Malacanang's Command Votes=Bribery

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez should resign for violation of Omnibus Election Code. He justified it as an incentive for 12-0 Team Unity sweep in Iloilo City. Tell that to Marines Mr. Justice Secretary!

COMELEC: Bribe offer from DOJ chief a criminal act

A Commission on Elections official on Thursday said Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez violated the Omnibus Election Code (OEC) after promising to pay P10,000 to each barangay captain in Iloilo City who will be able to deliver a 12-0 sweep for the administration's Team Unity.

"In Section 261, Paragraph A of the Omnibus Election Code, there are three acts which are considered crimes: the act of giving, the act of offering and the act of promising. Kaya ang mere act of promising money eh crime na iyon eh (That's why the mere of act of promising is already a crime)," Director Ferdinand Rafanan of the COMELEC told ABS-CBN's "Magandang Umaga Pilipinas."

Quoting the OEC, Rafanan said the act of promising has four elements. He said it includes promising money to any person or community and inducing anyone or the public in general to vote for any candidate in exchange for cash.

Rafanan said the provision was used by the Supreme Court in ruling against a public official who promised to pay voters if they voted for him.

He said that if Gonzalez delivers on his promise, he would commit another violation of the Omnibus Election Code. "Kapag itinuloy niya ang magbigay (If he actually gives the money) that is another crime," he said.

Election lawyer Romulo Macalintal, meanwhile, defended Gonzalez, saying that charges can be filed against the justice chief only if he actually delivers on his promise.

COMELEC Chairman Benjamin Abalos said Wednesday that he has instructed the commission's law department to investigate Gonzalez's offer.

Abalos said COMELEC is planning to question Gonzalez about the P10,000 offer. He added that the poll body also wants to get the justice secretary's exact quote.

Meanwhile, Sergio Apostol, chief presidential legal counsel, admitted that while Gonzalez did not violate any election law, the public might think that the justice chief's statements are backed by Malacañang.

He added that Gonzalez's offer was "morally wrong."

"His only alternative is to keep his mouth shut but, knowing Raul, he will not keep his mouth shut. Magtrabaho na lang siya ng maganda (He should just work well) for Team Unity and deliver his goods not through media," Apostol added.

Gonzalez violated anti-graft law

Re-electionist Sen. Panfilo Lacson said Gonzalez may also be held liable for violating the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

"The center of discussion is whether there was a violation of the Omnibus Election Code. We've forgotten that there is also the Revised Penal Code, which says if you offer a bribe that could be tantamount to attempted bribery," Lacson told DZMM.

He said Gonzalez as a public official may be charged with qualified bribery if he actually gives money to barangay officials.

Lacson said he might file an attempted bribery charge against Gonzalez. He added that any tax-paying Filipino can also file charges against the justice secretary for making the offer.

An official of Akbayan Iloilo had rejected Gonzalez's offer, saying that the votes of Akbayan members are not for sale.

"He can promise money, he can even promise to be sane for the rest of his life, but no, we will not allow our votes to be bought," Pert Supeña, Akbayan Iloilo spokesman, said in a statement.

"If he would promise that TEAM Unity would support the impeachment of President GMA or that it would denounce Charter change, then we might change our mind and vote for TU after all. Otherwise, it's no for the administration slate," he added.

Akbayan Rep. Loretta Ann Rosales said Gonzalez's statement was "an example of how embedded patronage is in our politics."

"People like him should resign or should not be in government if we want new politics," Rosales said.

Supeña said Akbayan Iloilo is putting up streamers in different barangays in Iloilo City saying, "Ang amon boto wala ginabaligya (Our votes are not for sale)". He also urged the provincial COMELEC director to conduct a parallel inquiry on Gonzalez's offer.

ABS-CBN 4/26/2007 at 11:45:18 a.m.)

Rapu-Rapu Residents Face Livelihood Loss, Damaged Environment

Rapu-Rapu Residents Face Livelihood Loss, Damaged Environment

Saturday, 21 April 2007

As we observe Earth Day, the country’s leaders should be reminded of the damage that large-scale mining has done to the environment and livelihood of residents in mining communities such as Rapu-rapu. IBON Features Vol XIII No 9 By Glenis Balangue IBON Features– For the nearly 50,000 residents of Rapu-Rapu, Albay and the adjoining municipality of Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon, fishing has been the primary livelihood for generations. The fish that they catch from Lagonoy Gulf and Albay Gulf is not just their staple food, it is also a main source of income for the communities, no matter how modest. Twelve out of thirteen barangays on Rapu-Rapu are fishing communities, while Prieto Diaz’s people survive on marine, aquaculture and industrial production. Rapu-Rapu and Prieto Diaz are also among the poorest municipalities in the country, and government services are generally hard to come by. But their simple lives were abruptly disrupted when Australian mining firm Lafayette NL started its Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Mining Project in mid-2005. Mining and quarrying had not been alien to Rapu-Rapu as the community had already hosted several mining operations over seven decades starting in the 1930s, though they had never become major industries. But it was the arrival of Lafayette that really brought to the fore the destructive effects of large-scale mining. It also showed how eager the Arroyo administration is to open the country’s natural resources to big mining transnational corporations. A ‘new, responsible’ mining industry? The Arroyo administration has been aggressively promoting mining as an area for foreign investments. The Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Mining Project held much promise, for it represented for the government the flagship of a ‘new, responsible’ mining industry. Lafayette is one of the first foreign mining companies to invest in the Philippines following a Supreme Court decision upholding a provision in the 1995 Mining Act allowing 100% foreign ownership of mining projects in the country. The Project is expected to yield some 50,000 ounces of gold, 60,000 ounces of silver, 10,000 metric tons of copper concentrate and 14,000 metric tons of zinc concentrates a year. Lafayette’s mining claim in the municipality of Rapu-Rapu is 42 square kilometers or roughly 80% of the island’s total land area. The current operation is focused on mining the “Ungay Malobago” deposit located in Barangays Malobago, Pagcolbon and Binosawan using the open pit method. The gold-rich ore is treated in a cyanide-in-leach plant adjacent to the 18-hectare pit while the rest of the ore, which yields copper and zinc, is treated in a separate floatation plant. But there were alleged irregularities in the implementation of the mining project. For example, the Office of the President issued Proclamation 625, which declared the mining area a special economic zone upon petition of Lafayette Philippines, Inc. Lafayette under this status was entitled to a six- to eight-year income tax holiday and exemption from paying value-added taxes because extracted metals are exported with minimal processing. However, it was later alleged that Lafayette country manager Roderick Watt, in a letter to President Arroyo, threatened to withhold $55 million in capital investments from Lafayette Ltd. and the LG Group of Korea if they were not granted special economic zone status. There were also irregularities in acquiring the consent of local communities to the project. According to residents, although community organizers had arranged meetings at the three barangays nearest the mining site, only the benefits of the mine to the community were discussed. Villagers said they were never informed of the environmental effects of mining an ecologically sensitive island eco-system such as Rapu-Rapu. Tinopan residents even recall watching a film in which Lafayette organizers discussed “responsible” mining and promised them that the ores would not be processed on the island. A certain Engineer Palomaria also told the residents that their barangays could even become cities in the near future. To further bolster the acceptability of the project, residents were also promised free electricity and medical services. But according to residents of Prieto Diaz, they were never consulted on the project despite being the nearest municipality from Rapu-Rapu and sharing a major fishing ground. It was in Oct. 2005 when residents learned that there had been not one, but two, cyanide tailings spills from the mining site in Barangay Pagcolbon. Reports said that the first spill was due to a failed pump at the mine, causing an overflow of cyanide-laden spills into nearby creeks. Three weeks later, a heavy six-hour rain resulted in the tailings pond overflowing into the nearby Ungay and Hollowstone creeks. Both incidents resulted in fish kills. Mining advocates such as the Philippine Chamber of Mines and the government Mines and Geosciences Bureau sought to downplay the spills, claiming that the amount of tailings released were relatively small and calling the incident “a drop in the ocean”. But a government-convened Fact-Finding Commission on Rapu-Rapu assailed the gross negligence of Lafayette and even went so far as to call for a suspension of mining activities in the country, a call that President Arroyo rejected. ‘Sino ang Nakahuli?’ Sixty percent of the households in both Rapu-Rapu and the neighboring Prieto Diaz depend on fishing as a primary livelihood. Majority of these families engage in small-scale and subsistence fishing. After the tailings spills, many fishermen told IBON Features that their catch declined. One resident even narrated that fishermen used to ask ‘ilan ang nakahuli?’ (How many were able to catch fish?), but now they ask ‘sino ang nakahuli?’ (Who was able to catch fish?). Fishermen from Barangay Binosawan said that before the mining operation, their boat of three to four crew members used to catch around 70 pieces of blue marlins a year. Last 2005 and 2006, they averaged 20 pieces. In neighboring Barangay Brillante, fishermen said a boat used to average four pieces of fish per trip. Now they consider themselves fortunate if they go home with two pieces. There are even times when they can go for a week without catching a single fish. These fishermen are now reducing the number of days they go out to sea. From six or seven days a week they now go out to fish for only three or four days. They explained that they would only waste money spent on fuel just to catch enough fish for a day’s meal. Some fishermen have even opted to work as pedicab drivers, carpenters, and other odd jobs just to make ends meet. But even fish vendors found themselves indirectly affected by the tailings spills. A fish dealer from Barangay Tinopan said that her regular buyers in Legazpi started to become wary of buying fish caught near Rapu-Rapu. As a result, her buying price fell by as much as 60% while her selling price, by half. Even those engaged in the small-scale agriculture were not exempt from the negative effects of the spills. Farmers noted a marked decrease in water supply after Lafayette started its operations, resulting in a mini-water war in Barangay Poblacion. It should be noted that Rapu-Rapu is a small island with a limited supply of freshwater, and this was further diverted to Lafayette’s operations. Water supply for domestic needs has also become scarce. Malobago residents said they have difficulty sourcing water for drinking and washing. They are also afraid of drinking the water that comes from the taps, fearing cyanide contamination. A community leader remarked, “Ang cyanide ba at iyong ibang kemikal nadadaan sa kulo?” (Can cyanide or other chemicals be removed by boiling?) In Barangays Binosawan and Tinopan, coconut farmers said their trees have become stunted even if these were still young. The fruits have also become smaller and fewer, meaning decreased yields. The farmers said that this was the first time that this happened to their source of livelihood. The farmers further told IBON that the blasting activities of Lafayette have weakened the rock foundation in the area, making it vulnerable to landslides. When typhoon Reming (international name Durian) struck the Bicol region, landslides occurred in Barangays Malobago and Tinopan, killing eleven people. Residents stressed that stronger typhoons had visited Rapu-Rapu but no landslides happened until last year. Stark contrast In stark contrast to the poverty of the affected communities, wherein 60% of families are forced to live on less than P100 (US$2) a day, the Lafayette Group expects to earn US$350 million a year over the entire duration of the mine. But the local government in 2005 received only P2.1 million (US$42,857) in excise tax collections from Lafayette’s gross revenues of P134.4 million. The national government also lost tax revenue from the many incentives the mining firm was granted, earning only US$8.68 million from a possible US$20.48 million. Further, although Lafayette claimed to hire 900 residents as workers, in reality only some 300 were hired. Residents said that of this number, only 5% were regular workers (meaning that they would be employed for five years, although the projected span of the project is eight years) while the rest were hired on a contractual basis. There is no labor union and the workers are discouraged from negotiating for better pay and more benefits. The aftermath of the spills saw an increasing number of locals opposing Lafayette’s operations. Thus, more soldiers and policemen were deployed to the area, plus 150 militiamen in civilian clothes. Residents reported that these military forces roam the barangays in an apparent effort to intimidate them. The basic services promised by the Australian mining firm to the communities also did not materialize. Malobago, Tinopan and Binosawan do not have health facilities and personnel except for one or two barangay health workers. Malobago residents, however, have occasional access to the mining company’s health clinic, but only in case of emergencies. Stop the plunder On February 8, 2006 the government Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) permanently lifted the cease-and-desist order it had earlier issued on Lafayette’s operations on Rapu-Rapu in the wake of the spills. In doing so, it went against the wishes of the residents for a stop to mining operations on the island. Although Lafayette’s operations were supposedly turned over to Filipinos, it is clear that the company is exploiting loopholes in the Mining Act and the Philippines’ corporate laws in order to avoid its accountability to the people of Rapu-Rapu and Prieto Diaz. By 2013, Lafayette will have packed up and left after extracting all the minerals from Rapu-Rapu. All that will be left for the residents is a giant pit and a damaged eco-system, which can no longer provide for their needs. Residents and various environmental groups demand that government step in now to prevent irreversible damage to Rapu-Rapu’s fishing waters and the residents’ livelihoods, or should be held to accountable for it. With reports from Joseph Yu. IBON Features

China's ZTE Corp. Misdeal?

Contract with Chinese supplier breaks 4 laws
GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc
The Philippine Star 04/23/2007

Despite warnings of potential fraud, Malacañang went on and signed Saturday in China a hurried, overpriced telecom contract. The violation of four major laws could cost the administration the senatorial election and expose President Arroyo to yet another impeachment suit.

The deal is for China’s ZTE Corp. to supply the government $329.5 million (P16 billion) worth of broadband apparatus. Up to two months ago the project — to fuse all landline, cellular and Internet needs of national and local offices — was not even a priority. But in March the Dept. of Transport and Communications rushed up some justifications to the Cabinet-level National Economic and Development Authority, which in turn hastily assented. Arroyo witnessed the signing of the supply deal by DOTC Sec. Leandro Mendoza and ZTE chairman Hou Weigui.

Government officials are forbidden to make purchase or construction contracts during election periods, lest they favor or hurt certain businesses for political reasons. The ZTE deal thus violates the Omnibus Election Code — unless issued a waiver by the Comelec.

Telecom industry men are curious if Comelec chair Benjamin Abalos will give such a waiver. From murmurs at the DOTC, a Comelec bigwig is behind ZTE’s entry.

The supply deal also was signed sans public bidding, another breach of law. ZTE is supposed to erect a broadband infrastructure, but ironically disregards the e-Procurement Law that requires competitors to submit bids simultaneously via Internet on a specified date and time.

Again telecom men are abuzz with talk that the DOTC itself broke rules that it proposed during Congress debates on the procurement act. Questions abound if Mendoza will take the rap for a powerful official’s spouse who is also pushing for ZTE.

Biddings aim to elicit the best price for the best product. A US firm, Arescom, is complaining to NEDA Sec. Romulo Neri why DOTC endorsed the supply offer of "a Chinese proponent that is almost identical to ours, using similar technology but which will cost more than double our offer of $135 million." Arescom had submitted its papers well ahead of ZTE.

DOTC insiders say ZTE’s offer came only in February, first for $300 million. Faced with an earlier superior bid from Filipino firm Amsterdam Holdings Inc. (AHI), it haggled down to $262 million. But the final quote zoomed to $329.5 million on the way to last Saturday’s signing. Since Feb., insiders add, it was known that ZTE’s real price is $132 million, but talks of overprice were hushed by promises of huge payolas.

AHI has threatened to sue the government for two other breaches. It had sent in an unsolicited proposal on Dec. 5 to build a broadband network worth $240 million, but at no cost to government. All Malacañang needed to do was move government telecoms subscriptions to the network at only 75 percent of current rates; AHI will earn profits from private subscribers.

Under the Build-Operate-Transfer Act, an agency must start studying an unsolicited bid within 60 days, then put it to a "Swiss challenge". DOTC sat on AHI’s bid on the pretext that it was deficient. On the sly, it accepted ZTE’s late inferior bid on the say-so of two influence peddlers.

To buy ZTE’s system, government would need a loan, accompanied by a sovereign guarantee of repayment. These too are against the sections of the B-O-T Act.

ZTE will only sell and set up the broadband network, then turn it over to the government to operate and maintain. This is in violation of the Telecoms Development Act, which ordered government starting 1995 to privatize all its telecom facilities. The ZTE deal would revive unfair state competition with private telcos.

Comelec urged to ban fake party-list groups

Philippine bogus President Gloria Arroyo and her cohorts are desperate to stay in power by prostituting the party-lists system, massive electoral fraud, intimidation and bribery. Taxpayers’ money and other government resources are being utilized for her political survival and greed of political power. Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos and Malacanang Palace are conspiring to win by hook and by crook at congressional and national levels. OEA chief Farinas’ memo in the hands of the leftists groups had expose Gloria Arroyo’s evil plan. Legitimacy of the Arroyo presidency is at stake in May 14, 2007 midterm elections. The Filipino electorate will definitely reject pro-administration candidates and fake party-list groups.

Midterm elections in the Philippines important to Arroyo

Palace dares leftists to prove memo genuine

Comelec urged to ban fake party-list groups
04/22/2007
With the Palace’s “confidential” memorandum and its plan to fill the House with party-list groups said to be fronting for Malacañang in a bid to prevent any impeachment complaint against President Arroyo from flourishing, calls were yesterday made by militant party-list groups to the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to ban the fake and government funded party-list groups and remove them from the official list in the May polls.
But Malacañang also yesterday challenged the party-list groups that bared the confidential memo to have this document authenticated to prove their claims that the Palace has plans to fund at least 12 administration party-list fronts.
Detained Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran yesterday called on the Comelec to purge the official list of the earlier identified alleged administration fronts while Gabriela Rep. Liza Maza said the questionable party-list groups should back out from the electoral race.
Maza said the questionable party-list groups, including Agbiag Timpuyog Ilocano, Babae Ka, Kalahi and Lypad, among other groups identified as Arroyo fronts, should voluntarily dissolve themselves.
“These questionable party-list groups should voluntarily get out of the race, and we strongly urge (Assistant Secretary of the Office of External Affairs) Marcelo Farinas to categorically state whether he is, indeed, a nominee of Agbiag party-list, not hide behind the Comelec’s refusal to divulge names of party-list nominees,” Maza said.
Fariñas, who heads Malacañang’s Office of External Affairs, was a signatory to an alleged Palace confidential memorandum to fund pro-administration party-list groups and discredit anti-administration party-lists in an attempt to thwart another impeachment complaint against Mrs. Arroyo.
“Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Fariñas’ name has consistently come up with the controversies regarding the party-list system. In the interest of fair play, we urge the immediate dissolution of these fake party-list groups and call on the Comelec to investigate and punish those undermining the party-list system,” Maza stressed.
Gabriela Women’s Party is studying what charges to file against government officials found to have exercised partisanship using public funds in the elections.
Beltran, for his part, said the Comelec should stop dilly-dallying on the issue of the fake and government-funded party-lists and remove them from the official list participating in the May 14 polls
“May 14 is just around the corner but the Comelec has yet to resolve the issue of these government-funded party-lists. The legitimate and progressive party-lists Anakpawis, Bayan Muna and Gabriela Women’s Party as well as their sister groups Kabataan Party and Suara Bangsa Moro are being harassed and subjected to disqualification charges because they are advocating genuine representation of marginalized groups in Congress. We will not allow these fake party-lists which are actually fronts for the Macapagal-Arroyo administration to take over the party-list system and secure seats in Congress by cheating
and buying their way to victory with the help of Malacañang,” he said.
The activist lawmaker protested the bastardization of the party-list system, adding that illegitimate party-lists supportive of an illegitimate presidency have no right to claim representation in Congress.
“They are making a mockery of the advocacies of the marginalized sectors. They intend to secure seats in Congress to edge out those who truly serve the interest of the poor. The Comelec should waste no more time and settle this issue once and for all. The bogus party-lists must be disqualified and stricken off the official list of party-lists participating in the May 14 polls,” he said.
Beltran also supported the calls of other progressive parties for investigations into confidential memorandum of Fariñas II, designated in the document as the head of the OEA special concerns group (OEA-SCG), sent to Malacañang and the office of President Arroyo.
Fariñas, head of the OEA special concerns group of the office of the President, wrote to lawyer Erlyn de Leon, special assistant to the President and her close confidante. The memo sought Palace funding for these party list groups that would be supported by the Palace.
“What other proof does the Comelec need? It’s no secret that Malacañang is out to quash the progressive party-lists and undermine our chances of once more topping the party-lists elections. Our leaders and members are being killed, and the representatives, including myself, are being libeled and labeled as criminals. Despite all this, it’s being consistently revealed in all the surveys that the progressive party-lists are a shoo-in in May, and it is only through massive electoral fraud and illegal disenfranchisement of our millions of supporters that we will not win.”
“The fake and government-funded party-lists must not be allowed to participate in the May elections. The Comelec will be aiding and abetting a serious violation of electoral and constitutional law if it allows these fake party-lists endorsed and funded by Malacañang to run,” he said.
But the Puwersa ng Masa legal counsel and GO’s congressional candidate in the 2nd district of Cagayan de Oro, lawyer Rufus Rodriguez slammed Malacañang’s illegal action.
Rodriguez during a phone interview with the Tribune said that if Mrs. Arroyo intends to come clean on the latest controversy she should give the Office of the Ombudsman a free hand to probe Farinas, De Leon and others possibly involved in the illegal acts.
“We decry these alleged actions from Malacañang. For the Palace to support party listsgroups with government funds is seriously illegal because a party-list group is supposedly a private entity and the government is prohibited from contributing to any political party list so as not to influence how this party list organization would vote in Congress on such critical issues like an impeachment for the President, he said.
“With this memorandum from the OEA in the hands of the leftists groups, Mrs. Arroyo should come clean by allowing the Ombudsman to step into the case of Farinas, de Leon and others...they could be held liable for a misappropriation of government funds by the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added.
Rodriguez, also the presidential legal counsel of Estrada, said if Mrs. Arroyo has nothing to hide she should lead the prosecution in court of Farinas and de Leon.
Rodriguez charged that the 12 party-lists groups, purportedly being supported by Malacañang could be disqualified if the Comelec acts without partisanship.
“The Comelec should step into this case. It should conduct an honest to goodness probe because this is a clear violation of the anti graft law and the party list law. This party list organization can be disqualified,” he stressed.
Rodriguez cited the Comelec ruling in 2001 national elections when the poll body disqualified the MAD party list group being headed by actor Richard Gomez. The ruling came after it was found that the said party list group had received government funds in their electoral bid at the House of Representatives.
With Gerry Baldo, Sherwin C. Olaes and Tribune wires

Executive Order 608: Cover-up Crimes Against The Filipino People

Leakage of ‘sensitive’ documents plugged to control cover-up ops

Gloria tightens gag order, issues EO 608

By Sherwin C. Olaes

Daily Tribune 04/20/2007

In a bid to make it more difficult for an opposition-dominated Senate to dig deeper into any issue that would require Malacañang to produce, through a Senate summons, classified information during Senate investigations and hearings, President Arroyo enhanced her gag order, Memorandum Circular 108, by complementing it with a newly signed Executive Order (EO) 608 that establishes a national security clearance system for government personnel with access to classified information.

At the same time, the EO was said to have been created by Mrs. Arroyo to plug any and all leaks, and deny her political foes the opportunity to get hold of these “sensitive documents” that may prove damaging to her and her presidency.

The media have also been the recipients of leaked information that has, however, preempted certain illegal and unconstitutional plans designed by the Palace to place the country under a virtual martial law regime.

The Tribune, having obtained a leaked document on the plan of Mrs. Arroyo to impose emergency rule in 2006 that called for the takeover of the media and the arrests of political dissenters, exposed this.

Malacañang denied there was such plan, but a few months later, Proclamation 1017, a copy of the Marcos martial law decree, was imposed, and the country was placed under a state of From page 1

emergency, where the Tribune was illegally raided and taken over by the state’s security forces.

Palace sources, who asked not to be identified, told the Tribune that the new EO was created to facilitate “cover-up” operations of whatever illegal acts that may have been committed, whenever needed.

It will be recalled that Mrs. Arroyo has refused to make the Mayuga Report, which delved into the Hello Garci electoral fraud pertaining to charges of certain military generals having actively participated in the electoral fraud to ensure her fraudulent presidential victory in 2004. She claimed that this could not be released, being a matter of “national security.”

Palace sources also said that EO 608 was designed to bar political foes or their groups from succeeding in obtaining “sensitive documents” that would be leaked to them by some Palace hands.

The EO content points to this.

It says: “Whereas the government is always at constant risk of being infiltrated by a group or individual for a purpose which is inimical to national interest, these groups or individuals rely on infiltrating and or developing contacts within the bureaucracy to be their source of intelligence and other relevant information, particularly on classified or sensitive information and materials in order to accomplish their unlawful objectives.”

The President, in the same EO states that any “unauthorized disclosure, sharing, publication or use of the information” contained in certain classified documents shall be considered a grave offense and shall be punishable in accordance with civil service rules and regulation.

The EO added that the filing of an administrative case against an erring personnel does not preclude the filing of any other appropriate criminal case against the accused security officer.

Malacañang officials who requested anonymity told the Tribune that the President, having learned her lesson, does not want to see a repeat of any leakage of sensitive information that occurred a year after the 2004 presidential polls, where documents showing the illegal disbursement of the P3 billion fertilizer funds scam for purposes other than funding agriculture projects and instead diverting the funds into Mrs. Arroyo’s campaign coffers in aid of her electoral victory, were obtained by the political opposition and the media.

The information leaked was that Department of Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, said to be the bagman of the presidential couple, obtained the release of some P780 million in fertilizers funds which was diverted into the pockets of congressmen-allies for their campaign expenses, plus more funds to buy votes for Mrs. Arroyo’s candidacy.

There was also the case of the wiretapped conversations between the then Commission on Election commissioner Virgilio “Garci” Garcillano and the President herself that focused on the cheating operations that had to be done to make her have a 1 million vote lead over the opposition presidential candidate, Fernando Poe Jr.

The Hello Garci tape was leaked by an agent of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (Isafp) and found its way to forces identified with groups opposed to Mrs. Arroyo.

The Hello Garci expose led to the near collapse of her presidency and government in July 2005.

“If before, members of the opposition lawmakers such as Sen. (Panfilo) Ping Lacson can easily obtain sensitive information damning to the Arroyo government, it would no longer be possible or as easy today especially after the President came up with this EO,” the Palace official informed the Tribune.

But Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, in a chance interview, defended the President’s issuance of EO 608, shooting down this early speculations and observations from the political opposition that this EO was created specifically to deny groups critical of Mrs. Arroyo and her government any and all access to these “sensitive documents” which are claimed to be national security concerns.

“When we deal with matters of security, all of us must be responsible enough in handling such information—and disinformation. And when I say ‘responsible enough’, we should not just throw anything against the administration and use the sensitive information (against the Arroyo administration). So they (opposition) should be discerning enough to know what are matters of national security especially that which pertain to the safety of our people and that’s the reason we are now quite strict in handling security matters,” Ermita pointed out.

Ermita also warned the opposition not to accuse the President for coming out with EO 608 in a bid to cover up any illegal acts.

“We are challenging the opposition to come out with strong evidence (of any illegal offense committed by Malacañang)and they (opposition) can always bring that to the proper court, instead of insinuating that this EO is to be used to cover up anything. And everything should be done in a very transparent manner, especially when this has to deal in the government projects such as biddings etc. That is hardly the purpose of the EO,” Ermita stressed.

EO 608 entails the establishment of a uniformed Security Clearance System that is national in scope to cover all government personnel who by reason of their function or their office have access to classified information.

Under Section 1, National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales would be given a major role to approve or reject the institutionalized security clearance procedures submitted to him by all heads of government offices that have access to classified matters.

Gonzales will be vested with the power to conduct a comprehensive background investigation on all government agencies personnel who by reason of their employment, have access to classified information.

“It is only after passing the said security clearance procedure that the department can issue an Interim Security Clearance (ISC) in favor of said employee. Only the head of the department, agency or office concerned or their designated representative can issue the Interim Security Clearance,” the EO states.

The heads of department are also tasked to designate a security officer who shall assume full responsibility for holding classified information, wherein the personnel granted ISC will not be allowed to disclose, share, publish or use the information contained in the classified documents.

Palace sources pointed out that the EO is all-encompassing, and covers all the departments in government, and with this EO, it will now be difficult for the Congress to demand that documents from their department necessary to be submitted for the hearings.

The security officer detailed by certain department heads that would secure classified information is also required to submit his name to the office of Gonzales wherein the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (Nica) on its own, can conduct background investigation on the certain personnel.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Related To Chickens

T. Rex Related to Chickens

By Jeanna Bryner
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 12 April 2007
02:10 pm ET

An adolescent female Tyrannosaurus rex died 68 million years ago, but its bones still contain intact soft tissue, including the oldest preserved proteins ever found, scientists say. And a comparison of the protein’s chemical structure to a slew of other species showed an evolutionary link between T. rex and chickens, bolstering the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs. The collagen proteins were found hidden inside the leg bone of the T. rex fossil, according to two studies published in the April 13 issue of the journal Science. Collagen is the main ingredient of connective tissue in animals and is found in cartilage, ligaments, tendons, hooves, bones and teeth. It yields gelatin and glue when boiled in water. “I mean can you imagine pulling a bone out the ground after 68 million years and then getting intact protein sequences?” said John Asara of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Harvard Medical School, lead author of one of the studies. “That’s just mind boggling how much preservation there is in these bones.” The previous record holder for the oldest protein tissue belonged to collagen found in a 100,000- to 300,000-year-old mammoth bone. The new finding will be viewed skeptically, admitted one of the researchers involved in the two studies. “It’s very, very, very controversial because most people have gone on record saying there’s an absolute time limit to anything that’s protein or DNA,” said Mary Schweitzer, a molecular paleontologist at North Carolina State University Matthew Carrano, a dinosaur curator at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., who was not involved in either study, said the protein findings are robust. “Here are the pieces of the protein. If you’re going to refute this you have to explain how these pieces got in there,” Carrano said in a telephone interview. “It’s not another molecule mimicking the protein and giving off a similar signal. This is the actual sequence.” Bone basics The T. rex leg bone, which looks like a giant drumstick, was unearthed by Jack Horner of the Museum of the Rockies in 2003 in the Hell Creek Formation, a fossil-packed area that spans Montana, Wyoming and North and South Dakota. In 2005, Schweitzer and her colleagues reported they had found evidence for soft, stretchy tissue sealed inside the dinosaur’s fossilized femur. The finding made headlines, but was also questioned by some experts. The hard stuff of bones is all that usually remains when a dead organism is buried beneath layers of earth. Usually, microbes devour all the easy-to-access soft tissue. So finding relatively intact soft tissue was a major claim. “For centuries it was believed that the process of fossilization destroyed any original material, consequently no one looked carefully at really old bones,” Schweitzer said. To gather her evidence, Schweitzer ran chemical analyses, finding the tissue reacted with antibodies from collagen taken from chicken and other avian tissues. Also, images from high-powered microscopes revealed a repeating series of thin stripes characteristic of collagen fibers. Asara then ran the tiny samples through a mass spectrometer, a machine that measures mass and charge of individual molecules, finding the relic tissue was indeed collagen. Dinosaur-bird link A comparison by Asara’s team of the amino-acid sequence from the T. rex collagen to a database of existing sequences from modern species showed it shared a remarkable similarity to that of chickens. Amino acids are the molecular building blocks of proteins; there are 20 of them used by organisms to build proteins, and their precise order is determined by instructions found in DNA. “I’m grateful that he was able to get the [amino acid] sequences out. That’s the Holy Grail,” Schweitzer told LiveScience. This finding supports the idea that chickens and T. rex share an evolutionary link and bolsters previous research showing that birds evolved from dinosaurs and that birds are living dinosaurs. “Here we have a real molecule from a real dinosaur, and it’s much more similar to a bird than it is to anything else,” Carrano said. The discovery will open the door for a suite of studies once thought off limits in the field of paleontology. For instance, proteins could supply more direct evidence about evolutionary links between living and extinct organisms. “Protein sequences often reflect little bits of the evolutionary history of animals, how they are different or similar among groups,” Carrano said. “This can provide information for extinct animals on how they are related through evolution to living groups of animals if we could pull out these kinds of molecules.” Plus, the process of fossilization remains somewhat of a mystery. “This is a really valuable window into [fossilization] because here you have some of the original material preserved,” Carrano said. “We would never have asked a question that required this information in the past and that shut the whole door on those avenues of research. And now they are potentially open to us,” Carrano said.

Income Gap Widens: RP’s Wealthiest Grew Richer Under Arroyo Term

Income Gap Widens: RP’s Wealthiest Grew Richer Under Arroyo Term

Written by IBON Media

Thursday, 12 April 2007

The gap between the unimaginable wealth of the country’s richest families and the poorest households highlights the yawning income inequalities that further widened under the Arroyo administration, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation. The richest 20% of the population account for 53% of the income pie while the bottom 20% get only 4.63. The poorest 30% of the country’s families, some 4.9 million, had a combined income of P177 billion, according to the 2003 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES). This was half of the total net worth of the Philippines’ richest: Jaime Zobel and his family, Lucio Tan and Henry Sy. According to Forbes magazine, as of Feb. 2007 the three had a total net worth of $7.5 billion or P360 billion (at P48:$1). From 1985, the share of the poorest 60% of the population fell by 1.8 percentage points while the richest 20% were able to increase their share by another 1.2 percentage points. “This is a vivid example of the skewed income distribution prevailing in the country, which has worsened since 1985,” said IBON executive editor Rosario Bella Guzman. She added that the income of the richest 10% of the country’s households is 21 times that of the poorest 10 percent. Guzman said the reason for such inequality was the not the failure of so-called economic growth to ‘trickle down’ to the poor, but the monopoly of ownership of the country’s productive assets, such as land and capital, in the hands of a relative few families. This denies the poor the ability to improve their lot even as the rich continue to get richer. This is illustrated by looking at the country’s poorest sectors– marginal peasants, small fisherfolk, the urban poor– who all suffer from extreme marginalization and exclusion from economic resources and the common goods. Unless there is more equitable access to economic assets, the poverty situation in the country will not improve, and indeed, can only get worse, Guzman said.

Web gurus want blog etiquette despite backlash

Wed Apr 11, 3:51 PM ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Bloggers are facing some high-profile peer pressure to please be a little more polite. Blogs, online journal-style Web sites, are growing in popularity on the Internet and so has the bad posting behavior that has sparked a call for a code of conduct.

"We have a lot of people who wrap themselves in the mantle of free speech when they're really just being childish," said Tim O'Reilly, a Web pioneer who amended the draft of his bloggers' code of conduct on Wednesday after a backlash of online posters cried censorship over civility.

O'Reilly, the innovator behind the term Web 2.0., recently posted the code's first draft on his own site and on wikia.com, which is run by Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.

The code includes a civility enforced standard that agrees not to post abusive, harassing, libelous, false or threatening comments. Content could not be used to stalk others.

Blog hosts would commit to deleting such posts. The code calls for a ban on anonymous comments and copyright or trademark infringement.

Bloggers have since been invited to share their thoughts and input, and hundreds have done so.

O'Reilly said he was trying to ignite discussion on the tolerance for juvenile behavior.

"There are those who feel they can deface almost in a graffiti-like fashion any blog that they visit and then slink back to the hole from whence they came."

The draft voluntary code follows incidents where a U.S. blogger and author received death threats by anonymous posters on her site.

"Is it OK to threaten people? Is it OK to post death threats in a blog? I don't think so. I don't think anybody thinks so," said Wales in a telephone interview.

"A lot of this is really kindergarten ethics. It's the adult way to handle this kind of thing. How do we make distinctions between a vibrant, healthy but rational debate versus hate speech and lunatics? I don't think it's that difficult and I don't think any responsible bloggers are opposed to that."

Both men say a precedent has been set for many bloggers who have already agreed to various acceptable use policies on social networking sites. These sites allow users to "flag" content they deem to be lewd, obscene, harassing or excessively violent or sexual explicit. Other conditions are also listed.

Meanwhile, some say it is impossible to have a universal code on the Web, which has proven difficult to regulate.

"It doesn't have a prayer of ever actually being followed universally, so it's not really going to accomplish a whole lot in terms of making the blogosphere a more civil place," said Carmi Levy, senior research analyst with Canadian-based Info-Tech Research Group in London, Ont.

He added that there will always be people who will swear and treat others with disrespect and a code of conduct will not change that.

"Blogging will continue to survive just fine without it," Levy said.

Corruption ‘pervasive’ in RP — US gov’t report

Graft index worse under GMA compared to Erap’s RP 1999 ranking

Corruption ‘pervasive’ in RP — US gov’t report

By Chito Lozada Business Editor

Daily Tribune 04/10/2007

Corruption in the Philippines remains “pervasive” and constitutes a major trade barrier, according to the latest National Trade Estimate (NTE) report of the US Trade Representatives (TR) office that is submitted annually to the United States Congress.

The report said corruption is a long-standing problem in the Philippines.

The USTR report came on the heels of a similar report by the Hong Kong-based Political and Economic Risk Consultancy (Perc) ranking the Philippines as the most corrupt country in Asia.

The report details significant barriers to US trade and investment and the broad array of US actions to reduce and eliminate such barriers.

The US agency noted the Philippines’ score in Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index survey has averaged 2.5 to 2.6, out of a best score of 10, since 2002, “down from 3.6 in 1999” during the term of detained President Joseph Estrada.

It said corruption remains pervasive despite the country having enough laws against it.

“The Philippine Revised Penal Code, the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and the Code of Ethical Conduct for public officials are intended to combat corruption and related anticompetitive business practices,” it noted.

It added foreign and domestic investors express concern over the propensity of local courts and regulators to stray beyond matters of legal interpretation into policymaking functions and about the lack of transparency in these decision-making processes.

“In addition, there are many reports that courts influenced by bribery improperly issue temporary restraining orders impeding the conduct of legitimate commerce,” the report said.

Also noted in the report are concerns over some appointees of Mrs. Arroyo that are indicative of their being political appointees who may have been appointed out of political considerations rather than their expertise, as they are seen as officials who are hardly qualified for the jobs they have taken.

“Investors also have raised concerns that regulators rarely have any background in economics, business or a competitive economic system, which enables entrenched interests to manipulate the legal system and regulatory process, whether by bribery or through exploiting the lack of expertise among regulators, to protect market positions,” it said.

It was also made clear in the report that despite the many anti-corruption agencies in the government and the existence of many anti graft and corruption laws, the enforcement or the application of the laws is inconsistent and selective.

It said the Office of the Ombudsman investigates cases of alleged graft and corruption involving public officials while the Sandiganbayan or the anti-graft court prosecutes and adjudicates cases filed by the Ombudsman.

“In addition, a Presidential Anti-Graft Commission is tasked with investigating and hearing administrative cases of presidential appointees in the executive branch and government-owned and controlled corporations,” the report added.

Under Philippine law, soliciting or accepting any offering and giving a bribe are criminal offenses, punishable by imprisonment of between six and 15 years, a fine, and/or disqualification from public office or business dealings with the government.

“As with many other laws, however, enforcement of anti-corruption laws has been inconsistent,” the USTR report said.

While it cited the government launching an initiative to strengthen public and private governance, including anti-corruption efforts, in cooperation with bilateral and multilateral aid donors in May 2000, “results of this initiative have been mixed and have not reached a critical mass to improve public perception appreciably.”

The USTR cited efforts to re-invigorate government’s anti-corruption drive.

“In December 2003, the President issued an executive order creating an anti-corruption watchdog - the Revenue Integrity Protection Service (RIPS) - in the Department of Finance that has worked closely with the Ombudsman to help curb corruption in revenue collection agencies,” according to the report.

President Arroyo has articulated her desire to strengthen the Office of the Ombudsman to become as efficient as Hong Kong’s Independent Commission Against Corruption, and each year since 2005 has made significantly higher budget requests for this office.

To date, however, the Ombudsman has been noted to have sat on corruption cases filed against Arroyo officials and allies, some examples of which are the money-laundering/extortion case filed against Mrs. Arroyo’s former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante, who stands accused by the Senate and other private parties of diverting some P3 billion in public funds into the campaign kitty of Mrs. Arroyo in 2004.

Bolante is now in a Chicago prison as he awaits his appeal case for political asylum in the US.

In November 2004, the Philippines became eligible for the Millennium Challenge Account Threshold Program and in June 2006, the Millennium Challenge Corporation approved a two-year $21 million grant to implement the Philippines Threshold Country Plan which focuses on strengthening the anti-corruption capabilities of the Office of the Ombudsman and tax collection agencies, including RIPS, the USTR said.

Perc’s survey of businessmen called the Philippines under Mrs. Arroyo’s watch as “The Most Corrupt” economy in Asia, with the country falling to a 9.4 grade from a 7.8 rating last year, on a scale of zero to 10, zero being the best possible score.

The Philippines was just short by .6 to earn a 10, the worst possible score.

“It is bad and has been bad all along,” the Hong Kong-based Perc said in its report. “People are just growing tired of the inaction and insincerity of leading officials when they promise to fight corruption.”

On the Perc survey and its tag of the Philippines being the most corrupt economy in Asia, Mrs. Arroyo again claimed that Perc, aside from relying on old data, also relied on mere newspaper articles, saying another anti-corruption watchdog, Transparency International, also does the same, which is the reason for the Philippines being tagged as a corrupt country.

Singapore and Hong Kong were seen as the cleanest economies, while China, Indonesia and Vietnam posted improvements, Perc said in a summary made available to Agence France Presse.

“The Philippines has the distinction of being perceived in the worst light this year,” Perc said after polling 1,476 expatriate business executives in 13 countries and territories across the region in January and February.

Antonio Trillanes For Senator

“Tapusin ang the Greatest Road User’s Tax Robbery”
“Trillanes, Bayang Malinis.” Gloria Arroyo government’s scam in the P365-million lampposts at Cebu International Convention Center .

“Tapusin ang the Greatest Heist”
“Trillanes, Bayang Malinis.” The Gloria Arroyo administration squandered P27 billion of the P35-billion ill-gotten wealth of the late strongman Ferdinand Marcos. The recovered 35 billion pesos ($683 M) from Swiss bank solely for the purpose of indemnifying the martial-law victims of human rights violations and to fund comprehensive agrarian reform program (CARP). Hello Joc-Joc Bolante! Masarap ba ang liquid fertilizer?

“Tapusin ang the Greatest Railroad Robbery”
“Trillanes, Bayang Malinis.” Gloria Arroyo’s North Rail Project allegedly over-priced by P29 Billion ($503 million).

Antonio "Magadalo" Trillanes

Saturday, 02 12, 2005 Daily Tribune
GMA’s China North Rail project reeks of graft
HOUSE LEADER IMPLICATED IN ALLEGED P29-B RAIL OVERPRICE
The gloves are really off.

Opposition Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile yesterday heatedly denounced the North Rail project and the half a billion dollar loan secured by President Arroyo from the Chinese government during her state visit to China late last year.

Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. was also linked to the alleged overpricing of $503 million or P29 billion in the foreign-funded North Rail Project has after his name, as well as one William Go, cropped up during the hearing in the Senate yesterday.

Enrile, in exposing the alleged P29-billion North Rail scam, vowed that it won't matter to him if he exposes the high and the mighty in government in this scam, saying “I will expose all of you before the Filipino people. I am old and I fear no one.”

Enrile stunned senators after he had disclosed that apart from the high 3 percent interest the Chinese Bank exacts from the government, the Department of Finance (DoF) also imposed a 1percent additional interest in the project cost, a move lawmakers in the upper chamber found questionable since this insertion was never part of the original arrangement.

With the additional 1 percent, this will increase the capital cost by 25 percent, Enrile stressed, adding the cost mentioned is still separate and distinct from the $82 million that will be borne by the government for undertaking the project and some P7.3 billion funding requirement for relocation of almost 41,000 affected families.

It was admitted by Arroyo officials in an earlier hearing that there was no money with which to fund the relocation of the squatters in the North Rail area.

Enrile, in exposing the North Rail project anomaly, said the loan for the project that was secured by Mrs. Arroyo from China's Export-Import Bank (Exim Bank) through the intercession of the government of People's Republic of China (PROC) during her state visit, is said to be a pet project of De Venecia.

The disclosure is seen to steer the ongoing investigation into the hands of the powerful blue ribbon committee given the alleged big names in the government supposedly involved in the purported scam.

In the hearing conducted by urban planning, housing and resettlement committee headed by Sen. Rodolfo Biazon, De Venecia was alluded to as the official behind this alleged highly-anomalous deal.

Enrile revealed this information reached his office as he questioned the one-percent additional interest rate the DoF had imposed as a means to guarantee government's payment of the loan.

In questioning the DoF officials, Enrile also made mention of a certain Hong Kong-based William Go, whom De Venecia allegedly used as a broker to ensure that the contractor, China National Machinery and Equipment Corp. (CNMEG), secures the contract.

Heatedly, Enrile charged: “You are plundering the people! The mere fact that you are doing this without notifying us of this, is already a crime.”

He added: What kind of bankers are you that you drain the blood of the country? This scam is being talked about in coffeeshops-and the word is out that very high government officials are involved in this scam. Even the name of De Venecia has been linked to this.

“And who is this William Go from Hong Kong? He (allegedly) has a commission in this (deal) and the public will be made to pay for it. Even other politicians being involved in this are (allegedly receiving) commissions...they are 'commissioners,'” Enrile said, in berating the DoF officials.

It was learned that Enrile was made aware of the fact that the DoF had imposed a 1 percent interest on top of the three percent.

“The cost of this is going to be four percent instead of three percent...and the people who tell me this are themselves in the board of this railways (North Luzon Railways Corp. (NLRC) project. They have told me that they are being exacted another one percent by the DoF in addition to the (one percent interest rate of) $503 million.

“The finance department is passing this on to the railways corporation...in effect an additional 25 percent of the cost of money... that will be passed on to the riding public...if this is true, we are bargaining off the nation and the people with 25 percent,” he said.

DoF officials confirmed the one percent interest, saying it is in the draft subsidiary loan of the agreement to cover the cost of managing of the relending of the loan.

Based on their explanation, it would appear that the additional interest rate was made to ensure the Chinese foreign bank of the Arroyo government's payment of the loan in case there would be a default in obligation.

“For God's sake why are you doing this kind of thing? Managing a loan? You are being paid to handle the finances of the government and you are going to act as if you were a corporation, a bank to exact money from the people like this...that's $5 million,” Enrile said.

The senator was assured, however, that the subsidiary agreement is yet to be signed but the opposition lawmaker would not hear of it as he still required the officials to submit in the next hearing their explanation on the matter along with the necessary documents and the signed contracts.

In view of this information, Biazon, during the hearing, moved that the ongoing investigation be turned over to the committee on accountability of public officers and investigations or the blue ribbon committee chaired by Sen. Joker Arroyo.

Biazon's decision was immediately supported by panel members, Enrile and Sen. Juan Flavier.

Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. who paved the way for the conduct of the probe after he delivered a privilege speech earlier this month questioning the project said the matter is proving to be messy as the public was given the impression the North Rail project would be built at no cost to the government after President Arroyo claimed she had managed to secure a loan package from the Chinese government when she made her state visit to China.

The project has been awarded to CNMEG and is funded by a $503 million loan, of which $421 million comes from China's Export-Import Bank.

Arroyo’s Six-Year Record Shows Highest Debt, Lowest Cost In Social Services

Arroyo’s Six-Year Record Shows Highest Debt, Lowest Cost In Social Services
Written by IBON Media
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
In her response to a survey that found the Philippines to be the most corrupt economy in Asia, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo claimed that the country’s negative image was an offshoot of tough decisions she made to turn the country around, such as the implementation of tax reforms like the RVAT.
But an examination of her six-year record in office showed that her government actually brought the country to its worst-ever fiscal crisis, according to independent think-tank IBON Foundation.
IBON research head Sonny Africa pointed out that total national government debt stands at P3.914 trillion as of October 2006, while total public sector debt (including debt of government corporations and other government entities) approaches P6 trillion, equivalent to some 110% of the gross domestic product. Africa added that these figures do not yet include contingent liabilities (or government-guaranteed debt) of P552.7 billion as of September 2006. The Arroyo government is the most indebted government in Philippine history, as well as among the most heavily indebted in East Asia.
Hence, total debt service allocations in the national budget have increased 186% from P274 billion in 2001 to P784 billion in just the first eleven months of last year, Africa said. In real terms (taking inflation and population growth into account), he added, every Filipino now owes the country’s creditors some P9,015.
Thus, Africa said that it should not be surprising that Arroyo was forced to implement the RVAT, the most regressive tax of all, which generated P76.9 billion in net revenues last year, mostly taken from the pockets of ordinary consumers.
But he added that Arroyo failed to point out that she also made drastic cuts in allocations for social services to make these high and rising debt payments. Real spending per capita on education of P1,506 in 2006 is 22% lower than in 2001, on health of a measly P159 is 25% lower, and on social security, welfare and employment of P532 is 9% lower, he said.
Government’s neglect of education, coupled with worsening economic and social conditions, means that millions of children are unable to obtain a decent schooling. Out of every 100 children who enter Grade 1, only 66% will finish elementary school, 43% high school and only 14% will graduate from college.
Further, in 2006 some 2.5 million children aged 5 to 17 were working either to augment family income or merely to survive. Over three-fourths of these children were working as laborers and unskilled workers in psychologically and physically hazardous conditions.
No amount of hype about economic gains can hide the worsening state of the people’s welfare under the Arroyo administation, Africa said.

Economy Not Improving, IBON Belies Arroyo's Economic ‘Gains’

International Group Issues Global Warming Report

International Group Issues Global Warming Report

By Arthur Max
Associated Press
posted: 06 April 2007
09:50 am ET

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP)—An international global warming conference approved a report Friday warning of dire threats to the Earth and to mankind—from increased hunger to the extinction of species—unless the world adapts to climate change and halts its progress. Agreement came after an all-night session during which key sections were deleted from the draft and scientists angrily confronted government negotiators who they feared were watering down their findings. "It has been a complex exercise,'' said Rajendra Pachauri, chairman of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Several scientists objected to the editing of the final draft by government negotiators but in the end agreed to compromises. However, some scientists vowed never to take part in the process again. The climax of five days of negotiations was reached when the delegates removed parts of a key chart highlighting devastating effects of climate change that kick in with every rise of 1.8 degrees Fahrenheit, and in a tussle over the level of scientific reliability attached to key statements. There was little doubt about the science, which was based on 29,000 sets of data, much of it collected in the last five years. "For the first time we are not just arm-waving with models,'' Martin Perry, who conducted the grueling negotiations, told reporters. The United States, China and Saudi Arabia raised the many of the objections to the phrasing, often seeking to tone down the certainty of some of the more dire projections. What is says The final IPCC report is the clearest and most comprehensive scientific statement to date on the impact of global warming mainly caused by man-induced carbon dioxide pollution. It said up to 30 percent of the Earth's species face an increased risk of vanishing if global temperatures rise 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit above the average in the 1980s and '90s. Areas that now suffer a shortage of rain will become even more dry, adding to the risks of hunger and disease, it said. The world will face heightened threats of flooding, severe storms and the erosion of coastlines. "This is a glimpse into an apocalyptic future,'' the Greenpeace environmental group said of the final report. Negotiators pored over the 21-page draft meant to be a policy guide for governments. The summary pares down the full 1,500-page scientific assessment of the evidence of climate change so far, and the impact it will have on the Earth's most vulnerable people and ecosystems. More than 120 nations attended the meeting. Each word was approved by consensus, and any change had to be approved by the scientists who drew up that section of the report. Though weakened by the deletion of some elements, the final report "will send a very, very clear signal'' to governments, said Yvo de Boer, the U.N.'s top climate official. Next steps The summary will be presented to the G8 summit of the world's richest nations in June, when the European Union is expected to renew appeals to President Bush to join in international efforts to control emissions of fossil fuels. This year's series of reports by the IPCC were the first in six years from the prestigious body of some 2,500 scientists, formed in 1988. Public awareness of climate change gave the IPCC's work unaccustomed importance and fueled the intensity of the closed-door negotiations during the five-day meeting. "The urgency of this report prepared by the world's top scientists should be matched by an equally urgent response from governments,'' said Hans Verolme, director of the global climate change program of the World Wide Fund for Nature. "Doing nothing is not an option,'' he said. During the final session, the conference snagged over a sentence that said the impact of climate change already were being observed on every continent and in most oceans. "There is very high confidence that many natural systems are being affected by regional climate changes, particularly temperature increases,'' said the statement on the first page of text. But China insisted on striking the word "very,'' injecting a measure of doubt into what the scientists argued were indisputable observations. The report's three authors refused to go along with the change, resulting in an hours-long deadlock that was broken by a U.S. compromise to delete any reference to confidence levels. It is the second of four reports from the IPCC this year; the first report in February laid out the scientific case for how global warming is happening. This second report is the "so what'' report, explaining what the effects of global warming will be. Who gets hit European Environment Commissioner Stavros Dimas said the report will spur the EU's determination to curb greenhouse gas emissions. "The world needs to act fast if we are to succeed in stabilizing climate change and thereby prevent its worst impacts,'' Dimas said in a statement. For the first time, the scientists broke down their predictions into regions, and forecast that climate change will affect billions of people. North America will experience more severe storms with human and economic loss, and cultural and social disruptions. It can expect more hurricanes, floods, droughts, heat waves and wildfires, it said. Coasts will be swamped by rising sea levels. In the short term, crop yields may increase by 5 to 20 percent from a longer growing season, but will plummet if temperatures rise by 7.2 F. Africa will be hardest hit. By 2020, up to 250 million people are likely to exposed to water shortages. In some countries, food production could fall by half, it said. Parts of Asia are threatened with massive flooding and avalanches from melting Himalayan glaciers. Europe also will see its Alpine glaciers disappear. Australia's Great Barrier Reef will lose much of its coral to bleaching from even moderate increases in sea temperatures, the report said. Billions face climate change risk