NEWSCAPS
May 17, 2013
(POLITICAL)
I. 6 PROCLAIMED SENATORS
 The Commission on Elections (Comelec) last night proclaimed
the top six winners of the senatorial race: Grace Poe, Loren
Legarda, Francis Escudero, Alan Peter Cayetano, Nancy Binay
and Juan Edgardo Angara. Binay, the lone winner from the
opposition United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), did not show up.
II. TAIWAN SANCTIONS
 Taiwan enacted a second wave of sanctions against the country,
which included a travel alert urging Taiwanese not to visit the
Philippines, suspension of high-level exchanges, economic and
trade exchanges, fishery cooperation and scientific research
cooperation projects, and the launch of a military drill in waters
near northern Philippines.
III. HACKED GOVERNMENT WEBSITES
 Several Philippine government websites remained inaccessible
almost a week after a supposed cyber attack was launched
against the country over the death of a Taiwanese fisherman
allegedly shot by members of the Philippine Coast Guard on May
9.
 A random check of several government sites showed the
websites of the Office of the President (OP), the Department of
Education (DepEd) and the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
were still inaccessible at 10:00 AM yesterday.
IV. POLL WATCHDOG ON UNACCOUNTED VOTES
 With more than 11.5 million votes still unaccounted for, the Parish
Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) and its quick
count partner, the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas
(KBP) are alarmed at the order of the Commission on Elections
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(Comelec) to suspend the unofficial count until all 12 senatorial
winners are proclaimed.
V. COMELEC CHAIR BRILLANTES ON CHARGES VS POLL
CRITICS
 Unperturbed by allegations of massive glitches, Commission on
Elections (Comelec) Chair Sixto Brillantes Jr. said that he would
file charges against his critics, insisting that Monday’s automated
balloting was “one of the best elections” in the country’s history.
VI. COMELEC ON DENIED UNA PETITION
 The Commission on Elections (Comelec) denied the motion of the
United Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to postpone the proclamation of
the 12 winning senatorial candidates. Comelec Chairman Sixto
Brillantes, however, did not cite any reason why the poll body
denied the request.
 In their motion, UNA asked the Comelec to postpone the
proclamation of any and all 12 senatorial candidates, saying that
reports of unauthorized access of election data, delays in the
transmission, of election results and substantial number of
defective or corruptive compact flash (CF) cards have tainted the
authenticity, integrity, and accuracy of the electronically
transmitted certificates of canvass.
VII. BIR ON CAMPAIGN EXPENSES
 Candidates in the last elections were reminded to report all their
campaign disbursements to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR)
and pay income taxes for excess funding they received during the
election period. The report should be submitted 30 days after the
polls, similar to the requirement of the Commission on Elections
(Comelec). Thus, candidates have until June 13 to meet the
requirements.
VIII. PNP ON GROUP OF ARMED MEN IN REVILLA COMPOUND
 The Philippine National Police (PNP) defended the policemen
who have been staking out the Bacoor City residence of Sen.
Ramon Revilla Jr., claiming to be after a group of armed men who
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had allegedly sought refuge in the senator’s house last Monday.
“There’s no politics involved (in this police operation),” PNP chief
Director General Alan Purisima said.
 “The persons who took refuge (in Revilla’s house) were still there
and they are allegedly armed. So we are after those people, not
for anything else,” Purisima said.
IX. P2.1-MILLION NPA COLLECTION FROM CANDIDATES
 Data from the Philippine National Police (PNP) show that as of
May 13, the New People’s Army (NPA) had collected P2.14
million from candidates in the Cordillera Administrative Region,
Bicol and Eastern Visayas.
X. ARRESTS OVER CASES OF VOTE BUYING
 Ninety-four persons have been arrested for alleged vote buying
since the start of the election period in January. The Philippine
National Police (PNP) reported that of the number arrested, 83
had been charged while 11 were still being investigated. A total of
P1.164 million was seized from the suspects.
XI. AXED SULU POLICE CHIEF OVER ELECTION CLASHES
 Senior Supt. Antonio Freyra, police chief of Sulu, has been
relieved of his post for allegedly failing to contain the violent
clashes between armed supporters of local candidates in the
province during last elections.
XII. CAMARINES SUR POLLS: MUHLACH VS FUENTEBELLA
 The hotly contested congressional race in the fourth district of
Camarines Sur remained unsettled four days after the elections
with each candidate —actor Aga Muhlach and William “Wimpy”
Fuentebella— both claiming victory.
XIII. 94% OF PRO-RH BETS WINNING
 The looming victory of local and national candidates who
supported the Reproductive Health (RH) law only showed that
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there is no Catholic vote, the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on
Population and Development (PLCPD) said.
 PLCPD said that data from the Commission on Elections
(Comelec) partial tally showed 94 percent of more than a hundred
pro-RH re-electionists are seen winning in their respective
districts and party-list system.
XIV. VICE PRESIDENT BINAY’s SALN
 Vice President Jejomar Binay became richer by almost P2 million
in 2012, as shown in his latest statement of assets, liabilities and
net worth (SALN) submitted to the Office of the Ombudsman
recently.
 The increase in his wealth is reflected mostly in the amount of
cash he has on hand and in banks, which went up from P21.3
million in 2011 to P22.5 million last year.
XV. FUGITIVE MANCAO
 “Nice try.” This was Justice Secretary Leila de Lima’s curt reply
when asked for a reaction on the defeat of fugitive former police
senior superintendent Cezar Mancao II in his political bid in
Compostela Valley.
 The manhunt for Mancao has taken a backseat, with the National
Bureau of Investigation (NBI) focusing on investigation into the
shooting death of a Taiwanese fisherman by the Philippine Coast
Guard. But De Lima said the NBI investigations into the cases of
activist Jonas Burgos, the Sabah crisis as well as Mancao’s case
would still continue.
XVI. DISMISSED PRC EXECUTIVE OVER EXTORTION
 The Office of the Ombudsman ordered the dismissal of
Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) Commissioner
Alfredo Y. Po after finding him guilty of having demanded and
received a commission from the rentals paid by the PRC for its
satellite office in Baguio City.
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XVII. DPWH PROBE INTO UNFINISHED P500-MILLION ROAD IN
LEYTE
 More than a dozen Department of Public Works and Highways
(DPWH) personnel and at least 20 local contractors are being
investigated by the DPWH in connection with the allegedly
anomalous —and still unfinished— Burauen-Albuera road project
in Leyte on which the government had already spent P500 million
between 2004 and 2010.
XVIII. DEPED ON SPECIALIZED HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS
UNDER K-12
 Education Secretary Armin Luistro urged public and private
colleges and universities to put up “specialized” senior high
school programs under the newly signed K to 12 Basic Education
Program law to help ease unemployment in the country.
XIX. NATIONAL HEALTH RESEARCH SYSTEM
 President Aquino has signed into law a bill seeking to
institutionalize the Philippine National Health Research System
(PNHRS) to improve the quality of life of Filipinos through health
research and development initiatives. Republic Act 10532, the
Philippine National Health Research System Act of 2013, was
signed into law last May 7.
(ECONOMY)
I. FOREIGN PORTFOLIO INVESTMENTS
 Foreign portfolio investments surged nearly 240 percent in April,
bringing the year-to-date tally closer to the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas’ target for the year. Portfolio placements recorded a net
inflow of $1.131 billion last month, more than three times the
previous year’s net inflow of $333.43 million.
II. BSP RECORD LOSS
 The central bank’s losses hit a record high last year as falling
gold prices weighed on revenues and dollar purchases bloated
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expenses. The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) posted a net
loss of P95.38 billion in 2012, nearly triple the P33.69 billion
recorded the prior year. The amount was also well past the
previous peak of P86.94 billion hit in 1997.
III. TAIWANESE FIRMS’ PULLOUT FROM FOOD TRADE SHOW
 An ongoing row over the killing of Taiwanese fisherman has
spilled over to trade, with a Cabinet official claiming that Taipei
had ordered a pullout of exhibitors at the International Food Expo
(IFEX) Philippines.
 Seventeen Taiwanese firms supposed to participate in the IFEX
left during the first day of the exhibition, Trade Secretary Gregory
L. Domingo said.
IV. INVESTMENTS NEEDED AMID CREDIT RATING UPGRADES
 A string of credit rating upgrades can attract much-needed
investments to the Philippines but foreign ownership limits must
be relaxed for the country to make the most of the opportunity, an
International Monetary Fund (IMF) official said.
 "The sovereign rating is the ceiling for the rest of the economy.
Typically, rating agencies upgrade corporates following the
upgrade of the government, particularly banks," IMF Resident
Representative Shanaka Jayanath Peiris said.
V.
NATIONAL
AMENDMENTS
ELECTRIFICATION
ADMINISTRATION
 President Aquino has signed into law the measure strengthening
the National Electrification Administration (NEA) through charter
amendments.
 The new law essentially gives NEA more teeth over electric
cooperatives, some of which are financially bleeding and heavily
indebted because of mismanagement and unpaid services. For
instance, the law strengthened NEA’s authorized capital stock to
P25 billion from P1 billion.
VI. OPENING OF SM’s 47TH MALL
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 SM Prime Holdings, Inc. opened SM Aura Premier in Taguig City,
the company’s 47th mall in the Philippines, which has a gross
floor area of 234,892 square meters.
VII. SUZE ORMAN ON INVESTING IN STOCKS, SAVING MORE
 Amid low interest rates regime, investing in stocks and so-called
exchange trade funds (ETFs) would be a wise choice, according
to financial guru Suze Orman.
 She also urged Filipinos to save more and spend only within their
means. Oman said that overspending might be detrimental to the
growth of the country’s economy as what happened in the US
and cited the excessive use of credit cards as a “big financial lie.”
VIII. PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF STOCKS
 Public ownership of companies listed in the local bourse is
increasing, the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE) said. In a recent
study, the operator of the country’s only stock exchange said the
free float level hit 33.4 percent as of end-March.
 In contrast, shares in public hands represented 30 percent of total
domestic market capitalization as of end-2011.
IX. PH STOCK EXCHANGE
 A global investment research firm’s recomposition of preferred
stocks and profit taking snapped the five-day winning streak of
the local bourse. The Philippine Stock Exchange index (PSEi)
declined 1.10 percent or 81.26 points to 7,310.94, just a day after
the bellwether index closed at the record high of 7,392.20.
(END)
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