BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- SC Acquits Webb Et Al.

MANILA BULLETIN -- SC Acquits Webb, Et Al

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Webb, 5 Others Freed

MANILA STANDARD -- Webb Walks Free After 15 Years In Jail

MANILA TIMES -- SC Acquits Webb, 5 Others

MALAYA -- Webb, Six  Others Acquitted

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Webb Walks; Alfaro Claims Not Credible

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Free Again

ABANTE -- Sa Kabilang Buhay Na Lang

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Hubert Laya Na!

BALITA -- Abswelto

BULGAR -- Hubert Webb Laya Na

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The 2011 budget approved by the House and the Senate was practically a twin of what President Benigno Aquino 3rd had proposed despite undergoing deliberations in both chambers and a bicameral conference that threshed out supposed differences between the two chambers of Congress, Sen. Joker Arroyo charged on Tuesday. 

“Congress hewed closely to the President’s original proposed budget because of Budget Secretary [Florencio] Abad’s admonition that the President would not like Congress to touch his first budget,” he said. (Mla Times-p1 )

On Presidency

Malacañang yesterday declared that transferring the job of the Truth Commission to the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) is just “one of the options” President Aquino may take in seeking to reverse the ruling of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring the Truth Commission unconstitutional. Even as Malacañang seemed to have been offended by the premature leakage of former Justice Magdangal Elma of his legal opinion, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda gave assurance that no sanctions await the presidential adviser on special concerns. (Philstar-p8) 

United States Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. met with President Aquino at Malacañang yesterday just as the Chief Executive was defending the country’s skipping the Nobel Peace Prize awarding ceremonies, citing the need to save Filipinos on death row in China. The President, however, did not give details about the meeting. Thomas, when asked about what was discussed, told The STAR only that the US side asked for the meeting and “we wished each other Merry Christmas.” (Philstar-p1) 

Another Filipino has been convicted of violating drug laws in China as a Chinese official gave President Aquino the cold shoulder yesterday, saying it was handling the cases of the initial five Filipinos sentenced to death for drug offences according to law after Aquino earlier had linked their fate to his decision to boycott the Nobel peace prize ceremony in Oslo to honor peace laureate Liu Xiaobo who is a dissident in the mainland.

Vice President Jejomar Binay who flew to Guangzhou yesterday to represent the country for the opening ceremonies of the Asian Paralympic Games, said he was informed of the new conviction, adding that he had directed the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to extend all possible assistance to a Filipina who works as a teacher in Shanwei City. (Tribune-p1) 

Malacañang yesterday claimed it has a right to express its own opinions with respect to the decisions being rendered by the Supreme Court (SC) that do not favor President Aquino’s position in response to a private lawyers’ group’s warning that such conduct might erode the public’s trust and confidence to the country’s justice system. Forensic Law and Policy Strategies Inc. (Forensic Solutions), a private think tank owned by former acting Justice Secretary Alberto Agra, recently came out with a strong advice to Malacañang against its penchant to wage a war against the SC whenever it comes out with an unfavorable ruling. (Tribune-p3) 

On The Truth Commission

President Aquino yesterday said he is still waiting for the final recommendation of his legal team on what step to take after the Supreme Court’s ruling declaring as unconstitutional his Executive Order No. 1 that created the Truth Commission. "The legal panel is presently threshing out possible courses of action," the President said when asked for his views on the proposal of Magdangal Elma to give to the Presidential Commission on Good Government the tasks assigned to the Truth Commission. (Malaya-p1) 

Erstwhile Justice Magdangal Elma, who currently serves as presidential adviser for special concerns, apparently acted on his own as Malacañang yesterday couldn’t get its message straight when sought for its feedback in the matter of his proposal for President Aquino to just have the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) do the work in the event the Truth Commission won’t make it through the Supreme Court. (Tribune-p1) 

On Vizconde Massacre

Hubert Webb and six others were acquitted yesterday of the grisly 1991 Vizconde massacre by the Supreme Court, which thrashed the testimony of the prosecution’s star witness Jessica Alfaro as “incredible and unbelievable.”  So, who did it? Who murdered Estrellita Vizconde and her daughters Jennifer, 7, and Carmela, 18, who was raped before being stabbed to death? (PDI-Banner) 

“This is like a second massacre. Until when will we suffer? Now you know the plight of a victim of the justice system. Why should we still have faith?” Lauro Vizconde said moments after he heard the Supreme Court. The widower’s knees wobbled and his nephews had to help him to a nearby sofa as TV news crews jostled to record a final devastating blow to his search for justice since his wife and two children were brutally stabbed to death in his Parañaque home in 1991. (PDI-p1) 

There are two “controlling issues” in the case, the Supreme Court said. These are: • Whether or not Jessica Alfaro’s testimony as eyewitness, describing the crime and identifying Hubert Webb, Antonio Lejano, Michael Gatchalian, Hospicio Fernandez, Peter Estrada, Miguel Rodriguez and two others as the persons who committed it, is entitled to belief. • Whether or not Webb presented sufficient evidence to prove his alibi and rebut Alfaro’s testimony that he led the others in committing the crime. (PDI-p1) 

On Other Court Cases

Citing insufficiency of evidence, a Pasig City judge dismissed yesterday the case against Hayden Kho Jr. regarding his sex video with actress Katrina Halili, which circulated on the Internet last year. Judge Rodolfo Bonifacio of the Pasig City regional trial court (RTC) branch 159 also dismissed for lack of merit the P100-million civil damages claimed by Halili against Kho. (Philstar-p1) 

On Travel Advisory

Malacañang said yesterday that there is no basis for Hong Kong to issue another black travel alert against the Philippines because of the commemoration of the Rizal Day 2000 bombing. “We don’t know where that was coming from. Some of the countries have downgraded their travel advisories. So we have no knowledge on what basis did Hong Kong issue that black travel alert,” said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. Lacierda said the Palace would ask the Department of Foreign Affairs what action they had taken regarding the new travel alert. (Philstar-p4) 

On The President’s Men

The Commission on Appointments (CA) has deferred anew the confirmation of Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras, leaving him with no other option but to go through another grilling next year. Even after answering all the questions raised by lawmakers about various issues in the previous hearing, Almendras was told to return for the second hearing yesterday, which ended the same way it did the last time. The repeated deferment by the CA of his confirmation has left Almendras contemplating the possibility of quitting his post. (Philstar-p8) 

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim and Education Secretary Armin Luistro hurdled the first step of being confirmed as two Commission on Appointments (CA) panels are expected to endorse their appointment in the CA plenary session today. CA committee on tourism chair Rep. Rex Gatchalian (Valenzuela City) will present in the CA plenary his committee report recommending approval of Lim’s nomination after Roberto Lim Joseph failed to substantiate his opposition. (Malaya-p1) 

On Reproductive Health

President Aquino’s Cabinet secretaries and some Catholic bishops will hold a dialogue today on the health and legal issues surrounding the proposed reproductive health bill and government’s family planning program. President Aquino is not attending the dialogue scheduled 9:30 a.m. at the Pope Pius Center on United Nations avenue in Manila, said presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. (Malaya-p1) 

On The Air Force

Five refurbished UH-1H or Huey helicopters will be turned over by the United States to the Philippine Air Force on Dec. 19 at the former US naval base in Subic, Zambales. The five helicopters are part of the 20 aircraft committed by former US President George Bush to former President Gloria Arroyo years ago under the US Excess Defense Articles program. (Malaya-p2) 

On The Amnesty

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has formed a five-man committee that will process the applications for amnesty of military rebels who took part in the attempts to overthrow the Arroyo administration. Gazmin said the committee will be headed by Undersecretary for defense affairs Honorio Azcueta, a retired PC colonel and a classmate of Gazmin of PMA Class ’68. (Malaya-p4) 

On The Marcoses

The Sandiganbayan Fourth Division has junked with finality the government’s claim on a 25-hectare property in Cabuyao, Laguna on allegations that it was part of the ill-gotten wealth of former President Ferdinand Marcos. In a nine-page resolution promulgated last Dec. 1, the graft court affirmed its January 11, 2010 ruling for the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to return the property to Imee, Irene and Sen. Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. who are registered as owners. (Malaya-p3) 

At least P10.13 billion has been earmarked by the Philippine government for the compensation of the victims of the cruel Martial Law regime, an official said Tuesday. Director Nestor Floranda of Department of Agrarian Reform’s Legislative Affairs Secretariat made the announcement during the House Committee on Human Rights Hearing on five pending House Bills providing compensation to victims of human rights violations during the Marcos regime and appropriating funds. “The funds are still earmarked under the Agrarian Reform fund and under the custody of the Bureau of Treasury,” Floranda said.

The Agrarian Reform department, Floranda noted, initially earmarked P8 billion for the Marcos victims but it was hiked to P10 billion because of the interest accumulated over the years. (Mla Times-p3)