OFFBEAT MAIL

Former Commission on Election chairman Benjamin Abalos scolded mediamen today at the Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club in Mandaluyong City, after they have sought his reaction to the accusations made by another key witness who implicated his name on the anomalous multi-million dollar ZTE broadband deal between the Philippines and China. Abalos appeared to have been irritated after his name was again implicated by a certain Rodolfo Lozada, president of the Philippine Forestry Development Council and who served as its technical adviser on the ZTE broadband project of the government. Lozadas' allegations on the mysterious broadband contract has broken the long silence of the former Comelec official who was passing away his time playing golf in Mandaluyong City, when mediamen swarmed to ask him a series of questions surrounding the controversy. It wasn't exactly clear how and in what manner Abalos scolded the mediamen following him to the golf course. But his facial expressions on...

Another key witness in the anomalous ZTE broadband deal between the Philippines and China, surfaced early dawn today at a catholic school in San Juan, Green Hills, Metro Manila, after he was allegedly abducted more than 20 hours ago by unknown individuals as he disembarked from a Cathay Pacific Airways at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, Philippines. Rodolfo Lozado, a technical adviser to the multi-million dollar ZTE boradband project and president of the Philippine Forest Development Council, an attached agency of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), told media during a press conference held inside the La Salle Catholic School in Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila that he was fetched by plainclothes men who introduced themselves as coming from the police security protection unit of the Philippine National Police. Reports said Lozada was whisked away without passing through the customs and immigration personnel who normally inspect each arriv...

While the votes are being cast that will favor who among the presidential contenders will successfully make it to the White House, after President George Bush steps down next year, the attention of Philippine politicians and government officials alike have been glued to the boob tubes in order to keep close tabs on what's happening in the polling stations across the U.S. For the Philippine government, the results of Tuesday's primary polls that will eventually determine who among the democratic and republican candidates will square it off comes the presidential elections in November this year, are expected to play a significant role in the country's political and economic developments. Actually, there are two major issues that the Philippine government may take into consideration. For sure, one is economic assistance and the other is military assistance. And the deciding factor that will determine as to whether these types of assistance will continue to trickle to the coun...

As the U.S. presidential timbers unleash their ultimate skills and savvy in political maneuverings Tuesday, people around the world could only hope for the best for the next leader who will be annointed to sit at the throne of power in the White House. Amid the frenzy, politicians and their millions of supporters could only wonder at the magnitude of coverages being given by the media to document every bit of development that is taking place as each presidential candidate, both from the democratic and republican parties, battles head on to gain an edge over the others, using the most articulate words they could muster in order to secure a place in the hearts of millions of concerned voters across the United States of America. Probably, the one with the most articulate overtones on matters that the candidate is fighting for may possibly make it to the White House comes the next presidential elections in November this year. Against this backdrop, the world is watching in inspiring awe as...

Poor return on investments. That is, perhaps, the primary reason why the national government is reluctant to develop mass housing projects for the lowly soldiers. Worse is that some of the military generals may have been influenced by big developers not to push through with these projects considering the high costs involved in developing the area and constructing the housing units. What the Retirement Service and Benefits System (RSBS) did was to finance the construction of a cluster of condominium projects along C-5 Road in Taguig City, just a stone's throw away from the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio. But when the project was completed, ordinary soldiers could not move in despite the invitation to occupy the units because their basic salaries are barely enough to pay for the monthly installments, which are payable in 25-30 years. The catch was that the condo units are not really meant or designed for the pockets of the ordinary soldiers but for military officials from t...

Are oil companies in cahoots with the Philippines' energy department? It is hard to imagine that the pump prices of gasoline and other by-products have sky-rocketed to new heights, with nothing much left for ordinary consumers and motorists to fill their vehicle tanks, without any complaints. Just look at how much is ordinary worker gets on a daily basis, and you will be awed by the difference it makes on people's lives. And gasoline prices have chilling effects on the ordinary citizens comprising of the impoverished, the jobless and the underemployed, who subsist on whatever they can earn to make an honest living? How much more is left if that ordinary worker uses a car to go to work? And those who can't afford are left with no choice but to save extra money by sacrificing themselves to take a daily commute from home to work. On the way to work, the ordinary worker is not free from other troubles: air pollution and traffic congestion--two main problems that hound the healt...

The popularity of the emirate of Dubai in the international scene is immense. But there is another fast-growing city in the United Arab Emirates that cannot simply be ignored. It is no less than the emirate of Abu Dhabi--the UAE bustling capital and permanent residence of the country's ruling family of the al Nahyans. Currently, UAE's president is His Highness Sheik Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan, one of the sons of the former President His Highness Sheik Zayed bin Sultan al Nahyan. Sheik Khalifa used to be the crown prince of Abu Dhabi until he was succeeded by H.H. Sheik Mohammed, a younger brother. The royal family lives in big palaces and posh villas that are comparable to five-star hotels around the world. And they are maintained by a polyglot of workers, mostly coming from all over the world. For example, in the sprawling Al Butin Palace where chandeliers glitter in gold, which is the crown prince's permanent residence, maintenance workers are grouped into the administra...