by: Rey G. Panaligan 11/03/11

MANILA, Philippines — Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz said Thursday the temporary restraining order (TRO) issued by the Supreme Court (SC) on the case involving the P35 billion Poverty Eradication and Alleviation Certificate (PEACe) bonds issued in 2001 could no longer be implemented by the government.
 
In a comment, Cadiz told the SC that on October 18, the date the TRO was issued and also the day of the maturity of the PEACe bonds, the National Treasurer and the Bureau of Treasury effected settlement of the bonds and paid out the redemption proceeds net of 20 per cent final withholding tax (FWT) pursuant to the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997 in relation to the BIR Ruling No. 370-2011.

Twenty-six newly naturalized Filipino citizens took their oath of allegiance to the Republic of the Philippines at the Office of the Solicitor General in Amorsolo, Makati City today, October 25, 2011.

The affair was presided over by Solicitor General Jose Anselmo Cadiz together with Assistant Solicitor General Roman Del Rosario and Department of Foreign Affairs Special Assistant to Undersecretary for Administration Atty. Noemi T. Diaz. The newly-naturalized Filipinos include:

1. Maria Luisa Ong Pielago
2. Linda Carolyn Sia Tan
3. Amit Kumar Vishamber Badlani
4. John Albert Chua Tan
5. Haresh Satram Budhrani
6. Conchita Chua Uy
7. Arnel Lim Ang
8. Aizel Jane Chua Lim
9. Nataline Shani Chua Lim
10. Nelson Lui Uy
11. Bhupinder Kaur Girn
12. Alfonso Chua Tiu
13. Jay Shanker Khemani
14. Steve Ong Lim Siy
15. Thelma Tio Uy
16. Michael Benzon Lim
17. Sirwinston Tan Lim
18. Sundeep Kaur Dhillon Bhatal
19. Bryan Benjamin Go Chan
20. Diana Tanpin Xu
21. Joseph Chan Tanbuntiong
22. Hatesh Haresh Mahtani
23. William Chao Yao, Jr.
24. Aimee Chang Tan
25. Leonard Eric Tan Cheng
26. Rudy Chan Lim

Also present were members of the Federation of the Filipino-Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc. (FFCCCII) including President Tan Ching, Executive Vice President  Guilberto Go, Vice President Domingo Yap and Henry Lim Bon Liong, among others. From the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce (Phil.) Inc, present were Chairman Ram Sitaldas, President Ramesh Dargani and Treasurer Frankie Gangwani.

The Special Committee on Naturalization was created pursuant to Republic Act No. 9139 or the Administrative Naturalization Law of 2000 and has the primary responsibility to approve or deny applications for naturalization. The said committee is presently under the Office of the Solicitor General.

THE GOVERNMENT is a step closer to gaining ownership of the disputed Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3 (NAIA-3) after it obtained court approval to deposit in an escrow account its payment for an expropriation claim on the airport.

In an omnibus order dated Oct. 11, Pasay City Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 117 Presiding Judge Eugenio G. dela Cruz allowed the government to deposit $175.79 million in payment to the Philippine International Air Terminals Co., Inc. (Piatco) for the expropriation of NAIA-3.

The ball is now in Piatco’s court whether or not it will execute a deed of transfer of title to the government without prejudice to a final amount of compensation as may be determined by the Court of Appeals which is handling the expropriation case.

Solicitor General Jose Anselmo I. Cadiz welcomed the court’s move.