IN an effort to resolve the impasse on the country’s baselines issue, Speaker Prospero Nograles will meet with members of the House foreign affairs committee and the heads of the parties composing the majority coalition hoping to come out with a formula on how to best resolve conflicting positions among the three branches of government.

At the same time, Nograles proposed that the issue should be discussed in the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (Ledac), which he hopes would be convened the soonest possible time.

This after Malacañang pushed for the review of House Bill 3216, or “An Act Defining the Archipelagic Baselines of the Philippine Archipelago, Amending for the Purpose Republic Act 3046, as Amended by Republic Act 5446,” which members of the House planned to pass on third and final reading when Congress resumes session on April 21.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita wrote Nograles a letter on April 4 reaffirming the position of the Executive branch relative to the Philippine archipelagic baseline, which is “to enclose the main archipelago within the baselines and treat the Kalayaan Group of Islands as a regime of islands.”

“We will meet the soonest possible time with members of the foreign affairs committee and talk to the heads of the parties composing the majority coalition regarding baselines bill. Time is of the essence as we have international deadlines to meet,” Nograles said.

Nograles said the urgency of the baselines bill prompted him to forgo his international obligation to attend the 118th Interparliamentary Union Assembly in Cape Town, South Africa, from April 13 to 18, so that he can have time to bring out the best formula to resolve conflicting positions on the Baselines issue and, at the same time, get himself an executive medical checkup.

Nograles said the country cannot afford to commit a smallest mistake on the issue “because the fate of our nation is at stake.”

Nograles said he is receptive to the position of Malacañang, but he wants to make sure that the country’s legal position to pursue its claim over the Spratlys is not compromised and all questions regarding its effect on national sovereignty have been adequately answered.

“As a trained lawyer, I only want to deal with facts. We have varying opinions on this issue and I want to listen to all sides, for or against the position of the executive department. In the end, we will have study the merits of each position and hopefully we can find the best and most acceptable formula to resolve conflicting school of thoughts,” he said.

Nograles said that it is also useless if Congress and the executive branch cannot meet eye-to-eye on the baselines bill because the President can veto it if she feels strongly against its provisions.

He added that it is also difficult to even come out with a Baselines Law if the Senate’s version is in complete contrast with the House version.

“We want to avoid a irreconcilable deadlock because we have a deadline to meet. We do not want to end up without anything to bring to the UN on May 2009,” he said.

Vietnamese vessels ‘monitored in Spratlys but no violation committed’

THE Philippine Air Force (PAF) on Wednesday disclosed that it had monitored two cargo and eight naval vessels with Vietnamese markings in the Spratlys in January and March, but admitted that the foreign ships did not violate the Code of Conduct prevailing in the area.

IN an effort to resolve the impasse on the country’s baselines issue, Speaker Prospero Nograles will meet with members of the House foreign affairs committee and the heads of the parties composing the majority coalition hoping to come out with a formula on how to best resolve conflicting positions among the three branches of government.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A military official disclosed that the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines has changed its strategy to boost the number of its fighters and mass-based supporters.

THE Asian Peasant Coalition (APC) condemned on Wednesday the arrest of 13 farmers and advocacy- group leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia, while they were observing protest actions both at the presidential palace and at the Ministry of Agriculture.

THE World Health Organization (WHO) on Wednesday urged governments to prioritize the effects of global warming in their health agenda as it warned that climate change may reverse whatever gains were achieved in fighting diseases due to poverty.

THE possibility of a presidential pardon for the nine military officers who were convicted on a coup case by the Regional Trial Court in Makati Tuesday is not remote especially if Malacañang considers the admission of their wrongdoing, the Armed Forces chief of staff said Wednesday.

HAD President Arroyo followed the propoor programs of former President Joseph Estrada, the country would not experience a rice crisis, San Juan Mayor Joseph Victor Ejercito said Wednesday.

Malacañang is resorting to another diversionary scheme to distract public attention from the increasing list of uncovered administration anomalies with President Arroyo herself insisting on Wednesday that “Senate investigations would not bring rice to the table” of hungry Filipinos.