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The employer of the two newly arrived overseas Filipino workers in United Arab Emirates who died in a vehicular accident is reportedly ready to pay the blood money to the OFWs relatives, a Filipina nurse tending to their three injured companions in the UAE said.
In an email to abs-cbnNews.com, the nurse, who requested anonymity, claimed the quarry company, Suji Mix, that hired Cesar Lucero, 38; and Edward Constanino, 49; both from Cavite City, is preparing to shell out money for their deaths.
"The other two who died, the company is preparing for the blood money to be given to the relatives. The driver is in prison upon his discharge," she said in an e-mail message to .
The two OFWs, along with Narciso Samaniego, 54; Conrad Ambrad, 56; and Nestor Comia, 38—figured in an accident last March shortly after arriving in UAE from the Philippines.They were fetched by an unnamed Pakistani driver.
While travelling at 140 kph along Daid Highway, 60 kilometers from their destination in Fujairah, one of the seven emirates of the UAE, the driver lost control of the vehicle which flipped over several times.
Lucero died instantly from his injuries while Constantino succumbed a few days after the accident.
The Filipina nurse said Samaniego and Comia are still confined to a local hospital while Ambrad has already been discharged and is wearing a body brace.
"The other two are still in the hospital. Hopefully, Nestor will be discharged soon. He has to use crutches for walking until his fracture heals. But Narciso who suffered from head injury is disoriented. They are taken care of by our kababayan nurses in the hospital," she said.
There had been three batches of OFWs that arrived in UAE. The OFWs who met the accident made up the second group, she added.
ABS-CBN Middle East News Bureau chief Dindo Amparo earlier reported that the Philippine consulate in Dubai is right now arranging the repatriation of the OFWs bodies.

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By PAOLO ROMERO
Philippine Star President Arroyo is considering seeking congressional approval for a proposed three-year P316-billion subsidy program that would help cushion the impact of food and fuel price surges on consumers, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda said yesterday.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development is meanwhile poised to set up 70 mobile "disbursement centers" all over Metro Manila this weekend to allow "lifeline users" of the Manila Electric Co. to claim their P500 worth of power subsidies easily.
Salceda has submitted a proposal entitled "Strategic Response to Food and Fuel Crisis-Noahs Ark Framework," which he described as an imperative in the face of a "clear and present danger to our national survival."
The massive cash subsidy program that could cost P441 billion pales in comparison with the P18 billion earlier programmed by the government for electricity and school subsidies from proceeds of value-added tax on oil.
"Social protection, in contrast to growth impetus as instrument of poverty reduction, has now become the foremost undertaking of the national government. Thus, we propose to the President and to our policymakers this social protection plan to build a Noahs Ark of basic needs to shelter the poor so no one would be left behind once the surging waters of economic adversities sweep over our shores," he said.
The program will be submitted to Congress by way of a three-year supplemental budget from 2008 to 2010.
The Noahs Ark is a multi-year policy mix costing P316 billion in increased public spending spread till 2010, translating to a deficit of only one percent of Gross Domestic Product sustained over three years.
This combines income augmentation targeted at poor and middle class families and increased public goods spending on agriculture, education, health and housing, he said.
Salceda however clarified that the figure counts incremental spending spread over the period. Foregone losses from the recent tax relief of P12 billion will boost the aggregate to P352 billion.
With P28 billion annually or P84 billion for three years, the cash subsidies to poor households is the biggest component and would only approximate the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program "as the biggest net resource transfer to the poor in our recent history," he said.
Another feature of the subsidy package is a massive P36 billion for Commission on Higher Education scholarships and training vouchers from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
He said household spending on higher education is likely to be displaced by higher prices of food, which accounts for 60 percent of family spending, and fuel light and power.
Another feature of the proposed program is a P30 billion budget for the National Food Authority to build up a strategic rice reserve by buying from local farmers.
"This is to shield the country from market volatility or adverse trade patterns such as export curbs," he said.
Salceda said the Noahs Ark proposal has nothing for infrastructure since it is an incremental spending and it is assumed the government will continue its programmed infrastructure spending.
Power subsidy
In an interview, DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral said starting June 14 government social workers and representatives from the Landbank of the Philippines will visit every barangay with identified beneficiaries of the "Pantawid Kuryente: Katas ng VAT Program."
Cabral said these centers would be in addition to the five LBP branches designated to distribute the power subsidies to millions of beneficiaries.
"The DSWD and LBP will reach out to the barangays, in addition to the five identified servicing Landbank branches," Cabral said.
She said the new mechanism of distributing the power subsidy would help poor families save money on travel expenses.
Cabral said payments for the rest of Metro Manila will be done in three weekends of June - June 14 to 15, 21 to 22, and 28 to 29.
She urged beneficiaries to bring with them original copies of Meralco Billing Statement and identification cards.
Last Friday, LBP started paying the lifeline users in Metro Manila in its branches in Buendia, Makati; Manila Cathedral-Intramuros; Banawe and Batasan, Quezon City; and Capitol Branch in Pasig.
President Arroyo earlier launched her P2-billion power subsidy program to help four million lifeline users - or families consuming less than 100-kilowatt hours of electricity monthly – pay their power bills.
Cabral stressed that the P2 billion is part of the revenue generated from the Expanded Value Added Tax or E-Vat, and is the Arroyo administrations way of giving back to the people the fruits of economic reforms.
State of panic
However, senators yesterday warned that the doling out of subsidies was the administrations way of showing its state of panic.
"Malacañang has just betrayed its headless economic strategy to cope with rising costs of living," Sen. Panfilo Lacson said in a statement.
Lacson, along with Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. and Sen. Manuel Roxas II said one-time subsidies could hardly make any difference in peoples lives.
Sen. Francis Escudero said he would like to know how the government had been spending the governments resources to address the plight especially of the poor with the increase in prices of oil and basic commodities.
Lacson also sees the governments grant of subsidies as merely political.
"This government has been obsessed with image-building, even at the expense of Filipino taxpayers. Now that it faces a real economic problem, it lost the guts to make the hard decisions. No thanks to its inconsistent policies, we are seeing our economy in a mess," he said.
He noted that giving subsidies and imposing a "shopping ban" were useless and inconsistent.
"For an economist, Mrs. Arroyo is either absorbed in her own little world, or she is in a state of panic. Why else would she give billions of pesos in subsidies one week, then discourage Filipinos from shopping due to inflation?" he asked.
Malacañang announced it would grant the poor P500 in power subsidy and P1,500 for fertilizer. Funds will also be distributed directly to people as education subsidy.
Villar and Roxas both questioned the governments move to distribute the funds rather than use them for bigger and long-term farm investments.
Roxas, for his part, said the equivalent of P1,500 would only be one bag of fertilizer since a hectare of land would need one to two bags on the average. "That is useless," he said.
Villar also said the subsidy program even left out the 1.6 million fishermen who were the first to reel from high gas prices as up to 80 percent of what they earn from their dwindling catch goes to fuel.
Because fishing is an oil-reliant industry, half of the retail price of the common peoples fish represents fuel expenses.
Lacson also pointed out that in the case of power subsidies, Cabral – a career official – admitted the P500 power subsidy for poor families was a one-shot deal due to lack of funds.
Escudero pointed out "money in the budget is the Presidents best weapon in her arsenal to combat high rice prices and low rice production, and spending it is the first thing she must do." – Helen Flores, Aurea Calica

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BANGKOK - Thai Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej declared a state of emergency in Bangkok on Tuesday, state radio announced, hours after clashes between opponents and supporters of his government left one dead.

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By MANILA P. SANTOS
ABS-CBN.com

Basing from her appearance alone, it looks like it would take a lot to faze Angelica Panganiban. But this former child star admits that she still feels intimidated to work with more veteran stars in the new soap "Iisa Pa Lamang", despite her equally extensive experience in show business.

Add to that fact that she will soon be sharing a lot of explosive and dramatic scenes opposite her longtime idol Claudine Barretto.

“Nung bata ako, fan na fan niya ako until ngayon pa naman. Naaapektuhan ako pag nakikita ko siyang naaapi sa eksena dati. Ngayon, Hindi ako makapaniwala na nasa isang set lang kami nagtratrabaho. So nung isang araw na gumawa kami ng eksena together, parang nag-flashback sakin lahat nung naging mga nagging kontrabida sa buhay niya. Parang nanginig ako bigla sa takot at kaba. Hindi ako makapaniwala na ako na talaga yung gumagawa nung scene kasama siya. Tapos yung eksenang ginagawa namin ang ganda ganda,� Angel admits.

The 21-year-old actress is very thankful to be chosen as part f the cast of "Iisa Pa Lamang," which will also be the comeback project of Gabby Concepcion.

“Parang hindi pa rin ako makapaniwala. Nakatrabaho ko na sya nung batang-bata pa ako sa isang telesine, pero hindi siya napalabas. Siyempre nung first story conference namin, nasa-starstruck ako. Hindi ko ma-imagine na isa ako sa napili na makasali sa show na nandun din siya. Tapos mabibigyan ako ng opportunity na makatrabaho siya. Hindi naman lahat mabibigyan ng ganitong klaseng chance,� she admits.

The sexy endorser says that it took some time for her to become relaxed with the veteran actors she would be working with including Cherry Pie Picache and the Queen of Philippine Cinema Susan Roces.

“Masaya ako. Parang hanggang ngayon, hindi pa rin ako naniniwala. Parang feeling ko, pag pinasok ko itong idea na kasali na talaga ako sa malaking project na ito sa sistema ko, parang maninigas ako sa takot, kaba at sa pressure!� she exclaims.

But Angels worries were all for naught as she even got some acting advice from Cherry Pie Picache. “Nung first day ko, naginginig ako sa kaba. Hindi ko ma-deliver yung lines ko. Tapos siyempre diba, lahat sila wala ng kaba! Tita Pie helped me relax and tinuruan niya ko mag-deliver ng lines,� she says.

For the first time in her life, she will be taking on a role thats so far removed from her real personality, that its become a big acting challenge for Angel.

“Ngayon lang ako gagawa ng ganitong klaseng role na mayaman, primadonna, at spoiled brat. Actually nahihirapan ako. Hindi naman ako ganun sa totoong buhay so wala pa akong experience na ganun. Hindi ko pa gamay yung character.

"Siguro ngayon lang nila ako makikita na magtataray talaga. Ibang Angelica yung makikita nila from head to toe, sa pag-aayos, sa pagbihis, Sa pagsalita, sa kilos, sobrang mature,� she admits.

Although she cant relate to her character, Angel says shes enjoying the opportunity to be a bad girl for a change.

“Parang ngayon na lang ulit ako na-challenge ng ganito. Kasi so far sa lahat ng work na nagawa ko, medyo meron siyang hawig sa personality ko. Ito yung role na ang layo niya talaga sa personality ko.

" Bumabaliktad yung mundo ko dahil ang hirap niya talaga. Ang sarap ng challenge. Nakakatuwa yung feeling after every scene kasi nagagawa ko ng maayos, nabubuhay ko yung character,� she explains.

Catch Angelica and the rest of the cast of "Iisa Pa Lamang" as the dramatic teleserye premieres this coming Monday, July 14 on ABS-CBNs Primetime Bida.

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LOS ANGELES - When to slow down and retire? For most people in their 60s the decision is a no-brainer -- the sooner the better. But in the rare air of movie stardom, where careers are fueled by a mix of talent, ego, vanity and, sometimes, cosmetic surgery, it seems to be a far harder decision.
Hollywood's latest example is Harrison Ford, 65, the aging archeologist hero of "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," which debuts around the globe next week after its world premiere at the Cannes film festival.
But Ford is not alone in trying to maintain an image as a strapping young action hero. Movie icons from the 1960s and 1970s from Al Pacino to Sylvester Stallone still insist on winning the day and getting the girl -- even if she's 40 years younger. Even Robert De Niro has taken questionable roles lately, playing a cross-dressing flying pirate in "Stardust."
A few, notably Jack Nicholson, Warren Beatty and Clint Eastwood, seem to have accepted the idea that their leading man status is now well behind them. Beatty is now a sort of elder statesman in Hollywood. Eastwood is an Oscar-winning director, and Nicholson is, well, Nicholson.
Ford is luckier than most. After a long string of dismal thrillers and dramas, the star is back in a role which, in three previous Indiana Jones movies that ending with "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade 19 years ago, have generated around $1.1 billion at global box offices.
"Suddenly he's cool again and on every magazine cover in America," notes Leonard Maltin, "Entertainment Tonight's" film critic/historian. "But without that role maybe he'd be in the same boat as the others."
Moreover, early word on "Crystal Skull" is that Ford and creators Steven Spielberg and George Lucas have insisted "Indy" roughly match Ford in age. Some of the heavy lifting on the action front goes to Shia La Beouf, his 21 year-old co-star.
QUALITY VERSUS QUANTITY
For some aging icons, the name of the Hollywood fame game now seems to be "Take The Money And Run." De Niro and Pacino, in particular, have been pilloried for career choices over the past decade that include "Gigli," "Godsend" and the aptly-named "Two for the Money."
"De Niro has to support a lot of family, the Tribeca Film Festival, and his whole little empire of hotels and restaurants," said Todd McCarthy, chief film critic for show business magazine, Daily Variety.
"I guess that was his prime motive, because in the early part of his career he seemed to be very shrewd about what parts he'd select and what directors he'd work with," McCarthy said.
McCarthy added that for people like Ford, being called "The Sexiest Man In The World" as a young star in magazines gives them an image that is hard to give up.
The result is the spectacle of a 68-year-old star like Pacino surrounded by young women in "88 Minutes," his latest film, which was panned by critics.
Clinging to public exposure is nothing new for stars, and in some cases it can pay unexpected dividends. In the early 1960s, Bette Davis and Joan Crawford teamed up for what was seen at the time as a somewhat tacky, if entertaining film, "Whatever Happened To Baby Jane?"
"It was such a hit that it led to something of a fad of casting aging actresses in grotesque or horror-type movies," said Maltin. "Even Olivia de Havilland, Debbie Reynolds and Shelley Winters did them."
JACK, MERYL, GEORGE AND BRAD
Maltin noted that in youth-oriented Hollywood, few films with big Hollywood budgets and wide releases are being written for 60- to 70-year-old actors. Even Nicholson, 71, "did an Adam Sandler comedy and his 'The Bucket List,' was the most sentimental movie he's ever made," notes Maltin.
Still, "Bucket List" proved to be a box office hit, and Nicholson has been able to mix big Hollywood films like "List" with award-winning fare such as "About Schmidt."
Meryl Streep also has survived poor movies and managed to expand her already formidable range. She gamely appeared in the Farrelly Brothers' farce "Stuck On You," and then effortlessly stole scenes from young star Anne Hathaway in "The Devil Wears Prada," earning wide critical acclaim.
"An actor likes to act," Maltin adds. "One might even say he HAS to act, and for many of them I reckon it's a question of taking the least objectionable choice at a given moment, in order to stay in the public eye and stay in the game."
Maltin sees another factor in the equation. "Hollywood movies are getting dumber and dumber by the year," he said.
That news doesn't bode well for stars in their 40s like George Clooney or Brad Pitt or nearing that age, like 37-year-old Matt Damon. Unless, that is, they move onto directing, producing or, like former "Terminator" Arnold Schwarzenegger, go into politics.
Ask Clooney, who is about to direct his fourth film, if he plans to direct more and act less in the future, and he doesn't hesitate. "Yes, I hope to. I like directing and it's infinitely more creative than acting," he said.
Or they could take a cue from the legendary Cary Grant, said McCarthy.
"Even though he still looked great, he just stopped and walked away at 62 when he realized he was 40-plus years older than his leading ladies. He just wouldn't do it anymore."

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Queen of Philippine Movies Ms. Susan Roces

ABS-CBN's Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection returns to television screens to spread fright and chills through its third and last installment titled Florinda led by Diamond Star Maricel Soriano.

The first two installments of Sineserye Presents: The Susan Roces Cinema Collection presented TV versions of two classic Philippine films in the horror genre, Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara and Maligno that starred the Queen of Philippine Movies Susan Roces.

These two installments marked not only the return of Susan Roces to the television screen, they also initiated the comeback of two other brilliant actresses, Box Office Horror Queen Kris Aquino and Teleserye Queen Claudine Barretto.

The TV versions of the horror films introduced to viewers Chelsea, the possessed doll in Patayin sa Sindak si Barbara and the demon child Angelo in Maligno--turning these two characters into pop horror icons.

The actors' performances and the overall quality production of the two horror series earned commendations, and fans continue to talk about them.

And now, in the third and final installment of the Susan Roces Cinema Collection: Florinda, expectations are high that it will yet be another lauded and talked about TV series, sure to scare fans into watching it as much as its predecessors. .

Watch out for the much-awaited horror series Florinda, and get to know Florinda's secrets and the mystery that lies within her house. For updates, visit the entertainment section of www. .

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Reuters GAZA - Israeli fire hit a house in the Gaza Strip on Monday while a family was eating breakfast, killing six Palestinians, including four children and their mother, residents and medical workers said. Israel challenged the account, describing the deaths as tragic and saying they occurred when an aircraft fired at two militants carrying bags filled with munitions that detonated and destroyed the home in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun. Local residents said no militants were killed in the explosion. "They have wiped out my family," said the children's father, Ahmed Abu Meateq, blaming Israeli forces and weeping as the bodies were prepared for burial. The carnage cast another shadow over Egyptian efforts to forge a ceasefire between Israel and militant groups and end violence threatening US-brokered Palestinian statehood talks. "This aggression does not serve efforts being exerted to achieve calm, and it obstructs the peace process," Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, referring to Israel's military activities, said in a statement carried by WAFA news agency. Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak, without giving details of the raid in Beit Hanoun, said Hamas Islamists controlling the Gaza Strip bore overall responsibility for casualties among non-combatants because gunmen "operated among civilians." The army said in a statement late on Monday it was probing the incident and would report its findings within 48 hours. Medical officials and residents of Beit Hanoun, an area where militants frequently fire rockets at Israel, said an Israeli projectile smashed through the ceiling of a one-storey house where a family was having breakfast. They said four children -- siblings whose ages ranged from 1-1/2 to 5 years old -- and their mother were killed in the house during what the Israeli military described as an operation against rocket launching crews and snipers. "They were eating and they were hit," a neighbor said at the site, where chickens pecked at a bloodstained floor and cooked potatoes grew cold in a pot. A 17-year-old Palestinian civilian who was passing by the home was also killed in the explosion, medical workers said. Mark Regev, a spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, called the death of the family a "tragic incident." "We make every possible effort to prevent civilians from being caught in the crossfire," Regev said. Separately, Israeli soldiers killed a Palestinian gunman from Islamic Jihad during fighting in the town, the group said. Another Palestinian militant was shot dead later in the day, according medical workers. Missiles, shells The Israeli military said aircraft and a tank unit fired at groups of gunmen that tried to approach troops in the town but no houses were targeted. Hamas's armed wing, the Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades, said it fired three rockets at the Israeli border town of Sderot in response to the Beit Hanoun killings. There were no reports of casualties in Sderot. Hamas described deaths in Beit Hanoun as a "war crime." The group has offered Israel a six-month truce if it lifted an embargo on the territory. After the latest violence, leaders of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Popular Resistance Committees and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine traveled from Gaza to Cairo for talks with Egyptian intelligence officials on a possible ceasefire with Israel. Israel has balked at entering into a formal agreement with Hamas, which is officially committed to its destruction, but has said it would have no reason to attack in the Gaza Strip if Palestinians stopped their rocket fire.

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An Army soldier was wounded following an encounter with suspected NPA members in Cataingan town in Masbate province Wednesday morning.

The casualty was identified only as Sergeant Albiola of the Alpha Coy of the 9th Infantry Battalion. He was immediately taken to the Cataingan District Hospital.

Officials said the gunbattle took place when the military patrol exchanged gunfire with an undetermined number of rebels in Barangay Estampar around 7:30 a.m. The firefight lated for almost an hour before the rebels escaped toward Barangay Tuybo.

Soldiers recovered 10 meters of electrical wire and a backpack containing the rebels' belongings, including ammunition for an M-14 rifle.

Pursuit operations are undeway.

The gunbattle took place after suspected rebels lobbed a greande at the home of a civilian in Milagros town Tuesday night.

The victim was identified as Elmer Tomas Iras, 21, who suffered serious blast injuries on his stomach.

Witnesses said Iras was washing hands inside the bathroom when the explosion happened.

The victim was brought to a municipal clinic that was 15 minutes away from his home. He died along the way.

Theorode Sindac, provincial police chief of Masbate, said the blast that killed Iras was one of two that occurred at 8:20 p.m. Tuesday. The blasts took place 50 meters from the headquarters of the 9th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army.

Police believe that the attack was perpetrated by NPA to harass the Army camp following the appointment of Lt. Col. Anthony Purugganan as new battalion commander.

However, it was not immediately ascertained why the rebels chose to lob the grenade at Iras' home.

Police said that an autopsy has been conducted on Iras' body. Probers are awaiting the autopsy report to determine what type of grenade was used in the attack. Gerald Lorbes, ABS-CBN Naga

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Agence France-Presse
BAGHDAD - A car bomb at a bus stop in north Baghdad killed at least 51 people and wounded 75 others on Tuesday, security officials told AFP.
The attack, the biggest in past eight weeks, took place in the mainly Shiite Al-Hurriyah neighborhood at around 5:30 pm , they said.
Security officials said the victims were taken to several hospitals in the Iraqi capital.
The car bombing came hours after a bomb hidden on a motorcycle exploded at a checkpoint in north Baghdad, killing four fighters of a group battling Al-Qaeda militants.
That attack took place at around 10:00 am at a checkpoint run by the fighters in the Al-Sulek neighborhood, security officials said. Four other members of the group were wounded, along with two civilians.
Al-Qaeda has repeatedly targeted such groups whose members were once its allies but in late 2006 turned against the radical Islamist group and sided with the US military.
In recent months, insurgent attacks such as car bombs have dropped significantly in Baghdad amid improved security following last year's deployment of extra US troops.

The previous biggest attack was on May 1 in the restive city of Baquba, north of Baghdad, when two suicide bombers slaughtered 35 people and wounded dozens more.

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Agence France-Presse
PARIS - The former German head of aircraft manufacturer Airbus, Gustav Humbert, was detained for questioning by France's financial crime unit Monday in connection with alleged insider trading at Airbus parent EADS, a source close to the matter said.
The French financial market regulator, AMF, in April alleged in a report that Humbert sold 160,000 EADS shares in November 2005, earning 1.685 million euros .
He is suspected of having benefited from privileged information on EADS' financial prospects as well as delays to the Airbus A380 superjumbo project, which were announced in June 2006 and caused the stock to fall sharply.
The source said Humbert, who took over Airbus in June 2005 and resigned in July 2006, was taken into custody on orders from investigating judges Xaviere Simeoni and Cecile Pendaries.
He can be held for up to 48 hours, during which time he can be brought before the magistrates who can either decide to charge him or to designate him as a witness in the case.
Former EADS chief executive Noel Forgeard and the company's former general manager, Jean-Paul Gut, have already been charged in the probe. Both have denied any wrongdoing.
The announcement in June 2006 of a six-month production delay on the A380, the world's largest airliner, threw EADS -- the European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company -- and its aircraft unit into crisis.
The EADS share price fell 26 percent on the stock market and Airbus launched a restructuring programme to shed 10,000 jobs.

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The Philippine government is alarmed over the spate of hijacking incidents in Somalia involving vessels with Filipino seafarers on board.

The international community must come in now, said Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr.

The number of kidnapped Filipino seamen on board vessels hijacked by by Somali pirates has reached 80.

Reports said the problem became serious July this year when Somali pirates hijacked the MV Stella Maris with 20 Filipino seafarers on board. This was followed by hijacking incidents against other vessels.

On Wednesday, Somali pirates hijacked a Greek-owned freighter MT Centauri. which is manned by 26 crew, all-Filipinos.

Itong mga pirata na nago-operate sa Gulf of Aden, they all come from Somalia. You know, Somalia is not a stable state, Conejos said.

Cargo vessels going to Europe and the Mediterranean have to pass the Gulf of Aden where hijacking incidents usually occur.

Reports said pirates hide behind other vessels docked at sea. When their target ship passes the route, they then climb the target vessel and hostage the captain and the ships crew.

Pirates would then demand ransom from the ship owner for the safe release of the vessel and crew.

Filipinos are affected because they're the seafarers. Yung mga maritime countries, yung mga barko nila nahuhuli. The countries themselves are affected because yung mga goods, di makapasok dahil dyan, said Conejos.

The Philippine government can only advice its seafarers to be careful when sailing the dangerous route.

Meanwhile, the newly-appointed administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Carmelita Dimzon said that all hostaged Filipino seafarers are safe and that the government is doing everything it can to secure their release. -- report from Julius Babao, TV Patrol World

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Globe Telecom, the country's second-largest carrier, said Tuesday it would be difficult to achieve double-digit revenue growth this year as economic growth slows.
"We don't think we can duplicate revenues this year because of a slowdown in the economy, rising inflation and stronger peso, which continue to hurt the earnings of overseas Filipinos," said company chief financial officer Delfin Gonzalez, Jr.
Gonzalez said Globe was looking to raise P7.5 billion in debt this year to fund its capital expenditure of $400 million to $450 million. Most of this year's budget will go to cellular and broadband segments.
Of the borrowing, about P2.5 billion to P5 billion will be obtained from Standard Chartered Bank, said Gonzalez.
Targets doubling of broadband subscribers
Globe president and chief executive Gerardo Ablaza said the company targets to double its broadband subscribers this year.
"We are bullish about the broadband business and intend to intensify our efforts to build a more pervasive network, using both wired and wireless technologies," he said.
In 2007, Globe's saw a 133 percent increase in its broadband subscribers to 120,000. Broadband service revenues grew 96 percent to P1.2 billion.
Wireless service revenues hit an all-time high of P56.4 billion last year, with Globe's cellphone subscriber base expanding 30 percent to 20.3 million.
Globe, controlled by conglomerate Ayala Corp. and partly owned by Singapore Telecommunications, reported a 13-percent rise in net income to P13.3 billion in 2007. Judith Balea, with Reuters

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The Pagkakaisa ng mga Samahan ng Tsuper at Operators Nationwide threatened to paralyze public transportation with a strike to protest the series of oil price increases during the past weeks, ABS-CBN News reported Sunday.

PISTON secretary-general George San Mateo, however, said the group has decided to withhold the date of protest from authorities.

“Sometimes our leaders were either bribed or harassed. Because of this, we decided to announce the date three days before the strike,� said San Mateo.

San Mateo said they will not push for a fare increase since the public has been reeling from the effects of high prices of basic commodities.

Instead, the group will demand the removal of the Oil Deregulation Law to keep local oil companies on check.

“There should be a price control and an investigation on the uncontrollable increase in oil prices,� said San Mateo.

Five oil companies have increased the prices of their petroleum products Saturday by P0.50 per liter.

In separate advisories, Petron Corp. and Chevron Corp. implemented the oil hike 6 a.m. Saturday. They followed Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Unioil Petroleum Phils. and Seaoil which all started started imposing their price increase 12:01 a.m.

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A Qantas Boeing 747 passenger plane flying from London to Melbourne made an emergency landing in Manila on Friday after technical problems, the airport manager told AFP.
The pilots "requested an emergency landing and it was granted," airport manager Alfonso Cusi said, adding he did not know what the exact problem was.
Passengers reportedly said the plane, which was flying via Hong Kong with about 300 passengers and crew, plunged 20,000 feet after a door apparently "popped" midflight.
Melbourne's Herald Sun newspaper reported on its website that passengers reported experiencing a "fairly explosive" depressurization in the cabin which led to oxygen masks dropping from the ceiling.
One passenger reported that the pilot did "an amazing job" of controlling the aircraft.
A Qantas spokeswoman refused to confirm or deny an emergency landing had taken place but said the aircraft had been diverted to Manila and was now undergoing inspection on the ground.
"The aircraft is on the ground and is undergoing an inspection," she told AFP. "We are still gathering all the data," she said in Sydney.
However a Qantas assistant supervisor in Manila said the plane had made an emergency landing, although the incident had not been "life threatening" and the aircraft had landed safely.
"The aircraft made an emergency landing just after 11:00 am " Qantas assistant supervisor at Manila's international airport Lorena Dimaya told AFP.
She said the aircraft had taken off from Hong Kong when it "encountered some technical problems and requested to be diverted to Manila where it made an emergency landing."
"All have been taken off the aircraft and have been taken to hotels in Manila," she said.
She said the aircraft was carrying "about 300 passengers and crew".

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The Department of Foreign Affairs on Friday reiterated its advice to Filipino seafarers on board vessels passing through the dangerous waters off Somalia.

There are safe coordinates identified there. So the instruction is: dont get out of the safe lanes, said DFA Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs Esteban Conejos Jr.,

The DFA is pushing for a deployment ban in Somali waters following the spate of abductions of Filipino seamen.

On Wednesday, 26 more Filipino seafarers from a Greek-owned freighter were seized by pirates off Somalia.

We have issued directives for them not to enter the 200-mile economic exclusive zone of Somalia, Conejos said.

We have encouraged the local manning agent to inform their principals, if possible, once you enter this narrow gap in the Gulf of Aden, if possible they should go by convoy, he added.

Conejos said that they are also making representations with the joint task force of Africa. The task force is a combination of naval ships from the US, Europe, Canada and other participating forces to patrol the areas more effectively.

Meanwhile, Department of Labor and Employment Secretary Marianito Roque noted that Somali pirates are having longer reaches on the waters close to Somalia.

The spate of hijacking incidents has affected ships and the normal routes.

We are increasing our coordination now with the manning agencies so that they can advice their respective principals to at least adhere to our earlier advisory to remain within the patrol area of the combined forces in that Gulf so that they can be protected, Roque said.

Roque explained that it would be impossible to determine if Filipino seafarers still on the waiting list will be deployed on vessels that pass through the Gulf of Aden.

He said this is because the ships do not have predetermined routes for the duration of the contracts of our seafarers, adding that the traditional route of the vessel could change at any particular time.

The DOLE chief said it might be difficult to impose a ban since there is no predetermined route for every vessel.

What happens is that the DOLE, in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs, have released an advisory to the manning agencies to advice their respective principals, giving them the longitude and latitude which are the protected areas of the combined forces in the Gulf where their ships could pass through, he said.

Concerned manning agencies, meanwhile, are contacting the families of Filipino seafarers who are still held captive by pirates.

We are in close coordination with their respective agencies here and with their principals to continue with the negotiations with the hostage taker so that the vessel and the entire crew can be released, he said.

He disclosed that local manning agencies will be called in a meeting in the next few days to discuss additional security measures for the safety of Filipino seafarers.

At the same time we would like to elevate also the level of negotiation with their employers, ship owners for those who are already hostage in Somalia, said Roque. -- Tony Velasquez, ANCs Top Story

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Reuters
SYDNEY - A man politely waited his turn in a queue at a busy central Sydney post office before jumping over the counter, grabbing money from two tills and running off, police said on Thursday.
Police said the man dropped some of the money and a large knife as he escaped, pursued by post office staff, following the Wednesday afternoon robbery in the heart of Sydney's central business district.
Police are hunting the man, said to be in his 20s.

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By ARIES C. RUFO /Newsbreak
Empty courtrooms and lack of confidence in the judicial system are two of the major reasons why the rule of law is almost non-existent in Muslim Mindanao, a Muslim lawyer said Monday.
Laisa Masuhud Alamia, program coordinator of the Bangsamoro Lawyers Network, told participants at a forum on increasing access to justice held in Manila that many courtrooms in Mindanao, particularly in the Muslim-dominated provinces, "are unoccupied" because no one is interested to fill up the vacancies.
"Court systems in Moro areas are not working or not functional," Alamia said. Those with active judges do not inspire trust and confidence, "as the existing justice system is seen as circuitous, complicated, and expensive."
Alamia presented the general situation of the judicial system and the issues confronting access to justice in Mindanao. She urged the "sensitization of judges and prosecutors about Moro issues that could address prejudice and discrimination" on Moros who are in conflict with the law.

Her position was echoed by Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who acknowledged that the present judicial system "have satisfied little of the large universe of unmet needs of our marginalized people."
In his opening address to the Forum on Increasing Access to Justice, Puno noted that justice remains elusive to the poor, which explains the general perception that the rule of law favors only the influential and the moneyed.
"This is due to a variety of reasons—lack of knowledge of their rights under the law, lack of resources to fight for their rights, exorbitant cost of justice, lack or ineffective legal representation, delays in the dispensation of justice, complex and incomprehensible legal procedure, anti-poor laws, judges who decide case without considering their social context. In fine the poor complain that the playing field in our justice system is titled against them," Puno said.
Farmers, peasants, fisherfolks, women, children, migrant workers, urban poor, Moro communities, labor , indigenous peoples, and senior citizens have gathered for the two-day forum to identify issues and recommend solutions in improving access to justice.
One commonality raised by the representatives from the various stakeholders is the exorbitant court fees that many litigants could not afford.
At present, only those earning less than P3,000 a month are classified as pauper litigants, who are exempt from paying the docket fees. The low threshold disenfranchises the majority of the poor from being classified as pauper litigants.
Another common issue is the prohibitive cost of hiring a lawyer. Nimfa Melegrito, a former overseas Filipino worker, sought legal help from Kanlungan Center Foundation in going after her employer and agency. Melegrito said she could not afford the P2,500 appearance fee required by a private lawyer and other related legal costs.
Others sought that courts relax the rules that will allow paralegals to appear in court.
Peasant sector representative Renato Penas, paralegal officer of the Sumilao farmers MAPALAD Farmers Cooperative, noted the bias of judges against paralegals by branding them as "subversives or fixers."
Other sectors pointed out that even courts and lawyers are not equipped with legal background and training related to existing laws, rules, and regulations.
NGO representatives pointed out that some judges are not well-versed in laws governing certain sectors, like fisheries and agriculture.
Alamia also recommended the following to improve the justice system in Mindanao:
· Scrapping the rule on automatic transfer of Abu Sayyaf Group/MILF cases to Manila.
· Investigation and prosecution of corrupt judges and law enforcers, especially those involved in "hulidap" cases. Alamia said there are cases where a Moro suspect spends five to seven years in jail without being tried in court.
· Nomination of qualified Moros to the judiciary.
· Conduct of training on gender sensitivity for judges, court personnel, and others involved in the administration of justice.
· Reduction of court fees.
· Upholding the primacy of the peace process.
· Approval by Congress of anti-discrimination and anti-torture bills.
· Review of Muslim Personal Laws by the ARMMs regional legislative assembly.
· Additional powers for the Office of Muslim Affairs to include monitoring of discrimination issues and provision of legal assistance.
· Inclusion of Moro history in school curricula.

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The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board has also approved fare hikes in 14 regions, including Metro Manila.
The board approved a P1.00 jeepney fare hike in the minimum jeepney fares in Regions 1 to 12 and the CARAGA Administrative Region.
With the fare hike, commuters in the National Capital Region, CARAGA, and Regions 1 to 5 would now have to pay P8.50 - up from P7.50 - for the first four kilometers of their trip.
Commuters in Regions 6, 7, and 11 would now have to pay a minimum fare of P8.00 up from P7.00, while those in Regions 8, 9, 10, and 12 would now have to pay P7.50 up from P6.50.
However, the actual fare hike would only be P0.50, after the LTFRB already gave a P0.50 provisional fare hike last May.
The fare hike in NCR and Regions 3 and 4 will take effect on Monday, while the other regions will feel the hike on Tuesday. Report from Sheryll Mundo, ABS-CBN News

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BY DENNIS GASGONIA PILI, Camarines Sur – Ricky Otilla won the 3rd Philippine Cable Wakeboarding Nationals Professional Category, dislodging two-time champion Arthur King at the competition finals in Camsur Watersports Complex Saturday. Otilla earned the judges nod by showing his skills that ranked him among the countrys best “riders. He displayed a spectacular combination of tricks while successfully hurdling the obstacles to the delight of the crowd. Otilla slipped past perennial rivals King and Saraza for the title in this tournament organized by Philippine Water Ski and Wakeboarding Federation led by its president, Camarines Sur Governor LRay Villafuerte. Aside from the win, Otilla won a slot to the World Championships slated here in July 2008. Competition judges include Shawn Perry, World Wakeboarding Association executive director; Pat Panakos, founder of Projects Wakeboard and Waterskate Camp; Bernard Hinterberger, three-time world champion; Daniel Fetz, six-time Austrian Champion; Nicholas Taylor, 2007 Alliance Wakeskater of the Year; Christian Koester, British King of Cable; and Cupic Vucasin, two-time International Champion. The veterans' division, with participants 40 years old and above, was won by Ernie Lopez. Jeena Lopez, won the womens division while Julio Villafuerte won in the junior mens and Robbie Lopez got second.