“Legitimate” cities close ranks. Metro Manila mayors met
yesterday to map out plans to press their demand that Congress put an end to the rush to convert unqualified
towns into cities, which they said is the cause of falling internal revenue allotments to “legitimate”
cities which shoulder higher expenses for services. Mandaluyong’s Ben Hur Abalos (fourth from left), president of the League of Cities, are joined by (from left) Toby Tiangco of Navotas, Sherwin Gatchalian of Valenzuela, Recom Echiverri of Caloocan, and Sonny Belmonte of Quezon City.
EXECUTIVE Secretary Eduardo Ermita
yesterday said he has asked President Arroyo to either
terminate the services of 15 idle presidential advisers
and assistants or assign to them to other positions.
Ermita made the disclosure a day
after Civil Service chair Karina David, who is retiring
next week after completing her seven-year appointment,
said politics and Arroyo’s excessive appointment of
unqualified persons are the roots of unprofessionalism
in government service.
Ermita said his recommendation to do
away with the idle advisers and assistants is part of a
continuing review of Palace positions.
GMA: Domestic demand will
continue to power economy
PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday said the
Philippine economy will continue to be on the growth path
despite the US economic slowdown because its strength is
powered by domestic demand and not by exports.
Arroyo, in a speech before the Swiss
Chamber of Commerce in Zurich, Switzerland, said exports
to the US declined from 28 percent when she became
president in 2001 to 18 percent last year because the
Philippines has diversified its markets.
"Our growth in 2007 was not export-led.
It was domestic-oriented led. It was led by investments
and led especially by government investment in
infrastructure. Is this sustainable? Yes, it is
sustainable, because we have a lot on infrastructure and
yet we brought our budget deficit down," she said.
ARMED Forces chief Gen. Hermogenes Esperon
Jr. yesterday said no destabilization move materialized last
Wednesday because the military "might have pre-empted" the plot
or the plotters "are really that weak."
"As we have seen January 22 has passed…So
that’s my basis for saying that we are over the hump," Esperon
said referring to his declaration last Wednesday.
A move to oust government was supposed to
have been launched between January 17 and 22, according to
Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, quoting intelligence
information. The supposed destabilization move would have
coincided with mass actions on January 20 for seventh the Edsa 2
anniversary and the 21st anniversary of the "Mendiola massacre"
last Wednesday.
