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Palace: No overpayment to Cojuangcos for Hacienda Luisita

 News
Feb 102014
 
Palace: No overpayment to Cojuangcos for Hacienda Luisita

Malacañang on Monday denied that the Cojuangco clan of President Benigno Aquino III was overpaid by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in its acquisition of clan-owned Hacienda Luisita. “Ayon sa DAR, walang kalabisan ang pagbabayad sa Hacienda Luisita sapagka’t sinunod nila ang batas hinggil dito,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. said in a text message to reporters. He added that the Palace recognizes the power of Congress to initiate an inquiry on the issue. Coloma issued the statement after ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio questioned DAR’s “overpayment” of more than P167 million in interest for the sugar plantation owned by Aquino’s relatives. Aquino divested himself of interest in Hacienda Luisita Inc. in 2010. The Conjuanco clan was paid over P471.5 million after the Supreme Court ordered the distribution of almost 5,000 hectares of land to some 6,000 farmer-beneficiaries of Hacienda Luisita Inc., Tinio said, citing information from the DAR and Land Bank officials. But Anthony Parungao, DAR undersecretary for legal affairs, had said that no overpayment was made. He added the compensation for Hacienda Luisita should be pegged against the value of the estate in 1989, not 1998.  — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

Enrile: Gigi Reyes not authorized to discuss ‘pork’ with Ruby Tuason

 News
Feb 102014
 
Enrile: Gigi Reyes not authorized to discuss ‘pork’ with Ruby Tuason

Senate Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile on Monday denied authorizing his former chief-of-staff, Jessica “Gigi” Gonzales Reyes, to discuss pork barrel transactions with potential state witness Ruby Tuason on his behalf. In an interview, Enrile maintained that he never received government funds from Tuason through Reyes. “Pork barrel funds? Walang ibinibigay sa akin na pork barrel funds. Kickback? I don’t know. I do not live with Mrs Reyes. I do not live in her house,” the senator told reporters. He added that he is confident Reyes will not further implicate him in the alleged anomaly. He said as far as he knows, his former chief-of-staff never received kickbacks from pork barrel transactions. “What will she [Reyes] say? I have faith in her honesty and integrity… There has never been any occasion when she violated that degree of rectitude expected of a public servant,” Enrile said. Ruby Tuason Last Friday, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said that Tuason, through an affidavit, admitted to personally delivering pork barrel kickbacks to Enrile, through Reyes, and to Senator Jinggoy Estrada. De Lima also said that Tuason even recalled an incident when Enrile dropped by at a coffee meeting between her and Reyes. Reyes resigned last January as Enrile’s chief-of-staff at the height of accusations that she had power over Senate matters and authority to sign on behalf of her boss. She left the country last August at the height of the pork barrel scandal. Last September, Reyes posted a statement on her Facebook page Read More …

Comelec: PCOS machines for 2016 polls might not come from Smartmatic

 News
Feb 102014
 
Comelec: PCOS machines for 2016 polls might not come from Smartmatic

The Commission on Elections might turn to other suppliers to provide the precinct counting optical scan (PCOS) machines for the 2016 presidential polls, Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said Monday. On the sidelines of the hearing of the Joint Congressional Oversight Committee on the Automated Election System, Brillantes said that the poll body is considering other companies along with Smartmatic-Total Information Management, which supplied the PCOS machines for the May 2013 elections. “PCOS machines pa rin ang gagamitin natin for the 2016 elections, but it might not necessarily be the Smartmatic PCOS. Maraming alternatives,” he said. The Comelec Advisory Council (CAC) is set to hold a technology fair on February 21 for companies interested in bidding for the contract. The council was created to issue a recommendation on the kind of voting technology the Comelec should adopt for use in the 2016 polls. Brillantes said that among the options being considered by the poll body is using both the old PCOS machines from Smartmatic and the new ones it is planning to purchase. Smartmatic has claimed that the 82,000 PCOS machines purchased from it by Comelec for P1.8 billion could last even until the 2016 elections. Comelec said in its report to the joint oversight committee that it will have to shell out P12.9 billion should it replace all the old machines with new ones. The cost, however, would go down to P6.9 billion if the poll body decides to use the existing PCOS machines and just purchase additional units. Read More …

SWS: Most Pinoys back govt stance on China

 General
Feb 102014
 
SWS: Most Pinoys back govt stance on China

Most Filipinos strongly support the Philippine government’s handling of its territorial row with China, including its decision to elevate its dispute before an international tribunal, amid Beijing’s expanding presence in the South China Sea, a national survey said Monday. Independent pollster Social Weather Stations also reported that Filipinos have a high distrust of China. The SWS survey, commissioned by the Department of Foreign Affairs, was the first attempt to measure public sentiment over the varying approaches to dealing with long-unresolved territorial conflicts. With 1,550 respondents 18 years old and above from all over the country, the SWS found that many Filipinos have a strong awareness of the Philippines’ conflict with China. According to the survey: 81 percent (62 percent strongly agree and 20 somewhat agree) agree with the government’s filing of case against China through the United Nations; 80 percent (56 percent strongly agree and 24 percent somewhat agree) think that the Philippines should ask the help of other nations regarding China’s continuous strengthening of military forces in the South China Sea; 93 percent believe that the Philippines should defend its territory and natural resources in the West Philippine Sea through lawful means (Manila calls parts of the South China Sea that fall within its exclusive economic zone the West Philippine Sea); and 77 percent recognize international law as a great equalizer against countries that are stronger militarily and economically.  “The overwhelming support of the Filipino people for the arbitration case and our rules-based approach to the West Philippine Sea Read More …

At least 3 more Catholic schools eyeing academic calendar shift

 News
Feb 082014
 
At least 3 more Catholic schools eyeing academic calendar shift

After Ateneo de Manila University, at least three more Catholic universities are considering shifting to the international school calendar where classes start around August. The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), a grouping of Catholic educational institutions in the Philippines, said these include University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, and Adamson University. “We can only show our support to them for taking the step towards a globally competitive education institution,” CEAP advocacy and information management officer Anthony Coloma said in an article posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. He said the three are “autonomous schools” because they have a “long tradition of excellence in the area of education.” Earlier, Ateneo announced it is shifting its calendar to start in August and end in May. This applies to its undergraduate and graduate schools starting School Year 2015-2016. “Although ADMU is a CEAP member school, it is their discretion and communal decision to move into a new school calendar,” Atty. Coloma said. The CBCP also noted the University of the Philippines will adopt a new calendar that starts in August, starting academic year 2014-2015, except in the Diliman (Quezon City) campus. — LBG, GMA News

LTFRB starts removing license plates of bus firm in Bontoc tragedy

 News
Feb 082014
 
LTFRB starts removing license plates of bus firm in Bontoc tragedy

14 dead, 32 hurt in Bontoc bus accident . Rescuers attend to the injured and dead passengers of a Florida bus that plunged into a 116-meter ravine in Sitio Paggang, Talubin, Bontoc, Mountain Province on Friday, February 7. Cordillera PNP The Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board on Sunday started removing the license plates from the fleet of a bus firm whose unit figured in a deadly accident in Mountain province last Friday. LTFRB Chairman Winston Ginez led the removal of the license plates of GV Florida Transport early Sunday, radio dzBB’s Tuesday Niu reported. Personnel of the LTFRB also checked the numbers on the chassis and engines of the buses to see if they match. The LTFRB teams went to the bus company’s terminals in Cubao in Quezon City, then to Sampaloc in Manila. The LTFRB earlier imposed a 30-day suspension on the company following the tragedy. In the meantime, a separate report by dzBB’s Paulo Santos said the company asked for understanding from its passengers, as it said all its trips are canceled “due to the preventive suspension issued by the LTFRB.” “All reservations will be refunded full,” it said. Last Friday, a unit of GV Florida fell into a ravine in Mountain Province, resulting in at least 14 people killed. One of the fatalities was comedian Arvin “Tado” Jimenez. A separate dzBB report said GV Florida Transport sought understanding from the public for Friday’s accident. A lawyer of the bus firm went to the bus terminal to Read More …

DepEd tells school heads: Keep JS prom simple

 News
Feb 082014
 
DepEd tells school heads: Keep JS prom simple

As high school students prepare for their Junior-Senior Prom, the Department of Education over the weekend reminded schools to keep the event simple but meaningful. The DepEd stressed it does not want parents and students to worry about spending much for the event, radio dzBB reported early Sunday. Officials of public schools were particularly instructed to ensure the simplicity of the yearly tradition, the report added. If possible, the DepEd suggested that the prom be held inside the school premises, instead of at a fancy venue. The report also said the DepEd urged school administrators not to encourage parents and students to spend much for outfits. Students and parents are in the middle of preparations for the yearly prom, many of them spending on gowns and outfits and other arrangements. — LBG, GMA News

Private sector moves to define role in disaster preparedness, response

 News
Feb 082014
 
Private sector moves to define role in disaster preparedness, response

The private sector has been commended both locally  and internationally for its support for the rehabilitation of areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda, but it is moving to take disaster response a step further. Members of the private sector, including GMA Network, worked together to create disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) training modules for the private sector in a writeshop conducted in Tagaytay by the Office of Civil Defense and the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) on Feb. 6 and 7. The writeshop was conducted in compliance with the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) Act, which lays down how the public and private sectors can collaborate and cooperate in responding to and preventing disaster.  Harmonizing with other industries and public sector “[The Philippine DRRM Act of 2010] already lays an excellent foundation for cooperation and collaboration between public and private sectors to reduce and manage disaster risks,” said Dr. Benito Pacheco, Vice Chancellor of Research and Development of the University of the Philippines-Diliman and the writeshop’s main facilitator. “What we need next is a new ‘symphony orchestra mode’ of conducting, by which the private company players can blend in better among themselves, and together with public agencies.” Two sets of DRRM training modules were written: One for executives and another for mid-level managers. Those modules will then be used for a three-hour chief executive officers’ meeting to reach major decisions on how industries will respond to disasters. A separate three-day mid-level managers’ workshop will soon follow for discussions Read More …

US warship docks at Manila port for five-day goodwill visit

 News
Feb 082014
 
US warship docks at Manila port for five-day goodwill visit

USS Pinckney docks at Manila harbor . Destroyer USS Pinckney docks at Manila South Harbor on Saturday February 8, 2014, for a routine port call and a five-day goodwill visit to highlight strong ties between the US and the Philippines. Danny Pata The USS Pinckney, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer docked at the South Habor in Manila for a routine port call according to a report from GMA’s Balitanghali program on Saturday. Commanding officer Frank Okata said this is the first time the warship visited the Philippines and the South East Asian region. Its crew members will be staying for a five-day goodwill visit which Okata said will give the US Navy crew a chance to interact with Filipinos and visit Metro Manila. Also he said their crew members meticulously prepared for their visit to the country to avoid a repeat of an incident last year when the USS Guardian ran aground at the Tubbataha Reef, a World Heritage Site. Among USS Pinckney’s crew members is Filipino-American US Navy seal Geraldine Igualdo who originally hails from Benguet province, the report said. According to Igualdo, there were a dozen Pinckney sailors of Filipino descent. The USS Pinckney is home-ported at San Diego, California, and traveled a month to reach the Philippines. — Andrei Medina /LBG, GMA News

Palace open to 'help' from third party on row with HK

 News
Feb 082014
 
Palace open to 'help' from third party on row with HK

Malacañang indicated Saturday it is open to third-party help in resolving its row with Hong Kong, which recently imposed sanctions stemming from the hostage tragedy in Manila in 2010. But presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said such third-party help should be “consistent” with Philippine national interest and the position of the Philippine government. “(If) it is a private initiative that will effect better relations with Hong Kong and (is) consistent with national interest, why not?” Lacierda said on state-run dzRB Radyo ng Bayan. A report on BusinessMirror newspaper had quoted physician and Chinese General Hospital director James Dy as saying he plans to appeal to Hong Kong chief executive C.Y. Leung to reconsider the Hong Kong government’s decision. Earlier this month, Hong Kong revoked the visa-free privileges of holders of official Philippine passports after the Philippines refused to apologize for the 2010 tragedy. The August 2010 tragedy involved a dismissed policeman who took a busload of tourists hostage in Manila to demand his reinstatement. But the policeman and eight Hong Kong tourists were killed in a botched police rescue operation. While the Philippines expressed regret over the tragedy that killed eight Hong Kong tourists, it has not issued an apology. President Benigno Aquino III, in an interview with The New York Times, reiterated that he has no plans to apologize as doing so could create a “legal liability.”  — LBG, GMA News

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