President Gloria Arroyo kicks off her weeklong foreign sojourn to Turkey, UK and Saudi Arabia.

Only one-day visit on Sept. 16, but not Cold Turkey.

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Senator Dick Gordon’s Blue Ribbon Committee will include former House Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. and Joey De Venecia III among those involved in the $329-million National Broadband Network-ZTE Corp. contract. Was whistler out of tune?

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Taxing texters because alcohol and cigarettes cannot bear more taxes is a perverse way of legislation. Texting is one cheap recreation of the poor.

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Government must love the poor so much… it made so many of them.

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Opposing higher “sin taxes” because of dire repercussions on tobacco industry farmers, Congressmen Ronald Singson and Exequiel Javier propose a 50-centavo cap on text messages (inclusive of the 5-centavo tax), instead of the present P1.

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That’s absolving “sinners” and saving texters… but shifting the burden to Smart and Globe.

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Last Sunday was National Grandparents’ Day. Recognition of surrogate parents of children of OFWs.

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The official flower of Grandparents Day is the “Forget Me Not.” What else don’t they remember?

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The French celebrate Grandmothers’ and Grandfathers’ Day separately each year. Even if they are not divorced.

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French press is full of heated opinion if the burqini, an Islamic swimsuit that covers the body and the hair, may be worn at Côte de Azur alongside the bikini and the mono-kini.

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First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo is in New York for the First Ladies’ summit at the UN. A thorn among roses.

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“I don’t think the President is going to the United States,” FG said, adding, “I’ll be going there on my own.” Don’t go alone, Sir, bring Ping!

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Today is International Day for the Preservation of the Ozone Layer. With the notable exception of the USA, the Montreal Protocol on preservation of ozone layer is the most ratified treaty… for a ratified air, according to United Nations for Environment Program (UNEP). Hanep!

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