2004

ABU SAYYAF AND US Moving on pressure. {A warning from the United States sends the Philippines cracking down on the bandit group Abu Sayyaf.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 24 8

AGRARIAN REFORM AND CARP Mable, Jing A. Full speed ahead. {The Department of Agrarian Reform plans to hurdle all legal obstacles and use all its powers to carry out its program.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 12 12

AGRARIAN REFORM AND ROBERTO M. PAGDANGANAN Mable, Jing A. Beyond the goal. {On the watch of Secretary Roberto M. Pagdanganan, the Department of Agararian Reform, surpasses its target, and now looks forward to bringing the land reform program to its conclusion.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 17 12

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES Alvarez, Ramiro C. The modernization program that never was. {The five years for the development of agriculture and fisheries came and went but the two sectors remain backward.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 19

AIR POLLUTION; AIR QUALITY Death in the air. {Two years after the launching of a campaign against atmospheric pollution, the government has done little to improve the country’s air quality.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 24

AQUINO, BENIGNO Nuguid, Nati. Who’s the mastermind? {A convict and a witness say they know the brains behind the murder of Benigno Aquino Jr.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 4 10

ARMM AND PAROUL HUSSIN Mable, Jing A. Unfinished struggle. {Parouk Hussin takes the next step toward the political, social and economic development of Muslim Mindanao.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 14 12

ARROYO AND DE CASTRO Mable, Jing A. The team to beat. {Combining experience and popularity; the team of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Sen. Noli de Castro is the blockbuster in the May 10 election.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 24 12

ARROYO AND ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. Twilight time. {Night falls on President Arroyo’s opponents as her star continues to rise.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 2

ARROYO AND PLUNDER Torre, Ricky S. Still fighting. President Arroyo is once again charged with plunder; courtesy of Francisco Chavez and two peasant groups.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 12 8

ARROYO AND FPJ Torre, Ricky S. And now, osmosis. {Turncoatism blurs the line between the camps of the President and Da King.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 17 2

ARROYO AND MEDIUM-TERM PHILIPPINE DEVELOPMENT PLAN Nuguid, Nati. Is it workable? {President Arroyo will take her plans for the next six years to congress.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 16
ARROYO AND PRESIDENTIABLES Torre, Ricky S. On the hustings. {President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the five other candidates vying for her job take their messages to the voters.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 21 2

ARROYO’S CABINET Torre, Ricky S. Lady’s choices. {As expected, the latest presidential appointments have invited controversy.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 14

ARROYO’S PRESIDENCY Mable, Jing A. What lies ahead. {The Republic disintegrating? Forget these doomsday scenarios, says the President, who promises a bright future if given a mandate of her own.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 12

ARROYO’S PRESIDENCY AND CATHOLIC CHURCH Torre, Ricky S. The Bishops’ move. {President Arroyo is not the elected leader? The Catholic Church, of all sectors briefly ponders that question.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 14

BATTERED WOMAN SYNDROME Nuguid, Nati. Landmark decision. {The Supreme Court accepts battered woman syndrome as defense and frees a death convict.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 7 6

BIOTECHNOLOGY; BT CORN Alvarez, Ramiro C. Poison on the cob. {Opponents of genetically modified crops press the fight against Bt corn.
Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 24

BIRD FLUE New outbreak. {Asian countries are culling millions of chickens to stop a strain of bird flu that is proving to be deadly to humans. Can the Philippines keep the virus out?} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 7 12

BIRD FLUE VIRUS Racing against time. {Human-to-human transmission of the bird flu virus is possible. It may have already started. Can a pandemic be prevented.?} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 14 10

BRIDGE PROGRAM A bridge too far. {The Department of Education backs down on a five-year high school plan.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 19 12

BRIDGE PROGRAM Don’t cross the bridge. {A party-list group wants to stop the Education Department’s bridge program.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 10

BRIDGE PROGRAM Magalit, Pedro B. Jr. Mere stopgap. {The Education Department’s bridge program for high school is not the solution to the educational crisis.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 26

BRIDGE PROGRAM Nuguid, Nati. Bridging the gap. {The presecondary school program begins this year.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 17 14

BUDGET Nuguid, Nati. Budget politics. {Wrangle over electoral advantage leads to reenactment of last year’s budget.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 14 8

BURNHAM, GRACIA AND ABU SAYYAF Torre, Ricky S. Guessing the unsaid. {Gracia Burnham’s testimony revives the question of collusion between the military and the Abu Sayyaf.} Philippines Free Press 2004 August 14 14

CAMARINES SUR AND VILLAFUERTES Amurao, George T. Father and son. {If things go as planned, Luis Villafuerte will move on to Congress and his son Luis Villafuerte, Jr. will succeed him at the provincial capitol to keep Camarines Sur on the road to progress.} Philippines Free Press 2004 March 20 14

CATANDUANES AND ARACELI TABUZO BERNARDINO-WONG Quinto, Ros. Catanduanes. {The country’s leader in the nontraditional marine export industry takes on the business of legislation-for her love of Catanduanes.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 24 28

COCONUT INDUSTRY Albarez, Ramiro C. Never-ending problems. {Driven to despair by the unresolved coco levy controversy and low prices, the coconut industry faces possible extinction with the rampant legal and illegal cutting of coconut trees. Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 30

COMELEC Slow Watchdog. {The Comelec insists it is ready for the election. But how many voters are there really? Where is the new voter roll? Where are the new voter IDs?} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 6

CONGRESS AND JOSE DE VENECIA Acosta, Jojo. Man with the plan. {Speaker Jose de Venecia harnesses his office to President Arroyo’s program of government and to the proposed shift to the parliamentary system.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 31 12


CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Nuguid, Nati. Numerical tyranny. {The supporters of President Arroyo prevail, packing a congressional committee that will count the presidential and vice-presidential votes. The outnumbered opposition fights back.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 12 2

CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Nuguid, Nati. Pushing it. {Again the opposition challenges the legality of the congressional count.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 26 2

CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Torre, Ricky S. Digs. {The performance of Congress, which will still counting the votes for president and vice president, can be summed up by this feisty congressman.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 12 6

CONSTITUTION Nuguid, Nati. Give it a rest. {Plans to amend the constitution give way to legislative work supportive of the President’s government program.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 18

CONSTITUTION AND PARLIAMENTARY Nuguid, Nati. It’s now or never. {With President Arroyo leading the initiative, the Constitution will surely be amended for a shift to the parliamentary system.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 8

CONSTITUTION AND SENATE Serrano, Butch. Not now. {Can Senate President Franklin Drilon stop the constitutional amendment train this time?} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 12

DE CASTRO’S VICE-PRESIDENCY Noli Kabayan de castro for vice president. Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 23

DEATH PENALTY AND ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. A date with death. {It is up to the Supreme Court now to stop the President’s decision to carry out capital punishment this election campaign season.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 31 10

DRUGS Illegal drugs: a continuing menace.Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 24

EARTHQUAKE AND IRAN ‘This is the Apocalypse’. {A massive earthquake destroys Iran’s ancient city of Bam. The Islamic state welcomes aid from all countries, except Israel.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 2

EL SHADDAI Torre, Ricky S. The gatherer. {As the nation sinks deeper in crisis, El Shaddai leader Mariano Mike Velarde reaffirms the relevance of his charismatic movement.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 4 15

ELECTION AND COUNTING Nuguid, Nati. We will vote, but… {The election will be held as scheduled and as usual-the votes will be counted by hand.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 31 2

ELECTIONS Nuguid, Nati. Celan elections? Not this year? {The Comelec cannot cleanse the voter rolls so expect the worst in May.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 21 10

ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. Dangerous games. {Charges and countercharges, controversial proposals, warnings of civil war, military adventurism--- it’s really election time in the Philippines.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 7 2

ELECTIONS AND ARROYO Nuguid, Nati. Gloria forever? {Mrs. Arroyo is headed for a six-year term—and maybe another and another.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 12

ELECTIONS AND ARROYO Torre, Ricky S. The day after tomorrow. {What will happen when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo wins the presidential election? The answer lies in today’s developments} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 8

ELECTIONS AND AUTOMATION Nuguid, Nati. What a mess. {The Supreme Court voids the Comelec’s contract for automated elections. Whose head must roll?} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 24 2

ELECTIONS AND CHURCH Nuguid, Nati. Interferers. {The Catholic Church issues election guidelines that deride the poor as weak and irresponsible.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 24 6

ELECTIONS AND CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Nuguid, Nati. The slowest show on earth. {The Supreme Court rules for President Arroyo’s supporters. Congress proceeds with the turtle-paced count only to run into another constitutional question.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 19 2

ELECTIONS AND CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Nuguid, Nati. When will all this come to an end? {The congressional count of the presidential and vice-presidential votes is mired in controversy, charges of fraud, and threats against public protests.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 2

ELECTIONS AND CONGRESSIONAL COUNT Quezon, Manuel L. III Demystifying congress. {The public keeps a tight watch as the two chambers canvass the votes.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 6

ELECTIONS AND FAMILY PLANNING Nuguid, Nati. Ignoring the church. {A Pulse Asia poll shows voters will choose candidates who favor family planning.} Philippines Free Press 2004 March 20 10

ELECTIONS AND LEFTTIST PARTY-LIST Redbaiting. {The national security adviser wants leftist party-list groups disqualified from the May 10 election.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 17 8

ELECTIONS; ARROYO AND POE Torre, Ricky S. Two-way race. {Can President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo survive the challenge of Fernando Poe Jr?} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 17 2

ELECTRIC POWER RATES AND MERALCO The government finds its spine. {President Arroyo puts Meralco on notice: she will not allow runaway electric power rates. The Supreme Court voids a rate increase. Philippines Free Press 2004 June 26 8

ENVIRONMENT Signs of danger. {Logging, mining, overfishing, even development, threaten the Philippine environment.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 32

ESTRADA AND HOUSE ARREST Nuguid, Nati. The wind turns. {Sandiganbayan changes its stand and allows house arrest for ousted president Joseph Estrada.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 31 10

ESTRADA AND TRAVELS Nuguid, Nati. ‘I’ll be back’. {Joseph Estrada gets court permission to travel to the United States. Opponents of the decision see a deal with Malacañang.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 10

FAMILY PLANNING Flash in the pan. {Lack of real interest on the part of the government leads to failure of birth-control-programs.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 11 14

FISCAL CRISIS Nuguid, Nati. Is the Philippines going bankrupt? {No, but the country will really go bust unless the government shores up its finances.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 4 2


FISCAL CRISIS Nuguid, Nati. Looking for fixes. {The government of President Arroyo scrambles to find solutions to the fiscal crisis.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 11 2

FLOOD AND DISASTER Alvarez, Ramiro C. Waterworld. {After years of suffering abuse, nature lashes back at the people of Central Luzon and Metro Manila.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 11 8

FPJ AND CITIZENSHIP Torre, Ricky S. Elimination process. Filipino, Spanish or American? Da King faces a challenge to his citizemship.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 24 6

FPJ AND CITIZENSHIP Torre, Ricky S. Playing with fire. {The controversy over Fernando Po Jr.’s citizenship rages on, with the director of the National Archives steeping in and getting burned as a result.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 31 6

FPJ AND ELECTIONS Nuguid, Nati. Crying Fraud. {The ‘King’ and other losing candidates blame their defeat on administration sham.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 29 2

FPJ AND ELECTIONS Quezon, Manuel L. III The demise of the king. {Great disparity between Poe the legend and Poe the raw politician disillusions voters.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 29 8

GIRL SCOUTS OF THE PHILIPPINES Statement of the Girl Scouts of the Philippines objecting to Senate Bill No. 2692. Philippines Free Press 2004 January 24 41

HOG INDUSTRY; CARABAO MEAT Alvarez, Ramiro C. Disaster at the trough. {The hog industry falters. Is the importation of carabao meat to blame?} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 7 28

HOUSING AND MICHAEL DEFENSOR Alberto, Rick. The campaign spokesman. {Housing Secretary Michael Defensor is the voice of President Arroyo’s campaign for six more years in Malacañang.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 12

ILL-GOTTEN WEALTH Nuguid, Nati. Now, get the money. {The Supreme Court orders the transfer of Marcos’s Swiss loot to the government.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 31 8

IRAQ AND BUSH Getting out the message. {In a risky TV interview, Bush concedes the prewar Iraq assessment was wrong but justifies his decisions and marks the battle lines on which he intends to fight the coming election campaign.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 21 24

IRAQ AND FILIPINO SOLDIERS De Guzman, Guiller. To save a life. {Faced with a hostage crisis, President Arroyo withdraws Philippine troops from Iraq, showing Filipinos she cares for them more than the country’s world standing.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 2

IRAQ AND FILIPINO SOLDIERS Nuguid, Nati. Now, the backlash. {The hostage is free, but the Philippines comes under severe criticisms for withdrawing its troops from Iraq. Has it seriously damaged its relations with the United States?} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 31 2

IRAQ AND FILIPINO SOLDIERS Should the Philippines quit Iraq? {The government weighs the risks of the country’s involvement. And the answer comes to the President quickly.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 1 8

IRAQ AND IYAD ALLAWI ‘We will fight you’. {A tough guy tries to tame Iraq.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 12

IRAQ AND SADDAM HUSSEIN Shrunk to size. {Saddam Hussein and his henchman face their reckoning.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 17

IRAQ AND US Wrong war. {The CIA exaggerated the danger of Saddam Hussein’s illegal weapons.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 10

MAKATI AND JEJOMAR BINAY Torre, Ricky S. High marks. {Having won a new mandate, Mayor Jejomar Binay is now ready to plan bigger for Makati.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 29 12

MANILA AND LITO ATIENZA Atienza’s era. {Now serving his last term, Manila Mayor Lito Atienza sets out to define his administration as a period of development.} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 26 16

MARTIAL LAW VICTIMS AND COMPENSATION Nuguid, Nati. A long way to go. {It will not be easy for victims of martial law to claim compensation.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 21 14

MIGRANTS (IRAQ) Nuguid, Nati. Staying alive. {Some Filipinos leave Iraq because of the danger. Most stay to survive.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 29 10

MILITARY AND ARROYO Nuguid, Nati. Military disorder. {Junior officers play politics and land themselves in trouble together with one of the President’s critics.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 14 6

OPPOSITION AND PRESIDENCY Quezon, Manuel L., III. Picking up the pieces. Philippines Free Press 2004 July 17 2

PASIG CITY AND VICENTE EUSEBIO Amurao, George T. Another round. {Vicente Eusebio returns for another shot at the mayoralty in Pasig City.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 7 14

PNP De Jesus, Totel. Year of the police. {There were embarrassing lapses, but, the Philippine National Police scored quite well in 2003.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 31 12

POPULATION Nuguid, Nati. A ticking time bomb. {At the current growth rate, the Philippine’s population will reach 170 million in 30 years.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 17

POPULATION Nuguid, Nati. The fewer, the merrier? {A congressional proposal that would encourage couples to limit the number of their children to two sparks a controversy.} Philippines Free Press 2004 August 14 2

POPULATION AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH A ticking time bomb. {The Philippines’ population, now 82.6 million grows at 2.36 percent a year and, unless the growth is checked, will hit 160 million by 2038.} Philippines Free Press 2004 August 14 6

POWER CRISIS AND LOPEZ COMPANY Nuguid, Nati. Threatening darkness. {A Lopez company says a crippling power crisis could hit the Philippines three years from now.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 17 10

POWER RATES; ELECTRICITY Nuguid, Nati. Telling off the court. {The Palace is picking a fight with the judiciary over power rates.} Philippines Free Press 2004 August 14 26

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. Here we are. {The battle lines have been drawn in what may turn out to be the most catalytic chapter of Philippine history: the 2004 presidential election.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 6

PRISON ABUSE The investigator. {US Army general has Filipinos lauding the rise of a native son.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 29 32

REAGAN, RONALD WILSON The great communicator: Ronald Wilson Reagan 1911-2004. Philippines Free Press 2004 June 19 20

REBELLION Torre, Ricky S. Shelved again. {Citing their listing by Washington as terrorists, communist rebels suspend peace talks with the government.} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 4 6

RICE PRODUCTION AND RICE RESEARCH INSTITUTE Mable, Jing A. Great harvests. {A new program brings the Philippines closer to rice self-sufficiency.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 8 12

ROCO AND ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. Beyond the ballot box. {As they fight for the undecided votes, the candidates start daydreaming about their desired postelection scenarios.} Philippines Free Press 2004 March 20 2

ROCO AND ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. The revivals. {Amid speculations about this health, Raul Roco returns to Manila to join his other rivals in revitalizing their campaign for the presidency.} Philippines Free Press 2004 May 8 2

ROCO AND ELECTIONS Torre, Ricky S. What, me withdraw? {Inspired by the latest polls, Malacanang turns up the heat on Raul Roco.} Philippines Free Press 2004 February 14 2

ROCO AND MEDICAL TREATMENT Torre, Ricky S. Sudden absence. {Raul Roco suddenly flies to the United States for medical treatment, reconfiguring the presidential contest.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 24 2

SENATE AND FRANKLIN DRILON The next race? {Can Franklin Drilon survive a challenge to his leadership in the Senate?} Philippines Free Press 2004 June 5 14

SENATE PRESIDENCY Serrano, Butch. No fighting here. {Franklin Drilon and Manuel Villar decide to share the senate presidency.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 24 23

SENATE PRESIDENCY Serrano, Butch. Not so fast. {Choosing the Senate president is the job of the majority, not of just two men.} Philippines Free Press 2004 July 31 8
SMOKEY MOUNTAIN DEVELOPMENT Serrano, Butch. Rewarding failure. {Smokey Mountain developer to get paid for unfinished project?} Philippines Free Press 2004 September 4 8

SUGAR INDUSTRY Alvarez, Ramiro C. Requiem for sugar. {High production costs, low market prices, and cheap imports are killing the Philippine sugar industry.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 10 30

TAX PROPOSALS AND ARROYO Serrano, Butch. Faucet economics. {President Arroyo’s tax proposals are headed for the shelves in the Senate.} Philippines Free Press 2004 August 14 18

TERRORISM AND ARROYO Mable, Jing A. Against terror. {President Arroyo creates a new task force to fight terrorism.} Philippines Free Press 2004 April 24 10

WAR Steiner, Hans. Life and death during the occupation. Philippines Free Press 2004 February 21 20

WATER Alvarez, Ramiro C. Going dry again. {Manila faces another water shortage and all the government can do is urge conservation.} Philippines Free Press 2004 January 24 38