CJ Puno defends SC

Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno defended the Supreme Court (SC) on its decision declaring parts of the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) unconstitutional.

“After the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) decision also declared unconstitutional, it was easy to anticipate the SC would not have a different ruling on the DAP,” Puno stressed.

Puno believes the constitutional violation under DAP is more grave than in PDAF.

Puno stated the Constitution clearly provides that “no public money shall be spent except on the basis of appropriation passed by Congress.”

He pointed out that at least under the PDAF, projects of lawmakers are covered by the General Appropriation Act (GAA) unlike in the DAP.

Meanwhile, former Chief Justice Renato Corona called on Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to defend the SC from the attacks of President Aquino. Corona stated that Sereno should react and defend the institution she represents; and she should answer personally and not through her spokesman.

Malacañang pulls back

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the President is ready to abide by whatever is decided by the SC on an appeal which was filed yesterday.

“The government had always shown its readiness to accept SC decisions, such as those against PDAF, the creation of a Truth Commission and the Reproductive Health (RH) law,” Coloma pointed out.

Senator Serge Osmeña criticized President Aquino for being bullheaded for insisting the DAP was “perfectly legal.” “It seems he does not know how to accept he made a mistake, an innocent mistake, a mistake without a criminal intent but a mistake anyway because the SC ruled 13-0,” Osmeña added. He warned of a possible constitutional crisis if Aquino would continue to defy the SC ruling.

Meanwhile, President Aquino’s call for public support by wearing yellow ribbons has fallen on deaf ears. Oppositionists have also called for using peach or black ribbons. Secretary Coloma said the President was just joking.

Department of Budget and Management (DBM) finally released the list of 116 projects funded by DAP, totaling P144 billion without specific particulars and mostly lump-sum allocations.

Professor Leonor Briones questioned the allocation of P30 billion to the capital stock of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP), which does not provide economic stimulus. Briones said it should be included in the GAA.

Briones also asked for the list of projects that was cancelled to provide savings for the DAP.

Briones alluded that President has P282 billion allotment for special-purpose funds and aid to local government units, which he could use without creating the DAP.

SPED centers

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading Bill No. 4558 establishing special education (SPED) centers in every public school division.

The SPED Centers Act was a consolidation of nine bills authored by 47 congressmen led by Quezon City Rep. Francisco Calalay.

Calalay said the main objective of the bill is to provide children with special needs (CSN) access to basic education and facilitate their inclusion and integration with mainstream education.

More NPA attacks

Seven soldiers were wounded in two simultaneous NPA attacks in Laak town, Compostela Valley.

The New People’s Army (NPA) also attacked a mining community in San Francisco, Agusan del Sur resulting in 14 casualties of their members, according to National Democratic Front (NDF)-Northeastern Mindanao spokesperson Maria Malaya.

Meanwhile in Sulu, the AFP confirmed that 2 German nationals, Dr. Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrite Dielen, were kidnapped by the Abu Sayyaf. three Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) workers were also kidnapped in Talipao, Sulu.

New Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. will have to work double time to solve the NPA and Abu Sayyaf problems.

NO bail for JPE

The Sandiganbayan Third Division rejected Senator Juan Ponce Enrile’s petition for bail, but allowed him to stay at the Philippine National Police (PNP) General Hospital for 30 days to complete his medical tests.

In the First Division, Commission on Audit (COA) assistant commissioner Susan Garcia admitted that there is no evidence that Senator Bong Revilla or his chief of staff Richard Cambre received money from Janet Lim-Napoles.

Atty. Gigi Reyes refused to enter a plea at her arraignment. The Court entered a not guilty plea for her.

It is expected that the First Division will also deny Revilla’s petition for bail.

The Fifth Division ordered the suspension of Senator Jinggoy Estrada.

Binay tops Pulse Asia survey

Vice President Jejomar Binay topped the latest Pulse Asia survey on the list of “preferred” 2016 presidential candidates, garnering 41% of the vote.

Senator Grace Poe was a far second, with 12 percent.

Mayor Joseph Estrada recorded a respectable 9 percent.

Prospective Aquino choice Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Mar Roxas received 7 percent, together with Senators Chiz Escudero and Miriam Defensor-Santiago.

Senators Alan Peter Cayetano and Bongbong Marcos received 5 percent each.

As several surveys have shown, Mar Roxas is not a viable candidate even with the President’s endorsement.

Tidbits: Agriculture graduates are being hired to take care of farms in Japan.

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) is recommending charges to be filed against former National Food Authority (NFA) administrator Angelito Banayo and businessman David Tan Bangayan, for violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Law.

Three Filipinos died in the MH17 Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 plane crash in Ukraine.

Fifty-four died, 100 wounded due to Typhoon Glenda; P867 million worth of infrastructure was damaged, and P2 billion agriculture crops were destroyed.

Councilor Rodante Encallado of Balete, Batangas was shot dead by two unidentified assailants.