BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Aquino Orders Puno: Stay Put

PHILSTAR (PS) -- SWS: 7 Of 10 Pinoys Satisfied With P-Noy

MANILA STANDARD -- Aquino’s First Budget Held Up By Infighting Among Liberal Allies

MANILA TIMES -- No Gag Order, Says Church

MALAYA -- Verzosa, Puno, Moreno Cleared

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Whitewash Seen In Noy’s Delay In Baring Hostage Report

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Puno Won’t Quit

ABANTE -- Libreng Condom Babaha Na!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- 4 Pinay Nurse Ni-Rape Sa Saudi

BALITA -- Unang 100 Araw

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Man Rapes Carabao

BULGAR -- Magyaya Lasog Sa Bus

REMATE -- Puno Umalma

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The minority in the House of Representatives called on President Aquino yesterday to immediately convene the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) to define his legislative agenda. House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said he was alarmed that up to now Mr. Aquino has yet to convene the LEDAC. (Philstar-p14) 

On Presidency

Seven out of 10 Filipinos are satisfied with the performance of President Aquino, the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey revealed yesterday. The survey, conducted from Sept. 24 to 27, found 71 percent of 1,200 respondents satisfied and 11 percent dissatisfied with the performance of Mr. Aquino in his first three months in office, for a net satisfaction rating of 60 or “very good.” Before taking his oath of office on June 30, Mr. Aquino’s net satisfaction rating was 83, the SWS said. (Philstar-Banner) 

President Aquino will deliver his First 100 Days’ report before students at the La Consolacion College in Manila. The report, which Aquino earlier said should be "no more than 10 pages," is called "Isang Daang Araw sa Isang Daang Matuwid" and will be delivered in a town hall meeting format. (Malaya-p1) 

Malacañang on Wednesday said that it was pleased with the latest Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey showing President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s net satisfaction rating had exceeded 60 percent as of September, or just a few weeks short of his first 100 days in office. 

According to deputy spokesman Abigail Valte, they would take the results of the latest SWS poll as “an indication to pursue further the programs” that the Aquino administration laid down. “Today, we are happy to announce that according to the recent SWS survey, the President has achieved an overall net satisfaction rating of plus 66 percent, which, we believe, is one the highest in recent history,” Valte said. (Mla Tims-p1) 

On The President’s Men

President Benigno Aquino III’s most trusted—and controversial—aide and shooting range buddy has come out with his gun blazing and all but declared he is in the Palace to stay. A tough-talking Interior Undersecretary Rico E. Puno disclosed yesterday that the President had asked him to stay put despite accusations of gross negligence in the handling of the Aug. 23 hostage crisis and allegations he was a “jueteng” protector. “I was about to [resign], but the President told me to continue,” he told reporters after attending the joint Senate committee inquiry into the illegal numbers racket under the new Aquino administration revealed by retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz. (PDI-Banner) 

A few weeks after declaring his willingness to resign over allegations of receiving illegal gambling payoffs, Interior and Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno said yesterday President Aquino had asked him to stay put. According to Puno, the President had refused to accept his courtesy resignation after he was implicated in jueteng payoffs. Puno read a prepared statement during the hearing at the Senate on the allegations. (Philstar-p1) 

On The IIRC Report

Malacañang has cleared three officials and downgraded the punishment recommended on a few others by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) in connection with the botched hostage rescue attempt last August 23. This was revealed in documents obtained on the Palace legal team’s review of the IIRC report, which President Aquino was supposed to release yesterday. The legal team is composed of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Eduardo de Mesa. (Malaya-Banner) 

For the umpteenth time, President Aquino delayed making public the charges against those indicted by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee’s (IIRC) report, and the actions he will be taking against them, saying that he still needs to review his counsels’ reviewed report, which was supposed to have been reviewed by his communications group to cut the “legalese.” (Tribune-Banner) 

President Aquino is reportedly agonizing over whether to charge officials other than the police because the recommendations of the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC) on the Aug. 23 hostage crisis were generic. As of Tuesday night, Aquino has refused to say whether Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo and Undersecretary Rico Puno would be spared from any charges. Palace sources had told The STAR late Tuesday night that the President had decided against charging the two Local Government officials. “The review (of the IIRC) report will not be released yet,” he said in a text message yesterday. (Philstar-p6) 

On Reproductive Health

The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) on Wednesday said that it had not issued a gag order to effect a ceasefire with Malacañang on the raging issues of artificial contraception and reproductive health, contrary to newspaper reports (none of them from The Manila Times). In a statement on the CBCP website, Father Francis Lucas of the Catholic Media Network said that what was put in place was a measure on avoiding situations that may affect a pending dialogue between the bishops and the Aquino administration on the controversial issues. “We cannot issue a gag order to all the bishops,” added Lucas, the executive secretary of the CBCP’s Episcopal Commission on Social Communications and Mass Media. (Mla Times-Banner) 

The Department of Health (DOH) has allocated P8 million to buy condoms and P280 million for birth control pills, prompting Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile to move for the removal of these items from the 2011 national budget. Health Secretary Enrique Ona disclosed during a hearing on its proposed budget for 2011 yesterday that P400 million of its P931.3-million budget for family health was for the purchase of birth control devices, including contraceptives. (Philstar-p3) 

The Department of Health is asking for P400 million to finance its reproductive health program for 2011, and bulk of the amount will be used to buy contraceptives like condoms. Health Secretary Enrique Ona yesterday told a Senate hearing yesterday that the department has a budget of P931 million for its family health program which is among its top 12 priority activities and projects for 2011. (Malaya-p1) 

On Jueteng

Interior Undersecretary Rico Puno yesterday admitted emissaries of alleged jueteng lord Rodolfo "Bong" Pineda sought an audience with him a few weeks after he assumed the post last July 5. Puno made the admission at the resumption of Senate investigation on the allegations of retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz that two close aides of President Aquino have each been receiving P2 million a month in jueteng payola. (Malaya-p1) 

On Barangay Elections

The terrorist Abu Sayyaf group is now making efforts to infiltrate mainstream society by fielding candidates for the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Oct. 25, a security official revealed yesterday. Brig. Gen. Eugenio Clemen, Basilan-based 1st Marine Brigade commander and acting chief of the Naval Forces Western Mindanao (NFWM), said the plans of the Abu Sayyaf were uncovered following a general meeting of the militants somewhere in Basilan. (Philstar-p3)

 

Political parties are barred from backing candidates in the coming barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections. In a resolution, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has also prohibited candidates in the barangay and SK elections from representing political parties or coalitions. “Violation of resolution by any political party, group, or coalition of political parties shall be a ground for the cancellation of its registration with the Commission,” the Comelec said. (Philstar-p14) 

On The Armed Forces

The possible reintegration of mutinous officers and soldiers, if granted amnesty by the Commander-in-Chief, PresidentAquino, back to the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) may cause demoralization among the military ranks. This was according to Department of National Defense (DND) spokesman Eduardo Batac, who clarified the position of Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin regarding the proposal in the Senate to grant amnesty to officers of the AFP who plotted against the Arroyo administration. “As far as the AFP is concerned, they (mutinous soldiers) violated regulations of the AFP so while they can be granted the presidential amnesty, it would cause demorali-zation on the part of the AFP. So the concern there is the organization itself,” Batac noted. (Tribune-p1) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

The second prosecution witness in the Maguindanao massacre trial yesterday wept as he recalled the experience of the 57 victims at the continuation of his testimony in a makeshift courtroom at the Metro Manila District Jail in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City. Noradin Mauya, 29, of Sitio Malating, Barangay Salman, Ampatuan town, Maguindanao, in his initial testimony last Sept. 29 told the Quezon city court that he overheard Datu Kanor Ampatuan, a brother of Ampatuan patriarch Andal Ampatuan Sr., ordering the killing of all members of the Mangudadatu convoy last Nov. 20 or three days before the Nov. 23 massacre. (Malaya-p1) 

On The Ombudsman 

Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez has all the right to withdraw a case her office filed against any government official if she thinks it is not the proper venue for a trial, a Malacañang official said yesterday.  Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the anti-graft officer has the power to rectify a mistake that she was deemed to have made, following reports that the bribery case against former Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Benjamin Abalos was withdrawn from a Mandaluyong court.  (Philstar-p5) 

On Education

An official of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) is against the proposed 12-year basic education curriculum of the Department of Education (DepEd), saying it would pose more problems to parents, especially overseas workers.  "That’s an additional burden to overseas Filipino workers. Ibig sabihin nun, mas matagal na kailangan pa sila mag-work abroad at mawalay sa pamilya. Kung yung sa present (10-year) education system lang hirap na sila what more yung magdaragdag ka pa," said Fr. Edwin Corros, executive secretary of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Migrant and Itinerant People. (Malaya-p1) 

On Meralco Rates

The Manila Electric Co. (Meralco) will collect P1.10 per kilowatt-hour less from its clients this month to reflect lower generation charges. Meralco said electricity bills this month would reflect a generation charge of P4.31 per kilowatthour from last month’s P5.41 per kwh. Last month, Meralco reduced its rates by 68 centavos per kwh also on lower generation charges. This month’s generation charge is the lowest since February this year when the figure was P4.93 per kwh.  (Philstar-p1) 

On Former President Arroyo

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ) yesterday to face a plunder case filed against her. Mendoza, the Joined by her lawyer, former solicitor general Estelito Pampanga lawmaker personally submitted her counter-affidavit and denied allegations of taxpayer Danilo Lihay-lihay that she violated the law when her administration sold the P1-billion lot of the former Iloilo airport to Megaworld Corp. in 2007. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Flag Carrier

Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz issued yesterday an order barring flight attendants and stewards of Philippine Airlines (PAL) from staging a strike. Baldoz said she issued an assumption of jurisdiction order prohibiting members of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (FASAP) from proceeding with the planned work stoppage. “If the cabin crew go on work stoppage as planned, it will be considered as an illegal strike since I have already assumed (jurisdiction) over the PAL labor dispute,” Baldoz said. (Philstar-p1) 

On Mass Transportation

The government’s plan to increase the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) and Light Rail Transit (LRT) fares has been deferred for another month pending the conduct of public consultations, Malacañang said yesterday. Presidential deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing that the fare increase was long overdue. She, nonetheless, gave assurance that the move would benefit the riding public in terms of improved service, new coaches and more trains. (Philstar-p2) 

On Safe Water

The United Nations Human Rights Council has adopted a resolution which affirms that the human right to safe drinking water and sanitation is derived from the right to an adequate standard of living. This resolution effectively re-affirms that the rights to water and sanitation are implicitly contained in several human rights treaties, including the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) to which 160 States are party, and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), which has reached nearly universal ratification, and are therefore legally binding rights. (Philstar-p14) 

On Universal Health

Senators Ralph Recto and Franklin Drilon questioned Wednesday why the PhilHealth is keeping P110 billion as retained earnings. They asked the question after Rey Aquino, president of PhilHealth, told the Senate Committee on Finance headed by Drilon that PhilHealth has P115 billion in assets and liabilities amounting to P6 billion. “PhilHealth’s accumulated reserved fund is more than thrice the proposed budgetary allocation of the Department of Health for next year, which is about P32.6 billion,” Recto exclaimed. He said the funds could be used to improve the public healthcare system. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Overseas Pinoy

Saudi police raided a secret Catholic Mass in Riyadh last week and arrested a dozen Filipinos and a Catholic priest on charges of “congregating in a religious activity” outside of the Islam faith, the Philippine Embassy in Riyadh reported.  The raid took place as some 150 Filipinos were attending the Mass in a Riyadh rest house last Friday, the second day of the weekend in Saudi Arabia, a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs said. (Tribune-p1)