BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- ‘Oakwood’ Judge Blinks

MLA BULLETIN -- RP, Vietnam Agree On Spratlys

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Bar Blast Suspect ‘Yields’

MANILA STANDARD -- Customs Ordered To Work Overtime, Clear Airport Lines

MANILA TIMES -- 57 Lives Cost 350 Dollars

MALAYA -- 200? 200 What? Golf Balls, Yards, Shares?

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Binay Brings Bar Bomb Suspect To NBI

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Sore Losers Burn School

ABANTE -- Kaysa Tumulong, Nambusabos

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Bar Blast  Suspek Lumantad

 

BALITA -- Sabotahe Sisilipin

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Rapist Of Dying Lola Gets 20 Years

BULGAR -- Mommy, Beybi Pisak Sa Trak 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The House of Representatives will insert special provisions in the P1.64-trillion national budget to oversee the implementation of the Aquino administration’s controversial P21-billion conditional cash transfer (CCT) program next year, Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said yesterday. The special provisions appeared to be a compromise by the House leadership on concerns by lawmakers from both the administration and the opposition on how the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) would implement such a huge program and the insistence of Malacañang to leave the funding intact. (Philstar-p8) 

On Presidency

Malacañang on Wednesday greeted Transparency International’s (TI) survey on global corruption by vowing to improve the Philippines’ ranking and continue to promote good governance. In a Palace briefing, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said that the government was pleased that TI’s 2010 Corruption Perception Index (CPI), which was released on Tuesday, found the country’s ranking improving. “We’re just four months old and the fact that we improved [our] ranking says something about our determination to promote good governance. We’ll continue to do our part” in this regard, Lacierda said. (Mla Times-p2) 

On Presidential Trip

President Aquino and his counterpart Nguyen Minh Triet have joined mounting calls for the junta-ruled Myanmar to release Aung San Suu Kyi in time for the country’s Nov. 7 national elections, the first for the last 20 years. “We have been championing the cause of Madam Aung San Suu Kyi for a very, very long time. The basic premise is stability (in) one of the member states of the ASEAN... leads to the stability within ASEAN,” he told Manila-based reporters here. (Philstar-p11) 

President Aquino on Wednesday took exception to comments that he is getting bad legal advice, as shown by the numerous petitions challenging his executive orders before the Supreme Court. Aquino told the Filipino community in Hanoi, Vietnam, that those who claim that he is receiving wrong advice and does not listen to the people are not thinking properly. (Malaya-p1) 

On Oakwood Mutineer

Military officers implicated in the Oakwood mutiny in 2003 may be facing a joyous Christmas—or a bleak one. Judge Oscar Pimentel of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 148 deferred the scheduled promulgation today of the coup d’etat case against Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and several others who allegedly tried to overthrow the Arroyo administration. (PDI-Banner) 

On Bar Exam Blast Suspect

The principal suspect in the grenade attack that marred the conclusion of the Bar examinations in Manila last month surrendered yesterday. Anthony Nepomuceno, a member of the Alpha Phi Omega (APO) fraternity, denied any involvement in the incident before Vice President Jejomar Binay. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

A former officer of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday testified in court that he was paid about $350 by a scion of a powerful Muslim family to help carry out the country’s worst political massacre. Ex-Inspector Rex Ariel Diongon said that he received the money from Andal Ampatuan Jr. to set up the police checkpoint that stopped the convoy of a rival politician in the southern province of Maguindanao last year. The convoy carried relatives of Esmael Mangudadatu who were going to file his candidacy to run against Ampatuan Jr. for provincial governor. (Mla Times-Banner) 

The instructions of the Maguindanao massacre primary suspect, Andal Ampatuan Jr., to the police officers tasked to put up checkpoints were to block any attempt of Esmael Mangudadatu’s convoy to file his certificate of candidacy as governor and to bring the victims to him, another government witness testified yesterday. (PDI-p1) 

On NBN-ZTN Deal

Former Planning Secretary Romulo Neri testified yesterday at the graft trial of Benjamin Abalos Sr. and stood pat on his Senate testimony in 2007 that the then Comelec chairman offered him P200 million in exchange for his endorsement of the $329 million NBN-ZTE broadband contract.  Neri said Abalos made the offer while they were playing golf at Wack Wack in Mandaluyong City. (Malaya-Banner) 

Former socioeconomic planning secretary Romulo Neri reprised his allegation of bribery against former Commission on Elections chairman Benjamin Abalos during yesterday’s Sandiganbayan hearing on the graft case against the retired polls chief in connection with the botched national broadband network deal between ZTE Corp. of China and the previous Arroyo administration. (Philstar-p10) 

On Barangay & SK Elections

Malacañang would be hands off on the investigation into the alleged sabotage of the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections in some areas. Speaking to reporters, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said it would be up to the Commission on Elections to investigate the matter. The Comelec is an independent constitutional body, he added. Lacierda rejected criticisms that Monday’s polls became chaotic because of lack of preparation. (Philstar-p2) 

On Asean Summit

Ministers of the member states of Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are set to discuss the problems of human trafficking, illegal drugs and terrorism in the region. Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo welcomed his counterparts from the ASEAN yesterday as he stressed the need to strengthen regional cooperation and commitment against these crimes and the other transnational crimes. Robredo said these issues would be the top agenda of the 10th ASEAN Senior Officials Meeting on Transnational Crime (SOMTC). (Philstar-p3) 

Philippines bilateral talks with Indonesia originally set today have been postponed following the tsunami and earthquake that hit the predominantly Muslim nation. It was to have been President Aquino’s first schedule in the 17th ASEAN Summit here. “I understand he (Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono) is going back to Indonesia. We commiserate and condole with them,” he told newsmen, adding he was saddened by the successive tragedies there where more than a hundred died. (Philstar-p4) 

On The Peso

President Aquino yesterday assuaged fears of not just overseas Filipino workers here but in other parts of the world as well that the strengthening of the peso means that the Philippines is now an “emerging economy.” “Although (we don’t know) developments in other parts of the world... it tells us that the world is looking at us,” a proud chief executive told reporters in a briefing after he met with the local Filipino community here at the Grand Plaza Hotel where he is billeted.  (Philstar-p4) 

On Military Exercises

The Armed Forces of the Philippines and 26 other heads of military forces in Asia and the Pacific have agreed to conduct a series of military exercises to address traditional security threats and upgrade skill in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. This agreement resulted from the five-day meeting of military heads from 27 countries South Korea from Oct. 18 to 22. (Philstar-p7) 

On Suspension Of Bonuses

Sen. Franklin Drilon has defended the legality of Executive Order 7 suspending the bonuses and allowances of the governing boards of state enterprises until the end of the year, saying it was meant to stop the bleeding of government funds.“The governing boards of various GOCCs have abused their power even more and granted themselves obscene allowances if not for the executive order,” Drilon, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, said. (Philstar-p8) 

On The Ombudsman

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez yesterday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to permanently stop the justice committee of the House of Representatives from hearing the impeachment complaints against her, insisting that the conduct of the proceedings is illegal. The Court has moved to submit the case for resolution after oral arguments were held last Oct. 5 and 12. (Philstar-p11) 

On Regional Politics

When Asian leaders gather for three days of talks in Hanoi on Thursday, they may be getting front-row seats to a sparring match between regional economic heavyweights China and Japan. 

The two rivals are embroiled in their worst spat in years, sparked by a maritime territorial dispute, in a year when an increasingly assertive China has eclipsed Japan as the world’s second-biggest economy. 

Southeast Asian nations that have their own territorial beefs with China have watched the row with interest, as has the United States, which has long been the dominant military power in Asia-Pacific. 

In a sign of the bad blood between Japan and China, they still had not confirmed a bilateral meeting at the Hanoi summit between their premiers, Wen Jiabao of China and Japan’s Naoto Kan, by mid-week. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Pinay Mule

A Filipino woman was sentenced to death in Indonesia for trafficking illegal drugs, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said late Tuesday, reiterating its warning to Filipinos abroad being used as drug “mules.” In a statement, the Foreign Affairs department said that the woman was apprehended on April 25 at Audisucipto International Airport in Yogyakarta by Customs authorities for alleged possession of 2.6 kilograms of heroin. She was then sentenced to death by Yogyakarta’s lower court on October 11, despite the state prosecutor’s petition for life imprisonment. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Typhoon Juan Losses

The Department of Agriculture (DA) on Wednesday reported that total damage to agriculture caused by super Typhoon Juan has reached P10.59 billion. Based on consolidated reports from 21 provinces affected by the typhoon, the rice sector registered the biggest loss with P8 billion, followed by high-value commercial crops (HVCC) with P660 million and corn with P412 million. Damage to the fisheries sector was pegged at P177.8 million and the livestock sector, P10.6 million, respectively.  Agricultural infrastructure and facilities lost P1.32 billion. (Mla Times-p1)