Aquino reviews hostage probe report

MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III has began studying a report that called for the filing of charges against 12 personalities involved in the bungled hostage rescue that left eight tourists dead.

Aquino received the report prepared by the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) on Friday, but its details were not released.

10 may face charges over hostage mess

MANILA -- President Benigno Aquino III will receive Friday the final report of a government investigating panel that recommends charges against 10 officials, police officers and media people in the botched hostage rescue last August 23.

Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, head of the inter-agency panel, said she will submit a report on Friday afternoon to President Aquino with the names of those to be charged, details of the charges, and other information about the hostage crisis.

Lawmaker: Mother of newborn on plane raped

MANILA -- A woman who acknowledged giving birth to a baby on a flight from the Middle East and leaving him in the trash on the plane said she was raped by her employer, a lawmaker said Thursday.

Probe body to submit hostage report today

THE Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) tagged at least 10 individuals as criminally and administratively liable in the August 23 hostage incident that left eight foreign nationals dead.

IIRC Chief Leila De Lima will formally present Friday the result of its 10-day hostage inquiry to President Benigno Aquino III.

House to contest order on Ombuds cases

THE leadership of the House of Representative wanted to file a "contest" petition on the temporary restraining order issued by the Supreme Court (SC) stopping the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

“I think it is more judicious to file a reply to it, maybe conditionally say we contest the fact that they are intruding to our territory,” said House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Thursday.

Cruz agrees to name names in jueteng

FORMER Archbishop Oscar Cruz will identify those allegedly involved in jueteng payola while President Benigno Aquino III will talk to Local Government Undersecretary Rico Puno on his reported involvement in the controversy.

Authorities rescue women vs human traffickers

AUTHORITIES rescued some 268 women, including 15 minors, who were alleged victims of human trafficking in Angeles City, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Thursday.

Sing national anthem properly or face penalty

THE House of Representatives is now framing sanctions against individuals who sing the country's national anthem, Lupang Hinirang, improperly.

On Wednesday, the House approved the second reading of House Bill 465, An Act Prescribing the Code of the National Flag, Anthem, Motto, Coat-of-Arms and other Heraldic Items and Devices of the Philippines, which penalizes violators with two years imprisonment.

Speaker hopes to end budget hearings soon

THE House of Representatives is set to finish all discussions on the 2011 proposed budget before it goes on recess on October 15, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte said Thursday.

The Appropriations Committee started its budget hearing last September 1, identifying significant points of the P1.645 trillion allocation proposal that need ironing.

NBI tracks mother of abandoned baby

THE mother of a newborn baby that was dumped in a garbage bin of a Gulf Air jetliner is now in the custody of the National Bureau of Investigation.

The NBI also conducted a DNA test on baby George Francis to determine if he was really the son of Estrella (not her real name).

Binay starts housing reforms

VICE President and Housing czar Jejomar Binay unveiled system-wide reforms at the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-Ibig) to encourage developers to build more socialized housing program.

“We intend to make it worth your while to partner with us,” Binay said in a speech before members of the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA), even as he vowed there will no longer be any favored developers in the government housing program.

Aquino's girlfriend denies break-up rumors

VALENZUELA City Councilor Shalani Soledad junked circulating talks that she and her boyfriend, President Benigno Aquino III, had separated.

In a text message to Sun.Star, Soledad said: "It's not true."

Only one spokesperson on peace talks

PRESIDENTIAL Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles will be the sole source of information in the upcoming government talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, a Malacanang official said Thursday.

“I issue a directive to all spokespersons relative to peace process that, from henceforth, Deles will only be the spokesperson,” Lacierda said.

Environmental cops deployed in metro

THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started deploying environmental enforcers along major thoroughfares in the metropolis as the agency re-implemented the Anti-Littering Law Thursday.

The environmental cops will be going after litterbugs, who according to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, continue to disregard laws and ordinances against the haphazard dumping of garbage.

Freedom of political detainees urged

FORMER president Joseph Estrada joined several political, church and academe leaders in appealing to President Benigno Aquino III to grant amnesty to military officers who stood against the preceding government.

In a statement, Estrada said it is high time for the Aquino administration to grant amnesty to the rebel soldiers belonging to the Magdalo group and their allied organizations.

IIRC findings: Hostage-taker kills 8 tourists

MANILA (Updated 12:17 p.m.) -- The firearm used by a dismissed policeman during the August 23 carnage in Quirino Grandstand was found to have killed all eight tourists, findings of the fact finding committee showed.

House told to abide by High Court order

SENATE President Juan Ponce Enrile called on members of the House of Representatives to abide by the order of the Supreme Court (SC), stopping the impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

"It does not necessarily mean that they have made up their minds. They simply want more time to consider the issues involved," Enrile said.

Probe body defers submission of hostage report

THE Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) tasked at investigating the August 23 hostage fiasco deferred the submission of its report to President Benigno Aquino III.

Palace hands off on SC, House tension

MALACAÑANG will not meddle in the brewing tension between the Supreme Court (SC) and House of Representatives following the suspension of impeachment proceedings against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

In a press briefing Wednesday, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigal Valte said it is not proper for the executive branch to intervene since it is co-equal with the judiciary and legislative.

Aquino has strong policy vs jueteng

THE Palace maintained that President Benigno Aquino III has a strong policy in eradicating the illegal numbers game, jueteng, in his administration.

Minority bloc proposes supplemental budget

THE House minority bloc sees the need for President Benigno Aquino III to submit a supplemental budget in addition to his P1.645 trillion allocation proposal for 2011.

Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said the move is needed to cope-up the inadequate allocations for other government agencies for its yearly expenditures.

Traps vs dengue mosquito invented

THE Department of Science and Technology (DOST) had invented a mosquito trap that will help alleviate the worsening dengue cases in the country.

In a press briefing in Malacañang Wednesday, DOST Secretary Mario Montejo said the trap is composed of a black painted tin can, lawanit wood, and specially mixed solution.

Life sentence to 5 policemen affirmed

THE Supreme Court on Wednesday affirmed the life sentence meted to five police officers tagged in the killing of Colonel Rolando Abadilla, former officer of the defunct Philippine Constabulary, in 1996.

Abadilla was shot dead by the so-called "Abadilla 5" while his car was stuck in traffic along Katipunan Avenue in Quezon City.

Aquino skips Belgium trip

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III announced Wednesday the cancellation of his trip to Brussels, Belgium for the upcoming Asia-Europe Summit (Asem) in October.

The announcement came after the President learned that some of the world's leaders are also not attending the event.

Watchdog gets poll accreditation

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) re-accredited the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) as its citizens' arm for the upcoming Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections.

The Comelec en banc cited the PPCRV's reliability in conducting poll watchdog activities in the past elections.

PET sets pre-conference on Roxas poll protest

THE Supreme Court, sitting as Presidential Electoral Tribunal (PET), scheduled the preliminary conference on the election protest filed by former Senator Mar Roxas against Vice President Jejomar Binay on September 30.

Court spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the PET designated retired SC Justice Bernardo Pardo as hearing commissioner.

'Ampatuan offers bribe money to officials'

MANILA (Updated 2:21 p.m.) -- The Ampatuan patriarch attempted to go on millions of pesos worth of "bribery spree" to have criminal charges against him dropped, a witness told a local court on Wednesday.

House panel to continue impeachment trial vs Ombud

MANILA -- The impeachment proceedings at the House of Representatives against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez will proceed despite the Supreme Court (SC) order suspending the hearing, the justice panel head said Tuesday.

Iloilo Rep. Niel C. Tupas Jr., chair of the committee on justice, said he will recommend to the House leadership for the hearings to continue, citing that the arguments of Gutierrez did not justify the SC intervention.

First mediation talk on PAL row fails

THE first of the series of mediation hearings Tuesday between the Philippine Airlines (PAL) management and its flights attendants union failed as the workers insisted on conducting a strike in October.

In an interview, Andy Ortega, vice president of the Flight Attendants and Stewards Association of the Philippines (Fasap), said the meeting did not produce any concrete solutions on the labor dispute.

Tribunal issue TRO vs impeach proceedings

THE Supreme Court issued a status quo ante order Tuesday enjoining the House committee on justice from proceeding with the impeachment complaints against Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez.

Voting eight-seven during its en banc session, the SC granted Gutierrez’s petition seeking to nullify the September 1 and 7 resolutions of the House Committee on Justice, finding the two impeachment complaints against her to be sufficient in form and substance.