Palace says latest survey indicates public
understood President Aquino’s position on Mamasapano incident
Malacañang on Monday said the latest Social
Weather Stations (SWS) survey shows that the public understood President
Benigno S. Aquino III’s position on the Mamasapano incident.
Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. noted
that while President Aquino's approval rating dropped based on the SWS poll,
the President got higher figures than the Pulse Asia survey that was conducted
three weeks earlier.
"While there has been a decline in the
President’s satisfaction rating (down to 47 percent from 63 percent), it is
evident that a higher number of Filipinos --- (50 percent who oppose his
resignation; and 47 percent who expressed satisfaction) --- affirm their belief
in his leadership and outnumber those who are dissatisfied (36 percent) or
prefer that he resign from office (32 percent),” Secretary Coloma said in a
statement.
A significant segment is undecided about his
performance (17 percent) and about his resignation (18 percent), he said,
adding this represents an opportunity to reach out to those who are undecided
or ambivalent in their sentiments towards the President and the administration,
to eventually win them over.
Coloma pointed out that the survey was taken on
March 20 to 23, three weeks after Pulse Asia’s public opinion survey conducted
on March 1 to 7.
“It is possible that, having gathered more
information about current events—and having been able to know and understand
better the President’s position on the Mamasapano incident—the people gave the
President a higher satisfaction rating in the SWS survey (47 percent) than the
performance approval rating that he obtained in the Pulse Asia survey (38
percent),” he explained.
Despite the drop in ratings, the Palace official
assured that the government remains focused on its priority programs, such as
infrastructure development, employment generation, poverty reduction, and
improved social protection.
“The President and his Cabinet are firmly
determined to carry on with the implementation of salient reform and
development programs geared toward achieving the primary objective of attaining
inclusive growth and improving the quality of life of their bosses—the Filipino
people,” Coloma said.
“Transparent and responsive governance along the
righteous path will be pursued, so that public institutions may be strengthened,
the transformation process may be sustained and that the concrete gains
achieved will become permanent,” he added.
The March 20 to 23 SWS survey interviewed 1,200
adults nationwide. PND (jm)
Malacañang announces appointment of 18 new officials
The Palace on Monday announced the appointment of
18 new officials of various government agencies.
During a press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda said Corazon Davis and Marcial Amaro, Jr. have been appointed as
Assistant Secretaries of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources;
and Danielle Marie Rieza, as Acting Assistant Secretary of the Department of
Finance.
Also appointed were Ramon Jumawan as Director IV,
Department of Transportation and Communications; Amante Caluya, Jr. as Captain,
Hydrography Branch of the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority;
Fidelis Cañada as Acting Director II, Office of Civil Defense under the
Department of National Defense.
Ariel Cayanan has been named as Acting Executive
Director III, Philippine Council for Agriculture and Fisheries; and Josefina
Rico as Director II, National Meat Inspection Service. Both agencies are under
the Department of Agriculture.
Other appointees were Josie Perez as Deputy
National Statistician of the Censuses and Technical Coordination Office; and
Estela de Guzman as Deputy National Statistician of the Civil and Registration
and Center Support Office. Both offices are part of the Philippine Statistics
Authority, which is under the National Economic and Development Authority.
The new Registers of Deeds II are Arthur Abamonga,
Julie Mae Monique Abela, Casiano Arcillas, Consuelo Filog, Dinna Lao, and Maria
Elnora Puday for the Land Registration Authority, which is under the Department
of Justice.
Raul Fajardo Marcelo has been named as member
representing the private sector, of the Board of Directors of the Subic Bay
Metropolitan Authority; while Jose Suan has been named as member representing
the labor sector, of the Board of Directors of the Zamboanga City Special
Economic Zone Authority. PND (ag)
Palace urges public to pay proper taxes
Malacañang on Monday called on the public to pay
proper taxes for the continuous implementation of infrastructure projects.
“Taxes are indeed the lifeblood of the nation and
so we encourage everyone, every working tax-paying citizen, to please report,
especially those who are not compensation employees,” Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda said during the daily press briefing.
"Compensation employees are withheld at
source. For those who are professionals, those who have their own businesses,
please pay the proper taxes,” he said, noting that taxes are used to fund
infrastructure projects across the country, such as the bridge in Isabela that
will be inaugurated by the President on Tuesday, the road reblocking and repair
done in EDSA during the Holy Week, and a number of connector highways.
"At the same time, recognizing that we do not
want to leave anyone behind, that we are able to pour investments into our
social alleviation programs because an investment on our poorest of the poor is
an investment on people. That is also a priority of our administration. So, we
would like to encourage every taxpayer to please pay the proper tax,” he said.
The filing of income tax return has been set on
April 15. PND (jm)
President Aquino to inaugurate P772.9-million
Lullutan Bridge in Isabela
President Benigno S. Aquino III will inaugurate on
Tuesday the P772.9-million Lullutan Bridge in Ilagan City that will connect
Isabela and the Cagayan Valley region.
The 500.6-lineal meter Lullutan Bridge is
considered one of the longest bridges to cross Cagayan River, connecting
Barangay Camalagui 1 and Barangay Lullutan of Ilagan City, Isabela in Cagayan
Valley.
Prior to the construction of the Lullutan Bridge,
both barangays were linked by a spillway bridge, which was destroyed by floods
during a typhoon, back in 1995.
With no infrastructure connecting those barangays,
residents have been using barges to transport their agricultural products to
markets in Ilagan City.
The Lullutan Bridge, with a loading capacity of 20
tons, is made of 14-span structural steel girders with reinforced concrete slab
supported by 13 piers, with two concrete column pedestals resting on group
bored pile foundation. It also features Portland Cement Concrete Pavement
approaches, measuring 1.175 kilometers.
The bridge was completed last January 21 under
Package II-A of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
It is among the bridge projects of the Urgent
Bridges Construction Project for Rural Development being implemented by the
DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster.
Officials expect the bridge to open up new
opportunities for Isabela, particularly its agricultural sector.
To accompany the President during Tuesday's event
are Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Isabela Governor
Faustino Dy III, Isabela District 1 Represetative Rodolfo Albano III, and
Ilagan City Mayor Jose Marie Diaz. PND (as)
Palace to support judiciary's move to get rid of
corrupt judges
The Palace on Monday reiterated its commitment to
fight corruption but said it is up to the judiciary to cleanse its ranks of
corrupt judges.
"We are all against corruption in all its
forms. We are, however, recognizing the role of the separation of powers and
the existence of the three branches of government. We will defer to the Chief
Justice as to how the Supreme Court handles corruption cases within their
branch,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters during a press
briefing.
He was commenting on reports that the Coalition of
Filipino Consumers has asked Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno
to investigate allegations of "justice for sale" involving members of
the Court of Appeals.
Citing a World Bank study that said it takes the
Court of First Instance several years to resolve a case, Secretary Lacierda
emphasized that justice delayed is justice denied.
“That is one of the reforms that we would like to
see happen, especially in the area of cases. As a lawyer, I’ve heard of so many
stories about situations like these, and so we will leave it with Chief Justice
Sereno and her peers to find ways to investigate and to find a long-term
solution to this corruption in the judiciary," he said. PND (as)
