Political News March 19, 2013

[lotis soriano]

19 MARCH 2013

 

LP STORIES

 

Escudero: Many laws ‘meaningless’ due to lack of gov’t funding - Inquirer Congress has allegedly approved P500-billion worth of laws, which remain dormant due to lack of government funding, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero said in a statement on Monday.
Related News	Mga ipinapasang batas di’ maipatupad dahil walang pondo – Pilipino Star Ngayon Butas ang batas na walang pondo – Chiz - Abante Phils has P500-B unfunded laws says Chiz - Remate
Pangasinan village execs didn’t snub Aquino – board member – Inquirer Did Pangasinan barangay (village)  captains snub President Benigno Aquino III when he visited the province last week to campaign for Team PNoy senatorial candidates?
Aquino concerned about effect of Sabah incident on economy - Star President Benigno S. Aquino III warned today on the possible effect of the Sabah hostilities on the Philippine economy.
Related News	Revival of Sabah claim under review - Star Gov’t to assist Pinoys arrested in Sabah - Sabah Aquino: Jabidah shows folly of Sabah takeover - Malaya Aquino awaits roadmap on sabah – Manila Times Aquino wants plan to peacefully settle Sabah – Business World
Noy hits Baguio’s ‘zigzag governance’ - Star This City of Pines, popular for decades for the winding Kennon Road, should stop the “zigzag governance” it has been practicing for several years under its local leadership, President Aquino said here Sunday.
Related News	Aquino explains veto of Baguio charter changes - Malaya PNoy clarifies Baguio bill veto – Manila Standard Baguio muntik mang-agaw ng power ni PNoy – Abante Tonite
Big campaign rallies not an edge in winning votes – Chiz - Star Re-electionist Sen. Francis Escudero does not believe big campaign rallies are an edge in wooing votes or in winning the elections.
Bam: I’m not GMA’s ally - Star Team PNoy senatorial candidate and presidential cousin Bam Aquino denied he is a loyal ally of former President Gloria Arroyo, having served as chairman of the National Youth Commission (NYC) under her administration.
Related News	Bam: Check My Track Record - Bulletin ‘Not a political baggage, - Malaya Bam Aquino downplays past ties with Arroyo – Manila Standard Bam hugas-kamay kay Gloria - Abante
President Feels Like ‘Spinning Top’ - Bulletin After nearly three years in office, President Benigno S. Aquino III said yesterday he is starting to feel like a spinning top because of his various public engagements in and out of the Palace.
Family ties that bind – Tribune Sometime in early February this year, Sen. Serge Osmeña, in a privilege speech, called for an inquiry in the Benguet mine spill that happened in August last year, saying that non-governmental organizations have asked him for the investigation, as it was important to probe the massive leak’s “impact to the communities directly and indirectly affected by the disaster.”
Show platform on economy, UNA bet dared – Journal Instead of challenging President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to dance the “Gangnam,” former Sen. Ernesto Maceda would be better off presenting the opposition platform of where it wants the economy to go.
LP bets kinalampag sa ‘No permit, No exam policy’ - Remate Kinalampag ni Senador Manny Villar ang papasok na senatoriables sa Senado na suportahan ang panukalang batas laban sa “No Permit, No Exam Policy” sa lahat ng paaralan sa buong bansa na inihain noong pang 2011.

 

UNA STORIES

Binay off to Vatican for Pope Francis’s installation rites - Inquirer Vice President Jejomar C. Binay left on Monday for the Vatican to personally deliver to Pope Francis a congratulatory letter from President Aquino.
Related News	VP, on official Vatican trip, held up at airport – Tribune
UNA bets likely to become ‘orphans’ today - Star The senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) would likely become “orphans” today in their campaign sortie in Davao when the coalition’s co-founders and so-called “Three Kings” –  Vice President Jejomar Binay, former President Joseph Estrada, and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile – are expected to be absent.
Maceda wants revamp in PNP - Star United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial candidate Ernesto Maceda yesterday called for a revamp of the Philippine National Police (PNP) due to what he described as a “worsening crime situation” in the country.
Zubiri takes new dig at Pimentel – Manila Standard Opposition senatorial candidate Juan Miguel Zubiri on Monday apologized to his cousin Jewel Lobaton, the estranged wife of Team Pnoy senatorial candidate Aquilino Pimentel III, but resumed his tirade against his rival and said candidates “should not lead double lives.”
Related News	Zubiri apologizes, stands by 'battered wife' story – ABS-CBN News Migz: No to skeleton in the closet! - Abante Anti-family, anti-Christian – Koko - Abante
Most senatorial bets against same-sex marriage; Enrile is lone supporter – GMA News Most senatorial bets for the May 2013 polls rejected the legalization of same-sex marriage in the Philippines, with Cagayan Rep. Jack Enrile the only candidate expressing support for gay union, interviews conducted by GMA News Online revealed.
Related News	Divorce, same sex marriage tablado - Abante
JV wants UP policy on tuition fee and loan assistance abolished - Tribune Claiming the program has only failed to deliver aid poor students as attested in the suicide incident of one of its students, United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) senatorial bet San Juan Rep. JV Ejercito Estrada yesterday called for the abolition of the University of the Philippines’ Socialized Tuition and Financial Assistance Program (STFAP).

 

OTHER STORIES

 

Comelec may charge Hontiveros, Maceda variety show appearance to airtime rule - Inquirer  The appearance of senatorial candidates Risa Hontiveros and Ernesto Maceda in two separate variety shows over the weekend could be charged to their total airtime minutes, Comelec Spokesman James Jimenez said Monday.
Related News	Comelec probing appearance of Senate bets in TV shows - Star Airtime limits - Malaya Comelec admits difficulty in monitoring campaign ads, blames delinquent networks – GMA News TV guesting, ibabawas sa airtime limit - Abante
Bets told not to fall for PCOS ‘manipulators’ - Inquirer The Commission on Elections (Comelec) Monday warned candidates that there were still many individuals claiming they can guarantee a victory for them in the upcoming elections for a price.
Got an idea for ‘kasambahay’ law rules? Go online - Inquirer The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is set to conduct an online public consultation for the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of Republic Act No. 10361, also known as the Domestic Workers Act or Batas Kasambahay.
COA: Echiverri spent P1B on illegal projects - Inquirer Caloocan Mayor Enrico “Recom” Echiverri violated the Local Government Code when he entered into contracts and authorized the release of over P1 billion for various projects without the authorization of the city council, a 2011 Commission on Audit report released late last month said.
Partylist rep eyes study now, pay later loan system for SUCs - Inquirer Suggestions on how to help impoverished students are pouring in amid the outrage sparked by the death of a UP Manila freshman, who committed suicide after she filed a leave of absence for failure to pay tuition.
Brillantes unaware of order to DPWH to remove posters - Inquirer Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. on Monday expressed surprise the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) was removing illegally placed campaign materials from public infrastructure throughout the country—or at least trying to.
Related News	Party-list orgs facing loss of accreditation insist they removed illegal posters – GMA News
Ousted Imus mayor refuses to leave - Inquirer The elections will be held in two months, but rival factions in Imus City in Cavite are still warring over who’s the rightful mayor since the election of 2010.
Use of improvised explosive devices vs politicians feared - Star Army commander Lt. Gen. Noel Coballes fears improvised explosive devices (IEDs) may be used against politicians during the May elections, according to the US Army.
‘No permit, no exam policy a violation of right to education’ - Star The “no permit, no exam policy” goes against the right to education, Sen. Manny Villar Jr. said yesterday.
Hagedorn seeks extension of 3-year term limits of local execs - Star Senate aspirant Edward Hagedorn yesterday sought an extension of the three-year term limit of local officials in order to boost development in the countryside.
Tiñga flouted DepEd ban on pols, exec says - Star  Local politicians should refrain from barnstorming in school graduation ceremonies, a Department of Education (DepEd) official in charge of Taguig and Pateros said yesterday.
Is There A Catholic Vote? - Bulletin The Team Patay-Team Buhay Catholic vote fever has reached Quezon City churches as Catholic fraternal order Knights of Columbus groups in the city launched yesterday their own movement against the seven senatorial candidates who supported the controversial reproductive health law.
Grumblings from NPC – Malaya Members of the Nationalist People’s Coalition are dismayed over the Liberal Party’s unfair treatment of local candidates under partners of administration Team PNoy, according to Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian, an NPC stalwart who was recently tapped by the United Nationalist Alliance as deputy campaign spokesman.
Related News	LP bias vs NPC bets hit –  Journal Local bets ng NPC, itsa-puwera sa LP - Abante
SC all set for 'Team Patay' debate, party-list case deliberation – GMA News The Supreme Court is all set for the highly anticipated oral debate on Tuesday over the "Team Patay/Team Buhay" posters put up in a Bacolod cathedral, which have become controversial for openly discouraging the public from voting for senatorial candidates who support the reproductive health law.
Comelec starts tracking possible election violations among local candidates – GMA News The Commission on Elections may not yet have jurisdiction over local candidates and their campaign efforts, but the poll body has started at this early date tracking possible election rule violations.

 

EDITORIAL

 

‘A bad doing good’by Cielito Habito, Inquirer I am personally impressed at how the Department of Budget and Management under Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad is now taking politically unpalatable but long-warranted reform directions. As such, he demonstrates strong political will and firmly grounded principles, qualities now seemingly rare in public service.

Goodbye to Sabah and P-Noy dreams? by Federico Pascual, Star  It looks like the Sultanate of Sulu will lose to Malaysia in their ownership fight over Sabah.

Hope In a New Pope by Sen. Edgardo Angara, Bulletin The historic resignation of Pope Benedict XVI has paved the way for the historic election of Argentine Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio as the 266th Pontiff of the Catholic Church. Last week, he became the first non-European pope in 1,300 years, the first to come from the Jesuit order, and the first to take the name Francis, in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

Four Legacies of the President by former Press Secretary Hector Villanueva, Bulletin President Benigno Simeon Aquino III will be remembered for at least two notable legacies and two advocacy campaigns that will be associated with his presidential watch.

The Church as a political force? by Ducky Paredes, Malaya What the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Bacolod has done is to commit the whole Catholic Church in the Philippines to a test on whether or not there is a Catholic vote.

No fireworks, just ho-hum by Romeo Lim, Malaya I was in Baguio over the weekend aware of the much hyped about showdown of team Pinoy and UNA. A friend invited me for the graduation although I was more interested in shopping for some strawberries and other Baguio delicacies like the peanut brittle and ube at Good Shepherd and the mountain coffee at the palengke.

Baguio bombs out for Team PNoy – Editorial, Tribune All was quiet in the Team PNoy front last Sunday in Baguio City where the supposed showdown with the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) was practically a default win for UNA since the Team PNoy rally was rained out, less the rain.