Condi Rice’s top heavy security for Cebu Asean Summit

Spybiz informants in Cebu reported that the Shangri-la Mactan Hotel may not be ready for the 12th Asean Summit this December because ongoing building efforts may not be finished on time. GMA is reportedly concerned at this development and she may just resort to "Plan B" to set up in another venue. Washington sources tell us that US State Secretary Condoleezza Rice will be part of the contingent from the United States, one of ASEAN’s dialog partners. Security for Condi Rice will be top priority for the US, and the world’s second most powerful woman may just be booked at a US "Destroyer-cum-hotel" along the coast of Cebu. Or perhaps an aircraft carrier where she can also land her helicopter. Condi may not be George Bush but she is certainly one of the closest and most trusted advisers of the US President, and there is no doubt she will be secured like a president. She is America’s most powerful woman after all, and is a close friend of the Bush family, having served as Russian affairs adviser to George Bush Sr.

Bullet proof claims

Claims from some security laminate companies that they could make a vehicle bullet proof and bomb proof are making Spybiz informants uneasy due to unrealistic expectations such claims may just create. According to a source, one could not actually make glass bullet proof and in fact, even armored vehicles have the potential of getting penetrated by bullets from a high-powered firearm. Security laminates are micro-thin transparent films that when applied to glass windows could act as effective shields and barriers. The film, measured in mils (1 mil = 1/1000 of an inch) is perfect for establishments to prevent break-ins, intentional vandalism and accidental projectiles like rocks that could cause the glass to shatter when hit. These films toughen the glass and prevent them from shattering into small pieces. While third party testing has proven that certain types of films could resist bullets from .38 or 9mm handguns, the film alone is not enough to provide complete bulletproofing. According to our informant, one such company (said to be the competitor of the leading brand) allegedly installed this so called security laminate on vehicle glasses and claimed they would be bullet resistant. However, one police official who had his SUV "bullet-proofed" died because his car glass could not withstand the repeated assault from the firearms used during an ambush. As one security laminates company stated in its website, it does not pretend that its products are bullet, bomb or break-in proof. What they provide are added protections against such. And as the informant claimed, the protection that this type of armoring gives is to provide a small window of opportunity for a potential victim to be able to escape the scene of an ambush into safety. But with the repeated shots, there is a possibility that a bullet will still find its way through the glass.

PCE goes ‘Techno’

Coming on the heels of the highly successful GoNegosyo Summit, MicroNegosyo Expo and the GoNegosyo Teen Edition Conference, Presidential Consultant for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion III is set to launch the biggest technology entrepreneurship expo ever. Dubbed "TechnoNegosyo," the event will showcase new technologies, products and services of various technology companies led by Microsoft, PLDT-Smart as well as banking institutions that can offer vast opportunities particularly to small and medium scale entrepreneurs. To be held on September 14-15 at the World Trade Center along Roxas Boulevard, the two-day event spearheaded by the Philippine Center for Entrepreneurship (PCE) will also feature panel discussions detailing how technologies could help transform and improve existing business models. Outstanding Filipino "technopreneurs" whose efforts have contributed a lot in the field of technology will also be honored, such as Manny Pangilinan (Smart/PLDT), Ben and Nonoy Colayco (Level Up!), Dennis Mendiola (Chikka Asia) Jaime Zobel de Ayala (Globe Telecom/Ayala Corp.) and William Torres (Mozcom), among others. "This country is so lucky to have a brilliant young generation of visionary technopreneurs who have chosen to launch an entrepreneurship revolution right here although they could have been successful anywhere," said Concepcion, who is also the PCE founding trustee. The two-day event will be open to the public.

Spy Chiz-mis

Our Eye-spies were looking up the skies at the Veterans Memorial Hospital the other day when their eyes were riveted to an approaching object. Was it a bird…? Was it a plane…? No. It was a helicopter with Congressman Francis "Super Chiz" Escudero flying in, bringing food for someone billeted at the hospital. Many people in the area asked, who could he have been visiting at the hospital in such a grand manner?

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