I. BANNER STORIES
Procurement Act to be suspended for ARMM poll automation
Comelec to adopt a one system, one province setup
By Veronica Uy
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 12:09:00 04/24/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE 3) The Joint Congressional Committee on Automated Elections has agreed to provide legal cover to the poll body by suspending the Government Procurement Reform Act to pave the way for the automation of the elections in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao this August.
Health fraud in RP costs US military over $100 M
Friday, April 25, 2008
MADISON, Wisconsin – The US military’s health insurance program has been swindled out of more than $100 million over the past decade in the Philippines, where doctors, hospitals and clinics have conspired with American veterans to submit bogus claims, according to prosecutors and court records.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424105
3. Manila Times
Senators push ‘federalism’
Senate resolution likely to lead to changing 1987 Constitution
The Senate might yet pass a resolution calling for Charter change, or “Cha-cha.”
The possibility of amending the 1987 Constitution loomed on Wednesday night when 11 senators signed a resolution that seeks adoption of a federal system to replace the current unitary system of government.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/25/yehey/top_stories/20080425top1.html
4. Malaya
Church drops US rice
Genetically altered strains reported by Greenpeace
BY GERARD NAVAL
THE Catholic Church was a willing partner of government in the distribution of subsidized rice to poor communities until Greenpeace reported yesterday that two rice varieties contaminated with genetically modified organisms have again slipped into the country.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/apr25/news1.htm
5. Manila Bulletin
Palace warns against faking of rice cards
Malacañang yesterday ordered authorities to go after those found guilty of faking and selling "family access cards" that provide poor households access to the government-subsidized rice.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080425122751.html
DoJ chief scored on RP surrender to China
By Angie M. Rosales
04/25/2008
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez’s statement that the Spratlys and the Scarborough Shoal may as well be given to China because the country risks a war with regional superpower while stressing that the Philippines will lose that war since China is a military power got Sen. Rodolfo Biazon’s gander up.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080425hed1.html
7. Abante
BINUBUWITRE!
Nina NOEL ABUEL, ROSE MIRANDA at DINDO MATINING
Nagkalat na ngayon ang mga family access card o rice card na ibinebenta ng hinihinalang sindikato sa iba’t ibang panig ng Metro Manila sa mga nagnanais na makabili ng murang National Food Authority (NFA) rice.
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/apr2508/default.htm
MERALCO GIGISAHIN SA POWER HIKE
Rey Marfil
Sa panibagong pagtaas ng singil sa kuryente, ipatatawag ng Senado ang pamunuan ng Manila Electric Company (Meralco) upang pagpaliwanagin kung may basehan ang ginawa nitong pagtataas ng singil sa kuryente sa gitna ng krisis na nararanasan ng mamamayan sa pagtaas ng presyo ng bigas, gasolina at iba pang bilihin.
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/apr2508/news1.htm
GMA bumitaw na sa Chacha
Ni Rudy Andal
Friday, April 25, 2008
Ipinauubaya na ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo sa susunod na presidente ang planong pagpapalit ng sistema ng gobyerno.
Ayon kay Presidential Spokesman at Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, malabo nang maganap ang Charter change dahil kulang na ang panahon upang matalakay pa ito at dalawang taon na lang ang nalalabi sa kanyang termino.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008042486
10. Journal
TOOTHLESS
By: Jester P. Manalastas
New version of Cheaper Medicine Bill drops price watchdog provision
ALREADY shorn of the contentious “generics only” provision, the Cheaper Medicine Bill may yet be watered down with lawmakers considering removing the “price regulatory board” proposal in the original version of the measure.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-04-25&sec=1&aid=57301
11. Business World
State firms’ surpluses tapped
Palace orders funds used for additional anti-poverty programs
STATE-OWNED firms and financial institutions have been ordered to use part of their surpluses for anti-poverty programs as Malacañang moves to address rising prices of basic goods.
http://bworldonline.com/BW042508/content.php?id=001
12. Business Mirror
Inflation seen to breach target
By Jun Vallecera, Reporter and Bloomberg
THE Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) finally had to acknowledge Thursday what most analysts and others in the government have suspected: that inflation would range beyond the 5-percent ceiling targeted for the year.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0425&262008/headlines01.html
II. POLITICAL
SPECIAL REPORT
Senator says NFA has become cash cow
By Fernando del Mundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:01:00 04/25/2008
(Second of four parts)
MANILA, Philippines—The National Food Authority has been accused of inefficiency and corruption that calls for its abolition have been made periodically over the past decade.
Why RP, home to IRRI, is now the world's top rice importer
By Tina Arceo-Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:21:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines—It is ironic that the Philippines, home to the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) and some of the world's best agriculture schools, has become the world's top importer of rice.
Rice, meat prices down at 'bagsakan' centers
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:01:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Some 470,000 families nationwide are now buying rice, meat and other basic commodities, which are at least 10 percent cheaper than those sold at wet markets and retail outlets, through the Department of Agriculture's barangay bagsakan centers.
'Yosi Kadiri' smoked out, QuitsS in
By Tarra Quismundo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:02:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Yosi Kadiri has puffed his last.
Meet QuitsS, the dancing and bouncing mascot that debuted this week as the clean-cut symbol of the new Quit Smoking Support (QuitsS) program, a workplace-based project batting for a holistic approach to kicking the habit among employees.
Greenpeace to gov't: Stop sale of US rice with GMO
By Jocelyn Uy
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 05:29:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Rice "contaminated" with an unauthorized genetically modified organism (GMO) has reached the tables of Filipino households, the environmental group Greenpeace said Thursday.
Cheap medicines bill faces new kink
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:48:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- After getting over the hump of the “generics only provision,” senators and congressmen have to iron out a fresh kink before they can finally put the cheaper medicines bill to bed.
Palace gives up on Charter change
By Michael Lim Ubac, Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:49:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Malacañang has given up hopes that Charter change could be made to happen before President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo leaves office.
Grudgingly, Comelec agrees to automate in 4 ARMM provinces
By Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 06:50:00 04/25/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Under pressure from a joint congressional oversight committee, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Thursday said it would automate the elections in four of the six provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) scheduled for Aug. 11.
Malacañang is No. 1 agency with excess exec hires
By Isa Lorenzo And Malou Mangahas Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism
Friday, April 25, 2008
(Second of a series)
President Arroyo herself gives the lie to her administration’s avowed efforts to trim the bureaucracy of excess personnel.
A 2008 study by the Civil Service Commission (CSC) lists Arroyo’s office as the agency with the biggest number of undersecretaries, assistant secretaries, advisers, assistants and consultants in excess of caps set by law, and without civil service eligibility.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424107
Senators eyeing con-ass
By Christina Mendez
Friday, April 25, 2008
Twelve senators want Congress to convene into a constituent assembly and amend the Constitution to transform the Philippines into a federation of 11 states.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424108
LTO taps hi-tech tools vs car thieves, smugglers
By Perseus Echeminada
Friday, April 25, 2008
Car smugglers and car thieves, beware.
The Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Bureau of Customs (BOC) have adopted modern technology to counter the illegal activities of these criminal specialists.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424110
Senate backs extended CARP
By Aurea Calica
Friday, April 25, 2008
Senators are in favor of extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) but want to ensure that reforms would be incorporated in the new law so that the farmers would really benefit from it.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424112
DOST: Biofuels did not bring about rice crisis
By Helen Flores
Friday, April 25, 2008
Reacting to allegations that biofuels contributed to the rice crisis, Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Estrella Alabastro said “this may be true in other countries” but not in the Philippines.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424116
SC denies lifting freeze order on Garcia assets
Friday, April 25, 2008
The Supreme Court (SC) has denied with finality the petition for reconsideration of former Armed Forces of the Philippines comptroller, retired Maj. Gen. Carlos Garcia, to lift the freeze order on his assets.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424119
Oakwood takeover was no coup, Biazon tells Makati court
By Michael Punongbayan
Friday, April 25, 2008
Soldiers who took over the Oakwood apartment building in Makati in 2003 did not launch a coup against the government, Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said yesterday.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424121
House hits Senate for ‘weakened’ medicine bill
By Jess Diaz
Friday, April 25, 2008
It may now be futile to expect an era of cheap drugs because the Senate has emasculated the bill seeking to bring down significantly the prices of medicine, according to an administration congressman.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424122
Electronic voting to push through in 4 ARMM provinces
Friday, April 25, 2008
The electronic voting process in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) will finally push through on Aug. 11, but only in four of the six provinces in the region.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424123
LEDAC urged to harmonize RP stand on Spratlys
By Delon Porcalla
Friday, April 25, 2008
Lawmakers are hopeful that Congress and the executive could “harmonize” the country’s stand on the Spratlys dispute through the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC).
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424125
‘Peace talks still possible even without 3rd party’
By James Mananghaya And Roel Pareño
Friday, April 25, 2008
The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) may still talk peace even without a third party negotiator and despite Malaysia’s withdrawal of its ceasefire monitoring team next month, Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro said on Wednesday.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080424126
Roxas lauds Nograles on ‘generics only’ decision
Senator Mar Roxas lauded Thursday Speaker Prospero Nograles and the House for resolving the remaining kink in the Quality Affordable Medicines Act, thus assuring its passage before Labor Day and enabling thousands of poor patients to get quality medicine at affordable prices.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/apr/25/yehey/metro/20080425met3.html
Palace: No time for solons’ Cha-cha on federalism, but...
04/25/2008
Even with 11 senators approving a resolution to amend the 1987 Constitution to usher in a federal system of government, filed by Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., Malacañang yesterday said there is no more time left to pursue the adoption of a federal form of government.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080425hed5.html
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