Merry-Go-Round: Floro L. Mercene
PHILIPPINES has no planes to patrol its skies. And no vaccine to fight the bird flu, God help us.
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Major political parties express their continued support for Speaker Joe de Venecia.
In these days of constant turmoil, it will be insane to knock down a great leader like JdV.
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Organized labor is clamoring for speedy legislation that will add
R125 to their minimum daily wage.
The working class coming to grips with EVAT and this is the result.
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GMA is asking Congress to legislate a reasonable daily wage increase.
She should certify the bill as urgent in order to get immediate results.
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The House has expressed readiness to pass a new minimum wage law but will it go along with labor’s demand or listen first to the employers.
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The business community is against any new wage increase because they got a raise in June and July and the price situation has so far remained stable.
They have to go to the negotiating table ASAP.
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What’s the score on bird flu? Hundreds of millions of chickens have been killed in Asia and Europe to stop its spread. There are 188 human cases of bird flu discovered so far, most of them in Vietnam. 61 people have already died from it.
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Our friend Joe Tumbokon noted that Philconsa has maintained a stony silence on the issue of Cha-cha. Obviously, it does not believe in the validity of a Consultative Commission, an executive creation that will tinker with Charter amendments.
What say Philconsa Chairman Conrado Estrella and Philconsa President Lolong Lazaro?
Joe says amendments to the patrimony provision in the Charter is a very emotional issue which needs to be treated prudently.
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Miriam Santiago says the opposition and the military will launch a coup in December to topple GMA.
They should not do it in the latter part and spoil our Christmas.
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The military wants to know where Miriam got her inside information. I have one guess — her pals in the opposition and the military itself.
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Malacañang is taking the senadora’s warning seriously.
She knows all the tricks of the opposition.
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200 organizations will stage protests around the nation on Nov. 10.
They will denounce GMA and EVAT — another exercise in futility but bigger this time.
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GMA did not strike a deal with FVR and JdV on shortening her term, according to Secretary Ermita.
She wants to hang on to the presidency until 2010 regardless of what will happen in the interim.
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She has agreed to Charter change and a switch to a parliamentary system by 2007 but she wants to remain president until 2010.
Ask the people in a plebiscite if they will agree to her idea.
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As far as JdV is concerned, charter reforms will be completed next year and parliamentary elections will be held in 2007.
For FVR, it’s period, period, period.
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Two former officials of the Department of Agriculture flee the country to avoid investigation on the misuse of millions of farmer funds that were used in the 2004 elections.
They will join Commissioner Garcillano in South America.
