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| 27 MARCH 2007 | ||
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| 27 MARCH 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Anti-Hunger Campaign |
| Two points are
important in this issue about hunger and poverty. First, we have always offered full transparency in the implementation of vital social programs and the opposition is welcome not only to look into our anti-poverty and anti-hunger projects, but also to actively participate in them. Second, we would like to ask if the opposition has a clear and specific anti-hunger and anti-poverty campaign that offers a better alternative to our own. On these two counts, the opposition has refused to participate and has only dished out the sweeping accusations and wild allegations. Only well-planned, focused strategic and immediate programs, not political noise and hot air, will bring food to the table of the Filipino family. This administration serves a plate of concrete solutions backed up by hard work while the opposition continues to serve a plate of innuendo backed by empty promises. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye Re: Human Rights Situation |
| We believe that a
more balanced view of the Philippine human rights situation is crystallizing and we
acknowledge the fair statement of Cardinal Rosales as we welcome the fielding of a team
from the European Union (EU) to help our law enforcers get to the root of these crimes. We are prepared to work with legitimate institutions and well-meaning allies in the international community on this issue as we welcome the participation of the UN Commission on Human Rights as well as the US Government to help the Philippines in the fight versus wrong and the quest for impartial justice. We are a full-fledged democracy adhering to constitutional governance, the rule of law, political transparency. |
| PGMA cites importance of media as link between people and government |
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo cited the "central role" of media in bridging the gap between people and government during her keynote speech formally opening the "Publish Asia 2007" conference at the Manila Hotel this morning. An annual convention that brings together major names in the publishing and newspaper industries, Publish Asia 2007 aims to review changes in the publishing industry, discuss their implications and explore how publishers are positioning their businesses to profit from new opportunities. It is considered as the biggest publishing event in the Asia-Pacific region. The President noted that aside from presiding over the opening ceremonies of the conference, which is themed "Reinventing for Today’s Business, Creating for Tomorrow’s Challenges," she would also be meeting them again during the group’s "Welcome Dinner" tonight. "I am very happy to have the chance to open this conference and welcome you to the Philippines. Your conference is so important that we will meet twice today: here at the welcome ceremonies and also at dinner tonight," the President said. "This is our way of saying that we thank you for your role in broadening our regional frontiers in trade, security and political consolidation," she added. "It is our message, our way of saying that we Filipinos believe in the freedom of the press. We embrace the central role of media in a free society and we believe that responsible media bridges the gap between the public and the government," the President stressed. The President also took time to impart on the participants the Philippine government’s move to push the national agenda of "creating good paying jobs, stable prices and bringing the benefits of a strong economy to every Filipino" to its fruition. She mentioned that the implementation of "tough but necessary decisions to strengthen our economy," such as the Expanded Value Added Tax (E-VAT) Law and the National Attrition Law, is finally paying off. "We now have the money to invest in job creation, new roads, bridges and ports and more for education and healthcare," the President said. "For the first time in a long time, the government is doing what average households do: working to balance the budget and not keep going into debt," she added. She stressed that her administration is concerned with "the real and everyday challenges that confront the people: alleviating hunger, creating jobs, and checking prices of essential items." The President also said that just like the Publish Asia 2007 conference which makes use of vast international and regional alliances with its partners, her government’s partnerships with its own network of strong international and regional alliances have helped in attracting more investments and strengthened security alliances in bringing peace in Mindanao. "Through strong international alliances, we have forged new partnerships that have led to billions of investments that help create five million new jobs. And we have strengthened our military and security alliances in the region and the world," the President said. "This has led to major gains for peace in Mindanao: the isolation and tracking down of known terrorists and a reduction in violent crimes," she added. In the same speech, the President reiterated her condemnation of extrajudicial killings of journalists and members of militant organizations, saying she and her government are aiming "to break this cycle of violence once and for all." "Let me take this opportunity to once again deplore extrajudicial killings; whether they be from (the) left or right, especially against journalists," the President said. "We have a sordid history in our nation of political violence. We aim to break this cycle of violence once and for all," she added. The President stressed she is prepared to work with legitimate institutions and well-meaning allies in the international community who had earlier expressed their intent to assist the country in investigating the issue of extrajudicial killings. "We welcome the fielding of a team from the European Union (EU) to help our law enforcers get to the roots of these crimes," the President said, adding, "We welcome the United States government to help the Philippines in the fight versus wrong and the quest for impartial justice." The President minced no words in calling for members of the communist party and their armed insurgents "to put down their arms and cease their mindless murders." "The Philippines is the most democratic country in the region. I have no tolerance for human rights violations but let me make several points very clear: I have personally advanced the process of peace in Mindanao to a new level of engagement focused on interfaith dialogue, economic development and mutual security," the President said. "We have done so with the largest possible international involvement. Peace is very much an issue of human rights just as alleviating poverty is – which is our number one agenda," she added. The President called on those attending the conference and the rest of the media practitioners around the world to join her "toward a more modern, just and prosperous nation." "You come from different countries in Asia with different kinds of political systems, different levels of development, different social organizations, (and) different histories. But in all the countries in which you do your business, the press has the power to change the nation through information and persuasion," the President said. "A free, dynamic and responsible press can set the people moving towards the right direction of national renewal and reform," she noted. "And even as we dish out the raw and hard truth in different degrees in different countries, depending on the norms of a particular country, all of us, all of you would serve your country well by having good news that unite and inspire," the President said. |
| Vital social programs, not political noise, will feed the Filipinos -- Palace |
Malacaņang said today the administration’s "well-planned, focused strategic and immediate programs" and not the opposition’s "political noise and hot air" would feed the Filipinos. "This administration serves a plate of concrete solutions backed up by hard work while the opposition continues to serve a plate of innuendo backed by empty promises," Press Secretary and concurrent Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye said in a statement. Bunye was reacting to the opposition’s criticism on the administration’s programs to mitigate hunger and fight poverty and the accusation that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was electioneering when she ordered the release of the P1-billion anti-hunger fund. According to the Press Secretary, there are two points on the issue on hunger and poverty: transparency in the Arroyo administration’s implementation of vital social programs, and the opposition’s alternative (anti-hunger and anti-poverty) program, if they have any. Bunye stressed that the Arroyo administration employs "full transparency in the implementation of its vital social programs" even as he sought the active participation of the opposition in the implementation (of these programs), or better yet offer a better alternative. "First, we have always offered full transparency in the implementation of vital social programs and the opposition is welcome not only to look into our anti-poverty and anti-hunger projects, but also to actively participate in them," he said. "Second, we would like to ask if the opposition has a clear and specific anti-hunger and anti-poverty campaign that offers a better alternative to our own," he added. Bunye lamented that the opposition refused to participate and has "only dished out the sweeping accusations and wild allegations." |
| Palace welcomes Rosales view, EU assessors on killings |
Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye welcomed today the pronouncement of Manila Archbishop Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and the inclusion of investigators from the European Union (EU) to assess the cases of extrajudicial killings in the country. "We believe that a more balanced view of the Philippine human rights situation is crystallizing and we acknowledge the fair statement of Cardinal Rosales as we welcome the fielding of a team from the European Union (EU) to help our law enforcers get to the root of these crimes," Bunye said. Yesterday, Cardinal Rosales said the government should not be solely held responsible, as he called on both the government and the insurgents to stop the killings and instead cultivate a culture of peace. "It’s not one-sided, it’s both sides," Rosales stressed, as he appealed to all, whether government, insurgents, or those belonging to other faith or conviction, that killing was wrong "whether extrajudicial or not." Even as the administration has long been espousing interfaith dialogues to promote a culture of peace, Bunye said, the government is doing everything and willing to work with everyone to provide justice to the victims of the so-called political killings. "We are prepared to work with legitimate institutions and well-meaning allies in the international community on this issue as we welcome the participation of the UN Commission on Human Rights as well as the US Government to help the Philippines in the fight versus wrong and the quest for impartial justice," Bunye said. "We are a full-fledged democracy adhering to constitutional governance, the rule of law, and political transparency," he added. |
