Arroyo reaches out to business groups (NY)

[struggle4progress]

First posted 02:03am (Mla time) Sept 14, 2005
By Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.
Inquirer News Service



Editor's Note: Published on page A1 of the Sept. 14, 2005 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer



NEW YORK -- Spurned by the opposition in her bid for reconciliation, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is reaching out to business groups to keep the economy on course despite the political turmoil at home, a top Malacañang source said yesterday. <snip>

Ms Arroyo arrived in nearby New Jersey at 4:05 a.m. Tuesday (New York time) on her way to New York where she will preside over a United Nations Security Council meeting tomorrow. <snip>

Baja said Ms Arroyo's visit to the United Nations would bring the country good long-term benefits.

"We create a good political and diplomatic image for the Philippines, which is very important in achieving success industries, other fields in the Philippines, like economics, social and humanitarian ," he said. <snip>

http://news.inq7.net/nation/index.php?index=1&story_id=50158

[Gloria]

1. Meanwhile......

(utterly ignored post)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2088044&mesg_id=2088044


Jeez! Asa Hutchinson/fmr Homeland Security rewriting Filipino gov???


Edited on Tue Sep-13-05 05:08 PM by Gloria

(Sorry for the slightly off subject, but I had to get some eyeballs interested in this and there's no room to be more complete....)

I was doing the WMW and wanted to check out any follow-up news on the failed Arroyo impeachment try in the Philippines. I know they've been talking about a "charter change" during all this....so I follow the little headline off to the side and come up with this: Basically, Arroyo, without telling anybody, hires Venable, US law firm, to assist on reworking the government....I happened to see that one of the lawyers from the firm had experience in "homeland security," which piqued my interest. Basically, I knew there was a rat in there somewhere!!

So I search Venable and after awhile I come up with the info that Asa Hutchinson, late of HOMELAND SECURITY in March of this year, is CHAIRMAN of Venable's "homeland security practice."

Gee......developing...


Summary: Full links up at http://www.zianet.com/insightanalytical in the new WMW ....

4//Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, Philippines--DESPITE HARD TIMES, GMA HIRES PRICY FOREIGN CONSULTANTS FOR CHARTER CHANGE (On the same day that she delivered her State of the Nation Address and summoned the nation to start “the great debate” on charter change, President Arroyo awarded a million-dollar lobbying consultancy contract to an American law firm to “secure grants and (US) congressional earmarks” for her initiative to “reshape the form of government…into a parliamentary federal system.” On July 25, 2005, Mrs. Arroyo hired the lobbying and representation services of US-based Venable LLP, one of America’s top 100 law firms, for a substantial sum of $75,000 a month, or $900,000 (P50.4 million) for 12 months. The amount excludes “costs for travel, telephone, fax, copying, etc.” and “professional services” of up to $720 per hour for Venable’s senior associates. These expenses, for which no ceilings were mentioned, could double the contract cost. The contract was signed at a time when the government is reeling from a gaping budget deficit and calling for belt-tightening measures. … . National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales Jr. signed the three-page agreement as “the authorized representative of the President of the Philippines,” while lawyers James T. Pitts and James George Jatras signed for Venable. Pitts is a transport sector expert, while Jatras’ experience is in homeland security and Eastern Europe affairs. The contract was apparently done in precipitate haste and shrouded in secrecy. Apart from Gonzales and Mrs Arroyo, senior executive officials and legislators did not know about it.)



Related Story: HUTCHINSON TAKING POST AT D.C. LAW FIRM (3/2/2005--Asa Hutchinson, the former congressman who just left a post as Homeland Security undersecretary, announced Wednesday that he will become chairman of a Washington law firm's homeland security practice. Hutchinson, 54, will split time between Venable LLP's Washington office and other "personal and business interests" in Little Rock.)