ELECTION lawyer Romulo Macalintal on Monday dismissed fears of having a disrupted election due to brownouts that would pave the way for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to stay in power.
Macalintal assured that the problem on power shortage has nothing to do with Arroyo’s plan on 2010 and there will be no holdover as the President will step down on June 30 when the new President assumes her post.
He said, as election lawyer, he also believed that there will be a successful election on May 10 whether several feared for the first conduct of automated polls following series of rotational brownouts nationwide.
South Cotabato and Sarangani Highly Vulnerable Areas By Lilybeth G. Ison
MANILA, Feb. 6 (PNA) -- The Department of Agriculture (DA) and six of its attached agencies are carrying out assorted intervention measures that include optimizing water delivery to irrigation systems and deploying mobile animal diagnostic laboratories to ease the impact of the El Nino dry spell on the farm sector.
DA Undersecretary Bernie Fondevilla on Saturday said the measures would involve the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) as well as irrigators’ associations (IAs) in El Nino-affected areas.
Fondevilla said the mitigation measures were taken up during the latest meeting of the interagency task force that had been created by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to work on intervention programs for this latest dry spell, which is expected to last till July.
"Although the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) foresees the El Nino attack to be a moderate one, the weather bureau has projected that it will last longer this time until July," he said.
El Nino refers to the unusual warming of sea surface temperatures along the equatorial Pacific that is usually characterized by below-average rainfall, which leads to a dry spell.
Vinny Scolpino, manager of Joshua Clottey, assures everyone that the Ghanaian slugger "is not sitting on his ass" as they prepare for the thundering fists of Manny Pacquiao.
Clottey broke camp two weeks ago when he rushed back to the capital of Accra to attend to the visa woes of his long-time trainer Godwin Dzanie Kotey, who was denied a visa renewal by the US Embassy there.
"Joshua's training hard and everything's great about his preparation," Scolpino said Friday from New York, less than six weeks before Pacquiao and Clottey face off at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
While in Ghana, Scolpino said Clottey did not waste time wandering around.
"He trained while he was over there."
Clottey returned to New York last Tuesday and has since reported for training at the John's Gym in his new home in the Bronx.
"Joshua's training hard because he'll be fighting the best fighter in the world," said Scolpino, adding that a conditioning coach and a nutritionist will accompany Clottey to a training camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this Saturday.
COTABATO CITY, Feb. 8 (PNA) – A Filipino-Chinese businessman who is running for the city council here was shot dead by still unidentified gunmen near his home here Monday morning, police said.
Two of his minor children were also wounded. Senior Insp. Wally Kasuyo, city police mobile group director, identified the victim as Joseph Kwan Datuwata, 42, of Barangay Rosary Heights 10.
Datuwata who is running under the party of mayoral candidate Bai Zeny Dilangalen, wife of Maguindanao 1st district Rep. Didagen Dilangalen, was about to leave his home with his two children when two men, armed with cal. 45 pistol opened fire at about 7 a.m.
Initial investigation disclosed that Datuwata chased his attackers until they reached the corner of TV Juliano Avenue and LR Sebastian Street where he traded shots with the attackers.
Kasuyo, quoting witnesses, said one of the attackers who used a motorcycle as getaway vehicle, was believed wounded. Datuwata was driving his pick-up vehicle (MBW-543) when he was shot.
Police found the victim’s vehicle at the corner of LR Sebastian and TV Juliano with Datuwata’s lifeless body was found.
Two hand guns were recovered inside the vehicle, Kasuyo said.
MILF sticks to GRP-MILF ceasefire, denies it absorbed wanted CVOs in Maguindanao
COTABATO CITY, Feb. 2 (PNA) -- The Moro Islamic Liberation Front vowed on Tuesday to stick with the existing ceasefire agreement between the group and the Philippine government.
Ghadzali Jaafar, MILF vice chair for political affairs, made this statement even as he branded as "cheap shots" insinuations that it has provided sanctuary to members of militia formerly identified with the Ampatuans in Maguindanao.
“That report could be meant to destroy the on-going peace initiative between the government and then MILF,” Jaafar said.
He said it is the joint ceasefire committee, which is composed of representatives from the MILF, the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces, that would have to confirm if indeed members of different civilian volunteers’ organizations (CVOs) in towns controlled by the Ampatuans have joined guerilla units in Maguindanao.
Jaafar said the MILF strictly adheresd to its 1997 government-MILF General Agreement on Cessation of Hostilities, which enjoins both sides to mutually cooperate in the interdiction of criminals and terrorists in flashpoint areas in Mindanao.
“It would be unwise and counter-productive for the MILF to do anything that can derail the peace talks.
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in Legal Opinion by Beverly Caboteja, 06-02-10 21:12
