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DOJ prosecutor accused of extorting P2.5M from PALEA members suspended

 News
Oct 302013
 
DOJ prosecutor accused of extorting P2.5M from PALEA members suspended

The Office of the Ombudsman has suspended the senior prosecutor of the Department of Justice accused of extorting P2.5 million from members of the Philippine Airlines Employees Association (PALEA) National Prosecution Service chief Prosecutor General Claro Arellano confirmed that Assistant State Prosecutor III Diosdado Bernales Solidum Jr. has been suspended pending the resolution of his case pending with the Ombudsman. “Pros. Solidum is placed under preventive suspension without pay for a period which shall continue until the case is terminated but shall not however exceed six months,” Arellano told GMA News Online on Wednesday. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, in August, ordered the filing of criminal charges against Solidum for direct bribery and for violation of Section 7(d) in relation to Section 11 of Republic Act  6713 (Code  of  Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees. According to the Ombudsman, Solidum demanded P10,000 each from the more than 200 PALEA members or equal to almost P2.5 million in exchange for the dropping of the pending charges against them. A complaint for violation of Section 81(b)(5) of Republic Act 9497 the Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008 has earlier been filed with the Pasay City Prosecutor’s Office against 241 PALEA members. Morales said the money being demanded later went down to P1.2 million payable in installment. PALEA president and complainant Gerardo Rivera said Solidum had request a meeting last July 29 in Quezon City, in which the prosecutor said having the union members’ case reversed would entail costs. “Rivera replied that Read More …

Government hospitals on Code White alert for Undas

 News
Oct 292013
 
Government hospitals on Code White alert for Undas

Government hospitals will go on Code White alert on Friday, All Saints’ Day, for possible emergencies, the Department of Health said Tuesday. “The DOH-Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) will be monitoring the situation 24 hours to respond to various health emergencies that may need immediate medical attention,” Ona said. While on Code White alert, all hospital personnel are expected to be ready to respond to emergency situations. He added emergency service personnel, nurses, and administrative staff at hospital dormitories will also be placed on-call status for immediate mobilization. Ona also said the DOH will coordinate with local governments, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Bureau of Fire Protection, which will also deploy medical teams near cemeteries. Although hospitals will be on alert during the Undas weekend, Ona warned the public against buying food peddled in cemeteries to avoid the risk of food poisoning and diarrhea. He said food to be wary of include pancit, spaghetti, green mangoes, cassava, fruit juices, chicken gizzards, corn, and eggs. Ona said people planning to spend the whole day at the cemetery should instead bring their own food and water and avoid food that spoils easily. Aside from avoiding food from vendors, people should also refrain from bringing babies and small children to the cemetery because they are more prone to catching diseases and infections, he said. Ona also urged bus operators and transportation companies to deploy more buses to bring people to provinces. He said unplanned trips and overcrowding of passengers in public Read More …

Bus terminals not quite packed for Undas yet

 News
Oct 292013
 
Bus terminals not quite packed for Undas yet

While All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days are just a few days away, bus terminals are not quite packed yet with Filipinos going to their home provinces. Fewer passengers took a trip to the provinces Tuesday afternoon but bus companies expect the exodus to start Wednesday, radio dzBB reported Tuesday evening. The report noted many commuters had taken trips to their home provinces last weekend for Monday’s barangay elections, and may have stayed there for All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. Malacañang on Sunday said the government is working to ensure safe trips for Filipinos to the provinces on All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. With the vote counting in the barangay elections finished in most parts of the country, Filipinos on Tuesday started preparing full blast for the coming All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days. Flowers at Dangwa  In Manila, several flower vendors spruced up their stalls to sell flowers to people planning to go to cemeteries early. Many of the vendors along Maria Clara Street were seen waiting for deliveries of flowers, which they would arrange and sell. A report on GMA’s News TV Live said the prices of flowers at the Dangwa Flower Market as of Tuesday included: Anthurium: P150 to P200 Malaysian mums: P160 Chrysanthemum: P180 to P220 A separate dzBB report said the Philippine National Police has also shifted its focus from securing village polling places to keeping watch over cemeteries. Also, dzBB reported many Filipinos went to the Manila North Cemetery to clean the Read More …

Two oil companies to roll back fuel prices Sunday 

 News
Oct 262013
 
Two oil companies to roll back fuel prices Sunday 

At least two more oil companies announced late Saturday their plan to roll back prices of fuel products effective 12:01 a.m., Sunday. Petron and Seaoil announced their price rollbacks will include kerosene, diesel and gasoline. In a post on its Twitter account, Petron said it will implement the following rollbacks:   – 40 centavos per liter for gasoline  – 45 centavos per liter for kerosene  – 50 centavos per liter for diesel “We will likewise decrease prices in Cebu and Bohol accordingly,” it added. Meanwhile, Seaoil will similarly roll back its prices, also at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, according to Petrol Price Watch:   Earlier Saturday, Shell announced a rollback in fuel prices as well. – KDM, GMA News 

Govt provided P189.5M to Zambo City crisis victims — Valte

 News
Oct 262013
 
Govt provided P189.5M to Zambo City crisis victims — Valte

The government has so far provided some P189.52 million in assistance to residents of Zamboanga City affected by the fighting between government and Moro National Liberation Front forces last September, Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government will continue addressing the needs of the affected families. A Palace statement quoted her as saying the P189,520,762 includes food assistance, non-food items, financial assistance for transportation, medical costs or expenses, burial, and cash-for-work programs. On the other hand, she said the Department of Social Welfare and Development still provides psychosocial and critical incident stress debriefing to those affected. She added DSWD also set up special Day Care Centers and Child and Women-Friendly Spaces in the evacuation centers, including Supervised Neighborhood Play to ease the children’s anxiety. For its part, the Department of Public Works and Highways is conducting clearing operations in areas affected by the fighting. The Palace said the government is readying P3.9 billion in funds to speed up rehabilitation and reconstruction, and has drafted a rehabilitation plan which takes into account the relocation, housing, shelter, livelihood, and other assistance for those affected. — LBG, GMA News

Palace has yet to see Enrile bill on rehab body for quake-hit areas

 News
Oct 262013
 
Palace has yet to see Enrile bill on rehab body for quake-hit areas

Malacañang on Saturday said it has not yet seen a bill by Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile to create a commission to undertake the immediate rehabilitation of areas in Central Visayas devastated by the Oct. 15 magnitude-7.2 earthquake. But deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said President Benigno Aquino would normally identify areas that need help. “Hindi pa umabot sa atin ang proposal nila (His proposal has not reached us yet),” she said on government-run dzRB radio. But she said Aquino would usually form a task force to deal with the effects of disasters and calamities, if the need arises. “Normally ang ginagawa ng pangulo, ina-identify niya ang needs na matugunan sa lugar at pinapakilos niya ang department na merong pangsolusyon sa problema,” she said. Enrile had filed Senate Bill 1872, which seeks to create a “Central Visayas Assistance, Resettlement and Development Fund” that will allocate P10 billion to help victims of the quake. The bill calls for a Central Visayas Assistance, Resettlement and Development Commission, which is patterned after the Mount Pinatubo Commission. Under Enrile’s bill, the proposed body will formulate policies and plans, and coordinate the project implementation among concerned agencies and monitor the progress of the projects. The proposed commission will have a six-year term and will include the secretaries of: Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)Department of Education (DepEd)Department of HealthDepartment of Social Welfare and DevelopmentAdministrator of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management CouncilDirector of the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and SeismologyCommissioner of the National Commission Read More …

Palace: SC’s non-issuance of TRO vs DAP ‘fortunate’

 News
Oct 262013
 
Palace: SC’s non-issuance of TRO vs DAP ‘fortunate’

Malacañang on Saturday hailed as “fortunate” the Supreme Court’s non-issuance Friday of a temporary restraining order against the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said issuing a TRO against the DAP would have affected programs of the executive department. “That’s fortunate, there’s no TRO that was issued against the policy or program that is DAP. May maapektuhan talagang programa as far as executive is concerned,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. Valte also said the government’s lawyers through the Office of the Solicitor General are preparing for the oral arguments for November. On Friday, the Supreme Court convened to tackle petitions questioning the constitutionality of the DAP, but did not issue a TRO against its implementation. But the high court scheduled a separate oral argument for the issuance of a TRO against the DAP for November 11. The main petitions are set for another oral argument on November 19. “Naghahanda na naman ang OSG (Office of the Solicitor General) para sa na-set na oral arguments,” Valte said. When asked if the Palace is optimistic the oral arguments for the DAP will stand, she said the government’s lawyers are ready. “Handa tayong ipagtanggol ang basehan ng DAP in the same way handa tayo tuwing tinatawag ang Sol-Gen na ibigay ang panig ng pamahalaan,” she said. DAP is a discretionary fund released to several senators last year after the conviction of former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Some senators reportedly received between P50 and P100 million under the DAP. But Read More …

Palace: De Lima move to cancel passports has basis

 News
Oct 252013
 
Palace: De Lima move to cancel passports has basis

The move of the Department of Justice to have the passports of lawmakers and other personalities linked to the multibillion-peso pork barrel scam canceled is “not without basis,” Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the DOJ’s move stemmed from the fact that some of those linked to the scam had already fled abroad before charges were filed against them. “The move is also not without basis in the sense that we’ve seen that some of those who have been slapped with charges regarding the Priority Development Assistance Fund scam had left the country,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She added the public should understand the move of the DOJ since there are fears they would no longer be in the country to stand trial. On the other hand, she said this [cancellation of passports] is not yet final as the Department of Foreign Affairs is still studying it. For now, she said it is up to the DFA to decide on the matter. “The greater public understands the initiative of the DOJ. Whether that will be cleared by the DFA is another thing,” she said. Valte also said a hold-departure order is not the solution because only the court can issue it. She also said the DOJ’s watch-list power is now the subject of a temporary restraining order by the Supreme Court. “At the end of the day what matters is sinusundan natin may basis (At the end of the day, what matters is that we Read More …

Palace: P2.3-B quick response funds still available for emergencies

 News
Oct 252013
 
Palace: P2.3-B quick response funds still available for emergencies

After extending assistance to victims of recent calamities including last week’s magnitude-7.2 quake in Central Visayas, the government still has some P2.3 billion in quick response funds for emergencies, Malacañang said Saturday. Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the standby funds are with the implementing agencies tasked to provide speedy assistance in areas hit by disasters. “Quick response funds are standby allocations that are part of the budget of the departments … for them to provide quick assistance in areas struck by disaster,” she said on government-run dzRB radio. She said a breakdown of the amount includes: – Office of Civil Defense, P554 million– Department of National Defense Office of the Secretary, P326 million– Department of Agriculture, P196 million– Department of Social Welfare and Development, P200 million– Department of Public Works and Highways, P600 million Valte also reassured residents in Bohol, the area hit hardest by the Oct. 15 quake, that the government continues to mobilize funds to help them. “Meron tayong sapat na pondo (We have enough funds),” she said. Also, she thanked the international community for the aid they have sent to the quake victims. “Nagpapasalamat tayo sa ating kaibigan na hindi nag-atubiling tumugon sa panawagan ng United Nations para tumulong sa kababayan natin (We thank our friends who did not hesitate to respond to the call of the United Nations to help our fellow Filipinos),” Valte said. — LBG, GMA News

Australia to give P124-M aid to Visayas quake victims; P20M to Zambo victims

 News
Oct 252013
 
Australia to give P124-M aid to Visayas quake victims; P20M to Zambo victims

The Australian government will be giving up to P124 million in aid to the victims of last week’s earthquake in Central Visayas and around P20 million to the families affected by the crisis in Zamboanga City, its embassy in the Philippines said Friday. In a statement, the Australian Embassy said the financial assistance to the earthquake victims will include P44 million worth of supplies such as family survival kits containing sleeping mats, mosquito nets, and water containers through the Philippine Red Cross, rice through the World Food Programme, and health and dignity kits for women through the UN Population Fund. It said Australia will also provide P40 to provide “critical relief needs” identified in the UN Action Plan such as shelter, water and sanitation, and early recovery activities. Another P40 million, it said, will be given to replenish prepositioned supplies with partners. Aside from this, the embassy said the Australian Government-funded Provincial Roads Management Facility (PRMF) is also working with the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of the Interior and Local Government to assess the damage to roads and bridges “The devastation caused by the earthquake, particularly in Bohol, is enormous and staggering. With more than 200 lives lost, 380,000 people displaced, and ongoing aftershocks that aggravate people’s suffering, the extent of assistance required is also massive,” said Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell in the statement. He added that the Australian government has had “a long-standing development partnership” with Bohol province, making the quake’s Read More …

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