Recto : Hand straps lang di agad mabili, pa’no pa kung bagon, riles? Use fare hike income to fund repairs

MANILA-There’s no excuse for the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) not to buy handrail straps – to prevent its riders from falling like dominoes as its aging coaches are becoming prone to sudden stops – as their P2.25 million cost is a drop in the bucket of its farebox income and government subsidy.

“Sabi ng isang MRT spokesman, i-pro-proseso pa nila ang pagbili ng handstraps. Pero last year, kasama na iyon sa kanilangprocurement program na sinubmit sa Senado,” Sen. Ralph Recto said.

Recto said if the MRT has ahard time buying hand straps – which in official documents will cost P2.25 million – then it speaks volumes about government’s capacity to improve service in the 17-km, 13-station line which ferries 600,000 passengers daily.

“Kung band-aid solusyon lang tulad ng hand straps ay mahirap mailagay, paano pa kaya kung mga bagon at riles na ang pag-uusapan?” Recto asked.

Recto said MRT should source the funds for hand straps and other repair materials from its farebox income as that is what is clearly stipulated in the 2015 national budget.

“It says in one of the provisions of RA 10751 that administrative costs, maintenance fees and special repairs shall be principally funded out of passenger fares,” he said.

He said MRT will earn P1.1 billion more a year from the fare hikes it imposed on January 4. MRT upped from P10 to P11 the base fare, plus an additional P1 per kilometer.

And one of the justifications for the increase is that it will improve its service, Recto said.

“In the official DOTC press release announcing the fare hike, the agency promised that with increased fares will come better MRT services,” Recto said.

Recto added that on top of fare revenues, part of the MRT revenue stream is the P7.23 billion in direct subsidy it will get from the national government this year.

Of this amount, P2.57 billion will be for “MRT-3 rehabilitation and capacity expansion” and P4.66 billion is for rider subsidy.

There is also P18.4 billion in the Unprogrammed Fund section of the 2015 national budget which can be tapped for MRT-3 rehabilitation and capacity expansion (P7.4 billion); payment of taxes of MRT-3 Build-Operate-Transfer contract (P6.5 billion); and P4.4 billion for the equity buy-out of the MRT Company.

“Because the release of these funds can only be triggered by excess revenues or new loans, then this is what is considered as contingent subsidy dependent on certain conditions,” Recto said.

“Just the same, we’re looking at P38.88 billion gross rail sector funding in the national budget covering LRT, MRT and PNR projects and operations for this year,” Recto said.

“Tapos hand straps lang hindi natin mailagay kaagad? Akala ko ba increased government spending na tayo? Akala ko ba budget-as-release document na tayo?  Akala ko ba anticipated bidding na tayo para start of the year roll out na?”

Recto said the DOTC submitted to the Senate a list of 18 MRT rehabilitation projects that will be implemented from 2014-2016 with a total cost of P6.8 billion. 

DENR to establish satellite office of EMB-National Ecology Center in TCA

CAMILING, Tarlac-Department of Environment and Natural Resources has inked a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with Tarlac College of Agriculture (TCA) for the establishment of a satellite office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) National Ecology Center in the latter’s campus.

 

“This partnership seeks to develop a core of facilitators who can adopt a comprehensive ecological solid waste management program in their respective local government units (LGUs) as well as develop courses that seeks to protect public health and the environment,” EMB Director Jonas Leones said.

 

Specifically, it wants to increase the awareness and familiarity of facilitators in conducting waste study that would lead them in designing interventions targeting identified solid waste issues and educate them in using existing technologies and coming up with innovations and treatments.

 

“Under this MOA, we shall take the lead in the development of training modules and conduct training courses not only for LGUs but also for technicians, farmers, leaders, academicians, junk shop operators, and environmentalists among others,” TCA President Max Guillermo explained.

 

The satellite office shall likewise have readily available information, education, and communication materials relative to the advocacy and shall strengthen the linkages among its stakeholders. (Carlo Lorenzo J. Datu)

DISSENTING OPINION SC Justices agree Jinggoy was denied due process

MANILA-The Ombudsman clearly violated Senator Jinggoy Estrada’s constitutional right to due process when it rendered a decision against the lawmaker without fully disclosing to him the accusations made against him and without giving him sufficient opportunity to refute the said allegations.

 

In two separate dissenting opinions issued by two associate justices of the Supreme Court, the Ombudsman was found to have committed grave abuse of discretion when it unfairly concluded its preliminary investigation and issued a resolution finding probable cause to indict Sen. Estrada before the Sandiganbayan without making available to him the allegations and documents which were used as basis for the decision.

 

The decision and the dissenting opinions were promulgated last January 21, but the full text was made public only last week.

 

The two justices also recommended to suspend the ongoing proceedings before the lower court, and to send back the case to the Ombudsman for another round of investigation.

 

Associate Justice Arturo Brion, one of the justices who moved to partially grant Sen. Estrada’s petition, even called the finding of probable cause by the Ombudsman as “largely one-sided,” and the preliminary investigation “gravely irregular.”

 

On May 7, 2014, Sen. Estrada bewailed the lack of fairness and impartiality in the investigation and filed before the Supreme Court a petition to question and nullify the said order of the Ombudsman after the same denied his request to be furnished copies of the counter-affidavits of Ruby Tuason, Dennis Cunanan, and other witnesses and respondents on the PDAF (Priority Development Assistance Fund) case.

 

The Ombudsman denied Estrada’s request for a copy of the affidavits on March 27. On the very next day, March 28, it already issued a resolution which recommends filing of charges before the Sandiganbayan. Both issuances were made known to Sen. Estrada on April 1.

 

“The violation... occurred when the Ombudsman refused to grant him access to his requested documents and proceeded to find probable cause based largely on those documents. Worse, Estrada did not even know of the denial of his request at the time of probable cause finding was made and thus could not have contested it through a timely a motion for reconsideration,” Brion said.

 

Associate Justice Presbitero Velasco, Jr. on the other hand believed that Sen. Estrada was not accorded the full measure of the due process protection.

 

Citing own rules governing the Office of the Ombudsman, Velasco maintained that a “respondent in a preliminary investigation shall have access to the evidence on record without discriminating as to the origin thereof and regardless of whether such evidence came from the complainant or another respondent.”

 

Moreover, Velasco asserted that when there are counter-affidavits of other respondents submitted before it which may likely incriminate another respondent, the Ombudsman need not wait for a request or motion be filed before the accused is given copies of the incriminating affidavits.

 

Velasco further said that such violations to due process should not be allowed to happen ever again. “It is true that in the past, the Court has allowed the belated disclosure by the Ombudsman to a respondent of affidavits containing incriminating allegations against him. This may possibly be the reason why the Ombudsman deviated from the spirit of due process, which at its minimum, is to allow a respondent prior notice and afford him sufficient opportunity to be heard before a decision is rendered against him. This cannot be further tolerated.”

 

Lastly, Brion stated while citing jurisprudence, “The Ombudsman’s refusal – an act that effectively denied Estrada the full measure of his right to due process in a manner completely outside the contemplation of the law – tainted the preliminary investigation proceedings with grave abuse of discretion that effectively nullifies them. This conclusion is unavoidable as in the hierarchy of rights, ‘the Bill of Rights and its supporting statutes take precedence over the right of the State to prosecute; when weighed against each other, the scales of justice tilt towards the former.’”

IT IS HIGH TIME FOR PH TO CREATE DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY -ANGARA

MANILA-Senator Sonny Angara has filed a bill seeking to create the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) to ensure that innovations in information and communications technology would benefit the Filipino people and contribute to nation-building and global competitiveness.

Under Angara's Senate Bill 2368 or the DICT Act, among the department's primary mandate is to ensure the application of ICT to the various processes and functions of the government in order to improve the productivity of national and local government programs.

"The application of ICT to the processes of government functioning, or what we call e-governance or electronic governance, will bring about efficient, ethical, accountable, responsive and transparent governance in our country," the lawmaker said.

The DICT will also be mandated to plan, promote, and help develop the country's ICT sector and ensure reliable and cost-efficient communications facilities, other multimedia infrastructure and services.

It must ensure universal access and high-speed connectivity at fair and reasonable costs as well as the availability and accessibility of ICT services in areas not adequately served by the private sector.

It will also encourage the use of ICT for the development and promotion of the country’s agriculture, arts and culture, history, education, public health and safety, and other socio-civic purposes.

"A digital revolution is taking root throughout the country, driving fundamental changes in the way we work, communicate, play, travel, learn, participate—ultimately in the way we live. These far-reaching transformations demand the full attention of government," said Angara, vice chair of the Senate committee on science and technology.

The senator, who has been filing the bill during his stint as a member of the House of Representatives, cited reports saying that from being the "texting capital of the world," the Philippines has also been recognized as the "social networking capital of the world," with nine out of 10 Filipino Internet users signed into Facebook.

A 2013 report from the National Statistical Coordination Board also showed that Internet access in the Philippines has covered over a third of the country's population.

While the DICT is mandated to promote the access to and encourage the widespread use of ICT, it must also ensure the cybersecurity of assets of individuals and businesses including the rights of individuals to privacy and confidentiality of their personal information.

"Throughout global society, changes have occurred because of developments in ICT. Many now speak of building up a knowledge-driven economy—a goal which the Philippines cannot achieve without proper institutional focus and adequate support," Angara said.

The lawmaker explained that under the proposed measure, the DICT will be established out of a reorganization of the current Department of Transportation and Communications since the needs of the information and communications sector are distinct from transportation, and thus merit equally distinct technical expertise and governmental support. 

Angara's father, former Senate President Edgardo J. Angara, had likewise filed a similar bill during his incumbency in the Upper Chamber.

JINGGOY: I MISS SENATE WORK

MANILA-Saying he’s raring to go back to work, Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada expressed disappointment today over the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division’s denial of his request to attend the Senate hearing on the bloody Mamasapano encounter.

 

Estrada, who became known with his tough questioning during investigations particularly during the inquiries on the “pabaon system” in the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the botched NBN-ZTE deal, shared before the reporters that he was actually ready to go to the Senate probe should the court give its approval on his request.

 

“Akala ko nga, magbibihis na sana ulit ako ng barong. Actually I was already prepared just in case the court will decide that I attend the hearing and I will be given the go signal to attend, preparado na sana ako,” Estrada said.

 

Last February 4, 2015, Sen. Estrada through his lawyers filed an urgent request before the court to let him participate in the opening of the investigation of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs led by Sen. Grace Poe today.

 

During his previous interviews, Estrada said that like most Filipinos he has many questions in mind which beg direct and immediate answers. When asked on the specific questions he plans to ask, “Unang-una, who ordered, sino ang nag-utos para pasukin ang kuta ng MILF? He should be responsible for the death of the 44 policemen,” Jinggoy said.

 

“Sana nga, kung maka-appear ako doon sa Senado, magaganda sana ang aking mga tanong. And hopefully, doon sa aking mga tanong we can get to the bottom of this one,” he said.

 

Estrada said that he had been in detention for more than seven months now, and this predicament has prevented him from fully performing his legislative functions and responsibilities as a duly-elected Senator.

 

While he noted that he continuously files bills and proposes measures even while in detention, he is currently barred from conducting committee hearings and attending plenary sessions. “My attendance record in our plenary sessions is perfect. I have never been absent. Kaya nami-miss ko na rin ang pagdalo sa session ng Senado. Nami-miss ko na din ang pagdalo, lalo na ang pagtatanong, sa mga resource persons sa mga pagdinig namin sa Senado,” Jinggoy stated.

 

Sen. Estrada noted that the 90-day preventive suspension has already been served and lifted by the Senate leadership. He further said that it is unconscionable on his part not to do his mandated duties even as he continues receiving his salary as a government official.

 

“Gusto ko siyempreng mag-trabaho,” he previously answered when he was asked about his intention to conduct labor committee hearings inside Camp Crame.

APEC delegates invited to enjoy amenities of Clark Freeport Zone

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Angeles City-Chairperson of the 2015 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Senior Officials’ Meeting (APEC SOM1), Laura del Rosario, invited the delegates to enjoy the amenities of the Clark Freeport Zone during their stay for the meetings.

 

"I also take this opportunity to once again welcome you to Clark," del Rosario said during the opening of the SOM1 in Fontana Convention Center here.

 

"Set against the backdrop of the Pinatubo Volcano—which famously erupted in 1991 and changed the color of your sunsets for a year—Clark remains to be a model of investment and business resilience."

 

Clark, she said, is proud to have transformed itself from a military base to an industry hub that is backed by foreign investors.

 

The SOM chair also said she hopes delegates get the chance to enjoy the local hospitality, including the cuisine offered by Pampanga, considered as the culinary capital of the Philippines.

 

"There is indeed more to Clark than it seems," she noted.

 

Clark used to be the largest foreign airbase of the United States, complete with its own international airport with daily flights linking it to major cities around Asia.

 

Clark Air Base was named after Harold M. Clark of the US Army Signal Corps in 1919. Clark, who was born in Minnesota, US and reared in Manila, was the first American to fly in Hawaii.

 

Clark Field remained an Army Air Base until May 1949, when its facilities were transferred to the US Air Force. Following the eruption of Mount Pinatubo in 1991, the US Air Force formally transferred Clark to the Philippine government after a century-long presence in the area.

 

Inside Clark Philippines are golf courses, casinos, fine dining restaurants that resemble US suburban communities. Among the multi-national companies operating in Clark are Samsung and Texas Instruments. (PNA)

First APEC Senior officials meeting starts; tackling year 2015 agenda priorities

CLARK FREEPORT, Angeles City-Senior officials of 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) on Friday started their two-day formal meeting here that would focus on discussing various initiatives to expand the benefits of the region’s three billion people and enhance economic growth, trade and investments.

 

At the opening of the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM1), APEC 2015 SOM Chair Laura del Rosario said the meeting will lay down the groundwork for agenda priorities of APEC this year.

 

Del Rosario said these priorities include advancing the regional economic integration agenda, fostering participation of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in regional and global markets, investing in human capital development, and building sustainable and resilient communities.

 

She said these reflect both the outcomes of APEC 2014 in China and build on the Philippines’ APEC 2015 theme of “Building Inclusive Economies, Building a Better World.”

 

Starting Jan. 26, Del Rosario said the various technical working groups and committees that report to the APEC Senior Officials met to discuss initiatives, policies and capacity-building programs that advance APEC’s goals of trade liberalization, business facilitation and economic cooperation.

 

She said best practices were shared and commitments were renewed on economic issues related to SMEs and the global value chain, anti-corruption, customs procedures, disaster management and services, among others. (PNA)

Country’s hosting of APEC has long-term economic benefits, says official

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Angeles City-The country's hosting of this year's Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit would mean a lot of economic benefits for the Philippines in the long term, the head of the APEC 2015 National Organizing Council said on Thursday.

 

In the past 10 to 15 years, the Philippines’ trade with APEC’s member economies has grown by 8 percent annually, Director General Marciano A. Paynor, Jr. told China Central Television during an interview here.

 

"An 8 percent growth is a very, very solid case why the Philippines must continue to be part of the APEC," Paynor said.

 

The total population of the APEC’s 21 member economies is more than 40 percent of the total global population, making the trade bloc a significant driver in regional growth.

 

He noted that as the country prepares to host this year’s summit, it has launched a number of infrastructure projects, although some of them are not APEC-related.

 

Overall, the projects are part of the government's plan, with or without the APEC, he said, noting that any construction work in any country is a form of pump-priming the economy.

 

The people, however, must be patient because construction work creates such inconveniences as traffic congestion, Paynor explained, adding that once construction is completed, the public could enjoy a better transport system, roads, and bridges like other economies within the APEC.

 

The Philippines is hosting the 2015 APEC Summit, showcasing both the public and private sectors’ long-term commitment to the event’s theme of inclusive growth.

 

The APEC Summit, one of the world’s most important gathering of key decision-makers from across the globe, will focus on inclusive growth.

This year’s APEC is the first gathering to be held in the Philippines in nearly two decades. The Philippines first hosted the APEC Summit in 1996 during the administration of then president Fidel V. Ramos. (PNA)

APEC strengthens collaboration in addressing natural disasters

CLARK FREEPORT, Angeles City-With the Asia and the Pacific region having the highest number of natural disasters, the Philippines and the other 20 member economies of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum are intensifying collaboration to be better prepared to deal with them.

 

Dr. Alan Bollard, executive director of the APEC Secretariat, estimated that APEC member-economies alone suffered around $ 70 billion in costs related to natural disasters annually over the last decade.

 

Philippines Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario Montejo cited new and escalating challenges posed by climate change to Asia-Pacific economies and the region’s three billion people.

“Rising sea levels and the increasing ferocity of typhoons tearing through the region are the compelling and urgent reasons for game-changing solutions,” he said.

 

The APEC countries are working closely to address the possible effects of natural disasters on their economies.

 

“Climate change is at the top of the Asia-Pacific agenda and prompting a new era of cooperation to combat this rapidly unfolding threat to humanity,” said Chen Linhao, chair of the APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation.

 

Linhao said cross-border research has the power to inform how economies can adapt and mitigate the effects of climate change and “must be fully tapped.”

 

The APEC Policy Partnership for Science, Technology and Innovation is administering the annual APEC Science Prize for Innovation, Research and Education (ASPIRE) Prize.

 

Nominations are now open for 2015 ASPIRE, whose theme “Disaster Risk Reduction: Understanding the Role of Climate Change and Variability” spotlights the cross-border development of next generation technologies vital to helping economies adapt to changing natural conditions, strengthening environmental protection and building more resilient, sustainable communities.

 

The theme of this year’s award, known as the ASPIRE Prize, was selected by the Philippines, APEC Chair for 2015.

 

It is an extension of deepening partnership between the 21 APEC member economies to tackle climate change and related challenges, which are among the policy priorities being taken forward by Senior Officials and technical experts meeting through this week in Clark and Subic. (PNA)

Philippines, China must play on their strengths, says official

CLARK FREEPORT ZONE, Angeles City-The Philippines and China have a good relationship and their long-standing ties must be maintained, a senior official said on Thursday.

 

"There are some political differences but these come and go, and we are hoping that these issues can be solved to the satisfaction of both countries," Ambassador Marciano Paynor, Jr. said in an interview with CCTV, China's state television.

 

Ambassador Paynor, who is the Director General of the APEC 2015 National Organizing Council, noted that these differences should not affect the two countries’ economic cooperation.

 

"There may be differences but let us play on our strengths," he said.

 

While attending the 2014 APEC Leaders' Summit in Beijing, China last November, President Benigno S. Aquino III said he hopes his first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the APEC Leaders' Meeting would improve relations between the two countries.

 

In an interview, the President said he and President Xi had an opportunity to talk for several minutes after a tree-planting event.

 

According to him, President Xi mentioned the good relationship between the Philippines and China dates back many years ago.

 

President Xi hoped that the Philippine side could return to the basis of the two countries’ previous consensus, and go in the same direction as China to deal with relevant issues in a constructive way, and to create conditions for the healthy development of China-Philippines relations, he said.

 

The Philippines and China have been embroiled in a territorial dispute in the West Philippines Sea. The country has filed an arbitration case at the international tribunal to resolve the territorial row, a move rejected by China. (PNA)

Senator Marcos talks with MILF Chief Negotiator Iqbal: Help Return Arms to PNP

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JINGGOY ASKS COURT’S PERMIT TO ATTEND SENATE SAF 44 PROBE

MANILA-Senator Jinggoy Ejercito Estrada formally asked today the approval of the Sandiganbayan Fifth Division to allow him to attend the hearing on the Mamasapano incident scheduled on Monday, February 9.

 

In an urgent motion submitted today, Sen. Estrada requested that he be allowed to participate in the hearings of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs led by Sen. Grace Poe as “part of his constitutional and legal obligations.”

 

Estrada, who previously filed Senate Resolution 1134 calling for an inquiry into the bloody Maguindanao clash between the Special Action Force of the Philippine National Police (PNP-SAF) and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) and other elements, said that the investigation into the matter is of national interest for which he would like to fulfill his constitutional duty and obligation.

 

Sen. Estrada hopes that he will be permitted to leave his detention facility in PNP Custodial Center in Camp Crame in Quezon City under the usual escort and security conditions at his expense two hours before the start of the hearing and be brought back within two hours after the adjournment of the hearing.

 

Sen. Estrada “has been fulfilling his obligations as a duly elected Senator of the country since last year,” the motion read.

 

The motion cited that the 90-day preventive suspension against him was already served and lifted by the Senate last December. Estrada has resumed his legislative functions and already filed 22 bills and resolutions since last month.

 

“As a senator, I would really want to get to the bottom of this one. Gusto kong malaman ung sino ang nag-order ng pagsugod ng ating mga kapulisan doon sa kuta ng MILF,” Jinggoy previously answered when asked why he wishes to attend the forthcoming hearings.

 

Sen. Estrada is requesting that he be allowed to participate in the hearings from the commencement of the probe until its adjournment.

 

The said motion is expected to be submitted for the consideration and approval of the court tomorrow, February 5, 2015.

Those summoned to Senate Mamasapano probe must present report using "seconds from disaster" format

MANILA-Police and military units summoned to the Senate’s probe on the Mamasapano firefight should present a “chronological sequencing” of events from the minute “A-1 intel” was received on the location of the prey to the time the body of the last police commando was plucked out of the killing zone. 

“So we can have a clear understanding of what really happened, then I suggest that we adopt a timetable format,” Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph Recto said today.

“Let’s put in a sequence. From the time the green light was given to the “Mike One Bingo” moment to the calls for SOS,” he said.

“Mahirap intindihin kung patalon-talon, so mas maganda in chronological order, minute by minute,” said Recto of the much anticipated Senate probe next week on the January 26 carnage which left 44 Special Action Force (SAF) men and scores of Moro guerilla fighters and civilians dead. 

Recto said a “seconds to disaster” format, wherein highlights of the operation are clocked, will ferret out “differences or inconsistencies” in reporting.

“Kung sinabi ng isang Army unit na  sa ganitong oras nakatanggap sila ng mensahe sa pulis, pero ang sabi ng pulis eh two hours later ‘yun, doon pa lang malalaman na natin na merong  pagkakaiba sa narrative,” Recto said.

Using a single format, he said, “will allow for side-by-side comparison of reports. It will also enable one unit to validate the claim of another.” 

This will, however, entail the submission of communication logs by all the parties involved in the operation, which the Senate can summon, Recto said.

“And with eight different offices investigating the matter – from the Ombudsman to the Justice department to the two chambers of Congress to the PNP to the AFP and even the MILF – then having a time-based report will allow us to check if those called to the probe have been consistent in their testimonies,” he said.

Recto said testimonies, reports from civilians and local government officials can later be woven into the timetable. 

“Kung walang format na susundin, truth will be lost in the welt of confusing reports,” he said.