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NEWS MONITORING AND ANALYSIS
March 04, 2009
Wednesday
Headlines and top stories in today’s newspapers



Erap reiterates ‘last option’ in 2010 presidential race, ABS-CBN News Central Visayas | 03/04/2009 12:23 AM -- Despite the scorching heat, residents of Consolacion town in Cebu province flocked to their public market to meet and greet former president Joseph “Erap” Estrada in his “Lakbay Pasasalamat” to the province.
Together with some politicians identified with the opposition, Estrada visited some municipalities of Cebu to extend his gratitude to people who, he said, have remained supportive and dedicated to him, especially during his imprisonment.
Loud cheers from the crowd welcomed Estrada before his speech. Most of the people applauded and were heard encouraging the former president to be back in Malacañang Palace.
Estrada, in his speech at a program held during the activity, he emotionally recounted his experience on leaving the presidency in 2001. He said that his primary reason of stepping down from office was to prevent more bloodshed to his avid supporters.

‘Manay Gina’ joins Erap in Cebu leg of Lakbay, Tribune news page -- This time around, Gina de Venecia, wife of former Speaker, Pangasinan Rep. Jose de Venecia Jr., went along on Estrada’s visit to Cebu.

The deposed President was also joined in his trip to the Central Visayan province by Sen. Loren Legarda, Makati City Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) president Jejomar Binay, UNO spokesman lawyer Adel Tamano and the late Fernando Poe Jr.’s daughter, Grace Poe-Llamanzares.

Justice in Erap trial top bet to fill SC slot, Tribune news page -- SC spokesman Jose Midas Marquez said the SC justices holding a voting in their regular en banc meeting saw Sandiganbayan Associate Justice Francisco Villaruz Jr. and CA Associate Justices Martin Villarama and Lucas Bersamin emerging as their top choices with nine votes each.

The three, along with eight other candidates, are vying for the slot vacated by Associate Justice Adolf Azcuna, who retired last Feb. 16.

Villaruz Jr. is one of three Sandiganbayan justices who convicted former President Joseph Estrada of plunder. His fellow justices in the Sandiganbayan special division - Justices Teresita de Castro and Diosdado Peralta - are now serving as SC justices.

SC names 3 candidates to replace Azcuna, PDI breaking news -- The Supreme Court Tuesday recommended two Court of Appeals justices and a Sandiganbayan magistrate for inclusion on the Judicial and Bar Council’s short list of nominees to the tribunal seat vacated by recently retired Justice Adolfo Azcuna.

Appellate court Justices Martin Villarama and Lucas Bersamin, and Sandiganbayan Justice Francisco Villaruz all received nine votes each from the Supreme Court justices who sat in an en banc session Tuesday.

Senators slam Villar’s ‘P1B’ boast, PDI breaking news -- Senators believed to be running in next year’spresidential race slammed declared presidential candidate Sen. Manuel Villar Jr. for telling, in effect, that the presidential race would be decided by those who can raise more campaign money.

Senators Panfilo Lacson, Manuel “Mar” Roxas II, Francis Escudero and Richard Gordon disagreed that money would determine the winner of the presidentialpolls in 2010.

Gordon-Cayetano feud spills to the floor , PDI breaking news -- The word war between senators Richard Gordon and Alan Peter Cayetano over the just-concluded Senate blue ribbon committee report on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam spilled over the Senate floor Tuesday night.

This came after Gordon, chair of the Senate blue ribbon committee, sponsored on the floor the committee report recommending the filing of plunder and other criminal charges against former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante and nine other persons for their involvement in the scam.

Marcelo: Ombudsman ignoring big fish, Malaya front page -- Marcelo told a gathering of students at the University of the Philippines College of Law Tuesday that he indeed filed fewer cases when he was Ombudsman, but said these were the more difficult ones such as those of presidential friend and former justice secretary Hernando Perez, former AFP comptroller Carlos Garcia, and officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways who built the Diosdado Macapagal Avenue.

Mike Arroyo hits LP, backs Gutierrez, PDI front page -- Mike Arroyo, who belonged to the same batch at the Ateneo Law School as Gutierrez, said those seeking the Ombudsman’s removal from office should lay off her. He denied having close ties with Gutierrez, who was Ms Arroyo’s chief presidential legal counsel and acting justice secretary before the President appointed her Ombudsman.

FG tells Gutierrez critics to back off, Tribune banner story --

In a television report yesterday, Mr. Arroyo was quoted as telling the proponents of the impeach complaint against her that Gutierrez should be left alone, another way of repeating his famous “back off” line, because she is “performing her duties well.”

Mr. Arroyo, who was identified in a World Bank report as a key personality in the bid-rigging cartel on major road projects, also clarified that Gutierrez was not a classmate but only a batchmate at the Ateneo Law School.

“She’s just doing her job, just let her alone, leave her alone,” Mr. Arroyo was quoted as saying.