July 10, 2009 Major News Stories

Glo hit over delay of EO on cheap medicine

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has allegedly conspired with multinational drug firms to delay the imposition of maximum retail price (MRP) for essential medicines in the country.  Senator Manuel Roxas said he received information from reliable sources that the President recently held a closed door meeting with representatives of multinational drug firms, where they supposedly agreed to defer the imposition of the MRP.

95% of 1,709 H1N1 patients recover – DoH

Ninety-five percent of the 1,709 confirmed Influenza A(H1N1) cases as of last week have recovered from the disease, a health official said, as she warned that more people would be infected by the virus.

WHO lauds RP's handling of H1N1

The World Health Organization (WHO) has commended the Department of Health (DoH) for its "efficient" response in slowing down the spread of the novel Influenza A(H1N1) virus.

Officials to explain prevalence of dengue

Cebu City health officials have accepted the invitation of city councilors to appear during next week's session to brief them of the possible reasons why there are still dengue-related casualties in the city despite the city's prevention programs.

Local oil firms tighten security

Local oil companies have put in place all the necessary security measures amid reported threats of terror bombings in Metro Manila.

4th man tags same 'shooter' of Fr. Rabusa

POLICE captured yesterday the alleged henchman of a robbery gang leader who owned up to the killing of Fr. Jovencio Rabusa in Talisay City last Monday. Lawmen cornered Jonas "Tingloy" Turawan, 21, a taho vendor, while he was asleep in his aunt's house in Poro town, Camo-tes Island, Cebu at 6 a.m.

Judge to meet lawyers on Ecleo case

THE judge now handling the parricide case against Ruben Ecleo Jr. wants to meet with the lawyers of the prosecution and defense panels in an attempt to get the proceedings rolling again.

Winston running for Cebu City mayor?

IF rumors that Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) President Winston Garcia will run for Cebu City mayor prove true, the local opposition will welcome and may consider him as its standard-bearer.

BOPK meet during Tom' birthday party

A BIG party is being planned for Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's birthday on July 26, which is expected to become another political gathering of Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK).

Mandaue-Mactan Bridge closed for survey

From 5 a.m. to 7 a.m. on July 19, the Mandaue-Mactan Bridge will be closed to public in order to allow survey and mapping activities in the area.  Environment Undersecretary Diony Ventura, who is also National Mapping and Resource Information Authority administrator, said that bridge closure is required to minimize vibrations during their survey.

Taxi with fake numbers monitored

The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board is monitoring a taxi nit that allegedly operates using a fake and unregistered sequence numbers.

Developer threatened with contempt

The court has ordered a condominium developer to explain why it should not be cited for contempt its failure to comply with an order to supply potable water to the residents of Towers 1 and 2 of Citylights Gardens Condominiums.

Metro 'safe, stable,' says defense chief

Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro Jr. said Metro Manila remained "relatively safe and stable," as he reminded the military to do "more action" and "less talk" on reported security threats.

Abu Sayyaf leader's 2 wives nabbed

The military announced on Thursday the arrest of the two wives of Abu Sayyaf leader Albader Parad and four others at a checkpoint, two hours after the bombing in Jolo, Sulu, on Tuesday.

Pimentel: Gov't action on blasts weak

Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. has criticized the government for its "very weak" and "utterly unconvincing" response to the spate of bombings in the country.

Rebels torch delivery van in Iloilo

Suspected communist rebels burned a delivery van of a cigarette distributor in Iloilo province on Thursday, police said.

Blast hits police HQ in Tagum

Unidentified men fired a grenade at the provincial headquarters of the Philippine National Police here early Thursday.

Arroyo to deliver 'great' Sona -- Palace

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's ninth and final State of the Nation Address (Sona), which will be delivered on July 27, is certain to be "great," one of her spokespersons said.

Police detail at SONA may go up to 12,000

Amid criticisms of an "overkill" in the number of policemen securing President Arroyo's State of the Nation Address on July 27, Metro Manila police indicated Thursday they may beef up the police detail further to 12,000.

'Generals in Cabinet readying martial rule'

Former senator Franklin Drilon said here on Thursday that a "strong military clique" in the Arroyo administration could be laying the groundwork for martial rule in the country.

Palace: Martial law yarn 'preposterous'

Malacañang on Thursday hit back at critics who accused President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of plotting emergency rule on the pretext of the wave of bombings in Mindanao.

CIA chief's visit not linked to blasts—DFA

The forthcoming visit to the Philippines of US Central Intelligence Agency chief Leon Edward Panetta was scheduled a month ago and has nothing to do with the recent bombings in Mindanao.

Only SC can stop poll deal – Comelec exec

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) and the consortium of Smartmatic International and Total Information Management Corp. will sign the P7.2-billion contract for election automation on Friday, despite the challenge launched against the deal in the Supreme Court, a poll commissioner said.

SC asked to stop poll automation deal

A group of lawyers and concerned citizens on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to stop the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from signing the multi-billion poll automation contract with the Smartmatic/Total Information Management (TIM) consortium.

Comelec taps 80,000 IT's for 2010 polls

With the obstacles to poll automation for the 2010 elections almost all cleared, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now looking for information technology (IT) people to handle the voting machines.

Comelec to voters: Submit biometric data

About a million registered voters in Central Visayas will have to come back to the Commission on Elections for the submission of their biometric information.

Cory 'stable' and 'slowly recovering'

Former President Corazon Aquino is "stable, comfortable and conscious," her spokesperson, Deedee Siytangco, said after the last in a series of nine healing masses for the ailing icon of democracy ended on Thursday.

Cory now taking in small portions of food

Former President Corazon Aquino is now taking in small portions of food to supplement the fluid being inserted into her body through intravenous therapy, her nephew said Thursday.

Arroyo should learn from Cory - bishop

Bishop Teodoro Bacani was all praises for former president Corazon Aquino's leadership after a mass held for her recovery, but the bishop could not resist taking a jibe at the current administration.

Surgeon breaks silence on Arroyo biopsy

A cosmetic surgeon confirmed that President Arroyo underwent excision biopsy at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City last week after experiencing pain in her left breast.  Dr. Raul Guanzon said he performed the two-hour operation on the President last week while Mrs. Arroyo was on self-imposed quarantine at the prestigious hospital. "She consulted us to remove the lump on her breast. We also did frozen section analysis on the mass to find out if it was benign or malignant and it turned out to be benign," he told ABS-CBN. 

He said the lump could have formed due to hormonal changes.  Guanzon, however, refused to say if the President indeed has breast implants.

Erap pokes at NBI probe on boob job leak

Former president Joseph Estrada has jokingly taken issue at a probe launched on the leaked information on the breast enhancements of President Arroyo while at the same time also seriously called for transparency on the president's health status.

"Wag niyo naman dibdibin ang kasong ito, when there are so many cases of killings, ambushes bombings and other heinous crimes that need to be investigated," said Estrada. "I hope that no doctor in this assembly tonight is under investigation by the NBI for being talkative and revealing the truth about the very important patient."

Estrada also joked to the doctors about President Arroyo's cosmetic enhancements.

"Sabagay hindi naman ako kasi pious living. Alam niyo ba ang ibig sabihin ng pious living? Ibig sabihin noon, paayos nang paayos. If you are among those saying that I was the one who talked about implants, I hope you do not get quarantined for life," said Estrada.

Dr. Raul Guanzon, a cosmetic surgeon, had confirmed Thursday that President Arroyo underwent excision biopsy at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center in Muntinlupa City last week after experiencing pain in her left breast.

PNP sets final gun amnesty in October

The Philippine National Police (PNP) is giving owners of loose firearms the whole month of October this year to avail of amnesty, an official said Thursday.

Glo cracks down on 1 million illegal guns

President Arroyo ordered a nationwide crackdown Thursday to confiscate an estimated 1 million illegal firearms, saying the weapons have fueled crimes and rebellions and could turn next year's presidential elections violent.

2 Pinoys among 6 seized off Nigeria

Two Filipinos are among the six crewmembers being held by militants who attacked the chemical tanker Sichem Peace 18 miles off Koko, Nigeria last July 4.

Accident halts RP-Japan anti-piracy drill

MANILA, Philippines - Officials say two Filipino coast guardsmen fell 20 feet from a helicopter to the deck of a ship during anti-piracy drills Thursday, injuring themselves and halting the exercise.

Iran warns of crackdown on protests

Iran authorities, still reeling from the massive public protests over last month's election, warned on Thursday of a harsh crackdown against any demonstration to mark the anniversary of student unrest which rocked the Islamic republic on this day in 1999.

Pacquiao sues karaoke 'pirates'

Top executives of two Philippines firms accused of using local boxing icon Manny "PacMan" Pacquiao's name and image to sell karaoke microphones are to stand trial for intellectual piracy, an appellate court said.  The court denied defendant Andres Sanchez's petition to dismiss the lawsuit.

Pacquiao wants the court to stop Sanchez's G2K Corp. and In-A-Jiffy Enterprises, owned by the defendant's daughter Maria Cristina Sanchez, from using his name to sell their "Wow Magic Sing" karaoke microphones.  Pacquiao endorses a rival brand of microphones, "Extreme Magic Sing."

Pineda hits Freddie's 'monkey' remark

Arnel Pineda, the Filipino front man of the famed American rock band "Journey," on Thursday  lashed out at folk music icon Freddie Aguilar for reportedly comparing him and international singing sensation Charice to monkeys.  Aguilar was reportedly not impressed by Charice and Pineda's achievements abroad. Aguilar reportedly noted that the two only proved what international singer Mariah Carey had said about Filipinos. 

Carey had reportedly likened Filipinos to monkeys because they would only mimic the styles and songs of other international artists. 

French seen as world's worst: survey

French tourists are the worst in the world, coming across as bad at foreign languages, tight-fisted and arrogant, according to a survey of 4,500 hotel owners across the world.

Pagasa hoists signal no. 1 in nine areas

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) on Thursday afternoon raised storm signal no. 1 in nine areas after low pressure area "Gorio" further intensified into a tropical depression.

Signal no. 1 was hoisted in Cagayan, Calayan group of Islands, Babuyan group of Islands, Northern Isabela, Kalinga, Apayao, Abra, Ilocos Norte and Batanes.

Pagasa said Gorio is spotted 340 kilometers east of Aparri, Cagayan. It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kph near the center as it moved west northwest at 11 kph.

El Niño conditions return to affect weather

U.S. government scientists said Thursday that El Nino, the periodic warming of water in the tropical Pacific Ocean that can affect weather around the world, has returned.

Understanding the Anti-Dummy Law

Since our Constitution limits public utilities, the exploitation of natural resources, and the practice of some professions to Filipinos or Filipino-owned corporations, the classification of a company engaged in the these businesses is significant.

Clifford Stoll  - "The Internet is a telephone system that's gotten uppity."