President Aquino declares September 17 as
special non-working day in Tarlac in celebration of the birth anniversary of
the late General Francisco Soliman Makabulos
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
September 17, which falls on a Tuesday, as a special (non-working day) in the
province of Tarlac in celebration of the birth anniversary of the late General
Francisco Soliman Makabulos, the “Liberator of Tarlac” and Tarlac’s first
Filipino Governor.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 641 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on August 22 to give the people of Tarlac, the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Born on September 17, 1871 in La Paz, Tarlac,
Gen. Makabulos was a Filipino patriot who was said to have formed the Katipunan
chapter in La Paz in 1895.
With the assistance of some Kapampangan
revolutionary leaders, Gen. Makabulos freed Tarlac from Spanish colonial rule
on July 10, 1898.
The liberation of the Eastern towns of
Pangasinan, namely, Binalonan, San Manuel, and Asingan was also attributed to
Gen. Makabulos.
Following the liberation of Tarlac, Gen.
Makabulos was appointed as the first Filipino governor of the province.
Pangasinan was also placed under Gen. Makabulos's command. PND (js)
Aquino administration assures that Cabinet
officials will not interfere with pork barrel scam investigation
The Aquino administration assured that Cabinet
officials are not interferring with the investigation into the alleged pork
barrel scam being conducted by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), a Palace
official said on Wednesday.
"You can be assured that no Cabinet
official is interfering with the investigation being conducted by the
NBI," Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in an interview with
media in Malacanang on Wednesday.
Lacierda said the NBI is conducting a thorough,
exhaustive and impartial investigation of the alleged misuse of the priority
development assistance fund (PDAF).
"They are still doing case build-up,"
Lacierda said when asked why the NBI has yet to file a case against those
responsible behind the alleged P10 billion pork barrel scam.
Lacierda also allayed fears that the probe into
the pork barrel scam would be delayed following the irrevocable resignation of
NBI Director Nonnatus Rojas. He said Rojas remains as one of President Benigno
S. Aquino III’s top government official who retains the Chief Executive’s trust
and confidence.
Justice Secretary Leila De Lima earlier said
that she would recommend to the President not to accept the resignation of
Rojas.
"Alam mo, the investigation will continue.
The NBI investigation continues regardless kung may resignation si Director
Nonie Rojas. The investigation continues....attached agency ng DOJ ang NBI, so
si Secretary Leila de Lima is on top of it," Lacierda said.
President Aquino sees the detention of Janet
Lim-Napoles a step towards the right direction of achieving justice and finally
uncovering the truth concerning the alleged misuse of PDAF, Lacierda said last
week. PND (js)
