Newscast: The World Tonight - Broadcast date: 12/11/96
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Copyright © 1996, ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.
Subject: NO TO CHARTER CHANGE PART 1
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
Manila Archbishop Jaime Cardinal Sin again has made clear his opposition to constitutional amendments that would allow President Ramos a second term. Instead of paying attention to the charter, the Cardinal urges the people to talk about clean elections. Over a decade ago, it was his voice that sparked a peaceful revolution.Tonight, this may look like a meeting to launch another people's power. But Cardinal Sin says, it isn't. He thinks there's still time to educate the people against amending the Constitution to extend the President's term. Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim stood by the Cardinal's side to lend support against charter changes. So did Christian Monsod. And not too surprisingly, former President Cory Aquino, who endorsed Ramos's candidacy. Cardinal Sin asked Filipinos to focus their attention on three urgent matters. He wants the voter's registration list cleaned up before 1998, so we won't have ghost voters. He also asked Congress to pass the needed laws to modernise the election process. And finally, he wants a revamp of the Commission on Elections (Comelec). The Archbishop encouraged the people to believe President Ramos's promise he won't run for re-election. And after convincing his audience, Cardinal Sin now only needs to convince himself.
Meanwhile, President Ramos reiterated he will step down once his term expires. But he turned down calls by the opposition to put his commitment in writing. And the official line of the administration party is that it's got nothing to do with signature campaigns that call for charter amendments. Opponents of charter change dare them to prove this, by signing up with them. It's this kind of ambivalence that makes the Lakas party, and the President, suspect in a plot or conspiracy to allow Ramos to seek re-election. Lakas officials have in fact responded to Congresswoman Tessie Aquino-Oreta's challenge by accusing her of using the charter issue for her political ambition. They may not be for charter change, but they're against people who are against charter change, saying they should let the process take its course. Lakas Congressman Rolando Andaya, chairman of the powerful Appropriations committee, offers a solution to the problem of funding. He says P400 million in the Comelec budget can be used for the referendum. None of them are saying they are for the amendments. But they're making it easier for the amendments to push through.
Also, the Comelec will begin hearings tomorrow, on PIRMA's petition for a people's initiative. The group is not only up against opponents of the move to change the charter. Another problem is cost. The petition of the movement for people's intitiative is causing quite a stir at the Comelec. Aside from asking for the people's right to exercise their power, they want the Comelec to instruct municipal election officers all over the country to assist in establishing signing stations. Already, there are reservations. And if they do find the funds for that, there's still the cost of the plebiscite. If PIRMA and the Movement for People's Initiative can gather 5 million signatures, verify each one them, overcome the opposition, and get a favorable decision from the Supreme Court at least 60 days before the Barangay elections of May 1997, then the plebiscite can be held at a very minimal cost. But realigning the P1 billion 1997 Comelec budget for a stand alone plebicite will be difficult, to say the least. Cecilia Munoz-Palma, chair of the 1987 Constitutional Commission, says the petition is immoral. Palma believes the lifting of term limits is against the spirit of the 1987 Constitution. She says it would take a revision, not an ammendment.
Subject: NO TO CHARTER CHANGE PART 2
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
The latest campaign to amend the Constitution might shake foreign investor confidence in the country. An official of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) says that's because the business community is usually anxious about changes in the rules of the game. AmCham executive director Robert Sears says PIRMA's (People's Initiative for Reform, Modernization and Action) signature campaign might make businessmen adopt a wait-and-see attitude. AmCham says the government's policies on trade liberalization, privatization, and tax reform have dramatically boosted foreign investor confidence. Another sign of renewed confidence is the strong showing at last month's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Forum. AmCham says they expected only 350 of the region's top executives to attend, but more than 600 showed up.
Subject: NO MORE MR. NICE GUY
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
Ever since the controversy over the Public Estates Authority (PEA) land deal broke out, Transportation Secretary Amado Lagdameo has been on the defensive.But today, he launched a counter-offensive against his accuser. Lagdameo has had enough. He is now in a fighting mood accusing Senate President Ernesto Maceda of being corrupt himself. Employees at the PEA held a prayer rally today in support of their former boss. They also issued a manifesto expressing concern at the bad press the PEA has been getting. Maceda had also implicated in the scam a certain Ben Cuervo and Steve Sison, both of them said to be officers of PEA. Lagdameo may have been emboldened by the support he is getting from the President. In today's press conference, Ramos said he is 100 percent behind Lagdameo, although he expressed misgivings at Justiniano Montano. The PEA executive was forced to resign because of the deal with Amari-IthalThai. The House committee on good government today began its own inquiry. But committee members were disappointed at their failure to get more information on the alleged scam.
Subject: FLYOVER REPAIR / CHURCH TAX
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will review the construction plans of the Tandang Sora flyover in Quezon City. Buses and trucks are banned from the flyover because of structural defects. But repairs can only begin next month. The DPWH does not want to disrupt traffic during the holiday season. DPWH Assistant Secretary Jesus Camayo recommmends using the balance government owes the contractor for the repairs. Government still owes FC Yu Construction P12 million.In other news, despite mounting criticisms from the church and lawmakers, Senator Gringo Honasan is determined to push through with his proposal to scrap the tax-free privileges of the church. The bill will apply to all religious denominations. The former rebel leader also denies he made the proposal to divert the public's attention from the issue of constitutional amendments.
Subject: TUADLES CASE / KURATONG COP
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
The prime suspect in the killing of former basketball player Arnie Tuadles refused to give any plea in his arraignment today. Following court procedure, Judge Martin Villarama entered a plea of not guilty in behalf of businessman Alberto Antonio. Two others, San Juan policemen SPO4 Juanito Nieto and SPO1 Honorio Cartalla, were charged as accessories. The first hearing is set on December 17, 1996.Meanwhile, Senator Raul Roco criticized the Philippine National Police for promoting a police officer charged in the Kuratong Baleleng case. Chief Inspector Michael Ray Aquino was promoted recently to Superintendent. He was the former operations chief of the Presidential Anti-Crime Commission's (PACC) Task Force Habagat, and one of the principal accused in the multiple murder case. Interior Secretary Robert Barbers promiseed to review Aquino's promotion.
Subject: MAGIC DOESN'T MEAN CANCER
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
The Bureau of Food and Drugs (BFAD) has seized packs of sodium cyclamate in Makati. But despite the seizure and the ban on the so-called magic sugar, officials point out it has not been proven the sugar substitute is a health hazard.Sodium cyclamate is three times sweeter than your ordinary sugar, and much much cheaper. It has been banned since 1970, although BFAD says there is no conclusive evidence that sodium cyclamate causes cancer. The bureau traces the supply of the so-called magic sugar to Indonesia. They are said to be smuggled in through Cotobato and Zamboanga, and used as sugar substitute for cold drinks sold in public markets. The vendors in Makati say they pay P20 for every 10-gram pack of sodium cyclamate. A U.S. report first suggested the carcinogenic effect of sodium cyclamate. But BFAD says there's no need to worry. The substance is used in 50 countries. Even the World Health Organization (WHO) allows the use of sodium cyclamate in limited amounts.
Subject: PAP PLEDGES REACH $2.9 B
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
The Philippines won aid pledges worth US$2.9 billion at the annual meeting of its donor nations, exceeding government's expectations of $2.55 billion in pledges.But the Philippines did not get off without a warning on its rising trade and current account deficits. Japan topped the donors pledging $1.4 billion. The World Bank chaired the sixth annual consultative meeting launched in 1989 to help structure the economy. The World Bank donor nations praised government for its strong economic management with GNP growth accelerating to 7.1 percent this year. But donors warned the Philippines against complacency, urging it to address its current account deficit, improve tax collection and increase domestic savings. Donors called on the Philippines to strengthen the economy's resilience to external shocks because of its dependence on volatile capital inflows.
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Subject: VAT EXEMPTIONS / WTO / US
Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 12/11/96
After a year of deliberations, the Senate and the House of Representatives have approved the exemptions from the expanded value added tax (E-VAT) law. The measure will be signed into law next week. Senator Juan Ponce Enrile says, government stands to lose half a billion pesos in annual revenues. But the amount is minimal compared to the expected P72 billion VAT collections. The exemptions include cooperatives; homes priced at P1 million and less; property rental worth P8,000 and below; newspapers and other print publications; and broadcast networks with gross revenues of P10 million and less.Meanwhile, World Trade Organization (WTO) member nations have not yet reached an agreement on the reduction of tariffs on information technology during the WTO ministerial meeting in Singapore. Negotiators from the United States and the European Union, scheduled another round of meetings to settle their disagreements over the outline of an information technology agreement or ITA
The U.S. with Japan's backing, wants to free up trade in the $600 billion market for IT products by the year 2000. In another front, the U.S., the country's biggest investor, is pouring in around P307 billion in investments in the next four years. American Chamber of Commerce treasurer Philip Gil-chik reports, the investors include Occidental Philippines, Inc.; CAL Energy, a tie-up between Nynex and Bayantel; and a General Motors manufacturing plant.