by magnolia_eic | Aug 2, 2010 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino III on Sunday ordered Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. and the heads of three other government agencies to look into the cancellation of 11 flights by the Philippine Air Lines last Friday after several of its pilots reportedly resigned from
their posts.
The Chief Executive said he had tasked the Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC), Department of Labor and Employment (DoLE), Department of Justice (DoJ) as well as the Executive Secretary to get to the bottom of this issue.
“The Executive Secretary together with the Secretary of the DoTC (Department of Transportation and Communication) and at the minimum the DoLE (Department of Labor and Employment) Secretary and probably the DoJ Secretary also will be sitting down with the (Philippine Air Lines) management and Airline Pilot Association of the Philippines tomorrow,” the President said.
The President pointed out that the group will be conducting two separate meetings “to address the situation and provide everybody with solutions.”
The President reminded PAL and the pilots of their obligations to the flying public.
“PAL, for instance, has obligations when they secured the franchise to operate this public conveyance. The pilots also have obligations. This is of course being studied.
The President meanwhile seriously took note of the disruption caused to “our tourist and to other aspects of the economy that would need their services.”
“If this is not warranted, then, they lay themselves also open to appropriate charges. Hopefully, we will be able to come up with a resolution, so that the riding public is not inconvenienced and the economy does not suffer because of this,” he added. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 30, 2010 | National News
Manila, Philippines — A moderate earthquake has struck the Mindoro Island Friday morning around 150 kilometers south of Metro Manila.
The quake was measured at 4.6 by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs). It occurred at 8:22 a.m., with the epicenter estimated at 24 kilometers southeast of Mamburao, Mindoro Occidental.
Click here for full article from Inquirer
by magnolia_eic | Jul 30, 2010 | Headlines, National News
Manila, Philippines — The Supreme Court has ruled that the sugar mill in the plantation owned by President Aquino’s family had acted in “bad faith” when it’s workers 13th month pay was reduced following the violent strike that resulted to the death of 14 people.
In a July 26 unanimous decision released yesterday, the court’s second division ordered Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT) to honor its long-established formula in computing the bonus.
Observing that the benefit enjoyed for over 30 years was only reduced after the violent strike that happened in 2004, the Supreme Court declared that “this act of petitioner in changing the formula at this time cannot be sanctioned as it indicates a badge of bad faith”.
Click here for full article from Inquirer
by magnolia_eic | Jul 30, 2010 | Headlines, National News
Manila, Philippines — President Benigno Aquino III has signed the executive order reorganizing the Office of the Press Secretary into the Communications Group (ComGroup). This is to be headed jointly by two secretaries with Cabinet rank.
The two secretaries will have separate budgets which will be defended during the budget deliberations in Congress this year.
Secretary Herminio Coloma said the EO formally establishing the ComGroup has already been signe by the president but will have to be assigned a number still, adding that the records office still has to complete the process.
Click here for full article from Inquirer
by magnolia_eic | Jul 29, 2010 | Headlines, National News
Manila, Philippines– In a visit to the 24th anniversary of the Philippine Star, President Benigno Aquino III has bared that negotiations for the lease of the Navy’s major facilities on Roxas Boulevard and in Taguig City for private commercial development in order to raise funds for the fleet’s modernization are already in its advanced stages.
He also said the private developer is willing to give an initial $100 million as goodwill money, enough for the Philippine Navy to purchase four new ships to patrol the country’s 36,000 nautical miles of coastline. He noted that the Navy currently has 32 ships in its fleet, and most of these vessels are older than him. Mr. Aquino is 50 years old. The President has refused to name the developer until the deal has been finalized.
Such lease proposal has been mentioned by President Aquino during his State of the Nation Address.
In response to President Aquino’s announcement, Philippine Navy Spokesman Lt. Col. Edgard Arevalo said
“The Philippine Navy welcomes this development,” adding that the Navy needs to modernize, but has no money, such that alternative sources of funding are needed.
Click here for full story from The Philippine Star
by magnolia_eic | Jul 29, 2010 | Headlines, National News
FORMER Marine Col. Ariel Querubin walked free from his detention cell Wednesday noon, more than four years after figuring in a failed attempt to overthrow the administration of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
Armed Forces of the Philippines Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David signed on Tuesday night the detained official’s provisional release papers.
AFP spokesman Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta said Querubin will still have to attend all the hearings in his general court martial, even as he stressed Querubin cannot leave the country.
He will be placed under the custody of Brigadier General Reynaldo Ordoñez, head of the AFP’s Defense Reform Office.
Querubin was deemed retired from the military service after he ran but lost for senator in the May 10 elections under the Nacionalista Party.
He had been detained at Camp Aguinaldo, facing trial before a military tribunal for a charge of mutiny in connection with his group’s plot to march and subsequently withdraw their support from then President Arroyo in February 2006. (PIA-Bohol)
