BROADSHEETS 

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Smuggling at NFA bared

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Pols in black book face smuggle probe 

MANILA BULLETIN -- Ping bats for nat'l ID

DAILY TRIBUNE -- No room for Chief of Staff under RP setup -- Joker

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Diokno next Ombudsman?

ABANTE -- Simbahan di patas lumaban -- Ping

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Pulitiko buyer ng hot cars 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

At least one governor, two mayors and a Customs official named in the so-called black book of suspected Mindanao car smuggler Lynard Allan Bigcas are facing probe by the National Bureau of Investigations (NBI). Their names surfaced yesterday when the House subcommittee on Customs chaired by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas confronted Bigcas about his black book, which the latter described as his diary. (Philstar)

Suspected vehicle and firearms smuggler Lynard Allan Bigcas made a tearful denial of the accusations against him during a House committee hearing yesterday. In an opening statement, Bigcas told the House sub-committee on Customs chaired by Ilocos Norte Rep. Rodolfo Fariñas that he was not dealing in stolen vehicles. (Philstar)

On Ombudsman

Former chief justice Reynato Puno has declined his nomination for the Ombudsman post, saying he has already committed himself to certain projects, especially church work. Puno and retiring Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales were among those nominated for Ombudsman but the former chief magistrate, who was nominated by a certain Suzette Curioso-Pangan from his Station Church Site group, has shown no interest. (Philstar)

On US carrier

Malacañang said yesterday the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States, as well as the re-establishment of US military bases in the country, could not possibly have been discussed during the visit of USS Carl Vinson because there were no American officials present as the carrier was docked here. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ricky Carandang said there was nothing more to the visit than a mere port of call, which was part of the defense cooperation between Manila and Washington, and it was surprising that it has led to a lot of speculations. (Philstar)

On Mar Roxas

Sen. Joker Arroyo warned yesterday of a “power struggle” in Malacañang following President Aquino’s decision to appoint defeated vice presidential candidate and former senator Manuel Roxas II as presidential chief of staff. “The creation of the position of chief of staff would cause confusion and pandemonium in Malacañang. To begin with, there is no such office created by law,” said Arroyo, who was executive secretary during the term of the President’s mother, the late President Corazon Aquino.(Philstar)

On RH bill

No name-calling please. Malacañang yesterday appealed to Catholic bishops to be more circumspect in expressing their opposition to the reproductive health (RH) bill and avoid offending remarks and rude name-calling. “It’s just sad that people you respect, people who are men of faith, who are men of the cloth will be issuing statements which are highly inflammatory,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.(Philstar)

On tuition fee hike

Lawmakers suggested yesterday various measures to lessen the burden of families hit by increased tuition and other fees in schools. San Juan City Rep. Joseph Victor Ejercito and Gabriela party-list Rep. Luzviminda Ilagan appealed to educational institutions to defer increases in their fees following the recent announcement of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) that 282 private colleges and universities are set to hike tuition fees this coming school year. “Private institutions should keep in mind the ongoing and simultaneous price increase of basic commodities,” Ejercito said. (Philstar)

On human rights

Senator Francis Escudero has sponsored a committee report seeking amendments to the charter of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to give it prosecutorial powers similar to the Department of Justice (DOJ). Escudero, chairman of the Senate committee on justice and human rights, has sponsored committee report No. 37, which proposes the provision of prosecutorial powers to the CHR for cases involving human rights violations. “Under its present mandate, CHR is neither a judicial nor a quasi-judicial body. Its jurisdiction is limited only to civil and political rights. We want to equip it with significant power to include economic, social and cultural rights,” Escudero pointed out. (Philstar)

On Cabinet

President Aquino signed Executive Order 43 that effectively organizes five clusters in the Cabinet, paving the way for efficiency, effectiveness and focus in the implementation of the programs and policies of the government. The clusters, according to Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., are divided as follows: Good Governance and Anti-Corruption; Human Development and Poverty Reduction; Economic Development; Security, Justice and Peace; and Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation. Each cluster will be headed by a Cabinet member, with a line agency or office designated as secretariat. Cluster chairs may also require the participation of the heads of other departments or agencies, when necessary. (Philstar)

On ZTE deal

Former elections chairman Benjamin Abalos had expected millions of dollars in commissions from the Chinese firm ZTE Corp. in connection with the national broadband network (NBN) deal, Rodolfo Lozada told the Sandiganbayan yesterday. In his testimony, the whistle-blower repeated most of his testimony before the Senate Blue Ribbon committee hearings in 2008, where he bared how Abalos allegedly wanted his $130 million protected. Lozada told the anti-graft court how Abalos had threatened to kill him for meddling with the project even though he was just a technical adviser of then National Economic and Development Authority director general Romulo Neri. (Philstar)