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| 24 AUGUST 2007 | ||
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| 24 AUGUST 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Secretary Claudio's resignation |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has accepted
with regret the resignation of Secretary Gabby Claudio as Presidential
Adviser for Political Affairs. Secretary Claudio earlier underwent a complicated spinal surgery which will require months of rehabilitation. The President thanked Secretary Claudio for his invaluable service. The President has named Secretary Bert Gonzales as temporary replacement. |
| PGMA vows electrification of all barangays by 2009 |
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BARANGAY TAWALA, Panglao, Bohol – President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo vowed last night to “conquer darkness” in all
barangays still without electricity by 2009, or sooner. The President told a big gathering here of local residents and officials from the Central Visaya provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Negros Oriental and Siquijor that the full energization of the country’s 41,945 barangays is just a year or so away. “In 2009, government will finally conquer darkness with the attainment of a 100 percent barangay electrification rate,” she said. “Electricity and Water for all,” is included in the President’s 10-Point Agenda with the acronym “Beat The Odds.” “Beat The Odds” stands for balanced budget, education for all, automated elections, transportation and digital infrastructure, terminate hostilities with the MILF and NPA, heal the wounds of EDSAs 1, 2 and 3, electricity and water for all, opportunities for livelihood and 10 million jobs, decongestion of Metro Manila, and develop Subic and Clark The President said that for fiscal year 2008, the Department of Energy has allotted some P200 million for the energization of the remaining 770 unenergized barangays. An additional P300 million has been allotted in the National Electrification Administration (NEA) budget for electric cooperatives. “Thank you for the tax reforms we implemented---we have the money to complete our Rural Electrification Program,” she said. She added that foreign grants would also be utilized in the electrification program, including the rehabilitation of facilities destroyed by typhoons last year. NEA Administrator Edita Bueno said that when the President assumed office in 2001, only 81 percent of the barangays nationwide were energized. “Today, 95 percent of the barangays all over the country enjoy electricity,” she told the gathering. By administration, 2,844 barangays were lighted up during the time of former President Corazon Aquino, and 3,335 under former President Fidel V. Ramos. During the Estrada presidency, 3,035 barangays were energized, while 6,345 have been energized since President Arroyo assumed office. Bueno, who was asked by the President to brief the gathering on NEA’s barangay electrification program for the next three years, said the biggest providers of electricity to the barangays were electric cooperatives, followed by the Manila Electric Co. (Meralco), with local government units (LGU) coming in a poor third. She said that as of June 2007, Mindanao had the biggest backlog in the rural electrification system with 983 barangays still without electricity, followed by Luzon, 485 and the Visayas, 338. |
| Bohol's success vs. insurgency a model for other regions to emulate -- PGMA |
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TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol – President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo cited last night Bohol’s success in combating the communist
rebellion through the “hard power of the military” combined with the “soft
power” of development. During a barangay visit to Tawala in Panglao town, the President said the “Bohol experience” should be replicated in other areas of the country still hounded by insurgency problems. She added that rebel-infested provinces can learn a lesson or two, draw inspiration and encouragement from Bohol’s success, as she called on the various stakeholders to work in concert to finally end the 35-year-old communist rebellion, one of the longest-running in the world. The Chief Executive arrived here Thursday afternoon from Zamboanga City and a surprise trip to Basilan, where she visited the troops pursuing Abu Sayyaf terrorists behind the recent deadly attacks on government forces in Basilan and Sulu. She is scheduled to address the closing ceremonies this afternoon of the two-day Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) at the Bohol Tropics Resort in downtown Tagbilaran. Attending the LPSA inaugural meeting are officials of the Central Visayas provinces of Bohol, Cebu, Siquior and Negros Oriental, Cabinet secretaries, military top brass, official of national agencies and other stakeholders. National peace and order council members, representatives from the academe, religious and business, and local officials are also attending the LPSA. The LPSA was organized in response to the appeal of Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado to Malacanang to give due cognizance to local government efforts to win the war against insurgency being spearheaded by the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed component of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP). The LPSA inaugural meeting is jointly sponsored by the Office of the President and the local government units of the four Central Visayas provinces. Convenors of the LPSA said the choice of Tagbilaran City as the venue of the first LPSA meeting was intended to showcase Bohol’s success in its anti-insurgency campaign. “Bohol was chosen as the venue of the LPSA because of its highly-rated experience in drastically reducing the local insurgents through the convergence of local initiatives to resolve conflict, pursue normalcy and spurt development,” the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) said in a statement. Local peace assemblies to be convened in other parts of the country will serve as venues for stakeholders to present their region’s strategies for the resolution of conflicts, including terrorism, and development programs. Aumentado, the architect of Bohol’s anti-insurgency campaign, said the success of his administration against the communist menace is amply demonstrated by the drastic reduction in the number of insurgent-influenced barangays in the province from 305 in 2001 to 24 in 2005. From 284 in 2001, the number of armed NPA rebels in Bohol is now down to only 42, he added. Aumentado attributed the success of Bohol’s anti-NPA campaign to carefully crafted programs on poverty-alleviation, social justice, government social services and efficient governance. “Employing the strategies of alliance building, convergence, community organizing, capability building and reinvigorating the bayanihan spirit or self-reliance, the poverty-reduction program for peace and development of Bohol has resulted to something beyond our expectations,” he said. |
| Statement of Executive Secretary Educardo Ermita |
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Today’s news re the alleged 90 graft cases that
remain unacted upon by the Office of the President (OP) is highly
inaccurate. PAGC (Presidential Anti-Graft Commission), thru Chairperson Constancia de Guzman and its officials, has always been consistent in saying that there are only 35 cases with punitive recommendations that are under review by the OP. There is no undue delay in the resolution of the cases because stringent study must be made on these cases as they all involve careers, livelihood and reputation of people; and PAGC understands this. For the same reason, OP and PAGC cannot prematurely divulge the names of the officials with pending cases. Of the 35 graft cases still under review, four (4) involve Cabinet officials. Also for the period of July 2006 to the present, 18 presidential appointees were meted out penalties by the OP, as follows: 11 dismissed from service, six (6) suspended for various periods, and one (1) reprimanded. |
| PGMA designates NSC adviser to head Presidential Legislative Liaison Office |
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LOBOC, Bohol—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
has designated National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales as acting head of
the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office (PLLO) vice Secretary Gabriel
Claudio who resigned for health reasons. “The President has accepted with regret the resignation of Secretary Claudio as Presidential Adviser for Political Affairs,” Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said here today. Bunye said Secretary Claudio earlier underwent a complicated spinal surgery, which will require months of rehabilitation. For his part, Claudio said he left his post "to avail of as much time and opportunity as needed to fully and permanently recover from my back ailments for which I underwent spinal surgery last August 8." "The President thanked Secretary Claudio for his invaluable service. The President has named Secretary Bert Gonzales as temporary replacement," Bunye said. Gonzales also made the announcement at the closing ceremony here this afternoon of the Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) attended by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. |
| President inaugurates P8.5-M Children's Choir Theater, P2.5-M access road in Bohol |
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LOBOC, Bohol -- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
inaugurated this morning the P8.5-million Loboc Children’s Choir Theater and
the P2.5- million access road to the theater in this town 24 kilometers away
from this capital city. Amid a mid-morning drizzle, the President, dressed in an aqua blue summer blouse and flower-printed white and blue pants, arrived in this 5th class municipality known for its floating restaurants along the scenic and winding Loboc River, for the inaugural ceremonies. She was assisted by Loboc Mayor Leon Calipusan, Ambassador Carlos Chan of Liwayway Marketing, the donor of the theater for the world-famous Loboc Children’s Choir. The President was treated to a scintillating musical repertoire of the 22-member choir, a multiple winner of both national and internal music awards. Ambassador Chan said he had pined for a permanent place for the children to practice their songs, so he decided to build a theater for the highly talented youngsters. The members of the Loboc Children’s Choir are residents of this town, aged nine to 13. Founded in 1980 to render musical numbers to school and community events, the choir has since blossomed into one of the outstanding groups of young singers in the country today. It won the National Music Competition for Young Artists (children’s category) in 1993, 1995 and 2001. In September 2003, the choir also garnered two major awards at the Europe’s Songs 6th International Folklore Choir Festival held in Barcelona, Spain. After the inauguration rites, the President, accompanied by Tourism Secretary Joseph Ace Durano, boarded one of Loboc’s floating restaurants for a leisurely cruise on the Loboc River. Durano said Loboc is one of the many lovely sights included in the tourism package for Bohol. Aside from the Loboc Children’s Choir and the scenic Loboc River, other tourist attractions in the area include the tarsiers, the world’s smallest primate, and the St. Peter Parish Church, the second oldest church in the country. |
| President gives AFP 3 years to crush red insurgency, rebellion in South, terrorim |
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TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol – President Gloria
Macapagal-Arroyo on Friday gave the military three years to crush the
communist insurgency, the rebellion in Mindanao, and “sheer terrorism,” or
before she bows out of office in 2010. The armed forces “must evolve a strategy of rapid conclusion to address rebellion, with the National Security Council providing policy direction on communist insurgency, Muslim secessionism, and sheer terrorism,” she said in her address during the closing ceremonies of the Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) for Central Visayas this noon at the Bohol Tropics Resort Hotel here. Mincing no word about her determination to end rebellion in the country, including the 35-year-old communist insurgency, the President said she will not waver in her efforts to attain peace and progress for the country. “I have a specified timeline—in three
years—to end armed rebellion in the Philippines,” she said. The President stressed that, “We will not stop until bandits find no nook to hide in the land they have blighted and no sanctuary to seek from people they have terrorized and used as shields.” She said that while the communist rebels pose a low-level threat, they continue to impede progress and development of many areas in the countryside. “If we are to become a First World country, we have to put a stop to their ideological nonsense and their acts once and for all. It is either we get rid of them now, or get rid of them later. Whatever happens, they must be stopped,” the President said. She said, however, that the government would
continue to use "hard and soft power" in dealing with insurgency and
extremism, referring to the use of military might whenever and wherever
necessary, and the "soft" approach” in the form of development and social
services to the people. The government will employ democratic means such as economic development, education and infrastructure, but stressed that “in preaching peace and working for progress, we are not foreclosing our use of our military to protect our people and keep them safe,” she said. But for those “who recognize no other
language but force and violence, government will be tough and relentless,”
she added. |
| PGMA turns over 61 core shelter units to displaced families in Bicol |
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DARAGA, Albay- President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
turned over today 61 Certificates of Completion and Occupancy (COCC) of core
shelter units to families whose houses were destroyed by the super typhoons
that hit the Bicol region last year. The rites followed the President’s brief tour of the resettlement area, including an inspection at the house of Ma. Bingelen Antivola, one of the 61 core shelter unit recipients, at the Anislag Resettlement Site (Phase II) at Barangay Anislag, Daraga, Albay. The President also turned over three checks amounting to P350,000 for three Self-Employment Assistance Kaunlaran (SEA-K) Associations whose members are all victims of typhoons. These associations are Survivor SEA-K Association which was represented by Salvacion Ayes, P150,000; Ma. Victoria Lo for Nagkakaisa SEA-K Association, P75, 000; and Rosemarie Jacob for the Mabalogo SEA-K Association, P125,000. The amount will be used as capital seed fund for the members of the associations to start their entrepreneurial projects in the resettlement site. The Chief Executive likewise distributed sacks of rice and green mongo beans donated by the United Nations-World Food Programme, which has been providing food packs to each beneficiary-family while construction of the shelter units is being done. The President was assisted by Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, and Daraga Mayor Cicero Triunfante during the rites. The 61 core shelter units are part of the 200 units committed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) under its Core Shelter Assistance Project (CSAP). On May 30, 1996, the provincial government of Albay acquired a 22- hectare property in Barangay Anislag, Daraga, Albay to serve as the first provincial resettlement site for families displaced by the Mayon Volcano activity and typhoons as well as by the government infrastructure projects. The housing program is implemented by both government and non-government organizations, including the DWSD, Daughters of Charity, Gawad Kalinga, COPE and Project Compassion. Of the 1,053 total target housing units, 190 have been completed, 364 are ongoing construction and 499 have not yet started. Each core shelter unit costs P70,000 and the total construction cost of all units is P243.38 million. |
| President to convene NSC next week to discuss proposed amnesty for NPA rebels |
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TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol -- President Gloria
Macapagal- Arroyo said today she will convene the National Security Council
(NSC) on Wednesday (Aug. 29) to discuss the proposed amnesty for members of
the National Democratic Front-Communist Party of the Philippines-New
People’s Army (NDF-CPP-NPA). The amnesty proposal was forged during the two-day Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) for Central Visayas, a gathering of local government and sectoral leaders and experts designed to find solutions to various peace and security problems in their respective localities. Taking cognizance of the LPSA proposal, the President said she will cancel her appointments on Aug. 29 to give way for thorough discussion of the proposal by the NSC. She said the government will seriously consider the amnesty proposal as part of an overall government’s strategy to put closure to the 35-year-old communist insurgency, bring peace to the troubled areas and accelerate the development of the country. The LPSA proposal was included in the “Action Agenda for Peace and Security in Central Visayas” aimed at ending the insurgency problem by 2010. The LPSA proposal was turned over to the President during the closing ceremonies of the assembly. During the opening ceremonies of the LPSA on Thursday,, Bohol Gov. Erico Aumentado said that amnesty to the NPA rebels would hasten the collapse of the communist insurgency in the country. Citing Bohol’s experience in surmounting the local NPA rebellion, Aumentado stressed that while many insurgents are eager to end years of hardships in the underground and lead normal lives again, they are afraid once they join the folds of the law they might be prosecuted for political crimes. Following the overthrow of the Marcos government in 1986, then President Corazon Aquino granted general amnesty to political opponents of the dictatorship, including Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) founding chairman Jose Ma. Sison and other top leaders of the communist movement, who have since directed the rebellion from their sanctuaries abroad. President Arroyo had called for the resumption of the stalled peace talks between the government and the NDF-CPP-NPA but Sison had consistently rejected the government overtures. |
| PGMA doubles calamity fund to P2 billion |
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DARAGA, Albay - President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
announced here Friday that the government’s regular Calamity Fund will be
doubled from P1 billion this year to P2 billion next year. "We are here in this corridor of typhoons --- ‘welcome mat to storms’ is how Secretary Nonoy Andaya describes the land of his birth --- and in the shadow of an active volcano to announce that next year's regular Calamity Fund will be doubled to P2 billion from P1 billion this year,” the President said. In a "Pulong Bayan" held at the Resettlement Site in Barangay Anislag, this town, the President said that the 100 percent increase in relief and rehabilitation funds would allow for fast response to emergencies and quick turnaround of areas havocked by calamities. She said that like before, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) have 45 percent of the funds for immediate assistance to the victims of calamities while the Department of National Defense (DND) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) have 35 percent for infrastructure rehabilitation. The President stressed that the calamity funds will be remitted up front to these agencies so that they in turn can forward and deploy men and materials in areas prone to natural disasters. She, however, pointed out that not all calamities are caused by nature since some are nurtured by man like the displacement of civilians which was caused by the pillage done by the Abu Sayyaf terrorists. The President said that the Calamity Fund will be tapped to provide “succor to people who have seen the eye of the typhoon or the end of the barrel of a terrorist's gun.” "Doon sa mga nabisita ng mga sakuna, sa mga naririto, we assure you that your resiliency will be matched by the resources of our government. Kabalikat ninyo ang buong sambayanan. Mabuhay ang Kabikulan!", the President said. Joining the President in the “Pulong Bayan” were Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Head Cerge Remonde, Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, Bicol Representatives Reno Lim, Edcel Lagman and Al Francis Bichara, DSWD Secretary Esperanza Cabral, Daraga Mayor Cicero Triunfante, OCD Deputy Administrator Anthony Golez and Albay Vice Gov. Brando Sael. |
| PGMA orders transfer of P2-B DepEd rehab fund to DPWH for schoolhouse repair |
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DARAGA, Albay—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
ordered today Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to immediately transfer the
P2-billion rehabilitation fund of the Department of Education (DepEd) to the
Department of Public Works and Highways for the fast-tracking of schoolhouse
construction and repair of those damaged by typhoons. The President said that the P2-billion rehab fund of the DepEd is over and above the P8-billion funds of the Calamity Assistance and Relief Effort or CARE approved by the Congress. She said during the "Pulong Bayan" held at the Anislag Resettlement site in Barangay Anislag, Daraga, Albay that she had received reports that DepED had only accomplished and implemented 7 percent of their school repair and construction projects. "Sumunod tayo sa mga suggestion ng ating mga mambabatas dito upang maramdaman kaagad ng taong bayan iyong biyaya (We just followed the suggestions of you congressmen here). So, the instruction is to transfer the (rehab) fund of DepEd to the DPWH,” she said. She noted that even if the biddings for DepEd's projects were already won by some contractors, it should be given now to the DPWH for it to supervise the construction. She instructed Andaya to immediately release the calamity funds for the CARE before the Commission on Elections could set the election period checkpoint on funds. She expressed relief upon learning that these funds have not been covered yet by the poll body ban on public works projects relative to the coming barangay elections. "Iniatas ko sa kanya (Andaya) ngayon na ilabas ang perang natitira at isumbong sa akin kung naaantala ang release dahil sa mga ahensiyang atrasado o paltos kung magbigay ng mga programang popondahan. Disaster funds must be spent properly and not disastrously. Mayhem marks calamities but not in the use of funds meant to mitigate their effects,” she said. "So, ito ang mga halimbawa, may mga nabanggit kayong pagpapasalamat sa pamahalaan pero mayroon pang darating at iyon ang ating mensahe ngayon,” she said. Albay Gov. Joey Salceda, after the six-minute audio visual presentation watched by the President on the update of Bicol Core Shelter unit project, expressed gratitude to the Chief Executive for the establishment of the Bicol-CARE commission that provides immediate support, cooperation and assistance to the Bicol region. Beneficiaries of the core shelter units featured at the audio visual show also thanked the President for the housing units that her administration had given them. "Marami pong salamat sa Pangulong Arroyo, sa ating gobyerno at opisyales sa walang humpay na pagtulong sa tulad naming mga nasalanta at biktima ng kalamidad,” the housing recipients said. |
