On PIATCO

Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Eduardo R. Ermita today denied having crafted a memorandum for President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo entitled "The President’s Four-Point Policy Framework in Addressing the Southern Philippines Secessionist/MILF Problem" which defines an action plan for the so-called Oplan Greenbase.

Ermita contended that the format, language, and subject matter of the memo is "totally out of line with how and why I do things."

"This grand and sinister plan to subsume the peace process under the supervision of the Department of National Defense even tends to undermine the mandate of my office. Now why would I do such a thing?," Ermita explained.

Moreover, Ermita added, the scope of the activities described in the memo spans areas that are way beyond his authority and capacity as Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process. "Who am I to dictate what NEDA and the AFP should do doing?" he asked.

Added Ermita: "There is no such thing as Oplan Greenbase which is supposedly being orchestrated by Malacaņang, to capture (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) Chairman Hashim Salamat dead or alive, to clear the way for the entry of foreign investors interested in petroleum exploration, and a psywar operation to justify Balikatan 03-1."

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today certified at least 14 bills as priority measures that Congress could attend to immediately to resolve a number of national concerns, particularly terrorism, the dreaded Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and socio-economic inadequacies.

In the meeting of the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council at Malacanang, the President classified seven of the bills as first priority and the other seven, second priority.

The seven first priority bills included the:

• Anti-Terrorism Act that defines the crime of terrorism and provides penalties therefore. It seeks to prevent the commission and financing of terrorist activities. The act is up for interpellations in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

• Quarantine Program to Prevent SARS that prevents the entry and/or spread of SARS and other diseases inimical to public health. The bill, pending in the committees of health in both the House and the Senate, introduces safeguards such as quarantine and other programs and provides penalties for violations.

• Farmland as Collateral Bill that intends to spur agricultural productivity, especially in the countryside. The bill provides beneficiaries of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program and small farmland owners access to mainstream credit facilities. The bill, on third reading in the House and on second reading in the Senate, recognizes the use of certificates of land ownership as loan collateral with formal banking institutions.

The President expressed her desire to have this piece of legislation acted upon immediately, noting its benefits to the greater number of Filipinos involved in agriculture.

• Anti-Trafficking of Minors and Women Bill that will uphold the welfare and safety of Filipino women and children and accord them the full protection of their civil, political, economic and cultural rights. Up for bicameral review, the bill also aims to put in place a legal framework to stop and prevent various acts and other forms of trafficking of persons.

• Rationalizing the Pay Scale of the Judiciary Bill that seeks to enhance the system of administration of justice by adopting a rationalized compensation structure for the justices, judges and lawyers in the Judiciary. This will enable government to recruit and retain the best and brightest legal minds in the country. This bill is ready for third reading in the House and approved on third reading in the Senate.

• Rationalizing the Excise Tax on Automobiles Bill that will address the inequities brought about by the current definition of automobile by removing the bias against smaller cars with seating capacity of less than 10. It will also address the distortions in terms of engine displacements and fuel type used. The bill, projected to generate additional state revenues of P1.4 billion, is approved on third reading in the House and on second reading in the Senate.

• Rationalizing the Documentary Stamp Tax Bill that aims to expand the coverage of a certificate of deposit subject to documentary stamp tax. The bill’s approval will mean P7.86 billion more in revenues while removing the key impediment to increased volume of financial instruments traded in the secondary market. It is approved on third reading in the House and on second reading in the Senate.

Another bill, the Optical Media Act, was earlier noted as a first priority bill. But Senator Manuel Villar, in the LEDAC meeting, proposed that the Debt Cap Bill be given due attention. President Macapagal-Arroyo agreed.

The other seven bills classified as second priority included the:

• Securitization Law that intends to improve liquidity in the domestic capital market, particularly within the mortgage housing finance sector. It provides the necessary infrastructure and market environment for a wide range of asset-backed securities that allow present valuations and the use of future stream of revenue. The bill is up for third reading in the House and second reading in the Senate.

• Dual Citizenship Law that allows dual citizenship to strengthen unity among Filipinos here and abroad and pave the way for their return while enticing them to invest in the Philippines. Interpellations on the bill will commence in the House while the Senate has approved it on third reading.

• Franchise for the National Transmission Corporation that will enhance the value of transmission assets of the National Power Corporation. It allows the government to recover more proceeds from its privatization, thus reducing the potential stranded cost and universal charge that will translate into benefits for electric users. The bill is approved on third reading by Congress and passed second reading in the Senate,

• Compensation to Human Rights Victims that recognizes the rightful claim for compensation by human rights victims during the Marcos regime. It gives the Presidential Commission on Good Government the authority to enter into compromise agreements relative to the Marcos ill-gotten wealth. The bill sets aside $200 million (about P10 billion) from any future judgment in civil Case 41 pending before the Sandiganbayan. The case involves Swiss bank deposits, placed at some $650 million of the Marcoses uncovered by the PCGG and being held in escrow.

• Indexation of Sin Taxes that imposes excise tax on tobacco and alcoholic beverages. This will update the basis of taxation to the present level and will index the same to inflation rate. It is projected that some P3.22 billion and P10.62 billion will be generated as revenue from the imposition tax on beer and tobacco products, respectively.

• National Revenue Administration Act that creates a new entry to address institutional problems and enhance tax administration.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, during the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) meeting in Malacanang today, certified as urgent a bill strengthening the regulatory capacity of the Department of Health and the Bureau of Quarantine Services on Public Health Threats.

This Quarantine Program to Prevent SARS was also included among the priority bills that Congress will pass before its adjournment sine die on June 6.

In the proposed bill, the President will declare the existence of a contagion or disease considered a threat to public health.

In this case, the Health Secretary through the Bureau of Quarantine Services would prevent the entry of persons, properties, vessels, from the country of origin or otherwise implement quarantine and other measures until such time as the President declares the contagion or disease as no longer posing a threat to public health.

According to the President, the present quarantine laws have very, very light penalties.

This act, which will be known as the "Public Health Threat and Quarantine Act of 2003," upgrades the penalties and powers on quarantine regulations.

The proposed bill penalizes any person who violates any regulation, guideline, and condition of quarantine, or knowingly conceals or falsely provides material information on matters requiring full disclosure a fine of no less than P10,000 nor more than P100,000 or its equivalent in subsidiary imprisonment.

The bill also provides that any vessel or aircraft violating quarantine procedures and/or fails to, or falsely submits, requisite documentation and clearances shall suffer the penalty of a fine in the amount of P100,000 but not more than P1 million without prejudice to the confiscation and/or destruction of the apprehended vessel or aircraft.

On the suspension of classes in the event of SARS problem, the Executive Order 201 gives the Department of Education the authority to close schools or suspend classes, but upon the advise of the DOH.

Education Secretary Edilberto de Jesus said "the thinking now is that it is not likely that we will have a general epidemic that will require the resetting of schedules across the country," he said.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today awarded plaques of recognition to Ambassador Paul Stephen Dimond of the United Kingdom and Bulacan Governor Josefina de la Cruz for actively supporting the worldwide concerted program program for the prevention and control of transnational crimes.

The awarding was held at the Ceremonial Hall in Malacanang during a cocktail reception on the fourth anniversary of the Philippine Center on Transnational Crimes (PCTC).

Ambassador Dimond was recognized for his continuing support in broadening the cooperation in the campaign against terrorism and transnational crimes, particularly in the successful conduct of crisis management exercises in Bulacan on January this year.

Gov. De la Cruz, supported and assisted the PCTC in its pioneering effort in institutionalizing the Crisis Management for Local Governments and for specifically allowing the province of Bulacan to serve as the pilot project in said exercises as part of the PCTC Capacity Building Program.

Other PCTC awardees were Senior Supt. Artemio Hicban, Police Officer of the Year for Operations; Supt. Gracito Bing Barangan, Senior Officer of the Year for Administration; Chief Insp. Ronald Anonuevo, Junior Officer of the Year for Operations; Senior Insp. Edwin Quilates, Junior Officer for the Year for Administration; SPO2 Luis Andal, Employee of the Year (uniformed category); and Myla Dy, Employee of the Year (non-uniformed category).

Police Deputy Director General and PCTC executive director Florencio Fianza earlier reported to the President that several intelligence exchanges and case management fora were regularly conducted with local and foreign counterparts to further ties in the collaborative effort in combating the growing menace of transnational crimes. These crimes include terrorism, money laundering, kidnapping, trafficking of firearms, human and illegal drugs, illegal recruitment, and violations of intellectual property rights.

Present during the awarding rites were Russian Ambassador Anatoll Vladimirovich Nebogatov, Ambassador Phiane Philakone of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Ambassador Din Tich of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Malaysian Ambassador Mohd Taufik Mohd Noor, French Ambassador Renee Beyret, and Saudi Arabia Charge d’ Affaires Fahad Bin Bkheet.