The Cabinet Security Cluster was informed by the Philippine National Police (PNP) of the case filed against Rep. Ocampo and simply took note of the report. There was nothing to approve or discuss since this is purely a judicial matter.

CAPAS, Tarlac – As part of her vow to end hunger, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo inaugurated today the newly-constructed Capas Food Terminal (CFT) that aims to provide quality but affordable food items to more than 700,000 households here and nearby provinces.

After unveiling the marker and cutting the ceremonial ribbon symbolizing the formal opening of the CFT to the public, the President toured the terminal's facilities which include vegetable and livestock auction areas, a slaughterhouse, and cold storage facilities which ensure the freshness and safety of perishable food stuffs.

Joining her at the inauguration ceremonies were Tarlac Governor Jose Yap, Capas Mayor Reynaldo Catacutan, Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap and Education Secretary Jesli Lapus.

Built at a cost of P20 million, the CFT was constructed with the help of local and national government funding. It gets rid of the so-called "middle man" in the transaction between supplier and end user, thereby allowing for cheaper than market prices.

Earlier in a statement, the President vowed "to see to it that nobody is left behind in the social payback of economic growth, and fighting hunger shall be a constant priority in strategic and immediate levels."

"On the strategic level, the government is advancing agricultural production programs, broadening and speeding up the food distribution system and balancing out price disparities and fluctuations," the President said.

"On the immediate level, we have put up rolling stores in poor communities, checked food prices in the markets and made sure food transport routes are running smoothly from farm to market," she added.

CONCEPCION, Tarlac – President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo announced today that for the next three years until the end of her term in 2010, the government will invest P1 trillion on infrastructure and social services programs to ensure that the Philippines will continue to be an attractive investment destination for both foreign and local investors.

The President made the announcement in her speech at the inauguration this afternoon of the newly constructed Col. Jesus R. Lapus Memorial Sports Complex in this town.

"For the next three years (until the end of my term in 2010), we will invest P1 trillion on (various) infrastructure and social services (programs)," the President said in the Kapampangan dialect.

According to her, once these infrastructure and social services programs are implemented, the benefits to the economy in the form of more foreign and local investments will start pouring in.

"Para maka-agapay tayo sa mga kailangang imprastraktura, at sa imprastraktura naman ay naka-suporta ang ating ekonomiya at ito naman ay nakaka-attract ng maraming investments," the President stressed.

She pointed out that due to the modernization and widening of the North Luzon Expressway (NLE) and the soon-to-be-completed Subic-Clark-Tarlac road project, numerous investors have started investing in Central Luzon provinces such as Pampanga, Tarlac and Zambales.

She said these two major road projects have bridged the distance choking the business transactions between Metro Manila and Central Luzon, where the Clark Freeport Zone and the Subic Freeport Zone are located.

"Now call center (businesses) and factory and manufacturing plants (that used to be concentrated in Metro Manila) have branched out to the outer regions because Clark (and Central Luzon) is now closer to Metro Manila by way of the NLE," the President said.

She said the P1-trillion investment on infrastructure and social services programs would be sourced from the financial gains garnered from the tough economic reforms implemented by her administration.

Malacanang denied today any hand in the order to transfer Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo to Leyte, saying the Cabinet Security Cluster simply took note of the Philippine National Police (PNP) report anent the matter.

Parrying off allegations of a Palace maneuver, Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye clarified in a statement that Ocampo’s case is purely a judicial matter.

Being so, he explained, there was nothing to approve or discuss in the Cabinet group, which is engaged "in strategic policy discussions impinging on national security, not on criminal litigations or proceedings."

"The Cabinet Security Cluster was informed by the PNP of the case filed against Rep. Ocampo and simply took note of the report. There was nothing to approve or discuss since this is purely a judicial matter," he pointed out.

Ocampo was arrested last Friday when he went to the Supreme Court to file for the dismissal of the multiple murder charges against him allegedly committed during a purge within the ranks of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its armed wing the New People's Army (NPA) between 1985 and 1991.

He was temporarily detained at the Manila Police District (MPD) headquarters but was flown by the police to Leyte yesterday to face the murder charges on the strength of an arrest warrant issued by the Regional Trial Court in Hilongos, Leyte.

Before reaching Leyte, however, the plane carrying him was ordered to return to Manila after policemen learned that Judge Ephraim Abando of the Leyte RTC Branch 18 has granted Ocampo’s motion to remain in Manila until the SC hears his petition on Friday.

Superintendent Eduardo Sierra, chief of MPD’s Criminal Investigation Detection Unit, who was among the four officers who escorted Ocampo back to the Manila police headquarters, said there was nothing irregular about the incident.

"As a procedure, we have to return the warrant of arrest following the arrest of the subject and we can do it together with the subject of warrant of arrest. We didn’t have a copy yet of the court order allowing Rep. Ocampo to stay here at the MPD when we flew en route to Leyte. The plane carrying Ocampo was still in Samar area when the PNP received a copy of the court order so he was brought back here," said Sierra.

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Pampanga—President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed here today two laws that would further boost the former Clark Special Economic Zone, now renamed Clark Freeport Zone (CFZ), as an investment haven.

One of the two new laws is Republic Act No. 9400 or "An Act Amending R.A. 7227, as Amended, Otherwise Known as the Bases Conversion and Development Act of 1992 and for Other Purposes."

The other law is R.A. 9399 or "An Act Declaring a One-Time Amnesty on Certain Tax and Duty Liabilities, Inclusive of Fees, Fines, Penalties, Interests and Other Additions Thereto, Incurred by Business Enterprises Operating Within the Special Economic Zones and Freeports."

One of the major amendments to R.A. 7227, now embodied in R.A. 9400, officially declared Clark, which used to be a special economic zone, as a freeport zone that would cover 4,400 hectares of the former Clark Air Base.

Prior to the signing of R.A. 9400, the 4,400-hectare area was under the administration of the Clark Development Corporation (CDC), the implementing arm of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).

The rest of the 29,000-hectare reverted base lands located in Angeles City, Mabalacat and Porac towns in Pampanga and Capas and Bamban in Tarlac would now be under the jurisdiction of the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA).

R.A. 9400 also expressly provides the exception of 29.5 hectares of land near Clark’s main gate--22 hectares for commercial use and 7.5 hectares of the Bayanihan Park--from being part of the freeport.

"The exempted areas would not enjoy the same tax incentives as provided for locators inside the designated freeport zone but this would give local business enterprises a level playing field," CDC president Levy Laus said.

The law further states that "the CFZ shall be operated and managed as a separate Customs territory ensuring free flow or movement of goods and capital equipment within, into and exported out of Clark, as well as provide incentives such as tax and duty-free importation of raw materials and capital equipment."

However, exportation or removal of goods from the territory of Clark to other parts of the country will also be subjected to Customs duties and taxes under the Tariff and Customs Code of the Philippines, as amended by the National Internal Revenue Code.

Another provision of the new law is that no national or local taxes would be imposed on registered businesses inside Clark but they would instead pay five percent tax on Gross Income Earned, divided as follows: three percent to the national government and two percent to the municipality or city where they are located.

Amendments to R.A. 7227 also include the declaration of several areas such as Bataan, Poro Point, Morong and John Hay as special economic zone where the same tax and duty privileges are expressly provided in R.A. 7227.

The Remedial Tax Amnesty or R.A. 9399 grants tax amnesty to registered businesses within the freeport and special economic zones.

Business enterprises may avail of the benefits of remedial tax amnesty granted on tax and duty liabilities, including fines and penalties and interests incurred or might have been incurred as a result of the Supreme Court rulings in July 2005.

R.A. 9399 also provides that business enterprises in the said areas are required to pay P25,000 within six months from the effectivity of the law.

R.A. 9400 was the result of the consolidation of Senate Bill 2260 and House Bill 5064, while R.A. 9399 was a combination of Senate Bill 2259 and House Bill 4901. Both laws were authored by Senator Ralph Recto and were certified as urgent by the President.