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| 09 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
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| 09 OCTOBER 2007 | ||
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye on Economic Gains |
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On Economic Gains Our national economy continues to strengthen with record-high financial gains and a robust, stable peso. The people's agenda of jobs, better health and quality education remains on course. We thank the business community and all our citizens for uniting with government to insulate these gains against destabilization and divisive politics |
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PGMA's Statement at the National Security Council -
NEDA Meeting Aguinaldo State Dining Room, Malacañang October 9, 2007 |
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Mga kababayan, magpupulong ngayon ang dalawang
pangkat ng Gabinete, ang National Security Council-Cabinet Group, at mamaya
ang NEDA Cabinet Group, upang tutukan ang ilang napakahalagang programa na
maaaring nakaligtaan nitong nagdaang mga linggo. Una, isusulong natin ang kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa mga lalawigang sinasalanta ng mga rebeldeng komunista. Sa susunod na linggo, magkakaroon ng kapulungang pangkayapaan sa Butuan, kasunod ng matagumpay na peace assembly sa Bohol noong Agosto. At pag-uusapan sa National Security Council-Cabinet meeting ang plano ni Gov. (Erico) Aumentado para sa tigil-putukan at mas masigasig na mga programang pangkaunlaran sa Bohol. Dapat matigil ang karahasan sa bansa upang mabigyang-daan ang kaunlaran ng taong-bayan. Pangalawa, hindi dapat mahinto ang imprastraktura at investment dahil sa mga batikos. Kaya naman iniatas ko sa China Projects Oversight Panel sa ilalim ni Secretary (Peter) Favila na siguruhing walang balakid ang napakahalagang proyekto ng Cyber Education para sa karunungan ng milyun-milyon nating mag-aaral. Kokonsultahin nila rito ang Education Task Force sa ilalim ni Fr. Ben Nebres ng Ateneo, upang matiyak na alinsunod sa pangangailangan ng edukasyon ang proyekto. Kabalikat din ang Procurement Transparency Group, kasama ang Civil Society Organizations for Procurement Reform, upang maging bukas at transparent ang pagproseso ng proyekto. Mahalaga rin sa negosyo at trabaho ang lumalawak at lumalalim na ugnayan sa kalakal at kapital sa pagitan ng Pilipinas at ibang bansa. Dalawang bilyong dolyar ng investment ang nakuha natin sa pagbiyahe ko sa Tsina at India noong isang linggo, at lilikha ito ng libu-libong trabaho. Tatalakayin naman ng NEDA Cabinet Group ang napakahalagang Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement o JPEPA, na lalong magpapalago ng kalakal at investment mula sa bansang Hapon. Gaya ng sabi ni Gov. Joey Salceda noong isang linggo, hindi tayo dapat mahuli sa ating mga karatig-bansa sa pagbuo ng kasunduang pangkalakal sa Japan. Kailangan ang JPEPA para sa trabaho at kaunlaran. Kabilang sa NEDA Cabinet Group ang Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council o HUDCC, sa ilalim ni Vice President Noli de Castro. Masigasig na isinusulong ni Noli ang pinalawak na programang pabahay. Hinihiling ko sa ating Bise Presidente na ilahok ang mga pamahalaang lokal, ang Simbahan at ang lipunang sibil sa pagbalangkas ng mga programa at proyekto sa pabahay, sa kahilingan ng ating mga obispo. Nanawagan si dating pangulong Fidel Ramos na itutok ng pambansang pamunuan ang pansin at panahon sa pagpapalago ng ekonomiya. Ito mismo ang pangunahing adhikain ng pamahalaan at hangarin ng taong-bayan: ang pag-angat ng kabuhayan, karunungan, kalakalan, at sambayanan. Napakahalaga rito ang pagsulong ng mga panukalang batas, lalo na ang budget at ang priority legislation gaya ng Cheaper Medicines Bill at pag-amyenda sa EPIRA (Electric Power Industry Reform Act) para sa mas mababang singil sa koryente. At sa pagdepensa ng budget, inuulit ko sa Gabinete ang atas na ipakita sa Kongreso, media at sambayanan ang mga nagawa ng pamahalaan para sa bayan. Sa kabila ng mga panira at pamumulitika, patuloy tayong sumusulong sa landas ng kaunlaran. |
| Statement of Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye On Unsubstantiated Allegation |
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We are disappointed, but not the least
surprised, at this unsubstantiated allegation. On her part, the President will just stay focused on keeping the nation on track even if her detractors have nothing better to do than continue down their bitter path. |
| PGMA cites anew the need for peace, security to accelerate economic development |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo underscored
anew today the need for peace and security for the Philippines to become a
modern nation in the next 20 years. The President sounded the call in her opening statement at the National Security Council (NSC)-Cabinet Group meeting she convened this morning at Malacanang’s Aguinaldo State Dining Room. “First, we should push for peace and progress in the provinces terrorized by the communist rebels,” the President said as she announced the conduct of a regional peace forum in the cities of Butuan, Agusan del Norte and Tacloban, Leyte next week. The conduct of these peace assemblies is a follow-up of the successful Local Peace and Security Assembly (LPSA) hosted by the province of Bohol in August, the President pointed out. The President reiterated her resolve that peace and security must stand alongside economic progress. In the Bohol peace assembly, the President gave the military three years to crush the communist insurgency in the country along with violence and terrorism in Mindanao before she bows out of office in 2010. She said in her speech that 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.” The President was referring to the 35-year-old communist insurgency and the Muslim terrorist group Abu Sayyaf that 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 has said. The government has employed the "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 not foreclose the use of military force to keep the people safe from terrorists. |
| PGMA to press ahead with efforts to attract investors, cyberEd project despite criticisms |
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Undeterred by the unrelenting campaign of
administration critics to derail the government’s flagship projects,
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo vowed today to press ahead with her
efforts to attract more investments into the country and implement vital
infrastructure projects, including the Cyber Education Project. At the same time, the President directed the China Projects Oversight Panel headed by Trade and Industry Secretary Peter Favila to coordinate closely with the Procurement Transparency Group, the Civil Society Organization for Procurement Reforms to ensure that all aspects of the Cyber Education Project of the Department of Education (DepEd) are “open and transparent.” She said the Favila panel must insulate the project from unnecessary controversies and avoid needless delays in its implementation. The President made the statement before she convened the separate meetings of the National Security Council (NSC)-Cabinet Group and National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in Malacañang this morning. “We should not stop investments and
infrastructure projects all because of criticisms,” the President said in
the dialect. She directed the Favila panel to make proper consultations with the Education Task Force headed by Fr. Ben Nebres of Ateneo to “ensure that the said project is necessary in the improvement of the quality of education (of Filipinos).” The CyberEd Project is a world-class information communications technology (ICT) program designed to make the country’s educational system globally competitive and the Filipino students at par with those of the rest of the world. It is designed to reach the 4th to 6th class municipalities and the least endowed schools in the entire country. The CyberEd Project uses satellite technology to provide an efficient and cost-effective solution to deliver educational services to public elementary and secondary schools throughout the country. It will link these schools to a nationwide network that provides 12 video channels, wireless wide area networking, local area networking and wireless Internet connectivity. |
| PGMA underscores need for Senate approval of agreement with Japan |
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“We need JPEPA to create more jobs and further
improve the economy,” President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today in
another strong pitch for Senate approval of the Japan-Philippines Economic
Partnership Agreement. JPEPA, the government’s housing projects, and the P1.227 trillion proposed national budget for 2008 topped the agenda of this morning’s National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA)-Cabinet meeting in Malacañang. In her opening statement, the President stressed the need for the Philippines to forge trade agreements, such as the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), with other countries. “It is also important for business, jobs (generation) for the country’s widening and deepening trade and economic relations with other countries,” the President said, citing her successful trips last week to China and India which fetched $ 2 billion in investments for the Philippines. “The NEDA Cabinet Group will tackle today the all-important JPEPA that stands to improve business, investments and generate more jobs from Japan,” she said. Billed as the most important bilateral economic agreement between the Philippines and Japan in the last 50 years, JPEPA was signed by the President and former Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi in September 2006, on the sidelines of the 6th Asia-Europe Meeting in Helsinki, Finland. The free-trade accord opens the door for various trade and investment opportunities for the Philippines, and the formal entry of Filipino nurses and caregivers into Japan. With the ratification of the JPEPA, close to 95 percent of Philippine exports will enter Japan duty-free and have an immediate positive impact on Filipino farmers, fishermen and food processors. The agreement also establishes a formal
arrangement for Japan’s acceptance of Filipino nurses and caregivers as
Japan, with its ageing population, is expected to need about 7.5 million
health professionals by 2010. The Senate has yet to ratify the agreement. On housing, the President said the government, specifically the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), would map out plans to encourage local government units (LGUs), church and the civil society to actively participate in government housing projects in a move to widen the coverage of housing projects. The President also noted that former President Fidel V. Ramos had urged her to focus on the economy, “rightfully her priority.” Congressional approval of several priority bills, among them the 2008 budget, amendment to the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA), and the Cheaper Medicines Bill, is expected to further accelerate the growth of the economy and uplift the lives of the people. The President also instructed Cabinet members who attend budget hearings in Congress to “inform the media, legislators and the people what the government has done and is doing for the good of the nation.” |
| Statement of Cabinet Secretary Ricardo L. Saludo: Government acts to secure barangay polls |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and the
National Security Council-Cabinet Group reviewed today security measures for
the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections on Oct. 29, 2007, to help
efforts for honest, orderly, peaceful and credible elections. Newly appointed Philippine National Police (PNP) Director-General Avelino I. Razon, Jr. presented several police and security measures at the meeting held at the Palace this morning in preparation for the upcoming polls. Gen. Razon formulated the Letter of Instruction (LOI) 23/07 (Barangay & SK Elections 2007) to effectively and efficiently carry out the instructions and directives of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC). The PNP, in coordination with the COMELEC, shall implement activities according to phases: Pre-Election (Sept. 29 – Oct. 27, 2007), Election Proper (Oct. 28-29, 2007) and Post Election (Oct. 30-Nov. 13, 2007). Volume and tempo of the activities shall be strengthened during the election proper phase. A provisional national task force was also created by the PNP chief to lead and monitor the overall conduct of police operations during the election period. It will be headed by Police Deputy Director General Reynaldo P. Varilla as Task Force Commander. A total of 4,511 out of 41,994 barangays all over the country are listed in the Election Watchlist of Areas or EWAs. Only 167 or 4 percent are considered as Election Areas of Concern (EAC) while 4,344 or 96 percent are considered Election Areas of Immediate Concern (EAIC). As of Oct. 7, 2007, five election-related violent incidents (ERVIs) were recorded in Regions IV-A, 9, 13, Cordilleras and Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) that resulted in the death of three persons and wounding of one. Gen. Razon recounted that in the last barangay election in 2002, there were 159 cases of ERVIs. Of this total, 98 or 62 percent occurred during the pre-election period, 48 or 30 percent during the election day proper and 13 others after the May polls. These incidents resulted in the death of 75 persons and caused injuries to 69 others. A total of 30 candidates for various barangay positions were killed. The PNP also noted that the New People’s Army (NPA) perpetrated 22 or 14 percent of the 159 violent incidents in 2002. Thirteen incidents or 59 percent transpired in the Bicol region alone. The other incidents were in Zambales, Quezon, Marinduque, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, Misamis Occidental, Davao Oriental, Sultan Kudarat, and Agusan del Norte. The Cabinet is optimistic about the security of the coming Barangay-SK elections. With its leadership and democratic ideologies, the PNP expects to comply with the call of President Arroyo to ensure the peaceful conduct of the Barangay-Sangguniang Kabataan elections in three weeks. ***** For reference, please contact Sec. Saludo at 0919-3950215 |
| Apostol laughs off attempt to link Palace to alleged bribery as opposition ploy |
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Chief Presidential Legal Adviser Sergio Apostol
laughed off today as an opposition “plant” the person who allegedly offered
huge sums to certain members of the House of Representatives in exchange for
their endorsement of the impeachment complaint against the President. “This person was planted by the opposition. This is an opposition ploy,” Apostol said, referring to the alleged attempt by a member of the administration’s Kabalikat sa Malayang Pilipino (Kampi) party to bribe certain opposition solons. Deploring the “crude” and “desperate” attempt to draw Malacanang into the controversy, Apostol stressed that the “Palace has nothing to do with that. It is impossible for a Malacanang fellow to sit in the (House of Representatives) gallery and approach opposition congressmen” to offer them bribes. “They (opposition) have been desperate all along,” he said. Press Secretary and Presidential Spokesman Ignacio R. Bunye said that while he was disappointed, he was not surprised at the new opposition gambit. He said the President was unperturbed by the new political noise. Instead, she remains “focused on keeping the nation on track even if her detractors have nothing better to do than continue down their bitter path.” Bunye expressed appreciation for the people and the business community “for uniting with government to insulate these (economic) gains against destabilization and divisive politics.” In a privilege speech this morning in the House of Representatives, Anakpawis Representative Crispin Beltran identified Francis Ver as the one who allegedly offered him P2 million if he would endorse the impeachment case against the President. |
