Marcos to lead birthday tree-planting in Rizal today

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos will lead this morning a nationwide simultaneous bamboo and tree planting in San Mateo, Rizal to mark his 65th birthday.

Marcos will be joined by Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos and Environment Secretary Ma. Antonio Yulo-Loyzaga at the event, which will be held at the San Mateo Metropolitan Manila Development Authority landfill in Barangay Pintong Bocaue.

Marcos’ one-on-one interview with TV host and actress Toni Gonzaga will be aired today on the newly launched ALLTV, which is owned by former senator Manny Villar.

Gonzaga, along with husband director Paul Soriano, supported Marcos in the May 9 presidential elections.

Gonzaga recently posted some clips of her interview with the President on her YouTube channel, where she was seen asking him some controversial questions, including the possible renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN under his term, the appointment of former Senate president Juan Ponce Enrile as presidential chief legal counsel and Marcos’ decision not to rejoin the International Criminal Court.

Gonzaga also asked the President on proposals to rename the Ninoy Aquino International Airport and on his promise to bring down the price of rice to P20 per kilogram.

Last Sunday, Marcos led the celebration of the 105th birthday of his father and namesake in Taguig City and in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

Marcos declared yesterday a holiday in Ilocos Norte to celebrate Marcos Day.

Executive clemency

Meanwhile, frail and elderly inmates are the priority in the Department of Justice (DOJ)’s executive clemency request for Malacañang, which Marcos is expected to approve on his 65th birthday, the Public Attorney’s Office (PAO) said yesterday.

Qualified inmates in correctional facilities are those 70 to 100 years old, sick and have served more than 20 years in prison, according to PAO chief Persida Rueda-Acosta.

“If you have been in prison for a long time, you are old, you are sick and you have served for a long time, you should have the forgiveness of the heavens through the hand of the imprimatur of the President of our Republic,” Acosta said at a public briefing.

Earlier, the DOJ said about 300 convicts could walk free by Marcos’ 65th birthday if he grants them executive clemency as they had recommended.

The list of qualified inmates was submitted last week to Malacañang.

Executive clemency may come in the form of commutation of sentence, conditional or absolute pardon that can only be granted by the President upon the recommendation of the Board of Pardons and Parole (BPP).

Presidents usually grant executive clemency to old and frail convicts, those who have shown good behavior or are themselves notable figures.

Acosta, whose office, alongside the BPP, was tasked to process the clemency applications, said she is “optimistic” that Marcos would approve the 300 applications of inmates.

“I don’t want to pre-empt the decision of our secretary of justice and our dear President, but I wholeheartedly believe and trust that tomorrow will be a good morning because we will see the government’s action in people who deserve sympathy and help,” Acosta said.

DOJ spokesman Mico Clavano earlier said Marcos’ decision would help decongest the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City, considering how it has a 330-percent congestion rate.

Feeding program

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) will tie up with selected small-town lottery operators or the so-called accredited agent corporations to conduct a nationwide feeding program today to celebrate Marcos’ 65th birthday.

The PCSO said the nationwide feeding activity is aimed at being a more meaningful “birthday gift” to the President.

At the event, the agency will simultaneously provide sandwiches and drinks to the public under the program dubbed “Handog ng PCSO: Isang araw na salu-salo sa kaarawan ng Pangulo.”

The initiative is on top of the PCSO’s commitment to remit P2.5 billion to the Bureau of Treasury also in time for the birthday celebration, to fund the flagship universal health care program (UHCP) of the national government.

The UHCP provides for the automatic inclusion of every Filipino in the National Health Insurance Program.

The PCSO’s financial support to the UHCP accounts for its full net charity fund from the fourth quarter of 2019 until Dec. 31 last year, amounting to P1.74 billion.

It also includes the P837-million fund from the first and second quarters of this year.

PCSO general manager and vice chairman of the board Mel Robles has already signed the check, which he hopes will make Marcos’ “birthday celebration even more substantial.”

“Providing better, affordable and accessible health services to all Filipinos ranks high in the President’s platform of governance,” Robles noted. – Neil Jayson Servallos, Rainier Allan Ronda