Malacanang hopeful Zamboanga City returns to
normalcy
Malacanang expressed optimism that normalcy will
soon return to Zamboanga City after the conflict between government troops and
the members of the Moro National Liberation Front-Misauari faction entered its
17th day on Wednesday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said that the latest update from the province was
that shipping lines between Zamboanga City and Tawi-Tawi had begun operations,
60 percent of schools have opened and the biggest mall in the province has also
begun servicing its customers.
“Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel
Mar Roxas II informed me that there are now daily ships to Tawi-Tawi. It
resumes today. They have been cut off for 16 days. There are about 1,000
stranded passengers from each side so now that we have resumed shipping in
Tawi-Tawi, we will have a daily commute,” Lacierda said.
He said members from the Philippine Coast Guard,
the Philippine Navy and the Philippine National Police have joined forces to
ensure the safety of those travelling between provinces.
“The Coast Guard, the Navy and the PNP Marines
have set up appropriate security measures just to be sure. And also today,
there are 149 elementary and secondary schools today that were opened. That’s
around 60 percent of the schools there. The remainder, in conflict areas, are
being used as evacuation centers,” Lacierda said.
“So, we are now returning, hopefully, to
normalcy in areas that were affected by the conflict in Zamboanga City and
hopefully, we will recover soon,” he added. PND (rck)
Malacanang warns Commission on Audit building
shooters: ‘You will fail’
Malacanang expressed concern over the shooting
by still unknown individuals of the Commission on Audit (COA) building in
Quezon City on Wednesday, saying the perpetrators would fail in their attempt
to use the incident as a threat to “people pushing for reforms.”
“To those elements who intended to use this as a
threat to those people pushing for reforms, you have heard the chairman and you
will fail,” Lacierda said in a press briefing in Malacanang.
He commended the COA who, through its chairman
Grace Pulido-Tan, said the agency would not be deterred and will continue with
their audit functions.
“We commend the statement of Chairman Grace
Pulido-Tan that they will not be deterred by the recent incident at the COA
building and we commend their determination to continue with their mandate to
serve the Filipino people and to continue with their audit functions. This
should not deter anyone,” Lacierda said.
He added that security measures would be
accorded to the commissioners of the COA after further assessment of the
situation.
“We will assess the situation but certainly we
are looking at the incident with concern… if the investigation will reveal that
this was no random incident, we certainly look at this with grave concern,”
Lacierda said.
Quezon City Police Department Chief
Superintendent Richard Albano said in an earlier interview that the COA
building along Commonwealth Avenue was shot at early Wednesday morning with
police forces conducting an investigation into the incident. PND (rck)
President Aquino urges People Management
Association of the Philippines to carry out initiatives in securing country’s
position among Asia’s emerging economies
President Benigno S. Aquino III called on the
People Management Association of the Philippines (PMAP) to continue its
initiatives to secure the country's position as one of Asia’s emerging
economies.
"Today our country stands tall as one of
Asia’s emerging economies, promising continued dynamism and far-reaching
revitalization," the Chief Executive said in his message to PMAP on the
occasion of its 50th year Anniversary.
The PMAP opened on Wednesday the 50th Annual
Conference at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City. The
three-day conference will tackle relevant issues in light of the impending
ASEAN market integration in 2015.
"Your fifth decade of cultivating potential
could not have come at a better time, as we focus our collective efforts to
advance further along the straight and righteous path. May this milestone fill
you with the imperative to forge ahead; let it galvanize you to train our
various organizations in pursuing innovations and in leading their members
towards progress," the President said.
"This milieu’s most daunting task is to
always push the envelope of development. I urge our countrymen to sustain our
synergism and maintain a keen eye on the more empowered, equitable future we
aspire for," he continued.
The President urged the citizens to take the
opportunities available to the Filipino workforce in the integrated ASEAN.
"United in our undertakings, we can
maximize the opportunities before us, secure our position in the global market,
and reaffirm to the community of nations the Philippine emergence that they are
now bearing witness to," he said.
The PMAP is a professional, non-stock,
not-for-profit organization of over 1,800 member companies and individual
management executives engaged or interested in Human Resource Management (HRM)
and Industrial Relations (IR) work.
As a professional association, the PMAP helps
its members become more effective on the job by teaching the human aspect of
management via numerous career development forums and training programs. PND
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President Aquino declares November 12 as special
non-working day in Gumaca, Quezon in celebration of its Foundation Day
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
November 12, which falls on a Tuesday, as a special (non-working) day in the
municipality of Gumaca in the province of Quezon in celebration of its
Foundation Day.
The Chief Executive issued the declaration by
virtue of Proclamation No. 625 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa
Jr. on July 17 to give the people of Gumaca the full opportunity to celebrate
and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
Gumaca, one of the oldest towns in Quezon
province, was already a well-established community even before the Spaniards
came. The community had a barangay government as early as the 14th century.
Gumaca was established as an independent town in 1582. PND (js)
Government will not tolerate looting of soldiers
in Zamboanga City, says Palace
The Palace said it won’t tolerate the alleged
looting committed by soldiers at the height of the siege in Zamboanga City
against the members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF).
“We frown on our own soldiers harming our own
civilians in this manner. Looting is not acceptable. They are there to protect
the people,” Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing on
Wednesday in Malacanang.
“Let me just emphasize: We—the AFP and this
government—will not tolerate any looting by our own soldiers. The leadership of
AFP has already imposed sanctions on these soldiers who have done those
despicable acts,” he added.
It was alleged that four army personnel face
accusations of looting after they allegedly ransacked a house in Zamboanga
City.
There were reports saying a resident lost
valuables in his family’s home when uniformed men earlier stormed the place.
The military issued immediate apologies,
acknowledging that the incident was a serious breach of the organization’s
ideals. It said the uniformed personnel allegedly involved in the robbery are
being held at a stockade pending a military trial.
Meanwhile, reacting to reports saying that the
feared Christian vigilante group Ilaga has reorganized to counter attacks by
the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in North Cotabato and Maguindanao,
Lacierda issued an appeal to the public to let the police and the military do
their security and law enforcement jobs.
“We would like to call on all these groups,
whether you’re a civilian, let the military do its job. Let the law enforcement
authorities do their job,” he said.
The Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters had
reportedly attacked Midsayap, North Cotabato, as well as some towns in
Maguindanao this week. PND (as)
