BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Rice Overprice: $60/Ton

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Peacetalks Begin

MANILA STANDARD -- No Minimum Wage Increase This Year, Says Labor Dept

MANILA TIMES -- Aquino Visions Favors Growth

MALAYA -- Heavy Rains Cause P1B In Damage

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Drilon, Noy Allies Seen Dumping JPE

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Sandiganbayan Underfire

ABANTE -- Umento Sa Sahod Butata!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 2 Utas Sa Shootout!

 

BALITA -- Water Crisis Nakaamba

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Used Condoms Scandalize Palace

BULGAR -- P-Noy Bumili Ng P4.5M Sports Car

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

A coup in the Senate is said to be in the offing, but nobody wants to confirm it. Talk of a brewing “coup” in the Senate circulated loudly yesterday, just three days before Congress reconvenes and resumes sessions, with Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile allegedly ending up as the casualty. (Tribune-Banner) 

On Cha-Cha

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile is in favor of a Constituent Assembly (Con-Ass) as a mode of amending the 1987 Constitution, saying that public officials should be elected by the people.  Enrile said while constitutional experts should be consulted, amending the charter through a Con-Ass will enable the public to choose their leaders and lawmakers, even if the voting would mean the abolition of the Senate.  (Malaya-p1) 

On Presidency

President Aquino bought his P4.5-million “depreciated” 2007 model Porsche with his own money, a Malacañang official clarified yesterday. “According to the President, it’s probably third hand. It’s depreciated. The private purchase came from his own funds. The proceeds were from another asset that he acquired through a personal loan,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda emphasized. (Philstar-p3) 

The claimed “straight path” of President Aquino has led him to the luxurious path of a P4.5-million luxury Porsche sportscar amid a population mired in poverty and a hunger rating of Filipinos going higher under his government along with the tragedy of the flood-stricken and landslide victims who have been rendered homeless. Not even his claimed prudent management of public funds speaks of the “righteous way, with a President, all decked out in very snazzy German Porsche, speeding it up in a race track.” (Tribune-p1) 

Vice President Jejomar Binay said that he is hopeful that the country could sustain its economic momentum tied to the popularity and vision of President Benigno Aquino 3rd. “If you put it in consideration, for example, the popularity of the President coupled with the economic benefits that we are now experiencing, [sustaining such acceleration in the economy is possible],” Binay told The Manila Times during an exclusive interview on Tuesday. He cited “the Philippines becoming [a] favorite by the financial institutions in the US.” “The peso appears to be [a] darling,” the Vice President said. “By and large, businessmen are confident” about where the country is heading. (Mla Times-Banner) 

As expected, the Palace yesterday blamed the past administration of former President Arroyo for the poor showing of the country in the Index of Economic Freedom that the conservative Washington-based think tank The Heritage Foundation (Heritage) released the other day placing the Philippines among countries with a “mostly unfree” economy. (Tribune-p1) 

On Cha-Cha

President Aquino stood his ground against rushing Charter change (Cha-cha) despite mounting calls from lawmakers, saying “right now there are more urgent problems” to attend to. Aquino reiterated his position on the sidelines of a meeting yesterday with barangay officials in Pasay City. In a speech, Aquino said his focus is to leave a legacy of better living conditions for ordinary Filipinos. He said he hopes to eradicate poverty and corruption before the end of his term in 2016. He did not mention Charter change in his speech. (Philstar-p1) 

On Rice Importation

Rice that the National Food Authority imported during the last three years of the Arroyo administration was overpriced by $125 per metric ton, NFA Administrator Lito Banayo said. Banayo said an audit of the 10-year importation record of the NFA showed that its rice imports were overpriced by an average of $60 per metric ton.  (PDI-Banner) 

On The ‘Troubleshooter’

Muslim rebels in the country on Thursday have branded former Sen. Manuel A. Roxas 2nd as a “troublemaker” after he was named “chief troubleshooter” by President Benigno Aquino 3rd. Khaled Musa of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said that the former candidate for vice president, who is one of the President’s close political allies, has an innate hatred for whatever is associated with Muslims and Islam. “Roxas is not the ‘troubleshooter’ of Aquino but rather his ‘troublemaker’ when it comes to the peace process in Mindanao,” he said. (Mla Tiimes-p1) 

On The Peacetalks

The informal peace talks between the government and the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) will begin in Oslo, Norway today. The negotiating panels of the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), meanwhile, held exploratory talks in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia yesterday, the first since President Aquino assumed office. Expected to be resolved at the meeting was the issue on the replacement of Othman Abdul Razak as peace process facilitator, the cessation of hostilities, and consensus on matters involving the international monitoring team. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Amnesty Program

One of the leaders of two moves to overthrow the Arroyo administration yesterday questioned the requirement for an amnesty applicant to admit guilt to violating the Constitution, criminal laws and Articles of War. The requirement of admission of guilt is why a participant in the Oakwood mutiny wants a Makati court to issue a decision on the coup d’état case filed against him and other members of the Magdalo group which mounted the Oakwood mutiny in July 2003. (Malaya-p1) 

On Gen. Garcia’s Plunder

In lining his pockets, then military comptroller Carlos Garcia could not have acted alone and was apparently tolerated by his superiors in the Armed Forces, lawmakers said yesterday. Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez did not name names in an interview with Radyo Inquirer, but he was apparently alluding to the five AFP chiefs of staff, all under Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes, and under whom Garcia worked from 2001 to 2003. (PDI-p1) 

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima wants the Sandiganbayan to explain the plea-bargaining agreement between the government and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia. “There are some questions that need to be answered by the Sandiganbayan itself,” she said. Speaking to reporters, De Lima questioned the anti-graft court’s pronouncement that it has not yet approved the plea bargaining agreement. (Philstar-p6) 

On Heavy Rains

Damage from days of heavy rains in seven regions breached the billion-peso mark yesterday. Forty-two fatalities were also recorded. President Aquino is scheduled today to visit flood-devastated areas of Legazpi City in Albay, St. Bernard in Southern Leyte, and Butuan City in Agusan del Norte. He is also expected to issue a policy statement on illegal logging.  (Malaya-Banner) 

Heavy rains have damaged roads leading to 22 villages in Siruma town in Camarines Sur province, rendering them impassable to light vehicles, as the cloud band that dumped water on the Bicol region, the Visayas and Mindanao is expected to move upward to northeast Luzon. Eight flights to and from the cities of Legazpi and Naga were canceled yesterday morning, as rains and floods continued to ravage the Bicol region, airport authorities said. (PDI-p1) 

On Glorietta Blast

The Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday concluded that leaking methane, not a bomb, caused the explosion that ripped through the Glorietta 2 shopping mall in Makati, which left 11 people dead and wounded scores of others in October 2007. The DOJ cited the report of a fact-finding investigation that dismissed the claim of retired Army Col. Allan Sollano that the explosion was caused by a bomb. (Philstar-p1) 

On The PNP

A Manila police precinct commander caught on video torturing a suspect in Tondo last year has been dismissed from the service. Senior Inspector Joselito Binayug, Asuncion, Tondo Police precinct commander, was dismissed on orders of the National Capital Region Police Office Internal Affairs Service, according to Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Chief Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. “Binayug’s case should serve as a warning to all policemen. PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo maintained that a policeman like Senior Inspector Binayug has no place in the police organization,” he said. (Philstar-p4) 

Law enforcers from the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) are due in Manila today to conduct training programs with their counterparts in the Philippine National Police and visit police stations in Metro Manila and other regions. The SFPD trip, its eighth since year 2000, is part of the exchange training and educational program with the PNP. Established in April 1999, the program resulted in the formation of the Philippine Exchange Training Team. (Philstar-p5) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), a principal suspect in the Maguindanao massacre case, could have prevented the killings “if he were only there,” his lawyer said on Thursday. Howard Calleja, during an interview, said that his client has confided that had then-President Gloria Arroyo not summoned him to  Malacañang on November 23, 2009, he would not have left the province and that Zaldy may even have persuaded his younger brother, Andal Ampatuan Jr., and his men to call off their plan of killing the 57 victims. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Economic Freedom

The Philippines slipped six places to 115 in the latest index of economic rankings of 179 countries around the world. The 2011 Index of Economic Freedom report said despite a challenging global economic environment, the Philippines made a notable recovery since mid-2009 driven mainly by strong export performance, but it warned the country’s long-term economic development remained a difficult task. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Wage Hike

Workers cannot expect an increase in the minimum wage until July because of a law banning a raise within one year from the effectivity of a previous increase, Malacañang said yesterday. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told a press briefing that discussions on the wage hike could begin only in July. He said the regional wage boards could tackle the matter depending on the conditions in various areas of the country. (Philstar-p1) 

On Tariff

President Aquino yesterday announced that he had approved in principle a proposal to eliminate the tariffs on wheat and cement to help arrest escalating prices of the two products. Aquino said he would sign the executive orders that would allow duty-free importation of milling wheat and cement. The last executive orders – EOs 862 and 863 – that temporarily eliminated the three percent import duties on cement and wheat had expired last August. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Comelec

Losing Liberal Party (LP) vice presidential candidate and former Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas is reportedly putting pressure on President Aquino to appoint election lawyer Romulo Macalintal to the top post at the Commission on Elections (Comelec). A source from the LP yesterday said Roxas and a host of ranking LP members trooped to Aquino’s “Bahay Pangarap” to force the President to immediately appoint Macalintal instead of lawyer Sixto Brillantes to the post left vacant by Comelec Chairman Jose Melo. (Tribune-p1) 

A Malacañang official yesterday said the selection process for the next chairman of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) will not be limited to veteran election lawyers Romulo Macalintal and Sixto Brillantes Jr. There are rumors that the competition for chairmanship has been narrowed down to the two, who are reportedly the bets of the Balay and Samar factions within President Aquino’s Cabinet. (Philstar-p2) 

On Foreign Relations

The United Kingdom is looking forward to forging deeper ties between the European Union (EU) and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) that will pave way to a free trade agreement between the two organizations. Simon Fraser, British Foreign Office permanent undersecretary of state, said that the British government is very keen to see European Union and members of Asean negotiate on the possibility of free trade agreement as the British government prepares itself to solidify bilateral trade relations with the Philippines. (Mla Times-p3)