Mayor pushes probe on DPWH infra project

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong requested the city council to conduct an inquiry into an ongoing multi-million project near the Lion's Head along Kennon Road which he said was implemented without any consultation with the city government, affected barangay and other stakeholders.
    "I am urgently asking the city council to immediately conduct a hearing on this project for us to be enlightened on the safety status of the construction.  We also want to be apprised on the details of the project as to who are responsible, what was the intent and why was there no consultation with the local government or with the stakeholders before the implementation," the mayor said.
    "Please treat this request with urgency considering that this involves public safety.  It is concerning that they have shifted from merely installing rock netting to building shotcrete. It is about time that we ask as we were never informed or consulted about this project being built on a public lot within our jurisdiction,” he added.
    City Administrator Bonifacio Dela Pena said the city government wants to get assurance that the project underwent the required quality tests of materials including backfill to ensure the safety of the constructions.
    “If they can show test results that will prove that the project has no safety issues and the city has nothing to worry about, then that will be a relief,” he said.
    He suggested that the city council invite not only the Dept. of Public Works and Highways, and the contractor but also experts from the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines Inc. (ASEP), Mines and GeoSciences Bureau of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources.
    In June this year, the city council approved resolution 354-2023 requesting the Baguio City District Engineering Office, DPWH Cordillera, MGB-CAR, Environmental Management Bureau and the City Engineering Office to conduct a joint inspection on the project entitled “Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of National Roads with Slips, Slope Collapse and Landslide-Primary Roads-Kennon Road” to submit their findings including the design and all necessary data to the city council for information and appropriate legislative action.
    The action stemmed from the concerns raised on the “alleged unstable ground and slope protection included in the project being implemented by the DPWH-CAR near the Lion’s Head” and the investigation report of the City Engineering Office also conducted in June after receiving a call from a concerned citizen regarding the project.
    In July, the city council passed Resolution No. 446-2023 requesting the PICE and the ASEP to evaluate the structural integrity of the ongoing parking facility project and Resolution No. 445-2023 asking the Commission on Audit CAR to conduct a technical inspection/evaluation on the said project worth P118 million.
    City Council Asst. Secretary Dan Ricky Ong informed the mayor that no feedback had so far been received on said approved resolutions.
    “The more reason for us to conduct that inquiry now so that we will not be kept in the dark on its goings on especially since it is a big project implemented without consultation with the local government, the barangay or the DENR and because again, it concerns public safety,” the mayor reiterated.
 

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Cagayan conducting bird flu surveillance vs spread

By Liezle Basa Inigo

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan – The Provincial Veterinary Office is keeping an eye on possible spread of avian influenza or bird flu among dCucks in this province.
    Dr. Myka Ponce, PVET veterinarian, recently conducted blood and swab samples on ducks in Santa Teresita, Gonzaga, Santa Ana, Buguey, Aparri, Camalaniugan, Enrile, and Peñablanca to ensure that they are safe from bird flu.
The surveillance is conducted twice a year by PVET especially in coastal areas that are often visited by migratory birds that are possible carriers of bird flu.
    This province recorded a bird flu case in Solana last January but was immediately controlled.
    The PVET is awaiting the results of the collected blood and swab samples and assured that they will continue surveillance in Claveria, Sanchez Mira, and Ballesteros.

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Fatal boat ramming near Bajo de Masinloc probed

By Lade Jean Kabagani

The ramming of a Filipino fishing boat by a foreign commercial vessel while transiting waters near Bajo de Masinloc that killed three Filipinos might have been an “accident.”
    This was the assessment of Senator Francis Tolentino as the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee began motu propio investigation on the issue.
    “I could not speculate. I don’t even know the crew there. Probably it’s an accident,” Tolentino said in a media interview after the Senate hearing on Thursday.
    Tolentino said the panel’s first investigation on the boat ramming revealed the owners of the foreign commercial ship, Pacific Anna, which is now considered a vessel of interest in the ramming incident, is being operated by a Chinese-Korean firm.
    “Yung relevation lang dito na lumabas, ‘yung tanong na sino ang may-ari ng barko? ‘Yung Sinokor. Sinokor is a Chinese-Korean Corporation (The revelation that comes out here is that the owner of the vessel is Sinokor. Sinokor is a Chinese-Korean corporation. But I am not attributing anything here” Tolentino said partly in Filipino.
    Senators learned about information during the hearing, as confirmed by Captain Leo Bolivar, deputy commissioner for maritime affairs of the Republic of Marshall Islands.
    “It’s actually owned by Sinokor…I have a confirmation here that the shipowner is a Compass Shipping 28 Corporation Limited with an address care of Sinokor Maritime Company Limited…in Seoul, Korea,” Bolivar said.
    Tolentino made a quick look at Sinokor’s website and it revealed that the company is a “joint venture between Chinese and Korean groups”—operated by Sinokor Merchant Marine, and owned by Compass Shipping 28 Corporation Ltd. based in Seoul, South Korea.
    During the hearing, Bolivar said Maritime and Corporate Registries of Marshall Island had started its investigation on the fatal collision as early as 4 October upon learning of the incident involving Pacific Anna.
    He said they are now in the process of “concluding the investigation and it will be a full report that will be forwarded to the International Maritime Organization database and it will be visible for Port State Control.”
    Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel Jr. urged that concerned government agencies to appeal to the Pacific Anna operators to compensate the victims of the fatal ramming incident.
    Pimentel cited the evidence presented at the hearing, along with the initial investigation theory of the Philippine Coast Guard, which revealed that the boat ramming “might have been an accident” and can be “settled in accordance with international law.”
    “Accidents do happen. Posible namang aksidente ito eh (It’s possible that this is an accident). If it’s a pure accident, does anybody have to go to jail? Hindi (No). But we have to compensate those damaged, at huwag na nating i-dribble o patagalin masyado (and we don’t need to prolong it),” he stressed.
    Pimentel underscored that the victims should be “entitled to a certain amount.”
    “International law does not prevent the payment of the entire amount or an initial amount,” he added.
    Amid the investigations on the incident, the Philippine Coast Guard said it continues to monitor the movement of the Marshall Islands-registered crude oil tanker.
    It was last tracked to have docked at Kidurong, Malaysia, and is currently moving away from the area.
    Meanwhile, PCG Maritime Safety Services Commander Vice Admiral Joseph Coyme said the FB Dearyn is now being towed towards Subic, Zambales.
    “This piece of evidence is very important for us because we will conduct an inspection and at the same time, examine those scab marks found on the hull of the FB Dearyn and be subjected to forensic examination,” Coyme said, noting that the PCG’s fact-finding investigation report will be completed in a week.
    The final report will then be submitted to the Department of Foreign Affairs for appropriate diplomatic actions, he added.
 

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Abra lawyer slay suspects identified

DOJ bares NBI probe results 

By Daphne Galvez and Pedring Labrador

BANGUED, Abra -- Probers have identified suspects in the killing of lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Alzate, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla reported Tuesday.
    “May suspects na tayo. The NBI is on top of this,” Remulla said in an interview over dzRH, referring to the National Bureau of Investigation.
    He did not name the suspects.
    Remulla said the NBI launched a parallel probe and looking at footage of closed-circuit television cameras at the crime scene.
    Lawyer Maria Saniata Liwliwa Alzate was in her Mitsubishi Mirage parked in front of her house along Santiago St. in Barangay Zone 3, Bangued, on Sept. 14 when she was shot at close range.
    Alzate suffered eight gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at the Seares Memorial Hospital.
    The DOJ condemned the killing, which it described as “unacceptable.”
    Philippine National Police chief Gen. Benjamin Acorda Jr. said the special investigation task group created to probe the killing obtained strong leads on the suspects.
    At the Sept. 16 News Forum held at Dapo Restaurant and Bar in Quezon City, Acorda reported investigation was “moving in the right direction.”
    He said it was premature to link Alzate’s murder to the barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections since she was involved with human rights concerns.
    Malacañang joined various sectors in condemning the killing of Alzate.
    In a statement, Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin said Alzate’s death was a “tragedy” for the province of Abra and the legal profession.
    “We join our brothers and sisters in the legal profession in condemning the killing of Atty. Alzate,” Bersamin, who hails from Abra, said.
    “We will ensure that our law enforcement agencies will work relentlessly to bring to justice those behind this heinous act,” he added.     ”Pursuit operations are ongoing. We call upon our citizens to remain vigilant.”
    Bersamin described Alzate as “fearless, steadfast and principled” in her law practice and “unrelenting” in her pursuit of justice.
    Alzate was president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Abra chapter and IBP commissioner on Bar discipline.
    The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) also joined calls for justice for Alzate.
    “The CHR strongly condemns the killing of another lawyer and joins the call for law enforcement agencies to urgently pursue the perpetrators of this violence so they may be brought to justice,” the commission said in a statement issued Wednesday.
    “In the midst of calls to address impunity, threats and attacks against members of the legal profession directly affront the rule of law. CHR has since stressed their important role: courts, lawyers and judges are crucial in administering justice as well as in uncovering the truth, especially for gross human rights violations,” it said.
    The CHR said it was in the best interest of the government to protect lawyers to allow them to do their duty without fear of threats and retaliation.
    The Integrated Bar of the Philippines on Tuesday paid tribute to slain lawyer Gonzales-Alzate and called for task force to investigate the killings of lawyers in the country.
    The IBP condemned her killing and called on authorities to do more to safeguard the country’s abogados.
    The IBP said it is in solidarity with the legal community and Alzate’s family.
    The IBP Committee on Bar Discipline posted a “Tribute to Ling” where it remembered her as a staunch human rights defender, one who was “fiery in her passion, brave, and cavalier in the pursuit of justice for the oppressed.”
    It said she was dedicated to fighting for the marginalized and disadvantaged, advocating for those who could not speak up for themselves as she upheld the principles of fairness and integrity and inspired others to fight for justice.
    The IBP committee also remembered the other lawyers who were killed and left a void in the community. Their fate underscores the risks and dangers that some members of the legal profession face.
    This, as the Philippine National Police urged the public to help identify and find the killers of Alzate.
    During a press briefing at Camp Crame in Manila on Monday, Col. Jean Fajardo, PNP public information office chief, said the PNP WAS bent on solving the case.
    “We saw on CCTV footage that there were two persons involved in the murder of Alzate,” Fajardo said, referring to closed-circuit television camera.
    The footage showed the assailant approaching Alzate’s vehicle and shooting her before fleeing.
    The gunman later returned to the crime scene on a motorcycle driven by another person.
    Fajardo said the CCTV images were of high quality and the PNP submitted these to its Anti-Cybercrime Group for enhancement.
    Although the suspects’ faces were visible in the footage, Fajardo said the PNP was appealing for public assistance.
    Fajardo urged anyone with information about the suspects to cooperate with the police.
    She said the PNP has yet to determine the motive for the killing.
    Authorities are now hunting the two gunmen who shot dead Alzate.
    "We call on the public to provide us any relevant information that would assist us in our investigation," Abra police director Col Froiland Lopez said in a statement.
    "Whatever the motive and whoever are the assailants and masterminds, this merciless murder of a young, principled and idealistic lawyer is enabled by impunity engendered by passive, token and ningas cogon responses from State authorities," Edre Olalia, transitional president of lawyers group International Association of Democratic Lawyers, said Friday in a statement.
    Abra Gov. Dominic Valera also condemned the killing of Alzate and urged local authorities to expedite its investigation.
    In a Facebook post, Raphiel Alzate, the widower of the slain lawyer, appealed to the public to donate to a legal fund for continuation of the cases his wife was handling.
    According to Raphiel, a former acting presiding judge of a Regional Trial Court in Ilocos Sur and Abra, most of his wife's cases were pro bono, in which legal services wer4e covered by a professional fee or at a lower cost.
    Local police said Alzate was gunned down along Santiago St, Zone 3 around 4:55 p.m.
    Based on initial investigation, Alzate was parking her vehicle when she was shot.
    A concerned citizen witnessed the shooting, brought the lawyer to the nearest hospital and sought assistance of police.
Alzate, the police said, was declared dead a few minutes after reaching hospital.
    The witness said the assassins had blue shirts and dark caps on and fled towards Barangay Consiliman, Zone 2 after the attack.
    Abra provincial police public information office chief Captain Ronaldo Eslabra said based on initial investigation, the victim was inside her white car parked in front of her house when two unidentified assailants shot her.
    The victim was brought to Dr. Petronilo V. Seares Sr. Memorial Hospital, but later died at around 5:05 pm, according to Eslabra.
    After shooting the lawyer, the assailants fled on their motorcycles towards Barangay Consiliman, in the same town.
One of the assailants was seen wearing a blue polo shirt and dark cap.
     “We strongly condemn this heartless attack against our sister in the profession. We staunchly urge government authorities to act swiftly in the apprehension of the perpetrators,” the IBP Northern Luzon Chapter said.
    “When will the killings stop? When will lawyers be allowed to perform their duties in accordance with their lawyer’s oath without fear of reprisal?” said National Union of Peoples’ Lawyers (NUPL) President Ephraim Cortez in a statement, adding that Alzate is the second lawyer killed in less than a month, after the murder of lawyer Elmer Mape on Aug. 22 in Leyte.
    Cortez cited a case handled by Alzate that was favored by the Regional Trial Court of Abra.
According to IBP, Abra RTC granted a writ of amparo in favor of Excel Billedo, Alzate’s client, on Feb. 20 this year.
    Allegedly, Billedo had been abducted, detained and tortured by Philippine National Police personnel in Bangued.
    The court also granted a protection order for Billedo and his mother.
    The IBP commended not only the judge who promptly resolved the case but also the efforts of Alzate.
    “Her able representation of her clients aided them in their quest for justice despite great risks to herself. It is a sterling example of lawyering for the public interest,” the IBP said.
    Cortez said after the Supreme Court’s issuance of a joint statement to address the issue on attacks against the legal profession and the issuance of the Rule on the Use of Body Worn Cameras, “no other positive action was made to address the issue on the attacks on the members of the legal profession. Several lawyers have since been killed, harassed and intimidated.”
    “Time and again, we have called the attention of authorities to do something about these killings. We have been knocking on doors till the morning light so to speak,” Cortez said.
    The IBP-Northern Luzon said Alzate dedicatedly and selflessly served as chapter president for two terms.
“A strong principled lady lawyer and an epitome of valor, she readily heeded to the call for help of the underprivileged, oppressed and downtrodden,” the IBP-Northern Luzon said.
    Alzate is the third lawyer killed since Ferdinand Marcos Jr. assumed office, the group said.
    “The NUPL firmly urges all law enforcement agencies to rigorously investigate this incident and, subsequently, bring to justice its perpetrators, echoing its earlier calls made in the wake of attacks on lawyers: Stop the Attacks!” the NUPL said in their statement. – AD with pooled reports 
 

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161 illegal structures in Baguio City probed

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- A total of 161 ongoing structures without building permits were reported and investigated by the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) in July and August.
    Engineer Donald Gas-ib, head of the City Buildings and Architectures Office (CBAO) Investigation and Demolition Division said 127 of these constructions are situated in titled lots while 21 are in unregistered lots.  Nine were found encroaching in road right-of-ways and two were on creeks.  Two were within watersheds.
    The CBAO noted the apparent decline in the number of new unpermitted structures being reported and attributed this to the effectiveness of the more aggressive monitoring and reporting being undertaken in line with Mayor Benjamin Magalong’s order to revitalize the anti-squatting campaign.
    As per procedures, owners of illegal structures found in titled lots without ownership issues were ordered to stop construction and secure building permits. 
    Those with conflicts were issued cease and desist orders with the advice to resolve the lot issues.
    Constructions on untitled or unregistered lots were issued notices of violation and subjected to investigations.
    Structures found in safeguarded lots were immediately endorsed for summary demolition.
    In April, a total of 223 constructions in titled and untitled lots and road right-of-ways were halted for permit violations while 26 new illegal constructions in three watersheds were endorsed for demolition.
    Last May, a total of 102 more ongoing illegal structures were reported, 40 of which were on titled lots, 41 on unregistered lots, nine on RROWs, eight were on lots covered by Certificate of Ancestral Land Titles (CALT) and four within watersheds.
 

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PBBM, Ombudsman urged: Probe Sagada road project

Ato-Engan-Mobo- Lamagan-Atowanan farm to market road 

Folks, tourists endangered

By Gina Dizon

  SAGADA, Mountain Province -- President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. Ombudsman and concerned offices were urge to probe and take immediate action over a dangerous road project in this tourist town. 
    Writing on behalf of her family and the Atowanan-Malbo community, affected resident Janice Borja urged said officials to take action considering it posed danger to residents and tourists.  
    A part of the damaged  Ato-Engan- Lamagan- Mobo- Atowanan  farm to market road cracked at the height of  Typhoon Egay brought down pavements with obviously no reinforcement and parapet along the Engan section of the said FMR  endangering households and properties below, above and near the damaged road.

 The state of the FMR is reportedly dangerous to passersby, residents, farmers, other locals and visitors who use the road.

Said FMR was funded with P29.5 million from the Integrated Natural Resources Environment Management Program (INREMP) of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Cordillera Administrative Region and a P3 million counterpart from the municipality of Sagada.

Said FMR was implemented by the regional Dept. of Agriculture (DA) and the municipality of Sagada in 2018. 

Borja in same letter to Regional Director Cameron Odsey of the  Dept. of Agriculture and DENR Regional Director  Ralph Pablo  asked for immediate reconstruction of the road.

 “The road needs to be resurfaced, and potholes and cracks must be filled. Pavements and parapet must have reinforcement steel bars,” Borja stated in her letter.

     “A thorough inspection of the newly built home should be conducted to assess the structural damages. Based on the findings, necessary repairs should be made to ensure the safety of the inhabitants and prevent further deterioration of the property,” she added.

    Also in same letter to Sagada Municipal Mayor Felicito Dula, Borja asked for the cleaning up of the site and repair of their damaged home. 

    The complainant wrote the Office of the Ombudsman and Commission on Audit that investigation be conducted on the construction of the road stating, “The road was not built to proper standards and that this is the reason for its current condition.”

 

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Pangasinan gov orders provincial board: Probe ASF vax farm trials

By Gabriel L. Cardinoza

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan -- Vice Gov. Mark Ronald Lambino on Monday, August 7, ordered the provincial board to conduct an inquiry into reports that farm trials on Asian swine fever (ASF) vaccines are now being conducted in Pangasinan province.
    "We are not aware of that testing that unofficial reports say this was being done by the Department of Agriculture, and we have to verify this," said Lambino.
    "I have requested Board Member (Nicholi Jan Louie) Sison to immediately conduct an inquiry on this alleged testing of an ASF live virus in Pangasinan. Our primary concern here is the biosecurity protocols of the province," he added.
    Sison said that Rosendo So, chairman of the Samahang Industriya ng Agrikultura, wrote the provincial board "out of his concern on the safety of the pork that we are going to consume here because we do not know yet what will be its effects."
    "We are currently regulating the entry of piggery, poultry, and other livestock entities in the province and we have imposed a temporary ban on pork, poultry and other livestock from ASF affected areas," said Sison, provincial board committee on agriculture chairman.
    At present, Pangasinan has no reported cases of ASF and the temporary total ban is necessary to prevent the virus from entering the province.

Lambino also said that it was So who wrote to him about the farm trials.

In his letter, So said that the trials supposedly started last June and will end in September.

There was no mention of specific places in Pangasinan where the vaccine trials are being conducted.

 

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City anti-squatting team probes illegal structures being built in Camp 7

BAGUIO CITY -- Nineteen constructions without permit here in Barangay Camp 7 were reported by members of the Baguio Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (BASIS) last week.
    The structures were monitored by barangay officials and deputized environmental personnel assigned at the Baguio City Police Station 8 in Kennon Road in compliance to the memorandum of Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong for intensive monitoring and reporting of illegal structures within areas of responsibility per the National Building Code.
    On August 10, personnel of the BCPO-Kennon Police Station together with barangay kagawad Benedict Cadiay and dagawad Michael Binay-an of Camp 7 inspected eleven ongoing constructions.
    Ten were found without building permits while one was on-process of acquiring a permit.
    Four of the subject structures were tiled, two without title, two within the road-right-of-way of the national highway, two with tax declaration and one with unknown lot status.
    Meanwhile, eight more structures were requested for inspection by Camp 7 Punong Barangay Angelina C. Ramos of Camp 7 consists of residential building constructions, extension of existing structure, and fencing activities allegedly without permits.

All these reports will be validated by the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) for the issuance of notices of violation.

The city government through CBAO have been joining barangay assemblies for its information education campaign on building permit procedures as part of the intensified drive against illegal structures.

The CBAO’s initiative is in line with the current administration’s core agenda to abate urban decay by ensuring that new building constructions comply with existing laws per the National Building Code of the Philippines as well as safeguarding the remaining forest covers of the city from further intrusions.

Inquiries on building permit requirements and procedures may be directed to CBAO by calling tel. no. 442-2503. – JMPS

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Council pushes probe on Lion’s Head parking area

BAGUIO CITY -- Officials here requested the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) and Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines, Inc. (ASEP) to probe and evaluate the structural integrity of ongoing construction of a parking facility being implemented by the Dept. of Public works and Highways near the Lion’s Head along Kennon road.
    Under Resolution No. 446, series of 2023, local legislators stated the ASEP is a nationally recognized association which exists to advance the structural engineering practice, uphold high ethical values, and promote national and international professional collaborations with governments, industry and academe.
    The said group serves as a respected, authoritative and proactive voice in the development of codes and standards, and shall contribute to nation building by advocating for public safety and welfare and sustainability of the built environment.
    The council claimed the city government is a recipient of various national government projects such as construction of roads, buildings and other infrastructure projects implemented locally by the national and regional offices of concerned agencies.
    The body disclosed that one of the major projects being implemented in the city is the rehabilitation/reconstruction and improvement of Kennon road to prevent the road slope disasters such as soil collapse, rock fall, road slip, landslides and river erosions that frequently occur along the said road.
    According to the resolution, the PICE is a professional organization for civil engineers with a role that is vital in planning and managing communities to become more resilient to environmental degradation, human induced hazards and natural disasters.
    The organization’s role is not confined to solving challenges related to design, construction, and maintenance of the physically and naturally built environment but also plays a critical role in disaster management and response and damage restoration.

On the other hand, city officials also requested the Commission on Audit–Cordillera Administrative Region (COA-CAR) to conduct a technical inspection/evaluation on the ongoing project worth P118 million along Kennon road that includes the construction of a parking facility near the Lion’s Head and a road at the Loakan area leading to a private residence.

Considered by the council was a proposed resolution introduced by Councilor Fred Bagbagen reiterating various city council resolutions requesting the DPWH-CAR and the DPWH-BCDEO to coordinate with the local government through the City Engineering Office (CEO) on projects implemented in the city.

 

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Electric coop illegally deducted pay of electric co-op employees

Congressional hearing findings 

The salaries of employees of the Isabela Electric Cooperative have been illegally deducted for payments to One EC MCO Network Foundation, a hearing in Congress discovered.
    Emilia de Guzman, supervising officer from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), said the deductions violate DOLE Advisory No. 11 Series of 2014 on Non-Interference in the Disposal of Wages and Allowable Deductions.
    De Guzman made the statement during the joint hearing of the House committee on energy and committee on North Luzon growth quadrangle.
    Based on the said advisory, employers may only deduct from employee's wages those that are authorized by law, including insurance premiums, or if the deductions are with written authorization of employees.
    A joint affidavit filed by ISELCO-I employees revealed that without their consent, rank and file employees were being deducted P100 monthly, supervisors P150, department heads P200, general managers P500, and the board of directors P200.
    According to the affidavit, the forced remittances have reached a total of P1,549,750, which were collected from 2019 until 2022. 

Files retrieved from the Securities and Exchange Commission show that One EC MCO Network Foundation was established by officials of various electric cooperatives across the country.

 

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City council probes land dispute between farmers, Baguio gov’t

By Jordan G. Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY -- The City Council here started a probe of land dispute between the city government and indigenous farmers here in Barangay Irisan.
    The disputed land is a 5,000-square meter lot donated to the City Government of Baguio by the heirs of Felipe Pucay in 2001.
    The lot was intended for the construction of the city’s Social Welfare Center (Bahay Pag-asa) operated by the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO). 
    Also, the development plan for the halfway home for rebel returnees which is now under construction and the upcoming retirement home for the elderly will be implemented within the 5,000-sqm lot. A perimeter fence surrounding the lot has been erected to secure the area.
    A portion of the lot with an area of 1,299 sqm, however, appears to overlap the claim of the family of the late Frumencio Salda.
    In his letter to the city council, Froilan Salda, eldest son of the late Frumencio Salda, claimed that the lot owned by one of the heirs of Pucay was waived to his father in 2002. 
    According to Froilan Salda, he was charged by then City Social Welfare and Development Officer Betty Fangasan for illegal fencing in 2020 and was asked to pay a P10,000 fine.
    He also claimed that he and his fellow land claimants who are farmers were prohibited to access the road along the Social Welfare Center. 
    To thresh out the matter, the city council invited concerned parties to attend their regular session last March 27.
Nestor Mestito, CSWDO representative, said the said land dispute had been the subject of court litigation and has already been decided by the court.
    He said the land claimants filed a case of recovery of possession and damages, but the case was dismissed by the court.
    Mestito said the road along the Social Welfare Center was closed upon the recommendation of the court to ensure the safety of the children in the area.
    Also attending the session, the land claimants said they were using the lot for farming and gardening as source of their livelihood.
    They said closure of the road burdened farmers who transport their products going up and down the mountain.
Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr. said the city government had been “acting on its own” regarding the use of the donated lot without consulting the co-owners of the land including the Salda family.
    The city council requested CSWDO and the City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO) to reopen the road pending the resolution of the dispute.
    The city council’s committee on laws, human rights, and justice chaired by Councilor Peter Fianza will inspect the area and hold a hearing among all the parties concerned including the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to thoroughly discuss the matter.
    One of the issues that needs to be addressed during the hearing was validity of the deed of donation now being questioned because of seeming lack of conformity by the other co-owners on the intent of Elsie Kiwas-Pucay, one of the heirs of Felipe Pucay, to donate the land to the city government.
 
 

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Arson probers checking Baguio market five cause; vendors set for relocation

BAGUIO CITY – The City Council backed relocation of fire-displaced vendors at Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market.
    This, as investigators are still ascertaining the cause of the fire through forensic examination of evidence gathered from an area where the fire is believed to have originated.
    Under Resolution No. 174, series of 2023, local legislators cited the need for the fire-displaced vendors to continue their established sources of livelihood at similarly ideal locations for vending in the city that is accessible to market goers for them to be able to sustain their economic activities.
    Earlier, the 5-hour fire which ravaged Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market on the night of March 11, 2023 that was declared fire out at around 4:38 am of March 12, 2023 has affected a significant number of vendors and leaving an estimated damage of more than P24 million in terms of public and private properties in the said area.
    The council pointed out that the rubble left by the fire required tremendous clearing and the need to relocate the vendors temporarily along Zandueta St. until the burned area was declared safe and ready for occupation.
    Aside from Zandueta St., the fire-displaced vendors have been allowed to do their vending activities along Hilltop St., Kayang St., portions of Malcolm Square, portions of Perfecto St. and portions of Burnham Park to allow them to earn income while the local government is doing its best to put up temporary stalls for their safe vending operation.
    Some 1,700 vendors from Blocks 3 and 4 of the city market were reported by the local government to have been displaced by the fire incident that razed nearly one-third of the market facility.
    Meanwhile, city officials authorized supplemental budget from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund worth P8 million to buy supplies and equipment to facilitate to construct temporary stalls of affected vendors of Blocks 3 and 4 of the burned city public market and to restore roofing of livestock area.

Under Appropriation Ordinance No. 30, series of 2023, P7.7 million will be allocated for procurement of supplies and equipment for the put up of temporary stalls for affected tenants of Blocks 3 and 4 while P300,000 will be allocated to purchase supplies for restoration of the roofing of the livestock area that was affected by the 5-hour fire that gutted a huge portion of the city’s market facility.

In a certification dated March 15, 2023, the city’s Local Finance Committee certified that the amount of P8 million is actually available from the City disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund – trust fund to support the request of the local chief executive for the procurement of necessary supplies and equipment to facilitate the put up of temporary stalls for affected vendors of Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market and also to restore the roofing of the livestock area in the said facility.

Earlier, the local chief executive requested for a budget allocation of P10 million as prepared by the CDRRMO, City Buildings and Architecture Office (CBAO), City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), and the City Budget Office to address the post-fire incident recovery at the city public market, and the concurrence with regards to the proposed relocation sites at Malcolm Square, portions of Perfecto St., portions of Hilltop St., Kayang St., Zandueta St. and portions of Burnham Park.

The said funds are for the immediate implementation of post-fire recovery operations and relocation of affected vendors to comfortable and safe relocation.

However, there has been a revision to the previous request for supplemental budget amounting to only P8 million from the previous proposed budget of P10 million where the same will be chargeable against the CDRRMF-TF for the procurement of necessary supplies and equipment to facilitate the put up of the proposed temporary stalls at Blocks 3 and 4 of the city public market and the restoration of the roofing at the livestock area. – Dexter A. See

 

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CAAP completes probe of Cessna crash site

By Vince Jacob Visaya

CAUAYAN CITY -- Six investigators and mechanics from the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) wrapped up their field investigation in the crash site of the Cessna 206 plane with tail number RP-C1174 in Barangay Ditarum, Divilacan, Isabela, the local Disaster Risk Reduction Management officer said.
    Engineer Ezikiel Chavez, Divilacan DRRM officer, told reporters here CAAP probers completed field investigation and safely back to the village proper after their sortie with the 95th Infantry Battalion soldiers, two Divilacan police, two Divilacan rescuers and six volunteer Dumagat natives at the site along the Northern Sierra Madre mountain ranges.
    The investigators gathered vital parts of the plane to complete their probe.
    Results of the investigation have yet to be released by the civil aviation authorities.
    The team members also scoured the area in an effort to find the decapitated head of one of the fatalities (whose name was not disclosed), but they failed to find it.
    The plane's pilot, Capt. Eleazar Mark Joven, and the five passengers — Val Kamatoy, Rom Joshtle Manaday, Mark Siguerra, Xam Siguerra and Perla Josefa España — died in the crash.
    The plane was supposed to touch down at Maconacon Airport in Maconacon, Isabela when it crashed on Jan. 24.
    On March 9, the debris and the remains of the plane's pilot and passengers were found by the ground search teams in Ditarum village.

 

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Probe finds out Baguio market lease violations

By Jordan G.Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY – The city government has found out violations lease of public market stalls here.
    Long-standing issues on subleasing at the Baguio City Public Market were raised during the Baguio City Council’s regular session last March 20 in relation to allocation of stalls to victims of the fire that hit the city market night of March 11 until the wee hours of March 12. 
    City officials said subleasing is a practice that violates the city’s Market Code under tax ordinance 2000-01.
    The Market Code stipulates that the leaseholder shall not lease the stall awarded to them.
    This practice had long existed according to the results of investigations conducted by the city government. 
    During the session, members of the city council asked who between the leaseholder and the renter should occupy the temporary stall.
    Answering the question, City Treasurer Alex Cabarrubias said both the leaseholder renting out the stall and the renter should be disqualified since both violated the Market Code. 
    Cabarrubias, however, asked the city council how to properly address this issue, considering application period for market amnesty already lapsed on April 1, 2022.
    The amnesty program was enacted by the city council to end lease violations in the city market such as subleasing and selling of market stalls.
    The amnesty program provides corrective remedies such as formally transferring the lease hold rights by the original leaseholder to the actual occupant upon the former’s issuance of waiver of rights.
    The amnesty ordinance, however, states that if both parties fail to agree, the contract of lease shall be revoked or canceled and the stall shall be declared vacant; or the market supervisor may adjudicate on the case and award the stall to either party based on the results of the investigation. 
    Cabarrubias said they had advised actual occupants to submit an affidavit admitting they had been renting from a leaseholder. 
    The affidavits were merely noted but no further action was undertaken yet, he said.
    “What now is the next step?” he asked the city council.
    Councilor Isabelo Cosalan Jr. said there was a pending proposal to extend application period for the amnesty program in light of the fire incident.
    Cabarrubias considered this as a positive move by the city council. Meanwhile, Councilor Peter Fianza said the priority at the moment is to restore the displaced vendors.
    He suggested suspending any decision as to who between the leaseholder and the actual occupant has better rights over the stall. 
    “As of now, the intention is to simply allow the vendors who were there at the time of the fire to return. There should be no decision yet as to who will be awarded the stall because that process takes time.” Fianza explained. 
    Vice Mayor Faustino Olowan said this matter will be discussed further with the executive department. 
    In the same session, the city council passed a resolution urging the City Buildings and Architecture Office to employ the services of a structural engineer to inspect the “structural integrity of Block 4 Building at the public market to ensure the safety of vendors and the public.
 

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Senate, CDA urged: Probe Cordillera transport coop

‘Malversation, mismanagement by president’ 

By Jordan Habbiling

BAGUIO CITY – The City council urged the Senate and the Cooperative Development Authority  to investigate the leadership and management crises currently experienced by the Cordillera Basic Sectors Transport Cooperative over allegations of mismanagement and malversation of funds by CBSTC leadership.
    The Senate was urged by the city government’s legislative body in a resolution last week to probe the issue, citing its lack of contempt power. 
    The CDA-Cordillera Administrative Region (CDA-CAR) was also asked by the council to resolve the leadership tussle along with other internal and management issues being experienced by the CBSTC.
    This, after members of CBSTC sought the help of the city council regarding the current state of their transport cooperative, accusing incumbent CBSTC chairperson Jude Wal of mismanagement and malversation. 
    The city council was informed there were now two sets of officers in the transport cooperative as a result of faction.
    CBSTC member Rolando Yambot claimed he was elected as new CBSTC chairperson during their general assembly last Jan. 14.
    Amid the escalating leadership impasse and mounting accusations against Wal, the city council summoned another forum, inviting all concerned parties to attend.
    For the third time, Wal failed to attend the council forum.
    During the forum, CDA-CAR regional director Marieta Hwang disclosed their office could not determine at the moment legitimate officers since both groups had allegedly committed violations in conduct of their respective elections.
    Hwang added her office attempted to conduct a “unified election” initially agreed to by both parties.
    But last March 6, Wal’s group informed CDA-CAR of their refusal to participate in said election.
    The matter would be referred to the CDA central office for adjudication, she said.
    With no final resolution yet by CDA on legitimate CBSTC officers, LandBank representative Julio Pagat said all withdrawals were suspended.
    He said both groups would not be honored by the bank at the moment pending resolution of the leadership crisis.
    Pagat confirmed that CBSTC under Wal’s leadership had been delayed in paying its loan amortization and that remedial measures such as restructuring and extending the term of the loan may be undertaken to avoid foreclosure.
    However, should the transport cooperative continue to fail in settling its loan obligation despite remedial measures applied, the only recourse would be foreclosure, Pagat added. 
 

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RTC: Probe PNP officers in Abra, abduction, torture case

Cordi PNP chief sets investigation 

BANGUED, Abra – The Regional Trial Court of Abra granted a Writ of Amparo on Feb. 20 in favor of Excel Billedo, who was allegedly abducted here, detained and tortured by around 10 police officers based in the province.
    In his decision, Judge Bonhoffer V. Bernardez directed the regional police office director to investigate and look into possible liability of Lt. Col. Melecio M. Mina. chief police intelligence unit of Abra; Maj. Dwight Langcayas Fagyan, Bangued police chief; Lt. Reylan D. Balingway, San Isidro police chief; Lt. Reylan D. Balingway, San Isidro police chief; PEMS Orly Laureta of PIU, Abra and Cpl. Mark Bulaay of Bangued police.
    Respondents included police officers Capt. Rovisco G. Dulnuan and provincial police chief Col. Maly Cula.
    But Bernardez dismissed charges against Cula and the chiefs of the intelligence sections of Bangued and San Isidro police for lack of merit.
    The judge prohibited police from surveilling or monitoring Remedios and her son Excel.   
    A protection order was likewise issued in favor of Excel and his mother, Remedios, who filed the Petition for a Writ of Amparo to protect the life, liberty and property of her son.
    The Writ of Amparo is a writ created by the Supreme Court to protect citizens from undue harassment and harm, especially those effected by enforcement agencies.
    It is not issued lightly but, once it is, it carries the full weight of the judiciary behind it.
    “The Integrated Bar of the Philippines commends Judge Bonhoffer V. Bernardez for his prompt action in resolving the case,” the IBP’s board of governors said in a statement. “The IBP likewise recognizes the brave efforts of Atty. Liwliwa Alzate, Abra Chapter immediate past president and former legal aid committee chair. Her able representation of her clients have aided them in their quest for justice despite great risks to herself. It is a sterling example of lawyering for the public interest.”
    The IBP statement added: “We call on all members of the legal profession – both the Bench and the Bar to share the example set by Judge Bernandez and Atty. Alzate as proof that the rule of law prevails. Let us support our brethren who stand for the downtrodden.”
    In his order, Judge Bernardez also ordered the regional police office to investigate the matter and report to the court its probe within six months.
    Cordillera police director Brig. Gen. Bazar Mafelino A. Bazar told the media he will conduct an investigation.
    He however did not say if the involved police officers will be put under preventive suspension. 
In her complaint, Remedios said at about 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 20 at Banbangar, Bangued, her house was ransacked by around 10 armed men in civilian clothing led by police officer Orly Laureta without warrant of arrest, saying they were looking for her son Excel.
    Then they proceeded to the house of the barangay officer Laureto Laureta’s house to look for Excel where he was employed as a cook in the noodle house.
    Laureto Laureta was also reportedly tortured later by the cops. 
    Police allegedly took Excel without his consent and dragged him inside a vehicle.
    They were rode a red Montero, black sedan car, pick-up truck, DMAX and a black XRM.
Remedios said between 9 to 9:30 p.m., she went to the Bangued police station to report her son.
    On Jan. 20, Remedios with her other children went to the regional police headquarters here in Camp Villamor to inquire about her son but were not allowed entry, allegedly by higher authorities.
    PO Mark Builaay, when asked, said it was not his duty and obligation to look for their son.
    Morning the same day, Bangued chief of police told Remedios her son was transferred to San Isidro town police station.
    They went to see him but were informed he was brought to Abra provincial hospital in Bangued for medico-legal examination.
    They waited for him to arrive and at 2 p.m. San Isidro police arrived with Excel heavily guarded.
When Remedios approached him, she saw Excel’s arms, hands, legs, elbow, and ankle were allegedly electrocuted and could barely walk.
    His neck was allegedly swelling allegedly from being strangled.
    The charge sheet said Excel told Remedios that he was abducted and tortured because police wanted him to be a witness with regard to the death of a certain Vietnamese national.
    When he refused to sign the prepared affidavit, he was allegedly beaten, electrocuted and forced to swallow a bitter substance.
    Excel also told her that he saw Ronald Laureta at the safe house being beaten by police officers.
He claimed he can identify his police torturers because the blindfold was taken out while he was being beaten.
    Remedios claimed from Jan. 21 up to the present, members of the Police Intelligence Group and Orly Laureta have been threatening to kill her, her family and friends if they filed a case against them.

Police allegedly confiscated her phone earlier when she tried to take pictures of them.

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CHR probes slay try vs Abra IBP president

By Cristina Chi 

BANGUED, Abra -- The Commission on Human Rights on Wednesday said it is investigating the violent attack on a lawyer and one of his staff in this capital town.
    The incident took place January 29 when lawyer Hamilcar Bigornia was stabbed by two unidentified assailants in his office after his aide was also repeatedly attacked with a knife.
    Both Bigornia and his aide, Ruben Barcena Alvarez, survived the assault, according to the Bangued police.
Alvarez gunned down one of the two suspects, while police has arrested his companion who attempted to flee from the scene. 
    “In line with our mandate as the country's independent human rights institution, our regional office in the Cordillera Administrative Region is conducting a motu proprio investigation in aid of the pursuit of truth and accountability,” CHR said of the incident.
    The human rights body condemned the armed attack on Bigornia and called on law enforcement agencies to probe similar incidents that have cloaked members of the legal profession in fear.
    “CHR remains vigilant against any threats to the life, security, as well as other rights of those in the legal profession that may be imperiled for defending the rights of others,” the human rights body added.
    Bigornia narrowly escaped his death, but this and other attacks against lawyers, judges and other members of the court in the Philippines have "fostered an overwhelming climate of dread" for legal practitioners, according to the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), where Bigornia sits as president at its Abra Chapter.
    At least 133 lawyers, judges and prosecutors have been killed since 1984, according to the National Union of Peoples' Lawyers in November, when they submitted a complaint to the United Nations.
    According to the CHR, the many forms of violence experienced by lawyers and other members of the legal profession have prompted the United Nations Human Rights Office and other member states to include recommendations related to these during the country's Universal Periodic Review of the UN Human Rights Council in November.
    “Lawyers, judges, and all those in the legal profession are vital in administering justice, finding the truth, and protecting human rights. When lawyers are targeted, the rule of law is similarly under threat, which runs the risk of impunity persisting,” the human rights body added. 

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Probe on leasing at Baguio market on

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY -- Mayor Benjamin Magalong warned anew stallholders at the city public market against sub-leasing and other violations of lease contracts and of Tax Ordinance No. 2000-01 or the Baguio City’s Market Code. The mayor said the investigation on these illegal activities is continuing and has so far yielded “good leads.”
    This is part of the steps to stamp out these long-standing schemes of willful sub-leasing, use of dummy accounts and selling of stall “rights” as the city endeavors to adopt a foolproof system to manage the market.
    Public Order and Safety Division head enforcer Daryll Longid said validation of the applications under the market amnesty program implemented through Ordinance 86-2021 until 2022 is still ongoing and once finished, the city can “go full throttle in uncovering subleasing activities.”
    Under the amnesty program, stall occupants or actual leaseholders were given the chance to “rectify or act on their violations” with the actual occupants also given the chance to have the leasehold rights transferred to them if warranted.
After the said period, all arising violations will be dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the market code.
    Longid recently reported that a number of personalities own multiple stalls at the market using dummy accounts and that these stalls are being subleased at unreasonably high rental rates.  He said there are leaseholders who sublease their stalls individually while there are those who do it on a large scale.
    These personalities victimize small vendors who are left with no choice but to agree with higher rental rates that can go as high as 2,000 percent. For the longest time, they have made hundreds of market stalls as their milking cow where they are actually earning millions,” Longid said in an earlier report.
    These are in violation of the provisions of the tax ordinance particularly section 146 which states that it is illegal to manage more than one stall and sections 157 and 160 which state that “the leaseholder shall physically or personally conduct business in the stall subject of the lease and that the leaseholder shall not sell, lease, or transfer to other individuals their leasehold rights nor permit others to conduct business therein” and section 161 which prohibits the sub-leasing of stalls and the use of dummies. 

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Ombudsman set to probe spiraling prices of onions

AGGIE WATCH

Rey Panaligan

The Office of the Ombudsman was reported on Tuesday, Jan. 10, to be investigating the spiraling prices of onions in the market.
    While Ombudsman Samuel R. Martires has not confirmed his reported move, reports stated that the OMB will issue inquiry letters to the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the Food Terminal, Inc. (FTI) on the issue of onion’s supply and prices.
    Under Republic Act No. 6770, the OMB can investigate on its own even without a complaint “any act or omission of any public officer or employee, office or agency, when such act or omission appears to be illegal, unjust, improper or inefficient.”
    The OMB can also “direct, upon complaint or at its own instance, any officer or employee of the Government, or of any subdivision, agency or instrumentality thereof, as well as any government-owned or controlled corporations with original charter, to perform and expedite any act or duty required by law, or to stop, prevent, and correct any abuse or impropriety in the performance of duties.”
    The reports stated that Ombudsman Martires will probe the DA and the FTI’s procurement of onions at P537 per kilo from a cooperative.
    He was quoted at saying that his office will investigate the high procurement cost while the same onions were being sold at Kadiwa stores for P170 per kilo.
    Earlier, militant congressmen had called on the House of Representatives’ Committee on Agriculture and Food to conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, on what they described as the “potential overpricing and price manipulation of onions in the market.”
    Makabayan bloc members ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro, Gabriela Party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas, and Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel filed House Resolution (HR) No.673 to pave the way for the probe.
    In the resolution, the congressmen said that “as of September to October 2022, the price of white onion began to tremendously increase, with the cost per kilogram rising to around P300 to P400.”
    “As of Dec. 28, 2022, the Department of Agriculture (DA) reported that the price of local red onions was between P500 to P720 per kilogram, while the price of local white onions was P800 per kilogram,” it stated.
    It also stated that “such price level of onions surpassed the highest daily minimum wage in the country at P570, and was way higher than the per-kilogram cost of pork in the market”.
    The congressmen alleged that the huge discrepancy between farm gate price and retail price “indicates potential price manipulation which makes onions more expensive.”
    DA Deputy Spokesperson and Assistant Secretary Rex Estoperez was quoting as saying that the market only needs 21,060 MT of onions to fill the supply gap. The government will import 17,100 metric tons of red onions, and 3,960 metric tons of yellow onions, he said.
 

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