AFP - PNP
Aquino III dismisses Biazon’s warnings on AFP unrest
President Benigno S. Aquino III yesterday dismissed the warnings issued by former senator and now Muntinlupa Rep. Rodolfo Biazon to pay serious attention to the ongoing rumblings in the military organization that were sparked by Rear Adm. Feliciano Angue’s recent statements in the media.
Angue has been throwing serious accusations through the media, saying that the culture of partisan politics is alive once again in the AFP as proven when he was demoted by the new President from chief of the National Capital Region Command to commanding officer of the Naval Forces in Western Mindanao.
Biazon, who is also a former AFP chief, said on Tuesday he is conducting an inquiry with his Committee on National Defense in the lower House to determine what the legislative branch can do to address these ongoing rumblings in the AFP (Report from Aytch dela Cruz and Mario Mallari, Daily Tribune, Aug 19)
At the very least, President Aquino III should heed the warnings of Congressman Biazon who knows the thinking and sentiments of the military institution. Mr. Aquino III may be right in reminding critics from the AFP that he is in charge of the institution now. But he cannot insulate himself from perceptions that he is also playing politics by appointing generals coming from a particular PMA class and those who had once served his mother, former President Corazon C. Aquino.
Cabinet and other appointments
Malacañang to enforce cap on GOCC salaries Malacañang will issue an executive order enforcing a cap on the salaries of those in government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs). The Departments of Finance and Budget and Management worked on guidelines for the salaries and benefits of GOCC officials after Aquino revealed in his SONA that board members of Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System received excessive benefits under the Arroyo administration. (Report from Jam Sisante, GMA News, Aug. 18)
It is high time to initiate a move such as this for it would definitely cut down the ridiculously high budget allotments for GOCCs. Further rationalization in this sector is expected from Malacañang to be able to test Aquino’s sincerity in improving the system of budget allotment and leveling down corruption.
Aquino names Sereno SC Associate Justice
President Benigno S. Aquino III Friday picked Maria Lourdes Aranal Sereno as his first appointee to the Supreme Court. Sereno took the Associate Justice position vacated by Justice Renato Corona.
Sereno was born on July 2, 1960 in Manila. She graduated from the Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in A.B. Economics in 1980. She obtained her Bachelor of Laws (Cum Laude, Class Valedictorian) from the University of the Philippines College of Law (1984). She has a Master of Laws from the University of Michigan Law School (1993).
A faculty member of the Philippine Judicial Academy since 2000, she has taught Civil Law, Negotiable Instruments Law, and International Trade Law. She was faculty at The Hague Academy of International Law, Cambodia in November, 2004. She is currently Executive Director of the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center. She was a TOWNS (Ten Outstanding Women in the Nation’s Service) Awardee for Law in 1998.
Sereno was co-counsel with Justice Florentino P. Feliciano, of the Fraport case before the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington, D.C. and the PIATCO case before the International Chamber of Commerce-International Court of Arbitration, Singapore. Both cases were resolved in favor of the Republic of the Philippines (Report from JC Bello Ruiz of Manila Bulletin, Aug. 13)
Aquino swears in 33 new appointees
President Benigno Aquino III Thursday administered the oath of 33 new officials during ceremonies held in Malacañang.
Vivian Sarabia was sworn in as a member of the board of optometry of the Professional Regulatory Commission while former professional basketball player Joaquin Chito Loyzaga took his oath as commissioner of the Philippine Sports Commission.
Other officials who took their oath before Mr. Aquino were Trade Undersecretary Adrian S. Cristobal Jr., Acting Education Assistant Secretary Jesus Lorenzo R. Mateo, National Economic Development Authority National Development Office Deputy Director General Margarita R. Songco, and Vice President Jejomar Binay’s chief of staff Benjamin Martinez Jr. Sworn in from the Department of Justice were Chief State Legal Counsel Ricardo Paras III, Assistant Chief State Legal Counsel Ruben Fondevilla, Assistant Chief State Legal Counsel Pastor Benavidez, Undersecretary Francisco Faraan III and Assistant Secretary Zebedin Azis. Those who took their oath from the Department of Agriculture were Undersecretaries Bernadette Romulo-Puyat, Antonio Fleta, Joel Rudinas and Claron Alcantara and Assistant Secretaries Dennis Araullo, Salvador Salacup, Eduardo Nolasco and Allan Quimson Umali. Department of Environment and Natural Resources executives who took their oath were Undersecretary Ernesto Adobo Jr. and Philippine Reclamation Authority General Manager and Chief Executive Officer Peter Anthony Aguinaldo Abaya. The inductees from the Department of Transportation and Communication were Philippine Aerospace Development Corp. president Antonio Buendia Jr., Light Railway Transit administrator Rafael Rodriguez, Deputy LRTA administrator Emerson Benitez and Manila International Airport Authority board member Aproniano Boongaling Jr. Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office executives who took their oath, were board member Francisco Manuel Gatmaitan Joaquin III and general manager Jose Ferdinand Rojas. National Intelligence Coordinating Agency officials sworn in were Assistant Director General Filinila Balitaan and Assistant Director General Zenaida Brosas. The Philippine Sports Commission officers inducted were Chair Ricardo R. Garcia and commissioners Gillian Akiko Thomson-Guevarra, Salvador Andrada and Loyzaga. Ambassador Miguel Alvarez Perez-Rubio, presidential chief protocol, was also sworn in Thursday (Report from Norman Bordadora of Phil Daily Inquirer, Aug 13)
Issues
Justices question Luisita lawyer
Hacienda Luisita lawyer Gener Asuncion claimed the government can no longer reverse the Stock Distribution Option Agreement (SDOA) even as the management refused to acknowledge that the more than 10,000 beneficiaries are tenants, insisting that they are mere “farm workers.” Asuncion said the SDOA had “matured into contracts” and are already covered by the non-impairment clause of the Bill of Rights. Ironically, Associate Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales who had administered the oath of office to President Aquino III, tore away at the lawyer’s arguments as the lady magistrate pointed out that the constitutional guarantee against impairment of contracts covers only laws.
Last week, the Luisita management submitted to the Supreme Court (SC) the “compromise deal” in which the farm worker-beneficiaries were given the option to stay with the SDO or choose productive agricultural lands that will be given to them for free. The HLI reported to the court that more than 70 percent or 7,441 of the 10,502 farmer-beneficiaries signed the agreement. Of this number, 7,302 or 98.13 percent voted for SDO while 139 or 1.88 percent voted for land distribution, it added. But Justice Velasco, Jr. said the approval of the agreement would depend on the finding of the court regarding the legality of the SDOA (report from Benjamin Pulta of the Daily Tribune, Aug. 18)
The high court is aware that whatever ruling on the Luisita case it will issue will have far-reaching implications on agrarian reform – and on the country’s millions of farmer families. Although the ruling will be based on legal nuances the SC cannot ignore that the land dispute is also basically a social justice issue with political implications.
President Aquino III open to VFA review – Lacierda
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President has not yet made a decision whether the government would terminate the controversial Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) pending the study being conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA). “The position of the President is that he is open to review the Visiting Forces Agreement,” Lacierda said in a press briefing at the Palace. “That will be studied by the DFA in consultation with the President,” he added (Report from Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin, Aug. 13)
Next to the Luisita land dispute, the handling of the VFA is one of the touchy issues being closely watched by many Filipinos. Continuing the position taken by his predecessor, Mrs. Arroyo, on the VFA will likely send signals that President Aquino III will be no different from past presidents.
(Posted by CenPEG with notes from Joanne Lara)