EDITORYAL

Controversies involving First Gentleman Mike Arroyo

(Continuation)
* FG’s alleged receipt of jueteng payola*
During the same year, witnesses at the Senate hearings on jueteng claimed that First Gentleman Arroyo received protection money for the illegal numbers game. The First Gentleman denied the allegations and left the country momentarily to help “remove distractions and doubts from people’s minds” on President Arroyo’s ability to run the government. The Palace, then embattled with both the jueteng and “Hello Garci” controversies, dismissed the accusations against the First Gentleman as mere concoctions by those who wanted to oust the President.
* FG’s involvement in the Hello Garci scandal*
Still in 2005, a Marine brigade commander appeared at a Senate Hearing on the Hello Garci controversy and claimed that First Gentleman Arroyo delivered a huge amount of cash to Mindanao shortly before the 2004 elections. Brig. Gen. Francisco Gudani cited information from an unnamed source that FG Arroyo flew to Mindanao twice in a private helicopter days before the 2004 elections to deliver P500 million in boxes. Gudani, who was detailed in Lanao during the 2004 elections, told senators that he witnessed vote-buying and other election irregularities in his area.
* FG’s alleged friend is involved in fertilizer fund scam*
In 2006, the Senate wrapped up a series of hearings on the fertilizer fund scam and concluded that First Gentleman Arroyo’s close friend and fellow Makati Rotarian, agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante diverted agricultural funds to the 2004 electoral campaign of President Arroyo.
* FG’s alleged multi-million dollar German bank account*
Later that year, then opposition Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano claimed that a member of the Arroyo family maintained a bank account in Germany amounting to hundreds of millions of dollars. First Gentleman Arroyo flew to Germany and secured a certification from the bank to disprove Cayetano’s claims. Upon his return, he sought Cayetano’s expulsion from Congress.
* FG reportedly tells rival to “back off” from national broadband project*
The testimonies of Jose de Venecia III and Rodolfo Noel Lozada Jr. during the Senate hearings on the national broadband network project linked First Gentleman Arroyo to another multi-million dollar controversy. De Venecia III claimed that FG Arroyo told him to “back off” from the project, which eventually went to Chinese firm ZTE Corp. De Venecia III was a majority shareholder of one of the proponents of the NBN project. Lozada meanwhile claimed that Comelec Chairman Benjamin Abalos phoned “FG” to discuss the NBN project. Lozada also testified that Abalos, de Venecia III, and the First Gentleman met for dinner around the time that the ZTE execs were following up on the project.
* FG’s reported ties with construction firm that was blacklisted by the World Bank*
In January 2009, Sen. Panfilo Lacson linked FG Arroyo to a constructor blacklisted by the World Bank. Citing entries from an appointments book he claimed belonged to FG Arroyo, Sen. Lacson pointed out that the First Gentleman met with Eduardo de Luna of E. C. de Luna Construction Corp. several times. De Luna, who was debarred by World Bank for collusive practice in a national roads project, said in a Senate hearing that he did meet FG Arroyo a few times but denied that he and FG were close.

Plunder

Ning panahon sa krisis ang mga Filipino halos sirado na og puno na sa nagkadaiyang anomaliya og korapsyon sa gobyermno. Kung usa ka sa mga dunay dakong pagpakabana sa kaayuhan sa kinatibok-ang nasud og katawhang Filipino, dili kalikayan ang madismaya sa klase-klaseng kontrobersiya nga salamin sa kadunot sa sestema sa gobyerno ilabina ang kaubos sa matang sa kridibilidad og dignidad sa kadaghanang mga opisyal sa gobyerno. Isip usa ka government official matag usa naglantaw og nagsalig kanimo isip tinugyanan sa pagdumala sa renda sa panggamhanan nga walay laing tumong mao ang pagpanghingosog alang sa kalambuan sa sosyudad sa tanang aspeto hinungdan nga bansagan sila isip mga halangdong opisyal.
Sa kasamtangang sitwasyon sa atong byurokrasya angayan pa kaha natong tawgon nga Honorable ang atong mga opisyal? Hinuon dili tanan kanila ang dunay hugaw nga mga agenda sa pagpangatungdanan gumikna kay taliwala sa mga tentasyon, duna pa gihapoy mga halangdon nga atong makonsidera sa kasamtangan. Usa sa mga kontrobersiya nga naghatag og dakong kadismaya sa mga Pilipino, mao ang Fertilizer fund scam nga gilambigitan ni kanhi Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc Joc” Bolante. Daw teleserye na sa telebisyon ang dagan sa imbestigasyon sa eskandalo sa duha ka balay balauranan sa kongreso. Ang maong isyu daw gigamit nang hinagiban sa mga kingresista og senador aron mapa-abante ang ilang tagsa-tagsa ka kaugalingong interes og tinaguang tumong ilabina nga nagkadauol na ang 2010 elections.
Ang daw walay katapusan nga pagpasikat sa mga magbabalaud sa imbestigasyon kang Bolante og uban pang personalidad nga nalambigit sa kontrobersiya, wala na nalipay ang mga Filipino pagpaminaw sa mga pagpangulipas og pagpanghimakak og mga palusot sa mga responsable og klarong pagpasikat sa mga nag-imbestiga. Sama sa usa ka teleserye sa telebisyon nga angayang matapos gilayon , angayan nang tapuson sa senado sa way kapaingnan nga imbestigasyon. Aron masukod ang gibug-aton sa baka og kamatuoran nga naglibot sa maong kontrobersiya, angayan nang pasakaan og tukmang kaso ang mga responsable pagbulsa sa halos usa ka bilyon ka pesos nga pondo alang unta sa kaayuhan sa mga mag-uuma sa nasud.
Si Senate Blue Ribbon Committee Chairman Richard Gordon nakahukom nang irekomenda ang pagpasaka og kasong plunder batok kang Bolante nga maoy utok sa fertilizer fund scam. Tukma lamang ang maong desisyon sa Senador gumikan kay halos tanang ebidensya nga na-presentar sa serye sa imbestigasyon sa Senado sa nasangpit nga kontrobersiya nagpakita nga dako kaayo ang nahimong papel ni Bolante sa pagbulsa sa nahisgutang pondo ingo man niadtong posibleng nakadawat pa sa maong pondo. Klarong dili tinuod ang unang gi-insister ni Bolante nga ang gihimo lamang niini mao ang pag-download sa kuwarta sa mga DA regional directors alang sa farm inputs-farm implement program a ahensya.
Tin-aw kaayo ang pamahayag sa mga DA regional directors nga mismong si Bolante ang mitawag kanila aron mag-follow up sa nahisgutang proyekto og dunay mga dokomentong nagpakita sa piniling mga LGU nga makapahimulos unta sa maong proyekto. Samtang si Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile gustong kasuhan og perjury ang bagman nag si Jimmy Paule human pipila ka beses kining namalibad nga dili matud pa niya kaila ang mga testigo sa fertilizer fund bisan og nakita sa litrato nga kauban sila sa usa ka party. Klaro kaayo sa gihimong imbestigasyon nga dunay panagkonsabo tali nila ni Paule, Leonicia Llanera, Marilyn Araos og Marites Aytona aron mabulsa ang kuwarta sa katawhan ilabina nga gibaligya og overprice ang nahisgutang abono sa gobyerno.

Reproductive Health Bill: for better or for worse

WILL IT be fine if we just sit around in the corner leaving our country’s population to grow and grow just for the sake of the so-called “God’s will”? House Bill No.812 or known as the Reproductive Health Care Act is now pending in Congress. The bill is authored and sponsored by Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman and supported by other legislators. It is a combination of four measures establishing a reproductive health and population management policy. A highly contentious issue is the provision on artificial family planning methods for women and couples.
This is the root of the ‘mortal combat’ presently going on between the church and those government officials madly and impatiently waiting for the bill to become a law. There’s a controversy that does on to this day in the Philippines where the Catholic Church in the country has faithfully been opposing proposed legislation on reproductive health that promotes the use of artificial contraception.
Both sides have their own opinions and both are eager to win. But the decision lies on the hands of the entire humanity dwelling in the Philippines. This issue serves as a mind-boggling problem to the people. Citing studies abroad, pro-life groups warned that some of these methods would involve the use of pills and intrauterine devises. The same groups also feared that even if the bills declared abortion as illegal, the mere inclusion of the term “reproductive health” would embrace abortion as had been supposedly agreed in a global conference years ago.
Contrary to the idea, the legislators who proposed the said bill would not propose it for nothing. It’s just a waste of time if so. They have their own reasons of doing such. Obviously, that’s because they worry much on the situation being faced by the “Pearl of the Orient Seas” at present times.The country’s population is projected to reach 90-million this year, 102 million in 2015 and 110 million in 2020. And that’s quite terrible. If this situation continues, our population will uncontrollably explode in the near future.
Earth’s resources are limited. It cannot support a very large population. Population increase affects the demand and supply of basic needs. And because a few legislators don’t want to blame themselves or anyone else of what might happen in the near future, the “Reproductive Health Bill” came into life. If you think about it carefully, the Catholic churches have their reason for contradicting the bill, because they just want to follow “God’s will”. They are referring to what God had said to Adam and Eve when He created them. “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it”, the Holy Bible says.
Our country is Catholic so many would probably take the church’s side. But just a piece of advice let’s be practical and reasonable as well. For many years already, we’re given the freedom; couples were given the freedom to have as many children as they want. And now that our population is beginning to grow rapidly and now that the consequences of that freedom are coming in front of us, we should be responsible enough.But, there’s a single sign of it. That’s why the reproductive health bill did it for us. If the lives of our future sons and daughters are at stake, why contradict the bill? It serves as an opportunity, so we should grab and take advantage of it, shouldn’t we?

by:Jeepy Compio

Ayuda alang sa Pinoy

HAYAG ANG KAHIGAYONAN nga maayudahan ang Pilipinas og $20-milyon nga salapi gikan sa ‘Langyaw’ng Komunidad’ agi’g hinabang sa mga pobre dinhi sa nasod.Ang maong kantidad pinaagi sa Millennium Challenge Corp. (MCC) nga maoy magpagawas sa ayuda aron matabangan ang katawhan kansang sitwasyon karon pobre pa sa ilagang pawo Kung makapasar ang nasod sa ipahigayong evaluation sa unang quarter sa tuig 2009, dayag nga makab-ot gayod sa katawhan sa nasud ang nahisgutang kantidad.
Ang gitan-aw karon nga basihan sa MCC mao ang pagsukod sa kamatinud-anon sa administrasyong Arroyo sa pagpaningkamot niini sa pagsulbad sa kuyanap nga korapsyon. Korapsyon ang nakababag niining tanan. Mipagawas dayon og ‘Anti-graft and corruption campaign’ ang panggamhanan sa tanang buhatan pang-gobyerno og mga opisyal niini.Seryoso karon ang gimugna nga kampaniya sa gobyerno batok korapsyon gumikan dili na masud-ong ang hilabihang pangurakot sa pipila ka opisyal nga hangtud sa pagkakaron nagpahilom-hilom.
Kung magpadayon ang korapsyon, magpadayon ang katawhang Pilipinhon nga dili kadawat sa ayuda gikan sa MCC, magpadayong magtamoy si Juan dela Cruz sa tudlo diha sa kagutom nga padayong nasinatian karon. Miluwat og pamahayag si Finance secretary Margarito Teves nga himuon sa maong buhatan ang tanan, aron makab-ot ang hinabang sa MCC. Dugang sa hintungdan nga unahon ang pagsulbad sa nagtapun-og nga dagkong kaso sa pangurakot gumikan mao kini ang unang gipangayong kasulbaran sa MCC.
Usa sa mga rason usab mao ang pag-ulbo sa ZTE-broadband network deal scandal diin nabahiran ang dagkong mga pangalan sa mga opisyal sa gobyerno gumikan sa maong kontrobersiyal nga kaso. Wala nahinayon ang ZTE deal dihang nabulgar sa publiko ang pagpanuhol sa pipila ka opisyal nga sa gobyerno human gibulgar ni Jun Lozada ang tana niyang nahibaw-an kalabot sa kontrobersiyal nga transaksyon.Ang kampanya karon sa gobyerno batok korapsyon gipakusgan diha sa pagmuntar sa mga paagi nga maoy mohinlo sa imahin sa Pilipinas nga luwas na sa hisgutanang korapsyon.
Dako ang kahigayonan sa katawhang Pilipinhon nga madawat gayod ang maong hinabang pinaagi sa mga opisyal sa administrasyon nga sa kasamtangan naningkamot sa pagsulbad sa kasong korapsyon sa matag buhatan pang-gobyerno. Ang katawhan misalig sa kampaniya aron ang ayuda sa MCC nga alang sa mga pobre madawat sa dili madugay. Unta mao kini ang butang aron mahaw-as ang katawhan sa nasinatiang kagutom diha sa pagpanag-uban sa pamilya nga dala ang matuod nga kalinaw, panagsabot sa mga maayong plano aron sa pag-andam sa maayong ugma sa mga anak.

Significance of US to RP

The following is the supporting data taken from research in support for my contention in yesterday’s editorial issue entitled : Filipinos and the Obama presidency. After reading I am quite sure that you will see the importance of social, economic and political issues our country and the rest of the world having to do with the relationship with the US. Filipinos in the US : Roughly 32 percent of Filipinos living abroad are in the United States. The Commission on Filipinos Overseas estimates that there are 2.8 million Filipinos in the United States in 2007. Of this figure, about 2.5 million are immigrants or legal permanent residents whose stay do not depend on work contracts.Based on CFO data on registered Filipino emigrants in the US from 1981-2007, the 10 states/US territories with the most number of Filipinos are California, Hawaii, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Guam, Washington, Texas, Florida, and Virginia. US President Barack Obama spent a significant part of his life in two of these states — Hawaii, his birthplace — and Illinois, where he became a senator. The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey in 2006 noted that Filipino-Americans comprise the second-largest Asian group in the US, next to Chinese-Americans. The same survey said that more than 1 million people five years old and older in the US speak Tagalog at home. US is RP’s top trading partner:The United States is the country’s top trading partner. It accounted for $7.971 billion or 14.5 percent of the country’s total trade from January to June 2008. Majority of Philippine exports to the US are electronic products, articles of apparel and clothing accessories. Electronic products are also a major Philippine import from the US, along with cereals and cereal preparations. While it remains as the Philippines’ top trading partner, the country’s trade with the United States has been on a slight decline in recent years. From 18.6% in 2005, the percentage share of US trade to total trade with other countries went down to 15.5% in 2007. USAID assistance to the Philippines :The US Agency for International Development allocated $95.06 million in assistance funds for Philippine programs last year (2008). USAID programs in the country are focused on poverty reduction through various strategies: peace initiatives in Mindanao, good governance, increased economic opportunities, environmental protection, health services and basic education.USAID also poured in $73.61 million in 2006 and $69.56 million in 2007 for various assistance programs in the country.

Here we go again!

Daw nahibalik ang imahen nga ‘wild, wild west’ sa Mindanao gumikan sa gihimong pagdagit sa gituhuang mga sakop sa grupong Abu Sayyaf sa mga sakop sa International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) sa Sulu. Ning panahon sa krisis, dugang kadaut sa imahen sa Pilipinas ang nahitabong kidnapping ning milabay’ng semana nga gilangkuban sa mga biktimang sila si Andreas Notter-usa ka Swiss national og Eugenio Vagni usa ka Italian national ingon man ang pinay nga si Engr. Marie Jean Lacaba nga taga-Davao.
Sa gihimong tigum sa Regional Development Council og Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, wala natago ni Senador og Philippine National Red Cross chairman Richard Gordon ang dako niyang kadismaya sa bag-ong hitabo nga subling nagduot pa sa imahen sa Pilipinas ilabina sa Mindanao ngadto sa mata sa International community. Matud sa opisyal nga makasubo nga huna-huna-on nga hangtud karon wala nabag-o ang imahen sa Mindanao nga ‘wild, wild west’ taliwala sa mga paningkamot sa gobyerno og nagkadaiyang sektor nga matabangan ang rehiyon.
Tungod sa mga dili maayong hitabo sa Mindanao, nahimong negatibo ang impresyon sa mga langyaw’ng nasud og mga turista sa tibook Pilipinas. Sukad pa sa una ang mga hitabo sa mga pagpamomba og ang pinaka-ulahi ang pagkadagit sa mga miyembro sa Red Cross. Ang maong mga hitabo nagpakita lamang nga walay gipili ang mga bandido gumikan kay bisan ang mga sakop sa humanitarian missionaries nahimo nilang biktima .Gani ning milabay’ng tuig, mismong taga-Media partikular ang ABS-CBN news Team pagpanguna ni Ces Oreña Drilon ang nahimo usab nga bihag sa mga bandido sa Sulu. Mindanao has gained a negative reputation in the international media as the country’s ‘Wild, Wild West’ due to the continued spate of kidnappings, sporadic bombings, and the poor peace and order situation.
Ning milabay’ng adlaw si senador Francis Pangilinan nanawagan sa MILF nga motabang sa gobyerno pagpuhag sa mga bandidong Abu Sayyaf, apan giklaro ni Khaled Musa, deputy chairman sa MILF Committee on information nga mismong gobyerno ra gihapon ang mabasol sa nagpadayong kidnapping sa Mindanao. Hangtud walay konkreto og makinasudnong lakang ang gobyerno aron tuldokan na ang kagubot sa Mindanao, wala tay malauman nga kalinaw sa Isla.
We cannot put this criminal activity to rest completely, beacause the unjust, oppressive and exploitative system prevailing in this country breeds this kidnapping and other evils of society. Sakit kini nga kamatuoran , apan mao ni atong nakita nga ugat-hinungdan sa atong problema sa Mindanao nga bunga ra usab sa kahakog og ka-mapahismulanon sa pipila ka opisyal sa atong gobyerno sukad pa sa unang panahon.
Mao nang kitang taga-Mindanao dili na angayang maghulat pa og lihok sa nasudnong gobyerno aron mapatuman ang dugay nang gidamgo nga kahapsay og kalinaw sa atong Isla nga gibansagang “Land of Promise kaniadto nga hangtud karon nagpabiling saad og damgo nga wala pay katumanan.Atong gi-aghat ang tanan ilabina ang mga opisyales sa Mindanao nga mohimo og kaugalingong diskarte aron makatabang sa peace process.We should define what Mindanao is and assert ourselves as a people. Manila is never going to solve it for us. It is never going to be a solution. Mindanao should be self-sufficient.

The effect of corruption

Corruption it seems is the very bane of The Filipino existence. Ever since one was born, one could already understand its meaning. It may even have been the first word of many politicians, knowing perhaps their future in public office. It is corruption in the midst of poverty that seems an all too common theme in governance of this great nation. It is this combined sickness that keeps us from reaching our full potential.We have seen The NBN deal / ZTE scandal on television, read about it in the newspapers, or even the internet where it has found life within the blogging community. It is this deal, like so many other government scandals, that was born out of greed, and may I remind everyone that this scandal shows the selfishness and lack of compassion that our “public servants” have for every Filipino.
The common Juan will not dispute the poverty that pervades our country, because we see it every day on our streets, as we see children, women, and men beg for food, scraps, coins, so that they can just breath another day. We have no proper health care, and yet a few million or even billions of pesos seems to be fine with our public officials and government officials.It is a tragic truth, that comes upon the already initiated Filipino spectator, that we no longer have a change in government from one election to another, all we have is a change in politicians with the same corrupt and “dysfunctional” system in place. A kickback here, and a kickback there, it’s OK as long as it’s only money, and maybe not too much.Well, let’s get this straight, because it’s not just money. When we have children on the streets, joyful at the sight of a 1 peso coin, which means dinner, I can no longer call any amount of money whether 1 peso, 1 million pesos, or 1 billion pesos chump change. Every act of corruption comes with it the possible effect of the death of many more Filipinos due to poverty. That is a fact that our officials just don’t realize!
If I am angered by this, I don’t apologize. The Philippines, with it’s great wealth of natural resources and a vast amount of intellectual talent should not be undergoing the same kind of crap for decades on end. We must ask ourselves, when does it stop?
The answer of course is when corruption stops and when we get ourselves out of this poverty-stricken hole we live in. When we finally convict individuals like Bolante, when we finally have politicians who abide the laws that they have made, when we have a true check and balance in government, and when we have an Administration worth looking up to. Leaders who provide projects without thought of renumeration, when we have elections that are fair and honest. When we have respect for human rights. When we are on our death beds we should be able to say to our children, I have done the best I can to leave a better tomorrow for you.
Honesty in governance and public service is all we ask. And yet we get scum of the earth, no good trash politicians, government officials, and military men who make it their duty to constantly and consistently break the law. I can only hope, that more individuals from the Arroyo Administration fear God more than they fear Madam, because in the end there can be only one ultimate judge, jury and executioner. And it will not be the person in Malacañang. This country is worth dying for, I believe this ever since Ninoy uttered it in his own words. The words would ultimately be fulfilled, and it is this great sacrifice which is being trampled upon by men of corrupt and evil agendas.Corruption is pervasive in this country, ask any Filipino on the street and one would probably get a 100% consensus on this.
But it is indeed corruption in all its form that has a trickle down effect unlike the economic gains that this Administration is so eagerly trying to push in front of news media every day. The trickle down effect of corruption can be seen by the many roads unfinished, the millions of individuals still in poverty, the health care that is non-existent, and the overpriced non-essential projects, the continous problem og drug trafficking . The effect is a population that is willing to install an acceptable level of corruption, a threshold. It is corruption that will be the defining issue which will finally decide whether or not we can move on or whether we stand still in hopeless hoping.

9 sa matag 10 ka Pinoy interesado sa 2010 election

Interesado ang mga Filipino sa ipahigayong Presidential election sa 2010 kung atong basihan ang resulta sa survey sa Pulse Asia nga nagbutyag nga siyam sa matag napulo nga gipangutana ang nagplanong mobotar. The level of public interest in the May 2010 elections is very high with most Filipinos saying they are interested in the coming electoral exercise (90 percent) and are likely to vote (87 percent) . Ang nahisgutang survey ang gilusad sa tibook nasud niadtong Oktubre 2008.Milutaw usab sa survey nga unom sa 10-ka Pinoy (59 percent) ang nagtuo nga madayon ang eleksyon sa Mayo 2010 taliwala sa mga pagduda nga gustong magpabilin sa puwesto si pangulong Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Halos singkwenta porsiento usab (47-percent) sa mga respondent ang nagtuo nga mahitabo gyud ang kagubot kun ugaling dili madayon ang piniliay. Small to sizeable majorities across geographic areas and socio-economic classes (53 percent to 67 percent) say there is a big possibility that the May 2010 elections will push through. In addition, near to small majorities (47 percent to 57 percent) in Metro Manila, the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, and Classes ABC and D are of the opinion that much trouble will result from the cancellation or postponement of the elections. Tipik kini sa pagpasabot sa Pulse Asia sa resulta sa ilang survey. Samtang, 30-porsiento usab sa mga gisurvey ang wala pay ideya kung magkagubot o kaha dili madayon ang eleksyon sa 2010. Samtang 12-porsiento usab ang nagtuo nga dili mahitabo ang senaryo sa “no elections.” Indecision on this matter is more pronounced in the rest of Luzon, the Visayas, Mindanao, and Classes D and E (29 percent to 34 percent) relative to Metro Manila and Class ABC (18 percent to 21 percent),” matud pa sa Pulse Asia. Samtang sa pinaka-bag-ong survey usab sa Social Weather Station (SWS) sa mga gikonsiderang “presidentiables”, migawas nga kung karon himoon ang piniliay mamahimong dikit ang engkwwentro nila ni vice-president Noli de Castro, senadors Loren Legarda og Manny Villar. Nakakuha si De Castro og 31-porsiento nga rating nga mas taas og dos puntos kumpara sa nakuha niya niadtong Septiyembre. Samtang nagbaylo sa puwesto sila Legarda nga nakakuha og 28-porsiento og 27-porsiento usab kang Villar. Ang maong survey gihimo ning milabay’ng Disyembre (2008) pipila ka semana human napalagpot isip lider sa Senado si Villar nga gimaniobra sa ubang senador nga gikonsiderang mga presidentiables. Sa maong survey sa SWS, ika-tulo si Sen. Francis Escudero (19 percent), nga gisundan nila Sen. Panfilo Lacson (14 percent), kanhi Pangulong Joseph “Erap” E. Estrada (11 percent), Sen. Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas II (10 percent), Makati Mayor Jejomar C. Binay (2 percent) og Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Bayani Fernando (2 percent).