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Palace downplays Dec 6 'deadline' to get rid of 'pork'

 News
Nov 022013
 
Palace downplays Dec 6 'deadline' to get rid of 'pork'

Malacañang on Saturday downplayed a so-called Dec. 6 deadline for President Benigno Aquino to get rid of discretionary or “pork” funds, saying he and his administration will push the proper things at the “correct time.” Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also said the Palace will continue answering questions on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program, which Palace critics had dubbed as another form of pork barrel funds. “The president and the administration will push for the correct things at the correct time,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She was referring to the Dec. 6 deadline by the #ScrapPork Network for Aquino to “destroy the barrier” that blocks his supposed “straight path.” The Dec. 6 date comes 100 days after a massive anti-pork gathering at the Luneta in Manila last Aug. 26. Organizers hinted at gatherings by anti-pork advocates on that day. Valte said the Department of Justice already filed plunder cases against personalities linked to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam involving the use of fake non-government organizations to siphon funds from lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund allocations. She said the DOJ is set to file charges against another batch of personalities linked to the mess. “The instructions of the president would be to make sure (the cases) will stand scrutiny and (lead to) a conviction,” she added. Meanwhile, Valte said the government will continue “answering” questions on the controversial DAP, which some had branded as another form of pork barrel as it gives lawmakers leeway to identify what projects to Read More …

PNoy pays final respects to late ex-Chief Justice Narvasa

 News
Nov 012013
 
PNoy pays final respects to late ex-Chief Justice Narvasa

President Benigno Aquino on Friday night paid his respects to the late former Chief Justice Andres Narvasa, who died at age 84 last Thursday. Aquino went to the Mount Carmel Shrine Parish in Quezon City, according to a post on his Facebook account. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte confirmed Aquino’s visit. “He visited the memorial of the former Chief Justice last night,” Valte said on government-run dzRB radio Saturday morning. The photo posted on Aquino’s Facebook page showed him wearing a striped shirt, standing in front of the urn bearing Narvasa’s ashes. But Valte said she may have to inquire with Aquino on the possibility of a posthumous award for Narvasa. Narvasa passed away early Thursday at age 84. The Supreme Court said he was the country’s 19th Chief Justice. He served as Chief Justice from Dec. 8, 1991 to Nov. 30, 1998, and as defense counsel of then President Joseph Estrada in his impeachment trial in 2000. Also, he was a former dean of the University of Santo Tomas’ Faculty of Civil Law. Before joining the high court, Narvasa was the general counsel of the Agrava fact-finding board that investigated the assassination of former Sen. Benigno Aquino Jr., incumbent President Aquino’s father.  — LBG, GMA News

Court issues no bail arrest warrant for 2 gov't radio execs

 News
Nov 012013
 
Court issues no bail arrest warrant for 2 gov't radio execs

The Quezon City Regional Trial Court ordered the arrest of two officials of the Philippine Broadcasting Service for contempt of court in connection with estafa complaints filed by KAKAMMPI Chairperson Maria Fe P. Nicodemus in 2007. QC RTC Judge Luisito G. Cortez who issued separate warrants recommended a no-bail arrest warrant for both. “Wherefore, for failure to the said parties to submit a written explanation and to implement the said order of the court, let a corresponding warrant of arrest be issued against Director Tito Cruzand Executive Assistant Jun Romana with no bail until they complied,” Cortez’s order read. The court order came after the two failed to suspend dzRM station manager Edgardo Satira following a court decision in 2012 to suspend the latter. In July 2011, the Office of the Ombudsman filed estafa and fraud charges along with a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act against Satira before the QC lower court. Kapisanan ng mga Kamag-anak ng Migranteng Manggagawang Pilipino, Inc. (KAKAMMPI) is a community-based organization of families of overseas Filipino workers and migrant returnees. — with Andrei Medina /LBG, GMA News

Comelec moves to disqualify barangay officials who ran for a fourth term

 News
Oct 302013
 
Comelec moves to disqualify barangay officials who ran for a fourth term

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has started filing petitions to disqualify barangay officials who sought a fourth term in the October 28 elections. Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. said the Comelec Law Department filed the petitions against barangay bets who had finished their third consecutive term but still ran in Monday’s polls. Both the law on barangay elections and the Local Government Code set a three-term limit for village officials. The Comelec filed the petitions before the proclamation date,giving the commission motu proprio (“on its own initiative”) mandate on the case. That means it can disqualify the candidates even without a complaint from rival bets, Brillantes said. “Meron nang finile na petitions against those listed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) for disqualification. Motu proprio on our part. Ang Law Department ang pinag-file namin,” Brillantes said on Wednesday. The DILG earlier submitted a list of third-termer officials to the Comelec. Brillantes said the poll body will conduct hearings with the parties and will also check the records of the candidates to see if they ran for a fourth term. “We took the initiative and took judicial notice of the fact that this is the record sent to us by DILG… We’re now going to check on the record. ‘Pag nakita namin three-termer ‘yan based on our record, then we will disqualify them,” Brillantes said. The Comelec, however, will not suspend the proclamation of supposed three-termer candidates in case they won in Monday’s polls, Brillantes said.  The poll Read More …

Resignation as Napoles' counsel was a 'collective decision', Kapunan says

 News
Oct 302013
 
Resignation as Napoles' counsel was a 'collective decision', Kapunan says

Janet Lim-Napoles’ staunch defender, lawyer Lorna Kapunan, insisted Wednesday that her decision to resign as lead counsel was a “collective decision” she made with Napoles’ consent. In a report aired on “24 Oras” early Wednesday evening, Kapunan said she decided to resign as Napoles’ lawyer to speed up the resolution of the serious illegal detention case against the detained businesswoman. “[My decision to resign] was a collective decision [made by] Atty. (Alfredo) Villamor, Mrs. Napoles and myself. We must recall that this is a bail hearing, and the quicker she is released from detention on bail, the better,” she said. Kapunan said Villamor, formerly corroborating counsel in the case, will now have the primary responsibility of defending Napoles in court. She also expressed confidence that Villamor will handle the case well.  “Atty. Villamor is very familiar with Benhur and the circumstances of this case because siya yung nag-handle ng kaso sa investigation,” she said. Napoles is also facing two plunder charges at the Office of the Ombudsman for supposedly funneling billions in government money to ghost projects. She was arrested for allegedly detaining her former employee Benhur Luy, who eventually became a whistleblower and testified on her alleged anomalous deals with government officials. Kapunan accompanied Napoles when she surrendered to President Benigno Aquino III on August 28, and has been vigorously defending her client in various media appearances. The lawyer said her decision to leave did not mean she found her client guilty. She added that she is still open Read More …

PNoy on pork barrel and DAP: Pagnanakaw ang tunay na ugat ng isyung ito

 News
Oct 302013
 
PNoy on pork barrel and DAP: Pagnanakaw ang tunay na ugat ng isyung ito

Pambansang Pahayag ng Kagalang-galang Benigno S. Aquino IIIPangulo ng PilipinasMula sa Palasyo ng MalacañanInihayag sa isang live telecast[7:45 n.g., ika-30 ng Oktubre 2013] Mga minamahal kong kababayan, magandang gabi po. Nitong mga nakaraang buwan, lumitaw ang ilang mga paksang naging sentro ng pampublikong diskurso. Kabi-kabilang tinig po ang narinig natin, at baka po mayroon na sa ating nahihilo sa usaping Pork Barrel at DAP. Humihingi po ako ngayon ng kaunting oras upang liwanagin ang mga isyung ito. Nakikita na po siguro ninyo ang nangyayari ngayong bangayan. Sa isang panig, kayo at ang gobyernong binigyan ninyo ng mandato para sa pagbabago, na tatlong taon at limang buwan nang gumagawa ng reporma, naghahabol sa corrupt, at kumakalinga sa mahirap. Sa kabila naman ay ang mga tiwaling opisyal na diumano’y sangkot sa Pork Barrel Scam. Baka po may nakakalimot sa atin: Pagnanakaw ang tunay na ugat ng isyung ito. Iyan po ang usapang pilit nilang tinatabunan, matapos mabisto ang kanilang kalokohan. Napapailing na nga lang po ako, dahil ang una kong inasahan, papabulaanan nila ang mga akusasyon. Di po ba’t iyan ang natural na tugon ng kahit sinong akusado? Sa hinaba-haba ng mga kontra-paratang na ibinabato sa atin, ni minsan, hindi ko narinig ang katagang at statement na “Hindi ako nagnakaw.” Sana nga po, alang-alang sa inyong mga nagtiwala at bumoto sa kanila, ay tinutupad ng mga opisyal na ito ang kanilang sinumpaang tungkulin. Sana nga po, may paliwanag kung paanong nangyaring ang mga benepisyaryo ng pekeng NGO na pinili nila, ay listahan Read More …

Canvassing can continue during November 1 holiday, Comelec chief says

 News
Oct 302013
 
Canvassing can continue during November 1 holiday, Comelec chief says

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has not ordered the suspension of the canvassing of votes on November 1, a holiday, poll chief Sixto Brillantes Jr. said. That decision will be left to Comelec provincial election supervisors and regional directors in provinces where elections were postponed. “Pwede naman nila ituloy kung gusto nila. Pero wala kaming order to suspend. It’s (within) the discretion of canvassers to suspend the canvassing,” Brillantes said. He said Comelec intends to finish canvassing by Thursday. “Kung hindi kakayanin, siguro mag-su-suspend sila sa holiday. Pero puwede silang matuloy sa Sabado o Linggo,” he added. The country held barangay elections on October 28 but the Comelec postponed elections in at least 40 barangays because of election-related security concerns. — Marc Jayson Cayabyab/JDS, GMA News

Catholic priest warns against trying to contact spirits of the dead

 News
Oct 302013
 
Catholic priest warns against trying to contact spirits of the dead

A Catholic priest said Wednesday that people should refrain from trying to contact the spirits of the departed because they could end up being possessed. Father Francis Lucas, executive secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-Episcopal Commission on Social Communication and Mass Media, issued the statement because games like “spirit of the glass” to contact the dead are popular during Halloween. “Kaya nga may exorcism, kasi there are spirits all over. Ang tinuturo ng simbahan sa atin is there are good and bad spirits. If the good spirit is sent out, on purpose yan. Ang problema–kaya nga may warning na tayo sa mga Oiuja board at mga new age, mga divination… These are true, ha, you open up avenues for Satan for possession…for fooling you,” he said in an interview. The CBCP official said those who want to talk to the departed cannot be sure what they will be communicating with. “Yun din. Baka hindi sila ‘yung pumasok dyan. Ano power mo? Ano protection mo? Hindi ba ang spirit is more powerful than the flesh? Kasi hindi mo kita e. Puwede ka pasukin. God sends (spirits) for a purpose. Hindi ba, ang angel, spirit? Satan is a spirit,” he said. He said people should just pray for the dead instead. — JDS, GMA News

Lawmaker seeks higher fines against marine poachers

 News
Oct 302013
 
Lawmaker seeks higher fines against marine poachers

A lawmaker has proposed an increase in penalties to help curb the illegal trade and exploitation of corals and other marine species in the country. Las Piñas Representative Mark Villar has filed House Bill 2819 which seeks to amend the Philippine Fisheries Code and impose heavier fines of from P100,000 to P500,000 on those caught participating in the illegal marine trade. He said the current law, which imposes imprisonment of six months to two years and a fine ranging from P2,000 to P20,000 for gathering, possessing, selling, and exporting corals for profit, is too lenient. “We must act now to protect the country’s precious corals and other marine wealth before they are lost forever,” Villar said. The bill also prohibits the gathering of endangered species as well as the export of cultured or artificially-propagated species that have been transplanted from their natural habitat without government approval. “The taking, catching, gathering, possession or trade of artificially propagated and cultured species listed in the CITES, IUCN and RA 9147 may be allowed subject to rules and regulations promulgated by the Department of Agriculture,” Villar said. The proposed ban covers species listed in the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna, the Wildlife Act, and in the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List of Endangered Species. — Patricia Denise Chiu/JDS, GMA News

Palace: Review shows NFA chief qualified to hold post

 News
Oct 302013
 
Palace: Review shows NFA chief qualified to hold post

National Food Authority (NFA) chief Orlan Calayag is qualified to hold his position despite questions on his true citizenship, Malacañang said Wednesday. “Based on an assessment of the documents provided by Mr. Orlan Calayag, he has met all the qualifications necessary to hold his current position,” the Office of the Executive Secretary said in a statement released to the media. The Palace issued the statement a day after it said that “there in an ongoing review and verification process to address other issues pertinent to his [Calayag] appointment.“ The development came amid reports that Calayag was reportedly an American citizen. A report in Manila Standard Today said Aquino had antedated the tenure of Calayag by six months to skirt the election ban on midnight apppointments, which the Palace had denied. Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. explained that Calayag served the unexpired term of Angelito Banayo from the date of his first appointment on January 17, 2013. Coloma added that Calayag was reappointed on July 12, 2013, which he said is “in accordance with Republic Act 10149 or the GCG Law.”  — Kimberly Jane Tan/KBK, GMA News

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