Arroyo Scored for ?Buying? Signatures in Cha-Cha Drive; DILG, Comelec Wash Hands

Arroyo administration accused of “again committing massive fraud and deception on a nationwide scale?

By Germelina A. Lacorte
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? Days after the synchronized barangay (village) assemblies that launched the so-called nationwide ?people?s initiative? aimed at changing the Constitution, critics and progressive groups lambasted the government Monday for allegedly using money and other inducements to railroad the process even as officials denied that the assemblies had anything to do with the government?s campaign to amend the charter.

?Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo seems to be running out of schemes to cling to power so that she buys the ?people?s initiative? with rice and a few hundred bucks,? Ariel Casilao, acting secretary-general of the Bagong Alyansang Makabayan in Southern Mindanao said in a statement on Monday.

Casilao was referring to reports that money and rice were given in exchange for signatures supporting constitutional amendments that would, among others, lead to shift to a parliamentary form of government.

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Iron-Willed ‘Political Butterflies’ Still Flutter

By Bejay C. Absin
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY ? The gathering gave a whole new meaning to the phrase ?political butterfly.?

Because they were all there ? women political luminaries, some of whom hadn?t met in a long while, many of them still possessed by the fire of political dissent ? and because butterflies were everywhere: on their nametags, lapels, chests, arms, wrists, even fingers.

The forum, at the Ateneo de Davao University, was called ?Free Our Sisters! Free Ourselves!? and specifically targeted the political repression prevalent nowadays. It was organized by Gabriela Women?s Party, Bathaluman Crisis Center and the Gabriela Network of Professionals. The host committee was led by Rosena Sanches and Bing Sobrevega-Chan, two of the cities most respected women professionals.

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Billions of OFW Remittance Destroy RP?s Basic Industries

By Isagani dela Paz
OFW Journalism Consortium

MANILA ? The sparkle of billions of dollars of money sent by Filipinos temporarily or permanently earning abroad is blinding government and the overseas labor deployment industry, a lawmaker warned recently.

?The immediate windfall from the foreign currency remittances of our countrymen overseas makes it so easy to gloss over the reality that the diaspora of our skilled labor exacts a painful toll on the basic industries that should form the building block of a strong Philippine economy,? Congressman Roseller Barinaga said in a privilege speech recently.

Representative Barinaga of Zamboanga del Norte spoke at the Lower House seeking measures to check what he said was the unregulated outflow of critical skills and talents affecting the country?s strategic industries: aviation, electronics, shipping, steel, petrochemical, and telecommunications.

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Mayor Bans Rallies During Arroyo?s Visit to Panabo City

PANABO CITY— Panabo City Mayor Rey Gavina appealed to opposition groups to refrain from staging protest rallies during President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo?s visit to Panabo city this week.

Gavina vowed not to issue a permit to any group who has plans to disrupt the President?s visit with protest actions.

?I?m wholeheartedly appealing not to stage (protest) rally during the President?s visit, I won?t give permit to those who will stage the rally except some other time,? he said.
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Deadline for Tax Filing Is April 17

By Rose B. Palacio
Philippine Information Agency

DAVAO CITY — Bureau of Internal Revenuer (BIR) regional director Atty. Marcelinda Omila-Yap announced that the deadline for the filing of income tax returns has been moved to April 17, 2006 (Monday) since April 15 falls on Saturday which is a holiday.

Omila-Yap urged the taxpaying public to file their income tax returns early to avoid the rush.

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