GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO praised USA President George Bush for government bailout of the beleaguered stock market.

Had the same crisis happened in the Philippines, would GMA take the same step?

Judging from our experience with the CAP and Pacific Plans, the answer is NO.

Now we can’t blame some people for mistrusting pre-need plans, banks and insurance companies that try very hard to project a solid stature.

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Sa totoo lang, had it not been for remittances of OFWs (US $14-billion via banks last year) and the value-added taxes, the GMA government would have collapsed already.

Interpretation: GMA does not bail out; she is bailed out.

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Using the cover-up corporate names Pacific Trade House and Joemar Trading, the CDC Pharmacy of Connie del Castillo has a lot of explaining to do as people think that it “duped” the Iloilo provincial government anew by selling in rigged biddings a brand-new kuno sterilizing machine and a brand-new kuno anesthesia machine to the district hospitals of Passi City and Calinog at P1.3-million and P2.4-million, respectively.

Vice-Governor Rolex Suplico calls these machines “junks” because they are both second-hand and defective.

Well, let’s see whether Iloilo would land in the Guinness Book of World Records for buying the most expensive junks.

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Governor Niel Tupas orders probe of scandal – headline.

We remember that the good gob had once before banned CDC, BC and its other “proxies” from participating in capitol biddings. Why was the ban lifted?

Records at the Treasurer’s Office show that the CDC empire tops the list of winning bidders, having collected millions of pesos for hospital supplies in 2007 and again in the current year. Be that as it may, let’s not pin the blame on Boy Mejo alone because he could not “cook” without the participation of other members of the Bids and Awards Committee.

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The news report that Canada is in immediate need of thousands of OFWs has provoked thousands of applicants to the POEA offices.

Do you know that Secretary Boboy Syjuco foresaw this eventuality four years ago when he assumed office as TESDA director general? That’s why he immediately focused on giving the out-of-school youth and the unemployed scholarships in vocational courses.

And so today, TESDA trainees in welding, masonry, carpentry and other vocations top the list of Canada, Australia and Middle East admissions. Welders make as much as the equivalent of P180,000 monthly in Canada and Australia.

Tito Boboy is correct in coining the battle cry: “Sa TESDA, gaganda ang buhay mo.”

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Senator Enrile threatens to impose higher taxes on oil companies for refusing to further lower prices despite the nose-diving price of crude in the world market.

Enrile is just doing pa-pogi for GMA. As long as they dictate prices, the cartelized oil firms could charge the extra taxes to their ballooning extra income.

GMA’s silence is understandable because she is on a win-win position. The higher the oil price, the higher the 12% VAT that would grease their palms. Their happiest days are here at last.

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“You’re guessing!” shouted Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes at businessman Ronnie Concepcion after the latter had expressed the opinion that, as per his computation, oil prices should be lowered by eight pesos more.

Reyes is an angel of the oil companies. But in fairness to him, his predecessors at the DOE had also taken the role of oil spokesman. Nobody has resisted the “temptation.” What is that?

Your guess is as good as mine.

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