Routine activity? An officer inspects a howitzer and its crew at Fort Bonifacio.
More DA execs confirm
‘Joc Joc’ hand in scam
It was his game from planning to execution’
BY JP LOPEZ
MORE regional directors of the Department of Agriculture
yesterday confirmed that former agriculture undersecretary for finance Jocelyn
"Joc Joc" Bolante was hands-on administrator of the P728 million in fertilizer
funds allegedly diverted to the campaign kitty of Gloria Arroyo in 2004.
Dennis Araullo, then regional director for Region 4-A, told
the Blue Ribbon committee investigating the fund scandal he received a
memorandum from Bolante to enter into memorandums of agreement (MOAs) with
concerned local government units and non-governmental organizations to
implement the program.
Araullo, now DA assistant secretary for operations, said
Bolante even named the beneficiaries and proponents and that their
representatives even approached him to follow up on their MOAs.
Commandos battle Islamic
militants as Mumbai siege nears end
MUMBAI. — Commandos traded fire with Islamist militants as
the end game neared at a luxury hotel and a Jewish center
in Mumbai on Friday, with the gunmen still thought to be
holding a handful of foreign hostages, officials said.
Government and army officials said
operations would be wrapped up within hours.
At a third site, the Trident-Oberoi
Hotel, well-dressed guests, some dragging their suitcases,
trickled out and were escorted into waiting buses and cars
after a 36-hour siege. One foreign member of the hotel
staff left holding a baby in his arms.
NOVALICHES Bishop Antonio Tobias yesterday
said the Arroyo government’s continuing efforts to stay beyond
2010 could unite Catholic prelates against the administration.
"Masyado ng garapal kaya papunta na diyan na
magkakasama-sama kami," Tobias said in a TV interview.
He was asked if bishops are one with
Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, president of the Catholic Bishops
Conference of the Philippines, and four other bishops who last
month called on the public to prepare for a new government.
