CHA-CHA SOLONS DEFY GMA
(Inquirer, Banner)
THERE is no stopping lawmakers from
pursuing constitutional amendments, not even the expressed opposition of
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. "While that may be her personal stand, I
believe she will not insist on it if the people are clamoring for change,"
Western Samar Rep. Antonio Eduardo Nachura, chair of the House committee on
constitutional amendments, yesterday told the Inquirer.
2. POWER RATE/WATER/OIL PRICE HIKE
ENERGY CHIEF: SERIES OF OIL PRICE INCREASE INEVITABLE
(Philippine Star, Page 2)
Energy Secretary Vincent Perez said
yesterday a series of oil price hikes is "inevitable" as prices of
crude continue to soar due to the threat of war in the Middle East. "The
impact of the threat has already resulted in higher prices of oil in the world
market. As a consequence, an increase in prices in the domestic market is
inevitable," Perez told a press conference. In view of this, President
Arroyo has ordered her economic and security advisers to work out a contingency
plan as an oil crisis looms due to the escalating violence in the Middle East.
The other day, the private sector Consumer and Oil Price Watch (COPW) warned of
a 90-centavo per liter oil price increase anytime this month, to be implemented
on a staggered basis of two equal hikes of 45 centavos. However, Perez said any
increase should not warrant a hike in transport fares.
MERALCO WARNS OF BROWNOUTS IF...
(Inquirer, Page 1)
PAY MORE or face blackouts. The
Manila Electric Co. warned consumers Thursday that its services would
"deteriorate" if it did not get a rate increase. Without a hike in
power charges, the 6.9 billion pesos the utility firm plans to invest this year
will be reduced significantly, according to Meralco treasurer Rafael Andrada.
"This will result in inadequacies in (our distribution) system because it
is being abused" without the maintenance and upgrade that added investments
could provide, Andrada said. He likened Meralco's distribution system to a car
long overdue for a mechanic's check-up. The country's largest power distributor
has earmarked 6.9 billion pesos in capital expenditures for 2002, but the
available funds can only cover 60 percent or 4.14 billion pesos. Meralco intends
to borrow the remaining 2.76 billion pesos from foreign sources, but only if it
can raise its charges.
LAWMAKERS EYEING REVIEW OF POWER ACT
(Manila Times, Page 1)
STAR WITNESS TO TESTIFY IN ERAP
TRIAL
(Philippine
Star, Page 4)
(Tribune, Page 1)
It may be anti-climactic but the
show must go on. A woman bank executive who became a celebrity during last
year’s impeachment trial will testify in court on April 15 that ousted
President Joseph Estrada and Jose Velarde are one and the same person and that
Estrada owns the P3.3 billion deposited in the so-called "Jose Velarde"
account in Equitable PCI Bank. Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo said yesterday
Clarissa Ocampo, an executive of Equitable PCI Bank, will be the next witness in
Estrada’s plunder trial at the Sandiganbayan special division. "This is
anti-climactic because the former president had admitted that he signed as Jose
Velarde in a TV interview," he said. "But we will still present
Clarissa and lawyer Manuel Curato when the trial resumes." Marcelo said
government prosecutors intend to wrap up "this April and May" the case
of illegal use of alias against Estrada before they proceed to trial on the
ousted president’s alleged misuse of the P130 million tobacco excise tax and
P500 million in jueteng money. During the impeachment trial, Ocampo testified
that she saw Estrada sign the name "Jose Velarde" on several bank
documents for the processing of a loan for businessman Jaime Dichaves.
(Inquirer,Page 6)
TWO top government prosecutors have
predicted that the historic trial of former President Joseph Estrada would be
over by early next year. The reason: Estrada's defense lawyers would not be able
to present any evidence to counter the charges against the ousted leader because
he himself "is their worst witness." The optimism was shared by
Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo and Ombudsman Aniano Desierto as the
prosecution marked Thursday the first anniversary of Estrada's indictment for
plunder and other crimes.
TOO MANY LAWYERS
MAY SPOIL DEFENSE
(Malaya, Page 1)
Members of the defense team of
former President Joseph Estrada, will get to keep their position only on the
basis of how good they are at performing their assignments. Special Division
spokesman Renato Bocar yesterday said the Sandiganbayan might trim down the
number of court-appointed lawyers for Estrada if the panel becomes unwieldy.
(Tribune,Banner)
LOS ANGELES – Manila’s sixth
district congressman for a Filipino gaming lord. The exchange of
“extraditable” persons between the US and the Philippine government is said
to have been broadly hinted by American authorities to Philippine government
officials, virtually substantiating talk making the rounds in Manila of the
probable “swap” of Rep. Mark Jimenez and former presidential pal Charlie
“Atong” Ang. A ranking Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) official
stationed here told the Tribune yesterday there have been renewed efforts made
by the US government to secure Jimenez’s extradition.
(Tribune, Page 1)
In his strongest criticism yet of
the Arroyo administration, deposed President Joseph Estrada yesterday assailed
his successor for allegedly doing nothing to stop the planned water and power
rate increases, which he described as anti-poor.Estrada said President Arroyo's
non-interventionist stance on the power and water rate adjustments only confirms
she is just paying a political debt to the Ayalas and the Lopezes who helped
install her to the presidency through the power grab "Edsa II" that
overthrew him on Jan. 20 last year."How many more debts are you (Mrs.
Arroyo) going to pay to these economic elites and other oligarchs? How many more
poor people are you going to sacrifice for the benefit of these vested
interests?" he asked in a statement.The Lopezes own the power firm Meralco
and the Ayalas, the Manila Water Services, a concessionaire for Metro
Manila.Estrada said the two families are the same people who conspired to oust
him when he refused to heed their demand for power and water rate increases
during his watch.
(Malaya, Banner)
Former President Joseph Estrada
yesterday accused President Arroyo of doing nothing to stop planned water and
power rate increases, which he described as anti-poor.Estrada said Arroyo's
non-interventionist stance on the power and water rates increase only confirmed
his thinking that she is just paying a political debt to the Ayalas and the
Lopezes who, he said, conspired to oust him when he refused to heed their demand
for power and water rates increase during his watch."How many more debts
are you going to pay to these economic elite and other oligarchs? How many more
poor people are you going to sacrifice for the benefit of these vested
interests?" Estrada asked Arroyo.
4. BALIKATAN EXERCISES/ABU SAYYAF/INSURGENCY,WAR
ON TERROR
SPY PLANES SPOT BURNHAMS
(Philippine StaR,Banner)
ZAMBOANGA CITY — US spy planes
have caught digital images on Basilan island of the three remaining hostages of
Abu Sayyaf terrorists, who appear to have divided into small groups in a bid to
escape the tightening military cordon around them. Armed Forces Southern Command
(Southcom) chief Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu ordered Marines to scour islets off the
main Basilan island after Navy gunboats clashed with gunmen who were fleeing on
two high-speed pumpboats. Cimatu refused to reveal where the aerial digital
photographs, showing American missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham and
Filipina nurse Deborah Yap, were taken but assured the public the hostages are
still in Basilan.
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
In line with its war against
terrorism, the United States has earmarked $7.3 million for the training and
additional equipment of two more crack Philippine Army units that will go after
terrorists, a defense department official disclosed yesterday. Speaking on
condition of anonymity, the official said over half of the money, or $4.3
million, will come from a little-known Philippine-US defense cooperation program
called the "non-proliferation, anti-terrorism, demining and
related-program." The rest will come from a US Defense Department fund.
Actual training of the two so-called light reaction companies will begin this
month during the ongoing Balikatan joint Philippine-US military exercises, to be
held mostly in northern Luzon.
(Inquirer,Page 2)
PRESIDENTIAL adviser on the peace
process Eduardo Ermita apologized Thursday to the Libyan government for
allegations it had funneled funds to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network through
the Abu Sayyaf bandit group. Ermita said the claim was "embarrassing"
since there was no evidence to link Libya to such a scheme. Justice Secretary
Hernando Perez said Thursday his office would send a letter of apology to the
Libyan government for the implications it was involved in the Sipadan (Malaysia)
hostage-taking crisis in 2000.
(Tribune, Page 1)
The Indigenous People's Federal
Army (IPFA), the group which had claimed responsibility for the bomb-planting
spree in Metro Manila and other parts of the country in its bid for a federal
form of government, should be taken seriously, according to the government
intelligence community.At the same time, Philippine National Police (PNP)
Director General Leandro Mendoza yesterday said police authorities were able to
gather good leads on the personalities behind the federalist group.According to
Mendoza, two persons based in Mindanao are being tracked down by members of the
PNP.Also, a ranking official of the military intelligence, speaking on condition
of anonymity, warned the IPFA has the tendency and capability to launch a wave
of bombing activities.
(Tribune, Page 1)
Government troops yesterday raided
the home of the chief peace negotiator of the country's biggest Moslem
separatist group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), over a kidnapping
case.According to Army spokesman Maj. Julieto Ando, the soldiers, backed by
armored personnel carriers, stormed the residence of Taps Jilhani, chairman of
the MILF's coordinating committee on cessation of hostilities, before dawn
yesterday in Cotabato City.Ghadzali Jaafar, chief of the MILF political affairs,
warned the raid could affect the peace talks between the government and the MILF
and said his group would be filing a formal complaint over the incident.
5. MARCOS WEALTH
SANDIGAN ORDERS 'BEJO' ARRESTED
(Inquirer,Page 3)
THE SANDIGANBAYAN has already
issued a warrant for the arrest of Tacloban City Mayor Alfredo "Bejo"
Romualdez for graft in the illegal takeover the Bataan Shipyard and Engineering
Co. Inc. The arrest warrant was issued by the Sandiganbayan’s Fifth Division
on Thursday to the court sheriff, according to Sandiganbayan sheriff Ed Urieta.
But the arrest warrant was dated March 26, a day after Romualdez again failed to
appear for his arraignment.
(Inquirer, Page 1)
The troubles of Presidential
Commission on Good Government research director Danilo R.V. Daniel mounted
Thursday, with Solicitor General Simeon Marcelo calling for heads to roll at the
PCGG and former Solicitor General Francisco Chavez asking Yorac to fire the
research chief. Wearing a crumpled barong, Daniel described himself Thursday as
"just a simple researcher," but in another interview Chavez said the
research head was a "possible mole for the Swiss lawyer and the Swiss
investigating magistrate."
6. OTHER TOP STORIES
ANOTHER MINING DISASTER LOOMS IN MARINDUQUE
(Philippine Center for
Investigative Journalism)
Six years after becoming victims of
the country’s worst mining disaster, the people of Marinduque are being
threatened with yet another calamity from the very same mine. Although the
Marcopper mine from which more than three million tons of toxic mine tailings
spilled and wound up in the local river system has long been closed, experts say
four of its dams and a waste pit are in danger of having its contents spilling
out and burying the villages below. Boac River remains host to almost a million
tons of mine wastes from processed ore, which are still leaching out acids and
heavy metals. Thousands of villagers who were promised compensation after the
1996 tailings spill, which killed the river and destroyed homes and farmland,
have also yet to be paid. In addition, more children are being found to have
illnesses related to the release of the tailings into the environment, and
health workers fear the number of cases will only keep on growing.
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
Metro Manila was at a virtual
standstill yesterday as the public stopped to watch, live or on television, the
burial of actor Rico Yan. Yan, 27, who died in his sleep on Good Friday, was
interred around noon at the Manila Memorial Park in Parañaque City with some
20,000 people in attendance, the fourth-largest funeral in the private
cemetery’s history. Some 300 policemen and 40 cemetery guards struggled to
control the crowd that started gathering as early as 5 a.m. in a bid to have a
vantage view of the proceedings which were attended by weeping relatives and
showbiz celebrities. Thousands of other fans slept overnight on the pavement
around the La Salle-Greenhills in San Juan to join the 7:30 a.m. necrological
Mass that was celebrated before Yan’s remains were brought to the cemetery.
'RICO HOPES, DREAMS LIVE ON' (Malaya, Page 1)
Thousands of people, in-cluding movie stars and die-hard fans, yesterday
gathered at the Manila Memorial Park in Sucat, Parañaque, to bid goodbye to
actor Rico Yan.The actor was buried in a niche next to that of his grandmother,
Amelia Yan, at the family mausoleum.The actor, Ricardo Carlos Yan in real life,
died in his sleep while on vacation at the Dos Palmas Beach Resort
FIL-AMS ASSURED OF VOTE BILL'S PASSAGE
(Philippine Star, Page 2)
LOS ANGELES, California — Sen.
Edgardo Angara has assured Filipino Americans here that the Senate would
simultaneously pass the bills on absentee voting and on dual citizenship. Angara,
chairman of the Senate committee on suffrage and electoral reforms, gave the
assurance at a public consultation here where participants pressed for the
passage of the two measures. Most of the estimated two million Filipinos in the
United States have already become US citizens so they would not at all benefit
from an Absentee Voting Law if the measure on dual citizenship would not be
enacted. Sen. Renato Cayetano agreed with Angara on the imperative of passing
both bills. "Filipinos here are actually more interested in the bill on
dual citizenship than on absentee voting," Cayetano pointed out.
GMA ORDERS RENEGOTIATION OF
CONTROVERSIAL AIRPORT TERMINAL CONTRACT
(Philippine Star,Page 7)
President Arroyo announced
yesterday her decision to call for a renegotiation of the government’s
contract with the Philippine International Air Terminals Co. Inc. (PIATCO) for
the construction of a new international airport at Clark Field in Pampanga. The
President said she has signed a memorandum order authorizing Presidential
Adviser for Strategic Projects Gloria Tan Climaco to seek better terms in the
contract with PIATCO for the development of the Clark International Airport,
recently renamed Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA). Mrs. Arroyo
even read the memorandum during a press briefing at Clark where she led
government officials in rites marking the inaugural landing of the United Parcel
Service. WORKERS THREATEN AIRPORT
STOPPAGE (Malaya, Page 1) President
Arroyo should scrap the P30-billion Philippine International Air Terminal Co.
Inc. deal for the construction of the NAIA Terminal 3 to avoid a looming
paralysis of airport operations, a group calling itself Scrap the Piatco Deal
Coalition (Scrapi) said yesterday.The group is composed of the National Labor
Union, PAL Employees Association, Miascor Workers Union, Akbayan, and others.
"President Arroyo must now act with dispatch. The problem is getting out of
hand. The workers are restive and are planning to paralyze airport operations if
government remains indecisive," Antonio Policarpio, the group's co-chairman
and NLU secretary general, said.
GMA ON YOUTHFUL LOOK: IT'S IN MY
GENES
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
GLORIA'S SECRET: IT'S IN THE GENES
(Inquirer,Page 6)
CLARK FIELD, Pampanga – If
President Arroyo has the toughest job in the country, it doesn’t show on her
face. At least, not yet. Mrs. Arroyo plans to spend her 55th birthday today in
her home province of Pampanga and hear Mass in her father’s hometown of Lubao.
She was at Clark Field yesterday to inaugurate a $300-million regional
distribution hub of United Parcel Service at the former US air force base.
Departing from serious questions during an open forum, some reporters asked
about her youthful looks. "It’s in the genes," Mrs. Arroyo replied.
She also said it’s probably because she always tries to be calm and
level-headed despite the daunting problems confronting her presidency.
MASS RALLIES PAMPANGA'S 'CIVIL SOCIETY' GROUPS' GIFT TO BIRTHDAY GIRL
GLORIA (Tribune, Page 1) Some 30,000 spurned members of "civil
society" groups including left-wing militants in Central Luzon will greet
President Arroyo's 55th birthday today with mass actions in many parts of
Pampanga province to express their disenchantment with her administration's
alleged "anti-Filipino" policies.Leaders of the Bagong Alyansang
Makabayan (Bayan) yesterday said they are also expecting moderate organizations
to participate in what they bill as the biggest protest rallies to be staged in
the region since Mrs. Arroyo took the reins in Malacañang last year.The Chief
Executive traces her roots to the province's Lubao town.On the eve of her 55th
birthday, Mrs. Arroyo said she wished her critics would be more appreciative of
her efforts to turn around the nation's struggling economy.
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga — The
wedding ring of the late Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. and a
commemorative gold coin from his wife Corazon’s presidency have been stolen
from their respective glass-encased stands at the Aquino Center and Museum at
the Hacienda Luisita in San Miguel, Tarlac. "Of course she is very
upset," Mrs. Aquino’s spokesperson Deedee Siytangco said yesterday of the
former president, who spearheaded the construction of the center. The Center was
completed in September last year, and houses memorabilia of the Aquino couple
and mementos of the Aquino presidency.
(Inquirer,Page 1)
A DEADLY health epidemic is
sweeping the developing world, and the Philippines is right in the middle of it.
"The biggest epidemic of our time is the product not of a run-amuck virus
but of our rapidly changing lifestyles and a pattern to eat more and move
less," Dr. Shigeru Omi, World Health Organization regional director, told a
news conference Thursday. The result: "approximately 2 million deaths every
year," attributable to ailments linked to a sedentary lifestyle. According
to health officials, the problem is probably even more serious in Asia and the
rest of the developing world, including the Philippines. "Fifty percent of
the (Philippine) population is found to be sedentary," Health Secretary
Manuel Dayrit said at the same news briefing.
(Manila Times, Banner)
THE government is bracing itself
for a surge in the prices of oil as the conflict in the Middle East worsens and
the threat of an embargo by Arab oil producers looms. The country’s major oil
companies have already announced they are raising their prices by as much as 50
centavos a liter very soon, perhaps over the weekend. But the price adjustments
they are contemplating was before prices of crude soared in the world market,
driven by the intensifying Israeli-Palestinian violence and Iraq’s call for an
oil embargo.
(Today, Page 1)
Illegal gambling in the Philippines
is a certified billion-peso industry, Interior Secretary Jose Lina Jr., said
yesterday. Lina revealed estimates that collections from illegal gambling reach
a staggering P8.760 Billion every year, or P24 million every single day. He said
for Metro Manila alone, daily collections could rocket to a high of P1.5
Million.
LAWMAKER's
PRESCRIPTION FOR WINNING CEMENT WAR: SELL CHEAP
(Manila Times, Business
Section Page 1)
The raging squabble between cement
manufacturers and importers should be won by the group that could offer the
cheapest cement to the public, preferably not higher than P105 per bag.
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
President Arroyo said yesterday she
would prefer a "liberalized" policy over "open skies" for
the country’s air transport system to protect the local airline industry from
the adverse effects of free trade. The President stressed this point after
witnessing the inaugural landing of a United Parcel Service (UPS) courier
aircraft at Clark Field in Pampanga. Mrs. Arroyo pointed out that a liberalized
Philippine air policy was also more consistent with her administration’s
thrust to promote the country’s competitiveness as a member of the World Trade
Organization (WTO).