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02 NOVEMBER 2003 |
| COA report, key to resolving impasse, caused by Davide impeachment case, says Bunye |
The Commission on Audit (COA) report on disbursements of the Judicial Development Fund (JDF) may provide the key to breaking the impasse created by the impeachment complaint in Congress against Supreme Court Chief Justice Hilario Davide, Jr., Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said today. At the same time, Bunye said that the oral argument on the impeachment case before the Supreme Court, scheduled on Wednesday (November 5), would be a good opportunity to air issues and make the people understand them better. "Napakaraming arguments, for and against. Merong mga constitutional arguments, merong mga emotional arguments, merong mga arguments based sa findings ng COA," he said in a radio interview. "Itong November 5 ay makakabuti para sa higit na pagkakaintindi ng mga issues. ‘Yon naman po doon sa sacrifice, siguro, ang importante ay ang bawa’t isa, bawa’t partido ay isaalang-alang kung ano ang makakabuti sa ating bayan (November 5 will be good for better understanding of issues. As for the sacrifice, what is important is that every party involved, should consider what is good for our country)," he added. Bunye noted that the House of Representatives and the Impeachment Court – the Senate with select congressmen serving as prosecutors -- maybe compared with the Fiscal’s Office and the Regional Trial Court. He said that, in an ordinary criminal case, even if the prosecutor has already submitted the complaint, a motion for reinvestigation could still be filed. "Iyan po ang nakikita kong solusyon; tingnan po muli ng ating mga kinatawan ‘yong complaint, dahil lumalabas po na ang mga sagot ay nanduon po sa COA report (That’s the solution I see. The congressmen should look again at the complaint (against Davide), because it seems that the answer lies in the COA report)," he added. The Presidential Spokesman said that if the congressmen would agree to return the impeachment complaint to the House Committee on Justice, they could scrutinize the COA report on DJF expenses at the committee level. "Doon tayo sumentro ng ating usapin at hindi po natin masyadong magugulo itong ating situation, itong ating lipunan (Let’s concentrate on the COA report and we will create less trouble in our society), and then we’ll still arrive at the truth," he said. Bunye expressed confidence that the Filipino people will accept the findings of COA, which is the constitutional body that audits the Office of the President, Congress and the Supreme Court. |
| No politics involved in GMA's visits to tombs of her loved ones, says Bunye |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo merely paid homage to her departed loves on All Saints’ Day and did not campaign among visitors to the cemeteries as claimed by her critics, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said today. The Chief Executive, together with her children, visited the tombs of her parents, former President Diosdado Macapagal and Dr. Evangelina Macaraeg-Macapagal, at the Libingan ng Mga Bayani, Fort Bonifacio, Makati City. She also laid a wreath and lighted candles at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldiers. She then went to Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, where the ashes of her grandparents, on the mother’s side, were entombed. She motored to the Loyola Memorial Park, Marikina City, where Ignacio L. Arroyo, Sr., father of the First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, Jr. was buried in 1996. She likewise visited Santuario de Martin, San Juan City, and offered flowers at the graves of some departed relatives. The President then proceeded to Manila North Cemetery, where she visited the grave of Lourdes Tuason Arroyo, mother of the First Gentleman. "Bilang isang Pangulo, palagay ko’y di naman maiiwasan na bumati sa mga nakapaligid doon at ‘yan din ay bahagi ng magandang kaugalian, ‘yong pakikisama at pagpapasintabi sa mga nadadaanan sa lugar na kaniyang pinuntahan (As a President, she can’t avoid to greet people in those places, and that’s part of the good tradition of fellowship and deference to those she passes by), Bunye said in a radio interview. Bunye said that President Macapagal-Arroyo commended the Philippine National Police (PNP) for their handling of the peace and order situation during All Saints’ Day. She was happy that no untoward incident happened in the cemeteries she had visited. |
| Bunye cites Jetro report on PR investment prospects |
The Japan External Trade Organization (Jetro) has better knowledge of trade conditions in the region, Malacanang said today as it referred to the Global Competitiveness Report of the World Economic Forum (WEF) as simply a rehash of another negative report about two months back. The WEF just looked at the negative side and did not consider positive developments, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said in a radio interview this morning. The government has been pursuing anti-corruption measures, administrative and legislative measures, and there have been actual prosecution of corruption cases, Bunye stressed, adding that these have not been considered by the report. The report ranks the Philippines 66th in growth competitiveness and 64th in business competitiveness for 2003-2004 among 102 countries in the world, down from 63rd and 61st from last year. Bunye cited the positive report of Jetro to contest the findings of the WEF. The Jetro report ranks the Philippines as the third most preferred country for investments in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), only behind Thailand and Malaysia and well above Singapore and Indonesia. Japanese businessmen are very discriminating and this report of Jetro is a glowing endorsement, Bunye said. And they know the region better because they are here and observe developments first hand. The WEF report is on more than a hundred countries and chances are it only has a superficial knowledge of the actual conditions in those countries, Bunye added. The Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, in its meeting of economic leaders last month, also forecast a growth of the Philippine Gross Domestic Product and ranked it sixth among its 21 member countries after China, Vietnam, Russia, Thailand and Malaysia. Last Friday, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo referred to the WEF report as recycled news, saying "We do not need international rankings to teach us or prod us on good governance." "It is unfortunate that this group has come up with this analysis of perceptions without taking into account what we have done to address the issue through positive reforms and sanctions. But we shall not be put down and we shall forge on," the President said in a statement. |
| Bunye: Lakas solons' withdrawal from impeachment complaint not shameful act |
Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye today welcomed reports that 10 of the 17 members of the ruling Lakas Christian Muslim Democrats had withdrawn their signatures from the impeachment complaint in the House of Representatives against Supreme Court Justice Hilario Davide, Jr. In a radio interview, Bunye said that the Lakas congressmen, who reconsidered their decision to support the Davide impeachment bid, had nothing to be ashamed of about their action, "Meron sapat na dahilan at ang dahilan na ito ay ‘yong paglutang ng Commission on Audit report (They have adequate reason and this is the emergence of the Commission on Audit report)" regarding disbursements of the Judicial Development Fund (JDF), Bunye said, He said that the COA report confirms that the Supreme Court had used the development funds under its disposal in accordance with the law. In a span of three years, he said, it now appears that more than 89 percent of the JDF had been given to court employees in the form of living allowance. The law stipulates 80 percent of the JDF be allocated for employee benefits. "Kung ito ang pinagbabasehan nang pagwi-withdraw ng signatures ay hindi kahiya-hiya na-iwithdraw ‘yong kanilang signatures at maiiwasan natin ‘yong isang consitutional crisis (If this (COA report) is the basis for withdrawal of their signatures, there is nothing to be ashamed of. The withdrawal of their signatures will avert a constitutional crisis)," he added. "Let’s go to the very heart of the controversy, tama ba o hindi ‘yong pagkakagastos ng pondo at ang best argument, best evidence diyan ay ‘yong COA report," Bunye said, adding that this is the kind of explanation that the people will understand better than the arguments about separation of powers of co-equal branches of government. |
