President Aquino calls on government and private
institutions to lower Philippine flag to half mast in commemoration of Jose
Rizal's death anniversary
The Aquino government called on all
institutions, both public and private, to lower the Philippine flag to half
mast in solemn commemoration of Dr. Jose Rizal’s death anniversary on December
30, a Palace official said.
"As the nation prepares to commemorate the
martyrdom of Dr. Jose P. Rizal on the 30th of December, we invite our fellow
citizens to reflect on how his legacy has reverberated throughout our people’s
collective narrative. This year’s Rizal Day likewise marks the centennial of
the Rizal Monument, built as the tomb and memorial to Dr. Rizal and which has
since then served as the de facto symbol of our nationhood," Deputy
Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte said during the regular press briefing
in Malacanang on Friday.
"We also take this opportunity to once
again remind our government bodies of Republic Act 229, which requires of all
institutions, public and private, to lower the Philippine flag to half mast in
solemn commemoration of Dr. Rizal’s ultimate sacrifice on December 30, 1896,"
Valte said.
Valte said Republic Act 229 also strictly
forbids cockfighting, horse racing, and Jai Alai games every December 30, with
criminal punishment in the form of fines or imprisonment, or both, for any
official, citizen, or public or private institution that violates this law.
"The Presidential Communications
Development and Strategic Planning Office, as its contribution to the Rizal Day
2013 commemoration, will be launching a special page on the Rizal Monument; it
will feature a comprehensive essay, archival photo galleries, an architectural
retrospective, and contextual maps focusing on the Rizal Monument and on the
Bagumbayan of history—a tract of land that has been an integral part of the
narrative of Philippine independence," Valte stressed.
"The special page will also feature, for
the first time, a full translation of the famous essay, “The Tagalog Hamlet,”
by Miguel de Unamuno, one of the earliest and most influential reflections on
Rizal, whom Unamuno also immortalized as “The Tagalog Christ,” Valte said.
According to Valte, the special page, with its
many multimedia features, has been made possible through collaborations with
the National Historical Institute, the National Library, the National Parks
Development Committee, architectural scholars and historians and heritage
enthusiasts.
Valte said the special page will be available on
the Official Gazette website on December 30. PND (js)
Palace says government to intensify campaign
against drug cartels
The government will intensify its efforts to
halt the alleged operations of drug cartels following the successful drug bust
in Batangas last Wednesday, a Palace official said on Friday.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Deputy
Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the government will investigate
how Mexican drug syndicates were able to enter the country and start their
operations here.
Valte said they will check particular
informations with the Bureau of Immigration (BI) because it was reported that
some drug gang members were using US passports.
“Part of their prosecution is the checking of
how they were able to enter the country — were their papers in order or
talagang merong na-miss. That is something that should also be looked into
after the capture of the ring,” Valte said.
The Palace official also said that the
identification of the drug cartel members is a good thing in the fight against
illegal narcotics in the country. This time, it would be easier for drug
operatives to identify and target the members of the syndicate, she said.
The increased coordination of Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine National Police (PNP), National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) and other anti-drug groups or foreign drug enforcement
agencies has resulted to successful drug busts in the country, she said.
“Nagkakaroon ng mas magandang information
sharing, which leads to the capture of either smugglers or these rings here
kasi ayaw natin na maging haven for illegal drugs ang ating bansa,” Valte said.
This week, authorities seized more than P420
million worth of illegal drugs in a raid in Batangas. The police arrested three
people including a Chinese-Filipino. PND (as)
President Aquino to remain busy despite his
three-day break, says official
Malacanang said the President will monitor
what’s going on in the country during the holidays although he will be on a
three-day break.
“Knowing the President, he will take advantage
of the fact that he has some peace and quiet but he will still take calls, of
course,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a press
briefing on Friday.
“He will insist on continuing to get updates,
especially doon sa pagbalik after the break.”
Valte said the President expects the exodus for
the New Year weekend beginning Friday as well as those people coming back from
the provinces after celebrations.
“He will insist on continuing to get updates
from DOTC, from PNP and from MMDA and other relevant agencies,” she said.
On the advice of Secretary Enrique Ona for the
President to take a longer break, Valte said the President doesn’t have the
luxury of time so he’ll be okay with the three-day vacation.
She also assured the public that the President
is fit to work and gets regular and periodic check-ups. PND (as)
