The Winner? Lucio Tan!

Reuters

Philippine airlines and tobacco tycoon Lucio Tan scored a major victory against the government on Friday when the Supreme Court upheld an earlier court decision rejecting the state's attempt to seize some of his companies.

"There can be no question that petitioner's (the government) orders of sequestration are void and have no legal effect," the Supreme Court wrote in its judgement.

The government has been trying for over 20 years to punish Tan, who owns Philippine Airlines, Philippine National Bank and several hotels and property firms, for his alleged lucrative links to late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

The Presidential Commission on Good Government, the state agency in charge of retrieving the ill-gotten wealth of Marcos and his cronies, declined to comment on the ruling. A spokesman said it had not yet seen the court decision.

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First step, Erap's Luxury Vehicles

Sandiganbayan Sheriff Ed Urieta said Tuesday that he will start the forfeiture of former president Joseph Estrada's properties by confiscating his luxury cars.

"We are being careful. Fox example real property, we do not [confiscate it immediately]. That is our last [option]," Urieta told ABS-CBN's morning show, "Umagang Kay Ganda."

Urieta said they will only move for the confiscation of Estrada's estates only if the value of the luxury cars will fall short of the required amount ordered for forfeiture by the Sandiganbayan justices.

He said that included in the assets being eyed by the Sandiganbayan is Estrada's resthouse in Tanay, Rizal, which served as the former president's jail while detained during the plunder trial.

The anti-graft court's sheriff said he had ordered his men to coordinate with the Land Transportation Office to verify Estrada's luxury vehicles.

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Erap - From Artist, President, JailBird and now, Free!

Press Secretary and acting Executive Secretary Ignacio Bunye announced Thursday that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has issued an executive clemency for former president Joseph Estrada.

Estrada was convicted last month by the anti-graft court Sandiganbayan for plunder charges. Estrada was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Early this week, Estrada, through his lawyers, asked for pardon from President Arroyo.

From bit-part roles, Estrada eventually made his mark playing Robin Hood-type characters
who battled greedy landowners, vicious gangsters, corrupt policemen or crooked politicians.

In 1969, Estrada first translated his celluloid fame into political power when he was elected mayor of his home town of San Juan in the Manila suburbs.

From there, he rose to senator, then vice president and finally, in 1998, he was elected president, running on the slogan "Erap for the Poor."

His victory, the largest majority vote in Philippine presidential history, came despite the opposition of veteran political leaders, the educated classes and the dominant Roman Catholic Church.

Estrada never hid his vices, openly keeping several mistresses despite being married to Luisa, a doctor, for more than 40 years.

His self-deprecating humour endeared him to the masses, who identified closely with Estrada's foibles. In campaign rallies, he joked that "of the many women I have loved, I only married one."

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We are not 3rd world anymore. we are already 4th...

Makati City police chief Superintendent Gilbert Cruz said Thursday that Metro Manila’s perennial traffic problems can still be solved by constructing multi-layered flyovers and Metro Rail Transit (MRT) stations – patterned after those in Bangkok, Thailand – on various thoroughfares in the metropolis.

“I think the government officials in our country, like Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, can explore this for the sake of solving the (worsening) traffic situation in Metro Manila,” said Cruz, who attended a six-day training program organized by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Bangkok along with eight other police officers.

Cruz said that from the Bangkok International Airport to the Bangkok city proper, they experienced no traffic due to the three or four-layered flyovers for vehicles in Thailand.

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I have been to Thailand 10 years ago. It was worse back then compared to Manila. If we were third world back then, they are 4th. Guess what? Right now, if you visit bangkok, its way different now. Multi-layered bridges, organized transportation, booming businesses and etc. What gives?

First, they declared bankruptcy back then. I didnt exactly know when but, after that, Thailand grew.

I am not saying Philippines should declare bankruptcy but, we, citizens, should be more disciplined If we go to Singapore, we dont spit anywhere. If we go to the US, or just in subic, we follow the alternate intersection crossing. why cant we do it in Manila then?

Philippine Political News - Updated

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Metro Manila on full alert: 911 and Erap verdict.

The police in Metro Manila went on full alert 8 a.m. Tuesday, the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attack in the United States. The heightened security also comes a day before the promulgation on Sept. 12 of the Sandiganbayan verdict on the plunder case against former President Joseph Estrada.

On orders of Metro Manila police commander Dep. Dir. Gen. Reynaldo Varilla, police in all five districts were placed under full alert and instructed to keep watch over possible terrorist "targets."

In Malacañang, dzBB radio reported that police have set up container vans, barbed-wire fences, a 6-x-6 truck and makeshift tents to "secure" the Palace for Wednesday's event.

The Presidential Security Group had recommended that President Arroyo stay in the Palace the whole day Wednesday.

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Votester - Philippine Political News - updated

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