The ProPinoy Project » NDCC

NP claims Noynoy forming a 'GMA Cabinet'

Karen Ang — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 21:32:17 +0000

NP claims Noynoy forming a ‘GMA Cabinet’
abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – The Nacionalista Party (NP) on Saturday scored Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino Jr. for allegedly forming a Cabinet way ahead of the May 10 automated elections.

“Aquino is clearly jumping too soon,” the NP said in a statement, hinting that Aquino is being overconfident that he will win the presidential race.

Aquino has slowly regained his wide lead over the NP standard-bearer Sen. Manuel “Manny” Villar Jr. in the presidential survey. The latest Pulse Asia survey showed Aquino gaining a double-digit margin from his closest rival.

“This is proof that Aquino is already thinking of holding the highest position in the land when the election is still a month away. How can he do this when he has yet to prove that he will win the election?” the NP said. “And worst is that the Aquino presidency will be a virtual Arroyo administration with a GMA rehash Cabinet.”

Without naming its source, the NP said that among the future appointees of Aquino is Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Undersecretary Thomson Lantion.

It said Lantion, a former police official who is close to President Arroyo’s current executive secretary, Leandro Mendoza, will be appointed by Aquino as DOTC secretary.

The NP claimed that the other future Aquino appointees are re-electionist Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza as head of the Department of Agrarian Reform; North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmanuel Piñol as secretary the Department of Energy; Avelino “Nonong” Cruz as National Defense chief; former Education Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad as Secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways; former Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky Soliman as Department of Environment and Natural Resources head; Ed Gana as Department of agriculture chief;

Former Economic Planning Secretary Ralph Recto, now running for senator under the Liberal Party as head of the Department of Finance; Makati Business Club’s Ramon del Rosario as Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government; Leah Navarro of the Black and White Movement as Presidential Management Staff chief; and former Pangasinan governor Victor Agbayani as secretary of the Department of Trade and Industry.

The NP predicted that if Aquino wins, they expect him to appoint relatives and friends to his future Cabinet.

Presidential aspirants warn vs use of disaster funds in Mindanao for polls

Karen Ang — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 14:05:56 +0000

Presidential aspirants warn vs use of disaster funds in Mindanao for polls
GMANews.TV

Following the declaration of a state of calamity over Mindanao due to the power shortage there, two presidential aspirants on Friday warned against the possible use of disaster funds for election purposes.

Liberal Party standard bearer Senator Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, who is currently campaigning in provinces in the south, said that while it was President Gloria Macapagal- Arroyo’s prerogative to place Mindanao under a state of calamity, the public should monitor how the funds will be used to ease the impact of the power shortage.

“This government has shown its propensity to divert funds for political purposes. The people must make sure that the unscrupulous do not succeed this time,” Aquino said in a statement.

Declaring a state of calamity in Mindanao will allow local government units to use up to 5 percent of their internal revenue allotments (IRA), which are their share of revenues from the national government.

Senator Richard Gordon, another presidential aspirant, also said the government should have laid down its specific plans on how the funds would be spent to address the electric shortage.

“To me pag nag-declare ka ng calamity may panggastos yung mga tao sa mga mayor, gagamitin yung pera sa pulitika (For me if you declare a calamity the people, the mayors will have funds to use for politics),” Gordon told reporters in Santiago City in Isabela province where he is currently campaigning.

“Ano gagawin nila, babayaran nila mga farmer? Babayaran nila ang mga negosyong nalugi? Hindi ko alam gagawin nila sa pera so I’m asking, what does a state of calamity mean when people have brownouts (What will they do, pay the farmers? Pay the businesses that suffered losses? I don’t know what they’ll do with the money, so I’m asking what does a state of calamity mean when people have brownouts),” he said.

Mindanao, which has a 700-megawatt power supply shortfall, is suffering from three to 11-hour blackouts everyday. The brownouts are expected to last until the El Niño phenomenon, which causes low water elevation in hydroelectric plants in Mindanao and other parts of the country, ends in June.

Since Mindanao is not connected to the power grid in Luzon and the Visayas, power plants in the two islands are unable to dispatch excess electricity to Mindanao.

On Thursday, Mindanao Development Authority chairman Jesus Dureza said President Arroyo has approved the recommendation of the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) to declare a state of calamity so that local government units can use their calamity funds to remedy or alleviate the power crisis. [See: Arroyo approves state of calamity in Mindanao] - Johanna Camille Sisante and Aie Balagtas See/RSJ, GMANews.TV

Arroyo OKs state of calamity in Mindanao

Karen Ang — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:14:46 +0000

Arroyo OKs state of calamity in Mindanao
abs-cbnNEWS.com

MANILA, Philippines – President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has approved the National Disaster Coordinating Council’s (NDCC) recommendation to place Mindanao under a state of calamity to address the power crisis in the island due to the ongoing dry spell, a Cabinet member confirmed Thursday.

Defense Secretary Norberto Gonzales, concurrent NDCC chairman, said Mrs. Arroyo approved the recommendation Thursday.

In a press briefing on Wednesday, deputy presidential spokesperson Ricardo Saludo said the declaration would allow local government units in the southern island to tap much-needed calamity funds and impose price controls on basic products in affected areas.

“There is the element of price control during a state of calamity. If you remember, there were price controls in Luzon when a state of calamity was declared after storms Ondoy and Pepeng. That is a possibility,” Saludo said.

Mindanao is currently suffering from a severe power shortage as the El Niño phenomenon disabled the region’s hydro-electric power plants, causing 6- to 7-hour blackouts.

Highly dependent on hydro power, Mindanao has been experiencing power shortfalls and rotating blackouts since 2009 when the ongoing dry spell caused water levels in resevoirs to go below normal levels.

According to the March 10 power systems update by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), Mindanao has a shortage of 748 megawatts (MW). A month ago, Mindanao was experiencing a slim 159-MW power shortage.

The Department of Energy (DOE) Power Development Plan projected an energy shortage in the Mindanao grid as early as 2001.

Energy Secretary Angelo Reyes, meanwhile, has doused fears that the energy crisis in Mindanao would last until the May 10 elections, which has raised concerns about a failure of elections. With a report from Willard Cheng, ABS-CBN News

Place Mindanao under state of calamity, Arroyo urged

Karen Ang — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 08:21:12 +0000

Place Mindanao under state of calamity, Arroyo urged
By Katherine Evangelista
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) on Wednesday recommended that a state of calamity be declared in Mindanao in light of the power crisis being experienced in the region.

Defense Secretary and NDCC chief Norberto Gonzales said he expects President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to agree to the agency’s recommendation and issue a proclamation as soon as possible.

“We expect that she will sign this the moment she sees it,” Gonzales told reporters after an emergency meeting held at the NDCC headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo.

Gonzales added that the Department of Energy will spearhead the implementation of the plan once it is approved.