BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Ombudsman Prosecuted

MANILA BULLETIN -- Asian Envoys Cry For Help

PHILIPPINE STAR -- ‘We Won’t Skirt, Delay Impeach Proceedings’

MANILA STANDARD -- Palace Goads Congress: Ombudsman Should Go

MANILA TIMES -- Gutierrez Stands Ground

MALAYA -- Libya Exodus In full Gear

DAILY TRIBUNE -- House Has Weak Case Vs. Merci

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- U.S. Warships Head For Libya

ABANTE -- 400 OFWs Hinarang Ng Ghadafi Forces

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Lola 4 Ulit Sinagasaan

BALITA -- Babala Vs Overpricing

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- 4 Schools In Fake Pilot Scam Bared!

BULGAR -- Anak Na 8 At 4, Pinatay Sa Sakal

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Senate Blue Ribbon chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III revealed that Erlinda Yambao Ligot, the wife of former military comptroller Jacinto Ligot, and her brother Edgardo Yambao have confirmed that they would attend today’s public hearing on the alleged massive corruption in the military. “It’s going to be a Ligot show,” Guingona said. Yambao went to the Blue Ribbon committee office last Monday to inform the staff members that he was not hiding. (Philstar-p2) 

The focus is now on the chairman of the House justice committee to recuse himself from hearng the impeachment case against the Ombudsman amid charges of lack of his delicadeza.  Iloilo Rep. Niel; Tupas, chairman of the House committee on justice, should inhibit himself from the impeachment proceedings for the sake of delicadeza or a sense of propriety. (Tribune-p1) 

Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson will be removed from the roster of members of the House of Representatives on Monday, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II said yesterday. He said the plan is for officials of the chamber led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to file a resolution accepting Singson’s resignation. “The House will approve the resolution, and therefore it is the House that will accept the resignation,” he said. (Philstar-p1) 

Despite his perceived closeness to President Aquino, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima failed to get the nod of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), in what could be considered the longest confirmation hearings so far. Purisima’s failure to get confirmed was largely due to the efforts of the contingent from the House of Representatives. (Philstar-p12) On CA

On Presidency

The US government on Wednesday said that it was deferring to the decision of President Benigno Aquino 3rd not to join world leaders in their clamor for the ouster of Libyan President Muammar Qaddafi because of the presence of some 26,000 overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) there. “Every nation has to make its own foreign policy in terms of its own people and its own issues. We very much respect whatever decision the Philippines makes. We respect its sovereignty. Just like my job is to protect Americans, it’s the job of the Philippine government to protect Filipinos,” US Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas Jr. said during the celebration in Makati City (Metro Manila) of the 50th anniversary of the US Peace Corps.  (Mla Tiimes-p1) 

Contrary to claims by the Aquino government it is doing its best to assist overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Libya and in nearby countries following the political turmoil which erupted in several Middle East countries, a member of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives yesterday said that to date, the government has practically done nothing to aid the helpless OFWs. At a press briefing, Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay belied claims by the Aquino administration it was responsible for airlifting some 500 OFWs from Libya early this week. (Tribune-p3) Libyan turmoil

On The Ombudsman 

Accusers of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in the impeachment complaint currently being heard by the House of Representatives justice committee appear not to have a strong case to cause her removal from office and a probable cause may not exist, a senator said yesterday. Some witnesses to the cases now being laid at the doorstep of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez are dead now, but others showed up to testify at Wednesday’s hearing at the House of Representatives, the first in a series to determine probable cause for her impeachment. (PDI-Banner) 

Lawyers of Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez said they would not avoid or attempt to delay the proceedings for her impeachment at the House of Representatives despite a pending appeal with the Supreme Court (SC) against moves to oust her. “We’re not here to skirt, avoid or delay the proceedings even as we have a pending motion for reconsideration. It has not been easy to draft answers,” Anacleto Diaz, Gutierrez’s lawyer, said. (Philstar-Banner) 

There is no need for President Aquino to call on his allies at the House of Representatives to support the impeachment moves against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, a Malacañang official said yesterday. “Probably there is no need for that since the pulse of the people is clear on the matter and we have already said that we support the impeachment,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in Filipino. (Philstar-p8) 

On The Great Escape

The first sea rescue organized by the Philippine government for Filipinos in violence-torn Libya has left the port of Benghazi aboard a chartered luxury liner with 1,200 Filipinos aboard traveling in style, officials said. Overland, at the Tunisia border, Filipinos joined tens of thousands of foreign workers scrambling to flee in appalling conditions. One Filipino who arrived in Manila yesterday described the situation at the Libya-Tunisia crossing as “inhuman.” (PDI-p1) 

Filipino workers will be evacuated from the coastal cities of Libya by Saturday, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday. Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said they have set a deadline to get people out by weekend. “It’s our target to get everyone out,” he said. (Philstar-p4) 

Fleeing for safety, overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) who escaped from Tripoli and other parts of strife-torn Libya either lost or left with their respective employers their Philippine passports.  Fortunately for them, Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto del Rosario was with them in Tunisia and issued them travel documents as their exit pass from Libya. Rosita Garfin, principal of the school for the Philippine community in Tripoli, was profuse in expressing gratitude for the efforts of the secretary and Philippine ambassador to Libya Alejandrino Vicente, who supervised the processing of their travel documents out of Libya. (Philstar-p1) 

The government is allotting at least P500 million for the repatriation of thousands of Filipinos trapped in strife-torn Libya. Zambales Rep. Mitos Magsaysay told a news conference that Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz relayed this information yesterday to the House committee on overseas workers’ affairs. “We were told that the money would come from the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration(OWWA), which has a P12-billion trust fund. The P500 million will be an initial fund,” Magsaysay said. (Philstar-p1) 

Western governments led by the United States and the United Kingdom have agreed to allow some Filipino workers to board their ships and aircraft out of strife-torn Libya to help the Philippines carry out a difficult evacuation, including in Benghazi, where officials are targeting to bring all Filipinos out by Saturday. At least 9,231 Filipinos have moved out of Libya, including 859 who have flown back to the Philippines, but acting Foreign Secretary Albert del Rosario acknowledged that it’s extremely difficult to ascertain the exact number of Filipinos remaining in the troubled North African nation. (Tribune-p1) 

On Libyan Turmoil

A Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) field commander has declared full support for Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and said that he and his select junior officers of the front are ready to leave Manila if the Libyan strongman needs them to stop the rebellion in that North African country. Meanwhile, the leadership of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) has urged its constituents to report immediately to its Department of Labor and Employment regional office to give the necessary information about their relatives working in Libya, so as to facilitate their repatriation to Manila. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Oil Price Hike

Surging world crude prices further pushed up the cost of fuel in the Philippines, but the Department of Energy (DoE) said it was not inclined to cap prices despite claims that oil firms were engaged in price-gouging. Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said the DoE would not go back to a regulated oil industry at this time, saying that any moves to cap prices may likely put a heavy financial strain on national government coffers. (PDI-p1) 

The government is closely monitoring oil prices as political unrest in some parts of the Middle East and Africa continues to threaten supply and raise concerns over possible price manipulation by local oil firms. But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the Palace was not considering oil regulation because it would entail huge funds. She said it would “take a lot of money” to subsidize and take over the oil industry. (Philstar-p1) 

On Laptop Regulations

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is reviewing a proposal of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to regulate the use of laptops, SIM cards and other devices that can access the Internet. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her office would determine if the proposal is consistent with law and does not violate provisions of the Constitution, especially on rights to privacy and the bill of rights. (Philstar-p1) 

On Local Gov’t Code

Lawyers and academics have joined the chorus of city mayors in asking the Supreme Court (SC) justices to explain their decision allowing the conversion into cities of towns that failed to meet the P100-million income requirement set by the Local Government Code. “Is the Local Government Code still valid?” asked professor Edmund Tayao, executive director of the Local Government Development Foundation (LOGODEF) in a roundtable forum on cityhood held in Quezon City recently. (Philstar-p1) 

On Foreign Affairs

Former Foreign Affairs secretary Alberto Romulo yesterday formally turned over the leadership of the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) to acting Secretary Albert del Rosario after serving more than six years as the country’s top diplomat. Del Rosario said it was his wish that the turnover ceremony should be held at the DFA without much fanfare and publicity. (Philstar-p2 

On Unexplained Withdrawals

State auditors have discovered questionable withdrawals amounting to more than P500 million from the savings account of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) in 2009. In the 2009 audit report released late last year, the Commission on Audit (COA) said there was “non-recording” of credits-withdrawals amounting to $5.12 million or P237.69 million and debits-remittances amounting to $568 million or P263.7 million from the CAAP savings account with the Land Bank of the Philippines. COA said the unrecorded withdrawals cast doubt on the balance of the CAAP savings account which stood at P3.666 billion. (Philstar-p7) 

On ARMM Elections

Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday urged President Aquino to hold dialogs with leaders of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao to resolve the standoff over the issue of postponing the August ARMM elections. Marcos said that even more problematic than the ARMM election postponement was the plan to appoint officers-in-charge, in lieu of holdover officials.  (Malaya-p2) 

Members of the minority bloc in the House of Representatives yesterday called on President Aquino to avert the possible breakdown of peace in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) via his proposal to defer the ARMM elections scheduled this August and instead synchronize it with the 2013 national and local elections. At their weekly press briefing, opposition lawmakers led by Minority Leader, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and Zambales Rep. Milagros Magsaysay called on Aquino to respect the rights of the Muslim people to select and elect their own leaders before he learns his lessons the hard way.  (Tribune-p3) 

On The Marcoses

The Presidential Commission on Good Government and the Office of the Solicitor General have asked the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division to enforce the graft court’s Sept. 9, 2010 decision ordering Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Romualdez-Marcos to return to the government P10 million in National Food Authority funds transferred by Ferdinand Marcos to a private account at the Security Bank in 1983. (Malaya-p2) 

On AFP Corruption

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin has extended by another 15 days the parallel investigation being conducted by a special investigation committee on alleged corruption in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). The spokesman for the Department of National Defense, Director Eduardo Batac, on Wednesday disclosed that the move was prompted by the failure of the Special Investigation Committee, headed by lawyer Patrick Velez, to meet its 30-day deadline to come out with its findings and recommendations. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Campaign Against Illegal Drugs

Malacañang is leaving it to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) to deal with reports that there are political and show-business personalities allegedly involved in the narcotics trade. Deputy spokesman Abigail Valte was asked on statements of PDEA that politicians and entertainment celebrities were among those on the agency’s watch list. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

An international media group has expressed alarm over attempts to remove suspended Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) Gov. Zaldy Ampatuan from the list of suspects who are facing trial for carrying out the Nov. 23, 2009 massacre of 58 persons, including 32 journalists and media workers, in Maguindanao province.  The Court of Appeals (CA) will soon decide on a petition for “certiorari” or judicial review filed by Ampatuan. If it is successful he will be freed from jail and avoid facing trial. (Tribune-p3)