Bulatlat - The Philippines's alternative weekly magazine

Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts

Vol. V, No. 15 May 22- 28, 2005 Quezon City, Philippines

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	NEWS AT A GLANCE Only a miracle can save President’s image - KMU No makeover can save President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s image, said the militant Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU, May First Movement) last week. Gil Cua of the Philippine Association of National Advertisers had earlier said that a major campaign entitled “Galing Pilipino: Save Energy, Save our Future” would be launched to tell people that the government has no power over internationally-controlled oil prices. “People will not believe this information drive because they know why they are poor,” said Nitz Gonzaga, secretary of the KMU women’s department. The proposed ad that would be placed in major television and radio stations and newspapers is supported by media moguls Antonio "Tony Boy" Cojuangco of ABC 5, Eugenio Lopez III of ABS CBN and Felipe Gozon of GMA 7, along with real estate magnate Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala of Ayala Corporation. Bulatlat * * * Beer workers call businessman Cojuangco as country’s worst employer Workers of the San Miguel Corporation Group of Companies trooped to the company’s complex during its annual stockholders’ meeting this week to denounce owner Eduardo Cojuangco’s unjust labor practices. “Danding is the worst when it comes to labor policies. We regard [him] as 'the boss from hell.’ He made the working conditions of SMC employees a living hell – overworked and underpaid," they said. Romy Balatbat, president of the workers union, said more than 10,000 regular workers were retrenched since Cojuangco, a Marcos crony, became president and chief executive officer in 1998. Balatbat added that while SMC earned P23 billion from 2001 to 2003, Cojuangco is also hell-bent in contractualizing employees so they would receive lower wages and could not be covered by benefits and Collective Bargaining Agreements. Bulatlat * * * OFWs warned of remittance agents linked to jueteng The Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE) this week urged overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) to be cautious in dealing with remittance agents following reports that jueteng lords use these remittances in their operations. OFWs are made to believe that their money is sent directly to their family, when it is actually being kept by jueteng lords in foreign banks, acting Labor Secretary Manuel G. Imson said. Imson said he is issuing a directive to the Philippine Overseas Labor Offices (POLOs) to immediately inform OFWs of the scheme. He also called on legitimate remittance agents to help curb this illegal activity. Bulatlat * * * Solon says $40 million for AFP modernization will intensify war in Mindanao Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo this week questioned the $40 million Washington fund intended to modernize the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Philippine National Police. Ocampo said that the fund will further fan the flame of the President’s all-out “war on terrorism” but will undermine all attempts for peace talks between the government and groups that are now branded as “terrorists” such as the Communist Party of the Philippines. Ocampo, who is also chair of the House Committee on Peace, Unity and Reconciliation, said this would not resolve the Mindanao crisis. Bulatlat BACK TO TOP ■ PRINTER-FRIENDLY VERSION ■ COMMENT © 2004 Bulatlat ■ Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.