Lawmakers approve bill transferring control of four police academic institutions to PNP

The House Committee on Public Order and Safety chaired by Rep. Romeo Acop (2nd District, Antipolo City) today approved the substitute bill to House Bill 3153 authored by Rep. Gary Alejano (Magdalo Party-List) and HB 5787 authored by Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd District, Pangasinan), which seeks to transfer the administrative supervision and operational control of four police academic institutions from the Philippine Public Safety College (PPSC) to the Philippine National Police (PNP).

These are the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA), National Police Training Institute (NPTI), National Police College (NPC), and National Forensic Science Training Institute (NFSTI).

The transfer of their administrative supervision and control to the PNP shall require the amendment of Sections 24, 66 and 67 of Republic Act No. 6975 or the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Act of 1990, as amended by RA 8851.

PNP Chief Director-General Oscar Albayalde, who attended the hearing, thanked the authors of the proposal and the committee members for approving the bill despite the opposition of PPSC President Ricardo de Leon during the deliberation.

Albayalde said the PNP has earmarked P 390 million in the 2019 national budget to implement the transfer. He urged Congress to support the PNP's funding request during the budget deliberation tomorrow.

The substitute bill provides for a five-year transition period for the transfer of administrative supervision and operational control from the PSSC to the PNP, upon the effectivity of the Act.

The PNPA shall continue to accommodate cadets for the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) and the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) for their education and training.

During the transition period, the DILG, in consultation with the PPSC, shall have the authority to create a separate academy for the BJMP and the BFP.

Alejano said the current structure of having multiple offices to administer the training programs within the PNP creates lapses in coordination. In fact, he said studies conducted by the PNP Reform Commission and the United Nations Development Programme revealed that the set up is ineffective and costly.

"The current set up further makes it difficult to develop a system for a well developed plan and budget for training of the PNP," said Alejano.

Moreover, Alejano said the quality of performance of police officers who completed their training in the PPSC marred the reliability and credibility of the PPSC as a training institution.

"The ineffectiveness and inefficiency in the structure and system frequently result in unnecessary cost and waste of resources and efforts because the PNP conducts its own re-orientation and specialization training program, thus duplicating those of the PPSC," said Alejano.

Meanwhile, Bataoil said his bill calls for the transfer of administrative supervision and operational control of the PNPA and NPTI as well as the personnel and all the properties, equipment, funds, among others, to the PNP.

"It will ensure continuous appropriate training and doctrine development for the PNP, with the end in view of instilling the highest sense of police discipline, achieving the highest level of competency for its uniformed personnel and attaining the highest standard of professionalism," said Bataoil.

Aside from Acop, Bataoil, Alejano, other lawmakers who attended the hearing were Reps. Edgar Sarmiento (1st District, Samar), Gus Tambunting (1st District, Paranaque City), Arnolfo Teves, Jr. (3rd District, Negros Oriental), Henry Oaminal (2nd District, Misamis Occidental), Amado Espino, Jr. (5th District, Pangasinan), Rozzano Rufino Biazon (Lone District, Muntinlupa City), and Winston Castelo (2nd District, Quezon City). | Jojo Menorca

Senate passes bill promoting Filipino sign language

Senate Bill 1455 aims to establish FSL as the official language of the deaf community to 'promote their identity, expression, and communication'

The Senate approved on 3rd and final reading the bill seeking to declare Filipino sign language (FSL) as an official medium of instruction and mode of communication in the Philippines.

Senate Bill (SB) 1455, sponsored by Senator Paolo Benigno Aquino IV, aims to make FSL the official language of the deaf community to “promote their identity, expression, and communication.” It was passed with a unanimous 20 votes on Tuesday, August 28.

“The use of sign language in the Philippines dates back to 1596. FSL has since evolved to be an effective visual language that is well-researched, based on Filipino culture and history, and even incorporates indigenous elements,” Aquino said in a statement.

What the bill wants: If the bill becomes law, FSL will be used as the medium of instruction in schools when educating deaf students. A separate subject teaching FSL to deaf learners would also be included in schools’ curriculums.

FSL will also be the official mode of communication used in government transactions involving those who are deaf. This will be facilitated by FSL-trained interpreters who will be posted in government offices.

According to Aquino, the use of FSL in government transactions will significantly help deaf Filipinos have a “fair share” in the country’s justice system, particularly in the courts and police stations.

The proposed bill also will also make FSL an official means of interpretation in broadcast media to deliver news and information “consistently” to the deaf community.

To do this, the proposed measure tasks the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWP), the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to create a national standards for interpreting FSL in religious and media.

Why this matters: Senator Nancy Binay, co-sponsor of the bill, said that with FSL recognized as an official mode of communication in the Philippines, Filipinos who are hard of hearing can exercise their right to expression and opinion without prejudice.

“The State should recognize and promote the use of sign languages embodying the specific cultural and linguistic identity of the Filipino deaf,” Binay said.

SB 1455 was co-authored by Senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Joel Vullanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri.

https://www.rappler.com/nation/210594-senate-bill-filipino-sign-language-official-mode-communication

Senate OKs Ifugao's Sept. 2 holiday on Yamashita surrender

The Senate approved on third and final reading a bill that would declare Sept. 2 as a special non-working holiday in the province of Ifugao in commemoration of the surrender of Japanese General Tomoyuki Yamashita in the province at the end of World War II.

House Bill No. 5553 was sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, chairman of the Senate Committee on Local Government, and was approved with 19 affirmative votes, zero negative vote, and no abstention.

Angara said the special non-working holiday in Ifugao aims to mark the surrender of Yamashita, then commander of the Japanese Imperial Army in the Philippines, on Sept. 2, 1945 at Kiangan, Ifugao.

Angara noted that after Yamashita's surrender in Ifugao, the general turned over Camp John Hay in Baguio City to the combined forces of Filipinos and Americans liberating the country.

"For communities to progress, we must also consider honoring and learning from our history and the people who were part of it," Angara said.

Under the bill, the provincial government of Ifugao, the municipal government of Kiangan, along with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO), and the Military Shrines Service (MSS) are tasked to "lead appropriate and meaningful commemorative programs and activities" in relation to the event.

Such activities, according to the bill, will "give significance and honor to the heroes and heroines, who contributed to the Philippines’ liberation from the Japanese forces."

Yamashita, who surrendered his forces several weeks after the announcement of Japan's surrender on Aug. 15, 1945, was later found guilty of war crimes and sentenced to death in 1946.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1046228

Filipino Sign Language bill hurdles final reading in Senate

A bill declaring the Filipino Sign Language (FSL) as an official medium of instruction and mode of communication has been approved by the Senate in the third and final reading on Tuesday.

“Let’s establish the official language for the deaf, the Filipino Sign Language, to promote the right of the deaf community in the Philippines to their identity, expression, and communication,” Senator Bam Aquino, sponsor of Senate Bill No. 1455 or the FSL bill.

“The use of sign language in the Philippines dates back to 1596. FSL has since evolved to be an effective visual language that is well-researched, based on Filipino culture and history, and even incorporates indigenous elements,” he added.

“This would be particularly helpful in our courts and police stations so that deaf Filipinos have a fair share in our justice system,” Aquino said.

According to Senator Nancy Binay, who co-sponsored the proposal, there is a need to adopt standards that would guide Filipinos who are deaf and those who have a hard time hearing.

“The State should recognize and promote the use of sign languages embodying the specific cultural and linguistic identity of the Filipino deaf,” Binay said.

Once the bill is enacted, Filipinos with hearing problems would have avenues to express their views and opinions without being hindered by their condition.

FSL would be used to teach deaf Filipinos, as a separate subject in educational institutions for deaf learners.

The measure — co-authored by Senators Francis Escudero, Loren Legarda, Joel Villanueva and Juan Miguel Zubiri —  will allow the government to employ FSL-trained interpreters who will communicate with the deaf in government transactions.

Aquino said with the FSL bill, those with hearing problems will understand what is being discussed, through interpretation in television programs.

The bill will require the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF), the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), the Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP), the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) and other stakeholders to create a national system of standards and accreditation for FSL interpretation in the religious and media.   /vvp

http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1025748/filipino-sign-language-bill-hurdles-final-reading-in-senate

Residents urged to register, vote in Bangsamoro plebiscite

By Ali Macabalang

COTABATO CITY – Qualified voters in areas proposed for coverage by the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) should register in nearest Commission Election (Comelec) offices to vote in a plebiscite that will be called to ratify the organic law of the new region.

Ghazali Jaafar, chairman of the Bangsamoro Transition Commission (BTC) that crafted the draft of RA 11054, issued the appeal in an interview by The Manila Bulletin over the weekend.

“Every residents of voting age should register to be able to help build the basic foundation of the Bangsamoro entity,” said Jaafar, who is also first vice chairman of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

Jaafar said speakers from the MILF and the government, as well as concerned volunteer groups, have already prepared for field information campaign to persuade residents to register and enlighten them on the provisions of RA 11054.

RA 11054, which the 17th Congress passed in early July and was by signed President Duterte into law on July 27, seeks the creation of BSARMM in replacement of the 28-year old Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

ARMM covers Maguindanao, Lanao de Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi provinces and the cities of Marawi and Lamitan.

It also seeks the conduct of a plebiscite within 150 days upon its enactment for voters in the proposed Bangsamoro territory to decide whether or not they want to be included in the new entity.

Elected top officials in Lanao del Sur and Marawi City as well as Maguindanao have recently expressed support for the ratification of the new law in their respective domains.

Cotabato City Mayor Cynthia Guiani-Sayadi has earlier sounded off resentment in the inclusion of her turf in BARMM, citing the fiscal capacity of the city to operate on its own.

In an earlier interview, Jaafar said elected officials in areas to be covered by BARM should allow their residents to “decide freely” come plebiscite day.

He warned all sectors that either opposed to or adamant about the proposed BARMM not to resort to electoral frauds for their “own vested interests.”

He said the MILF and majority of the “common people” consider the proposed BARMM as the “last card” in putting an end to decades of armed conflict in Southern Philippines.

https://news.mb.com.ph/2018/08/28/residents-urged-to-register-vote-in-bangsamoro-plebiscite/