‘Abusive’ South Koreans rile Davao councilors

Davao City report by Kristina Canlas/Tim Calamba
THURSDAY · JULY 26, 2007 · 2:50 pm

Davao City councilors Bonifacio Militar and Susabel Reta said they have received complaints of South Korean businessmen not paying their Filipino employees properly. Some South Koreans in the city, Militar said, are also behaving arrogantly. The two councilors promised to draft resolutions that would investigate the business practices here of the foreigners.

DAVAO CITY — Councilor Bonifacio Militar has sought an investigation of some Koreans doing business in Davao City whom he criticized this week for allegedly abusing the country’s laws.
In a speech at the City Council this week, Militar cited complaints he said his office had received about Korean businessmen not paying their Filipino employees the required minimum wage.
Aside from this violation, Militar also said some of these businessmen have put up tourist establishments without consulting with local tour operators. Several, he added, do not even have the required visas to do business in the country.
The councilor said he would also look into the nature of ownership of some of their businesses in the city in light of the law that foreign nationals or companies are allowed only limited ownership of businesses and investments in the country.
South Koreans are now the top tourists to the Philippines. They are all over the Philippines and have established residences in many cities like Davao, taking advantage of the low cost of living. Many Korean businessmen in the city are into all sorts of business — restaurants, tour agencies, bars, real estate to language teaching schools. “We welcome them but they must respect our existing laws,” Militar said.
Earlier in his speech, Militar mentioned his dislike with the way some Korean businessmen behave. One case he noted was a Korean-built golf course where, he said, the Koreans managing the facility were “arrogant.”
Militar said he would soon introduce a resolution that would look into these cases. He also said he would ask the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to investigate the complaints that the councilor had received.
Militar’s sentiment was shared by Councilor Susabel Reta, who said she would also draft an ordinance protecting local tour operators. “No Filipinos could even put up a business in Korea but here in Davao City, they just swarm here,” Reta said.

OFWs, nawalan ng halaga

Ulat ni Joanne Rotone
WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

Mistulang walang halaga kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang bilyung-bilyong pisong remittances ng milyun-milyong overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) na siyang nagiging sandigan ng gobyerno sa mabilis na paglago ng ekonomiya ng Pilipinas.
Ito ang pahayag ni Gabriela party-list Rep. Liza Maza bilang pakikiramay sa mga nagtatampong OFWs na nakalimutang kilalanin ni Pangulong Arroyo sa kanyang State of the Nation Address (SONA) noong Lunes.
Sa panayam kay Maza, sinabi nitong hindi masisisi ang mga OFW na magtampo kay Arroyo dahil sa kabila ng kanilang mga isinakripisyo ay hindi sila pinahahalagahan ni Arroyo.
"Oo nga naman, matindi ang sakripisyo ng ating mga OFW, hindi man lamang sila nilingon ni Gloria. Ano naman ‘yung pasalamatan sila kahit papaano," ani Maza.
Magugunitang bagama’t nabanggit ni Arroyo ang mga OFW sa kanyang talumpati, hindi naman ito nagbigay ng kaukulang pagkilala at pasasalamat sa kontribusyon ng mga kababayang nagtatrabaho sa abroad sa paglakas ng piso sa halip ay mistulang inangkin nitong lahat ang kredito sa paglago ng ekonomiya.
Ipinaliwanag ni Maza na kung hindi dahil sa OFWs, hindi magkakaroon ng maraming reserbang dolyar ang Pilipinas. Bagama’t sila ang natatamaan sa paglakas ng piso kontra dolyar, ang mga OFW ang dahilan kaya pumalo ngayon sa P45:$1 ang exchange rate sa Pilipinas.
Maliban dito, wala ring inilatag na programa ang administrasyon para pangalagaan ang mga OFW gayong maraming manggagawang Filipino sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng mundo ang nahaharap sa mga kaso at problema.

Gringo, duda kay Erap

Ulat ni Louis Fojas/Jorie Montano
WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

Umusbong ang pagdududa ni Sen. Gringo Honasan sa sinseridad ni dating Pangulong Joseph Estrada na pamunuan nito ang hanay ng oposisyon matapos na lumutang na mayroong naganap na usapan sa pagitan ng Malacañang at ng dating pangulo para mahati ang puwersa ng oposisyon noong 2004 elections.
Ayon kay Honasan, maaga pa ay nararamdaman na nila na mayroong ganoong kaganapan, bagama’t wala naman siyang personal na pagkakaalam na nag-usap nga ang dating pangulo at ang emisaryo ng Malacañang para mabiyak ang oposisyon.
"Kung pagtugma-tugmain baka may pinagmulan ito, sinasabi ko lang pero hindi ako nag-e-speculate, isang agam-agam na baka nga mayroong naganap na ganoong usapan," paliwanag ni Honasan na tumayong chief security ni FPJ sa naturang halalan.
Nauna rito ay kumalat sa internet ang binansagang "Hello Erap" scandal hinggil sa naging pakikipag-usap ni dating Pangulong Estrada sa isang influential person ng Malacañang upang pahinain ang puwersa ng oposisyon, kapalit ng paglusot ni Sen. Jinggoy Estrada sa senatorial elections noong 2004.
Base sa transcript ng diumano’y conversation ng dalawa na naganap noong Abril 19, 2004 sa kasagsagan ng selebrasyon ng kaarawan ng dating pangulo sa Tanay, Rizal, pinagbilinan umano ng influential person sa Malacañang si Estrada na siguruhin na hindi magkakaisa sina FPJ at Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
"Boss, papunta na raw po diyan si Ping at si Da King. Ikaw na ang bahala sa amin ha. Dapat hindi sila magkasundo...Alam n’yo naman medyo mabigat pag nagkasundo sila," pakiusap umano ni influential person kay Estrada.
"Oo, huwag kang mag-alala. Ako ang bahala. Basta wag mong pababayaan si Jinggoy ha," sagot umano ni Estrada sa kanyang kausap.
Mariin itong itinanggi ni Sen. Estrada at sinabing maaaring bahagi lamang ito ng paninira sa oposisyon.
Sa hiwalay na panayam, sinabi naman ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel na may narinig na rin siyang ‘tsismis’ hinggil sa sinasabing "Hello Erap" scandal. Gayunman, ayaw munang magbigay ng komento ng senador hinggil dito.
Sinabi naman kahapon nina Sens. Francis Escudero at Loren Legarda na kailangan muna nilang marinig ang nasabing ‘tape conversation’ bago sila magbigay ng komento. Kapwa naman duda ang dalawa sa katotohanan ng tape.

PGMA, 'di pa rin bababa sa 2010

Ulat ni Fonsi Elca

WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

May balak pa rin si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo na manatili sa puwesto pagkatapos ng kanyang termino sa 2010 dahil sa mga matalinhaga nitong pahayag sa kanyang State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) sa Kongreso noong Lunes.
Ito ang pag-aanalisa ni Senate majority leader Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan matapos na hindi sabihin ng Pangulo kung kailan siya bababa sa puwesto kasabay pa ng babala na susuwagin niya ang mga taong magiging sagabal sa pag-asenso.
"Sinabi niya ‘when I step down’ ngunit ‘di niya sinabi kailan. Sinabi niya ‘di siya magiging hadlang sa ambisyon ng iba sa 2010, ngunit may hirit pa, na huwag lang silang maging hadlang sa progreso. So, ang tanong: ang progreso ba ay naka-angkla sa kanya?" pag-uusisa ni Pangilinan.
Ipinaliwanag ng senador na parang pinalalabas ng Pangulo na mananatili pa rin siya sa puwesto kung may mga taong hahadlang sa progreso ng bansa.
Aniya, dapat umanong maramdaman na ng Chief Executive na ayaw na sa kanya ng taumbayan, patunay rito ang resulta ng nakaraang senatorial elections kung saan tatlong kandidato lamang mula sa administrasyon ang nakalusot.
"Maliwanag sa huling eleksyon, na ayaw na ng taumbayan sa kanya. Kailangang maging vigilant ang mamamayan at mapagbantay upang di mangyari ito," diin ni Pangilinan.
Umani naman ng kantyaw mula sa Kamara ang pahayag na ito ni Pangilinan na nauna na ring inilutang ni Senate President Manuel Villar.
Tinawag ni Palawan Rep. Antonio Alvarez ang pahayag ng dalawang senador na "way off line".
"Either they were asleep or they didn’t hear what she said. She will not be talking about legacy if she’s not leaving. She even said to the effect that her successor will harvest the fruits of the reforms she had planted," ayon kay Alvarez.

Bagong buwis nagbabadya sa P1.227-T budget proposal

Ulat ni Tim Calamba
WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

Nangangamba ang mga kritiko ng Pangulong Arroyo na baka pahirapan na naman ng bagong mga buwis ang karaniwang Pilipino.
“Are we to expect another round of new taxes and increases and charges, levies rates, duties and other fees of government services and transaction or are we Mrs. President going to borrow again?” pahayag ni Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.
Tiniyak ng Malacañang na walang bagong buwis at hindi rin mangungutang dahil ang inaasahan na pantustos ay ang P100 bilyon na inaasahang mapapagbentahan sa shares ng gobyerno sa San Miguel Corporation at Philippine National Oil Company-Energy Development Corporation (PNOC-EDC), ang kompanya ng gobyerno sa negosyo ng langis et enerhiya.
“There will be something that will be done by the BIR [Bureau of Internal Revenue] and the Bureau of Customs and then the difference can be covered by privatization which is part of the non-tax revenue," sabi ni Finance Secretary Margarito Teves.
Pero paalala ni Sen. Mar Roxas, dapat magdahan-dahan ang gobyerno at baka maibenta ang mga pag-aari nitong mas kapaki-pakinabang sa mga tao.
Ang dapat daw balikan ng gobyerno ay ang mga ahensyang hindi naman nagawa ang trabaho nilang kumubra ng tamang buwis.
Kampante naman ang Palasyo na may pondo para sa P1.227 trillion na panukalang budget para sa 2008.
Kasama doon ang P2.6 bilyon para sa computerization ng halalan.
Nais na maihabol ito sa 2008 Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections at 2010 presidential elections.
Magbubuhos din ng pera sa infrastructure, education, health, science at technology at housing.
Pinakamalalaki pa rin ang budget sa Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of National Defense (DND), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) at Department of Agriculture (DA).
Ayon sa ulat, P30 bilyon ang inilalaang pampasweldo sa mga empleyado ng gobyerno habang P11 bilyon naman ang para sa salary standardization para maiparehas na ang sahod sa gobyerno sa sweldo sa pribadong sektor.
Sakaling maisabatas ang ihahaing panukala, maglalaan sila ng P75 bilyon taon-taon hanggang 2010.

Foreigners reported missing in Indonesia turn up in Singapore

Asian report by Karen Lazo/AP
WEDNESDAY · July 25, 2007 · 04:32 PM

JAKARTA, Indonesia - Four foreigners reported missing and feared kidnapped in Indonesia were never in the country and are actually in neighboring Singapore, officials said Wednesday.
''It was a false report,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Kristiarto Legowo, adding that police had called in for questioning a woman who initially claimed the foreigners were missing. Officers were investigating her motives, he said.
Indonesia said earlier police were investigating reports that an American, Italian, Singaporean and Japanese were missing in the city of Surabaya after opening a language school there.
However, Legowo said the four had not been in Indonesia.
All four are in Singapore, and have been barred from leaving the city state because of an unspecified legal case, said Dedi Prasetyo, the top detective in Surabaya.
Indonesia has been hit by a string of terrorist attacks in recent years and there has been speculation that Islamic militants could turn from suicide bombings to kidnappings and assassinations.

Teves: Balanced budget by 2008 still doable

Business Report by Denise Gonzales
WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007 · 04:23 PM

The Philippine government is confident that it will be able to balance its budget by next year, and raise enough revenues to fund the entire P1.227 trillion budget proposed for 2008.
In a statement released jointly with Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said the government will raise a total of P1.236 trillion revenues next year, more than enough to fund the proposed 2008 budget.
“This means that we will have a zero budget deficit or a balanced budget by the end of next year," Teves said.
“The combined revenues from both tax and non-tax sources will allow us to be on track with our fiscal consolidation program without sacrificing on spending particularly for infrastructure development to enhance competitiveness and provide better social services for our people," he added.
The statement comes a day after international ratings agency Fitch Ratings said the country's fiscal performance for the first half of 2007 was "disappointing." Fitch also said the government is bound to overshoot its P63-billion budget deficit target for the year, in turn endangering the completion of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's ambitious infrastructure projects.
Fitch said the country will likely end 2007 with a deficit of P125 billion. The projection does not count proceeds from privatization, which the government expects to come in at P100 billion.
In the latest statement, Teve said the Bureau of Internal Revenue will raise P844.95 billion the Bureau of Customs will collect P254.5 billion next year. This then, will be complemented by non-tax revenues from government owned and controlled corporations, government financial institutions and social security institutions.
“With these revenues, we will be able to fully fund the P1.227 trillion budget for next year, including the infrastructure projects mentioned by the President in her SONA," Sec. Rolando Andaya said in the statement.
Secretary Teves said that the government remains on track with its goal of balancing the budget, despite recent slippages in tax collection.
The budget deficit ballooned to P41.9 billion in the first half, P9.7 billion above target and already 65 percent of the full-year goal. This was because revenues fell short of target by P47.7 billion.

Raps readied vs suspect in shooting of RGMA exec

Report by Cristina Canlas
WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007 · 04:10 PM

The National Police's Task Force USIG is preparing charges of frustrated murder and illegal possession of firearms against the suspect in the shooting Wednesday of the station manager of GMA Radio Network in Bacolod City.
In a statement, TF USIG commander Director Geary Barias said the suspect, identified as Romeo Corgo, reportedly a deputized enforcer of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) in Bacolod City, is already undergoing investigation at the Sagay City Police Station in Negros Occidental.
Corgo was immediately arrested after he shot Ferdinand "Bambi" Yngson, 46, station manager of RGMA, at the Sagay City Public Market Wednesday morning.
Yngson sustained gunshot wounds from the "sumpak" or improvised shotgun used by Corgo. He is now being treated at a hospital in Bacolod City.
Barias is expected to proceed to Sagay City to personally assess and supervise the investigation, on orders of PNP chief Director General Oscar Calderon. Calderon and other police officials were in Iloilo City when the shooting incident happened.
Barias, who is concurrently the Director for Investigation and Detective Management, said he is not discounting the possibility of personal grudge as motive for the crime, as well as all other angles.
Barias noted that Yngson had been critical of alleged anomalies involving the suspect at the local LTO branch in Bacolod City prior to the shooting.
The TF USIG was created in May last year by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to address killings of militants and journalists in the country, which have spurred since 2001 when she rose to power.
The task force has taken cognizance of 27 cases of journalists' killings since that time, 21 of which have already been filed in court.

Ombudsman OKs criminal raps vs Jaylo, 12 others

Report by Donita Rose Villarama
3:51pm WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

A former aide of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim in the police force is in hot water once more following the approval of the Office of the Ombudsman to file criminal charges against him and 12 others in connection with the alleged illegal arrest and detention of a travel agency operator in 2005.

n a resolution, Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez affirmed the recommendation of the Justice department to file charges of Usurpation of Authority and Serious Illegal Detention against Reynaldo Jaylo, SPO1 Romero Noriega, PO1 James Emmanuel Pineda, PO3 F. Ponce, PO3 Francisco Quito, PO2 Geronimo Opelac, Lucio Margallo IV, Cresencion Cabasal, William Valenzona, Rodolfo Sosa, Rosauro Dalisay, Nicasio Ramoran and Dorvin Peña.

All were former members of the defunct Presidential Anti-Illegal Recruitment Task Force (PAIRTF) whose existence expired on July 9, 2005.

Aside from the filing of charges, the Ombudsman also referred to the National Police Commission (Napolcom) the proceedings of an administrative case against the respondents.

The case against Jaylo and his group stemmed from a complaint filed by Monaliza Banzon, wife of Kenneth Banzon, senior vice-president of Filipinas-Global Travel and Tours Corporation, before the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) alleging that the AIRTF agents illegally detained the businessman on suspicion that he was engaged in illegal recruitment.

Records showed that Kenneth was arrested by PAIRTF operatives on Sept. 27, 2005 without any warrant of arrest or any court order and despite the fact that AIRTF had ceased to exist as early as July that year.

The businessman was said to have been brought to the defunct task force's office and was held there for days.The Banzon couple's lawyer wrote a letter to Jaylo demanding his client's release but it was not heeded. Even the decision of the Manila regional trial court Branch 173 ordering the release of Kenneth on Oct. 5, 2005 was also ignored.

hese prompted the NBI to elevate the case to the DOJ, which found probable cause to charge the respondents.

The DOJ panel also recommended that Jaylo be charged as co-conspirator for he was the head of the defunct PAIRTF at the time of the commission of the offense.

Some of the respondents sought the referral of their case to the Office of the Ombudsman which subsequently found that the DOJ "correctly found probable cause for the crime of Serious Illegal Detention against the respondents.

"The Ombudsman further ruled that the respondents' power to act in accordance with the AIRTF's function to combat illegal recruitment "ceased to exist as the office has only a duration of one (1) year or until 9 July 2005. Thus the abduction and detention of Kenneth Banzon on 27 Sept. 2005 was way beyond the respondent's authority to operate granting that they have the power to do so.

"On the charge of usurpation of authority, the Ombudsman said that Jaylo and his group's acts of arresting and detaining Kenneth Banzon purportedly on complaints for estafa and large-scale illegal recruitment without the necessary legal authority made them liable under Article 177 of the Revised Penal Code.

Just this April, Jaylo had been convicted by the Sandiganbayan for the killing of two military officials and a civilian during a supposed drug buy-bust operation in 1990.

Killed were Army Col. Rolando de Guzman, Major Franco Calanog, and Avelino Manguera. The incident happened at the Magallanes Commercial Center in Makati City on July 10, 1990.

The Sandiganbayan First Division found Jaylo, former Patrolman Edgardo Castro, Private First Class William Valenzona and Pfc. Antonio Hablo guilty of homicide and sentenced them to a minimum of six years and one day to a maximum of 14 years, eight months and one day in prison.

The respondents have been at large since although their lawyers have filed a motion for reconsideration before the antigraft court. Jaylo had been closely associated with Lim dating back to their days at the Manila Police Department.

Rambulan sa Senado, strike 2!

Ulat ni Jay Bustamante

WEDNESDAY · JULY 25, 2007

INAMIN kahapon (July 24) ni Senador Francis "Chiz" Escudero na apat silang mga senador sa oposisyon na may interes na masungkit at makuha ang makapangyarihang Senate Blue Ribbon Committee ng Senado.

Hindi aniya dapat mapunta sa administration senator ang nasabing komite para maging masusui ang imbestigasyon sa mga kontrobersiyal na isyu.

Nabatid na bukod kay Chiz, interesado rin sina Senador Panfilo Lacson, Aquilino Pimentel Jr. at Alan Peter Cayetano sa nasabing komite.

Ayon kay Escudero, okey lang umanong hindi ito mapunta sa kanya, basta isa sa opposition senators.

Tiniyak din nito na mananalo ang panig ng oposisyon pagdating sa botohan sa plenaryo ng Senado dahilan sa mas lamang ang bilang ng oposisyon kumpara sa adiminstrasyon.

Inamin din ni Escudero na pabor din maging si Senator Villar na ang iuupong chairman ng Blue Ribbon Committee sa Senado ay manggagaling sa panig ng oposisyon.

Masusubukan muli ang oposisyon kaugnay sa nasabing isyu makaraang mahati ito dahil sa alitan sa kung sino ang iuupong "Senate President" kung saan pinagbintangan ni Lacson sina Senate President Manny Villar, Senate Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, Cayetano at Escudero na tumalon na sa bakod ng administrasyon.

1 pa militante, patay

Ulat ni Bonsai Fojas
MONDAY · July 23, 2007

ISA na namang miyembro ng militanteng grupong Anakpawis ang pinatay ilang araw matapos paslangin ang chapter president nito sa Tacloban City, Leyte.
Kinilala ang nasawi na si Rogelio Randy Picoy, 30 anyos, miyembro ng Philippine Guardians Brotherhood Incorporated (PGBI) at sinasabing police asset.
Namamalengke umano ang biktima dakong 5:30 ng madaling araw sa palengke ng naturang lungsod ng biglang inatake ng apat na hidi nakikilalang kalalakihan.
Ang insidente ay nagbunsod din para mabaril at masugatan ang isang tindera na nakilalang si Teresita Cadena.
Itinuro naman ni Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran ang militar na nasa likod ng pamamaslang sa kanilang mga miyembro.

Noong Miyerkules (July 18), pinagbabaril din ng mga hindi nakilalang salarin si Charlie Solayao, presidente ng Anakpawis Tacloban Chapter.

4 senador, political mongrels –Lacson

Ulat ni Peter Araza
MONDAY · July 23, 2007

PEKENG oposisyon ang ibinansag kahapon ni Senador Panfilo Lacson sa apat nitong kapwa senador na sumanib sa administrasyon para mailuklok lang sa Senate presidency si Manny Villar.
“They will always be remembered as political mongrels who turned their backs on their colleagues and helped compose the new majority bloc in the Senate in collaboration with mostly administration senators,” diin ni Lacson.
Bagaman hindi pinangalanan ni Lacson ang apat na senador, halatang pinasasaringan nito ay ang mga bagitoni sina Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, datihang senador Jinggoy Estrada at Villar.
Sinabi ni Lacson na kahit ano pang gawin ng mga ito para patunayan na sila ay oposisyon, wala pa ring maniniwala dahil lumabag ang mga ito sa isang agreement na ang lahat ng oposisyon na senador ay susuporta bilang isang united bloc, subalit hindi ito nangyari.

Binigyang diin ni Lacson na ang mga senador na ito ay hindi base sa individual personalities kundi sa kanilang affliation sa political opposition.

4 Abu Sayyaf, 12 pa nakapuga

Ulat ni Carlo Tirona
MONDAY · July 23, 2007

UMAABOT sa 16 katao, kabilang ang apat na miyembro ng Abu Sayyaf Group ang nakapuga sa Basilan Jail kahapon (July 20) ng madaling araw.
Nakilala ang apat na puganteng Abu Sayyaf na sina Heting Askalin, Enteng Anjil, Abu Sampan at Wakil Sampang.
Nabatid na sa pagitan ng alas-2 hanggang alas-4 ng madaling-araw naganap ang jailbreak.
Iniimbestigahan na ng pulisya kung paano nagkaroon ng lubid sa loob ng selda sa Basilan jail.
Pinagtali-taling kumot at lubid ang ginamit ng mga pugante sa kanilang pagtakas matapos lagariin ang rehas na bakal ng bintana ng kanilang selda.

Harina galing China, may formalin din?

Ulat ni Carlo Gonzales/Jacqueline Mica Kishida
MONDAY · July 23, 2007

HINDI lang kendi at iba pang pagkain, at mga cosmetic products ang dapat suriin ng Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) kundi ang mga harinang ipinapasok din ng bansang China.
Ayon kay Jess Aranza, Presidente ng Federation of Philippine Industries Inc., dapat ding ituon ng BFAD ang kanilang pagsusuri sa mga sangkap na ginagamit sa pagluluto tulad ng harina.
Dagdag nito, maraming harina ang pumapasok galing sa China at malaki umano ang posibilidad na kontaminado rin ito ng kemikal na hindi angkop for human consumption.
Mahalagang masuri ito dahil pangunahing sangkap ito sa paggawa ng tinapay.Samantala, hindi babawiin ng BFAD ang nauna nitong advisory na nagbabawal sa publiko na bumili ng White Rabbit Cream Candy, Milk Candy, Bairong Grape Biscuit at Yongkang Foods Grape Biscuits dahil kontaminado ito ng sangkap na formaldehyde kahit pa nag-akusa ang Ministry of Health ng China na i-responsable ang nasabing advisory.

‘Pagdalo sa SONA, isang obligasyon’ – solon

Ulat ni Bonsai Fojas
FRIDAY · July 20, 2007

Umapela si Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio sa oposisyon na tungkulin nila bilang isang mambabatas ang pagdalo at pakikinig sa ibibigay na State-of-the-Nation-Address (SONA) ni Pangulong Arroyo sa darating na Lunes.
Sinabi ni Silverio na pananagutan nila sa taumbayan ang pagdalo sa taunang okasyon kung saan ihahayag ng Punong Ehekutibo ang nagawa at gagawin pa ng pamahalaan sa mga susunod na taon.
Aniya, hindi lamang ang mga matataas na pinuno ng pamahalaan ang nagtutungo sa Kamara de Representantes, kundi maging ang mga opisyal ng ibang bansa upang pakinggan ang mga pahayag ng Pangulo.
Naniniwala rin si Silverio sa oposisyon na ang hindi pagdalo sa SONA ay pagpapakita ng kawalan ng political maturity at pagiging makasarili.
Aniya, mahalaga ang SONA dahil dito malalaman ng sambayanan at ng buong mundo kung ano na ang kalalagyan ng bansa at kung saan ito patungo.
Kinastigo rin nito ang naging ugali na ng ilang lider mula sa oposisyon na ipagwalang-bahala ang kahalagahan ng SONA sa pamamagitan ng hindi pagdalo sa okasyon.
Ikinatwiran pa ni Silverio na hindi pagsasayang ng oras ang pagdalo sa SONA dahil isa ito sa tungkulin ng mga mambabatas alinsunod sa itinatakda ng Saligang Batas.

Lacson, Pimentel boykot sa SONA

Ulat ni Carlo Gonzales
FRIDAY · July 20, 2007

Balak boykotin ng ilang senador sa pangunguna nina Sen. Panfilo Lacson at Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., ang State of the Nation Address ni Pangulong Arroyo sa Lunes, Hulyo 23.
Sinabi ng dalawang senador na miyembro ng oposisyon na bobolahin lamang ng Pangulo ang makikinig sa kanyang SONA at siguradong walang maaasahang bago sa mga sasabihin nito.
Lumang tugtugin na umano at paulit-ulit na lamang na mag-uulat si Mrs. Arroyo na may ginawa itong maganda sa kanyang panunungkulan sa loob ng isang taon.
Idinagdag pa nina Lacson at Pimentel na mangangako na naman ng mga hindi kapani-paniwala at imposible ang Pangulo katulad ng mga nauna niyang SONA.
Idinagdag ni Lacson, hindi “big deal” sa kanya ang SONA at isang ordinaryong pangyayari lang umano ito sa Lunes.

Ayon pa kay Lacson, isang beses lang siya dumalo sa SONA ng Pangulo noong 2001 at ito’y upang malaman kung papaano mag-speech ang Pangulo ng kanyang SONA.

Villar, sigurado na bilang Senate pres.

Ulat ni Fonsi Elca
FRIDAY · July 20, 2007

Malaki ang posibilidad na manatili sa kanyang puwesto si Senate President Manuel Villar ngayong papasok na 14th Congress sa Senado matapos itong makakuha ng maraming kasangga sa hanay ng mga senador.
Sa isang press conference, inihayag ni Sen. Rodolfo Biazon na may sapat na bilang na si Villar para muling masungkit ang pinakamataas na puwesto sa mataas na kapulungan ng Kongreso.
Samantala si Sen. Jinggoy Estrada umano ang napipisil na maging senate president pro-tempore.

Sa pagbubukas ng sesyon sa darating na Lunes, isasagawa ang pormal na botohan para sa pipiliing pangulo ng senado.

Congress, target ni Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa 2010

Ulat ni Jay Bustamante
FRIDAY · July 20, 2007

SUBIC INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT – Nagpahiwatig kahapon si Pangulong Arroyo na posibleng tumakbo siyang muli sa darating na 2010 elections subalit sa pagkakataong ito ay bilang kongresista sa Unang Distrito ng Pampanga.
“Who knows baka tumakbo ako sa darating na 2010 bilang kongresista sa aking lalawigan sa Pampanga,” pahayag ng Pangulo sa kanyang opening statement sa ginanap na Luzon Urban Beltway (LUB) conference dito.
Magtatapos ang termino ni Pangulong Arroyo sa 2010 at sa ilalim ng Konstitusyon ay bawal na itong kumandidatong muli bilang pangulo maliban na lamang kung maaamyendahan ang Saligang Batas at maging Parliamentary ang porma ng pamahalaan ay puwedeng mahalal siyang Prime Minister kung siya ay miyembro naman ng itatayong Parliament.
Kung maaamyendahan ang Konstitusyon sa 2010 at magiging kongresista si PGMA ay mabubuwag ang Kongreso kaya ang mga miyembro ng Kamara at Senado ang pansamantalang bubuo ng Parliament at maghahalal sila ng magiging Prime Minister.
Sa nasabing conference ay ipinagmalaki rin ng Pangulo ang mga pangunahing proyekto ng LUB na malaki ang naitulong sa ekonomiya dahil sa infrastructure projects na lalong maghihikayat sa mga foreign investors na mamuhunan sa mga pangunahing economic zones sa Luzon tulad ng Clark at Subic.

Kabilang sa mga proyekto ng LUB na ipinagmalaki ni PGMA ang Clark-Subic highway na inaasahang matatapos sa Marso 2008.