June 8, 2008 Mind Bullet Inc.
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I. BANNER STORIES

1. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Meralco to refund P2.7B in deposits
By Abigail L. HoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 23:53:00 06/07/2008
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ABOUT P2.7 BILLION IN REFUNDS WILL SOON BE PAID customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for their meter deposits. Customers of the country’s biggest distribution utility have been paying the deposits since the 1980s when applying for electric service.
Customers not just of Meralco, which covers Metro Manila and Luzon, but of other distribution utilities and electric cooperatives nationwide, will be entitled to the refunds on these meter deposits, plus interest, with the approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission of the guidelines to govern the rebates.
Under the rules of the ERC order, issued June 4 and released late Friday, private distribution utilities, including the Lopez-led Meralco, should start issuing the refunds six months after the effectivity of the rules.
Non-stock and non-profit electric cooperatives, on the other hand, have 24 months upon the effectivity of the rules to prepare for the issuance of their own refunds.
The ERC rules will become effective 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
“The ERC urges the cooperation of both the distribution utilities and the electricity consumers to facilitate the orderly and prompt implementation of the meter deposit refund as soon as the set of rules becomes effective,” said ERC Chair Rodolfo Albano Jr.
The ERC order does not cover however the refund of bill deposits that consumer groups and legislators led by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile have been demanding from Meralco. The ERC has yet to issue the guidelines on the bill deposits.
As of end-2007, Meralco’s meter deposits, including interest, amounted to P2.7 billion. As of end-2006, the bill deposits amounted to P16.5 billion.
Apart from the refunds of the actual meter deposits, customers of private distribution utilities are also entitled to interest income on their meter deposits, at rates stated in the ERC rules.
Residential and non-residential customers who paid their meter deposits prior to the effectivity of the Energy Regulatory Board resolution on Sept. 22, 1995, will be entitled to an interest of 6 percent a year.
Those who paid their meter deposits after the issuance of that ERB resolution and until the day before the effectivity of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, or DSOAR, will enjoy a 10-percent yearly interest.
The state regulator stopped the distribution utilities from collecting meter deposits after the Magna Carta came into effect in 2004.
Electricity users who paid from the effectivity of the Magna Carta until the day before the implementation of the refund will be entitled to an interest of 6 percent a year.
Customers could opt to get their meter deposit and interest refunds in cash or check, or just have these credited to their future monthly electricity bills. They could also use the refund amount to offset due and demandable claims against them.
Customers of electric cooperatives, however, will not be entitled to interest on their meter deposit refunds as these power distributors are non-profit organizations.
Refund methods for these customers are the same as those for distribution utility clients. The only difference is that customers can also convert these refunds into contributions or equity that must be recorded in the books of the electric cooperatives.
Customers applying for refunds are required to present valid proofs of identification and registration, like their electricity bills.
Meanwhile, the Makati Business Club has accused the government of damaging public institutions in what it said was its attempt to wrest control of Meralco.
“Damaging public institutions in this way is plainly bad governance. It sends the signal to the private sector that this administration is prepared to sacrifice public institutions and its own reform program for political objectives,” the group said in a statement.
The group said that by using the Securities and Exchange Commission to try to gain control of Meralco via the Government Service Insurance System, the administration effectively contributed to the erosion of the credibility of the SEC.
“The Makati Business Club stands firmly against the use of state power to intimidate the private sector and vigorously opposes the nationalization of the electric power industry. Reverse-privatization is the worst way to bring down the cost of electricity, as state-owned enterprises in this country are vulnerable to political patronage and are inefficient due to lack of competition,” it added.
It said that Republic Act 8799 had transferred the responsibility of settling all intra-corporate disputes to the regional trial courts, making the SEC’s intervention in the war being waged by GSIS against the Lopezes of Meralco “improper.”
“By allowing itself to be used by the GSIS to wrest management control, the SEC has contributed to the diminution of its own credibility. The administration has used the consumerist cause of lowering the price of electricity as the rationale for revamping Meralco’s management,” MBC said.
In response, GSIS chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo assailed the MBC for “blindly [defending] the Lopez family.”
“They should look at both sides and not make sweeping accusations. In fact, the MBC should be speaking against the excesses being committed by the Lopezes in Meralco,” Elamparo said in a separate statement.
She said the GSIS was not out to take over Meralco but only wanted to have a professional team run the company.
“Meralco will become attractive anew to investors when it is freed from the stranglehold of the Lopezes. Meralco will be better managed and will be fully accountable based on international good corporate practices,” she said.
Also Saturday, Sen. Loren Legarda asked the ERC to implement a Supreme Court resolution in December 2007 ordering an audit of Meralco.
“Whatever happened to the Supreme Court resolution ordering the Energy Regulatory Commission to audit the Manila Electric Company?” Legarda asked.
Legarda said that there was no public disclosure if the ERC had already complied with the order.
“I support a public audit of the Meralco inasmuch as it is a public utility and that the public, through the millions of shareholders and consumers, has a big stake in it,” Legarda said in a statement.
She said an ERC audit of the country’s biggest power distribution firm was timely in the wake of raging controversies involving allegations of mismanagement by the Lopez family.
In the 2007 decision, the high tribunal ordered a public audit of the Meralco’s financial operations in response to the consolidated cases entitled Meralco v Genaro Lualhati, and ERC v Genaro Lualhati, promulgated on Dec. 6, 2006.
In the decision, the high court affirmed the ERC ruling on the unbundled rates, effectively increasing the electricity cost to the consumer, and the sound value of Meralco’s net utility plant. But the high court ordered the ERC, with the help of the Commission on Audit, to make a complete examination of Meralco’s books, records and accounts to see to it that the rate increases that Meralco was asking for were justified.
With a report from Cynthia D. Balana
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080607-141368/Meralco-to-refund-P27B-in-deposits


2. The Philippine Star

No end in sight for oil price surgeSunday, June 8, 2008
NEW YORK – Oil prices made their biggest single-day leap ever Friday, dragging the Dow Jones industrials down nearly 400 points and raising the once-unthinkable prospect of $150 oil by early July.
The meteoric rise of nearly $11 for the day piled atop an increase of almost $5.50 the day before, taking oil futures more than 13 percent higher in just two days, easily a record on the New York Mercantile Exchange.
Oil settled at $138.54, a rise of more than eight percent. The surge came after Morgan Stanley analyst Ole Slorer predicted strong demand in Asia and tight supplies in the Western Hemisphere could drive prices to $150 by early July.
That means no end in sight for spiraling gas prices, already above $4 per gallon in much of the United States.
Even longtime market observers were shocked by the magnitude and speed of oil’s rally.
“We’re into unchartered territory, and somewhat off the map as far as historical precedents are concerned,” said Jim Ritterbusch, president of energy consultancy Ritterbusch and Associates in Galena, Illinois.
On Wall Street, the Dow plunged 394.64 points, more than three percent, to close at 12,209.81, the biggest drop in more than 15 months in both percentage and points terms.
Wall Street had managed to shrug off oil’s advance on Thursday but succumbed to extreme anxiety Friday.
The stock market’s great concern of late has been whether consumers would curb their spending on non-essentials as they were forced to pay more for gas and other staples.
The previously unthinkable idea of $150 oil made it clear to investors that consumers would be forced to be even more conservative than they have been in recent months.
Before Thursday, oil had receded nearly $13 a barrel from its highs, a respite from its nearly record-every-day march. But the end of the week sent it right back up again.
The burst in oil prices also raised the prospect of accelerating inflation by adding to already strained transportation costs – which will send prices higher throughout the economy.
Light, sweet crude for July delivery officially finished the day at $138.54, up $10.75 on the Nymex. But after the settlement, the contract jumped as high as $139.12. Prices hit a previous record of $135.09 a barrel on May 22, and settled Thursday at $127.79.
War prospects
Traders also zeroed in on remarks by an Israeli Cabinet minister who was quoted as saying his country will attack Iran if it doesn’t abandon its nuclear program. Transportation Minister Shaul Mofaz added that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad “will disappear before Israel does,” the Yediot Ahronot daily reported.
Iran is the second-biggest oil producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, and traders worry that any conflict with Israel could disrupt global supplies.
A further weakening of the dollar also helped send oil prices higher by enticing overseas buyers armed with stronger currencies and others looking for a hedge against the greenback. But it also represented a stampede by bullish traders and optimistic computer models betting that prices still have further to rise.
The dramatic reversal in what had been a weakening oil market began Thursday after ECB president Jean-Claude Trichet suggested the bank could raise interest rates and the euro climbed against the dollar. When interest rates rise in Europe, or fall in the US, the dollar tends to weaken against the euro.
Many traders buy commodities such as oil as a hedge against inflation when the dollar is falling, and a weaker dollar makes oil cheaper for investors dealing in other currencies. Analysts believe the dollar’s protracted decline has been a major reason why oil prices have nearly doubled in the past year.
The euro strengthened further against the greenback Friday.
Increasing unemployment
A Labor Department report showing the US unemployment rate jumped half a percentage point to 5.5 percent last month – its biggest monthly increase since 1986 – could drag the dollar even lower in the days ahead.
The jobless rate jumped half a point to 5.5 percent as 49,000 jobs were lost.
“Unemployment jumping as it did today will be in the market for a long time and will continue to pressure the US dollar,” Cordier said.
The unemployment rate was the highest in nearly four years as jobs continued to be lost in construction, manufacturing, retail trade and temporary help services, officials said.
“The US jobs report had recessionary paw prints all over it,” said economist Sal Guatieri at BMO Capital Markets.
Frederic Dickson, market strategist at DA Davidson Co., added: “The broad-based erosion in jobs points to the fact that the economy hasn’t bottomed going into the summer.”
Bonds gained on investor caution. The yield on the 10-year US Treasury bond dipped to 3.973 percent from 4.025 percent Thursday and that on the 30-year bond eased to 4.670 percent from 4.730 percent. Bond yields and prices move in opposite directions.
The influx of so much fresh money into the energy markets has caught the attention of federal watchdogs. The US Commodity Futures Trading Commission recently said it was six months into a probe of US oil markets focused on possible price manipulation.
Asked about Friday’s surge, CFTC spokesman R. David Gary said, “People are aware of what’s happening and are monitoring the markets closely, but beyond that there is no comment.”
In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures jumped 29.32 cents to settle at $3.974 a gallon, while gasoline prices rose 21.35 cents to settle at $3.548 a gallon. Natural gas futures rose 17.4 cents to settle at $12.693 per 1,000 cubic feet.
In London, July Brent crude shot up $10.15 to settle at $137.69 a barrel on the ICE Futures exchange. – AP
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607137


3. Manila Times


Fuel, LPG prices up again
By Euan Paulo C. Añonuevo, Reporter
Oil firms jacked up their fuel prices once again over the weekend as oil prices in the international market continued to increase.
Petron Corp., Total (Philippines) Corp., Flying V and Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. hiked their diesel, gasoline and kerosene products by P1.50 per liter on Saturday.
Chevron Philippines Inc. (formerly Caltex) also increased its gasoline and kerosene prices by P1.50 per liter and diesel by P1.00 per liter.
The oil companies attributed the price increases to the high oil prices abroad. The regional benchmark Dubai crude’s average rose by about a dollar from its May average to $120.50 per barrel in June.
The weakening peso, as against the dollar, is also causing the cost of oil imports to rise.
In lieu of the increase, prevailing domestic prices in Metro Manila for diesel will now range from P45.80 to P48.47 per liter, while gasoline will be pegged at P53.03 to P55.57 per liter. Kerosene is priced at P50.15 to P53.50 per liter.
Aside from their pump products, Petron and Total increased the price of their cooking gas products by P1.00 per kilogram after the contract price for liquefied petroleum gas abroad rose by $57 per metric ton to $912.50.50 per metric ton this month.
The Department of Energy’s oil monitoring quoted US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson as having commented during his visit to the United Arab Emirates, that high oil prices are the result of supply and demand factors that are likely to persist for some time.
Supplies have been affected by low capacity expansion and declining yields, while demand has surged largely due to growth in emerging markets. Speculation and the depreciation of the dollar are likely only small factors behind oil price increases.
http://manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/08/yehey/metro/20080608met1.html


4. Malaya

Senate: Sack gov’t men in telecom firmsPhilcomsat group found mismanaged
BY DENNIS GADIL
A JOINT Senate investigation has found that the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) has mismanaged Philippine Overseas Telecommunications Corp. (POTC) and related companies Philippine Communications Satellite (Philcomsat) and Philcomsat Holdings Corp. (PHC).
"What we found out was excessive money being taken out by the nominees. The PCGG has been extremely negligent in running the operations," said Sen. Richard Gordon, chair of the committee on government corporations and public enterprises.
The investigation that started September 2006 was jointly conducted with the committee on public services of Sen. Joker Arroyo. Arroyo did not sign the joint panel’s 20-page report.
"The Committee found overwhelming mismanagement by the PCGG and its nominees over POTC, Philcomsat and PHC resulting in deterioration of the financial condition of these corporations," the report said.
The report said the negligence of the PCGG "is clearly so gross as to amount to bad faith."
The Gordon panel recommended that the PCGG be banned from appointing nominees to POTC and Philcomsat and called for the immediate replacement "en masse" of Malacañang directors in both companies.
The report said that since it was already established that 35 percent of Philcomsat-POTC is owned by the government, "there should no longer be an issue of sequestration."
"The Committee recommends immediate turn-over of jurisdiction over the shares of the national government in POTC and Philcomsat to the Privatization Management Office (PMO) under the Department of Finance," the report said.
The joint panel said it was about time that the government shares in the Philcomsat and POTC be sold to the private sector.
It called on the Anti-Money Laundering Council, the Sandiganbayan, Supreme Court and the Bureau of Internal Revenue to look deeper into the anomalous transactions of PHC, POTC and Philcomsat.
The joint panel came short of recommending charges against PCGG and company officials responsible for the "looting" of POTC, Philcomsat and PHC.
The report did not directly call for the firing of PCGG chair Camilo Sabio and commissioner Ricardo Abcede.
Abcede has been censured by Gordon’s committee for receiving a brand new Toyota Camry that was paid for by the PHC.
Sabio tested the power of the Senate by refusing to attend the hearings and was arrested and detained in the Senate based on a warrant signed by Senate President Manuel Villar.
The joint panel discovered unjustified increases in operating expenses of PHC; a generous compensation package of PCGG nominees; the establishment of PHC’s Telecommunications Center Inc., where over P73 million had been advanced without any accountability; the release of P265 million; and the grant of P125-million loan to a relative of a Philcomsat official in 2000 that resulted in an estimated interest income loss of P11.25 million in 2004.
Philcomsat was organized in 1970 as a pioneer telecommunications firm that included the PLDT, ITT, Western Union and the US Military Bases clients.
When POTC was sequestered by the PCGG after EDSA, Philcomsat still continued its operations and even raked in P1 billion in revenues.
But in 1998, under the auspices of the PCGG, Philcomsat posted its first ever loss in 25 years.
In 1996, Philcomsat acquired Liberty Mines with investments close to P1 billion and renamed it to Philcomsat Holdings Corp.
The PCGG appointed nominees for both Philcomsat and PHC and had remitted nothing to government since 1998. In 2000, two groups started to vie for the control of the POTC and its companies, with the PCGG siding with one of the group.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jun08/news1.htm



5. Manila Bulletin


6. The Daily Tribune



7. Abante

DABOY PUMANAW NA!
Nina Noel Abuel, Tina Mendoza at Erika Maala
Nagluluksa ngayon ang industriya ng pelikulang Pilipino matapos na tulu­yang sumakabilang-buhay ang aktor na si Rodolfo ‘Rudy’ Fernandez sa mismong tahanan nito kahapon ng umaga sa Quezon City.
Namatay si Rudy, na mas kilala sa tawag na ‘Daboy’, 55-anyos, dakong alas-6:30 ng umaga sa loob mismo ng kanilang bahay sa Joeylane St., sa White Plains, Quezon City, habang kasama nito ng kanyang asawang si actress Lorna Tolentino at kanilang dalawang anak na sina Raphael Gregor at Renz Marion, matapos ang mahigit sa dalawang taong pakikipaglaban nito sa sakit na periampullary cancer.
Ito’y limang araw matapos ma-discharge sa Cardinal Santos Medical Center ang aktor. Ilang araw umanong nagkakaroon ng internal bleeding ang aktor at noong nakalipas na Miyerkules ay nag-seizure ito subalit tumanggi nang magpadala pa sa ospital.
Friends nagsidatingan
Agad namang nagsidatingan sa bahay nito ang mga malalapit na kaibigan ng aktor, kabilang sina Senador Jinggoy Estrada at Senador Bong Revilla, kung saan bago umano ang pagpanaw ay bumaba na ang blood pressure nito na 60/40.
Nakita pa umano ng mga ito na pilit pang nagsasalita ng aktor kung saan nakita ng mga ito ang luhaang mata ng nanghihina nang si Daboy.Isinalarawan ng mga ito si Rudy na masayahing tao at mapagmahal sa kaibigan at maprinsipyong tao.
Si Sen. Bong Revilla naman ay dumating sa tahanan ng mga Fernandez dakong alas-singko ng umaga upang bisitahin ang kanyang kaibigan ngunit sinabihan ito na magpahinga muna kung kaya’t umuwi muna ito sa kanyang bahay sa Alabang, pagdating sa kanyang bahay ay nakatanggap muli ito ng tawag na nagdedeliryo na ang kanyang matalik na kaibigan kung kaya’t bumalik ito muli sa bahay ng mga Fernandez at nakarating limang minuto bago tuluyang binawian ng buhay si Daboy.
Ayon kay Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, isa sa pinakamalapit niyang kaibigan, “hiniling pa niya (Daboy) na sana dumating ang lahat ng kanyang mga kaibigan sa burol niya,” dagdag pa nito “masyado talagang malungkot ang mga nangyari sa kaibigan ko pero mas mabuti na ‘yung ganito kaysa makikita ko pa na dumadaing siya dahil nahihirapan sa sakit niya,” habang naiiyak na pahayag ng senador.
Agad namang dinala sa Heritage Memorial Park sa Taguig City ang mga labi ni Daboy kung saan siya nakaburol at sinabing wala pa umanong plano ang pamilya nito na ilipat ng labi ng aktor sa ibang lugar, kasabay ng paglilinaw na hindi ike-cremate kundi ililibing ito sa nabanggit na sementeryo.
Si Rudy na isinilang noong March 3, 1953, ay anak ng batikang direktor na si Gregorio Fernandez at nakilala sa mga markadong pagganap sa mga true-to-life characters tulad ni “Bitayin si Baby Ama” noong 1979, Victor Corpuz, Ruther Batuigas at Senador Panfilo Lacson.
Taong 2001 nang tumakbo bilang alkalde ng Quezon City sa ilalim ng tiket ni dating Pa­ngulong Joseph Estrada na Puwersa ng Masang Pilipino (PMP) subalit natalo kay Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte Jr.
Unang na-diagnose
Noong Marso 2006 unang na-diagnosed ang stage 1 cancer ni Daboy at agad itong sumailalim sa Whipple operation, isang operasyon na tumagal ng 10 oras kung saan tinanggal ang ilang parte ng kanyang pancreas, bile duct, gall bladder at duodenum.
Pagkaraan ng nasabing operasyon ay bumalik ang lakas ni Daboy, sa katunayan ay nakagawa pa ito ng dalawang teleserye sa GMA 7 na may pamagat na Atlantika at Now and Forever subalit taong 2007 nang bumalik muli ang cancer at ang recurrence ay agad na umakyat sa stage 4 kung saan dalawang bukol ang nakita sa liver at pancreas ng aktor.
http://abante.com.ph/issue/june0808/default.htm


8. Abante-Tonite


9. Pilipino Star Ngayon

Paalam, DaboySunday, June 8, 2008
Sumakabilang-buhay na kahapon ng umaga ang batikang actor na si Rudy “Daboy” Fernan­ dez, 56, ma­tapos ang halos dala­wang taong pakiki­pag­buno sa sakit na peri-ampullary cancer.
Alas-6:15 ng umaga kahapon ng bawian ito ng buhay sa kanyang taha­nan sa White Plains, Que­zon City. Nasa tabi ni Da­boy ang kanyang may­ba­hay na si Lorna at mga anak na sina Ralph at Renz ng pumanaw ito.
Kasalukuyang naka­la­­gak ang labi ni Daboy sa The Heritage Park, Taguig City kung saan pumayag ang pamilya nito na buk­san sa publiko ang kan­yang lamay.
Regency gold ang ataul na ginamit sa kanya na kahalintulad ng gi­namit noon ng yumaong dating senador Blas Ople, na nagkakahalaga umano ng mahigit P1 milyon.
Si Daboy ay mahigit sa dalawang taon ding naki­paglaban sa kanyang sakit sa peri-ampullary cancer dahil sa isang tumor sa ampulla o labasan ng bile duct sa bituka. Na-diagnose noong hu­ling bahagi ng 2006 ang cancer cells sa kanyang pancreas.
Nabatid na bukod sa pa­milya at misis na si Lor­na Tolentino ay nasak­si­han din ni Sen. Jinggoy Es­trada ang huling pag­pikit ng mga mata ni Da­boy.
Ayon kay Sen. Bong Re­villa, kamakalawa ng gabi pa lamang ay nag­punta na sila sa bahay ni Rudy matapos bumagsak ang blood pressure nito sa 60/40. Nag-stabilize na­man ang kondisyon nito kaya umuwi muna sila ni Philip Salvador ban­dang 5:30 na ng umaga kaha­pon. Subalit ilang minuto pa lamang silang nakaka­uwi ay naka­tang­gap sila ng text na patay na si Daboy kaya dali-dali silang bumalik.
Bilang kaibigan
Ayon kay Sen. Revilla, “Masakit para sa amin, pero ayaw na niyang ma-prolong pa ang kanyang agony. Pag tinatanong namin siya, pare anong pakiramdam mo?
“Pare hirap na ako,” ang sagot umano ni Daboy.
Sa kanilang apat na magkakaibigan na kinabi­bilangan nina Sens. Jing­goy, Bong at Philip Salvador, sina Jinggoy at Rudy ang parang magkapatid ang turingan.
Nung makulong si Jing­­goy kasama ang amang si dating pangulong Joseph Estrada, araw-araw ay du­madalaw si Daboy. Ito ang nagbibigay ng lakas ng loob sa aktor/pulitiko sa araw-araw nitong buhay sa detention house nilang mag-ama.
Nagplano pa nga raw si Jinggoy na gagawa silang apat ng pelikula na siya mismo ang producer, pero hindi na ito matu­tupad.
Nabatid pa na bago uma­lis papuntang Ame­rika sina Daboy, naisip nitong ang dami raw nilang na-invest na lupa ni LT, pero hindi nila na­isipang bumili ng memorial lot kaya bago sila umalis papun­tang Ame­rika, bumili sila ng memorial lot para sa buong pamilya sa Heritage Park at bonus daw sa package kung saka-sakaling may mangyari kay Daboy ang burial ngayon sa actor.
Bilang aktor
Si Daboy, Rodolfo Fer­nandez sa tunay na bu­hay ay isinilang noong Marso 3, 1955. Anak ito ng film director na si Gregorio Fer­nandez. Nag­­simula ang aktor sa pag-arte noong 1970 nang siya ay nag-aaral pa sa University of Santo Tomas.
Naging mas bantog si Daboy sa pelikula nitong “Bitayin si Baby Ama” noong 1976 na halos 2 buwan pinilahan sa ta­ kilya. Nasundan na ito ng “Ang Leon, Ang Tigre at ang Alamid” noong 1979 at naging premyado bi­lang FAMAS Best Actor sa mga pe­likulang “Batui­gas...Pa­sukuin si Wa­way” noong 1984 at “Victor Corpuz” noong 1988.
Naging Philippine Mo­vie Press Club (PMPC) 2008 Ulirang Artista Lifetime Achievement Award sa 24th Star Awards for Movies at Film Academy of the Philippines FPJ Lifetime Achievement Award din ito.
Ilan din sa mga papel na ginampanan niya ang kay Sen. Ping Lacson, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim at Cong. Bingbong Cri­sologo.
Si Daboy ay pumasok din sa pulitika noong 2001 at tumakbong al­kalde ng Quezon City sa ilalim ng Pwersa ng Masa ni dating Pangulong Es­trada.
Bukod kay Lorna ay naulila rin ni Daboy ang anak niya kay Alma Mo­reno na si Mark Anthony. Katambal niya sa peli­kulang “Baby Ama” si Alma kung saan ang tambalan ay nauwi sa tunay na re­lasyon.
Samantala, 1983 nag­pakasal sila sa huwes ni Lorna at 1992 ginanap ang kanilang church wedding sa Villa Escudero sa Que­zon. Naging anak nila sina Ralph at Renz.
Habang isinusulat ang balitang ito ay hinigpitan na ang seguridad sa burol ni Daboy dahil sa pag­dagsa ng mga fans, kaibigan, kasa­ma­han sa industriya, mga pu­litiko at iba pang celebrities.
Si Fanny Serrano ang nagmake-up kay Daboy.
Sa Huwebes, Hunyo 12, 2008 takdang ihatid sa kanyang huling han­tungan si Daboy
Pagkilala ng estado kay Daboy isusulong sa Senado
Maghahain ng reso­lusyon sa Senado para kilalanin ng estado sina Sens. Bong Revilla at Jinggoy Estrada sa Mar­tes.
Ayon kay Revilla, ma­laki ang papel ni Fernan­dez sa pagpapayabong ng pelikulang Pilipino.
Higit sa ipinamalas sa husay sa pag-arte, ang kanyang kababaang-loob ang tunay na hinangaan ng mga kasamahan niya sa industriya at taga­hanga.
Pumanaw man si Da­boy, ang kanyang alaala ay mananatiling buhay sa puso ng marami at ng mga taong nabigyan niya ng inspirasyon. (May ulat nina Rose Tesoro/Angie dela Cruz)
http://philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=20080607107



10. Journal

GOODBYE, DABOY!
By: Mario E. Bautista
DABOY, the nickname of action star Rudy Fernandez, passed away at his home in White Plains at 6:45 a.m., Saturday, after fighting his biggest battle, with the big C, for more than two years. Rudy told his wife, Lorna Tolentino, that he wanted to go home after being confined at the Cardinal Santos Medical Center. He went home on Sunday, June 1, their 25th wedding anniversary. Rudy and Lorna have two sons, Ralph and Renz. Rudy also has a son, Mark Anthony, with Alma Moreno, with whom he has two grandchildren. We have fond memories of Rudy since the year he was successfully launched to stardom, 1976, in “Bitayin si Baby Ama,” was also the year that we started writing movie reviews for TV Guide and later, Times Journal, sister publication of People’s Journal. Rudy was born on March 3, 1953, the youngest among eight children of Dr. Gregorio Fernandez (a respected film director whose film, “Higit sa Lahat,” won the best picture award in the Asian Filmfest), His mother was the sister of a top actor in the 50’s, Jose Padilla, Jr. Although he got a lot of offers to be an “artista,” it was only when he was 18, when he was a college sophomore at UST taking up commerce, that he decided to try acting in 1971 when he signed a three-year contract with Sampaguita Pictures where his first movie was “For You, Mama” with Tirso Cruz III and Aurora Salve. He was never launched and it will take five years before MBM Productions gambled on him in “Baby Ama” when he was 23 years old. The movie was a big hit when released in August of 1976 and he quickly became one of the country’s top action heroes famous for prison films. He made one movie after another like “Makahiya at Talahib” (an entry in the 1976 Metro-Manila Filmfest, with Vilma Santos), ‘Usigin ang Maysala,” “Ikaw Ako Laban sa Mundo,” “Hijack,”, “Iligpit si Pretty Boy,” “Bilangguang Walang Rehas,”, “Joe Quintero,”“Doble Kara, “Ex-Convict,” “Salonga,” “Teritoryo Ko Ito,” “Hoodlum Killer,” “Star,” “Kasal-Kasalan,” “Puga,” “Hari ng Tundo,” “Tatak Angustia,” “Tatak Munti,” “Sa Init ng Apoy” (this is a horror flick made by Trigon Cinema where he was first paired with Lorna Tolentino in 1980), “Bantay Salakay” (again with Lorna), “Pambato,” “Deadly Brothers” (with Phillip Salvador), “Laya,” “Wanted: Sabas,”, “Death Row,” “Pepeng Shotgun” (one of his best films made by Sining Silangan), “Lukso ng Dugo” (with Charo Santos), “Babalik Ka Rin” (reunion movie with Alma), “Kumusta Ka, Hudas,” “Enkuwentro,” “Kumander Kris,” “Tres Kantos” (with Ace Vergel and Bembol Roco), “Kumander Elpidio Paclibar,” “Get My Son Dead or Alive,” “Amo”, “Vendetta,” “Pader at Rehas” (with Eddie Fernandez), “Inside Job,”, “Sumuko Ka, Ronquillo”, “Anak sa Una, Kasal sa Ina”, “Somewhere,” “Nagkataon, Nagkatagpo” (with Maricel Soriano), “Kung Kailangan Mo Ako” (with Sharon Cuneta), “Tatak ng Yakuza,” “Markang Bungo”, “Kaaway ng Bayan,” “Pasukuin si Waway” (he won a FAMAS best actor award), “Kahit Ako’y Lupa,” “Lumuhod Ka sa Lupa,” “Tulisang Dagat”, “Lagalag, The Eddie Fernandez Story,” “Kriminal,” “Idol,” “Ulo ng Gapo,” “Bilang Na ang Oras,” “Humanda Ka, Ikaw ang Susunod,” “Baun Gang,” “Laban Kung Laban”, “Tubusin Mo ng Dugo”, “Wag na Wag Kang Lalayo,”, “Diskarte,” Huli Mo, Huli Ko” (his last movie in 2002 for his own company, Reflection Films), and others. When the local movie industry slackened, Rudy also went to TV, doing “Daboy en Dagirl” with Rosanna Roces. He was last seen in the GMA-7 telefantasya, “Atlantika.” He ran for public office as Quezon City mayor but lost.Rudy was one of the nicest guys in showbiz. He was friendly, always smiling and had very good PR. We will all miss him. To Daboy, goodbye, sleep tight in the bosom of our Lord. Let’s all pray for the repose of his soul.


11. Business World

http://bworldonline.com/BW060708/content.php?id=001


12. Business Mirror




II. POLITICAL

Gas, diesel, LPG prices soar
By Abigail L. HoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 00:56:00 06/08/2008
OIL FIRMS HIKED PRICES OF GASOLINE AND diesel by P1.50 a liter and of cooking gas by P1 a kilogram yesterday, prompted by another surge in world oil prices and the weakening peso.
The new price adjustment—the 13th this year—brings prices of premium unleaded gasoline to between P52.17 and P56.65, diesel to between P44.41 and P49.50, and kerosene to between P49.80 and P55.30 a liter, inclusive of the 12-percent VAT.
LPG now costs between P604 and P650 per 11-kilogram cylinder.
First to raise prices was Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. at 12:01 a.m., followed by Petron Corp., Chevron Philippines Inc., Total (Philippines) Corp., Eastern Petroleum Corp. and Unioil Petroleum Philippines Inc. at 6 a.m.
The regional benchmark for Dubai crude registered a June 1-5 average of $120.50 a barrel, up from the May average of $119.50 a barrel.
The price of unleaded gasoline based on the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) benchmark rose to an average of $130.92 a barrel in May from $118.08 a barrel the month before.
MOPS-based diesel soared to an average of $161.23 a barrel last month from the April average of $141.98 a barrel.
The international contract price of LPG also breached the $900-per-metric-ton mark, reaching $907.50 per MT in June from May’s $855.50 per MT. The price was $812 per MT in April.
According to monitoring by the Department of Energy for the June 1-6 week, Dubai crude prices actually fell by around $8 a barrel after hitting a record high of $128.98 a barrel on May 22. The same trend was true for spot prices of gasoline and diesel.
Analysts said the record-high prices had prompted a cut in demand for fuel, thus the price drop.
“However, while oil prices were recently on the downtrend, price levels are still near their recorded peaks, with month-to-date averages still much higher than previous month’s,” the DOE said in a statement.
“Oil prices were also pressured by the dollar, which gained ground against the yen and euro. Investors who buy commodities such as oil, as a hedge against inflation when the dollar falls, tend to sell when the greenback strengthens. Also, a rising dollar makes oil more expensive to overseas investors,” it added.
Since the start of the year, gasoline, diesel and kerosene prices have risen 13 times for a total of P11 a liter for gasoline and P11.50 a liter for diesel and kerosene.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141379/Gas-diesel-LPG-prices-soar


Family, not money, make Filipinos happy
By Ma. Ceres P. DoyoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:01:00 06/08/2008
WHAT MAKES THE FILIPINO HAPPY? While it can help, money is certainly not at the top of the list.
Elsewhere, new studies show that the rise in riches still increases happiness even among those who already have much. However, Filipinos still point to the non-material as the enduring cause of their joy and well-being.
A study on 1,279 Filipinos from different economic classes revealed that, first and foremost, having a happy, harmonious and healthy family is what makes them most happy. The sample was randomly taken from Metro Manila cities and nearby Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas and Valenzuela) and Calabarzon (Cavite-Laguna-Batangas-Rizal-Quezon) areas. The subjects’ ages ranged from 12 to 70 years old.
Ma. Gladiola M. Santos who holds a doctorate in educational psychology from the University of the Philippines and is dean of the College of Sciences of Adamson University conducted the study. Her paper, “Filipino concept of subjective well-being and its correlates,” which embodies her study’s results will be presented at the Asian Psychological Association convention in Malaysia at the end of this month.
Santos’ study is a foil to the recent research findings that challenge the so-called Easterlin Paradox that has long been held—that happiness does not necessarily increase with income. That is, after a point of satiation has been achieved.
Contrast this to the new research findings from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business showing “a clear positive link” between wealth and “subjective well-being” based on global surveys.
Variety of answers
“I agree very much with your (this writer) stand that it is the Easterlin Paradox that applies to us Filipinos,” Santos told the Inquirer.
She said the question “What makes you happy?” elicited a rich variety of answers, namely:
1) From the most expected, such as being with family and friends, to the least expected such as clean and transparent government;
2) From the global, such as international understanding, to the very domestic, like understanding from a sister;
3) From the most strikingly grand response, such as spiritual meditation and preaching the word of God, to the most trivial, such as clothes, bags and shoes;
4) From the special, like receiving honors and recognition, to the commonplace, like receiving text messages.
“But whether global, special or trivial and mundane, the responses expressed the concepts of well-being of the respondents,” Santos said. “This can imply that Filipinos are a happy bunch of people who are able to derive satisfaction from a rich variety of things. And it appears that whatever status he or she is in, the Filipino is predisposed to be happy.”
Filipinos are happy people, Santos said, pointing out that almost 80 percent of the respondents rated their levels of happiness as high to very high. Only about 17 percent rated themselves low, while the remaining 3 percent said they were unhappy and dissatisfied with life.
Twelve themes stood out in the Santos study. The most prominent was the familial theme. Filipinos believe that happiness comes, first and foremost, from having a happy, harmonious and healthy family. “They regard being with the family, being able to spend time with them as very precious,” she explained. “They also value the importance of having a family that is complete and being able to provide for the kids and see them succeed in the future.”
Next to the family as a source of happiness is being with friends, the psychologist declared. “Our interest in good interpersonal relationships goes beyond the family group.”
A close third is achievement, be it in career, studies or any of life’s goals.
This is followed by leisure. From their responses, Santos pointed out, one can see that leisure can take the simplest form like watching TV and movies, malling, sports, drinking with friends and even gambling, to the more sophisticated ways like travel or taking holiday trips.
“This capacity to entertain themselves helps in strengthening their resiliency,” she said. Filipinos are great entertainers themselves, with a great number excelling in music, here and abroad.
Material possessions came fifth as a source of happiness, Santos said. “This, of course, shows the practical side of the Filipinos. But more than anything, it proves that economics is not the topmost source of well-being.
Not far behind in rank is emotional health, a theme that, she said, consists of belonging to a partner, being appreciated and understood, having peace of mind, humor or laughter.
Surprisingly, the spiritual life occupies only the seventh rank. Faith in God, joining spiritual activities and doing good to others were the variations on this theme. Filipinos are supposed to be known for their religious piety but they have also been criticized for their “split-level Christianity.”
Close at eighth and ninth are good physical health (of the self) and the pursuit of beauty and the arts.
“To some,” Santos added, “being able to watch the sunset and other natural and artificial wonders is enough to complete the day.
Responses related to global peace, national prosperity and clean government came “sparingly.” So were responses about sex and pets as sources of happiness. Santos was tempted to conclude that “sex is only as important as one’s pets as a source of happiness.”
Looking at the potential correlates of subjective well-being (SWB), she made some conclusions: The happy Filipino seems to be one who is more mature in age, married, religious, earning enough, with a good occupation, not necessarily one who finished a high school education. The Filipino woman seems generally happier than her male counterpart. Self-esteem is highly correlated with happiness, but the personality of the individual (say, extrovert or introvert) is not.
A lot of psychological research has been done of pathologies, Santos said, but more recently, positive psychology has shifted research concerns to more affirmative issues. “Hence, instead of analyzing what makes people disordered, we turn to understanding why people feel well and from there, construct a model where people can base their search for greater well-being.”
What the study revealed could have implications on modern psychotherapy, Santos said. The positive traits found in the study could be “the emphases for strengths-based approaches to therapy which are being advocated today by humanistic, cognitive-behavioral and even feminist psychologists.”
She added that educators could also help train the child’s mind about the many possible sources of happiness. Santos urged educators to integrate the trait of optimism in the courses they are teaching.
The study has its limitations, she admitted.
The number of respondents could not be representative of the entire Filipino people, Santos said. “But I hope this could be the first phase of a ladderized study that would involve bigger samples from different regions until we can get a truer estimate of the picture of the Filipino.”
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141382/Family-not-money-make-Filipinos-happy


Garcia vows to fight Meralco to the finish
By Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson, Abigail L. HoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:04:00 06/08/2008
VOWING TO FINISH THE fight, Winston Garcia, the Government Service Insurance System president and general manager, unveiled an ambitious plan to lower power costs by 20 percent in two months, if the state-run pension fund succeeds in taking control of the Lopez-led Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
Speaking before businessmen and journalists at the Anvil Business Club forum late Friday, Garcia said this would be made possible by annual savings of up to P21 billion from scrapping highly onerous provisions of Meralco’s contract with independent power producer (IPP).
“I have to finish this fight and give relief to the public and to Meralco shareholders,” said Garcia, who remains undaunted by taunts that he is the “attack dog” of Malacañang against the Lopezes.
He said the onerous provisions cover the lease paid by Meralco to its affiliate IPPs and unused gas billed to Meralco under take-or-pay provisions.
Scrapping these provisions would net an estimated P21 billion in savings, a figure Garcia obtained from studying Meralco’s 2007 financial statement.
“If we take over management, we will scrap these provisions because these provisions are against the Meralco franchise agreement and against the Epira (Electric Power Industry Reform Act),” Garcia said.
He said Section 23 of the Epira and Section 4 of Meralco’s franchise impose on the distribution utility the obligation to supply electricity to its captive market at the least cost.
Garcia said that last year the amount that Meralco passed on to consumers for the lease of power plants in the form of capacity and fixed operating fees amounted to P17 billion, or 60 centavos per kilowatt hour.
The amount that Meralco allegedly passed on to consumers for unused gas totaled P4.89 billion in 2007, and P7.06 billion in 2006, he said.
Under the take-or-pay provision of the contract between Meralco and its three IPP suppliers, Meralco is allowed by the state regulator to pass on to consumers charges for electricity that it is obliged to buy from the IPPs even if this electricity ends up not being used.
Garcia said two of Meralco’s three IPP suppliers are owned by the Lopezes. He said Meralco sources 35 percent of its power supply from the Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo power plants, IPPs that are controlled by the Lopez group.
First Gas, which operates the 1,000-megawatt Sta. Rita power plant in Batangas, is a subsidiary of First Gen Corp., the holding company for the Lopez group’s power generation and energy-related businesses.
Finally, Garcia suggested that Meralco’s employee benefits and privileges be closely monitored and regulated by the Energy Regulatory Commission and that transparency and competitiveness be practiced in the procurement of goods and services.
Meralco treasurer Rafael Andrada disputed Garcia’s allegations. He said the company’s pension costs represented contributions made each year to meet the “unfunded liabilities” as determined by yearly actuarial studies commissioned by Meralco.
“These unfunded liabilities represent what it will cost the company to pay all its employees if they retire today all at the same time,” he explained.
On the issue of the “onerous” IPP contract provisions, Elpi Cuna, Meralco vice president for corporate communications, said Garcia and his chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo were “starting to sound like broken records.”
“We have explained this issue time and again. The contracts were evaluated and approved by government and reviewed twice, in 1997 and in 2004. The results of the 2004 review by the Independent Review Committee were subsequently submitted to the ERC, and these were approved after hearing and evaluation,” he said.
As for the take-or-pay provision in Meralco’s contracts with its IPPs, he said these were no different from other IPP contracts.
“Just like all the other IPPs in the country, without this take-or-pay provision, the power plants could never have been financed and built,” Cuna said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141383/Garcia-vows-to-fight-Meralco-to-the-finish


Arroyo violated Epira--Cayetano
By Michael Lim UbacPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:07:00 06/08/2008
OPPOSITION SEN. ALAN PETER CAYETANO has accused President Macapagal-Arroyo of failing to implement a provision of the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (Epira) which called for a uniform implementation of taxes for both renewable and nonrenewable energy sources.
At a hearing on energy in the Senate on Friday, Cayetano said that Section 35 of Epira allowed Ms Arroyo to implement a uniform tax or levy for all power sources—coal and indigenous energy sources.
He said the President, by using the prerogative, would immediately bring down electricity rates.
Cayetano quoted the section: “The President of the Philippines shall reduce the royalties, returns and taxes collected for the exploitation of all indigenous sources of energy, including but not limited to, natural gas and geothermal.”
Cayetano said that the law was aimed at effecting “the parity of treatment with the existing rates for imported coal, crude oil, bunker fuel and other imported fuels.”
Currently, the government collects taxes equivalent to four centavos per kilowatt hour for power generated by imported coal, but 30 centavos to 70 centavos for geothermal and P1.30 for natural gas.
“So put your money where your mouth is, Madam President, and lower the taxes on these and then make sure that everyone else—Manila Electric Company, National Power Corporation and other distribution utilities—also toe the line and share the burden to help lower power rates,” he said.
He said that due to the glaring disparity in the taxes levied on fuel sources, investors would rather build coal-fired power plants, which were expensive and caused pollution, rather than plants devoted to harness wind, solar, geothermal power and biofuels.
Cayetano also pointed that Epira called for a zero-rated tax on oil and power.
Thus, he said, Congress in effect clearly amended Epira when it passed the expanded value-added tax law imposing 12-percentage tax on oil and power.
“Pursuant to the objective of lowering electricity rates to end users, sales of generated power by generation companies shall be value-added tax or zero-rated,” said Cayetano, quoting Epira.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141385/Arroyo-violated-Epira--Cayetano


20¢ cut in text fees poor bargain--Gordon
By Cynthia BalanaPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:08:00 06/08/2008
WHY SETTLE FOR A 20-CENTAVO discount, when you can push for a 50-50 split on telecommunication companies’ text revenues?
This was the question posed by Sen. Richard Gordon upon learning about the bid of the National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) to reduce telco charges.
According to Gordon, the NTC’s circular ordering telcos to reduce their interconnection or access fee from 35 centavos to 15 centavos per call or text message would be hardly felt.
“Considering the leverage the government has, the 20-cent average reduction in the interconnection fee is a poor bargain. Who saves money 20 cents at a time?” Gordon pointed out.
“What we need is a means of pooling together the savings created by reduced charges and using this fund to make gigantic improvements on our peoples’ lives,” he said.
Gordon said eliminating charges on text messaging could either maim or kill the proverbial goose that lays the golden egg. Instead, he proposed that text charges remain at P1 but only 50 centavos should go to the telcos.
The remaining 50 centavos, he said, “will be given to government and pooled in a special fund that will be used in overhauling the public education system, funding public health programs and improving benefits for senior citizens.”
He said telcos would agree to his proposal which will be filed as a bill to create a special education tax fund.
“There is a real justification for them (telcos) not to charge the whole P1, because texting is really just a value added service. What I am proposing is that they keep 50 cents to maintain or expand their systems but give government the remaining 50 cents. We will do away with the promos on texting and keep the charges at P1 per text all the way. In this way, the people will be contributing to their children’s education,” the senator said.
According to Gordon’s computation, 9,958,000 mobile phone subscribers sending 10 text messages a day at 50 centavos for every text message sent could generate as much as P98.4 billion a year or P492.3 billion in five years.
(Actually, the correct computation is P18.17 billion a year or P90.87 billion in five years.)
“There are 400 million text messages sent a day. What we are proposing to collect from telcos is about half of this amount and target it towards programs that will have a long- term impact on our people’s ability to achieve a greater measure of asenso (progress) or meaningful socioeconomic upliftment,” Gordon said.
He added that with just one year’s worth of the special education tax fund amounting to P P98.4 billion, telcos could help the government:
• Wipe out the existing classroom backlog at the cost of P6.95 billion
• Provide desks and textbooks for all students at the cost of P4.17 billion
• Hire 12,733 teachers and pay them an additional P15,000 a month for 7 months plus 13th month pay. The total cost would be P3.81 billion
• Hire 24,709 principals at the cost of P4.43 billion
• Feed 12,202,297 school children in all grades for 120 days at the cost of P58.5 billion.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141386/20-cut-in-text-fees-poor-bargain--Gordon



Mindanao rice prices stabilizing--Dureza
By Michael Lim UbacPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:09:00 06/08/2008
THE PRICE OF RICE IN MINDANAO, which has skyrocketed in recent days and sown alarm in the region, is now beginning to stabilize after the National Food Authority (NFA) flooded key markets with subsidized rice this week.
Incoming Press Secretary Jesus Dureza on Saturday said there was now an ample supply of rice “within Davao region, which saw the price of the cereal topping P50 per kilo early this week.” This, he said, was proof that the situation was being brought under control.
Dureza went to Mindanao Friday to personally look at the situation after being authorized by the Cabinet to do so early this week.
Dureza, currently the presidential adviser on the peace processes being negotiated with both communist rebels and Moro insurgents, is scheduled to visit other areas over the weekend.
Intervention
“The immediate intervention by the government, through local government units, in tandem with national agencies has allayed speculation that there is rice shortage,” said Dureza. “There is enough supply of rice. What we need to do is strengthen monitoring and communication efforts to avoid speculation.”
Dureza will assume his new job as press secretary on June 16 vice outgoing Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, who will remain as spokesperson of President Macapagal-Arroyo until early July, after which he assumes his new post as a member of the Monetary Board.
The post of presidential spokesperson will then go to Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita in a concurrent capacity.
On Monday, the President ordered an investigation into the soaring price of rice in the South.
The price of “polished” rice has risen to levels beyond the reach of most people in Mindanao–from P41 a kilo to P52. More and more residents are opting to buy government-subsidized rice, which is sold at P18.50.
The investigation, jointly conducted by the Departments of Trade and Agriculture, found no evidence of hoarding as earlier reported. Agriculture Undersecretary Jesus Paras blamed the soaring price of rice in Mindanao on “speculation” by the farmers themselves.
Paras said Tuesday that the farmers were holding on to their harvested palay (unhusked rice) in anticipation of higher farm-gate buying prices later this month because of the high prices of fuel and inputs like fertilizer.
Paras said there was no need to place the region under a state of emergency as demanded by Mindanao executives led by Davao del Sur Gov. Douglas Cagas. He said the move could only be resorted to if a severe lack of rice or food existed.
Easier said than done
“The NFA is already there giving the assurance to the public that there’s more than enough rice available,” he said. He called attention to the NFA move to “double the volume” of well-milled rice sold at P18.25 per kilo in the region, aside from the other varieties sold at P25 a kilo.
“They have penetrated the key markets,” he said.
On Friday, President Macapacal-Arroyo said that “lowering the price of NFA rice is easier said than done” because a large part of the staple’s price was subsidized.
Congress would have to include in the National Budget an appropriation for a higher subsidy to make NFA rice cheaper, the President said in a speech before students and education officials in Manila.
She pointed out that if it were not for the government subsidy, NFA rice would be similarly priced with commercial rice.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141387/Mindanao-rice-prices-stabilizing--Dureza


They can’t do that--Reyes
By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:13:00 06/08/2008
OIL COMPANIES SHOULDN’T impose a fresh round of pump prices just yet, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said Saturday.
Reyes, in a talk with reporters after a Sulo Hotel press forum yesterday, was responding to reports that world oil prices jumped to a record $138 a barrel Friday (Saturday in Manila) over jitters triggered by Israeli official’s remark that an attack on Iran’s nuclear sites was unavoidable.
“They can’t increase their price on the basis of saying ‘Aha, there’s trouble in the Middle East ... Therefore, I have to increase my price’. That can’t be done.”
The Secretary said the companies should only raise prices as an offshoot of “real under-recoveries” of past losses, and not because of a projected increase.
“What they should announce are price increases as a result of historical losses. That’s okay. But don’t say, ‘We expect that prices will go up and therefore, we have to increase the price now,’” he added.
The world oil price increase, he stressed, could be reflected in a future “under-recovery,” and that would be the time, they should jack up the prices.
Reyes, however, admitted that the government could not dictate, but only monitor the price of fuel in a deregulated industry.
“It has to be market that dictates the price. [But] we can’t be helpless and not act when there’s unreasonable pricing. That’s our job, monitoring prices and dialoguing with them,” he said.
Reyes predicted that high oil prices would take its heaviest toll on the transport sector, increase pressure for a transport fare increase, and lead to an increase in prices of commodities.
“Transport, this is where the impact will be felt,” he said at the press forum, adding: “The implication is that there will be strong pressure for a fare increase.”
“If we increase the fare, everything follows,” he added.
Reyes, however, said he did not believe it was necessary to grant President Macapagal-Arroyo emergency powers to address the soaring fuel and food prices.
“You know, I would think the President has enough powers now. The situation can be handled as of now,” he said.
As part of its long-term plans, the government is aggressively pursuing a program to develop alternative fuels, according to Reyes.
“We’re at the stage where we are looking for alternatives to oil,” he said.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141390/They-cant-do-that--Reyes


Arroyo allies dismiss JDV claim of smear job
By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:14:00 06/08/2008
SPEAKER PROSPERO NOGRALES on Saturday dismissed Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia’s claims that President Macapagal-Arroyo and her “mercenaries” were behind a fresh “smear campaign” against him.
“I beg to disagree with him because what I know is that the President and First Gentleman no longer consider the former Speaker as an important issue in their family,” he said in a text message.
De Venecia had blamed the President and her husband Jose Miguel Arroyo for the publication of an ad in the Inquirer on Friday detailing a purported plan to maximize media mileage for his forthcoming testimony at the Senate regarding the bribery-tainted $329-million NBN deal.
“I have not even begun to testify on the ZTE-NBN scandal and the many cases of corruption in the government; and yet their mercenaries are already bombarding me, smearing me and my family—my son, Joey III, my wife, Gina—and nuns and civil society leaders with expensive newspaper ads and a barrage of lies,” De Venecia complained on Friday.
Malacañang denied that it had anything to do with the ad.
House Senior Deputy Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II agreed with Nograles, and said De Venecia linked the First Family to the ad to make news about himself.
“The best thing is for JDV to either put up or shut up. He should be responsible or be brave to say what he has to say. Otherwise, he should just shut up,” Gonzales said in a phone interview.
If it were true that Malacañang were behind the ad, this would not help their cause, added House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor.
“It’s not helping the administration. You know when you try to demolish somebody who is against the administration, it backfires on the administration. Like a bullet, it ricochets,” he said in an interview.
Nograles said he wasn’t aware of any “sinister hand behind any black propaganda.”
“Sometimes it just happens so that the victim will blame others when in fact the suspects had nothing to do with it. It’s an old political game that people play,” he said.
“The best part of discretion is sometimes indifference or in our vernacular ‘dead-ma,’” he added.
De Venecia, who turned from staunch ally to bitter critic of the President after he was ousted as Speaker early February, said he would testify at the Senate as soon as he cleared a medical check-up.
“Once that is done, I should be fully prepared to confront President Arroyo’s lies with the plain and simple truth,” he said Friday.
De Venecia said he would testify not only on the President’s secret golf game and lunch with executives of ZTE Corp. in China on Nov. 2, 2006, five months before the government awarded the NBN contract to the Chinese firm, but also on other aspects of the deal.
In Malacañang, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo reiterated that the President had nothing to do with the anti-JDV ad and suggested that there were other people who were unhappy with the former Speaker.
She dared the ousted Speaker to prove his charge that the President and her husband were on the offensive against their political enemies.
Fajardo said they welcomed any inquiry into the persons or groups behind the publication of the ad.
“But as far as the Palace is concerned, we’re not involved.”
“He’s saying that he will go to the Senate to testify. Maybe, there are people there who are not also happy with what they have heard (from him),” said Fajardo, pointing out that the former Speaker and “anybody for that matter … should have an open mind on criticisms of other people.” With a report by Michael Lim Ubac
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141391/Arroyo-allies-dismiss-JDV-claim-of-smear-job


Let’s go nuclear, Reyes urges
By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:17:00 06/08/2008
THE GOVERNMENT is seriously studying the option of reopening the mothballed Bataan Nuclear Power Plant to bolster the country’s energy supply, Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said Saturday.
Reyes said that a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency that inspected the power plant in Bataan months ago has reported that this could be rehabilitated in at least five years at a cost of $800 million.
“We intend to revisit this particular option,” he said at the Sulo Hotel press forum, pointing out that the government spent $2.3 billion to build it without generating a kilowatt of electricity.
The Secretary said it would take two years to undertake a feasibility study on the rehabilitation and another five years to rehabilitate the power plant. But he said it would take 15 years to build a new one.
“I have taken the position that we have to revisit the nuclear option because we don’t want a situation where there will be power shortage,” he later said in an interview.
The 630-mW power plant built during the Marcos regime was mothballed during the Aquino administration over concerns of its safety.
Greenpeace has constantly warned Reyes of the high costs and health risks of pursuing nuclear options, and reminded him to focus on getting the renewable energy bill approved by Congress and tapping renewable energy options.
The group has urged the government to avert the adverse effects of climate change by setting renewable energy targets, imposing a moratorium on the construction of coal-fired power plants, implementing strict energy-efficient standards, and drafting a program reducing carbon emissions.
Reyes said the government would continue to seek ways at tapping renewable energy, but could not ignore the nuclear option.
“By all means, let’s go renewable. Let’s go alternative sources of fuel. But also, we can’t have a situation where we do away with oil and coal, then we have blackouts, or we have shortage in power supply,” he said.
Reyes had earlier forecast that power shortage would hit the country in 2009.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141393/Lets-go-nuclear-Reyes-urges


Palace: Walk, bike, or carpool
By Michael Lim UbacPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 01:18:00 06/08/2008
FILIPINOS REELING FROM HIGH FUEL prices should consider walking, using bikes instead of cars, or car pooling, Malacañang said Saturday.
President Macapagal-Arroyo’s deputy spokesperson, Lorelei Fajardo, aired the suggestion in an interview over radio dzRB in the course of pointing out that the government had no control over skyrocketing pump prices.
“We are just importing crude oil. So I guess the best [thing] everyone can do now is, first of all, conserve not just electricity but also gasoline,” Fajardo said.
“Walk, use a bike, or carpool,” she said, adding that the people should not rely too much on the government for energy and fuel subsidies.
Fajardo said switching from four wheels to two was a cost-effective way of lessening dependence on imported fuel.
“Everyone has his own role to play,” she said, stressing that the President had already ordered government offices to conserve energy.
Fajardo also thanked transport groups for deciding to call off the strike originally scheduled on Tuesday to pressure the government to increase the minimum fare, among other demands.
“We appreciate that,” she said, disclosing that the decision was reached after the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board pledged to formulate ways to provide subsidies to the transport sector, including fuel discounts.
Official policy
At Thursday’s observance of World Environment Day, Ms Arroyo said she had made saving fuel and electricity an official policy of her administration.
She announced in a speech before students of the Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology in Manila, that starting this week, all government agencies and entities, including government-owned and -controlled corporations, had been directed to start power- and fuel-saving measures.
“Everyone in this nation, public and private, has an obligation to meet the needs of the nation on vital services like energy,” Ms Arroyo said.
“The era of cheap and plentiful fossil fuels, the source of much of our fuel, and a major generator of electricity in the Visayas and Mindanao, is definitely over. In this context, cutting down on fuel and electricity consumption is an economic imperative, a moral duty and a global obligation,” she said.
In Administrative Order No. 228 issued on June 2, the President ordered all government entities to save on transport fuel cost by a minimum of 10 percent starting this month.
She wants all government offices to replace all incandescent bulbs with fluorescent lamps by July, and to convert the fuel of their vehicles in major cities from gasoline to liquid petroleum by September.
No choice
Consumers have no choice but to bear the burden of high oil prices because there is no relief in sight, according to Peter Lee U, dean of the School of Economics at the University of Asia and the Pacific.
“For the medium term, we’re still looking at high oil prices. It’s something that we have to live with,” he said.
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes also had no comforting words to say.
At this point, all the government and other industry stakeholders can do is ensure an adequate supply of petroleum products in the face of escalating world prices, Reyes said.
“Oil companies should keep adequate inventories and ensure uninterrupted supply,” Reyes said.
He said refiners Petron Corp. and Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp. had assured the Department of Energy “that they can supply our requirements.” With a report from Abigail L. Ho
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080608-141394/Palace-Walk-bike-or-carpool


Meralco to refund P2.7B in deposits
By Abigail L. HoPhilippine Daily InquirerFirst Posted 23:53:00 06/07/2008
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ABOUT P2.7 BILLION IN REFUNDS WILL SOON BE PAID customers of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) for their meter deposits. Customers of the country’s biggest distribution utility have been paying the deposits since the 1980s when applying for electric service.
Customers not just of Meralco, which covers Metro Manila and Luzon, but of other distribution utilities and electric cooperatives nationwide, will be entitled to the refunds on these meter deposits, plus interest, with the approval by the Energy Regulatory Commission of the guidelines to govern the rebates.
Under the rules of the ERC order, issued June 4 and released late Friday, private distribution utilities, including the Lopez-led Meralco, should start issuing the refunds six months after the effectivity of the rules.
Non-stock and non-profit electric cooperatives, on the other hand, have 24 months upon the effectivity of the rules to prepare for the issuance of their own refunds.
The ERC rules will become effective 15 days after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.
“The ERC urges the cooperation of both the distribution utilities and the electricity consumers to facilitate the orderly and prompt implementation of the meter deposit refund as soon as the set of rules becomes effective,” said ERC Chair Rodolfo Albano Jr.
The ERC order does not cover however the refund of bill deposits that consumer groups and legislators led by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile have been demanding from Meralco. The ERC has yet to issue the guidelines on the bill deposits.
As of end-2007, Meralco’s meter deposits, including interest, amounted to P2.7 billion. As of end-2006, the bill deposits amounted to P16.5 billion.
Apart from the refunds of the actual meter deposits, customers of private distribution utilities are also entitled to interest income on their meter deposits, at rates stated in the ERC rules.
Residential and non-residential customers who paid their meter deposits prior to the effectivity of the Energy Regulatory Board resolution on Sept. 22, 1995, will be entitled to an interest of 6 percent a year.
Those who paid their meter deposits after the issuance of that ERB resolution and until the day before the effectivity of the Magna Carta for Residential Electricity Consumers, or DSOAR, will enjoy a 10-percent yearly interest.
The state regulator stopped the distribution utilities from collecting meter deposits after the Magna Carta came into effect in 2004.
Electricity users who paid from the effectivity of the Magna Carta until the day before the implementation of the refund will be entitled to an interest of 6 percent a year.
Customers could opt to get their meter deposit and interest refunds in cash or check, or just have these credited to their future monthly electricity bills. They could also use the refund amount to offset due and demandable claims against them.
Customers of electric cooperatives, however, will not be entitled to interest on their meter deposit refunds as these power distributors are non-profit organizations.
Refund methods for these customers are the same as those for distribution utility clients. The only difference is that customers can also convert these refunds into contributions or equity that must be recorded in the books of the electric cooperatives.
Customers applying for refunds are required to present valid proofs of identification and registration, like their electricity bills.
Meanwhile, the Makati Business Club has accused the government of damaging public institutions in what it said was its attempt to wrest control of Meralco.
“Damaging public institutions in this way is plainly bad governance. It sends the signal to the private sector that this administration is prepared to sacrifice public institutions and its own reform program for political objectives,” the group said in a statement.
The group said that by using the Securities and Exchange Commission to try to gain control of Meralco via the Government Service Insurance System, the administration effectively contributed to the erosion of the credibility of the SEC.
“The Makati Business Club stands firmly against the use of state power to intimidate the private sector and vigorously opposes the nationalization of the electric power industry. Reverse-privatization is the worst way to bring down the cost of electricity, as state-owned enterprises in this country are vulnerable to political patronage and are inefficient due to lack of competition,” it added.
It said that Republic Act 8799 had transferred the responsibility of settling all intra-corporate disputes to the regional trial courts, making the SEC’s intervention in the war being waged by GSIS against the Lopezes of Meralco “improper.”
“By allowing itself to be used by the GSIS to wrest management control, the SEC has contributed to the diminution of its own credibility. The administration has used the consumerist cause of lowering the price of electricity as the rationale for revamping Meralco’s management,” MBC said.
In response, GSIS chief legal counsel Estrella Elamparo assailed the MBC for “blindly [defending] the Lopez family.”
“They should look at both sides and not make sweeping accusations. In fact, the MBC should be speaking against the excesses being committed by the Lopezes in Meralco,” Elamparo said in a separate statement.
She said the GSIS was not out to take over Meralco but only wanted to have a professional team run the company.
“Meralco will become attractive anew to investors when it is freed from the stranglehold of the Lopezes. Meralco will be better managed and will be fully accountable based on international good corporate practices,” she said.
Also Saturday, Sen. Loren Legarda asked the ERC to implement a Supreme Court resolution in December 2007 ordering an audit of Meralco.
“Whatever happened to the Supreme Court resolution ordering the Energy Regulatory Commission to audit the Manila Electric Company?” Legarda asked.
Legarda said that there was no public disclosure if the ERC had already complied with the order.
“I support a public audit of the Meralco inasmuch as it is a public utility and that the public, through the millions of shareholders and consumers, has a big stake in it,” Legarda said in a statement.
She said an ERC audit of the country’s biggest power distribution firm was timely in the wake of raging controversies involving allegations of mismanagement by the Lopez family.
In the 2007 decision, the high tribunal ordered a public audit of the Meralco’s financial operations in response to the consolidated cases entitled Meralco v Genaro Lualhati, and ERC v Genaro Lualhati, promulgated on Dec. 6, 2006.
In the decision, the high court affirmed the ERC ruling on the unbundled rates, effectively increasing the electricity cost to the consumer, and the sound value of Meralco’s net utility plant. But the high court ordered the ERC, with the help of the Commission on Audit, to make a complete examination of Meralco’s books, records and accounts to see to it that the rate increases that Meralco was asking for were justified.
With a report from Cynthia D. Balana
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080607-141368/Meralco-to-refund-P27B-in-deposits


DOE told: Release audit on oil firmsBy Marvin Sy Sunday, June 8, 2008
Malacañang wants the Department of Energy (DOE) to release the results of the audit conducted on oil firms a few months ago.
The DOE hired reputed accounting firms to look into the books of the oil companies in order to see if their pricing is justifiable and that there are no irregularities.
Interviewed over state-run dzRB, deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo acknowledged that the auditing process would take some time but said the report should be expected very soon.
“I believe this is something that should be released by the Department of Energy, by Secretary (Angelo) Reyes,” Fajardo said.
She said the President has been following up on the DOE’s actions on the recommendations given at the conclusion of the Energy Summit held early last month.
In a related development, Malacañang expressed its gratitude to transport groups for deferring its fare hike petitions as well as the reported transport strike this coming week.
Fajardo said a transport strike would be ill-timed since classes all over the country start next week.
She said the government is working overtime on the increase in fuel discounts to be given to the transport sector in response to hikes in domestic pump prices.
“So hopefully, it would be implemented the soonest possible time. I don’t know if the LTFRB (Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board) can do this within the week. But they have committed to work overtime on this,” Fajardo said.
And with the price of oil continuing on its upward path, Malacañang also appealed to the public to do its share in conserving energy instead of being overly dependent on the government for solutions.
While the government has taken several measures to ease the burden of high oil prices on consumers, Fajardo said that the public should also learn to conserve on fuel.
“If it’s possible, we would like to ask the people not to pass all of the burden on the government because everyone also has his own role to play in contributing to the solutions,” Fajardo said.
She said the people could try other ways, including using bicycles, walking and car-pooling, all of which could help bring down the consumption of oil in the country.
President Arroyo has issued a number of orders aimed at conserving energy at the government level.
Among her directives are for the government offices to switch off their air conditioners at 4:30 in the afternoon, to use only fluorescent lamps for lighting, to cut down on fuel consumption by 10 percent and to convert a portion of all government vehicles to liquefied petroleum gas from gasoline and diesel.
“So we also expect the same from the public, not only for those who are working in the government,” Fajardo said.
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607141


New pro-poor schemes proposedBy Delon Porcalla Sunday, June 8, 2008
Speaker Prospero Nograles said the government can adopt a “ladderized system of subsidy” by expanding the coverage of subsidies it has been extending to the poorest of the poor to help mitigate the impact of soaring food and fuel prices.
Nograles made the proposal in lieu of the emergency powers raised by some members of the Cabinet.
He said the ladderized system will enable the government to extend relief not only to the poorest of the poor but also to the country’s middle class, or the fixed-income earners who comprise 85 percent of the government’s tax base.
From January to April this year, the Department of Finance had an estimated windfall of P4 billion from the government’s expanded value-added tax (VAT) collections, according to a report by the Congressional Planning and Budget Department of the House of Representatives.
Nograles said the government can set aside P4 billion to subsidize for four months some 9.4 million households using 500 kilowatts an hour of power and below, fuel needs of public transport utilities, and liquefied petroleum gas consumption.
“We propose that the P4 billion should be re-channeled towards subsidizing the public’s electricity and fuel consumption,” he said.
Of the total amount, Nograles suggested that P2 billion can be used “to subsidize households using 500 kilowatts per hour and below.”
Under the ladderized system of subsidy on electricity, Nograles said residential users with 401-500 kwh consumption a month, which is estimated at 113,062 households, will get 43 centavos in subsidy per kilowatt hour.
Residential users, or approximately 244,068 households, with 301-400 kwh consumption, will get 53 centavos subsidy per kilowatt hour, while those with 201-300 kwh consumption, or about 587,001 households, will get 71 centavos in subsidy per kilowatt hour.
Those with 101-200 kwh consumption per month, or about 1,488,882 households, will get P1.07 subsidy per kwh, while those with 100 kwh and below, or about 6,290,781 households, will get P2.14 subsidy per kilowatt hour.
“This provides an estimated monthly subsidy of P53.45 for every Filipino household under 500 kilowatt hour consumption nationwide or a total of P214 per household for a period of four months,” Nograles said.
The other half (P2 billion), the Speaker suggested, “should be used to subsidize the fuel consumption of public utility vehicles, which include buses, jeepneys, and taxis, and households using LPG.”
Under the proposed ladderized scheme, two possible scenarios may be implemented, he said.
One, diesel fuel will get a subsidy of 40 centavos per liter while LPG will get a subsidy of 75 centavos per liter for a period of four months. Available estimates indicate that nationwide diesel consumption is at 8.2 billion liters while LPG consumption is at about 3.4 billion kilograms every three months.
Two, the subsidy for diesel will be extended only to public utility vehicles at 70 centavos per liter for the first 30 liters for jeepneys, first 120 liters for buses, and first 30 liters for taxis. The subsidy for LPG is P1 per kilogram.
Early this week, President Arroyo launched a P2-billion electricity subsidy program under the “Katas ng VAT: Pantawid Kuryente,” utilizing VAT revenues to give relief to the so-called four million lifeline users.
Those using not more than 100 kwh of electricity per month were given P500.
The government is also moving to subsidize the fertilizer requirements of farmers at P1,500 each. Of the amount, P500 will be borne by the national government and the remaining P1,000 will be sourced from the tax share of local governments.
Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya was quoted as saying the government expects VAT tax windfall to reach P18 billion this year because of high oil prices and intends to return excess tax take to the people.
Senators offer measures to address rising prices
Meanwhile, senators have suggested various ways to address the skyrocketing prices of oil and basic commodities through legislative measures.
Sen. Loren Legarda filed Senate Resolution Nos. 436 and 437 to hold hearings on the adverse impact of rising oil prices the economy, prices of basic commodities and the purchasing power of Filipinos to determine remedial and cost-cutting measures.
Sen. Edgardo Angara, for his part, called for the immediate passage of the proposed Renewable Energy Act of 2008, saying this would encourage local entrepreneurs to go into the development of the country’s vast alternative energy resources and decrease the country’s dependence on imported fuel.
Sen. Manuel Roxas II said Congress could also suspend or remove value added tax (VAT) on oil.
Sen. Francis Escudero discounted President Arroyo’s “emergency powers” to tackle price increases but supported an expenditure program and proper spending.
Legarda, who heads the Senate committee on economic affairs, said the public hearings were meant to get inputs from all concerned sectors and draw possible contingency plans.
She filed the resolutions in the wake of reports that oil companies in the Philippines have predicted that the price of gasoline may reach P65 per liter.
Legarda said the National Statistical Coordinating Board declared last May 29 that the first quarter of the 2008 gross domestic product dropped to 5.2 percent from seven percent in the previous year.
An economic report released by the Senate Economic Planning Office last February warned that the steep rise in oil prices is expected to result in higher cost of utilities, food and other commodities, curbing consumer spending.
Angara said the government must now invest in solar, geothermal, hydro and wind energy. “Our future is in renewable energy. Many countries have already begun the transition from total dependence on oil, and it would be to our great advantage to follow suit,” Angara said.
He said at least 56 countries worldwide now have some type of renewable energy promotion policy and that several developing countries are actively engaged in enacting policies.
He said the country must act now to ensure that the Philippines would become one of the most attractive investment destinations for major renewable energy players in the global market.
Escudero said he would like to know how the government had spent the government’s resources to address the plight of the poor with the increase in prices of oil and basic commodities.
He said agriculture and agrarian reform have a combined budget of P31.5 billion this year: P2.3 billion for the Department of Agrarian Reform; P3.2 billion for the Department of Agriculture; P2.6 billion in budgetary support to DA-attached agencies; and P23.4 billion for the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act. – With Aurea Calica
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607141



GSIS to use prepaid scheme once it gains control of MeralcoBy Ma. Elisa Osorio Sunday, June 8, 2008
The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) announced it will implement a prepaid payment scheme for electricity once it gains control of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
“We are looking at a prepaid scheme in order to eliminate system pilferages and will likewise reduce the cost of collection,” GSIS general manager Winston Garcia said in a press conference held before the long weekend.
According to Garcia, the prepaid scheme will reduce the operations cost of Meralco. Not only will it eradicate stealing of electricity which adds to the costs of the company, it will lower the operations costs, he said.
Garcia explained that under the prepaid scheme, there will be no more metering charges.
Likewise, he said there will be no need for meter readers. Meralco employs a number of meter readers and the prepaid scheme will make the job obsolete.
“The cost of maintaining people is costly,” he said.
Garcia said that the system is needed in areas where there are a lot of pilferages but in the long run, the plan is to make everything prepaid.
“We would like to change all the meters, if you have no load then you will have no electricity,” he said. “There will be no more post payment so that the consumers will pay immediately.”
He conceded that the implementation of the new payment system will take time but he stressed it is doable because it is already being implemented in other countries like India.
“I’ve already presented this idea before to the management of Meralco but they refused,” Garcia said.
In the same press conference, Garcia presented his plan to reduce the cost of electricity by 10 percent to 20 percent.
Garcia said he will cancel the take or pay, capacity, transmission line and fixed operating fees provisions of the IPP, which he considers “highly onerous.”
Judging from the 2007 figures, the cancellation of the provisions will give consumer savings of at least P21 billion.
The P17 billion was for lease while the P4 billion paid was for the unused power from First Gas, he said.
The IPP Garcia is referring to is Sta. Rita and San Lorenzo.
Garcia stressed that the take or pay is a violation of the EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) and the Meralco franchise.
Section 23 of EPIRA and Section 4 of the Meralco franchise impose the obligation to supply electricity to its captive market in the least cost manner.
Aside from this, Garcia said they would immediately increase the power purchased from Napocor from 35 percent to 70 percent.
This would translate to a 19-percent reduction in generation cost to P3.93 per kilowatthour from P4.87 per kilowatthour, he said.
Other improvements Garcia wants to implement in Meralco are the changes in the pension scheme, more transparency and serious efforts to curb systems losses.
At the same time, Garcia challenged the Makati Business Club (MBC) to invite him to a forum to discuss the issues surrounding Meralco instead of “blindly defending” the Lopez family which controls the utility firm.
However, MBC executive director Alberto Lim said as of the moment, they have no plans of inviting Garcia to any general membership meeting, but added he can ask MBC directors if they are interested in a dialogue with Garcia.
“Why should we do that? We are not interested in getting involved with his issues. What we are interested in is the public issue,” Lim told The STAR in a telephone interview.
He also reiterated that MBC is not taking the side of Meralco.
Lim said Garcia should not use the money of GSIS members in his fight with the Lopez family.
In a statement, GSIS chief legal counsel and spokesperson Estrella Elamparo stressed that the MBC should practice objectivity and impartiality in looking at the issues of mismanagement and abuses raised by the GSIS against Meralco. – With Delon Porcalla
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607146


Compel RP to implement Alston’s recommendations, UN urgedBy Katherine Adraneda Sunday, June 8, 2008
Local human rights groups attending the 8th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva yesterday asked the UN panel to compel the Philippine government to implement the recommendations of its special rapporteur.
In a statement, the Philippine Universal Periodic Review Watch (UPR) asserted that the conclusions of UN’s Special Rapporteur Prof. Philip Alston in his fact-finding mission in 2006 are a “stinging indictment” of the human rights record of the Philippine government and a “mockery of its continued membership in the UNHRC.”
In her oral intervention during the interactive dialogue, Marie Hilao-Enriquez, secretary-general of Karapatan and a member of the Philippine UPR Watch, said Alston’s basic conclusions do not speak well of the Philippine government, which is supposed to observe the highest standards of human rights protection and promotion.
Enriquez reported to the UNHRC the case of activist Jonas Burgos, who is still missing after over a year despite all the legal remedies his mother, Edita Burgos, has resorted to.
She also confirmed that the killings in the Philippines have not stopped, and that Karapatan has already documented 13 victims of unexplained killings and two victims of enforced disappearances for this year.
She added that hundreds are still becoming victims of displacement due to military operations.
Enriquez’s oral intervention followed the report of Alston. Her statement was supported by the Commission of Churches on International Affairs of the World Council of Churches, the Asian Legal Resource Center, and the International Association of Democratic Lawyers.
“We also urge the UNHRC to ensure that the Philippine government will actually honor its pledges and commitments to the UNHRC,” she said.
The Philippine UPR Watch lamented that the Philippine Mission at the meeting showed “open hostility” while allegedly issuing an “undiplomatic tirade” against Alston and his report.
The group also lamented that the Philippine Mission engaged in a “total reverse of public relations spin” in Manila despite what they described as “the vituperative language and aspersions cast by the Philippine Mission together with the reportedly 50-member government delegation on Prof. Alston.”
Meanwhile, the government has branded as “inaccurate, highly-selective and biased” the report of Alston, which included several conclusions on the spate of unexplained killings in the country, citing, for instance the counter-insurgency program of the government as one, if not the primary, reason for the killings.
In her response to the report, Philippine Ambassador Erlinda Basilio expressed the government’s disappointment over the outcome of Alston’s visit to the country during which he met with the President and was given free access to government officials and its critics. – With Pia Lee-Brago
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607147


Palace: JDV barking up the wrong tree on ‘smear campaign’ adsSunday, June 8, 2008
Malacañang reiterated yesterday that it had nothing to do with the alleged smear campaign against Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., saying that he was barking up the wrong tree when he blamed President Arroyo and her husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, for the ads.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo said it would be better for De Venecia to take his issues up with the individuals and groups behind the anti-JDV print advertisements.
“They can give their accusations and allegations, but as much as possible we don’t want to add to this. We had already denied this,” Fajardo said.
Instead of blaming the President and her husband, the former Speaker should just take the matter up with the people who paid for the ad since their names were on it, she said.
The ad alleged that members of civil society, the religious sector, and other anti-Arroyo groups held a meeting with the wife of De Venecia, Georgina, to plan the former Speaker’s testimony before the Senate on the controversial national broadband network-ZTE deal.
De Venecia recently declared that he is open to testifying before the Senate on what he knows about the deal, particularly the involvement of the First Couple.
Fajardo said it would be best for De Venecia to prove his allegations against the President and the First Gentleman on the alleged smear campaign.
She also advised De Venecia to be open to criticism and the personal opinions of other people against him just as the Palace has respected those criticizing the government.
The other day, De Venecia was quoted as saying that while he has not yet testified on the NBN deal, Palace “mercenaries” are already attacking him and his family. – Marvin Sy
http://philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080607148



SEC can hear GSIS petitiondespite restraining order
By Likha C. Cuevas-Miel, Reporter
Despite a temporary restraining order issued by the Court of Appeals, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) said it still wants the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to proceed with hearings on a cease-and-desist order against the management of the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco).
On the sidelines of the Anvil Business Club forum on Friday, Winston Garcia, the GSIS president and general manager, said the restraining order does not prohibit the SEC from conducting the hearings on the cease-and-desist order, and therefore, these should not have stopped.
“The TRO restrains the enforcement of the cease-and-desist order that has already been served. It is a useless TRO because you cannot restrain something that has already been done. We have already filed a motion to proceed with the hearings [before] the SEC,” Garcia added.
He said proceedings must not be restrained because the restraining order
did not bar the hearing of the petition but only that of the cease-and-desist order.
Based on the order that the appellate court issued, a status quo must be maintained for 60 days from “service of notice, restraining, enjoining and prohibiting respondents, their representatives . . . from proceeding [with] and causing the implementation of the undated SEC cease-and-desist order and the SEC show-cause order dated May 27, 2008.”
The GSIS chief also questioned the credibility of the case’s ponente, Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Roxas. He moved for Roxas’ inhibition.
Garcia alleged that the associate justice has been involved in at least two administrative cases before the Supreme Court. He added that Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile has documentary evidence against alleged wrongdoings of Roxas.
Garcia and his legal team are seeking the removal of Roxas, not because he has been involved with the Lopezes, owners of Meralco, but because “this ponente has certain things to explain.”
Last week, Estrella Elamparo, the GSIS chief legal counsel, said the state pension fund has asked for the re-raffling of the case because “we heard that it did not go through the regular raffling of cases” but a special raffle was held instead. She added that GSIS had hear rumors that the ponente was “talking with some Meralco lawyers.”
The GSIS has filed a motion with the appellate court to lift the temporary restraining order. The motion reiterated the state pension fund’s stand that the SEC has jurisdiction over the case against the Meralco management.
The Makati Business Club also earned the ire of Garcia for reportedly calling the government and the GSIS as irresponsible and immature.
“The officials of this [business club] have been so consumed with hatred [for] this administration that they have lost their sense of impartiality. Before they condemn a person or institution, they should first hear the side of that institution before condemning anyone,” he said.
http://manilatimes.net/national/2008/june/08/yehey/metro/20080608met2.html



De Venecia renews call to amend Constitution
BY WENDELL VIGILIA & REGINA BENGCO
SPEAKER Jose de Venecia yesterday turned the centennial anniversary celebration of Congress into a platform to renew his calls for Charter change, just several months after the Church and various people’s groups successfully forced him to abort the initiative.
"The House will continue to seek constitutional remedies for our endemic political infirmities, the worst of them being the periodic gridlocks caused by the rivalries among the branches of government," De Venecia told the plenary in the presence of President Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, members of the 13th Congress, and foreign dignitaries.
De Venecia said the House would continue the legacy of the 1907 Philippine Assembly by working for a "lasting remedy" which he said "lies in the shift to a parliamentary system."
President Arroyo, in her speech, called for national consolidation and an end to electoral battles.
Arroyo said she went to the House straight from her trip to Chengdu and Chongqing in China to "consolidate the nation in the post-election period."
She said she is glad that elections are over and most of the winners have been proclaimed. She said the campaign has had its contentious moments "but its time to be magnanimous, win or lose."
De Venecia said the next Congress must "create a new wave of reforms to restructure our economy and our politics."
"We need to undertake economic and political reforms simultaneously and not sequentially. For the economy works best under a set of rules, and these rules are defined by politics," he said.
De Venecia and his allies at the House led by Rep. Constantino Jaraula of Cagayan de Oro were forced to withdraw the House-approved resolution calling for amendments to the 1987 Constitution late last year after the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines and people’s groups opposed the way the House was implementing the initiative.
The House leadership had said the changes could be undertaken by the House alone without the approval of the Senate because the Constitution does not specifically mention the need to secure the imprimatur of both houses of Congress to revise the Charter.
De Venecia said that in the next Congress, "politics must begin to transcend partisan interests in a collective and cooperative effort to make both our country and ourselves better."
"We have seen crisis after crisis rock and pummel our country. We know that development can come about only when there is sustained political stability. Political instability inflicts collateral damage on the economy and on our people’s perceptions of the future," he said.
De Venecia told the leaders of parliaments from Asia, Latin America and Europe that their presence "also reminds us that national parliaments can no longer work in isolation from their fellow legislatures."
"Individual states must attune their policies to those of neighbor-states if they are to deal effectively with problems that go beyond national boundaries. This is why we are seeing everywhere in the world regional movements toward federation and community," he said.
However, in his closing speech before declaring the 13th Congress adjourned, De Venecia lamented the failure of the House Charter change initiative.
"I am humbled by the fate of our move for Charter reform. For it proves that ideas, no matter how we hold them to be true, timely and correct, have their season for planting and flowering," he said.
De Venecia also discussed the accomplishments of the 13th Congress which he said passed 1,035 bills, 966 of which are pending in the Senate.
He said he remains proud of the accomplishments of the 13th Congress which he said has saved the country from the verge of economic collapse and political instability by enacting into law new tax measures such as the expanded value-added tax and the increase in specific taxes on alcohol and tobacco products.
"This, I believe is the greatest achievement of this House in the 13th Congress," he said, noting they risked popularity to save the economy.
De Venecia said the House also did a good job in handling the investigation into the "Hello Garci" scandal and the subsequent two impeachment attempts against the President in 2005 and 2006.
"The doomsayers keep trying to bring down government by picturing it as an animal to be derided, loathed and feared. This, as we know, doesn’t solve anything," he said.
In the end, De Venecia said, the House remained "always firm and we always held the nation’s interest above our own."
Arroyo said the overwhelming victory of the administration coalition at the House and at the local government level is "a continuing mandate of reform, unity, more work and less politics. We all have a mandate to look forward and leave behind the contentious past."
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jun08/news2.htm


Koko to Migz: Joinme in charging cheats
AQUILINO "Koko" Pimentel III yesterday dared Juan Miguel Zubiri to join him in going after "dagdag-bawas" operators by also filing charges of electoral sabotage against them.
In a media forum, Pimentel said he has filed charges of electoral sabotage against South Cotabato provincial election supervisor Lilian Radam after discrepancies were discovered in the municipal and provincial certificates of canvass (COCs). Radam has been unheard of since.
Cheating by more than 10,000 votes is tantamount to electoral sabotage.
In Radam’s COC, the votes for Pimentel were shaved by at least 30,000.
The COC showed Loren Legarda leading the senatorial race in South Cotabato but the municipal canvass indicated Panfilo Lacson topped the race with more than 4,000 votes over Legarda.
Pimentel said he also filed charges of electoral sabotage against Yogie Martirizar, who is the provincial supervisor for North Cotabato.
He said he welcomes the holding of special elections in Maguindanao but stressed "it must be called in accordance with the law."
"Because we will be spending public funds or taxpayers’ money, dapat klaro that this has legal basis," he said.
He expressed confidence that he will win.
"I think I will win in the final count because I will have a 120,000 plus lead going into the special election. So pa’no niya mao-overtake yung lead yun?" Pimentel said.
Pimentel is at No. 12 with 10,656,050 while Zubiri is at No. 13 with 10,524,036 or a difference of 132,014 votes.
The Comelec on Wednesday declared a failure of elections in Maguindanao as there were no source documents such as statement of votes and election returns that were presented to show that elections were held in the province.
Election chairman Benjamin Abalos has set the special election on June 20.
The province has 337,108 registered voters.
Genuine Opposition lead counsel Sixto Brillantes said they will question the holding of the special elections in Maguindanao.
"Can the commission, motu propio, call for a special election even if nobody has petitioned for it? Migz does not want it. Koko does not want it. There is nowhere in the law that is saying they can do it," Brillantes said.
Team Unity counsel Romulo Macalintal said the poll body has every right to call for special elections.
"They (Comelec) can do it motu propio if they conduct a hearing. There must be a hearing (conducted) in order for them to determine if there really was a failure," he said.
The two election lawyers agreed that the hearing on Monday involving all local officials as well a Comelec field officers will be very critical in the decision on whether the declaration of failure of elections will be affirmed or overturned.
The commission has summoned all winning local officials and Comelec personnel from Maguindanao to appear before the en banc on Monday morning to state their positions on why their victory or proclamations should not be disregarded.
Brillantes said the estimated number of actual voters in Maguindanao will no longer affect the standing of Pimentel based on GO’s own computation.
"It only has around 100,000 voters out of the 300,000 so it will not anymore affect his (Pimentel) lead," Brillantes said. – Dennis Gadil, Jocelyn Montemayor and Gerard Naval
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jun08/news4.htm



Lakas says impeach card is not in play
BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
THE administration Lakas-CMD party said yesterday it remains loyal to President Arroyo as it dismissed reports that it is threatening to play the impeachment card against the President.
"Impeachment is just a political matter but the most dominant party, Lakas, will not resort to that. Our loyalty to the President must not be doubted," said Sergio Apostol, chief presidential legal counsel and Lakas-CMD spokesman.
Apostol, also Lakas-CMD chairman for Eastern Visayas, said talks in the party are focused on the House leadership, particularly on the challenge for the speakership by Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia, a member of the Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) which is allied with the administration.
Garcia said Wednesday De Venecia was blackmailing President Arroyo by threatening to support a third impeachment complaint against her if she does not back his bid to retain the post in the 14th Congress.
Apostol said Garcia was merely sowing intrigue to gain media mileage.
Gabriel Claudio, presidential adviser for political affairs, said the speakership issue could be resolved by De Venecia and Garcia through dialogue, a coalition caucus, slugging it out in the plenary, or drawing straws.
A dialogue is the best option, Claudio said, although "I do believe that sooner or later this will have to be resolved by the numbers."
He said Malacañang is hoping that when the 14th Congress opens in July, the administration coalition would only have one candidate for speaker.
Lakas Reps. Exequiel Javier (Antique) and Mauricio Domogan (Baguio City) asked Garcia not to drag the President into the speakership race.
"That’s a very unfair allegation coming from Rep. Garcia and his group. Lakas has been an ally of the President from the start even in the midst of crises and the party has always been at the forefront supporting the government’s agenda," Javier said.
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jun08/news5.htm


Joker: I don’t owe victory to Abalos
SEN. Joker Arroyo said yesterday he did not show up for his proclamation the other night as one of ten winning senators because Comelec chairman Benjamin Abalos and Commissioners Resurreccion Borra and Florentino Tuazon reminded him of the fraudulent P1.3 billion Mega-Pacific poll automation deal.
He said that aside from the "ala-Famas" proclamation, he believes he does not owe his victory to Abalos.
"Parang utang na loob ko pa sa kanila ang proklamasyon ko," Arroyo said.
The Senate’s Blue Ribbon committee chaired by Arroyo, in its report in 2005, recommended that Abalos, Borra, Tuazon, Commissioners Ralph Lantion, Rufino Javier, Mehol Sadain and Luzviminda Tancangco be asked to resign for their role in the poll automation deal.
The report was adopted by the Senate.
In the report, Arroyo said both the Supreme Court and the Senate condemned the commission and its members, saying they were not fit to run the elections.
The contract for the purchase of 1,961 units of automated counting machines intended for the 2004 elections was awarded to Mega-Pacific in April 2003.
The Supreme Court in January 2004 voided the contract saying it violated the law and the Comelec’s rules on bidding.
It also said the counting machines were vulnerable to "election fraud on a massive scale by means of just a few strokes." – Dennis Gadil
http://www.malaya.com.ph/jun08/news8.htm


Banta ni JDV sineseryoso ng palasyo?
(BTaguinod/GVelasco)
Posibleng sineseryoso ng Malacañang ang banta ni Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., na babagsak ang administrasyon ni Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo kapag nagsalita siya sa ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) deal at iba pang katiwalian sa kanyang gobyerno.
Ito ang reaksyon ni Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Suplico at patunay umano dito ang paid ads laban sa Pangasinan solon, asawa nitong si Gina de Venecia, mga mga civil society at sa dating Kongresista.
“Im sure that the pa­lace is behind this smear job,” pahayag ni Suplico, sa panayam ng Abante kaya duda ito na posibleng kabado umano ang mga nasa likod ng nasabing ads na babagsak si Arroyo kay De Venecia.
Hindi umano maaa­ring maghugas-kamay ang Malacañang sa nasabing ads dahil ang mga nakatira sa palasyo ang nakikinabang at ipinagtatanggol sa nasabing smear campaign.
“Nanginginig na sila kay JDV,” pahayag pa ni Suplico.Hinamon kahapon ng Malacañang si JDV na huwag maging pikon dahil sa naging paniniwala nito na ang Palasyo ang nasa likod ng paid advertisement laban sa kanya.
http://abante.com.ph/issue/june0808/news04.htm



Senado ‘napaso’ kay FVR
(Boyet Jadulco)
Dahil sa ginawang pang-aabuso ni dating Pa­ngulong Fidel V. Ramos sa kanyang emergency power, may phobia na ngayon ang ilang senador sa emergency power kung kaya’t hindi nila ito maibibigay kay Pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Ayon kay Sen. Mar Ro­xas, natatakot sila na kapag ibinigay nila ang emergency power kay Pangulong Arroyo, baka abusuhin din niya ito tulad ng ginawa ni Ramos.
Ani Roxas, dahil sa extra power ni Ramos ay nakagawa ito ng maraming kontrata sa Independent Power Producers (IPPs).
Bagama’t nawala ang mga brownout noong panahong iyon, tumaas naman ang presyo ng kuryente sa bansa at hanggang ngayon ay pinapasan pa rin ng taumbayan.
“Natuto na tayo diyan (sa emergency power), bakit pa natin uulitin?” pagdidiin pa ni Roxas.
Ipinaliwanag pa ni Roxas na may sapat na kapang­yarihan ang Pangulo para tugunan ang energy at food crisis sa bansa na hindi na kailangan pa ang karagdagang kapangyarihan.
Inayawan na rin nina Senate President Manny Villar, Sens. Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Miriam Defensor Santiago at Francis “Chiz” Escudero ang emergency power dahil na rin sa nakaraang pang-aabuso sa karagdagang kapangyarihan sa Pangulo.
http://abante.com.ph/issue/june0808/news05.htm


Bishop denies hand in JDV’s coming out party
By: Lee Ann P. Ducusin
LINGAYEN-DAGUPAN Archbishop Oscar Cruz yesterday denied involvement in the “coming out party” of deposed House Speaker and Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr.Cruz denied his participation in the planning like what some groups had implied in the June 6 advertisement on a broadsheet. The advertisement said Cruz was one of the “regular attendees” of the meetings called for the purpose of preparing De Venecia’s appearance at the Senate hearing of the controversial NBN-ZTE deal. The bishop admitted he saw the De Venecia couple on May 31 at the Manaoag Shrine when he celebrated Mass for the installation of the new parish priest but never talked to them that long. “I was at the Sacristy and they went (Mr. and Mrs. De Venecia) and stayed there for one minute. I don’t know if the advertisement was referring to that. The time is too short to conduct such meeting and besides, the place is too public to talk about destabilization, or whatsoever,” he stressed. The name of Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iñiguez was also mentioned in the advertisement. Many speculations were allegedly coming out in the media that the former close ally of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will testify before the Senate blue ribbon committee to implicate the First Family in the controversial broadband deal. De Venecia has earlier said he was not ready to talk about the deal that was done during his term as House Speaker.
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-08&sec=1&aid=62420


At loggerheads over EPIRA
By: Paul M. Gutierrez
SENATORS support the call of the Joint Foreign Chamber of the Philippines to hasten the “open access” provision of RA 9136 but insist the law must be amended to bring down electricity rates. At last Friday’s Senate hearing of the Senate Energy Committee chaired by Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago all participants agreed that the cost of electricity must be lowered to make the country more competitive and bring relief to consumers but were in a stalemate over how to make this happen. Among the contentious issues bothering business groups is the lowering of the threshold level for the privatization of the assets of the National Power Corporation from the current 70 percent to 50 percent, in order to hasten the open access provision of RA 9136. Lawmakers believed the move would result in genuine competition in the energy sector and lower electricity rates. But according to Ernesto B. Pantangco, president of the Philippine Independent Power Producers Association, lowering the Napocor privatization threshold level would not affect the government’s dominance in the power sector through Napocor and the Private Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corporation (PSALM).
http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-06-08&sec=1&aid=62448