1st-APLUMA NEWS SUMMARY FOR JAN. 2, 2011
Posted by unang apluma on Saturday, January 1, 2011
Under: news
BROADSHEETS
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Singson expulsion sought
PHILIPPINE STAR -- House ethics panel to investigate Singson
MANILA BULLETIN -- Revelry casualties rise to 546
TABLOIDS
PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Deadly guns, 'crackers
ABANTE -- 546 bagsak sa putok!
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 546 biktima ng paputok, ligaw na bala - DOH
PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Ex-bf tagged in Baywalk babe's slay
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
The House of Representatives ethics committee is set to conduct its own investigation into the case of Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson, who is on trial in Hong Kong on drug charges, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. “The case will definitely go to the ethics committee under (Bohol) Rep. (Erico) Aumentado,” Belmonte said in a text message. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong arrested the lawmaker last July 11 for possession of 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium.(Philstar)
On population
The country’s population is expected to balloon to 95.8 million this year, the Commission on Population (PopCom) said. The National Statistics Office has not yet released the results of the census conducted in May 2010 but the population for the past year was estimated at 94.01 million. PopCom executive director Tomas Osias said some two million children are born every year, resulting in the expected population of 95.8 million this year. This shows a population growth rate of 2.04 percent. The ideal growth rate to accelerate economic growth is 1.04 percent.(Philstar)
On ceasefire
The military is bracing for renewed operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) tomorrow, the end of the 19-day ceasefire with the communist rebels. Regional Army spokesman Maj. Julio Osias IV said they have been ordered to prepare for battle after the NPA announced they would go on the offensive. (Philstar)
On firecracker injuries
A total of 287 revelers were injured from firecracker blasts during the New Year’s Eve celebration, bringing to 518 the number of fireworks victims since Dec. 21, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. The DOH also recorded 11 new cases of stray bullet injuries, raising the number of victims of indiscriminate firing to 20. There were also three new cases of poisoning from fireworks ingestion, bringing to eight the number of cases since the agency began its surveillance for the “Kampanya Kontra Paputok” program last Dec. 21. (Philstar)
On government stations
The Department of Finance under Secretary Cesar Purisima is taking charge of the plan to have two sequestered television stations privatized before 2013. Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Office for Operations said the privatization of RPN-9 and IBC-13 is underway, and that the financial problems of the main government network NBN-4 are already being addressed. (Philstar)
On Gen. Garcia
Government authorities tasked by President Aquino to look into the case of retired general Carlos Garcia exposed and questioned yesterday the alleged railroading of the petition for bail of the former military comptroller, saying it was filed and granted all in one day. The officials, who asked not to be named, said the urgent motion to post bail of Garcia filed by his lawyer Constantino de Jesus on Dec. 16 was put on the agenda and resolved on the very same day by the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division. (Philstar)
On judiciary
Malacañang has apparently decided to ignore two Supreme Court rulings when it cut by almost half the budget requested by the judiciary for this year. President Aquino signed last Monday the 2011 national budget that included the P14.65-billion outlay for the judiciary, but without including the accumulated salary increases of judges and justices and benefits of their retired colleagues under the Special Allowance for the Judiciary (SAJ) that were unpaid over the past four years. (Phistar)
On GOCCs
On the first working day of Congress on Jan. 17, Sen. Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate Finance committee, vowed to start hearings for the newly formed oversight committee on public expenditures tasked to review the performances of state-owned firms. Apart from reviewing the performance of 157 government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), the oversight committee is also tasked to monitor the misuse of funds for unwarranted bonuses and fat commissions. (Philstar)
On OFWs
The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters Inc. (Fedmanex) yesterday asked the government to make the pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) for departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) country-specific to help them avoid getting into trouble in their host countries. In a statement, Fedmanex vice president for marketing Jackson Gan said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) should not hold generalized seminars for departing Filipino workers. (Philstar)
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Singson expulsion sought
PHILIPPINE STAR -- House ethics panel to investigate Singson
MANILA BULLETIN -- Revelry casualties rise to 546
TABLOIDS
PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Deadly guns, 'crackers
ABANTE -- 546 bagsak sa putok!
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 546 biktima ng paputok, ligaw na bala - DOH
PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Ex-bf tagged in Baywalk babe's slay
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
The House of Representatives ethics committee is set to conduct its own investigation into the case of Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson, who is on trial in Hong Kong on drug charges, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. “The case will definitely go to the ethics committee under (Bohol) Rep. (Erico) Aumentado,” Belmonte said in a text message. Immigration authorities in Hong Kong arrested the lawmaker last July 11 for possession of 26.1 grams of cocaine and two tablets of Valium.(Philstar)
On population
The country’s population is expected to balloon to 95.8 million this year, the Commission on Population (PopCom) said. The National Statistics Office has not yet released the results of the census conducted in May 2010 but the population for the past year was estimated at 94.01 million. PopCom executive director Tomas Osias said some two million children are born every year, resulting in the expected population of 95.8 million this year. This shows a population growth rate of 2.04 percent. The ideal growth rate to accelerate economic growth is 1.04 percent.(Philstar)
On ceasefire
The military is bracing for renewed operations against the New People’s Army (NPA) tomorrow, the end of the 19-day ceasefire with the communist rebels. Regional Army spokesman Maj. Julio Osias IV said they have been ordered to prepare for battle after the NPA announced they would go on the offensive. (Philstar)
On firecracker injuries
A total of 287 revelers were injured from firecracker blasts during the New Year’s Eve celebration, bringing to 518 the number of fireworks victims since Dec. 21, the Department of Health (DOH) said yesterday. The DOH also recorded 11 new cases of stray bullet injuries, raising the number of victims of indiscriminate firing to 20. There were also three new cases of poisoning from fireworks ingestion, bringing to eight the number of cases since the agency began its surveillance for the “Kampanya Kontra Paputok” program last Dec. 21. (Philstar)
On government stations
The Department of Finance under Secretary Cesar Purisima is taking charge of the plan to have two sequestered television stations privatized before 2013. Secretary Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Office for Operations said the privatization of RPN-9 and IBC-13 is underway, and that the financial problems of the main government network NBN-4 are already being addressed. (Philstar)
On Gen. Garcia
Government authorities tasked by President Aquino to look into the case of retired general Carlos Garcia exposed and questioned yesterday the alleged railroading of the petition for bail of the former military comptroller, saying it was filed and granted all in one day. The officials, who asked not to be named, said the urgent motion to post bail of Garcia filed by his lawyer Constantino de Jesus on Dec. 16 was put on the agenda and resolved on the very same day by the Sandiganbayan’s Second Division. (Philstar)
On judiciary
Malacañang has apparently decided to ignore two Supreme Court rulings when it cut by almost half the budget requested by the judiciary for this year. President Aquino signed last Monday the 2011 national budget that included the P14.65-billion outlay for the judiciary, but without including the accumulated salary increases of judges and justices and benefits of their retired colleagues under the Special Allowance for the Judiciary (SAJ) that were unpaid over the past four years. (Phistar)
On GOCCs
On the first working day of Congress on Jan. 17, Sen. Franklin Drilon, chairman of the Senate Finance committee, vowed to start hearings for the newly formed oversight committee on public expenditures tasked to review the performances of state-owned firms. Apart from reviewing the performance of 157 government owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs), the oversight committee is also tasked to monitor the misuse of funds for unwarranted bonuses and fat commissions. (Philstar)
On OFWs
The Federated Association of Manpower Exporters Inc. (Fedmanex) yesterday asked the government to make the pre-departure orientation seminars (PDOS) for departing overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) country-specific to help them avoid getting into trouble in their host countries. In a statement, Fedmanex vice president for marketing Jackson Gan said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) should not hold generalized seminars for departing Filipino workers. (Philstar)
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