Maniolas

President Benigno S. Aquino III leads his official family in prayer before presiding over the meeting on Yolanda rehabilitation updates at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room of the Malacañan Palace on Friday (May 16, 2014). (MNS photo) MANILA  (Mabuhay) — Budget Secretary Butch Abad has hit back at critics who say the government was too slow in releasing funds for rehabilitation efforts in areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda (International name Haiyan). Abad said it took time for local officials to put together their rehabilitation proposals after their communities were struck by what was described as the strongest typhoon to hit earth. He added that as of June 30 this year, the government has released close to P 90 billion for rehabilitation efforts and the bulk of the money went to housing for survivors. “The Yolanda reconstruction and rehabilitation program was approved in October 2014… The budget had already been put together then cause we normally submit the budget in July… The president didn’t want to approve just a general statement of ‘I need a road’, you have to be very specific,” said Abad. He also pointed out that the Aquino administration needed to be complimented for the way it funded rehabilitation efforts in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda. He said that aside from the P23 billion in supplemental budget given by Congress, government sourced funds from savings and P20 billion in dividends from government owned and controlled corporations. (MNS)

— Members of Akbayan Youth troop to the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) at the GMA-Kamuning station in Quezon City on Wednesday wearing safety gear such as helmets, knee pads, and elbow pads to dramatize the dangers posed by riding the poorly maintained MRT 3, which is plagued with problems.(MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — An official of the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) on Wednesday said the government can prevent private contractors from implementing fare hikes every two years for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) 1. At the House of Representatives’ Metro Manila Development committee’s hearing, DOTC Undersecretary Jose Perpetuo Lotilla confirmed the existence of a fare hike provision in the concession agreement signed by the government with the Light Rail Manila Consortium (LRMC). Lotilla, however, clarified that the government can prevent the fare hike if the private contractor fails to comply with its obligations as stated in the concession agreement. “The provision [for the fare hike] is there but we must remember that the government has the discretion whether or not to enforce it. There’s a provision, for instance, which allows [for the fare hike not to be enforced] as a result of the contractors’ non-enforcement of its obligations,” he said. The DOTC official added that the government can also prevent the fare hike if certain assumptions in the agreement turn out to be untrue. “Let’s say the assumptions turn out to be untrue or there are certain changes in circumstance such that those assumptions will no longer hold… Under Read More …

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his speech during the commemoration of the 116th anniversary of the Proclamation of the Philippine Independence at the Plaza Quince Martires in Naga city, Camarines Sur on Thursday (June 12, 2014). This year’s theme is “Pagsunod sa Yapak ng mga Dakilang Pilipino, Tungo sa Malawakan at Permanenteng Pagbabago.” Also in photo are Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II, Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Ma. Leonor Robredo and National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chairperson Maria Serena Diokno. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — Interior Secretary Mar Roxas on Wednesday morning confirmed that he invited Sen. Grace Poe to run as the Liberal Party’s vice presidential candidate. “Inimbita ho natin, bukas po ang ang partido, bukas po ako. Inimbita ho namin si Senadora Grace Poe na sumama dito sa tandem na ito, na sumama sa ating movement, sa ating laban na pagpapatuloy, pagpapalawak ng daang matuwid,” Roxas said. It was the first time that Roxas clarified the issue on national television. Roxas clarified that he had asked Poe to be his running mate even before he was endorsed by President Benigno Aquino III last July 31 at the historic Club Filipino. He said Poe could have been thinking that the offer was not formal because he was not yet endorsed by Aquino at the time. Last May, Poe herself said that Roxas offered her to be his running mate during a chance meeting at a restaurant. Roxas said he made his offer to Read More …

— Five of the six female members of the Senate pose for a souvenir photo in their colorful attire before the opening of the 3rd and last Regular Session of the 16th Congress at the Senate Building in Pasay City on Monday (July 27, 2015). They are (from left) Senators Pia Cayetano, Loren Legarda, Cynthia Villar, Grace Poe and Maria Lourdes Binay. Not in photo is Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) — A former senatorial candidate who lost in the 2013 elections on Wednesday attempted to challenge Sen. Grace Poe’s seat in the Senate over the issue of her citizenship. However, Lito David was not able to file his petition before the Senate Electoral Tribunal (SET) after he failed to pay the P50,000 filing fee. “This is the cost of justice?! Napakamahal naman!” an obviously exasperated David exclaimed when SET staff Mae Maglicmot told him the amount of the filing fee. David told reporters that he was aware that he has to pay a filing fee but said he did not expect it to be P50,000. “Alam ko na may filing fee, but I did not expect it to be that high. Hindi naman ito pormal na protesta na kinukuwestyon ko kung siya ba ay nanalo [o] natalo [noong eleksyon],” he said. When asked on when he intends to file again his motion, David told reporters: “I do not know. Baka gusto niyo mag-contribute ng tig P1,000? Tutal mga nasa 50 naman yata tayo dito.” In his Read More …

The Aquino administration must have been stung and mortified by the bitter criticism it got from the United Nations (UN) for its continued inability to provide basic needs and services for thousands of flood victim families who were displaced by super typhoon “Yolanda” two years ago. The UN also gave a negative verdict on the governments’ apparent continued inadequate attention in ensuring durable solutions for internally displaced persons. Chaloka Beyani, UN Special Rapporteur on human rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) was in the Philippines for 10 day- fact finding visit last month to check on the Aquino’s government handling of flood victims in the devastated areas of Leyte and Samar. Beyani’s report indicated that thousands of families are still housed in “collective bunkhouses that do not meet necessary minimum standards for the provision of basic needs and services. This negative assessment by UN will have a tremendous impact on the future financial aid the Philippines will need. I’m sure that by this time, UN must have found out also that thousands of medical supplies it donated , including financial aid, have gone missing and remains unaccounted. If you were to ask fashion conscious Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, the whereabouts of the money and medical supplies, packed food and thousands of bottled waters, her most likely answer would be “It must’ve been swept away by rampaging flood waters.” The DSWD also admitted recently that some 2,000 flood victim families have been forced to remain in evacuation camps and makeshift Read More …