This Week in the Philippines

Terror at the mall, political implosions and overseas workers...


Source: Corbis

Law enforcement rules out bombing in Manila mall explosion but University of the Philippines professors disagree
The Philippine National Police (PNP) yesterday ruled out bombing activity in Friday’s deadly blast, saying investigators have found no traces of explosives in the Glorietta 2 explosion that resulted in 11 deaths and 120 wounded.National Capital Region Police Office Director Geary Barias said probers have reason to believe that blast was caused by gas leak from the mall’s basement. But experts from the University of the Philippines College of Engineering on Monday said the blast could not have been caused by chemical and gas leaks.Ernesto de la Cruz and Wilfredo Jose, both chemical engineering professors, said it was unlikely that a leak from the tank containing thousands of liters of diesel caused the blast.

GMA charged with dereliction of duty
President Arroyo, her husband and two other high ranking officials are charged by a civil society group before the Ombudsman in connection with the alleged overpriced ZTE-National Broadband Network (NBN) contract that is claimed to have been marked by kickbacks in the hundreds of millions.

Meanwhile...

The Department of Justice endorses pardon for Estrada
Former President Joseph Estrada, who is serving a life term in prison on plunder charges, may be receiving a full pardon. Speaking to newsmen, Department of Justice acting Secretary Agnes Devanadera said she will endorse the grant of absolute pardon to Estrada on humanitarian grounds after his lawyers, led by Jose Flaminiano, wrote the President to grant the deposed leader “full, free and unconditional pardon.”If Estrada is accorded absolute pardon, it would mean that the President is releasing him from prison punishment, with his civil and political rights restored without qualification.

China closes door to Filipino domestic workers
The Philippine Embassy in Beijing, China informed the DFA that domestic service employment is not allowed in mainland China as it sounded alarm over a scam that entices Filipino victims to pay a fee of more than P100,000 in exchange for high-paying jobs there which are non-existent. Officials from the China Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Public Security Bureau told the Philippine Embassy that Beijing scrapped domestic service employment of foreign nationals.

Meanwhile in Lebanon...

Keeping health care workers in the Philippines
Only improved employment and economic conditions in the country can stem the sustained migration of Filipino healthcare professionals, Sen. Loren Legarda said Monday. "Amid rapid globalization, the only way we can really discourage our professionals and other highly skilled workers from seeking greener pasture overseas is by willfully enhancing their job conditions here," said Legarda, chairman of the Senate economic affairs committee. One way to encourage healthcare professionals to stay is for government to start freeing public sector-employed doctors and nurses from the coverage of the highly restrictive Salary Standardization Law, Legarda said.