GMA Balita: Erap naniniwalang dapat payagan magpagamot sa ibang bansa si Rep. Gloria Arroyo.

MLA STANDARD: Sandra Cam: DRILON, LP OUT TO SILENCE ME

WHISTLEBLOWER  Sandra Cam on Sunday  accused Senate Franklin Drilon and the ruling Liberal Party of trying to silence her over a list of names mostly administration allies, who were involved in the pork barrel scam. "A huge amount of pork barrel allocations received by this top-ranking senator and the others came from congressional insertions, on top of the regular PDAF allocations," Cam told the Manila Standard. Cam said these insertions were made when Drilon was chairman of the Senate finance committee, which deliberates on the national budget.

MANILA STANDARD EDITORIAL: NO REASON FOR CONFIDENCE

As unlikely as this might sound, it is no less preposterous than the administration's refusal after all this time to rule out Janet Lim Napoles, the alleged mastermind in the pork barrel scam, as a state witness. After a five-hour heart-to-heart talk with Napoles, the Justice secretary emerged with a sworn statement and a secret list of other lawmakers that Napoles implicated. with a caution she did not show when it involved the three opposition senators, however, De Lima refused to make the list public until it was "validated."

PHILSTAR: CLOONEY'S LAWYER FIANCEE WANTS TO HELP GMA

Amal Alamuddin, an international human rights lawyer and fiancee of Hollywood star George Clooney, has expressed intention of bringing the case of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo before the United Nations. Alammudin said the continued detention of Arroyo has apparently violated her human rights.

He added. "(i)n any event, we believe that the court came up with a just, fair and satisfactory decision when they agreed to the prosecution's request for cancellation on the condition that if they again fail to present a witness on the dates allotted to them, President Arroyo will be given bail."

After a five-minute deliberation, the graft court granted the postponement of the hearing to next week but with a warning to the prosecution that should they again cause a delay to the hearing, the same may be a ground for the granting of the bail petitions of the Arroyo and Beningo Aguas, a former financial officer of the PCSO. Lawyer Laurence Arroyo, counsel of Mrs. Arroyo (no relation), said they share the court's sentiment on the failure of the prosecution to present its evidence on today's hearing. "We share the court's bafflement at the prosecution's inability to present their next witness. This is the second straight week that they have no witness. In the meantime, President Arroyo continues to be deprived of her precious liberty. The prosecution argued that they should be given their day in court. But that's precisely what the weekly settings are for - so they can present their evidence," he said.

But Dela Cruz told Militante that a prosecutors, they were under obligation to be ready for the other accused in the case regardless of the development.

The Defense, led by Arroyo counsel, Jose Flaminiano, expressed their vehement and strong objection to the postponement citing that the accused were entitled to a speedy disposition of their case. Victoriano Orocio, counsel of accused Rey Roquero said that the pronouncement of the prosecution itself was "an admission that they were intentionally delaying the case" which the court should not tolerate.

"The Ombudsman instructed us your Honor that we are not going to present any witness for today," Militante told the court. Visibly irked, Dela Cruz reminded the prosecution that they were under the instruction to present a witness for today's hearing as they had also not presented any witness during the last hearing last week. But Militante told the court that since they did not expect former Commission on Audit Chairman Reynaldo Villar to be arrested last week, they had to prepare for his case.

During the continuation of the trial on the merits, Justice Efren Dela Cruz, Presiding Justice of the 1st division, expressed his displeasure after Special Prosecutor Hazelina Tujan-Militante told the graft court that they were not presenting any witness upon the instruction of the Ombudsman.

SANDIGANBAYAN SCOLDS PROSECUTION FOR "INTENTIONAL DELAY" IN PCSO CASE - Says further delays could be ground for granting bail of Arroyo and Aguas

The Sandiganbayan today reprimanded members of the prosecution team handling the prosecution of the 366 million plunder charge against former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former officials of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) for "intentionally delaying" the hearing of the case.