Junking them who junk

LETTERS FROM THE AGNO
March L. Fianza

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Last week I did my own survey by asking at random 10 persons the simple question: “Sino ibotos mu nga congressman para Benguet?” (Who are you voting for congressman for Benguet?). I told them also that I am not familiar with Benguet politics.

The result: one market vendor said “saan ku amu,” two professionals chose Agpas, one other guy said he will vote for Dulnuan because he knows him as a successful businessman, two middle-aged women and a young man said they want Cosalan back because his performance was better during his term, two chose Chamos because he is a relative, and one senior citizen said “Dangwa ibotos ko.”

I did not tell the senior citizen that Dangwa is now running for another position. Apparently, he did not know that. What I wanted to hear from my respondents was the names of the other candidates. Alas, not any of them mentioned the other bets. Maybe they only knew Agpas, Dulnuan, Dangwa, Chamos and Cosalan.

Many think it is now the time for Benguet congressional bet Ronald M. Cosalan as he is ahead of his rivals. This is due to several reasons. His known experience in legislative work is one, in addition to his connections with the central government.

He has served with diligence and distinction, a track record of quality legislation and a quiet no non-sense work, and was active in voicing out the problems and concerns of Benguet by delivering strongly-worded privilege speeches in congress.

Cosalan during his stint has authored several landmark laws of national application among which are the RA 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Rights Act of 1997 (IPRA) otherwise known as the Ancestral lands law; RA 8558 or the Early Retirement Act which lowered the retirement age for underground mine workers from 60 years old to 50 years old; RA 8474, An Act granting Income Tax Exemption on Retirement Benefits; and RA 8178 - An Act Creating the Agricultural Enhancement Fund.

He is not merely satisfied with appropriating funds for rip-rap walls or kabite projects, or for having his attendance checked. With Cosalan, everyone in Benguet will again have a voice in congress. Let us send him there as that is rightly where he belongs. Do not waste your vote by choosing candidates with uncertain status.
***
Two days from now, LGUs all over the country will see a mix of old and new faces taking over the reins of government.

As a pahabol or sequel to last week’s column telling voters what and who not to vote for, there are a few very important things that voters in Baguio should be reminded about, as based on past experiences of some elective officials.

In Baguio , there are voters in some barangays who vote only for their kailians in their home province and junk the other candidates even while all of them belong to the same political party.

This is the practice of “single-voting” resorted to by migrants from provinces outside Benguet, particularly Mountain Province .

Incidentally, before the start of the campaign, along with other media practitioners, I received a text message from an unlisted cellphone number inviting us to a press conference with a group called “Kiltepan.”

I found out later that the term was coined from the abbreviated names of barangays Kilong, Tetep-an and Antadao of Sagada.

The advanced information that I received was that the Kiltepan group would hold a convention then announce who to support for congressman.

I asked myself who the organizers and members of this group are, and who are they to say that they can influence the outcome of the election?

I also asked myself if the rest of the candidates for congressman in Baguio would be included in the convention, knowing that a good number of i-Kiltepans would be voting for candidates other than their own.

As expected from a convention that had a stench of being fixed even prior to its organization, a “chosen” candidate was endorsed.

I also found out later that one of the organizers of the convention was the henchman – the loyal follower of the candidate that got the convention’s endorsement.

Today however, as the campaigners make their last rounds, there are talks going around that many of those who participated in the Kiltepan convention shifted support to candidates other than the one they endorsed prior. Of course, that is in exchange of something else.

But what would alarm candidates is the deceitful style of not stopping supporters from junking other party-mates who do not belong to their tribe.

Councilor Nick Aliping had tried being junked by members of his own party many elections ago. While he campaigned hard for his whole line-up in his barangay, he was being delisted by his party-mates in their barangays.

I am sure other candidates like Councilors Fred Bagbagen and Poppo Cosalan have been previous victims of the junking system in these barangays.

If that is the case as far as some Baguio migrant tribes are concerned, then I would advice the supporters of the other candidates to do the same. Let their kailian candidates taste their own poison.

In the case of the Liberal Party in Baguio , I would like to know if there is any assurance from the congressional and vice mayoralty bets that their supporters from the Kiltepan tribal grouping would support the whole line up.

Although, I know that does not need asking. It is still doubtful if these types of politicians and supporters have come away from their deceitfulness.
***
As I see it, only few are sincere with the statement about loving Baguio . For the rest, it has become an overstatement. The truth is, many are running for councilor, vice mayor, mayor and congressman because of the perks that come with the position.

So that for me the “I love Baguio ” statement from many candidates is not completely true because that can be said only by a true-blue Baguio son who saw how the city grew.

To say “I love Baguio ” is to say that one knows what Baguio was then and what Baguio is now. And so those who did not grow up with the city have no right to be running city hall.

Bubut Olarte, Peter Fianza, Poppo Cosalan, Sonia Daoas, Nick Aliping and Fred Bagbagen know that because they know Baguio like the back of their hands.

But many are lured into filing their candidacies just because they have tasted winning through single-voting. That is why the Kiltepan candidate who is running for director of an electric company always won.

And that was where it started – the corruption, the perks, the junking. Unless, we stop voting for candidates who pretend to love Baguio, the candidates who practiced politics in an electric company will lord it over. And corruption will thrive in city hall.
********
New antics employed by enterprising voters have emerged. One is by removing the posters of a certain candidate then sell them to the rival candidate.

Another new antic is to gather as many flyers that can later be presented to the winning candidates in exchange for favors or cash.

Other candidates wait for these opportunities and while they do that Jose Bubut Olarte, no. 40 sa balota prefers to be busy on more positive activities.

Last Monday, Bubut made people happy by doing music in a free concert at the Igorot Garden . Friends from Manila , including Pinoy Rock icon Pepe Smith played with local musicians.

It was a better way to impart one’s thoughts. It was a unique way of campaigning, not just making noise. In fact, many are looking forward to a second round.

Please include Bubut Olarte in your list of councilors. Bubut is a SON OF BAGUIO having spent most of his life in this mountain city. Like anyone of us who grew up in Baguio , his desire is to bring back the old charm of Baguio City . – marchfianza777@yahoo.com

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The ugly face of vote buying

HAPPY WEEKEND
Gina Dizon

BONTOC, Mountain Province -- Vote buying once again reared its ugly head this election period.

It had taken many forms from the reported printing of one candidate’s face in a T-shirt for senior citizens, to giving out of tents to local government units bearing one’s initials, to giving out public health funds to barangay officials during the height of the campaign period. All these at the reported expense of government funds to benefit a person and his candidacy. Much as vote buying is morally corrupt, vote buying is also prohibited by law.

Vote buying constitutes the act of giving, offering, or promising money or anything of value, including promises of “employment, franchise or grant, public or private", according to the Election Code, vote-buying also involves making or offering to incur expenses that will, directly or indirectly, benefit a person, association, corporation, entity, or community “to induce anyone or the public in general to vote for or against any candidate or withhold his vote in the election, or to vote for or against any aspirant for the nomination or choice of a candidate in a convention or similar selection process of a political party."

Word is rife that a corrupt candidate is already actively buying votes as financing family reunions, giving money to barangay captains and sacks of rice to families.

Giving of money by corrupt candidates to voters happens a day before the actual elections. In previous election periods, a number of people claimed they received at least P200 to P1,000 pesos. Yet, is it a guarantee that buying people’s votes will ensure one’s victory in the electoral race?

Some get the money and vote for another candidate. I am led to believe that vote-buying is not always a major consideration to winning an electoral race. It has been proven in the 2007 elections that a top official perceived to have bought votes, lost to a rival candidate in vote-rich Paracelis perceived to have rendered services benefitting the people of the far-flung municipality.

And so it goes that some voters pocketed the money and voted for the candidate who gave the money, saying they can’t do otherwise to contradict the giver, much as they have received. Some say there is no harm in receiving as it is peoples’ money anyway. Some did not accept the money.

Some say it would be better not to receive the money because vote buying will sustain corruption. Because where else will the official get the money to repay what he has distributed to buy votes but to get money from corrupted government projects?

And when vote buying sustains corruption, it will be another round of suffering for the people. Medicine and medical facilities will get corrupted. Peoples’ health will be sacrificed at their expense in place of the official’s greed for money. Roads will be sub-standard. This will mean uncomfortable travel conditions and accidents.

It will mean the official is more focused in getting commissions from contracts rather than concentrating his work in providing services to his constituents.

Social services will not be genuinely attended to. Even educational facilities will suffer owing to a greedy official who has primary interest to get cuts from government projects.

Public interest is not anymore in the mind of the corrupted official, but self interest. This will mean unjust enrichment on the part of the official who benefits from amassing corrupted money and buying houses, cars, land and money for himself and his family.

It will also mean further poverty and abuse on the people.

Vote buying has never been that good for people’s interest. Don’t vote for the candidate who buys your votes. People are not commodities to be bought.

And so we can say then that change indeed will happen for Mountain Province, where the basic attitude and behavior on vote buying will not be entertained. Where officials who stayed long in office have long not introduced systems to change patronage politics in government and continue to perpetuate it, and people as well persist to hug vote buying and tolerate corruption, this electoral process is just another political exercise done every three years- an exercise boring enough to be tolerated.

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Good politics equals food governance

NO HOLDS BARRED
Ike Señeres

I refuse to believe that good governance is an oxymoron, just like military intelligence as the joke goes. I believe however that there is such a thing as a balanced budget, not as a financial reality, but as a figure of speech that is doable if a government is honest and credible. I hope that no one will say that this too is an oxymoron.

Is it still possible to have an honest and credible government in the Philippines ? This question is country specific, because there are many governments around the world that are honest and credible, and as a result, they are able to deliver good governance, whatever that means. I do believe however that good governance is actually the result of good politics, and I am hoping against hope that that too is not an oxymoron.

If indeed good governance is the result of good politics, then the best way for us to go really is to go back to our means of choosing the people who are tasked to run our government, and the only way towards that end is clean and honest elections, hoping that that too is not an oxymoron!

Veterans in the computer industry say that just because computers are there, we should not computerize for the sake of computerization. Simply put, the goal of computerization is to realize and actualize whatever the defined objectives are, and in this case, the objective really is to have clean and honest elections.

Are computers really needed to have clean and honest elections? The answer is definitely no, because clean and honest elections have been held in many countries without the use of computers. Should it be our objective to have faster results in our election system? The answer is yes, but only as a secondary objective, because the primary objective should be accuracy instead of efficiency.

For the record, we seem to be the only country in the world who is attempting a nationwide roll out of an election system that has not gone through a process of piloting and testing. Good luck to all of us, because the system should have been in place weeks before the actual voting day.

For the record as well, I could be the only person in the country who has formally and legally accepted the challenge of the Commission on Elections for anyone to hack their system, but unfortunately they did not make good on their challenge. Now, Chairman Jose Melo is claiming that their system is hack-free, but how sure is he that it is trouble-free?

Some members of the computer industry criticized me for accepting the Comelec challenge, arguing that the issue is not really hacking from the outside, but cheating from the inside. I actually agree with them, because no matter how secure a system is, anyone who has the keys could open it from the outside, or an accomplice could open the doors from the inside. On this issue, could Chairman Melo say that their system is cheat-free?

A platform is something to stand on, but what we should look at are the people who are standing on it. A platform is presented by a political party, but it should be based on capability and credibility. Capability to deliver based on a track record, and the credibility to stand on their promises, based on their personal characters.

I am not against a multi-party system, but I wish that all political parties would have local chapters that would be actively engaged in local politics as well, in good politics that is. All politics is local they say, and I think that the test of that is to have local party units that will work towards good governance, whether or not they are the party in power.

The political parties have hit the nail by zooming in on poverty as the main issue, but the real issue I think is what they could do beyond poverty reduction. With that, I mean prosperity for the whole country in terms of a bigger economy, translated into bigger disposable incomes for everyone.

Good governance means the good delivery of public services. That is an output that every election winner is expected to achieve. Beyond that, the winners should do more. Protecting and restoring the environment should be expected from all the winners, because no economy could grow without the ecology as the top priority,climate change and global warming included.

Watch KA IKING LIVE! Thursdays 7pm to 8pm in Global News Network (GNN),Channel 21 in Destiny Cable. Email iseneres@yahoo.com or text +639293605140 for local cable listings. Visit www.senseneres.blogspot.com

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Untouchable gambling dens

BULL'S HIT
Rudy Garcia

BAGUIO CITY -- Funny, but when i learned that some PCOS delivered at some voting precincts to be used on the election malfunctioned, my head suddenly started to play games of imagined political trickery come election day. The scenario?

Since the machine could not deliver a performance to satisfy the electorate, an occurrence of civil outrage could be possible and if ever this will happen, the Commission on Elections may declare an election failure.

And since Comelec ruled out earlier parallel manual count, Congress will come into the picture and pass a bill en banc for the Supreme Court to consider a special election day using the old manual voting or counting system and if this will be the case, then a chance for another “Hello Garci would eventually happen and the rest is again a history for the country of poor Juan de la Cruz.

It was right in time that i woke up when the Comelec was just about to declare the winners while the justices were on the sideline waiting for the ouchtaking… err I mean oathtaking, otherwise it could have been another nightmare seeing those same faces sitting at Malacanang for another six years.

Me and my imagination I blame for such a bad dream. I wished this would not come true, I was able to drink almost a gallon of water, but hey, it’s time to face the reality. I was hungry and no food to eat but lucky still I smelled a good dish being cooked by our political chefs. Did you smell it too? Come on, let’s eat the good food offered, anyway it’s the same political promo. “Eat now. Pay later”
***
Two candidates for different top positions but in the same political party in Baguio were in a tight tug- of-war lately but good it was settled before the scheduled caravan of the national and political party in this summer capital city.

Accordingly, this mayoral candidate accused his partymate who is a candidate for congressman of pocketing the campaign funds intended for the local party group, and this was confirmed to me by a close friend who is a staff of this congressional candidate.

Perhaps, it would be more interesting for both of the two to win this election and let us see who is smarter and can outwit the other one once they are both in power. Remember the saying, “Ang magnanakaw, galit sa kapwa magnanakaw.” unless they could forge an agreement that they would be the best partners in crime! Ha, ha, ha!
***
How true is it that there are two illegal gambling dens at Palma Urbano barangay? According to one of my bubwits there is one along the near dead end of Urbano St. at Bernabe’s Apartment and the other located in between Palma and Labsan St. near Pines City High School.

If this is true then former barangay captain Alberto Reyes who is running for a seat in the Baguio City council has a lot of explaining to do. Reports have it that professionals like lawyers and fiscals frequent the two gambling dens the reason maybe why our law enforcement agencies dare not to touch them, or could there be some other reasons why?

May cash-sunduan ba? Cash-satnungay ngarud? Cash ta laengen? Cash-la legal meten.

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Knowing your candidates

SUPPLEMENTAL KNOWLEDGE
Jhunie B. Wahayna

May 10 will be the judgment day for all the candidates nationwide. Vote according to your conscience and choose the best according to your judgment. Your vote is a sacred one; nobody should influence your decision.
In Baguio City, there are 79 candidates who filed their candidacy with the Commission on Elections for various positions. There are 10 candidates running for mayor, three for vice-mayor, nine for congressman, and 57 for city councilor. The candidates:
FOR MAYOR:
01 Barcelo, Ruben Liwag "Ben"; (IND.)
02 Busacay-lazo, Erlinda Adan "Erlinda"; (IND.)
03 Domogan, Mauricio Gamsao "Morris"; (LKS-KAM)
04 Go, Marquez Ocampo "Mark"; (PMP)
05 Hernandez, Guillermo Codinera "Willie"; (IND.)
06 Labo, Ramon Jr Lozano "Jun"; (IND.)
07 Mandapat, Julius Javier "Butch"; (IND.)
08 Molintas, Jose Mencio "Joe"; (LP)
09 Puzon, Peter Dulay "Terminator"; (IND.)
10 Sembrano, Elaine Dominguez "Kabsat"; (PDP LABAN)
FOR VICE-MAYOR:
01 Domalsin, Carol Rosado "Carol"; (LDP)
02 Farinas, Daniel Tesaluna "Danny"; (NP)
03 Olowan, Faustino Atiwag "Ulo"; (IND.)
FOR HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE:
01 Avila, Edgar Mendoza "Ed"; (PMP)
02 Balisong, Rocky Thomas Aspilan "Rocky"; (NP)
03 Bautista, Reinaldo Asperin "Rey"; (IND.)
04 Bello Iii, Dwight Nicolas Advincula "Ike"; (IND.)
05 Quilala, Rabinrandranah Pablo "Kabagis"; (PDP LABAN)
06 Ramos, Felipe Tribonalo "Felipe"; (IND.)
07 Vergara, Bernardo Mangaoang "Bernie"; (LKS-KAM)
08 Yangot, Leandro Jr. Bagto "Leandro"; (LP)
09 Yaranon, Braulio Dacanay "Raul"; (LDP)
FOR CITY COUNCILORS:
01 Acosta, Voltaire Lising "Voltz"; (PDP LABAN)
02 Adube, Laurence Redusta "Larry"; (LDP)
03 Aliping, Nicasio Jr. Mocnangan "Botbot"; (LKS-KAM)
04 Allad-iw, Arthur Lapaan "Art"; (IND.)
05 Antolin, Gerardo Ramiscal "Gery"; (IND.)
06 Aquino, Odell Peralta "Bombito"; (PMP)
07 Araos, Anthony Alano "Tony"; (PDSP)
08 Asiatico, Carlos Molina "Caloy"; (IND.)
09 Bagbagen, Fred Longboan "Fred"; (LP )
10 Balajadia, Erdolfo Villacruz "Erding"; (LKS-KAM)
11 Beltran, Edgar Allan Palisoc "Ed"; (IND.)
12 Bilog, Edison Ramos "Ed"; (LP)
13 Cariño, Richard Arola "Richard"; (NP)
14 Carlos, Richard Agnep "Richard"; (LP)
15 Clemente, Emmanuel Sevilla "Noel"; (NP)
16 Cortes, Antonino Jr. Alabanza "Junn"; (LP)
17 Cosalan, Isabelo Jr Bastian "Poppo"; (LP)
18 Coteng, Robin Gang-awen "Binoy"; (NP )
19 Dangatan, Patrick Palangeo "Dontog"; (LKS-KAM)
20 Daoas, Sonia Aplosen "Sonia"; (IND.)
21 Datuin, Elmer Orzal "Elmer"; (LKS-KAM)
22 David, Roi Guzman "Roi Vinzon"; (IND.)
23 Delacerna, Wilfredo Sr. Ritomalta "Willy"; (IND.)
24 Delson, Rafael Tabao-ican "Pael"; (IND.)
25 Diaz, Reynaldo Tambot "Rey"; (PMP )
26 Dumawing, George Jr. Malaggay "George"; (LKS-KAM)
27 Duque, Edgardo Libuan "Eddie"; (IND.)
28 Fangonon, Fred Larade "Bangon"; (IND.)
29 Fianza, Peter Carino "Pete"; (IND.)
30 Gandeza, Roney Preza "Roney"; (NP )
31 Gapuz, Edilberto Caluza "Eddie"; (IND.)
32 Gumnad, Pablito Gerdan "Pabs"; (LP )
33 Lardizabal, Orlando Jr Eslava "Jhun"; (PMP)
34 Macadangdang, Benjamin Arellano "Benjie`"; (IND.)
35 Marrero, Joseph Cutop "Ustap"; (LP)
36 Mascarenas, Antolin Lakip "Butch"; (PMP)
37 Maskay, Mabini Chaloping "Benny"; (LKS-KAM)
38 Mazo, Alan Antonio Salonga "Alan"; (LP)
39 Ocampo, Roberto Ruiz "Rob"; (IND.)
40 Olarte, Jose Jr Laranang "Bubut"; (LP)
41 Ortega, Alexander Francisco Rellosa "Alec"; (NP)
42 Padilla, Narciso Racraquin "Nars"; (IND.)
43 Palaganas, Nicasio Soriano "Nick"; (LKS-KAM)
44 Panagan, Rufino Magastino "Raffy"; (LKS-KAM)
45 Paragas, Rodolfo De Leon "Rod"; (LDP)
46 Perez, Ronald Lacaste "Ron"; (IND.)
47 Pilando, Lorenzo Salupen "Lore"; (IND.)
48 Quilop, Arturo Baobaoen "Art"; (LKS-KAM)
49 Reyes, Alberto Villaruz "Betot"; (PDP LABAN)
50 Rondez, Perlita Chan "Pinky"; (NP)
51 Tabanda, Betty Lourdes Flores "Lulu"; (LKS-KAM)
52 Tabora-tuason, Cynthia Runez "Cyn"; (NP)
53 Teliaken, Lourdes Aguia "Lulu"; (IND.)
54 Tenefrancia, Edilberto Boncato "Tene"; (IND.)
55 Wasan, Rafael Salvador "Raffy"; (PMP)
56 Weygan, Philian Louise Cuanguey "Philian"; (NP)
57 Zarate, Richard Villanueva "Dicks"; (NP)
Make your list before going out to vote. For city councilors, choose 12 candidates out of the 57 candidates.

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Brace yourselves for a new Pinas

G-SPAT
Grace Bandoy

While I will be voting for my personal favorites on Monday, many of whom won’t win, majority of Pinoys will be putting into power a-holes and bitches who will ruin this country further.
I and others who belong to the minority whose candidates will lose can just lie on our beds frustrated and crying while the masa of our society celebrate for the nth time on the streets of Edsa kasi nanalo mga binoto nila.

Hindi pa ba kayo nagsasawa ma celebrate sa edsa?

Tama na ang EDSA! Ang cheap na ha! Overrated! I’m not contemplating the overly alleged landslide win of Noynoy Abnoy but another people power if he loses is regrettable. Noynoy’s winning or losing will send people to Edsa then what?

There are thousands of pinoys out there who made this country a better place to live in, not only the Aquinos, and they have done nothing for me, ever!
***
Also, we should be the wisest voters for the local positions. Vote for the cleanest candidate possible. Yung mga pinaka konti ang dungis. Yung mga hindi mukhang pera and konti lang ang ginastos sa pag campaign. Vote for those with the least number of posters and flyers for they are the better ones at handling money. Vote wisely and vote from the dictates of your heart and mind not from your pockets. Peace!

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BUSINESS BITS

Icy Luzano
Go lite

Everything from juices to processed food seems to be going“lite” these days. Name it, and there’s bound to be a “lite” variant for it. And not to be outdone, the lambanog, the indigenous Filipino coconut wine has also been riding on this trend.

In 2008, Dory’s Lambanog, a noted maker of the local liquor, introduced “Lambalite.” Unlike regular lambanog that has analcohol content of 40 to 45 percent, lambalite only has 22 percent. The company came up with this variant for two reasons: the number of health-conscious Filipinos had been growing, and the number of women drinkers had been growing significantly as well,

Babes Enriquez, president of Dory’s Lambanog, says the variant is perfect for women who naturally have a lower tolerance for alcohol. Lambalite, which she says is both light and relaxing, has four flavor variants: melon, strawberry, blackberry, and bubblegum. It is ready to drink or used for mixing cocktails.

Sold both locally and abroad, Lambalite comes in very sleek and stylish bottles, making it ideal as corporate giveaways or contributed drinks to potluck parties. Dory’s Lambanog was started in 1969 by Enriquez’s mother, Dory de Ocampo, with only a staff of three and P700 in initial capital.

As a pioneer in coconut wine distilling, the company has since turned local lambanog into a world-class product. It produces regular lambanog under the Vicente Uno label—it is named after Enriquez’s father—as well as the all-natural Organic “lamba” and the “lambajack,” a mix of 90-proof distilled coconut sap and sweet jackfruit.

The distillation process for lambanog takes nearly a week. After harvest, the coconut flower’s nectar is cooked in a copper-pot boiler for six to eight hours to extract its juice, locally known as tuba. The juice is then fermented for three days, flavored, then packed.

Enriquez and her siblings supervise the distillation process with the help of their mother, who remains hands-on with the family business.Aside from commercially producing lambanog, the company also had to create a better public image for it. Enriquez explains: “Ang mentality kasi sa lambanog is that it’s a poor man’s drink. Puro negative lahat. ’Yun ang binago namin [We changed that with our product].”

The company sells and takes orders for the product at its showroom in Candelaria, Quezon. It also sells the product on consignment to five major specialty stores in the country. Recently, however, Dory’s Lambanog shifted its focus to the export market . The product now reaches overseas markets like Guam and Japan, and the company has since been regularly taking part as well in exhibits and trade fairs abroad. Indeed

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Mayor ‘brains’ in slay of rival; driver of Abra mayoral bet shot dead: 3 killed, 2 injured in latest poll violence in N. Luzon

BAGUIO CITY – Three more persons were killed last week while another two were injured in latest poll-related violence in northern Luzon even as a mayor Ilocos Norte who is again running for the same post this May was tagged as the brains in the slay of her political foe in September last year.

Latest case was in Abra wherein a driver of a mayoral bet was beaten up and shot dead Thursday allegedly by supporters of a rival candidate during a campaign sortie in the capital town of Bangued.

The victim, Mario Acena, sustained multiple gunshot wounds in the head and body and died on the spot.

Chief Supt. Villamor Bumanlag, Cordillera police director, said Acena became the first casualty of the elections in Abra, tagged “killing fields” in the region in past political exercises.

Twenty-eight people were killed in Abra in the 2007 local elections.

Bumanlag said Acena was a driver of Ryan Luna, who is challenging incumbent Bangued Mayor Dominic Valera in the May 10 polls.

Luna, son of Abra Rep. Cecille Luna, survived an ambush try in Penarubia town last April 11, but four of his supporters were wounded.

Initial police reports said the younger Luna was conducting a house-to-house campaign in Barangay Cosili West in Bangued while Acena and a certain Jimmy were doing the rounds on board a “Weapon” campaign vehicle.

At about 8 a.m., the Weapon vehicle got entangled with the four-vehicle convoy of Mayor Valera, who was also campaigning in the area, and a heated argument ensued, according to reports reaching Bumanlag.

According to witnesses, Valera’s supporters allegedly ganged up on Acena and Jimmy, who both fought back using their bare hands. Jimmy managed to escape.

The outnumbered Acena ran under their vehicle and pleaded for his life when shots rang out, police quoted witnesses as saying.

Valera’s supporters then reportedly fled on foot after allegedly depositing firearms in different houses.

Responding policemen recovered two firearms in the three vehicles of Valera’s group abandoned at the crime scene.

Police also took custody of six other firearms, including a machinegun, which were surrendered by local residents.

Mayor Valera belied the younger Luna’s allegation that he was the one who shot Acena, saying he was ready to undergo paraffin test to prove this.

He admitted though that a shooting ensued when Acena and motorcycle-riding men allegedly fired guns.

Bumanlag said they are now determining which of the two rival groups started the fray.

He said police investigators were gathering statements of witnesses, who all belong to Valera’s camp.
“The group of Luna has yet to surface and give their side on the incident. We are waiting for their (Luna’s) side before filing appropriate charges against the culprits,” Bumanlag said. .

Bumanlag said Acena became the second supporter of Luna to be shot in a span of two days.

Last Wednesday night April 28, Luna’s supporter Elmer Velasco was shot and wounded while cooking food at a wedding reception in Sitio Pagaway, Barangay Calot, also in Bangued. Velasco sustained four gunshot wounds.

Rep. Luna called on her and Ryan’s supporters not to take retaliatory action against the Valeras to preserve peace and order in the province.

Because of Acena’s killing, Bumanlag intensified police visibility and checkpoint operations in 19 “areas of concern” in Abra.

“It is unfortunate that this incident happened a day after I (deployed) at least 200 policemen in the province to safeguard the coming polls,” he said.

Bumanlag said no policemen were deployed in the crime scene because it was near Bangued town and that the Cordillera police was mainly focused on the 19 poll hot spots.

In Naguillan, La Union, a civilian volunteer was killed while two unidentified others were seriously wounded when the supporters of a mayoralty candidate engaged in a shootout with still unidentified armed individuals in Barangay Angin here Tuesday night.

A report from the Naguilian municipal police station only identified the fatality as a certain Donato, a civilian volunteer of Barangay Akiwas, while the two wounded individuals who are confined at the Ilocos Training and Regional Medical Center in San Fernando City, La Union remain unidentified.

Initial police investigation showed the convoy of a mayoralty candidate reportedly arrived in Barangay Angin and one of the occupants of their vehicle inquired from village watchman Joseph Abenes on the location of their village chieftain.

However, a blue-green van with alleged suspicious-looking individuals suddenly arrived in the area prompting the candidate’s bodyguards to confront the occupants.
Because of such confrontation, a five-minute firefight ensued between the mayoralty bet’s aides and the occupants of the van before the vehicle sped off towards the town proper.

In Pamplona, Cagayan, a village chief vying for a town council seat was shot dead while reportedly on his way to a campaign meeting Tuesday, police said.

Chief Supt. Roberto Damian, Cagayan Valley police director, said Rene de la Cruz, 52, chairman of Barangay Bidduang and sustained three gunshot wounds in the abdomen.

De la Cruz was the second Cagayan barangay official shot dead in a week.

In Ilocos Norte, a mayor of this province who is again running for the same post this May was tagged as the brains in the slay of her political foe in September last year.

Alleged hired killer Noel Aurellano, nabbed last week in Isabela in connection with the killing of Ilocos Norte Electric Coop. Board President Lorenzo Rey Ruiz, told investigators Dingras Mayor Marineth Gamboa paid them P800,000 to do the job.

He said 16 other personalities are on their hit list. Aurellano confirmed what authorities found from the original lair of the “hitman” all in Ilocos Norte with the list written on a paper.

The personalities on the “hit list” were not released by authorities due to security reasons.
Aurellano reportedly admitted it was former INEC employee Jonathan Bagamaspad, a relative of Gamboa, who directly talked to him about the assassination.

Aurellano admitted to authorities he was the driver of one of the motorcycles used when they barged in the INEC compound in Currimao town, Ilocos Norte to kill Ruiz.

Earlier, charges against Gamboa were dropped by state prosecutors in connection with the death of a Nacionalista Party councilor bet after armed men fired upon the vehicle she was riding along with other NP bets on Dec. 28, last year.

Killed in the Dec. 28 ambush was barangay captain Jo-en Caniete-Diego of Lanas, Dingras, an NP bet for Dingras councilor.

Four others including re-electionist board member Robert Castro were seriously wounded during the incident.

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84 gun ban violators nabbed in Cordillera

CAMP DANGWA, La Trinidad, Benguet – Police operatives of the different parts of the Cordillera apprehended 84 individuals for alleged violation of the gun ban being jointly implemented by the Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police in relation to the upcoming May 2010 synchronized and automated elections.

At he same time, the regional joint security control center reported law enforcers seized from the arrested gun ban gun violators 73 assorted firearms, 10 bladed weapons, and five grenades.

Of the alleged violators, 67 were civilians, nine enforcers, and eight government officials.

Abra topped the list of gun ban violators with 30, followed by Benguet with 15, Baguio City – 13, Ifugao – nine, Apayao with 7, and the Ifugao and Mountain Province with five violators each. The confiscated firearms, bladed weapons and explosives from the gun ban violators were already submitted to the different courts in the city and provinces. – Dexter See

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Red tide alert in P’sinan town

SAN FERNANDO, La Union– The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources regional office here has banned the gathering, selling and eating of shellfish, shrimps and crabs from the waters of Wawa, Bani, Pangasinan due to the presence of red tide microorganisms.

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Dominguez leads in MP Pulso Kongreso survey

QUEZON CITY - A survey conducted by Pulso Kongreso showed Mountain Province congressional candidate Jupiter ‘Jup’ Dominguez leading in a focused SMS survey.

Among 12, 879 respondent-cell phone users from Mountain Province, 35.53 percent opted for Dominguez followed by Franklin Odsey with 22.18%, Maximo Dalog at 19.94% and Thomas Killip at 13.62%.

Pulso Kongreso was commissioned by interest groups at the Batasan Pambansa as an indicator for the incoming members of Congress.

The target respondents for the survey were voters of Mountain Province with registered cell phone numbers.

With about 35,000 cell phone users in Mountain Province, the survey sample of 12,879 cell phone users were randomly selected using the RAN function of the scientific calculator.

All municipalities were represented in the sample although with minimal numbers from Barlig and Sadanga owing to poor cell signal in these areas.

The respondents were sent an open ended neutral SMS query – “AUTOMATED SMS POLL by BATASAN: Sino ang iboboto mong Representative o Congressman sa Mt Province?

Of 12,897 who were queried, 86.87 % or 11,204 responded. Of these, 94.97 % gave valid responses and 5.03 % invalid answers such as ‘secret, baka sabihin mo sa kapitbahay ko’.

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Gov’t loans set for Benguet, Baguio, Ifugao OFWs, kin

By Lito Dar

BAGUIO CITY – The Overseas Worker Welfare Administration’s National Livelihood Support Fund (NLSF) is now available for Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in Baguio, Benguet and Ifugao.

According to OWWA-Cordillera Director Evelyn Laranang, the NLSF is a national loan program with a P100 million fund which aims to support OFWs, active or returnees, who want to augment their source of income by engaging in business or expand their existing business.

“This livelihood loan program aims to support OFWs who want to go into business or expand their existing business. OFWs, active or returnees, in Baguio City, Benguet and Ifugao could now avail,” Laranang said.

Laranang said OFWs could now get their application from OWWA-NLSF conduit partner banks.

Applicants will only need a certificate of eligibility from OWWA and afterwards they will be given orientation and social preparation training.

Immediate dependents of active OFWs can also avail of the said livelihood loan project if they can get an authorization from the next of kin OFW.

Under the collateralized loan, OWWA-NLSF livelihood loan offers a maximum of P200,000.00 which may be granted to bonafide OFWs or their dependents to start , revive or expand their existing business.

Cooperative Bank of Benguet, the newly accredited conduit partner for the implementation of the livelihood loan, will only cater to OFWs and / or their dependents from Baguio City and adjacent municipalities of Benguet.

In Ifugao, the accredited conduit partners in implementing said program are the Piwong Multi Purpose Cooperative in Hingyon, and the Lamut Grassroots and Savings Development Cooperative in Lamut.

Accreditation for other conduit partners for other provinces is still in process.

For more information, call or text Ms. Loreta B. Vergara, of OWWA-Cordillera at mobile number 09205913658 or at the OWWA land line numbers (074) 445-2260 or (074)300-3658.

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‘Serial killer’ with P140,000 bounty for his capture nabbed

By Mar T. Supnad

AGOO, La Union -- Police arrested Wednesday a top most wanted person and suspected Private Armed Group (PAG) member with a cash reward for his capture here in Barangay San Roque.
The suspect, identified as Flor D. Abiang,48 resident of Barangay Cabaroan,Santa Maria, Ilocos Sur, was nabbed foolowing an arrest warrant against him issued by Judge Arturo B. Buenaventura of Regional Trial Court Branch 22 in Narvacan, Ilocos Sur.

Region 1 police director Chief Supt.Constante Davis Azares Jr. said
Abiang is a suspect in a number of killings in Ilocos Sur and La Union from 2001 to 2003, and had been in hiding for several years.

“Based on records, Abiang is a prime suspect in the killing of a certain Andres Tugade sometime in 2003; tagged as the alleged killer of a political supporter of an incumbentSangguniang Bayan member in Sta Maria town in 2002 and a suspect in the assassination attempt on a vice mayor in Ilocos Sur in 2001. He is also believed to be involved in several unsolved killings in the region,” Azares said.

Abiang was detained at the Agoo Police Station before he will be turned-over to the court responsible over his case.

Azares said the arrest of Abiang is a direct result of the campaign of the Region 1 police against wanted persons.

Abiang was listed most wanted person in the Ilocos Region with a monetary reward of P140,000 for his capture.

Arresting lawmen inlcuded operatives of the Special Operations Group of the Regional Intelligence Division, 2nd Company of the Regional Public Safety Management Battalion and Agoo police led by Chief Inspectors Eduardo Danguecan, Jr. and Joel Quintero under the supervision of Police Supt. Julius C. Suriben

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Cops hunt killers of pastor, 2 others

By Mar Supnad

CAMP FLORENDO – La Union – Ilocos police director Chief Supt. Constante D. Azares, Jr. has ordered a special investigation group to dig deeper into the shooting incident that killed a pastor and two others in an ambush along the Suyo-Cambaly Road in Barangay Suyo, Bagulin, La Union.

Azares directed the task force headed by Senior Supt. Ireneo O. Inal of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and La Union police officials headed by Senior Supt. Noli G. Taliño, assistant commander of said probe body to solve the incident.

“We condemn this inhuman act and our men are conducting round-the-clock thorough investigation to identify and arrest the suspects. The Region 1 police will not stop until we give justice to the victims and put the assassins behind bars,” Azares said.

Based on reports reaching this headquarters, the shooting incident last April 24, resulted in the deaths of Herminio V. Estacio, 55, married and a Born-Again pastor; his son Glenn, 31, married and their housemaid Elizabeth Q. Laongan, 18, single; all residents of Barangay Cambaly, Bagulin, La Union.

The wife of the pastor identified as Raquel G. Estacio, 51, sustained injuries but survived the ambush after she was rushed by responding policemen to the Bethany Hospital in San Fernando City.

The victims were in a maroon Nissan 4x4 pick-up when they were ambushed by bonnet-wearing gunmen along the descending portion of the Suyo-Cambaly road in Bagulin town about 7:40 a.m. on April 24.

Azares said he ordered maximum security protection for the survivor and assigned 24/7 police security escorts. “This is to ensure the security of Mrs. Estacio because she is now our witness and we are looking into all angles to identify the motive of the ambush.”

The operatives recovered 16 M16 live ammunition, three M16 empty shells, one M16 magazine, five dud ammunition for Cal. 7.62/M-14 with firing pin marks on their primers, two 7.62mm/M14 empty shells, one improvised explosive device (Molotov/incendiary), one red cylinder-shaped bag containing bottles of mineral water, and one piece of black slipper.

Following these, Taliño placed La Union police on alert especially Bagulin and adjacent towns.

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Army men deployed to Abra due to poll ‘wars’

BANGUED, Abra – Additional Army troops are being readied for Abra in the wake of tension among warring political candidates in the northwestern Cordillera province.

Col. Loreto Magundayao, chief of civil-military operations of the Isabela-based 5th Infantry Division, a company-size troop, said around 100 men will be sent to Abra to augment its forces there and prevent election related violence from taking place.

Abra is one of the country’s identified election hot spots owing to its election violence, including political killings taking place during election time. It is also known to have a number of private armed groups allegedly being maintained by some politicians there.

“This deployment of additional troops in Abra has been in answer to an urgent request for augmentation of our troops there in connection with the elections,” Magundayao said.

Abra is the base of the Army’s 503rd Infantry Brigade, one of the three brigades under the 5th ID whose jurisdiction covers Cagayan Valley, Cordillera and Ilocos regions.

Earlier, the Army said, its troops in Kalinga and Mountain Province have been placed on heightened alert amid New People’s Army threats to disrupt the forthcoming elections.

“A bulk of our forces is now in the Cordillera, especially in some areas of Mountain Province and Kalinga to ensure the peaceful electoral exercise in these areas in the wake of communist rebels’ plans to disrupt the polls,” Magundayao said.

The rebels in both provinces were reportedly out to disrupt the election to perpetrate the fiction that they are still a force to reckon with, the Army said.

The heightened alert also came as the Army claimed rebels were intensifying exaction of fees from local candidates of permits to campaign and win in so-called influenced or controlled areas.

“The NPA is reported to have been collecting P5,000 from town candidates to P2 million for congressional seats,” said Major Rosendo Armas, chief of the Tarlac-based Northern Luzon Command’s first civil relations group. -- CL

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Kalinga man’s revenge plans thwarted by group

By Sison Paut

It was not too long ago that a then youthful Peter Bangngayon, a Tulgao Kalinga native, lost his father in a violent encounter with rival Basao tribe.

The pain was too deep that Peter’s thoughts became constantly shrouded by revenge motives.
“A tooth for a tooth,” came the unceasing murmur from within as he grudgingly waited for the day to finally equalize his loss and free his grieving soul.

Meanwhile, precious time ticked by in unproductive mode and, soon, a greater and more formidable foe emerged from this unrelenting passion for revenge --- poverty.

Peter’s life was in shambles. The gnawing cry of his children for food, education, and general welfare became louder. And then it was deafening. He was soon losing hope for economic survival --- the mute witness to all this was the ginebra bottle that provided him daily company in Tulgao and Nambaran, a reckless refuge from the cruelty of the times.

Peter was totally lost, or so it seemed. When Peter treaded this tightrope, he began thinking of ending his life.

Utter helplessness was becoming all too unbearable for him. With this backsliding, the devil began to take hold of his soul.

But it was not to be. Because a slim ray of sunshine appeared from out of the blue, in some darkened niche of Peter’s thoughts when the International Association for Transformation sponsored his daughter and he joined in the “Gift for peace project.”

Peter belongs to the Tulgao tribe, a member of INAPO that exchanged gifts with the Basaos.

From then on, life for Peter became livable again. Today, the renewed, but more vigorous, smiles in the innocent faces of his young children say it all.

Peter has finally scorned the spear, all too willingly trading it with a dove. And as inner peace has consumed his psyche, the future of his immediate family finally becomes a reachable reality. Such are the sweet fruits of peaceful co-existence.

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Irisan dumprehab slated this year

By Glaiza Ana de los Reyes

BAGUIO CITY -- The Irisan dumpsite in Baguio City will be closed soon and rehabilitated this year for the making of another government project.

According to Colleen Lacsamana, head of City Environment and Parks Management office, the area will no longer be used as dumpsite of the whole city, instead it will be constructed as an eco-park.

The project can help the government in attracting the tourists to visit the city.

The people of Irisan especially those who are living in the area for almost 50 years are reportedly opposed to the government project because the dumpsite is their main source of living.

All garbage collected from different places of the city are being brought to the province of Tarlac.

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BSU approves relocation site for typhoon victims

By Redgie Cawis

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet - After six months of living in tents, victims of typhoon Pepeng will now have a permanent relocation site.

La Trinidad Mayor Artemio Galwan bared the Benguet State University Board of Regents approved the relocation site proposal of the local government for victims of Typhoon Pepeng.

The BSU approved as relocation site a three hectare land at Barangay Tawang here being used as farm land for agricultural students and other experimental purposes.

A total of 21 families still living at the “tent city” at Strawberry Fields of this capital town, also owned by the BSU, will be relocated in Tawang.

These families were residents of Sitio Little Kibungan in Barangay Pugui, s who were victims of a massive landslide that killed 75 people during Typhoon Pepeng in October last year.

“The three hectare lot will be developed like a subdivision residential area.

Lots will be divided among families being relocated,” said Galwan.

The local government is coordinating with the Department of Public Works and Highways to assess the site development plan for the lot.

Galwan said the DPWH will help in the improvement of the relocation site in the construction of houses, roads and drainages.

Galwan added the LGU is also seeking help from the Benguet Electric Cooperative, and the La Trinidad Water District for utilities in the relocation site.

The funds for construction of houses and development of the site will come from the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Provincial Government of Benguet and the La Trinidad municipal government.


ddi

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Brods slay neighbor then flee to Laoag

By Freddie Lazaro

SAN NICOLAS, Ilocos Norte — Two brothers are now on the run after taking turns in stabbing and hacking their 40-year-old neighbor to death in Barangay 3, San Nicolas, Ilocos Norte, last Sunday afternoon.

Police identified the victim as Leonardo Damo, 40, resident here of Barangay 3.

His assailants – brothers Roderick and Boboy Aguinaldo – are now the subject of a police hunt after Damo died before reaching the Governor Roque Ablan Sr. Memorial Hospital.

Investigators said the killing started from a simple neighborly quarrel. The suspects reportedly fled to nearby Laoag City.

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2 killed, 1 hurt in road mishap

MANGATAREM, Pangasinan – Two passengers of a pedicab died while their companion is still in critical condition at a local hospital after their vehicle collided head-on with a sports utility vehicle along the provincial road in Umangan here Tuesday.

A report from the Mangatarem municipal police station identified the fatalities as Dimark Sison, of legal age, and Robert Muega, 19, while their injured companion was named as Jayson Morla, 23, all residents of Barangay Umangan here.

Initial investigation showed the three individuals were on board a pedicab and were traveling along the road en route to a still undisclosed destination when it was suddenly rammed by a sports utility vehicle that came from another direction after the latter allegedly occupied the pedicab’s lane.

Because of the impact of the collision, the three victims were thrown several meters away from the accident scene with their head and bodies banging on the concrete pavement.

Concerned motorists and residents immediately rushed the victims to a local hospital but Sison and Muega were pronounced dead on arrival due to multiple head and body injuries.

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