NEWSCAPS
April 20, 2013
(POLITICAL)
I. BOSTON MARATHON BOMBERS
 Thousands of officers with rifles and armored vehicles swarmed
the streets in and around Boston yesterday, hunting for a 19year-old college student wanted in the Boston Marathon bombing
after his older brother was killed in a furious getaway attempt
overnight.
 During the long night of violence, the brothers killed a
Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer, severely
wounded another lawman, and hurled explosives at the police in
a car chase and gun battle.
 The suspects were identified by law enforcement officials and
family members as Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev. They are
ethnic Chechen brothers who had lived in in the U.S. for almost a
decade, according to an uncle interviewed by CNN.
II. PRESIDENT AQUINO
INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE
AS
ONE
OF
TIME’s
100
MOST
 It was a moment of glory for President Aquino, but the honor of
landing in Time’s 100 most influential people of the world in 2012
belongs to the country, the Chief Executive told reporters in an
interview in Lapu-Lapu City.
 The President said that he was merely the “face” of Filipinos, who
have always been there for him.
III. EXTRICATION OF CHINESE FISHING VESSEL IN TUBBATAHA
 Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) Spokesperson Cmdr. Armand
Balilo said that the Chinese fishing vessel that ran aground on the
Tubbataha Reef in Palawan last April 8 was “satisfactory
extracted” yesterday afternoon, and was towed to Puerto
Princesa City for a more detailed inspection.
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IV. PRESIDENT AQUINO ON COMELEC CHAIR BRILLANTES’ PLAN
TO RESIGN
 President Aquino has sent a message to Commission on
Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr., urging him not to
go through with his threat to resign in protest against successive
Supreme Court rulings adverse to the Comelec.
 “I’ll talk to our chair. The elections are less than a month away,
and it would be difficult to appoint a new chair at this late point,’’
the President told reporters in Lapu-Lapu City.
V. COMELEC CHAIRPERSON BRILLANTES ON AL PARREÑO’S
APPOINTMENT
 Commission on Elections (Comelec) Chairperson Sixto Brillantes
Jr. yesterday defended the appointment of lawyer Al A. Parreño
as election commissioner after it was suggested that he did not
meet a constitutional requirement for the post.
 Brillantes said that even if Parreño had practiced only nine years
of law, he could still be appointed to the Comelec since the
President can appoint up to three “nonlawyer” commissioners.
VI. ELECTION LAWYER ON SC RULING AGAINST COMELEC AIR
TIME LIMITS
 The Supreme Court cannot issue a temporary restraining order
(TRO) or a status quo ante order (SQAO) to remove the
restrictions imposed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec)
regarding airtime limits for campaign ads by candidates in next
month’s polls, election lawyer Romulo Macalintal said yesterday.
VII. PRESIDENT AQUINO ON COMELEC AIR TIME LIMITS
 President Aquino yesterday said that allowing candidates to have
more campaign airtime means they will be more vulnerable to
corruption.
 President Aquino issued the statement in reaction to the
temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court
stopping the Commission on Elections (Comelec) from
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implementing its airtime limits on political advertisements of
candidates in the May 13 polls.
 “You make the elections more costly. There might be more
temptation to become corrupt to be able to fund the ads.”
VIII. US PRESIDENT OBAMA ON BOSTON MAYHEM
 US President Barack Obama sought to inspire a stricken city and
comfort an unnerved nation, declaring that Boston “will run again”
and vowing to hunt down the perpetrator of the twin blasts that
brought mayhem and death to the Boston Marathon.
 “If they sought to intimidate us, to terrorize us... it should be pretty
clear right now that they picked the wrong city to do it,” President
Obama said.
IX. CHARGES AGAINST US POISON LETTERS SUSPECT
 Federal prosecutors filed criminal charges on Thursday against a
Mississippi man, who worked as an Elvis impersonator, for
threatening to harm US President Barack Obama by sending him
a letter that initially tested positive for the deadly poison ricin.
X. DEATH TOLL IN TEXAS EXPLOSION
 The death toll in the Texas fertilizer plant explosion soared to 35
yesterday even as rescuers continued the painstaking task of
looking for survivors the rubble following the massive blast.
XI. FORMER POLICE CHIEF JAMES
AFFIDAVIT FOR THE ATIMONAN CASE
MELAD’s
COUNTER-
 Former Region IV-A police director Chief Superintendent James
Andres Melad appeared before the Department of Justice (DOJ)
yesterday to refute the multiple murder charges filed against him
and other police and military men for the killing of alleged jueteng
operator Vic Siman and 12 others in Atimonan, Quezon last
January 6.
 In his counter-affidavit, Melad said that he approved the
operation, but only on a “ministerial” basis.
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XII. MNLF FIGHTERS’ REINFORCEMENT FOR KIRAM MEN IN
SABAH
 Some 1,000 fighters from the Moro National Liberation Front
(MNLF) have reportedly joined the forces of Agbimuddin Kiram in
Sabah to fight the Malaysian security forces in Lahad Datu.
 Hajib Mujaha Hashim, Chairperson of the MNLF’s Islamic
Command Council, yesterday said that the “volunteers” managed
to slip through the naval blockade of the Malaysian police and
Philippine Navy in going to Sabah to join Kiram’s forces.
XIII. NEW TAUSUG GROUP IN SUPPORT OF SULU SULTANATE's
CLAIM TO SABAH
 A new entity composed of Tausugs in Mindanao has been formed
to solidify efforts to regain Sabah from the Malaysian government.
 Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) Chief of Staff Yusop Jikiri
said that the entity dubbed as Bangsa-Sug is composed of
Tausugs in Mindanao who fully supported the move of the
Sultanate of Sulu and North Borneo to reclaim Sabah.
XIV. MORATORIUM ON TUITION HIKE IN STATE UNIVERSITIES
AND COLLEGES
 In a resolution, the advisory council of the Philippine Association
of State Universities and Colleges (PASUC) approved the
moratorium on undergraduate tuition and miscellaneous fee
increases for the coming school year.
 “The PASUC sympathizes with the economic plight of a great
number of college students and their parents, and supports the
moratorium on tuition fee increases for SY 2013-2014, as advised
by CHED (Commission on Higher Education) Chairperson
(Patricia) Licuanan,” the resolution read.
XV. POLICE OFFICER ABDUCTED BY NPA REBELS
 New People’s Army (NPA) rebels yesterday seized another police
officer, this time in North Cotabato, barely a day after the two
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policemen they had earlier abducted in Agusan del Sur made a
daring escape from captivity.
 PO2 Mike Ali, a member of the town’s police force, was walking
to his farm in Barangay Tahontong with his wife and son when
they were snatched by NPA rebels at around 10:00 AM,
according to Felix Patrimonio, administrator of Arakan town in
North Cotabato.
XVI. JUSTICE SECRETARY LEILA DE LIMA ON THE REYES
BROTHERS
 Justice Secretary Leila de Lima yesterday said that the
government will continue to regard former Palawan Gov. Joel
Reyes and his brother Mario as fugitives for as long as the Puerto
Princesa City Regional Trial Court does not revoke the arrest
warrants it issued against two for being suspects in the murder of
environmentalist and broadcaster Gerry Ortega.
XVII. CA RULING
KIDNAPPERS
ON
THE
CONVICTION
OF
BURNHAM
 The Court of Appeals (CA) has affirmed the conviction of Abu
Sayyaf bandits for the kidnapping of American tourist Gracia
Burnham and 19 others, including businessman Reghis Romero,
in Palawan in 2001.
 The CA held that the Pasig City trial court was correct in imposing
the penalty of 20 counts of reclusion perpetua or imprisonment of
30 to 40 years.
XVIII. VP BINAY ON TEAM PNOY’s LOW CROWD TURNOUT /
CANDIDATES’ FAILURE TO SHOW UP AT RALLIES
 Vice President Jejomar Binay taunted the pro-administration
Team PNoy for its low crowd turnout in sorties and failure of
candidates to show up at campaign rallies, while United
Nationalist Alliance (UNA) candidates attract huge crowds in the
provinces.
 “Ang Presidente pumunta sa probinsya na ang kasama niya isa
lang–ngayon lang ako nakakita ng ganyan,” VP Binay told
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reporters in an interview in Agoo, La Union on Friday, referring to
the Team PNoy sortie in Iloilo which only had in attendance
President Aquino and one candidate, Jamby Madrigal.
XIX. LP-NPC SQUABBLE IN PANGASINAN
 Liberal Party (LP) members in Pangasinan condemned what they
said is the disinformation campaign being waged by supporters of
Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) re-electionist Gov. Amado
Espino Jr., saying that this was a “desperate measure meant to
arrest the dwindling public support for his re-election bid.”
 It was a reaction to a report circulated this week that 17 LP
mayoral candidates had switched sides, which most of the
candidates disowned in a Wednesday news conference.
XX. RE-EVALUATION
COLLECTION
OF
IMELDA
MARCOS’
JEWELRY
 The Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) is
mulling the possibility reevaluating the actual worth of the
fabulous jewelry collection amassed by former first lady, now
Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos, during the 20 years the
Marcoses held power.
 PCGG Chairperson Andres Bautista said that the value, which
last assessed in 1991, is small when compared to today’s prices
of jewelries.
XXI. JAMBY MADRIGAL ON PRESIDENT AQUINO’s INCLUSION IN
TIME’s 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL PEOPLE LIST
 Team PNoy senatorial candidate Jamby Madrigal yesterday said
that President Aquino being on Time’s 100 most influential people
is a big honor to the Philippines.
 “For Team PNoy, of course, it is a huge benefit because he is our
main endorser. It gives more credibility because he is betting on
us as his senatorial candidates,” former Sen. Madrigal added.
(ECONOMY)
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I. PSEI’s 26th RECORD HIGH
 A rally in blue chips propelled the benchmark index to surge past
the 6,900-point level anew, closing at its 26th record high for the
year yesterday.
 The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) jumped 1.45 percent
or 99.62 points to hit a record high at 6,957.10, eclipsing the
6,891.43 on April 12.
II. IMF’s CALL FOR POLICY IMPROVEMENT
 The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has urged the Philippines
to relax its foreign ownership rules to improve the business
climate.
 This came as the multilateral agency gave policy
recommendations to the Philippines in order to sustain economic
growth and make it more inclusive.
 “Improving the investment climate by allowing more foreign
ownership, timely and transparent execution of PPPs, and
adopting a continuously rolling medium-term fiscal plan would
promote FDI (foreign direct investments),” the IMF said in its
Article IV staff report for the country released Thursday night.
III. BOP SURPLUS
 The country’s balance of payments (BOP) posted a bigger
surplus in the first quarter on the back of strong current account
inflows, which include remittance and export receipts.
 BOP – the summary of all inflows and outflows in an economy –
reversed back to a surplus of $452 million in March, after a
February slump, bringing the tally for the first three months to
$1.535 billion, data from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP)
showed.
IV. AIRPORT NIGHT LANDING UPGRADES
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 The Aquino administration is set to upgrade the night landing
operations in eight airports across the country by bidding out
P434.5 million worth of contracts for the supply of
communications equipment as well as meteorological instruments
and power supply system.
V. DOE CLEARANCE FOR SEMIRARA’s ANTIQUE COAL PROJECT
 The Department of Energy (DOE) has given Consunji-owned
Semirara Mining Corp. the clearance to proceed with its coal
production activities at the North Panian area in Antique but
cautioned the company to maintain preventive safety measures.
VI. BIR’s 1st QUARTER TAX COLLECTION
 The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) collected P244.1 billion in
the first quarter this year, exceeding by five percent its P232.67
billion target.
 The Department of Finance (DOF) said that the BIR collections
for January to March this year were 6.56 percent higher than the
P229.04 billion posted in the same period in 2012.
V. BSP GUIDELINES FOR NEW FOREX RULES
 The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) yesterday issued
guidelines detailing a fresh easing of foreign exchange rules that
was announced a day earlier.
 Circular 794 set regulations for foreign exchange transactions of
authorized agent banks, their subsidiaries and affiliate forex firms.
VI. OIL PRICE ROLLBACK
 Oil companies will slash prices of gasoline, diesel, and kerosene
effective today.
 Meanwhile, the National Council for Commuter’s Safety and
Protection urged the transport sector to implement a 50-centavo
fare cut following the oil price reduction. The current minimum
fare for jeepney is P8.
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