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 18, 2010 | Headlines, National News
President Benigno S. Aquino III bared on Thursday that two additional funding sources to
increase the coverage of the government’s poverty alleviation program, the Kapit Bisig Laban
sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive Integrated Delivery of Social Services (Kalahi-Cidss) to include
1.3-million more Filipino families.
The President said the new funding sources are part of the administration’s renewed drive to
garner more funding sources through public-private partnerships.
Without specifying an amount, the President said the World Bank had agreed to provide
fresh funds for the Kalahi-Cidss program, one of three poverty alleviation measures the
government is implementing through the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
The other two programs are the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) which allocates
conditional cash grants to qualified families provided certain requirements concerning
maternal health and the education and health of their children, are met; and the Self
Employment Assistance-Kabayan (SEA-K) – a sustainable livelihood project that aims to
enhance the socio-economic skills of qualified Filipino families.
The President pointed out that the number of additional Filipino families who will get the
chance to improve their lives through the anti-poverty program is still far from his target of
4.6-million families.
President Aquino added that the Millennium Challenge Corporation, an innovative and
independent U.S. foreign aid agency that is helping lead the fight against global poverty will
give a total of P5-billion for the Kalahi-Cidss program. (PCOO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 15, 2010 | Headlines, National News
President Benigno S. Aquino III maintained on Monday that legalizing jueteng will never happen under his administration.
In an ambush interview after the oath taking of the members of the Truth Commission and other government officials, the President said he will not tolerate and is definitely not in favor of legalizing the numbers game.
“Gambling is not a productive venture except for the people who run it,” he said noting that there is no output in the operation of jueteng.
He urged his critics to concentrate on moving the economy forward rather than pushing for the legalization of jueteng.
The President revealed that prior to the expose of retired Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Oscar Cruz, he has already ordered Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo to come up with a comprehensive plan to stamp out jueteng.
The Chief Executive said he wants Robredo to include in his reports how to prevent those involved in jueteng from jumping to other illegal trades like drug trafficking, if the illegal numbers game is stamped out.
The President added that he wants Robredo to study how the government can make small town lottery (STL) more “competitive” against jueteng, which is believed to be more popular in the localities where STL was marketed as an alternative. (PCOO/PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 15, 2010 | Headlines, National News
ANG duha ka kamara sa Kongreso mohimog managlahing imbestigasyon sa gipahayag ni retired Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz nga adunay ubang opisyal sa administrasyong Aquino ang nagdawat og binuwang suhol gikan sa jueteng operators.
Sa Senado, si Senador Miriam Defensor-Santiago nipasaka sa Senate Resolution No. 167 niadtong Lunes aron pag imbestigar sa gikatahong pagbalik sa jueteng, usa ka inila nga illegal numbers game, ug sa giingong mga protektor niini sa mga opisina sa gobyerno.
Sa House of Representatives, si Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rofriguez ug iyang igsuon nga si Abante Mindanao party-list Rep. Maximo Rodriguez, ug Ako Bicol party-list Reps. Christopher Co, Rodel Batocabe ug Alfredo Garbin nipasaka sa Resolutions 393 ug 388, aron pag imbestigar sa mga alegasyon ni retired Lingayen Archbishop Oscar Cruz.
Ang managsuong Rodriguez nagkanayon nga gikinahanglan gayud ang labing dali nga imbestigasyon sa maong mga alegasyon aron pagtin-aw sa mga isyo ug aron mailhan na sa publiko ang mga giingong nagdawat og suhol gikan sa illegal numbers game. (PIA)
by magnolia_eic | Sep 14, 2010 | Headlines, National News
GIHISGUTAN na sa mga opisyal sa kapolisan ug militar ang pagmugna og elite force nga ipang-deploy sa panahon nga adunay kritikal nga sitwasyon sa mandu ni Presidente Aquino.
Ang maong task force mag-apil sa militar ug kapolisan.
Ang tigpamaba sa Philippine National Police (PNP) nga si Senior Superintendent Agrimero Cruz Jr. nagkanayon nga ang pagbansay-bansay sa kapolisan maglangkob sa pagrespeto sa tawhanong katungod ug pagpreserbar sa nahitabuan sa krimen.
Apan matud pa sa tigpamaba sa AFP nga si Brig. Gen. Jose Mabanta Jr. nga gakinahanglan og igong panahon ang pag-uban sa militar ug kapolisan ngadto sa usa ka unified force nga adunay espesyal nga kahimanan ug pagbansay-bansay. (PIA-Bohol)
