PNoy: May limitasyon ang mga katungod

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 30 (PIA)–GITUMBOK ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III nga may limitasyon ang matag katungod sa tawo sama sa freedom of speech.

Atubangan kini sa gipahamtang nga ‘guilty’ kang Carlos Celdran nga may silot nga duha ka buwan nga pagkabilanggo tungod sa pag-rally sulod mismo sa simbahan.

Matud pa ni Presidente Aquino, angay ikonsiderar ang angay isulti ug kun unsaon kini pagpadayag kalabot sa usa ka hisgotanan.

Dugang pa sa Presidente, nakisimpatiya siya sa posisyon ni Celdran sa RH Bill, apan dili siya pabor sa iyang pamaagi sa pagpadayag.

Apan nanghinaot usab ang Presidente nga pasayluon na lamang sa simbahan si Celdran ug makapag-move on na gikan sa maong panghitabo.

“Well, I may sympathize with Mr. Celdran’s position. Perhaps ‘yong methodology during a mass baka we don’t agree with it. At the same time, siguro kung tutularan ‘nung ating kaparian, ating mga religious, ‘yong ehemplo mismo ng (Santo) Papa at maraming (Santo) Papa, palagay ko lalabas naman ‘yong Christian generosity and charity at baka naman mapatawad naman nila si Ginoong Celdran para naman, ‘di ba, puwede na tayong umusad mula doon sa panahon na ‘yon,” matud pa ni Presidente Aquino. (PIA-Bohol/ebc/p-gg)

Comelec, nipasidaan batok sa peke nga gun ban exemption permit

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 30 (PIA)–NIPASIDAAN ang Commission on Elections (Comelec) batok sa giingong pagkuyanap sa mga pekeng gun ban exemption permits nga mapalit sa kantidad nga P1,200.

Matud pa ni Comelec Commissionner Elias Yusoph, chairman sa Committee on the Ban on Firearms and Security Personnel, may niabot sa iyang impormasyon kalabot sa exemption permits nga nagdala sa iyang lagda.

Gitataw niini nga sa orihinal nga permit, dili lamang siya ang nakalagda, apan apil na silang Chief Superintendent Miguel Antonio Jr. sa Philippine National Police (PNP) ug General Rodelio Santos sa Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

Migamit usab ang Comelec og security paper nga adunay watermark sa komisyon.

Pasidaan pa ni Yusoph, pasakaan og kaso nga falsification of public document ang bisan kinsang masakpan nga nagkupot sa pekeng gun ban exemption permit ug mahimong mabilanggo og unom hangtud 12 ka tuig. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-gg)

Malakanyang, nanawagan sa mga mall operators nga hugtan pa ang ilang seguridad

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 29 (PIA)–NANAWAGAN ang Malakanyang sa pamunuan sa mga mall sa nasud nga hugtan pa ang ilang seguridad human sa nahitabong tulis sa SM Megamall niadtong Sabado.

Matud pa ni Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, kinahanglang repasuhon ang pagpatuman og seguridad sa mga mall aron maseguro nga walay makalusot nga pusil o bisan unsang klase sa armas ilabi na nga gipatuman karon ang election gun ban.

“I think the SM management should take stock of the security measures that they have in their own malls. And that goes not only for SM. It also goes for all the other mall operators.”

“We would like to appeal to the mall operators to study their security measures and make sure that the security equipment that they have installed in their premises do in fact detect the presence of firearms.”

Kahinumdoman nga bisan walay naangol sa giingong pagpamusil sa mga kawatan nga mi-atake sa jewelry store sa SM Megamall niadtong Sabado, nagdala ang maong insidente og tensyon sa mga mamamalit didto. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-sjp)

NDRRMC, red alert status sa SoKor rocket launch

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 29 (PIA)–GIBUTANG na sa red alert status sa National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) ang tanang disaster operation centers (DOCs) tungod sa ikatulong satellite launch sa South Korea.

Target sa South Korea nga buhian ang ikatulo niining Science and Technology Satellite-2 (STSAT-2) gikan sa Naro Space Center sa Goheung, Jeollanam-do ugma, Miyerkules, Enero 30 hangtud Pebrero 8.

Base sa taho sa NDRRMC, gikan ang impormasyon sa Office of Asian and Pacific Affairs sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

Dungan niini, ipatuman usab ang no sail, no fly ug no fishing zone policy.

Padayon usab nga tutokan sa mga hingtungdang ahensya sa gobyerno ang maong satellite launch. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-gg)

DBM releases P4.8-B pension for PNP retirees Electronic payments to ensure efficiency and transparency

THE Department of Budget and Management announced the release of P4.83 billion to cover the retirement benefits of 54,660 retirees of the Philippine National Police (PNP), which has made the switch from check to electronic payments for monthly pension releases.

The total release will support pension payments for retired policemen from January to March 2013.

“Even as we aim to give proper budgetary support to our retired policemen, we also want to ensure that their pension payments are made in a transparent and accountable way. Our transition to electronic payments for distributing the monthly pension allows us to preserve the accuracy and timeliness of the pension payments, so that retirees can claim their set monthly payments more quickly and efficiently,” Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad said.

Abad also said that the use of Automated Teller Machine (ATM) for pension payments—instead of the traditional check payment—has enabled the government to weed out fictitious or “ghost” entries from the PNP pensioner database. He added that electronic banking will also prevent fraudulent accounts, since the creation of an ATM account will require a personal appearance and valid identification documents from a prospective account holder.

As of December 31, 2012, the PNP has documented 63,465 retirees, of which 54,660 entries have already been verified and enrolled in ATM accounts with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LANDBANK). Aside from the PNP, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) have also transitioned to the use of ATM for pension benefits release.

The move to ATM pension releases is part of the Aquino administration’s drive for improved transparency and efficiency in government transactions. The country’s digitization reforms were recently hailed in the Better Than Cash (BTC) Alliance High-Level Panel Discussion, which was held in January 23 during the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

“More than ever, we need to lay down the necessary structures for transparency, accountability, and openness in the way we handle public funds. With digital technology now at our disposal, it will be easier for us to track and monitor all transactions within the bureaucracy. This doesn’t just lead to faster transactions, liquidation, and auditing—it also helps us ensure that every peso spent by government will not be wasted on corruption, but will instead benefit the ordinary taxpayer in a real, immediate, and substantial fashion,” Abad said. (DBM)

Malacañang urges mall operators to review security measures to ensure safety of patrons

MALACAÑANG appealed on Monday to all mall operators to review their respective security measures and ensure that these conform to strict monitoring and detection protocols in order to prevent the entry of firearms and other illegal weapons into their premises.

Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued the appeal in light of the recent robbing of a jewelry store at the ground floor of the SM Megamall Department store in Mandaluyong City last Saturday.

Speaking to reporters during his regular press conference in Malacanang, Lacierda said mall operators should conduct this strict review in close coordination with the Philippine National Police to “reassure the public that patronizing their malls is a safe weekend venture to go to.”

“In that regard, we would like to appeal to the mall operators to study their security measures and make sure that the security equipment that they have installed in their premises does in fact detect the presence of firearms,” Lacierda said.

“What they have to study (is) their security features again and try to see (if) there was a failure of security measures undertaken by the mall operators, in the hope that they can reassure the public that patronizing their malls is a safe weekend venture to go to,” he added.

Lacierda said it was important to maintain the safety within malls and other centers of recreation as “there’s an emphasis on gathering in malls in spite of the fact that these are… These malls have assumed a quasi-public character where, despite being owned privately, people do patronize malls and spend their weekends in malls whether they’re buying (something) or not..” (PND)

PNoy thanks IMF Managing Dir. Christine Lagarde for her confidence in the PH

PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III thanked International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde for her confidence in the Philippines during their meeting on the sidelines of the President’s attendance to the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

President Aquino met with Lagarde on Thursday evening (Swiss time). The meeting took about 40 minutes, according to Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang.

“It was basically a courtesy call; they exchanged pleasantries. Ms. Lagarde informed the President that the IMF had upgraded the growth projections for the Philippines,” Carandang told members of the Philippine media in Davos, Switzerland.

“They (IMF) said that based on their analysis, things were looking very positive for the Philippines, and that they were confident that the growth targets could be attained, given the momentum that we‘ve had,” he added.

IMF has raised its economic growth forecast for the Philippines for 2013 to 6 percent from 4.8 percent.

Carandang said IMF increased its 2013 forecast for the country because “they expect growth to be faster than they initially expected.” He said that President Aquino, in turn, thanked Lagarde for her confidence in the Philippines.

During their meeting, President Aquino shared his government’s efforts to bring about growth through wise spending of government expenditures and leveling the playing field to encourage more investors, said Carandang.

The Secretary said the President also commended the IMF chief. “Ms. Lagarde has a tough job because it is her job to convince world leaders to make difficult choices. He commended her for being able to do that in such an effective way,” he said.

Also present in the meeting were Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Secretary Cesar Purisima, Secretary Gregory Domingo, Secretary Rene Almendras and Secretary Arsenio Balisacan. (PND)

Kasambahay bill, balaod na human gilagdaan ni PNoy

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, Jan. 25 (PIA)–HINGPIT nang balaod ang Kasambahay Bill nga maghatag og proteksyon ug benepisyo sa mga household helpers human gilagdaan ni Presidente Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III ang Republic Act 10361 o “An Act Instituting Policies for the Protection and Welfare of Domestic Workers”.

Ang Kasambahay Bill nga kaniadto pang Disyembre 2012 napasar sa Kongreso, gilagdaan sa Presidente niadtong Enero 18.

Matud pa ni Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abegail Valte, nalangan ang pagpadala sa Malakanyang tungod kay gikinahanglan pa kining mo-agi sa mga proseso sa dili pa moabot sa buhatan sa Presidente.

Ubos sa maong balaod, makadawat og P2,500 nga minimum nga suholan ang mga katabang sa National Capital Region (NCR), P2,000 sa mga chartered cities ug first class municipalities, samtang P1,500 usab sa ubang syudad ug kalungsoran.

Obligado na usab ang mga amo nga mohatag og 13th month pay sa ilang katabang kun usa ka tuig na kining nanilbihan ug lima ka adlaw nga leave with pay sulod sa usa ka tuig.

Ang mga employer kinahanglan sa usab nga adunay kontrata sa mga katabang ug ipatala ang pangalan niini sa barangay.

Angay usab nga hatagan og mga social benefit ang mga katabang sama sa Social Security System, PhilHealth ug Pag-IBIG FUND.

Gidili na usab ang pagkuha og katabang nga ang mga edad naa sa 15 anyos paubos.

Epektibo na sa Pebrero 3 ang pagpatuman niining bag-ong balaod human kini gilagdaan sa Presidente niadtong Enero 18 ug i-post sa Official Gazette diin 15 ka adlaw lang ang gikinahanglan aron mahimong epektibo kini.

Gibanabanang naa sa 2.9 milyong domestic workers sa tibuok nasud nga gilangkoban sa mga yaya, cook, labandera, hardinero ug family driver ang makapahimos sa bag-ong balaod. (PIA-Bohol/ecb/i-hd)