NORTHEASTERLIES MAY BRING RAINS
The low pressure area dissipated but still expects rains over the parts of Luzon because of northeast monsoon or amihan, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical

Services Administration (Pagasa) said on Monday. Pagasa said that northeast monsoon affecting northern Luzon—provinces of Cagayan Valley, Ilocos and Cordillera Region—will turn up cloudy skies with light rains. Meanwhile, Mindanao, especially its eastern section will experience partly cloudy to cloudy skies with occasional light rains due to the Inter-Tropical Convergence Zone and the rest of the country, including Metro Manila will have sunny to partly cloudy skies with brief rainshowers mostly in the afternoon or evening because of the localized convection.
Jing Villamente

PALACE CANCELS PARTY, LAUNCHES DONATION DRIVE
Malacañang on Monday said that government canceled its annual Christmas party and donated instead the funds for the festivity to help the victims of Typhoon Pablo (international codename: Bopha) that hit Mindanao over the weekend. “How does one celebrate when you know that there is misery when people are missing? How can one celebrate and fully enjoy knowing that there are fellow brethren who have family members [that] cannot be found, cannot be accounted for? ” Palace spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a regular press briefing in Malacañang, “That is something that we would like to share with them. And, in that spirit, we would like to give also donations. Instead of pouring our resources to a party, we’d like to use those resources for our assistance to the typhoon victims,” he added.
Catherine S. Valente

10 LAWMEN IN AMPATUAN CARNAGE SEEK BAILOUTS
Ten police officers implicated in the 2009 Maguindanao Massacre suit has asked a Quezon City court to order the prosecution panel to rest its case and allowed them of temporary liberty through bail. In their motion, PO1 Herich Amaba, PO3 Rasid Anton, PO2 Hernanie Decipulo, PO3 Felix Enate, PO1 Esprielito Lejarso, PO1 Narnouk Mascud, SPO1 Eduardo Ong, PO2 Saudi Pasutan, PO1 Arnulfo Soriano, and PO1 Pia Kamidun said that they have been in jail for three years now and the prosecution panel could not still establish their participation in the case. In their three-pages motion filed by Judge Jocelyn Solis-Reyes before Branch 221 of the Regional Trial Court of Quezon City, through their counsel, Adilberto Golla Jr., the lawmen all belonging to the Provincial Mobile Group of the Police Regional Office in Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, said that the three years given to the prosecution to establish their case were more than enough.
Jing Villamente