full wages.

“When I see those pictures, the emotion is enormous, it is big. It is the size of the world. Because no one’s story is the same,” the 41-year-old said.

While in East Germany, the Mozambicans were paid only 40 percent of their salaries, they say. They were told the rest was sent to Mozambique for investment and pay-out upon their return.

But after the Berlin Wall fell in 1989, the labour pact ended and they were sent home to a nation that was still a Cold War proxy battlefield. They received only about $350 (270 euro) each.

The Mozambicans in East Germany worked in steel, construction, manufacturing and textiles industries from 1979.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100921com7.html

Legal eagles bid to defend Erap in US case Angie M. Rosales 09/21/2010

Legal eagles bid to defend Erap in US case
Angie M. Rosales
09/21/2010

Topnotch lawyers are volunteering to defend former President Joseph Estrada in a $120-million civil suit filed by the daughters of slain publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer before a California court last week against Estrada, fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson and five other accused, Estrada’s son, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said.

The young Estrada ex-pressed confidence that efforts to implicate his father on the kidnapping and killing more than a decade ago of Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito, will prove futile.

“There are a lot of topnotch lawyers who are offering their services for free. We are very confident that the case against (former) President Estrada will not prosper,” he told reporters in an interview yesterday.

The senator was reacting on reports on the filing of a $120-million civil suit that Dacer’s daughters had filed at a Northern District court in the State of California.

The former leader described this move as “absurd” adding that the filing of the case was a desperate act on the part of the Dacer siblings to continue to pin him down on the case.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100921hed2.html

Luisita standoff on, as framers, lawyer walk out By Benjamin B. Pulta 09/21/2010

Luisita standoff on, as framers, lawyer walk out
By Benjamin B. Pulta
09/21/2010

mediation talks are a hair’s breadth away from stalling in the Supreme Court-initiated mediation over the Cojuangco family owned Hacienda Luisita two weeks after it started.

At the end of its fourth conference

yesterday parties still could not come to terms on the options available to the management and farmers.

A lawyer representing a group of farmers walked out of the session. 

Lawyer Jobert Pahilga, who represents a faction of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid ng Hacienda Luisita (Ambala), said his clients opted to withdraw their participation in the mediation proceed-ings in the belief that HLI is sticking to its stock distribution option (SDO) scheme to avoid distribution of the 6,453-hectare sugar estate in Tarlac.

Pahilga and his clients left the SC conference room 

in the middle of the closed-door discussions despite an order last week from the high court for them to continue participating in the mediation despite an earlier manifestation of lack of interest..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100921hed4.html

Gov’t caretaker unnecessary — Binay 09/21/2010

Gov’t caretaker unnecessary — Binay
09/21/2010
Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday said he has no problem with President Aquino’s “no caretaker” policy for his one-week working visit to the United States.

“With all the available communications technology

, appointing a caretaker would be unnecessary since the President can constantly keep in touch with the Cabinet and key government officials,” he pointed out.

Aquino is addressing the United Nations

General Assembly and meeting with US President Barack Obama and counterparts from Southeast Asia as well as top US businessmen during his first overseas trip as President of the Republic.

Binay, in a state-ment, said for him “what is important is that the day-to-day business of govern-ment remains unin-terrupted.”

He added he has been instructed by Aquino to perform certain duties and that he will perform these as instructed.

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. also yesterday advised Cabinet members that they may have to be on call “24/7” while Aquino is on a seven-day working visit to the US..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100921hed3.html

Noy won’t act on report; lawyers to study findings By Aytch S. dela Cruz 09/21/2010

Officials, mediamen, 3 TV networks named

Noy won’t act on report; lawyers to study findings

By Aytch S. dela Cruz
09/21/2010

Probability is high that President Aquino may not entirely uphold the recommendations presented to him by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) which he had tasked to probe the botched hostage rescue operations when a sacked police officer seized a tourist bus and killed eight foreigners last Aug. 23.

Aquino said he has ordered his Chief Presidential 

Legal Counsil Eduardo de Mesa and Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. to conduct a thorough review on the IIRC’s list of individuals and institutions it has found culpable in the police’s bungling of the crisis operations.

“It’s possible that I may subscribe to the entirety; I may add to the recommendations; I may diminish some of the actions. I repeat those are all recommendations — recommendatory. I will have to go into the details to explain that. But, again, the bottom line is, let us find the appropriate cases — be it criminal or administrative —supported by the facts and even if they’re winnable,” Aquino explained in a short press conference he held in Malacañang hours prior to his departure for the United States yesterday.

He stressed that there will be no decisions made until after he returns from his trip, and after the report has undergone study by Palace lawyers..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100921hed1.html

AFP warns of backlash for scrapping P1-B KBP By Mario J. Mallari 09/21/2010

AFP warns of backlash for scrapping P1-B KBP
By Mario J. Mallari
09/21/2010

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday warned of the backlash of the scrapping of the P1 billion a year Kalayaan sa Barangay Program (KBP) which is part of the holistic government approach against insurgency as it brings infrastructure projects to communist-infested areas throughout the country.

At a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. cited the KBP’s positive impact to the government’s internal security operations (ISO) during the past years due to projects undertaken under the program.

Mabanta said the KBP was allotted with P3 billion since 2008 up to this year to fund road projects, construction of bridges and school buildings, and other necessary infrastructure in far-flung areas.

“There will be effect in insurgency effort in some areas… because part of the counter insurgency efforts is to show the people that progress goes into their areas, if this does not come we will be questioned,” said Mabanta as he explained that KBP projects are focused on rebel-infested areas apparently to deliver government services..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/nation/20100921nat3.html

DSWD asked to justify P30-B ‘Dinky doleouts’ 09/21/2010

DSWD asked to justify P30-B ‘Dinky doleouts’
09/21/2010
Members of the upper chamber have directed the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to justify the P30-billion increase in its budget next year, intended for the Aquino administration’s dole-out program.

Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, during the Senate’s budget hearing, was told to present documents as to how the government intends to carry out the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program that is said to have caused the increase of the department’s appropriations for 2011 by 123 percent.

Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero joined those questioning what some of his colleagues noted as “lopsided” spending priorities of President Aquino in the proposed P1.6-trillion national budget for next year.

The lawmaker raised a howl over the cuts in the appropriations of 55 government hospitals across the country which will have a combined slash of over P1 billion.

For one, Escudero said, “overstretched hospitals” need cash transfers as much as poor do.

“Putting more beds, doctors and medicines in hospitals is as much as a pro-poor initiative as putting money in their pockets,” he added..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100921hed6.html

Of apples and oranges EDITORIAL 09/20/2010

Of apples and oranges

EDITORIAL

Click to enlarge

09/20/2010
It is difficult to comprehend the logic behind the Palace’s insistence in digging up the past extravagant trips abroad of Gloria in announcing the composition of the delegations and the itinerary of Noynoy in his seven-day working visit to the United States, a trip which he and his boys are making sure of being portrayed as significant, being the new President’s maiden visit.

The US visit can be likened to a pilgrimage to Mecca among most of the country’s presidents and the supplication for divine intervention is almost strikingly similar in both occasions.

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa came up with a rundown of the foreign trips last year of Gloria, including her valedictory visit to the land of milk and honey that became historic because of the $20,000 tab on a bacchanalia at the opulent Le Cirque that was so extravagant that it merited a space in the gossip column of the New York Post.

The Palace also lent Ochoa a hand in arguing for a P25-million budget for the US trip, ridiculously indicating that Noynoy would be eating out of a hotdog stand in New York to save on food expenses. It is, as expected, a great overkill in Palace PR, which falls flat on credibility..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com1.html

Filipino last policy FRONTLINE Ninez Cacho-Olivares 09/20/2010

Filipino last policy

FRONTLINE

Ninez Cacho-Olivares

09/20/2010
It will be China first, before the Filipinos — as far as getting the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report, which just shows that Noynoy Aquino and his government don’t bother to prioritize their citizens first.

If the IIRC had been a joint probe, with Chinese representatives in the panel, then it would have been right for the Philippines and China to give each other their respective analyses. Or, even if it had been a matter of separate inquiries conducted, then a simultaneous exchange of reports would have been in order.

But to first send the IIRC report to the Chinese Embassy in Manila before its contents are made public to the Filipinos shows just how little Noynoy regards the Filipino and their interest.

As things stand, there appeared to be hedging on the release of the report to the Filipinos by Malacañang. Since Friday, when the report was submitted to Noynoy by the Justice chief, Leila de Lima, the Palace propagandists claimed that Noynoy had not finished reading the 83-page report, since he was just doing this on his “vacant” time, as he is also preparing for his US trip and other matters.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Aquino is poring carefully over the IIRC report which also has 10 volumes of annexes attached to it which he claimed was the reason Noynoy is taking a long time to finish reading..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com2.html

In hungry region, South African maize may feed Chinese chickens FEATURE 09/20/2010

In hungry region, South African maize may feed Chinese chickens

FEATURE

09/20/2010
JOHANNESBURG — South Africa produces too much maize (corn). Its neighbors not enough. But rather than feeding its neighbors, South Africa’s surplus maize may feed Chinese chickens, due to regional worries about genetically modified crops.

South African farmers grew 13 million tons of maize in the harvest that ended around May. That included a surplus of four million tons, an excess that has pushed down prizes and threatens to bankrupt 10,000 farmers.

“The industry was not prepared for what happened. The surplus was causing panic. Over-production is not a sustainable way of producing,” said Mariam Mayet of the African Center for Biosafety.

Most of South Africa’s neighbors had bumper harvests as well, driving down demand.

But even countries like Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi, which suffer chronic food shortages, refuse to accept South African maize because of worries about importing genetically modified organisms.

South Africa began planting genetically modified crops in the 1990s, and now they account for 57 percent of all maize planted in the country. Often the harvests are mixed together at mills, so that importers consider all maize as genetically modified (GM)..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com3.html

BSP (Bunk-O Sentral ng Pilipinas) DIE HARD III Herman Tiu Laurel 09/20/2010

BSP (Bunk-O Sentral ng Pilipinas)

DIE HARD III

Herman Tiu Laurel

09/20/2010
Nowhere can a Filipino find more bunk in this bunk rich land than at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which again boasts of an expansion in the country’s gross international reserves when the value of the currency it keeps is in danger of imminent massive crash. That means Filipinos will be holding close to $50 billion of worthless bunk, or US T-bills, when the music stops. But do Tetangco, Guinigundo, Paderanga et al. give a hoot? Would they even bother with the thought of more Filipinos finding themselves in the poorhouse once the dollar crash descends upon the world, since they are paid tens of millions anyway to keep the farce alive? Quite simply, this kind of bunk, in tandem with the Department of Finance (DoF)’s peso bonds, will be our final ruin.

A whole spectrum of financial and currency analysts, as well as scholars — from renowned economists such as New York University Professor Noriel Roubini to similarly prestigious Mark Solomon — have already projected the dollar crash between now and the middle of 2011.

According to Roubini, “If markets were to believe, and I’m not saying it’s likely, that inflation is going to be the route that the US is going to take to resolve this problem, then you could have a crash of the value of the dollar… The value of the dollar over time has to fall on a trade-weighted basis, but not necessarily relative to euro and yen.”

Solomon adds, “…a 20-percent drop in the value of either a stock or financial holding over a period of time is considered a crash. The US dollar already crashed from 120 on the USDX down to its current level of 75. This 45-point drop, or roughly 33-percent drop, over several years, meets the definition of a crash.”

A growing number of Filipinos who are becoming aware of this but still cannot do anything, as the Aquino government is simply clueless as can be, must therefore keep on educating fellow Filipinos on this.

Last week the Japanese Central Bank intervened by buying up dollars to support it. Take this news two days ago: “Japan props up dollar for first time since 2004… for the first time in six years, selling the yen to buy dollars. It follows a surge in the value of the Japanese currency to a 15-year peak which was spooking business leaders worried about its effects on exports…”

The BSP, in turn, is building up precarious US dollars while the DoF issues more debts in the $1-billion peso bonds, which are inevitably dollar debts because all of its transactions will still be in dollars. Despite the DoF’s Foolish-ima spin, the Philippine peso is not of reserve quality anywhere.

At the same time, Malacañang’s P15-billion public-private partnership (PPP) projects which are really taxpayer-driven, will give sovereign guarantee funds again to the plutocrats and US crony capitalists, who are now boosting the local stock market.

Foreign portfolio investors always smell easy, quick, and gargantuan profits whenever PPP-type projects in power, water, infrastructure (such as tollways), etc. are given special financial packages guaranteed with taxpayers’ and consumers’ money.

These inelastic or unavoidably necessary public utilities, which used to be a right of any citizen and provided free or for the most minimal of costs since the public funded them, were, under the Yellows’ political-economic philosophy beginning with Cory Aquino, converted into profiteering opportunities for private enterprises, with complete disregard for public welfare and development. For this reason, state revenues will continue to dwindle and public institutions will have to rely more and more on other means to survive.

These economic and financial policies are directly connected to such issues as the current “Juetengate” bedeviling the new Aquino. Jueteng is now the only source of funds for the Philippine National Police (PNP) top brass to maintain a lifestyle befitting of members of the ruling class. After all, what’s all the hardship for if not to give them the wherewithal to put their children into exclusives schools, travel on European junkets, and have the latest cars and the money to run for elections? Aren’t most members of the ruling class living it up, say, on the sinecure of a congressman’s “pork barrel,” which come from debts such as the Foolish-ima peso bonds, which in turn increase the state’s penury and inability to sustain itself?

PeNoy Aquino knows the realities of life in government; he has seen it all since childhood. Surely, he’s not about to start a rebellion in the police brass by really cracking down on that illegal numbers game.

Archbishop Oscar Cruz’s campaign against the “immoral” jueteng is also a bunk-load in the contradiction that he personally faces for not condemning all forms of gambling such as church bingos, raffles, sharing in horse racing proceeds, and legalized gambling that impoverish and break up families. And if he condemns jueteng because it is illegal, then it is another contradiction for him not to endorse its legalization.

Contradictions make for a lot of bunk; so does hypocrisy; even fraud. Although some priests can almost beat the Bunk-O Sentral ng Pilipinas in its amount of bunk, in the end, the financial sector still beats ‘em all. With the help of controlled mainstream media, many Filipinos still unconsciously swallow them in leaps and bounds. This space, however, will continue to try its darn best to expose the bunk to save our fellow citizens from it.

(Tune in to Sulo ng Pilipino, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. on 1098AM; watch Politics Today, Tuesday, 8 p.m. to 9 p.m., with replay at 11 p.m. on Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 21; visit our blogs, http://newkatipunero.blogspot.com and http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)

(Reprinted with permission from Mr. Herman Tiu-Laurel)


Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com4.html

RP tourism ends Hong Kong push after hostage deaths focus 09/20/2010

RP tourism ends Hong Kong push after hostage deaths

focus

09/20/2010
The Philippines has announced that it will stop marketing its tourist attractions to Hong Kong as the key market is lost after a hostage-taking fiasco left eight persons from the southern Chinese territory dead.

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said the government would instead focus its marketing efforts on other countries to hit the target of 3.3 million arrivals this year from just over three million in 2009.

“Going to Hong Kong at this time would be wrong. They would say we are only after their business. We should show sympathy instead,” he added.

The Chinese territory issued a an alert warning against all visits to the Philippines after a sacked police officer hijacked a tourist bus in Manila, killing eight Hong Kong visitors as police mounted a bungled rescue.

The Aug. 23 bloodbath outraged China and Hong Kong residents and prompted many prospective visitors to cancel. Some tourists already in the country left abruptly before their tours were completed.

It was a huge loss, with Hong Kong and China accounting for nine percent of tourist arrivals in the Philippines, according to the Tourism department..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com5.html

How do you stop jueteng? HE SAYS Aldrin Cardon 09/20/2010

How do you stop jueteng?

HE SAYS

Aldrin Cardon

09/20/2010
’Twas a simple query, but only a few of the less than 10 active and former government and police officials to whom I threw this question had the balls to answer that it can’t be stopped. Not here, not now.

One former official of the Ramos administration even shared his experience when he backed out of an offer to lead the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) shortly after meeting with suspected and known illegal gambling operators at that time — most of them gun-wielding and uncompromising.

They have a language of their own. They move in many circles — including politics, and could fund candidates on his way to Malacañang. Their money

could have made past presidents, too; and it is now being brazenly claimed that money from illegal gambling had crept into Noynoy’s campaign kitty, although there is no proof to these claims yet.

A couple of top officials in Noynoy’s Cabinet and police force, however, have been already linked to receiving blood money from jueteng.

And Interior and Local Goverment Undersecretary Rico Puno and recently retired Philippine National Police Chief Jesus Versoza were named as recipients of jueteng payola, money ranging from P2 to 5 million and delivered weekly (on the 8th, 15th, 22nd and 29th of the month) by another ranking police officer with relations to one of the named officials..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com6.html

Good luck with that SHE SAYS Dinah S. Ventura 09/20/2010

Good luck with that

SHE SAYS

Dinah S. Ventura

09/20/2010
How tempting it must be to stop all efforts of stamping out the illegal numbers game called jueteng. If you can’t lick ‘em, join ‘em! After all, some local officials have revealed that they are using jueteng payoffs to fund local disbursements like funerals, baptisms, hospitalization and the like.

Erap, or former President Joseph Estrada, has said as much. He believes jueteng should be legalized so that government can use earnings from it to fund key projects. Where the Small Town Lottery (STL) has failed, a legalized jueteng can work. But can it really?

Now that jueteng has crept into the picture to darken President Noynoy’s door, people are wondering if something as insidious and entrenched can ever be conquered even by someone whose candidacy rode on a squeaky clean image.

It all began when Retired Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz said a couple of officials in the Aquino administration were receiving monthly payoffs from the jueteng operators. Asked about this by media, the President’s remark — to the effect that the rumored P2 million a month payoff per official was too cheap — was taken in different ways.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/commentary/20100920com7.html

Tampered report to please China, HK possible — Joker By Angie M. Rosales 09/20/2010

NOYNOY TO MAKE STATEMENT BEFORE LEAVING FOR U.S. 

Tampered report to please China, HK possible — Joker

By Angie M. Rosales
09/20/2010

It is possible Malacanang may have tampered with the findings and recommendations of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) to suit the concerns of the Chinese government, the reason for the long time it took them to make public the report scheduled today, three days after President Aquino received the report last Friday from the fact-finding body on the bloody hostage incident, an opposition senator said yesterday

While he was cautious to be misinterpreted as throwing accusations at the Palace, Sen. Joker Arroyo said the possibility is not remote 

as he himself raised questioned as to why the Executive opted to have China get a first crack of the anticipated report of the fact-finding panel on the Aug. 23 hostage incident.

“The problem there is, when they (Malacanang) keep on talking about Hong Kong and China, what do they intend to do? Will they make corrections? We don’t know if they will make corrections to please Hong Kong,” Arroyo said.

Aquino may make a brief statement regarding the IIRC report before leaving for his seven-day working visit to the United States today, according to Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma. 

Coloma declined to give details, saying the public should just await for the President’s statement regarding the report. The IIRC report has been in President Aquino’s hands since Friday afternoon and he is reviewing it thoroughly, Coloma said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed1.html

Noy’s 2011 budget lopsided, favors doleouts — solons By Angie M. Rosales 09/20/2010

Noy’s 2011 budget lopsided, favors doleouts — solons
By Angie M. Rosales
09/20/2010

The spending priorities under the proposed P1.6-trillion national budget for next year appear skewed and not directed in solving the nation’s prime problems, senators said yesterday.

Senators Edgardo Angara and Joker Arroyo, in separate radio interviews, gave similar observations as they both scored the indiscriminate cuts in the appropriations of some vital line agencies and instead providing huge amounts for so-called dole-out programs.

“This measure was not carefully studied as far as priorities are concerned. It does not address the nation’s concerns on poverty and unemployment. Instead of promoting productivity, increases in agriculture and research and development, they slashed the funds intended for these items and predominant increase is given to the dole-out program,” said Angara.

“Is this the start of a dole-out society? A welfare-oriented society? This is not sustainable. We cannot sustain and afford a system of dole out,” he added.... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed2.html

No caretaker during Noy’s US trip — Palace 09/20/2010

No caretaker during Noy’s US trip — Palace
09/20/2010
President Aquino will continue to run the government himself while on his week-long visit to the United States, a Palace official yesterday said.

According to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda, Aquino had issued a memorandum to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa and members of his Cabinet detailing his instructions while he is away.

The memorandum states that first, the President shall continue to exercise all the functions of his office as stated in the Constitution and the law; and second, the Executive Secretary shall sign all papers that are ordinarily signed by him or under the authority of the President, Lacierda told a press conference aired over dzRB.

“The President will continue to have authority over the Executive branch even in his absence during his trip to the United States,” he added.

Lacierda said the memorandum also contained instructions for the members of his Cabinet which include “attending to and deciding on matters that pertain to their respective departments.”

“On those matters that require approval of the President, in case urgent action is needed, approval shall be obtained by the fastest and most convenient means of communication,” Lacierda said..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed3.html

Abu leader who kidnapped Americans gunned down 09/20/2010

Abu leader who kidnapped Americans gunned down
09/20/2010
Government security forces yesterday killed an elusive sub-leader of the terrorist Abu Sayyaf Group involved in the kidnap of three Americans nine years ago which led to the death of two of them, a ranking military official said.

Abdukarim Sali, alias Benjamin Sali, was killed by soldiers and police in the southern island of Basilan before dawn, Western Mindanao Command (Wesmincom) chief Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino said.

He added the firefight lasted for about 10 minutes after which the Abu Sayyaf bandits fled to different directions, leaving behind Sali’s body.

The troops are scouring the remote areas of Lantawan town in pursuit of the fleeing bandits, Dolorfino said.

“He was involved in the Dos Palmas kidnapping of the Americans and the Filipinos,” he added.

An Abu Sayyaf band raided the island resort of Dos Palmas in 2001, seizing Christian missionary couple Gracia and Martin Burnham and fellow American Guillermo Sobero and a number of Filipinos..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed4.html

Asistio attests to Erap, Dacer cordial meeting 09/20/2010

Asistio attests to Erap, Dacer cordial meeting
09/20/2010
A close friend of former President Joseph Estrada, former Caloocan Rep. Luis Asistio, attested through an affidavit the cordial relationship between Estrada and publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer two days prior to Dacer’s disappearance on Nov. 24 as a US district court gave Estrada, fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson, and five other accused 21 days to respond to the $120-million civil suit filed against them by Dacer’s daughters in relation to the slaying of Dacer 10 years ago.

The Northern District Court in San Francisco, through its clerk of court, issued summons against the accused to answer the charges.

Asistio in an affidavit obtained by The Tribune stated that on Nov. 22, 2000, or two days before Dacer disappeared, he was with Dacer in a dinner who then asked if he can join Asistio who had a scheduled meeting with Estrada, then the President, at 10 p.m.

“So, I called President Estrada by phone and told him that I was on my way to Malacañang and asked if I could bring a friend. He inquired who the friend I was bringing was, and I told him ‘Bubby Dacer, my kumpadre.’ He immediately answered, ‘Of course, I’ve not seen him for a long time and he is also my kumpadre.’ So at 10 pm, Dacer and I proceeded to Malacañang,” Asistio related.

Asistio said that when they arrived at Malacañang, Estrada himself greeted him and Dacer in front of his residence at the Palace. “I distinctly recall that the atmosphere was very cordial and intimate. Bubby Dacer and President Estrada were laughing and hugging each other, and one can notice that they were both relaxed an it seemed they haven’t seen each other ‘for ages,’ in a manner of speaking,” Asistio added..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed5.html

‘JV’ pushes journalists’ protection bill 09/20/2010

‘JV’ pushes journalists’ protection bill
09/20/2010
Filipino journalists

found an ally in a lawmaker when San Juan Rep. Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito took the cause of newsmen against abuses and in getting better pay and working conditions.

Ejercito filed House Bill (HB) 3160 which seeks to protect the welfare of journalists by instituting a comprehensive benefits and compensation package for them, including exemption from travel tax, terminal fees and payment of hazard allowances. 

The bill also provides the formulation of a Code of Profes-sional Conduct for Journalists. 

Filed recently, the legislative measure also seeks to extend to journalists the freedom against interference and coercion. 

HB 3160 imposes a five- to 10-year prison sentence and a maximum fine of P100,000 on persons found guilty of wilfully interfering to restrain or coerce a newsman from exercising his duties..... MORE

Source:  The Daily Tribune

URL: http://www.tribuneonline.org/headlines/20100920hed6.html