by magnolia_eic | Sep 26, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III will go to Hanoi on Oct. 28 to 30 to attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) Summit.
But prior to his attendance at the ASEAN Summit, the Chief Executive will first make a state visit to Vietnam upon the personal invitation of Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet.
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo said, in an interview in New York, that the President was originally scheduled to visit Vietnam last September 13-14 but the hostage crisis took place at the Quirino Grandstand last August 23, which forced the President to stay and attend to domestic problems.
Romulo said the two leaders talked about the ASEAN-US meeting that will take place this Friday (Sept. 24) and President Aquino, as the coordinator, just talked about their full agenda including the communiqué, which has been arranged by the senior officials.
He reported to the Vietnamese leader that President Aquino is looking forward to his visit to Hanoi in order to “deepen the relationship already existing between the two countries.”
The Vietnamese president also expressed his confidence in the celebration of the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Vietnam.
President Aquino said he expects to sign in Hanoi the agreements on higher education, defense, maritime issues and disaster coordination, including oil spill and natural calamities, Romulo added. (PCCO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 26, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) will conduct a “lifestyle check” on officials linked to jueteng after two whistleblowers released the names of government officials allegedly involved in the illegal numbers game.
At a news briefing, BIR commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares said the investigation will begin with the list of names disclosed at the Senate this week.
Retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz testified at a Senate hearing this week about government officials allegedly involved in jueteng.
Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago on the other hand, gave a privilege speech on Wednesday, naming persons allegedly involved in jueteng operations nationwide.
Henares said a lifestyle check could uncover information on whether the alleged government officials involved in jueteng are paying the proper taxes and where their money is coming from.
Department of Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, who was present during the briefing, said she will also check whether there are high-profile jueteng cases pending before the department. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 23, 2010 | Headlines, National News, World
President Benigno S. Aquino III is looking forward to meeting with heads of state and heads of government from around the world including United States President Barack Obama while he is in New York to attend the 65th United Nations Assembly (UNGA).
The President left Manila on Monday (Sept. 20) for his first foreign trip as the country’s Chief Executive.
In an interview upon his arrival in New York, the President said his attendance at the UNGA will give him the opportunity to meet with his counterparts “to be able to resolve a lot of issues and we can get better cooperation amongst the concerns, especially in ASEAN.”
Some 150 world leaders are attending the 65th UNGA.
The President also expressed hope that his proposed one-on-one meeting with President Barack Obama will push through.
According to the President, the proposed one-on-one meeting with Obama had yet to be confirmed. However, they will have a chance to meet when the US President meets the leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) during the 2nd US-ASEAN Leader’s Meeting.
The President will be the coordinator for the 2nd ASEAN-US Leaders meeting in New York as the Philippines is currently the Country Coordinator for ASEAN-US Dialogue relations for 2009-2012. (PCOO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 23, 2010 | Headlines, National News
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. said Tuesday the Palace legal team will assist President Benigno Aquino III “arrive at legally sound decisions” based on the report of the Independent Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC).
In the 83-page report, the IIRC has recommended the possible filing of administrative and criminal charges against 10 government officials and three media men and television networks in connection with the mishandling of the August 23 hostage incident at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila.
Ochoa, who along with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Eduardo de Mesa, has been tasked by the President to study the report, said the government’s legal team has started going over the IIRC recommendations since the Chief Executive made it public last Monday.
The Executive Secretary emphasized that the final decision remains with President Aquino.
“The President, after going through the report and our input, will have the final say as to what sanctions to be imposed on those found liable,” Ochoa said.
The President directed the legal team to specifically study the recommendations and specific charges to be filed against government and police officials, as well as media personalities and TV networks that were named in the report by the IIRC members.
The Executive Secretary clarified the role of the President’s legal team is to help the President understand “the legal nuances concerning the IIRC report.” (PCOO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 22, 2010 | Headlines, National News
GISUGYOT sa mga pribadong tambalanan sa Department of Health (DOH) niadtong Lunes nga e-deklara ang dengue epidemic tungod sa nagkasakang kaso sa dengue sa tibuok nasud ning tuiga.
Matud pa sa presidente sa Private Hospitals Association of the Philippines (PHAP) nga si Rustico Jimenez, ang paghimo sa deklarasyon makapa-aghat sa publiko nga mas magpakabana mahitungod sa kakuyaw sa sakit nga dengue.
Si Jimenez nagkanayon nga daghan pang mga Pinoy ang wala pa nagpakabana mahitungod sa maong sakit.
Sa kinatibuk-an, aduna nay 77,012 ka kaso sa dengue, apil na sa 543 nga nangamatay, ang natala gikan Enero 1 hangtud Setyembre 4 ning tuiga.
Samtang ang DOH, nisalikway sa pag-deklara og epidemic o state of calamity tungod kay ang ubang probinsya nitala og nagka-ubos nga kaso sa dengue, matud pa ni Dr. Eric Tayag, ang director sa National Epidemiology Center.
Gidugang ni Tayag nga mamahimo lamang mag-deklara kon adunay mga kondisyon sama sa: ang mga tawo nga nagka-dengue dili na matambalan sulod sa ilang panimalay tungod sa ka grabehon sa maong sakit; daghang nangamatay tungod sa maong sakit; ang mga tambalanan dili na makapasulod sa mga pasyente tungod sa kadaghan; ug grabeng pagkatap sa sakit nga dengue sa tanang lungsod.
Ang presidente sa PHAP planong makighisgut niining maong isyo sa mga opisyal sa DOH. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 22, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday expressed optimism the report of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) on the tragic Aug. 23 hostage incident will restore confidence to the existing bilateral relationship between the Philippines and the People’s Republic of China (PROC).
The President stressed that the findings would also provide an accurate message to Beijing that his administration is taking appropriate actions to prevent such tragedy from happening again.
He also said the high-level mission to be headed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo will definitely push through to personally bring the IIRC findings and reiterate the government’s sincere apology over the incident.
The Philippine government has already furnished the Chinese Embassy a copy of the IIRC probe and the complete report will be published on the government’s Official Gazette at www.gov.ph.
To further strengthen the cases recommended by the IIRC, the President also announced he has directed Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and Presidential Legal Counsel Ed de Mesa to review the report before he acts on the committee’s recommendation. (PCCO/PIA)
