BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Lim, Puno Face Raps

MANILA BULLETIN -- Aquino To Meet Other Sects

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Senators Give Noy Fair Grade For 1st 100 Days

MANILA STANDARD -- Palace Unfazed, Triples Family Planning Budget To P3B- Abad

MANILA TIMES -- Raps Set Over Hostage Mess

MALAYA -- Dep-Ed Unveils ‘K-6-4-2’ Education Plan

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Glitches, Blunders, Errors, Failure Marked 2010 Polls - CenPeg

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- ‘Don’t Panic’

ABANTE -- Ceasefire Wa Epek

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 15 Pinoy Kinalaboso

 

BALITA -- Suporta Sa Mga Guro, Isusulong

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Man Abandons Starving Family

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The House of Representatives is willing to augment the P14.3-billion 2011 budget of the Supreme Court (SC) and the judiciary, Cavite Rep. Joseph Emilio Abaya, appropriations committee chairman, said yesterday. “We can consider their request (for additional funds) if they could show us that the JDF and the SAJ are not enough for their requirements,” he said during the plenary debates on President Aquino’s P1.645-trillion budget proposal for next year. (Philstar-p3) 

On Presidency

How long can President Benigno Aquino III’s popularity and high trust ratings make up for what one senator described as “inadequacies” of people he had picked to be part of his inner circle? Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday reminded Mr. Aquino that the first 100 days of a chief executive was “not designed as a dry-run or on-the-job training period for the President.” But the senator commended the President for maintaining public trust and confidence in him despite the “unimpressive performance” of his Cabinet and “squabbles” among people close to him. (PDI-p1) 

President Aquino’s former colleagues at the Senate gave him a fair grade for his performance during his first 100 days in office. Maverick Sen. Joker Arroyo said the President “unqualifiedly deserves high marks” because of the enormous trust and faith of the people in him that remains steadfast and unwavering. “That is something. This is, after all, the true measure of leadership. This augurs well for the country,” Arroyo said. (Philstar-Banner) 

President Aquino has directed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to help investigate the gang-rape of a volunteer-nurse in Maguindanao, the Philippine Nurses Association (PNA) said yesterday. PNA president Dr. Teresita Barcelo said that Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ricky Carandang called her yesterday to assure her that the President has already asked De Lima to “look into the case.” (Philstar-p1) 

On Contraceptives War

Malacañang proposed yesterday that the scheduled dialogue on the controversial Reproductive Health (RH) bill should not only include Catholic Church officials but also leaders of other religious groups.  Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said all religious groups should join the dialogue with President Aquino, who is the chief executive of not just the Catholics but also other Filipinos belonging to other religions. “It’s not only the Catholics that should be heeded. As I understand it, theMuslims also have a stand on the issue so we should listen to all stakeholders,” she told Palace reporters. (Philstar-p8) 

On IIRC Report

Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Interior Undersecretary Rico E. Puno may be among his closest friends, but President Benigno Aquino III told the Inquirer on Monday night they would not escape responsibility for the botched hostage rescue on Aug. 23. “I think the easiest to prove is neglect of duty,” Mr. Aquino said of charges recommended against Lim, head of the local crisis management committee (CMC) that was largely blamed for the fiasco that left eight Hong Kong tourists dead and brought international embarrassment to the country. (PDI-Banner) 

The government will file charges against those found to have been liable in a recent hostage fiasco that left eight Chinese tourists from Hong Kong dead, President Benigno Aquino 3rd said on Tuesday. 

Malacañang is expected to make public today the government’s action plan on a report by the Incident Investigation Review Committee (IIRC) on the August 23 hostage crisis.“We are coming out hopefully by tomorrow [Wednesday] with the IIRC report and the specific charges that we will file against individuals involved,” President Aquino said during a chance interview in Tagaytay City, south of Manila. (Mla Times-Banner) 

President Aquino yesterday said he will reveal "hopefully" today the results of the Palace legal team’s assessment of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee’s report on the August 23 hostage crisis. Aquino, in an ambush interview in Tagaytay City, said his report will include specific charges that would be filed against individuals involved in the bungled rescue attempt that resulted in the death of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker. (Malaya-p1) 

On Education

After months of discussions and protest actions by various sectors, the Department of Education (DepEd) finally released yesterday the government’s plan to add two more years to the 10-year basic education curriculum. Contrary to initial expectations, the model unveiled by Education Secretary Armin Luistro during the celebration of the World Teachers Day would add two years of "senior high school" to the current system and will be implemented beginning school year 2016-2017. (Malaya-Banner) 

Only one classroom was built last year at Taal High School in Bocaue, Bulacan, where up to 75 students have to squeeze into a room in each of two shifts. Despite the shortage of classrooms in her school, Principal Teresita de Martin gained new hope upon hearing President Benigno Aquino III’s promise of more investments in education in marking World Teachers’ Day yesterday. (PDI-p1) 

On Doctors In Mindanao

The Philippine Medical Association (PMA) reported yesterday that practicing doctors in various provinces in Mindanao are arming themselves amid continuing threats of kidnapping. “While a nurse has been gang-raped and left for dead, doctors are now a common target of kidnapping when they are just doing volunteer work. It seems kidnapping is an industry in some provinces in the south,” PMA president Oscar Tinio disclosed. (Philstar-p1) 

On Labor

President Aquino has named Rosalinda Baldoz labor secretary in a permanent capacity. Speaking at the 10th Public Employment Service Office Congress in Tagaytay City, Mr. Aquino said he had appointed Baldoz on a permanent basis because of her good performance. “ She’s good. That’s why even if most of the time my word is not broken, I needed to break (it), and asked if our compromise that she would only serve temporarily would become permanent,” he said. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Ombudsman 

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez yesterday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to annul the resolutions of the House committee on justice declaring the impeachment complaints against her sufficient in form and substance.  During yesterday’s oral arguments at the SC, Gutierrez’s legal counsels, former SC Associate Justice Serafin Cuevas and lawyer Anacleto Diaz, told the court that the impeachment proceedings held in the House of Representatives violated Gutierrez’s right to due process. (Philstar-p1) 

Claiming it made a mistake in filing a corruption case against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr., the Office of the Ombudsman yesterday granted the former Comelec chairman’s Motion to Withdraw Information as it withdrew the corruption case it filed three months ago against Abalos before the Mandaluyong City Metropolitan Trial Court.  Overall Deputy Ombudsman Orlando Casimiro approved the filing of the information on Aug. 27, 2009 based on the recommen-dations of graft investigation and prosecution officer III Mary Rawnsle Lopez and Deputy Special Prosecutor Robert Kallos. (Tribune-p1) 

On Barangay Elections

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) rejected yesterday any exemption to the gun ban despite calls from judges and prosecutors to allow them to carry firearms during the election period. Comelec Chairman Jose Melo said the gun ban is needed to minimize violence before and during the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. (Philstar-p2) 

On The Flag Carrier

Restive flight attendants of Philippine Airlines (PAL) are poised to strike following the collapse of conciliation talks with management. Cielo Villaluna, PAL spokesperson, said the flag carrier might use the cabin crew or even aircraft of sister-company Air Philippines in the event of a strike. (Philstar-p4) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

Former Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr. of Datu Unsay, the principal suspect in the November 23 Maguindanao massacre case, doesn’t want to attend the court hearings against him anymore. This was based on the waiver filed by Andal Jr., before Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, through his lawyer Sigfrid Fortun, on October 4. Andal Jr. stated that he is waiving his right to be present at the hearings of the case but the principal suspect did not state any reason for that. The accused, including several members of the Ampatuan political clan, are facing multiple murder charges in connection with Maguindanao massacre that left 57 people dead, including 31 journalists. (Mla Times-p1) 

On US Jobs

United States authorities have lifted the licensure examination ban on Filipino physical therapy (PT) graduates being recruited to practice in the US. The Federation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT), which administers the US National Physical Therapy Examination (NPTE), announced the lifting early this week in its website. (Philstar-p7) 

About 40,000 to 50,000 Filipino workers may be needed by the United States to construct its new military base in Guam, US Ambassador Harry Thomas said. Reports said the transfer of US personnel to Guam from Okinawa, Japan is expected to start in 2012 while the additional active duty and dependents are anticipated to be fully relocated by 2014. The movement will require additional facilities for the incoming 23,000 military servicemen and their families. (Tribune-p3) 

On 2010 Elections

Despite a Supreme Court ruling ordering the Commission on Elections to release to several groups involved in checking on the integrity of the automated election system adopted by the Comelec on May 10, 2010, the source code and other pertinent documents for their testing purposes, the poll body has still not done so, and will likely be cited in contempt by the high court. (Tribune-Banner) 

On AFP Modernization

Less than five percent, or P5 billion, of the P104.6 billion budget of the Department of National Defense (DND) for 2011 will be allotted for the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ (AFP) modernization program despite a crying need for the upgrade of AFP’s logistical requirements, the Senate found during a hearing yesterday on the DND budget for next year. (Tribune-p1)