Ilang usapin mula sa kani-kanilang mga puso

Ilang komentaryo mula Fb hinggil sa pagiging  lalong dapat mapagbantay, more vigilant, ng Bayan sa panahong kasalukuyan.

Gingging Barredo Bunag

17 hrs · Edited · 

100 MILLION FILIPINOS, BE MORE VIGILANT this time around !!! The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Mr. SONNY BELMONTE, is once again on his war path that will lead us to another PORK BARREL, under a different designation or name worst than the most notorious PDAF. Belmonte is likewise toying at the idea of a possible creation of a PUBLIC ACCOUNTS & AUDIT COMMITTEE that will SCRUTINIZE other agencies, including the JUDICIARY. He is not satisfied with his CONGRESSIONAL 

power of the purse, meaning, the passage of the GENERAL APPROPRIATION ACT, or national budget. 

He wants Congress, under his awkward or weird leadership, to supervise all branches of government to assert its SUPREMACY, thereby rendering the PRINCIPLE of SEPARATION of POWERS of the three main branches of our Philippine government enshrined under our FUNDAMENTAL LAW put to NAUGHT. 

Furthermore, he obviously is trying to USURP the functions of the Office of the Commission on Audit by unnecessarily duplicating them, reducing the latter's role into a mere idle ceremony or purely academic. This Speaker has already displayed his extreme thirst for power by TOTALLY IGNORING both decisions of the Commission on Elections and the Supreme Court involving the issues surrounding the protracted congressional disputes in my beloved PROVINCE of MARINDUQUE, by arguing illogically that election protests involving congressional candidates are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the HOUSE ELECTORAL TRIBUNAL. 

He blindly and dishonestly closed his eyes to the TRUTHS that the only main issue in the instant case is the QUALIFICATION of the subject candidate who is an AMERICAN CITIZEN, her status as such automatically disqualified her to even run for a public office in the Philippines, pursuant to our ELECTION LAWS. This Speaker is the topnotch LAWMAKER, turned LAWBREAKER, who has BROKEN a WORLD RECORD in the FIELD of LEGISLATION, and must be inserted in RIPLEY'S file. (Atty. Ralph "bunyag" Bunag, for the truths, justice & good governance strictly in accordance with our well-framed Philippine Constitution)

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  Tess Guanzon hay naku..mga pulitiko...kawawang Pilipino...

  7 hrs · Like
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  Marcial Foronda The problem is people in power think and act like they are above the law. I hope that PNoy will stop protecting his political allies when they commit wrong, they are using and taking advantage of the President's incorruptible reputation. He is the one absorbing the criticisms against these individuals.

  5 hrs · Like

Kuha sa SONA 2014. Mula sa https://www.facebook.com/groups/138910457481/

Isang komentaryong hinango naman mula sa "Soap Opera ni Aquino" ni Rogelio Lim:

• 

  Toby Jamilla By ROGELIO LIM: “Ang "Soap Opera ni Aquino" ay ang nalalaman na lang paraan ni Pinoy para mapagtakpan niya ang kapalpakan at kabiguan niya mapabuti ang kalagayan ng Pilipinas. Kasama sa soup opera niya ang pahiwatig na may grupo ng mga kritiko na gusto siyang patayin. 
  
  Nagkakamali siya ng paratang sa mga kritiko dahil ANG GUSTO LAMANG NILA AY PAGBUTIHIN NIYA ANG PAMAMAHALA NIYA NG BANSA sa halip na patayin siya. 
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG KRITIKO AY HUWAG NIYANG PROTEKTAHAN ANG MGA KAALYADO NA MAGNANAKAW; 
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG MGA KRITIKO AY HUWAG NIYANG LABAGIN ANG SALIGANG BATAS AT MGA BATAS NG PILIPINAS; 
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG MGA KRITKO AY HUWAG NIYANG GAMITIN ANG BILLIONS PONDO NG BAYAN PARA IPANSUHOL SA MGA MAMBABATAS UPANG MASUNOD ANG KAGUSTUHAN NIYA; 
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG KRITIKO AY HUWAG NIYA AT NG LIBERAL PARTY GAMITING ANG BILLIONS PONDO NG BAYAN PARA MAIPANALO SA ELEKSIYON ANG KAALYADO NIYANG PULITIKO NATIONAL AT LOCAL; 
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG MGA KRITIKO AY HUWAG GAMITIN ANG BILLIONS PONDO NG BAYAN SA LUGAR LAMANG NIYA AT KAALYADO KATULAD NG TARLAC, ILOILO AT BATANES DAHIL MAS MALALA ANG KALAGAYAN NG IBANG LUGAR;
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG KRITKO AY MAGKAROON NG ACCOUNTING NG TRILLIONS GINASTOS NIYA MULA NANG MAUPO SIYA BILANG PRESIDENTE;
  
  - ANG GUSTO NG KRITIKO AY HUWAG NIYANG SIRAIN ANG DEMOKRASYA SA PAMAMAGITAN NG PAGSIRA SA SUPREME COURT, KONGRESO, COA AT IBA PANG GOVERNMENT AGENCIES; 
  
  Marami pang gusto ang kritiko na dapat niyang gawin bilang presidente, pero higit sa lahat ang gusto ng mga kritiko ay panagutan niya ang kanyang pagnanakaw sa kulungan at hindi siya patayin. DI BA ANG KAGUSTUHAN NG MGA KRITIKO AY PARA SA KABUTIHIN NG BANSA, BAKIT HINDI NIYA ITO MAGAWA SA HALIP AY SINASABI NIYA NA HADLANG ANG MGA KRITIKO SA REPORMA?”

Bigger than DAP - Editorial from CBCP

Bigger than DAP

From Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP News), July 30, 2014

Disbursing so much amount of money unconstitutionally is bad enough.  But justifying the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP) to the point of threatening the independence of a constructional branch of government is worse, because it shakes up a significant nerve of democratic principles.

This was the rub of the address of President Aquino last July 14—two weeks ahead of his schedules State of the Nation Address on July 28.  He berated the Supreme Court for being unmindful of the numerous benefits that the DAP has delivered to the people.  “We ask that you renew your decision, this time taking into consideration the points I have raised,” he said.

This manner of proceeding has a lot of hitches. First, the end does not justify the means.   Besides, is there no legal means to deliver a “stimulus package” that will fast-track public spending and economic growth?  Why resort to something unconstitutional? Second, the “end” is nowhere in sight.  An independent research group, Ibon Foundation, for instance, says that DAP did not stimulate Philippine economy. Ground reality, of course, confirms that.  In the same speech, the President said that the high court presumed bad faith on the part of the administration, when it only acted out of urgency to deliver the goods and services that the people needed.  But how come it’s almost a year now that the evacuees of the Zamboanga siege are still in an evacuation center? Many victims of typhoon Yolanda are still in tents and bunkhouses after eight months now. That “no sense of urgency”  pervades in a bevy of crises that the country is presently shrouded with.

Rule of Law paramount

The rule of law is paramount.  In a press statement issued shortly after the Monday evening address of President Aquino, CBCP President Archbishop Socrates Villegas said, “But it is equally important for our people to hold fast to the basic tenets of the democratic way of life enshrined in our Constitution—it is for the Judiciary to interpret the law with definitiveness in the process of resolving justiciable issues.  We must respect the Supreme Court. Where there was error, there must be humble admission and immediate rectification.”

He called on our national leaders “that they may truly be humble and respectful of our democratic institutions so that our most sacred freedoms and liberties are always upheld.”  At the end of the day, this is bigger than DAP despite the billions of pesos it has wasted to corruption and patronage politics. CBCP News

Also read:

Rule of Law embedded in 1987 Constitution Preamble, can't let it go right out the window; Tagumpay ng Bayan

Barrick responds to articles on the Marcopper mine

Response to articles on the Marcopper mine

From Barrick

July 22, 2014 — The two articles refer to a tailings spill that occurred in 1996 at the Marcopper mine on the island province of Marinduque in the Philippines. At the time of the spill, Placer Dome, a company which Barrick acquired in 2006, held an indirect minority interest in Marcopper Mining Corp. Placer Dome sold its interest in Marcopper in 1997, nine years before Barrick acquired Placer Dome. 

When Barrick took over Placer Dome in 2006, the company inherited litigation related to the historic mining activities at the Marcopper mine. The litigation seeks a range of remedies for alleged unremediated harm from the tailings spill in 1996. Although Placer Dome relinquished its indirect minority stake in Marcopper in 1997, it voluntarily funded and ensured that extensive reclamation, compensatory and other measures to address the effects of the spill were taken. The consequences of this unfortunate incident were remediated long before Barrick acquired Placer Dome. 

Over the past three years, Barrick has made a good faith effort to settle these matters in a principled way. As this is currently before the courts, we are unable to comment further on any settlement discussions related to this case, except to say that we are disappointed that an out-of-court settlement has not been reached.


Related stories:

Barrick Gold Using Coercive Settlement Provisions to Perpetuate Legacy of Environmental Harm

Philippines: 18 years since the Marcopper spill in Marinduque, rehabilitation still eludes victims according to report

Religious leaders to PNoy: Repent or resign

July 28, 2014, GMA Network 

Rallies greet PNoy's SONA. File photo: GMA News

Hours before his fifth State of the Nation Address, President Benigno Aquino III was told on Monday to either "repent or resign," particularly over the controversy involving the Disbursement Acceleration Program (DAP).

Bishops of the United Church of Christ in the Philippines (UCCP), which groups together five protestant denominations, said the DAP had become a "path to betrayal of the public’s trust" and had severely damaged Aquino’s reputation, "destroying any semblance of fighting corruption."

In a statement, the UCCP said: "President Aquino’s continuing insistence that he is trustworthy, and thus, somehow immune or justified in breaking the law runs counter to his supposed efforts to stop corruption and misuse of public funds. In a glaring manner, he has become every bit a violator himself."

The bishops added: "If President Aquino cannot bring himself to repent from his wrongdoings, his next best (action) would be to resign from his office as President."

In a text message, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. deferred comment on the bishops' call for the President's resignation for the mean time, saying he wants to "read and understand the statement" first
.

Aquino is to deliver his fifth SONA before a joint session of Congress at the Batasan Complex in Quezon City on Monday afternoon.

Earlier this month, the SC announced that it has declared certain acts under the government's DAP as unconstitutional. These include the declaration of unobligated and unprogrammed funds as savings, the transfers of savings from one government branch to another, and the funding of projects not stated in the national budget.

Malacañang has repeatedly said the DAP was undertaken in good faith to boost the country's economic performance. Malacañang has appealed the high court's decision.

Last July 14, the head of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines said that while President Aquino's views on DAP are important and to be respected, it is the judiciary that has the job of interpreting the law and resolving justiciable issues.

CBCP president and Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas said the rule of law is a fundamental requirement that should be safeguarded as a moral concern.

The President is currently facing two impeachment complaints over the DAP.

In his defense of the DAP, Aquino used principles from Filipino hero Apolinario Mabini to justify the controversial program. The President also rebuked the Supreme Court, which he said tried to transfer funds from one government branch to another.

Presidential pork barrel?

But the bishops said that by defending the DAP, Aquino ignored the public outcry to end pork barrel politics, "particularly presidential Pork Barrel."

Aquino was also accused of trying to deflect attention from the DAP towards the alleged P10-billion pork barrel scam, and projecting himself as a leader ferreting out corruption and bad practices.

"As evidence continued to be brought to light and the real score of the DAP was unearthed, President Aquino attempted to defend his misdoings as both correct and in good faith. Even with the unanimous decision of the Supreme Court that the implementation of the DAP violated the Constitution, President Aquino chose shallow defense of his misdeeds and thinly veiled threats towards the Supreme Court," the UCCP bishops said.

The bishops accused Aquino of violating the check-and-balance system of the 1987 Constitution by "deceptively renaming allocated budgets as savings and using them for projects and purposes that had not undergone budget approval by the legislature."

Worse, they said significant DAP funds "appear to have been channeled to favored patrons and cohorts at Aquino’s discretion as well as used for alleged bribes to senators to ensure the votes to impeach former Chief Justice Renato Corona."

"President Aquino has obviously veered off any Daang Matuwid," they added.

Insulting Christian sensibility

The UCCP bishops also branded as an insult to their Christian sensibility the administration's insistence that DAP is a measure “to ensure that funds are properly used so that social services and public goods are delivered to the people—especially the poor—as swiftly as possible.”

"The truth remains that the poor have not experienced significant alleviation of their poverty and suffering; even more, reports inarguably bear out that a lion’s share of DAP spending was not for the poor. It is reprehensible that the poor are abused for such politicking and disinformation," they said. — Joel Locsin with Andreo Calonzo/RSJ, GMA News

Part 2: Mga anomalya sa Kapitoyo ng Marinduque ayon sa COA CY 2013

(Karugtong)

Noong nakaraang araw ay inilathala dito ang tungkol sa report o Executive Summary ng Commission on Audit na may kinalaman sa Marinduque mula sa COA website. Naglalaman ito ng mga detalye ng hindi birong mga katiwalian o iregularidad sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Marinduque noong nakaraang taon, 2013.

Bilang isang lalawigan, ayon sa Local Government Code, ang dapat sanang isinasagawa ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ay ang paghahatid ng mga pangunahing serbisyo at epektibong pamamalakad sa mga nasasakupan. 

Alamin kung ito nga ang isinagawa ng ahensyang ito ayon sa COA.

COA Annual Audit Report, 2013, Marinduque Province
Executive Summary, pahina 5

8. Ang karampatang dokumentasyon hinggil sa mga pangastang mga hayop, breeding stock sa ilalim ng Animal Dispersal Program ng Ahensya ay hindi isinumite sa COA upang mawala ito sa pananagutan ng kaukulang mga opisyal, taliwas sa Sections 151 at 152 ng COA Circular No. 92-386 October 20, 1992, na nagresulta sa lubhang kalabisan ng Breeding Stocks Account sa Trial Balance.

9. Ang ibat-ibang proyektong ipinatupad ay nilampasan ang takdang panahon para matapos ang mga ito, lumilihis sa mga kontratang pinirmahan ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan at mga kontratista, na naging dahilan sa karagdagang gastos na nagkakahalaga ng Php 175,684.43, na labag sa Section 8.1 of Annex E of the Revised IRR of RA No. 9184.

10. Mga paglilipat ng pondo sa mga barangay na nagkakahalaga ng Php 1,576,136.33 para sa implementasyon ng ibat-ibang programang pangkaunlaran ay nanatiling unliquidated dahil sa kabiguan ng recipient-barangays ba magsumite ng Accomplishment and Fund Utilization Reports. Nangangahulugan ito ng panganib na hindi maisakatuparan ang mungkahing proyekto na maaring mangahulugan pa ng pag-aaksaya o paglulustay ng pananalapi ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan.

COA Executive Summary, pahina 6

COA Executive Summary, pahina 7

11. Ang Real Property Tax (RPT) Delinquency ng Marcopper Mining Corporation (MMC) sa Siltation and Decant System at sa lupa kung saan itinayo ang istruktura ay nagkakahalaga ng Php 16,754,825.34 at Php 2,498,490.02 na Php 19,253,315.36 ang kabuuhan. Ito ay hindi kinolekta bagamat may kaukulang desisyon na ang Korte Suprema sa ilalim ng G.R. No. 170532 noong Abril 30, 2009, na naging sanhi sa pagkawala sa lokal na pamahalaan ng kinakailangang pondo.

(May mga rekomendasyon ang COA hinggil dito, kasama na ang pagpapatuloy ng proseso ng paniningil ng buwis na sinimulan ng dating Provincial Treasurer noong 2006 para sa paniningil ng Real Property Tax (RPT) sa iba pang mga pag-aari ng MMC na hindi nito nabayaran noon pang 1996; paglalahad ng mga kinakailangang dokumentasyon, tax declarations para maisagawa ang komputasyon ng kaukulang buwis ng Marcopper sa pamamagitan ng co-owner nito, ang Placer Dome, Inc at subsidiary, MR Holdings, Ltd.)

12. Ang Design and Build contract na nagkakahalaga ng Php 19,850,009.61 at Php 19,920,895.00 para sa Construction of Administrative Annex - Two Storey Building at Construction of Disaster Risk Management Training Institute and Convention Center, na pinondohan mula sa PDAF at isinagawa sa ilalim ng straight contract ay napag-alaman na labis ng 6.20% at 14.18%, base sa allowable cost ng COA, at maaring mangahulugan ng disallowance na nagkakahalaga ng Php 3,634,078.39.

COA Executive Summary, pahina 8

13. Ang CY 2013 budget para sa Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) activities na nagkakahalaga ng Php 20,791,615.80 ay kulang ng Php 143,901.05 na paglabag sa RA No. 10121 at DILG Memorandum Circular No.2012-73, petsa Abril 17, 2012. Bukod dito, Php 136,150.06 o .65% ng allocation para sa kasalukuyang taon pa lamang ang nagagamit, na nangangahulugan ng pagtatanggal sa mga nasasakupan ng mga benepisyong para sa kanila kung ang mga proyektong ito ay isinakatuparan bilang nabigyan ng priority at naplano na.

COA Executive Summary, pahina 9

15. Php 34,112,094.78 at Php 42,951,939.35 lamang ng kasalukuyan (current) at tuloy-tuloy na appropriation (continuing appropriation), sa 20% Development Fund na Php 77,639,340.00 at Php 105,357,951.06 respectively, ang nagamit para sa CY 2013. Nag-iwan ito ng malaking halaga na hindi nagamit na nagkakahalaga ng Php 105,933,256.93, kaya't ang inaasahang socio-economic development at sana at mga naging resulta ng environmental management na dapat ay nakatulong sa job generation at pagtataguyod ng pangkabuhayan sa mga nasasakupan, na layunin ng DILG at DBM Joint Memorandum No. 2011-1 dated April 13, 2011 ay hindi naisagawa ng husto. 

16. Halagang dapat ibayad sa NGAs na nagkakahalaga ng Php 11,875,186.88 ay tungkol sa mga hindi isinagawa at hindi ginastos na mga releases/assistance mula sa national government agencies at hindi ni-remit na mga collection ng trust receipts, na karamihan ay nanatiling tulog at aabot sa hanggang 28 taon na ang nakalipas. Nawalan pareho ang local government ng binalak na benepisyo na dapat ay naging kapakinabangan sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyekto, gayun din ang mga kinauukulang national government agencies ng oportunidad na magamit ang salapi para sa ibang mahahalagang proyekto.

COA Executive Summary, pahina 10

17. Ang audit disallowance na nagkakahalaga ng Php 16,865,500.19 ay hindi pa rin nabayaran bagamat may inilabas nang Notices of Finality of Decision dito dahil sa paglabag sa Item 5.4 of COA Circular No. 2009-006 dated September 15, 2009, kayat ipinagkait sa Lalawigan ang pag-gamit sa mga pondong naibalik na para sana sa ibang makabuluhang mga proyekto.

(Ayon sa mababasang rekomendasyon ng COA ang hindi pagtupad para ilagay ito sa tama ay maaaring mangahulugan ng pagsangguni sa mga kinauukulan para sa pagsampa ng kaukulang kaso.) 

Also read:

Mga anomalya sa Kapitolyo ng Marinduque ayon sa COA (2013)

Mga anomalya sa Kapitolyo ng Marinduque ayon sa COA (2013)

Mula sa Commission on Audit (COA) website ang Executive Summary o COA Report na sumusunod. Naglalaman ito ng mga detalye ng hindi birong mga katiwalian o iregularidad sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Marinduque noong nakaraang taon, 2013.

Bilang isang lalawigan, ayon sa Local Government Code, ang dapat sanang isinasagawa ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ay ang paghahatid ng mga pangunahing serbisyo at epektibong pamamalakad sa mga nasasakupan. 

Alamin kung ito nga ang isinagawa ng administrasyong ito ayon sa COA.

Mga ilang datos ayon sa report ng COA (basahin ang mismong report para sa kabuuhan):

Para sa Calendar Year 2013, ang total income ng Lalawigan ay Php 427,966,982.08, mas mataas ng Php 37,549,308.85 (9.62%) kaysa noong nakaraang taon. Ang pagtaas na ito ay dahil sa pagtaas din ng Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) mula sa DBM at mula sa koleksiyon ng Real Property at Special Education Tax.

Ilang mahahalagang obserbasyon ng COA ay mga sumusunod matapos isagawa ang audit:

1. Umabot sa higit Php 2-million ang halaga ng salapi mula sa mga koleksiyon na hindi nakadeposito pagsapit ng December 31, 2013 taliwas sa Section 32 ng New Government Accounting System (NGAS), kayat inilantad ang salapi sa panganib na manakaw o magasta sa hindi dapat.

2. Napalaki pa sana ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan, at nagawang ipatupad ang iba pang socio-economic development project at mga programa kung ginawa ang marapat para makolekta ang higit sa Php 38-million na hindi nakolekta at nalampasan pa ang balanse noong nakaraang taon na P 16-million.

3. May mga binayarang national government officials na nakadestino sa Lalawigan na binayaran ng buwanang honoraria na nagkakahalaga ng Php 431,970.00 na walang legal na basehan. Labag ito sa RA No. 7160 ayon sa ipinatupad ng LBC No. 62 at binigyang-linaw ng DBM's Compensation Policy Guidelines No. 98-1 dated March 23, 1998. 

Ang pagbabayad ng honoraria sa mga opisyales ng Public Attorney's Office at Commission on Elections (COMELEC) ay hindi pinapayagan dahil sa kawalan ng balidong basehan sa batas na nagbibigay sa Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ng Marinduque ng ganoong pahintulot na bayaran ang mga opisyal na nabanggit. 

 4. Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI) na P 10,000,00 kada tao na umaabot sa Php 6,540,000.00 ay ibinayad sa mga opisyales ng lalawigan at mga empleyado, taliwas sa Section 1 of Executive Order No. 80 dated July 20, 2012, bagamat hindi pa naiilagay sa ayos ang disallowance na Php 17,448,000.00 para sa kaparehong pagbabayad noong CY 2009.

5. Ang pagkuha sa 424 na tao sa ilalim ng job order (JO) at contract of service na may kabuuhang gastos na Php 9,334,702.79 ay hindi agarang mabigyan ng katugunan ang kabuluhan nito sa usapin ng pananalapi at makabuluhang pag-gamit ng mga mapapagkunan dahil ang kanilang mga kontrata ay walang tiyak na nature of work assignments at quantity of work to be accomplished.

 6. Ang gastusin sa meals and snacks na binayaran ng Provincial Government na nagkakahalaga ng Php 7,101,637.31 para sa mga isinagawang meeting at iba pang activities ay masasabing mapagmalabis na pag-gastos ayon sa Item 5.0 of COA Circular No. 2012-003, October 29, 2012 at taliwas sa envisioned austerity measures ng Section 1(a) of Administrative Order No. 103 at Section 343 of RA No. 7160.

7. Mga Pakyaw Contracts, kasama na ang mga supporting documents sa halagang Php 28,934,916.00 ay hindi isinumite, labag sa Section 3.1.1 of COA Circular No. 2009-001 dated February 12, 2009. Dagdag pa rito, labing-lima (15) sa mga kaukulang proyektong ipinatupad ay higit sa Php 500,000.00 na limitasyon sa Pakyaw system, labag sa Section 4.8 ng Revised Guidelines for Implementation of Infrastructure Projects by Administration.

(Itutuloy)

Also read:

Part 2: Mga anomalya sa Kapitolyo ng Marinduque ayon sa COA, 2013

Itinigil na rin ng Korte: Nevada court agrees to vacate stay on Marinduque-Barrick case.

Order from the Court reinstating briefing filed on July 17, 2014.
"...any request to extend the briefing schedule will be disfavored."

In the Supreme Court of the State of Nevada was issued on July 17, 2014, the order reinstating briefing in connection with the case filed by the Provincial Government of Marinduque vs. Placer Dome, Inc.

The Court said: "Based on respondents' assertions in the updated status report filed on June 30, 2014, indicating that despite significant efforts the parties were unable to reach a settlement, we vacate the stay imposed by our December 6, 2011, order and reinstate briefing..."

It will be recalled that respondents to the case earlier requested the Court on June 30, 2014, to vacate the stay, restore the appeal to the Court's active calendar, and schedule the completion of briefing so that said appeal may proceed to conclusion.

The Court added thus: "Given the length of time that this appeal has remained in the court's docket while the parties pursued settlement, any request to extend the briefing schedule will be disfavored."

Meanwhile, even as no formal rejection to-date of the controversial terms and conditions stipulated in the proposed settlement agreement has been issued by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Marinduque, the concerned Marinduque provincial officials, even with recent developments, still could not make up their mind on the issue. It is apparent, however, that whatever belated formal position the province might have on the issue that has provoked prolonged protests in the island-province has become "moot and academic" according to a local official who requested anonymity.

It will be recalled that prominent names from national institutions have engaged in last-ditch efforts to change the tide of protests. Some were seen resorting to unfounded claims in what appears as outright deception to Marinduque stakeholders who remained firm and strong, however, in rejecting the unacceptable deal and pushing instead for real environmental justice for the island-province and its people.

The quest for environmental justice for Marinduque, thus continues - in the USA, in Canada, or elsewhere.

Also read:

Kasong Marcopper: Mananatiling bulag, pipi at bingi pa rin kaya sila sa pagbabaka-sakali?

After TY "Glenda": Potential cyclone to enter PH in 24 hours

PAGASA MTSAT image as of 04:32 a.m., 17 July 2014

ABSCBNNews July 17, 2014.

MANILA – A potential cyclone is expected to enter the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR) in 24 hours, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) said.

PAGASA said the LPA was spotted 940 kilometers east of northern Mindanao as of 4 a.m.

PAGASA weather forecaster Glaiza Escullar said the LPA has a high chance of developing into a tropical cyclone. The LPA will be locally code-named ''Henry'' once it intensifies into a cyclone within the PAR.

Escullar said the state weather bureau has no data yet on the possible track of the typhoon, but the US Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) said the LPA was moving westward at 2 knots (3.7 kilometers per hour).

The JTWC said the LPA was approximately 205 nautical miles (379.66 kilometers) northeast of Koror, Palau.

''The potential for the development of a significant tropical cyclone within the next 24 hours is high,'' the JTWC said.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said Metro Manila, Central Luzon, CALABARZON and the Provinces of Mindoro, Palawan, La Union, Benguet, and Pangasinan will have occasional rains.

The rest of the country will have partly cloudy to cloudy skies with isolated rains and thunderstorms.

Meanwhile, PAGASA said typhoon ''Glenda,'' which ravaged Luzon and left at least 20 dead, was spotted 380 kms west southwest of Dagupan City.

Glenda was packing maximum sustained winds of 130 kph and gusts of up to 160 kph.

All public storm warning signals have been lowered, but fishing boats and other small vessels are still advised not to venture out into the western seaboard of Visayas.

The typhoon is expected to exit PAR on Thursday morning. - ABSCBNNews

Kasong Marcopper: Mananatiling bulag, pipi at bingi pa rin kaya sila sa pagbabaka-sakali?

"Hindi tayo mga pulubing maninikluhod ng limos mula sa mayamang minahan. Tayong mga mamamayan ng Islang ito na may dignidad at paninindingang naniningil ng kanilang inutang na responsibilidad!!! Mabuhay ang marangal na lahing Boakenyo at Marindukenyo!" - Konsehal Myke Magalang, Marso 24, 2014

Matatandaang bagamat paulit-ulit na inaanunsiyo sa publiko ng ilang mga bokal ng Sangguniang Panlalawigan na Oktubre 2013, pa lamang diumano ay "isinuka na"ng Pamahalaang Panlalawigan ang mungkahing settlement agreement, wala namang maipakitang opisyal na Resolusyon ang mga kinauukulan na walang dudang ganito nga ang isinasaad.

Sa katunayan ay nanatiling aktibo silang mga kinauukulan sa kapitoyo ng Marinduque sa pagtawag ng mga pagpupulong upang mabago ang daloy ng pagtutol ng mga mamamayan at lunukin ng buong-buo ang isinuka nang mga kondisyones.

Naroong himukin nila ang ilang mga personalidad na 

pumunta sa islang-lalawigan gamit ang kanilang mga pangalan at tanggapan upang silawin at bulagin ang mga Marindukenyo sa pamamagitan ng mga makabagbag-damdaming mga pananalita.

Salamat sa taimtim na mga panalangin, hindi naman natinag sina Juan at Juana Marinduke na sadyang maalam kumilatis ng katotohanan sa pagkakataong ito!

At bagamat pormal na ipinaalam na ng kumpanyang Barrick Gold sa Korte Suprema ng Nevada na makalipas ang dalawa at kalahating taon ay hindi nga nagawa ng mga partidong makarating sa isang kasunduan, at dahil dito ay hiniling na nga ng Barrick sa Korte na iwanan na ang proseso ng negosasyon at ituloy na ang pagdidinig sa naudlot na kaso, tila nananatiling bulag, pipi at bingi pa rin hanggang ngayon silang mga kinauukulan, sa pagbabaka-sakali pa rin kaya?

Dahil kaya totoong hindi nga sapat ang kanilang nalalaman tungkol sa mahaba nang narating na usaping ito na alam at batid naman ng mga mamamayan at ng buong mundo? O dahil kaya sa pananatiling tahimik ng liderato ng lalawigan hinggil sa usapang salaping ito sa lumipas nga na dalawang taon at kalahati, at hanggang ngayon ay wala pang maliwanag na senyas o "senyasan"?

Ngayong pormal na naghain na ng kanilang posisyon ang Barrick, mananatiling bulag, pipi at bingi pa rin kaya ang dapat na noon ay nauna nang nagpahayag ng kanilang kapasiyahang naaayon sa kalooban ng Sambayanang Marindukenyo? Hindi kapasiyahan nilang mga sabik lamang makalikom ng salaping para sa kanilang mga bulsa?

Para sa kaalaman ng lahat, sumusunod ang kopya ng Respondent's (Barrick Gold) Status Report and Request to Vacate Stay, June 30, 2014, mula sa kaukulang website ng Supreme Court of Nevada sa kasong ito:

Isa sa mga pagpupulong noong nakaraang taon tungkol
sa kasong ito na ginanap sa Session Hall ng Kapitolyo ng Marinduque.