by magnolia_eic | Feb 6, 2011 | Headlines, National News
WALAY PLANO si Presidente Aquino nga magmugna og anti-crime czar human sa
nahitabong dugo-ong bus bombing diin 5 katawo ang namatay sa Makati City.
Matud pa ni Presidential Spokesman Edwin La-cierda nga dili na kinahanglan ang anti-crime
czar tungod kay daku ang pagsalig sa Presidente sa iyang Kabinete.
Si Lacierda niingon nga walay nakitang hinungdan si PNoy nga magmugna og anti-crime
czar tungod kay naa raman ang DILG chief, PNP chief, AFP chief ug ang iyang National
Security Council members.
Mahinumdoman nga pipila ka sektor ang misugyot kang Aquino nga magmugna og
permanenteng anti-crime czar human sa sunod-sunod nga carnapping ug ang bus bombing
sa mga milabay’ng adlaw.
Nagtuo usab ang Malacañang nga dili daku og epekto sa business climate ang nahitabong
bus bombing human niingon si Trade Sec. Gregory Domingo nga sulod lamang sa duha ka
semana, malimtan na ang maong panghitabo ug magpadayon ang sadya nga pagnegosyo
sa nasud. (ecbPIABohol)
by magnolia_eic | Feb 3, 2011 | Headlines, National News
Malacañang assured that there will be no “sacred cows” in its efforts to solve the spate of carjacking and other crimes in the country the past weeks.
In a media briefing at the Palace on Tuesday, Presidential Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte expressed the commitment of the Aquino administration in serving justice to those who will be proven guilty of involvement in the recent crimes even as she assured that the suspected culprits in the government will be put behind bars.
It will be recalled that Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo, during a press briefing at the Palace on Monday, said that the brutal kidnap-slay of Manila-based car dealers is not yet closed as authorities will be conducting thorough investigations to identify the accomplices of the suspects in the government.
Robredo said they will be looking into the suspected collusion between the carnapping group and some government agencies that help perpetuate their illegal activity.
Robredo even questioned how Raymond Dominguez, a suspected car thief who was charged with carnapping and kidnapping with homicide in the Venson Evangelista slay case, managed to post bail several times in the past although one of the cases was a non-bailable offense.
According to Robredo, there should be a thorough investigation to determine if Dominguez and his group have cohorts in some government agencies.
He added that carnapping will not flourish if the suspects have no cohorts in the government to facilitate the registration process of the stolen vehicles. (PIA/PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 7, 2011 | Headlines, National News, Weather Coverage
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday ordered the National Disaster Risk Reduction
and Management Council (NDRRMC) to conduct a thorough review of the country’s disaster
risk reduction measures to minimize loss of lives during calamities especially in communities.
The President issued the directive to NDRRMC head and Defense Secretary Voltaire
Gazmin following reports of casualties in Southern Luzon, Bicol region, Eastern Visayas and
Mindanao due to floods and landslides last month.
The President noted that in spite of his earlier directive for concerned agencies to evacuate
residents in risk areas, there were still casualties.
“Today , I asked the Secretary of National Defense, being the head of the NDRRMC, to find
out exactly why there were two people who died in the same place, “ he said referring to St.
Bernard in Southern Leyte , where over a thousand residents died when flashfloods hit the
community in 2006. The recent heavy downpour also caused floods and landslides in the
area and claimed at least two lives.
The NDRRMC said at least 37,124 families or 197,641 people from 242 barangays in 39
towns in 10 provinces had been affected. (PIA/PCOO)
by magnolia_eic | Jan 3, 2011 | Headlines, National News
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Monday signed into law Republic Act 10147, the P1.645-
trillion General Appropriations Act for 2011 which is actually his first financial blueprint that
will enable the national government to address the urgent needs of the marginalized sector of
society.
In a speech after the signing at Malacanang’s Rizal Hall, the Chief Executive said this is the
first time in 11 years that the national budget was signed on time.
Of the total budget, the social services sector got the lion’s share at 34.1 percent, a 16.8
percent hike from its 2010 budget, the highest increase among all sectors. It includes a
P21-billion allocation for the conditional cash transfer program and P1.2 billion in unaudited
intelligence funds.
The President pointed out that the early signing of the budget “will enable us to address
the urgent needs of our people in a timely manner. Such needs include building more rural
health units and providing immunization for children. This also allows us to construct new
classrooms and hire new teachers, as promised to the Filipino people.”
Present during the budget signing ceremony were Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile,
House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Congress committee leaders and members of the
Cabinet.
by magnolia_eic | Dec 30, 2010 | Headlines, National News
MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino is hesitant to free convicted rapists and drug dealers for good behavior in the spirit of Christmas and the New Year.
He told reporters that he found it “difficult to sign” the first batch of pardon applications presented to him.
Aquino wants the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP) to be more strict in granting commutation, pardon and parole applications.
The penal system must be patterned after the one in the US, where felons sentenced to life are made to suffer the full penalty.
Aquino said he would be releasing or commuting the sentence of convicts who truly deserve executive clemency.
“We want a more thorough system for vetting and granting of pardons and parole, and (maybe) more participation of the offended family,” he said.
Justice Secretary Leila de Lima is amenable to the idea, especially since the justice secretary no longer sits as chair of the BPP, which processes the applications.
“The President just wanted to make sure that the ones being recommended for commutations, pardon, parole etc are truly deserving and (go through the process).”
De Lima said around 100 convicts are eligible for commutation of sentence and about 12 inmates are due for conditional pardon.
“We have to be very restrictive and stringent when it comes to high crimes and he (Aquino) wants that put into the guidelines so we are studying it,” she told reporters.
Click here for full article from The Philippine Star
