Palace assures public of fair Misuari trial
Malacanang assured on Friday that Moro National
Liberation Front (MNLF) founder Nur Misuari and his men will have a fair trial
in court after the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) filed
rebellion charges and violations of International Humanitarian Law against them
in Zamboanga City.
“Sinisigurado natin na mabibigyan ng patas na
pagdinig ang mga taong na-involved sa mga kasong ito,” Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press briefing on Friday in Malacanang.
And as a warning to those who are coddling
Misuari, Valte said there are offenses punishable under the country’s penal
laws particularly when it comes to obstruction of justice and other crimes.
Discussions are also ongoing for the possible
bounty offer for the arrest of Misuari, Valte said.
It was reported on Friday that the police raided
the house of Misuari in Zamboanga City, two days after the CIDG charged him and
his men of several offenses in relation to the attack in the city a few weeks
ago.
Documents and suspected components of improvised
explosive devices (IEDs) were among the items found in Misuari’s house, police
said.
Among those charged was Habier Malik, who led
the Zamboanga City attack and is still being hunted by government troops.
More than 200 people died in the attacks and
many evacuees remain in temporary shelters in the city as Zamboanga grapples to
rebuild.
President Benigno S. Aquino III committed P3.9
billion for Zamboanga City’s reconstruction. PND (as)
English-speaking Filipinos highly sought after
in Indonesia
BALI, Indonesia) Filipinos, not only well known
for our gracious hospitality and inviting smile but also for our firm grasp and
command of the English language, are highly sought after in Indonesia as
educators and teachers, Philippine Ambassador to Indonesia Rosario Aguinaldo
said on Thursday.
In an interview at the sidelines of the ongoing
21st Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation being held here, Aguinaldo said
Indonesians saw Filipinos as a valuable ally in their quest to improve their
English speaking skills.
“Sa Indonesia, ang gusto nila maging
english-speaking sila, nagbukas sila ng maraming international schools dito.
Dahil nga sa pagiging magaling sa ingles ang mga Pilipino, marami silang nakuhang
teachers na mga Filipino,” Aguinaldo said.
She said that aside from English, Filipino
teachers that were recruited also knew other disciplines such as science and
mathematics, which Indonesians saw could further help their countrymen improve.
“They teach other subjects such as science,
mathematics, marami, halos lahat ng lugar, sa halos lahat ng sulok, pwede ko
nang sabihin, dito sa Indonesia, maraming teachers, dito sa Bali marami, sa
Medan ang layu-layo noon, sa Surabaya. Hindi lang sa Jakarta ang maraming
teachers,” Aguinaldo said.
“Iyon na siguro ang kanilang kontribusyon, isang
malaking kontribusyon dito bukod sa mga naging kontribusyon ng mga naunang
Pilipino na mga accountants, auditors na nanatili na dito bilang consultant,”
she addded.
Aguinaldo pointed out that there are around
10,000 Filipinos residing in the different cities of Indonesia who work as
financial consultants, directors of hospitals, general managers of hotels and
entrepreneurs. PND (rck)
President Aquino appoints new government
officials and city prosecutors
President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed
new government officials and city prosecutors, a Palace official said.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday that the Chief
Executive signed on September 27 the appointment letters of Atty. Ansharey S.
Lalia as Prosecutor IV, Office of the City Prosecutor-Cagayan de Oro City;
Atty. Aljay O. Go as Prosecutor IV, Office of the City Prosecutor-Butuan City
and Atty. Melvin A. Lamata as Prosecutor IV, Office of the City
Prosecutor-Kidapawan City, all under the Department of Justice's National
Prosecution Service.
Valte said President Aquino also appointed on
Sept. 27 Marlea P. Muñez, as Executive Director of the National Commission on
Indigenous Peoples. Her term of office is co-terminus with the appointing
authority.
According to Valte, the President named Maria
Paz R. Alberto, John Patrick Y. Chan and Joan Denise Y. Tiu as members of the
Board of Directors of Duty Free Philippines Corporation under the Department of
Tourism. Their term of office began on July 1, 2013 until June 30, 2014.
Also appointed were Eduardo V. de Mesa and
Serafin U. Salvador Jr. as members of the Board of Directors, North Luzon
Railways Corporation, for a term of office beginning on July 1, 2013, and
ending on June 30, 2014. PND (js)
Philippines to review implementation of
bilateral cooperation with Indonesia
BALI, Indonesia) The Philippines is in the
process of reviewing the various bilateral cooperation agreements the country
has with neighbour and close ally Indonesia to ensure that projects do not
overlap and so that the full benefits of each agreement will redound to both
countries.
“Malaki ang bilateral cooperation ng Pilipinas
at Indonesia. …ang pagkakaibigan ng Indonesia at ng Pilipinas ay napaka-close.
Kahit anong hingin natin halos binibigay sa
atin. Sa ganung paraan, marami tayong naging agreement with indonesia. Ang
mahalaga malaman natin kung hanggang saan sila nai-implement dahil nga sa dami,
hindi na natin makayang ma-implement lahat,” Aguinaldo said.
“We are now in the process of reviewing all of
these agreements because there are so many that maybe some of them are already
overlapping and we’re trying to consolidate this,” she added.
Among the cooperation agreements between the two
countries concern defence and education which the Ambassador said was very
active.
“Ang pinaka-active ay ang ating defense
cooperation. Maya’t maya meron tayong defense people dito at ganun din sa
kanila, nagpapadala sila ng defense people sa atin,” Aguinaldo said.
“…meron din tayong education cooperation. Alam
ko simula nitong taon na ito, may mga pilipinong dinala ang mga indonesians
para makapag-aral dito,” she added.
She said trade relations between the two
countries were also undergoing review as new areas of exchange were being
looked into.
These, Aguinald said, included the further trade
of other agricultural products such as bananas and shallots.
“That is always the problem when you trade the
same products, so it’s very hard to expand that. But now, I know that my trade
attache is very active and we’re looking into other areas, agricultural
products that we can develop for trade. We have had problems bringing in some
of our products and we’re working on this now. Isa na diyan ang saging,
bananas, shallots. We’ve had trouble, a little trouble, bringing them in
because of the regulations. But we’re working on that and it’s the same with
other products, identifying other products that we can trade so that our trade
balance will improve,” Aguinaldo said. PND (rck)
Aquino declares October 15 a regular holiday for
observance of 'Eid’l Adha'
President Benigno S. Aquino III issued
Proclamation No. 658 declaring October 15, 2013, a regular holiday throughout
the country in observance of Eid’l Adha (Feast of Sacrifice).
The President signed the proclamation on October
3.
Eid’l Adha is one of the two major feasts of
Islam and its festival date is based on the declaration made by Saudi Arabia’s
highest religious body.
The Presidential proclamation said the National
Commission on Muslim Filipinos (NCMF) recommended that the observance of Eid’l
Adha be on October 15 and the Eid’l Adha prayer be performed on the final
declaration of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Republic Act 9849 provides that Eid’l Adha be
celebrated as a regular holiday in the country. PND (as)
Aquino signs laws postponing Sangguniang
Kabataan Elections on October 28
President Benigno S. Aquino III has signed a
bill postponing the Sangguniang Kabataan Elections scheduled on October 28,
this year, a Palace official said on Friday.
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte
announced during the regular press briefing in Malacanang that the Chief
Executive signed on October 3 the Republic Act 10632 otherwise known as “An Act
to Postpone the Sangguniang Kabataan Elections on October 28, 2013, Amending for
the Purpose Republic Act 9340 and for other Purposes”.
The Act, which is a consolidation of Senate Bill
No. 1186 and House Bill No. 2849 was finally passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on Sept. 24, 2013.
The SK elections was originally scheduled on the
last Monday of October this year, simultaneous with the barangay elections.
The Congress ratified the bicameral conference
committee report deferring the SK polls set this month to a date to be
determined by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) between October 28, 2014
and February 23, 2015.
Under the law, all incumbent SK officials will
not remain in office after the expiration of their terms at noon of November
30, 2013.
The law provides that the SK positions shall
remain vacant and that no appointments shall be made to the vacated positions
until the new set of officials have been duly elected and/or qualified.
Section 4 of the law deals with the use of the
10 percent of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) allocation barangays meant
for SK activities.
Until the new set of officials have been duly
elected and qualified, the sangguniang barangay shall use the SK fund solely
for youth development programs.
The Comelec and the Department of the Interior
and Local Government are mandated to promulgate the rules and regulations
within 30 days after the effectivity of this Act.
The Act shall take effect immediately after its
publication in the Official Gazette or in at least two (2) newpapers of general
circulation. PND (js)
