Wednesday, March 26, 2008

I.BANNER STORIES

1. Philippine Daily Inquirer

Supreme Court upholds Neri

Cites 5 reasons for blocking Senate order

By Leila Salaverria

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 01:22:00 03/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Saying the issues concerned could endanger the country’s diplomatic relations, a divided Supreme Court Tuesday blocked the Senate from arresting and forcing Romulo Neri to answer questions on the President’s involvement in the government’s controversial National Broadband Network (NBN) deal with China.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080326-126435/Supreme-Court-upholds-Neri

2. The Philippine Star

SC votes 9-6 for Neri on executive privilege

By Mike Frialde

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

The Supreme Court, voting 9-6, granted the petition of Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Romulo Neri to enjoin the Senate from forcing him to answer three questions in the probe on the controversial $329-million ZTE national broadband network (NBN) project as these are covered by executive privilege.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325118

3. Manila Times

Neri wins SC petition, 9-6

Senators lose on ‘executive privilege’

By William B. Depasupil, Reporter

Voting 9-6, the Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a petition of Romulo Neri, the chairman of the Commission on Higher Education, to invoke “executive privilege” on his conversation with President Gloria Arroyo about the aborted $330-million national broadband network project with China’s ZTE Corp.

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/mar/26/yehey/top_stories/20080326top1.html

4. Malaya

SC upholds Neri claim to ‘privilege’

Stops Senate from asking 3 questions

BY EVANGELINE DE VERA

VOTING 9-6, the Supreme Court yesterday ruled that acting Higher Education chair Romulo Neri correctly invoked executive privilege in refusing to answer three questions asked by the Senate in connection with its inquiry into the allegedly corrupt $329 million national broadband network project awarded to the China’s ZTE Corp.

http://www.malaya.com.ph/mar26/news1.htm

5. Manila Bulletin

SC decides on Neri’s case

Says GMA properly invoked executive privilege

High Court also rules vs Senate order of arrest

By REY G. PANALIGAN

In a 9-6 vote, the Supreme Court (SC) ruled yesterday that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo properly invoked executive privilege for former Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Romulo L. Neri in his refusal to answer three questions during the Senate’s investigation of the scrapped $ 329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project with the ZTE Corporation of China.

http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080326120247.html

6. The Daily Tribune

7. Abante

SENADO KINAPON NG KORTE SUPREMA

Nina BOYET JADULCO, GRACE VELASCO at ROSE MIRANDA

Hindi lang basta pumanig sa legalidad ng ‘executive privilege’ na ini-invoke ni CHED Chairman Romulo Neri ang Korte Suprema kundi tiniklop pa nito ang kapangyarihan ng Senado sa ginagawa nitong mga imbestigasyon.

http://www.abante.com.ph/issue/mar2608/default.htm

8. Abante-Tonite

SC RULING COVER-UP SA BROADBAND SCAM

Rey Marfil

Kasabay ang pagsaludo kay Supreme Court (SC) chief Justice Reynato Puno, binaterya ni Senate minority floor leader Aquino ‘Nene’ Pimentel Jr., ang siyam na mahistradong pumabor kay Commission on Higher Education (CHED) Chairman Romulo Neri hinggil sa iginigiit nitong executive privilege at pagbasura sa arrest order ng Senado.

http://www.abante-tonite.com/issue/mar2608/news1.htm

9. Pilipino Star Ngayon

Neri panalo sa SC!

Nina Gemma Amargo-Garcia, Rudy Andal, Malou Escudero At Butch Quejada

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Kinatigan ng Korte Suprema ang petisyon ni CHED Chairman Romulo Neri sa paggiit nito ng “executive privilege” sa tatlong tanong na pilit ipinasasagot sa kanya ng mga senador kaugnay sa pagdalo niya sa $329 milyong National Broadband Network-ZTE deal investigation.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Bansa&p=50&type=2&sec=54&aid=2008032553

10. Journal

NERI WINS

By: Tess Bedico

SC rules senators can’t grill former NEDA chief

Voting 9-6, the Supreme Court granted the petition filed by former National Economic Development Authority chairman Romulo Neri to stop the Senate from compelling him to further testify in its ongoing investigation into the controversial $329 million national broadband network deal the government entered into with China’s ZTE Corp.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-03-26&sec=1&aid=53749

11. Business World

Crackdown vs rice hoarders

Arroyo orders all traders’ licenses cancelled; reaccreditation set

MALACAÑANG IS CRACKING DOWN on rice hoarders, ordering the revocation of National Food Authority (NFA)-accredited retailers’ licenses in an effort to prevent the diversion of subsidized supplies.

Speaking at a Cabinet meeting yesterday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said: "The Secretary of Agriculture is staking out all NFA warehouses so he can follow the big 10-wheeler trucks and see where they are bringing rice. I’m instructing the NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) to assist him in doing this."

http://bworldonline.com/BW032608/content.php?id=001

12. Business Mirror

Focus on balanced budget scored

By Jun Vallecera

Reporter

BALANCING the national budget isn’t everything. Deficits are not all that bad, either. That’s the considered opinion of former central bank governor Jose Cuisia Jr. in response to Finance Secretary Margarito Teves’s report of a P14-billion deficit in January this year.

http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/03262008/headlines01.html

II. POLITICAL

Esperon admits RP lacks firepower to defend Kalayaan

But pins hopes on UN

By Redempto Anda

Southern Luzon Bureau

First Posted 04:32:00 03/26/2008

PAG-ASA ISLAND—The Philippines may lack the capability to defend its territorial claim over the Kalayaan Island Group in the disputed Spratlys, but it can bank on the support of the United Nations.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080326-126452/Esperon-admits-RP-lacks-firepower-to-defend-Kalayaan

‘It is a cover-up of crime in guise of executive privilege’

By Inquirer Staff

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 04:37:00 03/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines—Senators were up in arms over the Supreme Court ruling Tuesday which Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. said allowed “the cover-up of a crime in the guise of executive privilege” and eroded the legislature’s investigative powers.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080326-126453/It-is-a-cover-up-of-crime-in-guise-of-executive-privilege

Sparks fly at Ombudsman ZTE probe

By Jocelyn Uy

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 05:40:00 03/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- None of the key personalities implicated in the controversial NBN-ZTE deal showed up at the Office of the Ombudsman on Tuesday.

Still, the anti-graft body’s third public hearing on the issue had enough theatrics to keep observers glued to the end.

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080326-126454/Sparks-fly-at-Ombudsman-ZTE-probe

De Castro is top bet for 2010 polls

Pulse Asia survey also lists Legarda, Escudero

Philippine Daily Inquirer

First Posted 06:04:00 03/26/2008

MANILA, Philippines -- Vice President Noli de Castro was the top choice as President of about one in every five Filipinos (21.5 percent) if elections had been held last month, two years ahead of the 2010 elections, according to a Pulse Asia survey.

De Castro was followed by Senators Loren Legarda (17.5 percent), Francis “Chiz” Escudero (13 percent), Manuel Roxas II (10.5 percent), Panfilo Lacson (9.9 percent) and Senate President Manuel Villar Jr. (9.3 percent).

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20080326-126456/De-Castro-is-top-bet-for-2010-polls

Puno: 3 questions pose no danger to diplomatic ties

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

There is no basis to claims by Commission on Higher Education Chairman Romulo Neri that compelling him to answer three questions from senators investigating the national broadband network (NBN) scandal would imperil the country’s diplomatic relations with China.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325119

Murder pushes Melo to take oath

By Sheila Crisostomo

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Retired Supreme Court Justice Jose Melo decided to assume office as Commission on Elections chairman yesterday after Monday’s killing of acting Comelec legal department director Wynne Asdala.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325121

Noli tops poll on presidential aspirants – Pulse Asia

By Helen Flores

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Vice President Noli de Castro topped anew the list of presidentiables for the 2010 election, according to a survey of Pulse Asia released yesterday.

The survey, conducted from Feb. 21 to March 8, 2008, showed that if presidential elections were held at this time, De Castro would win.

De Castro, an administration ally, got 21.5 percent of the respondents’ nod followed by opposition Senators Loren Legarda with 17.5 percent, Francis Escudero (13 percent), Manuel Roxas (10.5 percent), Panfilo Lacson (9.9 percent), and Manuel Villar (9.3 percent).

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325123

Troops in Kalayaan vow not to get distracted by RP, China deal

By James Mananghaya

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

PAG-ASA ISLAND – Troops stationed here said they are focused on upholding the country’s sovereignty in this part of the disputed island group rather than on issues surrounding the Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking (JMSU) agreement between the Philippines and China.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325127


ZTE doubled rates of WiMAX supplier

GOTCHA By Jarius Bondoc

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

ZTE Corp. more than doubled the price of WiMAX equipment it was getting from a subcontractor for the national broadband network (NBN). So in its contract with DOTC, the Chinese firm marked up the telecom gadgets to $46,107,524 for 25,844 units, when it should have cost only $19,206,194.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Opinion&p=49&type=2&sec=25&aid=2008032588

Ombudsman junks motion to place GMA under investigation on ZTE

By Sandy Araneta

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Citing presidential immunity from suit, the Office of the Ombudsman panel conducting a parallel investigation into the controversial national broadband network (NBN) deal with China’s ZTE Corp. denied the motion of a lawyer to subpoena President Arroyo.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325130

ZTE global operations not affected by scandal

By Rainier Allan Ronda

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Despite the raging controversy over its cancelled national broadband network (NBN) deal with the Philippine government, China’s ZTE Corp. ended 2007 with a 49.8 percent increase in revenue, making it a “banner year” for the company.

http://www.philstar.com/index.php?Headlines&p=49&type=2&sec=24&aid=20080325131

Senators call SC decision in Neri case unfortunate

By HANNAH L. TORREGOZA

Senators yesterday were dismayed over the Supreme Court decision allowing former Socio-Economic Planning Secretary Romulo Neri to invoke executive privilege on certain questions on the scrapped $ 329-million National Broadband Network (NBN) project.

http://www.mb.com.ph/MAIN20080326120251.html

Senators to appeal ‘terrible decision’

By: Bernadette E. Tamayo

A terrible decision.

This was how some senators described the Supreme Court ruling that upheld Commission on Higher Education chairman Romulo Neri’s right to invoke executive privilege on certain aspects of his testimony on the national broadband scandal.

http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php?issue=2008-03-26&sec=1&aid=53766

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