February 27, 2009 Major News Stories

LTFRB decides on fare cut in two weeks

Whether jeepney fare in Central Visayas will be reduced or will remain the same will be known in two weeks, said Romulo Bernardes, regional manager of the Land Transportation, Franchising and Regulatory Board following yesterday's public consultative meeting of the fare cut petition filed by lawyer Manuel Iway.

Oil hovers under $43 after 6% surge

Oil was steady under $43 a barrel on Thursday, after surging more than 6.0 percent overnight on US government data that showed a larger-than-expected drop in gasoline stocks as demand rose on cheaper prices.

Private firms, farmers may import rice

The government has allowed local private companies and farmer organizations to import as much as 300,000 metric tons of rice this year to help build up the country's inventory, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap said.

Shabu lab: Defense hits credibility of PDEA 

One of the lawyers of the suspected shabu laboratory operators are now questioning the credibility of the members of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency who raided the laboratory in barangay Umapad, Mandaue City, in 2004.  Although Vicente Fernandez II failed to present his witness Francis Mutuc, he still stood by the information given to him by Mutuc that the PDEA had him encash a check taken from one of the 11 arrested in the shabu lab raid.

Fernandez, who represents the accused Liu Bo and Tao Fei, said he met Mutuc at the office of Gloria Dalawampu, lawyer of the accused mastermind Calvin Tan, and presented a photocopy of some documents supporting their manifestation that Mutuc is an asset of the PDEA.

According to Fernandez, Mutuc first agreed to be presented in the witness stand, but withdrew for his own safety. 

The first witness, businessman Reynaldo Macias, admitted before the court that Mutuc gave him a check worth P40,000 to be encashed in September 25, 2004.

The check was drawn from an Allied Bank branch along Mango Avenue in Cebu City under the account in the name of one of the accused Joseph Yu.

Macias claimed he did not know the check was owned by Yu and said he is a close friend of Mutuc and had transacted business with him several times. He first knew Mutuc sometime in 1997.

"Diha ra gyud ko mahibawo sa mga newspaper nga naapil akong ngalan sa isyu sa shabu laboratory," Macias told the court.

Macias admitted that one time Mutuc told him that he was dismayed over the failure of the PDEA to give him his share of the money. He also said Mutuc told him and he is willing to make the revelation once he is invited by the court.

But Mutuc failed to attend yesterday's hearing. Dalawampu asked the court to provide security for Mutuc but Mandaue City Regional Trial Court Judge Marilyn Lagura Yap said that she wants a formal motion from Dalawampu and Fernandez.

The next hearing is scheduled on March 12.

Wa pay hold-departure order vs. Jastiva

Magpaabot pa ang Bureau of Immigration and Deportation-7 og kamandoan gikan sa korte una mosanong aron moisyu og hold-departure order batok kang Pastor Leonardo Jastiva nga makagawas sa nasud.

Tomas to get back his job

CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will assume full power as mayor when he comes home for a three-week vacation on March 8.

Durano tells POEA: Revoke firm license 

Cebu fifth district Representative Ramon "Red" Durano questioned the move of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration to lift the suspension of "Be Glad Recruitment Agency," the agency that illegally sent workers to Trinidad and Tobago.

Filipinos warned on illegal recruitment

The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) has warned Filipinos against recruiters who promise them quick entry to United Kingdom, using student visas.

5,500 OFWs lose jobs—Arroyo

Some 5,500 Filipino overseas workers have lost their jobs abroad and returned home over the past four months, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said Thursday.

100 Lapu workers cry foul over salaries

A hundred workers from a real estate company in Cebu complained that they were not given two-months' worth of salaries after their contractor reportedly abandoned them.

OFW layoffs in Taiwan ceased in February

The massive firing of Filipino workers in Taiwan has stopped, at least for the month of hearts.

OFW deployment up by 25% in January

The deployment of overseas Filipino workers (OFW) rose by 25 percent in January 2009 as compared to the same month last year, data from the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) showed.

Palompon seeking probe into ownership

Residents of Palompon, Leyte will lobby the House of Representatives to include in its ongoing investigation into the Legacy Group of Companies the ownership claim of Legacy president Celso delos Angeles over Kalanggaman Island.

Palompon: Staff to stay in Kalanggaman

THE mayor of Palompon, Leyte has issued an order deputizing fish wardens, police and staff from an Ecological Group to stay in Kalanggaman Island, which the municipality has taken back.

BSP sues Legacy founder, others

The central bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), has filed a complaint of syndicated "estafa" [swindling] and economic sabotage against Legacy Group founder Celso de los Angeles Jr. and several others in the group, saying they had defrauded investors of more than P1 billion.

Appearance of Filipino vets not required

For all Filipino World War II Veterans applying to receive their benefit under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the U.S. Embassy is actively working to implement quickly this new law to ensure eli-gible veterans receive their rightful benefits as soon as possible.

Tax exemptions only from mid-2008

Government lawyers asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the petition filed by Senators Francis Escudero and Manuel Roxas II, and other petitioners, asking for a full year's tax exemption for minimum wage earners.

Comelec: Possible partial poll automation

FAILURE TO implement the supplemental budget by early April would force the conduct of partial poll automation in next year's general elections.

Melo skeptical on passage of poll budget

Commission on Elections chairman Jose Melo was less optimistic Congress could pass the P11.3 poll automation supplemental budget before it goes on a month-long recess starting next week.

Pacman appeals for clean 2010 polls

People's Champion Manny Pacquiao on Thursday has made a surprising appeal regarding the coming 2010 national and local elections.

Comelec: OFWs Rehistro bago mag-abroad

Pinayuhan ng Commission on Elections (Co melec) ang mga OFWs na magparehisto muna bago umalis ng bansa kung saan ang mga ito ay kabilang sa mga Overseas Absentee Voters (OAV).

Soldier shoots 3 comrades dead

An Army soldier who apparently went berserk due to personal problems shot dead three of his comrades and wounded another officer late Wednesday night at their barracks in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City, a spokesman reported yesterday.

Murder filed vs soldier in death of cops

Multiple charges were formally filed against the soldier who shot dead two cops and critically wounded a jeepney driver at the Bonifacio Monument Circle in Caloocan City Tuesday night.

De la Paz humirit ng 'discount'

Humihingi ngayon ng "discount" si Philippine National Police (PNP) retired comptroller director Eliseo dela Paz sa mga Russian authorities para babaan ang singil sa "bank fees" kaugnay sa pag-transfer ng ipinapabalik sa kanyang Euro money dito sa Pilipinas.

US arrests Garcias over cash smuggling

US authorities on Wednesday arrested the two sons of former Armed Forces comptroller retired Gen. Carlos Garcia following an indictment by a federal grand jury in San Francisco.

Pinay sugatan sa crash sa Amsterdam

Isang Pinay ang ini ulat na kabilang sa mga pa saherong nakaligtas at nasugatan sa bumagsak na eroplano ng Turkish Airlines na ikinasawi ng 9 katao at pagkasugat ng mahigit 80 iba pa sa Ams­terdam, Netherlands ka hapon.

UN taking up case of Filipina girl in Japan

United Nations human rights experts are looking into the case of a 13-year-old Filipina girl in Japan who is on the verge of being separated from her parents, a Japanese official said yesterday.  

Japan has received an "emergency inquiry" from the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights into the case of Noriko Calderon, whose parents face deportation, the foreign ministry official said, asking not to be named.

The family's temporary permission to stay in Japan expires today.

Ms. Calderon was born in Japan and is expected to be allowed to stay to finish her studies. She has repeatedly asked the Justice Ministry to rescind an order for her Philippine parents to be deported with or without their only daughter.

The couple entered Japan in the early 1990s with illegal passports and stayed in the country undetected until two years ago when her mother was arrested. Last September, the Supreme Court rejected their appeal to stay.

Ms. Calderon has grown up speaking only Japanese and is attending local schools.

"I would choose neither to leave the country with my parents nor to stay here alone," she told reporters yesterday.

"I don't want to be separated from my parents. If I go to the Philippines, I would not be able to continue my education."

The family's lawyer said that if the girl went to the Philippines she would have to start primary school again due to language difficulties.

The parents must report to the immigration authorities today and the father, or both, may be detained "as a leverage to press the family to leave the country," suggested the lawyer, Shogo Watanabe.

Visa waiver for Pinoys entering CNMI, Guam 

A Guam senator is pushing for the inclusion of citizens from the Philippines to the list of those who will be allowed to enter Guam or the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI) for tourism purposes without a US visa by June 1.

Arroyo may veto bill v. media freedom

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has threatened to veto a controversial bill that is perceived to impinge on media freedom.

'Media should regulate selves'--CHR

The controversial right of reply bill pending could be an "undue intrusion" into the rights of media, Commission on Human Rights (CHR) chairperson Leila de Lima said on Thursday.

Legarda backs off right of reply bill

Senator Loren Legarda has withdrawn her support for the right of reply bill in the Senate, becoming the third member of the chamber to do so.

PNP backs media v. Right of Reply Bill

Journalists opposing the passage of the Right of Reply Bill at the House of Representatives on Thursday found an ally in the Philippine National Police (PNP).

US jobless claims climb to 667,000

New US jobless claims surged to 667,000 in the past week, the highest in over 26 years, data showed Thursday in a sign of ongoing labor market stress.

Pacquiao, Hatton tour in Hitman hometown

The first step in the blockbuster showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton takes place when the two popular boxers meet in Manchester, England to promote their May 2 title fight.

Marquez to fight Diaz with Pacman in mind

Juan Manuel Marquez has yet to throw a punch against Juan Diaz but he is already thinking of challenging Manny Pacquiao for a second rematch.

Roach: We can meet JMM in 140 lbs

Boxing coach Freddie Roach sees no problem about his prized student Manny Pacquiao squaring it off again with Juan Manuel Marquez for the third time.

It's final, basketball out of Laos SEAGames

Take out one sure gold medal for Team RP in the SEA Games.

Council OKs salaries of drama talents

The Cebu City Council has appropriated P570,000 for the salaries of the 13 drama talents hired by the city to help in the fight against drug addiction in the barangays.

Slumdog actors return to heroes' welcome

The child stars of the Oscar-winning "Slumdog Millionaire" return to India to a heroes' welcome.

Tagum City rewards ligation, vasectomy

The city government of Tagum in Davao del Norte has a new and unique way of controlling its population: a P500 'reward' for every man or woman who undergoes tubal ligation or vasectomy.