FORMER justice secretary Silvestre Bello III will replace Ricardo Saludo as secretary of the Cabinet once the latter is confirmed as Civil Service Commission chairman, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Tuesday.

Bello, the current presidential adviser on New Government Centers, was the general manager and chief executive officer of the Philippine Reclamation Authority from January to December 2006, and was president and chief executive officer of Philippine National Oil Co.-Development and Management Corp.

He chaired the government panel in peace talks with the National Democratic Front from 2001 to 2004. During the Ramos administration, Bello served as justice secretary for three years, and as solicitor-general from 1996 to 1998.

Bello will be the third Cabinet official to be officially affected by an impending Cabinet revamp, after Saludo and Bunye, who will be a Monetary Board member beginning July 3.

Jelac to prioritize bigger budget for judiciary

THE newly created Judiciary, Executive and Legislative Advisory and Coordinating Council (Jelac) will prioritize securing a bigger budget for the judiciary to strengthen the judicial system in the country, its members agreed on Tuesday.

PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija—Defense lawyers prevailed over apparently ill-prepared prosecutors in the second hearing here Monday of the murder charges against four progressive party-list politicians, prompting the lady judge to crack humor unusual in courtroom proceedings. She gave both parties 15 days to determine probable cause to support the charges.

A Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) issued on Monday afternoon a warrant of arrest against Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar V. Cruz in connection with libel charges lodged against the prelate.

WHILE Southeast Asian exports—as a region—to the European Union (EU) continue to mount, the exception is the Philippines, whose own export to the EU has been in steady decline for the last five years.

ZAMBOANGA CITY—A top police official on Tuesday disclosed that the British businessman who was reported missing by his business partner was already located, brushing aside speculations that he might have been abducted or kidnapped.

DEFENSE lawyers scored a major victory on Tuesday after they fended off attempts by military prosecutors to arraign the 28 military officers who are their clients on lesser charges of violating three Articles of War.

FORMER justice secretary Silvestre Bello III will replace Ricardo Saludo as secretary of the Cabinet once the latter is confirmed as Civil Service Commission chairman, Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said Tuesday.