I.BANNER STORIES
SMC, farmers forge deal
It’s Cardinal Rosales’ wish, says firm’s CEO
By Daxim Lucas, Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:02:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—San Miguel Corp. (SMC) Sunday confirmed that it had reached an agreement with the Higaonon farmers regarding the long-drawn dispute over a 144-hectare property in Sumilao, Bukidnon.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080324-126036/SMC-farmers-forge-deal
Lenten break ‘very peaceful’
By Cecille Suerte Felipe
Monday, March 24, 2008
The week-long observance of the Lenten season has been “very peaceful” with no single untoward incident recorded, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Avelino Razon Jr. said yesterday.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008032398
3. Manila Times
Rice price may trigger unrest
Govt in denial about ‘crisis’
By Efren L. Danao, Senior Reporter
Senator Loren Legarda warned Sunday of social unrest and political instability if the price of rice, now on a 34-year high, continues to surge.
Another senator, Mar Roxas 2nd, is also concerned about rice supply, saying the Arroyo government is in denial about the rice crisis. Like Legarda, he is proposing several measures to address the problem.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/24/yehey/top_stories/20080324top1.html
4. Malaya
Come clean on rice shortage, GMA urged
Prices are at 34-year high
BY JP LOPEZ
SEN. Mar Roxas yesterday rebuked government for claiming there is no rice shortage amid soaring prices of the grain to a 34-year high.
There is a rice crisis, said Roxas, chairman of the Senate committee on trade and commerce.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/mar24/news1.htm
31.5 M workers return today
Along with 20 M students all over RP; Long Holy Week vacation ends
By E. T. SUAREZ
More than 31.5 million workers, about 1.4 million of whom are public servants, return to work while 20 million students resume their classes on all levels today, after four straight non-working days and week-long vacation, respectively, occasioned by the observance of Holy Week.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080324120149.html
Admit looming crisis on rice, solons tell Gloria
By Angie M. Rosales and Ruben Hortelano
03/24/2008
An impending rice crisis would be politically explosive if government fails to come up with effective solutions to prevent rice from being scarce, senators warned yesterday as they urged Malacañang to give a complete picture of the situation.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080324hed1.html
7. Abante
‘TONGPATS’ PALALA SA RICE CRISIS!
Nina Eralyn Prado at Rose Miranda
Pinaniniwalaan na ang pangongomisyon o ‘tongpats’ ng ilang tiwaling opisyal ng National Food Authority (NFA) ang siyang higit na nagpapahirap sa kinakaharap na krisis sa suplay ng bigas sa bansa.
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/mar2408/default.htm
KAMARA KASABWAT SA SPRATLYS DEAL
ni: Rey Marfil
Hindi maiwasang pagdudahan ni Senate minority floor leader Aquilino ‘Nene’ Pimentel Jr., ang pakikipagsabwatan ng liderato ni House Speaker Prospero Nograles sa palasyo ng Malacañang upang protektahan ang interes ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa Spratlys deal.
Bagama’t walang direktang pagtukoy, kinuwestyon ni Pimentel ang kabiguan ng Kamara na maipasa ang bersyon ng ‘archipelagic baseline’ bago sumapit ang Semana Santa.
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/mar2408/news_story1.htm
Sagot daw sa krisis sa bigas: Produksyon, ‘di pagtitipid
Ni Rudy Andal
Monday, March 24, 2008
Hiniling kahapon ni Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. sa pamahalaan na palakasin ang produksyon ng palay sa halip na manawagan sa mamamayan na magtipid sa bigas.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008032365
10. Journal
TIME BOMB
By: Bernadette E. Tamayo
Palace warned ‘politically explosive’ rice issue could blow up in its face
MALACAÑANG should face the rice situation squarely because the “politically explosive” issue has the potential to become a fullblown crisis, two senators told the Palace yesterday.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-03-24&sec=1&aid=53552
11. Business World
Development goals in focus
Annual meet kicks off this week
THE GOVERNMENT will this week meet with key development partners, seeking to shore up financing for infrastructure projects deemed crucial to economic growth.
http://bworldonline.com/BW032408/content.php?id=001
12. Business Mirror
Subsidy, not tariff rate cut, eyed for rice
By Jun Vallecera and Butch Fernandez
Reporters
THE Department of Finance (DOF) has ruled out any tariff rate cut on rice imports, but a parallel plan to increase the subsidy on the staple is in the works.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03242008/headlines01.html
II. POLITICAL
Arroyo warned on rice crisis
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:12:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Sen. Loren Legarda Sunday warned that the Arroyo administration was facing a “politically explosive” situation with the price of rice hitting its highest level in more than three decades and urged that it undertake a massive rice-planting program.
Senator calls for unified stand on RP territory
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:13:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang and Congress should come up with a “common stand” to protect Philippine territory through a new baselines bill asserting the country’s claim to the Kalayaan Islands in the South China Sea.
Another China loan probed
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:17:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The Senate will delve deeper into the $5-billion Chinese loan the Philippine government used to pay for the relocation of squatters in the North Luzon Railways (NorthRail) and Southern Luzon Railways (SouthRail) projects and the construction of at least one million low-cost housing units.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080324-126065/Another-China-loan-probed
ANALYSIS
The dissonance of politics and music
By Amando Doronila
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:16:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—At the risk of committing journalistic heresy, I am not jumping back to indulge the feeding frenzy of political commentary on Easter Sunday. The public deserves a long break from congressional investigations and is weary of them after a respite during the Holy Week.
SC upholds dismissal of graft case vs DBP execs
By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:20:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The Supreme Court has upheld the Ombudsman’s dismissal of a graft case filed against officials of the Development Bank of the Philippines and an electronics firm in connection with an alleged behest loan amounting to more than $1 million, worth P10 million in 1980.
Finance Undersecretary Mendoza quits
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:24:00 03/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Finance Undersecretary Gaudencio Mendoza Jr., head of the legal team of the Department of Finance, has resigned from his post effective April 1.
PNP’s P10-B modernization fund approved
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:19:00 03/24/2008
LA TRINIDAD, BENGUET—“The Philippine National Police is expected to score heavily against criminality and provide people with better security following Malacañang’s approval of its P10-billion modernization program, Director General Avelino Razon Jr., PNP chief, said on Saturday.
DOF eyes hike in NFA subsidy
By Iris Gonzales
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Department of Finance (DOF) is planning to increase the tax expenditure subsidy to the National Food Authority (NFA).
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008032399
Meralco seeking rate increase
By Donnabelle Gatdula
Monday, March 24, 2008
The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) has filed a petition with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to increase its rate by P0.038 per kilowatthour (kWh) in an attempt to recoup its under-recoveries of P1 billion from lifeline subsidies.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323100
Neglect, squabbles imperil RP claim to Spratlys
By the Vera Files
Monday, March 24, 2008
(First of two parts)
Neglect by President Arroyo and squabbles over turf and money have derailed government efforts to establish the country’s new archipelagic baseline, and may jeopardize the Philippines’ claim over parts of the resource-rich Spratlys that fall within its extended continental shelf.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323101
Palace has yet to submit Melo appointment papers
By Jess Diaz
Monday, March 24, 2008
What is Malacañang waiting for?
Some members of the Commission on Appointments (CA) are asking this question since the appointment of retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo as chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not been submitted by President Arroyo to the CA.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323102
Back to FATF blacklist for RP?
By Des Ferriols
Monday, March 24, 2008
The government fears that the Philippines could be returned to the blacklist of the Financial Action Task Force on Anti-Money Laundering (FATF) after the Supreme Court ruled that the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) could not look into a bank account without notice to the owner.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323103
JDV says his ties with GMA ‘even below zero’
By Eva Visperas
Monday, March 24, 2008
DAGUPAN CITY – Former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. told local reporters here the other day that he was being generous with the President when he said their relation is zero.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323104
Lozada still hoping to get his life back
Monday, March 24, 2008
The key witness in the government’s botched national broadband network (NBN) deal is hopeful that his life would go back to normal despite the complexities wrought by his testimony in the corruption scandal.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080323109
House still insistent on RP baseline bill
Cebu Rep. Cuenco apparently not bothered by protests China lodged against the bill’s passage
By Sammy Martin, Correspondent
The House of Representatives will prioritize at the plenary the controversial Archipelagic Baselines bill once it resumes session on April 22.
The third reading of the bill was aborted before the House went on recess from the Holy Week break, apparently because of some pressure from the Chinese government.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/24/yehey/metro/20080324met1.html
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