BROADSHEETS 

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- CBCP: No to tax boycott

PHILIPPINE STAR -- 3 Sandigan justices face criminal raps 

MANILA BULLETIN -- K+12 demeaning

DAILY TRIBUNE -- RP least competitive in entire Asia-Pacific

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Pacquiao clobbered

ABANTE -- Pacquiao ni-knockout ni Lagman

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Fix salary sa bus drivers 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The House committee on justice voted yesterday to get the process to impeach Supreme Court (SC) Justice Mariano del Castillo underway by finding the impeachment complaint against him sufficient in form. Committee members who are for ousting Del Castillo for alleged plagiarism narrowly defeated those who are against his impeachment. The vote was 11-10 with one abstention. The case against the justice arose from the SC decision, which he wrote, rejecting the petition of at least 70 “comfort women” during the Japanese occupation to compel the government to seek an explicit apology and reparations from Japan.(Philstar)

On Sandiganbayan

Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto Sandoval and Associate Justices Teresita Diaz-Baldos and Samuel Martires are facing criminal charges for approving the plea bargain agreement between former military comptroller Carlos Garcia and the Office of the Special Prosecutor. The military will closely monitor the proceedings against the three justices. Armed Forces public affairs chief Lt. Col. Arnulfo Burgos said they did not expect the Sandiganbayan to favor the deal with Garcia.(Philstar)

On P-Noy's rating

Opinion writers may be responsible for the decline in the approval rating of the 11-month-old administration of President Aquino, Malacañang said yesterday. “We don’t have any problem with the Malacañang Press Corps. There’s no problem with the news itself but perhaps with the columnists who are always criticizing him,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday. Lacierda said these opinion writers should sit down with the President for them to be apprised of his policies and programs. “Constant exposure” comparable to reporters covering Malacañang might help, he said. (Philstar)

On Customs

President Aquino yesterday called on the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to explain how luxury vehicles and motorcycles have been smuggled into the country.  Aquino told reporters in Davao City after the 104th annual convention of the Philippine Medical Association that he could not understand why a foreign law enforcement agency would have to alert the Philippines about the alleged smuggling. Aquino warned he would implement drastic changes in the BOC in two months for its lackluster performance. (Philstar)

On P-Noy's lovelife

President Aquino appealed again to the media yesterday to give him some privacy, as he complained that the few times that he was seen going on dates were being treated like a “circus.” “A reporter once asked me what has changed in my life since I assumed the presidency. My answer was simple enough: I think it is easier to say what has remained unchanged. For instance, I think all of us from time to time would eat meals at a restaurant, meals have become impossible to even consume without having to look around if there are cameras pointed at me wanting to take a photo of me taking a bite,” the President said in a speech at the 104th annual convention of the Philippine Medical Association in Davao City. (Philstar)

On Mar Roxas

President Aquino assured the nation yesterday that the appointment of Manuel Roxas II as his chief of staff would not sow confusion in government. Speaking at the 104th Annual Convention of the Philippine Medical Association in Davao City, Aquino said he would make sure that his Cabinet officials would complement one another. Aquino said the administrative order on the appointment of Roxas would clearly delineate the functions of Cabinet secretaries to avoid overlapping.(Philstar)

On RH bill

While the reproductive health (RH) issue may have sparked fierce debates, it should not cause divisiveness, according to President Aquino who also called on the Roman Catholic Church yesterday to work with his administration in advancing pro-poor programs. This developed as the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines formally informed Malacañang yesterday that it would no longer take part in discussions over the RH bill. “I know some sectors are against this bill, but it is the right thing to do,” the President said in a speech during the 104th Annual Convention of the Philippine Medical Association in Davao City.(Philstar)

On ZTE scam

Whistle-blower Rodolfo Lozada Jr. could not explain why he allowed multimillion-peso anomalies in government projects he handled while acting as “personal technical adviser” to former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) chief Romulo Neri. Responding to questions posed by defense lawyers during the hearing at the trial of former elections chief Benjamin Abalos at the Sandiganbayan, Lozada admitted knowing about anomalies in multimillion-peso projects involving the Philippine Postal Service, the SouthRail Project, and the Philippine Forest Corp. (PFC) (Philstar)

On GSIS

 Paintings worth millions of pesos placed under the custody of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) will not be sold until after a thorough study is made, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said yesterday. “There’s an ongoing study (on) how to maximize the assets. There’s a need to further maximize the assets. There is still no clear decision to sell the assets yet,” he said.  GSIS president Roberto Vergara said they have plans to auction off the artworks – which include Juan Luna’s ‘Parisian Life” worth P200 million – to pay off the state insurer’s debts and keep it afloat.The sale of the artworks would help finance the claims of the insurer’s housing and educational plan holders. (Philstar)