Two men charged in slay of Tarlac vice mayor, pal

By George Trillo

SAN MANUEL, Tarlac – Police filed murder charges against two men tagged by witnesses as behind the killing of the vice mayor of the vice mayor here and his companion last Oct. 25.

Charged were Ronaldo Zotomayor, who was identified as the gunman who attacked Vice Mayor Reynaldo Malazo, and his accomplice, Rogel de Leon, who was the one who gunned down Malazo’s friend Romeo Barrientos. Both suspects are at large.

Through the police rogues’ gallery, witnesses positively identified Zotomayor and De Leon as among the three motorcycle-riding men who shot Malazo and Barrientos along MacArthur Highway in San Manuel.

Police said Zotomayor has been involved in several criminal activities, including the robbery-slay of former board member Fernando de Jesus, 70, in his residence in Barangay Carangian, Tarlac City on Aug. 25, 2005.

Police said Zotomayor was nabbed and charged with illegal possession of firearms and explosives. But he later jumped bail.

Police said Zotomayor was also a suspect in robbery-holdups in Gerona, Tarlac last May 20 and in Poblacion, Tarlac City the following day.

De Leon, on the other hand, was also implicated in a holdup in Barangay Dicolor, Gerona, Tarlac on Oct. 11, 2006.

De Leon was arrested and later jumped bail, too.

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Hog raisers seek cut in market pork prices; hit traders for much profit
By George Trillo

TARLAC CITY, Tarlac -- Hundreds of hog farmers in this province urged the national government to take market-intervention actions aimed at reducing the prices of pork in wet markets and groceries. They said the market prices of pork should be only between P85 and P90 per kilo, instead of the prevailing P165 and P200 in wet markets and supermarkets, respectively.

Hog raisers asked the national government to stop importation of pork because this further reduces the earnings of hog raisers and traders.

Antonio dela Torre, a hog farmer in this province, said prices of pork in the wet and grocery markets still average at P165 and P200 per kilo, respectively, despite the fact that the hog raisers sell live pig at P80 per kilo to the traders.

"Masyado naman mataas ang tubo ang mga hog traders na ito, sa kabila na bumaba na ang presyo sa karneng baboy mula sa P90-P85 hanggang sa P80 per kilo ang buhay na baboy ayaw pa rin nilang ibaba para naman matulungan ang marami nating mamimiling mamamayan," Dela Torre said.

The price of pork at groceries and supermarkets is P200 per kilo, and this is too high to consumers, Dela Torre said. Grocery and supermarket owners are reportedly earning big profits from selling imported frozen pork than selling local pork.

"The current situation is unprecedented, and has significantly affected the whole hog industry," said Albert Lim Jr., president of the National Federation of Hog Farmers Inc.

Lim decried the low demand and the increase in pork importation by meat traders, saying that these are the primary causes of the industry’s problems.

He said that while farm gate prices have gone down significantly, this is not reflected in the prices at the markets. Farm gate prices currently averages at a high of P82 per kilo and a low of P78 per kilo. Before the Holy Week, the average price was between P115 and P117 per kilo.


However, Lim said that pork is still selling in the wet markets at an average of between P150 and P175 per kilo, "turning off many consumers who are already suffering from the hike in the prices of other basic commodities." While it is traditional for farm gate prices to go down after the Holy Week, it has not stopped going down. "It did go down, slowly in the beginning, but we did not expect it to continue until now," Lim said.

In a meeting with Agriculture Secretary Arthur Yap, the members of the NFHFI’s Council of Presidents suggested that the Department of Agriculture come out with a campaign to inform consumers of the right pricing for pork products.

Lim said the suggestion is similar to the suggested retail price practice of manufacturing companies.

DA can post the SRP of pork products outside the wet markets so that consumers are aware of the prices of pork and can themselves call the attention of the retailers.

"We have no control over the traders and the retailers, but as consumers, we can tell retailers that they should be selling their products at the right price," he said. "This way, everyone comes out a winner as consumers get lower prices and will buy more pork and producers can sell more hogs."

Lim said if the current trend of low farm gate prices is not addressed, it would have a domino effect in pork production all over the country.

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Administrator of Tarlac town jailed over accounts

CAPAS, Tarlac – The municipal administrator of this town was detained in the town’s jail last week after the Sandiganbayan ordered his arrest for his alleged "failure as accountable officer to render accounts."

He allegedly committed the offense when he was mayor of this town several years ago.

Senior Supt. Rudy G. Lacadin, Tarlac police director, in a memorandum released to the media, said Hermes Frias, 66, former mayor of Capas, accompanied by incumbent Mayor Reynaldo L. Catacutan, surrendered to Judge Alipio Yumul of Regional Trial Court’s Branch 66 in Tarlac.

Lacadin said a "bench warrant of arrest, pursuant to the court’s resolution dated July 10, 2008, was issued by Associate Justice Gregory S. Ong of the 4th Division of the Sandiganbayan in Quezon City, entitled "People of the Philippines vs. Frias" under criminal case No. 26321.
Frias was detained in the Capas municipal jail upon the order of Yumul.

The Capas police had earlier failed to enforce the arrest order "after the whereabouts of Frias could not be ascertained," Lacadin said. -- JK

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NolComArmy chief named

CAMP AQUINO, Tarlac City – Maj. Gen. Isagani Cachuela, of Philippine Military Aca­demy Class 1976, took over the Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command Wednesday replacing Lt. Gen. Rodrigo Maclang.

New AFP chief Lt. Gen. Alexander Yano presided over the change of command.
Cachuela faces a tough job of sustaining Nolcom’s gains in its anti-insurgency drive via the Campaign Plan Amihan as part of the military’s effort to reduce the insurgency to an inconsequential level on or before 2010.

During his time, Maclang said Nolcom led all unified commands in the clearing and downgrading of communist guerrilla fronts, with help from local governments.
During the first quarter, Maclang said four guerrilla fronts in Ilocos Sur, Isabela, Bulacan, Pampanga and Tarlac were dismantled and five others in Central Luzon were downgraded.

Nolcom’s feat accounts for half of the total enemy fronts declared dismantled and downgraded nationwide.

The other half is credited to the Southern Luzon Command, Central Mindanao Command, Eastern Minda­nao Command, and Western Mindanao Command. – RS

Filipino, US troops battle ‘terrorists’ at Crow Valley

By George Trillo

CAPAS, Tarlac – Joint assault teams from the Philippine and US armed forces, backed by armored vehicles, artillery and close air support “raided” a suspected “terrorist camp” in the mountains, resulting in the “neutralization” of some insurgents.

Following intelligence information on the presence of the enemy encampment, the allied forces immediately planned an attack to be carried out with surgical precision by highly trained Marine and Army troops.

And like a scene from a blockbuster movie, the operation was carried out at exactly 9 a.m. on Feb. 27, with tanks, assault vehicles and trucks loaded with troops rolling into the lahar-covered Crow Valley.

When the teams arrived at the target, they immediately positioned snipers and mortar units in strategic areas, giving them the advantage over the terrorists, and suddenly, bursts of gunfire roared from barrels of machine guns mounted on APCs, to soften the terrorists’ resistance. The enemy’s lair was then pounded with mortar rounds coming from a firebase nearby, resulting in the death of several insurgents.

When the target was softened, ground troops, backed by machine gun fire, made their advance to the encampment for the final assault and capture of the camp. Finally, the operation ended successfully without any casualties from the allied forces and civilians.

It could have hogged the headlines, except that it was just part of the bilateral exercises between US and RP troops dubbed Balikatan 2008, an annual event that is aimed at enhancing the interoperability of the two armed forces in times of need, particularly in the global war against terrorism, as well as in disasters and calamities.

Maj. Ramon Zagala, public information officer of the exercises, said yesterday’s live fire exercises Feb. 27 were done with utmost consideration for the safety of the participants, the civilians and the environment.

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Sandiganbayan convicts former Tarlac mayor for unliquidated cash advances of P8.15 million
BY GEORGE TRILLO

RAMOS, Tarlac -- The Sandiganbayan has convicted a former municipal mayor of this town for his failure to account P8.15 million in cash advances drawn by him from 2001 to 2004.

In a 29-page decision, the court sentenced former Mayor Gil V. Beltran to a jail term of one year and eight months and ordered him to pay a fine of P6,000.

The decision was penned by Associate Justice Godfredo Legaspi and concurred in by associate justice Efren dela Cruz and Norberto Geraldez of the anti-graft court’s third division.

The case stemmed from an audit investigation conducted by the Commission on Audit. According to the COA, the accused failed to explain the shortage and produce the funds in his custody despite notice from government auditors for him to do so through a demand letter dated Feb. 24, 2004.

In his defense, Beltran tried to pass on the blame to then municipal treasurer Editha Corpuz, saying the latter was the one who disbursed the funds to pay the salaries of the municipal government personnel and obligations to suppliers.

The former town chief claimed he drew the cash advance to safeguard the welfare of the employees after hearing rumors that Corpuz mishandled funds in the past.

The court threw out the arguments of Beltran, noting that all documents submitted to the court showed that it was him who signed the cash advances.

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‘Chopped’ car parts seized in fiscal’s house
BAMBAN, Tarlac -- “Chop-shop” spare parts from five supposedly stolen vehicles were recovered by a joint police team in a follow-up raid on a rest house reportedly owned by a prosecutor identified as a certain Claudio Dayaon, here on Oct. 15, authorities said.

In a report to the regional police command in Camp Olivas, Pampanga, Supt. Nicanor Bartolome, Tarlac police director, said the cannibalized vehicle parts were seized as the combined team of the Tarlac police. Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and Traffic Management Group conducted a follow-up to the Oct. 12 raid that yielded stolen vehicles in Sitio Gumain, Barangay Lourdes in Bamban.

Bartolome said the confiscated spare parts were cannibalized from a Mitsubishi Adventure, Isuzu Crosswind, Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Pajero, and Toyota.

Two of the recovered vehicles were taken to Camp Crame – a Nissan Urvane with license plate ZGA-972 owned by Eugenio Gonzales Gorospe Jr. and stolen last Oct. 10 while it was parked along Davao street in Baong Bantay, Quezon City; and a Honda Civic with license plate UGL-163 owned by Mary Jane Redona and stolen last Oct. 8 along Seminary Road in Project 8, Quezon City.

Two other vehicles – a Honda Civic with license plate WJF-887 and a Mitsubishi Strada with license plate CNV 138 – were impounded at the Bamban police station while their owners are being established.

Chief Supt. Errol Pan, Central Luzon police director, said he has ordered Bartolome to unmask those behind the illegal activities.

Most stolen vehicles are usually “chop-chopped” or stripped of their parts, which end up in dealers of second-hand vehicles accessories in Central Luzon, Quezon City and Makati City.

Police invited a certain Mario Tomado and Luzviminda Garcia, the caretakers of the rest house of fiscal Claudio Dayaon, to explain the presence of stolen vehicles in the place.

The two claimed that a certain Lester was the one who brought the vehicles there in the afternoon of Oct. 10 for reasons they refused to elaborate on, Bartolome said.

Senior Supt. Guillermo Eleazar, regional officer of the CIDG, said they are still gathering evidence on the case.

The “chop-chop” spare parts were found in a canal covered with banana leaves.

In an interview with reporters, Dayaon vehemently denied any knowledge of the stolen vehicles and cannibalized car parts and vowed to even accompany the caretakers of his rest house to appear before the TMG in Tarlac City.


US humanitarian group gives hospital equipment
BY GEORGE TRILLO TARLAC CITY -- A US-based humanitarian organization that has provided millions of dollars worth of food, shelter and medicine to people in war-torn places recently donated medical equipment to the provincial hospital of Tarlac.

Knightbridge international handed over 20 manual hospital beds, two Hilrom Electric hospital beds, an OB Gyne exam table, 10 pairs of crutches, five aluminum walkers and 10 bags of hospital gowns and linens to the government-run hospital.

Ed Artis, Knightbridge co-founder, said they were very pleased to distribute the hospital equipment to the provincial equipment to the provincial hospital and vowed to give more in the future. “We want to be your partner in improving the health services of the Filipino people. We have with us $24 million worth of used, serviceable equipment which we want to donate tax-free,” Artis told Dr. Ricardo Ramos, the hospital’s medical director, recently.

Ramos thanked Knightsbridge for the donation, saying the hospital still needs baby incubators, dialysis machines and OB Gyne equipment.

Ramos also said the hospital needs to additional medical personnel.

Knightsbridge International has been donating lifesaving humanitarian aid to the people of Basilan, Sulu and other provinces in Mindanao since 2002 through its partnership wit the US-Joint Special Operations Task Force (JSOTF), the US Embassy and the Joint US Military Assistance Group (Jusmag).

In the Philippines, Knightsbridge has delivered $30 million worth of food, electric hospital beds, X-ray machines, incubators, wheelchairs, crutches, high-tech hospital equipment and medicine in the last five years.

Jolo, the capital of Sulu, is one of the biggest beneficiaries of Knightsbridge.

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Quick response program nets 20 thieves

CAMP MAKABULOS, Tarlac City – Police, through its “quick response system,” recently arrested at least 20 suspected robbers, thieves, and carnappers, and recovered two vehicles and other stolen items.

Most of the suspects arrested were telephone and electricity cable wire thieves.

Officials said the new motorcycles that the provincial government turned over to the Tarlac provincial police office early this year have been “very useful” in helping the police implement its new QRS.

“Motorcycles are very useful in our anti-crime operations, and because of the 10 new motorcycles turned over to the TPPO, we were able to improve our services to the public, especially with our latest anti-crime effort, the QRS,” said Senior Supt. Nicanor A. Batolome, TPPO director.
The purchase of the 10 new motorcycles for the TPPO was implemented through a resolution authored by then board member Nicholo P. Nisce (Tarlac, 2nd District), in his capacity as chairman of the committee on peace and order, public safety, and security. – George Trillo

TARLAC

Koreans to start Tarlac tree project
BY GEORGE TRILLO

BAMBAN, Tarlac – Newly installed Bamban Mayor Leonardo Anunsacion received during his first day of office Korean businessmen who pledged support for his programs.

Korean businessmen Jay Rhim, president of Khee Ryoong Trading Corp. and Eric Hyung Choi, country representative of a big Korean conglomerate, were accompanied by veteran journalist Waldy Carbonell in their visit here and courtesy call on Mayor Anunsacion in his office here.

Both Koreans pledged to undertake a 10,000-hectare tree-farming venture in this town together with Green Philippine Foundation chairman Carbonell, a noted environmentalist and Hector Villanueva, Green Philippines vice president.

Carbonell and Villanueva convinced the Korean businessmen on the advantages of undertaking a reforestation project in the ancestral land of the Gayaman Aetas here.

Indigenous People’s Association head Abiling “Billy” Apostol lauded the project, saying the reforestation will not only improve the environment in the area, but will also provide employment to the Gayaman people.