US raises quota
share of RP sugar
BY ROLANDO L. ESPINA

A United States trade representative yesterday officially informed the Philippine government that the US is allocating an additional increase of 37,037 metric tons of raw sugar to its previous share last October, Sugar Regulatory Administration head James Ledesma said yesterday.

The SRA administrator had earlier raised the allocation of "A" (US Sugar Quota share) to 10 percent following persistent report that the US agriculture department may add to its previous increased quota allocation before the year ends because the initial additional order for about 35,000 metric tons of raw sugar was placed ahead of hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

In Louisiana, US Sugar experts reported, the hurricane drove seawater as much as 15 miles inland. It covered ripening sugarcane crops and posed the problem of soil fertility.

Negros bishops-congressmen's
forum pushed
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra is pushing for the creation of a bishops-congressmen's conference in Negros Occidental as a venue for airing concerns of the people and to push for good governance, Fr. Aniceto Buenafe said yesterday.

Buenafe, head the Diocese of Bacolod Social Action Center, said a meeting was set Wednesday afternoon at the Bishop's Palace in Bacolod where the seven congressmen were invited.

However, only Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella showed up.

'Arrest of Abat
a danger sign'
BY CARLA GOMEZ

Wilson Gamboa, acting spokesman of the Coalition for National Solidarity, said the public reaction to the arrest yesterday of former defense secretary Fortunato Abat is a clear danger sign for the Arroyo government.

The arrest of Abat, who had declared himself president of a "transition government" and had holed up at the Club Filipino in Greenhills since Tuesday, only brings attention to his call for good government, Gamboa said.

Gamboa, who is from Bacolod City, said there was deceit in the arrest of Abad and his companions who were initially told they were only being invited for questioning.