President Aquino is for responsible parenthood, abhors abortion
President Benigno S. Aquino III is for responsible parenthood and is against abortion.
In a statement on Thursday, the President said he is resolute in his position on the issue.
“We are all guided by our consciences. My position has not changed. The state’s duty is to educate our families as to their responsibilities and to respect their decisions if they are in conformity to our laws,” the Chief Executive said.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, in a press briefing on Friday echoed the President’s position that parents are the ultimate decision-makers after being informed of the various choice of family planning. He added that the government will respect whatever their decision is and they will be given assistance by the government if they would require such help.
He added that the government should educate the public on responsible parenthood and informed choice on family planning, including the Church’s natural methods of family planning.
“We believe our position is reasonable, righteous and for the welfare of the people,” he stressed.
The Presidential Spokesperson also said that Malacañang remains hopeful that the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) will heed its call for a dialogue to discuss the President’s position on the issue as there have been so many misconceptions and speculations.
“We want to clear the air with the bishops,” Lacierda pointed out.
Lacierda recalled that when he was still Senator, the President wrote a letter to CBCP stating clearly his position on the matter and his willingness to enter into a dialogue with the bishops, but there was no response to date. (PCOO)
A high-level delegation off to China this month
A Philippine high-level delegation will be sent to China this month to present the report of the Independent Investigative and Review Committee (IIRC) on the August 23 hostage taking incident in Manila.
In a media briefing at Malacanang on Friday Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the trip would likely push through after the October 1-7 holiday in China.
Once President Benigno S. Aquino III gives the go-signal, Lacierda said the delegation, headed by Vice President Jejomar Binay and Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo, will proceed with the trip to the mainland.
At present, Lacierda said the President is carefully studying the report and recommendations submitted by the IIRC. (PCOO)
Palace reminds public of PhilHealth registration
Malacanang today reminded the public of tomorrow’s one-day registration with the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to ensure access to quality health service during hospitalization.
In a media briefing on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said registration is from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in all regional and service offices of Philhealth nationwide and the 17 centers for health development of the Department of Health.
He said 72 retained hospitals of the DoHwill receive applications and payments of P300 for the quarter beginning October 1 or P1, 200 for one year for those wishing to pay their contributions in advance.
Dubbed Philhealth Sabado, the nationwide registration day sponsored by the DoH, Philhealth, Department of Social Welfare and Department of Interior and Local Government as well as non government and professional groups, targets the informal sector, the non-indigents and those under the Individual Paying Program and the Sponsored Program to enlist in the 19 registration sites, three of them in Quezon City.
Registration entails only minimal identification document such as valid identification card, the Philhealth explained.
Philhealth now has 20.1 million members with an average of five dependents or around 85 percent coverage rate as of February this year.
Earlier, the Philhealth said that on registration day, Philhealth cards will be issued to new and current members who might wish to update their membership records.
Under the sponsored program, the National Household Targeting System (NHTS) list from the DSWD, indigent families will be registered under the Philhealth SP and will be given cards which they can use for one year with a monthly premium of P100.
Families claiming to be indigents could be included under the local government unit or self proclaimed Premium Payment for Sponsored program.
The DoH has committed P500 million as local counterpart funds for the enrolment of eligible NHTS-listed families, the Philhealth reported. (PCOO)
Aquino gov't on track with poverty anti-corruption programs
The Aquino administration is on track with its poverty alleviation and anti corruption programs in the first hundred days of President Benigno S. Aquino III.
This was the assessment of Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda in a news briefing Friday morning when asked for his rating of the President’s first 100 days in office.
“In terms of our programs, we have two platforms namely poverty alleviation and eradication of corruption. We are on track on those two levels,” Lacierda confidently stated.
“We have started our poverty alleviation programs, now in place. And on eradication of corruption, the Bureau of Internal Revenue and the Bureau of Customs have been filing every week against tax cheats and smugglers,” Lacierda added.
These are continuing programs, Lacierda said adding that “the fruits of these efforts will go beyond 100 days. “You will see what the Aquino administration has been doing towards the poor and promoting services to the public,” he added.
“We are on track with our programs. We may have been sidelined a bit by the IIRC (incident investigation and review committee) but we are on track,” he pointed out.
Lacierda refused to discuss what the most difficult problem during the first 100 days was. “I think that is for the President to state, not me. We may have differences there. What I feel might be the most difficult may not be the most difficult for the President so it will be good for him to state so.”
In other matters, Lacierda said the Palace has yet to receive a copy of the resolution filed in the Senate to pardon Senator Trillanes for his involvement in the Oakwood and Manila Peninsula mutiny against the previous administration.
He also said the planned fare hike for the Metro Rail Transit is still being discussed in public consultation and there has yet been no rate discussed. He said reducing the subsidies to MRT fares will enable government to spend more on buying new coaches, new trains and improve the services.
Just like the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX) toll rates, the increases are necessary to improve the services. “As you all know, previously NLEX had a lot of complaints from commuters but with the improved services, motorists and commuters no longer opposed the planned toll rate hikes,” Lacierda added. (PCOO)
No politics behind OVP budget cut - Lacierda
Malacanang clarified today that there is no politics behind the budget cut in the Office of the Vice President.
In a media briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said the decision of the executive review board led by Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad to cut the maintenance, operating and other expenses (MOOE) of the cabinet agencies was in line with President Benigno S. Aquino III cost-cutting measures to reduce government expenses.
He pointed out that the budget reduction not only affected the Office of the Vice President, but also other agencies including the Office of the President itself.
“All of these were done to reduce the expenses of the government. Hindi iyon specifically nakatutok lang sa OVP,” Lacierda explained.
During a Senate budget hearing on Thursday, Binay decried the P177.1-million budget allotted to the OVP, pointing out that the figure is lower than the P195 million his office asked for. It is also P7.9 million less than the OVP's 2010 budget.
The OP, according to Lacierda has even slashed its budget request for the next fiscal year by 4.3 percent to P4.075 billion from the previous administration’s P4.259 billion.
To keep the expenses low, he pointed out that the OP already reduced the spending plan across the various services within Malacañang and abolished 10 attached offices. It has also, he said, realigned the money from the Palace intelligence funds and the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission to cover the funding requirements of the two new offices.
Next year’s appropriation for MOOE, Lacierda said was also cut by P163.9 million, with professional services getting the biggest cut of P152.7 million, and a cutback in expenses for printing, advertising, travel and representation allowance. (PCOO)
Gov't ready to adopt open skies policy as PAL row heightens
So as not to inconvenience the riding public, the government is ready to implement an open skies policy should the management of Philippine Airlines (PAL) and its cabin crew fail to resolve their differences amicably.
In a media briefing in Malacanang on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Atty. Edwin Lacierda said President Benigno S. Aquino III have already warned both parties that government would offer PAL flight schedules to other airlines if the planned strike of its cabin crew pushes through .
“What is important to the President is the concern for the riding public. Kung hindi nila maayos iyan, he will not sacrifice, he will not prejudice the public,” Lacierda said.
Earlier, the President had indicated that an open skies policy would be resorted to if the planned PAL strike pushes through.
A deregulated air traffic in such a policy will allow other airlines to service the routes of local carriers which PAL has been opposing.
Lacierda said this already happened in 1997 when Cathay Pacific took over the domestic and international operations of PAL during its 14-day shutdown at the height of the Asian financial crisis.
“So, this can happen again for the purpose of not prejudicing the riding public,” Lacierda said.
PAL’s cabin crew has warned of implementing a strike after initial negotiations with the airline management failed on issues such as mandatory retirement age, wage hike, and maternity leaves. (PCOO)
