DILG SEEKING EXTRA P24-M FUND FOR PNP MANDATORY TRAINING

Source: www.dilg.gov.ph

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is asking Congress for an additional P24 million on top of its proposed P61.66 billion budget for 2009 to avoid the disruption of the mandatory training and career advancement of police officers up for promotion next year.

The request by DILG Secretary Ronaldo Puno, which was coursed through Sen. Edgardo Angara, was made during the plenary debates of the proposed 2009 DILG budget in the Senate.

Angara, who defended on the floor the DILG’s budget plan for 2009, said that the additional fund request was necessary for leasing facilities that will be used by the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) for its temporary transfer on Feb. 4 next year from its location in Fort Bonifacio in Taguig to an educational institution in Laguna.

The PPSC, an attached agency of the DILG, provides for the training, human resource development and continuing education of personnel of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP).

This college provides training each year to about 27,000 police personnel nationwide, about 4,000 of whom are trained in its facility in Fort Bonifacio.

Among the courses it offers is the Officers Senior Executive Course, which is a mandatory requirement for third-level PNP officers up for promotion to the next higher ranks.

Puno explained that adelay in the transfer of the PPSC from Fort Bonifacio to a temporary facility pending the completion of its new building in Silang, Cavite would disrupt its operations and set back the promotions of PNP officers next year.

A similar observation was made by Sen. Benigno Aquino III, who chairs the Senate committee on local government, during the plenary debates on the DILG budget.

Senate Minority Leader Aquilino Pimentel Jr., a former DILG chief and lead author of the Local Government Code, supported the DILG’s request, saying that he would propose necessary amendments to source the P24 million additional funding for the PPSC to ensure the smooth flow of its operations next year.

He pointed that “if the functioning of the PPSC is delayed even for a few months, then this will have serious repercussions on the promotions of officers within the PNP, which could lead to demoralization among its ranks.”

The PPSC was asked to transfer by Feb. 4 to a new location only last month, or long after the DILG had already presented its proposed budget for 2009 to Congress.

The PPSC sits on a property owned by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) and the National Police Commission (Napolcom), which plan to put up a high-rise building on the site next year.

The DILG, Puno said, has already found a new location for the PPSC in Silang, Cavite, but the construction of its facilities has yet to be completed.

In the meantime, the PPSC is planning to temporarily transfer to the St. James Academy in Calamba, Laguna by February, but it has no budget to lease the building and its facilities, which requires P2 million a month or P24 million for one year.

The DILG is seeking congressional approval of its Malacañang-proposed budget for 2009 amounting to P61.66 billion to sustain its ongoing initiatives on enhancing local autonomy, improving the crime solution efficiency rate, and modernizing the country’s jail management and fire protection services.

Puno said the Department’s 2009 budget proposal covers allocations for the 10% salary hike of DILG employees; creation of 3,000 new positions in the PNP, another 500 in the BJMP, and 500 more in the BFP; increased benefits for the PNP; and adjustments in the subsistence allowance and hazard pay of uniformed personnel.

In terms of agency, the DILG has proposed appropriations for the Office of the Secretary totaling P1.84 billion; for the BFP, P6.58 billion; BJMP, P4.16 billion; Local Government Academy (LGA), P84.06 million; Napolcom, P1.07 billion; PPSC, P865.78 million, and PNP, P47.05 billion.

Next year’s budget plan is P8.42 billion or 16% higher than the 2008 budget of P53.24 billion.

The DILG has allotted P50.2 billion for personal services under its proposed 2009 budget; P364.92 million for maintenance and other operating expenses, and P3.46 billion for capital outlay, Puno said.

Punp sqid the proposed capital outlay will be used for the acquisition of 100 new fire trucks and other firefighting gear and equipment for the BFP; and construction of new jail facilities and offices; procurement of prisoners’ vans, gas masks and firearms for the BJMP.

The bulk of the proposed capital outlay of P2.1 billion will go to the PNP for the construction of 14 new police stations and four engineering offices; and acquisition of more anti-terrorism gear and equipment, communications equipment, and other facilities.

AGRICULTURAL ENGINEER NOW A MUST IN LGUS

Source: www.dilg.gov.ph

The government’s effort to develop the agriculture sector got a boost with the institutionalization of the Agricultural Engineering profession in provinces, cities and municipalities of the country.

This developed as Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno issued a memorandum circular recently enjoining all provincial governors, city and municipal mayors and sanggunian members to institutionalize the position of agricultural engineer in their respective local governments.

Puno said the institutionalization of the agricultural engineering profession is mandated by Republic Act 8559 or the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Act of 1998.

He explained that RA 8559 was enacted to promote, upgrade and regulate the practice of agricultural engineering profession in the country in terms of planning, designing, supervision and management, research and extension, testing, evaluation and inspection, valuation, consultation, marketing and management of agricultural , fishery and forest machinery, buildings and structures, irrigation, soil and water conservation and utilization and other engineering facilities, systems and technologies.

The said also further enhance the delivery of basic agricultural services and facilities which had been devolved to local government units by the Local Government Code.

In his directive, the DILG secretary reminded local officials that with the institutionalization of the agricultural engineering profession LGUs shall ensure that planning, designing and implementation of small water impounding projects, communal irrigation, tractor and agricultural machinery pools, post harvest facilities, agricultural buildings and structures, slaughterhouses, poultry dressing plans, farm-to-market roads and other agricultural engineering facilities and systems are performed by licensed and registered agricultural engineers in their localities.

The registered agricultural engineer shall also be the one who will sign the design, plans, technical specifications and cost estimates in the procurement and implementation of LGU’s programs and projects on agricultural and fishery machinery, buildings and structure, post harvest facilities, slaughterhouses, farm-to-market roads and other engineering facilities and systems.

Puno said that with the implementation of RA 8559, LGUs may also reallocate agriculturist positions and other positions performing agricultural engineering works to the existing engineer class of positions subject to the approval of the sanggunian concerned through an ordinance enacted for the purpose.

At the same time, LGUs shall implement and enforce provisions of the law and the Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standards as part of the licensing, registration and issuance of business permits of firms engaged in agricultural and fishery machinery manufacturing, distribution and operation including issuance of building permits of agricultural buildings and structures.

PUNO ORDERS BFP, BJMP OFFICIALS TO INSTILL DISCIPLINE ON THEIR MEN

Following the recent jailbreak at the Biñan Municipal Jail in Laguna and the alleged extortion by a fire official in San Juan City, a visibly irked Secretary Ronaldo Puno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today directed top officials of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) to instill discipline on their personnel and ensure that “firefighters and jailguards are doing their jobs.”

At the same time, Puno gave instructions to DILG Undersecretary for Public Safety Marius Corpus to admonish fire and jail officials and personnel who are responsible for the two latest incidents that occurred in the public safety sector of the Department.

“While government is doing its best efforts to upgrade our public safety services and promote the welfare of our public safety officers, we should also go hard on erring fire and jail personnel who are remiss in their jobs, particularly those who are using their position to extort money on hapless citizens,” he said.

Early morning of Wednesday, 16 inmates bolted from their cells at the Biñan Municipal Jail in Laguna after overpowering the lone jail guard who was left manning the jail gates when the other one accompanied a sick prisoner to a nearby hospital.

Erickson Javier, charged for violation of RA 9165, voluntarily surrendered, while six others were recaptured by the police namely: Wilson Esteban, charged for robbery; Ralph Ochoa, carnapping; Andrew Placios, carnapping; Romano Mane, violation of RA 7832; Aries Bon, theft; and Marlon Pascual, violation of RA 9165.

In San Juan City , F/Inspector Chandler Arcadio is in hot water after being arrested in an entrapment operation for allegedly trying to extort money from a businesswoman to expedite the processing of the insurance claim of her store that burned down last month.

Undersecretary Corpus said, “Without prejudice to any case which may be filed against him, Arcadio has already been relieved from his post and is now on a floating status at the BFP National Headquarters.

He said that aside from administrative sanctions that may be imposed, “any erring fire and jail personnel shall be dealt with accordingly under existing laws and regulations.”

Corpus also appealed to the public to report their complaints or illegal acts of BFP and BJMP personnel directly to his Office at the DILG central office in Diliman, Quezon City or call Tel. Nos. 920-7783 and 925-9114.

EU extends P.5M aide for civilians in recent Mindanao clashes; reiterates call for early resumption of peace talk

MANILA (PNA) — The European Union (EU) in Manila on Monday announced “immediate but short-term assistance” worth Euro7 million (about P500.000) for civilian victims of the recent spate of clashes between Philippine government troops and rebel forces of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Implementation of the project takes between six to nine months, according to EU head of Delegation, Ambassador Alistair MacDonald.

In giving the humanitarian assistance, MacDonald said Europe acknowledges that the Philippine government “is doing a lot” to alleviate the conditions of victims, “but it is clear that resources are very overstretched.”

He said that EU’s “immediate concern is the civilians who have been displaced and in the longer term, the efforts that we have put in to small scale community-based development in conflict-affected areas in Mindanao. It has been appreciated by the communities and I’m confident that these successes will not be endangered in the long term.”

At the same time, MacDonald repeated EU’s urgings for both the Philippine government and the MILF “to agree to early return to the negotiating table in order to seek lasting solution to the conflict.”

He added the EU has not been asked to help in mediating the peace talks.

”I think the main thing that we can say on the peace process is precisely what we said in the EU statement (of Sept. 15).”

Latest reports indicate about 500,000 Muslim and non-Muslims have been displaced from their homes in the spate of intermittent clashes triggered by MILF incursions into mainly Christian barangays in southern-central Mindanao in early August.

”I think the government is doing a lot. Both the national and local governments are doing a lot to help the civilian victims of conflict but it’s clear that their resources are very overstretched,” MacDonald told reporters after announcing the latest EU humanitarian assistance.

He mentioned reading in newspapers “that the stock of food are all gone, the scale of the number of people affected by conflict are so large that its important for the international community to help.”

”My impression from press reports is that the real sufferers are the civilians. Houses have been destroyed and properties have been destroyed and it has been photographed by newspapers which are quite telling,” MacDonald said.

The MILF were angry that a proposal to provide Muslims their own “Bangsamoro homeland” became a mere paper chase when a purported memorandum on the matter failed to be signed in Kuala Lumpur and was scuttled at the last minute by a Philippine court order.

MacDonald also described his own emotions, as it is perhaps the EU’s, on what he has read and seen from media reports:

“Imagine you have been forced to runaway from your village and take shelter in a school and it happens five, seven ten years. I would feel pretty damaged and frightened and I think the agencies that deal with indigenous peoples and refugees have a long experience of identifying the psycho-social experience from that repeated stress and repeated exposure to conflict. Its important to address them.”

EU total development assistance to Mindanao since 1989 amounted to Euro520 million already. But even if the conflict has stretched into the new millennium, the EU does not believe its help is in vain, he stressed.

”Now if you ask if efforts are in vain, certainly not. We have to recognize that one project is only a drop in the bucket compared to the overall development of Mindanao. That’s clear that peace is necessary for Mindanao to be able to develop and achieve its full potential,” he explained.

Of the Euros520 million euros, about Euro115-m has gone to actual development projects in Mindanao, or just 20 percent.

”But if you do the same calculation for humanitarian assistance and investments lending from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the picture’s quite different,” he explained.

”Our development assistance to Mindanao is 20 percent of the total assistance for the Philippines, the humanitarian assistance is 40 percent and EIB lending for projects to Mindanao is ten percent. You can see the pattern there. The development assistance is average compared to the overall assistance to the Philippines but humanitarian assistance is heavily secured towards Mindanao and we are not lending very much for lending projects in Mindanao.”

He clarified EU has not suspended any of its projects in Mindanao but it is “monitoring very carefully” the impact of the ongoing clashes on its projects, particularly those located in such actual conflict areas as Midsayap and Aleosan municipalities in North Cotabato.

“We are hopeful that our projects will not be seriously affected by the conflict,” he continued.

The EU has what is known as the Mindanao Trust Fund and MacDonald said he visited a project site in Sarangani Province (near North Cotabato) two weeks ago and met up with officials of the Bangsamoro Development Agency (BDA) “to ensure that the achievements of the project will be safeguarded.”

EU has Davao-based European staff members working on its health projects in Mindanao in tandem with non-governmental organization and the BDA.

Though they do not have to go to the conflict areas, they “have been very prudent not to travel,” MacDonald noted, expressing that they will not be pulled out except as an emergency measure. “What is necessary is to exercise common sense and prudence.”

As to suggestions from Malacanang to have at least 12 individual MILF combat commanders, including Commanders Bravo, Kato and Panglian, declared as terrorists by the United Nations, MacDonald responded:

“As far as I’m aware there has not been any consideration given on the EU side to expand our list of terrorists and institutions of terrorism.” The EU has listed the Muslim Abu Sayyaf Group and the New People’s Army as international terrorists.

Without giving a categorical response to a question of whether or not the EU supports military action in Mindanao, MacDonald simply referred to the September 15 EU statement.

In that statements, EU members declared they “are deeply concerned by the violence in Mindanao... we underline that the conflict can be resolved through dialogue and both parties should go back to the negotiating table and exercise restraint.”

MacDonald also referred to EU’s urging of “an early return to negotiations” in relations to the new government strategy of employing the UN-sanctioned peace talks strategy of DDR (Disarming, Demobilization and Rehabilitation).

It appears that if asked to assist in the peace talks, which Malacanang momentarily halted because of MILF intransigence, the EU would help if asked. MacDonald said, “There isn’t any suggestion from the (Philippine) government and the MILF to allow outside party such as EU to give assistance to the peace talks.”

There are suggestions that even Malaysia, which had facilitated the talks for more than a decade, should be taken off mediation.

Several weeks back, British Ambassador to Manila, Peter Beckingham, had offered to help in the peace talks on the aspect of disarmament. This was an offshoot of a meeting last December between then Prime Minister Tony Blair and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Beckingham said.

But Malacanang apparently has no solid response yet to announce on the offer.

MacDonald said EU would need an assessment or status report on Mindanao — such as figures on damages and other human and property casualties, how many years would it take for Mindanao to recover from this crisis.

- By Gloria Jane Baylon (PNA)

PUNO ALARMED OVER MILF ATTACKS ON CIVILIANS AND PLANTING OF BOMBS IN MINDANAO SCHOOLS

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