DFA personnel question Yano’s appointment as Brunei ambassador

Rank and file personnel from the Foreign Affairs department are questioning the recent appointment of retiring AFP chief of staff Alexander Yano, as well as that of vice chief of staff, Cardozo Luna. In a statement issued Wednesday, Michael Macaraig pointed out that there are enough foreign service career officers waiting for ambassadorial posts to be vacated so they, too, could have an opportunity to represent their country.

DND, DOH, DA meeting on swine flu (Apr28)

The departments of health, agriculture and defense met at the National Disaster Coordinating Council on Tuesday, April 28, to discuss what measures to take with regards to the swine flu virus that now threatens to become a pandemic.
There is no reported case in the Philippines as of yet.
There are three government hospitals ready to take in a patient with suspected swine flu virus, but we have no capability to test for the virus. Our laboratories can only determine if the virus is “typable or non-typable;” if it’s non-typable, or of unknown strain, then it is sent to the World Health Organization (WHO) or the US for testing. We expect to get our own testing kits, eventually.
Pork is safe to eat, as long as it is cooked well. As Dr. Tayag said in an earlier press conference: Hindi humahatsing ang karneng baboy. Pwede pong kainin ito.

Pork prices down by P5 to P10, says agri dept

DA presscon, April 28. Philippine pork is safe to eat as long as you cook it thoroughly. Most of the meat the Philippines import are used for processed meat products. As of the morning of April 28, pork prices were down by P5 to P10.

DOH presscon on the new swine flu virus

Philippine health authorities are now on the look out for influenza outbreaks and influenza illness, following the outbreak of a new swine flu virus strain in Mexico.
Health Secretary Francisco Duque III told a news conference Monday that thermal screens have been put up in six international airports in the country and incoming air travelers will have to go through thermal screening to detect fever.

The UP College of Law Faculty’s statement on the Charter Change

UP LAW FACULTY STATEMENT ON CHARTER CHANGE

Last Monday, 20 April 2009, the House of Representatives commenced deliberations on House Resolution No.737 (Proposing amendments to the Constitution to allow the acquisition by foreign corporations and associations of alienable public lands and private lands) via a so-called “fourth way” in which HR No.737 will be enacted as a proposal to amend the Constitution through the normal legislative process, except that the Resolution shall be passed by three-fourths of each chamber. Two days later, House Resolution No.1109 was filed calling upon the members of Congress to convene as a Constituent Assembly, upon the votes of three-fourths of all its members.
We, the members of the law faculty of the University of the Philippines, as teachers and citizens, are of the opinion that HR No.737 & 1109 are both without basis in law and ill-advised—

Liveblogging chacha 3

Notes on yesterday’s (April 22) proceedings at the House of Representatives. Though there was a quorum when the first roll call was made, many had left at about 7:30., and it had to be adjourned for lack of quorum.

Liveblogging chacha 2

Warning: these are notes. I missed some important parts because i had to take a call and go outside. Don’t know all the congressmen, some are “xxx” until I find out who they are. These are not complete, nor do they cover all the important parts or issues discussed. Some sentences may be wrong. This is done more to give people an idea of what the debates are like at the House of Representatives.

Liveblogging the chacha debates at the House of Representatives

Finally. Session resumes at 5:31 with a rollcall. There are more congressmen present now, but still less than half, not enough for a quorum. But they’re arriving, one by one.

The charter change debates at the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is expected to debate today, April 22, 2009, on one of the pending bills on Charter Change. Filed by House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr., House Bill 737 calls for amending the Constitution, but only the economic provisions. It seeks to amend sections 2 and 3, Article XII of the Constitution, to allow foreign corporations and associations to finally own land.
The session was suspended, however, shortly after it opened at 4 p.m. As of 4:06 p.m. (by the HoR clock), there were about 15 congressmen on the floor.

Quiapo

Crowds have always been a problem in Quiapo. When the church is full, which is always, people stand beside the open doors to hear the mass. Now they can see the priest, too, through this large TV mounted just beside the main church.