Palace reports Korean Peninsula situation
remains normal; no need for raising alert level
Malacanang said the situation in the Korean
Peninsula remains normal and there’s no reason for the Philippine government to
raise its alert level to ensure the safety of Filipinos in South Korea.
“Our post in South Korea has reported today that
the situation remains normal; wala namang pagbabago,” Deputy Presidential
Spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan
on Saturday.
“And we have also spoken to the DFA [Department
of Foreign Affairs], and because the situation remains normal, we see no reason
why the alert level should be raised today.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs, through its
embassy in South Korea is doing day-to-day assessment on the Korean Peninsula
situation. The government said it is ready to carry its contingency measures in
case the situation in the region deteriorates.
On Friday, while visiting Sta. Cruz, Laguna,
President Benigno S. Aquino III made an assurance that the government has an
intact emergency response plan in case war breaks out in the Korean Peninsula.
Filipino community organizations in South Korea
are working hand-in-hand with the Philippine Embassy to ensure readiness if
there is a need for evacuations.
At the same time, the President said the
Philippine government is also talking with other countries for temporary
sheltering arrangements in case of any emergency evacuation.
Also, the President said Foreign Affairs
Secretary Albert del Rosario is flying today to South Korea to check on the
government’s preparations there.
The President said there are around 50,000
Filipinos living or working in South Korea, adding however that the
government’s major concern are those located near the demilitarized zone, who
will be vulnerable in case of war.
He said around 15,000 Filipinos stay closest to
the demilitarized zone than Seoul, South Korea’s capital.
In case violence erupts, the President said the
government is capable of moving Filipinos out of South Korea. C-130 cargo
planes from the Philippine Air Force and a naval ship from the Philippine Navy
are on standby to ferry or airlift Filipinos who will be affected by the
conflict. PND (as)
Palace says government remains committed to
fighting smuggling, other crimes
The government hasn’t changed its resolve in
going after smugglers, tax evaders and other criminals by building strong cases
to make sure wrongdoers go to jail, a Palace official said on Saturday.
Responding to the call of a lawmaker to
intensify the fight against smuggling, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail
Valte said the government has never wavered in putting an end to smuggling and
prosecuting those who are behind it.
Sen. Francis Pangilinan called on the government
to double its efforts in going after smugglers, especially those in government
who connive with criminals.
“First, ‘yung efforts naman natin sa smuggling
talagang patuloy na pinaiigting. On the second point na dapat maikulong… the
work of the Executive is in the filing of the cases and in the prosecution,”
Valte said in a radio interview on Saturday over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
“Ito naman ang laging sinasabi ng Pangulong
Aquino na kailangang merong katiyakan na merong mapaparusahan at tayo naman sa
Ehekutibo ay ito ang ating laging itinutulak,” she added.
The government is filing not only smuggling
cases, but also tax evasion cases as well as other various offenses, Valte
said. The President also made an instruction to build strong cases against
criminals to make sure that they are punished, she added.
“Ang utos ng Pangulo ay dapat talagang matibay
ang pundasyon ng ebidensya ng mga kasong pina-file natin,” she said.
Asked to comment on calls asking the President
to designate Sen. Panfilo Lacson at the Bureau of Customs and make him an oil
smuggling czar, Valte asked the public to wait for the President’s decision.
Also, Valte said the proposal of former Sen.
Jamby Madrigal asking for a separate government agency that will exclusively
tackle oil smuggling must be thoroughly studied.
“That has to be studied because normally, the
position of the President on that is we have to take a look at the existing
institutions that do perform these tasks kasi ayaw ng Pangulo na masyadong
maraming agencies,” she said.
Oil smuggling has become a major issue following
the report of an oil company saying the government has been losing huge in
foregone revenues due to oil smuggling in the country. PND (as)
Palace says conditional cash transfer program
shouldn’t be politicized
Malacanang asked the public to report to the
Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) politicians using the
Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program for political purposes as the campaign for
local candidates start.
Some local government units have been
complaining about reports saying politicians campaigning for public office are
using the program to attract voters.
“Paalala lang natin: kung binabanggit na
sinusuportahan nila ‘yung programa o kaya’y itinutulak nilang mas maging
maganda ’yung programa, hindi naman ‘yun paggamit,” Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview Saturday over dzRB Radyo
ng Bayan.
“Pero ‘yung binabanggit natin ’yung ‘pag sinabi
nila na ‘kaya kitang isama diyan o ipatatanggal kita,’ ‘yon ‘yung dapat nating
i-report sa DWSD,” she added.
No politician can decide whether to include or
exclude a beneficiary under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Valte
explained. Only the DSWD can delist a beneficiary of the program if he or she
fails to comply with program guidelines, Valte noted.
“DSWD lang din ang pupuwedeng magdagdag sa inyo
sa programa dahil hindi naman iyan pilian,” she said.
Beneficiaries could be included in the program
once they are identified under the National Household Targeting System of the
DSWD, the Palace official said.
“Ang pagtanggal naman, ang dahilan niyan ay kung
hindi kayo nagko-comply doon sa inyong mga obligasyon sa ilalim ng programa,”
she said.
Among the conditions under the program includes
sending schoolchildren regularly to schools, requiring pregnant mothers to
undergo regular medical check-ups at health centers and requiring beneficiaries
to attend family development sessions. PND (as)
