Militant Groups Slam Govt For Suspending Classes On Day Of Arroyo's SONA

An anti-Arroyo protester.

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / July 28, 2008) – Militant groups and political activists criticized the Arroyo government for ordering the suspension of classes in many schools Monday in Manila which coincided on the President’s State of the Nation Address.

The government suspended classes in many schools in Manila because of the typhoon IGME, whose international code is FUNG WONG.

Militant groups accused the government of preventing students to join a massive rally to protest Arroyo’s failure to bring down high gas prices and rising cost of basic commodities

Filipino weather experts said the typhoon was heading to Taiwan.

Leaders of the militant groups BAYAN and its affiliates said they will stage simultaneous rallies in key cities and provinces in the country during Arroyo’s address.

Arroyo, accused by opposition politicians of cheating and electoral fraud in 2004 Presidential elections and whose administration has been involved in many corruption scandals, is extremely unpopular in the Philippines. (Mindanao Examiner)

Philippine Typhoon Watch: IGME July 28, 2008

Satellite image of Typhoon IGME as of 5 a.m. July 28, 2008

Synopsis: At 2 a.m. today, Typhoon "IGME" was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 280 kms north northeast of Basco, Batanes (23.0°N, 122.4°E) with maximum sustained winds of 140 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 170 kph. It is moving west northwest at 15 kph.

Forecast: Extreme Northern Luzon will experience stormy weather. The rest of Northern Luzon will have rains and gusty winds and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. The rest of Luzon and Western Visayas will have monsoon rains. The rest of Visayas will experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms. Mindanao will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the rest of Luzon and Visayas and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, light to moderate winds coming from the south and southwest will prevail with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms. (PAGASA)

Philippine Storm Watch: IGME July 27, 2008

Synopsis: At 2 a.m. today, Typhoon "IGME" was estimated based on satellite and surface data at 360 kms east northeast of Basco, Batanes (21.2°N, 125.6°E) with maximum sustained winds of 120 kph near the center and gustiness of up to 150 kph. It is moving west at 11 kph.

Forecast: Extreme Northern Luzon will experience stormy weather. The rest of Northern Luzon will have rains and gusty winds and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. The rest of the country particularly the western sections will experience monsoon rains.

Moderate to strong winds blowing from the southwest will prevail over the rest of Luzon and the western sections of Visayas and Mindanao and the coastal waters along these areas will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, light to moderate winds coming from the southwest will prevail with slight to moderate seas except during thunderstorms. (PAGASA)