I. BANNER STORIES
LOPEZ TO GOV’T:
‘Buy us out if you want’
Suggests removal of VAT, royalties
By Ronnel Domingo, Michael Lim Ubac, Dona Pazzibugan
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:33:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Chafing under the pressure to lower Manila Electric Co.’s rates, the patriarch of the Lopez family Thursday said the government could buy them out if it wanted to.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080509-135513/Buy-us-out-if-you-want
Lopez to government: You can have Meralco
By Elisa Osorio
Friday, May 9, 2008
Fed up with pressures from the government to lower electricity rates, the patriarch of the Lopez family that controls the Manila Electric Co. said he now wants out of the power firm because he’s “sick and tired of the business.”
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080508117
3. Manila Times
Lopezes to give up Meralco
Power firm says it’s ‘sick of this business’
By Katrina Mennen A. Valdez and Euan Paulo C. Anonuevo, Reporters
The president of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Winston Garcia, on Thursday said they considered taking over the Lopez-controlled Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) after the power distribution company’s chairman, Oscar Lopez, expressed his intention to give back the company to the government.
http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/may/09/yehey/top_stories/20080509top1.html
4. Malaya
Lopez to GSIS: Buy us out in Meralco
Garcia: Call, let's talk terms
BY JOB REALUBIT
OSCAR Lopez, president of First Philippine Holdings Corp., yesterday said if GSIS president and general manager Winston Garcia is willing to buy out his family's share in the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), he would "be more than willing" to sell it.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/may09/news1.htm
DA reports big summer rice harvests
Grain traders, farmers urge gov’t to buy local produce
Summer rice harvest now 5.9-M metric tons
By MARVYN N. BENANING
The Department of Agriculture-Rice Action Center (DARAC) has reported that farmers have now reaped 5.893 million metric tons (MMT) of palay from 1.87 million hectares of land, representing 77 percent of the projected harvest of 7.1 MMT for the cropping season.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080509124044.html
GSIS calls Meralco’s buyout offer
By Ayen Infante and Sherwin C. Olaes
05/09/2008
It looks like the Arroyo government has won the battle, after Lopez patriarch, Oscar Lopez, chairman of First Philippine Holdings which has the largest chunk of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) shares, told reporters in an interview yesterday that he was “sick and tired” of the business and of Meralco being blamed by the Arroyo government for the high price of electricity, stressing that Meralco is not to blame for the high prices, but government itself.
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20080509hed1.html
7. Abante
BILHIN N'YO NA!--LOPEZ
Nina TINA MENDOZA, ROSE MIRANDA, ERALYN PRADO at BOYET JADULCO
Binasag na kahapon ng pamilya Lopez ang katahimikan nito hinggil sa isyu ng mataas na singil sa kuryente sa Luzon na isinisisi sa Manila Electric Company (Meralco).
http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/may0908/default.htm
‘Patayin na lang natin ang bata!’
Ni ARIES CANO
“Patayin na lang natin ang bata!”
Ang walang pusong pahayag na ito ang umano’y sinabi ng lalaking lover ng ina ng 3-anyos na polio victim na nakitang palutang-lutang sa estero ng Quiapo, Maynila kamakalawa ng hapon.
http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/may0908/news_headline.htm
Meralco pasabugin! – Miriam
Ni Malou Escudero
Friday, May 9, 2008
Walang takot na sinabi kahapon ni Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago na dapat ay pasabugin na lamang ang Meralco dahil sa patuloy na pagtaas ng singil ng kuryente.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008050888
10. Journal
‘BLAST MERALCO’
Power firm worse than Bureau of Customs -- Miriam
THERE are syndicates or “little mafias” inside the Manila Electric Co. that apparently dictate electricity rates as well as manipulate the purchase of materials needed in the distribution of power to consumers, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said yesterday.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-05-09&sec=1&aid=58980
11. Business World
BY ANNA BARBARA L. LORENZO, Reporter
Gov’t open to Petron sale
THE GOVERNMENT is keeping its options open regarding the possibility of selling its 40% stake in publicly listed oil giant Petron Corp., saying a sale could push through this year depending on the state’s revenue needs.
http://www.bworldonline.com/BW050908/content.php?id=001
12. Business Mirror
Lopez, Palace trade barbs
By Estrella Torres and Mia Gonzalez
Reporters
FIRST Philippine Holdings chairman Oscar Lopez has offered to sell the family’s 33.4-percent shares in Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) amid government interventions and threats of takeover.
http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/0509&102008/headlines01.html
II. POLITICAL
I-TEAM REPORT
‘Political killings not official but an unintended policy’
By Nikko Dizon
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:34:00 05/09/2008
(First of a series)
MANILA, Philippines—Guns with silencers are not usually issued to soldiers. So when a Scout Ranger officer got one, he knew what it was for.
“The procurement of this kind of firearms is just for special ops,” he says of clandestine operations that critics of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s administration claim to have resulted in hundreds of extrajudicial executions.
Ateneo prof offers other biofuel source: Algae
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:37:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Amid the skyrocketing price of oil, the government can tap another potential source of biofuel—algae.
Algae can be a source of biodiesel, and there is a sufficient volume of algae in the country’s waters to meet the demand for oil, Dr. Teresita Perez of the Ateneo de Manila University said Thursday.
High food prices swell ranks of poor
By Doris Dumlao
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 02:54:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—For every 10-percent increase in food prices, about 2.3 million more Filipinos fall into poverty, according to a new study by an Asian Development Bank economist.
Farmers fail to benefit from record rice prices
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:05:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Trinidad Domingo has just harvested the rice from her modest farm in Central Luzon. With fertilizer and fuel prices skyrocketing, however, she may just have to sit out the next planting season.
Arroyo urged: Fight food crisis, set example, go vegan
By Jerome Aning
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:30:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—Here’s the latest challenge leveled at President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo: Fight the hunger crisis by going vegetarian.
The challenge was made Thursday by the group called People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) who said that most of the crops in the Philippines and the rest of the world were being grown to feed, not humans, but livestock to be later killed for their meat.
We have enough rice, DA assures country
By Amy R. Remo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:33:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines—The Department of Agriculture (DA) Thursday assured the country of a sufficient rice supply in the coming months, saying initial summer harvests had already hit 6 million metric tons as of May 5.
Meralco explains power buying
By Abigail L. Ho
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:54:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- Factors outside of price affect the Lopez-led Manila Electric Co.’s buying decisions from the wholesale electricity spot market (WESM), making its buying strategy more complicated than it looks, according to the distribution utility’s president.
13 rice hoarding suspects air side as Arroyo watches
By Leila Salaverria
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 03:57:00 05/09/2008
MANILA, Philippines -- With President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo looking over their shoulders, 13 rice traders and retailers accused of diverting NFA rice for commercial sale on Thursday defended themselves from the criminal charges they are facing in the Department of Justice.
European investors call for lower power costs, transparency
Friday, May 9, 2008
European businessmen yesterday urged the government to improve the business climate in the country by reducing energy costs, improving the transportation network, promoting transparency and dealing with graft and corruption.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080508118
Gov’t to consider all Petron offers
By Iris Gonzales
Friday, May 9, 2008
The government would consider all offers for its stake in Petron Corp., the country’s largest oil refiner, Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said yesterday.
Teves made the announcement after Gokongwei-owned JG Summit Holdings Inc. indicated it was willing to buy the 40 percent stake held by state-owned Philippine National Oil Co. (PNOC) in Petron for P24.5 billion.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080508119
Empty House derails tax exempt bill
By Jess Diaz
Friday, May 9, 2008
If the bill seeking to double workers’ tax exemptions has not been passed, despite the promise of House leaders to approve it before Labor Day last May 1, blame it on disappearing members of the chamber.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080508120
GMA returns to DOJ, attends hearing of accused rice hoarders
By Sandy Araneta and Paolo Romero
Friday, May 9, 2008
Traders accused of rice hoarding appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday with no less than President Arroyo personally witnessing the prosecution of cases against them.
http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080508123
Nograles to implement ‘double roll call’ to solve quorum problem
By EDMER F. PANESA and BEN R. ROSARIO
Speaker Prospero C. Nograles yesterday said he would implement a "double roll call" during plenary sessions starting on Monday to address the perennial problem of lack of quorum hampering the official business of the House of Representatives and placing the government’s legislative agenda in peril.
http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080509124049.html
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