Philippines' Estrada given pardon

Disgraced former Philippine President Joseph Estrada has been granted an official pardon by his successor, a government spokesman has confirmed.

President Gloria Arroyo's office said the decision was reached after Estrada agreed not to pursue political office.

Estrada was given a life sentence last month after being convicted of corruption following a six-year trial.

The 70-year-old ex-film star was found to have embezzled $80m (£42m) before being forced from office in 2001.

'Demeaning' decision

Ms Arroyo's spokesman, Ignacio Bunye, said Estrada's age and the fact he had spent six years under house arrest were taken into account when awarding the pardon.

The former president, who analysts say retains huge popularity among poor Filipinos, will officially be freed on Friday.

He had been serving his sentence at his sprawling country estate near the capital, Manila, rather than a jail cell.

Estrada's son, Senator Jinggoy Estrada, said he thanked Ms Arroyo from the bottom of his heart for releasing his father.

But political opponents of Estrada were highly critical of the move.

"If we are going to show the world that we are for the rule of law, then there should be no pardon for Estrada," said Senator Richard Gordon.

Prosecutors involved in the Estrada case said the president had no right to pardon him, and claimed the move had "totally demeaned" their efforts to combat corruption.

After his conviction for plunder in September, Estrada denounced the verdict as a "political move" and said he had been tried in a "kangaroo court".

A successful movie star with populist appeal, Estrada was elected president in 1998 by the biggest margin ever.

He was seen as a refreshing change from the wealthy elite that had previously dominated political life.

But it was not long before his presidency ran into trouble amid allegations of corruption.

He was ousted three years after coming to power in a revolt backed by the army and the church. Mrs Arroyo - who was his vice-president at the time - took over.

Philippines hit by two quakes

Two earthquakes rocked the southern Philippines in the past two days, but no casualties or damage were reported, the government said on Wednesday.

A magnitude 5.5 quake struck before dawn on Wednesday in Tawi-Tawi province, 1080 kilometres south of Manila, according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.

The tremor's epicentre was located north-west of Tawi-Tawi. It was felt at intensity four, the institute said.

On Tuesday, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake hit nearby General Santos City and Davao City, but there were also no casualties or damage.

The tremor was felt at intensities three and two. Its epicentre was located south-east of General Santos City.

The Philippines, which lies on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," is hit by about 10 earthquakes everyday but only a few are actually felt.

The worst earthquake that struck the country was in 1990 when a magnitude 7.7 tremor killed nearly 2000 people in the northern island of Luzon.

Don’t rush - Terrorist Attack or Accident?

We do not know who was the first to raise the possibility that a liquefied petroleum gas tank caused the explosion at the Glorietta 2 mall. Perhaps it was an eyewitness or perhaps it was a radio commentator speculating on air. But a few hours after the explosion, this theory was firmly set aside, and by responsible officers of the country’s armed services.

The blast was most likely caused by a “hard explosive,” Chief Insp. Reynold Rosero of the Philippine Bomb Data Center told reporters. (He also described the event as “most likely a deliberate attack.”) Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Avelino Razon echoed the line later in the day.

The day after the blast, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Hermogenes Esperon issued a categorical statement. “It is a terrorist attack,” he said.

That same day, the PNP Crime Laboratory and the Bomb Data Center told the National Security Council meeting in Camp Crame that they had found traces of RDX, an ingredient used in such explosives as C4, which is used by the military.

But the following day, Sunday, the wind began to change direction. The police director for Metro Manila, Geary Barias, soft-pedaled the previous day’s assertion that RDX was found, saying its presence would have to be verified by “additional testing.”

This change came on the heels of the rather odd announcement, late on Saturday, that the blast originated from the basement of the mall.

“The explosion came from the underground, that’s why there was a crater-like structure in the stairs going to the basement,” Rosero of the Bomb Data Center told reporters. Aside from the curious construction of that statement (did the police officer say a crater in the stairs?), there is also the inconvenient fact that Makati City Councilor Jun-Jun Binay had already told the media, on the day of the blast, that the explosion left an eight-meter-wide crater on the ground floor.

Even without that conflict in testimony, however, Rosero’s unqualified assertion that the blast started in the basement was rather premature. Why? Because on the day he said that, the basement in question was still heavily flooded. (There were mentions of the flooding in the early stories.)

Where did the water come from? From two tanks in the area, one containing water for firefighting purposes, the other water for ordinary use. Thus, in the first few days after the blast, not a single person entered the basement, because the water was filthy and deep.

How can anyone say on Saturday, and categorically, that the blast emanated from the basement?

By late Monday, the authorities had changed their principal theory. Without dismissing the possibility that the Glorietta tragedy was a terrorist bombing, the investigators said the blast could have been the result of an industrial accident.

Fire Supt. Fenniore Jaudian told police reporters an “accumulation of methane” in the basement could have caught fire and, in the process, caused the diesel tank in the basement (used to run emergency power generators) to explode.

Chemical engineers from the University of the Philippines have come forward to make their skepticism about the “methane + diesel” theory public. To be sure, they have not visited the site, and they have prefaced their remarks with qualifying statements. And yet in principle, their reservations about the theory should give any reasonable person pause. Diesel is famously non-volatile; methane build-up requires a confined space and a stagnant supply of solid waste.

It seems to us that for the new theory to work, the threshold of conditions assumed to exist is rather high.

We recognize, of course, that theories change as more facts emerge. We understand that, aside from that stray remark about RDX traces being found, not much else points to a bomb. But we also realize that in some high-profile terrorist acts, it took government investigators some time to prove that bombs were in fact used.

We acknowledge the investigators’ readiness to continue considering the bombing angle -- they were, after all, the first to consider it. We recognize their testing of new theories as consistent with the emergence of new facts. We believe, however, that their main duty, at this time, is to ascertain all the necessary facts. Unless these are established, any theory offered to the public is a rush to judgment.

Mall Blast in Philippine Not a Bomb

The Philippine police announced, on Tuesday, that the mall explosion that killed 11 people and wounded more than 100 is probably an accident, and not cause of a bomb.

The blast in the Glorietta shopping center centre, in the financial district of Makati City, occurred last Friday, could have been caused by gas that was build-up in the mall’s basement, chief of Manila police forces, Geary Barias, reported.

He said that the anti-bomb investigators did not found any clues at the scene, such as an improvised explosive device component or a crater, which would indicate a bomb explosion.

"What I can say is it's very difficult to support the theory of bombing in the absence of the two critical things," he said.

In addition, he reported that the physical effects of the incident, like the upward direction of the blast, fortify the gas explosion theory.

"The petrochemical experts also examined the layout of the fuel tank and their finding is that it did not follow the standard cylindrical structure that would cause an even distribution of the pressure," Barias said. "Their tank is rectangular and that might have contributed to the explosion."

The basement of the mall contained a generator set, empty drums of diesel, a tank of bunker fuel and the septic tank.

This comes as a relief for the government, which was accused by the opposition of having orchestrated the blast in order to divert the public attention from the corruption and bribery scandal that it is into at this moment.

Ousted Philippine president Estrada seeks pardon on plunder conviction

Ousted Philippine leader Joseph Estrada, jailed after a historic corruption conviction, dropped his appeal Monday and said he will seek a presidential pardon instead.

Estrada said he authorized his lawyers to withdraw his appeal to the special anti-graft Sandiganbayan court to reverse his Sept. 12 conviction for economic plunder.

The move takes away a key obstacle for President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to grant him a pardon that could free him from more than six years of detention.

"I don’t stand a chance of being acquitted in the courts," Estrada told The Associated Press by telephone, adding he would go straight to a suburban Manila hospital to visit his ailing mother if released.

Estrada, a former action movie star still adored by many of the country’s poor, has been allowed by the court to be detained in his sprawling villa near Manila while appealing his conviction.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, a close Arroyo ally, welcomed Estrada’s move saying "it can help lower the political temperature."

Arroyo recently authorized Puno to hold talks with Estrada on a possible pardon. The talks stalled, however, after Estrada decided to appeal his corruption conviction, which legally barred Arroyo from issuing a pardon.

Estrada was ousted by a non-violent "people power" revolt that was co-led by Arroyo, then his vice-president, in 2001 over allegations of massive corruption and misrule. He was arrested and detained a few months later, angering his legions of followers.

Estrada was convicted last September after a landmark six-year trial on charges that he took bribes and kickbacks while in office. He was sentenced to life in prison.

He also was ordered to forfeit a mansion and more than US$15.5 million.

Estrada has denied the charges and accused Arroyo of masterminding his removal in a conspiracy with leaders of the Roman Catholic church and senior military officers.

A former action film star who once pulled off the biggest election victory in Philippine history, Estrada remains popular among impoverished Filipinos who adored his B-movies, where he often portrayed roles as a champion of the poor.

He served as an opposition icon, often criticizing Arroyo from behind bars.

The 70-year-old Estrada said he would not seek public office even if that right were restored by presidential pardon. He said, however, he would continue to criticize Arroyo.

"If she does good, I will support her. But I’ll go against any politics that’s not good for the country and the people," he said.

Philippines is not ‘small and weak’

An article (“‘Acceptable presence’ new US basing plan,” Inquirer, 10/15/07) stated that the Philippines is “one small and weak country.” This statement is not true. It is a myth. It is a lie.

The Philippines is the 12th largest country in the world. It is larger than any European country. It is larger than any but one country in Africa. It is larger than any but one country in South America. There are over 160 countries in the world smaller than the Philippines, most barely a fraction of its size; over 150 less than half its size. Metro Manila alone is bigger than half of all the countries of the world. The Roman Empire at its height only had 60 percent of the people that the Philippines has.

Neither is the Philippines weak. To put it simply, a country that is twice the size of 90 percent of all the countries in the world is not weak. A country whose largest city is larger than most countries is not weak. Further, the Philippine economy is in the upper quartile as is the size of its military. The Philippines is an English-speaking country, giving us, in this “English-speaking” world, influence much larger than our size. Filipinos also go abroad in disproportional numbers, making many important key industries dependent upon them.

Adding to the Philippines’ importance is that we are in Asia, a far more important corner of the world -- geopolitically that is -- than, say, Africa or Latin America. The Philippines has played important, influential roles in such events as World War II, the Vietnam War and the Cold War. We will be a key player in such continuing issues as the “War on Terror” and Chinese and Indian growth.

The statement that the Philippines is small and weak is only true when the country is compared with the United States. But the United States is a historical anomaly. No country has ever been as big, powerful or dominant as the United States, particularly in the last generation or so. That country is odd. We should not look to the United States for comparison but to countries more like the Philippines, countries like Indonesia or Columbia.

Instead of asking, “Why are we not like the United States?” we should look at countries like Nigeria, Congo, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, and ask, “Why are we not like them?”

World Bank: Philippines must shift farm spending to export crops

Agricultural investments in the Philippines must shift to high-value export commodities to help lift millions of farmers out of poverty, the World Bank said Monday.

The bank said 40 percent of the country's work force were in the farm sector even though it accounted for just 14 percent of economic output.

Like the rest of the developing world, the sector must be placed at the centre of the development agenda if United Nations millennium goals of halving extreme poverty by 2015 are to be realised, it said in a statement.

"In the Philippines, we think that the way to increase the benefits of agricultural public investments would be to improve the composition of expenditure, without necessarily increasing its level," said Maryse Gautier, World Bank country director for the Philippines.

"The country would be able to seize new opportunities presented by the global markets by shifting expenditures towards supporting dynamic, high-value added products with export potential.

"This will help increase incomes from agriculture, where more than 40 percent of the Philippine labor force is employed, but which (now) contributes only about 14 percent of national output," Gautier added.

Rice and corn output, used locally as the staple food and for animal feeds respectively, account for about half of the sector's production value.

‘Ineng’ almost stationary in north Luzon

Tropical storm “Ineng” remained almost stationary in northern Luzon for the last six hours, the weather bureau said in its 5 a.m. bulletin Tuesday.

Ineng was plotted at 810 kilometers east of northern Luzon with maximum winds of 65 kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 80 kph, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said in its website.

It was spotted earlier hovering over the Philippine Sea 730 km east of northern Luzon at 10 a.m. Monday.

Though it was not forecast to hit land, it was still expected to continue to enhance the southwest monsoon and bring rain over the western section of Luzon and the Visayas, weather specialist Joel Jesusa said Monday.

Philippine navy commandos clash with suspected militants, leaving 10 dead

Philippine troops clashed with suspected Muslim militants on a southern island Tuesday, leaving four navy commandos and six of the guerrillas dead, a military spokesman said.

The fighting took place on the small island of Lanhil, northeast of Basilan island where U.S.-backed troops have been pursuing al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf rebels, said marine spokesman Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan.

He said troops were responding to reports from civilians that "lawless elements" had infiltrated Lanhil when the clash erupted. Four commandos and six of the attackers were killed, while two sailors were wounded but in a stable condition, he said.

It was not immediately clear whether the guerrillas belonged to the Abu Sayyaf, which is notorious for bomb attacks, kidnappings and beheadings.

Abu Sayyaf militants and cohorts from Indonesia's Jemaah Islamiyah terror network have used Basilan and nearby Jolo island to evade government forces. According to military officials, they have sought refuge with Muslim separatists who signed a cease-fire with the Manila government.

At least 50 government troops were killed, some of them beheaded, in fighting in July and August.

Last week, two soldiers were killed and 10 wounded on Basilan when troops, searching for Abu Sayyaf militants, clashed with Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels. The MILF rebels have denied links with terrorists.

Philippine election chief resigns but maintains innocence in bribery scandal

The chief of the Philippines' Commission on Elections (Comelec) has resigned after being accused of trying to bribe another government official in order to win approval for a 330-million-US dollar broadband contract.

But Benjamin Abalos maintained his innocence and insisted that his decision to resign as Comelec chairman was intended to spare the poll body from further controversy over the deal.

'I am not admitting guilt for any wrongdoing. Neither am I giving up on my crusade to clear my name and reputation,' he said in a statement on Monday.

Last week, former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri said he was offered a bribe to help state-owned Chinese firm ZTE Corp win a broadband contract with the Philippine government.

Neri told a special Senate hearing into the scandal that Abalos had offered him the bribe.

The husband of Gloria Arroyo, president of the Philippines, has also been dragged into the controversy.

Abalos is considered an ally of the President, who has suspended the project.

Presidential spokesman Ignacio Bunye said 'we respect his decision and appreciate his desire to protect his family and the Comelec from vicious politics.'

'We wish him well as he carries on his fight to clear his name,' Bunye said in a statement.

Philippine president visits China amid bribery scandal surrounding broadband contract

The Philippine president left for a two-day visit to China Tuesday to boost trade and political ties amid a high-profile bribery scandal that led to the suspension of a broadband contract with a Chinese company.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo departed for Shanghai, where she was scheduled to meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao, address the Shanghai Overseas Chamber of Commerce and attend the opening of the Special Olympics, local media reported.

The visit comes a day after the resignation of the Philippine elections chief, who was accused in Senate hearings of brokering a US$330 million (€235 million) contract with China's Zhong Xing Telecommunication Equipment (ZTE) Corp. and trying to bribe a Cabinet official and a Filipino businessman to clear the deal.

Benjamin Abalos denied the allegations against him, but the Supreme Court and later Arroyo have suspended the contract for a government broadband network.

Philippine officials and ZTE have said the scandal will not affect deepening trade ties between China and the Philippines.

Liang Wentao, economic and commercial counselor of the Chinese Embassy in Manila, told reporters earlier that corruption allegations connected to the deal "are pure domestic issues of the Philippines."

The contract was signed during Arroyo's visit to Beijing in April.

After China, Arroyo was scheduled to arrive in India for a two-day visit.

Tropical storm Lekima leaves 10 dead or missing in Philippines

Tropical storm Lekima killed nine people and left another missing in the Philippines after unleashing landslides, floods and big waves, rescuers said Sunday.

The weather bureau here lowered all cyclone alerts on the main island of Luzon as the storm dissipated into a weaker tropical depression in the South China Sea.

A landslide buried two houses in a mountain village near the town of Hingyon late Saturday, killing eight people, the civil defence office here said.

One other family member was missing while a nine year-old boy was injured, it said in an updated report.

Meanwhile, a military rescue unit recovered the body of a drowning victim in northern Manila, it said.

The storm swept across Luzon with maximum sustained winds of 65 kilometres (40 miles) an hour on Saturday, shutting down ferry services, swelling dams and rivers, and unleashing floods that displaced some 3,400 people, the government agency said.

Huge waves also smashed onto the Sarangani coast of the main southern island of Mindanao, damaging 29 houses in the village of San Nicolas.

Ferry services between Luzon and the central islands resumed Sunday, but small fishing boats and other craft were warned to stay in port due to big waves.

Philippines President Orders Police To Address Extrajudicial Killings

Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered newly-installed Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Avelino Razon to put a stop to the killings of political activists and journalists in the region.

The president issued the directive during the turnover of command of the PNP from Director General Oscar Calderon to Razon at Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The president said while Razon must continue Calderon's task to lead the fight against insurgency and criminality, he has an additional task of addressing extrajudicial killings.

"In addition, I instruct General Razon to continue to be on top of Task Force Usig. However, his perspective must be wider now: It must not only be on police action, but the entire criminal justice system," the president said.

She ordered Razon to immediately submit a report on updates on the murders.

"The first report I want to receive from him is an update on arrests, convictions and imprisonment of those responsible for the killings of political activists and journalists," the President said.

She said that if Gen. Calderon left a legacy on housing for the uniformed men, Razon's legacy must be the "protection of human rights."

"We deplore any and all killings of political activists and journalists," the President said, adding that she has met with the journalist community and human rights activists to resolve once and for all extrajudicial killings and put a stop to human rights abuses.

To put a stop to the killings, the president said her administration is following the recommendations of the Melo Commission to establish separate courts, expedite prosecutions, expand victim assistance and increase funding for more investigators.