| NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III underscored Wednesday the importance of “openness” on the part of government in order to achieve national solidarity of purpose and action between the people and their leaders. In his speech at a forum leading to the formal launch of the Open Government Partnership held at the Google head office here, the President said that by keeping communication lines open between the people and its leaders will lead to a positive powerful connection between themselves. “Engaging our fellow citizens in dialogue positively reinforces a culture of openness. A continuing conversation between the government and its citizens builds a positive, powerful connection between individual leaders and citizens, fostering the reintegration of government with society as a whole. In other words: openness inspires trust, which is the foundation of a genuine partnership,” the President said. He cited several concrete examples being done in the Philippines to help empower the citizenry and build a genuine partnership with the government. Among these are the “Pera ng Bayan” (People’s Money) website that encourages the public to report cases of corruption, posting of budgetary releases and bids for government contracts online, and the Official Gazette or the government portal “on the principle that legislation and other regulations must be freely accessible to all. The President pointed out that all these are meant to empower the citizenry, which he said, is “the essential aspiration at the heart of the digital revolution sweeping the globe: where technology liberates the individual and renews a sense of solidarity between the public and private sectors.” “As a member of the OGP Steering Committee, we are, therefore, not only excited, but derive strength, from working together to achieve our shared aspirations. By means of National Action Plans informed by the successes and lessons each of us can share with each other, the best practices from our individual national milieus can become a source of collective strength, making a living reality of the Declaration of Principles on Open Government,” the President said. (PCOO) | . Aquino joins 45 other countries in launching Open Government Partnership | | | NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III joined 45 other world leaders in formally launching the Open Government Partnership (OGP), a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance in ceremonies held at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel here on Tuesday. The President, together with eight other world leaders that comprise the OGP steering committee chaired by US President Barack Obama and co-chaired by Brazil President Dilma Rousseff, presented the Open Government Declaration that concretizes the group’s commitment to the OGP. The Open Government Partnership aims to: 1) increase the availability of information about the government activities, 2) support civic participation, 3) implement the highest standards of professional integrity throughout the respective administrations of its members; and, 4) increase access to new technologies for openness and accountability. In his brief remarks, President Aquino told those present that the participation of the Philippines in the OGP is a symbol of his administration’s commitment to honest and effective governance. “It presents clear advantages to the Philippines: we can access and exchange best practices, peer consultation, and technical assistance in implementing our domestic initiatives,” the President said. “The Philippines has always been, and remains committed to, the ideals put forward by the OGP. Being part of a global community of transparency advocates is more than a source of collective strength for us; it also allows our government to strengthen its efforts and find opportunities for cooperation with its peers,” he added. He expressed confidence that “so long as we stand firmly united in veering away from a jagged path of dishonesty and concealment; and so long as we run governments focused on righting the wrong and staying along the straight path, the coming generations will surely inherit a more peaceful, prosperous, and open world.” (PCOO) . | Aquino remains firm on West Philippine Sea stance | | | NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III stood firm on the government’s stance on the West Philippine Sea but maintained that it still wanted to keep “good neighborly relations with China.” The President reiterated his government’s position on the issue in his speech at the Asia Society here on Wednesday. “As for the Philippines, we wish to maintain good neighborly relations with China. In our competing claims in the West Philippine Sea, we have already drawn the line between what is disputed and non-disputed in terms of where we would never relinquish our sovereign rights,” the President said. “We have likewise called for the peaceful and rules-based settlement of disputes. From our vantage point, and as we have heard affirmed in our recent state visit to China, this maritime dispute does not define the multi-layered relations between the Philippines and China,” he added. He also said that the United States of America was the Philippines’ only defense treaty ally who shared the same fundamental values of freedom, democracy and belief in open markets. “Whenever two partners share the same core values, their relationship is bound to endure,” the President said. President Benigno S. Aquino III was invited by the Asia Society to speak about his administration’s domestic and foreign policy thrusts during his official visit to the United States from September 18 to 23. Asia Society was founded by John D. Rockefeller III in 1956 to promote greater knowledge of Asia in the U.S. It is a global institution based in New York with offices throughout the U.S. and Asia. (PCOO) . | Aquino vows to continue his parents' fight for democracy | | | NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III vowed to continue the fight his parents, former Senator Benigno S. Aquino, Jr. and former President Corazon C. Aquino, started in their quest, as public servants, to bring real and lasting democracy to the Philippines. The President made the promise in his speech at the Asia Society here on Wednesday. “In 1981 my father spoke of the redemption of our democracy. In 1986, my mother spoke of the need to preserve democracy. Today, I look forward to continuing our conversation, by means of the open forum following my opening remarks, on the ways we are seeking to vindicate democracy,” the President said. The President said that since he had taken office in June 30, 2010, his administration had taken concrete steps to implement needed reforms to weed out corruption, end hunger and spur economic growth. “Our administration is committed to transformation: from a country where nice guys finish last, to one where those who deviate from the straight and narrow will face punishment for their crimes,” the President said. “Our goal is to empower the citizenry so that, regardless of who is in power, the citizenry demands the authentic rule of law. The task I have assigned to my colleagues in government is to demonstrate this by means of sustained reforms that foster merit, transparency, and accountability,” he added. Among the reforms began by his administration include the cutting of wasteful government contracts such as rice importation of the National Food Corporation and road bidding projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways. This, the President said, has resulted in the trimming of the NFA’s debt to P153-million from P177-million in the previous administration and savings from the DPWH of some P7-billion which can be utilized for other priority development projects such as the Conditional Cash Transfer program. The President also mentioned the Finance Department’s move to promote fiscal transparency through its website called “Pera ng Bayan” or “the people’s money” that allows the public to anonymously report tax cheats, smugglers, and crooks.
“The government likewise subjects government officials to lifestyle checks and vets their statements of assets and liabilities to find out if what they have acquired is commensurate with their income,” the President said. These campaigns are yielding results as the President said that a total of 67 tax evasion cases and 43 smuggling cases—with claims totaling more than 26 billion pesos and 58.16 billion pesos, respectively—have been filed against certain groups and individuals. The President said that despite all of these achievements, there still remained the need for additional foreign and domestic investments. He lauded the business process outsourcing industry which he said “is now the second largest in the world, next only to India, with revenues of $8.9 billion in 2010. The Philippines also ranks fourth in the world in shipbuilding.” He added that infrastructure modernization has been given a boost with the Public-Private Partnership program. “Our mantra here is: the right project, with the right quality, at the right price, run by the right people, and delivered right on time. Given the experience with projects in the past, it is important that the correct and legal processes are followed so that they can stand up to public scrutiny,” the President said. These reforms, the President said, have resulted in having four different credit rating agencies, namely, Standard and Poor’s, Moody’s, Fitch and the Japan Credit Ratings Agency, giving the Philippines positive rating actions, all within a span of a year. “The World Economic Forum has also ranked us 75th in their latest Global Competitiveness Report: a ten-spot jump from last year’s 85th place. This jump is the highest for our country since it entered the survey, and is evidence that the Philippines, which opened for business under new management only a little over a year ago, is faring very well,” the President said. (PCOO) . Palace renews its commitment to peace with communist rebels | | | Malacanang reiterated its commitment for the peaceful resolution of the decades-long conflict with communist insurgents saying it continues to hope that peace will be achieved in the future.
“We strongly believe in a peaceful resolution so patuloy pa rin kaming umaasa na magkakaroon po ng magandang resulta ang peace negotiations with the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front of the Philippines),” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press conference on Wednesday in Malacanang.
Lacierda was reacting to a reporters’ question on whether the government expects the leftist insurgents to declare a ceasefire after the Armed Forces of the Philippines suspends military operation in observance of the Peace Month this September.
The Armed forces is observing the United Nations (UN) International Day of Peace today and the celebration of Peace Month 2011, while the government declared a one-day unilateral truce with the CPP-NPA-NDFP.
The ceasefire declared by the Armed forces only shows the government’s commitment to peace, Lacierda said, adding however that the government can’t dictate on the rebels to do the same. He said the ceasefire would give the rebels an opportunity to visit their families.
“But our resolve is that in the long run peace will solve the problem and not violence. However we would continue to defend ourselves even if it’s a one-day ceasefire,” he said.
The AFP carried out its Suspension of Military Operations (SOMO) with the communist left from 12:00 a.m. on Wednesday until 12:00 a.m. the following day.
Meanwhile, ceasefire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), on the other hand, is still holding as the government affirms its commitment to abide by the Agreement on the General Cessation of Hostilities signed by both parties in 1997.
In its statement in celebration of the Peace Month, the government peace panel negotiating with the CPP-NPA-NDFP reiterated its commitment to “staying the course of peace” as it prepares for the next round of formal talks with the communist left in October.
The panel urged the people to affirm the primacy of the peace process by compelling the parties to carry on with the negotiations. At the same time it called on all stakeholders to “reclaim peace as our common birthright” as the decades-old armed conflict with the NPA has already caused countless deaths and sufferings.
It also said in its statement that “we must honor peace as a wellspring-of our hope, our faith, our aspirations” by anchoring peace on justice and social reforms.
The panel likewise pushed for building peace which requires transformation of the minds and actions of both sides---the government and rebel forces. (PCOO) | Malacanang underscores government's policy of upholding human rights | | | Malacanang underscored the government’s strict compliance of upholding human rights as it noted the stern efforts of the Aquino administration in observing due process to bring erring individuals to the law and serve justice to those who have been offended.
In a press briefing at the Palace on Wednesday, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the government has made it a policy to uphold the human rights of every individual regardless of belief and political inclination.
“The human rights situation, as far as this administration is concerned, we have made it a very strict policy to uphold human rights. In fact, we have extended this even to those who do not agree with this administration,” Lacierda said.
Lacierda said that due to the said policy, some groups even resorted to accusing the government of being slow in penalizing those who have committed violations to the people and the country.
“In fact, that is the reason why we are being accused… of (seemingly) taking so long in filling cases, it’s because we are strictly observant of human rights. So, we believe in due process and we will continue to uphold due process and human rights in this country,” Lacierda noted.
Thirty seven years ago, Proclamation No. 1081 was signed by then President Ferdinand E. Marcos declaring the country under martial law. Once in effect, it covered the entire republic on September 21, 1972. It was announced to the public two days later.
Marcos ruled by military power through martial law, altered the Constitution in the subsequent year, made himself both Head of State as President and Head of Government as Prime Minister, manipulated elections and the political arena in the Philippines, and had his political party - Kilusang Bagong Lipunan (KBL) - control the unicameral legislative branch of government called the "Batasang Pambansa." All these allowed Marcos to remain in power. The proclamation was actually signed on September 17, but was postdated four days later on September 21 because of Marcos' superstitions and numerology beliefs. Marcos formally announced the proclamation two days after at midnight on September 23, 1972 via live national television broadcast. Martial law was lifted by President Marcos on January 17, 1981. (PCOO) . Aquino orders Philippine Council for Sustainable Development to prepare for Rio+20 conference in Brazil next year | | | President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the Philippine Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) to undertake preparations for the Philippine participation in the upcoming 20-year review of the Rio Declaration adopted in 1992 by the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED).
The Chief Executive issued the directive through Memorandum Order No. 22 as the Philippines is set to participate in the Rio+20 Conference in Brazil next year.
The idea of holding the Rio+20 is to define an international model for the next 20 years based on the preservation of the environment, but focused on improving the quality of life through the eradication of poverty through social programs, the green economy and sustainable development for a global governance.
The MO was signed on August 5, 2011 by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. for the PCSD to review and ensure the implementation of the country’s commitments towards sustainable development.
The Philippine Government formally adopted the principles of sustainable development as embodied in the Rio Declaration by the UNCED in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 1992.
The PCSD was created by virtue of Executive Order (EO) No. 15 in 1992 to initiate the formulation of Philippine Agenda 21 (PA 21), as well as to review and ensure the implementation of the country’s commitments towards sustainable development.
Pursuant to General Assembly Resolution 64/236, the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development 2012 or Rio+20 will take place in Brazil.
“The Rio+20 Conference aims to secure renewed political commitment for sustainable development, assess the progress to date of Agenda 21, identify the remaining gaps in the implementation of the agreements of the major summits on sustainable development, and address new and emerging challenges,” the President said.
The President noted that the focus of the Rio+20 Conference will be the green economy in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.
In issuing the MO, the President directed the PCSD to adopt a multi-stakeholder consultation process in all aspects of the review, where government, business, labor and civil society shall participate.
The PCSD was likewise directed to coordinate the drafting of the Philippine Rio+20 Report, as well as to document the results of its review process.
The Secretary of Socio-Economic Planning and Director-General of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) was named as the chair of PCSD. (PCOO) | Ochoa presents OP’s spending plan for FY 2012 to Senate | | | The Senate Committee on Finance approved on Wednesday the P2.7-billion spending package of the Office of the President (OP) for 2012 that will give offices attached to the OP more fiscal autonomy and instill discipline and transparency. Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. told members of the Senate Committee that the OP budget covers only offices within the OP Proper, while fiscal administration has been devolved to agencies classified as Other Executive Offices (OEOs) in the OP. OP Proper includes offices under the direct administrative supervision of the Office of the Executive Secretary, while OEOs refer to offices attached to the Office of the President whose operations and budget are managed independent of the Office of the Executive Secretary. “We introduced changes in the budgeting strategies of the OP in pursuit of the following objectives: one, to instill accountability within the framework of fiscal autonomy and independence; and two, to promote transparency and fiscal discipline by defining the specific requirements of each budget unit,” Ochoa said. The new arrangement, the Executive Secretary added, has also taken into consideration the transfer and abolition of some offices attached to the OP. According to Ochoa, the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and National Telecommunications Commission, among others, are now classified as OEOs. The Commission on Information Communications Technology, including the National Computer Center and the Telecommunications Office, has been placed under the wings of the Department of Science and Technology, in line with the continuing efforts to streamline and rationalize the offices under the OP. The new fiscal management scheme, Ochoa said, allows for the decentralization of the operations of OEOs and gives them financial independence. “We removed the layer of their budget having to go through OP Finance,” he pointed out. Allocation for locally-funded projects (LFPs), meanwhile, is included as activities within the regular program of the OP under operations.
Ochoa explained to lawmakers the need to raise by 12 percent this year’s P1.8 billion budget for maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) to “support intensified operations against organized and transnational crimes” and the administration’s campaign against graft committed by national government officials. Among the LFPs under the OP are the Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Commission, the Anti-Terrorism Council and the Philippine Center for Transnational Crimes. Ochoa reported to the Senate that the proposed expenditure for personal services has been cut down by four percent to P487.5 million from FY 2011 due to the non-provision of funds for unfilled positions. Senator Franklin Drilon, who chairs the Committee on Finance, lauded Ochoa for the reforms he has undertaken in the OP budget. He concurred that eliminating the sub-allotment system in the OP “is an improvement in the right direction” since it removes red tape and enables funds to be directly remitted to the operating agency concerned. He also said that Ochoa’s introduction of reforms in the OP budget “inspires transparency and accountability on the part of the users of the fund.” “It is not fair that the Office of Executive Secretary or the Office of the President is made responsible for accounting for the disbursement of these funds where they have no day-to-day control, the same being in the other agencies,” Drilon said. “And putting for example OPAPP under OEOs in the budget indeed is a correct move because then we can actually be transparent and see how the funds are being disbursed,” Drilon added. The same OP budget was approved by the House of Representatives last Friday. (PCOO) . Palace maintains multilateral approach in resolving Spratly dispute | | | Any understanding between the Philippines and any party of interest in the Spratly islands issue wouldn’t add confusion among the Spratly claimant countries, President Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said. In a press conference in Malacanang on Wednesday, Palace reporters asked Lacierda whether a possible exchange of notes between President Benigno S. Aquino III and the Japanese leader would muddle the already controversial situation in the West Philippine Sea issue. “It’s a regional concern. I don’t think that we’re pulling in anyone else and it’s a fact that the Japanese are concerned with freedom of navigation and that is a regional issue. We’ve always maintained a multi-lateral solution to that, to the issue of the West Philippine Sea,” Lacierda explained. It was reported that the Japanese ambassador to the Philippines said that both countries will exchange notes about the diplomatic solution to the South China Sea issue during the President’s visit. The President will be on an official visit to Japan on September 25 to 28. Lacierda said that during the president’s interview with the Japanese media last week, he said that Japan also considers the West Philippine Sea as strategic because its products pass through there which is why it wants to ensure freedom of navigation in the area. The President always maintained that the West Philippine Sea is a regional concern that would require a regional solution, Lacierda said quoting the President as saying. During his interview with the Japanese press, the President said he hasn’t changed his position that he mentioned in his state-of-the -nation address in July underscoring that “what is ours is ours” and that the country’s rights will be defended. Both the Philippines and China have stated publicly that they will be governed by the international law in resolving the Spratly issue. “We want a peaceful resolution to that conflict and that has not changed,” said the Chief Executive. But also noted that it is a lateral problem because of the multiple claimants to the Spratly islands and any agreement between two claimant countries will not be binding to other countries that are also making claims.
The commercial interest of the US and Japan also has tremendous impact on the West Philippine sea issue, the chief executive said, noting that it could positively affect the situation in the area. “So when you have not just us, when you have other claimant countries, when you have other parties that are interested and have interests in this body of water then everybody is forced to become more cooperative,” he said. “And the more people involved, the less potential for disputes or conflicts that might have unintended and disastrous consequences,” the President added. (PCOO) . | RH Bill not a law to control birth -- Aquino says | | | NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – The Responsible Parenthood Bill was never intended to be used as a type of contraceptive but to help adult Filipinos make responsible decisions on becoming parents, President Benigno S. Aquino III stressed anew on Wednesday.
The President told reporters in a “coffee with media” event at the Omni Birkshire hotel here that the main intention of the proposed law was to educate adult Filipinos in order for them to make an informed choice.
“Basically, we are not after birth control per se. We are after educating all of our citizens… that’s why we call the version of the bill “responsible parenthood.” You’re parents, you’re supposed to take care of your children, you’re supposed to think of them at a point in time when they are not capable of doing the same for themselves,” the President said.
“You have the responsibilities, and that is I think the obligation of the state, to remind all of these parents that each child that you bring into this world, you have a certain responsibility. Now we will help them, after education, we will rest on their consciences and their beliefs and enable them to act on their decisions as to how best to plan their prospective families and exercise responsible parenthood,” he added. (PCOO) | Aquino invites US President Obama to visit PHL | | | NEW YORK CITY (via PLDT) – President Benigno S. Aquino III has invited United States President Barack Obama to visit the Philippines during their brief meeting after the formal launch of the Open Government Partnership (OGP) at the Waldorf Astoria hotel here on Wednesday. The Philippines joined 45 other countries in launching the OGP, a multilateral initiative that aims to secure concrete commitments from governments to promote transparency, empower citizens, fight corruption and harness new technologies to strengthen governance by presenting the Open Government Declaration concretizing their respective commitments to the initiative. President Aquino told reporters here that he extended the invitation to President Obama at the conclusion of the formal launch of the OGP. He said President Obama congratulated him for his success in instilling government reforms to end corruption and to go after the corruptors themselves. “Noong natapos iyong buong session... kinongratulate niya tayo sa lahat ng mga nagawa natin in the first year. Sabi niya, “I understand there have been those that have been pushing back”--pumapalag doon sa lahat ng mga imbestigasyon, sa lahat ng mga pagkakalap natin ng ebedensya, etc. Tulad raw dito, meron ring mga nagpu-push back sa kanyang reforms. Siyempre marami siyang problema, sabi ko nga I wish him the best of luck in addressing all of these,” the President said. Niyaya ko siya sa Pilipinas, ang sagot niya siguro makakapag-usap kami ng mas mahaba sa sideline sa APEC, which is in November. Pero kaming dalawa pa lang ang nag-usap siyempre mag-uusap pa ang Foreign Affairs department ng bawat isa. So maraming discussions by that time and of course you have to understand he will be fixated in the elections here,” he added. (PCOO) . | Foreign travels of the past administration under review by OES | | | The Office of the Executive Secretary (OES) is preparing a detailed report to determine the remaining unliquidated disbursements for foreign and local travels of the past administration.
This was disclosed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr. on Wednesday before the budget hearing of the Senate Committee on Finance, during which he was asked about the unliquidated travel advances of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her delegation.
“Right now, your honor, this is a subject of our examination,” Ochoa told the Senate panel. “We can provide the committee later of the details of these because we have initiated some efforts to dig up the names of persons who joined the foreign travels of the former President.”
Senator Franklin Drilon asked Ochoa about the foreign travels of the previous administration in light of the findings of the Commission on Audit (COA) in 2009, which noted a sizeable amount of disbursements for foreign trips that remained unliquidated.
The senator said, quoting the COA report, actual disbursements for travel expenses amounted to P940.6 million that year, exceeding by P696 million or 284 percent the provision for local and foreign trips of the former president of P244.6 million.
The COA further noted that among the most prominent cash advances under the Arroyo administration amounted to P594 million, which as of December 31, 2009 have not yet been liquidated.
Ochoa told the Senate panel that based on the records of the Office of the President Finance Office, total unliquidated cash advances as of December 31, 2010 amounted to P571 million, out of which P203.90 million had been liquidated as of August 31, 2011.
“We noticed also in this COA report that the bulk of these advances pertained to foreign travels of the former President, your honor,” Ochoa said. Initial figures showed that expenses for local travels only amounted to P30 million.
The Executive Secretary also told the Senate finance committee that the OES is in the process of determining the disbursement officers who were assigned at the time and those who received the cash advances.
At the same time, Ochoa assured that the Aquino administration has put in place stringent requirements for cash advances to ensure that public funds are spent prudently and judiciously.
In the spirit of transparency, Ochoa said, Malacañang discloses to the public the funds set aside for each of President Benigno Aquino III’s foreign trips, as well as the number of official delegates travelling with the Chief Executive.
“As you can see, we’ve been very transparent about the foreign travels of the President. We announce how much we spend whenever the President leaves,” he said.
Ochoa said that President Aquino personally goes over the list of the presidential delegation to ensure that only essential staff joins the overseas trip.
For 2011, the OP has allocated some P224.69 million for travel. The same amount has been earmarked for next year. (PCOO) | | | |
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