NEWSCAPS
February 13, 2013
(POLITICAL)
I. NEW POPE BY EASTER
 Pope Benedict XVI’s surprise announcement that he will resign
on February 28 sets the stage for a succession battle. Vatican
officials said that they hope to have a new Pope in place by
Easter.
 Already, speculation is rife about who best fills the perceived
needs of the Church. The name of a Filipino has come up as a
“dark horse”—Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the archbishop of
Manila. Tagle’s close alignment to Benedict, an uncompromising
conservative on social and theological issues, could work in his
favor, with the Philippines a bulwark of Catholicism in a mainly
Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist region.
 The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) said
that while many Filipinos are using social media to campaign for
Tagle, the selection of the next pope would depend heavily on the
Holy Spirit.
II. LP PROCLAMATION RALLY
 The significance of Plaza Miranda as the venue for the opening
salvo of the Liberal Party-led administration coalition was not lost
on President Aquino, saying that the place was “historical” not
just for the LP but “to every Filipino seeking true democracy,
justice and progress.” President Aquino then warned against
“surrendering our success to those trying to waylay us,” and
those “political chameleons.”
III. UNA PROCLAMATION RALLY
 Senatorial candidates of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA)
began taking the “beautiful road,” or “daang maganda.”
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 Kicking off its campaign in vote-rich Cebu, UNA started paving its
own road as it contests the “pretenders” tag from the ruling Team
PNoy coalition.
IV. NORTH KOREA’s 3RD NUCLEAR TEST
 North Korea confirmed that they conducted their third, longthreatened nuclear test, which led to a crescendo of international
condemnation. US President Barack Obama called for “swift and
credible action by the international community” against North
Korea, with Russia, Britain, South Korea and the United Nations
echoing the US tone.
 “The Philippines joins its international partners in urging the
DPRK to desist from continuing these acts of provocation and to
abandon all nuclear weapons and programs... in the interest of
genuine confidence-building towards peace and stability in the
Korean Peninsula and the Asia Pacific Region,” the Department
of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said in a statement.
IV. MILF COMMANDER ON PRESIDENT AQUINO’s WORD OF
HONOR
 President Aquino’s peace initiative in Mindanao is fostering a lot
of goodwill and is seen to likely result in political dividends for
Team PNoy in the May elections. “He has word of honor,” said
rebel commander Abufahad Kinda.
 Next month, the government and the MILF are expected to sign
the comprehensive peace agreement establishing the
Bangsamoro entity to replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim
Mindanao (ARMM).
V. PULSE ASIA SURVEY ON TOP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS’
RATINGS
 Approval and trust ratings of the top five government officials, led
by President Aquino, significantly declined in the January 2013
survey of Pulse Asia. Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile
suffered the biggest decline in approval rating, from 73 percent to
46 percent in the non-commissioned survey conducted from
January 19 to 30.
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 The poll showed President Aquino and Vice President Jejomar
Binay continuing to enjoy majority approval ratings in the second
half of January.
VI. RICE SMUGGLING
 A Senate joint probe committee has recommended that the
Ombudsman investigate former National Food Authority (NFA)
Administrator Lito Banayo and other NFA officials for possible
graft in connection with the alleged use of NFA licensed rice
importers as dummies by certain moneyed individuals who
cornered state rice import quotas worth millions of pesos.
VII. SLAIN MAYOR MARTINEZ
 A surprising twist involving a young boy’s complaints of child
abuse led the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to file a
murder complaint against Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr.
and the province’s first district representative, Jesus Celeste, for
the killing of Infanta town Mayor Ruperto Martinez in December
last year.
 The murder complaint also included Jaime Aquino, publisher of
the Pangasinan weekly tabloid “Northern Star,” whose 16-yearold son emerged as the surprise NBI witness in the case against
him, Espino and Celeste.
VIII. NO STAY ORDER ON AD AIRTIME LIMITS
 Networks TV5 and GMA Network, Inc. failed to obtain from the
Supreme Court (SC) a stay order on airtime limits imposed by the
Commission on Elections (COMELEC) for political ads. In its
session yesterday, the high court did not grant the restraining
order sought by TV networks last Friday and instead required the
Comelec "to comment" on the petitions, SC Spokesperson
Theodore Te said.
IX. TEACHERS ON POLL PAY HIKE
 Public school teachers serving in the board of election inspectors
(BEI) on May 13 want their allowance increased from the current
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P4,000 to P6,000. BEI members belonging to the Alliance of
Concerned Teachers (ACT) made the request in a dialogue with
officials of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).
X. POLL VIOLATIONS
 Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Spokesperson James
Jimenez said that they monitored illegal campaign ads along
España and Quezon Boulevards in Manila, near the venue of
Team PNoy’s kickoff rally last night. But he was quick to add that
the COMELEC would give Team PNoy “some room for liberality”
as posters were expected to be mounted “in keeping with the
atmosphere for the rally.”
 However, these posters were expected to be taken down 24
hours after the rally. The same rule will be applied in Cebu City,
where the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) decided to begin
their campaign.
XI. BRO. EDDIE’s CANDIDACY
 Bro. Eddie Villanueva, the head of the Jesus Is Lord church,
launched his campaign for a Senate seat in the May midterm
elections in Malolos City, Bulacan, vowing to be the “voice of the
saguiguilid,” or the country’s marginalized sectors.
XII. DE LOS REYES’ CANDIDACY
 John Carlos “JC” de los Reyes is out to slay the “monster of
political dynasties.” In his campaign for a Senate seat, launched
in Olongapo City where he was once a councilor, De los Reyes
announced that he was taking on the administration Team PNoy
and the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) for “fielding candidates
from the same families who have been in power for such a long
time.”
XIII. ALCANTARA’s CANDIDACY
 True to its billing, it was a no-frills Senate campaign for Samson
Alcantara of the Social Justice Party on the busy sidewalk in front
of his office on Taft Avenue corner Padre Faura Street in Ermita,
Manila. About 50 party officials, students and fellow law school
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faculty members listened to Alcantara as he presented his
platform of governance.
XIV. HAGEDORN’s CANDIDACY
 Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn officially kicked off
his Senate campaign by going around Manila in a motorcade
from his campaign headquarters along Osmeña Highway in
Manila to Sto. Niño de Tondo Church. A known Sto. Niño
devotee, the 66-year-old Hagedorn is on his last term after
serving as mayor of the Palawan city for 20 years and is running
as an independent in his first bid for national office. Although a
last-minute decision, the campaign is well-organized, he said,
going full blast in the social media as well. Hagedorn is running
on a pro-environment platform.
XV. MONTAÑO’s CANDIDACY
 Former Philippine Constabulary-Integrated National Police (now
Philippine National Police) chief Ramon Montaño kicked off his
campaign for the Senate without fanfare. Describing his drive as
“low-key,” Montaño said that he would go around the country to
meet with local officials, senior citizens and military and police
retirees.
XVI. REVISED SALVAGE PLAN IN TUBBATAHA
 From the initial assessment of three weeks, the planned complete
removal of the USS Guardian has been moved to March 23, the
Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) said. PCG commandant Rear
Admiral Rodolfo Isorena said that their US counterparts submitted
a revised salvage plan assigning the M/T Jascon 25 as the
primary ship in the salvaging operations instead of the Smit
Borneo.
XVII. MUSEUM FOR REMAINS OF CROCODILE LOLONG
 Residents of Bunawan and the province of Agusan Sur want the
remains of “Lolong” to be kept in the town’s eco- park, where the
world’s largest crocodile was held since his capture in September
2011. Bunawan Mayor Edwin Elorde said that the P2-million
earnings from the Bunawan Eco-Park and Research Center in
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Barangay Consuelo will be used to build a museum for the
remains of the animal that died last Sunday.
XVIII. CIGARETTE HEALTH WARNINGS
 The Philippines is lagging behind other nations in implementing
the law requiring graphic health warnings on cigarette packs, a
non-government organization of health advocates said. In a
statement, Health Justice Philippines said that 64 states
comprising 40 percent of the world’s population “have finalized
picture warning requirements on cigarette packs.”
XIX. ASH WEDNESDAY
 Msgr. Joselito Asis, Secretary General of the Catholic Bishops’
Conference of the Philippines, reminded the Catholic faithful that
they can do without having their foreheads marked with the cross
but they should not forget to fast and abstain from eating meat on
Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the season of Lent.
XX. CHINA ENVOY ON ‘PATH OF PEACE’
 Citing centuries of cooperation and trade relations that date back
to the 1300s, the Chinese ambassador to the Philippines
reiterated that her country would “follow a path of peace” in
relating with its neighbors. “China will be a good neighbor,” said
Ambassador Ma Keqing. “We have cooperated both in times of
war and in peace,” she said, citing how local Chinese had fought
with Filipinos during World War II. She said that this “long history
of cooperation” must be nurtured.
XXI. 10 PATROL BOATS FROM JAPAN
 The 10 multirole patrol response vessels (MRRV) that the
Philippines asked Japan to finance through official development
assistance (ODA) will be delivered in 12 to 18 months. Half of the
boats will be manufactured in the Philippines.
 Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario said that two of the
boats would be given by the Japanese government and the eight
would be acquired by the government through a soft loan. Soft
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loans are loans that have low interest rates with flexible payment
terms under Japan’s ODA.
(ECONOMY)
I. RECORD EXPORTS
 The country’s merchandise exports hit a record-high of $51.994
billion in 2012 driven by the growth in shipments of various
commodities. The value of exports last year was the highest seen
by the country since it reached $51.498 billion in 2010. The
National Statistics Office (NSO) said that the value of exports last
year was also 7.6 percent higher than the $48.305 billion in 2011.
II. CAPITAL INFLOWS
 Capital inflows will continue to pose “implications” to emerging
countries such as the Philippines, the Institute for International
Finance (IIF) said. “Monetary easing in the mature world has so
far failed to jumpstart domestic demand, reflecting ongoing
problems of monetary transmission,” the IIF said.
 “Conditions, therefore, should remain low for longer than
originally thought, which has important implications for emerging
markets,” the agency explained.
III. CREDIT INFORMATION BUREAU
 The establishment of a national credit information bureau would
positively impact on the country’s ranking in the Ease of Doing
Business Index of the World Bank, aside from boosting its
chances of securing the much-coveted investment grade status
from credit raters, officials said.
 The Philippines remains among the few countries in the region
where credit data sharing is still in the works. Singapore,
Malaysia and Thailand have fully functioning credit bureaus. It is
also for these reasons that the Philippines – although considered
as almost an investment-grade economy – still lags behind other
countries in terms of ease of doing business.
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IV. EUROMONEY ON PH NOVEMBER GLOBAL BOND ISSUE
 Euromoney, the world’s leading financial markets magazine, has
cited the Philippines’ November global peso bond issue as one of
2012’s “Deals of the Year”.
 The Philippines returned to the international capital markets with
a P30.8 billion ($750 million) offering of 10-year global peso
bonds priced at 100 percent with a coupon of 3.9 percent.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said that the recognition is a
“continued proof that the country is one of the safest emerging
markets to invest in.”
V. KOREAN AGENCY ON PH CREDIT RATINGS UPGRADE
 The Philippines got a ratings boost from South Korea’s NICE
Investors Service Co. Ltd., which took into account various
factors, including the country’s improved fiscal policy, private
consumption and the strong Philippine peso. NICE rated the
country’s long-term foreign currency at “BB+,” with a positive
outlook. The Philippines is currently rated one notch below
investment grade by the top three credit-rating agencies, with a
potential upgrade anticipated within the year.
VI. NAIA 3 REHABILITATION
 The Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA 3) will
finally get its much-needed rehabilitation after the government
released P1.89 billion to the Department of Transportation and
Communications (DOTC) for the facility’s completion. Upon
completion of the project, NAIA 3 will have the capacity to serve
6,000 passengers per hour, or 33,000 passengers daily during
peak season.
VII. SEIPI ON POWER SUPPLY CONCERNS
 The Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines
Inc. (SEIPI) is urging the government to help resolve lingering
concerns in the power sector, foremost of which is the supply
shortfall. SEIPI said that it considers two factors –stability of
power supply and competitive costs— as vital to the turnaround
of the electronics industry this year.
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VIII. RENEWABLE ENERGY PERKS
 The Department of Energy (DOE) has adopted a first-come, firstserved scheme in granting tariff incentives to renewable-energy
(RE) projects. Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla said that under
the department’s guidelines, RE developers who put up their
plants gets first dibs on the feed-in- tariff or FIT.
IX. DA ON P89 MILLION FOR CAVITE
 The Department of Agriculture (DA) is allotting P89 million worth
of agricultural assistance projects for the revival of the coffee,
vegetable, and fisheries industry of Cavite.
X. OIL PRICE HIKE
 For the fourth straight week, oil companies increased prices of
petroleum products again, saying that movements in the global
crude market merit another price hike.
 In separate advisories, oil firms announced another round of price
increases effective 6:00 AM yesterday. Petron Corp. said that it
implemented a P1.20 per liter increase for premium gasoline,
diesel and kerosene and P1.10 per liter hike for regular gasoline.
XI. PH STOCK EXCHANGE
 The stock market closed mixed yesterday, with the main index
just under two points up versus Monday’s close, on the back of
thin trading volume brought about by the Chinese New Year
break and profit taking on index stocks.
 The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi) rose by 1.92 points
or 0.03% to 6,459.93, while the broader all-share index slid by
2.94 points or 0.07% to 4,065.54.
(END)
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