President Aquino orders DOJ, NBI and NBP to
investigate disappearance of Rolito Go
President Benigno S. Aquino III has directed the
Department of Justice to look into the disappearance of Rolito Go from the New
Bilibid Prisons (NBP) in Muntinlupa City, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin
Lacierda said on Wednesday.
Lacierda told a press conference in Malacañang
that the President ordered Justice Secretary Leila De Lima to unearth the
whereabouts of Go, who was not at the NBP grounds during Tuesday night’s head
count.
He added that the President wants to look into
allegations that Go was abducted.
“The President wants the disappearance of Go
investigated,” Lacierda said.
In turn, Lacierda said Justice Secretary had
“tasked” NBP Director Gaudencio Pangilinan and the National Bureau of
Investigation to conduct probes into the incidents.
“So, this incident is being investigated by the
officials of the NBP and NBI,” Lacierda said.
Go was sentenced in 1996 by a Pasig court to a
maximum of 30 years imprisonment for the death of Eldon Maguan, a De La Salle
University engineering student, in Greenhills, San Juan. (rck)
Aquino government commends Filipinos for taking
active part in its drive against 'wang-wang' mentality
The Aquino administration commended the Filipino
citizenry for taking an active part in President Benigno S. Aquino III’s drive
against the “wang-wang mentality” after a television network uploaded a video
showing a motorist assaulting an enforcer of the Metropolitan Manila
Development Authority (MMDA).
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday
following the release of the said video by TV5′s news department on YouTube.
TV5 producers chanced upon a motorist identified
as Robert Blair Carabuena, a resourcing supervisor at the Philip Morris
International, manhandling an on-duty MMDA traffic enforcer Saturnino Fabros.
The incident occurred at Capitol Hills Drive
corner Tandang Sora in Quezon City on Saturday.
“We commend our vigilant citizens who actively
seek accountability from individuals in both the public and private sectors. A
video taken by Karen Bernadette Keith, a researcher for the “T3: Kapatid Sagot
Kita” program of TV5, showing a person assaulting an enforcer of the Metro
Manila Development Authority (MMDA) was circulated online and sparked outrage
among our fellow citizens through social media," Lacierda said in a
statement.
Lacierda said the administration is supporting
the move of the MMDA to file charges against the motorist.
"When people seek out and denounce the
abusive, we see our citizens taking an active part in the President’s drive
against the “wang-wang mentality.” This is a convergence that directly links
individuals, through social and traditional media, to broader efforts to
achieve social change, by bringing to light any possible wrongdoing," he
noted.
"Public engagement is the bedrock of
democracy. It is at its most potent and powerful when the constant scrutiny of
the citizenry serves as a deterrent to the illicit and unlawful," he
stressed.
When the video was uploaded on YouTube, netizens
from social networking sites like Twitter expressed their dismay over the
display of arrogance by the motorist.
"Let us all continue to channel our efforts
towards permanently changing our individual and collective behavior for the
better," Lacierda said. (js)
Aquino inspects Binondo pumping station of MMDA
President Benigno S. Aquino III visited on
Wednesday the pumping station of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
(MMDA) in Binondo to assess the government flood control measures in Metro
Manila.
The President inspected the filtering section of
the pumping station and had a briefing with MMDA chairman Francis Tolentino on
how a pumping station functions.
President Aquino was accompanied by Tolentino
and Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim during his visit to the Binondo pumping station.
The President suggested the full mechanization
of the pumping station’s operations, eliminating manual removal of wastes from
the filtration facility.
For his part, Tolentino said they already have a
proposal for improving the operations of the pumping stations in Metro Manila
including its cost. He also told the President that the MMDA is putting into
operation another pumping station that will service Intramuros and nearby areas
to prevent flooding.
At the same time, Tolentino also mentioned the
flooding problem at the P. Tuazon underpass on EDSA in Cubao and the need for an
effective drainage system adding that the flooding of the P. Tuazon underpass
last week triggered a massive traffic jam along EDSA.
Tolentino said that the MMDA is also
coordinating with the Department of Science and Technology to come up with a
more effective filtration and hauling system for quicker collection of garbage
by pumping stations in Metro Manila.
According to Tolentino, the Metro Manila mayors,
the MMDA, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson and Interior and
Local Government Secretary Jessie Robredo are meeting Wednesday afternoon to
address the flooding problem in the metropolis.
Also Mayor Lim raised the issue of informal
settlers in Manila who usually dump their garbage into creeks and esteros,
exacerbating flooding. He noted that the informal settlers must be relocated to
solve the flooding problem in the city.
The MMDA said that among the causes of flooding
in Metro Manila include the rapid urbanization and development, clogging and
siltation, structural obstructions, inadequate flood control structures and
excessive and intense rainfall due to climate change.
Aside from the pumping stations being run by the
MMDA, other existing drainage systems include the Manggahan Floodway facility
which is composed of the Rosario Weir Control Station with eight floodgates.
The structure limits the floodwaters in the
lower Marikina River and the Pasig River to its bank-full capacity by diverting
the excess floodwaters into the Laguna Lake for temporary storage.
Another major flood control facility is the
Napindan Hydraulic Control Structure which is composed of four floodgates and
two navigational lock gates. (as)
Aquino leads launching of Lucky Chinatown in
Binondo, Manila; underscores confidence of business sector in country's economy
President Benigno S. Aquino III led the grand
launching ceremonies of the Lucky Chinatown Activity Center on Wednesday in
Binondo, Manila as he underscored the confidence of the business sector in the
country's economy.
“It is comforting to have renowned companies
like Megaworld affirm their confidence in our country not just through words,
but in the form of pesos and centavos,” the President said in his message
during the launching rites.
“We know that companies don’t simply decide to
spend seven billion pesos on a project. They do their homework. They know that
they can build a successful mall here because there is a market for it—a market
that has the capacity to patronize the mall,” he added noting that it’s really
more fun and profitable to do business in the Philippines.
The President said he wishes for the Lucky
Chinatown to succeed in the coming years hoping that the new trade center would
co-exist with smaller shops in Binondo.
He also acknowledged the ongoing changes in the
country, in its economy and the continuing confidence of the global community,
which makes Filipinos more optimistic about their futures.
“I believe that as we grow, we should be able to
preserve the various, and unique, components that, together, form our national
identity. Which is why I hope that Chinatown never loses the character that
makes it distinct,” he said.
The P7-billion Lucky Chinatown is part of the
plan by Megaworld Corp., a leading real state developer in the country to
revive Binondo, Manila.
The first full-scale luxury shopping center in
Binondo has five levels of shopping, dining and entertainment to offer, which
sets a new standard in lifestyle development. Lucky Chinatown has an exciting
mix of international and local brands.
The new mall also has an extensive culinary
offerings, as well as state-of-the-art cinemas equipped with the latest
technology.
Lucky Chinatown is part of Megaworld Corp.’s
vision to develop a heritage project in Manila that also helps boost the country’s
economy and tourism as well as provides employment for Filipinos.
Aside from the multi-billion investments, Lucky
Chinatown is also expected to create 4,000 new jobs.
Among those present during the event include
Italian Ambassador to the Philippines Luca Fornari, Trade and Industry
Secretary Gregory Domingo, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim, Rep. Zenaida Angpin, and
Megaworld chairman and chief executive officer Andrew Tan. (as/2:38pm)
Aquino acknowledges initiatives of country's
mechanical engineers in helping government achieve growth in Mindanao
President Benigno S. Aquino III acknowledged the
initiatives of the country's mechanical engineers in helping the government
achieve social, economic, and industrial growth in Mindanao.
"Our country takes pride in its
professionals, who, despite the many challenges present at home, remain at par
with their counterparts throughout the world," the Chief Executive said in
his message to the Philippine Society of Mechanical Engineers (PSME) on the
occasion of its 15th Mindanao Regional Conference on Wednesday.
The PSME Davao Chapter opened on Wednesday the
regional conference with the theme, "Mechanical Engineers: Upholding
Excellence Through Unity and Professionalism." at the Water Front Hotel in
Lanang, Davao City. The conference would end on Aug. 17.
"Machines are present in nearly all aspects
of human activity, providing us with the means for comfort, mobility, and
productivity. The prevalence of these instruments in our daily lives
necessitates a corps of competent mechanical engineers for the maintenance – as
well as the innovation and design – of these vital tools," President
Aquino said.
"Regular updating of knowledge and skills
is crucial if we are to become truly effective in this exact science. This
convention is a positive step in that direction, with activities that seek to
introduce the latest advances and inspire a discussion of pertinent issues in
your profession," he said.
President Aquino called on the mechanical
engineers to remain committed to the values of passion, integrity, and
excellence in their pursuits to uplift the profession, contribute to the
enhancement of science and technology and economic growth of the country, among
others, in this era of revitalization. (js)
Malacanang says communications office to adopt a
unified hashtag to keep Filipinos updated on class and work suspensions
The Office of the Presidential Spokesperson and
the Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office
decided to adopt a unified hashtag to keep the people updated and informed of
relevant developments, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a
statement issued on Wednesday.
A hashtag is used to categorize posts on Twitter
according to topics.
"The unified hashtag #walangpasok will be
used by @govph (government), @pcdspo (Presidential Communications Development
and Strategic Planning), @deped_ph (Department of Education), @ptvph (People’s
Television Network) to announce class and work suspensions,"
"We thank media organizations who have
committed to using the same unified hashtag in reporting class and work
suspensions: @rapplerdotcom @philippinestar @inquirerdotnet @gmanews @ancalerts
@News5AKSYON @DZMMTeleRadyo. We will update the list of government and media
partners as they get on board this public service effort," he said.
"We ask the official Twitter accounts of
LGUs, schools, colleges, and universities, to use the unified hashtag
#walangpasok when announcing class suspensions," he strssed.
Lacierda said the Official Gazette will also use
the hashtag to announce work suspensions. "This will help the national
government, LGUs, media, and the public to track all such announcements,"
he added.
"Together with their affiliates in the
traditional media, as well as TV and radio facilities of the government, we
believe integrating the system of tracking the unified hashtag #walangpasok
will lead to the faster, and more reliable, tracking and dissemination of
alerts concerning class and work suspensions so that the news can be reported
on TV, radio, and the internet to the greatest number of people at the soonest
possible time," Lacierda said. (js)
