Philippine Daily Inquirer articles from October 2008

Philippine Daily Inquirer archives from October 2008

Esperat murder brains now fugitives.
October 31, 2008... COTABATO CITYPOLICE HERE failed to arrest the suspected masterminds in the 2005 murder of journalist Marlene Esperat, whose killing has been linked to the fertilizer scam allegedly masterminded by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn...

Shared history.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ambeth R. Ocampo THE MAIN SHOPPING DISTRICT IN SAN Francisco, California, radiates from Union Square. All the main hotels and name shops Macys, Louis Vuitton, Williams-Sonoma, Baccarat, Victorias Secret, Goyard, etc.can be found...

RP archers on target with 4 Asean golds.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo FILIPINO ARCHERS were right on target yesterday as they captured four gold med-als in the 2008 Southeast Asian Archery Championship at the Ateneo grounds. Earl Benjamin Yap, Ian Wayne Larsen, Rachelle Cabral...

Army says it foiled Cotabato bomb plot.
October 31, 2008... COTABATO CITYTHE MILITARY yesterday announced that it foiled a deadly bomb attack inside the public market of Kabacan, North Cotabato, with the recovery of at least three explosives packed in a carton box. But the local police said it was...

Ateneo-La Salle kicks off WPBL tilt.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo GAMES NOV. 8 (Ynares Center, Pasig City) 1 p.m.Opening ceremony 2 p.m.Pharex vs Harbour Centre 4 p.m.Nutri-C-Ateneo vs Sunkist-La Salle ATENEO AND LA SALLE BRING their rivalry to the Womens...

Aussies give P17M for better forecasts.
October 31, 2008... THE AUSTRALIAN government is providing a grant of P17 million (A$455,500) to enhance weather forecasting in the Philippines and help the country be better prepared for natural disasters. The funds, to be provided through the Australian...

Biggest oil price rollback.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Abigail L. Ho WITH WORLD CRUDE prices dropping significantly, most oil firms in the country yesterday cut gasoline and kerosene prices by P2 a liter, and diesel prices by P5 a literthe biggest rollback yet for the fuel used by...

Bolante to undergo more tests, says doctor.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nancy C. Carvajal and Michael Lim Ubac JOCELYN JOC-JOC BOLANTE is not in pain and can walk around his room but has to continue his hospital stay for more tests. This was how Dr. Romeo Saavedra, the attending physician of the...

Businessman killed, daughter wounded in Quezon City shooting.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio A BUSINESSMAN WAS KILLED WHILE HIS 5-year-old daughter was slightly injured in a shooting Wednesday night in Quezon City. Wilson Tayam, 42, a resident of 146 D. Banlat corner Datuin Road in Barangay Tandang...

Cheaper meds rules dont go far enough.
October 31, 2008... CIVIL SOCIETY GROUPS have complained the draft rules and regulations (IRR) for Republic Act No. 9502, the Cheaper Medicines Law, appears not to fully reflect the core provisions of the landmark legislation. The groups, Cut the Cost Cut...

CHR to remind security forces of its right to visit.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nikko Dizon THE COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS will hold a dialogue with the top brass of the defense, military and police establishments to remind them that the CHR has the right to visit their detention centers, amid the frantic...

Coup witnesses irrelevant, say DOJ prosecutors.
October 31, 2008... THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE SAID IT would continue to oppose defense lawyers move to present irrelevant witnesses like Sen. Gregorio Honasan and Press Secretary Jesus Dureza in the trial of the military officers charged with rebellion for the...

DENR scores return of Boracay building frenzy.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nestor P. Burgos Jr., Inquirer Visayas Jr. BORACAY ISLANDTHE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on Thursday scored officials governing Boracay Island for lifting a moratorium on construction projects on the...

De Oro BIR chief wont leave just yet.
October 31, 2008... CAGAYAN DE ORO CITYBusinessmen here have rejoiced but admitted they were also dismayed over a decision of Finance Secretary Margarito Teves to remove the Bureau of Internal Revenue official they have been protesting against. Earlier,...

Did you know.
October 31, 2008... ST. EZEKIEL Moreno, patron saint of those afflicted with cancer, was a Spanish friar who served in Manila, Las Pinas and other parts of Luzon in the 19th century. He spoke fluent Tagalog. Moreno died of cancer of the palate in Spain in 1906....

Bishops have lost their political touch.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Amando Doronila TWO EXHAUSTED WEAPONS HAVE BEEN DUG out of the armory of political change in a renewed campaign to oust President Macapagal-Arroyo in the remaining two years of her administration: a call by a group of Catholic...

The future of OFWs.
October 31, 2008... HERES THE THING: MIGRATION IS A PERMAnent phenomenon. As UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon told the Second Global Forum on Migration and Development on Wednesday: With or without an economic crisis, the underlying forces that have led 200...

Electronics engr test results.
October 31, 2008... THE PROFESSIONAL REGULAtion Commission (PRC) yesterday announced that 1,514 examinees passed the Professional Electronics Engineer and Electronics Engineer Licensure Examination of the 4,174 who took the test this month. The results were...

Execs meet on how much watersheds health costs.
October 31, 2008... BAGUIO CITYCORDILLERA environmentalists and local government officials sat down on Wednesday to quantify the cost of maintaining watersheds so they can charge Pangasinan, La Union, Cagayan and the Ilocos for water discharged from the regions...

Farmers storm DAR, say wait for land too long.
October 31, 2008... CAGAYAN DE ORO CITYAT least 150 farmers from Bukidnon stormed the regional office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Macanhan, Carmen here to demand for the immediate resolution of their land cases. Holding up banners and...

Its time for ghost stories again.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Vincent Cabreza, Inquirer Northern Luzon BAGUIO CITYTHERE are valuable history lessons behind the ghost stories that have made Baguio popular during Halloween. Virgilio Bautista, chair of the Baguio Centennial Commission, said...

Leviste witness says disbarment doesnt affect testimony.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Allison W. Lopez A DEFENSE WITNESS IN THE murder case against former Batangas governor Jose Antonio Leviste admitted yesterday he had been disbarred as a lawyer, but stressed his disbarment had no bearing on his testimony. ...

Manilans set to complete Champs League Sweet 16.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jasmine W. Payo SEMIFINALISTS FROM THE UAAP AND NCAA lead 24 collegiate teams shooting for the eight remaining slots in the Sweet 16 Finals of the 2008 Philippine Collegiate Championship. Mapua, fourth placer in the NCAA,...

Metro officials bare traffic rerouting plans for holidays.
October 31, 2008... THE MANILA POLICE DIStrict (MPD) has announced the closure of several roads leading to cemeteries and the rerouting of vehicles to alternate routes on Nov. 1, All Saints Day. An advisory from the MPD Traffic Enforcement Unit said that...

Home safety measures advice for Manilenos.
October 31, 2008... MANILA residents were urged yesterday by city officials to take extra precautions when they lock up their homes and belongings should they decide to spend their weekend out-of-town on All Saints Day, Nov. 1 and All Souls Day on Nov. 2. Mayor...

QC councilor bats for stiffer fines for porn agents.
October 31, 2008... A QUEZON City councilor is pushing for a minimum fine of P100,000 and a one year prison term for persons and companies found to be selling, distributing or printing pornographic materials. The proposed ordinance will declare the printing,...

Inside job suspected in loss of guns.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Julie M. Aurelio POLICE SUSPECT THE DISAPPEARANCE OF 20 guns from an office at the Quezon City Hall could be the result of an inside job. Officials of the Quezon City Police District noted that there was no sign of damage on...

Common good.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Michael L. Tan ROMAN CATHOLICS IN THE UNITED STATES, MANY OF them Filipino-Americans, will be doing a lot of soul searching with the election just around the corner. As in the Philippines, one of the reproductive health issues...

Military did not commit atrocities in South, Yano tells rights group.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy BLAMING THE MILITARY FOR ATROCIties committed against civilians caught up in the conflict between the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels without proof does the soldiers an injustice, said...

Philippine mythological monsters.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Neal H. Cruz TOMORROW IS ALL SAINTS DAY AND TO-night is Halloween. Tomorrow Filipinos will troop to the cemeteries to pay respect to their dead relatives buried there and see living relatives they have not seen since last All...

Never again, airport exec vows after media melee.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jerome Aning AIRPORT AUTHORITIES YESTERDAY said all media requests for coverage at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport will be strictly scrutinized from now on after all the jostling and shoving that ensued during the arrival...

Newly-built bridge in Naga City called useless without road.
October 31, 2008... NAGA CITYThe newly constructed multimillion-peso Mabolo bypass bridge here, which is envisioned to be an alternate route to this city and its neighboring towns, has been branded as useless by commuters and residents due to the absence of a...

Not all bishops want GMA out.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jhunnex Napallacan, Inquirer Visayas CEBU CITYSHE MAY HAVE GOTTEN A scolding from five bishops recently, but yesterday President Macapagal-Arroyo basked in the benign regard of a reliable ally, the influential Archbishop of Cebu....

Palace glued to poverty targets, says agency exec.
October 31, 2008... BAGUIO CITYMALACANANG HAS NOT given up its pledge of fulfilling the countrys 2015 millennium development goals (MDG), and has invested heavily in curbing maternal deaths and sexually transmitted diseases like AIDS, said Domingo Panganiban,...

Cheaper pan de sal up; flour prices cut.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ronnel W. Domingo FIERCE COMPETITION FOR A bigger slice of the Christmas season market drove millers to slash by between P17 and P21 the price of a 25-kilogram bag of flour, the raw material for making pan de sal and loaf bread....

OFWs: Expatriates with less rights.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Raul C. Pangalangan PERHAPS 30 YEARS AGO, NO ONE COULD have imagined that our entire nation would be so completely and systemically dependent on OFW remittances for its sustenance and for its supply of hard currency. That is why...

PNP gets refund, apology from 2 euro generals.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jocelyn R. Uy and Christine O. Avendano THE PHILIPPINE NATIONAL POLICE yesterday got a refund and an apology from two police officers who were part of the eight-man PNP delegation ordered to return the P2.19-million travel...

Prayers only for Bolante, say religious.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Leila B. Salaverria THE CATHOLIC NUNS AND BROTHERS KEEPING watch over National Broadband Network (NBN) deal witness Rodolfo Lozada Jr. are offering special prayersnot their open armsto former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn...

Prisoner transfer on tap.
October 31, 2008... MILITARY AUTHOrities plan to make an inventory of all high-risk prisoners in preparation for their transfer to military camps where security is tighter, according to Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Gen. Alexander Yano. ...

Belonging.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Rina Jimenez-David KILLING TIME BEFORE THE 6 P.M. LAUNCH OF the book Belonging: Stories of Relationships at the Powerbooks Greenbelt 4 branch, I did a little window shopping before strolling toward the bookstore. It was then that...

San Mig rips SLR, assumes solo lead.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Musong R. Castillo SAN MIGUEL BEER BOUNCED BACK FROM AN UNEXPECTED loss with an unexpected domination of Sta. Lucia, 89-71, last night to take the solo lead in the elimination round of the KFC PBA Philippine Cup at the Ynares...

Senators wrangle over Joc-joc.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Christine O. Avendano SENATORS ARE STILL DIVIDED OVER WHAT ACtion to take regarding Jocelyn Joc-joc Bolante and the unresolved P728-million fertilizer fund scam. Sen. Panfilo Lacson yesterday said Senate President Manny...

Remembering Pinggoy.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Sev Sarmenta DEARLY DEPARTed family and friends arent the only ones we should remember this weekend. Light a candle as well for your mentors who have moved on. Sportscaster Pinggoy Pengson, who passed away a decade ago, was a...

Sinkings other victims say aid never got to them.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Kristine L. Alave SIBUYAN ISLAND, ROMBLONAround four months after a double whammy struck and this island was declared to be in a state of calamity, residents are still waiting for promises of assistance. Scores of islanders...

USLS tossers upset Lady Tams.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Cedelf P. Tupas DUMAGUETE CITYUNIVERSITY of St. La Salle stunned Far Eastern U, 25-21, 21-25, 25-22, 25-20, yesterday to capture the womens volleyball title in the 13th Philippine National University Games. The Lady Stingers...

Vintage Pacto grabs lead by 1.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Musong R. Castillo TRECE MARTIREZ, CAVITE Veteran Robert Pactolerin came back from a double-bogey start to shoot a three-under-par 69 yesterday and grab the lead going into the final round of the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic...

Yu replaces Garcia as PSC commish.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Marc Anthony Reyes PHILIPPINE SPORTS COMMISSION EXECUtive director Vicente Uy has been appointed as the agencys newest commissioner, replacing the longest-staying member of the board, Richie Garcia. In an appointment letter...

Ayala sets up mobile finance bank.
October 31, 2008... Byline: E. S. Lacson THE BANKING AND mobile phone units of Ayala Corp. have joined forces to form the countrys first mobile microfinance bank capitalized at P500 million. The Ayala Group has already signed an agreement with Bank of...

Brand Obama outpaces Google in study; looming awards fatigue?
October 31, 2008... Byline: Roger Pe, Contributor EURO RSCG Agatep has announced the results of the Brand Momentum study conducted by Euro RSCG Worldwide which looked at the top brands across the United States, United Kingdom France and China, and asked...

Banks OK measures to ease impact of crisis.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao THE INFLUENTIAL BANkers Association of the Philippines has approved three new measures to help financial regulators contain the fallout from the worst global financial meltdown seen in 80 years, including a...

Canada miner sees higher grade of gold, silver in South Mindanao.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Amy R. Remo CANADIAN MINER-al exploration firm Cadan Resources Corp. has confirmed gold and silver deposits in the Tboli mineral zone in southern Mindanao and sees a possible increase in the area and grade of the resources. ...

In the face of scams.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ernesto M. Ordonez FOR THE PAST FOUR DAYS, A POLIcy brief from the Caucus for Development of NGO Networks (CODE-NGO) has been circulating among key members of the Senate and House of Representatives. It is entitled, In the...

Stretchable credit ratings.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Raul J. Palabrica AMID THE PRESENT FINANCIAL CRISIS, the credibility of three major credit rating companiesStandard & Poors, Moodys and Fitchis at its lowest in years. They are being criticized for complicity in the sale of...

Gaming goes beyond childs play.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Abigail L. Ho STEVE is a young urban professio-nal who is making his way up the corporate ladder; Mark is a model student, acing almost all his exams; Sheila is a freelance writer. Different as the three are, they all succumb...

Govt, private sector finalizing P100-B crisis fund.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Michelle V. Remo THE PRIVATE SECTOR HAS RESPONDED to the call of President Macapagal-Arroyo to help the government put up a P100-billion crisis fund to finance projects aimed at keeping the Philippines away from an economic...

How Barack built his brand.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Charlie A. Agatep, Contributor LETS FACE IT: THE US presidential contest, which will be decided by the American consumer-electorate in just a few days, is a marketing and public relations battle between two brands: The Obama brand...

Philam, co-ops create special mutual fund.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Doris C. Dumlao PHILAM ASSET MANAGEMENT INC. (Pami) has teamed up with eight local cooperatives to create a pioneering mutual fund for cooperatives. Called the National Cooperative Mutual Fund of the Philippines, the new fund...

PLDT offers Globe Telecom commercial access to Fort Boni.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Daxim L. Lucas PHILIPPINE LONG DISTANCE Telephone Co. (PLDT) has softened its stance on the disputed exclusive operating rights in Bonifacio Global City by offering its facilities for rent to rival Globe Telecom Inc. In a...

RP may hold off rice imports until June 2009, Yap says.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Amy R. Remo THE PHILIPPINES, THE WORLDS TOP RICE importer, may not need to bring in rice from abroad until at least the second quarter of next year due to increasing local rice output. According to Agriculture Secretary...

Is it smart to invest in a memorial plan?
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ma. Salve Duplito IN A LARGELY happy-go-lucky country, talks of death still spook Filipinos, and most try to avoid planningand even just thinkingabout kicking the bucket. I am not comfortable with the idea of getting a...

Ten lessons from ten years in retail.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Frances J. Yu, Contributor LAST Aug. 1, 2008, the FIRST of a 10-part series on the Shopwise story appeared in this paper. Since then, much has happened in the world. What began as a mortgage crisis last August of 2007 in the...

Manila Water to spend P8 billion for capex in 09.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Elizabeth Sanchez-Lacson MANILA WATER CO. INC. HAS EARmarked P8 billion for its capital expenditure program in 2009, with part of the funding to come from the proceeds of a recently concluded bond offer that raised P4 billion. ...

Manilas hunchback gets a makeover.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jake Ramirez, Contributor POPULAR FOLKLORE HAS IT THAT the name Cubao could be traced to a hunchback who used to live in a grassland acquired by J. Amado Araneta, where the old Highway 54, now Edsa, cut through. Kuba is the...

The ballerina sticks to her fashion/style.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Rina Silayan Go, Contributor MARITONI RUFIno-Tordesillas fell in love with ballet at eight years old. It was what would take her all the way to New York. In 1986, I got a call from my father saying a family friend would be...

Fashion Flash.
October 31, 2008... Folded & Hung What: F&H Street Act II, 10th anniversary fashion show Where: A-venue events hall When: Oct. 23 Spotted: Legs, legs, leggings! Long stretchy numbers in metallics kept the stage in full shine. Whats hot:...

Luxury for a cause.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Jenni J. Epperson THE SHOEMAKER TO THE Stars has been rocking the fashion and Hollywood headlines since Ferragamos recent collaboration with Oscar-winning costume designer Catherine Martin. Ferragamo and Martin worked on...

Intensif-eyed.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Isabel Roces, Backstage Pass IF YOURE OVER AGE 25, youll probably remember (try not to cringe when you do) a time when you happily hit the streets with at least three different bright colors splashed around your eyes. ...

Thicker eyebrows can make you look younger.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Kelly Misa, Tricks of the trade THIN BROWS ARE OUT. THIS season is all about strong and defined eyebrows that give the face depth and character. Thicker brows can signify elegance, strength and intelligence, taking influence...

A scent to remember.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Mariel Chua, Beauty in the Big Apple WHEN I FIRST HEARD ABOUT Notorious, Ralph Laurens latest addition to its roster of fragrances, Id expected a cloying vanilla bomb I would immediately pass on to other friends who had body...

Jing Monis third eye is turned on today.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Rowena C. Burgos SINCE HE WAS 10, MAKEUP artist and hairstylist Jing Monis has been seeing scary images. The chief stylist of Propaganda salon, Monis discovered his third eye when he was in elementary school. Monis aunt,...

A grand wedding anniversary long in coming.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Maurice Arcache THE WAY SOME MARriages last these days, it was really fantastic to be part of the wedding anniversary of Cosmo Manilles tres popular old-wealth couple, international businessman Bobby Cuenca and socialite Chingbee...

Alex Bitongs sure head-turners.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Alex Y. Vergara ALEX BITONG, PERHAPS ONE of Manilas most underrated fashion designers, debuted recently on Fashion Watch with a 25-piece collection that was noteworthy for its wearability and ability to flatter, with a few...

Bamboo and plastichot n chic.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Apples Aberin Sadhwani ON OUR USUAL SHOPPING jaunt, we discovered items you might want to add to your wardrobepieces that cater to an active lifestyle. From lounge and active wear thats extra soft and silky to footwear made...

From resto manager to newly minted designer.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Alex Y. Vergara IT WAS NOWHERE NEAR AS colorful and melodramatic as Project Runway, but Cinderellas Designers Competition recently held at the Peninsula Manila was also able to generate its fair share of promising talents. ...

Manager: I own Rivermaya.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Pocholo Concepcion LAUGHABLE WAS HOW LIZZA NAKPIL described moves to dump her as Rivermayas manager. In a phone interview with the Inquirer, she was firm in her belief that it simply couldnt be done because she owned and...

Mentoring the future of Asian cinema.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Bayani San Diego Jr. PLAYING THE ROLE OF MENTOR FOR the first time was daunting, admits Filipino filmmaker Brillante Dante Mendoza who was invited to teach at the Asian Film Academy (AFA) in Pusan, South Korea last month. I...

Gossiping with the Gossip cast.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Ruben V. Nepales LOS ANGELESFRIENDS GOT EXCITED when they learned that we interviewed the main cast of TVs hot show, Gossip Girl. They claimed their nieces would be thrilled to hear that we talked to Blake Lively, Leighton...

Cocoy Laurel sings from the heart.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Nestor U. Torre WE HAD A FULL DAY LAST Oct. 17, but we made it a point to catch Cocoy Laurels intimate concert at the Teatrino in Greenhills. We were glad we did, because Cocoy was in his element, performing well-loved standards,...

Books.
October 31, 2008... IM NOW GOING THROUGH A NATIONal Geographic book of photographs, Through the Lens. As governor of Batangas, I want to learn more about marine life. Its because the Center of Marine Biodiversity in the World is in our provinceVerde Island...

JAN NIETO.
October 31, 2008... THE SECRET BY RHONDA BYRNE was lent to me by (fellow Philippine Idol contestant) Ken Dingle. It can be challenging to be always positiveespecially on days when youre feeling down. Thats why I read it over and over so that Ill get its vibe....

Books.
October 31, 2008... CECELIA AHEMS PS I LOVE YOU IS about a woman whose husband dies. But its not the end for her because he has left her a bunch of letters and worked out a way to send her surprises. This happens to her for a whole year. It really helps her...

Tail Tales.
October 31, 2008... IN THE PAST, I ONLY TOOK CARE OF MALE dogslike my Shih Tzu Sakee. Since Sakee was lonely, I bought him (another Shih Tzu) playmate Tarah. After Sakee passed away, I got Tarah her own (Shih Tzu) playmate Ken. Its my first time to have a pet...

When Jon met West.
October 31, 2008... Byline: Bayani San Diego Jr. IS HE JOKING OR what? Comic Jon Santos describes this condo unit somewhere in Ortigas Center as East meets West. Quite coincidentally, his life partner is Italian-American businessman West Stewart. ...

Groups raising P7M for aid workers.
October 30, 2008... ZAMBOANGA CityThe Abu Sayyaf in Basilan settled for P7 million as ransom payment for the two humanitarian workers the group has been holding since Sept. 15. Prof. Octavio Dinampo, who has worked with Esperancita Hupida and Merlie...