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DENR to review ECC for Iloilo power plant

By KATHERINE ADRANEDA
The Philippine Star Agreeing to proposals expressed by protesting members of an international environment group, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is poised to review the environmental compliance certificate that would be issued to a planned coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City.
This, as Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Lito Atienza acceded to the viability of turning to other energy sources in the country like wind and solar power and bio-diesel, as alternatives to coal.
Atienza promised to take a closer look at the ECC to be issued to the Iloilo coal-fired power plant, following a dialogue with Greenpeace, whose members earlier brought bags of charcoal at the gate of the DENR central office in Quezon City to dramatize the danger of allowing coal plants to operate anywhere in the country.
"I will review whatever processes that have been followed in this particular issue," Atienza said.
"Like Greenpeace, I am committed to fighting the adverse impacts of climate change and other threats to the environment. I am with with regards to our environmental concerns," he added.
However, Atienza still hinted the possibility of granting the ECC to the proposed coal-fired power plant in Iloilo City, citing national interest.
"But we also have to consider the other interests of the nation. If the coal plant is going to provide energy, and if there are demands for it by the national economy and by the people, I cannot take a position very similar to . But I assure you that we both have the same goal of keeping our environment clean and safe," he said.
According to Jasper Inventor, campaigner of Greenpeace Southeast Asia, coal is the "dirtiest, most carbon-intensive of all fossil fuels," and as such, is a major contributor to climate change.
Coal emits toxic gases when burned, which could pose risks to the environment and peoples health, he added.
Aside from environmental and health concerns, Greenpeace is opposing the construction of the 165-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Iloilo because it believes the province does not need it in the first place.
At present, Greenpeace said there is an oversupply of 85 MW in Panay Island and Guimaras, and in the future, there will be an additional oversupply of energy from submarine cables linking Panay and Negros islands.

Marcos victims US lawyer here for consultations

By Estrella Torres
Business Mirror

Robert Swift, the lead American lawyer of the 9,539 victims of martial law, will be in the country this week to meet with the leaders of the victims, to discuss the possibility of entering into a compromise agreement with the government regarding Marcos assets reaching $100 million but under litigations in US and Singapore courts in the last ten years.

The Philippine government and the human-rights violation victims, who won a landmark $2.35-billion class suit against the Marcos estate in the US district Court in Honolulu in 1995, have been tied in a legal tug-of-war for Marcos assets stashed in various banks abroad.

These include the $35-million Marcos deposits kept under Panamanian firm Arelma Inc. in Merill Lynch, New York; the $22 million kept in a Singapore branch of German bank West LB; and last, tracts of lands located in Texas and Colorado titled under former Marcos crony Jose Y. Campos.

Claimants 1081 founding chairman and former party-list representative Etta Rosales of Akbayan said the possibility of entering into a compromise with the government will be discussed during the meeting with Swift, who will be in the country on May 5, 6 and 7.

ā€œIts high time that we give something to the claimants because they are now either sick or have died already and their families need financial assistance,ā€ said Rosales.
She stressed that the battle is now ā€œbetween the government and the claimants and no longer against the Marcoses, so its about time we enter into a settlement .ā€

Rod Domingo Jr., lead Filipino counsel of the Marcos victims, said Swift will also hold a series of conferences with the human-rights abuse victims on the developments of the cases in US and Singapore courts.

ā€œHe will discuss the status of the Arelma case now pending in the United States Supreme Court and the interpleader filed in Singapore,ā€ said Domingo in a statement issued over the weekend.

ā€œHe will also report on the action being taken regarding the claims of the victims in the court of Singapore, wherein they have already won in the High Court of Singapore, and trial on the merits will ensue,ā€ he added.

The US Supreme Court is expected to render a final judgment on whether to uphold the decisions of the US District Court in Honolulu and the US 9th Circuit Court of Appeals to award the $35-million Arelma account of the Marcoses to the martial-law victims by late June this year. Each of the martial-law victims is expected to receive a $2,500 share from the Arelma deposit.

Domingo, meanwhile, said the High Court in Singapore is also expected to rule on the claims to the $22-million Marcos deposits left in the Singapore branch of West LB. The amount is part of the $681-million Marcos Swiss deposits that the Swiss government has ordered returned to the Philippines in July 2005 after the Philippine Supreme Court declared that the funds are ill-gotten wealth of the Marcoses.

ā€œMister Swift will also announce the status of the claims of the litigations involving tracts and acres of lands located in Texas, and Colorado, which were suspected to belong to the former dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos but already in the name of some of the cronies and children of Jose Y. Campos,ā€ he said.

Tams edge Warriors, in big win for Baracael

By ROY MEDINA
The FEU Tamaraws paid tribute to a wounded Marnel "Mac" Baracael as they won a tug-of-war against the UE Red Warriors, 71-69, in UAAP Season 71 mens basketball at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City Saturday.
FEUs Aldrech Ramos had two crucial free throws as the fourth quarter drew to a close and with the Warriors in penalty. Fellow Tamaraw Mark Barroca, meanwhile, sealed the win by sinking his first charity shot with less than 5 seconds to play and then grabbing the ball after missing the second free throw.
The moment, however, belonged to Benedict Fernandez who had an explosive fourth quarter. He finished with 19 points and three rebounds, effectively making him the best player of the game.
J.R. Cawaling likewise had a big game for the Tams. Cawaling became FEUs go-to guy, coming behind Fernandez with 12 points and three boards.
FEU now sits third in the standings with a 4-1 win-loss card while the Warriors ended the weekend with 3-3 to settle at fourth.

FEU dedicated the win for Baracael, who was wounded in a gun attack just outside the Tamaraws gym near the corner of R. Papa and N. Reyes streets in Manila Thursday night.
Doctors said Baracael is now in stable condition after suffering a gunshot wound to the back.
The motive of the attack remains unknown though unverified reports said that the power forward may have earned the ire of a syndicate of cheats in the FEU squad.
Archers lead standings with win over UP
In the first game, the De La Salle Green Archers came up with an easy victory against the Fighting Maroons of UP, 82-62.
The victory was the Archers second since Thursday after beating the Adamson University Falcons, 76-61.
UP, meanwhile, also suffered it second straight loss since Thursdays 87-58 beating from the Warriors.
The Archers now lead the standings with 5-1. UP, on the other hand, dropped to 1-5.
Meanwhile, games for Saturday, August 2, at the Araneta Coliseum will see UP going against Adamson at 2 p.m. while UE takes on DLSU in the 4 p.m. main game.

Serena Williams through after early struggle

Reuters

LONDON - Twice former champion Serena Williams made a stuttering start at Wimbledon on Monday before overcoming Estonia's Kaia Kanepi 7-5 6-3.

The 26-year-old sixth seed looked flat-footed and sprayed errors all over Court One during the first set against an opponent who reached the quarter-finals at the French Open earlier this month.

Williams saved a break point at 5-5 with a big forehand drive volley and sealed a scrappy opener when Kanepi lamely served a double-fault.

The American broke early in the second set and played with more conviction from then on to wrap up victory.

Family wants probe into kins suicide in Singapore

The family of a 25-year-old Filipina who reportedly committed suicide in Singapore is asking local authorities to conduct an autopsy of the remains of their kin.

The body of Janeth Calamohoy was flown straight to Zamboanga City after it was sent to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from Singapore on Sunday.

A death certificate issued by the Singaporean government merely indicated that multiple injures caused Calamohoy's death.

Quoting an initial report of the Singaporean police showed to them by the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, Calamohoy's family told ABS-CBN NEWS that Janeth supposedly died after jumping from the fifth floor of a condominium she is sharing with her live-in partner last August 30.

It is unclear up to this time when Calamohoy, who hails from the province of Zamboanga Sibugay, actually began living in Singapore.

Her younger sister, Selfa, said Janeth managed to contact her family only late last year after almost a decade of being away from home.

Representatives from the labor department immediately extended assistance to Calamohoy's family, but they discovered later that Janeth was not a documented overseas Filipino worker.

Apparently, Calamohoy went to Singapore after she was petitioned by her boyfriend, identified through her death certificate, as a certain Kristensen Lars Hyldgaard.

According to Calamohoy's family, they vaguely know Janeth's live-in partner, except that he sired her a child. The family also became suspicious after receiving information that Hyldgarrd allegedly refused to work out Calamohoy's papers even after her death.

The DFA reportedly advised the Calamohoy family that it would take at least a month before Singaporean authorities could wrap up its probe on the real cause of Janeth's death.

The DFA likewise assured that the family will be furnished a copy of the report, once it is made available by the Singaporean government.

But suspecting that there could have been foul play, Janeth's family has requested the National Bureau of Investigation in Zamboaga City to perform a separate autopsy on her remains.

Selfa insisted, she could hardly believe her sister committed suicide for two reasons: one, Janeth was raising her young boy; second, she returned to her hometown in 2007 to fix her school papers, since she wanted to pursue her studies in Singapore.

Accordingly, Janeth did not even finish her elementary schooling, since she left home when she was 13.

A representative from the regional office of the Overseas Worker's Welfare Administration said that they will continue to help the Calamohoy family, even if Janeth is not an OFW.

Angeles Engalla, head of Programs and Services Division of OWWA-9 said, they will try to assist the Calamohoy family in coordinating with the labor department's counterparts in Singapore to help determine the real cause of Janeth's death and possibly locate her young boy.