The Manila Times back issues from February 2008:
3 lawmakers accused of blocking land bill: Puentevella, Ferrer and Arroyo: Audit agrarian program before extension
Feb 01, 2008; ... BACOLOD CITY: About a thousand farmers belonging to militant peasant groups trooped to the house of Rep. Monico Puentevella of Bacolod City on Thursday, urging the lawmaker to support their call to extend the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The farmers have accused ...
BMPAP to lend players to national team
Feb 01, 2008; ... THE newly-formed Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) is more than willing to lend its key players to the national team that will compete in the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games. Aristeo Puyat, who is one of the BMPAP prime movers, stressed that the ...
Colorum, smuggled vehicles top Suansing's agenda
Feb 01, 2008; ... STOPPING the registration of smuggled vehicles and totaling eradicating the operation of illegal vehicles, or colorums are the priorities of newly appointed Land Transportation Office Chief Alberto Suansing. During simple turnover ceremonies on Thursday afternoon at the LTO head office ...
Brains behind priest's slay slain in clash
Feb 01, 2008; ... The alleged brains behind the abduction and murder of a priest two weeks ago was killed during an encounter with soldiers early Thursday morning in Tawi-Tawi province in southern Philippines. Reports reaching Camp Aguinaldo named the slain murder suspect as Wahab Upao, a sub-commander ...
Customs questions P1.3-B tax refund awarded to Petron
Feb 01, 2008; ... Petron Corp. got the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) approval for a refund of P1.3-billion worth of tax credit certificates from the Bureau of Customs-a development that could emerge as one of the most controversial tax negotiations ever. The tax credits are raising eyebrows, ...
Death toll in General Santos explosion rises to 4
Feb 01, 2008; ... GENERAL SANTOS CITY: The death toll in Wednesday's explosion at a tuna cannery here has risen to four. Twenty-seven others were killed when an improvised bomb exploded around 6:40 p.m. in front of the multimillion cannery in Barangay Tambler here. Police earlier said only three had been ...
4 teams eye go-ahead wins
Feb 01, 2008; ... STA. LUCIA REALTY and Red Bull try to get the upperhand in their respective semifinals series Friday in the 33rd Smart-PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome. Both series are 1-1 after the Realtors downed the Alaska Aces, 86-77, and the Barakos prevailed over the Purefoods Giants, ...
Filipina en route to sainthood
Feb 01, 2008; ... A Filipina, Mother Ignacia del Espiritu Santo, is on the road to sainthood following issuance by Pope Benedict XVI of a decree promulgating her "heroic virtues." The promulgation of the decree will be held today in a Mass at the Shrine of Lorenzo Ruiz in Binondo, with Manila Archbishop ...
Government sells Meralco shares to GSIS
Feb 01, 2008; ... THE Department of Finance said the government sold its shares in the country's largest electricity distributor to the state-run pension fund for government workers. Finance Undersecretary Crisanta S. Legazpi said revenues raised from the sale of the government's stake in Manila Electric ...
Dengue cases double -DOH
Feb 01, 2008; ... The Department of Health has recorded 656 dengue cases nationwide for January 2008, more than double the number of cases reported for the same month last year. According to the Dengue Surveillance Update of the Health department's National Epidemiology Center, 656 dengue cases with five ...
House showdown seen next week
Feb 01, 2008; ... The leadership struggle in the House of Representatives is expected to culminate on Monday with a motion in plenary to be called by lawmakers critical of Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. to declare all seats vacant. Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas) Rep. Bienvenido Abante of Manila, a ...
Hotels get ready to welcome Chinese New Year
Feb 01, 2008; ...As early as this weekend, the food and beverage outlets have prepared sumptuous Chinese dishes and the rooms divisions have thought of promotions to entice the local crowd to stay a day or two. This year, the Chinese Lunar New Year celebration comes one week ahead of Valentine's (another red ...
Japanese partner buys out San Miguel's packaging business
Feb 01, 2008 ... SAN Miguel CORP. told the Philippine Stock Exchange on Thursday that its Japanese joint venture partner has completed the purchase of local firm's interest in its packaging business. Nihon Yamamura Glass (NYG), Japan's leading glass and plastics packaging manufacturer, bought San ...
Independent Asean rights body being eyed
Feb 01, 2008; ... FOUR members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) are pushing for the creation of an independent body to address human rights issues in the region. The representatives of the human rights bodies of Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand already strengthened their ...
Bayron pulls away with 72
Feb 01, 2008 ... RUFINO BAYRON leaned on a solid frontside stint to cushion a faltering finish, matching par 72 and pulling away by five strokes over a charging Tonton Asistio and Mario Labajo in the third round of the DHL-WWWExpress National Amateur Golf Championships at the north course of the Canlubang golf ...
Journalists seek TRO extension against govt
Feb 01, 2008 ... Journalists who filed the P10-million class action suit against the government sought on Thursday the extension of the 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) prohibiting police and military authorities from arresting media men covering emergencies similar to the November 29 Manila Peninsula ...
Missionaries to conduct health missions
Feb 01, 2008; ... A team of six missionaries from the United Methodist Church-UMVIM of the California-Nevada Annual Conference will arrive in Manila this week to conduct medical and dental missions in five select poor communities in the country starting on Saturday and ending February 14. Rev. Paul ...
Money supply growth eases in December-BSP
Feb 01, 2008; ... DEMAND for money eased slightly last December, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said Thursday. In a statement, the BSP said the country's money supply or M3 grew 9 percent year on year that month, or slower than the previous month's growth of 9.1 percent. The December growth also ...
PASG chief wants Subic Customs official sacked
Feb 01, 2008; ... SUBIC BAY Freeport: Undersecretary Antonio Villar, chief of both thePresidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) and Subic Task Force, has urged the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to sack a bureau official based in this freeport. The recommendation was made on Thursday, or a day after it was ...
Reduction smaller than expected: Bangko Sentral slashes interest rates
Feb 01, 2008; ... EXPECT bank interest rates to dip further, after the Monetary Board on Thursday slashed its policy rates for the fifth time since July last year. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) made the reduction on the same day the government announced record economic growth last year. Earlier ...
Neri All Over TV, Radio But Eludes Senate Arrest
Feb 01, 2008; ... Senate President Manuel Villar assured two administration officials of utmost official courtesy if ever they are taken into custody. Warrants of arrests had not been served to Romulo Neri and Rodolfo Lozada Jr. after they snubbed the hearing Wednesday on the controversial national ...
Petron petrochem project set to start
Feb 01, 2008; ... PETRON CORP. said it is set to start the commercial operations of its newly constructed petrochemical plants next month in line with the oil refiner's move to diversify its business. "The commercial operation of our PetroFCC and PRU units signals the dawn of Petron's petrochemical age ....
RP banks among most vulnerable to US slowdown
Feb 01, 2008 ... PHILIPPINE banks are among Asia lenders that are vulnerable to a slowdown in the US economy, according to Standard&Poor's Ratings Services. In a statement, the credit rating company said the region's lenders would face a "triple whammy of write-downs, tightening markets, and ...
RP's 2007 growth highest in 31 years
Feb 01, 2008; ... The Philippine economy grew 7.3 percent in 2007, its highest rate in 31 years, officials said Thursday, attributing the record performance to gains made across all sectors of the economy. The figure compared with gross domestic product (GDP) of 5.4 percent in 2006 while gross ...
Security Bank loans surge last year
Feb 01, 2008 ... SECURITY Bank Corp. announced on Thursday that its loans last year grew on the back of higher demand from large firms that required funds for expansion. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, the bank said its loans jumped 55 percent to P52.01 billion by the end of last year, ...
Senate pays tribute to SEAG athletes
Feb 01, 2008; ... THE Senate paid tribute to the athletes who brought honors to the country in the 2007 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. In a resolution No. 46 signed by Senate President Manny Villar and adopted by the entire body, members of the Upper Chamber of Congress thanked the athletes led by ...
Stock market mixed, peso up on growth numbers
Feb 01, 2008; ... LOCAL share prices closed mixed Thursday with investors cheering higher-than-expected economic growth for 2007 but amid concerns over a deteriorating US economy, dealers said. The market headed lower for most of the session but the government's announcement of a 7.3 percent gross ...
Unlicensed gun divides Baguio police, Armymen
Feb 01, 2008; ... CAMP DANGWA, Benguet: Tension arose between Army reservists and Baguio policemen when nine heavily-armed men from the Army Reserve Command based in Athletic Bowl deployed themselves at Precinct 10 of the Philippine National Police along Marcos Highway on January 29. The armed men in ...
Six students arrested in rally
Feb 01, 2008; ... Six students were arrested while 23 others were reported injured on Thursday after police dispersed a protest rally staged on the first day of the Education Summit held at the Manila Hotel where President Gloria Arroyo was to give the keynote address. Militant group Anakbayan, in a ...
Looming veto to negate budget increases for social services
Feb 01, 2008; ... The looming line-item veto of the P26-billion cut in debt service would negate all increases made by Congress for education and infrastructure when it realigned the amount in the 2008 national budget. Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. said Malacañang did not favor the cut. A veto ...
US woes boon to BPO, realty
Feb 01, 2008 ... THE US economic slowdown will be a boon to the Philippine business process outsourcing (BPO) and property industries since lower profitability of American companies would drive them to off shore and outsource this year, a real-estate consulting firm said. In a briefing, CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) ...
Western Union ties up with Smart, Globe
Feb 01, 2008; ... THE Philippines' two largest mobile-phone service providers have partnered with a global money-transfer firm to cash in on the remittance boom. In separate statements, Smart Communications Inc. and Globe Telecom Inc. said they partnered with Western Union Co. to introduce cross-border ...
Renewable energy bill support gaining
Feb 01, 2008; ... TOUTED as a panacea to the country's power woes, the Renewable Energy bill may finally see the light of day, according to its main proponent at the Senate. On the sidelines at the Philippine Energy Summit on Thursday, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said that a growing number of lawmakers ...
Arraignment of officers in 2006 coup fails, again: Govt and defense lawyers asked to forge agreement to speed up proceedings dragging for over one year
Feb 02, 2008; ... SECURITY was extremely tight in Camp Aguinaldo on Friday even as a military tribunal failed to arraign seven military officers, including two generals, who were implicated in the February 2006 foiled coup attempt. This prompted the president of the General Court-Martial to order the ...
Debt prepayment unlikely to damp peso's rise-BSP
Feb 02, 2008; ... NOT enough. That's how the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) views a government plan to stem the peso's appreciation by prepaying its dollar-denominated debt this year. BSP Deputy Governor Diwa C. Guinigundo said the Department of Finance plan to prepay $2.4 billion of the country's ...
Businessman loses P1M to robbers in Paco
Feb 02, 2008; ... A businessman was robbed of a million pesos by three unknown men in Paco, Manila on Thursday morning. The businessman, identified as a Melbert Halaon, 28, of Tondo, Manila, appeared at the Manila Police district (MPD)-Theft and Robbery Section to report the incident which occurred after ...
CBCP reacts to change of envoy at Vatican
Feb 02, 2008; ... Reacting to reports that a senator's estranged wife will be replacing Ambassador Leonida Vera as envoy to the Holy See, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said that post should be occupied by one who is morally upright and with unquestionable integrity. Cristina ...
Delay arrest of Neri, palace asks senators
Feb 02, 2008; ... Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said the Senate should wait for the Supreme Court's decision regarding Romulo Neri's petition before pushing through with his arrest order. Chairman Neri of the Commission on Higher Education failed to show up at a Senate hearing earlier this week on the ...
PNB profit rises to 10-year record
Feb 02, 2008 ... PHILIPPINE NATIONAL BANK announced on Friday that its profits last year hit a 10-year record, allowing the lender to fully pay its obligations to state-run Philippine Deposit Insurance Corp. last July. In a disclosure to the Philippine Stock Exchange, PNB posted a 50-percent jump in its ...
DOJ loses bid to reverse ruling on cilivians at Pen
Feb 02, 2008; ... The Department of Justice lost its bid for a reversal of an earlier ruling by a trial court on a rebellion case against civilians. Judge Elmo Alameda of the Makati Regional Trial Court on Friday junked a motion filed by the department seeking to overturn the decision dismissing mutiny ...
Protesting students released, Sen. Roxas scores dispersal
Feb 02, 2008; ... Mayor Alfredo Lim of Manila on Friday personally ordered the release of the six student activists who were arrested on January 31 at the Luneta Park for staging a protest against the Malacañang-initated Education Summit held at the Manila Hotel. Sen. Mar Roxas 2nd scored the dispersal ...
Soldiers tagged as mining firm hired guns
Feb 02, 2008; ... STA CRUZ, Zambales: An environmental group on Thursday called the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) as "guns for hire" after reports said soldiers from the Army's Seventh Infantry Division are serving as security guards for a private mining firm here. In a statement, Clemente ...
Taking it to the Extreme
Feb 02, 2008; ... THREE days of intense athletic competition paired with three nights of debauchery and libation-akin to the Greek festivities and games during the days of yore, these extremes were what transpired in what could be the biggest event of 2008!Of course, I'm talking about the recently ...
Three agencies to combat pollution from aquaculture
Feb 02, 2008; ... TO formulate strategies on sustainable aquaculture management, three government agencies have agreed to pool their efforts and resources to check water pollution and environmental degradation caused by aquaculture. The Departments of Agriculture, the Interior and Local Government, and ...
Palawan gov, mining exec face graft raps: Questionable permits issued to a private company cited by Ombudsman
Feb 02, 2008; ... The Ombudsman on Friday filed graft charges against Palawan Governor Joel Reyes and Andronico Baguyo, an official of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board. The charges stemmed from the approval by Reyes and Baguyo of plans by a small mining firm to extract more than 280,000 metric tons ...
PeopleSupport rejects sweetened IPVG offer
Feb 02, 2008 ... PEOPLESUPPORT, Inc. disclosed to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday that it rejected the offer of Manila-based IPVG Corp. to buy the NASDAQ-listed American business process outsourcing (BPO) firm, citing lack of a clear plan on how to fund the acquisition. The BPO firm, ...
P75-billion dilemma
Feb 02, 2008 ... IT'S not yet a recession that is hitting the United States. It's only a slowdown. Economists admit that the term "recession" is imprecise. It generally means a sharp slowdown in economic growth or even a modest decline in economic activity. Two successive quarters of a sharp decline in ...
Plane crashes near mall
Feb 02, 2008; ... A trainer plane crash-landed at a grassy area near the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City on Friday afternoon.The Cessna aircraft (RPC229), a four-seater plane owned by Aviation Dynamic Inc., crashed in the reclaimed area between Roxas Boulevard and Diosdado Macapagal Avenue at around 4 ...
More amputees to be given free artificial legs by pampanga groups
Feb 02, 2008; ... CLARK FREEPORT, Pampanga: More amputees in the Philippines will soon be given free artificial legs as the Clark Development Corp. has approved the establishment of a prosthesis laboratory and training center at Clark Polytechnic here. The laboratory and center are seen to reflect the ...
Negotiated sale eyed for govt's ETPI
Feb 02, 2008; ... A TELECOM company controlled by a former trade minister may end up owning Eastern Telecommunications Philippines Inc. (ETPI), after the Department of Finance opted to pursue a negotiated sale of the government's stake in the country's oldest telco. Finance Undersecretary Crisanta S ....
PLDT units seek recall of rival's Subic permit
Feb 02, 2008; ... UNITS of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) want the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) to recall the permit given to rival Innove Communications Inc. for operating at the Subic Bay Freeport. In a submission to the NTC, Subic Telecommunications Co. and Pilipino ...
Williams, espino shine as Realtors take 2-0 lead
Feb 02, 2008; ... KELLY WILLIAMS fired 27 points and Dennis Espino scored three clutch baskets in the crucial period as Sta. Lucia Realty beat Alaska, 91-82, to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven semifinal series Friday in the 33rd Smart-PBA Philippine Cup at the Cuneta Astrodome. The Realtors ...
Orani to award home lots to poor folk
Feb 02, 2008; ... ORANI, Bataan: The municipal government of Orani on Friday announced the awarding any time this month of 108 home lots out of a total 1,034 reclaimed tracts of land in Barangay Pantalan Luma. The home lots are intended for the poor of this town known for tasty crabs and prawns. Mayor ...
No Olympic roster yet, says GTK
Feb 02, 2008; ... THE Philippine Amateur Track and Field Association clarified on Friday that Maristela Torres and Julius Nieras are only candidates for slots in the Beijing Olympic Games. Patafa President Go Teng Kok said the two athletes were mentioned after the Philippine Olympic Committee asked for ...
No pop from Pepsi's debut despite lowered indicative offer price range
Feb 02, 2008 ... SHARES of soda maker Pepsi-Cola Products Philippines Inc. failed to rise with the market during its debut at the local bourse on Friday as investors remain risk averse. Pepsi, with trading symbol "PIP", opened at P3.30 each, weaker than its offer price of P3.50 and eventually slipped to ...
NTC halts Smart, Piltel text promo
Feb 02, 2008; ... THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered the wireless units of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) to stop their text messaging promos, citing unfair rate discrimination. "It is clear that respondents are committing unfair rate discrimination practices with ...
Oil companies slashed cooking gas prices
Feb 02, 2008; ... OIL companies slashed the price of their cooking gas products in light of a decrease in the contract price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) in the world market. "We are pleased to advise that following the reduction in contract prices we will rollback LPG price by P1 per kilogram ...
Habeas data can be used against national ID system
Feb 02, 2008; ... The writ of habeas data can be used by the country's citizens to fight against the potential oppression from the national identification system, which is being proposed by the government. This is what Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno said during a recent forum on the writ of ...
Govt seizes P100-million smuggled textiles
Feb 02, 2008; ... SOME P100-million worth of smuggled imported textiles from China were seized by operatives of the Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) from a warehouse in Marikina City. The PASG head, Undersecretary Antonio A. Villar Jr., disclosed Friday that his operatives pounced on the ...
GMA preempts House fight: President convenes meeting with Lakas stalwarts over golf
Feb 02, 2008; ... President Gloria Arroyo is to convene a meeting of Lakas party stalwarts this weekend-ahead of a fight for the House of Representatives leadership expected to take place Monday. Officials of Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas) are planning to play golf on Sunday at the Malacañang ...
Lim issues challenge to investigate bribery: Manila mayor does not want 'hearsays' on issue
Feb 02, 2008; ... Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim yesterday said city officials who were reportedly offered bribe money for the approval of a multi-million-peso garbage contract must be the ones to initiate an investigation over the matter."They should have been the ones who are inquiring on this," Lim said, ...
Moody's reviews LandBank for possible upgrade
Feb 02, 2008 ... MOODY'S Investors Service announced that it would review Land Bank of the Philippines for a possible upgrade of its bank financial strength rating. In a statement, Moody's said the possibility of an upgrade was based on LandBank's better operating environment with the increase in public ...
DOST, Smart to partner for disaster response
Feb 02, 2008; ... The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) is planning to enter into an agreement with the country's leading lelecommunications firm to jumpstart and fund cell phone-based technologies and applications that were developed by college students. Science and Technology Secretary ...
FEATURE: Police 'art' just as hard as keeping streets crime-free
Feb 02, 2008; ... Misael Urquico is an artist that few, if any, would like to commission for a portrait. That's because Urquico is a sketch artist working for the Manila Police District, and his work, although at times seen nationally on media, are portraits of suspected and wanted criminals. Note his ...
Energy conservation law pushed
Feb 02, 2008; ... THE Philippines has to crank up its energy conservation efforts to bring down the cost of electricity, a Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) official said. In a presentation during the Philippine Energy Summit, Hiroaki Nagayama said that promoting efficiency in energy use in ...