BROADSHEETS 

PHIL. DAILY INQUIRER -- Court OKs Garcia plea bargain deal

PHILIPPINE STAR -- Sandigan approves Garcia plea bargain  

DAILY TRIBUNE -- Sandigan upholds Garcia plea bargain

MANILA BULLETIN -- Garcia plea bargain OK’d

TABLOIDS

PEOPLE’S JOURNAL -- 'Bebeng' kills 10

ABANTE -- Buhawi sa Bulacan: 50 bahay winasak!

PILIPINO STAR NGAYON -- Plea bargain agreement ni Garcia 'go' 

 

ISSUES MONITORING

On Congress

Now that senators Jinggoy Estrada and Panfilo Lacson have come face to face after more than a year, the two set aside their differences and work together again in the Senate. Lacson arrived at the Senate yesterday morning for his first official working day after surfacing from 14 months in hiding. His colleagues, including now Senate President Pro-Tempore Estrada, promptly welcomed him. (Philstar)

On Gen. Garcia

The Sandiganbayan approved yesterday the plea bargain deal between state prosecutors and accused plunderer and former military comptroller Carlos Garcia. In a 22-page resolution, the anti-graft court’s second division cited the “weak” evidence presented by prosecutors in its decision to approve the controversial deal. (Philstar)

On MRT/LRT fare hike

The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) has postponed indefinitely the plan to raise fares at the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Lines 1 and 2, and the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) along EDSA. Dante Velasco, DOTC undersecretary for the road transport sector as well as head of public information, management information systems and the Action Center, said that the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) board of directors met yesterday and decided not to raise fares just yet. (Philstar)

On wage hike

The Department of Labor and Employment reported yesterday that the regional wage board of Metro Manila had approved an additional P22 daily emergency cost-of-living allowance (ECOLA). Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz said the wage board in the National Capital Region (NCR), after “intense” deliberation, approved the granting of additional P22 ECOLA for minimum wage earners in the region. Baldoz said the additional P22 ECOLA would bring to P426 the daily minimum wage of workers in the region from the current P404. (Philstar)

On Ombudsman

The selection process for the next Ombudsman is on. The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), in an announcement published in The STAR, gave interested parties a non-extendible period of 10 days or until May 16 to submit their applications and recommendations for the position left vacant by Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned last week to avoid being subjected to an impeachment trial. Applications and nominations may be submitted personally to the JBC office at the 2nd floor of the Centennial Bldg. of the Supreme Court in Padre Faura St., Manila or through email, jbc_supremecourt@yahoo.com.ph, according to the advertisement. (Philstar)

On typhoon Bebeng

At the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit in Jkarta, Indonesia, President Aquino monitored developments as tropical storm “Bebeng” battered the country last Sunday, leaving 13 people dead. Aquino headed home yesterday morning after his flight to Manila was delayed due to the storm. Bebeng lashed the eastern coast of Luzon and Metro Manila with fierce winds and rain that sparked floods and landslides, officials said. (Philstar)

On Cabinet members

Seven members of President Aquino’s official family still have to pass the scrutiny of the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA), the CA secretariat said yesterday. With only 12 session days to go before Congress goes into sine die adjournment on June 10, the CA is waiting for the go signal from its respective chairmen to schedule the confirmation hearings for Agrarian Reform Sec. Virgilio delos Reyes, Finance Sec. Cesar Purisima, Justice Sec. Leila de Lima, Social Welfare Sec. Corazon Soliman, Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson, Economic and Development Sec. Cayetano Paderanga and Foreign Affairs Sec. Albert del Rosario. The CA also needs to finish the review of the qualifications of about 20 ambassadors and around 151 military officers.(Philstar)

On Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao was always going to get his $20 million. That was part of the deal that lured him to this gambling city, where wealthy whales and B-list celebrities gathered ringside to watch him beat up yet another pretender to his crown. On this night his opponent was a reluctant combatant, there seemingly only to get his own big payday. But Pacquiao wasn’t about to let that ruin his plans for a big evening on the Las Vegas Strip. (Philstar)

On Mar Roxas

President Aquino will issue an administrative order creating the presidential chief of staff office for former Sen. Mar Roxas to be accommodated in the Cabinet when the ban on appointing losing candidates lapses tomorrow. Secretary Edwin Lacierda revealed this to reporters at the Villamor Air Base, upon the arrival of President Aquino from Jakarta, Indonesia where he attended the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Leaders’ Summit. (Philstar)