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MMDA to decongest EDSA on Yuletide


THE Metropolitan Manila Develop- ment Authority (MMDA) on Friday has opened its so-called “Christmas lanes” that will serve as alternate routes for motorists using EDSA. MMDA Chairman Francis Tolentino said these “Christmas lanes,” which will help decongest EDSA, should be used by private motorists during the Christmas season when traffic is usually heavy. “For their own convenience, we are asking the public to use these alternate routes. We will clear these routes of obstructions and detail traffic enforcers to assist them,” Tolentino said during a meeting with mall operators and representa- tives of commercial districts. Tolentino said he has also di- rected the Traffic Engineering Center sand the various concerned units of the agency to put up directional signs along the Christmas lane routes to guide motorists. To ensure unimpeded travel, the


MMDA will also conduct continu- ous clearing of all forms of obstruc- tions along these routes. Potholes and other road nuisances will also be immediately repaired. Tolentino said these alternate routes are not being utilized fully, resulting to further congestion in EDSA. He pointed out that these were the same routes used during the construction of the EDSA Metro Rail Transit 3 in the late 90s. The Christmas lanes start at both north and south entry points of EDSA. For southbound motorists, they may use McArthur Highway, right turn to Samson Road, C-4/ Letre Road, R-10, A. Bonifacio, Roxas Boulevard to destination. For motorists coming from the North Luzon Expressway, they can exit at various points, most impor- tantly at the newly constructed Mindanao Avenue access ramp. From south to north, the Christ- mas lanes start at Coastal Road and South Luzon Expressway. “Our objective is for private mo- torists to bypass EDSA, thus, reduc- ing traffic volume along EDSA,” Tolentino stressed.


He said once this is successful, the Christmas lanes will eventually be renamed “Mabuhay lanes.”


SAMMY MARTIN


Senator eyes ‘kuligligs’ in mainstream transport


THE kuligligs, or motorized pedicabs, already banned in Manila could be part of the mainstream transporta- tion, Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada said Friday. He said he is studying the possi- bility of having the kuligligs regis- tered, covered by traffic rules and regulations, meeting safety stand- ards and paying corresponding taxes and fees to the government, to inte- grate them into the mainstream transportation system.


He noted the information that


kuligligs are not registered with the Land Transportation Office (LTO) because they do not have body serial numbers. Their forerunners also have none, but they were used in the farms and not for simple transportation. Almost all of the kuliglig drivers


have no license from the LTO. There have also been complaints about the way the kuligligs are driven, without regard to traffic rules and the safety of the passengers and others. “This issue about the kuligligs is indeed complicated and needs bal- ancing of all related concerns: the traffic rules and the problem with congestion and hazards in major roads, the safety of passengers, taxes and fees, the travel needs of com- munities which they cater to and the livelihood of the kuliglig drivers and operators,” Estrada admitted. He said continuous studies and consultations could resolve this “complicated” issue, which could lead to the kuliglig’s being legiti- mized as part of the country’s main- stream transport industry. “Who knows, the kuligligs might


even prove to be actually another no- table Filipino innovation, and a vital feature in our communities’ daily life. Instead of looking at kuligligs as so-called ‘pests of the road,’ they could in fact be seen and appreciated as another fruit of Filipino ingenu- ity and as catering to the daily, short- travel needs of community resi- dents,” he added. EFREN L. DANAO


The Manila Times SATURDAY BY RUBEN D. MANAHAN 4TH REPORTER


A 3


D e cember 4, 2010


House OKs transparency in budget hearings I


Tañada said that the House Bill


N a bid for a more transparent government, a measure that would allow the public to participate in


the congressional, national and local budget deliberations recently approved at the House of Representatives’ committee level.


The House of Representatives Committee on People’s Participa- tion—chaired by Rep. Benjamin Asilo of Manila —recently approved the House Bill 219, which was authored by Deputy Speaker Lorenzo Tañada 3rd. Tañada said that the measure is


an offshoot of House Resolution (HR) 120 adopted by the House of Representatives in the Four- teenth Congress. HR 120 aims to institutionalize people’s participa- tion in budget deliberations at the national, provincial, municipal and barangay levels.


219 is also set to institutionalize people’s access to information on how the taxpayers’ money is be- ing spent. The approved substitute bill


would allow civil society organiza- tions to participate in budget delib- erations in the congressional, na- tional and local annual level, pro- vided they undergo a mandatory accreditation process and comply with implementing rules issued by Congress, national government agencies (NGAs) and Sanggunians. It also entitles accredited people’s organizations or nongo-vernment organizations to receive notices of hearings, consultations and calls for written submissions from the Senate, House of Representatives, concerned


NGAs and local Sanggunians to en- sure their active participation in budget deliberations. The said measure allows them to submit alternative budget and sources for financing on the agency concerned.


The measure requires Congress, NGAs and local governments to post on the web and other public posting areas proposed budget documents and actual expenditures for the pre- vious year to enable the public to participate in an informed manner. Various government agencies, which have expressed support for the measure, include the Depart- ments of Social Welfare and Devel- opment, Agriculture, Health, Inte- rior and Local Government, and the National Anti-Poverty Commission.


In a position paper, Local Gov- ernment Assistant Secretary Ro- lando Acosta said the bill “is of ur- gency in light of more conscious recognition that governance is and must be founded on the principles of accountability, transparency and inclusivity.”


“It opens to public scrutiny the budgetary process which has been regarded as a closed system over time,” Acosta added. National Anti-Poverty Commis- sion Lead Convenor Secretary Jose Eliseo Rocamora finds the “proposed legislation to be in consonance with the essence of Republic Act 8425 [So- cial Reform and Poverty Alleviation Act] which is to ensure the meaning- ful representation and active partici- pation of the basic sectors.”


Master’s piece


A physically challenged man participates in a painting competition of the National Work Skills Demonstartion headed by the National Council on Disability Affairs at a mall in Quezon City


to commemorate this year's International Day


of Persons with Disabilities on Friday.


PHOTO BY MIGUEL DE GUZMAN


Lawmakers want to give CHR prosecutorial powers


PROSECUTORIAL powers should be granted to the Commission on Hu- man Rights (CHR) to speed up the justice for extrajudicial killings, tor- ture and other forms of human rights violations, lawmakers said Friday. Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles of the First District of Davao City was one of the lawmakers who made the pro- posal in his House Bill 1141, or the Commission on Human Rights Act of 2010, which strengthens the or- ganizational structure of the CHR by vesting it with residual prosecutorial powers aside from its investigative, monitoring and advocacy powers and functions.


Under Nograles’ proposed meas- COA wants Globe Asiatique blacklisted


IF the Commission on Audit (COA) were to have its way, it will scrap out Globe Asiatique Realty Holdings Corp. in any future ventures with the Home Mutual Development Fund (Pag-IBIG). The recommendation of the Audit


agency followed after it reviewed 277 Xevera loan holders that had a collective loan amount of nearly P194 million, resulting in fraudulent loan take outs. According to the agency, the multimillion worth of loan stemmed from Globe Asiatique’s apparent disregard of Pag-IBIG’s policies. The agency bared that the real


estate company breached warranties under Pag-IBIG Circular 259 that asks “the developer [to] provide warranties on loan evaluation, documentation, house construction and against misrepresentation.” But the agency, in its review of loan folders of Xevera borrowers, found out that Globe Asiatique allowed 277 borrowers to loan a total amount of P193.67 million without Globe Asiatique providing enough oversight and demanding essential requirements. Xevera is one of the newest estate


projects of Globe Asiatique. In an interview with the 258


borrowers of Xevera-Mabalacat and 19 borrowers of Xevera-Bacolor both in Pampanga, the Audit agency failed to locate 149 of them, while 69 denied


having applied for a Pag-IBIG loan. 59 confirmed their loans, the agency said. Of the 69 who denied, all of them


said that they were recruited to sign documents, 68 of them did not pay a single Pag-IBIG contribution, 65 admitted receiving money between P800 and P4,800 while 64 did not know what the documents were. Fifty-six of them signed various documents, while 48 are not even Pag- IBIG Fund members. When the Audit agency reviewed all 277 loan folders, it found out that borrowers lacked income tax return (ITR), proof of income, proof of billing and proof of members’ contributions. There were also borrowers below 21


years old on the day of the loan, those whose net disposable income is less than the required monthly amortiza- tion and both couples availing themselves of housing loan even if they have no capacity to pay. In Xevera-Mabalacat, the agency


revealed that 78 percent had no ITR, 72 percent had income less than the monthly amortization and 68 percent had either proof of billing unmatched with the name of the borrower or no proof of billing at all. In Xevera-Bacolor, out of 19


borrowers, 14 presented wrong proof of billing, while 13 had no ITR and had income less than the monthly due. The Audit agency also faulted Globe


Asiatique for the lax enforcement of documents since 237 borrowers of Xevera- Mabalacat, or 92 percent, and all borrowers in Bacolor presented no inspection report. Also, 84 percent of borrowers in both


Xevera sites had notice of installment and amortization not signed by the borrower. The loan evaluation sheet of 197


borrowers in Mabalacat and all borrowers in Bacolor had no signature of an approving officer or the approval of an approving officer, the agency revealed. According to the Pag-IBIG circular, the houses should have also been “con- structed in accordance with the plans and specifications approved by [regulatory agencies and local ordi- nances] and that there are no hidden defects” in the construction of the units. But in an inspection conducted July 2009


to August 2010, the agency learned that 2,107 houses are still under construction and 26 units are still in blueprint. In a recommendation, the agency told


Pag-IBIG to “blacklist” Globe Asiatique. “[The Audit agency recommends to] blacklist the developer, including its officers from any future availment or participation under Pag-IBIG lending programs pursuant to Item 4 [of Pag-IBIG Circular 259],” the agency said in its report on Pag-IBIG. The Audit agency also lobbied for the filing of appropriate charges against the developer. JOHN CONSTANTINE G. CORDON


ure, the CHR will be able to take ac- tion or take over any human rights- related case in the event the prosecu- tion agency of the government failed to initiate a preliminary investigation within 90 working days. “This measure also provides for the delineation of the organiza- tional structure of the commis- sion as a collegial body with the corresponding powers and func- tions ascribed unto each office and the pertinent rank and quali- fications of every officer in it,” Nograles pointed out. House Bill 1141 also mandates


the creation of a Nominations Com- mittee to ensure transparency in the selection process so that only per- sons with proven integrity, inde- pendence and competence in hu- man rights advocacy are appointed. Rep. Salvador Escudero 3rd of the First District of Sorsogon backed the idea of reinforcing CHR’s authority, considering that CHR is “a toothless tiger as it is.”


“I hope they will come up with an alternative because right now the commission is the most publicized government agency but if you exam- ine it under a microscope it has not done much,” said Escudero, who filed a similar bill. The Sorsogon lawmaker, however, underscored that the CHR should also go after the insurgents who violate human rights should it be granted with the prosecutorial powers. Deputy Speaker Erin Tañada, au- thor of House Bill 2974 which also grants residual prosecutorial pow- ers to the CHR, assured that the CHR will be indiscriminate in pros- ecutor those who committed hu- man rights violations. “I would like to assure that the mandate of the CHR covers state and non-state actors,” Tañada said in closing.


LLANESCA T. PANTI


Immigration shuts down several satellite offices


THE Bureau of Immigrations shuts down its six satellite offices in Metro Manila and nearby provinces as part of the bureau’s austerity program and streamlining. According to Immigration Officer in Charge (OIC) Ronaldo Ledesma, the satellite offices were closed pur- suant to a directive from Justice Sec- retary Leila de Lima who earlier re- voked a memorandum order issued by the previous administration that established the satellite offices. These offices were located in Cabanatuan, Nueva Ecija; Santa Rosa, Laguna; Dasmariñas, Cavite; Binondo, Manila; Chinese Mall of Asia, Parañaque and Caloocan City. The Immigration chief stressed that the move is in line with the Aquino government’s policy to streamline the bureaucracy. “This move promotes economy and efficiency in government which the President [Benigno Aquino 3rd] himself has been doing by abolish- ing several offices that the adminis- tration finds unnecessary,” the Im- migration OIC said.


He pointed out that it was not feasible to maintain the satellite of-


fices since the bureau had to employ contractual employees to man them, aside from expenses incurred for rent and utilities. In the meantime, the Immigra- tion bureau bay service section chief Jose Carandang and Immi- gration property section chief John Tugade were designated by Ledesma to oversee the closure of the satellite offices and ensure government properties were fully accounted for. The affected em- ployees were ordered to report to the bureau main office.


Carandang said the bureau’s services were not affected by the closure of the satellite offices be- cause aside from the bureau’s main office in Manila and extension of- fices in Pasay City and Makati City, more than 50 immigration district and field offices throughout the country remain. Recently, the bureau shut down 16 so-called immigration area offices in the various regions nationwide, also upon orders of de Lima who directed the discontinuance of the bureau’s regionalization program.


JOMAR CANLAS Man threatens girlfriend after she dumped him


Dear PAO, I have a boyfriend for three


years. He is a nice man but after all these years, I have realized that I do not love him the way he loves me. He has asked me to marry him several times already and I have always declined his offer because I am not yet ready to start a fam- ily. Just last month, he proposed to me again and was very insist- ent. I got alarmed because after I said no to his proposal, he became very physical. He held my arm very tightly and threatened me that I have no other choice but to marry him. Is there anything I can do? I feel so helpless. I do not want to marry him.


Amara Dear Amara,


A man should never harm a woman. Instead, he should honor


cept your decision, as he cannot force you in doing anything against your will. Should he try to harm you again, you may seek assistance from the police authorities and file a criminal complaint against him for grave coercion.


and respect her. The same goes in your case. Your boyfriend should not have threatened you nor laid his hands on you, especially so, because he claims that he loves you and wants to marry you. If he truly de- sires to spend the rest of his life with you, he should patiently wait for the time when you are ready to truly commit to him. In the meantime, he should ac-


As provided for under the law, a person may be punished if, by means of violence, threats or intimi- dation, he shall, without authority of law, compel another person to do something against the latter’s will, whether it be right or wrong. (Arti- cle 286, Revised Penal Code) Moreover, you need not feel help-


less. You must remain strong so that you can overcome your problems especially this one relating to your boyfriend. If you will not stand up for yourself, you may just end up in an unhappy relationship. Perhaps, you can talk to him again and explain to him that you


are not ready to commit yourself as of the moment. But it is impor- tant that you bring a friend or a relative with you when you talk to him so that you have someone else there with you in case he tries to hurt you again. If you think it would be futile to talk to him as the situation between him and you has gone bad already, you may opt to file a complaint for violation of the provisions of Re- public Act 9262. According to said law, causing, threatening or attempting to cause physical harm to a woman, as well as causing her mental or emotional anguish are acts of violence, which are punishable under the law. (Sec- tion 5 (a) and (g), id) Your com- plaint must be filed before the barangay, if both of you live in the same barangay. If you live in dif- ferent barangays, you may file your


complaint before the court of the province or city where the crime was committed.


In addition thereto, you may also seek for the issuance of a protection order in your favor, whether be it from the barangay or from the court, so that you can prevent him from further causing you any harm. We hope that we were able to an-


swer your queries. Please be re- minded that this advice is based solely on the facts you have narrated and our appreciation of the same. Our opinion may vary when other facts are changed or elaborated.


Editor’s note: Dear PAO is a daily col- umn of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief Acosta may be sent to dearpao@manilatimes.net or via text message (key in: Times dearpao <YOUR QUESTIONS> and send to 2299).


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