Hostage crisis
De Lima still justice sec amidst resignation speculations
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Justice Secretary Leila De Lima will not leave her post amidst reports that the secretary thought of resigning after the President Benigno S. Aquino III legal staff changed the IIRC report regarding the hostage fiasco.
While initially thinking of resigning, De Lima told reporters that a difference in opinion with the President is not enough reason for her resignation. She disclosed, however, that there were factions advising her to resign when the executive branch asked for the review of the IIRC report on the August 23 incident.
It would be understandable if De Lima will push through with the resignation. The move by the Presidential office to spare others from harsh charges shows a sign of a whitewash. As a former chair of the Commission on Human Rights and now justice secretary, thumbing down your report and absolving those accountable for the fiasco could be a travesty of justice itself.
Aquino gov’t vows action for hostage victims amid HK's disappointment
The Aquino government pledged that justice will be served for the hostage victims. Thus the government responded to the Hong Kong administrative government’s disappointment with the final decision of the President sparing liable authorities as indicated in the Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC) report on the hostage crisis.
Reacting to President Benigno S. Aquino III’s decision, a Hong Kong government spokesperson said, "The people of Hong Kong, especially the survivors and the victims' families, will find this hard to accept. The Hong Kong SAR government is also disappointed.”
Aquino asks high court to exercise “judicial prudence”
President Aquino III dissented on the Supreme Court’s decision to stop the revocation of “midnight appointments” when it issued a status quo ante order granting the motion of Bai Omera Dianalan-Lucman. Dainalan-Lucman was among the four who appealed to the Supreme Court against Aquino III’s Executive Order No. 2.
He said that the restraining order of the high court on the revocation might impede with the administration's goal of ensuring good governance in the country. The SC ruling, the chief executive said, will only affirm the midnight appointments of the previous administration even if it “exceeded and abused the limits of its powers to appoint.”
President grants amnesty to Magdalo soldiers
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III issued Proclamation No. 50 granting amnesty to Magdalo soldiers and other military officials charged with the 2003 mutiny against then President Gloria M. Arroyo.
Explaining the amnesty to media, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda that it "looks backward and extinguishes the criminal liability thus civil and political rights are preserved." He added that the President wanted to give the AFP personnel a new beginning.
Proclamation No. 50 grants Sen. Antionio Trillanes IV, then a Navy lieutenant, and other participants of mutiny amnesty but they are no longer privileged to be reinstated in the service.
CBCP patches things with President over RH bill
Bishops from the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) clarified that there is no plan of excommunicating President Benigno S. Aquino III from the Catholic church over his dissenting opinion on artificial birth control methods. The statement was issued after the meeting of the prelates and the chief executive at the Bahay Pangarap in Malacanang, the presidential residence.
Aside from the clarification made by the prelates, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the President is not supporting any form of artificial method of family planning but only for responsible parenthood.
The CBCP has opposed the controversial reproductive health bill which promotes family planning in the Philippines.
The week before, President Benigno S. Aquino III issued a somewhat compromise statement: “The State has an obligation to educate all of its citizens as to their choices. The State is not empowered by any law to dictate upon any couple as to how they should plan their family.”
Aquino violates admin code?
Sen. Teofisto L. Guingona III, the chairman of the Blue Ribbon Committee, asked President Benigno S. Aquino III to rectify the confusing division of powers of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) secretary and undersecretary as it also violates the Revised Administrative Code.
This lapse was discovered during the jueteng (illegal numbers game) payola controversy hearing at the Senate. Jesse Robredo, the DILG secretary, was given only the responsibility to oversee the local government units (LGUs) while Undersecretary Rico Puno takes charge of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Aside from the violation of the Code, this separation of powers also affects the administration in the government especially policy implementation and power distribution. This, Guingong said, can be observed during the jueteng payola issue and the August 23 hostage crisis where Robredo did not have any jurisdiction over the Philippine National Police even if he is the DILG secretary. It was Puno who had the authority to give command to the PNP.
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