BROADSHEETS 

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Aquino slams SC decision

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Government to appeal SC ruling vs truth body 

MANILA BULLETIN -- TRO on tollway VAT stays

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Truth body vehicle for vindictiveness, retribution, says SC

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE'S JOURNAL -- P150M for Ampatuans' freedom

PEOPLE'S TONIGHT -- 2 men butcher cheating wives!

ABANTE -- Truth Commission nilusaw ng SC

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Escape plan ng Ampatuan ikinasa 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Senators have appropriated for themselves an additional P400 million in President Aquino’s proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 national budget. Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay told a news conference yesterday that the P400 million is part of the P2.8 billion that the Senate realigned before approving Aquino’s budget proposal. She said of the P2.8 billion, P1.8 billion was taken from the appropriations of the Department of Public Works and Highways, P640 million from the Department of Transportation and Communications, and P400 million from the Department of Finance. (Philstar)

On Truth Commission

The government will ask the Supreme Court (SC) to reconsider its decision voiding Executive Order 1 creating the Truth Commission. Solicitor General Joel Cadiz said EO 1 did not violate the equal protection clause in the Constitution. “I was asked about this issue during oral arguments on this case, and I asked them which of the past administrations should we include and enumerated past Presidents Erap (Joseph Estrada), (Fidel) Ramos, (Corazon) Aquino, (Ferdinand) Marcos, (Diosdado) Macapagal, (Carlos) Garcia,” he said. (Philstar)

On Commission on Appointments

The confirmation ofTourism Sec. Alberto Lim and Education Sec. Armin Luistro before the Commission on Appointments (CA) hit another snag yesterday when several individuals filed their respective oppositions. Lim was placed on the hot seat for the first time, with Robert Lim Joseph Jr. questioning his position on the open skies policy, his response to the Aug. 23 hostage drama at the Luneta, and the recent bungled “Pilipinas Kay Ganda” campaign of the Department of Tourism (DOT). “That is his opinion. I am a public servant so I have to face these criticisms. I disagree with his opinion and he said it’s not personal but the words he used were very personal,” Lim said, referring to Joseph’s criticism of DOT’s re-branding campaign. (Philstar)

On VAT on toll

The Supreme Court (SC) has junked the bid of the government to proceed with the planned toll increase at the North Luzon and South Luzon expressways due to the collection of a 12-percent value-added tax (VAT). In a resolution released yesterday, the SC did not grant a motion of the Department of Finance (DOF) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) seeking to lift the temporary restraining order (TRO) the Court issued on the toll hike in the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) and the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) and other major superhighways last August. (Philstar)

On Supreme Court

 An official of the Supreme Court (SC) denied yesterday any involvement in the protest action by judges last Monday, even as the magistrates vowed to continue their protest against alleged cuts in the proposed budget of the judiciary for next year. SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez denied reports attributed to highly-placed sources in Malacañang that he orchestrated the “silent protest” of judges to wear black armbands and shirts when they started their week at work last Monday. “I honestly don’t know what they are talking about,” Marquez said. (Philstar)

On World Bank

World Bank president Robert Zoellick singled out for special mention the Aquino administration’s campaign to stamp out smuggling and tax evasion. At the first meeting of the International Corruption Hunters Alliance here on Tuesday attended by senior government officials from across the globe including Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, Zoellick said at a time of fiscal constraint in many donor countries it was important to spend every development dollar as intended to overcome poverty and boost growth and opportunity. (Philstar)

On GOCCs

Congressmen discovered yesterday that the huge salaries and allowances in at least two government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) are without legal basis. During a hearing of the House committee on good government, top officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and Clark Development Corp. (CDC) testified that the laws creating their agencies do not provide for their compensation package. (Philstar)

On Lotto

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) insisted yesterday that the P741,176,323.20 jackpot of the 6/55 Grand Lotto on-line lottery draw last Nov. 29 will only be released to the person who presents the authentic winning ticket, despite the recent claim of an 82-year-old grandmother that a relative stole her winning ticket. Manny Garcia, PCSO publicity and advertising manager, said the issue raised by the old woman against her grandson who allegedly ran away with the winning ticket is a police matter and must be brought to court to stop the PCSO from releasing the jackpot. “Only a court order can stop the claimant from getting the jackpot prize,” he said. (Philstar)

On Nobel Prize

China and 18 other countries have declined to attend this year’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony honoring Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, Nobel officials said Tuesday as China unleashed a new barrage deriding the decision. Chinese officials in Beijing called Liu’s backers “clowns” in an anti-Chinese farce – comments that came only three days before the Dec. 10 Nobel ceremony in Oslo. Beijing considers Liu’s recognition an attack on China’s political and legal system, and says the country’s policies will not be swayed by outside forces in what it calls “flagrant interference in China’s sovereignty.” (Philstar)