FVR Welcomes the New Year
Congress in a Gridlock over National Budget
1998 Presidential Aspirants
Jalosjos Lawyers Warned Against Coddling a Wanted Man
Review of Vinculado Murder Case Petitioned
Old Philippine Coins Phased Out
FVR Orders Subic Bay Port Rebidding
Growth in Investments Seen
President Ramos promises to make fighting crime and electoral reform his main agenda in 1997. The president today gave a recap of the past year's victories, which weren't his alone. He cited the peace pact that was signed with the MILF, the successful hosting of the APEC summit, the 7.1 percent increase of the country's GNP, an 8.7 percent decrease in the inflation rate, and an all-time unemployment low since 1992.
According to President Ramos, "we no longer should be satified with leapfrogging, for others are leapfrogging too. Our aim should be to pole vault over those who are merely leaping into the 21st century." Despite the president's victories, however, he was careful not to forget other tasks at hand. He has waged a war against criminality , vowed to wipe out poverty, and promised to reconcile with other rebel groups." The president says the modernization of the electoral process is also a top priority for his administration's last 18 months. He says we tarnish our image in the eyes of the world each time we falter when counting the ballots.
But the president warned against complacency, reminding Filipino citizens all that 33 percent of their countrymen remain below the poverty line. He appealed to the nation to strive instead towards surpassing its achievements in 1996.
Congress in a Gridlock over National Budget
Budget Secretary Salvador Enriquez will meet leaders of the lower house tomorrow to discuss problems in the budget bill. Today's emergency cabinet meeting only re-affirmed the obvious: the government needs a new budget, and fast. Meanwhile, no new projects can be implemented until one is passed. But then, the lawmakers may not get any pork either.
Enriquez hopes this will scare the congressmen even if Malacañang officials say President Ramos won't be asserting his influence yet. But Ramos may soon have to if he wants to break the budget deadlock. The Senate wants to reduce the countrywide development fund, while the House wants to remove the senate's 9 billion peso insertion.
According to Speaker Jose de Venecia: "its the hypocrisy of it all that makes me and every one of our leaders sad, because public opinion is clearly against it." But leaving it to the bicameral conference committee could stall the passage even further. The next time House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rolando Andaya will meet with his counterpart, Senator Ernesto Herrera, is on Monday. Andaya says that "you have to realize that the budget consists of 1,600 pages. We have to go page by page because the Senate has introduced ammendments in practically all departments of government. The last time Congress had a budget impasse was in 1991, but last year's controversy over the pork barrel has made legislators more cautious, especially with the next election just 17 months away.
1998 Presidential Aspirants
Vice President Joseph Estrada says he's been a spare tire for too long, and Speaker de Venecia rules out a split in the LAKAS party over its candidate in 1998.
It started with Miriam Santiago's fearless forecast: a three-cornered fight in 1998 between herself, Estrada, and Ramos's annointed one, whom Santiago personally believes is de Villa. In reply, de Villa says that he is available, but thinks it will be presumptious of him to say he is the candidate of the President. The Vice President, on the other hand, didnt find it amusing that Santiago forecasted that he would settle to be the running mate of Ramos's candidate.
What of the other potential candidates? Another aspirant who resents being relegated to the status of running mate is Senator Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Senate President Ernesto Maceda does not figure prominently in any of the teamups, but he's not one to withhold his own speculations.
Nevertheless, the presidential election is still a good seventeen months away, which makes the situation fluid and open to speculation.
Jalosjos Lawyers Warned Against Coddling a Wanted Man
The NBI and the PNP are on a race for who gets Congressman Romeo Jalosjos first. The court issued the warrant for his arrest for two counts of statutory rape more than a week ago, and Malacañang has berated the police for failing to make an arrest.
Presidential Legal Counsel Renato Cayetano warned the lawyers of Jalosjos today that they too could be arrested for coddling a wanted man. NBI agents have been staking out the Pacific Place Condominium in Pasig for two days now, but there is still no trace of Jalosjos. Director Toledo says his agents could barge into any of the 500 units and look for Jalosjos, but they're giving the congressman more time to turn himself in.
Speaker Jose de Venecia has also appealed to Jalosjos to surrender. Meanwhile, Interior Secretary Robert Barbers says it's possible Jalosjos may be hiding somewhere else. The NBI can't say for how long they plan to stake out the Pasig condominium, but they're not leaving without Jalosjos or the certainty that he is not there.
Review of Vinculado Murder Case Petitioned
With help from the Solicitor General's Office, the Justice Department today petitioned the Supreme Court for a review of the Vinculado murder case, particularly the acquittal of San Ildefonso Mayor Honorato Galvez. Government prosecutors believe that Quezon City Judge Tirso Velasco made a mistake when he did not appreciate the evidence used in the case, specifically the bullets taken from the victims. The justice department says it is not guilty of double jeopardy, because what they are asking for is a review and not a re-trial.
Senator Teofisto Guingona says the petition is based on American Court Decisions that were overturned by the US supreme court. Since Philippine Jurisprudence is generally based on the American Legal System, Guingona hopes their petition will be successful.
While the petition was filed, the Vinculado family and their supporters staged a prayer rally outside the Supreme Court building. The petition is their last chance to put Galvez behind bars.
Old Philippine Coins Phased Out Subject: COIN CONFUSION Newscast: TWTONITE - Air Date: 01/02/97The first working day of the year was an unusually busy day for the Bangko Sentral. With old coins in circulation now demonitized, dozens of people are flocking to the Central Bank to trade their old coins for new ones. The Bangko Sentral says that beginning today, old coins can no longer be used for transactions. Many stores and vendors, however, are still accepting the old coins just to avoid getting into arguments, and also because they themselves still don't have new ones.
There have been complaints that some banks are refusing to accept old coins. The Bangko Sentral urges the public to report banks that refuse to change their coins, and also called for a little patience with the changes. A BSP official says they started their information campaign in 1995, the same year the new coins were circulated.
For those asking why the 5-centavo and 1-centavo coins are back, the Bangko Sentral says that it's the businessmen who want them. Stores can now price goods 5-centavos cheaper, giving the illusion that merchandise is cheaper at their establishments. Also, with smaller denominations now available, consumers should expect be given their change, no matter how insignificant.
FVR Orders Subic Bay Port RebiddingPresident Ramos has ordered that a fresh bidding be held for the Subic Bay container port project that the SBMA awarded to a unit of Hongkong's Hutchison Whampoa last year. This came after losing bidder ICTSI protested against the outcome of the bid. In a letter, the President told SBMA Chairman Richard Gordon to conduct a re-bidding and give all interested parties the opportunity to qualify and participate. The letter from President Ramos also states that the terms of reference in the tender document were found to have been disregarded by the SBMA Bids and Awards committee. The letter also orders Cairman Gordon to refrain from signing the contract with Hutchison Ports Philippines. SBMA rejected the ICTSI original bid on the grounds that it would violate a law banning monopolies in the port industry. ICTSI operates the Manila International Container port, which handles 70 percent of the country's container traffic. Analysts are concerned that the bidding row could taint the country's privatization program in the eyes of foreign investors, who have often complained requirements were changed after bids opened. Executive Secretary Ruben Torres, though, says a re-bid is the fairest, most acceptable and legally defensible solution to the impasse.
Growth in Investments Seen
More investments are pouring into our national economic zones. The newly-formed RFM Properties and Holdings, a unit of RFM corporation, will be joining hands with the Science Park of the Philippines to develop a 133-hectare economic zone in Laguna. The development is expected to cost P1.6 billion and will be finished by the year 2000. Among the major shareholders of science park are the Phil-Am Life Insurance Group and Far East Bank.
At least P475 billion are likely to be invested in new and ongoing projects in the country. The figure is the overall target of government investment promotion agencies, the Board of Investments, the Philippine Economic Zone Authority, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority, and the Securities and Exchange Commission. This year, the BOI attracted P395 billion worth of projects--surpassing its P380 billion target. Trade and Industry Undersecretary Melito Salazar says they will use the newly created industry development council to help develop industries by increasing production productivity and value added in key sectors.
The IDC will initially focus on emerging export producers like fresh fruits, footwear, leather goods, rubber, and coco-chemicals. Government will also promote industries on the verge of becoming export earners, like pulp and paper, packaging and petrochemicals.