Palace announces appointment of new judges, PSTC
Board of Directors
President Benigno S. Aquino III appointed new
board of directors of the Philippine National Oil Company-Shipping and
Transport Corp. (PSTC) who will serve until next year, Deputy Presidential
Spokesperson Abigail Valte announced during a radio interview over dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan on Saturday.
The new six members of the PSTC are Rogelio M.
Guadalquiver, Potenciano V. Larrazabal Jr., Nicanor L. Sering, Democrito C.
Barcenas, Bob D. Gothong, and Victor S. Ziga. They will serve at the PSTC board
until June 30, 2013.
Recognizing the necessity on ensuring efficient
transport system of fuel products, the PNOC established the PSTC by virtue of
Presidential Decree 927.
Last year, President Aquino appointed Atty.
Democrito Barcenas as Director and Architect Enrique S. Manalang as
President/CEO of PSTC.
Meanwhile, Valte also announced the appointment
of new judges for the Regional Trial Courts and Municipal Circuit Trial Courts
in Mindanao.
Among the appointees include Judge Edwin M.
Malazarte, Regional Trial Court Branch 27, Tandag, Surigao del Sur; Judge Rufo
U. Naragas, RTC Branch 40, Tandag, Surigao Del Sur; Judge Lorenzo F. Balo, RTC
Branch 24, Koronadal, South Cotabato; Judge Renato V. Tampac, RTC Branch 25,
Koronadal, South Cotabato; Judge Ali M. Balindong, RTC Branch 21, Kapatagan,
Lanao Del Norte; Judge Arvin Sadiri B. Balagot, RTC Branch 17, Kidapawan, North
Cotabato; Judge Marie Estrellita S. Tolentino-Rojas, Municipal Trial Court in
Cities, Branch 2, Davao City, Davao Del Sur; Judge Robert B. Gonzaga, Municipal
Circuit Trial Court, Malimono-San Francisco, Surigao Del Norte; and Judge Gila
A. Dela Banda, Municipal Trial Court, Makilala-Tulunan, North Cotabato.
The Office of the President already transmitted
the appointment of new judges to Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno, Valte said.
(as/1:06pm)
Aquino signs into law the Reapportioning of
Cotabato into 3 Legislative Districts
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed on Friday
Republic Act 10177 or the Act Reapportioning the Province of Cotabato into
Three Legislative Districts, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte
announced in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
Under Republic Act 10177, the First Legislative
District of Cotabato shall be composed of the municipalities of Pikit,
Pigkawayan, Alamada, Libungan, Midsayap and Aleosan.
Second District will be composed of the City of
Kidapawan and the municipalities of Makilala, Magpet, Roxas, Antipas and
Arakan. And the Third District shall be composed of the municipalities of
Banilisan, Carmen, Kabacan, Matalam, Mlang and Tulunan.
The new law said incumbent representatives of
the First and Second Legislative Districts of the Cotabato will continue to
represent their respective legislative districts until the new representatives
have been elected and qualified.
The Commission on Elections is expected to issue
the necessary rules and regulations to implement the act.
RA 10177 shall take effect 15 days after its
publication in any newspaper of general circulation. The new law is already
posted in a Malacanang official website, Valte said. PND (as/1:21pm)
Aquino signs into law Cybercrimes Prevention Act
of 2012
To combat cyber crimes in the country, President
Benigno S. Aquino III signed last Wednesday Republic Act 10175 or the
Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail
Valte announced in a radio interview Saturday over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
Among the punishable acts under the new law
include offenses against the confidentiality, integrity and availability of
computer data system, illegal access, illegal interception, data interference,
system interference, and misuse of devices.
These also include computer-related offenses
such as computer-related forgery, fraud, and identity theft. These crimes are
rampant in the Internet.
Also punishable under the new law are
content-related offenses like cybersex, and child pornography, Valte said.
The law also punishes unsolicited commercial
communications or cyber squatting, she said. Cyber squatting is the acquisition
of a person’s domain name in bad faith to profit, mislead, destroy the
reputation and deprive others from registering the same. Republic Act 10175
also punishes libel, Valte said.
The government classified cyber crimes in the
Philippines into two categories: Internet Crimes and Commercial Crimes
committed with the use of the Internet. Last year, authorities issued a legal
advisory on Internet Crimes to protect the public while using the web.
Existing Philippine laws punishing Internet
crimes are Republic Act (RA) 9995 (Anti-Photo and Voyeurism Act of 2009); RA
9775 (Anti-Child Pornography Act of 2009); and RA 9208 (Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act of 2003. PND (as/1:43pm)
Aquino administration committed to fight
jueteng, says Palace official
The Aquino administration doesn’t tolerate
jueteng operation in the country and it is committed to carry out the law to
eliminate it, a Palace official said on Saturday.
Asked by reporters in a radio interview Saturday
over a government radio, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said
the administration’s policy against the illegal number game is to fight and not
to tolerate it.
“Ang policy natin is no tolerance for jueteng.
Labag kasi kasi sa batas ‘yan so ang policy natin talaga diyan is that we have
no tolerance for it,” Valte said in an interview over dzRb Radyo ng Bayan.
The Chief Executive is primarily responsible for
the execution of the country’s laws and there’s no need for him to declare
publicly his policy to eradicate jueteng, Valte said.
At the same time, Valte said the President wants
a comprehensive plan to address jueteng, believing having an isolated approach
against it wouldn’t be effective, she said.
“You have to provide for the transition. It has
to be a holistic approach to it,” Valte said.
On Friday, Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda
said the government remains focused on battling jueteng through an integrated
approach that will not only address corruption but also provide alternative
livelihood to people dependent on jueteng operations.
The government's plan is to introduce a formal
numbers game that will provide employment to people and additional source of
funds for social development projects.
The plan of the government, which was supposed
to be implemented by the late Secretary Jesse Robredo was to enhance small town
lottery (STL) that will give people gainful employment, Lacierda said.
“We want to formalize everything. We want to
make sure that we provide gainful employment. We want to make sure as well that
the effects of jueteng... the benefits will redound to the public good,”
Lacierda said in a press conference on Friday.
“For instance, we can use its resources, its
income for our government programs. Again, this is all integrated and ensuring
also that we root out corruption in those levels," he added.
The STL, put up by the government to fight
jueteng, apparently failed to eradicate the illegal numbers game, Lacierda
said, prompting the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office and the Department of
the Interior and Local Government to come up with a more effective alternative.
PND (as/2:10pm)
