Page 12 - NOVEMBER 2017 'A' ISSUE

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REOTHQUICESASRKASPSHOVUSS.E PKAANBEALYATON RSEOSOLLOVNE
INCOMING presidential
spokesperson Harry Roque on
Wednesday appealed to the House
ethics committee to immediately
resolve the complaints he filed against
fellow Kabayan party-list Rep. Ron Salo. case filed against him, and Salo’s
In a press release, Roque said
Salo is “unfit” to stay in the House of
Representatives and hence must be
expelled.
“Even if I cease to be a representative, these ends,” Roque said.
Salo’s acts against me were committed
when I was still a member of the House
and proves that he is unfit to stay in
Congress,” Roque said.
Roque’s appointment as presidential
spokesperson, replacing Ernesto Abella,
was announced by President Rodrigo
Duterte last week. Roque will formally
assume his post on November 6.
Roque said he filed a total of six
ethics complaints against Salo this year
Bello sees no policy conflict in Sara Duterte’s move to talk with Reds in Davao
LABOR Secretary and chief
government peace negotiator
Silvestre Bello III welcomed
Wednesday the move of Davao City
Mayor Sara Duterte to talk with
communist rebels, saying this will not
have any conflict with the national
policy.
“Wala naman po(ng conflict) kasi
we have to recognize and respect the
decision of the local authorities of
Davao. Kung gusto nilang makipag
local talks, nasa kanila po ‘yan. Sa
tingin ko wala namang conflict d’yan
sa national process,” Bello said in a
phone interview on GMA News TV’s
News To Go.
Mayor Duterte has created Davao
City Peace Committee to negotiate with
the New People’s Army in Davao City.
Bello said it is within the authority
UNDAS 2017 Crowd numbers dip at cemeteries, but hundreds of thousands still brave rains to visit
for multiple violations of the House of
Representatives Code of Conduct. He
said all of his complaints have already
been declared sufficient in form and
substance last August.
The incoming spokesperson said
his complaints stemmed from Salo’s
use of government resources to malign
him, the disclosure of the disbarment
“illegitimate attempt” to grab his seat
by “unlawfully removing” him from the
Kabayan organization.
“Salo abused his power in order to
further his own personal agenda against
me. Regardless of his own design for
personal vendetta, public funds and
resources should never be used toward
Roque had also filed indirect
contempt charges against Salo and
the latter’s chief of staff for violating
of local officials to initiate efforts that on soldiers and Presidential Security
would benefit their people.
“Kanya-kanyang initiative iyan
kung gusto nilang mag-initiate ng local
peace talks, it is up to them… Mayor
Duterte is initiating this peace process
on the local level only for the purpose of
maintaining peace and order in the city
of Davao,” he said.
He said the effort of the government
panel is meant to address the root cause
of armed conflict. resumption is very bright and we are
“We, in the panel, will continue
to consider the peace process as a
whole because it is in this process that
we address the root causes of armed
conflict in its entirety, hindi lang on the our countrymen,” he said.
local level,” he said.
In July, President Rodrigo Duterte
said he longer wanted to talk with
communist rebels following the attacks
IMMIGRATION / OFNEWS
the confidentiality clause of the Rules
of Court in disbarment proceedings
against lawyers. The said disbarment
complaint was filed before the Supreme
Court last January.
Roque also said Salo “conspired”
with the other respondents claiming
to be trustees and officers of the
Group convoy in different parts of the
country.
Backchannel talks with the National
Democratic Front were also canceled.
Despite this, Bello expressed
optimism that the President would
allow them to resume talks with the
communist group.
“Sa tingin ko the prospect of
just waiting for the final instruction
from the President because I’m aware
that the President, on his first day of
assumption, declared openly that his
legacy to the country is lasting peace for
“Alam ko naman, I don’t think the
President has abandoned his aspiration.
Kami sa panel are still hopeful that he
will eventually order us to proceed with
SOME cemeteries saw lower visitor
numbers on Wednesday compared
to last year’s Undas, but hundreds of
thousands of Filipinos still defied the
rain to visit their departed loved ones
on All Saints’ Day.
A Balitanghali report by Steve
Dailisan said an estimated 200,000
people have flocked to Manila Memorial
Park.
“Rain or shine ho, hindi namin
pinipili ang weather condition.
Importante ho nandito kami para
alalahanin sila. Mga mahal namin sa
buhay,” one visitor said. Some of those
who were not prepared for the rainy
weather decided to just light candles,
leave flowers, and cut short their visit.
In Eternal Gardens Memorial Park in
Quezon City, several families have set
up tents, Bernadette Reyes reported.
Cars were allowed inside the
November 2017 – No. 21 • UK & Europe Edition
Kabayan party-list to “restrict my
rights as a member of Congress,
unlawfully malign the free exercise
of my powers as a legislator, and
illegitimately unseat me as an
incumbent congressman.”
Roque cited the purported
party resolution dated January 12
talks with the CPP-NPA,” he added. are addressing these situation. Actually
He said the panel is working to
address the contentious issues such as
the release of political prisoners.
“Slowly we are addressing these and
our respective committees in the panel
cemetery to make it easier for visitors, sakit,” cemetery director Maribel Bueza
while security was tightened.
“Sa tulong po ng PNP [Philippine
National Police], PNP-Caloocan at
pulis Quezon City, hindi po nila kami
pinapabayaan. The management itself
nagbibigay po ng sapat na manpower
for the...kagandahan ng traffic at
parking po natin,” said Jet Baligad, an
administrative official at the cemetery.
At Manila South Cemetery in Makati,
GMA News’ Ian Cruz reported that as
of 11 a.m., the management estimated
20,000 to 30,000 visitors, a fraction of
the 150,000 to 200,000 visitors during
last year’s Undas.
Due to the rains, some areas were
flooded.
“Kaya po sa ating mga kababayan,
mag-ingat po tayo. Medyo madulas po
ang kalsada ngayon. Magdala po tayo
ng payong, kapote para maiwas tayo sa
which ordered his expulsion from
Kabayan amid complaints on his
behavior and statements.
Roque had earlier claimed that
the voting delegates of Kabayan
unanimously impeached and expelled
Salo from the party during a special
party congress in February.
Salo’s response. In a statement,
Salo said it was “unfortunate” for
Roque to continue his “combative,
ungentlemanly, and irresponsible
behavior.”
“Kabayan party-list and I have long
chosen to move on with our advocacies
without Mr. Roque. We hope he would
be able to move on and assume his
new role without past baggage to be
able to fully perform his functions as
Presidential Spokesperson,” Salo said. n
Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez, BM, GMA News |
Published November 1, 2017 Updated 5:09 PM
meron na kaming proposed remedies
but we still have to wait for the President
to give us the go-signal to return to the
peace table,” he said. n Amita Legaspi, RSJ,
GMA News | Published November 1, 2017 1:17 PM
said.
At the metro’s largest cemetery, the
crowds were also smaller. The visitor
estimate at the Manila North Cemetery
was 250,000 at 10:30 a.m., compared
to 400,000 last year, GMA News’ Maki
Pulido reported.
The management advised that it
would be better for senior citizens
and children to visit the cemetery on
November 2 instead.
Meanwhile, at the Libingan ng
mga Bayani, people flocked to visit
the dictator Ferdinand Marcos’s grave
and to honor 13 soldiers who died in
Marawi City.
JP Soriano reported that a candle
lighting ceremony will be held
Wednesday evening. n Anna Felicia Bajo,
BM, GMA News | Published November 1, 2017
4:50 PM