BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- 260 KPH Winds Whip North Luzon 

PHILIPPINE STAR -- ‘Juan’ Pummels Luzon 

MANILA STANDARD -- Muslim Solons Want Deles Replaced By Aquino’s Aunt

MANILA TIMES -- NEDA Calls For New Taxes

MALAYA -- Calamity Declared In Isabela

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Noy No Show In Disaster Meet

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- ‘Juan’ Cripples North

ABANTE -- Hanging Humahambalos

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Bagsik Ni Juan

 

BALITA -- Isabela

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Rescuer Beheaded

BULGAR -- Mommy Todas Sa 7-Anyos Na Anak

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The Senate committee on peace, unification and reconciliation has approved at the committee level the presidential grant of amnesty to former and active military officers and enlisted personnel who participated in the coup attempts against the Arroyo administration. “It’s been approved in the committee level, and now it will be brought to the plenary for sponsorship and debate before it is finally put to a vote when Congress resumes,” said committee chairman Sen. Teofisto Guingona III after wrapping up the first and only hearing of his committee on Presidential Proclamation 50. (Philstar-p1) 

The Senate’s first hearing into the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) Bill yesterday settled nothing except that support and opposition to the measure are split down the middle.  Almost 40 resource persons were invited to the hearing, including two former senators who claimed that the proposed bill filed by Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago contains provisions which are unconstitutional. Former senators Francisco Tatad and Joey Lina cited several provisions that violate different sections of the Constitution. (Phistar-p2) 

The House committee on housing and urban development is set to look into billions in financial losses incurred by the Home Guaranty Corp. (HGC).  Resolution 549 filed by Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the party-list group Bagong Henerasyon prompted the investigation. In her resolution, Herrera-Dy said the government “incurred substantial losses as a result of anomalous transactions entered into by HGC officials starting 2002.” (Philstar-p4) 

Prosecutors assured former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo yesterday that her rights would be protected once she testifies as a prosecution witness on the canceled $329-million national broadband network (NBN) contract between the government and ZTE Corp. of China. In a memorandum filed before the Sandiganbayan fifth division, prosecutors insisted that Arroyo, now a Pampanga congresswoman, is being presented only as an ordinary witness against former National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) director general Romulo Neri who is facing trial for graft in connection with the NBN-ZTE deal. (Philstar-p7) 

On Presidency

President Aquino was expected to preside over the disaster preparedness meeting organized by the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) yesterday morning at 9, but was a no-show, which absence gave rise to speculations that he again failed to get up on time to make it to the meeting.  Talk has been swirling for months that Aquino is a late riser and begins his work day at 11 a.m and cuts off at 5 pm. (Tribune-Banner) 

President Aquino was a no-show during yesterday’s briefing on the preparations for the landfall of super typhoon "Juan" (international name: Megi) in Northern Luzon. Palace reporters trooped to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) center in Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City to cover Aquino’s orders on the operations for the coming of the super typhoon. (Malaya-p1) 

Malacañang yesterday said it would continue to enforce Executive Orders 1 and 2, both of which have become controversial, because there have been no restraining orders from the Supreme Court (SC). EO 1 created the Truth Commission, a fact-finding body mandated to investigate corruption allegations against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, now representative of the second district of Pampanga, and officials of her administration. (Philstar-p8) 

On Typhoon ‘Juan’

Super-typhoon “Juan” (international codename: Megi) roared through Isabela yesterday, flattening banana plantations, uprooting trees, toppling power lines and forcing the evacuation of more than 3,000 people in the province and nearby Cagayan. At least four people were reported killed in the typhoon’s path. (PDI-Banner)  

Typhoon “Juan,” the 10th and strongest typhoon to hit the Philippines this year, slammed into northern Luzon shortly before noon yesterday, cutting off power, forcing the cancellation of flights and leaving one person dead and 20 injured as of late afternoon. At least 5,000 families were evacuated, according to disaster officials. (Philstar-Banner) 

Super typhoon "Juan" made landfall in Isabela before noon yesterday, prompting authorities to declare the rice-producing province under a state of calamity. Juan (international name: Megi) caused a province-wide outage and landslides and forced the closure of several key roads. It weakened into a typhoon after battering Isabela and crossing Northern Luzon. (Malaya-Banner) 

On Relief Goods

In anticipation of typhoon “Juan,” the government decided to take a pro-active stance in efforts to come up with a low casualty count by delivering relief goods in advance to areas directly in the storm’s path. “We have already made a pre-positioning of goods as per instructions of the President that will be good for seven days, instead of the usual three, to Isabela and Cagayan provinces,” Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said. (Philstar-p1) 

On Agricultural Production

A state of calamity was declared in Isabela province Monday after Super-typhoon “Juan” made landfall and threatened to wipe out the region’s rice crop. The supertyphoon is expected to cause a power shortage in northern Luzon in the short term. By the end of the year, however, the country is expected to suffer “reduced” rice output due to the projected damage caused by the supertyphoon in major rice-producing provinces, officials said. (PDI-p1) 

On Suspension Of Classes

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday announced that it would no longer issue official announcements on class suspensions when storm signals are hoisted over certain areas. Education Secretary Bro. Armin Lusitro made the announcement during the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council emergency meeting in Camp Aguinaldo, the military headquarters in Quezon City. Lusitro said that starting Monday, the Education department would no longer officially suspend classes as soon as the storm signals are raised in specific areas by the national weather bureau. “For all areas under Storm Signal No. 1, you don’t have to wait for any announcements from DepEd, classes in kinder and pre-school are automatically suspended,” the Education secretary added. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Presidential Amnesty

A top Malacañang executive yesterday told senators that President Benigno Aquino III could grant amnesty even to non-political offenders, such as ordinary criminals. “I think that the amnesty power of the President has evolved through the years and, theoretically, the President can issue an amnesty proclamation even for ordinary criminals,” Senior Deputy Executive Secretary Jose Amorado said at a hearing of the Senate committees on rules and on peace, unification and reconciliation.  (PDI-p1) 

On Pagcor Purchases

El Shaddai leader Mike Velarde must have grinned ear to ear with the deal, but the Commission on Audit (COA) was upset. The COA said that the acquisition by Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (Pagcor) of 66 condominium units in Parañaque City worth P267.91 million in 2008, purportedly for its employees, was not only unnecessary but also unwise. (PDI-p1) 

On Kidnapping

A criminal gang released last Sunday night eight kidnap victims, including seven school children, three days after they were snatched in Valenzuela City. The victims were kidnapped at around 6:30 a.m. last Thursday in Valenzuela. The incident was the fifth kidnap-for-ransom case since President Aquino assumed office last June 30. The Police Anti-Crime Emergency Response (PACER), the unit tasked to handle kidnap-for-ransom cases, refused to give any information on the case, including the identities of the victims. The STAR confirmed that they were Chinese-Filipinos or Tsinoys. (Philstar-p2) 

On Hunger

While fewer Filipino families experienced involuntary hunger in the last three months, nearly half of them rated themselves “mahirap” or “poor,” a recent survey by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) showed. The SWS poll, conducted from Sept. 24 to 27, found that 15.9 percent of families (about three million families) went hungry at least once in the past three months, down from 21.1 percent in June. Nearly half or 48 percent of households, meanwhile, rated themselves as “mahirap” or “poor,” a minor improvement from 50 percent previously. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Peace Process

Secretary Teresita Deles of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Peace Process (OPAPP) would stay as a member of the Aquino Cabinet, despite a House resolution calling for her resignation, Malacañang declared yesterday.  “The President is standing by Secretary Deles. He has full confidence in Secretary Ging Deles,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City where the government held a meeting in preparation for typhoon “Juan.”  (Philstar-p1) 

President Aquino is set to meet this week with Muslim and Congress leaders to discuss a resolution adopted by the House of Representatives last Saturday calling for the resignation of peace adviser Teresita Deles for "insulting" Lanao del Norte Rep. Fatima Aliah Dimaporo during the deliberations on the budget of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP). When asked if the administration would ask its allies in the House to convince their colleagues to withdraw the resolution, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. said, "Probably." (Malaya-p1) 

On Power Sector

Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone asked President Aquino yesterday to stop the Power Sector Assets and Liabilities Management (PSALM) Corp. from borrowing more than P50 billion next year. Evardone, a former journalist-turned-governor-turned-lawmaker, made the appeal in reaction to reports that PSALM would borrow about $1.2 billion to pay for maturing loans incurred by the National Power Corp. (Napocor). (Philstar-p4) 

On OFW

Vice President Jejomar Binay will begin consulting with government agencies engaged in the welfare of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Binay has extended his appreciation to President Aquino for appointing him as Presidential Adviser on Overseas Filipino Workers’ Concerns, a position previously held by former Vice President Noli de Castro. Binay is also scheduling consultations with non-government organizations and Filipino communities overseas to know their concerns. (Philstar-p4) 

On The National Budget

Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has advised Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to carefully review the government’s P1.645-trillion budget for next year. Abad noted that Arroyo has complained about the lump sum allotment for school facilities and the huge allocation for the conditional cash transfer program. (Philstar-p5) 

On The Visiting Forces Agreement

Sen. Francis Pangilinan has joined his colleagues in calling for a review of the RP-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), citing the lopsidedness of the treaty that puts the country at a disadvantage. “Have we benefited militarily as envisioned by the agreement? Or has it been a lopsided arrangement favoring the Americans, who have been able to stay here indefinitely, enjoying basing arrangements without paying up?” he asked. (Philstar-p6) 

On Barangay Election

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is eyeing the outright disqualification of unqualified candidates in the coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. Comelec spokesman James Jimenez said the poll body will soon come out with a resolution allowing field officials to disqualify candidates found not qualified to run for the positions they are seeking even without any petition filed against them. (Philstar-p6) 

On New Taxes

The Aquino administration has to impose new taxes as its tax administrative reforms are insufficient to meet fiscal balance in a sustained manner, according to a study by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA). In the study, “A Strategic Framework and Action Plan for Inclusive Growth,” NEDA said that tax efficiency requires right tax policies and rates to encourage compliance and minimize leakages. Citing estimates made by the Department of Finance, it added that about 35 percent of potential tax collections by the Bureau of Internal Revenue and 20 percent of such collections by the Bureau of Customs are lost to leakages. The NEDA study estimated that individual tax leakage could total at least P214.14 billion for 2011 to 2016. (Mla Times-Banner) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

Saying that he was denied of his right to due process, a member of the Ampatuan clan asked the Court of Appeals to void a resolution of the Department of Justice that included him as among those charged with the murder of 57 civilians in southern Maguindanao province in November last year. Zaldy Ampatuan, through his lawyer Redemberto Villanueva, on Monday submitted to the appellate court a 43-page memorandum alleging that he was not given an opportunity by the Justice department to confront and refute the testimony of a witness. The department would later include Ampatuan among the accused in the Maguindanao massacre case. (Mla Times-p1) 

On The Truth Commission 

Officials of Malacañang are unmoved by the resurgence of constitutionality issues being leveled against the creation of the Philippine Truth Commission (PTC) by its critics from the upper chamber who remain equally steadfast in making their opinions heard that such fact-finding committee does not stand any chance in courts.  Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, the other day, reiterated her view that the Executive branch has no constitutional authority to create agencies like the PTC. She continues to have reservations whether the findings and recommendations of such body will be able to stand in court. (Mla Times-p1)