NEWS UPDATE
November 21, 2012 (Friday)
ASEAN Tensions Rise
Obama Meets Chinese Leader in Cambodia Summit Amid Territorial Disputes
The Manila Bulletin, page 1
PHNOM PENH (Wires) — President Barack Obama met Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao Tuesday, in the highest-level exchange between the two sides since the US election and an engineered power transfer in China.
Wen and Obama met at the East Asia Summit in Cambodia, as tensions rise over maritime territorial disputes in the region which are nagging the always friction-prone relations between Washington and Beijing.
Both men stuck to familiar talking points in a short photo-op, and ignored questions shouted by reporters about South China Sea showdowns which have center stage at the summit.
Obama said that, as the world’s two largest economies, China and the United States had a “special responsibility” to work together to ensure sustained and balanced growth and to establish “clear rules of the road” on trade.
His comments were a veiled reference to the trade and currency disputes, and issues such as intellectual property piracy and commercial duties over which his, and previous, US administrations have haggled with the Chinese.
Wen congratulated Obama on his re-election this month and sent the regards of the man he referred to as China’s “newly-elected” leader, Xi Jinping.
Xi was installed as the head of the ruling Communist Party after a tightly scripted party congress which culminated this month in Beijing, and he is expected to succeed Hu Jintao as national president next March.
Wen told Obama the two sides could work together on business, economic and finance issues -- where they are intertwined -- to tackle “the difficulties we have and resolve the differences and disagreements between us.”
Washington has become increasingly frustrated with Beijing over its refusal to back stronger measures against the Syrian regime, while trade disputes fester between the two nations.
Obama took a tough line on some aspects of Chinese trade and economic policy during his re- election campaign, covering his political flank as Republican candidate Mitt Romney flailed away at Beijing.
The United States has called on China to manage territorial disputes in the South China Sea with a regional code of conduct that would ease tensions, but Beijing wants to discuss disputes only with individual claimant nations.
Meanwhile, Ben Rhodes, a senior aide to Obama said Tuesday the US President was set to defy Beijing’s protests and use the East Asia Summit to raise concerns over South China Sea rows that have sent diplomatic and trade shockwaves across the region.
Obama planned to pressure China on the highly sensitive issue of a code of conduct that would govern behavior in the contested waters, ‘’We... want to see continued momentum on the diplomatic process. ASEAN needs to talk to China about a code of conduct,’’ Rhodes said.
Obama was set to hold talks on Tuesday afternoon with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and the leaders of ASEAN nations and other countries in the region, on the final day of the annual East Asia Summit.
He had earlier in the day held one-on-one talks with Wen.
Repeating a long-held Chinese position, Wen insisted on Monday that the maritime disputes should not be ‘’internationalized’’ and discussed at multilateral events such as the summit.
China, which claims sovereignty over virtually all the South China Sea, prefers to negotiate directly with its neighbors from the ASEAN.
ASEAN members Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia and Brunei, as well as Taiwan, also have claims to parts of the sea, which is home to some of the world’s most important shipping lanes and believed to be rich in fossil fuels.
The rival claims have for decades made the sea a powder keg issue in the region. Chinese and Vietnamese forces engaged in clashes in 1974 and 1988 in which dozens of troops died.
After a long period of relative calm, tensions have risen over the past two years with the Philippines and Vietnam expressing concerns that China is becoming increasingly aggressive in staking its claim.
Some bruising diplomatic confrontations this year have overshadowed regional meetings where the participants typically prefer to focus on improving economic ties.
At the East Asia Summit, the first day was dominated by infighting over the issue among the ASEAN bloc.
Meanwhile, ASEAN Secretary General Dr. Surin Pitsuwan told a press briefing after the US-ASEAN leaders meeting that Obama had pledged US support for the centrality of the 10-member regional bloc.
“ASEAN leaders welcomed the statement on supporting ASEAN centrality in the evolution of cooperation in the region. The US also pledged to engage economically and work on security and stability in the region.”
Assuring of a long engagement, Obama had remarked on the rapid increase in relations between the two sides and insisted that continued meetings would result in more extensive engagement.
“All leaders were enthusiastic of more extensive relations and continuous summits that would lay down irreversible momentum for US and ASEAN relations,” he said.
Obama had also commended ASEAN for adopting Human Rights Declaration and commitment to address related challenges in the region.
Meanwhile in Washington, Obama and the ASEAN leaders launched an initiative aimed at expanding trade and investment ties between the United States and the ASEAN, the White House said on Monday.
Actions outlined in the initiative -- the US-ASEAN Expanded Economic Engagement -- are aimed at smoothing a path for Asian nations to link up with the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a trade agreement the United States is negotiating with 10 countries in Asia and the Western Hemisphere, the White
House said.
The joint action could also help Washington solidify its presence in a complex mosaic of regional trade and economic alliances in an economically vibrant region attractive to many US businesses.
By seeking to open the door to the US-led Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), the United States is keeping pace with another regional grouping -- the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) -- that is forming among Southeast Asian nations and other countries in the region, including China and India.
Generally, that arrangement is expected to be less ambitious than the US-led partnership and there is some concern that if Washington’s demands are too stringent, countries may lose interest in the TPP in favor of the RCEP.
Four members of ASEAN are part of the Trans-Pacific Partnership -- Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam.
For its part, the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and the ten ASEAN members - but not the United States.
“ASEAN is the United States’ fourth largest export market and fifth largest trade partner,” the White House said in a statement. “ASEAN’s continued rapid economic development creates opportunities for US exports.”
The United States also wants to broaden the reach of the Trans-Pacific Partnership to include ASEAN countries that are not part of the 21-economy Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum. These are Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar.
Under the Expanded Economic Engagement initiative, participating countries will negotiate simplified customs procedures, and common investor protection and business conduct principles, the White House said.
ASEAN members are Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Aquino Always Ready To Assert PH Rights
By GENALYN D. KABILING The Manila Bulletin, page 1
MANILA, Philippines --- President Benigno S. Aquino III is prepared to once again assert the country’s territorial rights in future regional summits similar to the bold intervention he made during an assembly in Cambodia, according to a Palace official.
Deputy presidential spokeswoman Abigail Valte said yesterday the President was able to speak up and push for the country’s interest during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ retreat session in Phnom Penh and will not hesitate to do the same in future meetings.
“The President will always make his interventions in line with what he believes to be the points that we need to be pushing for national interests,” Valte said in a Palace press briefing when asked if the President will push the same agenda in future summit of regional leaders.
Valte, however, denied that the President broke the unity of the ASEAN when he disputed Cambodia’s assertion that the group had agreed to avoid tackling the territorial row in the West Philippine Sea at the international forum.
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen earlier claimed that ASEAN had reached a consensus to limit
discussions on the South China Sea to meetings between the bloc and China. It was at this time that Aquino intervened and highlighted international laws, including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, as alternative means available to claimant countries.
“From what I understand, the President raised his hand solely to reiterate the national position on these issues and also to clarify there was no consensus when it came to the statement that member- countries reached a consensus on not internationalizing issues in the West Philippine Sea,” Valte said.
“In ASEAN, all the members have to agree to reach a consensus. It’s not a simple majority vote. The President did reiterate that particular point,” she added.
The Prime Minister of Cambodia then recognized President Aquino’s intervention which would be reflected in the records of the meeting.
Asked if the President achieved what he intended to do in the ASEAN summit, Valte said: “The President has been able to speak out, the President has been able to manifest our interventions in the different sessions, in the retreats. As far as we are concerned, these are all consistent with pushing our national interest.”
She maintained that the President continues to push for ASEAN centrality in his meetings with fellow Southeast Asian leaders.
In Phnom Penh, despite attending high-level meetings here with a persistent cold, President Aquino said it was all worth it given the progress that ASEAN has made for the desired implementation of a Code of Conduct (CoC) in the South China Sea.
Aquino made the statement during a sit-down briefing Monday night with the Philippine media delegation to the 21st ASEAN Summit. The briefing took place at Sofitel Phnom Penh where the President is billeted.
“It’s like we’re nearing the point when it (CoC) will be released,” said Aquino, who dealt with a runny nose during the entire length of the briefing. He revealed that he had just recovered from a slight fever.
“Hopefully, (the CoC is) binding on everybody with rules that will tell everybody what is expected of them; what they can do; what they cannot do that promotes stability that is for everybody’s interest.”
Aquino likewise underscored the importance of the United States in the dialogue pertaining to the issue of the South China Sea even as the superpower reiterated that it would not take sides over the competing territorial claims in the region.
“America reiterated…that they won’t take sides with regards to the disputes but they do have an interest in freedom of navigation, freedom of communication, stability in the region,” the President told the Filipino journalists.
Aquino stressed that the US also has a right to say their piece and to be active in advancing their interest.
“It is especially vital to have the world’s largest national economy involved in the discussions considering the interconnectedness of our current milieu. Each one of our nations has a stake in the stability of Southeast Asia,” he said.
On the issue of disputes in South China Sea, Aquino said that it remains a multilateral problem that
cannot be solved by bilateral means.
“We’ve been saying for a while that it’s multilateral problem. A bilateral solution won’t do. The more parties who agree to the solution, a more stable environment (can be attained).”
The harmony within ASEAN, being a very diverse region, could easily be disrupted by political, military, or economic might, the President said, adding that imbalance may lead to instability. (With a report from Ellson Quismorio)
Malaysia Offers Help To Catch Scammers
By ELLSON A. QUISMORIO The Manila Bulletin, page 1
PHNOM PENH, Cambodia—Malaysian authorities will cooperate with Philippine authorities to capture the members of a syndicate behind the Aman Futures “ponzi” scam that victimized thousands of people, including local government units (LGUs) in the Visayas and Mindanao, President Benigno S. Aquino III disclosed.
“There is already a commitment if I’m not mistaken, the Ambassador of Malaysia to the Philippines, that they will assist us. We don’t have issues with Malaysia as far as helping us catching the
criminals,” Aquino said during an interview with Manila-based reporters at Sofitel Hotel here on Monday night.
With regards to reports that many LGUs were victimized by the scam, the President said he’s awaiting the result of the investigation of the Justice Department.
Aquino said the government issued sufficient warning to the public prior to the discovery of the scam. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) issued a warning in its website in July and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) did the same in August.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said the Malaysian police are now looking for Manuel Amalilio, the alleged brains behind the get-rich-quick investment scheme who has been reported to be hiding in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
According to Aquino, the DOJ has had a tough time in its investigation given the absence of complainants and evidence.
“As late as the first week of October, they could not get any (complainants). That’s what stifled the case. There’s no complainant, (so) there’s no one who can point to a paper trail, give a testimony.”
Asked how the government could protect the public from such scams, the President said his administration will continue to educate and warn the people about the risk of investing on something that offers huge and immediate returns.
“We will not stop educating (the public),” Aquino said.
“If someone offers you 30 percent (return of investment) per week, shouldn’t it get you thinking:
What kind of business does this person have that allows him to pay you out and at the same time earn from the transaction?”
The President went on to share an adage that he learned from his parents: “If it’s too good to be true, it probably is.”
The Philippine Embassy in Malaysia said it will work with Malaysian authorities to bring Amalilio back to the Philippines through international cooperation mechanisms.
The multi-billion peso scam duped some 15,000 investors of around P12 billion, reaching victims as far as Kidapawan City in Cotabato, and in Cagayan de Oro City.
SC Restores Credentials Of 6 More Disqualified Parties
By REY G. PANALIGAN The Manila Bulletin, page 1
MANILA, Philippines --- The Supreme Court (SC) issued on Tuesday a status quo ante order (SQAO) on the petitions of six more party-list groups that had been disqualified by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the 2013 elections.
With the SQAO, the accreditation of the six groups was restored temporarily by the SC until the final resolution of their cases on the merits.
A copy of the resolution that contains the SQAO issued after yesterday’s full court session was not immediately available.
The new beneficiaries of the order are the Bantay, Alliance for Nationalism and Democracy (ANAD), Philippine Guardian Brotherhood Inc. (1BRO-PGBI), 1Guardians Nationalist Phil. Inc,
(GANAP/GUARDIANS), Agapay ng Indigenous People Rights alliance (A-IPRA), Kaagapay ng Nagkakaisang Aguilang Pilipinong Magsasaka (KAP).
The Comelec was ordered to comment on their petitions within a non-extendible period of 10 days from receipt of the notice of SQAO. Their cases are consolidated with the first eight cases with the Ako Bicol Political Party (AKB) as the lead case.
Aside from AKB, the beneficiaries of the first SQAO issued on Nov. 13 are the Association of
Philippine Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (APEC), Aksyon Magsasaka-Partido Tinig ng Masa (AKMA-PTM), Kapatiran ng mga Nakulong na Walang Sala, Inc. (KAKUSA), 1st Consumers Alliance for Rural Energy, Inc. (1-CARE), Alliance for Rural and Agrarian Reconstruction, Inc. (ARARO), Association for
Righteousness Advocacy on Leadership (ARAL), and the Alliance for Rural Concerns (ARC).
AKB, APEC, 1-CARE, KAKUSA, ANAD, and Bantay have sitting members in the House of Representatives.
The Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM) also filed its petition with the SC but its case is different from the petitions of the 14 party-list groups.
ALAM wanted the SC to compel the Comelec to accredit it as a party-list and allow its participation in next year’s election.
Led by lawyer-journalist Berteni Catalina Causing, ALAM questioned the poll’s body’s right to deny its accreditation for lack of track record.
“In politics, track record is often used to determine the likelihood of how a candidate would perform in office when elected. But it does not mean that a new politician who runs for the first time will not do excellently when voted for,” it said.
Last September, the Comelec turned down the plea of ALAM to be accredited as a party-list group with a ruling that it failed to prove that it represents marginalized sector as prescribed under Republic Act No. 7941 or the Party-list System Act.
Aside from Causing, ALAM has for its nominees Jerry S. Yap, Benny D. Antiporda, Analiza P. Dela Camara-Paz, and Joey G. Venancio.
Meanwhile, after much debate, the Comelec has finally decided to allow Akbayan and Bayan Muna
to run in next year’s polls.
Comelec Chairman Sixto Brillantes said the en banc granted accreditation to the two in a vote of 4-2.
He said although he dissented, those who voted in favor cited the track record of the two groups as one of the reasons.
“They were saying that they have a track record unlike Ako Bicol which was new in 2010. These are old political parties existing way back in 1998 which is similar with Bayan Muna,” said Brillantes in an interview.
Commissioner Rene Sarmiento, one of those who favored, also explained his position.
‘They have the track record. They deserve it,” he said.
To recall, the poll body earlier disqualified Ako Bicol from participating in the May 2013 polls for not being marginalized and for being a multi-sectoral party. (With a report from Leslie Aquino)
Tagle Off To Rome For Cardinal Rites
By LESLIE ANN G. AQUINO The Manila Bulletin, page 1
MANILA, Philippines --- Cardinal-designate Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle left the country yesterday to attend the Consistory in Rome on Nov. 24.
It is during the Consistory when Tagle will be formally elevated to the College of Cardinals.
Archbishop Tagle was named Cardinal by Pope Benedict XVI last Oct. 24 together with five others including two other Asians.
During his announcement naming the new cardinals and calling for the Consistory, an
unprecedented second in a single year, the Pope said “the Cardinals have the task of helping the Successor of Peter in the performance of his ministry of confirming the brethren in the faith, and that of being the principle and foundation of unity and communion of the Church.” He also asked for prayers “for the newly elected.”
The new cardinals come from three continents: America, Africa and Asia, and they are:
Archbishop James Michael Harvey, Prefect of the Pontifical Household, who will be appointed Archpriest of the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, His Beatitude Bechara Boutros Raï, Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites (Lebanon), His Beatitude Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, Major Archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro- Malankara (India), Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan, Archbishop of Abuja (Nigeria), Archbishop Ruben Salazar Gomez, Archbishop of Bogota (Colombia), Archbishop Luis Antonio Tagle, Archbishop of Manila (Philippines).
Cardinal Tagle is the seventh Filipino cardinal following Rufino Cardinal Santos, Julio Cardinal Rosales, Jaime L. Cardinal Sin, Ricardo Cardinal Vidal, Jose Cardinal Sanchez and Gaudencio B.
Cardinal Rosales.
After Nov. 24, the College of Cardinals will be composed of 211 cardinals of which 120 are eligible to vote in conclave since they will be under the required 80 years of age.
The Archdiocese of Manila said the Cardinal-designate was joined in the flight to Rome by Archbishop Emeritus of Manila Gaudencio B. Cardinal Rosales, some priests of Manila and his parents and other close relatives.
A number of Filipinos from the Philippines and abroad are also travelling to Rome to witness the Consistory.
Cardinal-designate Tagle, 55, was installed Archbishop of Manila on December 12, 2011. Before that he was the Bishop of the Diocese of Imus, Cavite.
Meanwhile , President Benigno S. Aquino III is sending Vice President Jejomar C. Binay as his special envoy to the installation rites of Archbishop Tagle in the College of Cardinals in Rome.
The Vice President is set to leave today at 11:30 p.m. via Emirates flight EK 335 at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal I.
Binay will represent Aquino during the the public Consistory presided by Pope Benedict XVI that will elevate Tagle and five others to the rank of Cardinal on Nov. 24.
While in Rome, the Vice President will also attend the first mass officiated by Tagle as cardinal on November 25.
Binay said it will be his third time to meet Pope Benedict XVI in less than six months.
“Last June 27, on the occasion of our 40th wedding anniversary, my wife and I were privileged to receive his apostolic blessings at the Vatican. We met again during the canonization of Saint Pedro Calungsod last month. I am looking forward to meeting the Holy Father again,” Binay said.
From Rome, the Vice President will fly to Bangladesh to attend the 24th Asia Pacific Regional Scout Conference on Nov. 28 and 29.
Binay is the current chairman of the Asia Pacific Scout Committee and national president of the Boy Scouts of the Philippines.(With a report from JC Bello Ruiz)
Embassy Cautions Filipinos In Vietnam
By ROY C. MABASA
The Manila Bulletin, page 2
MANILA, Philippines --- The Philippine Embassy in Hanoi has uncovered a number of cases where Filipinos who enter Vietnam as tourists have ended up in severe working and living conditions.
In a report to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Philippine Ambassador to Vietnam Jerril Santos cited the case of a 32-year-old Filipina who traveled to Hanoi early this month to check her prospects as an English language teacher at the Blue Ocean Language School, which alleged to be associated with Lincoln School of Management.
According to Ambassador Santos, from the airport, she was driven 100 kilometers from the city, her passport confiscated and was immediately made to teach a class of about 20 students without a contract and a work permit.
The Filipina told the Embassy that she was not allowed to go anywhere. From the classroom, she said she had to return to her room and the building was locked.
Furthermore, she said she was even asked to wear "sexy clothes.” She finally escaped on November 12 and managed to seek the Embassy’s help in retrieving her passport.
Ambassador Santos noted that her case is not the first.
“I advise Filipinos wishing to work in Vietnam to carefully check the background of the employer, review the terms of their employment contract, go through proper channels including the POEA and
secure a work permit,” the envoy said.
The Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) is the agency tasked to oversee the deployment of Filipino workers overseas.
With the assistance of the Bureau of Immigration, it has stepped up its procedures of issuing and monitoring overseas employment certificates to help stem human trafficking and illegal recruitment.
Recent media reports that Vietnamese schools are recruiting English language teachers have increased the phenomenon of tourists-workers among Filipinos in Vietnam.
Vietnamese authorities are reportedly embarking on a pilot project to hire Filipino English teachers who are described by those supportive of the plan as “among the best in the region” but as “cheap English teachers” by those critical about it. Apart from the pilot project, several schools have independently advertised in the Internet of their need for English teachers.
Teachers in Hanoi attest to the existence of three tiers of salaries for English teachers. Native speakers receive more than twice those received by Filipinos while Vietnamese receive a measly 2 percent salary of native speakers.
Aquino Critic Draws Palace Rebuttal
By MADEL SABATER – NAMIT The Manila Bulletin, page 3
MANILA, Philippines --- Malacanang on Tuesday defended President Benigno S. Aquino III from the statement of Wallace Business Forum head Peter Wallace that the Chief Executive lacks political will.
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte also lashed back at Wallace for saying that Aquino is a 9 to 5 president, which connoted that the President has not been working full time.
Wallace, during the Forum’s 30th anniversary, had stated that though he lauds Aquino for his strong stance in fighting graft and corruption, more needs to be done particularly in alleviating poverty. He also said the President should make full use of his time in public office and urged him to have more political will.
Valte, however, said anybody who has personally worked with the President would be able to prove that the President has been working full time.
“It is safe to assume that Mr. Wallace does not have a working relationship with the President and has no personal knowledge of how the President works. Because if you ask anybody who had some close and regular contact with the President, they will tell you otherwise,” Valte said.
The Palace official said the achievements done in Aquino’s more than two years in office are also proof that the President is a full-time working President.
She said Wallace ought to check reports and documents of the various government agencies like the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) than merely rely on surveys, particularly on how the Aquino administration is addressing poverty.
“Primarily, the President thinks that you are given a finite period of time to be in office, yun yung laging jina-juggle ng Pangulo,” Valte said.
“Remember, the President’s day is not just about new things, it’s not just about briefings but also deciding kung ano muna yung pagtutuunan ng atensyon doon sa particular na araw o particular na oras na yun *but also deciding what should be given attention on that particular time or day+,” she
said.
Government Asked To Prioritize Nutrition
By CHITO A. CHAVEZ The Manila Bulletin, page 4
MANILA, Philippines --- Two international cause-oriented groups asked the Philippine government to prioritize the reduction of child undernutrition as 25 out of the 1,000 children die before reaching the age of five from pneumonia, diarrhea and malnutrition or from lack of access to proper health care.
In a forum in Quezon City, the Save the Children and World Vision Development Foundation said that the Philippines showed weak commitment to child malnutrition programs.
However, they noted these programs still managed to produce a sound outcome which they attributed to the country's rapid economic growth.
The surprising sound outcome results may have hidden the existence of a huge gap or inequality among the children belonging to the poorest among the poor households, they said.
According to 2011 Philippine National Food Research Institute nutrition barometer records, about 20 percent or three million Filipino children ages 0-5 are underweight, 34 percent or four million are short for their age and seven percent or one million are wasted or thin.
The nutrition barometer indicates the strength of the country's commitment in addressing undernutrition and their nutrition status compared to other high-burden countries.
A study of the two international groups revealed that the Philippines has been bracketed in the list of 36 high-burden countries where 90 percent of the world's undernourished children live.
Of the 36 countries, Guatemala, Malawi, and Peru show the most progress by having the soundest commitment and sound child and survival outcomes while the Democratic Republic of Congo, India and Yemen show frail commitment and frail outcomes.
Amado Parawan, Save the Children Health advisor, said that the national government needs to exert more focus and political will in fighting children's undernutrition, adding that reforms should also be undertaken to ensure long term investments of adequate finances to sustain the program over time.
Parawan said that the improvement of nutrition is also co-related to effective health services, effective education, agriculture and social protection efforts that address factors like food insecurity and poor sanitation.
Health Undersecretary Eric Tayag said that government should not over-analyze in addressing the nutritional woes of the country but instead go down to the community level and focus on what needs to be done to strengthen the nutritional program.
He said the Deparment of Health (DOH) is planning to launch soon the "Pingan Pinoy'' program which will basically inform the Filipinos on what essential food groups that should be present in the diet..
Rep. Bernadette Herrera-Dy of the Bagong Henerasyon partylist group vowed to exert all efforts to promote the country's nutritional programs to least lower if not totally eradicate malnutrition in the country.
She said that she has proposed several pending bills related to proper nutrition and adequate health
service and education for the poor sector of the society.
Bill Boosting State Counsel Approved
By CHARISSA M. LUCI The Manila Bulletin, page 7
MANILA, Philippines --- The House committee on justice unanimously approved on Tuesday a measure seeking the creation of the Office of the State Counsel in the Department of Justice (DoJ) to address the country’s “undermanned” legal staff.
House Bill 6632, to be known as the State Counsel Act of 2012, got the full backing of the House panel, headed by Iloilo Rep. Niel Tupas Jr.
Following its passage, the bill will be endorsed to the House committee on rules to calendar it for plenary discussions.
Tupas said HB 6632 was approved by his panel as it recognized the need to empower the country’s legal team.
But he expressed doubt on the House’s capacity to approve the bill before 15th Congress ends in June, 2013, saying that the chamber is racing against time to pass several bills pending in the legislative mill.
“I’m not sure of the chances of being approved in the plenary considering the time constraint,” he said in an interview.
In a separate interview, Iloilo Rep. Jerry Treñas, who principally authored HB 6632, thanked his colleagues for supporting the measure.
“I am very pleased that it was approved by the committee and supported by Chairman Tupas, Senior Vice Chairman (Rodolfo) Fariñas, Representatives (Simeon) Datumanong and (Rufus) Rodriguez. It will give the Office of the State Prosecutor the support in terms of rank and compensation that they deserve considering the important functions they perform. The support for its approval clearly shows the need for the same,” Treñas said.
HB 6632 provides for the creation of the Office of the State Counsel, which will be headed by a Chief State Counsel under the supervision of the Secretary of Justice.
Treñas sought the creation of such office, citing the pivotal role of the country's legal team in international negotiations.
He lamented that the current government’s Legal Staff is "undermanned and in dire need of organizational upgrading" to function optimally.”
He said over the years the Legal Staff (LS-DOJ) has evolved and been involved in more undertakings of different fields.
Treñas also batted for an increase in the salaries of the State Counsels who are already overburdened due to the unforgiving demands of their work.
“Inevitably, the Legal Staff has been unsuccessful in retaining and maintaining the best legal minds, and thus continues to suffer from professional exodus to more economically rewarding offices,” he said.
“The current Legal Staff of the DOJ are our indispensable silent workers,” he said in pushing for the passage of HB 6632.
Treñas cited that among those who worked in the Legal staff and rose to prominence in the legal field include Supreme Court Justice Florentino Feliciano, Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales, Supreme Court Justice Teresita Leonardo-De Castro, former Supreme Court Justice Leonardo Quisumbing and former Supreme Court Justice Minerva Gonzaga-Reyes.
Obama: No need to escalate sea dispute
By DJ Yap
Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1
PHNOM PENH—As the show of unity within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations appeared to crumble, US President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Asian leaders to rein in tensions, saying there was no reason to risk an escalation of their territorial disputes.
Speaking at the 21st Asean Summit, Obama stopped short of firmly backing allies Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam in their disputes with China over a cluster of isles historically called the South China Sea and which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.
“President Obama’s message is there needs to be a reduction of the tensions,” Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said after the summit in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.
“There is no reason to risk any potential escalation, particularly when you have two of the world’s largest economies—China and Japan—associated with some of those disputes.”
Obama’s message came at the end of a three-day trip to Thailand, Burma (Myanmar) and Cambodia in a visit that underlined the expansion of US military and economic interests in Asia under last year’s so-called “pivot” from conflicts in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
On Monday, Philippine President Aquino said the United States had a strategic role to play in keeping the peace in Southeast Asia.
“It is especially vital to have the world’s largest national economy involved in the discussions
considering the interconnectedness of our current milieu,” he told an audience that included Obama and other Asean leaders.
Everyone has a stake
Mr. Aquino’s call came after he openly rebuked host Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen for saying a consensus had been reached not to “internationalize” the territorial disputes.
China has long insisted that the disputes should be resolved through bilateral talks and opposed the involvement of outside parties, such as the United States. The Philippines is pushing for a
multilateral solution.
Addressing the Asean-US leaders meeting, one of the side summits here, Mr. Aquino said the United States had a role to play in the discussions, especially in light of its touted “pivot” to the Pacific to check China’s growing military assertiveness.
“Each one of our nations has a stake in the stability of Southeast Asia. The United States understands this and, for this reason, has chosen to work with us to ensure the peace and continuous
advancement of our region,” Mr. Aquino said.
He said US presence in the Asean summit “adds a special dimension to our regional discussions, particularly on issues that have far-reaching political and economic implications.”
“Our region is very diverse and its harmony can easily be disrupted by sheer political, military or economic might. Imbalance, as we know, may lead to instability,” he said.
“While we are all aware that the US does not take sides in disputes, they do have a strategic stake in the freedom of navigation, unimpeded commerce, and the maintenance of peace and stability in the South China Sea,” Mr. Aquino said.
Tiff with Hun Sen
He said territorial and maritime disputes should be settled peacefully and in accordance with the rule of law.
At a briefing for the Philippine media, Mr. Aquino said the United States, as the biggest economy, should not be left out of the talks considering its own stake in the region.
“We recognize that they also have a right to say their piece and to be active in advancing also their interests. We have long said that if it’s a multilateral problem, you can’t have a bilateral solution,” he
said.
Earlier on Monday, at a separate Asean-Japan summit, Mr. Aquino made a terse interjection after Hun Sen said there was now an Asean consensus to keep negotiations within an “Asean-China framework.”
Mr. Aquino raised his hand to object, saying, “the Asean route is not the only route for us.” He also said the Philippines, as a sovereign state, had the right to defend its national interest.
Frosty ties
Relations between Cambodia and the Philippines turned frosty after the Asean foreign ministers meeting in July when they tussled over the language of a joint communiqué supposed to be issued at the end of the talks.
Cambodia rejected any mention of the disputes of individual Asean states with Beijing, particularly Panatag Shoal (Scarborough Shoal), which was then at the center of a maritime standoff between Manila and Beijing.
The deadlock prevented the issuance of a joint communiqué at that meeting, and critics said Cambodia was acting under pressure from China, which did not want any references to the sea disputes in the statement.
Asean members Vietnam, the Philippines, Brunei and Malaysia, along with Taiwan, have overlapping claims in the West Philippine Sea, which is believed to hold vast deposits of oil and gas. China claims virtually the whole body of water.
In April, a protracted standoff occurred between Chinese and Filipino forces over Panatag Shoal off Zambales.
Respect the EEZ
Speaking at the summit Tuesday, Mr. Aquino called on all parties to respect the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of coastal states, “irrespective of their size or naval power,” in conformity with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (Unclos).
The President called on all the claimant countries in Asean to “consider coming together to begin discussing the clarification of maritime claims and the resolution of their maritime disputes.” He said this should be done in accordance with international law, especially Unclos.
The Unclos sets the EEZ to up to 370 kilometers (200 nautical miles) from the coast in which states have the right to explore and exploit natural resources but allow freedom of navigation and overflight to others.
“At no time in the contemporary history of the South China Sea has clarification and delimitation of maritime areas become more urgent and imperative than they are now,” Mr. Aquino said.
Code of conduct
Mr. Aquino also emphasized that all parties to the proposed code of conduct (COC) in the South China Sea, when finalized, must be committed to its full implementation.
“As we in Asean embark on negotiating a code of conduct, we must make sure that its provisions are not only stronger, binding and credible, but that all parties to the COC must be fully committed to its implementation,” he said.
Mr. Aquino told reporters earlier that Asean had taken a significant step forward in the drafting of the code of conduct that would guide talks on the territorial disputes with China.
Aside from the Philippines, Vietnam and Singapore have pushed their neighbors to “formalize the talks that will formulate the COC,” he said.
Mr. Aquino said he considered this a major development that contrasted with the slow progress of talks since the signing of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, or the DOC, a nonbinding pact entered into by the claimants in 2002.
In the Asean, the rule is not by majority, but by consensus, he said. “If even one objects, there’s no consensus.
Mr. Aquino likened the COC to an enabling law. “You know the Constitution is the fundamental law of the land, but it needs an enabling law. The COC is like that,” he said.
‘Kasambahay’ wage bill closer to becoming a law
By Christian V. Esguerra
Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1
The “Kasambahay” bill has inched closer to becoming a law after the bicameral conference committee on Tuesday managed to reconcile conflicting provisions, particularly on wage rates.
In a third and final meeting that lasted five hours, representatives of the Senate and the House of Representatives agreed on a “hybrid” formula setting the minimum salary for house help in Metro Manila at P2,500.
The amount would be pegged at P2,000 for helpers in chartered and first-class municipalities, and P1,500 for those situated in other towns, according to Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, a coauthor of the House version.
To satisfy the House contingent, the committee agreed to allow the regional wage boards to review and determine the salary rates.
But consistent with the law against diminution of benefits, the minimum wage set on the first year would not be decreased, Angara said.
“We are hopeful that this landmark piece of legislation for 2 million kasambahay can be signed into law by President Aquino before the year ends,” he said. “This would be a perfect Christmas present to our hardworking helpers.”
Angara said the conference committee, led by Rep. Emil Ong for the House and Senate President Pro Tempore Jose “Jinggoy” Estrada for the Senate, began deliberating on conflicting provisions of the bill at around 8 p.m. on Monday. The committee completed its work five hours later.
Angara said the committee report was expected to be ratified by both chambers by next week. The reconciled version of the bill will then be sent to President Aquino for signing.
SSS, PhilHealth, Pag-Ibig
A key provision would allow membership in the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth), and Pag-Ibig Fund.
Employers are to take care of premium payments for helpers earning less than P5,000 monthly.
Those with a monthly take-home pay of P5,000 or more would share premium payments with their employers for SSS and Pag-Ibig. Employers would still fully shoulder PhilHealth payments, in this case.
The bill also seeks to provide an opportunity for house help to complete “basic education, higher education, technical and vocational training, or other alternative learning systems,” Angara said.
“We’ve agreed that employers should adjust the work schedule of the domestic worker to allow such access to education or training without hampering the services required by the employer,” he said.
“This is a great way of opening up opportunities for helpers to finish schooling and explore other employment options.”
Angara said the bill would bar employees from “placing their helpers under debt bondage (and) from hiring minors below 15 years (old).”
Vacation, 13th-month pay
Helpers who have completed a year’s work would be entitled to an annual service leave of five days and a 13th-month pay, he added.
Estrada, who earlier proposed a minimum P3,000 monthly for kasambahay in Metro Manila, said the new rates were regarded as “affordable and reasonable” and were based on the “total income of a middle-class household and its employed members.”
“We are not preventing well-off employers from paying much higher wages to their household helpers. We just want to give kasambahay what is due them,” he said.
Currently, Article 143 of the Labor Code pegs the monthly wage of Metro Manila at P800, those in
“highly urbanized areas” at P650 and in other municipalities, P550. With a report from Cathy C.
Yamsuan
US officials seize Marcos properties worth P1B
By Gil C. Cabacungan
Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1
US authorities have seized a fresh cache of dollars, prime New York properties and paintings worth
as much as P1 billion believed to be part of the hidden wealth plundered by Ferdinand Marcos during his two-decade rule, the Philippine Daily Inquirer learned Tuesday.
The revelation was made on the day the Reuters news agency, in a dispatch from New York City, said that Vilma Bautista, a New York resident and one-time secretary to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, would be charged by the Manhattan District Attorney in connection with four paintings in her possession, including some by Impressionist artists, that disappeared after the fall of the Marcos dictatorship in 1986.
A top government official, who requested anonymity because US federal officials had not authorized the release of this information, told the Inquirer in Manila that the discovery of these assets could lead to more wealth that Marcos, his family and associates had allegedly illegally stashed overseas after the dictator was ousted in the Edsa People Power Revolution in 1986.
“We were informed by US authorities that they have seized several bank accounts after investigating these deposits for unusual large transactions in the past few months. The investigation has led them to seize an apartment in a prime New York location, where more assets and certificates were discovered,” the official said.
The source said that among the assets seized were three paintings of “Old Masters,” including a piece by French Impressionist Claude Monet.
“We estimate the seized assets to be worth between $20 million and $30 million, or roughly P1 billion,” the source said.
The source said that this haul of Marcos assets was not among the fabulous fortune that the government had identified.
Officials of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), formed after the 1986 revolution to go after the Marcoses’ ill-gotten wealth, did not return the Inquirer’s calls.
In a report attributed to a person familiar with the investigation conducted by US authorities, Reuters said that some of the paintings in Bautista’s possession hung in a Manhattan town house used by Imelda Marcos when her husband was in power.
The US probe comes a quarter century after the Philippine dictator was forced out by an uprising and fled the country in 1986. He died in 1989.
Bautista, who is in her 70s, could not immediately be reached for comment. Joan Vollero, a spokesperson for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr., declined comment, according to Reuters.
Imelda Marcos, 83, known for her extravagant lifestyle and her collection of over a thousand shoes, is not expected to face charges in the case, the news agency said.
Acquitted in earlier US case
In October 1988, the Marcoses were indicted in the Federal District Court in Manhattan in a racketeering case that included accusations they embezzled more than $100 million from the Philippine government and used the money to buy three buildings in New York City.
Imelda, described as a “steel butterfly” in her glory days, herself testified before the federal grand jury and was later acquitted.
In a magazine interview published in February 2007, the former first lady, who is now an Ilocos Norte representative in Congress, was asked about her New York trial and her paintings.
“You’re living now in the Pacific Plaza, in Manila. They sold off most of your old masters at Christie’s years ago, but I understand there are a few Picassos and Gauguins still hanging with you in that swanky condo,” the interviewer said.
Imelda replied:
“The paintings and the jewelry they confiscated, all without any good reason. You know, I won the case of the century in New York, and so the little I have left, I will tell you, was because of some servants of mine, who were able to keep a few pieces in the slum area where they were living.”
P90B worth of assets
The PCGG has reported it had recovered over P90 billion worth of assets from the Marcoses and their cronies, including Swiss bank accounts turned over to the Philippine government. A large part of the assets were used to fund the government’s agrarian reform program.
A case study by the World Bank-UN Office on Drugs and Crime’s Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative estimated that Marcos had purloined between $5 billion and $10 billion during his reign from 1965 to 1986.
The study said:
“This ill-gotten wealth was accumulated through six channels: Outright takeover of large private enterprises; creation of state-owned monopolies in vital sectors of the economy; awarding government loans to private individuals acting as fronts for Marcos or his cronies; direct raiding of the public treasury and government financial institutions; kickbacks and commissions from firms working in the Philippines, and skimming off foreign aid and other forms of international assistance.
The proceeds were laundered through the use of shell corporations, which invested the funds in real estate inside the United States, or by depositing the funds in various domestic and offshore banks under pseudonyms, in numbered accounts or accounts with code names.” With reports from Inquirer Research
Text overcharging bared
Smart, Globe, Sun ordered to refund subscribers
By Paolo G. Montecillo
Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 1
The National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) has ordered the country’s top
telecommunications firms to refund millions of subscribers after finding that the telcos have been overcharging customers for text messages.
The order, one of the three directives issued by the NTC Tuesday, is effective immediately.
“These orders are immediately executory upon receipt, but the telcos have the right to appeal,”
Dennis Babaran, NTC legal director, on Tuesday said at a press briefing.
Estimates by the Philippine Daily Inquirer showed that Smart Communications, affiliate Sun Cellular and Globe Telecom may have to return at least P1.42 billion to their subscribers.
The telcos have been collecting 20 centavos more (P1 instead of 80 centavos) for each off-net text message, or those sent from one network to another, since December last year, the NTC said in a ruling.
Text messages between subscribers of the same network and those under unlimited or “bucket- priced” offers are not covered by the order.
About 20 million off-net messages are sent every day, based on 2010 records, which are the latest the NTC has. This is just 1 percent of the 2 billion text messages that were sent daily on average that year in the Philippines, for years considered the world’s texting capital.
Assuming that daily text message volumes have not changed since 2010, the telcos stand to pay at least P1.42 billion to refund 20 centavos for every regularly-priced off-net text message.
100M subscriber base
Globe, Smart and Sun Cellular had a combined subscriber base of 100.65 million at the end of September 2012. This translates to about one active SIM for every Filipino, although a growing number of users now carry at least two accounts at the same time.
Smart and Sun refused to comment on the matter, but said the companies would explore possible legal remedies.
End of ‘unli’ service
Globe said the NTC move could spell the end of unlimited services, which in the company’s opinion had made text messages affordable more than any government-mandated reduction in rates could.
“Since the very beginning of the case, we have clearly stated that SMS is a deregulated service and telcos have the right to set the retail price of this service,” said Froilan Castelo, head of Globe corporate and legal affairs.
“In fact, this has worked for the benefit of the consumer because the prices have gone down drastically with the advent of customization, bucket and combo promos, and unlimited services,”
Castelo said.
Extra prepaid credits
Refunds for prepaid subscribers could be given in the form of extra prepaid credits that could be used for calls, text messages, and data services, the NTC said. For postpaid users, the telcos could offer rebates to cover the refund.
In three separate orders, the NTC directed the telcos to reduce the maximum price of text messages from P1 to 80 centavos each, stemming from the reduction of interconnection charges to 15
centavos from the previous 35 centavos.
The reduction of interconnection charges was ordered by the NTC in December last year. The telcos agreed to reduce interconnection charges but refused to pass on savings to consumers, the NTC said.
This meant that text message prices remained at P1 each, instead of the NTC’s intent of reducing it to 80 centavos.
Apart from the refund, the telcos were also ordered to pay a fine of P200 per day from Dec. 1, 2011, until the companies lower their text message charges by P20 per off-net text message.
Circular order defied
The NTC said the telcos had defied Memorandum Circular No. 02-10-2011, which took effect on Dec.
1 last year. The circular was aimed at making text messaging more affordable to the public, pursuant to directives from the Office of the President.
While text messaging was considered a value-added service (VAS), which the telcos technically are not required to deliver, nothing in the law prohibited the NTC from regulating text message rates, the industry regulator said.
A ruling to order refunds, this time covering off-net voice calls, may also be released within the year, said Edgardo Cabarios, head of the NTC’s Common Carrier’s Authorization Division.
Relief
Rexmond Fang, a sales executive at a multinational dairy company operating in the country, said the NTC decision was a welcome relief for subscribers who have been paying P1 per text message for over a decade.
Despite the popularity of alternative modes of communications such as social networking sites, profits from text message services make up the bulk of telecom company earnings in the Philippines.
“It’s really about time that the government flexes its muscles against telecom firms,” Fang said.
But Fang, 44, said he was worried about the financial strain that the NTC order might have on telcos.
“There’s been a lot of talk in the news about bad service by companies. But can telcos still push through with their upgrades if they have to pay these refunds?” he said.
‘Refreshing’
Anthony Ian Cruz, president of consumer group TXTPower, shared Fang’s sentiments, saying it was refreshing to see the NTC finally enforcing its own rules.
“Those interconnection charges are the biggest stumbling block for lower text message rates. They have been charging us P1 for more than a decade,” Cruz said in an interview.
“The next logical step is for inter-network messages to be cheaper,” he said. “This should be the last straw to number portability,” he added, referring to one of the group’s previous initiatives for companies to allow subscribers to switch from one network to another without changing numbers.
Japan Airlines passenger service agent Janina Amonte, a frequent subscriber of unlimited promos offered by telcos, said the NTC’s order would have little impact on her.
“It’s not a big deal for me because I’m used to unli promos. But I wish they did this before because I used to text my friends a lot and there weren’t any unli promos then,” she said in an interview.
The 25-year-old said she was spending much less every month on cell phone bills, but was still able to stay in touch with friends and relatives.
Providing cellular phone service is a profitable business.
Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT), the parent firm of Smart and Sun, posted a net income of P28.7 billion in the January to September period. Globe’s net income for the period was at P8.7 billion.
In 2011, PLDT’s wireless revenue amounted to P102.1 billion, of which P99 billion was accounted for by Smart. Globe’s revenue reached an all-time high of P67.8 billion last year and its net income rose to P9.8 billion.
Bishops reject revised RH bill
By Christian Esguerra, Philip C. Tubeza Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 2
Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chairman of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life (cbcponline.net photo)
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) has rejected the “watered-down” version
of the reproductive health (RH) bill being proposed by House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, a bishop said Tuesday.
The amended version of House Bill No. 4244 should still be scrapped for promoting artificial contraception, said Antipolo Bishop Gabriel Reyes, chairman of the CBCP-Episcopal Commission on Family and Life.
“Despite some good amendments, this latest version remains harmful because of the bad provisions that are still there. I will cite only one example: The promotion of contraception or artificial methods of birth control is still very much a part of it,” Reyes told a press forum Tuesday.
“Despite some good amendments, this latest version of HB 4244 is not acceptable because of its bad provisions,” he said.
Reyes acknowledged as a “marked improvement” a provision in the latest RH bill version which prohibits “reproductive healthcare services, methods, devices and supplies” that prevent the implantation of a fertilized ovum.
However, this still did not make the bill acceptable “because it is wrong to promote contraception and give free contraceptives whether to the rich or the poor,” he said.
“These methods, devices and supplies are abortifacient,” he said.
He stressed that the Church’s aim in opposing HB 4244 is to protect not only the good of Catholics but the good of all, Catholics and non-Catholics.”
“We remain steadfast in our position: The poor does not stand to gain anything from contraceptive use. Poverty cannot be solved—neither fully nor partially—by contraceptive use and its promotion,”
Reyes said.
Aquino certification
Meanwhile, two administration congressmen pushing for the passage of HB 4244 acknowledged that the passage of the bill would greatly speed up if the President certifies the measure as urgent, like he did the sin tax bill.
But Rep. Sherwin Tugna of the Cibac party-list admitted that HB 4244 could not be compared to the sin tax bill and the General Appropriations Bill, which both receive unequivocal support from the Palace.
“You cannot equate the RH bill and the sin tax bill and other measures, which have been supported by the administration, because this is something that crosses party lines and this is something that is truly divisive,” he told reporters.
“Each representative’s stand is mainly dictated by the stand of his particular constituents,” he said.
Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara said having the RH bill certified as “urgent” by Mr. Aquino
“changes the equation.”
“You can pass it on second and third reading on the same day. You can dispense with the
requirements of the Constitution that three days must pass between the second and third reading,”
he said.
But Angara is not pushing the panic button yet as he said “it’s still early in the game to give up hope.”
The House is stuck in the period of individual amendments, mainly because of the lack of a quorum.
Opponents of the bill have called attention to their colleagues pushing for the measure for not showing up in plenary.
Omnibus’ amendments
Rep. Rufus Rodriguez on Tuesday said his group would oppose any move to formally introduce a substitute bill containing “omnibus” amendments to HB 4244 on the floor. The House leadership distributed just such a measure before members went on break last month.
But an omnibus amendment cannot be done in the plenary, he said. “It has to go back to the committee and it will be called committee amendments,” he said.
Rodriguez admitted, however, that a move to block the substitute bill might be outvoted in the plenary. If that happens, he said he was prepared to “propose as many amendments as there are sections.”
Opponents of the RH bill argued that the proposed law would only duplicate existing laws that already address such issues as women’s health and maternal mortality. They also pointed to the alleged presence in the country of foreign lobby groups, some of which openly support abortion.
With a report from Rima Granali
Palace to coco farmers: Be patient
By TJ Burgonio
Philippine Daily Inquirer, page 3
Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
Coconut farmers may have to wait a little longer for President Aquino to come up with a clear-cut policy on the disposition of the P70-billion recovered coco levy fund assets.
The presidential task force on the coco levy was still finalizing Tuesday its recommendations to the President concerning the custody and utilization of the funds, deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said Tuesday.
The disposition of the coco levy funds was a complex issue that involves many stakeholders, so that all possible solutions are being explored, she said.
“Just because we are not saying anything doesn’t mean we’re not doing anything. It’s difficult at this point because there are many groups invested in the issue,” Valte said at a press briefing.
Coconut farmers’ groups are demanding that the P70 billion in recovered coco levy fund assets that were used to buy a 24-percent stake in San Miguel Corp. (SMC) be “returned” to them. They have been critical of Mr. Aquino’s continuing silence on the issue.
Valte could not say if the farmers would get an answer from the President before the year ends.
“The task force is aware of the pendency of this issue and they are working to the best of their abilities to make sure that all issues are answered,” she said.
She said the task force, convened in December 2011, was to have reconvened last Oct. 5 to finalize their recommendations in the light of the Supreme Court final ruling on the ownership of a 24- percent block of SMC shares.
The 24-percent block was part of a 47-percent block of SMC shares sequestered by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) on the ground that these were illegally acquired by the dummies of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos using funds from a forced tax imposed on coconut farmers from 1973 to the 1980s.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the 24 percent (originally 27 percent but diluted and reduced because of SMC’s expansion) belonged to the government in trust for the country’s coconut farmers.
But the high court ruled that the remaining 20-percent block claimed by businessman Eduardo Cojuangco had been legally acquired by the crony that Marcos had appointed as administrator of the levy funds.
Coconut farmers’ organizations in Quezon province yesterday said they are asking for only one Christmas gift from Mr. Aquino, that he resolve the issue of the coco levy funds in their favor.
“We want to hear him (Aquino) declare his plans for the P70-billion coco levy fund and how he will use it for the benefit of the coconut farmers. His favorable declaration will be his best Christmas gift for the more than three million coconut farmers across the country,” said Jansept Geronimo, secretary general of Coalition of Coconut Farmers of Quezon (Coco-Farm-Quezon), the biggest coalition of coconut farmers’ organizations in the province. With Daniel Mallari, Inquirer Southern Luzon
