OFFBEAT MAIL

Politics has again ruled its ugly head on the just concluded Philippine elections by threatening journalists who were assigned to cover the local election in Mindanao, with bodily harm. The threats were coursed through the text messages sent to the journalists' cellphones. But one of them was not lucky enough to evade the bullet that felled his life. Dodie Nunez, who did some freelancing work for the Cavite-based tabloid "Katapat", was on his way home from work on May 21 when the mini-bus he was riding was ambushed by at least three unidentified armed men on a motorbike, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and local media reported. According to media reports the victim was shot dead, along with another passenger, who was wounded during the incident. The Canada-based International Freedom of Expression (IFEX) has condemned the killing and threats against the Filipino journalists. The tabloid "Katapat" is owned by Archie Gadang, who run for provincial gover

Apprehension sips into the spines of leaders of many countries in the Asia-Pacific region, where China is observed to be dominating in so far as international trade and advancement in modern warfare are concerned. And who wouldn't? With rising economic growth, sparked by its extensive industrial developments taking shape in almost all parts of the country, the dragon has risen after many years of hibernation. With a population of more than a billion people, China has not slackened economically and militarily. In fact, its trade surplus with the United States has reached more than US$200 million, a figure that the U.S. Congress is irritated to look at. With a low paid labor force, who is not allowed to protest, China has become a favorite place for multinationals that wish to relocate their plants there owing to cheap labor and low overhead expenses. As a matter of fact, these factors are reshaping the mindset of many corporate big wigs to try their luck on a former sleeping giant