Unscrupulous recruiters are being blamed for the government’s inability to stop Filipino seamen from defying deployment ban to pirate-infested countries.

Catch the recruiters now and go after the pirates later.

***

Higher oil prices and higher food prices are in store for us in 2010.

It will have an effect on the elections in May.

***

Noynoy Aquino is leading by a big margin in the latest presidential poll conducted by Pulse Asia.

Noynoy is the guy to beat. It’s an election with little or no surprises.

***

It’s official: The tandem of Manny Villar and Loren Legarda as presidential and vice presidential bets of the Nacionalista Party is on.

***

A most qualified candidate for president, but a non-aspirant, is Lito Atienza of Manila. Three times undefeated mayor, martial law oppositionist, and assemblyman, Lito is now the secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

***

Rebel groups in Mindanao are counting on Noynoy Aquino as the person with whom they can strike a peace deal.

They should wait for him to become president.

***

Comelec says laws, not religious beliefs, were the bases used for rejecting a petition of gay and lesbian groups to be accredited as a party-list organization.

Majority are backing the Comelec in its decision.

***

BIR will push through with plans to collect a 5 percent withholding tax on campaign contributions to politicians and political parties.

They will contest its legality in the courts, you can bet on it.

***

There’s a suggestion for Malacañang to work out an arrangement so that Manny Pacquiao can run unopposed as congressman in Sarangani province.

We support the idea – it’s the least the country can do for him.

***

PNP official is against giving bodyguards to candidates in the coming elections.

Let’s try it and see what happens.

***

Lakas-Kampi has completed its presidential tandem but is having difficulty completing a senatorial slate.

Is that telling us something about the fate of the administration party?

***

Both administration and opposition parties are vying for the inclusion in their senatorial slate of Johnny Ponce Enrile and Miriam Defensor Santiago.

***

Biggest discovery of the ages: Scientists found that there’s a lot of water on the moon.

Overcrowded humanity will migrate there soon.

***

According to the CoA, the billions in road users tax was given by Malacanang to congressmen, governors, and other local officials as campaign money during the 2007 elections.

The one who ordered it should be prosecuted.