November 1, 2012
( POLITICAL)
I. SUPERSTORM SANDY

New York struggled to get back on its feet Tuesday after superstorm Sandy carved a path of destruction from the
Caribbean to Canada that left at least 110 people dead and millions without power. The cyclone drove hurricane-force winds and deadly ocean surges against a large swathe of the
US East Coast, adding an uncertain twist to an already tight US presidential race.
II. PH DONATION OF $250,000 TO THE US

The Philippine government donated some $250,000 to the
American Red Cross, in an effort to help the victims of superstorm “Sandy” in the US East Coast. US Ambassador
Harry Thomas Jr. confirmed the Philippine flood aid in his
Twitter account. “Thank you Gov. of the Philippines who will donate $250 K to the American Red Cross to help victims of
Hurricane Sandy. True partners and friends!” Thomas said.
III. CLIMATE CHANGE DEBATE

Climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer stood along the
Hudson River and watched his research come to life as
Superstorm “Sandy” blew through New York. Just eight months earlier, the Princeton University professor reported that what used to be once-in-a-century devastating floods in New York
City would soon happen every three to 20 years. He blamed global warming for pushing up sea levels and changing hurricane patterns. New York “is now highly vulnerable to extreme hurricanesurge flooding,” he wrote.
IV. COURT MARTIAL FOR 13 SOLDIERS OVER CAPION
KILLINGS
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Thirteen Army soldiers will face court-martials for shooting dead th e wife and two sons of a B’laan tribal leader who opposed a Swiss-Australian mining project in Mindanao. A military inquiry found the soldiers were negligent when they engaged in a shootout with tribal leader Daguil Capion because they did not try to avoid civilian casualties.

A lieutenant and 12 enlisted men involved in the killings could face life in jail if found guilty. In the incident in upland Kiblawan town in Davao del Sur on Oct. 18, soldiers reportedly opened fire on Capion who was sipping coffee outside his house. His wife and two children, who were sleeping inside were killed.
Another child was wounded.
V. SUSPENSION OF MINDANAO OIL AND GAS PROJECTS

President Aquino announced that the government was putting on hold all oil and gas drilling projects in the Autonomous
Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) as requested by the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). President Aquino said that he agreed with MILF Chairperson Murad Ebrahim’s suggestion that no bidding or contract award should be done until the government and MILF reach a final agreement on wealthsharing under a peace deal that would create a new entity called Bangsamoro to replace the ARMM.
VI. PRESIDENT AQUINO SATISFACTION RATINGS
 President Aquino’s satisfaction ratings have gone up even more, boosted largely by the public’s positive response to the government’s signing of a framework peace deal with the Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), results of the recent Issues and
Advocacy Center (The Center) survey. President Aquino obtained a net satisfaction rating of 49 percent or up by four percentage points from the third quarter figure.

Conducted from Sept. 29 to Oct. 17, the same survey also showed Vice President Jejomar Binay garnering the highest rating among the top four officials – at 57 percent. However, the figure is eight points lower than the third quarter’s 65 percent.
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VII. HACIENDA LUISITA LAND DISTRIBUTION

The distribution of the 4,915.75-hectare Hacienda Luisita in
Tarlac to over 6,000 farmworker-beneficiaries is halfway through, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has reported. At least 5,365 farmers are in a master list and 1,221 have been placed on a provisional list.

In a report to the Supreme Court (SC), the DAR said it has complied with the order for the distribution of the land to the original 6,296 farmworker-beneficiaries as the Presidential
Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) had directed in December
2005. “We are confident in the full compliance to the Supreme
Court order in another six months or by May or June, just right after the midterm elections,” Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Anthony Parungao said.
VIII. DESAPARECIDOS MEMORIAL
 Every year on All Souls’ Day, the families of 595
“desaparecidos” gather at Bantayog ng mga Desaparecido on the grou nds of Redemptorist Church in Baclaran, Parañaque
City. The Families of Victims of Involuntary Disappearance Inc.
(FIND), an organization of families, friends and colleagues of the disappeared, as well as surfaced “desaparecidos”
(disappeared) has documented 1,838 cases of disappearances since 1971. Nearly half of the cases (878) happened during the martial law regime of President Ferdinand Marcos.
IX. PRESIDENT AQUINO ’s INSPECTION OF AIRPORT, BUS
TERMINALS

President Aquino conducted surprise inspection visits at airport and bus terminals in Pasay City to ensure that proper security measures are in place for the All Saints’ Day weekend. The
President made stopovers at the Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3 and Philtranco bus terminal and expressed satisfaction over the preparations.
X. 13 DIVERTED FLIGHTS
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Thirteen aircraft were diverted to Clark International Airport
(CIA) after they failed to land at Ninoy Aquino International
Airport (NAIA) due to a malfunctioning navigational equipment.
The diverted aircraft included 11 from Cebu Pacific, and one each from Philippine Airlines and Air Philippines.
XI. ARROYO’s CANCELED VISIT TO PARENTS’ GRAVES

Due to health reasons, Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-
Arroyo decided not to push through with earlier plans to visit her parents’ graves at the Libingan ng mga Bayani today. Her lawyer Anacleto Diaz said that the former president opted to stay at the Veterans Memorial Medical Center (VMMC) to get some rest.
XII. PNP CHIEF BARTOLOME’s RETIREMENT

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Nicanor
Bartolome said that he was ready to bow out of the service before his scheduled retirement next year “if that would help in our overall preparation for the elections.” Bartolome clarified that he has yet to receive any order from President Aquino directing him to step down ahead of his retirement on March 6,
2013.
XIII. STATE SUBSIDY FOR POLITICAL PARTIES

Sen. Edgardo Angara pushed anew for the proposed government subsidy to political parties to strengthen the country’s party system and help make elections fairer and more equitable. Angara, Chairperson and President of the Laban ng
Demokratikong Pilipino (LDP), said that government funding for political parties is a common feature in many countries with mature democracies like Canada, Germany, Australia, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
XIV. VOTERS’ REGISTRATION

The Kabataan party-list group has questioned before the
Supreme Court (SC) yesterday’s deadline imposed by the
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Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for registration of voters for next year’s midterm elections. In a 19-page petition for certiorari and mandamus, members of Kabataan asked the SC to order the poll body to extend the period of registration up to
Jan. 12 next year.
XV. COMELEC ON 2 SUSPENDED EMPLOYEES OVER BRIBERY
CLAIM

The Commission on Elections (COMELEC) has suspended for
60 days two employees who were allegedly demanding bribe from disqualified party-list group Alab ng Mamamahayag
(ALAM). COMELEC Chairperson Sixto Brillantes said that the suspension was slapped on bailiff Enrique de Jesus and clerk
Rogelio Rañeses pending formal investigation by the agency’s law department.
XVI. BIR ON 86 GRAFT, NON-GRAFT CASES

Eighty-six personnel of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) have been charged with graft and non-graft cases from
January to August this year. Of this number, 12 were graft cases and 74 non-graft cases.

During this period, the BIR has also decided 124 pending cases. Of the total number of cases, 39 personnel have been dismissed from service, while 46 were reprimanded with stern warning. The number of decided cases declined to 124 from
385 in 2011.
XVII. DPWH ON ORANGE COLOR FOR BRIDGES

The Department of Public Works and Highways has adopted
“international orange,” or safety orange as the uniform color for all DPWH-constructed steel bridges nationwide. In DPWH
Order No. 74, Secretary Rogelio Singson said, “the adoption of a uniform color will enable the general public to distinguish bridges constructed by the department from those implemented by local government units.”
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XVIII. DEATH SENTENCE FOR FILIPINA DRUG MULE IN
VIETNAM

Vietnam has sentenced a 61-year-old Filipina to death after she was caught smuggling methamphetamine into the country.
Amodia Teresita Palacio was arrested for possession of more than five kilogram (11 pounds) of the drug in April at a Hanoi airport. She was found guilty of repeatedly entering the country from Thailand to smuggle drugs. A Spokesperson for the
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila confirmed the death sentence, adding that Palacio has 15 days to appeal.
( ECONOMY)
I. FAILED UPGRADE FOR CAAP
 Two “significant safety concerns” have dashed hopes of the
Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) for an upgrade to Category 1 status for the country’s aviation industry from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Sources said that after a 10-day evaluation by an ICAO team,
CAAP was rated a failure in “aircraft registration and flight safety inspection.” Team leader Henry Gourdji said that an official statement would be sent to CAAP in 15 days.
II. PH SLIP IN FINANCIAL DEVELOPMENT INDEX

Development of the country’s financial system has stalled, the
World Economic Forum (WEF) said as it issued its latest global rankings. The Philippines fell to 49th out of 62 countries in this year’s Financial Development Index, which measures the accessibility, efficiency and depth of financial systems and capital markets. Its score of 3.12 -- in the lower half of the index range of 1.0-7.0 -- was unchanged from last year, when it managed to improve from 2010’s 2.97 to a ranking of 44 th out of 60. “The Philippines was unable to continue its impressive climb up the rankings, falling five spots to 49 th this year,” the
WEF said.
III. ILO ON DOMESTIC WORKERS ABUSE IN EUROPE
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The International Labor Organization (ILO) said that domestic workers in rich European capitals still suffer from abuses and discrimination despite existing labor laws that respect their rights as many of them are undocumented. An ILO analysis on the situation of domestic workers in Europe showed that despite clear domestic labor laws, European governments need to ratify the ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for
Domestic Workers.
IV. BSP ON 30% HIKE IN PRIVATE SECTOR BORROWING
 The private sector is likely to drive next year’s foreign borrowings, which the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said could increase by 30 percent. “We noted an increase of about
30 percent in planned borrowings next year compared to those for 2012,” BSP Deputy Governor Diwa Guinigundo said. “This indicates the upbeat sentiment of the business community and confidence in brighter prospects for the economy in the ensuing year,” he added.
V. MAYNILAD, MANILA WATER/ $275-M WORLD BANK LOAN

Metro Manila water concessionaires recently signed a subsidiary loan agreement to facilitate the implementation of the World Bank (WB) funded Metro
Manila Wastewater Management Project (MWMP). Under the agreement, LandBank’s $275-million loan from the World Bank for the project will be divided equally between east zone concessionaire Manila Water Company Inc. and west zone concessionaire Maynilad Water Services Inc. to support investments in wastewater collection and treatment, and septage management.
VI. $500-M POWER PROJECT IN MINDANAO

Agus 3 Hydropower Corp., the proponent behind the Agus
3 hydropower plant, is seeking the Department of Energy’s nod for the $500-million project in Mindanao. The 225-megawatt
(MW) power plant, which has been shelved by former DOE
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officials, will increase available output in electricity-starved
Mindanao, the company said.
VII. PH STOCK EXCHANGE

Philippine share prices eased yesterday due to the absence of market-moving news on the domestic front, analysts said. At the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), the main composite index eased 2.16 points to settle at 5,424.51 while the All
Shares index was down by 7.18 points to 3,580.59.

All sectoral indices were down except for holding firms and property sectors, which recorded a 21.23-point and 16.75point increase, respectively. Market breadth was positive with advancers outnumbering gainers 87 to 75 while 48 issues were unchanged. Total volume turnover amounted to 3.54 billion shares worth P6.35 billion.
(END)
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