Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda issued this appeal in a press briefing in Malacañang Thursday afternoon.

He asked that all officials and employees to be wary about these individuals who may prey on them by “dropping names” to instill fear or ask for a favor.

“I would like to ask the government employees to verify first the identity of the person calling because ang government employees kasi, pag binitawan ng pangalan naniniwala kaagad so I ask the government employees to verify first the identity of the person and to ask for further proof that that person they are speaking to is really that person whom he or she claims to be,” he added.

Lacierda said any person who may be contacted by these spurious individuals may report the incident to his office number 0917-8085329.

Lacierda also said that a text message currently circulating saying that his office, the Office of the Presidential Spokesperson is giving out raffle prizes, is not true.

“There’s no truth to that. The government does not hold raffle contests nor give raffle prizes,” Lacierda said. (PCOO)

Deputy Spokesperson Abigail Valte said that the government will consider the report as an indication to further improve its counter terrorism efforts.

“We are very happy about this development and we will take this as an indication to further our counter terrorism efforts,” Valte said.

The US State Department, in its “Country Reports on Terrorism 2010,” reported that the terrorist activities in the Philippines declined in the past year.
“The ability of terrorist groups, such as Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah and the New People’s Army, to conduct terrorist activities inside the Philippines continued to decline,” the report said.

“The Philippine government, with US support, has kept constant pressure on terrorist groups even as their security services were stretched thin by other demands such as carrying out humanitarian assistance and disaster relief and providing security for the national election in May,” it added.

The US State Department also lauded the Philippine law enforcers for their “vigorous efforts to arrest terrorists and eliminate safe havens, and closely coordinated efforts with US law enforcement officers.”
(PCOO)

Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail Valte, in a press briefing in Malacanang, said the
Department of Foreign Affairs has issued the last call for the repatriation Filipinos still the in
war-torn Libya but Philippine embassy personnel there will have to stay put to attend to the
needs of those who opted to stay.

Valte said some Filipinos, specifically those working in government hospitals in Libya, were
offered double pay as well as hazard pay by their employers. She added that the employers
asked for the government’s assistance so the Filipinos can remit their salaries.

Valte stressed that the Philippines, as a member of the United Nations (UN) is “bound to
respect the decision of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on the situation in Libya.
but as President Aquino said, our focus now is how to take care of the Filipinos still in Libya.”

There are some 2,000 Filipinos still in Libya; most of them are working in hospitals.

Under the UNSC Charter, all members of the UN agree to accept and carry out the
decisions of the Security Council. While other organs of the UN make recommendations to
Governments, the Council alone has the power to take decisions that member states are
obligated under the Charter to carry out.

On Thursday last week, the UNSC passed a resolution ordering a no-fly-zone over Libya and
allows for air strikes to protect civilians from attacks by Col. Gaddafi’s forces. (PCOO)

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said Vice President Jejomar Binay had categorically
denied offering concessions to China after securing postponement of the execution of
Ramon Credo, 42; Sally Ordinario-Villanueva, 32; and Elizabeth Batain, 38. The three were
scheduled for execution this week.

Binay announced the development Friday after meeting with Dai Bongguo, state councilor;
Wang Shengjun, president of the Supreme People’s Court; and Zhang Zhijun, executive vice
minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Foreign Affairs Undersecretary Esteban Conejos, who was with Binay on his Beijing trip, said
the meeting was not behind closed doors and no concession could have been given without
the public getting the information.

For its part, the Chinese embassy in Manila said China only “gave consideration” to the
Philippines’ request.

Lacierda also downplayed concerns over the possibility of the Philippines becoming hostage
to China as a result of the issue. (PIA)

Mao kini ang gisugyot ni Senador Joker Arroyo atol sa Senate hearing sa amnesty
proclamation ni Presidente Aquino.

Ang maong hearing na suspenso niadtong Lunes tungod sa pag-apil sa pangalan ni Senador
Gringo Honasan ug ubang miyembro sa Communist Party of the Philippines-National
Democratic Front sa listahan sa mga beneficiaries.

Gisuportahan usab ni Senador Francis “Chiz” Escudero ang sugyot ni Arroyo og niingon
nga angay hatagan usab og amnestiya ang “Morong 43″ dili lamang tungod sa panahon sa
Pasko, apan alang usab sa patas nga proteksyon.

Matud pa ni Escudero nga majority sa iyang mga kauban sa Senado, apil na usab sa mga
magbabalaod sa House of Representatives, nagpaabot lamang sa desisyon ni Presidente
Aquino sa “Morong 43” kinsa gipang-aresto tungod sa giingong ilang kalambigitan sa
underground movement. (PIA)

The Catholic Church-run Radio Veritas on Sunday announced that it was spearheading the simultaneous pealing of Church bells on Nov. 23, the first year of the gruesome murders, as tribute to the victims and their kin, who continued to seek justice.

Fr. Anton Pascual, president and chief operating officer of Radio Veritas on Sunday said that “the Church is joining the struggle in asking the government to finish the trial promptly because justice delayed is justice denied”.

Meanwhile, Malacañang said that it was doing all it could to ensure the speedy trial of the suspects in the worst political killing in the country.

Palace deputy spokesperson Abigail Valte said that Malacañang hoped that the Supreme Court would heed calls for a live TV coverage of the so-called “trial of the century.” (PIA)

In an interview with Radyo ng Bayan Saturday, Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Abigail
Valte said “we should not resort to violence or other undesirable means just to be elected
into office as serving the people does not end with getting elected.”

Go slow and do not be too emotional or excited as this might distract your focus. Let us all
work together to ensure that the coming election will be clean and that the results will reflect
the genuine sentiments of the voters, Valte added.

Last week, President Aquino ordered Philippine National Police Chief Gen. Raul Bacalzo
to look into the killing of a candidate for kagawad and put the perpetrators before the bar of
justice so that no other similar incidents will happen as the elections near.

Bacalzo said the President asked him to impose stricter measures to ensure that such poll
violence will not occur again. (PCOO/PIA)

Giingong ni ani og mga pagbatikos gikan sa mga taga Hong Kong sa dihang gipadayag ni Presidente Aquino ang pinal nga report sa IIRC sa publiko diin nangabag-o ang mga kasong kriminal nga angay ipasaka kang Manila Mayor Afredo Lim samtang absuwelto sa kasong administratibo ang uban pang mga opisyal.

Giingon nga maglisod daw og dawat ang mga pamilya sa mga namatay sa hostage crisi sa resulta sa review sa Malacanang sa maong IIRC report. 

Matud pa sa Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) nga gi respeto nila ang sentimyento sa mga taga Hong Kong. Gikatakda usab nga mopagawas sa ilang kaugalingong findings ang Hong Kong kalabut sa maong hostage crisis. (PIA-Bohol)

President Aquino has directed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima to take a look at the controversial agreement which is among the primary legal pretext for military exercises of local and American troops in the country.

Aquino agreed to a review of the agreement following renewed calls by some groups for its immediate abolition.

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said the President has not yet made a decision whether the government would terminate the RP-US military deal pending the study being conducted by the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

For now, Lacierda said there are “no discussion on the abrogation” of the VFA as far as the Executive branch is concerned, although the DFA has recognized the benefits of having such military deal with the United States.

Lacierda said the President stands by his personal commitment made when he was a senator that VFA forged between Manila and Washington should be studied anew. He said then Senator Aquino signed a joint resolution calling for a review of such agreement. (PIA)

Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo disclosed this Tuesday following the courtesy call
of Malaysian Foreign Minister Dato Sri Anifah Aman on President Benigno S. Aquino III in
Malacanang.

Romulo said Malaysia has been playing a constructive and positive role to encourage a
peaceful resolution in the Mindanao problem.

The President welcomed Minister Anifah who was accompanied by Malaysian Ambassador
to the Philippines Dato’ Seri Dr. Ibrahim Saad.

Also present during the call were Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP)
Secretary Teresita Deles and DFA Undersecretary Erlinda Basilio.

Minister Anifah’s visit centered on Malaysia’s role in the formal peace negotiations scheduled
this month between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and Moro
Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

As its closest neighbor in the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), the
Philippines earlier decided to retain Malaysia as third party facilitator in the resumption of the
GRP-MILF peace talks, a role which Malaysia has assumed since 2001.

Since 2004, Malaysia also led the International Monitoring Team together with Libya, Japan
and Brunei which successfully contributed to the comprehensive peace process in Mindanao.
(PCOO/PIA)