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Noynoy: Read my lips: No new taxes

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2010

Says P1 trillion lost to graft under GMA

by Ashzel Hachero
Malaya

Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III yesterday vowed not to impose new taxes or even increase tax rates if he is elected president.

“My vision is to transform our country into one where we have lower tax rates enjoyed by all, rather than have some enjoy absolute tax exemptions while we burden the rest of the economy with very high tax rates,” Aquino said.

Aquino spoke before businessmen and the diplomatic corps during the “Presidential Candidate Series” sponsored by the Makati Business Club at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

Aquino’s “no new taxes” approach was similar to then US presidential candidate George H. W. Bush’s famous phrase “Read my lips: No new taxes” at the 1998 Republican National Convention when he accepted the nomination.

“With universal low tax rates, we will encourage entrepreneurs and enterprises to invest and create jobs in any industry,” Aquino said to wide applause from the audience.

He said an Aquino administration will pursue the rationalization of fiscal incentives to investors to lower the budget deficit and stem revenue losses.

Cancer talk

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2010

This week has been designated “National Cancer Consciousness Week” in an effort to fight one of the top killer diseases in the country.

Being informed is one of the weapons to fight cancer.

Puerto Galera-based artist Bernadette Wolf sent an article about avoiding cancer.The article says every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion.

When the person’s immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.To improve one’s immune system a healthy lifestyle, which includes healthy diet, is important.

The Plot

Published by Ellen on January 21, 2010

Now, that the specter of a failure of elections is becoming more and more real, the senate presidency becomes a crucial position.

Under the law on succession, in case of a vacancy in the presidency, the vice president takes over. If the VP is unable to assume the presidency, next in line is the senate president and then the speaker of the House of Representatives. If the there is no one qualified, Congress shall pass a law to provide who shall serve as acting president until the president or vice president shall have been elected and qualified.

But what if no winner is declared for the national positions by June 30, 2010., when Gloria Arroyo’s stolen presidency ends? There would be no Congress to pass the law. The remaining 12 senators would not consitute a quorum to elect a senate president to replace the current senate president, Juan Ponce Enrile,who is running for re-election,

There would a political vacuum and that’s very dangerous. Enrile had mentioned the possibility of a military takeover.

Lito Banayo, in his column in Malaya last Wednesday, mentioned a plot to depose Enrile and install a pro-Gloria senate president who would serve as acting president. Joker Arroyo? Edgardo Angara? Manny Villar? (Come to think of it,Villar’s term for senator is still up to 2013. If he loses the presidency, he goes back to the Senate.)

Paalam, Cerge

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2010

Mrs. Remonde:Cerge going through crisis in credibility

Nasa taxi ako kahapon ilang minuto pasado ng 12 ng hapon nang lumabas ang balita na lumisan na si Press Secretary Cerge Remonde ng 11:51 ng umaga sa Makati Medical Center.

Sabi ng taxidriver, “Kung sino-sino ang kinukuha, bakit hindi pa tumbukin ang talagang yun dapat kunin.”
Nakuha ko ang ibig sabihin ng driver. Nang sabihin ng radio reporter na kaya pinuntahan ng kanyang driver si Remonde (at doon na natagpuan sa bathroom na walang malay) dahil may naka-schedule na press conference sa Malacañang, sabi ng driver, “Ayaw na siguro ng Panginoon na magsinungaling pa siya.”

Mahirap talaga magtrabaho para kay Gloria Arroyo. Kahit mabait ka na tao, kahit wala kang ginagawa na masama para sa sarili mo, mahirap ka hahanga-an ng taumbayan.

It’s a go for Erap

Published by Ellen on January 20, 2010

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) 2nd Division on Wednesday junked separate petitions seeking the disqualification of former President Joseph Estrada in the 2010 presidential elections.

In its resolution, the poll body said it junked the petitions filed by lawyers Ely Pamatong, Evelio Formento and Merelo Estrada due to lack of merit.

“Let the people decide who will be the next president,” the Comelec ruled.

Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the petitioners could still a file a motion for reconsideration before the commission en banc.

Mrs. B

Published by Ellen on January 19, 2010

There’s nothing that a mother would do for her child. No distance too far to travel, no obstacle too high to hurdle.

It has been almost three years since Edith Burgos, wife of the late Jose Burgos, Jr, founder of Malaya and regarded as a press freedom icon, last saw her son, Jonas.

On April 28, 2007, Jonas, father of an 18-month old girl, was abducted by unidentified men and a woman while having lunch at the Hapag Kainan restaurant in Ever Gotesco Mall in Quezon City. He was dragged into a waiting van and he has been missing since then.

Jonas is described in new reports as “activist-farmer”. Probably because at the time he was abducted, he was a member of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Bulacan (AMB), a provincial chapter of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).

Jonas studied agriculture at Benguet State University. He practiced organic farming in the Burgos family farm in Bulacan and shared his knowledge of it with other farmers.

Since the abduction almost three years ago, the Burgos family, headed by Edith Burgos has been searching relentlessly for Jonas. Mrs. Burgos has taken all the avenues — courts, police, military, morgues, government agencies including the Office of the President, international organizations and the streets — to look for her son.

She has endured hunger, insults and harassment.

Remonde dead

Published by Ellen on January 19, 2010

Breaking news: Press Secretary Remonde was declared dead as of 11:51 a.m. Jan. 19, 2010 by Dr. Eric Nubla of the Makati Medical Center where…

Ang mga pinerwisyo ni Jason Ivler

Published by Ellen on January 18, 2010

Habang sinasakay sa police car si Jason Ivler, ang matagal nang hinahanap na suspek sa pagpatay sa dalawang tao, sabi ng isang pulis na halatang galit, “Maraming pinerwisyo ang taong ito.”

Talaga naman. Malaking dalamhati ang idinulot ni Ivler sa pamilya ni Renato Victor Ebarle, Jr., anak ni Undersecretary Ebarle sa Office of the President na kanyang walang pakundangang binaril noong Nobyembre. Noong 2004, napatay niya si Undersecretary Nestor Ponce, presidential assistant, sa isang banggaan ng sasakyan. Hindi niya napanagutan ang kanyang kasalanan kay Pnce dahil nagtago siya.

Malaki rin ang perwisyo ang idinulot niya kay Jason Aguilar, na magtatrabaho sana sa Qatar ngunit napagkamalan ng mga awtoridad ng Qatar na si Ivler. Bahagi kasi pagtutulungan ng international police ang pagtutugis ng pugante.
Kawawa naman si Jason Aguilar na nagkautang-utang para lamang maka-punta sa Qatar para mag-trabaho. Pagdating nya doon noong isang buwan, kunulong siya dahil napagkamalan na siya si Ivler. Isang linggo siya sa kulungan.
Biruin mo makulong ka sa isang lugar na ngayon mo lang narating.Walang lang kamag-anak at hindi mo pa alam ang salita. Napaka-traumatic yun.

Draft Senate report seeks Villar censure

Published by Ellen on January 18, 2010

(We still have to see the report but it looks like the senators concluded the issue was ethics, not graft.)

Click here for the report: http://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/1341811858!.pdf

“It’s nothing but a piece of paper, ” Cayetano

By Christine Avendaño
Philippine Daily Inquirer

A draft report by the Senate committee of the whole is seeking the censure of Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. after finding him to have engaged in improper and unethical conduct in connection with the C-5 road extension project.

The report, which an official of a political party furnished the Philippine Daily Inquirer, said Villar’s involvement in the C-5 project in Parañaque and Las Piñas cities “made the Filipino suffer the total amount of P6.22 billion.”

The committee demanded the money’s return.

The money came from the realigned P4.28 billion for the extension project, the P1.8 billion spent for the original project but which was wasted due to the realignment, and the P141.1 million in overpriced right-of-way payments for Villar’s real estate companies.

Best practices in cervical cancer prevention to be recognized

Published by Ellen on January 17, 2010

On Friday, the Cervical Cancer Prevention Network or CECAP will once again give recognition to outstanding projects designed to make cervical cancer a thing of the past.

It will be the third year that awards for best practices in cervical cancer prevention will be given. But unlike last year which was just a forum, Friday’s activity will be a whole-day event. There will be a conference of experts and advocates, exhibits and a mobile clinic to be held at the Philippine General Hospital on Taft Avenue.

There are plans to have the mobile clinic inaugurated on Thursday.

CECAP is an alliance of organizations from the private and public sectors committed to eliminate cancer in the country. It is one of the projects of the Cancer Institute Foundation (CIF), a non-profit, non-stock foundation that provides support to the PGH Cancer Institute and its other accredited cancer management network institutions.

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