Hire 600,000 workers

In the next two weeks, 800,000 – one million new graduates will join the labor force.

Unemployment is the biggest problem facing the Aquino administration, being the biggest cause of poverty of 60 percent of the population.

The government should adapt an employment program to hire 600,000 additional persons to be employed as follows: 

1. 200,000 workers to be hired by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the Road Board, and the Department of Transportations and Communication (DOTC);

2. 100,000 nurses to be assigned to 1,600 towns and cities and 44,000 barangays;

3. 50,000 new soldiers to create additional engineering battalions;

4. 50,000 policemen to achieve the proper policemen to population ratio of one policeman for every 500 population;

5. 50,000 additional firemen to improve the present ratio of one fireman for every 5,983 population to augment the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP);

6. 15,000 additional personnel for Philippine Coastal Guard (PCG);

7. 100,000 new teachers to start the program to reduce class sizes to 35 only per class;

8. 10,000 additional personnel for the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA);

9. 5,000 additional personnel for the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI);

10. 3,000 additional personnel for the Bureau of Customs (BOC);

11. 20,000 additional agricultural extension workers for the Department of Agriculture (DA);

12. 3,000 additional prosecutors and solicitors for the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG);

13. 6,000 additional personnel for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Corrections;

14. 2,000 additional judges;

15. 3,000 additional personnel for the Bureau of Immigration (BI);

16. 3,000 additional personnel for the Office of the Ombudsman;

17. 3,000 additional personnel for the Office of the Commission on Audit (COA);

The 2015-2016 budget is the last chance for the Aquino  administration to make a big impact on unemployment.

Defer big infrastructure projects and instead hire new employees.

P75-B debate

Congressmen Karlo Nograles, Lito Atienza and Celso Lobrega and several other congressmen have raised the question of why a P75 billion lump-sum bloc grant is being granted to the new Bangsamoro government.

Nograles validly raised the issue of equal protection of the laws since all other local government units are given only 40 percent of their internal revenue collection.

Congressmen and local officials from non-Moro Islamic Liberations Front (MILF) areas also have raised the issue of why money collected from them is used to give the P75-billion bloc grant to the Bangsamoro government.

Billions given to the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) have been misused. There is no assurance that the new Bangsamoro government will use the money given for development of the area.

There is also valid fear that the Bangsamoro/MILF will use the money given to buy heavy armaments, including tanks, artillery and recoilless rifles.

This provision of the Basic Bangsamoro Law (BBL) should be reviewed and debated, including imposing conditions for the use of the money.

Miriam: scrap BBL

Senator Miriam D. Santiago issued a statement saying the BBL, which were crafted by peace negotiation panel and leaders of the secessionist MILF, is invalid and should be scrapped.

Senator Santiago said the Philippine peace panel had no authority to negotiate the BBL. Santiago claimed previous authority should have been secured by the President from the Senate.

Santiago said she doubts the BBL will pass Supreme Court’s scrutiny.

The House Ad-hoc Committee has decided to scrap the six unconstitutional provision, namely the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Commission on Audit (COA), the Office of the Ombudsman, the Civil Service Commission (CSC), Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and the Philippine National Police (PNP) – over the Bangsamoro territory.

Congressman Rufus Rodriguez, the Ad-hoc panel chairman, said he is supportive of giving the Bangsamoro P75-billion fund allocation for its fiscal autonomy. But he had warned that the Lower Chamber may abandon the proposed creation of the Bangsamoro Juridical Entity (BJE) if the MILF fails to surrender its erring commanders and members who were involved in the bloody Mamasapano incident.

 “The BBL is not a magic pill to stop the war in Mindanao, although it’s an important element in the quest for lasting peace,” according to Senator Bongbong Marcos.

Rep. Albie Benitez suggested that the Ad-hoc committee should get the legal opinion of the DOJ as to what provisions of the BBL are unconstitutional.

However, Malacañang stood firm on the legality of the BBL which the 14 members of the Constitutional Commission, who crafted the 1987 Constitution, have said that there is nothing illegal with the BBL.

But Senator Santiago also insisted that the creation of a sub-state within the state is unconstitutional.

VP in Bataan

Vice President Jejomar Binay said in Orani, Bataan that reducing poverty incidence is the key to lasting peace in Mindanao.

“Giving Mindanao residents livelihood opportunities is vital in the pursuit of peace in the region,” the Vice President added.

Binay asked the administration to consider the sentiments of other stakeholders like indigenous Mindanaoans or “lumads” and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) in the ongoing discussions of the BBL.

Tidbits

Sixty-nine congressmen are asking that the House investigation on the Mamasapano massacre be resumed.

United States (US) billionaire Paul Allen has found the Japanese battleship Misashi 1,000 meters at the bottom of the Sibuyan Sea.

It’s been seven months since the DOJ promised to file a third batch of cases against beneficiaries of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) fund. What happened?

Advance birthday greetings to Senator Gringo Honasan. Also to Lito Lopez.