No taxes, landing fees for U.S. military under
EDCA, says defense official
Under the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement
(EDCA), the US military will not pay the Philippine government any tax since it
is a government-to-government agreement and not a contract for commercial
purposes, a defense official noted on Thursday.
“This is a defense cooperation agreement,”
Defense Undersecretary Pio Lorenzo Batino said in a press briefing in
Malacanang.
“This is not a transaction that would generate
income. That was not the purpose of the EDCA. We think that through the defense
cooperation that will be implemented here, the benefits that will be enjoyed by
both the AFP and the US military would be mutual,” he said.
Tax issues are also consistent with the
provisions of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and
the US, said Batino, who chaired the Philippine panel in the EDCA negotiation.
The VFA provision states that the US military will
be exempted from paying landing charges or port charges.
It is in recognition of the rule that a
sovereign power does not have jurisdiction over another sovereign, he
explained.
Philippine Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo
Malaya, member of the Philippine panel representing the Department of Foreign
Affairs, said the reason why there is no provision on compensation in the EDCA
is that it was envisioned to be a mutually beneficial agreement.
Malaya said there is a distinction between a
defense agreement, which by nature is a government-to-government agreement, and
a contract of lease.
This is not a contract of lease where rent is
required, he said, noting that in fact, Japan and South Korea, which host large
US military bases in their respective territories, provide subsidies for the
maintenance and operation of the US bases.
He cited that in 2011, Japan provided $3.7
billion in subsidy to the US military for the maintenance and operation of US
forces there.
South Korea this year allotted $749.6 million
for the maintenance of the US bases in its territory, the ambassador said,
adding that it is the same with Germany and other places where there are US
facilities.
On the issue of taxes on utilities, Malaya said
these are counterpart funds on the part of the Philippines, and this is an
accepted practice in the country, particularly with respect to the receipt of
foreign donations and foreign assistance.
“This is what you call as a matter of assumption
of the taxes that are supposed to be collected from a foreign government
entity,” he added. PND (as)
Use of radio frequency by U.S. military under
EDCA does not need Congressional approval: Official
Under the newly signed Enhanced Defense
Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), American forces using the country’s airwaves do
not need a franchise from the Philippine Congress, a foreign affairs official
said Thursday.
Some quarters have asserted that a franchise
from Congress is necessary for the US military to be allowed to use frequencies
or spectrum in the Philippines.
Ambassador to Malaysia Eduardo Malaya however
said that based on the country’s laws, franchise from Congress would be
required if the operation of a radio frequency is intended for commercial
purposes.
Malaya is a member of the Philippine panel for
the negotiation of the EDCA, which was signed by the Philippines and the US
late last month.
The presence of US forces in the Philippines
under the EDCA is not for commercial purposes, he told reporters during a media
briefing in Malacanang.
“We did a lot of consultations during the course
of the negotiations with the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC), and
they told us that they allot a bundle of frequencies to the Armed Forces of the
Philippines. It is envisioned that under this agreement, the NTC will not grant
a new bundle of frequencies to the US military,” Malaya said.
The AFP will just allow the US military to use
existing frequencies or spectrum for the latter’s temporary use, he explained.
US troops coming to the Philippines will be
bringing telecommunications equipment only for internal use and not for
commercial purposes, according to Malaya.
“That is the same arrangement that we give, for
instance, to other visiting military personnel who come to us, including those
who have assisted us during Typhoon Yolanda or Haiyan,” he said. PND (as)
Philippine-Myanmar relations stronger, says
envoy
(NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar) Philippine-Myanmar
relations have strengthened with the exchange of visits between the two
countries’ leaders, Philippine Ambassador to Myanmar Alex Chua said Friday.
These visits have raised the two countries’
bilateral relations to a higher level, Chua said during an interview with
PBS-RTVM here.
President Benigno S. Aquino III will lead the
Philippine delegation to the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Summit on May 10 to 11 in Nay Pyi Taw.
President Aquino and Myanmar President U Thein
Sein had their first bilateral talks in June 2013 when President Aquino
attended the 22nd World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia hosted by Myanmar.
In December last year, President Thein Sein
visited the Philippines at the invitation of President Aquino. The state visit
was the Myanmar leader’s first visit to Manila since he assumed office in 2011.
Ambassador Chua said President Thein Sein’s
visit resulted in the signing of agreements on trade and investment, food
security and agriculture, renewable energy, information cooperation and visa
exemption for ordinary passport holders.
“It is worth noting that the exchange of
high-level visits has fast-tracked air talks between the Philippines and
Myanmar,” Chua said, noting that aviation officials of the two countries will
meet on May 19 to 20 to discuss an air services agreement that is expected to
result in direct flights between Manila and Yangon.
The Philippines and Myanmar established
diplomatic relations in 1956. PND (co)
Philippines, Myanmar to discuss air agreement
this month, envoy says
(NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar) Aviation officials of the
Philippines and Myanmar will meet on May 19 to 20 in Yangon to discuss the two
countries’ air services agreement.
This would result in the first direct flights
between the Philippines and Myanmar, Philippine Ambassador Alex Chua said Friday
during an interview with PBS-RTVM here in Nay Pyi Taw.
There is currently no direct flight between the
two countries.
Last year, President Benigno S. Aquino III and
Myanmar President U Thein Sein witnessed the signing of an agreement that would
allow Filipinos holding ordinary passports to enter Myanmar without a visa and
stay there for up to 14 days.
The pact, which is expected to boost tourism,
trade and investment between the two countries, was among the six agreements
signed during the state visit to the Philippines of President Thein Sein in
December 2013.
On Saturday, President Aquino will visit Myanmar
to attend the 24th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit from
May 10 to 11.
This year’s summit has the theme, “Moving
Forward in Unity to a Peaceful and Prosperous Community.” PND (co)
Palace gratified by Standard & Poor’s rating
upgrade
Malacanang on Friday welcomed the recent rating
upgrade of Standard & Poor’s (S&P), saying it expects the move to
benefit the country economically in the long term.
"We are gratified by Standard & Poor’s
decision to raise the Philippines’ credit rating to a notch higher than
investment grade, and we are hopeful that this will eventually translate into
increased investments, and accelerated jobs generation," Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said in a
statement.
"The Aquino administration is committed to
strengthening public institutions, and building increased capacity among
citizens and communities, and thereby promoting the attainment of inclusive
growth. This is the path that leads to sustained economic development and the
raising of the Filipino people’s quality of life."
Coloma further said that the highlight of the
rating upgrade is S&P's recognition that the present economic successes
would be sustained even after President Aquino's term of office.
The S&P on Thursday announced a fresh rating
upgrade for the Philippines’ long-term peso and dollar bonds, obtaining its
highest credit rating in history.
It is in recognition of the reforms undertaken
by the Aquino administration that allow the country to outperform its Southeast
Asian neighbors.
The S&P raised the Philippines' ratings from
the previous "BBB-" to “BBB,” one notch above minimum investment
grade.
This is the best grade the Philippines has ever
received from any of the three major credit rating agencies.
The S&P said in a statement that it expects
recent reforms that had paved the way for the country’s economic boom to be
sustained beyond President Aquino’s term.
A sovereign rating serves as an indicator for
the perceived health of a national economy as well as its attractiveness to
foreign investors.
An excellent rating also lowers the interest
costs of the government and local corporations whenever they borrow funds
abroad.
The S&P is one of the leading credit rating
agencies making evaluations. The other two are Moody’s Investor Service and
Fitch Ratings.
Last year, the Philippine economy grew by 7.2
percent, faster than the previous year’s 6.8 percent. This is also better than
the government’s goal of 6 to 7 percent for the year despite the massive
devastation caused by Typhoon Yolanda in Eastern Visayas. PND (as)
President Aquino thanks Margarita Juico for
serving PCSO
President Benigno S. Aquino III has expressed
his gratitude to Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chairperson
Margarita Juico for serving the public under several administrations.
Juico tendered her resignation on Thursday,
saying she is leaving public service to spend more time with her family.
"President Aquino thanks Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) chairperson Margarita Juico for her dedicated service
to the government and the Filipino people," Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said in a statement on Friday.
"She also served with President Corazon
Aquino all throughout her presidency, then went on to serve in the PCSO Board
in the succeeding administrations. As an esteemed family friend, President
Aquino wishes her well on her decision to end her stint in public
service."
Juico’s resignation takes effect once she
receives the President’s formal written acceptance, which is in accordance with
procedures, Coloma added.
The PCSO chairperson has said it is a good time
to leave the office, which according to her is in sound financial condition.
She said the PCSO has P16 billion in cash and 38
branches nationwide to serve indigent Filipinos in need of medical services.
Juico was named PCSO chair by President Aquino
in 2010. Prior to that, she was the social secretary of the late President
Corazon Aquino.
Juico is not new to PCSO having sat on its board
for 17 years. PND (as)
President Aquino to lead Philippine delegation
to ASEAN Summit in Myanmar
(NAY PYI TAW, Myanmar) President Benigno S.
Aquino III is set to arrive here Saturday afternoon to join fellow leaders of
member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) for its
24th summit.
A busy schedule awaits President Aquino, who is
leading the Philippine delegation to the annual meeting, to be held on May
10-11 at the Myanmar International Convention Center (MICC-1) in Nay Pyi Taw.
This year’s summit theme is "Moving Forward
in Unity to A Peaceful and Prosperous Community,” which emphasizes the
importance of a united ASEAN.
Upon arrival at Myanmar’s capital, President
Aquino will join other leaders at the welcome dinner to be hosted by Myanmar
President U Thein Sein for all ASEAN leaders and their delegations attending
the summit.
On Sunday, the President is scheduled to attend
the ASEAN Summit Plenary, the Summit Retreat, and meetings with representatives
of the ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly, the Civil Society Organizations, and
the ASEAN Youth.
In an interview with PBS-RTVM, Philippine
Ambassador to Myanmar Alex Chua said preparations for an integrated ASEAN will
be in the summit agenda.
“I believe that during these meetings, our
leaders will discuss the various preparations being made to realize an
integrated ASEAN that aims to benefit the people in the region, including
Filipinos in Myanmar, in terms of unimpeded movement of people, goods, and
services in the region,” Chua said.
He said the summit also provides a venue for
President Aquino to raise awareness of the country’s priorities in the region.
“As we move towards a more integrated ASEAN, it
is important for the Philippines to create awareness of the country’s
priorities in the region, such as maritime security and the need to focus on
micro, small, and medium enterprises, among others. The 24th ASEAN Summit
provides a venue for the President to do that,” Chua said.
After the ASEAN meetings, President Aquino will
also participate in the 10th Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN
Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Summit here.
The President is expected to return to Manila on
Sunday evening. PND (co)
Palace justifies arrest of Chinese fishermen off
Palawan
The Palace reiterated that the arrest of 11
Chinese fishermen off Palawan last Tuesday was meant to enforce the country's
maritime laws and protect its sovereignty, and not to provoke any country.
"We reiterate that the apprehension made by
the PNP Maritime Group at Hasa-Hasa or Half Moon Shoal was undertaken to
enforce Philippine maritime laws and to uphold the country’s sovereign rights
over our exclusive economic zone," Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said during Friday’s press briefing.
"We stand by our commitment to a peaceful
and rules-based approach to the resolution of disputes in the West Philippine
Sea."
Malacanang issued a similar statement on
Thursday, saying that the arrest of the Chinese fishermen for poaching was to
enforce the country's environmental law.
The Palace said that aside from detaining the
Chinese fishermen and impounding their vessel, police also held five Filipino
fishermen and their boat for the same offense.
Police found nearly 400 live sea turtles aboard
the 15-ton Chinese ship and 70 live sea turtles on the local fishing boat. PND
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Palace confident Mrs Arroyo will be brought to
justice, official says
The Aquino administration is confident that
former president and current congresswoman Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will be
brought to justice, a Palace official said on Friday.
The Office of the Ombudsman has recently said it
found no evidence linking Mrs. Arroyo to a multi-million peso fertilizer fund
scam.
In a press briefing in Malacanang, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the Palace
respects the decision of the Ombudsman, an independent constitutional body, in
dismissing the case against Mrs. Arroyo.
Coloma also clarified that the case on the
fertilizer scam was filed, not by the present administration but by former
solicitor general Frank Chavez.
He however said that the administration is
confident that justice will be served.
“Ang mga kasong inihaharap ng kasalukuyang
administrasyon ay nababatay sa kongkretong ebidensya at sa buong pagsisikap na
mapatunayan ito sa ating mga hukuman alinsunod sa mga proseso ng katarungan ng
ating bansa. Walang ganyang pangangamba," Coloma said in response to
reporters' questions about the Palace's optimism on moves to go after the
former president.
He said the goal of the administration is to
gather evidence meticulously and build strong cases against her that would lead
to conviction.
The Office of the Ombudsman has also thrown out
three other cases filed against Mrs Arroyo and other members of her family. PND
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Palace spells out three major thrusts to attain
continuing, inclusive growth
The government is focusing on three major
thrusts to address the weaknesses in the economy as it envisions continuing and
inclusive growth, a Palace official said on Friday.
During a press briefing in Malacanang, reporters
asked Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma,
Jr. about government measures to deal with several points raised by Standard
& Poor’s (S&P) in assessing the Philippines for a rating upgrade.
These points include the narrow revenue base,
shortage of basic infrastructure, government services, and low-income level.
On the narrow revenue base, Coloma said, the
government, through the Bureau of Internal Revenue, is working to increase the
taxation-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio to the 1990s level.
He said that during the Ramos administration,
before the onset of the Asian financial crisis, the country's taxation-to-GDP
ratio reached 16 to 17 percent of the GDP, compared to the present 12 to 13 percent.
"Ang target natin doon sa Millennium
Development Goals ay pataasin ito. Sa Millennium Development Goals at saka doon
sa Philippine Development Plan, pataasin ito at maibalik doon sa halos
kasingtaas ‘nung sa Ramos administration," he explained.
On infrastructure development, Coloma said the
government has accelerated spending on public infrastructure in the past three
years.
"Kapag nagbunga nang ganap ang mga nasa
pipeline ng Public Private Partnership—‘yung mga MRT, highway, at
infrastructure projects—ay tiyak na madadagdagan ‘yung mga mahahalagang public
infrastructure projects," he said.
Coloma further said that the administration is
addressing poverty reduction by carrying out the conditional cash transfer
(CCT) program for families living below the poverty threshold.
"Kaya lahat ng mga tatlong bagay na ‘yan ay
desididong ina-address ng ating administrasyon para ma-convert natin ‘yan mula
sa kahinaan at maging malakas na aspect rin ng ating pag-unlad bilang isang
bansa," he said.
Coloma said he is pleased that the S&P
believes that current economic gains would be sustained even after President
Aquino leaves office in 2016.
"Bilang isang mamamayang Pilipino, ako ay
nagagalak doon sa isinasaad sa Standard and Poor’s credit ratings report, na sa
kanilang pakiwari mayroong basis o mayroong batayan para umasa na ang mga
kasalukuyang reporma at ang kasalukuyang magandang performance ng Philippine
economy ay masu-sustain beyond the term of the Aquino administration," he
said.
"Sa aking palagay ito ang mas mahalagang
aspeto ng Standard and Poor’s investment upgrade report," he added. PND
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