Page 12 - LM Confidential Issue December 2014

Philippines
NEWS
Aquino blames SC for slowdown
SC finds an ally in HR in refuting accusation
New Husband is a blessing Amy Perez -
Amy Perez says she feels so much more contented now that she has officially exchanged I do’s with radio personality Carlo Castillo. “We’ve been together for 8 years, we have two sons, but ‘yun na nga, we don’t have the sacrament of marriage,” she says. “But now, masaya ang feeling ko na finally, ako na ang legal wife niya and I can say proudly that I am Mrs. Castillo. Si Carlo talaga ang nagpursiging makuha yung annulment ko from my first marriage (to singer Brix Ferraris) kasi ako,
sumuko na after lagi
akong ma-deny. Big
blessing ang second
son naming si Isaiah
kasi the annulment
came the day he was
born. Isa sa mga nagdarasal for the annulment ay ang lolo ni Carlo. Siya ang first apo kaya mahal na mahal siya nito. It’s just sad that his Lolo passed away before our wedding in Mango Farm two weeks ago.”
Amy says Carlo is a great blessing in her life. “Dahil sa kanya, na-override ko ‘yung bad experiences ko from my first marriage. Siya ‘yung nagsasabi lagi, ang bad memories, dapat na hindi mo na naaalala. Ibahin na natin ‘yung dating memories with ‘yung memories na tayo naman dalawa together.”
Amy is happy to be the endorser of Strike, a multi-insect killer product from ATC Health Products. “As a mom with three sons, I make sure my kids are always safe at home from insects na may mga dalang sakit, like yung mosquito with dengue. And Strike is very effective sa insects, but less toxic sa humans. Also, mas mura siya. I’m glad gagawaan nila kami ng TV commercial na buong mag- anak ng ATC. It will be our first time to appear together in a TVC.”
Will she allow her first son, Adi, to be formally adopted by Carlo? “Yun talaga ang susunod na aayusin ni Carlo ngayon. Step-by-step ang proseso. Matutuwa ka talaga kay Carlo kasi you can see he really treats Adi like his own son kaya naplano na niya lahat ‘yan.”
Does Adi consent to this? “Yes, matagal na naming napag-usapan ni Adi ‘yan. Last time niya nakita si Brix was when was 5 years old, then wala na kaming nabalitaan. Wala na kaming naririnig. We tried looking for him, pero hindi namin nakita, kaya si Carlo na talaga ang kinagisnan niyang ama.”
MANILA - ‘Malacanang should not blame the Supreme Court decision declaring the acts and practices under the Disbursement Acceleration Program
unconstitutional for the economy’s lackluster performance in the third quarter, Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno said.
She defended the high court ruling on the DAP, which the Executive branch on claimed resulted in slower government spending that resulted in a lower growth of the gross
domestic product.
Supreme Court Chief Justice Ma.
Lourdes Sereno has found an ally in the House of Representatives with two opposition lawmakers supporting her position against Malacanang on the issue of the country’s slowing economic growth.
Even House Speaker Feliciano Belmonte, Jr. agreed that there were other factors that explain for the economic slowdown, and not just the SC ruling on the DAP.
“Perhaps, (the) effects of world economy and reduced government spending,” Belmonte said.
Bayan Muna party-list Rep. Carlos
Zarate said “it is not only unfair but even criminally anomalous” for the Aquino administration to blame the Supreme Court for its unfavorable decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program.
“The real causes of the economy’s slowdown are its lopsided economic policies and its highly anomalous and unconstitutional acts of sabotaging the congress’ power of the purse,” Zarate, a member of the left-leaning Makabayan Bloc, said. Zarate pointed out Aquino’s “fiscal dictatorship” that is sabotaging the country’s economy.
“Now it can be told that it is unadulterated lie when the Aquino administration earlier claimed that DAP was successful in stimulating our laggard economy and it was stopped as it already served its purpose. Pure lies,” Zarate said.
Abakada party-list Rep. Jonathan de la Cruz, member of the House Independent Bloc, echoed Sereno’s message to the Palace not to blame the High Court decision declaring the acts and practices under the DAP unconstitutional for the economy’s lackluster performance in the third quarter.
Sereno was one of the 13 SC justices who voted to strike down as unconstitutional salient provisions in the controversial DAP.
The SC justices ruled that the acts and practices under the DAP violated the constitutional doctrine of separation
of powers as well as the provision prohibiting the inter-branch transfer of appropriations.
Budget Secretary Florencio Abad blamed the slowdown on the high court’s ruling against the DAP.
But Sereno rejected the Palace’s insinuation that the slower growth in the third quarter could be partly attributed to the new “spending protocols” arising from the declaration that the DAP is unconstitutional.
However, Sereno said the Supreme Court’s decision on DAP had nothing to do with the GDP growth rate.
“I see it as a theory and it will remain as that,” Sereno said
The Court also declared as unconstitutional the cross-border transfers of savings of the Executive to augment the funds of agencies outside the department, as well as the funding of projects and programs not covered in the General Appropriations Act.
The tribunal also voided the use of unprogrammed funds despite the absence of a certification by the national treasurer that the revenue collections exceeded the revenue targets.
However, the Philippines was still among the fastest-growing economies in the region. The Philippines aims to increase its GDP by 8.5 percent when President Aquino’s term ends in 2016.
Philippines
NEWS
DILG funds for
housing questioned
MANILA - Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr. questionedTuesdaytheP12.9billionlump sum fund in the budget of the Interior and Local Government Department for water supply and low-cost housing, saying the agency is not authorized by law to build houses or to supply water.
Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago also questioned why so much money was allocated to the DILG’s water supply program, when the department did not have primary authority over water.
Poe not on LP yet
MANILA - The ruling Liberal Party’s standard bearer for 2016 should be “a reformist,
another honest President,” and could even be someone who was not a member of the party, said Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento, the LP’s
secretary-general.
But he denied reports that the LP
was wooing Senator Grace Poe to be the administration’s standard-bearer for 2016.
Seize fake drugs
MANILA - A group of health experts and researchers tapped by the Depart- ment of Health (DOH) to investigate the use of an unproven drug for malaria and dengue in the Philippines is recom- mending that the agency seize the sup- posed “breakthrough” drug distributed to several state-run hospitals.
The recommendation is one of the highlights of a position paper the group was expected to submit to the Office of the Health Secretary, overseen by Act- ing Health Secretary Janette Garin while Health Secretary Enrique Ona is on an extended leave.
JDLSPA Scarborough Opening
Josie de Leon School of Performing Arts opened their Scarborough branch and here are some of the photos.
12 L. M. Confidential
DECEMBER 2014
LMC