"Now is the time for peace" - Aquino
Saying the Filipino is weary of all the fighting, discord, and senseless armed combat characteristic of the growing gap between the government and members of the rebel groups, President Benigno S. Aquino III called on all the stakeholders and concerned citizens to rally behind his administration and support the resumption of peace talks with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which will take place this month in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The President made the call during the “Ilaw ng Kapayapaan” (Light of Peace) candle lighting ceremonies held at the Quezon Memorial Circle Tuesday night.
The event is a run up for the upcoming resumption of peace negotiation with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and the National Democratic Front (NDF).
“Many parts of our country have been covered in the darkness of armed conflict. For the longest time, this has brought about pain, fear, divisiveness and hatred between Filipinos,” the President said.
“Sawa na ang Pilipino sa bangayan. Sawa na ang Pilipino sa walang-katuturang bakbakan. Sawa na ang Pilipinong makita ang kapwa nilang Pilipinong nadadamay sa madugong sagupaan na wala namang kinahahantungan. Sawa na ang Pilipino sa gulo; kapayapaan naman(The Filipino is tired of conflict. The Filipino is tired of senseless armed combat. The Filipino is tired of seeing his fellow Filipino caught between this bloody conflict that is going nowhere. The Filipino is tired of discord; now is the time for peace),” he added.
The President described the ceremonial candle lighting as a “symbol of our oneness and our single desire to fan the flames of true peace.”
“Ang liwanag na hatid ng tangan nating kandila ay magsisilbing gabay upang hindi na muli pang maligaw sa marahas at madugong landas ang ating bayan (The light from the candle we hold this evening will be our guide to ensure that our path towards peace for our country will not stray again towards a bloody end),” the President said.
“Now is the time to fan the flames of peace. Now is the time to set aside our differences, anxieties and doubt. Now is the time for renewed peace talks which should yield a meaningful agreement between the government and rebel groups,” he stressed.
The President announced that the government will hold exploratory talks with the MILF from February 9 to 10 and formal talks with the NDF from February 15 to 21 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
He noted that the tripartite meeting between the government, the MNLF and the Organization of Islamic Countries to study the implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement will be held from February 19 to 20 in Jeddah, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. (PCOO)
Aquino exhorts Filipinos to play active part in peace process
President Benigno S. Aquino III enjoined all Filipinos to play an active part in the government’s quest for lasting peace to forge for a meaningful peace accord with the rebel groups.
The Chief Executive issued the call during the “Ilaw ng Kapayapaan” (Light of Peace) candle lighting ceremonies held at the Quezon Memorial Circle on Tuesday.
“Bawa’t Pilipino ay apektado ng peace talks. At simula’t sapul, hinikayat ko na ang lahat na makiisa, makibahagi sa solusyon sa halip na dumagdag sa problema (All Filipinos are affected (by the outcome) of the peace talks. And since the beginning, I have enjoined everyone to join and be part of the solution instead of adding to the problem),” the President said.
“Makibalita, magbantay at makilahok sa usapang pangkapayapaan (Be informed, be alert and participate actively in the peace talks),” he stressed.
The President said that aside from getting news updates on the status of the peace process from the website of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (www.opapp.gov.ph), their Facebook and Twitter accounts are equally accessible.
“Maipapaalam ninyo dito ang inyong mga saloobin at mungkahi upang sama-sama natin itaguyod ang peace process,” the President said.
“Sa mga simpleng paraan na ito, makakatulong na tayo sa pagpapakalat sa adbokasiya ng kapayapaan, maipaparamdam pa natin sa lahat na ang kanilang paglalaan ng oras at talento ay may makabuluhang ambag sa katuparan ng hangaring ito,” he added. (PCOO)
Aquino to inaugurate Presidential Situation Room
President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate on Thursday the Presidential Situation Room (PSR) which will provide him the capability to handle situations of critical importance to national security.
Located at the Presidential Security Group compound across Malacañang, the PSR will also provide the President information in real time and a space set aside for dealing with security situations.
National Security Adviser Ret. Gen. Cesar Garcia said during the unveiling of the plan to create a PSR last year, the facility will “give the President a situational awareness of what is going on in the country that might have an impact or implication on national security.”
Garcia further said that on a daily basis, the PSR will supply the President short briefs of ongoing events and comment on them if they are significant or not.
It will also be a venue he added for a crisis management operations center in the event of a national crisis. This, he said, is where the Crisis Management Committee will convene to discuss an ongoing situation, and probably arrive at a decision on the various courses of action that are made available.
The President created the PSR by virtue of Administrative Order No. 2 on Sept. 17 last year.
It is managed and operated by the Office of the National Security Adviser and performs the following functions:
a) Monitors events, situations and developments that have national security implications including those with serious diplomatic, political and peace and order ramifications;
b) Provides current intelligence and crisis support to the President, the Executive Secretary, the National Security Adviser and the Secretary of the Presidential Management Staff;
c) Serves as the primary monitoring, coordination and communications center in Malacañang on classified information;
d) Coordinates the collection, verification and evaluation of highly sensitive information bearing on national security;
e) Establishes linkages and coordinates with the various operations centers of civil and security agencies of government;
f) Serves as the National Crisis Management Operations Center for various contingencies and crises.
“All concerned government agencies including the intelligence units of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, the Philippine National Police, the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, and representatives from the President’s Communications Group shall provide support in manning the PSR. Other vital government agencies may be called upon to provide support as may be determined by the National Security Adviser/Director-General.,” AO #2 stated.
The PSR has an initial budget of P5.5 million for the purchase of office equipment and for the operations of the PSR, sourced from the Office of the President. (PCOO)
Ochoa says reforms in AFP ongoing
Reforms in the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are underway to institutionalize the much-needed improvement and transformation of the military, Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Wednesday said.
Ochoa said the reforms were in line with the Aquino Administration’s determination to address the problems and issues raised in the Armed Forces.
“We know that we really need to make some improvements and reforms and we’re doing that. I have talked to Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and asked him to line up actual and detailed reforms that we’re trying to institute now,” Ochoa said.
“My only appeal is for people not to drag everybody in the AFP or the entire institution into any of these (controversies). This is the more important thing,” he added.
The Executive Secretary explained that when Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin took office in July 2010, steps to tighten budget spending, process of procuring supplies and equipment, and internal controls were implemented.
These efforts are intended to ensure that transactions are transparent and that the AFP coffers will be safe from abuse and misuse, Ochoa said.
One of the key changes is the strict enforcement of the provisions of the Commission on Audit (COA) Circular No. 97-2002: Reinstatement With Amendments of the Rules and Regulations on the Granting, Utilization and Liquidation of Cash Advances Provided Under COA No. 90-331 to address the “conversion” of the AFP funds.
In line with this, the administration has designated special disbursement officers (SDOs) whose task is to attend to the financial requirements of the Department National Defense (DND) agencies and AFP units through the cash advance system.
The administration also has strengthened the internal control systems in all agencies and units under the AFP and DND by conducting a pre-audit on all procurement activities.
This process eliminates ghost deliveries of goods and services and complements the post-audit operations to be performed by resident COA auditors assigned to all procuring units of the AFP and DND.
At the same time, a memorandum of agreement forged by the DND Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) with the Coalition Against Corruption was recently amended to expand representation to committee proceedings to include members of the media.
Aside from representatives from the Bishops-Businessmen’s Conference for Human Development and the Makati Business Club, three members of the Defense Press Corps will sit as observers in the BAC deliberations. (PCOO)
Aquino urges Pinoys: Help PH bid for New 7 Wonders of Nature
PUERTO PRINCESA CITY, Palawan: President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday urged Filipinos help push the country’s bid for a spot in the search for the New Seven Wonders of Nature after a tour of the Philippines’ official entry, the Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), here.
The President made the pitch after seeing for himself the spectacular sights at the PPSRNP which include various rock formations and flora and fauna.
Among the exotic animals seen at the park were monitor lizards locally known as “bayawak”, groups of wild monkeys, various species of fish and the local “tabon” bird, among others.
The President was welcomed by local officials led by Provincial Governor Baham Mitra; Puerto Princesa City Mayor Edward Hagedorn, Lt. Gen. Juancho Saban, Commanding General, WESCOM; BGen. Esteban Castro, Wing Commander 570th CTW; Commo Edgardo Tamayo, Commander NAVFORWEST; Capt. Alex Lopez, Cmdr., Joint Task Force Malampaya and PC/Supt. Artemio Hicban Jr. Regional Director PRO 4B and well wishers of around 1,000 from various sectoral groups.
During the media briefing at the Sheridan Resort and Spa after the tour, the Chief Executive encouraged the people to participate in the global polling through SMS by sending “PPUR” to 2861.
“Let us promote tourism to help create a better future for the Filipinos”, President Aquino noted.
Also part of the Presidential entourage were Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office (PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang and Fr. Ramon Jet Villarin, incoming president, ADMU.
After the President’s visit to the PPSRNP, several presentations were made relevant to the Pro-Environment theme of the government’s Eco-Tourism promotions. PPSRNP serves as launching pad and unifying element for the thematic campaign.
The Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park (PPSRNP), formerly St. Paul Subterranean National Park, is located at Sitio Sabang, Barangay Cabayugan, in the Midwest coast of Palawan and some 81 kilometers northwest of Puerto Princesa City.
PPSRNP is reputed to be the longest navigable underground river in the world at a length of 8.2 kilometers that winds through spectacular limestone formations before emptying out into the South China Sea.
In 1999, the park was declared as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Natural World Heritage Site.
It was also proclaimed “National Geological Monument in the year 2003 by the National Committee on Geological Sciences.
The PPSRNP is managed by the City Government of Puerto Princesa based on a program centered on environmental conservation and sustainable development, through a multi-sectoral Protected Area Management Board (PAMB). It has the distinction of being the first national park devolved and successfully managed by a Local Government Unit (LGU).
The PPSRNP is one of the finalists for the search competing with 27 other sites for the title.
The New 7 Wonders of Nature is a competition organized by the Swiss-based New7Wonders Foundation (government-controlled corporation), led by the Canadian-Swiss Bernard Weber.
The competition started in 2007 to choose seven (7) symbols of nature via global polling, immediately after the successful campaign to elect the man-made official New 7 Wonders of the World, in which more than 100 millions votes were cast. (PCOO)
