Jerome Aning, Philip Tubeza and Gil Cabacungan Jr.Inquirer.netJanuary 12, 2010MANILA, Philippines – Elections chair Jose Melo, a retired Supreme Court associate justice, said President Macapagal-Arroyo should not appoint the successor to Chief Justice Reynato Puno. “To me, it should be the next president [who should name the next Chief Justice].

J. San Juan, S. Fabuan, B. Fernandez and M. GonzalezBusiness MirrorJanuary 11, 2010 COMMISSION on Elections (Comelec) Chairman Jose Melo on Monday joined increasing calls for President Arroyo to simply allow her successor to name the next chief justice. On the same day, separate but similar calls were sounded by Sens.

Press ReleaseJanuary 11, 2010 Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan urges Malacanang to spare the judiciary from scandals as “an appointment of doubtful legality will harm the image and reputation of the Supreme Court.”“We call on the Arroyo administration to shield the Supreme court from scandal and controversy by not appointing the next

Amita O. Legaspi and JVGMANews.tvJanuary 9, 2010 An opposition senator on Friday urged President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to let the next president appoint the replacement of Chief Justice Reynato Puno, who is set to retire on May 17. Senator Francis Pangilinan said he had been informed by his sources in the

Press ReleaseJanuary 6, 2010   “They are just wasting their time,” says Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan over reports that PGMA is pushing a bill convening a constitutional convention by October.”The Senate will not agree to charter change initiated by the Arroyo administration. They won’t find any Malacanang lapdogs in the Senate

 Michael Lim UbacInquirer.netJanuary 6, 2010  MANILA, Philippines—Two senators called on the House of Representatives on Tuesday to accept the reality that any move to tinker with the Constitution would be unpopular to an electorate eager to cast its vote in fresh elections on May 10. Senator Francis Escudero, chair of

 Maila AgerInquirer.netJanuary 6, 2010 MANILA, Philippines–A senator on Wednesday appealed to the House of Representatives to finally drop all efforts to amend the 1987 Constitution, saying this would only intensify the current political tension in the country. “I’m appealing anew to my fellow legislators especially in Congress to finally drop all

 Amita LegaspiGMANews.TVJanuary 5, 2010 Re-electionist Senator Lito Lapid wants his colleagues to donate a chunk of their respective Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) – or commonly referred to as pork barrel – to the families of the victims of the Nov. 23 massacre in Maguindanao province. In filing Senate Resolution 1523,

Purple S. Romeroabs-cbnNews.comJanuary 4, 2009MANILA, Philippines – The Switzerland-based Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), a 150-member international organization of parliaments, is urging the Philippine Senate to implement a previously-adopted resolution that would allow detained Senator Antonio Trillanes IV to participate in sessions of the Senate. In a letter to Senate majority leader