PCOO Secretary Sonny Coloma's Statement
We expect to resume public display of the
President's website in a few hours after needed protection measures have been
put in place. At around 1:30 a.m. today, we detected a breach when an errant
sentence critical of the government on the Sabah issue was found to have been
inserted in one of the news items within the website. No further intrusions
were made as the internal security protocols were activated.
President Aquino joins nation, Catholic faithful
in welcoming the new Pope
President Benigno S. Aquino III, along with the
Filipino people, joined all the Catholic faithful in welcoming the new pope
Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina, and prayed that the holy pontiff will serve
as a voice for peace, justice, and charity in a world threatened by tension and
armed conflict, poverty, uncertainty, and loss of confidence in institutions.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued
the statement on Thursday following the election of Bergoglio as the new leader
of the Roman Catholic Church. The new pope has taken the name Francis and is
the first non-European pontiff in nearly 1,300 years.
"The President, along with the Filipino
people, joins all the Catholic faithful as they receive their new leader and
meet his proclamation with a sense of boundless promise,"
"As the first pope from outside Europe in a
millennium—the first pope from the Society of Jesus, and the first from Latin
America—the election of Pope Francis brings with it the promise of renewal in
the Catholic Church, as it strives to fulfill its mission here on earth,"
Lacierda said.
The 76-year-old Pope Francis appeared on the
central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica just over an hour after white smoke
poured from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel to signal that 115
cardinal electors had chosen him to lead the world's 1.2 billion Roman
Catholics.
"We hope and pray that this will inaugurate
a pontificate that will bear witness not only to the basic tenets of the
Gospel, but will also serve as a voice for peace, justice, and charity in a
world threatened by tension and armed conflict, poverty, uncertainty, and loss
of confidence in institutions," Lacierda noted.
"This is not merely a time for all
Catholics to come together. This is a call for unity across nations—across
ethnicities—to work with the new Catholic leadership towards shaping a world in
which each and every human being is allowed to live a life of peace, joy, and
dignity. Our administration is eager to work with the new Catholic leadership
to achieve that end," he stressed.
In congratulating Pope Francis, Lacierda said:
"May God continue to grant you strength and wisdom as you lead the
Catholic Church into its next chapter." PND (js)
Malacanang says Philippines to continue seeking
all opportunities to build climate of mutual trust and cooperation with
People’s Republic of China
Malacañang on Thursday said the Philippines will
continue to “seek all opportunities to help build a climate of mutual trust and
cooperation” with the People’s Republic of China following the formal assumption
of Xi Jinping as its new president.
In a statement extending its ‘sincere
congratulations’ to the newly-installed Chinese leader, Presidential Spokesman
Edwin Lacierda expressed that the Philippines is in one with the people of
China in welcoming Xi’s presidency.
“The People’s Republic of China views this as an
auspicious moment as they work towards their prosperity and stability. This is
a sentiment shared by all peoples of good will, who look forward to
opportunities for positive engagement fortified by trust, good will, and
cooperation, for the mutual benefit of all peoples in our region and around the
world,” Lacierda said.
Xi assumed the presidency after getting majority
of the votes in the 18th National People’s Congress, held Thursday in Beijing,
and his election as General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee and Chairman
of the CPC Central Military Commission.
“We will seek all opportunities to help build a
climate of mutual trust and cooperation to enhance stability in our region so
that the positive economic momentum of our respective nations may be
sustained,” Lacierda concluded. PND (hdc)
Government renews resolve to bring justice to
pyramid scam victims in Visayas, Mindanao
The Aquino government made an assurance on
Thursday that it is doing everything to serve justice to the victims of the
pyramid scam organized by Manuel Amalilio and his cohorts.
“We will continue to work for the successful
prosecution of Amalilio et al. And as you know, there have been a series of
complaints or cases filed in court because there have been determinations
already of probable cause by the panel of prosecutors,” Justice Secretary Leila
de Lima said in a press conference in Malacanang on Thursday.
Palace reporters asked De Lima if there is an
assurance that Amalilio’s case will not be put in the backburner particularly
with the ongoing incident in Sabah that might affect his return to the
Philippines to face charges here.
In assuring the victims, De Lima said there are
arrest warrants issued by different courts such as in Cagayan de Oro City and
Pagadian City. The Department of Justice is also waiting for the Iligan City
court to issue similar warrants against Amalilio and his co-conspirators at Aman
Futures.
“There are several complaints filed and several
are still under preliminary investigation and some are already in court, and
there have been warrants of arrest. We will continue to work for the successful
prosecution of Amalilio et al,” she said.
Currently, the DOJ is working on how to
repatriate Amalilio, De Lima said. Amalilio is currently serving a two-year
sentence in a Malaysian jail for using a fake Philippine passport.
Philippine justice officials discussed with
their Malaysian counterparts ways to bring Amalilio to the Philippines even
before the lapse of his two-year jail sentence in Malaysia, the justice
official said.
“So if the right time comes, kung mag-die down
na ‘yung heat or ‘yung situation sa Sabah, then we can already send our team to
Kuala Lumpur,” she said hoping that the ongoing conflict in Sabah won’t affect
the prosecution of Amalilio in the Philippines.
The DOJ cancelled the trip of its team who was
supposed to leave last Tuesday for Kuala Lumpur to begin the initial talks for
Amalilio’s repatriation.
De Lima said they do not believe the current
situation in Sabah would yield a fruitful outcome if the DOJ proceeds with the
talks. The cancellation is one of the “unintended consequences” of the acts of
Kiram’s group in Sabah.
Amalilio, the head of Aman Futures Group,
allegedly duped some 15,000 people in the Visayas and Mindanao amounting to P12
billion. PND (as)
Government to file charges against followers of
Kiram fleeing Sabah
The government is readying appropriate charges
against 36 individuals intercepted by the Philippine Navy (PN) entering
Philippine waters from Sabah, Malaysia in two boats on Wednesday (March 13),
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima said.
In a briefing in Malacanang on Thursday, De Lima
confirmed earlier reports that the individuals, who were intercepted within the
vicinities of Omapoy and Adulingan islands in Tawi-Tawi, were members of the
Royal Security Forces (RSF) of Sulu Sultan Jamalul Kiram III.
“We confirm the reports yesterday about the
interception of two groups of armed men from Sabah, Malaysia. So the first
group was intercepted yesterday at 6:35 in the morning by Philippine Navy
vessel PS38. There were 18 of them, 17 males, and one female, and with assorted
firearms, and one of them was even found wounded, and they identified
themselves as Royal Security Force,” De Lima said.
“The second group came in at 7:37, also
yesterday, so isang oras lang ang pagitan. The same Philippine vessel PS38
intercepted the second group, and again, there were 18 passengers who were
identified to be RSF members, and again, with assorted firearms,” she added.
She pointed out that a composite force composed
of members from the National Bureau of Investigation, Philippine National
Police and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group are studying the
appropriate charges to file against these individuals.
“So with that development, the processes are now
being undertaken by a composite team with the end view of filing the
appropriate charges against them as soon as possible,” De Lima said. PND (rck)
Philippines exerting efforts to gain access to
detained Filipinos in Malaysia
The Philippine government will continue to exert
efforts to gain access to Filipinos detained by Malaysian authorities following
the deadly offensive launched by Malaysia in Sabah, Malacanang said on
Thursday.
It was reported that Malaysia rejected the
Philippines’s request to have full access to Filipino detainees in its custody.
“Our concern is for our Filipinos in custody. We
will continue to pursue our desire to seek access to our Filipino brethren who
are in Malaysian custody,” Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a
press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
Asked by reporters about the government’s option
if ever Malaysia wouldn’t grant the Philippine’s request, Lacierda said that
DFA has to work on it.
Malaysian authorities have reported that 64
people have been killed during the Sabah offensive, mostly followers of the
Sulu sultanate. Also 97 people have been arrested in Sabah. Malaysia said
security operations are continuing in the area.
The Philippine Navy reported it had detained 35
suspected Filipino militants on Wednesday sailing home from Sabah. The 35
people, fleeing Sabah, were seized by the navy on board two small boats from
the Malaysian state.
The justice department said it is mulling filing
charges against the detained Filipinos for carrying a large cache of weapons
suspected to have been used during the Sabah conflict. PND (as)
