Focus 
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Palace cures defective Romulo appointment
By ELLEN TORDESILLAS MALACANANG has antedated the appointment papers of Foreign Secretary Alberto Romulo to cure the original that the Commission on Appointments found defective. Romulo, a holdover from the Arroyo administration, took his oath and had been functioning as foreign secretary in the first 40 days of the Aquino administration without an appointment, documents showed. Romulo »Read More
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Military court to decide fate of 16 officers in mutiny charge
By TESSA JAMANDRE A MILITARY court will decide today on the plea—twice denied under the government of former President Gloria Arroyo—to exonerate 16 military officers facing mutiny charges for a supposed plot against her in 2006. This is the first time that the court martial proceedings will resume under the new commander-in-chief, Benigno Aquino III. After »Read More
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Aquino: 2 more months to work out differences with Robredo
PRESIDENT Aquino is giving himself and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo two more months to work on the compatibility of their working style. In an ambush interview, Aquino confirmed a report by VERA Files Monday that the reason Robredo’s appointment is in acting capacity was due to differences which date back to the election campaign. “There »Read More
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Robredo’s supporters stand by him; Lacierda confirms ‘acting’ designation
SUPPORTERS of Interior Secretary Jesse M. Robredo are rallying behind him, saying it is “unjust” for him to be blamed for the Aug. 23 hostage debacle when he has no jurisdiction over the Philippine National Police. This developed as Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda confirmed a VERA Files report that the appointments of Robredo, together with »Read More
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Palace won’t seek CA confirmation for Robredo, 2 others
By ELLEN TORDESILLAS, LUZ RIMBAN, YVONNE CHUA and AVIGAIL OLARTE WHEN Malacañang submits to Congress for confirmation its list of Cabinet appointees, Interior and Local Governments Secretary Jesse Robredo, who is under fire for supposedly mishandling the Aug. 23 hostage-taking crisis at the Quirino Grandstand, won’t be on it. A list of appointments made by »Read More
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Chinese Vice Premier cancels Manila visit
By TESSA JAMANDRE CHINESE Vice Premier Li Keqiang has cancelled his official visit to Manila, supposedly set for the first week of September. But the Department of Foreign Affairs clarified the cancellation had nothing to do with the hostage-taking incident that is straining diplomatic relations between the two countries. Li was supposed to arrive for a »Read More
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Postscript: How the media covered the Grandstand carnage
By TESSA JAMANDRE DESPITE the criticisms hurled at the media for the way they covered last Monday’s hostage crisis, most of them observed journalist manuals and safety guidelines on dangerous assignments, and only a few seemed unaware of such guidelines. But one thing was clear. They all took their cues mainly from the police on »Read More
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Aquino calls up Donald Tsang
BY ELLEN TORDESILLAS PRESIDENT Aquino Tuesday called up Donald Tsang, chief executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People’s Republic of China, to personally express his condolences to the families of eight Hong Kong residents who died Monday in Manila after they were held hostage by a dismissed policeman while on a »Read More
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What is one big mistake that you’ve made in your life and what did you do to make it right?
(Reflections on Venus and the Miss Universe contest) By MYLAH ROQUE I WIPED my eyes after the Miss Universe 2010 host announced Venus Raj was 4th runner-up. Coming from watching the coverage of the tourists’ hostage taking the day before, I felt that we were a nation hungry for a break, for a spot of »Read More
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Ninoy assassination a closed book for Aquino sisters
By BOOMA CRUZ TWENTY-SEVEN years after the murder of opposition leader and former senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., his daughters say the search for the brains behind his assassination is over, and that the Aquino family has already achieved justice. Ma. Elena “Ballsy” Cruz and Aurora “Pinky” Abellada, elder sisters of President Benigno Aquino III, »Read More
