by Joanne Rae M. Ramirez
from The Philippine Star
 
MANILA, Philippines – He was the much-awaited baby boy, coming into his parents’ lives when his father’s star was ascending fast in the Philippine political firmament.
Benigno Simeon Aquino III was born at the Far Eastern University Hospital in Manila 50 years ago tomorrow to Tarlac Vice Governor Benigno Simeon “Ninoy” Aquino Jr. and his wife, Corazon “Cory” Cojuangco. He was the third child of the prominent Tarlac couple.
“Dad and Mom were so happy because they were already hoping for a boy when I …

Theres The Rub
by Conrado de Quiros
from Philippine Daily Inquirer
IS the Cory magic gone?
Manny Villar’s camp proposed the idea, and Noynoy Aquino’s camp entertained it. That was after Villar narrowed the gap between him and Noynoy in the Pulse Asia survey to just two percentage points. The Liberal Party’s assessment showed so. Maybe, they said, Noynoy should start exploring another tack. Maybe, they said, the Cory magic has lost its magic.
Not at all.
The Cory magic hasn’t lost its magic, it has simply not been used. Or the Cory magic hasn’t lost …

by Rey O. Arcilla
from MALAYA
‘Peace panel head admits MILF draft agreement will require “major constitutional changes.”’
NEW Press Secretary Cris Icban Jr. likened his new boss, Ms. Gloria Arroyo, to President Ferdinand Marcos.
First (and last?) faux pas?
Further, I sayeth none.
***
A government spokesman who is both a Filipino and American citizen?! Geeez!
Even a nitwit would know that is wrong. And Ms. Gloria Arroyo is supposed to be an intelligent person?!
I hope junior mouthpiece Gary Olivar doesn’t get cockeyed trying to determine where Philippine interests begin and where American interests end.
Given the so-called …

by Carla Gomez
from Inquirer Visayas
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20100208-251903/Teodoro-aunt-bares-husband-Dandings-pain

BACOLOD CITY—“Anybody but Gibo…anybody but him,” said Gretchen Oppen Cojuangco, wife of business tycoon Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco, when asked by reporters here whom she would support for president in the May 10 elections.

Gibo, the nickname of the administration party’s standard-bearer, Gilbert Teodoro, is a nephew of Cojuangco’s.
Gretchen told reporters that as far as she was concerned, Teodoro would always be “the person who abandoned her husband.”
“I feel bad for my husband because Gibo left without saying a word to his uncle who helped and supported him …

Hagad: 400 Million Ways to Elect an Honest President

Bottom Line
by Andy H. Hagad
from Sun Star Bacolod

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/bacolod/hagad-400-million-ways-elect-honest-president
OUR election laws allow a presidential candidate to spend not more than P10 per registered voter as campaign expense. That means Noynoy Aquino, Manny Villar, Richard Gordon, Joseph Estrada, Gilbert Teodoro, Brother Eddie Villanueva, JC de los Reyes and Nick Perlas each are not allowed by law to spend more than P400 million during the entire campaign up to Election Day.

There are two main reasons for the prohibition: first, because an excessive campaign expense is …