President Aquino thanks people of Mindanao for
helping push regional reforms
BULUAN, Maguindanao) President Benigno S. Aquino
III extended his gratitude Friday to the people of Mindanao particularly the
Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) for supporting him in carrying out
reforms in the region.
“Maraming, maraming salamat sa ibinigay ninyong
pagkakataong paglingkuran kayo. Maraming salamat po sa tiwalang ipinagkaloob
ninyo para magawa natin ang mga repormang matagal nang hinahangad ng Mindanao,”
the President said in his message during his meeting with the community and local
leaders here.
President Aquino also thanked those who
supported the synchronize election in Mindanao, noting its importance as it
gives the people greater freedom of choosing the right leaders.
At present, the President said the government
has been taking care and focusing its attention on the people of Mindanao
contrary to the previous administration that neglected the region.
Immediately after ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman took
office, he found irregularities such as ghost teachers and schools and other
anomalous projects, the President said.
In the past, the people of Mindanao were
overwhelmed by fear, violence and poverty but now, with the reforms being
carried out by the Aquino government, the true potential of the Land of Promise
starts to blossom.
“Pag-asa, kapayapaan, at kaunlaran—iyan ang bago
pong mukha ng Mindanao. Iyan ang bagong imahen ng ARMM. At hindi talaga tayo
magsasawang magpabalik-balik sa inyong lugar, lalo na kung ganito kainit ang
pagsalubong ng mga kapatid nating mga Moro sa atin,” the President said.
“Ang inyo pong pakikiisa ang susi sa bawat
tagumpay natin. Kayo po, at ulit-ulitin ko, kayo po ang aking mga boss ang
gumawa ng lahat nito.”
In order for these reforms to continue, the
President said the people of Mindanao must support candidates allied with the
administration this coming May polls.
“Nakasalalay po sa kung sinong iboboto ninyo sa
darating na Mayo kung magtutuluy-tuloy ang kapayapaan at kaunlaran sa ARMM o
kung magbabalik tayo sa sistema nang panlalamang, karahasan, at
pang-i-itsapuwera,” he said.
The President arrived here in Buluan after
visiting Cotabato City Friday morning. The President was joined by Interior and
Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas, ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, Maguindanao
Gov. Toto Mangudadatu and other local officials. PND (as)
Aquino: Righteous path yields developments,
reforms in Mindanao
BULUAN, Maguindanao: Traversing the righteous
path made it possible for Mindanao to accomplish reforms and build major
projects that now has started to benefit
the people, President Benigno S. Aquino III said on Friday.
“Sa tuwid na daan, napatunayan nating posibleng
magkaroon ng gobyernong may malasakit at tapat; na posibleng maging pantay ang
magangandang pagkakataon, ikaw man ay nasa Luzon, sa Visayas, o sa Mindanao,”
the President said in his speech during his meeting with the local leaders and
residents here.
The President reminded the people that their
votes in the upcoming May polls are crucial in ensuring that reforms in
Mindanao continue or will the region revert back to its previous condition.
The government and the Moro Islamic Liberation
Front (MILF) agreed on the Framework Agreement for Mindanao peace last year,
the President said, noting that the former rebel organization is now a
government partner for reform and development.
Also, the President said that because of the
righteous path that his administration champions, the Autonomous Region in
Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) was able to push many projects that has now started to
help the people.
Among these projects include the 13-kilometer
Simuay-Landasan-Parang road, the Cotabato East Diversion Road and the 36
irrigation projects in Mindanao that cost P471-million.
More than 381,560 households in ARMM are
benefiting from the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, the
President said, adding that reforms and
additional projects will continue in Mindanao if the people choose the right
leaders especially those allied with the administration. PND (as)
Government has mechanism that will boost power
sources in Mindanao, Aquino assures local leaders
COTABATO CITY) President Benigno S. Aquino III
assured local leaders on Friday that the government is crafting a mechanism
that will boost the power sources in Mindanao.
During a dialogue with the local leaders at the ORG
Conference Room, ARMM Compound here, the Chief Executive said the government is
looking for alternative sources of energy to effectively address the power
crisis in Mindanao.
The power crisis in Mindanao has been attributed
to the decreased generating capacity of hydropower plants caused by the reduced
water level in Lake Lanao. Based on the Philippine Development Energy Plan
2012-2030, the Mindanao grid will need an additional capacity of 2,188 MW by
2030.
"The initial plan is, pinaayos na ang
mechanism. By 2015, mag-o-online ‘yung mga nagtatayuan ngayon na coal—for
instance, ‘yung Aboitiz. Pero parang 2013 hanggang 2015, magtatayo muna tayo ng
mga diesel plants na mag-ge-generate ng power," President Aquino said.
Using diesel power plants is seen to be the
immediate remedy to the Mindanao power problem, the President noted.
"Problema ng diesel, mahal, pero interim
lang ito. Kapag natapos gamitin sa kalakhang Mindanao, ililipat sa mga SPUG
(small power utilities group) . Ito ang next step. Ang magpopondo, ang national
government," the President continued.
The generators will augment demand for power in
Mindanao at least until 2015 when new power plants are expected to start their
operations.
However, the President stressed the need to
first fine-tune the mechanism before purchasing the generators since under the
Electric Power Industry Reform Act, the government is prohibited to buy
additional generating capacity.
"Pero meron doon sa EPIRA Law na hindi na pwedeng
bumili ang NAPOCOR (National Power Corporation). ‘Yun ang pinag-aaralan: Paano
ang mekanismo? Sino ang pwedeng i-authorize—may pondo, pero sino ang authorized
na bumili para maibsan ang power shortage ngayon dito at magamit ng mga
SPUG?" he noted.
President Aquino said the mechanism should fall
within the purview of the law. He said he wants to make sure that government
actions complies with the law.
He also told the local leaders that the
government provides a subsidy for Palawan and Mindoro areas where SPUG services
are needed.
"Ngayon, sina-subsidize ‘yon. Pero ‘yung
Mindoro ‘pag na-online na ang kanilang wind at saka hydro—parang may geothermal
pa yatang tinitingnan —parang matatanggal sila doon sa SPUG. Baka pwede na
silang mag-solo, magkakaroon pa sila ng surplus, pwedeng ma-export. Between
Mindoro and Palawan, ‘pag natanggal sila sa SPUG, 50 percent ng gastos natin sa
tinatawag na missionary roots ay matatanggal," he said.
President Aquino also expressed concern over the
proposal to rely solely on the SPUG for power supply.
"Ang sa SPUG, isa pang problema doon,
besides ‘yung kulang, napakaluma ng mga generating sets. Kumbaga, sa
maintenance at maintenance na lang malulugi ka na," he said.
"So parang newer units, more efficient, mas
made-deliver ang kailangang kuryente...—at baka makabawas din sa ating subsidy
na kailangang gamitin. Ang bawas sa subsidy, pwedeng ilipat sa more generating
ability," he said. PND (js)
Palace advises Pagadian mayor to face estafa
charges
Malacanang advised Pagadian City Mayor Samuel Co
to face the syndicated estafa filed against him instead of evading the law. Co
is being implicated in connection with the Aman Futures pyramiding scheme.
The Iligan City Regional Trial Court ordered the
arrest of Co but the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) that tried to serve
the arrest order failed to find Co in his home and at his office.
In an interview on Saturday over dzRB Radyo ng
Bayan, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said there are two
warrants of arrests issued against Co.
“When it comes to cases like this the best
avenue for someone to prove his innocence or to present his defense is by
facing the charges in court,” Valte said.
“Hindi naman nakakatulong ‘yung tumatakbo or
nagtatago. Kung mayroon kayong warrant harapin n’yo na lang ‘yung mga kasong
isinampa laban sa inyo. May pagkakataon kayong patunayan sa korte ‘yung inyong
sinasabing innocence.”
Co’s charges stemmed from the complaint filed by
Julius Labunog who alleged that his group was defrauded of P29.63 million.
The co-accused of Pagadian Mayor include Manuel
Amalilio, Aman Futures executives Fernando Luna, Lelian Lim Gan, Eduard Lim,
Wilanie Fuentes, Naezelle Rodriguez and Lurix Lopez. Amalilio’s wife Abigail
Pendulas is also being charged of syndicated estafa. PND (as)
Philippine government ready to help repatriate
Filipinos from Saudi Arabia
Malacanang made an assurance on Saturday that it
is always prepared to extend assistance to Filipinos asking for help in Saudi
Arabia particularly those who are undocumented and wanting to go back to the
Philippines.
At least 7,000 Filipino workers sought
repatriation from Saudi Arabia after King Abdullah ordered a three-month delay
on government crackdown against illegal and overstaying foreigners in that
country.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte
said the country’s embassy in the Middle Eastern country extends assistance to
those who wants to go home.
Valte also said her office received a letter
last week from three Filipinos wanting to be repatriated to the Philippines.
She said they endorsed them to the Philippine Embassy in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
that will facilitate their return to the Philippines.
“Hindi naman problema sa atin ‘yan. Trabaho
natin ‘yan, facilitating assistance to undocumented Filipinos who may want to
go back to the country,” she said.
“Patuloy naman ang assistance na ine-extend ng
ating mga posts doon sa mga undocumented workers. In the same way na kapag
meron ding reklamo, ipaaabot din sa amin para nagagawan din natin ng paraan.”
According to Migrante, 7,000 have signed up for
repatriation but it expects the number could go up because 20,000 were
considered undocumented out of about 1.5 million Filipinos in Saudi Arabia.
Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah stopped the
crackdown against illegal immigrants and foreign workers in April, giving them
three months to fix their status.
Those who will be caught without proper
documents may land in jail and could be fined, deported and banned from
entering Saudi Arabia. PND (as)
