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Gov’ workers get P1,000 ($20) ‘love bonuses’
President Arroyo has approved the release of P1,000 to every national government worker as a form of educational assistance. This was the “love bonus” she was referring to in a speech last February, said Budget Secretary Emilia Boncodin. She said the money would be available to state workers, including casuals or contractual workers, within the next two or three days.
The total cost of the assistance package is P1.1 billion.
“This (educational assistance) will cover all agencies in the national government including cabinet officials, the military, the police and of course, the teachers,” Boncodin said.
“When the President announced the ‘Love Bonus’ last February, she said that she would try to augment it for enrollment. This is the answer to that promise,” Boncodin said. “Since school enrollments are over, Malacaang is calling it an educational assistance.”
Reds overrun Abra AFP post
At least 50 communist guerrillas overran a military detachment in a hinterland barangay in Abra province last week, carting away at least 29 government rifles.
The military’s Northern Luzon Command based in Tarlac City is yet to release the name of the soldier killed during the firefight in Barangay Tiempo, Tubo town, Abra. Police sources claimed that at least eight government troopers belonging to the Abra-based 41st Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army were wounded. New People’s Army (NPA) spokesman Gregorio Rosal warned on Saturday that communists would launch more assaults “that would match and even surpass” the Tubo raid in the second half of the year.
Capone tactics in tax drive
In a move reminiscent of the US government’s prosecution of American mobster Al Capone, the Department of Finance (DOF) said it has directed the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to investigate alleged jueteng payola recipients for possible tax violations. Capone was a Mafia boss during the 1920s but the US government was unable to pin him down on his criminal activities until the Internal Revenue Service began building up a case for tax evasion that jailed him for life. Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said yesterday the BIR would investigate individuals who have been publicly charged with receiving regular bribes from jueteng operators “for possible violation of our tax laws." Purisima urged top government officials who have been implicated in the ongoing Senate investigations to voluntarily open their financial books to examination by independent auditors.
GMA hails OFWs’ on Workers’ Day
Malaca±ang has paid tribute to all overseas Filipino workers, saying they have been a big help to the economy and the community.In a radio interview this morning, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye expressed thanks to the Filipino migrant workers on the occasion of Migrant Workers’ Day.
“Nagpapasalamat tayo sa lahat ng ating mga kababayan na nagtratrabaho overseas (I would like to thank all our countrymen who are working overseas),” he said. “Mabuhay kayo sa inyong pagdaraos ng Migrant Workers’ Day.”
With an annual remittance reaching at least P8 billion, overseas Filipino workers or OFWs are considered by the government as modern-day heroes.
In an earlier message, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said OFWs should be lauded for their courage, resourcefulness and patriotism.
“Our OFWs have contributed in no small measure to our financial stability and economic growth. Their remittances have shored up our foreign exchange reserves, driven investments in the cities and countryside and kept alive the hopes of millions of Filipino families,” she said.
The President vowed to continue protecting and safeguarding the interests of OFWs as well as their families, saying it is the best way to express gratitude.
AFP’s resorts for AFP men
The military is building a resort for Armed Forces officials and soldiers in Boracay in Aklan province without the use of public funds. Lieutenant General Emmanuel Teodosio, chief of the military’s Central Command based in Cebu, said the 1,950-square meter lot where the resort would be put up was donated by a private sector Kaibigan ng mga Kawal sa Kapuluan (KKK) and the materials used for the resort’s construction were given by a businessman who owns a hardware store in Cebu and other entrepreneurs who are “friends” of the military officials.
Teodosio said officials and members of the KKK are still looking for donations to complete the resort called as Sampaguita Family Recreation Center. He said the project started before Armed Forces Chief Efren Abu assumed office in October 2004.
Aus, NZ give Minda $16-M
Australia and New Zealand are pouring in some 16 million dollars in fresh aid into Mindanao to fund projects for Muslim communities impoverished by decades of armed conflict. The development package, to be supervised by the United Nations Development Program, is earmarked for livelihood projects, health, housing, disaster management, and other basic services mainly for families of former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) rebels.
A co-sharing agreement among the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAid), New Zealand, and the UNDP was recently signed in Mandaluyong City. The fund will be dispersed under the Act For Peace program set to start in June, and is expected to benefit 15 provinces and 14 cities in the South, including the Caraga region, the UNDP said.
Filipino facing death in Saudi
Reynaldo Cortez, a Filipino worker in Saudi Arabia is facing death penalty after the family of the taxi driver he killed refused to accept the offered blood money. Ambassador Bahnarin Guinomia vowed to exhaust all legal options under the Sharia law to save the life of Reynaldo for killing a Pakistani driver in 2002. Naim, the brother of the deceased rejected the offer of blood money.
This effectively meant that they were seeking the maximum penalty of death to be meted out to Cortez, Guinomia said. Cortez admitted killing the Pakistani driver after the latter made “sexual gestures and advances.” He stabbed the driver thrice in the chest while he himself sustained two stab wounds in his thigh. Cortez took the vehicle and bumped into a cab driven by another Pakistani, whom he also stabbed in the shoulder and hands but survived the attack.
Hubby No. 5 for Kris Aquino
Kris Aquino has confirmed that she and Purefoods small forward James Yap are planning to get married. “I think the best thing we can say is that we are happily committed and engaged, we want to share the future together and our families are aware that we would want to marry within a year. Most likely early 2006.” Kris’ mom, former President Corazon Aquino, reportedly approves of the wedding because James is single, unlike Kris’ past relationships (Joey Marquez, Phillip Salvador, Alvin Patrimonio and Robin Padilla, who are all married). Sources say a prenuptial agreement will be discussed, much like the one between Sen. Kiko Pangilinan and Sharon Cuneta before they got married years back. The couple has at least a ten-year gap between them, since James is 23 and Kris is in her mid-30s.
rescued in Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) has rescued three Filipino workers - two women forced into prostitution and a disgruntled male cook - from their American employer who is allegedly protected by Afghan warlords. The workers, entertainers Maricris Santos and Marife Mort el and chef Norberto Babala, sought protection from the Unama after being rescued from their employer, Michael Mester.
Mester owns the Palace Bar and Restaurant in the Karte She district where influential Afghan warlords are known to stay.
3 Kuwait cops jailed for rape
Kuwait’s top court sentenced three policemen to between seven and 10 years in jail for raping an 18-year-old Filipina housemaid at a police station in 2003.
The court, whose verdicts are final, sentenced Mohammed Abdullah to 10 years in prison, while Mohammed Falah and Abdul Latif Johar were each given seven years behind bars, Abdulmajeed Khuraibet told AFP.
The three men, in November that year, repeatedly raped and sodomised their victim at a police station, according to the public prosecution’s indictment. Last June, the criminal court had sent Abdullah to 15 years in prison and the other two to 10 years each.
New ambassadors confirmed
The Commission on Appointments has confirmed that ad interim appointments of three ambassadors and 12 career diplomats.
Confirmed are Estrella Berenguel as ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; Teresita Barsana, as ambassador to Brazil, and Bayani Mangibin, an envoy to Libya. Also confirmed as foreign service officer class I, were Ma. Josefina Ceballos, Ma. Agnes Cervantes, Giovanni Palec, Jose Arizabal and Wenceslao Jose Quirolgico. Confirmed as foreign service officer class II were Igor Bailen, Maria Fe Pangilinan, Alejandro Vicente, Pedro Chan and Leoncio Cardenas Jr.
2 acquitted in ship slay
A Panamanian court recently acquitted two Filipino seafarers who were accused of killing their Japanese ship officer three years ago, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Philippine Embassy Charge d’ Affaires Rodolfo Dumapias said the court found seafarers Noelito Pabiona and Elmercito Racela not guilty of murder. According to Dumapias, the seafarers’ Panamanian lawyer, told the court the alleged signed confessions of the two Filipinos were executed in Japan and written in Japanese, which both of them did not understand. Pabiona and Racela were accused of killing the Japanese officer on board the commercial ship, M/V Tajima while it was sailing.
The two were detained when the vessel docked in Japan on April 7, 2002.
Since the vessel was registered in Panama, the case was referred by Japan to Panamanian authorities.
McDonald now RP franchise
McDonald’s Philippines, announced that it is already a 100 percent Filipino-owned company. Cerwin Eviota, McDonald’s public relations consultant for Visayas and Mindanao, said with this latest development, McDonald’s could assure its customers that more products suited for the Filipino taste are coming in all of its stores nationwide.
“Two months ago, 51 percent Filipino-owned and 49 percent American-owned ang McDonald’s Philippines. And two months ago din, the company was bought by Global Alliance, the holding company of the 51 percent stocks.
LUZON - Batangas graft prober killed
BATANGAS CITY – Guillermo Gamo, a provincial graft investigator was killed late last month in Batangas City. CALABARZON police director, Chief Supt. Jesus Versoza, said Gamo, supervising cooperative development specialist and resident ombudsman of Batangas province, was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men at the vicinity of Balagtas village.
At the time of the shooting incident, Gamo was on board his red Toyota Corolla (NJL 208) and on his way to the provincial capital.
Gunmen shoot Lapid’s house
PORAC, Pampanga – Sen. Lito Lapid, chair of the Senate Committee on Games, Amusement and Sports that is investigating jueteng, said gunmen shot up the gate of his house in Porac June 1. Lapid was not at home when the shot-up took place. In the house at the time were members of his family, including his son, Gov. Mark Lapid of Pampanga.
Baguio gets Guinness record
BAGUIO CITY—The country has been listed again in the Guinness World Records this year, thanks to a 12-foot long, 8-foot high strawberry butter cake that nearby La Trinidad, Benguet, had shaped into a gigantic strawberry. La Trinidad Mayor Nestor Fongwan announced that Guinness rewarded the effort of the town’s strawberry farmers and bakers by giving it the title of world’s largest fruit short cake.
About 300 strawberry farmers and bakers baked the strawberry cake last year, which measured 3.73 meters long, 2.63 m wide and 2.55 m high.
Fongwan said they were aiming for the world record for strawberry cake, which is held by Florida.
Wind powered generator set
BANGUI, Ilocos Norte - The NorthWind Power Development Corp. (NorthWind) has completed the construction of the country’s first pure wind-powered electricity generating plant on Bangui Bay. Commercial operation will start on June 18. The 24.75-megawatt wind farm, the largest in Southeast Asia, has as main user the Ilocos Norte Electric Cooperative under an agreement forged since mid-May 2004.
The wind farm is expected to deliver 72 gigawatts per hour of electricity annually for the next 20 years in Ilocos Norte, through a 50-kilometer, 69-kilovolt line also constructed by the company.
Conjoined twins die in Masbate
MASBATE CITY – After 26 days of fighting for life, conjoined twins Angel May and Angela Garganta died in their sleep late last month, five hours after arriving at their house in Sawang Uson, Masbate City.
Sen. Richard Gordon, Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) chairman, said “We commiserate with Reynaldo and Vilma, the twins’ parents, for the death of Angela and Angel May. I feel a deep sense of loss for their passing." Gordon said the doctors at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and the PNRC “have done everything humanly possible to save them, but science has not yet found... a solution to their case."
The Garganta family, accompanied by some PGH doctors and a Red Cross nurse, were flown to Masbate airport on a Beechcraft King Air courtesy of ABS-CBN Broadcasting Network.
Cadiz is NPA stronghold, say
CADIZ CITY – The Philippine Army said Cadiz City is the “stronghold” and “supply line” of the mainstream Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA). Lt. Col. Abraham Bagasin, commanding officer of the 11th Infantry Battalion, said based on intelligence reports, the CPP-NPA rebels had established controlled areas in the mountains of Cadiz.
Bagasin particularly pointed to Barangay Mabini and the Lantawan peak as the lairs of rebel guerillas., “The mountain in Cadiz is really very strategic for the rebels. It’s the real hotbed of insurgency. They (rebels) can exit either in the right or in the left side of the mountain,” said Bagasin.
He also said the terrains of the Cadiz mountain are usually used by rebels in delivering food supply for their comrades.
Asiana, Korean air to Cebu
CEBU CITY – Asiana Airlines and Korean Air will launch international flights to and from Cebu next month, Mactan Cebu International Airport general manager Adelberto Yap said. Asiana will mount four flights every week between Cebu and Incheon in South Korea starting July 13, while Korean Air will fly twice a week starting July 18, he said. “The Korean airlines are going to bring in more tourists to the region. More foreign airlines are planning to use Cebu as their hub from the Visayas and this is why we want to beef up the facilities,” Yap said. Singapore’s Tiger Airways and Malaysia’s AirAsia earlier signified interest to launch flights to and from Cebu.
One Durano to another
CEBU - Ramon “Red” Durano VI won by a landslide over his two rivals to keep the congressional seat which his younger brother Joseph Ace gave up in favor of the tourism portfolio in the Cabinet of President Arroyo.
The win thus made Red the third from his branch of the Durano family to hold the fifth congressional district seat after Joseph Ace and their father, Ramon “Nito” Durano III, now the mayor of Danao City.
Prior to Nito, the congressional seat was held at length by the clan’s patriarch, Ramon Durano Sr., who was responsible for entrenching the clan as the district’s political and economic overlord.
While his other children held various political positions in the district, the congressional seat appeared to have been reserved for Nito, who held it for three terms before passing it on to Joseph Ace, who was into his second term when Mrs. Arroyo plucked him to join her official family.
Iloilo blacklists 3 radiomen
ILOILO CITY - The Iloilo provincial government has “blacklisted” three commentators of dyFM Bombo Radyo-Iloilo, the flagship station of Bombo Radyo Philippines, provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada confirmed.
Mejorada said the Capitol will no longer grant interviews to Bombo Radyo-Iloilo assistant station manager Novie Guazo, chief of reporters Rhoderick Tecson, and Capitol beat reporter and evening commentator Roger Gencianeo. The three are also barred from attending official press functions of the Capitol. “The Capitol no longer recognizes them to be members of the Capitol press corps,” said Mejorada, hours after he prevented Gencianeo from entering his office.