Archive - Focus

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.—In the afternoon of March 23 this year, 50 heavily armed guards of mayoral candidate Cromwell Luna appeared at the kindergarten graduation of Tineg Central School in Barangay Agsimao in Tineg town. Eyewitnesses said children wailed, old men and women cried, while the rest scampered for cover as the men

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.— Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera is under hospital arrest after he allegedly shot and killed a supporter of his political rival earlier today, the first recorded casualty of an election-related violent incident in the province. Abra provincial police chief Senior Superintendent Ernesto Gaab said two witnesses pointed to Valera as

ARMED Forces Chief Delfin Bangit approved the release of 10 Magdalo soldiers after the court decided that their  sentence of eight months’ imprisonment was considered served since they have been in detention since the November 2007 Manila Peninsula siege. Former Marine Capt. Gary Alejano and former Ltsg  James Layug were released Sunday and eight others

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.—Ryan Luna goes around campaigning in barangays here on board one of his army-type trucks that people often mistake for military vehicles. Luna, the son of Congresswoman Cecilia Seares-Luna, is the incumbent president of the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) and is running for mayor of this town. “There’s nothing

By ARTHA KIRA PAREDES BANGUED, Abra.–Firearms confiscated from private armed groups (PAGs) were stolen from the evidence room of the Regional Trial Court Branch 2 located at the Don Quintin Paredes Hall of Justice here. Police confirmed that at least two of the firearms belonged to a member of the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA).

By JOSEPH ARNEL DELIVERIO Sibugay Express IPIL, Zamboanga Sibugay.—The Commission on Human Rights is trying to put together pieces of the puzzle surrounding the mysterious death of Gregan Cardeño, a Filipino who allegedly committed suicide last February inside the barracks of American soldiers taking part in the Balikatan exercises. A team from the CHR central office

By RIZIEL ANN AGALOOS CABREROS and CAMILLE PABLO DE JESUS (Part 2) THE new green color of the fences along Metro Manila’s major thoroughfares may mask the “Metro Gwapo” legacy of former Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair and now vice presidential candidate Bayani Fernando, but not the series of lapses and anomalies that marked

By RIZIEL ANN AGALOOS CABREROS and CAMILLE PABLO DE JESUS (Part 1) SINCE the start of the year, the once all-pink wire mesh fences and footbridges along Metro Manila’s major roads have been gradually repainted green in line with the Metro Green project of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) under its new chair Oscar

By JEREMAIAH M. OPINIANO OFW Journalism Consortium DAVAO CITY.–A government executive here warns of an increasing number of overseas Filipino workers defaulting on their loans from an economic crisis credit facility. Zenobia Caro, officer-in-charge of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration Region XI, said she is worried about the low repayment rate among overseas Filipino workers

By TESS BACALLA JAKARTA.— Never mind if the whole world may still be reeling from the shock triggered by the Maguindanao massacre owing to its sheer barbarity and that this unprecedented mass slaughter of 32 journalists in November last year may have only served to secure further the country’s position as the world’s most dangerous

By MELVIN PURZUELO Green Forum-Western Visayas ILOILO CITY.—Thousands of households, churches, institutions and business establishments switched off their lights and appliances to take part in Earth Hour last night, causing a nine-megawatt drop in power consumption on Panay Island. But civil society groups urged Ilonggo officials to “walk their talk” in fighting global warming by

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS A DEFENSE undersecretary who was investigating two cases of irregularities involving high-ranking defense officials was peremptorily dismissed two weeks ago. Retired Vice Admiral Ariston V. Delos Reyes, undersecretary for internal affairs in the Department of National Defense, sent his colleagues in the military an email in which he relates the unceremonious termination

By CAROLYN ARGUILLAS MindaNews DAVAO CITY.— The “all out peace” and “primacy of the peace process” policy statements notwithstanding,  President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ends her nine-year presidency with peace as elusive as it was under predecessor Joseph Estrada, the man who declared “all out war” against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF)  on March 21, 2000.

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS WHEN Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao faces Joshua Clottey of Ghana in the ring on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S.) in Texas to defend his welterweight crown, the Ampatuan clan won’t be in the audience at the  Dallas Cowboys stadium to cheer him like in his past fights. Twelve prominent members of

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS EVEN in detention, Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay town in Maguindanao continues to issue orders to kill those he suspects would expose his role in the Nov. 23 massacre, a former hitman of the Ampatuans revealed Tuesday. In an interview with reporters, “Jesse” (not his real name) said around four

By ELLEN TORDESILLAS, AVIGAIL OLARTE, YVONNE CHUA and LUZ RIMBAN THE controversial $1.32-million house at 1655 Beach Park Blvd in Foster City, California is no longer listed in the name of presidential daughter-in-law Angela Arroyo Montenegro, wife of First Son and Pampanga representative Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo. Arroyo lawyers and associates quietly reported the transfer

By RAISSA ROBLES CLOSE allies of First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo are behind the new polling firm StratPOLLS Inc., which recently showed administration candidate Gilberto Teodoro surging dramatically in its recent survey of presidential candidates. Aware of the power of surveys to sway voters come election day, Congress enacted the Fair Election Act in 2001

By RAISSA ROBLES VOTERS are deluged with surveys during the election season. But they can better appreciate and understand these surveys with the following tips from Dr. Elena Pernia, former dean of the University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication and communications research professor. Find out who the persons are behind the polling firm