I. BANNER STORIES
Meralco accused: ‘Ghost deliveries’
Solon hurls new charge vs Meralco
By Norman Bordadora
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:13:00 05/15/2008
Representative Luis Villafuerte, of Camarines Sur province, on Wednesday accused power retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) of billing consumers about P13 billion in “ghost deliveries” of electricity purportedly generated by a power producer of the Lopez group, which runs Meralco.
GMA says visit to ZTE HQ a ‘social meeting’
By Marvin Sy
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Malacañang admitted yesterday that President Arroyo was in Shenzhen, China in November 2006 for a “social meeting” with ZTE Corp. officials, but emphasized there was nothing wrong about the visit.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514121
3. Manila Times
Lopez to fight for Meralco
Villafuerte hits utility’s alleged ghost delivery
By Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo Reporter
The Lopez Group will not hand over control of its giant utility Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to the government without a fight—or without first filling its pockets full if it stands to lose the battle.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/15/yehey/top_stories/20080515top1.html
4. Malaya
P12B ‘ghost’ delivery by power firm bared
Solon says cost passed on by Meralco
BY WENDELL VIGILIA and JP LOPEZ
A LOPEZ-OWNED power generating company overcharged Meralco for one-and-half years after its start-up in 2000 with billings for "ghost" deliveries of P12.99 billion a year, a congressman said yesterday.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/may15/news1.htm
P12.5-B ordered released to LGUs
Local gov’ts to receive share in nat’l tax collection
President orders release of P12.5 B to local governments
Genalyn D. Kabiling
President Arroyo has authorized the release of the P12.5- billion share of local government units (LGUs) in the national tax collection withheld a few years ago.
In Executive Order No. 723, the President directed the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to take the necessary steps to ensure that the LGUs get their shares from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) difference due to the reenactment of the national budgets in 2001 and 2004.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080515124634.html
More NBN witnesses, proof to surface
By Angie M. Rosales
05/15/2008
A ranking government official and several others privy to the alleged trip to Shenzhen made by President Arroyo and her spouse, First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, where they were photographed playing golf with ZTE Corp. officials and later holding a meeting with them, along with then Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., can attest to the validity of the claims made by the latest reported witness who surfaced Tuesday in the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal controversy.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080515hed1.html
7. Abante
GLORIA NAKORNER SA ZTE!
Nina ROSE MIRANDA, BERNARD TAGUINOD, REY MARFIL at JULIET DE LOZA
Sa paglutang ng isang bagong testigo sa kontrobersyal na National Broadband Network (NBN-ZTE) deal na kumakaladkad mismo kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, hindi na nagawang itanggi ng palasyo ang sumingaw na pakikipagkita at pakikipaglaro ng golf ng First Couple (Pangulo at First Gentleman Mike Arroyo) sa mga opisyal ng ZTE Corp. sa mismong headquarters ng mga ito sa China noong Nobyembre 2006.
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/may1508/default.htm
PASLIT GINAWANG ASO NI TATAY
Bell Desolo
Kalunos-lunos ang sinapit ng isang 7-anyos na paslit sa kamay ng kanyang sariling ama makaraang tratuhin itong parang aso na laging nakakadena sa loob ng kanilang bahay sa Pila, Laguna.
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may1508/news_headline.htm
Magdemanda ka!
Nina Rudy Andal, Malou Escudero At Butch Quejada
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Hinamon kahapon ng Malacañang ang sinasabing bagong witness sa NBN-ZTE deal controversy na dalhin sa korte ang kanyang ebidensiya na sinasabing nakipag-secret meeting si Pangulong Arroyo saka nakipaglaro ng golf sa mga ZTE officials sa Shenzen, China noong Nov. 2, 2006.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008051465
10. Journal
SUSPEND EVAT
By: Tess Bedico
Palace willing to lift tax on oil, power rates
BUCKLING under pressure, Malacañang is now willing to suspend the expanded value added tax law in view of spiraling oil and power rates.
Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said Finance Secretary Margarito Teves and the rest of the economic team are studying proposals to suspend EVAT on oil and electricity. He said the economic team will sit down with legislators to discuss the possible EVAT suspension.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-15&sec=1&aid=59658
11. Business World
BY MARIA ELOISA I. CALDERON, Senior Reporter
World Bank clears RP loan
THE WORLD BANK has approved a $232-million loan for Philippine road projects, resuming funding for a program highlighted as an example that the lender was serious in addressing corruption.
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051508/content.php?id=001
12. Business Mirror
Government pins hopes on
BPO sector, eyes $13-B revenues
By Lenie Lectura
Reporter
THE government is buoyant on the future of the local business-process outsourcing (BPO) industry, predicting it would generate a million jobs and $13 billion in annual revenues by 2010.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/05152008/headlines01.html
II. POLITICAL
Senate to reopen inquiry into NBN deal
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr., Juliet Labog-Javellana
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:51:00 05/15/2008
With the emergence of a new witness, the Senate “blue ribbon” committee on accountability of public officials will put its draft report on hold and reopen its inquiry into the scandal-ridden national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. in the next two weeks, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano announced Wednesday.
Arroyo allies in House to file class suit vs Meralco
By Norman Bordadora, Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:54:00 05/15/2008
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s allies in Congress announced Wednesday that they would initiate a multimillion-peso class suit against the Metro Manila power retailer Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for charging customers electricity that Meralco was using worth nearly P500 million annually.
Meralco denies Villafuerte rap: ‘Gas was banked’
By Ronnel Domingo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:24:00 05/15/2008
Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) director Christian Monsod on Wednesday denied Represenative Luis Villafuerte’s allegations about P12.99 billion in “ghost deliveries” and on its supposedly not completing its court-ordered P30-billion refund to customers.
Palace: Arroyo visit to Shenzhen was no secret
By Kristine L. Alave, Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:18:00 05/15/2008
Malacañang on Wednesday confirmed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo met officials of ZTE Corp. in Shenzhen, China, for a “private and social activity” on Nov. 2, 2006, but stressed that the meeting was neither secret nor tainted with irregularity.
ZTE declines comment
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:44:00 05/15/2008
China’s ZTE Corp. neither denied nor confirmed on Wednesday an undisclosed trip that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo made to Shenzhen, China, even as it failed to explain conflicting statements about it.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080515-136630/ZTE-declines-comment
Gov’t considers scrapping VAT on oil
INQUIRER.net
First Posted 02:45:00 05/15/2008
After thumbing down proposals to abolish the value-added tax (VAT) on oil, Malacañang on Wednesday said the government’s economic agencies were now studying removing or reducing the tax.
‘RP needs to import 2.1-M tons of rice’
By Christina Mendez
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The country faces a problem in rice production, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap told senators who grilled him during a joint public hearing at the Senate yesterday.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514122
Wage hike snagged in MM; P12 hike OK’d in M’danao
By Mayen Jaymalin
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Workers in Northern Mindanao will get an increase of P12 in the daily minimum wage.
But in Metro Manila, labor epresentatives walked out of deliberations of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) yesterday, according to sources.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514123
Scrapping of VAT on power mulled
By Paolo Romero
Thursday, May 15, 2008
President Arroyo has ordered a review of the value-added tax (VAT) on power and oil and of the collection of royalties on natural gas as calls mount for the government to find ways to cut electricity costs.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514125
P10 hike in taxi fares sought
By Rainier Allan Ronda
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Association of Taxi Operators in Metro Manila (ATOMM) filed the other day with the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) a petition for an additional P10 charge per trip.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514124
Palace studying implications of Chinese nuke sub base
By Paolo Romero
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Philippine government will assess the security implications of the reported presence of a Chinese submarine base in the South China Sea even as officials maintained the United States and China remain the country’s allies.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514126
ADB: RP worst in region in offering social protection
By Ted Torres
Thursday, May 15, 2008
The Philippines was ranked among the lowest in the Asia Pacific region in terms of offering its population social protection, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) said.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514127
Palace clarifies veterans equity bill yet to be enacted into law
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Malacañang has clarified that the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill has not yet been enacted into law despite its overwhelming approval in the US Senate, and cannot yet be implemented by Washington’s Department of Veterans Affairs.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514129
Ebdane blames inflation, bad weather for P12.7-B cost overruns
By Evelyn Macairan
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane Jr. defended yesterday his department against accusations that it contributed to the P31.15-billion worth of cost overruns for foreign assisted projects.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080514130
Senate sets hearing on GMA’s ‘secret visit’
Palace confirms that President Arroyo had meeting with ZTE officials in 2006
By Efren L. Danao Senior Reporter
The Senate blue-ribbon committee has set a hearing for the new witness in the national broadband scandal, who has photos of President Gloria Arroyo’s “secret visit” to ZTE headquarters in Shenzhen, China six months before she witnessed the signing of the firm’s $329-million contract for the scandal-plagued project.
Malacañang confirmed Wednesday that President Arroyo met with officials of ZTE during a side trip to China from Hong Kong in 2006.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, the committee chairman, said the new witness, whom he did not identify, had agreed to testify before the blue ribbon within the next two weeks. The blue ribbon did not have any hearing since former Socioeconomic planning Chief Romulo Neri went to the Supreme Court to question the blue ribbon’s authority to compel him to answer questions and to cite him in contempt.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/15/yehey/metro/20080515met1.html
Nograles asks Senate to act on tax exemption bill
HOUSE Speaker Prospero Nograles on Wednesday asked the Senate to speed up the passage of the bill doubling the current annual individual tax exemption from the maximum level of P96,000 to P200,000 for salaried workers in the private and public sectors.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/15/yehey/metro/20080515met2.html
Decision on Senate’s motion out by June ‘08
THE Supreme Court is hopeful that it will come out with a decision next month on the Senate’s motion for reconsideration that seeks a reversal of the Court’s earlier decision which upheld the right of former Socioeconomic planning Chief Romulo Neri to invoke the principle of executive privilege.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/15/yehey/metro/20080515met7.html
Senate throws out report clearing Hanjin, officials
BY DENNIS GADIL
THE joint Senate probe on the Hanjin controversy yesterday threw out the report of the PNP task force Tagovill absolving the Korean shipping firm and Misamis Oriental local officials from charges and counter-charges of bribery and extortion.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/may15/news2.htm
Bagong testigo sa broadband maraming litratong ilalabas
(Rey Marfil)
Matapos ilutang ang panibagong testigong magpapatunay sa secret meeting ng First Couple sa mga opisyales ng ZTE Corporation of China, ipinagmalaki kahapon ni Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico na marami pa itong hawak na mga litratong magsisilbing katibayan.
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may1508/news_story3.htm
Senate body withholds report on Internet probe
A SENATE committee has withheld the approval of an interim report on investigations into a scrapped multi-million dollar Internet deal involving the President’s husband and a close associate.
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW051508/content.php?id=077
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