US Ambassador Kenney Leaves RP Quietly

MANILA, Philippines—US Ambassador Kristie Kenney left the Philippines quietly on Monday morning, without the usual bustle that used to attend her every move in the country.

Airport employees described her exit as “just like an ordinary tourist’s departure.”

Kenney left on a Northwest Airlines flight at 8:20 a.m. unnoticed by airport reporters and photographers.

She was in a shirt and jeans and was accompanied by two house help who carried her two cats, according to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) public associate Chris Sidianco.

Before she boarded the plane she thanked airport employees and waved.

“She left casually, just like an ordinary tourist,” Sidianco said.

A staffer in the NAIA public affairs office said it was Kenney’s choice not to notify the media about her departure.

Kenney was US ambassador to Manila for three and a half years.

She was well-loved by Filipinos for her personal style of diplomacy, but she could also be tough. She danced to the “Papaya” song on a TV show, but she also made many trips to Mindanao in support of efforts to end the decades-old insurgency there.

Google Co-Founders To Sell $5.5B Combined In Stock

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Google co-founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin plan to sell 5 million shares apiece of their company stock, worth $5.5 billion combined at current prices.

The sales will occur periodically during the next five years and leave the two with 48 percent of the voting power among stockholders, down from roughly 59 percent now. But with Google Inc. CEO Eric Schmidt controlling nearly 10 percent voting power, the trio will still control the company.

According to regulatory documents filed Friday, Page and Brin will still own 47.7 million shares combined after the sales.

Shares fell $2.71, or 0.5 percent, to $547.30 in extended trading Friday.

Manny Still Hoping To Fight Floyd

REIGNING POUND-FOR-POUND KING Manny Pacquiao is confident a ring date with Floyd Mayweather Jr. will still happen, even as the replacement foe for his Mar. 13 bout, Joshua Clottey, made plans to fly to Ghana to address a big trainer problem.

In a report by CNN.com, Pacquiao said: “I’m still hoping a fight with Mayweather will be pushed through, maybe by summer time.”

Meanwhile, Clottey’s trainer was denied a United States visa, throwing off the fighter’s training schedule.

Trainer Godwin Nii Dzanie Kotey and assistant trainer Daniel Clottey were stuck in Ghana after encountering visa problems.

“An officer looked into the documents I had with me and he wrote something that they (were) going to do investigations and give me a call,” Kotey told Joy Sports’ Nathaniel Attoh.

In a separate interview with Eastsideboxing.com, Kotey said: “We are very disappointed. Now, Joshua is all alone in the US and even if he’s training, there’s no supervision.”

Clottey was a replacement for Mayweather when the bout between the last two boxers to hold the mythical pound-for-pound throne collapsed because of disagreements over drug-testing protocols.

Pacquiao has said the negotiations cast him in a bad light and he’d try to prove he doesn’t use performance-enhancing drugs.

“I want to clear my name because I'm a very honest person,” the reigning WBO welterweight champion told CNN. “I’m very disappointed for what he accused me of. I’m clean. I’m not cheating. I’m a very honest fighter.”

- Francis T.J. Ochoa

Toyota Recalls 2.3 Million Vehicles In US For Accelerator Problem

WASHINGTON – Toyota Motor has recalled around 2.3 million vehicles in the United States to fix a problem with their accelerator pedals, the company's US division announced Thursday.

The company said the recall was to correct accelerator pedals on specific Toyota models that could "in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position."

The action was separate to an ongoing recall of approximately 4.2 million Toyota and Lexus vehicles that was begun last year due to a risk that loose driver-side floor mats could slip forward and jam the pedals, it said.

"In recent months, Toyota has investigated isolated reports of sticking accelerator pedal mechanisms in certain vehicles without the presence of floor mats," Irv Miller, vice president of Toyota Motor Sales USA, said in a statement.

"Our investigation indicates that there is a possibility that certain accelerator pedal mechanisms may, in rare instances, mechanically stick in a partially depressed position or return slowly to the idle position," he added.

"Consistent with our commitment to the safety of our cars and our customers, we have initiated this voluntary recall action."

The models involved are the RAV4 2009 to 2010 (model year), Corolla (2009-2010), Matrix (2009-2010), Avalon (2005-2010), Camry (2007-2010), Highlander (2010), Tundra (2007-2010) and Sequoia (2008-2010)

House Passes Cybercrime Bill

MANILA, Philippines—The House of Representatives has passed on third and final reading the cybercrime prevention bill, which intends to punish people who commit computer fraud and other cyber-related abuses.

There was hardly any opposition to the measure, except from Kabataan party-list Rep. Raymond Palatino, who explained during the voting Monday night that passing the measure would give the government a dangerous weapon.

“We are dangerously granting the government the legal basis to invade the privacy of individuals,” Palatino said.

The bill, co-authored by 21 lawmakers, lists the prohibited acts relating to the use of computers and other electronic devices. These include illegal access, illegal interception, system and data interference, computer fraud, cybersex activities and child pornography.

But according to Palatino, the bill contains provisions that affect people's civil liberties.

For one thing, cybercrime is defined vaguely, he contended. The measure encompasses the recording and distribution of recorded private acts not limited to sexual acts. But he said this will have an impact on media exposes where they use hidden cameras to catch acts of corruption.

He added that even the “Hello Garci” phone call that snagged President Macapagal Arroyo, who was caught in a wiretapped conversation with an unidentified election official during the counting of votes during the 2004 polls, would be considered a private act.

He also warned that the proposed law would allow government authorities to monitor people's personal accounts on various sites, including e-mail. If a person is suspected of engaging in cybercrime the authorities could open his accounts for surveillance on his actions, he said.

In such instances, the government could access activities and files not related to the suspicious activities.

“This is dangerous because it gives the government an excuse to justify illegal fishing expeditions against ordinary citizens and allows the wanton violation of the strict requirements in criminal procedure,” he said.

Palatino said the measure should be revised to remedy the vague provisions on the definition of cybercrime, and to make the bill more technical.

By Leila Salaverria

Pacquiao's New Song To Mayweather Jr.

Someday When We Touch (To the tune of Sometimes When We Touch)

They asked you if you’ll fight me
And you choked on your reply
I’d rather Arum deal with you
Than mislead you with a lie
And who am I to judge you,
On what you say or do
The fans are now beginning
To see the real you..

And someday when we tats
My LEFT will be too much
That you have to close your eyes
Where do you hide?
I wanna pound you til you’re white
‘Til your face breaks down and cry
I wanna beat you
‘Til you dream and say, goodnight.

You think you are a strategist
That you can insult my pride
But through your insecurities
You’re ZERO loss seemed right
You’re just another fighter
So far from what is true
An overrated boxer
Who never gives his due

And someday when we tats
My RIGHT will be too much
That you have to close your eyes
Where do you hide?
I wanna pound you til you’re white
‘Til your face breaks down and cry
I wanna beat you
‘Til you dream and say, goodnight.

At times I’d like to break you
And drive you to your knees
The fans would like to watch you
And see your first defeat
Your huggers understand you
And we know how hard they try
I’ve watched your Dad protect you
And your Uncle loves to smile

My coach thinks you're a loser
Still searching for a break
You think your odds are better
But then the public bets AGAINST!

And someday when we tats
My SPEED will be too much
That you have to close your eyes
Where can you hide?
I wanna pound you til you’re white
‘Til your face breaks down and cry
I wanna beat you
‘Til you dream and say, goodnight!

Acer Recalls 22,000 Defective Laptops

22,000 Acer laptops have been recalled by Acer and the CPSC because of a wiring defect. The computers can short circuit, melt the casing, and theoretically burn users.

The affected computers are the following models, manufactured between June and October 2009. Call Acer at (866) 695-2237 to find out whether your individual machine is affected. Have your serial number handy.

* AS3410
* AS3410T
* AS3810T
* AS3810TG
* AS3810TZ
* AS3810TZG

Facebook blocks social network 'suicide' website

WASHINGTON- Facebook said Monday that it is blocking a website called "Web 2.0 Suicide Machine" that helps users delete their social network profiles.

The number one social network also said it had sent a "cease-and-desist" letter to another website, Seppukoo.com, which also helps you kill off your virtual identity.

The Web 2.0 Suicide Machine site, which features a hangman's noose on its homepage, deletes profiles, friends and other information on Facebook, MySpace, Twitter and LinkedIn for users who provide their account information.

"This machine lets you delete all your energy sucking social-networking profiles, kill your fake virtual friends, and completely do away with your Web2.0 alterego," it says.

Facebook, in a statement to AFP, said the suicide site was in violation of Facebook rules.

"Facebook provides the ability for people who no longer want to use the site to either deactivate their account or delete it completely," Facebook said.

"Web 2.0 Suicide Machine collects login credentials, which is a violation of our Statement of Rights and Responsibilities (SRR)," it said.

"We've blocked the site's access to Facebook as is our policy for sites that violate our SRR," Facebook said. "We're currently investigating and considering whether to take further action."

Facebook, which claims more than 300 million users, also said it had sent Seppukoo.com "a cease-and-desist letter for similarly violating our policies."

Seppukoo.com urges users to "impress your friends" and "disconnect yourself" by committing online suicide in the manner of Japanese samurai.

Ritual samurai suicide was known as "seppuku."

"As the seppuku restores the samurai's honour as a warrior, seppukoo.com deals with the liberation of the digital body," the site says.