BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Arroyo son dares Trillanes

PHILIPPINE STAR -- DOJ: China, Taiwan must settle row themselves

MANILA BULLETIN -- Where is ARMM's P12 B?

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Army leadership blasts media on AFP corruption reports

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Reyes back in Camp Aguinaldo

ABANTE -- Mrs. Ligot kakaladkarin

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Divorce niluluto sa Senado

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Army leadership blasts media on AFP corruption reports
   
ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Ang Galing Pinoy party-list Rep. Juan Miguel Arroyo yesterday challenged Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV to present evidence that former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo could be behind massive corruption in the Armed Forces. “They (senators) are in the process of investigating this issue. Why don’t they just proceed with their investigation and see where it leads,” Arroyo said in a statement. “If he (Trillanes) has suspicions which he could substantiate with concrete evidences, he should air that at the Senate investigation which, lest it be forgotten, is in aid of legislation,” he said.(Philstar)

On RP-Taiwan row

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima believes China and Taiwan must settle between themselves the issue of the 14 Taiwanese deported to the mainland. Speaking to reporters, De Lima said the Philippines should just work on mitigating the repercussions in terms of diplomatic and economic relations with Taiwan. “As far as custody and prosecution (of deported Taiwanese) are concerned, the Philippines is not part of that so they (China and Taiwan) should settle it among themselves,” she said.(Philstar)

On fund conversion

The practice of “conversion” or the fraudulent use of allocated government funds for other purposes is not confined to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) or the Philippine National Police (PNP), but is also routine in other larger agencies like the Department of Education (DepEd), a member of the House committee on appropriations disclosed yesterday. The source said the main source of “converted funds” would be the personnel services (PS) budgets – mainly for the payment of salaries and allowances – where disbursements are difficult to monitor. Other agencies allegedly engaged in the practice of conversion are the Department of Health (DOH) and even constitutional agencies with some degree of fiscal independence like the Commission on Audit (COA), the main watchdog of government funds.(Philstar)

On COA

Commission on Audit (COA) Chairman Reynaldo Villar yesterday confirmed the replacement of military resident auditor Divina Cabrera after she was implicated in the fund scandal in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Villar said Cabrera has been ordered to report back to the COA Central Office and reassigned to the Office of the Cluster Director with no particular item or position. Former military budget officer George Rabusa named Cabrera as the resident auditor of the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP) who allegedly got a percentage of the funds for approved intelligence projects and operations.(Philstar)

On RH bill

Reproductive health bill advocates yesterday demanded an explanation from President Aquino on why he broke his campaign promise to make the measure among the key health policies of his administration. Leaders of the groups Reproductive Health Advocacy Network (RHAN), Pinagsamang Lakas ng Kababaihan at Kabataan (PILAKK), Philippine Legislators Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD), and The Forum on Family Planning and Development are also seeking a dialogue with the President on the RH bill, which is still pending in Congress.(Philstar)

On Manila hostage drama

Key personalities in the hostage-taking fiasco at the Quirino Grandstand in August last year have refused to take part in an investigation in Hong Kong. Of the 116 persons invited to the Hong Kong probe, 70 of them have declined to appear. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, former Manila police director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay and hostage negotiator Superintendent Orlando Yebra Jr. have manifested their decision to the Department of Justice (DOJ).(Philstar)

On Gen. Reyes

Key personalities in the hostage-taking fiasco at the Quirino Grandstand in August last year have refused to take part in an investigation in Hong Kong. Of the 116 persons invited to the Hong Kong probe, 70 of them have declined to appear. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, former Manila police director Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay and hostage negotiator Superintendent Orlando Yebra Jr. have manifested their decision to the Department of Justice (DOJ).