Jose Pidal

This controversy seems to be sputtering out and the Palace has nothing to say about it, save to express confidence that truth and justice will prevail in the end, both in the Senate and in the courts.

PNP

As part of her commitment to provide housing security to the Filipino people, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today awarded certificates of eligibility for lot allocation (CELAs) to some 100 housing beneficiaries and ordered the setting up of one-stop shop processing center in Tondo, Manila.

In ceremonies held this morning, the President personally handed the CELAs to the first 100 housing beneficiaries of Parola, Tondo, Manila who occupied their lots since early 1980s.

She told the residents of the Parola, Tondo, Manila that the first batch of beneficiaries were given the priority because they were able to comply with all the required housing documents on time.

The President assured the remaining 2,000 targeted beneficiaries in Parola that their papers will be processed within the next three months stressing that the government is committed to provide housing security to a total of 150,000 families per year.

"Simula pa lamang ito, kasi itong 100 na ito, sila ang unang natapos sa proseso. Dahil itong unang 100 ang natapos na ang papeles, puwede ng ibigay ang certificate, puwede nang ipamahagi ngayon (This is only the beginning, because these 100, their papers were earlier processed. The certificates may now be distributed to the beneficiaries)," the President said.

The President said that the processing of the papers of some 12,000 housing beneficiaries started in l989 but only in year 2001 under her administration that Presidential Proclamation No. 96 on the disposition of land to the actual occupants was fully implemented.

Under the CELA, the housing beneficiaries are entitled to reside in the area but subject to the rules and regulations governing the award of home lots pursuant to Proclamation No. 96, which embodies the Parola Development Plan in Parola, Tondo, Manila.

The President also ordered the setting up of one-stop shop processing center beside the Del Pan Sports Complex in Binondo, Manila to fast track the processing of the pre-qualifications requirements of the beneficiaries of the housing program.

After the distribution of the CELAs to the first 100, she had invited the remaining 2,000 Parola housing beneficiaries to proceed to the processing center so that their papers can be acted immediately.

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo today thanked the residents of Tondo, Manila for their continued support for her administration and for helping the government thwart the efforts to destabilize the country.

The President specifically thanked Tondo residents for not heeding the call of some power grabbers to support another "people power."

Because of this, the President said the government can now attend to more pressing issues such as poverty, crimes, and terrorism and the provision of basic needs to the people.

The President said that with the help of the people, the threats to democratic institutions would be stopped so that the government could concentrate on its efforts on the more pressing issues of governance.

"The so-called destabilization plot, or what remains of it, is an empty shell of rumors, mischievous text messages and noisy propaganda," the President said, adding that while the conspiracy is still there, "driven by raw ambitions of power of persons who want to evade justice," this will not succeed because the people are against it.

During her first Joint Command Conference as concurrent defense chief with the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Thursday, the President said AFP Chief of Staff Gen. Narciso Abaya reported about the ongoing reforms in the AFP, including her directive for the consolidation process within the military service.

She said 77 soldiers implicated in the Oakwood mutiny last July 27 were already released from detention as they were found innocent of the charges.

However, she said appropriate penalties await those who would be found guilty for their involvement in the short-lived military adventurism.

During the command conference, the President said the PNP also reported of their accomplishments in the government’s intensified crackdown against illegal drugs for the past two-and-a-half months.

Malacaņang today appealed to all sectors of society to do away with too much politicking and consider the bigger interest of the country and the Filipino people.

In his regular press briefing this afternoon, Presidential Spokesman Ignacio Bunye said that he agreed with the observation of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) that there is now too much politicking in the country.

"I don’t think partisan politics is moving our country forward. Likewise, we appeal to all sectors to be more patriotic and let’s look at the interest of our country," Bunye said.

On graft and corruption, which was also raised by the CBCP, Bunye said that this is an issue that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has taken a firm stand on and has institutionalized a number of anti-corruption measures.

He said that the government has already adopted the e-governance to eliminate corruption in the procurement of government supplies, and a lifestyle check has been ordered in all agencies, particularly the revenue-earning ones whose officials are prone to corruption.

"In fact, some officials have already been charged after they have been investigated," Bunye said.

On the allegations aired by opposition Senator Panfilo Lacson against First Gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo, which have remained unsubstantiated, Bunye said that the President would prefer not to directly comment on the controversy.

"Well, we can only relate what the President has said before, and this is the stand that she has consistently taken: that she would like justice and truth to prevail in whatever venues the (Jose) Pidal case is being taken up," Bunye said.

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has said that there never was any P1.35-million check issued to the account of Jose Pidal as alleged by Senator Panfilo Lacson in his recent privilege speech in the Senate.

In a report to Malacanang, PCSO Chairman Ma. Livia de Leon said Lacson was not only misinformed but his allegation has no basis when he imputed that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cleared the alleged PCSO "donation" of P1.35 million under Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) Check No. 0061283 to the Jose Pidal account.

She clarified that there was indeed a Land Bank Check No. 0061283 but it was issued to Mr. Fortunato Tiratira in the amount of only P23,000, representing the payment for a five-digit winning prize in a 6/45 lotto game.

"Thus, the allegation/imputation of Senator Lacson that the President cleared the alleged PCSO ‘donation’ of P1.35 million to ‘Jose Pidal’ and therefore she violated the PCSO charter is baseless and false for the simple reason that there was/is no such ‘donation’ to speak of," De Leon said in her report.

Although it is the policy of the PCSO to get clearance or approval of the Office of the President for all charity fund releases in excess of P100,000, she said the subject LBP Check No. 061283 did not have to be cleared by the President since the P23,000 was part of the prize fund, "as certified by both our managers and by the manager of the LandBank PCSO Extension Office."