THE financial crisis did not prevent the Philippine elite from getting their hands on the “finer things in life” as they continued to purchase high-end appliances and gadgets, as well as invest in stocks and other financial products, according to the survey conducted by Synovate.

The survey showed that ownership of laptop computers among the affluent Filipinos increased by 7.8 percent to 47.9 percent, while the number of those who own a hybrid phone like a personal digital assistant (PDA) went up by 8.1 percent to 15.6 percent.

WE cannot love what we do not know—this was the message given to visitors to Makati City’s Glorietta mall on Tuesday as they were given a glimpse of something that is frequently talked about but never really understood. A replica of a newborn blue whale, the earth’s largest living animal, was unveiled at Glorietta 5’s activity center on Tuesday.

THE House of Representatives, in plenary session, voted on Tuesday night to dismiss the verified impeachment complaint against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, accused by civil society groups of betrayal of public trust and culpabale violation of the Constitution.

Voting 172 as against 15 and one abstention, legislators dismissed Committee Report 2483 which earlier dismissed the complaint for being insufficient in substance. The House Committee on Justice had found the accusation sufficient in form but is not sufficient in substance.