BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- 5 More Execs Linked To ‘Jueteng’ Payoffs

MLA BULLETIN -- ‘Juicy’ Posts Still Open

PHILSTAR -- Judiciary Budget Cut: SC Warns Of Revolt

MANILA STANDARD -- Govt Wants To Take Back Seniors’ VAT Exemption

MANILA TIMES -- GSIS Investment Questioned

MALAYA -- PNP Clueless On Jueteng Raps

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- ‘Judicial Revolt’

ABANTE -- Laruang May Lason Kalat!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Apo Todas Kay Lolo 

BALITA -- Babala Sa Toxic Toys

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Lover Ko Si Daddy!

BULGAR -- Bunso Tinodas Ni Kuya

REMATE -- ICTSI, 12 Pa Tiba-Tiba

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The Senate will investigate the alleged anomalous financial arrangement between the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) and private developer Globe Asiatique that was extended about P7.1 billion in Pag-IBIG loans for two of its housing projects, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III said yesterday. Osmeña, chairman of the Senate committee on banks, financial institutions and currencies, said the arrangement with Asiatique, developer of the Xevera 1 and 2 and Samira housing projects in Pampanga, was a case of conflict of interest. (Malaya-p1) 

Lawmakers are seeking a congressional inquiry into the disclosure of retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz who claimed two trusted officials of President Aquino are receiving at least P2 million in monthly payoff from illegal gambling operations. Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Teodoro Casiño said Cruz’s allegations are serious enough to merit an investigation by Congress.  “If his claims are true, then the officials concerned should be sanctioned and charged appropriately,” he said. (Philstar-p9) 

The House of Representatives would review the road safety polices and franchising procedures of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) in the wake of deadly mishaps involving wayward passenger buses, a lawmaker disclosed yesterday. Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles has asked the House committee on transportation to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation on the existing road safety policies and procedures being implemented by the LTO and the LTFRB. (Philstar-p6) 

Sen. Manny Villar has filed Senate Bill 1310 or the Lemon Law which seeks to protect buyers of brand new and second-hand vehicles found to be defective and failing to meet standards of safety and performance.  Under SB 1310 car buyers have the right to either demand from a seller or manufacturer a prompt refund of full purchase price or replacement of the vehicle found to be a lemon. (Malaya-p3) 

On Presidency

Before he leaves for the United States, President Aquino would visit Cebu City, one of the vote-rich provinces that helped him win in the elections. Secretary for Operations Herminio Coloma said Mr. Aquino would visit the city on Sept. 15 upon the request of local business groups. He leaves for the US on Sept. 19. “The President thought it would be good to communicate with our investors especially when the economy has been good during the first half,” Coloma said in Filipino. (Philstar-p10) 

President Benigno Aquino 3rd has issued an executive order creating the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center to replace the Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) Center in a bid to accelerate the financing, construction, and operation of key government infrastructure projects. Executive Order (EO) 8, signed by President Aquino on September 9, also ordered that the PPP Center be placed under the National Economic and Development Authority.  The BOT Center used to be under the Department of Trade and Industry. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Luneta Carnage 

A top Hong Kong official’s reported “insulting letter” to President Aquino could have further damaged the political relations between the Philippines and Hong Kong, Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said yesterday. Speaking over radio dzBB, Santiago said Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang’s call to Mr. Aquino at the height of the hostage crisis was out of order. “In the first place, David Tsang does not represent China... he is just (head) of the administrative region... there is already an act of discourtesy on his part,” she said. (Philstar-p12) 

A police officer that acted as liaison officer of President Aquino during the Aug. 23 hostage crisis insisted yesterday that he performed his job diligently. “I relayed President Aquino’s instructions to my superiors, especially to Gen. (Rodolfo) Magtibay, the ground commander of the incident. But it’s beyond me why he did not follow orders,” said Superintendent Remus Medina, chief of the Regional Police Intelligence and Operation Unit (RPIOU) of the National Capital Regional Police Office (NCRPO). (Philstar-p12)

An investigating committee, led by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, on the August 23 hostage crisis which left eight Hong Kong tourists dead is expected to submit the findings of its probe to President Aquino on Wednesday. Presidential Communications Operations Secretary Herminio Coloma said the De Lima probe has shown the world that its investigation was comprehensive and thorough. (Malaya-p1) 

On Jueteng 

Five more officials in the “lower echelons” of the Aquino administration are receiving payoffs from “jueteng,” Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz, a crusader against the illegal numbers racket, said yesterday. Cruz said the other day that two trusted officials of President Benigno Aquino III, in charge of overseeing security matters, were accepting at least P2 million in monthly payola from jueteng operators. (PDI-Banner) 

The PNP yesterday asked Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz to substantiate allegations that two aides of President Aquino are receiving P2 million monthly in jueteng payola. PNP spokesman Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz said the police are not aware of any government official receiving money from jueteng. (Malaya-Banner) 

A person close to President Benigno Aquino 3rd is responsible for the resurgence of jueteng in the country, Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said Sunday. The other day, retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz charged that two close and trusted officials of the Aquino administration are receiving at least P2 million a month in jueteng payola. Santiago said she was aware of only one person close to the President but refused to identify him.  “But he is not a Cabinet member,” she said during the weekly public affairs forum Balitang Todo-Todo aired over radio station dzBB. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Pension Fund

A crisis involving the pension fund of military and police personnel is looming, with the government facing the prospect of forking out more money for the retirement benefits of soldiers and policemen than for the salaries of their comrades in active service. Under Malacañang’s proposed national budget for 2011, P100.597 billion is allocated for the salaries of the 250,000 to 300,000 members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP). (PDI-p1) 

On Tax Cheats

On slow days, tax investigators comb through the obituary pages and stacks of sales invoices. On other days, they get lucky and get to track the infrequent Porsche or Ferrari. The poorly paid accountants and lawyers are the unlikely shock troops of President Aquino’s anticorruption campaign, exposing to public shame those accused of cheating the government out of billions of pesos in taxes. (PDI-p1)

On SSS Allowance

In a country where more than a third of the population survives on less than P100 a day, Leyte Rep. Sergio Apostol considers peanuts the P7 million he claimed to have received last year when he was a member of the board of Union Bank. “That amount is too small for it to be (described) as obscene,” Apostol, who represented the Social Security System (SSS) on the board of Union Bank,” yesterday said. (PDI-p1) 

On Housing Scam

The Pampanga branch of the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund discovered in early 2008 signs of irregularities in the two housing projects of the Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. in the province. This surfaced as Inquirer sources in the agency disproved claims by Delfin Lee, Globe Asiatique president, that it was he who uncovered or reported three months ago the wrongdoing by some brokers as it processed loans of home buyers in Xevera Bacolor and Xevera Mabalacat through the Pag-IBIG Fund’s Other Working Group (OWG) program. (PDI-p2) 

On Social Welfare

The two-fold hike in the budget of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has raised eyebrows even among allies of President Benigno Aquino III in the Senate. Senators Franklin Drilon, Ralph Recto and Francis Escudero are questioning the ability and capacity of Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman and her department to utilize the P34.3-billion budget for DSWD in 2011, up by 123 percent from P15.4 billion. (PDI-p3) 

On The Judiciary

The Supreme Court (SC) yesterday warned of a possible “judicial revolt” amid imminent cuts in the proposed budget of the judiciary for next year. In a strongly worded statement, the High Court said there is a limit in the performance of justices, judges and personnel of the judiciary of their sworn duty to decide cases expeditiously and dispense justice fairly despite insufficient appropriations from national coffers in the past four years. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Land Transportation ID

Baring that the public was asked to pay in advance for services not yet delivered, the Commission on Audit (COA) said the Land Transportation Office (LTO) must refund more than P29.8 million in collected fees for its radio frequency identification (RFID)  project. State auditors said the LTO prematurely collected fees from car owners for a computerized vehicle identification system late last year. (Philstar-p1) 

On GOCC Officials

A former military general tagged in the controversial “Hello, Garci” scandal and a relative of the alleged errand boy of the husband of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are among the top earners of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) listed by the Commission on Audit (COA) in its report in 2009. As the Senate resumes its inquiry today, sources have revealed that former Armed Forces chief, retired general Narciso Abaya enjoyed salaries and compensation amounting to P7.6 million last year as president/CEO of Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA). (Philstar-p1) 

On Gov’t Elite Forces

Police and military officials are discussing the creation of an elite force to be deployed during critical situations on orders of President Aquino. Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesman Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. said police training will cover respect for human rights and preservation of a crime scene. The task force will be comprised of military and police personnel, he added. Cavite Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr. said in next year’s proposed P1.64 trillion national budget, the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) is getting some P1.1 billion in fresh funding. (Philstar-p1) 

The PNP yesterday raised a number of issues that it said needs to be threshed out before a planned joint strike force for hostage and similar situations can become operational. One of these is that soldiers must first be further educated in upholding human rights, said Senior Supt. Agrimero Cruz, PNP spokesman. (Malaya-p1) 

On The PNP

President Benigno Aquino 3rd is expected to announce today the successor of the outgoing Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, Director Gen. Jesus Verzosa, who is officially retiring Wednesday after 38 years in government service. Verzosa said he had recommended to the President, through the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), the next three highest officials in the PNP hierarchy as his possible successor, namely: PNP Deputy Chief for Administration Deputy Director Gen. Perfecto Palad; Deputy Chief for Operations Deputy Director Gen. Raul Bacalzo, and Deputy Director Gen. Benjamin Belarmino Jr., the PNP’s chief of directorial staff. (Mla Times-p2) 

The leadership of the Philippine National Police (PNP) was forced to stop and revoke the supposed turnover of command of at least 10 ranking police officials on orders of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, sources revealed yesterday. A high ranking official told The STAR that the PNP leadership had to follow Robredo’s orders to stop the implementation of the reshuffle without his approval to prevent a vacuum in the police leadership with the retirement of police officials holding key positions. (Philstar-p5) 

On The Truth Commission 

Malacañang was urged yesterday to take back its order for the Truth Commission to start this week its duty of investigating major anomalies that hounded the nine-year administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Poll Lawyer Romulo Macalintal said a case on the legality of the truth body is pending in the Supreme Court and “judicial courtesy” dictates that the Palace should refrain from acting on the issue. (Philstar-p10) 

On GSIS Investments

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) should not invest an additional $400 million overseas after its initial investment of $600 million yielded a “mediocre” return on investment (ROI) of only 7 percent pegged in pesos and not in dollars, Sen. Ralph Recto said Sunday. He said that GSIS funds could be invested instead to bankroll the government’s slew of big-ticket projects under its Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) program. “The first offshore placement is forgivable but a second overseas foray would be high treason amid the difficulty in looking for funds to bankroll new highways, toll roads, airports, irrigation facilities and more MRT/LRT [Metro Rail Transit/Light Raul Transit] lines,” Recto added.  He said he could not understand why the GSIS was raring to invest more pension funds abroad while the government was trying to identify sources of funding for its PPP projects. (Mla Times-Banner) 

On Open Skies Policy

An official from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) cast doubts over the viability of quickly shifting towards an open-skies policy following President Benigno Aquino 3rd’s threat to adopt the said scheme, should workers of Philippine Airlines (PAL) push through with their planned strike. Transportation and Communications spokesman Dante Velasco said opening the skies is “easier said than done.” He added that extra care should be observed to ensure that deals with foreign air carriers under an open-skies policy would strictly comply with the 1987 Constitution’s requirement of “reciprocity.” (Mla Times-p1) 

On Pacman

Even if his trainers do not want him to venture into the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), Filipino boxing icon Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao now has a potential opponent in KJ Noon, who also is professional boxer. KJ Noons, who has a record of 10-2 with eight knockouts in MMA and 12-2 with five knockouts in professional boxing, said he is excited to clash with Pacquiao (51-3-2 with 38 knockouts) because he knows it will be a “good fight.” “I would love to welcome Pacquiao into MMA,” said Noons to www.fighthype.com. “It would be an ideal situation for him because I don’t take guys down to the ground, and after our match in the cage. I’m very willing to fight him in the boxing ring too.” (Mla Times-p1) 

On Functional Literacy

The number of functionally literate Filipinos rose in 2008, particularly with higher level of education, the government said. According to the National Statistics Office (NSO) survey, 58 million of the estimated 67 million Filipinos 10 to 64 years old are functionally literate. A functionally literate person is one who can read, write and compute, or one who can read, write, compute and comprehend.  Persons who completed high school or a higher level of education are also considered functionally literate. The NSO said the country’s functional literacy rate rose to 86.4 percent in 2008 compared to the 84.1 percent in 2003. (Mla Times-p1)