27 March 2017

Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella’s birthday wish for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
 
I wish that his dreams for a great Filipino nation all come true.

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar’s birthday wish for President Rodrigo Roa Duterte
 
With all the responsibilities President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has right now, I wish him more time for himself and the small things in life that make him happy.

From Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella On Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine’s remarks that PRRD has “finally acknowledged” that the war on drugs is “a war on the poor” and exposes the chief executive’s “contempt for lives”
 
The war on drugs is not targeted at any particular segment of society. However, the most prevalent drug in the Philippines is shabu, dubbed as poor man’s cocaine.

The supply, largely from outside the Philippines, is in great demand from users and distributors both coming from poor families.

Poverty, however, does not justify the use and selling of shabu. As the President said, he has to clean up the streets of drug users, pushers and dealers, regardless of their socioeconomic status in life.
Nothing can be farther from the truth than the HRW accusation that President Duterte has “contempt for lives.” In fact, eight out of ten Filipinos living in Metro Manila now feel safer and more secure under his administration.

HRW and similar other organizations should therefore be more circumspect about meddling in the country’s domestic affairs. Their lack of appreciation of the context and local reality show a deep insensitivity to other cultures.


From Presidential Spokesperson Ernesto Abella on the New York Times video
In a span of one week, NYT has published a news feature, “Becoming Duterte: The Making of a Philippine Strongman,” narrating the rise to power of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte under the context of violence; wrote an editorial, “Accountability for Duterte,” with jailed mutineer Gary Alejano and Jude Sabio, lawyer of self-confessed assassin Edgar Matobato mouthing unsubstantiated claims; and now, produced a video documentary, “When A President Says, “I’ll Kill You,” zeroing in on the vigilante deaths that occurred under the present administration.

NYT’s very obvious demolition work flies in the face of the very high approval of PPRD enjoys . The newspaper tries to stir global outrage in a nation that welcomes its newfound peace and order.
One can only conclude that certain personalities and politicians have mounted a well funded campaign utilizing hack writers and their ilk in their bid to oust PRRD.

However, the Administration will not be deterred in fulfilling its promise of building a progressive and inclusive nation free from drugs, crimes and corruption.

From Presidential Spokesperson Ernie Abella On Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phelim Kine’s remarks that PRRD has “finally acknowledged” that the war on drugs is “a war on the poor” and exposes the chief executive’s “contempt for lives”


On Duterte leading in Time’s most influential list
We note that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte has been included in Time magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential persons in the world.

President Duterte is grateful to the Filipino people all over the world for their support for him and his agenda of real change in Philippine society.

As a public servant he serves the nation faithfully and without any thought of receiving any distinction. For him, the presidency begins and ends with public interest.


PCOO celebrates Women’s Month in women’s correctional
The Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) on Monday, March 27, held a celebration of the National Women’s Month at the Correctional Institution for Women (CIW) in Mandaluyong City filled with hope and compassion.

“(H)appy women’s month po sa inyo… sa mga ginang po, sa mga lola po na nandito, na nag-aantay. Magdasal po tayo na makalaya po kayo,” Presidential Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag said in her speech.

Dubbed “BongGAD Ka, ‘Day! Part 2!”, the event served as a get-together with the CIW residents.

Employees from various agencies of the PCOO performed song and dance numbers to the delight of female inmates.

The program started with a Zumba dance workout led by the News and Information Bureau staff, followed by a series of dance numbers performed by volunteer employees of the Bureau of Broadcast Services (BBS), Radio-Television Malacañang (RTVM), National Printing Office (NPO), and Asian Productivity Organization (APO) Production Unit.

An employee of the NPO serenaded the audience with his rendition of popular Original Pilipino Music (OPM) songs.

A throwback video and short audio-visual plugs about women empowerment, produced by RTVM, were shown to inspire the audience.

“BongGAD Ka, ‘Day!” is an outreach project of the PCOO and its attached agencies’ Gender and Development (GAD) Focal Point System, which aims to spread hope and love to residents of CIW. It was first launched in December last year where free medical and checkups, legal consultations, and health and wellness services were provided.

As part of their GAD programs, the PCOO continues to assist women inmates in following up their “carpetas” and other documents necessary for their application for probation or parole.

“Malaking bagay ang naitutulong ninyo, pakikiisa ninyo sa aming adhikain na maparamdam na sila ay may halaga, na sila ay may karapatang mabigyan muli ng pangalawang pagkakataon,” CIW Superintendent Elsa Aquino-Alabado said, expressing her gratitude to the PCOO for holding the second leg of the BongGAD project at the CIW.

The PCOO, through the APO Production Unit, donated two wide flat-screen television sets—one to be set up in the stage area and the other to be placed inside the so-called “Bahay ni Lola” where old and frail inmates are confined.

The BCS, on the other hand, distributed leaflets about women’s rights.

As a finale, the female inmates performed a special number singing “Happy Birthday” to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, who will be celebrating his 72nd birthday tomorrow, March 28.

The National Women’s Month celebration, which is held every March, is part of the worldwide observance of the International Women’s Day. This year’s theme, “We Make Change Work for Women”, captured the Duterte administration’s commitment of “Malasakit at Pagbabago.” ### PCO-Content