Jinggoy: Documents belie Cunanan’s claim of spearheading reforms in TRC

MANILA-“Puro porma at hindi reporma.”

Using documentary evidence, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada belied Dennis Cunanan’s claims that he initiated reforms within the Technology Resource Center during his stint as its Director General.

In his privilege speech entitled “The Tale of Two Incredible Witnesses” on Wednesday, Sen. Estrada presented proof including official audit reports, showing that Cunanan instead perpetrated, if not aggravated, irregularities in the TRC.

Cunanan earlier said that the TRC under his leadership stopped implementing projects funded by the lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) in 2010. But documents show otherwise.

Jinggoy said that all that Cunanan did was actually pure posturing without producing real, meaningful reforms.

Cunanan also claimed that he should not be charged as he spearheaded policy reforms in the agency upon his assumption as its top-most official, including blacklisting of several non-government organizations and local government units. Cunanan also denied any wrongdoing, including receipt of millions of kickbacks, in relation to the pork barrel scam, a claim which contradicts the testimony of whistleblower Benhur Luy.

“Per the 2011 COA report the amount that appeared under ‘Cash fund entrusted to NGOs/POs’ represents the financial assistance granted to Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation for the implementation of livelihood projects under the PDAF entrusted to the center.. O, akala ko ba, ay pinatigil na ni Cunanan noong 2010 ang mga proyektong pinondohan mula sa PDAF? Bakit taong 2011, meron nito?” Jinggoy posed in his speech.

“At kung susuriin natin yung sinabi ni Cunanan na listahan ng mga NGOs na buong giting niyang pina-blacklist noong 2010 kasama ang Kabuhayan at Kalusugan Alay sa Masa Foundation sa na-black list!  Ano ngayon ang ibig sabihin ng pag-release ng pondo sa isang blacklisted NGO noong 2011?” Jinggoy went on.  

Sen. Estrada also looked into the COA annual audit report on 2012. “Under Cash funds entrusted to NGOs/POs for 2012, there was an entry for 42 million pesos!  O, akala ko ba 2010 eh wala na? Hindi ba’t noong 2010, 2 million pesos na lang?  Noong 2011 naman, 1.9 million pesos na nga lang di ba? Taong 2012, 42 million pesos?!” Jinggoy wondered aloud.

Jinggoy also cited that TRC dipped its hands on the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program. “According to the COA report, aside from the 42 million from PDAF, meron ding ‘Collection held in trust from the DAP’ ang TRC na nagkakahalaga ng 45 million pesos.”

Jinggoy also questioned the statement made by Cunanan that his involvement in the so-called scam was merely ministerial, as the then deputy director general holds the recommending approval of the disbursement vouchers.

“Dahil si Cunanan ang recommending approval, ito marahil ang dahilan kaya sa kanya lumalapit ang mga gustong mapabilis ang pag-proseso at pag-release ng mga pondong mula sa PDAF.  Hindi ba’t sa mga naunang salaysay ni Luy, sinabi niyang si Cunanan diumano ang kanilang contact sa TRC at si Cunanan diumano ang kumukuha ng komisyon mula sa NGOs,” Jinggoy stated.

Jinggoy also found as inconsistent Cunanan’s statement that he pores over documents before affixing his signature, as against his claim that his role simply “ministerial.”

“Kung masusi pong binubusisi ni Cunanan ang mga dokumento katulad ng kanyang sinabi, dapat napansin niya siguro na mas nauna pa ang recommendation for release of the 10 percent retention fee worth 2.5 million pesos dated 3 February 2008 kaysa request ng NGOs na ito ay ma-release (4 February 2008).  Wala pang request, may recommendation para i-release na?” Jinggoy asked.

“Kung masusi niya ring binubusisi ang mga dokumento, dapat napansin niya rin na noong September 26, 2008 napirmahan ang MOA na nagsasabing may mga dokumento munang dapat isumite ang NGO bago mag-release ng pondo. Pero mapapansin na September 25, 2008 pa lang may tseke na para sa NGO. Wala pang MOA ngunit may tseke na?” the lawmaker inquired.

Arrested ex-Ecija vice mayor in rape case ordered detained in San Jose City jail

SAN JOSE CITY, Nueva Ecija – A former vice mayor in Nueva Ecija who was arrested last week inside a gambling casino in Manila has been detained in this city.

Former Pantabangan vice mayor Romeo Borja Jr., 37, of Block 2, East Poblacion, Pantabangan has been transferred to the city jail here by virtue of a commitment order signed by San Jose City Regional Trial Court Branch 38 Judge Loreto Alog Jr.

 Borja Jr. Was arrested on March 5 by a joint team from the Manila Police District, the National Capital Region intelligence unit and the Pantabangan police at the Pavillion Casino along UN Avenue, Manila.

 The arresting team, led by Pantabangan station commander Senior Inspector Casilla and Senior Inspector Christian Burgos, were armed with warrants issued by Alog for 22 counts of rape after the Department of Justice found probable cause and recommended the filing of charges.

Earlier, his father and namesake Romeo Sr., who is also facing rape charges filed by a beauty contestant, was also arrested while attending a mass in Pangasinan.

Romeo Sr. and Romeo Jr. lost in their reelection bids to incumbent Mayor Romeo Uera and Vice Mayor Ruben Huerta in the May 2013 polls.

Last March 6, Casilla turned over the former vice mayor to the provincial public safety company detention cell. He was returned to thew custody of the Pantabangan police last March 10.

          The complainant in the rape cases, identified only as a certain Mina,  accused Borja Jr. of repeatedly raping her from October 2009 to April 2010.

          Another complainant claimed the mayor and vice mayor raped her from May 2011 to November 2012. Her mother filed separate complaints against the Borjas for violating Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 and RA 8353 or the Anti-Rape Law in relation to RA 7610, the Anti-Child Abuse Law.

          The victim’s mother also filed complaints against two of her nieces who allegedly acted as the Borjas’ accomplices.

          Romeo Sr. said the charges against them have long been dismissed by the DOJ and the supposed dates where the complainant was raped were erroneous.  “The complaint of Mina was dismissed by the DOJ because it was full of errors and inconsistencies,” he said.

          In the latest complaint filed by a 17-year-old victim who represented the town in the Miss Teen Tourism pageant of Nueva Ecija in 2011, she claimed the two Borjas raped her on several occasions in 2011 to 2012.

          The victim claimed Romeo Sr. first raped here on April 15,2011 inside a room at the Century Hotel in Angeles City where a woman brought her supposedly for a pre-pageant dress rehearsal.

          She said Romeo Sr. threatened her with harm if she reported the incident but promised to provide for her if she would keep silent. The incident was repeated on April 27, 2011 in another room of the same hotel.

          This was repeated at the mayor’s office, in a hotel in San Jose City on May 14,2011, in February 2012 and on November 13,2012 inside the Heritage Hotel in Pasay City where Romeo Sr. was playing casino.

          Romeo Jr., the complainant said, first raped her inside a motel in Cabanatuan City on May 17, 2011 and in a restaurant bar on July 27, 2011.         

          Romeo Sr. laughed off the allegations, saying these were mere fabrications intended to harass him and his son. (Manny Galvez)

Legarda Calls for Greater Support to Female Entrepreneurs, Indigenous Women

MANILA-In celebration of the National Women’s Month in March, Senator Loren Legarda today placed the spotlight on indigenous women and female micro entrepreneurs.

Legarda said that women, especially housewives, explore opportunities for additional income for their families. “We need to provide viable income alternatives to women and we have laws to support women micro entrepreneurs.”

“If we want more women participating in livelihood and other economic activities, we have the Magna Carta for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and the Barangay Kabuhayan Law. These two laws complement each other since recipients of the livelihood and skills training programs in the centers established under the Barangay Kabuhayan Law may well avail of the funding and technical support that are now available under the MSMEs Act. These laws can help us in our goal to empower women to participate in economic activities,” she said.

The Magna Carta for MSMEs (R.A. 9501), which Legarda authored, provides more assistance to MSMEs through increased loan allocation for micro and small businesses, access to new technologies, and regular entrepreneurship training programs for workers as well as a comprehensive development plan that would ensure the viability and growth of MSMEs in the country.

Meanwhile, the Barangay Kabuhayan Law (R.A. 9509), which she also authored, mandates the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) to provide support to all 4th, 5th and 6th class municipalities in formulating and conducting livelihood programs for their poor constituents.

Since her first term in the Senate, Legarda has been supporting women entrepreneurs. She supported the TESDA Women Center Alumni Association (TWCAA), which trains women in entrepreneurship and livelihood skills.

She also supported Schools of Living Traditions (SLTs), particularly of the Ata-Talaingod, the Mandaya, the B’laan, and the Bagobo Tagabawa communities, to promote their traditional arts, crafts, music and indigenous practices.

“In supporting SLTs, we do not only support our women weavers and the livelihood of our entrepreneurs among indigenous communities, but we also boost tourism, strengthen trade and promote culture,” she said.

In 2012, Legarda launched the Hibla Pavilion of Textiles and Weaves of the Philippines, which opened doors of opportunity to weaving communities and SLTs to showcase their indigenous products and weaving traditions. SLTs that participated were those of the Ivatans, Iraya Mangyans, Hanunuo Mangyans, Maguindanaons, Gaddangs, Panay Bukidnons, B’laans, Ata Manobos, Subanens, and T'bolis.

JINGGOY TELLS GRADUATES, STUDENTS: DON’T DO A CUNANAN

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada advised this year’s batch of new graduates as well as working students to not do a Cunanan as they go job hunting and to abstain from inventing personal academic credentials and engineering dubious educational background.

 

In his privilege speech entitled “The Tale of Two Incredible Witnesses” last Wednesday, Sen. Estrada slammed Dennis Cunanan, head of the Technology Resource Center, for lying brazenly about his educational background.

 

In his blog site and many online articles about him, Cunanan made it appear that he graduated from the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG) in University of the Philippines – Diliman.

 

“Just to set the educational record of Dennis Cunanan straight, he is not a graduate of the University of the Philippines per the letter of the National College of Public Administration and Governance of UP Diliman in response to our query regarding the academic standing of Mr. Cunanan.  He graduated in 2005 (Commerce) in Lacson College,” Jinggoy said in his speech.

 

This false educational attainment may have led to his employment in various high positions in the government. He was appointed as Executive Director of the National Youth Commission on 2000, as Head Executive Assistant in the Office of the Speaker at the House of Representatives from 2004 to 2004, and as Presidential Assistant for Youth Affairs.

 

“Palagay ko po, kung nalaman na hindi college graduate si Cunanan ay hindi siya malalagay sa mga posisyong ito,” the lawmaker remarked.

 

“Bago napunta ng TRC si Dennis, nahirang muna siyang Executive Director ng Commission on Higher Education ng isang buwan at tinanggal dahil walang college degree at hindi nga qualified. Nguni’t sadyang malakas ang backer ni Dennis dahil na-appoint naman siya kaagad bilang TLRC/TRC deputy director general noong December 2004. At taong 2010 naman siya naging TRC director general,” Jinggoy added.

 

“The career of Mr. Cunanan from his days in college to his days in public office, and reaching up to his testimony in the Blue Ribbon Committee has been founded and grounded on falsehoods and misrepresentation!” Jinggoy said in his speech.

 

Sen. Estrada thus tells the graduates and young workers to be truthful as they draft their resumes and not make false claims about their educational achievements and capacities, like what Cunanan did. He also warned against misrepresentation and mere reliance on backers and patrons in applying for work, as he underscored that continued self-enhancement, further studies, skills upgrading and integrity as potent factors to make one competitive and desirable in the job market.

ERC decision covers Luzon coops - Recto

MANILA-The ERC decision reads in part that “it voids Luzon Wholesale Electricity Spot Market prices and declares the imposition of regulated prices in lieu thereof.”

This means that customers outside the Meralco franchise area stands to benefit as well from the implementation of the ERC order.

The ERC decision orders the Philippine Electricity Market Corp to calculate and implement the regulated prices in the revised WESM bills of the affected distribution utilities in Luzon.

Coops and distribution utilities in the cities and provinces of Luzon which bought power using the disallowed October December WESM prices will have to refund their customers.

So it is not just Meralco customers who stand to gain relief, but customers of other electric coops which sourced power from generation companies at prices and terms the ERC has ruled as onerous.

Recto : Let private cars keep their license plates

MANILA-Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto today urged the government to allow motor vehicles to keep their license plates and limit the installation of new car plates to brand new vehicles up for registration.

Recto said there is no logic to the plan of the Department of Transportation and Communications to replace all existing car license plates with a new design which will be introduced next month.

“It will be a waste of a car owner’s money, not to mention his  time, if his car plate, which is  still in perfect  condition, and which still functions  as a vehicle identification mark, will be replaced,” Recto said.  

“In the first place, the new plate will still include the old numbers, so why subject the car owner to all the hassles of queuing in an LTO office just to have his car plate replaced with a new design?” he said.

“Why order the mass cancellation of nine million motor vehicle plates just because a new version will be introduced?” Recto said.  

“Bakit idadamay ang mga lumang plaka na  hindi naman sira?  Bakit hindi na lamang sa mga bagong kotse ilagay ang bagong plaka?” Recto said.

He said both the DOTC and the manufacturer of the new plates “will be making a killing by creating a captive market for a product, in so far as existing cars are concerned, that is not needed.”

Under the DOTC plan, car owners will cough up P450 for a pair of new plates. Of this amount, P380 will be the manufacturer’s share while P70 will be the DOTC’s  “administration fee.”

Recto said DOTC’s justification that the new plates will improve vehicle security does not hold water.

“A car plate can never be an anti-carnapping device. Kahit na nga ‘8’ ang plaka, nananakaw pa.   A plate can never be a talisman against theft,” Recto said, referring to the protocol plate number assigned to congressmen.

He said more police patrols, well-lighted streets, the dismantling of carjacking syndicates, the arrest of their leaders are the best deterrents against car theft and “not some tamper-resistant locks on a plate.”

In the case of the reported practice of buses, for-hire and public utility vehicles of switching and duplicating license plates, “these can also be addressed by serious law enforcement,” Recto said.  

Recto, however, conceded that there is merit in replacing PUV license plates with a new version that will include their routes.

“I fully agree that this can weed out colorum vehicles and prevent the cloning of car plates,” Recto said.  

Recto said he cannot see how new car plates will improve the flow of traffic in Metro Manila.

Recto said the “general problem” with car plates is not their design but their short supply and non-availability.

“So the solution is to make them readily available and not to make their installation mandatory to all vehicles,” he said.

"If it ain't broke, why fix it?” he added.

Recto lamented that while it takes a Japanese company an average of two days to assemble a three-ton vehicle, it takes us almost a year to provide a car with a license plate weighing a few hundred grams. 

PRO3 FILES RAPS ON COPS INVOLVED IN IRREGULAR ANTI-DRUG OPERATIONS

 CAMP OLIVAS, CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, PAMPANGA- Police Regional Office 3 Regional Director PCSUPT RAUL D PETRASANTA announced that on March 11, 2014  a case for Violation of Sec 27 of Article II of RA 9165 has been filed before the Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, City of San Fernando, Pampanga against PSUPT RODNEY RAYMUND LOUIE BALOYO IV former chief of Pampanga Provincial Intelligence Branch(PIB), PSINSP JOVEN B DE GUZMAN JR, former Pampanga Anti-illegal Drugs Operations Special Operations Task Group (PAIDSOTG) and eleven of their personnel, who were first subjected to preventive suspension on March 3, 2014 to pave way on the conduct of summary hearing proceedings on their administrative case which all stemmed from an alleged  irregularities in the conduct of anti-illegal drugs operation on November 29, 2013 in Narra St., Woodbriged Subd., Lakeshore, Mexico, Pampanga.

 

            PCSUPT RAUL D PETRASANTA, had already approved the recommendation of the investigating body after careful and thorough evaluation of evidence and accounts of witnesses and respondents on the alleged buy bust for the relief of PSSUPT OSCAR D ALBAYALDE, Acting Provincial Director of Pampanga Provincial Office under The Doctrine of Command Responsibility due to his failure to take corrective action at his level despite the chance given to him to do so. Relatedly the request for clearance on PSSUPT ALBAYALDE’S relief as a matter of standard operating procedure of the PNP on the relief and reassignment of unit commanders and key officers was already submitted to the Office of the Chief, PNP following an in-depth probe being conducted by PRO3 on the case. Said clearance is necessary to effect the said relief as the Regional Director has no blanket authority to implement outright the relief of an officer of such level

 

. As of press time, the Relief Order is still pending awaiting the approval of the said clearance from the Office of the C, PNP.

 

             PCSUPT PETRASANTA said that the move of dismissing and disciplining erring police personnel shows efforts of the police in removing bad eggs in the police force, and that the rule of law does not distinguish rank, position or popularity whether victim or respondent  in the PNP organization.

 

            “This is a manifestation of the keen determination of the PNP to remove misfits among the ranks of the PNP”, he further remarked.

Legarda Calls for Enforcement of LGUs’ Land Use Plans

MANILA-Senator Loren Legarda called on concerned government agencies to ensure that the comprehensive land use plans (CLUPs) of local government units (LGUs) are being enforced.

Legarda, Chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, issued the statement during the committee hearing for the proposed National Land Use Act (NaLUA) and the Final Forest Limits Act.

She said, it is not enough that 1,500 LGUs have their respective CLUPs. “We have to make sure that these approved CLUPs are carried out effectively, which means that hazard-prone areas, forestlands, and protected areas remain uninhabited and are preserved as no building zones.”

The Senator added that national government agencies, particularly the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), must ensure that CLUPs are faithfully implemented.

Legarda also highlighted the need to approve the proposed National Land Use Act because the government is currently using an antiquated land classification method formed in the 1920s.

“We have been experiencing stronger storms, earthquakes and other natural hazards. A national land use measure is crucial in the government’s current disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation efforts,” she stressed.

“Furthermore, LGUs play a critical role in the crafting of risk-sensitive and participatory land use planning and management. LGUs are considered to be the first line of defense against disasters so there is an urgent need for them to be capacitated, enabling them to prepare, update and implement their respective CLUPs based on policy guidelines to be set under the proposed NaLUA,” she added.

Meanwhile, Legarda also said that through the Final Forest Limits Act, “we aim to conserve, protect, and develop our forest resources to attain ecological balance and promote sustainable development.”

“With demarcated and properly identified forestlands, the national government can better plan the utilization of the natural resources of the country, and LGUs would be better equipped to initiate and implement development projects and programs with due regard to the preservation and protection of the integrity of the demarcated forest lands,” Legarda concluded.

Drilon: Iloilo’s progress possible for whole country

MANILA-Progress amid problems can be done with political will and effective partnerships, Senate President Franklin M. Drilon said, stressing that the significant developments made by Iloilo within a short period of time is proof that economic recovery and the achievement of developmental goals is indeed possible for the country.

The Senate leader, an Ilonggo native and a staunch supporter of the province, lauded the many signs of Iloilo’s growth as he spoke before various business leaders who attended the Iloilo Business Forum held at the Hotel Intercontinental, Makati on Wednesday, March 12, 2014.

The event showcases massive infrastructure developments and projects which represent a highly-energized and proactive economic policy that Iloilo City, along with the entire province, has undertaken in the past seven years.  

In his speech, Drilon noted Iloilo’s rise from being a one of the provinces of the Visayan region with a gloomy economy to its current status as an economic dynamo poised to retake its spot as the premiere province on the entire southern part of the country. 

“lloilo’s decline came to a point where its seaport was once described as the “armpit” of the Visayas, where it severely lost its economic luster. It was plagued by pitiful public services, haphazard economic ploys and poor infrastructure. In fact, the title, ‘Queen City of the South’, which once belonged to Iloilo, was transferred to Cebu more than a hundred years ago because of this,” he said.   
 
However, the senator said that the combination of a “united and result-oriented political leadership, and a highly cooperative and effective partnership with members of the private sector in Iloilo has led to monumental reforms and policy improvements, thereby transforming its economic fortune.

“We knew our strengths: our strategic location; our vast pool of talent; our abundant natural resources; and, a growing consumer market. Thus to reduce poverty and make our economy grow, Iloilo’s leaders turned to strategic infrastructure development as a means to more investments, which means more jobs,” he explained.

According to Drilon, the immense political resolve and thorough cooperation with the business partners like the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation has paid off, in the form of greatly perceivable leaps in infrastructure and economic developments in the province.

“Once-decrepit structures like the Iloilo International Airport and major roads like the Senator Benigno Aquino Avenue have been vastly revamped, while fishing wharfs and shipping ports are being updated to globally-competitive standards. The Iloilo River Esplanade and the Iloilo Convention Center are set to bring in unprecedented levels of local and international tourism revenues for the province,” he said.    

He added: “Meanwhile, Iloilo’s woes regarding its power supply has been resolved, and is now one of the information and communications technology (ICT) hotspots in the country, while its rapid urbanization is attracting the full line-up of the country’s biggest real estate firms and consumer brands – such as the Ayala Group and the SM group of companies.” 

The Senate Chief also pointed to several big-ticket projects in Iloilo including the P11.2-billion Jalaur River Project, an infrastructure project expected to benefit 783,000 farmers in 25 of Iloilo's 42 municipalities, provide 17,000 jobs, and will eventually lead to the doubling of Iloilo’s rice production, from 142,000 to 300,000 tons annually.

The construction of a state-of-the-art convention center is part of a major campaign to improve the province’s capacity to host and accommodate international occasions such as 2015 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation ministerial meetings, and important domestic events.

There are also various ongoing road infrastructure projects which include the 14-kilometer, 4-lane Iloilo circumferential road, the 150-km Iloilo-Capiz-Aklan highway, and the widening of a 3-lined, 10-lane avenue. The projects are meant not only to relieve Iloilo of its traffic problems, but more importantly, to open hundreds of new areas for development.

“We will not stop pursuing our development goals because we want to show to the whole country that if it can be done in Iloilo, it can be done anywhere,” stressed Drilon.
 
“In Iloilo, we have proven that we can create change when we put our collective interests before our individual wants. In Iloilo, we are nurturing big dreams and are working hard to realize these dreams,” he emphasized.

Drilon said the developments in Iloilo can be applied in other parts of the country: “The story of Iloilo is not just the story of the Ilonggos. It is the story of Filipinos. This is the story of people who are determined to scale new heights of economic and social success.”

Lastly, Drilon expressed elation at the developments, which have “made Iloilo the 2nd most competitive city in the whole Philippines, and the number one in governance, as stated by the National Governance Council.”

In the 2013 SWS Survey of Enterprises on Corruption, Iloilo managers posted a satisfaction rating of 83 percent, the second highest, in terms of the city government’s efforts to promote a good business climate. Likewise, of the seven (7) areas outside of NCR that were surveyed, Iloilo businessmen are the most positive at 86 percent  calling their business prospects either good or excellent, ahead of Angeles City, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Cebu and Davao. 

Soldiers, PNP, community to file Human Rights case vs NPA in Abra

BALER, Aurora-Soldiers together with local police and community residents are set to file Human Rights Violation case against the NPA remnants tagged in the brutal murder of an ex-NPA and his father and brother in a remote village in Abra whose bodies bearing torture marks and hands tied behind their bakcs were discovered last March 7 and recovered the following day.

            The case will be filed in the CHR regional office in Baguio City by the 41^st Infantry Battalion, PNP and barangay officials of Dominglay in Licuan-Baay, Abra as soon as the paperworks are complete.

            It may be recalled that three dead bodies were found by soldiers, police and barangay officials in a grave which was reported by civilians victims of NPA remnants between barangay Mugao and Dominglay in Licuan-Baay, Abra at about 4:30pm last March 7.

            According to the SOCO report, the bodies belonging to Fredie Ligiw, 30 years old, Licuben Ligiw, 68 years old and Eddie Ligiw bore torture marks with their hands tied behind their backs and with their mouths tied with handkerchiefs. According to the report the cause of death is mauling and asphyxiation.

            Based on the report of the local police and according to local residents the trio went missing on March 1 when about 15 NPA remnants were sighted in Sitio Sucao where the victims also live. Fredie Ligiw was last seen by civilian populace on March 3 at Sitio Manapnap, Brgy Binasaran, Malibcong, Abra being accompanied by NPA remnants under Flores Baluga alias Bram, the First Deputy Secretary of Abra Party Committee. This prompted Brgy Captain Josephine Carino to report the matter on March 6 and a search party was organized.

            Fredie Ligiw is a former NPA who surrendered in 2011 who wants to live a peaceful life while his brother Eddie is a community worker who is one of the proponents of the Daycare Center in their village. Their father Licuben is described by the village folks as a protective father.

            The murder of the Abra trio by the NPA remnants is reminiscent of the murder of another trio in Davao City murdered in 2009, the Lumad Tulang brothers. The elder Tulang was shot on the head while his two siblings were blindfolded, hogtied and their necks were slit and were left to bleed to death. All three bore signs of torture. Their crime: stealing fighting cocks.

            Back in Abra, records of several NPA victims are being reviewed so that cases may be filed. February 17, 2008 Ulysis Dapit of Sallapadan, Abra was abducted and murdered by the NPA; March 1998, emelio Brillantes of Malibcong, Abra was also abducted then murdered by NPA.

            Northern Luzon Command (NOLCOM), Lieutenant General Gregorio Pio Catapang Jr. said “the atrocious acts of the NPA remnants do not help the country and do not serve the interest of the people”.

“We have a more pressing concern now that is climate change and the magnified disasters it brings. This is the new enemy on the horizon. What we need to do is unite and embrace each other as one nation so that we can best protect our people from calamities”, Lt. Gen. Catapang concluded.

Rebel Returnee and Siblings found dead in Abra

Licuan-Baay, Abra – a former rebel identified as Fredie Ligiw 30 years old, together with his father Licuben Ligiw, 68 years old and brother Eddie Ligiw, 35 years old, a stakeholder in the construction of Daycare Center in So Manapnap, Barangay Binasaran, Malibcong, all residents of So. Sucao, Brgy Dominglay, Licuan-Baay, Abra  were found dead on March 8, 2014, They were reported missing for almost five (5) days with hands tied at their backs and buried when they were unearthed.

            Fredie Ligiw was last seen by the civilian populace at So Manapnap, Brgy Binasaran, Malibcong Abra last March 3, 2014. According to them, they were accompanied by the group of NPA remnants under Flores Baluga @ Bram, the first deputy secretary of Abra Party Committee (APCOM) during the conduct of a meeting at said place.

           

Freddie Z. Ligiw and his son.

These summary executions by the NPA remnants are their proverbial acts to any person or even to their comrades suspected as Army supporters. Mr Ulysis B. Dapit alyas Asunta, an innocent civilian from Brgy Sallapadan Bario, Sallapadan, Abra was a victim of this act on February 17, 2008. He was abducted and murdered by the NPA remnants and up to this date, justice has not been served. Also, Mr. Emelio Brillantes, a resident of Brgy Bayabas, Malibcong, Abra was also abducted and executed by the NPA sometimes in March 1998.

           

Photo of victim Eddie Z. Ligiw.

The investigation is still on progress and truth and justice must prevail. It’s high time for us to reflect and think sensibly, seek for justice against the perpetrators and the NPA remnants must be punished for the murders they have committed.

            The 41^st Infantry Battalion sympathized with the families of the victims and condemned the criminal acts of NPA remnants; armed struggle and killing of innocents civilians and suffering of the people in the province of Abra. Thus, we are calling for the support of all Abrenians, let us all unite and work together to end this violence once and for all for a peaceful and progressive Abra. 

CL farmers warn against flooding of rice imports, oppose liberalization of agri

SAN FERNANDO CITY, Pampanga-Farmers belonging to the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (Amgl, Farmers Alliance in Central Luzon), Aguman Dareng Maglalautang Capampangan (AMC) and Amgl – Nueva Ecija warned against flooding of imported rice in the region, citing it is a direct threat to rice-producing farmers who are already suffering low farm gate prices consequently putting them into indedtedness and landlessness.  The groups are reacting to the reported arrival of 525,000 bags of Vietnam rice in Subic freeport last January which they claim are now flooding the local market, thus traders use this as leverage to even depress farm gate prices of palay.  They blame this to the government's implementation of liberalizing the agricultural industry as commitment to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

“Imported rice from Vietnam and other countries are not helping us but actually undermining our capacity to produce our own rice.  If farmers face indebtedness and become land less, lands devoted to cultivating rice are to decline, putting us more dependent on imported rice.  Our food security is systematically degraded,” Aquilino Lopez, vice-chairperson of AMGL for external affairs and chair of Amgl – Nueva Ecija.

The groups said that during pre-WTO period of the data from Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS), imported rice only shared 2% of the total 41 million metric tons rice supply from 1990 to 1994, but jacked up to about 10% of 226.8 million metric tons supply from 1995 to 2012.  It is also noticeable that pre-WTO period rice buffer reached to 21% that  plunged to only 17% since WTO entry.  Thus, food security in rice was concretely degraded.  The groups said that the continuation of this trend would make the region and the country critically dependent on rice imports.

“Isn't in dense that our country's has the 8th largest rice production in 2009 but also imported the most in the world in 2010.  The country's policies and program are weakening our agriculture, thus, no different from putting the people into hunger and misery,” Lopez said.

The farmers are criticizing the statement of National Food Authority (NFA) regional director Amadeo De Guzman that the Vietnamese rice offloaded at Subic freeport was to augment the local supply in the region.  But the groups said that this totally contradicts the agency's mandate of supposedly promoting and protecting the locally-produced food supply.  The groups said that the Nueva Ecija province contributing the most among provinces at 9% of total produced palay in 2013 and Central Luzon contributing the biggest among regions more than 18% of the total produced palay are considered as country's rice granary but are being flooded by imported rice.

“The BS Aquino government, like its predecessors, the Dept. of Agriculture and NFA are drumming up rice self-sufficiency when it only means increasing rice imports and totally opposing rice food security.  This government abandoned protecting local production and diverting the country to becoming import-dependent on food, when an international crisis erupts disrupting importation, we are all going to die of starvation,” Lopez said.

The government obliged itself to import 350,000 metric tons of imported rice last year as commitment to the WTO according to the Dept. of Trade and Industry (DTI).  The groups also claimed that the 50,000 metric tons of smuggled rice reported by the Bureau of Customs (BOC) to the senate investigation last January is adding salt to the wound.

“Smuggling is just a symptom of liberalizing agriculture.  The neo-liberal policies of WTO are supposed to implement the free-flow of goods, cancelling out state intervention, especially tariffs, thus, smuggling is just the advanced phase of    trade liberalization.  Fundamentally, we demand the revocation of government's effort to liberalization of agriculture and commitment to the WTO,” Lopez said.

Instead, the farmers groups demanded the implementation of genuine land reform to emancipate poor farmers from local landlords and traders monopolizing the rice industry.  The government should fulfill its duty to support and subsidy to local rice production as what other countries have implemented.

“We should oppose liberalization of agriculture and WTO as they only means starvation and misery for the people of Central Luzon,” Lopez said. 

GK, partners invite Central Luzon residents to its Bayanihan Run-For-A-Cause

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga-Gawad Kalinga (GK) along with its partners namely Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), city government of San Fernando, Human Nature Store and Philippine Information Agency (PIA) invite Central Luzon residents to join the Bayanihan Run-For-A-Cause that is slated on March 29 in the City of San Fernando.

 

“The activity, which is part of the two-day Bayanihan Festival, seeks to raise funds for the survivors of war and calamity in Visayas and Mindanao. 100% of the net proceeds will go to the construction of their houses,” GK Area Coordinator for Central Luzon Jon Ramos said.

 

GK Central Luzon shall likewise bring volunteers from all over the region to build the sponsored houses during the 2014 Bayani Challenge- a yearly gathering of volunteers who give the best of themselves and work together to build homes, repair schools, conduct health missions, plant trees, and many more.

 

The Run-For-A-Cause consists of varying distances at 1, 3, 5, and 10 kilometers with registration fee pegged at P100 (12 years old and below) and P200 (adult), P150 (student) and P200 (non-student), P300 (student) and P400 (non-student), and P400 (student) and P500 (non-student) respectively.

 

“2013 was a year that brought out the heroism of ordinary Filipinos, answering to the needs of our kababayans who were victims of the Zamboanga siege, Bohol earthquake and Super Typhoon Yolanda. The people of Region 3 can once again help them, this time, in their road to recovery and rehabilitation,” Ramos added.

 

Registration forms are available at the TIEZA office inside HILAGA Philippines (Paskuhan Village), City of San Fernando Tourism Office, PIA Regional Office, and Human Nature Store branch in the City of San Fernando (045-963-5958, 09326255339) and through the GK Provincial Coordinators in Pampanga (Justin-09321995003), Tarlac (James-09175142382), Nueva Ecija (Bebot-09209229211), Zambales (Peter-09175120021, 09209488919), Bulacan (Gil-09228520625), and Bataan (Edwin-09266808009, 09208643038).

 

For more information, please like the official Facebook pages of the event (BayanihanRunforaCause), GK Central Luzon and PIA Region 3 (PIA Gitnang Luzon).

 

Deadline of registration is on March 21. 

BIR urged to submit proposal to lower income tax rates before PNoy’s SONA

MANILA-While he welcomed the “openness” of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to lower income tax rates, Senator Juan Edgardo "Sonny" Angara expressed hope that the BIR proposal will be submitted sooner, possibly in July so that President Aquino can include it in the “wish list” that he will ask Congress to consider during his State of the Nation Address this year.

“The earlier it is submitted, the more time we can study it, and the better our bill will be,” said Angara, chair of the Senate ways and means committee.

“The dynamics in legislation is that it will take a year for a bill to be passed into law. So I think submitting it this July will fit just right in the congressional template of doing things,” he stressed.

“And, even if the BIR is thinking of a delayed effectivity date for the law, there is still merit on the idea of submitting its proposal way ahead," he added.

The senator said the tax agency should not treat its estimated annual revenue loss of P43 billion from reduced individual income rates as “unrecoverable.”

“If withholding tax is converted into disposable income, then it can be recouped through the VAT on goods. If part of the salary intended to be remitted to the BIR will now be spent for goods, then it can still be recaptured through the tax on the goods bought,” Angara explained.

“It will be also good for the economy. It is always better to plow money back in circulation, where it can stimulate the production and consumption of goods. Instead of government doing the spending for the people, let the people do the spending themselves,” he pointed out.

Angara is author of a bill compressing the net taxable income brackets from the present seven to five, and lowering tax rates across-the-board.

At present, an annual net income, after allowable deductions, of P10,000, which is the lowest in the tiers, is taxed 5 percent.

Under Angara’s Senate Bill 2149, the “no tax zone” will be raised to P20,000.

As to the next bracket under his proposal—from P20,000 to P70,000—he wants a tax of 15 percent in 2015, to go down to 13 percent in 2016, and further to 10 percent by 2017.

Currently, a net taxable income of between P30,000 and P70,000 is taxed P2,500 plus 15 percent of the amount over P30,000.

The neophyte senator is also proposing to slash the current highest tax bite of 32 percent for income above P500,000 to 22 percent by 2017.

Once enacted into law, Angara's bill will retain more money in paychecks of ordinary salaried workers.

“A policeman whose net taxable income is P150,000 at present pays P25,000 in income tax. Under my proposal, he will just pay P19,000 by 2017," he noted.

Citing another example, the lawmaker said a small business owner whose net taxable income is P550,000 a year will see his tax payment go down to P97,500 in 2017 from the present P141,000.

He emphasized that the smaller tax rates will lead to greater voluntary compliance.

“It will also attract human capital and to prevent the migration of our own to countries with lower tax rates and do not punish industry and productivity with onerous tax rates," Angara said.