RANARIO FAMILY THANKS GMA
MANILA, DECEMBER 12, 2007 (STAR) President Arroyo met with the family of Marilou Ranario in Malacañang yesterday, a day after the Emir of Kuwait commuted her death sentence.Ranario’s father Rosauro, her mother Evangeline, her two children and a sister met with the Chief Executive for around 10 minutes.
The family thanked Mrs. Arroyo and the government for their efforts in saving Marilou from death.
Mrs. Arroyo told the Ranarios that they should also thank the Emir Jaber Al Ahmad Al Sabah for his graciousness in granting the commutation.
After arriving before dawn yesterday, Mrs. Arroyo said she was assured by the Emir that at the right time, he would study the possibility of reducing the life sentence of Ranario.
During the meeting, the Ranarios asked Mrs. Arroyo for assistance to help cope with the loss of income brought about by the incarceration of Marilou.
Mrs. Arroyo provided the family with P50,000 to fund a piggery.
She also vowed to finance the education of Marilou’s two children and to provide work for her sister.
Marilou was sentenced to death after a Kuwaiti court found her guilty of killing her employer. – Marvin Sy
GMA to launch Christmas program for poor
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 President Arroyo will launch tomorrow a Christmas program for the poor that involves giving out free rice and other goods as well as scholarships.
Mrs. Arroyo presided over the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC)-Cabinet meeting yesterday at the Palace where details of the Pamaskong Handog (Christmas Gift) program were announced. The program will cover the top 10 depressed areas in the country.
“This (program) is a total package, not just subsidies, training, education livelihood and medical and dental programs,” Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Lorelei Fajardo told reporters after the meeting.
She said the giving out of goods would end around the first week of January but the other programs would stay for an undisclosed period of time.
The program, which Mrs. Arroyo will launch in Cebu and Masbate, targets some 384,000 families in the top 10 depressed provinces and more than 200,000 families in Metro Manila, she said.
The beneficiary-provinces are Zamboanga del Norte, Masbate, Maguindanao, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Mountain Province, Lanao del Norte, Camarines Norte, Sarangani and Zamboanga Sibugay, officials said. – Paolo Romero
GMA using amnesty program as ‘milking cow’ – Ka Roger
Wednesday, December 12, 2007 Communist rebels accused President Arroyo yesterday of pushing Congress to approve an amnesty program so she could get P500 million in funds.
Gregorio Rosal, Communist Party of the Philippines spokesman, said Mrs. Arroyo’s amnesty proclamation is another “milking cow” of Malacañang.
“This amnesty proclamation gimmick will only provide (Mrs.) Arroyo and her officials with another opportunity to line their pockets,” he said in a statement.
Rosal said the P500 million is “only the initial tab” for an P8-billion total amnesty fund being eyed by the administration from Congress.
“(They will) indulge in more thievery and bribery binges this Christmas season,” he said.
Quezon City Rep. Mat Defensor, House of Representatives committee on justice chairman, had said the Amnesty Bill seeks to grant an estimated P200,000 to P400,000 for every rebel that surrenders.
“The security and defense officials of Malacañang and top AFP echelon will be the foremost beneficiaries of this amnesty proclamation, as they will be the ones managing and disbursing the funds,” he said.
Rosal said past amnesty programs of the government have all been ridden with corruption, including the “Balik-Baril” and “Rebel Returnee” programs.
“The great majority – at least 90 percent – of supposed ‘rebel returnees’ have been fakes, and the funds supposedly given to them simply ended up in the pockets of those who made the fabrications and facilitated the release of the funds,” he said.
Rosal said Malacañang’s amnesty program will only worsen purported abuses by the military in the countryside. – Reinir Padua
Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
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