http://www.bayanmuna.net/n/index.php en-us CuteNews {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1316159145&archive=&ucat=1 Mining bills being processed by Congress

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño today called on the Aquino administration to hold its horses" with regard to its intent to lift the moratorium on the acceptance and grant of new mining applications until Congress finishes crafting a new mining law.

“I deplore Environment Secretary Ramon Paje’s statement that they want to immediately lift the moratorium on mining applications just to impress foreign investors in the Mining Philippines 2011 Conference organized by the Philippine Chamber of Mines. I strongly suggest that Sec. Paje retract that statement while we are processing a new mining policy that will in fact make the industry more profitable for the country and our people,” Casiño said.

]]> 1316159145 Sep 16 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1316057939&archive=&ucat=1 Supports transport sector against oil price hikes and VAT on toll collection

As the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is now gearing to collect an additional 12% value added tax (VAT) on toll fees in the South Luzon Expressway (SLEX) Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño yesterday filed House Bill 5053 Exempting Toll operations from Value Added Tax.

Rep. Casiño also expressed his support for the transport caravan of bus operators and drivers to protest the impending collection of VAT on toll next month.

]]> 1316057939 Sep 14 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1316056290&archive=&ucat=1 Before going into another broadband and Northrail deal:

Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares, today warned the Aquino administration not to go fast in forging another broadband and Northrail deal until the Chinese companies and executives involved in the botched anomalous deal in 2007 have been investigated and prosecuted by China.

“If that is not done then there may be a repeat of such anomalous transactions in the new deal. The Chinese government was aware of the bloated overpricing and other irregularities in the NBN-ZTE deal that is why it did not even raise a whimper when Pres. Arroyo cancelled it. Recently, the Chinese government immediately agreed for a renegotiation of the Northrail contract which were heavily favourable to China to the disadvantage of the Philippines,” said the progressive lawmaker.

]]> 1316056290 Sep 14 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315987742&archive=&ucat=1 Bayan Muna party list Rep. Teddy Casiño, said there was no need to increase the fare of the MRT/LRT after Congress approved around P7 billion worth of subsidy for 2011.  

“There is still enough subsidy for the year for the operations of the MRT and LRT amounting to more than P7 billion so there is no need for the fare increase. As for next year the subsidy for the MRT/ LRT operations is about P 6.04 billion but as specified in the Special Provisions of the DOTC page 1058 of the General Appropriations Bill FY 2012 the MRTA has the option of raising revenues from non-rail collections:

]]> 1315987742 Sep 14 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315898752&archive=&ucat=1 Hospitals in ICU!

Warning that the country's public hospitals were already in critical condition, Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño today lamented that there are even more drastic cuts in the proposed budgets for local government hospitals and health units for 2012.

"I am very dissapointed with the way our health sector has been treated by this government. Years of underfunding have brought our hospitals to the ICU. Now the Executive wants to bring it to the morgue. Congress should really step in and do something here. This is already an emegency case; we should realign more funds to our public hospitals," he stressed.

]]> 1315898752 Sep 13 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315806996&archive=&ucat=1 Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño on Sunday condemned the Aquino Administration fior slashing the budget of the Department of Health by P38 billion, saying it was "criminal neglect on the part of government to underfund public hospitals at a time when these facilities are threatening to become health hazards because of lack of facilities and operational funds."

Casiño said that during the budget hearing for the DOH, Secretary Enrique Ona admitted that the P42 billion proposed budget under House Bill no. 5023 or the General Appropriations Bill was only half of the P80 billion that the department had requested.
















From DOH Comparison of Appropriations CY2012 DOH Proposal and CY2012 NEP. However, NEP amount for the Health System Development Program and the hospitals were taken from the published NEP book because of amount discrepancy with DOH’s data.

]]> 1315806996 Sep 12 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315637328&archive=&ucat=1 As President Benigno Aquino III prepares to meet with transport groups next week to discuss the issue of oil price increases, Bayan Muna Partylist Rep. Teddy Casiño expressed his openness  to dialogue with the President to discuss Bayan Muna's proposal to repeal the Oil Deregulation Law and replace it with a more transparent, fair and pro-people measure.

"A dialogue with the President? Why not? If he's ready to explore alternatives to the current policy of economic deregulation in the oil industry, by all means we should talk. But if he's just out to neutralize the people's outrage over the abuses of the oil cartel, then never mind," he stressed.

]]> 1315637328 Sep 10 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315634371&archive=&ucat=1 For reference: Nathanael Santiago, Secretary General, Bayan Muna & Makabayan

As one of its former national chairpersons, I find it reprehensible for President Benigno S. Aquino to liken the League of Filipino Students with dictatorship in his public speech yesterday at the Ateneo University.

We demand an apology from the President who accused LFS as the dictatorship inside the campus and equate it with the Marcos dictatorship.

]]> 1315634371 Sep 10 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315545975&archive=&ucat=1 Says centralized procurement of oil solution to oil smuggling

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño issued this call as the Bureau of Customs (BOC) sued its sixth oil firm suspected of illegally importing petroleum products.  Jetti petroleum was charged with technical smuggling worth P4.1 billion while similar cases were filed against Pilipinas Shell Corp., Phoenix Petroleum Corp., Cross Country Oil and petroleum Corp., Oil link Corp. and Filpride Resources.

“It is the consumers who should benefit from these cases considering that they are the ones who shoulder the burden of these illegal acts of oil companies when jack up their prices. Now oil companies are even saying that there would be 2 oil price increases a week. Besides the government already has a hefty windfall for the 12% value added tax on oil,” said the progressive lawmaker.

]]> 1315545975 Sep 09 {rss-news-include-url}?subaction=showfull&id=1315470139&archive=&ucat=1 P1.6 billion bribe on NBN-ZTE deal bared

Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño along with Makabayan vice-president Liza Maza and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (BAYAN) chairperson Carol Araullo filed the sixth plunder case against former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, former COMELEC chairman Benjamin Abalos and former Sec. Leandro Mendoza et al involving at least P1.6 billion they received for approving the NBN-ZTE contract in 2007.

“Ombudsman Carpio-Morales herself administered the oath and received the complaint docketed as CPL-C-11-2013. We hope that this can also expedite the case considering that this was filed originally at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in July 1, 2010 and was transferred to the aborted Truth Commission. Now we have upgraded the charge to plunder, considering the staggering amount involved,” said the progressive lawmaker.

Click to read or download full text of case filed
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