Aquino administration condoles with National
Artist for Film and Broadcast Eddie Romero
The Aquino administration expressed its
condolences to the family of National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Eddie
S. Romero who passed away at the age of 88 on Tuesday night, a Palace official
said.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail F.
Valte issued the statement following reports that Romero died at 9 p.m. of
Tuesday. He had been suffering from prostate cancer.
Born on July 7, 1924, Romero was named National
Artist of the Philippines in 2003.
"The Aquino administration condoles with
the family, friends, colleagues, and numerous admirers of film director Eddie
Romero. An acclaimed National Artist of the Philippines, his aesthetic,
according to his citation, was “delivered in an utterly simple style—minimalist,
but never empty, always calculated, precise and functional, but never
predictable,” Valte said.
"His work spanned generations; Mr. Romero
influenced numerous filmmakers, both here and abroad, to tread the same path
and to aspire for the same sweeping ambitions that he held dear. His
accomplishments form the legacy that Mr. Romero has undoubtedly left Philippine
and global cinema," she said.
Romero who was an influential Filipino film
director, film producer and screenwriter, was considered one of the finest in
the cinema of the Philippines. His career spans three generations of
filmmakers.
His film "Ganito Kami Noon…Paano Kayo
Ngayon?," set at the turn of the century during the revolution against the
Spaniards and, later, the American colonizers, follows a naïve peasant through
his leap of faith to become a member of an imagined community.
"Aguila" situates a family’s story against the backdrop of the
country’s history.
"Kamakalawa" explores the folklore of
prehistoric Philippines. "Banta ng Kahapon," his 'small' political
film, is set against the turmoil of the late 1960s, tracing the connection of
the underworld to the corrupt halls of politics. His 13-part TV series of
"Noli Me Tangere" brings Philippine national hero Jose Rizal’s novel
to a new generation of viewers. PND (js)
President Aquino calls on all departments,
agencies, local government units to support technical working group on Baguio
and Boracay
President Benigno S. Aquino III has enjoined all
departments, agencies and instrumentalities of the national government and
local government units (LGUs) to actively support the Technical Working Group
(TEG) on Baguio and Boracay for the preparation of comprehensive plans and
programs to preserve and develop these places.
The Chief Executive issued the directive by
virtue of Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 47 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito
N. Ochoa Jr. on May 17.
Baguio City and Boracay Island are leading
tourist destinations that are considered national assets, the President said.
He said rapid growth, commercialization, and the
lack of a comprehensive development and zoning plan have caused the degradation
and deterioration of the two localities.
The President has directed the secretaries of
Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources, Interior and Local Government, and
Justice to constitute a Technical Working Group (TWG) to review the
environmental, commercial, tourism, and law and order situation in Baguio and
Boracay for the purpose of developing comprehensive plans to preserve these
vital national assets.
He said there is need to ensure full support and
cooperation from all officials and employees of government agencies and
instrumentalities, including Government-Owned and Controlled Corporations for
the successful completion of its tasks and functions.
The President designated the Secretary of
Tourism as coordinator of the technical working group to ensure proper
formulation and full integration of social and economic policies, plans, and
programs.
He directed the said technical working group to
work with all concerned stakeholders, including the LGUs with jurisdiction over
Baguio and Boracay, in the preparation and implementation of plans and
programs, and to submit regular reports to the Office of the President.
This Memorandum Circular shall take effect
immediately. PND (js)
President Aquino signs into law a consolidated
bill amending Rural Bank Act to allow foreign capital infusion in rural banks
President Benigno S. Aquino III has signed into
law a consolidated bill amending the Rural Bank Act to allow foreign capital
infusion in rural banks.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
announced during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Wednesday that the
Chief Executive signed on May 24 Republic Act 10574 otherwise known as "An
Act Allowing the Infusion of Foreign Equity in the Capital of Rural Banks,
Amending Republic Act No. 7353 otherwise known as "The Rural Bank Act of
1992," as amended and for other purposes.
The Act is a consolidation of House Bill 5360
and Senate Bill 3282 that were finally passed by the House of Representatives
and the Senate on February 4, 2013 and January 30, 2013, respectively.
The new law amends Section 4 of Republic Act
7353 to enable foreign individuals and entities to acquire equity of up to 60%
in rural banks.
"Non-Filipino citizens may own, acquire or
purchase up to sixty percent (60%) of the voting stocks in a rural bank. The
percentage of foreign-owned voting stocks shall be determined by the
citizenship of the individual or corporate stockholders of the rural
bank," the law said.
Prior to the passage of this Act, foreign banks
are allowed to acquire equity in rural banks but prohibits foreign individuals
or foreign entities from doing the same.
The new law provides "that no rural bank
shall be operated without a Certificate of Authority from the Monetary Board of
the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas. Rural banks shall be organized in the form of
stock corporations. No less than forty percent (40%) of the voting stocks of a
rural bank shall be owned by citizens of the Philippines or corporations or
associations organized under the laws of the Philippines at least sixty percent
(60%) of whose capital is owned by such citizens."
Under RA 10574, non-Filipino citizens may become
members of the Board of Directors of a rural bank but their participation in
the Board shall be limited to their proportionate share in the equity of the
rural bank: Provided, however, that at least one (1) independent director shall
be elected to the Board of Directors.
"No director or officer of any rural bank
shall, either directly or indirectly, for himself or as the representative or
agent of another, borrow any of the deposits or funds of such banks, nor shall
he become a guarantor, indorser, or surety for loans from such bank to others,
or in any manner be an obligor for money borrowed from the bank or loaned by it
except with the written approval of the majority of the directors of the bank,
excluding the director concerned. Any such approval shall be entered upon the
records of the corporation and a copy of such entry shall be transmitted
forthwith to the appropriate supervising department. The director/officer of
the bank who violates the provisions of this section shall be immediately
dismissed from his office and shall be penalized in accordance with Section 26
of this Act," the law said.
The Monetary Board may regulate the amount of
credit accommodations that may be extended directly to the directors, officers
or stockholders of rural banks of banking institutions. However, the
outstanding credit accommodations which a rural bank may extend to each of its
stockholders owning two percent (2%) or more of the subscribed capital stock,
its directors, or officers shall be limited to an amount equivalent to the
respective outstanding deposits and book value of the paid-in capital
contributions in the bank.”
Under this Act, loans or advances extended by
rural banks organized and operated under this Act shall be primarily for the
purpose of meeting the normal credit needs of farmers, fishermen or farm
families owning or cultivating land dedicated to agricultural production as
well as the normal credit needs of cooperatives and merchants.
The new law "provides supplemental capital
to any rural bank until it has accumulated enough capital of its own or
stimulate private investments in rural banks, the Land Bank of the Philippines,
the Development Bank of the Philippines or any government-owned or -controlled
bank or financial institution shall subscribe within thirty (30) days to the
capital stock of any rural bank from time to time in an amount equal to the total
equity investment of the private shareholders which shall be paid in full at
the time of the subscription or such amount as may be necessary to promote and
expand rural economic development: Provided, however, that shares of stock
issued to the Land Bank of the Philippines, the Development Bank of the
Philippines or any government-owned or -controlled bank or financial
institution, may, pursuant to this section, at any time, be bought at adjusted
book value."
According to the new law, the Bangko Sentral ng
Pilipinas, consistent with Section 11 of Republic Act No. 7353, "shall
prescribe the necessary rules and regulations on the amendments of the Rural
Banks Act of 1992 in consultation with various stakeholders as well as
disseminate this information to allow entry of foreign equity into our rural
bank system to revitalize the rural banking industry and improve access of
banking services to the rural areas in the country."
The implementing rules and regulations shall be
published within ninety (90) days from the publication of this Act in two (2)
newspapers of general circulation in the Philippines.
This Act shall take effect 15 days after its
complete publication in the Official Gazette or in at least 2 newspapers of
general circulation, whichever is earlier. PND (js)
President Aquino signs laws creating more
courts, amending Family Code
President Benigno S. Aquino III recently signed
into law Republic Acts creating more courts of justice in the Philippines and
amending provisions in the Family Code Establishing the Liability of the
Absolute Community or Conjugal Partnership for an Obligation of a Spouse who
Practices a Profession and the Capability of Either Spouse to Dispose of an
Exclusive Property, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said on
Wednesday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Valte said
the President signed Republic Acts 10562 up to 10571 “creating courts in
several areas.”
“First, from R.A. 10562 to R.A. 10571…we now
have new courts in Paniqui, Capas, Concepcion, Tarlac (in the province of
Tarlac); in Digos, Davao del Sur; as well as in Pasig (in Metro Manila); in
Urdaneta, Pangasinan; Antipolo, Rizal; Biñan, Laguna; Cebu City; and Bais,
Negros Oriental,” Valte said.
Valte added that the President signed RA 10572
which establishes the Liability of the Absolute Community or Conjugal
Partnership for an Obligation of a Spouse who Practices a Profession and the
Capability of Either Spouse to Dispose of an Exclusive Property.
According to Valte, this new law amends Articles
73 and 111 of Executive Order No. 209, also known as the Family Code of the
Philippines (FCP) designating the Courts to determine if there is basis for any
objection between spouses in exercising any legitimate occupation, business or
activity and to discern whether any benefit from this exercise should accrue
against community property or separate property; and allowing “either spouse
may mortgage, encamber, alienate, or otherwise, dispose of his/her exclusive
property,” respectively.
“So, ang spouse po hindi kailangan ng pahintulot
sa kanyang kabiyak para mag-practice ng isang legitimate occupation or
profession. Ngunit kung meron disagreement, the court can step in and decide if
there is basis to the objection of the spouse,” Valte said.
“Ngayon, kung nag-benefit na po ang pamilya from
the proceeds of that occupation or profession that is being objected to, then
puwede na pong i-charge ang benefit to the community property. Kung hindi naman
po nag-object, nag-benefit muna, tapos saka lang nag-object, then it should be
charged to the separate property of the spouse,” she said.
Valte said the amendment to Article 111 of the
Family Code was done to reflect changes in the law. PND (rck)
Palace says judicial reforms continue
Reforms in the judiciary is continuing and the
Aquino administration remains committed in pushing this initiative, a Palace
official said on Wednesday.
A year after former chief justice Renato Corona
was convicted by the Senate for not fully disclosing his assets, Deputy
Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the administration hasn’t wavered
in reforming the country’s judiciary.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Valte said in a
press conference in Malacanang on Wednesday. “Perhaps, the impact immediately
that you could already see is the emphasis given on the filing of SALNs
[statements of assets, liabilities and net worth] when it comes to employees of
the government. But it is still a work in progress,” she said.
“We hope to continue the reforms that the
President has been talking about since he was a candidate for the presidency in
May 2010,” Valte said.
In May last year, the Senate, sitting as
impeachment court, voted 20-3 to convict Corona for betrayal of public trust
and culpable violation of the Philippine Constitution.
The court ruled that Corona was guilty of
Article II of the impeachment complaint: the chief magistrate did not fully
disclose his assets in his SALN.
Corona’s conviction came at the end of a
five-month trial with the entire nation glued to their television sets watching
events as they unfolded.
The verdict was seen as a triumph for President
Benigno S. Aquino III who campaigned in the 2010 presidential election under
the “daang matuwid” reform agenda.
The President never recognized Corona’s
appointment as chief justice by then-President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo a few
weeks before she stepped down in 2010. PND (as)
President Aquino vetoes rights of Internally
Displaced Persons Act of 2013
President Benigno S. Aquino III has vetoed a
consolidated bill entitled “Rights of Internally Displaced Persons Act of
2013," saying the measure's provisions are in conflict with the
Constitution.
The Chief Executive vetoed last May 24 "An
Act Protecting the Rights of Internally Displaced Persons, Providing Penalties
Therefore and For Other Purposes"
The vetoed measure is a consolidated enrolled
Senate Bill No. 3317 and House Bill No. 5627.
In his veto message sent to the Senate, the
President said that while the objectives of the bill relating to the protection
and promotion of rights of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are laudable,
the measure’s provisions conflict with the Constitution.
The President cited four grounds in vetoing the
bill.
First, the bill’s provision on damages
unlawfully differentiates between displacements caused by security agents of
the State and other entities;
Second, the power granted to the CHR (Commission
on Human Rights) to determine damages incurred against IDPs and facilitate the
award of such claims is a power that belongs exclusively to the Judiciary, thus
impinging on the latter’s exclusive power;
Third, the additional powers that it grants to
the CHR exceed those which the Constitution intended to give as it was
conceived as an investigative and recommendatory agency exercising limited
powers; and
And fourth, the provision allowing individuals
to claim financial assistance and compensation from the government opens the
door to a slew of claims or cases against the government, and goes against the
'non-suability' character of the State." PND (js)
