SC says PGMA's appointment of next chief justice is not a 'midnight appointment'
Lucas wrote the 55-page decision of the SC in an en banc session on Wednesday that ruled that President Arroyo has the power to appoint the successor of Chief Justice Reynato Puno who will retire on May 17, 2010.
Lucas said that the so-called "midnight appointment" is a misnomer in the sense that the selection of the next Chief Justice will pass through the scrutiny of the Judicial and Bar Council (JBC).
The SC also ordered to submit its shortlist of nominees of at least three to four names to President Arroyo on or before May 17, 2010.
The SC told its critics to just file their respective motion for reconsideration instead of criticizing the magistrates.
SC Spokesman and Court Administrator Jose Midas Marquez said that the decision of the SC on the issue went through proper deliberation and independent votation by each magistrate.
Marquez said that it cannot be avoided that there were those who would not favor the SC ruling, however, they could still file their appeal before the highest court of the land.
He said that the SC ruling was not yet final and executory, adding that, the petitioners still have a period of 15 days within which to file their motion for reconsideration.
Romulo thanks
”We consider the great honor to have secured the overwhelming support of the NAM and other important partner countries in the international organization in advancing this noble cause,” Romulo said in his speech during Wednesday’s gala dinner which he and his wife Rosie Lovely Romulo hosted for the delegates of the ongoing first Special NAM Ministerial Meeting (SNAMMM) on Interfaith Dialogue and Cooperation for Peace and Development at the Philippine
”The Philippines stands with great pride in continuing for centuries all traditions of helping bridge the vacuum between different faiths and promoting tolerance, cooperation and understanding between religions by advocating interfaith dialogue in various fora,” he added.
Emphasizing the statement of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during Wednesday morning’s formal opening of the SNAMMM session, Romulo said interfaith dialogue has great potential in bringing local, national, regional and global peace and development.
”Interfaith dialogue has great potential in bringing about lasting peace and sustainable development and in forging international solidarity in addressing the pressing global issues of our time,” he said.
Romulo said the
The
The Kalilayan Folkloric Dancers featuring Ms. Isay Alvarez and Robert Sena started the gala performance that also included a symphony of dance, song and multimedia presentation that highlighted the different faiths that have influenced the
Before the gala dinner started, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis and Education Assistant Secretary for Special Projects Jonathan Malaya spearheaded the award of the winners of the SNAMMM Essay Writing Contest.
Ana Valeriano, a 16-year-old fourth year student of
Valeriano, eldest among four children of Romeo Valeriano, a ship fitter from a shipyard in Batangas, bested Reynaldo David and Karina Lei Relatado, who brought home the second and third prizes, respectively.
David, from the San Miguel (Bulacan) National High School, placed second with his essay titled “We are the children of the moon” while Relatado, from Digos City National High School, snatched third place with her entry, “An Option For Peace and Development.”
ALAY SIKAD SA KAGITINGAN kicks off on March 20
On Saturday, March 20, thousands of cyclists will prove that they can handle the heat of the sun by joining the ALAY SIKAD SA KAGITINGAN, a retracing of the Bataan Death March Route through a relay type of bike-a thon.
The trail is divided into six (6) stations namely: Station 1 Mariveles, Bataan, Station 2, Balanga, Bataan, Station 3 Lubao,Pampanga, Station 4,
Participants of this event will have the option to start at any station they prefer. Those who wish to start in Station 1 will have to go to Mariveles, the site of the OKM Death March Marker, at exactly five in the morning for a short program. After the program, participants shall take-off simultaneously at around 6:30 A.M. Cyclists who shall start at Stations 2 to 5 should assemble thirty (30) minutes to one (1) hour before the estimated time of arrival of the bike-a-thon. The participants shall stop at stations for hydration, refreshments, bike check-ups and other purposes. There will also be a noon-break to avoid the direct scorching heat of the sun. A bus and sag trucks will be available for those who wish to stop or rest for a while.
All cycling enthusiasts, including uniformed personnel from the AFP, PNP, BFP and BJMP and government agencies are invited to join the said event.
Registration forms are available in DILG Central Office and Regional Offices in
First Philippine Global Adult Tobacco survey shows many Filipinos exposed to second-hand smoke
The Department of Health (DOH) today disclosed that almost half of the Filipinos surveyed in the first Philippine Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS) revealed that they live in homes where smoking is allowed.
In coordination with the National Statistics Office, a total of 9,705 individuals in rural and urban areas of the country 15 years of age and older (to represent 61.3 million Filipinos) were selected and interviewed in 2009. Of this number, 28.3% were current tobacco smokers, representing 17.3 million Filipinos and 22.5% or approximately 13.8 million Filipinos smoke every day. The average age of initiation for daily smokers 18-34 years old was 17.4 years old.
The GATS data revealed that almost half (48.8% or 29.8 million) of Filipinos are exposed to cigarette smoke in their homes and 54% (32.9 million) reported that someone smokes at least monthly in their homes
The knowledge, attitude and perception of the respondents that smoking causes serious illness were very high at 94%; 95.6% believe that smoking can cause lung cancer, heart attack (81.3%) and stroke (75.5%).
More importantly, among those who work indoors, 65.4% of their worksites have policies “disallowing” smoking yet 13.9% were exposed to second hand smoke (SHS). More than a quarter (25.5%) of Filipinos who visited a government building during the past 30 days were similarly exposed. while 55.3% (28 million) Filipinos who used the public transport during the past month were exposed to SHS.
“This is why we are urging cigarette manufacturers to put graphic health warnings on their products”, Health Secretary Esperanza Cabral said, adding that there is also a need to work fast towards 100% smoke-free environments where there is still very high exposure of second-hand smoke at homes, public places and indoor places.
Cabral also said that communities and local government units need to address this issue by passing ordinances to strengthen provisions of RA9211 or the Tobacco Regulatory Act of 2003 on "Healthful Environment" without exemptions.
The GATS is a standardized global survey for systematically monitoring adult tobacco use and tracking key tobacco control indicators. The Philippine GATS is a joint collaborative effort of the Philippine Department of Health and the National Statistics Office, the field implementing agency. Technical support was provided by the World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
