When will relief come? Members of the Freedom from Debt Coalition hold a picket in front of ERC office in Ortigas.
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GMA scraps bidding
for imported rice
Says NFA will resort to government-to-government deals
BY REGINA BENGCO
PRESIDENT Arroyo yesterday decided to scrap
rice procurement through bidding and will opt for other modes
such as government-to-government contracts and buying locally to
maintain a 30-day buffer stock until the end of the year.
Arroyo announced her decision during an
informal media interview in Camarines Sur.
Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap confirmed
the new policy.
THE Arroyo government is not interested in
going after the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) but only wants a
review of the contracts of independent power producers (IPPs) to
lower power rates, Albay Gov. Jose "Joey" Salceda, the
President's economic adviser, said yesterday.
Salceda said he had asked the President if
reports are true that government is going after Meralco and the
President's reply was, "No. I just want a review of the IPPs. I
want lower power rates. Period."
In her opening speech during Tuesday's
Cabinet meeting, Arroyo said power rates could be lowered only
if Meralco would buy at cheaper rates from its own power
producers.
SENATE President pro tempore Jinggoy Estrada
yesterday asked the Ombudsman to upgrade the robbery-extortion
charges against former Justice Secretary Hernando Perez and his
three accused to plunder.
"The Ombudsman should file plunder charges
against Perez and the others, which is non-bailable, to prevent
them from escaping from the rule of law," he said.
The Ombudsman last April 18 recommended that
Perez, his wife Rosario, brother-in-law Ramon Arceo and business
associate Ernest Escaler be charged with robbery-extortion,
graft and corruption, and falsification of public documents.
