Terrorist scare
France joins 5 countries on terrorist attack warnings in the Philippines
President Benigno S. Aquino III stood firm that there are no threats of imminent terrorist attack in Manila even as he disclosed reports about plots to assassinate two foreign ambassadors and several security officials.
Aquino III asked the governments of the U.S., Britain, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and, recently, France to lift their travel advisories on the Philippines. The President downgraded the warnings saying there is no significant basis for terrorist threats in Metro Manila or in the Philippines in general.
2011 budget and CCT program
Give CCT a chance, Palace tells Senate
With the Conditional Cash Transfer (CCT) Program the subject of debate in Senate, the executive branch sought on the senators to give the bill another shot in the Philippines.
Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Secretary Ramon “Ricky” Carandang said that the CCT program is part of a band-aid program while the President works on his long-term solution for eradicating poverty in the Philippines.
APEC Summit
Aquino talks with U.S., China leaders uncertain at APEC summit
On the sidelines of the hectic 22nd Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Leaders’ Summit in Yokohama, Japan President Benigno S. Aquino II tried to set a meeting with Chinese President Hu Jin Tao to put closure to the hostage fiasco that killed eight Hong Kong nationals last August.
Of the six planned bilateral talks of President Aquino, only three were confirmed - those with Indonesia, Chile and Papua New Guinea. China, United States and Russia had not responded to the invitation. Aquino III was supposed to clinch a meeting with the said countries during the recent Association of Southeast Asian Nation (Asean) Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam but failed because of the busy schedule.
President 'misunderstood' on Cabinet revamp
President Benigno S. Aquino III retracted on his statement about revamping his cabinet including replacing Secretaries Ramon Paje of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Jesse Robredo of Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). He clarified that he was just “misunderstood” by the media.
In an interview in ABS-CBN, the Aquino III said that Paje will be retained in DENR for one year while Robredo will be transferred to another agency where his expertise in dealing with informal settlers will be put to good use. On Nov. 5, however, he said that Robredo will be retained as the acting DILG secretary.
Cold treatment
As the peace talks between the Govenrment of the Philippines (GRP) and National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) loomed, Luis Jalandoni, chief negotiator of the NDFP, was reportedly planning to visit the Philippines, together with Coni Ledesma. The plan was received reluctantly by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
In an email interview conducted by Bulatlat.com, Luis Jalandoni said that their visit on Dec. 1 would have served as a stepping stone for formal talks that may resume in Oslo in January or February 2011. Jalandoni said the NDFP is reconsidering the visit owing to Aquino II’s cold response to the goodwill measure.
References:
- De la Cruz, Aytch S. (2010). Aquino meet with US, China leaders uncertain at Apec summit. Retrieved November 12, 2010 from http://www.tribuneonline.org/20101112/headlines/20101112hed5.html
- Olea, Ronalyn V. (2010). Malacañang Rejects Courtesy Call of Jalandoni, NDFP Hits Government’s ‘Hostility’. Retrieved November 6, 2010 from http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/11/06/malacanang-rejects-courtesy-call-of-jalandoni-ndfp-hits-government-%E2%80%98s-%E2%80%98hostility%E2%80%99/
- De la Cruz, Aytch S. (2010). Give CCT a chance, Palace urges critics. Retrieved November 6, 2011 from http://www.tribuneonline.org/20101112/headlines/20101112hed4.html
- De la Cruz, Aytch S. (2010). Aquino flip-flops on Robredo's transfer. Retrieved November 6, 2010 from http://www.tribuneonline.org/20101106/headlines/20101106hed2.html
- De la Cruz, A., Rosales, A. & et al. (2010). SAYS FOREIGN INTEL REPORTS WRONG, NO THREAT EXISTS: France raises terror alarm; Noy wants warnings lifted. Retrieved November 6, 2010 from http://www.tribuneonline.org/20101106/headlines/20101106hed1.html