NEWSCAPS
July 17, 2013
(POLITICAL)
I. P10-BILLION PORK BARREL SCAM
 When agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)
swooped down on March 22 on a condominium unit in the swank
South Garden Pacific Towers in Taguig City and rescued Benhur
Luy, little did they know that they were to pry open a Pandora’s
box of ghost projects worth P10 billion over the past decade.
 Following days of surveillance on orders of Justice Secretary
Leila de Lima and NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas, the special task
force headed by Regional Director Rolando Argabioso rescued
the 31-year-old Luy, who had been reported by his lawyer, Levito
Baligod, as missing by his parents, Arturo and Gertrudes.
 Baligod’s letter dated March 1, asked Secretary de Lima’s help in
locating Luy, who the lawyer said had been detained by his
employer and cousin Janet Lim-Napoles and her brother Reynald
Lim.
 Luy’s parents said that Lim had warned them not to go to
authorities for assistance, telling them, “Hawak namin ang
gobyerno (We control the government).”
II. CALL TO ABOLISH PORK BARREL
 The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has
joined the call to abolish the pork barrel or the Priority
Development Assistance Fund (PDAF). Solidarity Philippines
convenor Fr. Joe Dizon also believed that it was time for the
government to do away with the pork barrel fund because it has
become a source of corruption among lawmakers.
III. OMBUDSMAN ON PROBE INTO GHOST PORK PROJECTS
 The Office of the Ombudsman has formed a special team of six
investigators that would to look deeper into the multibillion-peso
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ghost projects that were allegedly bankrolled by the pork barrel of
five senators and 23 House representatives.
IV. SENATORS ON PORK BARREL SCAM
 Sen. Pia Cayetano said that she could not understand how the
funds could have been released to bogus nongovernment
organizations (NGOs) for a whole decade when the Department
of Budget and Management (DBM) more than once rejected
projects that could have benefited from her share of the pork
barrel.
 Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago suggests that a three-member
presidential commission composed of former magistrates should
handle the investigation.
 Sen. Francis Escudero has filed a resolution urging the blue
ribbon committee to conduct an inquiry into the grand swindle.
 Sen. Franklin Drilon suggests that the National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) be allowed to complete its probe of the scam.
V. SC EXTENSION OF SQA ON RH LAW
 Government efforts to address the country’s runaway population
and rising maternal deaths have suffered another setback
following a Supreme Court order extending its freeze on
implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. The High
Tribunal voted 8-7 to extend indefinitely the 120-day status quo
ante order issued last March 19 and which is to expire today.
 The eight justices who voted to indefinitely extend the hold on the
RH Law were Associate Justices Jose Catral Mendoza,
Presbitero Velasco Jr., Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, Arturo
Brion, Diosdado Peralta, Lucas Bersamin, Roberto Abad and
Jose Perez.
 Seven justices, on the other hand, wanted to extend the status
quo ante order for 90 days only. They are Chief Justice Maria
Lourdes Sereno, Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio,
Associate Justices Martin Villarama, Mariano Del Castillo,
Bienvenido Reyes, Estela Perlas-Bernabe and Marvic Leonen.
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VI. SC REVOCATION OF 4 NATIONAL ARTIST AWARDS
 The Supreme Court voided the controversial conferment of the
National Artist Award by former President Gloria MacapagalArroyo on comic strip artist and film director Carlo J. Caparas,
fashion designer Jose “Pitoy” Moreno, theater artist Cecile
Guidote-Alvarez and architect Francisco Mañosa in 2009.
VII. SC HABEAS DATA ON COMELEC SURVEILLANCE
 The Supreme Court (SC) remanded to the Court of Appeals (CA)
a petition by a poll watchdog questioning the alleged surveillance
being conducted by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) on
its critics.
 The high court issued a writ of habeas data and ordered the CA
to conduct summary hearing on the case and decide on the
petition of Automated Election System (AES) Watch. SC
Spokesperson Theodore Te said that the issuance of the writ was
procedural and not equivalent to an order stopping the poll body
from continuing its supposed surveillance operations.
VIII. RESIGNATION OF IMMIGRATION CHIEF DAVID
 The Office of the President announced the resignation of Bureau
of Immigration commissioner Ricardo David, a day after the BI
spokesperson dismissed the story of his looming departure as
rumor. David came under fire recently for the escape of foreign
detainees as well as for his refusal to release an American after
the latter was cleared of estafa by a Makati City court.
IX. QUARTERLY CABINET PERFORMANCE AUDIT
 President Aquino has informed members of his Cabinet that he
would conduct a quarterly review of their performance beginning
this quarter. Suppose that if you pass the audit, you will get
applause, if you don’t, you will receive a sermon. In effect, we will
have a performance contract with the President, Budget and
Management Secretary Florencio Abad said.
X. SANTIAGO VS LACSON ON ANTI-CORRUPTION OFFICE
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 Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago and former senator Panfilo
Lacson traded barbs over the latter’s proposal to create an anticorruption body under the Office of the President. “His plan is
laughable and ridiculous. It is unconstitutional, illegal, immoral,
and egotistic. It is amazing that the former senator can be so
brazen as to propose a plan that violates existing standards of
law and ethics,” Santiago said. Santiago said that Lacson’s
proposal is also “unintelligent.”
 Reacting to Santiago’s tirades, Lacson said, “Only the corrupt and
the corruptible will resent the creation of an anticorruption body.”
Lacson also challenged Santiago to review the Administrative
Code of 1987 on her claims that the President has no power to
create a public office.
XI. SLAIN GANG LEADERS OF OZAMIZ ROBBERY GROUP
 Demanding an explanation from the Philippine National Police
(PNP), an angry Justice Secretary Leila de Lima ordered the NBI
to look into the “fishy’’ and “very ridiculous” circumstances that led
to the alleged attempt to spring a rearrested leader of the Ozamiz
holdup-robbery group who ended up dead in the hands of his
police escorts. Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar
Roxas said that he directed an investigation of the deaths of the
two men.
XII. UN TRIBUNAL ON PH ARBITRATION CASE VS CHINA OVER
SEA DISPUTE
 A United Nations arbitration tribunal has convened in The Hague
to look into a case the Philippines lodged to question the legality
of China’s massive territorial claims in the West Philippine Sea.
 Department of Foreign Affairs Spokesperson Raul Hernandez
said that the five-member tribunal under the U.N. Convention on
the Law of the Sea convened last week in the Netherlands and
approved a set of rules to look into the legal challenge the
Philippines launched against Beijing in January.
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XIII. OKADA TO PURSUE $2-BILLION CASINO PROJECT AT
ENTERTAINMENT CITY
 Japanese gaming magnate Kazuo Okada’s corporation will
pursue its $2-billion resort casino project at the Entertainment
City in Parañaque despite the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s
recommendation that criminal charges be filed against him for
allegedly violating the country’s anti-dummy laws. Universal
Entertainment said its fully integrated casino resort at the
Entertainment City would create 15,000 jobs.
XIV. SSS ON SUSPENDED FULL RETIREMENT BENEFITS FOR
ELDERLY
 The Social Security System (SSS) halted implementation of a
ruling that would have allowed its members aged 65 and above to
enjoy full retirement benefits if they meet the required 120 months
of contributions to the agency.
 In a statement, SSS vice-president Agnes San Jose said that the
suspension of the new rule was intended to protect the state
pension fund and ensure appropriate payment of benefits to
members.
XV. PERFORMANCE-BASED BONUS OF TEACHERS
 Close to 410,000 public school teachers can expect to receive
their performance-based bonus next week as requirements for
the bonus were submitted to the Department of Budget and
Management (DBM) last Friday.
XVI. DPWH ON P50 MILLION MORE FOR RAINWATER TANKS IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS
 After spending P78 million on rainwater collection systems at
public schools and other state facilities in Metro Manila and other
parts of the country in the past two years, the Department of
Public Works and Highways has set aside an additional P50
million for more such water impounding facilities.
XVII. HACIENDA LUISITA LAND DISTRIBUTION
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 The drawing of lots to determine the farmlands to be given to
more than 6,000 qualified beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita will
begin tomorrow, the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR)
announced. DAR Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes said that it is a
crucial step in generating the Certificates of Land Ownership
Award for qualified farm workers, the distribution of which would
be completed by August or September.
XVIII. MILF PEACE PROCESS
 The Philippine government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front
(MILF) peace panels will reconvene after Ramadan to continue its
work on the annexes on power sharing and normalization,
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said.
She said that there is no specific date yet on the convening of the
government and MILF peace panels.
XIX. RELEASED HOSTAGES OVER CLAN FEUD
 Members of two families involved in a 30-year clan war have
exchanged hostages, resulting in the release of 11 people who
have been taken captive as a result of the feud, according to
authorities. The hostages are members of the Dayalin and
Duwalay clans that have been engaged in a clan war.
XX. SLAIN FOREST RANGER IN LAGUNA AMBUSH
 Unidentified men believed to be part of illegal logging syndicates
attacked a group of forest rangers collecting illegally cut logs in
Pila, Laguna on Monday, killing Jessie Comendador, one of the
rangers.
 The gunmen escaped after the shooting, prompting the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to
seek help from the police and the Philippine Army, which has a
camp about a kilometer from the ambush site.
XXI. UNMANNED DRONES TO MONITOR ILLEGAL LOGGING
 The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
has announced a plan to use drones in the campaign against
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illegal logging in Southern Mindanao, particularly in inaccessible
areas hit by Typhoon “Pablo” in December last year.
 Joselin Marius Fragada, DENR regional director, said that he had
initial talks with the company SkyEye UAV Services, which rents
out drones for monitoring and mapping services.
XXII. MAYOR DUTERTE ON SHOOT-TO-KILL ORDER
 “It’s legal, it’s proper, and certainly, it’s moral,” said Mayor
Rodrigo Duterte as he defended the shoot-to-kill order he gave to
the police for at least 10 kidnapping suspects who had been lured
to Davao City by their victims. Duterte said that he would protect
the police at all costs and was willing to go to jail to defend them.
XXIII. TROPICAL DEPRESSION ISANG
 Residents of Northern Luzon should brace for heavy rains and
moderate to strong winds as Tropical Depression Isang is
expected to make landfall over the Isabela-Cagayan area early
today, the state weather bureau warned.
(ECONOMY)
I. BSP ON POLICY RATES
 The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) signaled it could
policy rates at their historic low levels as inflation
manageable. “There is no urgency to change the policy
inflation remains under control,” BSP Governor
Tetangco Jr. said.
maintain
remains
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Amando
 Policy rates –which serve as banks’ benchmarks in charging
their loans– have been kept at their record lows of 3.5 percent
and 5.5 percent for overnight borrowing and lending, respectively.
They have been at that level since October last year.
II. 2013 INVESTMENT PRIORITIES PLAN
 The 2013 Investment Priorities Plan (IPP) has finally been
submitted to Malacañang, Trade Secretary Gregory L. Domingo
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said, with the government also looking to fast-track the issuance
of the 2014 blueprint to make up for the delays that marked this
year.
 Based on a draft, the 2013 list largely carries over the 2012 IPP
that focused on the following areas: agriculture/agribusiness and
fishery; creative/knowledge-based industries; shipbuilding; mass
housing; iron and steel; energy; infrastructure; research and
development; “green” projects; motor vehicles; strategic projects;
hospital/medical services; and disaster prevention, mitigation and
recovery projects.
III. ADB ON SOUTHEAST ASIAN GROWTH FORECAST
 The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has revised its growth
outlook slightly downward for ASEAN and the rest of Southeast
Asia. From a 5.4 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth
outlook for 2013, the multilateral funding institution has scaled
down its forecast to 5.2 percent, it said in a report.
 But it noted that the Philippine remained strong, with its higherthan expected first quarter economic growth of 7.8 percent “as
domestic demand was buoyed by accelerated public and private
investment and stable remittance inflows.”
IV. MOODYS’ ON BALANCE SHEET STRESS RISKS OF ASIAPACIFIC BANKS
 Asia-Pacific banks are at risk of balance sheet stress once
interest rates rise globally as a result of US recovery over the
next two to three years, debt watcher Moody’s Investors Service
said. The region’s lenders still boast with resiliency now as they
benefited from low interest rates.
V. BANK RESOURCES
 Local banks continue to generate more resources for lending
during the first four months of the year, data from the Bangko
Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) showed. As of April, domestic lenders’
total assets reached P8.453 trillion, 11.9 percent higher than the
previous year’s P7.558 trillion. The latest amount also marked a
slight improvement from P8.415 trillion as of the first quarter.
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VI. TOURISM RATING
 The Department of Tourism (DOT) will release a new star rating
system by November this year to further elevate standards in the
country’s tourism industry. The rating system is in line with
Republic Act 9593 or the Tourism Act of 2009, which mandates
the DOT to enforce a system for the mandatory accreditation of
primary tourism enterprises and voluntary accreditation of
secondary tourism enterprises.
VII. OIL PRICE HIKE
 Fuel prices were raised effective 6:00 AM Tuesday to track
movements in the international petroleum market. Petron Corp.,
Pilipinas Shell Petroleum Corp., Chevron Corp. and SEAOIL
Philippines, Inc. announced price increases of P1.60 per liter on
premium, unleaded, and regular gasoline, P1/liter on kerosene
and P0.75/liter on diesel.
VIII. NEW CAR LICENSE PLATES
 Vehicle owners will have to replace their license plates with new
ones under a scheme the Land Transportation Office (LTO)
wants to start implementing this September. The agency said
that the standardization move would help in law enforcement,
improve the country’s vehicle database and “enhance the
institutional capability of the government.”
IX. AGRICULTURAL EXPORT
 The country’s total agricultural export revenues for the first
quarter climbed year-on-year by 41.50% while import
expenditures decreased 6.62%, data from the Bureau of
Agricultural Statistics (BAS) showed.
X. P2.4-BILLION SOLAR PROJECT IN ILOCOS NORTE
 The Department of Energy has issued a certificate of
commerciality to South Korean-led Mirae Asia Energy Corp. for a
P2.4-billion solar project in the province of Ilocos Norte. With the
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COC, the company can now proceed with the construction of its
20-megawatt solar project in Currimao, Ilocos Norte.
XI. COUPON RATE ON TREASURY BONDS
 The coupon rate on three-year Treasury bonds (T-bonds) rose
yesterday to an average of 2.054 percent from 1.45 percent
during the previous auction. The government raised P30 billion as
planned with investors tendering a total of P67.76 billion or more
than double the offered volume. The offer was a reissue of threeyear bonds originally issued on April 25. The bonds will mature
on April 25, 2016.
XII. PH STOCK EXCHANGE
 Local stocks ignored the climb in regional and global markets
yesterday, with the bellwether index snapping a three-day gain as
investors sought for more leads to support higher prices.
 The Philippine Stock Exchange index dropped 0.55 percent or
36.40 points to 6,583.55, while the broader all shares index shed
0.71 percent or 28.87 points to 4,022.15.
(END)
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