Palace welcomes arrest warrants for senator, 32
others
Malacanang on Friday welcomed the Sandiganbayan
First Division’s resolution finding probable cause to indict Senator Ramon
Revilla, Jr. and other individuals accused of graft and plunder in connection
with the P10-billion Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) scam.
“The issuance of warrants of arrest against
Senator Revilla and others implicated in the plunder case pertaining to the
alleged misuse of public funds is a significant step forward in the judicial
process,” Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr. said in a press statement.
Revilla, businesswoman Janet Lim-Napoles, and 31
others were charged with one count of plunder and 16 counts of graft in a
four-page resolution, signed by First Division Chairman Associate Justice Efren
de la Cruz on Thursday.
The First Division, in effect, also denied
Revilla’s and his co-respondents’ motion to suspend the proceedings, pending
separate petitions they have filed before the Supreme Court to stop their
prosecution.
Malacanang, meanwhile, reiterated its assurance
to all accused of “fair and just trial” during the proceedings.
“We believe that through a fair and just trial,
accountability will be clearly established and in like manner, those who are
innocent will be exonerated. We join the citizenry in hoping that truth and
justice will prevail,” Coloma said. PND (hdc)
Malacanang urges Filipinos in Iraq to heed
government call for mandatory evacuation
The Palace has advised Filipinos in Iraq to
follow the government advisory on mandatory evacuation to ensure their safety,
as the situation in that country continues to deteriorate.
"We urge all Filipinos in the danger zones
to heed the call for mandatory evacuation for their own welfare and
safety," Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio
Coloma, Jr. said in a statement on Friday.
Coloma said the Department of Foreign Affairs
(DFA) has raised to Level 4 (mandatory repatriation) the Crisis Alert for all
areas in Iraq, except the Iraqi Kurdistan Region, due to the deteriorating
security situation.
All Filipinos living or working in Iraq will be
assisted by the Philippine Embassy in Baghdad and are advised to be ready for
mandatory repatriation, he said.
"The government will undertake mandatory
evacuation procedures and the DFA’s Rapid Response Team is currently carrying
out registration of Filipinos in Iraq for repatriation," he added.
An Al Qaeda splinter group, the Islamic State in
Iraq and the Levant (ISIS), continue its fierce advance in Iraq after taking a
key city last week.
Jihadist militants battle Iraqi security forces
for control of towns and cities not far from Baghdad, Iraq's capital.
On Thursday, US President Barack Obama said he
is prepared to deploy military advisers to Iraq but noted that America is not
returning to a combat role in the country.
The US withdrew its last troops from Iraq end of
2011, nearly nine years after invading Iraq and toppling long-time leader
Saddam Hussein. PND (as)
National Economic Development Authority Board
approves new infrastructure projects
The National Economic Development Authority
(NEDA) Board, chaired by President Benigno S. Aquino III, on Thursday approved
three new infrastructure projects worth P139.77 billion, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr said on Friday.
Approved were the P14.6 million Laguindingan
Airport Development, Operations and Maintenance Project, the P122.8 million
Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike Project, and the P2.3 million New Bohol
Airport Development and Operations/Maintenance Project.
Also approved during the NEDA Board meeting was
the P9.35 billion single bid of the Light Rail Manila Consortium for the LRT
Line 1 South Extension Project. The project will connect Manila to the province
of Cavite.
The board also gave its nod to the change in
funding source for the Umayan River Irrigation Project (URIP), from an Official
Development Assistance (ODA) to locally sourced funds.
This adjustment reduces the cost of the project
from P1.56 billion to P1.4 billion, according to Coloma.
The NEDA Board also changed the funding source
for the Casecnan Multipurpose Irrigation and Power Project – Irrigation
Component, which will also get local funds.
Coloma said the change in funding source will
bring down the project’s cost from P7.61 billion to P5.45 billion.
During the meeting, President Aquino urged the
members of his Cabinet and the NEDA Board to focus on completing similar
ongoing projects and lay the groundwork for long-term economic development and
inclusive growth. PND (as)
President Aquino to discuss regional issues with
Prime Minister Abe during Japan trip
President Benigno S. Aquino III and Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will discuss regional developments and different
areas of cooperation between the Philippines and Japan to forge a stronger
partnership, a foreign affairs official said on Friday.
The President will undertake a one-day working
visit to Japan on Tuesday (June 24).
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Foreign
Affairs Assistant Secretary Charles Jose said the meeting between the two
leaders is an opportunity for them to exchange views on several issues to
develop stronger ties between their countries.
"These areas of cooperation include
humanitarian assistance and disaster response, maritime cooperation, promotion
of trade and investments, people-to-people exchanges and the Mindanao peace
process," Jose told Palace reporters.
The two leaders are expected to deliver their
respective press statements after their meeting, he added.
Aside from meeting Abe, the President will
deliver the keynote address at the Consolidation for Peace for Mindanao
Conference in Hiroshima, organized by the Japan International Cooperation
Agency (JICA) and the Research and Education for Peace of the University Sains
Malaysia.
Jose said the President's attendance in the
event in Hiroshima is important because it serves as a follow-up to government
actions on the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro, which aims to achieve
lasting peace in Mindanao.
On the President's scheduled meeting with Abe,
Jose was asked if Japan and the Philippines are joining forces against China.
Jose said Japan is a very important friend and
partner of the Philippines and the two countries have a very vibrant political,
economic, and people-to-people exchanges.
"Japan is one of our only two strategic
partners. And in terms of economic cooperation, Japan is our number one trading
partner, largest source of ODA (official development assistance), third largest
source of approved investments, and third largest source of tourists," he
said.
Japan and the Philippines also have very active
people-to-people exchanges, he said, noting the scholarships and trainings
being offered by JICA to Filipinos.
The President's delegation will include Foreign
Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin,
Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda,
Presidential Management Staff head Julia Abad, and Presidential peace adviser
Teresita Deles. PND (as)
