by magnolia_eic | May 12, 2011 | Headlines, National News
THE House of Representatives will resume the debate on the Reproductive Health (RH) bill,
also known as the Responsible Parenthood (RP) bill, next week.
Minority leader Edcel Lagman, principal author and sponsor of the bill, said the bill would
likely be taken up in plenary on Tuesday. He said they have conducted a “vote mapping” and
are confident of getting the bill approved by the majority.
He hopes the House would vote on the bill before Congress adjourns again on June 9.
The bill’s strongest critic, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), pulled
out of the dialogue with Malacañang on the bill the other day because of President Aquino’s
strong support for its passage into law. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | May 12, 2011 | Headlines, National News
AS part of the Aquino administration’s commitment to provide quality education, Malacañang
announced the release of P7-billion budget for the construction and repair of 8,997
classrooms in preparation for the opening of classes this June.
In a regular news briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson
Abigail Valte said the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has already released
the funds for the construction and repair of schools in several parts of the country.
“The targeted 8,997 classrooms are expected to accommodate around 404,865 students,”
Valte told reporters.
Quality education, the Palace stressed, is a vital tool for national development and social
change.
Meanwhile, Valte said funds are already available to help the victims of typhoon Bebeng that
hit the country recently.
“The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has prepositioned P3.38
million standby funds and P32.41 million worth of relief supplies in all DSWD field offices
along the path of Typhoon Bebeng,” Valte stressed.
Valte further said the DSWD have deployed its social workers to help assist the local-based
social workers in managing the evacuation centers.
The food supplies are ready for distribution to local government units (LGUs) that maybe
affected by the weather disturbance. (PCOO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | May 12, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Tagbilaran City, May 11 (PIA) – Imbestigahan sa Senado ang giingong anomalya sa paggamit sa
pondo sa Department of Health (DOH) sa milabay nga administrasyon.
Kini ang gipahayag ni Senador Vicente Sotto III nga maoy nibutyag sa giingong iregularidad sa iyang
privilege speech sa Senado kagahapon.
Matud pa ni Sotto nga susihon sa mga Senador ang mahitungod sa P423 milyong gipagawas sa
DOH alang sa maternal and child health and nutrition program nga giingong wala nadawat sa ilang
beneficiary.
Gikuwestyon usab ni Sotto kun nganong kinahanglan pang mohimo og balaod alang sa reproductive
health nga aduna man unta’y P3 bilyong budget na ang DOH alang sa strategic plan on family
planning.
Samtang kampante si kanhi Health Secretary ug karon Civil Service Commission (CSC) Chairperson
Francisco Duque nga mapasabot ra ang giingong anomalya sa multi-milyong pisong pondo ng DOH
alang sa mga programang maayong panglawas sa mga local goverment unit (LGU) sa panahon sa
iyang pagdumala.
Sa pakighinabi sa radyo, niingon si Duque nga report lamang sa Commission on Audit (COA) ang
kaatbang niini aron makita kun giunsa paggasto ang pondo sa DOH ubos sa iyang pagdumala.
Giingong nakaseguro siya’ng adunay na-audit ang COA alang sa tuig 2008 hangtud 2010 bisan sa
records of disbursement sa regional DOH nga maoy nagpagawas sa pondo sa mga LGU.
Unang gibutyag ni Sotto sa iyang privilege speech kagahapon nga miabot sa P423 milyon ang
gipagawas nga pondo sa DOH alang sa usa ka programa apan giingong wala kini nadawat sa mga
beneficiary. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by magnolia_eic | May 12, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Tagbilaran City, May 11 (PIA) – Nauyonan sa legal team sa Malakanyang nga moduso una og tulo
ka consolidated motion for reconsideration sa Sandiganbayan sa dili pa moapela sa Korte Suprema
kalabot sa gihimong pag-aprubar sa anti-graft court sa plea bargaining agreement tali sa Office of the
Ombudsman ug ni kanhi Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Comptroller retired Major General
Carlos Garcia.
Matud pa ni Solicitor General Anselmo Cadiz nga gamiton una nila ang tanang legal nga remedyo sa
Sandiganbayan aron kwestyunon ang desisyon niini sa dili pa sila mosaka sa Korte Suprema tungod
kay kun dili kini nila buhaton, mahimong ibasura lamang ang ilang petisyon.
Gipahayag ni Cadiz nga apil sa ilang kuwestyunong desisyon ang gihimong pagpalig-on sa
Sandiganbayan sa Garcia plea deal, pagbasura sa motion for intervention sa Office of the Solicitor
General (OSG) ug pagbasura sa motion for inhibition kang Sandiganbayan Presiding Justice Edilberto
Sandoval.
Mahinomduman nga gi-aprubahan sa Sandiganbayan ang plea bargaining agreement diin ipaule ni
Garcia sa gobyerno ang P135 milyon ug mosulod kini sa guilty plea sa kasong irect bribery nga mas
ubos sa kasong plunder nga gipasaka batok niya. (PIA-Bohol/ecb)
by magnolia_eic | May 12, 2011 | Headlines, National News
THE Vatican announced on Tuesday the appointment of Italian Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto as
the new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines.
CBCPNews, the official news service provider of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the
Philippines (CBCP), reported that Archbishop Pinto would replace Archbishop Edward Joseph
Adams, who has been transferred to Greece.
Pinto’s appointment was officially announced in Rome on May 10 at noon.
Pinto was born on May 26, 1952 and was ordained as a priest on April 1, 1978. He is a native of
Bari, Italy.
The 58-year-old prelate holds a doctorate in Canon Law and is fluent in four languages – French,
English and Spanish aside from his native Italian.
Archbishop Pinto will be the 16th in the line of apostolic delegates and apostolic nuncios to the
Philippines. (PIA)
