Philippines Morning News For May 14, 2019

Infra, capital spending dips to P59.7B in March
STATE infrastructure and capital spending fell to P59.7 billion in March on account of the limitations of the reenacted budget the government was forced to operate on early this year, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
— The Manila Times

Voting ends in the Philippines
Polling stations closed in most parts of the Philippines at 6 pm on Monday, May 13.
— Rappler

Duterte says vote buying ‘integral’ part of elections
Vote buying has been an “integral part” of elections in the Philippines, President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday after casting his vote in his hometown Davao City.
— ABS-CBN News

Duterte blasts ‘Western-funded’ media, hits ‘professional twisters’
Though he had just cast his vote for the 2019 elections, President Rodrigo Duterte’s mind was fixated on one thing: media outlets he blasted as “professional twisters.”
— Rappler

Duterte calls Tordesillas a prostitute; journo says President ‘not right in the mind’
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday called veteran journalist Ellen Tordesillas a “prostitute,” one of the people his government accused of plotting to oust him from office.
— GMA News

Government losing P50 billion in taxes as oil smuggling persists
Oil smuggling persists in the Philippines, resulting in P30 billion to P50 billion worth of lost revenues for the government each year, a top executive of an oil refiner said based on information gathered by the company’s consultants.
— Manilastandard.net

In Philippines Elections, Duterte Sees Chance to Consolidate Power
Millions of Filipinos voted Monday to choose half of the nation’s Senate in what is widely seen as a proxy battle between President Rodrigo Duterte and politicians opposed to his deadly war on drugs.
— The New York Times

Duterte vouches for conspiracy ‘matrix’, hints at wiretaps
President Rodrigo Duterte vouched for the Palace’s latest diagram of people allegedly plotting against him but refused to go into its detail, saying presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo will field questions on the supposed conspiracy.
— The Philippine Star

Duterte bets dominate Top 12
AN unofficial count as of Monday early evening showed candidates of President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s administration dominating the top 12 slots of the senatorial race, led by reelectionist Senator Cynthia A. Villar.
— BusinessWorld Online

‘Flying voters’ served warrants at poll precincts
At least four persons were prevented from casting their vote at a school in Pasay City yesterday after a local court ordered them and 414 others arrested for allegedly being flying voters.
— The Philippine Star

SC upholds CA decision to rearrest killers of US Marine George Anikow
THE Supreme Court has given its go signal for the rearrest of the convicted killers of US Marine George Anikow, who had earlier managed to evade serving their four-year jail sentence after a trial court granted them a three-year probation.
— Business Mirror

Namfrel: Violence and machine malfunctions marred voting
THE National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (Namfrel) expressed concern late Monday over verified reports submitted by its volunteers on incidents that marred the midterm elections, including those that go beyond mere “procedural lapses that are administrative in nature” and which “could affect the integrity of the results of the election in specific areas.”
— Business Mirror

Duterte says mid-term polls a referendum on his administration
It could be taken as one referendum. So that if you agree with me, then you can vote for my candidates or the people I am supporting this election, Duterte told reporters after he cast his vote in Davao City.
— GMA News

Cebu City Board of Canvassers chair steps down due to threats
An election officer has stepped down after receiving threats to his life Sunday afternoon.
— CNN Philippines

Some 1,000 SD cards malfunctioned on election day — Comelec exec Guanzon
The number of SD cards that failed on Monday was almost ten times higher than the number that failed during last elections, according to Commission on Elections Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Monday.
— GMA News

Duterte says wealth won’t exceed P28 M
President Duterte has bared that his wealth will not exceed P28 million but denied amassing riches from corruption.
— Tempo

Despite ‘positive’ feedback from GSP+ review team, PHL human rights issues bother Germany
THE Philippine government might be under the impression it will retain its trade privilege with the European Union, but issues over the country’s human-rights condition remain—at least for Germany.
— Business Mirror

Finance dep’t eyes approval of bank secrecy easing this year
THE DEPARTMENT of Finance (DoF) is hopeful the easing of bank secrecy laws, which was lacking in the provisions of the partly vetoed Tax Amnesty Act signed earlier this year, will be implemented within 2019.
— BusinessWorld Online

‘Oust-Duterte’ diagrams authentic – President
President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday defended the authenticity of the “Oust-Duterte” diagrams released last week by Malacaang that supposedly detailed a plot to oust him from office.
— Inquirer.net

Return to two-party system urged
The country should return to the two-party system to restore the checks and balances in government and correct a “dysfunctional democracy,” a party list lawmaker said on Monday.
— Inquirer.net

Duterte set to strengthen rule as loyalists lead Senate vote
President Rodrigo Duterte’s allies held the top spots as unofficial results of a mid-term Senate election trickled in on Monday, signalling broad public backing for the maverick leader.
— GMA News

DOST installs STARBOOKS in 21 Kalinga schools
Crystal Joy Tayab of DOST-CAR installs STARBOOKS software at St. Theresita School-Tabuk library.
— Philippine Information Agency

Ombudsman cases vs erring officials down 80%
The Office of the Ombudsman filed only 52 cases against erring government officials in the first quarter of 2019, compared to 261 in the first quarter of last year, according to the Sandiganbayan.
— Inquirer.net

Duterte to children: Get out of politics, the sooner the better
Just two days after campaigning for his three children in Davao City’s local elections, President Duterte told them that the sooner they got out of politics, the better it would be for them.
— Inquirer.net

Kid Peña stuns former VP Binay in 1st district congressional race
Abby Binay gets another term as Makati mayor -Abby Binay won another term as mayor of Makati, besting four others, including her brother Junjun, who were also vying for the post.
— Eagle News

8 bets in unofficial Magic 12 backed by PDP-Laban, HnP
Sen. Cynthia Villar remained on top on Tuesday, hours after the voting precincts closed at 6 p.m. on Monday, according to the latest partial and unofficial vote tallies from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) transparency server.
— Inquirer.net

Colmenares blasts PNP for ‘last-minute smear job’ on Makabayan
Senatorial candidate and Bayan Muna chair Neri Colmenares on Monday accused the Philippine National Police of carrying out a “last-minute smear campaign” against him and the party list groups belonging to the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives.
— Inquirer.net

A tale of spending during election years, 2000-2018
ELECTIONS are widely believed to have a growth-inducing effect on an economy. Read the full story.
— BusinessWorld Online

Maguindanao town administrator hurt in hacking, 3 hurt in strafing
Police are hunting down the people behind the hacking and strafing incidents in Parang, Maguindanao that injured the municipal administrator and three others on Monday, police said.
— Philippine News Agency

804 inmates cast votes in Davao Region
A total of 804 inmates in Davao Region cast their votes for senatorial candidates on Monday, an official of the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) said.
— Philippine News Agency

PHL year-end rice stocks to hit 2.9 MMT on more imports–FAO
THE Philippines could end 2019 with a nine-year-high rice inventory of 2.9 million metric tons (MMT) due to the increase in the stockpile of the National Food Authority (NFA) and the private sector’s “record-breaking” purchase of imports.
— Business Mirror

Development of 19.7-MW hydropower project in Isabela begins
The soon-to-be built 19.7-megawatt (MW) run-of-river hydropower plant of Rio Norte Hydropower Corp. in Echague, Isabela, was recognized by the Department of Energy (DOE) as an Energy Project of National Significance (EPNS), attesting to its effective and timely implementation in line with the country’s drive to energy security and reliability, the Philippine Energy Plan (PEP).
— Business Mirror

Sotto ready to vacate post
Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto 3rd on Monday said he would vacate his post once his colleagues elect a new leader of the chamber in 18th Congress.
— The Manila Times

P288-m El Niño loans from GSIS for Davao Sur
The Government Service Insurance System is allocating P288 million for its active members and old-age pensioners in the province of Davao del Sur which has been affected by El Niño.
— Manilastandard.net

‘Prudential regulations hiked bank lending rates’
PRUDENTIAL regulations to beef up the banks’ strength and resiliency pushed lending rates upward in 2018, according to a recent study conducted by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
— Business Mirror

Banks’ real estate loans rise to P2.14 T
The real estate exposure of big and mid-sized banks remained manageable, rising by nearly seven percent to P2.14 trillion as of end-September last year, according to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
— The Philippine Star

GPCCI report indicates downturn in German business confidence in PHL
German business confidence in the Philippines has declined on all levels, except for employment and infrastructure investment, largely due to proposed changes on tax incentives, volatile peso and record-high inflation last year, according to a report.
— Business Mirror

DOT aiming to attract more Muslim tourists via road map
THE Department of Tourism (DOT) is crafting a Halal Tourism Roadmap to further develop and expand the arrivals from the Middle East and other Muslim nations.
— Business Mirror

How much economic boost does election spending deliver?
ELECTIONS are widely believed to have a growth-inducing effect on an economy.
— BusinessWorld Online

No untoward election-related incident in Metro Manila: NCRPO
The conduct of the elections in Metro Manila on Monday was generally peaceful and orderly, according to Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar, National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief.
— Philippine News Agency

PHL seeks observer status for WTO pact
THE Philippines has submitted its request to the World Trade Organization to become an observer of an agreement that opens government procurement among WTO members.
— Business Mirror

Situation in Lanao Sur remains ‘normal’ despite hot spot tag
The Philippine National Police (PNP) considers the situation in this province “normal” even as it deployed close to 2,000 officers to keep peace and order and assist the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in today’s (May 13) elections.
— Philippine News Agency

Villar leads senatorial race in partial, unofficial tally
REELECTIONIST Senator Cynthia Villar is leading in the senatorial race, based on the partial, unofficial tally shown in the transparency servers of the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec), five minutes after voting ended for local and national candidates in this year’s midterm elections on Monday.
— Manila Times

Elderly, PWDs, pregnant voters given priority
Ignacio Agsalog, 92, a former village chairman of Barangay Curtin here, was among the early voters at the Curtin Elementary School.
— Philippine News Agency

Manila acquires P1.2-b firefighting trucks, equipment
The Manila City government has acquired new firefighting equipment worth P1.2 billion, including ladder fire trucks, to strengthen its civil defense capabilities.
— Manilastandard.net

Feature photo Brian Evans

Find our previous morning news feature photos in the AEC News Today Morning News Feature Photos gallery where you will find a pictorial display of daily life throughout the Asean Economic Community (AEC).

Philippines morning news by AEC News Today is your one stop source for Philippines news on matters of governance and policies affecting Asean business communities. It is published M-F by AEC News Today: Governance, not government; policies not politics.

Philippines morning news for May 14 added by Stella-maris Ewudolu on May 14, 2019
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Stella-maris Ewudolu

Journalist at AEC News Today

Stella-maris graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, Education from Ebonyi State University, Nigeria in 2005.

Between November 2010 and February 2012 she was a staff writer at Daylight Online, Nigeria writing on health, fashion, and relationships. From 2010 – 2017 she worked as a freelance screen writer for ‘Nollywood’, Nigeria.

She joined AEC News Today in December 2016.