lightsandshade

To the 99 percent

2011-11-09T19:12:00.001-08:00

Last month, I dreamt of a Christmas Day when every child in the country happily clutched one of their favorite toys as they rushed to greet their elders the season's best cheers.

On that day, every couple, every family had a decent room or shelter for themselves that they could finally call their own. There was enough food on the table to nourish the household. Each member of the family had a set of new clothes to wear. No worn-out shoes, ragged clothing, nor dirty linen could be seen anywhere. Adults worried not about how to earn their living since they looked forward to productive and rewarding jobs after the holidays. The young ones thought nothing about labor nor school for they all were certain of getting educated in modern schools. The elderly, ill and differently-abled were not troubled by accessibility to health care. Every citizen of that blissful country were contented. They enjoyed the special day with their loved ones.

In that dream, people were free to be alive, to think, to care, to find their true potentials, to share and to contribute to social advancement. They all had access to resources for their nourishment, well-being, education, security… There was no greed nor hunger, while society's wealth, being harnessed for more abundance, was generously distributed.

The prevailing order and already balanced ecosystem seemed sustainable for thousands of years more.

I woke up awed but not surprised of what I recalled from that dream. Days later, as I did my errands, I took long walks from one big mall to nearby department stores. I window-shopped in malls along the highways of Edsa, from Quezon City, Mandaluyong, Makati and then to downtown Manila. At every mall “sale” and the pre-Christmas rush, shoppers curiously looked at clothes, accessories, food, wares, appliances, toys and their price tags, bargain-hunting for what could meet their needs. Inside the big malls and at the thousands of stores in Quiapo, Avenida, Binondo and Divisoria, one could find almost every necessity and nice things for sale. Inside government (rented or controlled) warehouses, as t.v. news revealed, one could find countless container vans filled with confiscated items that could instead be donated to the victims of recent storms and flooding, and to those who neither have property nor daily bread.

The sight of mountains of rice in warehouses; truckloads of fruits, vegetables, fish and meat in marketplaces; hundreds of empty buildings, condominiums and big houses; and endless hectares of idle land all make me wonder why there's so much hunger, anguish and powerlessness in people struggling to survive a hand-to-mouth existence, even if they were literally sitting beside the necessities and nice things for sale here and elsewhere. Commodities are in oversupply but most people could not purchase everything that they really need.

The 99 percent of our population is highly segmented and seems skeptical about any meaningful, qualitative change. I wonder when will the “Occupy Wall Street” protests, after spreading to parts of USA and Europe, reach Asia and the Philippines, if only to provoke us to re-think our situation.

Strike

2011-10-11T06:10:00.000-07:00

Media giants showed bias in their newscasts of the Sept. 19 transport strike led by Piston and other regional transport groups. While news programs aired both the protesters' and the government's sides, their anchors kept asking their on-site reporters whether the streets were paralyzed, how much "perwisyo" did the strike cause or how much discomfort were commuters forced to go through, which virtually expressed disdain for the protesters. It was also disheartening to see a t.v. survey result which said 78% of their respondents think that a transport strike does not work. By focusing on the sensational, their handling of precious air time failed to enlighten the public on the real issues that need to be articulated, such as alleged overpricing of oil products by Php 9 per liter and what must be done to address the endless oil price hikes.

It would probably improve media networks’ ratings if they devote just a few minutes of intelligent discourse on possible solutions offered by protesters versus the oil regime. They could discuss how previous strikes resulted to price rollbacks, dialogues with Malacañang, legislative measures, and deeper discussions on vital issues, to name a few gains. Analysts could also expound how a transport strike reduces the profits of the Big 3 oil companies as well as government collections on taxes.

A transport strike aims to cater to the public’s needs, not just the drivers’. Commuters could join or express sympathy, since their discomfort is slight compared to the sacrifice made by drivers who would have to work longer to make up for lost earnings. Even private motorists could take part by not gassing up on a day of protest. After all, everybody is victimized by frequent (over)price(d) hikes. Oil price hikes lead to higher costs of food, fare and basic necessities shouldered by all, especially by those who do not earn enough to get through the day. This means greater misery for the already impoverished people. So why would news anchors pit striking drivers against commuters? Is it because oil companies run ads on their media networks?

Bloggers and citizen journalists should also be involved in information processing and dissemination. They could use their blogs, web sites, social networking sites or even mainstream media sites to articulate relevant issues and bring substance and meaningful debates to otherwise merely sensational news.

Beyond the coordinated day of protest, the transport sector could still use their vehicles in expressing their sentiments and demands. They could use posters, leaflets, stickers and other information paraphernalia on their vehicles. Drivers could discuss their situation with passengers and vice versa, wherein both sides could realize that they are on the same side after all.

What are the protesting drivers and operators proposing to address the country’s oil dilemma? They are demanding for immediate relief from the rampant price hikes of oil products. In sum, they seek to exempt petroleum products from the value added tax (VAT), renationalize Petron Corporation, establish centralized procurement of oil, and regulate the downstream oil industry. Removing VAT on oil, for instance, will significantly bring down prices and will immediately result to increased daily incomes of jeepney and tricycle drivers, directly benefiting around 4 to 6 million Filipinos.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

2011-03-11T18:15:00.000-08:00

Big One slams Japan
8.9 quake, 10-meter tsunami kill 200 to 300
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 00:59:00 03/12/2011

TOKYO—Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions.

The largest earthquake ever to hit Japan spawned a monster, 10-meter tsunami that slammed the northeastern coast on Friday, sweeping away people, boats, cars and homes like toys, as widespread fires burned out of control.

Japanese police said 200 to 300 bodies had been found in northeastern Sendai city, the closest major city to the epicenter of the quake. Hundreds were missing and the death toll was likely to continue climbing given the scale of the disaster.

A ship carrying about 100 people was swept away by the tsunami and its fate was unknown, public broadcaster NHK reported, citing Miyagi prefecture police. No further information was immediately available.

The 8.9-magnitude offshore quake at 2:46 p.m.—the seventh strongest in history—was followed by more than 50 aftershocks, many of them of more than 6.0 magnitude.

Dozens of cities and villages along a 2,100-kilometer stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, 380 km from the epicenter.

The tsunami swallowed everything in its path. The apocalyptic images of surging water broadcast by Japanese TV networks resembled scenes from a Hollywood disaster movie.

Around 4.4 million homes were without power in northern Japan. A hotel collapsed in Sendai and people were feared buried in the rubble.

The quake and the tsunami brought back the horrors of the 9.1-magnitude temblor that struck Indonesia on Dec. 26, 2004, unleashing a tsunami that ravaged coastlines in more than a dozen countries around the Indian Ocean, killing more than 220,000 people.

Tsunami warnings

In the wake of Friday’s quake, tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire US West Coast.

The Philippines and neighboring Asian countries issued tsunami alerts.

Tsunami waves hit Hawaii in the early morning hours on Friday and were sweeping through the island chain. Water rushed ashore in Honolulu, swamping the beach in Waikiki and surging over the break wall in the world-famous resort but stopping short of the area’s high-rise hotels.

Waves at least a meter high were recorded on Oahu and Kauai, and officials warned that the waves would continue and could become larger.

Swept away

The biggest earthquake to hit Japan since records began 140 years ago unleashed powerful waves that swept away everything in its path, hurtling buildings and tons of debris several kilometers inland.

Large fishing boats and other sea vessels rode high waves into the cities, slamming against overpasses. Upturned and partially submerged vehicles were seen bobbing in the water.

Waves of muddy waters swept over farmland near Sendai, carrying buildings, some on fire, inland as cars attempted to drive away.

Sendai airport, north of Tokyo, was inundated with cars, trucks, buses and thick mud deposited over its runways. Fires spread through a section of the city.

The tsunami roared over embankments, washing cars, houses and farm equipment inland before reversing directions and carrying them out to sea. Flames shot from some of the houses, probably because of burst gas pipes.

Passengers on a subway line in Tokyo screamed and grabbed other passengers’ hands during the quake. The shaking was so bad it was hard to stand, said Reuters reporter Mariko Katsumura.

The quake caused many injuries.

Emergency at nuke plant

Japan declared a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant after its cooling system failed following a massive earthquake. There was no radiation leak.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said the measure was a precaution and that the Fukushima No. 1 power plant was not in immediate danger. The plant has shut down.

The plant, which experienced a mechanical failure in the system, needed to cool the reactor after a power failure during Friday’s earthquake. The reactor core remains hot and requires cooling after a shutdown.

“We launched the measure so we can be fully prepared for the worst scenario,” he said.

It was the first time Japan has declared a state of emergency at a nuclear power plant.

Fukushima is just south of the worst-hit Miyagi prefecture, where a fire broke out at another nuclear plant. Another plant is experiencing a water leak.

Tokyo paralyzed

The highways to the worst-hit coastal areas were severely damaged and communications, including telephone lines, were snapped.

Train services in northeastern Japan and in Tokyo, which normally serve 10 million people a day, were also suspended, leaving untold numbers stranded in stations or roaming the streets. Tokyo’s Narita airport was closed indefinitely.

American Jesse Johnson, who lives in Chiba, north of Tokyo, was eating at a sushi restaurant with his wife when the quake hit.

“At first it didn’t feel unusual, but then it went on and on. So I got myself and my wife under the table,” he told The Associated Press. “I’ve lived in Japan for 10 years and I’ve never felt anything like this before. The aftershocks keep coming. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t know whether it’s me shaking or an earthquake.”

Millions evacuated strongly swaying buildings in Tokyo, and multiple injuries were reported when the roof of a hall collapsed during a graduation ceremony, police said.

Thousands of people roamed the streets of the capital or were stranded in offices and train stations as the capital’s usual bustling traffic stood still after the biggest earthquake in modern Japanese history.

‘Save the country’

Friday’s temblor shook buildings furiously and cut off this nation’s prized, sprawling train system—paralyzing the daily commuter flow of more than 10 million people in the Tokyo area.

Some people just gave up and began walking home to the suburbs. Long lines formed at usually unused public phone booths as mobile phones failed to work.

Hundreds of office workers and shoppers spilled into Hitotsugi street, a shopping street in Akasaka in downtown Tokyo.

Household goods ranging from toilet paper to clingfilm were flung into the street from outdoor shelves in front of a drugstore.

“The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan,” Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference. Kan also told politicians they needed to “save the country.”

Electronics giant Sony Corp., one of the country’s biggest exporters, shut six factories, Kyodo reported, as Air Force jets raced toward the northeast coast to determine the extent of the damage.

The Bank of Japan, which has been struggling to boost the anaemic economy, said it would do its utmost to ensure financial market stability as the yen and Japanese shares fell.

Stunning TV footage

Stunning TV footage showed the tsunami carrying the debris and fires across a large swathe of coastal farmland near Sendai, which has a population of one million.

Ships in one coastal area were lifted from the sea into a harbor where they lay helplessly on their side.

NHK showed flames and black smoke billowing from a building in Odaiba, a Tokyo suburb, and bullet trains to the north of the country were halted.

Thick smoke was also pouring out of an industrial area in Yokohama’s Isogo area. TV footage showed boats, cars and trucks tossed in the water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan.

An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed and cars were turning around and speeding away.

Great Kanto quake

Friday’s quake surpassed the Great Kanto quake of Sept. 1, 1923, which had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed more than 140,000 people in the Tokyo area, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency.

The 1995 Kobe quake caused $100 billion in damage and was the most expensive natural disaster in history. Economic damage from the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami was estimated at about $10 billion.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, one of the world’s most seismically active areas. The country accounts for about 20 percent of the world’s earthquakes of magnitude 6 or greater. AP, Reuters, AFP

Stay safe: What to do when tsunami strikes
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:37:00 03/12/2011

MANILA, Philippines—Know the warning signs of a tsunami: Receding seawater, rapidly rising or falling coastal waters and rumblings of an offshore earthquake.

Plan an evacuation route that leads to higher ground. Do not stay in tall buildings built on lower ground. Do not stay in low-lying coastal areas after a strong earthquake. Move to higher grounds immediately.

When in coastal areas, stay alert for tsunami warnings.

Never go down the beach to watch for a tsunami. If you can see the wave, you are too close to escape it.

During the retreat of sea level, interesting sights are often revealed, such as stranded fishes, sandbars, and coral flats. These scenes tempt people to flock to the shoreline, increasing the number of people at risk.

A tsunami is a series of waves. Do not return to an affected coastal area until authorities say it is safe. Inquirer Research

Sources: Inquirer Archives, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, National Geographic

IN THE KNOW: Biggest earthquakes in history
Philippine Daily Inquirer First Posted 01:39:00 03/12/2011

TOKYO—The 8.9-magnitude earthquake which hit Japan on Friday was the country’s biggest ever and the seventh largest on record, according to US Geological Survey (USGS) data.

Here are the largest magnitude earthquakes in history, according to the USGS website:

9.5, Chile, May 22, 1960. A quake off the coast of southern Chile killed 1,655 people and left 2,000,000 homeless.

9.2, Alaska, United States, March 27, 1964. A quake and tsunami killed 128 people and caused severe damage to the state’s largest city Anchorage.

9.1, Indonesia, Dec. 26, 2004. An undersea quake caused a massive tsunami that devastated coastlines in countries around the Indian Ocean, ultimately killing 227,898 people.

9.0, Russia, Nov. 4, 1952. A quake off the coast of the remote Kamchatka peninsula in Russia’s far east caused Pacific-wide tsunamis. No lives were lost.

9.0, Port of Arica (now part of Chile), Aug. 13, 1868. Two great earthquakes generated catastrophic tsunamis that killed more than 25,000 people in South America and affected locations throughout the Pacific Basin. The port of Arica was hit by a quake felt up to 1,400 kilometers away.

9.0, North America, Jan. 26, 1700. A quake affecting 1,000 km of coastline set off a tsunami that crossed the Pacific Ocean and caused damage to coastal villages in Japan.

8.9, Japan, March 11, 2011. An undersea quake off northeast Japan unleashed a 10-meter-high tsunami which left devastation in its wake.

8.8, Chilean coast, Feb. 27, 2010. An offshore quake and tsunami killed more than 500 people, most in the coastal area of Maule, 400 km southwest of the capital Santiago.

8.8, Ecuador, Jan. 31, 1906. A quake struck off the coast of Ecuador and Colombia and was felt as far away as San Francisco. The generated tsunami killed between 500 and 1,500 people.

8.7, Alaska, Feb. 4, 1965. A quake in the remote Rat Islands generated a tsunami reported to be 10 meters high.

8.7, Portugal, Nov. 1, 1755. The capital Lisbon was struck by a quake while many residents were in church. One-fourth of the city’s population perished.

8.7, Chile, July 8, 1730. A quake hit the city of Valparaiso, 120 km northwest of the capital Santiago, causing a tsunami which hit more than 1,000 km of coastline. AFP and Lawrence de Guzman, Inquirer Research

Hundreds dead in Japanese quake-tsunami disaster
March 12, 2011, 12:33am

TOKYO (AFP) – The strongest earthquake ever to hit Japan Friday unleashed a terrifying 10-metre tsunami that claimed hundreds of lives, with a nuclear plant and petrochemical complex among multiple sites set ablaze.

The monster wall of water generated by the 8.9-magnitude quake -- the seventh biggest in history -- pulverised the northeastern city of Sendai, where police reportedly said that 200-300 bodies had been found on the coast.

The 10-metre (33-foot) wave of black water sent shipping containers, cars and debris crashing through the streets of Sendai and across open farmland, while a tidal wave of debris-littered mud destroyed everything in its path.

More than 90 people were confirmed killed in addition to the bodies found on the Sendai coast, public broadcaster NHK reported.

"The damage is so enormous that it will take us much time to gather data," an official at the National Police Agency told AFP.

The wave set off tsunami alerts across the Pacific, including in the US state of Hawaii. A Japanese ship with 100 people aboard was reportedly carried away while more than 300 houses were destroyed in the remote city of Ofunato.

"It was the biggest earthquake I have ever felt. I thought I would die," said Sayaka Umezawa, a 22-year-old college student who was visiting the port of Hakodate, which was hit by a two-metre wave.

The government said the tsunami and quake, which was felt in Beijing some 2,500 kilometres (1,500 miles) away, had caused "tremendous damage", while aerial footage showed massive flooding in northern towns.

The quake, which hit at 14:46 pm (0546 GMT) and lasted about two minutes, rattled buildings in greater Tokyo, the world's largest urban area and home to some 30 million people.

In Tokyo, millions who had earlier fled swaying buildings were stranded far away from home in the evening after the earthquake shut down the capital's vast subway system. The mobile phone network was strained to breaking point.

The government used loudspeaker alerts and TV broadcasts to urge people to stay near their workplaces rather than risk a long walk home, as highways leading out of the city centre were choked and hotels rapidly filled up.

There was also major disruption to air travel and bullet train services. A passenger train with an unknown number of people aboard was unaccounted for on a line outside Sendai, Kyodo News reported.

The government insisted there was no risk of radiation leaking from Japan's network of advanced nuclear power plants, which are designed to shut down as soon as the earth shakes in one of the world's most quake-prone countries.

But authorities ordered 2,000 residents living by a nuclear plant in Fukushima, south of Sendai, to evacuate after a reactor cooling system failed. A fire broke out in the turbine building of another nuclear plant in Onagawa.

The tsunami also reached Sendai airport, submerging the runway while a process known as liquefaction, caused by the intense shaking of the tremor, turned parts of the ground to liquid.

"I've never seen anything like this," said Ken Hoshi, a local government official in Ishinomaki, a port city in Miyagi prefecture, where Sendai is located.

Plumes of smoke rose from at least 10 locations in Tokyo, where four million homes suffered power outages.

Hours after the quake struck with devastating force, TV images showed huge orange balls of flame rolling up into the night sky as fires raged around a petrochemical complex in Sendai.

A massive fire also engulfed an oil refinery in Iichihara near Tokyo as the quake brought huge disruption to Japan's key industries. Tokyo share prices plummeted and the yen was down against the dollar.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre issued a widespread warning for territories as far away as South America, New Zealand and Hawaii, where people were ordered to evacuate coastal areas.

But several countries in the tsunami's path reported only minor waves.

The first quake struck just under 400 kilometres (250 miles) northeast of Tokyo, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by more than 40 aftershocks, one as strong as 7.1.

"We were shaken so strongly for a while that we needed to hold on to something in order not to fall," said an official at the local government of the hardest-hit city of Kurihara in Miyagi prefecture.

"We couldn't escape the building immediately because the tremors continued... City officials are now outside, collecting information on damage," she told AFP by telephone.

Prime Minister Naoto Kan quickly assembled his cabinet after the quake hit, and the government dispatched naval vessels from near Tokyo to Miyagi.

US President Barack Obama led international offers of sympathy and aid in what he called Japan's "time of great trial", while the Kan government called on help from US forces stationed in the country.

Japan sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", which is dotted with volcanoes, and Tokyo is in one of its most dangerous areas where three continental plates are slowly grinding against each other, building up enormous seismic pressure.

The government's Earthquake Research Committee has warned of a 70 percent chance that a great, magnitude-eight quake will strike within the next 30 years in the Kanto plains, home to Tokyo's vast urban sprawl.

The last time a "Big One" hit Tokyo was in 1923, when the Great Kanto Earthquake claimed more than 140,000 lives, many of them in fires. In 1855, the Ansei Edo quake also devastated the city.

In 1995 the Kobe earthquake killed more than 6,400 people.

More than 220,000 people were killed when a 9.1-magnitude quake hit off Indonesia in 2004, unleashing a massive tsunami that devastated coastlines in countries around the Indian Ocean as far away as Africa.

However, small quakes are felt every day somewhere in Japan and people take part in regular drills at schools and workplaces to prepare for a calamity.

Japan's quake toll set to exceed 1,000, world offers help
March 12, 2011, 3:53am

TOKYO (Reuters) – A devastating tsunami triggered by the biggest earthquake on record in Japan looked set to kill at least 1,000 people along the northeastern coast on Friday after a wall of water swept away everything in its path.

Thousands of residents were evacuated from an area around a nuclear plant after radiation levels rose in the reactor, but there was no word on whether there had actually been a leak.

Underscoring grave concerns about the Fukushima plant some 240 km (150 miles) north of Tokyo, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the U.S. air force had delivered coolant to avert a rise in the temperature of the facility's nuclear rods.

The unfolding disaster in the wake of the 8.9 magnitude earthquake and 10-meter (33-feet) high tsunami prompted offers of help from dozens of countries.

China said rescuers were ready to help with quake relief while President Barack Obama told Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan the United States would assist in any way.

Stunning TV footage showed a muddy torrent of water carrying cars and wrecked homes at high speed across farmland near the coastal city of Sendai, home to one million people and which lies 300 km (180 miles) northeast of Tokyo. Ships had been flung onto a harbor wharf, where they lay helplessly on their side.

Boats, cars and trucks were tossed around like toys in the water after a small tsunami hit the town of Kamaichi in northern Japan. An overpass, location unknown, appeared to have collapsed and cars were turning around and speeding away. Japanese politicians pushed for an emergency budget to fund relief efforts after Kan asked them to "save the country," Kyodo news agency reported. Japan is already the most heavily indebted major economy in the world, meaning any funding efforts would be closely scrutinized by financial markets.

Domestic media said the death toll was expected to exceed 1,000, most of whom appeared to have drowned.

The extent of the destruction along a lengthy stretch of coastline suggested the death toll could rise significantly.

Tsunami: Wall of water follows 8.9 quake in Japan
By AP (The Philippine Star) Updated March 12, 2011 12:00 AM

TOKYO – A powerful tsunami spawned by the largest earthquake in Japan’s recorded history slammed the eastern coast yesterday, sweeping away boats, cars, homes and people as widespread fires burned out of control. Tsunami warnings blanketed the entire Pacific, as far away as South America, Canada, Alaska and the entire US West Coast.

Authorities said at least 60 people were killed. The magnitude 8.9 offshore quake was followed by at least 19 aftershocks, most of them of more than magnitude 6.0. Dozens of cities and villages along a 2,100-kilometer stretch of coastline were shaken by violent tremors that reached as far away as Tokyo, hundreds of kilometers from the epicenter.

A utility company in northeastern Japan reported a fire in a turbine building of a nuclear power plant.

“The earthquake has caused major damage in broad areas in northern Japan,” Prime Minister Naoto Kan said at a news conference.

Even for a country used to earthquakes, this one was of horrific proportions. It unleashed a seven-meter tsunami that swept boats, cars, buildings and tons of debris miles inland.

Large fishing boats and other sea vessels rode high waves into the cities, slamming against overpasses. Upturned and partially submerged vehicles were seen bobbing in the water.

Waves of muddy waters swept over farmland near the city of Sendai, carrying buildings, some on fire, inland as cars attempted to drive away. Sendai airport, north of Tokyo, was inundated with cars, trucks, buses and thick mud deposited over its runways. Fires spread through a section of the city, public broadcaster NHK reported.

The tsunami roared over embankments, washing anything in its path inland before reversing directions and carrying the cars, homes and other debris out to sea. Flames shot from some of the houses, probably because of burst gas pipes.

“Our initial assessment indicates that there has already been enormous damage,” chief government spokesman Yukio Edano said. “We will make maximum relief effort based on that assessment.”

He said the Defense Ministry was sending troops to the quake-hit region. A utility aircraft and several helicopters were on the way.

A large fire erupted at the Cosmo oil refinery in Ichihara city in Chiba prefecture near Tokyo and was burning out of control with 100-foot (30 meter) -high flames whipping into the sky.

In northeastern Japan’s Miyagi prefecture, a fire broke out in a turbine building of a nuclear power plant. Smoke was observed coming out of the building, which is separate from the plant’s reactor, and the cause is under investigation, said Tohoku Electric Power Co. the company said.

There have been no reports of radioactive leaks or injuries, the company said. Several nuclear plants elsewhere along the coast were also partially shut down, with no reports of leakage.

Also from Miyagi prefecture, NHK showed footage of a large ship being swept away and ramming directly into a breakwater in Kesennuma city.

The US Geological Survey said the 2:46 p.m. quake was a magnitude 8.9, the biggest earthquake to hit Japan since officials began keeping records in the late 1800s.

A tsunami warning was extended to a number of Pacific, Southeast Asian and Latin American nations, including Japan, Russia, Indonesia, New Zealand and Chile. In the Philippines, authorities said they expect a 3-foot (1-meter) high tsunami.

The quake struck at a depth of six miles (10 kilometers), about 80 miles (125 kilometers) off the eastern coast, the agency said. The area is 240 miles (380 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.

In downtown Tokyo, large buildings shook violently and workers poured into the street for safety. TV footage showed a large building on fire and bellowing smoke in the Odaiba district of Tokyo. The tremor bent the upper tip of the iconic Tokyo Tower, a 333-meter (1,093-foot) steel structure inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

In central Tokyo, trains were stopped and passengers walked along the tracks to platforms. NHK said more than 4 million buildings were without power in Tokyo and its suburbs.

Large numbers of people waited at Tokyo’s Shinjuku station, the world’s busiest train station, for service to resume so they could go home. TV announcers urged workers not to leave their offices to prevent injuries in case of more strong aftershocks.

Osamu Akiya, 46, was working in Tokyo at his office in a trading company when the quake hit.

It sent bookshelves and computers crashing to the floor, and cracks appeared in the walls.

“I’ve been through many earthquakes, but I’ve never felt anything like this,” he said. “I don’t know if we’ll be able to get home tonight.”

Footage on NHK from their Sendai office showed employees stumbling around and books and papers crashing from desks. It also showed a glass shelter at a bus stop in Tokyo completely smashed by the quake and a weeping woman nearby being comforted by another woman.

Several quakes had hit the same region in recent days, including a 7.3 magnitude one on Wednesday.

Hiroshi Sato, a disaster management official in northern Iwate prefecture, said officials were having trouble getting an overall picture of the carnage.

“We don’t even know the extent of damage. Roads were badly damaged and cut off as tsunami washed away debris, cars and many other things,” he said.

Tokyo’s main airport was closed. A large section of the ceiling at the 1-year-old airport at Ibaraki, about 50 miles (80 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo, fell to the floor with a powerful crash.

Dozens of fires were reported in northern prefectures of Fukushima, Sendai, Iwate and Ibaraki. Collapsed homes and landslides were also reported in Miyagi.

Japan’s worst previous quake was in 1923 in Kanto, an 8.3-magnitude temblor that killed 143,000 people, according to USGS. A 7.2-magnitude quake in Kobe city in 1996 killed 6,400 people.

Japan lies on the “Ring of Fire” — an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones stretching around the Pacific where about 90 percent of the world’s quakes occur, including the one that triggered the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that killed an estimated 230,000 people in 12 nations. A magnitude-8.8 temblor that shook central Chile last February also generated a tsunami and killed 524 people.

19 Phl provinces on tsunami alert
By Helen Flores (The Philippine Star) Updated March 12, 2011

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised yesterday a tsunami alert over 19 coastal provinces in the eastern seaboard of the country following the magnitude 8.9 earthquake that hit Japan yesterday.

Phivolcs said Alert Level 2 was raised in the country after the tsunami swept across portions of Japan following the earthquake.

Placed on Tsunami Alert Level 2 were the provinces of Batanes, Cagayan, Ilocos Norte, Isabela, Quezon, Aurora, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Catanduanes, Sorsogon, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, Davao Oriental, and Davao del Sur.

Alert Level 2 means that residents living near shorelines should move to higher ground and all shipping vessels are prevented from sailing.

A tsunami is a series of waves, made in an ocean or other body of water, by an earthquake, landslide, volcanic eruption, or meteorite impact. Tsunamis could cause massive destruction when they hit the coastline.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo called on all local government units (LGUs) to get ready and ensure the safety of the people.

Robredo said those near coastal areas should immediately convene their respective local disaster risk management councils to prepare the necessary disaster prevention and mitigation mechanisms.

“The recent quake in Japan which is very near the Philippines should prompt coastal LGUs to prepare and brace for any eventuality to ensure the safety of our people,” said Robredo.

Phivolcs advised communities along the east coast of the country “to wait for further information and to prepare for possible evacuation.”

Robredo also urged LGUs to identify possible evacuation centers and prepare relief goods should the sea level rise abnormally.

An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 8.9 occurred near the east coast of Honshu Island, Japan at 1:46 p.m. yesterday.

Phivolcs said an earthquake of this magnitude has the potential to generate a destructive tsunami that can strike coastlines in the region near the epicenter within minutes and up to several hours later.

A tsunami wiped out almost an entire community and left only a few survivors in Baler, Aurora on Dec. 27, 1735.

Malacañang assured the people that all government departments and agencies were being mobilized to evacuate residents living in coastal and low-lying areas in the event of a tsunami.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine National Police were ordered to help in the evacuation being done by local government units and various departments and agencies.

“The areas to be evacuated would be from 10 to 40 meters from the shorelines – that would the people affected. We hope the people will leave and move away from the shorelines,” Lacierda said.

Lacierda said President Aquino was on top of the situation even if he is in Singapore on a state visit.

He sought the public’s cooperation with the government so that no one would be hurt in case a tsunami would hit the Philippines.

Batanes, Isabela, Cagayan shorelines evacuated

Region II police director Chief Superintendent Francisco Jose Villaroman, head of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC), had ordered the evacuation to higher ground of residents in coastal areas in Isabela, Cagayan and Batanes islands to prepare for a tsunami.

Villaroman said he has ordered the local chiefs of police in the four coastal municipalities of Maconacon, Palanan, Divilacan and Dinapigue in Isabela that are directly in the path of a tsunami. He said residents in coastal areas in Cagayan and Batanes were also evacuated.

Villaroman said the Philippine Coast Guard was also placed on alert.

About 30 barangays in the isolated towns of Divilacan and Maconacon have no roads and the main mode of transport is by boat.

Mayor Renato Candido of the coastal town of Dinapigue said residents were evacuated to higher ground in anticipation of a tsunami.

Candido said residents have already packed up and are moving to higher ground at the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains.

Albay Gov. Joey Salceda has ordered the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (PDRRMC) to issue a level one tsunami warning to all coastal barangays facing Albay Gulf.

Salceda said a quake of this size has a potential to generate a destructive tsunami that could strike the Bicol region within hours.

Salceda immediately ordered Cedric Daep of the PDRRMC to closely monitor the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii, which is tracking the sea level in the Pacific Ocean.

Salceda ordered residents in the coastal barangays in Manito, Legazpi City, Sto. Domingo, Bacacay, Tabaco City and Tiwi, especially the coastal residents in the islands of Rapu-Rapu, Cagraray and Batan to keep a close watch on the movement of the sea water in their areas.

Albay disaster management officials also ordered

the early dismissal of classes in 127 barangays facing the Pacific Ocean to prepare for immediate evacuation.

“The PDRRMC therefore is advising all LGUs of Albay province and barangays covering communities along the eastern seaboard, particularly in the islands of Rapu-Rapu, Batan, Cagraray, San Miguel to be on preparedness status, be on standby and wait for further announcement for possible evacuation through an issuance of Tsunami Alert Level or Advisory No. 2,” Salceda said.

National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive officer Benito Ramos said security forces have been alerted for possible evacuation activities.

“Our infantry battalions in the Army, our police and the Coast Guard are closely monitoring developments,” Ramos said in a press briefing in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.

Ramos said they have already sent advisories to their provincial offices to allow them to craft their contingency plans.

Armed Forces chief Lt. Gen. Eduardo Oban ordered his troops to coordinate with local governments that may be affected by the tsunami.

“While we pray for the safety of the people of Japan, the AFP is now closely coordinating and monitoring with local government agencies and other communities near shorelines to help in the evacuation of people that might be hit by a possible occurrence of tsunami,” he said.

Four international flights bound for Japan were canceled yesterday at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) due to the 8.9 magnitude earthquake.

The canceled flights include Narita-bound Philippine Airlines flight PR 432 at Terminal 2 that was scheduled to depart at 2:30 p.m., Japan Airlines flight 742 that was scheduled to depart at 2:50 p.m., All Nippon Airways flight NH 949 scheduled to depart at 9:55 p.m., and in-coming JAL flight 745 that was scheduled to arrive at 9:50 p.m.

All departing passengers of the canceled flights were told to go home.

The 103 Japanese passengers of the canceled flight JAL 742 were booked at the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City.

Passengers of PAL flight PR 432 were given food at the NAIA.

Some departing passengers were seen watching television footage of the events in Japan at the pre-departure lounge.

Philippine Coast Guard commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo yesterday barred all types of vessels from sailing through the Pacific Ocean side of the country

“All Coast Guard units in the coastal areas fronting the Pacific Ocean have been directed not to allow ships and seacraft to sail or to venture out to sea until the alert level is lifted,” Tamayo said.

He also instructed all PCG field offices to coordinate with their respective assigned local government units in recalling motorized boats and other seacraft.

Hundreds of passengers have been stranded in Zamboanga City after the PCG canceled all trips.

Coast Guard Station commander Capt. Perfecto Eden said the cancellation of travel of all types of vessels is being implemented indefinitely following alert by PCG headquarters.

“All trips canceled and those anchored and scheduled to leave have been advised to cancel travel. The advisory is to hold all the vessels and cancel the trip until the alert will be lifted,” Eden added.

The Department of Health (DOH) had placed on Code White Alert the regional health facilities and hospitals in areas that might be affected in case of a tsunami.

Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the alert would ensure that health centers and hospitals are prepared in terms of personnel, supplies and other logistics.

“I call on my fellow health workers to take appropriate precautions, along with their population, and be ready to provide emergency assistance and related services to all residents of areas that may be affected by this afternoon’s earthquake and tsunami in Japan,” he noted.

No reports yet of Filipino casualties

The Philippine Consulate General in Osaka, Japan said yesterday that they have not yet received any report of Filipino casualties after the earthquake.

There are some 84,414 Filipinos in the western and southern regions of the country.

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has set up telephone hotlines and an email address for those who would like to inquire about the conditions of Filipinos in Japan.

The hotline numbers at the DFA Crisis Management Center are 834-4646 and 834-4580.

Requests for information may also be sent through email address dfaoumwa.cmc@gmail.com.

There are some 224,558 Filipinos in the central and northern regions of Japan where a total of 305,972 Filipinos are based.

The consulate in Osaka said that their personnel felt the impact of the earthquake at their 24th floor office, but they are safe and there is no damage to the consulate office.

Consulate officials stated that there is not much damage to the western and southern regions of Japan, and that the focus of attention of Japanese and Filipinos in their area is Sendai, Honshu in northeast Japan, which bore the brunt of the quake.

The Philippine embassy in Tokyo stated that they are exerting efforts to get in touch with Philippine honorary consulates in Sapporo, Morioka, and Nagoya, and members of the Filipino community for initial reports of any injury or casualty.

Meanwhile, Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) chief Carlos Cao Jr. said the government is preparing contingency plans for the possible repatriation and other assistance for thousands of Filipino workers in the earthquake-devastated areas in Japan.

Cao said the agency would locate overseas Filipino workers based in the affected areas in Japan.

“Upon learning of the strong quake, Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz instructed us to undertake mapping and profiling of Filipinos in Japan to help us in the identification and pinpoint the concentration of our citizens there,” Cao said.

Cao said there are about 220,000 Filipinos staying in various areas in Japan, including 147,000 permanent residents who are mostly married to Japanese citizens, while the rest are temporary residents or workers.

Cao said the government is now readying contingency measures, including possible repatriation for the Filipinos currently staying in Japan.

“We will extend the usual assistance and talk with the recruitment agencies and discuss with them the repatriation of the Filipinos who would want to return home,” he added.

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri urged President Aquino to immediately order the NDRRMC to review the capability of the government in responding to strong magnitude earthquakes.

Zubiri said that the government cannot afford to do nothing at this time considering that the Philippines is situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire and is always at risk of strong earthquakes and tsunamis.

He said that the government should already be on high alert and should ensure that all measures are in place to minimize damage and loss of life if and when the nation is hit by an earthquake or tsunami.

Sen. Loren Legarda said that concerned agencies should conduct an inspection of all vital infrastructure to prepare for a possible strong earthquake in the country.

Legarda cited a study conducted by the Japan International Cooperation Authority that showed that a 7.2 magnitude earthquake could cause damage to 38 percent of residential buildings, over 30,000 deaths are expected from the tremor and an additional 18,000 deaths from fires.

The study also predicts that such an earthquake would also result in over 100,000 injuries.

“Yes, it is possible for the Philippines to experience a very strong temblor. We must examine our construction standards codes before any major earthquake hits Manila,” Legarda said. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Cecille Suerte Felipe, Evelyn Macairan, Marvin Sy, Sheila Crisostomo, Raymund Catindig, Alexis Romero, Charlie Lagasca, Celso Amo, Cet Dematera, Roel Pareño, Michelle Zoleta, Ric Sapnu

Aquino calls on Pinoys to stay calm amid tsunami threat
By Delon Porcalla (The Philippine Star) Updated March 12, 2011

SINGAPORE (via PLDT) – President Aquino, who ended his state visit here yesterday, called on Filipinos to stay calm amid threats of a tsunami in the country’s coastlines following an 8.9 magnitude quake in northern Japan.

“Let’s organize our moves and coordinate with authorities,” he said in Filipino in a hastily called press briefing at the Shangri-La hotel here.

Aquino said he had already given instructions to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and secretaries of the Departments of the Interior and Local Government, National Defense, Science and Technology and other agencies involved in disaster operations to be ready.

“We should be prepared for whatever the tsunami would bring to our communities. Let us follow their warnings and instructions for our safety,” the President said.

He said he has been in contact with the country’s ambassador to Japan and disclosed that there are about 1,000 Filipinos in Miyagi prefecture.

The President wrote Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan expressing his “great sadness” about the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that caused great loss and damage.

Globe ‘Libreng Tawag’

Globe Telecom opened yesterday its “Libreng Tawag” service to Japan to help allay fears and apprehensions of Filipinos whose families and friends may have been affected by the massive earthquake and tsunami.

The free calls and text set up at the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) office in F.B. Harrison, Pasay City are part of the company’s continued support for OFWs and their families.

Globe also extended its Libreng Tawag to Filipino families that want to connect to Libya, New Zealand, Bahrain and Yemen until March 18 through the initiative of OWWA and the National Telecommunications Commission.

On the recent oil price hike

2011-03-01T18:07:00.000-08:00

On the recent oil price hike
Press Statement
March 1, 2011

On the recent oil price hike
Renato M. Reyes, Jr, BAYAN secretary general

The latest staggering oil price hike of P2.00/liter should now spur the Aquino government to find ways to protect consumers from high prices. The situation is fast becoming unbearable for many poor Fiipinos.

The latest increase is the product of speculation in the oil markets. Whether or not there is conflict in the Middle East and North Africa, speculators will always find ways to push oil prices higher so that they may reap super profits.

It becomes the responsibility of the Philippine government to protect its people from exploitation by speculators and super-monopolies. Aquino must now take seriously the proposal for the scrapping of the Value Added Tax on oil products to provide immediate relief for consumers.This can lower oil prices by more than P5.00/liter.

Aquino has so far ignored all calls for consumer protection from high oil prices. He has remained silent on the demands for scrapping the VAT and junking the oil deregulation law. The measures taken by government so far have had no impact and will have no impact on the high oil prices.

The removal of the VAT on oil can come in many ways. What is important is that Aquino should prioritize the measure. He has to show concern for consumers and political will to stand up to the big oil monopolies and profiteers. We have not seen any of these two traits.

Bayan urges the people to protest the latest price increase and to press for immediate economic relief. ###

War Against Corruption

2011-02-28T01:42:00.000-08:00

If cadets in the Philippine military officers' training corps are taught not to cheat, steal nor lie, how come the month of February was marred with allegations and Congressional investigations of corruption by military top brass and then a suicide of a former Chief of Staff and cabinet secretary? If the claims of a former Air Force Captain are true, the culture of corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines is discreetly passed on from unscrupulous superior officers to subordinates who wait for their share of the loot.
Numerous other junior officers, who followed their conscience and braved the odds, have exposed the rottenness inside the uniformed services, with the aim of resolving the wrongdoings, making the culprits accountable, and bringing justice to the Filipino people. The issues of questionable cash allowances, gifts, fund conversions, irregularities and abuse of power have long hounded the AFP.
The smell of payolas, pasalubongs and pabaons amounting to millions of dollars allegedly siphoned off by generals who loyally served under various presidents throughout the decades have stinked long before. Unfortunately, corrupt practices have often been set aside and their perpetrators still unpunished for pocketing huge sums of public funds.
Under the PNoy administration, hopes are high that justice will be served and the plunderers will eventually be put behind bars. Aquino's anti-corruption slogan helped boost his win to the presidency. However, the challenges that lie ahead for the PNoy administration with regards to its anti-corruption drive remain great, even with the recent exposes and Congressional testimonies of retired AFP budget officer Lt. Col. George Rabusa, auditor Heidi Mendoza, and their colleagues. These whistleblowers deserve state protection and peoples' support.
It is most unfortunate that a potential witness who could have helped shed light on those anomalies and redeem the good officers of the AFP, one of the famed leaders who served under the Estrada and Arroyo administrations, who was accused of getting his share of loot, has instead decided to end his life and remain silent about the whole plague. The tragedy remains mysterious even after all the tributes, honors and ceremonies.
Perhaps the US government would also be able to investigate and make conclusive findings on other anomalies that allegedly involve US funding and Philippine military transactions. Appropriate international agencies may also look into the AFP's questionable use of United Nations peacekeeping funds.
We join all those who hope that ongoing investigations on corruption in the AFP will not die down, that more truth-sayers will speak up to help end the plundering, and that justice will be served. The Filipinos' war against corruption is far from over.

Mubarak resigns, hands power to military

2011-02-11T08:39:00.000-08:00

By PAUL SCHEMM and MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Paul Schemm And Maggie Michael, Associated Press – 5 mins ago

CAIRO – Egypt's Hosni Mubarak resigned as president and handed control to the military on Friday, bowing down after a historic 18-day wave of pro-democracy demonstrations by hundreds of thousands. "The people ousted the president," chanted a crowd of tens of thousands outside his presidential palace in Cairo.

Several hundred thousand protesters massed in Cairo's central Tahrir Square exploded into joy, waving Egyptian flags, and car horns and celebratory shots in the air were heard around the city of 18 million in joy after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV just after nightfall.

Mubarak had sought to cling to power, handing some of his authorities to Suleiman while keeping his title. But an explosion of protests Friday rejecting the move appeared to have pushed the military into forcing him out completely. Hundreds of thousands marched throughout the day in cities across the country as soliders stood by, besieging his palace in Cairo and Alexandria and the state TV building.

"In these grave circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave his position as president of the republic," a grim-looking Suleiman said. "He has mandated the Armed Forces Supreme Council to run the state. God is our protector and succor."

Nobel Peace laureate Mohammed ElBaradei, whose young suporters were among the organizers of the protest movement, told The Associated Press, "This is the greatest day of my life."

"The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he said adding that he expects a "beautiful" transition of power.

Egypt's ElBaradei celebrates 'best day of life'

By SARAH EL DEEB, Associated Press Sarah El Deeb, Associated Press – 1 min ago

CAIRO – Leading Egyptian democracy advocate Mohamed ElBaradei has cheered President Hosni Mubarak's resignation.

"This is the greatest day of my life. The country has been liberated after decades of repression," he told The Associated Press.

He said he expects a "beautiful" transition of power.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

CAIRO (AP) — Egypt's vice president says Hosni Mubarak has resigned as president and handed control to the military.

Car horns were heard around Cairo in celebration after Vice President Omar Suleiman made the announcement on national TV on Friday.

"In these difficult circumstances that the country is passing through, President Hosni Mubarak has decided to leave the position of the presidency," Suleiman said. He has commissioned the armed forces council to direct the issues of the state."

Egypt's Mubarak steps down

By Marwa Awad and Alexander Dziadosz

CAIRO | Fri Feb 11, 2011 11:15am EST

CAIRO (Reuters) - Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has stepped down and the vice president has named a military council to run the country's affairs, state television said on Friday after 18 days of mass protests against his rule.
A ruling party official said earlier that Mubarak and his family had left Cairo for the glitzy Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh where there is a presidential residence. He added that this proved Mubarak had handed powers to deputy Omar Suleiman.
In the morning, Egypt's powerful military gave guarantees that promised democratic reforms would be carried out but angry protesters intensified an uprising against Mubarak by marching on the presidential palace and mobbing the state television hub.
The army's gesture was an effort to defuse an 18-day-old revolt unprecedented in modern Egypt but, in ignoring the key demand of protesters for Mubarak's ouster now, it failed to stop turmoil disrupting the economy and rattling the Middle East.
Mubarak had promised only that he would not for re-election in September and that he would preside over reforms until then.
This was not enough for the many hundreds of thousands of mistrustful protesters who rallied in cities across the Arab world's most populous and influential country on Friday, fed up with high unemployment, a corrupt elite and police repression.
The escalating confrontation has raised fear of uncontrolled violence in the most populous Arab nation, a key U.S. ally in an oil-rich region where the chance of chaos spreading to other long stable but repressive states troubles the West.

Rage in Egypt as Mubarak hangs on

By Edmund Blair and Samia Nakhoul

CAIRO | Thu Feb 10, 2011 6:38pm EST

CAIRO (Reuters) - President Hosni Mubarak provoked rage on Egypt's streets on Thursday when he said he would hand over powers to his deputy but refused to step down after more than two weeks of protests demanding that he quit.

The armed forces high command had earlier issued "Communique No.1," declaring it was taking control of the nation in what some called a military coup seeking to end the turmoil under the 82-year-old former general, who has ruled for 30 years.

"Leave! Leave!" chanted hundreds of thousands who had gathered in Cairo's Tahrir Square in anticipation that a televised address would be the moment their demands were met.

Instead, the former air force commander portrayed himself as a patriot and war hero overseeing an orderly transition until an election in September -- in which he said last week he would not stand. Mubarak praised young people who have stunned the Arab world with unprecedented rallies. He offered constitutional change and a bigger role for Vice President Omar Suleiman.

Waving shoes in the air in a dramatic Arab show of contempt, the crowds in central Cairo chanted: "Down, down Hosni Mubarak."

Asked if Mubarak would step down, an Egyptian official had told Reuters before the speech: "Most probably." But his information minister had said that would not be the case.

Joy turned to despair and then to anger.

Mohamed ElBaradei, a Nobel peace prize winner and retired U.N. diplomat who runs a liberal political movement, wrote on Twitter: "Egypt will explode. Army must save the country now."

DELEGATING POWERS

In a 20-minute address in which he said he would not bow to foreign pressure -- Washington has called on its old ally to make way quickly -- Mubarak said he would "delegate to the vice president of the republic the prerogatives of the president of the republic in a manner that is fixed by the constitution."

"It is not immediately clear what powers are being handed over," British Foreign Secretary William Hague told the BBC.

Suleiman, a 74-year-old former intelligence chief who was promoted just last month, is not widely popular with protesters who are seeking a complete break with the military-dominated system that has governed Egypt for the past six decades.

Suleiman appeared on state television to say there was a "road map" for transition and said he would oversee a "peaceful transition of power" in the Arab world's most populous nation.

Egypt's sprawling armed forces -- the world's 10th biggest and more than 468,000-strong -- have been at the heart of power since army officers overthrew the British-backed king in 1952.

The army, from politically plugged-in generals to poor conscripts and junior officers, is key to what happens next. "This poses a real dilemma for the army," said Rosemary Hollis at London's City University. "Are they going to allow the demonstrators to escalate their demonstrations so that they push the point that Mubarak has got to go, and that means the army definitely does split with Mubarak? he demonstrators are very disappointed and there will be violence."

some tips to enjoy valentines day

2011-01-30T20:19:00.000-08:00

Among Asians, we Filipinos are said to be the most romantic celebrators of Valentine’s Day.

The giving of flowers, love notes, chocolates, greeting cards and going out on intimate dates peak on February 14. Filipinos from all walks of life would find different ways to celebrate and enjoy this red-letter day.

Obviously, the prices of flowers would skyrocket to more than 150 percent. Restaurants, public parks and motels are the top destinations that become jam-packed with couples (and even singles who are not exactly in a relationship) who want to make the occasion extra special.

Since flowers, especially roses, are the top choice to symbolize and express love and admiration, the most popular place in Metro Manila to find them would be nowhere else but Dangwa. Re-sellers of all sorts of flowers buy wholesale from the dozens of flower shops in this market days before the 14th so they could earn a hefty sum. Other materials such as boxes, cards, ribbons and vases, and flower arrangers, could also be found there. Budget conscious people, not necessarily in-love, who wish to find the perfect bunch to offer their Valentine, rush to buy from vendors in Dangwa before the seasonal price hikes take effect.

Restaurants, both the classy and the fast food types, draw customers like they were offering free food to hungry people. If a couple wants to dine in their choice establishment, it would be wise for them to make reservations in advance to avoid long queues and crowds. They could also avail special promos offered during the so-called season of love. Those who could afford it would go to restaurants that offer the romantic ambiance of dinner by candlelight, the privacy for intimate conversations, and the good food to satisfy the senses. Even the broken-hearted and single souls could be found in restaurants, take note, especially if alcoholic beverages are available.

Expect to see dating couples and all sorts of people at popular destinations like the Cultural Center grounds, the Luneta Park, the Paco Park, the Manila Baywalk, the QC Memorial Circle, the hundreds of malls and the countless other public places where Filipinos could celebrate the day of hearts 100 percent free of charge. Free entrance, that is.

Hotels, motels, and inns will probably be fully-booked between Feb. 11 to 15 this year. The ones with the most affordable rates, never mind if they are only for an hour, are usually the first to close their doors to walk-in couples. One could easily conclude that the couples in the crowded waiting areas desperately need some privacy. Establishments with signages of a lady with her finger over her lips, or a geisha, or “P180 only, no price increase” will again certainly earn twice or thrice more than their usual profits. Taxis would, too.

There are lots of unique, but less popular, ways to celebrate with your loved one this 14th, such as cruising to a secluded high part of town, going to the beach, riding a yacht or a hot air balloon, camping, making a grand engagement or wedding proposal, and the like. And the simple ways of enjoying the day could never run out, such as watching a movie marathon, going on a food trip with or cooking a special treat for your Valentine.

The most important way to enjoy Valentine’s Day is for people to be able to express their admiration, love, devotion, affection, passion, desire, or call it whatever it really is that must be conveyed to and among the Valentine’s celebrators.

Flowers, sweets, stuffed toys, harana, good food, a spa for two, and a private getaway are just some treat ideas that could help make Valentine’s Day celebrations more intimate, enjoyable and memorable for couples (and singles, too).

Talk About Peace

2010-11-20T06:52:00.001-08:00

Talk About Peace

After assuming office, President Benigno S. Aquino III promised to resume peace talks with the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Both the NDFP, an alliance of underground organizations including the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and the New People's Army (NPA) and the MILF, an organization struggling for the Bangsamoro people's right to self determination, publicly expressed openness to the peace talks.

Formal talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and NDFP bogged down in 2004 while peace talks with the MILF had been suspended after the Supreme Court declared the Memorandum of Agreement on Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) unconstitutional.

While the GRP has formed separate panels for the two parties, there have been pronouncements that seem to hinder the resumption of formal peace talks.

The NDFP said it is ready to resume peace talks with the GRP on the basis of The Hague Joint Declaration and subsequent agreements. In the Hague Joint Declaration of 1992, both parties agree not to impose or demand capitulation but rather address the root causes of the armed conflict. The agreement also sets the agenda items for the peace talks namely human rights and international humanitarian law, social and economic reforms, political and constitutional reforms, and end of hostilities and disposition of forces.

However, in his State of the Nation Address (Sona), Aquino set ceasefire as a precondition to talk peace with the NDFP. Recently, Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda also said that a peace pact should be signed first before NDFP negotiating panel chairman Luis Jalandoni could have a courtesy call with Aquino.

Unlike Aquino's mother and previous presidents, Aquino has not released political prisoners, one of the good will measures that could pave the way for the resumption of peace talks. Instead, the Aquino administration has extended the counterinsurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya, dubbed by human rights groups as the bloodiest counterinsurgency program the Philippine government ever implemented.

Meanwhile, even before formal talks between the GRP and the MILF could start, a member of the MILF Central Committee was arrested by Philippine National Police Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG) at the Davao International Airport. Eduard Guerra was en route to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting when he was arrested on Sept. 22. The MILF Central Committee considers the arrest as a direct blow to the early resumption of the negotiations especially since there is a supposed ceasefire between the GRP and MILF.

Earlier, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Ricardo David Jr. said the government hopes “to crush the communist New People’s Army and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front by 2013.

“This is not only a threatening stance but also could signal the change of policy by the Aquino administration from the peaceful approach to the use of brute force to deal with the two insurgencies in the country,” Khaled Musa, deputy chairman of the MILF Committee on Information said in a statement posted at the MILF website.

These impediments must be seriously addressed by all parties to pave the way for the resumption of peace talks.

From fight rings to the people’s House: Manny Pacquiao aims for the win

2010-10-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

From fight rings to the people’s House:

Manny Pacquiao aims for the win

Would the legendary boxing champion from the Philippines perform better in public service as a neophyte Congressman?

Records indicate that it’s an affirmative.

First-termer Filipino Rep. Emmanuel “Manny” D. Pacquiao, duly elected by the people of Sarangani last May, is serious in his training for the much anticipated fight with Mexican American Antonio "Tijuana Tornado" Margarito on November 13. At the same time, Pacquiao has also been keen on his responsibilities as a public servant, which he publicly affirmed countless times earlier of his desire to become a good lawmaker like his esteemed colleagues.

Quick to serve

Pacquiao has been in office for only three months, yet he has personally authored or co-authored at least 21 proposed bills and resolutions while learning the ropes as a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines. He is a member for the Majority in 11 Committees and is a Vice Chairperson of two more, the Committee on Millennium Development Goals and the Committee on Youth and Sports Development.

He immediately immersed himself into various concerns tackled in Congress, such as: human rights and welfare, health, education, national security, youth, women and other marginalized sectors. He proposed the establishment of breast care centers in every region of the country, the establishment of a provincial public hospital in Sarangani, the prohibition of text or SMS spamming, and he has also taken the cudgels for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), especially the victims of human trafficking. In a speech before the Plenary, he expressed his ardent desire to help the poor and to help realize the developmental aspirations of the people of Sarangani.

Plus $25 million

No doubt, the global icon and now politician has lots of prestige, visibility, and marketability. In addition to his millions of US dollars previously earned in boxing victories, sports advertising and product endorsements, and other local businesses, Pacquiao could earn as much as $25 million from the November match. News reports quote his promoter Bob Arum saying "Manny is guaranteed $15 million for the fight, and including his share from the pay-per-view upside, he could make as much as $22 million to $25 million." Sports analysts are in agreement in predicting that the match will be over at the sixth or eighth round, with the Filipino champion winning it all.

Most of the poor folk in Sarangani expressed their hopes that the good Congressman will use his personal wealth to help them and develop the province. Oftentimes seen by employees and visitors of Congress arriving in his black Hummer, the legislator and pound-for-pound-king has generously provided for the needs of his constituents and his district’s local politicians. Rumor even has it that at one time, while inside the session hall, Pacquiao was allegedly chided by fellow lawmakers to donate some for the construction of a walkway connecting the South Wing Annex building to the South Wing building, which he had proposed to them a couple of minutes earlier. Kidding aside, Pacquiao has committed himself to helping his poor countrymen by promising to support or initiate the building of public hospitals and other structures that are meant to serve the poor people’s needs, among many other projects. He has also supported the bill upgrading the public school teachers’ salaries.

Manny knows

Amid hectic schedules in Congress, Sarangani, conferences, events, and boxing trainings, add to that his personal time for family and friends, how does Pacquiao still manage to be a good politician while reigning as a global sports icon?

“Time management” is his mantra. Public service is one of his noblest intentions. Just ask the savvy legislator. Manny knows.

Typhoon Juan (Megi) updates

2010-10-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

‘Juan’ slows down, may stay longer in RP—Pagasa
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 07:07:00 10/18/2010
Filed Under: Weather, Disasters (general)

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE) Typhoon Juan (international code name: Megi) has slowed down to 19 kilometers per hour from Sunday night's 20 kph as its fringes touched the east coast of northern Luzon Monday morning, the weather bureau said.

As of 7 a.m., the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said Juan, a super typhoon, was seen 170 km east of Tuguegarao. It was moving west southwest at 19 kph and was expected to make landfall in northern Isabela before noon.

The typhoon packed maximum winds of 225 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph.

On Sunday night, Pagasa officials said they were worried that the storm would slow down. According to Pagasa officer-in-charge Graciano Yumul Jr., a slowdown in speed means the typhoon, which is estimated to carry as much rain as the deadly storm Ondoy in last year, would stay longer over the Philippines.

Signal number 4, the highest alert in Pagasa’s scale, has been raised in Cagayan, Isabela, Kalinga, Mt. Province, and Ifugao.

Signal number 3 was hoisted over Batanes, the Calayan and Babuyan Groups of Islands, Apayao, Benguet, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and the northern part of Aurora.

Signal number 2 was declared in Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, rest of Aurora, Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, and Polillio Island.

Metro Manila, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Northern Quezon, Rizal, Laguna, and Batangas are under signal number 1.

Metro Manila, south Luzon now within range of ‘Juan’
Super-typhoon changes track in past six hours
By Kristine L. Alave
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:04:00 10/17/2010
Filed Under: Weather, Disasters (general)

MANILA, Philippines— (UPDATE 4) Typhoon Juan (international name: Megi) has moved slightly downward, putting Metro Manila and parts of southern Luzon on its range, the state weather bureau said.

In an 11 pm advisory on Sunday, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) placed Metro Manila and nearby provinces on public storm warning signal number 1 after the typhoon changed its track in the past six hours.

Juan, a super-typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 225 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 260 kph, was now moving west southwest at 20 kph, slightly slower than the 22 kph issued in the 5 pm forecast. As of 10 pm, the typhoon was 290 km east northeast of Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

PAGASA official-in-charge Graciano Yumul Jr. said Metro Manila and other parts of southern Luzon will experience rains as it was now within the typhoon's rain band.

"Just because it's signal number one, it doesn't mean that we should not be prepared. Manila was only under signal number one during Ondoy," Yumul said, referring to last year's storm that flooded 80 percent of the metropolis.

Under Department of Education standards, elementary classes in Metro Manila and other areas under signal number 1 are suspended, Yumul said.

Aside from Metro Manila, Signal number 1 was placed over Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Polillio Island, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, northern Quezon and Rizal.

Signal number 2 was declared over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet, and parts of Aurora.

The following provinces were placed under Signal number 3: Batanes, Calayan Group of Islands, Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya, and northern Aurora.

Cagayan and Isabela remained under signal number 4, the ultimate public storm warning signal used by the PAGASA.

Super-typhoon hits North
Gov’t evacuates folk in Cagayan, Isabela
By Kristine L. Alave, Edwin Bacasmas
Inquirer Northern Luzon, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:33:00 10/18/2010
Filed Under: Weather, Emergency Planning, Disasters (general)

MANILA, Philippines—Authorities on Sunday began evacuating thousands of villagers in vulnerable areas hours before Super-typhoon “Juan” was to hit northern Luzon.

Packing winds of 260 kilometers per hour, Juan (international code name: Megi) was expected to make landfall in Cagayan province by 8 a.m. Monday and exit Ilocos Norte in the afternoon.

With Juan intensifying into a super-typhoon, the weather bureau hoisted Signal No. 4 over Cagayan and Isabela at 6 p.m. instead of 11 p.m.

Signal No. 4 is the highest warning signal used by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

PAGASA said the last time the country declared Signal No. 4 was in 2006, when “Reming” battered the Bicol region. Reming had gusts of 320 kph.

As of 4 p.m. on Sunday, Juan was spotted 390 km east of Aparri, moving westward at 22 kph, PAGASA said. The super-typhoon had sustained winds of 225 kph and gusts of 260 kph.

But in its 11 p.m. advisory on Sunday, PAGASA placed Metro Manila and nearby provinces on Signal No. 1 after the super-typhoon changed its track in the past six hours.

Juan was now moving west southwest at 20 kph, slightly slower than the 22 kph issued in the 5 p.m. forecast. As of 10 p.m., the super-typhoon was 290 km east northeast of Tuguegarao, Cagayan.

PAGASA officer in charge Graciano Yumul Jr. said Metro Manila and other parts of southern Luzon will experience rains as it was now within the typhoon's rain band.

"Just because it's Signal No. 1, it doesn't mean that we should not be prepared. Manila was only under Signal No. 1 during (Tropical Storm) ‘Ondoy’" Yumul said, referring to last year's storm (international name: Ketsana) that flooded 80 percent of the metropolis.

Under Department of Education standards, elementary classes in Metro Manila and other areas under Signal No. 1 are suspended, Yumul said.

Aside from Metro Manila, Signal No. 1 was placed over Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Polillio Island, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, Bataan, Zambales, Rizal and northern Quezon.

The super-typhoon could uproot trees, blow away houses made of light material, damage power lines and communication services, trigger landslides and cause storm surges.

Not only did the typhoon’s wind speed and strength intensify, its radius also grew from 300 km to 350 km, said Robert Sawi, the chief forecaster at PAGASA.

Sawi said Juan’s rainfall was expected at 20 millimeters per hour, about half the volume dumped by Ondoy.

Officials said the rainfall amount was a conservative estimate, noting that the data came from the fringes of Juan.

Juan is the 10th and strongest storm to hit the country this year. The country is battered by an average of 20 storms a year.

Juan intensified into a super-typhoon with winds of over 215 kph as it approached the coast of Cagayan Sunday, PAGASA said.

Brunt

PAGASA’s Yumul said Juan would further intensify based on models used by the agency and the forecasts of other weather agencies.

“Those that will bear its brunt are northern Luzon and central Luzon,” Yumul said.

Signal No. 3 was raised over Batanes, Calayan and Babuyan Group of Islands, Apayao, Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao, Quirino, Nueva Vizcaya and northern Aurora.

Signal No. 2 was hoisted over Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, Abra, La Union, Benguet and the rest of Aurora.

Evacuations

At least 700 people moved out of their homes to safer ground on Saturday in mountainous Isabela province, said Benito Ramos, executive director of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In nearby Cagayan, authorities have ordered villagers to move out of high-risk neighborhoods in 12 coastal towns.

“If nobody will budge, we may carry out forced evacuations,” said Bonifacio Cuarteros of the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Farmers have been warned to harvest as much of their crops as possible before Juan hits or risk losses, Cuarteros said.

President Benigno Aquino III ordered all government agencies to be on high alert to prevent any casualties, while the Coast Guard was instructed to ban all fishing vessels from setting off to sea in the north.

Thousands of military reserve officers and volunteers were on stand by, along with helicopters, including six Chinooks that were committed by US troops holding war exercises with Filipino soldiers near Manila, Ramos said.

Rescue boats and thousands of food packs have been prepositioned near vulnerable areas, he said, adding that schools along the typhoon’s path would be closed.

“This is like preparing for war,” Ramos, a retired Army general, said. “We know the past lessons and we’re aiming for zero casualties.”

Command conference

An angry Mr. Aquino fired the head of the weather bureau in July for failing to predict that a typhoon would hit Manila. More than 100 people were killed in Manila and outlying provinces by that storm.

The President will preside over a command conference of the NDRRMC in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City at 9 a.m. on Monday, his spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Sunday night.

No instructions

In Aparri, Cagayan, residents of a coastal settlement were worried that local officials still had not given any safety instructions to them as of 6 p.m. Sunday.

Journalists and photographers stationed in Cagayan witnessed how the residents of Barangay Maura living near the sea made various attempts to fortify their houses.

As early as 2 p.m. Sunday, the skies over Aparri were dark gray and the sun was not visible for the rest of the afternoon.

Fishermen helped each other push their boats to safer areas and many residents waiting for Juan killed time watching the waves slam on the beach.

Several mothers raised fears that water from the sea might enter their houses, or worse sweep them away.

Calm before storm

Hours earlier, residents of northern Luzon woke up to a sunny morning amid preparations by local governments and disaster-response officials for what was touted to be the strongest typhoon to hit the country since January.

The weather was so good that some candidates for the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in the provinces of Ilocos Norte and Benguet found time to campaign, finding the typhoon a convenient excuse to engage their neighbors and push their bids.

But it was the proverbial calm before the storm. By mid-afternoon, reports reaching the Philippine Daily Inquirer showed that strong winds started to be felt in northern Cagayan as strong rains fell.

Norma Talosig, Office of Civil Defense director in Cagayan Valley, said her office had issued repeated warnings to residents in coastal towns and flood-prone villages to stay on alert and prioritize their safety.

“I have this warning to villagers—do not wait until tomorrow to evacuate as the typhoon’s radius is very wide ... So far, [there were no reports of] forced evacuation,” Talosig said in a text message sent at about 4 p.m. Sunday.

At least four evacuation centers in Gonzaga and Santa Ana towns in Cagayan have been readied for residents of coastal areas as officials started preemptive evacuation there.

Rescue teams

Edna Junio, provincial social welfare and development officer, said local government and rescue teams had assisted residents living near rivers and coastlines transfer to evacuation centers.

A statement from the NDRRMC said evacuation of residents had started in Aparri, Buguey, and Ballesteros towns, also in Cagayan.

The Isabela provincial government has formed a 24-hour emergency response team manned by personnel from the Department of Social Welfare and Development and trained rescue personnel.

Relief goods

Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy III ordered the delivery of relief goods to various towns on Saturday and Sunday, taking advantage of the good weather.

The Laoag City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council started mobilizing quick response teams in preparation for the typhoon.

Sirens at the Laoag City Hall were also sounded each time the weather bureau raised storm signals.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region, a warm Sunday greeted Baguio and Benguet barangay candidates, who included tips about storm preparation in their campaign spiels.

Mayor Gregorio Abalos Jr. of La Trinidad, Benguet, met with local rescue officials about the condition of houses in Barangay Puguis, where a landslide triggered by last year’s Typhoon “Pepeng” (Parma) wiped out a section of the community of Little Kibungan.

Wilted palay

In Nueva Ecija province, a sunny day frustrated farmers as they eagerly awaited rains from Juan that would feed their rice farms.

Virgilio Santaygillo, 48, a farmer from Barangay Cabu in Cabanatuan City, said news about possible heavy rains had given him hope that he could save his already wilting palay (unmilled rice).

“We fear excessive rains but we pray for water [for our crops],” he said.

Nathaniel Servando, PAGASA administrator, said Juan might not be the last destructive typhoon to hit the Philippines in 2010, a La Niña year. With reports from Christine Avendaño in Manila; Villamor Visaya Jr., Cristina Arzadon, Vincent Cabreza and Maurice Malanes, Inquirer Northern Luzon; Armand Galang, Inquirer Central Luzon; and Reuters

Over 100,000 evacuated in rain-lashed Hainan—state media
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 07:02:00 10/18/2010
Filed Under: Weather

BEIJING—More than 100,000 people have been evacuated after rains hammered the Chinese island of Hainan causing major floods for the second time this month, according to Xinhua news agency on Monday.

Around 200 villages have been inundated after 200 millimeters (eight inches) of rain lashed the island between Friday and Sunday, Sun Wei, deputy director of disaster relief and public services department, told Xinhua.

The new barrage of rains compounded Hainan's misery after floods ravaged the southern Chinese province earlier in the month.

More than 440,000 people were evacuated after the heaviest rains for decades inundated 90 percent of Hainan, damaging roads, schools and infrastructure.

Local rivers continue to flow well over their flood warning marks and over 70 percent of the island's reservoirs are dangerously full.

Hainan is bracing for more heavy rain as super typhoon Megi is expected to sweep through the region by the end of the week.

Web Bot Project

2010-10-12T21:28:00.000-07:00

Web Bot - What is it? Can it predict stuff?

By Ben Tremblay

There’s been some sort of hype lately regarding the Web Bots and I’m really surprised there’s almost no information about it available. The Web Bot project was developed in the late 1990s mainly to predict the stock market ups and downs (Web bot and stock markets). How do they do it? It’s really simple in fact and it’s a very nice implementation of what search engines do. Web bots simply crawl the web the same way Google crawls it at regular intervals to catch new and existing web sites and detect relevant keywords. Web Bots do it just a little differently: While search engines are just “indexing” the Web and creating a Web directory, Web bots are looking for trends with the keyword relations they find. It search for keywords “standing out” in a web document but also take in consideration the content preceding and following the keyword. This data is then analyzed by a linguistic tool to determine the meaning if there’s any.

So does it work and are Web Bots reliable? well it’s kind of hit and miss. Sometimes you’ll see things predicted correctly and sometimes not. I think the project is a really good initiative and can lead to great things, but at the moment I’m more under the impression that they interpret the results in the same way we interpret Nostradamus Quatrains. What I mean is that what the Web Bots are getting out of the internet while crawling is not that clear and when an event happen a couple of days later, then we find a way to relate the data.

Being in the computer engineering domain, I think I can see where the Web Bots will succeed and where it will fail. There are fields I believe the Web Bots can predict stuff and there are field they can’t. What are these fields? Well, essentially, anything “man-made” could be predicted in some way and anything man has no control over can’t be predicted. This is for the plain and simple reason that the Web Bots crawl the Internet for data and the Internet is actually man-made. So, the only data that can be collected is data written by people/government/companies,etc. I don’t see how you can predict a natural disaster or anything like that by simply crawling the Web. The only thing you can get by crawling is facts or opinions, nothing else. The only way I can see predicting natural disasters or anything not man related is if the Web Bots actually crawls 3 000 blogs/websites written by specialists of a certain domain and that they are pointing towards a similar conclusion.

What about 2012 (Read my article on 2012) and the Web Bots? As I said, I’m not seeing how a computer can figure out what’s going to happen in 2012 simply by visiting websites published by real people. The more data Web Bots get pointing towards 2012 just means more and more people are publishing stuff about 2012 and the end of the world. Remember, the only thing they can crawl is the internet and what you find on the internet was created by real persons, not God. They will surely get a strong correlation between 2012 and the end of the world; there’s ton of websites talking about it.

So, can Web Bots predict stuff? Yes I believe it can and it’s a really nice piece of technology. I’m pretty sure preventing terrorists attacks can be done using Web Bots and also predicting anything involving human interaction. Remember, it crawls the web, written by humans so it can only predict what humans are able to predict: Just in a shorter time frame! I think it’s easy to fall into the “It can predict everything” stuff, so let’s say it’s a really nice technology which can help us predict things we wouldn’t normally see happening. There’s a lot of future in that field and it has to be pushed a lot more forward. A good project, with good potential, but be careful with what people say it predicted!

The Web Bot Project

Maybe some of you have heard of The Web Bot Project, but for those of you who have not, it's quite intriguing. The Web Bot Project, developed in the late 1990's, was created to assist in making stock market predictions.

The technology uses a system of spiders to crawl the Internet and search for keywords, much like a search engine does. When a keyword is located, the bot program takes a snapshot of the text preceding and following the keyword. This snapshot of text is sent to a central location where it is then filtered to define meaning.

The project's concept is aimed at tapping into the collective unconscious of the universe and it's inhabitants. As well, there is an interesting time concept involved and an unusual concept of a "tipping point" regarding the past, current, and future times.

You see, this goes a bit deeper than simply viewing what those of us on the Internet are saying.

In 2001, the bot operators began to notice that stock market predictions were not the only matters being accurately predicted by the program and they began to take notice of the coincidence with occurrences and explored it further.

One of the First Accurate Predictions From the Web Bot Program Took Place in June of 2001. At that time, the program predicted that a life altering event would take place within the next 60-90 days. An occurrence of such proportion that it's effects would be felt worldwide. The program based it's prediction on its filtered web chatter content which, I guess you could say, ultimately represents the collective unconscious of society.
Regrettably, the program's prediction proved accurate and the Twin Towers fell on 9/11/2001.

This is where it starts to become interesting. The bot program also predicts a worldwide calamity taking place in the year 2012. For those of you who study astrology, prophecies, and the like, you may already be familiar with this date.

Web Bot Project

from Wikipedia.

Web Bot, or the Web Bot Project, refers to an Internet bot software program that is claimed to be able to predict future events by tracking keywords entered on the Internet. It was created in 1997, originally to predict stock market trends.^[1] The creator of the Web Bot Project, Clif High, along with his associate George Ure, who call themselves "The Time Monks",^[2] keep the technology and algorithms largely secret and sell the predictions via the website halfpasthuman.com

High and Ure claim that the Web Bot works by using a form of the Wisdom of the crowd, with spiders that search the internet for about 300,000 keywords with emotional context^[3] and record the preceding and following words to create a "snapshot." The technology is claimed to be able to examine the collective unconscious and be able to predict catastrophic events 60 to 90 days in advance.

Claimed hits

The Web Bot is claimed to have predicted several events prior to them occurring, most notably the September 11 attacks and the 2003 Northeastern United States blackout.^[4] However, many believe the predictions are vague and, at best, pseudoscientific.^[5]

September 11 attacks - In June 2001, Web Bot predicted that a catastrophic event would occur within the next 60–90 days.^[6] However, during this same period, the 2001 Harehills riot, Tropical Storm Allison, a Vladivostokavia Tupolev Tu-154 jetliner crashed on approach to landing at Irkutsk, Russia, the 2001 Bradford race riots, the Howard Street Tunnel fire, and over 200,000 demonstrators protested at the 27th G8 summit with some property damage and injury taking place all occurred. "A catastrophic event" is such a vague statement that it could have covered any of these situations.
2001 anthrax attacks
American Airlines Flight 587^[7]
Space Shuttle Columbia disaster - In January 2003 the web bots were going on and on about a "maritime disaster".^[8] However, in that same year, the MV Mitali, a double decked ferry, was capsized by collision with a cargo vassel in Bangladesh, with at least 130 people confirmed dead on April 2003. The Fu Shan Hai, a Chinese bulk carrier, sank after a collision on 31 May 2003. The RMS Mülheim, a German cargo ship run ashore on on 22 March 2003. Nevertheless, the Web Bot owners zeroed in on a non-maritime event as their "prediction".
Northeast Blackout of 2003^[8]^[9]
2004 Indian Ocean earthquake^[6]^[9]
Hurricane Katrina and its devastation^[9]^[10]
Dick Cheney hunting incident^[8]
BP Oil Spill^[11]

Future predictions

November 8-11, 2010 - The web bot warns of a big tipping point, possibly a stock market crash or financial meltdown of some sorts.^[15]
Major catastrophe in 2012 - The Web Bot has gained most of its notoriety for contributing to the 2012 phenomenon by predicting that a cataclysm will devastate the planet in the year 2012, possibly a reversing of Earth's magnetic poles or a small series of nuclear attacks leading up to a major attack during the year. The prediction does not necessarily call for a complete end of the world.^[16]^[17]^[18]^[19]

The following come from the Web Bot Project Blogspot report on a radio interview with High and Ure:

No warfare between Israel and Iran, at least not until November.
Six very large earthquakes are yet to come during the rest of 2010.
A major tipping point will occur between November 8 – 11, 2010, followed by a 2-3 month release period. This tipping point appears to be US-centric, and could be a dramatic world-changing event like 9-11 that will have rippling after-effects. The collapse of the dollar might occur in November.
From July 11, 2010 onward, civil unrest will take place, possibly driven by food prices skyrocketing, and the devaluation of the dollar.^[15] No such incident has occurred following that date.
No exact information on the December 14th missile launch (beginning of World War III) has been confirmed, but the predictions show it may happen.
A second depression, triggered by mass layoffs, bankruptcies, and the popping of the "derivatives bubble," will see people moving out of cities.
After March 2011, the revolution wave will settle down into a period of reformation.
A "data gap" has been found between early 2012 running through May 2013. One explanation is that "our civilization gets knocked back to a pre-electronic state," such as brought about by devastating solar activity.
A new benign form of capitalism will emerge during 2017-2020.^[20]

REFERENCES:

^ ^a ^b Chivers, Tom (24 September 2009). "'Web-bot project' makes prophecy of 2012 apocalypse". The Daily Telegraph (London). Retrieved 2009-10-04.
^ ^a ^b "Web Bot Predictions". Coast to Coast AM. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
^ Shamah, David (23 December 2008). "Digital World: I have seen the future, and it's on the Web". The Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
^ "BotHit5 Power Blackout Fulfills Web Bot Predictions". Urban Survival Weekly.
^ "Web Bot, What is it? Can it Predict Stuff?". Daily Common Sense.
^ ^a ^b "World's expiry date: 21 December 2012?". NewKerala.com. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
^ [1]
^ ^a ^b ^c [2]
^ ^a ^b ^c Menon, Vinay (2008-04-16). "Decoding the End of Days". Toronto Star. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
^ "‘Web-bot project’ makes prophecy of 2012 apocalypse". Ethiopian Review. Retrieved October 4, 2009.
^ "Half Past Human March 2010 Predictions Of Oil Disaster". rense.com.
^ ^a ^b ^c Taylor, Timothy (January 2009). "Vanwaterworld? Hold the Armageddon talk". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved 2009-10-04.
^ "Dollar Demise is Premature - A Discourse on a New Gold Standard". WallStreetPit.com. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
^ "The Market's Current Psychological Map". Seeking Alpha. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
^ ^a ^b "Tick...tick...tick - Israeli Mistake, Confusion, and a chart". Half Past Human. Retrieved July 2, 2010.
^ "Web Bot Predictions". Mirror of Aphrodite. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
^ "World’s expiry date: 21 December 2012?". ExpressIndia. Retrieved October 3, 2009.
^ "2012 Disaster Film Director Admits he Scared Himself". The Epoch Times. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
^ "El Nostradamus virtual (in Spanish)". El Día. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
^ "Web Bot Project". blogspot. Retrieved April 1, 2010.
^ [3]
^ "Web Bot Project and 2012". Mirror of Aphrodite. Retrieved October 3, 2009.

'Gloria Macapagal Arroyo Scandals' --- a review

2010-10-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

Scandals!

Research by Lei Chavez, abs-cbnnews.com

2nd in a series on President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's 9th State of the Nation Address

A guide to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's legacy: a yearly calendar of shock-and-awe stories that involve corruption in high places and weak leadership. Research by Lei Chavez, abs-cbnnews.com

2001

‘Payola’ for FG

Barely had President Arroyo warmed her seat when the first in a series of scandals involving the first family erupted. Correspondence secretary Veronica "Bing" Rodrigo accused first gentleman Mike Arroyo of taking a P50-million bribe in July 2001. The bribery was said to be for President Arroyo to recall her veto on two franchise bills. The first bill involved the Philippine Communication Clearinghouse which sought a franchise to operate a clearinghouse where telco firms were to interconnect for a certain fee. The second bill granted APC Wireless Interface Network a franchise to build a wireless telecommunication system nationwide.
The companies were allegedly owned by Jaime Dichavez, a close friend of former President Joseph Estrada, who allegedly used Pacifico Marcelo as his dummy. According to Rodrigo, a woman named Malou Nuñez from the office of the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office under Gabriel Claudio approached her, inquiring about the request to veto the bills.
Rodrigo is a friend of the president, having been classmates in grade school and high school. Their parents were close friends.
Marcelo alleged that President Arroyo called him to stop lobbying for the franchise and that the three of them—the First Couple and Marcelo—will establish their own company. Marcelo turned down the offer.
The president did not recall her veto of both bills. Arroyo also said that the First Gentleman never asked her to recall the veto. Her husband denied receiving any money and claimed that Rodrigo was the one who received the bribe. Rodrigo later retracted her allegations in the Senate blue ribbon committee hearing.

PCSO funds for admin candidates’ campaign

In October 2001, Roberto Rivero, former consultant of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes (PCSO), claimed that the first gentleman used almost $5 million of PCSO funds to finance the campaign of some senatorial candidates and to bribe radio commentators. President Arroyo asked the Office of the Ombudsman to investigate her husband. The PCSO denied Rivero's accusations. When asked by the Ombudsman for evidence, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who exposed this, was unable to present any.
Years later, in May 2007, another former PCSO senior executive, Cirilo Avila, said the funds were made to appear as payment for ad placements but were really used as People Power Coalition (PPC) campaign funds. Avila narrated that the PPC requested the funds and manager Ver Angelo took it up with the board. The request was approved.

Nani Perez’s ‘extortion’

Four days after assuming office, Arroyo awarded a $470-million contract to Argentine firm Industrias Metalurgicas Pescarmona Sociedad Anonima (IMPSA) to rehabilitate a power plant in Laguna. A few months later, former Manila Representative Mark Jimenez, the man who brokered the deal, accused Justice Secretary Hernando Perez of extorting $2 million in exchange for a justice department opinion that favors the deal.
Jimenez told Senator Lacson that the entire amount was actually $14 million: Perez received $2 million, the National Power Corporation "boys" got $1 million, Malacañang was given $4, and $7 million went to Jimenez.
In April 2008, the office of the Ombudsman, headed by Merceditas Gutierrez, filed graft charges against Perez, his wife Rosario, Ernest Escaler, and Ramon Antonio Arceo Jr.
But the graft and robbery charges were junked by the Sandiganbayan in November 2008 as the Ombudsman failed to expedite the complaints, making Perez immune from the charges, indirectly acquitting Perez.
Perez’s pending case with the Sandiganbayan is on his falsification of public documents.
In May 2009, Perez filed his third petition asking the Sandiganbayan to dismiss the charges of unethical practices filed against him for allegedly not declaring $1.7 million in his 2001 Statement of Assets and Liabilities and Net Worth (SALN) saying that Arroyo herself approved his SALN when she assumed office. Perez was then a member of her cabinet.

The godmother’s ties to the Pinedas

President Arroyo agreed to be the godmother of alleged jueteng boss Bong Pineda's son. In an interview with Time, she said that she sought advice from Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin who said, "The sins of the father are not the sins of the son."
Later events revealed the nature of Arroyo’s ties to the Pinedas. In 2005, during the height of the Senate probe on the “Hello Garci” scandal, Army Capt. Marlon Mendoza quoted Virgillio Garcillano and said Pineda gave P300 million to fund Arroyo’s presidential bid in 2004.
Another witness, Michaelangelo Zuce, nephew of Garcillano claimed that Pineda’s wife, Lilia Pineda, handed out envelopes containing P30,000 each in January 2004 during a party hosted by the president in her La Vista home in Quezon City.

Profit from anti-poverty bonds?

Conceptualized by the Caucus of Development (Code-NGO), the PEACe bonds (Poverty Eradication and Alleviation Certificates) were issued by the government supposedly to help raise funds for the anti-poverty activities of its member organizations. But there were allegations that Code-NGO used its political connections to profit P1.4 billion in a series of transactions from the PEACe bonds worth P35 billion pesos.
Code-NGO was chaired by Socorro Camacho-Reyes, sister of then Finance Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho. Camacho-Reyes denied, in a Senate hearing, that her brother helped him.

Silencing the Marines

Rear Adm. Guillermo Wong, then Flag Officer in Command of the Philippine Navy, exposed irregularities in the Philippine Marines' procurement of equipment worth P3.8 million.
This did not sit well with Marine officials. Then Armed Forces chief of staff Angelo Reyes offered Wong another post, chief of the Northern Command, practically demoting him. This forced Wong to resign.
When asked to comment, President Arroyo said Reyes had done "the right thing." Fresh from retirement, Reyes was immediately appointed defense secretary.

A foul deal

In 2007, the Philippine National Construction Corporation (PNCC, formerly Construction Development Corporation of the Philippines or CDCP) and Radstock Securities signed a compromise agreement obliging the PNCC to pay Radstock P6.2 billion in the form of: 19 pieces of real estate properties; 20% of the outstanding capital stock of PNCC; and 50% of PNCC’s share in the gross toll revenue of the Manila North Tollways Corporation for 27 years.
Senators Sergio Osmena III and Franklin Drilon cried foul because it disposed of almost all the assets of PNCC, a company acquired by the government after President Marcos forced government financial institutions to exchange debt owed to them by the company for stocks.
The deal, they said, gave Marubeni/Radstock preferential treatment over other bigger creditors, particularly government. As of December 2002, the PNCC owed the government through the Assets Privatization Trust P41.39 billion, according to the Commission on Audit, and has pending liabilities amounting to P6.9 billion, a bulk of which was from the Philippine government.

2002

Overpriced Macapagal Boulevard

Sulpicio Tagud Jr., then board director of the Public Estates Authority (PEA), exposed the P600-million overprice of the construction of the GSIS-funded 5.1-kilometer President Diosdado Macapagal Boulevard in the Manila Bay reclamation area. The contracts were approved during the Estrada administration and were given to three companies: Shoemart Inc., DM Wenceslao, and Jesusito D. Legaspi Construction (JDLC).
A series of supplemental contracts with JDLC were later approved by the PEA board under the Arroyo administration that increased the original approved cost of their section of the highway. According to Tagud, while the SM group of companies constructed its part of the boulevard at P54,000 per lineal meter, JDLC built its section at P302,000 per lineal meter.
Arroyo asked PEA and the Government Service Insurance System officials to submit a full report on the project to Presidential Legal Counsel Avelino Cruz. After the the report was submitted, Arroyo asked the entire PEA board to go on leave until the Presidential Anti-graft Commission submitted the results of its investigation.
In February 2008, the Sandiganbayan said it will continue the probe on JDLC despite the firm’s motion to dismiss the alleged overpricing of the boulevard.

The garbage contract

The Jancom controversy involved a $360-million (P18 billion) incineration project in which the Jancom Environment Corp. (JEC) would burn 3,000 tons of Metro Manila garbage a day for a tipping fee of $10 per ton. During his term, President Ramos did not approve the contract and President Estrada likewise debunked it because JEC raised the tipping fee from $10 to $59 per ton.
Despite the passage of the Clean Air Act and the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act (both banned the use of incarcerators), the Supreme Court declared the contract valid in April 2002 in a decision penned by Justice Jose Melo.
Still, Arroyo said the deal had many flaws. Arroyo passed the decision to the Manila Metropolitan and Development Authority (MMDA) to decide whether the deal is disadvantageous to the government or not. Although negotiations had started between the MMDA and Jancom, Arroyo called off the deal in April 2002.

Mismanaged funds

Issues on mismanaged funds by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) and the GSIS caught the public eye in 2002. PAGCOR had been experiencing negative cash flows that bloated to P850 million in 2003. A Pagcor manager gave three reasons behind the financial difficulties: 'onerous' contracts, profligate spending, and massive, mindless donations.
GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia ordered its units to stop the processing of claims and loan applications because of financial difficulty. The Kapisanan ng Manggagawa attributed the financial problems to the following: Garcia's cash advances amounting to P3.4 million, the establishment of district offices worth P4 million each, and the appointment of outside legal counsel for P200,000 a month.
Garcia allegedly used GSIS money to purchase Juan Luna's Parisian Life painting. Likewise, Garcia was said to earn P540,000 a month and appointed some 130 vice-presidents who earn P70,000 a month. There were allegations that GSIS contributed at least P100 million to the campaign funds of Pres. Arroyo. Garcia was retained in his post despite appeals from GSIS employees.
In 2004, before the Senate committee on government corporations and public enterprises, Garcia dismissed the charges and said GSIS is “the country’s top performing government-owned and controlled corporation.” He did not comment on the Juan Luna paintings.

FG as OFW envoy

In December, President Arroyo designated Mike Arroyo as an OFW envoy so he could represent her in the countries she could not visit. However, critics assailed Arroyo's announcement when they learned that his activities as OFW envoy would be funded by a proposed overseas workers legal assistance fund. They feared that the Arroyo couple would use the funds for her 2004 campaign. While the President did not recall her husband's designation, the First Gentleman voluntarily resigned.

Naia’s Terminal 3

In 2002, Transportation Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez obtained overpriced subcontracts for public works projects related to the terminal. Among these is Wintrack Builders Inc., owned by Alvarez, which bagged a site-development project.
Piatco was also accused of paying huge sums of money to Alfonso S. Liongson, PR consultant and said to be an associate of the First Gentleman, for permits or supplementary agreements to the contract. In 2003, Arroyo revoked Piatco's build-operate-transfer contract and the government took over the airport in 2004. After almost a decade, the airport was partially opened in 2008.

2003

Rotten rice!
In February 2003, Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla revealed that 600,000 metric tons of rice imported from India were found to be rotten and moldy. Kishore Hemlani, an Indian trader allegedly close to Arroyo, reportedly bagged the P9.5 billion contract for the rice importation.
Anthony Abad, head of the National Food Authority, had to dispose of some P2.2-million worth of moldy rice stocks and tried to dispose of the remaining sacks in order to recover at least P2.5 billion.

Undeclared wealth in San Francisco

Since she got elected in 1992 as senator, Arroyo had failed to declare in her Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth the properties her husband Mike Arroyo bought in San Francisco through his California-based LTA Realty Corporation. According to Newsbreak, Mike acquired, resold, and managed at least five properties with a total value of at least $7.1 million in the Bay City from 1992 to 2000. The First Couple said the properties were bought in trust for Ignacio or Iggy Arroyo, Mike's younger brother.

Mikey Arroyo's imported horses

In August, news broke out that presidential son Juan Miguel "Mikey" Arroyo planned to import 32 thoroughbred horses from Melbourne, Australia worth P384 million (at P12 million per horse). Mikey denied the allegation but admitted that he was in the horse-trade business.
He owns Franchino Farms along with cousin Franchino Pamintuan and friend Ralph Mondragon. (We requested for Mikey’s SALN but it has not been granted as of press time.)

Jose Pidal accounts

In August, opposition Sen. Panfilo Lacson accused First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo of money laundering: he allegedly siphoned off at least P321 million in campaign funds and contributions and put these in a secret bank account under the name Jose Pidal. He also supposedly used the names of his aides in three other accounts. According to Lacson, among the donors was then Rep. Mark Jimenez who gave P8 million. Arroyo's younger brother, Iggy, came forward and admitted he is Jose Pidal.

Oakwood mutiny

Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes' alleged involvement in selling arms and ammunitions to guerilla and bandit groups moved 300 young officers and enlisted men of the AFP to rebel against the government in July. Reyes was forced to resign a few weeks later. The rebel soldiers were detained.
The 321 armed soldiers apologized for the failed rebellion. In 2004, 133 of the soldiers were freed. Capt. Nicanor Faeldon, one of the alleged leaders, escaped in December 2005. Four other leaders escaped after Faeldon did. Faeldon was captured in 2007 but escaped again a few months after.
Reyes, since then, has held other Cabinet posts: environment secretary and energy secretary.

Congress vs. Supreme Court

The clash of the two co-equal bodies was all about the billions of pesos in Judiciary Development Fund (JDF) and how it was spent. The Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) and its allies in Congress, peeved that they were being ignored by the Supreme Court, went after Chief Justice Hilario Davide. They almost impeached him.
President Arroyo acted on the controversy only when it reached crisis proportions. She was balancing between competing interests: her political support from Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco’s NPC and Davide’s tenure on the Court.

2004

The super-rich general

In December, Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia's son was apprehended by US Customs officials at the San Francisco airport for carrying $100,000 in undeclared cash. AFP Chief of Staff Narciso Abaya asked Garcia to explain and transferred him to another position.
Later in the year, US Customs and the Federal Bureau of Investigation transmitted to the office of Ombudsman Simeon Marcelo a list of the amounts that General Garcia had brought into the US from 1993 to 2003, which was estimated at P71 million.
In October 2004, Garcia was charged with violating Articles of War 95 (conduct unbecoming of an officer and gentleman) and 96 (acts prejudicial to good order and military discipline) for failing to declare all his assets in his Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth and for possessing a US green card. In April 2006, the military court sentenced Garcia to a two-year confinement without pay and allowance and dishonorable discharge. Garcia also faced graft charges in the same court.
In February 2009, Garcia’s sons, Juan Pablo and Ian Carl were indicted in the US with one count of conspiracy to commit bulk cash smuggling, failing to file a report of monetary instruments, and making false statements to a US government agency. The sons were placed in US custody until proven innocent. On the same month, Garcia was found guilty of misdeclaring his assets and liabilities in 2000. He was acquitted from two other perjury cases.
On June 2009, the Sandiganbayan acquitted Garcia of the last perjury case, saying there was no proof that the retired general lied in his 1997 SALN. However, the retired general is still facing plunder and forfeiture cases in the Sandiganbayan and is still being detained in Camp Crame.

No bidding for Northrail

The Northrail project started during Ramos's administration but it was only in February 2004 when Finance Secretary Juanita Amatong entered into a credit loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of China. The agreement granted the Philippine government a $400-million loan facility to finance the construction of the project.
Critics said the interest rate on the loan per annum (3%) is much higher than the rate on other loan packages that the Philippines could have availed itself of. China National Machinery and Equipment Corporation was designated as the prime contractor for the project without public bidding. The Senate probed the issue but the hearings were stalled in 2005 after Malacañang issued EO 464, requiring Cabinet members to seek presidential clearance before they could testify in congressional hearings.

Fertilizer fund scam

The controversy started when President Arroyo was accused of using fertilizer funds for the 2004 election. The fund, worth P728 million, fell under the Ginintuang Masagana Ani Program. Jocelyn Bolante, agriculture undersecretary and regarded as the architect of the fund, left the country and sought asylum in America. He came back to the country in 2008 and faced the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee.
Bolante told the Senate that (1) he does not know who nominated or recommended him to be an agriculture undersecretary, (2) it was former Agriculture Secretary Luis Lorenzo who requested the release of the funds, (3) the fertilizer fund was valid and legal and was approved by the DA, and that (4) when he left the department in August 2004, 91% of the fertilizer funds had been liquidated already.
The committee recommended the filing of plunder and other criminal case against him and nine other persons but no case was filed. In January 2009, the panel who investigated the fertilizer fund scam submitted the proposed resolution to Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.
No reports on the investigation have been released from both the Ombudsman and the justice department. In March 2009, Bolante disclosed a plan to run either as governor or congressman in Capiz, Roxas.

Philhealth cards for campaign

Six weeks before the May 2004 elections, two lawyers filed a disqualification case against President Arroyo, saying she was behind the enhanced Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office's Greater Medicare Access or GMA program. Public funds were allegedly spent to enroll families in PhilHealth for one year. The premium cost of P1,200 for each family member was chargeable to PhilHealth and the PCSO. The IDs, bearing Arroyo's picture and name, were coincidentally distributed during the start of the election campaign.

2005

Hello, Garci

More than a year after the election, a recording of a telephone conversation between President Arroyo and election commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano was released to the public. In this conversation, Arroyo directed him to make sure she wins by one million votes. After weeks of ducking the issue, Arroyo apologized for "a lapse in judgment" in talking with an election commissioner but explained that she merely wanted to protect her votes.

Hyatt 10

Eight cabinet members and two bureau heads, called the Hyatt 10, filed their irrevocable resignations in the aftermath of the “Hello, Garci” scandal and requested Arroyo to resign. The Hyatt 10 is composed of Secretaries Florencio Abad (education), Juan Santos (trade and industry), Emilia Boncodin (budget and management), Cesar Purisima (finance), Dinky Soliman (social welfare and development), Rene Villa (land reform), Alberto Lina (customs), Guillermo Parayno (internal revenues), Teresita Quintos Deles (adviser on the peace process), and Imelda Nicolas of the national anti-poverty commission.

Juetengate

In Senate hearings on jueteng that began in May 2005, jueteng operators and bagmen said the President's husband, Mike, her son Mikey, and her brother-in-law Ignacio or Iggy were among those who received monthly payoffs from gambling lords. The payoffs ranged from P500,000 to P1 million.
One of the key witnesses, businesswoman Sandra Cam, testified that in December 2004, she personally delivered the cash to Mikey and Iggy at the House of Representatives; the money came from retired Chief Supt. Restituto Mosqueda, former police director for Bicol and alleged protector of jueteng operations in Luzon.
Richard Garcia and Demosthenes Abraham Riva also told a Senate hearing that the three Arroyos had been receiving payola from jueteng operations in Bicol. Michaelangelo Zuce, an aide of former commissioner Virgilio Garcillano and a former staff member of presidential adviser on political affairs Joey Rufino, directly linked the President to jueteng by saying that before the 2004 elections, the President distributed money to several election officials in her house in La Vista, Quezon City, in the presence of Bong Pineda's wife, Lilia Pineda.
Garcia and Riva retracted their statements a few months later and said they were merely "coached" by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Zuce's testimony failed to take off after one witness did not corroborate Zuce's claim. Former Isabela Gov. Faustino Dy Jr. who was also said to have been present at the La Vista meeting, flew to the US and refused to come to Manila to testify.

Aragoncillo, the spy

Leandro Aragoncillo, a Filipino American in the US Federal Bureau of Investigation, was arrested for allegedly taking classified documents from computers in Vice President Dick Cheney's office and the FBI and sending them to opposition leaders in the Philippines. The documents were primarily analyses of the Philippines' political situation by US Embassy officials.
Among others, the documents said that: "Arroyo has always exhibited paranoia and the need to control every aspect of the Philippine economy and politics. As time ticked out for her administration, it was clear the biggest problem was Arroyo herself."
Aragoncillo was charged with acting as an agent of a foreign government or official and faces up to 25 years in prison.

Mega-anomaly in Comelec

According to Solicitor General Alfredo Benipayo, the botched P1.3 billion poll modernization project of Comelec was overpriced by P500 million. Comelec ignored its own bidding rules and changed these to suit one favored bidder: MegaPacific Corp.
The SC deemed the process flawed and declared the contract null and void. The Office of the Ombudsman committee created by Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez initially indicted Commissioner Resurreccion Borra but cleared him a few months later. Abalos and company were ruled to be not liable for the voided contract.

Lozano's complaints

Oliver Lozano filled an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo during the height of the “Hello, Garci” scandal. Congress declared the complaint to be technically deficient. Oliver Lozano filed another impeachment complaint against President Arroyo on 2006. Like the first one, his second complaint was defeated due to insufficiency in substance.
For the third time, Lozano filed his impeachment complaint against the President on 2007. Like the second version, this impeachment rap was dismissed for insufficiency in substance. Critics say Lozano's impeachment complaints were moves to hinder the submission of a solid complaint against the President.
Weeks after former Arroyo ally Jose De Venecia filed his impeachment complaint in 2008, Lozano took his fourth try with a four-page impeachment complaint penned with his daughter, Atty Evangeline Lozano, and another lawyer, Elly Pamatong.

Imelda’s jewelries

Former First Lady Imelda Marcos asked a Manila court to stop a Philippine Commission on Good Government auction of her P15-billion jewelries. Marcos claimed the jewelries belonged solely to her. No restraining order was issued by the court.
The PCGG has two of the three jewelry collections in the vaults of the Bangko Sentral ng Philipinas and planned to auction off majority of the jewelries in May 2009, with strong resistance from Mrs. Marcos.

2006

FG in $20,000 hotel suite!

During Manny Pacquiao's match with Erick Morales in Las Vegas, the First Gentleman allegedly stayed in a $20,000-a-night suite at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike said that there was nothing corrupt about accepting the free luxury suite offered to him by the hotel. He argued that as the husband of a head of state, he was entitled to such perks.

No German bank account

Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that a member of the Arroyo family maintained a bank account in Germany amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. First Gentleman Arroyo flew to Germany and secured a certification from the bank to disprove Cayetano's claims. Upon his return, he sought Cayetano's expulsion from Congress but without success.

Toxic JPEPA?

The Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA) was signed between Arroyo and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi. The treaty aimed to promote investments and trade between the two countries. Various civil society groups contested the agreement because the government did not consult them. According to these groups, although the agreement secures employment in Japan, the treaty includes an “environmentally unjust bilateral trade.”
In 2008, the Senate finally ratified the agreement by a vote of 16-4 as the agreement was favorable since 95% of exports from the Philippines to Japan will have zero duties.
Meanwhile, numerous representatives from the House questioned the Senate decision as the agreement “will bring a tsunami of unfair trade and toxic wastes.”

2007

Estrada pardon

After spending six years in detention for plunder and graft and corruption charges, former President Estrada was sentenced to life imprisonment by the Sandiganbayan in October 2007. Three days after, President Arroyo granted him pardon citing a policy to release prisoners aged 70.

Fallout from ZTE

The scandal was exposed in August 2007, a few months after Transport Secretary Leandro Mendoza and ZTE Corp Vice President Yu Yong signed a $329.5 million contact for a national broadband network deal in April. President Arroyo and the First Gentlemen were said to have visited China for the contract-signing.
Rep. Carlos Padilla (Nueva Vizcaya) said that Comelec chairperson Benjamin Abalos also joined the President in China to broker the deal. Abalos denied brokering the deal but admitted going to China four times. In September 2007, the son of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr testified that he was with Abalos in China and that Abalos demanded money from ZTE officials.
The following day, the Supreme Court promulgated a TRO stopping the deal between the Philippines and China and gave ZTE 15 days to comment.
NEDA chair Romulo Neri testified in the Senate hearings and said Abalos tried to bribe him with P200 million but he refused to answer some senators' questions, citing executive privilege. Abalos resigned as Comelec chair in October 2007 as President Arroyo cancelled the deal in a trip to China.
Jun Lozada, former chief executive officer of Philippine Forest Corporation and NEDA consultant, testified in February 2008 that Abalos and the First Gentlemen were to receive kickbacks once the deal was signed. Speaker Jose de Venecia was unseated and got dragged into the deal when his son said he was also in China.
On July 2008, the SC dismissed three petitions that question the constitutionality of the deal and declared it moot and academic.

Impeachment: Pulido's version

Lawyer Roel Pulido filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo. Endorsed by an administration ally, Laguna Rep. Edgar San Luis, it was seen as a move to foil another complaint against the President.
Congress thrashed the complaint.

Money from Malacañang

Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio revealed that he was given a paper bag containing P500,000 in a Malacañang meeting in October 2007. The money was allegedly for community projects. The bags were handed out by a female Malacañang staff. Panlilio said he accepted the money because because no conditions were attached; he did not consider it a bribe. Various versions of the source of the money came out as other local officials present in the meeting admitted receiving either P500,000 or P200,000.
Other officials who confirmed receiving money were Governors Joselito Mendoza, Leo Campos, and Representatives Rachel Arenas, Antonio Cuenco, Bienvenido Abante, Mauricio Domogan, Tomas Dumpit Jr, and some others who refused to be named. The named 9 officials were charged by the Office of the Ombudsman for allegedly receiving bribes. Due to numerous versions on the source of the money, Sen. Miguel Zubiri said during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing that the money has no direct link to the Palace.

Glorietta 2 and Batasan bombings

After the string of controversies hounding the Arroyo administration, bombing incidents happened in Glorietta 2 and the House of Representatives. The police, in a speedy investigation, found that the bombing of Batasan was initially intended for Basilan Rep. Wahab Akbar.
The Glorietta 2 bombing, on the other hand, resulted from gas leakage. Rumors spread that the bombings were perpetrated by the government to divert the public’s attention away from the Arroyo scandals.
The Batasan bombing happened the day before Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio was set to testify on the bribery of local officials in the Senate and a day before the House justice committee was to hear the impeachment case.
The Glorietta 2 bombing happened during the height of the bribery case which took place in Malacañang.

Manila Pen siege

Antonio Trillanes IV, together with Brig. Gen. Danilo Lim and 25 other Magdalo officers walked out of their trial and marched on the streets of Makati City. Former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona and some soldiers from the AFP joined the march that ended in Peninsula Manila Hotel. After several hours, the group surrendered to the government forces after a military assault. They were arrested and several journalists were detained.

Missing: Jonas Burgos

Of the numerous human rights violations, political killings, and abductions during Arroyo's administration, the case of activist Jonas Burgos has become the most prominent. Burgos was missing since late April and eyewitnesses said he was dragged from a mall in Commonwealth to a Toyota Revo by five men. The license plate of the Revo was traced to the 56th Infantry Battalion camp in Bulacan.

2008

Teehankee pardon

In 1991, Claudio Teehankee Jr was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of killing Maureen Hultman, John Roland Chapman, and wounding Jussi Leino. Last November 2008, President Arroyo granted Teehankee pardon. It was reported that the Hultmans "approved" the pardon and received a settlement of P6 million. The Hultmans were enraged that the pardon was "kept secret" and denied receiving the money.

Euro generals

In an Interpol conference in Moscow, police comptroller director Eliseo De la Paz and his group were detained because of carrying undeclared cash worth 105,000 euros (P6.9 million). At the time of the conference, De la Paz had already retired from service.
When the group returned, the Senate called for hearings on the issue. De la Paz said the money was "cash advance" for "emergency cases." His statement was questioned as PNP Chief Jesus Versoza said the money was for purchasing intelligence equipment.
The Senate recommended that the justice department and the Ombudsman conduct a preliminary investigation on the PNP delegates to the Interpol assembly as the group violated the travel ban under Administrative Order No. 103, the law on allowable travel expenses, and the rule on retired officials or those about to retire. The report also proposed a preliminary investigation on interior and local government chief Reynato Puno and Versoza for allowing the group to travel and for ignoring the travel ban.
As of March 2009, De la Paz settled the remaining 65,000 euros, fully paying for the cash advance and avoiding a civil law suit.

C-5 insertion

Senators Panfilo Lacson and Jamby Madrigal spilled the beans on Senate president Manny Villar when they exposed his double insertion of a P200 million C-5 project in the 2008 budget. After a few months, Villar resigned as Senate president when he learned about the planned "ouster" led by Lacson. Enrile became Senate president.
In May 2009, although Villar was out of the country, the Senate ethics committee deliberated on the alleged C-5 insertion and declared the ethics complaint filed by Madrigal as sufficient in substance.

Meralco and the tainted court

What started out as a tug-of-war between the Lopezes and GSIS over control of Meralco ended up tainting the reputation of the Court of Appeals. The scandal started when Justice Jose Sabio Jr told the media that he was offered a P10 million bribe by an alleged Meralco emissary, businessman Francis Borja.
The Supreme Court conducted a public investigation on the CA justices. Lapses in the justices' decisions and CA procedures were unearthed. The verdict: Justice Vicente Roxas was dismissed, Sabio and Justice Bienvenido Reyes were suspended, and Justice Myrna Vidal was reprimanded.

Impeachment: Joey’s complaint

Joey de Venecia, son of former House Speaker Jose De Venecia, filed an impeachment complaint against President Arroyo, particularly because of the overpriced NBN-ZTE broadband deal. The complaint was found sufficient in form but was dismissed after House representatives voted 42-8, ruling the complaint as insufficient in substance.

Resurrecting nuke power plant

Tarlac Rep. Mark Cojuangco and Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo filed HB 4631 or the Bataan nuclear power plant commissioning act, a bill aimed at rehabilitating the mothballed power plant for $1.4 billion. Various groups were strongly against the re-opening of the plant, stating that more viable and cheaper options are available like renewable energy. A feasibility study was requested from Cojuangco to prove that BNPP’s structures are still in good condition. A consolidated HB 6300 was submitted to the House and will be deliberated after the legislative break in July.

The failed ancestral domain agreement

In June 2001, President Arroyo signed the GRP-MILF Tripoli agreement in Libya, paving the way for peace talks between the government of the Philippines and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. By May 2003, due to numerous bombings in Mindanao, Arroyo canceled the peace talks. Talks resumed two months later in Kuala Lumpur.
In January 2004, peace monitors from Malaysia, Brunei, and Libya went to Mindanao to monitor the five-year truce between the two parties. The discussion on ancestral domain progressed and was divided into four strands: concept, territory, resources, and governance.
By November 2007, government panel chair Rodolfo Garcia and MILF peace panel chair Mohagher Iqbal said that the agreement can finally be concluded. But by December of the same year, the ancestral domain negotiations reached a deadlock due to constitutional issues.
The text of the Memorandum of Agreement on the Ancestral Domain (MOA-AD) caused a big stir when it leaked to the press. On August 2008, the Supreme Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order on the peace agreement and suggested renegotiating the homeland deal.
In September 2008, the government dissolved the panel conducting the peace negotiations with the MILF, formed a new one, and announced that negotiations will depend on whether the MILF will turn over two rogue field commanders and other members who attacked North Cotabato, Lanao del Norte, and other provinces in Mindanao. The peace talks were set to resume in 2009.

2009

Red Cross kidnapping

On January, gunmen on motorcycles intercepted an International Committee of the Red Cross vehicle and kidnapped three workers: Italian Eugenio Vagni, Swiss Andreas Notter, and Filipina Mary Jean Lacaba. The group behind it, identified as the Abu Sayyaf, asked for ransom. The Philippine Red Cross, under Sen. Richard Gordon, refused to pay the ransom. The group threatened to behead the workers.
Three months after the kidnapping, after numerous negotiations, Lacaba was released. A few days after, Notter was released as well. Vagni, after six months of being held captive, was eventually released July 12.

Con Ass

In 2005, Arroyo initiated a move to change the Constitution and transform the present presidential-bicameral republic into a parliamentary-unicameral form of government but failed.
By late 2006, the House shelved a plan to revise the Constitution through a constituent assembly. In June 2009, two days before the House adjourned, they passed HR Bill 1109. The bill calls for a Constituent Assembly to amend the 1986 Constitution.

Dacer-Corbito double murder case

After spending years in America, Cesar Mancao returned and was willing to speak out on the murder of publicist Bubby Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in 2000. Mancao became a state witness in July 2009.
Aside from Mancao, 21 others were accused of the same charges. According to Mancao, he is no longer afraid of anyone, particularly of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, who consequently denied having a hand in the crime.
Dacer was asked by former President Estrada to boost his image during the height of the BW scam and the latter’s impeachment trial. The publicist was said to have knowledge of BW Resources Corp, a gaming firm in which Estrada owned shares. The scam started when it was found out that BW won an exclusive contract to operate on-line bingo and introduce Quick Pick-2 in 1999, a game similar to jueteng. On that same year, PAGCOR granted BW a nationwide online bingo franchise. Further investigation revealed that Dante Tan, Estrada’s alleged financier during the latter’s presidential bid, had been heavily buying shares in BW.
In late 2000, the charred bodies of Dacer and his driver were found in a creek in Cavite and eyewitnesses said they were abducted and killed by policemen. Some of the witnesses pointed to Estrada as the mastermind of the killing through Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force chief Lacson.

CARP extension

A few days before the House’s legislative break, the body passed House Bill 4077 to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law for another five years. The House appropriated P100 billion for land acquisition and distribution, support services, and other funding requirements. The Senate has also approved its own version of the bill.
In 2007, Arroyo certified an urgent bill to extend the law. The program has yet to distribute a million hectares to another two million beneficiaries.

RH bill

In June, the controversial House Bill 5043 or reproductive health bill was trashed in the House of Representatives, as it failed to gather enough votes from the lawmakers. The bill was penned by Cong. Edcel Lagman and it advocates, among others, the use of government funds to provide free contraceptives to the poor. The bill reached the plenary on 2008 and has since been under fire from various groups, particularly those with the Catholic Church.

Right of reply bill

The controversial Right of Reply bill (RORB) failed to gather enough signatures and was not passed in the House. Since it was filed last year, numerous groups, especially from media organizations, have contested the passing of the bill.
In February, seven senators reiterated their support for the bill. Arroyo, on the other hand, assured journalists while the bill was being deliberated in the House that she will not hesitate to trash it should it contain provisions that will curtail press freedom.

Baselines bill

In March, Arroyo signed Republic Act 9522 or the Philippine Archipelagic Baselines law, a controversial law that defines the country’s baselines and claims in the South China Sea. The bill includes the Kalayaan Group of Islands and Scarborough Shoal as parts of “regime of islands.” The other countries who have been claiming the islands are China, Vietnam, Malaysia, and Brunei.

Misuse of Balikatan funds

Navy Lt. Nancy Gadian revealed an alleged malversation of funds in the 2007 Balikatan joint military exercises with the United States. According to Gadian, Gen. Eugenio Cedo, former Mindanao Command head, pocketed P2.3 million of the money and the rest were pocketed by other higher Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) officials. The Balikatan exercises were given a P4.6 million fund.
Arroyo ordered the defense department to investigate Gadian’s allegations. Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr, AFP public information officer chief, said the alleged malversed funds were properly accounted for in the Commission on Audit reports. He also challenged Gadian to come out and file a proper complaint.

GMA in Congress?

Due to rumors that Arroyo is planning to run for Congress, election lawyers clarified that there are no provisions that prohibit Arroyo from resigning as president if she runs for a lower post. They cite Sec. 67 of the Omnibus Election Code which was repealed in the Fair Elections Act passed in 2001, Arroyo’s first year as president after Edsa 2.
The Code states that “any elective official, whether national or local, running for any office other than the one which he is holding in a permanent capacity, except for President and Vice-President, shall be considered ipso facto resigned from his office upon the filing of his certificate of candidacy.”

Helicopter crash

In April 2009, a helicopter carrying eight passengers, two of whom were Cabinet undersecretaries and a senior military aide, crashed in the Ifugao region. The Philippine Air Force (PAF) blamed bad weather for the accident.
Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, chair of the senate committee on national defense and security, questioned why the helicopter was allowed to fly from Loakan Airport in Baguio in the afternoon when visibility was low and why there was no back-up helicopter provided at the time. There were allegations that the helicopter was delayed for three hours because it was used to ferry Congressman Mikey Arroyo, the president’s eldest son, from Manila to Baguio.
According to press Secretary Cerge Remonde, the helicopter indeed carried Mikey and the others from Manila and arrived in Baguio at past two in the afternoon, ahead of the other helicopter which carried Arroyo and her party. The same helicopter Mikey used was the same helicopter used by the eight passengers who were supposed to conduct an ocular inspection of the Halsema Highway; Arroyo was scheduled to visit this highway the next day.
Sources: Various news reports

Hostages Even After the August 23 Crisis in Manila

2010-09-24T08:18:00.000-07:00

One month after the bloody hostage-taking debacle in Manila wherein eight foreigners and the hostage-taker were killed, Filipinos remain “hostages” by various forces and circumstances that went into play last August 23. The good news is that the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) has already submitted its report to President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III. Secretary Leila de Lima of the Department of Justice, members and resource persons of the IIRC, and the media deserve our appreciation for their prompt performance of duties, as we wait for the recommendations to be fully revealed and put into effect.
The unfortunate series of events triggered by Manila policemen's gross incompetence last month instantly grabbed international headlines. For weeks, the world saw the indignations mainly in China, Hong Kong and the Philippines. We witnessed, through live media coverages, the ongoing investigations and exchanges of assertions of those involved. Senators and congressmen also have been in the heat of the debates, conducting their own inquiries in aid of legislation, even seeking the resignations of police and cabinet officials who erred in their duties to resolve the hostage crisis. Eventually, heads cooled, sympathies for the victims and solidarity among peoples triumphed, facts were brought to light, and the wheels of justice seem to be grinding in the right direction. However, the harsh lessons must still be learned, repeated, retold, in order to prevent similarly atrocious incidents from happening in the future.

There are things amiss in the executive branch, as remarked by many about PNoy's seemingly over-reactions or gestures about the hostage crisis, his defense for his subordinates, and about his moves to appease Chinese officials. It is puzzling why a full copy of the IIRC report had been sent earlier to China. Why did PNoy, who said “kayo ang boss ko,” miss making it simultaneously available to both Filipino and Chinese leaders instead? Earlier, he himself made the official apologies and held himself responsible, even if it was the city or national crisis committee that should have took the helm.

There are many things awry in the police, not to mention the military and paramilitary forces, too. It could not be a simple case of lack of proper training and equipment, as it appeared on television. The mispriorities given to violence or combat operations as the final option can also be seen in the proposed 2011 budget wherein money would rather be poured on arsenal and items of war, perhaps instead of items for rescue operations. Indoctrination and training of cops and soldiers, plus the dominant culture within their ranks, also deserve to be thoroughly evaluated for proper re-orientation. The infamous Maguindanao massacre last year, Euro-generals scandal and other unresolved corruption cases, illegal drugs and jueteng, and recent exposes of police brutalities are glaring proofs of the many evils within their ranks that hold the people as their hostages. The consecutive demonstrations of close-quarter combat and rescue simulations by police and special forces after that August 23 crisis, as well as the creation of special units, could not suffice to fully restore public and international trust in the uniformed services.

As of press time, the IIRC’s 83-page report has yet to be fully released to the public, pending the review by PNoy's legal team. The delay in disclosure sparked some rumors that IIRC members said were “very unfair, irresponsible and unfounded.” The IIRC holds then Manila police chief Rodolfo Magtibay with the “biggest accountability” among 13 others for the tragedy. Administrative and criminal actions were suggested against Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim. The IIRC recommended the filing of administrative charges against Magtibay, retired PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa, DILG Undersecretary Rico E. Puno, NCRPO Director Leocadio Santiago Jr., chief negotiator Supt. Orlando Yebra, and Manila SWAT head Chief Insp. Santiago Pascual Jr., pending determination of criminal offenses. However, the IIRC does not have the authority to file charges directly against them.

The IIRC also reported that Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno “committed clear acts of negligence and dereliction of duty;” Puno's lack of training and experience may have compromised the readiness of the national committee; Verzosa failed to intervene; Santiago committed “gross insubordination” after he failed to utilize the Special Action Force despite orders from the President; Yebra failed to “not properly appreciate” hostage-taker Mendoza’s profile; Pascual failed to exercise the degree of diligence required of an assault commander; Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez and Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III “committed serious and inexcusable negligence and gross violation of their office’s own rules of procedure;” broadcasters Michael Rogas, Erwin Tulfo, dzXL management and personnel violated their code of ethics and possibly the Revised Penal Code by conducting an interview with Mendoza.

Media freedom has been threatened once more. Some members of Congress expressed their desire to regulate the media networks’ coverage of hostage-taking and similar crises. It remains to be proven if indeed onsite reporters of the top media networks violated existing guidelines of the Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) and “the most basic rules of common human decency,” as pointed out by the Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR). But the threat of government to undermine the rights of all media entities stemming from the alleged abuses of onsite broadcasters last August 23 remain, holding us hostage once again to possible legislated restrictions.

More than a month has passed since that bungled rescue operation. The said issues, and perhaps a few more stemming from the incident, will still be debated upon further inside the House of Representatives and the Senate in the annual budget deliberations until October. Other matters that clearly outweigh the hostage crisis may probably be sidelined again. The country may still remain “hostaged” by various forces and circumstances as the world waits for the IIRC recommendations to be acted upon.

Kabataan's State Universities & Colleges Budget Briefer 2011

2010-09-08T00:10:00.000-07:00

State Universities & Colleges Budget Briefer 2011

ANG PROPOSED 2011 BUDGET NG ADMINISTRASYONG AQUINO

Para sa taong 2011, ang panukalang budget ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III ay umaabot sa halagang mahigit P1.6 trilyon. Ayon sa kanya, ang panukalang budget para sa 2011 ay nakatuon sa “reform” at sa kanyang pangakong “matuwid na daan.” Aniya, ang budget ng kanyang administrasyon ay may pagkiling para sa mga mahihirap.

Ngunit, kung susuriin nang mabuti, ipinagpapatuloy lamang ng 2011 Budget ang pangkabuuang polisiya ng nakaraang mga administrasyon, ang polisiya ng sistematikong pagbabawas-gastos sa mga serbisyong panlipunan sa ngalan ng pagtitipid upang siguraduhin ang tuluy-tuloy na pagbabayad ng utang sa mga lokal at dayuhang kreditor. Sa katunayan, ang panukalang bayad-utang ng gobyerno para sa 2011 ang pinakamataas nito sa kasaysayan. Aabot ito, kapag pinagsama ang prinsipal at interes, sa mahigit-kumulangP823.27 bilyon (P357.09 bilyon sa interes at P466.18 bilyon sa prinsipal na hindi isinasama sa kabuuang buget proposal ng pamahalaan).

Isa sa mga pangunahing tinatamaan ng ganitong neoliberal na polisiya sa paggastos ng pamahalaan, na dikta mismo ng mga lokal at dayuhang nagpapautang, ay ang mga State Universities & Colleges (SUC’s).

Tulad ng mga polisiya ng dating Pangulong Gloria Arroyo sa mga SUC’s na nakasaad sa kanyang Medium Term Development Plan for Higher Education, itinutulak rin ni Pangulong Aquino ang pagbabawas ng subsidiya sa SUC’s upang pilitin ang mga ito na lumikom ng sarili nitong pondo sa pamamagitan ng pagtataas ng matrikula, pagbebenta o pagpapa-upa sa mga lupain at pasilidad, bukod sa iba pang mga paraan. Ani Aquino sa kanyang 2011 Budget Message, balak ng kanyang gobyerno ang “gradually reducing the subsidy to SUCs to push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their income.”

Sa kabila ng “austerity measure” ng administrasyong Aquino upang pagkasyahin ang “meager resources” ng pamahalaan para sa lahat ng serbisyong panlipunan, nakakamangha na nagagawa pa nitong dagdagan nang limpak-limpak ang budget ngmilitar na paglalaanan nito ng P104.7 bilyon. Higit sa doble rin ang naging pagtaas ng budget para sa takaw-kurapsyon na “pork barrel” mula P10.9 bilyon patungong P24.8 bilyon. Naglaan din ang pamahalaan ng mahigit P15 bilyon para akitin ang mga pribadong mamumuhunan na makipagsosyo sa gobyerno upang magtayo at magpatakbo ng mga serbisyo at imprastraktura sa pamamagitan ng “public-private partnerships,” taliwas sa sinabi ni Aquino noong kanyang unang SONA na walang gagastusin ang pamahalaan para sa mga hakbanging ito.

KABUUANG STATE SUBSIDY NG MGA STATE UNIVERSITIES & COLLEGES

Datos mula sa Budget Expenditures and Sources of Financing ng Department of Budget and Management

*Kasama na ang mga hiwalay na pondo para sa Personnel at Retirement Pension Benefits ng mga empleyado ng SUC’s, na nakabukod sa SUC appropriation sa aktwal na General Appropriations Act
**Estimated real value ng state subsidy base sa Consumer Price Index ng gobyerno, ayon sa halaga ng salapi noong taong 2000 (rounded-off sa nearest hundreds)

Para sa taong 2011, ang ilalaan na kabuuang subsidiya ng administrasyong Aquino para sa mga SUC’s ay mahigit-kumulang P23.41 bilyon (kabilang na ang pondo para sa Personnel at Retirement Pension benefits na sa aktwal na General Appropriations Act ay hiwalay sa budget ng SUC’s). Mas mababa ito nang mahigit P437 milyon mula sa budget ng SUC’s ngayong 2010, at mas mababa ito nang halos P2 bilyon mula sa budget ng SUC’s noong 2009.

Ang pinakamalalang tatamaan ng mga budget cut para sa 2011 ayon sa indibidwal na proposed budget ng mga SUC’s (hindi pa kasama ang dagdag na halaga mula sa hiwalay na Personnel at Retirement Pension benefits) ay ang mga sumusunod:

SUC’s NA MAY PINAKAMALALANG BUDGET CUT SA 2011 (AYON SA PORSYENTO)

1. Philippine Normal University (-23.59%)

2. Aurora State College of Technology (-22.21%)

3. Cerilles State College (-21.95%)

4. University of the Philippines (-20.11%)

5. University of Southeastern Philippines (-20.03%)

SUC’s NA MAY PINAKAMALALANG BUDGET CUT SA 2011 (AYON SA AKTWAL NA SUBSIDIYA)

1. University of the Philippines (-P1.39 bilyon)

2. Philippine Normal University (-P91.35 milyon)

3. Bicol University (-P88.81 milyon)

4. University of Southeastern Philippines (-P44.39 milyon)

5. Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (-P31.65 milyon)

Makikita rin sa “Real Value” ng state subsidy ng SUC’s na bagamat may paglaki sa nominal na subsidiya na binibigay ng pamahalaan para sa mga SUC’s sa loob ng nakaraang dekada, ang aktwal na halaga nito ay unti-unting bumaba taun-taon. Lumiliit din ang halaga nito kung isasama ang katotohanang dumadami ang mga programa ng mga SUC’s at lumalaki ang bilang ng kanilang mga mag-aaral.

Ayon sa datos ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at sa Consumer Price Index (CPI) data ng National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB)

LUMILIIT NA STATE SUBSIDY PARA SA MAINTENANCE & OTHER OPERATING EXPENSES

Patuloy at mas malala ang pagbagsak ng subsidiya na ibinibigay ng gobyerno sa mga SUC para sa “Maintenance & Other Operating Expenses” (MOOE) ng mga ito. Ang MOOE ang pondo ng ginagamit ng mga SUC’s para aktwal na patakbuhin ang mga iba’t ibang mga serbisyo at pasilidad ng mga kolehiyo. Halimbawa, dito kinukuha ang pambayad sa kuryente, sa mga kontraktwal na empleyado, mga scholarships, sa pag-maintain ng mga pasilidad, at iba pa.

Dahil sa natural na taunang pagtaas ng budget para sa “Personnel Services” (PS) ng mga SUC’s upang tugunan ang “Salary Standardization Law,” hindi buong nahahalata ang malubhang pagbabawas ng subsidya para sa MOOE sa maraming SUC’s.

Mahigit P1.1 billion ang kaltas sa MOOE para sa taong 2011 mula sa antas nito noong 2010. Ito ang pinakamalaking kaltas sa MOOE sa kasaysayan. Posibleng ito rin ang pinakamababang MOOE sa loob ng mahigit isang dekada kung iko-compute ang maaaring halaga lang nito sa “real value” noong 2000. (Hindi lang natin ma-compute ito ngayon dahil wala pang nilalabas na official estimated 2011 Consumer Price Index ang pamahalaan, ngunit siguradong ito ay mas mataas kaysa ngayong taon dahil natural na bumababa ang halaga ng salapi dahil sa inflation taun-taon).

Datos mula sa Budget Expenditures and Sources of Financing(BESF) ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM)

7 SUC’s NA MABABAWASAN NG HIGIT 50% ANG M.O.O.E. SA 2011

1. Southern Philippines Agri-Business & Marine and Aquatic School (-66.27%)

2. Southern Leyte State University (-64.03%)

3. Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (-57.96%)

4. Partido State University (-56.83%)

5. Nueva Vizcaya State University (-53.65%)

6. University of the Philippines (-51.85%)

7. Aurora State College of Technology (-51.84%)

Ang kakulangan sa pondo para sa pagpapatakbo sa mga SUC’s ang pangunahing dahilan ng mga ito upang itaas ang matrikula at iba’t ibang mga bayarin mula sa mga mag-aaral. Kaya’t sa lubhang pagbaba ng MOOE ng mga SUC’s sa 2011, tiyak at walang duda na mapipilitang gumawa ng paraan ang mga namamahala sa mga SUC’s na huthutin mula sa mga mag-aaral ang kakulangan sa pondo sa pamamagitan ng tuition and other fee increases.

WALANG CAPITAL OUTLAY

Walang ilalaan na pondo ang gobyerno para sa “Capital Outlay” ng mga SUC’s. Ang “Capital Outlay” ang bahagi ng budget ng isang ahensya ng pamahalaan na ginagamit para sa pagbili ng mga bagong pasilidad at pagtatayo ng mga bagong gusali at imprastraktura.

Kung matutuloy ang panukalang zero capital outlay ni Pangulong Aquino, ito ang magiging unang pagkakataon na walang magiging pondo ang mga SUC’s para sa kailangang-kailangang pambili ng mga pasilidad at pagtatayo ng mga silid-aralan at iba pang imprastraktura para sa mga mag-aaral. (Noong nakaraang taon, halos zero capital outlay rin ang panukala ng administrasyong Arroyo para sa 2010, ngunit ito ay napigilan sa pamamagitan ng pagreallocate ng pondo ng ibang ahensya patungo sa SUC’s).

LUMALAKING KITA AT BAHAGI NG KITA MULA SA TUITION AND OTHER FEES

Patuloy ang pagtaas ng kinikita ng mga SUC’s mula sa tuition at iba’t ibang mga bayarin na kanilang sinisingil mula sa mga mag-aaral nang dahil na rin sa pinapatupad na tuition and other fee increases.

Mula sa kabuuang P1.5 billion isang dekada ang nakararaan, aabot ito sa mahigit-kumulangP7.7 billion sa 2011, ayon sa projection ng gobyerno. Ito ay bubuo sa mahigit 22.1% ng kabuuang budget ng mga SUC’s mula sa 8.3% lamang noong 2001.

Datos mula sa Budget Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) ng Department of Budget and Management (DBM), in thousand pesos

LUMILIIT NA BAHAGI NG STATE SUBSIDY

Bukod sa kita mula sa mga sinisingil na mga bayarin ng mga SUC administration mula sa mga mag-aaral, kumikita rin ang mga SUC’s sa pamamagitan ng pagpapa-upa at pagbebenta ng mga lupain at pagsasapribado ng mga imprastraktura at facilities nito. Ang kabuuang kita ng mga SUC’s mula sa mga bayarin mula sa estudyante at iba’t iba pang iskema ng paglikom ng sarili nitong pondo ay bumubuo sa kanilang “internally-generated income” na hiwalay sa subsidiya na binibigay ng gobyerno para patakbuhin ang mga naturang unibersidad at kolehiyo.

Mula 2001, kung saan ang state subsidy ay bumubuo sa 84.14% ng kabuuang budget ng mga SUC’s, patuloy itong lumiit hanggang sa ito ay katumbas na lamang ng 66.3% ng kabuuang budget ng mga SUC’s sa 2011.

Datos mula sa Budget Expenditures and Sources of Financing (BESF) ng Department of Budget & Management (DBM)

LUMALAKING BILANG NG MGA ISKOLAR NG BAYAN

Sa kabila ng unti-unting paga-abandona ng gobyerno sa mga SUC’s sa pamamagitan ng mga budget cuts, patuloy naman ang paglaki ng bilang ng mga kabataan na pumapasok at gustong pumasok sa mga SUC’s nang dahil na rin sa walang-habas na pagtaas ng matrikula sa mga pribadong paaralan.

Sa ganitong lagay, ang anumang kakarampot na budget na ibinibigay ng gobyerno sa mga SUC’s ay nawawalan pa ng halaga dahil sa ito ay pinaghahatian ng mas dumadaming kabataang mag-aaral. Sa aktwal, lumiliit nang lumiliit ang ginagastos ng gobyerno sa bawat isang iskolar ng bayan.

Datos mula sa Commission on Higher Education

Youth solon scores P-Noy’s budget cut to higher ed

2 SEPTEMBER 2010

Kabataan Partylist Representative Raymond Palatino today scored President Noynoy Aquino’s move to reduce subsidies for state college and universities (SCU) in his proposed 2011 budget, stating that his proposition was an “abandonment of government’s responsibility to provide the Filipino youth with quality and affordable education.”

Based on the proposed 2011 budget, the PNoy administration allocated P 23.4 billion to the country’s 112 SCUs, 1.7 percent lower than this year’s budget.

“Aquino and his budget team should refrain from issuing statements that education is a major priority in the current administration when in fact, he is slowly abandoning the youth. State abandonment of higher education is a trademark of Arroyo’s administration. If the Aquino administration really intends to correct the mistakes of the past, then it should seriously review and overhaul the longstanding policy of reducing subsidy to public tertiary education,” the youth solon said.

In his budget message, Aquino said reducing the subsidy to SUCs will “push them toward becoming self-sufficient and financially independent, given their ability to raise their income and to utilize it for their programs and projects.”

Palatino said an imposed policy of “self-sufficiency and financial independence” in SCUs through tie-ups with private corporations and tuition and other fee increases places the burden of financing tertiary education to the Filipino students themselves, many of whom will be unable to afford it.”

“Allowing SCUs to generate their income and enter into partnerships with the private sector would only mean higher tuition, and consequently, higher drop-out rates and decreased access to tertiary education. This diminishes the public character of SCUs, which are supposed to provide quality and accessible education to those who cannot afford it,” he said.

P1.1B or 28.16% was cut from the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) from SCUs.

Seven SCUs’ MOOE were slashed by more than 50% namely:

§ Southern Philippines Agri-Business & Marine and Aquatic School (-66.27%)

§ Southern Leyte State University (-64.03%

§ Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (-57.96%)

§ Partido State University (-56.83%)

§ Nueva Vizcaya State University (-53.65%)

§ University of the Philippines (-51.85%)

§ Aurora State College of Technology (-51.84%).

Among the SCUs with the worst budget cuts by percentage are:

§ Philippine Normal University (-23.59%)

§ Aurora State College of Technology (-22.21%)

§ Cerilles State College (-21.95%)

§ University of the Philippines (-20.11%)

§ University of Southeastern Philippines (-20.03%)

While the SCUs with the worst budget cuts by nominal value are:

§ University of the Philippines (-P1.39 billion)

§ Philippine Normal University (-P91.35 million)

§ Bicol University (-P88.81 million)

§ University of Southeastern Philippines (-P44.39 million)

§ Central Bicol State University of Agriculture (-P31.65 million).

Palatino said the reduced subsidy to tertiary education comes at a time when Filipino youth are actually flocking to SCUs because of the increasing cost of studying in private universities and colleges. Based on the latest available data from CHED, 35 percent of tertiary students were studying in SCUs in 2008 as compared to 21 percent in 1994 and 10 percent in 1980.

“Such budget cuts will only urge SCUs to follow the footsteps of the 300% increase in UP. With continuous slash in budgets, we fear that tuition and other fees increase will be rampant in the years to come. Sooner or later, the 112 SCUs will be semi-privatized.”

Palatino further stated that instead of abandoning its responsibility one by one to the people, the Aquino should rechannel debt servicing funds to education. The youth solon earlier filed House Bill 1962 which repeals automatic debt servicing while institutionalizing the appropriation of six percent of the country’s gross domestic product to the public education sector.

“We must implement, at the minimum, the six (6) percent prescription by the United Nations in order to address the tragic condition of our education sector. And when we say education, we are talking about all levels of learning. In implementing this automatic appropriation for education, we are securing not only the future of our youth, but the future of our dear nation,” said Palatino. ###

Bloated by patronage funds, proposed 2011 budget prone to corruption

2010-09-01T03:32:00.000-07:00

Bloated by patronage funds, proposed 2011 budget prone to corruption
Source: Ibon Foundation

There is a marked increase in the 2011 national government (NG) budget submitted to Congress, making the proposed budget alarmingly patronage-rich, says research group IBON.

The Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in the proposed 2011 budget has increased by Php13.9 billion or 128.5% from Php10.9 billion in 2010 to Php24.8 billion.

According to research head Sonny Africa, “This large pork barrel allocated mainly according to parochial concerns is inconsistent with improving the effectiveness of spending.”

Africa added that similarly, the Php29.2-billion budget for the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) – especially its Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program – creates massive opportunities for patronage politics at both the local and national levels.

The research group also noted a vague large lump-sum item for locally-funded projects under the Department of Agriculture (DA). An allocation worth Php5-billion was created for “Public-Private Partnership Support Fund” under the DA Office of the Secretary. According to Africa, “Lump sum funds are prone to corruption. Who decides on how these funds are going to be used?”

IBON earlier noted a large drop in the NG budget for major sectors under economic services and insufficient allocations for social services as alleged steps for austerity. In contrast there are huge increases in proposed spending for other areas such as debt servicing (29.2% increase), armed forces (17.9% increase), and in the PDAF, among others.

According to the research group, these mispriorities in the budget are not consistent with government’s avowed fight against corruption. More importantly, this skewed spending means government retreating from its responsibilities in much-needed areas as well as on its goal of uplifting majority of Filipinos from poverty. (end)

2011 proposed budget an austerity to repay debt

Research group IBON calls the proposed 2011 National Government (NG) budget submitted to Congress an austerity budget to be able to keep repaying debt, adding that the proposed budget is not consistent with long-term economic and social development.

The PhP1.645-billion NG budget for 2011 is a PhP104.4-billion or 6.8%-increase from the proposed budget for 2010. However most of this increase is accounted for by the large PhP80.9 billion increase in interest payments on debt to PhP357.1 billion. This is the largest absolute increase in interest payments in the country’s history and, at a 29.2% increase from the year before, is the second largest percentage increase after the 32.6% growth in 2000. The government is proposing to pay for this by retreating from its responsibilities in key areas.

IBON noted that there is a large drop in the budget for economic services which falls by 9.5% from PhP398.9 billion in 2010 to PhP361.1 billion in 2011. The budget contractions are particularly large in the sectors of: agriculture and agrarian reform (falling by PhP23.1 billion or 26.0%), communication, roads and other transportation (PhP7.9 billion or 5.2%), water resources development and flood control (PhP4 billion or 21.4%), and power and energy (PhP3.4 billion or 65.5%). This alarmingly creates the justification for the further privatization of critical public infrastructure, even as diminishing government engagement undermines its capacity to regulate.

In social services, the already insufficient health budget falls even further by 3.5% from PhP40 billion to PhP38.6 billion. Government is not even able to approach the same level of real per capita health spending that reached its peak in 1997. The budget for housing meanwhile is barely changed with only a weak PhP273-million increase in its budget to PhP5.7 billion. There is however a welcome PhP31.1-billion or 12.9%-increase in the education budget which supposedly goes to building much-needed new classrooms and hiring of additional teachers.

Yet despite austerity the government still finds the funds to wage war – the budget of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), which has been accused of serious human rights violations, increases by PhP10 billion or 17.9% to PhP65.8 billion in 2011. It is also possible that part of the likewise large PhP6.6-billion or 13.2%-increase in the budget for the Philippine National Police (PNP) goes to its forces engaged in counter-insurgency.

The government has used its fiscal crisis – invoking revenue constraint – as an excuse to shirk its larger responsibilities to use the national budget, among other policy tools, to direct the country’s social and economic development. Yet it is possible for it to begin putting in place a progressive revenue system that taxes those with the greatest ability to pay and direct spending to those most in need. In the absence of this, its debt will continue to rise and its budgets will fail to meet the people’s real immediate and long-term needs. (end)

Economic growth remains unsustainable, unable to create jobs

The 7.9% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) is welcome at least for appearing to be mainly driven by domestic investors, according to research group IBON. Net foreign capital inflows in the first five months of 2010 were earlier reported to be 68% lower than in the same period last year.

However the group said that overall, the growth remains disappointing because it is still not creating enough jobs. Despite 7.9% reported growth in both the 2nd quarter and 1st semester as a whole, there was only a tepid 1.2% growth in employment in April 2010 from the year before. Job creation is unable to even keep pace with the growth of the labor force (about 2%) or of the working age population (2.5%), and unemployment has continued to rise to a record 4.67 million Filipinos with an unemployment rate of 11.6 percent.

The 3% contraction of agriculture in the second quarter was accompanied by a massive 802,000 jobs lost in the sector in April. Philippine unemployment, whether according to the old (11.6%) or new definition (8.0%), is the worst in Asia with for instance comparative rates of only 1.5-7.7% in Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea.

Manufacturing was the most important source of growth and of jobs (221,000) in the first half of the year but this can only be sustained if demand fundamentally comes from domestic sources. Unfortunately there are signs that the spurt in electronics exports will not be sustained as the United States (US), Europe, Japan and others cut back on their stimulus programs and as even China slows down – constituting some two-thirds of the world economy.

Indeed the 2nd quarter and 1st semester results affirm why the country cannot and should not rely on external sources of growth amid the still unfolding global crisis. Earnings of overseas Filipinos and from business process outsourcing (BPO) service exports both continued to slow. Net factor income from abroad, mostly consisting of overseas Filipino incomes, is markedly slowing and only grew 7.7% in the 2nd quarter compared to 30.4% growth in the same period last year. Business services growth, which includes BPOs, in turn slowed to 10.2% from 13.8% last year.

The administration is challenged to build domestic economic momentum but the 2011 budget submitted to Congress unfortunately even drastically cuts spending on economic services which falls to PhP361.1 billion in 2001 from PhP398.9 billion this year. These services include vital power, water, communications, roads and other transport infrastructure that need to be under firm government control and regulation to prevent profiteering by private monopolies.

Rapid asset- and wealth-distributing agrarian reform is also vital to reduce rural poverty and expand incomes in a sector that accounts for a third of total employment (32.5% in April). The administration however seems more inclined to continue with the protracted Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) through its second extension CARPer that for two decades now has failed to genuinely distribute land and rural wealth. (end)

Philippine holidays

2010-08-24T01:10:00.000-07:00

Holidays in the Philippines.
from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_the_Philippines

1 Nationwide observance

2 Local holidays

3 New Year's Day

3.1 Last Day of the Year Celebrations

4 Holy Week

5 Araw ng Kagitingan (Day of Valour)

6 Labour Day

7 Araw ng Kalayaan (Independence Day)

8 Philippine Republic Day (Filipino-American Friendship Day)

9 Vesak Day Celebration in the Philippines

10 Ninoy Aquino Day

11 National Heroes Day

12 Todos Los Santos (All Saints Day)

13 Eid ul-Fitr

14 Andrés Bonifacio Day

15 Christmas Eve

16 Christmas Day

17 Rizal Day

18 "Holiday Economics"

19 Other Holidays declared in the Philippines

P-Noy's Cabinet

2010-08-24T00:56:00.000-07:00

P-Noy's Cabinet

Meet the Cabinet of President Benigno S. Aquino III. P-Noy's official web site www.president.gov.ph lists the country's new department secretaries:

Executive Secretary --- Paquito Ochoa, Jr.
Secretary of Agrarian Reform --- Virgilio De Los Reyes
Secretary of Agriculture --- Proceso Alcala
Secretary of Budget and Management --- Florencio Abad
Secretary of Education --- Bro. Armin Luistro FSC
Secretary of Energy --- Jose Rene Almendras
Secretary of Environment & Natural Resources --- Ramon Paje
Secretary of Finance --- Cesar Purisima
Secretary of Foreign Affairs --- Alberto Romulo
Secretary of Health --- Enrique Ona
Secretary of Interior and Local Government --- Jesse Robredo
Secretary of Justice --- Leila de Lima
Secretary of Labor and Employment --- Rosalinda Baldoz
Secretary of National Defense --- Voltaire Gazmin
Secretary of Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning --- Ramon Carandang
Secretary of Presidential Communications Operations Office --- Herminio Coloma
Secretary of Public Works & Highways --- Rogelio Singson
Secretary of Science & Technology --- Mario Montejo
Secretary of Social Welfare & Development --- Corazon Soliman
Secretary of Tourism --- Alberto Lim
Secretary of Trade & Industry --- Gregory Domingo
Secretary of Transportation and Communications --- Jose De Jesus
Chairman of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) --- Patricia Licuanan
Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council --- Vice-President Jejomar Binay
Director General of the National Economic and Development Authority --- Cayetano Paderanga, Jr.
National Security Adviser --- Cesar Garcia
Presidential Adviser on Peace Process --- Teresita Deles
Head of the Presidential Management Staff --- Julia Andrea Abad
Presidential Spokesperson --- Edwin Lacierda
Chairman of the Commission on Information and Communications Technology --- Ivan John Uy
Chairman of the Metro Manila Development Authority --- Francis Tolentino
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel --- Eduardo de Mesa

Hostage crisis ends in bloody carnage; 4 hostages dead

2010-08-23T09:12:00.000-07:00

Hostage crisis ends in bloody carnage; 4 hostages dead
JERRIE M. ABELLA, GMANews.TV
08/23/2010 | 10:06 PM

The hostage crisis in Manila ended in a bloody carnage Monday night, after a SWAT team assaulted a tourist bus full of mostly Chinese nationals, resulting in the death of hostage-taker Rolando Mendoza, a disgruntled former Manila police officer, and at least four hostages.

The police attacked shortly before 8:30 p.m. after Mendoza was heard firing his gun from inside the bus. Bus driver Alberto Lubang, 38, had escaped minutes before the attack and told police that hostages had already been killed.

Policemen spent several minutes trying to enter through the doors and windows, using sledgehammers. They threw tear gas inside the bus before forcing open the emergency exit in the back. By that time, Mendoza was dead, and so were apparently some of the hostages.

Mendoza was confirmed dead after a shot in head from a police sniper. The hostage taker was armed with an M-16.

Four hostages were confirmed dead, according to presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo told reporters that at least six of the hostages were confirmed alive. The fate of the other hostages, meanwhile, was unknown as of posting time.

One of the survivors - a Chinese national currently being treated at the Ospital ng Maynila (OM) - narrated that Mendoza started randomly firing at the hostages at around 8 p.m. She said her husband, who was among the fatalities, used his body to shield her from the spray of bullets.

This resulted in the hostages sustaining gunshot wounds in different parts of their bodies.

She appealed to authorities to bring to OM her three young children, who might have been taken to another hospital.

The four hostages in OM are now stable, according to a report by Mariz Umali, and said they just wanted to go back to their hotels to be able to rest.

Mendoza was fired from his post as chief of the Manila Police's Mobile Patrol Unit in 2008 after he was charged with robbery and extortion, or the so-called hulidap practice of some police of planting evidence and seeking a pay-off from the victims.

Mendoza claimed he was innocent and appealed to be reinstated. His sympathetic brother and fellow policeman, SPO2 Gregorio Mendoza, told reporters his kuya had grown tired of waiting for justice.

He hijacked the bus at around 10 a.m. after hitching a ride just as the tourists were moving from Fort Santiago to Manila Ocean Park. The bus stopped in front of the Quirino Grandstand, the festive site of President Noynoy Aquino's inauguration last June 30.

That was where Mendoza posted hand-written messages on the bus windows, including "Big deal will start after 3 p.m. today." Police negotiators tried in vain to convince him to surrender.

Presidential spokesman Lacierda told Palace reporters two hours after the assault that President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III was "meeting with the police, the DILG officials, and [Manila] Mayor [Alfredo] Lim. As of now, four hostages has been confirmed dead, one in critical condition. We will be issuing a statement later tonight."

Of the six hostages taken to Ospital ng Maynila, two were declared dead after sustaining several gunshot wounds in different parts of the body. —With Jam Sisante/KBK/VS, HS, GMANews.TV

Hostage-taker killed as crisis ends
Interior chief ‘very sorry’

By DJ Yap, Marlon Ramos, Jeannette Andrade, Tetch Torres
INQUIRER.net, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 19:52:00 08/23/2010

Filed Under: Police, hostage taking, Security (general)

MANILA, Philippines – (UPDATE 6) It’s over. The hostage crisis that gripped the world for at least 10 hours Monday ended with at least three people killed, including the hostage-taker, and 17 survivors, according to reports culled by INQUIRER.net.

The body of dismissed Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza was recovered inside the tourist bus that he took over in Manila about 9 a.m. He was taken to Ospital ng Maynila. Also taken to the same hospital were seven of the hostages, five of who are alive and two dead.

Five – one in critical condition and one dead – are at the Manila Doctors’ Hospital while one confirmed dead is at San Juan De Dios.

Mendoza who was charged with drug-related offenses, took over the bus with 22 Chinese nationals and three Filipinos and demanded his reinstatement into the force.

Aside from Mendoza, two of the hostages were also killed although Metro Manila Police Director Leocadio Santiago in an interview with CNN refused to confirm this.

Santiago said there were 17 survivors – nine having been released by Mendoza earlier on Monday and eight walking off after the police had secured the bus.

Reporters at the scene saw five hostages come out alive, one was unconscious and three were dead, including Mendoza.

In a separate press interview, Superintendent Nelson Yabut who was part of the 30-man assault team said they were initially unable to enter the bus because Mendoza had the hostages lined-up and leaning on the bus windows.

“He [Mendoza] used them as a shield,” Yabut told reporters. He added that they also had to pull back during the downpour.

Yabut said Mendoza was standing at the back of the bus and ran towards the front after seeing members if the assault team trying to enter through the rear.

“Parang tatakas [It looked like he was attempting to escape],” Yabut added.

A sniper opened fire at Mendoza who was hit on the right temple, Yabut said.

Before this, Yabut said Mendoza also fired back at the assault team and hit a policeman on the head although he survived the attack.

Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo went to the crime scene but withheld judgment on how the hostage crisis was handled and resolved.

"The government is very sorry that the hostage-taking ended like this," Robredo said. He said the government has been "communicating with the representatives of the Chinese government" on the hostage crisis.

Robredo said President Benigno Aquino III was constantly apprised of the situation.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President has met with police, officials from the Department of Interior and Local Government, and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim.

The law enforcers broke the windows and tried to enter the door of the stalled bus but were stopped by gunshots coming from inside the bus, GMA Network footage showed.

Bursts of gunfire were heard from inside as lawmen went to the backdoor to force it open in the hope of seizing Mendoza and rescuing his hostages.

A bystander, identified as a 10-year-old boy, was hurt following the gunshots and was brought to the hospital for treatment, according to the television report.

A police car moved closer while members of the raiding team continued to break into the back of the vehicle, video showed.

Ambulances also surrounded the bus.

Earlier on Monday, the bus driver, identified as Alberto Lubang, 38, was able to escape despite being handcuffed to the wheel. He told police that some of the hostages were killed by Mendoza.

In an interview, Aida Beltejar of the Philippine National Red Cross said Lubang told her that some of the passengers were killed but did not give an exact number.

She added that Lubang was in a state of trauma and became partly deaf due to the loud gunshot sounds.

Quoting Lubang, Beltejar said that the driver pleaded several times for Mendoza to free him, adding the policeman acceded because he was Filipino.

Mendoza was thought to have fired warning shots anew as he saw his brother, Senior Police Officer 2 Gregorio Mendoza and a young man said to be Rolando’s son, being hauled away by police.

Superintendent Ike Gutierrez of the Manila police said SPO2 Mendoza was arrested for bringing a gun to the hostage scene without coordinating with the police.

At past 6 p.m., a single gunshot was heard coming from the bus. Reporters on the scene learned that Mendoza fired a warning shot after rejecting a letter from the Office of the Ombudsman that informed him that he could not be reinstated but nonetheless assured him that his case would be reviewed.

The letter was delivered to on site by Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno who met with officials of the Office of the Ombudsman earlier Monday.

Moreno revealed in a telephone interview aired over the ABS-CBN News Channel that the contents of the Ombudsman’s letter could help clear up things on the status of the appeal he filed regarding his dismissal from the service.

"Kung ako sa kanya, pag nakita ko ang sulat na ito ay magliliwanag ang kaisipan ko (If I were him, I would surely be enlightened after reading this letter)," Moreno said but refused to reveal the contents of the letter.

Mendoza released nine hostages, leaving behind at least 17 others.

Eight of the nine freed hostages were identified as, photographer Danilo Medril, 64, tour guide Rigor Cruz, 73-year-old Lee See Que (Lee See Kyu in some reports), Tsang Yee Lai, 40, and her children Fu Chang Yin, 4, Fu Chak Yin, 10, and family friend Wong Ching Nat, 12, Diana Chan. A woman who was also released at around 10:30 a.m. was not identified.

A national police statement said at least 22 tourists from Hong Kong were on board the bus. The statement said that, aside from the driver, they were believed to be the only people aboard the bus. Earlier reports said that aside from the 22 Chinese nationals, three Filipinos were on board the bus.

Broadcaster Erwin Tulfo arrived at the Quirino Grandstand at around 3:45 p.m. on Monday to help in negotiations.

Tulfo entered the cordoned area after Mendoza posted another message on the bus that said, "Media now."

Tulfo was briefed by the police about the situation.

Mendoza posted the "Media now" message some 30 minutes after 3 p.m., the hour by which police negotiators and media were expecting something to happen following a message from Mendoza that stated "Big deal will start after 3 p.m. today."

Earlier in the day, Mendoza posted the message: "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision.

It was not clear what the armalite-wielding hostage-taker exactly meant by these messages, as police negotiators continued to work to convince Mendoza to let the hostages go.

Negotiators had hooked up a phone line to the bus to facilitate negotiations with Mendoza.

As of late Monday afternoon, the bus’ gasoline supply had been replenished at least two times.

Superintendent Orlando Yebra and Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador took the lead in the negotiations with the hostage-taker.

Background information obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Mendoza showed he has been facing charges for manhandling a suspect before the Office of the Ombudsman.

According to records in Camp Crame, Mendoza was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman early in January together with four other policemen

Mendoza was relieved from his post as chief of the Mobile Patrol Unit in 2008 for his alleged involvement in drug-related crimes and extortion, and was demanding to be reinstated, police said.

Mendoza, who has reaped awards for his work in the police service, was protesting his dismissal early this year for allegedly forcing a hotel chef to swallow shabu (methamphetamine hydrochloride) and for allegedly attempting to extort P20,000 from him during interrogation. Mendoza has denied the charges and has filed an appeal with the Ombudsman.

Negotiators have hooked up a phone line to the bus to facilitate negotiations with Mendoza who wanted to be reinstated into the police service.

Superintendent Orlando Yebra and Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador took the lead in the negotiations.

Mendoza passed messages to police negotiators through pieces of paper he posted on the windshield and doors of the bus that was parked in front of a grandstand at Rizal Park, a popular tourist destination just several blocks from the police headquarters.

The hostage-taking came hours after a South Korean man was killed in a separate attack by gunmen elsewhere in Manila. Police said the incidents were not related.

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim said that the bus was operated by a Hong Thai, a Hong Kong-based travel agency.

The national police statement confirming the tourists were from Hong Kong corrected earlier statements by police that they were South Koreans.

The incident brought back memories of a similar hostage taking in 2007, when a troubled civil engineer armed with a grenade took over a bus and took hostage 30 kindergarten students but freed them after a 10-hour standoff with police. Maila Ager, INQUIRER.net; Alcuin Papa, Cathy Yamsuan, Philippine Daily Inquirer; Agence France-Presse

7 Hong Kong tourists killed in hostage crisis
Agence France-Presse
First Posted 19:41:00 08/23/2010

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 2) At least seven Hong Kong tourists were killed during a dramatic hostage siege in Manila on Monday, doctors said.

The toll was confirmed by the Hong Kong government.

Four of the bodies were taken to the Manila Doctor's Hospital, where a fifth victim was alive but in critical condition, said Faith Gaerlan, the facility's emergency medicine chief.

"Four are confirmed dead. One is in a critical condition," Gaerlan told AFP.

Two other hospitals also reported having received three dead victims, according to their emergency medical staff.

Metropolitan Manila police chief Director Leocadio Santiago said police could not immediately give an exact figure for the casualties and those who survived.

A total of 22 Hong Kong tourists and three Filipinos were aboard the tourist bus when sacked police senior inspector Rolando Mendoza seized the vehicle early Monday, demanding that he be reinstated.

He released nine people during police negotiations, including two Filipinos.

The remaining Filipino, the bus driver, escaped when Mendoza began shooting at the hostages by nightfall, forcing police to launch an assault in a bid to free the 15 hostages still on the bus.

Hong Kong issues 'black' travel alert for Philippines
Agence France-Presse First Posted 23:38:00 08/23/2010

HONG KONG—Hong Kong issued its top-level black travel alert for the Philippines on Monday after at least five Hong Kong tourists were killed in Manila in a bus hijack by an armed ex-policeman.

"A serious kidnap incident happened in the Philippines. Hong Kong residents should avoid all travel to the country," a government spokesman said in a statement.

"Those who are already there should attend to their personal safety and exercise caution."

At least five of the hostages have been killed while four walked free after their 12-hour ordeal, police and doctors in Manila said, but the fate of another seven remains unclear.

Dismissed cop hijacks busload of tourists

Dismissed cop hijacks busload of tourists
By Mynardo Macaraig, Jeannette Andrade
Agence France-Presse, Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 11:09:00 08/23/2010

MANILA, Philippines—(UPDATE 4) A dismissed police captain on Monday took hostage a busload of Hong Kong (not Koreans as earlier reported) tourists at the Quirino grandstand.

The armalite-wielding Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza is holding some 25 people aboard a Hong Thai travel bus with plate number TUU-799.

Mendoza has posted a message on a piece of paper for the world to see: "Big mistake to correct a big wrong decision."

It was not clear what he exactly meant by this, as police negotiators continued to work to convince Mendoza to let the hostages go.

Negotiators have hooked up a phone line to the bus to facilitate negotiations with Mendoza.

As of noon, a gallon of gasoline was seen being loaded into the air-conditioned tourist bus Hong-Thai, in which 22 Chinese nationals from Hong Kong and three Filipinos were held.

Earlier, Mendoza released two women (who had asked to be allowed to go to the comfort room) and a woman, her two daughters, and her son into the care of Superintendent Orlando Yebra, one of those leading the negotiations.

Yebra and Chief Inspector Romeo Salvador have taken the lead in the negotiations with the hostage taker.

"We have never had anything like this before. We are very much concerned," said Joseph Tung, executive director of the Travel Industry Council of Hong Kong. "We hope the tour members will be released as soon as possible."

He said there had been 20 passengers on the bus, aged four to 72, plus a Hong Kong escort and local guide leading the three-day tour, when it was seized. The tour group was scheduled to return to Hong Kong late Monday.

Tung said the council, which represents Hong Kong's travel sector, had not been told of any ransom demands for the hostages' release.

"We have heard nothing like that so far," he said.

Hong Thai travel agency, which ran the tour, could not be immediately reached for comment.

About three hours after the stand-off began, the ex-policeman released seven people.

Live television footage showed the bus parked in front of a grandstand at Rizal Park, a popular tourist destination just a few blocks from the police headquarters.

The suspect has been identified as Rolando Mendoza, a decorated former police senior inspector before he was accused and relieved of his post.

Background information obtained by the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Mendoza shows he has been facing charges for manhandling a suspect before the Office of the Ombudsman.

Mendoza has been passing messages to police negotiators through pieces of paper.

National police spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz said the bus had been isolated and police had deployed commandos in the area, adding that talks with the gunman had begun.

"Negotiations are ongoing," Cruz told reporters.

The hostage-taking came hours after a South Korean man was killed in a separate attack on a vehicle by gunmen elsewhere in Manila. Two of his companions were seized at gunpoint but later released.

The motive for the attack was not clear, although kidnap-for-ransom gangs often target foreign tourists and businessmen in areas near Manila and in the provinces.

Police said the incidents were not related.

Monday's bus hijack recalled a similar hostage-taking in 2007, when a troubled civil engineer armed with a grenade took over a bus and held 30 children but freed them after a 10-hour standoff with police.

The 2007 drama took place near Manila city hall, just off Rizal Park.

With reports from Karen Boncocan, INQUIRER.net

salary increase for government employees - references

2010-07-21T03:03:00.000-07:00

Information on the second tranche salary increase is a much sought topic among 1.141 million Philippine government employees eager to find out how much salary increase they obtained in the second tranche of the four-tranche release (2009 to 2012) of a 20 billion peso salary increase budget.

Finally, the important guidelines such as the National Budget Circular, Executive Order and Salary Schedule for the Second Tranche of the Salary Standardization Law III or SSL 3 was released last June 23, 2010. This marks another batch of salary increase on Philippine government employees’ salaries that once lagged behind government workers in other Asian countries. The second tranche salary increase for national government employees takes effect immediately upon signing on June 23, 2010.

Increases for each salary grade differs as the percentage of salary increase varies between salary grades. Entry level teachers can now earn P16,000 pesos, a substantial increase from erstwhile entry level salary of P10,000 two years ago. The government employees will see changes in their salary by mid-month of July 2010.

The following are the important guidelines and salary schedule of salary increase among the civilian and uniformed personnel of the Philippine government:

National Budget Circular No. 524

National Budget Circular No. 524 prescribes the guidelines, rules, and regulations to govern the implementation of the second tranche of the modified salary schedule for civilian personnel and the modified base pay schedule for military and uniformed personnel.

Executive Order No. 900

Executive Order No. 900 implements the Second Tranche of the modified salary schedule for civilian personnel and base pay schedule for military and uniformed personnel in the national government.

The detailed second tranche monthly salary schedule for civilian personnel are given as Annex A, and the second tranche monthly base pay for military and uniformed personnel as Annex B, in the June 23, 2010 issuances of the Department of Budget and Management. The salary schedule for the second tranche can be viewed or downloaded from the site below using an Adobe reader:

Second Tranche Modified Salary Schedule for National Government Personnel

Local Budget Circular No. 95

For local government employees, a separate budget circular, Local Budget Circular No. 95, was released on June 29, 2010. This implements the second tranche monthly salary schedule specifically for local government personnel. The salary increase for local government employees will take effect on January 1, 2011, six months later than those working for the national government. The following are the Annexes and corresponding descriptions:

Annex A1 specifies the Second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in special cities and first class provinces and cities.
Annex A2 specifies the second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in second class provinces and cities.
Annex A3 specifies the second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in third class provinces and cities and first class municipalities.
Annex A4 specifies the second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in fourth class provinces and cities and second class municipalities.
Annex A5 specifies the second tranche monthly schedule for local government personnel in fifth class provinces and cities and third class municipalities.
Annex A6 specifies the second tranche salary schedule for local government personnel in sixth class provinces and cities and fourth class municipalities.
Annex A7 specifies the second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in fifth class municipalities.
Annex A8 specifies the second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel in sixth class municipalities.

Details on the above Annexes about second tranche monthly salary schedule for local government personnel are given in the link below:

Local Budget Circular No. 95 and Annexes

Department of Budget and Management

Local Budget Circular No. 95

June 29, 2010

Implementation of the Second Tranche Monthly Salary Schedule for Local Government Personnel

Transition

2010-05-27T00:48:00.000-07:00

The Philippines' first automated elections that culminated last May 2010 can be summed up as a relatively successful political exercise that needs all the improvement previous elections necessitated. President Arroyo's 9-year rule will soon expire to give way to incoming president Aquino. The country is now in a phase of transition.

One may have asked for more than what can be achieved through the polls when he or she expected a substantive change that can boost the country forward. After all, were not the pre-election surveys proven correct in predicting which candidates for president, vice president and senators would get the most number of votes? The most popular ones got elected not because they had the best platforms nor credentials but because they had the resources, the popularity, and the alliances to win.

Was the exercise honest, orderly and peaceful? Relatively, yes, compared to the 2004 and 2007 elections, since election fraud and violence seem to have been minimized, parallel counting almost instantly revealed the winners, and losing candidates conceded to the results. Media networks jubilantly broadcasted all these. But then again, one must look at the fine print and dip into lengthy discourses to better appreciate the recent political exercise.

The People’s International Observer’s Mission (People’s IOM) monitored the May 10 elections and documented a lot of anomalies. The group reported generally over-crowded schools and precincts, and voters’ education seminars and the training of teachers as Board of Electoral Inspectors or BEIs were insufficient. A lot of precincts also lacked teachers and technicians, the foreign observers said. They agreed that the age-old problems of vote-buying, election-related violence, intimidation and harassment, and disenfranchisement of voters likewise persisted.

Assessments on the ground are still on-going as of press time. Congress' official canvassing of votes for the president and vice president has not started while the 12 'new' Senators have already been proclaimed by Comelec. Complaints and testimonies by politicians alleging computerized election fraud are being investigated by Congress, after a 'whistle-blower' surfaced, a lot of 'technical glitches' transpired, and various election paraphernalia such as PCOS machines were found in places they were not supposed to be. The ghosts of Hello Garcis, Hocus-PCOS and electronic cheating continue to haunt the public.

After the dust settles, people will ask whether the newly elected leadership will bring change, rid the government of corruption, and move the country to real progress. Or will the Aquino government succumb to the same ills that have kept most Filipinos impoverished and the country lagging behind its Asian neighbors. The incoming administration must enable itself to meet the people's expectations as early as it can. Otherwise, the people may grow cynical, frustrated or outraged as fast as the president-apparent got propelled to the number one spot.