August 29, 2002
***three(3) stories***
1.Super Lolo and Super Lola to start a national crusade to fight
corruption
2. LOREN ASKS WPD TO INVESTIGATE KTV BARS PROSTITUTING MINORS
3.GIVE THE SAME TREATMENT TO UNDOCUMENTED MALAYSIAN IMMIGRANTS
"Give them a dose of their own medicine." -- BARBERS
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story no. 1
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
August 29, 2002
Super Lolo and Super Lola to start a national crusade to fight
corruption
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Corrupt government officials, beware!
In answer to the growing graft and corruption both from the
government and private sectors, representatives of the country's
more than 6 million senior citizens yesterday pledged to start a
national crusade to fight official corruption and support
initiatives for good government.
This was revealed by Senator Edgardo Angara who confirmed that
chapter presidents of senior citizens associations in Metro
Manila expressed dismay on rampant corruption on various sectors.
Senior citizens, Angara said urged the necessity for the
government and the private sectors to unite against crooks and
corruption in the country.
"They (the senior citizens)helped build the foundations for
a strong honest and efficient government. They just cannot let
the present generation undo what they helped put up," Angara
said.
Angara, author the principal sponsor of the Senior citizen act of
1992, said that the country's senior citizens are alarmed at the
level of corruption and inefficiency in government now.
They are also bothered by the absence of a vanguard group
committed to help check official corruption and indiscretion.
"This is the reason they want to start a national crusade.
They realize there is a need for it and they have both the time
and the dedication to do it," Angara said.
Among the chapter president of the senior citizens associations
that met Angara at the Senate on Tuesday were Salvador Villaruel,
National Capital Region regional president; Castor Manalang,
Makati President; Dominador Bautista, Caloocan City President;
Cesar Espinol, Pateros president; Jaime Beltran, Paranaque
President; Irineo Aballo, Pasay City president; Pedro Robles,
Mandaluyong President; Romualdo Gervacio,Navotas president;
Felicidad Magat, Malabon president; Trinidad Rodriguez, Manila
President; Amparo Capria, Taguig president; Felicisimo Tolention,
San Juan President.
Angara said that the commitment made by the senior citizen is in
line with his current effort to pass anti-corruption measures.
Angara said that a World Bank report said that more than $40
billion had been lost in the past 20 years to official corruption
and waste of government funds.
Angara's major initiatives include a measure that seeks to
overhaul the government procurement and bidding rules. The
measures proposes strong deterrents against rigged public bids in
both services and material purchases and infrastructure
contracts.///camille p. balagtas
story no. 2
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
August 29, 2002
LOREN ASKS WPD TO INVESTIGATE KTV BARS PROSTITUTING MINORS
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Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda asked to day the Western
Police District (WPD) to look into reports that several KTV bars
in Manila are being used as fronts for prostitution, including
those of under-aged women serving as guest relations officers
(GROs).
Legarda said it has reached her office that most of the bars in
question are being financed by wealthy Chinese, Japanese, and
Taiwanese nationals, who are reportedly able to go in and out of
the country through their connections with Bureau of Immigration
(BI) officials.
"That many of the women reportedly serving as GROs in these
bars are minors should prompt the Manila police to investigate
and, if so warranted, close down their operations," Legarda
said.
"Our law strictly prohibits prostitution and I call on our
police officials to enforce it. They should also charge in court
those who are protecting these activities," she added.
Most of the bars suspected of serving as prostitution fronts can
be found in Ermita, Malate, and Binondo, according to a concerned
citizen who called on Senator Legarda to act on the matter.
"I just want the senators to know, especially Senator Loren
Legarda, about the unbridled prostitution activities taking place
in these KTV bars involving minors," said the whistleblower
who requested anonymity out of fear.
The source added that the foreign financiers of the prostitution
dens are in cahoots with law enforcement officials who facilitate
their nefarious activities.///Camille p. balagtas
story no. 3
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
August 29, 2002
GIVE THE SAME TREATMENT TO UNDOCUMENTED MALAYSIAN IMMIGRANTS
"Give them a dose of their own medicine." -- BARBERS
============================================================
Senator Robert Z. Barbers today called on the Bureau of
Immigration (BI) to immediately render the same kind of treatment
to the illegal Malaysian immigrants in the Philippines as
Malaysia gives to Filipinos similarly situated in the said
country, to send a strong message that the Philippine government
will not countenance the maltreatment of Filipinos.
Barbers said that for years now, the Philippines has been very
consideratein dealing with arrested illegal aliens in its
jurisdiction even as he pointed out that Immigration authorities
in the country have been fair and humane in deporting
undocumented foreign nationals.
However, Barbers said that "if our fellow Filipinos were
being maltreated in another country because they are illegal
immigrants, the same practice should be extended to foreign
nationals who are also violating our Immigration laws and who may
have committed more serious offenses."
Barbers issued the statement following reports on the inhuman
treatment by Malaysian authorities of undocumented Filipinos
living the said country. It has been reported that nine infants
died of hunger in a crowded detention center in Malaysia and 2
died on a Philippine Navy ship enroute to Tawi-Tawi last Monday.
The reported maltreatment prodded Foreign Affairs Secretary Blas
F. Ople to file a diplomatic protest saying that the conduct of
Malaysian immigration and police authorities is unjustified and
uncalled for.
"I support the protest filed by the Department of Foreign
Affairs (DFA). If the Malaysian government will not be just and
humane in deporting Filipinos, we must act the same way. If they
can do it to our countrymen, we can also do it to theirs,"
he said.
The Mindanao solon urged the Immigration Bureau and the
Philippine National Police (PNP) to intensify their operations in
cracking down on undocumented aliens adding that in many cases,
foreign nationals were found to be the brains behind certain
illegal activities.
"Our authorities have lists of unauthorized immigrants and
they must go after them vigorously. For all we know many of them
are Malaysian nationals who may be involved in drug trafficking,
gun smuggling or terrorism. In Malaysia they harsly raided our
countrymen's residences and thus, we must do the same to them for
it might lead to the discovery of evidence that would link them
to certain unlawful activities. We must give them a dose of their
own medicine," Barbers pointed out.///Camille p. balagtas