PIA Dispatch - Thursday, September 3, 2009

PGMA assures war veterans of benefits

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo on Thursday assured World War II veterans that her administration is continuously working to provide and secure their long-overdue benefits, including the US$ 190-million compensation package from the United States government.

The President made the assurance to some 200 war veterans during the Filipino World War II Veterans Assembly this afternoon at Camp Aguinaldo in Quezon City.

Among those present were National Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, Armed Forces Chief of Staff Gen. Victor Ibrado, national president of the Veterans Federation of the Philippines (VFP) Col. Emmanuel de Ocampo and Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO) Administrator and DND Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina of the Department of National Defense.

During her visit to the United States, the President said she told US Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki that many Filipino veterans look forward to the speedy implementation of the $ 190-million compensation package, which was signed into law by US President Barack Obama this year.

“And he (Shinseki) replied that his department, if needed, will hire additional personnel to fast track the claims,” the President said.

The US Embassy in Manila started accepting applications for the lump-sum payments of $ 15,000 for veterans who have become US citizens and $ 9,000 for non-US citizens.

The President noted that the first payment was already made last April 8 but more than 31,000 filed their claims at the PVAO compared to the US estimate that only about 18,000 Filipino veterans are still alive and eligible.

The President said Secretary Teodoro will follow up with Secretary Shinseki to expedite the processing of the claims of Filipino war veterans.

The President said Secretary Shinseki also told her that the U.S. government is already providing some $ 17 million a month to Filipino war veterans and their families.

“Outside of the new veterans’ benefits, his (Shinseki’s) department is also disbursing funds to veterans and their families, including death pensions totaling $ 17 million a month,” the President stressed.

She told the Filipino war veterans that the US government is also providing an MRI facility to the Philippine Veterans Hospital.

The President likewise instructed Secretary Teodoro to study the possibility of establishing vital medical equipment in areas where many war veterans reside.

According to the President, she has instructed Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya to pay the total administrative liability, including pension arrears, to World War II veterans for this year.

In closing, the President thanked Shinseki, U.S. Senators Daniel Inouye and Daniel Akaka and everyone who made contributions to facilitate the passage of the $ 190-million lump sum package


RP economy to grow 2.5% in Q3, FMIC-UAP says

The Philippine economy, as measured by the country's gross domestic product (GDP), is likely to grow 2.5 percent in the third quarter and 4.5 percent in the last quarter of the year, according to First Metro Investment Corp. (FMIC) and University of Asia and the Pacific’s (UAP) Capital Markets Research.

GDP is the amount of final goods and services produced in a country in a given period.

"The relatively strong numbers in June and July confirm our expectation of clearly positive GDP growth figures for the second semester," the research note said.

The FMIC-UAP said remittances of Filipino workers overseas continued to provide the country with hopes of growth as flows continued its positive streak climbing by 3.3 percent in June.

In the second quarter, the economy grew 1.5 percent from 4.2 percent in the same period last year.

The government projected GDP to grow between 0.8 percent and 1.8 percent this year.

"Exports are also likely to post positive growth in the fourth quarter due to base effects and consistently rising monthly exports as East Asia (especially China) and the U.S. Recoveries gain traction." FMIC-UAP said.

FMIC-UAP also sees positive growth in the electricity, fast foods, retailers sales and residential property sales sectors and a "muted" inflation.

"These would tend to offset the still negative exports picture and a deceleration in National Government (NG) spending," it said.

FMIC-UAP projected a 0.9 percent inflation rate in September; 1.7 percent in October and 2.7 percent in November.

"Inflation remains muted, as other prices other than petroleum products, have been quite stable in the last three months. The only remaining risk is for a severe El Nino to hamper rice harvest in October to November, as crude oil prices are unlikely to make a strong upward move until mid-2010," the research note said.

For the full year, FMIC-UAP expects inflation rate of 3.3 percent. From January to July, inflation rate was 4.3 percent.

FMIC-UAP said that government tax take would improve, as the economy turns more positive in the second semester, and fiscal discipline will enable the NG to meet its P250- billion deficit target


'Noynoy' should intervene on the plight of HLI farmers -KMU

Militant labor group Kilusang Mayo Uno challenged Senator Benigno Simeon "Noynoy" Aquino to intervene on the plight of hundreds of farmers facing eviction at the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) and bare platforms that would make him worthy of winning the 2010 presidential election.

“In this time when these politicians are glorified for making sacrifice that they say are ‘for Filipinos’, we, the Filipinos they are referring to, dare Noynoy to stop Aquino family’s plans to kick the farmers out of the lands they have tilled for years, as well as end his family’s pursuit to own the land,” Elmer Labog, KMU.chairperson said.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) earlier ordered HLI to give the entire 6,000 hectare-hacienda to thousands of HLI poor workers and farmers but the latter’s management defied by issuing a memorandum notifying workers to leave the land on or before Oct. 30, 2009.
According to Labog, the move, should Aquino act on, is democratic, because it heeds to the interest of the majority.

We urge him to make a fitting sacrifice, something that poor farmers of HL would conceretely benefit from. That is a move that the nation would truly laud them for,” he added.

Meanwhile KMU likewise hit politicians who obsessively focus on expressing their intention to run in 2010, but gives scant details on their reform agenda.

“They did not reveal their platform. We know they (Mar Roxas and Noynoy) are both from opposition and seeks reform in the government, but they did not take advantage of the spotlight that were turned on them,” he said.

Labor was referring to Mar Roxas’ announcement on Tuesday that he will give way to public clamor for Noynoy to run as President, given they belong to the same political party, LP.

“We were dumbfounded: was that it’s all about? To answer public clamor for change, Noynoy and Mar should raise the bar and declare solid platform that would challenge the reforms of Arroyo government, and not just proclaim who should run and make the party winnable,” he said.

Aquino, meanwhile, expressed he will ask for divine guidance and vowed to come out with a decision next week.


PGMA visits wake of INC executive minister

President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo visited on Wednesday night the wake of the late Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) executive minister and supreme leader Eraño "Ka Erdy" Manalo immediately upon her arrival from a successful visit to Libya.

In a statement following her 8:55 p.m. arrival Wednesday at the Centennial Terminal 2 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Pasay City, the President expressed her grief over the demise of Manalo.

The President said Ka Erdie’s demise is not only a loss to INC but to the whole Filipino nation.

As a “huwarang” (model) Filipino, Manalo gave the President advice that inspired and guided her.

For this, the President said, she and her family are grateful.

The President spent around 30 minutes conversing with Ka Erdie’s son and successor, Eduardo Manalo, at the INC Central Temple on Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City.


DOJ official says killing of Dacer-Corbito witness aims to stop reopening of case vs. Sen. Lacson

Department of Justice (DOJ) Undersecretary and concurrent Task Force 211 Chairman Ricardo Blancaflor on Thursday said that the killing of a vital witness in the Dacer-Corbito double murder case is aimed at stopping the reopening of the controversial case against Senator Panfilo "Ping" Lacson.

Lacson was being implicated by former police Sr. Supt. Cesar Mancao II as the alleged "mastermind" in the controversial case.

Mancao is also a former officer of the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force (PAOCTF) headed by then Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now Senator Lacson, during which time, Dacer and Corbito were executed.

"The killing of Jimmy Lopez is a strong indication that the 'enemy' is going to do everything to put a stop to the reopening of the case," Blancaflor was quoted as saying in an interview over radio station DWIZ Thursday morning.

Blancaflor was referring to the abduction - slay of noted publicist Salvador "Bubby" Dacer and his driver Emmanuel Corbito some nine years ago.

The charred remains of the victims were found in a ravine in Indang town, Cavite province in November 2000.

"Walang pananagutan ang DOJ at NBI (National Bureau of Investigation) dahil si Lopez mismo ang humiling na wag siyang bigyan ng security (The DOJ and the NBI have no responsibility because Lopez himself asked that he should not be provided with security)," Blancaflor further said.

Lopez was killed by unidentified armed suspects in his rented house in Cavite province in the wee hours of Wednesday (Sept. 2).

He was supposed to appear on Thursday before the DOJ panel of prosecutors to affirm his testimony in connection with the Dacer-Corbito double murder case.


DOH #1 in fighting graft & corruption for Jan-Jun ’09 – PAGC

The Presidential Anti-Graft Commission (PAGC) recognized this August the Department of Health (DOH) anew for its efforts in fighting graft and corruption.

“We are very proud to be ranked by the PAGC as Number One among 109 government agencies in terms of compliance with the requirements of the Integrity Development Action Plan (IDAP) for the first half of the year. We work hard to keep our records clean and graft-free so, we are very grateful that our efforts in curbing this problem are being appreciated again by PAGC just like the previous years,” Health Secretary Francisco T. Duque III said.

Duque said that to be recognized by PAGC, a government agency has to pass its 20 or more criteria (decisive factors) and went on to note that the health department has always been consistently supportive of the national government’s endeavors in fighting graft and corruption in all levels of its operations.

“We are not actually just being compliant with all the directives of governing bodies like the PAGC and the Office of the Ombudsman (OMB), we also implemented and institutionalized several preventive and preventive initiatives on graft and corruption,” Duque said.

Duque said that in the spirit of transparency, the DOH created and institutionalized its own Integrity Development Committee which formulated and implemented its IDAP based on the PAGC and OMB templates. He added that the DOH has also adopted a Code of Conduct using the existing laws and regulations in fighting graft and corruption in the government service as reference.

“We also have formulated, implemented and institutionalized a Moral Renewal Action Plan (MRAP) that aims to promote spiritual, moral and ethical standards among DOH employees and boost their integrity stocks,” Duque explained, adding that the DOH also even signed a pledge of commitment with the United Nation Convention Against Corruption.

The health chief said that because of the health department’s diligence in fighting these problems, the PAGC, OMB and other survey bodies have consistently ranked the DOH as either No. 1 or 2 among other national agencies when it comes to addressing graft and corruption.

“We are committed to make these problems go away for good and with the dedicated and steadfast health workforce that we have, it will just be a matter of time,” Duque assured.