• Palace says latest survey indicates public understood President Aquino’s position on Mamasapano incident
• Malacañang announces appointment of 18 new officials
• Palace urges public to pay proper taxes
• President Aquino to inaugurate P772.9-million Lullutan Bridge in Isabela
• Palace to support judiciary’s move to get rid of corrupt judges

Communication Secretary Herminio Coloma, Jr. noted that while President Aquino’s approval rating dropped based on the SWS poll, the President got higher figures than the Pulse Asia survey that was conducted three weeks earlier.

“While there has been a decline in the President’s satisfaction rating (down to 47 percent from 63 percent), it is evident that a higher number of Filipinos — (50 percent who oppose his resignation; and 47 percent who expressed satisfaction) — affirm their belief in his leadership and outnumber those who are dissatisfied (36 percent) or prefer that he resign from office (32 percent),” Secretary Coloma said in a statement.

A significant segment is undecided about his performance (17 percent) and about his resignation (18 percent), he said, adding this represents an opportunity to reach out to those who are undecided or ambivalent in their sentiments towards the President and the administration, to eventually win them over.

Coloma pointed out that the survey was taken on March 20 to 23, three weeks after Pulse Asia’s public opinion survey conducted on March 1 to 7.

“It is possible that, having gathered more information about current events—and having been able to know and understand better the President’s position on the Mamasapano incident—the people gave the President a higher satisfaction rating in the SWS survey (47 percent) than the performance approval rating that he obtained in the Pulse Asia survey (38 percent),” he explained.

Despite the drop in ratings, the Palace official assured that the government remains focused on its priority programs, such as infrastructure development, employment generation, poverty reduction, and improved social protection.

“The President and his Cabinet are firmly determined to carry on with the implementation of salient reform and development programs geared toward achieving the primary objective of attaining inclusive growth and improving the quality of life of their bosses—the Filipino people,” Coloma said.

“Transparent and responsive governance along the righteous path will be pursued, so that public institutions may be strengthened, the transformation process may be sustained and that the concrete gains achieved will become permanent,” he added.

The March 20 to 23 SWS survey interviewed 1,200 adults nationwide. PND (jm)

“Taxes are indeed the lifeblood of the nation and so we encourage everyone, every working tax-paying citizen, to please report, especially those who are not compensation employees,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said during the daily press briefing.

“Compensation employees are withheld at source. For those who are professionals, those who have their own businesses, please pay the proper taxes,” he said, noting that taxes are used to fund infrastructure projects across the country, such as the bridge in Isabela that will be inaugurated by the President on Tuesday, the road reblocking and repair done in EDSA during the Holy Week, and a number of connector highways.

“At the same time, recognizing that we do not want to leave anyone behind, that we are able to pour investments into our social alleviation programs because an investment on our poorest of the poor is an investment on people. That is also a priority of our administration. So, we would like to encourage every taxpayer to please pay the proper tax,” he said.

The filing of income tax return has been set on April 15. PND (jm)

The 500.6-lineal meter Lullutan Bridge is considered one of the longest bridges to cross Cagayan River, connecting Barangay Camalagui 1 and Barangay Lullutan of Ilagan City, Isabela in Cagayan Valley.

Prior to the construction of the Lullutan Bridge, both barangays were linked by a spillway bridge, which was destroyed by floods during a typhoon, back in 1995.

With no infrastructure connecting those barangays, residents have been using barges to transport their agricultural products to markets in Ilagan City.

The Lullutan Bridge, with a loading capacity of 20 tons, is made of 14-span structural steel girders with reinforced concrete slab supported by 13 piers, with two concrete column pedestals resting on group bored pile foundation. It also features Portland Cement Concrete Pavement approaches, measuring 1.175 kilometers.

The bridge was completed last January 21 under Package II-A of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

It is among the bridge projects of the Urgent Bridges Construction Project for Rural Development being implemented by the DPWH Unified Project Management Office-Bridges Management Cluster.

Officials expect the bridge to open up new opportunities for Isabela, particularly its agricultural sector.

To accompany the President during Tuesday’s event are Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Isabela Governor Faustino Dy III, Isabela District 1 Represetative Rodolfo Albano III, and Ilagan City Mayor Jose Marie Diaz. PND (as)

“We are all against corruption in all its forms. We are, however, recognizing the role of the separation of powers and the existence of the three branches of government. We will defer to the Chief Justice as to how the Supreme Court handles corruption cases within their branch,” Presidential Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda told reporters during a press briefing.

He was commenting on reports that the Coalition of Filipino Consumers has asked Supreme Court Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno to investigate allegations of “justice for sale” involving members of the Court of Appeals.

Citing a World Bank study that said it takes the Court of First Instance several years to resolve a case, Secretary Lacierda emphasized that justice delayed is justice denied.

“That is one of the reforms that we would like to see happen, especially in the area of cases. As a lawyer, I’ve heard of so many stories about situations like these, and so we will leave it with Chief Justice Sereno and her peers to find ways to investigate and to find a long-term solution to this corruption in the judiciary,” he said. PND (as)