1st-APLUMA NEWS SUMMARY FOR DEC. 7, 2010
Posted by unang apluma on Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Under: news
BROADSHEETS
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- P-Noy Ratings Hits 79%
PHILIPPINE STAR -- Judges Protest Cut In Judiciary Budget
MANILA STANDARD -- Judiciary Joins Protest Against Budgetary Cuts
MANILA TIMES -- President Most Popular
MALAYA -- Palace Foul-Ups Snags Amnesty Hearing
DAILY TRIBUNE -- Reds, Gringo In Noynoy’s Amnesty List
TABLOIDS
ABANTE -- Solons Game Sa AIDS Test
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Paslit Kinatay Ni Tatay
BALITA -- 1-2 Sa Rating
BULGAR -- Beybi Tsinap-Chop Ni Daddy
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
Surprise! Surprise! Senators, including President Benigno Aquino III’s allies, yesterday expressed shock and dismay at the inclusion of Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, an ex-colonel who had led a number of failed coups, in Malacañang’s list of alleged mutineers and rebel soldiers eligible for amnesty. Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation, slammed Malacañang for what he believed was an error and immediately suspended Monday’s hearing on Mr. Aquino’s Proclamation No. 75. “I’d like to admonish the executive branch to get their act together. It shows carelessness and lack of coordination. Until the chair is furnished with a comprehensive list, this [hearing] is suspended,” Guingona said. (PDI-p1)
The five original members of the Wednesday Group at the Senate have agreed to hold a reunion with the media on Friday. It would be the first time Senators Manuel Villar Jr., Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo and Francis Pangilinan, plus former vice president Noli de Castro, will meet as a group after the May 10 elections. Organizers said all the senators have been notified about the event. The group split during the last presidential elections when Villar ran under the Nacionalista Party, and Recto and Pangilinan supported the belated bid of then Sen. Benigno Aquino III under the Liberal Party banner. (Philstar-p4)
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday the House of Representatives will work hard for the passage of various pending bills aimed at protecting and promoting human rights. Speaking at a program celebrating Human Rights Week at the Batasan complex, Belmonte said despite the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights violations continue to be reported worldwide. (Philstar-p14)
The House of Representatives will fight for the restoration of the P880-million fund for the purchase of contraceptives in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for 2010, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. He said the House would insist on the fund in the bicameral conference on the budget, which begins at 10 a.m. today at the Philippine Coconut Authority building in Quezon City. “We will talk to our members (in the conference committee) to restore it. Even though it won’t reach P880 million, it will be substantial,” he said. (Philstar-p5)
On Commission on Appointments
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is set to take the hot seat at the confirmation hearings of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Dec. 15. The CA will conduct confirmation hearings on three members of President Aquino’s Cabinet before Congress adjourns for the Christmas break on Dec. 17. Alcala, a former congressman of the second district of Quezon, has a total net worth of P87,131,253, listing ten real estate properties, a number of vehicles and some investments as assets. (Philstar-p1)
On Presidency
Nearly eight out of every 10 Filipinos expressed approval of the performance of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay, according to results of the latest Pulse Asia survey. The survey, conducted from Oct. 20 to 29 and released on Monday, showed that 79 percent of the 1,200 respondents nationwide approved of Mr. Aquino’s performance. Three percent disapproved of his performance and 18 percent were undecided. This was the first Pulse Asia survey that evaluated Mr. Aquino’s performance. (PDI-Banner)
A top executive of the World Bank assured President Aquino yesterday of the institution’s strong support for his administration’s good governance and anti-poverty agenda. In a statement, WB Managing Director Sri Mulyani Indrawati reiterated WB Group President Robert Zoellick’s support for the overall policy direction the Aquino administration is taking. (Philstar-p6)
On The Judiciary
Judges nationwide wore black yesterday in protest against the plan of Congress to reduce by almost half the judiciary’s proposed budget for next year, from P27.1 billion to P14.3 billion. Members of the Philippine Judges Association wore black armbands and shirts during flag-raising ceremonies in judicial regions throughout the country. Judge Vivencio Baclig of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 77 and Judge Ralph Lee of Branch 83 said the majority of judges in Quezon City wore black yesterday. Baclig said about 10 judges attending the flag-raising ceremony wore black. (Philstar-Banner)
On Survey
Filipinos are most ambivalent about President Aquino’s Communications Group, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Chief Justice Renato Corona, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. as shown in the Oct. 20-29 Pulse Asia survey. The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, showed that 52 percent of Filipinos are undecided about Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma, 51 percent undecided on Ochoa, 47 percent on Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang, and 43 percent on presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. (Malaya-p1)
On Morong ‘43’
Aside from the 19-day truce, the release of detained health workers collectively called the “Morong 43” would help provide a healthier environment for the talks between the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front, Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani said yesterday. “(T)he Morong 43 should be released because it looks like there is no sufficient reason to continue detaining them,” Bacani said. (PDI-p1)
Malacañang expressed hope yesterday that the detained health workers known as the Morong 43 would end their hunger strike and wait for the courts to decide their case. “Well, it’s Christmas, I hope they will stop it. I don’t know. I don’t know even where the hunger strike is directed to,” Deputy Executive Secretary Jose Amor Amorado told reporters. (Philstar-p9)
On Sen. Lacson’s Manhunt
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has dispatched its own “tracker team” to hunt down fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo stressed the mission of the team–composed of three to four policemen under the DILG–would be to “gather information from sources not being tapped by the PNP (Philippine National Police) and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).” (PDI-p3)
The Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday admitted the big probability of information on the fugitive lawmaker regarding his whereabouts and the dates the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) special task force hunt him down, are being leaked to fugitive Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. A DoJ official said this may be the reason Lacson has been succeeding in avoiding arrest. (Tribune-p1)
On Wiki Leaks
A former ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Manila was suspected by Washington of “potential involvement” in terrorism, but a Saudi prince vouched for him, according to a secret United States memo from Riyadh released by the online whistle-blower WikiLeaks. A senior White House official in the Bush administration had told Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, that Muhammad Ameen Wali (posted in Manila in 2004-2009) might be involved in “terrorism facilitation.” The Feb. 24, 2007, cable from the US Embassy in Riyadh, classified “secret,” is the first document so far to directly reference the Philippines out of the more than 250,000 sensitive cables from 274 American embassies which Wiki-Leaks started posting last month. (PDI-p2)
On The Flag Carrier
The ground crew union of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it would take a strike vote today. PAL management immediately denounced the move of the PAL Employees’ Association (PALEA) as “illegal,” saying that the mediation process was ongoing. The PAL labor row has been taken over by Malacañang to avert an air transportation crisis. (PDI-p3)
On Airport Operations
The Bureau of Customs (BOC), in response to the threat of the Airline Operators Council (AOC) to stop supplying customs declaration forms effective January, dispatched some 78 newly hired Customs personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals who have started working in shifts. Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez told dzRH yesterday morning that those who work on a 24-hour shift will enjoy night differential pay. The BOC will also start looking for a printing company that will bid for the printing of Customs declaration forms, he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Power Rate
Customers of power distributor Manila Electric Co. can expect their electric bills to go down by 32 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month. This is because the generation charge of Meralco’s suppliers fell to P4.97 per kWh from last month's P5.29 per kWh, the power firm said in a statement. (PDI-p3)
On LPG Price Hike
The LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) increased the price of their liquefied petroleum gas by P3 per kilo yesterday but the government said it would try to use moral suasion to cushion the impact of the increase, which could reach a record high of P7 per kilogram this month. Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told a press conference that the Department of Energy (DOE) would try to persuade the LPG distributors to do something about the substantial increase. “There are proposals in both houses of Congress on how to address these issues,” he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Tourism Congress
Industry players are questioning the legitimacy of the Tourism Congress Board, whose officers were appointees of the previous administration. “The Tourism Congress is a sham as it does not represent the whole industry,” Marciano Ragaza, former president of the Philippine Travel Agents Association (PTAA), said. “When it was convened last year, there were only 58 members out of the 1,360 accredited tourism enterprises who were invited to participate in the Tourism Congress,” he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Tree Planting
To plant more trees in less time, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is planning to make tree planting mandatory for students. Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said college students taking up the National Service Training Program (NSTP) may be required to plant trees. Students in grade school may also be included in the tree planting activity. (Philstar-p5)
On The Weathermen Chief
Deputy Administrator Nathaniel Servando looms as the next chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). However, Malacañang has not issued a confirmation. Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said he has recommended Servando for the post vacated by Prisco Nilo, who resigned last October. (Philstar-p14)
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- P-Noy Ratings Hits 79%
PHILIPPINE STAR -- Judges Protest Cut In Judiciary Budget
MANILA STANDARD -- Judiciary Joins Protest Against Budgetary Cuts
MANILA TIMES -- President Most Popular
MALAYA -- Palace Foul-Ups Snags Amnesty Hearing
DAILY TRIBUNE -- Reds, Gringo In Noynoy’s Amnesty List
TABLOIDS
ABANTE -- Solons Game Sa AIDS Test
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Paslit Kinatay Ni Tatay
BALITA -- 1-2 Sa Rating
BULGAR -- Beybi Tsinap-Chop Ni Daddy
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
Surprise! Surprise! Senators, including President Benigno Aquino III’s allies, yesterday expressed shock and dismay at the inclusion of Sen. Gregorio “Gringo” Honasan, an ex-colonel who had led a number of failed coups, in Malacañang’s list of alleged mutineers and rebel soldiers eligible for amnesty. Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, chair of the Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation, slammed Malacañang for what he believed was an error and immediately suspended Monday’s hearing on Mr. Aquino’s Proclamation No. 75. “I’d like to admonish the executive branch to get their act together. It shows carelessness and lack of coordination. Until the chair is furnished with a comprehensive list, this [hearing] is suspended,” Guingona said. (PDI-p1)
The five original members of the Wednesday Group at the Senate have agreed to hold a reunion with the media on Friday. It would be the first time Senators Manuel Villar Jr., Ralph Recto, Joker Arroyo and Francis Pangilinan, plus former vice president Noli de Castro, will meet as a group after the May 10 elections. Organizers said all the senators have been notified about the event. The group split during the last presidential elections when Villar ran under the Nacionalista Party, and Recto and Pangilinan supported the belated bid of then Sen. Benigno Aquino III under the Liberal Party banner. (Philstar-p4)
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday the House of Representatives will work hard for the passage of various pending bills aimed at protecting and promoting human rights. Speaking at a program celebrating Human Rights Week at the Batasan complex, Belmonte said despite the drafting of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948, human rights violations continue to be reported worldwide. (Philstar-p14)
The House of Representatives will fight for the restoration of the P880-million fund for the purchase of contraceptives in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget for 2010, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. He said the House would insist on the fund in the bicameral conference on the budget, which begins at 10 a.m. today at the Philippine Coconut Authority building in Quezon City. “We will talk to our members (in the conference committee) to restore it. Even though it won’t reach P880 million, it will be substantial,” he said. (Philstar-p5)
On Commission on Appointments
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala is set to take the hot seat at the confirmation hearings of the Commission on Appointments (CA) on Dec. 15. The CA will conduct confirmation hearings on three members of President Aquino’s Cabinet before Congress adjourns for the Christmas break on Dec. 17. Alcala, a former congressman of the second district of Quezon, has a total net worth of P87,131,253, listing ten real estate properties, a number of vehicles and some investments as assets. (Philstar-p1)
On Presidency
Nearly eight out of every 10 Filipinos expressed approval of the performance of President Benigno Aquino III and Vice President Jejomar Binay, according to results of the latest Pulse Asia survey. The survey, conducted from Oct. 20 to 29 and released on Monday, showed that 79 percent of the 1,200 respondents nationwide approved of Mr. Aquino’s performance. Three percent disapproved of his performance and 18 percent were undecided. This was the first Pulse Asia survey that evaluated Mr. Aquino’s performance. (PDI-Banner)
A top executive of the World Bank assured President Aquino yesterday of the institution’s strong support for his administration’s good governance and anti-poverty agenda. In a statement, WB Managing Director Sri Mulyani Indrawati reiterated WB Group President Robert Zoellick’s support for the overall policy direction the Aquino administration is taking. (Philstar-p6)
On The Judiciary
Judges nationwide wore black yesterday in protest against the plan of Congress to reduce by almost half the judiciary’s proposed budget for next year, from P27.1 billion to P14.3 billion. Members of the Philippine Judges Association wore black armbands and shirts during flag-raising ceremonies in judicial regions throughout the country. Judge Vivencio Baclig of Quezon City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 77 and Judge Ralph Lee of Branch 83 said the majority of judges in Quezon City wore black yesterday. Baclig said about 10 judges attending the flag-raising ceremony wore black. (Philstar-Banner)
On Survey
Filipinos are most ambivalent about President Aquino’s Communications Group, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., Chief Justice Renato Corona, and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. as shown in the Oct. 20-29 Pulse Asia survey. The survey, which had 1,200 respondents, showed that 52 percent of Filipinos are undecided about Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma, 51 percent undecided on Ochoa, 47 percent on Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon Carandang, and 43 percent on presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. (Malaya-p1)
On Morong ‘43’
Aside from the 19-day truce, the release of detained health workers collectively called the “Morong 43” would help provide a healthier environment for the talks between the government and the communist-led National Democratic Front, Novaliches Bishop Emeritus Teodoro Bacani said yesterday. “(T)he Morong 43 should be released because it looks like there is no sufficient reason to continue detaining them,” Bacani said. (PDI-p1)
Malacañang expressed hope yesterday that the detained health workers known as the Morong 43 would end their hunger strike and wait for the courts to decide their case. “Well, it’s Christmas, I hope they will stop it. I don’t know. I don’t know even where the hunger strike is directed to,” Deputy Executive Secretary Jose Amor Amorado told reporters. (Philstar-p9)
On Sen. Lacson’s Manhunt
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has dispatched its own “tracker team” to hunt down fugitive Sen. Panfilo Lacson. Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo stressed the mission of the team–composed of three to four policemen under the DILG–would be to “gather information from sources not being tapped by the PNP (Philippine National Police) and NBI (National Bureau of Investigation).” (PDI-p3)
The Department of Justice (DoJ) yesterday admitted the big probability of information on the fugitive lawmaker regarding his whereabouts and the dates the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) special task force hunt him down, are being leaked to fugitive Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson. A DoJ official said this may be the reason Lacson has been succeeding in avoiding arrest. (Tribune-p1)
On Wiki Leaks
A former ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Manila was suspected by Washington of “potential involvement” in terrorism, but a Saudi prince vouched for him, according to a secret United States memo from Riyadh released by the online whistle-blower WikiLeaks. A senior White House official in the Bush administration had told Prince Saud Al-Faisal, the Saudi foreign minister, that Muhammad Ameen Wali (posted in Manila in 2004-2009) might be involved in “terrorism facilitation.” The Feb. 24, 2007, cable from the US Embassy in Riyadh, classified “secret,” is the first document so far to directly reference the Philippines out of the more than 250,000 sensitive cables from 274 American embassies which Wiki-Leaks started posting last month. (PDI-p2)
On The Flag Carrier
The ground crew union of flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) said it would take a strike vote today. PAL management immediately denounced the move of the PAL Employees’ Association (PALEA) as “illegal,” saying that the mediation process was ongoing. The PAL labor row has been taken over by Malacañang to avert an air transportation crisis. (PDI-p3)
On Airport Operations
The Bureau of Customs (BOC), in response to the threat of the Airline Operators Council (AOC) to stop supplying customs declaration forms effective January, dispatched some 78 newly hired Customs personnel at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) terminals who have started working in shifts. Customs Commissioner Angelito Alvarez told dzRH yesterday morning that those who work on a 24-hour shift will enjoy night differential pay. The BOC will also start looking for a printing company that will bid for the printing of Customs declaration forms, he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Power Rate
Customers of power distributor Manila Electric Co. can expect their electric bills to go down by 32 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh) this month. This is because the generation charge of Meralco’s suppliers fell to P4.97 per kWh from last month's P5.29 per kWh, the power firm said in a statement. (PDI-p3)
On LPG Price Hike
The LPG Marketers Association (LPGMA) increased the price of their liquefied petroleum gas by P3 per kilo yesterday but the government said it would try to use moral suasion to cushion the impact of the increase, which could reach a record high of P7 per kilogram this month. Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras told a press conference that the Department of Energy (DOE) would try to persuade the LPG distributors to do something about the substantial increase. “There are proposals in both houses of Congress on how to address these issues,” he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Tourism Congress
Industry players are questioning the legitimacy of the Tourism Congress Board, whose officers were appointees of the previous administration. “The Tourism Congress is a sham as it does not represent the whole industry,” Marciano Ragaza, former president of the Philippine Travel Agents Association (PTAA), said. “When it was convened last year, there were only 58 members out of the 1,360 accredited tourism enterprises who were invited to participate in the Tourism Congress,” he said. (Philstar-p1)
On Tree Planting
To plant more trees in less time, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is planning to make tree planting mandatory for students. Environment Secretary Ramon Paje said college students taking up the National Service Training Program (NSTP) may be required to plant trees. Students in grade school may also be included in the tree planting activity. (Philstar-p5)
On The Weathermen Chief
Deputy Administrator Nathaniel Servando looms as the next chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). However, Malacañang has not issued a confirmation. Science and Technology Secretary Mario Montejo said he has recommended Servando for the post vacated by Prisco Nilo, who resigned last October. (Philstar-p14)
In : news