Ex-actor is acting DENR secretary

A former actor who starred in the 1980s TV drama ?Yagit? is the acting secretary of the environment. Eleazar Quinto, until yesterday an undersecretary at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, said he wanted to be a ?practicing environmentalist? in the six months that he has until the end of President Macapagal-Arroyo?s term. Quinto took over from Lito Atienza who resigned to run for mayor of Manila. Quinto said he would look into the issuance by Atienza of a permit that allowed the Boracay West Cove resort to build over coral reefs on the world-famous island. -- Nikko Dizon

Satur to defend self in disqualification case

NACIONALISTA Party senatorial candidate Rep. Satur Ocampo will represent himself in the disqualification case filed against him in the Commission on Elections by a purported military agent. Ocampo?s fellow Bayan Muna party-list representative, Teodoro Casiño, said yesterday the case was another attempt by the Arroyo administration to stifle one of its harshest critics. ?Just like previous disqualification cases filed against Satur and Bayan Muna, the complaint filed by a certain Krestoric C. Magbanua is a sham. The complainant is a confirmed military agent who has been showing the AFP?s ?Knowing the Enemy? PowerPoint presentation around Laguna,? said Casiño in a statement. The Comelec starts hearing the disqualification case today. -- Gil C. Cabacungan Jr.

Party-list group nominees fight over seat

A power struggle is brewing in the Abakada Guro party-list group with its two nominees tussling over its lone seat in the House of Representatives. Abakada yesterday said in a press statement that Samson Alcantara was taking over the group?s House seat from Jonathan de la Cruz who had resigned. De la Cruz was the party-list?s nominee since April when the Supreme Court raised the number of party-list groups entitled to seats in Congress. De la Cruz belied the press statement, saying he remained Abakada?s nominee.

But Abakada said De la Cruz had resigned on Dec. 31, 2009, pursuant to a term-sharing agreement with Alcantara. De la Cruz said he was told by the group?s lawyer, Benjamin Kato, that the term-sharing agreement with Alcantara was not approved by Abakada?s members. -- Leila B. Salaverria

LPG price slashed by P1/kg

RETAILERS have slashed the price of cooking gas by P1 a kilogram beginning today, despite a $15-per-metric ton increase in the international contract price of liquefied petroleum gas. LPG Marketers Association Arnel Ty said member companies decided to cut prices due to a marked decline in domestic demand. ?We have decided we needed to sell our products and the only way to do that is to reduce prices. We would have to absorb the increase and just wait for international prices to soften next month,? he said. Today?s rollback will bring down the price of an 11-kg LPG tank by P11. With an expected decline in the international contract price in February, Ty said retailers may further cut prices by P1 per kg either this week or next at the latest. -- Amy R. Remo

File annual reports, BI reminds aliens

THE Bureau of Immigration yesterday advised all resident foreign nationals in the country that they can file their annual reports in person at BI satellite offices or sub-ports nationwide. Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan made the announcement after seeing the heavy volume of foreigners that flocked to the bureau?s main office in Intramuros, Manila, on Monday to file their annual reports. Libanan said he instructed Alien Registration Division chief Danilo Almeda to allow foreigners to file their annual reports in the bureau?s satellite offices and sub-ports. He warned that foreigners who fail to file an annual report would be meted out a fine, imprisonment or deportation. ?Foreigners making the annual report should bring their Alien Certificate of Registration I-Cards, regular certificate of residence (?cedula?) and official receipt of the report fee they paid the previous year,? said Almeda. The annual report fee is P300 plus a P10 legal research fee. (See BI ad on Page A2.) -- Jerome Aning

Pinoy seamen get unexpected bonus

TWELVE Filipino seamen scored a landmark victory after a Greek court ordered the owner of the ship they were crewing on to pay them four times their actual wages, the Department of Foreign Affairs said Monday. Quoting a report from the Philippine Embassy in Athens, the DFA said a Greek court on Dec. 21, 2009, ordered that the salaries of the ship?s crew be calculated on the Greek wage standard which was about four times higher than the salaries stipulated in the seamen?s contracts. The Filipino crew sought the assistance of the embassy after negotiations with the owner of the MV Aetea Sierra for their unpaid salaries and damages failed. The Filipinos were Jesus Hantic, Jose Cardenas, Gardner Monte, Constancio Cubay, Florvic Labaco, GilJhun Moneva, Julius Cesar Flores, Ricleand Camino, Wilfredo Ranara, Primo Fernandico, Erolin Choing and Jerry Laride. -- Cynthia D. Balana