Philippines to grow 4.2% this year: HSBC

MANILA, Philippines - Prospects are bright for the Philippines this year as its economy is expected to expand by 4.2%, and its currency seen to hit P43.5 to the dollar by year-end.

Frederic Neumann, HSBC senior economist, said the country's economic growth for 2010 will be supported by stronger remittances and higher government spending.

"Looking ahead, the Philippines will see a sharp rebound in growth," Neumann told reporters.

Despite the rosy outlook, however, Neumann warned that the country's inflation rate may rise to 5.1% this year from last year's 3.2%.

Given this, he called on the central bank to begin tightening monetary policy.

The Philippine economy was expected to expand by a meager 1.1% in 2009. For the first 3 quarters last year, the country posted a 0.7% growth in gross domestic product (GDP).

GDP figures for the last quarter and the whole of 2009 are set to be released on January 28.

Can Peace be Achieved in Maguindanao?

MANILA, Philippines - The Maguindanao massacre was triggered by two clans' struggle to gain power over the province.

This kind of conflict is not exclusive in Maguindanao but local leaders in other provinces have found a way to maintain peace among clans.

In an interview on ANC's Talkback with Tina Palma on Monday, Sarangani Governor Miguel Dominguez said their peace program not only involved residents but local authorities and insurgents as well.

"First thing we did was invest in the culture of peace training where we invested in leaders and developed what we call peace and development advocates in every barangay, even went to the extent training our army, police together with the MILF..." Dominguez said.

Sarangani was among the recipients of the "Galing Pook Award" for its peace efforts.

The Galing Pook Foundation honors yearly outstanding practices of local government units ranging from peace and conflict resolution to environmental management.

Another awardee is Tabuk in Kalinga Province where Mayor Camilo Lammawin Jr. combined traditional ways of resolving conflict with local government institutions.

"Ten years ago Tabuk was dubbed as the most dangerous place in the Cordilleras because of so many killings, tribal vendettas... so we helped organize all these tribes. A tribe has Bodong holders, the peace pot holders... so we had to organize these Bodong holders and have to meet them thru Bodong warming wherein two tribes meet again, renew their peace pact..." Lammawin Jr. said.

Former Congressman Nereus Acosta who is also a member of the National Selection Committee of Galing Pook said the awardees were successful in their peace efforts due to their innovations.

He however admits it could take time before peace can be achieved among the Ampatuans and Mangudadatus in Maguindanao.

When asked if martial law is the solution to the Maguindanao massacre, Dominguez said it is, so long as its implementation is only temporary.

"On the short term, as a party we support martial law, given we dismantle, disarm every single person in Maguindanao to level the playing field. Second, those responsible should be arrested and charged, once we achieve that, martial law should be lifted as soon as possible."

But Lammawin Jr. and Acosta are against it.

They believe government can solve the killings and prevent further violence without martial law.

Despite opposition from various sectors, martial law stays in effect in Maguindanao.

But whether or not this will actually solve the Maguindanao massacre and stop the violence in the province remains to be seen.

Missing passengers may be trapped inside sunken ferry

MANILA, Philippines - Twenty-four people on board the ill-fated passenger ferry Catalyn B may have been trapped inside the vessel after it smashed into a trawler off the coast of Limbones Island in Cavite, the Philippine Coast Guard said Friday.

Rescuers said they planned to spend 10 days searching for survivors and would also look into the fitness and discipline of the crew involved in the crash.

"I would say that we should stay there for about 10 days and then find out if we can be successful in (finding) the remaining unaccounted passengers," Coast Guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said in an interview.

Catalyn B, a flimsy, wooden vessel taking holidaymakers to their home village on a small island off the mouth of Manila Bay, smashed into Anathalia, a metal-hulled fishing boat, killing 3 people on Christmas eve. Forty-six survivors were fished out of the water on Thursday.

On Friday rescue boats combed sea waters of Bataan, Cavite and Batangas, hoping to find any sign that might point to the exact location of the missing ferry passengers. The PCG said some of the missing passengers may have been swept out to sea.

Some survivors warned that some of the missing could have been trapped inside the vessel, which the Coast Guard said sank in 67 meters (220 feet) of water within minutes of impact.

"Usually people can survive afloat for two to three days in Philippine waters," Ensign Jhoe Barbasa, a Coast Guard spokeswoman told Agence France-Presse

"But other factors also play a big role. Hunger, injuries or ailments, like hypertension, and the weather, can affect that window," she added.

Boat operations suspended

President Arroyo on Friday suspended operations of the boat owners, pending a full investigation of the ferry collision.

Since there were no reports of engine trouble or bad weather during the predawn collision, Tamayo said that "obviously" someone failed to observe nautical rules on rights of way, leading to the disaster.

"We're also looking at conditions of the watch at the navigating bridge -- whether the crew or the captain are in good physical condition, whether they (were) drunk or tired or maybe they were not awake at that time."

A formal inquiry will start "maybe in three or four days", he said.

Relatives of the missing passengers, meanwhile, spent Christmas at the PCG headquarters in Manila while waiting for news about the rescue efforts.

Ludy Magat, who has three relatives among those missing, could not help but cry over the fate of her relatives. “Ang hirap. Masakit, ‘di [namin] alam kung ano ang hinihintay namin," she said.

The relatives are requesting the PCG to send frogmen and find out if the missing people were indeed trapped inside Catalyn B.

The PCG, however, said they are focusing their efforts on searching for survivors first. It added that the Catalyn B is too deep for the PCG's divers.

Journalists condemn Maguindanao massacre

MANILA – Philippine and foreign media organizations on Tuesday condemned the massacre of at least 47 people, including journalists, in last Monday’s incident in Maguindanao.

Rowena Paraan, coordinator of the Media Safety Office of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP) challenged the government to take immediate action.

“We challenge PNP (Philippine National Police) and Malacañang na huwag protektahan kung sino yung gumawa nito kahit gaano kalapit sa inyo. Kasi kung proprotektahan ninyo ang pumatay sa mga mamamahayag na ito, parang kayo na rin yung nag pull ng trigger,” Paraan said.

Paraan confirmed that 12 journalists were killed in Maguindanao and some of them were members of the NUJP.

Death toll to climb

However, she clarified that the list provided to them by their local chapters is not yet the final figure. They believe the number of journalists killed in the incident could still climb as authorities continue to recover more bodies.

“We think na yung 12 hindi pa yun ang buong bilang kasi based sa info na nakuha namin, there were actually 30 media practitioners who were invited to join the coverage,” said Paraan.

She added that they have tapped the help of local journalists to find out who actually went to cover the supposed filing of the certificate of candidacy of Buluan Vice Mayor Esmael Mangudadatu.

About a hundred armed men stopped the convoy of Mangudadatu’s wife while on their way to file the vice mayor’s COC on Monday afternoon. Aside form the group of journalists, Mangudadatu’s wife, several of his relatives, and supporters were also killed in the incident.

Police and military recovered some of the bodies in Sitio Masalay, Barangay Salman in Ampatuan town.

Highest number of journalists killed

“Ito ang isang incident with the highest number of journalists killed. A single incident kung saan we have at least 12 members of media slain. Wala kaming maalalang ibang kaso kahit sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas na mas dadami pa sa bilang na ito na mga mamamahayag na pinatay,” Paraan said.

According to Paraan, most of the victims came from General Santos, Koronadal and Sultan Kudarat.

“Mayrong mga miyembro ang NUJP doon sa mga nasa listahan so medyo napakahirap para sa amin. Yung ibang hindi namin myembro some of them were actually participants sa mga trainings that we conducted in those provinces,” she said.

Data from the NUJP shows that 104 journalists have been killed since 1986. Of the total, 67 were killed under the Arroyo administration.

“Wala pang nahuhuli. Kung may nahuli man at naparusahan, puro gunmen. Not a single mastermind has been arrested and prosecuted,” Nonoy Espina, NUJP’s vice chairperson said.

“Its been so much a tradition that people expect that when media are there, nothing bad can happen because nothing bad usually happens in the glare of cameras. But yesterday was totally raw abuse of power,” he added.

For Malou Mangahas of the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ), the group of journalists who went to Maguindanao was there to cover a legitimate story.

“And they were not taking sides. There was nothing, no evidence of them taking sides,” Mangahas said.

She lamented not seeing the local government of Maguindanao “feeling as concerned about what happened”.

In solidarity

The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) also expressed outrage and condemned the massacre.

According to KBP President Herman Basbaño, the carnage is another blow to the already battered image of Philippine media. Basbaño said the perpetrators in the incident showed disregard for law and order.

He likewise called on the national government and all law enforcement authorities to thoroughly probe and put the culprits behind bars.

The Philippine Press Institute (PPI) echoed the sentiments of other media groups and joined the call to urge the government to arrest the perpetrators and bring them to justice.

"The perpetrators should be arrested, prosecuted, and, after trial, punished. We must put a stop to the culture of impunity in the killing of journalists and make the country safe again for media people," PPI chairman-president Isagani Yambot said in a press statement.

The PPI also urged President Arroyo to disarm all political warlords, dismantle private armies, and intensify the drive against loose firearms, of which there are more than 110,000 in Mindanao alone.

In another statement, the Samahang Plaridel condoled with the victims and deplored what it described as “the most gruesome incidence of political violence involving rival clans in Mindanao.”

“No less than a swift and decisive action from Malacañang can prevent further escalation of violence that already snuffed the lives of local mediamen who were simply doing their jobs when caught in the crossfire,” the group said.

It added that “such politically-motivated heinous crimes demand a critical response not just to serve justice to the victims' families but more importantly, to put a stop to the culture of violence in Mindanao during election season”.

For members of the Malacañang Press Corps (MPC), the massacre worsens the prevailing climate of impunity in the county.

“We, officers and members of the Malacañang Press Corps seek justice for our colleagues, who were massacred in the line of duty in Maguindanao. The incident is terrible and sickening,” the group said.

A reminder

Center for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR), in a statement, said the killings “are likely to trigger a cycle of reprisals and counter-reprisals that will raise even higher the levels of violence in Maguindanao, quite possibly in the rest of Mindanao, and even the entire Philippines itself. Violence has a way of begetting further violence, as Philippine experience demonstrates.”

It condemned the Maguindanao massacre as “not only an attack on a local politician, on his supporters, and on journalists. It was also an attack on what’s left of Philippine democracy, in which free and peaceful elections have never been as urgent an imperative as today.”

“Only the quickest and most decisive response in terms of arresting and bringing the perpetrators to court can prevent the November 23 killings from turning into one more incident to inspire the killers—of journalists, political activists, local officials, priests, lawyers and judges—who roam this country with impunity to keep on killing.,” said CMFR in the statement.

CMFR likewise rejected Malacañang’s declaration of a state of emergency in the province as well as in neighboring Sultan Kudarat and Cotabato City.

“The local military and police are widely known to be partial to certain groups, and are likely to harden that partisanship as elections in May 2010 nears. Indeed policemen are said to have been part of the group of 100 that waylaid the convoy the slain journalists were accompanying. A state of emergency will provide a convenient cover for military and police partisanship, among other reasons because it will provide them a legal basis for preventing the media from covering the impact on the citizenry of the political rivalries, based on clan disputes, that haunt Maguindanao and other areas of Mindanao as well as the overall conduct of the elections there,” said CMFR.

CMFR asserted the crucial task of media “to provide the citizenry the information it needs so it can make such decisions as to who to vote for as well as others related to its well-being and safety.”

“We reiterate, however, that no story is worth the life of a single journalist. Journalists must take the greatest care to assure their own safety, and to evaluate the risks involved before covering any event of public relevance anywhere. Journalists must thus take care to steer clear of partisanships likely to transform them into casualties of the clash between political parties and feuding clans, and to affirm through their work and actions their sole loyalty to the professional and ethical imperatives of fairness and truth telling,” said CMFR.

Meanwhile, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urged the international community to intervene to demand a full probe to bring to justice those responsible for the crime.

“This is an event which shocks journalists around the world to the core. We need a strong and urgent response from the Philippine government and the international community,” said Aidan White, IFJ General Secretary.

Clinton to visit storm-hit Philippines

WASHINGTON - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said Friday she will travel to the Philippines next week to "show solidarity" with the storm-battered nation, just after her visits to Singapore and Berlin.

Clinton also announced she will join President Barack Obama during his visit to China from November 15-18, her second trip as chief diplomat to the country the Obama administration recognizes as a key global player.

In a flurry of travel announcements this week, Clinton and her aides announced her tour of Europe and Asia, one that comes on top of a tour of Pakistan and the Middle East that only ended on Wednesday.

"I'll be going to the Philippines, to show solidarity with our friends in the Philippines who have been battered by typhoons and have just suffered so much over the last weeks," Clinton said in a speech in Washington.

Typhoon Santi (international name Mirinae) swept over the main island Luzon on Saturday, dumping heavy rain and bringing strong winds just weeks after Tropical Storm Ondoy (Ketsana) and Typhoon (Pepeng) Parma left about 1,100 dead and tens of thousands homeless.

During her visit to Manila from November 12-13, "the secretary will hold consultations with senior Filipino officials, highlighting the US-Philippines treaty alliance," Clinton's spokesman Ian Kelly told reporters.

Her trip starts with a stop in Berlin for official ceremonies on Monday to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. She was due to give a speech in the German capital on Sunday at the Atlantic Council.

In a speech in Washington to many of those who supported her during her presidential campaign last year, Clinton said the wall's fall marked the end of a Cold War era in which the world was divided into clear blocs.

"So we find ourselves now in a much more complex world, and we just have to be up for it and we have to be smarter about it," Clinton said. "And we have to demand more from ourselves and our partners."

Clinton will then visit Singapore for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meeting ahead of the APEC summit, at which President Barack Obama will make his inaugural appearance.

She will be in Singapore from November 10-12, before returning a day later from the Philippines to join Obama at the summit, aides said.

Kurt Tong, the State Department's pointman on APEC, said this week that the various APEC meetings, including those attended by Clinton, will focus on economic recovery following the massive global recession.

Clinton said in her speech that she will join Obama on a visit to China, which is scheduled from November 15-18, which she called a "very important trip to further the dialogue between our two countries."

China was a key stop on Clinton's first overseas tour as secretary of state, in what analysts said was a US bow to an increasingly powerful region in a bid to tackle the global economic crisis, climate change and nuclear weapons.

Teenager shot dead in gang war

MANILA, Philippines -- A 15-year-old boy was shot and killed Saturday evening allegedly by members of two rival teenage street gangs in Manila.
Arnold Pantaleon, reportedly a member of the Young Trouble Maker (YTM) gang, of M. Hizon Street in Sta. Cruz, was declared dead on arrival by attending doctors at the Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center (JRMMC) from a bullet wound in the chest.
Manila Police District (MPD) homicide section personnel have fanned out to hunt two suspects, identified only as an “Alvin” and a certain “Brando,” aged 16 and 17, who are reportedly members of the Batang Malabon Gang and the Tropang Kulet, who immediately fled after the shooting.
PO3 Jay Santos, case investigator, said the shooting happened at around 7:30 pm, Saturday, in front of a building at 1844 Oroquieta Street in Sta. Cruz, while Pantaleon was walking along the sidewalk to fetch his girlfriend from a friend’s house.
Santos said Pantaleon was approached by Brando, the 17-year-old member of the Tropang Kulet, who briefly chatted with him. The ploy, the case investigator stressed, seemed to have been a diversionary tactic as the 16-year-old member of the Batang Malabon Gang appeared a few minutes after.
Armed with a gun, Alvin shot Pantaleon in the left side of the chest. Alvin and Brando then fled after the 15-year-old boy fell bloodied on the pavement.
Although badly injured, Pantaleon was able to seek the help of bystanders who brought him to the nearest hospital where he later died.Homicide investigators are conducting follow-up operations to determine the motive for the assault and to arrest the suspects.

Comelec extends registration hours

In anticipation of last-minute registrants, the Commission on Elections will be extending by at least four hours the daily voters' registration being conducted across the country until the end of the month. "We are aware that a lot of Filipinos choose to register at the last minute. So in order to accommodate them and also address the growing crowds at our field offices as we near the registration deadline, the Comelec en banc has ordered the extension of office hours in all registration centers nationwide," said Comelec spokesman James Jimenez. Jimenez said that starting October 22 until October 30, registration hours in Comelec field offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 9 p.m. Registration on October 31, the last day for registration, will be open until 12 midnight. Jimenez was quick to clarify, however, that they are only extending the registration hours, not the registration days. "We need the remaining time this year to finalize the list of voters so that we can finalize also our allocation, if we cannot finalize out allocations on time, we might have shortages on election day and that is something we want to avoid," he told reporters. For this purpose, Jimenez said they are also fielding 62 new data capturing machines used in the registration process. “Nagkaroon ng sobrang daming dating ng bagong rehistro (There was an influx of new registrants), in order to accommodate the overflow, we will be fielding 62 new data capturing machines throughout various places in Metro Manila," he said. Jimenez said these machines will definitely boost the number of registered voters listed with the poll body. "What you need to really appreciate I guess is the impact of these new machines. The reason why we are moving really slowly is isang makina o dalawa lang sa isang place (there is only one or two machines in one place)," he said. Earlier, the Comelec had also opened the registration for two Sundays in areas greatly affected by typhoons “Ondoy" and “Pepeng." "Those that were affected by the floods will have Sundays but other places outside Luzon will not have registration day on Sunday," said Jimenez. The offices of the elections officers opened last October 18 and will also be open on October 25 including those in Regions I, II, III, IV-A, V, CAR, and NCR. The Comelec had also earlier allotted last Friday, October 16, as a special registration day for persons with disabilities in six cities, specifically Cagayan De Oro City, Davao City, Cabanatuan City, Zambonga City, IloIlo City, and San Fernando City in Pampanga. Meanwhile, the poll body spokesman said they are also looking into reports that some Comelec field offices have not been doing their work properly. "We’ve been receiving reports of this, we’re trying to figure out on a case to case basis. Obviously, bawat isang lugar mayroon siyang sariling set of challenges na kung minsan (every place will have their own set of challenges which would sometimes) lead them to open late or sometimes not open at all," he said. Figures from the poll body indicate that as of July 2009, there are a total of 45,638,243 registered voters for the 2010 elections. In the 2007 elections, there were 45,029,443 registered voters

Philippine weather forecasters face angry storm

MANILA (AFP) - – A storm threatens to wallop the Philippines but a huge computer that dominates the forecasting room of the nation's weather service is in screensaver mode showing a cartoon pattern of unexploded bombs.

While tropical storm Parma ominously hovers near the main island of Luzon, the computer has no data to receive as the main weather radar on a hilltop in the northeastern resort of Baguio is out of action -- again.

This scenario played out Tuesday when AFP visited the forecasters in Manila to examine why they failed to predict the ferocity of tropical storm Ketsana which killed nearly 300 people in and around the capital on September 26.

"Our old radar has limitations," said Fredolina Baldonado, a meteorologist at the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA).

"It has a blind spot to the south and that includes Metropolitan Manila."

This, she said, explained why the forecasters were unable to warn the residents of Manila before 42 centimetres (17 inches) -- the heaviest deluge in more than four decades -- was dumped on the nation's capital.

Asked why the radar was not working on Tuesday as Filipinos looked to PAGASA for guidance on tropical storm Parma, senior weather forecaster Rene Paciente gave a matter-of-fact explanation about the radar breakdown in Baguio.

A landslide had disturbed the alignment of its antenna, and as a result could not transmit data to the forecaster's headquarters, Paciente said.

Stuck in the middle of the Pacific typhoon belt, the impoverished Southeast Asian archipelago's first line of defence for dangerous weather is PAGASA, an acronym which without any intended irony is the Filipino word for "hope".

The weather service has a limited network of radar stations to track an average of 19 typhoons that approach the country each year, with nine or 10 of those storms making landfall to claim a combined tally of hundreds of lives.

While weather forecasters around the world are often subject to derision for getting their predictions wrong, PAGASA is a particularly vulnerable target with critics using the events of recent weeks to strengthen their arguments.

However, PAGASA operations chief Nathaniel Cruz insisted he was in charge of a "24/7" system, manned at any one time by up to four forecasters.

They were supported by as many as three cartographers who plotted the weather systems on graphs, up to two weather satellite experts and two meteorological telecommunications men, he said.

Cruz also rejected one common assertion that PAGASA was not getting the government funding needed to perform properly.

"It is incorrect to say PAGASA has been left begging for funds," Cruz said, adding the government had given the weather service four billion pesos (about 86 million dollars) for equipment upgrades over the past five years.

Nevertheless, PAGASA's headquarters is an old, squat building on a sprawling government compound in northern Manila that has been overrun by squatters.

One side of the street houses PAGASA, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and other government agencies, while on the other side and behind the buildings are shanty towns housing thousands of squatters.

Cruz urged people to focus on a plan to buy five modern Doppler radars worth 100,000 dollars each that would dramatically improve PAGASA'S forecasting abilities.

The radars would give the country warnings six hours ahead of typhoons, and would be able to predict the intensity of rain expected to fall within an area as small as two square kilometres (0.8 square miles).

The plan is for two of the radars to be installed next year on either seaward flank of Manila, remedying the current radar's blind spot that caused the deadly miss when tropical storm Ketsana hit.

4 to 6 more cyclones to enter RP before yearend

After "Ondoy," "Pepeng" and "Quedan," about four to six more cyclones are due to enter Philippine territory in the last three months of 2009, the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Monday.

Pagasa weather bureau head Nathaniel Cruz said that while not all of these incoming cyclones would make landfall, some may still directly affect the country.

"Mga apat hanggang anim pa, pero di lahat yan tatama sa kalupaan (We expect four to six more cyclones to enter Philippine territory till yearend, but not all of them will make landfall)," Cruz said in an interview on dzRH radio.

Cruz cited the case of typhoon "Melor," which was named Quedan after entering Philippine territory Monday afternoon. He said it is not expected to directly affect the country.

Other cyclones after Melor"/"Quedan for this year would be named "Ramil," "Santi," "Tino," "Urduja," "Vinta," "Wilma," "Yolanda," and "Zoraida," according to Pagasa.

Earlier, Cruz said Melor is keeping tropical storm Pepeng (international name: Parma) over Northern Luzon and preventing it from leaving Philippine territory.

He said Melor is expected to re-curve northward upon entering Philippine territory and head for Japan. Once Melor leaves Philippine territory, Pepeng may eventually follow suit, he said.

"Pag alis ni Melor dito sa area of responsibility, unti-unting susunod si Pepeng papunta na rin ng bansang Hapon. Pero di biglaan yan, parang start uli ang makina ni Pepeng, parang unti-unti gagalaw siya sa northeast direction," he said.

(Once Melor leaves our area of responsibility, Pepeng will follow towards Japan. But it will not be sudden. Pepeng will move towards Japan slowly.)

Arroyo reveals 2nd reason for nationwide state of calamity

Aside from allowing local governments to access their calamity funds, President Arroyo bared a second reason Saturday for placing the entire country under a state of calamity: to go after profiteers.

Fears have been raised that the government was taking advantage of the crisis caused by tropical storm “Ondoy" to raise funds for next year’s general election.

Critics wondered why other provinces not affected by Ondoy were also being allowed to tap emergency funds when they are not really suffering from a state of calamity.

But Mrs. Arroyo explained that the nationwide state of calamity will allow government to run after traders who will go to areas not under a state of calamity to sell their products at higher prices.

“What was observed was that when there was price control imposed in a given area some supplies were diverted. So (this was also) for purposes of price control," she said at a meeting of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).

On the other hand, she said one of the shortcomings of the present Price Law is that the local government can use the calamity funds in an actual state of calamity and not for risk reduction.

Earlier, Favila admitted the decision stemmed from the executive session of the NDCC in Cainta, Rizal, where they discussed the matter.

“There are unscrupulous traders who go to nearby areas not under a state of calamity, then sell at higher prices. We discussed it in the NDCC meeting’s executive session," he said in an interview on dzBB radio.

He said the nationwide state of calamity was a recommendation of the National Price Coordinating Council. -

Loren hints at dropping 2010 political ambitions

Amid the spate of declarations from prospective presidential and vice-presidential candidates in the past weeks, Senator Loren Legarda on Monday dropped hints of foregoing whatever political plans she has in 2010 and instead, focus on her humanitarian works.

"Mas mabuti pa siguro ang hindi kakandidato. Mas magandang wag nang tumakbo at kung ano ang gagastusin sa pagtakbo ay gamitin na lang sa humaniratian help, siguro ganun. Wag na lang tumakbo," Legarda told reporters Monday.

(I think it’s better not to run anymore and instead use your campaign funds to finance humanitarian works.)

Legarda issued her statement as the country reels from the effects of tropical storm "Ondoy," which struck Luzon over the weekend.

In dropping hints that she may abandon her political plans for next year's polls, Legarda believes that politics and campaigning get in the way of governance.

"Kasi pag kampanya anim na buwan yan na-immobilized ka, lahat ng iyong resources ay nasa posters at television ads at pangangamay ng tao. Nakakain ba nila yun? Hindi. Kaya pinag-iisip isipan ko rin," Legarda said.

She added: "Really it’s dawning upon me because ano ba naman yung power, ano ba naman yung posisyon? Ang gusto mo talaga ay maglingkod e, kung yun talaga ang pakay mo. I don’t need to be famous anymore because I’m already famous. I don’t need to prove anything anymore. I’m thinking about it because really what I want to do is humanitarian help."

The senator said it bothers her to spend millions of money for advertisement and at the same time seeing people who badly need help.

"In such a poor country that is disaster stricken it’s so unconscionable to be spending so much on campaign and politics. It bothers me," Legarda said.

She also said that she is seeing the realities of life as against the dirty maneueverings in politics.

Legarda is one of two senators belonging to the Nationalist People's Coalition (NPC) who have been reported to be eyeing the presidency in the 2010 elections. The other is Francis Escudero.

In 2004, Legarda sought the vice presidency but lost to former ABS-CBN colleague Noli de Castro. In the 2007 polls, she won as senator, and will serve until 2013.

Miracle rescue in shark-infested Philippine waters-updates

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines (AFP) - – A woman who survived more than 24 hours in shark-infested waters off the southern Philippines after a ferry sank was hauled to safety Monday in what officials hailed a "miracle" rescue.

A specialist airforce rescue team found Lita Casunglon bobbing in the ocean off the Zamboanga peninsula, about 15 kilometres (nine miles) from where the Superferry 9 sank on Sunday morning in a tragedy that left nine people dead.

"She's very lucky she survived," regional navy commander Rear Admiral Alexander Pama told AFP, noting that the tropical waters of Zamboanga were notorious for being infested with sharks.

"While its not uncommon to hear of stories like this, I would definitely consider it a miracle, if I were her."

Pama said the airforce rescuers had jumped into the water to save Casunglon, and she was in a stable condition.

However he said he was still to receive the full circumstances surrounding her ordeal, such as whether she was wearing a flotation vest or had clung to anything.

The Superferry 9 officially had 968 people aboard, and an immediate rescue effort on Sunday after it began sinking saw most of the people safely ashore.

It was not all good news on Monday, with at least one person from the ferry still believed to be missing, officials said.

Coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said vessels continued to scour the waters for any other survivors.

Two people had been listed on Monday morning as remaining missing and Tamayo said it was not yet clear whether Casunglon was one of those.

The number of missing dropped from 63, given by the coast guard on Sunday night to two, after authorities were able to gain a clearer picture of who was on board.

But Tamayo said he could not discount the possibility that there could have been more people aboard the vessel than officially registered on the manifest, meaning other passengers could still be missing.

While illegal, it is common practice among Philippine shipping companies to allow people aboard without listing them on the manifest.

Another concern Monday was that the ferry, now believed lying on the sea bed 18 kilometres off the coast at a depth of more than five kilometres, may spill thousands of litres of bunker fuel, the coast guard said.

And with no explanation yet over why the ferry tilted and sank, the highest authorities in the Philippines were demanding answers.

"Somebody must definitely be punished, whoever may be held liable for this mishap," presidential spokeswoman Lorelei Fajardo told reporters after an official inquiry was launched.

"We have to ensure that this will not happen again."

Questions have been raised over the sea-worthiness of the 23-year-old Japanese-built vessel, as it went down despite relatively calm weather.

Ferry travel is an extremely cheap and popular form of transport in the Philippines, an archipelago of over 7,100 islands, but it is also notoriously dangerous.

Old ships, overloading and badly trained crew members are often cited as causes of deadly sea accidents here.

In a separate rescue operation on Monday, the coast guard hauled to safety four South Korean sailors and 15 Filipinos from a life raft after their cargo vessel, the MV Hera, also sank.

The Panamanian-registered Hera began taking water late Sunday off Eastern Samar in the central Visayas region, about 400 kilometres (250 miles) from the ferry disaster, while it was making its way to China.

The crew members had been drifting for several hours in their life raft before they were rescued, Tamayo said.

hundreds rescued from Philippines ferry, five deads!

MANILA (AFP) - – Five people were killed and dozens were left missing after a ferry carrying nearly 1,000 passengers sank in darkness off the southern Philippines on Sunday, officials said.

In the latest tragedy to hit the Philippines' notoriously dangerous maritime transport industry, survivors reported mass panic as the Superferry 9 began tilting sharply well before dawn.

"They told us to stay calm but we could see no sign of rescue. Not for two hours," survivor Manuel Malicsi told radio station RMN.

Nine hundred people on board were rescued but five were confirmed killed and by late Sunday afternoon 63 passengers or crew members remained unaccounted for, the Philippine Coast Guard said in a statement.

"We are searching all possible areas (for the missing people)," coast guard chief Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said in a radio interview.

"Navy ships (and) airforce aircraft are still scouring the area."

Tamayo offered hope for the relatives of those still missing, saying some may have drifted away in life rafts or been picked up by private boats that took part in the rescue.

Philippine Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro also said local officials were checking to see if any survivors had already reached shore.

The ferry issued a distress call around 3.30 am (1930 GMT Saturday), 11 kilometres (seven miles) off the coast of Zamboanga peninsula and some 19 hours into its journey from General Santos City.

Regional coastguard chief Commodore Rudy Isorena said the cause of the accident was not yet clear and the weather in the area had not been too bad.

"We cannot say yet as to the cause as the attention right now is being given to the search and rescue of passengers," he said.

However tropical storm Dujuan, off the Philippines' northeast coast, has heightened the seasonal southwest monsoon winds, bringing rough weather across the country, according to the weather bureau here.

Deadly ferry accidents are common in the Philippines, especially during the typhoon season.

Ferries, from large ones such as the Superferry 9 to small wooden dugouts with bamboo outriggers, form the backbone of mass transport in the archipelagic nation of 92 million people.

Aside from bad weather, poor maintenance, overcrowding of vessels and lax enforcement of regulations have also contributed to the disasters.

The coastguard report said the Superferry 9, a steel-hulled vessel made in Japan in 1986, had reported having 968 people on board, below its legal capacity of 1,120 passengers and crew.

Authorities and passengers said some people had jumped into the water in panic as the vessel began to tilt to the right, while others were able to get into life boats.

"The ship shifted suddenly and some people just panicked," Roger Sicharon, one of the passengers from the stricken vessel, earlier told DZMM radio by mobile phone as he waited to be transferred to another ship by life raft.

The coast guard said nearby fishing and other private boats, as well as those from the military, had all helped in the rescue operation.

The world's deadliest peacetime maritime disaster occurred south of Manila in 1987 when a ferry laden with Christmas holidaymakers collided with a small oil tanker, killing more than 4,000 people.

In June 2008, a huge ferry, "Princess of the Stars" capsized during a typhoon off the central island of Sibuyan, leaving almost 800 dead.

In the most recent major incident, 12 people were killed after a small ferry sank in rough waters south of Manila in May.

Willie Revillame violated code of ethics – MTRCB

ABS-CBN noontime host Willie Revillame’s “objectionable" way of removing the live video of former President Corazon Aquino’s cortege from his popular midday program “Wowowee" last Monday violated the broadcast code of ethics, an official of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) said.

NO TO WILLIEThe online petition calling for TV host Willie Revillame's ouster from his "Wowowee" show in ABS-CBN has already attracted thousands of angry respondents.

As of 5 p.m. Saturday, Roel Saguisag's petition has gathered 16,642 signatures, with at least 40 new respondents every ten minutes. PetitionOnline noted that "Petition to Oust Willie Revillame" is the second most active petition on the site.

This is also the second time since Kevin Nadal's online petition for an apology from the "Desperate Housewives" producers in 2007 that a Filipino-made petition has generated such buzz on the site.

"Was it really hard for him to be humble and human?" Saguisag wrote in his petition, "Pres. Aquino taught us humility and Revillame is showing us the exact opposite."

See petition here

- Joseph Holandes Ubalde

In an interview with GMA News’ Sherrie Ann Torres on Friday, MTRCB chair Consoliza Laguardia said Revillame also violated Sec. 3 of Presidential Decree 1986.

"Yung personal kong tingin objectionable ‘yung ginawa ni Willie kasi pwede niyang ginawa ung offcam. He violated the broadcast code of ethics of KBP (Kapisanan ng Brodkaster ng Pilipinas) and then sa part ng MTRCB, Sec. 3 of PD 1986 ‘yung being objectionable and contrary to good customs and tradition," Laguardia said.

(In my personal view, Willie’s action was objectionable because he could have said those things off camera. He violated the broadcast code of ethics of the KBP and for the part of MTCRB, he violated Sec. 3 of PD 1986, by being objectionable and contrary to good customs and tradition.)

On camera last Monday, during Wowowee's regular airing, Revillame testily told his network's management to remove the video of Mrs. Aquino’s cortege aired simultaneously in an inset frame on TV screens.

“Hindi siguro magandang tingnan na pinapakita niyo yan (Mrs. Aquino’s footage). Nagsasaya kami tapos pinapakita niyo yung, I don't think dapat ipakita yan."

“Eh mahihirapan akong magsalita rito. Nagpapasaya ako nakikita ko ‘yung ano (cortege) ni Tita Cory. Sana pakitanggal naman muna ‘yan sa ating traffic. Kasi kung ganyan pakita nalang natin ‘yan kasi nagsasaya kami dito tapos masakit sa akin yan. Nagsasalita ako dito yan Pls, sana maintindhan niyo, nagsasaya kami dito papakita niyo sa amin yun. Diba? Hindi tama eh okay?"

“Hay nako. Pangit. Hindi maganda ho sa atin nagsasalita pinapakita yung kabaong ni Tita Cory. Diba? Paano kami magkakapagsaya nahihirapan kami? I'm sorry ho ah pero ako totoo ako eh. ‘Wag niyo akong papagalitan...Pagkatapos ng show pakita niyo ‘yung gusto niyong ipalabas. Kasi itong Wowowee gusto ko at alam din ni Tita Cory ‘yan kasi napasaya din siya ng show na ito na laging masaya dito. Okay?"

The live video of the transfer of Cory's body to the Manila Cathedral was removed from his show moments later.

A day after his controversial remarks, Revillame apologized through Wowowee and clarified that he had no ill intentions when he sought the removal of the insets.

“Sa sitwasyon na ito, kung may nasaktan ako, I’m sorry. Sa pamilya Aquino, alam ng buong pamilya Aquino, wala akong masamang intensyon doon (I’m sorry if what I did hurt anyone. The entire Aquino family knows I have no bad intentions)," Revillame said.

He explained that as the host of a variety show (where guests play games and win money), it would have been hard for him to make his audience happy if Mrs. Aquino’s casket was simultaneously shown.

Teach him a lesson

Two media organizations, the National Press Club and the Alyansa ng Filipinong Mamahayag (Afima), also expressed dismay over Revillame’s remark.

"Siguro dapat mabigyan siya ng leksyon ngayon. Iba na to eh. Ibang case na to eh (He should be taught a lesson this time. This is a different case)," said AFIMA president Jerry Yap.

"Kung hindi niya titigilan yung ganong attitude niya I don’t think dapat pa siyang panoorin ng tao (If he will not change his attitude I don’t think people should continue watching him)," said NPC president Benny Antiporda.

The report said the MTRCB and the KBP will meet to discuss the possible actions against Revillame. -

No classes in Metro Manila on Monday

No classes in Metro Manila on Monday

MANILA -- Education officials on Saturday announced the cancellation of classes in all levels in Metro Manila on Monday, July 27 in anticipation of President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address and Iglesia Ni Cristo’s grand anniversary. Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Emmanuel Angeles told radio dzMM they had decided to cancel classes on Monday due to the traffic that will be caused by the 95th celebration of the Iglesia ni Cristo. “Inaasahan natin ang mga taga Iglesia ni Cristo from provinces na pumunta sa Manila for their anniversary, so malamang na magkaroon ng problema sa trapiko,” Angeles said in an interview over dzMM. Angeles said the cancellation is only for schools in Metro Manila. Meanwhile, Teresita Domalanta, National Capital Region chief of the Department of Education also announced the suspension of classes in the elementary and secondary levels. “Dahil po sa dalawang malaking okasyon sa darating na Lunes, nagpasya kaming isuspindi muna ang klase,” she said. President Arroyo is scheduled to deliver her 9th and last State of the Nation Address at 4 p.m. Activists have also organized various anti-SONA protests which will culminate on Monday. Earlier, the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) and San Sebastian College-Recoletos Manila announced the suspension of their classes. According to a media advisory sent by the PUP Public Affairs Office, the suspension of classes applies to all its campuses and branches all over the country. “PUP President Dante Guevarra wants the politically-oriented and socially aware PUP students to have the once in a lifetime opportunity to listen to the great speech of the President of the Philippines,” the advisory stated. For its part, San Sebastian said demonstrators are expected to converge near their front gate at Legarda corner C.M. Recto. "This convergence may possibly bring an unfavorable scenario that may endanger the students, teachers and employees of SSC-R Manila," the school said.

Comelec to tap 80,000 IT people for 2010 elections

MANILA, Philippines — With the obstacles to poll automation for the 2010 elections almost all cleared, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) is now looking for information technology (IT) people to handle the voting machines.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento on Thursday said at least 80,000 IT personnel are needed to assist board of elections inspectors (BEIs) in the forthcoming polls.

RELATED LINKS» Smartmatic Backgrounder» Report/ Recommendation on the 2010 Automation Elections Project Procurement» Comelec to trim down polling precincts by 70%Anticipating the possibility that not enough public school teachers would be able to fill the required staff, the Comelec plans to tap IT personnel from various government agencies.

Should that still not be enough, the Comelec might tap the private sector, Sarmiento said.

He explained that the Comelec is allowed to tap IT-capable persons to be present in each precinct during Election Day.

Only those accredited by the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) would be tapped, he added. Sarmiento said the mechanics of tapping IT people will be up for discussion at the Comelec very soon.

With the signing of a contract designating Smartmatic and Total Information Management (TIM) as the automation partner of the Comelec for the May 2010 elections, the poll body said it will go ahead with the clustering of the 250,000 precincts used in the 2007 polls to reduce these down to only 80,000 precincts.

Under the P7.2 million contract, Smartmatic and TIM will supply the 82,500 voting machines for the 2010 elections, with 2,500 machines serving as backup. One precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machine is to cover about 1,000 voters.

Aside from the reduced number of precincts, the number of personnel manning the precincts will also be significantly reduced.

In the 2007 elections, the Comelec had to tap private school teachers to serve as members of the BEIs due to lack of public school teachers.

Records of the Department of Education (DepEd) showed that it had only 500,000 teachers during that most recent election, short of the 750,000 teachers required to serve as election inspectors. While Smartmatic Corp and TIM have promised to send their own computer technicians to manage the voting machines, the Comelec said such technicians won’t be allowed inside polling precincts.

Sarmiento said the law is specifically states that only BEI members and the IT-capable person are allowed inside polling precincts.

Philippines orders return of Marcos jewellery

MANILA to former first lady Imelda Marcos that was seized after her husband was deposed from the presidency in 1986.

Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said on Monday that the government had not taken legal action to claim ownership of the jewellery.

"Evidently, Mrs. Marcos remains to be the legitimate owner of said prized jewellery," he said in a letter to the Presidential Commission on Good Government, the anti-graft agency, adding it was also not proved the items were ill-gotten.

Gonzalez said the state agency which aims to recover about $10 billion worth of alleged ill-gotten wealth of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos and his family failed to file a criminal or civil suit to claim the jewellery.

In 2006, the government tried to auction the jewellery collection, estimated to be worth 15 billion pesos , which has been kept in a vault at the Philippines' central bank since 1990.

Marcos, famous for her huge collection of shoes, jewellery and jetsetting lifestyle, went to a local court to stop the sale, arguing the gems were not acquired illegally using public funds.

"Thank God that after more than 23 years of relentless persecution and deprivation initiated by the government in 1986, President Gloria Arroyo's government has now started efforts for the Marcos' truth and justice to prevail," Marcos said in a statement issued through a spokeswoman.

"Many of those jewellery pieces were intended for religious images, like tiaras for the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The jewellery collections were seized at Malacanang Palace when the Marcoses fled the country in February 1986 after the dictator was toppled by a civilian-backed army coup.

Another set of jewellery was seized by U.S. authorities when the Marcoses settled in Hawaii, where the strongman died in 1989.

Imelda returned in the early 1990s and sought the presidency in 1992 but was defeated. She later won a congressional seat but gave it up after serving one three-year term.

Human rights advocates Rosetta Ann Rosales and Frank Chavez told reporters they would go to court to stop the government from returning the jewellery to the Marcoses, arguing about 10,000 victims of rights victims under Marcos' 20-year iron rule are still awaiting court-imposed compensation.

Business groups slam constituent assembly

MANILA, Philippines - As the country braces for a rally today against the planned convening of a constituent assembly by the House of Representatives, business groups have joined the chorus of protests against the lawmakers.

“We are appalled at the indecency and blatant disregard of the Filipino people’s will displayed by the House of Representatives in its adoption of House Resolution No. 1109 that allows itself to convene as a constituent assembly to amend the Constitution, without the necessary participation of the Senate,” the business groups said in a joint statement yesterday.

The Action for Economic Reforms (AER), Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines (FINEX), Foundation for Economic Freedom (FEF), Makati Business Club (MBC) and the Management Association of the Philippines (MAP) prepared the statement.

“The question all Filipinos should ask is: For whose interest was this action taken? Certainly not the Filipino people’s, as there is no widespread clamor to amend the Constitution, especially now that we are less than a year away from a presidential election,” the statement read.

“The resolution contains no issue of profound impact on the people’s welfare,” it said.

“By this action of pro-administration congresspersons, any remaining doubts about the determination of the Arroyo administration and its allies in the House to manipulate our democratic processes and institutions to prolong their hold on power have been erased,” the business groups said.

“Malacañang insists elections will be held as scheduled in 2010. But unless its avowals are backed by President Arroyo’s clear and unequivocal rejection of her congressional allies’ maneuverings and an explicit commitment that presidential elections will be held next year, Malacañang’s declarations amount to nothing but more subterfuge and double talk,” they pointed out.

“If and when the House is challenged for the legality of its actions, we call on the Supreme Court to strike down as unconstitutional the results of a constituent assembly that will not have included the Senate in its deliberations,” the statement read.

“The election we look forward to in 2010 is an election for a new President and Congress that will restore the people’s confidence in the government,” it added.

“We call on the Filipino people to vigorously fight and reject this diabolical effort to destroy our democracy!”

All systems go

It’s all systems go for the huge protest rally today in Makati City, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay said.

Rally organizers expect to mobilize more than 20,000 people belonging to various sectors including civil society groups.

“We are expecting the attendance of more than 20,000 individuals coming from different civil society, political and opposition groups in Metro Manila. The people coming from the provinces will no longer attempt to come to Manila because they are being blocked by policemen in the past rallies against this government,” an organizer who declined to be named said.

For his part, Binay said today’s protest action may be a “tipping point for another people power revolution.”

“We hope that this will lead to another people power revolution. This might be the tipping point,” Binay said.

Binay met yesterday with Makati City Police head Senior Superintendent Cedric Train and with rally leaders at his office.

“You see that Col. (Senior Superintendent) Train is here. They assured us that the police will not be within the perimeter of the rally site during the entire duration of the rally. Traffic will be managed by the civilian traffic enforcers of Makati,” Binay said.

“This is not a rally of politicians. This is a rally of all sectors. This is an indignation rally against con-ass,” he said.

“We urge other local officials to issue permits to other groups who intend to hold their protests against con-ass in their localities. Rain or rain, we will be there,” Binay said, adding that even the deadly Influenza A(H1N1) virus would not prevent them from going to the streets in protest.

“We will discipline our own ranks,” Binay said.

Train said 100 city policemen will keep a safe distance from the protesters to minimize tension.

The rally’s main venue is the Ayala Ave.-Paseo de Roxas area in Makati.

Teachers’ groups said they would join today’s protest actions.

“By declaring its intention to push through with constitutional amendments without the participation of the Senate, it reveals how desperate Malacañang’s ruling coalition is to prolong its stay in power. Once again, Mrs. Arroyo and her allies are betraying their utter disregard for democratic principles,” Antonio Tinio, national chairman of the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), said.

“We are joining the rally against the condemnable and inconsiderate action of these ‘honorable’ House members. What the teachers need is salary upgrading, not con-ass,” Benjo Basas, president of the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), said.

In Bacolod City, a protest rally was staged yesterday by the Negrense United Against Con-Ass, Social Action Center of the Diocese of Bacolod, and civil groups and militant organizations.

Bishop Vicente Navarra, in a statement, called HR 1109 “deceptive, a betrayal of people’s trust, illegal, shameful and immoral.”

On the lookout for saboteurs

Philippine National Police spokesman Chief Superintendent Leonardo Espina said they would be on the look out for saboteurs and troublemakers.

“We anticipate that the activity will be peaceful and orderly if only the organizers and participants will stick to the plan and strictly abide by what has been agreed upon,” Espina said at a press briefing.

“As a preemptive measure, we have deployed several control points in the provinces north and south of Metro Manila to check the movement of these persons,” he said.

National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) director Chief Superintendent Roberto Rosales said 5,000 police personnel would be deployed for Civil Disturbance Management operations.

Espina said the protesters plan to assemble at 3 p.m. at six different locations in Makati City and march to the Ayala-Paseo area.

“Thus, we will not allow mass actions beyond the authorized public assembly venue,” he stressed.

The military’s National Capital Region Command (NRCOM), meanwhile, is on red alert today but Armed Forces chief Gen. Victor Ibrado stressed that the security preparations have nothing to do with reports of new destabilization plots.

“Our CDMs will only be on standby inside Fort Bonifacio and at Camp Aguinaldo,” Ibrado said.

The military also said it would not allow its men to join today’s protest activities.

“The AFP is mandated to protect the people and the State. The fulfillment of this mandate requires the military to uphold the Constitution and our laws and support the nation’s duly constituted authorities,” AFP spokesman Lt. Col. Romeo Brawner Jr. said.

“A scenario of any member of the military engaging, directly or indirectly, in any partisan political activity except to vote is unacceptable,” he stressed.

No campaigning, please

Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines president and Jaro, Iloilo Archbishop Angel Lagdameo appealed to presidential aspirants who will join today’s rally to refrain from using the event to campaign.

“I challenge them not to use the rally for vested interests or for campaigning, especially now that the election period is near,” Lagdameo said in Filipino in an interview with Church-run Radyo Veritas. He said the presidential wannabes may just have to mingle with the crowd to show their solidarity and not make any speeches.

“Silent presence will speak loud enough,” Lagdameo said.

Meanwhile, military chaplain Bishop Leopoldo Tumulak said there’s nothing wrong with soldiers and policemen joining the rally but that they should be ready to face the consequence of their decision.

“If a soldier joins because of his right as a citizen, I am certain he will take responsibility for his decision and actions. Whatever happens, he won’t blame it on others,” Tumulak said.

Former President Joseph Estrada, meanwhile, denounced the passage of HR 1109 saying it was clearly ordered by Malacañang.

“Administration congressmen are only dancing to the tune of Malacanang’s orders. Anything is possible under this administration. We cannot just believe their statements anymore,” Estrada said.

GMA richer by P44.9 million

MANILA, Philippines – President Arroyo has more than doubled her wealth since she replaced deposed President Joseph Estrada in 2001.

Mrs. Arroyo’s latest sworn statement of assets and liabilities and net worth (SALN) filed with the Office of the Ombudsman on April 30 showed her P44.9 million richer than in the previous year.

Her total declared assets in 2008 stood at P177.179 million but her liabilities in the form of net payables amounted to P33 million, leaving her with P144.539 million.

In 2007, the President’s SALN showed her total assets at P99.616 million, or P11 million higher than in 2006.

When she assumed the presidency in 2001, her declared net worth was only P66.747 million. As president, her annual salary is P693,000.

Her shares of stocks, declared under the category of personal and other properties, stood at P110.437 million last year.

Mrs. Arroyo declared only six real properties in 2008 as against seven in 2007, including a house and lot in Baguio worth more than P67 million with cost of improvement at P645,287; a residential lot in Antipolo worth P1.7 million; a commercial lot in Tayabas, Quezon worth P2.4 million; an agricultural lot in Nasugbu, Batangas, P1.5 million; raw land in Coron, Palawan which she bought in 2005 for more than P2 million; and a fish pond in Malolos, Bulacan purchased in 2007 for P507,800.

Her declared real properties last year amounted to more than P5 million as against the P6.8 million reported the previous year, during which she declared ownership of another agricultural land in San Rafael, Bulacan.

For 2007, Mrs. Arroyo’s SALN declared “no business interests and financial connections” but for 2008, she identified La Vista Investments and Holdings Inc. as a business interest run by her husband, First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo.

La Vista holds office on the 8th Floor of LTA Building in Legaspi Village, Makati City.

As required by law, the President listed the names of six relatives who are also in government.

They were led by her two congressmen-sons Pampanga Rep. Juan Miguel M. Arroyo and Camarines Sur Rep. Diosdado M. Arroyo who, based on their own SALNs released by the House of Representatives in May 2008, are among the richest congressmen with net worth of P96.7 million and P83.7 million, respectively.

Her brother-in-law Ignacio T. Arroyo Jr., the richest among Arroyo relatives in Congress with a reported net worth of P145.8 million, was third on her list.

The President identified the rest as Ma. Lourdes T. Arroyo, her sister-in-law working at the House of Representatives; Erlina M.B. de Leon, a cousin working at Malacañang; and Carlos L. de Leon, a cousin-in-law connected with the Office of the President.

Noli’s SALN

Vice President Noli de Castro also grew richer, by more than P3.8 million in 2008 based on his sworn SALN filed with the Ombudsman.

The broadcast journalist-turned-politician declared his total assets at P60.902 million and liabilities at P2.5 million.

De Castro, who receives a monthly salary of P46,200, declared ownership of five houses and lots and three lots worth more than P29 million.

The properties include a house and lot in Lagro, Novaliches, Quezon City worth P40,000 with an improvement cost of P200,000; a house and lot in Tierra Pura Homes, Tandang Sora, Quezon City worth P3.5 million; houses and lots in Pasong Tamo, Quezon City worth P1.4 million and P7.7 million; and a house and lot in San Antonio Heights, Batangas worth P695,000.

De Castro also declared ownership of lots in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan worth P2.7 million; a lot in Mindoro, P300,000; and a lot in Forrest Hills, Antipolo, P3.8 million.

He also declared ownership of several pieces of jewelry worth more than P2 million; appliances and furniture, P2.060 million; paintings and other artworks, P480,000; three vehicles – a Suburvan, a Ford Expedition and a Chrysler – worth P8.4 million; shares of stocks in ABS-CBN worth P1 million; and P17.5 million bank deposit.

His SALN report in 2008 also showed five more relatives joining the government namely Marives de Castro, his niece-in-law who is a municipal officer of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Oriental Mindoro; Perla Lauterio-Barcelon, his cousin who is clerk at the Department of Public Works and Highways also in Oriental Mindoro; Rey Leuterio, a cousin and a Master Teacher at the Oriental Mindoro High School in Calapan; Danilo Leuterio, a cousin and the principal of the same school’s Bucayao Annex; and Lourdes Leuterio-Ledesma, a teacher the Adriatico Memorial School also in Calapan.

In his 2007 SALN, De Castro identified only five relatives working in government, namely Dr. Grimaldo Catapang, a nephew and the provincial veterinarian of Calapan, Oriental Mindoro; Veronidia Catapang, a niece working for the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s National Capital Region office in Quezon City; Dr. Florecita Catapang, a niece who is a revenue collection officer based in Socorro, Oriental Mindoro; Janice Anne Pasco, also a niece who works in the Office of the Vice President; and Allan Leuterio, a cousin and a director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Region IV-A.

Raymond pursues his own American Dream

When Funfare met last week with Raymond Bagatsing at the coffee shop of the Beverly Hilton (where the international journalists were billeted for the print/TV interviews with Terminator Salvation stars Christian Bale and Sam Worthington...more on them in this Sunday’s Conversations with Ricky Lo), he begged off from talking about his private life.

It was understandable. When he married L.A.-based journalist Cora Pastrana last year, the thirtyish Raymond was roundly criticized (nay, ridiculed!) for marrying a woman twice his age even if, he insists, he did it for love and not for the papel (you know...).

Instead, we talked about his pursuit of his own American Dream.

He has been in L.A. for more than two years, spending his first several months doing some “soul-searching.”

“I rested from being showbiz and lived a simple life,” said Raymond, still goodlooking with shoulder-length hair. “Why did I have to soul-search? Kasi nga, I’d been in showbiz for 20 years and I wanted a change of pace, go back to basics, and enjoy life as an ordinary person. Now, I’m ready to return to showbiz. My manager and I have several plans.”

His manager, Everett Wood (who accompanied Raymond to the interview), said that they are preparing an album to be recorded in the US but released in the Philippines and finalizing a plan for Raymond to star in an indie film.

“I have gotten adjusted to the American way of life,” added Raymond. “It wasn’t hard for me because I spent several years in Australia with my mother. I was there when I was 10 years old until my college years. Life in Australia and life in America are almost the same — you know, no maids, at talagang kayod.”

It wasn’t a total turning-back on showbiz, though.

“I first came (to L.A.) in 2006 to play Jose Rizal in a one-man play. Every now and then, I would sing for Filipino communities. But I spent most of my time doing muni-muni.”

Asked what he missed most about the Philippines, Raymond said, “A lot. My friends, my fans, everybody and everything.”

Isn’t he coming home yet?

“Not in the near future. But I will, in due time.”

Come to think of it, will he and his wife have a baby...soon?

“No, not yet. She’s concentrating on her work and so am I on mine.”