COA:Mapagencylostmoney

By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer

6:35 am | Monday, August 15th, 2011

even though the inquiry was to being done to improve legislation and was not a prosecution. The Senates job was to come up with laws or revisions to laws, Ferrer stated.

The governments central mapping agency not only forfeited a potential income of P1.6 million for failing to produce saleable maps in 2010, it also ran up a telephone bill of half a million, the Commission on Audit (COA) noted. The COA also reported that as of December 2010, the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority (Namria) sold some P8.4 million worth of maps, but posted an income of only P695,050. But Namria failed to produce the topographic, contoured, regional and provincial maps and realize P1,614,900 in sales, COA said in its 2011 audit report on Namria for 2010. This was contrary to Executive Order No. 192, which mandates Namria to provide the Department of Environment and Natural Resources with map-making services and to act as a central mapping agency, it said. Namria is headed by an administrator. Its policymaking board is chaired by the environment secretary and composed of four other secretaries as members.

DrilonsaysMikeArroyowaswellenoughtotraveltoHK, shouldbeabletofacetheSenate
INQUIRER.net, Radyo Inquirer
10:30 am | Monday, August 15th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines If former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo was well enough to make the trip to Hong Kong, then he must be able to make it to the Senate hearings, Senator Franklin Drilon told Radyo Inquirer in an interview Monday. Drilon said that although the former first gentleman had the right against selfincrimination, he could not use a blanket invocation and say that he will not face the Senate because he might incriminate himself. The senator explained that the former first gentleman may use his right against selfincrimination for specific questions. He also revealed that Dr. Manuel Chua Siaco, the medical director of the Philippine Heart Center was yet to report on the former first gentlemans condition. For more of the interview, listen to 990AM Radyo Inquirer.

990AM:MikeArroyosdoctorstodetermineifhecan attendSenateinquiryintochopperdeal
INQUIRER.net, Radyo Inquirer
10:05 am | Monday, August 15th, 2011

LetusprayforGloriaMacapagal-Arroyosrecovery
By Totel V. de Jesus 990 AM, INQUIRER.net
7:23 am | Monday, August 15th, 2011

MANILA, Philippines It would be up to the doctors of former first gentleman Jose Miguel Arroyo to determine if he is well enough to attend the Senate probe into the Philippine National Polices purchase of two secondhand helicopters, his lawyer Inocencio Ferrer told Radyo Inquirer on Monday. Ferrer said that the former first gentleman was stressed out because of his and his wifes present medical conditions. He explained that sick persons are normally not forced to appear before the court. He said that some senators have already passed judgement on the former first gentleman

Manila, PhilippinesA close ally of former President and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo said it would be better if the Filipino people could just pray for her immediate recovery rather than spread rumors via text messages and social networking sites that shes very ill and about to die anytime soon. Theres no truth to the text messages circulating that shes in critical condition, said Mayor Jerry Pelayo of Candaba town in Pampanga in an interview with anchor Willy Matawaran of In Desk Corner on 990 AM Radyo Inquirer early Monday morning.

Pelayo also cleared the rumors that MacapagalArroyo, who is still confined at St. Lukes Medical Center for her third surgical operation related to a damaged spine, will seek hospitalization either in Singapore or the United States. If she wants to leave the country, she could have done that earlier, before she was confined in St. Lukes and when she was still not on the immigration watch list of the Department of Justice, Pelayo said. Macapagal-Arroyo is facing a string of cases ranging from plunder to human-rights abuses. Bakit sya pupuslit, eh kinasuhan pa lang naman sya eh. And she has lawyers minding those cases, Pelayo added. For updates, listen to 990 AM Radyo Inquirer.

MILFasksAquino:Popularityorpeace?
Substate deal seen as key to talks in Kuala Lumpur
By TJ Burgonio Philippine Daily Inquirer
12:16 am | Monday, August 15th, 2011

In a virtual challenge to President Benigno Aquino III, Moro rebels have asked whether he is willing to sacrifice his popularity for the sake of ending the armed conflict in Mindanao. Michael Mastura, a senior member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), spelled out the choices for Mr. Aquinopopularity or peace in an interview with the Inquirer a week before the two sides resume formal peace talks. The MILF has dropped its demand for independence and instead called for the creation of a Muslim substate within the republic. The government panel is expected to present its counterproposal when the negotiators return to the bargaining table next Monday in Kuala Lumpur. The two sides last held exploratory talks in April. Is he (President Aquino) willing to cast (away) his political capital for this problem, for this process? Mastura said. In other words, is the President willing to compromise on the issue of substate in exchange for ending the fighting that has

dragged on for four decades and claimed tens of thousands of lives? The issues are clear. If they will accede to using our draft as a working draft, that will fast-track everything, Mastura said. Expanding ARMM The proposed Muslim substate would exercise all government functions, except those of national defense, foreign affairs, currency and postal services, which would remain in the hands of the national government. The scope of such a substate has yet to be defined but it could lead to the expansion of the current Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Mr. Aquino has indicated that Christians and Lumad to be affected by the proposal would be given a choice of whether they would want to be part of the substate. Under the MILF proposal, the proposed substate would be governed by a chief minister elected by an assembly. It will have asymmetrical relations with the national government, similar to Hong Kongs relations with China, according to MILF consultants. The law that created the ARMM gives the regional government the right to explore and develop the regions natural resources. Historical injustice The need for a peace deal gained urgency following a secret meeting in Tokyo more than a week ago between Mr. Aquino and the MILF chair, Murad Ebrahim. Raissa Jajurie, a member of the MILFs board of consultants, said the rebel group was hoping the government would meet it halfway and agree to grant the Moros substate status. Bangsamoro wants to have its own responsibility in governing Bangsamoro lands. Its a compromise. Just for the sake of having peace, theyre agreeable to a substate at this point, Jajurie said. Theyre hoping that the Philippine government will be ready to compromise their position and grant this to the Moro, given the historical injustice through the years, she added. The MILF has contended that a provision on the substate could be appended to the 1987 Constitution by legislation, without the country having to go through a laborious constitutional amendment process.

Harry Roque, a University of the Philippines law professor, and former Sen. Aquilino Pimentel Jr. have said that the creation of a substate would likely require an amendment to the Charter. Significant day The Mindanao Peoples Caucus (MPC), a grassroots network of Christians, Muslims and Lumad seeking peace in Mindanao, said it was eager to see how the government panel would respond to the MILF proposal. We are hoping that this coming Aug. 22, the government will finally submit their counterproposal so well have an idea where this is headed, the MPC secretary general, Mary Ann Arnado, said in an interview on Sunday. After the euphoria, they will go back to the real hard work of negotiation. Aug. 22 is a significant day, she added. Arnado said the MILF had laid down its cards and peace advocates were anticipating how close or how far the governments counterproposal would be. Sobriety needed The peace advocates in Mindanao are eagerly looking forward to a political settlement of the armed conflict We dont want to go back to war, Arnado said. Nash Pangadapun, the secretary general of Maradeka, cautioned against making premature comments and called for sobriety. Maradeka is an alliance of prodemocracy Bangsamoro civil society groups that sat in as an official observer in the 2006-2008 talks. Hyper-reactions can hurt confidence-building measures on both sides, while spoilers are feasting on the recent development, Pangadapun said in a text message. Let us make the peace process work. Pangadapun said the more immediate concern was to bring into the mainstream the group of a rogue MILF commander, Umbra Kato, who reportedly favors independence. With a report from Jeoffrey Maitem, Inquirer Mindanao