PIA Dispatch - Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Comelec still hopeful on 2010 poll automation; election body meets with Smartmatic, TIM Tuesday 

MANILA, June 30 - In a last-ditch effort to automate the 2010 national and local elections, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has scheduled a meeting with top officials of Smartmatic Corporation and Total Information Management (TIM) on Tuesday afternoon to discuss matters and issues surrounding what they described as a “forestalled” partnership. 

According to Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, the parties are set to meet at 2:30 pm to "hopefully" iron things out on their differences, if any, and other issues regarding P11.3 billion poll automation project. TIM earlier announced its withdrawal on its partnership with the Netherlands-based Smartmatic. 

“Makikinig kami (Comelec will listen to) know the facts and hopefully do something about it,” he said. 

Asked if they have given up on poll automation, Sarmiento said: “We are not giving up on poll automation. As a matter of fact we received text messages by a lot of people that they are saddened by the news that’s why we have to be pro-active.” 

The Comelec official did not answer directly when asked if there is a chance that TIM would change its mind regarding its withdrawal from the consortium. 

“Well, hope springs eternal. We want to save the automation that’s why we are doing this pro active role,” he said. 

Smartmatic and TIM are currently holding dialogue to reconcile their differences to push through the automation of the May 2010 polls. 

The Comelec earlier issued an ultimatum to both companies to submit their incorporation documents before the Comelec until July 3. 

“We’ve discussed that they are given until July 3 so why not between today and July 3 make the most out of it,” added the poll official.


RP improves governance, corruption control - WB study

MANILA, June 30 - The Philippines slightly improved in its governance and control corruption last year, the World Bank (WB) said. 

In its Worldwide Governance Indicators 1996 to 2008, the Washington-based lender said the Philippines scored negative 0.75 in control of corruption last year from negative 0.79 in 2007. 

In 1996, the country scored positive in controlling corruption. 

The World Bank indicator measured broad dimensions of governance such as voice and accountability, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, rule of law and control of corruption: 

The indicators cover 212 countries and territories for 1996, 1998, 2000 and annually for 2002 to 2008. 

The indicators are based on several hundred individual variables measuring perceptions of governance, drawn from 35 separate data sources to capture the views of tens of thousands of survey respondents worldwide, as well as thousands of experts in the private, non-government organization and public sectors. 

Other Asian countries like Thailand scored better in anti-corruption last year to -0.38; Malaysia, 0.14; Vietnam, Indonesia, -0.64 and Singapore, 2.34. The Philippines has better score compared to Vietnam at -0.76. 

In terms of government effectiveness, the Philippines scored zero last year from 0.04 in 2007; political stability, -1.41 from -1.31; rule of law, -0.49 frin -0.54; regulatory quality, -0.05 from -0.13 and voice and accountability, -0.2 from -0.16. 

The World Bank report said better governance helped in the fight against poverty and improved living standards. 

"When governance is improved by one standard deviation, infant mortality declines by two-thirds and incomes rise about three-fold in the long run," the bank said. 

The quality of governance around the world has not improved much over the past decade on the average, the World Bank said. 

Aart Kraay, co-author of the report and lead economist in the Development Research Group of the World Bank said, however, that the good news was that some countries were recognizing and responding to governance challenges, and were showing strong improvements that reflected concerted efforts by political leaders, policymakers, civil society, and the private sector 

The WGI is a research project initiated by Kaufmann and Kraay in the late 1990s, and is now coauthored with Massimo Mastruzzi of the World Bank Institute. 

The authors define governance as the traditions and institutions by which authority in a country is exercised. 

This includes how governments are selected, monitored and replaced; the capacity of the government to effectively formulate and implement sound policies; and the respect of citizens and the state for the institutions that govern economic and social interactions among them.


Over 100 NPA rebels integrated to mainstream society

MANILA, June 30 - A new set of former New People's Army (NPA) rebels were assisted by the government to be incorporated to mainstream society. 

The Army's 2nd Infantry Division said 109 were given cash assistance and remuneration of surrendered firearms Monday, at Sta. Cruz town in Laguna province. 

2nd ID spokesman Lt. Celeste Frank Sayson said the former rebels belonged to the NPA operating in the provinces of CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon). 

"They are now called KR (Kasama sa Reporma) and are incorporated to the Social Integration Program of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process," said Sayson. 

The immediate cash assistance was handed over by Laguna Governor Teresa Lazaro, Defense Undersecretary Alberto Valenzuela, acting 2nd ID commander Brig. Gen. Florante Martinez and local government unit representatives of Laguna and other representatives of various line government agencies. 

"The former rebels are scheduled to undergo medical and physical check–up, psycho-social profiling interview by the DSWD and orientation seminars on the different socio-economic interventions of the government," said Sayson. 

To date, there are already 210 former rebels who received assistance from Social Integration Program in the whole province of Laguna. 

The Social Integration Program is a process whereby former rebels and their dependents are provided a set of interventions to facilitate their integration into mainstream society. 

"To be able to achieve this objective, the program is guided by the principle of convergence and cooperation primarily between the different national and local agencies of the government, national and local government units, non-government institutions and organizations and the community as well. Each stakeholder plays a unique role in the integration process," said Sayson.