Palace issues new amnesty proclamation
President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday signed Proclamation No. 75 granting amnesty to active and former officers and enlisted personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), the Philippine National Police (PNP) and their supporters involved in the three attempts to overthrow his predecessor.
The new amnesty proclamation takes effect upon the concurrence of the majority of all members of Congress. It also supersedes Proclamation No. 50, which was issued on October 11, 2010.
Proclamation No. 75 covers crimes punishable under the Revised Penal Code, the Articles of War and other laws in connection with the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny, the February 2006 Marine stand-off and the November 2007 Peninsula Manila hotel incident.
The amnesty, however, does not cover “rape, acts of torture, crimes against chastity, and other crimes committed for personal ends.”
Personnel of the AFP and the PNP and their supporters may apply for the amnesty with the Department of National Defense (DND) within 90 days after the publication of the proclamation in newspapers of general circulation.
Enlisted personnel of the AFP with the rank of technical sergeant and below and PNP personnel with the rank of senior police officer 3 (SP03) and below whose amnesty application will be approved are entitled to reinstatement or reintegration.
Under the proclamation, however, they are “not entitled to back pay during the time they have been discharged or suspended from the service or unable to perform their military or police duties.”
Master sergeants and all commissioned officers of the AFP and all PNP officers with the rank of SP04 and above are not entitled to reinstatement or reintegration and back pay.
All AFP and PNP personnel who will be granted amnesty but will not be reinstated or reintegrated will be entitled to retirement and separation benefits if they qualify under existing laws and regulations at the time of their separation, unless such benefits are forfeited for reasons other than acts covered by the proclamation.
The new amnesty proclamation includes revisions based on input from legislators involved in congressional hearings on Proclamation No. 50. (PCOO)
New bank notes with Aquino’s signature presented at Palace
The Philippine peso will have a new face in time for the celebration of Christmas next month.
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) will be launching a new redesigned batch of bank notes in December that will feature an upgraded design and security features.
This was disclosed by Ms. Fe M. dela Cruz, BSP’s Corporate Affairs Office, on Thursday, during the presentation of bank notes bearing the signature of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III at the Presidential Guest House in Malacañang.
Dela Cruz said that the newest batch of notes to be launched include the 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 peso bills, all of which will have the newest design and a much stricter security features.
Dela Cruz did not give specific details but assured that the BSP has been working hard on the newest batch of notes adding that it will be appreciated by the public.
“The security features are more difficult and will be more costly for counterfeiters to copy pero mas madali po sa public na ma-identify kung alin ang counterfeit at alin yung genuine”, Dela Cruz said.
She urged the public to take care of the bank notes for it represents the Filipino culture and core values.
“Let us not crumple, wet, or deface our peso bills. We should always be careful in handling our legal tender,” said Dela Cruz, stressing that the peso bills represent the nation, and its people, as well as what we take pride of as Filipinos.
Dela Cruz clarified that only the design and security features will be upgraded, the color of the bank notes to be launched will be retained to allay confusion from the public.
She added that the peso bills with the old design and features remain legal tender until it will be phased out in three to four years time.
During the event, the BSP presented to the President a complete set of Philippine peso bills with his signature but with the same design and features. The said batch of notes will be in circulation starting tomorrow.
The BSP has been printing bank notes with the signature of President Aquino since he assumed office in June. At least two billion pieces of bank notes, of all denominations, are being printed every year. (PCOO)
PCSO transfer to OP has Ona, Juico imprimatur
The immediate transfer of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office to the Office of the President sits well with both Health Secretary Enrique Ona and PCSO Chairman Margarita Juico, who actually recommended the move four months ago.
In a phone interview, Ona said he suggested the transfer because the Department of Health is not the right agency to raise funds through lotteries being undertaken by the PCSO.
“But in the allocation of funds that is where we must be consulted,” Ona said.
Juico, for her part, said she asked the help of the Office of the Executive Secretary and the OP legal advisers to review the PCSO legal mandate. They revisited the charter and found out that it would be better returned with the Office of the President,” she said.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has since taken back control of the agency tasked with raising and providing funds for health programs, medical assistance and services and charities of national character.
More known for the traditional Sunday Sweepstakes raffle and the daily lottery, which of late has grown to a pot of P600 million for the 6/55 super lotto, the PCSO has become a source of hope for most Filipinos, regardless of class, gender and age, for their financial upliftment.
In issuing Executive Order No. 14, the President said the PCSO, which was created by Republic Act 1169 was originally under the OP.
Then EO No. 38u3 of Nov. 8, 2004 transferred the PCSO to the Department of Social Welfare and was again transferred to the Department of Health by virtue of EO 455 of Aug. 22, 2005.
The President cited Section 31 of the Administrative Code of 1987 as his justification for transferring agencies to the OP from other departments and agencies.
“One of the main objectives of the OP is to enhance the health services and charity programs to the public as well as to immediately respond to calamities, disaster relief and emerging illnesses,” the President said.
To ensure the effective implementation of the social agenda of the President and to effectively facilitate the health services and charity programs of OP there is need to return PCSO to the Office of the President, the EO said. (PCOO)
Growth path hinges on 3 fundamentals identified by Aquino
The government’s economic team is basing future growth targets on three fundamentals identified by President Benigno S. Aquino III.
In a press briefing after the launch of the new P500 notes at the Premier Guest House of Malacanang, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima said the three fundamentals include getting rid of corruption, improving the bureaucracy and infrastructure development.
Purisima said the team will let the private sector do its part under the private public partnership (PPP) because “we believe that if we give the private sector a predictable environment, level playing field and transparent way of doing things we will be able to gain the private sector’s confidence so they can make more investment.”
The President recently launched 10 infrastructure projects to be covered by the PPP where the private sector can invest.
Purisima said growth can happen based on the ability to really get people to invest. “In the past the 45 straight quarters of growth was made mainly on consumption and has been basically at the lower end as a result poverty in the Philippines continued to increase,” he explained.
“The President’s goal is to reduce poverty which can only be done by accelerating growth, sustaining it and making sure we do the fundamental changes to keep it that way,” he added.
Purisima said the government will continue the conservative approach while working on the fundamentals “so that when the upturn in the global economy happens next year we will be able to capture more than our fair share.”
“Clearly we are very optimistic because not only are we focused on the right things but there are several trends going for the Philippines such as the continued growth of the outsourcing industry at 20 percent; the resilience of overseas Filipino workers’ remittances, the full integration of the semiconductor industry with the electronics industry of the Association of Southeast Asian nations and good mineral prices,” Purisima said.
“If we focus on the foundations, building the supply chain, building the infrastructure and really making sure that the macroeconomic fundamentals remain benign and stable, we're confident of getting a growth in our gross domestic product by 7 percent in 2010,” he added.
Purisima said the Monetary Board has approved the peso bond swap because it will enable the country to stretch the maturities of its debt papers and allow it some breathing space.
“Hopefully it will also deepen the interest in the capital market for long term instruments like 25- year bonds,” he said
Purisima said the peso bond swap will open up the market to longer tenor instruments and make the 25-year notes more liquid. This in turn will be good for infrastructure proponents and individuals seeking long term funds in the future as more longer term loans will now be available to those in need of funds.
On how much can be raised from the peso bond swap, Purisima said “it really depends on the market. It is up to Treasurer Tan to execute it in a manner that is good for the country. If the pricing is favorable we will swap more but if not, then we will swap less peso bonds.” (PCOO)
Nation observes Ninoy’s 78th Birth Anniversary Saturday
On Saturday, Nov. 27, the nation will observe the 78th Birth Anniversary of a great statesman and a well-loved Filipino – Senator Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino Jr.
This year’s birth anniversary of the most prominent opposition during the time of then President Ferdinand Marcos, is more significant since his only son, Benigno S. Aquino III, is now the country’s President.
Several activities remembering the martyred senator’s birth anniversary are slated on Saturday, but the President chose to observe a private and solemn commemoration.
The Aquino family, according to the Benigno S. Aquino Foundation, a non-stock, non-profit organization formed on Nov. 23, 1983 to continue the personal mission of the former senator after his assassination in 1983, will have a private family mass. The venue has yet to be disclosed.
The Foundation, in partnership with non-governmental organizations will hold the first –ever “Yellow Sale” starting Friday until Sunday at La Plaza in Tendesitas in Pasig City.
The event aims to promote micro-entrepreneurship and social enterprise as facets of “People Power.”
The City of Manila will hold a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Ninoy located outside the Intramuros walls right across the historic Manila Hotel and Rizal Park.
The late Senator Aquino was born in Tarlac from a highly respected family that had long been involved in politics. His paternal grandfather, General Servillano Aquino was a famed revolutionary who fought the Spaniards and then the Americans at the turn of the century. His father, Benigno Aquino Sr. was a House Speaker and then a senator.
Ninoy at a very young age became the Mayor of his hometown Concepcion, then Governor of Tarlac, then Senator of the Republic. As Senator, he was a staunch defender of human rights and became the number one critic of the Marcos administration.
After almost seven years and seven months in prison, Ninoy was allowed to fly to the United States along with his family to seek medical treatment for his heart ailment. He spent three years in the U.S.
In the early years of 1983, he received news of the deteriorating political situation in the Philippines. Many of his friends in politics urged him to return to the country before the extremists could take over. Despite all odds and aware of what might happen to him, he returned to the Philippines.
The assassination of Ninoy on August 21,1983 at the then Manila International Airport now Ninoy Aquino International Airport,. roused the nation. His death paved the way for his wife Cory to continue what he had left behind – the battle for the restoration of freedom and democracy.
Twenty-seven years after his death, Ninoy continues to inspire the Filipinos to take up the challenge of restoring freedom and trust in the country’s democratic system.
Ninoy was described as “a man who can set aside his own personal comfort, his interests, and even his life, to achieve greater good for the whole country.” (PCOO)
