Drilon against term extension

Senate President Franklin Drilon and House Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales II have issued separate statements that they had not met to discuss within the Liberal Party (LP) any proposal to lift the term limits of President Noynoy Aquino.

Drilon and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte agreed to cooperate only on a resolution that would amend the economic provisions of the Constitution, not on the amendment of the Charter’s political provisions. Belmonte said that he is against term extensions.

Senate President Drilon asked President Aquino to designate one head for the Department of Agriculture (DA), not two Cabinet secretaries running the sector: Former Senator Francis Pangilinan and Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala.

P-Noy appointed Pangilinan as presidential assistant for food security and agricultural modernization while keeping the latter in his post despite corruption allegations.

Recall that having three Press secretaries did not work out well.

P-Noy on 2016 choice

President Aquino, in Tuao, Cagayan, has criticized politicians campaigning early for the 2016 elections.

But he, himself, has been talking about the qualifications of his successors to be voted upon in the 2016 elections, which he did in his last State of the Nation Address (SONA).

He has also invited Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas to join him in his trips and engagements in an obvious effort to give him exposure to the audience.

Charge 3rd batch

President Aquino finally spoke up to say that a second and third batch of persons involved in the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam will be charged.

So why is Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima taking such a long time to review the National Bureau of Investigation’s report on the third batch?

SC includes Jardeleza

By a 7-4 vote, the Supreme Court (SC) ordered the Judicial and Bar Council to include Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza, a chief government lawyer since February 2012,  in the shortlist of nominees for the SC vacancy caused by the retirement of Associate Justice Roberto Abad. 

Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio inhibited themselves from the case. The decision was penned by Associate Justice Jose Mendoza.

The President appointed SolGen. Jardeleza as new Supreme Court associate justice.

“I will dispense my duties with competence, integrity, probity, and independence — always bearing in mind the interests of the Filipino people,” Jardeleza said.

Jardeleza is Aquino’s fifth appointee to the high court.

Makati Parking Building II

The sub-committee of the Senate Blue Ribbon, headed by Senator Koko Pimentel, in its investigation into the alleged “overpriced” Makati Parking Building was opened yesterday at the Senate.

Complainants Renato Bondal and Nicolas “Ching” Enciso VI, in a 9-page supplemental complaint, cited a Commission on Audit (COA) memorandum showing 8 ordinances passed by the Makati city council allocating a total of P2.71 billion, for the construction of the disputed building. Only P2.2 billion has been actually used.

Bondad and Enciso said the 11-storey Makati parking building’s construction was overpriced by at least P1.9 billion.

Complainants revealed that the construction for the subject Makati building was bid out in 5 phases; that should have been bid out as a single construction project instead of chopped up into 5 phases.

Mayor Junjun Binay denied the allegations saying that the building cost so much because it was built on soft soil and, therefore, needed a stronger and deeper foundation.

 Binay also pointed out that it was not only a parking building but also an office of the Makati City Hall, which consists of 5 floors of parking spaces and 6 floors of office spaces.

The world-class designed building has a landscaped roof deck, atrium at the seventh floor, LED lighting, and glass walls and panels that allow for sunlight to provide natural illumination to most areas during daytime.

COA Chairman Grace Pulido-Tan testified that the report of the resident auditor, Cecilia Caga-anan, is still being evaluated by the Central Office, and by them.

Ironically, Caga-anan is a co-accused in the series of charges against the Binays over the construction of the building. These include charges for plunder, graft, and violation of the procurement law.

3,170 carnapping cases

3,170 carnaping cases recorded for the first six months of 2014, according to Highway Patrol Group (HPG).

A housewife identified only as “Vangie” was raped, killed and carjacked in San Rafael, Bulacan. One of the two suspects was found dead, according to a police report.

Eduardo Martinez, a municipal employee was shot dead by a hired killer in Bulacan, Bulacan.

Michelle Panes, a businesswoman in Zamboanga City was abducted. 

Warehouses in Naga City were caught repacking National Food Authority (NFA) rice to commercial sacks.

Anria Galang Espiritu, 26-year-old woman, was raped and killed at Calumpit, Bulacan using a screwdriver and an iron chain. Police have already arrested the three suspects.

Tidbits

Former Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff- General Emmanuel Bautista was named undersecretary at Office of the President, in Cabinet security cluster in the Palace.

Thirty-eight passengers suffered injuries in the Metro Rail Transit 3 accident at the Taft Avenue station. Five days after the accident, none of the injured passengers received financial aid from the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC)/MRT.

1,229 have died from the Ebola virus, according to World Health Organization (WHO).