Piercing Pens

“The DOLE is mandated to promote gainful employment opportunities, develop human resources, protect workers and promote their welfare, and maintain industrial peace.”

Those words are written on the front page of the Department of labor and Employment website.

Then, we hear on the news that the labor secretary will ask the President to veto the wage hike bill.

Weird.

Update from Newsbreak distributed by NUJP:

Arraignment set for Newsbreak editors

Editors of Newsbreak will be arraigned on January 10, Wednesday, 8:30 a.m. at the Regional Trial Court, Branch 6, Manila City Hall.

Six Newsbreak editors were charged with libel in November last year as a result of a story on the First Gentleman Jose Miguel “Mike” Arroyo the fortnightly news magazine published in December 2003. Scheduled to be arraigned are Marites Danguilan Vitug, editor in chief; Glenda M. Gloria, managing editor; Ricky Carandang, former business editor; R.E. Otico and Jose Dalisay Jr., editorial consultants; and Booma Cruz, former contributing editor.

The resolution dated Nov. 13, 2006 and penned by Fredy Gomez, assistant city prosecutor (Manila), said that we, the accused, “meant and intended to convey false and malicious insinuations” against the First Gentleman, “imputed… a crime…” and therefore our story was “highly libelous and offensive and derogatory to the good name, character and reputation…of the First Gentleman.”

The resolution further said that the article was “solely prepared, written, and published by the accused for no other purpose than to impeach and besmirch” Mr. Arroyo. (more…)

Popular People Power 2 figure Sergio Apostol–a member of the prosecution panel in the failed impeachment trial against ousted President Joseph Estrada known for his “Madam Wetness” line–is now Gloria Arroyo’s Presidential Chief Legal Counsel. He reportedly threatened to file a counter-suit seeking to disbar lawyer Evalyn Ursua for “ignorance of the law.”

Ursua and other lawyers of Subic rape case victim Nicole is questioning the Arroyo administration’s decision to surrender custody of convicted rapist Daniel Smith to the United States.

Ursua is unfazed by Apostol’s threat.

“It’s his right. I won’t dignify his statements. He should also charge former Senators Jovito Salonga and Wigberto Tañada. I’ll be in good company,” GMANews.tv quoted her as saying.