Tuesday, May 27, 2008

I. BANNER STORIES

1. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Arroyo: No to tuition hike

State colleges ordered to defer fee increase

By Christine Avendaño, Kristine L. Alave

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 00:56:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Amid the soaring cost of everything else, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo Monday ordered a freeze on tuition increases in state universities and colleges (SUCs) this school year.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139007/Arroyo-No-to-tuition-hike

2. The Philippine Star

Meralco showdown today

By Donnabelle Gatdula

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

A showdown between two major shareholders is expected at the annual stockholders’ meeting of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) today.

However, Elpi Cuna, Meralco vice president for corporate communications and spokesman, said “it’s business as usual” for Meralco’s annual meeting at the Meralco Theater in Ortigas Avenue in Pasig today.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052691

3. Manila Times

Miriam cries ‘blackmail’

She says enemies using ABS-CBN to hit back at her

By Efren L. Danao, Senior Reporter

An irate Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago on Monday called on the Energy Regulatory Commission to order the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) to show cause why it should not immediately give the refunds to consumers as ordered by the Supreme Court.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/27/yehey/top_stories/20080527top1.html

4. Malaya

Showdown today at Meralco meeting

Lopez group, GSIS fight for control

BY ROSARIO T. GALANG

THE management of Manila Electric Co. is hoping today's stockholders meeting, the 105th in the company's history, will turn out to be an "ordinary" meeting focused on "operational issues."

http://www.malaya.com.ph/may27/news1.htm

5. Manila Bulletin

RP, Swaziland sign 2 accords

Economic, scientific, & trade cooperation forged

GMA, King Mswati III witness signing of 2 agreements

By GENALYN D. KABILING

The Philippines and Swaziland yesterday signed two agreements on economic and cultural cooperation and the establishment of a bilateral consultative mechanism between the two countries.

http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080527125693.html

6. The Daily Tribune

7. Abante

‘TEXT’ ALISAN NG BUWIS!

Nina REY MARFIL at BERNARD TAGUINOD

Sa halip na bulabugin ang telecommunication companies para huwag nang pabayaran ang text messaging system ng mga mobile phones, hinirit ni Sen. Panfilo Lacson na tanggalan na lang ng buwis ang serbisyong ito kung talagang sinsero itong makatulong sa mamamayan.

8. Abante-Tonite

5 SUSPEK SA RCBC MASSACRE NALAMBAT

Ni Bell Desolo

Limang suspek sa robbery-massacre sa Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) sa Light Industry and Science Park sa Cabuyao, Laguna ang nasakote at kasalukuyan nang nasa kustodiya ng Philippine National Police (PNP) kung saan, anumang araw mula ngayon ay kakasuhan na ang mga ito.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may2708/news_headline.htm

9. Pilipino Star Ngayon

Tuition hike ipinatigil

Nina Rudy Andal at Rose Tamayo-Tesoro

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Ipinatigil kahapon ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ang plano ng mga State Universities and Colleges na magtaas ng kanilang singil sa matrikula sa pasukang ito.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008052632

10. Journal

TUITION FREEZE

By: Tess Bedico

GMA orders state schools not to hike enrollment fees, urges private sector to do the same

PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered a freeze on tuition increases in state universities and colleges this coming school year.

At the same time, the President appealed to private colleges and universities to reconsider plans to hike their fees. She directed the Commission on Higher Education to relay her appeal to the private schools.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=1&aid=61002

11. Business World

BY AVA KASHIMA K. AUSTRIA, Reporter

Lopezes seen keeping Meralco

THE LOPEZ FAMILY is expected to retain management control of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) at today’s stockholders’ meeting, with individual shareholders favoring the notion of private firm continuing to run the utility, analysts said.

http://bworldonline.com/BW052708/content.php?id=001

12. Business Mirror

‘TCC data used to hurt firms’

FINANCE Secretary Margarito Teves confirmed Tuesday the serious misgivings aired by business groups—citing past experience of harassment by unidentified parties—over the submission to a congressional public hearing of the Department of Finance’s (DOF) sensitive database on operations of companies seeking to avail themselves of tax-credit certificates (TCCs) issued by the government as incentives.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/05272008/headlines01.html

II. POLITICAL

TANAUAN KILLINGS

It was a rubout–not a shootout, says CHR

By Jocelyn Uy

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 01:29:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines—No gun battle took place. It was an out-and-out execution.

These were the findings of an investigating team sent by the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to Batangas to look into the deaths of three men killed by policemen searching for the robbery gang that massacred 10 people inside a provincial branch of Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC).

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139015/It-was-a-ruboutnot-a-shootout-says-CHR

Meralco penalized P800K for power disconnection

By Leila Salaverria

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 00:57:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines—The Court of Appeals has ordered Manila Electric Co. to pay P800,000 in damages and reimbursements to a private company that complained its power supply was disconnected without notice and that it had overpaid Meralco.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139008/Meralco-penalized-P800K-for-power-disconnection

GSIS execs concede defeat

By Ronnel Domingo, Daxim Lucas, Norman Bordadora

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 02:39:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines—It’s all over but the shouting.

On the eve of the annual stockholders’ meeting of Manila Electric Co., officials of the Government Service Insurance System conceded that the attempt by GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia to wrest control of Meralco from the Lopez family had fizzled.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139032/GSIS-execs-concede-defeat

SPECIAL REPORT

Meralco swamped with refund claims

By Ronnel Domingo

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 02:36:00 05/27/2008

Read Part 1: What Meralco has been charging its customers (05/26/08)

(Last of two parts)

MANILA, Philippines—In the run-up to the annual stockholders’ meeting of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), administration lawmakers accused the country’s biggest electric distribution firm of owing its customers billions of pesos.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139031/Meralco-swamped-with-refund-claims

It’s now or never, various groups tell De Venecia

By Dona Pazzibugan

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 02:44:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines—It sounds like a plea at a wedding: Speak now or forever hold your peace.

Churchmen, politicians and even Palace officials Monday urged former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. to reveal now rather than later what he knows about the aborted $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project with China’s ZTE Corp.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139033/Its-now-or-never-various-groups-tell-De-Venecia

Santiago: Lopez network sabotaging my ICJ bid

By Cynthia Balana

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:49:00 05/27/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago on Monday denounced the ABS-CBN radio-television network of the Lopez family of attempting to “blackmail” her by questioning her chances of winning a seat on the International Court Justice (ICJ) simply because she was a strong advocate of reduced power rates.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080527-139051/Santiago-Lopez-network-sabotaging-my-ICJ-bid

Napocor eyes 40¢ rate cut, flat rate

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

State-owned National Power Corp. (Napocor) filed yesterday its application for generation rate adjustment mechanism (GRAM) and incremental currency exchange rate adjustment (ICERA) for a possible rate reduction of 40 centavos per kilowatthour (kWh) for Luzon customers.

This as Napocor president Cyril del Callar reported that Napocor slashed its generation rates by as much as P1.44 per kilowatthour in Luzon between January last year and April this year.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052692

‘If it’s free text, you get no text’

By Jess Diaz

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Free text messaging may be music to the ears of millions of cellular phone subscribers but it is “simply not workable,” Catanduanes Rep. Joseph Santiago said yesterday.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052693

Government had P4.8-B unliquidated cash advances in 2005

By Delon Porcalla

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

State auditors have discovered that officials and employees of several government agencies have incurred a total of P4.8 billion in unliquidated cash advances in 2005, which prompted a neophyte lawmaker to file a bill that would penalize violators.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052696

GMA seeks more Asean aid for Myanmar

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

President Arroyo called yesterday for greater humanitarian aid from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for disaster-stricken Myanmar as international relief efforts for one of the regional grouping’s members continue in earnest.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052697

Nograles seeks probe of housing foreclosures

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Speaker Prospero Nograles ordered the housing committee of the House of Representatives yesterday to look into thousands of housing loan mortgage foreclosures.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=2008052698

Senators: Reduce or scrap oil VAT

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Administration and opposition senators called on the government yesterday to reduce, if not totally eliminate, the value added tax (VAT) on oil and petroleum products to help cushion the impact of rising oil prices on consumers.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080526100

DFA still optimistic on Miriam’s ICJ bid

By Pia Lee-Brago

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is confident that the allegations of Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago about moves to derail her bid to get elected to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) will not affect her candidacy.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080526102

Senators to JDV: Stop threats, just testify

By Aurea Calica

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Senators urged former speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. yesterday to just testify before the Senate on the national broadband network (NBN) deal and stop threatening the administration.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080526103

GSIS reveals Meralco plot to heckle Garcia

By Likha Cuevas-Miel, Reporter

The plot seems to get uglier, if the state pension fund is to be believed.

On Monday, eve of a stockholders’ meeting of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) revealed an alleged plan of the Lopez-owned utility to heckle and discredit its general manager and president, Winston Garcia.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/27/yehey/top_stories/20080527top2.html

COA audit of Meralco pressed

THE National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms, Inc. (Nasecore) asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to implement the order of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to audit records of Manila Electric Co (Meralco) on the basis of Supreme Court decisions ordering it to refund P30 billion to its customers.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/may27/news4.htm

Opposition to JDV: Time to tell all on NBN-ZTE deal

THE United Opposition yesterday dared Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia to tell all he knows about the NBN-ZTE broadband scandal.

"The right time to speak about the NBN-ZTE scandal is now," said Makati Mayor and UNO president Jejomar Binay.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/may27/news7.htm

Villar proposes no-fault insurance for overseas workers

Senate President Manny Villar yesterday pushed for the creative and simple application of the no-fault insurance system for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in order to help the rising number of victims of illegal recruitment.

http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080527125697.html

Resulta dapat ng showdown: Murang kuryente

(Boyet Jadulco/Bernard Taguinod)

Anuman ang kalabasan ng napipintong paghaharap ngayon o showdown ng pamunuan ng Manila Electric Company (Meralco) sa ilalim ng Lopezes at ng Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) sa idaraos na stockholders’ meeting, dapat ay magresulta ito ng mas murang kuryente.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/may2708/news02.htm

Halaga ng Meralco bumagsak

Ni Tina Mendoza

Bumagsak sa merkado kahapon ang shares ng Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) kasunod na rin ng inaasahang face-off ngayong araw ng dalawang major shareholders ng kumpanya sa gaganaping annual stockholders’ meeting.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may2708/news_story2.htm

JDV tinakot ng Palasyo

(Rose Miranda/Eralyn Prado)

Lantaran nang tinakot kahapon ng Malacañang si dating House Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr., na ito ang mapapahamak sa oras na tumestigo sa Senado kaugnay ng broadband scandal.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may2708/news_story3.htm

Pork barrel ipapautang sa mga magsasaka

(Bernard Taguinod)

Magtatabi ang bawat kongresista ng tig-P5 milyon pataas mula sa kanilang pork barrel, para ipautang sa mga magsasaka sa kani-kanilang distrito bilang tulong sa pagpapalago ng sektor ng agrikultura lalo na sa supply ng palay sa bansa.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may2708/news_story6.htm

Meralco ordered to pay consumer P500,000

By: Hector Lawas

THE Court of Appeals ordered the Manila Electric Company to pay a consumer P500,000 after the power distribution firm was found guilty of overcharging due to a defective electric meter.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=1&aid=61008

Solons to Meralco: Stop overcharging!

By: Ryan Ponce Pacpaco

CONGRESSMEN yesterday crossed party lines and jointly asked the Manila Electric Company to stop overcharging its consumers.

Agusan del Sur Rep. Rodolfo “Ompong” Plaza, Bayan Muna Rep. Teodoro “Teddy” Casiño and Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga demanded the Lopez-led Meralco to stop the abuses it allegedly committed against its customer.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=1&aid=61021

Speak now, JdV urged

By: Bernadette E. Tamayo

THREE opposition senators urged former Speaker Jose de Venecia to speak now as they pointed out that now is the time to tell the truth.

De Venecia earlier said his testimony about the botched ZTE broadband deal may cause the downfall of President Macapagal-Arroyo.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. said De Venecia’s threats “are not useful to our search for truth” while Sen. Loren Legarda said “truth cannot wait.”

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=1&aid=61031

Palace: JdV testimony may backfire

By: Tess Bedico

Malacañang yesterday maintained that the meeting between President Macapagal-Arroyo and ZTE officials in 2006 is aboveboard and that it is not scared of the possible testimony of Rep. Jose de Venecia who some solons believe is only bluffing.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=4&aid=61033

Pagtestigo ni JdV sa Senado, 'hara kiri' -- Puentevella

By: Ryan Ponce Pacpaco and Marlon Purificacion

MULA sa bansag na Joe de Bola, posible umanong maging “Joe de Bomba” si dating Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr., kung makakapagharap ito ng bagong impormasyon sa Senate blue ribbon committee kaugnay sa maanomalyang $329 milyong National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=4&aid=61045

What’s JDV up to?

TO his critics and even to some of his supporters, former Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. is known as “Joe de Bola,” a moniker that they say could best describe him for his practice of giving promises, many of which were never fulfilled.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-27&sec=4&aid=61057

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