Palace: No reason to impeach PNoy over smoking

 News
Feb 042014
 

President Benigno Aquino III has never violated any rules on smoking which may be grounds for impeachment, a Palace spokesman said Tuesday.

“The President is following all of the laws of the land regarding this matter. Batid naman natin na kailanman hindi siya lumalabag sa mga batas hinggil diyan,” Presidential Communications Operations Office head Herminio Coloma Jr. told reporters during an ambush interview.

He issued the statement after Civil Service Commission Assistant Commissioner Ariel Ronquillo was quoted as saying that the President is violating the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, which disallows smoking in government premises.

He added that the only way to discipline Aquino was to file an impeachment case against him.

Coloma, however, said Aquino has never violated this.

“Sa lahat ng pagkakataon na nakasama ko siya sa pagpupulong o anumang function ay hindi ko siya nakitang nagsigarilyo,” he said.

The Palace official added that the President has always been supportive of measures seeking to reduce the hazards of smoking, like the Sin Tax Reform Law. —KG, GMA News

NDRRMC: Almost P80M aid given to families affected by TD Agaton, LPA

 News
Jan 272014
 
NDRRMC: Almost P80M aid given to families affected by TD Agaton, LPA

Nearly P80 million in assistance has been given to families in Visayas and Mindanao who were affected earlier this month by a low-pressure area that intensified into Tropical Depression Agaton (Lingling). The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said some P79,803,510.81 was extended by government agencies and non-government organizations. In its 6 a.m. update, the NDRRMC said a breakdown of the amount included: P40,154,571.21 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development P35,486,090.55 from local government units P2,059,685 from non-government and government organizations The NDRRMC indicated the assistance was given to residents of Regions 5, 10, 11, 12 and Caraga. As of Tuesday morning, the death toll from Agaton remained at 64, with 85 injured and 10 still missing. The NDRRMC said 244,344 families or 148,621 people were affected in 1,002 villages in 118 towns in 16 provinces. Of these, 21,062 families or 102,201 people were displaced and are staying in 228 evacuation centers. Damage was estimated at P509,905,686.72, including P256,413,750 in infrastructure and P253,491,936.72 in agriculture. —KG, GMA News

Lacson: Yolanda-hit areas rehabilitated before PNoy's term ends in June 2016

 News
Dec 012013
 
Lacson: Yolanda-hit areas rehabilitated before PNoy's term ends in June 2016

Fresh from being installed as the new “rehabilitation czar,” Sen. Panfilo Lacson on Monday assured that areas hit by super typhoon Yolanda would be rehabilitated within the next three years, before President Benigno Aquino III’s term ends.  Speaking to reporters at a “kapihan” at the Diamond Hotel in Manila, Lacson said he had already consulted with architects, egineers, urban planners, and lawyers, who told him that rehabilitating Visayas and other areas struck by Yolanda would be “difficult but doable.” “Sa 2016, iyon ang best efforts ko from nasa notes ko [during consultation with experts]. Puwede ba i-complete within the term of PNoy [Aquino]? Sabi nila [experts], doable,” said Lacson, who became Philippine National Police Chief during the presidential term of Joseph Estrada  before becoming a senator. “Siyempre hindi daw completely sure pero doable… If I can accomplish 85 or 90 percent, okay na iyon for me,” Lacson said. —KG, GMA News

PNoy ready to certify supplemental budget if needed

 News
Nov 212013
 
PNoy ready to certify supplemental budget if needed

If needed, Malacañang said President Benigno III will certify as urgent the measure seeking a supplemental budget. “Kung kinakailangan po ‘yun ay gagawin po ‘yun,” Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) head Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a press conference on Thursday. He was pertaining to Senate Bill 1938, filed a day after the Supreme Court declared the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional, which proposes a supplemental budget that will divide the PDAF among seven government agencies for reconstruction efforts in the wake of recent calamities that hit the country, including the deadly Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). On Thursday, Coloma said the executive branch is working with Congress and that they are “willing to do what is needed to get the job done.” “Kailangan lang malaman iyong magiging daloy ng prosesong ito sa magkabilang Kamara. We do not want also to preempt dahil po kinikilala natin iyong independence ng Kongreso,” he said. On Wednesday, the death toll from Yolanda breached the 4,000 mark. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said the number of fatalities stood at 4,011, with 18,557 injured and 1,602 still missing. —KG, GMA News

Filipino Muslims offer morning prayers to mark Eid'l Adha

 News
Oct 142013
 
Filipino Muslims offer morning prayers to mark Eid'l Adha

Muslim Filipinos gathered in public places early Tuesday to offer morning prayers to mark Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice). In Manila, some 20,000 Muslims gathered at the Quirino Grandstand to take part in morning prayers, radio dzBB’s Carlo Mateo reported. Morning prayers were offered as well at the Golden Mosque in Quiapo, the report said. In Quezon City, dzBB’s Allan Gatus reported Muslim families gathered at the Quezon Memorial Circle also to offer prayers.  Eid’l Adha is a Muslim celebration that honors the willingness of Ibrahim to obey Allah and sacrifice his son Isaac. It also marks the end of the hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca. —KG, GMA News

Plunder raps filed vs Napoles, three senators in pork scam

 News
Sep 162013
 
Plunder raps filed vs Napoles, three senators in pork scam

The Office of the Ombudsman received on Monday plunder raps against businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles and at least three senators said to have benefitted in the P10 billion pork barrel scam.  The accused lawmakers are Senators Ramon Revilla Jr., former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile and former Senate President Pro-Tempore Jinggoy Estrada. The Department of Justice and the National Bureau of Investigation submitted the complaint around 3:30 p.m on Monday.  The pork barrel scam was allegedly led by Napoles, who turned fugitive after a court ordered her arrest over serious illegal detention of her employee and main scam whistleblower Benhur Luy. She surrendered two weeks later. Napoles was accused of being behind questionable NGOs that implemented ghost projects using pork funds, also known as the Priority Development Assistance Fund. The funds were supposedly siphoned to the pockets of Napoles and lawmakers. Luy in a Senate hearing said the division could reach up to 50-50.  Napoles is detained at Fort Santo Domingo in Laguna. —KG, GMA News

Senate OKs bill postponing upcoming SK polls

 News
Sep 162013
 
Senate OKs bill postponing upcoming SK polls

The Senate on Monday approved the bill postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan polls scheduled this October. Nineteen senators voted for the postponement. No one objected to the bill, but Senator Vicente Sotto III abstained. On Tuesday, Sept. 3, the Senate committee on local government said it will recommend the postponement of the upcoming Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) elections, scheduled this October after it had a hearing with after a hearing with officials from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and local government officials.  The SK was created by the Local Government Code of 1991 to provide youth representation in government.  —KG, GMA News

Drilon: Senators can still report for work even while facing plunder raps

 News
Sep 162013
 
Drilon: Senators can still report for work even while facing plunder raps

Senators can still report for work and will not be automatically suspended even with a plunder complaint filed against them before the Office of the Ombudsman, Senate President Franklin Drilon said Monday. “They are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Remember, they are elected representatives,” Drilon said at a press briefing.  The Senate leader made this statement after the National Bureau of Investigation confrmed that Senators Juan Ponce Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. will be charged with plunder in connection with the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam. —KG, GMA News

PHL sends clear message to tusk dealers: We're not open for business

 News
Jun 202013
 
PHL sends clear message to tusk dealers: We're not open for business

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) spearheaded the crushing of over five tons of elephant tusks Friday at the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center in Quezon City in a strong message to local and international tusk dealers. Laid out in the center’s parking lot, the tusks were broken down using a backhoe. After this, a steamroller flattened what remained of the tusks estimated to be worth P40 million. The shattered remains of the tusks will then be taken to the Bureau of Animal Inudstry where a cremation process will ensure the total destruction of the tusks. —KG, 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