PGMA commemorates 500,000th ICT employee milestone
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo commemorated on Thursday afternoon another milestone achievement in her government’s advocacy to provide jobs for Filipinos with the hiring of the 500,000th employee in the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
The president personally met the industry’s two latest hires at the TOEI Animation Co,. in
These were Dawna Joyce Borbon, an 18-year-old resident of
Borbon, one of thousands of PGMA scholars, was accepted by TOEI as an assistant animator after taking a six month animation course offered by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
She expressed her gratitude to the president, saying the PGMA scholarship program gave her an advantage over others in being chosen to join the TOEI team.
Rufo, also a PGMA scholar, undertook his animation training at the Take One Animation of the PGMA Training for Work Scholarship program. When he finished his training, he was deployed to TOEI as an in-between artist.
PGMA’s attends installation of Legazpi’s 6th Bishop
The church was filled to the brim and the church grounds were also set up to accommodate the overflowing crowd that came to witness the canonical installation of Legazpi’s sixth bishop, the 55-year-old Rev. Joel Baylon.
Baylon succeeds Apostolic Administrator Bishop Lucilo Quaiambao. Prior to his appointment, Baylon was Bishop of Masbate since 1998.
The president arrived 15 minutes before the formal installation rites were to begin and she was flanked by political leaders, including former Senate President Franklin Drilon. Those who met her at the church’s entrance were Albay Gov. Joey Salceda; Legazpi Mayor Noel Rosal; Al Francis Bichara; Rep. Edcel Lagman; and Rino Lim; Presidential Assistant Tomasito Monzon; Armed Forces of the Philippines Lt. Gen. Ronald Detabali; Philippine National Police Regional District C/Supt. Ruben Padua; and Bishops Jose Sorra and Lucito Quiambao.
A concelebrated high mass for his canonical installation is expected to last two hours with Papal Nuncio Edward Joseph Adams, Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales and Nueva Caceres Archbishop Leonardo Legaspi, 31 other bishops and 300 clergy in attendance.
The installation will be done at the start of the mass with the presentation and reading of the Apostolic letter appointing Baylon as the new bishop of Legazpi.
The installation and mass are expected to last three hours, after which the president is invited to attend a dinner in honor of Baylon at the Albay Astrodome, right across the church.
PGMA says martial law necessary to quell rebellion in Maguindanao
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo told members of the House of Representatives and the Senate that martial law has been proclaimed in Maguindanao to quell armed rebellion and to suppress lawless violence in that province.
In her written report to Congress, Mrs. Arroyo said Presidential Proclamation 1959, declaring martial law and suspending the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Maguindanao, was issued in response to movements of armed men and the shutdown of local government offices in Maguindanao, ordered or encouraged by the Ampatuan clan to deprive duly constituted authorities of the powers and prerogatives to enforce the laws of the land and to maintain public order and safety.
“Indeed, the nature, quantity and quality of their weaponry, the movement of heavily armed rebels in strategic positions, the closure of the Maguindanao Provincial Capitol, Ampatuan Municipal Hall, Datu Unsay Municipal Hall and 14 other municipal halls and the use of armored vehicles, tanks and patrol cars with unauthorized “PNP/Police” markings, all together confirm the existence of armed public uprising for the political purpose of removing allegiance from the national government,” the report states.
Executive Secretary Eduardo R. Ermita read the 20-page report before the joint session of the House of Representatives and the Senate at the Batasan Complex in
For her part, Secretary Agnes Devanadera, explaining the factual and legal bases of the proclamation, said there was a breakdown of the judicial system, with judges staying away from their courtrooms, making it difficult if not impossible to secure arrest and search warrants. She added that local government offices have also been shut down, with officials and employees nowhere to be found.
In the same joint session, Gen. Andres Caro II, PNP director for operation, said an estimated 2,400 heavily armed groups loyal to the Ampatuan family have strategically positioned themselves in several Maguindanao municipalities, notably Sharif Aguak, Datu Unsay, Datu Salibo, Mamasapano, Datu Saudi Ampatuan, Sultan sa Barongis, Datu Piang, Guindulungan, and Talayan.
He said these acts constitute “public uprising”.
“While the government, at present, is conducting legitimate operation to address the ongoing rebellion, public safety here requires the continuous implementation of martial law and the suspension of the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in the province of Maguindanao until the time that such rebellion is completely quelled,” Caro said.
According to Caro, implementation of martial law has led to the prompt arrest of several members of the Maguindanao Governor Andal Ampatuan Sr., ARRM Governor Zaldy Ampatuan, and their supporters, who were monitored to be preparing to resist government troops.
Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and House Speaker Prospero Nograles shared the view that President Arroyo could not be compelled to personally show up at Congress to render her report. Both presiding officers said the President, by submitting a written report, had complied with the requirement of the Constitution.
Also present in the joint session were Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Jesus Verzosa, and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) Vice Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang.
The joint session officially started at 4:12 pm Wednesday and was suspended by at 10:51 pm. It resumed at 2 p.m. Thursday.
PGMA has sufficiently fulfilled Constitutional requirements on ML declaration in Maguindanao
MANILA, Dec. 10 — A Palace spokesperson on Thursday maintained that President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has complied with Constitutional requisites when she filed with Congress her written report to justify her declaration of martial law and suspend the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus in Maguindanao province last Dec. 3.
Deputy Presidential Spokesman Gary Olivar defended the Chief Executive's non-appearance before a joint Senate-Congress session, stressing the Constitution does not require President Arroyo to personally face Congress in the course of legislative deliberations on martial law proclamation.
The submission of the President's report last Sunday night, Olivar pointed out should satisfy constitutional requisites.
"She (the President) has complied with the requirements, the information is right there, it is in writing so that they could read it carefully and all the members of the official family relevant to this matter have also appeared,” the deputy presidential spokesman added.
”If they have problem with the quality of the information that has been given to them in writing as for the supported by testimony delivered in person by the relevant members of our official family, that should be their focus and not whether or not she is there to deliver it,” Olivar also stressed.
Maguindanao Representative Didagen Dilangalen on Wednesday's opening of the joint session of House of Representatives and Senate questioned the non-appearance of President Arroyo during the deliberation of martial law declaration in Maguindanao.
House Speaker Prospero Nograles Jr. earlier said that the President need not show up during the joint session.
”She need not show up. It is not required and mandated as (in the case of) the Senate President and I think it is not necessary,” the House Speaker said.
President Arroyo has motored to Pampanga and Bulacan for a series of presidential good governance events while Congress held its joint session.
The joint session of House and Senate suspended the proceedings at 11:00 p.m. Wednesday and will resume on Thursday afternoon.
In attendance during the opening of the joint session on Wednesday held at the Batasan Pambansa were Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera, Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno, Philippine National Police (PNP) director-general Jesus Versoza.
Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales Jr. was in
Meanwhile, President Arroyo’s legal counsel Raul Gonzales prodded lawmakers to do away with what he termed as "boring questions" on Proclamation 1959 and instead proceed to vote to revoke or uphold the imposition of martial law.
”They should go directly to the voting. Their questions are all the same. I was so bored I fell asleep,” Gonzales was quoted as saying in a radio interview.
In a separate radio interview, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said that lawmakers should not forget that the objective of the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao is to give justice to the massacre victims and arrest all the perpetrators and dismantle private armies.
DILG installs Adiong as ARMM acting governor
MANILA, Dec. 10 – Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ronaldo Puno on Thursday sworn in Vice Governor Ansaruddin Alonto-Adiong of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao as acting governor of the ARMM.
Adiong replaced Zaldy Ampatuan, who was taken into military custody for his alleged involvement in last month’s massacre of 57 civilians in Maguindanao.
The Department of Justice has also charged Ampatuan with rebellion.
Puno administered the oath of office of Adiong as part of his general powers of supervision over the ARMM, which the President has delegated to the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) under Administrative Order 273.
“We thank acting Governor Ansaruddin Adiong for this very brave act. This is not going to be an easy task. The tasks that lie ahead are going to be difficult but we have confidence and faith in his ability as acting governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao,” Puno said.
“At this most trying times, we temporarily take over the reins of government in Muslim Mindanao. We are equally humbled by the enormity of the responsibility it carries,” Adiong said after taking his oath of office at
The oath-taking ceremony, held during simple rites at the conference room of the Camp Crame Multipurpose Hall, was also attended by representatives of the component provinces of the ARMM, including Rep. Pangalian Balindong of the second district of Lanao del Sur along with Governors Sakur Tan of Sulu, Jum Akbar of Basilan, Mamintal Alonto-Adiong Jr. of Lanao del Sur, and Sadikul Sahali of Tawi-Tawi.
“Today’s exercise will evidence and impress upon everyone that even with martial law in Maguindanao, the Constitution remains in effect, the civilian government is in place ... and all other aspects of governance will continue to exist,” Puno said.
He said the appointment of Adiong as regional governor of the ARMM would “set in motion” other events “to restore normalcy in Maguindanao.”
“I hope this will lay to rest all the fears about martial law and the delegation to the DILG by the President of her powers of general supervision over the ARMM that these will result in a de facto takeover of the region. That will not be the case. What will be enforced are the laws that continue to be in effect with or without martial law. Our laws remain in place no matter what crisis takes place,” Puno said.
At the start Wednesday night of the joint session of Congress tackling Proclamation 1959 by the President, which imposed a state of martial law in Maguindanao except for certain areas, Puno clarified his role in the ARMM, making it clear that he had no “blanket authority” or broad powers to either appoint a new regional governor or take over the area.
Puno sought to clarify misconceptions that he had become the “de facto governor” of ARMM following the issuance by President Arroyo of AO 273.
He said during the joint session by the bicameral Congress tackling Proclamation 1959 that under Republic Act 7160, or the Local Government Code, which provides for the autonomy of the local government units, the DILG had no control over LGUs, much less the autonomous regions in the country.
As for the President’s powers over the ARMM that were transferred to the DILG, Puno said that under Article V, Section 1 of Republic Act 9054, which strengthened and expanded the Organic Act for the ARMM, such powers were only to ensure that the acts of the regional governor were within the scope of his or her powers and functions.
“The nature of this supervision allows the President or her delegated authority to suspend the regional governor for a period of not more than six months” for willful violation of the Constitution or any existing law that applies to the ARMM, Puno said.
Puno also said the President, or her delegated authority, as stated under RA 9054, may suspend, reduce, or cancel the financial blocks or grants-in-aid, funds for infrastructure and other forms of assistance intended for the autonomous region.
Puno said that it was still the regional governor, unless he was rendered incapable of fulfilling his functions, who should appoint officers-in-charge in the autonomous region.
Because the regional governor,Zaldy Ampatuan, is now unable to carry out his functions, then under the principles of lawful succession, the vice governor—Adiong—has to take over as acting ARMM governor.
If for any reason the vice governor is incapable of carrying out this task, the Speaker of the Assembly is the next in line, Puno said.
Adiong, as acting governor, has the power to appoint the OICs to fill up the vacant positions in the ARMM.
He said that even with martial law in place in Maguindanao, the ARMM continued to enjoy autonomy.
Moreover, he said, the transfer of the President’s powers of general supervision over the ARMM to the DILG did not in any way “impair the autonomy of the region.”
