Malacanang confident budget concerns of
Commission on Election will be addressed soon
Malacanang expressed confidence that the budget
concerns of the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) will be addressed by the
Department of Budget and Management (DBM) soon.
In a press briefing aired over government owned
dzRB Radyo ng Bayan, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that
officials from both departments had begun discussions into the budget
requirements of the COMELEC which had undergone severe cuts in the proposed
2013 General Appropriations Act.
COMELEC chair Sixto Brillantes warned last week
the possibility of next year’s midterm elections reverting back to manual
counting after the DBM slashed the Commission’s budget from P24-billion to
P8-billion.
“Yes we are confident (that the DBM and Comelec
will come to a resolution regarding the budget concerns of the Comelec),” Valte
said.
In fact, the budget officers of the DBM and
Comelec met last week to start reconciling and addressing the concerns of the
Comelec,” she added. (rck)
Government disaster agencies all set for
onslaught of tropical storm 'Gener'
Malacañang assured the public that the
government and its disaster preparedness agencies are on alert and are ready to
respond to any distress that may occur as tropical storm “Gener” (international
code name Saola) moves towards extreme Northern Luzon.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
gave the assurance in a press briefing aired over government owned dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan on Sunday.
She said the concerned agencies such as the
National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council, the Departments of
Public Works and Highways, Interior and Local Government, Social Welfare and
Development, and Health are ready to assist any of the affected local
government units from the effects of "Gener."
“And, as usual—as is our usual
protocol—nakahanda po ‘yung mga regional offices ng national government
agencies to help augment the actions of our local government units sakali pong
kakailanganin nila,” Valte said.
“…‘yung mga quick response teams po ng DPWH for
road clearing, ‘yung DSWD po for evacuation centers and for prepositioned
relief goods, DOH also for the prepositioned medicines that may be
needed...sana hindi naman kailanganin pero maibibigay naman po lahat ng ‘yan nang
agaran sa mga local government units,” she added.
Valte called on the Filipino people to be on the
alert and heed the storm warnings issued by the Philippine Atmospheric
Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) and other
concerned government agencies in order to prevent any untoward incidents from
happening.
“Kapag sinabi po ng mga awtoridad na kailangan
tayong lumikas, sana po tayo ay makinig para maiwasan naman ang pinsala sa
buhay at sa mga properties po natin. Mas mahalaga ang ating kaligtasan kaysa
maiwanan, o mabantayan ang bahay natin o kung ano pa man. Mas importante sana
makipag-cooperate sa mga awtoridad at maging handa. Maghintay po tayo ng mga
babala na galing sa PAGASA,” Valte said.
According to PAGASA, tropical storm "Gener"
was last spotted 310 kilometers east of Casiguran, Aurora, moving west
northwest at 15 kilometers per hour. It has a maximum sustained winds of 85
kilometers per hour near the center and gustiness of up to 100 kilometers per
hour. (rck)
