Volume II, No. 106
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October 5-6, 2013
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Mindanao Star The Purveyor of Truth, Justice and Development
Plenary debates on FOI set PLENARY debates on the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill are set to take place at the Senate next week as Congress resumes sessions. Sen. Grace Poe, chair of the Senate committee on public information and mass media and sponsor of the bill, said: “We look forward to defending this important measure on the floor and hurdling its passage in the Senate--with the overwhelming support of fellow senators and the public.”
Poe said the measure serves to complement the strong public clamor for transparency and accountability and the safeguarding of public funds. In her sp ons orship speech on Sept. 24, Poe stressed, “FOI will not only prevent graft and corruption but more importantly, our
SENATOR Miriam Defensor Santiago, a constitutional law expert, said in a radio interview on October 9, that under the Constitution, the Supreme Court is no longer bound by the so-called “political-question doctrine,” under which a court should refuse to decide an issue involving the exercise of discretionary power by the executive or legislative branch of government. Santiago was commenting on the view taken by some pork barrel advocates that the Supreme Court has no power to act on the pending pork cases because it is
prohibited by the “politicalquestion doctrine.” “Constitutional scholars are united in the view that under the present Constitution, the Supreme Court is no longer inhibited from deciding political questions. The Constitution now provides that judicial power includes the duty of the court to determine whether or not there has been a grave abuse of discretion amounting to lack or excess of jurisdiction on the part of any branch or instrumentality of the government, even in cases
See PLENARY, page 11
Miriam: SC has power to decide pork cases
See power, page 7
STREET LIFE. With a hotdog for dinner, a
young girl and her brother watch people and cars goes by as they sat on a street corner in Divisoria in Cagayan de Oro on Oct. 10, 2010. MindaNews photo by Froilan Gallardo
Village official in B’non survives roadside ambush
By GERRY LEE GORIT Correspondent
MISAMIS ORIENTAL – Vice Governor Joey G. Pelaez in partnership with Children’s International Philippines made another round of books distribution in three (3) schools of Magsaysay, Misamis Oriental last October 2, 2013. This books donation is a testament of the continuing advocacy of the Vice Governor for the improvement and supplementation of educational programs and/or materials in the province of Misamis Oriental.
CAGAYAN de Oro City–– The barangay chairman of San Miguel, Baungon, Bukidnon, survived but one of his companions was killed late Thursday evening in a roadside ambush staged by armed men still to be identified by the police. Insp. Christian Relebo, police chief of Baungon, said San Miguel barangay chairman Joseph O. Bajuyo was on his way home with a group of friends from barangay Danatag when they were shot at while on the road. Relebo said Bajuyo and four of his companions
were wounded by gunfire but a certain Johnny Yana was killed. Two of the other injured have been identified as Marjon Munoz and Richard Dait. Bajuyo and his companions had earlier participated in an inter-barangay sports league in barangay Imbatug to celebrate the Araw Ng Baungon, made a stopover at barangay Lingating and spent some time at a store in Danatag before leaving for San Miguel. Relebo said there were 13 in the group of Bajuyo who rode on 8 motorcycles. He said the police is yet to determine the motive behind the killing including the coming barangay
elections. However, Bajuyo, who is seeking re-election, is running unopposed. “We are looking into different angles including land ownership conflict, bandits and whether it was electionrelated,” Relebo said. The known bandit group in the area is called the Lundahan Gang, which is composed of some 18 members, Relebo said. Filing of certificates of candidacy for the barangay elections began today Friday and will continue on October 12, 14, 15, 16, and 17. Commission on Elections regional director Renato A. Magbutay said See ambush, page 7
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