BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- $1,000 for Marcos victims

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Martial law victims to get $1,000 each

MANILA BULLETIN -- You can have it – Enrile

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Angie Reyes may face plunder probe

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Ampatuans charged with plunder

ABANTE -- Sanay ako sa kudeta -- Enrile

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Prosecutors handang makasuhan

PEOPLES TONIGHT -- Spirits order child rapist to kill self
   
ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Linked to several coup attempts many years ago, Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile is again reportedly at the center of a coup – but this time with him at the receiving end. President Aquino’s allies and members of the Liberal Party (LP) are reportedly plotting to remove Enrile as Senate president. “I am used to coups. I don’t know where that story came from but there is no need for them to do any coup d’etat. All they have to do is to tell me, here we have 13 numbers… and I will give it (leadership) up right away,” Enrile said. (Philstar)

On Martial Law victims

A federal judge on Thursday approved the distribution of $7.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by thousands of victims of torture, execution and kidnapping under the regime of the late former President Ferdinand Marcos. The distribution provides victims their first opportunity to collect something since they sued in 1986. Each of 7,526 eligible members of the class-action lawsuit will receive $1,000 under the plan approved by US District Judge Manuel Real. Distribution is expected to begin in mid-February and take about a month.(Philstar)

On Maguindanao massacre

The widows of seven journalists slain with dozens of others in the Nov. 23, 2009 Maguindanao massacre filed plunder, graft and forfeiture complaints yesterday against 25 members of the Ampatuan clan before the Office of the Ombudsman, accusing them of amassing up to P200 million in unexplained wealth. Former Maguindanao governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., and sons former mayor Andal Jr., and former Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao governor Zaldy led the long list of respondents to the case filed with the Office of the Ombudsman. (Philstar)

On EDSA tunnel

The outermost northbound lane of EDSA in Guadalupe, Makati City was closed to traffic yesterday after a large hole, which is believed to be a tunnel, was discovered by the crew of Manila Water Co. Engineer Benedicto de Ramos, operations engineer of the Second Metro Manila Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said that employees of a Manila Water contractor found the hole at past 2 a.m. yesterday while they were about to lay pipes in the area. (Philstar)

On peace talks

The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) have agreed to resume peace talks on Feb. 9 and 10 following an informal meeting in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Thursday. Government chief negotiator Marvic Leonen, in a press briefing at Malacañang after his arrival from Kuala Lumpur, said that both parties would resume “formal, exploratory talks” next month on a broad agenda to be presented by both sides.(Philstar)

On jueteng

The chief of police of Antipolo City was sacked yesterday, a day after the regional police raided a suspected jueteng den in the city. Superintendent Manuel Pion became the seventh police chief sacked from his post since Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Raul Bacalzo imposed a “one strike” policy on jueteng. Bacalzo had warned police officials that they faced immediate relief and prosecution if they allowed illegal gambling operations in their area or.

On Vizconde

The Supreme Court (SC) dared Lauro Vizconde yesterday to prove his allegation that Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio had lobbied with his fellow justices for the acquittal of Hubert Webb and six others previously convicted for the massacre of his family in 1991. “File it. They always say that. They better come up with evidence,” SC spokesman Midas Marquez told reporters in a press conference. (Philstar)

On P-Noy's Porsche

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile told critics yesterday that President Aquino should be left to enjoy his new Porsche sports car without any criticism, considering that he used his own money to buy it. Enrile said critics were unfair in comparing the President’s status to that of the masses in connection to the used Porsche he bought for himself. “Why should we deny the highest leader of the land to have a Porsche? You want him to have a bicycle?” Enrile said. (Philstar)

On new Comelec chairman

Malacañang yesterday maintained that the decision on the appointment of the next chair of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) rests with President Aquino.  Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Aquino has personally screened the nominees.    “The appointment would be entirely his (Aquino’s) decision after he has taken a personal hand in vetting the people on the shortlist,” she told Palace reporters in an informal briefing. (Philstar)

On typhoons

About 20 to 22 tropical cyclones are expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility this year due to the prevailing La Niña phenomenon, the state weather bureau warned yesterday. Graciano Yumul, Science undersecretary and concurrent officer-in-charge of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), said they also expect the cyclones this year to be more intense and to have erratic tracks. “We expect more typhoons this year because of the La Niña phenomenon. Last year we experienced less cyclones because of the El Niño event. The possibility of having abnormal tracks of cyclones this year is also there,” Yumul said. (Philstar)