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P-Noy orders speedy release of soldiers' benefits
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President Benigno S. Aquino III put forward soldiers’ welfare and benefits as among his early concerns for the
country’s military as he presided over his first command conference with the Armed Forces of the Philippines
(AFP) today at Camp Aguinaldo.
The President conveyed to the AFP leaders his concerns over the pace of delivery of soldiers’ benefits especially
for those personnel killed in action.
He said that as far as he knew there were arrears in benefit payments from Malacanang, which has set aside
portions of the President’s Social Fund as assistance to AFP members killed in duty.
He said he was meeting with the heads of Department of Budget and Management and the Presidential
Management Staff to determine the status of undelivered assistance to slain soldiers and their families and
dependents.
“Merong utang ang Office of the President through the President’s Social Fund for those who have been killed in
action. This was promised in 2000 and is now a sizeable amount. I will be consulting with the DBM this
afternoon and the PMS who manages the fund to ensure na yung utang ng OP ay mababayaran sa lalong
madaling panahon,” President Aquino said.
During the command conference, the President also tackled the issue of the AFP modernization, assuring the
military that he is now looking into the problems that are besetting the program, particularly those that hinder its
funding
“We are studying the pertinent laws that will enable us or are posing a hindrance to achieving these outlays
without massive appropriations in the GAA (General Appropriations Act),” he said.
He said that modernizing the AFP, which he laid out as one of his priority programs will involve recruiting more
soldiers and upgrading their equipment “so that they will be able to do their jobs well.”
The President stressed, however, that the government would not be able to do this alone, so he suggested
soliciting the possible assistance of the private sector .
“Napag-usapan yung proposal on how to fund the AFP modernization…and what was proposed today can really
help achieve the aims of our modernization program at the soonest possible time by actively soliciting private
sector help to assist the government in this,” the President said.
The Chief Executive arrived at the AFP headquarters at 9:40 a.m. and was welcomed by AFP Chief of Staff Gen.
Ricardo David, Jr., Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, and the commanders of the three major services of the
AFP.
On the way to the conference room following arrival honors, President Aquino, David, and Gazmin briefly posed
for photographers at the lobby of the AFP-GHQ with the bust of Artemio Ricarte, the first AFP Chief who served
from March 1897 to January 1899.
The President, who is also Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, was ushered to the conference room at
the third floor for the two-hour meeting.
He was briefed on the military’s counter-insurgency operations, as well as on the country’s security situation
and the AFP organizational structure.
The President then toured the AFP command center (AFPCC) at the second floor of the same building.
The AFPCC is manned by personnel representing the three major services of the AFP and houses the 24-hour
center that facilitates direction, coordination, supervision, control, monitoring and evaluation of current combat
and AFP-controlled civil assistance operations.
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P-Noy congratulates Django, Julaton in Malacañang
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President Benigno S. Aquino III congratulated today two outstanding Filipino athletes who recently copped world
titles in billiards and women’s boxing.
The President welcomed reigning 2010 World 9-ball champion Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante and World
Boxing Organization (WBO) super bantamweight titleholder Anna “The Hurricane” Julaton during the duo’s
courtesy call this afternoon at the Presidential Guest House of Malacanang.
The President received a cue stick from Bustamante who bested Taipei’s Kuo Po Chen, 13-7, in the finals of the
2010 World 9-ball tilt last July 6 in Doha, Qatar.
Bustamante, who finally captured the elusive title after nearly winning it in 2002, now eyes the US Open this
October, the only title missing in his trophy collections.
Bustamante was accompanied to the Palace by his wife Milagros, billiards legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, and
billiards godfather Aristeo Puyat.
Puyat said Bustamante and Reyes will represent the Philippines in the World Cup of Pool slated this September
in Manila.
For her part, Julaton presented to President Aquino the Everlast boxing gloves she used in defeating Mexican
Maria Elena Villalobos during their action-packed title bout last June 30 in Ontario, Canada.
The President told Julaton that his father, the late Senator Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino Jr., was also into boxing
during his college days.
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