MORE NEWS, BULACAN

For taking over mine site: Bulacan mining firm files raps against Gen Palparan
By George Trillo

MALOLOS CITY – A mining company in Doña Remedios Trinidad, Bulacan filed charges against retired Army Gen. Jovito Palparan before the provincial prosecutor’s office last week for “taking over” its iron ore mine site last April 12.

Also facing charges of robbery through force and intimidation, grave coercion, serious physical detention and usurpation of real interest in real property filed by Ore Asia Mining and Development Corp. were a certain Lt. Col. Pederito Santos, lawyer Arturo Mercader, and Barangay Camachin chairman Romy Santiago, along with 150 John Does.

The company alleged that Palparan personally led the assault on its 442-hectare mine site in Barangay Camachin, with his men armed with high-powered firearms like M-16 and M-203 rifles, M60 machine­guns and rifle grenades.

Ore Asia is one of the contractors of Oro Development Corp., which has a mineral production sharing agreement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Vicente Altobano, the company’s security chief, said the armed men, who wore fatigues but without any name patches or insignias, took cellular phones, service firearms and other communications devices of his personnel and held them against their will and at gunpoint for almost 20 hours.

Altobano said his security personnel managed to free themselves when Palparan’s group fled from the site with the arrival of mediamen at the mine site.

Danny Ong, spokesman of Ore Asia, said the company is currently in the middle of an internal dispute between two groups of stockholders, with Mercader belonging to one group.

Ong said Mercader’s group earlier sought the reinstatement of another mining operator that was earlier booted out of the mine site by the DENR for allegedly violating environmental rules and regulations.

Palparan was not available for comment. He earlier denied in a text message, having a hand in the assault on the Ore Asia mine site and serving as a consultant of Ore Development Corp.

In a press briefing, former Solicitor General Frank Chavez, an adviser of Ore Asia, said Palparan was no longer the “Butcher,” but a “hired dog,” alluding to claims that the former Army general was behind the killings of militants in Northern Luzon during his stint there.


‘Retirement havens’ in country identified
MALOLOS CITY – The National Capital Region, Baguio in North Luzon, Tagaytay in Southern Luzon, Cebu in the Visayas and Davao in Min­danao have been chosen as retirement cluster areas.

But Central Luzon is fast becoming a retirement destination as increasing number of retirees abroad seek alternative and affordable place of retreat.

Renato Romero, chairman of the Central Luzon Retirement Industry Enhancement Team said Subic and Clark had been chosen by the Philippine Retirement Authority as one of six retirement cluster areas in the country.

The said retirement cluster areas were chosen due to their proximity to international airports and have tertiary hospitals, tourist spots, and other facilities that are fit for retirees.

Romero said at least 355 retirees of the 4,450 have already been staying in Central Luzon as of December 2007.

Choosing Central Luzon as a retirement place for international retirees, Romero said is simple.

He said that lower cost of living in Central Luzon compared with Metro Manila and other countries along with nearby accredited retirement villages and support facilities make it easier for international retirees to decide to stay in the region. – George Trillo