DND drops plan to buy used ships, to buy new instead By Alexis Romero (philstar.com) | Updated April 29, 2013 - 6:21pm

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of National Defense (DND) is discarding its earlier plan to acquire used ships and is now planning to buy two brand-new frigates to boost the Navy’s security capabilities.

DND Undersecretary Fernando Manalo said acquiring second-hand ships would be more costly in the long run as these would require repairs and upgrades.

“We realized that it will be expensive in the long run if we are going to buy second hand (ships). As much as possible, if we have budget, we will buy new ones,” he said in a press briefing on Monday.

Manalo said they would spend about P18 billion for the two brand new ships. The government previously allotted P12 billion to buy two used frigates.

Manalo said they are waiting for the Navy to submit a decision package, which contains the technical specifications they need.

He said the two brand new ships would be acquired through public bidding. The procurement process may be completed within the second quarter.

Manalo claimed that companies from South Korea, Spain and Singapore have expressed interest to join the bidding.

The government originally sought to acquire the vessels through government-to-government transactions.

Officials, however, are now eyeing a public bidding reportedly due to the interest of several suppliers to provide equipment to the military.

A government-to-government transaction is usually faster than a public bidding but the DND is optimistic that the acquisition would not be delayed.

Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin previously said a public bidding would ensure transparency and would allow them to compare the ships being offered by potential suppliers.

The DND is fast-tracking the military’s upgrade program amid the recent aggressive actions of China in the West Philippine Sea, the subject of a long-standing territorial row in the region.

Officials, however, claimed that the acquisition of new military assets is not directed against any country.

To beef up its territorial defense capabilities, the Navy acquired two warships from the United States namely the BRP Gregorio del Pilar, which arrived in 2011 and the BRP Ramon Alcaraz, which is expected to be in the country by July

The government spent more than P1 billion to acquire the two ships. - with B. Beltran

Don’t use minors in propaganda BY JUDY F. PARTLOW

Special investigator Jess Cañete of the Commission on Human Rights in Negros Oriental yesterday warned political candidates not to exploit minors in campaigning for the May 13 polls.

This was after a 14-year-old parking attendant said that he and his companion were paid P50 each last week to distribute a two-page document at the Dumaguete Public Market.

The boy said that on April 21, two men asked him and his companion to distribute three plastic bags of folded sheets of paper.

He said it took them half a day to do it and they went to the Marian Priests Center at the St. Catherine of Alexandria Cathedral compound later for the feeding activity conducted by the Franciscan sisters of the Diocese of Dumaguete. A volunteer saw the bundles of paper and called the attention of Sr. Maria, who told the boys to stop distributing them.

The document attacked incumbent Gov. Roel Degamo for his alleged sexual abuses of women, three of whom were named. The second page was a copy of a case filed against the governor for acts of lasciviousness when he was still a councilor of Siaton, Negros Oriental.

The case, raised by Degamo’s political opponents last year, was reported to have been dismissed already.

Cañete appealed to bets to stop using black propaganda to discredit their opponents and called the distribution of the document as a desperate act of a candidate.

Cañete said that, if there is enough identification and evidence against the perpetrators, he will make sure that they will be prosecuted.

He also said that exploiting minors for such practice is a violation of Republic Act 7610, or the Anti-Child Abuse Act.*JFP

Ensure giveaways are lead free, environmental group urged By Chito A. Chavez Published: April 30, 2013

Politicians and other concerned groups planning to give free school supplies were urged by an environment organization based in Quezon City to ensure that their donations are free from hazardous chemicals. 

Aileen Lucero Acting National Coordinator of EcoWaste Coalition suggested that local government units (LGU), non-government organizations (NGO) and private companies secure a formal certification that their donations like school bags to the city’s poor sector are free from lead which experts found to cause brain damage. 

 “We appeal to generous givers from the public and private sectors to offer bags that have undergone lead safety tests to ensure that their gifts would not expose the recipients to lead,” Lucero said. 

“The LGUs and other bag donors can demand a certification from their suppliers that their bags passed the limit for total lead content as analyzed by qualified government-accredited laboratories prior to procuring and giving away the items,” she added. 

By requiring the suppliers to issue the certification, Lucero said that this will ensure that the school supplies are safe and will not contribute to the schoolchildren’s exposure to lead and other dangerous chemicals. 

“As there are other chemicals aside from lead that may adversely affect children’s health, we also suggest that the bags be tested for other priority substances such as phthalates, which are commonly used as plasticizers in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) plastic,” she added.  

Phthalates are known endocrine disrupting chemicals.

Lucero’s appeal came in the aftermath of her group’s recent investigation that detected lead up to 5,752 parts per million (ppm) in 23 out of 25 kiddie backpacks, way above the 90 ppm limit in US for lead in paint and surface coatings.

Using an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer, EcoWaste researchers discovered excessive amounts of lead on the painted portions of some plastic backpacks, particularly on the designs, logos and the main materials of which the bags are made of.

The group said lead exposure can retard the development of a child’s developing central nervous system and permanently damage the brain even at low levels of exposure. 

Lucero said that the effects of chemical absorption are not immediately detected stressing that there are no obvious symptoms until the blood lead level is very high.

Health studies have shown that childhood lead exposure can result to a broad range of serious developmental and behavioral problems, including reading and learning disabilities, inattentiveness, hyperactivity and irritability, lower IQ and poor school performance.

Lead can enter a human body mainly through the inhalation or ingestion of lead particles or dust from chipping or flaking paints in homes, playgrounds and other facilities and other lead-containing products such as toys and other children’s articles.

In his letter to the EcoWaste Coalition in 2011, Health Secretary Enrique Ona said that “clinical toxicologists have indicated that there are no safe levels for lead exposure among children.”

“This fact make banning of substances containing lead an imperative,” Ona said. 

PHL suspends importation of live shrimps from Asian neighbors April 30, 2013 1:09pm

The Philippines has stopped the importation of live shrimps to prevent the spread of Early Mortality Syndrome (EMS)—now prevalent in neighboring countries—among local species, the the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) said Tuesday.

BFAR Director Asis Perez said EMS is prevalent Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, China and Indonesia. “We are dealing with a disease unknown to us, all the more that measures must be undertaken,” he said.

An EMS infected shrimp usually dies within the first 30 days of its life, according to the bureau.

It also banned the entry of crabs and lobsters which can carry and transmit the disease. The bureau said it is also monitoring the spread of EMS in Singapore, Myanmar, Brunei and Cambodia.

“The Philippines remains EMS-free as of the moment and BFAR is exhausting all efforts to remain so,” Perez noted. While the the cause of EMS is still unknown, BFAR said infected samples exhibit slow growth, corkscrew swimming and pale coloration. 

With the suspension, BFAR has ordered Fish Health Officers, Quarantine Officers and the Law Enforcement Quick Response Team to monitor, control and implement surveillance protocols at airports and seaports in the country.

Perez noted the situation opens up opportunities for the Philippines to revive its shrimp export industry, saying the bureau is now consulting growers to establish long-term solutions to the problems now facing the industry.

Last month, Agriculture Secretary Processo Alcala said his department is preparing the shrimp industry to again eye the export market. Diseases caused by overcrowding spelled the near-demise of the industry several years ago.

Unsanitary practices in tiger shrimp farms forced many hatcheries to close down starting 1996.

Now the Agriculture Department is studying the potential of mangrove areas in Panay, Leyte, Negros, and Mindoro as strategic production sites, said Alcala.

Bureau of Agricultural Statistics (BAS) data showed tiger prawn output reached 48,196 metric tons (MT) in 2012 from 47,494 MT in 2011 and from 48,161 MT in 2010.

Production was valued at P1.89 billion in 2012 from P1.85 billion in 2011 and from P1.82 billion in 2010. — VS, GMA News

Over 13-K motorcycle-related injuries in the last qtr of 2012 –DOH Published: April 30, 2013

A total of 13,883 injury cases of motorcycle accidents for the last quarter of 2012 were reported by the Department of Health (DOH) on Monday.

According to the DOH, the data came from 86 participating government and private hospitals.

It was also disclosed that nine out of 10 dead-on-arrival (DOA) motorcycle riders were not wearing helmet at the time of accident, in the DOH’s Online National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (ONEISS)

“To reduce or avoid injuries, the DOH recommends the promotion of ‘safety first' mindset and attitude,” Health Secretary Enrique Ona said in a statement.

Ona noted that road safety is both a personal commitment and a shared responsibility of all road users. Everyone should do their share for an injury-free society.

More than half (59.8 percent) of the total reported injury cases occurred among the 20 to 59 years age group. Injuries among children aged 0 to 19 accounted for 34.7 percent of the total reported cases.

Among those injured, male to female ratio is almost 25:10. The DOH, however, noted that a 30:10 male to female ratio was observed at the 15 to 44 years age group. On the other hand, the 65 years old and above group had a 9:10 male to female ratio.

Central Luzon registered the highest (19.3 percent) reported injury occurrences, followed by the National Capital Region (14.8 percent), Cordillera Administrative Region (12.6 percent), Davao Region (11.7 percent), Cagayan Valley Region (10 percent), Northern Mindanao (6.6 percent), and Western Visayas (6.5 percent).

Majority (71.7 percent) of the total injury cases were unintentional or accidental, about 26.3 percent were intentional (due to violence), and 0.6 percent were self-inflicted injury cases.

For the last quarter of 2012, there were more injury cases reported on the month of October (39.2 percent), followed by November (39 percent), and December (21.1 percent).

The number one cause of reported injuries were transport/vehicular crash (32.1 percent), followed by assault/mauling (23 percent), fall (16.9 percent), and contact with sharp objects (13.2 percent).

Other reported causes of injuries were bites/stings (9.1 percent), burns (1.5 percent), gunshots (1.1 percent), chemicals (0.3 percent), and hanging and drowning at 0.1 percent each.

Most of the reported injuries occurred on the road (41.1 percent), home (26.3 percent), workplace (four percent), and school (2.2 percent).

Almost all (99.5 percent) injury cases reached the hospital alive. Majority (85.4 percent) were discharged after being treated at the emergency room or out-patient department, while only about 9.6 percent were admitted for further treatment. (PNA)

She danced while a nation burnt

By Luis H. Francia

2:17 pm | Monday, April 29th, 2013

NEW YORK - Was it Oscar Wilde who quipped that one thing worse than being talked about is not being talked about?

In this regard, Imelda Romualdez Marcos need not worry. The ex-czarina of the Philippines has never been out of the spotlight even after her less than glamorous exit from center stage. Still, the provincial lass-made-good lived very well in Honolulu, though perhaps not as luxuriously as when, with Ferdinand, bringing the country to ruin. When apparently unable to touch her bank accounts while being tried in a US federal court for alleged crimes committed while in office, she was bailed out, literally, by her glam friend Doris Duke—a trial in which she was acquitted, on her birthday no less, leading her to remark that it was Ferdie up in heaven who made it all possible. Of course, I doubt it was from heaven that the dead tyrant pulled strings. Besides, it has always struck me as odd, the implication of that statement, that only a miracle would save her from federal prison, suggesting that if there had been no divine intervention she would have been found guilty.

Former first lady Imelda R. Marcos

David Byrne’s musical Here Lies Love, labeled a “poperetta,” would surely not surprise Imelda, did she care to notice, that her life story has been reclaimed for the stage at the Public Theater, a theatrical mainstay of downtown Manhattan. Would the work please her? She probably would consider that question irrelevant, apropos of Wilde. Byrne has fashioned a piece of musical theater that attempts to depict a psychological portrait of La Imelda within the setting of a discotheque—his and Fatboy Slim’s music, lights, DJ, slide shows, the works—going by the much publicized fact of Imelda’s fancy for discoing.

He with some singers performed the music at a Carnegie Hall concert gig some years back, and was rightly criticized (by myself, among others) for overlooking the much darker side of the woman who would be queen. This time there is more of that side, while still hewing to the pop psychologizing of a poor girl’s need to satisfy her craving for acceptance and respectability by acquiring all the conventional tokens of a high-end lifestyle: jewels, artworks, real estate—not to mention shoes, of which there is blessedly no mention here.

Here Lies Love has catchy, danceable tunes, and, as staged by Alex Timbers, motion, sound, images and lights combine to not just evoke an era but also actually transform the theater into a disco. There are no seats, except for the upper boxes, so most of the audience becomes disco goers, standing and dancing beside moveable platforms where different parts of the poperetta unfold. Ruthie Ann Miles and Jose Llana bring verve and magnetism to their roles as Imelda and Ferdinand, embodying the real-life duo’s view of themselves as the mythical Malakas (Strength) and Maganda (Beauty).

It is a thoroughly enjoyable spectacle. And yet, pop psychology is in the end unsatisfying, simply because it adheres to a rather simplistic intellectual frame. Yes, Imelda was driven by an unflagging insecurity about her humble origins but one’s social genesis is not the only determinant of future behavior. Played with convincing grit by Melody Butiu, Estrella Cumpas—the loyal servant who took care of Imelda and her siblings when they were poor relations of the father’s first family—tells Imelda, in one of the sharper encounters, that there was nothing wrong with growing up poor.

Rather than point to that as a measure of her character, Imelda shied away from this inconvenient bit of reality and deliberately made moral and ethical decisions in her personal and political life (to her, they were inseparable) that stressed appearance above everything else. In Byrne’s telling, she causes the disappearance of Estrella and also warns Ninoy Aquino not to return once he leaves with his family for the United States.

The poperetta stresses Imelda’s penchant for culture and the arts. True enough, but nowhere is there a mention of the huge scandal due to the1981 tragedy that befell workers rushing to complete the Film Palace, as part of the Cultural Center complex, with strict orders from Imelda that they were to do so 24/7 to ready it for her ill-advised Manila International Film Festival. The haste led to a top floor collapsing and burying those underneath it, in quick-drying cement. Attempts were made to suppress the deaths—after all, these bodies belonged to nobodies—but the event was too much of a tragedy to be kept from the news.

Political and social events are sketched that point the way to the 1986 People Power movement that forced the Marcoses to flee. Towards the conclusion, a member of the terrific ensemble starts playing on acoustic guitar songs whose lyrics are based on the actual words of those who had taken part in the 1986 uprising. He is joined shortly by two other drum-playing ensemble members. It is a beautiful, reflective scene, and I initially thought, what a great way to end the night, hearing from the too-often anonymous. I was mistaken, however, for the last number is reserved for Imelda and the ensemble, singing the lead song, “Here Lies Love.”

Good music, wrong notes.

Copyright L.H. Francia 2013

PDEA launches anti-drug text center

 Written by Ronald Reyes  
 April 28, 2013 

MANILA, Philippines- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has launched a Short Message Service (SMS)/text center that will receive drug-related information and activities from the general public.

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr. said that the message center, which was donated by Go Live Pacific, a leading global provider of technology-enabled solutions and services, will be merged to the already existing PDEA SMART Infoboard System.  The center will have Globe and Sun Cellular, in addition to SMART as telecommunication networks that will receive information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from concerned citizens nationwide.

The official launching and turn-over of the PDEA SMS/Text Center highlighted the regular PDEA Monday Flag-Raising ceremony on April 22, 2013, at the PDEA National Headquarters, Quezon City. Formally turning over the system to PDEA was Mila G. Rivera, Managing Director of Go Live Pacific.

“The PDEA SMS/Text Center is the fastest, secure and affordable means to receive, process and reply to anti-drug queries and information from concerned individuals.  At the same time, the system also provides a venue for the public to report to PDEA any suspected illegal drug activities in their community,” Cacdac said.

 The text center has advanced features such as Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Solution System, automatic forwarding of SMS to concerned anti-drug units, automatic answering of queries falling under the FAQ, automatic sorting of SMS and automatic follow-up on forwarded messages.  The system can also be used for SMS blasting like mass and selective announcements and other similar services.

“I would like to thank Go Live Pacific for their generosity.  Through the adopted system, the citizenry will be encouraged to work hand in hand with PDEA in enforcing the anti-drug law by passing timely and reliable information through the use of the PDEA SMS/Text Center.”

The PDEA SMS/Text Center maintains special numbers to facilitate relayed information. SMART and Talk and Text (TNT) subscribers may send their comments, suggestions, queries and reports concerning suspected illegal drug activities in their community by texting:

PDEA<space>FEEDBACK<space>NAME<space>ADDRESS<space>AGE<space>MESSAGE to 09998887332.

On the other hand, Globe and Sun Cellular subscribers may use the number 09279150616 and 09255737332, respectively. (PR)

Haemophilia patients demand better treatment, infrastructure

Sumitra Deb Roy, TNN | Apr 28, 2013, 06.28 PM IST

MUMBAI: This World Hemophilia Day, the city's Hemophilia Society, brought focus on how the government needs to do much more in terms of awareness, diagnosis and management of the disease. A programme to discuss these issues was organized at the Parel's KEM Hospital, where over 400 patients participated.

Out of 11,200 haemophiliacs in the state, only 2,500 feature in the registry of the State Blood Council. And even though, the Rajiv Gandhi Jeevandayi Arogya Yojana that covers over 900 diseases, includes Hemophilia in the list, a clear demand for better infrastructure and day care centers for proper care and rehabilitation, was echoed by patients.

President of Mumbai's Hemophilia Society Indira Nair said, "Not only we want to raise the awareness about the Hemophilia disease among physicians and the public, but also to provide patients who suffer from Hemophilia a total care. We are thankful to the government for making the availability of factor VIII and IX concentrates as the safest treatment option for patients with hemophilia." She said that the government will continue to support with the availability of free treatment to patients with hemophilia at all the government hospitals.

"Improving Infrastructure and establishing hemophilia treatment centre's can be one step to ensure these patients get the best care. The next step would be a creating more awareness about the disease and providing comprehensive psycho-social care mechanism for the PWH in the state," said Nair.

However, one of the major challenges for these chapters is treating poor as most of the patients are from poorest of poor background and more than 80% of patients suffering from hemophilia are undiagnosed. A wellness centre for the hemophiliac patients, the first of its kind in the city, was started at the KEM Hospital.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Jayashri Kale, professor and head Occupational Therapy, KEM Hospital said "Hemophilia is the oldest known uncommon genetic bleeding disorder that disrupts the blood clotting process. It is caused by the absence of a certain blood clotting factor in the blood. Prolonged bleeding may occur after sustaining injury or can happen spontaneously. A hemophilic has to be injected with the appropriate clotting factor on a prophylactic or demand basis to help control a bleeding episode, and each injection costs Rs 9,000. Replacement therapyof a deficient coagulation of factor VIII and IX are the safest available treatment options. We have been demanding free diagnosis and free treatment for patients with hemophilia at Government hospitals and today we have been successful in launching the first wellness centre for these patients. Thera-band exercises which are safe and effective, especially for home maintenance in the PWH are being incorporated in the rehabilitation regime.

PDEA seizes P.4M shabu in buy bust

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 04/27/2013 3:00 PM
Updated as of 04/27/2013 3:00 PM

MANILA, Philippines – Authorities nabbed a suspected member of a notorious drug syndicate during a buy-bust operation in Makati City last Thursday.

The arrest of Antonio Medina de Leon also led to the confiscation of P400,000 worth of shabu, according to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

PDEA Director General Undersecretary Arturo G. Cacdac, Jr. said De Leon, alias “Tony”, is a suspected member of the Morales Drug syndicate which operates in the cities of Pasay and Manila.

A poseur-buyer was able to meet De Leon in a pre-arranged transaction along H. Santos Street, Barangay Tejeros.

After the suspect received the buy-bust money in exchange for sachets of shabu, weighing approximately 92 grams, PDEA agents immediately swooped down on De Leon.

De Leon now faces charges for violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

File SALN before April 30, govt officials, employees reminded April 28, 2013 2:07pm

Malacañang on Sunday issued a last-minute reminder to public servants to file their Statements of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth (SALNs) on or before Tuesday, April 30.

Filing the SALNs on time is the “personal responsibility” of each government employee," she said on government-run dzRB radio.

Also, Valte said that in the case of the Office of the President, employees had been given a deadline of April 15, so a review committee can check how they filed their SALNs.

Review committees set up by individual government agencies and departments will check if the employees complied with the new guidelines of the Civil Service Commission in filing the SALNs.

“Dapat naibigay na sa review committee bago dumating ang deadline para matingnan nila (The employees should submit their SALNs to the review committees before the April 30 deadline),” she said.

Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman reminded public servants to file their SALNs by April 30.

Government officials and employees are to file SALNs within 30 days after assuming office, and on or before April 30, and within 30 days after their separation from government service.

Failure to do so may carry a suspension of up to six months for the first offense, and dismissal from the service for the second offense. — LBG, GMA News

Aussie woman raped at knife-point in Bali

BY:BY KARLIS SALNA, 
AAP SOUTH-EAST ASIA CORRESPONDENT 
From: AAP April 29, 2013 5:37PM

AN Australian woman assaulted as a knife was held to her throat during a violent robbery in Bali is believed to be the latest victim of a serial rapist.

The 28-year-old from Perth was attacked in the early hours of Saturday morning after being woken by an intruder who had entered her room at Villa Damais in Kerobokan where she was staying with family.

Details of the horrific assault emerged on Monday with the woman telling police she was first forced to open a safe in her room, before being raped while a knife was held to her throat.

The attack occurred as seven other members of her family, including children, slept in rooms inside the rented villa on the popular holiday island.

"The victim was then threatened with knife by the perpetrator," a spokesman with the North Kuta police, Reinhard Habonaran Nainggolan, told AAP.

"His right hand held the knife while his left hand held a flashlight.

"She was under threat of knife that she could not make a sound."

The woman was treated at a local hospital and returned to Perth with her family on Sunday.

Police said that the woman's description of her attacker matches that of a man believed to have carried out previous rapes.

A number of people were involved in the robbery.

"They entered the villa by jumping on to the wall," Mr Reinhard said.

Three iPads, two mobile phones and about Rp1.5 million ($A150) in cash were stolen.

It is the latest in a spate of violent incidents in an area of Bali popular with tourists, especially Australians.

In March, Mercedes Corby was bashed by a gang in Kuta as she returned home from a party.

The older sister of convicted drug smuggler Schapelle Corby needed minor surgery after suffering a broken nose and bleeding to the cornea during the assault.

NPA rebels torch equipment

By Annabelle L. Ricalde
 Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ABOUT 40 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) burned on Monday the equipment owned by the Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) and the mini-packing house of Agrinanas Development Corporation Inc., police said.

The rebels burned the Dole’s bulldozer and three backhoes used in the proposed banana plantation in sitio Tapon in Barangay Mat-I, Claveria town at 1:30 a.m. on Monday.

At 7:00 a.m. on the same day, the mini-packing house of Agrinanas Development Corp. Inc. in Libona, Bukidnon was also burned by at least 15 NPA rebels wounding an employee identified as Jewersky Revilla after he was reportedly shot.

Police Regional Office-Northern Mindanao (PRO-10) spokesperson Superintendent Ronnie Francis Cariaga said the rebels’ intent of burning the equipment is extortion and harassment to the company affecting agri-workers and employees.

“We could not find any other motives than extortion. That is really their aim and it has nothing to with the environment,” Cariaga told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro in an interview on Monday.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) condemned the NPA attacks as inhuman and a violation of human rights especially that employees of Agrinanas are non-combatants.

Edgar Nanolan, president of the Employees Union of Agrinanas Development Corp. Inc., has been worried over the burning of the mini-packing house in Libona, because the management has already warned to pull out its business and leave the area if the NPA attempts to attack its plantation.

Nanolan said the NPA rebels burned the equipment after Agrinanas didn’t respond to the demands of the armed group. He said the management informed him of the money the NPA allegedly demanded from the firm.

“The deadline they gave to the management was supposed to be on Sunday, so we were relieved nothing happened on that day, but they staged their attack today (Monday)” he added.

In a radio interview, Jorge ‘Ka Oris’ Madlos, NPA spokesperson, who confirmed that the NPA rebels were responsible for the incident, vowed to continue their operation until the companies stop their banana expansion and leave the area.a

PNoy vows arrest of NPAs in Guingona attack

MANILA (UPDATE) - President Benigno Aquino on Monday vowed that government troops will track down New People's Army (NPA) rebels who attacked a convoy carrying Gingoog Mayor Ruthie de Lara Guingona.

Guingona, wife of former Vice-President Teofisto Guingona Jr. and mother of Senator TG Guingona, suffered serious injuries but survived the attack.

"Nabalitaan naman po natin ang pag ambush kay Ruth Guingona," Aquino said in a speech in Misamis Oriental. "Nangangako po ako na sa abot ng ating kapangyarihan at kakayahan, at sa ngalan po ng batas, mananagot po ang dapat managot. Huhulihin at dadakipin po natin ang mga taong nasa likod ng karahasang ito."

Aquino also visited Guingona in a hospital where she is recuperating.

The 78-year-old Guingona went under the knife because of injuries sustained in a clash between members of the communist group and her police escorts.

Her son said she is still in pain after she suffered fractures in her arms and legs, as well as shrapnel wounds in different parts of the body.

Guingona was on her way home from a fiesta last night when they passed an NPA checkpoint.

Her 2 aides, brothers Nestor and Bartolome Velasco, were killed.

"They alleged that they fired upon my mother because my mother breached a policy of bringing arms in their checkpoint. The persons that were carrying the arms are members of Philippine National Police," Sen. Guingona said in a press statement.

"The New People’s Army has fired upon an elderly and innocent woman who is already bowing out of politics," he said.

"We would like to remind everyone in this country that there is only one government of the Republic of the Philippines. There is only one President who is in-charge in executing the laws of this land. That is President Noynoy Aquino. He is the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. And most importantly, he is the leader of this nation. No one has the right to usurp the laws of this country," he added.

Casiño blasts NPA attack

The attack has drawn wide condemnation, including criticism from left-wing senatorial candidate and former party-list lawmaker Teddy Casiño.

"I strongly criticize the New People’s Army’s military action on Mayor Ruthie Guingona’s convoy that resulted in the death and injury of civilians. What happened is wrong and unacceptable," he said. "Civilians, especially women and the elderly, should be spared from such actions."

"Although the NPA has admitted its mistake, we expect them to make a thorough investigation, hold those responsible to account, take remedial actions and make amends to the victims’ families," he added.

"My prayers go out to Mayor Guingona and for her speedy recovery. Likewise, I condole and offer my prayers to the families of her two companions who were killed," he said.

Palace: Don't give in to NPA demands

Malacañang also condemned the NPA attack and said the Armed Forces of the Philippines is ready to protect candidates from NPA threats.

Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda asked local politicians not to give in to demands of the NPA for protection money.

"The AFP is fully aware and they have taken steps also to ensure that the politicians are spared from all these permit-to-campaign," Lacierda said.

"Those in the local [campaign] can inform us and we let our AFP units go and make sure that there are no NPA checkpoints. This is not tolerated under this system of government," he added.

Lacierda said that the government remains committed to continue peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDF but said that the group should show its sincerity.

"It's obvious that the CPP-NPA-NDF is not interested in pursuing peace talks with us. Our position has been very, very clear. We are committed to resolving the internal armed conflicts peacefully. However, there seems to be disconnect between the Netherlands and the people on the ground," he said.

"So is it worth discussing peace with them? Certainly, we would like to pursue peace talks with them but the burden is on the CPP-NPA. If they want to do so, we will pursue peace with them. If they are not interested in pursuing peace then we will be prepared to defend our citizens." - with reports from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News; Primy Cane, ABS-CBN News Northern Mindanao

 ABS-CBNnews.com Posted at 04/22/2013 11:55 PM | Updated as of 04/23/2013 2:09 AM

Palace to NPA: Go ahead make our day

Wednesday, April 24, 2013
By:http://www.sunstar.com.ph/

MANILA -- "You wanna challenge us? Go ahead, make our day."

This was the challenge raised by Malacañang, through presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, to the communist New People's Army (NPA) who reportedly belittled the capability of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to enforce President Benigno Aquino III's order to crush the rebels' "checkpoints," which the government calls as roadblocks.

Lacierda said that the government forces have intensified their operations against the illegal activities of the NPA, including the setting up of roadblocks to extort money from local candidates.

Aquino has ordered the dismantling of NPA roadblocks after the rebels' ambush on the convoy of Gingoog Mayor Ruth de Lara Guingona who was hurt in the incident. The mayor's police escort was also injured while her two civilian supporters were killed when her convoy did not stop at the guerrillas’ roadblock in the city.

Lacierda said that the AFP has moved a Marine battalion to Misamis Oriental to pursue the perpetrators in the attack.

He said that the Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA is now considered a bandit group.

"The CPP-NPA was borne out of legitimate grievances in the past. They have now been reduced to a bandit group," he said.

Since it is now election season, he also said that the rebels are now engaged on "attention grabbing," because "this is the time for them to earn money" through the permit to campaign.

Lacierda said that the Aquino administration is always committed to hold peace negotiation with the rebels. But it is the Maoist group which shut its door to pursue the peace process.

"There is no ongoing peace process. We have committed to talk to them, they have refused to talk to us," he said.

Those rebels who just went to the mountains because of the disillusionment on the past administrations could now return to the folds of law because the current government has changed, he said.

"This administration is committed to making --- ensuring that you will have a better life. And so come down from the mountains. Who doesn't want peace?" Lacierda said. (SDR/Sunnex)

Drilon on Comelec resolution on polls: Don’t shoot the messengers

 By Cathy Yamsuan Philippine Daily Inquirer
Wednesday, April 24th, 2013  |  12:17 pm

MANILA, Philippines — Team PNoy campaign manager Senator Franklin Drilon welcomes the resolution of the Commission on Elections requiring survey firms to reveal the political parties and other interested individuals who commission or subscribe to their reports.

“This is for the sake of transparency.  however, we should not be shooting the messengers, they are just carrying the message. We have to learn from the message,” Drilon said in a news conference at the Liberal Party headquarters in Makati City.

Drilon shot down speculations that results regularly released by the Social Weather Station, Pulse Asia and other surveyors could be manipulated.

“These firms have more to lose uf they do that. Remember that political (clients) are only a small portion of those who commission or subscribe. They just happen to be more prominent at this time,” he said.

Drilon added that survey firms rely more on private businesses seeking feedback on products.

This community, he said, was sensitive to consumer feedback and would not tolerate such manipulation.

Dynasty, RH stand crucial for Senate bets

By Amando Doronila
 Philippine Daily Inquirer 
12:29 am | Monday, April 29th, 2013  

CEBU CITY—Sharp exchanges punctuated the debate among the senatorial candidates on what to do to implement the constitutional ban on political dynasties, the topic of the third and final episode of the Inquirer Senate Forum here on Friday.

The exchanges crystallized the public’s strong sentiment against the domination of Philippine politics by a few but influential and powerful families. The question that surfaced is whether the next Senate will push legislation to give teeth to the constitutional ban.

The intensity of the debate showed that political dynasties are one of the most contentious issues in the May 13 midterm elections, along with the controversial reproductive health (RH) law that has put the Catholic Church in a collision course with the Aquino administration, which backed the measure in Congress.

Their stand on the two issues would either make or break the 33 senatorial candidates’ political fortunes, as indicated by the public’s reaction to them in the three episodes of the Inquirer Senate Forum (the first was held in the University of the Philippines in Diliman and the second in Baguio City).

The three forums tapped into the vein of the views of the senatorial candidates, as the winners will be the policymakers who will shape the national agenda, including political dynasties, the RH law, the economy, poverty, education and taxes.

Social cross-section

The eight candidates, who took part in the Cebu forum, represented a cross-section of society—incumbent office holders, those seeking reelection, and the NGO (nongovernment organizations) sector, with no financial base to fund a campaign, unlike the candidates from political families who had ample resources.

In a way, the candidates from the NGO sector who are seeking electoral support are pitting themselves against the resources of the embedded political families. What are their chances against the goliaths of the dynastic families?

Although they are fighting an uphill battle, the aspiring “outsiders,” the Inquirer forums have found, are rich in ideas and have much to offer to the voters. They can, if elected, democratize the social base of the Senate.

A sort of consensus emerged in the Cebu forum, i.e., there was a need to level the playing field by bringing down the prohibitive costs of electoral campaigning, especially of political advertising.

Independent senatorial candidate Teddy Casiño opened fire on the dynasty issue. After a stint in the House, representing the Left in Philippine politics, Casiño appeared to have already acquired the airs of a veteran senator when he pointed out that he had authored several antidynasty bills, but none of them went to the plenary “because of opposition from lawmakers belonging to big political families.”

Second-degree

Using his own definition of political dynasty, Casiño said the wife, children, parents and siblings—or second-degree relatives—should not be allowed to run for the post being vacated by an outgoing elected official. Singling out Aurora Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara, Casiño said, “There are other families who have young and budding politicians.”

Angara is running for the Senate as a candidate of the administration’s Team PNoy, led by President Aquino himself, scion of the country’s most powerful dynasty, which has produced two presidents (the incumbent and his mother, former President Cory Aquino).

Casiño lamented the fate of the antidynasty bills being killed in Congress. How can the bills be reported out to the floor after the President has stubbornly refused to certify them as urgent legislation?

Angara replied that Casiño’s definition does not apply to him because his father, outgoing Sen. Edgardo Angara, is retiring in June after serving in the Senate for 24 years. “Everyone must be given equal opportunity to serve,” the younger Angara said. But voters, he said, should not elect him because of his family name but because of his track record.

The six other candidates in the forum were former Bukidnon Rep. Juan Miguel Zubiri of the opposition United Nationalist Alliance, Bro. Eddie Villanueva of Bangon Pilipinas, Rizalito David of Ang Kapatiran Party, Mary Grace Poe of Team PNoy, Samson Alcantara of the Social Justice Society, and independent Ricardo Penson.

Charter definition

According to Alcantara, there is no need to define what a political dynasty is because the Constitution is clear that “political dynasties are prohibited, whether they are good or bad.”

David and Penson agreed that the Constitution had already sufficiently defined what a political dynasty was. But they pointed out that the constitutional prohibition had not been implemented because the electorate had kept on voting the wrong officials into office.

Villanueva reiterated his earlier position that no one should be discriminated against in serving the country through the government because of his or her family name, so long as he or she is competent and of good moral standing.

A religious leader, Villanueva has a son, Joel, who is chief of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, a government agency.

Casiño, David, Penson and Alcantara, a lawyer, are against political dynasties.

Zubiri made a pitch for a broad public health care system subsidized by the state. He belongs to a political family in Bukidnon. He is the son of Bukidnon Gov. Juan Zubiri Jr. and the younger brother of Bukidnon Rep Jose Ma. Zubiri III. He contended that there are scions of political clans who have excelled and surpassed the performance of their parents and grandparents.

Underrepresented

Zubiri took pains to point out that his region, Mindanao, is grossly underrepresented on the two main contending tickets. It is represented only by him and Sen. Aquilino Pimentel III of the dynasty founded by former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Dynastic lineage runs across interlocking party lines. None of the two alignments can claim superiority in being able to push antidynasty legislation in the next Congress. Both are blighted on this issue.

There is no more ironic setting for the third Inquirer Senate forum than Cebu. As the campaign heated up, I observed that the walls in the city were plastered with election posters that carried the pictures of candidates from Cebu’s political dynasties.

Among the cities or ethnic regions of the country, Cebu has the most political dynasties. The posters carry the names of families that have ruled the region since the turn of the 20th century—the Osmeñas, Duranos, Garcias, Sottos and Cuencos.

According to a study by Bobby Tuazon of the Center of People Empowerment in Governance, 94 percent of the provinces (73 out of a total of 80) have political dynasties. The average number of political families per province is 2.31. Cebu accounts for at least six. Whether the density of dynasties has made Cebu more democratic and more economically progressive is an issue that calls for further academic research.