Friday, August 01, 2008 (Philippines)

Davao City Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte and her brother, Councilor Paolo Duterte (not seen in photo), distribute some 2,000 packs of free rice, noodles, and canned goods to residents of Barangay Talomo as part of the City Government's crisis intervention program. (Contributed photo) MALACAÑANG is not about to talk to North Cotabato Vice Governor Emmanuel Piñol and dissuade him to back out from his opposition to the signing of the memorandum of agreement on ancestral domain (MOA-AD) between the Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). In their weekly press conference at the Palace, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it would be improper for them to be talking to the vice governor when he already filed a case before the Supreme Court (SC). Arroyo Watch: Sun.Star blog on President Arroyo [full story]