1ST-APLUMA NEWS SUMMARY FOR OCT. 23, 2010
Posted by unang apluma on Friday, October 22, 2010
Under: news
BROADSHEETS
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- High tribunal vs UP Law
PHILIPPINE STAR -- WB doubles aid to RP
MANILA BULLETIN -- Juan leaves 26 dead
DAILY TRIBUNE -- Military envoys’ foreign postings scored
TABLOIDS
PEOPLE'S JOURNAL -- P2M for Ping's head
PEOPLE'S TONIGHT -- Hearing on Singson drug case reset
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 'Ping sumuko ka na' - Gringo
ABANTE -- Classroom attack
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has called for caution on the proposal to adopt an “open skies” policy and allow foreign airlines to operate in the country. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Belmonte said the government should first improve aviation and tourism infrastructure before Malacañang or Congress could consider such a policy. He said modernization of tourism and air transport facilities, not liberalization of air policy alone, could be the key to attracting more foreign tourists to the Philippines.(Philstar)
On World Bank
Philippine initiatives on good governance have prompted the World Bank (WB) to double its assistance to the country next year. From its current overall assistance of $650 million, the World Bank is looking at an increase in the order of $1.3 billion up to $1.5 billion, WB Country Director Bert Hofman told The STAR yesterday. The WB is also expected to increase funding support for the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to the very poor. (Philstar)
On Lacson
Sen. Gregorio Honasan, chairman of the Senate committee on peace and order and illegal drugs, urged yesterday his “mistah” – Sen. Panfilo Lacson – to come out and face due process after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima vowed to take a direct hand in locating the fugitive senator. Lacson is facing the possibility of cancellation of his passport, the creation of a task force to arrest him and the proposal to put up a reward to locate his whereabouts. Honasan said his former classmate in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) should re-assess his decision to remain in hiding. (Philstar)
On Grand Lotto
Lottery fever is sweeping the country as thousands of lotto fanatics line up in a bid to win the P251-million grand lotto jackpot, the second biggest lotto jackpot since the online lottery of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was launched in 1995. According to the official PCSO website (www.pcso.gov.ph), as of yesterday the jackpot prize of the Grand 6/55 lotto had ballooned to P251,648,827.20 after nobody won the winning combination in last Wednesday’s draw. A player from Malabon City bought his favorite number combination yesterday morning, hoping that he will soon join the so-called “lotto millionaires club” after tonight’s draw. (Philstar)
On Truth Commission
Malacañang dared critics yesterday to file complaints with the Truth Commission against administration officials who were part of the Arroyo government. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it would be up to the panel to determine whether the complaints would be given credence. He was quick to defend Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, who held the same position when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was president, on allegations that Soliman profited from a government bond flotation in 2001. (Philstar)
On toll rate hike
Malacañang and the Supreme Court (SC) agreed yesterday that the toll increase at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) may now push through. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Toll Regulatory Board will meet next week to determine the new rates based on public consultation and on their own computation. “I know the concerns are there. I know that all of us have fears about the increases and their domino effect but look at what happened to NLEX (North Luzon Expressway).
On peace talks
A militant lawmaker welcomed yesterday President Aquino’s creation of a peace panel to negotiate with the National Democratic
Front (NDF). “The formation of the panel is a positive step towards the resumption of the peace talks. We hope for the immediate start of the discussions on the next substantive agenda – the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER),” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said. He said the biggest challenge facing Mr. Aquino is how to come out with an agreement on social and economic reforms to address the roots of the armed conflict.
On rice supply
Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap urged yesterday Malacañang to ensure there are enough rice buffer stocks as the country continues to be hit by powerful typhoons that cause severe damage to agricultural crops. Yap, a former agriculture chief during the Arroyo administration, cited in particular the crucial role of the National Food Authority (NFA) on ensuring stable rice supply. President Aquino however had the NFA’s budget for 2011 reduced to zero much to the consternation of some sectors and lawmakers.
On Glorietta blast
Police and fire officials who took part in the Glorietta 2 blast probe stood pat on their findings that the explosion was an accident. Retired police Director Luizo Ticman said the findings that methane gas caused the explosion at the basement of Glorietta 2 in Makati City last Oct. 19, 2007 was supported by several other independent investigating bodies. “The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Australian experts and analysts from the Ateneo-based PIFAC (Philip Institute for Pure and Applied Chemistry) conducted their respective independent investigations and all of them found no trace of explosives,” Ticman told The STAR.
On typhoon Juan
Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon will continue to experience rainy weather over the weekend due to the tailend of typhoon “Juan” (international code name “Megi”), state weather forecasters said yesterday. Robert Sawi, weather branch chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Luzon would experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms this weekend. The rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- High tribunal vs UP Law
PHILIPPINE STAR -- WB doubles aid to RP
MANILA BULLETIN -- Juan leaves 26 dead
DAILY TRIBUNE -- Military envoys’ foreign postings scored
TABLOIDS
PEOPLE'S JOURNAL -- P2M for Ping's head
PEOPLE'S TONIGHT -- Hearing on Singson drug case reset
PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 'Ping sumuko ka na' - Gringo
ABANTE -- Classroom attack
ISSUES MONITORING
On Congress
Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has called for caution on the proposal to adopt an “open skies” policy and allow foreign airlines to operate in the country. Speaking to reporters Thursday, Belmonte said the government should first improve aviation and tourism infrastructure before Malacañang or Congress could consider such a policy. He said modernization of tourism and air transport facilities, not liberalization of air policy alone, could be the key to attracting more foreign tourists to the Philippines.(Philstar)
On World Bank
Philippine initiatives on good governance have prompted the World Bank (WB) to double its assistance to the country next year. From its current overall assistance of $650 million, the World Bank is looking at an increase in the order of $1.3 billion up to $1.5 billion, WB Country Director Bert Hofman told The STAR yesterday. The WB is also expected to increase funding support for the government’s conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to the very poor. (Philstar)
On Lacson
Sen. Gregorio Honasan, chairman of the Senate committee on peace and order and illegal drugs, urged yesterday his “mistah” – Sen. Panfilo Lacson – to come out and face due process after Justice Secretary Leila de Lima vowed to take a direct hand in locating the fugitive senator. Lacson is facing the possibility of cancellation of his passport, the creation of a task force to arrest him and the proposal to put up a reward to locate his whereabouts. Honasan said his former classmate in the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) should re-assess his decision to remain in hiding. (Philstar)
On Grand Lotto
Lottery fever is sweeping the country as thousands of lotto fanatics line up in a bid to win the P251-million grand lotto jackpot, the second biggest lotto jackpot since the online lottery of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) was launched in 1995. According to the official PCSO website (www.pcso.gov.ph), as of yesterday the jackpot prize of the Grand 6/55 lotto had ballooned to P251,648,827.20 after nobody won the winning combination in last Wednesday’s draw. A player from Malabon City bought his favorite number combination yesterday morning, hoping that he will soon join the so-called “lotto millionaires club” after tonight’s draw. (Philstar)
On Truth Commission
Malacañang dared critics yesterday to file complaints with the Truth Commission against administration officials who were part of the Arroyo government. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it would be up to the panel to determine whether the complaints would be given credence. He was quick to defend Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, who held the same position when Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was president, on allegations that Soliman profited from a government bond flotation in 2001. (Philstar)
On toll rate hike
Malacañang and the Supreme Court (SC) agreed yesterday that the toll increase at the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) may now push through. Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Toll Regulatory Board will meet next week to determine the new rates based on public consultation and on their own computation. “I know the concerns are there. I know that all of us have fears about the increases and their domino effect but look at what happened to NLEX (North Luzon Expressway).
On peace talks
A militant lawmaker welcomed yesterday President Aquino’s creation of a peace panel to negotiate with the National Democratic
Front (NDF). “The formation of the panel is a positive step towards the resumption of the peace talks. We hope for the immediate start of the discussions on the next substantive agenda – the Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER),” Anakpawis party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano said. He said the biggest challenge facing Mr. Aquino is how to come out with an agreement on social and economic reforms to address the roots of the armed conflict.
On rice supply
Bohol Rep. Arthur Yap urged yesterday Malacañang to ensure there are enough rice buffer stocks as the country continues to be hit by powerful typhoons that cause severe damage to agricultural crops. Yap, a former agriculture chief during the Arroyo administration, cited in particular the crucial role of the National Food Authority (NFA) on ensuring stable rice supply. President Aquino however had the NFA’s budget for 2011 reduced to zero much to the consternation of some sectors and lawmakers.
On Glorietta blast
Police and fire officials who took part in the Glorietta 2 blast probe stood pat on their findings that the explosion was an accident. Retired police Director Luizo Ticman said the findings that methane gas caused the explosion at the basement of Glorietta 2 in Makati City last Oct. 19, 2007 was supported by several other independent investigating bodies. “The FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), Australian experts and analysts from the Ateneo-based PIFAC (Philip Institute for Pure and Applied Chemistry) conducted their respective independent investigations and all of them found no trace of explosives,” Ticman told The STAR.
On typhoon Juan
Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon will continue to experience rainy weather over the weekend due to the tailend of typhoon “Juan” (international code name “Megi”), state weather forecasters said yesterday. Robert Sawi, weather branch chief of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said Luzon would experience mostly cloudy skies with scattered rain showers and thunderstorms this weekend. The rest of the country would be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.
In : news