BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Noy Blinks, Seeks Talks With Church

PHILIPPINE STAR -- House Panel Defies SC On Merci Impeachment

MANILA STANDARD -- Church Readies Protest Actions Against Aquino, Contraceptives

MANILA TIMES -- Palace Seeks Comelec Favor

MALAYA -- House Panel Disregard SC TRO

DAILY TRIBUNE -- House Blinks To Toe SC Order

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Bishops Brace For War

ABANTE -- SC Sinuwag

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Impeach Mercy Tuloy

 

BALITA -- 43,000 Bagong Trabaho

BULGAR -- Simbahan Nagbanta Kay P-Noy

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Despite being warned against triggering a constitutional crisis, the House committee on justice voted yesterday to defy the Supreme Court order suspending the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, citing “undue interference” from the high tribunal. After three hours of intense debates that began at 9:30 a.m., the committee voted 33-14 in favor of the motion raised by Deputy Speaker and Quezon Rep. Lorenzo Tañada to continue with the impeachment hearings in defiance of the SC’s status quo ante order. Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon abstained. (Philstar-Banner) 

Defying a Supreme Court order and warnings of a constitutional crisis, the House justice committee Tuesday voted to proceed with impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez. “We believe that this committee has all the right to proceed,” Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada III told reporters after his motion to go ahead with the hearings was approved by a vote of 33-14 with one abstention. (PDI-p1) 

Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit” Singson charged yesterday Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago with graft and corruption before the Office of the Ombudsman for implicating him in jueteng without any evidence. Speaking to The STAR, Bonifacio Alentajan, Singson’s counsel, said Santiago violated Republic Act 3019, the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act when she accused Singson of being involved in jueteng. “These are serious accusations,” he said. (Philstar-p7) 

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman urged President Aquino yesterday to endorse the Reproductive Health Bill, which he authored. He said the President should complement his advocacy of voluntary family planning, birth spacing and use of contraceptives by immediately endorsing the RH bill, which the previous Congress failed to approve. “This endorsement would fittingly cap the Aquino administration’s first 100 days and mitigate early setbacks,” he said. (Philstar-p8) 

Congressmen Teddy Casiño (Bayan Muna) and Rafael Mariano (Anakpawis) filed House Bill 3370, titled “Bus Drivers and Conductors Compensation Act,” which aims to require public utility bus (PUB) operators to grant fixed salaries as well as fixed working hours for bus drivers and operators, thereby removing the need for them to rush and hog the road just to get as much passengers as possible.

According to them the industry practice is for bus owners and operators to set a commission of 9 percent for drivers and 7 percent for conductors from the gross fare collection plus bonuses for exceeding certain amounts. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Presidency

President Benigno Aquino III quit smoking—at least during the long flight to the United States and back. A total of 26 hours. The President returned home Tuesday after a weeklong working visit to the United States, admitting he was a “little bit tired” but nevertheless glad to be home, bearing good news that his government netted $2.4 billion in new investments from the trip. (PDI-p1) 

President Aquino called on his detractors yesterday to join him in his mission of leading the country to progress anchored on transparency and good governance. “Hinihikayat ko ang ating mga kapwa Pilipinong panay pa rin ang batikos: makiisa sana kayo sa ating pagsisikap (I urge our countrymen who keep on criticizing to join us in our effort),” he said in his speech upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport from his US trip. (Philstar-p2) 

On Presidential Trip

President Benigno Aquino III yesterday said $1 billion of the $2.4 billion in new investments that would be poured into the country as a result of his just-concluded trip to the United States would come from Atlanta-based Coca-Cola Co. Upon his arrival in Manila after his one-week US visit, Mr. Aquino said another $1 billion would come from American Energy Solutions (AES). (PDI-p1) 

The Philippine Mission to the UN yesterday denied allegations of breach of protocol for former senator Manuel “Mar” Roxas II to allow him to attend the UN General Assembly using improper credentials. Philippine Permanent Representative to the UN Libran Cabactulan said member nations are not required to limit their delegations to government officials who will listen to a head of state deliver a statement before the assembly. (Philstar-p3) Protocol

On Human Trafficking

President Aquino said the government would vigorously go after human traffickers and that some of those engaged in the illegal activity would be immediately arrested. The President said in San Francisco, California that the Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Department of Justice were all working to curb human trafficking. “There are ongoing efforts to run after those engaged in human trafficking,” Aquino said. (Philstar-p5) 

On Reproductive Health

A network of 100 Catholic lay groups across the country yesterday geared up for protest actions after President Benigno Aquino III signified he might support Filipino couples who want to limit the number of their children by using contraceptives. Preliminary consultations among lay leaders, most of whom supported Mr. Aquino in the May elections, will be held in Metro Manila this week, said Fr. Melvin Castro, executive director of the Catholic bishops’ Episcopal Commission on Family and Life. (PDI-Banner) 

Critics should not link the stand of President Benigno Aquino 3rd favoring government promotion of contraceptives to a $434-million grant from the US Millennium Challenge Corp., a senator said on Tuesday. “It would be unfair to link [President Aquino’s] stand to the Millennium Challenge grant because with or without it, family planning is an issue that is long overdue, and should be discussed in the open,” according to Pia Cayetano. Cayetano, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, urged various sectors to keep an open mind on the President’s support for contraceptives. (Mla Times-p1) 

On IIRC Report

“Like the betrayed spouse, must the Filipino be the last to know?” Sen. Joker Arroyo yesterday posed this question as he assailed Malacañang’s handling of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report on last month’s botched hostage rescue. Arroyo questioned President Benigno Aquino III’s decision to furnish Hong Kong authorities with a copy of the 83-page report by the committee headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima while the Filipino public remained in the dark over its entire content. (PDI-p1) 

Results of the review conducted by the legal team of President Aquino on the incident investigation and review committee (IIRC) regarding the Aug. 23 hostage crisis may be sent to China after all, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. hinted yesterday. In an interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport during the arrival of Mr. Aquino, Ochoa refused to disclose to reporters the recommendations he and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa made, but said this may be furnished to China. (Philstar-p1) 

The legal team led by Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa Jr. and chief presidential legal counsel Edgardo de Mesa has completed a review on the report of the Incident Investigation Review Committee on the August 23 hostage-taking incident at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila. Ochoa said the legal team’s report is a "factual scenario as culled from the IIRC report." He declined to give details on the findings of the review panel. "Let’s not discuss the details because we might preempt the President," he said. (Malaya-p1) 

On The Visiting Forces Agreement

There is a “more appropriate time” for President Aquino to take up weighty issues, like the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), with his US counterpart, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said yesterday.  “President Aquino has stated that his administration is open to reviewing (the VFA), and when he honors the invitation of President Barack Obama to visit Washington DC in the near future there will be plenty of time to discuss the matter,” DFA spokesperson J. Eduardo Malaya told the Inquirer. (PDI-p8) 

On Education

The Department of education (DepEd) yesterday unveiled its ambitious 12-year basic education curriculum (BEC) plan that could change the current structure from 10 years with six years of elementary level and four years of high school to a combined Grades 1 to 12 path. Former DepEd undersecretary Isagani Cruz bared the plan before education stakeholders and the media. Cruz, an education columnist of The STAR, has been tapped by DepEd to present the plan dubbed the “K+12 Basic Education Cycle” that would add two years to the BEC. (Philstar-p1) 

On Frat War

Police yesterday said they believed three people carried out Sunday’s grenade attack on a crowd of law graduates and students that wounded 44 people—including two female students who lost their legs—but that they still had no specific suspects.  Malacañang condemned those responsible for the attack, which occurred during street revelry along Taft Avenue marking the end of this year’s bar examinations at De La Salle University. (PDI-p1) 

On Appointments

MalacaÑang recently requested the Commission on Elections (Comelec) that it be allowed to replace at least 143 government officials during the election ban on appointments in the run-up to the barangay (village) and Sangguniang Kabataan (Youth Council) polls next month. The poll ban started on September 25 and will end on November 10. Some of these officials were sacked by the Palace for being “midnight appointees” of then President Gloria Arroyo, who was succeeded by Benigno Aquino 3rd on June 30 this year. (Mla Times-Banner) 

President Aquino is still allowed to appoint and reshuffle officials even with the existing appointment ban during the campaign period leading to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections on Oct. 25, Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo said yesterday. Melo said Comelec has granted Malacañang the necessary exemption to allow Mr. Aquino to appointment and reshuffle officials during the election period. Comelec Commissioner Nicodemo Ferrer said five of the seven commissioners approved last Monday the request of Malacañang for an exemption from the appointment ban. (Philstar-p8) 

On Labor

Sen. Franklin Drilon asked the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Tuesday to look into the “exploitative” practices of some countries in the Southeast Asia concerning on-the-job trainings (OJTs). “We have discovered that in the hotel industry abroad, particularly in Southeast Asia, there are a number of OJTs getting paid half of the normal salary,” he said after the hearing of the budget of the DOLE and its attached agencies. He said these students are actually rendering service and are no longer trainees. He believed that the hotels abroad are using the OJT program to go around minimum wage. (Mla Times-p3) 

On Unauthorized Bonuses

Employees and consultants of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) under contracts of service received more than P3.4 million in unauthorized bonuses and allowances last year. In a report, the Commission on Audit (COA) said such practice of granting additional benefits to non-regular personnel should stop as it results in unauthorized release of funds.(Philstar-p9) 

On The Truth Commission 

Former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., chairman of the Truth Commission, assured the public that once the rules of procedure of the five-man independent panel have been laid down, the hearings on past anomalies in the government would start. In a telephone interview yesterday, Davide said the commission is still in the process of drafting and finalizing the rules of procedure before any scheduled hearings will have to take place. (Philstar-p17) 

On The Armed Forces

The grumblings over the military promotions system being practiced under the Aquino administration are hardly over. Another senior officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has expressed disappointment over the military promotions system as he decried his successive by-passing by officers junior than him during the previous rounds of designations in the 120,000-strong organization. In an open letter, Col. Jesus Lomeda Jr., a member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1980 and assigned to the AFP’s Signal Corps, said that unlike other “disgruntled” officers of the AFP who hide in anonymity when presenting their case, he will not do the same. (Tribune-p1) 

A military tribunal yesterday cleared seven military officers of the charge of mutiny filed against them in connection with the alleged plot to overthrow the Arroyo administration in February 2006 but sustained the charge against nine other accused. Cleared were Col. Orlando de Leon, Lt. Col. Marine Achilles Segumalian, Lt. Col. Custodo Parcon, and 1Lt. Belinda Ferrer of the Marines, and Maj. Leomar Jose Doctolero, Capt. William Victorino Upano, and 1Lt. Homer Estolas of the Army. (Malaya-p1 

On The PNP

Metro Manila police chief Leocadio Santiago Jr. yesterday ordered the immediate re-training of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) and other tactical units in the metropolis after only 42 of 418 members passed a physical fitness examination. "From hereon, all SWAT units will undergo a standard training to be conducted by SAF (Special Action Force) instructors. This is necessary to ensure the inter-operability of the various SWAT units from the regional, district, city and municipal police offices in the entire Metro Manila," Santiago said. (Malaya-p3) 

On Jueteng 

Archbishop emeritus Oscar Cruz yesterday rejected calls to legalize jueteng, saying it would only lead to a new breed of an unlawful type of gambling. "It is the nature of jueteng to be illegal because it is where the money is," the prelate said over Radio Veritas. "Kapag ginawang legal ang jueteng, wala ring mangyayari. May lalabas din na illegal. Wala pong katapusan yan," Cruz said. (Malaya-p1 

On Morong ‘43’

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima on Tuesday said she will review the validity of the criminal case filed against 43 health workers who were arrested by authorities in Morong, Rizal last Feb. 6 and thereafter dubbed the "Morong 43." The Department of Justice, before De Lima’s recent appointment to it, had found probable cause to indict the 43 health workers who include two doctors, a nurse, a midwife, and some volunteers believed to be members of the communist New People’s Army. (Malaya-p2) 

On Asean

The United States underscored Monday (Tuesday in Manila) the strategic importance of East Asia as it reaffirmed US commitment to preserve regional security and growth in the region. No less than US President Barack Obama conveyed this message in various meetings with heads of government from the Asian Pacific Region, including his historic first summit meeting with the leaders of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) on Friday in New York City. “The United States deeply appreciates and understands the strategic significance of what’s playing out in the Asian Pacific region,” said Assistant State Secretary Kurt Campbell for East Asian and Pacific Affairs in a press briefing at the State Department.  “And we are attempting to step up our game, not simply in terms of strategic and political issues, but also in economic and other matters as well,” he added. (Mla Times-p1) 

On ‘Butanding’

A rarely seen whale shark or butanding was spotted near the pier at Subic Bay’s Boton Wharf yesterday in what was erroneously reported as a stranding. Amethya Koval, head of the Ecology Center of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA), said the five-meter whale shark was not stranded and could just be feeding in the bay. “This is the season when whales feed within Subic Bay,” Koval pointed out. (Philstar-p1)