Political News March 21, 2013

[lotis soriano]

21 March 2013

 

LP NEWS

 

Aquino rating still up despite Sabah issue - Inquirer While criticized for his handling of the ongoing Sabah crisis, President Aquino continued to enjoy high approval ratings, the latest Pulse Asia survey showed.
Related News	Survey shows most Filipinos approve of Aquino, Binay performace - Inquirer ‘Aquino, Binay continue to enjoy high trust ratings’—Pulse Asia - Inquirer Noy, Binay still enjoy high trust ratings - Star Still Most Trusted - Bulletin Aquino ratings inch up despite Sabah - Malaya Binay still most trusted exec — Pulse Asia – Tribune Aquino, Binay scores rise – Business World Mataas na rating ni PNoy ipinagmalaki – Abante Tonite
Kaya Natin! endorses 4 Team PNoy candidates - Inquirer A private group closely associated with the late Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo endorsed Wednesday the candidacies of four Senate candidates of Team PNoy who, the group believes, exemplify the values the secretary espoused and practiced until his tragic accident last year.
No star-studded sortie for Team PNoy - Star Residents expecting a star-studded campaign rally led by President Aquino were disappointed when only four of the 12 senatorial bets of Team PNoy attended yesterday the campaign sorties of the administration coalition.
Poe gains big, Villar plunges in latest survey - Star Senatorial candidate Grace Poe made the biggest leap ahead of the midterm elections while former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar fell from the 'Magic 12' in the latest nationwide survey conducted by polling firm StratPOLLS.
Noy Senate allies defend Bam, blast UNA – Tribune Palace supporters in the Senate lashed back at the opposition United Nationalist Alliance’s (UNA) series of tirades against administration senatorial candidate Bam Aquino for his ties with former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo.
Villar to pursue hubby’s bill vs oppressive tuition policies – Business Mirror   Former Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar has vowed to pursue the measure filed by her husband, “graduating” Sen. Manuel Villar Jr., which prohibits colleges and universities from preventing students to take examinations over unpaid tuition and other school fees.
Related News		Villar to push anti-no exam bill – Journal
Airtime limit cuts sorties – Manila Standard Re-electionist Senator Allan Peter Cayetano has blamed his absence in sorties and campaign rallies to the Commission on Elections’ policy limiting the airing of the campaign advertisements.
Jamby dares UNA: Do something for Pablo victims –  Journal Instead of “conquering Southern Mindanao” as what the opposition claims it would do in its sorties, Team PNoy senatorial bet Jamby Madrigal challenged the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to do something concrete for the victims of Typhoon Pablo who are in dire need of relief and rehabilitation.
LP majority party, UNA minority party – Comelec - Remate Ideneklara ng Commission on Elections (Comelec) bilang dominant majority party para sa May 13 midterm elections ang administration party na Liberal Party (LP) at dominant minority party naman ang United Nationalist Alliance (UNA).

 

 

UNA STORIES

 

‘Eraptions’ still wow ’em in campaign - Inquirer An old face in Philippine politics emerges on stage, not at all as rundown as the Baguio Convention Center here, waving to the raucous crowd with one hand in his pocket, his typical pose.
UNA leaders’ offsprings to lead campaign groups - Inquirer The offsprings of the so-called “three kings” of the United Nationalist Alliance will each head their own groups of senatorial candidates in their campaign throughout the country.
Shooting was no stunt, Jack Enrile says - Inquirer Senatorial candidate Jack Enrile on Wednesday asked critics who have raised doubts about the shooting of a police car in his convoy or have branded it as a campaign gimmick to look at the police report and ascertain the facts for themselves.
Related News	Jack on shooting incident: It’s not deja vu - Star Jack Enrile: Ambush Not Staged - Bulletin No kidnap me — Enrile – Manila Standard Local cops, not Jack Enrile, 'most likely' target of ComVal attack —police – GMA News
UNA raps gov’t for Mindanao brownouts - Malaya Candidates on the United Nationalist Alliance, on a campaign sortie in Manay, Davao Oriental, had to temporarily stop their mini-rally at a covered court yesterday after power went out. UNA had to rely on a borrowed generator set to proceed.
Binay invites Francis to ‘16 Cebu congress - Malaya Vice President Jejomar C. Binay invited Pope Francis to visit the Philippines for the 51st International Eucharistic Congress which will be held in 2016 in Cebu, which is acknowledged as the country’s “cradle of faith.”
In ‘Three Kings’ absence, UNA sorties go on – Manila Standard Senatorial candidates under the United Nationalist Alliances said they are confident that they can go on attracting more people to attend their campaign swings  even with the absence of the “Three Kings.”
UNA bets to split up to cover more ground – ABS-CBN News The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) is planning to split its campaign team into three groups after the Holy Week to cover more grounds.
Migz handang patawarin ni Koko - Abante Uunawain umano ni Team PNoy senatorial candidate Sen. Aquilino ‘Koko’ Aquilino III si dating Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri kapag humingi ito ng direktang apology sa kanya ukol sa isyu ng pagiging battered wife ng kanyang dating asawang si Jewel Lobaton.
UNA candidate questions untimely, suspicious commemoration of Jabidah massacre - Remate UNA senatorial candidate Richard Gordon questioned the timing of the government’s commemoration of the Jabidah Massacre in Corregidor Island, held in the midst of a bloody standoff in Sabah.

 

 

OTHER STORIES

 

Heart Evangelista’s parents break down: ‘Escudero is an opportunist’- Inquirer Cecile Ongpauco, mother of actress Heart Evangelista, is demanding an apology from Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero for being supposedly disrespectful and arrogant and for “manipulating” her daughter into “going against the family.”
Related News	Ongpaucos’ driver a victim in Chiz-Heart ‘scandal’ – Manila Times
Group that got solon’s pork ‘bogus’ - Inquirer The foundation that received pork barrel funds from Nueva Vizcaya Rep. Carlos Padilla could no longer be located, but it left a trace of alleged anomalies in the disbursement of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) of lawmakers.
Masbate wracked by another murder amid gun ban - Inquirer The series of what police said could be politically motivated killings continues in Masbate.
Isabela governor wants Padaca to inhibit from his poll case - Inquirer Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III has filed a motion before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Wednesday asking Commissioner Grace Padaca to inhibit from his election protest case because she has “personal interest” in it.
Related News	Padaca urged to inhibit self in poll case vs Dy - Star
Brillantes: We can’t act yet on Lucy Gomez ouster - Inquirer The Commission on Elections (Comelec) said Wednesday that they cannot act yet on the Supreme Court’s decision to unseat Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez until the decision becomes final.
2012 bar result is second lowest passing rate in history – SC committee - Inquirer The bar examination committee of the Supreme Court on Wednesday said the result of the 2012 bar examination was second lowest passing rate in the history of professional licensure examination for lawyers in the Philippines.
Palace downplays plot to kill Sulu sultan - Star Malacañang has downplayed the alleged assassination plot against Sultan of Sulu Jamalul Kiram III and his adviser, Pastor Saycon.
Pia Cayetano hurt over SC halt order on RH Law – ABS-CBN News Senator Pia Cayetano, the primary sponsor of the reproductive health (RH) law, on Wednesday admitted she was hurt over the Supreme Court's issuance of a 120-day status quo ante (SQA) order against the controversial measure.
Related News	Human rights group hits suspension of RH Law – Star Petitioners: Trust SC to carefully study RH case - Star Groups call for pro-RH votes in May - Star And now comes the ‘Purple Vote’ - Malaya Mosyon sa RH Law ihahain sa SC – Pilipino Star Ngayon
‘Bacoor ballot templates flawed’ - Star Twelve candidates for councilors of Bacoor City in Cavite yesterday filed a petition with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) seeking correction of erroneous templates of the official ballots in the May 13 polls.
AFP Taking Steps To Stop NPA Extortion Of Candidates — Burgos - Bulletin The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) yesterday assured Senator Franklin Drilon that the military is taking serious steps to put an end to the New People’s Army’s extortion of political candidates and other terroristic activities.
CBCP drops PPCRV; Namfrel, Lente tapped - Malaya The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action (CBCP-NASSA) has dropped its support to the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) as citizens’ arm of the Commission on Elections.
Senators welcome UP lifting of ‘no late payment’ policy – Business Mirror Senators on Wednesday welcomed the decision of the University of the Philippines (UP) to lift its “no late payment” policy, calling it a “good” first step to make education more accessible to deserving students.

 

 

EDITORIAL

Lives are at stake – Editorial, Inquirer The order of the Supreme Court suspending the implementation of the controversial law on reproductive health was a real surprise, and not in a good way. Petition after petition against the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 was filed as soon as President Aquino signed it into law last December, but the high court declined to issue a restraining order.

Good for a laugh, or three by Conrado de Quiros, Inquirer One, Fr. Melvin Castro says the Church has Edcel Lagman to thank for spreading its teachings—if only by negative example. That’s so, he says, because more and more young people, especially women, are now confessing to having used contraceptives. So now they know it’s a sin, something the Church has been trying to tell them for some time now. Thanks to Lagman, says Castro, they’ve learned the lesson.

Overpriced – Editorial, Star In the administration of daang matuwid or straight path, government auditors have uncovered infrastructure projects that they described as overpriced by as much as P154.99 million. The Commission on Audit wants the Department of Public Works and Highways to deduct the amounts or have the contractors refund the overprice.

Aquinomics 101 – Editorial, Tribune The jobless rate reached 7.1 percent in January, which is double the figure among the country’s neighbors in Asia.

Too uneven a play by Ninez Cacho Olivares, Tribune What appears to be so strange is why a Senate hearing called by Sen. Serge Osmeña has been held on the Philex Corp.’s Padcal tailings spill when a P1 billion plus fine had already been imposed by the proper agencies and already paid for by Philex as well as rehabiltation and remedation works already in play.

Why this May 2013 election is crucial by Thema Dumpit Murillo, Manila Times The Millenium Development Goals are a set of time-bound, concrete and specific goals to reduce extreme poverty, illiteracy and disease that 189 global leaders committed to achieve by 2015.

Basically unconstitutional by Emil Jurado, Manila Standard The Supreme Court, by a majority vote, issued a status quo ante order or a temporary restraining order, good for 120 days, on the  implementation of the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act of 2012 (Republic Act 10354).