December 15, 2008 Major Newscast

Rollback in fares take effect Monday

The nationwide rollback in fares in public utility vehicles such as jeepneys, buses and taxis is set to take effect Monday.

OPEC set to slash oil output

OPEC, the cartel pumping 40 percent of world oil, is this week set to announce plans to slash output in the hope of lifting crude prices weighed down by a recession-fueled slide in energy demand.

PDIC assures depositors

State deposit insurers assured that they will assist depositors of rural banks that have recently declared bank holidays.  PDIC president Jose Nograles has assured that his office is drawing up measures for a swift payout to depositors of closed banks under its receivership.  PDIC augmented its workforce to speed up the process of verifying the legitimacy of depositors' claims.

No bank holiday, official assures

WITHDRAWALS from the Rural Bank of Carmen increased by about P1.2 million more than their regular transactions last Friday morning, as depositors reacted to reports about liquidity problems in banks under the Legacy group.  But the Carmen bank appealed to clients to calm down, pointing out it has not declared a bank holiday.

Irregularities in shuttered rural banks

THE BANGKO Sentral ng Pilipinas has uncovered certain irregularities--such as the granting of loans without collateral and documentation or use of bank funds to pay for obligations of affiliated pre-need companies--in some of the padlocked banks affiliated with the Legacy group.

Bank sector remains sound - BSP

Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Governor Amando M. Tetangco Jr. said the closure of some rural banks had nothing to do with the global financial crisis, saying that the sector is largely safe.

Teachers want bonus before X'mas

The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) urged Malacañang to make sure that public school teachers nationwide are given the full amount of the yearend performance bonus granted by government to all government employees before the Christmas break.

Sinulog 2009 will be grandest ever

SINULOG organizers promised to put up the most spectacular and biggest grand parade next month to help boost tourism in Cebu amid the global financial crisis.  SFI has prepared a P23-million budget for all the Sinulog 2009 activities, including the Sinulog sa Kabataan, the opening parade on Jan. 9 and the grand parade on Jan. 18.  The amount includes the P8 million that the City Government will give the winning contingents, while the remaining P15 million will be raised through sponsorships.

DENR looks into Fusillero's concerns

An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources yesterday denied the allegations of retired police general Tiburcio Fusillero that the agency has failed to look into concerns raised over the 504-hectare of watershed area in Cebu City.  Fusillero and the Cantipla Ecosystems Enhancement and Protection Foundation have been questioning the massive sales and development by private entities of the land within the watershed area.  He mentioned these private entities to be politically and commercially influential that allegedly includes the Salimbangon family.

Speaker: 'Ceasefire' on Cha-cha

House Speaker Prospero Nograles has declared a ceasefire on moves to amend the Constitution in the House of Representatives in December in an attempt to cool down the opposition and to make the House focus on the national budget and the proposed extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.

Cursing Cha-cha 'understandable'

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said on Sunday he perfectly understood Sen. Manuel Roxas' cursing during the anti-Charter change rally last Friday and would have hurled expletives himself if he had spoken first.

Palace wants dialogue on Con-ass

Malacañang urged members of the House of Representatives and the Senate to hold an inter-chamber dialogue to resolve their conflict on the mode of amending the 1987 Constitution.

Pinoys still dissatisfied with Arroyo

Most Filipinos remain dissatisfied with President Arroyo's performance, but she can take comfort in the fact that her ratings have stayed stable in the last two quarters, a new Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showed.

Lacson accuses Arroyo of frameup

Sen. Panfilo Lacson claimed that police and military officials had tried to persuade his former police aides Cesar Mancao and Glenn Dumlao to implicate him in the 2000 murder of publicist Salvador "Bubby'' Dacer and his driver, Emmanuel Corbito.

Globe cellsite bombed in Negros

A Globe Telecom cellsite was bombed and destroyed by about 10 suspected New People's Army rebels Saturday night in Barangay (Village) Mabini, Escalante City, Negros Occidental.

Truck torched in Butuan City by NPAs

A truck was burned while two others were fired upon by suspected members of the New People's Army (NPA) in Butuan City.

Palace to resume talks with MILF

Malacañang announced that its peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which collapsed after major fighting erupted in August, could resume before Christmas.

More Minda negotiators to face MILF

The new set of negotiators for the peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), would have more representatives from Mindanao, Press Secretary Jesus Dureza said.

Taiwanese, principal abducted in Sulu

A Taiwanese businessman in Sulu's provincial capital, Jolo, and an elementary school principal in another Sulu town were reported abducted in separate incidents over the weekend.

45,000 Filipinas trafficked to Lebanon

Illegal recruiters have trafficked an estimated 45,000 Filipina household service workers (HSWs) to Lebanon since the Philippines imposed the deployment ban to the Middle East country in August 2006, the honorary consul of Lebanon to the Philippines said.

Fertilizer prices down 43.7%

Fertilizer prices have dropped by as much as 43.7 percent in December following calls by the Department of Agriculture (DA) for fertilizer suppliers to pull down their retail rates amid the continuously softening cost of crude oil in the world market.

China to increase supply of money

China said it plans to increase the amount of money circulating in its economy next year in a new effort to spur consumer spending and shield the country from a global downturn.

Prosecutors to appeal Chen's release

Prosecutors in Taiwan said Sunday they would appeal a court decision to release former president Chen Shui-bian without bail after his indictment on corruption charges.

Illinois governor weighs legal options

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich met with a renowned Chicago criminal lawyer as he weighed his legal options on how to fight a scandal that has left his career in tatters and disrupted President-elect Barack Obama's White House transition.

Orillana clinches it for Cebu

Joseph Orillana pitched a four-hit shutout and initiated the squeeze play that gave Cebu a 1-0 triumph over Dumaguete and the Baseball Philippines Series 4 championship at the Rizal Memorial Ballpark.

Tañamor wins, gains World Cup finals

Veteran Harry Tañamor pounded Lukasz Masczczyk of Poland from the opening bell to pull off a 12-4 win and barge into the light flyweight finals of the tough, by-invitation-only World Cup in Moscow.

Roach: Pacman wants Mayweather Jr.

Future hall-of-famer Freddie Roach said People’s Champ Manny Pacquiao wants to meet Floyd Mayweather Jr. to settle once and for all who’s the real pound-for-pound king.

Realtors overwhelm 'toothless' Tigers

Defending champion Sta. Lucia overwhelmed a severely depleted Coca-Cola squad, 90-69, and stayed well within reach of an automatic quarterfinal slot in the PBA at the Araneta Coliseum.

P'foods win vs TNT

PUREFOODS used the presence of Rommel Adducul as an emotional lift in the Giants' 96-93 victory over the Talk N Text Tropang Texters in the KFC PBA Philippine Cup on Sunday.

76ers fire coach Maurice Cheeks

Maurice Cheeks was fired as coach of the Philadelphia 76ers, who are slumping at 10-14 a year after making the NBA playoffs. Assistant general manager Tony DiLeo was appointed coach.

Russian crowned Miss World

Kseniya Sukhinova from Russia was crowned Miss World 2008 after beating 108 other international beauties in a glittering African extravaganza held in South Africa.

Queen reins in extravagance

Always concerned about staying in touch with her subjects, Queen Elizabeth II has invited Britain's royal family to follow her example and tighten the purse strings during the financial downturn.

Jennifer Aniston appears naked

US actress Jennifer Anister, who starred in "Friends", appears naked in a series of photographs that are published on the cover and inside pages of the latest issue of GQ magazine.

Paul says he's the political Beatle

Paul McCartney claims that he was the real politicized figure in The Beatles, not John Lennon, according to an interview published Sunday.  McCartney was quoted as saying it was he who first raised concerns over the Vietnam war within the group and advocated their anti-war stance.  

Fans have long regarded Lennon, who wrote songs such as "Revolution" and — in later years — "Give Peace a Chance," as the group's authentic political voice.  But McCartney claimed that his meeting with philosopher Bertrand Russell in the mid-1960s sparked his own — and eventually Lennon's — curiosity about world affairs.