Asia Africa Intelligence Wire articles from March 2004

Asia Africa Intelligence Wire archives from March 2004

'No hope' Pinoy needs one big victory.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Recah Trinidad YOU ask why Cebu's Yoyong Martirez feels every inch like an Olympic gold medal winner? My dear friend is ecstatic and he wants to share his joy. His son, Melville, has...

Meralco wants refund paid off by yearend.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Abigail L. Ho THE MANILA Electric Co. is looking to the end of the year or early 2005 to implement the fourth and final phase of its P30-billion refund to customers for overcharges. ...

Tatad: North road another bad deal.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo OPPOSITION senatorial candidate Francisco Tatad yesterday disclosed what he described as another alleged "sweetheart deal" between Malacanang and the Lopez family on top of the...

Second hearing on Roh set for April 2; President fails to appear in.
March 31, 2004... (From The Korea Herald) By Kim So-young A historic Constitutional Court hearing on Korea's first presidential impeachment ended in just 20 minutes yesterday as President Roh Moo- hyun failed to appear. Court President Yun Young-chul...

After graduation messages come GMA student awards.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Dona Z. Pazzibugan PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo's campaign handlers are not letting the graduation season go to waste. Aside from having her message read out during graduation rites in all...

Market day in Iloilo, circa 1856.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ambeth R. Ocampo ILOILO prides itself on the title "Queen City of the South" whatever that means. I don't know where this title came from, who made it up, or how old it is but if Iloilo is the...

Angat dam water level precarious.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tina Santos AN OFFICIAL of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) yesterday reiterated the government's appeal to Metro Manila residents to exert more effort in saving water as...

Bacolod hosts Nat'l Palaro revival.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Trina Ibarle NO LESS than President Macapagal-Arroyo will be the guest of honor when the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) revives the National Palaro from April 23 to 28 at the Panaad...

Bishop asks mayor to let radio stations go on air.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CAUAYAN CITY-Isabela Bishop Sergio Utleg appealed to Mayor Caesar Dy to immediately reopen dzNC-Bombo Radyo and its sister station, dwIT-FM, to enable the Church to reach out to its parishioners and...

Can Frennie Reyes fit his father's shoes?
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Manolo R. Inigo ONE big reason why many Filipinos are now playing billiards is because of the unparalleled success achieved by Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante in the...

Checkpoint cop slain in shootout.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Edson Tandoc Jr. THE PERILS of the job caught up with a Caloocan City policeman who was shot dead Monday afternoon. PO2 Restituto Soria, 33, of the Caloocan City Police Mobile and Bike...

Enrique Iglesias has Visa problems.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marinel R. Cruz SPANISH pop singer Enrique Iglesias has said adios to his concerts in Hong Kong, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Manila because of problems with his work permit in Malaysia ...

100 cops, soldiers to be sent to Boracay.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Ma. Diosa Labiste ILOILO CITY-Some 100 policemen and soldiers will be sent to the island resort of Boracay this summer, twice the number of the existing security force there. But the...

Diether, Kristine Hermosa disliked each other on sight.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jocelyn Valle THE NEWEST television coupling of Diether Ocampo and Kristine Hermosa started as intense dislike for each other. This is what the couple admitted to Inquirer Entertainment...

Duterte pays reb's hospital bills.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) DAVAO CITY-The ejection by communist rebels of campaigning supporters of his local party, Hugpong sa Katawhang Lungsod, in Paquibato District on Saturday obviously failed to anger Mayor Rodrigo Duterte....

Overly litigious?
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Amando Doronila THE BARRAGE of court cases seeking the disqualification of President Macapagal-Arroyo leads us to ask whether her opponents are driving the election to the courts, rather than...

Civility.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) DOLPHY'S stinging insult on the stump, however, points to an increasing lack of civility in our public discourse. This is all the more unsettling at this time since the President is female, and what would...

DPWH exec with P81M in assets faces graft raps.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Armand N. Nocum OMBUDSMAN Simeon Marcelo has recommended the filing of graft charges against suspended public works Regional Director Romeo Panganiban for allegedly accumulating more than P81...

Stupidities.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) IN THE ARGOT of the street, familiar to Fernando Poe Jr., the President of the Philippines has challenged him to a pissing contest. The challenge was actually made by Secretary Michael Defensor, who,...

Fatter paychecks for gov't lawyers.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) PILI, Camarines Sur-Government lawyers may soon receive fatter paychecks. President Macapagal-Arroyo signed yesterday RA 2709 granting an increase in pay of all government prosecutors, state...

It's in the soul, not in the hands.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Elizabeth Lolarga THE PIANIST for whom the list of superlative adjectives is near to running out has no regimen for taking care of her precious, powerful hands. "By cutting onions,"...

Jeepney fare hike fails to stop transport strike.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christian V. Esguerra, Tina Santos and the PDI Bureaus A JEEPNEY strike crippled yesterday public transport in a number of cities and towns across the country, but it fizzled out in other areas...

John O son seeks speedy probe of drug raps.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jolene R. Bulambot CEBU CITY-Vice Gov. John Henry Gregory Osmena yesterday went to the National Bureau of Investigation to clear his name in connection with an illegal shipment of 60 drums of...

Exec notes undue haste in Maynilad bailout deal.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Philip C. Tubeza THE METROPOLITAN Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) board of trustees approved the "bailout" of Maynilad Water Services with "undue haste" and without scrutinizing the...

Kidnap suspect turns witness.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tarra Quismundo A CONFESSED member of the Moro Islamic Liberation who was arrested for the kidnapping of a bank official in Cagayan de Oro City more than three years ago has just turned into a...

Leave me alone, De Castro's daughter asks mom.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carlito Pablo and Christine O. Avendano AS THE PARENTS squabbled publicly in a family feud that has become the nation's latest scandal, their daughter Manueli broke down on television,...

Ex-Makati vice mayor hit by car thieves.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) FORMER Makati City vice mayor and councilor Roberto Brillante lost P170,000 worth of television equipment to thieves yesterday morning. Brilliante, 55, who is now a television and radio broadcaster,...

Man dies, two hurt in free fall.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Leila B. Salaverria A 29-YEAR-OLD Filipino-Chinese man fell from the 39th floor of a building in Manila yesterday and landed on two other men. Edwin Dexter Ong, a resident of the...

The making of a woman of the century.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Maurice Malanes SHE climbed mountains, braved falling rocks along dangerous dirt roads, walked through slippery hanging bridges, and crossed rivers with leeches. She went through all...

Mark Lapid: I have not reached 1st base with Kris.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tonette Orejas CITY of San Fernando-Here's the buzz. He does not mind that his father, Pampanga Gov. Manuel Lapid, was the first man to have kissed his object of affection, Kris Aquino,...

Lopez deals worth P156 B.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo granted the powerful Lopez family contracts and deals worth a total of P126 billion in three years in her ''obsessive pursuit to win'' in the May elections. Opposition...

Luli says mom's critics don't know governance.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tonette Orejas and Martin P. Marfil MABALACAT, Pampanga-Evangelina "Luli" Arroyo thinks the disqualification cases filed against her mother are funny. "[The cases] are really comedy, di...

Makati helpers get medical aide.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Margaux Ortiz IN MAKATI City, even house helpers get health and medical assistance from the local government. And there is only one simple requirement: the helper must present his or her...

Two Mels challenge Atienza and Belmonte.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Neal H. Cruz QUESTIONS: If President Macapagal-Arroyo is Tonto, who is the Lone Ranger? Who will win the Pidol vs. Pidal war? *** The mayoral fights in Manila and Quezon City...

'New blood' in bodabil.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Amadis Ma. Guerrero HERE's a skit, delivered with all aplomb, on a famous woman personality now seeking re-election to the Senate: It's sung to the tune of "Jingle Bells:" "Iboto, iboto...

New-look Welcoat routs Blu Star.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes WELCOAT Paints may have lost several former mainstays and its coach, but this hardly showed yesterday. Playing as if they've gained even more firepower, the Paint...

The accidental dog.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michael L. Tan IT was 1989 and it had been a year since my parents didn't have a dog. So one Sunday I picked up my mother and we went off to a kennel to pick out a puppy, emphasis on "a." ...

OFW murdered in Saudi.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) LIBUNGAN, North Cotabato-Poverty drove her away to a country where she hoped her life would never be cruel again. Like a typical Overseas Filipino Worker in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, she worked...

Dubious distinction.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Conrado de Quiros WE'VE earned another dubious distinction. That is, in producing two of the most corrupt leaders in the world. They both belong to the Top 10 in the list made by the UK-based...

Erap offers P1 yearly lease of villa to gov't.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Armand N. Nocum AT P1 a year, it's a steal. The man lately tagged by the Transparency International as the 10th most corrupt leader in the world quoted that amount in offering his...

Exploiting women's sexuality.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Rina Jimenez-David SOMETHING must be said about this, my last column for Women's Month this year, being about the continuing exploitation of images of women in the media, especially in...

Robber ends working coed's dream.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Leila B. Salaverria DIANA Rose Dawang wanted to become nurse, and then become president, all on her own. And to achieve those dreams, she tried to work herself through college. On Monday...

Poachers haul giant clams at UP marine lab.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) BOLINAO, Pangasinan-More giant clams (Tridacna gigas) being conserved and protected here by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute laboratory were lost to poachers. Dr. Suzanne...

Observers have high hopes for peace in South.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Rex G. Ortega, PDI Mindanao Bureau CAMP BUSHRA, Butig, Lanao del Sur-Foreign observers of the ongoing peace talks between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front are confident...

Summer adventure kills 9-year-old boy.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Luige del Puerto WHILE many children learn some kind of sport or engage in leisurely activities during the summer, 9-year-old Franklin Pedrosa's idea of an off-school adventure was going with...

Search on for more Ate Glows.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) DO you look like Ate Glow... er, President Glo? "Biyaheng Gloria," a 45-day caravan spearheaded by groups supporting President Macapagal-Arroyo, yesterday announced a search for GMA look-alikes that...

Superal sweep looms; Bunyi holding fort.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) CANLUBANG-Wolen, Crystal and Princess moved on the verge of a Superal family sweep after pulling away from their rivals yesterday even as Gino Bunyi returned the first sub-par round of the tournament to...

Teachers' hotline for May polls set.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tarra Quismundo FOR TEACHERS who would man the polling precincts and count the ballots on May 10, help may just be a phone call away. The Manila Public School Teachers Association (MPSTA)...

GMA unfazed by NPC defections.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Carla P. Gomez BACOLOD CITY-Despite the defection of 73 members of the Nationalist People's Coalition, including Negros Occidental Gov. Joseph Maranon, to her chief rival's camp, supporters of...

Young team finds fun, fulfillment in entertaining kids.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Candy G. Villanueva IF you never tire of watching cartoons the whole day and there's that little child buried in you that just refuses to grow up, then there is a perfect job for you. At...

BIR drafts rule to ban sale of TCCs.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE BUREAU of Internal Revenue is preparing a regulation that will prohibit the sale of tax credit certificates (TCCs), a move aimed at preventing tax fraud that has resulted...

Claim power of choice for balanced life.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Gina Abuyuan-Llanes HAD one of my big "Maalaala Mo Kaya" moments last week. I was in the middle of editing a story on Amy Austria's beauty secrets when I was filled with the sudden urge to...

Developing leadership skills.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Jeff Wuorio ON THE SURFACE, the difference between a step and a stumble seems pretty stark. In the business universe, however, studied, proactive leadership is often indistinguishable...

Less is more.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nestor U. Torre WHY do we pay good money to watch a horror or suspense flick that will scare us out of our wits? Makers of scary movies agree that the sweet relief after the cinematic danger...

Gov't to drop currency swap deal with ADB.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE GOVERNMENT said it may dump the proposed currency swap deal with the Asian Development Bank if the multilateral agency will not grant a "reasonable" price. A...

Hike in prices of basic goods looms.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Clarissa S. Batino and Doris C. Dumlao THE MACAPAGAL administration's decision to increase jeepney fares by 75 centavos would jack up inflation by 35 basis points and push the prices of basic...

Cost of four-year IOUs rise, gov't rejects bids.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE COST of the government's four-year borrowing rose by 50 basis points to 11.375 percent during yesterday's auction, with the market still seen trying to factor in the...

Oil firms weigh options amid rising crude prices.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Abigail L. Ho OIL firms have adopted a wait-and-see attitude with regard to the possible movement of local pump prices in the coming weeks, even while world market prices remained high. ...

PSE trade of Nenaco shares suspended.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Elizabeth L. Sanchez and Clarissa S. Batino THE PHILIPPINE Stock Exchange yesterday suspended trade in shares of shipping firm Negros Navigation Co. (Nenaco) after it filed for corporate...

Puyat heirs ask for bank's closure.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) THE LEGAL representatives of the Puyat family is asking the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas to close the cash-strapped GSIS Family Bank, which they said is causing the state pension fund Government Service...

Unbeaten San Miguel tackles Alaska today.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) SAN MIGUEL Beer stakes its unbeaten record against Alaska today in the Gran Matador PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum. The streaking Beermen, who have shown that they can win minus their...

Stitches continue to run well after 24 years.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Christine A. Gaylican WHEN Mauricia "Josie" Go stitched up her ideas in 1980 to put up her first Karimadon Boutique, she somehow knew what Filipinas needed. "I have always designed and...

Fernando flu virus.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Victor C. Agustin THE GOOD news about the CalPERS pullout brouhaha is that the Philippines is but a hairline away from being reinstated as an investment destination. The bad news is that...

Study reveals changing trends in human resource management.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Bo peep Franco AMIDST the daunting challenges of a declining economy, lack of peace and order, rapid technology changes, increasing employee expectations and decreasing employee loyalty,...

Graduation gift-giving 101.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Kristine Ching IT'S graduation season once again. Anyone who's in his or her final year-be it college, high school, or even grade school-is trying to meet all the requirements before the...

RFM sees return to profit.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Elizabeth L. Sanchez LISTED food manufacturer RFM Corp. hopes to return to profit this year due to the expected growth in its branded food business. Jose A. Concepcion III, president of...

I don't want to graduate because . . .
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nino Mark M. Sablan OF course, everybody wants to graduate. But some things, people and thoughts sometimes make them reluctant to make that transition. From things they can't let go to...

Highway to the real world.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Catherine Young IT was George Bernard Shaw who once said that "I cannot learn anything that does not interest me." He turned his back on school at 16, and is now considered the most...

View from the top.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Leslie Tan AFTER four years, I thought I had a mouthful to say. But when the day finally came, I was speechless. The night before graduation day, I remember the moments that would mark my...

What to reward yourself this graduation.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Catherine Young AS far as milestones go, graduation ranks up there with newborns, weddings and first paychecks. It is the end to years of a student's hard work and the parents' prayers,...

A budding journalist's encounters with Diane Sawyer and Barbara Walters.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Patricia Ocampo THE PLANE tipped to the right as I strained to look out my tiny window. I made out dots for trees and toy cars on the distant roads. Then there it was: the Manhattan skyline....

'If my college life were a movie, it would be called... '.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Arlene M. Paredes 2BU! asked a number of college graduates to briefly ponder on how their college days were spent. And just for fun, we asked them to come up with a title-original or...

Pursuing a medical degree.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Angela V. Ignacio I'VE always wanted to become a doctor. Nothing could keep me from pursuing my dream and I would not even consider alternatives. The shock of graduating from my...

Tunes to go with the toga.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nino Mark M. Sablan WHAT is probably the most famous and most sung graduation song in the country is Raymond Lauchengco's "Farewell." It would be pretty safe to say every school in the...

Block that ball!
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nino Mark M. Sablan SUN-BAKED sand court. Glistening brown bodies plunging into the polvoron-like sand. Serves. Blocks. Spikes. A ball being volleyed like that bouncing ball in those...

Out of the classroom, into the community.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Melissa Telan "WHAT will you do after graduation?" is perhaps the most common question posed to college seniors. Although replies usually reveal plans of entering the workforce, setting...

Driving Ms Kyla.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Text by Gary Mercado YOUNG, beautiful, talented, and with enough presence and charisma to power up the city, she was the perfect subject for an interview while test-driving the new Chevy Aveo....

Seeing red, white and blue.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Tim Yap IT WAS a Saturday night and we were on our way to Gourmands, a resto cafe at the Fort area. We were looking for a place to have a quick dinner before hopping to the night's...

She wants to forget her ex-boyfriend and move on.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Nino Mark Sablan & September Mahino DEAR Mark and Sep, I'm currently in a post-breakup stage where everything is bleak and depressing. I have ended everything with my boyfriend last Oct....

Feast fit for graduates.
March 31, 2004... (From Philippine Daily Inquirer) Byline: Text by Pam Pastor NO, we were not graduating, but the feast that Makati Shangri-La's Shang Palace prepared for us almost made us feel like we were. The meal started with Crystal Ball...

Ex-nurse gets life for killing patient.
March 31, 2004... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Ex-nurse gets life for killing patient Yomiuri SENDAI The Sendai District Court on Tuesday sentenced a former nurse to life in prison for intentionally killing an elderly patient and...

LDP panel calls for easing of controls on arms exports.
March 31, 2004... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) LDP panel calls for easing of controls on arms exports Yomiuri A Liberal Democratic Party study panel Tuesday approved a national defense policy proposal that included calls for a review...

Bank asks DBJ for 100 billion yen loan for MMC.
March 31, 2004... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) Bank asks DBJ for 100 billion yen loan for MMC Yomiuri The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi, the main bank of Mitsubishi Motors Corp., asked the Development Bank of Japan to extend its loans by up...

YIES/Giuliani: Preparation key to fighting terror.
March 31, 2004... (From The Yomiuri Shimbun/Daily Yomiuri) YIES/Giuliani: Preparation key to fighting terror Yomiuri No one can ever prepare perfectly for emergency situations such as the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States, but...