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Our
educated guess is that it's going to be a down-to-the-wire
finish for Senators Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton for the
Democratic Party's presidential nomination.
In
fact, we also predict that the winner in the Obama-Clinto
toss-up could easily beat Sen. John Macaine of the Republican
Party in the November US presidential elections. However,
this would largely depend if the American voters are ready
for their first black president or their first woman president.
In
the meantime, Obama has cut into Clinton's lead in Pennsylvania
ahead of the state's Democratic presidential primary later
this month, according to a new poll published yesterday. Clinton,
who needs a big win in the eastern state on April 22 to keep
her campaign for the party nomination alive, leads rival senator
Obama 50 percent to 44 percent. Obama currently leads the
race nationally with 1,637 delegates compared to Clinton's
1,502, with 2,025 needed to win the nomination.
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In
an official statement, the Supreme Court said that the motion
for reconsideration filed by the Senate of its ruling in GR
No. 180643, Neri v. Senate Committee on Accountability of
Public Officers and Investigations, promulgated last March
25, is within the Senate's prerogatives in accordance with
Rule 52, sec. 1 in relation to Rule 56, sec. 2 of the Rules
of Court. The motion for reconsideration will be calendared
for deliberation by the High Court en banc on Tuesday.
As
this developed, Sen. Francis Pangilinan said he was hopeful
that the Supreme Court would alter its decision in the Neri
case which was criticized by the Constitutional Commission
and even by former Supreme Court Chief Justice Artemio V.
Panganiban.
The
Senate argued that the high court decision only served to
broaden the President's power to hide behind the principle
of executive privilege. Malacañang has interpreted
the Supreme Court's decision to have nullified the entire
Senate investigation. The court decision scored the Senate
for its failure to publish its rules every three years.
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We
still maintain that the alleged rice shortage is all but superficial.
It's either hyped by government officials who want to import
more rice and secure some kickbacks or a ploy by unscrupulous
rice traders who hoarded rice supply from the National Food
Authority (NFA) and repack the same into commercial bags for
high prices.
Worse,
it could be both, some sort of a modus vivinde by corrupt
government food officials and heartless rice traders who want
to take advantage of the situation.
If
consumers continue to display a state of panic, the more that
these crooks will capitalize the situation.
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SP
UPDATES. The 10th Sangguniang Panlungsod of Tagbilaran held
its session yesterday afternoon. The regular sessions of the
city council is set every Monday afternoon but considering
that last Monday was declared a holiday in lieu of today's
Araw ng Kagitningan, the session was moved to the next working
day.
Vice-Mayor
Jose Antonio S. Veloso chaired the committee of the whole
report that recommended for the passage of a resolution requesting
the Department of Public Works and Highways not to accept
the road concreting of CPG avenue undertaken by Hanjin in
coordination with the Pacific Consultants if the illegal connections
to its drainage system will not be cut off.
The
resolution was passed unanimously as the Department of Environment
and Natural Resources (DENR) disclosed that this undertaking
was not duly complied with.
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For comments
and suggestions, just e-mail to the following e-mail addresses:
obiter@boholchronicle.com
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