P-Noy installs new Army Chief
President Benigno S. Aquino III today installed Major General Arturo B. Ortiz as the new commanding general of the Philippine Army.
Ortiz, a holder of the Medal for Valor, the highest decoration in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), replaced Lt. Gen. Reynaldo Mapagu, who was promoted as AFP Vice Chief of Staff. Ortiz is the 53rd chief of the Army, the main force of the AFP.
The President supervised the change of command ceremony at the Army headquarters in
Military officers, enlisted personnel and civilian employees welcomed Ortiz’s assumption, saying he is highly qualified for the post.
After assuming his post, Ortiz laid out the Army’s essential tasks: the active pursuit of Internal Security Operations (ISO), eradication of terrorist groups, and support to the peace initiatives of the government.
He also committed the Army to non-traditional missions such as disaster relief operations, environmental protection and community development activities.
A member of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) Class of 1979, Ortiz is a bemedalled Army officer. Topping all his military medals and commendations is the Medal for Valor Award, which he received in 1990 from then President Corazon Aquino. The Medal of Valor is the highest military award given by the AFP.
Prior to his assumption as Army chief, Ortiz was the Commander of the Special Operations Command (SOCOM) of the Philippine Army. He also assumed other major posts in the AFP and the Philippine Army such as Regiment Commander of the Special Forces Regiment (Airborne) (SFRA), Chief of the AFP Command Center, Head of the Tactics Group and Commandant of Cadets in the Philippine Military Academy, Commanding Officer of the Security and Escort Battalion of the Philippine Army, and Commanding Officer of the 3rd Special Forces Battalion.
Ortiz hails from Bautista, Pangasinan and was born and raised in Acupan, Itogon, Benguet.
DOJ for total revamp, not abolition, of PCGG
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima today said she will recommend to President Benigno S. Aquino III a total revamp in the composition of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), but not the agency’s abolition.
“We need a new approach… conscious of the timeline… we need new faces… a group that will have a sense of urgency to resolve pending issues confronting the office,” de Lima said at a press briefing in Malacañang today.
De Lima said the PCGG, a collegial commission with quasi-judicial authority and full sequestration powers, has not fully accomplished its mandate since it was created in February 1986 by President Corazon C. Aquino.
The commission was tasked to focus on the criminal prosecution, as well as on the recovery of the alleged ill-gotten wealth, of the late President Ferdinand Marcos, his family, and cronies.
De Lima said the move to revamp the PCGG will be among the many reform initiatives expected from the Department of Justice, as it strives weed out corruption and regain the trust and confidence of the people.
De Lima also said she is still studying moves on whether or not to reconstitute two task forces—Task Force Anti-Smuggling and Task Force Anti-Tax Evasion—to provide support to the campaigns of the Bureau of Customs and the Bureau of Internal Revenue against smuggling and tax dodging, respectively.
“I’m still evaluating their performances, as it is important to have a committed task force to speed up the progress of cases filed,” she said.
However, she said another task force, Anti-Human Trafficking, will stay and has now been reconstituted under the leadership of Undersecretary Jose Vicente Salazar.
Topping the agenda of Task Force Anti-Human Trafficking are the cases against 18 Manila International Airport Authority (MIAA) personnel allegedly involved in the trafficking of Filipinos abroad.
DeLima also said she will review the purported “midnight rulings” of her predecessor, which included a controversial poaching case against Chinese nationals caught in
De Lima also said that she has yet to recommend to the President on who will be the replacement of resigned Bureau of Immigration Commissioner Marcelino Libanan.
“I have to be very careful in endorsing various posts,” she said, adding that the Immigration Bureau plays a very important role in curbing human trafficking.
P-Noy tells troops: Shortage in funds not a hindrance to disaster service
President Benigno S. Aquino III today called on the troops to carry on with their civil defense and disaster duties with renewed vigor and determination, even if support funding will be hampered by a shortage in calamity funds caused by the previous administration.
Addressing the turn-over of command of the Philippine Army in Fort Bonifacio, Makati City today, the President said that much of the calamity funds were already spent during the first half of the year, leaving little for the second half when more weather disturbances are expected to hit the country.
In today’s ceremonies, the President installed Major General Arturo B. Ortiz as the new Philippine Army chief, replacing Lieutenant General Reynaldo Mapagu, who was appointed Vice Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
“Halos nilimas na po ang pondong dapat magagamit
According to the President, who is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, he would not allow such practices under his administration.
“Hindi na po tayo papayag na magpatuloy ang ganitong kalakaran. Hindi tama na kung sino pa ang nagmamalasakit, kung sino pa ang labis labis ang sakripisyo para sa bayan, kayo pa ang pinahihirapan (We will no longer tolerate these practices. It is not right for those who sacrifice so much to suffer),” the President stressed.
Initial funds inventory disclosed recently by Budget Secretary Butch Abad showed that there are not enough funds left to deal with calamity disasters this year. Abad said less than 30%, or P592,034,346, remained of the P2 billion calamity fund allocated in the 2010 budget.
As the Arroyo administration has already used up to 70.4% or P1,407,965,654 in the first half of the year, Abad suggests that calamity funds may not be adequate to cope with this year’s typhoon season.
Of the remaining funds, the previous administration had not released the Quick Response Fund (QRF) of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and Department of National Defense (DND), which amounts to P605,500,000.
Still, about P315,150,000 in commitments by the Arroyo government will have to be deducted, which will eventually will in a negative balance in the calamity funds.
In a media briefing after the turnover rites, the President said the DBM is looking at realigning the remaining savings from the P1.5-trillion national budget, such as the untapped P1 billion or P1.5 billion fund of the Kilos Asenso program.
The 54-year-old Ortiz was a recipient of the Valor of Medal, the highest award given by the military, three Gold Cross medals and numerous distinctions. “He was highly recommended by the Board of Generals,” President Aquino said.
The Chief Executive said he would work with Ortiz and the entire military hierarchy in pushing the reforms and modernization of the AFP “to better serve the interest of the foot soldiers and the public towards attaining peace, stability and progress. “
“Only with peace and order can stability take hold. And only with stability can economic progress ensue,” President Aquino pointed out.
