source: philstar.com
BEIJING (AP) - China said Friday that its maritime defense forces recently staged three days and nights of exercises in the South China Sea, a disputed, resource-rich region where tensions are rising.
The drills involved a total of 14 patrol boats, landing craft and submarine hunting boats, along with two military aircraft, the official People's Daily newspaper said. It said the exercises were aimed at refining anti-submarine, replenishment and island defense capabilities in order to better respond to any future sudden crisis.
The vast South China Sea and its island groups form one of Asia's most politically sensitive regions, with China, Vietnam and the Philippines trading diplomatic barbs recently over overlapping territorial claims. Vietnam's navy conducted live-firing exercises Monday after accusing Chinese boats of disrupting oil and gas exploration in its waters.
The People's Daily said naval forces participated alongside units from nominally civilian agencies that are tasked with overseeing China's interests at sea.
The paper did not say exactly when or where the exercises took place, although a graphic accompanying the story implied they were held near the Spratly Islands, where China, Taiwan, the Philippines and Vietnam all maintain garrisons.
In addition, the military's official Liberation Army Daily newspaper reported that an exercise was held on June 6 in which amphibious vehicles — most likely tanks — were successfully offloaded from ships onto a South China Sea island. No other details were given, and it was unclear whether the exercise was among those the People's Daily reported.
China claims the entire South China Sea and all its island groups, but maintains garrisons on only a few atolls, islets and partially submerged coral reefs.
The report of the exercises follows the dispatch Wednesday of one of its largest maritime patrol ships on a first-ever visit to Singapore, a voyage in which it will transit the South China Sea.
The Haixun-31 was due to stay in the Southeast Asian city-state for two weeks of exchanges on search and rescue, anti-piracy and port management operations.
source: gmanews.tv
The youth should exercise more caution in using social networking sites in light of the stabbing and robbing of actor-director Ricky Rivero allegedly by a Facebook friend, the National Youth Commission (NYC) said Wednesday.
“It’s very easy to be friendly and outgoing on Facebook. You lose all inhibitions, hindi ka mahiyain, and you can be a whole new different person online. But you have to be careful [with] the people you’re befriending; you can’t really tell a person’s character based on his or her profile page," said NYC chairperson Leon Flores III in a statement.
Flores also gave a piece of advice to young Internet users who want to personally meet their online friends through “eyeball" activities. “Magpasama kayo sa isang kaibigan at makipagkita sa mataong lugar," he said.
Rivero identified his attacker as Hans Ivan Ruiz, a person he met through Facebook. Ruiz is facing charges of robbery and frustrated murder.
In a report on GMA News’ “24 Oras" following the alleged robbery and frustrated murder of Rivero, security experts enumerated tips to avoid falling prey to criminals on social networking sites.
Meanwhile, in a message for the Roman Catholic observance of the 45th World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI warned Internet users against the danger of “self-indulgence" by constructing “a false image of oneself" on the Internet. — With Paterno Esmaquel II/VS, GMA News
source: abs-cbnnews.com
CEBU, Philippines - Philippine and U.S. law enforcement officials rescued 6 children in Cordova, Cebu from the hands of their own parents who ordered the youths to strip and perform sex acts in front of a web camera.
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) agents and U.S. Homeland Security officers raided the victims' home and rescued the children aged 4, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15 years old.
Authorities said the parents were getting US$25 from each viewer.
They also confiscated computer units and sex toys.
Lawyer Edward Villarta, regional director of NBI-Cebu, said the children were made to perform lewd acts in front of a webcam from 5:30 a.m. to 8 a.m. daily.
"Gigisingin sila request ng show, doon gagamitin, pagsasayawin ng nude in front of the webcam," he added.
Villarta said the victims' parents tell their children the sex poses they should do in front of the camera. "Sila ang nag-di-direct ng mga poses, kung ano ang gagawin."
He said he could not believe that the victims' own parents were behind the act.
The children are now under the custody of the Provincial Women's Commission, which earlier reported the case to the authorities.
They underwent physical and psychological check-ups, and were getting debriefed by social workers to help them recover from the abuse.
Experts said it will take a long time for the children to recover, as the victims were not aware they were being abused.
The couple admitted engaging in the cybersex business for 3 years now, authorities said. The parents said they started the business after they lost their jobs.
The victim's mother, who is 6 months pregnant, asked for forgiveness and said they will stop engaging in the cybersex trade.
The parents are now detained at the Cebu City jail. They have been charged with human trafficking, child abuse and pornography. - Reports from Carine Asutilla, ABS-CBN Central Visayas; and Maan Macapagal, ABS-CBN News; ANC
source: Chris Buckley | Reuters
BEIJING - China vehemently opposes external powers meddling in territorial disputes over the South China Sea, the main military newspaper said on Tuesday, after Vietnam asked for international help to defuse tensions over the potentially resource-rich region.
The warning in the Liberation Army Daily coincided with exercises conducted by Vietnam's military along its central coast, and follows a weekend statement by Hanoi welcoming efforts by the international community, including the United States, to help resolve the disputes.
China and Vietnam have hurled accusations at each other for weeks over what each sees as intrusions into its territorial waters by the other in a swath of ocean crossed by key shipping lanes and thought to hold large deposits of oil and gas.
Such accusations are not uncommon between China, Vietnam and the Philippines, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan, which are also involved in long-standing maritime disputes in the South China Sea, but this bout of tension has run longer than usual.
The commentary in the Liberation Army Daily repeated Beijing's warning that other "unrelated" countries should back off, adding the Chinese military's weight to that message.
"This dispute must be resolved peacefully through friendly consultations between the two parties involved," the paper said.
"Therefore, China resolutely opposes any country unrelated to the South China Sea issue meddling in disputes, and it opposes the internationalization of the South China Sea issue."
Tensions between China and the United States intensified last year after the Obama administration became embroiled in the South China Sea dispute, stressing Washington's support for a collective solution.
This year Sino-U.S relations have steadied, and Washington has so far been more muted about the issue. Beijing insists on handling the disputes over the region on a one-on-one basis rather than multilaterally, a strategy some critics have described as "divide and conquer".
The Liberation Army Daily comes under the control of China's ruling Communist Party and its Central Military Commission, and although commentaries in the paper do not amount to government policy, they are carefully vetted to reflect official thinking.
Military drills
Last year, as chair of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), Vietnam sought to internationalize the South China Sea disputes and succeeded in putting it on the agenda at a regional security forum, much to China's displeasure.
The Liberation Army Daily commentary accused Vietnam of stirring up tensions by conducting the exercises in part of the exclusive economic zone it claims in the sea.
"These actions to exaggerate and exacerbate conflict will not help solve the South China Sea problems," the paper said.
"The country concerned should stop its unilateral actions to expand and make more complicated the South China Sea dispute, and no longer make untruthful and irresponsible statements."
A Vietnamese military source confirmed the live-fire drills were underway. Vietnam's military newspaper, in turn, accused China at the weekend of creating disputes "through provocative actions (and) hostilities aimed at its neighbors."
Vietnam's prime minister also issued a decree outlining the terms of a possible military draft, a move experts said was a signal from the communist authorities that the country it was prepared to defend its interests.
"Vietnam is speaking to two audiences. It's speaking to a domestic audience where it is under pressure to be shown to be taking steps to deal with China. The other is to China," Carlyle Thayer, a Vietnam expert at the Australian Defence Force Academy, told Reuters. (Additional reporting by John Ruwitch in Hanoi; Editing by Ron Popeski and Miral Fahmy)
source: Agence France-Presse
President Benigno Aquino and his team spent their first full day in office Thursday inspecting state coffers as a crucial first step in meeting his vow to root out corruption and help the poor.
Already stuck with a record budget deficit, Aquino has accused his predecessor, Gloria Arroyo, of painting an unrealistically rosy picture of the economy to burnish her legacy after nearly 10 years in office.
Aquino has warned massive corruption that infected politics would be rooted out, and in this light his finance secretary promised an unrelenting campaign against tax evaders that could result in prosecutions within days.
Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Thursday Aquino wanted to be able to report the real situation to parliament during his "State of the Nation" address on July 26, when he will seek funding support for his programmes.
"The president gave his marching orders to each cabinet member. They have two weeks to get to know the lay of the land," Lacierda told AFP.
Aquino, a 50-year-old economist, took office on Wednesday with a vow to lift his nation out of poverty and wipe out crippling corruption that he said thrived under his predecessor.
He also pledged to set up a "Truth Commission" to investigate alleged corruption by Arroyo and her official family.
Lacierda said that over the next few weeks Aquino would fulfil his campaign promise to go after tax cheats and begin implementing programmes specifically targeted at the very poor who comprise a third of the population.
The Philippines posted a budget deficit of P162.1 billion ($3.5 billion) in the first five months of the year, and analysts agree it is unlikely the full-year funding gap would be kept below P300 billion.
Aquino has also ordered a review of all ongoing government programmes and an inventory of all assets to determine which can be sold off to support future projects, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima told reporters.
The government needs more funds to finance Aquino's pledges to increase spending for education, health and low-income housing.
To underline the government's intent, Purisima said the government would soon start filing charges against tax evaders.
"We are not sure whether we can file some cases next week, but certainly the mandate is to send a very clear signal to the revenue-collecting agencies as well as taxpayers that this administration means business."
Using a basketball analogy, Purisima added: "This will be a full-court press, it will be unrelenting, until we believe we have achieved a tax effort that is commensurate to what our legal system provides for."
Withholding taxes from salaried workers accounted for 90% of all individual income tax collections, suggesting tax evasion was pervasive, he said.
The goal is to slash the budget deficit to bring it down to 2% of the gross domestic product (GDP) within three years, he added.
The Philippines posted a record budget deficit of P298.5 billion last year, equivalent to 3.9% of GDP.
Aquino won a landslide election victory on May 10 on the back of his message of change from corruption and a culture of impunity in which only 18 percent of all criminal cases were resolved.
He also benefited from his status as the son of democracy heroes Benigno and Corazon Aquino, who remain revered for their efforts to overthrow dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
A top Career Executive Service Board (CESB) official on Thursday said President Benigno Aquino III's first memorandum circular (MC) will not result in the collapse of the bureaucracy, but added that the Palace intends to revise it.
CESB executive director Antonette Allones made the assurance even as she confirmed that only half of the available career executive positions can be occupied by career executive service officers (CESO).
Hours after his inauguration on Wednesday, President Aquino declared "all non-career executive service positions vacant as of 30 June 2010 and extended "the services of employees whose contracts expire" on the same date.
There were fears that wiping out hundreds of political appointees during President Arroyo's term would result in the collapse of the bureaucracy.
Allones admitted that there are a total of 6,760 career executive positions in government, but there are only around 3,800 CESOs.
She, however, clarified that only the presidential appointees or "co-terminus" appointees of the former president are immediately affected by the memorandum circular.
She said senior government officials, who are civil service eligible, holding top government positions, were ordered to stay in a hold-over capacity until July 31.
She added that there is hope that President Aquino will re-appoint or promote the civil service eligible officials to occupy positions that cannot be fully filled up by CESOs.
Allones said President Aquino's first memorandum circular seeks to dissolve the "over-appointments" of the past administration.
She cited for example the Department of National Defense, which has 7 undersecretaries. She said that under the law, the defense department should only have 3 undersecretaries.
"The excess of four is already declared vacant or dissolved," the CESB official said.
Allones clarified that the memorandum circular announced by presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda was not yet final.
She said that based on her initial meeting with the staff of newly-appointed Executive Secretary Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa, Malacañang will revise the memorandum circular to clarify the ambiguous provisions.
She said she will submit a list of qualified government executives to Ochoa. The list will be passed on to President Aquino for his reference.
Allones said that the law also allows Aquino or his Cabinet secretaries to make at least 1 political appointee.
source: gmanews.tv
International singing sensation Charice Pempengco on Wednesday said she will be singing the "original" version of the Philippine National Anthem.
In an interview with GMA News, Charice – clad in a pink off-shoulder dress – said she rehearsed the song with maestro Ryan Cayabyab on Tuesday.
For the inauguration rites in Manila, the Billboard chart-topper said she and Cayabyab will be sticking to the "marching" tempo of "Lupang Hinirang."
Pempengco was interviewed at the Champagne Room of the Manila Hotel, before she proceeded to the Quirino Grandstand to wait for her turn to sing the anthem.
"Ang gagawin namin ay ang original march so medyo mabilis. Pero magiging maayos ang lahat dahil original ang gagawin namin," she said.
Charice said there was added pressure on his performance given that the National Historical Institute has consistently criticized past public performances of the anthem – mostly during boxing fights of Manny Pacquiao.
"Ang nakakakaba doon ay ilang artist ang kumanta ng nanational anthem na nabigyan ng pansin ng NHI na may konti ngang may kamalian... so sa tingin ko yun ang nakakakaba," she said.
Charice herself had sung the anthem before for Paquiao's fight with Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, Texas.
While being proud of being chosen to sing the national anthem, Charice also admitted being "more nervous" about performing "in front of thousands of Filipinos. — Mark Merueñas/RSJ/LBG, GMANews.TV
source: gmanews.tv
After more than nine years in power, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has finally left Malacañang and formally turned over the reins of government to incoming President Benigno Aquino III.
Mrs. Arroyo served as president of the Philippines from January 21, 2001 to June 30, 2010.
In a symbolic gesture, Mrs. Arroyo left the Quirino Grandstand - the site of the presidential inauguration - before Aquino and Vice President Jejomar Binay take their respective oaths of office at noon Wednesday.
Before Mrs. Arroyo left the Quirino Grandstand, she was greeted by a 21-gun salute by the Armed Forces of the Philippines to honor her as the head of state for the very last time.
She arrived at the inauguration venue together with Aquino from the Malacañan Palace, and departed on board a private black SUV amid cheers from the crowd.
Mrs. Arroyo will head straight to San Fernando City in Pampanga, where she will take her oath of office as congresswoman of Pampanga's second district.
"As per tradition, at the moment the President-elect takes his oath as President at 12 noon, the incumbent is already at home to mark his reverting to being an ordinary citizen," said inauguration spokesman Manolo Quezon on his blog.
He said this is a tradition which dates back to the inauguration of President Ramon Magsaysay in 1953. "The symbolism is that the old administration has come to an end, and the new one begins," he said.
He said that only President Sergio Osmeña (1946), President Corazon Aquino (1992), and President Fidel Ramos (1998) attended the inaugurals of their successors.
He said Osmeña attended because it was the first time power was to be transferred from one party to another; Aquino, to symbolize the first peaceful and constitutional transfer of power since 1969; and Ramos as part of the centennial celebrations of 1998.
Arroyo was first sworn in as president after former President Joseph Estrada was overthrown over corruption charges in 2001. In the 2004 national elections, she was proclaimed as president over the late actor Fernando Poe Jr. amid electoral fraud allegations that surfaced the following year. - Kimberly Jane Tan/YA, GMANews.TV
By Reyma Buan-Deveza, abs-cbnNEWS.com
Filipino singing sensation Charice was up as early as 2 a.m. on Wednesday, June 30, as she prepares to sing the Philippine national anthem at the inauguration of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III.
In an interview with abs-cbnNEWS.com, Charice confessed that jet lag and nerves were keeping her from relaxing. She said she is very excited to be invited to take part in a significant event in the country's history.
"Today is another big day in history. I'm so nervous but I'm going to try my best."
"I am trying to get relaxed but I'm really nervous. But I know everything is going to be OK since I am not the only one who is singing, there are others singing with me. Sir Ryan Cayabyab will be there and he taught me how to sing the anthem. Wala naman sigurong dapat ipagkaba ng sobra sobra," she said.
Charice said she will be wearing a yellow gown with black accent made by Avel Bacudio. A pink gown she wore in her interviews was made by Paul Cabral, who is also one of the designers of president-elect Aquino.
The pint-sized chanteuse, who is joining the cast of hit TV show "Glee" next season, previously sang in one of the pre-inaugural balls of US President Barack Obama.
Pokwang, Mariel also excited
Meanwhile, Wowowee co-hosts Mariel Rodriguez and Pokwang could not contain their excitement as they are also planning to celebrate Aquino's historic inauguration.
In a message posted in their Twittter accounts, Pokwang and Mariel said they could hardly wait to go to the Quirino Grandstand to join hundreds and thousands of Aquino supporters who will attend the inauguration.
"Good morning!!! :) getting ready for the inauguration!!! I can't believe I'm going! Yay!!! :)," Mariel said.
"Good morning! Thank God narito na ang pinaka hihintay na araw ng buong bayan! Excited na ako yeehheeyyy...see you mamaya sa inauguration!," said Pokwang.
The comedienne even added that her white beaded gown with yellow accents was made by Anthony Ramirez.
After the inauguration, Pokwang and Mariel will also be gearing up for the street party that will be held at Quezon Memorial Circle.
Big names in entertainment and music industry are expected to grace the inaugural concert and street party of incoming president Aquino.
Included in the list of stars are Mr. Pure Energy Gary Valenciano, Gabby Concepcion, Anne Curtis, Mariel Rodriguez, Rayver Cruz, John Prats, Jed Madela, Nina, Kyla, and Andi Eigenmann.
Singer-songwriter Ogie Alcasid will also sing on stage.
Jay-R, Jovit Baldovino, Velasco Brothers, Matteo Guidicelli, Ejay Falcon, Queenie Padilla, Zaijan Jaranilla, Xyriel Manabat, Pokwang, Pooh, Arnel Pineda, Billy Crawford, Kim Chui, Gerald Anderson , Coco Martin, Jake Cuenca, Melai Cantiveros and Jason Francisco will also be part of the event.
Admission for the inaugural concert and street party is free. It will start at 4 p.m. and will end at midnight, capped by fireworks display. - With reports from Ginger Conejero, ABS-CBN News, and ANC
By ROY C. MABASA
President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III will do a Bill Clinton as he is scheduled to perform with big stars during the street party at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Wednesday night after his inauguration as the 15th President of the Philippines.
This was confirmed by inaugural committee head Maria Montelibano Tuesday as she disclosed that Aquino will be joining the likes of singers Gary Valenciano, Ogie Alcasid and many others on stage to mark the end of a long day of formal inaugural events.
It will be recalled that former US President Bill Clinton played the saxophone during one of the Inaugural Balls after his 1993 inauguration.
As this developed, inaugural spokesman Manolo Quezon III said everything is prepared for the inauguration of Aquino.
Quezon said everything is set, except for the last-minute finishing touches on the Quezon Memorial Circle grandstand itself and the area around it for the street party.
According to Quezon the ceremonial units of the Armed Forces of Philippines already had their dry run Monday.
Likewise, all the different sub-committees met for the final coordination for their plans ranging from seat arrangements to security arrangements to the various protocol teams that haveto coordinate with each other.
Quezon also said there will be no changes in the schedule because that was agreed upon “quite sometime ago.”
However, with the release of a forecast made by the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Association (PAGASA) that there will be a chance of rain and thunderstorms, Quezon said the only preparation that can be done is for people to make sure that they bring umbrellas.
Quezon pointed out that every effort has been made to make it austere and dignified as possible.
To jump start the inauguration day a prayer service will be administered nationwide from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m.
The assembly of guests and supporters at the Qurino Grandstand in Manila starts at 8:30 a.m.
At 9:30 a.m., VIP guests will arrive at the grandstand.
The family and guests of Vice-President-elect Jejomar Binay will arrive at 10:20 a.m., followed by the family and guests of Aquino at 10:25 a.m.
Aquino will leave his family residence on Times Street in Quezon City at 9: 45 a.m. and he is expected to arrive in Malacanang at 10:30.a.m. to fetch outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo for the traditional ride to the Quirino Grandstand.
According to Aquino campaign volunteer Sonny Coloma they expect Arroyo will be at Malacanang when the incoming President arrives to pick her up.
“In case she is not ready, Aquino will have a holding room at the guest house. If the outgoing President is ready, that’s when he will cross and meet with her,” said.
Binay's arrival at the Quirino Grandstand will also be at 10:30 a.m.
At 10:30 a.m., Aquino and Arroyo will leave Malacanang for a five-minute ride to the grandstand.
Arroyo will be accorded military honors at 10:50 a.m. before she leaves on board her personal car at 10:55 a.m.
A musical program by the Apo Hiking Society, Ogie Alcasid, Regine Velazquez, Gary Valenciano, among others will start at 11:15 a.m.
At 11:35 a.m., Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile will read Congress’ proclamation of Aquino and Binay.
Binay will take his oath as vice president at 11:40 a.m. to be administered by Associate Justice Conchita Morales-Carpio.
At exactly 12 noon as mandated by the Constitution, the new President will take his oath. Morales-Carpio will also administer Aquino’s oath taking.
Aquino will give his inaugural address at 12:10 p.m., followed by a "pledge of allegiance," which Aquino will administer to the people.
The new President will leave the Grandstand for Malacanang at 1:00 p.m. to have lunch with local officials, Cabinet members and his family.
At 2:30 p.m., Aquino will administer the oath of office of some local officials as well as Cabinet members. He will hold the first Cabinet meeting at 3:30 p.m.
source: abs-cbnnews.com
A combination of seasoned government officials and names from the private sector are expected to be part of President-elect Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III's Cabinet.
The list of the incoming Cabinet officials, which has been the subject of speculation over the past few weeks, will be released on Tuesday, the eve of the Aquino inaugural.
Interviewed after a briefing by the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) in Camp Aguinaldo, Aquino said he may temporarily serve as concurrent secretary of a government agency as some of the candidates are still weighing whether to join the new government.
“I might be taking one of the Cabinet portfolios in the interim. We are still doing background checks on a very important department which up to now has two candidates. There should be one (secretary). There is no clear choice,” said Aquino.
“Some of the Cabinet members have agreed and some are having second thoughts. They could not leave the institution where they belong so we are scrambling just to fill it up,” he said.
If they do not join the government, Aquino said some of them may help him "in a private sector capacity.”
Aquino is also reportedly still mulling who to appoint to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). He initially wanted Ramon Magsaysay awardee and Naga City Mayor Jesse Robredo, but Vice-President-elect Jejomar Binay also expressed his desire to head the department.
For the Department of Health (DOH). Aquino is still choosing among former Health Secretaries Alberto Romualdez, Jaime Galvez Tan, and current Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral.
Galvez Tan served under President Ramos while Romualdez was health chief of the Estrada administration.
All Cabinet officials will take their oaths on Wednesday after Aquino's inaugural.
They will also have their first Cabinet meeting after being sworn in.
Accepted offers
For the most part, the list of Cabinet members has been kept a secret. However, some of those mentioned have already accepted the offers.
Corazon "Dinky" Soliman will return to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
One of outgoing President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo's longest-serving Cabinet members, Alberto Romulo, a long-time ally and supporter of the Aquino family, will stay in the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
De La Salle Brother Armin Luistro will head the Department of Education.
Paquito "Jojo" Ochoa Jr. is the incoming executive secretary.
Commission on Human Rights chair Leila de Lima is expected to head the justice department.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) will be involved in any investigation into allegations of corruption against President Arroyo and her administration, as well as cases such as the election-related massacre of at least 57 people on Mindanao last year.
"At least the justice secretary can be his partner in pursuing some of the initiatives he wants to take. The president and his new Cabinet are very encouraging signs," Ramon del Rosario, a former finance secretary and head of the lobby group Makati Business Club, told Reuters.
Aquino's Presidential legal counsel will be Ed de Mesa.
More confirmed appointees
Sources in the Aquino camp gave ABS-CBN News more names on the list.
Former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima will return to the Department of Finance.
Aquino campaign manager and former Batanes Rep. Florencio "Butch" Abad will become budget secretary.
Alberto "Bertie" Lim, executive director of the influential Makati Business Club (MBC), will be appointed secretary of Department of Tourism (DOT).
Lim was president of Ten Knots Development Corporation, owners and managers of El Nido resorts, before he became executive director of the MBC in 2006.
Ex-PSG chief to DND
Former Philippine Army commanding general and former Presidential Security Guard (PSG) chief during the Cory Aquino administration, Voltaire Gazmin, will be the secretary of the Department of National Defense (DND).
Gazmin was with Aquino on Monday in Camp Aguinaldo where he was briefed by the military leadership on various issues, including threat groups.
Aquino also rehearsed for the military the honors that will be provided him by the military at the Quirino Grandstand on Wednesday.
Aquino's Senate chief of staff Julia Abad, daughter of Butch Abad, will head the Presidential Management Staff (PMS) office.
Veteran builder
Maynilad Water Services, Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Rogelio "Babes" L. Singson will be the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Singson joined Maynilad after its reprivatization in 2007 under new owners, DMCI-Metro Pacific Consortium.
Prior to joining the country’s largest water concessionaire, Singson was the chairman and president of the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).
He was also involved in the conceptualization and implementation of the country's biggest property privatization—Fort Bonifacio.
He also helped monitor foreign-assisted Official Development Assistance (ODA) projects during the transition from the Marcos government to the first Aquino administration.
Trade, energy, agriculture
Former Trade Undersecretary Gregory Domingo will handle the trade and industry portfolio for a year until Aquino's defeated running mate, Senator Mar Roxas can take over.
For the Department of Energy, Aquino is tapping Manila Water Co. President Jose Rene Almendras.
Before joining the Ayala Group, Almendras was treasurer of Aboitiz & Co., and Aboitiz Equity Ventures. The Aboitiz Group has been involved in the country's power sector since the 1930s.
Aquino is reportedly considering two names for the Department of Agriculture: Dr. Aris Alip and Quezon 2nd district Congressman Proceso Alcala.
Alip, a former staff member of the Philippine Business for Social Progress, founded the Center for Agriculture and Rural Development Mutually Reinforcing Institutions. He promoted micro-financing in rural areas similar to the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh.
Alcala, on the other hand, established a foundation for farmers and fishermen in Quezon province.
Reducing budget deficit
Former Bureau of Internal Revenue official Kim Henares will head the BIR while Guillermo Parayno Jr. will return to the Bureau of Customs.
Outgoing Finance Secretary Margarito Teves said he met with Purisima on Monday and talked about how to reduce a budget deficit expected to be around 3.6 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) this year.
"We talked about the general situation on fiscal sector and what needs to be done. But Mr. Purisima was there as a member of the transition team because we're not sure if he already has the appointment paper," Teves told reporters.
Aquino's Cabinet appointments are seen as an indicator of policy priorities as he faces a large budget deficit, a need to rebuild investor and public confidence in institutions and governance, reduce poverty and resolve long-running insurgencies.
"We may expect more dramatic approaches in the fight against corruption in the next 18 months as Noynoy will focus more time, energy and resources into it," said Earl Parreño of the Institute for Political and Electoral Reforms, using Aquino's nickname.
"But what I am really afraid of is that this anti-corruption agenda would end up as a big government propaganda, because it's really difficult to get it off the ground due to our slow and problematic justice system," Parreño added.
Aquino has promised a break from the allegations of corruption that dogged the previous two administrations, and his family's reputation for honesty was a factor in his big win.
Purisima, Abad, Soliman and Teresita Quintos-Deles were among the "Hyatt 10", members of Arroyo's Cabinet who resigned in 2005 over allegations she was involved in electoral fraud in the 2004 polls.
Military chief
When asked who will be his first chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Aquino said: “You will know it tomorrow.”
The next AFP chief will reportedly either be Northern Luzon Command chief Lt. Gen. Ricardo David or Eastern Mindanao Command chief Lt. Gen. Raymundo Ferrer. Both are graduates of Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1977.
The current AFP chief, Lt. Gen. Nestor Ochoa, also a graduate of PMA Class '77, is serving in an acting capacity.
Aquino said he was informed by the military that there are “glitches or hitches” in the preparations for the inauguration.
“Everything is going very, very smoothly. The inaugural speech is very, very important and I want to be able to convey all the messages in the clearest manner possible," he said.
Aquino also said he mentioned a number of “areas of concern” in the military, “what we want to see in changes in the way the AFP is serving the people.” -- reports from Ces Oreña Drilon, ABS-CBN News; Manny Mogato, Reuters
source: abs-cbnnews.com
World champion boxer Manny Pacquiao was sworn in as congressman of Sarangani province on Monday, vowing to be even more effective in government than he is in the ring.
Trading his gloves for a traditional barong, Pacquiao was among local officials who took their oaths of office in the capital of Sarangani province where he knocked out an entrenched political clan in the May 10 elections.
"I will be more effective in politics than in boxing," he told the crowd of 3,000 after the ceremonies.
The 31-year-old fighter said he would work on improving infrastructure, medical services and security during his three-year term in parliament.
Before his oath-taking, Pacquiao transferred from the Nacionalista Party (NP) of defeated presidential bet Manny Villar to the Liberal Party of President-elect Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.
“Susuportahan natin yung administrasyon na uupo ngayon, si Noynoy, dahil maganda rin naman ang hangarin niya at para din naman sa kababayan natin,” Pacquiao explained to reporters on Sunday.
Pacquiao said he even spoke with NP standard-bearer Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar, Jr. to explain his decision. The 7-division world champion endorsed Villar's bid for the presidency in the May 10 polls.
He also said that he moved to the LP because he wants to make sure that the influx of projects in Sarangani Province will continue.
Pacquiao paid a courtesy call to Aquino last May at the President-elect’s home along Times Street in Quezon City where they talked about the problems of Sarangani Province as well as the power crisis in Mindanao. (Read: Manny Pacquiao vows support for Noynoy Aquino)
The Filipino boxing superstar, however, did not say when he will take his oath as a member of the LP.
Serve the people
Pacquiao, meantime, also spoke to his political allies on Sunday to remind them about the real reasons why there were elected—to serve the people of Sarangani Province and fulfill the promises they made during the campaign period.
His inauguration, which began at 9 a.m. on Monday, was held at the Sarangani Provincial Capitol grounds. He took his oath alongside other elected officials of the province.
He said he would thank former Sarangani Province Rep. Erwin Chiongbian. Pacquiao defeated the former congressman’s brother, Roy, in the May 10 elections.
The world-renowned boxing champion also mentioned that he will continue the programs of the former administration. He is also looking forward to making his promises happen.
Pacquiao finished his 10-day executive coaching course last Friday, receiving his Development Legislation and Governance course certificate from the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP) in Ortigas, Pasig City. (Read: Pacquiao finishes 10-day course, now ready for Congress)
Continue to fight
Pacquiao, who is regarded as a national hero in the boxing crazy Philippines, has said he can continue to fight even while serving as a legislator.
Boxing promoters are working to arrange a bout between Pacquiao and American Floyd Mayweather in November, to settle once and for all the fighters' claim to be the best fighter, pound-for-pound, of their generation.
Negotiations for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight fell through earlier this year when the American insisted on Olympic-style random drug testing, which the Filipino rejected as too intrusive before a bout.
His winnings from boxing as well as his commercial endorsements last year made Pacquiao the world's sixth-highest paid athlete, with earnings of $40 million, according to Forbes magazine. – With reports from Jay Dayupay, ABS-CBN News SOKSARGEN, and AFP
By Aurea Calica
Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo announced yesterday that president-elect Benigno Aquino III would retain him in the Cabinet.
Romulo had a brief meeting with Aquino at his Times Street residence in Quezon City at around 1 p.m.
Aquino also met yesterday at his home with Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral, fueling speculation that she might also be retained. But Cabral said she would leave any announcement to Aquino, who told The STAR he would announce his Cabinet lineup tomorrow.
Aquino also met separately yesterday with former chief justice Hilario Davide Jr., former ambassador to the United States Alberto del Rosario and National Kidney and Transplant Institute executive director Enrique Ona.
Davide did not give a statement while Del Rosario said he only made a courtesy call.
Ona said he was not asked to join the Cabinet and that he and Aquino only talked about health issues.
Fashion designer and couturier Paul Cabral also arrived with a barong Tagalog, black trousers and a blue polo shirt. He did not say whether the clothes were for the inauguration of Aquino on Wednesday.
Romulo said Aquino asked him to remain at the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).
“I have accepted and I am honored by his trust,” Romulo said. “No term limit was discussed.”
He said that he and the Aquinos have been long-time friends and that his being an appointee of President Arroyo was not an issue in the decision to retain him.
Romulo said he is willing to serve Aquino whose program of governance is good.
DFA spokesman Eduardo Malaya said that the DFA rank and file was united in rejoicing over the reappointment of Romulo to head the department under an Aquino presidency.
“The DFA family welcomes the reappointment of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto G. Romulo by president-elect Benigno C. Aquino III. The DFA rank and file and countless officers have earlier called for the retention of Secretary Romulo at the department’s helm given his significant achievements in advancing the Philippine national interests in the international community and in uplifting the welfare of DFA personnel,” Malaya said in a statement sent to the media in a text message.
“In the next six years of the Aquino administration, the DFA is committed to redoubling its efforts in serving the nation and the Filipino people,” Malaya said.
There were reports that Romulo would only be accommodated for a year and that a new secretary would be appointed later.
Some groups in the DFA were reportedly asking for Aquino’s running mate, Sen. Manuel Roxas II to be DFA secretary but Roxas was not interested in the position.
Aquino has to wait for a year before appointing Roxas because of a one-year ban on the appointment of losing candidates.
“There is no period of course. You know all of us serve at the pleasure of the president,’’ Romulo said.
Aquino said earlier he was considering several names for the DFA and Romulo was still among them.
He cited the fact that Romulo was one of the first Cabinet members of Mrs. Arroyo who expressed support for him.
Romulo was budget minister during the term of Aquino’s mother, former President Corazon Aquino before he ran and won a seat in the Senate in 1987.
Aquino said he would announce his other Cabinet members on Tuesday.
He was reportedly considering former Integrated Bar of the Philippines president Jose Anselmo Cadiz or ex-Labor secretary Bienvenido Laguesma to head the Department of Labor and Employment.
In answer to criticisms against Cadiz, lawyer Jimmy Miralles, president of the Alliance of Genuine Labor Organizations, said they would leave it to the good judgment of Aquino to choose the next DOLE chief.
“It is wrong to conclude that just because one is a management lawyer then he will not be a good labor secretary,” Miralles said.
Jose Umali, president of the National Union of Bank Employees, said that an appointment of a management lawyer as labor secretary would be “unacceptable and an insult to workers.”
Umali earlier urged Aquino not to name lawyers who had represented corporations to the post of labor secretary due to their ties with the management of big companies.
Miralles said the late labor secretary Augusto Sanchez was a management lawyer who turned out to be a pro-labor secretary.
Acting Labor Secretary Romeo Lagman was a former lawyer of the Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) and was not therefore, a management lawyer, Miralles said. – With Rainier Allan Ronda
ANDREO C. CALONZO, GMANews.TV
Temperature in Metro Manila reached a new high on Wednesday, setting a hottest-day record this year, the state weather bureau said.
The Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Service Administration (Pagasa) recorded a temperature of 38.0 degrees Celsius at 2:10 p.m. Wednesday, duty observers from the state weather bureau’s office in Quezon City said.
This figure surpassed the previous hottest day “record" set Wednesday last week, when the temperature in Metro Manila reached 37.5 degrees Celsius, Pagasa said.
Wednesday’s temperature is only a few degrees Celsius shy of the 38.5 degrees Celsius recorded in Metro Manila on May 14, 1987 — the hottest day ever recorded in the metropolis.
Pagasa earlier said that the country will have a relief from the scorching heat come June, when the rainy season is expected to begin. - RJAB Jr., GMANews.TV
By Christina Mendez and Jess Diaz (The Philippine Star)
MANILA, Philippines - Members of the Joint Congressional Canvassing Committee warned yesterday that they would file charges against anyone who delays the proclamation of the next president and vice president with complaints of fraud and irregularities in the May 10 automated elections.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile led the Senate contingent in warning anyone against trying to delay the proclamation, citing the constitutional mandate of Congress to proclaim the new president and vice president by June 30.
“(They) must be made to suffer the full consequences of their deeds. They must all be charged and put to jail for making a mockery of our electoral process. They should find no refuge in Congress,” Enrile said at the opening of yesterday’s joint session of Congress.
Enrile made the statement shortly before the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the rules on the canvassing of votes for president and vice president, which at least one congressman said were still unclear and could delay the tally.
Approval of the rules paved the way for the actual tabulation of votes, which Enrile said would start later this week.
After approving the canvassing guidelines, the two legislative chambers created an 18-member joint canvassing committee and formally named its members. Enrile and Speaker Prospero Nograles are committee co-chairmen.
Since last week, the House committee on suffrage and electoral reforms led by Makati City Rep. Teodoro “Teddyboy” Locsin has been holding a public inquiry into allegations of election fraud, hearing claims of machine tampering, vote buying, vote padding and sale of pre-programmed memory cards.
The allegations came mostly from local level candidates, and none of the claims have as yet been proven.
Enrile said personalities or groups who would keep badgering Congress to accommodate their complaints of fraud and irregularities during the elections could be charged for delaying the constitutional process.
Enrile said it is the “moral duty of Congress” to prevent any person or group from derailing the proclamation of the next president and vice-president.
“Let us be reminded of our moral duty, as members of this Congress, to resist any ill-motivated attempt on the part of some parties or elements, who, taking advantage of these irregularities, or worse, may have deliberately intended to cause the failure of the automation process or the election itself, to derail the proclamation of a new president and vice president,” Enrile said.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rene Sarmiento agreed that lawmakers should not let their duties as the National Board of Canvassers (NBOC) be hampered by electoral protests.
He said the Comelec should take the responsibility of hearing the complaints of irregularity or fraud and allow Congress to perform its mandate to proclaim the country’s new leaders.
Accuracy versus speed
Enrile and Nograles have agreed that the Senate and the House, convening as the NBOC, will not sacrifice accuracy for speed in the canvassing.
He pointed out the need to scrutinize the “authenticity and the due execution of the certificates of canvass” submitted to the body as provided under the Automated Elections Law or Republic Act 8436.
To avoid questions on the integrity of the canvassing, Enrile said the rules must also ensure that all available means to determine the authenticity of the Certificates of Canvass (COCs) must be pursued, amid reports of neglect or errors on the part of Comelec and its automated election machine provider Smartmatic.
The canvassing would not begin right away, according to Nograles.
He told reporters last night that the committee would begin its meetings at 2 p.m. today with a briefing from officials of the Comelec, Smartmatic and information technology (IT) resource persons on the automation process.
“If they give us a runaround or they conduct the briefing in ‘techie-techie’ language, it will take us long to understand it. They should simplify it. If we can finish that in two to three hours, we can start the canvass tomorrow night,” Nograles said.
Enrile, however, disagreed with Nograles and said the briefing could take even longer.
“I think it will take three days,” Enrile said.
Under the rules, in tallying the votes for president and vice president, the joint committee would compare the provincial and city COCs electronically transmitted to the House with the manually accomplished COCs contained in ballot boxes delivered to the Senate President’s office.
If there is no conflict and there are no questions as to the certificates’ due execution and authenticity, the panel would tally the votes.
If there is conflict or questions, the canvassing of the COCs would be deferred and the committee could summon the members of the boards of canvassers to shed light on these issues.
It could also examine the memory cards of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines and open a “predetermined” number of ballot boxes, if necessary.
Clarifications
Security around the Batasan complex of the House of Representatives was tightened since early yesterday as more than 200 ballot boxes containing the tallies from the provinces, cities and foreign missions were delivered for the national vote tally.
Lawmakers will have to grapple with some technical details of the automated voting, with explanations needed for any discrepancies between the results transmitted electronically and those printed from machines.
Though the two chambers convened in joint session, they voted on the rules separately.
First to vote was the Senate, which approved the rules without any objection, amendment or clarification.
However, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano later took the floor to question the rule allowing the opening of ballot boxes, reading of the ballots and counting of the votes.
Cayetano said if Congress follows the procedure, it would take months, if not years, for it to finish the canvass.
Enrile maintained this is the position of the Senate.
When the turn of the House came, several congressmen sought clarification on certain sections of the proposed rules.
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman wanted clarification on what version of the COCs – those electronically transmitted to a server installed at the House or those delivered to Enrile’s office – would be used in the tally.
Nograles said the two versions would be used. He referred to the rule mandating the joint canvassing committee to compare the two versions, canvass them if they jibe and defer them if they don’t.
Lagman disagreed, saying the tabulation should be based on the electronically generated COCs and not on the certificates sealed in ballot boxes delivered to Enrile’s office pursuant to the Constitution.
“Otherwise, why did we have to automate the elections if what we will use in the tabulation are the manually accomplished COCs like those produced under the old manual system?” he asked.
Lagman said a delay in the canvass and proclamation of winners is possible if members of the canvassing committee and lawyers of candidates invoke the approved rules.
“But I think that we can still proclaim by the middle of next month, at the latest, even if we follow these unclear, ambiguous rules,” he said.
Rep. Rodante Marcoleta of the party-list group Alagad agreed with Lagman.
Marcoleta said there is no need to compare the two versions of the COCs since the automated election law provides that the electronically transmitted certificates are the official documents that should be used in the canvass.
For his part, Parañaque Rep. Roilo Golez inquired about the deletion of a paragraph in Section 17 of the rules allowing the joint committee to determine the votes received by candidates “in words and figures in the COC against the aggregate number of votes appearing in the election returns of precincts covered by the COC.”
Nograles explained this was deleted “for the purpose of a speedier canvass because it could be used to delay the tally.”
He later told reporters that “there would be no resort to the ERs (election returns) and the ballot boxes containing the ballots.”
The rules also provide that Congress would proclaim the winning presidential and vice presidential candidates together.
However, Enrile and Nograles said it’s possible that the winning president might be proclaimed ahead of the vice president because the vice presidential race is too close to call.
Enrile said there is one COC for votes for candidates for president and a separate COC for vice presidential candidates.
“We will try to canvass both COCs at the same time and proclaim the presidential and vice presidential winners together,” Nograles added.
Pwersa ng Masang Pilipino senatorial candidate JV Bautista said it would be against the Constitution to proclaim the president ahead of the vice president.
“The Constitution does not say that a president can be proclaimed ahead of the other, or vice versa,” he said.
In the unofficial tally, Liberal Party (LP) standard-bearer Sen. Benigno Aquino III is leading his closest rival, former President Joseph Estrada, by about 5.1 million votes.
Estrada’s running mate, Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay, is ahead by about 800,000 votes over LP vice presidential candidate Sen. Manuel “Mar” Roxas II.
“We’ll make sure we can accomplish our work so that the country can have a president and a vice president to succeed the President and Vice President on June 30,” Enrile said.
“I would say that the earliest we can proclaim is June 4; the latest, as far as I am concerned, is June 15,” he said.
Malacañang, on the other hand, expressed optimism that the national canvassing would proceed smoothly.
“The Palace will simply watch how the canvassing will actually come and we’ll be expressing only our hope and our prayers that the canvassing would be quick and there would be less debates on the rules, so that the canvassing of votes for the presidential and vice presidential elections would start immediately,” presidential deputy spokesman Rogelio Peyuan said. –With Paolo Romero, Sheila Crisostomo, Jose Rodel Clapano
Manila Time
