MANILA, Philippines — Contrary to claims by the opposition, the House of Representatives has not yet dropped the impeachment complaint against Supreme Court Associate Justice Mariano del Castillo.

By his own reckoning, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales said the end of the 60 session day period by which the case would have been considered to have lapsed through default will still be January 31, not last December 14 as claimed by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman.

Gonzales said the House Committee on Justice headed by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr. still has five days to act on the del Castillo complaint, adding that failure to do so will already be a violation of the Constitution.

"I think the Committee on Justice should be discharged of its jurisdiction because the 60-day period has already elapsed." (Ben Rosario)

Progress

There has been "progress" in the government's implementation of the land reform program, particularly in the case of the Hacienda Luisita, a Palace official said yesterday. Deputy Presidential Spokeswoman Abigail Valte said the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has initiated efforts to inform farmers in the sugar estate in Tarlac about its planned distribution.

Valte tried to dispute criticisms that the Aquino government has done nothing to uphold the interests of the farmers as the nation marked the 25th anniversary of the “Mendiola Massacre.”

"In reference to what they say that nothing is happening in land reform, on the contrary, the issue of Luisita has been resolved by the Supreme Court," Valte said over state-owned Radyo ng Bayan. (Genalyn D. Kabiling)

4 Prosecutors

Four prosecutors from the Department of Justice (DoJ) will join the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in prosecuting former President and now detained Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in connection with the electoral charges filed against her and several others before the Pasay City Regional Trial Court.

The prosecutors who will join the Comelec prosecution team are Assistant Prosecutor Mari Elvira Herrera, Assistant City Prosecutor Orlando Mariano, Associate prosecution Attorney Gerard Gaerlan and Associate Prosecution Attorney Mark Roland Estepa.

Pursuant to the resolution, Justice Secretary Leila De Lima issued DoJ Department Order No. 049 dated January 19, 2012 designating the four prosecutors to the electoral fraud prosecution team. (Charissa M. Luci)

50% Subsidy

Lawmakers are pushing for the passage of a bill that seeks to provide a 50-percent subsidy on the electricity bill of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City residents affected by storm Sendong.

Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and Abante Mindanao party-list Rep Maximo Rodriguez Jr., authors of House Bill 5685, said that the proposed subsidies shall be sourced out from the government's Malampaya funds.

"All residents of Cagayan de Oro City and Iligan City who were victimized by storm Sendong shall be granted the subsidy on their electric bills for one year starting from December 16, 2011," they said.

The brother lawmakers lamented that in Cagayan de Oro alone, a total of 7,317 houses were totally destroyed, while 12,635 were partially damaged. (Charissa M. Luci)

Uniform size

Outdoor advertisers have requested the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) to reconsider its proposed uniform size for billboards along major thoroughfares as the size being set by the agency is “too small for advertising purposes.”

In a letter sent to MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines proposed a uniform size of 40 x 60 feet (225 square meters), bigger than the 20 x 40 feet (80-100 square meters) size that MMDA proposes. (Anna Liza Villas)