Back to Bilibid. Former Rep. Romeo Jalosjos steps down from a chartered Beechcraft King Air from Zamboanga yesterday to serve the remaining two years of his term at the National Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa. Jalosjos “walked out” of Bilibid on Dec. 22 on the strength of a release paper signed by NBP officials. Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez said the document was spurious and ordered the re-arrest of Jalosjos.
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Energy summit called
Tariff cut eyed to bring relief from $100 oil
BY REGINA BENGCO
PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday ordered
Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes to call an energy summit
following the rise in world crude price to more than
$100 per barrel due to a drop in US stockpiles.
Oil hovered at about $99 a barrel
yesterday.
Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said
the summit of energy stakeholders was called to "enhance
policies and programs, attract investments in
technology, launch development projects that would
impact favorably on energy supplies and prices while
helping significantly arrest climate change."
SYDNEY — Oil held steady on Friday,
hovering at about $99 a barrel, after falling the day
before as traders took profits from a record rally that
saw crude prices spike to over $100 a barrel.
US light crude for February delivery
rose 2 cents to $99.20 a barrel in Globex electronic
trading. It settled down 44 cents to $99.18 a barrel on
Thursday, after hitting a new lifetime high of $100.09
earlier in the day on data showing a fall in US
inventories.
"With the circus surrounding the
breaching of $100 due to move out of town soon, the market
is now likely to enter something of a quieter period of
consolidation, before next month’s pivotal OPEC meeting,"
said Paul Horsnell from Barclays Capital Research.
Erap-Eddie match seen spurring Gloria to stay beyond 2010
BY GERARD NAVAL
SOLIDARITY Philippines, a Church backed
social justice group, yesterday warned that the possibility of
former presidents Joseph Estrada and Fidel Ramos seeking another
term could spur President Arroyo to stay beyond 2010.
Solidarity Philippines official Fr. Joe Dizon
said Arroyo "is grim and determined not to leave the Palace now
and beyond 2010 … By all indications, Arroyo will run and cheat
all over again."
Dizon said several civil society groups have
said they will not allow the administration to be extended
beyond 2010, "given the numerous scandals it has been involved
in."
