March 9, 2009 Major News Stories

Today for PUJs in CV: Pay only P6.50 

Effective today, the minimum fare for jeepneys in Central Visayas is P6.50.

Strike won't stop LTO from collecting fines

The Land Transportation Office is firm on its stand to continuously implement a department order increasing fines for traffic violations.

Cooking gas price cut expected

A FURTHER price cut is expected to be implemented by independent cooking gas retailers this week to reflect a huge drop in world contract rates.

Oil at $45 may have struck bottom

Every day this week arrived with more evidence that energy usage is unlikely to bounce back soon, yet some experts believe oil prices may already have struck bottom.

Speaker backs bill regulating tuition

House Speaker Prospero Nograles would endorse pending measures seeking to regulate tuition increases in light of planned fee hikes by several private educational institutions.

SSS di lugi - Neri

Pinabulaanan ni Social Security System administrator Romulo Neri ang akusasyon ni NEDA Director General Ralph Recto na nalugi ang SSS sa stock market.  Sinabi ni Recto na nalulugi ang SSS sa stock market na sumadsad bunsod ng financial crisis.  Nais sana ni Recto na paglaanan ng SSS ng economic stimulus package ang mga miyembro laluna ang OFW na tinamaan sa global crisis para magamit sa kagipitan pero sinabi ni Neri na hindi ito kakayanin ng ahensiya.

DILG: Magtrabaho kahit breaktime

Pinaalalahanan ng Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) ang lahat ng empleyado ng lokal na pamahalaan at ng ahensya na magtrabaho kahit "breaktime" kung may mga kliyenteng hindi pa naseserbisyuhan bilang parte ng programa sa pagputol sa "red tape".

City ready to let pizzeria reopen quickly

ALBERTO'S Pizza branches will be allowed to open today if they are found to have complied with all the requirements in a joint inspection by several Cebu City Hall departments.

Legacy case to link officials

HIGH-PROFILE PUBLIC officials involved in the scandal are expected to be named by a former executive and an incumbent official of a beleaguered financial group in a Senate hearing today.

How Legacy Group's schemes work

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas knew that businessman-turned-politician Celso de los Angeles is behind the capital-deficient Legacy-linked rural banks, but couldn't pin him down for years since de los Angeles's name does not appear on any corporate document.

BSP files 2nd fraud rap vs. Legacy owner

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has filed its second case of syndicated estafa against Celso delos Angeles Jr., owner of the Legacy Group, and other officials of the holding firm and officials of a rural bank operating under its umbrella.

Church confident in CARP extension

Catholic Church leaders are confident that the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPer) would be passed by Congress after President Arroyo expressed her support for the bill.

Pag-ban sa Endosulfan gihangop

Gihangop ni Cebu City Agriculturist Joelito Baclayon ang disisyon sa nasudnong kagamhanan pag-ban na sa endosulfan.

Mayor set to meet with Arroyo, SRP buyers 

PRESIDENT Arroyo scheduled a trip to Cebu City tomorrow and will visit Mayor Tomas Osmeña, whose health she "is deeply concerned about," a Malacañang official said.

Internet voting, early ARMM elections

THE COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) will next lobby for congressional approval of proposals on absentee voting via the Internet and early elections in one region, following the passage last week of the supplemental budget bill for poll automation.

Solons warn Comelec of impeachment

Lawmakers from both the administration and opposition blocs said on Sunday that officials of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) could be impeached should they fail to carry out the full automation of the 2010 elections.

Support Cutie, del Mar asks

FOR Rep. Raul del Mar, him running for Cebu City mayor with Mayor-on-leave Tomas Osmeña as his running mate is a "dream team that will remain just that."

Ruiz mopasusi kang Jonas

Ipaimbestigar ni Congresswoman Nerrisa Soon Ruiz si Mayor Jonas Cortes sa Mandaue City gumikan sa pagpakaon sa mga nisaksi sa pagduaw ni kanhi Presidente Estrada sa Balay Lungsod nga gigastohan sa kwarta sa dakbayan.

Misuari fails anew to free ICRC workers

Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari said he failed anew to negotiate for the release of three kidnapped workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

Advocates push for resumption of talks

Peace advocates in Mindanao will gather on March 18 to push anew for the resumption of peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

NPA leader vows to continue fighting

A New People's Army (NPA) commander, whose daughter was killed by alleged military intelligence operatives last week, vowed to press on with his cause.

'Probe slay of NPA leader's daughter'

The government peace panel asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday to thoroughly investigate the kidnap-slay of the 21-year-old daughter of New People's Army commander Leoncio Pitao in Davao City last week.

Davao turns to prayer v. summary killings

Since Ash Wednesday, the local Catholic faithful have been praying the "Oratio Imperata" to heal the city from unabated summary killings.

Bumaril sa brodkaster kakasuhan

Takdang isampa nga yon ng Task Force 211 na pinamumunuan ni Justice Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor ang kasong frustrated murder laban sa mga suspek sa tangkang pagpatay sa brodkaster na si Nilo Labares na naka base sa Cagayan de Oro.

Sinalakay ng pirata

Tatlong mangingisda ang nasawi habang dalawa pa ang tinangay ng mga pirata matapos salakayin ang kanilang bangkang pangisda sa may bisinidad ng Languil Island sa Basilan.

Fishers seek protection from pirate attacks

Commercial fishing firms have expressed alarm over recent pirate attacks against vessels operating in the Moro Gulf and Sulu Sea in Western Mindanao.

Garcia's wife to fight extradition from US

The wife of a detained former Armed Forces's comptroller will fight the extradition request to the US government for her to face plunder charges filed in an anti-graft court in the Philippines.

Arroyo orders hunt of Ninoy's escort in '83

President Arroyo has ordered Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez to search for the reported "missing link" in the Aquino-Galman double murder case, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said.

Lacson 'overreacting' to Mancao affidavit 

Premature reactions on the controversial affidavit of former police Superintendent Cezar Mancao II could only further implicate those reacting to it, Press Secretary Cerge Remonde said Sunday.

Don't deport Filipino couple from Japan

An international human rights group has called on the Japanese government to halt the deportation of an illegally staying Filipino couple and allow them to remain with their 13-year-old daughter.

28 killed, 58 hurt in Baghdad blast

A suicide bomber on a bicycle blew himself up killing at least 28 people and wounding 58 more outside a police academy in the Iraqi capital on Sunday in the bloodiest attack in weeks.

Iraq: US to pull out 12,000 troops by Sept

The United States will pull 12,000 troops out of Iraq by the end of September, Baghdad government spokesman Ali Dabbagh announced on Sunday, marking an acceleration of the US withdrawal.

Israeli aircraft strike Gaza as rockets fall

Hamas security officials say Israeli aircraft targeted a Gaza City warehouse in a nighttime airstrike.

1,500 Thaksin supporters stage rally

Up to 1,500 supporters of ousted Thai premier Thaksin Shinawatra gathered in his northeastern stronghold on Sunday as part of a protest campaign to topple the government.

Sudan's pres. warns foreigners in Darfur

Sudan's president threatened to kick out more aid groups and expel diplomats and peacekeepers yesterday during his first trip to Darfur after an international court issued an arrest warrant against him for war crimes there.

Over 100 Sri Lankan rebels killed—gov't

More than 100 Tamil Tiger rebels have been killed in two days of fighting in Sri Lanka as they tried to break a military stranglehold, the defense ministry said Sunday.

Cebuanos shine in national dance tourney

Dancesport-Team Cebu City hauled seven golds, nine silvers and seven bronzes to clinch the championship of the opening leg of the three-part DSCPI National Dancesport Rankings and Competition last night at the Philsport Arena in Pasig City.

Freeman powers SMB to 2nd straight win

Gabe Freeman shook the effects of jetlag and exploded for 40 points in his debut game on Philippine soil, powering San Miguel to a 114-105 win over Burger King Sunday night in the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Chan sparkles in Barako Bull's win

Rookie Jeff Chan shone on both ends of the floor in the dying seconds to lead Barako Bull to a 92-90 win over Alaska Sunday night in the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup at the Araneta Coliseum.

Pacman aches on first day of training

The first few days of training at the Wild Card Gym has taken an early toll on Manny Pacquiao.

Melligen KOs Mexican foe in Colorado

Filipino prospect Mark Jason Melligen knocked out Mexican Gerardo Cesar Prieto in five rounds of their 8-round lightwelterweight fight in "The Mile High Throwdown III" in Commerce City, Colorado.

POC vows to raise own funds

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. remained firm on the POC's stand not to seek help from the Philippine Sports Commission until the PSC chair is removed even as he vowed to raise their own funds in the country's buildup for the Laos Southeast Asian Games slated Dec. 9-18.

Barkley begins 3-day jail sentence 

Former NBA star Charles Barkley began serving a three-day jail sentence Saturday for a drunken-driving charge.

Francis M. to receive presidential medal

Francis Magalona would get a posthumous Presidential Medal of Merit for promoting patriotism through music, Malacañang announced on Sunday.

Pia a pillar of strength

While everybody are dissolving in tears at the Christ The King Chapels in Green Meadows, Quezon City, where the remains of her husband Francis Magalona lie, Pia Arroyo-Magalona acknowledges the hugs and handshakes of sympathizers with a smile and with not a hint of tears.

Magalona kids find strength in each other

Two days after the death of the Philippines' "master rapper" Francis Magalona, his eight children are coping with the grief by finding strength in each other.

Pageant watchers' hopes dashed

A CEBU-BASED model made it to the top 10 of last Saturday night's Bb. Pilipinas competition, but three contenders from Luzon eventually brought home the crowns.

John Lloyd Cruz shuns 'No.1' actor tag

Amid the success of his movies and television series and string of endorsements, actor John Lloyd Cruz is on cloud nine these days but he also admitted that he is also at the point of his career when it is at its hardest.

Together again

Yes, Dr. Vicki Belo and her beloved Dr. Hayden Kho are back in each other's arms, proving to all and sundry that love conquers all.