Aquino welcomes new Apostolic Nuncio to the Philippines
President Benigno S. Aquino III received Vatican’s newly-appointed Papal Nuncio to the Philippines who presented his letter of credentials to Malacanang.
In simple ceremony at the Music Room of the Malacanang Palace on Friday, the President warmly welcomed Archbishop Guiseppe Pinto who is tasked to continue strengthening the ties between the Catholic Church and the government.
Archbishop Pinto was accompanied by First Counselor Monsignor Gabor Pinter. Also in attendance were Foreign Affairs Acting Secretary Esteban Conejos Jr., Chief of Presidential Protocol Miguel Perez Rubio and Foreign Affairs chief of protocol Virginia Buenavidez.
Born on March 26, 1952 in Noci, province of Bari, the Italian Archbishop was ordained priest on April 1, 1978.
Archbishop Pinto, who was previously the papal nuncio to Chile, is the 15th Papal representative and the 10th Apostolic nuncio to the Philippines.
Papal or apostolic nuncio is the official title of the permanent diplomatic representative and head of the diplomatic mission of the Holy See to a state or international organization.
He has the rank of an ambassador like those from any other country.
The papal nuncio enjoys seniority of precedence over other ambassadors in the Philippines, which grants the Pope’s representative the deanship of the country’s diplomatic corps.
On May 10, Pope Benedict XVI officially named the Italian prelate as apostolic nuncio to the Philippines, a seat left by his predecessor, Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, last May 7.
In addition to his diplomatic duties, the nuncio serves as the liaison between the Holy See and the Roman Catholic diocesan episcopate in the country. Archbishop Pinto holds a doctorate in canon law and is fluent in Italian, French, English and Spanish.
He joined the diplomatic service on May 1, 1984. He was formerly assigned to Papua New Guinea, Argentina and the Vatican City state secretariat.
He also served as apostolic nuncio to Cape Verde, Senegal, Mali and Guinea-Bissau, and was apostolic delegate to Mauritiana. (PCOO)
Palace hopes court speeds up Maguindanao massacre case trial
Malacanang hopes that the Maguindanao massacre trial could move faster to eventually put closure to the case considered as the “trial of the century.”
In a regular press briefing at the Palace on Friday, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Malacanang is equally frustrated as the Filipino public with the snail-paced Maguindanao massacre case trial.
“We are just frustrated with the pace of the Maguindanao massacre case. As a result of the pace na medyo may kabagalan kami po ang napagbubuntunan. In fact in the last survey last March masama po ang rating ng executive branch dahil akala po ng taumbayan kami po ang may hawak ng kaso,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the Palace hopes for the trial to move a bit faster without sacrificing due process so that it would be appreciated not only by other branches of government but also by the Filipino people as a whole.
“Right now live na po ang media coverage sa Ampatuan massacre case kaya sana tumakbo nang mas mabilis yung kaso,” he said.
President Benigno S. Aquino III has recently assured the families of the victims of the Maguindanao massacre that he will do everything in his power to give them justice following a meeting with them in Malacanang.
In another press conference at the Palace recently, Justice Secretary Leila de Lima said her department is exercising extra caution in handling statements made by suspended ARMM governor Zaldy Ampatuan who disclosed new information about election cheating in the region in 2004 and 2007.
De Lima said the government cannot sacrifice the massacre trial for anything, as it may well serve as the litmus test for the Philippine justice system.
The President himself said that if the government fails in this case then the entire justice system of this country also fails, she said, adding that the President wants the trial finished within his term.
At least 57 people, including 32 journalists, were killed in November 2009 in Maguindanao in the run up to the 2010 elections.
The Ampatuans, close allies of then president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo were tagged as the main suspects. The trial has been ongoing although some of the main suspects have yet to be arraigned while there are other suspects who remain at large. (PCOO)
Aquino directs Deles to implement closure pact with Cordillera People’s Liberation Army
President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) to craft the guidelines for the implementation of the closure agreement between the government and the Cordillera People’s Liberation Army (CPLA) and its political wing, the Cordillera Bodong Administration (CBA).
Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr., who chairs the Security, Justice, and Peace Cabinet Cluster, said on Friday that the President signed on July 19, 2011 Executive Order No. 49 to facilitate the smooth return to the fold of the law of the CPLA and help its members start a new life.
The Chief Executive witnessed the signing on July 4 of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the OPAPP and the CBA-CPLA for the final disposition of the latter’s arms and armed forces and its transformation into a potent socio-economic organization.
“The MOA aims to finalize peace negotiations with the CBA-CPLA as it intends to wind down and close commitments under Administrative Order No. 18 through the provision of a livelihood program for the rest of the CPLA and put closure to the Mount Data Peace Accord, which was forged between the government and the CPLA 25 years ago,” Ochoa said.
The EO, the Executive Secretary explained, mandates concerned government agencies to implement the closure pact and promote coherent and consistent policies in dealing with the the CPLA.
Ochoa said the OPAPP is directed to establish the guidelines to fully implement the MOA under EO 49, while the Department of National Defense and the AFP are directed to devise a process that will conclude the implementation of livelihood programs under AO 18 within six months from the effectivity of the executive order.
According to Ochoa, Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process Teresita Deles is the primary overseer of the implementation of the MOA, while other departments and government-owned and -controlled corporations are enjoined to extend full assistance and cooperation to the OPAPP to help it carry out the closure agreement.
Out of the 1,200 CPLA members covered by administrative order, 408 armed members opted not to be integrated into the AFP or CAFGU, and will instead be the beneficiaries of livelihood programs. The DND, AFP and the OPAPP have been tasked to conduct an appropriate inventory to ensure that all CPLA members covered by AO 18 will be served by the government.
Ochoa said that the final implementation of livelihood programs under AO 18 will be funded by the Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA), a convergence framework through which the national government, local government units and multilateral and bilateral agencies will provide assistance to identified conflict-related areas focused on responsible governance, improved delivery of basic services, sustainable development and economic reconstruction, and security sector reforms.
Ochoa also added that the President stressed that improving the economy of the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) was a necessary component of the closure pact.
“The next step after winning the peace is ensuring the prosperity of the area, and the national government will be doing its part to spur economic development in the Cordilleras to provide more opportunities in the region,” Ochoa said.
EO 49 takes effect upon publication in a newspaper of general circulation. (PCOO)
Malacanang says constitutional amendment not needed to boost investments
There is no need to amend the country’s Constitution at this time to attract foreign investments Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.
“We have a Constitution that we have to observe and the 60-40, [ownership provision] and we have to understand that it is always been there, the advocacy to amend the Constitution. We believe that there is no priority right now, there is no need to amend the Constitution and we stand by that position,” Lacierda said during the regular press briefing on Friday in Malacanang.
Lacierda was asked by Palace reporters about the complaints of foreign investors on the cancellation of contracts by the Philippine government that have already been awarded. Also, the 60-40 ownership provision of the Constitution hampers investments to flow into the country.
But Lacierda defended the cancellation of several contracts noting that those projects sealed during the past leadership were found questionable by the present administration.
Lacierda also said the Aquino administration promised to even the business playing field to all the players.
It can be recalled that the President cancelled the P18.5-billion Laguna de Bay dredging project awarded to a Belgian company following a thorough review by his economic managers. The President believes the project will not rehabilitate the lake despite the huge project cost.
The contract signed by the Arroyo leadership with the Belgian firm Baggerwerken Decloedt en Zoon (BDZ), is different from the Aquino administration’s public-private partnership (PPP) projects. (PCOO)
Malacanang vows to push for cleansing of voters’ list in ARMM
Malacanang vowed to push for the purging of voters’ lists in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to ensure fraud-free elections in 2013.
During the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said they supported the call of various stakeholders and concerned groups to push for the cleansing of the voters’ lists to ensure that the election of officials is done with credibility and honesty.
“The ARMM elections was postponed so we can purge the voters’ list of the ARMM and make sure that those who are in the list are the actual residents and voters,” Lacierda stressed.
Last June 30 this year, President Benigno S. Aquino III signed into law a bill postponing this year's ARMM elections to be synchronized with the national and local elections in 2013.
Aquino earlier underscored the need for the officer-in-charge of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) to share his vision of good governance and reform to the people in the region.
The President also noted that he wants an OIC who has a doable roadmap so that projects are completed in a particular time frame.
The President reiterated his position that it is in the best interest of the people in ARMM to have an OIC who has no intentions in running for office in the 2013 election, so that he can concentrate in reforming the region in the next two years.
Republic Act 10153 mandates that the next ARMM elections for the regional governor, vice governor and members of the regional legislative assembly shall be held simultaneously with the midterm elections on the second Monday of May 2013.
Succeeding regular elections in the ARMM will be held on the same date every three years.(PCOO)
