Oban named new AFP chief

PRESIDENT Benigno Simeon Aquino III named Lieutenant General Eduardo Oban Jr. as the
42nd chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, replacing Gen. Ricardo David Jr. who
will retire on March 8.

Oban is the third AFP chief to come from the Air Force since 1996.

Before his appointment as the new AFP Chief, Oban held the third highest post in the Armed
Forces, being the Deputy Chief of Staff responsible for the administration and supervision of the
joint coordinating, technical and special staffs of the military headquarters.

He is a member of PMA Class of 1979 and graduated as one of the topnotchers of his class. He
was formerly Vice Commander of the Air Force.

Before he entered the PMA, Oban graduated from the University of Santo Tomas. He also has a
master’s degree in business economics from the University of Asia and the Pacific. He will retire
on Dec. 13 this year.

Oban’s most prominent role in his career was his involvement in negotiations to end the
Oakwood mutiny in 2003. The general was among those chosen by the mutinous Magdalo to be
part of the government panel that negotiated with them for their return to the barracks.

A former instructor pilot, Oban hails from Sorsogon. (PIA)

Aquino orders review of executive clemency

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said the government is reviewing the guidelines
for “executive clemency,” which includes the granting of presidential pardon to criminals.

In an interview with Palace reporters on Monday, Aquino said he wants the process for
executive clemency reviewed because he is hesitant about reducing the sentence or granting
pardon to those convicted of crimes such as rape and drug pushing.

Aquino expressed his qualms about granting executive clemency two months after he signed
a proclamation granting amnesty to military and some police personnel who attempted to
overthrow the Arroyo administration.

Under Article VII, Section 19 of the 1987 Constitution, the President has the power to grant
executive clemency to convicts.

The same provision gives him the power to grant amnesty, upon the concurrence of the
majority of Congress.

Upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP), the president can
grant pardons, commute sentences, or defer the implementation of sentences.

Aquino back from ASEAN Summit with P21-B infrastructure assistance package

President Benigno Simeon Aquino III brought home a P21 billion infrastructure assistance
package and reinvigorated diplomatic ties with other countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

The President returned home Sunday evening from a successful state visit to the Socialist
Republic of Vietnam where he also attended the 17th Association of Southeast Asian Nations
(ASEAN) Summit and other related meetings.

In an interview, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office
(PCDSPO) Secretary Ramon Carandang, described the President’s Vietnam trip as “very good”.

Carandang said that aside from the President’s state visit to Vietnam and his attendance of the
17th ASEAN Summit, President Aquino had bilateral meetings with the leaders of Thailand,
Myanmar, South Korea, Japan, New Zealand and Australia.

Carandang said that Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan has approved the P21-billion fund that
will be used in Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) road projects.

President Aquino also took the opportunity to invite Brunei and South Korea to participate in the
Public-Private Partnership conference to be held in the Philippines from November 18 to 19.

The visit was also a chance for the Philippines to raise concerns on several regional issues.

The President strengthened ties with other world leaders and expressed the concerns of the
country on regional issues like the South China Sea, regional disaster management, reforms in
Myanmar and the weakening US dollar.

The President likewise pushed for a diplomatic resolution of the Spratlys territorial dispute where
the Philippines claims some of the islands as its own and called for the immediate release of
detained Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

President Aquino said he also expressed support for the proposal of Thailand to have more
frequent talks among ASEAN central bankers and finance ministers to address capital inflows
that have strengthened currencies and weakened exports.

During his state visit, the President witnessed the signing of four agreements between
the Philippines and Vietnam, particularly on academic and defense cooperation, oil spill
preparedness and response, and rescue operations at sea. (PCOO)

Oct 25 elections, special non-working holiday

MALACANANG has declared October 25- Monday as a special non-working holiday to give time for
Filipinos to go out and vote for the synchronized barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.

In Proclamation 48 issued October 6, 2010, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said it is imperative
that the people be given the fullest opportunity to participate in the said elections and exercise their
right to vote.

With the proclamation too, Filipino voters registered in the country’s 42,000 barangays can also find
the necessary travel time to go back to their precincts with the long weekend, which allows them
ample time.

The next Monday also, November 1, is another holiday, bringing in two holidays in the immediate
weeks.

By tradition, November 1 is observed as the All Saints’ Day.

This day, thousands of Filipinos visit cemeteries to honor their dead relatives.

In 2007, former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo signed into law the bill on holiday economics,
which aimed to give the public more long weekends to enjoy.

Republic Act 9492 amends a provision in the National Administrative Code of 1987, to allow the
government to move holidays – except those with religious significance – to the nearest Monday.

The law also pegs four holidays on a fixed date: Jan. 1 or New Year’s Day; Nov. 1, All Saints’ Day;
Dec. 25, Christmas Day; and the last day of the year, Dec. 31.

Other holidays especially those religious in nature as Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Eid’l Fitr
have always been set on movable dates so they are unchanged under the law.

For these kind of holidays, the
President, by law shall issue a proclamation,
at least six months prior to the holiday concerned, according to reports. (PIABOHOL)

Rationalized calamity spending sought

DISASTER and risk reduction managers here call for rationalized calamity fund spending amidst an expose by President Benigno Simeon Aquino on the depletion of the country’s disaster funds.

Local risk managers want to assure that local governments are better equipped against natural and human disasters, they said.

Disaster council vice chairman, PSSupt Rodolfo A. Llorca seeks asks the provincial board to put a legislative stop on the using the un-used calamity funds as a bonus pot for local government workers.

Speaking at the weekly Kapihan sa PIA Thursday to commemorate the Disaster Consciousness Month, disaster managers PSSupt Llorca and Bureau of Fire Supt Pepe Rebusa hinted that several local government units (LGU) have fair knowledge about how to use the mandated 5% calamity fund placed at their disposal.

The local government code mandates that LGUs shall annually appropriate 5% of its development funds for disaster management.

This shall be used for aid, relief and rehabilitation services to communities and areas affected by man-made and natural calamities, repair and reconstruction of permanent structures, including other capital expenditures for disaster operation, and rehabilitation activities.

But as to the guidelines on how to use them, the law is mum, opening up a gray area, said a barangay official in an interview.

Llorca said that disaster mitigation and risk management spending can be planned in as much as LGUs can look up to three major phases of disaster response.

He said the initial phase is prevention, which can be responded by putting up disaster emergency and rescue equipment, disaster response where relief operations are done and post disaster response where funds could be allocated for evacuations.

However, with hazy guidelines, local government units conveniently realign the calamity funds by the end of the calendar year so the funds can be declared savings and so are available for personnel incentives.

That could be okay of the LGU has already prepared sufficient equipment and resources on disaster response, but most LGUs are not equipped against disaster, Llorca said.

The weekly forum at Kapihan sa PIA also discussed the theme: Pag-alerto: Malayo sa Peligro. (rac/PIABohol)