FOI bill faces ‘crucial’ week at the House

 News
Jan 272013
 
FOI bill faces ‘crucial’ week at the House

The Freedom of Information (FOI) bill is facing a “crucial” week at the House of Representatives, with only six session days left to sponsor, discuss, amend and ultimately pass the measure which seeks to promote transparency in government transactions. Ifugao Rep. Teddy Baguilat, who supports the proposed legislation, said the FOI bill is already “dead” if the House fails to pass it on second reading by Wednesday. “We need nothing short of a miracle. Kailangan ma-sponsor siya mamaya, and then it has to breeze through the period of debates and amendments. By Wednesday, we have to pass it on second reading. Sobrang makipot na ang schedule,” Baguilat said in a phone interview. He added that the House leadership has already sent text messages to lawmakers asking them to attend sessions this week to be able to muster a quorum. “Ang sinabi lang doon sa text is that we have to attend to be able to pass important legislations. Walang nakalagay na FOI, pero siyempre, iyon na lang naman ang natitirang mahalagang batas na dapat ipasa,” he said. Baguilat added that FOI advocates are still hoping that President Benigno Aquino III will certify the bill as urgent to be able to fast track its passage at the lower chamber. “Kapag na-certify ito, siguradong papasa ito… I still believe that the President supports the FOI bill and wants transparency in government,” the congressman said. But Aquino, who won the presidency in 2010 with his anti-corruption platform, said over the weekend that he Read More …

Mostly fair but cold weather expected after warm weekend

 News
Jan 272013
 
Mostly fair but cold weather expected after warm weekend

Despite relatively warm weather last weekend, Filipinos should still keep those sweaters handy, state weather forecasters said Monday. PAGASA forecaster Buddy Javier said the cold weather is still likely to last until February and even possibly to early March. “Asahan natin susunod na araw makaranas tayo lamig siguro till March,” Javier said in an interview on dzBB radio. “There’s no low pressure area inside nor immediately outside the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) at the moment. The northeast monsoon affecting Luzon is the only significant weather system in the archipelago,” explained resident GMA meteorologist Nathaniel “Mang Tani” Cruz. Satellite image as of 8 a.m. Javier said Metro Manila’s lowest temperature on Sunday was 21 degrees Celsius, nearly three degrees higher than the 18.1 degrees Celsius last Jan. 24. Even temperatures in Baguio City Sunday were lowest at 12.4 degrees, nearly three degrees higher than the record-low 9.5 degrees earlier this month. On the other hand, Javier said Mount Pulag in Extreme Northern Luzon has experienced zero-degree weather, with vegetables there in danger of frost damage. “Ang vegetables nila doon nagfe-freeze na rin … May mga gulay na nag-freeze at nasisira na,” he said. Javier also said the water there is freezing. Meanwhile, Mang Tani said that the country can expect generally fair weather, with only light rains over some areas.  “Light rains will continue to be felt over eastern section of the Philippines, from Cagayan Valley southward to the Bicol Region. Meanwhile, eastern Visayas and the whole of Mindanao, particularly Read More …

DOJ: Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio also facing complaints in Malaysia

 News
Jan 272013
 
DOJ: Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio also facing complaints in Malaysia

Pending complaints in Malaysia are preventing the return of Aman Futures boss Manuel Amalilio to the Philippines, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said over the weekend. De Lima said the complaints prompted Malaysian authorities to hold Amalilio and not allow his return home, radio dzBB reported early Monday. “Hinold lang muna ng Malaysian authorities si Mr. Amalilio. May lumutang na local complainants so they have to address those complaints first bago i-turnover sa atin,” De Lima said. The Justice Deparment had said that Amalilio is a Filipino and not a Malaysian national.  Last Friday, National Bureau of Investigation agents who went to fetch Amalilio returned home empty-handed after the Malaysian authorities did not turn him over to them at the last minute. De Lima said it was not immediately clear if those who filed complaints against Amalilio in Malaysia were Filipinos or Malaysians. She said that while the Philippine government is serious in getting him home, it has to respect the processes in Malaysia also. “We are serious in our effort ibalik siya rito pero dapat galangin din natin ang proseso sa Malaysia,” she said. Last weekend, Malacañang reassured the public the appropriate government agencies are making efforts to facilitate the return to the Philippines of Amalilio. Amalilio, whose firm was linked to a P12-billion investment pyramiding scam, was arrested in Malaysia for possession of a fraudulent Malaysian passport and IDs. — RSJ, GMA News

15-year-old latest violator of election gun ban

 News
Jan 272013
 
15-year-old latest violator of election gun ban

A 15-year-old boy was the latest violator of an ongoing election gun ban meant to minimize violence during the period leading to the May 13 elections. The minor, whose identity was withheld, was caught at a checkpoint on Gladiola Street in Makati City, radio dzBB’s Manny Vargas reported Monday. He yielded a cal-.45 pistol with six bullets, and was turned over to the local Department of Social Welfare and Development office. As this developed, the Philippine National Police said at least 263 people have been arrested in the first two weeks of the election gun ban. Most of the violators were civilians while at least six were from the PNP, according to a separate report on dzBB radio early Monday. The report said that of the 263 arrested, 229 were civilians, five were government employees, and six were PNP personnel while 22 were security guards. At least 227 firearms were seized, along with 60 bladed weapons and 18 grenades and explosives. Law enforcers started implementing an election gun ban last Jan. 13. The gun ban lasts until June 12. During the gun ban, permits to carry firearms outside residences are generally suspended, and only law enforcers in uniform and on duty are allowed to carry firearms outside their homes. —KG, GMA News

Gov’t to resort to diplomacy to bring back Amalilio to PH—De Lima

 News
Jan 272013
 
Gov’t to resort to diplomacy to bring back Amalilio to PH—De Lima

By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:59 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 MANUEL AMALILIO Contributed photo The government will employ diplomacy to bring back to the Philippines fugitive Manuel Amalilio, alleged brains of the Ponzi scheme that last year duped some 15,000 Filipinos of P12 billion, to face prosecution, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said Sunday. It has emerged that complaints of Malaysian scam victims in Kota Kinabalu—not Amalilio’s possible ties with Sabah’s chief minister—prompted Malaysian police to stop Amalilio’s repatriation to Manila from Kota Kinabalu on Friday night, De Lima said. “It’s more of diplomacy,” she told the Inquirer when asked if the options included diplomacy or invoking the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT). “Steps are being undertaken. We’re exerting efforts to bring him back. But we can’t be disclosing what these steps are to ensure that, this time, his repatriation pushes through,” she later told reporters in an ambush interview at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia). When pressed for details of the diplomatic tack, De Lima pointed to a “police-to-police cooperation” of both countries. She said it was the cooperation of the Malaysian police that led to Amalilio’s arrest in the first place. “It has always been through mutual police cooperation,” she said. “We’re working on it so that this time it pushes through.” Amalilio is the founder of Aman Futures group that defrauded thousands of investors in the Visayas and Mindanao in a fraudulent investment scam. A Cabinet official, who asked not to be named, said Read More …

Democrats in PH celebrate Obama reelection

 News
Jan 272013
 
Democrats in PH celebrate Obama reelection

By Tarra QuismundoPhilippine Daily Inquirer 4:31 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 US President Barack Obama. AP PHOTO While thousands of miles away from their homeland, American Democrats in the Philippines celebrated the reelection of President Barack Obama. Democrats Abroad, an organization of Americans based in the Philippines, marked the second inauguration of Obama in a modest gathering on Saturday at a pub in Makati City. “Someone asked me during the elections ‘Why do you care [when] you live here?’  I said, well, it’s actually close to me, I have family there and I keep in touch and care about my family,” said Democrats Abroad vice chairperson Lisa Kircher Lumbao. A Philippine resident for 20 years now, Lumbao has been participating in US polls from the Philippines for the last four elections. For Lumbao, Obama’s reelection bodes well for both her birthplace and her current residence, citing the close relationship between the Philippines and the United States. “The Philippines is very affected by the US economy. The whole world is affected by the US economy. And having Obama elected is really good for the economy, compared to what the Republicans were proposing,” said Lumbao of the opposing party’s proposals on tax and spending cuts. More than 20 members showed up for Saturday’s inauguration party, where the group watched the Jan. 21 inaugural ceremonies at the National Mall in Washington D.C. Asked about international interest in the Democratic president, Lumbao said: “I think a lot of people are interested in the Read More …

BI seeks help of mortuary operators

 News
Jan 272013
 
BI seeks help of mortuary operators

Philippine Daily Inquirer 4:12 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 The Bureau of Immigration (BI) has sought the help of funeral service operators in keeping track of the death of foreigners in the country and retrieve their alien certificate of registration identity cards (ACR I-Card). In an advisory, Immigration Commissioner Ricardo David Jr. reminded mortuary owners of a bureau regulation requiring them to surrender the ACR I-Cards of deceased foreigners before they are buried or cremated. “It’s the funeral parlors that ask the relatives to produce the ACR of the departed foreigner because we in the bureau cannot monitor the deaths without their cooperation,” said Ma. Antonette Mangrobang, BI spokesperson and acting intelligence chief. Jocelyn R. Uy Follow Us Recent Stories: Complete stories on our Digital Edition newsstand for tablets, netbooks and mobile phones; 14-issue free trial. About to step out? Get breaking alerts on your mobile.phone. Text ON INQ BREAKING to 4467, for Globe, Smart and Sun subscribers in the Philippines. Tags: ACR I-Cards , Bureau of Immigration , Death , Foreigners , Global Nation Factual errors? Contact the Philippine Daily Inquirer’s day desk. Believe this article violates journalistic ethics? Contact the Inquirer’s Reader’s Advocate. Or write The Readers’ Advocate: c/o Philippine Daily Inquirer Chino Roces Avenue corner Yague and Mascardo Streets, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines Or fax nos. +63 2 8974793 to 94

No haggling over reef fine–Abaya

 News
Jan 272013
 
No haggling over reef fine–Abaya

By TJ BurgonioPhilippine Daily Inquirer 1:40 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 Tubbataha Reefs. YVETTE LEE/CONTRIBUTOR The penalty for the damage caused to the Tubbataha Reefs by a US Navy minesweeper is non-negotiable, Transportation Secretary Joseph E.A. Abaya said Sunday. But to be able to conduct a thorough investigation, the Philippine government should have access to the commanding officer and crew of the USS Guardian which has been stuck in the marine park since  Jan. 17, Abaya said. “Well, there are laws in place. I don’t think this is subject to tawaran (haggling) or negotiation. I heard of the figure of $300 [fine] per square meter. If that is really engraved in the law then there’s no room for negotiation whether this is high or low,” he told reporters at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. Abaya said he had yet to look into whether there would be a need to impose an additional fine for the damage left by the minesweeper on the world-renowned reefs pending its extrication. On the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, President Aquino told reporters the US Navy would be held liable and be made to pay for the damage. The 63-meter, 1,300-ton ship, part of the US naval fleet stationed in Japan, docked at the former American naval base in Subic Bay on Jan. 12 for routine refueling, resupply and rest and recreation. Palawan stop   It was scheduled to make a brief stop at Puerto Princesa City before heading off to Read More …

Bridge to connect 2 villages, 2 provinces in Southern Luzon

 News
Jan 272013
 
Bridge to connect 2 villages, 2 provinces in Southern Luzon

By DJ Yap, Tonette OrejasInquirer Central Luzon, Philippine Daily Inquirer 1:20 am | Monday, January 28th, 2013 Two villages in two different provinces in Southern Luzon are named after the same waterway that separates them: the Umiray River. Soon, a bridge costing nearly half a billion pesos to build will connect Barangay (village) Umiray in Dingalan town in Aurora province to Barangay Umiray in General Nakar town in Quezon province, according to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). Philippine and Japanese officials broke ground at the boundaries of the two provinces on Wednesday to mark the start of the construction of the 358-meter, P468-million Umiray Bridge, which would connect not only Aurora and Quezon but also Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon). In a statement from the DAR, Undersecretary for Support Services Jerry Pacturan said the bridge would allow farmers and traders on both sides of the river to transport their goods with ease, spurring rural development, easing poverty and ensuring food security. Residents of the two Umiray villages spend a considerable sum on moving goods across the river. Hauling costs them P50 to P70 and transport by boat costs them P20. But once the bridge is finished by June 2014, the cost will be reduced to P15, Pacturan said. The bridge will be completed in time for the expiration of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program. Exit project Pacturan said the bridge would be a “fitting graceful exit project for the … social justice program” of Read More …

DOF pushes early passage of fiscal incentives bill

 Economy
Jan 272013
 
DOF pushes early passage of fiscal incentives bill

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Finance (DOF) hopes Congress can pass the fiscal incentives bill before the May 2013 elections. “We were hoping it would also pass this Congress,” said Finance Assistant Secretary Teresa S. Habitan when asked about the other proposed revenue-generating measures the government wants to implement following the passage of the controversial sin tax law. The fiscal incentives bill, which is pending in Congress, seeks to rationalize and simplify the grant and administration of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives to promote foreign and domestic investments in the country. Habitan said the DOF wants a uniform policy on the issuance of fiscal incentives to businesses to avoid redundancies and lost revenues for the government. “We want to streamline the fiscal incentives system since we believe there are some redundancies already,” Habitan said. The DOF wants to assign all incentive-granting functions solely to the Board of Investments. Several agencies of the government including the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Bases Conversion Development Authority and other economic zones, currently give different sets of incentive packages, making the incentives regime largely uneven. Business ( Article MRec ), pagematch: 1, sectionmatch: 1 According to the DOF, tax subsidies should only be given to qualified investors instead of a straight income tax holiday. The tax subsidy would be similar to the tax allowance that government-owned corporations receive.  Under this plan, investors would have to settle their tax duties and get the refund later when tax payments have been paid and collected. The American Read More …

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