The Wutz Up in the Philippines!

MANILA, Philippines - Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita yesterday said the President can extend the term of generals of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and even the chief of staff.

Ermita said nothing would prevent President Arroyo from extending the term of outgoing AFP chief Gen. Victor Ibrado but she has not given any thought on the issue.

“In general and in principle, the President can extend the term of general officers and for that matter even the chief of staff. There’s nothing wrong when a president extends the term of a general officer or for that matter, the chief of staff,” he said.

Ermita, in a telephone interview, stressed that the issue on whether Ibrado’s term should be extended or not remains speculative.

“For one thing, I have no idea of the plans of the President. She has not discussed this matter with us,” Ermita said.

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Constitutionalist Fr. Joaqiun Bernas said on dzBB that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo cannot appoint the next chief justice without violating the Constitution. Mrs. Arroyo cannot make any appointments within 60 days before her term expires on June 30 this year.

The current Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato S. Puno will be leaving the position on May 17, thus  making the position available. Fr. Bernas said that the next president will have enough time to appoint the successor of Chief Justice Puno. But he also points out that the Constitution allow only 90 days of vacancy and the next president should filed within that period.

Fr. Bernas added that any of the associate justice can take over the vacany in acting position.
However, Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) can only send the list of successor  on or after May 17 and it would be up to the next president’s decision.

But Pres. Arroyo’s election lawyer Romulo Macalintal argued that the constitution is not absolute on its prohibition to appoint any officials within two months.

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MANILA, Philippines - President Arroyo will appoint a new Chief Justice before she steps down in June despite objections from several quarters.

“What’s clear and what should be made clear is that the President will do what is required of her, not only by law, but by overriding national interest, and right now it’s clear that it is in the national interest not to have such an important position vacated for such a long period of time,” deputy presidential spokesman Gary Olivar said.

He was referring to a scenario of a Supreme Court (SC) without a chief justice from Reynato Puno’s retirement on May 17 to the end of Mrs. Arroyo’s term on June 30.

“It seems to me that acting in the national interest would require that she make the proper action as far as recommending the next chief justice,” Olivar said of the President’s determination to appoint Puno’s replacement before her term ends.

He said that barring an unfavorable ruling from the SC, Mrs. Arroyo “will do what is needed for the national interest and required of her by her office.”

Olivar said those opposed to the President’s appointment of Puno’s replacement have politicized the issue.

He said the detractors should raise the matter to the SC to settle the issue once and for all.

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MANILA, Philippines—The ratings of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro and Sen. Manny Villar are up in the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey on presidential candidates.

But Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III is still the leading choice of Filipinos to succeed President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

The nationwide survey, conducted from Nov. 4 to 8, showed Aquino topping the list of three leaders vying to replace Ms Arroyo, with 59 percent of respondents choosing him.

Aquino was followed by Villar and Sen. Francis Escudero with 45 percent and 27 percent, respectively.

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Actor-singer Ogie Alcasid is “OK already” after figuring in a freak accident on Sept. 6 on the set of GMA-7’s Sunday noontime musical program “SOP” which he co-hosts with, among others, his girlfriend Regine Velasquez who administered first aid to him.

This is according to Ogie’s manager, Leo Dominguez, when sought for reaction on the matter by Manila Bulletin Online on Sept. 7.

“In fact, he is taping later for ‘Bubble Gang.’ He went to the doctor this morning,” said Domiguez, referring to Channel 7’s long-running gag show where Ogie is a primary mover.

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MANILA, Philippines - Malacañang urged critics yesterday not to use the death of former President Corazon Aquino for their political agenda.

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez and presidential economic spokesman Gary Olivar were commenting on the warning given by Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, president of the United Opposition, that the outpouring of support at the burial of Mrs. Aquino may turn into a “political upheaval” against Mrs. Arroyo if she tries to extend her term.

Olivar said there could be no upheaval because Mrs. Arroyo would step down from office next year.

“The mayor’s warning is gratuitous, redundant and unnecessary since the President has already stated she has no agenda of extending her term beyond 2010,” Olivar said.

Presidential adviser for political affairs Gabriel Claudio also scored Binay’s warning, saying such a statement was a far cry from the gesture of Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who courteously received the President when she visited his mother’s wake at the Manila Cathedral.

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As Marian Rivera officially fills in the shoes of Darna in August 2009, the Darna before her, Angel Locsin is now besieged with queries concerning the new title holder.

“I’m happy for her,” Angel told Manila Bulletin Online and other members of the press at the thanksgiving party that ABS-CBN feted for the “Only You” cast and crew.

The actress is nothing but grateful that she once was Darna.

“Thankful ako na na-recognize ako bilang isang Darna. So, I’m happy for her (Marian) at saka maggu-goodluck ako sa kanya at sa mga susunod pang magda-Darna.”

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President Gloria Arroyo will not run for Congress in 2010 and there will be no convening of a Constituent Assembly at the inaugural session of the Fourteenth Congress, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said on Sunday. President Arroyo has kept silent on her political plans for 2010 amid speculations that she would run for Congress in the Second District of Pampanga, her home province. Her eldest son, Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, represents the district in Congress.

Enrile said during an interview over radio station dzRH that he understood why the President had kept mum on what she intended to do.

“Anybody who understands the dynamics of leadership knows that the moment she declares she would be out of politics after 2010, she will immediately be a lame duck president,” he added.

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President Gloria Arroyo gave an assurance on Thursday that the 2010 elections would push through.
She cited the merger of administration political parties Lakas-CMD and Kampi as “tangible proof” that there was no stopping the polls next year. Apparently, President Arroyo was pointing to the readiness this early of the new party to fight it out with opposition groups.

Speaking before the members of the merger—Lakas-Kampi Christian-Muslim Democrats, or Lakas-Kampi CMD—the President served warning that the union of the two administration parties would dominate the May 2010 elections. Kampi, or Kabalikat ng Malayang Pilipino, was the party she founded when she was still Vice President in 1998.

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MANILA, Philippines - Have you heard of GMA “bansot” rice?

The House committee on agriculture wants to know what it is, and the panel is launching an investigation.

Resolution 966, authored by Nueva Ecija Rep. Edno Joson, prompted the inquiry.

Joson said he has been receiving complaints from hundreds of farmers in his province about what they described as their “bansot” or undersized rice crops.

He said the problems began when farmers started using the hybrid seed SL-8, which the Department of Agriculture (DA) is distributing under its Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program.

Among the problems farmers encountered with SL-8 seeds are premature flowering and poor growth of their palay, he said. [Read full article...]