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| 07 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
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| 07 JANUARY 2008 | . | |
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| PGMA to consult Teodoro on proposed additional troops for 'unified command' |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said today she will wait for the
recommendation of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro on the proposal of the
Armed Forces of the Philippines leadership to beef up the AFP strength by
six battalions to bolster the government’s anti-insurgency campaign. Presiding over the first AFP Command Conference of 2008 at Camp Aguinaldo’s Tejeros Hall this morning, the President listened intently to the presentations of the military brass led by AFP Chief of Staff Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on the insurgency situation and other threats to national security. Esperon reported to the President that the AFP needs six more battalions and P3.5 billion to implement its “unified command” program. In addition to the six battalions, the AFP hopes to constitute 20 more Cafgu (Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit) companies to help the military fight insurgency in the countryside. The AFP said “unified commands” are “units that incorporate or consolidate army, navy, and air force efforts in a given area. They are operational units as differentiated from major services which are force providers.” It added that under the unified command structure, headquarters “Army/Navy/PAF produce the troops, train the troops, equip the troops, while the unified commands use and deploy the troops.” The President said she would authorize the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) to release P1 billion, even as she directed the AFP to investigate reports on so-called ghost Cafgus. Esperon said that despite the enlistment of 70 Cafgu companies, the AFP still managed to save on personnel expenses last year. The President pointed out that the government is operating on a reenacted budget as the bicameral conference committee of Congress has yet to iron out certain provisions of the 2008 national appropriations measure. She said that she will discuss with Teodoro the full range of the AFP’s requirements for the “unified command” before DBM can release the allocation needed to make the conception operational. |
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| PGMA reiterates directive to AFP on respect for human rights |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reiterated today her directive to members
of the armed forces to adhere strictly to the universal principle of the
inviolability of human rights. “All men and women are equal before the law, whether a former president or military man. We have to adhere to the principle that the death of any Filipino just because he expressed his politics is a violation of human rights,” she said during the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) command conference held this morning at the Tejeros Hall of Camp Aguinaldo. The President advised the AFP to continue its “productive relations” with the Philippine National Police (PNP), which was represented in the command conference by PNP Director General Avelino Razon. She also thanked the AFP for its “steadfastness and commitment” in protecting the nation against insurgents and terrorists, and for keeping the country “stable.” This morning’s AFP command conference, the first this year, lasted for two-and-a-half hours. In attendance were 175 top AFP officials, the biggest-ever assemblage of major service commanders, area commanders, unified commanders, and joint and special staff. During the conference, three accomplishment reports of the AFP for 2007 were presented to the President along with relevant recommendations for 2008. An Intelligence Update and Estimate was presented by RADM Leonardo Calderon Jr., deputy chief of staff for intelligence; the AFP’s Internal Security Operations (ISO) Plan Bantay Laya “Way Ahead,” by Maj. Gen. Jogy Fojas, deputy chief of staff for operations, while Updates on the AFP’s Capability Upgrade Program was presented by Maj. Gen. Gilbert Llanto, deputy chief of staff for plans. The President congratulated the AFP for its “very good” immersion in the barangays. She said the AFP should coordinate with the Department of Interior and Local Governments (DILG) on the activities of 900 barangay officials who have been tagged as communist sympathizers. The President also ordered Col. Carlos Clet, head of the Office of the President Special Operations Group (OPSOG), to give due “reward” to areas which have successfully wiped out insurgency. She directed Clet, who is also her senior military assistant and aide de camp, that the reward should be used to further strengthen the community’s efforts to wipe out insurgency. |
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| PGMA cited for success of Sinag solar-powered car |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s efforts of pushing for the development
of solar power were cited today as behind the success of the Sinag
solar-powered car, the Philippines’ first entry to the World Solar Challenge
held in October last year in Australia. Former Energy Secretary Vince Perez and now the chairman of the Philippine Solar Car Challenge Society Inc., who accompanied the Sinag Team during a courtesy call on the President this afternoon at Malacanang’s Music Room, cited the Chief Executive’s support for efforts to wean away the country from imported oil through the development of indigenous and renewable sources of energy. “This whole thing won’t be possible without your full support,” Perez told the President as he presented her a miniature replica of the winning solar car developed by the De La Salle University College of Engineering. The President, who was overwhelmed by the success of the Sinag team, congratulated them and expressed hope the team would compete again in 2009 with another new solar-powered car. “Since this challenge happens every two years, we look forward to seeing
you off again with a new car,” the President said. The President also specifically cited the support extended by Sun Power, a US-based solar cell manufacturer which has invested a total of $600 million at the Laguna Techno Park. The solar panel used by the Sinag solar–powered car was manufactured by Sun Power. The body of the car was made of carbon fibers. During the presentation of the real solar-powered car at the Malacanang grounds, the President presented the team a miniature replica cake of the solar-powered car while the team handed the President the official jacket of the Sinag Team. The design and construction of the car was undertaken by a group of
faculty and students from the Mechanical Engineering Department and the
Electronic and Communications Engineering Department of De La Salle
University-Manila, with the help and partnership of Ford Group Philippines,
San Miguel Corp., Motolite, Shell, Sunpower, Philippine Airlines, and Ventus. The Philippine team finished 20th out of the total 38 participants in the WSC, an international competition for developers of solar-powered vehicles. The team’s solar car entry called “Sinag” (Filipino for “sunlight”) was able to finish the 3,021-kilometer race from Darwin to Adelaide at 4 p.m. on Oct. 27 (Australian time). It was the Nuon Solar Team from the Netherlands, with their car the Nuna4, that took the overall win in the competition, finishing the race on Oct. 25. Like Team Sinag, the Nuon Solar Team is also in the same Challenge category, which is for first-time participants in the race. Despite being its first time to join, the Philippine team’s car did not stall throughout the journey across Australia. A few of the entries were put in trailers after experiencing technical difficulties. In a statement, Fernandez described their performance as remarkable as this was their first time to join and they did not know what to expect. “It’s positive proof of not only the car’s solid design and construction, but also of our own capability to successfully deploy solar power technology in the Philippines.” |
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| Cabinet to discuss tomorrow proposed tariff cut on imported oil |
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The Cabinet will discuss tomorrow morning the proposal to reduce the tariff
on imported oil to soften the impact on Filipino consumers of the
record-breaking oil price rise in the global market. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo had directed the Departments of Finance (DOF) and Energy (DOE) to submit their comments on the proposal in tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting in Malacanang. Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes said that if at all the oil tariff is reduced, the percentage of the cut would depend on the final price of crude oil in the world market tomorrow. “We will see the final prices (of oil) tomorrow,” he said. He said, however, that assuming a tariff cut of one percent for all oil products, “this would translate to 23 to 24 centavos decrease in oil products prices per liter.” If the planned tariff reduction would apply only to diesel, then this would translate to “70 centavos per liter decrease in the pump price of diesel,” he added. Reyes pointed out that diesel is widely used by the country’s transport system. Reducing tariff on imported oil was one of the recommendations put forward by the DOF and DOE to cushion the impact on basic consumer products of the new oil price surge in the world market. The Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has said that the price of oil, which hit the $100-per-barrel mark last week, would continue until March. The price of crude Wednesday last week reached $100 per barrel due to the rising tension in Pakistan and the escalating violence in Nigeria, Africa’s largest oil producer. OPEC has refused to increase its 27.2 million barrels per day production despite the increasing demand for oil by Asia’s rising economies such as China and India. |
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| PGMA appoints acting MSU president |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has appointed Dr. Macapado Muslim as
acting president of the Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City. A professor of politics and public management, Muslim, 52, is a former chancellor of the MSU at General Santos City. His appointment to the MSU presidency, vice Ricardo de Leon, was signed Jan. 4, 2008. An MSU graduate, Dr. Muslim obtained his masters in public administration from the College of Public Administration of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman, Quezon City in 1980. The Maranao professor also has a master of arts degree in political science from the University of Hawaii where he also obtained his doctorate in political science. |
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