Jul 222013
 
After being scolded by PNoy, Customs chief Biazon offers resignation

(Updated 1:43 a.m., 23 July 2013) Customs Commissioner Ruffy Biazon on Monday night said he “offered” his resignation from government, following President Benigno Aquino III’s statement against the Bureau of Customs during his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). Aquino, however, did not accept his resignation, Biazon tweeted. The Bureau of Customs (BOC) was one of the three government agencies berated by the President in his mid-term SONA. The other two were the Bureau of Immigration, whose head Ricardo David resigned last week, and the National Irrigation Administration. Later, Biazon expounded more on the matter through both his Facebook account and his blog. He thanked the President for his appreciation of the difficulties involved in trying to reform the BOC, recalling that he took on the commissioner’s job “motivated by the President’s will and vision to reform the entire government, which makes it possible to the break the ‘kalakaran’ which has ruled Customs for generations.” However, ever present was the possibility a failure which would leave him “frustrated and damaged.” Also, after he had offered his resignation, Biazon said that he received reactions and advice through social media. Some of the feedback asked him to stay at his post, while others advised him to resign despite the President’s message of confidence. The matter is still up in the air, according to Biazon. He remains on the job, but “all of these I have to absorb and process.” Meanwhile, during an interview on Monday night’s episode of GMA News TV’s Read More …

Jul 202013
 
Bishops want to hear PNoy tackle graft, pork, economic growth in SONA

As they join Filipinos in listening to President Benigno Aquino’s State of the Nation Address on Monday, Catholic bishops particularly want to hear Aquino tackle his administration’s actions on economic growth and graft. The bishops also said they want to learn what Aquino will do to curb corruption stemming from lawmakers’ pork barrel funds. President Aquino has so far kept mum on what he will discuss in his SONA. “I hope to hear from you on this, on your next SONA,” Digos Bishop Guillermo Afable said in a July 18 letter to Aquino, excerpts of which were posted on the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines news site. He was referring to an alleged P10-billion scam involving the pork of lawmakers supposedly going to dummy non-government organizations. Afable urged Aquino to use his political influence to end the “despicable” practice, saying the Filipino people “deserve better than this.” “It’s about time you come out clean with this and put an end to this shameful practice,” he said in his letter to Aquino. “I know you and your Cabinet will find a more creative, but just and ethical way of bringing the government closer to the people,” he added. For his part, Cubao Bishop Honesto Ongtioco said poor Filipinos have yet to feel the economic growth the government claimed to have accomplished. “The benefits of a good economy should trickle down to the poor and unemployed. As of now the poor and many people do not feel the good economy,” a Read More …

Jul 202013
 
PAGASA: Rain over Ilocos, Mimaropa, Vis-Min on SONA eve

Rain is expected over parts of Ilocos and Mimaropa and over Visayas and Mindanao on Sunday, the eve of President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address, state weather forecasters said. In its 5 a.m. bulletin, PAGASA said the rain is partly due to the inter-tropical convergence zone across Mindanao. “Visayas and Mindanao and the regions of Ilocos and Mimaropa will experience cloudy skies with light to moderate rain showers and thunderstorms,” it said. PAGASA said Metro Manila and the rest of the Luzon will be “partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.” Earlier, PAGASA had said the weather may improve during the weekend following the exit of Tropical Storm Isang (Cimaron). Sunday outlook Meanwhile, PAGASA said moderate to strong winds from the southwest to southeast will prevail over the western section of Luzon and its coastal waters will be moderate to rough. Elsewhere, winds will be light to moderate coming from the southwest to southeast with slight to moderate seas. Rain over NCR Monday However, PAGASA’s extended outlook indicated there may be rain showers and thunderstorms over Metro Manila on Monday. Aquino is to deliver his SONA at the Batasan Complex before a joint session of Congress Monday afternoon. Several groups are expected to hold mass actions near the venue.  — ELR, GMA News

Jul 122013
 
Comelec may proclaim three more party-lists before SONA

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) may proclaim three more winning party-lists in the May 13 elections before President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22. “Before SONA preferably, sabi ko, matapos namin ‘yan ng July 19,” said Comelec chairman Sixto Brillantes Jr. in an interview Friday. He noted that there are still five seats that have yet to be filled up, including three that were reserved for Senior Citizens and one for Abang Lingkod. Both have pending cases before the Supreme Court regarding their disqualification. “Pinapakuha na namin mga ballot boxes para mabilang na dito [Comelec office in Manila], para ma-proclaim na namin ‘yung tatlo. Matatapos siguro ‘yan before (July) 22,” Brillantes said. The party-list system is a proportional mode of representation in Congress, which means the number of seats is based on the number of votes per party-list. Party-lists that got two percent of total votes cast are guaranteed a seat. Those that got more than two percent may get additional seats, based on the Comelec’s formula on seat allocation. Senior Citizens, in the Comelec’s 10th partial tally, got 677,642 votes, which guarantee it two seats, while Abang Lingkod got 260,215 votes, equivalent to one seat. Although the An Waray group has been proclaimed winner and awarded two seats, its second Certificate of Proclamation has yet to be issued pending the high court’s decision on the cases of Senior Citizens and Abang Lingkod. — KBK, GMA News 

Jun 082013
 
Palace: Aquino’s speechwriters still working on SONA outline

President Benigno Aquino III’s State of the Nation Address for 2013 is still in its early stages, with speechwriters still working on the outline as of Saturday, Malacañang said. On state-run dzRB radio, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) and Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras are collating data from concerned agencies. “Between now and SONA, apart from the daily briefings (and) the daily work the president will be engaging, there will be opportunities to meet with speechwriters, Cabinet members and the Cabinet Secretary to discuss the SONA,” he said. He added the PMS is responsible for tracking the promises Aquino had made when he assumed office in 2010. It will assess “what we delivered and what we still need to deliver,” he added. Citing updates from communications undersecretary Manuel Quezon III, he said this year’s SONA has undergone at least two outline revisions. “Wala pa ang talumpati (We have not started work on the speech itself),” he said. On July 22, Aquino is to deliver his SONA before members of the 16th Congress at the Batasan complex in Quezon City. The Official Gazette website said the SONA is a “constitutional obligation,” and stems from Article VII, Section 23 of the 1987 Constitution. Under that provision, the president “shall address the Congress at the opening of its regular session,” it said. “Moreover, Article VI, Section 15 prescribes that the Congress ‘shall convene once every year on the fourth Monday of July for its regular session,’” it added. Read More …