BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Cotabato Blast Kills 10

PHILIPPINE STAR -- 9 Dead, 9 Wounded In Cotabato Bus Blast

MANILA STANDARD -- Palace Releases P35-M Pork To Each Restive Congressman

MANILA TIMES -- Aquino Needs New Taxes

MALAYA -- Aquino: Beef Was On Lucman Ruling, Not On SC Review Powers

DAILY TRIBUNE -- PTC Must Probe Code-NGO Scam

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Bus Bomb Kills 9

ABANTE -- Masaker King Swak Sa 66 Tax Cases

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Bus Binomba

 

BALITA -- ‘Juan’ May Kasunod

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- ‘Daddy Rapes Me’

BULGAR -- Bus Sumabog: 10 Todas 30 Grabe

REMATE -- Bus Pinasabog 10 Tigok

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Congressmen-relatives of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo received their own share of pork barrel funds last week, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. Belmonte told a news conference that one of Mrs. Arroyo’s two congressmen-sons and her brother-in-law, Rep. Ignacio Arroyo of Negros Occidental, got their funds along with 150 to 180 House members before his chamber approved President Aquino’s proposed P1.645-trillion 2011 budget last Saturday. (Philstar-p8) 

At least 150 congressmen had each received P35 million of their "pork barrel" for the second half of the year before the House of Representatives went on a three-week recess last Saturday. Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. told reporters that even members of the opposition like Negros Occidental Rep. Ignacio "Iggy" Arroyo and another Arroyo – either Mikey or Dato -- were given Special Allotment Release Orders (SARO). (Malaya-p8) 

On Presidency

President Aquino yesterday declined to comment on the speech of Chief Justice Renato Corona Tuesday night where he decried the unwarranted attacks on its independence, integrity and constitutionally enshrined power of judicial review. "Lest I be accused of unduly influencing them or talking about something that is ‘sub judice,’ perhaps I should withhold my comments at this point in time, and I would just reiterate that what I said a few days ago is precisely the position I hold today," he told reporters in Cauayan in Isabela. (Malaya-Banner) 

Malacañang clarified yesterday that it had never questioned the Supreme Court’s power of judicial review but only the prudence of its decision to stop President Aquino’s dismissal of the previous administration’s midnight appointees. “We did not question the power of the Supreme Court (SC) to review executive orders, what we questioned was the prudence of that decision. And we wanted the public to be made aware what the possible implications are,” Communications Secretary Ricky Carandang said.  (Philstar-p2) 

On Cotabato Blast

The force of the blast was so powerful it decapitated two passengers on the bus. A bomb detonated by cell phone ripped through a de luxe passenger bus of Rural Transit Inc. yesterday, killing 10 people and wounding at least 30 others in an attack military authorities blamed on an extortion gang. Students were among the dead.  (PDI-Banner) 

On Typhoon ‘Juan’

President Benigno Aquino yesterday announced a plan to transfer residents of coastal communities in Isabela province to other areas where they would be safer from storm surges. “We will convince the residents of these coastal areas to get to a better and safer area from where they are now,” Mr. Aquino said during his visit here four days after Super-typhoon “Juan” (international codename: Megi) made landfall in the province. (PDI-p1) 

The Department of Agriculture hopes to recover at least 80 percent of the P5-billion worth of rice crops damaged by super Typhoon Juan, even as the total agricultural losses from the storm have increased to more than P7.55 billion, Agriculture Undersecretary Joel Rudinas, during an interview on Thursday, said that farmers in four regions affected by Juan were trying to save their crops from further damage after having been soaked in rainwater and battered by winds at the height of the typhoon. A weather disturbance as powerful as Juan may enter the Philippine area of responsibility by weekend. (Mla Times-p1) 

On The Peace Process

After 24 years and four different sets of government negotiating panels, the 3-month-old Aquino administration  yesterday signaled its readiness to talk peace with communist rebels, hoping that a political settlement of the 41-year-old insurgency will finally be forged under its watch. At a Palace briefing, President Benigno Aquino III’s adviser on the peace process, Teresita Deles, announced that the government had reconstituted its panel for the resumption of talks with the CPP-NPA and the CPP-led National Democratic Front (NDF). (PDI-p1) 

On The Supreme Court

The Supreme Court has drawn flak from other members of the bar for threatening to sanction professors of the University of the Philippines’ College of Law who called for the resignation of an associate justice accused of plagiarism. On the phone yesterday with the Inquirer, Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez said the high court’s action would have “a chilling effect on law deans, professors and faculty members [who would voice] what they believe to be errors in decisions of the Supreme Court.” (PDI-p1) 

On Rice Importation

There is no need for the government to import rice to replace the damage caused on crops by typhoon “Juan,” President Aquino assured the public yesterday. “The extent of damage was not considered, in the total scheme of things, to be that great so at this point in time we are not contemplating any importation,” Mr. Aquino told reporters at a media briefing in Isabela, the province worst hit by the typhoon. The President said damage to crops was not that significant, a view shared by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, who described the damage brought by Juan to palay fields in northern Luzon as “minimal.”  (Philstar-p1) 

On The Ombudsman

Impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez in the House of Representatives remain suspended until the Supreme Court (SC) rules on her petition to stop the hearings on the complaints filed against her, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said yesterday. Belmonte said the House will submit on or before Oct. 27 a summary of its arguments against the SC’s interference on its constitutional right to initiate impeachment proceedings against an official. He said the counsel of the chamber, Prof. Marvic Leonen, dean of the University of the Philippines College of Law, has assured him that the arguments of the House are solid.  (Philstar-p1) 

The House leadership has bowed to the Supreme Court’s status quo ante decision last Sept. 14 which temporarily prohibits the committee on justice from hearing the two impeachment complaints against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. In his weekly press briefing, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said he has advised the panel led by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. not to hold hearings until the High Court resolves Gutierrez’ petition against the two complaints. (Malaya-p8) 

On New Taxes

A leading economist on Thursday suggested that the Aquino administration reconsider its policy to not impose new taxes so that it can achieve fiscal balance. Victor Abola of the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in Pasig City (Metro Manila) told The Manila Times that in order for Malacañang to jumpstart reducing the budget deficit, “it’s much better to ask [for] new taxes.” Abola mentioned as priority revenue measures the restructure of excise taxes on “sin” and petroleum products and the rationalization of fiscal incentives. He, however, said that increasing value-added tax (VAT) is a “no-no.” (Mla Times-Banner) 

On Tax Evasion

Carlo J. Caparas, also known as the king of Pinoy massacre movies, is facing a P540-million tax evasion case before the Department of Justice (DOJ) for his alleged failure to pay taxes in the last four years. In a complaint filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) yesterday, Caparas is accused specifically of non-payment of taxes for the incomes amounting to P850,951,388.60 he received from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for different television programs he produced from 2006 to 2009. (Philstar-p1) 

On Internal Revenue Allotment

Barangay chairmen nationwide will share among themselves P51 billion in Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) this year. The 42,025 barangays have a total of P51 billion in IRA at their disposal for development programs and projects, according to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG). However, the amount will not be equally divided among the different barangays since the IRA shares depend on the earnings of the local governments. (Philstar-p3) 

On Toll Rate Hike

The Supreme Court (SC) has lifted the temporary restraining order on the government plan to hike toll fees at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX). Upholding the legality of the Supplemental Toll Operation Agreement (STOA) between the Toll Regulatory Board (TRB) and the South Luzon Tollways Corp. (SLTC), the SC said the TRB must determine whether the toll contractor and operator are entitled to the toll. The SC dismissed consolidated petitions of lawyer Ernesto Francisco Jr. and others questioning the legality of the proposed toll hike. (Philstar-p3) 

On Glorietta Blast

The Department of Justice (DOJ) is investigating a report that the previous administration was involved in a cover-up of the real cause of the explosion at the Glorietta 2 shopping mall in Makati City on Oct. 19, 2007 where 11 people were killed and over 100 others were wounded. Justice Secretary Leila de Lima confirmed yesterday that she would assign investigators to verify claims of retired Army colonel Allan Sollano, former head of the Army Explosives and Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit, that an explosive device caused the blast and not a methane gas leak as concluded by government authorities. (Philstar-p9) 

On Sen. Lacson

The Department of Justice is mulling a monetary reward for any information that would lead to the capture of Sen. Panfilo Lacson, the accused mastermind in the Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and Emmanuel Corbito slays in 2000.  Secretary Leila de Lima said she will have to discuss the scheme with the NBI and PNP, which have the task of bringing Lacson back. (Malaya-p8) 

On Calamity

Climate Change Commission vice chair Heherson Alvarez yesterday said super typhoon "Juan" is only a sample of the effects of climate change in developing countries. Alvarez said storms become more aggressive each year due to the creeping effects of climate change. He said in the past years, typhoons that hit the Philippines have increased wind speeds. (Malaya-p1) 

On Barangay Elections

There will not be a total gun ban after all for next week’s barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK or Youth Council) elections. An apparent anomaly resulting from such came up on Thursday after the Commission on Elections (Comelec) approved arming of justices, judges and prosecutors, an exemption from the total gun ban for the October 25 village and SK polls. A three-page resolution obtained by The Manila Times from the Comelec en banc, allowed the magistrates under the Supreme Court (SC) and the prosecutors from the Department of Justice to carry their firearms during the ban. (Mla Times-p1) 

 On Bomb Threat

A bomb scare that disrupted trading in the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) for two-and-a-half hours on Thursday turned out to be a hoax, officials said. Authorities declared the area safe and allowed the office employees to return to the building in Makati City at 12:10 p.m. since no bomb was found during the two-hour search, said Jorge Marco, Ayala Land Inc. head of corporate communications. “We halted trading for security reasons. We implemented evacuation measures immediately for the safety of the employees and trading participants,” Val Antonio Suarez, PSE president and chief executive officer, said in a statement. (Mla Times-p1)