AO creates Independence Day panel

By Vince Lopez

PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has signed an administrative order creating an inter-agency committee for the commemoration of the 125th anniversary of Philippine independence and nationhood.

Under Administrative Order (AO) No. 8, signed by the chief executive on Tuesday, the committee is tasked to “facilitate the planning and execution of programs and projects” for the commemoration of the 125th Philippine independence anniversary.

It will be chaired by the National His- torical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) while the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) will serve as vice-chair.

The inter-agency committee’s members are the Department of Tourism, Department of Education, Department of National Defense, Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Trade and Industry, Department of Budget and Management, Department of Labor and Employment, Department of Transportation, and the Metro Manila Development Authority.

The country will commemorate the event to “give focus on the freedom that our forebearers struggled for towards that they dreamed for the country and the history that we seek to remember and honor them with.” Republic Act No. 10086 or the “Strengthening Peoples’ Nationalism Through Philippine History

Act” provides that the state shall provide the means to “strengthen people’s nationalism, love of country, respect for its heroes and pride for the people’s accomplishments by reinforcing the importance of Philippine national and local history in daily life with the end in view of raising social consciousness.”

It is further directed to “reinvigorate government support for historical research; and sustaining and enhancing programs for the protection, preservation and conservation of historical relics and memorabilia, monuments, sites and other historical resources.”

In Brief

Comelec disqualifies Legazpi Mayor Carmen Rosal

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) en banc has disqualified Legazpi Mayor Carmen Geraldine Rosal for violating a ban on government payouts within the 45-day campaign period in the last May 2022 elections.

In a 19-page decision, the Comelec also declared Alfredo A. Garbin Jr., the second placer in the May 2022 elections, the dulyelected mayor of Legazpi City.

“Respondent is found to have given money to influence, induce, or corrupt the voters, as described in Section 68 (a) in relation to Section 261 (a)(1) of the Omnibus Election Code.

“Respondent is hereby disqualified from being a candidate for Mayor of Legazpi City, Albay for the 9 May 2022 National and Local Elections. Pursuant to relevant rules and applicable jurisprudence, the 2nd placer, Alfredo A. Garbin Jr., is hereby declared the duly-elected Mayor of Legazpi City,” reads the ruling of the Comelec en banc. Vito Barcelo

Tolentino wants probe on gov’t plans vs. avian flu SEN. Francis Tolentino wants a Senate probe on the government’s policies to avoid an avian influenza flu outbreak in the country. He noted that the high inventory of imported poultry products amid the unabated importation of finished goods “poses a significant threat to the immediate and long-term prospects of the local poultry sector in the county.”

He said this also puts consumers at risk of the potential adverse effect of other transboundary diseases. “This will also ultimately lead to adverse public health effects.”

According to the senator, there should be a clear and solid policy from authorities to avert and ward off any possible outbreak of transboundary animal diseases in the country. Macon Ramos-Araneta