The Philippine Headlines - September 20, 2007

Posted by Balitang Pinoy at 10:25 AM

New York refuses to let Iran president visit Ground Zero

NEW YORK -- New York City authorities on Wednesday rejected Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's request to tour Ground Zero, the site of the September 11, 2001 attacks, next week.

YouTube "Kop Killa" rap video leads to terror charges

CHICAGO -- A home-made rap video landed two twenty-year-olds in jail on terrorism charges because of lyrics describing how they were going to destroy their small town in Missouri and kill the bulk of the police force.

Shares outlook higher on Wall St. gains

MANILA, Philippines -- Shares may open higher Thursday on follow-through buying, buoyed by further gains on Wall Street with the larger-than-expected rate cut by the Federal Reserve seen boosting the US economy.

Gender-bending bugs take battle of sexes to new heights

PARIS -- Sexual relationships between humans may be complicated but they are nothing compared to the bizarre sex life of the African bat bug, the British weekly New Scientist reports in next Saturday's issue.

Singapore offers study grants for Filipinos

MANILA, Philippines -- The Singapore government has opened the door to Filipino students wishing to avail themselves of 120 full-time courses given in five government polytechnic schools that offer a three-year diploma program.

Ex-TV news anchor Dan Rather sues CBS for $70M

NEW YORK -- Lawyers representing former television news anchor Dan Rather announced Wednesday they had filed a lawsuit against the CBS network seeking 70 million dollars for violating his contract.

Love triangle astronaut asks court to throw out key evidence

MIAMI -- Former US astronaut Lisa Nowak on Wednesday asked a Florida court to throw out key evidence she claims was obtained illegally when she was arrested for allegedly attacking a romantic rival.

Male sex organ new source of stem cells

PARIS -- A man's testicles could one day provide a plentiful and accessible supply of adult stems cells to help him fight off disease or regenerate damaged organs, according to a study published Wednesday.

O.J. Simpson released after first court appearance in Vegas

LOS ANGELES -- American football legend O.J. Simpson was freed from jail on Wednesday after a first court appearance on robbery and kidnapping charges amid circus-like scenes that echoed his 1995 murder trial.

Washington backs Strauss-Kahn for IMF top post

WASHINGTON -- The United States supports European Union candidate Dominique Strauss-Kahn for managing director of the International Monetary Fund, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said Wednesday.

Internet watchdog reports big jump in porn, racist websites

DUBLIN -- Substantial increases in racist and pornographic websites were reported on Wednesday by an international watchdog in its first detailed analysis of illegal activity on the Internet.

Choice of bets for Nomura Cup divides NGAP, ICTSI

MANILA, Philippines -- The National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) and benefactor International Container Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) had a falling out Wednesday over the selection of players to the Nomura Cup scheduled early next month in Taipei.

‘Luli’ Arroyo leads counterattack on De Venecia son

MANILA, Philippines -- Led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s daughter, the administration Wednesday mounted a counterattack against Jose “Joey” de Venecia III after the businessman implicated First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo in a kickback scandal over a $329-million broadband project with China.

Lawyer: Mike Arroyo met De Venecia III

MANILA, Philippines -- First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo has confirmed that he met with Jose “Joey” de Venecia III at a golf clubhouse, but said it was “a purely chance encounter” that did not include his ordering the businessman to “back off” from the National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

US ready to negotiate based on WTO farm proposal

WASHINGTON -- The United States is prepared to negotiate a multilateral trade deal on the basis of a WTO proposal calling for big cuts in agriculture subsidies, a government official said Wednesday.

Abalos decides to face Senate but not on Thursday

MANILA, Philippines -- Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. has decided to face the Senate to answer questions about his involvement in the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) deal.

Dollar gains on Fed rate cut, stocks advance

NEW YORK -- The dollar rose from a 15-year low against a basket of currencies on Wednesday as investors bet the Federal Reserve's deep interest rate cut the previous session will help boost a slowing US economy.

House cites Abalos ‘scandal’ to stop polls

The controversy hounding Commission on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos Sr. has given congressmen yet another reason to justify their move to postpone next month’s barangay (vilage) and youth elections.

Guevarra-Lim ousts Alcano-Lumpay

MANILA, Philippines -- The pair of Benjie Guevarra and Eduardo Lim ousted double world champion Ronato Alcano and partner Alex Lumpay Wednesday at the start of first SMC Scotch Doubles 10-balls at the Elbowroom in Metrowalk, Pasig City.

SM unit, Accor sign deal on Mactan hotel operation

Holding firm SM Investments Corp. has signed a contract with Accor, an international hotel chain known for its Sofitel brand, on management and operation of the SM group’s P2.8-billion hotel on Mactan Island in the central Philippines city of Cebu.

Batawang’s fight vs IBF champ postponed anew

LOS ANGELES -- Bert Batawang Wednesday received the jolting information that his scheduled Oct. 4 world title fight against Mexican IBF light flyweight champion Ulises Solis has been called off again a day after the Filipino challenger was declared perfectly ready for the championship.

Wall Street rallies for 2nd day after Fed rate cut

NEW YORK -- US stocks rose on Wednesday as investors extended a rally a day after the Federal Reserve's bold rate cut, betting that lower borrowing costs would keep the economy from slowing further and boost profits.

Aces, Express pull through in PBA preseason

Defending PBA preseason champion Alaska notched its first win in two games after holding off Coca Cola, 95-89, Wednesday night.

New York oil prices close near record high

NEW YORK -- Oil prices closed Wednesday at a record high near $82 a barrel in New York following news that US crude reserves tumbled last week.

Insurers expect reprieve from capital hike rule

Newly reappointed Insurance Commissioner Eduardo Malinis is inclined to defer the implementation of the yearly increases in the capitalization and net worth requirements imposed on insurance companies.

Blue Eagles: It’s time to move on

It had been over an hour since the final buzzer sounded. Yet none of the Ateneo Blue Eagles seemed ready to trudge out of the locker room.

House coalition cracks up, De Venecia can lose speakership

MANILA, Philippines -- A day after Jose “Joey” de Venecia III’s damaging testimony against the husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, cracks have begun showing in the administration coalition in the House of Representatives.

UBS, DBS differ on Philippine budget gap

Switzerland-based investment bank UBS is optimistic that the Philippine government will meet its budget deficit target this year, saying privatization will generate more than enough revenues to make up for below-target tax collection.

Pacquiao hires marathoner as running partner

CEBU CITY -- Filipino boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao has tapped Cebu’s top long-distance runner Adonis Singson to keep him company in his morning runs which kick off his daily training grind.

DMCI may convert advances to AG&P into equity

Construction giant DMCI Holdings Inc. said Wednesday it was considering converting a big part of its P1 billion in cash advances to Atlantic Gulf & Pacific Co. (AG&P) into equity.

Torre spearheads explosive RP start

MANDAUE CITY -- The Filipinos made a strong start in the Asian Individual Chess Championships Wednesday night with Grandmasters Eugene Torre, Rogelio “Joey” Antonio and Mark Paragua hurdling their rivals at the Cebu International Convention Center here.

Subsidies for GOCCs jump 75%

The national government’s subsidy to government-owned or -controlled corporations (GOCCs) jumped significantly in the January-August period, which an official of the Department of Finance said was due to increased social services.

San Beda takes Game 1

Ogie Menor hit a fallaway and a short jumper in the last two minutes that proved to be the telling baskets as defending champion San Beda College stopped Letran College, 76-68, Wednesday night to move within a win of clinching the NCAA men’s basketball championship at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Arroyo orders Cabinet men to face probe

MANILA, Philippines -- In a surprise turnaround, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered her Cabinet officials to attend Thursday’s Senate hearing on the National Broadband Network controversy and tell all they knew about the deal with China’s ZTE Corp.

Sino execs here, defend ZTE

MANILA, Philippines -- Officials of China’s Ministry of Commerce (MOC) visited Manila Wednesday to inquire about the status of the National Broadband Network (NBN) project being undertaken by the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).

Classes cancelled in Malabon due to floods

MANILA, Philippines – Classes at all levels in Malabon City were suspended before noon yesterday due to floods caused by heavy rains that rendered major streets in the city impassable, its chief local executive said.

NBI to quiz funeral parlor exec

MANILA, Philippines – The National Bureau of Investigation will summon the manager of a funeral parlor that took the body of suspected hazing victim Cris Anthony Mendez from the Veterans Memorial Medical Center.

‘Violent frats accept only neophytes who submit to hazing’

MANILA, Philippines – A psychology professor at the University of the Philippines said fraternities with histories of violence generally do not accept neophytes unless they agree to hazing.

Greenhouse Earth: Methane powered runaway global warming

PARIS--Methane released from wetlands turned the Earth into a hothouse 55 million years ago, according to research released Wednesday that could shed light on a worrying aspect of today's climate-change crisis.

Murder raps against suspect in Delgado slaying dropped

MANILA, Philippines – Murder and frustrated murder complaints filed against businessman Luis Gonzalez for the death of his stepbrother Federico Delgado have been dismissed by the Department of Justice. Similar charges against his driver Antonio Buenaflor were also dropped.

Iran warns it could strike Israel as nuclear tensions mount

TEHRAN--Iran warned on Wednesday that it could bomb Israel if it was attacked by the Jewish state, as the international war of words over the Islamic republic's nuclear drive escalated further.

Iran's Ahmadinejad denied Trade Center visit

NEW YORK - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been denied a request to visit the World Trade Center site of the September 11 attacks, New York police said on Wednesday.

Vhong is Pinoy superhero Lastikman

Superheroes are characters Vhong Navarro loves to play apart from the comic ones.

Suspected Reds bomb Globe cell site in Masbate

Suspected New People's Army guerillas bombed a cell site of Globe Telecoms in Mandaon town, Masbate province Thursday morning.

Asian ADRs extend gains; PLDT ADRs up

HONG KONG - Asian stocks listed on Wall Street rose 1.4 percent to a 1-½ month closing high, extending gains after a U.S. interest rate cut earlier in the
week soothed worries about the prospects of the U.S. economy.

(UPDATE) Beirut car bomb kills anti-Syrian MP

BEIRUT - A car bomb killed an anti-Syrian lawmaker and at least seven other people in Beirut on Wednesday, less than a week before Lebanon's parliament was due to elect a new president.

US allots P190M for Mindanao development

The United States government is to spend $190 million over the next five years on development aid projects in the troubled southern Philippines, the US embassy said Wednesday.

Internet watchdog reports big jump in porn, racist Web sites

DUBLIN - Substantial increases in racist and pornographic Web sites were reported on Wednesday by an international watchdog in its first detailed analysis of illegal activity on the Internet.

NBA to form new China operation

NEW YORK (AFP) - The US National Basketball Association is launching a new subsidiary in China, in a sign of the sport's increasing popularity there, the league announced Wednesday.

PM invites SM Group to put up malls in Tonga

Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Vaka'uta Sevele invited Philippine businessmen to invest in his country, citing shopping malls in particular, officials said Wednesday.

Israel declares Gaza 'enemy entity' as Rice visits

JERUSALEM - Israel declared the Gaza Strip an "enemy entity" on Wednesday and said it would reduce its fuel and power supplies to the Hamas-run territory in response to rocket attacks by Palestinian militants.

PCGG Wants to Review Payanig sa Pasig Contract

While the government’s broadband deal with ZTE Corp. was being examined at the Senate today, it was learned that another...

GMA Played Golf with Businessmen Who Bagged Broadband Deal

With a finger pointed directly at the face of Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico who was seated beside him, businessman...

Mike Arroyo pushed for ZTE deal - de Venecia

Businessman Jose de Venecia III revealed today that First Gentleman Mike Arroyo is the mystery man involved in...

Fellowship of the Ring: Anti-Erap Lawyers Vow To Pursue Big Cases

The team of lawyers that worked for the conviction of former President Joseph Estrada agrees that they should remain intact...

Abalos� Golfing Buddy Close to �Wiretappers�

Is Commission on Elections chair Benjamin Abalos capable of monitoring the phone conversations of businessman Jose “Joey” de Venecia III,...

UN agency donates health kits for refugees from conflict in south

19 September 2007 &#150 The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) is providing emergency medicines and supplies people displaced by the escalation of fighting between the Philippines army and...

UBS, DBS differ on Philippine budget gap

House coalition cracks up, De Venecia can lose speakership

View the NBN contract and related documents MANILA, Philippines -- A day after Jose "Joey" de Venecia III's damaging testimony against the husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, cracks have b...

Gunmen attack ex-governor's convoy in Philippines; 9 killed

MANILA: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on Wednesday on a two-car convoy carrying a former provincial governor in the southern Philippines, leaving nine people dead in a fierce shootout, the milita...

Mike Arroyo's vacation itinerary

MANILA, Philippines -- Businessman Jose de Venecia III, the Speaker's son, has linked presidential spouse Jose Miguel Arroyo to the controversial $329-million broadband deal with China. I have been v...

Classes cancelled in Malabon due to floods

MANILA, Philippines - Classes at all levels in Malabon City were suspended before noon yesterday due to floods caused by heavy rains that rendered major streets in the city impassable, its chief local...

NBI to quiz funeral parlor exec

MANILA, Philippines - The National Bureau of Investigation will summon the manager of a funeral parlor that took the body of suspected hazing victim Cris Anthony Mendez from the Veterans Memorial Medi...

'Violent frats accept only neophytes who submit to hazing'

MANILA, Philippines - A psychology professor at the University of the Philippines said fraternities with histories of violence generally do not accept neophytes unless they agree to hazing. Speaking ...

2 killed in foiled heist in busy Makati street

MANILA, Philippines - A driver and a bystander were shot and killed by armed robbers along a busy intersection in Makati City at past noon yesterday following a botched heist involving more than P6 mi...

Arroyo's daughter hits House Speaker's son

IT'S the presidential daughter against the son of the House Speaker.Evangelina Lourdes "Luli" Arroyo on Wednesday lashed at businessman Jose "Joey" de Venecia III for linking her father First Gentlema...

Chinese press RP on broadband deal

On the same day Jose "Joey" de Venecia 3rd testified before the Senate, representatives from the Chinese Embassy in Manila met with officials of the Department of Transportation and Communicatio...

RP, China mull 4 more deals

Yap said the four programs are the Agno River Irrigation Program, the Balintong River Irrigation program, the Navotas Fishport Program and the Mobile Reefers Program.He said the four projects, if appr...

Villafuerte says JdV lobbying for Joey

Speaker Jose de Venecia had been lobbying with government officials to get his son's contract for the national broadband network approved, one of the de Venecia's critics in the House of Represe...

Poll body ready for barangay, SK elections

WHILE the Senate and the House of Representatives are pushing for different opinions on the upcoming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced t...

Estrada wants complete pardon

Former President Joseph Estrada said he would not consider a deal from President Gloria Arroyo, demanding an unconditional pardon from his archrival after his corruption conviction.

2 Bulacan areas among world's dirtiest places

The New York-based Blacksmith Institute has included the two places on its "Dirty Thirty" list of the World's Worst Polluted Places for 2007. The study was based on the group's monitoring of pol...

Palace execs allowed to attend Senate inquiry

President Gloria Arroyo has allowed Cabinet officials implicated in the $329.4-million national broadband network project fiasco to attend the Senate inquiry on Thursday.

Wack Wack meeting a 'chance encounter'

The spokesman of Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo on Wednesday admitted the President's husband met with Joey de Venecia in Wack Wack Golf and Country Club in March, but it was a "chance encounter."

Senate starts session on time; no quorum

The Senate started its session at 3 p.m. for the first time since the Fourteenth Congress was convened on July 27. The session, however, could not proceed because only seven of the 23 senators a...

Ramos urges Palace to clarify broadband deal

FORMER President Fidel Ramos on Wednesday asked Malaca ang to shed light on the controversial multimillion-dollar National Broadband Network (NBN) deal entered into by the Philippine government with t...

ZTE execs in RP, defend firm

OFFICIALS of China's Ministry of Commerce (MOC) visited Manila Wednesday to inquire about the status of the National Broadband Network (NBN) project being undertaken by the Department of Transportatio...

Roxas comes late for 3 p.m. gavel

MANILA, Philippines -- After he was badgered by Senator Manuel Roxas II on Tuesday to set a definite time for the opening of sessions, Senate President Manuel Villar agreed and declared that hencefort...

9,642 village chiefs barred from reelection in October

MANILA, Philippines -- A total of 9,642 barangay (village) chairmen around the country will be ineligible to run in the next elections after serving three consecutive terms, the Department of Interior...

UP activist Lean Alejandro remembered 20 years after killing

MANILA, Philippines -- This young man did not turn a blind eye to the horrors inflicted on the country while it was in the grip of martial law. Lean Alejandro -- murdered at 27, ironically in the dem...

De Venecia son's testimony nothing to do with us

MANILA, Philippines -- "Don't look at us." This was the message of San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Wednesday as he distanced the opposition from Jose "Joey" De Venecia III, who impl...

Philippines' Estrada says no deal with Arroyo

MANILA : Former Philippine leader Joseph Estrada said on Wednesday he would not consider a deal from President Gloria Arroyo, demanding an unconditional pardon from his arch-rival after his corruption...

Abalos' woes make village poll postponement urgent

MANILA, Philippines -- One man's scandal, another group's gain. The controversy hounding Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. has given congressmen yet another reason to jus...

VP Noli, wife no-shows at bigamy preliminary hearing

MANILA, Philippines -- Vice President Noli de Castro and wife Arlene failed to turn up Wednesday at the preliminary investigation on the bigamy and perjury charges against them before the Quezon City ...

Bishops call for transparency on NBN deal

MANILA, Philippines -- "Even while it is dangerous to come out with the truth nowadays, sometimes people have to do things bigger than themselves." This was what Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. C...

Tongan PM seeks investment from Philippines

MANILA, Philippines -- Tongan Prime Minister Feleti Vaka'uta Sevele invited Philippine businessmen to invest in his country, citing shopping malls in particular, officials said here Wednesday. The To...

Estrada should set terms of pardon, says son

MANILA, Philippines -- San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito on Wednesday said the Arroyo administration should let his father, convicted former president Joseph Estrada, set the terms of hi...

Order on Burgos report violates separation of powers

MANILA, Philippines -- The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider its order for the Provost Marshal to release the report on a license plate that could prov...

'ZTE execs may be held liable if Abalos charged'--law dean

MANILA, Philippines -- Officials of China's ZTE Corp, which bagged the $329-million contract for the national broadband network (NBN) project, may be held accountable if Commission on Elections (Comel...

Speaker 'torn' between 'love' for son, 'loyalty' to Arroyo

MANILA, Philippines - House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. admitted Wednesday that the scandal over the national broadband network deal (NBN) has left him "torn between love for my son and my own friends...

De Venecia III can be charged over NBN deal--Arroyo lawyer

MANILA, Philippines - (UPDATE) Businessman Jose de Venecia III can be charged by the Ombudsman with violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for participating in bid for a government cont...

Lakas rallies behind Speaker

MANILA, Philippines -- Speaker Jose De Venecia's allies in the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats moved quickly Tuesday night to try to avert a House "shakeup" that might lead to De Venecia losing his h...

'Stop selling banned food from China'

MANILA, Philippines -- The Department of Education (DepEd) has ordered a stop to the sale of banned Chinese food products in the canteens of the more than 50,000 public and private elementary and seco...

Oust De Venecia talk emerges in House after son's NBN expos

MANILA, Philippines -- Some lawmakers at the House of Representatives have allegedly started talking about the possibility of ousting Speaker Jose de Venecia, a day after his son testified in the Sena...

'Crime rate going down since '05'--PNP

MANILA, Philippines -- Following a recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing one of every 10 Filipino families had been a victim of crime in the first half of the year, the Philippine Nation...

Arroyo upholds suspension of ATO chief

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has upheld the suspension, for three months without pay, of Air Transportation Office (ATO) chief Nilo Jatico for failing to liquidate cash adv...

Speaker could suffer fate of Arroyo 'enemies'

MANILA, Philippines -- House Speaker Jose De Venecia was warned by an opposition leader that, because of the national broadband deal (NBN) scandal, he could suffer the same fate as "political enemies"...

Mr. Arroyo met, did not intimidate Joey de Venecia--lawyer

MANILA, Philippines -- Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo confirmed through his lawyer on Wednesday that he met Jose "Joey" de Venecia III in a "purely chance encounter" at a golf clubhouse but denied ordering...

'Luli' Arroyo takes raps vs dad personally

MANILA, Philippines -- Coming to her father's defense, presidential daughter Evangeline "Luli" Arroyo lashed out at Jose "Joey" de Venecia III for linking First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to the con...

US, China vie for Philippine influence

By Noel Tarrazona ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Competition for military influence in the Philippines is heating up, with both the US and China making new pledges of funds, arms and equipmen...

US pledges up to 190 million dollars in aid to southern Philippines

Manila - The United States on Wednesday pledged as much as 190 million dollars in assistance to the strife-torn southern Philippines over the next five years, the US embassy in Manila said. The financ...

10 killed in ambush of ex-vice governor in south Philippines

Ten people were killed and three others were injured including a former vice governor in an exchange of fires in the south Philippines' North Cotabato province, a military official said on Wednesday. ...

Cayetano 'happy' over Palace nod for execs to face NBN probe

MANILA, Philippines -- The chairman of the Senate committee on accountability of public officers and investigations (the blue ribbon) said on Wednesday he is "happy" with Malaca ang's decision to allo...

From Philippines To Iraq, Money Talks

(AP) From the Philippines to Iraq, money talks and American commandos want to keep on handing out the dollars.The Defense Department is urging Congress to extend a counterterrorism tool that gives Gre...

Philippine leader orders cabinet to attend senate probe

Manila - Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered her cabinet members on Wednesday to attend a senate probe on an allegedly anomalous 330-million-dollar broadband deal between a Chinese fi...

Philippine stocks up 2.22 per cent on Fed rate cut

Manila - Philippine share prices rose 2.22 per cent on Wednesday as investors cheered the US Federal Reserve's decision to cut its benchmark interest rate by a half-percentage point. The 29-share comp...

House majority challenged to file impeach case vs Abalos

MANILA, Philippines -- Since most of the personalities involved in the national broadband network fiasco are allied with the administration, the majority bloc in the House of Representatives should be...

SC asked anew to declare anti-terror law unconstitutional

MANILA, Philippines -- The Supreme Court has been asked anew to declare as unconstitutional Republic Act 9372 or the Human Security Act (HSA) of 2007. "We, being one with the people of the Philippine...

Open voting, deliberations on selection of justices pushed

MANILA, Philippines -- The rules of the Judicial and Bar Council, which selects justices for the President's approval must be amended to include opening its voting process, meetings, and deliberations...

Speaker 'owes it to son' to corroborate testimony--Escudero

MANILA, Philippines -- Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr. "owes it to the public and to his son" to corroborate his son's testimony at the Senate inquiry into the $329 million national broadband network (NBN...

Arroyo hits anew at critics for politicking, grandstanding

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo took a swipe anew at her critics for politicking and grandstanding rather than highlighting the good news about the country's economy. At the ...

American, Filipino held over murder of broker

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan -- Kaohsiung City police have detained an American and his Filipino girlfriend for questioning in connection with the death of cram school teacher broker, Chiu Mei-yun, whose body wa...

Nine dead in ambush on Muslim politician in southern Philippines

Cotabato City, Philippines - Nine people were killed Wednesday when unidentified gunmen ambushed a convoy of a Muslim politician in a southern Philippine province, the military said. Norodin Matalam, ...

One policeman killed in shootout with gunmen in Philippines

Manila - One policeman was killed on Wednesday and three civilians were wounded in a shootout with gunmen in a city outside the Philippine capital, a regional police chief said. Chief Superintendent N...

Former Philippine First Lady wants quick grafts trial against her family

Former First Lady of the Philippines Imelda R. Marcos had filed a motion to the anti-graft court asking for a speedy trial on 10 counts of graft charges against her family, the local newspaper Manila ...

PNP seeking additional budget for recruitment of new cops

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police is seeking a budget of P883 million for 2008, documents acquired by the Philippine Daily Inquirer Tuesday showed. The outlay is 2.23 percent high...

Philippine Senator Calls for Pardon of Former President Estrada

ABS-CBN News , Posted: Sep 18, 2007 MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine Sen. Manuel Roxas II filed a resolution on Sept. 17 urging President Gloria Arroyo to pardon former President Joseph Estrada on...

'MMDA traffic improvements to cut travel time to provinces'

MANILA, Philippines - The summer capital of Baguio may soon be just a three-hour ride away, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando said yesterday. The usual six-hour travel t...

Full text, NBN contract, other documents

BELOW is a link to the digitized 39-page National Broadband Network (NBN) contract between the government and China's ZTE Corp. that was submitted to the Senate hearing on 18 September 2007. The cont...

Philippine call center puts up affiliate in US

A homegrown call center operator said Tuesday it had put up an affiliate in the United States in preparation for expansion of its operations in the US market. Gary Manansala, general manager of WinSo...

Parents reunited with missing daughter

MANILA, Philippines - A 3-year-old girl was reunited with her parents on Monday after the woman who took her tried to sell her to two security guards of a television network who in turn called up the ...

Part-time jobs for qualified Muntinlupa City students

MANILA, Philippines - Students enrolled in Muntinlupa City will soon be given a chance to work part-time for a popular fast-food chain. The city government recently announced its partnership with the...

Lim pushes for repeal of 'allowance ordinance' to dads

MANILA, Philippines - Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim yesterday called the ordinance giving a P3 million "monetary reward" to local officials who had served three consecutive terms "self-serving," and said h...

UP frat violence forum seeks justice for Mendez

MANILA, Philippines - An official of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, yesterday issued a twin challenge: One to witnesses in the suspected hazing death of public administrati...

Parents of rape-slay victim OK DNA test

MANILA, Philippines - The parents of Geraldine Palma, the 7-year-old girl who was kidnapped and raped, yesterday gave authorities the go-signal to exhume their daughter's body and subject it to a DNA ...

Transport chief to explain broadband deal to SC

IN APPARENT defiance of the Senate, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza to go instead to the Supreme Court (SC) to explain the National Broadband Network...

Anti-graft court, prosecution keep hands off pardon to Estrada

THE Sandiganbayan and the prosecution panel have adopted a "hands-off policy" on the proposal to grant presidential pardon to convicted plunderer ex-President Joseph Estrada. They said it would be up ...

Communist rebel leader yields

A NEW People's Army (NPA) leader surrendered to the military in Laak town in Compostela Valley province on Monday, citing various reasons, including the unfair treatment of top communist leaders of th...

Arroyo to maintain sick Gonzalez as justice chief

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said she is keeping Raul Gonzalez Sr. as justice secretary until he recovers from his kidney transplant.Arroyo in a press briefing at the Dakak Park and Beach Resort ...

No DENR 'midnight deal,' says former undersecretary

MANILA, Philippines -- Secretary Angelo T. Reyes did not sign a "midnight deal" to pay US-based Emissions Technology Inc. (ETI) $1.3 million in back fees for an air-monitoring project just before he w...

Govt posts another budget surplus

For the third consecutive month in August, the government has posted a budget surplus as a result of increasing revenues from the Bureaus of Internal Revenue (BIR) and of Customs.

GMA tells Mendoza to explain to Tribunal

President Gloria Arroyo ordered Transportation and Communications Secretary Leandro Mendoza to explain the controversial broadband deal to the Supreme Court, although lawyer and allies of her hu...

Foreign funding to Abu Sayyaf dries up-bandit leader

In a clandestine interview with Al-Jazeera television in Basilan, Abu Kahlid, an Abu Sayyaf militant, said his group has lost the capability to launch large-scale attacks similar to the bombing ...

eBay stops auction of Belgium

Internet auction website eBay withdrew an unusual secondhand sale item, the country of Belgium, which had attracted an offer of $13.9 million.

ZTE scandal is karma for Arroyos--Estrada son

MANILA, Philippines -- San Juan City Mayor Joseph Victor "JV" Ejercito said on Tuesday the current controversy surrounding the First Couple over the $329-million national broadband network (NBN) proje...

Almost 10% of Filipino families crime victims--survey

MANILA, Philippines -- Nearly one in every ten Filipino families (9.6 percent) was the victim of a common crime in the first half of this year, according to a recent survey by the Social Weather Stati...

Mike Arroyo's heart surgeon says departure 'badly timed'

MANILA -- First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike'' Arroyo just wanted a two-week vacation in Europe with friends and was not trying to evade the Senate investigation where he was linked to yet another alle...

Children not spared from human rights violations--activists

MANILA, Philippines -- The human rights situation in the country is worse now than during martial law because even children are not spared from extrajudicial killings, a women's party-list group and a...

Senate to oppose House bill resetting village, youth polls

MANILA, Philippines -- The Senate has agreed in a consensus to oppose moves to postpone barangay (village) and the Sangguniang Kabataan (youth council) elections, the Minority Floor Leader Aquilino Pi...

'There was no meeting with Joey de Venecia'--Abalos

MANILA, Philippines -- There was no such meeting. This was how Benjamin Abalos Sr., chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), denied his and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo's involvement ...

PCGG to sequester Estrada's ill-gotten wealth--Sabio

MANILA, Philippines -- The Presidential Commission on Good Government will sequester allegedly ill-gotten assets that former president Joseph Estrada might have accumulated "if President Gloria Macapa...

'Mike Arroyo trip long planned'--lawyer

MANILA, Philippines -- The lawyer of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo on Tuesday branded as "unfair" and "malicious" insinuations his client left the country to evade the Senate inquiry into the con...

SC upholds CA ruling vs Makati annexation of 'inner Fort'

MANILA, Philippines -- The Supreme Court Tuesday upheld the Court of Appeals decision stopping Makati City from annexing as part of its territory the so-called "inner Fort" inside Fort Bonifacio. In ...

Senate to invite Mike Arroyo, subpoena 3 Cabinet members

MANILA, Philippines -- The Senate blue-ribbon committee will invite First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to its inquiry into the $329-million national broadband network project and that he would be subp...

PNP downgrades nationwide alert status

MANILA, Philippines -- (UPDATE) The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday downgraded its full alert status in the National Capital Region and for the elite Special Action Force (SAF), and the he...

Philippine officials implicated in telecom kickbacks

Venecia said Abalos, the chairman of the Commission on Elections, offered him a bribe of $10 million just to withdraw from the bidding. He told the senators that he had refused the bribe and that when...

'My son is his own man'

MANILA, Philippines -- Breaking his silence, House Speaker Jose de Venecia said his son, Jose III, was being "his own man" when he exposed the alleged anomalies in the national broadband network (NBN)...

PNP seeks P883M for 2008

MANILA, Philippines -- The Philippine National Police (PNP) is asking for a P883 million-budget for 2008 to cover the salaries and recruitment of new policemen, the procurement of more firearms, and t...

Population and fishing problems 'tied together'

Via web stream in Philippines Monday - 18:00Monday - 21:00Monday - 23:00Tuesday - 18:00Tuesday - 21:00Tuesday - 23:00Wednesday - 18:00Wednesday - 21:00Wednesday - 23:00Thursday - 18:00Thursday - 21:00...

'Act fast on amnesty proclamation'

MANILA, Philippines -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Tuesday called on Congress to act fast on the government's amnesty proclamation for communist rebels even as she again ordered the Armed For...

Congressman Arroyo comes to big brother's defense

MANILA, Philippines -- Congressman Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo defended his brother, the First Gentleman Juan Miguel Arroyo, from accusations that he was involved in talks on the national broadband network ...

Bomb explodes inside a passenger bus in Philippines, no injuries

Manila - An improvised bomb exploded Tuesday inside a parked passenger bus in a southern Philippine city but no one was injured, a a provincial police official said. Senior Superintendent Robert Kiuni...

Philippine Arroyo's husband named over telecoms deal

MANILA (Reuters) - The husband of Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was named in the senate on Tuesday in an inquiry into a controversial $330 million deal between the government and a ...

Villar reiterates call to free Estrada

DAVAO CITY -- Senate President Manuel Villar has reiterated his call to have convicted president Joseph Estrada released from detention. Speaking to reporters here on Monday, Villar said Estrada's re...

Senators score departure of Mike Arroyo ahead of NBN probe

(UPDATE 2) First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is the 'mystery man" who attended one of the meetings in the forging of the National Broadband Network contract between the government and the ZTE Corp. o...

Status quo at DoJ until Gonzalez's recovery

Department of Justice (DoJ) until Secretary Raul Gonzalez is able to recover following a kidney transplant. Arroyo said she is happy that Gonzalez is recovering well after his operation on Sept. 14. ...

Arroyo allows Cabinet officials to testify in Senate hearing

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has finally allowed Cabinet officials involved in the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) contract between the government and China's ZTE Corp. to attend a Senate hearing today, fighting to contain the fallout from the kickback scandal.

Microsoft partner builds training centers in Mindanao

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY - A Manila-based training firm is
pushing certified Information Technology training in key regional
centers around the country in a bid to upgrade the Philippines'
readiness to compete in the global information technology (IT) industry.

De Venecia son links President's husband to broadband contract

First Gentleman Jose Miguel T. Arroyo has been linked to
the controversial $329-million National Broadband Network deal between
the Philippine government and China-based ZTE Corp.

Sans benchmarks, ABS-CBN to roll out digital TV next year

DESPITE A LACK of national guidelines, broadcast giant ABS-CBN is
pushing through with a plan to introduce digital TV next year.

Growing pains dimming India's outsourcing edge

BANGALORE -- India's outsourcing firms are shifting some
of their operations to China, the Philippines, Vietnam and Kenya in a
bid to stay competitive as higher wages, expensive property prices and a
rising rupee eat into profits.

IPVG takes over Libis call center

IP Contact Center Outsourcing, Inc. (IPCCO), a business
process outsourcing subsidiary of listed IPVG Corp., said yesterday it
would begin operating a call center in Eastwood City, Cyberpark.

Japan eyes robots to support its ageing population

TOKYO - It looks like a washing machine on wheels, but
the bulky contraption vacuuming the hallways of a Tokyo high-rise is a
robot.

Phil. Silicon Valley: Bootstrapping and balance

Michael Hansson, a former serial "tech-nopreneur" whose company was
acquired by the Integrated Microelectronics, Inc. (IMI), spoke at a
Kapihan at the UP Ayala Technology Business Incubator (TBI) last
Wednesday about bootstrapping.

Features: Spot check: JBL Spot 2.1
multimedia speakers

If you are one of those tempted by the very attractive
form factor of JBL's Spot and Spyro, you are in good company. These
multimedia speakers do look good, and for the very affordable price of
Php5,995, you get a 2.1 speaker system made by a company that
specializes in sound.

Open House : Resolving the P2P Dilemma

Peer-to-peer (P2P) networking has become one of the dominant forms of electronic communication around the world and shows no signs of slowing down.

Headline: BSP rate cut hint follows Fed move

THE US FEDERAL RESERVE'S surprise half-percentage-point cut in its benchmark rate has increased the odds that the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) would ease monetary policy during next month's scheduled rate-setting meeting.

Corporate News: Block sale of PNOC-EDC shares approved

STATE-OWNED geothermal company Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. (PNOC-EDC) yesterday said that its board of directors approved the sale of three billion preferred shares held by the company's retirement trust fund with the government's remaining stake in the firm.

Banking & Finance: Peso goes back to P45 level

THE PESO YESTERDAY ROSE by more than 1% against the dollar after a large US Federal Reserve rate cut revived appetite for high-yielding assets and allayed concerns over global growth.

Stock Market: Stocks soar as market cheers Fed rate cut

SHARE PRICES closed higher yesterday after the US Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by 50 basis points.

The Economy: US earmarks $190-M grant for Mindanao in next 5 years

US earmarks $190-M grant for Mindanao in next 5 years

The Nation: Arroyo allows Cabinet officials to testify in Senate hearing

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has finally allowed Cabinet officials involved in the $329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) contract between the government and China's ZTE Corp. to attend a Senate hearing today, fighting to contain the fallout from the kickback scandal.

Agribusiness: Flood-resistant rice by IRRI offers hope to farmers

DHAKA — A new strain of rice may be able to resist floods that destroy vast tracts of paddy fields in Bangladesh each year, offering hope to millions of poor farmers, researchers say.

Property: Getting rid of informal settlers, peacefully

EJECTING ILLEGAL dwellers from one's property can be a tedious and messy process.

IT Matters: Arroyo allows Cabinet officials to testify in Senate hearing

PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has finally allowed
Cabinet officials involved in the $329-million National Broadband
Network (NBN) contract between the government and China's ZTE Corp. to
attend a Senate hearing today, fighting to contain the fallout from the
kickback scandal.

UN agency donates health kits for refugees from conflict in south

Bishops find JDV son's claims on ZTE deal credible

Amid Malacañang's efforts to gang up on him, the son of House speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. who bared alleged anomalies in the $329.5-million broadband deal has earned credibility in the eyes of ...

Solar to cover PBA opening

MANILA, Philippines -- Looks like Solar Television is the very first outfit to express intention to bid for the 2008-2009 PBA broadcast coverage. The contract of current coveror ABC-5 expires at the e...

Choice of bets for Nomura Cup divides NGAP, ICTSI

Arroyo Cabinet members hold emergency meet on ZTE deal

Hours before they were to face a Senate investigation on the $329.5-million broadband network deal with China's ZTE Corp., Cabinet members of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo held an emergency me...

UBS, DBS differ on Philippine budget gap

House coalition cracks up, De Venecia can lose speakership

'Luli' Arroyo leads counterattack on De Venecia son

View the NBN contract and related documents MANILA, Philippines -- Led by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's daughter, the administration Wednesday mounted a counterattack against Jose "Joey" de Ve...

Arroyo orders Cabinet men to face probe

assailed critics for yet another attempt to destabilize her government. "Yes, political circuses are entertaining but these should not dissipate our energies the way they consume those who stage them...

Sino execs here, defend ZTE

affidavit and in his testimony in the Senate on Tuesday. Xue said ZTE was waiting for an opportunity to defend the project in the proper forum, on the basis of facts and figures and evidence.

Gunmen attack ex-governor's convoy in Philippines; 9 killed

Sixth petition vs antiterror law filed before SC

A sixth petition was filed Wednesday before the Supreme Court questioning the legality of the Human Security Act (Republic Act No. 9372). In a 42-page petition, all 17 Southern Tagalog chapters of ...

Set record straight at ZTE probe

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Wednesday ordered senior Cabinet officials to attend the Senate inquiry on the government's National Broadband Network (NBN) project that was awarded to China's Zh...

Roxas comes late for 3 p.m. gavel

9,642 village chiefs barred from reelection in October

UP activist Lean Alejandro remembered 20 years after killing

Philippines' Estrada says no deal with Arroyo

School kids chip in for anti-dam campaign

LUCENA CITY - Schoolchildren in northern Quezon towns are contributing a few pesos of their daily cash allowance to help fund a campaign against government dam projects in the Sierra Madre mountain ri...

De Venecia son's testimony nothing to do with us

Islanders save the Philippine teak

SAN JOSE, Occidental Mindoro - There are no roads, only foot trails and bancas to reach Ilin and Ambulong, two of the three islands off San Jose town in Occidental Mindoro. Ilin and Ambulong, which p...

Public asked to help vs cell site attacks

LEGAZPI CITY-The Philippine Army in Bicol yesterday appealed to villagers living near vital telecommunications installations to send information on possible future attacks by New People's Army rebels ...

More abuse cases being reported in Ifugao

BANAUE, IFUGAO-The number of cases of violence against women and children have increased abruptly in the province this year, but officials have traced these to vigilant reporting. Joyce Niwane, provi...

Alarm raised in Negros, Capiz on coco pest

ROXAS CITY-Government officials in Capiz and Negros Oriental have raised the alarm over the possible spread of a pest that could damage coconut trees in the Visayas. Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco Sr. has o...

Zambales folk complain of uncollected trash

STA. CRUZ, ZAMBALES-This town stinks, literally. The local government has not collected garbage for more than a month, and residents are afraid the uncollected garbage, which has piled up on the stre...

Angeles City mired in P484-M debt

ANGELES CITY-The city government, host to the Clark Freeport, is mired in a P484-million debt, its bureaucracy fat with 7,048 job orders and its operating budget depleted to less than 20 percent in th...

Bishops call for transparency on NBN deal

Estrada should set terms of pardon, says son

Tongan PM seeks investment from Philippines

Abalos' woes make village poll postponement urgent

US pledges $190M for Mindanao peace, development

The United States government on Wednesday pledged a $190-million, five-year grant to the Philippines for the economic development and strengthening of the foundation of peace in Mindanao. US Ambass...

VP Noli, wife no-shows at bigamy preliminary hearing

Order on Burgos report violates separation of powers

'ZTE execs may be held liable if Abalos charged'--law dean

Speaker 'torn' between 'love' for son, 'loyalty' to Arroyo

De Venecia III can be charged over NBN deal--Arroyo lawyer

OSG files plea vs release of AFP report on Burgos probe

The Office of the Solicitor General on Wednesday asked the Court of Appeals to reconsider its September 5 decision ordering the military to release the content of investigation report on the abduction...

Lakas rallies behind Speaker

Mike Arroyo met JDV son in Wack Wack

The claim of the son of Speaker Jose De Venecia Jr was right. First Gentleman Jose Miguel "Mike" Arroyo indeed met businessman Jose "Joey" De Venecia III last March at the Wack Wack Golf and Country C...

'Stop selling banned food from China'

Gov't approval of ZTE deal took quicker than usual

The government took quicker than usual to approve the controversial $329.4-million deal with China's ZTE Corp. to build the national broadband network (NBN), clearing the project in only 12 days compa...

Doble "debugged" Miriam"s house in 2000

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday claimed former military spy Vidal Doble was among the police agents who conducted a bug sweep on the house of Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago seven years ago. Lacs...

2 fatalities in Makati shooting identified

Authorities identified on Wednesday the two fatalities in a shooting incident in Makati City earlier in the day. Superintendent Gilbert Cruz, chief of the Makati Police District, said killed were: ...

Oust De Venecia talk emerges in House after son's NBN expos

'Crime rate going down since '05'--PNP

Arroyo upholds suspension of ATO chief

Speaker could suffer fate of Arroyo 'enemies'

Mr. Arroyo met, did not intimidate Joey de Venecia--lawyer

'Luli' Arroyo takes raps vs dad personally

US, China vie for Philippine influence

By Noel Tarrazona ZAMBOANGA CITY, Philippines - Competition for military influence in the Philippines is heating up, with both the US and China making new pledges of funds, arms and equipmen...

US pledges up to 190 million dollars in aid to southern Philippines

10 killed in ambush of ex-vice governor in south Philippines

Crime rate on the decline since 2005

The crime volume from January to July in 2005, 2006 and 2007 has consistently went down, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported Wednesday. Based on the data released by Director Jefferson So...

Driver killed in Makati shooting identified, cash recovered from vehicle

Authorities on Wednesday afternoon identified one of two fatalities in the daylight shooting in Makati City and recovered a large sum of cash from the vehicle targeted in the attack. Police identif...

9,000 village heads barred from running in Oct polls

At least 9,000 barangay (village) heads nationwide will no longer be allowed to run in the October 29 elections after they reached the three-consecutive term limit, the Department of the Interior and ...

Cayetano 'happy' over Palace nod for execs to face NBN probe

From Philippines To Iraq, Money Talks

Strike down anti-terror law, militants ask SC

Adding their voices to the legal challenge against the controversial measure, militant groups from Southern Luzon trooped to the Supreme Court on Wednesday to file a petition against the anti-terror l...

ZTE says it wants to 'procure' lifting of TRO on broadband deal

The Chinese company at the center of the National Broadband Network deal fiasco, ZTE Corporation, publicly disclosed on Monday its receipt of a temporary restraining order from the Philippine Supreme ...

Philippine stocks up 2.22 per cent on Fed rate cut

House majority challenged to file impeach case vs Abalos

Moms of hazing victims Mendez, Icasiano meet

The mothers of Cris Anthony Mendez and Alex Icasiano, both victims of fatal hazing by fraternities in the University of the Philippines, had a highly emotional meeting on Tuesday. QTV's noon ne...

SC asked anew to declare anti-terror law unconstitutional

Open voting, deliberations on selection of justices pushed

Speaker 'owes it to son' to corroborate testimony--Escudero

Arroyo hits anew at critics for politicking, grandstanding

Philippine's Estrada demands full pardon

MANILA - Disgraced former Philippine leader Joseph Estrada on Wednesday said he would only consider an unconditional pardon from arch-rival and incumbent President Gloria Arroyo.

One policeman killed in shootout with gunmen in Philippines

Protest marches to mark 35th anniversary of Martial Law

Militant groups will mark the 35th anniversary of the declaration of Martial Law with protest marches around the country, even as they claimed that many things have remained the same since the iron-fi...

American, Filipino held over murder of broker

Classes at all levels in Malabon suspended

Local executives in Malabon City on Wednesday morning suspended classes at all levels as floodwaters swamped streets in some residential areas, a report on dzMM radio said. The radio report said Bo...

Nine dead in ambush on Muslim politician in southern Philippines

Former Philippine First Lady wants quick grafts trial against her family

Arroyo tags Senate NBN probe as 'vaudeville act'

A "fighting" President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo lashed back at her critics Wednesday for linking her and First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to the "political drama" involving the $329.4-million broadba...

JDV cancels trip abroad a day after son's revealing claims

A day after his son's revealing testimony before the Senate, House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr cancelled his scheduled trip to The Netherlands on Wednesday. In a report, radio dzMM said De Venecia c...

Arroyo played golf with ZTE executives in China

(Updated 8:30 p.m.)With a finger pointed directly at the face of Iloilo Vice Gov. Rolex Suplico who was seated beside him, businessman Jose "Joey" de Venecia III reenacted his encounter with First Gen...

PNP seeking additional budget for recruitment of new cops

Floods swamp north Metro Manila, classes not suspended

Typhoon "Goring" may be out of Philippine territory, but heavy rains and high tide threatened to submerge several parts of northern Metro Manila in floods Wednesday morning. Radio dzBB reported tha...

Geraldine Palma still alive

The seven-year-old girl thought to have been raped, killed, and stuffed into a suitcase found in Manila Bay, is alive and was spirited away to escape "neglect" of her parents. Manila police investi...

Fire snarls traffic at southbound lane of EDSA

No thanks to a fire that gutted a building at rush hour, traffic along the southbound lane of Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (EDSA) was snarled early Wednesday morning. Radio dzBB reported the fire s...

Abalos to attend Senate hearings, but not on Thursday

Following the revelations Tuesday of businessman Jose de Venecia III before the Senate Tuesday, embattled Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos is willing to "clear his name" befo...

Brave kidney donor was afraid of needle

MANILA, Philippines -- It wasn't so much the thought of losing one of his kidneys as the pain he felt when nurses jabbed needles into his arms that made Felicito "Muray" Gunay nearly back out of the t...

Snubbing inquiry means guilt

Jose "Joey" de Venecia III would be taken to mean he was guilty, said Sen. Alan Cayetano, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee which leads the Senate inquiry. Mr Arroyo left for Hong Kong on Sep...

Take case to SC, where there's no politics

Supreme Court , where "there is no politics." Ms Arroyo's order would, in effect, spare her administration from what could be a potentially divisive showdown with the Senate, which has opened an inve...

Doc, lawyer say FG trip set long before Senate probe

2nd trip overseas Cari o said Arroyo did not specify his ultimate destination in Europe. But according to sources speaking off the record, Arroyo was to fly to Munich in Germany from Hong Kong. It i...

What did President know, when did she know it

View the NBN contract and related documents MANILA, Philippines -- What did the President know and when did she know it? A businessman's disclosure that the husband of President Gloria Macapagal-Arr...

Arroyo's House allies in disarray; kin to the defense

View the NBN contract and related documents MANILA, Philippines -- Allies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Congress were thrown in disarray following the damning testimony of businessman

Philippine Senator Calls for Pardon of Former President Estrada

A chance at relevance

LOS ANGELES -- Going by established pre-fight facts -- if not by the tale of the tape --make believe, like love, will have to reign in order for Marco Antonio Barrera to corner enough bets in the Will...

Yap nails gold in Asian Archery Championships

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino archer Earl Benjamin Yap beat a world-ranked South Korean in a nerve-wracking shootout to win the men's compound gold in the 15th Asian Archery Championships in Xian, C...

Archers shoot down Eagles for No. 2 slot

MANILA, Philippines -- De La Salle University made all the right plays at the right time Tuesday and Ateneo de Manila University's Zion Laterre a basket that would have been heroic in another time, an...

Cheers to a hardy breed of athletes

MANILA, Philippines -- Dressed in their school colors, these "athletes" huddle together right before "game time," punctuating each of these shows of unity with their own thunderous battle cries. And ...

Nanay Rosa's patriotic night

BAGUIO CITY - "It's a patriotic evening," a smiling businessman Oscar Pacis said at the conclusion of the concert marking the birth centenary of one of the University of Baguio's (UB) founders, the la...

Full text, NBN contract, other documents

Team to search for RP eagles

CITY OF MALOLOS-The Philippine Eagle Foundation will send a survey team to Bulacan to determine if the Philippine eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi) still thrives in the province's forests and in parts of ...

Anybody's race for NCAA hoops awards

GAMES WEDNESDAY (Araneta Coliseum) 2 p.m. -- San Sebastian vs Letran (Juniors) 4 p.m. -- San Beda vs Letran (Seniors) MANILA, Philippines -- Thanks to Sam Ekwe, the chase for the NCAA's season-ending...

50 container vans of smuggled sugar seized

BACOLOD CITY-The Bureau of Customs will auction off 50 container vans of seized smuggled sugar, said Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) administrator Rafael Coscolluela. Coscolluela said the custo...

Eagles, Archers dispute 2nd place, bonus

MANILA, Philippines -- It took coach Norman Black and the rest of his Ateneo squad a long time to come out of their locker room that fateful Saturday night, when they blew a golden chance to nail down...

Philippine call center puts up affiliate in US

Fiery Paeng Nepomuceno stamps class Down Under

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA -- Paeng Nepomuceno put up another superb pin-toppling demonstration in the 2007 Columbia 3000 South Pacific Classic here Sunday, turning the other contenders into awed spectators...

Alora, 5 others named taekwondo MVPs in Best of Best

MANILA, Philippines -- National team mainstay and bantamweight-lightweight gold medalist Elaine Alora of College of St. Benilde led six players who bagged most valuable player honors in the 2007 Samsu...

Your soap may not be keeping you safe from germs

MANILA, Philippines—Do antibacterial soaps really do a better job of protecting you from disease-causing microbes?

Fine dining becomes a delightful exploration & creation

MANILA, Philippines—Gourmands can look forward to the Tivoli’s newest offerings that will allow them to either go a bit wild and creative in their choices or to stick to a relatively conventional but equally satisfying seven-course meal.

Sweets from a Buddy; so sorry for lapses

MANILA, Philippines—Steven Spielberg, Rod Stewart, Sylvester Stallone, Madonna, Michael Eisner and Steve Tisch... Kilala ka nila?

A private fruit festival

MANILA, Philippines—The newspapers recently reported that fruits from Jolo were brought to Manila on board a military C-31 plane as part of the project “Fruits of Hope,” a peace program initiated by the Philippine National Red Cross headed by Senator Richard Gordon.

Tasting Gaddi’s in Manila

MANILA, Philippines—Gaddi’s is the restaurant I should have visited but did not at The Peninsula Hong Kong. I did go to Felix, when it had just opened, and marveled at its then new look. I also had tea at the opulent golden lobby.

It’s spa-rty time!

MANILA, Philippines—It is time to party and to outdo all parties because it will be a celebration that incorporates well-being.

Yes, ETs and UFOs are real

MANILA, Philippines—We do not hear much about extraterrestrials (ETs) and unidentified flying objects (UFOs) lately.

Rico Blanco’s T-shirt designs rock & roll

MANILA, Philippines—There were tons of music lovers and loads of fashionistas, palanggas, that flocked to the Glorietta Activity Center for the unveiling of Rico Blanco’s choice and exciting new T-shirt designs for Human, natch!

Quiapo and the Filipino: Not exotic enough?

MANILA, Philippines - Fernando Nakpil Zialcita, a true Manile�o from Quiapo, heads the Cultural Heritage Studies Program at the Ateneo de Manila University while being deeply involved in Bahay Nakpil-Bautista, his family’s 1914 landmark house in the heart of Quiapo, now a museum and community center.

Taking our necktie off, letting our hair down

MANILA, Philippines – The city’s primary business hotel, Mandarin Oriental, has been taking its necktie off, so to speak. Its new, hip after-office demeanor adds a revitalized aura to the classy location, formerly best known for its annual Chinese New Year celebration.

Cebu welcomes home renowned pianist

MANILA, Philippines - Aima Labra Makk was born in Cebu in 1965 and started piano lessons at the age of three with her mother, Aida Briones Labra. She committed herself to piano in her teens and earned a Bachelor of Music degree from the University of the Philippines.

Eager to be a mom

MANILA, Philippines – Dear Emily, I am 35 years old and single. I have had relationships in the past but not one had been serious enough for me to entertain the thought of marriage.

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