NEWS MONITOR (April 29, 2002)
1. ARLYN ABDUCTION
AFP probes raps linking soldiers to Arlyn kidnap
(Inquirer, Page 1)
ZAMBOANGA CITY - The military has started investigating the charges of freed kidnapped journalist Arlyn de la Cruz that some of her captors are active members of the Armed Forces - even without waiting for De la Cruz to file a formal complaint. Lt. Gen. Roy Cimatu, chief of the Southern Command, told reporters Sunday that he had already ordered a formal investigation. "I have already directed Gen. (Glicerio) Sua to look deeper (into) this disclosure," Cimatu said. Sua, chief of Task Force Comet, said he immediately ordered Col. Romeo Tolentino, commander of the Army's 104th Infantry Brigade based in Sulu, to start the probe even in the absence of a complaint from Dela Cruz. In Malacañang, acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said the Palace had no knowledge of the negotiations, because the military was not involved in the talks. "So nothing was reported to our level," he said. He added, however, that the Palace would order an investigation of De la Cruz's claims. "These allegations . . . will be investigated and we will bring this to the attention of the MNLF," he said. "I'm sure that the (Department of Interior and Local Government) and the local government there (Sulu) headed by Gov. Yusof Jikiri will conduct their own investigation." He did not say whether these investigations would be consolidated....In the House of Representatives, a former broadcast journalist called for a joint Senate and House inquiry into Dela Cruz's allegations. "We should not just search from the surface," former ABS-CBN reporter and now Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla said in a statement. "We should really probe deeper into Arlyn's case and find out who masterminded her abduction." Remulla, the assistant minority leader, said there was reason to believe that the military could have been involved in Dela Cruz's abduction. He noted what he said was a "consistent and well-orchestrated campaign to destroy her credibility as a journalist." If integrees from the Moro National Liberation Front, who are now part of the AFP, were really the ones who took her, Remulla said, then "I can only conclude that this was part of an orchestrated effort to destroy Arlyn's reputation in an attempt to hide the men who are really responsible for her abduction."
NOLI VIRTUALLY ACCUSES LOREN OF CREDIT-GRABBING
(Inquirer, Page 1)
'KABAYAN' DISAPPOINTED LOREN UPSTAGED HIM
(Malaya, Page 1)
HEY, that's my line! The already controversial case of broadcast journalist Arlyn de la Cruz looks set to become even more talked about, after Sen. Noli de Castro suggested Sunday that Sen. Loren Legarda was guilty of credit-grabbing. Was it a case of the wrong TV anchor reading the right script? Both De Castro and Legarda are former top news anchors of ABS-CBN, the country's largest TV network. They also topped their respective Senate races, Legarda in 1998 and De Castro in 2001. "I was really surprised when I heard . . . the news that Senator Legarda was the one who negotiated for (De la Cruz's) release through the efforts of Prof. (Mashur Bin Ghalib) Jundam," De Castro told Senate reporters Sunday. When the chartered executive plane landed in Manila last Saturday with De la Cruz on board, not a few Senate observers expected to see De Castro in the party. Three weeks ago, on April 8, De Castro had given reporters an update on the kidnapping, saying he had been trying to get her released through the help of Jundam. Who should step out of the plane first on Saturday, however, but Legarda? De Castro could hardly hide his disappointment Sunday, saying Legarda did not even send word to him that she had finally been able to negotiate the 32-year-old reporter's release. He also noted that Legarda used the same intermediary, Jundam, in securing the release of De la Cruz. He said Jundam's calls to him ended "abruptly" right after his April 8 press briefing. "I learned that right after the press con, (Jundam) was contacted by Senator Legarda so that she could also help in working for the release of Arlyn," he said. De Castro continues to host a weekly magazine show for ABS-CBN, while Legarda has appeared in TV commercials. Another former ABS-CBN talent joined the casting call Sunday. Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla proposed a joint Senate and House inquiry into the case, saying military commanders may have had a hand in her abdu
Probe of AFP ‘role’ in kidnap sought; SOLONS QUESTION REPORTER’S RELEASE
(Tribune, Page 1)
PALACE ORDERS ARLYN KIDNAP INVESTIGATED
(Manila Times, Page 1)
As a congressman yesterday expressed suspicion that top military commanders could be directly behind the abduction of a Net-25 reporter, two of his former colleagues seem to be locked in a controversy over who should get the credit for her release.Cavite Rep. Gilbert Remulla, House assistant minority leader, said in the 98 days that Arlyn de la Cruz-Collantes was in captivity, there had been a consistent and well-orchestrated campaign to destroy her credibility as a journalist. Remulla, a former reporter of ABS-CBN, cited as an example the circulation of a supposed letter of Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya who reportedly issued an instruction to liquidate De la Cruz for allegedly swindling their group.The letter was allegedly seized by Army soldiers in Basilan and eventually leaked to the media. Even insinuations that De la Cruz was seized by the Abu Sayyaf bandits emanated from the military, Remulla said in a statement.It was also the military and police which made public that De la Cruz was brokering the release of the two American Abu Sayyaf captives, the couple Martin and Gracia Burnham...Meanwhile, it seems that Senate Minority Leader Loren Legarda and Sen. Noli de Castro, who also both came from ABS-CBN, have not yet outgrown their competitiveness. Sources intimated that De Castro, who had been advocating for the safe release of De la Cruz and was left in the cold over her discharge from captivity, was said to be irked at Legarda for taking the "limelight."De Castro, who earlier claimed of having been approached by De la Cruz's mother for help, was said to have been providing all the assistance to effect the reporter's safe passage home.
2.FREEDOM FORCE
Wycoco a Freedom Forcer, say spooks
(Tribune, Banner )
Military spooks have spilled the beans on the Freedom Force, a group led by allies of President Arroyo that had been unmasked as the brains behind a plan to establish a military junta in the country. Sources from the intelligence community yesterday attested that there were indeed meetings held by members of the group, mostly Council on Philippine Affairs (Copa) leaders, and that National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Reynaldo Wycoco was present in some of the gatherings. Reported rumblings within the ranks of the military and the police, which had found expression in the Freedom Force, have rubbed in on the NBI, with some agents of the bureau raising a howl over Wycoco’s order to investigate eight of their colleagues for supposed involvement in the Freedom Force.
Heads of major political parties reject military junta
(Philippine Star, Page 4)
Heads of various political parties led by Lakas national chairman and Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. have rejected the proposal of President Arroyo’s enemies for the setting up of a military-civilian junta or some form of collective leadership.The political party leaders conveyed their sentiments to Mrs. Arroyo in a meeting with her in Malacañang on Friday night.De Venecia said yesterday political parties participating in next week’s first Political Summit are against any extra-legal or extra-constitutional means of replacing the present administration."We should follow the Constitution. If we want to replace our leaders, then we should do so through the ballot in 2004, not through some other means," he said.
Another Edsa group set to dump Gloria Says reform agenda being sacrificed to 2004 poll plan
(Malaya, Banner)
Another civil society grouping that helped President Gloria Arroyo seize power last year, Kongreso ng Mamamayan Pilipino II (Kompil II), is set to withdraw its support from her, a leader of the group said yesterday.The Kompil II leader, who requested he not be named, said Arroyo would play no part in the group's plan if she did not make a turnaround and implement "genuine" socio-economic reforms. He said the administration is increasingly being distracted by Arroyo's 2004 ambitions.The source, who was assigned to the People Power Coalition to help campaign for Arroyo's candidates in May 2001, said his group is prepared to give Arroyo one more year to institute reforms but most Kompil leaders believed a parting of ways was inevitable.
Satur, Beltran wash hands of junta plot
(Inquirer, Page 3)
PARTY-LIST Representatives Satur Ocampo and Crispin Beltran on Sunday belied the claim of Presidential Adviser Conrado "Dodi" Limcaoco that the two had confirmed the veracity of the junta plot allegedly being hatched by the Council on Philippine Affairs against the administration. "Whatever Limcaoco and his group advising the President may have against Copa--which has dealt fairly with us since the anti-Estrada campaign--they should not try to use us to destroy the group," Ocampo said in a letter to the Inquirer. "We have had enough of Limcaoco's lying and dirty tricks in our past dealings with his group," Ocampo said.
We must rebuild badly damaged electoral system
(Inquirer Analysis, Page 1)
THE FICTITIOUS report that members of the so-called Freedom Force have sought Jaime Cardinal Sin's blessings for the formation of a junta to replace President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has unnecessarily rattled the nerves of the political establishment. The nervousness sprang from the concept that a hypothetical social explosion (read revolution) would give birth to middle forces that are expected to save the nation from a predicted epic power struggle between the Left and the Right, and from another dictatorship. The formulation that a "collective leadership" coming from the middle forces would be an alternative to a Leftist or Rightist power grab has been interpreted by the jittery administration as Morse code for a junta. Teodoro Benigno, who claims authorship of the concept, can't blame others for making this interpretation because of his ambiguous formulation. A phony debate has developed from the narrow issue of whether Benigno's concept is a disguise for a junta. To my mind, the jittery reaction to the visit of the Freedom Force delegation to Cardinal Sin misses an important symptom. The nervousness emphatically underlines the fragility of Philippine democracy and, more importantly, the need to repair the heavily damaged electoral system and to go back to it as the most important basis for legitimacy of our democratic government. The notion of collective leadership from the middle forces as a buffer between the Left and the Right is unrealistic and should be rejected.
3. LABOR DAY
PNP: No repeat of May 1 riots
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
Metro Manila police chief Deputy Director Gene-ral Edgar Aglipay said yesterday much has been learned from the bloody May 1 riots at Malacañang last year and the 10,000 anti-riot policemen to be fielded on Wednesday are prepared to quell any disorder. Aglipay said the crowd dispersal and management units of Metro Manila’s five police districts are organized and equipped to deal with any attempt to repeat last year’s assault on Malacañang which left four people dead and millions of pesos in property damage. "We learned from our lapses," Aglipay said. "And armed with such lessons, I can now say that we are fully prepared for any eventuality against the rallyists on Wednesday."
Palace defends May 1 security plan
(Inquirer, Page 1)
DEPLOYING thousands of policemen to defend Malacañang on May 1 isnot overkill, acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said Sunday. "We really have to put policemen in large numbers to serve as a deterrent to violence," Afable said. "If it's true that there are people planning to create trouble, we need a deterrent for the public's peace of mind." Afable said that 6,000 members of the Philippine National Police would be deployed at the Palace and not 10,000 as earlier announced by the Western Police District.
4. ERAP/PLUNDER CASE
Erap can no longer reclaim presidency’
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
Ousted President Joseph Estrada can no longer reclaim the presidency, contrary to what his supporters claim, acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said yesterday. Afable was commenting on the allegation of Estrada’s supporters that the disgraced leader is just on leave and that President Arroyo is only a temporary occupant at Malacañang. He said the Supreme Court has ruled that Mrs. Arroyo is the legal successor of Estrada who was ousted from office more than a year ago in the wake of charges of plunder and corruption against him. He said the entire nation has to abide by that decision of the high tribunal.
Ignore Erap is Palace's new tack
(Malaya, Page 1)
Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable Jr. yesterday said Malacañang would no longer respond to the claim of Joseph Estrada and his supporters that he is still the president and is merely on leave.He echoed President Arroyo's statement that the Supreme Court has repeatedly upheld the legitimacy of the present administration."Hindi na kami nag-co-comment diyan kasi nagsalita na ang Supreme Court diyan and ang gobyerno really stands on the judgment of the Supreme Court," Afable said.He said the people should stand behind the tribunal instead of criticizing it "because that's the last resort of justice."The Partido ng Masang Pilipino on Saturday called on the Senate and the House to review records of the 11th Congress which he said would show Estrada is merely on leave.Jesus Crispin Remulla, PMP spokesman, said only a categorical finding on the legitimacy or illegitimacy of the Arroyo administration would stabilize the political situation.
ANOTHER BANK EXEC TO TESTIFY VS ESTRADA IN PLUNDER TRIAL
(Manila Times, Page 1)
The office of the Ombudsman will present today another Equitable-PCI bank executive to testify against deposed president Joseph Estrada's plunder trial resumption at the Sandiganbayan Special Division. Equitable-Ortigas branch manager Alejo Custodio is expected to bring bank documents of the controversial P3.2 billion Jose Velarde Account allegedly owned by Estrada.
Prosecutors to present 2 witnesses in Erap trial today
(Tribune, Page 3)
Government prosecutors will present their ninth witness today at the formal trial of the plunder case against deposed President Joseph Estrada. The hearing of the case is about to enter its seventh month this May. Equitable PCI Bank cashier Alejo Custodio will appear before the Sandiganbayan Special Division as prosecution resumes its presentation of evidence on the plunder and illegal use of alias cases of the evicted leader. Custodio, a cashier of the Equitable PCI Bank Greenhills, Ortigas branch, is expected to bring all documents that are related to the P189.7 million that was reportedly deposited to the Jose Velarde account, which, according to the prosecution, is owned and controlled by Estrada. The prosecution has been claiming that the P189.7-million deposit was the jailed president’s commission when he intervened in the multibillion-peso transactions of two government financial institutions with gaming firm Belle Corp. Aside from Custodio, the court is also expecting the prosecution to present Henrietta Roque, records officer of the Office of the Ombudsman. Roque was ordered by the court as early as April 15 to prepare and submit certified true copies of Estrada’s Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Networth (SALN) for the years 1998 and 1999.
MILITANTS SEEK TIES WITH ERAP SUPPORTERS
(Inquirer, Page 3)
Militant groups that worked to oust President Joseph Estrada from power are now calling on his loyal followers to join them in the massive rally on Labor Day. The Buklurang Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) and the Kongreso ng Pagkakaisa ng Maralitang Lungsod (KPML) formally called yesterday on the People's Movement Against Poverty (PMAP) to join them at Mendiola on Wednesday and declare May 1 a "Day of the Workers and the Poor."
5. BALIKATAN EXERCISES/ABU SAYYAF/INSURGENCY,WAR ON TERROR
US military chief visits troops in Basilan
(Inquirer, Banner)
ZAMBOANGA CITY-A "great success so far," said US President George W. Bush's principal military adviser of US operations in Mindanao, of the second theater of the US campaign against international terrorism. Gen. Richard Myers, chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, gave the assessment Sunday after visiting Basilan island, stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf, a bandit group linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network of Osama bin Laden. Myer's favorable assessment came despite the Philippine military's failure to rescue American couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, who have been held hostage by the Abu Sayyaf for almost a year now. American soldiers, including 160 Special Forces in Basilan, are training Filipino soldiers so that they can crush the Abu Sayyaf. "I talked to the US advisers, I met some of the Armed Forces of the Philippines battalions there (Basilan) (and) we discussed in general the status (of the operation) and everybody seems to be happy," Myers told reporters in Zamboanga, the command base of the joint military exercises.
US ready to help in rescue of US missionary couple
(Malaya, Page 1)
The chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff on Sunday said the United States is ready to help in the rescue of US missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham. But when asked on the kind of support that the US would provide, Gen. Richard Myers replied: "I do not want to get into the specifics of any future tactical operations." Myers said the situation is the responsibility of the government of the Philippines and its armed forces. "We will advise and assist in any way that we are asked to do," he said in a press conference in Basilan's capital of Isabela. Armed Forces officials have said intelligence data gathered by unmanned US surveillance aircraft has helped pinpoint suspected Abu Sayyaf positions in Basilan.
6. OTHER TOP STORIES
Edong eyes ‘bailout’ for RP education
(Philippine Star, Page 1)
It’s neither a bird nor a plane, but "Mr. Education" is out to save the Philippine school system. Top opposition Sen. Edgardo Angara has drafted a P30 billion, comprehensive five-year crash program to be known as "emergency learning package" to prevent the slide of Philippine education into mediocrity. Angara announced the bailout at the commencement exercises of the University of the Philippines in the Visayas, for which nationwide system he once served as president.
Overseas artists, managers protest court ruling vs DOLE
( Philippine Star, Page 5 )
The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) has gained the backing of overseas performing artists and talent managers in its efforts to curb the illegal activities of recruitment agencies in the country. Bonding together to form the group Society of Artistic Performers (SOAP), overseas performing artists and talent managers expressed strong opposition to moves by recruiters to prevent government agencies from regulating the recruitment industry. SOAP president Annabeth Mora said their group is against moves by recruitment agencies to permanently stop DOLE and other concerned government agencies from training, accrediting and testing artists for overseas employment. The group Cruzada, which claims to be an umbrella organization of recruitment agencies, is set to file a petition for permanent injunction against DOLE and the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA)
Charges in RP ports lowest in Asia-Pacific — ESCAP
(Philippine Star, Page 9)
Port tariff levels in the Philippines are the lowest in Asia-Pacific but that doesn’t make the country really competitive in the highly globalized and almost borderless world trade. That’s because while wharfage, cargo handling, and other port charges are low, Philippine port facilities are not as modern as those of many neighboring Asian countries. The government needs billions of pesos to put Philippine ports at par with most countries in the region but cannot raise enough resources either from taxes or port tariff collections to fund its port modernization and expansion program.
LRT, MRT readies coach for disabled, pregnant women
(Philippine Star, Page3 )
Disabled persons and pregnant women will soon be able to ride in special coaches of the Light Rail Transit and the Metro Rail Transit systems, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said yesterday. DOTC Secretary Pantaleon Alvarez made the announcement following instructions from President Arroyo to ensure safety and comfort of disabled persons in public transport vehicles by providing them with special facilities. The presidential order was issued following complaints from the physically disabled sector that most urban mass transportation systems have not adequately provided for their needs. Alvarez said that although the LRT and MRT systems have stickers that say the elderly and the disabled should be given priority in seats, this has not been strictly enforced. Many PWDs (persons with disabilities) take jeepneys and buses instead.
DPWH losing millions in exorbitant salaries for 129 OICs nationwide
(Philippine Star, Page 7)
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is a house in disarray with a glut of officers-in-charge, multiple positions and overlapping posts. Records showed that the DPWH currently has 129 OICs in various positions nationwide, largely brought about by indiscriminate promotions as a form of "non-monetary rewards to loyal followers." The DPWH’s present administrative structure included five acting bureau directors at the head office, 19 temporary executive positions in the regional level including five regional directors and assistant directors, 37 acting district engineers, 52 assistant district engineers and 16 key officials in the city and municipal levels. The DPWH plantilla provided for 16 regional directors and 122 district engineers. A source at the department who requested anonymity said some mid-level officials were "kicked upstairs" to pave the way for the promotion of certain lackeys of DPWH executives.
Aide confirms Macapagal running in '04
(Inquirer, Page2 )
SUPPORTERS of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are putting up the political machinery to "consolidate support" for her in the present and to serve as the vehicle for her election bid in 2004. The guy on top of this effort is Secretary Norberto Gonzales, presidential adviser for special concerns and chair of the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista ng Pilipinas (PDSP). In an interview with the Inquirer last week, Gonzales admitted Ms Macapagal will run for election in 2004. "Of course, she will run," he said. When asked the same question again, he gave the same answer, this time adding: "If (she will) not (run), what (is all this) for?" Gonzales revealed ongoing moves to establish two parallel coalitions to support the President: one among traditional politicians and the other comprising mass-based and civil society groups. "This is the time to consolidate the support that the President needs to govern effectively," Gonzales said. "You need a political machinery not just for winning elections but to mobilize people for a common dream."
Philippines pushing for observer status in OIC
(Inquirer, Page7 )
THE PHILIPPINES is asking the Organization of the Islamic Conference to grant the country observer status in the international body, a standing the OIC had previously conferred on the Moro National Liberation Front, a Muslim separatist group. Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable said Secretary Eduardo Ermita, presidential adviser on the peace process, flew to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday upon the instruction of the President, "to try and lay the groundwork for observer status of the Philippines in the OIC.'" "Observer status is granted in the OIC to countries that have Muslim minorities," Afable said. Afable said Ermita was accompanied to Riyadh by Mayor Muslimin Sema of Cotabato City and Abu Ambridatik and Hapinil Hassan, vice chair and interim chair, respectively, of the MNLF executive committee.
Sin urges labeling of condoms
(Inquirer, Page 5 )
"CONDOMS do not ensure protection against AIDS and STDs."
Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin wants this label attached to the packaging of condoms and other contraceptives to warn users that the products are no guarantee against reproduction or disease. In a pamphlet titled "Subtle Attacks against the Family and Life," Sin urged the manufacturers of contraceptives, particularly condoms, to place the warning on their packages for the sake of consumers. The prelate said there was still no concrete proof that the use of contraceptives would prevent sexually transmitted diseases or would be effective birth control. "It may be good for chemical contraceptives to put warnings on pills that increase the incidence of breast cancer or pills that cause abortion by not allowing implantation," Sin said.
Dual citizenship bill’s railroading hit
(Tribune, Page 1)
President Arroyo will seek another six-year term in 2004 and her allies in the Senate are railroading the passage of a dual citizenship bill to secure millions of votes of Filipinos overseas and ensure her victory.Opposition Sen. Blas Ople, over the weekend, accused Senate President Franklin Drilon and the administration bloc of pushing the measure to realize their political ambitions two years from now."I think that Senate President Drilon and the majority in the Senate are using the dual citizenship bill as a political bait to capture the votes of overseas Filipinos, specially those in America, in 2004," Ople said during an interview.The senator noted the apparent haste in the bill's passage, introduced in the Senate by Drilon.The Senate committee on justice and human rights, headed by neophyte Sen. Francis Pangilinan, after holding a one-day hearing last Wednesday, is said to be passing around a committee report for signatures of his colleagues.
RP backs Habitat Agenda of UN
(Philippine Star, Page 17)
Vowing to "make things happen," senior leaders of Congress have expressed the country’s commitment to a comprehensive shelter program in support of the United Nations Habitat Agenda to improve human settlements worldwide. The recent First Asian Regional Council Forum of the Global Parliamentarians on Habitat held at the Century Park Hotel in Manila culminated with the signing of a communique. The forum’s closing ceremonies were presided over by, among others, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, president of the forum, and Sen. Francis Pangilinan and Rep. Prospero Nograles, co-chairmen. President Arroyo, in her keynote speech at the opening ceremonies on April 24, noted the initiatives being pushed by House Speaker Jose de Venecia, Senate President Franklin Drilon, Biazon and Nograles in support of programs aimed at giving humane shelter to millions of poor and homeless Filipino families. During the closing rites, Nograles, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, said the forum has given "new meaning" to the word cooperation. Nograles noted Biazon’s message on the need to promote and support the principles and commitments made in the Declaration of Cities and Other Human Settlements adopted in the 25th Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly in June 2001 for an overall review and appraisal of the implementation of the Habitat Agenda.
Congress starts plenary debates on creation of Dep’t of Housing
(Tribune, Page 11)
The House of Representatives recently started plenary debate on the consolidation of the government's splintered housing agencies into a single department and “slay the dragon of red tape” that has paralyzed the national shelter program for millions of homeless Filipino families.“The measure before us today seeks to establish the last ingredient needed to make the national shelter program work — The Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD),” Rep. Prospero Nograles, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, as he led prime sponsors in reporting out House Bill (HB) 4517 in plenary, said.The DHUD, according to Nograles, will serve as the primary agency in the preparation, integration, coordination, supervision, regulation and control of plans, programs, projects and activities of the government on housing, urban planning and development, regulation and finance, and human settlement programs and services.The 38 principal authors led by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Nograles expressed optimism that after three Congresses and thousands of man-hours of public hearings and consultations, diligent studies and hard work, “the seemingly impossible task of providing the basic service of housing for the people could be realized.”