Congress
No politics in pork barrel distribution - Palace
Malacañang (presidential office) made assurances that the distribution of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (pork barrel fund) will not be politicized. The Palace has ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to recall the P10.61 billion in pork barrel funds released by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to her allies in the House of Representatives. Presidential Communications Group Secretary Herminio Coloma said the funds were withdrawn to be able to fund more important programs and projects.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad told Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson that the amount is part of a total of P30.32 billion that lawmakers had inserted in this year’s DPWH budget.
“As of end June 2010, the fiscal performance showed that the actual deficit of P196.7 billion exceeded the deficit target by P51.6 billion,” Abad said in his letter. “In this regard, the release of P10.61 billion without the corresponding revenue measures identified by Congress will have the effect of bloating the deficit.” (Report from Aurea Calica, Phil Star, Aug 20).
It is true that the budget deficit could not be minimized by mere cut offs in the budget allocation alone. Clear revenue measures and efficient implementation of such should be ensured so that the huge budget deficit that hurts the economy every time could be addressed.
AFP-PNP
4 SWAT men sacked; Magtibay goes on leave
Four members of the police Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team were relieved from their posts while Manila Police District chief Chief Superintendent Rodolfo Magtibay offered to go on leave of absence as an offshoot of the bloody hostage drama in front of the Quirino Grandstand last Monday.
The autopsy conducted on six of the nine bodies in last week’s mayhem involving Chinese tourists - including that of hostage taker Mendoza - revealed that all of them suffered bullet wounds in the head and the neck. The initial results of the investigation revealed that most of the shots fired came from the M16 rifle and .45 pistol carried by Mendoza, with reports indicating that the dismissed cop went on a shooting rampage.
House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said the government cannot afford to spare the heads of officials, who failed to control the hostage-taking crisis that ended bloody, souring international relationships with Hong Kong and China. He said President Benigno Simeon S. Aquino III must sack Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo as well as Presidential Communication Development and Strategic Planning Group heads Ricardo Carandang and Hermino Coloma for their “palpable incompetence (Report from Aaron B. Recuenco, Manila Bulletin, August 25).
What happened to millions of funds allocated by both the Philippine and foreign governments for police training should also be investigated.
Cabinet and other appointments
Andy Bautista to head PCGG
President Aquino has appointed Far Eastern University law dean Juan Andres Bautista as chairman of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) to replace Camilo Sabio. The Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) also said retired Supreme Court associate justice Flerida Ruth Romero has been named member of the Truth Commission.
Meantime, former Civil Service Commission head Karina David has been appointed member of the board of trustees of the Government Service Insurance System. The President has also appointed former Trade secretary Juan Santos, a member of the Hyatt 10 or the group of Cabinet secretaries who resigned in 2005 to protest alleged poll fraud involving the Arroyo administration, as chairman of the Social Security System. The other new appointees are: Jose Nuñez, Development Bank of the Philippines chairman; Francisco del Rosario Jr., DBP president and chief executive officer. (Report from Aurea Calica, Phil Star, Aug 24).
Issues
DBM submits to Congress P1.6-trillion budget for 2011
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) yesterday submitted to Congress the proposed P1.645 trillion national budget for 2011. Budget Secretary Florencio Abad also said that they may submit to President Benigno S. Aquino III next week suggestions on which government agencies to abolish, deactivate or scale down, in light of government austerity measures.
Mr. Aquino III said his government will adopt a “freeze hiring policy” next year as he tries to implement zero-based budgeting. The government has managed to keep its national budget for 2011 at its optimal level, pegged at P1.645 trillion, by doing away with personal expenditures and projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) that can be pre-terminated (Report from Delon Porcalla, Phil Star, August 25).
The freeze hiring policy, designed as an austerity measure, could lead to a mass retrenchment of government employees. The policy may just instead eliminate redundancies at the high levels of the bureaucracy – and trim down fat salaries of bureaucrats. The policy should not be implemented at the expense of rank employees who need job security more than corrupt executives.
Palace appeal: Don't take it out on Pinoys in HK
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Filipinos in Hong Kong should not be blamed for the deadly hostage-taking last week because they are also “in grief" over the incident. Lacierda said the government plans to send a delegation to Hong Kong to check the situation of the Filipinos there.
Meanwhile, a human rights group in Hong Kong voiced concern over reports that some Filipinos in Hong Kong are already reportedly feeling the brunt of the anger of some residents. The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) earlier voiced concern over the tendency of some people to blow the incident out of proportion in expressing their anger (Report from Andre Calonzo, GMANews, Aug 25). It seems clear that the Philippine government has a lot of house cleaning to do. Aside from punishing those found culpable for the bungled police rescue – which should include police generals and top civilian officials – the government should upgrade its competence in crisis management, and this from the chief executive down to the local authorities.
Free health worker, Aquino asked
The group Pagbabago! People’s Movement for Change Saturday sought President Aquino's help in obtaining the release of Carina “Judilyn” Oliveros, one of the “Morong 43” arrested health workers, who gave birth to a son last month. Oliveros had asked the Morong Regional Trial Court to be released on recognizance for at least six months while she cares for and breastfeeds her newborn. The court denied her request last week.
Oliveros, who is appealing the ruling, was brought back to Camp Bagong Diwa from the Philippine General Hospital, where she delivered her baby. According to Pagbabago, women political prisoners were released from detention even during martial law. Mr. Aquino's mother, the late President Corazon Aquino, had also freed political prisoners (Report from Phil Daily Inquirer, Aug 21).
President Aquino should be humane enough to grant the request of Oliveros. Who would want a child to grow up in an environment like that? But more than that, President Aquino should also consider freeing all the health workers. Holding the workers in Camp Bagong Diwa is a clear damnation of human rights here in the Philippines and Aquino should do something about it.
Aquino rejects divorce, prefers modified legal separation
President Benigno S. Aquino III is opposed to the legalization of a Las Vegas-type divorce in the country. He said he prefers legal separation although estranged couples should be allowed to remarry.
The President said couples who pursue legal separation should be allowed to marry again. “(In) legal separation, it will be very, very stringent. You really have to ascertain that there really are irreconcilable differences in a long period. Sa Tagalog parang padaanin sa sampung butas ng karayom siguro,” he said. “At the end of the day they should be allowed to remarry. We have legal separation today (but they) cant’ marry. Kawawa naman yung mga nagkamali (Pity those who made a mistake),” he added.
At present, the country allows legal separation and annulment. Once the court approves an annulment of marriage, the parties may choose to remarry. A legal separation, on the other hand, allows spouses to live separately but does not cut the bonds of marriage. They are disallowed to marry again (report from Genalyn Kabiling, Manila Bulletin, Aug 19).
Of paramount importance in the issue is the future of children whose families are torn by couple’s feuds but which cannot end because of legal and religious restrictions. Latest statistics show the number of broken families is on the rise thus leaving a scenario of children with a troubled future.
(Posted by CenPEG with notes from Joanne Lara)