by magnolia_eic | Jul 15, 2010 | Headlines, National News
UP College of Law dean Marvic Leonen will be the government’s chief negotiator in the resumption of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), Malacanang announced Thursday.
President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who is currently in Tuguegarao City to visit the wake of soldiers killed in action, said in a statement that he is committed to a consultative peace process so he has appointed Leonen — who he said understands the country’s history, different cultures, and aspirations — to head the government panel that will negotiate with the secessionist group.
Leonen, a constitutional expert who specializes in land issues, has taken part in convening a consortium of universities, many of which were from Mindanao, to examine the next phase of the peace process under the new administration.
Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles said Leonen has “earned the respect of the peoples in Mindanao” because of his efforts to engage the academe and marginalized sectors and communities in resolving issues.
Leonen has worked on issues involving agrarian reform, access to justice, ancestral domain, health, environment, and international economic law. He said he will remain the dean of the UP College of Law despite his new role as the government’s chief negotiator with the MILF so UP can act as “a public service university.” (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 14, 2010 | Headlines, National News, Weather Coverage
TYPHOON Basyang (international codename Conson) ripped through the main Philippine island, leaving a trail of wreckage in Manila and sweeping shanties into the sea, officials and witnesses said Wednesday.
The Office of Civil Defense said 19 fishermen from the eastern island of Catanduanes had failed to return home and were missing at sea after the typhoon hit the area late Tuesday.
There were no immediate reports of fatalities but communication systems were down amid the chaos of the typhoon’s aftermath, and disaster relief officials were still trying to determine the extent of the damage.
Electricity was knocked out throughout the main island of Luzon, including the country’s capital where fallen tree branches and other debris littered the streets.
Manila’s overhead railway system was also shut down due to the power outage. Knee-high floods and fallen trees were still blocking some roads in and around the capital, obstructing traffic.
The government called off classes at grade and high school levels in Manila.
Several flights in and out of Manila were cancelled as the typhoon was passing but airport officials said their operations had returned to normal after the storm passed.
Basyang, packing maximum gusts of 120 kilometers (74 miles) an hour, hit the eastern side of Luzon late Tuesday and crossed the island before exiting before dawn Wednesday, heading west into the South China Sea at 22 kilometers an hour. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 14, 2010 | Headlines, National News
IN his first command conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) held on Monday, President Benigno Aquino III ordered the military to crush enemies of the state while adhering to international human rights regulations.
The modernization of the AFP is also on President Aquino’s priority list.
But since there is lack of funds, the President is studying proposals to lease 130 hectares of land under by the AFP.
Aquino said the modernization should go along with the payment of benefits to families of soldiers killed in the line of duty and the recruitment of new soldiers.
The commander-in-chief also gave an advice to military officers who may have been demoralized by the major revamp at the AFP.
Aquino said any complaint should be brought to the AFP’s grievance system.
The past administration was hounded by allegations its security forces were involved in human rights abuses.
The new administration wants to change that image, believing the AFP can achieve victory over its enemies by upholding human rights. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 14, 2010 | Headlines, National News
THE economic team of President Aquino can help the country attract more investors because its
members have proven track records in their own areas of expertise, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) said.
In a statement, the PCCI said President Aquino’s choices for the heads of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), Department of Finance (DOF), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Bureau of Customs (BOC), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), and Department of Agriculture (DA) would boost business and investor confidence as they are noted to have vast experience in providing long-term policy solutions and sound advice on issues such as the budget deficit, revenue collection, infrastructure development, bureaucratic red tape and corruption.
“PCCI is indeed pleased with the roster of the President Aquino’s economic team. It is our great desire to work closely with them to ensure that the interest of the private sector, more so the small and medium entrepreneurs are reflected on the table,” PCCI president Francis Chua said.
PCCI said they approve of the appointments of NEDA Director General Cayetano Parenga, Jr., Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Trade Chief Gregory Domingo, BOC Commissioner Lito Alvarez, BIR head Kim Henares, and DA secretary Proceso Alcala.
The largest business organization in the country has pledged its support for President Aquino’s economic team, citing the group’s track record in managing the country’s foremost economic and business concerns. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 10, 2010 | Business, Headlines, National News
PRICES of major commodities may peak sometime in the third quarter following a slowdown in June, but it is still possible that full-year inflation may be lower than the 4.7 percent average forecast, the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) said on Thursday.
“We already lowered our forecast (during the last monetary policy stance meeting) to 4.7 percent from 5.1 percent. We may lower it again on the next meeting. We will study the data we have,” BSP Gov. Amando Tetangco said.
At the start of the year, the BSP said that inflation for this year would be within the target range of 3.5 percent to 5.5 percent, and set a forecast average of 4.7 percent for the full year.
But the BSP is not counting out the possibility of inflation going higher in the coming months even if it went down to 3.9 percent in June.
On Tuesday, the National Statistics Office said the headline inflation rate decelerated to 3.9 percent in June from 4.3 percent in May, further bolstering the central bank’s view that inflation this year will be “fairly safe.”
“June inflation at 3.9 percent is just a tad above the lower end of our forecast range for the month and nearly half a percentage point lower than the level in May of 4.3 percent. This inflation path therefore puts the full year inflation targets for 2010 and 2011 fairly safe,” Tetangco said. (PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Jul 10, 2010 | Headlines, National News
NAGTUO nga makab-ot ang hustisya ubos sa bag-ong administrasyon, si Marine Captain Nicanor Faeldon ni ingon nga andam siyang mo atubang sa mutiny ug mga kasong rebilyon nga gipasaka batok niya.
Sa usa ka press conference sa Antipolo City diin gi presenta si Faeldon, nagkanayon kini nga ni surrender siya sa mga otoridad tungod kay nagtuo siya nga makab-ot dili lamang niya, apan apil usab sa iyang mga kauban nga nag-atubang usab sa susamang mga kaso, ang hustisya ubos sa administrasyon ni President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III.
Si Faeldon nagtuo nga ang bag-ong administrasyon dili manghilabot sa atong justice system.
Matud pa sa tigpamaba sa Armed Forces nga si Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta nga anaa na sa administrasyong Aquino kon hatagan ba og amnesty si Faeldon ug ang ubang mga sundalo nga ni surrender usab ngadto sa militar.
Si Faeldon ni surrender ngadto sa Marine Corps niadtong Hulyo 6, 2010 ug ni atubang sa mga tigbalita atol sa press conference sa Antipolo City human sa duha ka adlaw.
Nag atubang si Faeldon og mga kaso sa civilian ug military courts tungod sa giingong partisipasyon niini sa duha ka higayon nga pagsulay sa pagpukan sa administrasyon ni kanhi President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. (PIA-Bohol)
