1st female JAG named
A lady military lawyer who served in the defense panel for the mutinous Magdalo Group was appointed the first female Judge Advocate General (JAG) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).
As JAG, Col. Marian Aleido is now the chief legal adviser of both the AFP and the Department of National Defense (DND). She replaced Brig. Gen. Gilberto Jose Roa who was appointed head of the government Coordinating Committee on Cessation of Hostilities (CCCH) with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).
“Not only is she the first female to take the highest position in the AFP and DND’s law branch, Aleido is also the first female to be commissioned and called to active duty as a military lawyer way back in 1984,” AFP spokesman Col. Arnulfo Marcelo Burgos Jr said.
Aleido studied law at the University of the East in 1979 and practiced at her father’s office in Jaro, Leyte for more than two years before entering the military service.
She was among the military lawyers who served in the defense panel for the mutinous Magdalo Group, led by former Navy officer and now Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, which was tried for the short-lived mutiny at the posh Oakwood Apartments in Makati City in  2003.
Aleido was the law member of the general court martial which tried the February 2006 standoff at the Marine headquarters in Fort Bonifacio.
“I am thankful, overwhelmed and overjoyed. Not in my wildest imaginations did I ever think that I would be able to achieve this position, especially that the JAGS used to be and still is a male-dominated unit in the AFP,” she said. Aleido served as Army Judge Advocate for almost three years: deputy AFP-JAG; deputy Naval Judge Advocate, and Marine Coprs Staff Judge Advocate. She also served once as officer-in-charge of the AFP Provost Marshal General Aleido said there was a need for changes in the General Headquarters JAGS organization and structure to make it more responsive and effective. Aleido said  the AFP needed more lawyers and vowed to prioritize recruitment of more lawyers from different law schools and military camps.                              Mario J. Mallari

Helmet law takes effect in 2013
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DoTC) on Friday ordered the Land Transportation Office (LTO) to defer enforcement of the motorcycle Helmet Act of 2009 and its implementing rules and regulations to January 2013.
The DoTC issued the directive upon the request of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to give them six more months to inspect helmets nationwide.
DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo said they wanted to ensure that imported helmets bore the Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) seal issued by the Bureau of Product Standards.
Starting Aug. 1 until the end of the year, LTO enforcers will issue reminders to motorcycle drivers and conduct a public information and education campaign in cooperation with other government and private agencies and organizations.
During the period covered, no punitive measures such as the issuance of citation tickets would be implemented, but starting Jan. 1, 2013, motorcycle drivers caught driving without the protective helmet bearing the ICC seal would be issued citation tickets and penalized as provided in the Helmet Act of 2009.
The IRR of the Helmet Law was stipulated in the joint administrative order crafted by the DoTC and the DTI, requiring motorcycle drivers and riders to use protective motorcycle helmets with Philippine Standard (PS) and ICC seals. The order also penalizes dealers who produce or sell sub-standard helmets and not bearing the PS mark or ICC seal, including those who tamper and forge the PS or ICC marks.                                     Efren Chavez

DoE moves vs LPG shortage
Malacanang said Saturday that the Department of Energy (DoE) will make sure that there is enough supply of cooking gas in the country, saying the DoE is already addressing the reported shortage of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG).
The Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers Association has confirmed the shortage was due to some suppliers holding on to their inventory until the price adjustments.
“The (DoE is) working not just with the marketers association but with all the other stakeholders to ensure that a shortage does not occur,” deputy presidentialspokesman Abigail Valte told government-run Radyo ng Bayan.
Energy Secretary Jose Rene Almendras said there was an adequate supply of LPG and belied the shortage alleged by some market players. Almendras also mentioned that the perceived shortage was merely due to “overdrawing” by small players, adding that a team has been formed to investigate the matter. He pointed out that the problem was not the supply but the refilling stations wanting to buy as much as they could because of an announced price increase next month.
While there was a reported delayed shipment of LPG for small players, Almendras noted, the supply from the big players was stable. The DoE will also investigate the delayed LPG shipment, he said.                                                                                          PNA

Palace pushes amendments
to anti-terror law
Malacañang urged Congress to prioritize the amendment of the Human Security Act of 2007 to boost the government’s drive against terrorism, Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. told the 7th Asean-Japan Counter-Terrorism Dialog in Cebu City on July 25.
Ochoa said President Aquino signed two laws last week. An Act to Further Strengthen the Anti-Money Law and the Terrorism Financing Prevention and Suppression Act of 2012 are seen to intensify domestic capability to identify and prevent financial transactions related to illegal activities, including those that undermine global security.
To complement these initiatives, the government has put in place a three-pronged strategy to combat terrorism within Philippine borders: a) effective law enforcement by strengthening the regulatory regimes for firearms and explosives and financing terrorism, and the arrest and neutralization of the human tools or perpetrators behind terrorist acts; b) stronger institutional mechanisms and enhanced capabilities of law enforcement agencies and security agencies, and active participation in international cooperation against terrorism; and c) de-radicalization or counter-radicalization of the intent to commit terror acts by addressing poverty and poor education, which are considered roots of the problem.
“Without a doubt, all of the (Asean) nation-states possess the political will to defeat terrorism; all of us want to secure borders and ensure the safety of our people, ” Ochoa said.                  PIA