DA- Region 12 official accused in journalist’s murder survives another grenade attack

By Malu Cadelina  Manar

KIDAPAWAN CITY (April 10/Thursday) – A ranking official of the agriculture department in central Mindanao who was among those accused in the killing of a journalist in Sultan Kudarat has survived another grenade attack on Tuesday.

Osmeña Montaner, finance director of DA-12, said the Tuesday incident was the third attempt on his life since last year.

IBON slams proposal to cut rice tariff

Importation not a solution but the reason behind worsening rice crisis

The bid to lower rice tariffs to bring in more importation is a problemati c p roposal since the country’s growing dependence on rice imports is precisely the reason behind the worsening rice crisis.

In reaction to the proposal made at the government’s Food Summit to reduce tariffs to as low as 12%, independent think-tank IBON Foundation says that rice importation has not resulted in lowered rice prices, but worsened the bankruptcy of farmers and even placed the country to greater food insecurity.

Lifting rice import quota won’t bring down rice prices – Ibon

‘Why make the culprit the solution?’ think-tank asks gov’t

Malacañang’s decision to lift rice import quota will not bring down rice prices but will only hugely benefit rice traders and give them further control over prices and the distribution of rice, said independent think-tank IBON Foundation.

KALIKASAN-PNE expresses opposition on the construction of two high rise condominiums in Subic forest

The Arroyo government seems to be an eternal legacy of tendering benevolence over foreign companies and multinational corporations, hoping to attract more foreign investment but at the expense of jeopardizing its people and the environment. This inclination is nothing new to environmental advocates who strongly express dismay and opposition to another environmental crime committed under Arroyo administration-the construction of two high rise condominiums inside Subic forest.

Top 10: 2007 bar exam passers

Mercedita L. Ona, a graduate of the Ateneo topped the exam with a rating of 83.55 percent, followed by Jennifer T. Ong of UP with 83.35 percent.

Another Atenean, Yvanna DL Maalat placed third (82.75%). Fourth was Jennie C. Aclan of of University of San Carlos (82.10%), while fifth was John Michael S. Galauran of University of Nueva Caceres (81.60%).

Sixth to the 10th place are: Karen S. Canullas of the San Sebastian College (81.40%); Cecille L. Mejia of Ateneo and Sheryl Ann D. Tizon of UP who tied in the seventh place (81.35%); Marforth T. Fua of San Beda College (81.20%); Ruby M. Luy of Ateneo de Davao University (81.15%); and Christian B. Llido of the University of Cebu and Vivian Tan of UP who tied in the 10th place (80.90%). (Source: gmanews.tv)

2007 BAR EXAMINATIONS: LIST OF SUCCESSFUL EXAMINEES

1. ABALUS, Karen Anne M.
2. ABARDO-ESTRADA, Imee M.
3. ABARQUEZ, Carlo E.
4. ABDULLAH, Princess Shanihar A.
5. ABELLA, Johanna R.
6. ABISO, Meriame Joy D.
7. ABLOLA, Maricez J.
8. ABUNDABAR, Rhys Michael S.
9. ACEDILLO, Noelle T.
10. ACENA, Anna Cecilia D.

Ateneo grad tops 2007 bar exams

The Supreme Court on Saturday released the results of the 2007 bar exams with a graduate of the Ateneo de Manila University topping the list of new lawyers who hurdled the examinations1,289 or 22.91% of the 5,626 law graduates who took the exams passed.

Angono pays tribute to its two national artists

The Municipality of Angono, Rizal headed by Hon. Aurora A. Villamayor and Angono Council for Culture and the Arts (ACCA) will pay tribute to its two national artists, Carlos “Botong” Francisco for Visual Arts and Maestro Lucio D. San Pedro for Music, on Monday, March 31.

NGOs TO FOREIGN DONORS: Conditionalities, not corruption, biggest problem with aid

At the ongoing Philippine Development Forum (PDF), foreign aid donors have rightly taken President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to task for corruption in her administration which, along with other factors such as poverty, could hinder economic development. But Philippine AidWatch, a national network of civil society groups that monitors foreign aid, stresses that policy conditionalities attached to foreign development aid is the biggest threat to the country’s development.

Oil price hikes more frequent under Arroyo

Yet gov’t continues to implement RVAT

Since the oil deregulation law was first implemented, much of the of the oil price increases happened under the Arroyo administration, and this is not only because of the length of the president’s term but because of her continued implementation of the oil deregulation law amid public outcry, and her imposition of the reformed value-added tax (RVAT) on oil.