Camacho bails out

Our Finance Department ear-spies overheard that Secretary Jose Isidro Camacho bailed out because he allegedly does not want to become GMA’s "chief fundraiser" for her campaign in 2004. According to very credible information, this would entail the sale of RP’s Roppongi properties, which could really get Camacho in trouble. You see, it takes Congressional approval to proceed with the sale, and the Senate, supposedly led by Senator Angara, is allegedly up in arms against the sale. The alleged financial scandal involving the finance secretary’s wife two years ago was already more than what they could handle. Thus, according to our ear-spies, the better part of valor for him is to immediately bail out. Is this the signal for Civil Society’s final break from GMA?

Recovering Doy

Friends of former Vice-President Doy Laurel are praying for him. Reports of his suffering from cancer of the lymphoma have been confirmed. Our ear-spies discovered that the cancer is getting worse. The family is concerned because after having lent his name and prestige to the Centennial EXPO project out of a sense of duty, he ended up being linked to the scandal. Doy, quite unwittingly, has been pushed and shoved by political forces.

‘Hazardous Waste’ Official?

The joke that’s going around the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is that this high official is so useless, the person is considered in the agency as a "hazardous waste" problem.

According to a Malacañang official, the Palace got wind of this official’s alleged incompetence and finally decided to put the person on the shake-up block as the first head to roll in the December Cabinet revamp. This person has been allegedly accused of violating Republic Act No. 1379 for unexplained wealth. Aside from supposed discrepancies in this person’s statement of assets and liabilities, this official is also being accused of allegedly cornering lucrative contracts through a certain firm that assesses the environmental impact and compliance of business proposals. According to our department ear-spies, some congressmen are so concerned that now they are drafting a law preventing any official to turn the DENR into a landfill!

Rolling & Goal-Less

What about this alleged NSA official who’s undermining the Task Force for Securing Critical Infrastructure (TFSCI)? Our ear-spies overheard that a high official of the NSA is supposedly complicating matters for TFSCI chief Abe Purugganan who is hard at work in coordinating public and private sector’s efforts to harden targets. Many feel this has somehow left the private sector a bit dazed and confused. It is a fact that the private sector owns 70 percent of what are considered critical infrastructures that are basic to a normal national life. The alleged actions of some officials of this official from the NSA are reminiscent of how some RP security officials confused the US Secret Service. They only wanted to deal with one person and ended up getting baffled by a multitude of "bosses." If we want terrorists to gain the upper hand, then the government should just allow this unnecessary "rivalry."

Glorietta For Roco

Allegedly, former senator Raul Roco’s fondest dream is for Gloria Arroyo to support his presidential bid. His wish came in a different form when the Glorietta owners, the Zobels, reportedly committed to back him with financial support. An ear-spy at Roco’s birthday bash held at Miriam College last Oct. 26 confirmed the development.

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