The Russians have landed. Around 120 Russians arrived yesterday on a chartered flight from Vladivostok. The Department of Tourism is promoting the country as a destination for tourists seeking to escape the bitter cold of Russian winter. ***
Palace laughs off
Estrada comeback Says Constitution bars him from
running
BY JOCELYN MONTEMAYOR
CHIEF presidential counsel Sergio Apostol
yesterday branded the term-sharing proposal being proposed by
the opposition in 2010 as unconstitutional as he said it defeats
the six-year term of the country’s chief executive.
Under the proposal floated by President
Joseph Estrada’s spokesman, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez,
he would only serve for three years and hand over the reins of
government to his vice president.
San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito has
said Estrada is amenable to the proposal.
SEN. Francis Escudero yesterday said it would
be good this year only if Cabinet officials would admit their
involvement in anomalies and the Arroyo government would get rid
of these scalawags.
Without these, 2008 would be another year of
"mismanagement and callous governance," he said.
President Arroyo, in her New Year’s Day
message, said she was "optimistic and hopeful" as she said the
country is "stable, strong, and peaceful." She said the economy
is strong, the stock market booming, and investments are pouring
in.
REMITTANCES by overseas Filipino workers were
expected to reach $14 billion in 2007.
Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the record
flow was due to "greater access by OFWs to remittance centers
and their tie-ups with foreign financial institutions."
As of October, the DOLE said, OFW remittances
stood at $11.9 billion, up by 15.2 percent from $10.2 billion
during the first 10 months of 2006.
