Martes, Marso 26, 2019

COALITION AGAINST CORRUPTION SEVERES TIE WITH PACC


In photo: Former DOLE Usec. Nicon Fameronag of Lilac Center for Public Interest stresses a point during the joint Press Conference with Kilusang Pagbabago and the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) represented by its Trustee Monalie Dizon held at the Max Restaurant in Maria Orosa, Manila.

Fight Against Corruption In Doldrums With PACC Inability To Take Action

Lukewarm treatment by the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) on several graft and corruption complaints lodged before them, has dampened the enthusiasm of whistle-blowers to come out with information on graft and corruption in all sectors of the government agency. Putting the lives, safety and protection of the witnesses and whistle-blowers in jeopardy.


Monalie 'Alie' Dizon, Secretary General of Kilusang Pagbabago and Trustee of the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) and Nicon F. Fameronag, President of the Lilac Center for Public Interest, jointly made this observation in a press conference where the CAC announced it is ending its cooperative ties with the PACC.

“We announce today that the CAC is severing its alliance with the PACC as a private sector partner and watchdog of the government to fight corruption in all aspects of governance but we will continue to support President Duterte’s war on graft and corruption,” Fameronag said.
Media coverage held at the Max Resto in Orosa, Manila.


“We are no longer cooperating with the PACC. Instead, we encourage whistle-blowers to directly go to the Ombudsman if they have strong and sufficient information on graft and corruption anywhere in government,” he added. According to Fameronag, who is also the CAC’s vice president for internal affairs, the CAC arrived at the decision after Chairman Jimenez and another commissioner, Manuelito Luna, inhibited themselves from the deliberation on the PACC’s investigation of the graft and corruption complaint filed against

DOLE Secretary Silvestre H. Bello III by two overseas recruitment agency owners.

“First, Chairman Jimenez told us the lie that the complaints were already up for resolution late last year and later, that the resolution was already on the President’s desk for his action.
These were false because we learned just recently that he and Commissioner Luna inhibited themselves from the deliberation for unknown reasons,” Dizon explained.

Dizon also accused the PACC, particularly "Commissioner Greco Belgica, of sitting on the complaints of Duty Free Philippines’ employees against its management, also for graft and corruption, harassment, and executing contracts disadvantageous to the government", Ms. Dizon was quoted in a Press conference.

“We are disappointed that the PACC has not lived up to its mandate under Executive Order 43 which is “to directly assist the President in investigating and or hearing administrative cases primarily involving graft and corruption against all presidential appointees,” Dizon said.

“When we were assisting the complainants and going out of our way to help the PACC gather witnesses and information on those complaints, we were assured by the PACC that it will act on these complaints with dispatch. Now, we are at a loss on the status of these complaints. The PACC has failed the President and the Filipino people,” Dizon further said.

The fall out between the CAC and the PACC has led the former to call for the resignation of Chairman Jimenez and Commissioners Luna and Belgica and for the President to fire them if they refuse.


“The credibility of the President’s anti-graft and anti-corruption campaign is on the line. The PACC has become useless and we would like the President to know this'', Dizon said. (TeddyChoBlogs)



Sabado, Marso 23, 2019

THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS & HIGHWAYS BUILDS A NEW HOME FOR THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES IN BGC, TAGUIG


DPWH Starts Building of

New Senate House in Bonifacio Global 

City
DSC04008


Construction of the New Senate Building in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City formally started Monday, March 18, 2019 with a ground-breaking ceremony led by Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III. 

DSC03823

Also present in the ground-breaking ceremony were Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto; Majority Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri; Minority Leader Franklin Drilon; Senators Panfilo Lacson, Loren Legarda, Gregorio Honasan, Nancy Binay, Sonny Angara, Joel Villanueva, Sherwin Gatchalian, and Joseph Victor Ejercito.

The 40-month construction of the new Senate building is set to be completed in 2022 with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) overseeing the construction and implementation of the project.
“After much planning and review, we are glad to finally start the implementation of the new Senate Building. The project is in line with the Senate’s Vision – Bagong Senado Sa Ika-Dalawang Siglo, which is to build a permanent home to the upper house as it commemorates its hundred-year legacy and ushers in its next centenary,” said DPWH Secretary Mark A. Villar in a message read by DPWH Undersecretary Roberto R. Bernardo.
DPWH Undersecretary Bernardo assisted the Senate President and the distinguished Senators in the ceremonial placing of the following documents inside the capsule before it was lowered inside the hole: Masterplan of Senate Building; Committee Report 170 “Construction of Senate Building”; Senate Resolution No. 293 “Resolution Creating an Ad Hoc Committee Tasked to Conduct a Feasibility Study on the Construction of A New Senate Building and Relocation of the Senate Thereto”; Adopted Senate Resolution No. 110 “Resolution Confirming the Winner of the Global Conceptual Design Competition for the New Senate Building of the Senate of the Philippines”; the History of the Senate; first page of newspapers of the day; and copy of keynote message of Senate President Vicente C. Sotto III.
The “green, secure, functional and iconic” P8.9-billion new Senate Building project will rise in the 18,320 square meter parcel of land at the Navy Village in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City
The future Senate complex will consist of four (4) towers with eleven (11) floors each and three (3) basements with a minimum of 1,200 parking spaces to accommodate the required functions and operation of the Senate and its constituents.

The state of the art design of the building was conceptualized by architectural firm AECOM Philippines after being declared the winner of the Global Conceptual Design Competition conducted by Senate Committee on Accounts chaired by Senator Panfilo Lacson, which was tasked to pursue the relocation and oversee the eventual construction of the new and permanent home of the Senate.
Beyond the aesthetic design of the building which will be clothed in Barong Tagalog to herald the Philippines iconic symbol for honor and Filipino culture, the New Senate Building will be a model of energy efficiency and will also be the cornerstone of the new development of the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City known as the Bonifacio South Pointe.
Others who attended and participated in the historic groundbreaking rites are Taguig City Representative Pia Cayetano, BCDA President & CEO Vince Dizon, Philippine Navy Flag Officer-in-Command Vice Admiral Robert Empedrad, DPWH Assistant Secretary Antonio Molano Jr., DPWH National Capital Region Director Ador Canlas, DPWH Project Director Johnson Domingo and Project Manager Jose Aguinaldo of Buildings Management Cluster-Unified Project Management Office,  and other government officials. (VerGarciaBlogs)