BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Floods Bring More Misery

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Multisectoral Lobby For Cha-Cha Pressed

MANILA STANDARD -- Comelec Nomination Fuels Palace Turf War - Osmeña

MANILA TIMES -- Aquino War Vs Graft A Dud

MALAYA -- Did Gov’t Help Garcia Take A Walk?

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Pervasive RP Corruption Remains, Says Heritage

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Stop MRT,LRT Fare Hike

ABANTE -- MRT/LRT Hike Ididiskaril!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- TRO Vs LRT/MRT Fare Hike

 

BALITA -- Pagbaha Patuloy

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- U.S. Experts: Makati Not A Danger Zone

BULGAR -- Chinese New Year Gagawing Holiday

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Several lawmakers yesterday asked President Benigno Aquino III to reconsider plans to sell Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame as it would be illegal. Senator Joker Arroyo said the sale of military camps in the past hardly benefited the Armed Forces of the Philippines. “We cannot rush the sale of our realty jewels, Camp Aguinaldo and Camp Crame. When Fort Bonifacio, a military camp, was sold, it did not benefit the AFP or our soldiers,” he said in a statement. (PDI-p1) Military lands (PDI-p1) 

Two Mindanao lawmakers urged the House of Representatives yesterday to look into the plea bargaining agreement between the government and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia. Representatives Rufus Rodriguez of Cagayan de Oro City and his brother Maximo of Abante Mindanao said a legislative inquiry is needed to protect the government’s interest in future plea bargaining agreements. (Philstar-p7) 

On Presidency

President Benigno Aquino III got himself a new toy—a second-hand, white Porsche—last Christmas. The acquisition sent tongues wagging that the country’s 50-year-old bachelor leader, who is also a gun enthusiast, has started living on the fast lane now that he is in Malacañang. The President swapped his old BMW which he bought two years ago to get his hands on the Porsche, according to a source close to Manny Dimaculangan, a friend who arranged the purchase. (PDI-p1) 

They are at it again, the two warring factions within the support group of President Aquino.

The subject of the tug of war between the two warring factions this time around revolves around the each faction’s choice of candidate for the top position in the Commission on Elections (Comelec), as replacement of outgoing chairman Jose Melo. The Yellows (Samar group) are said to be for Sixto Brilliantes, while the Blues (Balay group) are for Romulo Macalintal. (Tribune-p1) 

On Campaign Against Graft

The Aquino administration has not achieved anything significant in charging former President Gloria Arroyo and her allies for alleged wrongdoing during her nearly 10-year watch, according to Vice President Jejomar Binay. “Is there a solid  accomplishment? There is none. The Truth Commission, supposedly, will be the one to go after Gloria but it was declared illegal. Malacañang has done [nothing] at all [all] this time,” Vice President Jejomar Binay on Tuesday told The Manila Times during an exclusive interview. The Supreme Court late last year ruled that the Truth Commission was unconstitutional, dealing a big blow to Executive Order 1 that had created the body. (Mla Times-Banner) 

Despite the supposed “straight path” taken by President Aquino who assumed power in June last year, the annual Index of Economic Freedom still cited corruption as being pervasive in the country that has resulted in the Philippines under Aquino ranking a poor 115 out of 179 countries in the annual list compiled by The Heritage Foundation (Heritage), a conservative Washington-based think tank, and The Wall Street Journal. The ranking showed that the Philippines’ freedom score of 56.2 this year even fell from 0.1 point from last year placing it among countries with a “mostly unfree” economy. (Tribune-Banner)

On Charter Change

Lawmakers are pushing for the creation of a broad multisectoral alliance to boost the campaign to amend the 1987 Constitution. Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, chairman of the House committee on public information, said he would discuss the matter with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile, former Chief Justice Reynato Puno and members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), who are all reportedly in favor of Charter change, especially now that the Aquino administration is still enjoying the trust of most Filipinos. (Philstar-Banner) 

Malacañang stands pat on its decision not to give priority to Charter Change despite calls from lawmakers, the Catholic bishops and just recently former Chief Justice Reynato Puno. "The President is consistent that nobody has given an argument that would convince him that Charter Change is urgent," said deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. (Malaya-p4) 

On Kidnapping

The police is to blame for the rise in kidnappings in southern Mindanao and other parts of the country, Director General Raul Bacalzo, the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, admitted on Wednesday.  Bacalzo said that while the PNP has a special task force, the Police Anti-Crime and Emergency Response (Pacer) team, to deal with kidnapping cases, it is only concentrated in Metro Manila and lack capability to address the problem nationwide. But President Benigno Aquino 3rd, he added, has promised to provide logistical support to the Pacer team. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Flooding

Misery brought by heavy rains that flooded many parts of the eastern section of the country in the past two weeks has spread to Western Visayas. At least seven more people drowned over the past four days as floodwaters engulfed the provinces of Samar and Negros Occidental, pushing the death toll to 40. Seven other people remain missing after being swept away by floods or buried by landslides. (PDI-Banner) 

There are no Filipino casualties in the floods that swept Queensland, particularly its capital city Brisbane, an embassy report said yesterday. In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), the Philippine embassy in Canberra said that Filipinos affected by the floods are currently in evacuation centers. (Philstar-p6) 

On The Comelec Post

President Aquino has started interviewing candidates for Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman, in anticipation of Jose Melo’s resignation that will take effect at the end of the month. “I have only been conducting interviews. So far those have been the only ones interviewed,” he said, in reference to his interviews Monday with veteran election lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Sixto Brillantes Jr. (Philstar-p1) 

On Military Lands

The Department of National Defense (DND) has formed two teams to study proposals that seek to lease military properties to raise funds for the armed forces’ modernization program. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said one of the teams was tasked to look into the feasibility of moving all major services in one camp while the another team will determine what can be done to the lots to be vacated by the transfer. “We are now studying this (proposal to privatize camps) that is why I created two technical working groups to work on this,” Gazmin said. (Philstar-p7) 

On Ret. Gen. Garcia

It was the prosecution, rather than the lawyer of retired Maj. Gen. Carlos F. Garcia, who pushed and cajoled government agencies and the court to make sure that the plea bargaining agreement in the plunder case would move fast. This is shown by records of the plea bargaining deal that were opened to the media for the first time in over a year. (Malaya-Banner) 

Ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia, who has entered into a plea bargain with state prosecutors to elude a plunder charge, was “fronting” for a powerful person and wanted to talk about it two years ago, but was scared, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV said yesterday . “Garcia is a front for somebody powerful. In 2009, he was willing to talk but he got afraid,” Trillanes said in an interview with ABS-CBN. (PDI-p1) 

On Fare Hike

Commuters in Metro Manila have been given a reprieve with bus fares in the capital likely to stay the same despite the rising fuel prices, which have led to increases in fees for other forms of mass transport. (PDI-p1) 

On The Health Front

The Department of Health (DOH) will look into reports that Filipino nurses are paying hospitals to allow them to gain experience in order to work abroad. Health Secretary Enrique Ona said the department has not received any formal complaint from nurses, but would nonetheless investigate the reports and impose appropriate sanctions on hospitals abusing the free labor of nurses. (Philstar-p1)         

On Chinese Holidays

Malacañang is looking into the possibility of including the Chinese New Year in the country’s more than a dozen holidays. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said President Aquino has instructed the executive secretary to check if it would be necessary to declare the Chinese New Year a holiday, reportedly in response to clamor from the local Chinese community. This year’s Chinese New Year falls on Feb. 3. (Philstar-p1)  

On Barangay Elections

The panel tasked to investigate the delays in last year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections found no deliberate attempt to sabotage the synchronized polls. Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner and panel head Armando Velasco said they will submit the report this week. He, however, hinted that the panel had observed “negligence” on the part of some of those involved in the preparations. “We didn’t see sabotage nor was there an intention to delay the election. The concentration of delays was in the preparatory procedures,” Velasco said. (Philstar-p1) 

On The PCGG

A Palace official yesterday said the abolition of the 25-year-old Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) may have to be legislated. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also said the PCGG has to discuss with the Department of Justice (DOJ) the turnover of ongoing cases against the Marcoses before the Sandiganbayan. (Philstar-p5) 

On Foreign Affairs

Simon Fraser, British Foreign Office Permanent Undersecretary of State, yesterday said the United Kingdom is keenly looking at enhancing further its economic relations especially those they consider as "developing." "We need to strengthen our relationship with countries which are going to be important for us in the future…the Philippines is one of those countries," said Fraser. (Malaya-p1) 

On Water Crisis

Malacañang yesterday said it is monitoring the water situation in Angat Dam to make sure that Metro Manila will not experience a water crisis similar to what happened last July. The continuing drop in the water level in Angat Dam, which supplies water in the National Capital Region and adjoining areas, has prompted the National Power Corp. to reduce water supply to Metro Manila residents and Central Luzon farmers. (Malaya-p1) 

On Terror Threat

A box left unattended meters away from the gate of the US Embassy Seafront staff house in Pasay City caused a bomb scare yesterday noon. Police chief Senior Insp. Napoleon Cuaton said the box was left at a waiting shed in front of the Philippine School for the Deaf along F.B. Harrison st., across the rear portion of the complex. (Malaya-p3) 

On The Insurgents

The Armed Forces yesterday said it has stopped calling the New People’s Army a "communist terrorist (CT)" organization in deference to the ongoing efforts to revive the formal peace negotiations with the communist National Democratic Front. "At this time, the most important thing is for the peace talks to move forward, move on. This is part of our confidence-building," said Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta, AFP spokesman. Mabanta said they would just refer to the communists as "CNN," with "C" for Communist Party of the Philippines, "N" for New People’s Army, and the last "N" for National Democratic Front. (Malaya-p2) 

On Captured NPA Leader

The Communist Party of the Philippines-National Democratic Front of the Philippines (CPP-NDFP) has formally demanded the release of the New People’s Army (NPA) top commander Tirso Alcantara who is claimed to be among theconsultants in the peace negotiations between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the CPP-NDFP. In a letter to GRP negotiating panel head Alex Padilla, NDFP chief negotiator Luis Jalandoni confirmed the earlier pronouncement of the CPP that Alcantara is among the holders of a Document of Identification issued by the NDFP to its personnel participating in the peace negotiations. (Tribune-p3)