Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from October 2008, page 3

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from October 2008

Village chair could face suspension.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Marlon Ramos THE BARANGAY CHAIR OF AN UPSCALE neighborhood in Makati City may be suspended from office if he fails to explain the alleged disappearance of P378 million in barangay funds. But Mayor Jejomar Binay said yesterday...

Speaking of the dead.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Michael L. Tan BEAR WITH THIS RATHER EARLY ARTICLE ON THE DEAD. I was planning an article on the US elections, which will be held next week, but figured it would be even more premature to have it out today. Im going to wear...

Another scam coming up?
October 29, 2008... Byline: Neal H. Cruz I NOTICED THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBlic Works and Highways has been running advertisements in a minor Manila newspaper almost daily, inviting bids for various government infrastructure projects ranging from roads and...

Strongest condemnation yet by bishops.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Dona Pazzibugan THE PRESIDENT OF THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has disputed the Arroyo administrations claim of economic progress and condemned corruption in government. Twenty million hungry...

2 stayed behind during NPA raid on Quezon jail.
October 29, 2008... LUCENA CITYTWO DETAINEES AT THE Quezon provincial jail chose to stay behind bars and did not join the escape of their seven comrades who were rescued by New Peoples Army rebels last Saturday. The detainees insisted that they were legal...

Pampanga home yields endangered animals.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Nikko Dizon NEARLY 30 THREATENED species including a Palawan bear cat, a Philippine eagle owl and an Oriental small clawed otter were turned over yesterday to the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (PAWB) after they were rescued...

2 RP pugs bow out of medal hunt.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Dennis U. Eroa, Inquirer Libre GUADALAJARA, MEXICOTHE Philippines suffered major blows in its attempt to win medals as featherweight Glicerio Catolico III and bantamweight Aston Francis Palicte bowed to their respective rivals...

Que heads banner cast as Sherwood tilt fires off.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Musong R. Castillo TRECE MARTIREZ, CaviteAngelo Que adds star power to the fledgling ICTSI professional golf circuit and is the odds-on favorite when he tees off today in the Sherwood Hills Challenge here. The reigning...

Japanese times.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Conrado de Quiros I SPOKE AT THE UST AUDITORIUM LAST week before a group that had gathered there for a workshop on writing/campus journalism. They were editors/writers of school organs across the country. They included four or...

Reading of raps against Rizal mayor reset.
October 29, 2008... Byline: DJ Yap A SAN MATEO COURT POSTPONED YESterday the arraignment of Rodriguez Mayor Pedro Cuerpo and five other town officials to give the justice department sufficient time to review their case. The town officials are facing...

Welcome home, Joc-joc.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Rina Jimenez-David BE SCARED, BE VERY SCARED. If Joc-joc Bolante were to ask me for advice, this would be the gist of it. Scheduled to arrive in Manila last night after two years detention in the United States, Bolante must...

Romblon town unable to move on.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Kristine L. Alave SIBUYAN ISLAND, ROMBLONTHE sinking of the MV Princess of the Stars has cast a pall over the coastal town of San Fernando that hasnt yet lifted four months after the tragedy. The town of 22,000 is...

P500M spent in hunt for Bravo, Kato.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Inquirer Mindanao CAGAYAN DE ORO CITYTHE GOVernment has spent P500 million hunting two Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders, but only P78 million for 600,000 civilians forced from their homes because of the operation,...

DLSU tossers whip Ateneo.
October 29, 2008... Byline: June Navarro LA SALLE ENCOUNTERED STIFF RESIS-tance in the last two sets before sending arch rival Ateneo to its knees, 25-21, 25-15, 21-25, 26-24, last night in the second conference of the Shakeys V-League at The Arena in San...

Student dies in motorcyle-car collision in Quezon City.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Nancy C. Carvajal THE PENALTY FOR DRIVING under the influence of liquor is too light, and might have helped in the rise of road accidents in the Metro. PO3 Ricardo Escorpiso, head of the follow-up division of the Quezon City...

Teves tenants go on hunger strike.
October 29, 2008... FARMERS FROM Negros Oriental who have been waiting 10 years to be awarded tracts of land belonging to former Rep. Herminio Teves started a hunger strike yesterday to dramatize their plight. Their leader, Rolando Flores, 54, said they had...

UN exec: Dont pin devt on OFWs cash.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria THE BURDEN OF A COUNTRYS development should not be placed on the shoulders of migrants whose remittances belong solely to them, according to a United Nations special rapporteur on the human rights of migrants....

UST volleybelles, booters gain last 4.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas DUMAGUETE CITYUNIVERsity of Santo Tomas remained on course for two titles after whipping the favorites in womens volleyball and mens football, even as Ateneo and Emilio Aguinaldo College set up a potential...

P4.5-B VAT fund to help ease financial crisis.
October 29, 2008... THE GOVERNMENT is tapping P4.5 billion in value-added tax (VAT) revenues to finance intervention programs that would cushion the impact of the global financial crisis on the poor and middle classes. President Macapagal-Arroyo and her...

Windfall tax eyed to force cut in oil price.
October 29, 2008... CONGRESS MAY HAVE TO TAKE MEAsures like imposing a tax on windfall profits of oil companies to force them to bring down their prices, Speaker Prospero Nograles said yesterday. Nograles said he would consult with key leaders of the Senate...

Formula One for the first time.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Aida Sevilla-Mendoza FORMULA ONE IS ONE OF THE worlds richest and most successful sports. Televised worldwide, it is the most watched professional sport behind the Olympic Games and World Cup soccer. Anyone attending a Formula...

American firms in RP still optimistic amid crisis.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo A BUSINESS MISSION WITH REPresentatives from large American multinational companies recently came to show their continued confidence in the Philippines amid the global financial crisis, according to the United...

San Miguel wants to buy 51% of Petron.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson SAN MIGUEL CORP. IS NEGOTIATING TO ACQUIRE A 51-PERCENT stake in oil refiner and retailer Petron Corp. from London-based investment fund Ashmore Group in an aggressive bid to gain a foothold in the...

China institution may invest in GSIS bank.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Michelle V. Remo INDUSTRIAL COMMERCIAL BANK OF China (ICBC) is in talks with the Government Service Insurance System for a possible investment in GSIS Family Bank. According to a statement released by the GSIS, ICBCs capital...

GPS is my co-pilot.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Andre Palma A LITTLE BOX MOUNTED ON THE X3s dash makes an announcement that interrupts the blanket of white noise made up by the buzz of rush hour traffic, the mumbling nonsensical radio and the thrumming of the diesel engine at...

Filipinos overseas investments dipped in 07.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao FILIPINOS INVESTMENTS OUTSIDE the country had decline last yeara reversal of the appetite for offshore assets seen in previous yearsdue to growing concerns over the US credit crunch, according to the latest Bangko...

GSIS to net P12.7B from Meralco sale; analysts doubtful.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Daxim L. Lucas and Michelle V. Remo THE GOVERNMENT SERVICE INSURANCE System (GSIS) earned a profit from the sale of its stake in Manila Electric Co. to San Miguel Corp., according to various sourcesbut not as much as the fund had...

ICTSI inks port terminal deal with Brunei.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson PORT GIANT INTERNATIONAL CONTAINER Terminal Services Inc. (ICTSI) said it had already inked an agreement with the Brunei government for the development of a container terminal. In a disclosure, ICTSI...

New Jazz makes a giant impression.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Charles E. Buban SINCE ITS LAUNCH in 2001, more than 2 million Honda Jazz units were sold all over the world. This stubby hatchback deserved much credit: It defied the image of small cars as cramped, cheaply-built or...

Pepsi sees weakest quarter.
October 29, 2008... SOFTDRINKS HEAVYWEIGHT PEPsi Cola Products Philippines Inc. (PCPPI) is expecting its weakest quarter in the months leading to September, with growth in the carbonated beverage market seen flat or slightly lower due to higher costs of...

In Q3, government generated P8.1B in additional revenue.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE GOVERNMENT GENERATED P8.1 billion in additional revenue in the third quarter because of oil price movements. Finance Secretary Margarito Teves yesterday reported that the government collected P22 billion...

MILF: The first step to peace (part 2).
October 29, 2008... Byline: Honesto C. General THE DEVELOPMENT OF DAVAO City over the past 50 years is an excellent case study on Christian and Moro relations. From 1956 to 1960, I ran the Davao District Office of the FGU-Insurance Group located on the...

RCBC posts 20.6% decline in net profit.
October 29, 2008... RIZAL COMMERCIAL BANKING Corp. reported a net profit of about P2 billion in the first nine months, marking a 20.65-percent decline over a year ago. The persistence of a sluggish global economic environment continues to pose a big...

Subsidies to state firms hit P10.75B in first 9 months.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE GOVERNMENT spent P10.75 billion from January to September this year to subsidize state-owned companies, breaching the originally programmed P7.31 billion, documents from the Department of Finance showed. ...

Welcome arrival.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Linda B. Bolido AIRPORT GENERAL MANager Alfonso Cusi has finally made good on his promise that the efficient metered taxi service at the Manila Domestic Airport will be available in the other air terminals. Although I have been...

Design tranquility.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Cherish Garcia, Contributor AT THE END OF A STRESSFUL day, we retreat to a sanctuaryour home. This need is driving many to settling down outside the city, in the north or south of Metro Manila. One such sanctuary home is...

How to hang artwork on your wall.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Anton Barretto and Marissa Lopa DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO with empty walls? Fill them with paintings! Here are some tips to remember when hanging artwork on your walls. When faced with a big wall, hang big art. One painting will...

Exhibit of earth-friendly designs.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Anne A. Jambora EARTH DESIGNS: ENVIRONmental Applications Research and Trends in Habitat, the graduation exhibit of the Advanced Class of 2008 of the Philippine School of Interior Design (PSID), is ongoing until Oct. 31, at the...

Grand party for two grande dames.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Maurice Arcache NEWLY SLIM WORKING heiress Bela Madrigal Vazquez recently opened her elegantly decorated apartment at an exclusive village for two honorees, dahlings: first, INGs Singapore first lady, world-traveling socialite...

Costume queen.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Vangie Baga-Reyes FOR SOME REASON, Pap Castro gets a great deal of satisfaction from creating odd, spooky outfits. The scarier and creepier, the better. Once, she dressed up her two daughters as The Devil and The Witchone kid...

How parents, teachers can help kids cope with grief.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Cathy Babao-Guballa THE LOSS OF A parent is one of the saddest, most difficult experiences a child can go through. Depending on his development stage, the child will react in different ways. There are many things to considerthe...

Has Heart found a new man?
October 29, 2008... Byline: Dolly Anne Carvajal HAS HEART EVANGELISTA FOUND a new love after Jericho Rosales? She is often seen with FD, a 32-year-old scion of a prominent clan whos into shipping and real estate. Hes cultured and unassuming. The type of...

The horrors! The horrors!
October 29, 2008... Byline: Bayani San Diego Jr. Inquirer ENTERTAINMENT asked celebrities to choose the horror flick theyd most likely watch this Halloweenthe ghost and monster movies that gave them the most chills at night. Various reasons were...

Peerless and fearless.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Bayani San Diego Jr. LAURENTI DYOGI, ABS-CBN BUSINESS Unit head, admits that he wouldnt be able to do any stunt that involves being suspended in mid-air. Im afraid of heights, the producer tells Inquirer Entertainment at the...

Rivermaya parts ways with manager.
October 29, 2008... Byline: the Inquirer and Inquirer.net Entertainment Staff MORE THAN A YEAR AFTER Rivermaya front man Rico Blanco left to pursue a solo career, its now the other members turn to take drastic action. No, none of them is about to leave...

Provocative, controversial Big Love.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Jayson B. Brizuela, Contributor BILL PAXTON HAS AN INTERESTING concept about big love. While most TV audiences worldwide associate the term with his critically acclaimed HBO starrerabout a polygamous family trying to fit in...

New reality shows stretch formats limits.
October 29, 2008... Byline: Nestor U. Torre AS THE REALITY TV TREND PEAKS and threatens to run out of viewer appeal, producers have been stretching the popular program formats limits in search of edgier material to exploreand exploit. The latest...

Security still lax at Quezon jail raided by NPA to free comrades.
October 28, 2008... LUCENA CITYIT WAS as if nothing happened. Security was found to remain lax at a jail facility here that was raided by New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels to spring seven comrades. When a regional police official conducted a surprise...

Banco de Oro posts P1.3-B loss in 3rd quarter.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao RETAIL TYCOON HENRY SYS Banco de Oro Unibank (BDO) suffered a net loss of P1.3 billion in the third quarter, its first quarterly loss in many years, primarily due to provisions set aside for its exposure to the...

A shield could be Pacquiaos biggest weapon.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Recah Trinidad SUGAR RAY LEONARD, NOT ONE to pull his punches, slammed it hard in issuing a vital warning to Manny Pacquiao. Leonard put it bluntly and told Pacquiao he wont stand a chance against Oscar De La Hoya if he...

CA stops GSIS sale of car insurance.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE COURT OF APPEALS (CA) YESTERday issued a preliminary injunction against the takeover by the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) of the compulsory third-party liability (CTPL) insurance business...

Policy of secrecy.
October 28, 2008... IT USED TO BE THAT ONLY THE POLITICAL BRANCHes of the Arroyo administration resorted to a policy of secrecy, lying and obfuscation in dealing with controversial and questionable cases. Now, other agencies of the government, including the...

FEU squads advance; Eagles soar.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas DUMAGUETE CITYFAR EASTern U made it to the quarterfinals of womens volleyball and mens football, while UAAP champion Ateneo also booked its place in the last eight in basketball after a third straight runaway win...

Gaddi cops 2nd Cadet Karter of the Year plum.
October 28, 2008... CHRISTIAN GADDI RECENTLY CAPTURED A SE-cond straight Cadet Karter of the Year plum despite missing a perfect season in the 2008 Shell Helix Karting Super Series at the Carmona Circuit Philippines. The 9-year-old Jet Racing member was...

Gloria says tourism will survive, cushion RP from effects of crisis.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas CEBU CITYPRESIDENT MACApagal-Arroyo told local and foreign representatives at an international tourism forum here Wednesday to look beyond the global economic crisis and keep faith in tourism...

Health dept bans sale of popular biscuit.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Dona Pazzibugan ANOTHER BISCUIT PRODUCT HAS fallen off the shelf because of melamine. Health Secretary Francisco Duque III yesterday imposed a temporary ban on the sale of Sunflower Crackers Blueberry Cream Sandwich and...

IOC sending observer for POC polls.
October 28, 2008... Byline: June Navarro THE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC COMMITtee is sending one of its top officials as observer for the Philippine Olympic Committee elections next month. POC spokesperson Joey Romasanta said IOC president Jacques Rogges...

JDV may face Lakas ouster.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria and TJ Burgonio FORMER SPEAKER JOSE DE VENECIA MAY be expelled from the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats party when he formally endorses the impeachment complaint against its chair, President Macapagal-Arroyo....

Todays hemorrhage.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Juan L. Mercado THE CONTEXT DID JOLT. DELEGATES FROM 151 countries flew into Manila for the Global Forum on Migration Development. Down the road, 3,752 Filipinos stride daily past airport departure gates to seek jobs abroad, 28...

Ma, daughter trapped to death in burning home.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Nancy C. Carvajal A WOMAN AND HER DAUGHter held on to each other for dear life but did not escape death as flames engulfed their house in Quezon City before noon yesterday. Fire investigator SFO1 Maurico Alde said they found...

Makati mayors backers position him for 2010.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas ILOILO CITYSUPPORTERS of Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay yesterday launched a campaign to convince him to transform his provincial visits into a campaign sortie for the presidency in 2010. ...

GMA makes pitch for halo-halo.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Christian V. Esguerra HANGZHOUA DAY AFter being treated here to a boat ride, a banquet, and a cultural show, President Macapagal-Arroyo found herself making an unexpected sales pitch for halo-halo, among other Philippine ventures...

Meralco rate hike halted.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Abigail L. Ho BARELY A WEEK AFTER APproving the new rate structure of Manila Electric Co., the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) told the distribution utility that it could no longer implement a rate increase scheduled for...

Anti-CBD rally in QC.
October 28, 2008... BRAVING the scorching heat, protesters who said they would be affected by a plan to create a central business district in Quezon City marched to City Hall yesterday to ask officials to junk the plan. Some 50 protesters carried placards and...

Dealco told to pay Vitas arrears.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Jeannette I. Andrade A MANILA JUDGE DIRECTED yesterday the former operator of the citys lone slaughterhouse, taken over by the local government three months ago, to settle around P3.3 million for what he said were unpaid taxes...

MILF returns to talks for release of aid workers.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Julie S. Alipala, Inquirer Mindanao ZAMBOANGA CITYTHE MOro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is taking part anew in negotiations to free two aid workers who have been kidnapped in Basilan. Officials confirmed the MILFs return...

More people fleeing Army offensive vs NPA rebels.
October 28, 2008... TAGUM CITYMORE AND more people are getting displaced as the military continued its pursuit of New Peoples Army (NPA) rebels blamed for Fridays land mine blast in New Bataan, Compostela Valley and subsequent attacks in the province. ...

Moros want UN to step in.
October 28, 2008... COTABATO CITYMORO CIVIL society organizations (CSOs) have asked the United Nations to take an active role in the peace negotiations between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) should talks resume. Both the government...

Navotas patrol cars have right connectionthe mayor.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Beverly T. Natividad A PIECE OF ADVICE TO THE Navotas police force: Be careful, the Mayor is watching. Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said they have installed a global positioning system (GPS) on each of its 19 patrol cars as a...

Why Obama has won.
October 28, 2008... Byline: John Nery I AM NOT, OF COURSE, REFERRING TO NEXT weeks US presidential contestalthough I would wager that, in the aggregate, both the national and state polls are accurate and that Illinois Sen. Barack Obama would win the White...

Tarlac slaying prompts alert.
October 28, 2008... CITY OF SAN FERNANDOPolice have sent more men to and kept 24-hour watch at checkpoints in San Manuel, Tarlac, to prevent possible reprisals following the murder of San Manuel Vice Mayor Reynaldo Malazo on Saturday. Malazo was shot dead...

Fire hits public market in Calamba.
October 28, 2008... FIRE hit the Calamba City public market a few minutes before midnight on Thursday, the Calamba fire department said. The fire started at about 11:20 p.m. and was put out about an hour later. Several years ago, a big fire razed the...

Biofuels data base meet starts.
October 28, 2008... DELEGATES from six countries were in Bacolod City Friday to discuss the progress of their project to set up a biofuels database for 16 East Asian countries. The biofuels database would enable the sharing of information to boost clean...

PMA starts bid to raise funds.
October 28, 2008... CADETS of the Philippine Military Academy now have a venue for their Halloween ball this year with the opening of the academys first corporate-financed facility. The P27-million Lopez Hall of Leadership, which was opened recently, was...

Kids most traumatized by war.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Nikko Dizon THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN Rights (CHR) has described as deplorable the conditions in evacuation centers for children who make up two-thirds of the more than 500,000 persons forced from their homes in the ongoing...

Not many bodies inside ferry.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Kristine L. Alave SIBUYAN ISLAND, ROMBLON Levy Samuele remains hopeful he will find the remains of his cousin, Roy Padua, and his 3-year-old niece. Padua and his daughter were among around 500 people still unaccounted for...

Nur sees MILF leaders return.
October 28, 2008... MATI CITYMORO National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chair Nur Misuari on Saturday said a number of Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) leaders, dismayed by the Supreme Courts trashing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA) with...

Saturday at the old ballpark.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Sev Sarmenta FOR VERY GOOD reasons, a mara-thon, golf tournament or triathlon start before the sun is up. You can add baseball to the list. The Cebu Dolphins and the Dumaguete Unibikers hit the field at 7 a.m. at the old...

Panlilio asks Comelec to junk recall petition.
October 28, 2008... CITY OF SAN FERNANdoLawyers of Pampanga Gov. Eddie Panlilio on Monday asked the Commission on Elections en banc to dismiss a petition recalling him from office. In a 34-page petition, the governor's lawyersRomulo Macalintal, Sixto...

Patient in penile enlargement case vows to fight on.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Allison W. Lopez SAYING THE BATTLE WAS not yet over, the Filipino-American patient in the botched penile-enlargement procedure vowed yesterday to fight the dismissal of his complaints against a noted cosmetic surgeon and his...

PNP: 4 euro officers should be charged.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy AFTER DEFENDING HIS COMPtroller for bringing a huge amount of undeclared cash to Russia, the head of the Philippine National Police was singing a different song yesterday. PNP Director General Jesus Verzosa...

The two Americas.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Conrado de Quiros IF THE US ELECTION HAS CAPTURED THE imagination of the world, it is because it offers a sharper view of how America has always appeared to it. Which is not of one America but of two Americas. The current...

Part of a legacy.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Rina Jimenez-David IT WAS A RADIO COMMENTATOR WHO POINTed out the obvious. If, as Malacanang has tried to make it appear, former Speaker Joe de Venecias endorsement of the latest impeachment complaint against President...

La Salle-Ateneo volley duel set.
October 28, 2008... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo TAKING TO HEART her new tag as the teams rising star, Stephanie Mercado hopes to sustain her strong showing when La Salle resumes its unbeaten run in the Shakeys V-League volleyball competition. The daughter...