(Legend: Phil. Daily Inquirer, PDI; Mla. Bulletin, MB; Phil. Star, PS; Mla. Standard, MS; Daily Tribune, DT; Businessworld, BW; Malaya, Today)

A.

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER Was Swat  Tipped Off?

PHILSTAR (PS) ‘Free My Brother Or I Finish Them Off’

B.

MANILA STANDARD Aquino Allies Force Two Impeachment Case Vs Gutierrez

MANILA TIMES Rep. Singson Delays Plea

MALAYA Aquino: Nobody’s Off The Hook On Hostages

DAILY TRIBUNE Noy: ‘I Dislike Robredo’s Work, Campaign Style’

 

ISSUES MONITORING

(Broadsheets)

On Congress

The House of Representatives asked yesterday Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez to answer within 10 working days the charges against her contained in two impeachment complaints. The committee on justice has declared as sufficient in form the two complaints following intense debates yesterday. (Philstar-p9) Ombudsman

The House of Representatives will remove the 12-percent value-added tax (VAT) on electricity to bring down the cost of power for consumers and make the country more competitive as an investment destination. “We have to scrap VAT on electricity. At present, our country has the second highest power rates, if not the highest, in Asia. That makes us uncompetitive as an investment location,” Deputy Speaker Arnulfo Fuentebella told the committee on ways and means. (Philstar-p8) 

The Senate will likely break tradition on inter-parliamentary courtesy when it dips its fingers into the latest housing fund mess, whose subject is now a member of the House of Representatives. Sen. Sergio Osmena III yesterday said Marikina Rep. Miro Quimbo, a former official of shelter agency Pag-Ibig or the Home Development Mutual Fund, will likely face an inquiry over  alleged irregularities uncovered recently involving Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. (GA). (Tribune-p1) 

The Senate finance committee chairman yesterday rejected clipping the powers of the Office of the President (OP) in the matter of accessing or availing of the P1.425 billion intelligence funds, the Chief Executives version of lawmakers’ “pork barrel,” in the proposed P1.645-trillion national expenditure next year. Sen. Franklin Drilon, finance chairman, who has been after the so-called fat pay and bonuses of officials of government-owned and -controlled corporations told reporters at a press conference following a briefing by the Developmental Budget Coordinating Council (DBCC), that they may retain such appropriation, reported to be around P650 million out of the said P1.4 billion, even as he himself admitted that this is the source of corruption in the bureaucracy. (Tribune-p3) 

Ilocos Sur Rep. Ronald Singson failed to enter a plea before a district court here yesterday and asked for a six-week adjournment of his case citing health reasons. The Wan Chai District Court granted Singson’s request to reschedule the arraignment to Oct. 19.  (Philstar-p4) Drug case

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday ruled with finality that former Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes cannot sit in the Fifteenth Congress as representative of 1-United Transport Koalisyon (1-UTAK) party-list group. According to an unimpeachable source of The Manila Times, the Comelec en banc voted 4-2 that Reyes be not allowed to sit as party-list representative of the transport group because he does not belong to a marginalized sector of society. The majority ruling was signed by Comelec Chairman Jose Melo and Commissioners Rene Sarmiento, Lucenito Tagle and Gregorio Larrazabal. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Presidency

President Arroyo yesterday said he does not regret taking responsibility for the August 23 hostage crisis in Manila that led to the deaths of eight Hong Kong tourists and the hostage taker. Arroyo, in an ambush interview, said he was the one who appointed some of the police officers, based on the recommendations of their superiors and the local government officials. "In the chain of command, dulo noon ako pa rin ang nagtatalaga kung saan," he said. (Malaya-Banner) 

He doesn’t like his appointee, but will not sack him — yet. President Aquino and his appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo have serious “philosophical differences” and working styles, it was yesterday publicly admitted by the President. Aquino bared he has lingering differences with his chosen DILG Secretary Robredo in terms of “working style” and philosophical differences, such as the differences they both encountered during the presidential campaign that apparently made it difficult for him and Robredo to get along. (Tribune-Banner) 

American investors would be enticed to invest in the upcoming public-private partnership (PPP) infrastructure projects when President Benigno Aquino 3rd visits the US, a Department of Trade and Industry official said. Trade and Industry Undersecretary Cristino Panlilio told reporters on Tuesday that the President’s trip to US on September 20 to 26 would be mostly about strengthening the trade and investment relations between the Philippines and the US. Panlilio, also Board of Investments (BOI) managing head, said that the various infrastructure projects being eyed to be rolled out via the PPP scheme would be promoted to American investors during President Aquino’s trip. (Mla Times-p2) 

On The President’s Men

President Aquino yesterday explained that he appointed Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo in an acting capacity because he is still observing if they would be able to work together in the long run. Mr. Aquino said he observed differences in their working styles during the campaign period. (Philstar-p1) 

President Aquino has yet to decide if he will keep acting secretaries Rosalinda Baldoz (labor and employment), Ramon Paje (environment and natural resources), and Jessie Robredo (interior and local government) in his Cabinet.  Aquino said he has one year to observe and evaluate the performances of Baldoz and Paje who are career officials.  (Malaya-p6) 

On Luneta Carnage

Did the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) group get a tip that dismissed Senior Insp. Rolando Mendoza was going to commandeer a busload of Hong Kong tourists that led them to deploy at Rizal Park 45 minutes ahead of the hijacker? The question arose yesterday on the fourth day of marathon hearings into the botched hostage rescue drama on Aug. 23 after the fact-finding committee headed by Justice Secretary Leila de Lima received conflicting accounts of the hijacking timeline. (PDI-Banner) 

The last moments of the bloody hostage-taking incident on Aug. 23 were revealed yesterday, showing in detail how dismissed police senior inspector Rolando Mendoza became distraught and shot the remaining hostages one after the other. “May binaril na ako rito dalawa. Dadagdagan ko pa ito… Binaril ko ang dalawang Chinese… Pag hindi sila tumigil… uubusin ko ito… Uubusin ko ito… pakawalan n’yo na kapatid ko (I have already shot two here. I will add more… I shot two Chinese… If they don’t stop… I will finish them off… I will finish them off… Free my brother),” Mendoza said in the recordings. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Media Coverage

Saving lives takes precedence over the public’s right to know. This was the message anticrime crusader Teresita Ang See Tuesday sought to convey to the staff of Radyo Mo Nationwide (RMN) during a hearing on the botched hostage crisis last month that killed eight Hong Kong tourists. The member of the presidential committee looking into the Aug. 23 fiasco said that RMN failed to observe a “humane duty” to prevent the bloodbath. (PDI-p1) 

Broadcast networks and the government have reached a consensus on news coverage during crisis situations like the Aug. 23 hostage incident at the Quirino Grandstand.  Live media coverage of the hostage crisis has been blamed for contributing to the failure of the police operation, ultimately leading to the death of eight Hong Kong tourists. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Armed Forces

Going around the rules? Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Gaudencio Pangilinan got his third star two months ago. The Nolcom is a three-star posting which Pangilinan assumed on July 8 when he was still a two-star officer (major general). On July 25, Pangilinan turned 55 years old, a year short of the mandatory retirement age in the Armed Forces. (Malaya-p1) 

On Debt Payment

Interest payments for debt service in the budget program for next year may have been overstated by as much as P7.7 billion, according to Senate ways and means committee chairman Ralph Recto. With the budget department’s shielding of debt servicing from congressional review, the excess interest payment cannot be rechanneled to social services. (Philstar-p15) 

On Truth Commission

Likening the Aquino administration’ s Philippine Truth Commission to “an outlaw” that must be shot on sight, House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman Tuesday asked the Supreme Court t to strike down the executive order creating the agency for usurping the powers of Congress. In oral arguments lasting three hours, Lagman told the court that President Benigno Aquino III’s Executive Order No. 1 empowering the commission to investigate alleged corruption during the previous Arroyo administration violated the principle of separation of powers by assuming functions that belonged to the legislature. (PDI-p1) 

On The Arroyo Administration

Former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and those who accompanied her on local and foreign trips overshot her travel budget for 2009 by over P696 million, a Commission on Audit (COA) report bared yesterday. The Office of the President spent almost P1 billion, or 284 percent more than what was appropriated under Republic Act 9524. (Philstar-p1) 

On Dengue

The Department of Health (DOH) recorded a 98.9 percent increase in the number of dengue cases for the first eight months of this year compared with the same period in 2009. However, Health Secretary Enrique Ona pointed out that a downward trend of dengue cases has also been observed starting this month. From Jan. 1 to Aug. 28 this year, the DOH recorded 69,594 cases, almost double the 34,997 cases during the same period in 2009. The death toll from dengue has reached 501, compared to 369 last year. (Philstar-p6) 

On Maguindanao Massacre

The much-awaited trial of the Maguindanao massacre case against members of the Ampatuan clan will open in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig today, with prosecution lawyers hoping there will not be more delays. Private prosecutor Nena Santos said the delays will “break the momentum” of witnesses who wanted to testify a long time ago. “The longer the trial will be delayed the more the witness will be subjected to some threats or some payoffs,” she said. (Philstar-p2) 

On Doing Business

The Philippines is not considered as top priority host economies for foreign direct investments (FDIs) for the next three years, according to United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) survey. In its World Investment Prospects Survey 2010 to 2012, the Philippines was not listed in the top 20 priority host economies for FDIs. The United Nations (UN) body earlier reported that FDI inflows to the Philippines rose 26.16 percent to $1.95 billion in 2009 from $1.54 billion in 2008. In 2007, the country’s FDI inflows amounted to $2.92 billion. (Mla Times-p1) 

NEWS SUMMARY

(Tabloids)

 (Legend: People’s Journal, PJ; Abante, Ab; Tempo, Tem; Kabayan, Kab; Balita, Bal; Pilipino Star Ngayon, PSN; Remate, Rem; Bulgar, Bul; )

A.

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL No Mercy For Merci

ABANTE ‘Uubusin Ko Ang Mga Ito!’

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON Sablay Talaga

BALITA Kitang-Kita Ko!

PEOPLES TONIGHT Dad Rapes Paralyze Kid!

BULGAR 14-Anyos Nireyp Ni Daddy

REMATE Robredo Unang Gugulong