Aquino to inaugurate Rizal photo exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Manila
President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate a photo exhibit organized by Spain to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal that will be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex in Manila on Monday.
President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate a photo exhibit organized by Spain to commemorate the 150th birth anniversary of Philippine National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal that will be held at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex in Manila on Monday.
The exhibit will recreate from a modern perspective, the Spanish phase in the life of Jose Rizal through the works of 15 highly acclaimed contemporary Spanish photographers and from biographical notes and materials on Rizal’s stay in Madrid and Barcelona.
To formally launch the exhibit, President Aquino will be presented the first copy of the photography book catalog entitled “Foto a Fota Retrato de España (Litrato sa Litrato, Isang Larawan ng España) from Spanish Ambassador Jorge Domecq.
Afterwhich, the President will take a guided tour of the photo exhibit.
Joining the President will be Ambassador Domecq, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Governor Amando Tetangco, Accion Cultural Española president Charo Otegui and Metropolitan Museum vice chairman Cora Avlina. (PCOO)
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Aquino orders release of P10- billion for AFP modernization program
President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered the release of P10-billion to fund the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program, a Malacañang official said Sunday.
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Aquino orders release of P10- billion for AFP modernization program
President Benigno S. Aquino III has ordered the release of P10-billion to fund the Armed Forces of the Philippines modernization program, a Malacañang official said Sunday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the allotment would be sourced from the 2010 and 2011 appropriations of the National Government.
“The President has instructed the Department of Budget and Management to release 10 billion pesos for the AFP modernization program,” Valte said over government-run radio station dzRB. “It will be charged against 2010 and 2011 appropriations at five billion (pesos) each,” she added.
She said the DBM has begun preparing the necessary papers, such as the Special Allotment Release Order (SARO), to facilitate the immediate release of the fund.
She added that the fund would be used to purchase the equipment requirements of the three major service commands of the AFP to include armored personnel carriers, communication equipment, sealift vessels, aircrafts and weapons. (PCOO)
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Malacanang vows to expedite prosecution of accused in Maguindanao massacre
Malacañang vows to expedite the prosecution of those who are accused of carrying out the infamous Maguindanao massacre, one month before the tragic incident marks its second anniversary.
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Malacanang vows to expedite prosecution of accused in Maguindanao massacre
Malacañang vows to expedite the prosecution of those who are accused of carrying out the infamous Maguindanao massacre, one month before the tragic incident marks its second anniversary.
Sought for a statement regarding the occasion, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Sunday that the Aquino administration continues to sympathize for the families, friends, and relatives of the victims who were mostly journalists.
“Dumaan na po ang panahon at alam po naming hindi nababawasan ang sakit na naramdaman ng mga naiwan ng mga napaslang at ang iisipin n’yo po lagi kaming nandito at nagbabantay sa mga pangyayari,” Valte said.
Valte said President Benigno S. Aquino III has already given instructions to Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to expedite procedures for the prosecution of those who are accused in the killings and make sure that there will be no more delays in the hearing of the case.
She, however, emphasized that seeking justice for the slain victims cannot be done by the Executive branch alone since it is the Judiciary which has the jurisdiction over the court that tries the suspects involved and determines the outcome of the case.
“We recognize the fact that the case is under process and it’s not something that is entirely under the jurisdiction of the Executive. Nandyan po ang Judiciary natin, nandiyan po ang korte na dumidinig at magiging final arbiter doon sa kalalabasan ng kaso,” Valte said.
President Aquino mentioned in a forum with foreign journalists early this month that he would love to talk to the judges involved in the Maguindanao massacre trial but the Constitution does not grant him that authority.
“I have been working, however, on the Secretary of Justice, especially the prosecutors under her control to try and ask why we have not been moving faster. So they have been exercising all the necessary steps within their purview to be able to expedite the whole process,” the President added.
At least 34 journalists were killed on November 23, 2009 when private armed groups reportedly hired by the Ampatuan clan in Maguindanao attacked the convoy of then gubernatorial candidate Esmael Mangudadatu.
Various media groups reportedly plan to hold a month-long commemoration on the deaths of their slain colleagues beginning October 23 until November 23, the exact date of the anniversary. The incident has been tagged by the Committee to Protect Journalists as the “single deadliest event for the press since 1992”. (PCOO)
