Anti Terrorism
...po (Bayan Muna), Liza Maza (GABRIELA) and Loretta Ann Rosales (AKBAYAN) rejected what they called the bill’s “broad and vague” definition of terrorism. Under the draft substitute bill, terrorism refers to “a premeditated, threatened, actual use of violence, force or by any other means of destruction perpetrated against person/s, property/ies, or the environment with the intention of creating or sowing a state of danger, panic, fear or chaos to the general public, group of persons or particular person or of coercing or intimidating the government to do or abstain from doing an act.” Rep. Ocampo expressed apprehension that the definition would allow any criminal act to fall under the category of terrorism. The body agreed to conduct another hearing to allow the Members of both Committees to further study the said measure. Rep. Datumanong also requested all concerned agencies to submit their respective position papers on the matter on or before May 18, 2005.l Jt Committee approves national land use bill Committee Source: NATURAL RESOURCES A MEASURE instituting a national land use policy and providing for its implementing mechanisms has been approved by the Committees on Natural Resources, on Housing and Urban Development, and on Agrarian Reform in a joint meeting held last week. To be known as the National Land Use Act of the Philippines, the measure aims to rationalize the utilization, management and development of the country’s land resources and ensure their optimum use consistent with the principle of sustainable development. The approved bill, which is subject to amendments and style, is the substitute version of House Bills 272, 1478, 2342, 2567, 2978, 3221, respectively authored by Speaker Jose de Venecia Jr. (4th District, Pangasinan), Representatives J.R. Nereus Acosta (1st District, Bukidnon), Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Muntinlupa City), Orlando Fua Jr. (Siquijor), Loretta Ann Rosales (Party List, Akbayan) and Robert Jaworski Jr. (Pasig City). One of the key features of the bill is the creation of a Land Use Policy Council that shall be tasked to formulate the National Land Use Guidelines and Zoning Standards (NLUGZS), which shall serve as a framework for the planning and management of land resources at the national and sub-national levels. Under the bill, land uses are grouped into four major functional groups, namely: protection land use, production land use, settlements development, and infrastructure development. In projecting spatial allocation for the different land uses, the bill provides that areas under protection land use and national parks and strategic agricultural and fisheries and development zones shall be first set aside to ensure ecological integrity and promote food security. The next in the order of priorities shall then be lands or areas for integrated watershed management, socialized housing, fisherfolk settlement in coastal areas and waste disposal. During the meeting of the three Committees, respectively chaired by Reps. Leovigildo Banaag (1st District, Agusan del Norte), Eduardo Zialcita (1st District, Paranaque City), and Gregorio Ipong (2nd District, North Cotabato), representatives from different concerned agencies and organizations expressed their views and comments on the bill. Lawyer Rodolfo Gabasan of the Peoples Alarm/Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligal (SALIGAN) expressed full support for the bill particularly the establishment of the NLUGZS. He also noted that the substitute bill reflects the bottom-up approach of land use planning, where the inputs of the local government units (LGUs) are given prime importance in the setting of policy on land use by the national government. On the other hand, Deputy Director General Augusto Santos of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) expressed his objection to the creation of the Land Use Policy Council, which would be clothed with quasi-judicial functions. He proposed to utilize instead the present National Land Use Committee of the NEDA board and to retain the quasi-judicial functions of the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). Santos also proposed that instead of formulating the NLUGZS, the bill should adopt the existing National Framework for Physical Planning, formulated by the National Land Use Committee. For his part, Dashiel Indelible, co-director of the Upland Development Program of the Department of Agriculture (DA), recommended the inclusion of the Barangay Land Use Planning in the proposed National Land Use Act. Nestor Floranda, director of the Department of Land Reform (DLR), also manifested his support for the proposed measure but suggested that in projecting spatial allocation for different land uses, the LGUs should give top priority to prime agricultural lands. Otherwise, prime agricultural lands will diminish in size and will put the country’s food security at risk. Pete Tario, administrator of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA), meanwhile, expressed concern over the existing laws affected by the bill especially those pertinent to eco-zones and housing. He also opined that the power of the LGUs to reclassify land shall be affected or suspended with the enactment of the bill. “The authority of the local government in the reclassification of land must be respected because they are the ones concerned with the development of their towns and cities,” he averred. Rep. Banaag, however, clarified that the proposed law is not intended to violate existing rights. He said there are laws that need to be upheld, protected, and maintained and therefore the application of this proposed law is prospective. “We are not going back. If ever there are some provisions of existing laws that need to be amended or modified, it does not follow that the modification will extend to the official act which (has been) done already by that office,” he said. The views and positions of the resource persons will be taken into consideration when the joint committee comes up with a refined version of the substitute bill. Vendors seek preferential right over management of NGC market Committee Source: GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISES AND PRIVATIZATION “STOP the bidding process and award the contract to manage the operation of Commonwealth Market to us.” This was the clamor of the Commonwealth Market Stall Holders-Vendors Federation, Inc. (CMSH-VFI) during the continuation of the inquiry conducted by the Committee on Government Enterprises and Privatization under Representative Eladio “Boy” Jala (3rd District, Bohol) into the impending privatization of the Commonwealth Public Market. The Committee’s inquiry stemmed from the filing of House Resolution 533 by Rep. Crispin Beltran (Party List, Anakpawis). The measure calls for a congressional investigation into the strong opposition of the National Government Center (NGC) urban poor communities and vendors’ organizations to the privatization of the Commonwealth Public Market. At the resumption of the inquiry, Federico Orillanes, CMSH-VFI president, claimed that the Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) disregarded his group in the process of consultation relative to the privatization of the Commonwealth Market. He added that the HGC violated policies and provisions of the law institutionalizing people’s participation in policy development and decision-making particularly with regard to the implementation of the housing project in the NGC of which the Commonwealth Public Market is a component. He emphasized that the Commonwealth Public Market is an integral part of the NGC Housing Project and is intended as a livelihood support for the housing beneficiaries, pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 248 issued by former President Fidel Ramos. On the other hand, Gonzalo Bongolan, president of HGC, stated that the Commonwealth Public Market is owned by the HGC by virtue of its guaranty mandates under its charter (Republic Act 8763). He explained that funding for the construction of the Commonwealth Public Market, estimated at P300 million, was sourced through the issuance of investment certificates called the Commonwealth Urban Renewal Certificates (CURCs), which were guaranteed by the HGC as to redemption of entire principal and interest up to 8.5 percent. The CURCs would be paid out...