LPG retailers hike prices by P2/kg
Hearings on discount for senior citizens' electric bills to start
53 die of dengue in Northern Mindanao
Unpaid rentals may displace T. Padilla fire victims
About 78 of the more than 700 families who were left homeless during the T. Padilla fire will not be allowed to rebuild their houses because of their alleged failure to pay the rentals of the lot.
MGB 7 notes abnormal level of rain in Naga
AN initial report of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) 7 showed there was an abnormally high amount of rain that fell in a short span of time in the City of Naga Sunday afternoon.
Capitol to provide assistance to Naga flood victims
Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said the provincial government will give assistance to the three young siblings and their grandmother who were swept by a flashflood in the mountain Barangay of Cogon in Naga town Sunday afternoon.
PRO-7 revives Task Force Motorsiklo
The Police Regional Office 7 will be reactivating the Task Force Motorsiklo to address the resumption of crimes perpetrated by motorcycle-riding suspects in the region.
'Flying voters' provoke case
ELECTION fever is back. A group of Barangay Buot-Taup residents yesterday asked the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) to order the exclusion of 82 people from the barangay elections, virtually calling them flying voters.
Hostage probe body may summon Aquino, Robredo
Robredo washes hands off hostage fiasco
Gov't probes unanswered calls by HK execs during hostage crisis
Hong Kong cops finish forensics check on 'hostage' bus
Senators agree to suspend hostage drama probe
Mayor Lim laments finger-pointing
More local funding for police operations OKd--Robredo
Palace urges media restraint after hostage chaos
Ricky Carandang, a spokesman for President Benigno Aquino, said he would hold talks this week with executives of Manila television and radio networks about their coverage of the siege.
"We're not trying to impose restrictions on them. We want to try to reach a common ground, how we're all going to behave if this thing happens again," said Carandang, head of Aquino's Communications Operations Office.
"We've called a number of broadcast stations because they were the most active in real time during the hostage crisis," he told a news conference.
The ordeal on August 23 began when sacked policeman Rolando Mendoza hijacked a busload of Hong Kong tourists in Manila in a bid to clear himself of extortion charges and get his job back.
The government has admitted to making many errors in handling the crisis, which chilled diplomatic ties with Hong Kong and damaged the Philippines' tourism industry.
Security experts roundly criticized the live broadcasts that had allowed Mendoza to monitor movements of the police around him by watching a television monitor inside.
One radio network also broadcast a lengthy live interview with Mendoza shortly before the assault, which critics said meant police negotiators could not talk to him before he decided to kill his hostages.
Carandang said Aquino did not support a proposed law that would bar the media from making live broadcasts of hostage-taking situations in the future.
Senate: GOCCs liable in paying fat bonuses to execs
At the third hearing on Tuesday of the Senate's probe on the fat salaries and bonuses of employees and board members of GOCCs, it was the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System's (MWSS) and the Local Water Utilities Administration's (LWUA) turn to be grilled.
Finance Committee Chair Frank Drilon said revelations at the hearing showed a classic case of conflict of interest.
What is striking, he said, is that board members decided among themselves the amount of their compensation package.
Moreover, their excessive salaries, allowances and bonuses are in clear violation of Memorandum Order 20 of former President Gloria Arroyo that states that wages of GOCC executives should not be more than twice higher than those of Cabinet secretaries.
MWSS officer-in-charge Macra Cruz said that the agency's board directors received at least 25 kinds of bonuses totaling P5.4 million in 2009 and P3.5 million in 2008.
These include mid-year bonus, year-end performance, clothing allowance, GOCC incentive, privatization bonus, efficiency bonus, scholarship, educational and Christmas package, among others.
MWSS board members also received P14,000 per diem per board meeting, a discretionary fund of P50,000, and other extraordinary miscellaneous allowances.
"All these while the MWSS was operating at a loss of P3.5 billion in 2008," said Drilon.
Senator Ralph Recto said the MWSS has only remitted P483 million out of the P741 million dividends from 1998 to 2009, and owes the state at least P258.6 million in remittances.
He said the fact remains that outstanding liabilities (such as claims of retirees) were smaller compared to the bonuses that board members had been receiving.
LWUA, on the other hand, has P263 million in unremitted dividends due to the government in 2008, while receiving a government subsidy of P1.9 billion.
Drilon said the chairman of LWUA received last year P2.5 million in miscellaneous expenses which was simply liquidated by issuing a certification that such amount was disbursed and accounted for.
LWUA Acting Administrator Daniel Landingin said that the agency's chairman in 2009 got a total compensation of P3.3 million. These included additional benefits, representation allowances, birthday cash gift, incentive bonus, hospitalization and other medical benefits.
The LWUA also last year acquired First Express Bank for P80 million with no approval from the Office of the President and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.
"It is not within LWUA's charter to buy a bank," said Drilon.
Landingin said the LWUA board also asked Malacañang to exempt the agency from remitting half of the P368.4 million in earnings to the government in 2008.
GOCCs are required to remit to the national government 50% of their annual net incomes.
"The law is clear that there can be no exemptions granted," said Drilon.
Abolition of 36 'non-performing' GOCCs, GFIs sought
They said the government extended P7.28 billion in subsidies to state-owned firms from January to May of 2010, or P2.25 billion more than the P5.03 billion recorded in the same period last year, based on data from the Department of Finance (DOF).
"These subsidies are booked as expenses and put a strain on the government's widening budget deficit. Consistent with [President Benigno Aquino III's] austerity measures, it is high time that the government removes the excess fats and spends only for things that are truly vital to the country," they said.
Among the GOCCs and GFIs they want to abolish are the Banaue Hotel and Youth Hostel; Batangas Land Company Inc; BCDA Management and Holdings Inc; Cottage Industry Technology Center; DBP Data Center Inc; DBP Management Corporation; DBP Maritime Leasing Corporation; Freeport Service Corporation; GY Real Estate Inc; Human Settlements Development Corporation; Industrial Guarantee and Loan Fund.
Also, Kamayan Realty Corporation; LBP Insurance Brokerage Inc; LBP Leasing Corporation; Luzon Integrated Services Inc; Manila Gas Corporation; Marawi Resort Hotel Inc; Masaganang Sakahan Inc; National Agribusiness Corporation;; National Precision Cutting Tools Inc; National Slipways Corporation; National Stevedoring and Lighterage Corporation; National Trucking and Forwarding Corporation; Natural Resources Development Corporation; NDC Infrastructure Corporation.
The lawmakers also seek the abolition of Northern Foods Corporation; Partido Development Administration; Philippine Aerospace Development Corporation; Philippine Center for Economic Development; Philippine Convention and Visitors Corporation; Philippine Institute for Development Studies; Philippine Institute of Traditional and Alternative Health Care; Pinagkaisa Realty Corporation; Tacoma Bay Shipping Company; Trade and Investment Development Corporation of the Philippines and ZNAC Rubber Estate Corporation.
They, however, did not provide explanation why these corporations are considered non-performing.
Under the bill, officers and employees of the abolished GOCCs and GFIs will be given two and half months salary for each year of service as separation pay, while the functions and duties of the affected corporations will be transferred to the different departments of the government exercising the same or similar functions.
The DOF, Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the Commission on Audit shall issue the necessary rules and regulations for the implementation of the law and the necessary funding for the payment of the separation pay shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.
Water execs willing to cut 13 bonuses
Aquino gov't gives zero budget to anti-smuggling, anti-graft bodies
Palace tells gov't agencies: Be content with budget allocations
Drilon asks SSS trustees to refund money from private firms
LWUA must pay govt P263M in unremitted dividends
Former VP urged to speak up on bogus housing loans
At the time he was Vice President, De Castro also served as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), the highest policy-making body for housing that coordinates the activities of the government housing agencies to ensure the implementation of the National Shelter Program.
Barzaga and Mandaluyong Representative Neptali Gonzales II filed separate House Resolutions for an investigation on the reported large-scale fraudulent use of the Home Development Mutual Funds (Pag-Ibig funds) to finance bogus housing loans and questionable housing development projects.
The resolutions stemmed from a two-part Inquirer special report entitled: "Pilot Housing Project: Firm breaks Pag-ibig rules on loans" and "Pilot Housing Project: Bogus borrowers bought houses," which contained allegations that at least P6.6 billion in housing loan proceeds were taken out by Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corporation for buyers of its units in housing projects in Pampanga, who turned out to be fake Pag-Ibig members.
The report also said that Globe Asiatique took out billions of loan proceeds even as housing units to be financed were not yet completed or unfinished, with thousands of completed units below standard, unoccupied or closed.
Globe Asiatique is the accredited developer of the pilot program for Other Working Groups (OWG) or workers who are not formally employed but earn through small businesses.
The said developer was also in-charge of loan evaluation program for OWG, Barzaga said in his resolution.
"The said borrowing scheme seems to be intended to circumvent the law and is repugnant to the purpose for which the Home Development Mutual Fund was created," Barzaga added.
Gonzales said the alleged irregularities should be looked into because "unlawful housing activities may lead to a financial crisis affecting the overall state of the national economy."
No party stand yet on impeachment, says House majority
Robredo to LGUs: Post transaction reports in public places
The circular complies with the provisions under the Local Government Code (LGC) of 1991 and Republic Act (RA) 9184.
Section 354 of the LGC requires the monthly posting of an LGU's revenues and collections, while RA 9184 requires LGUs to make public all bids, notices of awards, and other procurements.
Robredo admitted that making LGUs more transparent would be a difficult task. However, he said he just wanted to implement at a national level what he had long been practicing in his home city of Naga, where he served as mayor before becoming the DILG chief.
"We need to set standards that are difficult because that's the only way to keep the government on its toes," Robredo said.
Robredo recounted that as the Naga City mayor, he also shortened the period for approving building permits, from 15 days to only three days.
He said he hoped that the DILG's program for transparency and honesty in governance would set an example not only for other government agencies, but also for the public.
"Ang mahusay na pamahalaan ay sinusundan ng mahusay na nasasakupan. "We get the kind of officials we deserve and we elect in office. This [order] is one step to make them more accountable," the DILG chief said.
Like Robredo, Transparency and Accountability Network head Vince Lazatin, who partnered with the DILG in its program, shared Robredo's sentiments.
"We urge other agencies to follow the example of full public disclosure," said Lazatin, who were among the non-government organization representatives who showed support for the DILG program.
Those who witnessed the signing of the new DILG circular and the manifesto of support for it were leaders from the League of Province of the Philippines, League of Cities of the Philippines, League of Municipalities of the Philippines, and the League of Vice-Governors of the Philippines.
Voluntary
Robredo admitted that LGUs were not required to strictly observe the DILG circular on public disclosures, saying it was only "voluntary" for now.
"But we will have a mechanism [to check which LGUs are complying]. Magkakaroon kami ng programa para ma-define namin ang qualifications," he said.
For now, Robredo said they would first observe how the circular would affect LGU operations for about "a month or a month and a half" before possibly making it mandatory.
"If you do not participate in the full disclosure [policy], hindi ka na rin kasali sa ibang programa ng DILG. Hindi puwedeng hindi ka kabahagi sa hirap, pero kabahagi ka sa ginhawa," he said.
Ever since he assumed office at the DILG, Robredo said he has always made it a point to have department circulars posted on their website a week before the actual signing, giving the public time to send feedback on them.
"We want everything we do to be a two-way process. We don't impose anything to anyone," he said.
Public Assistance Center
Robredo promised to make public the salaries of all chiefs of police by early September as part of the DILG's transparency program. This will be done either through LGU websites or through public announcements.
Through its Public Assistance Center, a new feature on its reconstructed website, the DILG has not only started allowing the public to send comments and complaints to the agency, but has also devised a way to track the progress of the resolution of the complaints.
He said complainants would be assigned cellphone numbers from where they could follow up whether their complaints have already been resolved.
"We don't want to just receive complaints and that's it. We want to close the loop by resolving it in any way possible," Robredo said.
The DILG has also set up a text hotline where people can send in their complaints, by texting "DILG " and sending it to 2256.
Robredo said the resolution of the complaints they receive would depend on their gravity, adding that "simple" complaints could be resolved in just one day.
Aquino to go to US as scheduled, resets trips to Vietnam, Indonesia
Malaysia stays as 3rd party facilitator of GRP-MILF talks
Incoming CHR chief targets cases of 'desaparecidos'
Aquino urged to criminalize acts of enforced disappearance
AFP to hold its 1st human rights conference, to invite activists
P900M benefits for judges, justices still unpaid - SC official
In 2003, Marquez said, Congress passed Republic Act 9227 that grants special allowance to justices and judges equivalent to 100 percent of their salary to be given in a period of four years.
But in 2007, when the first EO was issued mandating the 10 percent increase in their salaries, the 100 percent special allowance of justices and judges was slashed to 90 percent because the increase was charged to the special allowance.
The special allowance went down further to 80 percent after another EO was issued in 2008 which also seeks a 10 percent increase in the salaries of judges and justices.
"Beginning 2007, mayroong EO na sinasabi na lahat ng opisyal ng gobyerno ay mayroong 10 percent increase sa salary, kinuha ito sa 10 percent special allowance ng mga mahistrado na dati nang ibinibigay sa halip na maghanap ng ibang pagkukunan ng pondo, charged against the special allowance so ang epekto noon wala talagang increase," Marquez said.
(The salary increases were charged against their special allowance so in effect, there's really no salary increase.)
Affected by this were 2,200 judges across the country, nine justices in the Court of Tax Appeals (CTA), 69 justices in the Court of Appeals (CA), 15 justices in Sandiganbayan and 15 justices in the Supreme Court (SC).
Marquez also said the increase based on the EO, unlike the special allowance, was subject to tax deductions. "Nalugi pa ang huwes (The judges were shortchanged.)
"Mas matindi noong 2009, 33 percent increase na ang kinuha sa special allowance at P10,000 naman noong 2010 na doon rin kinuha sa special allowance. Dati nang tinatanggap ito as allowance at walang tax," said Marquez.
(In 2009, 33 percent increase was sourced from the special allowance. In 2010, it was P10,000. They've been receiving these increases as allowances but before it was not subject to tax.)
Marquez said the judiciary is counting on the Congress to approve its P23 billion budget for next year to settle the unpaid benefits of the justices and judges.
Palawan town mayor nabbed for alleged rape
Superintendent Rolando Amurao, Puerto Princesa police chief identified the suspect as Nicolas Montaño, Sr., 64, a resident and town mayor of Rizal in Palawan.
Amurao said Montaño was arrested by virtue of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Gilbert Moises of Branch 18, Regional Trial Court of Cebu City.
"He did not resist arrest when he was accosted by joint elements of Puerto Princesa City police, Palawan police and Police Security Protection Group (PSPG) of Cebu while attending a conference in Legend Hotel before noon last Monday," Amurao said in a phone interview.
Montano, as quoted by Amurao, just said "haharapin ko ito, wala akong kasalanan dito".
Amurao said a certain Police Officer 3 Pajo from PSPG-Cebu arrived in Puerto Princesa City police station to coordinate the arrest, after presenting the warrant for Mayor Montaño.
After the arrest, Montaño was brought to Ospital ng Palawan for medical check-up before bringing him to Cebu City.
However, when they were already at the airport, Montaños blood pressure allegedly shot up to 170/110, prompting the arresting officers to bring him to hospital.
As of press time, Montaños condition was being monitored at the Ospital ng Palawan.
A manicurist filed the rape case against Montaño.
Reports said the alleged rape happened last July 8. The mayor allegedly went to a salon at the Danao City Public Market for a manicure and a pedicure. He was introduced to "Jane" by another salon worker identified as Dina.
The complainant said Montaño brought her to an inn in Cebu City, where the alleged rape happened.
Nursing grad commits suicide after failing board exam
81 RP seamen still held by Somali pirates
Ramon Magsaysay Foundation honors awardees
Flight cancellations from HK, China balloon
UK will not ban travel to RP
HK recruiters to come out with re-hiring program
Another OFW in HK loses job after hostage crisis - DOLE
She however added that the DOLE managed to find another job for the Filipina OFW days after she was fired.
Baldoz likewise said that she does not expect any more OFWs to lose their jobs after the bloody hostage-taking.
"Hindi ako nag-eexpect ng backlash… I don't think it [the situation] will worsen, and it will only be a few cases," she said in an interview aired over "24 Oras" on Tuesday.
She however advised OFWs in the Chinese territory to "respect" the "grief" being felt by Hong Kong residents due to the tragedy.
"Patuloy pa rin irespeto ang national grief na nararamdaman ng buong gobyerno ng Hong Kong… Doblehin pa ang maayos na serbisyo sa employers nila," she said in the same television interview.
(Let's continue to respect the national grief being felt by the entire Hong Kong government. Let's redouble the good service we provide their employers.)
Baldoz added that there have been no further reports of maltreatment and discrimination among OFWs in Hong Kong as of posting time.
On August 23, dismissed Police Senior Inspector Rolando Mendoza, hijacked a bus carrying 21 Hong Kong tourists and four Filipinos. After an 11-hour hostage drama, nine people died— the hostage-taker and eight Hong Kong tourists. (See: Hostage crisis ends in bloody carnage; 8 hostages dead)
Filipinos based in Hong Kong are reportedly feeling the backlash of growing outrage over the way the police handled the incident. The Philippine Consul General in Hong Kong confirmed last week that a domestic helper was dismissed by her employer in reaction to the hostage crisis.
Some 150,000 Filipino workers are currently based in the Chinese territory, based on government records.
Cambodia to prepare for upcoming ASEAN Tourism Forum
In a way to get well-prepared for the upcoming Cambodia 30th ASEAN Tourism Forum (ATF 2011), the Cambodian government and other key stakeholders met Tuesday in the country's capital to discuss things to be done by then.
Customs officials rapped for entry of melamine-tainted milk
Grenade fired at Thai state TV station in Bangkok
Fire bombs thrown at Russian embassy in Belarus
200 flights cancelled as typhoon hits southern Japan
Pakistan's flood victims frustrated with medical care
Iranian insults against Carla Bruni 'unacceptable': France
Pacquiao expects explosive showdown with Margarito
Margarito's trainer sees upset win over Pacquiao
'Boom Boom', Barrera to clash in rematch
Hostage crisis prompts PBA to scrap HK meeting
Amid calls for public apology: Ex-Miss Universe will not apologize
Former Miss Universe Gloria Diaz will not apologize for what has been tagged as a slur against the Cebuanos when she was interviewed on national television.
Boycott Diaz's movies: vice mayors
THE Vice Mayors' League of the Philippines (VMLP) Cebu Provincial Federation wants to declare 1969 Miss Universe Gloria Diaz persona non grata in Cebu.
