filename: cbSep18.doc
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
September 18, 2002
***Three (3) stories***
1. Getting a discount on Taiwan jets not worth surrendering RP Sovereignty for--- Legarda
2. Discourage syndicate from faking professional licenses and examination results
3. ARROYO URGED TO SEEK CONSENT OF CONGRESS ON USE OF RP AIRSPACE BY US AIRCRAFT
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story no. 1
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
September 18, 2002
Getting a discount on Taiwan jets not worth surrendering RP Sovereignty for--- Legarda
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Senate Majority Leader Loren Legarda urged Congress today to oppose the country's planned acquisition of outdated F5-E fighter jets from Taiwan if the terms of the sale would compromise the territorial integrity of the Philippines.
Reacting to an Agence France Presse report, Legarda said Taiwan is asking too much if it wants landing rights for its own fighter planes at the former US air base in Clark Field in Pampanga, in exchange for a big discount on the F5s it is selling the Philippines.
According to report, Philippine military officials had confirmed the plan to acquire 24 F5-E jets from Taiwan at a bargain price in exchange for the concessions Legarda is strongly opposing, including allowing Taiwan air force pilots to train in Philippine air space.
"The Philippines terminated its military bases treaty with the US precisely because we did not want foreign bases in the country to serve as 'magnets' of attacks from hostile nations," she explained.
"So why would we allow the Taiwanese to have landing rights in our country just so we can have the ageing F5s?" she asked. "This would not only violate our One China Policy, but would be also tantamount to taking sides in the China-Taiwan dispute. China considers Taiwan as a part of its territory."
Legarda reminded government that matters of sovereignty, like allowing foreign military forces the use of Philippine territory for whatever purposes, should be covered by treaties which Congress should first approve.///camille p. balagtas NEXT STORY FOLLOWS
story no. 2
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Camille P. Balagtas
People's TONIGHT
September 18, 2002
Discourage syndicate from faking professional licenses and examination results
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Irked on the rampant proliferation of fake professional licenses and examination, Senator Tessie Aquino-Oreta said it is high time that the Professional Regulatory Commission expand its mailing list of exam passers and to include not only foreign embassies but government offices and private corporations as well that need to employ licensed graduates.
At the same time, Oreta called on the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to crack down on these fake license syndicates that prey on students who flunk the PRC licensure examination to preserve the integrity of the country's system of licensing professionals.
Professionals under the supervision of the PRC include doctors, accountants, architects, engineers, pharmacists, marine deck officers and other seafarers working abroad.
"While the PRC could monitor the proliferation of fake licenses and documents located right at their doorstep, it does not have the capacity to go after well-entrenched syndicates that prey on exam flunkers and those who need to fake their diplomas and other employment documents," Oreta said.
"Only the PNP and the NBI could do the job of putting those responsible for this scam behind bars," she stressed.
Oreta commended the PRC for taking steps to counter this scam by regularly submitting a complete list that would include passes of other licensure exams for professionals and by sending this to other firms, such as government offices, private corporations and sother foreign embassies, " Oreta said.
According to reports, counterfeit syndicates charge about {5,000 to P140,000 to manufacture a fake license diploma or any other documents that exam flunkers need to practice a profession. Their market covers an estimated 270,000 applicants who take the licensure examinations for 42 professions each year.
Oreta expressed concern over the proliferation of these syndicates as she pointed to recent reports about the PRC uncovering 20,000 fake postage stamps used by examinees for their examination results.
The senator noted that the PRC can help foolproof its system of issuing professional licenses and examination results if it has adequate funds to modernize its facilities.///camille p. balagtas NEXT STORY FOLLOWS
story no. 3
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Camille P. Balagtas
Peoples TONIGHT
September 18, 2002
ARROYO URGED TO SEEK CONSENT OF CONGRESS ON USE OF RP AIRSPACE BY US AIRCRAFT
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Senator Aquilino Q. Pimentel, Jr. (PDP-Laban) today urged President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to get the consent of Congress before allowing American aircraft to fly over Philippine airspace or use the country's military bases for possible air strikes against Iraq.
Pimentel said it is clear that the President has not ruled out the possibility of the Philippines coming to the assistance of the United States in case it decides to attack Iraq for allegedly building up an arsenal of weapons of mass destruction.
"So that the President will not be put in an awkward position, it would be best, if there is a need for the use of our bases and use of our space for the strike against Iraq, that she gets a mandate from Congress," he said.
The opposition lawmaker was reacting to the President's declaration that "the Philippines is prepared to extend political, security and humanitarian assistance to the United States in the pursuit of its most vital interests, which coincide with our own vital interests, to defeat terrorism."
Pimentel said that a congressional approval of any Philippine assistance to the US in case of war against Iraq is "the best thing for her to do."
Pimentel said the threat of an armed conflict has been defused with Iraq's decision to allow United Nations inspection of purported sites of chemical, nuclear, and other weapons of mass destruction.
However, he noted that the US remains skeptical of Iraq's action and has not given up on its efforts to persuade the United Nations Security Council to authorize military action against Iraq if it refuses to dismantle those weapons.
Pimentel said he is not sure whether the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty (MDT) can be invoked by the Philippines to justify assistance to the US if hostilities break out.
He said the MDT binds the Philippines and US to come to each other's aid in case of direct attack by hostile forces on each other's territory.
"It would be easier on all of us if we went along United Nations sanctions against Iraq rather than back up a unilateral decision of the US to attack Iraq," the opposition senator said.
Meanwhile, Pimentel said defense and security authorities should verify the persistent reports about the alleged presence of Al-Qaeda organization of Osama bin Laden had linked up with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front to set up training camps in MILF camps in Mindanao.
"I think that claims of the presence of Al Qaeda cells in the Philippines should be subjected to a thorough scrutiny by our authorities so that we can really say for sure whether the allegations are true or not," Pimentel said.///Camille p. balagtas END
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