Politics

Military Says NPA Claim of Paquibato Victory Is ?Pure Hogwash?

DAVAO CITY ? The armed forces last week described as ?hogwash? the claim early this month by the communist New People?s Army that it is winning over the residents of Paquibato District, a hinterland part of the city where soldiers and rebels often clash.

?The New People?s Army?s claims of winning in Paquibato area is pure hogwash, not worth even a small attention,? Major Jose Marie R. Cuerpo II, the commander of the military?s 5th Civil Relations Group in the region said.

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Washington Think Tank Urges Bush to Act Vs. Arroyo?s ?Dictatorial Methods?

But despite ?waning? U.S. support of her, Arroyo not on shaky footing, says analyst

DAVAO CITY ? The United States government should now review how its military aid and security assistance to the Philippines are being spent by the Arroyo administration, a policy analyst of a major American think tank said this week.

Washington should also pressure President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo into ensuring that killers of Filipino journalists are brought to justice, said Dana R. Dillon, a senior policy analyst at The Heritage Foundation, a respected and influential American think tank, in an op-ed piece published last Sunday by Fox News.

Dillon criticized the Arroyo administration for, according to him, resorting ?to the methods many dictators use to silence criticism.? Arroyo, he said, ?appears to have given up on convincing her constituents of her competence.?

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PSA Weekly Analysis

Pacific Strategies & Assessments, a leading Asia-based business risk consultancy, produces a weekly report for its clients in the Philippines. Its reports stand out for their intelligent, informed and candid assessment of Philippine business and politics. PSA, which operates in Manila and other key Asian cities, provides business intelligence, investigations, public affairs, security, and crisis management services.

In its report this week, PSA takes a look at these issues:

1) the ?state of decay? at Napocor

2) the similarities betwen Fidel V. Ramos?s Pirma initiative and Arroyo?s Charter-change campaign

3) the whitewashing of the Mayuga report

4) how the government is scaring off investors

5) how the strengthening peso is actually bad for many Filipino businesses

6) the Philippine tourism boom

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