Realignment of Palace pork barrel in the works - Malaya 08.30.2006

BY REGINA BENGCO

BUDGET Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. yesterday said the Senate and Malacañang are working on the restoration of P31 billion in alleged Palace pork in the proposed P1 trillion budget by realigning the funds to line agencies.

He said Senate finance committee chair Manuel Villar is open to the realignment of the funds into the budgets of the health department and to state colleges and universities.

He said the realignment could be made during bicameral conference committee deliberations.
He said the P5 billion Kilos Asenso Support Fund and the P3.69 billion Kalayaan Barangay Program Fund are not pork barrel.

He said the Kilos Asenso Support Fund, which was conceptualized by the National Economic and Development Authority, seeks to create jobs, livelihood, and infrastructure.
He said the Kalayaan Barangay Fund involves the construction of roads, schools, water systems, electric lines and medical clinics in around 600 barangays.

The Kalayaan Barangay and Kilos Asenso funds were scrapped by the Senate even as it approved P77.8 billion in lump-sum appropriations tucked in the proposed budget.
The Senate likewise junked the Compensation Adjustment Fund worth P13.1 billion, which senators said is already contained in a proposed supplemental budget.

Most of the lump-sum items remained intact with only two items suffering cuts. These were the Department of Education-School Building Program, which suffered a P1 billion cut to P2 billion and the Pension and Gratuity Fund which suffered a cut of P9 billion to P43 billion.
The lump-sump items without cuts were: Calamity Fund, P7 billion; Contingent Fund, P8 billion; E-Government Fund, P1 billion; International Commitments Fund, P1.9 billion; and, Miscellaneous Personnel Benefits Fund, 8.776 billion; Internal Revenue Allotment, P166.466 billion; Municipal Development Fund, P105.4 million; Barangay Officials Death Benefits Fund, P37 million; Metropolitan Development Authority, P1.092 billion; Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, P450 million; and, Premium Subsidy for Indigents under the National Health Insurance, P2.9 billion. – With Dennis Gadil

Wrong manner, wrong reasonsfor Cha-cha’ - Malaya 08.30.2006

BY DENNIS GADIL

FORMER Vice President Teofisto Guingona yesterday said charter change by any form should be held only when the nation is at peace and its people and its leaders have stopped bickering.

"I believe (that) when the head of the family is charged with many offenses and when one of the children proposes to remodel the house, it would not be conducive," Guingona told the Senate committee on revision of laws and code which is conducting hearings on proposed bills providing for a people’s initiative law.

He said: "Cha-cha is being proposed in a wrong manner and for the wrong reasons and I would like to stress the wrong manner."

Guingona said the country is not in the mood for charter change.

"Not now when the people are divided," he said.

The former vice president said the 1935 and 1987 Constitutions were drafted and adopted during tranquil times.

"The 1935 Constitution came into being when the nation was at peace, without too much bickering," he said.

He said the situation was similar when in 1987 the nation, after ousting Ferdinand Marcos, settled down to ponder and approve a new constitution.

He said charter change now would further divide the country.

Guingona, however, was cut short by committee chair Sen. Richard Gordon who advised him to limit his statements on the three proposed bills on people’s initiative.

Guingona said he will submit a written comment of the three proposed measures.

The Gordon committee called the hearing on three bills filed by Miriam Defensor-Santiago, Loi Ejercito-Estrada and Gordon providing for an enabling law on people’s initiative.

Congress has yet to pass an enabling law after the Supreme Court ruled that RA 6735 or the Referendum and Initiative Law is an inadequate vehicle to flesh out the constitutional provision on people’s initiative.

Members of the panel and resource speakers could not agree on what constitutes an amendment or a revision.

People’s initiative is limited to proposing amendments but not revisions.

Sen. Rodolfo Biazon said his understanding is that a change in the carter constitutes a revision.

Salvador Carlota, dean of the UP College of Law, said calling for a shift to parliamentary and for the abolition of the Senate should be classified as a revision.

"People’s initiative can’t be used to revise the Constitution," said.

Solicitor General Eduardo Antonio Nachura said a revision could contain many amendments.

"Amendments could mean a change of an entire article (of the Constitution)," Nachura said.

Nachura said reversing the regalian doctrine and empowering Congress to restructure the bureaucracy, for example, "should be treated as mere amendments and not a revision."

He said the current definitions on what is an amendment and a revision "could stand a little change, little modification."

EN BANC HEARING

Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos Sr. set an en banc hearing tomorrow to tackle the petition.

"We have already discussed the matter even without the petition. The issues have long been there," he said.

He said he is inclined to submit the petition for resolution within two days.

Sigaw ng Bayan spokesman Raul Lambino said the Comelec should immediately come up with a decision.

He said that should the Comelec dismiss the petition, Sigaw ng Bayan and Ulap will elevate the issue to the Supreme Court.

Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman clarified that what he urged the Comelec to do was to resolve the petition on people’s initiative.

Lagman on Monday said the Comelec should test the injunction before the Supreme Court.
Lagman has said that there are legal constraints in the petition because the Supreme Court injunction. – With Czeriza Valencia and Regina Bengco

UN gives RP accessto P800M for cleanup Palace says no sacred cows in oil spill probe - Malaya 08.28.2006

THE United Nations has offered the Philippines access to $16 million (P800 million) in regional environmental funds for the cleanup of the Guimaras oil spill, the worst to hit the country and which President Arroyo declared a national calamity on Friday.

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) said it is providing financial and technical assistance, through the environment department, to help consolidate the ongoing damage assessments leading to damage claims by the community and the rehabilitation of affected ecosystems in Guimaras.

It is also providing immediate relief assistance such as alternative livelihood support for the locals.

The International Maritime Organization (IMO), which executes the $16 million regional program Partnerships for Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia, has also provided information and technical assistance in relation to the oil spill containment and cleanup.

The UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) will provide emergency health kits, drugs, water purifying tablets and some tarpaulin.

In coordination with the DENR, UNDP conducted site assessment last week in preparation for its intervention. Continuing consultations will be conducted to better understand the concerns of the community, the NGOs and the local government, it said.

The Philippines is considered to be among the globally significant, biodiversity rich, countries in the world. For this reason, UNDP’s Environment Portfolio has invested decades and millions of dollars in the preservation of the Philippine’s natural environment.

UNDP is investing about $15 million in environment programs annually in the Philippines.
The Guimaras oil spill is viewed as a significant drawback to the country’s coastal and marine development agenda.

Some 11 towns and 3,487 families from Guimaras have already been affected by the oil spill in addition to 16 towns in Iloilo and 17 towns and cities in Negros Occidental.

A tanker chartered by Petron Corp., MT Solar 1, sank in heavy seas off Guimaras island on Aug. 11.

At least a 10th of its cargo of 2 million liters of bunker oil initially gushed out, polluting beaches and a marine park with black sludge, but there have also been signs of fresh leaks from the sunken tanker.

An alliance of people’s organizations, academic institutions, non-government organizations and public officials has sent a communiqué to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) expressing its plan to file a case against government, Petron Corp. and tanker owner Sunshine Maritime Development Corp. for the oil spill.

The alliance calling itself Save Our Seas, Save Our Lives (SOS) said the victims of the oil spill are "growing in numbers and have been agonizing by the day" because of the damage to livelihood wrought by the disaster.

Andy Salatan, Chemistry professor at the University of the Philippines and spokesman of the scientists’ group Agham, said SOS is gathering data and documenting the situation to support the case to be filed before the UNHRC.

The data gathering is being conducted through member organizations in Guimaras and Iloilo like Pamalakaya and Madia-as Ecological Movement,

Frances Quimpo of the group Kalikasan-People’s Network for the Environment said they are filing the case because they are "alarmed by the slow and inadequate response the national government has been giving to the environmental catastrophe."

Salatan said, "At the rate things are going here, we might be ending up with a whitewash and token gestures for relief and clean up, so much like the past disasters we had."

SOS, formed this month, identified three major tasks for the alliance – coordinate relief generation and distribution efforts, monitor economic and environmental rehabilitation, as well as sustain quest for justice for crimes on the environment and the people.

Malacañang said there would be no sacred cows in the ongoing investigations on the oil spill.
Cabinet secretary Ricardo Saludo said President Arroyo wants those responsible brought to justice and authorities would leave no stone unturned in their probe.

Arroyo over the weekend named Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez as the newest member of task Force Guimaras chaired by Defense Secretary Avelino Cruz.

The President said the inclusion of the DOJ aims to ensure that aside from a full investigation aimed at determining the cause of the incident, those who are responsible would be prosecuted.

Other members of the Task Force are Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes, Health Secretary Francisco Duque, Transportation Secretary Leandro Mendoza, Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Coast Guard chief Vice Adm. Arthur Gosingan.

Arroyo inspected the spill on Saturday. She is scheduled to fly to Guimaras again today and stay there overnight to make sure her instructions are carried out.

The President during her visit ordered government agencies involved, Petron Corp., and the owner of the sunken MT Solar 1 to speed up the cleanup.

Senate President Manuel Villar over the weekend said the Senate would rush the approval of a special fund for the cleanup.

"I would immediately file a proposal creating a special fund to address this crisis, similar to the fund allocated for the Lebanon repatriation," said Villar who visited the island last weekend. "I believe the Senate will have no objection to its passage."

Villar said the special fund could be inserted in the Malacañang-proposed P46.4 billion supplemental budget awaiting approval by both chambers.

He said the oil spill special fund would not be limited to Guimaras but would be tapped and replenished periodically by the Senate for future oil spills.

"We can’t give an exact amount yet since we would also want to know how much the guilty parties like Petron and the government would shell out," he said.

He warned that once the Senate names the amount that it could appropriate, this could be used by as an excuse to become stingy.

"They might say, ‘O meron na pala from Congress, bakit pa kami magbibigay," Villar said.
He said they will come out with the amount after their hearings on the oil spill. The hearing starts today.

"Magbayad ang dapat mag-bayad. Hangga’t maari, huwag sanang masyadong magastusan ang gobyerno dito," he said.

Former Guimaras Gov. Emily Lopez said it would take hundreds of millions to fully rehabilitate the oil-stricken coastal areas and waters off the island and millions more to bring the back the livelihood lost.

She said the cost per drum of the cleaning detergent used to restore the luster of blackened sand is P80,000. A more sophisticated cleaning agent costs P540,000 a drum.
She said the cleanup last years.

Lopez said the damage to tourism, fishing and agriculture would impact adversely in the coming years.

She said provincial leaders are emotionally devastated because the province has just earned the top prize as one of the "ecologically protected" areas in the world. – Reinir Padua, Jocelyn Montemayor and Dennis Gadil

OWWA made money on Smokey Mountain: Biazon - Malaya 08.25.2006

SEN. Rodolfo Biazon yesterday said the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration did not lose money in its investment in the Smokey Mountain project of R-II Builders and the National Housing Authority and instead increased its initial investment of P459 million to around P1.3 billion to P1.4 billion.

He said the agency actually invested well by negotiating a higher interest for its investment at 8.5 percent a year which allowed it to earn more than P800 million in just 10 years.
Biazon said the big loser in the Smokey Mountain project after R-II Builders defaulted at the maturity of the loans the bankrolled the project was the Home Guaranty Corp. which provided the insurance cover on the OWWA investment. HGC has been paying out some P80 million and P90 million a year to OWWA to represent the agency’s interest earnings from the Smokey Mountain project. – Dennis Gadil

Who’s afraid of Erap life docu? - Malaya 08.24.2006

SEN. Jose "Jinggoy" Estrada yesterday said no amount of censorship or X-rating could prevent his family from releasing a 57-minute documentary on the life of President Joseph Estrada.

The neophyte senator was reacting to the decision of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board to give an X-rating to the documentary for supposedly containing anti-government propaganda.

Under an X-rating, a movie is deemed unfit for public exhibition.

Estrada denies this. "It features the life story of President Erap and how he became president," he said.

"Ang Buhay Para sa Masa" which was produced by Public Asia Inc., features the deposed leader’s childhood, school days, his showbiz career and his ascendancy to the presidency.

"Pamimigay natin ’yung CD sa mga tao. Wala namang bawal doon at saka hindi naman pirated ’yun," he said.

He said the move of MTRCB was not surprising.

He said Malacañang would do all it could to prevent the truth from coming out.
"Siguro, dahil lahat ng nasa CD ’yung nakalagay doon ay nangyayari sa ating bansa so walang dapat katakutan," he said.

Estrada lawyer Rufus Rodriguez said they will ask for the board to reconsider its decision.

He said the board has scheduled a second viewing on the controversial film.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said an X-rating is not limited to materials with extreme violence or explicit sex.

Ermita, a member of the board, said when they crafted the criteria used by the MTRCB in its review and classification functions, they stated that there should be a moral and redeeming value in the theme or story of the submitted material.

He said this lack of "moral and redeeming value" could be one of the factors which the MTRCB considered in giving an X-rating to the documentary.

"Hindi natin alam ang storyline at ang criteria na sinusunod ng MTRCB but because former President Estrada is a political figure, siguro it cannot be helped if people will think siguro binubuweltahan siya or something. It’s not true. It’s just the action of the MTRCB," he added. – Dennis Gadil and Jocelyn Montemayor

Memo 108 a resurrected EO 464: Joker - Malaya 08.23.2006

SEN. Joker Arroyo yesterday said Malacañang has resurrected the "dead" Executive Order (EO) 464 through the issuance of Memorandum Circular 108 which practically empowers public officials to ignore any summons to a congressional probe.

"It is all-encompassing, promulgated for the guidance of all officials and employes of the Executive Branch, meaning from cabinet members down to the lowest ranking employe in the Executive Branch of the government; and from the 4-star general to the lowest buck private in the uniformed services," Sen. Arroyo, chair of the blue ribbon committee, said in a privilege speech.

He said MC 108 was issued by Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita "by authority of the President."

Sen. Arroyo gave his colleagues a copy of the memorandum, which was essentially a re-hash of EO 464 that has been ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court early this year.

EO 464 barred public officials from appearing in congressional probes without the explicit consent of President Arroyo.

The new Palace memorandum instructs cabinet officials summoned by either chamber to ask for a 15-day grace period, the specific questions that would be asked during the hearing, and the law or proposed measure for which the inquiries are being made "in aid of legislation."

The order also entitles the President to "consider whether the subject matter of the inquiry is in aid of legislation and or falls within the scope of executive privilege."

Sen. Arroyo said the order defies the ruling of the Supreme Court on the matter. "Instead of adhering to the SC ruling, Malacañang responded with what amounts to a declaration of war - MC 108 - which mutilates the meaning of the high court’s ruling," he said. "It is as if the President won and the Senate lost in the EO 464 case, a display of arrogance and disregard for constitutional niceties.

"This is a plain and simple fabrication of Malacañang. A Berlin Wall to immunize all executive officials from the reach of legislative inquiries, in breach of the Constitution," he stressed.

Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago said the Palace directive should be "taken out and shot two times." She said a shot must be fired every time Malacañang invokes the order.

Sen. Panfilo Lacson said the Palace directive is a "serious" matter that deserves serious discussions by the Senate. His proposal for a Senate caucus was approved. – Dennis Gadil

Villar to issue show-cause letters to no-show execs - Malaya 08.22.2006

MEMBERS of the Cabinet and officials of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration who have twice snubbed a Senate inquiry will be asked to explain why they should not be cited for contempt and be subject of an arrest warrant, Senate President Manuel Villar said yesterday.

The Senate committee on labor chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada initiated the issuance of subpoenas against the officials involved in repatriation efforts in Lebanon after they failed to attend the first hearing.

The probe stemmed from a resolution filed by Sen. Richard Gordon criticizing the snail-paced efforts of government, through OWWA, to release repatriation funds for distressed workers.

Aside from OWWA’s Marianito Roque, other officials who were earlier subpoenaed by the Senate were Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., Philippine Overseas Employment Administration chief Rosalinda Baldoz and Ricardo Blancaflor, undersecretary of the Office of the Executive Secretary.

The officials, through Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, begged off from the first hearing, saying they were in the thick of operations to bring home the Filipinos endangered in Lebanon.

Ermita also asked the Estrada panel to send the Palace a list of possible questions that would be asked during the hearing.

Villar issued subpoenas after seeing the same public officials holding a press conference in Malacañang on the same day of the hearing.

In the second hearing, the same officials led by Roque also did not show up.

But the same officials attended the budget briefing on Malacañang’s proposed P46.9 billion supplemental budget.

Villar said the "show cause" directive is "just a routinary matter na sa tingin ko ay hindi masama (at) para hindi masabi na basta-basta kami nag-i-issue ng warrant of arrest."

Under a "show cause" order, respondents are directed to explain why they did not ignored the subpoena and why they should not be ordered arrested by the Senate.

"Gusto naming may proseso at (para) masabi na lahat binigyan ng pagkakataon na magpaliwanag at bigyan ng sapat na panahon na masagot at dapat sagutin nila," he said.

Villar said the Senate is also being cautious in issuing arrest warrants because there is a chance this would be ignored by the executive branch.

"Alam natin lahat ng kapag nag-decide na mag-issue ng warrant of arrest, ito’y malamang tutulan at di ma-implement so, pupunta na kami sa korte," he said.

He said it is important that the Senate have a strong "legal position" on the issue before it issues an arrest warrant. – Dennis Gadil

Cops barred from arresting Jinggoy over Mike’s libel case Battling Lou Gehrig's disease - Malaya 08.17.2006

BY DENNIS GADIL

A TEAM of policemen dispatched by a Pasay court yesterday tried to arrest Sen. Jinggoy Estrada at the Senate in connection with a libel case filed against him by Mike Arroyo, the President’s husband.

Estrada, in a privileged speech minutes after the session opened at around 4 p.m., said the move was part of Malacañang’s "incessant efforts and vicious attempts to silence, harass, and intimidate this representation."

"Hours ago, elements of Pasay City police came here, to this very august chamber, to serve the warrant of arrest against this representation, as if I were a common criminal. The police came here to arrest this representation upon special instructions from Malacañang," Estrada said.

The policemen, some in civilian clothes, arrived at around 2 p.m. Senate President Manuel Villar, Senate sergeant-at-arms Brig. Gen. (ret.) Jose Balajadia and other Senate security officials faced the arresting team.

Estrada remained inside his office on the 5th floor.

Estrada said the libel case stemmed from statements he made during a budget hearing last January that Mike Arroyo was the protector of siblings Vicky and Tomas Toh, who are suspected smugglers. Vicky was linked to Arroyo by Sen. Panfilo Lacson in his Jose Pidal exposés three years ago.

The case was filed about three months ago.

Estrada said Villar could attest that the arrest order had the blessings of Malacañang. The arrest warrant was dated Aug. 16, 2006 and signed by Pasay regional trial court Judge Wilhelmina Jorge Wagan.

"One of the police officers shot back at Senate President Villar and sergeant-at-arms Balajadia and said, ‘Pa’no po kung tawagin kami ng Malacañang, ano po ang sasabihin namin?’" Estrada said.

"Maliwanag na nakikialam ang Malacañang para patahimikin ako," he added.

He said Article 6, Sec. 11 of the Constitution clearly provides that no member of the Senate and the House could be arrested for a crime punishable not more than six years while Congress is in session.

"But why have they come here to arrest this representation? Have they no respect for this venerable chamber? Have they no more respect for the Constitution?" he said.

Estrada said he will not hide.

"After the roll call, I will voluntarily submit myself to the Pasay regional trial court, and face the charges leveled against me," he said.

Estrada was set to post a P10,000 bail before the court closed, but he was convinced by some of his colleagues not to go the court yesterday.

Villar said Estrada is immune from arrest because the charge of libel carries an imprisonment of "prision correccional" which sets a maximum of six years.

"Pinauwi na namin ang pulis. Sinabi naming na hindi puwede yun. Pinakita namin ang Konstitusyon (na nagsasabing) talagang hindi puwede yon," Villar told reporters.

He said the brazen attempt of the Pasay police to arrest Estrada arrest shows a pattern of harassment against perceived enemies of Malacañang.

"Nakakagulat ang lakas ng loob nila (police). This is pure harassment. Isang katunayan na wala ng paggalang sa Senado as a democratic institution," Villar said.

Sen. Franklin Drilon said the attempt to arrest Estrada was "at the very least stupid."

"It’s unconstitutional. The attempt to arrest is contrary to the Constitution," he said.

Drilon said the judge who issued the arrest warrant is "ignorant of the Constitution."
"Congress is in session today so Senator Estrada enjoys immunity from arrest. To me, clearly this is political harassment," Drilon said.

Drilon said the case of Sen. Juan Ponce Enrile, who was arrested over charges of rebellion complex during the Aquino administration, was different.

Drilon was then justice secretary.

"The penalty imposed is more than six years... That is the distinction," he said.

Detained President Joseph Estrada said the attempt to arrest his son was "unjustifiable and unlawful."

In a statement, he said the botched arrest was a clear sign there would be no let-up in attempts to silence the opposition, including his son who is at the forefront of investigations into the OWWA fund mess.

"This is a warning to the opposition, that even illegal means will be used against them if they persist in their crusade for the truth. What happened yesterday clearly illustrates this policy, but I know my son well enough to know that even the most blatant form of intimidation will not stop him from ferreting out the truth," he said.

"We are aware of the backlog of cases before the courts, which makes the issuance of the warrant of arrest against Sen. Estrada even more suspicious and may lead others to believe that a double standard of justice truly exists in our country," he said.

RP reorganizes teams in Lebanon despite cease-fire - Malaya 08.17.2006

THE Philippine government amended its action plan and reorganized its rescue teams in Beirut to ensure that they would be able to get all overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) out of Lebanon despite the declaration of a ceasefire between Israel and the Hezbollah forces.

Foreign Affairs undersecretary for migrant workers Esteban Conejos Jr. said five teams have been formed to oversee the evacuation and repatriation of OFWs and to ensure that the six-point action plan drawn up by the government will be implemented.

Conejos said the action plan includes sending out roving rescue teams deep into southern Lebanon especially in Tyre and Sidon which had been inaccessible due to previous ground fighting; and the sending out of similar teams to the Bekaa Valley, the stronghold of the Hezbollah forces, which has been heavily bombed in the past month.

The five teams are codenamed Team Beirut, Team Tripoli, Team Sidon, Team Zahlé, and Team Syria composed of foreign service officers, labor attachés and welfare officers who would oversee the implementation of the action plan.

Philippine ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara would head Team Beirut and Team Tripoli which will scour and evacuate OFWs in Beirut and nearby suburbs, and in Tripoli and the northern part of Lebanon respectively.

Special envoy to the Middle East Roy Cimatu chairs Team Sidon which oversees the evacuation in the southern part of Lebanon like Tyre and Sidon, and Team Zahlé which oversee the operations in the Bekaa Valley including the cities of Zahlé and Baalbeck. Cimatu is assisted by Philippine ambassador to Kuwait Eric Endaya.

At least 300 OFWs are believed to be in Sidon and a couple of hundreds in Tyre while some 1,000 to 2,000 Filipinos are believed to have worked in the Bekaa Valley.

Team Syria is headed by foreign undersecretary Rafael Seguis who has also been named as overall coordinator in the ground. Seguis is assisted by Philippine ambassador to Baghdad Willie Cuyugan. Their team will oversee the repatriation of OFWs from Damascus.

Conejos said that despite President Arroyo’s directive to get all the remaining OFWs out, the final decision on whether to stay or go home would still be with the OFW. "The role of government is to be there, ready, willing and able to assist him if he decides to go," he said.

He said it is Congress’ call if it would pass a law making it mandatory for OFWs to follow a presidential order for mass evacuation in such a situation.

The Philippine government had to resort to a massive information campaign in Lebanon after some OFWs refused to heed the mass evacuation order of Arroyo issued on August 2. The OFWs either refused to go on their own citing that they feel safe and prefer to wait out the war while some are barred by their employers from leaving.

Some 450 more OFWs arrived around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Manila bringing the total of Lebanon returnees to 5,548.

Conejos said this is the 40th flight that carried OFWs out of Damacsus, where they were temporarily housed after evacuation from Lebanon started on July 20, or about a week after the first bombs fell in Lebanon on July 12. The first batch of OFWs arrived in Manila on July 23.

"We have not had a single day wherein we were not able to move our OFWs from Beirut to Damascus and Damacus down to the Philippines," he said dismissing a failing grade given by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines’ committee on migrant affairs.

Conejos said he does not know where the CBCP based its conclusion "but the fact of the matter is, one week after the start of this conflict, we were among the first countries to start.. our evacuation."

"In fact I think IOM, International Organization of Migration, was quoted as saying that among all the countries in Lebanon, the Philippines is one of the best in terms of the evacuations that we have conducted so I would rather that I respond to that conclusion by the CBCP with facts and figures which I just enumerated," he said.

He, however, admitted that the IOM which he described as the counterpart of the International Red Cross in migration, had been able to fly out more OFWs than the Philippine government as it uses a bigger airbus.

Conejos also dismissed criticisms after the government sought international assistance from the IOM and countries like the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, France and Spain. He said it is a normal international practice.

He added that the government is prepared to make public all its accounting books once the operation is over.

As to the statement of Senator Joker Arroyo that due to the government’s dependence on the IOM, they might not pass the additional P500 million standby fund for the Lebanon operation that the government included in the proposed supplemental budget, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said "It’s a matter of need."

Ermita said the evacuation had not been halted despite the ceasefire especially since "the violation of the ceasefire in that part of the world is much more the rule than exception." He added that he would not be surprised, that there might be some violation of the United Nations initiated ceasefire.

The Senate failed to act on the proposed P500 million standby fund yesterday after Sen. Franklin Drilon cancelled the scheduled hearing on House Bill 5679 which contains the P500-million appropriation passed by the Lower House Monday night.

The notice of cancellation was posted 11:30 a.m. Wednesday. The Senate holds sessions up to Wednesdays only.

OWWA administrator Marianito Roque, who rushed to the Senate to attend the aborted hearing, expressed disappointment at the hearing’s last-minute cancellation considering the amount of work still to be done. He said P170 million of OWWA funds had already been spent for the evacuation operations and they will continue to use OWWA money until the standby fund is approved. – Jocelyn Montemayor with Dennis Gadil

Duque: Philhealth used to boost Gloria 2004 chances - Malaya 08.15.2006

BY DENNIS GADIL

HEALTH Secretary Francisco Duque yesterday told senators that membership cards in the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) were distributed to gain "political points" for President Arroyo during the 2004 elections.

"It was distributed before, during and after the elections," Duque, who was PhilHealth chief in 2004, told the Senate committee on finance chaired by Sen. Franklin Drilon. Drilon’s panel was scrutinizing Malacañang’s proposed P46.4 billion supplemental budget.

Duque, who masterminded the transfer of P530 million Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration (OWWA) funds to PhilHealth, said he proposed the transfer to boost President Arroyo’s political stock.

"The transfer if successfully done could improve the President’s political capital and make her win some political points from OFWs who are allowed to vote," he said.

But Duque said PhilHealth cards were already being distributed as early as 2001, which continued up to 2004 and the present.

He said at least two million health cards were distributed to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) before and during the elections.

Sen. Jinggoy Estrada said the PhilHealth cards were given to "advance the election" of President Arroyo.

Estrada said the PhilHealth cards were given to all registered voters and that the health portfolio was Duque’s "reward" for authoring the mass distribution.

"No, I disagree," Duque shot back.

Estrada then produced a copy of the memorandum sent in 2002 by Duque recommending to President Arroyo that the OWWA funds be transferred to PhilHealth.

In the letter, Duque told President Arroyo that "the transfer will have a significant bearing on the 2004 elections."

Duque said the distribution of health cards was pursuant to Arroyo’s advocacy of advancing the cause of Filipino families.

Duque said the "political points" would come from the OFWs who would be voting for the first time under the Absentee Voting Law.

He reiterated that the transfer was also in compliance with Republic Act 7875 or the National Insurance Program Act, which seeks to unify all health care systems under one insurance agency, which was PhilHealth.

Duque said the transfer of funds was not in bulk but in tranches, with the last transfer "effected long after the elections."

Estrada said it does not matter when the transfer was consummated but the fact was that "PhilHealth cards were distributed during the elections."

Last week, Sen. Joker Arroyo said PhilHealth membership rose to 15.3 million by December 2004. There were 9.9 million PhilHealth members as of December 2003.

Sen. Arroyo said the sharp rise in membership is proof that the agency was used to boost the election of President Arroyo.

"Ibig sabihin nung big increase ’e dahil ginamit sa eleksyon," he said.

The figures were confirmed by PhilHealth senior vice president Melinda Mercado during a briefing on the supplemental budget by the Senate finance committee.

Joker to Palace: RestoreP2B cut to rights victims - 08.15.2006

SEN. Joker Arroyo yesterday demanded that Malacañang restore the P2 billion that it slashed from the original P10 billion allocation for human rights victims in a proposed measure that President Arroyo certified as urgent early this year.

"This is close to my cause. I want this answered," Arroyo told Cabinet officials led by Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. during a Senate briefing on the proposed P46.4 billion supplemental budget.

Arroyo said he was surprised to learn that after certifying as urgent the P10-billion measure that would benefit human rights victims, the President ordered it slashed to P8 billion. The amount would be taken from the recovered ill-gotten Marcos wealth.

The bill is pending in both chambers.

The senator said that during a committee of the whole session last January, then budget secretary Romulo Neri gave the assurance that this would be corrected and could be re-funded from the balance of P5 billion that would also be sourced from the Marcos wealth.

Andaya, however, said the P5 billion could not be realigned for the human rights victims since it was already earmarked for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

Senate finance chair Sen. Franklin Drilon said this was also his understanding.

"I will confirm this, your honor," Andaya said.

Arroyo, nevertheless, said he hoped that Andaya would honor the commitment made by Neri.

"I will honor it as long the Senate would approve P1 billion for the CARP this year," Andaya said.

He added: "We can also increase it to P10 billion but adding P2 billion would mean subtracting from the CARP."

An irked Arroyo said the CARP beneficiaries "did not suffer, did not die" during martial law to entitle them to the lion’s share of the recovered Marcos loot.

"They were not killed and tortured. Let’s be fair," Arroyo said. – Dennis Gadil

Budget chief says ‘no-el’ is dead - Malaya 08.10.2006

BUDGET Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr. yesterday assured senators, particularly those seeking re-election, that next year’s mid-term polls will be held as scheduled.

"Yes, elections will go on (next year)…in whatever form," he said, referring to the proposed shift from presidential to parliamentary.

He said Malacañang is looking forward to the 2007 elections and ensuring that funds will be available.

Andaya, who led a Cabinet team that appeared before the Senate finance panel, said the government needs P1.56 billion in supplemental budget to modernize the election process and prepare for the exercise.

Senators led by finance committee chairman Sen. Franklin Drilon and Sen. Edgardo Angara said the presence of the P1.56 billion "election outlay" in the supplemental budget proves that Malacañang has finally realized that the elections should proceed next year.

Sen. Miriam Defensor Santiago said the Comelec would need P250 million to prepare for the 2007 elections and another P1.31 billion to automate elections starting next year.

Santiago regarded the proposed Comelec outlay as one of the "meritorious items" in the proposal submitted by the Department of Budget and Management to the Senate.

Aside from the Comelec, other agencies asking for supplemental budgets are: DILG/DND, P4.86 billion; DILG, P1.43 billion; DepEd, P8.58 billion; DOTC, P3.25 billion; DSWD, P539 million; DAR, P4.49 billion; PHIC (Philhealth), P1.15 billion; GSIS, P3.3 billion; Employees Compensation Commission, P863 million; Home Development Mutual Fund, P372.5 million; and IRA, P14.8 billion. – Dennis Gadil

Philhealth membership spikes in 2004, drops sharply after - Malaya 08.10.2006

SEN. Joker Arroyo Jr. yesterday said a 50 percent increase in the membership of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) in 2004 is proof that the agency was used to boost the election chances of President Arroyo.

"Ibig sabihin ‘nung big increase, e dahil ginamit sa eleksyon," Arroyo said.

Arroyo said the Philhealth membership rose from 9.9 million families from May to a high of 15.3 million families by December 2004.

The figures were confirmed by Philhealth senior vice president Melinda Mercado during a briefing of the P46.4 billion supplemental budget by the Senate finance committee.

Mercado told senators the membership fell to 12 million as of July 2006.

Of the number, 2.49 million were considered indigents who could not afford to renew their coverage.

"The government does not care anymore after the elections," Arroyo said.

He said he expects the number to soar again with the 2007 elections approaching.

"Next year, tataas na yun" he said after the Senate briefing.

It was not clear when the sharp increase took place, whether before or after the May 11, 2004 elections.

"The point is the members grew after the 2004 elections," Arroyo said.

Sen. Juan Ponce said Philhealth should also prove to the Senate that it is really living up to its purpose.

"We want to find out if Philhealth really benefited the people, if the program is operating on the ground," he said.

"People in provinces are complaining that they could not even use it to buy medicines," Enrile added. – Dennis Gadil

Miriam: OWWA’s Smokey Mountain investment illegal - Malaya 08.09.2006

SEN. Miriam Defensor-Santiago yesterday insisted that the investment made by Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) in a Smokey Mountain project in 19095 was illegal and that President Fidel V. Ramos should be held liable.

Santiago said the investment itself was in violation of Department of Finance (DOF) circular, which instructs all government corporations to park their funds in government trust accounts and securities such as treasury bills and treasury notes.

She said Ramos should be investigated by the Senate labor committee to determine his criminal culpability, being the approving authority.
Commission on Audit (COA) resident auditor Gemiliano Maloles testified during Monday’s hearing on the "missing" OWWA funds that the welfare agency invested some P500 million in the Smokey mountain project, which was guaranteed by the state-owned Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC).

Maloles said the principal amount of P500 million has been returned to OWWA by HGC.

But he said some P500 million in interest earnings has yet to be collected.

Santiago, citing COA audit reports, said OWWA actually lent P563 million to the Smokey Mountain Project, which was undertaken by R-II Builders of businessman Reghis Romero.

She said the investment should have ballooned to P835 million in 1999 with an annual interest yield of 8.5 percent.

She also said OWWA has P550.86 million more to collect from HGC as accumulated interest based ion the 2004 COA report.

Santiago said the amount remains unpaid and, thus, resulted to losses on the part of the government.

"HGC defaulted in complying with its guarantee, and President Ramos failed to give a definite timeframe to fully settle this amount," she said.

She said Ramos approved the OWWA investment and the insurance cover given by HGC.

The Senate committee on labor has decided to refer the issuance of warrants of arrest on cabinet officials who boycotted Monday’s hearing to its
legal department. It was the second time that no government official attended the Senate hearing chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

The Senate panel is divided on the proposal with Senators Joker Arroyo and Bong Revilla calling for a halt in the probe until evacuation work in Lebanon is finished.

Estrada said the hearing would be practically suspended since no invitation to resource persons would be issued. – Dennis Gadil

Senators want perpetrators of nursing exam leakage punished - Malaya 08.09.2006

SENATORS Rodolfo Biazon and Richard Gordon yesterday said perpetrators of the alleged leakage in the nursing board examinations should be charged and punished before giving any serious thought to requiring the examinees to re-take the exams.

Biazon said a re-take will involve expenses on the part of the examinees which is unfair to those who passed without cheating.

Gordon, who favors a re-take, also said those who passed on their own merits should be treated fairly.

He said the retake could be confined to the set of questions that were reportedly leaked to chosen examinees.

"But the more important decision is to see to it that the people are punished because the whole world is watching us," he said. "Kung ang leakage nanggaling sa PRC, dapat mahuli ‘yan. We cannot afford not to have closure here."

Invited officials from the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), Commission on Higher Education and the National Bureau of Investigation were absent in yesterday’s hearing of Biazon’s civil service committee. – Dennis Gadil

COA: P7B OWWA funds intact with banks - Malaya 08.08.2006

A Commission on Audit resident auditor at the Overseas Workers’ Welfare Administration yesterday said the agency’s trust funds, placed at P7.1 million, are intact with two government banks.

Gemiliano Maloles told the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development that as of June 30, 2006, P3.2 billion was deposited with the Land Bank of the Philippines while another P3.2 billion was with the Development Bank of the Philippines.

Maloles said another P703 million is in various bank accounts or in the form of management investment contracts.

He said the funds can be encashed or withdrawn anytime.

"Yes, your honor," Maloles told the panel chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada when pressed if OWWA funds are intact.

Senators were not fully convinced.

Sen. Joker Arroyo said: "If indeed OWWA has funds, why has it been parsimonious in releasing funds for repatriation?"

Arroyo said despite the staggering amount of cash in bank, the best OWWA could do was to shell out $19,000 for the government’s repatriation efforts in Lebanon.

"Roughly P7 billion are accounted for regardless whether they were used rightly or wrongly," Arroyo said. "Kung may pera, bakit sila nagtitipid?" he added.

Sen. Ralph Recto directed Maloles to get a certification from the banks were the OWWA funds are deposited.

Maloles also said P530 million in OWWA funds was transferred by the Philippine Health Corp. (Philhealth) in support of the government’s new policy to centralize health insurance of all workers under one roof.

Recto said he does not see any anomaly if the OWWA funds were used to take care of the health needs of OFWs through the Philhealth.

"Using OWWA funds for Philhealth is fine with me. But investing it for other purposes is another question," he said.

Sen. Alfredo Lim said the OWWA should list how many OFWs benefited from the funds.
Senators also questioned the investment by OWWA in the Smokey Mountain reclamation-housing project in 1995.

Maloles said OWWA invested P500 million in the reclamation project. He said the investment was "insured" by the Home Insurance Guaranty Corp. and has long been recovered by OWWA.

Recto said OWWA has no business putting its money into the reclamation project.

But Maloles said there is nothing in the mandate of OWWA which prohibits it from investing in worthy projects.

"Walang kinalaman ang OFW dun," Recto said after the hearing.

Recto said the country should stop sending OFWs to countries which are not signatories to the UN convention for the protection of migrant workers, especially women.

He said most of Middle Eastern nations are not signatories to the convention.

Government officials again High-ranking executives continued to snubbed Senate invitations to attend the hearing yesterday.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita has said that the Senate must first submit proposed questions as a precondition to their appearance.

Ermita said the advanced questions would enable the officials to prepare for the hearing.
Last week, the Senate issued subpoenas to Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya Jr., Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. and OWWA chief
Marianito Roque after they failed to heed to earlier summons.

Estrada said a caucus will be held to discuss if warrants of arrest would be issued against the Malacañang officials.

Senate President Manuel Villar said he will await the recommendation of Estrada’s panel.

"Ang hindi pagsipot ng mga inimbita o sinabpoena na mga opisyales ay may proseso. Ang komite ay maaaring magbotohan dyan. Kung ano ang rekomendasyon ng komite ay susundin ko," Villar said. – Dennis Gadil

Nene: Account for OWWA funds, Senate will OK evacuation budget - Malaya 08.05.2006

SENATE minority leader Aquilino Pimentel yesterday said the Senate will pass the supplemental budget for Lebanon repatriation efforts only after the government has fully accounted for the alleged missing funds of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA).

"It is our obligation to find out what happened not only to the funds that were supposed to be sent to Lebanon, and in general what has happened to the OWWA fund," Pimentel said.

OWWA officials led by its chief, Marianito Roque, have said the funds are intact but Ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bicharra has said no OWWA funds were released to speed up the evacuation of OFWs caught in the Lebanon conflict.

Bichara told a Senate panel early this week that only $19,000 was wired by OWWA to its welfare officer in Lebanon in the early days of the conflict.

The Senate resumes its probe Monday.

Pimentel said based on an OWWA audit two years ago, the fund stood at P7.2 billion.

He said that since OWWA continues to collect a $25 fee from every Filipino leaving for work abroad, the fund should have increased to about P10 billion by now.

Pimentel said the Senate is duty-bound to look into allegations that P530 million in OWWA funds have been transferred to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) for the distribution of PhilHealth insurance cards to indigents before the 2004 elections.

He said the transfer was illegal because the OWWA fund is a trust fund for the exclusive use of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). He also said the transfer was illogical because most OFWs are not PhilHealth members.

"And therefore, the OWWA fund cannot be used for any other purposes," he said.
The transfer was allegedly requested by then PhilHealth president now Health Secretary Francisco Duque as early as 2002.

He said Senate deliberations on the P46.9 billion supplemental budget, P500 million of which will go to evacuation work, could not be done "in isolation from the alleged misuse or disappearance of portions of the OWWA fund."

"It does not mean that during the deliberations on the supplemental budget, we will stay quiet about the OWWA fund and how a portion of the fund was diverted to other uses, because to my mind, it is important for a complete understanding of the status of the OWW fund," he said.
The House on Wednesday passed the supplemental budget but senators appeared cool to the proposal.

Roque said the agency still has P387 million left of the P500-million repatriation budget.
He said that since the start of the repatriation operations on July 23, the agency has used P2.3 billion to bring home more than 2,000 OFWs through Damascus, Syria.

A Commission on Audit certificate dated December 2005 showed that OWWA funds stood at P8.77 billion, which was invested in government securities amounting to P6.729 billion.

Roque said the funds they released should be returned by the national government because OWWA funds should be spent only for OWWA members.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion said the money advanced by OWWA should be reimbursed by national government as 64 percent of those repatriated were non-OWWA members.

"Insofar as the undocumented workers are concerned, we will have a reconciliation of accounts because OWWA funds are for OWWA members. In the meanwhile we will have no quibbling as to the advancement of funds during this time of crisis," he said.

Brion said the safety of the 30,000 Filipinos in Lebanon should be given priority. How the cash advances are to be recovered can be discussed later.

Brion said that while it appears OWWA is shouldering the expenses for the repatriation, the national government is also releasing funds.

He said Malacañang’s release of P150 million and the approval of a supplemental budget by the House are "calibrated responses."

Reps. Marcelino Libanan (Lakas, Eastern Samar) and Ernesto "Bansai" Nieva (LP, Manila), vice chair of the committee on labor and employment, said if senators are apprehensive about the possible misuse of the supplemental fund, lawmakers can put in a provision in the budget measure ordering concerned agencies to submit to Congress an accounting of the evacuation expenses of government.

Libanan said the prompt passage of the P500 million supplemental budget will allow unhampered evacuation of the remaining OFWs in Lebanon.

He said congressmen are expected to pass in plenary next week House Bill 5679 or the P500 million evacuation fund. – Dennis Gadil and Czeriza Valencia

Palparan dared to submit self to courts - Malaya 08.04.2006

SENATE minority leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr. yesterday challenged 7th Infantry Division chief Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan to submit himself to the courts to prove his claim he has nothing to do with the abduction of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno, both students of the University of the Philippines.

"Gen. Palparan should clarify matters not by press statements … If he puts himself above the law, he becomes a law unto himself," Pimentel said.

"And he is only an appointed officer of the Armed Forces, not even an elected official. With that mentality, the nation is really in great danger of losing its democratic moorings," he said.

Pimentel expressed dismay over the failure of Palparan and Army chief Lt. Gen. Romeo Tolentino, a former commander of the AFP’s Northern Luzon Command, to show up at last Tuesday’s hearing of the Court of Appeals on the habeas corpus petition filed by the parents of Cadapan and Empeno.

Assistant Solicitor General Amparo Tan said Tolentino and Palparan were busy with the 8th anniversary celebrations of the 7th ID in Nueva Ecija.

Cadapan, Empeno and Manuel Merino, a farmer, allegedly were abducted by military men from a house in Hagonoy, Bulacan last June 26.

The military failed to present the two students to the CA which had granted a petition for habeas corpus filed by their families. The military also failed to produce the two students before the Supreme Court last July 24.

AFP chief Lt. Gen. Hermogenes Esperon has questioned the order of the CA for the military to produce the victims, saying "it would be just like saying that we were responsible for their disappearance."

Pimentel said that while Palparan has denied any involvement in the abduction of the three victims, he has publicly said that Cadapan and Empeno had been tagged by the military as "members of the New People’s Army."

Palparan claimed the three were collecting "revolutionary taxes" from fishpond owners in Hagonoy.

He said one of the two students was known in the area as Ka Liza. He said the NPA even manages fishponds in the coastal towns of Bulacan.

Witnesses and relatives and friends of victims of human rights abuses have sought justice from the NPA, the Communist Party of the Philippines said.

CPP spokesman Gregorio "Ka Roger" Rosal said the NPA would continue to undertake its own investigation of these cases and vowed to mete out justice to the perpetrators.

At the same time, Rosal dismissed as "pure hypocrisy and empty rhetoric" the order issued by President Arroyo for the police to resolve within the next 10 weeks 10 cases of political killings." – Dennis Gadil and JP Lopez

Villar subpoenas execs who snubbed OWWA fund hearing - Malaya 08.02.2006

SENATE President Manuel Villar yesterday signed subpoenas for Cabinet officials who snubbed Monday’s hearing on the government’s repatriation efforts in war-torn Lebanon.

Sen. Jinggoy Ejercito-Estrada, chairman of the Senate panel that sought the subpoenas, said these were addressed to Marianito Roque, administrator of the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA); Esteban Conejos Jr., foreign affairs undersecretary for migrant workers affairs; Secretaries Arturo Brion of labor and Rolando Andaya Jr. of budget; Rosalinda Baldoz, chief of the Philippine Overseas Employment Administration (POEA) and

Undersecretary Ricardo Blancaflor of the Office of the Executive Secretary.

A subpoena is issued to compel resource persons to attend Senate hearings.

The officials were invited by the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources headed by Estrada Monday but did not appear.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, short of invoking Executive Order 464, told Estrada in a letter that the Cabinet officials were busy attending to the ongoing evacuation efforts in Lebanon.

Ermita also said the Senate probe did not refer to a specific law or bill that is being amended or crafted by Congress.

Estrada, chairman of the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources, said the subpoenas will be hand-delivered to the officials "within the day."

He said the hearing resumes Monday.

"I’m hoping that they would respect (the subpoena) of the Senate as an institution. Kung hindi nila ako nirerespeto, respetuhin nila ang Senado," Estrada said.

Estrada on Monday said the absence of the officials only bolstered allegations that money from the OWWA was used for the election victory of President Arroyo in 2004.

"We are not grandstanding. We would like to know where the funds of OWWA were spent. Dahil there were rumors that the OWWA funds have been depleted already so we want to find out from them if it is really true," he said.

Sen. Franklin Drilon said contrary to what Ermita said, there is need for legislation to clarify how the OWWA funds should be administered and disbursed.

Drilon said the Migrant Workers Act and the OWWA law should be reconciled to clarify whether evacuation costs should be shouldered by the OWWA or by the national budget.

He said under the Migrant Workers Act, the ambassador to a country where Filipino workers are facing repatriation has control of the funds for repatriation.

FIGHT OVER FUND CONTROL

Drilon said it seems that the controversy between the OWWA, which maintains it has control of the funds, and Ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara, who has complained of insufficient funds for repatriation operations, is a fight over control of the funds.

"They are fighting over the golden rule: whoever has the gold rules. So if OWWA has the gold, OWWA rules," he said.

During the Monday hearing, the senators confirmed reports that OWWA has not sent a single centavo for the Lebanon operations.

Bichara, in a phone patch, told the hearing that only $19,000 was remitted but it was wired directly to the personal bank account of an OWWA officer based in Lebanon.

He said his office was running out of funds and racing against time in evacuating trapped Filipinos in Lebanon as borders are being closed down due to the growing conflict.

Roque said OWWA did not send the money to the personal account Mario Antonio, its Beirut-based finance and welfare officer.

He said the $20,000 fund was deposited in Antonio’s program account, and was used for medicines, flashlights, transportation and other similar assistance to OFWs.

He said they Bichara was probably just worried in case of an influx of OFWs to the embassy if war escalates.

Conejos said if there was any delay in the delivery of the additional $150,000 fund that the DFA sent to Beirut, it was because the cash was hand-carried after the Lebanon central bank imposed restrictions in the release of dollars.

He said Bichara was aware that the cash would be hand-carried.

He added that the additional $150,000 was sent by the DFA on Bichara’s request. He said it was on top of the $50,000 that the DFA initially sent despite the availability of $121,369.89 in the embassy’s accounts.

Conejos also said as of Tuesday night, 1,746 OFWs had been flown out of Lebanon.

Brion said they expect the number to increase after the International Organization for Migration facilitated three chartered flights to Manila that would carry 450 OFWs each.

Former President Fidel Ramos said investigations on the alleged OWWA fund mess should be conducted after government has ensured that all OFWs in Lebanon are safe.

"We should help put out the fire first before we investigate…because baka kumalat," Ramos said in a press conference in his Makati office.

He said a crisis in the Middle East would have a lot impact not only on the price of oil but in terms of lost opportunities for OFWs.

"Continued violent quarrels in the Middle East will create long-term paralysis in many sectors because we import and export many commodities in the Middle East," he said.

Global tourism might also decline, he said.

Ramos said the Philippines will face even bigger problems in terms of evacuating more affected Filipinos because hostilities are intensifying. He said the number of OFWs who have opted for repatriation – so far only 2,000 – is likely to grow because of the increasing hostilities.

He said the Philippines has a responsibility to protect its citizens but it does not have the on-site capability to move some 30,000 OFWs who are at risk due to the fighting between Israel and the Hezbollah.

He said the Philippines must seek the help of other countries or organizations that have the on-site capability such as the US, Australia, and the International Organization for Migration.

NEW TASK FORCE

President Arroyo has created a task force to oversee the repatriation of Filipino workers from Lebanon in anticipation of possible escalation of war.

The Task Force on Repatriation of OFWs from Lebanon, created under Executive Order 551 signed by Arroyo on July 26, is chaired by Vice President Noli de Castro, with Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo and Brion as vice chairmen.

Members are Ermita, Duque, Andaya Jr., Social Welfare Secretary Esperanza Cabral and Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye.

The group is authorized to enlist assistance from the POEA, OWWA, the Office of the Presidential Middle East Preparedness Committee, the Office of the Envoy to the Gulf Cooperation Council, and the Commission on Filipinos Overseas.

"There is a need to enlist in this effort the assistance not only of government agencies, but other foreign governments and international relief organizations as well," Arroyo said in the EO.

A funding of P1 million, half to be taken from the OWWA funds and the other half from the budget department, will be made available to the group.

De Castro yesterday hosted a dialogue between senators and some of the officials involved in the Lebanon operations like Roque and Conejos.

Among those who attended the dialogue at De Castro’s office were Senators Richard Gordon, Ralph Recto, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Juan Ponce Enrile and Bong Revilla.

Except for Gordon, most of the senators who attended the dialogue were not part of the Senate probe on the Lebanon repatriation. – Dennis Gadil, JP Lopez, Regina Bengco and Jocelyn Montemayor

Garci running for Congress, says Drilon - Malaya 08.01.2006

SEN. Franklin Drilon yesterday said former election commissioner Virgilio Garcillano is planning to run for Congress in next year’s elections.

He said Garcillano is targeting the House seat to be vacated by Bukidnon Rep. Nereus Acosta, a stalwart of the Liberal Party of which Drilon is president.

Drilon said the information was confirmed to him by Acosta, who is in his third and last term as congressman.

"So you now have Garcillano, who undoubtedly will win the election, and now will be called honorable gentleman from the province of Bukidnon," he said.

But Senate sources said Garcillano has been meeting with his "field operators" to ensure victory for the administration ticket in 2007, to be led by presidential chief of staff Michael Defensor.

Drilon said the administration ticket will have a hard time winning next year polls because the question of charter change aimed at abolishing the Senate would haunt their candidates.

"Anyone running for the administration will be asked, ‘What is your position vis-à-vis the abolition of the Senate as part of Cha-cha? If you say, Yes, I am in favor of that, what are you doing running in the administration ticket?" Drilon said.

Garcillano is accused of spearheading cheating in the May 2004 polls to ensure the victory of
President Arroyo. His conversations with Arroyo during the election period were made public in June last year through the "Hello Garci" wiretapped recordings, which triggered calls for Arroyo’s ouster.

The House of Representatives held months of investigation on the scandal starting July last year but nothing came of it. Garcillano appeared before House probers only in December. Last March, the five committees which jointly investigated the "Hello Garci" recordings came out with a report, which practically cleared Garcillano.

The report, the opposition said, put more weight on the alleged conspiracy of the opposition to unseat Arroyo than government’s alleged attempt of cover up cheating the scandal. – Dennis Gadil

Executive stonewalls OWWA hearing - Malaya 08.01.2006

THREE Executive department officials, led by Labor Secretary Labor Arturo Brion, were no-shows yesterday at the opening hearing of a Senate inquiry into the evacuation of Filipino workers in Lebanon.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said it is in the national interest that Brion, Foreign Undersecretary Esteban Conejos Jr. and Overseas Workers Welfare Administrator Marianito Roque "are allowed to do their job with undiminished time and attention."

Ermita, in a letter dated July 29 addressed to Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, chairman of the committee on labor and employment, also said the invitation sent out by the committee did not refer to any possible needed statute that prompted the inquiry.

He added that no questions were sent relative to the inquiry. He said the questions would enable officials to prepare for the hearing.

He said until the information is provided by the Senate, the invited government officials would not be able to attend the hearing that was set for Monday afternoon in connection with the resolution filed by Sen. Richard Gordon.

Ermita gave no reason for his preconditions for the appearance of Brion, Conejos and Roque.

But Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye said it was in line with the Supreme Court ruling on Executive Order 464 which barred Cabinet members and other high officials from appearing in congressional inquiries without the permission of President Arroyo.

The Supreme Court has struck down EO 464 for being unconstitutional. It said only Cabinet officials need presidential permission to appear and only during the Question Hour.

Senate President Manuel Villar said he was inclined to issue subpoenas to Cabinet officials who refuse to attend Senate inquiries.

"Subpoena muna bago contempt. But I urge them to attend the hearings and not invoke Executive Order 464," Villar said.

The inquiry was prompted by a resolution filed by Gordon calling for an "inquiry in aid of legislation on the plans and resources of concerned government agencies for the repatriation of OFWs in Lebanon.

Gordon filed the resolution after Ambassador to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara said his mission did not have enough funds for evacuation and repatriation.

Bunye said Ermita’s position was well within the Supreme Court ruling.

"The Supreme Court recognized that there are certain conditions under which members of the executive may attend the legislative hearing… (and) this is based on the conditions cited by the good executive secretary," he added.

Asked if the officials would attend the hearings once the crisis was over, Bunye said the Senate or the House must first comply with the two requirements mentioned by Ermita.

Bunye said by insisting on this, the Executive is also "laying the premises for the appearance of members of executive in future legislative hearings in consonance with the conditions mentioned in the Supreme Court decision."

Roque said he was prepared to attend the hearing but aside from attending to evacuation, he was also documenting all the funds released and spent.

"In the first place we don’t have anything to hide, the book of accounts of OWWA are regularly audited by the Commission on Audit," he said. – Jocelyn Montemayor and Dennis Gadil

OWWA gave $19,000, Bichara tells probers - Malaya 08.01.2006

AMBASSADOR to Lebanon Al Francis Bichara yesterday told a Senate inquiry into the evacuation Filipinos in Lebanon that $19,000 was all that the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) had sent to the embassy.

Bichara said the money was wired to a personal bank account of a welfare officer who is also based in Lebanon.

"It was not directly (remitted) to the accounts of the embassy," Bichara told the Senate committee on labor, employment and human resources development chaired by Sen. Jinggoy Estrada.

Bichara, who testified through phone patch from Lebanon, said the money was remitted to a bank account of OWWA welfare officer Mario Antonio days after the hostilities broke out in Lebanon about two weeks ago.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, and OWWA Administrator Marianito Roque did not show up at the Senate hearing.

In a letter, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said the government officials invited to the inquiry "are currently engaged in critical operations to get our OFWs in Lebanon out of harm’s way, and bring them home to the Philippines."

Bichara told the Senate panel he was made aware of the existence of the funds only when Antonio showed him the bank account confirming the transfer.

The ambassador, however, said the funds were not sufficient and his office had to use its own budget to feed and gather the Filipinos in Lebanon.

He said $150,000 arrived just yesterday in Damascus, Syria. It was sent through Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Rafael Seguis.

Bichara told the Senate committee he originally asked for $1.1 million to cover the evacuation of 10,000 Filipinos.

He said he has not seen and has had no access to the $107,151 and the $465,000 supposedly allocated by government for evacuation efforts.

"Negative your honor," he said on questioning of Sen. Joker Arroyo if his office has received the money.

Bichara also said the $2 million allocation trumpeted this week by OWWA as fresh money for distressed workers in Lebanon was also non-existent.

"Have not seen it, your honor," he said.

Arroyo advised Bichara to leave the repatriation work to the OWWA.

"Bitiwan mo na ’yan and avoid getting the brunt (of criticisms). They should be on the field. They’re not really doing anything," Arroyo said.

Bichara said as "field commander," he should have full control of the funds and logistics during emergencies like evacuation efforts.

He said he was hoping for a standby fund that is under this control, which can be accessed to evacuate at least 50 percent of the total OFW population. Based on immigration figures, there are around 34,000 Filipinos working in Lebanon.

The number could reach 40,000 if the undocumented OFWs were included, Bichara said.
He said advancing the funds is needed in a crisis situation because borders are closing down, which makes transfer and remittance of money difficult.

Senators led by former Senate President Franklin Drilon moved to strip OWWA of its role in repatriating OFWs during emergency cases.

Drilon said the Migrant Workers’ Act of 1995, which gives full control to OWWA over the $100 million "repatriation funds," should be amended considering that it has been remiss in its mandate.

He said full control of funds during repatriation operations should be in the hands of the concerned embassy.

Drilon said Ermita was wrong in assuming that the Senate probe does not touch on a particular law or is not intended to the crafting of a new law.

"Contrary to the statement of the executive secretary (Ermita), there’s really a need to look at these laws," he said.

Bichara agreed: "That’s right, your honors."

When asked what the OWWA has so far done for the distressed OFWs, Bichara said aside from the $19,000 that OWWA sent and the two OWWA personnel who were "imported" from Saudi Arabia, the welfare agency has done nothing substantial.

"There’s all to it," Bichara said.

Esteban Conejos Jr., Foreign Affairs Undersecretary for Migrant Workers Affairs, and Marianito Roque, OWWA administrator, said no funds OWWA are reaching Lebanon because the funds are sent instead to Damascus, where OFWs from Lebanon are brought before returning to the Philippines.

They said the Philippines has no embassy in Syria.

"Hindi naman obligasyon ng OWWA na magbigay ng funding sa Beirut. That is the sole responsibility of the DFA," Conejos said.

The funds for the embassy in Lebanon, Conejos said, would come from the DFA and not OWWA.

He said Bichara initially asked for a $1.1 million standby fund for 15 days, which he later amended to $460,000.

Based on their initial, unofficial estimate, the embassy should still have at least $250,000 to $270,000 after the DFA’s replenishments on July 23 ($250,000) and July 27 ($150,000).

He said as far as the embassy’s share of the evacuation expenses, their main cost component are as follows: to provide food for the OFWs taking shelter at church of the Our Lady of Miraculous Medal; to hire buses to transport OFWs from Beirut to Damascus; and to shoulder entry and terminal visas of OFWs to Syria.

Conejos said OWWA shoulders the rest of the evacuation expenses, particularly those incurred in Damascus. These are: maintenance of shelters for OFWs in Damascus; payment of chartered aircraft used to bring OFWs to Manila; payment of tickets of OFWs who proceeded to Manila using commercial airlines; shelter used by OFWs upon arrival in the Manila, including the cost of the "stress counseling" they undergo upon arrival; and the expenses incurred ins ending the OFWs back to their hometown either by train, ship or airplane.

Roque said aside from this OWWA also shoulders the reintegration of the OFWs to the Philippine workforce.

Labor Secretary Arturo Brion, chairman of the OWWA board of trustees, said they would be meeting again Friday to determine if an additional P300 million would be released as standby fund for the operations. – Dennis Gadil, Jocelyn Montemayor, Evangeline de Vera and Wendell Vigilia

Building a business for employees - BusinessWorld – 24 July 2006

Building a business for employees – Newsbarbers’ Dennis A. Gadil (ENTERPRISER)
BY IRIS CECILIA C. GONZALES, Senior Reporter

Tradition has it that we go to our friendly neighborhood barbershop, not only for a haircut but also to hear about the latest talk of the town, the community gossip or whatever news there is.

Dennis A. Gadil, a newspaper man, said this is a tradition he wanted to keep alive because he credits his narrative skills to his neighborhood barbershop in Paranaque, where he grew up.

Mr. Gadil has been working as a journalist for Malaya since 1993, covering mainly the legislative beats.

Because of this, Mr. Gadil, along with his fellow newsmen, thought of putting up Newsbarbers.

Mr. Gadil made sure, however, that his barbershop is no ordinary shop. More importantly, Newsbarbers is both a business and a venue to empower employees by teaching them not just about business but about investing.

Thus, its owners make it a point that its barbers will have the opportunity to become part owners through the money that they put in the company.

Mr. Gadil and former People’s Journal reporter Zaldy de Loyola opened the first branch at Ever Gotesco mall along Commonwealth Avenue in August 2002.

Now, barely four years since the launch of Newsbarbers, the group has three operating branches in Circle C mall in Congressional, SM Fairview and the one in Ever Gotesco. The group will open two more this year – one in SM Bacoor and another in SM Pasig.

The opportunity came when eight seasoned barbers defected from an existing shop because of poor labor practices. Mr. Gadil and his colleagues thought of helping the workers by providing a venue where they could practice their skills under a labor-friendly environment. Now, the group is proud of how Newsbarbers has turned out.

“It’s basically the same service but the major difference is how we run the business and how we treat the employees,” Mr. Gadil told BusinessWorld.

His employees have, in fact, become investment partners, an opportunity they never thought would happen. Buddy Gonzales, the shop’s head barber, is now part owner because his employers encouraged him to put up his money into the business. He has also been appointed area manager.

“We also have a trust fund for employees that they can tap for loans in case of emergency or whatever need arises,” Mr. Gadil said.

Former radio journalist Terence Grana said the group would continue to maintain good service to their clients and help empower employees. The utility men or the janitors – there are at least two in every shop – are also trained to become barbers so they can earn more.

The group is also planning to expand the business over the next two years by opening it for franchise. “Franchising is the direction. We are looking at five franchises in two years,” Mr. Gadil said.

This bunch of newsmen-enterprisers, however, are not resting on their laurels. They have vowed to uphold the service and continue to teach and train their employees how to satisfy the customer.

And living up to its name, Newsbarbers also makes sure that clients can catch the latest neighborhood chit-chat, as well as the latest political and economic developments.

The television sets in each shop are tuned in to the news at the scheduled timeslots so that clients can listen to what’s happening.

Running the business, though, is not without challenges. Mr. Gadil complained about the tedious registration process in putting up the business, as well as the various tax requirements.

Mr. Gadil said it is not easy to run a business, but he advises would-be enterprisers to study the market first and familiarize themselves with what they are getting into.

“One has to master the formula of the particular business that he wants to get into,” he pointed out. In the case of Newsbarbers, the group chose to put up their businesses in malls because malling has become a one-stop shop experience for families.

This is in contrast to stand-alone barbers shops in commercial districts like Tomas Morato. Based on Newsbarbers’ experience, he said, it is more practical to have the shop inside malls because families would want to be able to do everything they want when they go out. The mother can do the groceries or shop with the children, while the husband can go to the barbershop while waiting.

But not all malls are ideal, he said. When asked why Newsbarbers did not expand in the newly opened Mall of Asia in Pasay City, Mr. Gadil said it is not the kind of mall where families would go to do the groceries or have a haircut. “It’s a very leisure-type mall,” he said. He also advises entrepreneurs to invite other investors if they want to put up a capital-intensive business such as a barbershop. If one can’t do it alone, it would be good to seek the help of other people. Investment in a barbershop can go as high as P900,000 to P1 million.