Wednesday, January 14, 2015
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Yemeni's top al-Qaida leader claims responsibility for attack on Paris paper in video message.
Tuesday, September 16, 2014
Subic, Batangas named extensions of Manila port
MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has signed Executive Order 172 declaring the ports of Subic and Batangas as extensions of the Port of Manila during congestion and other emergency situations, such as strikes, lockouts and natural calamities, a Palace official said yesterday.
Under the EO, foreign vessels with the Port of Manila as their destination or origin may be directed to Batangas port or Subic Bay Freeport. Even if these vessels use these alternate ports, the Port of Manila will still be considered their berthing point.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said berthing and other port fees in Subic and Batangas will be applied to foreign vessels if they are directed to these alternate ports.
She said the EO was signed on Sept. 13 to give the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) the power to designate alternate piers for shipments to the Manila port.
“It is no secret that port congestion in Manila is one of the major factors that hinders the free flow of goods passing through the ports,” Valte said.
“We have seen the effects on the demand-supply chain, and on economic growth. The EO seeks to alleviate these problems,” she added.
The SBMA welcomed the President’s signing of EO 172 as it would stir business activities in Subic port, SBMA public relations executive Ron Balingit said in a text message to The STAR.
Subic Bay Freeport’s New Container Terminal-2 has been assigned as an extension of the Port of Manila.
SBMA chairman Roberto Garcia said there are 4,000 shipping containers “overstaying” at the Port of Manila.
To address port congestion, he said the SBMA and PPA have agreed to ship the overstaying containers from Manila to Subic twice a week.
Garcia said the SBMA is considering reducing its current port fees to be competitive with fees in other ports so that more shippers would use Subic.
Biz groups back EO 172
Business groups support President Aquino’s declaration of Batangas and Subic ports as extension of the Manila port to address congestion.
Management Association of the Philippines president Gregorio Navarro said yesterday the issuance by Malacañang of EO 172 is a welcome development.
“This is a good move… I would assume that all the port fees would also be harmonized,” Navarro said.
For his part, Makati Business Club (MBC) executive director Peter Perfecto said “the EO will be more useful in the context of a comprehensive and long term logistics and transport plan for the country.”
With port congestion affecting the country’s competitiveness rankings, the MBC sees the need for such to be addressed urgently.
Sergio Ortiz Luis Jr., president of the Philippine Exporters Confederation Inc., said they support Malacañang’s move to solve port congestion.
He said the EO will help encourage greater utilization of the Batangas and Subic ports.
For his part, American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines senior advisor John Forbes said they are hopeful utilization of Batangas and Subic ports will remain high.
“We would like to see two added cranes installed in Batangas port within the year to double its capacity,” he said.
The truck ban imposed by the city government of Manila in February has resulted in the pileup of cargo at Manila’s ports.
Last Saturday, Mayor Joseph Estrada lifted the truck ban. – With Louella Desiderio, Bebot Sison Jr.
China media: Philippines a 'quasi-rogue' state
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/09/17/1370088/china-media-philippines-quasi-rogue-state
MANILA, Philippines — Chinese media reacted to crimes and supposed threats against Chinese nationals in the Philippines, calling the country a "quasi-rogue" state without any real guarantee of safety of Chinese citizens.
The English-language Global Times in its editorial on Tuesday criticized Philippine authorities for instigating the public's "nationalist and anti-China sentiment," saying it can easily turn into "extremism" and can be used by the government as an excuse to cover its inefficiency in controlling crime.
"Poor social governance, an anti-China sentiment and a Western-style democratic system where nationalism can foment wantonly make the Philippines a quasi-rogue state," the state-run newspaper said.
It was an apparent reference to a recent incident at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport involving suspected bombers with a plot targeting Chinese businesses and an embassy. It also mentioned the 2010 hostage crisis that left dead eight Hong Kong nationals in Manila even as both governments have settled the matter earlier this year.
An article in Haiwai Net, meanwhile, claims that President Aquino and the Philippine media "led the country astray" by focusing on foreign policy than domestic issues.
"Yet he is also not good at handling foreign affairs," the commentary said amid Aquino's ongoing European trip.
The Global Times, moreover, slammed Manila for lack of sincerity in wanting to secure Chinese citizens, urging President Aquino to publicly apologize for the "serial attacks" in Philippine soil.
"Apart from this, Manila should take actions to crack down on provocations emanating from the extreme anti-China sentiment," it said.
Taking an apparent jab at the Philippines' claims over disputed areas in the South China Sea, the newspaper said that the crime incidents make Chinese citizens "highly suspicious" of whether the country can abide by international laws.
"We advise Chinese citizens not to travel there in the near future, which, while being an act of caution to ensure one's safety, is also a warning signal to the Philippines," it said.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry last week strongly warned against travel to the Philippines "given that the safety situation is deteriorating." China is among the major sources of tourists to the Philippines.
The warning comes as relations between the countries have soured and even turned hostile in recent years as Beijing and Manila battle over maritime claims.
Lawmaker says 2015 budget includes P27-B ‘pork’
MANILA, Philippines - The proposed P2.606-trillion 2015 national budget includes more than P27 billion in pork barrel funds for lawmakers, a party-list congressman said yesterday.
Rep. Antonio Tinio of Alliance of Concerned Teachers said he has studied the budget proposal and discovered P27.4 billion in “pork” embedded in the funding for six agencies.
He said the biggest pork barrel allocation of P18.4 billion for “local infrastructure” will go to the Department Public Works and Highways (DPWH), followed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development for “comprehensive and integrated delivery of social services” with P3.6 billion.
He said the Commission on Higher Education and unnamed state universities and colleges will receive P2.5 billion for their “Tulong Dunong Program,” P1.8 billion will go to the Department of Health for “assistance to indigent patients,” P611.7 million to the Department of Labor and Employment for internship and assistance to disadvantaged workers, and P543.4 million to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority for “special training for employment program.”
“Unconstitutional pork for legislators is even heftier under the 2015 budget. The total hidden pork increased by nearly 32 percent from the P20.8 billion in the 2014 budget, while each solon’s share shot up from P71.6 million to P94.4 million,” he added.
Tinio noted that while pork barrel funds decreased for five agencies, the allocation for the DPWH went up by more than 100 percent, from P7.3 billion this year to P18.4 billion next year.
“This setup now makes hard (infrastructure) projects have a two-thirds share in a solon’s total hidden pork. The old PDAF system allocated P40 million for hard projects out of the P70-million allocation per solon,” he said.
PDAF, which stands for Priority Development Assistance Fund, was the name of the P25-billion congressional pork barrel before the Supreme Court (SC) struck it down as unconstitutional in November last year.
Under the SC ruling, lawmakers cannot assign for themselves a lump sum fund and provide the details of their projects and meddle in project implementation after the enactment of the annual budget.
However, they are not prohibited from including such projects, together with their funding, in the budget while the latter is pending in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad has said lawmakers have submitted their project proposals to concerned agencies for inclusion in the budget.
The SC decision on the PDAF does not prohibit that, he said.
Toward the latter part of last year, after the SC ruled on the PDAF issue, congressmen and senators realigned P21 billion of their PDAF to several agencies.
Tinio has accused his colleagues of meddling with the use of their realigned funds by recommending who should be given educational and medical assistance.
Paul Lee talks with Yeng Guiao; Salud warns player-agents
Paul Lee. PBA IMAGE by Nuki Sabio
MANILA, Philippines — Renegade point guard Paul Lee finally met with Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao Tuesday and hinted that all’s well for both parties.
“We started the talks and coach Yeng told me that he wants to retain me,” Lee said in Filipino over the phone.
“And I told him that I also want to stay. At least, it’s now OK between us. “The only thing left is for my agent and [Rain or Shine] management to talk and put an end to this,” he added. “There’s no timetable [for contract signing], but I do hope that it would be soon because Gilas [Pilipinas] leaves next week.”
Lee, the former Rookie of the Year, will be playing with the Gilas Pilipinas national team when it tries to end the country’s long Asian Games basketball gold-medal drought in South Korea in two weeks.
The Filipinos won the first four Asiad basketball golds, the last in 1962 in Jakarta with a team built around Caloy “The Big Difference” Loyzaga, but have been winless ever since.
Rumors of a split between player and management started when Lee’s agent, Lawrence Chongson, said last month that Lee wanted out of Rain or Shine.
Lee was said to be asking for a trade despite being offered the maximum salary of P15.12 million for a three-year extension.
After coming home from Seville, Spain, and helping Gilas win a first World Cup game in four decades, Lee didn’t speak with Rain or Shine officials as expected.
“I think this will all be settled,” said Lee, who had mulled skipping the Asiad if he doesn’t get a PBA contract soon.
Meanwhile, league commissioner Chito Salud Tuesday reminded player-agents to look after the welfare of their players and to not mislead them in contract negotiations.
Salud also reiterated his office’s stand that it will protect the rights of the players’ mother ball clubs more than anything.
“The league will protect the rights, not just of the players, but most especially the mother ball clubs,” Salud said during Tuesday’s launch of the Blackwater Elite team at a restaurant in Malate.
“That is why we have rules—the right of first refusal. “We will not allow any ball club to be held hostage by any player and I do not care which player we are talking about. Let’s follow the rules,” Salud added. “Agents, do not mislead your players, because in the long run, it is the players who will suffer.”
During the launch, Blackwater coach Leo Isaac guaranteed that his Elite will be giving the PBA field a run for its money when the 40th Season opens on Oct. 19 at either the Philippine Arena or Smart Araneta Coliseum.
EU, PH back peaceful resolution of sea row
European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, right, and Philippine President Benigno Aquino III address the media at the European Commission headquarters in Brussels, Monday, Sept. 15, 2014. They discussed the Mindanao Peace negotiations, trade and investment, bilateral development cooperation and maritime issues. AP PHOTO/YVES LOGGHE
BRUSSELS—The Philippines and the European Union (EU) agree that territorial disputes in the South China Sea should be resolved through international arbitration.
This was made clear when President Aquino sat down on Monday with European Commission President José Manuel Barroso at the EC headquarters in the Berlaymont building here, as both leaders emphasized the need to settle differences between China and its neighbors peacefully.
With both the Philippines and the EU seeking the same route, Aquino said “China will have to listen,” noting that the EU is its “biggest trading partner.”
Beijing, which is claiming around 90 percent of the South China Sea, has rejected international arbitration, insisting that disputes should be resolved bilaterally with individual claimants like the Philippines.
“Let me stress that the European Union encourages all parties to seek peaceful solutions, through dialogue and cooperation, in accordance with international law—in particular with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea [Unclos],” Barroso said in a joint press conference with Aquino at the EC headquarters.
The European Union, he said, is a “proud” party to the 1976 Treaty of Amity and Cooperation in Southeast Asia, which seeks to “promote perpetual peace, everlasting amity and cooperation” in the region.
Triple Action Plan
“We recall its fundamental principles, namely to settle differences by peaceful means, to renounce the threat or use of force and to effectively cooperate among partners,” Barroso said.
The Triple Action Plan being pushed by Manila was not mentioned in the press conference. But the EU position expressed by Barroso is apparently aligned with the Philippine proposal.
Aquino assured Barroso that the Philippines “remains committed to advancing a peaceful, rules-based resolution to the disputes in the South China Sea, which is a sea known in our region by many names.”
“Like the European Union, we believe that the only viable and effective solution is one that is based on international law—in particular, under the [Unclos]. This is the basis for the arbitral proceedings we initiated last year.”
Code of conduct
Aquino said the Philippines continues to work with its Southeast Asian neighbors and China toward “the early conclusion of a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea.”
In an interview with reporters during his flight from Madrid to Brussels, the President noted that China, like the Philippines and other claimant countries, was “interested in prosperity for [its] people.”
“Prosperity cannot happen without stability and all of these claims and counterclaims, and also the simply heightened tensions of the same, are impacting on our ability to have a stable environment,” he said.
Barroso “congratulated” Aquino “on the remarkable economic performance of the Philippines.”
But he also reminded Aquino that “economic reforms need to continue to increase the competitiveness and productivity of the country.”
Illegal fishing
Aquino told Barroso that the Philippines was “actively undertaking measures to effectively combat and put a stop to illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.”
He said Philippine agencies were in “close coordination” with the EC’s Directorate General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries. He also cited his government’s “action plan” to “prevent, deter and eliminate” illegal fishing.
Aquino informed Barroso that the Philippines had “already laid the groundwork for an effective and sustainable regulatory system consistent with” the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers Convention.
The President got Barroso’s assurance that the EU would continue supporting peace and development in Mindanao with projects amounting to 106 million euros.
Barroso commended the President for the peace efforts in Mindanao, particularly the signing of a peace agreement with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in March.
“I congratulated President Aquino for his efforts to bring peace, stability and development to the Philippines,” he said.
In a separate meeting with European Council President Herman Van Rompuy on Tuesday, Aquino welcomed the EU’s new maritime strategy, noting that it was “anchored on the principles of international law.”
“This new maritime strategy, might I note, emphasizes the rules-based governance of the maritime domain, the respect for existing international instruments such as the [Unclos], as well as maritime multilateralism,” he said in a joint press conference with Van Rompuy.
Cooperative solutions
Van Rompuy added his voice to calls urging “peaceful and cooperative solutions” to disputes in the South China Sea, particularly through Unclos.
The EU strategy, which would be backed by a concrete action plan by yearend, apparently sits well for the Philippines.
“We indeed value the EU’s contributions to ensuring the peaceful and rules-based settlement of the conflicting claims in the South China Sea, an area which has served as a common domain for the many peoples of our region for centuries,” Aquino said.
“As President, I believe that the EU may contribute so much more in championing this meaningful cause—in particular, in helping convince other parties to refrain from activities that increase tensions, clarify their claims based on the Unclos, and thus submit the disputes to reasonable, rules-based, peaceful modes of resolution, such as arbitration.”
To address infra confab
Aquino said he was banking on the EU to “convince other parties to refrain from activities that increase tensions” and “clarify their claims based on the Unclos.”
The President on Tuesday also was to address an infrastructure conference and deliver a policy speech at the Egmont Institute in the Castle of Val Duchesse to mark the 50th anniversary of Philippine-EU relations.
Monday, September 15, 2014
Luis out; new LPA spotted
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/09/16/1369600/luis-out-new-lpa-spotted
MANILA, Philippines - Typhoon Luis left the country yesterday after causing flashfloods and power interruptions in Northern Luzon, as weather forecasters started monitoring a low-pressure area that could develop into another storm in a few days.
The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said if the low-pressure area becomes a storm, it would be named Mario.
“It is still a low-pressure area. Many things can happen. It may enter the Philippine area of responsibility or dissipate,” PAGASA weather forecaster Aldczar Aurelio said in a press briefing.
The new low-pressure area was located 2,000 kilometers east of the Visayas yesterday afternoon.
PAGASA said Luis was out of the country as of 11 a.m. and was moving toward the southern part of China.
The southwest monsoon is expected to bring rains over Bataan, Zambales, Palawan and Mindoro and moderate to strong winds over Luzon and Western Visayas.
Metro Manila and the rest of the country will be partly cloudy to cloudy with isolated rainshowers or thunderstorms.
Luis, the 12th weather disturbance to hit the country this year, slammed into Northern Luzon on Sunday evening, bringing heavy rains that caused flashfloods as strong winds damaged power lines and plunged several provinces into darkness.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II have declared zero casualty as they excluded the six deaths from the sinking of a passenger ferry off the coast of Southern Leyte last Saturday from the list of Typhoon Luis-related casualties.
However, field reports showed that an uprooted mango tree in Piat, Cagayan, pinned down a house and killed a one-month-old baby boy.
“I think that the important thing when it comes to casualties, as of this morning, there is no casualty,” said Roxas during a National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council disaster briefing held yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo, Quezon City.
Roxas, vice chairman of the NDRRMC, also said the typhoon-affected families were already returning to their homes after an overnight stay in evacuation centers, mostly in northern Luzon.
But Bonifacio Cuarteros, head of the Cagayan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, said the one-month-old baby died when a mango tree fell on their house in Barangay Sto. Domingo in Piat, Cagayan.
Piat police chief Senior Inspector Noel Magbitang identified the victim as Javier Mateo.
Cuarteros said the incident happened at around 9 p.m. on Sunday while the typhoon was pummeling Cagayan and the province of Isabela.
Cuarteros said that 772 persons who had earlier evacuated have returned home, while technicians are working to restore power in Cagayan.
Typhoon Luis made landfall near the boundary of Isabela and Cagayan at sundown last Sunday.
Gazmin, also NDRRMC chairman, said they were continuing to monitor the effects of the typhoon, although he noted the well-planned preparation and coordination of government agencies.
He said they were looking at minimal damage on infrastructure, but not on agriculture, which he believed may have been affected the most.
Affected families
The storm, the NDRRMC said, has affected 3,842 families or 17,633 persons in Northern and Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog and Metro Manila.
As of 4 p.m. yesterday, there were still some 708 passengers stranded in the ports of Albay, Sorsogon, Catanduanes, Masbate and Camarines Sur, while 16 vessels and 83 rolling cargoes were still at port along with six motorized boats due to prevailing rough waters.
At least 12 roads and three bridges were unpassable to all types of land vehicles due to landslides and flashfloods in Cagayan Valley, Central Luzon, the Bicol region and the Cordillera Administrative Region, NDRRMC said in a report.
In Isabela, a 60-year-old woman was electrocuted in her backyard in Barangay Gud in San Isidro.
The victim was gathering vegetables when she touched a live wire.
A motorcycle rider was reported missing after he was swept away by floodwaters while crossing the detour road under the Madori Bridge in Barangay Don Matias, Burgos, Pangasinan.
Burgos police chief Senior Inspector Amando Natividad Jr. identified the victim as Edmundo Dimatulak, 40, of Sitio Proper, Barangay San Rafael, Tarlac City.
The NDRRMC said the typhoon, packing winds of 160 kilometers per hour, made landfall near the boundary of Cagayan and Isabela around sundown and moved westward across Luzon.
Local officials suspended classes in all levels and closed government offices in Cagayan, Isabela, Pangasinan and Zambales.
Classes in all levels were also suspended in most cities in Metro Manila.
The strong winds caused power interruption in Baguio City, Apayao, Ifugao and Kalinga, the Office of Civil Defense-Cordillera said yesterday.
Landslides closed several roads in Kalinga, Mountain Province, Ifugao and Benguet.
Kennon Road, the main road to Baguio City, was also closed but reopened yesterday afternoon after government workers cleared boulders and rocks that rolled down the mountain at the height of the storm.
Alex Uy, director of the OCD-Cordillera, said at least 50 houses in Conner, Apayao were destroyed.
Three cities and 21 towns in Pangasinan were affected by Typhoon Luis, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council reported yesterday.
Retired police Superintendent Fernando de Guzman, officer-in-charge of the PDRRMC, said three teams from their Water and Search Rescue group are still assisting residents in the evacuation in the portions of Manaoag and San Fabian.
Several barangays were also reported to have been submerged in Alaminos City, Dagupan City, Urdaneta City, Calasiao, Sta. Barbara, San Jacinto, Tayug, Balungao, Laoac, San Fabian, Mangaldan, Binalonan, Pozorrubio, Manaoag, San Manuel, Aguilar, San Nicolas, Burgos, Tayug, Sison, Villasis, Rosales and Sta. Maria, following heavy rains brought by the storm.
Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. suspended yesterday classes in all levels in the whole province.
The PDRRMC reported that strong winds destroyed a house in Binalonan town.
The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-3) said the storm affected more than 3,000 residents in Bulacan, Zambales, Nueva Ecija, Bataan and Aurora.
The Ipo and Bustos dams in Bulacan opened their gates and released water last Sunday after the water reached spilling level of 101 meters.
The water level of Angat Dam also in Bulacan rose by more than three meters to 188.48 meters, compared to the 185 meters recorded the other day.
Ship sinks in Manila Bay
A cargo vessel seeking shelter from strong winds capsized in Manila Bay last Sunday night.
The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) rescued all 15 crewmembers of M/V Super Shuttle RORO 7 after big waves battered the vessel at around 7 p.m.
The survivors were identified as Absolino Bolo, chief mate; Rodelio Robles, electrician; Junie Corpuz, boatswain; Mark Anthony Gonzales, engine cadet; and Randie Villarosa, oiler.
The crewmen were identified as Marciano Alburo, Rodney Cudiasa, Jeffrey Castir Fello, Joel Canaleta, Micheal Adlaon, Jeffrey Macapas, Romie Ladion Jr., Renante Serognas, Ramner Bacabes and Jonathan Guimaras.
The PCG said the survivors were brought to the PCG Medical Service clinic.
Six people earlier drowned while several others went missing after a passenger ferry sank off Southern Leyte on Saturday, the PCG said.
The PCG said 113 people were rescued 18 hours after the M/V Maharlika 2 sank off the coastal town of San Ricardo.
In Metro Manila, more than 8,000 residents were evacuated from low-lying areas in Marikina after the Marikina River swelled and reached 17.5 meters due to heavy rains brought by Typhoon Luis last Sunday night.
Marikina City Mayor Del de Guzman said the evacuees were brought to several public schools and later allowed to return to their houses when the floodwaters subsided yesterday morning.
The Philippines is hit by about 20 typhoons each year.
Typhoon Glenda killed 98 people and left five others missing in Luzon last July 16.
During the meeting at the NDRRMC, Roxas proposed a color-coded response from government agencies in times of disasters.
He said a protocol on disaster preparedness is to be used as a color-coded response by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health and the Department of Education.
Roxas said the ABC protocol on disasters include “Early Preparedness Actions towards Critical Period Actions.”
He said residents should be aware of evacuation centers in their area even if there is no weather disturbance, and to prepare beforehand the items needed when evacuating.
“There should be better preparation and not end up in a panic should an emergency arise,” said the DILG chief.
Although Luis has left the Philippine area of responsibility, Roxas reminded residents to continue monitoring their areas for possible flooding and heavy rains, and to coordinate with their local disaster risk reduction and management council.
Roxas said that the preemptive actions of local government units and residents for Typhoon Luis was a significant factor in the low casualty rate.
He said local government units are now better prepared for disasters, unlike in the past. With Non Alquitran, Edu Punay, Jaime Laude, Eva Visperas, Artemio Dumlao, Raymund Catindig, Cesar Ramirez
Gov’t to take over MRT in 2015
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/09/16/1369592/govt-take-over-mrt-2015
MANILA, Philippines - The government intends to take over the breakdown-prone Metro Rail Transit (MRT) line along EDSA in 2015, Davao City Rep. Isidro Ungab, House appropriations committee chairman, said yesterday.
He made the statement at the start of plenary debates on the proposed P2.606-trillion national budget for next year.
Responding to questions raised by Rep. Neri Colmenares of Bayan Muna, Ungab said the budget proposal includes P54 billion for the state’s “equity value buyout” of MRT from its owners.
Ungab said the government wants to take over the EDSA rail line so it can solve the problems plaguing it without interference from its owners.
He said two state banks – Land Bank and Development Bank of the Philippines – own 80 percent of the facility, with the remaining 20 percent is held by private investors.
He added that the two bank’s exposure in the rail line is worth P35 billion.
Ungab pointed out that under special provisions in the proposed 2015 budget, the P54 billion would be released only if the arbitration case between the government and MRT’s private owners in Singapore is finally resolved.
Colmenares asked if the P54 billion would go to the two government banks and the private owners, or to the latter only.
“If the two state banks’ 80-percent ownership of MRT is worth P35 billion, why would taxpayers pay P54 billion for the private owners’ 20 percent? Besides, the rail line, according to the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), was built for a total of only P28 billion,” he said.
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima later told reporters that the P54 billion is allocated for the entire facility.
The frequent MRT breakdowns prompted Rep. Anthony Bravo of Cooperatives Network Party to urge DOTC officials to come up with “real solutions” to the facility’s problems, instead of doing things “that are just for show.”
“Just like the DOTC secretary’s act of riding the MRT, the DOTC’s response to the MRT has been shallow at best, pointless at worst,” he said.
Bravo singled out DOTC’s announcement last week that it had created a “special group” to supervise MRT maintenance and “shadow” the work of APT Global, its current maintenance provider.
“While it’s true that there has been a number of well-publicized incidents at the MRT, a cursory look at the data will show that current maintenance provider, when compared to previous service providers, has had the least number of train removals, and hence, the most number of available trains,” he said.
He said DOTC data show that peak-hour train availability has been highest under Global APT.
Given the data, he said the DOTC “should know that the quality of maintenance services being provided is not the issue, especially when you consider the age of the trains, and particularly because even President Aquino has pointed out the culprit behind all these glitches: the non-overhaul of the system.”
He quoted Aquino as saying last Friday: “Let us look into the root of the problems in the MRT. It was built in 1999. A general overhaul should have been undertaken every eight years to ensure the system runs smoothly. In 2006, only a slight overhaul took place.”
DSWD head ignores calls of critics for her to resign
Survivors of Typhoon “Yolanda” stage a protest inside the compound of the Department of Social Welfare and Development in Quezon City on March 28, 2014, to show their dismay over the rotten relief goods being distributed five months after the typhoon. They also called for the resignation of DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman. INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/638249/dswd-head-ignores-calls-of-critics-for-her-to-resign#ixzz3DV94oGra
MANILA, Philippines–A familiar refrain.
Amid calls for her resignation, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman said she would not give up her post and that she did not wish to be distracted from her tasks.
At a press conference on Monday, she defended the Department of Social Welfare and Development from charges of inefficiency and incompetence.
“All of you know that I had resigned from my post because of my principles. I saw that the people’s welfare was being compromised. So it would not be hard for me to do that,” Soliman told reporters.
She resigned as head of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in 2005, along with other Cabinet secretaries, at the height of the “Hello Garci” scandal that rocked the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
“I am listening to everyone, and I think if there is something that should be corrected, it should be done. But now, I don’t want to be distracted because there are so many things to do and the DSWD is continuing its job of serving the public,” Soliman said on Monday.
She urged the media to be fair in their reporting, particularly if the DSWD was concerned, and for reporters to get her side or clarification on issues.
“I leave those critics to God. These issues are not exactly new, we’ve answered these issues before, and we have shown that we have not been lacking,” she said.
The official issued the statement after the DSWD was slammed for the purported spoilage of more than 7,000 food packs meant for victims of last year’s Super Typhoon “Yolanda,” the alleged P5 billion in conditional cash transfer funds not liquidated by PhilPost, among others.
Last week, a group of Yolanda survivors called for Soliman’s resignation. Malacañang came to her defense, saying the secretary still enjoys the trust of President Aquino.
‘Butcher’ back to barracks
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/638174/judge-realized-gravity-of-threat-to-my-life-palparan#ixzz3DV5ZEqwF
MANILA, Philippines–It was a homecoming of sorts for retired Army Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr., the so-called “butcher” of the previous Arroyo administration.
From the Bulacan Provincial Jail, Palparan was transferred on Monday to his old “stomping grounds”—the headquarters of his mother unit in Taguig City.
The Bulacan Regional Trial Court (RTC) on Monday granted Palparan’s petition for his transfer to and detention at the Philippine Army Custodial Center (PACC) in Fort Bonifacio, enraging the parents of two missing University of the Philippines (UP) students.
The abduction of UP students Karen Empeño and Sherlyn Cadapan in 2006 has been blamed on Palparan and two other military officials standing trial here for kidnapping and serious illegal detention.
Unable to hold her emotions, Concepcion Empeño shouted: “Kahit saan ka man makulong, mabulok ka man sa kulungan, Palparan, ilabas mo na ang mga anak namin, si Karen at si Sherlyn (You can’t hide no matter where you end up imprisoned, Palparan. Bring back our daughters, Karen and Sherlyn).”
Palparan, a retired commander of the Army’s 7th Infantry Division based in Nueva Ecija province, has been branded “the butcher” by human rights advocates for his alleged role in the killing, abduction and torture of political activists.
He was arrested in a house in Santa Mesa, Manila, last month after more than two years in hiding.
The Monday hearing was supposed to address Palparan’s pretrial, which had been rescheduled twice since his arrest and detention at the Bulacan Provincial Jail on Aug. 18.
Plot
But Judge Teodora Gonzales of the RTC Branch 14 instead dealt with Palparan’s petition to be transferred to military custody due to intelligence reports that a rebel squad may have been sent out to kill him.
“I think the judge now realized the gravity of the threat to my life. She decided [in my favor] based on that concern,” Palparan told the Inquirer.
A four-vehicle convoy left Bulacan province at noon on Monday and took Palparan, 64, to Fort Bonifacio. He arrived at the Custodial Center around 2 p.m.
“We look forward to his safety while undergoing trial,” said the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, Gen. Gregorio Pio Catapang.
Jail vulnerable
In granting Palparan’s petition, Gonzales cited the vulnerability of the provincial jail, as well as the impact his presence there has on the conduct of business in offices within the provincial capitol compound where the facility is located.
Gonzales said the Bulacan jail’s proximity to the RTC building, the provincial prosecutor’s office, the Public Attorney’s Office, the National Bureau of Investigation and other private offices had made employees anxious.
Palparan’s court appearances required the presence of heavily armed policemen, disrupting activities in the provincial capitol compound, according to the judge.
Anxiety ended
“To end this anxiety, I am granting the transfer of retired Major General Palparan to the PACC,” she said.
Gonzales also cited the savings that the government would make in detaining Palparan with his two coaccused—Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado and SSgt. Edgardo Osorio—at the PACC.
Senior Supt. Ferdinand Divina, acting Bulacan provincial police director, testified that the Bulacan police office had spent an additional P60,000 to enable 22 policemen to guard Palparan for almost a month.
Divina told the court that valuable resources meant for routine patrols in the province had been compromised when the office was forced to deploy a security team for Palparan. Seven members of the police’s Special Weapons and Tactics team also guarded the perimeter of the provincial jail daily, he said.
Government prosecutors and jail officials earlier assured that Palparan would be safe in the Bulacan jail.
Threats speculative
Lorena Santos, secretary general for Families of Desaparecidos for Justice, noted that the warden of the Bulacan Provincial Jail admitted in court that threats to Palparan’s life were “purely speculative.”
“[So] the basis of the decision is unclear,” said Santos, who attended the hearing where Gonzales handed down the decision.
Santos said Palparan was “essentially freed,” with the court decision to turn him over to the Army.
Edre Olalia, the lawyer of the families of Empeño and Cadapan and secretary general of the National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers, opposed the transfer.
Based on news reports
Narzal Mallares, Palparan’s lawyer, managed to draw out the AFP report about the attempt on his client’s life, despite Olalia’s objections that the threats were based on “published newspaper reports and online information.”
In a statement, Olalia said: “How can something so routinary, such as the detention of one man accused of horrific crimes against humanity, be so complicated and fussy as to compel the realignment of the cosmos and tripping over of the government all over itself to suit his convenience and preference?”
‘Bad precedent’
“This will serve as a bad precedent and example for all those who can wreak evil and get concessions along the way. Palparan’s transfer to [the PACC] … does not answer the question of why a civilian should be detained in a military facility.
“Why, for heaven’s sake, in all places his old stomping grounds—the headquarters of the Army? It just doesn’t make sense,” Olalia said.
“Palparan would be right at home at the Army [headquarters], where he would even be saluted by troops while in detention,” said Renato Reyes Jr., secretary general of Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.
‘No special treatment’
Lt. Col. Noel Detoyato, Army spokesman, said there would be no special treatment for Palparan, who held various posts in the Army until his retirement in 2006.
“Like other detained soldiers, he will be treated fairly and justly,” Detoyato said.
Palparan’s detention cell measures 2.8 x 4.3 meters, with a bed, a window and iron grills, and an electric fan. It has a door for an entrance but the way to the detention cell is heavily secured with two fences.
Palparan will be sharing a common bathroom with eight other detained soldiers at the Custodial Center.
Some of the Magdalo soldiers in the 2003 Oakwood mutiny were previously detained there.
The Army chief, Lt. Gen. Hernando Iriberri, said his men were ready to take custody of Palparan. “We will abide by the provisions of the transfer as stipulated by the court order and he will be presented to the court when needed,” Iriberri said.
Two weeks’ notice
Detoyato said the Army two weeks ago received word from Palparan’s counsel that the retired general may be detained at the Custodial Center, giving the warden ample time to prepare.
Two of Palparan’s fellow detainees are his coaccused in the Cadapan and Empeño abduction case—Anotado and Osorio, who both surrendered in 2011.
Palparan’s cell will be next to Anotado’s, Detoyato said.
“We are prepared to carry out the court order. Before, we have had high-profile detainees here, like the Magdalo soldiers,” he said.
Only visitors approved by Palparan will be allowed to visit him. Visits are allowed daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
‘Travesty’
But Cristina Palabay, secretary general of the human rights watchdog Karapatan, said Palparan’s transfer to Fort Bonifacio was a “grave travesty of justice.”
The Promotion of Church People’s Response (PCPR) said that instead of providing security to a human rights violator, the government must move to protect the rights of victims and their families.
“Let justice roll like flowing river and righteousness like a never-ending stream,” PCPR general secretary Nardy Sabino said in a statement.–With reports from Jaymee T. Gamil and Jocelyn R. Uy in Manila; and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
Originally posted: 5:34 pm | Monday, September 15th, 2014
Mayon Volcano restive; Alert Level 3 raised
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/638304/alert-level-3-up-over-mayon%e2%80%8e-volcano-families-evacuated-phivolcs#ixzz3DV4GwknE
LEGAZPI CITY, Philippines–About 20 families living within the six-kilometer permanent danger zone in Guinobatan, Albay were evacuated Monday night after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) raised alert level 3 over Mayon Volcano.
Resident volcanologist Eduardo Laguerta at the Phivolcs observatory in Lignon Hill here said the alert level was raised at 10 p.m. Monday night after they had noted “a noticeable escalation of unrest.”
He said they had recorded 39 rockfall events and 32 volcanic quakes from 5 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Monday.
Crater glow was observed with incandescent materials flowing on the slope.
Phivolcs said it traced the rock falls to “incipient breaching of the growing summit lava dome” in the volcano’s southeastern crater rim. The volcanic quakes, it said, indicated “magma intrusion and/or volcanic gas activity.”
“Crater glow has become observable, indicating incandescence of the crater from molten lava and hot volcanic gas,” Phivolcs also said.
Alert Level 3 means that Mayon “is exhibiting relatively high unrest and that magma is at the crater,” it said, adding that “hazardous eruption is possible within weeks.”
Phivolcs advised authorities to enforce the 6-kilometer radius Permanent Danger Zone (PDZ) around the volcano and the 7-km Extended Danger Zone (EDZ) on the southeastern flank due to the danger of “rock falls, landslides and sudden explosions or dome collapse that may generate hazardous volcanic flows.”–With Rick Alberto, INQUIRER.net
Thursday, September 11, 2014
DOTC gets P2.5 B for MRT upgrade, repairs
http://www.philstar.com/headlines/2014/09/12/1368134/dotc-gets-p2.5-b-mrt-upgrade-repairs
MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino has allocated P2.584 billion for the repair and upgrade of the country’s light rail systems, a Palace official said yesterday.
In a press briefing, Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said Transportation and Communications Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya was tasked to take all necessary measures to ensure the safety and reliability of the mass transport service provided by Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 and Light Rail Transit 1 and 2.
Coloma said P1.156 billion would be used for the overhaul and repair of 28 cars, P870 million for upgrading power substations and ancillary systems, P184.7 million for upgrading the signaling system and computer software, P110 million for upgrading radio communication systems, P119.5 million for replacement of old rail tracks, P94.5 million for replacement of traction motors and P50 million for upgrading and replacement of elevators and escalators.
Coloma said procurement of goods and services are either ongoing or will start next month. The DOTC said most of the projects would be fully implemented in 2015.
He said Abaya also informed the President about the delivery of 48 new coaches starting September 2015 to increase the capacity of MRT 3 by 66 percent and improve headway (gap between trains) to 2.5 minutes.
Inekon deal
will need to verify with DOJ (Department of Justice). We have no update on that yet,” he said.
He debunked claims that corruption allegations under the Aquino administration are being swept under the rug.
Publicity stunt
Meanwhile, a consumers’ group criticized the government’s response to issues regarding MRT 3, and called on officials to focus on overhauling the system instead of engaging in a publicity stunt.
“Our leaders have to focus on the real problem. It’s frustrating that there are officials who resort to PR stunts to show the public they’re doing something to address the problem, even if these proposals don’t really address the MRT’s ills,” National Coalition of Filipino Consumers spokesman Oliver San Antonio told reporters in Manila.
He cited proposals to replace the maintenance contractor even though performance indicators, such as train availability, removals and service interruptions show that the contractor has performed better than its predecessors.
He said proposals to blacklist the current maintenance contractor “make little sense.”
“They’re finger-pointing at each other, at who should have done this remedy and that solution. The blame game is in full force. In the meantime, we’re still vainly waiting for immediate solutions to the public’s everyday ridership hardships,” San Antonio said.
The public could not wait for the arrival of new trains in 2015, he added. –With Edu Punay
Lacson on Santiago tirade: I’ll continue to pray for her recovery
Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson defended himself on Friday against Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago’s objection to proposals that he should be appointed anti-crime czar to solve the rising crime rate in the country.
Santiago, in a resolution filed Tuesday, described the proposal as “unfathomable.”
Sought to react to the senator’s statement, Lacson said: “When she announced that she was suffering from Stage 4 cancer which doctors say is irreversible, I already stated that I will continue to pray for her miraculous recovery. It goes without saying that I will no longer react negatively to whatever tirades she may direct against me.
“Having said that, I respect her personal opinion against me possibly leading the anti-crime efforts of the government,” he said.
Lacson said he also agreed with Santiago’s observation that Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel “Mar” Roxas “has the competence and capability to address the problems currently besetting the PNP (Philippine National Police) and that he needs all the support of the community in that regard.”
“Without mental reservation, I will simply let my record as CPNP (chief PNP) from late 1999 to early 2001 speak for itself, particularly in terms of crime prevention and suppression, police integrity and discipline, and most significantly, the much improved public perception towards the PNP,” he said.
Lacson was former chief of the PNP during the time of then President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada before he became senator and now as presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery tasked to head the reconstruction efforts of the government in provinces devastated by Supertyphoon “Yolanda”.
Lacson incurred the ire of Santiago after he defended then Senate President Juan Ponce-Enrile at the height of the Senate fund controversy.
Enrile, along with Senators Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada and Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr., are detained at the Camp Crame in Quezon City on plunder charges in connection with the “pork barrel” scam.
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