Wednesday, April 16, 2008

I. BANNER STORIES

1. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Business backs pay hike

Workers seek P50 to P150 increase

By Michael Lim Ubac, Ronnel Domingo

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 00:51:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Two business groups Tuesday expressed support for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s order to the regional tripartite wage boards to convene and determine by how much to increase the minimum wages of workers in the private sector to help them cope with the rising costs of food and fuel.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130627/Business-backs-pay-hike

2. The Philippine Star

UN: Global food crisis now an emergency

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

UNITED NATIONS – UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned yesterday that the rapidly escalating global food crisis has reached emergency proportions and threatens to wipe out seven years of progress in the fight against global poverty.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415112

3. Manila Times

UN food program in peril

Rising rice price could compel agency to cut rations to poor

A United Nations agency may be compelled to cut rations feeding more than a million people in troubled Mindanao in southern Philippines because of soaring world food prices, it warned on Tuesday.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/16/yehey/top_stories/20080416top1.html

4. Malaya

No more P18.25 rice in Metro markets

NFA to course sales through local gov’ts, churches

BY REGINA BENGCO

AGRICULTURE Secretary Arthur Yap yesterday said government would pull out "in two to three weeks" the P18.25 per kilo rice being supplied by the National Food Authority from the public markets of Metro Manila and concentrate its distribution in urban poor areas.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr16/news1.htm

5. Manila Bulletin

SC acts on Senate motion

Directs all parties to file comments

SC acts on motion for it to reconsider Neri ruling

By REY G. PANALIGAN and DEXTER A. SEE

BAGUIO CITY – The Supreme Court (SC) met in a full court session here yesterday and acted on the motion filed by the Senate committees to reconsider its 9-6 decision on executive privilege.

http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080416121977.html

6. The Daily Tribune

7. Abante

57 ARAW NA LANG ANG BIGAS!

Nina GRACE VELASCO, ROSE MIRANDA, ERALYN PRADO, BOYET JADULCO, TINA MENDOZA at NILO MARASIGAN

Tatagal na lamang nang 57 araw ang imbak na bigas ng Pilipinas at pagkatapos nito ay aasa na lamang ang sambayanan sa susunod na importasyon at anihan.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/apr1608/default.htm

8. Abante-Tonite

PRICE CRISIS NA!

Rey Marfil at Bernard Taguinod

Hindi na ang kakulangan sa supply ng bigas ang pangunahing problema ng bansa sa kasalukuyan kundi ang araw-araw na pagtaas ng presyo ng mga pangunahing bilihin.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr1608/news1.htm

9. Pilipino Star Ngayon

E-power ibinasura ni GMA!

Nina Rudy Andal At Malou Escudero

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Ibinasura ng Malacañang ang panukala ng ilang kongresista na pagkalooban ng emergency power si Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo upang resolbahin ang problema ng bansa hinggil sa supply ng bigas.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008041588

10. Journal

‘HOARDERS’ CHARGED

By: Hector Lawas with Paul M. Gutierrez

Raps filed vs 13 hoarding suspects; GMA: ‘Rice and bread bandits’ face jail

THE National Bureau of Investigation yesterday filed a string of charges against 13 suspected rice hoarders before the Department of Justice.

The government is cracking down on hoarders of rice and other prime commodities amid dire warnings of a global food crisis and consequent riots by the hungry poor as has happened in Haiti, Egypt and some parts of Africa.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-16&sec=1&aid=56260

11. Business World

Gov’t pushes tax perk for workers

A DAY AFTER ORDERING wage boards to review pay scales nationwide, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is now looking at asking legislators to exempt minimum wage earners from paying income tax.

http://bworldonline.com/BW041608/content.php?id=001

12. Business Mirror

Prices put RP at great fiscal risk

By Lilian Karunungan

Bloomberg

SINGAPORE—The Philippines is more at risk than Indonesia as record food and energy prices threaten budget targets and cause currencies to decline, according to Thomas Byrne, senior vice president at Moody’s Investors Service.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/04162008/headlines01.html

II. POLITICAL

13 suspected rice hoarders charged

By Tina Santos, Margaux Ortiz, Christine Avendaño, Tetch Torres

Philippine Daily Inquirer, INQUIRER.net

First Posted 03:02:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—In parallel moves aimed at ensuring a steady supply of rice, the Arroyo administration Tuesday filed charges of hoarding against 13 people and moved to deport two Chinese nationals allegedly belonging to a cartel controlling supplies of the cereal in Isabela province.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130643/13-suspected-rice-hoarders-charged

Gov’t orders immediate stop to land conversion

By TJ Burgonio

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 04:08:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Taking a cue from the experts, Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman Tuesday ordered an immediate stop to the conversion of agricultural lands to real estate development in the face of a feared shortage in the supply of rice.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130657/Govt-orders-immediate-stop-to-land-conversion

Palace hot on ‘people’s bread,’ ‘bread bandits’

By Christine Avendaño, Margaux Ortiz

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:03:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Besides rice hoarders, Malacañang is now running after what it calls “bread bandits,” or those engaged in price gouging involving bakery products.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130661/Palace-hot-on-peoples-bread-bread-bandits

Ex-NFA head proposes action plan

By Amy R. Remo

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:48:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Former National Food Authority Administrator Romeo David Tuesday proposed an 18-point action plan to meet the rice problem facing the country.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130665/Ex-NFA-head-proposes-action-plan

Report to UN was criticized, lawyers claim

By Jerome Aning

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:57:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- A group of lawyers has accused the government of reporting “barefaced lies and half-truths” to the United Nations Human Rights Council when it made a presentation at the UNHRC Universal Periodic Review in Geneva last week.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130668/Report-to-UN-was-criticized-lawyers-claim

Ex-DA chief: Solution to rice problem lies in execution

By Amy R. Remo

Agence France-Presse

First Posted 05:58:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines—A former Department of Agriculture secretary Tuesday stressed that the so-called rice crisis resulted from the government’s inability to decide whether or not to be self-reliant in rice production.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130669/Ex-DA-chief-Solution-to-rice-problem-lies-in-execution

Trillanes won’t plead guilty

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other accused ringleaders of the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny are not likely to plead guilty to charges filed against them before military and civilian courts.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415116

‘Calibrated’ wage hike eyed

By Marvin Sy

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) backed yesterday a calibrated wage increase to allow workers to keep up with the rising prices of basic commodities.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415117

Cabinet revamp: Esperon to DND, Teodoro to DOJ?

By Jaime Laude

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Come May 14, the defense department may have a new chief in the person of outgoing Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) chief of staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon Jr.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415118

GMA vows to lead drive vs rice hoarders

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

President Arroyo vowed yesterday to jail people who are involved in the pilferage of government-subsidized rice as she ordered tighter controls on the sale of rice from the National Food Authority (NFA) to curb “domestic hoarding” of grains.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415119

House, Senate divided on emergency powers for GMA

By Aurea Calica And Christina Mendez

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

While members of the House of Representatives are open to the proposal to grant President Arroyo emergency powers to immediately and effectively address the rice crisis, senators slammed the idea and instead urged the government to come up with short- and long-term solutions to the impending food crisis.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415120

Computers bog down as taxpayers beat deadline

By Perseus Echeminada

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The rush of taxpayers trying to beat yesterday’s deadline for the filing of individual and corporate income tax returns put the Bureau of Internal Revenue’s computer system out of action.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415121

Miriam slips from stage

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago hit her head on a wooden divider while stepping down from a makeshift stage in a hotel in Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415126

Iggy among CARP opponents — Bishop

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Catholic archbishop assigned in Cagayan de Oro yesterday said farmers have allegedly identified Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio “Iggy” Arroyo as one of those who are blocking the extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415127

House proposes 3-year suspension of ‘generics only’ provision

By Jess Diaz

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Instead of scrapping the “generics only” provision in the Cheaper Medicine Bill, lawmakers are instead proposing to suspend its for three years.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415128


SC defers action on Senate plea

By Leila Salaverria, Inquirer Northern Luzon

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:49:00 04/16/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The Supreme Court has deferred action on the Senate’s motion for reconsideration on the high tribunal’s decision to uphold the President’s claim of executive privilege on three questions regarding the government’s controversial broadband deal with China.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080416-130666/SC-defers-action-on-Senate-plea



SC tackles inhibition from Neri case

By Artemio Dumlao

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

BAGUIO CITY – The Supreme Court turned down yesterday petitions seeking the inhibition of some justices in the deliberations on the Senate’s motion for reconsideration of the SC decision upholding executive privilege as invoked by former socio-economic planning secretary Romulo Neri.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080415113


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