Bu-lat-lat (boo-lat-lat) verb: to search, probe, investigate, inquire; to unearth facts Volume IV, Number 9 March 28 - April 3, 2004 Quezon City, Philippines |
NEWS AT A GLANCE Deportation
of Filipino family condemned The
National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) has condemned what it called
the “unjust and inhumane” deportation of the Cuevas family by the United
States government. The
case of the Cuevas family has brought the issue of legalization and the right to
stay back into the battleground, NAFCON also said. According
to NAFCON records, there are over 500,000 undocumented Filipinos in the U.S
alone. “U.S.
corporations are reaping billions of dollars of super-profits from exploiting
human labor, natural resources and debt restructuring from the Philippines,”
the statement said. Due to poverty, 6, 000 Filipinos are forced to leave the country everyday and face threats of exploitation and discrimination abroad. The alliance cited the impact of anti-immigrant hysteria of post-9/11 laws and policies resulting from false pretenses of security and safety. *
* * Meralco charges highest power ratesThe
National Association of Electricity Consumers for Reforms (Nasecore) criticized
this week the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) for charging the highest rate
among private distribution utilities in the country. The
consumer group made this statement after studying the unbundled rates of four
private distribution utilities approved so far by the Energy Regulatory
Commission (ERC). Pete
Ilagan, the group’s president, said that this is the result of the
“sweetheart deals” between the Lopez-owned Meralco and its independent power
producers, like its sister company First Gas Power. “This is exploitation at
its best,” he said. Residential
consumers of Meralco pay the following rates: Php5.6386/kWh for those consuming
101-200 kwh; Php5.9422/kWh for those using 201-300 kwh; Php6.2285/kWh for
consumers using 301-400 kwh; and Php6.7272 for those using more than 400 kwh or
an average price of P6.1341/kWh. Ilagan
also questioned why Meralco is charging different rates to its residential
consumers when the other private distribution utilities only charge one rate to
all its residential customers. Residential
consumers of Iligan, Davao, Cebu, Dagupan City, Cabanatuan City and San
Fernando, Pampanga fall only under one category and pay much lower rates:
Php3.2602/kWh for Iligan Light; Php3.5325/kWh for Davao Light; Php4.0404/kWh for
Visayan Electric Company (VECO); Php4.6960/kWh for Dagupan Electric (DECORP);
Php5.6417/kWh for Cabanatuan Electric (CELCOR) and Php5.1093/kWh for San
Fernando Electric (SFELAPCO). All the rates mentioned do not include the
national and local franchise taxes. Ilagan
urged all residential consumers to unite by forming a consumer energy
cooperative. He said that
consumer-owned electric cooperatives can participate as a retail supplier of
electricity as a deregulated sector once open access starts. *
* * Jinggoy should apologize to women -- GabrielaThe
Gabriela Women's Partylist (GWP) said March 22 that Koalisyon ng Nagkakaisang
Pilipino (KNP) senatoriable Jinggoy Estrada’s statement that he would convert
to Islam because the religion allows multiple marriages was an insult and a
disrespect to women, particularly Muslim women. Ilagan
said his “careless” statement trivializes such fundamental tradition.
"Polygamy may be part of Islamic culture but every union or partnership is
considered sacred.” "It
would be best that Jinggoy apologize to women, especially Muslim women for his
statements as he stand to lose the women's vote not only in Muslim communities
but nationwide," Ilagan said. Jinggoy, a former mayor of San Juan City, is the son of ousted Pres. Joseph Estrada. Bulatlat.com We want to know what you think of this article.
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