President Aquino endorses team 12 senatorial
candidates of Team PNoy at proclamation rally in Plaza Miranda
President Benigno S. Aquino III formally
endorsed the 12 senatorial candidates of the Team PNoy for the May 13, 2013
national and local elections, expressing his strong belief that the
senatoriables will stand on the platform of good governance through his Daan
Matuwid advocacy during the proclamation rally at the historic Plaza Miranda in
Quiapo, Manila on Tuesday.
Clad in a yellow shirt, the Chief Executive, who
is chairman of the Liberal Party, personally introduced to the people during
the proclamation rally the 12 senatorial candidates namely, Aurora Rep. Juan
Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, his cousin Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Senate Minority
Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, Senator Francis Escudero, former Akbayan Rep. Risa
Hontiveros, Senator Loren Legarda, former Senators Jamby Madrigal and Ramon
Magsaysay Jr., Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, former Movie Review Board Chair
Grace Poe, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV and former Las Piñas Representative
Cynthia Villar.
In his speech, the President called on the
Filipino people to vote wisely and choose the candidates who would affirm his
administration’s commitment to tread the straight and righteous path in
transforming the Philippines into a progressive nation.
"Sa aking mga Boss --- sa darating na Mayo
a-trese, muli tayong haharap sa sangandaan. Nakaatang sa ating mga balikat kung
aling landas ang tatahakin ng ating bansa. Kukunin ba natin ay ang mga tutulong
para lalo pang pabilisin ang pagbabago ng atin pong lipunan? O ang kukunin ba
natin ay ang mga pilit na hahadlangan ang pagbabagong minimithi natin?,"
he said.
The President said he needs good lawmakers in
the Senate to help his administration in pushing for programs and initiatives
that will provide the Filipino citizenry with better lives.
"Sila ang labindalawang kasama natin sa
Team PNoy, buong-buong humaharap sa inyo ngayong gabi, at hindi liliban o
tatanggi sa panawagan nating ituloy ang krusada ng katapatan, katarungan, at
malawakang kaunlaran," he said.
"Kumpleto silang tumitindig dito sa Plaza
Miranda, sa dambana ng demokrasya’t kalayaan, bilang tanda ng kanilang panata
sa mamamayan: hindi sila magnanakaw, hindi nila ipagkakanulo ang tiwala ng
sambayanan, at lagi nilang isasaalang-alang ang inyong kapakanan," he
stressed.
The President thanked the Filipino people for
their overwhelming trust, confidence, and support to his administration and
assured them that he would continue to undertake development programs that
would uplift the lives of the people.
"Marami pa po tayong nais na ihatid na
makabuluhang programa sa bansa; may mga kababayan pa rin po tayong
nangangailangan ng pagkalinga’t naghahangad ding mabigyan ng pagkakataon para
itimon ang sarili nilang kapalaran," the President said.
The President said he cannot single-handedly
pursue his program of governance that’s why he needs the support of the Team
PNoy's senatorial bets to continuously effect the positive change.
The President said he is endorsing the Team
PNOY's senatorial bets because they have demonstrated a shared commitment with
the government to fight corruption and poverty.
"Sila po ang labindalawang tiyak nating
tuwid sa daang matuwid. Galing po sa unang listahan ng apatnapu, sa tulong ng
lahat, hinimay po natin ang kanilang mga kakayahan at pagkatao; binuo po natin
ang mga kasama sa ating agenda ng pagsugpo sa katiwalian, at pag-angat ng
kabuhayan ng ating mamamayan," he said.
The President also called on the citizens to
take an active part in his administration's efforts towards permanently
changing the society.
"Sa pagtatapos po, may mga nagtatanong ho
sa akin, medyo dumadalas: Paano ‘pag dating ng 2016? Ano ang solusyon natin?
Baka naman temporary lang ang nangyayari sa atin. Ang parati kong sagot: Kaya
tayo nagbago, dahil sa ating mga Boss," he said.
"At ang mga Boss natin ang susi para
maniguradong ang pagbabagong ito ay manatili maski pagdating ng panahong ako
po’y nagretiro na. ‘Yan po ang paniniwala ko; buo ang tiwala ko sa inyong lahat
na tuluy-tuloy na po tayo sa matuwid na landas," he said.
Also in attendance were Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim
who delivered the welcome remarks, Senator Manny Villar, Senator and LP vice chairman
Franklin Drilon, House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., Transportation and
Communications Secretary and acting LP President Joseph E.A. Abaya, among
others. PND (js)
President Aquino receives 2012 Miss Tourism
International and Miss Universe first runner up in Malacanang
President Benigno S. Aquino III warmly welcomed
2012 Miss Tourism International Rizzini Alexis Gomez and 2012 Miss Universe 1st
runner-up Janine Tugonon in Malacanang Palace on Wednesday.
Gomez and Tugonon paid their respects on the
Chief Executive at the Music Room of the Malacanang Palace. Gomez was
accompanied by Mutya ng Pilipinas President Jacqueline Tan while Tugonon was
accompanied by Stella Marquez-Araneta, founder and chairperson of the Bb.
Pilipinas Charities, Inc. and former Miss International title holder.
Gomez was crowned the 2012 Miss Tourism
International at the Sunway Resort in Petaling Jaya, near Kuala Lumpur,
Malaysia on New Year's eve.
The 22-year-old Gomez is the reigning Mutya ng
Pilipinas Tourism 2012. The Cebuana beauty bested 55 other delegates from
around the world vying for the 16th Miss Tourism International crown and became
the second Filipina to win the title after Maria Esperanza in 2000.
The 22-year-old Tugonon, on the other hand,
finished first-runner up at the Miss Universe pageant held at the Planet
Hollywood Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on December 19, 2012. PND (js)
Aquino signs Expanded Anti-Trafficking in
Persons Act
President Benigno S. Aquino III signed the
Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act that plugs the loopholes in the
existing law to effectively fight such offense, the Palace confirmed on
Wednesday.
Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the
signing of the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act will make the
government’s fight against human trafficking more effective.
A year ago, the US State Department removed the
Philippines from the Tier 2 category in its Annual Trafficking in Person report
but the country remains in the watchlist.
“We’re still in the watchlist. We would like to
improve our standing in the watchlist and we hope that, with this expanded
coverage of anti-trafficking, we will be able to remove ourselves from the
watchlist,” Lacierda said.
“This is a concern and a priority of the
President and this measure will be enforced by the different agencies,
especially the Department of Justice as well as our police agencies.”
Lawmakers has called on the President to
immediately sign the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act to address human
trafficking in the country particularly in disaster areas where women and
children were being victimized.
The expanded law is a strengthened version of
the Anti-Trafficking Law, covering attempted trafficking. It has accessory or
accomplice liability, which covers more related acts and individuals.
Recruitment in the guise of domestic or overseas
employment for sexual exploitation, forced labor or involuntary debt bondage,
can now be considered human trafficking.
Also, included in the Expanded Anti-Trafficking
in Persons Act are recruitment of any Filipino woman to marry a foreigner,
engagement in sex tourism, recruitment for organ removal and recruitment of a
child to engage in armed activities abroad are human trafficking and punishable
under the law. PND (as)
Palace assures government funds won’t be used
for Team PNoy campaign
MALACANANG on Wednesday assured that no single
centavo from government funds will be spent for the campaign operations of Team
PNoy.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said
while President Benigno S. Aquino III earlier pledged to actively campaign for
Team Pnoy’s senatorial candidates, he will not be using government money and
resources noting that his decision to join the campaign trail “involve governance."
“The presence of the President will involve
governance in all things that he does,” Lacierda said at a press briefing in
Malacanang.
“Those are events of the President. You cover
them regardless of whatever the President does…that’s part of the President’s
work as a president and, in furtherance of his agenda, this is part of those
measures that the President would like to do. And part of this pushing forth
the agenda of the President is to campaign for the people he wants elected,” he
added.
The Palace official also defended the presence
of several Cabinet secretaries in political sorties saying that they are
allowed to campaign and support political candidates.
“Let’s take it two-fold: legally, there is no
prohibition. The Supreme Court has already rendered a decision on that. That
being alter-egos of the President, we are allowed—and being political
appointees—we are allowed to campaign and there is no prohibition with that
aspect,” Lacierda said.
“On governance, we need the senatoriables—the
people that the President has chosen—to help us in reform measures. So that’s
the reason why we believe in the candidates of the President. We stand side by
side with the senatoriables of the President and so we believe that we are in a
position to also convince our countrymen the need to elect the 12 chosen
candidates of the President,” he further said.
Lacierda also said that it is part of the job of
Cabinet secretaries to accompany the President depending on the event.
He clarified, however, that the expenses of
officials who are not members of the Liberal Party will not be shouldered by
the administration party.
“Ang may sagot po, ang Liberal Party—ang may mga
gastusin po. Walang gagastusing pera ng gobyerno dito sa kampanya,” he
stressed.
Malacanang, likewise, assured that the
President's duties in running state affairs will not be affected while
campaigning for the Team PNoy candidates.
President Aquino formally endorsed the 12
senatorial candidates of Team PNoy during the proclamation rally at the
historic Plaza Miranda, in Quiapo, Manila on Tuesday.
They are Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo “Sonny”
Angara, Paolo Benigno “Bam” Aquino, Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano,
Senator Francis Escudero, former Akbayan Rep. Risa Hontiveros, Senator Loren
Legarda, former Senators Jamby Madrigal and Ramon Magsaysay Jr., Senator
Aquilino Pimentel III, Senator Antonio Trillanes IV, former Las
PiñasRepresentative Cynthia Villar and former Movie Review Board Chair Grace
Poe-Llamanzares.
President Aquino said he personally selected the
people who will comprise the administration's coalition team believing that
they will be able to push forward the government's reform agenda. PND (jb)
