Police authorities said with the arrest of four suspects in the murder of Bishop Alberto Ramento of the Philippine Independent Church, the case is considered solved. Click here for Malaya story.
Ramento’s killing was a “plain and simple case of robbery with homicide, and not extrajudicial killing” as militant groups have alleged, said PNP chief Oscar Calderon.
But many find that difficult to accept.
(Retired Ambassador Reynaldo Arcilla writes a column for Malaya. This was his piece last Tuesday.)
Either Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wants to retire Foreign Secretary Alberto G. Romulo, or Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago desperately wants his job. Or both.
Last week, Santiago was reported to have said that Arroyo was amenable to nominating Romulo to the post of United Nations Secretary General. Incumbent Kofi Annan is vacating the post at the end of this year.
The report did not say whether or not Romulo was consulted on the matter, much less agreed to being nominated. He was in New York when Santiago made her statement.
(This news item by Jocelyn Montemayor appeared in the Oct. 3, 2006 issue of Malaya.)
THE libel suits filed by Jose Miguel Arroyo against at least 43 journalists might not prosper since the courts are likely to find him a public figure, presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor said yesterday.
“Di ba ang sabi ng mga rulings ng court, it’s so hard for a public official to file a libel case, di ba? Now I wouldn’t know how the courts would determine the First Gentleman’s but since may tainting ng pagiging public figure siya that is something that has to be determined by them,” Defensor said.
Defensor said Cabinet members as well as senators and congressmen are not that sensitive as far as libel cases are concerned since they are public figures.
(The following article by Dr. Alberto G. Romualdez, former health secretary, which came out in the Oct. 3 issue of Malaya, gives an-indepth analysis of the hypocrisy and incompetence of the Arroyo administration in handling the nursing exam leakage problem.
(As Dr. Romualdez said, the leakage was just a symptom of the bigger problem which was the commercialization of the nursing schools. The atras-abante order of Malacañang for a retake was designed for the Arroyo administration’s image-curing, not to solve the real problem.)
Every week for the last two months, this column has referred to the on-going tragi-comedy drama of the nursing board scandal that began last June and continues to unfold like a long playing soap opera.
I Can Serve Foundation, an organization of cancer survivors, is holding “Tickled Pink”, a different kind of bazaar, on October 14 and 15, Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 10pm at The Loft in Rockwell.
Featured are a few, select vendors of fashion items and home accessories from exporters who rarely sell or display their merchandise in the local market .Other vendors are introducing their products for the first time.
Delight in Bettina Osmeña’s costume jewelry creations exported to the U.S., Paris, Spain,Belgium, Greece and Russia. Or with Avatar’s jewelry available in Macy’s and Bloomingdale’s in the U.S.
Five days after “Milenyo” struck,which is not even a supertyphoon, our home is still without electricity. I’m posting from an internet cafe in a subdivision next to us, which was one of the fortunate few to have their electricity restored yesterday.
I’m sorry for not being able to interact with you the past days. Thank you for visiting this site even if I myself has been unable to.
“Milenyo” showed how inutile this government when it comes to basic services. Gloria kept on barking “do this, do that” Nobody listens to her. No electricity, no water. This government is unprepared to deal with “disasters”.
Yesterday (Sept. 27, 2006) the US district Court in Wisconsin held a hearing on the petition of former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante for bail. Strange, his lawyers mentioned a suspected quid pro quo for the acquittal of US servicemen suspected of raping a Filipina , known in media as “Nicole” in Subic.
Anyway, the court denied Bolante’s bail petition.
US immigration officials denied the petition for the temporary release of former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau reported Wednesday.
Pictures of the McLuhan forum on “Challenges of New Media in Governance” held at the Marcelo Fernan Press Center in Cebu last Sept. 20, 2006.…
Statement of Senator Rodolfo G Biazon, chair of the Senate Committee on national defense and security, on the promotion of AFP Chief Hermogenes Esperon without going through the process of confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
Biazon cited that in the case of General Lisandro Abadia who had been selected by former President Aquino for appointment to the position of AFP COS, General Abadia within a period of five years –from 1986 – 1991 had to be confirmed by the Commission on Appointments in his promotions in each and every step of the way – from Colonel to Brigadier General last February 1, 1989; from Brigadier General to Major General last February 20, 1991; from Major General to Lt General last June 5, 1991 and from Lt General to General also last June 5 1991. Although his confirmation from Lt. General to General was on the same date, still General Abadia had to be confirmed as Lt General.
The rest of Biazon’s statement:
This is the release of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines on the forum on libel it organized last Thursday:
Contrary to what his lawyers are saying, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is a public figure and will have to prove actual malice in order for his numerous libel suits against journalists to prosper.
This is what human rights lawyer Theodore Te said during a roundtable discussion this morning held at the University of the Philippines in Quezon City. Agreeing with him were more than 35 journalists, some of whom are defendants in Arroyo’s libel suits, as well several UP journalism students.