BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER --  ‘Jueteng’ lords clean money in Singapore

PHILIPPINE STAR  -- ‘Gov’t  Better Prepared For Another Ondoy’

MANILA STANDARD -- Local Liquor To Bear Brunt Of Planned Sin Tax Increase

MANILA TIMES -- Tuesday Deadline For Review

MALAYA -- P’Noy Meets Pinoys To Cap US Visit

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Bitter Infighting Among Aquino Backers - Solon

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- No To Legal Jueteng

ABANTE -- ‘Di Baleng Kalbo, ‘Wag Lang Kapalmuks!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Nag-Drawing Ng Unggoy Inutas

 

BALITA -- Paghahanda, ‘Di Sapat

PEOPLES -- Don’t Kill My Hubby!

REMATE -- Cleansing Sa Grupo Ni P-Noy

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Presidency

President Aquino got his one-on-one meeting with United States President Barack Obama in New York City on Friday, after all.  President Aquino said here Saturday that the brief talk took place after the US-Association of Southeast Asian Nations Leaders’ Meeting where he managed to seek Washington’s help in cleaning up a military ammunition dump off Corregidor island in Bataan. (Philstar-p1) 

Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri yesterday advised President Aquino not to indulge in too many hotdogs and instead eat more nutritious food to avoid heart disease and fatty liver. Earlier this week, Mr. Aquino was seen having a hotdog sandwich on a New York City sidewalk. Zubiri said he understands that Mr. Aquino wants to show that his administration is not overspending on trips but would like to remind the President to have healthy eating habits. (Philstar-p3) 

President Aquino will attend mass and speak to the Filipino community in California on Monday (Manila time) before returning home, capping off a seven-day working visit to the US, his first foreign trip as president. Aquino is expected to be back in Manila at around 3 a.m. Tuesday. (Malaya-Banner) 

On Millennium Funding

The Philippines might well get another multi-million grant from the US Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) if it makes good use of its $433-million grant for poverty alleviation, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said. “If we live up to our side of the deal, we can work on a third grant five years from now,” Purisima said. He said the first grant was signed in 2005, during his first stint as Finance chief before the second grant of $433 million was granted by the MCC when President Aquino made the visit to the US. (Philstar-p5) 

On Calamity Preparedness

Malacañang yesterday assuaged fears of another ‘Ondooy’ disaster,  saying the government has learned its lesson and is better prepared to handle such scenarios. “Rest assured the government is better prepared to handle such situations,” Secretary for Operations of the Presidential Communications Office Herminio Coloma said over state-run Radyo ng Bayan over the weekend. (Philstar-Banner) 

On IIRC Report

The Palace over the weekend said that the officials tasked with the review of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report on the August 23 hostage-taking incident would have until Tuesday to finish their job. “Given very little time, I think the Executive Secretary [Paquito Ochoa Jr.] would concentrate on the review, rather than other issues cropping up in connection to the [IIRC’s] recommendation,” Deputy Presidential spokesman Abigail Valte said in a radio interview.  Valte, who said that the government, as of now, has no plans to make public the full report, added: “What the President [Benigo Aquino 3rd] wants is the full report side by side with recommendations from the Executive Secretary, will be revealed at the proper time.” (Mla Times-Banner) 

On La Salle Explosion

At least 35 people were hurt as an explosion marred the last day of Bar examinations at the De la Salle University (DLSU) on Taft Avenue, Manila yesterday afternoon. Police said a loud explosion occurred just as examinees were leaving the DLSU building at around 5 p.m. Of those hurt, 17 were taken to Ospital ng Maynila, five to the Manila Medical Center, three to the Manila Doctors Hospital, nine to Philippine General Hospital, and one to the Manila Adventist Medical Center. The names of the victims were not immediately available. (Philstar-p1) 

On Barangay Elections

With the approaching barangay elections, President Aquino is now restricted from appointing new officials or ordering a revamp in the Cabinet. In a resolution, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) announced that appointing an officer of any government office, including government-owned and controlled corporations, whether permanent or casual, would be illegal. According to the commission, Mr. Aquino is prohibited from making new appointments in any government post within the election period for the Oct. 25 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) polls. (Philstar-p1) 

The Supreme Court (SC) has ordered the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to disclose the source coded used in the last elections. Granting the petition of election watchdog Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CENPEG), the SC said the poll body is required to allow CENPEG and all other interested political parties or groups to conduct an independent review of the source code or human readable instructions. (Philstar-p1) 

After a long delay, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has finally given the go-signal for the printing of voters’ identification (ID) cards for over 34 million voters nationwide. In a resolution, the Comelec approved the request for the printing of voters’ ID cards after ensuring that the voters’ list has been cleansed of multiple registrants. (Philstar-p8) 

On Jueteng

Archbishop Emeritus Oscar Cruz said yesterday he has been receiving calls and text messages daily from people who have expressed support for his expose’ on the alleged involvement of Aquino administration officials in jueteng and other forms of illegal gambling. Cruz appealed to people supporting him to provide more information if they have knowledge about illegal gambling operations. He said he has received around 30 to 40 text messaged and calls every day from anonymous people who express willingness to help him in his battle against gambling, particularly jueteng. (Philstar-p1) 

On Government Irregularities

Eight officials of the National Printing Office (NPO) who make up the agency’s bids and awards committee (BAC) were ordered dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman over an irregular bidding to subcontract printing deals of other government agencies in September 2008. Ombudsman graft investigation and prosecution officer Myla Teona Teologio issued last week a dismissal order for Miguel Arcadio, chairman of the NPO’s BAC, and committee members Eddie Vista, Sol Tamayo, Florencia Reyes, Federico Ramos, Elsa Calma, Ma. Paz Ramos, and Ernesto Plarisan who were found guilty of dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service. (Philstar-p1) 

On Education

Sen. Pia Cayetano proposes a compromise to resolve the controversy over the Department of Education’s (DepEd) advisory to public school teachers against giving pupils homework during weekends. “One possible middle ground is to encourage ‘light’ and ‘creative’ home assignments on weekends,” she said. “This could include lessons on the arts and music and other projects that kids can enjoy doing with their parents and siblings at home.” (Philstar-p4) 

On Vocational Schooling

Several schools offering technical and vocational courses might be shut down for failure to produce skilled graduates. Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) director general Joel Villanueva said they are now completing the review of the performance of these schools, which he declined to identify. He said the graduates of these schools fail to get jobs because of the poor quality of modules used. It was also discovered that despite the inferior quality of instruction provided and non-compliance with TESDA standards, these schools have been charging exorbitant fees. (Philstar-p9) 

On Overseas Jobs

Filipino skilled workers can partake of 40,000 jobs in Guam when construction work for a large military base starts in the US territory, according to technical-vocational educators in Davao City. Joel Botoy, director of JIB Welding Academy in Davao City, said the projected huge demand for welders in Guam is causing some job recruitment agencies to knock on the doors of technical-vocational centers for skilled welders. “Welders will be very in demand not just in Guam but also in other countries where industries are undertaking expansion or new industries are being started,” he said. (Philstar-p8) 

On Abolished 10 Agencies

Malacañang clarified yesterday that the employees of the 10 abolished agencies under the Office of the President have known beforehand that their terms are coterminous with their offices and not permanent. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte told state-run radio dzRB (Radyo ng Bayan) that agencies created by virtue of locally funded projects (LFPs) are known to have a definite lifespan and this does not pose a problem to the employees of the concerned offices. (Philstar-p11) 

On Human Rights

A human rights group in Central Luzon is blaming former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the increased incidence of human rights violations in her home province Pampanga. Aurora Broquil, president of the group Defend Central Luzon, said seven intelligence units have been deployed in Pampanga alone since late last year, including those from the air force, army, the Intelligence Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (ISAFP), the Philippine National Police, and even the National Bureau of Investigation. The number, she said, excludes the regular units of the AFP and PNP now deployed within Central Luzon. (Malaya-p1)