BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Noy Warned Of Rice Crisis

MANILA BULLETIN -- Fare Hike Illegal

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Mikey Defends Sale Of Property In US

MANILA STANDARD -- Aquino: We Are At War With Ombudsman

MANILA TIMES -- Atienza Slam Plunder Suit

MALAYA -- Mikey Confirms Sale Of US House

DAILY TRIBUNE -- BIR Chief Vows Jail Time For Mikey A.

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Not Enough

ABANTE -- PNoy Asar Na Kay Willie

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- PNoy Ayaw Sa Emergency Power

 

BALITA -- Ilegal Ang Fare Hike

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Child-Easters Now In Bulacan!

BULGAR -- Malagim Na Outing

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The earliest that the Senate can present its proposed version on the Palace-backed bill proposing to postpone the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) polls is on May 9, when Congress resumes sessions. Sen. Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. said this yesterday even as he noted that there is no firm assurance that his committee on local government will be able to come up with recommendations citing the reason that they still have to consider the legal and constitutional issues confronting this matter. “The legal and constitutional merits have to be properly examined,” the senator said. (Tribune-p3) 

On Presidency

Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. expressed hopes yesterday that the Filipino people would understand that the country’s problems could not be solved overnight and that the Aquino administration was doing everything to fulfill its promises to the public. Ochoa said the decline of the popularity ratings of President Aquino show that the people’s expectations were too high when the new administration took over, but the “realities” in the bureaucracy have prevented them from effecting the reforms they wanted in the soonest time possible. Although they were able to effect a lot of “immediate responses to immediate demands,” there were programs and projects that could not be undertaken as fast as previously planned. (Philstar-p1) 

President Aquino is keeping his hands off the case of a six-year-old boy’s macho dancing on TV-5’s “Willing Willie” show, saying it will be up to the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to decide the matter, Malacañang said yesterday. The MTRCB, meanwhile, yesterday rejected a motion filed by Willie Revillame’s lawyer to intervene in the proceedings for lack of jurisdiction over television personalities. (Philstar-p6) 

President Benigno Aquino 3rd on Monday went sarcastic with Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, disparaging an apparent success of the country’s chief graftbuster in recovering part of allegedly ill-gotten wealth amassed by a former comptroller of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). He stepped up his biting remarks by telling the 10th National Leadership Conference of the Student Catholic Action of the Philippines that he was in a big fight with Gutierrez. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Food Security

Rising costs of basic commodities and services in the country and a shrinking rice supply have become a national security concern, according to a report by the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA). The report, prepared on Feb. 20 and a copy of which was furnished President Benigno Aquino III, said one of the possible flash points being watched by the local intelligence community was the supply and prices of rice worldwide. (PDI-Banner) 

On Fuel Price Hike

The Aquino administration is currently looking at all possible options to address the concerns of the public on the series of oil price increases, Malacañang said Monday. Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the economic managers were given a week to study all the options. “The President has already mentioned that all options are being studied,” Lacierda said. “There’s been a vigorous debate within the team as to what options should be carried out and what options should be discouraged,” the spokesman said during a briefing in Malacañang. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Fuel Subsidy Card

Operators of public utility jeepneys and tricycles may start getting their smartcards that would entitle them to fuel subsidies on May 1 or May 2. “The procurement and the bidding out of the cards are being done right now. So by May 1 or 2, the smartcards will be released,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. He said the implementing rules and regulations were finalized and issued last week. (Philstar-p1) 

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño yesterday criticized the Palace announcement that Public Transport Assistance program (Pantawid) had already started yesterday when the Department of Energy (DoE) has yet to issue any smart cards to jeepney and tricycle drivers and another oil price hike will happen within the week. He said the much publicized “subsidy” could not even buy a full tank of diesel or gasoline for jeepney and tricycle drivers. Executive Order 32 initially allots P450 million to assist jeepney and tricycle operators from the DoE budget as a fuel subsidy to the public transport sector. (Tribune-p3) 

On The Ombudsman

Malacañang will accept the resignation of Deputy Ombudsman for Luzon Mark Jalandoni. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the Palace has not yet received Jalandoni’s letter of resignation but it respects his decision to quit his job after complaints were filed against him before the Office of the President.  (Philstar-p2) 

On Fare Hike

The fare hike now being implemented by provincial buses is illegal.  The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB) said this yesterday, adding that operators risk losing their franchise for overcharging.  LTFRB Board Member Manuel Iway said there is no legal basis for members of the Provincial Bus Operators’ Association of the Philippines (PBOAP) to increase fares even if there is a consolidated LTFRB ruling dated May 17, 2008, that allowed them to charge P1.40 per kilometer for ordinary provincial buses, P1.60 for regular air-conditioned buses, and P2.20 for luxury airconditioned buses. (Mla Bulletin-Banner) 

On The Peace Process

Indonesia has agreed to take a more active role in the peace process between the Philippine government and the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as it formally expressed its intention to join an international group of peacae monitors in Mindanao. Manila invited Indonesia to become part of the International Monitoring Team (IMT) in December 2009. (Tribune-p3) 

On Pollution

Don’t be surprised if you see President Benigno Aquino III gazing at the sky and wondering if the stars would be out tonight. He just would love to see a star-filled heaven. Discarding a prepared speech for delivery before students and the academe at St. Paul University in Manila Monday, Mr. Aquino spoke about how pollution had darkened the city skies and how the situation had improved somewhat because there were days now when he could see stars gleaming at night. (PDI-p1) 

On AFP Fund Conversion 

A senior official of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is now facing investigation in connection with the alleged irregularity in the utilization of P400-million fund intended for petroleum products in what could be the first major corruption case reported in the military under the less than a year old Aquino administration. AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said an investigation is already ongoing on AFP deputy chief of staff for logistics (J4) Commodore Teddy Pan, a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1977, and the present  logistics system in the military organization. (Tribune-p1) 

On Gen Cimatu

Former Armed Forces chief Roy Cimatu will remain special envoy to the Middle East until June 30 this year, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said yesterday. Ochoa said Cimatu’s appointment was for a “limited period of time,” and the creation of the Overseas Preparedness and Response Team under Executive Order 34 replaced the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Committee, which the former military general headed. (Philstar-p3) 

On Presidential Aunt

President Aquino’s aunt former Tarlac Gov. Margarita “Tingting” Cojuangco clarified yesterday that she was not fired but she resigned as president of the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) out of delicadeza. Cojuangco confirmed that she resigned from the post she held for over seven years. Cojuangco also writes a column for The STAR. “I resigned out of delicadeza. Although relatives can’t be appointed, the appointment that I have can make me stay legally because I was appointed by (former President) Gloria (Macapagal-Arroyo) and not by the President. I just chose to resign,” she added. (Philstar-p1) 

On Marcos Wealth

The government will not forgo its claims on two recovery cases worth $68 million of assets of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos pending in courts in Singapore and New York. Chairman Andres Bautista of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) told The STAR they are not giving up the government’s claim to lawyer Rod Domingo and his US counterpart Robert Swift and their clients, human rights victims of the martial law regime. (Philstar-p10) 

On Dacer-Corbito Murder

The daughters of slain publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer renewed their bid yesterday to hold Sen. Panfilo Lacson liable for the murders of their father and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in November 2000, this time taking the case to the Supreme Court (SC). They also asked the High Tribunal to reverse a ruling of the Court of Appeals (CA) last month clearing Lacson in the double murder case. (Philstar-p1) 

On Mikey Arroyo

It’s a long jail term awaiting former presidential son, Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo, if Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Chief Kim Jacinto-Henares is to have her way. Henares yesterday said it is too late for embattled Mikey Arroyo to amend his tax returns covering the years which became the basis of a criminal charge of tax evasion raps filed by the BIR before the Justice department (DoJ) last week. (Tribune-Banner) 

Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel “Mikey” Arroyo said yesterday that the sale of a house in the US reportedly owned by a firm he has a stake in was aboveboard. Arroyo was referring to a report by Vera Files that a five-bedroom house in Foster City in California was sold for $1.125 million (about P48.5 million) by Beachway LLC, a firm in which he had previously admitted to having a minority stake. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Graft Cases

The Sandiganbayan dismissed yesterday a P58-million graft case filed against the wife of Vice President Jejomar Binay and five other respondents, ruling that the evidence was not sufficient to prove alleged overpricing of furniture for the Makati City Hall. The anti-graft court’s second division said there is insufficient basis for the trial of former Makati City mayor Elenita Binay, who was implicated in the alleged overpriced purchase of furniture worth over P58 million in 2000 and 2001. (Philstar-p1) 

On World Bank Report

The Philippines has been cited by a World Bank report as among the countries in Southeast Asia that suffer not just from “conventional” form of violent conflict but also new forms of conflict and violence, such as organized crime and trafficking, civil unrest due to global shocks, and terrorism. The global report also encouraged the foreign of peace agreements as to neutralize or stall increased violence. It likewise said that violent conflicts had a direct correlation to lagging development in emerging markets such as the Philippines. (Philstar-p7) 

On Foreign Policy

News coverage of Philippine foreign policy since the start of President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s administration appears to indicate an emphasis on the invigoration of strategic cooperation with the United States, in contrast to what had been portrayed as policy directions by the Arroyo government to warm up to China at some cost to erstwhile close ties with the United States.  Among the indications of the change in directions was the decision for the President to go to Washington for his first official visit, a departure from past practice where the first visit of the four preceding heads of state (starting with former President Corazon Aquino) was reserved for a neighboring state in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean). (Mla Times-p1)