President Aquino receives JICA President in
courtesy call
President Benigno S. Aquino III received Akihiko
Tanaka, the President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), in
a courtesy in Malacanang on Friday.
Tanaka replaced Sadako Ogata as JICA president
on April 1, 2012.
Before assuming his post, Tanaka was the vice
president of the University of Tokyo and a scholar of international politics.
He obtained his B.A. in International Relations
at the University of Tokyo in 1977 and his Ph.D. in Political Science at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981.
The current JICA president specializes on
theories of international politics, contemporary international relations in
East Asia, and Japan’s foreign policy. He also wrote numerous books and
articles in Japanese and in English.
In 2012, he received the medal of honor with
Purple Ribbon for his academic achievements.
JICA in the Philippines actively provides
cooperation in economic growth, poverty reduction, disaster mitigation, other
development issues such as health and governance, and in promoting peace and
development in conflict-affected Mindanao.
JICA aims to promote inclusive and dynamic
development for all Filipinos with its initiatives.
JICA is also a major partner of the government
in rebuilding typhoon-ravaged areas in the Visayas. It said it will continue
supporting the recovery of those areas and assist the government in
fast-tracking rehabilitation efforts.
In his message before the signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro Thursday, President Aquino thanked
JICA, along with other international agencies for their assistance that led to
the eventual signing of the Bangsamoro peace pact. PND (as)
Palace: AFP already investigating gun-running
racket involving military official
The Armed Forces of the Philippines is already
looking into allegations that a military official had dealings with US State
Senator Leland Yee who has been arrested for firearms trafficking and
corruption charges.
In a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday,
Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte was asked by reporters if the
Palace instructed the AFP to investigate the issue.
“There is no need for the directive. I spoke
with Lieutenant Colonel Ramon Zagala this morning, and the AFP is already
looking into that particular report,” Valte told reporters.
“We have also been trying to get a name or at
least more information about the alleged involvement of a supposed military
officer.”
The Palace official said there is still no
significant information produced by the ongoing investigation but she said the
Palace trusts that the AFP will get to the bottom of it.
If true, Valte said it is alarming that a
military official is involved in such a highly organized crime.
With regards to reports saying Yee allegedly
visited the Philippines for the scheme, Valte said they are leaving the issue
to the justice department to look into it.
US federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment
Wednesday against Yee, accusing him of conspiring to commit wire fraud and
traffic firearms.
Twenty six people, including a former school
board president were indicted on charges related to an extensive crime ring
headed by well-known Chinatown figure in the US. PND (as)
Palace expects success of pro-RH law advocates
in Supreme Court deliberations
The Palace said it hopes pro-RH advocates could
successfully defend their case during the oral arguments in the Supreme Court
for the eventual implementation of the law.
Asked to comment on the government position on
the controversial law, Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the
government has allies to defend the RH Law in the Supreme Court.
“Hindi lang po ‘yung national government pero
maraming Pilipino kasing sumusuporta talaga dito doon sa batas ng Responsible
Parenthood,” she told reporters in a press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
“Umaasa po tayo na nagiging maganda ‘yung mga
pagtatanggol ng mga advocates for Responsible Parenthood doon sa oral arguments
sa Supreme Court.”
Valte said the Palace backs the Responsible
Parenthood Law because it will empower families to decide on the size of its
members.
“I mean every family is different. So every
family necessarily would have to make its own decision on how best they can
take care of their families given the resources that are available to them,”
she said.
If every Filipino family is empowered to make
those decisions on their own with the appropriate information, then no family
will have to be forced to fend for a bigger family when in fact they wanted a
smaller family size, she added.
And if the government could assist families
manage the size for their members, families could focus on other productive
things other than child rearing, Valte said.
Pro-RH advocates argue that as more teenage
girls get pregnant and experience complications arising from pregnancies, the
SC must rule its legality.
The high court last year issued a status quo
ante order effectively stopping the implementation of the law.
The Supreme Court is expected to deliberate on
the petitions against the RH law on April 8 during its summer session in Baguio
City. PND (as)
