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JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. on Sunday came to the rescue of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo amid snowballing calls for her impeachment for allegedly treasonously entering a pact with the China and Vietnam governments over the joint seismic exploration on the Spratly group of islands. Gonzalez said there is no basis in filing an impeachment case against the president, as there had been no any culpable violation of the Constitution, adding that the country even had much to gain out of the undertakings, particularly in extracting natural gas and oil from the Spratlys, which is being claimed in part by the Philippines. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in his weekly column, insisted that the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) among the Philippines, China and Vietnam is not unconstitutional because it is limited only to "research of petroleum potential" of the area and that the President did not allow China to extract resources from the disputed territory. "The JMSU is confined only to seismic work which involves data gathering, collection and interpretation. These are merely pre-exploration activities, which are not prohibited under existing laws," Bunye said. The Palace official distributed a joint statement of former PNOC president Eduardo Manalac and former energy secretary Vicente Perez Jr. who stated that the JMSU, a three-year commercial agreement by the China National Offshore Oil Corp., PetroVietnam, and PNOC, was part of government's five-point energy independence agenda to reduce dependence on imported petroleum by finding new indigenous sources of fuel. They added that President Arroyo did not sign the JMSU, nor did the energy department, but the governments of the three oil companies had to approve it to make it binding.

Pollution, slums and an invasion of foreign fish species are threatening the Philippines' largest lake, one of the nation's major fish farming regions, according to a study published Tuesday. Laguna de Bay on the outskirts of eastern Manila covers more than 90,000 hectares but since 1965, fish pens and cages have been built out across some 15 percent of the lake. The study, by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, said the lake's ecosystem was also being threatened by pollution caused by residential, commercial and industrial development and the encroachment of squatters along its shores.

Failure of leadership, failure of command. This was the theme of the privilege speech delivered by Cong. Teofisto "TG" Guingona III last February 28 when he called for the Congressional Committee on Human Rights to inquire into the conditions of detention and violation of the constitutional rights of the 28 officers. They are now detained at the ISAFP compound in Camp Aquinaldo and the CIDG compound at Camp Crame. He told the story of Major Jason Aquino, class baron of the PMA class "91-how he was maltreated and his human rights violated. Cong. Guingona also detailed the suffering of his family and the families of all who were unjustly treated. Columnist LEONOR MAGTOLIS BRIONES says >>> These are very difficult and challenging times. There are so many causes to fight for. Let us include the wretched, as well as those who are victims of human rights violations among our ardent advocacies.

BUTIG, Lanao del Sur -- Thousands of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have converged at the erstwhile Camp Bushra Somiorang here for an "expanded Central Committee meeting" which started Saturday and ends Tuesday. The MILF, most of them in full battle gear, their firearms highly visible, came from neighboring areas and as far away as Davao, North Cotabato and Sarangani, on board trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, vans. Marawi residents waved green flaglets and chanted "Allahu Akbar!" as they passed. Today, March 9, MILF vice chair Aleem Abdulaziz S. Mimbantas officially welcomed all delegates to the conference whose theme is "One people, One struggle." MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim delivered his State of Jihad Address before his constituency but details of the speech have not been given to the media. The media is allowed entry only on March 11. Tomorrow, March 10, Ebrahim will have an exclusive meeting with the MILF committees, provincial chairmen and front commanders for ground reports and assessment. The MILF will also discuss updates on the Peace Process with the government.

JUSTICE Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. on Sunday came to the rescue of president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo amid snowballing calls for her impeachment for allegedly treasonously entering a pact with the China and Vietnam governments over the joint seismic exploration on the Spratly group of islands. Gonzalez said there is no basis in filing an impeachment case against the president, as there had been no any culpable violation of the Constitution, adding that the country even had much to gain out of the undertakings, particularly in extracting natural gas and oil from the Spratlys, which is being claimed in part by the Philippines. Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye, in his weekly column, insisted that the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) among the Philippines, China and Vietnam is not unconstitutional because it is limited only to "research of petroleum potential" of the area and that the President did not allow China to extract resources from the disputed territory. "The JMSU is confined only to seismic work which involves data gathering, collection and interpretation. These are merely pre-exploration activities, which are not prohibited under existing laws," Bunye said. The Palace official distributed a joint statement of former PNOC president Eduardo Manalac and former energy secretary Vicente Perez Jr. who stated that the JMSU, a three-year commercial agreement by the China National Offshore Oil Corp., PetroVietnam, and PNOC, was part of government's five-point energy independence agenda to reduce dependence on imported petroleum by finding new indigenous sources of fuel. They added that President Arroyo did not sign the JMSU, nor did the energy department, but the governments of the three oil companies had to approve it to make it binding.

Pollution, slums and an invasion of foreign fish species are threatening the Philippines' largest lake, one of the nation's major fish farming regions, according to a study published Tuesday. Laguna de Bay on the outskirts of eastern Manila covers more than 90,000 hectares but since 1965, fish pens and cages have been built out across some 15 percent of the lake. The study, by the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Centre, said the lake's ecosystem was also being threatened by pollution caused by residential, commercial and industrial development and the encroachment of squatters along its shores.

BUTIG, Lanao del Sur -- Thousands of members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front have converged at the erstwhile Camp Bushra Somiorang here for an "expanded Central Committee meeting" which started Saturday and ends Tuesday. The MILF, most of them in full battle gear, their firearms highly visible, came from neighboring areas and as far away as Davao, North Cotabato and Sarangani, on board trucks, jeeps, motorcycles, vans. Marawi residents waved green flaglets and chanted "Allahu Akbar!" as they passed. Today, March 9, MILF vice chair Aleem Abdulaziz S. Mimbantas officially welcomed all delegates to the conference whose theme is "One people, One struggle." MILF chair Al Haj Murad Ebrahim delivered his State of Jihad Address before his constituency but details of the speech have not been given to the media. The media is allowed entry only on March 11. Tomorrow, March 10, Ebrahim will have an exclusive meeting with the MILF committees, provincial chairmen and front commanders for ground reports and assessment. The MILF will also discuss updates on the Peace Process with the government.