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| 13 MAY 2008 | . | |
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| 13 MAY 2008 | . | |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s
Opening Statement
during the Signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) Creating the
Judiciary, Executive and Legislative Advisory and
Consultative Council (JELAC) Reception Hall Area, Malacañang, May 13, 2008 |
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Thank you Secretary Bunye. Magandang umaga mga Kababayan: Today, we witnessed a historic moment in our Constitutional democracy -- the creation of the Judiciary, Executive, Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council or JELAC. With us now are the highest officials of our land, representing the three co-equal branches of government to affix our signatures to the agreement institutionalizing consultation, cooperation and coordination in pursuit of the rule of law and the advancement of our nation. Sa ating pagharap sa maraming hamon sa ating bayan, pagbabalikatan at pag-uunawaan ang pinakamahalaga, kaya naman inilulunsad natin ngayon ang Judiciary, Executive, Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council o JELAC. Ang kapulungan ng mga pinuno ng sangay ng pamahalaan, hukuman, panguluhan at batasan. The separation of power into three co-equal independent branches of government lies at the foundation of our Constitutional system. With the division of labor in promulgating the rule of law. Congress enacts legislation. The Executive implements it. And the Courts interpret it. Our different functions and duties serve to circumscribe our powers and enhance the liberties and interests of citizens. At the same time, separation does not mean isolation, rather, among our co-equal branches, there should be consultation and cooperation to advance shared priorities in the national interest and welfare of all Filipinos. We envision JELAC to be the venue where representatives of the three branches can identify issues pertaining to the primacy of the rule of law, and formulate and undertake solutions to strengthen due process and the institutions of justice; and implement our laws better for the betterment of every Filipino. Maraming maitutulong ang JELAC upang mas makatugon ang pamahalaan sa mga pangangailangan ng bayan. Nang palakpakan ng United Nations Human Rights Council ang ulat ni Secretary Eduardo Ermita sa Geneva noong Abril, ang tatlong sangay ng gobyerno, and the independent bodies like the Commission on Human Rights and the Office of the Ombudsman, ay binigyang puri sa ating sama-samang pagkilos upang pagtibayin at igalang ang karapatang pantao sa ating bansa. We need Judicial-Executive-Legislative cooperation in other priority thrusts. Our fiscal efforts, cheered by global investors, are built on new tax legislation, stricter tax collection, and swift justice for violators of tax laws. In bringing adequate, affordable rice to our people, we harness the procurement law and the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, and we charge price manipulators in court. Most crucial of all, our drive towards development will grind to a halt without the rule of law as its foundation. The JELAC’s mandate is centered on the rule of law. Tulong-tulong sa pag-unlad ng sambayanan at pag-iral ng batas -- ito ang layunin ng JELAC. Maraming salamat at mabuhay ang tatlong magkapantay na sangay. Maraming salamat, thank you. (applause) * * * |
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| Bello to replace Saludo as Cabinet Secretary |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has tapped Atty. Silvestre Bello III as
Cabinet secretary vice Atty. Ricardo Saludo who was earlier designated as
chairperson of the Civil Service Commission (CSC). Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye said Bello will assume his post upon the confirmation by the Commission on Appointments (CA) of Saludo as CSC chair. Bello is Presidential Adviser on New Government Centers. He was chairman of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) panel holding talks with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) from 2001 to 2004. Bello, who was undersecretary of the Department of Justice (DOJ) during the time of then President Corazon Aquino, was named justice secretary during the term of former President Joseph Estrada. He also served as Solicitor-General from 1996 to 1998. The post of Cabinet secretary, with the rank and emolument of a Cabinet member, was created on Dec. 22, 1986 to assist in maximizing the services of the Cabinet to the President. As Cabinet secretary, Bello will head the Cabinet secretariat, an integral part of the Office of the President, which assists the President in the establishment and facilitation of the agenda of Cabinet meetings. **** (lam/ava/lmr) |
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| 3 co-equal gov’t branches forge accord on closer cooperation, coordination |
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The executive, legislative and judicial branches of government forged today
a historic agreement institutionalizing consultation, cooperation and
coordination in pursuit of the rule of law and national development. The Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) creating the Judiciary, Executive and Legislative Advisory and Consultative Council (JELAC) was signed this morning in Malacanang by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Senate President Manuel Villar, House Speaker Prospero Nograles, and Supreme Court Chief Justice Reynato Puno. In her remarks, the President said that consultation and cooperation among members of the three co-equal, independent branches of government would advance shared priorities in the national interest and welfare of all Filipinos. She dubbed the JELAC MOA signing as “a historic moment in our Constitutional democracy.” “We envision JELAC to be the venue where representatives of the three branches can identify issues pertaining to the primacy of the rule of law and formulate and undertake solutions to strengthen due process and the institutions of justice, and implement our laws more effectively for the betterment of every Filipino,” she said. The President said that JELAC’s mandate is centered on the rule of law, adding that cooperation between the three branches is crucial to national development -- with Congress enacting laws, the Executive implementing it, and the Judiciary interpreting it. “We need Judicial-Executive-Legislative cooperation in our priority thrusts. Our fiscal efforts, cheered by global investors, are built on new tax legislation, stricter tax collection and swift justice for violators of tax laws. In bringing adequate, affordable rice to our people, we harness the procurement law and the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act, and we charge price manipulators in court. Most crucial of all, our drive toward development will grind to a halt without the rule of law as its foundation,” the President said. Press Secretary Ignacio R. Bunye presided over the signing ceremony. Signing as witnesses were Vice President Noli de Castro, Senate Majority Leader Francis Pangilinan, House Majority Leader Arthur Defensor Sr., and Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita. Under the agreement, JELAC is mandated to serve as the forum and venue for the representatives of the three branches of government in undertaking measures on matters affecting the primacy of the rule of law, identifying the problems and issues, formulating solutions, and implementing them. The Council will also formulate solutions to further strengthen the Judiciary such as the budgetary and infrastructure requirements; creation of new positions and filling up of vacancies; career development program; compensation and security of judicial officials; and security of tenure, among others. The nine-member JELAC is chaired by the President with the following as members -- the Vice-President, Senate President, House Speaker, Chief Justice, a Cabinet member to be designated by the President, one Senator to be designated by the Senate president, one House Representative to be designated by the Speaker, and a member of the High Tribunal to be designated by the Chief Justice. The first JELAC meeting will be convened on June 12 at the Supreme Court building on June 12, Independence Day. **** (lam/ava/lmr) |
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| PGMA orders holding of ‘uncommon’ celebration of RP’s 110th Independence Day |
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“The fitting way to honor the sacrifices of our heroes is not by words alone
but through deeds that give flesh to their vision.” Thus said President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as she ordered members of her Cabinet to “match the traditional flag-raising, wreath-laying” activities to celebrate the Filipinos’ independence from the Spanish colonial rule 110 years ago with “government programs.” With less than a month to go before the big celebration, the President and her official family discussed preparations for the June 12 event in this morning’s agenda of the National Economic and Development Authority- Cabinet Group (NEDA-CG) meeting held at the Aguinaldo State Dining Room in Malacanang. Aside from the traditional flag-raising and wreath-laying activities, and the President’s Independence Day statement, public service programs will “showcase what the current generation is doing to advance the ideals of our forefathers.” The celebration of the 110th Independence Day will not be limited to the Rizal Park, where the national hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, was executed by the Spanish rulers of his time. Similar celebrations will be held in Kawit, Cavite; Malolos, Bulacan; Monumento in Caloocan; Canodn, Ilocos Sur; Batanes; La Trinidad in Benguet, Pamapanga, Tarlac;Pugad Lawin in Novaliches, Quezon City; Calamba, Laguna; Mabini House; Batangas; Bicol; Bacolod; Iloilo; Cebu; Zamboanga City; Cagayan de Oro City; Davao City; Pikit, North Cotabato; Surigao City; and in the Muslim Autonomous Region in Mindanao (ARMM). Among the government’s programs and projects that will be showcased as part of the Independence Day celebrations are livelihood assistance projects, housing projects, healthcare programs, feeding programs for school children, food security, distribution of Conditional Cash Transfer Cards , education programs, care for the environment, energy independence thrusts, among other pro-poor services. Vice President Noli de Castro will lead the Kawit, Cavite celebrations to showcase government’s housing programs, while Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap will lead a multi-town FIELDS (fertilizer, irrigation, education and training, loans, dryers and other post-harvest facilities, seeds) caravan from Malolos, Bulacan to San Isidro in Nueva Ecija. In Pugad Lawin, anti-poverty programs will be showcased with a caravan and the distribution of conditional Cash Transfer cards. At the Mabini House in Batangas, education will be the theme of the celebration. In Calamba, Laguna, the theme will be environment with a caravan for Laguna de Bay cleanup and tree planting activities at Mt. Makiling. In the Bicol Region, the theme of the June 12 event will center on tourism. A caravan showcasing the country’s natural beauty will also be held. In Bacolod City, energy independence will take center stage, with a caravan showcasing government’s biofuel projects. Training vouchers will be distributed in Iloilo City while health programs will be showcased in Cebu City. Pro-poor services in Northern Samar and Dinagat Island, social services for Lumads in Davao City and distribution of agrarian reform community projects in ARMM will highlight the Independence Day activities. ***** faye/crg |
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| PGMA orders NDCC to send RP medical team to China |
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President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has ordered the National Disaster
Coordinating Council (NDCC) to send a Philippine medical team to China to
help the victims of the strong earthquake that has killed some 10,000 people
in central China. “Nag-utos ang ating Pangulo na magpadala ng medical team ang NDCC,” Deputy Spokesperson Anthony Golez said. He added that the lead agency in the medical mission – just like the medical team formed and readied for Myanmar -- would be the Department of Health (DOH). Golez said the DOH will meet with representatives from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) “para maayos ang pagtulong papuntang China.” “Every time we have disasters in the country, bilangin nyo lang ang oras at nandyan na ang suport na binibigay sa atin ng China,” said Golez, stressing that the immediate dispatch by the Philippines of a medical team is “one way to reciprocate their generosity and kindness to the Filipino people.” Golez, one of two deputies of Presidential Spokesperson Ignacio R. Bunye, said, “Normally, ang medical team na ipinapadala ng DOH ay between 12-15-man team, kasama doctors like pediatricians, psychiatrists, and sanitary engineers.” “As soon as the DFA gives the go signal, we will mobilize,” said Golez. The RP medical team “will leave ASAP (as soon as possible) depende sa sasabihin ng Chinese Embassy kung saan kailangan yung team natin,” added Golez. Meanwhile, the deputy spokesperson said the country’s medical team to Myanmar “has not left because wala pang travel documents.” Asked if the country has appealed to Myanmar to allow the entry of the medical team into the cyclone-ravaged Asian country, Golez said, “They just need necessary travel docus. As of yesterday (May 12, Monday), andyan pa rin ang team – I will confirm if they have left.” The medical team to China will also bring medicines, said Golez, pointing out that “it is important for medical teams going to other countries to help in calamities to be self-sufficient.” “They should not only have medicines for the victims but they should (also) provide for their own needs – they should know where they would sleep so as not to inconvenience the host government.” ***** (ava/crg) |
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| PGMA to launch 10-hectare Baseco housing project for poor families |
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A housing project for Manila’s poorest of the poor will soon rise on a
10-hectare reclaimed area in the city’s port area in Tondo. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo will lead tomorrow the groundbreaking ceremony for the project, the newest of the government’s socialized housing projects in Metro Manila that will provide affordable and decent shelter to poor families. The President will motor to Port Area in the morning for the laying of the time capsule for the Baseco Reclamation Project. To assist the President in the capsule-laying ceremony are Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) general manager Andrea Domingo and Manila Vice Mayor Isko Moreno. In May last year, the President directed the PRA to undertake the preparation of the detailed engineering design of the housing complex and bid out the project. The new reclamation project is located outside the existing 56-hectare Baseco reclamation undertaken by the city of Manila. Construction of the housing project will start this month, and is expected to be completed within six months. Last March 2007, the President, in cooperation with the Habitat for Humanity and the city of Manila, turned over 1,000 units of newly-built houses to residents of the Baseco compound who were victims of three major fires. ****** lam/lmr |
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| With Meralco passing expenses to consumers: Congress should consider amending EPIRA Law – Palace |
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With Meralco’s own admission that it had been passing on to hapless
consumers its own systems losses and electricity bills, Malacanang today
said Congress should seriously consider amending the Electric Power Industry
Reform Act (EPIRA) Law. “It is now a matter for the legislators to seriously consider amending the EPIRA law,” said Deputy Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo in reply to the Malacanang Press Corps’ query about Meralco’s passing on to consumers some P.5 billion in systems losses and electric bills. She added that “in the meantime, Meralco may have to seriously consider their position on this matter.” On the other hand, Fajardo reacting on to the call by some opposition legislators for Pampanga Rep. Mikey Arroyo to inhibit himself from the Meralco probe, said: “The matter is best addressed by Congressman Arroyo -- it is a matter between fellow members of the House of Representatives. However, we are of the opinion that Congressman Arroyo will conduct himself with utmost fairness in appreciating the issues pertaining to the power issue. “He, as the chairman of the Committee on Energy and co-chair of the JCPC has a duty to perform and we trust he will do so judiciously. Similarly, we doubt that Congressman Arroyo would ask Congresswoman Hontiveros to inhibit herself on issues pertaining to human rights violations or any other issues where their party-list organization may have interest on,” Fajardo said. Meanwhile, Presidential Legal Counsel Sergio Apostol said of the Meralco issue: “It’s basically management -- if you have a big systems loss, then in other words, you are inefficient.” “There is now a pending bill amending the EPIRA Law so we have to wait for the recommendation of both Houses of Congress and, after that, we would draft a bill. Otherwise, what's the use of conducting the joint (inquiry).” Apostol reiterated that the government is not interested in taking over Meralco: “No, taking over is a corporate matter, Malacanang will not intervene -- they still have to pass that to the Senate and the Senate would still have to work on it.” As to Meralco’s admission that it had been making consumers shoulder the high cost of its own systems losses and electric bills, Apostol stressed, “Somebody will have to file the case (against Meralco). Meralco already lost in two cases before the Supreme Court. Somebody has to file a case against Meralco – (a class suit) is allowed by law…” ***** (ava/crg) |
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