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BY DAN MARIANO BIG DEAL


PALACE DECLARES DECEMBER 24, 31 HOLIDAYS MALACAÑANG has declared December 24 and 31 as special non working holidays based on Proclamation 1841. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said that December 25, Christmas Day and December 27 are regular holidays. The commemoration of Rizal Day, which is originally celebrated on December 30 has been moved to December 27, a Monday.


CRIS G. ODRONIA www.manilatimes.net


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MONDAY DECEMBER 13, 2010


2 SECTIONS 14 PAGES VOL. 112 NO. 063


Aquino scored on rights issue


One extrajudicial killing recorded every week


BY JOMAR CANLAS AND CRIS G. ODRONIA REPORTERS


from the previous Arroyo administration when it comes to human rights violations and extrajudicial killings, the Catholic Church


T


said Sunday. In a report over the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the conveners of the Religious Discernment Group denounced the recent spate of hu- man rights violations in the country. They expressed shock at the fact that the administration of President Benigno Aquino 3rd has an average of “one extrajudicial kill- ing per week.” “The number of sectoral leaders, particu- larly peasants, jailed on false charges has


➤RightsA2


HE Aquino administration is no different


AFP insists ‘Morong 43’ are rebels


BY WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL REPORTER


THE Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Sunday insisted that the “Morong 43,” who were recently ordered released by President Benigno Aquino 3rd, are com- munist rebels. “It is for us later on to prove that these


people [“Morong 43”] are NPAs [New Peo- ple’s Army]. What we released are NPA, NPA medics, not health workers. They are not health workers,” said Philippine Army spokesman, Lt. Col. Antonio Parlade. But the Army official said: “But it’s al- right to us that they were released. It’s not a problem.” Parlade added that five members of


“Morong 43” admitted they were NPAs. “What about the five? They said they


■ A cyclist show off his pro-human rights shirt after participating in the 78-kilometer Bike for Rights tour in Manila on Sunday. AFP PHOTO


RESPECT AQUINO ON NOBEL PRIZE BOYCOTT, SAYS JOKER


BY EFREN L. DANAO SENIOR REPORTER


THE country should respect President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s “difficult” decision in keeping any Philippine representative off the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Chinese activist Liu Xiaobo, Sen. Joker Arroyo said Sunday. “That was a judgment call by the Presi- dent. He said this was done because five Filipinos are awaiting death sentence in China. We should respect the decision,” Senator Arroyo said in an interview over


• Editor’s note: Only in the Philippines is a weekly series featuring indigenous plants and animals. This is a joint project of Haribon Foundation and The Manila Times to promote biodiversity and conservation in the Philippines.


dzBB’s Balitang Todo-Todo. A newspaper quoted President Aquino as


saying the other day that the “boycott” was made to save the lives of five Filipinos lan- guishing in Chinese prison awaiting their death sentence. The five were sentenced to death after Chinese courts found them guilty of acting as drug couriers for an in- ternational drug syndicate. Senator Arroyo said that with the boy- cott, the President was hoping China would soften and pardon the five. So the choice


➤BoycottA6


would not return anymore to the under- ground movement because they are going to be killed,” the Army officials said, even as he assured the five that the military would give them all the protection they needed in their quest for the truth. Parlade, said that as far as the military is concerned they stand on solid ground in the case of the “Morong 43,” but there


➤RebelsA2 Washington rally draws support for Liu Xiaobo


WASHINGTON, D.C.: “Is the Chinese govern- ment so weak, so afraid, so paranoid, that it cannot allow one man to suggest a civil discussion of political and human rights reforms in China?” said Dr. Lee Edwards, Chairman of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation, to a gathering of more than 100 demonstrators on Capitol Hill hours after Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize Award in Oslo. The crowd braved snow flurries and icy winds to underscore their support for Liu.


Congressman Dennis Kucinich led a chorus of speakers from human rights groups calling for Liu’s release. The offi-


cial Nobel Prize ceremony took place only a few hours earlier in Oslo, Norway, where an empty chair symbolized Liu’s absence. The “empty chair” display was organized by a fellow dissident and close friend of Liu’s, Dr. Yang Jianli, Chairman of Initia- tives for China and co-organizer of the Washington, D.C. event—where another empty chair symbolized Liu’s absence. Annette Lantos, chairman of the Lantos


Foundation and wife of deceased human rights champion Congressman Tom Lantos, joined Jonathan Cao of the Chi- nese Coalition for Citizens Rights; Tencho Gyatso, special assistant for advocacy at the Campaign for Tibet; Wang Jun, chair-


Budget approval by Congress seen this week BY EFREN L. DANAO SENIOR REPORTER


OLIVE-BACKED FLOWERPECKER


MORE associated with primary forest than flowerpeckers, this bird is found deep in the understory, often close to the ground, and is also seen traveling with mixed feeding flocks. Found on Mindanao, Basilan, Luzon and the Eastern Visayas, in the lowlands below 1,000 meters, it has distinct chunky bill that is diagnostic even in silhouette. The upper parts are bright olive-green, the wings and tail being browner. The call is a loud single “peet.”


Sources: Fisher T., & Hicks Nigel (2000), A Photographic Guide to Birds of the Philippines, New Holland Publishers


Collar N.J., Mallari N., & Tabaranza B (1999), Threatened Birds of the Philippines, Bookmark Inc.


CONGRESS will ratify the bicameral report on the P1.645-trillion national budget this week, Sen. Edgardo Angara said Sunday. Congress will go on a holiday break officially starting Friday, December 17, but will actually start a day earlier as Con- gress holds sessions only from Monday to Wednesday.


Sen. Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate panel to the bicameral conference


Eton setting real estate trend in South


BY KRISTA ANGELA M. MONTEALEGRE REPORTER


JUST three years into the real estate business, Eton Properties Philippines Inc. is providing Filipino families the choice to uplift their standards of living by offering homebuyers unique products, incompara- ble to other projects in the market. The property firm of Lucio Tan is


elevating the standards of living in the South, where competition is seen to be much tighter compared to the central business districts in the North. “Bugbugan talaga sa South [It’s a rumble


in the South],” Alejandro Mañalac, vice president for sales at Eton City, told The Manila Times in a roundtable.


➤SouthA2


committee, said that a technical working group is now finalizing the reconciled budget based on agreements previously agreed upon by the panels of the House and the Senate.


Drilon is confident that the bicameral report would be finalized Tuesday or Wednesday and ratified by both the House and the Senate on the same day that it is finalized. In a related development, Angara said that the Congressional Commission on


Science, Technology and Engineering (Comste) will restructure the composi- tion of its members in an en banc meet- ing Tuesday to fast track the implemen- tation of priority projects for 2011. Angara, chairman of Comste, is hope- ful that the restructuring would enable the commission to map out the best strategies and paths the country should take on science and technology, and re- search and development to catch up with


➤CongressA6


man of the China Democratic Party; and Omer Kanat, vice president of the World Uyghur Congress Association at the podium. Elena Bonner, the widow of former Nobel Prize recipient Andrei Sakharov, also sent a letter in support of the pro-Liu demonstration, to the delight of attendees. It was read aloud during a panel discussion held at The Herit- age Foundation immediately following the demonstration. In the letter, she strongly called for Liu’s release and an “end of com- munist one-party rule” in China. The demonstration took place at the Victims of Communism Memorial at the intersection of New Jersey and Massachusetts Avenues. A


➤SupportA2


Govt seeking mandatory SIM card registration


BY DARWIN G. AMOJELAR SENIOR REPORTER


THE National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) over the weekend announced that it would revive the plan to impose the mandatory registra- tion of subscriber identification module (SIM) cards next year to address the rising number of incidents of phone theft, text scams and spamming. Gamaliel Cordoba, NTC commissioner, told


reporters that his agency will be drafting a SIM registration measure which the commission expects to complete by February next year. Prepaid SIM cards, unlike the post-paid variety, can be bought without any identification requirements for as low as P20 a piece. In September, the country’s total mobile phone subscribers stood at more than 80 million. ”We already talked to Senate President [to sponsor the SIM registration bill],” Cordoba said. The NTC chief added that the system for mobile phone handset registration and the imposition of stiffer penalties for phone theft would be included


➤RegistrationA6 »MANNY MONTHS


Workers print 2011 calendars featuring boxing icon Manny “PacMan” Pacquaio at a souvenir shop along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City on Sunday. PHOTO BY RUY MARTINEZ


REACH US AT: E-mail: newsboy1@manilatimes.net Tel. Nos.: 524-5664 to 67 Address: 2/F Dante Ang and Associates Building, 409 A. Soriano Avenue, Intramuros, Manila 1020


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