BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- PH Muslims Honor Osama

PHILIPPINE STAR -- US: Phl Gov’t Prepared To Stop Terror Attacks

MANILA STANDARD -- Higher Inflation Prompts BSP To Hike Interest Rates

MANILA TIMES -- Obama Vows To Do It Again

MALAYA -- Aquino: ‘Give Labor A Break’

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Noynoy’s DoF, BoC Chief Face Graft Raps

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- MILF To Junk Peace Talks

ABANTE -- Yellow Gloves Gagamitin Ni Pacquiao

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Obama No Photo

BALITA -- Magsuot Ng Dilaw

BULGAR -- Instant Noodles May Bacteria

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

A ranking House leader of the House of Representatives yesterday disclosed that the controversial Reproductive Health bill (RH) will not be among the priority measures that will be tackled by Congress when it resumes session on May 9.  Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo “Erin” Tañada said that Speaker Feliciano “Sonny” Belmonte Jr. has issued instructions for them not to tackle highly divisive and controversial measures such as RH measure. Tañada, however, admitted that discussions on RH bill which is pending for second reading cannot be prevented if lawmakers would insist on it. (Tribune-p3)

China’s proposal for a joint development of the disputed oil-rich Spratly’s island is not feasible, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said yesterday. “That’s a hoary proposal. China has been making that proposal for over a decade. Basically, China is saying let us not quarrel over these maritime areas because each one can have a slice of the pie. We can just do it amicably among ourselves. The problem is that the actuations of China do not match its words. That is very easy to say but very difficult to do. You know, you’ll have to work out the mechanics and the devil is in the details,” she said. (Tribune-p3) 

On Presidency

President Aquino denied yesterday that his favorite pastime is playing portable play station (PSP). “I never played PSP,” he told GMA-7 anchor Arnold Clavio in an interview in Malacañang. Aquino said his hobbies include shooting and playing billiards and, of late, biking. Since the start of the year, he rides his bike inside the Malacañang premises, he added. Aquino is a known sharpshooter, and has even offered to train prosecutors from the Department of Justice. (Philstar-p7) 

The government is spending a measly P4.2 million for President Aquino’s trip to Jakarta to attend the 18th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit from May 7 to 8. Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said the P4.2 million covers expenses for hotel accommodations, food, transportation, telecommunications and equipment requirements, among others, excluding air fares. “Consistent with the President’s previous official foreign trips, every effort was made to keep expenses to the minimum,” Ochoa said. (Philstar-p9) 

President Aquino had a "medical appointment" Wednesday while the Cabinet security cluster was assessing the security situation after the killing Sunday in Pakistan of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Ramon Carandang, head of the Presidential Communications Planning and Development Office, said yesterday. "Nagkataon din kahapon (Wednesday) na nagkaroon ng medical appointment si Pangulong Aquino kaya iyong unang schedule niya kahapon ng umaga ay isang meeting sa kanyang doctor," Carandang said.  (Malaya-p1) 

The 18-point plunge in the government’s overall performance rating might have stung President Aquino once again as he yesterday slammed, in a speech before company executives, two critical columnists who had attributed the recent Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey results to the Chief Executive’s laidback working style. Departing from the original lines of his prepared speech, Aquino blasted the criticisms written by the two columnists whom he did not identify, saying in effect that he is lazy and not working hard enough to solve the country’s pressing problems today. (Tribune-p1) 

On The President’s Man

Three Cabinet officials of President Aquino were charged with corruption on April 19, 2011 at the Office of the Ombudsman, documents obtained by the Tribune showed. Facing criminal and administrative charges for violating anti-graft laws are Cesar Purisima, secretary, Department of Finance (DoF); Guillermo Parayno Jr., undersecretary, DoF, and Angelito Alvarez, commissioner, Bureau of Customs (BoC). (Tribune-Banner) 

On The Ombudsman 

Malacañang has practically admitted that allies of President Aquino are fighting over the Ombudsman’s post for control as the Palace said it is willing to accept recommendations from every interested party that wishes to get involved in its search for the replacement of resigned Om-budsman Merceditas “Merci” Gutierrez, even those who will come from the so-called warring factions which have reportedly reactivated their power play tactics to control the anti-graft body. Deputy presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said at a press briefing that no party is being barred by Malacañang from making any recommendation for as long as Ombudsman wannabe possesses all the necessary qualifications required by the office. (Tribune-p1) 

On Terror Watch

United States Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. is confident that the Philippines is capable of dealing with possible retaliatory attacks from local terrorists sympathetic to slain al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. “We have full confidence in President Aquino and his national security team. We know that they work every day to protect every one who lives here, most importantly the Filipino people but also those of us who are guests in this country, and we know that they have been vigilant over the last few days, not only at our embassy but also the airports and other ports,” Thomas told reporters yesterday at the House of Representatives. (Philstar-Banner) 

The United States government remains vigilant on possible terrorist attacks in the Philippines in the wake of the death of al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden, US Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas Jr. said on Thursday. Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed additional troops in Metro Manila in response to mounting warnings of such attacks and a Muslim group announced that it would lead a sympathy march — presumably to condemn how bin Laden’s remains were buried — to the US Embassy in Manila today. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Pinoy Muslims

Manila’s Muslim community will offer a memorial to Osama bin Laden after today’s noontime prayers at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo. Sheikh Jamil Yahya, chair of the Bangsamoro Supreme Council of the Ulamas, has been invited to lead the prayers and deliver the khutbah (sermon), according to an advisory. He is to lead a funeral service for Bin Laden afterwards. After the memorial, a number of Filipino secular and civil society groups are to hold a “sympathy march-rally” from the mosque to the US embassy on Roxas Boulevard. (PDI-Banner) 

On Bin Laden

The White House on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) said that President Barack Obama reserved the right to take action again in Pakistan, as US outrage grew that Osama bin Laden was living in the allied nation. Despite Islamabad’s complaints that the raid that killed bin Laden was unauthorized and unilateral, Obama’s spokesman Jay Carney said that the US president was prepared to target fugitives again if they are found in Pakistan. (Mla Times-Banner) 

On The Peace Process

Philippine Muslim rebels who have waged one of Asia’s longest insurgencies threatened Thursday to abandon peace talks unless the government quickly submitted its proposal for a political settlement. The 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said the latest round of talks held in Malaysia last week were clouded with mistrust, and accused government negotiators of not taking their demands seriously. Michael Mastura, a senior member of the MILF panel, said the rebels had been expecting to receive the government’s proposal last week, but had instead been told to wait until June 27. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Labor

President Aquino yesterday urged employers to give their workers salary increases and a share in company profits.  Aquino, during the National Conference of Employers, said his order to the wage boards to speed up their decisions on wage hike petitions should not be viewed as a threat to employers. "What you have to understand is that our job is to balance these sometimes competing concerns. What we have offered to labor is not necessarily harmful to your interests," he said. (Malaya-Banner) 

On Presidential Appointment

President Aquino has said he is not likely to give former senator Manuel Roxas II, his running mate in the May 2010 elections, a Cabinet position when the one-year ban on the appointment of defeated political candidates expires on June 30.  Aquino, in a taped interview with GMA 7’s Arnold Clavio aired Wednesday night, said Roxas will help him govern the country after the election. (Malaya-p1) 

On Electricity Rates

Customers of Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) can expect a minimal decrease in their electric bills this month, the company announced yesterday. In a statement, Meralco said the generation charge in the May bills of customers would go down by 3.13 centavos per kilowatt-hour (kWh), from P5.0474 per kWh in April to P5.0161 per kWh in May. (Philstar-p1) 

On Gen Garcia

Former military comptroller Carlos Garcia and his wife denied the P235-million tax evasion charges filed against them before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday. They asked the investigating panel to dismiss the charges for lack of merit. “It is therefore respectfully submitted that... no probable cause exists for the charges of tax evasion pertaining to the willful attempt to evade or defeat tax and willful failure to file 2004 income tax return,” read their counter-affidavit. (Philstar-p2) 

On The Comelec Chief

Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Sixto Brillantes remained in hospital yesterday but is in stable condition after he collapsed Wednesday night presumably due to gastro-intestinal problem. Brillantes was meeting with some Comelec lawyers when he complained of stomach pain and then fainted inside his office at the Palacio del Governador in Intramuros, Manila at around 6:30 p.m. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said Brillantes was “so far (found to have suffered from) stomach pains with dehydration due to fatigue, lack of sleep and stress.” “He is stable and under family-imposed bed rest,” Jimenez told The STAR. (Philstar-p6) 

On Interest Rates

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) yesterday raised interest rates by 25 basis points to control inflation expectations and contain second round effects after inflation rose to a one-year high of 4.5 percent in April because of surging oil prices. The Monetary Board raised the central bank’s overnight borrowing rate to 4.50 percent from 4.25 percent and its overnight lending rate to 6.50 percent from 6.25 percent. Central banks usually raise interest rates to curb aggregate demand, causing inflation to slow down. This means that it is now more costly to borrow money. (Philstar-p13) 

On Dacer-Corbito Murder Case

he Department of Justice (DOJ) is sending a team to the United States to bring former Sr. Supt. Michael Ray Aquino back to the Philippines to stand trial for the killings of publicist Salvador “Bubby” Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito in Nov. 2000. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said she expects Aquino to be in the country “in a few weeks’ time.” De Lima said the DOJ already received a copy of the decision of US Court of Appeals in the Third Circuit of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania affirming an order by US District Court of New Jersey in Newark for the extradition of Aquino. (Philstar-p1) 

On Pacman’s Fight

The Court of Appeals (CA) has allowed Solar Entertainment Corp. to air live satellite feeds of bouts of world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao pending finality of a Makati court’s decision canceling a businessman’s copyright over the broadcast. In a 16-page decision, the CA’s Special Third Division dismissed the petition of Melecio Alonzo Jr., sole proprietor and manager of Cluster Marketing engaged in the distribution of cable television equipment and satellite services, to set aside the Aug. 7, 2009 order issued by the Makati City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 149. The appellate court cited the power of the RTC to execute its ruling that is on appeal. (Philstar-p1) 

On Pinoys In Libya

More than a hundred Filipinos currently stranded in Libya’s conflict-stricken city of Misrata need urgent repatriation, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said,  adding that it has failed to establish contact with the group. Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario met last week with Libyan officials to ask protection for Filipinos living there. (Tribune-p1) 

On Foreign Service

Consul General Domingo Nolasco has been promoted to chief of mission class II. He received his ad interim appointment from President Aquino on Tuesday and now awaits from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) his official designation as deputy chief of mission of the Philippine embassy in Washington, vice newly arrived Ambassador Jose Cuisia. Nolasco’s appointment was effective April 15. He still has to get the confirmation of the Commission on Appointments. Nolasco joined the DFA in 1990 and was posted to Washington in 2006. (Philstar-p8)