MEMBERS of the Freedom from Debt Coalition picket (above) the premises of PSALM’s main office in Makati City to oppose the privatization of Transco’s 25-year concession. Below, reporters get a briefing on the results of the auction from (L-R):Jose C. Ibazeta, Psalm president; Finance Undersecretary Jeremias N. Paul Jr.; and Froilan A. Tampinco, PSALM vice president for asset management and electricity trading. --PAUL A. ISLA

SUPREME Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno is amenable to the proposal of the Joint Foreign Chambers of Commerce to create special courts to handle legal controversies involving foreign investments and loan agreements for government projects.

FINALLY, after having failed in privatizing the 25-year concession of the National Transmission Corp. (Transco), the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management Corp. (Psalm) on Wednesday declared the consortium of Monte Oro Grid Resources Corp., Calaca High Power Corp. and State Grid Corp. of China as the highest bidder for said operation and management contract of the country’s power-lines unit.

BALI, Indonesia—What was billed as a security nightmare—protecting 10,000 delegates at the climate-change conference in an idyllic resort island where terrorists had already spread mayhem in 2002—just got worse. The already tight security on the island grew even stricter hours after reports that car bombs had killed 76 people in Algeria, with the United Nations refugee agency building as prime target.

BALI, Indonesia—As the UN climate conference here enters the crucial last two days of negotiation, Philippine delegation leaders said they see no breakthrough in Bali but see progress as many countries push for commitments on mitigation, adaptation, transfer of technology and the financing scheme, into the “Bali Roadmap.”

BALI, Indonesia—Children are often referred to as the “future” of the country.  And 15-year-old Hezel Candelario from Masbate believes that children have the right to be heard in the ongoing climate-change negotiations here in Bali.

BANKS like BPI Family Savings Bank are uncomfortable with the peso’s strength, seeing its appreciation as “too rapid” for businessmen to plan accordingly.

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) expects to collect a billion pesos by year-end, thanks to a measure which reexamines tax payments levied on oil companies’ crude shipments for the past three years.

THE Malacañang decision to tap specific agencies to certify and accredit charitable organizations as donee institutions for tax-deduction purposes is meant to help narrow the budget deficit and not to target groups critical of the administration, officials explained Wednesday. 

SENATE probers grill authorities Thursday on the “warrantless arrests” of journalists who covered the November 29 Peninsula Hotel standoff amid fears of media repression, despite officials’ claims the handcuffing and herding of reporters into a prison bus for processing were standard procedures in conflict zones.

President Arroyo on Wednesday endorsed the recommendations and requests of the Commission on Human Rights, among them a proposed law against torture, a full review of the criminal justice system, and the grant of fiscal autonomy to the commission to strengthen the institution,

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MR. YVO DE BOER, executive secretary of the UN’s Framework for Climate Change Conference, and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon preside at a briefing in Bali. --IMELDA ABAÑO