BROADSHEETS 

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Aquino: We’re ready for takeoff

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Noy: RP ready for takeoff

MANILA BULLETIN -- No More 'Monkey' Business

DAILY TRIBUNE -- More promises, Gloria bashing, 100 days on

MALAYA -- P’Noy: ‘Crooks’ days are numbered’

TABLOIDS 

PEOPLE'S JOURNAL -- Noynoy cites gains

ABANTE -- May taning na kayong lahat!

ABANTE TONITE -- Syota 2 beses pina-gang rape

PEOPLE'S TONIGHT -- Girl, 13, raped by bf, 7 friends

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Matatag na ekonomiya ipinagmamalaki ni P-Noy 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. defended yesterday the power of the House of Representatives to propose projects using various lump sum allocations in government agencies even as he promised to stop “fantastic insertions” in the proposed P1.645-trillion national budget. “Insertions are not illegal or wrong but from the very beginning, I made it known that I wouldn’t tolerate fantastic insertions that in the past amounted to hundreds of millions, even billions, of pesos,” Belmonte told reporters. “But the idea that we cannot amend the budget, I don’t think it was ever accurate,” he said. (Philstar)

The House of Representatives approved the proposed P12.2-billion 2011 budget of the Department of Finance (DOF) in plenary session on Wednesday night. Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, who defended the DOF budget as vice chairman of the committee on appropriations, said the bulk of the department’s appropriations are allotted to the Bureau of Internal Revenue and Bureau of Customs. DOF officials led by Secretary Cesar Purisima were on hand to assist Ungab. (Philstar)

On presidency

President Aquino said the country “is ready for takeoff” as his 100 days in office have cleared the path for bigger investments, more jobs and greater public trust in government. “We are ready for takeoff, and we have accomplished this because you believe in my government and that belief is now spilling out over the world,” he said in a speech yesterday at a televised town hall-style meeting at La Consolacion College in Manila, just outside Palace grounds. He called the people his kasangga (partner) in his effort to steer the country to progress. (Philstar)

Businessmen yesterday gave President Aquino a score of eight out of 10 for his first 100 days in office. “There were glitches but it is just part of the learning curve. We need to give him time to adjust,” Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) chairman Sergio Ortiz-Luis said. Even with the high marks, Ortiz-Luis said it is still difficult to gauge if investors will indeed come in since most of the data, including the visit of Mr. Aquino to the US, are simply commitments and not actual investments. With regard to presidential appointments, particularly on the President’s choice of his official family, Ortiz-Luis said there are some who have not performed as well as expected. He did not identify the Cabinet officials. (Philstar)

On IIRC report

Malacañang’s review panel has upheld most of the findings of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee on the Aug. 23 hostage crisis but recommended the prosecution of more persons in connection with the botched rescue. Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa, a member of the review committee, added that the full report of the IIRC and the results of the Palace analysis would be revealed on Monday. “We are upholding most of the recommendations … (There would be) just a realignment of certain charges,” De Mesa told reporters after President Benigno Aquino III’s hundredth day report and town hall meeting at the La Consolacion College near Malacañang. (Inquirer)

On jueteng

The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) has begun to conduct a lifestyle check on the individuals named in a list of alleged “jueteng” lords submitted to the Senate which is investigating the supposed resurgence of the illegal numbers racket under the Aquino administration. BIR Commissioner Kim Henares said Thursday that her agency has been furnished by the Interior and Local Department with the “real names” of the reported jueteng lords who were identified only in the list using their aliases. At a press conference at the Justice Department where she filed tax evasion cases against two companies, Henares said that the BIR was “investigating everyone mentioned in the list.” (Inquirer)

On housing mess

Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile dared yesterday officials of the Housing Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG fund to file a falsification case against Globe Asiatique (GA) Realty Holdings Corp. president Delfin Lee for the alleged spurious loan applications of around 400 Pag-IBIG members for the firm’s low-cost housing project in Pampanga. “I challenge you (Pag-IBIG officials) to file a case against this guy (Lee) so we will know if he is telling the truth, so he can present those people and examine them in the courtroom,” Enrile said during the public hearing of the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies. “Better get the affidavit of each one of these people (supposed borrowers),” Enrile said. (Philstar)