BROADSHEETS

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- APO Tied To 2 More Blasts

MLA BULLETIN -- Lahar Hits Bicol

PHILIPPINE STAR -- PNP, DND, Intel Agency Notified Of Terror Info

MANILA STANDARD -- Government Gives Arroyo Haciendas Away To Tenants

MANILA TIMES -- Bulusan Volcano Erupts

MALAYA -- On RH: ‘Enough Of  The Name Calling’

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Noy’s Budget Faces Rough Sailing In Senate

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- Solons Slam Church

ABANTE -- Lotto Mania

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Mag-Ama, Apo Kinatay Na Nilitson Pa!

BALITA -- Balik Operasyon

BULGAR -- Bahay Hinoldap Ng 4 Na ‘Pulis’

REMATE -- Tatay 2 Pa Minasaker

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

The Senate committee looking into the huge loans obtained by businessman Delfin Lee using spurious members of the state-run housing insurance program for his real estate projects in Pampanga will invite Mary Antoinette Lucille Ortile, a former undersecretary of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). (PDI-p1) 

Housing scam

The Senate committee on finance has endorsed the proposed Corporate Governance Act of 2010 for approval, a measure intended to put an end to the reported abuses committed by officials of state-owned firms. Committee on finance chairman Sen. Franklin Drilon endorsed for plenary approval Senate Bill 2566, or the Corporate Governance Act of 2010, which he said could put an end to abuses by officials of government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs). (Philstar-p8)

THE House of Representatives will not resort to name-calling even after Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales said there would be no debates about the reproductive health bill if the country "had lawmakers with a well-formed conscience." "Let’s not stoop to name-calling," Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said as the House prepares to begin committee deliberations on RH bills. (Malaya-Banner) RH bill

On Presidency

Amid terror and currency woes, President Aquino will travel to Japan tomorrow for the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit and other meetings. He will have a lean delegation, with only four Cabinet secretaries – Rene Almendras of energy, Cesar Purisima of finance, Ricky Carandang of the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office and Presidential Management Staff chief Julia Abad – confirmed to be joining him on his trip as of yesterday. (Philstar-p1) 

President Aquino was unable to watch the debut of his former girlfriend Valenzuela City Councilor Shalani Soledad on television. “Was not able to,” Mr. Aquino said in a text message yesterday to reporters. Soledad made her first appearance as co-host of comedian Willie Revillame in the TV5 show “Willing Willie” on Monday night. (Philstar-p1) 

Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile defended President Aquino yesterday from criticisms on the temporary appointments of Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo and Environment Secretary Ramon Paje. “They have not been appointed permanently to those positions,” he said. (Philstar-p3) 

It just isn’t done by presidents and world leaders. An opposition senator yesterday twitted President Aquino’s public admission of his displeasure at the tack taken by the United States government in denying the Philippines any intelligence information on alleged terror attack threats, claiming that as an ally of the western world, it is but right and fitting for the United States to treat the Philippines as its ally by providing the Philippine government with intelligence reports on such threats in a timely manner. (Tribune-1)

President Aquino is gearing up for his first appearance at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Leaders’ Summit that will be held in Yokohama, Japan this Nov. 13 and 14 where he is expected to raise issues on disaster mitigation and join other world leaders in addressing global concerns on the volatility of international financial markets. (Tribune-p1) 

On The Visiting Forces Agreement

Citing several contentious provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and the United States, Sen. Loren Legarda said Congress is duty-bound to review the treaty. Legarda said the Legislative Oversight Committee on the VFA (LOVFA), which she co-chairs, is compelled to review the treaty to ensure that provisions of the agreement would not be disadvantageous to the country.  (Philstar-p14) 

On Terror Alert

As early as Nov. 1, the Department of National Defense (DND), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) were notified by foreign governments about intelligence reports of a fresh terrorist threat in the country. This is contained in the response of several embassies to a note verbale from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), demanding to know the basis for travel advisories issued by six governments regarding the risk of terrorist attacks in the Philippines including in Metro Manila. (Philstar-Banner) 

On Bar Blasts

Vice President Jejomar Binay may have to conduct more of his “brod-to-brod” talks with fellow members of Alpha Phi Omega (APO), with Justice Secretary Leila de Lima announcing that the fraternity was also responsible for two earlier grenade attacks in Metro Manila. Members of the frat, which counts the Philippines’ second most powerful man among its “elders,” were earlier tagged in the Sept. 26 grenade attack that marred the last day of this year’s bar examinations, injuring 47 people, mostly law students. (PDI-Banner) 

On Glorietta Blast

The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said it is ready to cooperate with the Department of Justice (DOJ) in the reinvestigation of the 2007 Glorietta blast and reiterated that the original findings regarding the incident were backed by experts. The official findings, released during the Arroyo administration, pointed to methane gas and not a bomb as cause of the blast. (Philstar-p1) 

On The Peace Process

Representatives of the government and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) have been holding a five-day meeting since Monday to review proposed amendments to Republic Act 9054, the law creating the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). The ARMM covers the provinces of Lanao, Sulu, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi and Maguindanao and the cities of Marawi, Lamitan and Basilan. Presidential adviser on the peace process Teresita Quintos-Deles said the government is committed to implementing the 1996 peace agreement with the MNLF. (Philstar-p15) 

On The Armed Forces

A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) class ’78 has been named Officer-In-Charge (OIC) of the Western Mindanao Command (WESMINCOM), succeeding Lt. Gen. Ben Dolorfino, who will retire from the service today. Armed Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. said Maj. Gen. Romeo Lustestica, chief of the Army’s 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division, will take over WESMINCOM pending the appointment of a permanent commander. Mabanta said they are still waiting for the appointment orders to be issued by President Aquino. (Philstar-p7) 

On The Population 

Philippine population will continue to grow in the next 50 years even if each couple limits children to two, an official of the Commission on Population (Popcom) said yesterday. In the four months since President Benigno Aquino III occupied Malacañang, the country has about 500,000 more mouths to feed—the fastest rate of increase in Southeast Asia—bringing the population to 94 million. (PDI-p1) 

On Number Games

Even senators are not immune to the lotto bug, especially with the top prize in tonight’s 6/55 Grand Lotto draw expected to jump to a record P375 million—or nearly double their annual “pork barrel.” At least six senators—Francis Escudero, Jinggoy Estrada, Ramon Revilla Jr., Ralph Recto, Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and Juan Miguel Zubiri—Tuesday confirmed that they would join millions of their compatriots in trying to beat the odds and win the richest prize in the country’s lotto history. (PDI-p1) 

On Clinton’s Visit

While the Palace is making a big stink out of foreign travel advisories warning of a terrorist strike in the Philippines, the Coast Guard isn’t, well, letting its guard down for Bill Clinton’s 12-hour visit today. All vessels will be shooed away from the vicinity of Manila Hotel, where the former US president will speak on “embracing our common humanity” in what organizers described as a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to hear a “powerful voice for progress.” (PDI-p1) 

Government troops have tightened security around the Manila Hotel where former US President Bill Clinton will talk on “Embracing Our Common Humanity” at 4 p.m. today. The Coast Guard has declared off limits since Monday a 4.8-kilometer area from the shoreline of Manila Bay. It has tightened security around the perimeter of Manila Hotel, where Clinton would be staying during his visit. (Philstar-p1) 

On Gun Ban

The 45-day gun ban ends today but the Philippine National Police (PNP) warned that anyone who would be found carrying firearms before midnight of Wednesday without exemption from the Commission on Elections (Comelec) would be arrested. PNP chief Director General Raul Bacalzo directed all policemen nationwide to sustain police visibility and implementation of checkpoints to help prevent street crimes even after the gun ban is lifted. (Philstar-p1) 

On State Workers

The government is fine-tuning its code of conduct for state workers, including setting guidelines for social networking Malacañang’s announcement came after the disparaging tweets by Assistant Secretary Mai Mislang about the wine served for President Aquino’s toast with Vietnamese President Nguyen Ming Triet. Mislang had also posted her unflattering opinion of Vietnamese men as well as the dangerous streets in the country’s capital. Mr. Aquino was in Vietnam for a state visit and for the ASEAN summit last month. (Philstar-p14) 

On Defense Agreement

The Philippines has signed an agreement on defense cooperation with Vietnam, the Department of National of Defense (DND) said yesterday. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin signed the agreement on behalf of the Philippine government on the sideline of President Aquino’s state visit to Vietnam last month. “The agreement aims to strengthen dialogue and cooperation between the Department of National Defense of the Philippines and the Ministry of National Defense of Vietnam,” Gazmin said. (Philstar-p14) 

On Mount Bulusan

Mount Bulusan erupted three times on Tuesday, endangering tens of thousands of people living at the foot of the volcano. Crispulo Diolata Jr., the officer in charge of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), told The Manila Times that the third explosion at 3:30 p.m. was the strongest recorded since Saturday when Mount Bulusan in Sorsogon province, south of Manila, began acting up. Diolata warned that more eruptions might occur. (Mla Times-Banner) 

On Reproductive Health

In the four months since Benigno Aquino 3rd became president of the Philippines, the impoverished country’s population has grown by about 600,000—the fastest rate of increase in Southeast Asia. Amid the patter of many tiny new feet, calls from pro-birth control campaigners are growing louder as they urge a change in the government’s approach to contraception. Tight controls have for years hampered efforts by health agencies to distribute artificial contraceptives in the devoutly Catholic country, even as its population has boomed to 94 million. (Mla Times-p1) 

On Self Satisfaction

The level of happiness among poor Filipinos fell “dramatically” over the last three years, according to the National Statistical Coordination Board (NSCB). In its Statistically Speaking, NSCB Secretary General Romulo Virola on Tuesday said that the level of happiness did not change much between 2007 and 2008, but dramatically went down in 2010. He added that the level of the perception-based (using a single question) happiness went down to 47.40 percent from 70.89 percent in 2008 and 69.44 percent in 2007. (Mla Times-p1)