Kopi Talk An intelligence tip that paid off

MANILA, Philippines - Most of us have not had Yemen on our personal radar system until this past year, when it emerged as a global hub for terrorism. The latest chilling near-miss reported from there was a bomb scare involving US aircraft. A telephone call from the Saudi Arabian chief of intelligence to US counter-terrorism official John Brennan set off a search for bombs planted in US cargo planes in Yemen. It was a real thriller - the planes were already airborne when they were intercepted and they landed in Dubai and London. A search of their cargo revealed a small, but lethal amount of explosives cleverly hidden inside the ink cartridges of computer printers. They were addressed to synagogues in Chicago. Ninety-six percent of air cargo is not screened. But screening may not have picked up this well-hidden explosive material, nor would sniffer dogs likely have got the scent of the explosive hidden inside the ink cartridges. The packages had been delivered to a Fedex and a UPS office in Yemen by a young woman. A woman whose name matched the records was picked up in Yemen, only to be released after it was proven that she was a victim of Identity Theft. (Watch your credit cards and other identification. I once was a victim of Identity Theft when someone got my banking account number and tried to withdraw money.)

Examiners in London thought the explosives were designed to explode when the American planes were airborne, or perhaps as they landed in the US. The packages were located in cargo sheds, before being loaded onto their forward flights to the US. They were only hours away from being detonated when they were found as a result of the tip. The accuracy of the tip and the prompt inter-agency teamwork saved the day. The perpetrators were thought to be Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, the branch of Al-Qaeda that was founded in Yemen. As Tom Ridge, the former US Secretary of Homeland Security, commented in a TV interview "Globalization gives terrorists an edge. The whole world is accessible." Both the Fedex and UPS offices in Sana, the capital of Yemen, have been closed.

News Update Ace Cards to pack better healthcare coverage for Tarlac's poorest folk

TARLAC CITY, Philippines - Thousands of poverty-stricken residents of this city are the main target of the local government's "Balik Sigla" Program which will introduce by February next year an "Ace Card" that will cover their hospitalization and improve their healthcare benefits. Mayor Gelacio "Ace" Manalang said Monday meetings with hospital representatives are underway to finalize the healthcare package that will be included in the Ace Cards. With the new initiative, public and private hospitals within the city will provide better healthcare coverage to the underprivileged and allow covered patients to utilize the maximum amount of P20, 000 every time they need to undergo hospitalization. Compared to the Philhealth Card and the Yellow Card of Makati City, the Ace Card will be have a higher coverage ceiling that would enable bearers wider access to medical facilities. In a recent meeting with various hospital representatives and medical practitioners, Manalang stressed the need to ensure the health and safety of every Tarlaqueño. He said that parents who belong to the "poorest of the poor" sector are typically hampered by the fear of costly hospitalization which usually forces them to ignore their illnesses and refuses the thought of aggravation. "We must stop this once and for all, as workers of the government, we have the responsibility to empower our marginalized constituents, we have to equip them with better healthcare access in order for them to live and become more productive citizens of our society," Manalang said. To start off, the city government will tie up to the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, public and private medical institutions, Bahay Bata sa Angeles City headed by Executive Director Dr. Gregorio Tengco, medical practitioners and among others. The city government has already put up a P50 million healthcare fund and Manalang seeks an equal amount as a counterpart fund from the PCSO to cover other expenses that will be used to load up benefits in the Ace Card.

News Update CA affirms cops? relief, suspension over Failon case

MANILA, Philippines – The Court of Appeals (CA) has dismissed the petition filed by a police officer seeking to nullify an order issued by the National Police Commission (Napolcom) that imposed a 6-month suspension against her and 5 other police officers in connection with death of the wife of television and radio news anchor Ted Failon.

The Napolcom found the police officers guilty of committing grave misconduct while investigating the suicide case.

In a 15-page decision penned by Associate Justice Ramon Garcia, the CA's Ninth Division held that the petitioner, police Inspector Erlinda Garcia, failed to prove that the Napolcom en banc committed grave abuse of discretion in ordering their suspension and relief from their assignment at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Unit of the Quezon City Police District Office (CIDU-QCPDO).

The appellate court said the Napolcom’s June 22, 2009 decision established that Garcia violated not only existing police operation procedures in arresting Pamela Arteche-Trinchera, sister of Failon's wife Trinidad Arteche-Etong.

It also violated the Rules of Court that requires arrests to be made based on a warrant, the CA said.

"Accordingly, the constitutional right of Pamela Arteche-Trinchera against unreasonable searches and seizures was violated. There was also a violation of the constitutional right of a person under custodial investigation with the failure of the arresting officers, including petitioner Garcia, to read the Miranda rights of Pamela Arteche-Trinchera," the CA added.

Aside from Garcia, the other police officers who were suspended were Superintendents Franklin Moises Mabanag and Gerardo Batuita; Chief Inspectors Cherry Lou Donato and Enrico Figueroa; and Inspector Roberto Razon, Sr.

The petition stemmed from an administrative complaint that was initiated by Napolcom's Monitoring and Investigation Service through acting assistant service chief, lawyer Owen de Luna.

Police arrested Failon’s sister-in-law and the household helpers for alleged obstruction of justice.

News Update Suspected Yakuza member nabbed in Phl Philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines – A suspected former member of the Japanese Yakuza crime syndicate was arrested in the Philippines recently.

Eiichi Sugimoto, 49, was arrested by agents from the Bureau of Immigration (BI) and is now detained ay the immigration jail in Bicutan, Taguig City.

BI Officer-In-Charge Ronaldo Ledesma said the BI board of commissioners ordered Sugimoto’s deportation for being an overstaying, undocumented and undesirable alien.

The Japanese is the subject of an arrest warrant issued by a summary court in Tokyo in connection with a fraud case he allegedly committed in March 2009.

The Japanese Embassy in Manila sought the BI’s help to locate Sugimoto upon learning that the fugitive entered the country and had been staying here since January this year.

According to lawyer Faizal Hussin, BI intelligence chief, Sugimoto defrauded two compatriots of more than 25 million yen through a fraudulent investment scheme, telling the victims that he would invest the money in a restaurant and duty-free shop business near the Mactan airport in Cebu.

“After getting the money, he flew to the Philippines and never returned to Japan,” Hussin said.

A report from the Japanese Embassy revealed that Sugimoto is a former member of the Sumiyoshi-kai Kohei family of the Yakuza group. - By Rudy Santos

News Update Mystery punter wins record Philippine lottery

MANILA (AFP) - – A mystery punter in the impoverished Philippines has become an instant multi-millionaire after winning the country's biggest-ever lottery jackpot, organisers said Tuesday.

The lucky gambler will collect 741.176 million pesos (16.73 million dollars) after his numbers came up in Monday's Philippine Charity Sweepstakes draw.

The winner, who has yet to claim his prize and is likely to remain anonymous, beat odds of one in nearly 29 million to guess the right combination of six numbers between one and 55, the lottery organisers said.

In a country where one in three people live on a dollar a day, the lottery created a frenzy as the jackpot slowly built from mid-May -- there had been no winners in 86 consecutive draws.

"The number of bettors grew as the pot increased," said Manny Arazas, an accountant at the Bataan-Zambales lottery office northwest of Manila, who told AFP he heard the winner had come from his area.

"And they began betting on up to five number combinations at a time, instead of just one."

President Benigno Aquino's spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, one of the losing bettors, said anecdotal evidence suggested the lotto buzz had curbed a wildly popular illegal numbers game called "jueteng", at least temporarily.

"If it's true, then it would really be a strike against jueteng," Lacierda told reporters.

Aquino had allowed his cabinet members to bet, he added.

The influential Roman Catholic church, which frowns on gambling, ironically has kept mum over the lottery -- it too is expected to get a windfall because the sweeptakes office is among its biggest charitable donors.

Thirty percent of state lottery sales goes to a fund that the government uses to finance health programmes and select charities, including the church.

Meanwhile, the identity of Monday's winner is likely to remain a mystery for some time.

As a security measure, the lottery does not reveal the winner's name unless it has the person's consent. The winner has the option to deposit the winnings at a bank located inside the lottery's central Manila office.

News Update 1 Chinese dead, 1 wounded during shooting spree

MANILA, Philippines – A Chinese national was shot dead while another was wounded inside a posh leisure resort in Pampanga , police reported today.

Authorities identified the victims as Shahani Co and Zeng Hua Quiang. They were rushed to a nearby hospital but attending physicians could no longer revive Co, police said.

Initial report showed that the two were reportedly shot by Wang Yang Zhen, also a Chinese national, inside Villa NR3406, Fontana Leisure, Clarkfield, Pampanga, around 3:30 a.m. yesterday.

Zhen is now in the custody of the Angeles City Police. - By Dennis Carcamo

News Update Philippine military seeks return of all rebel soldiers

The military of the Philippines is preparing to welcome back to its fold all former soldiers of whatever rank involved in various uprisings since 2003.

In a statement, Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos, chief of the Armed Forces' Public Affairs Office, said the military was confident that Congress would approve President Benigno Aquino's grant of amnesty to the soldiers and officers who took part in three failed attempts to overthrow then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration.

Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are deliberating on Presidential Proclamation No. 75, which includes among its provisions the reinstatement of soldiers with ranks lower than master sergeant.

The President has chosen to return only the lower ranking soldiers to their military positions, though the Army has said it would prefer all 378 to be reintegrated into its ranks.

After the amnesty becomes final, "we encourage everyone to treat [the mutinies and rebellions] in the history of the military as finally closed," Burgos said.

He encouraged all soldiers to "now work together with our reinstated personnel as allies in nation-building."

'Positive action expected'

AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Ricardo David has ordered preparations for the implementation of PP 75 in anticipation of Congress' "positive action," Burgos said.

He said David's office was drafting a policy directive spelling out the "disposition on the aspects of reintegration/adjustment in rank of those who will be reinstated to the service, including some other critical issues."

Burgos said the military would "continue to assist the Department of National Defense in coming up with rules and regulations on the amnesty applications so that the process will be expedited by higher authorities."

Government prosecutors who had handled the cases against the rebel soldiers have criticized the President's amnesty proclamation and warned that it undermined the legal process and could encourage more military adventurism.

Mr. Aquino's mother, the late former President Corazon Aquino who led the 1986 People Power uprising that toppled the 20-year regime of dictator Ferdinand Marcos, herself fought off a series of coup attempts.

The President still has fragments of a bullet lodged in his neck fired by rebel soldiers who attacked Malaca�ang during his mother's term.

3 uprisings

The military counts a total of 378 military personnel involved in three uprisings in 2003, 2007 and 2009.

A total of 283 soldiers, led by now Sen. Antonio Trillanes, were involved in the so-called Oakwood mutiny on July 27, 2003.

Of the number, 100 are officers and 183 are enlisted personnel.

Of the 100 officers, 73 were convicted, six are still being tried and 21 have been acquitted.

In the case of the enlisted personnel, all but two were punished with demotions in accordance with the military's Articles of War.

In the February 2006 standoff of the Marines in Fort Bonifacio, 78 military personnel were involved (38 officers and 40 enlisted men).

Nine officers are still being tried by court martial, and 29 cases were either dropped or closed, or the officer involved was acquitted.

A total of 31 enlisted personnel have been discharged, with nine others admonished.

In the November 2007 siege at Manila Peninsula hotel, which also involved Trillanes, 17 soldiers were involved, 12 of whom were officers and five were enlisted men.

Ten officers and the five enlisted men have been convicted. The two remaining officers are still being tried.

Trillanes won a seat in the Senate in 2007 while campaigning behind bars. He remains in detention.

Kopi Talk Paper money

MANILA, Philippines - ''Why don't we just print more money?'' This is a question that has probably crossed our minds, especially in times of financial need. Printing more money for everyone sounds cool: With more cash we can buy more goods. But if it's really that simple, why does the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas strictly regulate the number of bills it prints? History probably has the best answer to this question. The experience of China's Ming Dynasty with the earliest paper money will help us understand the need to control the amount of cash in circulation. British Museum Director Neil McGregor, in the recent BBC Radio 4 series ''A History of the World in 100 Objects,'' said that one of the first bank notes ever printed traces its roots to 15th century Ming Dynasty. Before the advent of paper money, McGregor said most of the world exchanged money in coins of gold, silver, or copper with an intrinsic value that could be judged by weight. However, he said, that the Chinese eventually saw that paper money had apparent advantages over the coin: It is light, easily transportable, and big enough to carry words and images that announce not only its value, but the authority of the government that backs it, and the assumptions on which it rests. ''Properly managed, paper money is a powerful tool in maintaining an effective state,'' McGregor said. When the Mongol Empire disintegrated in 1350, the Ming Dynasty took over China and re-established the currency by issuing paper notes. Keeping the worth of the new currency intact was one of the challenges faced by the Ming empire, McGregor said. The Ming's key monetary decision was to ensure that the paper note could always be converted into copper coins: The value of the paper would equal the value of a specific number of coins. In short, a 1,000-cash note should be equivalent to 1,000 copper coins so that when a note was presented as payment, an equivalent number of copper coins was deemed ''paid out.'' The British Museum director, however, pointed out that the practice turned out to be more complicated than the theory: The Ming dynasty eventually couldn't resist the temptation of printing more money. McGregor said that as the Ming printed more and more bills, the value of the paper money nosedived. Fifteen years after the first Ming banknote was issued, a Chinese official commented that a 1,000-cash note had plunged to an exchange value of a mere 250 copper coins. In an interview with McGregor, Bank of England Governor Mervyn King explained that the absence of a Ming central bank and the issuance of too much paper money led to the devaluation of the banknotes.

''The paper money was backed by a copper coin, in principle - you should take this money because it was backed by a copper coin, but in fact the link broke down. And once people realized the link had broken down, the question of how much it was worth was really a judgment about whether a future administration would issue even more, and devalue its real value in terms of purchasing power. In the end, this money did become worthless because it was over-valued,'' King said. In essence, it was also a case of too much money chasing too few goods (or in economic terms, inflation). Printing more money than necessary would, therefore, go against the BSP's primary objective: To maintain price stability conducive to a balanced and sustainable economic growth. Note: You may e-mail us at totingbunye2000@gmail.com

News Update Cops arrest man accused of raping Dolphy's granddaughter in Laguna

STA. CRUZ, Laguna, Philippines - Police arrested the other night a 22-year-old jobless man accused of raping an alleged granddaughter of filmdom's Comedy King ''Dolphy'' in this province. Superintendent Marvin Saro, Sta. Cruz chief of police, identified the suspect as Noel Villarin. Villarin was arrested by police at the alleged victim's house in this town around 9:30 p.m., said Saro. The alleged rape was reported to police by the victim's mother but Saro declined to give the names of the offended party after confirming that the victim is a granddaughter of Dolphy, who is Rodolfo Vera Quizon in real life. Senior Superintendent Gilberto Cruz, Laguna Police Provincial Office (PPO) director, also confirmed the incident based on a report reaching the PPO Headquarters and added that the victim had mental disorder. The victim is a daughter of one of Dolphy's sons, said Cruz.

Her mother caught the suspect in the act inside her room as she arrived home on Saturday night, said Cruz, quoting the report. Saro said Villarin was accosted by neighbors as the victim's mother sought their assistance prior to the arrival of responding police. Villarin is now detained at the Sta. Cruz Municipal Police Station and now facing rape charges in relation to Republic Act 7610 since the victims is a minor.

News Update Dog meat sold in Baguio likely unfit to eat

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - The City Veterinary's Office (CVO) warned Sunday that dog meat being sold here maybe dangerous for human consumption because most of these do not go through the proper process of meat inspection. Dr. Brigit Piok, city veterinarian, said dog meat sold in the market is highly questionable and, thus, dog meat lovers should take the necessary precautions to prevent them from contracting illnesses related to eating the favorite delicacy in the Cordillera. Aside from violating provisions of Republic Act (RA) 8485 or the Animal Welfare Act, dog meat lovers are exposed to extreme danger considering that they do not know whether or not these are free from diseases that pose a serious threat to health. Piok said dog meat eaters could easily contract diseases like rabies since the dog meat supply being sneaked into the city from the different parts of the lowlands do not pass through the required quarantine inspections conducted by the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) and the CVO.

She said consumers of dog meat being served as exotic menu and ''pulutan'' in many restaurants in the city may not be safe since parasites from poorly cooked meat can be easily transmitted to humans. While the law allows the butchering of dogs and the serving of dog meat during indigenous rituals, Piok said the dog meat trade is prohibited. Most illegal dog meat traders are being apprehended by law enforcers while they are transporting the dog meat for butchering from the lowlands to the city proper. Piok said her office still receives reports that dog meat is being rampantly traded in the city public market from underground traders who usually ply their trade under the radar of government inspectors

News Update American fugitive deported

MANILA, Philippines - The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has deported an American national wanted by South Korean authorities for fraud.

Dario Sarmiento Tomas, 52, was deported at the request of the South Korean embassy in Manila, which informed the Philippine government about an arrest warrant against the American, BI officer-in-charge Ronaldo Ledesma said in a press statement Sunday.

Tomas was deported last November 11 via a Philippine Airlines flight to Busan, South Korea, on the strength of a warrant of deportation issued by Ledesma and a summary deportation order signed by the bureau's board of commissioners.

Tomas was charged with fraud before the eastern division of the district court in Busan for swindling a Korean woman named Im Hyeg-yeong and her mother, Lee Bong-sook, of some KRW 222 million or about US $82,000.

Tomas allegedly induced the victims to give him the money on the promise that he would open a computer school business in the Philippines.

He fled to the Philippines and never returned to Korea after he received the money in 2007 and 2008.

Tomas was a member of the administrative and technical staff of the US Customs and Border Protection Service of the US Department of Homeland Security based in Busan at the time.

Lawyer Faizal Hussin, BI intelligence chief, said his men picked up Tomas at the National Bureau of Investigation headquarters where he was detained pursuant to a provisional arrest warrant issued by the Manila Regional Trial Court.

The Manila court issued the warrant in connection with an extradition case against Tomas that was later withdrawn by the Korean government to pave the way for the fugitive's deportatio

News Update DFA: 6 Filipinos killed in Japan road accident

At least six Filipinos were killed while several others were injured after figuring in a road accident in Japan Sunday.

The Philippine Consulate General in Osaka said the six died when their minibus collided with a truck at an intersection in Kameyama, Mie Prefecture.

"Twenty-two others were injured, including two drivers. Ten of them are in serious condition, police said," the Department of Foreign Affairs said in an article posted on its website Sunday night.

It did not immediately say how many of the 22 injured were Filipinos. The DFA withheld the names of the fatalities until their families are informed.

Philippine Consul General Maria Lourdes Lopez said five of the Filipinos died immediately, while the other died on the way to the hospital.

The Filipino fatalities were part of a group of 27 people who were in the minibus owned by a temporary staffing service. They were heading to a liquid crystal panel factory in the city when the accident occurred.

According to the DFA, the injured Filipinos are now in the hospital receiving treatment and are being assisted by Consulate General staff members.

Lopez is in contact with the local authorities in Mie Prefecture.

"The Consulate General is extending its full assistance to the victims and their families, and is coordinating with the DFA Office of the Undersecretary for Migrant Workers' Affairs for the repatriation of their remains and the extension of other assistance," the DFA said.

Citing initial reports, the DFA said the minibus was going through the intersection when it collided with the truck.

Police arrested the truck driver, Takao Moriwaki, 45, who was required to stop at the crossroad.- JE/HS/KBK

News Update Asian rights group calls PHL 'broken and lawless nation'

In one of the harsher foreign assessments of the Philippines in recent times, a Hong Kong-based human rights group has called the Philippines a "broken and lawless nation."

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) drew this conclusion after two more recent murders in Mindanao, where the victims were executed in front of family members, one of them in the presence of three young daughters.

But the non-government body also made an apparent reference to the eight Hong Kong tourists who died in the Manila hostage crisis last August 23 after botched police negotiations and a rescue attempt, describing the Philippines as a place where citizens "cannot hope to protect the foreigners on its soil."

'A broken and lawless nation'

In an article on its web site, the AHRC stated:

"In a country where an individual can no longer protect himself, he cannot protect his family; a family that cannot protect its members, cannot protect the community where they belong; and a person, a family and a community that cannot protect itself cannot protect a Nation. A Nation that cannot protect its own citizens, their families and the community where they live cannot hope to protect the foreigners on its soil. It is a broken and lawless nation."

AHRC said it has become an "illusion" and "absurdity" for anyone to claim that there is protection and security for people in the Philippines.

The Philippine National Police and government spokesmen have a habit of assuring the foreign community that the country is safe, in the face of travel advisories to the contrary issued by foreign governments.

The human rights body said it has become ordinary for killings to be carried out by policemen, the military and the paramilitary forces working for them, and for killings to be perpetrated in broad daylight in crowded public places and in front of the victims' families in their own homes.

Unreported cases

"Hundreds if not thousands" of stories go unreported and this has been taking place in the country for many years now, the AHRC lamented.

"A system of justice can still continue to exist on paper, structure and appearance, but its existence is meaningless once it departs from its original role of being a protector, it becomes the very opposite of what it was supposed to be; that is the protector of those within the system, protecting those who are already protected; securing those who are already secured. This is the type system that each Filipino lives in daily in their own country. Unless there is a discussion and organic realization by those who are part of the system of the need for reform to reexamine their purpose, its existence remains an object of contempt," it said.

Mindanao murders

The AHRC cited the murders of Reynaldo Labrador of Davao City and Vicente Felisilda of Mawab, Compostela Valley, who were executed in front of their families.

Labrador, 39, was shot at 7:30 p.m. last Sept. 3 in front of wife Leonisa and daughters Reylon, 10; Raquel, 8; and Jennifer, 4, at their home in Paquibato District in Davao City. He was a member of the Paquibato District Farmers Association (PADIFA), a local chapter of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

The gunmen escaped after the shooting. They left a note at the victim's house that read: "Demonyo ka! Hiposon ka!" (You're evil! You must be killed!)

Felisilda, 38, a farmer with four children and a member of Bayan Muna, was shot dead last September 9 at 7 p.m.

Both the KMP and Bayan Muna are leftist groups that the military has tagged as being communist front organizations. The Philippines has seen a spate of extrajudicial killings of activists committed by what international observers say are agents acting on behalf of the military, or by soldiers themselves.

What happened to Felisilda illustrates the brazenness exhibited by killers in the prevailing culture of impunity. The victim and and his elder brother Allan were resting inside a small hut in Mawab town, Compostela Valley after extracting meat from coconut shells on their farm.

While the brothers were resting, two gunmen arrived. They were wearing civilian clothes and armed with cal-.45 pistols.

"At first the two greeted the brothers and tried to make conversation with them by asking what they were doing. However, suddenly one of them shot Vicente at close range. Startled by what he saw, Allan ran for safety to a cliff nearby," the AHRC said. - HS/TJD

News Update Basic education first before SUCs, Aquino tells protesters

BAGUIO CITY (Updated 11:01 p.m.) - President Benigno Simeon Aquino III on Friday appealed for understanding from students who are protesting the lower budget for state universities and colleges (SUCs), saying his administration's priority is basic education.

Aquino issued the appeal after attending the opening program for a fastfood restaurant in Baguio City, which was picketed by a handful of protesters from the militant groups Anakbayan and Gabriela.

He explained that the budget for SUCs, particularly for the University of the Philippines, was lower only because the government allocated much bigger funds to basic education.

"Sana, estudyante sila, pag-aralan nila kung ano yung sitwasyon (They are students, so I hope they'll study the situation)," Aquino told reporters after the event.

"Umpisahan mo ano priority, basic ed. Basic ed 'wag na tayong gumawa ng problema para hindi mo iko-correct sa high school at sa college. So kelangan mo maglaan ng pondo dun," he said.

(Start with the priority, basic ed. Let's not create problems in basic ed so we won't have to make corrections in high school and college. You have to allot funds for that.)

The proposed overall budget for education next year – including the budget for basic education that includes elementary and high school – rose by 12.92 percent. From the P240.58 billion allotted for this year, the budget was increased to P271.67 billion for 2011.

The budget for the UP system, however, went down from P6.9 billion in 2010 to the proposed P5.5 billion for 2011.

Student protesters clash with cops

About 30 students from SUCs in Baguio City staged a street protest before President Aquino started his speech during the opening program of the restaurant.

“Kailanman ay hindi dapat sinisikil ng estado ang karapatan para sa tertiary education, [The state should never restrict the right to tertiary education]" one of the student protesters shouted while the President was delivering his speech.

The protest prompted local police and members of the Presidential Security Group to confiscate the students’ placards and to try to herd them away from the venue.

The ensuing skirmish between protesters and law enforcers resulted in rough handling, with a policeman shown on television pulling briefly on the hair of at least one female student.

The protesters eventually dispersed after the confrontation.

This page requires a higher version browser Dialogues

Aquino reiterated that the executive branch lowered the budget for UP because the country's premier state university has other sources of funds, such as the UP-Ayala Technohub.

"Siguro kelangan naman ng konting pag-unawa. Hindi sa tinanggalan sila ng kakayahan matugunan yung kanilang pangangailangan. Nandun eh," he said.

(Perhaps there is a need for more understanding. We did not take away from them the means to respond to their needs. The means are there.)

Aquino said he would ask the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to hold dialogues with the protesters to explain the matter.

"Siguro baka dapat ho atasan natin si Patty Licuanan ng CHED, isa-isahin, magsama tayo ng mga teams from government to help them identify the other sources of funds to make sure they will be at the same level, if not higher," said the president.

Aquino said the government "will explain to the people who are willing to listen."

On Thursday, some 5,000 students from UP Diliman and UP Manila staged walkouts in protest of the lower budget. Protest leaders said some members of the faculty and UP community expressed support for their "strike."

In UP Diliman in Quezon City, around 3,000 protesting students set up a barricade along the University Avenue, blocking off the main entrance to the campus.

After a march around the academic oval, which spans nearly the full length of the campus, the students moved to Palma Hall to hold a program as part of the daylong strike.

The protest forced jeepneys and other vehicles to take alternative routes.

A simultaneous strike was also held at the UP Manila campus in Padre Faura, where Senator Alan Peter Cayetano dropped by to give a message of support to some 2,000 students denouncing the budget cuts in the education sector. – With Andreo C. Calonzo/VVP/JV,

News Update AFP wants all rebel soldiers reintegrated after amnesty

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said on Friday that it would prefer to reintegrate into its ranks all soldiers who took part in failed military uprisings under the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, once they are granted amnesty. AFP spokesperson Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said that while the military respects President Benigno Aquino III’s decision to reintegrate only the lower-ranked soldiers—from technical sergeants down to enlisted personnel—who participated in the uprisings, the excluded soldiers could have been “added hands" to the armed forces. “The more people that can be integrated is added hands, added personalities that can help out in the total effort of the Armed Forces," he said in a press briefing in Quezon City on Friday. Malacañang on Thursday submitted to Congress Proclamation No. 75, an amended version of Proclamation No. 50 signed by Aquino last month giving amnesty to the rebel soldiers. (See: Senate, House receive amended amnesty proc for mutineers) Qualified to apply for the amnesty are those who took part in the short-lived Oakwood mutiny, the alleged February 2006 plan to overthrow the Arroyo administration, and the November 2007 occupation of the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Mabanta said that allowing all those who are given amnesty to be reintegrated into the AFP would have been “good for everyone." “Any additional members that can be returned back to the folds of the law will be good for everyone, especially for the Armed Forces which really at this point thrives on personnel strength and numbers," he said. He however added that the AFP will definitely obey orders from its commander-in-chief.

Among the more prominent military personalities qualified to avail of the amnesty are former Navy lieutenant Antonio Trillanes who won a seat in the Senate in 2007; retired Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and Marine Col. Ariel Querubin – who both lost in the senatorial elections last May; and former Marine commandant Maj. Gen. Renato Miranda.

Also on Friday, Senator Teofisto Guingona III said the Senate may do away with committee hearings to speed up the chamber’s concurrence with Aquino’s Proclamation No. 75. (See: Senate mulls expediting amnesty grant for mutineers)—With Andreo C. Calonzo/JV,

News Update Governor Imee Marcos suspects some private armed groups may be behind a bomb threat

Governor Imee Marcos suspects some private armed groups may be behind a bomb threat that hit the provincial capitol building in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte on Thursday morning.

Marcos stressed that the threat may have been a bid to intimidate her, but she will not be cowed.

"Gumawa ako ng anti-PAG [private armed groups] task force. Baka may ilan diyan na nawalan ng negosyo o raket — sori na lang — baka sila naninindak lang, huwag tayo mapalundag," she said in an interview over dzRH radio.

(I formed a task force against private armed groups. There may be some PAGs that lost some business or opportunities for corruption — sorry about that — maybe they’re just blustering, but let’s not get jittery.)

Initial investigation showed that a guard at the provincial capitol received a phone call from a man who claimed a bomb will explode in the building.

The guard called in police, who in turn ordered the evacuation of the capitol while a bomb squad came in to inspect the premises. An initial check yielded no bomb.

Governor Marcos said the threat came shortly after she announced a crackdown on private armies and guns-for-hire in her turf.

Task force created

Governor Marcos had announced on Oct. 28 that her government had formed a task force to investigate the existence of private armies in the province and dismantle them within six months.

In a closed-door meeting with mayors and police chiefs, the governor discuss the spate of political killings this year that she said had dented Ilocos Norte’s peaceful landscape.

The officials reportedly agreed to create the anti-PAG (partisan armed group) task force to go after private armies under the control of local politicians, and dismantle them immediately.

23 private armies

Earlier this year, the Directorate for Integrated Police Office (DIPO) Northern Luzon of the Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was working to disarm and dismantle at least 23 private armies of politicians in its jurisdiction.

Director Roberto Rosales, head of DIPO Northern Luzon said, cited DIPO records showing that of the 23 private armies, six are in Pangasinan, three in La Union, one each in Ilocos Norte and Ilocos Sur, four in Abra, four in Cagayan, two in Isabela, and two in Nueva Ecija.

The Zenarosa Commission, formed in 2009 to investigate private armies and recommend ways of dismantling them, confirmed that at least 68 private groups in the country were armed with high-powered firearms, even as the total number could reach as high as 170.

Bomb threat hits La Union high school

Meanwhile, a bomb threat prompted the suspension of classes at the Lorma San Juan school in La Union province before noon Thursday.

San Juan municipal police chief Senior Inspector Reynaldo Mingaracal said the threat was sent to five school officials via mobile text message.

"Please be aware ... one of the bombs will explode ... This is from a reliable source," Mingaracal quoted the message as saying, in an interview over dzBB radio.

He said four teachers and one technical staff member received the threat at about 9:18 a.m.

School principal Elizabeth Camara said that according to another text message, the bomb was to explode at 12:30 p.m.

She said the school had 396 high school students and 750 elementary students.

The teachers were left at the school while the students were sent home, she said in a separate radio interview.—JV

News Update DOJ orders release of one of convicts in Vizconde case

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Friday said she has approved the Bureau of Corrections' recommendation to release one of those convicted in 2000 for the high-profile Vizconde massacre case 19 years ago.

De Lima confirmed the imminent release of Gerardo Biong, who was convicted for being an accessory to the gruesome murders of Estrellita, Carmella, and Jennifer Vizconde in June 1991.

"Based on the records, he (Biong) had served [his] sentence already," said De Lima in a text message to GMANews.TV.

In a phone interview, Biong's lawyer, Jose Flaminiano, said he cannot yet confirm the exact date of Biong's release. "I do not know if he is already released," he said.

Biong is detained at the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City.

In January 2000, the Parañaque Regional Trial Court Branch 274 sentenced the following to life imprisonment: Hubert Webb, Peter Estrada, Hospicio Fernandez, Michael Gatchalian, Antonio Lejano II and Miguel Rodriguez.

Biong, a former Parañaque policeman, was convicted and sentenced to a minimum of 6 years and one day to a maximum of 12 years of imprisonment for being an accessory to the crime when he destroyed evidence. Biong has been detained since Sept. 6, 1995.

The trial court also convicted a certain Artemio Ventura and Joey Filart, but they remain at large to this day.

The Court of Appeals has upheld the lower court's ruling in December 2005.

Webb had appealed these decisions to the Supreme Court, which is set to release its decision soon.

On Friday, Lauro Vizconde, who lost his wife and two daughters to the murders, said a Supreme Court justice was lobbying for Webb's acquittal.

But the Webb family had denied pulling strings in the court. Court spokesman and administrator Jose Midas Marquez said Vizconde's allegations were merely "hearsay." — RSJ

News Update Aquino: Govt ready to evacuate Pinoys in Korea

BAGUIO CITY — The government is prepared to evacuate some 50,000 Filipinos in South Korea should tensions in the Korean peninsula escalate, President Benigno Aquino III said Friday.

"I asked the DFA (Department of Foreign Affairs) to make sure that they do test runs kung saka-sakaling kelangang i-evacuate. I asked the DFA also to talk to the Japanese government, to their ambassador, dahil yung closest point ng evacuation is about 50 kilometers, sa Japan," Aquino said in an interview here.

Aquino said the United Nations has assured them that it will secure the safety of nine Filipinos in North Korea, five of whom are working for the UN and four who are working for an international tobacco company.

On Thursday, Aquino presided over a meeting of the Cabinet's security cluster in Malacañang, where the current tension between the two Koreas was discussed.

Also on Friday, Malacañang issued a statement condemning North Korea's artillery attack on the South Korean island of Yeonpyeong which is near their disputed sea border.

Four people, including two South Korean marines, were killed in the attack, which prompted South Korea to return fire.

"The Philippines condemns the artillery attack by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Yeonpyeong Island, and is gravely concerned over the resulting rise in tensions in the Korean Peninsula. The attack constitutes a clear and flagrant violation of international law," a Palace statement read.

"The Philippines commends the Republic of Korea for having demonstrated extraordinary restraint in the wake of the attack on the corvette ROKS Cheonan on 26 March 2010, and again in the wake of this unprovoked and overt attack. We call for the continued exercise of restraint," it added.

The Philippine government also called on North Korea to abide by its obligations under international law and the UN Charter, and to adhere to the Armistice Agreement of 1953, the Inter-Korean Basic Agreement of 1991, and the Declaration on the Advancement of South-North Korean Relations, Peace and Prosperity of Oct. 4, 2007.

Assessment

In the interview with reporters, Aquino said the possibility of tension escalating between the two Korean states is unlikely based on security and foreign officials' assessment, but he said the Philippine government is preparing to evacuate Filipinos in South Korea anyway in case evacuation becomes necessary.

Aside from ordering the DFA to coordinate with the Japanese government, Aquino said he has also asked the Armed Forces to prepare the C-130 plane and LSS ship in case they are needed for transportation.

He said the government has also talked to Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific to make sure that additional carriers are ready in case evacuation is needed.

"The budget is being prepared in case it's needed but as of this time I just wanted them to make sure we are able to reach out to all of the people that we have there," Aquino said.

PAL said in a statement Friday that it is ready to mount emergency flights in case there will be a full-blown conflict between North and South Korea. (See: PAL readies emergency flights for Filipinos in Korea) — RSJ,

News Update Huge batch of toxic substance burned in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines (PIA) - The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Region 8 conducted last Sunday the burning of the biggest number of cocaine bricks confiscated in Eastern Visayas so far.

The burning of 93 cocaine bricks totaling 102.926 kilograms of the illegal toxic drug, cocaine, was conducted beside the regional office of PDEA 8 within the Government Center Grounds in Baras, Palo, Leyte in the presence of PDEA national officials led by PDEA Director-General Dionisio R. Santiago, PDEA 8 Regional Director Julius Navales, PNP-Leyte officers and men, national and local government officials and members of the private and government media in Tacloban City.

According to Liza Baoy, Information Officer of PDEA 8, the burning of the cocaine bricks by PDEA 8 was the second time that action was effected in the region.

The destruction of the contraband substance was done in accordance to Section 21 of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

The first burning of cocaine bricks in the region was conducted last May 25, 2010 at the Balyuan Park in this city. That first batch burned totaled some 72 bricks with a total weight of 80.146 kilograms.

Baoy added that the burning of cocaine bricks last Sunday morning was the fourth time this was done in the country, with the first such burning of the drug done in December 28, 2009 at the PDEA Central Office in Manila. The second time was on February 18, 2010 in Malabon City and involved with 200 cocaine bricks.

Baoy also informed media here that the estimated total price of the 93 cocaine bricks burned last Sunday morning was placed at R514.63M, at a street or selling price of R5 million per kilogram of cocaine.

"The cocaine bricks (destroyed last Sunday) were part of the stash of cocaine bricks confiscated through anti-drug operation dubbed Operation:

Samar Bricks jointly conducted by operatives of PDEA 8, the Armed Forces of the Philippines-Philippine National Police (AFP-PNP)-8, the Philippine Coast Guard and the local government units (LGUs) here in the province of Eastern Samar" Baoy further informed.

News Update Dengue cases in CV up by 121 percent

CEBU CITY, Philippines - Cases of dengue continues to soar in Central Visayas with the latest Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit (RESU) 7 report recording a total of 14,202 cases for the 46th morbidity week covering January to November this year, or an increase of 121 percent compared to data during the same period in 2009.

Last year, RESU7 only recorded 6, 424 dengue cases with 76 deaths while the latest mortality rate on the same period has already posted 110 deaths.

Meanwhile, this city continues to top the list with 3,179 cases and 15 deaths or 23 percent out of total recorded cases. Last year, there were only 856 cases recorded in the city, although the mortality rate was higher at 34 deaths.

Also, Tagbilaran City posted higher dengue cases this year with 620 cases and six deaths so far, compared to last year's 186 cases and two deaths.

Other cities with high dengue incidents include Lapu-Lapu City with 545 cases and four deaths, Dumaguete City with 510 cases and two deaths, and Talisay City with 484 cases and seven deaths.

The cities of Toledo, Mandaue and Danao in the province of Cebu have also posted higher dengue cases this year.

Meanwhile, as part of its continuing effort to reduce cases of dengue here, the Region 7 office of the Department of Health (DoH) Tuesday started the distribution of treated nets in two elementary schools in this city.

News Update DA opens tramline in ComVal

MONKAYO, Compostela Valley, Philippines (PNA) - An agricultural tramline system was recently inaugurated by the Region 11 office of the Department of Agriculture (DA 11) in Barangay Haguimitan, Monkayo, Compostela Valley (ComVal).

DA 11 Director Carlos B. Mendoza said some 2,000 farming households of Barangay Hamiguitan are now being serviced by another agricultural bi-cable tramline system.

Mendoza said such system is the second in ComVal and the third in the whole Davao Region.

The other two units are located in New Bataan in Compostela Valley and Kapatagan in Davao del Sur.

The tramline is an alternate transport system in isolated areas providing a hauling facility using cables and pulleys to transport products from inaccessible farms to the nearest road network.

In the recent inauguration of the facility, Mendoza congratulated the residents of Barangay Haguimitan for joining the fortunate farming communities who are beneficiaries of this efficient agricultural transport system.

Village chieftain Zaldy B. Herida, on behalf of the Barangay Council, gratefully accepted the responsibility of maintaining the smooth operation of the facility.

Herida said the services of the tramline system not only provides increased efficiency in transporting the farmers' produce to the nearest road network, but also provides a much safer alternative transport system across Agusan River which traverses Barangay Haguimitan, separating five farming sitios from the main village and from the main road network.

"Before, we used bamboo rafts in transporting our farm produce such as copra, banana, and vegetables across the river, which is a very hazardous thing especially during the rainy months of November to December, when the river is almost always flooded," Herida added.

On the same occasion, Mendoza also distributed several cans of assorted vegetable seeds to the tramline beneficiaries to encourage the farmers to plant more vegetables for increased income and improved nutrition.

News Update Cebu City vet wants meat imports' safety checked

EBU CITY, Philippines (PNA) - Fewer hogs are currently being slaughtered in Cebu City, the City's Veterinarian's Office confirmed, and local dealers are feeling the pinch from the reported entry of imported meat in the wet markets.

"Traders and suppliers are already affected and farm owners are complaining," Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries (DVMF) Chief Alice Utlang said.

While she could not give exact data, Utlang said there was a big decrease in terms of the number of hogs slaughtered each day.

She also explained hog raisers no longer sell as many pigs of marketable weight as they used to.

According to the Central Visayas Pork Producers' Cooperative, if the hogs get any bigger than what is considered marketable weight, the price drops.

What worries Utlang is the safety of imported meats, which are sold at cheaper prices.

Maria Pino-Buanghug, President of the Cebu City Vendors Association, said local meat vendors are helpless about the entry of imported meat in the market.

"We've heard for a long time that imported pork is being sold. We just want to have it verified because the prices have really dipped and the (imported) supply competes with that of local dealers," said Buanghug.

Utlang also wants to know why imported meat is cheaper.

She has since asked the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) for a list of meat importers in the city but has yet to receive the reply from the agency.

News Update 4 village chiefs killed in 3 provinces in 5 days

As Filipinos gathered today to mark the first anniversary of the Ampatuan massacre in Maguindanao and to call for an end to politically-motivated killings, a barangay chief in an Isabela town was gunned down on Tuesday, bringing to four the number of village chiefs killed throughout the country in the past five days. All four village chiefs were shot to death by still unidentified gunmen, who ambushed them in separate incidents in Isabela, Agusan Sur and Abra provinces. Two of the village officials were killed while they were doing the rounds of remote sitios (hamlets) in their barangays (administratively-defined villages), while another was mercilessly gunned down in front of his own house. One of them was shot together with his mother. Wilson Tan, barangay captain of Barangay 3, San Mateo town in Isabela was shot to death in broad daylight today by two motorcycle-riding gunmen, police said. The killing came five days after another village chief, Alfredo Salvador, of Bagong Sikat in Alicia town, also in Isabela, was shot dead in an adjacent barangay. His mother who was with him was also shot dead. The day before, Freddie Balucas Martines, the chief of a barangay in Lagayan town in Abra province, was also shot to death early in the morning by three still unidentified gunmen, according to belated reports from the regional police office. In Agusan del Sur, the chief of Barangay Pangyan, Trento town was shot dead Friday morning by still unidentified gunmen armed with .45 caliber pistols in a remote sitio of his barangay. Police in the four towns interviewed separately by GMANews.TV said that they were still investigating the incidents. 11 bullets for an Isabela village chief Police Officer 1 Leonard Manelga, San Mateo police investigator, said village chief Tan was shot at 12 noon Tuesday with a .45 caliber pistol by one of the two motorcycle-riding men. Tan died on the spot from 11 gunshot wounds: four in the head, four through his chest, and three on his arms. Police said they found 11 empty shells at the crime scene. Tan’s neighbor, Ernesto Corpuz, said he was entering his house when he saw the gunmen arrive. He said he knew the village chief as “very kind," and was thus surprised by the killing. Camouflaged hitmen in Abra Martines was shot Monday morning while he and two companions were on their way to a neighboring village in Lagayan, Abra, police said. Sr. Supt. Armando Lagiwid, Abra Provincial Police Director, said Martines, 47, chairman of barangay Collago, was shot to death by three still unidentified gunmen while he and two companions were on their way to a neighboring village in Lagayan. According to initial investigations conducted by the Abra police, the victim and his companions, identified as Leonardo Alcartado, 32 and Ireneo Martines Sales, 42, were walking along an isolated stretch of the barangay road and headed to nearby barangay Pulot, when the were ambushed. Two witnesses, who were later brought to the police station, said that they suddenly heard gunfire and saw Martines, who was following them, drop to the ground and cry for help. Fearing for their lives, however, the village chief’s companions ran away, leaving him behind. The witnesses also claimed that they could not recognize the features of the assailants, who were hidden behind thick bushes. However, they said that they were able to see that the three gunmen were wearing camouflage military uniforms. Policemen recovered four M16 cartridge cases, two M14 cartridge cases and one cigarette butt. The victim was rushed to the Abra Provincial Hospital, but died from multiple gunshot wounds. According to PO3 Reynaldo Fancuvilla, the victim was an alleged supporter of the New People’s Army who provided food rations whenever rebels passed by his house. 7 bullets for newly-elected chief in Agusan Sur In Agusan del Sur, the chief of barangay Pangyan, Trento town was shot dead Friday morning by still unidentified gunmen armed with .45 caliber pistols in a remote sitio of his barangay. According to belated police reports reaching Butuan city, Barangay Captain Remy Caligang, 31, and his brother Esmeraldo were riding a motorcycle on their way to a remote sitio of the barangay, when the gunmen fired at him. He died from gunshot wounds to different parts of his body, the Caraga Police Regional Information Office said. Trento police found seven empty shells from caliber .45 pistols at the crime scene. Caligang was former a former barangay councilor who won as village chief in a tightly contested election, said former Agusan del Sur Provincial Board Member and Association of Barangay Captains President Reynaldo Quijada.

His village is found in the mountainous parts of Agusan del Sur, situated at the boundary of Compostela Valley-Davao Provinces.—With reports from Ben Serrano, Joel Nueva, Tony Quidangen/DM

News Update Sulu solon lauds new development

OLO, Sulu, Philippines - Rep. Lady Ann Sahidulla (2nd District, Sulu) have all the reason to be glad after a suspect in the May 13, 2009 bomb explosion in Sulu has cleared her along with former Tapul Mayor Nasser Daud whom he had earlier implicated in the incident during an investigation by authorities.

In the investigation, Abner Sahali Tahil claimed that Sahidulla, who was the former Sulu vice governor, and Daud met at the residence of former Sulu Rep. Munir Arbison in Kakuyagan Village, this town, to plan the bombing and alleged assassination of Sulu Gov. Abdusakur Tan.

Tahil, who was arrested in Jolo on August 25, also denied any knowledge about the May 13 explosion at the vicinity of the provincial capitol in Patikul, Sulu.

Also, Tahil claimed that he was allegedly coerced to admit to the contents of his September 1, 2010 extrajudicial confession in Zamboanga City implicating Arbison, Temogen Tulawie, Sahidulla, and Daud in a supposed assassination plot against the Sulu governor.

"Abner Tahil further averred that the responsible of the bombing on May 13, 2009 against the convoy of Governor Tan were the group of Temogen Tulawie being financed by Munir Arbison, Vice Governor Lady Ann Sahidulla and other political leaders," the supplemental case report dated September 2, 2010 read in part.

News Update CAAP political appointments delay safety audit — Cusi

The world’s main aviation safety body has postponed its planned audit of the Philippine aviation industry because of “operational concerns" that supposedly include political interference in the appointment of top officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

CAAP Director General Alfonso G. Cusi told reporters Tuesday that the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) postponed its Coordinated Validation Mission (ICVM), initially scheduled for Dec. 7-10, to an indefinite date.

ICAO told the CAAP in a letter dated Nov. 9, 2010 that it would postpone its audit due to “operational concerns," Cusi said.

“This is sad. We’ve been working hard for this, but [in its] letter, ICAO informed us of [its] decision to postpone the ICVM to an indefinite time," Cusi said.

According to Cusi, ICAO officers clarified the aviation safety organization’s stand in a telephone conference with the CAAP on Nov. 17.

During the teleconference, ICAO said the operational reasons “relate to the insecurity of ICAO in the sustainability of the present reforms being undertaken by CAAP," Cusi said.

ICAO expressed misgivings over “the present unclear political announcements [over] a change in senior management could create, in ICAO’s opinion, an indeterminable future of professional processes within CAAP," he added.

The international aviation body was referring to a resolution passed by the CAAP board of directors on Nov. 2, approving the appointments of seven persons to key management positions in the CAAP.

The appointments were reportedly “railroaded" by Transportation and Communications Secretary Jose “Ping" de Jesus, Cusi said.

GMANews.TV tried to contact De Jesus and Ricky Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning office, for their comment but was not able to get a response as of this posting.

According to Cusi, the CAAP board resolution was questionable as it contravenes both the provisions of the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008 or R.A. No. 9497 and civil service provisions on the selection of government officials.

Cusi also claimed that all appointees did not go through the regular procedure as prescribed by law and were based on the “desire letter" of the President Benigno Aquino III.

However, the CAAP director clarified he was not against the President “or even the ‘desire letter’ of the President, but we have a law that created an authority, so we should comply with it."

“Our compliance to our own aviation law is of greater concern to the international community," Cusi said.

EU body lauds According to Cusi, his position was bolstered by the findings of a recent safety audit by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). The European Union audit team lauded the recent reforms in the CAAP, recent news reports quoted Cusi as saying. The audit a response to Philippine aviation safety concerns raised by the EU. Because of the recent audit, Cusi said the EU has raised the possibility of lifting its ban on Philippine carriers flying in and out of Europe. However, the EASA report said it was essential that the CAAP continue to act independently of any political or economical influence, Cusi said. — With Danilova Molintas/VS

News Update One year on, journalists’ safety sought as media killings recalled

CEBU CITY — On the table, a single nameplate marked the empty seat where Edelgrace Amoro should have sat and addressed the group of press freedom advocates, who were gathered for the first media conference on the protection of journalists Tuesday. Instead, all that the audience in the darkened auditorium heard was her voice. “There is no end to impunity unless we take the challenge to resist the enemy and fight the good fight of faith," she said, as scenes from media killings past were flashed on the screen. Her father, Edgar Amoro, was gunned down three years after he witnessed the killing of journalist Edgar Damalerio in 2002. Since then, her family has been on the government’s Witness Protection Program, which was why she could not show herself to the public. “When a journalist is killed, it affects all of us – our right to know, our right to information that helps us make decisions in our lives," said Red Batario from the Freedom Fund for Filipino Journalists (FFFJ).

The FFFJ was set up in 2002 in the wake of the Damalerio killing to help the families that slain journalists leave behind. “We look at it not as a media problem but a problem for the entire society," added Batario, who also serves as executive director of the Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD). The CCJD teamed up with the Cebu-based Peace and Conflict Journalism Network (PECOJON) and the International News Safety Institute (INSI) to organize the media conference, which was timed to coincide with the first anniversary of the November 23 massacre in Maguindanao. Plaintive strains from a flute and frenzied drumming by musicians from the local cultural group Upstage opened a photo exhibit showing scenes from the massacre site and the arrest of prime suspect Andal Ampatuan Jr. “This is a reminder that an aberration like the Nov. 23 massacre should not happen again," said moderator Karlon Rama from PECOJON. ‘Frightening trend’ Lawyer Al Parreño noted that activists and journalists comprised the majority of victims of unresolved killings from 2001 up to August 2010, according to a study that he conducted for the Institute for War and Peace Reporting. An average of 2.5 killings per week were recorded during the term of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, with her home province of Pampanga and Negros Occidental topping the list of sites where the violence occurred, Parreño said. Despite the reforms promised by President Benigno Aquino III when he took office last June, however, Parreño observed: “There’s a frightening trend right now."

He said two killings per week were reported during the first two months of the Aquino administration — which is comparable to the rate of killings during Arroyo’s term.

“It’s all about guns, hoods, and motorcycles," he said, describing the manner of most killings. He added that all the killings were “systematic and planned, not just some homicide on the street." Philippine National Police Supt. Alex Paul Monteagudo, deputy director of Task Force Usig, advised journalists to take extra caution if they sense that they are being shadowed. The task force was created to look into the reports of extra-judicial killings during the Arroyo administration. “Our studies show that it is during surveillance period that you can best prevent an attack," he said, adding that most of the reported killings happened in or around the victims’ houses. “There are only 130,000 policemen in the entire country and we cannot secure each and every media practitioner," Monteagudo said. 11-point agenda The media conference ended with the signing of the “Cebu declaration: A call to action for the protection of journalists in the Philippines." Among the steps proposed are the following:Government observance of international resolutions on the safety of journalists Provision of safety equipment for media workers by news organizations Media-academe cooperation programs to prepare new journalists for the hazards of the profession Engaging the citizenry in supporting protection for media workers Solidarity among media organizations in pursuing freedom of the pressThe participants also lit candles to remember the 58 victims of the Maguindanao massacre and other victims of media killings in the country. – JV,

News Update Ex-U.S. Navy serviceman held for killing Filipina lover

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Xinhua) - An American national has been arrested for killing his Filipina lover in this southern Philippine city, local police said Monday. Michael Lamphier, 49, a retired U.S. Navy man, is facing homicide charges for shooting Michiko Doque, 39, late Saturday according to Senior Superintendent Rene Espera, Davao city police chief. Espera said the couple had a heated argument after Lamphier arrived from a drinking session with friends at a bar in downtown Davao. "Neighbors told investigators they heard a single gunshot from the couple's home so they called police," Espera told local media. He added the victim died from a gunshot wound in the stomach.

Kopi Talk Long wait for justice

The nation marks the first anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre today with heirs of the 57 victims wondering how long they will have to wait for justice. The man on trial for personally leading the mass killing, Andal Ampatuan Jr., is being held without bail, as well as his father Andal Senior and several of their relatives. About 200 people, most of them members of the Ampatuans’ security forces, face trial for the atrocity, but hundreds of others are still at large, a number of them still with the capability to murder and intimidate witnesses.

After numerous delays, the trial finally got underway two months ago. A defense lawyer predicted that the case could drag on for 10 years; a senator had a more pessimistic prediction, saying it could last 200 years. Even 10 years is a long time for those seeking justice for one of the most brutal crimes in the nation’s history.

On Tuesday last week justice officials and the trial court judge handling the massacre, Jocelyn Solis Reyes, agreed to hear the case two times a week, with at least two witnesses presented at each trial. The so-called case management conference included prosecutors and the defense. Although this is a welcome development, defense lawyers can still slow down the trial in the course of working for the interests of 200 clients. The murders and disappearances of key witnesses can also further delay justice.

Defining the participation and culpability of each of the accused will take time, but those who played the biggest role should not be too tough to pin down. Participants in the massacre who have turned state witness as well as employees in the Ampatuan household have averred that the clan planned the massacre as part of a feud with political rivals who are also their relatives, the Mangudadatus. State witnesses have said Andal Jr. personally shot dead several of the 57 victims, ignoring pleas for mercy.

The victims’ heirs may never see all the murderers and their accomplices, including the security forces that herded the victims’ convoy to their death on a desolate hilltop in Ampatuan town, brought to justice. But pinning down the plotters and principal perpetrators should not be an impossible task. The wait for justice need not be interminable.

News Update MMDA wants EDSA, shopping districts decongested

MANILA, Philippines - The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is mapping out measures to alleviate the heavy vehicular traffic flow in and around the metropolis’ main shopping districts and EDSA during the Christmas season, an official said yesterday.

MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino met yesterday with top executives of the Ayala Center and the Ortigas Center to find ways to ease traffic flow at the two popular shopping districts, which connects with the 28-kilometer long EDSA.

“Traffic is everybody’s concern. We should look at it holistically rather than limiting our concerns to within one area of jurisdiction only,” he said.

Traffic officials from Makati and Pasig also attended the meeting.

Tolentino said Ayala Center and the Ortigas Center contribute heavily to the volume of vehicular traffic along EDSA as these are the areas where the large shopping malls are located.

Tolentino, in particular, urged SM Megamall – which he considers a part of the Ortigas Center – to inform the MMDA beforehand of any major sale that would tend to draw a large number of shoppers, in order to put in place the needed traffic plan along EDSA.

“Our experience is that during any sale, traffic leading to and from SM Megamall along EDSA is terrible. We should be notified beforehand so we could plan and make contingencies,” Tolentino said.

Tolentino also raised the traffic bottleneck problem at the EDSA-Ayala Avenue intersection with officials of the Ayala Center officials and traffic executives of the Makati City government.

According to Tolentino, traffic lights along the stretch of Ayala Avenue should be synchronized to allow a faster flow of traffic into the Makati central business district during the morning rush hour.

Data from the MMDA Traffic Engineering Center show that at least 1,896 vehicles enter Ayala Avenue from EDSA’s southbound lane every hour during the morning rush period between 6 a.m. and 9 a.m. while 1,309 vehicles stream from the Magallanes area.

News Update Drug test for gov't workers before they get their Xmas bonus urged

CEBU CITY, Philippines - A former Dangerous Drugs Board (DDB) official Monday suggested the holding of drugs testing for all government employees before they are given their Christmas bonuses.

The move, said former DDB Vice Chairman Paul Oaminal, ensures that taxpayers' money used to provide such Christmas bonuses for government employees are not wasted on public servants who are also drug users.

Oaminal said government offices must enforce drugs testing as part of the "Drug Free Workplace" program being implemented even in private establishments.

"The strategy is being undertaken by Mayor Benjamin Abalos of Mandaluyong City. If Mandaluyong could do it, why can't the rest of the local government units (LGUs) have the political will to replicate it," Oaminal asked.

The former DDB official believes that the reason why there are governors, mayors and barangay captains who refuse to adopt the "Drug Free Workplace Program" in their jurisdiction is because "they are afraid that their favored employees might turn out to be positive for drugs."

Chief executives must even be the first to undergo drugs testing for them to have moral ascendancy over their employees, Oaminal underlined. One of the reasons where the public is cynical about government efforts to push its anti-drugs campaign is the perception that there are government employees who are drug users, he pointed out.

News Update Water in Malabon schools to be tested for contamination

MALABON CITY, Philippines - The local government of Malabon has instructed its health department to inspect the water pipes of more than 40 public schools in the city after tap water at a school tested positive for coliform bacteria contamination.

Water from the school also failed the Philippine national standard for drinking water.

The city government will allocate a budget for the inspection to make sure that water in public schools will be potable for drinking.

Maynilad and the city health office personnel also conducted water quality tests at the school. Their test results, however, showed that water from the school is potable for drinking.

The Malabon City health officer said they will still inspect all the pipelines and main sources of water in the school and rehabilitate pipes, if necessary, to ensure the safety of the students and teachers in the school.

News Update Suspected drug dealer in Iloilo caught with P4M worth of cocaine

MANILA, Philippines – Another suspected drug dealer was nabbed by anti-narcotics agents during a recent sting operation in Iloilo, confiscating P4 million worth of cocaine, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) disclosed today.

PDEA director general Dionisio Santiago said Carlito Sangrador Buen, 48, of Brgy. Maninila, Miagao, Iloilo, was apprehended by operatives during a buy-bust operation.

Santiago said that after the initial sale, the PDEA agent who acted as poseur-buyer convinced Buen to sell a bigger quantity by showing a huge amount of money to the suspect, prompting him to bring out his stock.

The suspect's supply was believed to be part of the cocaine salvaged from the coastlines of Eastern Samar late last year.

Recovered from Buen were the marked money of different denominations, a brick, and two pieces self-sealed plastic sachet of suspected cocaine with approximate weight of 800 grams, worth around P4 million.

“Despite our continuous appeals and warnings to the public, still there are individuals who risk being arrested by selling and keeping the recovered Samar cocaine,” Santiago said. - By Dennis Carcamo

News Update Network makes big push into growing overseas Filipinos market

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Philippines' broadcast giant GMA Network Inc. is eyeing a bigger share of the overseas Filipino workers (OFW) market with the recent launch of one of its international channels in two major territories abroad.

In a statement, the company also announced plans to bring GMA Life TV, the company's second international channel, to two other American states with large concentrations of OFWs before the year ends.

"Ably complementing the programming of GMA's flagship international channel GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV features top-notch news and public affairs, entertainment and lifestyle programs catered for Pinoys all over the world," the company said in a statement.

Two launches - both within the month's first week - took place this November. On November 4, GMA Life TV was launched in Canada via MTS All-Stream. Meanwhile, chosen GMA Life TV programs began airing in the United Kingdom since November 7 via Pinoy Europe IPTV. This was made possible by Orbit Showtime Network in partnership with Infinity IPTV, the company said.

"Just before the year ends, GMA Life TV will continue to spice up the lives of Filipinos in the United States as it penetrates New York and Illinois," the statement read.

The company said GMA Life TV will soon air with the help of Time Warner in New York and Comcast in Chicago on December 1 and 16, respectively. It will also be launched in Houston, Texas, by early next year via Comcast.

GMA Life TV had about 126,000 subscribers at the end of the third quarter, the network said.

The number of subscribers began to substantially increase when the channel was launched during the early part of this year in other areas such as Florida (via Brighhouse Tampa), Texas (via En-Touch), Hong Kong (via PCCW) and Central California (via Comcast).

"The increase of GMA Life TV subscribers can be attributed to the channel's superior programming and the way it effectively responds to the under-served content needs of our carriers," vice president and GMA International operations head Joseph Francia said.

News Update FLOOD CONTROL STUDY ONGOING

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines - The flooding problem in some parts in Northern, Northeastern (Tandag River), and Central Mindanao regions and other parts in the southern island is expected to be addressed soon as the feasibility studies on the multi-billion-peso flood system projects went into high gear, an official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) disclosed Sunday.

DPWH Undersecretary Romeo S. Momo said local government units (LGUs) and other stakeholders are already closely coordinating to finally start the flood system projects in the region and other parts of Mindanao.

He said the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), World Bank (WB), and other international banking institutions are already awaiting the final studies for them to also finally validate before releasing the flood system funding.

''With our assistance, these LGUs and other stakeholders are already redoubling their efforts to finally address the flood woes in their respective regions,'' said Momo. He said some of these flood system projects had already been started. (Mike Crismundo)

News Update RAINBOW WARRIOR' DOCKS IN MAASIM

MAASIM, Sarangani Province, Philippines (PNA) - Greenpeace flagship ''Rainbow Warrior'' on Saturday sailed to this town to join thousands of folk who want to ''knock out'' coal and broadcast their rejection of dirty coal power.

In a first of its kind protest-at-sea, the ship was accompanied along Sarangani Bay by hundreds of small fishing boats to the shore beside the site of the proposed plant, where a team of fishermen formed the words ''Clean Energy Now'' using at least 75 boats.

On land, Sarangani communities formed a giant human banner with the words ''No to coal'' in San Felipe Colon Elementary School just a few hundred meters away from the coal plant project site.

''Coal is dirty energy. It has negative effects on health because of its toxic emissions. We want to protect our environment so our air and water can remain clean for our children,'' said Vicente Jatico, chairman of the Maasim People's Coalition on Climate Change (MP3C). Greenpeace said that coal may seem like the most practical fuel because of its abundance.

News Update Drive for women starts in Caraga

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines - The 18-day campaign to end violence against women (VAW) is set to start on Thursday in the Caraga Region.

Caraga Region Commission on Human Rights (CHR) Marylin D. Pintor said the Caraga Gender and Development Coordinating Committee (GADCC) will spearhead the 18-day activity with its theme ''Magna Carta ni PNay: Gawing Tunay: Karahasan sa Kababaihan, Wakasan!''

The GADCC has laid down some of the activities such as press conference, walk for a cause, and hataw, jail visitation, lumad visitation, GAD orientation seminars and for a forum on Magna Carta of women and GADCC full committee meeting and Christmas party.

At present, at least 181 cases of violent incidents against women were already recorded and filed in court at various areas, cities, provinces, and towns in the region.

Meanwhile, Region 13 National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Carmencita S. Cochingco, who is also the chairperson of the Regional Development Council (RDC) is also throwing their full support for the success of the 18-day VAW. (Mike Crismundo)

News Update 'Peace Week' reels off in Butuan

BUTUAN CITY, Philippines - In an effort to dramatize the ''peace campaign'' in the country's second largest island which is the so-called ''Land of Promise,'' the Caraga Conference for Peace and Development (CCPD) is set to welcome more than 1,000 participants coming from various provinces, cities, and towns for the weeklong ''2010 Mindanao Week of Peace'' celebration that reels of on Thursday in this city. The CCPD, set as a secretariat, is spearheaded by Founding Chairman Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos of the Diocese of Butuan, who was also the former president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP). The CCPD, along with other religious groups, local government units (LGUs), line agencies of the government, and all sectors of society including various ethnic leaders in this region will welcome the delegates for the weeklong celebration of the ''Mindanao Week of Peace'' that will last up to December 1, with the theme ''Responsive and Responsible Governance: Key to Peace, Development and Sustainability.''

In a press conference, Fr. Carlito Clase, executive director of CCPD, said the celebration will involve various activities that will be implemented for the whole week. He said participants who are also from the business sector, civil society organizations, peoples organizations and Mindanao's local government leaders, will be engaged in various activities that will not only promote solidarity, cooperation and the culture of peace, ''but also environmental care and protection.'' ''The celebration of the 'Mindanao Week of Peace' is not only a reaffirmation of our commitment of peace, it is also our reaffirmation of our commitment and advocacy of the value of life through peace and development,'' stressed Fr. Clase. He added that the celebration is primarily aimed to build the culture of peace among Christians, Muslims and Lumads.

News Update Japan extends financial aid to 140 villages in Mindanao

AMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - The Japanese government through the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) will grant financial aid to at least 140 barangays (villages) to boost its development assistance to conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. JICA Chief Representative Norio Matsuda said that 140 villages will receive financial aid to implement small-scale infrastructure projects through the Community Development in Conflict Areas in Mindanao (CD-CAAM). Matsuda made the disclosure of the aid to Mindanao people during a recent visit at the office of Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos-Deles in Manila. Matsuda explained that the financial grant is now on its final two phases - the technical cooperation and preparatory phase, and the grant aid and technical cooperation project. Beneficiaries to the CD-CAAM are those villages that were identified through in-depth analysis under the Study for Socio-Economic Reconstruction and Development of Conflict-Affected Areas in Mindanao (SERD-CAAM), which was conceptualized in 2007 and completed in 2009 by JICA in support of the Mindanao peace process. SERD-CAAM aims to formulate a socio-economic plan for the rehabilitation, reconstruction, and development of conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. The study encompasses 3,847 villages in 151 cities and municipalities in 14 provinces of Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, and the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Japan is one of the top three bilateral grant aid donors along with the United States and Australia. It has been actively involved in alleviating poverty and consolidating peace in Mindanao, especially in the autonomous region.

Four years ago, JICA launched the Japan-Bangsamoro Initiatives for Reconstruction and Development (J-BIRD) to enable conflict-affected families in Mindanao enjoy the dividends of peace through official development assistance.

News Update Gov't set to prioritize rehab of 3 CAR roads

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - After the completion of the over P5.2 billion worth of road projects in central Cordillera, the region stands to benefit from the infusion of more funds to rehabilitate and upgrade at least three more interior roads linking several provinces in the coming months, a ranking official of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) central office said here. The provision of sufficient funds for the rehabilitation of three major roads in Kalinga, Abra, and Benguet is part of the Aquino administration's commitment to further improve infrastructure in the countryside in order to make an impact and improve the lives of the people as envisioned by the Cordillera Road Improvement Project (CRIP), the blueprint of the development of the various roads in the region prepared by the Regional Development Council (RDC) during the early 1990s. DPWH Assistant Secretary Roy Manao said the roads which are now being prioritized for funding by the agency in the coming months include the upgrade of the Lubuagan, Kalinga to Abra Road, Bokod-Kabayan, Benguet-Baguio Road, and the Acop-Kapangan-Kibungan-Bakun Road, both secondary national arterial roads located in southern and northern Benguet, respectively.

According to Manao, the feasibility studies for the upgrading of the aforesaid roads were already completed and are now awaiting funding support from both the national and international funding agencies in order to realize the government's vision to bring the living condition of the people in the right track. Earlier, the RDC in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) endorsed the funding of the project and was approved by the National Economic Development Authority - Investment Coordinating Committee ((NEDA-ICC) and forwarded to the DPWH for implementation. Manao explained the continuous infusion of development funds in the region purposely for road rehabilitation and upgrading projects will guarantee the convenient travel of motorists from one province to another as well as provide better access of traders to the agricultural crops of farmers, especially those in the countryside. With the expected infusion of more funds to develop the region's road networks, Manao challenged local governments and other stakeholders to help solve the expected increase in road-right-of-way problems that will arise during the project implementation so that it will not unduly delay the targeted completion of programmed works like what is now being encountered in the controversial multi-billion projects in Mountain Province, Ifugao, and parts of Kalinga.

News Update Vigan offers products, delicacies in trade fair

VIGAN CITY, Philippines - Attractive and unique antique furniture and the local fabric ''Abel,'' and other Iloko products and delicious food delicacies produced from this world's well-known heritage city of the country are presently showcased in the five-day Vigan Food and Trade Fair that formally opened on Saturday at the premises of Villa Fernandina de Vigan in Taguig City, Metro Manila. Vigan City Mayor Eva Marie Singson Medina said Sunday that the trade fair runs from November 20 to 24, 2010.

Among the products of this heritage city that are displayed for sale during food and trade fair include the famous antique furniture of Ilocos Region, attractive souvenir items and the ever famous Iloko clothing - ''Abel,'' the unique burnay (jars) and Vigan tiles, and the delicious food delicacies such as bagnet (crispy pig's rind), longganisa (native sausage), Bibingka Paskua (native rice cake), miki (native noodles), empanada, locally cooked sinanglao and okoy, among others. To reach the venue of the food and trade fair, Medina said that those coming from the Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA); for the EDSA southbound vehicles, turn left at the south superhighway, then turn left towards the Bicutan exit then towards lower Bicutan; then turn right at the Manuel Quezon street and about 700 meters away, the Villa Fernandina de Vigan will be on the right side. The lady mayor is inviting everyone to see, to taste and to buy the famous antique products and delicious and well-known native food delicacies produced from Vigan.

News Update Baguio police office gets P7.6-M backing

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines - The city government here has already released at least P7.6 million as assistance to the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) which was instrumental in strengthening their peacekeeping, anti-criminality and anti-terrorism activities in its areas of jurisdiction. Senior Supt. David Q. Lacdan, BCPO director, said the assistance extended by the local government to the Baguio's Finest was utilized to boost the mobility of the policemen so that they will be able to immediately respond to calls for help in the city's 128 villages. Initially, the city government released P5 million for the law enforcement agency's maintenance and other operating expenses and was followed by another P2.6 million for its gasoline allocation and the repair and maintenance of its patrol cars and motorcycles being used in the conduct of their routine patrol operations.

Lacdan said that the substantial assistance being extended by the local government to its local police force has greatly helped in improving their performance in increasing their crime solution efficiency from 12.6 percent to 19.9 percent in just three months. Moreover, he cited that despite the challenges that hound their operations, particularly the significant increase in robbery cases, policemen are able to ensure that the city is still generally peaceful and still a good place to spend a break from the extreme heat prevailing in the lowlands. According to Lacdan, BCPO is one of the luckiest police offices nationwide because of the overwhelming support being extended by the city government. (Dexter A. See)

News Update BIR Iloilo City exceeds tax collection target

LOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines (PIA) - The Bureau of Internal Revenue District Office No. 11 in Iloilo City said it has exceeded its P4.7-billion October tax collection goal by P113.5 million or 2.43 percent as compared to last year's collection. Said Revenue District Officer Nelia Demalata in a recent press conference, ''The BIR in Iloilo City collection as of October has reached P4.8 billion compared to last year's P3.8 billion. That represents a 23 percent increase or P990.9 million.'' Demalata attributed the increase in tax collections to the massive tax campaign activities that the BIR in this city has conducted involving all sources of taxes. She also said that the BIR's Tax Computerization Program has likewise helped her office in its revenue collection performance through ''strengthened collection efforts, improved collection programs and enabled collection officers.''

The program has also improved taxpayer service through time-efficient taxpayer transaction processing, including responding to queries and completion of taxpayer-related services, Demalata said. Demalata also said that the Bureau of Internal Revenuein Iloilo City has closed fourteen business establishments for failure to issue receipts or invoices, failure to register as VAT taxpayer and under declaration of sales by more than 30 percent. She urged tri-media to help in the BIR's tax campaign, because, she said, ''the taxes collected will help improve the delivery of social services to the people and build more infrastructure to sustain long-term economic growth.''

News Update Negros Or. hazard-prone areas examined

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines (PIA) - The Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council is set to visit towns and cities across the province here for an ocular inspection of hazard-prone areas. The inspection is in line with the Council's Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Plan which is expected to be completed by the end of this month, said Provincial Planning and Development Officer Joy Gongob. Gongob, speaking in a briefing attended by the media and information officers of the different local government units (LGUs) here, disclosed that said plan will not only address natural disasters such as earthquakes, floods and landslide but also A H1N1, avian flu and even oil spills.

''The plan is still in the process of finalization but it will be ready within this month once it has been approved by the Provincial Development Council,'' she said. Fourteen LGUs in the province have been identified as flood-prone, namely, Vallehermoso, Guihulngan, La Libertad, Tayasan, Bindoy, Manjuyod, Bais, Tanjay City, Zamboanguita, Siaton, Sta. Catalina, Bayawan City, Basay and Dumaguete City. Gongob likewise cited that the province is a volcanic and landslide-hazard prone area due to the presence of Kanlaon Volcano, which has been classified by the Phivolcs as active. Data from Phivolcs presented by Gongob during the briefing showed that the country sits on what is known as the ''Ring of Fire,'' with active faults cutting across the province. An active fault is described as an earthquake generator due to fractures on the earth's surface where rock movement has taken place and earthquakes have occurred.

News Update Coal plant delivers 50% power to Iloilo City

LOILO CITY, Iloilo, Philippines - Long power outages may now be adequately mitigated with the region's first-coal fired power plant currently generating 50 percent of its full capacity after successfully synchronizing its system with the grid of Panay Electric Company (PECO), Iloilo City's lone power distributor. Panay Energy Development Corporation (PEDC), which operates the 164-megawatt coal plant composed of two units, disclosed that its first unit was already generating 43.5-megawatts. Engr.

Henry Alcalde, PEDC Vice-President for Operations, said this will give PECO additional power supply for its consumers without having to resort to rotational blackouts. Over the past three months, Iloilo City has been reeling from three to five hours of rotating blackouts per day due to capacity deficiency. PECO's Engr. Randy Pastolero emphasized that as long as PEDC supplies enough power, PECO will continuously distribute such power amongst city consumers without any interruption. Meanwhile, Alcalde clarified that the coal plant is still on testing and commissioning stage, that is, the plant's compatibility in transmitting power to the PECO grid is still under evaluation, fixing, at the same time, any technical error that may arise at this current stage.

News Update Importer defends P1 medicines

MANILA, Philippines - The owner of one of the companies raided by National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for allegedly selling fake prescription medicines has denied the allegation.

Muhammad Ateeque, owner of Sahar International Trading, showed to ABS-CBN News on Sunday his company’s licenses and certificates to operate and import medicines from Pakistan, India, China, and other countries.

Ateeque said that they have an ongoing case with a pharmaceutical firm on the distribution of a drug for lowering of cholesterol.

He thinks the dispute could be the reason why their company was raided.

He said that compared to other big drug companies, Sahar’s medicines are cheaper. For example their drug for lowering cholesterol only sells for P1 compared to big companies that sell their products for P60 per tablet.

"Medicines are cheap in Pakistan and India. We aim for every Filipino to afford to buy medicines,” Ateeque said.

He is asking the NBI why it had no representative from the Food and Drug Administration with them during the raid.

News Update TV ads in memory of Maguindanao massacre out

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Five television commercials produced pro bono by industry experts to remind the public of the Maguindanao massacre in southern Philippines that took the lives of 58 people one year ago are now out.

"Never Forget" (in English and Tagalog versions) presents media personalities making this call; "Families" features the orphaned and widowed relatives of the victims; "Tutok" is a montage of the gory massacre pictures juxtaposed with press freedom issues; and "Saranggola" contrasts the joys of kite-flying with the principle of a free press equals a free people.

The creative team was headed by directors Jim Libiran, veteran journalist and award-winning independent film maker, and TJ Besa III, publicist and former MTV creative & content head. Nap Jamir II, veteran TV and film director, and Luis Liwanag, of the Philippine Center for Photojournalism (PCP), were the directors of photography. Scriptwriters included Veronica Uy of INQUIRER.net, Sonny Fernandez of ABS-CBN2, Alwyn Alburo of GMA7, and TJ Besa III. Jing Garcia of The Manila Times provided the scoring.

Together with other media workers, production houses RSVP Film Production and Rentals, Unitel, and Underground Logic contributed their time, talent, and equipment to produce the five television commercials which will come out in the major networks.

Talents and personalities who came out in the ads included: Ed Lingao of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Vergel Santos of the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, Inday Varona of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), Maria Ressa, formerly of ABS-CBN 2.

Nikko Dizon of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, Cecille Lardizabal of Radyo Inquirer 990, Pat Evangelista of ANC, Kiri Dalena of ANC, Paolo Villaluna of ANC, Paolo Romero of Philippine Star, Luis Liwanag of PCP, Ces Drilon of ABS-CBN 2, Joel Salud of Philippine Graphic, Che Sarigumba of Dateline Philippines, Alma Anonas Carpio of Philippine Graphic, Weng Paraan of NUJP, and Alwyn Alburo of NUJP.

Cathy Nunez, mother of UNTV reporter Victor Nunez, Myrna Reblando, wife of Manila Bulletin reporter Bong Reblando, a daughter of UNTV media worker Daniel Tiamzon, and Grace Morales, sister of Marites Cablitas and wife of Rossel Morales, both of News Focus, also appeared in the television ads.

The TV ads were produced by the November 23 Movement, which is composed of the Philippine Press Institute, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas, the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility, the Center of Community Journalists in the Philippines, and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines.

News Update Villagers flee as Philippine volcano shoots ash

MANILA (AFP) - – Scores of people were forced to flee their homes after a restive Philippine volcano shot a column of ash into the air on Sunday, showering surrounding villages, authorities said.

Residents of two villages near the 1,565-metre (5,135-foot) Mount Bulusan volcano evacuated their homes after the volcano shot a column of ash some two kilometres into the air.

"The ones evacuated were those most vulnerable to the ash like the children, the elderly, the pregnant and nursing mothers," said disaster control chief Jose Lopez in an interview with ABS-CBN television.

Evacuees were taken to government schools that are being used as relief centres, he added.

More than 750 people have fled their homes since Bulusan started emitting ash on November 6, said Lopez.

One man with asthma already died from Bulusan's ash emissions on November 11, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said in Manila.

Government vulcanologists had earlier raised the alert level for Bulusan from zero to level 1, indicating abnormal activity, possibly a sign of more ash eruptions to come.

The government has warned people not to enter a four-kilometre (2.5 miles) "danger zone" around the volcano and communities nearby were told to be on alert for volcanic mudslides caused by heavy rains mixed with ash deposited on Bulusan's slopes.

Bulusan, 250 kilometres southeast of the capital Manila on the main island of Luzon, is one of the country's 23 active volcanoes.

The local government said a quarter million people live in six towns around the volcano, and many of them could be at risk if the mild eruption increases in intensity.

Bulusan has erupted 16 times in recorded history, the last time in 2006. It began emitting ash again from November 6.

The Philippines is part of the Pacific Ring of Fire where frequent volcanic eruptions and earthquakes take pl