Gloria Impeachment Complaint Recycled?

Malacañang dismissed last night as just another "recycled event" the fourth impeachment exercise initiated against President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the House of Representatives.

Speaking to reporters at the departure area of the Ninoy Aquino International Terminal (NAIA) 2 last night (Nov. 10, Monday), Press Secretary Jesus Dureaza said the "yearly" complaint is best left to the "competent group" at the House of Representatives to handle.

"You know, it (impeachment complaint) has already become a recycled event every year so we'll just leave this to the House of Representatives to handle," Dureza said.

Dureza -- who is part of the President's "lean contingent" to the United States to address a special session on Interfaith Conference on Dialogue of Civilizations of the United Nations General Assembly – said the congressmen would "determine what action to take" on the impeachment complaint.

"The Palace will not at all intervene or one way or the other interfere in these proceedings in an independent co-equal branch of government which is Congress," the Press Secretary added.

When asked how the President feels that another impeachment complaint has been filed against her, Dureza said the President remains focused on what she has to do for the betterment of the people, the country and the government.

"She is focused on governance, taking care of what we should do in the face of all the problems that we face in the world today, especially on the financial crisis," Dureza said. 

People of the Philippines vs Policeman

By Joe Espiritu

Sunday Post

The other day we attended a court hearing.  It was perhaps a simple case but what makes it interesting is the circumstances. We will not discuss the merits of the case since it is still going on. What is puzzling is the circumstances. It runs like this:

 An upland barangay of a nearby town held a benefit dance. The affair was allegedly disrupted by a policeman. The policeman was charged in court of violation of the law in a Municipal Circuit Trial Court by three barangay officials. Because of a full calendar or lack of judges or both the case dragged. A barangay election came and the barangay officials either lost or choose not to run. At any rate they are no longer barangay officials.

 The case is People of the Philippines vs the policeman. The accusers were barangay officials. That was originally. Now it is the People of the Philippines who are the accuser. If we interpret it right. The original accusers are now witnesses. Perhaps those people may choose not to pursue the case, they are no longer barangay officials. It takes time and money to come down from the upland barangay of the nearby town to attend hearings in Jagna. However, those people decide to see the case to the end out of civic spirit.

 We wonder if the present barangay administration of that place is supporting those three. We also wonder if the present barangay administration is also interested in pursuing the case. We hope that those present officials are aware that it was the barangay whose rights were allegedly violated, not the rights of the previous officials.

 We also hope that there is at least a barangay ordinance, which provides assistance to officials encountering difficulties in the performance of their duty or ex officials who will continue to pursue the case. This way, wrongdoers would not be thumbing their noses on those who have lost the election. It is not fair to let the poor slobs continue without support.

 To be a barangay official, a barangay captain specifically is not an easy task. No one is trained for that office from the very start. We elect him and expect him to perform and we a free with brickbats if he falls flat on his face. Well there are compensations, to be called Cap is quite a boost on one's ego but the Cap can be haled to the Ombudsman, or for not allowing one to get sand or strangled by an irate kagawad during a session or called a moron by an idiot elected by oxymorons.

 To stay as a Cap, one has to attend seminars until he can no longer understand seminars. He functions, as the king of the coop but has no veto powers. During elections he is a dispenser of largesse though his is suspected of pocketing a lion's share. Then, barangay elections are always an afterthought. Barangay elections are often postponed because of lack of funds. Those who are impatient to replace are waiting in the sideliners and doing some sniping to make his waiting worthwhile. Someday there will be examinations for candidacy. Someday we can be able to elect a Cap who will be able to locate the barangay hall without asking around.   

Freeing Bohol From Poverty? How About The Talibon Dam Irrigation Scam?

  The Asian Development Bank (ABD) country director, the Nigerian charge d' affaires and two Cabinet secretaries committed to help free more Boholanos from the shackles of poverty during the recent poverty reduction and development initiatives fair at the Bohol Cultural Center in Tagbilaran City.

  Representatives of other government departments, the World Bank, foundations, funders and other development partners however also trooped to the cultural center to listen to the speakers and to view and study project proposals prepared by the different towns and city, as well as groups of towns called the Bohol Integrated Area Development (BIAD) clusters.

  Gov. Erico Aumentado welcomed the participants to the activity the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO) calls "a marketplace of development initiatives for poverty reduction and economic growth." PPDO organized the fair.

  Aumentado said while Bohol is already safely out of Club 20 – the country's 20 poorest provinces as listed before his watch as governor, there is still much to be done.

  Bohol was 41st among 79 provinces according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 2005 Human Development Report. Last year, Bohol rose 11 notches higher, being listed by the National Statistics Coordination Board (NSCB) at 52nd place, he said. Licking insurgency, he explained, definitely pulled Bohol out of the infamous club, he said.

  He called on the participants to help Bohol sustain the momentum in the province's fight against poverty.

  For her part, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral congratulated Aumentado and the local leaders for their efforts in lifting the province up and away from poverty – a point that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo always tells her Cabinet even when the governor is not around.

  Aumentado used to sit in the Cabinet when he headed both the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the umbrella organization Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP).

  Cabral said with Bohol's efforts to march away from poverty, she looked forward to the day when the future DSWD secretary will visit the province not as a social worker anymore but as a tourist. That would mean Bohol has finally licked not only insurgency but poverty as well, although "this may not happen yet in our lifetime."

  "It gladdens the heart to see local government officials help empower the citizens. This is the key to overcome poverty – improve the people's capacity to earn and provide for themselves. Bohol is in the right track in economic growth," she sa9id.

  Meanwhile, Charge d' Affaires Ndubuisi Amaku of Nigeria congratulated Bohol for its efforts in the face of the looming global crisis – and lauded the provincial leaders for being on the right development track.

  The global financial, food and oil crises, he said, have given the world the opportunity to review economic theories and practices easily taken for granted before, he said.

  It used to be that in poverty reduction, the government had a minimal role to play. There has been a paradigm shift from this theory: now, there is no economic development if the government does not play an active role towards attaining it, he said.

  For his part, lawyer John Vistal, provincial planning officer, said he was eager to already make the big jump from poverty reduction to wealth creation through the development of the towns and where possible, through the five BIAD clusters

  He presented the rationale and expected outcomes of the fair, and the project highlights of the BIADs.

  By developing the Provincial Development Monitoring System (PDMS) where 12 indicators determine the level of deprivation of basic, social and other services that a local government unit, down to the household level, is suffering from, the government can prioritize the most deprived ones and match their projects with the "expertise" and forte of funders.

  This way, the approach to poverty reduction is more strategic, guided further by Bohol's new focus towards economic growth through Aumentado's Ten-Point Agenda: agriculture, tourism, infrastructure, managing population growth, improving health and social well-being, attaining environmental sustainability, expanding economic opportunities, fostering creativity, peace and development in the communities and better governance.

  On the other hand, ADB Country Director for the Philippines Neeraj Jain said the fair, an innovative event, was timely as the development community is vigorously searching for opportunities to promote inclusive growth.

  He observed that the Philippines is one of the most decentralized countries in the region. Decentralization, he said, gives communities the power to take decisions for utilization of development funds.

  .Jain said he sees the fair as an important step to inclusive growth.

  "It is home-grown initiatives like these that have assisted Bohol achieve phenomenal results and become a case study of successful poverty reduction and inclusive growth in the Philippines," he said.

  The development community talks of programmatic approaches to development. With its multidimensional approach to poverty reduction, Bohol has in fact created a few lessons for the development community to learn from, he said.

  ADB assists LGUs by providing loans and grants for investments provided that these meet basic criteria. - June Blanco, Sunday Post

Impeachment of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo

The League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) has expressed full support to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's administration and strongly condemned the impeachment complaint filed against her before the House of Representatives.

  In a recent meeting at the Century Park Hotel in Manila, the LPP National Executive Board (NEB) passed Resolution No. 2008-03 that declared the impeachment complaint as untimely, divisive, destructive and against national interest especially in this time of economic crisis.

  The NEB unanimously approved the resolution introduced by Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado that also urged the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and other civil society groups not to support the impeachment move.

  The resolution said there is a global financial crisis generated by the economic meltdown in the United States of America and major economies in the world which is threatening the world economy.

  This critical juncture of the world economy among governments demand for the people's unity and cooperation especially among the Filipinos, the resolution added.

  It also proposed a solution to overcome the financial crisis – instead of dividing the Filipino nation, the people must be united and work together to overcome the crisis and turn the economic challenges of economy to opportunities of growth, development and progress.

  The resolution likewise stated that impeachment is usually politically motivated, divisive and destructive, thereby hampering the attainment of the common weal of the people.

  The governors furnished Speaker Prospero Nograles and the chair of the House Committee on Justice, CBCP head Bishop Angel Lagdameo for his information and consideration and President Arroyo with copies of the resolution.

  Eastern Samar Gov. and LPP Secretary General Ben Evardone certified the resolution as true and correct, attested by Camarines Sur Gov. Luis Raymund Villafuerte Jr. and Misamis Occidental Gov. Loreto Leo Ocampos, LPP national chair and president, respectively. - June Blanco, Provincial Government of Bohol Reporter

Bulacan Police Chiefs Reassigned

In line with the transformation program being implemented by Top "Mamang Pulis" PNP Chief Director General Jesus A. Versoza, the Bulacan Police Provincial Office (BPPO) has effected the reassignment of eight police Superintendents and four Chief Inspectors to nine key municipalities in the province and at the provincial police headquarters here.

Bulacan acting police director Senior Supt. Allen Bantolo said six police Superintendents were assigned in the towns of Calumpit, Pulilan, Bulakan, Norzagaray, Sta. Maria and Bocaue while three police Chief Inspectors were reassigned to the towns of Bustos, Obando and San Ildefonso.

Two police Superintendents and one Chief Inspector were also reassigned at the Police provincial headquarters, Bantolo added.

Reaasigned to their new positions as Chief of Police are Supt. Ronald "DJ" de Jesus, Bocaue Police Station; Supt. Efren Ramos, Calumpit PS; Supt. Alfredo Modestano, Pulilan PS; Supt. Miguel Atienza, Bulakan PS; Supt. Feliza Manaig, Norzagaray PS and Supt. Marcos Rivero, Sta. Maria PS.

Chief Inspector Rizalino Andaya was reassigned as police of San Ildefonso police station while Chief Inspectors Gerardo Andaya and Dale Soliba were reassigned as police chiefs of the Bustos police station and Obando police station, respectively.

Also reassigned at the police provincial headquarters are Supt. Rommel Salac, Police Community Relations Branch; Supt. Jesus Reyes, Provincial Investigation and Detective Management Bureau and Chief Inspector Camilo Lintao, PHQ.

Bantolo said that based on Special Orders number 185 and 186 signed by Supt. Liberato DJ Elemos, deputy director for administration, the present assignments of the reassigned police superintendents and chief inspectors took effect last October 15.

Philippine Women Skin

By Pepper Teehankee

How well do women really know their skin? L'Oreal Paris dedicated seven years of research to give women the product to achieve younger and more radiant looking skin.

With the aim to promote youthful looking skin, Glowie Ramiro-Robillo, L'Oreal Paris marketing manager, gave a talk at The Spa at Bonifacio High Street about how L'Oreal Paris continuously brings out the beauty every woman deserves.

Junior product manager for L'Oreal Paris Dermo and Body Expertise Sep Cimafranca revealed Derma Genesis, explaining the two key complementary ingredients of this anti-ageing skincare range — namely Pro-Xylane, a patented anti-aging molecule which is biodegradable, non-bioaccumable and non-ecotoxic and naturally derived to create the optimal cellular environment for the creation of new cells; and Hyaluronic Acid, a powerful natural moisturizer and replumper known by dermatologists.

Together, these two ingredients help create new cells (upper layers of the epidermis) for visibly young skin. Guest speaker and dermatologist Flordeliz Abad-Casintahan enlightened the guests about the skin and how aging takes place as early as in the 20s due to stress, sun exposure and other factors. She furthered on the importance of Pro-Xylane and Hyaluronic Acid as vital components of the skin.

The Penelope Award was given to Alyanna Martinez who exuded confidence with her youthful, smooth and radiant skin. Guests also enjoyed cocktails prepared by Cav and got pampered with spa treatments from The Spa. Everyone got to bring home a L'Oreal Paris shoulder bag filled with Derma Genesis products as well.

Mandarin Oriental, Manila: Makati's Capital for Chinese New Year

Mandarin Oriental, Manila has become Makati's capital for the Chinese New Year festivities and was again at the forefront with a celebration "to welcome the moon" on the eve of the Autumn Moon Festival.

The event was held at the Mandarin Oriental Ballroom, where revelers dressed in elegant Chinoiserie were treated to a celebration hosted by Max Tiu, who also serenaded the diners with Chinese love songs. A traditional paai shan and lantern ceremony was led by geomancer Joseph Chau as he blessed the audience and their lucky objects with good "chi" to drive away bad luck or misfortune.

The luck of the raffle prize winners had begun that night, as they took home various hotel gift certificates presented by Mandarin Oriental executive assistant manager Florian Kittler and Chau. Grand prize winner Jose Marcelo Lim walked home with a trip for two to Macau courtesy of Philippine Airlines plus a two-night stay at a Club Resort View room at the Mandarin Oriental, Macau.

Guests were treated to a buffet prepared by the restaurant's resident Chinese chef Hann Furn Chen. Others who welcomed the Autumn moon were Philippine Airlines' passenger sales executives Cesar Enciso and Orty Liscano, Star columnist Wilson Lee Flores, Yvette Tan, Anson Yu, Sharlene Tan, Linda and Vincent Chau, Pauline Lim, Lolita Ching, Elizabeth Yap, Virgina Cheng and Louie Cruz.

Young Designers Guild (YDG)

By Luis Espiritu Jr.

"The future is with the Youth" is a saying so often said of every generation of tomorrow. It maybe quite tiring to hear it at times but it speaks of greater truths that mold the future. All flourishing industries are brimming with young creative and artistic minds ready to take their first step into the real world. In the local fashion industry, one of the pioneering design groups that cultivate and develop emerging talents is the Young Designers Guild (YDG). The guild, which has been in existence for more than a decade, boasts of impressive alumni and has produced some of the countries most brilliant designers namely Jojie Lloren (former president of the Fashion and Design Council Of the Philippines), Dennis Lustico, Dong Omaga Diaz (current FDCP president), Avel Bacudio, the late Mel Vergel de Dios, Robbie Lolin, Ivarluski Aseron and Joey Samson. Its current members are Patty Eustaquio (president), Mitzi Quilendrino, Louis Claparols, Reian Mata, Brian Leyva, Ciara Marasigan-Serumgard, Jon Herrera and Ferdie Abuel.

 This year, YDG welcomes a new breed of promising design talents who will hopefully make their mark in the local landscape. Their distinct aesthetics and individualistic approach to fashion is definitely worthy of style attention. Adding color to the design community are designers Eric de los Santos, Veejay Floresca, Jerome Lorico, Regine Dulay and Aris Lagat. Inventive, creative, experimental, irreverent and adventurous, these aspiring artists to watch out for are definitely the best of the young and the restless. - The Philippine Star

Change the Philippine Constitution? Again?

Bohol Vice Gov. Julius Caesar Herrera Friday said he admires Rep. Adam Relson Jala of Bohol 's third congressional district for his move to ask the Supreme Court to decide on one of the most controversial issues in the country today.

Jala on Thursday petitioned the Supreme Court to allow both Houses of Congress to vote as one in a constituent assembly to change the Philippine Constitution.

In a 35-page petition for certiorari, Jala asked the High Court to declare as unconstitutional Rule 20, Section 40 of the rules of the House of Representatives, which states that congressional chambers in a constituent assembly must vote separately to amend the Constitution.

"He made the right move to put the issue in the proper perspective," declared Herrera in a phone interview.

The vice-governor said that with his petition, Jala made sure that the issue is decided on its merit in the proper forum.

More importantly however, the vice-governor said the petition made sure the issue will be debated openly and people will know where they will stand.

"There are useless debates and there are debates which will accomplish something concrete. This one belongs to the second group," he added.

The vice-governor said the issue has long been talked about but Jala made sure it will go someplace definite.

"With the petition, the Supreme Court will decide either in favor of it or against it," he pointed out.

Herrera, a lawyer, said that if the Supreme Court rules in favor of the petition, it will set the stage for the next move of those who want Congress to vote as a constituent assembly. - Bohol Sunday Post

Real Estate Opportunity in Cebu City

Two more major developers have informed Cebu City officials of their plan to present an offer to buy lots at the South Road Properties (SRP), but they will have to wait until the first sale to Filinvest Land Inc. (FLI) is finalized.

But Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmena said the city has to close a deal with the FLI first or any other developer that will match its offer, before they entertain other buyers.

FLI has submitted to Osmena an unsolicited proposal to buy 10 hectares of SRP worth P2 billion and to develop in a joint venture with the city government another 40 hectares of SRP.

Osmena on Wednesday filed a one-month leave of absence to travel to the United States to seek a second opinion on the reportedly cancerous mass the size of a small chicken egg found in his urinary bladder.

Acting Mayor Michael Rama, the City Council and the Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC) for the SRP will go ahead with the sale to FLI even without Osmena.

Cebu City Administrator Francisco Fernandez, chairman of the JV-SC, said that no one has expressed interest to challenge the unsolicited proposal of FLI yet, which intends to buy 10 hectares of land and develop 40 hectares under a joint venture with the city.

"There are no interested challengers for the Filinvest offer so far, but there are two other developers who have already sent feelers and want to know if they send their proposals, will these be acceptable to the city," he said.

The interested parties want to buy other portions of the 302-hectare SRP but have not specified the areas and the lot sizes. - PNA