Rustans kakasuhan ng PASG

NAKATAKDANG kasu-han ng Presidential Anti-Smuggling Group (PASG) ang Rustan’s sa sandaling makumpleto nila ang im-bestigasyon kaugnay sa pagpapasok nito ng mga ‘undervalued’ na ‘imported products’ kabilang ang mga ‘signature shirts.’

Ayon kay PASG chief Un-dersecretary Antonio Villar Jr., bilyong piso ang nawawala sa kaban ng gobyerno dahil sa technical smuggling na ito ng Rustan Marketing, Rustan Commercian, Store Specialist at Rustan Coffee Corporation.

Sinabi ni Usec. Villar, nag-tataka siya kung bakit pina-yagan ng Bureau of Customs (BoC) na magbayad lamang ng humigit kumulang sa P20 milyon ang Rustans gayung dapat ay daang milyon ang babayaring taxes at penalties.

“The four companies do not declare their shipment specifically, enabling them to dictate what value to declare in their imports,” ani Villar.

Ipinaliwanag naman ni PASG intelligence chief Jaih Francia, sa nakuha nilang mga invoices sa Rustan’s trading firms na hindi nito idinedek-larang ang totoong value ng kanilang mga inaangkat na produkto upang mabawasan ang kanilang bayaring taxes and duties.

“Take the case of Global trading International which is based in U.S. In the invoice you would see that for the item ladies skirt, it cost only $11.4 per dozen which means one skirt cost only less than a dollar. And these are US brands such as Polo and La-coste that Rustan’s carries,” wika pa ni Francia.

Bukod dito, dagdag pa ni Francia, may mga wallet, handbags, make-ups, at skin care products na idineklara ng Rustan’s na undervalued sa totoong halaga nito gayung mga kilalang brands na galing Europe pa ang mga ito.

Nang padalhan ng BoC Post Entry Audit Group ang Rustan’s noong Abril para sa importation nito mula 2004 hanggang 2007 ay biglang nag-avail ito ng Voluntary Disclosure Program.

Ang Rustan’s group ay pinamumunuan ni dating Ambassador Bienvenido Tan-toco na kilalang crony ni yu-maong Pangulong Marcos habang ang anak nitong si Rico Tantoco na pangulo ng Rustan’s ay biyenan naman ng anak ni Rep. Ignacio Arroyo na bayaw naman ni Pangu-long Arroyo. Journal online

Husay sa Math at English makikita sa sukat ng daliri

By: Bhaby See - Guhit Ng Palad

NAPAPANSIN n’yo ba na may mga batang mag-aaral na mahusay sa math habang ang iba naman ay hindi? May ibang bata naman ay mahusay sa English at ang iba naman ay nag-e-excel sa math?

Malalaman mo agad mga giliw kong magulang kung Math-inik ang iyong anak o mahusay sa English sa pamama-gitan ng di kanilang mga daliri.

Sang-ayon sa pagsasaliksik ng mga psychologists, ang husay sa English at math ng bata ay nakikita sa sukat ng kanilang daliring hintuturo at palasingsingan.

Ang mga mag-aaral na mas mahaba ang palasingsingan o ring finger ay sinasabing mahusay sa math habang ang may maiikli naman nito ay mas interesado sa English o sa literacy.

Ito’y dahil, ayon sa paniniwala ng mga scientists, sa level ng testosterone at oestrogen habang nasa sinapupunan pa ang bata.

Ayon kay Mark Brosnan, na nagpasimula ng pag-aaral na ito sa University of Bath sa United Kingdom , ang testosterone ay tumutulong sa development ng ilangbahagi sa utak ng tao na sinasa-bing associated sa mathematical skills.

May kinalaman ang hormones na ito sa haba ng palasingsingan at hintuturo natin. Malalaman natin sa sukat ng dalawang daliri na ito ang exposure ng bata sa hormones habang nasa sina-pupunan pa. Sa pagkakataong ito, agad na mahuhulaan sa sukat ng kanilang daliri kung saan sila mahusay -- sa Math kaya o sa English.

Sa isang research project na inilathala sa British Journal of Psychology, 75 mga pitong-taong gulang na bata ang sinukatan ng daliring mga scientists, partikular na kinuha ang sukat ng hintuturo at palasingsingan.

Hinati nila ang pagsukat sa hintuturo sa sukat ng palasingsingan para makuha ang ‘digit ratio’ sa bata.

Ang mga adult na kababaihan ay karaniwang may ratio na 1 -- kung saan ang hintuturo at palasingsi-ngan ay magkapareho ng haba. Ang sa kalalakihan naman ay mas mababa na nasa 0.98, dahil maraming lalaki na mas mahaba ang ring finger kaysa sa index finger.

Nakita sa mga batang sinuri na may mababang digit ratio -- mas mahaba ang ring finger at mataas ang pre-natal exposure sa testosterone -- ay mas mahusay sa math kaysa sa English.

Ganun din sa mga mag-aaral na mataas naman ang digit ratio -- mas maikli ang ring finger at mataas ang pre-natal exposure sa oestrogen -- ay mas mahusay naman sa English tests at nahihirapan sa math. Ang mga batang lalaki na mas mahaba ang palasingsi-ngan ay napatunayan din na mahusay at nakakuha ng mataas na marka sa Math.

Pinay raped by US soldier

40,000 American troops stationed in Japan.

The alleged assault on the Filipino victim is the second rape incident involving an American serviceman in Okinawa this year.

It is also the second reported rape of a Filipino woman by a US serviceman. In 2007, a US Marine, who was participating in a joint military exercise with Filipino troops, was convicted of raping a 23-year-old woman in Subic Bay, Olongapo in the province of Zambales .

Last week, police detained a U.S. Marine for allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl on Okinawa, a case that has stirred outrage across Japan .

The US military said it is investigating the alleged rape incident, which was revealed a day after it imposed a curfew on troops and their family members to stem public anger in Japan .

Anti-US sentiments in Okinawa are high following the 1995 sexual molestation of a 12-year-old Okinawan schoolgirl who was gang-raped by three American servicemen.

In a related development, the US military said Thursday it was investigating new allegations of rape by a US serviceman in Japan amid an uproar after a string of criminal cases.

The case was revealed one day after the US military imposed a sweeping curfew on troops and their family members in a bid to stem public anger in Japan, a close US ally.

A Filipino woman said she was raped by a member of the US Army on the southern Japanese island of Okinawa, which is home to half of the more than 40,000 US troops in the country, officials said.

“The US Army takes this matter very seriously,” Army spokeswoman Dottie Vick said. “Army authorities are investigating and will continue to fully cooperate with the Okinawa prefectural police.”

She declined further details, saying the case was under investigation.

Kyodo News, quoting unnamed sources, said police planned soon to seek an arrest warrant for the soldier over the alleged rape, which was said to have taken place in mid-February in the central part of Okinawa.

US troops are stationed in Japan under a security treaty with the country, which has been constitutionally pacifist since World War II. Okinawa, which was under US occupation until 1972, is a key hub due to its proximity to the Taiwan Strait.

The alleged rape was the latest case this month to damage the image of US forces in Japan.

Okinawa police on Feb. 11 arrested a US Marine on allegations he raped a 14-year-old local girl in his car. Staff Sergeant Tyrone Luther Hadnott, 38, has admitted trying to forcibly kiss the teenager but denied raping her.

“We are so fed up,” Mieko Hokama, a member of a group that opposes US bases, told reporters after a meeting in Tokyo with members of parliament. “We have already had more than enough.”

An Australian woman, who was recognized by a Japanese court as having been raped by a US navy serviceman in 2002 in Yokosuka, south of Tokyo, said Japan has been like a “combat zone” even after World War II.

“Even since the war, there have been so many rape cases by US servicemen in Japan,” said the woman, who only identified herself as Jane.

“I speak about my case because I don’t think the 14-year-old girl could talk about her’s right here,” she said outside of parliament.

Three US Marines gang-raped a 12-year-old girl in Okinawa in 1995, leading to major protests that set in motion a process under which Washington agreed to withdraw some 8,000 troops from the small island.

Okinawa police said they have investigated 14 cases of rape allegedly committed by US servicemen since the 1995 incident.

However, protests in Okinawa have been relatively small since the latest case. Okinawa voters in 2006 rejected a candidate for governor running against the US bases, which contribute about five percent to the island’s economy.

Thomas Schieffer, the US ambassador to Japan, quickly flew to Okinawa last week after the rape case arrest to offer a personal apology and to pledge new training for the troops. With AFP


A Filipino woman was allegedly raped by a member of the US Army in Okinawa Japan last week, reports yesterday said.

While investigators in Japan are looking into allegations of sexual assault on the Filipino victim, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Philippine Embassy in Japan maintained silence over the incident.

Reports said investigators are still determining if the alleged rapist is a soldier or a civilian employee working for the US Army in Okinawa.

Okinawa is home to half of more than
By Michaela P. del Callar - Daily tribune

Abolishing amusement tax not a smart move

The Cebu CIty government would forego around P50 million a year if it eliminates the collection of amusement taxes, Councilor Jose Daluz III said.

He discouraged scrapping the 30 percent amusement tax, which is the city’s third biggest source of income.

Daluz gave his comment on the pending proposal of Councilor Hilario Davide III to amend the Omnibus Tax Ordinance and scrap the collection of 30 percent of the gross admission fees from places of amusement like cinemas, concert halls, boxing stadiums and entertainment activities.

Daluz, head of the committee on budget and finance of the city council, said the city could just continue its practice of granting discounts to event organizers on a case to case basis.

Exemptions are granted subject to the approval of the City Council provided the event organizer donates P10,000 to a charitable institution, foundation or non-government organizations duly recognized by the city government, he said.

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña in an earlier interview was inclined to abolish amusement taxes to encourage producers to organize concerts and other entertainment activities here.

Osmeña said the city government could make up from the lost revenue by improving their collection on real estate property and business taxes and other charges collected from the delivery of government services.

Daluz, however, said the Local Government Code empowers local government units to collect taxes, a mandate that it should exercise.

Vice Mayor Michael Rama told the council on Wednesday that abolishing the collection of amusement taxes may be beyond the power of the council. Reporter Doris C. Bongcac - Cebu Daily News

Parental respect opens doors for diligent youth

In most scholarship programs, few are chosen.

A good number of the academic scholarships offered by the government, private firms and foundations are limited to “poor and deserving” students who belong to the top five percent of their classes.

The Thailand-based conglomerate Siam Cement Group (SCG) says it believes everybody deserves an education, even the “average” ones, and has launched its Philippine corporate social responsibility program with high school scholarships accessible to most students.

Called “SCG Sharing the Dream,” the scholarship program to be conducted in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress, will assist 200 high school students in and around Bulacan, Batangas and Metro Manila where SCG has its paper and ceramic tile manufacturing facilities.

To qualify, students need to record a general average of only 70 percent. This is a failing mark in private schools, but still a grade to aspire for in most public schools, considering that the national average in the achievement tests is 57 percent.

The SCG assistance, at around P7,800 a year for each scholar, will cover uniforms, school supplies, miscellaneous expenses for school projects as well as allowance.

“SCG believes that our most important asset is the individual. When we talk of sustainability, we not only refer to the company’s growth or profits but to people and values as well,” says SCG president and chief executive Kan Trakulhoon. “The scholarship program is one of the ways for us to extend that sustainability to the communities where we operate.”

The scholarship will be initially extended to public high school students who have finished their first year in high school to give SCG a better idea of the quality of the high school students.

Uncommon criterion

SCG may have set a low hurdle as far as the average goes, but it has come up with another criterion for selecting the potential scholars: They must be grateful for their parents’ sacrifice.

SCG country director Chartchai Leukulwatanachai says in an interview that SCG wants to benefit students who are grateful to their parents, because the company believes that it is such students that will most likely finish school.

There are no hard and fast rules to measure gratitude, as nebulous a concept as it is. SCG and Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), a nongovernmental organization supported by large corporations, will look for clues in interviews and application papers to get the type of scholars they seek.

Leukulwatanachai says SCG feels strongly about the requirement for “smart and grateful” students because of the belief that students who are not grateful do not have as much of a future as those who look up to and respect their parents.

“If you cannot love your parents, how can you love others?” he says.

Leukulwatanachai adds that SCG applies the same principle in its own offices across Southeast Asia because it believes that it is not enough for people to be smart.

They have to show respect for their fellow man in order to foster harmonious relationships, not just in the office, but at home and in the general community.

SCG and PBSP will accept scholarship applications until March 7 and the 200 scholars will be announced on April 11, 2008.

The scholars will then go to a scholarship camp -- where their leadership skills and family values will be enhanced -- after which the grant will be turned over.

Leukulwatanachai says the “SCG Share a Dream” is just the first of a series of projects that the Siam Cement Group wants to implement in the Philippines, the first country that the group expanded to outside Thailand.

SCG operates four businesses in the Philippines -- United Pulp and Paper Co. Inc., Mariwasa Siam Ceramics, CPAC Monier Philippines Inc., and SCT (Philippines) Inc.

“We will definitely do more because we are in the Philippines for the long haul,” Leukulwatanachai says.

One project SCG is exploring is the grant of scholarships specifically to children of overseas Filipino workers.

SCG just thought of starting with education and getting the scholarship program off the ground because it believes that much still needs to be done in the public education system.

Aside from the scholarship program, the group will also extend master’s degree scholarships for Filipino students to study in leading Thai universities, such as Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.

SCG has also partnered with the Knowledge Channel to allow elementary schools to gain access to the cable TV station’s programs. By Tina Arceo-Dumlao - Philippine Daily Inquirer

OFWs welcome suspension of POEA rules on direct hiring

Migrant workers Saturday welcomed the indefinite suspension of new government guidelines on direct hiring of overseas Filipino workers.

The leftist group Migrante International attributed to “OFW Power” the indefinite suspension by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration's of its Memorandum Circular 4 (MC-04), which, among others, required foreign employers to post up to $8,000 in repatriation and performance bonds for each Filipino worker they hired.

“This is the result of the united protest of OFWs around the world and that of our families in the Philippines. We sustained the campaign and were not deceived by the promise of protection of MC-04 nor of the tricky exemption,” said Samahan Laban sa Katiwalian ng mga Recruitment Agencies at Patakarang MC-04, a coalition against the POEA rule.

“Filipino migrant workers claim victory over the POEA’s MC-04. This is the result of the united protest of OFWs around the world and that of our families in the Philippines,” said Dolores Balladares, chair of Migrante's Hong Kong chapter, the United Filipinos in Hong Kong (Unifil)..

In Manila, the Center for Migrant Advocacy said it hoped the government had “learned its lesson” in the need to consult the OFW sector before imposing a “burdensome” regulation such as MC-04.

“MC-04 did not look good to OFWs not only because of its being tedious, drastic, and costly but also it seemed to them that the government does not want to have the responsibility of bailing out OFWs in distress,” CMA executive director Ellene Sana told the INQUIRER.

Sana said the OFW groups would be willing to sit down with the POEA to craft regulations that would "really" extend protection to OFWs, particularly the directly-hired.

“The process of making rules should be transparent and participatory. If we keep on promoting a labor-export policy, we should be ready for distressed migrants. So the government must touch base with OFWs communities and hear from them how their welfare may be best protected,” she said.

POEA suspended the guidelines on February 14, “until further orders,” less than a month after they were implemented. In suspending the guidelines, the POEA cited President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's directives to relax rules on hiring white-collar OFWs and the need to deliberate further on the matter. By Jerome Aning - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Talented Filipino animators go big time

TWO top-notch Filipino animation films will soon make their debut in Philippine cinemas.

Filipino animators, many of whom have been employed by the Disney, Cartoon Network and Warner studios for the last 20 years, are producing the full-length animated films. And both productions commissioned major talents to lend their voices for the lead parts.

"Urduja," produced by Tony Tuviera's APT Entertainment, has a star-studded voice cast. Regine Velasquez stars as Princess Urduja; Cesar Montano as her lover Lim Hang; Johnny Delgado as Wang; Eddie Garcia as Lakanpati; Allan K as Tarsir; and Michael V as Kukut.

Watch the Urduja trailer -- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TRFIFMWCRVs

"Dayo," by Cutting Edge Productions Inc., features the voices of child stars Nash Aguas as Bubuy and Katrina "Hopia" Legaspi as Anna Manananggal. Peque Gallaga is the voice behind the character Nano, Michael V is Narsi, Johnny Delgado is Anna's father and Laurice Guillen plays a diwata.

Watch the Dayo trailer - www.youtube.com/watch?v=oe1QzhNrSEc

"These are ambitious projects," said Artemio Abad Jr., "Dayo" supervising producer. "We hope to erase the image of Pinoy animators as mere subcontractors of big animation companies. We want the world to know that we are also capable of producing our own animated content."

"Urduja" tells the story of the legendary warrior princess and ruler of the Kingdom of Tawalisi in Pangasinan from 1350 to 1400. Urduja was famous for leading a group of women warriors, called Kinalakian or Amazons, who were skilled fighters and equestriennes. These women, having developed a high art of warfare, fought alongside male warriors to protect their land from invaders.

"Dayo" follows the adventure of 11-year-old Bubuy as he tries to save his grandparents who have been abducted and brought to Elementalia, a mysterious and magical land that is home to popular creatures of Philippine mythology.

The local theater run of "Urduja" is tentatively set for the middle of the year. The makers of "Dayo" plan to make their project an entry in the 2008 Metro Manila Film Festival in December.

"Urduja" and "Dayo" are only the second and third locally produced full-length animated movies.

An animated version of "Ibong Adarna," co-produced by FLT Films and Guiding Light Productions, was shown in 1997. It was the brainchild of animator Gerry Garcia, winner of the 1995 Star Awards for Best Visual Effects.

In 2002, local production studio Top Peg ran an animation TV series, "Tutubi Patrol," a values-oriented show for children.

Abad, who co-wrote "Dayo" with Eric Cabahug, said work on the film began as early as October 2006, about the time Cutting Edge Productions started investing in digital animation.

Cutting Edge is a four-year-old post-production company specializing in TV commercials and audio-visual presentations. Its owner, Jessie Lazaten, is a musical director of several TV series and films.

"While 'Urduja' is done in the traditional animation process (hand-drawn), 'Dayo' is all-digital, which is a combination of 2D and 3D technologies," explained Abad. "We are hoping to get Lea Salonga to record the movie's theme song with a 30-piece orchestra. This will be a first in Philippine cinema." goodnewspilipinas.com

US scientists pinpoint 14 top technological challenges

The US National Academy of Engineering has announced the grand challenges for engineering in the 21st century that, if met, would improve people's lives.

The list of 14 tasks was unveiled Friday by a diverse committee of experts from around the world, convened at the request of the US National Science Foundation.

"Tremendous advances in quality of life have come from improved technology in areas such as farming and manufacturing," said committee member and Google co-founder Larry Page. "If we focus our effort on the important grand challenges of our age, we can hugely improve the future."

The panel, some of the most accomplished engineers and scientists of their generation, was established in 2006 and met several times to discuss and develop the list of challenges.

Through an interactive Web site, the effort received worldwide input from prominent engineers and scientists, as well as from the general public, over a one-year period.

The panel's conclusions were reviewed by more than 50 subject-matter experts.

The final choices fall into four themes that are essential for humanity to flourish: sustainability, health, reducing vulnerability, and joy of living.

The committee did not attempt to include every important challenge, members said, nor did it endorse particular approaches to meeting those selected. Rather than focusing on predictions or gadgets, the goal was to identify what needs to be done to help people and the planet thrive.

"We chose engineering challenges that we feel can, through creativity and commitment, be realistically met, most of them early in this century," said committee chair and former US secretary of defense William Perry.

"Some can be, and should be, achieved as soon as possible," he added.

The committee decided not to rank the challenges. But their list includes making solar energy affordable, providing energy from fusion, managing the nitrogen cycle, providing access to clean water around the world, reverse-engineering the human brain, preventing nuclear terror and securing cyberspace among others.

NAE is offering the public an opportunity to vote on which one they think is most important and to provide comments at the project Web site: www.engineeringchallenges.org.

"Meeting these challenges would be 'game changing,'" said NAE president Charles Vest. "Success with any one of them could dramatically improve life for everyone." Agence France-Presse

Study counts worker supply in 20 ‘next-wave’ cities

An ongoing study by the government and an outsourcing advisory firm Tholons aims to measure BPO skills in 20 second-tier cities using a standard deployed in India.

The DTI (Department of Trade and Industry) and Tholons began the study last year, which looks at these "next-wave cities" and is intended to provide insights on how each can improve as BPO (business process outsourcing) sites.

The initial phase of the project involves gathering basic quantitative and qualitative data on second-tier cities, such as business environment, quality of life and infrastructure.

Phase two, which begins this year, will quantify the number of potential BPO workers in these cities based on skills, according to the DTI.

"Aside from offering a comparison of sites in terms of infrastructure and business environment, our next phase looks further into the skills level of people who, at the end of the day, are the ones that drive the industry," said Paul Santos, Tholons president for Asia Pacific.

An earlier study by Tholons ranked Cebu, Pasig and Baguio among the top 50 emerging cities worldwide suited for BPO.

The study is also intended to help formulate a national competitiveness standard for BPO similar to that of India's National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM).

Tholons is working with Merittrac, the skills assessment company that helped NASSCOM come up with its own competency standard in India.

According to BPAP, the country's BPO industry currently employs around 300,000 workers, two-thirds of which are from the call center sector, followed by back-office (non-voice) and software development. Cebu Daily News

Senate OKs on third reading bill decriminalizing vagrancy

The Senate has approved on third and final reading the bill decriminalizing vagrancy.

Senate Bill 1965, submitted jointly by the committees on justice and human rights, and constitutional amendments, revision of codes and laws was approved by the body for transmittal to the House of Representatives for consideration.

Vagrants are people who stay out on the streets at night. The existing anti-vagrancy law contained in Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code usually causes the arrests of prostituted women, street children, and homeless people.

The bill removes vagrants in the law, but prostitution remains a crime.

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, chairman of the justice committee and author of the bill, together with Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada, Richard Gordon, and Loren Legarda, said that the existing law on vagrancy failed to see that vagrants were victims of poverty, who don't have the opportunities for employment or access to decent standards of living and quality of life.

"Vagrancy inflicts no harm to society, but if at all, very minimal compared to those grave offenses which cause damage to person, community, and property. This should be addressed with treatment rather than with punishment," Escudero said Wednesday.

The bill, he said, provides equal protection to women, children and men as authorities cannot anymore recklessly and conveniently use vagrancy in arbitrary arrests.

"We see it all the time in the news, when authorities round up people and no definite charges can be made, vagrancy comes in handy. Cases of this nature have already piled up in our justice system,” he said.

Escudero said that with SB 1965, two issues were addressed: A more humane justice system, which prioritizes the rehabilitation of the offender and acknowledges the value of every human life; and the decongestion of the load of the justice system.

By decriminalizing vagrancy, Escudero said law enforcement officers could pay more attention to graver offenses and improve the administration of justice in the country.

The neophyte senator said the Senate was optimistic that their counterparts in the House would approve the same bill once transmitted there. By Veronica Uy - INQUIRER.net

Batas na kokontra sa appointment habang halal na opisyal inihain

Batas na kokontra sa appointment habang halal na opisyal inihain

INIHAIN ng isang kongresista ang isang panukalang batas na naglalayong pagbawalan ang mga halal na opisyal na magbitiw sa tungkulin para lamang tumanggap ng ibang posisyon sa gobyerno.

Isinumite ni Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada III ang House Bill (HB) 319 na tatawaging “An act prohibiting an elective official from resigning his elective
office to accept an appointment to any government office and providing penalties thereof.”

Sa nakalipas na 13th Congress, kabilang sa mga kongresistang naitalaga sa Gabinete sina Tourism Sec. Joseph Ace Durano, Budget Sec. Rolando Andaya, Jr., Education Sec. Jesli Lapus, Interior and Local Government (DILG) Sec. Ronaldo Puno at dating Presidential Chief of Staff Joey Salceda na gobernador ngayon ng Albay.

Layunin ng panukala na pagbawalan ang mga halal na opisyal na makakuha ng ibang posisyon sa kabila ng kanilang na-kabimbing termino.

Nanindigan si Tañada na dapat tuparin ng pampublikong opsiyal ang kanyang kontrata sa mga tao nang hingin ang suporta ng mga ito noong nakalipas na halalan.

“The severance of the relation occurs only in extraordinary situations where there
is a severe breach of the obligations due from each party.

Where there is breach of trust and confidence by the elected public official, he may be subject to removal or recall,” ani Tañada.

Gayunpaman, sinabi ni Tañada na maaari namang magbitiw ang mga pampublikong opisyal kung nagkasakit ito.

“On the other hand, an elected public official having voluntarily sought the elective post could only resign upon valid grounds like sickness or physical disabilities in the performance of public functions,” ani Tañada. RPP - Journal online

town cannot collect fees from garbage haulers

DoJ says Rizal town cannot collect fees from garbage haulers

RODRIGUEZ, Rizal — The municipal government here cannot collect trucking fees from haulers who are dumping garbage at the 19-hectare sanitary landfill of the Rizal provincial government, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said.


A seven-page communcation, signed by Gonzalez last Jan. 29, was sent to the Rodrigo Berenguer and Guno Law Office, counsel for petitioner Lilibeth Vicente. Copies of the communication were furnished the sangguniang bayan of Rodriguez, and the sangguniang panlalawigan of Rizal.

The secretary’s letter stated that the Rizal provincial board has the power to review ordinances enacted by the Rodriguez municipal government and to declare these null and void because the town cannot invoke the provision of the 1987 Constitution on local autonomy or decentralization. This "does not make local governments sovereign within the state," the letter said.

Earlier, the Rodriguez municipal council filed with the Department of Justice (DoJ) a pettion asking to annul the ruling issued by the Rizal provincial board that the fees charged by Rodriguez municipal government on Metro Manila garbage haulers are considered "ultra vires" or beyond the scope of its power.

The ruling was issued on the complaints aired by haulers Solid Waste Contractors Association of the Philippines (SWACAP), S.M. Coronado Service Corp., and Leonel Waste Management Corp., Metro Manila garbage haulers, who said that they are being "exorbitantly charged" by the Rodriguez municipal government with fees that were increased from R225 to R425 per trip.

In collecting the questioned fees, the sangguniang bayan of the Rodriguez "contravened the common limitations on its taxing powers as a local government unit under the Local Government Code," Gonzalez’s letter-opinion stated.

It also stated that the imposition of the so-called "development exaction fees" by the municipal government on Metro Manila garbage haulers result in the indirect imposition insofar as not only the local government units but also the national government.

Gonzalez said that the law unequivocally provides that taxes, fees or charges of any kind on the national government, its instrumentalities, and local government units cannot be imposed by municipalities.

Rodriguez town, in effect, is imposing indirect taxes because the burden of the fees it is charging from Metro Manila garbage haulers will ultimately be passed on to the different towns and cities in Metro Manila, he said.

By DANNY JUNCO - Manila Bulletin

Ebdane faces rough confirmation

Commission of appointments report shows DPWH chief has murder, graft cases

The committee on public works of the Commission on Appointments deferred on Wednesday the confirmation of Public Works Secretary Hermogenes Ebdane to give him time to answer derogatory records in his service, including charges of murder and graft, among others.

Rep. Conrado Estrella 3rd of Pangasinan, the committee chairman, said his committee would conduct another hearing on February 13 so Ebdane could prepare his defense.

The investigation conducted by the committee showed that retired police Gen. Eduardo Matillano had accused Ebdane of demanding 20 to 25 percent in commission for contracts awarded during the latter’s stint as chief of the Philippine National Police.

Ebdane swore on the grave of his father that he had never demanded any centavo, much less 25 percent, for the awarding of PNP contracts. Matillano was chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group under Ebdane.

Ebdane claimed that Matillano was only getting back at him for his getting relieved as CIDG head.

The appointments commission’s investigation report also mentioned the claim of one Rebecca Lopez that Ebdane was responsible for the murder of her husband. Ebdane, however, said Lopez had already withdrawn the case and gave Estrella a copy of her affidavit of desistance. Estrella said that his committee’s efforts to locate Lopez at her last known address proved futile.

Ebdane also has cases of murder, kidnapping, plunder, arbitrary detention, perjury, grave misconduct, graft and violation of the Solid Waste Management Law pending before the Office of the Ombudsman.

The Road Users Tax Association also opposed Ebdane’s confirmation for the alleged misuse of the road users’ tax. Sen. Richard Gordon said that Ebdane’s role in the disbursement of the road users tax was not explicit. He said Ebdane might not have a hand on how to use the tax. The opposition had claimed that the tax was used in the previous elections and demanded an accounting.

Gordon said he would seek more details from Ebdane about the Lopez and Ombudsman cases at the next confirmation hearing
By Efren L. Danao - Manila Times Senior Reporter

TESDA chief cleared of graft charge

ILOILO CITY, Philippines -- Malacañang dismissed the corruption case filed against Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General Augusto Syjuco in connection with the printing of his book, "Salabat for the Filipino Soul," that cost TESDA P9.2 million.

Acting on the instant motion for reconsideration filed by Syjuco, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, through a resolution dated January 30, 2008, cleared Syjuco of his involvement in the case.

Ermita said that while it was true that TESDA paid for the printing of Syjuco's book, it was the TESDA bids and awards committee as a collegial body that allowed the transaction. Hence, he said, there was no case for gross neglect of duty against Syjuco.

"Bad faith can never be presumed. Since it was not proven, the benefit of the doubt should favor regularity in the performance of their duties. The modification of the assailed decision, with respect to Syjuco, is warranted," Ermita said.

Syjuco earlier maintained he should not be held liable since he did not gain financially from the printing of the book that was distributed for free to TESDA students. The book, which encourages out-of-school-youth to take vocational courses, is being used as a guidebook on the ladderized education initiated by TESDA.

But the five members of the TESDA bids and awards committee (BAC) remained liable for approving the P9.2-million printing transaction without any bidding, the resolution said.

The resolution, a copy of which was furnished to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Wednesday, said that Presidential Management Staff head Cerge Remonde, chair of the Committee of Peers, sent a memorandum dated January 23, 2008 to the Office of the President referring Syjuco's motion for reconsideration for appropriate action.

Malacañang earlier elevated Syjuco's case for resolution to the Committee of Peers on the account of his rank even as it approved the Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) ruling that found Syjuco's co-respondents as liable for corruption.

Malacañang upheld PAGC's decision, which recommended the dismissal and forfeiture of the leave credits of the five TESDA-BAC members and barred them from future employment in the government.
By David Israel Sinay - Philippine Daily Inquirer

Villar warns on threat to labor export

SENATE President Manuel Villar Jr. yesterday warned that the stringent rules imposed on the direct-hiring of Filipino workers, such as requiring prospective employers to place a bond amounting to more than $5,000 will result in the non-competitiveness of Filipino labor.

He wants the Senate to conduct an inquiry into the memorandum restricting the direct-hiring of Filipino workers which was implemented in the wake of pronouncements by various governments allowing Filipino workers to fill up their manpower needs.

Villar filed Resolution No. 291 urging the Senate committee on labor to look into the effect of this new policy on direct-hiring issued by the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) on the competitiveness of Filipino labor especially at this time when Spain, Italy and Canada have opened up their labor market to the Philippines.

Memorandum Circular No. 4, which took effect last Jan.15, issued by POEA head Rosalinda Baldoz imposed stricter documentation and processing requirements including an approval from the Secretary of the Department of Labor and Employment for foreign employers who want to hire Filipino workers directly.

Villar said the requirements of a performance bond amounting to the workers’ three-month salary, a $5,000 repatriation bond and medical insurance, “could discourage foreign employers from hiring Filipinos.”
By: Bernadette E. Tamayo - Journal online

Grads must fit job mart – GMA

By: Jeffrey C. Tiangco - People's Journal

SCHOOLS should see to it that the courses they offer fit the demands of the market to ensure that their graduates enjoy a competitive edge in the quest for jobs here and abroad.

Thus said President Macapagal-Arroyo in her keynote address during the opening of the two-day First Biennial Education Congress last January 31 to February 1 at the Manila Hotel.

“We ask colleges and universities to update themselves about the current demands in the local and international market, and to offer courses fitting their graduates to the skills requirements of available jobs,” the President stressed.

Earlier, Malacañang, initiated the holding of the education congress to draw up plans and undertake immediate steps to cure the ills of the Philippine educational system.

During the summit, the President said there should be “no more customs administration, a little bit less of business management, more of entrepreneurship” in course offerings.

She also asked colleges and universities established by local governments units to “comply with the standards of the Commission on Higher Education.”

In her address before the FBEC, the President also instructed the Professional Regulations Commission (PRC) to “update its licensure examinations to reflect current technical and scientific requirements of business and industry.”

DoLE clarifies new direct hiring policy

By: Lee Ann P. Ducusin - People's Journal
THE Department of Labor and Employment yesterday clarified certain issues regarding the implementation of the new policy of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration on the direct hiring of overseas Filipino workers.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said some people who are against the policy are trying to sow confusion among OFW’s and foreign employers by giving false information about its implementing guidelines.

“There are some people who are spreading false implementation about the new policy’s implementing guidelines,” he said.

Brion clarified that contrary to what the critics say, employers will have to pay only the premium of the U.S.$5,000 repatriation bond and performance bond equivalent to three months salary of the worker.

He added the repatriation bond shall guarantee the actual cost of repatriation of remains of directly hired OFW following death from any cause, and actual cost incurred for repatriation from other causes such as violation or non-compliance with the contract among others. The performance bond shall guarantee compliance of the contract for its entire duration.

The bond shall be secured from any Philippine bonding company accredited by the Supreme Court. Premiums for the bonds shall be paid by the employer.

The labor chief added a foreign employer is also required to provide medical insurance to the worker at an amount equivalent to those provided to nationals of the host country.

“The adoption of these new requirements is aimed at strengthening the protection mechanisms for the OFW’s,” he said.

Brion said the new guidelines were issued to reinforce the provision of the Philippine Labor Code that prohibits the direct hiring of Filipino workers except for selected employers such as diplomats, heads of international organizations and other employers as may be approved by the Secretary of Labor and Employment.

“If this law is no longer a wise law, then the appropriate step is to secure an amendatory legislation. In the meanwhile, we have to apply the current law, adjusted by our rules to the extent allowable,” he explained.

Under the existing POEA rules, the general procedure for the recruitment and deployment of OFW’s is through POEA-licensed recruitment agencies. These agency-hired workers are protected under existing regulations such as bonding requirements for licensed recruitment agencies, which guarantees compliance to the terms of the employment contract, particularly relating to money claims of the workers.

In direct hiring, recruitment agencies are not involved and compliance to the contract is therefore dependent on the capability of the foreign employer.

However, the labor secretary said the DoLE is open to exemptions from the total implementation of the POEA guidelines (MC 4, S2007) on a per country, employer or workers classification based on the request of the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices.