Northern Philippine Times

Lift moratorium on PUJ lines, DOTC execs urged

>> Sunday, May 31, 2009

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city council has urged the Department of Transportation and Communication to lift moratorium on applications for extension of lines that would allow existing public utility jeepneys to ply the unserviced routes in the city.

In a resolution authored by Councilor Richard Carino, the body requested the DOTC “to amend or make an addendum to Memorandum dated June 8 2007 to include the approval of line extensions among those franchising functions for which the moratorium was lifted.”

Carino said the city council made the same request through Resolution No. 262 series of 2000.

However, the same was not addressed even when the DOTC Secretary issued the June 8, 2007 memorandum.

The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board (LTFRB) imposed a moratorium on applications for new PUJ franchises through Memorandum Circular No. 98-026.

Before that, the city council in Resolution No. 292 series of 1998 asked for said moratorium to stem the proliferation of PUJs and prevent the further clogging of the city’s streets.

“Petition for extension of line does not entail the entry of new units hence it will be more practical and in keeping with the moratorium imposed by the LTFRB
Memorandum and city council resolution than to admit new units to service unserviced areas or new communities,” Carino noted.

Carino said there are pending applications for extension of lines such as the Baguio Guisad Jeepney Operators Association and others.

First swine flu case posted in Cordi; extra care urged

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – City officials advised residents to be extra cautious but to remain calm now that the first case of Human Influenza A (H1N1) affliction has been confirmed in the Cordillera Administrative Region.

Acting Mayor Daniel Farinas said as advised by health officials, there is no cause for alarm as the situation is under control but the public needs extra vigilance in caring for their health as a safeguard against the disease.

City health officer Dr. Florence Reyes said the first H1N1 case was confirmed by the Department of Health Cordillera director Myrna Cabotaje but no details on the identity of the patient and the circumstances of the affliction were divulged.

The patient is said to have recuperated but remained confined at home and monitored daily.

The DOH-CAR had been monitoring the first four suspected cases called cases under observation (CUOs), three of which had been cleared albeit eight new cases had been added to the observation list as of Friday even as intensive contact tracing and surveillance operations continue.

Reyes said the city is maintaining its advice for travelers from abroad – with or without symptoms -- to observe a ten-day self-quarantine and social distancing of six feet or two meters upon arrival to observe for signs and symptoms.

She said that with the opening of classes, the advice is especially directed to students, school faculty and staff, local or foreign, who will come home from travel abroad for the opening of classes.

This is to prevent the possible spread of the disease since these travelers especially those from countries with H1N1 cases can be carriers of the disease.

She reiterated that those who would experience while in isolation any symptom such as fever, chills and fatigue; muscle and joint pain; sore throat; headache and body pains; coughing and sneezing; nausea vomiting and diarrhea are advised to immediately seek medical attention while those who would not develop any symptom after the ten-day period will be considered out of danger.

Reyes said continuous surveillance, contact-tracing and massive information drive are being conducted in the city in coordination with the DOH-CAR.

The disease response flow is still in effect with the Baguio General Hospital designated as referral hospital for suspect cases for the city.

The health advisory distributed by the health office said the disease is spread through close personal contract and respiratory secretions propelled by sneezing or coughing.

It stressed that the virus is not transmitted by eating pork.

Residents with symptoms are advised to consult their doctors or go to the nearest health facility immediately and to refrain from self-medicating.

4 nabbed in illegal drug ‘trading post’ dawn raid

BAGUIO CITY -- Four close relatives of a couple who allegedly leads a notorious local drug group were arrested here dawn of May 28 in the couple’s residence at a Muslim neighborhood.

Nabbed from the suspects were sachets of shabu, drug paraphernalia and chemicals, an unlicensed firearm and other deadly weapons, monitoring gadgets, and proofs of suspected drug money bank accounts during implementation of a search warrant

Nabbed were Alekan Madid y Datumanong alias “Aliekan Madid y Hadji” or “Alvin,” 24 of Maging, Lanao Del Sur and his wife, Snauray Madid y Darang alias “Snauriay Sabuyugan y Madid”, 27, of Narra, Palawan; and Patima Darang y Sabuyugan, 17, also of Narra, Palawan and a 15-year old from Narra, Palawan.

The suspects all claimed to be residents of No. 120 Pinewood Village, Crystal Cave here., the subject house in with the search warrant.

Snauray, Patima and the minor were identified as sisters of Unos Darang y Sabuyugan, alleged leader of the Darang drug group.

His wife, Hanipa Darang y Abdulla allegedly co-leads the group. The couple was nowhere during the execution of the search warrant at their house.

The Madid spouses, in the list of drug Personalities in the Cordillera identified members of the Darang Group, had been earlier arrested, on March 8, 2005, with cohorts, Delfin Lomibao y Cortez, Oliver Buado y Constantino and Joel Buado y Constantino in a buy-bust operation at Bukaneg St. here where a big volume of shabu, weighing a total of 45.2 grams , valued at about half a million pesos in the streets was confiscated from them.

The cases against them were dismissed at the prosecution level on April 29, 2005. The anti-drug operation was carried out by policemen who were then detailed with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the region.

Meanwhile, seized during the warranted search of the so-called “shabu trading post” at 4 a,m, May 28 were four sachets weighing a total of 2.13 grams and having street price of P25,000.00; drug paraphernalia and chemicals; a Cal. 45 pistol with magazine four bullets, a samurai sword, hunting knife; laptop, CCTV camera, motion detector, television set and video cassettes; and various bank books, Automated Teller Machine cards and credit cards, blank checks with a checking account located in Dasmariñas, Cavite, duplicates of deposit slips to a bank account also in Dasmariñas, Cavite, and computation if proceeds derived from illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs.

The drug law enforcement operation was done by combined units from PDEA – CAR, from the Special Operations Unit of the Regional Anti-Illegal Drugs Special Operations Task Group of the Police Regional Office – Cordillera, and from the Special Weapons and Assault Tactics Team of the Baguio City Police Office.

The search warrant was issued by Executive Judge Marybelle Demot Mariñas of Branch 8, Regional Trial Court, 1st Judicial Region, La Trinidad, Benguet on May 22.

Cases for illegal drugs were filed against the suspects while the minor was turned over to the Baguio City Social Welfare and Development Office / Silungan Center for counseling.

PDEA officials said the Darang Group gets its supply of shabu from Cavite , Dagupan City and Urdaneta City in Pangasinan, Culiat in Quezon City and Quiapo and Taguig City in Metro Manila and distributes shabu in Baguio City , La Trinidad and other nearby towns of Benguet.

Investigations disclosed the “shabu trading post” even allows pot sessions by non-members of the group who go there to buy shabu for personal consumption.

Drug enforcement said the drug leader couple might had escaped with bigger volumes of the drug and with the missing video recorder since it took some time for the operatives to be able to penetrate the house because of its well-secured entries aside from monitoring devices.

Madid’s wife was reportedly rushed by the law enforcers to the hospital for the immediate treatment of the injury she incurred from trying to evade arrest from the roof of the house.

Baguio officials probe titling of forest reserve

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY — City officials strongly criticized the issuance of a certificate of land title (CALT) covering a portion of the Forbes Park forest and watershed reservation, saying the act of the National Commission on Indigenous peoples (NCIP) is against the welfare of the general public.

The uproar by concerned residents over the issuance and registration of CALT with the Registry of Deeds prompted the city council to create a task force, composed of the city legal office, city planning and development office, city assessor’s office and the city engineer’s office, to investigate the anomaly.

Annotations in the declaration of real property at the city assessor’s office indicated that the title, which was issued to the heirs of Lauro Carantes, covers an area within the forest reservation and overlaps with properties owned by the Republic of the Philippines and the City of Baguio.

The council said no title should have been issued to any portion of the property because it was earlier identified as a forest reservation. The unabated issuance of CALTs in different areas in the city has threatened to frustrate the city government’s bid to preserve and protect the remaining declared forest reservations here.

Igorots worldwide urge solons: Pass law vs race discrimination

By Gina Dizon

BAGUIO CITY- Following the infamous “Tao po ako, hindi Igorot” remark of actress Candy Pangilinan, Igorots from all over the world called for a special law against racial discrimination directed to the entertainment industry.

The online petition signed by 118 signatories was sent to congressional representatives Mauricio G. Domogan of Baguio City, Samuel M. Dangwa, Benguet; Solomon R. Chungalao, Ifugao; Cecilia M. Seares-Luna, Abra; Elias Jr Bulut, Apayao and Manuel S. Agyao of Kalinga who is also caretaker-representative for Mountain Province.

The petition asked Cordillera solons to come up with a bill against racism and the accompanying sanctions that go with it with respect to artists, entertainers, movie/TV and station managers, and those in the entertainment industry.

Canada-based Darla Reyes from Sagada, Mountain Province said, “These people in the entertainment industry are supposed to be models of integrity, character and respect because they are "idolized" by the general public. Hence their words, actions and deeds should be above reproach.”

Presidential adviser for Cordillera affairs Thomas Killip said, “racism only breeds hatred and injustice; it has no place in a society that claims to be civilized".

CHESTCORE director Abigal Tauli said, “This people in the entertainment field should be given education on cultural diversity and respect for tribes. They should be exposed to the other Cordillera provinces to see how beautiful and handsome Igorots are, otherwise they should be banned from entering the Cordillera Region.”

California –based Julio Tindungan from Ifugao said, “ I look forward to a law that provides teeth against discrimination. Without any anti- discrimination law, there maybe in the future restaurants who will not serve beefsteak and bulalou to Igorots.”
Mountain Province Gov. Maximo Dalog said, “

It is shocking and sad to know that in this modern world, even among the educated, there is Candy who does not even know about the Igorots. We invite her to see Igorotland where Igorots are, whom she referred to as not human beings.
Let me sincerely sign this petition to join all other groups in the global scenario if only to remind Candy that never again should she strip us off from humanity.”

The petition stemmed from a racist remark said by Pangilinan on May 9, during a show at SM Baguio City, when she said “Tao po ako. Hindi po ako Igorot” ( I am a human being. I am not an Igorot).

The remark gathered angry and hurt reactions from Igorots and other non-Igorots as well which jammed her blog demanding for her public apology as the city of Baguio declared her as “persona non grata” .

Petitioners said Pangilinan’s act and foregoing consequences “serve as a living reminder for artists to imbibe social responsibility in their chosen career, respect cultural diversities, observe human and collective rights of peoples, sustain the molding of relevant Filipino and sound cultural values while maintaining artistic freedom and expression.”

Petitioners said “espousing racial slurs breed hostile and/or uncomfortable
environment where one is made to feel inferior while the other is superior. And while this continues, propagated by some artists in Philippine cinema, ethnic bias will alarmingly disrupt good community relationships between and among anyone regardless of race, ethnicity and color.”

Another Balweg kin yields

CAMP DANGWA, Benguet -- The 26-year-old daughter-in-law of captured Abra rebel leader Jovencio Balweg surrendered to Cordillera police May 26.

Bernardine Daguio, alias Chiway, gave herself up to Senior Supt. Alex Pumecha, Cordillera police intelligence chief.

Daguio, of Barangay Uma, Lubuagan, Kalinga, joined her husband, Jovencio Jr., and his parents, Balweg Sr. and Carmen, in the custody of Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, Cordillera police director.

Daguio is the education officer of the Kilusang Laragan Guerrilla North which operates in the hinterlands of Lacub and Malibcong towns in Abra, Pestano said.

Daguio, was reportedly a former student activist who joined the underground movement after graduation in 2004.

However, she decided to lie low in November 2006 after getting pregnant by Jovencio Jr.

Following the arrest of the elder Balweg last May 18 and surrender of Carmen and her husband, Daguio decided to join them for the sake of her child.

Pestano vowed that the Cordillera police would continuously strengthen its campaign against insurgency until all rebels in the region would return to mainstream society and lead peaceful lives rather than taking arms against the government.

But Martin Montana, spokesman of the New People’s Army’s Chadli Molintas Command, said authorities were “daydreaming” in saying that Balweg’s arrest dealt a huge blow to the underground movement in the Ilocos and Cordillera regions.

“This is farthest from reality,” he said, adding that rebels “are prepared (ideologically) to bear the sacrifices and losses.”

Diarrhea downs 386 folk: Busted sewer poisons Baguio water supply

By Dexter A. See and Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – A diarrhea outbreak has hit this mountain resort city in five barangays here, sending 386 residents to hospitals.

Although there was no death, 14 patients with age range of two months to 81 years
were admitted in various hospitals.

The city health department recorded 386 diarrhea cases in six barangays in a span of five days, and the cause is the allegedly contaminated water flowing in the pipelines of the Baguio Water District.

Dr. Donatel Tobera, of the Baguio City Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said residents of Imelda Village, M. Roxas, Saint Joseph, Purok 4 in Brookside and East Modern Site in Aurora Hill complained of stomach aches, vomiting and loose bowel movement. Except for 14, the patients were sent home after undergoing preliminary treatment.

Investigation by the city’s Health Services Office showed that fecal coliform had leaked from the sewage system and contaminated the water supply.

City health officials said the number of the diarrhea cases could further increase as BWD failed to prevent its pipelines from contamination caused by a busted sewer line of the city government.

Records showed the affected barangays with diarrhea cases were Manuel Roxas-Teachers Camp, 145; St. Joseph Village, 78; Imelda village, 62; Brookside, 34; and Navybase, 34.

Few diarrhea cases were also reported in Barangays Holy Ghost Proper, Honeymoon-Holy Ghost, and the other barangays which get their water supply from the Claro M. Recto pumping station of the BWD at Navybase.

Dr. Florence Reyes, city health officer, said the people downed by diarrhea were individuals with ages ranging from two to 81, but only a few of them were hospitalized because they were immediately treated by concerned health units.

The residents in the affected barangays reportedly drank the suspectedly contaminated water which had foul smell. This was caused by the busted sewerage line located near the underground BWD pipelines.

BWD was reportedly forced to stop the operation of its pumping station to prevent further contamination of the treated water flowing to the thousands of households in almost one-third of the city. But it seemed the action was a little bit late as most residents had already drunk the contaminated water which caused the diarrhea.

It was reported that those downed by diarrhea started to experience severe stomach pains and vomiting, forcing them to seek treatment from the nearest health units.

This, as the city council urged the Baguio Water District to submit a complete report on the water source contamination incident involving the water source at the Navy Base pumping station along with the measures undertaken to prevent a repeat of the incident.

The body last Monday approved a resolution authored by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda for said purpose.

Tabanda said an investigation and rapid health assessment conducted by the city health department showed that the cause of the affliction was the water supplied by the BWD through the Navy Base pumping station which subsequent analysis showed contamination with fecal coliform organism.

“While the (BWD) took action to shut down the water line and to order the public to discard the tap water which was collected, there is a need to take all necessary processes to contain any further cases of gastroenteritis not only in the barangays mentioned but all other barangays in the city,” Tabanda said.

Wanted PNP colonel, yields over multi-trillion shabu lab

SAN FERNANDO CITY, La Union- A police superintendent ordered arrested by a Regional Trial Court judge after he was implicated in a multi-billion peso drug laboratory case, surrendered Monday to his superior.

Chief Supt. Ramon Gatan, Region 1 police director bared this saying Supt. Dionisio Borromeo, former chief of police of Dagupan City, said Borromeo had already yielded to his superiors in Camp Crame Sunday.

Gatan said the suspect had asked that he be detained in Camp Crame while his case is being heard from the court here.

The warrant of arrest signed by Judge Mary R. Molina recommended no bail.
Borromeo is now under police custody and is presently detained at the PNP Custodial Center, Camp Crame.

However the warrant of arrest of a certain Joselito Artuz also known as “George Cordero”, the person believed to be the financier of the shabu lab is till being hunted down as his warrant is in effect.

Borromeo was tagged protector of the Naguilian drug laboratory. He was identified and implicated by shabu lab caretaker Dante Palaganas and was relieved along with six other police officers who were found to have committed administrative lapses and grave misconduct.

The drug laboratory, raided last July 09, 2008 at Barangay Bimmotobot Naguilian La Union yielded 27 million worth of raw chemicals & equipment and was estimated to produce hundreds of million worth of illegal drugs if the raw product ephedrine was present.

The arrest of Borromeo, a recipient of various awards and medals during his stint, came after RTC branch 33 Judge Rose Marie Alim, has issued his arrest after he was being tagged as protector of the biggest ever drug shabu laboratory busted in Naguillan town in the province.

Also ordered arrested by the court was Joselito Artuz, the alleged financier of the shabu laboratory who is now being hunted by the police. “We will get Artuz at all cost,” vowed Gatan.

In a 27-page resolution, Alim affirmed findings of the prosecutor’s panel here which recommended Borromeo’s indictment in court.

The prosecution panel was composed of Danilo Bumacod, Gaudencio Valdez and Manuel Dulnuan.

Gatan said that the court gave merit to the findings of the “Task Force Bimmotobot,” which he headed to investigate the shabu laboratory.

Earlier, a total of 52 policemen, 17 of whom are commissioned police officers, had been relieved of their posts in connection with the shocking discovery of the multi-trillion shabu laboratory in barangay Bimmutubot, Naguilian town, last July 9.

A graduate of the Philippine Military Academy, Borromeo and et al were charged before the Prosecutor’s office here last July 31. Six Chinese men were also charged.

The arrest of Borromeo came in the wake of revelation by Dante Palaganas, a caretaker of the said shabu lab who tagged Borromeo as one of the police protectors of the laboratory. Borromeo, however, denied the charges.

The shabu lab was earlier used as front for piggery until policemen from the province headed by Sr. Supt. Noli Talino discovered it in a surprised raid that shocked the entire police and community.

The Congressional Oversight Committee in Congress on Dangerous Drugs had inspected the alleged shabu laboratory the other day in line with House investigation being sought by Rep. Tomas Dumpit, Jr. whose district the laboratory was discovered. – With a report from Mar T. Supnad

Pastor nabbed and jailed for rape in Pangasinan

By Jennelyn Mondejar

BUGALLON, Pangasinan — A 32- year-old pastor of the Jesus Christ 5th Ministry in this municipality was jailed for allegedly raping a girl inside the church in Barangay Laguit Padilla here.

SPO1 Juvilyn Cruz, head of the Bugallon PNP Women’s Desk, said the suspect was a leader of the church, married, and resident of Laguit Padilla. Cruz said the victim was a 13-year-old out-of-school girl.

The suspect was arrested in his residence on the strength of a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Georgina Hidalgo of the Regional Trial Court’s Branch 68 in Lingayen, Pangasinan for the crime of rape on two counts. No bail was recommended.

Police records said the victim went to the church to practice as a member of the choir of the Church of Jesus Christ 5th Ministry in September 2008.

The victim reportedly cried as she asked that the abuse be stopped. Another man was also alleged to have raped her.

Suspended Cagayan mayor hits 'Gestapo-like' removal

BUGUEY, Cagayan -- The suspended mayor of this town decried what he described a “Gestapo-like operation” by which he was removed from his office last May 19 by a contingent of over 100 policemen who he said acted without legal orders from higher authorities.

Mayor Ignacio Taruc said the police contingent cut off electricity to the town hall, padlocked the entrance door, and prevented anyone from entering its premises.

“They had me under ‘town hall’ arrest and prevented my family and supporters from bringing in food, water and other basic necessities,” he said in a statement.

Taruc said he had to leave the town hall to prevent bloodshed, as many of his supporters were allegedly beaten by the followers of a rival politician.

He said the provincial board suspended him anew for six months, but police prematurely implemented the suspension order without an official order from the governor or the Department of the Interior and Local Government and despite his pending motion for consideration.

Taruc said he has filed with the Supreme Court an extremely urgent motion for the issuance of a temporary restraining order against the provincial board’s suspension order.

He said his ordeal started when he denied an application for a magnetite mining operation in the beaches of his town.

6 killed in road mishap

By Teddy Molina

PAGUDPUD, Ilocos Norte -- Six persons died while five others were injured when the delivery truck they were riding overturned, lost its breaks while maneuvering a curve and crashed at the foot of a mountain here.

Police identified the fatalities as Redel Taal, 24; Brian Arellano, 15; Restituto Dayag, 46; Danny Seria, 33; Bernardo Molina and a woman identified only as Deling.

Police said the accident took place along the national highway of Pagudpud around 6 a.m. May 24 while the truck was heading towards Baguio City from Cagayan to deliver fruits and vegetables.

Senior Insp. Romeo Luga, chief of the Pagudpud Municipal Police, said driver Michael Olivas claimed he was negotiating a curve along the highway when he noticed the break was not working.

Olivas told probers he decided to crash the truck at the foot of the mountain at the vicinity of Barangay Pasaleng near the boundary of Cagayan and Ilocos Norte to prevent the vehicle from falling off the ravine.

Police said five of the passengers died on the spot while Molina succumbed to serious injuries at the Bangui District Hospital.

Probers said the fatalities were pinned down inside the truck when rescuers arrived.

Funds for Kalinga rice dryers wasted

By Dexter A. See

TABUK CITY, Kalinga – The millions of pesos spent by the national government for the construction of many post-harvest facilities nationwide have gone to waste.
This was shown by the flatbed dryers given to thousands of farmers here. These facilities are not serving the purpose for which these are intended.

A monitoring team of the Department of Agriculture discovered recently that many units of flatbed dryers are being used as sleeping platforms by the farmers instead of using them for the drying of palay.

Of the 23 flatbed dryers installed in different parts of the province, seven or 30 percent are operational at present but these need immediate repair due to surface damage.

The monitoring team discovered that most of the problems encountered in the construction of the flatbed dryers pertain to incomplete parts such as bolts and braces for the roof and skirts.

Supposedly, the flatbed dryer, compared to a solar dryer and drying pavement, is more economical and convenient to use by farmers.

It was found out that almost all rice farmers in the province are using solar drying pavements and roads because the flatbed dryers supplied to them were heavily damaged.

Instead of using the facilities for the drying of their palay, the farmers used the flatbed dryers as sleeping platforms.

The monitoring team recommended immediate review of the flatbed dryer technology, particularly the design of the furnace and the quality of its refractory cement panels, metal fixtures as well as the perforated metal floorings which were observed to be the heavily damaged parts.

The team cited need to test the moisture evaporation from the palay being dried in the flatbed dryer.

Farmers in the province have been constantly asking the DA to provide flatbed dryers which are durable, noting that the present ones are easily damaged due to certain factors.

Furthermore, the farmers demanded the conduct of an investigation on who facilitated the delivery of the substandard flatbed dryers so that the national government could pinpoint the officials liable for the irregularity.

The national government has embarked on the distribution of flatbed dryers to rice farmers nationwide so that they could dry their palay even during the rainy days.

However, rice farmers in this province claimed many of the delivered flatbed dryers were never used for the purpose for which these were intended because many of the facilities were incomplete. The farmers said they were asked to sign documents stating that they have received the facilities complete with parts and accessories.

Benguet court acquits 5 in marijuana case

By Dexter A. See

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet — Branch 63 of the Regional Trial Court here dismissed charges of violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Law of 2002 filed against five natives of Kapangan town for failure of the prosecution to prove their guilt beyond reasonable doubt.

In a recent decision, RTC Branch 63 Judge Benigno Galacgac acquitted Dionisio Pacateo, Teofilo Paclos, Loreto Gorio, Elmer Paclos and Salve Paclos who were charged for illegal possession and transport of a huge volume of marijuana.

The court ruled the possibility is not to be discounted that the accused were guilty of the crime charged but pieces of evidence presented showed there was “instigation but no entrapment actually happened.”

Court records showed the five residents of Kapangan, one of the known sources of marijuana in this vegetable producing province, were charged by elements of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency in the Cordillera of possessing and transporting 268 kilos of dried marijuana leaves on Feb. 18.

At the same time, Elmer and Salve Paclos were also accused of selling 32 kilos of dried marijuana leaves to SPO4 Marquez Madlon of the PDEA-CAR on Feb. 17, a day before the huge volume of marijuana was intercepted in a follow up operation.

However, the court said it was not convinced by the testimony of the law enforcer, adding that the prosecution failed to present sufficient to support its claim that their series of operations constituted entrapment.

MORE NEWS, BAGUIO CITY

City vendors warned on building stalls in market
By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government will stick to its own city market restoration plan and will not allow unauthorized improvement by the vendors who have been clamoring to undertake the repair job by themselves.

Acting mayor Daniel Farinas affirmed this last Monday in reaction to reports that the vendors have begun reconstructing their stalls that were burned last March despite the city government’s rejection of their proposal to undertake the repair work by themselves and at their own expense.

Farinas warned that the city will order the demolition of any unauthorized improvements if the vendors will continue to insist on what they want.

He said that after the fire incidents that gutted the vegetable proper building 1 and 2 and sari-sari and tobacco sections and affect 238 stalls, city officials led by Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. decided to pursue the restoration project acknowledging that it is the city government’s responsibility to restore the area.

He said that to make sure that the project is implemented properly and equitably, the plan that was prepared by the city building and architecture office has to be followed.

The restoration project is now being readied for bidding to qualified construction
contractors.

Affected stallholders were questioning the stall allocation plan as the spaces were accordingly reduced and thus will not be commensurate to what they are paying.

But CBAO head Engr. Oscar Flores said space reduction cannot be avoided as the plan was made based on the original area allotted for said sections.

Extensions made by the vendors themselves have been removed thus the area will now be reduced.

Flores however assured that the spaces allotted to the vendors are of equal size and that the number of stalls in the plan corresponds to the number of legitimate vendors affected by the fire thus nobody will be displaced.

Farinas said the plan as prepared will be followed that the schedule of rental payments will later be adjusted to correspond to the spaces rented.

Mayor Bautista earlier assured that the structures to be built will all be temporary or collapsible so these can be easily dismantled should the full-blown market development project be implemented. in deference to the contract with the Uniwide Sales Realty and Resources Corporation (Uniwide) which had been declared binding by the courts.

Pursuant to the mayor’s plan, the city council approved the reallocation of P16.5 million from the Annual Investment Plan for 2008 to finance the restoration project.

Farinas last week created the Market Development Projects Action Group to oversee the improvement projects and tackle the various concerns affecting the city market.

HLURB-CAR normal; new head assumes post

BAGUIO CITY – The confusing operations at the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) in the Cordillera over the past several weeks due to the existence of two lady officials contesting the top post is now back to normal after the new head assumed office recently.

Confusion evolved at the HLURB-CAR office after its central office assigned a new head in the region while a status quo order issued by the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 3 is considered as in full force and effect.

However, lawyer Aurelio Galacgac, legal counsel of Teresita Galacgac, the new HLURB-CAR regional director, said his client has to assume her new post to prevent her from being charged for insubordination by his superiors in Manila.

According to him, his client’s assumption into office is authorized by appropriate Board Resolutions and orders duly signed by Vice-President Noly de Castro, the country’s housing czar.

Reacting to the pendency of a case questioning the cross-positioning of the HLURB filed by Rebecca Torres, who was reassigned to Region I from the Cordillera, Atty. Galacgac explained they will respect whatever the decision of the court will be in the case but there is a need for them to comply with the lawful orders to prevent the case from being complicated in the future.
Furthermore, he disclosed the HLURB has already transferred his client’s bond from the La Union branch of the Land Bank of the Philippines to its branch in this mountain resort city to ensure the smooth transactions in the said office.

The cross-positioning of HLURB regional officials is obviously in preparation for the upcoming merger of the said offices in Regions I, II and the Cordillera into only one office which will be based in the city.

However, such merger of HLURB offices in the three regions is being strongly opposed by numerous local governments and property development stakeholders in the said regions as it would impede the smooth flow of transactions and delay the upcoming introduction of the housing industry in Northern Luzon.

Galacgac appealed to all parties concerned in the pending case to observe sobriety to prevent the situation from going out of control so that their clients will not be confused and result to a more embarrassing situation for them.

Ms. Galacgac was the former HLURB-CAR regional director before being transferred to the HLURB Region I in San Fernando City, La Union and again reassigned to her old office in the city.

Earlier, Torres petitioned the court to cite in contempt lawyer Romeo Fabol, HLURB chief executive officer, for reportedly issuing orders for Ms. Galacgac to assume her post in the Cordillera and for her to go to Region I since the same is in alleged violation of a status quo issued by the same court sometime in January this year. --Dexter A. See

Three men snatch maid’s cell phone

BAGUIO CITY -- Three suspects of alleged theft were brought to the Police station 7 – SM branch, after taking the 10-thousand worth cellphone of a housemaid.

Victim Jenalyn Olinan, 19, single, of First road, Quezon hill here, with her employer Jairo Jaime, came to the police office and filed complaint.

Investigators said, suspects Marvin Valenson, 26, single, of Lopez Jaena St.; Frederick Agoyos, 23, single, of P. Burgos St. and William Tome, 19, single, of San Carlos Heights, allegedly snatched the victim’s cell phone around 3 p.m.here at the Lower ground floor of SM City.

The victim, later withdrew her complaint, after the three suspects' guardians offered to pay 4,500 pesos t the victim to settle the dispute. -Louis Serran

MORE NEWS, PAMPANGA

Pigs dying in P’panga towns
By George Trillo

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Strict quarantine has been imposed in backyard piggeries in San Simon and parts of Mexico town, as a growing number of pigs there are dying from what is believed to be Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome (PRSS).

But provincial veterinarians said there is no cause for alarm, as the PRSS is different from swine flu although it increases the hogs’ risk to the latter disease.

Visible symptoms of PRRS include high fever, loss of appetite, red skin and diarrhea, they said.

In a report, the provincial information office cited “cases of unusual deaths and the increase in the number of sick pigs in San Simon” and in a neighboring barangay in Mexico.

The pigs manifested “diarrhea, inappetence (lack of appetite), and vomiting,” it said, adding that these were symptoms of PRRS.

According to the report, at least 112 pigs of 31 backyard hog raisers have already been affected.

Records show that PRRS is estimated to cost the US hog industry $600 million in losses yearly.

Gov. Ed Panlilio said the affected piggeries have been placed under quarantine. “The sick animals are now being treated and that none is being sold,” he said.

Panlilio suspends exec over expired noodles
By George Trillo

SAN FERNANDO, Pampanga – Gov. Eddie Panlilio issued a 90-day preventive suspension of the provincial social welfare and development officer for allegedly allowing expired noodles to be fed to hundreds of children during the provincial government’s caravans for the poor.

In a statement, Panlilio’s office said Lucia Gutierrez was suspended due to “utmost concern for public health and to prevent similar occurrences in the future” for “authorizing the serving of expired noodles to young children.”

But Gutierrez said what befell her was “a case of harassment” because of her supposed conflict with provincial administrator Vivian Dabu.

“I think the case was all triggered by reports that I had complained to the governor about Dabu’s attitudinal problem and she resented this,” she said.

In his statement, Panlilio said an investigative body found Gutierrez “to be well aware of the fact that the noodles on stock had expired in September 2008.”

“She allowed the expired stock to be served in the soup kitchens of the Pamisaupan mobile service caravans to children aged four to six in Floridablanca, Macabebe, and Candaba last February and March,” he said.

“While it was fortunate that no untoward incident was reported, serving expired food has potential harm especially on young children. Thus, this should not happen again,” he added.

Gutierrez admitted that the noodles had indeed expired, but insisted that she was not aware of this when the feeding program was conducted.

MORE NEWS, KALINGA

P100 M marijuana destroyed in Kalinga

TABUK CITY, Kalinga -- Anti-narcotics and police operatives destroyed marijuana plants and seedlings worth P100 million in a 10-hectare plantation in Kalinga in an operation last week.

Chief Supt. Orlando Pestano, Cordilera police director said the marijuana plants and seedlings were found by police and anti drug personnel here in Barangay Agbannawag.

The Cordillera regional mobile group headed by Chief Insp. Bobby Glenn Ganipac, elements of the regional Drug Enfrocement Agency and the Kalinga provincial police office took five hours to uproot the marijuana plants in the plantation which is reportedly within an abandoned water basin.

Marijuana cultivators escaped before the troops arrived in the area because of their vantage location.

Pestano said the campaign against illegal drugs is one of the thrusts of his administration, adding that the proliferation of illegal drugs such as marijuana and shabu is one of the causes of crimes committed in both rural and urban areas. – Dexter A. See

MORE NEWS, AURORA

4 more NPAs yield in Aurora
By Mar T. Supnad

FORT MAGSAYSAY, PALAYAN CITY – Four more members of the New People’s Army’s “Central Platun Aurora” surrendered to Lt. Col. Elias H Escarcha, Battalion Commander, 48th Infantry Battalion, 7th Infantry Division at Baler, Aurora, bringing to 21 the total number of rebels yielded for the past few days in Aurora, Army officials bared.

Commanding Officer of 702nd Infantry Brigade Brig. Gen. Emmanuel T Bautista, in his report to commander of 7th Infantry Division, Army Maj. Gen. Ralph Villanueva, identified surrenderees as: Jericho Estevez aka Allan; Arman Dela Cruz aka Sam, Placido Campos; Alvin and Jilly Boy Villaflor aka Ariel.

They reportedly escaped from their comrades and sought the help of religious sector members of San Luis, Aurora who in turn sought the help of Gen. Villanueva for their protection.

Maj. Charlemagne Batayola, public information officer, said the rebels decided to come down from the hills because they cannot bear anymore hardship of life at the mountain with their comrades and relentless military operations of government forces.

The surrenderees are now undergoing custodial debriefing at 48IB Headquarters.

Earlier, 17 former rebels surrendered to the Army in Aurora. The government through the AFP is reportedly implementing the Social Integration Program, an alternative program for rebels to live a normal life.

MORE NEWS, BULACAN

4 suspects slain in Bulacan shootout
By George Trillo

MARILAO, Bulacan– Police rescued a 23-year-old Indian national here hours after he was kidnapped in Bocaue town night of May 25 and killed four suspects in a shootout that left a police officer wounded.

The kidnap victim was identified only as “Mr. Singh,” for his protection. His compatriots said he was the seventh Indian national abducted by the suspects belonging to the so-called “Bangus gang,” which normally demanded ransom ranging from P1.2 million to P5 million.

Chief Supt. Nilo de la Cruz, Central Luzon police director, identified two of the slain suspects as Rodel Tabunan, 25, and Rolando San Juan, 49.

Two other suspects managed to escape.

The wounded policeman, PO1 Ronald Gregorio, was hit in the left shoulder during the rescue operation.

De la Cruz said the kidnap victim was about to board his motorcycle after visiting a cousin in Barangay Lolomboy, Bocaue town Monday night when the suspects, who introduced themselves as policemen, seized and dragged him into a Toyota Vios.

Residents saw the incident and promptly informed the police, which eventually cornered the suspects in Barangay Abangan Sur here.

Found in the slain suspects’ possession were an M-16 assault rifle, a caliber .45 pistol, a 9-mm pistol and a .38 revolver.

POLICE ROUNDUP

Robbery suspect shot dead

BAGUIO CITY -- A robbery suspect was declared dead on arrival in the Baguio General Hospital after he was recently shot dead in front of Pelizloy building along Session road here.

Police said suspect, Abraham Unday, 26, single, a taxi driver and a resident of North Sanitary Camp together with two more suspects identified as Lilia Sibayan, 39, of North Sanitary Camp and Jojo Uplas, 30, a resident of Kayang hilltop here, allegedly attempted to rob a cop identified as Raniel Wate, 29, a resident of Private road, Barangay Trancoville.

Police said, Unday suffered a head gun wound after both Wate and the suspect struggled to grab the victim's firearm.

2 tinker with WW II bomb, lose hands

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya – A policeman and a civilian lost their hands after a vintage bomb exploded while they were tinkering with it in Cagayan Tuesday.

Chief Insp. Juan Taguinod, police chief of Peñablanca town, said farmer Juan Achanzar, 47, found the bomb in a nearby village and sought the help of PO3 Victor Hernandez, 45, of the service division of the regional police, to dispose of it.

But out of curiosity, the two tinkered with the bomb and struck it, causing it to explode. – CL

Thief fools teacher

BAGUIO CITY -- After an unidentified thief told a school teacher his phone fell off his pocket, the latter found his mobile phone worth P16 thousand lost last week.

Police identified the victim as Raul Pocais, 44, married, a school teacher of Irisan, here.

Police said the crime was committed along Harrison road, after an unidentified male suspect boarded and sat beside the victim inside a public jeepney bound for Trancoville.

The alleged suspect later informed Pocais that his phone fell-off and a certain street sweeper got the gadget, letting him step off the vehicle and run after the supposed culprit, but later realized he was tricked by the real thief. -- Louis Serran

2 men nabbed for rape in Ifugao

LAGAWE, Ifugao – Two men were nabbed for rape in the province last week.

On May 25, cops of Lagawe under Chief Investigator arrested Thomas Dinamling Bulangnget, 26, of Barangay Olilicon here.

Dumanling nephew of the victim, was arrested following an arrest warrant issued by Judge Joseph Baguilat, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 14.

Baguilat was jailed at the Ifugao District Jail in Barangay Baguinge, Kiangan town. Based on police record, said wanted person raped his aunt at about 10 a.m. on March 11.

Cherry Bangiyan Napachao, 22, driver by profession, resident of Barangay Monggayang, Aguinaldo, Ifugao was also arrested for rape by the Aguinaldo cops headed by Insp. Damiel T. Kinakin.

Judge Efren Cacatchan trail court Branch 15 in Alfonso Lista ordered Napachao’s arrest recommending no bail.

Three men snatch maid’s cell phone

BAGUIO CITY -- Three suspects of alleged theft were brought to the Police station 7 – SM branch, after taking the 10-thousand worth cellphone of a housemaid.

Victim Jenalyn Olinan, 19, single, of First road, Quezon hill here, with her employer Jairo Jaime, came to the police office and filed complaint.

Investigators said, suspects Marvin Valenson, 26, single, of Lopez Jaena St.; Frederick Agoyos, 23, single, of P. Burgos St. and William Tome, 19, single, of San Carlos Heights, allegedly snatched the victim’s cell phone around 3 p.m.here at the Lower ground floor of SM City.

The victim, later withdrew her complaint, after the three suspects' guardians offered to pay 4,500 pesos t the victim to settle the dispute. -Louis Serran

Baguio execs, cops start ‘war’ against sex videos
By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – The city government has started heightened campaign they called “war” against lewd video materials in the city.

The city council last week asked the city police and other concerned agencies here to implement penal provisions of the law banning display and sale of sex videos in the city.

The move initiated by Councilor Betty Lourdes Tabanda was an offshoot of the celebrated Hayden Kho-Katrina Halili sex video scandal which has resulted to enhanced operations against video piracy and pornographic video articles in Metro Manila as of late.

“With the onset of the digital age, the proliferation of videos and presentations/shows in the market poses a threat to the morality of the general public which include the youth and children,” Tabanda noted in the resolution approved by the city council.

Tabanda said the sex videos project women in general as “sex objects and degrades then thus dehumanize them.”

“The display and sale of sex videos in public places for commercial purposes is detrimental to the development of the young and destroys the very fiber of decent standards which the city propagates,” the resolution noted.

“Thus there is a need to immediately ban all these sex videos which exhibit lewd and obscene scenes that are unacceptable and against the moral teachings and doctrines.”

Tabanda said the law governing the display and sale of these pornographic articles contains a penal provision that can be implemented by lawmen.

The drive against lewd videos is in line with the provisions of the Local Government Code which authorizes local government units to implement measures to improve public morals.

She said this is also in line with the Gender Equality and Development Code which promotes programs and projects that are gender sensitive and gender fair.

EDITORIAL

'GMA cannot become transition president'

President Arroyo cannot act as transition president in case her successor is not proclaimed once her term expires at noon of June 30, 2010 according to the chairman of the House committee on revision of laws.

“There is no such official as a holdover president or holdover vice president. The Constitution does not allow that. They have to step down once their term expires,” Isabela Rep. Giorgidi Aggabao told a news forum over the weekend.

Aggabao’s committee is considering a bill on succession to the presidency to foreclose the possibility of a vacancy and ensure that there is a successor at any time “even when the entire leadership is decapitated by a terrorist attack.” The bill is authored by Rep. Edno Joson of Nueva Ecija, who does not belong to any political party in the House.

Under Joson’s proposal, if for any reason none of the three elective officials specified in the Constitution can succeed the president, the chief justice of the Supreme Court takes over as acting president until any of the constitutionally designated successors can assume the presidency.

The three constitutionally designated successors are the vice president, Senate president and Speaker of the House. Joson said his bill is the answer to fears of no-elections in May 2010 Chairman Jose Melo of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) has expressed.

Aggabao said a law on succession “has become very important and very crucial and has acquired urgency in view of the real possibility of a failure of elections in May next year. The difficulties that the Comelec is encountering in implementing the automation program and the peace and order problem in Mindanao might bring about a failure of elections.”

He said a glitch in the automation process in one region or one province alone, where the number of votes could affect the election results, could result in such a failure.

If there is such failure, the Comelec will not be able to proclaim the winning candidates for president, vice president, senators, and congressmen, he said. Thus, no one will succeed President Arroyo, Vice President Noli de Castro, the Senate president, if he is seeking reelection, and the Speaker, a situation that will create a leadership vacuum, he stressed.

Thus, there is a need to expand the list of possible successors to avert a leadership vacuum and a political crisis, he said, adding absence of a succession law could invite military adventurism.
He said in the case of a Senate president seeking reelection, his term also ends on June 30, 2010. There could be no problem if he is not seeking reelection and his term ends in 2013. The chief justice, under Joson’s proposal, could take over as acting president because he is next in rank after the Speaker.

Thus, he said if there is a failure of election in May 2010, Chief Justice Reynato Puno could assume office as acting president until Mrs. Arroyo’s successor is determined.

Aggabao meanwhile is proposing the list of successors should include other officials in addition to the chief justice. He cited the case of the United States, where 17 officials are named to succeed the president in case of emergencies.

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