Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from June 2002

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from June 2002

Abu frees 'unknown' hostage.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Julie S. Alipala ZAMBOANGA CITY--A 59-year-old fisherman who had been in the hands of the Abu Sayyaf for the past eight months without the public knowing about it was released by the terrorist group's faction under Radulan...

History on Germany's side.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Al S. Mendoza THE WORLD stops again today. That's because the final game of the World Cup is going to be played in Yokohama, Japan. With all of mankind adoring the sport with fanatical zeal, it would seem that God's game is...

Assunta prepared to marry solon despite mom's objection.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Marinel R. Cruz ASSUNTA de Rossi, 19, is set to marry Negros Occidental Rep. Jules Ledesma, who is 22 years her senior, in 2004-despite the disapproval of her mom Nenita Schiavone and her feisty younger sister Alessandra de...

AFP 'checks' Reds ahead of elections.
June 30, 2002... IN preparation for the synchronized Sangguniang Kabataan and barangay elections on July 15, the military has launched anti-communist offensives in Regions III, IV and V. This was revealed during a briefing yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo,...

CHR says Karapatan leader, 3 others murdered.
June 30, 2002... DAVAO CITY-The Commission on Human Rights in Central Mindanao said Karapatan deputy secretary general Benjaline Hernandez and three others in Arakan, Cotabato last April were murdered and did not die as a result of a legitimate encounter as...

A wake-up call for Church reform?
June 30, 2002... Byline: Asuncion David Madamba What a pity if all that comes out of the scandals in the Church is the exposure of each and every case in the papers. I suppose there is enough to last for an indefinite sensational spree of one-case-a-day....

Comelec tells Lina to freeze relief of 7 PNP officers.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Armand Nocum, Martin Marfil and Jhunnex Napallacan COMMISSION on Elections Chair Benjamin Abalos yesterday told Interior Secretary Jose Lina to freeze the implementation of his order relieving seven top police officers from their...

Crucial choice of next ombudsman.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Raul J. Palabrica THE days of Ombudsman Aniano Desierto are numbered. His days as the government's graft buster, that is. His seven-year term will expire on Aug. 5, 2002. An appointee of President Fidel Ramos, Desierto is not...

Caloocan cops assist out-of-school youths.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Tina Santos SOME 2,000 out-of-school youths in Caloocan City who cannot afford formal education may now acquire free livelihood skills training courtesy of the city police. Caloocan City police chief Senior Supt. Benjardi...

Cotabato village creates space for peace, harmony.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Rosa May V. de Guzman NANCY Midsapaco could not hide her tears every time she recalls how bountiful the harvest was in their village in Barangay Panicupan in Pikit, Cotabato. Two years ago, the farms turned into wasteland...

Court lets the music play on.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Michael Lim Ubac THE COURT of Appeals has lifted a temporary restraining order issued by a Quezon City court that barred ABS-CBN television from using four original Filipino compositions as theme songs for its top-rating...

Discount for disabled.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Gerald G. Lacuarta PERSONS with disabilities (PWDs) will soon get a 20-percent discount in public transport fares in Mandaluyong City following the recent launch by the National Council for the Welfare of Disabled Persons (NCWDP)...

Barangays urged to put up own dog pounds.
June 30, 2002... A MANILA alderman has temporarily dropped a controversial measure that will allow residents and barangay officials to go after and get rid of undesirable dogs in their communities. Instead, Councilor Julio Logarta Jr. now wants all...

The Surigaonons' crab mentality.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Romel M.Oribe DO YOU automatically think of crabs when you think of Surigao del Sur? Do you demand nothing but crabs for pasalubong from your Surigaonon friends? If yes, then you are suffering from acute crab mentality....

Many mansions.
June 30, 2002... DO you know the way to San Jose? Critics of Sen. Panfilo Lacson say he does-that is, to 233 San Jose St. in Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City. The address is the site of a three-story, 10-room mansion worth between P85 million and P90 million,...

Good cops turn to farming.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Andrea Trinidad-Echavez JOSE Salagubang gets up daily before sunrise and heads to his 1.5-hectare farm planted with eggplants and rice. The 40-year-old makes sure that the plants are watered well and the palay not plagued by...

Adoring America.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Isagani A. Cruz "BUSH is pleased-GMA," reported a newspaper last Monday. The President of the United States was congratulating the President of the Philippines for sending the outlaw Abu Sabaya to the bottom of the sea. GMA...

Jancom junking lauded.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Leila Salaverria THE ENVIRONMENT group Greenpeace International yesterday lauded Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando's virtual junking of the $350-million Jancom contract, but it expressed dismay for the...

MNLF Commander Basco's war.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Fr. Eliseo Mercado, OMI A NEW crisis now looms over in the relations between the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) when out of the blue, Al Hajj Abdulrahman Tutin, alias Commander Basco, came with an...

Leaders Gilbey's, LBC face separate MBA foes.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Roy Luarca STANDINGS Northern Conference W L LBC Batangas 3 2 Gilbey's Olongapo 3 2 Pampanga 2 2 Osaka Pangasinan 1 3 Southern Conference W L Professional Davao 4 1 Casino Cagayan de Oro 3 2...

Letran trips San Beda; Mapua stops PCU.
June 30, 2002... Byline: June Navarro GAMES TOMORROW (Rizal Memorial Coliseum) 11:30 a.m.-Mapua vs PCU (Jrs) 2 p.m.-CSB vs JRU (Jrs) 4 p.m.-UPHR vs San Sebastian (Jrs) 6 p.m.-Letran vs San Beda (Jrs) COLEGIO de San Juan de...

Who'll be the next Philracom boss?
June 30, 2002... Byline: Edwin Villanueva WILL Andrew Sanchez be retained as Philracom chief? The answer to that question which everyone in the racing industry is asking these days would probably be known early next month. Sanchez, whose term...

Sacrifices and goodbyes.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Fr. Jerry M. Orbos, SVD I REMEMBER my first night in Christ the King Seminary. I was 12 years old, very homesick, and I really just wanted to go home. I remember looking out of the window into the direction of our home in Frisco,...

Walker delivers as Express prevail.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Dennis U. Eroa GAMES TODAY (Araneta Coliseum) 3:45 p.m.-Red Bull vs Sta. Lucia 5:45 p.m.-Purefoods vs Alaska EXPLOSIVE Jermaine Walker recovered from a lethargic start to power Fedex Express to a 93-84 victory over...

Flak, praise greet GMA power plan.
June 30, 2002... INDEED, reducing power rates will be every bit as hard as she had predicted-like squeezing blood out of stone. This loomed yesterday as President Macapagal-Arroyo's 10-point plan to bring electricity rates to one of the lowest levels in...

Point, click, love.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Marinel R. Cruz WHEN Bobby Colet turned on his computer one slow evening last December, he visited Russia and fell in love. Through the Internet, Colet met a beautiful Russian, Katti Aleinik, 21. Colet and Aleinik are...

Foreigners to help secure Pope?
June 30, 2002... Byline: A. N. Nocum "SECURITY will be intense." That's saying the least about Pope John Paul II's forthcoming visit to Manila for the 4th World Meeting of Families, according to Dodie Limcaoco, Presidential adviser on ecclesiastical...

Guingona: I'm quitting.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Amando Doronila BOWING at last to pressure, Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. yesterday said he would resign as secretary of foreign affairs before Congress resumes session on July 22. Guingona said in an exclusive...

Gambling revisited.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Randy David THE EROTICISM of risk is the essence of gambling. We all take risks-with our health, our money, our reputations and sometimes even with our sanity. The question is whether, and to what extent, we want the state to...

Rights body probes school that refused to admit girl.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Ma. Diosa Labiste ILOILO CITY-The Commission on Human Rights is investigating the case of a girl who was refused admission in a private school because she came from a crisis center. Arnold Molina, CHR special investigator,...

RP tagged 'hottest hotspot' in the world.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Ayan C. Mellejor DAVAO CITY--With only three to six percent of its original vegetation remaining, the Philippines is the "hottest of the hotspots" in the world whose biodiversity was highly threatened, according to Sen. Loren...

SM Baguio probed for tree-cutting.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Vincent Cabreza and Jovelyn Reyes BAGUIO CITY-Cutting a pine tree in this city carries with it extreme political sanctions, and not even its biggest investor, retail mogul Henry Sy, can elude this maxim. The city council had...

Sorsogon opposes geothermal project.
June 30, 2002... SORSOGON CITY-A new geothermal power project being proposed by the Philippine National Oil Corp. in Sorsogon has met stiff resistance from the provincial board. The provincial board said the project in Barangay Tanawon here could affect...

Sta. Elena shows way; Southwoods shines.
June 30, 2002... THE FANCIED teams have equally shared honors after four legs in the Women's Golf Association of Philippines (WGAP) season for the year. Manila Southwoods' stunning comeback, anchored on victories in Classes A and B, has somewhat eclipsed...

Syjuco says JDV pushing others to push for Cha-cha.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Juliet L. Javellana ILOILO Rep. Augusto Syjuco Jr. has accused Speaker Jose de Venecia of giving congressmen their marching orders to return to their districts and campaign for Constitutional change, during the campaign period for...

Healed becomes healer.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Leila Salaverria ONE good deed deserves another. This is what Rachel Marie Rosario, 38, had in mind when she chose to be a doctor and help heal the sick. Rosario herself had been cured of cancer. Now anesthesiologist and...

What lures people into cults?
June 30, 2002... A RELIGIOUS cult was thrust into the limelight after a fierce firefight on Dinagat Island in Surigao del Norte ensued between its members and policemen on a mission to arrest the group's leader. When the smoke cleared, a policeman and 19...

Interesting topics on NGC.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Nestor U. Torre THE National Geographic Channel has a particularly interesting line-up of wonderfully diverse topics for July: On July 1 at 9 p.m., "Nat Geo Max" presents "Air Force One," a rare look behind the doors and into...

Manila councilor wants to save trees, wipe out graffiti.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Jerome Aning MANILA Councilor Don Ramon Bagatsing wants the city government to create a "street tree policy" to protect trees, and to take charge of stopping the spread of graffiti and other forms of vandalism. Bagatsing...

A backroom operator can still be an inspiring leader tomorrow.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Dante M. Velasco "The Rumsfeld Way" By Jeffrey A. Krames McGraw-Hill, 2002 THIS REVIEW could have been titled "Leaders are a work-in-progress." It stresses an important point: We must not put a label on someone or...

Capiz co-op shows many cooks can make good 'kaong'.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Hazel P. Villa SIGMA, Capiz-In the town of Sigma, farmers have long been making a living out of hibyok or the Sugar Palm tree, the source of kaong (sugar palm fruit), a staple of the Filipino fruit salad, halo-halo and other...

In between gigs, band makes, sells beads, trinkets on the side.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Desiree Caluza BAGUIO CITY--For members of local band Binhi, spare hours in between practice sessions are precious moments to churn out interesting works of art to augment their income from their regular gigs. Glenn...

Top exec started with counting traffic for P4 a day.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Margie Quimpo-Espino FROM where he sits at the 46th floor of the RCBC Plaza, Rizalino S. Navarro can see cars passing along Sen. Gil Puyat Ave. But over 40 years ago, Navarro, chair of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp.,...

Local folks create beauty from remnants of destruction.
June 30, 2002... REAL, Quezon-A group of former charcoal makers, who live in rows of makeshift shelters along the winding Famy, Laguna-Real highway in Barangay Llavac, have discovered the art of transforming the ugly memorials of environmental destruction...

Day of romance and glitter.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Donnie C. Ramirez THANK you for making my life complete, Angela!" With these words, spoken toward the end of the reception following the church rites, Mikey Arroyo reaffirmed his love for his new bride, Ma. Angela Montenegro....

Meet the parents.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Cathy Babao Guballa HERMAN Montenegro and Charito Arroyo-Montenegro both come from families whose lives have been closely entwined with the land they were born and raised in. Herman was born in Taal, Batangas, the youngest...

Our eighth on the high seas.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Text by Dennis and Tessa Valdes ABOARD the SuperStar Leo, we have a conversation. It goes something like this: Dennis (D): For the record, let me just say that I never thought we would be spending our eighth wedding...

It's his first time to go on a date.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Tita Dulce DEAR Tita Dulce, I'm a college sophomore. I have a crush on a classmate. I invited her to a date and she accepted. My problem is it's my first time to date and I don't know how to court a lady. I worry about...

When it's springtime in Nova Scotia.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Richard Pennick THE FIRST blush of spring comes to Nova Scotia as red maple scatter their bright blossom and silver birch unfurl their quickly greening leaves. The Indian pear blossoms in an explosion of white, mingling with...

Rosary Crusade's Father Peyton named Servant of God.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Josephine Darang I FIRST met Fr. Patrick Peyton in 1989 at the chapel of the house of the late Josephine Madrigal-Bayot in New Manila. As we knelt there for the Holy Mass that he was celebrating, I felt awed by his holiness. At...

On the Santa Fe trail.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Felicitas E. Delena WHAT does one look for when planning a vacation-beach, tourist spots, fresh air, nature, solitude, shopping? In planning a vacation in the United States, the usual places thought of are NY, LA (Hollywood,...

Commencement rites honor young musicians.
June 30, 2002... Byline: Jaime Picornell SIMPLE but meaningful commencement rites were held on June 12 at the audio-visual room of the St. Theresa's College for 32 young people who, for the past 10 years, went through the musical grind of the Salvador...

Accountability.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Ivan P. Suansing THERE was little anyone could do for the 16 members of the Philippine Benevolent Missionaries Association (PBMA) who were killed during the assault on Dinagat Island on June 18. They wanted to offer their lives...

Banal foresees Ateneo-La Salle.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Dennis U. Eroa COACH Joel Banal, who steered Ateneo-Hapee-Negros Navigation to the PBL Chairman's Cup title, yesterday said the Blue Eagles are ready and raring to do battle in the coming 65th UAAP season which starts on July 12...

Journey to Lucban (2).
June 29, 2002... Byline: Bambi L. Harper "All the silence that surrounds the church during the night hours is converted into joyous merriment in the daytime. Few towns there must be that has so many religious cofradias, hermandades and archcofradias so...

GMA bares plan to cut power rates.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Dona Z. Pazzibugan PRESIDENT Macapagal-Arroyo's 10-point plan to reduce power rates is "like squeezing blood from stone," but, she said, "we've got to try." The President yesterday unveiled her program of action before...

Cornered, VP tried wit and charm at MOPC.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Belinda Olivares-Cunanan Whatever the real circumstances behind the Palace announcement the other day that Vice President Teofisto Guingona had resigned as foreign secretary and its decision to deny that story hours later,...

Bill to benefit illegitimate kids backed.
June 29, 2002... SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE-Parents of illegitimate children could soon heave a sigh of relief. National Statistics Office Administrator Carmelita Ericta said on Thursday that her office has endorsed to Congress two bills that address the...

Bishop laments youth's alienation from Church.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Armand N. Nocum THE FILIPINO youth who gladdened the heart of a robust Pope John Paul II on his last visit here in 1995 have changed greatly, especially in their view of the Catholic faith. The change-along with wars around...

Blades beat Waves.
June 29, 2002... GAMES TOMORROW (LYCC, Lipa City) 1 p.m.-Pangasinan vs Olongapo 3 p.m.-Pampanga vs Batangas OLONGAPO CITY-The LBC Batangas Blades were again in sharp form as they thwarted the Osaka Pangasinan Waves, 91-80, yesterday in the MBA...

Buhain to receive Asiad trackfest 'flag'.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes THE PHILIPPINE preparation for the staging of the Asian track and field championships went full throttle yesterday when Philippine Sports Commission chair Eric Buhain agreed to personally receive the Asian...

Caloocan firm owners cry harassment.
June 29, 2002... THE OWNERS of a Caloocan City factory on Wednesday accused the barangay chair in their area of harassment, when the latter filed a petition against the firm owners to stop them from manufacturing metal exhaust pipes. "The residents were...

US pledges $10M to fight child labor.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Blanche S. Rivera A $10-million pledge from the United States government will boost the Philippines' anti-child labor program, by hopefully delivering some two million Filipino children found to be working under hazardous...

Coca-Cola clashes with San Miguel 5.
June 29, 2002... Byline: June Navarro GAMES TODAY (Cuneta Astrodome) 3:45 p.m.-FedEx vs Shell 5:45 p.m.-Coca-Cola vs San Miguel INSPIRED by Talk N Text's pacesetting 3-0 start, Coca-Cola tries to create a two-way tie at the top as it...

Court orders Planas arrest.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Christian V. Esguerra A PASAY court on Thursday ordered the arrest of Charito Planas, executive director of the Nayong Pilipino, for allegedly defying a temporary restraining order barring the closure of the theme park last June...

DoJ wants trial to continue.
June 29, 2002... JUSTICE Secretary Hernando Perez said yesterday his office would push for the trial of suspected Pentagon gang leader Faisal Marohombsar, even though the latter escaped from Camp Crame detention on June 19. "The Department of Justice...

Drilon: So what's wrong with Ople?
June 29, 2002... Byline: Rocky Nazareno THERE is nothing wrong if Malacanang is considering Sen. Blas Ople as the new foreign secretary, Senate President Franklin Drilon said yesterday. Drilon was reacting to speculations made by the opposition that...

Beyond repair.
June 29, 2002... THE MACAPAGAL administration the other day averted a Cabinet crisis by the skin of its teeth. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Vice President Teofisto Guingona Jr. had a showdown after Malacanang released a letter to the press, signed by...

Jancom deal invalid.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Leila Salaverria NO LESS than the signature of President Macapagal Arroyo must be on the Jancom contract for it to be upheld, according to Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando. "The approving authority is...

The letter and the spirit of the law.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Isagani A. Cruz WHEN I was still a member of the Supreme Court some years ago, a very interesting case was raffled to me. It involved the interpretation of Article 1088 of the Civil Code providing that if any of the co-owners of...

Jueteng goes on despite crackdown.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Vincent Cabreza and Tonette Orejas BAGUIO CITY-Who should be called to account for the phenomenon of cross-border jueteng? This is another aspect of the anti-gambling drive, which the National Police Commission has to resolve...

Laguna Bay a 'lake for life'.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Jerry Esplanada (Conclusion) WITH A rapidly growing population in the lakeshore towns, coupled with inadequate surface water production in the Angat, Bulacan area and declining groundwater resources, "the lake water is seen...

Militants hit 'railroading' of Lumbao probe.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Michael Lim Ubac A MILITANT group took up the cudgels yesterday for a top supporter of ousted President Joseph Estrada as it accused the Department of Justice of railroading the reinvestigation into rebellion charges filed...

Life has to go on-Pasinos.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Philip C. Tubeza "NAUBOS na ang luha ko noong isang araw (My tears have run dry). (But) it is not the end of the world. Life has to go on." This was what outgoing Western Police District director Chief Supt. Nicolas Pasinos...

Manila dads to study Pandacan depot pact.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Jerome Aning MANILA councilors yesterday said they will "carefully scrutinize" the agreement that will extend operations at the Pandacan fuel depot signed by City Hall, the energy department and the country's three big oil firms....

'Malnourished is not nice to hear'.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Carla P. Gomez, Bacolod City SEVERELY malnourished children reduced to skin and bones are no longer a common sight in Negros Occidental's government hospitals. The situation is unlike in the 1980s when Joel Abong, the boy with...

Mayors: We'll quit if we can't stop jueteng.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Christian V. Esguerra METRO MANILA mayors yesterday offered to step down if they fail to wipe out illegal gambling in their areas once they are given full control over the local police. Mayor Wenceslao Trinidad, spokesperson...

NBI has 'serious doubts' about latest Nida witness.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Philip C. Tubeza NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation officials are having "serious doubts" about their new witness in the Nida Blanca murder case. This as investigators from the Manila police said the witness was a "police...

NCAA season starts today.
June 29, 2002... Byline: June Navarro GAMES TODAY (Araneta Coliseum) 1 p.m.-Opening ceremonies 2 p.m.-Mapua vs PCU 4 p.m.-Letran vs San Beda 6 p.m.-CSB vs JRU 8 p.m.-UPHR vs SSC-R NO team has ever won a major collegiate...

Ombudsman sets probe of execs who blocked arrest of Ecleo Jr.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Jolene R. Bulambot and Kathy I. Navarro, PDI Visayas Bureau CEBU CITY--Ombudsman Aniano Desierto has ordered a fact-finding investigation of reports that some public officials allegedly attempted to delay the arrest of cult leader...

New PNP headquarters for Cavite.
June 29, 2002... CAVITE Gov. Ayong S. Maliksi recently led the recent groundbreaking rites for the proposed 4.9-hectare, P10-million new Cavite Philippine National Police headquarters in Barangay Osorio in Trece Martires City. The present Cavite police...

'Ping' could face new raps on mansions.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Philip C. Tubeza, Michael Lim Ubac and Rocky Nazareno SEN. Panfilo "Ping" Lacson could face additional counts in the graft case against him if it was proved he owned two mansions south of Manila but did not include them in his...

Program keeps villagers from losing hope.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Jani Arnaiz, Maasin City MICHAEL is 8 years old, yet he does not look like one. Standing only slightly over two feet, he looks every inch a lost child. He could hardly say his name, more so his correct age. According to Dr....

Protests swamp Iloilo 'bikini car wash'.
June 29, 2002... Byline: Nestor P. Burgos Jr., PDI Visayas Bureau ILOILO CITY-Militant groups here are calling for a permanent ban on businesses featuring scantily-clad women after a car wash with female workers in bikinis was ordered close by Iloilo...