President Aquino declares February 18 as a
special non-working day in the City of Bayawan, Negros Oriental in celebration
of 'Tawo-Tawo Festival'
President Benigno S. Aquino III has declared
February 18, which falls on a Tuesday, as a special (non-working) day in the
city of Bayawan in the province of Negros Oriental in celebration of the
"Tawo-Tawo Festival."
The Chief Executive issued the declaration
through Proclamation No. 716 signed by Executive Secretary Paquito N. Ochoa Jr.
on February 7 to give the people of Bayawan City the full opportunity to
celebrate and participate in the occasion.
"Tawo-Tawo Festival" reflects the
culture of the city being a rice granary of the southern part of the province
of Negros Oriental.
The farmers in Bayawan are using the scarecrow
or “tawo-tawo'' to drive away the little native birds called “maya” that feed
on the ripening golden rice grains. This agricultural method gives birth to
“Tawo-Tawo Festival.” PND (js)
United States President Barack Obama to visit
Philippines in April, Palace says
United States (US) President Barack Obama is
scheduled to make a historic visit to the Philippines in late April upon the
invitation of President Benigno S. Aquino III, a Palace official said on
Thursday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. announced during the regular briefing in
Malacanang the visit of the US Head of State.
"According to the Department of Foreign
Affairs, President Obama will meet with President Aquino to discuss ways to
further strengthen the enduring Philippines-US alliance, including the
expansion of security, economic and people-to-people ties," the Communications
Secretary said.
President Obama’s visit will provide a new
momentum to Philippines-US relations that will strengthen the partnership of
the two nations in many areas, Coloma said.
The Philippines and the United States have an
enduring alliance that is based on deep historical and cultural ties. The
Philippines gained its independence from the United States on July 4, 1946, and
diplomatic relations were formally established on the same day.
The Philippines’ relationship with the United
States has been robust, dynamic and strategic. This relationship is nurtured by
a shared history and adherence to common values, especially a commitment to
freedom, democracy and a market economy. From combating war against terrorism
to war against poverty, the partnership between the Philippines and the US is
broad-based, opening fresh avenues for greater cooperation.
The official visit of President Benigno S.
Aquino III to Washington, D.C., capped by his meeting with President Barack
Obama at the White House on June 8, 2012 further strengthened Philippine-U.S.
relations. PND (js)
Palace: Government to intensify efforts to
safeguard journalists, freedom of expression
The government will intensify its efforts to
safeguard journalists and freedom of expression, Malacañang said Thursday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. stressed this following the reported
decline of the Philippines in an international watchdog group's press freedom
index.
"We acknowledge the decline in the ranking,
and we will intensify our efforts to safeguard our journalists, and uphold the
freedom of expression. We remain committed to the regime of freedom of the
press and freedom of expresion where there are no prior restraints and no
censorship," Coloma said at a media briefing.
He said the government will continue its efforts
to solve the killings of journalists.
The Philippines slipped in this year’s World
Press Freedom Index by international media watchdog group Reporters Without
Borders, placing 149th from 147th in 2013 and 140th in 2011-2012.
Coloma pointed out that freedom of expression is
one of the commitments of the Philippine government since the EDSA-1 People
Power revolt that catapulted President Benigno Aquino III's late mother Corazon
Aquino to the presidency.
"Mataas ang ating commitment sa
pangangalaga sa kalayaan ng mamamahayag. Sa buwang ito pinagdiriwang natin ang
ika-28 na anibersaryo ng EDSA People Power revolution. Isa ito sa mahalagang
kalayaang pinagwagi ng EDSA People Power (We have a major commitment to
safeguarding freedom of expression. This month we are marking the 28th
anniversary of the EDSA People Power 1 revolution. Freedom of expression was
one of the liberties we earned in 1986)," he said. PND (jl)
President Aquino names nine-member Human Rights
Victims' Claims Board, Palace official says
President Benigno S. Aquino III has named the
nine-members of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board that is tasked to
process, evaluate and approve application for claims of reparation and
recognition, a Palace official said on Thursday.
"President Aquino has signed the
appointments of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board," Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr.
announced during the regular briefing in Malacanang .
Coloma said the Chief Executive named Lina
Castillo Sarmiento as chairperson of the Human Rights Victims’ Claims Board.
The President, likewise, appointed Wilfred D.
Asis, Galuasch G. Ballaho, Byron D. Bocar, Jose Luis Martin C. Gascon, Glenda
T. Litong, Jacqueline B. Veloria Mejia, Aurora Corazon A. Parong and Erlinda N.
Senturias as members of the Board.
The Board was created pursuant to the provisions
of Republic Act No. 10368 or the Human Rights Victims Reparation and
Recognition Act of 2013.
President Aquino signed the Human Rights Victims
Reparation and Recognition Act of 2013 into a law in February, 2013, in time
for the 27th anniversary of EDSA People Power I Uprising.
The President said the new law recognizes the
heroism and sacrifices of Filipinos who were victims of summary execution,
torture, enforced or involuntary disappearance and other gross human rights
violations committed during the regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos
from September 21, 1972 to February 25, 1986. PND (js)
Palace satisfied with PCGG efforts to recover
ill-gotten wealth
Malacañang on Thursday said it is satisfied with
the Presidential Commission on Good Government's efforts to recover the
ill-gotten wealth of the Marcos family.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the PCGG has been focused and transparent under
the watch of Dean Andres Bautista.
"Sa ating pananaw ginaganap nila ang
kanilang tungkulin sa epektibong pamaraan (We believe the PCGG is doing its
work in an effective manner)," Coloma said at a media briefing.
The PCGG on Wednesday said the government had
recovered $29 million or P1.3 billion from Swiss accounts of the late President
Ferdinand Marcos and his family.
Bautista was quoted in earlier reports as saying
the amount has been remitted to the National Treasury.
"Under the watch of Dean Andy Bautista,
focused ang approach ng PCGG. They are also very transparent (Under Dean Bautista's
watch, the PCGG has been focused and very transparent)," he said. PND (jl)
Palace expects truth to prevail in the ongoing
Senate inquiry on pork barrel scam
The Palace said it hopes Ruby Tuason’s testimony
in the Senate hearing Thursday will shed light to the country’s quest for
justice in connection with the multibillion pork barrel scam involving several
lawmakers.
“In today’s Senate hearing, Justice Secretary
(Leila) de Lima affirmed the DOJ’s position regarding the provisional admission
of Ms. Ruby Tuason to the Witness Protection Program,” Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said in a
statement Thursday.
“This is based on the affidavit that she
submitted upon her arrival from the United States last week. We note that her
testimony amplified the information stated in her affidavit. We hope that this
development will shed more light in the people’s quest for truth and justice.”
Tuason is a co-accused in a plunder case filed
at the Office of the Ombudsman over the alleged anomalous disbursement of
lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund also known as “pork barrel”
funds.
The 10-billion peso pork barrel scam was
allegedly masterminded by Janet Lim-Napoles using bogus NGOs to access the PDAF
allocations of lawmakers.
Tuason left the country when her name cropped up
in the investigation and returned only last Feb. 7 after executing an affidavit
about the anomaly at the Philippine consulate in San Francisco, California.
In the affidavit she submitted to the committee,
Tuason said she personally delivered commissions to Sen. Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada
in the Senate and his residence in San Juan.
She also claimed she picked up the commissions
intended for Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile and passed it on to the senator’s former
chief of staff, lawyer Lucilla Jessica “Gigi” Reyes.
Estrada, Enrile and Reyes are all co-accused in
the plunder case at the Office of the Ombudsman. PND (as)
