COMELEC in Control

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chair Jose Melo has admitted that he’s having sleepless nights over the first nationwide automation of the polls.

The nightmares could have been triggered by the fact that Melo, a retired justice, is clueless on what exactly is happening with the project.

One glaring proof of this is when he told reporters last week that the Comelec had signed contracts with the 3 forwarding firms for the deployment of the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines and the ballots.

Wrong.

One, it is Smartmatic, the private entity contracted to supply the counting machines, that is directly dealing with the 3 forwarding firms machines. In effect, the Comelec—going against the poll automation law—has surrendered “exclusive control and supervision” of the elections.

Two, the companies that will deliver and track the ballots have yet to be identified. The bidding for such services is on hold.

The Comelec, however, would say that it exercises this supposed “exclusive control and supervision” through the multi-sectoral steering it had formed to oversee the projetc. It is chaired by Commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

However, the blueprint of the deployment of counting machines, for instance, clearly shows no direct involvement by the poll body. It is Smartmatic determining the details of the delivery.

The task has been assigned to layers of subcontractors with limited track record and with no direct accountability to the Comelec, thus exposing the deployment strategy to infiltration or influence by partisan groups.

Election observers explain what could happen to the PCOS: A party seeking to cheat will only have to gain access and manipulate a few hundreds of machines to win a national race. One machine is calibrated to read 1,000 ballots. Thus, 1,000 manipulated machines can easily cough up 1 million pre-determined votes.

In a tightly contested national race, a few hundreds of manipulated PCOS can provide a national candidate’s lead.

In local races, destroying a few PCOS meant for certain precincts can disenfranchise thousands of supporters of certain candidates.

Where is TIM?
Another concern raised by election observers is that, apart from the steering committee, nobody else putting in check Smartmatic, a foreign company. Its Filipino partner, Total Information Management (TIM), has been relegated to a secondary role, if not paralyzed.

While it supposedly is the majority owner (60%) of the joint venture—to comply with requirements under the Philippine Constitution—to automate the polls, TIM has not been assigned any role in the project.

“Essentially, TIM does not know the status on the implementation of the automation,” a source privy to the joint venture said.

Smartmatic spokesman Cesar Flores Zavarce, in an interview, said TIM is updated on the project in board meetings. “Nothing is done without TIM’s knowledge,” Zavarce said.

Pressed to name at least one part of the automation project that TIM is overseeing, Zavarce referred Newsbreak to the automation contract, saying this governs its relationship with TIM.

Larrazabal, in a separate interview, echoed Zavarce’s statement.

Newsbreak sought TIM president Jose Mari Antuñez for comment, but he declined to be interviewed.

A source from TIM said, however, “Smartmatic does not allow TIM to handle anything.”

The TIM source confirmed that TIM is updated during board meetings, “but that’s it. We get to be informed after the fact.”

Yet, if the automation project fails, TIM is jointly and severally liable for liabilities. “That’s why I initially refused to sign the contract,” Antuñez told Newsbreak in a previous interview.

The unequal division of labor and responsibility in the project triggered the spat between Smartmatic and TIM earlier, leading TIM to almost backing out of the venture. Foreseeing the scenario of Smartmatic calling all the shots, Antuñez had refused to sign the contract.

But Comelec, pressured by deadlines, intervened and threatened TIM with legal suits if it backed out.

Logistics, not technical
Smartmatic’s partnership with TIM was not only meant to comply with the constitutional requirement that the consortium should be majority controlled by a Filipino firm. TIM, as the local partner, is also supposed to be on the frontlines in dealing with local companies to be tapped for various aspects of the project.

However, such has apparently not been the case in the delivery of the PCOS machines.

The automation contract states that the joint venture partner with the longer track record in automated polls shall be in charge of the technical aspects of the project. That would be Smartmatic, which has been involved in automating polls in other countries.

But, the TIM source pointed out, “The choice of the forwarding firms…is more logistic than technical.” Yet, “Even that, it was Smartmatic that decided.”

Newsbreak research shows that 2 of the 3 forwarding firms contracted by Smartmatic—for much bigger regions at that—have mid-level capacity. They lack equipment and manpower required for a big project like this, so they will, in turn, sub-contract the job to smaller firms in the regions and provinces.

The forwarding firms are answerable only to Smartmatic. The sub-contracted companies, like trucking and warehousing firms, are answerable only to the forwarding firms.

Although the automation contract between Comelec and Smartmatic-TIM states that the “performance of portions thereof by other persons or entities not parties to this contract shall not relieve the provider (Smartmatic-TIM) of…obligations and concomitant liabilities,” Comelec’s lack of direct involvement in the nitty-gritty of the implementation has raised concerns.

The automation law mandates that the Comelec “shall have exclusive supervision and control” of the elections.
Bragging rights
In separate interviews, representatives of the forwarding firms told Newsbreak that they intend to make the arrangement work. They are aware that stiff penalties and ruined company names await them if they bungle this.

Efren Zoleta, general manager of Argo International Forwarders Inc. that will service the Visayas and Mindanao, refutes the common notion that only big forwarding companies can pull off the job. He said those international couriers also tap smaller local companies like theirs for their local deliveries.

Zoleta also explained that tapping local contacts in the provinces makes sense “since they are more familiar with the terrain and the internal politics there.” This includes accessing areas controlled by rebels and warlords.

Zoleta said Argo had studied the operational plan for the deployment of the PCOS 2 years ago when it learned of the plan to automate the polls. “We’ve been planning this for 2 years already. We also have our contacts in the field to supply the requirements.”

He stressed that Argo was originally tapped by one of the losing bidders in the automation project.

Roger Nogales, counsel for Ace Logistics Inc. that will service Luzon (minus Metro Manila), agreed that scheduling of delivery is the key. “We will start with the remotest and most difficult areas.”

He said “there is little room for mistakes in the delivery since there is a high penalty.”

Zoleta said that more than the windfall from these contracts, it is the bragging rights that they delivered the PCOS that matters more. “We have all the reasons to pull it through because our reputation is at stake here.”

Germalin Enterprises Inc., which is servicing Metro Manila, said it’s the fear of failing that led to its prudent decision to take on a limited area.

Germalin executive assistant Ireneo Padrigon said the company wanted to concentrate its resources on its core competency. It is tasked to deliver about 8,000 PCOS in the NCR.

Padrigon said the company does not want to risk taking a project that would require them to outsource because “you wont have control.”

“To perform best, you must have control, of your personnel, or your equipment. We bid for NCR because that’s the limitation of our personnel,” Padrigon said. “There is no room for error.”

The Comelec better heed that advice. —Research assistance by Lilita Balane and Reynaldo Santos Jr.


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Will Manny Retire, Now?

 Is pound-for-pound boxing king, Manny Pacquiao, ready to leave his throne?

After defeating with Ghanaian challenger Joshua Clottey last Sunday (Mar 14), rumors of Pacquiao’s impending retirement in boxing are again cropping up. In 2007, Pacquiao earned an estimated $20 million or P920 million, while he doubled this amount last year according to Forbes Magazine. In the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, Manny was reported to get as much as $12 million.

Manny is also known to share his fortune to the people in his hometown of General Santos City, showing that he has not forgotten where he came from.

Witness all these and more as Dyan Castillejo unravels the story behind “Pacman’s” successful boxing career and reports from behind-the-scenes of the Pacquiao-Clottey fight this Tuesday (March 16) on “The Correspondents,” right after “Bandila” on ABS-CBN.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Paying for Extra on Seat?

Paying for extras has become routine for airline passengers but it doesn't mean they like it, with a poll showing more than half all travelers hate having to fork out to choose their seat.
The online poll of nearly 2,000 people by website Airfarwatchdog.com, asked respondents which airline fees they despised the most.
Paying for the privilege of picking their seat was the biggest bugbear for 52% of respondents, followed by paying to change flights -- something which irked a third of passengers.
A minority, or 14%, said they didn't like paying extra for snacks while just 3% said they were happy to pay for any extra services.
George Hobica, president of Airfarewatchdog.com, said airlines were annoying passengers by adding to what many people consider the already high cost of air travel.
"There are certain airline services that really do involve added expense," he said in a statement emailed to Reuters.
"These include meals (for obvious reasons), transporting and checking bags (fuel and labor), and even to a certain degree changing your date of travel."
"But assigning a seat, which can be done online for virtually no transaction cost to the airline? It's simply a way to generate revenue and not to cover a tangible expense. I think passengers realize this and that's why they're so annoyed by it."
Hard hit by the financial crisis, many airlines across the globe, and especially in the United States, have started charging passengers for services that used to be free: check-in baggage, drinks and snacks, for example.
While this is the norm -- and in a way expected -- on budget airlines, travelers have expressed dismay at the fees levied by big carriers as they try and offset losses caused by the drop in travel caused by the global economic downturn.
According to Rick Seaney, chief executive of online ticketing website Farecompare.com, there are than a dozen different fees that airlines add onto the basic ticket price, including fees for ticket rescheduling, oversize bags and meals.
One of the more controversial charges, put in place by Southwest Airlines and United Airlines in the United States following passenger complaints, involves asking overweight passengers to buy a second seat, which can be refunded if the plane is not full.
Several major U.S. carriers, including American Airlines and Continental Airlines, have said they would continue to explore new fees and cost-cutting measures to enhance profitability while demand for air travel among business customers picks up.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Fake Havaianas Even in Politics

Another rumor has been hurled at Nacionalista Party (NP) standard-bearer Manuel "Manny" Villar and his camp -- that they allegedly handed out fake Havaianas flip-flops to a group of tabloid reporters.
An email with the subject "Villar gives fake Havaianas to tabloid reporters" was sent to several e-groups and was forwarded to abs-cbnNEWS.com on Monday. It claimed that Avic Amarillo, Villar's media handler, bought the fake flip-flops from Divisoria for tabloid reporters assigned to cover the NP standard bearer.
Reporters for broadsheets and top television networks, on the other hand, allegedly got original pairs of Havaianas flip-flops as pasalubong (gifts) from the Villar camp's campaign sortie in Hong Kong, the email read.
"We felt stupid. Just because we write for tabloids they would give us fake slippers," the email read, quoting a so-called female tabloid reporter.
"What Amarillo did was she bought fake Havaianas in Divisoria. Hello, of course reporters know how to distinguish between fake and original. Many got angry," a so-called mole in the Villar camp added.
Havaianas, a Brazilian brand, is very popular in the Philippines. A pair of plain rubber flip-flops costs P700 to P800, while those bearing different designs and patterns may carry price tags of over P1,000.
Height of propaganda?
Amarillo, however, strongly denied the rumor surrounding her and the Villar camp.
In a text message to abs-cbnNEWS.com, she made it clear that no Havaianas flip-flops were distributed to reporters assigned to cover the NP standard-bearer's campaign sorties.
"Di ko kinaya to. [This one's] at the height of propaganda. Ako ang nasa black propaganda na ito eh. Wala na talagang distinction between imagined and real? (This is too much to bear. It's at the height of propaganda, and I'm the one in it. Is there really no more distinction between imagined and real?)," Amarillo said.
Amarillo added that she was not even present in Villar's Hong Kong sortie as the email claimed.
For her part, Mira Gadil, another media handler of the Villar camp, laughed off the said rumor.
"Grabe nakakatawa na iyan ah. May fake Havaianas ba talaga? Akala ko chika at biruan lang iyang negative texts na iyan. (That's really funny. Are there really fake Havaianas? I thought all those negative text messages spreading around are just jokes and gossip)," she told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a text message.
Villar's 'mansion'
Just last month, an email entitled "Who owns a house like this?" was sent to several e-groups and news desks. It showed various pictures of a mansion in Salt Lake City with lavish Victorian-style interiors, which was allegedly owned by Villar.
"While Filipinos starve and die because of abject poverty and while Sen. Villar brags that he had poor beginnings and he had helped his poor countrymen over and over again...but look now...he and his family live like this, his greed kills his poverty-stricken fellow Filipinos," the email read.
abs-cbnNEWS.com checked the Snopes.com website, however, and found out that the email has been circulating as early as 2008 -- the mansion was first linked to Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe. The website added that the mansion is in the Bel Air section of Los Angeles, not Salt Lake City.
Snopes.com specializes in investigating urban legends and forwarded email rumors.

For his part, NP spokesman Gilbert Remulla downplayed the latest attempt to besmirch Villar's reputation.
"The campaign being waged by Villar's opponents reaches record lows every day, starting with the false accusations of 'Villaroyo.' It only shows that his opponents are insecure and desperate. We pray that they campaign on platforms and capabilities rather than mudslinging," Remulla told abs-cbnNEWS.com in a phone interview last month.
Villar was widely rumored to be President Arroyo's "secret candidate," something that the NP standard bearer vehemently denied.







David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Choosing a Digital Camera

 So you’ve heard about the latest models of digital cameras in the market and you know it’s high time to buy one. But with almost all of them sporting the sleekest style, enormous megapixels, super zooms and wide LCD screens, how would you know what is best for you or the one you’re buying it for?
Well, let’s make this easier for you. Before you get swayed into swiping your card, consider these top five factors: megapixels, price, optical zoom, compatibility of accessories, and of course, the feel.
1. Megapixels (MP)
A souped up point and shoot (compact digicam) boasts of seven to eight megapixels. This feature allows you to print billboard-size photographs or blow up a certain portion of the image without the blur. But if you only plan to print pictures to a maximum of 11” x 14”, five MP is already more than enough. How is this? A megapixel is millions of dots that stores color information per square inch. This is your image’s resolution. So if you have an 8MP digital camera, it simply implies that even if you stretch the image to larger than life proportions, there are enough pixels (dots) to fill the space. If you use a low resolution picture for a billboard, the tendency of the pixels is to stretch itself to fill out the space. Remember though: the larger the megapixel, the larger the file size. So make sure you have a big enough memory card. You wouldn’t want to end up selecting and deleting images that you haven’t even printed or transferred to your PC yet.
2. Price
This one is really quite an issue for the tight-budget consumer. But take it easy. For certain, it will make you smile if you find out that not all cheaper models are of less quality in terms of performance. Most of the time, the manufacturers race up to level their performance with top tiers and take a hundred or more pesos off. And because there’s always a new model or feature coming up, it will only take a month or so to get your heart’s most desired digital camera at 10% to 15% off!
3. Optical Zoom
Are all zooms equal? Not! This is because optical, not digital, zoom is the real deal. The difference: digital zoom is only good for reference and not for printing as it only enlarges the pixels, making your image bigger yet prone to becoming blurred resulting to poor quality; however, optical zoom is the lens’ capability to magnify by the number of x. So if your subject is 50 feet away, and your lens has a 5x optical zoom, it can make your subject seem 10 feet away. Or comparatively speaking, a 270mm lens is equal to 27x zoom. As this feature depends on the lens, the larger the optical zoom, the heavier the camera gets. This is where you’ll have to use tripods to avoid camera shake.
4. Compatibility of Accessories
If you have existing gadgets, you might want to check what you have now and see if they have anything that you could use with the new camera you’re planning to buy. It can save you a thousand bucks or more if your new camera uses the same storage device or batteries with your gadgets. You could either use them for your new digital camera or use them as a spare. Just a tip though. If you use AA batteries, make sure they’re rechargeable batteries as they are more cost efficient. For digital SLR camera buyers, if you could attach your old lenses to your new DSLR, you can absolutely save thousands of pesos.
Consider as well the means to transfer your data. As the image files get bigger due to the increase in megapixels, it is wise to invest in a USB 2.0 interface for faster uploading.
5. The Feel
Finally, upon checking out most of the features online, it is necessary that you visit the camera shops to get a feel of your top choices. See how your fingers fall on the controls. Are they too small that your fingers press two switches at a time? How about the menu, are they too difficult to browse through? Is the LCD bright enough or big enough? Is the camera just light or heavy enough? Trying out the camera helps you eliminate the “feel” factor. Plus it helps you gauge the camera personally.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Russian Blogger on Corruption

 It started with a golden bed and African drummers and led to Russia's latest, surprising, political duel pitting tenacious bloggers against bureaucrats whose excesses went a step too far.
Russians typically shrug their shoulders at the lavish lifestyles of government officials, assuming nothing can be done about bureaucrats who take bribes and pocket state funds.
But when Russia's interior ministry announced plans to buy a golden bed, it raised an outcry -- and revealed the potential of the Internet for stirring up outrage against entrenched corruption.
While the docile, state-dominated media looks the other way, a small but determined group of Russian bloggers is challenging corrupt bureaucrats, rallying public opinion and goading prosecutors into action.
Their blogs have attracted unanticipated popularity, reflecting deep-seated anger at the high-handed behavior of officials in Prime Minister Vladimir Putin's government.
"I didn't expect the blog to become so popular," said Alexander Malyutin, who runs a blog devoted to exposing suspicious government tenders, including the interior ministry's infamous golden bed purchase.
Last August, the ministry announced plans to buy 24 million rubles (800,000 dollars) worth of furniture, including a bed "covered with a thin layer of 24-carat gold," according to the official tender documents.
The documents were posted deep within a website where all the government's purchases must be published, under a law passed in 2005 during one of the Kremlin's periodic efforts to root out corruption.
After bloggers and journalists exposed the plans, the ministry defended itself from ridicule by saying the bed was needed for a special VIP guesthouse in Moscow where it hosts foreign officials.
Malyutin's blog, zakupki_news, which takes its name from the Russian word for "purchases," helped draw attention to the golden bed and other dubious expenditures of taxpayer money.
Those have included plans by a Saint Petersburg astronomy institute to buy a Mercedes and by the governor of Russia's far eastern Sakhalin province to bring African drummers from Burundi to perform at his annual New Years party.
Both those tenders were canceled after outcries in the blogosphere, but the golden bed purchase went ahead.
"In many cases there was no violation of the law, just shameless behaviour. The golden bed tender was legal and funding was officially allocated for it," said Malyutin, who works as editor of the news website Marker.ru.
Last year, Russia was ranked 146th, alongside Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone, in a list of relative levels of corruption in countries around the world compiled by global graft watchdog Transparency International.
Perhaps the most fearless of Russia's anti-graft bloggers is Alexei Navalny, a lawyer who takes on state-run companies like gas giant Gazprom and oil firm Rosneft, which have close ties to Putin.
Navalny, 33, uses his status as a minority shareholder in the big state-run companies -- he owns several thousand dollars worth of stock in them -- to badger their management teams for greater transparency.
"I hate the system of power in this country. I think it's absolutely corrupt and it's causing the country to fall apart," Navalny said.
In November, Navalny announced the results of a lengthy investigation he had conducted into Russia's second-largest bank, VTB, which is 85 percent owned by the state.
In a blog post, he accused VTB managers of embezzling 150 million dollars in a complex scheme involving the leasing of 30 Chinese oil rigs.
He followed up the original post with a video detailing the allegations that has been viewed more than 100,000 times on YouTube.
The video begins with a giant VTB logo hovering menacingly over the Earth to the music from the "Star Wars" films, and ends with footage of an snowy yard in Russia's far north where the oil rigs are rusting away, unused.
VTB says the managers involved in the scheme have been sacked but insists there is no need for criminal charges.
Moscow prosecutors are deciding whether to open an investigation, following a letter-writing campaign from Navalny and his supporters.
VTB bosses and their government allies "are very irritated by this public discussion," said Navalny, who was formerly an active member of Yabloko, a liberal political party, but now avoids electoral politics.
The blogosphere, so far untouched by censors, is slowly becoming a "socially significant force" that spreads information ignored by Russia's state-dominated media, said corruption expert Kirill Kabanov.
"The major television channels are structures which serve the interests of the bureaucracy," said Kabanov, head of the National Anti-Corruption Committee, a non-governmental organisation.
But Kabanov added that the Internet's impact on public opinion was limited since it reached only a small part of Russia's population.
Some 30 percent of Russians have Internet access at home, far less than in Western countries, according to a study released this month by the GfK market research company.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

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ABBA Lead Induction on Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony

  Some musical acts that thrived in second lives are joining the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

ABBA, Genesis and The Hollies will be inducted Monday at the annual ceremony at New York's Waldorf Astoria hotel. They'll be joined by the Stooges and reggae superstar Jimmy Cliff.

The four-member Swedish hit machine ABBA split up in 1982 after producing including "Dancing Queen" and "Waterloo." The band never reformed, but the Broadway and movie production "Mamma Mia" kept their songs alive.

Genesis was a leader in Britain's progressive rock movement behind singer Peter Gabriel in the 1970s, then produced pop hits in the 1980s after Gabriel left and Phil Collins took over the microphone.

The Hollies produced British invasion hits like "Bus Stop" and "Carrie-Anne" and, after singer Graham Nash left, the 1970s standards "The Air That I Breathe" and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother."


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Aussie Donated Hi-tech Illustration Equipment to PNP

 Australia donated three pieces of composite illustration equipment to the Philippine National Police (PNP), allowing local law enforcement to produce faster, more accurate images of crime suspects.

Donated as part of Australia’s 25th year of Federal Police operations, the equipment — known as Facefit — produces images of crime suspects using a bank of over 700 stored facial images.

It delivers more realistic images, in less time, than the old system of hand-drawn sketches.

PNP chief Director General Jesus Verzosa received three computerized composite illustration system equipment during a reception at the Australian Embassy residence.

“The assistance is part of Australia’s continuing commitment to support Philippine law enforcement agencies prevent and respond to security threats and transnational crime," Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said on the Australian Embassy website.

In 2009 alone, over 180 criminal investigations used this technology to identify offenders responsible for serious crimes in the community.

The technology can also be applied in many other activities within the law enforcement environment such as facial depiction of missing persons, the Australian embassy said.

“This equipment complements existing equipment provided earlier by the AFP to boost capacity of the PNP to fight crime throughout the Philippines," Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said in the embassy’s website.

He added this system had been helping law enforcement agencies in major localities in the Philippines to address crime and to maintain order in the community.

With the latest addition, he said the PNP may have the capacity for all regions to use this state-of-the-art equipment.

The AFP also provided training to PNP personnel to ensure the equipment is utilized to its maximum potential.

"More than 100 PNP officers are now highly trained to use this technology, ensuring there is at least one qualified officer capable of using the equipment in every region in the country," he said.

Since it commenced operations in the Philippines in September 1984, the Australian Federal Police has forged and continues to enhance strong links with its Philippine counterparts.

The AFP provided forensics, intelligence and investigation support to the 2004 Superferry 14 bombing, the 2005 Valentine’s Day bombings and other counter-terrorism and transnational crime investigations.

The AFP has also trained more than 1,000 law enforcement officers in various disciplines, including intelligence reporting and analysis, investigations management, surveillance, hostage negotiation, CT operations, command and control, critical incident management and leadership.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Another Dead on Manny Pacquiao's Game

A village councilor in South Cotabato died of a heart attack after watching boxing icon
Manny Pacquiao win over Joshua Clottey in their bout on Sunday.

Leopoldo Salcedo, 50, a councilor of San Jose village in Banga town in South Cotabato, suffered an attack while cheering for the Filipino boxing icon, Radio dzRH reported on Monday.

Moments earlier, Salcedo saw Pacquiao being declared the winner of the bout via unanimous decision.

Banga town police director Inspector Dennis Madriaga cited initial testimonies from witnesses who said Salcedo collapsed during the celebration.

Salcedo was rushed to a nearby hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
David Mikael Taclino
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Filipino Family May Be Deported for Joining Strike

A Filipino worker, his wife, and their three children face deportation from Ireland after the government confiscated their immigration visas following his participation in a hunger strike over a compensation issue with his employer, it was learned Sunday.
Citing a report from Republican Sinn Fein’s website, Migrante International said the immigration cards of John Recto, who has been living and working in Ireland for the past eight years, and his wife had been confiscated soon after the labor dispute at the Green Isle Foods factory in Naas, Co Kildare was resolved.
Recto was among the three workers of the frozen food factory who went on hunger strike after being fired last summer. The two others were Jim Wyse, shop steward at the plant, and former Offaly footballer John Guinan. The three, together with other Technical Engineering and Electrical Union (TEEU) workers, amicably settled with the help of local unions.
“According to reports, John Recto, together with his wife and kids, are being threatened of a possible deportation from Ireland upon the confiscation of their immigrant visas by Irish authorities. We are concerned that this is another case where a worker is punished for fighting for his rights,” said Migrante International head Garry Martinez.
“We believe that the confiscation of the immigrant visas of Recto and his wife was discriminatory and was meant to punish Recto for joining the strike. This was meant to be a signal to all migrant workers to be silent or else. This is a clear violation of labor and human rights of John and his innocent family,” he added.
In a news release, Migrante said the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and the TEEU are now making representations on behalf of Recto and his family to stop their deportation.
Recto’s family joined him in Ireland from the Philippines five years ago. His two oldest children grew up in Ireland and his youngest child was born there.
“We call on the Department of Foreign Affairs to immediately assist the Recto family and exert all diplomatic means possible to stop the deportation process. We would like to remind the Philippine government that it has ratified the International Convention on the Rights of Migrants and their Families, which is clearly being violated in the case of the Recto family,” Martinez said.
Migrante asserted that even if Ireland is not a signatory of the convention, the Philippine post can still invoke the right of the Recto family for a due process under the laws existing in Ireland.
“We are grateful that Irish trade unions are now taking up the cudgels to protect John and his family. It is incumbent upon the Arroyo administration to do its share in assisting the Recto family on the injustice being perpetrated against them,” Martinez added.
The group plans to take the issue of the Recto family to the Irish government and international bodies related to the protection of migrant rights.

David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Caticlan Airport, San Miguel Next Project

 San Miguel Corp. has gained a foothold into a pioneering airport development business by taking a majority stake in the modernization of the Caticlan airport, the gateway to the country’s world-famous beach spot Boracay Island.
Inquirer sources said San Miguel had agreed to come in as a strategic partner of the consortium led by Chinese-Filipino businessman George Yang that bagged the right to modernize the Caticlan airport under a 25-year concession arrangement with the government.
San Miguel is expected to sign an agreement to buy a 51-percent interest in Yang-led Caticlan International Airport Development Corp. (CIADC) anytime this week, a source familiar with the matter told the Inquirer. The conglomerate was invited to participate in the much-awaited project by Yang himself and the partnership deal had been in the works for many months now.
CIADC’s Caticlan project is touted as the first ever privatization of an airport terminal in the Philippines. At the same time, it is in line with San Miguel’s diversification into the infrastructure business and recent foray into leisure estate development in Boracay.
The modernization of the Caticlan airport alone is worth around P2.5 billion, based on the framework approved by the National Economic and Development Authority. But the project also has a commercial component that entails the development of a 16-hectare property beside the airport. This peripheral project is estimated to cost P10 billion.
The upgrading involves the construction of a bigger airport passenger terminal, extension of the existing runway from 950 meters to 2,100 meters to accommodate bigger aircraft, improvement of the road network, and upgrading of airport facilities and air traffic control aids. The proponents have also committed to build other support utilities, install fire-fighting equipment and construct a diversion road.
The project is based on a build-rehabilitate-operate-transfer agreement. CIADC has up to seven years to build and expand the airport and 25 years to operate the facilities. All revenues will go to CIADC except for earnings from the operation and maintenance of navigation systems, which would go to the Department of Transportation and Communication.
The modernization work on the Caticlan airport started last January. Once finished, CIADC expects fares to be more competitive for passengers since airlines can use aircraft with more seating capacity than the turbo-propellers that are mostly being used today. A modernized Caticlan airport is also targeted to serve as an international gateway not only to Boracay but also to the rest of the Visayas.
Yang, who holds the master franchise for American fast-food giant McDonald’s in the Philippines, also has some real estate investments in Boracay.
San Miguel, through its property arm San Miguel Properties Inc., is also breaking into Boracay’s booming tourism after recently acquiring a 28-hectare property targeted for leisure development.
SMPI’s Boracay property is adjacent to the plush Shangri-La hotel and is now being planned for development into a residential condominium complex.


David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
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Former Budget Secretary Boncodin Died In Cardiac Arrest

She spent most of her life in government but she never craved money or power, lived simply and left public service untouched by any whiff of scandal.
At 2:05 p.m. Monday, former Budget Secretary Emilia T. Boncodin passed away due to cardiac arrest at a Quezon City hospital after her body rejected a kidney donated by her sister. She was 55.
Boncodin died after repeated attempts to revive her failed, according to a medical bulletin issued by Dr. Enrique Ona, executive director of the National Kidney and Transplant Institute (NKTI).
“We tried to resuscitate her for more than two hours, but unfortunately this had to happen,” Ona told reporters.
The medical bulletin said: “She was admitted on March 10 for difficulty of breathing and anemia and was diagnosed to be at End Stage Renal Disease after her kidney transplant done on Feb. 3, 2005 went into chronic rejection and [the kidney] completely failed to function.”
Boncodin and nine other Cabinet and high government officials—later called the “Hyatt 10”—quit the administration on July 8, 2005, over the “Hello Garci” scandal and called for the resignation of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
The resignations sparked the most dangerous political crisis to confront Ms Arroyo and brought her administration to the precipice.
No fancy stuff for her
Throughout her decades-long stint in government, most of it in the Department of Budget and Management, Boncodin was known for her integrity and for the “integrity of her work,” colleagues said.
“She entered government at the age of 18. She knew the numbers like the back of her hand. She would remain honest. The decades that she served her country were untarnished by scandal or dishonesty,” former presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita “Ging” Deles said by phone.
As a member of the Arroyo Cabinet, a car was made available for her use but Boncodin chose to live in a place nearer Malacañang, rather than go home every day to the family residence in Novaliches, Quezon City, according to Deles.
“She didn’t have a fancy car. And she and her small family lived simply in a house that they built,” Deles said.
“She didn’t like any fancy stuff. She lived within her means. I don’t know anybody else who reached the rank of Cabinet secretary who lived as simply as she did.”
For love of country
Boncodin, who taught at the University of the Philippines National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), lived with her mother, who owns a store on the UP campus, and a sister in a small subdivision in Novaliches, according to Deles.
‘It was never about prestige, about compensation. She loved her work. She did it in the service of the country,” she added.
Boncodin was present when the “Hyatt 10” last year marked the fourth anniversary of their resignation from the Cabinet by hearing Mass near Malacañang. The group issued a statement warning of what they saw as Ms Arroyo’s attempt to perpetuate herself in power.
The others who marked that anniversary were Deles, former Cabinet officials Florencio Abad, Imelda Nicolas, Cesar Purisima, Corazon Soliman and Rene Villa.
After the Mass, they tried marching from the church to Malacañang to deliver their statement to Ms Arroyo, but decided against it after they were stopped at the guards’ post. They left copies with the presidential guards.
Love and passion
After leaving government, some of the resigned Cabinet officials, including Boncodin, founded the NGO International Center on Innovation, Transformation and Excellence in Governance. They also joined the group, called Former Senior Government Officials, which issues commentaries on government policies and programs.
In the past few months, Boncodin had been working on a project designed to build the capacity of civil society “to monitor” the budget, while continuing to teach at NCPAG, according to Deles.
“She was deep in work in governance. And she continued to teach, which was her love and passion,” said Deles, who met with Boncodin two weeks ago to talk about the project deadlines.
She was known as a hardworking technocrat with expertise in public finance, budgeting, financial management, public administration, civil service and economic development.
Ona was one of three doctors who attended to Boncodin in her last moments. The others were Doctors Zenaida Antonio and Michael Jaro.
One effect of the kidney rejection was the inability of the body to flush out toxic products.
A perfect match
Boncodin underwent a kidney transplant taking a kidney from her younger sister, Adelina, on Feb. 3, 2005.
Ona said Boncodin suffered from polycystic kidney, which meant that her kidneys had congenital cysts, leading to their malfunction.
“It is unfortunate that this had to happen. After her term as budget secretary, she took on several consultancy jobs that led her to as far as Afghanistan. On several occasions, she would run out of medicines that would prevent the rejection of the donated kidney,” Ona said.
The medication, called immunosuppressive medicine, would have helped the body accept the donated kidney.
The NKTI executive director said Boncodin and her sister-donor were “a perfect match.”
Last moments
Ona said doctors had been preparing Boncodin for dialysis when she suddenly went into cardiac arrest.
“When she was admitted four days ago, she was already weak and became anemic. We also gave her several units of blood because of her anemia,” he said.
Ona said regular dialysis was one of the options to treat Boncodin, the other being another kidney transplant.
“Only three days ago and Monday, I discussed with her the option of another transplant, either from a non-related donor or a deceased donor,” he said.
Ona described Boncodin as “hopeful” whenever he talked to her. He said Boncodin’s sister and mother Cristeta were with her in her last moments.
The family’s spokesperson, Nieves Osorio, said Boncodin’s remains were to be brought to the Della Strada Parish Church in Quezon City for the wake that was to begin Monday night.
Osorio said the family would announce the details of the interment after consultations among its members.
In lieu of flowers, the Boncodin family requested that donations be made to a bank account to be announced later, Osorio said.
Last talk
Osorio described Boncodin—who was from Iriga City, Camarines Sur, and who never married “because she was engrossed with her work”—as her friend of more than 30 years.
The last time they talked was on Thursday, she said.
“We talked about the things we would do… like she firmly believed in improving public financial management as a member of the private sector,” Osorio said.
She said she was scheduled to see Boncodin Monday afternoon but was told by the doctors that she had died.
Boncodin obtained her business degree from UP and her master’s degree in Public Administration, as an Edward S. Mason Fellow, from the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, in 1986.
Malacañang mourned Boncodin’s death.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Gary Olivar said Ms Arroyo would pay her last respects to Boncodin “once details of the wake are made known.”David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

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Japanese Cartoonist Opposed Restriction Over Child Sex Image

 A group of Japanese cartoonists on Monday protested against a Tokyo government plan to tighten rules on sexual images of minors in comics, animation and computer game software.
Cartoonists, including prominent artists Machiko Satonaka and Tetsuya Chiba, held a news conference to voice their opposition to the plan before the Tokyo metropolitan assembly votes on the proposal on Friday.
"This could violate freedom of expression," they said in a joint statement to assembly members of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan.
Japan's capital has proposed to call on publishers to exercise greater restraint on sales of any cartoon works that feature sexual depictions of characters that people would assume to be underage.
The local government ordinance, which would be effective only in the capital, would also designate any comics showing sexual violence as "noxious publications" and tighten restrictions for under-aged readers.
Japan is a major global source of child pornography. Although producing and distributing it is illegal, possession is not criminalized, and images of "non-existent" underage characters in manga comics are legal.
The Japanese central government has separately launched a working team, made up of police, education, justice and other senior officials, to tighten measures against child pornography.
The body has been tasked with drawing up new measures by June, which could include a crackdown on online child porn and the blocking of sites, public education campaigns, and steps to find and help the victims.
David Mikael Taclino
Inyu Web Development and Design
Creative Writer

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