HOUNDED by protests even abroad, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Monday defended her government’s human rights record before officials of New Zealand.
Arroyo, in a press conference after bilateral talks with New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark, said the Philippines is in “a fight to turn around a history of political violence and retribution.” (more)
Bobby Nalzaro
THE opposition, which included two mutiny leaders, has taken the majority of Senate seats in the last elections. So where did the Arroyo administration go wrong? Its Team Unity (TU) candidates, despite the backing of the well-oiled political machinery of the administration, failed to dominate.
As of the latest Comelec tally, it’s 7-3-2 in favor [...]
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo left Sunday afternoon for a four-day trip to New Zealand and Australia in order to expand trade and defense cooperation.
Arroyo left the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia) Centennial at past 5 p.m. on board a chartered Philippine Airlines flight. She will be in New Zealand on May 27-30 and in Australia on [...]
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has allowed the bill strengthening workers’ right to self-organization to lapse into law, for fear of reprisal from employers if it is signed or from laborers if it is vetoed.
The bill, which was assigned the number Republic Act (RA) 9481, lapsed into law on May 25. Allowing a bill to lapse into [...]
By Juan L. Mercado
WHEN President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visits Australia and New Zealand late May, she’ll find their prime ministers will use, in their talks, the diplomatic phrase: “extrajudicial killings.†But street demonstrators will be blunter: “Salvaging,†they’ll yell, citing abduction of press freedom icon Jose Burgos’ son and other “disappeared.â€
“We’ve expressed those concerns to the [...]
CLARK FREEPORT — Cabinet Secretary Edgardo Pamintuan is urging Malacañang to approve the proposed Executive Order (EO) 500B so as not to delay the development of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport (DMIA).
In his letter dated May 9, 2007, Pamintuan asked President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to “approve, sign and issue the proposed EO 500B, which is necessary [...]
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has allowed the general tax amnesty bill to lapse into law, following objections from several sectors regarding its provisions.
The bill, which was assigned as Republic Act (RA) 9480, seeks to improve revenue administration and collection by granting amnesty on all unpaid internal revenue taxes imposed by the National Government for taxable year [...]
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered government officials on Saturday to inspect and spruce up schools in preparation for the opening of the new school year on June 4.
But while Arroyo ordered making schools more child-friendly, she reportedly ordered that Malacañang be made child-proof, after seeing a child wander into the Palace premises recently.(more)
THE multimillion-peso class action suit journalists filed against First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo will push through despite his reported withdrawal of the libel cases, a lawyer of the plaintiffs told the Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Wednesday.
“The plaintiffs met last Friday and decided to pursue the case,” said lawyer Roger Rayel when asked [...]
PRESIDENT Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will leave for a four-day visit to Tokyo on Tuesday where she is expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzou Abe and several Japanese business groups, and address the 13th Nikkei International Conference where she would talk about future of the Asian region.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Arroyo’s visit to Japan [...]
