Political News March 29\0, 2013

[lotis soriano]

20 March 2013

 

LP NEWS

 

More state subsidy sought for poor students - Inquirer Several senatorial candidates are calling for more state subsidy for poor students following the suicide of University of the Philippines Manila freshman Kristel Tejada who could not pay her tuition.
Related News	Pressure on; UP Manila lifts tuition policy - Inquirer UP student suicide, a wake-up call — Jinggoy – Tribune
Cayetano gets SC nod to intervene in networks’ plea vs airtime cap - Inquirer The Supreme Court opted not to stop the Commission on Elections from implementing its resolution that puts a cap on airtime of political advertisements.
Related News	No TRO on candidates’ airtime limits - Star SC grants Cayetano petition vs Comelec's airtime rule - Star Cayetano argues case against political ads - Malaya SC allows Cayetano to join in debate over pol ads cap – GMA News
On party ratings, Comelec declares LP as majority, UNA as minority - Inquirer The Commission on Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday has declared the Liberal Party (LP) and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) as the dominant majority and dominant minority parties respectively.
Related News	Comelec set to declare LP, ‘loyal opposition’ UNA dominant parties – Business Mirror LP, UNA get special perks as dominant parties – Manila Standard
Bam Aquino seeks end to mudslinging - Inquirer Team PNoy senatorial candidate Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino on Tuesday called for an end to mudslinging, calling it “entertaining” but old-style politics.
Drilon: NPA extorting campaign fees from local bets - Star Leftist insurgents have started collecting so-called “permit to campaign fees” from local candidates, an administration party official said yesterday.
Koko: Up to my wife to accept Migz apology - Star Sen. Aquilino Pimentel said yesterday it’s not for him to decide whether to accept the apology expressed to his estranged wife by former senator Juan Miguel Zubiri over the wife-beater issue.
CCT funds eyed for scholarships - Star Team PNoy senatorial candidate and Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara proposed yesterday the use of part of the P44.3-billion budget for the conditional cash transfer (CCT) program to fund the scholarships for poor but deserving students.
Dormant Laws Need P500-B Funding - Bulletin A reelectionist senator campaigning in this city revealed yesterday that a considerable number of laws remain dormant, needing around P500 billion in funding in order to be implemented.
Osmeña claims P1-B fine undervalued; Philex, DENR, MGB nix claim – Tribune The P1 billion “penalty” slapped on Philex Mining Corp. (Philex) due to a mine tailing spill in its Padcal mines waste facility in Itogon, Benguet could have been undervalued, Sen. Sergio Osmeña III said yesterday.
Related News	Senate tells Philex to remedy spill damage, take preventive steps – Manila Times
Loren tops, pulls away in StratPOLLS survey –  Journal Reelectionist Sen. Loren Legarda widened her lead over her closest rivals in the senatorial race in the latest survey conducted by StratPOLLS.
Related News	Loren ayaw paawat – Abante Tonite
Koko kay Migz: Morality police ka ba? - Abante Tila may ambisyon umano si United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate at dating Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri na maging "morality police" at magtayo ng Office of the Closet Man.
‘Cory magic’ nagmilagro sa mga kandidato ni PNoy - Remate Nagmilagro na ang “Cory Magic” na bitbit ni Pangulong Benigno Aquino III para sa kanyang mga kandidato sa lokal na posisyon.

 

 

UNA STORIES

 

Gunmen fire at Jack Enrile convoy in ComVal - Inquirer Senatorial candidate Jack Enrile said his convoy was fired upon in Mawab, Compostela Valley, while he was on his way to Tagum for a campaign sortie Tuesday afternoon.
Related News	Enrile’s convoy attacked - Star Enrile Convoy Attacked - Bulletin Jack Enrile’s convoy shot at in ComVal – Manila Standard
A ‘David’ steps up vs Binays - Inquirer It will not just be a case of “David against Goliath” in the Makati City elections this May, according to the lone challenger of Mayor Jejomar Erwin “Junjun” Binay Jr.
Binay says Visayas, Mindanao to pull UNA bets up - Inquirer Vice President Jejomar Binay said here that vote-rich areas in the Visayas and Mindanao will prove surveys wrong in their projection that only up to five candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) will make it to the so-called magic 12 in the senatorial race.
UNA candidates skip evacuation centers - Inquirer The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) on Tuesday courted votes in typhoon-ravaged Compostela Valley but steered clear of evacuation centers.
Zubiri dares Aquino to condemn defiant Imus mayor - Inquirer Now that it’s his Liberal Party ally Emmanuel Maliksi who is refusing to vacate the Imus mayoral seat despite a court order, what can President Aquino say about it?
UNA bets defend singing and dancing to court voters - Inquirer Singing and dancing politicians will never go out of fashion during election campaigns, but this does not mean that the aspirants for public office have nothing substantial to offer the electorate, candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance said here Tuesday.
Nancy: Spare my mother - Star United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Nancy Binay asked yesterday the “demolition team” operating against her father, Vice President Jejomar Binay, to spare her mother Elenita.
Related News	UNA bets see harassment on VP’s wife intentional – Tribune Hold order meant to harass Binays – Manila Standard
Enrile, Osmeña together at Senate probe - Star Amid persistent reports that he would be unseated, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile showed up and sat beside a senator who said he would be ousted after the elections.
‘UNA candidates not banking on Erap, Binay, JPE’ - Star The senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) are not banking much on former President Joseph Estrada, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile in their campaign.
UNA hits Bam - Star The United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) yesterday chided Liberal Party (LP) senatorial candidate Bam Aquino for saying he was proud to have worked under the Arroyo administration.
Related News	UNA to Bam: What’s there to be proud of in serving GMA? – Tribune Bam Aquino chided anew – People’s Journal Nasaan ka noon Bam?- UNA – Abante Tonite

 

 

OTHER STORIES

 

Church hails SC ruling on RH: God is on our side - Inquirer Catholic bishops welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court on Tuesday to suspend for 120 days the implementation of the controversial reproductive health (RH) law in order to hear 10 Church-backed petitions contesting its constitutionality.
Related News	Lawyers of Comelec, Bacolod diocese tangle over ‘tarpaulin issue’- Inquirer Sereno uses Jesus words to stress need for regulation on ‘Team Patay’ tarpaulins - Inquirer Hontiveros cries ‘assault’ on women over SC ruling to stop RH law for 120 days - Inquirer House respects SC ruling ‘delaying’ start of RH law - Inquirer SC stops implementation of RH law, sets oral arguments on June 18 - Inquirer  Church Asks Eight Priests To Resign For Misbehavior - Bulletin Lagman: TRO on RH Law "Temporary Delay" - Bulletin Palace Abides SC Ruling on Reproductive Health Law - Bulletin
Aquino finds Baguio no longer cool - Inquirer Unlike his predecessor who would come to Baguio any chance she got, President Aquino rarely finds time to visit the summer capital.
Tension still high in Imus; mayor Ricafrente blames governor - Inquirer More than 200 policemen have taken positions in front of the City Hall, where incumbent Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi holed himself in after the Supreme court reversed a lower court decision that declared him the rightful winner in 2011, ousting then mayor Homer Saquilayan.
Related News	Brillantes maintains no irregularity in ousting Maliksi - Inquirer Representative Maliksi says politics behind slay of supporter - Inquirer
Poll fever felt in Taguig City grad program - Inquirer After being barred from attending the graduation rites at General Ricardo Papa Sr. Memorial High School on Saturday, Taguig Rep. Sigfrido “Freddie” Tiñga was allowed to address the graduates of Cipriano P. Tiñga Elementary School Tuesday morning.
Legal twists allow Pampanga city mayor to hold on to power for 17 straight years - Inquirer Marino “Boking” Morales has been serving as mayor of Mabalacat town, now  a component city of Pampanga, for 17 years now. In the May elections, he is seeking another term.
Not a walk in the park for Pineda, Panlilio for 3rd battle in Pampanga - Inquirer Reelectionist Gov. Lilia Pineda and former Gov. Eddie Panlilio both admit that their third battle for the highest local elective post in Pampanga this year will not be a walk in the park.
Comelec monitoring 15 ‘areas of concern’ - Inquirer The Commission on Elections (Comelec) is closely monitoring at least 15 places in the country as “areas of concern” in the upcoming May 2013 midterm elections.
Related News	PNP sees ‘secure,’ ‘fair’ May polls - Inquirer Comelec, PNP place 15 provinces under watch - Malaya
Bro. Eddie Villanueva warns of money laundering in casinos - Inquirer Evangelist Eddie Villanueva, the Bangon Pilipinas party’s lone senatorial candidate, on Tuesday warned against the possible inflow of “hot money” into the country following the expected surge of high-end casino operations here.
Torres-Gomez unfazed by ouster; will file for MR, continue House duties - Inquirer Ousted Leyte Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez is not worried and will continue to work as legislator from the fourth district of the province despite the Supreme Court ruling removing her from the congressional seat.
Related News	SC ousts Lucy Torres-Gomez as Leyte lawmaker - Inquirer SC unseats Lucy as Leyte representative - Star Lucy Torres Loses House Seat - Bulletin
Another political killing in Masbate - Inquirer Another elected official lost his life in what could be another politically motivated killing and violation of the gun ban in Masbate early Monday evening, Masbate police said Tuesday.
Aquino gov’t urged to reinstate P17B cut from SUC budget proposal – Inquirer Senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño on Tuesday urged the Aquino administration to reinstate the P17 billion slashed last year from the budget proposal of state universities and colleges (SUCs), and to incorporate that amount in the 2014 budget.
Bets reminded: No campaigning on Maundy Thursday, Good Friday - Inquirer The Commission on Elections (Comelec) reminded candidates that campaigning is prohibited on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday of the Holy Week.
GMA shares P33.6-M ‘pork’ with son, ally - Inquirer Detained former President and Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo is sharing her pork barrel funds for this year with her congressman-son Diosdado or Dato and close ally Rep. Mitos Magsaysay of Zambales.
Gov’t to take Sabah claim to int’l court after review - Star The Philippine government is ready to bring the country’s Sabah claim before international courts even as it gathers evidence to buttress its position while pursuing dialogue to end the violence in the territory.
US-Phl agree on close defense cooperation - Star The Philippines and the US on Tuesday agreed to conduct “frequent and energized consultations” to boost defense ties in a meeting that also tackled the rebalancing of Washington’s forces in the Pacific.
Palace: Bangsamoro deal 'much bigger' than Sabah issue – GMA News A Malacañang official on Tuesday reiterated that the Bangsamoro Framework Agreement entered into by the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) is on track despite the ongoing crisis in Sabah.
UNA candidates woo crowds amid 3 Kings' absence – ABS-CBN News Without their usual crowd drawers in attendance, the senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance are scrambling in their own campaigns in Compostela Valley in Mindanao.

 

 

EDITORIAL

3 independent Senate bets on UP, Sabah crises by Neal Cruz, Inquirer The suicide of a student of the University of the Philippines and its faulty policies on tuition, as well as the raging Sabah crisis, took up most of the time of the Kapihan sa Manila at the Diamond Hotel last Monday. Rep. Teddy Casiño, Mayor Edward Hagedorn of Puerto Princesa, Palawan, and lawyer Samson Alcantara of the Social Justice Party, all independent senatorial candidates in the May elections, had plenty to say about these matters.

Slow resolution – Editorial, Star With only about two weeks left before the start of the campaign for local positions, the Supreme Court last week unseated Emmanuel Maliksi as mayor of Imus, Cavite. The order resulted from an election protest filed by a rival of Maliksi and is reportedly final, prompting the Commission on Elections to order him to vacate his seat.

How hearings should be held by Jose Bayani Baylon, Malaya For the first time in a long time, I found myself in the halls of Congress, an observer to what I expected was going to be a contentious public hearing.

Who’s afraid of Jojo Binay? – Editorial, Tribune A warning was served the other day on Vice President Jejomar Binay over the rough road he faces toward the 2016 presidential elections while his chief political rival in the Aquino administration continues to wield power and consolidate his forces.

PNoy’s years as lawmaker recalled by Efren L. Danao, Manila Times Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago, a master of the invective, once described then Sen. Benigno Simeon Aquino 3rd as “a sorry excuse for the scion of a great man” whom she would want to educate “if he is educable.”

Datu Shampoo Bam by Jojo A. Robles, Manila Standard Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, senatorial candidate and shameless Ninoy lookalike-wannabe, has been proclaimed honorary “datu” or tribal chief by a group that calls itself the 10 Tribes of Davao. The President’s cousin looked elated in his ceremonial Malay headman’s regalia, as if he already had a lock on the Moro vote in Mindanao and a sure seat in the Senate.