President Aquino declares May 7 as a special
non-working day in San Pablo City in Laguna in celebration of its 73rd Charter
Anniversary
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared May
7, which falls on a Tuesday as a special (non-working) day in the city of San
Pablo in Laguna in commemoration of its 73rd Charter Anniversary.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 569 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on April 4 to give the people of San Pablo the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
San Pablo became a charted city on May 7, 1940
by virtue of the Commonwealth Act No. 520 otherwise known as "An Act
Creating the City of San Pablo." PND (js)
Aquino administration remains committed to
protect the people from enemies at all costs as provided for by the
constitution
The Aquino administration vowed to continue
upholding its mandate to protect all people following reports that the
Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front
(CPP-NPA-NDF) threatened to stage more offensive attacks against the government
troops and civilians during the election period, a Palace official said on
Saturday.
Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in
an interview aired over government-owned station dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on
Saturday that the government is ready to repel any atrocity to be launched by
the insurgents.
The government remains committed to seeking
peace with the CPP-NPA-NDF to end the armed conflict despite of the increasing
atrocities being perpetrated by the communists rebels, Lacierda said.
"Kausap po natin si (Presidential Advisor
on the Peace Process Teresita Quintos Deles) Secretary Ging Deles tungkol
diyan; ang sabi po niya kahit naman noong panahon na nag-uusap po ang
government panel at saka ang CPP-NPA-NDF, patuloy po ang karahasan ng
NPA," Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the communist rebels' lack of
sincerity stalled the peace negotiations between the two parties.
"Napatunayan na po ni Pangulong (Benigno)
Aquino III na ang kanyang pamahalaan wants peace talks. Peace is for everyone. We
all invested in making sure that there is peace in the community, and it seems
that the other party is not sincere in that effort to pursue peace," he
said.
The government expressed dismay that the
communist rebels' leaders had withdrawn ceasefire and rejected the government's
development programs, Lacierda said.
"Maliban sa binawi po nila ‘yung ceasefire
na offer nila sa special track, na gusto ho natin, dine-demand pa po nila na
tanggalin ang CCT (Conditional Cash Transfer Program), at tanggalin ang PAMANA
(Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan.) You know, CCT is meant to break the
intergenerational cycle of poverty. What the NDF wants is to perpetuate the
intergenerational subservience to communism, which is unacceptable to us,"
he said.
The present activities of the rebels include
extorting politicians for permit-to-campaign fees, destroying telecommunication
facilities, as well as harassing the members of the police and the military and
civilians.
The Aquino administration earlier appealed to
politicians who are campaigning for the May 13 elections to reject the reported
demands of the CPP-NPA-NDF to pay "permit-to-campaign" fees, Lacierda
noted.
"Nung humingi po kami ng request sa publiko
na ipaalam sa atin kung merong mga extortion activities, maganda po ang
response ng ating publiko. They really informed the Philippine National Police
(PNP) or the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units, at nagre-respond po
ang ating mga security agencies," he stressed.
With the cooperation of the public, Lacierda
said the law enforcement agencies have already apprehended lawless elements for
extorting money from candidates and their supporters and civilians in Sorsogon,
Bulacan and Samar.
Despite of the continuing atrocities being
carried out by the NPA members, the government still encourages the communist
rebels to go back to the fold of the law and ito be part of the current
developments. PND (js)
