House to issue cause order vs absent Nueva Ecija officials

Script for 20180224 KSK Edition

Press Release

Office of Rep. Alfred Vargas

19 February 2018

Rep. Alfred Vargas bats for OFW special funds

AS the number of distressed Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) increases, a special assistance fund is needed to immediately address their needs.

This was the proposal of Quezon City Rep. Alfred Vargas as he filed House Bill 4400 or An Act providing an assistance program for overseas Filipino workers in distress and providing funds thereof.

Vargas underscored the need to have special funds, initially P1 billion, to be used by the government for the repatriation, medical expenses and migration fees for overstaying Filipino workers abroad.

“Our OFWs are called the unsung heroes and the backbone of the Philippine economy. They deserve much attention, care and protection. It’s just right to give back to them what they have contributed to the growth of the country,” Vargas, vice chairman of appropriations committee, said.

“It is only fair and prudent, that government looks after the total well-being of those who have also contributed significantly to the country, like the OFWs,” he added.

To date, hundreds of distressed OFWs from Kuwait are already returning to the country and are waiting for government assistance.

Following the tragic death of Joanna Demafelis, whose body was stuffed in a refrigerator in Kuwait, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the total ban of deployment for domestic helper in the said country.

Vargas said that while the government is resolving this problem with the Kuwaiti government, he is urging Congress to expedite the approval of the House Bill 4400.

This bill intends to create a Special Assistance Fund for the Overseas Filipino Workers in Distress.

The fund shall be utilized for repatriation, medical expenses within six months upon the arrival of the OFW, migration fees for overstaying Filipinos, legal assistance for court hearings and other basic necessities for OFWs caught in emergency situations or who are detained.

The bill also provides special financial assistance to OFWs who have been victims of abuse from their employers, or who have been repatriated from host countries due to natural or man made calamities.

“But while the Overseas Filipino Workers have kept a sturdy stream of remittances that continue to strengthen the country’s economy, the government needs to further ensure that their access to financial aid, especially in times of abuse or emergency, is available,” Vargas stressed.

Vargas is confident that with the passage of this measure, the government will effectively enable the progress of an empowered and protected migrant worker.

The bill mandates the Overseas Workers Welfare Administration to implement this special fund with the help of the Deparment of Labor and Employment (DoLE) and Department of Foreign Affairs.

The solon proposed the sources of funds from the annual earnings of the Bureau of Immigration, Duty Free Philippines, passport processing fees, Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) and other relevant offices or agencies.

Just recently, President Duterte ordered the approval of P1 billion additional funding for the Assistance to Nationals (ATN) programs of different Philippine embassies and consulates. (END)

HIGHLIGHTS

Hearing of the Committee on Justice on the Impeachment Charge against CJ Sereno

19 February 2018

1.       House Committee on Justice Chairman Reynaldo Umali said he received a sealed envelope marked “confidential” but they don’t know who provided the document. The document concerns the ASEAN Chief Justice Meeting held in Boracay hosted by Sereno.

2.       Umali read a portion of the document which said: “The Chief Justice stated that the Philippines is pleased to host the next ASEAN Chief Justices meeting next year. The Chief Justice announced that the famous Boracay Island will be the venue for the 3rd ASEAN Chief Justices meeting.”

3.       Umali said that is not consistent with Sereno’s claim that it was the ASEAN chief justices who sought the ACJM to be held in Boracay. He said this is similar to many of Sereno’s official reply to the allegations against her and that such answers were often misleading.

4.       Bureau of Internal Revenue Deputy Commissioner for Operations, Atty. Arnel Guballa, told the committee that the BIR has issued a letter of authority to investigate the tax payments of CJ Ma. Lourdes Sereno in connection with her income from the PIATCO case in connection with the impeachment charges filed against her.

5.       Guballa said the letter of authority was served to the Office of the Chief Justice on February 9, 2018.

6.       Guballa said that after collating all the records of Sereno’s tax records they have made their observations and arrived at some findings. This early, Guballa said they have found “discrepancies.”

7.       However, Guballa said they cannot disclose the findings to the committee because they are prohibited from doing so under Section 270 of the National Internal Revenue Code. He said they have written the Office of the President a letter requesting permission to release their findings on Sereno’s tax payments to the House Committee on Justice.

8.       Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso said the BIR should review its stand because the committee is cloaked by the constitution with compulsory process to produce witnesses and documents.

9.       Guballa assured the committee of the BIR’s cooperation, noting they have submitted the Income Tax Returns of Sereno from 2004 to 2009 as directed by the committee.

10.   Rep. Henry Oaminal urged the BIR to seek the opinion of the Office of the Solicitor General on the issue. Guballa assured the committee that they would do so.

11.   QC Rep. Vincent Crisologo also insisted that there is no need for BIR to seek permission of the President before submitting their findings. He noted that if the President would not allow it, it would constitute possible obstruction of justice.

12.   Upon motion of Rep. Oaminal, the committee issued a subpoena directing the BIR to submit the result of their investigation on the tax records of Sereno.

13.   Guballa said the BIR would be thorough in its investigation of Sereno and that they would look not only into her income declarations, but also Value Added Tax declarations as required of private practitioners, her book of accounts, and receipts she had issued.

14.   Guballa reported to the committee Sereno’s earnings for the concerned years:

a)      P7,207,513.56 in 2004

b)      P12,367,562.36 in 2005

c)       P1, 396,631  for 2006

d)      P3,633,076.42 for 2007

e)      P4,559,308.24 in 2008

15.   Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia noted that taken together these amounts do not add up to the P30 million earning that Sereno admitted having received for her work in the PIATCO case.

16.   Garcia said that a simple mathematical computation of the facts and figures presented to the committee disproves Sereno’s answers. “The Chief Justice is once again found lying,” Garcia said.

(as of 1:15 pm)

OFFICE OF REP. ORESTES T. SALON

PRESS RELEASE

19 FEBRUARY 2018

AGRI PARTY-LIST BATS FOR RELIEF FOR FARMERS HIT BY MAYON ERUPTION

AGRI Party-list Representative Orestes T. Salon on Monday filed House Resolution No. 1696 in a bid to help farmers affected by the eruption of Mayon Volcano.

Salon filed the resolution "urge the government for immediate relief for agricultural communities affected by the eruption of Mt. Mayon and the rehabilitation of Albay and nearby communities’ agricultural sectors."

Citing figures from the Albay Public Safety Emergency Management Office (APSEMO, Salon said that damage to agricultural crops due to Mayon's eruption has already reached more than P185 million (P185,281,979.00).

The eruption has affected 9,791 farmers and around 7,131 hectares of land.

The  affected crops include rice plantation with 5,375.95 hectares (worth P160, 496, 550) and 5,750 rice farmers; vegetable plantations with 958.51 hectares of land affecting 3,092 farmers; corn plantation losses affected 706.25 hectares of land and 773 farmers; fruit bearing trees of 90.75 hectares and 176 farmers.

Salon said that the crop damage has "caused an increase in the price of vegetables in the markets of Legazpi in Albay despite the enforcement of a price-freeze following the declaration of a state of calamity by the provincial government."

News Release

19 February 2018

BIR finds “discrepancies” between Sereno tax documents

Officials of the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) today said the tax investigation they have conducted on the tax payments of Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno bared “discrepancies” between the documents and her verified answer on the allegations in the impeachment charges against her.

Testifying before the House Committee on Justice, Atty. Arnel Guballa, BIR Deputy Commissioner for Operations, said they already issued a letter of authority to investigate Sereno and this was served to her office on February 9, 2018.

“As of now we have made some observation s and there are some discrepancies,” Guballa said.

Lawyer Lorenzo Gadon had accused Sereno of failing to disclose the P37 million she earned as one of the government lawyers in the PIATCO case and that she did not pay the corresponding taxes for this income.

In her verified answer, Sereno claimed she declared all her earnings in the case with an estimated peso equivalent of P3,300,000 and paid appropriate taxes amounting to around P8.7 million.

But Guballa said the BIR could not provide the committee with their findings as of this time because they are prohibited from doing so under Section 270 of the National Internal Revenue Code.  Besides, Guballa said BIR should also observe due process and provide Sereno the opportunity to answer their findings.

Guballa said they have already sent a letter to the Office of the President asking permission to release the results of the BIR investigation on Sereno to the Committee on Justice.

“As of the moment we are still waiting approval from the office of the President,” Guballa said.

However, several lawmakers argued that the BIR need not get permission to release their findings to the committee. Rep. Michael De Vera noted that the BIR already submitted to the committee the Income Tax Returns of Sereno that she filed from 2004 to 2009.

Rep. Vicente Veloso also pointed out that the constitution has cloaked the committee with compulsory process for the production of witnesses and documents.  Following such observations, the committee decided to issue subpoena to the BIR to submit their findings on Sereno’s tax payments.

Guballa reported to the committee the income of Sereno during the time she worked at the PIATCO case for the Office of the Solicitor General: P1, 396,631 for 2006; P3,633,076.42 for 2007; and P4,559,308.24 in 2008.

For 2006, Sereno’s withholding tax amounted to P209,494.56; P544,961.46 for 2007; and P683,894.24 for 2008.

On the other hand, Sereno declared a gross income of P7,207,513.56 for 2004 and P12,367,562.36 in 2005.

Deputy Speaker Gwen Garcia noted that based on the BIR report, the gross income from 2004 to 2008 only amounts to around P28 million and does not add up to the P30 million earning that Sereno claimed she had for the period.

A simple mathematical computation of the facts and figures that we have been presented disproves her answer, and therefore the Chief Justice is once again found lying,” Garcia said.

Meanwhile, Justice Committee chairman Reynaldo Umali also bared that he received a document that disproves Sereno’s answer on the allegations against her for extravagance in connection with the use of Shangri-la Boracay for an international conference.

“My staff handed to me a sealed envelope marked as “strictly confidential”.  They cannot track the sender of the envelope, I asked them who gave it and I cannot confirm if it came from a small lady like what happened in 2012,” Umali said, referring to an incident in the impeachment of the late SC Chief Justice Renato Corona.

Umali said the document contained a report on the ASEAN Chief Justices meeting in 2014.

“The Chief Justice stated that the Philippines is pleased to host the next ASEAN Chief Justices meeting next year. The Chief Justice announced that the famous Boracay Island will be the venue for the 3rd ASEAN Chief Justices meeting,” the report said, as read by Umali.

Umali noted that this is totally different from  Sereno’s claim in her answer that during the 2nd ASEAN Chief Justices Meeting held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia that the chief justices unanimously chose the Philippines to host the 3rd ACJM 2015. 

Sereno also claimed that the ASEAN chief justices unanimously selected Boracay as the venue for the meeting.

“From the facts established in previous hearing, there appears to be a lot of inconsistencies in the answer submitted by respondent. More often than not the allegations in the answers are contrary, and usually misleading to the issue at hand,” said Umali.####

#onehouseforchange

News Release

19 February 2018

Human trafficking prevention youth program pushed

The House committee on basic education and culture on Monday approved House Bill 4890 which seeks to a establish a comprehensive human trafficking prevention education program for the youth.

The education program is envisioned to be part of the government's longstanding commitment to protect the vulnerable sector from trafficking.

The committee, in a hearing presided by its chairman Rep. Ramon Durano VI, passed the bill principally authored by Reps. Rodel Batocabe, Christopher Co and Alfredo Garbin.

According to the authors, the lack of understanding and awareness of human trafficking continues to facilitate a culture of impunity for the perpetrators and imposes a burden of injustice on the victims.

They cited the need to educate the potential victims, which include the youth, about the dangers of trafficking and instruct them on how to seek protection from the government.

 The bill declares as policy of the State to protect the youth from human trafficking and other crimes fundamentally detrimental to their development and well-being. The State shall enhance the knowledge of the youth of their basic rights and promote their vigilance against human trafficking by providing preventive education to teach them about the dangers of human trafficking in its various forms.

The bill mandates the creation of an Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking which shall facilitate the establishment of a Human Trafficking Preventive Education Program whose objectives are: 1) educate the youth about their right concerning labor and employment, liberty, human security, as well as other essential rights; 2)  orient the youth about the dangers of international and domestic human trafficking including, but not limited to illegal recruitment, unfair labor practices, involuntary servitude, sexual exploitation and prostitution, and child labor; 3)  provide the youth with information on available services of government agencies and non-government organizations (NGO) to aid and protect victims of human trafficking; and 4) identify members of the youth who have been, or are currently victims of human trafficking and refer them to the proper agency or organization for protection and rehabilitation.

The Council, in cooperation with the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), shall implement a school-based program to accomplish such objectives.

The program shall cover all students enrolled in junior and senior high schools, colleges and universities, and technical or vocational education institutions. 

Moreover, the Inter-Agency Council, in cooperation with the Council for the Welfare of Children (CWC), shall implement a community-based program to accomplish the abovementioned objectives.

Such program shall cover all out-of-school youth in the country, and it shall be implemented at the barangay level.

Likewise, the Council shall prioritize the implementation of the program in conflict-afflicted areas, with emphasis on human trafficking.

The amount of P100 million initially appropriated to implement the provisions of the Act. Thereafter, such amount necessary to effectively carry out the provisions of the Act shall be included in the General Appropriations Act.

Resource persons from the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), the Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations (COCOPEA) and the Association of Local Colleges and Universities ALCU expressed strong support for the bill. (EAG)

#onehouseforchange

Photo Release

19 February 2018

CONFLICTING STATEMENTS: Deliberations of the House committee on justice chaired by Rep. Reynaldo Umali on Monday focused on allegations that judges were prevented from issuing a warrant of arrest against Senator Leila De Lima. The proceedings are in continuation of the impeachment case against Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno. Muntinlupa Presiding Judges Hons. Amelia Fabros-Corpuz and Patria Manalastas-De Leon as well as SC Deputy Court Administrator Jenny Lind Aldecoa-Delorino testified they received no instructions from Sereno to delay or prevent the issuance of the warrant contrary to allegations lodged by Atty. Lorenzo Gadon. Representatives expressed frustration over the conflicting statements of Corpuz, De Leon, and Delorino, prompting the panel to consider launching a parallel investigation on the matter. Umali further addressed Gadon and commented he was struck over the opposing claims of the resource speakers and the complainant. Moreover, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Deputy Commissioner Arnel Guballa said the BIR has noted discrepancies in the tax declarations of the Chief Justice. Guballa said the findings would be released to the committee once the BIR receives the approval of the Office of the President. | CMBE/GE

#onehouseforchange

Photo Release

19 February 2018

HUMAN TRAFFICKING PREVENTION:  The House committees on basic education and culture, and higher and technical education held a joint hearing on Monday on several bills, among them:  House Bill 4890 , establishing a human trafficking prevention education program for the youth and appropriating funds therefor; HB 5121. regulating the conduct of educational field trips, otherwise known as the Educational Field Trip Act, and imposing penalties for violation thereof; and HBs 5832 and  6109, providing free education to senior citizens, among others. Committee chairpersons Rep. Ramon Durano VI and Ann Hofer presided over the joint hearing. (EAG/RBB/GE)

#onehouseforchange

Photo Release

20 February 2018 

ISLAMIC BANKING--The House committee on ways and means chaired by Rep. Dakila Cua approved in principle a substitute bill seeking to organize and regulate Islamic banking in the country. The unnumbered bill substitutes House Bill 3875 and HB 492  authored by Reps. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (solo photo) and Amihilda Sangcopan (beside Cua), respectively. The substitute bill recognizes the role of Islamic banking and finance in generating opportunities for greater financial inclusion especially for the underserved Muslim population. In particular, the committee discussed Section 14 of the bill, which provides for tax neutrality. It mandates neutral tax treatment between Islamic banking transactions and equivalent conventional banking transactions. It also tasks the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to implement policies and guidelines that are conducive to the growth of Islamic banking and finance. Guests resource speakers from the BIR, Department of Finance (DOF), and National Tax Research Center (NTRC) weighed in on the measure. The panel during the meeting also approved a bill establishing a framework for the selection of national performing arts companies. (CMBE/PC)

#onehouseforchange

NEWS Release

20 February 2018

House oks tax neutrality for Islamic banking

The House committee on ways and means on Tuesday approved a bill seeking to organize and regulate Islamic banks in the country.

The bill recognizes the role of Islamic banking and finance in generating opportunities for greater financial inclusion especially for the underserved Muslim population. 

In particular, the committee tackled Section 14 of the bill, which provides for tax neutrality. It mandates neutral tax treatment between Islamic banking transactions and conventional banking transactions.

It also tasks the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) to implement policies and guidelines to make tax neutrality conducive to the growth of Islamic banking and finance. The BIR is further given the power to modify applicable taxes on Islamic banking transactions.

“The nature of Islamic banking transactions is that if you don’t apply tax neutrality, it would entail the client double taxation,” said Rep. Amihilda Sangcopan, during the hearing. She and Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo are the main authors of the substitute bill.

Sangcopan's position was echoed by Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Officer-in-Charge Rosilio Prado, who said that one major challenge for Islamic banking is the unequal playing field against conventional banking.

For instance, a real estate loan from a conventional bank will have the bank provide the money so the client can purchase the land.

In contrast, a real estate loan from an Islamic bank will have two legs. The bank will first purchase the land, and then resell it to the client. This points to a bigger cost compared to the same transaction in a conventional bank.

Prado further discussed how conventional and Islamic banking would co-exist in the same country by employing flexible tax structures. In Singapore, an Islamic transaction may be taxed on a consolidated basis. Instead of taxing the two legs of a sale, Singapore will tax the sale as a single transaction.

On the other hand, Donald Boo of the National Tax Research Center (NTRC) commented on the legislative delegation of power allowing the BIR to modify tax laws. He said  this would leave issuances by the BIR in legal limbo.

“We acknowledge that the BIR should be given enough room to implement the tax code. But in the absence of clear parameters on how to implement it, that question might arise,” said Boo.

Arroyo said Section 14 should be amended to instead authorize the BIR to craft implementing rules and regulations.     

The Department of Finance expressed no objections to the bill, especially its Section 14.

The BIR and BSP requested for more time to submit their position paper and a regional comparative study, respectively.

To accommodate the comments of the resource speakers, the panel voted to approve the bill, subject to style.

Sangcopan urged the BIR and BSP to consider that Islamic banking is part of the country’s commitment to the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) economic blueprint. She pointed out that relative to other member states, the country’s progress on the matter is lagging behind as only Laos and the Philippines do not have Islamic banking. (CMBE)

#onehouseforchange

Photo Release

20 February 2018 

S & T BILLS--The House Committee on Science and Technology chaired by Bohol Rep. Erico Aristotle Aumentado on Tuesday approved the substitute bills for House Bill 4581, authored by Rep. Albay Rep. Joey Salceda, seeking to establish a Science for Change (S4C) Program, and HB 2973, authored by Zamboanga del Sur Rep. Divina Grace Yu, establishing a Research and Development Center for Mammalian Cell Lines and Animal Virus Repository.  These were among the bills tackled by the committee, which are based on research and science policies.  (JAM/GM)

#onehouseforchange

NEWS Release

20 February 2018

House to issue cause order vs absent Nueva Ecija officials

Members of the House committee on good government and public accountability on Tuesday approved the issuance of a show cause order to local chief executives of the Nueva Ecija provincial government to explain why they should not be cited for contempt for not appearing in the hearing.

The committee chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimental also ruled to issue a warrant of arrest to the concerned local officials if they fail anew to appear in the next hearing.

The hearing is based on House Resolution 1505 seeking an inquiry on the apparent corruption and irregularities in the imposition, collection, and distribution of taxes and fees from quarrying operations in Nueva Ecija and other provinces in the Philippines.

 “Under (our) House rules, in case of failure to appear in a congressional inquiry, the committee can issue a show cause order for these local officials to explain why they should not be cited for contempt. Most of the resource persons invited are connected to the provincial government of Nueva Ecija,” said Pimentel.

Pimentel said under Republic Act 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, local government units (LGUs) are authorized to impose taxes, fees and charges as sources of revenue.

Pimentel said although these are done exclusively by the provincial governments, the generated tax revenues are shared by the LGUs among themselves.

Pimentel said the committee's mandate is to determine whether laws were violated and if concerned local public officials and employees are liable in the quarrying issues raised by lawmakers.

They also called for the immediate suspension of all Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) in the country pertaining to sand and gravel quarrying.

The House members also wanted to ascertain the truthfulness of the quarry tax collection declared by the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Negros Oriental, and if the system of checks and balances that was introduced by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and its implementing rules and regulations, particularly the formation of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB), is functional and effective to curtail possible abuse of authority by local government officials.

The constituents of Nueva Ecija are led to believe by the provincial government that quarrying activities are not a major source of tax revenue for the province, according to the lawmakers.

 "Whereas, the provincial government appears to be violating several provisions particularly those pertaining to its taxing powers as provided in the local Government Code; it contracted private entities to collect quarry fees; it did not declare the right fees collected; it did not observe the mandated sharing of quarry permits to compromise and sabotage the projects of its political opponents, among others," HR 1505 stated.

There are 50 quarry sites in Nueva Ecija.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region III Director Francisco Milla said it is the provincial governor who issues the quarrying permit.

Milla said the ECC is issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), not the Mines Geoscience Bureau (MGB). Both agencies are under the DENR.

However, Milla assured the committee that they will act immediately to suspend the issuance of ECCs based on existing guidelines. (EAG)

#onehouseforchange

ONE DATA SYSTEM TO RULE THEM ALL

 KABAYAN LAWMAKERS PUSH FOR GOVERNMENT-WIDE DATA SYSTEMS INTEGRATION

With House Bill No. 7200, the KABAYAN Party-list seeks to soon end many of the long lines for government documents and services millions of Filipinos wastefully and inconveniently endure on weekdays and even some weekends.

KABAYAN Representatives Ron Salo and Ciriaco Calalang co-authored and filed HB 7200 proposing the establishment and operation of a Philippine Data Interconnectivity System that shall “serve as the master database where all organized collection of information, data, records and other documents from government agencies mandated to deliver basic services and social security benefits are stored.”

If the proposed measure becomes the “Philippine Data Interconnectivity Act,” it will now be easier for every Filipino to get the government-issued documents that he or she needs. For example, among others, both the NBI Clearance and Passport applications require the PSA authenticated birth certificate. We can do away with duplicating requirements and fees if there is an interconnected database and information system which these agencies can check in lieu of requiring the said documents.

In this database, every registered Filipino shall have a Filipino Reference Number (FRN) which shall serve as the common reference number for each individual registered with the Philippine Statistics Authority. The FRN shall be used to establish a linkage among the agencies included in the PDIS.

Eyed for data integration are at least 20 government agencies:

1.         Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA);

2.         Local Civil Registrar;

3.         Local Register of Deeds;

4.         Land Registration Authority;

5.         Philippine Health Insurance Corporation of the Department of Health (PhilHealth);

6.         Home Development Mutual Fund or Pag-IBIG Fund (Pag-IBIG);

7.         Social Security System (SSS);

8.         Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR);

9.         Government Service Insurance System (GSIS);

10.       National Bureau of Investigation (NBI);

11.       Land Transportation Office (LTO);

12.       Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB);

13.       Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA);

14.       Department of Science and Technology (DOST);

15.       DSWD Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (DSWD 4Ps);

16.       Commission on Higher Education (CHED);

17.       Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA);

18.       Department of Education (DepEd);

19.       Professional Regulation Commission (PRC); and

20.       Philippine National Police (PNP).

The Supreme Court, Congress, and Constitutional Offices (Ombudsman, COMELEC, Commission on Audit, Civil Service Commission) may also be included in the PDIS, upon their concurrence.

A central component of the PDIS is an inter-agency one-stop-shop system wherein the public can request and obtain required official documents from the agencies included in the PDIS.

Salo and Calalang said the bill “aims to establish a modern, comprehensive, and secured interconnected database among government agencies that will streamline the process of obtaining common official documents and facilitate succeeding transactions of the public while keeping the integrity of government records and documents.”

“The PDIS seeks to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of government agencies in the management of certain government records and the delivery of government services to the public,” Salo said.

Calalang underscored that a PDIS will also “make our country attractive to investments…help our government perform efficiently and lessen the tedious transactions and bureaucratic red tape that has been one of the banes of Philippine Society.”  (END)

PRESS RELEASE

Office of Rep. Robert Ace Barbers

FEBRUARY 20, 2018

Barbers: Check private ports, hangars for illegal drugs

Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers on Tuesday asked law enforcement agencies to include private ports and hangars in their monitoring for illegal drugs.

Barbers, chairman of the House Committee on Dangerous Drugs, said illegal drugs could be transported in private aircraft, helicopters, and vessels, especially during the wee hours.

While these places are private-owned, he said, Congress can craft a policy to make private property owners accountable in case of possible violations of the government’s aggressive campaign against illegal drugs.

Barbers said he already made the same recommendation to the Department of Transportation during previous committee hearings in the House.

“Privately-owned airplanes, helicopters, and vessels are also being used to transport illegal drugs so the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation. They should be included in your monitoring,” he  said during a regular meeting of his Committee.

“In fact, we should always keep an eye on them because they are capable of making big shipments of illegal drugs,” he stressed.

In a related development, Barbers said private resorts and other tourist spots should also be subjected to thorough screening for illegal drugs.

He said both local and foreign tourists might be using illegal substances considering that most of these places are located away from the crowd and therefore could go unnoticed.#

TAGALOG:

Barbers: Suyurin ang mga pribadong daungan ng barko at eroplano upang di magamit sa pag-puslit ng illegal na droga

Nanawagan ngayon si Surigao del Norte Rep. Robert Ace Barbers na isama ang mga pribadong daungan ng mag barko at eroplano sa pagmamanman ng illegal na droga.

Sinabi ni Barbers, chairman ng House Committee on Dangerous Drugs,  na ang mga illegal na droga ay madaling maipupuslit sa mga pribadong pantalan or ports at hangars, lalu na sa disoras ng gabi.

Ayon pa kay Barbers, kailangang gumawa ng mga hakbangin o polisiya ang pamahalaan upang masiguro na hindi lalabag ang mga may-ari o operator ng pribadong pasilidad sa agresibong kampanya ng pamahalaan sa pagsugpo ng problema sa illegal na droga.

Ito rin aniya ang naging rekomendasyon niya sa pamunuan ng Department of Transportation sa mga nagdaang hearing ng kumite.

“Ang mga pribadong eroplano, helikopter o barko ay maaaring gamitin sa pagpapapasok ng mga ipinagbabawal na gamot sa ating bansa kaya kinakailangang isama din sila sa pagmamanman ng Philippine National Police, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation,” pahayag ni Barbers.

“Dapat nga ay lalo silang bantayan dahil sa kanilang kapabilidad na magpasok ng mga ipinagbabawal na gamot ng malakihan,” diin pa niya.

Isinulong din ni Barbers ang pagpapatupad ng kampanya laban sa illegal na droga sa mga liblib na pasyalan ng mga turista, maging lokal man o dayuhan.

Sinabi pa ni Barbers na ang mga pasyalang ito ay maaaring ginagawang tambayan ng may gustong gumamit o magbenta ng ilegal na droga dahil malayo ito sa mga tao at hindi gaanong pansinin. #

NEWS Release

20 February 2018

House to issue cause order vs absent Nueva Ecija officials

Members of the House committee on good government and public accountability on Tuesday approved the issuance of a show cause order to local chief executives of the Nueva Ecija provincial government to explain why they should not be cited for contempt for not appearing in the hearing.

The committee chaired by Surigao del Sur Rep. Johnny Pimental also ruled to issue a warrant of arrest to the concerned local officials if they fail anew to appear in the next hearing.

The hearing is based on House Resolution 1505 seeking an inquiry on the apparent corruption and irregularities in the imposition, collection, and distribution of taxes and fees from quarrying operations in Nueva Ecija and other provinces in the Philippines.

 “Under (our) House rules, in case of failure to appear in a congressional inquiry, the committee can issue a show cause order for these local officials to explain why they should not be cited for contempt. Most of the resource persons invited are connected to the provincial government of Nueva Ecija,” said Pimentel.

Pimentel said under Republic Act 7160, also known as the Local Government Code of 1991, local government units (LGUs) are authorized to impose taxes, fees and charges as sources of revenue.

Pimentel said although these are done exclusively by the provincial governments, the generated tax revenues are shared by the LGUs among themselves.

Pimentel said the committee's mandate is to determine whether laws were violated and if concerned local public officials and employees are liable in the quarrying issues raised by lawmakers.

They also called for the immediate suspension of all Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) in the country pertaining to sand and gravel quarrying.

The House members also wanted to ascertain the truthfulness of the quarry tax collection declared by the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Negros Oriental, and if the system of checks and balances that was introduced by the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and its implementing rules and regulations, particularly the formation of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB), is functional and effective to curtail possible abuse of authority by local government officials.

The constituents of Nueva Ecija are led to believe by the provincial government that quarrying activities are not a major source of tax revenue for the province, according to the lawmakers.

 "Whereas, the provincial government appears to be violating several provisions particularly those pertaining to its taxing powers as provided in the local Government Code; it contracted private entities to collect quarry fees; it did not declare the right fees collected; it did not observe the mandated sharing of quarry permits to compromise and sabotage the projects of its political opponents, among others," HR 1505 stated.

There are 50 quarry sites in Nueva Ecija.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources Region III Director Francisco Milla said it is the provincial governor who issues the quarrying permit.

Milla said the ECC is issued by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), not the Mines Geoscience Bureau (MGB). Both agencies are under the DENR.

However, Milla assured the committee that they will act immediately to suspend the issuance of ECCs based on existing guidelines. (EAG)

#onehouseforchange

NEWS Release

21 February 2018

House pushes mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases

The House of Representatives, through viva voce voting, approved yesterday House Bill 7134, seeking to provide policies and prescribe procedures on surveillance and response to notifiable diseases, epidemics, and health events of public health concern.

The proposed “Mandatory Reporting of Notifiable Diseases and Health Events of Public Health Concern Act” declares it as the policy of the State to protect and promote the right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them.

Likewise, the bill declares the State shall endeavor to : 1) protect the people from public health threats through the efficient and effective disease surveillance of notifiable diseases, including emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases, diseases for elimination and eradication, epidemics and health events of public health concern; and 2) provide effective response system in compliance with the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR) of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Moreover, the State recognizes epidemics and other public health emergencies as threats to public health and national security, which can undermine the social, economic, and political functions of the State.

Lastly, the State recognizes the disease surveillance and response system of the Department of Health (DOH) and its local counterparts as the first line of defense against epidemics and health events of public health concern that pose risk to public health and security.

The bill defines notifiable disease as “a disease that by legal requirements, must be reported to the public health authorities.” It refers to health event of public health concern as “either a public health emergency or a public health threat.”

 

Among the objectives of the bill are to continuously develop and upgrade the list of nationally notifiable diseases and health events of public health concern with their corresponding definitions; enforce mandatory reporting of notifiable diseases and health events of public health concern to the DOH and its local counterparts; and expand collaborations beyond traditional public health partners to include others who may be involved in the disease surveillance and response, such as agricultural agencies, veterinarians, law enforcement entities, and transportation agencies, among others.

The bill mandates the Epidemiology Bureau under the DOH to regularly update and issue a list of nationally notifiable health events of public health concern with their corresponding case definitions.

It provides that the Philippine Integrated Database Surveillance and Response (PIDSR) System and other duly institutionalized diseases surveillance and response systems of the DOH for notifiable diseases and health events of public health concern shall be recognized as the official information systems for mandatory notification of terms provided in the Act.

The DOH, in coordination with the local government units (LGUs), shall ensure that Epidemiology and Surveillance Units (ESUs) are established and functional in all levels of the DOH and its local counterparts, and in public and private health facilities and laboratories as well as ports and airports in all provinces, cities, and municipalities throughout the country.

The bill also prohibits the following acts: breach of privacy and confidentiality; tampering of records or intentionally providing misinformation; non-performance of persons and entities that should report and/or respond to notifiable diseases or health events of public health concern; and non-cooperation of the person or entities identified as having the notifiable disease, or affected by the health event of public health concern.

Any person or entity found to have violated any of the abovementioned prohibited acts shall be penalized with a fine of P20,000 to P50,000 or imprisonment of one month to six months, or both, at the discretion of the court.

The Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) shall have the authority to suspend or revoke the license to practice the profession of erring medical professionals. Likewise, the business permit and license to operate of erring institutions and agencies shall be cancelled.

Authors of the bill include Reps. Angelina Tan and Deputy Speaker Linabelle Ruth Villarica, among others.  (RBB)

#onehouseforchange

Photo Release

21 February 2018

QUARRY FEES INQUIRY: The House committee on good government and public accountability chaired by Rep. Johnny Pimentel issued a show cause order for local executives of the Nueva Ecija provincial government to explain why they should not be cited for contempt for not appearing in the hearing. The committee's hearing is based on House Resolution 1505 seeking an inquiry on the alleged corruption and irregularities in the imposition, collection and distribution of taxes and fees from quarrying operations in Nueva Ecija and other provinces in the country. (GE/EAG)

#onehouseforchange

REP. CIRIACO S. CALALANG

KABAYAN Party-list

BUY DRONES ALSO, NOT JUST HEAVY HARDWARE

[Rep. Calalang: For practical reasons, PNP, NDRRMC, PCG, PDEA, DENR, AFP, DPWH should use drones in a much LARGER scale and include “drone program” in 2019 proposed national budget]

Ships, jets, helicopters, and submarines cost hundreds of millions of pesos and even billions of pesos to buy from foreign suppliers, but unmanned drones would cost only a fraction of price tags of their much larger counterparts. Some drones could probably even be made locally—further cutting down the costs.

To modernize and significantly boost the capabilities of the police, coast guard, military, and a few other government agencies, I ask the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of National Defense, the Department of Transportation, and the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency to submit to Congress their respective multi-year budget proposals and accompanying documents for the purchase, operation, and maintenance of drones for combat, intelligence, and law enforcement operations.

           

I hope the budgets for the drones can be included in the 2019 national budget President Rodrigo Roa Duterte will submit to Congress in July 2018. Preparations and detailed work on the 2019 budget are underway. There is time for the various government agencies to work on this with their technical experts, budget officers, and consultants.

If there are urgent needs for drones this year that cannot wait for the 2019 budget, probably the intelligence funds can be used as funding sources for some purchases and use of drones.

Instead of flying helicopters, the PNP can deploy drones to serve as eye in the sky against lawless elements—syndicates and street criminals—to keep our neighborhoods safe and gather evidence needed to secure convictions.  Drones can also augment the capabilities of the PNP Maritime Group.

PDEA drones that can fly day or night would be the new weapons against drug lords, traffickers, and dealers.

With a small fleet of drones that can fly and dive underwater, our military outposts in the West Philippine Sea, Western Luzon, Palawan, and Eastern Luzon can patrol our territorial and EEZ waters.

The DOTr, which oversees the Philippine Coast Guard and land transport agencies, can make use of drones to catch smugglers, pirates, and drug traffickers, as well as address traffic jams and monitoring implementation of big-ticket transport projects.

Other government agencies can also have uses for drones. For example, the DENR would need drones to inspect mining and logging operations and to monitor the condition of our forests, coasts, and protected areas.

The NDRRMC and OCD would need drones to conduct damage assessments, survey hazard areas, and inspect evacuation sites. The DPWH would have uses for drones, especially for the monitoring and inspection of roads and bridges being built and already built. (END)

WHERE HAVE ALL THE RICE GONE? Rep. Jose Panganiban Jr., chairman of the House committee on agriculture and food, poses this question to resource persons during the panel investigation on the true state of the country’s rice supply.  The inquiry was based on House Resolution Nos. 842, 951, 993, 1013, 1013, 1588, 1648, 1658 and 1689. The resolutions are calling for an investigation, in aid of legislation, on the possible existence of a rice shortage in the country. Jason Aquino, administrator of the National Food Authority (NFA), assured the panel there is no rice shortage in the country. He said that what the country lacks now is affordable rice for the Filipino people particularly the poor and accessible rice for those living in island provinces. Among those who attended the meeting were Reps. Anthony Bravo, Manuel Luis Lopez, Luis Raymund Villafuerte, Rico Geron, Gary Alejano, Cecilia Leonila Chavez, Micaela Violago, Orestes Salon, Jose Tejada, Michelle Antonio, Delphine Gan Lee, Isagani Amatong, Francisco Datol, Jr., Edgar Sarmiento, Ramon Rocamora, Baby Aline Vargas-Alfonso, Eugene De Vera, Fernando Gonzalez, Aniceto Bertiz III, Peter Unabia, Wilfredo Caminero and Leo Rafael Cueva. Resource persons invited to the meeting include Secretary Emmanuel Piñol of the Department of Agriculture and the NFA Council led by lawyer Jeck Otero. (MVIP)

#onehouseforchange

NEWS Release

21 February 2018

House bans conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands

The House of Representatives unanimously approved on third and final reading on Tuesday House Bill 7115 which seeks to include the act of converting or causing the conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands among the prohibited acts prescribed in Republic Act No. 6657, as amended, otherwise known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law of 1988.

All 188 House Members present during the voting were in favor of the bill.

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who authored the bill together with Rep. Erlpe John Amante, said the bill will protect the remaining prime agricultural lands and irrigated and irrigable lands in the country while maintaining and strengthening its present level of food security.

“The obligation of the State is to ensure food security and promote social justice. Prime agricultural lands as well as irrigated or irrigable lands have been adversely affected by rampant and unchecked conversions. These have led to disturbing threat not only against our country’s food security, but to the whole agrarian reform program as well,” said Alvarez.

Irrigated lands, as defined in the bill, are “lands serviced by natural irrigation or irrigation facilities, as delineated by the Department of Agriculture (DA) or the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) which includes lands where water is not readily available as existing irrigation facilities need rehabilitation or upgrading, or where irrigation water is not available year-round.”

As to irrigable lands, these are "lands suitable for the conduct of agricultural activities which require irrigation and display physical features justifying the operation of an irrigation system.”

The bill introduces a new prohibited act in Section 73 of RA 6657, as amended, to more effectively deter the actual physical or legal conversion or causing the conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands, thus preserving these lands for agrarian reform and food security purposes. 

The bill provides that actual physical or legal conversion or causing the physical or legal conversion of irrigated and irrigable lands are committed by the following: 1) any person who directly and indirectly participates in the conversion of irrigated and irrigable land; 2) any person who directly or indirectly induces the landowner or farmworker in the conversion of irrigated and irrigable land; 3) any person who applies for and facilitates the application for conversion; 4) any person who facilitates the application and issuance of clearances and other documents necessary for conversion; 5) any person who approves and cause for the approval of the application for conversion; and 6) any person who directly and indirectly benefited from the conversion.

The bill also amends Section 74 of RA 6657 so that any person who knowingly or willfully violates the provisions of the Act shall be punished by imprisonment of one month to three years or a fine of P1,000 to P15,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.

Meanwhile, violators of  Section 73, subparagraphs (c), (d), (e), (i), and (j) of RA 6657, as amended shall face imprisonment of six years and one day to 12 years, or pay the fine of P200,000 to P1,000,000, or both, at the discretion of the court.

If the offender is a public officer, he shall suffer the additional penalties of removal from office and perpetual absolute disqualification to hold public office, as provided in the bill.

Other authors of the bill are Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Fariñas, Deputy Speaker Gwendolyn Garcia, Reps. Rene Relampagos, Juan Pablo Bondoc, Deogracias Victor Savellano, Ariel Casilao, Alfredo Garbin, Melecio Yap Jr., Arnolfo Teves Jr., Luisa Lloren Cuaresma, Jesulito Manalo, Tom Villarin, Manuel Sagarbarria, Joseph Stephen Paduano, Fernando Gonzalez, Jesus Nonato Sacdalan, Lorna Bautista-Bandigan, Christoffer de Venecia, Mauyag Papandayan Jr., Wilter Palma II, Orestes Salon, Marlyn Primicias-Agabas, Raymond Democrito Mendoza, Eugene Michael de Vera, Teodoro Montoro, Gus Tambunting, Manuel Jose Dalipe, Gary Alejano, Ricardo Belmonte, Gabriel Bordado, Joaquin Chipeco Jr., Rico Geron, John Marvin Nieto, and Sherwin Tugna. (RBB)

#onehouseforchange

SPDA PRESS BRIEFING

Feb. 22, 2018

Social Hall-Office of the Speaker

House of Representatives

Q: Sir, how do you feel about this dissolution of marriage?

A: Well, nagpapasalamat ako doon sa committee dahil sa dami ng nakikiusap na, kahit naman sa social media paulit-ulit pina-follow up yung DOM, yung dissolution of marriage at mabuti naman at talagang sinipagan nila ito at they conducted committee hearings hindi lang dito sa ating bansa kundi pati na rin doon sa ibang bansa, kung saan marami tayong mga OFW. At ito talaga ay ni-request ng karamihan ng mga OFW at kahit yung mga personnel natin sa DFA na naka-assign sa abroad.

Ngayon, itong panukalang batas na ito napaka-significant din nito dahil nga dito lang nagsama-sama yung majority, yung Makabayan bloc, yung minority. Halos, hindi ko alam… si manong Lito Atienza yata yung hindi daw siya nakumbinsi ni manong Edcel. (laughs)

Q: Sir, when will the House approve it in the plenary?

A: Well, kanina inaprubahan sa committee tapos I’m sure na gagawin na yung mga amendments na napagkasunduan kanina at pagkatapos siguro, by next week siguro, baka pumasok na sa plenary yun.

Q: Okay sir, just another matter, yun pong warrant of arrest kay Cong. Floirendo. Nag-issue kasi siya ng statement parang sinisisi niya kayo sa nangyari sa kanya…

A: Alam niyo ito, part po ito ng due process ‘di ba? Now, he violated provisions of law. In fact, yung provisions of law na ito ay, they are criminal in nature. Now, dapat mag-concentrate siya doon sa defense niya doon sa Sandiganbayan kasi na-deliberate na yan sa Ombudsman then ang sinabi ng Ombudsman merong probable cause, merong prima facie case so kaya sinampa sa Sandiganbayan. So, ngayon, dapat doon na siya mag-focus, hindi na yung ano-ano pa yung mga sinasabi.

Q: Sabi ni Congressman Floirendo daw, it is the power on your part?

A: Alam mo ang problema niyan, siya lang may sabi nun. Yan ang problema... kasi, due process ito, ang problema kasi sa kanya, hindi siya nakakaintindi. Ang hirap umintindi so pinipilit niya yung sa kanya kasi sanay na sanay kasi siya, sa buong buhay niya na yung mga pinaggagawa niyang abuso ay hindi niya napapanagutan dahil nga sa dami nung pera nila. Kahit sa Davao mismo maraming abuso yan, marami siyang mga, meron siyang sinuntok, kung ano-anong pinaggagagawa kahit magtanong kayo doon.

Q: Sir, regarding po sa mga proposals regarding the postponement of barangay elections…

A: Ako, ayokong mag-komento diyan dahil nga okay naman sa akin kung magkaka-eleksyon. Ngayon, halimbawa, kasi merong bill na pending... Kung halimbawa, mapag-agreehan nila doon sa plenary na ipo-postpone, anong magagawa ko? Di pupunta sa Senado yan.

Pero ako, walang problema sa akin – may eleksyon, walang eleksyon, okay lang ako.

Q: Sir, nakapag-set na po kayo ng next meeting with the Senate leaders regarding Charter change?

A: Wala pa pero yun yung gusto kong mangyari sana na magkaroon na ng pangalawang meeting tungkol doon.

Q: Sir, nakakausap niyo na po ba si SP Pimentel regarding yung to meet again?

A: Ay, hindi pa kasi nagsunod-sunod kasi, ang daming ginawa nung mga nakaraang linggo at in fact, itong week na ‘to, ang dami rin. Ang dami naming tinatapos dito Monday to Wednesday tapos yun namang Thursday to Sunday, nauubos naman sa oath-taking. Ako naman yung nire-request nilang mag-administer ng oath kahit na hindi naman ako kakandidato, ako yung pumupunta sa mga probinsya. Ang hirap din, nakakapagod.

Q: Sir, doon po sa pag-ikot niyo, ano po ang feedback ng mga tao regarding federalism?

A: Ay, maganda. Maganda. At saka pinapaintindi ko sa kanila na itong movement nung pagbago ng structure ng gobyerno natin, itong federalism ay ito ay laban ng mga probinsyano. Laban ito ng mga local governments, hindi ito laban ng national government. Hindi ito laban ng Presidente, laban ito ng mga probinsya, regions kung saan sila yung makakabenepisyo nito.

Wala na? Okay na? Okay na tayo.

Q:  Thank you sir.

A: Thank you.

###

SPDA RE: SENATE ETHICS -- DE LIMA

Feb. 22, 2018

Social Hall-Office of the Speaker

House of Representatives

Q: …yung sa ethics committee?

A: Hindi pa namin sakop kasi yun, talagang sila ang may karapatan kung bigyan nila ng…kung i-consider nila o i-dismiss nila. Ngayon, dinismiss nila, well, I respect their decision.

###

SPDA RE: DAVAO CITY MAYOR SARA DUTERTE PARTY

Feb. 22, 2018

Social Hall-Office of the Speaker

House of Representatives

Q. Si Mayor Sara, gumagawa ng bagong local party? Pero po it is required to be affiliated in PDP-Laban?

Alvarez: Hindi ko alam, pero okay naman kasi yung mga regional parties, talagang ginawa yun. So... they.... it’s a non-issue.

Q. Shouldn’t it be important kasi syempre anak siya ng pangulo?

Alvarez: Hindi, doon nga natin makikita ano. Doon natin makikita na sa pulitika, yung tinatawag nila minsan dynasty-dynasty. Alam mo hindi sa lahat ng panahon ay tama yun. Kahit na mag-ama yan, kahit na—minsan hindi tayo nagkakasundo. Magkapatid naglalaban sa pulitika, paano natin pigilin yun? Sila mismo naglaban-laban di ba? Ito namang sa kaso noong pagtatag ng partido ni Mayor Sara ay talaga namang pupuwede yun, di ba? So, igalang na lang natin talaga.

Q. Thank you, Speaker.

#onehouseforchange

News Release

21 February 2018

Alvarez lauds passage of marriage dissolution bill; expects plenary deliberations next week

Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez today lauded the Committee on Population and Family Relations following its approval of a substitute bill on an alternative mode severing marriage ties, called the Bill Providing for Divorce and Dissolution of Marriage.

The substitute measure consolidated the salient features of House Bills 116, 1062, 2380 & 6027. Speaker Alvarez is the principal author of HB 6027 or the Dissolution of Marriage Bill.

“Well nagpapasalamat ako doon sa committee, dahil nga sa dami nung nakikiusap na—kahit naman sa social media paulit ulit pina follow up yung DOM, dissolution of marriage. At mabuti naman at talagang sinipagan nila ito—they conducted committee hearings hindi lang dito sa ating bansa kundi doon din sa ibang bansa kung saan marami tayong mga OFW,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said the approval at the committee level of the substitute bill shows the House recognized the clamor of the OFWs, endorsed by many officials fo the Department of Foreign Affairs stationed abroad, for a less expensive and faster mode of dissolution of marriage compared to the annulment process under the Family Code.

“At ito ay talagang ni-request din ng karamihan ng mga OFW at kahit yung mga personnel natin sa DFA na naka-assign sa abroad,” Alvarez said.

What is even more significant, according to Alvarez, lawmakers crossed party lines to join in the effort to craft a bill on marriage dissolution.

“Ngayon itong panukalang batas na ito, napaka-significant din ito dahil nga dito lang nagsama-sama yung majority, yung Makabayan bloc, yung minority,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez said he expects the substitute bill to be tackled in the plenary of the House by next week.

“Well kanina inaprubahan sa committee, tapos I’m sure na gagawin na yung mga amendments na napagkasunduan kanina.At pagkatapos siguro, by next week siguro baka pumasok na sa plenary yun,” Alvarez said.

To make the process less costly, the bill exempts indigent couples, or those with properties amounting to P5 million or less, from the legal fees, among others.

Deputy Speaker Pia Cayetano explained that the P5 million ceiling is based on the committee’s consultation abroad where majority of the OFW’s requested for an affordable process of marriage dissolution.

“This is based on the consulations we had with OFWs that you may be earning P20,000 a month but you don’t spend all of that on a divorce, so we based it on property (value),” Cayetano said.

The substitute measure also provides for summary judicial process of marriage dissolution on certain grounds.

Among the grounds for summary judicial process include separation of spouses for at least five years at the time the petition for divorce is filed, psychological incapacity, irreconcilable marital differences, plus gender reassignment surgery or transition and existing grounds for annulment and legal separation.

“These are factual basis so it is easy for the courts to resolve this,” Cayetano said. Rep. Edcel Lagman, one of the authors the consolidated measure, said the summary proceedings may be concluded in less than a year.

Besides, a summary proceeding will be less costly because the couples seeking divorce need not hire lawyers and instead can represent themselves before the courts.

Lagman noted that while the committee approved the substitute measure,  it remains the policy of the State to protect and preserve marriage as a social institution and the foundation of the family but gives couples in broken marriages the opportunity to have a second chance at marital bliss by dissolving the marriage and allowing them to re-marry.

He noted that the substitute measure still allows the couple seeking divorce the chance to reconcile and live together again at every stage of the divorce proceedings. #####

#onehouseforchange

AFP, DND, DILG KEEP MINDANAO SAFE FROM TERRORISTS, SAYS REP. SIAO

[Iligan City Congressman reacts to the statement of MILF Chairman Al-Hajj Ebrahim Murad]

As the Representative of Iligan City, I am deeply concerned about the statement of MILF Chairman Al-Hajj Ebrahim Murad that Iligan City and Cotabato may already be targets of terrorist groups for a sequel of their siege of Marawi City, in case the Bangsamoro Basic Law fails to pass.

I was therefore relieved to know directly from our military and defense officials that Iligan and Cotabato are not under any imminent threat from the ISIS terrorists who attacked Marawi.

The concern of the esteemed MILF Chairman for the welfare of Iligan and Cotabato is much appreciated, but I also hope he would first confer with top officials of the AFP, DND, and DILG instead of first making such statements to the news media.

Let me take this opportunity to assure Chairman Al-Hajj Murad that there is a good base of support in Congress for the passage of the proposed BBL and so there is no need to play the ISIS card while the BBL goes through the legislative process.

Congress is simply in the process of ironing out the details to significantly increase the BBL's success factors during the implementation phase.

Iligan is one of the most progressive cities in Mindanao and is still recovering from the impact of the Battle of Marawi. The extension of Martial Law in Mindanao has helped stabilize the peace and order situation, as well as business confidence in Iligan and all over Mindanao.

Meanwhile, the military and police are steadfast in their ongoing mission to defend Mindanao against all security threats, foreign and domestic. Their commitment to their duty has earned the admiration and respect of Iliganons. (END)

Photo Release

22 February 2018

FINALLY DIVORCE: The House committee on population and family relations chaired by Rep. Sol Aragones approved the substitute bill which seeks to institutionalize absolute divorce in the Philippines. The unnumbered bill is in substitution of House Bills 116, 1062, 2380 and 6027 which gives spouses in irremediably failed marriages the opportunity to secure an absolute divorce decree under limited grounds and well-defined judicial procedures to terminate a continuing dysfunction of a long-broken marriage. The bill is authored by Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Deputy Speakers Pia Cayetano and Gwendolyn Garcia, Reps. Edcel Lagman, Robert Ace Barbers, Emmi De Jesus, Arlene Brosas, Teddy Brawner Baguilat, Jr., Rodel Batocabe, Ariel Casilao, France Castro, Nancy Catamco, Sarah Jane Elago, Ana Cristina Go, Antonio Tinio, Carlos Isagani Zarate, Feliciano Belmonte, Jr., Kaka Bag-ao, Doy Leachon and Eleanor Bulut Begtang. Members who attended the meeting are Speaker Alvarez, Deputy Speakers Cayetano and Sharon Garin, Lagman, De Jesus, Batocabe, Reps. Amihilda Sangcopan, Francisco Datol, Jr., Ma. Lourdes Aggabao, Cecilia Leonila Chavez, Milagros Aquino-Magsaysay and Vini Nola Ortega. (MVIP/PC)

#onehouseforchange