In Dubai: Filipino on Trial

(Friday, March 23, 7p.m.) - A 27-year-old Filipino is on trial in Dubai for the death of another Filipino whom he had beaten in a row over a parking space in front of a church. The Dubai Court of First Instance gave the man’s name only as J.K. pending judicial proceedings. (GMA 7)

In Israel: Filipina Used as Emissary?

Post Modern Corruption
by Gideon Samet

The crime stories at the top echelons are becoming totally bizarre. The record to date, a president suspected of rape, now seems to have been taken over by the story of Abraham Hirchson. The sins of Aryeh Deri, who only a few years ago occupied a strong place at the top of the hit parade, are nothing compared to his. The investigation of the finance minister looks like a late installment in a series where the scriptwriter goes crazy so that bored viewers won't leave. The fear is that in this situation the people in their living rooms won't get excited even if in the next installment the police commissioner is accused of pedophilia.

This is a penetration of post-modernism into the arena of corruption. As in the theory that rejects a distinction between high and low culture, it seems the criterion for examining the sins of senior officials is becoming blurred. Money in envelopes that, according to the suspicions, are transferred by an emissary to a Filipina worker in the finance minister's residence. The theft of tens of millions of shekels in the course of more than a decade. A suitcase of dollars for funding "Marches of the Living" to the death camps is seized on the way out of Poland. Is there no limit to the vulgarity of the scriptwriter? read more here

In Palawan: Doctor Accused of Rape

(Friday, March 23, p.m.) - A doctor has been charged for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl in Palawan province at least twice in late 2006, dzBB radio reported Friday. The dzBB report cited information from the provincial prosecutor's office initially identifying the accused as Ricardo Agalid.

The report said the first rape occurred at the rest house of an engineer in Suba village in Cuyo town between September and October 2006. Agalid allegedly raped the victim a second time in December last year, outside the outpatient department of a local hospital. The girl eventually narrated her ordeal to her parents, who in turn filed a complaint with local authorities. (GMA 7)

In All Islands: Nuns Barred from Gambling

Nuns who tried out slot machines of the Philippine Amusement and Gamings Corp. (PAGCOR) will be investigated and could face sanctions from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz said Friday.

"Uusisain ko iyan at aalamin ko iyan. Ipapaalam ko sa CBCP ang pangyayaring ito at para maka-aksyon, para makagawa ng hakbang sa mga madre na iyan (I will investigate that and inform CBCP about that incident so that we can take steps on the sister's actions)," Cruz told DZMM. ...click ‘older posts’ to read more of today’s stories, otherwise click ‘home’ to access front page stories...

In Olongapo: PBA MVP Sued for Robbery

(Friday, March 23, p.m.) -The Philippine Basketball Association’s (PBA) Most Valuable Player in 2002 was criminally charged before the Olongapo City prosecutor's office on Thursday for allegedly mauling and robbing a motorist, ABS-CBN News reported.

Willie Miller Jr. is now facing attempted homicide and robbery charges for the incident on the morning of January 20 outside the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority. Morris Sardido alleged that he was beaten and robbed by the PBA star and three of his companions. He said the four took his clutch bag containing P400,000 in cash. (ABS-CBN) ...click ‘older posts’ to read more of today’s stories, otherwise click ‘home’ to access front page stories...

In Malaysia: Filipina JLo Jailed

(Friday, March 23, midnoon) - What's in a name? Plenty, if your name is “Jinefer Lopez.”

The Filipina caused a stir in the magistrate's court here both for her name and for her body-fitting red shirt and white jeans. But she's no JLo. Lopez, 35, pleaded guilty to having a forged pass endorsed in her passport. She committed the offence at Pelangi Mutiara Damansara here at 4.20am on Dec 23 last year. Pleading for leniency later, unemployed Lopez said she had to take care of her young daughter.

After prosecuting officer Chief Insp P. Ravi confirmed she had no previous convictions, magistrate Azroul Hisham Azulan sentenced her to three months' jail from the date of arrest on Dec 23 last year. She was released yesterday (March 22).

Speaking to The Star later, a relieved Lopez said she wanted to return to her country and take care of her daughter there. She will be sent to a detention camp before being deported. (www.thestar.com.my) ...click ‘older posts’ to read more of today’s stories, otherwise click ‘home’ to access front page stories.

Filipinos in Friendster: No. 1 in the World

(Friday, March 23, updated) - If anyone doubted how international social networking is, they need only look at how Friendster.com's doing in the Philippines. It dominates Internet use in Southeast Asian countries (and all over the world).

According to the Manila Times, San Francisco-based Friendster, the No. 1 social site there, accounts for 87% of Philippine Internet traffic and has 7 million Filipino members, its largest population among 40 million members in 75 countries. Malaysia, Indonesia, the US, and Singapore are Nos. 2-5, respectively, in Friendster's Top 5 countries.

The site's explanation for its popularity in the Philippines is that in its early days, Filipinos in San Francisco used the site to stay in touch with friends and relatives back home. (www.netfamilynews.org) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In All Islands: China's Second Richest Man

(Friday, March 23, updated) - China's second-richest man plans to invest at least US$2 billion (euro1.5 billion) to develop high-end hotels and other tourism projects in the Philippines, officials said.

The chairman of the Shanghai-based real estate and furniture empire Shimao Group met with Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo this week and expressed interest in tourism investments, Trade Secretary Peter Favila said.

Shimao was founded by Xu Rongmao, who ranked second on the Forbes' list of 400 richest people in China last year. (Houston Chronicle) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In Cagayan de Oro: Nursing Retake

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - DESPITE contentions that any leakage to the controversial June 2006 Nursing Licensure Exam did not reach Mindanao, thus all successful passers be spared from any retake, the regional office of the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) said they will administer a special review and voluntary re-take of the equivalent tests here.

A special review will be offered free and paid for by the government while the voluntary re-take examinations are slated for June and December 2007. (SunStar Cagayan) click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news.

In Manila: Imelda for Mayor

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - With barely two weeks left before the end of the filing of certificate of candidacy for local elections, former First Lady Imelda Marcos has finally decided to return to politics.

Meeting with her supporters after attending a gathering at the Hyatt Hotel in Manila after midnight Wednesday, Marcos at first said she would shun “divisive politics,” not seek any election post.

The former first lady was at first apprehensive to accept the pleadings of the loyalists for her to run in the May 14 polls but as chants and requests grew louder and after receiving a “manifesto of support” containing 150,000 signatures from her supporters urging her to run for mayor of Manila, Marcos said: “I will do that.” (The Daily Tribune) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In Sulu: International Recognition

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - A group of Datus from Siasi town in the island province of Sulu is seeking recognition as part of the throne of the Sultanate of Sulu.

The group led by Datu Raja Muda also known as Ladjamura B. Datu Wasik, at the same time, urged all the heirs to the throne of the Sultanate to be united in order to gain international recognition. (Philippine News Agency) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In Batangas: P6 Billion Ecotourism

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - SM Investments Corp. (SMIC) has started work on the first cove of its 13-cove Hamilo Coast ecotourism project in Nasugbu, Batangas, with P5 billion to P6 billion allotted for the construction and developments over five years.

The first cove, the 37-hectare Pico de Loro, will have 11 residential condominiums, country club, a promenade connecting all the buildings, a boardwalk with an al fresco entertainment area, facilities for snorkeling, swimming and other water sports, and a four-star hotel near the beach. (Business Mirror) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In All Islands: Salary Increase

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - By July, civil servants will begin enjoying a 10 percent increase in their basic salary while uniformed personnel would get an additional P1,200 in their monthly allowance, Malacañang said on Thursday.

In signing Executive Order 611 dated March 14, President Arroyo cited the fact that the basic salary of government workers has not been increased since July 2001, and the subsistence allowance of uniformed personnel, since 1998 despite the periodic wage adjustments in the private sector. (Business Mirror) ...click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news...

In Cebu: Snatcher Electrocuted

(Friday, March 23, updated) - A SUSPECTED snatcher was electrocuted while his companion was arrested during a running chase with policemen in barangay Maguikay, Mandaue City yesterday. PO2 Rey Manatad said two motorcycle-riding men snatched the bag of a tricycle passenger along ML Quezon Street and tried to speed away.

The bag's dangling sling, however, got entangled with the motorcycle's chains, stopping the wheels and throwing the two men on the pavement. Bystanders jumped on Arnold Bon Ardiente to arrest him, but the second suspect, Paul Owatan ran towards the interior of the barangay. When he ran into a corner, Owatan tried to climb a concrete wall but instead touched a live electrical wire. (Cebu Daily News) click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news.

In Makati: Hackers

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - MAKATI POLICE will investigate the alleged protectors of arrested international telephone hacker Mahmoud Al-Nusier and at least 24 other Jordanians believed to be still in the country, an official said yesterday.

Dir. Geary Barias, chief of the Directorate for Investigation and Detective Management, wondered why Al-Nusier and his accomplices were still here despite being arrested three times for telephone hacking.

Police documents reveal that Al-Nusier was arrested in Makati City on March 6, 1997, for cellular phone hacking. He was presented as a suspect in telephone hacking by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo in September 2002, and two weeks ago was again arrested for the same offense. (Manila Standard Today) click older posts to read more of today's stories, otherwise click home to access front page news.

In Kalibo, Aklan: Vice-governor Straffed

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - The house of the vice governor of this province in this capital town was fired upon by a man who approached the house purportedly looking for the vice governor Wednesday evening. (The Manila Bulletin) click 'older posts' to read more of today's stories, otherwise click 'home' to access front page news.

In Bataan: No Worry

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - Samal Mayor Rolando Z. Tigaz said yesterday he was unfazed by reports that he would be suspended following the filing of graft charges against him and eight other town officials in connection with the construction of the P12-million public market here. (The Manila Bulletin) click 'older posts' to read more of today's stories, otherwise click 'home' to access front page news.

In Vigan: Budget To Sing

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - More Blanquita Pelaez types may soon come out in the open, as election day draws near, opposition-identified senators yesterday said, while Team Unity (TU) bets who are in the center of the Pelaez expose, appealed to the detained leader not to demonize them as this could have an impact on their candidacies.

Predictably, TU bet Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson accused deposed President Joseph Estrada of being the brains behind the Pelaez expose, saying that Estrada had given the mother-daughter team a “budget to sing.” (The Daily Tribune) click 'older posts' to read more of today's stories, otherwise click 'home' to access front page news.

In Zamboanga: 2,000 Deported from Malaysia

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - Another batch of deportees has arrived from Malaysia bringing to more than 2,000 the number Filipinos deported back to the country by the Malaysian government since January this year.

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional information officer Fe Dela Cruz said the latest batch of Filipino deportees consist of 314 people that arrived recently aboard a ferry from Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia. Dela Cruz said that of the 314 Filipino deportees that arrived, 232 are males while 82 are females. (Philippine News Agency) click 'older posts' for more of today's stories, otherwise click 'home' to access front page news.

In Clark: Multi-billion Investments Saved

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - Top investment firms inside this newly created Freeport Zone and Central Luzon officials thanked President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for signing two laws here last Tuesday for the restoration of tax incentives and duty free privileges which saves multi-billion investments and jobs of the more than 49,000 workers in this former US Air Force facility. (Philippine News Agency) to read more of today's stories, click 'older posts' or click 'home' to go to main news list.

In Baguio: Hydro Power Plant Disappointing

(Friday, March 23, a.m.) - THE production of the Baguio City-owned Asin mini hydroelectric power plants is disappointing because this is far from the expected output projected when the City Government decided to take over the facilities, said acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr.

Bautista said he does not blame anyone for the low turnout of the energy produced but to increase production, the two other generators have to be repaired. He said funds would come from the trust fund remitted recently by the Hydroelectric Corporation (Hedcor). (SunStar Baguio) to read more of today's stories, click 'older posts' or click 'home' to go to main news list.