PGMA inaugurates new government center in Bulacan town
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo led the inauguration of this municipality’s newly-constructed state-of-the-art government center on Monday.
Together with Bulacan Rep. Lorna Silverio, San Rafael Mayor Ricardo Silverio and other local executives, the President cut the ceremonial ribbon and unveiled the project marker to signal the formal opening of the modernized center to the public.
Immediately thereafter, the Chief Executive inspected the new municipal hall which houses the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the engineering offices on the ground floor, and the Mayor’s Office, Municipal Planning and Development Office, Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) office and the Sangguniang Bayan Session Hall on the second floor.
"It is our great privilege that President Arroyo joined us in the formal opening of this state-of-the-art government center. We would like to thank her for taking time amid her busy schedule,” the
Situated in a 2.8-hectare lot along the
Fund for the project was partly sourced from the President’s Social Fund with P5 million and another P20 million from the congressional development fund of Bulacan 3rd District Rep. Silverio.
PGMA has the prerogative to appoint next SC Chief Justice -- Gonzalez
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Raul M. Gonzalez Sr. said on Monday President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can appoint the replacement or successor of Supreme Court (SC) Chief Justice Reynato Puno who will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70 on May 17, 2010.
"For me, the President (PGMA) has the prerogative to appoint the Chief Justice once Justice Puno retires," Gonzalez stressed.
The retirement of Puno comes a week after the scheduled May 10, 2010 presidential elections and 45 days before the end of President Arroyo's term on June 30.
"There are instances that the submission of a list of nominees is delayed due to certain requirements and processing," Gonzalez noted.
The Judicial and Bar Council (JBC), a constitutional body, submits its short list of nominees, at least three or four aspirants, to the Office of the President (OP) once vacancy exists in the Judiciary.
"President Arroyo can appoint, but the list of nominees cannot be made in advance," Gonzalez pointed out.
Likewise, the Chief Presidential Legal Counsel negated the statement of Liberal Party (LP) standard bearer Senator Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III that he will not recognize whoever President Arroyo will appoint as the next SC Chief Justice.
"Noynoy Aquino is very arrogant in this issue and presumptioning that he will be the next President," Gonzalez stressed.
Aquino has stated that once he is elected president, he will not recognize the appointment of the new SC Chief Justice by President Arroyo, adding that such appointment is covered by the "prohibitive period" such that the President cannot make appointments, except temporary appointments to executive positions, 60 days prior to the next succeeding presidential elections until his/her term expires.
"I don't think Noynoy knows the integrity of the Constitution," Gonzalez said.
Usec. Ebarle thanks NBI, Police for Ivler’s arrest
Presidential Chief of Staff Undersecretary Renato Ebarle Sr. on Monday thanked the law enforcement authorities for the successful arrest of road rage suspect Jason Ivler who is accused of shooting to death his son, Renato Jr. during a traffic altercation in Quezon City late last year.
“We thank the Philippine National Police (PNP), Quezon City Police District (QCPD) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) for the speedy solution of my son’s case. Mr. Ivler has disturbed a lot people,” Ebarle said in a telephone interview.
The elder Ebarle said Ivler and those involved in hiding him should be given a hold departure order including his step father, Stephen Pollard.
Undersecretary Ebarle noted Ivler's mother even told police that she received an e-mail from her son, saying that he was already in the
The elder Ebarle said charges should be filed against the house staff of the Ivler home as well as Ivler's father, Asian Development Bank official Stephen Pollard, for harboring a known criminal.
The Palace official thanked law enforcers for not letting up on the case and for finally arresting Ivler. "It's good that he was finally arrested because he could hurt a lot more people," he said.
"Today, January 18, is the 60th day since my son was killed. He was killed on November 18. This is my only son. It's been very hard for us but this morning, our prayers were answered," he added.
Ivler, the suspect in the killing of the son of a Malacañang official, was finally arrested Monday morning by NBI operatives after a gunfight that injured an agent and allegedly, the suspect himself in
Initial reports showed that at 7:35 am NBI agents arrested Ivler, who was allegedly hiding inside his room located at the basement of their residence in No. 23 Hillside Drive in Blue Ridge A Subdivision in
The NBI agents arrived at the suspect’s residence at around
Using two ladders, several operatives went over the gate of the Aguilar residence and searched the entire house.
They were greeted by the protestations of Aguilar, who earlier claimed that she was not aware of the whereabouts of her son.
A wet towel, which was seemingly dumped hurriedly at the basement floor, however, tipped NBI agents further that "someone" was inside one of the basement rooms.
NBI agents converged at the area. When agents were about to arrest Ivler, the latter allegedly open fired at the arresting team, hitting Special Investigator (SI) Anna Labao in the right leg.
Ivler, while being whisked out of the mansion, also seemed to have been hit. NBI lawyers were present during the NBI operation.
Ivler was implicated in the killing of Renato Ebarle Jr., who was gunned along Boni Serrano in Barangay Socorro,
Dr. Fernando Lopez, chief of the QMMC Surgery department, said in a telephone interview Ivler's vital signs have already stabilized although he would have to undergo surgery to remove his spleen.
"The patient has been stabilized and his vital signs are OK at the moment. He's currently under general anesthesia. The bullet went through his abdomen and pierced his large intestine," he said.
Ivler’s name was already on the Interpol Red Notice List since his warrant of arrest was released in the
Malacañang also offered a P1-million reward for any information that would lead to Ivler’s arrest.
Ivler, an American citizen, is the stepson of an Asian Bank economist. He faced a criminal case in 2004 which accused him of reckless imprudence resulting in homicide.
He was involved in a deadly car accident that killed presidential adviser Nestor Ponce Jr. in August 2004.
Road rage suspect Jason Ivler was arrested by agents of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) before dawn Monday at his family residence in Blue Ridge,
LPA to bring rains over southern
The state weather bureau warned of possible landslides and flashfloods triggered by continuing rains over southern Philippines due to a low pressure area spotted near southern
In its
"Occasional to frequent rains over Visayas and
"Residents along the flood and landslide prone areas are advised to take all the necessary precautionary measures," Pagasa added.
The rest of the country, including Metro Manila, will have mostly cloudy skies with scattered light rains.
The northeast monsoon is still affecting eastern seaboards of Luzon, Visayas and
The Pagasa also warned operators of small fishing boats or seacrafts against strong to gale force wind which is expected to affect the seaboards of Luzon, Visayas and
NBDB again takes train passengers on a “poetic ride of their lives”
The National Book Development Board (NBDB) in partnership with the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA), Vibal Foundation, Optical Media Board, and the Book Development Association of the Philippines formally launched the “Tulaan sa Tren
“Tulaan sa Tren
National artist for literature Bienvenido Lumbera, the event’s guest speaker, stressed the need for the Filipino people to be aware of Philippine poetry. He said that Tulaan sa Tren is the easiest way that this can be achieved.
The Tulaan sa Tren 2 featured poems by the country’s best poets and the winning entries of the Tulaan sa Tren 2 Poetry Writing Contest, launched by the NBDB in 2009.
Featured alongside the works of revered Filipino poets like Lumbera, Rio Alma, Jose Lacaba, Marra Lanot, Marjorie Evasco, and Alfred Yuson were the winning entries by Joselito de los Reyes (1st Prize, Filipino category), Gexter Ocampo Lacambra (2nd Prize, Filipino category), Abdon Balde, Jr. (3rd Prize, Filipino category), Kristian Sendon Cordero (Runner-up, Filipino category), Danilo Diaz (Runner-up, Filipino category), Raymond Falgui (1st Prize, English category), Louella Santiago Suque (2nd Prize, English Category), and Raymund Reyes (3rd prize, English category). Mr. Lumbera and
The launching also witnessed the inaugural train ride from the Santolan Station to Recto Station where the poems were simultaneously read.
The affair showcased poems about travels and places, from moving house and leaving behind one’s childhood memories, to the OFW’s longing for his own country and family, the Filipino’s globalization experience, escaping the hustle and bustle of the city, and many more.
The poems also ranged from happy and nostalgic, to distressing and heart-breaking, so that even for just a few minutes, a train passenger would get a momentary break from the daily stress of every day commute. The featured poems are compiled in the book Off the Beaten Track, printed by Vibal Foundation.
Tulaan sa Tren was first launched in 2008 to bring Philippine poetry closer to the general public. Posters of poems are posted inside LRT trains, while the audio versions recorded by celebrities are played over the LRT’s public address system.
