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Pacman whacks Hitman
In the wake of his two-round destruction of Ricky Hatton, the world's best
pound-for-pound boxer is powerfully positioned to call all the shots and
pick his own fights. [Pacquiao
calls the shots]
Optimism over OFW money
Money sent home by Filipinos working and living overseas, a key
pillar of the Philippine economy, is unlikely to decline this year, the
central bank forecasts. The bank believes remittance will be at least in
line with the record 2008 level of US$16.4 billion.
Central bank deputy governor Diwa Guinigundo says Filipinos continue to land
jobs abroad, particularly in the Middle East, although he added the
government will have a better grasp of what is happening in the overseas
labor market at about mid-year.
The World Bank said last month it expects remittance flows to developing
countries to fall between 5 percent and 8 percent this year, compared to
estimated 8.8 percent growth in 2008, citing the uncertainty over the
duration and depth of the global financial crisis.
However, it now appears stimulus spending by countries employing Filipino
workers is helping the Philippines to maintain its remittances despite the
global economic downturn, experts believe, despite earlier fears that this
cash flow might dry up in the coming months as jobs disappear in host
countries.
The central bank has recorded drops in remittances from labor markets
including the US, Italy, Britain, Taiwan, Australia and South Korea, as well
as Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar.
However, the decline in remittances from these markets has been offset by
stimulus spending in others, particularly Canada, Japan and Saudi Arabia,
said Ernesto Herrera, secretary-general of the Trade Union Congress of the
Philippines.
Remittances from these countries accounted for most of the 4.9 percent rise
recorded by the central bank in February from a year earlier, to $1.32
billion, he said.
"Except for the US, it would seem that remittances from countries with
aggressive economic stimulus plans remain somewhat robust," Herrera said.
Saudi Arabia is rolling out new infrastructure, boosting demand for Filipino
engineers and construction workers, while Japan is recruiting more foreign
workers particularly in shipping, technology and services, he added.
Sex case Marine home free
The United States Marine acquitted on appeal in a high-profile rape
case has left the Philippines. Lance Corporal Daniel Smith flew out
immediately after the Court of Appeals found him not guilty of raping a
Filipina in November 2005, overturning the initial sentence of life
imprisonment handed down in December 2006.
"Following the decision of the Philippine Court of Appeals, Daniel Smith
departed the Philippines under the authority of United States military
officials," the US Embassy confirmed in a statement. The embassy served as
Smith's custodian while the case went on appeal.
"This has been a difficult and emotional case for all involved, especially
their families and loved ones. We hope that the parties can now move on with
their lives," the embassy statement added.
Outside the embassy, police blocked groups of protesters who denounced the
appeal court's ruling and demanded that Manila cut military ties with
Washington, its former colonial master.
The appeals court ruled that "no evidence was presented to show force,
threat and intimidation applied by the accused" on the woman.
The woman originally alleged that Smith sexually assaulted her in a van at
the Subic Bay former US naval base while in the company of other US Marines.
Smith, 23, insisted the sex was consensual.
Smith met the woman in a bar in the port of Subic, after taking part in
joint US-Philippine military exercises. The case has become a rallying point
for anti-American protests in the country.
In March, the woman altered her testimony and emigrated to the United States
in a dramatic twist in the case, saying she was no longer certain that a
crime took place.
The woman initially said she and Smith were drinking, kissing and dancing at
a Subic bar before moving to a van, where she originally told the court she
was raped while she fell in and out of consciousness.
The appeals court said what happened "was the unfolding of a spontaneous,
unplanned romantic episode with both parties carried away by their
passions."
The woman's turnabout shocked her supporters. Justice Secretary Raul
Gonzalez said she could be charged with perjury.
The woman has meanwhile left the Philippines for the United States, where
she now lives with an American boyfriend whom she met after the alleged
rape.
After Smith was convicted, he was initially taken to a Philippine jail, but
the US argued he should be kept in American custody, citing the Visiting
Forces Agreement, a 1999 accord that allows US forces to conduct war
exercises in the Philippines. Washington said the accord entitles any
accused US service member to remain in American hands until all judicial
proceedings are exhausted.
Philippine President Gloria Arroyo backed the US position, but the
Philippine Supreme Court ruled in February he should be serving his sentence
in a Philippine prison and asked the government to negotiate his transfer
with Washington. The negotiations were under way when the appeals court
overturned the guilty verdict.
Smith's lawyer Jose Justiniano said his client "got the justice that he
deserved," but leftist groups condemned it, saying it was proof of Arroyo's
subservience to America.
"We are outraged," said Renato Reyes of the prominent group Bayan. "This
denial of justice can only be blamed on Mrs Arroyo, whose subservience to
the US and veneration of the VFA knows no bounds."
About 30 activists marched to the heavily guarded US Embassy after the new
verdict but were stopped nearby by riot police. They held up posters that
read, "Smith's acquittal, a Philippine-US government connivance."
Asia ready to
fight swine flu
Asia is better prepared than other regions of the world to handle an
outbreak of swine flu after its experience dealing with epidemics such as
SARS, the World Health Organization believes.
The spread of SARS – Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – in 2003 led to
countries around Asia screening airline passengers, closing down schools,
stockpiling anti-flu drugs and quarantining thousands of suspected cases.
The epidemic, which claimed about 800 lives, gave Asia "a badly needed
lesson for surveillance and the right infection control mechanisms," said
Peter Cordingley, spokesman for the WHO's Western Pacific office in Manila.
"Asia is better prepared and in a better position than others," as a result,
he said. Cordingley said the H1N1 virus, which is suspected to have killed
103 people in Mexico, is "relatively benign" based on initial studies, but
he warned against complacency, saying the virus could mutate into a more
deadly strain.
"It could develop certain properties and could become a bigger problem," he
said. "We don't know which way it might go and which way it may mutate. This
is a new virus," he said.
"Every country in the world is at risk," he said, noting Asia in particular
sends a large number of migrant workers abroad, including to the United
States, where 20 cases have been confirmed in five states.
The WHO has described the virus as a "public health emergency of
international concern" and called on all countries to intensify surveillance
for unusual outbreaks of flu-like diseases and severe pneumonia.
Cordingley reiterated that there is no evidence to suggest that eating pork
is n a source of infection, but that the virus is being spread by
human-to-human contact.
Bats behind Ebola outbreak?
A group of foreign health experts are visiting the Philippines to
study whether fruit bats may have infected pigs with a non-lethal form of
the Ebola virus. The experts are looking for the source of the Ebola-Reston
virus that infected thousands of pigs earlier this year and their suspicions
are focused on fruit bats.
Eric Tayag, head of the Philippine government health department's national
epidemiology center said the study may "take a long time" before the source
of the virus is found.
According to the World Health Organization, the strain infecting the pigs is
not dangerous to humans, unlike the four deadly Ebola subtypes found in
Africa. The strain was first found in laboratory monkeys exported from the
Philippines to the United States in 1989.
So far, six farm workers and butchers have been found with the antibodies to
Ebola-Reston and scientists are still trying to determine if the six caught
the virus from pigs. It is also not clear how the pigs caught the virus.
If a link between the pigs and the workers is proved it would be the first
time humans have contracted the disease from pigs. The six infected workers
remain healthy and have not developed the disease.
Police ‘can't shoot straight’
Ninety percent of Philippine police cannot shoot straight or clean
their guns properly, according to recent firearms proficiency tests.
"Of the country's 125,000 policemen and women, 90 percent cannot shoot
straight and have difficulty just taking care of their guns," complained
National Police Commissioner Luis Mario General.
General, whose agency monitors the national police, said that of the
remaining 10 percent most of them rank barely above the level of "novice."
General said his commission will recommend to the Philippine National Police
that it conducts regular marksmanship training for all its members,
including the top brass.
However, General said he cannot blame the police for their failing
marksmanship grades, because of the high cost of marksmanship training and
especially bullets. He also cited recent admissions by top police officials
that almost 50 percent of the national police actually have no service
firearms.
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Pacquiao could have the
boxing market cornered
Manny Pacquiao prides himself as a smart businessman who knows how to
play poker. Let future opponents beware: He walked out of the MGM Grand
casino-hotel last month with a stack of chips.
A record-tying world title in a sixth division. A fourth consecutive victory
in a different weight class. And a one-sided performance in a major fight
that, compared to the Tyson-Spinks mauling and George Foreman's "Down goes
Frazier!" triumph, has given Pacquiao unprecedented power in mapping his
immediate fighting future.
The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world coming off a second-round
knockout victory like that in a lucrative junior-welterweight championship
bout against Ricky Hatton? That creates perks.
After the first major bout of the post- Oscar De La Hoya era, Pacquiao is
now the man. He is empowered to pick who he wants to fight, when he wants to
fight them, and at what weight.
The handful of opponents before him includes Pomona's world welterweight
champion Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto, unbeaten lightweight champion Edwin
Valero, Mexico's popular Julio Cesar Chavez Jr and unbeaten and recently
unretired Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The problem with Mayweather is that he has signed to fight Mexico's Juan
Manuel Marquez on July 18. The move surprised the Pacquiao camp, who say
they are unlikely to rest until the super-fight.
"A busy fighter is a good fighter, we're not going to wait around," Pacquiao
trainer Freddie Roach said. "Mayweather just had to wait one day and this
fight could've happened. I think he's scared of Manny."
Privately, the Pacquiao camp said Mayweather Jr harmed his leverage in
future Pacquiao negotiations – perhaps for a bout early next year – by
agreeing to fight Marquez in a bout expected to struggle for pay-per-view
buys.
Meanwhile, the buzz around Pacquiao (49-3-2, 36 knockouts) intensified after
he knocked down Hatton three times, including a highlight-reel left hook
that flattened Hatton with one second left in the second round.
Pacquiao, 30, is in peak shape, showcasing ring smarts that have caught up
to his speed and punching power. He's better than even those closest to him
think. Pacquiao business manager Michael Koncz said before the fight that he
bet at the sports book that his fighter would knock out Hatton in three to
six rounds.
Roach, for the second consecutive fight, ended the night urging a Pacquiao
victim to retire. De La Hoya did, and Hatton should, too, Roach said. "He
had a great career, but knockouts like that aren't good for people." Hatton
advisor Gareth Williams said, "It's Ricky's call."
Meanwhile, Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank said, "I have something
special in history here, an athlete who's improving every fight. He's like a
grand painting."
The next stroke, Arum said, is to have Pacquiao film a movie in the
Philippines, then travel to New York in June to pick up his 2008
fighter-of-the-year award and watch Cotto's welterweight title defense
against Joshua Clottey. The Pacquiao camp will then huddle to select a new
foe.
"Manny will fight anybody. He says, 'Whoever, whatever, no problem, I just
do what my coach [Roach] wants me to do,' " Arum's matchmaker Bruce Trampler
said. "Freddie knows. He thinks about this stuff all the time."
So it's noteworthy that Roach first mentioned Mosley's name as a future
opponent. "As a fan, that's the fight I'd most want to see," Roach said.
Mosley congratulated Pacquiao after his Hatton knockout, then quickly
lobbied to get that fight while knowing Top Rank could be tempted
business-wise to match Pacquiao against Cotto, a Top Rank fighter. Trampler
said assuredly there's no such conspiracy theory in play.
"Let's get it done," Mosley said. "I don't see a reason they'd want to fight
Cotto when I'm the champion who beat [Antonio] Margarito, who beat Cotto.
It'd be a classic fight [against Pacquiao]. We both have good hand speed and
power and I think that fans want to see the best fight the best."
Team Pacquiao, however, doesn't want to fight either Mosley or Cotto at the
welterweight limit of 147 pounds, and would demand that either move down to
a catch-weight bout of 143 pounds, said Roach.
"We can talk," Mosley said.
First, it'll be up to Team Pacquiao to make the call.
Global warming threatens
chaos in the Philippines
Southeast Asia and particularly the Philippines are among the world's
most vulnerable regions to climate change and could face conflict over
failing rice yields, lack of water and high economic costs, a major new
Asian Development Bank report shows.
The region's economies could lose as much as 6.7 percent of combined gross
domestic product yearly by 2100, more than twice the global average loss,
according to the ADB's report on the economics of climate change in
Southeast Asia.
"By the end of this century, the economy-wide cost each year on average
could reach 2.2 percent of GDP, if only market impact is considered... to
6.7 percent of GDP when catastrophic risks are also taken into account," the
British-government funded report says.
This compares with an estimated global loss of just under one percent of GDP
in market impact terms, the Manila-based ADB says.
If nothing is done globally to fight climate change, Southeast Asia could
suffer a decline in rice output potential of about 50 percent on average by
2100 against 1990 levels. The yield drop ranges from 34 percent in Indonesia
to 75 percent in the Philippines, with the fall forecast to start in 2020
for the four nations.
The global economic downturn could delay funding for climate change
mitigation measures by regional governments. Yet this is the time to offer
incentives for green investment schemes in the energy and water sectors,
said the study focusing on the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam.
These schemes could involve the shift to renewable and clean energy options
for the power and transport sectors across Southeast Asia, home to nearly
600 million people. In particular, cutting carbon emissions from forest
fires and deforestation is crucial since these are major contributors to the
region's total emissions, it said. Renewable energy such as wind, solar,
biomass and geothermal also offer great potential in slashing emissions.
Southeast Asia is one of the most vulnerable regions to climate change
because of the high economic activity along its long coastlines, and its
heavy dependence on agriculture, forestry and other natural resources.
Unless the pace of climate change is checked, millions of people in the
region will be left unable to produce or purchase sufficient food.
"More people will be at risk of hunger and malnutrition, which will cause
more deaths. The possibility of local conflicts may increase," said the
report.
Annual mean temperature in the four countries could also rise by an average
4.8 degrees Celsius by 2100 from 1990 levels if global emissions keep
growing. This would intensify water shortages in the dry season and raise
flooding risks during wet periods.
The report says an increase in extreme weather events, such as droughts,
floods and storms, and forest fires arising from climate change would also
jeopardize export industries.
It said the region, which contributed 12 percent of the world's greenhouse
gas emissions in 2000, has made significant efforts to counter climate
change, but most steps were reactive and offered short-term benefits with
implementation patchy.
Raising public awareness of climate change and its impact, increased funding
and enhancing policy coordination, are crucial, the report adds.
Stepping up measures to adapt are also needed. These include scaling up
water conservation and management, developing heat-resistant crop varieties,
more efficient irrigation systems and enhanced awareness-raising programs to
prepare for more forest fires.
European aid will continue
European donors have not shown any intention of trimming aid to poor
countries despite the effects of the global financial crisis, says the head
of the European Commission's aid office. While the full extent of the
economic slowdown is not yet fully known, European countries have continued
to set aside funds for development work around the world, said Koos
Richelle, director general of the EuropeAid Cooperation Office.
"There are no signals at the moment that (funding levels) will really go
down," he said at a two-day top level Asia-Europe meeting held in Manila to
discuss aid. "Let's stay optimistic," he said, noting that some countries,
including the United States, have promised the availability of more funds
for development work.
He said the 27-nation European Union remains on course to meeting a 2015
deadline to set aside 0.7 percent of its gross national income to official
development assistance. However, he said European donors are becoming
increasingly proactive in terms of demanding results from anti-poverty
projects they donate to.
A statement issued after the conference said the participants agreed the
crisis will "have profound and fundamental effects" in terms of cultivating
a more business-like approach to aid and boosting transparency. "It is
necessary to have clarity of what the government (recipient) will do with
this funding support," Richelle said, noting that the EC and other funding
agencies remain accountable to donors and taxpayers.
Richelle added that when an aid recipient does not deliver on its targets,
"we are not supposed to pay for it. I see modern development cooperation not
as a continuum of post-colonial hang ups or charity, but more as a
contract," he said.
EuropeAid provides around €8 billion a year to over 150 countries worldwide.
Help sought
against pirates
The Philippines, the world's biggest supplier of merchant sailors,
has called on fellow APEC members to improve the protection of ships against
pirate attacks off Somalia. Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza told
APEC transporation ministers that Filipinos and Philippine-flagged vessels
are "in the lowest category in terms of priority in (naval) escorts in
Somalia."
Transportation Department spokeswoman Elena Bautista said Mendoza appealed
for help for developing economies and their seafarers, particularly from the
Philippines, who are manning their ships. Slow-moving oil tankers, which
carry mostly Filipino crews, should be given "special protection" by navy
forces already in Somalia, Bautista said.
She said APEC members acknowledged the piracy problem needs to be addressed
and that efforts against it be stepped up.
APEC, the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation forum, which groups 21
economies across the region, held its annual meeting of transportation
ministers in Manila last week.
Bautista recounted how a Chinese Navy frigate escorting the
Philippine-flagged chemical tanker Stolt Strength, which was released by
pirates earlier, had recently repelled a second hijack attempt. The vessel,
with its 23-man Filipino crew, was freed after five months in captivity.
However, it ran low on fuel and supplies shortly after departing and was
stranded in waters east of Somalia.
The Chinese frigate Huangshan came to its aid, providing fuel, food, water
and medicine until it reached a safe port of call in Yemen, she said.
"Pirates yesterday tried to reach Stolt Strength but the Chinese made a
decisive action and deployed choppers that eventually drove the pirates
away," she said.
The Philippines supplies the world's maritime industry with more than
350,000 sailors, who serve on oil tankers, luxury liners and passenger
vessels. Over 80 Filipinos aboard several ships are still held by Somali
pirates.
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