News Roundup 02 September 2024
Sep 02, 2024 • 4 min Read
Pimentel’s advice to VP: Focus on your mandate | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — Vice President Sara Duterte should focus her attention on her mandate as the country’s second-highest government official, instead of implementing programs that are no longer within the scope of her duty, according to Sen. Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III.
At the same time, the Senate minority leader challenged Congress to go beyond tough talk and use its power to align the Office of the Vice President’s (OVP) budget with its constitutional mandate.
“Congress shouldn’t just act tough during hearings and then approve the budget as is anyway. If you’re going to show strength, follow through by making sure the budget aligns with the Vice President’s constitutional role,” Pimentel said in a radio interview on Sunday.
Duterte is requesting P2.037 billion for her office’s budget for 2025.
Pimentel noted that Duterte herself has repeatedly expressed willingness to leave her office’s budget in the hands of Congress.
“She said, ‘I will leave it to Congress to decide what to do with my budget.’ And she’s repeated that several times, which means she’s serious about it. She also said the same thing in the Senate. She didn’t just say it in this Congress; she said it last year as well, in a more respectful way. So, Congress should show off. Not pretending to be tough but still keeping the budget as is,” he pointed out.
Full Story at: Pimentel’s advice to VP: Focus on your mandate (inquirer.net)
Quiboloy should ‘stop his drama, come out of his cave’ – Hontiveros | INQUIRER.NET – MANILA, Philippines — “Stop all your drama and come out of your cave.”
This was Senator Risa Hontiveros’ reaction to fugitive televangelist Apollo Quiboloy’s condition for President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to issue a written declaration that he would not be rendered to the United States should he surrender.
In a statement on Monday, Hontiveros emphasized that Quiboloy has no right to set his conditions.
“Ang panawagan ko ay hindi nagbabago: Sumuko ka na, Quiboloy. Wala kang karapatang magbigay ng kondisyon,” she said.
(My appeal did not change: Surrender, Quiboloy. You have no right to set conditions.)
“Tigilan mo na ang paggamit ng mga miyembro ng Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KJC) bilang human shield. Tigilan mo na ang lahat ng kadramahan mo at lumabas ka na sa lungga mo,” she added.
(Stop using members of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ as human shields. Stop all your dama and come out of your cave.)
Full Story at: Quiboloy should stop his drama, come out of his cave – Hontiveros (inquirer.net)
No proof of payment for DepEd personnel who drew ‘Isang Kaibigan’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — There is no official record of payment to the two Department of Education employees that Vice President Sara Duterte tapped to be illustrators for her self-authored children’s book “Isang Kaibigan,” which she launched during the national reading month last year.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara shared this during the House appropriations committee’s deliberation of the department’s proposed P748-billion budget for 2025 on Monday, September 2.
“There is no payment made to them for whatever they did. So it’s either they made it gratis or for free or they were paid on the side,” Angara said in response to Rep. Rodge Gutierrez (1-Rider Partylist)’s question on whether the illustrators were from DepEd.
DepEd’s press release for the launch of the 16-page book in November 2023 names Janina Simbillo and Joseph Caligner of DepEd’s public affairs service as the book illustrators.
The education secretary, who replaced Duterte on July 19, confirmed that Simbillo and Caligner are job order employees at DepEd.
Both employees produced illustrations for Duterte’s book “not in their official capacities,” Dennis Legaspi, Angara’s media relations chief, told Philstar.com in a message.
Gutierrez said the vice president’s involvement of DepEd personnel in creating her book, which was allotted P10 million in the Office of the Vice President (OVP)’s proposed budget for 2025, is “something to note.”
However, DepEd officially had “no role in the production, development and printing of the Isang Kaibigan book,” said DepEd Undersecretary Gina Gonong.
Full Story at: No proof of payment for DepEd personnel who drew ‘Isang Kaibigan’ | Philstar.com
Classes, gov’t work suspended in Metro Manila, Calabarzon on Sept. 3 due to ‘Enteng’ | PHILSTAR.COM – MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang announced on Monday evening the suspension of classes at all levels and government work in Metro Manila and Calabarzon for Tuesday, September 3, due to inclement weather caused by Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi) and the southwest monsoon.
When asked by reporters if the Palace would issue a class suspension for Tuesday, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin confirmed, “yes.”
“In view of the continuous rainfall brought by the Southwest Monsoon and Tropical Storm ‘Enteng’, and to ensure the safety of the general public, work in government offices and classes at all levels in the National Capital Region and Region IV-A (Calabarzon) are hereby suspended on 03 September 2024,” Bersamin said in Memorandum Circular No. 63.
The suspension of work in private companies will be at the discretion of their respective heads, Bersamin added.
Government agencies involved in necessary, life-saving functions related to disaster response will continue their operations.
Full Story at: Sept. 3: Classes, gov’t work suspended in Metro Manila, Calabarzon due to ‘Enteng’ | Philstar.com
