Malacanang accepted the Court of Appeals ruling that overturned a lower court's decision convicting a US marine for raping a woman in Subic Bay Freeport in 2005.
Associate Justice Monina Arevalo- Zena of the Special 11th Division ordered Thursday the immediate release of US Marine Lance Cpl. Daniel Smith after the CA found no evidence to prove that he used force, threat and intimidation to force himself into the victim, Suzette Nicolas, also known as Nicole.
“What we see was the spontaneous, unplanned romantic episode with both parties carried away by their passions and stirred up by the urgency of the moment caused probably by alcoholic drinks, " the CA ruling said in a document that is 71 pages long.
She left for the Unites States while Smith is under custody of the US Embassy in Manila.
PGMA gives Antique typhoon victims new lease on life
Valderrama, Antique - In less than a year after Typhoon “Frank” devastated this municipality, local residents are well on their way to rebuilding their future, as government intensifies efforts to bring back normalcy to people’s lives here.
The Chief Executive personally awarded certificates of occupancy to 89 families whose houses were destroyed by the typhoon that hit Antique in June last year.
Under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) shelter assistance program, the 89 displaced families will be transferred to a new relocation site in Barangay Borocboroc.
Last August, the government released roughly P4.5 million to develop the four-hectare Borocboroc relocation site for the typhoon victims. Each shelter costs P50,000.
“Congratulations. You now have a new home,” the President told the typhoon victims during the ceremonies held at the Valderrama Central Elementary School.
For 34-year-old Jonathan Canja and his family, the new shelter means a safe and comfortable abode.
“In the new house that was given to us by the government, I know that our lives will go on,” said Canja.
For 73-year-old Lucia Eto, the emotional and physical pressures caused by homelessness are over.
“I am thankful to the President. We now have a new home which we can proudly call our own,” Eto said.
For Rufino Ynion and his family, their new shelter is the best gift they have received from the government.
“With this (house), we can now look forward to a more secure future,” Ynion said.
In addition to the new houses, a new school building was also built at the Borocboroc relocation site, Valderrama Mayor Mary Joyce Roquero said.
The 89 beneficiaries were among the 622 poor families in this municipality given cash grants totaling P1.213 million.
Other 4Ps beneficiaries are from Barangays Bunsod, P148,800 (75 beneficiaries); Cansilayan, P83,800 (43 beneficiaries); Lublub, P235,000 (124 beneficiaries); Manlacbo, P243,000 (128 beneficiaries), and Pandanan, P322,600 (163 beneficiaries).
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) is a poverty-reduction strategy that provide grants to extremely-poor households for their health, nutrition and education needs, particularly children aged 0-14 years.
The cash subsidies distributed by the President was the second tranche of cash grants for the province of P20,307,700 for 10,510 beneficiaries in 173 barangays .
The P20.3 million allocation brings to P44,315,700 the total cash grants to Antique province. During the last quarter of 2008, the government released P24 million in cash grants to Antique.
Antiquenos expressed their gratitude to the President for visiting the province and for the her assistance to the typhoon victims.
“We welcomed you (the President) with great affection and gratitude. We feel so honored to be part of your provincial sorties,” Antique Gov. Salvacion Perez said.
Perez cited the Arroyo administration for fast-paced development of Antique province.
For his part, Rep. Exequiel Javier expressed his deep gratitude to the President for the attention she has given to the development of Antique.
“No President has done so much for the upliftment of the lives of our people, except President Arroyo” Javier said.
IMF forecast of RP zero growth is negated by current realities, Golez says
Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Anthony Golez said the International Monetary Fund (IMF) based its projections on assumptions of a zero growth on a) remittances by overseas Filipino workers declining by 7.5 percent; b) exports dropping by 20 percent and c) imports would drop by 18 percent.
He said these projections are “well below the estimates of a flat growth because February numbers showed a 4.9 percent growth in OFW remittances, so, that alone would negate what the IMF projected.”
Second, there is a continuing deployment of OFWs, which means that OFW remittances will further increase, he said.
Golez said the original budgetary deficit target of P177 billion was revised upward to P199 billion and this will contribute largely to stimulate the economy. This means, he explained, that the government foresees a favorable growth situation.
Additionally every campaign season perks up the economy and “we are headed for a campaign season.”
The economic resiliency package (ERP) being implemented by the government to help the country weather the current global economic crisis has been noticed by the IMF itself when it said that the “Philippines is in a good position to weather the storm due to its strong fiscal track record.” “So in the middle of a crisis we are in a better position,” Golez said.
The IMF’s projection is way below the World Bank projection of 1.9 percent growth and the Asian Development Bank’s 2.5 percent, Golez said.
Palace tells NDCC, Sulu LGU to prepare food/medicines
But Golez, who is also the chairman of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC), pointed out that if it becomes necessary, civilians in the conflict area would be taken to safe havens.
Golez was responding to reports of a possible military operation to rescue Vagni, the last of the three kidnapped workers of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) still being held by Abu Sayayaf bandits in Sulu.
But he said that the local government unit (LGU) in the area and the NDCC have been instructed to stock up on food and medicines to support any relief operations.
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Such preparations are standard contingency procedures that the NDCC always undertake -- not necessarily for the evacuation of civilians from areas of conflict, he said.
Golez added that the local crisis committee (LCC) in Sulu and NDCC have identified five sites as possible evacuation centers.
On whether the Philippines will allow the Italian government to assist the government in Vagni’s rescue, Golez said “although the best and most appropriate agency or group to answer that will be the local crisis management committee (LCMC) there is a statement from the Armed Forces of the Philippines that they are the ones doing the rescue mission. So it is not necessary to seek the help of the Italian government.”
He pointed out that whatever the LCMC recommends in connection with the ongoing hostage crisis in Sulu will be followed by everyone, as concurred by National Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro in a recent press conference with the LCMC.
As far as the Sulu hostage crisis is concerned, Golez said the Palace wants the secretaries of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and DND to be the source of all information on the matter.
“Normally, the local government and the local DCC would give us a report whenever there is going to be movement of troops but I have not seen any report yet,” Golez said.
Based on the contingency planning, the different government agencies responsible for taking care of internally displaced people (IDPs) are already doing their mandate to stockpile and to make sure that medicines and food will be available anytime these are needed, he said.
On the increased conflict in Cotabato and Maguindanao, Golez said there are SOPs on providing security and relief to IDPs in the areas of armed conflict.
WTF names RP as Asia's most well-liked travel destination
President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo expressed elation over the accolade heaped on the Philippines as the most popular and well-liked travel destination in Asia in this year’s World Travel Fair held in Shanghai, China.
The citation for the Philippines was made after a public vote and an evaluation process by professional jurors from the Shanghai Municipal Tourism Administration and the VNU Exhibitors Europe.
“In spite of the global financial crisis, things continue going our way,” the President said as she cited some very encouraging developments that have raised the Filipinos’ optimism about the future of the country.
These recent developments, she said, include the continued decline in self-rated poverty and the downward trend in poverty incidence as attested by the latest SWS surveys; the gains in the fight against graft and corruption as shown by the results of the PERC surveys which brought the Philippines from number one to number six; the stable outlook for the Philippine economy as expressed by Moody’s; and the hopeful business community outlook as evaluated by the well-respected Grant Thornton consulting firm.
“This unprecedented accolade given by the WTF is another special feather in our cap that places us over and above other tourism sites in the region, perhaps in the rest of the world,” the President said.
President Arroyo noted that the country’s competitive tour pricing, remarkable progress in transportation and tourism facilities, and the Filipinos’ innate friendliness and hospitality are some of the major factors that made the Philippines a most desired tourist destination and a haven for tourism investment.
“It is payback time for our efforts at creating a most inviting tourism industry and a resilient economy,” she added.
The Philippines is one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in China’s outbound travel industry, recording a 74-percent month-on-month growth rate in visa issuances for February this year.
Chinese travelers rank the country’s beaches and heritage sites high, as proven by the various recognitions they have awarded to the Philippines’ tourist spots.
Noli warns public of land scams
Estafadores and professional squatters are back from the grave.
Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) clarified that documents such as Titulo de Proprieda (4136) or Original Certificate of Title (OCT) 01-4 are no longer used in land registration.
The Vice President revealed that some of these groups are requiring their target victims to join associations before they can buy properties under prices lower than current market values.
ARMM beefing up its health services
ARMM signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) Thursday with the Department of Health for the implementation of Health Investment Plan (HIP) similar to the FOURmula One program used by the department.
FOURmula One is DOH's roadmap for realizing health sector reforms.
The HIP details the program, projects and activities, as well the working relationships of ARMM and DOH to solve the regions' problem on Malnutrition, Infant and mother mortality.
