by magnolia_eic | Apr 25, 2011 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Aquino has ordered a review of all oil price increases amid the rising prices of
commodities.
“We have to review whether a price hike is warranted or unwarranted,” the President said
during his brief visit to Davao City last Thursday.
Aquino explained that players in the oil industry should come up with a formula that would
ease the continuous oil price increase.
The President said he expects oil price increases to end with the resolution of the conflict in
the Middle East, except for Yemen and South Africa.
He also welcomed the positive developments in Libya where the contending parties have
started talking.
Aquino has refused calls, especially from the militant groups, for him to reduce or abolish the
value added tax (VAT) on oil products and scrap the Oil Deregulation Law.
The President said calls for such moves as “scrap the VAT” actually only sound good but are
not feasible at all.
He said that scrapping VAT would mean the loss of necessary source of funds for needed
government operations.
by magnolia_eic | Apr 13, 2011 | Headlines, National News
GISALIKWAY na usab ni Presidente Benigno Aquino III ang suhestyon sa pipila ka
magbabalaod nga gamiton niini ang iyang emergency power aron masulbad ang krisis sa
lana.
Matud pa ni Ricky Carandang, ang pangulo sa Presidential Communications Development
and Strategic Planning Office, dili gamiton sa Presidente ang iyang emergency power sa
pagsulbad sa kasamtangang krisis sa lana tungod kay mahimo pa kining masolbad sa
gobyerno.
Una nang nitanyag si Senador Gregorio Honasan nga hatagan og emergency power si
Aquino, samtang si House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte miingon nga ang Balay Ubos
Balaoranan mohimo og seryosong pagtuon sa maong suhistyon.
Aduna nay mga lakang nga gihimo ang kagamhanan sa pagsulbad sa padayon nga pagsaka
sa presyo sa lana sama sa paglagda sa Presidente sa Executive Order 32 diin gigahinan og
P450 milyon ang Public Transport Assistance Program o Pantawid Pasada Program. (ecb/
PIA-Bohol)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 8, 2011 | Headlines, National News
MALACAÑANG on Thursday expressed hope it can seal a peace agreement with the
Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-
NPA-NDF) during the administration of President Benigno Aquino III, stressing its importance
in the country’s journey towards lasting peace and genuine development.
During the regular press briefing on Thursday at Malacanang, Presidential Spokesman
Edwin Lacierda bared this statement since the government and the CPP-NPA-NDF formally
resumed its peace talks early this year.
Undersecretary Alexander A. Padilla, chair of the Government Panel for Peace Talks with
the CPP-NPA-NDF and Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Ging Delles told
the Palace that the recent development in the on-going peace talks manifested a positive
progress to head for the sealing of agreement.
“Based on updates of Sec. Ging Delles and Usec Padilla on the progress of the peace talks it
seems that there is a sign that the peace talks signing will push through,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the Palace is leaving the matter to Usec. Padilla who continues getting the
pulse and sentiment of the other party. “Based on what Usec Padilla had stated, I think it’s
based on his experience in talking with the other party, we will leave it at that,” he said.
“Peace negotiation is only one element in our nation’s journey towards lasting peace and
genuine development. While we will try our best to reach agreement on the substantive
issues, in the end, any agreement will remain a mere piece of paper unless the roots of
the conflict are resolved and a just and equitable peace is achieved and enjoyed by all.
Fortunately, we represent a government that is well on its way on that path,” Usec Padilla
said in an earlier statement. (PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Apr 7, 2011 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III said he has instructed his economic managers to study all
possible measures that could ease the impact of high oil prices on vulnerable sectors.
The economic managers will consider things such as wage increase, price control, or even
deduction on value added tax (VAT), the President said in a chance interview at the sidelines of
an event at the budget department on Wednesday.
“I did instruct them to study all and every means of mitigating the spiraling oil prices especially
given the fact, that we don’t see a quicker solution to this. The first of the measures is
the ‘Pantawid Pasada’,” the President said.
The President said he expects the economic managers to come up with proposal as soon as
possible, or maybe next week, so he could decide if he’ll approve it.
Maintaining focus is important in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable sectors to ensure
that assistance are extended to them, according to the President.
At the same time, the chief executive expressed confidence that the country can weather the
crisis brought about by the increasing fuel prices as the government releases its previous
available savings.
The President also said that in the next few days the public will be hearing a lot more good news
as far as the economic field is concerned, including the country’s fiscal position. (PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Mar 31, 2011 | Headlines, National News
PRESIDENT Benigno S. Aquino has ordered Vice President Jejomar Binay and Justice
Secretary Leila de Lima to look into cases of overseas Filipino workers involved in drug
trafficking and find out how and why they managed to leave the country undetected by airport
scanners and other technologies.
The President issued the order in the wake of the inevitable execution by lethal injection on
Wednesday of three Filipino drug mules in China.
The President met Vice President Binay and Secretary de Lima Monday and asked them to
study the drug trafficking problem and identify the recruiters who use OFWs as drug mules.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said deployment agencies like the Philippine
Overseas Employment Authority and the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration must
make sure that OFWs deployed abroad are protected from being turned into drug carriers by
private individuals or recruitment agencies.
Lacierda said the Aquino administration is issuing a stern warning against those using OFWs
in their drug trafficking and human trafficking activities. He said the government will go after
these individuals and recruitment agencies and make sure they get punished. (PCOO/PIA)
