BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Trillanes: It Ain’t Reyes

MANILA BULLETIN -- Final Salute For Angie

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Senate Summons 2- Ex AFP Chiefs

MANILA STANDARD -- Manila Will Send New Emissary, Not Apology, To Taipei

MANILA TIMES -- Palace Ignores Taipei Plea

MALAYA -- Palace Won’t Apologize For Deportation

DAILY TRIBUNE -- ‘Probe, Proper Accountability’

 Of Aussie Funds A Must

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- ‘Carnap King’ Falls

ABANTE -- No Sorry Sa Taiwan

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Rep GMA Sabit Din Sa AFP Scandal

BALITA -- Napakatamis

BULGAR -- Coed Nadale Ni Father

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday pushed for the amendment in the rules of the Senate to protect the rights of witnesses and resource persons during congressional inquiries. Arroyo said the Senate Blue Ribbon committee had basically adopted the rules under the 1935 Constitution that did not provide for the protection and respect of the rights of persons being summoned, unlike what is provided for under the 1987 Constitution. “The Rules of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee must be amended. It is long overdue and necessary,” Arroyo said. (Philstar-p2) 

SEN. Gregorio Honasan has urged Malacañang to reconsider its list of priority bills to include the long-pending Freedom of Information Act (FOI). Honasan, chairman of the Senate Committee on Mass Media, expressed his disappointment that President Benigno Aquino 3rd did not even mention the FOI bill as a priority measure. “An informed citizen is an empowered citizen,” he said. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Presidency

Malacañang is only being cautious about fully supporting the Freedom of Information bill because it might be abused by several groups, and would want a balance between transparency and privacy of confidential government data, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday. According to Lacierda, this is the reason why the FOI bill has not been included in the 17 priority bills that President Aquino would be turning over to the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council when it convenes on Feb. 28. (Philstar-p6)

Malacañang is encouraging government officials and employees to revive the spirit of the first People Power Revolution, as they urged a display People-Power-themed décor, including yellow buntings, stickers and tarpaulins, to mark the 25th anniversary celebration of the 1986 Edsa revolt. Executive Secretary Pacuito Ochoa said based on Memorandum Circular 13, they enjoined government employees and officials to take part in commemorative activities from February 17 to 27. (Mla Times-p3) 

On AFP Mess

The Senate has sent invitations to former Armed Forces chiefs of staff Diomedio Villanueva and Roy Cimatu for the fourth hearing of the Senate Blue Ribbon committee on the alleged corruption in the military and the circumstances of the plea bargaining agreement on the case of ex-military comptroller Gen. Carlos Garcia. Blue Ribbon committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III had ordered the Office of the Senate Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) to deliver the invitations to Villanueva and Cimatu.  (Philstar-Banner) 

The late former Armed Forces Chief of Staff Angelo Reyes was not the “powerful person” behind plunder suspect Carlos Garcia but probably somebody much higher than he, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said yesterday. The senator declined to name this powerful person, but when pressed by reporters if the purported corruption in the military would reach the level of then President and now Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, he said: “It’s not far-fetched. We’ll go wherever this will lead us.” (PDI-Banner) 

Most irregularities in the military, such as the welcome and send-off gifts to incoming and retiring military chiefs of staff and “conversion,” have been stopped since 2005 because of reforms, the Armed Forces of the Philippines spokesperson said yesterday. At two Senate hearings in as many weeks, ex-military budget officer George Rabusa said that he and his boss, then comptroller Carlos Garcia, converted over P1 billion from 2001 to 2002, which involved pooling funds for distribution to ranking military officials.

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), the government’s main revenue earner, would investigate the personalities identified in congressional inquiries on alleged corruption in the military for the purpose of filing tax evasion charges against them. “The BIR is an avid and interested party in all the investigation that goes on so where there’s an investigation we will look into it,” Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares said. (Philstar-p1) 

Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV believes the trail of corruption in the military might have led all the way to Malacañang during the years when Carlos Garcia was comptroller of the Armed Forces. The former renegade military officer said “it is not far-fetched” that former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo may have been involved. Malacañang had the final say over the release of millions of pesos to the Armed Forces, he added.  (Philstar-p6) 

On Gen Reyes

Angelo Reyes’ widow has decided to make peace even with those deemed by her family to have pushed her husband to take his own life.  “Everybody’s welcome to the wake. We want peace. My family wants peace. We don’t want enemies. If they want to come here [to the wake], they’re welcome,” Teresita “Tessie” Reyes told the Inquirer on Wednesday night. Marc Reyes, the third of her five sons, announced  yesterday in a press conference that “the consensus of the family is that the wake of my father will now be open to everybody.” (PDI-p1) 

On Gen Garcia

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) comptroller Carlos Garcia may now be off the hook in the plunder case the Ombudsman had filed against him, Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao said yesterday. Aggabao, a lawyer, said it is no longer possible for Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to withdraw the plea bargain agreement she signed with Garcia so that the original plunder charge against the accused could be restored. “I submit it would be legally untenable to do that, notwithstanding the Rabusa testimony, because it (plea bargain deal) has already been partially executed,” he said. (Philstar-p10) 

On Sandiganbayan

The Sandiganbayan has issued a warrant for the arrest of former San Jose, Surigao del Norte mayor and now Dinagat Island Rep. Ruben Ecleo Jr. who was found guilty of graft more than five years ago. The anti-graft court’s first division issued the arrest order against him after the Supreme Court, in a November 2010 decision, junked his appeal with finality. (Philstar-p1) 

On Prices Of Commodities

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) reported yesterday that prices of some basic food products including canned meat and noodles have gone up by as much as 10 percent, while the prices of bread and flour are also expected to increase. The National Price Coordinating Council (NPCC) is also poised to recommend the importation of sugar in spite of the reluctance of the Sugar Regulatory Authority (SRA) because the price of sugar is still between P62 to P70 per kilo. (Philstar-p5) 

On Foreign Affairs

Francisco Benedicto’s nomination as ambassador to Beijing was withdrawn on Tuesday after he informed the Department Of Foreign Affairs (DFA) that he would no longer pursue his appointment. DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said Benedicto has informed the DFA that he would no longer pursue his nomination “due to medical concerns.”“We conveyed it to the Commission on Appointments and the CA approved,” he said. (Philstar-p11) 

On RP-Australia Relations

Defense and security ties between the Philippines and Australia remain strong amid the scandal concerning funds of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) allegedly being skimmed by its high-ranking officials, Australian Ambassador Rod Smith said yesterday. Smith said the Australian government is closely watching the developments in the congressional inquiries over the missing funds and corruption in the AFP. (Philstar-p13) 

On RP-Taiwan Relations

The government on Thursday insisted that it did right in deporting 14 Taiwanese to China, instead of Taiwan, because those foreigners were “criminals.” Still, President Benigno Aquino 3rd said that he will be sending an emissary to Taipei to explain Manila’s decision to deport the 14 Taiwanese to China. Taiwan is demanding an apology from the Philippines over the deportation and has temporarily recalled Donald Lee, its representative to the Philippines. (Mla Times-Banner) 

On The Economy

The British government has identified the Philippines as “a key emerging economy” in its Trade White Paper that aims to boost the ability of developing countries to benefit from trade and investment and vowed to continue supporting the country’s public-private partnership (PPP) programs. It published the Trade White Paper to define its “new strategy for how trade and investment can drive global economic growth.” (Mla Times-p1) 

On The Ombudsman

The Office of the Ombudsman is very much willing to cooperate with President Benigno Aquino 3rd in fighting graft and corruption and its present leadership is much better than its former head Simeon Marcelo, who quit office and is allegedly deceiving President in the case of retired military comptroller Carlos Garcia. Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez also rejected Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism’s (PCIJ) lengthy report that said that the anti-graft agency had not been acting on the graft cases pending before it. (Mla Times-p1)