Rizal 150: Bongbong Marcos files SB 2743 to move 'Rizal Day' to June 19

Senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has filed Senate Bill No. 2743 (June 19 Rizal Day) that seeks to move the traditional and annual observance and celebration of Rizal Day from December 30 to June 19.


Marcos believes that Rizal's birthday should be celebrated and observed as a national regular holiday, rather than celebrating a holiday on a day of the hero's death.

“June 19, the birthday of our National Hero, Dr. Jose P. Rizal, is a day of celebration of his life and his great contribution to the country's independence from foreign domination,” Marcos in the proposal said. “His writings have inspired the Filipino Nation to advocate the ideals of change through peaceful means.”

“It is just fitting that Filipinos commemorate Rizal Day on June 19 as a day of triumph of the Dr. Jose Rizal's nationalism and patriotic ideals,” the Senator added.

PNoy gov't doles out P4B, seeks P2B more

MANILA, Philippines - The Aquino government has already spent P4.127 billion of the P17.13-billion Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) budget allotted for 2011.

Despite this, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Dinky Soliman faced the Senate finance oversight committee on Tuesday afternoon and said it still needs an additional P2 billion to cover over 2 million households for its Pantawid Pamilya program.

Senate Finance committee chair Franklin Drilon did not commit to supporting her request for additional funds, pending a certification from the Department of Budget and Management that there are enough funds.

As of May 31, the DSWD had already released P4.127 billion to 1.6 million households.

Soliman said the DSWD is short of funds because it started giving away cash before the programmed implementation in June.

She said the program has a high accomplishment rate in terms of health visits, education, and family development sessions, which are pre-conditions for the release of funds to beneficiaries.

Soliman also told the committee that it has an assessment mechanism, via a survey commissioned to see the effectiveness of the program.

The survey will be done by the Social Weather Stations (SWS) toward the latter part of 2011.

Both Drilon and Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said they were satisfied with the explanation of Soliman.

Under the government's CCT program, the poorest of the poor gets P300 for each child (no more than 3 children and not older than 14 years old), while the mother or parent gets P500 every month on the condition that the children attend at least 85% of their school days, and submit to the government's health programs like vaccination.

Envoy assures US supports Phl on Spratly dispute

MANILA, Philippines - The United States today assured that it will give full support to the Philippines as tension escalates in the West Philippine Sea (South China Sea).

"I assure you and all subjects, we the United States, are with the Philippines. The Philippines and the United States are strategic treaty allies. We are partners. We will continue to consult and work with each other on all issues including the South China Sea and Spratlys Islands,” US Ambassador to Manila Harry Thomas said in his speech in today's launching of the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Program.

President Benigno Aquino III led the launching of the program in Makati City.

Thomas's assurance came following Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr.'s announcement that the Philippines may invoke its Mutual Defense Treaty with the US to reduce tension with China over the dispute in Spratly Islands.

“The relevant portion of that treaty is that the US has been our ally and they will come, and we expect na talagang kasama natin sila (they are with us) in any problem that will require their help,” Ochoa said.

“It’s a diplomatic problem, it’s a political and diplomatic issue, so we will solve it along those lines,” he said. “We don’t want to encourage anything that will exacerbate the issues there.”

Meanwhile, Ochoa called for caution in handling the conflict, emphasizing that the issues involve international law and are being addressed diplomatically.

The Philippines has protested several incidents involving China in the disputed territory, including the harassment of a Philippine-owned vessel by two Chinese Navy gunboats in the vicinity of Recto (Reed) Bank, 250 kilometers west of Palawan last March.

US senator urges Washington to act

A US senator, meanwhile, urged Washington to condemn China's alleged use of force and push for multilateral negotiations to resolve territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Amid tensions between China and the Philippines, Vietnam fired live artillery rounds Monday off its central coast in naval drills staged after alleging that Chinese boats disrupted oil and gas exploration.

The United States irked China last year by asserting that Washington had a national security interest in the peaceful resolution of disputes in the South China Sea, resource-rich waters where China has competing claims with several nations and territories and rejects outside interference. It maintains that the disputes should be handled bilaterally.

Senator Jim Webb, a Democrat who chairs the Senate subcommittee overseeing American policy toward east Asia, said Vietnam and other countries were watching whether "we are going to back up those words with substantive action."

"That does not mean military confrontation, per se, but we have to make a clear signal," he told a Washington seminar organized by the Council on Foreign Relations.

Webb and Sen. James Inhofe, ranking Republican on the subcommittee, introduced a Senate resolution condemning China's actions. It supports continued operations by US forces to defend freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and urges the United States to facilitate a multilateral process to settle the territorial disputes.

The US diplomatic intervention last year was welcomed by countries in the region, most notably Vietnam, which has a historic rivalry with China, against which it fought a bloody border war in 1979.

The latest spat between the communist-led countries has prompted rare protests in Vietnam, which says Chinese boats cut a cable attached to a vessel conducting a seismic survey off its coast May 26 and hindered operations of another vessel June 9. For its part, China accuses Vietnam of illegally entering its waters and putting fishermen's lives at risk. It has not commented on Vietnam's naval drills.

Webb described China's actions as a clear interference in "proper activities by Vietnam."

US State Department spokesman Mark Toner said Friday that the recent incidents in the South China Sea had raised concerns about maritime security. He urged a collaborative diplomatic process to resolve the territorial disputes, saying that shows of force only served to raise tensions further. (With AP)

Philippine leader: graft-tainted projects stopped

KAWIT, Philippines (AP) — President Benigno Aquino III said Sunday his government has stopped several graft-tainted projects and cut bureaucratic perks, allowing it to raise extra money to feed the poor, equip troops and improve the country's image among investors.

But Aquino acknowledged in an Independence Day speech that formidable problems continue to plague the impoverished Southeast Asian nation, including shortages of jobs, schools, doctors and hospitals and a dependence on imported rice despite its vast farmlands.

More than a century after rising up against Spanish colonizers, Filipinos still have not been liberated from social ills like poverty because they have failed to eradicate corruption, Aquino said in Kawit town in Cavite province south of Manila where revolutionaries declared independence from Spain 113 years ago.

"If we want to liberate the country, we need to free the government and ourselves from greed," Aquino said on the balcony of a historic, flag-draped mansion.

Aquino said without elaborating that his administration had stopped graft-tainted projects in several government agencies, including the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Laguna Lake Development Authority. Officials have looked into alleged irregularities in a major dredging project at the Laguna Lake agency.

Presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said close to $23 million (1 billion pesos) worth of contracts were halted at the public works and highways department alone because they were not properly bidded out, lacked required documents or had other irregularities.

Slashing high salaries and perks of executives in government-owned corporations increased their revenues to $686 million (29.5 billion pesos), some of which was used to build 20,000 houses for soldiers and police and hire 10,000 additional nurses for rural clinics, Budget Secretary Florencio Abad said.

Aquino said the corporations have long been milked by executives appointed by officials paying off political debts.

More than 100 left-wing laborers and activists, however, accused Aquino of being a U.S. puppet and demanded higher wages. They attempted to march to the U.S. Embassy in Manila, carrying an effigy of Aquino hanging on strings held by an image of Uncle Sam on a U.S. aircraft carrier, but were blocked by riot police.

Aquino suggested that many of the anomalies took place during the administration of his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, without naming her.

Aquino also cited a military corruption scandal linked to three former chiefs of staff, including Arroyo's former defense chief, Angelo Reyes, who has denied any wrongdoing. He committed suicide in February amid a Senate corruption investigation.

"The generals were gifted with truckloads of money while those who expose their bodies to bullets suffer in boots ridden with holes," Aquino said.

Long entrenched in Philippine society, corruption is an especially explosive issue in the inadequately equipped and underfunded military and has sparked several rebellions by disgruntled troops in the past 25 years.

Aquino is the son of democracy icons revered for battling dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who was toppled in a 1986 "People Power" revolt. He won a landslide election victory last year largely due to his name and a promise to fight graft and poverty, which afflicts a third of the country's 94 million people.

PNoy leads flag-raising to kick off Independence Day rites

President Benigno Aquino III kicked off early Sunday the celebration of the Philippines’ 113th Independence Day by leading flag-raising ceremonies in Kawit, Cavite at 7 a.m.

Aquino received arrival honors at the Aguinaldo Shrine and took part in wreath-laying ceremonies before raising the Philippine flag, radio dzBB’s Tuesday Niu reported.

He arrived at the shrine at 6:30 a.m. With him were Cabinet secretaries led by Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin.

Present at the ceremonies were Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla Jr., Kawit Mayor Reynaldo Aguinaldo, and Imus Bishop Luis Antonio Tagle.

The shrine stands where Philippine independence was first declared on June 12, 1898.

In Manila, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Francis Tolentino led the flag-raising ceremonies at the Rizal Park.

The Philippine Coast Guard sounded horns while the Armed Forces of the Philippines started a static display in Manila, radio dzBB’s Glen Juego reported.

Also present at the Manila rites were Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and Secretaries Alberto Lim (tourism), Armin Luistro (education) and Jose Rene Almendras (energy).

Security was tight in the area, particularly along Roxas Boulevard, as militant umbrella group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) was to hold a protest action near the US Embassy.

At the Monumento area in Caloocan City, Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo led flag-raising ceremonies following a 6 a.m. Mass, dzBB’s Allan Gatus reported.

Robredo said the spirit of patriotism must be kept alive in Filipinos even if it is not Independence Day.

“Ang pinakahamon manatili hindi lamang sa panahon na tayo nakikipaglaban sa dayuhan kundi sa bagay na pwede nating sabihing kinikitil ang kasarinlan ng mamamayan. Kung hindi natin mabibigyan ng buhay ang damdaming yan naroon lang siya sa isang tabi," he said

(Our challenge is to keep the spirit of patriotism alive, not just at a time when we are fighting foreign invaders. We should not neglect our sense of patriotism.)

In San Juan City in Metro Manila, students showed up early for the flag-raising ceremony at the Pinaglabanan Shrine led by Sen. Teofisto Guingona III, dzBB’s Mao dela Cruz reported.

Mayor Guia Gomez and son Rep. Jose Victor Ejercito arrived early for the flag-raising ceremony.

In Bulacan province, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. and provincial officials led similar activities at the Barasoain Church.

The church was a temporary residence of General Emilio Aguinaldo, and was the venue of the convening of the First Philippine Congress (September 15, 1898).

It was also where the drafting of the Malolos Constitution took place, and where the First Philippine Republic was inaugurated on January 23, 1899. — LBG, GMA News

Sex trade flourishes in Philippine prison

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - A sex trade is flourishing in the maximum-security compound of the New Bilibid Prison (NBP), according to insiders at the national penitentiary located in capital of the Philippines, Manila.

Moneyed prisoners wanting a break from their routine can pay for sex with prostitutes through inmate-pimps, or even with female employees of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor), the insiders told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in separate interviews.

They said the arrangements appeared to have the blessings of prison officials because the women could enter the NBP gates unhampered.

The insiders agreed to disclose how the illicit trade was thriving under the noses of BuCor officials on the condition that their identities would be kept secret for their safety.

Asked to comment, BuCor officer in charge Manuel Co said the matter was "being looked into." He refused to elaborate.

But he later acknowledged the issue, saying that he chanced upon a television interview the other day with an alleged prostitute working at the NBP.

"What would be her motive in saying that if it is not true?" Co said.

"What our penal system needs is total reform. That is the mandate I received from Justice Secretary [Leila] de Lima, and we are going to do just that," he said.

With help of drugs

A prostitute can earn as much as P5,000 (US$115) a night within the walls of the penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, one of the Inquirer sources said.

The catch is that the woman has to have sex with an undetermined number of men to make the amount, the source said, adding:

"Some of the women are made to take drugs first so they will do what they are paid to do."

The source claimed firsthand knowledge of the sex trade, saying he had escorted several women from the gates of the maximum-security compound all the way to the kubol (huts or cubicles) of the inmate-pimps.

He received "gas money" in exchange for the task, the source said. But he later begged off because his conscience was bothering him, he said.

"A number of the women came from Binondo [in Manila], and the others from different places," the source said.

He said the women usually came at night in taxicabs, and were escorted by contacts to enable them to get past the sentries at the gates and proceed to the kubol of the pimps.

Asked how this arrangement could have gone unnoticed by officials, the source said: "It's impossible for them not to know."

"It's possible that some officials are on the take," he said, but refused to name names.

"But the guards allow the women to pass through without inspection and questioning. Who's the boss of the guards?" he added.

Even female employees of the BuCor are giving wealthy prisoners sexual favors for money, according to another insider.

Broken families

He said this had strained the employees' marriages or relationships, causing families to break apart.

What's worse is that some of the employees get pregnant by their sex partners, which make it more difficult for the women to cover up their acts, the source said.

The first source confirmed this piece of information, and described in detail some of the cases that BuCor officials had discovered.

"The women involved were told to resign under pain of disciplinary sanctions," the first source said.

Another cause for concern is the health of the prisoners, with a number complaining of symptoms associated with sexually transmitted diseases, the insiders said.

Leviste controversy

De Lima appointed Co officer in charge of BuCor last month, after Director Ernesto Diokno resigned his post amid the controversy generated by the arrest of former Batangas Governor Antonio Leviste, a homicide convict, in front of a building he owns in Makati City.

Diokno, a close friend and shooting buddy of President Benigno Aquino III, insisted that he was not to blame for Leviste's unauthorized trip outside prison and that reforms were well underway at the NBP.

Leviste's "caper" resulted in the filing of charges against him in a Makati court, which remanded the case to the Department of Justice on Friday afternoon for preliminary investigation.

A fact-finding panel formed by De Lima uncovered excesses and security problems in the penitentiary, resulting in the cancellation of certain practices like the "sleep out" privileges of VIP prisoners.

A recent inspection of the NBP facilities by members of the House committee on justice also resulted in an order from De Lima for the dismantling of the prisoners' kubol.

The justice secretary has since lifted the order pending recommendations for alternative arrangements at the congested penitentiary.

Philippine bishops worried by new Charter Change talks

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - Catholic bishops in the Philippines have reacted cagily to fresh talks about amending the Constitution, saying lawmakers might go beyond limiting changes to the charter's economic provisions.

"Instead of calling for a charter-change, why not just amend its economic provisions?" suggested Manila Auxiliary Bishop Broderick Pabillo in a phone interview with reporters.

The bishops were reacting to a disclosure by Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile on Thursday that he and Speaker Feliciano Belmonte had agreed in principle on the need for deliberations on the amendments to the Constitution at the resumption of Congress sessions next month.

But Enrile emphasized that the charter-change debate must be limited to constitution provisions restricting foreign ownership of certain industries and exclude proposals to revise the political structure of the country.

Pabillo, chair of the Catholic bishops' National Secretariat for Social Action, said he was worried that lawmakers pushing for a revision of the Constitution would go beyond their pronouncement that amendments would be confined to economic policies.

He proposed that lawmakers must talk only about amendments to the Constitution's economic provisions to pave the way for needed reforms instead of moving for a total change of the Constitution.

Caloocan Bishop Deogracias Iniguez echoed Pabillo's concern, but said he would like to look at the proposed revisions.

"Let us follow what reasons they will put up and then let us weigh their relevance to the society," said Iniguez, also chair of the Catholic bishops' Public Affairs Committee.

For his part, Cotabato Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo said he would favor charter-change only if lawmakers committed themselves to limiting revisions to the Constitution's economic provisions.

"I favor it but only on agreed-upon issues such as those concerning the economic provisions... if not, then we should just go by the existing amendments process in Congress," said Bagaforo in a separate interview yesterday.

Philippines names disputed Spratly areas 'West Philippine Sea'

Manila (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN) - The Philippine government has apparently made it settled doctrine to use "West Philippine Sea" to refer to the waters west of the country where the Philippines has overlapping territorial claims with five other nations, instead of the all-embracing tag of "South China Sea".

Tellingly, Malacanang (the presidential palace) Friday (June 10) used "West Philippine Sea" for the first time in a statement reacting to China's warning on Thursday (June 9), issued through Ambassador Liu Jianchao, to rival claimants to the disputed Spratlys island group to stop searching for oil in the contested region without permission from China.

"The Republic of the Philippines has stated its position on the various territorial issues in the West Philippine Sea. We are committed to hold dialogue with other claimants," presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told a news briefing.

"We call on all parties to refrain from inflammatory statements that would make it more difficult to reach a mutually agreeable solution," he said.

In the past two weeks, the Philippines has publicly accused Chinese forces of being behind seven confrontations with Filipinos in the Spratlys in less than four months.

However, Liu said the reported incidents were mere "rumours" or exaggeration, even as he asserted China's claim to the reputedly oil-rich Spratlys island chain.

The islands are claimed in whole or in part by Brunei, China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Viet Nam.

Based on history

Lacierda said the Palace was taking its cue from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) which has been using "West Philippine Sea" in the series of letters and notes verbales protesting China's incursions into areas that the DFA claims were well within Philippine territory.

The DFA earlier explained that using "West Philippine Sea" to refer to the waters where the disputed territories lie was "in keeping with our tradition and history as well as reflective of its proper geographic location".

The same waters "have long been called Dagat Luzon, or Luzon Sea by our fisherfolk and the rest of our people, and referred to as such in published maps since time immemorial after the major Philippine island of Luzon", DFA spokesperson Eduardo Malaya explained earlier.

"On the other hand, South China Sea in Chinese is simply South Sea, while for the Vietnamese it is East Sea," he said.

Akbayan party-list member Walden Bello has filed House Resolution No 1350 proposing to officially name the region the "West Philippine Sea" to "strengthen [the Philippines'] claim to these controversial waters and the natural resources found within".

Subliminal message

On Friday, the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) weighed in, saying it has deliberately been using West Philippine Sea to refer to the area.

"What's in a name, but when people keep saying that it is the South China Sea, there is a subliminal message that this is indeed a sea belonging to a country whose name appears in the name," said Commodore Miguel Jose Rodriguez, the AFP deputy chief of staff for civil military operations who is also the military spokesperson.

'Kalayaan Sea'

"Viet Nam calls it their East Sea and China calls it their South Sea. We in the Philippines should call it West Philippine Sea," he said.

Rodriguez (Philippine Military Academy Class of 1980) recalled that at the PMA, they were taught to refer to the area as "Kalayaan Sea" based on a newly issued presidential decree at the time naming the area claimed by the Philippines as the Kalayaan island group, or the "Luzon Sea" or "West Palawan Sea".

The United States on Friday called on the Asian countries fighting for control of the Spratlys to resolve the issue peacefully.

"As Ambassador Harry Thomas, (Defence) Secretary (Robert) Gates and other US officials have said, we urge all claimants to exercise restraint in dealing with competing claims in the South China Sea. These issues need to be resolved peacefully within the framework of international law," said Rebecca Thompson, US Embassy press attache, in a statement apparently issued in response to Liu's warning.

Rules-based approach

The DFA on Friday reiterated the Philippines' rules-based approach to ending the dispute.

It has proposed the concept of a Zone of Peace, Freedom, Friendship and Cooperation in which disputed territories could be recognised from undisputed areas as provided under international law.

"The Philippines has offered a specific framework for the resolution of differences and the pursuit of cooperation in the form of the ZOPFFC," said Malaya.

In the ZOPFFC, the disputed islands could be "enclaved" by segregating them and adjacent waters from the rest of the waters of the South China Sea.

The DFA has said the enclaved area could be designated as a Joint Cooperation Area where joint activities could be conducted, such as marine scientific research, search and rescue operations, oil spill preparedness and conservation projects.

Defence posture

AFP Chief General Eduardo Oban Jr. said the military is careful to "avoid any miscalculation" that would provoke open hostilities in the Spratlys.

Speaking at the Manila Overseas Press Club forum on Thursday, Oban said the military has been keeping an "active defence posture" following China's incursions this year into Philippine territory.

"If a Chinese vessel or any foreign vessel becomes hostile to us to the point of shooting at our own people, then we have to shoot back. We try to avoid that," said Oban, a former Air Force fighter pilot.

Presence as deterrence

"We just hope they won't (make further incursions). We will maintain our presence as a deterrent to incursions," he said.

While there have been six incursions from China, the military also recorded "some" incursions from Viet Nam, he said.

Oban said the Philippines' diplomatic protests against the Chinese incursions were backed by reports from military field units.

Despite the ongoing spat with China, Oban does not consider the tensions serious.

"I give a low rating (between 1 to 10) in terms of the seriousness based on the incursions because of the statements made by [Chinese Defence Minister] General Liang Guanglie. That's quite reassuring, (that) they're open for a peaceful resolution of the conflict," he said.With reports from Jerry E. Esplanada and Julie M. Aurelio

COPYRIGHT: ASIA NEWS NETWORK

Palace urged: Consult before appointing ARMM OICs

MANILA, Philippines - Civil society groups from the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) are appealing to President Benigno Aquino III to hold a dialogue with different sectors in the region before appointing officers in charge (OICs).

They aired their call as Congress approved a bill to synchronize the ARMM polls with the national elections in 2013.

Officials of the groups said there are talks that some personalities are lobbying to be appointed as ARMM executives.

"Naririnig po namin na gumagapang ang mga traditional politicians sa Malacañang na humihingi ng positions sa ARMM," said Dr. Darwin Rasul of the Bangun Minority Rights Forum.

They hope the President will pick those who will truly represent the interest of the ARMM.

Meanwhile, Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile has dismissed claims that senators who voted in favor of deferring the ARMM elections received an additional P100 million pork barrel from Malacañang, on top of their yearly allocation of P200 million.

Last Monday, the senators voted 13-7 to postpone the ARMM polls. - ANC

For the first time, PNoy to lead Independence Day rites

For the first time, President Benigno Aquino III will lead the Independence Day celebrations on June 12, Sunday, beginning with a flag-raising ceremony in Kawit, Cavite.

The country’s 113th Independence Day celebration will be followed by a vin d’ honneur at Malacañang’s Rizal Hall at 10 a.m., also to be officiated by Aquino. Then at 4 p.m., the rites will center on the Independence Day festivities at the Quirino Grandstand.

Last week, the Palace directed the National Historical Commission of the Philippines to organize and implement this year’s Independence Day celebrations.

In preparation for Independence Day, the Palace commemorated National Flag Day late last month. The effort, however, was off to a bad start when the Office of the President displayed the Philippine flag on its official website with the red side up signifying a state of war.

Meanwhile, in an interview with GMA News TV’s “State of the Nation" newscast, the NHCP issued a reminder on Tuesday that the public cannot turn the flag into a fashion statement, and must treat it with respect. — PE/VS, GMA News

PH maintains ownership of Reed Bank in Spratlys

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippines maintained its ownership of Reed Bank, amid a reported call of China to all claimants of the Spratly Islands to stop all forms of explorations in the South China Sea.

Malacañang said oil exploration should continue in non-disputed areas or areas owned by the Philippines, including Reed Bank.

"Number one, we will have to confer with the Department of Energy and with the Department of Foreign Affairs with respect to the disputed areas. With respect to the non-disputed areas, we have every reason to do our exploration there because it's ours. There should be no issue as to our sovereign right to explore our own natural resources," Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters in Malacañang.  

The Philippines stood by its statements on the recent incidents in the South China Sea, even after a statement from the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, demanding that the Philippines "stop unilateral actions that damage China's sovereignty and interests at sea…and stop issuing irresponsible comments that are inconsistent with facts."

"Well, 'yun ang kanilang pananaw. Ang aming pananaw, ang sinabi po ni [Defense] Sec. Voltz Gazmin, it's a very responsible statement. We believe that we are asserting only what we claim is ours in our sovereign capacity…Dapat po walang question sa Western Palawan, sa Reed Bank, ito po ay atin, kasi ito ay 80 nautical miles po from Palawan in contrast to them which is about over 400 or a little less than 500 nautical miles from them. So obviously, ito po ay ating inaangkin noon pa and was never considered disputed," Lacierda said. Peaceful resolution of dispute, PNoy visit

Amid all these, the Philippines remains committed to having the issue resolved peacefully and diplomatically.

Lacierda said the situation is not worsening as all claimants remain committed to a peaceful resolution of the conflict. He said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) continues to be in touch with Chinese Embassy officials in Manila.

"What we believe and what we strongly would like to see is the peaceful resolution in this area. China obviously has their claimed of the 9-dash line. We obviously dispute that so we would rather have a peaceful dialogue be undertaken by the various claimants on the South China Sea, not just between the Philippines and China, but also the other claimants of the area, for instance Vietnam and the other countries," Lacierda said.

The date for President Aquino's state visit to China has not yet been finalized but Aquino is expected to take up the Spratlys issue with his Chinese counterparts.

"Well, again, we don't have a firm schedule yet on China. The DFA would be handling that but definitely the President has been apprised of the situation and in the proper time, the President will relay to the Chinese officials, his counterpart, as to the conduct and attitude of the Philippines and the stand of the Philippines on that matter," Lacierda said.

Malacanang hits Catholic prelate

Malacañang on Friday issued a statement calling for the reprimand of a Catholic bishop who claimed that certain groups were already gearing up for President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s ouster.
 
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda hit Butuan Bishop Juan de Dios Pueblos, whom he described as someone apparently “ignorant of the virtues of charity, humility and prudence.”
 
“[He] fires from the hip, armed with a fanciful imagination and utterly without any effort to discern the truth,” Lacierda said.
 
Pueblos earlier lambasted Aquino in a radio interview, saying he doesn’t deserve to be President. Pueblos was also quoted as saying in a report that “there are groups that are actually preparing for his ouster.”
 
Pueblos is perceived as close to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
 
Lacierda said Pueblos “deserves to be rebuked in the strongest terms for being a longstanding advocate of impunity,” which he said started when Pueblos opposed attempts by the CBCP “to discern the moral culpability of former President Arroyo” for “Hello Garci.”
 
The presidential spokesman also urged the prelate to refer to a doctrine which prohibits members of the Church to “set forth political solutions.”
 

Ex-Comelec exec's nephew nabbed for drugs

MANILA, Philippines - A nephew of former Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Moslemen Macarambong was arrested on Thursday night for illegal drugs.

Armed with a search warrant issued by a Manila court,  Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) officers raided the house of businessman Sohayle Babao on Amatista Street in San Andres, Manila.

Authorities found sachets of methamphetamine hydrochloride, or shabu, inside the house.

PDEA Director Wilkins Villanueva said Babao is a shabu major supplier. He added that the suspect sources the illegal drugs straight from mainland China.

Tension erupted during the operation after several of Babao's friends rushed to the area to prevent his arrest.

PDEA had to seek help from the Manila Police District to prevent an outbreak of violence.

Villanueva described Babao as a "Robin Hood" in the area. He said the suspect helps people in need.

Macarambong also went to Babao's house. However, he did not get involved and allowed PDEA agents to arrest his nephew. - Report from Pia Gutierrez, ABS-CBN News

Senate passes 4 Aquino priority bills during 1st regular session

Just like the House of Representatives, the Senate was able to pass four of the 23 priority bills of the Aquino administration before Congress adjourned session on Wednesday.

Out of the 2,871 bills filed at the Senate, the chamber was able to approve at least 14 bills on third and final reading, four of which were among the 23 priority bills presented by President Benigno Aquino III during the Legislative Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) last February.

"We have introduced, deliberated in committee and in plenary, and then approved on third reading amendatory bills that seek to either strengthen or further improve existing laws on labor, health, the environment, family relations, civil service and justice," Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile said during his closing remarks on the last day of the chamber's session on Wednesday.

Among Aquino's priority measures approved by the Senate was the GOCC Governance Act of 2011, which seeks to create a body that will govern government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs).

The GOCC Governance Act of 2011, authored by Sen. Franklin Drilon in the Senate, has been signed into law by the President.

Two other priority bills — Drilon's SB 4146 which seeks to postpone the August Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) elections and Sen. Sergio "Serge" Osmeña III's SB 2846 which seeks to extend the lifeline rate — are just awaiting Aquino’s signature for them to become laws.

On the other hand, SB 2701, which expands the exceptions from the night work prohibition of women employees, still needs to be ratified by both chambers of Congress.

SB 2701 was authored by Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada, and Senators Francis Pangilinan, Ramon Bong Revilla Jr., Lito Lapid, and Loren Legarda.

Other bills

The 10 other bills that have been approved by the Senate on third and final reading are:

SB 78 by Estrada, which seeks to increase the minimum wage of household helpers or kasambahaysand provide them with additional benefits.

SB 138 by Senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Drilon, and P. Cayetano which seeks to amend Presidential Decree 996 to require mandatory basic immunization services against Hepatitis-B for infants

SB 480 by Estrada which seeks to amend the Family Code of the Philippines to allow either spouse to mortgage or dispose of his or her exclusive property without the consent of other spouse

SB 1052 by Sen. Manny Villar which also seeks to amend the Family Code of the Philippines to allow a Filipino spouse of an alien spouse to remarry in the Philippines even if the marriage and divorce was obtained abroad

SB 2559 by Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri which seeks to grant Philippine citizenship to American import Marcus Douthit to allow him to play for the Smart Gilas Pilpinas Team in major Asian basketball tournaments

SB 2671 by Trillanes which seeks to strengthen the bureaucracy by professionalizing the ranks of government managers and executives.

SB 2726 by Sen. Francis Escudero which seeks to strike out vagrancy as a punishable crime under Article 202 of the Revised Penal Code.

SB 2748 by Trillanes which seeks the "expeditious and timely" release of the retirement pay, pension, and other benefits of government employees, except that from the GSIS, within 30 days after retirement.

SB 2802 by Estrada, and Senators Edgardo Angara and Miriam Defensor-Santiago which seeks to restructure daycares into early childhood education centers and craft a formal curriculum for pre-school pupilsto help them cope with elementary lessons.

SB 2808 by Senators Villar, Santiago, Escudero, Revilla, and Gregorio Honasan which seeks to increase the equivalent rate of each day served by prisoners in jail as subsidiary penalty.

First time

During its first few months, Congress was also able to enact the General Appropriations Act of 2011, giving a P1.645-trillion budget to the national government. The speedy passage of which allowed the President to sign it in the same year it was submitted—the first time in 11 years.

Enrile admitted, however, that they had some delays in their legislative work because they had to reorganize.

"We had to restudy the whole thing but that is normal. As we go along, in the next session, I’m sure we’ll be acting faster on many of these bills," he said.

The Senate was also supposed to serve as an impeachment court for the trial of former Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who resigned even before the Senate could begin the trial. - RSJ, GMA News

Arroyo’s hostility to SC justice's Ombudsman bid 'dangerous' — Palace

“Disturbing" and “dangerous" — that’s how Malacañang on Thursday characterized the opposition put up by former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Arroyo to the nomination of Supreme Court Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales as Ombudsman.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said while every citizen, including Arroyo, has the right to oppose proposed nominees being considered by the Judicial and Bar Council, Arroyo’s position is “part of a disturbing piece."

“Mrs. Arroyo takes a dangerous, verging on scurrilous, tack by imputing a lack of judicial integrity to Justice Morales on the basis of her voting record," Lacierda said.

He noted how the letter Arroyo submitted to the JBC on Wednesday opposing the nomination on Carpio-Morales, in fact, contrasts with her previous stand that Supreme Court justices are impartial.

“She says that the voting record of Justice Morales — dissenting in many cases where the majority had voted to uphold Mrs. Arroyo when she was President — is proof positive that as Ombudsman, Justice Morales would not give the Arroyos due process and a fair handling of cases," he said.

“As Claro M. Recto famously remarked, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. At the very least, the aggressive assertion of independence on the part of the high court’s majority Mrs. Arroyo insisted upon should be given Justice Morales. Otherwise it would serve to admit what Mrs. Arroyo had long denied: that the justices voted not on the basis of impartial law, but instead, with partisan considerations," he added.

“We cannot determine what would inspire Mrs. Arroyo to go off-message and even unleash that living monument to her maladministration of the justice system, former Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, but it does seem she has some explaining to do to the Supreme Court and the Filipino people," he said.

Also on Thursday, Lacierda said that the Aquino administration was still gathering evidence of anomalies — allegedly committed by the past administration — in order to file the necessary chargeswhen the Ombudsman is finally appointed. — MRT/VS, GMA News