May 5, 2012 - The group of the young neophytes of the 15th Congress came up with a very noble project of their own to help the survivors of the Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro. The Congressmen headed by Rep. JV Ejercito flew all the way to Cagayan de Oro City to personally turn-over the 7 houses they donated through Gawad Kalinga and signed the MOA after....

Reps. Simeon Datumanong of Maguindanao, Karlo Alexei Nograles of Davao and Tupay Loong of Sulu expressed firm belief that the poll body should address the issue immediately to ensure a clean and honest elections starting from the upcoming elections.

"The Comelec must cleanse the registry of voters before the elections in 2013 to ensure that the will of the people is truly respected," Datumanong said.

He also said that since they have the evidences on the case, they could file the proper case on the flying voters, noting that once caught, they could be facing criminal charges....

The current power shortages in many parts of Mindanao could be a perfect example of economic sabotage, a crime against the people, Davao City Congressman Karlo Nograles said.

"Mindanao could not be lacking in power sources like its hydro power sources and other power alternatives. I hope it is not human greed for the power of money that is causing all our woes," he surmised.

The Mindanao lawmaker strongly endorsed a Congressional inquiry into the continuing power black out in many parts of Mindanao and other areas in the Visayas. "We have to pinpoint the real culprit. There must be an explanation to all these unnecessary sufferings we are experiencing," he said....

Davao City First District Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles has asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to bring before the bars of justice the perpetrators of the brutal attack on Daily Tribune reporter Fernan Angeles.

"The PNP and the NBI should act swiftly on this murderous impunity of criminal elements. This is a frontal attack on media which must be solved immediately," Nograles said.

He also questioned reports on the "clean-up of the crime scene" even before the scene of the crime operatives were able to examine the area....

House assistant majority leader and Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles has expressed grave concern over the safety of airline passengers walking on plane parking bays, putting their lives at risk unwittingly when boarding and disembarking.

"This is one of the disturbing concerns relative to air travel which came out during our public hearing," said Nograles, who chaired the most recent hearing of the House Committee on Transportation.

The Committee is deliberating on House Bill 2957 by Marikina Rep. Marcelino Teodoro seeking to establish a national policy on fair treatment of airline travelers that prohibits unfair and deceptive practices and unfair methods of competition by air carriers....

Several lawmakers today expressed support for proposals that would compel government officials and employees to sign a waiver which would allow a full audit on their finances and exempt them from existing laws on bank secrecy including accounts covering dollar deposits.

The lawmakers - Reps. Karlo Alexei Nograles (1st District, Davao City-NUP), Mel Senen Sarmiento (1st District, western Samar- LP) and Jerry Trenas (Lone District, Iloilo City-LP) – underlined the need for transparency and all possible legal apparatus to block accountability in public service should be completely dismantled....

House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Rep. Karlo Alexei Nograles has questioned the plan to shut down at least 10 Philippine embassies and consulates due to alleged budgetary constraints.

Nograles noted that all funding for these diplomatic posts are all presumed to have been provided with adequate allocation through the 2012 General Appropriations Act....

Iloilo Rep. Jerry Trenas said this plan to shut down diplomatic posts is a move that absolutely puts the country in bad light apart from the fact that it would even make it more difficult for many Filipinos who have problems in their host countries to seek help from the government.

In fact, Trenas said, the country even needs to expand its consular offices to ensure that Filipinos who are in nearly every corner of the globe can easily secure help from the when necessary....

Is PhilHealth going bankrupt?

This was the question raised by several congressmen following a controversial circular issued by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) which effectively made it nearly impossible for local government units to sustain payment of premiums for their beneficiaries....

Davao City councilor Joanne Bonguyan believes that it's time that the local government should place greater emphasis on economic development.

In a statement she posted on her social networking website, Bonguyan said the city government should rise above on simply peace and order concerns.

"I think its time ( way past time) to think about managing the economy and not just concentrating on security. They can go hand in hand. But I suggest that greater emphasis be placed on the economy," Bonguyan wrote, adding:...

House Assistant Majority Leader and Davao City Congressman Karlo Alexei Nograles yesterday expressed deep concern over the admission of the Department of National Defense of a plan to abolish certain key units in the Armed Forces of the Philippines, including its plan to incorporate engineering and civil military operations (CMO) units to regular combat units.

Nograles noted that this the move will not only unnecessary but a step backward in the government’s quest to create an efficient, mobile and modern armed forces....

If Councilor Joanne Bonguyan would have her way, she would have another congressional district created for Davao City.

"With a population of 1.3-million, we deserve at least 5 congressional districts," Bonguyan wrote on her social networking site.

We only have 3 (congressional districts)," she lamented.

Bonguyan noted that each congressman is alloted at least P70-million in development funds every year. She said having more congressmen from Davao City would boost the local development efforts....

At least three more vocational courses - considered as shorter routes to employment opportunities - have been made available under the scholarship program of Davao City congressman Karlo B. Nograles.

"We have always wanted to reach out to as many out-of-school youths as possible," Nograles said. "We want to bring them back to school, give them the qualifications for them to compete in the job market and make them productive citizens of Davao City’s First District."...

Davao City Rep. Karlo B. Nograles took the congressional floor on Wednesday to defend House Bill 05015, or the Financing Terrorism Suppression Act.

Nograles, also the assistant majority leader of the House, explained that HB 05015 will criminalize the act of providing financial support or assistance to terrorism, terrorists and terrorist groups.

Nograles said the proposed law is in line the Aquino administration’s drive against all forms of terrorism. The bill has been certified as “urgent” by President Aquino, the Davao City lawmaker pointed out....

The office of House Secretary General Marilyn Babarua-Yap released on Thursday a list of congressmen with travel authority to the US in November. It was not sure, however, whether all of them will proceed to Las Vegas to watch the fight.

Manila Rep. Amado Bagatsing confirmed his attendance at the fight.

"Yes, dito na ako (Yes, I'm here already)," Bagatsing said in a text message to the Inquirer....

Nograles said the people of Muslim Mindanao have very high regard to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a purveyor of peace and development as he noted being one of the world's leading Islamic nations, Saudi's positive influence may hold the key in solving the region's peace and order woes.

"I really believe that if we want foreign investments to come in Mindanao, Arabs investments would definitely have the advantage because they are well regarded by our Muslim brothers," Nograles said....

"We are young legislators coming from the three major geographical areas of the Philippines.. we have been reflecting on the debates over the Responsible Parenthood, Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2011 (HB 4244 or RH bill," the young lawmakers said in a published manifesto in a leading national paper yesterday. "We have seen how our country has been divided by this issue."...

Through the initiative of First District congressman Karlo B. Nograles, the Department of Agriculture (DA) has agreed to let go of its property to Barangay St. Jude (6-A), a progressive community in the center of Davao City where real estate is known to be expensive.

Barangay St. Jude under barangay captain Rommel delos Reyes will get to own the property of DA's National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) at virtually no cost to the village government. The barangay will only pay for the cost of the land segregation survey preparatory to the transfer of land title from DA-NMIS to Barangay St. Jude....

Nograles also said that he remained hopeful that the peace agreement being hammered by President Aquino's administration with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) will end successful despite the initial kinks in the formal talks that commenced last week in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nograles said the spirit of Ramadan inspires him to hope for a successful peace negotiation....

The Representative of the city's First District said the technical working group of the Transportation Committee aims to consolidate all related bills pending in the House to come up with a single, comprehensive version that will become the new Philippine Maritime Law.

Principally authored by Rep. Teodoro Brawner Baguilat, Jr. (Lone District, Ifugao) and co-authored by Nograles, the bill seeks to codify and update all shipping and maritime laws of the Philippines....