Elections. Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales’ criteria for a good president: God-fearing, moral, not involved in anomaly, and values the poor and life. We may have to revise our checklist and the SWS survey.

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Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting, the Catholic Church poll watchdog, is optimistic it can register 3 million voters by October 31. Former Ambassador to the Vatican Henrietta de Villa handed over Namfrel chairmanship to Jose Cuisa to focus on PPCRV. The campaign recruited student leaders in December, 2008, to encourage their peers to register and vote in 2010.

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Corruption pulls RP down - headline. The Philippines dropped from 71st place to 87th in the latest Global Competitiveness Index prepared by the World Economic Forum.

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Church groups say bankrupt morals shown by leaders seeped down to the barangay level. “This villainy you teach me, I will execute. But I shall better the instruction.” Shylock, Merchant of Venice.

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Foreign news. “La Bella Principessa,’’ unsigned chalk, ink, and pencil portrait of a young woman thought to be by a 19th century German artist and sold two years ago for $19,000 was certified to be by Leonardo da Vinci and valued at more than $150 million. Peter Paul Biro, a Montreal forensic art expert, said the index fingerprint matched that found on Leonardo’s “St. Jerome’’ in the Vatican. “Ako ang Simula.” – Leonardo Da Vinci.

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PGMA is off today for Bangkok ASEAN summit; and Cambodia wants the ASEAN family to arbitrate on its conflict with Thailand over land near the 11th century Preah Vihear temple UNESCO World Heritage site. But Thailand wants to keep the issue between two brothers.

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India Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s visit to Twang upset China, which contests the territory.

When the opposition took government to task that “it is not worth jeopardizing India-China relations over Twang …where nothing grows…,” a Congress ruling party member lifted his Nehru cap to show that “nothing also grows on this bald patch” but he “would fight to keep it.”

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China executive board member held up an ADB loan for Arunanchal Pradesh believing it would support flood control projects in the disputed territory.

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A veteran before it was born: The Navy’s USS New York, with tons of steel forged from 9/11 World Trade Center towers, sailed down the Mississippi River.

The New York is 209 meters long and can carry up to 800 Marines, with a flight deck that can handle helicopters and the MV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor aircraft.

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Local Events. Thanks to BIR hesitation to raise “sin taxes” because of price elasticity, San Mig will help itself to the price increase of 10% to 15%.

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Agusan del Sur Representative Rodolfo Ompong Plaza urged authorities to prepare contingency measures against earthquakes of the magnitude that hit Indonesia. What responsible government keeps from the public the fault line running from Marikina to Alabang? Like Elvis, we just…Quake, Rattle and Roll!

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Calayan Mayor Joseph Llopis warns of food shortage in Babuyan islands. What happened to lechon?

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Silliman University Director Mark Raygan Garcia is investigating a report that a teacher irked at noisy students made them eat paper. That’s silly, man! Feedback: jaz@mb.com.ph