Govt readies P6.9 million emergency relief as
Typhoon Gorio enters the country
The government has readied P6.9-million worth of
emergency relief resources with the entry of Typhoon Gorio in the country,
Malacanang reported on Saturday.
Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) upgraded Tropical Depression
Gorio into a Tropical Storm and raised public storm warning signals in
different areas affected by the weather disturbance.
Among the provinces encouraged by PAGASA to
carry out necessary preparations include Northern Samar, Western Samar, Eastern
Samar, Dinagat Island, Siargao Island, and Surigao del Norte.
Residents in these areas are advised to monitor
weather developments and wait for further PAGASA storm warnings.
In a radio interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan
Saturday, Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government
has started its assessment of the preparedness of these areas with the entry of
the new storm.
In Eastern Visayas, Valte said the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) activated its Quick Response Teams.
DSWD’s Field Offices will be open 24 hours, Valte said adding repacking of
family food packs has also started.
The DSWD has readied 1,040 family food packs and
P263,920 standby funds including other food items amounting P1.7 million. There
is also an available standby fund of P270,350 for non-food items in Eastern
Visayas.
In CARAGA Region, the local DRRMCs have also
been activated, she said. There are 2,000 family food packs available in case
of emergency and a standby fund amounting to P300,440.
There is a separate P1,042,000 for other food
items and P2.7 million for non-food items, she said.
All in all, the total prepositioned food packs,
standby funds and other food items and non-food items for the two regions
amount to P6.9 million, she said.
With regards to the flooding in some parts of
Mindanao, particularly North Cotabato, Valte said the government continues to
mobilize its resources to help affected communities.
“Yung sa North Cotabato, patuloy ang pagtulong
natin sa kanila by way of emergency relief resources, kasama dito yung standard
na mga family food packs, at pagtulong doon sa mga naapektuhan ng bagyo na nasa
loob ng evacuation centers,” she said.
“On-going naman ang mga assets natin when it
comes to search and rescue. That is standard already kapag hinihingan ng tulong
ay nagpapadala tayo agad.” PND (as)
Palace considers senators’ concerns on planned
bases agreement with US
Malacanang said it is open to having discussions
with lawmakers to allay fears of some senators who said the planned bases
access agreement with the US may be violating the Constitution.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte
said the Aquino administration is willing to discuss the issue with the
senators while the defense department irons out the possibility of allowing US
forces to temporarily station their forces in their previous military base.
“Of course, we are open to their concerns. We
also understand their concerns and which is why we are open to having these
discussions,” Valte said during an interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on
Saturday.
Valte said the defense department has been
studying different modalities on how to operationalize the increased rotational
presence of the US in the country in the midst of China’s incursion on
Philippine territory in the West Philippine Sea.
“Kahit ano pa man ang lumabas doon sa mga
mapag-aralan nilang modality na ‘yan, lahat ay sang-ayon sa ating Constitution
at sang-ayon sa Visiting Forces Agreement,” Valte explained.
Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin said the
Philippines is ready to provide the US and other strategic allies access to its
bases to counter China’s aggressive activities in the region.
But Gazmin clarified that there is no plan to
build new bases in the country because the Philippine Constitution prohibits
it.
The access agreement was discussed by the
Philippines and the US during a ministerial consultation in Washington last
year, he said.
Once the planned increase presence of US
military is realized, it would give visiting US warships more security to
launch operations in the West Philippine Sea, according to Gazmin. PND (as)
Aquino hopes China spares life of Filipino drug
courier in death row
President Benigno S. Aquino III still hopes that
China will spare the life of a Filipino "drug mule" who was sentenced
to death and is scheduled to be executed next week, a Palace official said.
The President will be sending tomorrow Vice
President Jejomar Binay to appeal to the Chinese government to commute the
death sentence to imprisonment.
At the same time, Deputy Presidential spokesperson
Abigail Valte said the administration also hopes that the territorial row
between the Philippines and China will not affect the country’s appeal to spare
the life of the Filipino drug courier.
The Philippines and China are both claimants of
territories in the West Philippines Sea.
“Sana ay dinggin naman. Katulad ng mga binanggit
natin nung nakaraan, marami namang aspeto ang ating pakikipag-ugnayan sa ating
kapitbahay, at hiwalay, hindi lang ‘yung mga maritime disputes, hindi lang ‘yan
ang end-all at be-all ng ating ugnayan sa kanila,” Valte said in an interview
Saturday over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
“At gayunpaman, kahit merong mga ganyang isyu ay
umaasa tayong sana ay dinggin naman ang ating apela.”
While the President is sendIng the Vice
President to convey his message to the Chinese government, his letter at the
same time has already been forwarded to the Chinese Embassy, Valte said.
Reacting to a comment of a lawmaker saying the
government should cease assisting Filipinos facing drug-related cases abroad to
discourage them, Valte explained, that it is the duty of the government to help
Filipinos facing charges overseas.
In the case of the convicted Filipino in China,
the President’s appeal is not for an acquittal but a commutation of the
sentence, she said. PND (as)
