Recto: Probe sorry state of P12-B fund made possible by rice imports

MANILA-Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto has called for a probe into the “sorry state” of a P12 billion agriculture fund pooled from tariff payments on rice and other agricultural imports which were later loaned to groups most of whom have defaulted on their repayment.

Recto filed Senate Res. 495 directing the Senate committee on agriculture to inquire on the ACEF and evaluate its status.

Recto said audit reports on the Agriculture Competitive Enhancement Fund (ACEF) are littered with adverse findings like  “dismally low repayment rate”, “double recording of loan releases”, “return to sender of demand letters”, and “loans without collateral.”       

Some grantees, Recto said, “have done a Houdini and can no longer be found.”

He said P2.5 billion worth of loans were covered by letters of confirmation whose addressees could not be found or who did not reply at all.

Conceived as a safety net when the country joined the World Trade Organization, the ACEF was created by RA 8178 in 1996  to assist farmers affected when tariff walls came crashing  down  as a result of  the  Philippine ratification of the  General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade.

It was to be funded by “in-quota tariffs” collected from imported commodities, such as rice, placed under the restricted Minimum Access Volumes (MAV) which the Philippines imposed.

By May 15, 2013, total actual collections of ACEF has reached P11.8 billion, of which P10.3 billion was from “MAV” quotas and P1.2 billion was from so-called sugar conversion fees.

Of the P11.8 billion, almost P8.9 billion was released by the Department of Budget and Management to ACEF Executive Committee  which administers the fund.

The said body in turn released P2.6 billion as grants to local governments, government corporations and state colleges, and P5.9 billion as loans to 304 groups which, except for 10, were private corporations.

Almost a billion pesos of the grant portion went to the National Agribusiness Corp. (NABCOR), a DA-subsidiary President Aquino recently ordered abolished.

Quoting audit reports, Recto said the loan portion of the ACEF fund  suffered from low collection rate. “For every one peso lent, only 14 centavos were collected.”

The amount in arrears is P5.1 billion, he said. “For that amount, we can repair 5,000 kilometers of farm roads.”    

Recto said that while 294 private parties were granted a total of P4.4 billion in loans, only 23 had fully paid as of December 2011.   

Of the remaining 271 private borrowers, only 15, or 5 percent of the total, had no arrears. 

As a result, P2.2 billion in loans were already due and demandable two years ago.

Recto said all ACEF transactions audited by the CoA in 2010 and 2011 transpired before the Aquino administration.

He said current agriculture officials have implemented “remedial management” on ACEF utilization as spelled out in Department of Agriculture Administrative Order 12–2013.

Among these are loan restructuring, the suspension of some surcharges and penalties, and the demand for more collateral cover.

“In spite of these, we have to study the present state of ACEF,  draw lessons from how it was used, so that if it will be retained as a mechanism of using imported rice duties  to promote farm productivity, we avoid the shortcomings of the past,” Recto said.

“If we are going to import more rice in the future, then we must see to it that the original intent of plowing back to farmers the taxes levied on these imports is honored,” he said.

As of May last year, ACEF has an available balance of P3 billion. 

Legarda Bats for More Exhibitions to Showcase Philippine Art

MANILA-In celebration of the National Arts Month, Senator Loren Legarda today said that the country should regularly showcase Philippine Art through exhibitions that will enrich the cultural awareness and attachment of Filipinos.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Cultural Communities, said that showcasing Philippine art and culture through national and international exhibitions fosters the critical development of Philippine art and the professional growth of the Filipino artists within and outside the country, and strengthens the role of the Philippines in the local and global community as a nation of and destination for contemporary art in the 21^st century.

“From indigenous to contemporary, the Philippines is rich in arts and artistic Filipinos. We have already spearheaded several initiatives and programs that aim to promote and protect the cultural diversity and sovereignty of our people through the powerful technology of exhibitions,” she said in her privilege speech.

The Hibla ng Lahing Filipino: The Artistry of Philippine Textiles, the country’s first permanent textile gallery, and the Baybayin: Ancient and Traditional Scripts of the Philippines, which are both housed at the National Museum, are among Legarda’s initiatives.

“Supporting these exhibitions are several bills that I filed in the Senate to create the Department of Culture, to preserve the country’s folk arts through the National Museum’s regional branches, to safeguard the cultural property rights of the indigenous communities, to guarantee equal employment opportunities to the members of the Indigenous Cultural Committee, to include ethnic origin in the national survey, and to prohibit discrimination based on ethnicity, race, religion or belief, language, disability or other status,” she said.

Legarda also said that she is equally determined to promote Philippine contemporary art and culture at home and abroad.

“I believe that our indigenous communities who continue the tradition of our ancestors inspire and inform the current practices of the Filipino artists whose works also constitute our cultural legacy. Through exhibitions of the everyday and the epic, we have the opportunity to commemorate our ancestors and learn the lessons of the past and celebrate our contemporaries and pave the way for their bright future,” she stressed.

“In the spirit of the National Arts Month this February 2014 and my utmost belief that arts and culture are indispensable tools of national integration and international diplomacy, I invite you to join me in this bold and far-reaching endeavor to establish the necessary local and global links to better serve our nation and shepherd our people with pride, dignity, and honor,” Legarda concluded.

NOLCOM attests ‘bayanihan’, constructs school buildings for children

CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac-Apart from rigorous campaigns upholding peace and order, Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) has continuously reinforced its three-year Internal Peace and Security (IPSP)-Bayanihan program by establishing school projects in several communities within its area of responsibility.

 

“We have persisted in executing IPSP-Bayanihan programs and school projects by partnering with ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation, Shimizu Nagasaki Foundation of Japan and other civic organizations in the country,” NOLCOM Commander Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said.

 

This resulted in the construction of 35 school buildings in regions 1,2,3 and Cordillera.

 

Recipient provinces include Abra (5 school buildings with 9 classrooms), Bataan (2 school buildings with 4 classrooms), Nueva Ecija (1 school building with 3 classrooms), Bulacan (1 school building with 2 classrooms), Tarlac (8 school buildings with 18 classrooms), Mt. Province (6 school buildings with 12 classrooms), Kalinga (1 school building with 2 classrooms), Isabela (1 school building with 2 classrooms), Ifugao (4 school buildings with 8 classrooms), Pangasinan (3 school buildings with 6 classrooms), Benguet (1 school building with 2 classrooms), Aurora (1 school building with 2 classrooms), and Nueva Vizcaya (1 school building with 2 classrooms).

 

“Moreover, 11 projects which were financed by ABS-CBN Sagip Kapamilya Foundation are being built. These are located in Kalinga, Apayao, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, Aurora, and Nueva Ecija,” Catapang disclosed.

 

Meanwhile, NOLCOM has tapped various engineering units of the AFP in the construction of water systems, toilet facilities, playgrounds, and libraries within the vicinity of the schools.

 

The military official pronounced IPSP-Bayanihan as a comprehensive campaign package, which highlights a significant interplay of peace and development in sustaining progress and growth within the northern part of the country.

 

“NOLCOM is instrumental in winning peace in Northern Luzon. Through our IPSP-Bayanihan programs inspired by a genuine Filipino tradition of explicating cooperation and camaraderie, numerous projects and programs were pursued to create an environment conducive for sustainable development and a just and lasting peace,” Catapang emphasized. 

Drilon: Congress to prioritize bills widening reach of educational services

MANILA-Various bills that would provide support to financially-challenged students nationwide, and institutionalize open and distance education in high school and college are among the leading measures the Congress is committed to tackle and pass throughout the 16^thCongress, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said today.

“The improvement of our education system remains as one of our most pertinent legislative agenda and these proposed measures are designed to widen the reach of delivery of educational services across major deterrents such as poverty and logistical difficulties,” Drilon said.

According to the Senate chief, the priority bills to be vigorously pursued by legislators are the institutionalization of distance learning system in secondary and tertiary levels, the establishment of an open high school system for out-of-school youth and the formation of a national student loan program available for underprivileged students nationwide.

Drilon noted the presence of several measures which seek to “institutionalize the availability of open and distance learning system for secondary and tertiary levels of public education.”    

Under open learning systems, students will acquire their education via the use of different forms of media and learning technologies following approved curriculum, while distance learning programs permit the accomplishment of education through approved self-instructional materials and independent study methods.    

“The presence of several bills filed in Congress confirm the potential of alternative learning programs in addressing socio-economic, geographical and physical barriers which so much plague our conventional classes,” Drilon said, as he confirmed that a consolidated, encompassing version of an alternative learning systems bill is “in the works.”

“We need to make our education in our country more available and closer to the youth by all possible means, if we want to increase enrollment levels in high school and college,” he added.

Drilon also pointed out that the Congress will deal with the implementation of student loan program across the entire country “to provide financial support for underprivileged students in paying for their tuition and subsistence allowance.”

He said there are a number of students who are close to finishing college, but would eventually drop out due to financial limitations, and “it is therefore for the government to establish a national financial support system –backed with sufficient funding– that students can avail of in times of need.”   

The Senate president then made clear of the senators’ attention to such bills: “At this point in our legislative schedule, we are best-suited to aid and improve the educational system with finding out how to maximize the government’s resources and assets in allowing critically-needed education to reach the most number of citizens.”

The Senate chief said he sees a more harmonious and cooperative relationship between the House of Representatives and the Senate in ensuring the prompt passage of measures critical to the fight against corruption and maintaining a robust economy.

“We are confident that the two chambers will be able to pass these relevant bills throughout the rest of the 16^th Congress, and we would implement a coordinated and synchronized legislative strategy to maximize our legislative performance,” said Drilon, who had previously met with House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. to firm up their legislative agenda.

Late Ecija ex-mayor’s hubby snubs award rites for wife

CABIAO, Nueva Ecija – The husband of late former mayor Abundia Garcia snubbed last Friday the awarding rites in honor of his wife arranged by the latter’s political rival, Mayor Gloria Crespo-Congco.

          Incumbent municipal councilor Joe Garcia was a no-show in the “Gabi ng Parangal” awards night at the Sen. Freddie Webb gymnasium here, creating a stir among the organizers of the fourth “Paistima Ka sa Kabyawan Festival” led by the municipal government.

          Ex-mayor Garcia, more popularly known here as “Biding,” was selected as one of two posthumous awardees by the executive committee whose overall chairman was Congco’s ally, Vice Mayor Ernesto Talens Jr. The other posthumous awardee was the late former councilor Alberto Miranda who died of a cardiac arrest last December 25.

          The awarding rites were one of the highlights of the week-long festival, which kicked off last February 3, to celebrate the town’s 166^th founding anniversary.

Municipal accountant Noel Gamboa, chairman of the festival’s executive committee, said the other highlights were the search for the Binibining Cabiao 2014, street dancing competitions, ground demonstrations, parade of floats, munting tinig ng Kabyawenyo, drum and lyre competitions, booth competitions, harana and serenata among others.

          Talens said Councilor Garcia did not send any representative to receive the award in behalf of his wife.

          “It is sad but we still expect to hand the award to Councilor Garcia during our session on Monday. It’s up to him to receive the award in behalf of his wife or not,” Talens said.

          Abundia, a close ally of Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, was first elected mayor in 2007, beating a former three-term mayor. It was her first and only election victory after failing in four previous tries at the mayorship.

          She sought reelection in 2010 but lost to Crespo-Congco who returned after three terms. Abundia filed an election protest but died on January 27, 2011 while waiting for the outcome of her protest.

          During her wake, a controversy erupted after the funeral hearse bearing her remains allegedly was denied entry inside the municipal compound where it was to be displayed for public viewing, earning the ire of Abundia’s relatives, allies and supporters.

          One of Abundia’s children complained that when the funeral procession passed at the town hall, none of the councilors welcomed it. Worse, the gate of the compound was padlocked.

          Abundia, her relatives claimed, were also denied a fitting “luksang parangal (tribute)” befitting a former public official.

          One of them said the award was only a conseulo de bobo and was no longer necessary. “We were waiting for her to be given the appropriate award just when she died then but she was deprived. Why only now? They can have the award,” one of Abundia’s relatives angrily remarked.

          Crespo-Congco said Abundia was given the award which was but only fitting for someone who has contributed to the development of the town. “Politics was long behind us. Mayor Biding was a former mayor who I am sure contributed to the growth of Cabiao so we feel she deserved the award,” she said.

          Talens said that politics had nothing to do with the award and the awarding ceremonies themselves were apolitical. He denied the claims of Garcia’s relatives that the funeral procession was not allowed to enter the municipal compound.

          “That was farthest from the truth. In fact, I, and our municipal councilors waited for Mayor Garcia’s body to be brought to the town hall. We were waiting for her there but they did not come,” he said.

He recalled that Crespo-Congco even ordered the town councilors to all dress up in white and line up themselves up at the compound but the funeral hearse never came.

Councilor Dante Umali agreed, saying he was one of those who waited for the ex-mayor’s remains but ended up waiting for nothing. – Manny Galvez

Drilon: Congress to push for priority economic bills on attracting investments, ensuring economic integrity

MANILA-The 16th Congress is set to work on ways to streamline numerous tax incentives for businesses and tighten consumer protection as part of its legislative package that is geared towards encouraging investors, scaling up the business climate, enhancing market competition, and creating job opportunities, among others, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said.
 
Drilon, who met with House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte to firm up the legislative agenda, said emphasis would be given to economic measures that “will maximize the country’s potential business strengths, and ensure the nation’s macroeconomic and fiscal sustainability and enhance the overall Philippine climate for greater business competition and foreign investments.”
 
“More investments can translate to the provision of more jobs and economic opportunities for our citizenry which is our concern here,” he stressed.

Up for discussion in Congress are measures calling for a Consolidated Investments and Incentives Code of the Philippines, and a bill proposing the Tax Incentives Management and Transparency Act.

“There is a need to reassess and harmonize our numerous fiscal and non-fiscal incentives and subsidies to foreign and local investors to avoid overlapping and redundant incentives to cut unnecessary revenue loss,” explained Drilon.

If approved, such bills will enable better handling of the country’s fiscal incentives for its investors, thus ensuring a business–friendly environment, which maintains the effective flow of appropriate taxes into public coffers– to everyone’s benefit, he noted.
 
Similarly, Congress is expected to deal with measures that will amend existing tax laws on mining activities in the country: “There is a need to study the practice of mining-intensive countries where higher excise taxes have not dissuaded investments at all, while making funding for government projects bigger.”
 
The country's legislators will also address loopholes in the Built-Operate-Transfer law, Cabotage law, and EPIRA.
 
“There is a need to finetune the BOT law to close some policy gaps and make them aligned with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) scheme, in order to encourage the exploration of more effective forms of PPP projects, to allow healthier competition, and to fix interconnectivity issues,” Drilon explained.  
 
“Similarly, we must amend the Cabotage law to allow foreign-registered vessels to engage in coastwide trade in the country, thereby opening the market to competition, bringing down transportation costs by sea, and enabling the country to fully utilize supply chain products,” he further said.

“Also of importance is the amendment to the EPIRA to find ways to address the woes of our people with regard to the high electricity rates, which the EPIRA was supposed to address,” the Senate chief stressed. 
 
Government institutions related to finance and the economy are also in the line for massive reforms – bills filed in the current Congress propose amendments of BSP to solidify its supervisory and regulatory powers, while more than one priority bill has gunned for the systemic overhaul of the Bureau of Customs.
 
“We are looking at restructuring important institutions to halt the economic damage from rampant money laundering, smuggling and other financial crimes in the country,” said the senator.
 
However, the Senate leader said that they “have not forgotten our overarching goal of making the economic growth we aspire for to be inclusive of most possible socio-economic sectors.”
 
He then pointed to measures in the priority list calling for a Consumer Protection Act, an Anti-Trust Act, and the promotion of micro, small and medium enterprises as development institutions across the country. 
 
“We have to remember that economic progress is only good if it leads to improved social and economic conditions for the citizenry. We have made sure that while we are striving for policies that focus on long-term macroeconomic gains, there even stronger efforts to uplift depressed sectors, and uphold the financial interests of the everyday Filipino,” Drilon concluded.

ECIJA PANTABANGAN EX-MAYOR ARRESTED FOR VARIOUS CRIMES

 SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga- Through the aggressive campaign of Police Regional Office 3 under the leadership of its Regional Director, Police Chief Supt. Raul D Petrasanta to arrest wanted criminals and put them behind bars, a former local official who was wanted for several crimes was arrested today.

 

            Based on reports that reached this Office, around 10:30 this morning, elements of Pantabangan Municipal Police Station coordinated with Umingan Police Station in Pangasinan to conduct a manhunt operation for the possible arrest of Romeo Borja SR, ex-mayor of Pantabangan who went into hiding last year.

            Former Mayor Borja Sr. was arrested by virtue of Warrant of Arrest issued by Hon Judge Bernardita Gabian-Eum, RTC Branch Angeles City with CC Nos 13-10529, 13-10528 and 13-10527 for the crimes of  Violation of Sec 4a in relation to Sec 6a of RA 9208 (Qualified trafficking in persons), Violation of Sec 6b of 7610  and Rape with no recommended bail.

           

                Arrested wanted person  is now under the custody of Pantabangan MPS  for proper disposition.

 

           Petrasanta lauded the operating troops for a job well done and he further remarked that one criminal off the street accords citizens with a sound sleep. Moreover, he directed all Police Provincial Offices to conduct an obstinate, efficient campaign and advocacy by implementing a wide-ranging pro-active approach/strategy on the campaign against Wanted Persons in coordination with various law enforcement and other concerned government agencies.

OSY abused inside funeral parlor, then forced inside coffin in Ecija rape

STA. ROSA, Nueva Ecija – A 11-year-old out-of-school youth (OSY) was sexually abused by inside a funeral parlor Friday then was forced inside a coffin to hide by her abuser who was later arrested by police.

          Chief Inspector Louie Dionglay, police station commander, identified the suspected rapist as a certain Joe, 58, a funeral parlor caretaker, of Villaluz Subdivision in nearby Cabanatuan City.

          Dionglay said Joe was arrested after his young victim’s family filed a rape case before the local police.

          The incident transpired at Barangay Burgos here at 10 am Friday when the suspect invited the girl for lunch inside a funeral parlor.

          Using brute force, the suspect was able to rape the suspect and afterwards forced her to hide inside one of the coffins.

The terrified victim screamed for help and was heard by one of the residents who helped her escape and brought her to the nearby barangay hall where they reported the incident.       

           Barangay officials then reported the incident to police who rushed to the place and arrested the suspect.

           Police Officer 3 Florinda Buan, investigator-on-case, said the victim was brought to a Cabanatuan hospital for medico-legal examination.

She said that the victim confessed it was the third time she was abused by the suspect, the first time was only last month.

Buan said it was only last Friday when the victim was able to report to police as she feared for her life. – Manny Galvez   

Ecija mayor eyes P2-M budget for CCTVs to stem crime wave in town

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez has sought the allocation of P2 million for the purchase of close circuit television (CCTV) cameras to arrest the rising tide of crimes and improve the overall peace and order situation in the town.

          In a press briefing, Santos-Martinez said she has requested the Sangguniang Bayan, led by Vice Mayor Anselmo Rodiel III to earmark the amount for the acquisition of eight CCTVs to be installed in strategic places in the town amid the recent spate of  killings.

Santos-Martinez said the high-definition, wireless surveillance cameras will help immensely in improving the peace and order situation. “With these CCTVs, we expect to be able to solve and deter crimes,” she stressed.

The CCTVs, which will be interconnected through a central monitor, are also expected to advance the Philippine National Police’s quick dispatch, rapid response and better coordination, particularly during emergency situations, enhance monitoring of crowd movements and spot crime suspects.

The P2 million is contained in a P120-million loan application the municipal government is seeking with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) to finance its various development projects included in the Annual Investment Plan for 2014. 

Santos-Martinez has asked the SB to pass an ordinance authorizing the proposed terms and conditions from the LBP.

Earlier, the mayor expressed her dismay over five unsolved killings which took place last month and urged the town police chief, Superintendent Reynaldo dela Cruz to run after the perpetrators of these crimes.

Among the unsolved killings were those of two vendors whose bodies were found inside the public cemetery last January 21, the shooting to death of a 71-year-old widower at Zone 5, Pag-asa District last January 18 and the gunslaying of a 62-year-old barangay kagawad in Barangay Mabuhay last January 5.

Santos-Martinez said in the scale of one to 10, she is giving dela Cruz a grade of 5 to 6 for his failure to solve these crimes. She said the municipal government is also providing the local police with a patrol car to improve its mobility in running after criminal elements.

          The municipal government’s plan to acquire CCTVs to combat crimes is apart from an earlier proposal of the provincial chapter of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines to set up the surveillance cameras in some 600 barangays of the province for its crime-busting drive.

          Last August, Penaranda Mayor Ferdinand Abesamis, LMP  provincial chapter president, said they will work on the proposal starting in his hometown where they are eyeing to set up CCTVs in nine barangays.

          Last April, Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali sought the installation of 10 CCTVs in strategic locations in the province to keep watch over criminal elements round-the-clock and boost security, particularly in the run-up to the May elections. – Manny Galvez

Ecija mayor alarmed over spate of murders, tells cops to ‘shape up’

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez has expressed alarm over the spate of killings in this town and asked the local police force to shape up and solve these crimes.

          In a meeting of the local Peace and Order Council (POC), Santos-Martinez said the Philippine National Police (PNP) have yet to solve the killings of five local residents in January as she called on station commander, Superintendent Reynaldo dela Cruz to run after the suspects.

“We cannot afford for Talavera to have an image it is prone to crimes so we have to get to the bottom of this,” she told Dela Cruz.

She  said in the scale of one to 10, she is giving dela Cruz a grade of 5 to 6 for his failure to solve these crimes.

Among the unsolved killings were those of two vendors whose bodies were found inside the public cemetery last January 21, the shooting to death of a 71-year-old widower at Zone 5, Pag-asa District last January 18 and the gunslaying of a 62-year-old barangay kagawad in Barangay Mabuhay last January 5.

Santos-Martinez said it is essential for the local police to solve these crimes, otherwise the town’s image as an investments haven will be tarnished as a consequence.

She said the town is enjoying an investments boom, particularly with the passage of an investments code that offers tax holidays to prospective investors and which promises to generate jobs to the local people.

          “We are offering investors 100% tax-free incentive on their first year of operation and 50% tax exemption on the second year. Our efforts at inviting them might go to waste if our crime situation is far from encouraging,” she said.

          Dela Cruz, who was barely six months in his post, told newsmen he was not surprised to get a low grade from the mayor owing to the surge in killings. “I expected to have a low rating because the killings took place one after another,” he said.

          He said crimes cannot really be prevented and hinted the killing spree appears to be isolated incidents as these occurred only in January. 

He clarified that not many crimes in the town were unsolved. “For example, we already have a lead in the killing of the barangay kagawad in Mabuhay as well as the 71-year-old widower in Pag-asa District,” he said.

          He said there are other cases where they have filed charges in court against the perpetrators.

          Dela Cruz said that in spite of concerns aired over the recent spate of killings, there is no breakdown of law and order in the town and that it remains generally peaceful. He said that since he assumed his post last July, there were only two murder incidents recorded over the past five months before January in this town, which is highly populous with a population of 120,000.

          He showed newsmen the town’s crime statistics wherein only 10 murder incidents were recorded the entire year, accounting for less than 10 percent of the 122 crime incidents from January to December 2013.

          Other crimes include homicide (two incidents), physical injuries (37), rape (6), robbery (14), theft (36) and carnapping (17).

          Included in last year’s 10 murder cases was the shooting of the barangay chairman of Bulak whose relatives, Dela Cruz said, didn’t want to file cases for fear of the suspects who were gun-for-hires.

          Dela Cruz attributed their failure to solve some of the murder cases to the fact that the local police force is undermanned. He said they only have 50 policemen manning a population of 120,000, or a ratio of one  policeman per 2,000 population.

“This is way, way below the ideal ratio of one policeman per 500 population,” he said.

He said to augment the police force, they are tapping the assistance of tanods and other barangay peacekeepers as force multipliers. – Manny Galvez

Ecija LGU eyes P120-M loan to bankroll infra projects, solve traffic

TALAVERA, Nueva Ecija – Neophyte Mayor Nerivi Santos-Martinez is eyeing a P120-million loan to finance her fledgling administration’s various projects, including infrastructure that would help solve the pestering traffic problem in this town, considered one of the major bottlenecks in its growth and development.

          Santos-Martinez said the loan application with the Land Bank of the Philippines will bankroll projects contained in the town’s annual investments plan for 2014.

          Santos-Martinez has asked the Sangguniang Bayan led by Vice Mayor Anselmo Rodiel III to pass an ordinance approving the proposed terms and conditions for the projects that include road concreting, asphalt overlay, construction of classrooms and gymnasium and improvement of the public market among others.

          Foremost among the road projects are the concreting of the stretch from the national highway to Barangay Sampaloc and another stretch from the public market also leading to Sampaloc.

          Santos-Martinez said that the concreting of the twin road networks are crucial in addressing the traffic problem in the town’s main thoroughfares. Also to be asphalted are nine streets, two of which are linked to the national highway.

          Also included are the concreting of 16 barangay roads in Gulog, Poblacion Sur, Tabacao, Bacal 3, Bantug, Burnay, Esguerra, Homestead 2, Minabuyok, Pinagpanaan, Pula, Poblacion Sur, San Miguel na Munti and San Pascual.

          As part of her administration’s development agenda for education, Santos-Martinez said P13.1 million worth of classrooms will be constructed involving the P8-million two-storey classroom in Pag-asa District and three academic classrooms in barangays Sibul and Tabacao worth P2.5 million each.

          Thirteen gymnasia worth P29.7 million will also be erected in barangays Paludpod, Caputican, Calipahan, Homestead 2, Collado, Mamandil, Poblacion Sur, Burnay, Bagong Silang, Kinalanguyan, Gulod, Bugtong na Buli and Bulac while four stages worth P4.2 million will be constructed in barangays Tagaytay, Calipahan, Burnay and Poblacion Sur.

          Santos-Martinez said the municipal government is eyeing to improve the public market and slaughterhouse, acquire an ambulance, two service vehicles, eight close circuit television (CCTV) cameras and an amusement facility. – Manny Galvez

City dad survives grenade attack in house

GAPAN CITY – A city councilor here survived an attack by two motorcycle-riding men who lobbed a handgrenade at his house here at dawn yesterday.

          Senior Superintendent Crizaldo Nieves, provincial police director identified the councilor as Danilo de Guzman of Sampaguita St., Purok 2, Barangay Malimba this city.

          De Guzman, 57, is an ally of Mayor Maricel Natividad.

          Chief Superintendent Raul Petrasanta, regional director of the Philippine National Police Region 3 Office (PRO3), ordered Nieves to run after the suspects.

          Police said De Guzman and his family were inside the house when the suspects, riding in two separate motorcycles, hurled the handgrenade inside the residential compound then fled.

The suspects were caught in a close circuit television (CCTV) camera while throwing the grenade. The city official was unhurt.

          However, the impact of the explosion damaged the Toyota Corolla Altis and Nissan mini-dump truck parked in the garage.

          Polixw have not yet established the motive behind the attack.      

          It was the second attempt on his life. Last September, gunmen also broke into his compound and fired shots,  wounding him, his wife, Julieta and fish vendor Rizalino Perez.  – Manny Galvez

Congress leaders push stronger, better coordination to ensure speedy passage of priority bills

MANILA-Congressional leaders have agreed to bolster coordination between the House of Representatives and the Senate in order to expedite the passage of a wide range of priority legislation and boost overall legislative performance, according to Senate President Franklin M. Drilon.

Drilon said he, together with Senate Pro Tempore Ralph Recto, Majority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Minority Leader Juan Ponce Enrile, and Sen. Vicente Sotto, met with their counterparts in the House of Representatives led by Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Majority Leader Neptali Gonzales, and Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora on Thursday to discuss legislative goals of the 16th Congress.

At the meeting, the top solons also discussed ways to ensure the faster passage of bill throughout the rest of 16th Congress, as well as how to better resolve possible differences and incongruencies in the legislative process, which impede the prompt passage of crucial measures.

“Both chambers are aware of several pending measures that need urgent legislative action, and the failure of Congress to enact them promptly would be detrimental to the cause being advocated by the government and to the welfare and overall development of the nation and the Filipino people, who would primarily benefit from these measures,” said Drilon.

“Of particular importance to us is the passage of the Bangsamoro Basic Law. If we can have the administration bill by May, we aim to pass it by the end of this year so that we can submit it for ratification in early 2015,” Drilon added.

The Senate chief said that current legislative priorities can be grouped broadly into anti-corruption and pro-good governance measures, and legislation aimed at boosting the country’s socio-economic condition.

“We have a lot of promising pieces of legislation, which once passed, would promote heightened transparency and accountability in public office, and implement long-sought reforms in the delivery of justice,” said Drilon.

Among these, he said, are the amendments to the Sandiganbayan law, the Freedom of Information Act, Whistle Blowers Protection Act, and amendments to the Witness Protection Act.

“At the same time, we are looking at several measures aimed at ensuring better macroeconomic and fiscal sustainability, and at improving the country’s overall competitiveness and business climate,” he added.

These measures include, among others, the fiscal incentives rationalization, amendments to the Cabotage Law and Land Use Policy, amendments to the EPIRA, the consumer protection act, the promotion of micro-enterprise development institutions, and the Marina bill.

“We will also prioritize bills that will foster development of the nation’s status on social protection, education and health,” Drilon further said. Among such measures are bills on 13th month tax exemption, the implementation of a national student loan program, and required picture-based health warnings on cigarette products.

The Senate leader said the passage of these bills will be ensured by a “coordinated and synchronized legislative strategy” to be implemented by both chambers.

“We are determined to move fast towards the realization of our long-standing legislative commitments, and we are aware that this requires that legislative productivity be maximized,” pointed out Drilon.

“In my more than 15 years in this chamber, I am witness to plenty of occasions where a certain bill passes or receives greater legislative attention in one chamber, but languishes in obscurity or in deadlock within the other chamber. These must be now dutifully avoided, and both houses have pledged to do so,” he stressed.

Drilon said it would require tremendous coordination between the two chambers to ensure the speedy passage of bills and keep track of legislative activities at both houses, and to avoid unnecessary deadlock from occurring, the congressional leaders have agreed to meet regularly every month “to synchronize and integrate their legislative activities.”

He added that both houses “have agreed to allot the most judicious amount of time and resources for each important measure, so that every exerted effort is spent towards the bill’s passage.” 

PNoy appoints 7ID head as new Commanding General of Phl Army

FORT MAGSAYSAY, Nueva Ecija-President Benigno Aquino III has appointed 7^th Infantry Division head Major General Hernando Delfin Carmelo Iriberri as the 56th Commanding General of the 80,000-strong Philippine Army.

 

He replaces Lieutenant General Noel Coballes who retires from service today.

 

A member of the Philippine Military Academy Class of 1983, Iriberri is a recipient of five Distinguished Service Stars, two Gold Cross Medals, one Long Service Medal, numerous Military Merit and Commendation Medals, Campaign Medals, and various other citations, badges, and awards both from military and civilian organizations.

 

Iriberri also served as Senior Military Assistant to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Chief of the Unified Command Staff of the Southern Luzon Command.