President Aquino reports declining crime
incidence in Metro Manila
The Police has posted major gains in fighting
crime and ensuring peace and order, particularly in Metro Manila, President
Benigno S. Aquino III said on Monday.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address, the
President said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has carried out several
operations to boost security and ensure public safety.
Last June, he said, the PNP implemented
Operation Lambat in the National Capital Region (NCR), increasing the number of
checkpoints in different areas.
"Matapos nating triplihin ang dami ng
checkpoints at magsagawa ng iba't ibang operasyon, ang resulta: 862 sasakyan at
29 firearms ang nakumpiska natin. Nakapag-serve tayo ng 587 warrants of arrest,
na nagresulta sa pagkakaaresto ng 410 suspects," the President said in his
address.
Before Oplan Lambat was implemented from January
to June, an average of 31 murder and homicide cases occurred in the NCR every
week, he said.
In five weeks after the operation began, the
cases of murder and homicide dropped to 22 per week, he said, adding this is a
29 percent reduction in crimes in the NCR.
And if the government could fix the police
pension system, it could hire more personnel and widen the implementation of
Oplan Lambat to include other areas in the country, the Chief Executive said.
The ability to procure equipment for the PNP has
been affected by the Supreme Court's decision on the Disbursement Acceleration
Program (DAP) but the government is trying to find other sources of funds to
fill the needs of the police, according to the President.
At the same time, the PNP also reimplemented
Oplan Katok to ensure that licensed firearms belong to those who qualify under
the law, he said, noting that the PNP has checked 28,714 households in the NCR
to verify whether gun owners' licenses remain valid.
The President also vowed to bring to justice the
perpetrators of recent high-profile murder cases, saying the police have
already arrested the killers of Mayor Ernesto Balolong in Pangasinan and the
attackers of Davao City businessman Richard King.
Investigators are also following good leads to
capture the killers of race car driver Ferdinand Pastor, he said.
"Huwag po kayong mag-alala: hahabulin natin
ang hustisya sa kabuuan, hindi isang bahagi lamang. Kaya bukod sa mga ginawa
nating pag-aresto, patuloy tayo sa paglikom ng ebidensiya laban sa iba pang
suspects," he said. PND (as)
President Aquino instructs Energy Department to
work with industry stakeholders to address electricity concerns
Anticipating the country's need for additional
electricity, President Benigno S. Aquino III said he has instructed Energy
Secretary Jericho Petilla to coordinate with industry stakeholders to address
the problem.
The country must prepare for the worst-case
scenario, such as when power supply is threatened by the El Niño weather
phenomenon, or when power plants are shut down due to breakdown or maintenance,
the President said in his fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday.
"Ang habol natin: kumpletong paghahanda
para hindi tayo maparalisa sakaling mangyari ang worst-case scenario. Dapat,
kahit sa susunod na taon pa uusbong ang problema, meron na tayong pinaplanong
solusyon para dito," he said.
"Kaya nga po inatasan ko si Secretary
Petilla ng DOE: Makipag-ugnayan sa Joint Congressional Power Commission, sa
Energy Regulatory Commission, sa industriya, at pinakaimportante sa mga
consumer, upang madagdagan ang kakayahan nating tugunan ang problema sa
enerhiya."
The President assured the public that the
government is doing everything to address current and future problems on power
supply.
The El Niño could decrease the generation of
electricity and increase power demand as well, thus, the country must prepare
beforehand because building a power plant takes several years, the President
said. PND (as)
President Aquino said he reformed government
system to regain public trust
President Benigno S. Aquino III said during his
fifth State of the Nation Address on Monday that he instituted reforms in the
government system to regain the people’s trust.
“Tunay nga po: Tiwala ang pundasyon ng mabuting
pamamahalan… Tiwala na kung sumunod ka sa tama, makukuha mo kung ano ang dapat
sa iyo. Ang pagbabalik ng tiwala ninyo... ang ibig sabihin ng reporma,” said
President Aquino.
“Halimbawa: Sa Customs, na talaga naman pong
sinubok ang ating pasensya noong nakaraang mga taon. Naging malinaw sa atin na
Reset button ang solusyon,” he noted.
The President said he had replaced the former
commissioner of the Bureau of Customs (BOC) and six deputy commissioners to reform
the agency.
Since the “reset” was made, there has been a 22
percent increase in the cash collection from the BOC, totaling P117 billion,
the Chief Executive continued.
“Ang masasabi ko naman sa mga patuloy na
rumaraket: Alam kong hindi na kayo tinatablan ng takot at kahihiyan… Ang sa
akin lang: Kapag sumapat na ang nililikom na ebidensiya laban sa inyo, sa
Bilibid ang susunod ninyong destino,” warned the President. PND (ag)
President Aquino says he will not sacrifice
quality over speed in drafting Bangsamoro Law
President Benigno S. Aquino III has addressed
the concerns of some sectors over the delay in the submission of the proposed
Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), saying the government does not want to sacrifice
quality over speed in drafting the legislation.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address on
Monday, President Aquino said they are still in the process of fine-tuning
certain provisions that would make the bill “reasonable, just, and acceptable”
to all, hoping to complete it as soon as possible.
“Humihingi po tayo ng pang-unawa sa ating
Kongreso ukol rito. Mahalaga pong maging masusi ang paghimay natin ng bawat
probisyong ilalatag,” President Aquino told members of the 16th Congress at the
Batasang Pambansa.
Professor Miriam Coronel-Ferrer, head of the
government’s negotiating panel with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF),
earlier said that delaying the submission of the BBL is better than rushing it
because there are issues that still have to be discussed.
The Bangsamoro Transition Commission, which is
tasked to draft the bill, met last week with the MILF and members of the
government peace panel to work on the details of the BBL, bearing in mind
President Aquino’s intention to have it passed into law within the year.
President Aquino said he would certify the bill
as urgent, once it is submitted to Congress so the government could finally
conduct a plebiscite that would pave the way for a Bangsamoro Transition
Authority.
“Kung maisasabatas nga po ang Bangsamoro Basic
Law bago matapos ang taon at maisasagawa ang kinakailangang plebesito,
mabibigyan ng isa’t kalahating taon ang Bangsamoro Transition Authority para
ipakita ang positibong pagbabago. Kung maaantala naman ito, natural pong iikli
rin ang panahon para mapatunayan na tama nga ang landas ng kapayapaang
tinatahak natin,” he said.
Drafting the BBL is the next step the Aquino
administration is trying to accomplish after signing the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) with the MILF last March, en route to a
peaceful Mindanao.
President Aquino said it has taken his administration
a long way to bring back the trust of Muslims in the government, and he has no
plan to squander it.
“Napakarami na nga po nating nararating dahil sa
tiwala—at wala tayong balak basagin ang tiwalang ito. Ang gobyerno ninyo ngayon
ay mayroong isang salita,” he said.
The Comprehensive Agreement on the Bansamoro is
just the start of better things to come for Mindanao, the President said, as
the government has also earmarked a P5.17-billion budget for the Department of
Public Works and Highways next year to fund infrastructure projects in the
south.
"Gusto po nating bigyan ng pantay na
pagkakataon ang lahat ng Pilipino, kaya nga dapat may boost up, para naman
maka-catch up ang ating mga kababayang nasa laylayan," he said. PND (hdc)
Palace seeks cooperation of Congress in passing
proposed P2.6 trillion budget for 2015
President Benigno S. Aquino III has sought the
cooperation of Congress in passing the proposed P2.6 trillion National Budget
for 2015 which the Executive department will file soon.
"Sa unang araw po ng trabaho matapos ang
SONA, ihahain natin sa Kongreso ang panukalang P2.606 trillion na 2015 National
Budget," the President said in his fifth State of the Nation Address on
Monday.
The administration drew up the 2015 budget with
the participation of the public and using strategies that will ensure that
funds are only allocated to projects and programs that will truly benefit the
people, he said.
"Umaasa po tayo sa pakikiisa ng ating mga
mambabatas na pagtibayin ito, bilang pangunahing instrumento sa paglikha ng
pagkakataon para sa sambayanang Pilipino," he added.
The President also said that because of the
Supreme Court's decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP), the
Executive department will ask Congress for supplemental budget for 2014 to make
sure that ongoing projects funded by the program are completed.
He also sought the cooperation of Congress in
passing a joint resolution that will clarify definitions and issues that are
the center of debates on the DAP.
"Kasabay po nito, nananawagan din tayo sa
pakikiisa ng Kongreso, upang maipasa ang isang Joint Resolution na maglilinaw
sa mga depinisyon at kaisipang tila pinagtatalunan pa—at iba pang mga usaping
kayo lang sa lehislatura, bilang mga nagsulat ng batas, ang makakapaglinaw,"
he said. PND (as)
President Aquino cites infrastructure projects
in the pipeline in his State of the Nation Address
President Benigno S. Aquino III has announced
that the bidding process for the government’s largest Public-Private
Partnership (PPP) project, the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike, would start
before the end of the year.
In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA)
on Monday, President Aquino said the Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike project
would address the flooding in coastal communities along Laguna Lake.
“Siguro po, narinig na rin ninyo ang
pinakamalaki nating PPP project—ang Laguna Lakeshore Expressway Dike—bubuksan
na rin ang bidding bago matapos ang 2014,” he said.
“Napakaraming benepisyong maidudulot nito. Una,
mababawasan ang pagbaha. Ngayon po, ‘pag pumalo ng 12.5 meters ang taas ng
tubig sa lawa, tiyak, babahain na ang mga komunidad sa paligid nito. Ang
solusyon: dikeng may taas na higit sa 15 metro.”
The project would also clean up the waters of
Laguna Lake and ease traffic congestion in the area, he added.
“Ikalawa pong pakinabang: Malilinis ang tubig sa
Laguna Lake. Ang ikatlo po: Bawas ang trapiko. Sa ibabaw ng dike, magkakaroon
ng expressway na babagtas sa Los Baños hanggang Taguig,” he said.
“Pag natapos ang C-6 road na kokonekta sa San
Jose del Monte, may isa na naman tayong paraan upang makatawid ng Kamaynilaan
nang hindi na kakailanganing dumaan sa EDSA.”
President Aquino also mentioned the projects
approved by the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) Board, such as
the Laoag City Bypass Link Road project, the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit project,
and the LRT Line 1 South Extension and Line 2 East Extension.
“Maliban sa mga proyekto sa Puerto Princesa
Airport, abangan na rin ninyo ang Busuanga Airport,” he said, adding that the
NEDA Board has also approved the Clark Green City project in Capas, Tarlac.
“Sa mabuting pamamahala, nanunumbalik ang tiwala
ng merkado, ng mundo, at ng taumbayan sa ating gobyerno. Nagbubunsod ito ng
isang siklo: Dahil nakikita ang resulta ng agenda ng reporma, nakikiambag ang
bawat isa sa ating mga Boss,” he said.
President Aquino said that since December 2011,
his administration has awarded and signed seven PPP projects amounting to P62.6
billion, surpassing the combined six approved solicited PPP projects of the
past three administrations.
“Sa apat na taon natin sa tuwid na daan,
nalampasan na natin ang pinagsamang anim lamang na aprubadong solicited PPP
projects mula sa nakaraang tatlong administrasyon,” he said.
He noted that a number of infrastructure
projects that had been promised by the past administrations have already been
completed, among them the Aluling Bridge, the Metro Manila Skyway Stage 3, and
the Ternate-Nasugbu Road, while the construction of the Basilan Circumferential
Road will soon be finished.
“Ilan lang po ito sa mga imprastrukturang wala
tayong planong ipamana bilang problema; sa halip, ngayon, nagsisimula na itong
mapakinabangan ng ating mga Boss,” the President said.
Citing good governance, the President said the
government was able to find solutions to other problems, such as water.
He cited the approval of the Kaliwa Dam project
in Quezon, the repair of the lines of Angat Dam, and the Water District
Development project, under Local Water Utilities Administration.
Also in his fifth SONA, President Aquino said
the government’s infrastructure budget has more than doubled from P200.3
billion in 2011 to P404.3 billion this year.
He lauded Public Works and Highways Secretary
Rogelio Singson for his efforts to curb corruption in the agency. “Sa pamumuno
ni Secretary Babes Singson ng DPWH: Bawal ang tongpats, bawal ang bukol,” he
said.
“Tinapalan na ang mga butas sa lumang sistema,
at pinatag ang proseso sa ahensya. Isang simpleng halimbawa po nito ang
pagtatanggal ng Letter of Intent sa bidding process,” he added.
President Aquino said the DPWH has saved P28
billion from the reforms and changes in the department, allowing it to
accelerate the implementation of its next projects.
He further said that a total of 12,184
kilometers of national roads have been repaired, widened, or constructed since
he assumed the presidency in 2010.
The number is equivalent to four roads that
connect Laoag to Zamboanga City, he said, adding that this does not even
include local farm-to-market roads or tourism roads. PND (co)
President Aquino greets Muslim community on
'Eid'l Fitr'
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Tuesday
extended his warm greetings to the country’s Muslim community as it celebrates
Eid'l Fitr, which marks the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
“The entire Filipino nation greets the Muslim
Community in the Philippines as you celebrate Eid’l Fitr,” President Aquino
said in his message posted on the government’s Official Gazette.
“Throughout our country’s narrative, Islam has
taught many of our Muslim brothers and sisters the values and principles that
can lead to solidarity, honor, and harmony,” he added.
President Aquino has earlier issued Proclamation
No. 826 declaring July 29, Tuesday, a regular holiday throughout the country in
observance of Eid’l Fitr (Feast of Ramadan).
“May this celebration of Eid’l Fitr be a time of
thanks and praise to the Almighty for the strength and hope that He has blessed
your community with, especially during the month of forgiveness, Ramadan,” the
President said.
“May this also be a reaffirmation of your faith
as you prepare yourselves for the challenges that may arise in our rapidly
shifting milieu; may you always be enlightened by the teachings of Islam that
hold true to the collective conscience of the Filipino people.”
In his message, President Aquino said that the
administration continues to “build a more harmonious, more just country as we
begin to ease the disquiet that has long shaken our lands.”
The President cited the recent signing of the
Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro (CAB) between the Philippine
government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“The recent signing of the Comprehensive
Agreement on the Bangsamoro proves that, even through all the conflicts that we
have endured, we remain one nation bound by a common dream: A new era of peace
that will redound to the upliftment of the lives of our kababayans. Let us
sustain the gains of positive reform and be steadfast stewards of unity and
development in our society,” he said. PND (co)
President Aquino: Labor strikes have decreased
President Benigno S. Aquino III said that the
number of labor strikes has been limited to less than 10 per year since he
assumed the presidency in 2010.
“Isa po itong positibong bunga ng itinataguyod
nating Single Entry Approach o SEnA ng DOLE,” the President said during his
fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) at the Batasang Pambansa on Monday.
Under the Department of Labor and Employment’s
(DOLE) Single Entry Approach, all labor cases must undergo a 30-day
conciliation-mediation process.
“Ang maganda nga po: sa 115 notices of strike
and lockout noong 2013, isa lang ang natuloy na welga,” said the President.
“Ito ang pinakamababa sa kasaysayan ng DOLE.
Maraming salamat po kay (Labor) Secretary Linda Baldoz, sa pamilya ng DOLE at
siyempre po sa labor at management sectors,” he said, hoping that there would
be no strike this year. PND (ag)
President Aquino to submit proposed P2.6
trillion National Budget for 2015 to Congress on Wednesday
President Benigno S. Aquino III is getting ready
to submit the proposed P2.6 trillion National Budget to Congress on Wednesday,
a Malacañang official said Tuesday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. said the President spent the Eid’l Fitr holiday
reviewing his budget message to Congress.
“As he said yesterday (Monday), the proposed
2015 budget of 2.606 trillion pesos will be submitted to Congress ‘on the first
working day after the SONA’, which is tomorrow (July 30),” he said in a
statement.
He said the President was in Bahay Pangarap and
did not take the day off following his fifth State of the Nation Address last
Monday.
In his address, President Aquino asked the
support of Congress for the timely passage of the 2015 National Budget.
Asked about the supplementary budget the
Executive department is planning to ask from Congress, Secretary Coloma said
the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) is working on its fundamentals.
“According to Secretary Abad, the DBM is still
working on the supplementary budget proposal, in terms of compiling the reports
from the various departments and agencies on which projects that were part of
the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) have not been obligated or
completed,” he said.
“Submission of a supplementary budget is part of
compliance with the Supreme Court decision, while the motion for
reconsideration is still undecided,” he added.
The President announced his plan to ask Congress
for a supplementary budget for 2014 after the Supreme Court declared the DAP
partially unconstitutional, jeopardizing ongoing projects funded by the
program. PND (jb)
