FAA OnLiNe

tsug

2006-09-18T21:51:00.000+08:00

hahaah

2006-09-18T21:30:00.000+08:00

hehehe

2006-09-18T21:25:00.000+08:00

Zinedine Zidane headbutt: the real butthead

2006-07-16T21:29:00.000+08:00

the following are video spoofs on Zinedine Zidane... poor Materazzi

hot jessica again

2006-06-10T12:23:00.000+08:00

just when you thought

2006-06-10T12:13:00.000+08:00

holy land

2006-06-10T12:09:00.000+08:00

rebelde!

2006-06-10T12:01:00.000+08:00

hot.. ahhh

2006-06-10T11:59:00.000+08:00

hot shower

2006-06-10T11:50:00.000+08:00

bikinis everywhere

2006-06-10T11:45:00.000+08:00

viva la vida

2006-06-10T11:42:00.000+08:00

hootie jessie

2006-06-10T11:37:00.000+08:00

caught in the act

2006-06-10T11:36:00.000+08:00

dumb bitch

2006-06-10T11:33:00.000+08:00

whoa!

2006-06-10T11:31:00.000+08:00

yeah

2006-06-10T11:24:00.000+08:00

Cool men, cool!

2006-06-03T12:11:00.000+08:00

a new website

2006-05-26T21:52:00.000+08:00

this will still be a news website folks, but for a complete and comprehensive information in Western Visayas, Philippines, log on to www.theguardianiloilo.ph
also, you can send your comments and concerns to faa@theguardianiloilo.ph

Read The Guardian, the region's most read, respected and imitated newspaper!

MALL KING WANTS AIRPORT

2006-03-12T20:53:00.000+08:00

Sy to convert Mandurriao airport to commercial center

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MALL King Henry Sy is reportedly interested in buying the old domestic airport in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Reports from the Department of Finance (DoF) and the City Hall said Sy, owner of the SM Prime Holdings, plans to convert the old airport site into a business complex.
DoF sources said Sy wants to annex the airport lot to his existing property at Barangay Bolilao, Mandurriao on which SM City-Iloilo stands.
Earlier reports said the Ayalas, who are responsible for transforming Makati City from a grassland to the country’s financial capital, is also moving to acquire the Mandurriao airport.
The 60-hectare airport lot is worth at least P12billion, according to DoF and City Hall assessment.
The DoF is now at the helm of an asset privatization group that will dispose the 6-hectare Mandurriao airport once the new Iloilo airport of international standards at Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area is operational.
The team is composed of representatives from the Department of Transportation and Communications, Department of Justice, Department of Budget and Management and Air Transportation Office (ATO).
The group also hired the services of a good consultant firm CB Richard Ellis, the same company that assisted the Clark and Fort Bonifacio Conversion Authorities.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas was elated upon hearing the said development saying the Mandurriao airport site will become the new growth area in the city.
According to the 2005 World's Richest People list of Forbes magazine, Henry Sy is the wealthiest man in the Philippines and the 355th in world.
With a net worth of $1.9 billion, Sy is also one of the respected taipans of Asia.
Acknowledged as the country’s Retail King, Henry Sy, Sr. has come a long way from the modest shoe store he set up in Quiapo in 1946 to the country’s biggest chain of shopping malls.
In recognition of his entrepreneurial excellence, Henry Sy, Sr. has been named Management Man of the Year by the Makati Business Club and was conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Business Management by De La Salle University.
Committed to uplift the lives of his less fortunate countrymen, he organized the SM Foundation Inc., which helps underprivileged but promising young Filipinos.
SM, which is the trademark of his businesses names, came from the abbreviations of 'Shoe Mart'. Several of his children now manage the majority of his holdings, although he still maintains some degree of control over the businesses, especially the SM malls and the Banco de Oro Universal Bank. He is also a stockholder in the China Banking Corporation.
SM Malls has consistently been cited and awarded as one of the Philippines best managed companies. The SM City is the biggest in Asia and the third largest in the world. The SM Mall of Asia, which is built in the reclamation area of Pasay City in the Philippines, will be considered the largest mall in the world when built.

WVSUMC docs to drag Guerra to Ombud

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CONCERNED doctors at the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) are willing to risk their careers by filing administrative and criminal cases against their medical chief and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) members who approved the P135-million deal with Himex Corporation.
Speaking in behalf of his colleagues at the WVSUMC, Dr. Louie Tirador said they are now coordinating with the People’s Graftwatch of Iloilo headed by Msgr. Meliton Oso for the filing of charges against WVSUMC director Dr. Ramon Guerra.
Tirador, a cardiologist at the WVSUMC, said he and the other complainants are putting their careers at stake by going up against Guerra.
“Dr. Guerra is a very powerful man. He can always cancel our admitting privileges without any justification since he is medical director. But we cannot stand anymore what is happening at the hospital anymore,” Tirador said.
Tirador and other medical practitioners at the WVSUMC are questioning the five-year rent-to-own deal between Guerra and Himex to procure two ultrasound, two x-ray and one CT scan machines worth P135million.
The complainants alleged that Guerra and the BAC violated procurement laws by resorting to direct contracting instead of the usual competitive bidding.
They also find the transaction disadvantageous to the hospital since there are other suppliers who can offer the same package of diagnostic machines at a lower price.
The clamoring doctors do not believe that revenues from the use of the said machines will be enough for the rent in the next five years.
“The CT scan Himex is offering is worth more than P70million when St. Paul’s Hospital bought the same machine with a different brand at P50million,” the complainants said.
Tirador said they cannot keep their silence anymore on the practices of the hospital administration in buying equipment
“I dare Dr. Guerra to prepare for we will drag him to the Ombudsman. You went beyond bounds, so be it,” Tirador said.
With the issue reaching media attention, the WVSUMC Board of Regents (BoR) decided to hold in abeyance the Himex deal pending evaluation of the Office of the Solicitor General.
In several media interviews, Guerra said they did not conduct any bidding for the five machines and just accepted Himex’s rent-to-own scheme per approval of the BAC and the BoR.
Guerra said only Himex offered the rent-to-own package for the five machines thus there was no need for a public bidding.
But based on the documents released by the complainants, the WVSUMC also entered into a similar scheme with supplier Medikotek Inc. for the purchase of defibrillators and patient monitors.
When asked if he released an invitation to bid for the CT scan, x-ray and ultrasound machines, Guerra answered they did not invite other suppliers.
Guerra defended the deal saying the BoR approved the transaction. He also pointed to the legal opinion of Atty. Norman Posecion, WVSU legal counsel, who also approved the transaction.
In an earlier interview with The Guardian, Department of Budget and Management assistant regional director Alfonso Bedonia said there must be at least two failed biddings before the procuring agency can resort to alternative methods like direct contracting.

TAX HUNT
Treñas goes after delinquent GOCCs to build new city hall

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

THE Iloilo City Government is bent on collecting unpaid tax dues of several state-run corporations to finance the construction of a new city hall building.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas said they expect to collect a total of P103 million in real property taxes from government-owned and controlled corporations (GOCCs) by end of 2006.
Records from the City Treasurers Office show that Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) still owes the city government some P38million while the Fishing Port Development Authority’s (FPDA) tax arrears has reached P57million.
The Air Transportation Office’s (ATO) unpaid real property tax amounted to P6.1million while the National Irrigation Administration (NIA-6) has P1.3 million.
Iloilo City Treasurer Katherine T. Tingson said the projected arrears were computed until December 2006.
Some of the said agencies, particularly the PPA, have pending cases with the city government over their tax dues although Treñas said the The GOCCs’ respective corporate councils agreed to fulfill their tax dues.
Treñas added he has started discussing plans for the construction of a new City Hall with architect Willie Coscolluela, the same designer of the structural lay-out of the new provincial capitol.
The mayor added that City Councilors were also involved in the planning sessions.
“The construction of the new City Hall will depend on when the plan will be finalized as well as the availability of funds. We really need a new building that will house City Government offices,” Trenas told reporters yesterday.
Earlier, Kagawad Perla Zulueta said Ilongga Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago pledged some P200million for the construction of a new city hall government on a five-hectare lot along M.H. del Pilar Street in Molo district.
Zulueta said the previous administration already used P40million of the Santiago fund, P17million of which was used for the construction of the main structure and P23million to fill the lot which is an abandoned fishpond.
The Office of the City Mayor and other departments under the executive are housed in a dilapidated building in front of Plaza Libertad while the Sangguniang Panlungsod is located on the second floor of the Iloilo City Terminal Market.
The Treñas administration began its “tax collection crusade” with the PPA after the Supreme Court ruled that government firms must pay taxes to the local government units where their properties are located.
Treñas said the 2003 decision is a “leading case” in the country after the Local Government Code of 1991 lifted the exemption of state-run corporations from paying real property taxes.

Former LMP exec hoodwinked Iloilo mayors

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ONCE is enough, twice is too much.
Romeo Jesmon Labramonte, the former League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-Iloilo chapter executive director, tried to dissuade LMP officials from filing estafa charges against him for allegedly embezzling almost P500,000 of the group’s funds.
Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul “Boboy” Tupas, LMP president, confirmed that Labramonte even offered a land title as guarantee that he will return the P441,459 he took from the LMP account with the Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB).
The LMP lodged estafa charges against Labramonte with the Iloilo City Prosecutor’s Office the other day with Tupas and Maasin Mayor Mariano Malones, LMP treasurer, complainants.
Despite Labramonte’s appeal and display of good faith, Tupas said the LMP executive committee to sue the former executive director as a form of punitive action.
Tupas said they discovered Labramonte’s alleged anomaly in January when the latter failed to submit financial reports to the LMP. They later discovered that their actual balance with the PVB amounted to more than P240,000 instead of P700,000.
By January 24, the LMP requested the PVB to put on hold all transactions until Labramonte has settled their finances.
As executive director, Labramonte managed the daily operations of the LMP, including projects, programs and supplies of the organization.
Tupas said they later found out that Labramonte, said to be a nephew of Lambunao Mayor Ignacio Ramirez, padded six LMP checks thus the discrepancy between the vouchers and the amount withdrawn from PVB.
“In one check which actually amounted to P1,394, he inserted the figure 8 in the beginning, making the P81,394. In another check which should have amounted to P5,000 only, he inserted the number 6 making it P65,000. He also tampered the amount in words by leaving spaces in the beginning and end of the sentence and insert the number he wants,” Tupas said.
As a matter of practice, banks advise check holders to put markings, mostly asterisks or lines, in the beginning and end of the amount to avoid tampering.
Tupas said they trusted Labramonte because of his dedication to the organization.
“We just want to put things in proper perspective that is why we filed this case,” Tupas said.
But the mayor denied reports that Labramonte is nowhere to be found as the latter is just in Iloilo City.

HIMEX DEAL NIXED
WVSUMC-BAC seeks Sol-Gen
opinion on P135M transaction

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) of the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) has decided to postpone the purchase of P135million worth of diagnostic equipment from Himex Corp. after several doctors and members of the Board of Regents (BoR) questioned the deal.
Sources from the WVSUMC said the BAC chaired by Dr. Anna Victoria Sombong met Monday at the Iloilo Business Inn on Rizal Street, Iloilo City to discuss the issue.
They later came out with a resolution postponing the deal, which involved the purchase of CT scan, x-ray and ultrasound machines, while waiting for the legal opinion of the Office of the Solicitor-General (OSG).
The BAC had also submitted an explanation to the BoR as regards the transaction entered into by Dr. Ramon Guerra, WVSUMC director.
Despite efforts to get their comments yesterday, Guerra and Sombong continued to be inaccessible to the media.
Sombong’s staff at the Laboratory Department said she was absent but Guerra’s office said they were in the middle of a conference.
Dr. Lourdes Arañador, WVSU president, is presently in Manila.
In a complaint to the BoR, WVSUMC doctors assailed the Himex deal as overpriced by more than P50million and did not undergo competitive bidding.
Rep. Ferjenel Biron, who also received a set of documents from the complainants, said he is planning to initiate a House probe on the issue.
CIRCUMVENTED?
Did the WVSUMC-BAC follow government procurement rules to the hilt as regards the Himex deal?
Alfonso Bedonia, Department of Budget and Management assistant regional director, said that under Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act), there must be at least two failed biddings before a government agency resorts to alternative methods of procurement such as direct contracting.
In the case of the Himex deal, the BAC, through Resolution No. 34 dated November 8, 2005, declared the July 21, 2005 bidding a failure after the sole bidder for an x-ray machine did not comply with technical requirements.
The committee then recommended the direct contracting with Himex for a package of “Various Radiologic Diagnostic Equipment” since one of the existing x-ray machines of WVSUMC was malfunctioning.
“Under our procurement rules, the procuring agency can only resort to alternative mode of procurement if the first and second bidding failed. But if the agency has satisfied the requirements for a direct contracting, then they can dispense with the bidding and negotiate with the supplier,” Bedonia said.
Under RA 9184, government agencies can only resort to direct contracting “if the required equipment or services are highly specialized and technical and if there is only one distributor or manufacturer who can supply the equipment.”
Although the procuring office is allowed to spell out the specifications for the needed equipment or service, “there must be no reference to any brand name.”
“The agency must be careful in laying down the specifications without being partial to a certain brand,” Bedonia said.
But Bedonia said it has been the practice of some procuring agencies to limit the specifications of the equipment to that of a certain brand, thus opening the transaction to possible anomalies and irregularities.
“Limiting the specifications to a certain brand is one way of circumventing the law. It has been a practice of many local government units and government agencies. Maybe by experience, they already know that a certain brand work is better than other brands. Or maybe they have other reasons aside from that,” Bedonia said.

SEALED LIPS
Guerra refuses to answer overpricing issue;
Biron wants House probe on P135M deal

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

OFFICIALS of West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) are mum on the alleged irregularities in the purchase of medical equipment worth P135million even as an Ilonggo solon threatened to initiate a congressional inquiry on the controversy.
The staff of Dr. Ramon Guerra Jr., WVSUMC director, said their boss will not talk to the media regarding the issue for the meantime.
Aside from The Guardian, Guerra also refused to face a local TV network to answer the issues thrown at him by WVSUMC medical personnel.
Dr. Lourdes Arañador, WVSU president and Board of Regents (BoR) member, was also not available for comments on the issue.
Guerra earned flak from WVSUMC doctors and personnel who were questioning the rent-to-own scheme with Himex Corporation, a supplier of medical equipment, to buy a CT scan, x-ray machines, ultrasound machines worth P135million.
The complainants are questioning why Guerra and the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) used the direct contracting mode of procurement when there are other suppliers aside from Himex that can supply the equipment at cheaper prices.
They cited the package of CT scan and ultrasound machines which St. Paul’s Hospital bought for only P50million compared Himex’s offer of more than P73million for the CT scan alone. By their reckoning, the complainants said the transaction is overpriced by P50million.
The complainants said Guerra limited the brand and specifications of the equipment to Himex’s proposal to have a basis for direct contracting with the said firm.
The complainants added that Guerra did not consult the department heads and end-users of the equipment and directly negotiated with Himex.
But a BAC member who refused to be identified said they have submitted an explanation to the BoR as regards the transaction.
The procurement of the equipment is part of the completion of WVSUMC’s Out-Patient Department Complex.
Guerra even proposed to the WVSU BoR to borrow P150million from the Development Bank of the Philippines to buy the equipment.
HOUSE PROBE
Meanwhile, Iloilo fourth district Representative Ferjenel Biron said he is planning to file a resolution at the House of Representatives to investigate the controversy.
Biron, an alumnus of the WVSU School of Medicine, also lambasted Guerra and the BAC for not following the procedures of Republic Act 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act), particularly the use of the direct contracting mode.
While overpricing in the transaction has yet to be established, Biron said it is highly questionable for Guerra and the BAC not to conduct public bidding for equipment which can be bought from various suppliers aside Himex.
“Under RA 9184, the default process of procurement is thorough a competitive public bidding. Direct contracting can only be used when the required equipment is sophisticated or highly technical that only limited companies can supply them. From what I know, there are many firms that can provide CT scans, ultrasounds and x-ray machines at lower prices,” Biron said.
The neophyte solon also found the deal as disadvantageous to WVSUMC. “Based on the computed actual revenue from the use of the new equipment, WVSUMC will only earn P100million. If the cost of the equipment is P135million payable in five years under the rent-to-own scheme, WVSUMC is still short by more than P30million. Where will they get that shortage to pay the machines?”
Since the rent-to-own scheme requires a bank guarantee on the part of WVSUMC, Biron added the hospital will pay higher interest rates should it decide to take Himex’s offer.
Biron also fears that WVSUMC patients who are mostly from middle to lower class families will shoulder the burden of paying the equipment.
“It is not advisable for government hospitals to have sophisticated machines with value added features because that would mean added cost which will eventually be passed on to the patients,” he said.
Biron is mulling to ask either the House committees on good government or higher education to investigate the WVSUMC-Himex deal and another transaction entered into by the hospital with Medikotek Inc.
“Or I can also ask the Commission on Higher Education to look into the matter since WVSUMC is attached to the state university,” Biron said.
Biron is also wondering why Arañador has not been keen on watching over Guerra’s deals despite her position as WVSU president.

P50M overpricing at WVSUMC exposed

2006-03-07T16:14:00.000+08:00

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE medical chief of the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC) is under fire for the alleged overpricing in the purchase of hospital equipment worth P135million.
The controversy emerged when “a certain sector from the WVSU community” wrote the university’s Board of Regent (BoR) requesting the rejection of the “lease-to-own scheme” offered by Himex Corporation to WVSUMC medical director Ramon Guerra.
The transaction involved the purchase of a whole body CT Scan system (Presto, multi slice) worth P73.117million; two ultrasound machines (EUB-6500, 4 probes with 3D and EUB-6500, 5 probes with 4D) worth P32.546million; conventional x-ray machine (DR-155HSII/SX-YB2) worth P8.702million and R/F x-ray machine (TD-B8/DHF-155HII, 800mA, 2 tubes) worth P21.657million.
The complainants said the transaction did not undergo bidding and was overpriced by P50million.
In their complaint to the BoR), under the “lease-to-own scheme” the WVSUMC is given the option to buy the equipment within six months from entering into the contract.
The financing scheme requires the hospital to pay Himex P2,250,400 monthly for five year. Aside from the monthly payment, Himex also requires the hospital to obtain a bank guarantee to ensure payment of the monthly installments.
But the complainants said that St. Paul’s Hospital (SPH) recently purchased a package for CT scan and two ultrasound machines, which have similar specifications to Himex’s offer, for P50million only.
The complainants said while the brand name of the equipment offered by Himex is different from those the SPH bought, “the machine and its functions are essentially the same and gives the same quality of output.”
Also, the equipment offered by Himex is also offered by other suppliers at a much cheaper price although with a different brand name.
“One the suppliers offered the CT scan for P24million and the x-ray machine for P9million, compared to the P73million and the P21million offered by Himex,” the complainants said.
Direct contracting
Also, the purchase of the equipment from Himex allegedly did not undergo competitive bidding “because Dr. Guerra, with the assistance of the Bids and Awards Committee (BAC), resorted to direct contracting.
Guerra allegedly claimed that the equipment needed by the hospital is exclusively distributed by Himex only.
In order to railroad the transaction in favor of Himex, Guerra allegedly limited the description of the machines to those offered by Himex.
Even BAC Resolution No. 34 dated November 8, 2005 which declared a failure of bidding for only one x-ray machine, the complainants said.
Because of the failure of bidding, the BAC endorsed the lease-to-own scheme of Himex as the equipment was badly needed by the hospital.
“There is discrepancy in this procedure because the subject of the BAC bidding last July 21, 2005 was only for an x-ray machine yet what came out later is the purchase of five equipment from Himex. Except for the x-ray machine, the rest of the equipment did not undergo bidding,” the complaint said.
Expensive and impractical
Also, the purchase did not have endorsement of department heads, members and end users as only Guerra negotiated with Himex.
The equipment offered by Himex, like the 3D and 4D ultrasounds are impractical as it would be expensive for WVSUMC patients who belong to poor families.
The complainants said even the SPH, which caters to more affluent patients, seldiom use the 4D ultrasound because it is very expensive.
“Doctors in Iloilo City prefer to use high end 2D ultrasound,” the complaint added.
The complainants also asked the BoR to investigate similar lease-to-own scheme entered into by the WVSUMC with Medikotek, another supplier of medical equipment, for the purchase of the steam sterilizer at P6million and patient monitor at P1.8million.
Last February, 25, 2006, two private sector representatives to the BoR – Eduardo Aguillon and Amelita Benedicto – gave support for the complainants and asked the board to hold in abeyance the Himex transaction pending an investigation into the alleged overpricing.

P900-M DEBT
RP government owes Jap contractor of new airport project

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) reportedly owes the Japanese contractor of the new Iloilo international airport project P900million.
A source from the New Iloilo Airport Development Project (Niadp) who requested anonymity said the Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV) is spending its own money to beat the October 2006 deadline.
The source added that the P900million is the counterpart funding of the national government as requirement for the P6.2-billion loan from the Japan Bank of International Cooperation.
The said fund was to be coursed through the DOTC, which is the implementing agency of the project, for the acquisition of the 184-hectare lot and disturbance compensation for the affected residents and tenants.
Atty. Roberto Maroma, counsel to the TSJV, confirmed that the national government owes the Japanese contractor P200million as of November 2005.
Maroma added that the “Republic of the Philippines violated its contract with TSJV” for failure to release the funding.
“But I have no idea if how much is the latest billing of the contractor. The TSJV is now shelling money of its own pocket just to continue the project,” Maroma said.
Maroma, who was confined at the hospital due to loose bowel movement, assured to go over the TSJV billings to the national government once he is discharged.
DOTC officials could not be reached for comments.
Governor Niel Tupas Sr. said he will look into the said report but assured that the airport project is still right on schedule.
“As of February, the slippage of the airport project is at 23 percent while the accomplishment is at 33 percent. If all goes well, the project will be finished by Ocotber 2006,” Tupas said.
However, the Japanese contractor has asked for an extension until March 2007 if problems arise in the project, Tupas said.
The airport project has been hounded with controversy beginning with “Turil ni Niel” exposé of former second district congressman Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco, now Tesda director-general, against Tupas.
The exposé even became the subject of a public debate between Syjuco and Tupas. Nothing came out of that debate but wasted saliva.
Syjuco’s exposé triggered a congressional inquiry in 2003 but it fizzled out without concrete results as Syjuco eventually joined Tupas and Drilon during the 2004 elections after abandoning then first district Congressman Oscar Garin who ran against Tupas.
The “Turil ni Niel” yarn rose from the grave last year when third district Rep. Arthur Defensor, chair of the House’s good government committee, led another round of congressional investigation into certain anomalies and irregularities at the airport project, this time based on the allegations of Board Member Manny Gallar.
The Defensor committee concluded the probe several weeks back but it has yet to come up with a report of its findings.

DEFIANT

2006-02-27T21:38:00.000+08:00

Tupas: I will disobey Proclamation 1017

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

GOVERNOR Niel Tupas is keen on defying Presidential Proclamation 1017 by allowing protest rallies at the Capitol grounds.
Tupas said President Gloria Arroyo can always put the country under a state of national emergency for economic reasons “but she cannot curtail the Bill of Rights.”
“Presidential Proclamation 1017, which put the country under a state of emergency, cannot justify a warrantless arrest of those suspected of waging a coup against her administration. It also cannot justify curtailment of our civil liberties because we are still covered by the Bill of Rights despite the proclamation,” Tupas said.
Also a lawyer, Tupas said a state of national emergency only pertains to economic concerns.
Citing the pronouncements of Proclamation 1017 critics, Tupas said Ms. Arroyo must first ask Congressional approval before declaring national emergency “just like what happened during the time of former president Fidel Ramos when we were saddled with power problems.”
“She even need not issue Proclamation 1017 because she has enough powers,” the governor said.
When asked about anti-Arroyo rallies at the capitol, Tupas said he will allow cause-oriented groups “to release their tensions against the government.”
“If I allowed these groups to lambast me in my own backyard before, why not now? Their rights are still intact. Even Mayors Rudy Duterte of Davao City and Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City allowed rallies in their jurisdictions,” Tupas said.
Right after issuing Proclamation 1017, the President suspended all rally permits and ordered the PNP to disperse all protest actions around the country.
Even the media was not spared with the PNP raid on the editorial office of the Daily Tribune in Manila. PNP chief Arturo Lomibao said he will recommend to the President the taking over of the operations of the Daily Tribune.
Earlier Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Iloilo chapter president Hans Sayno said Proclamation 1017 is martial law.
“The government is just too shy to call it martial law. When the government starts to censor the media and to arrest people without warrant, that is martial law already,” Sayno said.
Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said he fears that a prolonged state of national emergency will result to grave abuses of human rights.
Lagdameo also called Proclamation 1017 an overreaction on the part of the President. (Published in The Guardian-Iloilo City February 28, 2006)

Protesting Marines officer an Ilonggo

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ONE of the Marine officers who figured in the standoff at Fort Bonifacio Sunday evening is a native of San Joaquin, Iloilo.
In fact, Lt. Colonel Archie Segumalian, who led a platoon of heavily-armed Marine soldiers into their headquarters at Fort Bonifacio, is a cousin of San Joaquin Mayor Ninfa Garin.
Segumalian, 52, is the third of ten children born to Casiano Segumalian and the former Altagracia Sta. Cruz who is an aunt of Mayor Garin.
Segumalian finished his elementary education at the Cataan Elementary School in San Joaquin and high school at the former Lapuz Norte High School (now Jalandoni National High School).
He earned his degree in Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Iloilo but was unable to take the board exams due to hearing problems.
He later joined the Reserve Officers Training Corps with the rank Provisionary 2nd Lieutenant.
Segumalian entered the Marines after passing its qualifying exams and immediately saw action in Tawi-Tawi, Sulu. His exploits in Mindanao led to his promotion to lieutenant colonel and designation as commander of the Marine brigade in Lanao Del Norte.
Segumalian was one of the officers who joined Marine Colonel Ariel Querubin in protesting the relief of Marine commandant Major General Renato Miranda.
Querubin even asked protection from civilians for their cause which led to a three-hour standoff at Fort Bonifacio.
The standoff ended when newly-installed Marines commandant Brigadier-General Nelson Allaga asserted his command over Querubin and his subordinates. (With reports from Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo)
(Published in The Guardian-Iloilo City February 28, 2006)

‘PROC. 1017 IS MARTIAL LAW’

2006-02-27T21:31:00.000+08:00

IBP, CBCP lambast state of national emergency

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

President Gloria Arroyo’s Proclamation 1017 which put the country under a state of national emergency is martial law, no more, no less
This was the personal view of Atty. Hans Sayno, president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Iloilo Chapter, as regards the controversial edict Ms. Arroyo issues last week following coup jitters in Metro Manila.
Sayno said the President’s use of the military “to prevent or suppress rebellion” as commander-in-chief of the AFP is a declaration of martial law.
“This is martial law because the President called on the AFP to quell the supposed coup plot. They only used the term state of national emergency because the constitution set many limitations in the declaring a martial law,” Sayno said.
Among the limitations for the declaration of a martial law, Sayno said, is for the President to ask Congressional approval and to report within 48 hours the justification and conditions of the country under martial rule.
“But three days after, President Arroyo has yet to report to Congress why she mobilized the military which a characteristic of martial law,” Sayno added.
The IBP chief said a state of national emergency can only be declared for economic reasons where the President is authorized to take over public utilities to protect public welfare.
Threats of physical takeover against media outlets that report “critical and seditious” events and information are also a form of overkill and overreaction on the part of the administration.
“Even if martial law is declared, the Constitution still guarantees that civil liberties will remain intact – the media will continue to report and people can still express their grievances in a peaceful manner,” Sayno said.
Sayno said various sectors will question Proclamation 1017 before the Supreme Court today.
OVERKILL
Jaro Archbishop and Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines president Angel Lagdameo said Presidential Proclamation 1017 is “an overkill and an overreaction” on the part of the President.
Lagdameo said the state of national emergency may lead to serious violations of human rights and eventually plunge the country into martial law.
Lagdameo said he urged all Filipinos to “pray so that the state of national emergency will not last long.”
The CBCP head also reminded Ms. Arroyo that former president Cory Aquino did not put the country under a state of national emergency despite the series of coup attempts against the latter’s administration.
Even former president Fidel Ramos called Proclamation No. 1017 an “overreaction” on the part of President Arroyo.
He said that his support for the Chief Executive is “waning.”
After the declaration of state of national emergency, several personalities have been arrested like retired general Ramon Montaño, party-list Rep. Crispin Beltran while Brigadier General Danilo Lim, commander of the Army's elite First Scout Ranger, is restricted at Camp Aguinaldo.
Even media outlets were warden against reporting “seditious” information and to observe balanced journalism.
As if to show their seriousness in padlocking “anti-Arroyo” media outlets, PNP chief Arturo Lomibao said he will recommend to the President the taking over of the operations of the Daily Tribune, a staunch critic of the present administration. (Published in The Guardian-Iloilo City February 27, 2006)

LANDSLIDES IN REGION 6?

2006-02-22T16:29:00.000+08:00

It's possible says MGB, RDCC heads

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

TWO provinces in Western Visayas, particularly a village in Antique, are prone to landslides, similar to what happened to Barangay Guinsaugan, St. Bernard in southern Leyte, according to the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
MGB regional director Lee Van Juguan said Antique and Aklan are “moderately susceptible” to geo-hazards due to a fault line in northwestern Panay. He cited the towns of Hamtic, Antique and Nabas, Aklan as potential geo-hazard areas.
In the case of the Guinsaugan tragedy, Juguan said Leyte has always been considered “high risk” to landslides and mudslides as the Philippine fault line passes right through the middle of the province.
A fault is a crack in the crust of the earth and causes earthquakes and land movements.
“In Region 6, we also have areas that are prone to geo-hazards but if we compare them to Leyte, we have to consider the geologic setting. Our setting is different is not the same as that of southern Leyte because the Philippine fault passes through the province,” Juguan said.
The MGB chief said the presence a fault line in a location affects the quality and stability of soil, rocks and even land formations such as mountains.
Constant movement in the earth’s crust result to loose and fractured rocks and land formations which get weaker during continuous rains, Juguan added.
“Fractured rocks cannot withstand continuous flow of water and eventually it will collapse. That’s what happened in Leyte. In fact the same event occurred in 2003,” Juguan said.
Other factors that can cause landslides are the slope or inclination of the area and type of soil and rock.
Even a thick forest cover is not a guarantee against landslides.
“There are areas in the country where a whole forest disappeared because of the avalanche. The roots of the trees cannot reach and hold the crust. If the area is porous, the trees cannot hold back soil from sliding onto the plain,” Juguan said.
Juguan said there are signs which may serve as warning of an impending landslide such as soil creeping or mini-avalanches.
Office of Civil Defense (OCD) 6 director Rosario Cabrera said about 23.49 percent of Region 6 is highly susceptible to avalanches.
Based on the OCD landslide susceptibility map, 39.12 percent of the region is classified as non to very low susceptibility areas while medium susceptibility areas cover about 28.32 percent.
Cabrera, who is also the director of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC), was concerned with Barangay Pasu-Jungao in Hamtic which experienced several landslides since the 60s.
An estimated 70 hectares of soil has slid to the lower portion of Pasu-Jungao as a result of the avalanches. The latest recorded landslide at the said village was in 2004.
Although Pasu-Jungao is sparsely populated, Cabrera said a major avalanche will affect 11,000 people from 11 surrounding villages.
But the RDCC chief said they are constantly preparing for any eventuality and prevent the Guinsaugan tragedy.
“In the case of Pasu-Jungao, the Antique Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, which was hailed as one of the best DCCs in the country in 2004, is capable of responding to a landslide. We have already evacuated the residents Pasu-Jungao aside from information dissemination campaign,” Cabrera said.
The impending La Niña phenomenon is also a cause of concern for the RDCC and the MGB. But Juguan said Western Visayas will only experience a weak La Niña.
The MGB will also conduct examinations on several towns near the mountain range of central Panay to determine if the area is prone to geo-hazards. (Published in The Gaurdian February 22, 2006)

Doctors rap hospital chief for negligence

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MORE than 20 doctors at the Iloilo Provincial Hospital (IPH) at Pototan, Iloilo complained with Governor Niel Tupas the state of neglect of the hospital and alleged inefficiency of their medical chief.
In a letter complaint, the 24 doctors asked Tupas to investigate Dr. Noel Icamina, IPH chief, for alleged mismanagement.
The complainants said that the hospital pharmacy lacks medicines forcing patients to go to private drug stores. They also slammed the lack of X-ray films which entailed additional cost for the patients.
Even the laboratory is short of chemicals and equipment for basic tests. The complainants also pointed to the substandard operating room (OR) which was repaired last year using of coco lumber. Aside from being substandard, the OR also lacked anesthesia and facilities.
The doctors also complained that they were evicted from their quarters and transferred to a cramped and hot room. Casual nurses also bore the brunt of hospital work as the nurse-to-population ratio is 1:60.
Even the brand new van which was intended as ambulance became Icamina’s personal vehicle. While they lacked facilities and medicines, Icamina allegedly bought a chandelier which he installed at the hospital lobby.
“It seems that Big Brother has neglected us,” the complainants said.
Yesterday, a fact-finding committee went to IPH to validate the complaints against Icamina. The five-man team is composed of representatives from the Provincial Health Office, Provincial Legal Office, Accounting Office and the Human Resource Management Office.
The team is expected to submit its findings within this week.
The Guardian tried to get Icamina’s side but to no avail. (Published in The Gaurdian February 22, 2006)

HOT MEAT

2006-02-21T14:30:00.000+08:00

City cop coddling cattle-rustlers?

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A POLICE officer in Iloilo City is allegedly protecting Ramon Chang, the alleged leader of a cattle-rustling syndicate busted in Guimbal, Iloilo last week.
An intelligence officer from the Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) who requested anonymity claimed that a fellow officer with the rank of SPO1 is coddling Chang’s group.
“Based on intelligence reports, we have heard that Chang has a police protector,” the source said.
But he declined to name police officer pending further validation of the reports.
The source further claimed that Chang may have been getting information from his alleged protector on police operations against the syndicate.
“We have been having a hard time tracking down Chang’s group because they change their modus operandi and base of operations from time to time,” the source added.
Chang along with Arnulfo Pacete, Jikiriz Enojas and Redgie Magdato were caught stealing a cow at Barangay Balantad, Guimbal Monday last week.
The police filed criminal charges against Chang’s group for violation of Presidential Decree No. 533 (Anti-Cattle Rustling Law) and illegal possession of firearms but the suspects managed to post bail for their temporary freedom Friday.
Based on ICPO intelligence reports, Chang allegedly slaughtered stolen cattle at Barangays Guzman-Jesena and Pali in Mandurriao, Arevalo district and Zarraga and Oton towns.
The “hot meat” is then diverted to four meat traders at Jaro Big Market and Mandurriao Market, the intelligence source added.
But Jury Sadiong, market in-charge of Mandurriao, is clueless on the entry of “hot meat” in his jurisdiction.
Sadiong said meat products usually arrive at the market 3am while he reports to office at 8am. Instead, Sadiong pointed to a certain Peter Escarilla, a member of the Iloilo City Task Force Hot Meat, as the one responsible for checking the entry of meat from stolen cattle.
Sadiong said Escarilla has not reported to him about hot meat being sold at the Mandurriao market.
But Sadiong admitted that some traders might be mixing hot meat with legitimate meat products. He also admitted that meat from a cow stolen from Barangay San Rafael, Mandurriao was recovered from traders Ted Jor and Edwin Velez.
Jor is said to be Sadiong’s relative. (Published in The Guardian Feb 21, 2006)

Despite the tragedy, residents of Ma. Cristina smile as they scour for valuables among the rubbles.

Jaro village a fire hazard, says BFP

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

BARANGAY Ma. Cristina in Jaro, Iloilo City is a fire prone-area, according to the Bureau of Fire Prevention (BFP).
BFP personnel who responded to the Sunday evening fire, which gobbled 23 houses in the said village and nearby Barangay Simon Ledesma, said they had a hard time putting off the blaze because the houses were close to each other.
Most of the houses were also made of light materials which caused the fire to spread quickly.
The firefighters also had to negotiate narrow streets leading to the fire scene. The situation became worse as kibitzers who congested the area.
Ma. Cristina Punong Barangay Guillermo Dela Cruz admitted that his village is indeed prone to fire. He also observed that strong winds fanned the blaze to bigger proportions.
As of now, BFP arson investigators have yet to determine the actual cause of the fire although Pastor Ricardo Duran admitted that sparks from his house’s electrical lines may have triggered the blaze.
Latest figures from Kagawad Cherry Lebrillo of Ma. Cristina showed a total of 23 houses totally burned leaving 169 persons from 30 families homeless. She estimated the damage between P15million to P20million “but this is just our unofficial estimate.”
However, BFP investigators made a lower estimate at P5million.
Duran said he lost P140,000 cash to the fire “but I am thankful that we survived.”
Many of the victims who are now staying at the Iloilo Baptist Center gymnasium also failed to save their personal belongings from the conflagration except for the clothes they wore on the day of the incident.
Janet Espiritu, whose house was totally burdened, said the blaze quickly spread leaving her no time to save her belongings.
“We just saved our ourselves and left everything in the house,” Espiritu said.
Lebrillo said the victims need clothes and blanket aside from food which the Iloilo City Social Welfare and Development Office distribute right after the fire.
But several victims also criticized the BFP for its late response to the incident. Although the Jaro BFP was first to arrive at the fire area, firefighting units from other districts came 15-30 minutes later.
But Iloilo City Fire Marshal Nilo Pacifico denied the yarn saying they arrived at the scene two minutes after the residents informed them of the blaze.
“We positioned our firetrucks at interior part of Barangay Ma. Cristina because that is the area where the fire erupted. That is the reason why the residents at Barangay Simon Leadsman did not see us,” Pacifico said.
Pacifico said the close proximity of the houses caused the fire to spread quickly. He also denied that they ran out of water because volunteer fire brigades with water tankers also helped put out the blaze.
The firefighters, particularly those from LaPaz and Molo areas instead blamed the heavy traffic at the Jaro plaza and Washington Street due to public and private vehicles parking on both sides of the road.
Land Transportation Office deputy regional head Gerard Camiña said they will entertain complaints from the BFP against motorists who showed no consideration during the fire.
Camiña said a motorist can be held liable if they delay emergency teams such as firefighters and hospital ambulances from performing their tasks.
The BFP personnel said they saw no traffic personnel manning the plaza area during the fire which caused traffic to bottle neck.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said he will investigate what happened to the traffic personnel assigned at the area.
Treñas admitted that there was poor crowd control at the fire scene which hampered the responding firefighters. (Published in The Guardian Feb 21, 2006)

‘TRIGGER HAPPY’

2005-12-20T23:07:00.000+08:00

Ex-seaman goes on shooting spree at Jaro

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

HOMICIDE charges are up against a trigger-happy ex-seaman from Jaro, Iloilo City who allegedly shot a 25-year-old-lad Saturday evening.
After a day of negotiations, Danilo Ventura, 60, of Barangay Cubay, Jaro surrendered to Chief Insp. Kashmir Disomangcop, Jaro police chief, Sunday.
Ventura is the suspect in the shooting to death of Vergil Hernandez of Sitio Paraiso, Barangay Cubay 10:30pm Saturday.
Before Hernandez’s death, two other men accused Ventura of shooting them.
SPO1 Jose Barce, investigator assigned to the case, said the Venturas called up the police station 10:45pm Saturday informing them of a break-in at the said house.
When the Jaro police arrived, Danilo’s son Danzel said a person was lying at the back portion of their compound.
Upon closer inspection, Barce said they saw the bloodied Hernandez lying on his face.
The police rushed the victim to the West Visayas State University Medical Center but he was declared dead on arrival.
Attending doctors said Hernandez succumbed to a gunshot wound on the nape.
Scene of the crime operatives recovered inside the Ventura compound three empty caliber 45 shells and a stereo cassette (Makamuchi brand). Outside of the residence near the area where Hernandez’s body was found, investigators retrieved an empty shell of the same caliber and an oven toaster.
During the initial investigations, Ventura blamed Hernandez for trying to steal from his house.
The suspect admitted at first that he shot the victim only to retract later and blamed an unidentified househelp for the crime. But on Sunday, Ventura eventually turned himself to the police and admitted the shooting.
Ventura refused to be interviewed yesterday inside the Jaro PNP lockup cell.
Trigger-happy
Ventura’s neighbors have always been wary over passing by the back portion of the latter’s property lest they be suspected as burglars and get shot.
Hernandez’s family denied that Vergil was a robber. His mother said she last saw her son alive when he played basketball with the barangay team.
At around 9pm, the victim went home ahead of the team. His team jokingly warned him against passing by the Venturas or he will be shot.
Prior to Vergil’s shooting, two more lads, Kenneth Davila, 20, and Joemarie Corsino, 23, also of Barangay Cubay claimed they were shot at while passing the Ventura residence. Luckily for the two, the assailant missed his aim.
Davila said he warned Corsino not to pass by the area but the latter insisted to take the shorter way via the former seaman’s house.
Cubay residents said Ventura is suffering from nervous breakdown which might be the reason for his alleged shooting spree.
The Venturas said they only use their gun to scare burglars who want to break into their home.
“There were times when some of our naughty neighbors would stone our roof as if taunting us,” said a family member who refused to be named.
The suspect’s family also denied that Danilo was suffering nervous breakdown. “It’s his wife, not him.”

‘Power woes will scare investors’

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

Lack of sustainable source of energy will affect efforts to invite investors to the city and province of Iloilo.
This was the apprehension of Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas yesterday as regards the lack of a baseload plant which will supply electrical power to the city.
Treñas said the city government will have a hard time wooing investors if the inadequate power supply is not addressed immediately.
“I am worried with the city’s growth since power is very important in running the economy,” Treñas told reporters yesterday.
The mayor said two major call centers are planning to come in to city but he fears these ventures will be discouraged by the high price of power and lack of a reliable energy source.
But Treñas said Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla assured to address the local power supply dilemma.
Iloilo City’s energy problems came up when Mirant Global Philippines announced it might shut down Panay Power Corporation’s (PPC) 72-MW facility at LaPaz district due to financial problems.
PPC’s operation was severely affected by the Energy Regulatory Commission’s order to cut Panay Electric Company’s (Peco) generation charges.
Mirant officials said what Peco pays PPC is not enough to pay for fuel to keep the plant running. Peco reportedly owes PPC P360million since September.
If not for the emergency fuel delivered by Pilipinas Shell to PPC last week, Iloilo City may have plunged into darkness on December 15.
The emergency fuel was supposed to run out yesterday but Treñas said the National Power Corporation (Napocor), through the efforts of Lotilla, will supply PPC with fuel which will last until January 8, 2006.
Treñas reiterated the need to put up a baseload plant in Panay to support the energy requirements of the city and province.
“If Peco can’t get power from PPC, we can tap to the Napocor. But assuming Napocor’s Pinamucan plant in Dingle, Iloilo is operational, it can only supply us with about 40MW which is way low compared to our peak demand of 78MW,” Treñas said.
Treñas earlier voiced out support for the construction of a coal-fired plant in Panay, which is cheaper than a diesel-fired plant, as long as environment regulations are observed. (Published in The Guardian, December 20, 2005 issue)

‘IT’S NOT ENOUGH’

2005-12-20T23:02:00.000+08:00

ERC PA CAN’T SUSTAIN PPC

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE provisional authority (PA) granted by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to Panay Electric Company (Peco) may not be enough to ensure steady supply of power to Iloilo City, an official of Mirant Global Corporation said.While Mirant Vice President for Visayas new Business Arman Lapus commended the ERC for acting on the financial problems of Panay Power Corporation (PPC) and averting power shutdown in Iloilo City, “the PA will not sustain PPC’s operations.”Mirant operates PPC’s 72-MW diesel-fired power plant at Barangay Ingore in LaPaz district. Lapus said the provisional generation rate of P6.5121 per kwh which the ERC allowed Peco to collect from consumers will only cover PPC’s actual expenses in running the plant including fuel cost and maintenance.“It (PA) does not allow PPC to recover its full costs, let alone generate profit. In short, we will continue to operate the plant sans any profit so we can provide Iloilo City with reliable power supply. But the ERC decision might not prevent the possible shutdown of the plant,” Lapus said.Lapus said if PPC does not recover the full generation cost soon, “we may find ourselves at risk of not meeting our obligations and defaulting on our loans and being forced out of business.”Earlier, Lapus said Peco owes PPC more than P364million since September. Meanwhile, the emergency fuel delivered by Pilipinas Shell to PPC last week will run out today which puts Iloilo City on the verge of another power blackout.But Lapus said Mirant’s top brass is in discussions with Shell and other potential suppliers to ensure that PPC continues to operate until the end of the year and through the first week of January 2006.PPC assistant vice president Adrian Moncada revealed that the Department of Energy under Secretary Raphael Lotilla is also planning to supply PPC with fuel from the National Power Corporation’s (Napocor) fuel suppliers.“We will find out today if the Napocor will augment our fuel supply until we have ironed out a deal with Shell using the ERC provisional order. We still cannot discount the possibility of a blackout in Iloilo City,” Moncada said.Still, Lapus assured that PPC is committed to take all necessary and immediate action to avoid closing down the plant to avert a massive blackout in Iloilo City.

Treñas blames past govts for power woes

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

THE power industry has an uncertain future as the government lacks the proper perspective and people who will handle the country’s energy needs.
“The problem is that past governments did not prepare to meet the demands for power,” stressed Iloilo City mayor Jerry P. Treñas who is also the president of the League of Cities of the Philippines (LCP).
The mayor particularly cited the case of Panay Island and Iloilo city in particular.
Treñas said Panay Island has no indigenous source of energy like geothermal plants.
He said only diesel fired power plants supply the energy requirements of the island which incurs high production costs due to soaring prices of oil in the world market.
“In the 90s, the government had no resources to construct power plants so the IPPs (Individual Power Producers) came in,” Treñas said.
Panay Power Corporation (PPC), the sole power supplier of the city, earlier groaned of financial difficulties brought about by the reduction of Panay Electric Cooperative’s charges.
PPC’s financial debacle almost resulted to a disastrous blackout in Iloilo City. But last Friday, Pilipinas Shell delivered bunker fuel to PPC’s 72-MW facility at LaPaz district.
The emergency fuel will run out today.
“This cloud of uncertainty has been discouraging investors in the power industry from coming into the country. The high power rates at the same time will not favor businesses,” Treñas said.
When asked for a solution, Treñas said he is open to the idea of putting up coal plants in Panay, with Semirara, Antique as the source of coal, since it is the cheapest source of reliable energy.
“As long as environmental safeguards are observed, coal plants are our best options for reliable power source,” Treñas said.
“Even right in the center of Washington DC in the United States, a coal plant is present,” Treñas added while noting his recent World Bank-sponsored study tour in the US and Europe with other Philippine local government officials.
The mayor also met with Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla, who hails from Antique, last week to discuss long-term solutions for the power supply problem of Panay.
“Although it seemed that we have sufficient power supply, this is not accurate considering the limitations of the interconnection of the islands in Visayas. Since Panay is at the tail-end of the grid, it will only receive what is left of the grid,” the DOE chief said.
“We are already experiencing a lot of problems like rotating brownouts while the rest of Panay excluding Iloilo City has a deficit of 56.7 megawatts. Thus, a power plant must be put up on the island as a source of electricity,” Lotilla said.
“We need to install a higher plant capacity. But nobody will come to invest for it unless we are willing to pay the actual cost of power generation,” he clarified.
“As far as Panay is concerned, coal is one of the cheapest while the renewable energy is more expensive. We just have to address the policy standards and enforcement of anti-pollution measures,” said Lotilla. (Published in The Guardian, December 19, 2005 issue)

NO BLACKOUT

2005-12-20T22:57:00.000+08:00

Electricity continues to run Iloilo City with the emergency fuel delivered by Shell

SHELL DELIVERS EMERGENCY FUEL TO PPC;
ERC GRANTS PA TO PECO

By Jeehan V. Fernandez and Francis Allan L. Angelo

PRESSURES from local and national officials averted a disastrous blackout in Iloilo City today after Pilipinas Shell delivered emergency fuel to Panay Power Corporation (PPC) yesterday.
Shell made the delivery “without payment” to PPC as it was pressured by local and national Ilonggo leaders.
Mayor Jerry Treñas confirmed the delivery after receiving a call from oil firm’s manager here.
The emergency fuel will keep PPC running for four days.
Also, Department of Energy sources said the National Power Corporation (Napocor), through its own fuel supplier, will deliver 15-days worth of bunker fuel to PPC.
If the arrangement pushes through, the combined amount of fuel from Shell and Napocor will keep PPC running until January 4, 2006.
Aside from Treñas, Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. and his son Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr., and Governor Niel Tupas Sr. also burned the lines to compel the national government to help solve the city’s energy crisis.
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla earlier vowed that no blackout will hit Iloilo City.
Also, the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) came out with a provisional authority (PA) allowing Panay Electric Company (Peco) to charge its consumer P6.5121/kwh which will be used to pay the actual cost of power generated by PPC.
The ERC said the PA “will mean cash flow alleviation to Peco and PPC for it will address their financial concerns.”
The said amount in the PA is broken down to P1.25/kwh for operating and maintenance cost, P4.9121 for fuel cost which is the actual as of October 2005 and P.35/kwh for interest expense on debt.
Aside from the temporary charges, the ERC also ordered Peco to interconnect with the Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid to avoid future recurrence of energy crisis
The energy crisis in Iloilo City began after PPC suffered from financial problems brought about by the reduction in Peco’s charges due to the unbundling of rates under the Electric Power Industry Act.
“We finally avert the looming power outage in the city,” Treñas said.
Earlier, the mayor said that “we have assurance from Department of Energy (DOE) to ensure there is no power disruption.”
“The PPC is also working within limits so that there would be no power interruptions anymore of power generation,” Treñas said.
The mayor also discussed with Lotilla the inadequate power supply scenario in the city.
Treñas added the city will be looking into the adjustment in electricity rates as well as long-term solutions to address the looming power crisis.
“We are not in the state of panic. I had instructed the police to increase visibility with the support of barangay tanods to ensure the security of everyone’s lives and properties if ever there is power failure,” he clarified. (Published in The Guardian, December 16-18, 2005 issue)

FINAL SOLUTION

2005-12-20T22:51:00.000+08:00

Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla (right) with businessmen Tony Jon and Alfonso Uy.

Energy czar: Coal-fired plants
will solve Panay’s power woes

By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Jeehan V. Fernandez

A RELIABLE power plant in Panay Island will prevent another power crisis just like the blackout scenario in Iloilo City resulting from the financial setback faced by Panay Power Corporation (PPC).
Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla yesterday reiterated the need of putting up a baseload plant in Iloilo “due to the diminishing power supply from the National Power Corporation (Napocor).”
“Panay cannot rely on Napocor for long term energy supply. There is a need to put up a plant here,” Lotilla said.
Lotilla was the guest of honor during the Annual General Membership Meeting of the Iloilo Business Club at Amigo Terrace Hotel yesterday.
The energy czar presented the actual power situation in Panay to the Iloilo business community.
Lotilla said despite the uprating of the 400-MW submarine cable from Leyte to the Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid, “Panay continues to suffer from low voltage.”
“For as long as there is no power plant of sizable capacity here, Panay will always have energy problems. Panay now is suffering from a 56.7MW deficit,” Lotilla said.
As regards the problem of PPC which resulted from the reduction of Panay Electric Company’s power rates, Lotilla “it is a system-wide problem that needs long term solution.”
“Given the current price of oil in the world market, bunker fuel which, is used in diesel-fired power plants like that of PPC, is one of the most expensive fuel. As long as we don’t have a reliable and cheap baseload plant like a coal-fired power plant, we have to be prepared to bear higher power rates. Whether we like or not, a coal plant is the cheapest source of that will immediately solve our problems here,” Lotilla said.
ERC blinks
Meanwhile, Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) chairman Rodolfo Albano said they will give Peco provisional authority to charge the actual cost of power generation to its consumers so it can pay its debt to PPC.
“The amount will be enough only for Peco to pay PPC so it can sustain its operation. PPC is losing heavily on current generation rate Peco is charging the consumers. We are still working on the figures and formula of the provisional order which will only be temporary until we have decided on Peco’s petition. With these, the PPC already assured there will be no blackouts in Iloilo,” Albano said.
Since last week, the ERC has been giving different statements on the possible solution to PPC’s financial dilemma.
Last Friday, Albano insisted that Peco must pay PPC the actual cost of power generation without burdening the consumers.
Yesterday morning, reports came out that ERC will compel Peco to interconnect with the National Transmission Corporation to get power supply from the Napocor. The ERC also suggested that Peco prepare its generation set at Gen. Luna Street, Iloilo City.
Albino said they expect to finalize the provisional order today.
Since last night, PPC and Mirant Global Corporation held high level meetings to discuss contingency plans if they find the ERC order unacceptable. (Published in The Guardian, December 15, 2005 issue)

‘EXPECT THE WORST’

2005-12-20T22:16:00.000+08:00

This is a normal scene at the rotunda near the Atrium and the capitol. But this will change when the Iloilo City plunges into darkness.

ILOILO CITY BRACES FOR BLACKOUT

By Jeehan V. Fernandez and Jun Ariolo N. Aguirre

HOW prepared are local government authorities and law enforcement agencies in case Panay Power Corporation (PPC) runs out of bunker fuel and is forced to shut down its 72-MW facility at Lapaz district resulting to a citywide blackout?
With only a day left before PPC tanks get dry, City Hall and police officials are making all necessary preparations for the power shutdown even as Mayor Jerry Treñas tries to move heaven and earth to save the city from the looming blackout.
“The problem on power supply is real. It is really there,” Treñas stressed after meeting with PPC and Panay Electric Company (Peco) officials.
Treñas said fluctuating prices of oil in the world market and the reduction of Peco’s rates as ordered by the Energy Regulatory Commission have affected PPC’s operations.
Due to the ERC ruling, Treñas said Peco has failed to pay its financial obligations to PPC causing the latter to default on its payments with its fuel supplier.
Treñas said PPC has already lost more than P360million computed from the time PECO implemented the ERC- ordered rate cut three months ago.
Quoting PPC, Treñas said Shell, the fuel supplier, will not deliver to PPC unless its outstanding account is paid.
Treñas said he has brought the problem to the attention of Department of Energy (DOE) Secretary Raphael Lotilla who is coming today to the city.
“The ERC is looking into the problem to ensure that there will be no disruption of electricity in the city. We are trying to find solutions since Peco can’t settle its dues to PPC,” Treñas said.
In his earlier talk with ERC chairman Rodolfo Albano, the mayor said the energy regulatory body may issue a provisional authority for Peco to charge a higher amount in order to cover the true cost of power generation.
“The ERC order on said rate may come out soon. We have assurance from the national government particularly President Gloria Arroyo,” Treñas said.
The mayor said he will be meeting with the City Council, Crisis Management Center and the police to formulate contingency measures in case of a blackout.
Treñas added that business transactions in both government and private offices will be adversely affected by the blackouts.
“Even if we have generator sets, these can’t supply continuous power. The hospitals and hotels among other businesses will be using generators but it will be costly and limited,” Treñas said.
He likewise said the National Power Corporation cannot meet Iloilo City’s 72-MW power demand.
“We are preparing for the worst but hoping for the best. This must be resolved considering its great impact on us,” he added.
Hands full
Meanwhile, the Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 has its hands full as it prepares not only for the looming blackout in Iloilo City but also for other concerns during the Christmas season.
Chief Supt. Doroteo Reyes, PRO-6 regional director, said they will field their intelligence operatives to monitor the peace and order situation in the city not only for the power outage but also for terrorist threats.
Reyes said he will also alert the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council and the Office of Civil Defense if the ERC fails to come up with a solution for PPC’s financial woes today.
Reyes said they will be watching for looters and other petty criminals who might take advantage of the blackout.
Kagawad Eduardo Peñaredondo said he has received information that several city residents will vandalize Peco’s properties or may steal Peco’s high tension wire and other equipment in the event of a power shutdown.
“There will be mayhem all around if there is blackout. We must prepare now,” Peñaredondo said.
Iloilo City Police director Norlito Bautista said all police precincts around the city have been alerted as regards the blackout scenario.
“We are already on alert so there is no problem about our preparation,” Bautista said. (Published in The Guardian, November 14, 2005 issue.)

TAKEOVER PECO, NOT PPC

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

TO PREVENT Iloilo City from plunging into darkness, the government can take control of Panay Electric Company (Peco) instead of Panay Power Corporation (PPC) which is set to shut down its 72-MW facility at Barangay Ingore, LaPaz.
This was the immediate solution proposed by Mayor Jerry Treñas just in case the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) fails to come up with a win-win solution to the financial fray between Peco and PPC.
Earlier, Iloilo City Rep. Raul Gonzalez wrote President Arroyo to take over PPC to avert a blackout in the city.
During his meeting with PPC and Peco officials at the City Hall yesterday, Treñas said it would be hard for the national government to seize control of PPC which is an independent power producer owned by multinational corporation Mirant Global Corporation.
Instead, the government has an easier option in taking over the management and control of Peco, which is a public utility, to ensure continuous supply of power to Iloilo City, Treñas said.
Treñas explained that under the law, the government can always recall Peco’s franchise in case of emergencies just like the looming blackout brought about by PPC’s financial problems.
The mayor was also apprehensive of the bad impression that will be created by PPC’s takeover to the international and national business communities.
Apparently, Treñas’s proposal will compel President Arroyo to subsidize a government-controlled Peco so it can pay its arrears to the power producer.
Fresh from his trip abroad, Treñas “burned the lines” to convince the ERC and even Malacañang to help avert the blackout.
As of yesterday, the ERC has yet to issue any provisional authority to Peco which is expected to satisfy its debts to PPC.
ERC Chairman Rodolfo Albano Jr. last week said they will order Peco to pay PPC the actual cost of power without charging the amount to the consumers.
Albano said they are still deliberating on the provisions of the order as Peco is opposing their proposal.
Engr. Adrian Moncada, PPC assistant vice president, said ERC’s proposed solution has a loophole.
“If the ERC will compel Peco to pay us the real cost of power but what it actually charges the consumers is lower, who will pay the balance?” Moncada said.
Treñas was not in favor of the said move saying it would result to increase in power rates for the consumers.
Checkmate
Kagawad Eduardo Peñaredondo likened the city’s situation to a losing game of chess.
“We are in a checkmate situation now. We have nowhere to go. If the PPC stops its operation, we cannot rely on the National Power Corporation since it has not enough power supply. Maybe Napocor can spare us 10MW but that would only be enough for the three big malls in the city,” Peñaredondo said.
Peñaredondo said the blackout will be disastrous to the city’s economy and peace and order to Iloilo City.
“We will go back to the dark ages if we lose power. Mayor Treñas will meet with the crisis management committee to put in place the necessary contingency plan in case of a blackout,” Peñaredondo said.
Helpless
However, Governor Niel Tupas no amount of contingency plan will help Iloilo City against the blackout.
“We will be helpless. If we lose our power supply, what can we do,” Tupas said.
Still, Tupas said they are hoping that the ERC will exert all its effort to prevent the city from plunging into darkness. (Published in The Guardian, December 13, 2005 issue)

IBC: ERC must solve power crisis

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

ALARMED by the looming blackout in Iloilo City, businessmen have urged the government to address the power concern which could cause major trouble on the local economy.
The Iloilo Business Club (IBC) yesterday issued the statement following pronouncements of Panay Power Corporation (PPC) that it will shut down its facility at Barangay Ingore, LaPaz if Panay Electric Company (Peco) does not pay the actual price of power.
“We urgently request the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) through its chairman Rodolfo Albano to arbitrate and come up with a viable interim and long term solutions acceptable to all stakeholders and always with the interest of the general public as the primordial consideration,” stressed Antonio S. Jon, IBC president.
Last week, Albano said the ERC will grant a provisional authority to Peco to pay its financial dues to PPC.
Likewise, the business sector asked PPC and Peco to deal properly with their problems.
“We appeal to both Panay Power Corporation and Panay Electric Company to exercise social responsibility over the situation and not allow Iloilo City to suffer the consequences of a blackout,” Jon said.
“We hope they will uphold their mandate to provide reliable and reasonably-priced electricity to the community,” Jon pointed out.
“The Iloilo Business Club is very much concerned with the obvious and logical consequence of a citywide blackout that could bring unimaginable and indescribable chaos and turmoil to the public,” he explained.
“Power is one of the biggest components for the economy’s growth thus we are the most concerned than any other sector. It would be disastrous and detrimental if we have no electricity to run our businesses,” Jon clarified.
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Mayor Jerry P. Treñas had talked over the phone with Albano yesterday regarding the ERC stand on the power issue.
“It is my hope that the ERC will issue a provisional authority to Peco. The ERC order may come out soon,” Treñas told reporters.
Treñas also said the city government has no options available but it would be the National Power Corporation (NPC) and Department of Energy (DOE) that will address the power troubles.
“We have to talk to higher authorities to come up with solutions. But before the government come in, solutions can be thrived at the local level. If not, the government will be there to ensure there is continuous power supply,” the mayor said. (Published in The Guardian, December 13, 2005 issue)

PAYBACK TIME
Raul Sr. mulls damage suit vs Orleans

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

IT’S payback time for Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr.
This, after the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) junked the disbarment case filed by Liga ng mga Barangay-Iloilo City Chapter president Marietta Orleans against Gonzalez.
Orleans, with her legal counsel Bonifacio Alentajan, sought to strip Gonzalez of his license to practice law with the IBP’s Commission on Bar Discipline (CBD) at the height of the power struggle within the Liga last year.
Orleans based her case on Gonzalez’s purported illicit love affair with a Sangguniang Kabataan chairman in Iloilo City.
An earlier disbarment case was also filed against Gonzalez for his involvement in the leadership squabble in the Liga but it was already dismissed by the IBP in August.
In the latest complaint, the CBD’s investigating commissioner Lydia Navarro found no merit in Orleans’s complaint.
In the resolution for CBD Case No. 04-1276, Navarro said “it is apparent that complainant is just harassing the respondent.”
“From the facts obtained, it is evident that complainant meant to harass the respondent at all cost, even to the extent of violating the rule on forum shopping for having instituted the same course of action with the same set of witnesses and affidavits twice before the IBP and the Ombudsman,” Navarro said.
The IBP board of governors has already adopted Navarro’s resolution which in turn will be approved by the Supreme Court.
Atty. Eldrid Antiquera, Gonzalez’s counsel, said they will file counter charges against Orleans and Alentajan “for besmirching Secretary Gonzalez’s name.”
“We will file a substantial damage suit against Orleans and Alentajan. We are just waiting for the dismissal to become final by virtue of Supreme Court’s approval,” Antiquera said.
Alentajan said they can still appeal the case even as he accused Gonzalez of using his position to influence the IBP decision.
But Antiquera denied Alentajan’s accusation saying the IBP has been the one of the oppositors to Gonzalez’s appointment as Secretary of Justice.
The rift between Gonzalez and Orleans began in the 2004 elections when the latter supported former Iloilo City mayor Mansueto Malabor who ran as congressman opposite Raul Gonzalez Jr. (Published in The Guardian, December 12, 2005)

ERC INTERVENES

2005-12-11T21:57:00.000+08:00

PPC assistant vice president Andy Moncada and Mirant vice president Arman Lapus meet with Rep. Raul Gonzalez Jr.

ALBANO: ‘PECO MUST PAY PPC’

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO City might just spend Christmas in a brighter setting with the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) stepping in the “financial fray” between Panay Power Corporation (PPC) and Panay Electric Company (Peco).
ERC chairman Rodolfo Albano said they will issue a provisional authority early next week to compel Peco to pay PPC what is due the power producer so it can continue to supply electricity to the city.
Earlier, Mirant Global Corporation vice president for Visayas New Business Arman Lapus and PPC assistant vice president Adrian Moncada said they cannot sustain the operation of the 72-MW diesel-fired power plant at Barangay Ingore, LaPaz after Peco cut its rate P2 last September.
Lapus said Peco owes PPC more than P360million which has affected their fuel supply from Shell Corporation.
“Our fuel stock is only up to December 15. Shell won’t deliver Bunker C fuel if we cannot pay our outstanding accounts. And if we cannot purchase fuel before December 15, we will have to shut down the plant,” Lapus said.
But Albano said Peco cannot pass on to the consumers the amount it will pay PPC.
“Peco must pay PPC the actual cost of power. But they cannot charge that to the consumers until we have made a decision on their petition for rate increase,” Albano said in an interview with Aksyon Radyo station manager John Paul Tia Friday evening.
If Peco resents the order, Albano said the distribution firm must present a valid reason why it will not follow the provisional authority.
The ERC chief said the order is now being routed to his fellow commissioners for their signatures.
“The order might be out either on Monday or Tuesday,” Albano said.
Albano said the commission’s action was similar to the solution they made on the problem of Cebu Private Power Corporation (CPPC) which accounts for 20 percent of the Cebu’s power requirement.
CPPC was also on the verge of shutting down as Visayas Electric Cooperative was paying the former less than the actual cost of power.
“This will ensure that there will be no blackout on December 15 as what PPC and Mirant are saying,” Albano said.
Pressures
Apparently, pressures from Iloilo and national leaders forced ERC to avert the power blackout in the city.
Since yesterday morning, Governor Niel Tupas was burning the lines to compel Albano to solve the power crisis.
“My constituents might be in the province but the provincial capitol will be severely affected by the blackout. Being a consumer also, I made my own move to solve this problem. Rest assured that there will be no blackout next week,” Tupas said.
On Wednesday, Iloilo City Representative Raul Gonzalez Jr. wrote President Gloria Arroyo and asked her to temporarily take over PPC to avert the blackout.
Reports from Manila said the President also called up Albano upon receiving Gonzalez’s letter.
Lapus and Moncada met with Gonzalez yesterday to explain the actual situation of PPC.
Gonzalez said he sent the letter to the President “just in case something happens.”
But Lapus assured Gonzalez that they will continue to operate if ERC issues a “win-win solution” to their problem.
“We are not blackmailing the consumers and our leaders. In fact, we are being open and honest to the people about the real situation of the plant. As well-meaning businessmen, we want to be transparent to our consumers. If the ERC decision will give us a leeway to buy fuel from our supplier, we can continue supplying power to the city,” Lapus said.
Good news
Meanwhile, Moncada said the ERC’s provisional authority “is good news.”
“The order can be strong collateral to our creditor and supplier. But it will depend on Shell’s policy if they will deliver fuel on basis of the ERC decision or they will demand for cash,” Moncada said.
But Moncada said it will “be premature say that we will not shut down the plant until we have seen the ERC order and ascertained its implementation.”
“What we need right now is something that will convince Shell that we can pay them for the fuel we will purchase. Or we can also go to the bank to borrow money using the ERC order as an assurance that we can pay them back. Early on, we have arranged with Shell to make sure that they have enough fuel to supply to the plant,” Moncada said.
However, Atty. Honorato Sayno said the ERC can only regulate rates of power distribution firms “but it cannot intervene if how we will pay PPC.”
“But we will first see the content of the order before we make our own move,” Sayno said. (Published in The Guardian, December 10-11, 2005 issue)

COUNTDOWN

2005-12-11T21:51:00.000+08:00

ENGR. Moncada: It's painful but we have no choice

ERC MUST ACT NOW

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THERE is no other way out of the looming blackout in Iloilo City due to financial setbacks bugging Panay Power Corporation (PPC) but the immediate action of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) even as an Ilonggo solon urged Malacañang to takeover the plant.
Engineer Adrian Moncada, PPC assistant vice president, said unless the ERC gives provisional authority to Panay Electric Company (Peco) to exact a higher generation charge rate on its consumers, “our power plant will definitely shut down on December 15.”
Because of the unbundling of rates policy set by the Electric Power Industry Reform Act,
the ERC ordered Peco to cut its rate to P3.74 per kilowatt hour.
The rate cut affected PPC’s operation as Peco’s payment to the power producer “is not enough for our fuel,” Moncada said.
“We are forced to operate within the P3.74 per kwh Peco is paying us. But we actually bill them P6.83 per kwh. How can we sustain the plant when Peco is paying us less than half of what we charge them?” the PPC executive explained.
Moncada added they cannot anymore resort to load shedding as it would still result to power loss in at least 50 percent of the city.
“Our fuel stock is only enough until December 15. If we cannot buy fuel, we will shut down the plant. This is not blackmail. These are facts and realities and we are only telling the truth no matter how painful it is. In fact, the consumers should be thankful that we are telling them this reality via the media and the local officials. It is not in the characteristic of PPC to resort to blackmail. All of us will be affected by this problem,” Moncada said.
In a month, the PPC consumes 8million liters of Bunker C fuel which is supplied by Shell Corp.
Considering the current price of fuel, the power producer spends P160million for fuel alone.
Since the implementation of the rate cut in September, Peco already owes PPC P360million.
Moncada revealed Shell will not supply fuel to the plant unless PPC pays its debt to the oil firm.
PPC has no other fuel source options because of the existing contract with Shell, Moncada added.
Moncada said the only immediate solution to the problem is for the ERC to give provisional authority to Peco to charge an ample rate so it can pay PPC’s power supply.
“If the ERC can grant Peco’s prayer for provisional authority, we can go to the bank to borrow money for our fuel using the ERC ruling as a guarantee for the loan. The provisional authority is strong justification for the loan,” Moncada said.
Executive action
Meanwhile, Iloilo City Lone District Representative Raul Gonzalez Jr. wrote President Arroyo to takeover PPC’s facility at Barangay Ingore, LaPaz to avert a “dark, dangerous and gloomy holiday for us.”
In a copy of the letter obtained by The Guardian, Gonzalez said the blackout will have “serious implications to Iloilo City and the region.”
“I beg your Excellency to for the issuance of an executive order for the immediate albeit temporary government takeover of the operations of the said power plant,” Gonzalez said in the letter.
Gonzalez cited section 17, article 11 of the Philippine Constitution which allows the government “to take over privately owned public utility or business affected with public interest.”
“This is not much so much a matter of imminent danger, but a matter of clear and present danger to the economy, peace and order and political stability,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez also suggested the deployment of a power barge to Iloilo City “in any eventuality.”
Due process
But Moncada said the government cannot just grab control of the 72-MW plant.
“There must be due process on this matter. What kind of takeover will the government do? If they can give fuel to us, that would be better. But to physically take control of the plant is a legal question I cannot address right now,” Moncada said.
Moncada also said the plan to takeover PPC will only result to serious repercussions to the government in the international community.
“What will the international community say when the government grabs control of multinational energy firm? This will discourage investors to come to the country. The reason why we were invited here to invest is to supply reliable and quality energy. But since we are also businessmen, we expect appropriate compensation for our product and services,” Moncada said.
Moncada added they will meet with Gonzalez today to discuss PPC’s problem. (Published in The Guardian, December 9, 2005)

GLORIA’S WRATH?

2005-12-11T21:48:00.000+08:00

GMA abolishes Drilon's airport commitee

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

IS MALACAÑANG exacting political revenge on the Tupas administration through the international airport project?
President Gloria Arroyo has intervened in the new Iloilo international airport project (Niadp) by ordering a review of all contracts and procedures of the P6.2-billion project.
Concerned with the worsening delay of the project, President Gloria Arroyo on December 2 issued a memorandum which abolished the Iloilo Airport Coordinating Committee composed of Senate President Franklin Drilon, Gov. Niel Tupas, Rep. Arthur Defensor, former Rep. Augusto Syjuco the municipal mayors of Cabatuan and Maasin towns and the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC).
Drilon and Tupas withdrew their support from the President in July for alleged election fraud in 2004 and other accusations of graft and corruption.
“Considering the need to catch up with serious and escalating delays in the construction of the new Iloilo international airport, and to resolve environmental and legal issues as well as issues on equity, legality and propriety, the Iloilo International Airport Coordinating Council is hereby abolished and its functions transferred to the Secretary of Transportation.
The primary task of the committee is to draft policies involving the construction of the airport and help the DOTC on concerns occurring at the local level.
The President also ordered DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza to provide overall policy guidelines and directions in the equitable, effective and timely implementation of the project and re-examination of all existing contracts and procedures.
Apparently, Ms. Arroyo got wind of the gaping delay of the project caused by weather problems and lack of filling materials for the embankment of the airport site.
The latest report by the Japan Airport Consultants (JAC) showed the project is 5.75 months behind its target completion in October 2006.
Earlier, Malacañang’s hand was also seen in the relief of Engineers Raphael Lavides and Vicente Andres as project manager and deputy project manager, respectively, of the Niadp.
But DOTC undersecretary Ricardo Tan said Lavides was actually promoted to the Project Management Office. “There is no politics here. It was a routine transfer.”
Last month, the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources stopped the rock crushing plant from processing aggregate material for the airport site for violating the Philippine Mining Act.
Although Estancia gasoline dealer Melvin Requinto manages the plant, the facility is actually owned by the Montesclaros family, the balaye of Gov. Tupas.
But the Capitol said Malacañang’s intervention is politically motivated.
In fact, Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada downplayed the abolition of the airport committee saying it has been dormant since last year.
Mejorada said the only actual participation of the committee to the project is in the purchase of the airport site and the relocation area for communities affected by the project.
“It is clear that Malacañang’s act is politically motivated after Senator Drilon and Gov. Tupas withdrew their support from the President. This could actually delay the project even more,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada also slammed the cease and desist order against the rock crushing plant. “The contractor is having difficulties in looking for filling materials. With the crushing plant in the freezer, the project will suffer more setbacks.”
Mejorada added: “This flurry of events is all aimed at discrediting the governor and Senator Drilon who worked hard for this project. And there are even rumors that the administration will file charges against Gov. Tupas and have him suspended next year.”
House probe
At the House of Representatives yesterday, the committee on good government chaired by Rep. Defensor concluded its investigation into the airport project.
Despite the hype surrounding his appearance before the inquiry, former congressman and now Tesda chief Syjuco only reiterated his “Turil ni Niel” exposé three years ago.
Syjuco presented documents that allegedly linked Tupas to the operation of the rock crushing plant of his balaye including quarry and mineral permits, delivery receipts and contracts.
Syjuco also discussed how Tupas allegedly cornered the operation of the burrow pit area by giving quarry permits to contractors identified with the latter.
“These papers prove that Gov. Tupas violated the anti-graft and corrupt practices act by earning from the operation of the rock crushing plant and handing our permits to his favored contractors,” Syjuco said.
During the penultimate leg of the hearing, Rep. Ferjenel Biron (4th district, Iloilo) discovered that the Japanese airport contractor Taisei-Shimizu was actually doing business with the Montesclaros instead of Requinto.
Biron said it is highly irregular for Requinto, who applied for the permit for the crusher, has no business with Taisei.
Yesterday, Taisei officials showed their contract with Montesclaros and the delivery receipts in the name of Tupas’s balaye.
Ian Stewart of the JAC also confirmed before the committee that the airport project is suffering from a 50-percent slippage, contrary to the DOTC’s assessment of 18-percent delay.
Stewart said the main cause of the delay is not just the weather but also the quality and availability of filling materials.
DOTC Sec. Mendoza even told Iloilo congressman that he is planning to review the airport contract with the Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture for possible rescission.
Defensor said their recommendations will focus on the burrow pit area, the slippage in the project and other environmental and social concerns.
“If there are grounds, we can file charges against those responsible for the irregularities we have discovered,” Defensor said.

WIN-WIN SOLUTION

2005-12-11T21:43:00.000+08:00

Atty. Romeo Gerochi (2nd from right) grills Engr. Bien Anatan of Peco while Atty. Hans Sayno (extreme left) and ERC Hearing officer Francis Juan listen.

ERC TO AVERT BLACKOUT

By Francis Allan L. Angelo and Jeehan V. Fernandez

THE Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) will try to come up with a “win-win” solution which will avert the looming power blackout in Iloilo City once Panay Power Corporation (PPC) shuts down.
Atty. Francis Juan, who presided over the first hearing on Panay Electric Company’s (Peco) petition to revalidate its power supply agreement with PPC yesterday, said they will first verify the power producer’s claims.
“If there is truth to what PPC is saying, the ERC can always step in to arrange a compromise between Peco and PPC,” Juan said.
Juan further said they also applied the same compromise in the case of Visayas Electric Cooperative (Veco) and Cebu Private Power Corporation (CPPC) in Cebu.
CPPC planned to shut down its facility, which only accounts 20 percent of Cebu’s power demand, as Veco’s payment cannot sustain the former’s operation.
But concerted demands from Cebu’s local leadership and business community forced the ERC to address the problem.
Juan said while they are hearing Peco’s petition, they can propose a provisionary rate which can sustain PPC.
“We have a lot of measures to undertake if only to prevent a power blackout in Iloilo City. We can ask PPC and Peco to maintain the status quo for the meantime. There is also the possibility of coming up with a temporary rate pending the approval of Peco’s petition,” Juan said.
Juan said the ERC cannot allow a blackout to happen in the city given its disastrous effects to the economy.
But Juan said they cannot take over PPC’s facility because it is a private firm owned by Mirant Global Corporation.
“Maybe if the President sees it right to take over the plant, only she can do so,” Juan said.
Rotating brownouts
But the PPC said all they can do right now is to stretch their fuel supply for the meantime.
Engr. Adrian Moncada, Mirant assistant vice president, said their fuel stock is only up to December 15 as Shell has not been delivering diesel to PPC.
“As what we said before, Peco’s payment is not enough to pay for our fuel. Our supply is only good up to next week,” Moncada said.
As an option, Moncada said the PPC can reduce its capacity, which will result to rotating brownouts in the city, “so we can save on fuel until the supply lasts.”
“That is the least that could happen to Iloilo City. If the ERC can come up with a win-win decision, then we might just have a bright New Year’s celebration,” Moncada added.
Earlier, Mirant Vice President for Visayas New Business Arman Lapus said the ERC-ordered rate cut on Peco has affected their cash flow and eventually PPC’s operation.
Lapus said Peco owes PPC more than P250million for October and November.
‘Powerless’
In yesterday’s hearing, Peco presented documents required by the ERC in support for its petition.
Peco’s lead counsel was Atty. Honorato Sayno while Attys. Romeo Gerochi and Edeljulio Romero represented the oppositors.
After the presentation of the documents, Engr. Bienvenido Anatan, head of Peco’s engineering division, gave a technical explanation of Iloilo City’s power situation.
Anatan revealed a certification from National Power Corporation (Napocor) president Cyril Delcallar on their inability to meet Iloilo City’s 78MW demand on peak.
“Technically speaking, the Napocor cannot supply power to Iloilo City for lack of reliable sources,” Anatan said.
Anatan added Napocor’s output is not even enough for Panay.
Earlier, Engr. Nelson Homena, manager of the Panay diesel-fired power plant in Dingle, Iloilo, said they have no extra electricity to supply to Peco.
“What we have is only enough for our area in Panay. We are even having rotating brownouts due to low voltage. We cannot increase our capacity since it would be expensive for us,” Homena told this writer in a telephone interview Monday.
Homena also said they cannot rely on the Pinamucan power plant which is up for overhauling.
Irrelevant
In the cross-examination, Gerochi queried Anatan on financial matters involving its power supply agreement with PPC.
But Anatan said his area is on the technical operations of Peco.
Gerochi said Anatan’s testimony was hearsay “because he failed to present PPC’s actual power rates.”
“He only based his claims on their accounting records. It could have been better if they had an official document duly signed by PPC officials,” the lawyer-cum-activist said.
But Sayno said Gerochi “did not demolish anything nor did he establish anything.”
This early, Sayno claimed victory in yesterday’s hearing.
“We believe the hearing was successful while we achieved the intention to present our witness who brought out the power supply and demand scenario here. We felt that there is a looming energy crisis in Panay Island,” Sayno stressed.
Absent
Interestingly, not one City Hall official was present at the hearing held at the ATM Building in Ledesma Street.
Vice Mayor Guillermo Dela Llana, who acts in behalf of Mayor Jerry Treñas who is abroad, said they will wait and see the ERC decision on Peco’s petition.
Dela Llana also declined to make a stand on the issue. “It is up to Mayor Treñas to make a stand on this.”
Officials of Iloilo Business Club led by president Antonio Jon, Marissa Segovia and Ma. Leah Victoria Lara showed up to observe the proceedings.
Although the IBC has yet to come up an official stance on Peco’s petition, Lara said they are concerned with the looming blackout once PPC shuts down.
The next hearing is on January 19, 2006 although Gerochi petitioned to move the schedule to an earlier date.
Juan said he will refer Gerochi’s motion to the ERC en banc. (Published in The Guardian, December 7, 2005 issue)

‘POWERLESS’

2005-12-11T21:41:00.000+08:00

NAPOCOR CAN’T HELP ILOILO CITY

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CONTRARY to the claims of a lawyer-cum-consumer activist, Iloilo City cannot rely on the National Power Corporation (Napocor) for electricity supply if Panay Power Corporation (PPC) decides to shut down its operations due to financial problems.
Engr. Nelson Homena, plant manager of Napocor’s diesel-fired power plant in Dingle, Iloilo, made the grim revelation even as the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is set to hear the Panay Electric Company’s (Peco) petition to revalidate its power supply agreement with PPC.
Last week, officials of Mirant Global Philippines, which owns PPC, said they might cease from providing power to Iloilo City this month as Peco is paying less than what they are buying from the power producer due to the ERC-sanctioned rate cut.
Mirant vice president for Visayas New Business Arman Lapus said Peco owes them more than P250million three months after the rate reduction.
“What Peco is paying is not even enough for our fuel. There is a need to revert back to the old Peco rates so we can continue operating,” Lapus said.
In an interview with The Guardian, Homena said they cannot supply electrical power to Peco and Iloilo City “since we also have our own problems.”
Earlier, Atty. Romeo Gerochi of Freedom from Debt Coalition claimed that the Napocor can provide electrical power to the city
But the Napocor is already supplying power to Iloilo, Capiz, Aklan and Antique which have a combined demand of 110-115 megawatts.
Homena said they have an actual capacity of 128MW sourced from the power barge stationed at Estancia, Iloilo; the 17.5-MW Panay diesel-fired power plant in Dingle town; and an additional 65MW from the Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid.
“In fact, we only get what is left of the CNP grid as we are at the tail end of the line. The CNP power supply is meant to augment our generation,” Homena said.
However, power industry experts said power producer must have a reserve of at least 20MW in order to ensure its supply.
With only a 13-MW reserve, Napocor’s capability to supply power to Iloilo City is “precarious.”
Homena said their reserve power is only enough to fill in the needs of Panay consumers, especially during peak hours. “What we have is only enough for Panay.”
Not even the Pinamucan diesel fired plant can help avert the looming power blackout in Iloilo City as it has yet to operate.
Homena said they have only tested four out of eight engines of the 110-MW Pinamucan plant.
“But we still have to overhaul the four engines to make sure that they will operate properly. Our major concern now is funding because we will be spending hundreds of millions of pesos for overhauling alone. And we still have four engines left to fix,” Homena said.
Homena projected the full operation of the Pinamucan plant, which has a dependable output of 80MW, early next year. But even if it comes to life, the said plant will only serve as replacement supply rather than additional supply to Panay with the pending transfer of the 32-MW power barge from Estancia town to Mindanao.
Low voltage
Homena also admitted that majority Iloilo towns are suffering from rotating brownouts due to low voltage capacity of the transmission lines to the three Iloilo electric cooperatives.
“But this problem now falls under the jurisdiction of the National Transmission Corporation which is trying to up-rate its lines. They are suggesting that we generate more power to make up for low voltage but that would be too expensive for us,” Homena said.
And even if Napocor can supply power to Peco, Homena said it will take some time due to lack of interconnection structures and contract.
“We have no interconnection with Peco since 1998 when it bought power exclusively from PPC. It’s a long shot for us to support the power needs of Iloilo if PPC closes down,” Homena said.
Wait-and-see
At the City Hall, the wait-and-see mode prevails.
“Let’s just wait for the result of public hearing. We will not pre-empt what will be the outcome of the consultation,” acting Mayor Guillermo Dela Llana explained to reporters yesterday.
Dela Llana also left the responsibility to make a stand on the issue to Mayor Jerry Treñas who is due to return from abroad on December 12.
“It will depend on the decision of Mayor Trenas to make a stand on the issue. This is a big problem for the city. I leave that to him (to address),” Dela Llana pointed out.
Dela Llana said the business community will be severely affected by the “power crisis” although he hinted it would be “repulsive to bring back the old rate since consumers would be against it.”
When asked on the looming blackout if PPC ceases its operations due to losses brought about by the reduced rates, Dela Llana said “that remains to be seen.”
“That is a big question since the city is relying on Peco alone for electricity,” he added. (With reports from Jeehan v. Fernandez)

LMP: Blackout disastrous to economy

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE League of Municipalities (LMP) – Iloilo Chapter is the first sector to voice out support for Panay Power Corporation’s (PPC) appeal to revert to the old Panay Electric Company (Peco) rates to prevent closure on the part of the power producer.
After a special meeting with Mirant Global Corporation and PPC officials last December 2 at the new provincial capitol, the LMP came out with Resolution No. 25-12/02/2005 urging the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) to “immediately formulate a win-win and lasting solution to this problem that will ensure reliable electric power service to the consumer.”
The ERC is set to hear today Peco’s petition to revalidate its power supply agreement with PPC which has been severely affected by the recent rate cut.
The resolution said that power failure and interruption are inimical to the economic growth and development of the province of Iloilo and should be avoided at all costs.
The LMP, headed by Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas, said they are concerned with the prospects of a power blackout in Iloilo City “due to the operational constraints affecting the resources of the power plant in procurement of fuel supply.”
The LMP also believes that investors in Iloilo, including Peco and PPC “should be allowed to earn a reasonable and fair return on investments for them to be able to provide reliable and continuous service to the consumers.”
“The threat of a massive power failure – be it in Iloilo City or the province – in this Christmas season will surely create a negative impression in the economic thrust of the business sector and the consumer market as a whole,” the resolution further stated.
Aside from Tupas, other officers who signed the resolution were Mayors Gerardo Flores of Miag-ao, LMP secretary-general; Alex Centena of Calinog, vice president for external affairs; Rolando Distura of Dumangas, executive vice president; Mariano Malones of Maasin, treasurer; June Mondejar, VP for internal affairs; and Romeo Jessmon Labramonte, executive director.
Copies of the resolution were furnished to the ERC, Peco, PPC, Office of the Iloilo City Mayor and the Iloilo provincial government. (Published in The Guardian, December 6, 2005 issue)

SACKED

2005-12-11T21:18:00.000+08:00

Intl airport engineers relieved over yawning slippage

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE gaping delay in the construction of the P6.2-billion new Iloilo international airport at Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area has resulted to the sacking of the two engineers in charged of the project.
Last November 21, 2005, Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) Secretary Leandro Mendoza ordered the relief of Engrs. Raphael Lavides and Victor Andres as project manager and deputy project manager, respectively, of the New Iloilo Airport Development Project (Niadp).
Engrs. Roberto Jaime Salazar and Jose Nathaniel Caguimbal replaced Lavides and Andres.
Salazar was earlier assigned at the Silay international airport project in Negros Occidental.
According to reports, the Lavides and Andres got the boot for failure to arrest the continued slippage of the Niadp which has pushed the target completion of the project to 2007.
In the latest accomplishment report for September, the accumulated delay of the project is now at 57.31 percent to 59.32 percent or equivalent to 5.75 months.
The report was prepared by the Japan Airport Consultants, Inc. (JAC), Philippine JAC, Inc. and the Basic Technology and Management Corporation.
Rep. Rolex Suplico (5th district, Iloilo) said the September status of the project is worse compared to the August progress report.
In August, the consultants pegged the slippage at 55.60 percent to 57.44 percent.
“As I said before, the gap keeps on widening,” Suplico said.
Despite the catch up and amended catch up programs aimed at making for lost time, the slippage is still at 40.32 percent in August which then ballooned to 47.28 percent.
Aside from the proverbial “inclement weather” problems, the slow progress in the embankment or paving of the whole airport area is the main cause of the slippage.
Only 11,500 cubic meters of filling material was embanked on the runway area for the whole month of September, lesser compared to the 15,000 cubic meters of filling material delivered in August.
In the original program of works, the required amount of filling material is 10,000 cubic meters daily.
Even the supply of coarse aggregate remains a concern for the Japanese contractor Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV) as a bulk of the said filling material is brought from Rizal province in Luzon due to unsuitability of local quarry sources.
The consultants also noted the lack of skilled workers to work on the project.
The new airport is supposed to be finished in October 2006 but the slippage has forced the TSJV to propose a new completion period by the end of June 2007.
But the DOTC has yet to approve TSJV’s proposal.
Suplico said the delay is the main reason why Lavides and Andres were sacked.
“And I have faith in the new managers since the slippage in the Silay airport project when Salazar was in charge there,” Suplico said.
Suplico also reiterated his call to rescind the contract with TSJV. “It will now take a miracle for TSJV to finish the project by March 2006. It is now time to rescind the contract and get a more capable contractor. We should stop coddling TSJV.”
All politics
But Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada said the relief of Lavides and Andres is smack with politics
“Apparently, somebody from up there pressured the DOTC to relief the two project managers or else the department’s budget will be slashed. Lavides and Andres were victims of ugly politics over the airport project,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada said he only learned of the change in Niadp management last Friday when he stumbled upon the despedida party for Lavides and Andres sponsored by quarry contractors in the project. (Published in The Guardian, December 5, 2005 issue)

WORRIED

2005-12-11T21:12:00.000+08:00

ILOILO BUSINESS Club officers led by president Tony Jon (middle, foreground) Ma. Leah Victoria Lara and Marissa Segovia (background) during the ERC hearing on Peco's petition for rate increase last DEcember 6, 2005.

ILOILO BIZMEN FEEL BLACKOUT CHILL

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO City’s business community is in a wait-and-see mode as regards Panay Power Corporation’s (PPC) looming shutdown although they are worried with the possible blackout which is disastrous to local economy.
Members and officers of the Iloilo Business Club (IBC) led by president Antonio Jon met with Mirant Global Corporation vice president for Visayas New Business Arman Lapus and PPC officials to discuss the effect of Panay Electric Company’s (Peco) rate cut to the independent power producer’s operations.
Lapus reiterated the need to return to Peco’s old rates to sustain PPC’s operation and the availability of power supply to the city.
Lapus also asked the support of the IBC for Peco’s petition to return to its old rates “so we can continue to provide our local businesses with enough power supply.”
Reached by The Guardian right after the meeting, Leah Victoria Lara, IBC executive director, said they still have to study all sides of the issue before they can make an official stand.
Lara said they did not have enough numbers to come up with an official stance on PPC’s appeal “but we are concerned by the prospect of a power blackout in the city.”
“That would not be very good for the local economy and we really want to avert such condition,” Lara said.
Lara added that the IBC will first gather necessary data for them to consider prior to making an official statement. “We have to know what the real score is and the right figures first.”
She said she will attend the December 6 hearing by the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) on Peco’s petition to revalidate its power supply agreement with PPC.
“Whatever data we will get, I will present it to the general membership and the board of directors which will become the basis for our official statement,” Lara said.
When asked for the reason of their “academic approach” on the issue, Lara explained: “We believe there are other options aside from going back to the old Peco rates and experiencing a power blackout. There might be other people who have some idea that will come up with a win-win solution.”
Lara said the IBC also hopes the ERC will resolve the issue as soon as possible “so the local economy won’t be hampered by power loss.”
“We really want our businesses and local economy to continue running. The last thing we want is an economic meltdown due to lack of power,” she said.
Earlier city and provincial officials also expressed concern over PPC’s pronouncements and its possible effect on the economy. (Published in The Guardian, December 3-4, 2005 issue)

CHILLING EFFECT

2005-12-02T10:09:00.000+08:00

BLACKOUT WORRIES
CITY HALL, CAPITOL

By Jeehan V. Fernandez and Francis Allan L. Angelo

TOP Iloilo City and provincial officials Iloilo urged the Energy Regulatory Commission to save the city from a possible power blackout even as they suggested to Mirant Global Corporation, owner of Panay Power Corporation (PPC), and Panay Electric Company (Peco) to settle their “financial differences.”
This, after a top Mirant executive revealed the other day that they are losing hundreds of millions of pesos in the last two months after the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) ordered Peco to reduce its rates.
Arman Lapus, Mirant vice President for Visayas New Business, said if the ERC does not allow Peco to revert to its old rate, PPC might shut down by end of this year.
Yesterday, acting Iloilo City Mayor Guillermo Dela Llana said “Mirant should ask Peco to pay what is due them.”
During his conversation with Lapus and PPC officials Wednesday, Dela Llana suggested to PPC to seek the help of the business community to support them in their call to revert to the old Peco rates.
“I instructed Mirant to appeal to businessmen and make them commit their support for the continued operation of the power plant. I also suggested that they compromise with each other,” Dela Llana explained.
Peco has pending petition with the ERC to revalidate its power purchase agreement with PPC. The public hearing for the said petition is scheduled on December 9 here in Iloilo City.
However, Dela Llana said it is up to Mayor Jerry Treñas to make a stand on the looming power blackout if ever PPC ceases from operating.
“I can’t say anything right now. We will have to wait for the decision of the mayor. I don’t know what will be the stand of the city. Whatever the mayor endorses to the City Council, then we will look into the matter,” Dela Llana told reporters yesterday.
Meanwhile, Councilor Jed Mabilog said it is up to the ERC to come up with a win-win decision to save Iloilo City from a possible blackout.
“The ball is now with the ERC to decide on a setup that will be beneficial to PPC, Peco and the consumers. And we also appeal to the two power firms to settle their differences,” Mabilog said.
Mabilog was also optimistic that PPC will not allow Iloilo City to plunge into darkness. But in the event that such situation is inevitable “then we should ready our disaster response mechanism.”
“We will wait and see if PPC will indeed shutdown. But we just hope it won’t happen,” the neophyte councilor said.
Governor Niel Tupas was also concerned with PPC’s pronouncements although he doubts the power firm will just stop from operating.
“Under the law, PPC cannot just leave us in the dark. The solution now lies in the hands of the ERC commissioners,” Tupas said.
Atty. Romeo Gerochi, who has waged a crusade against Peco, said the power distributor can go to the National Power Corporation (Napocor) in Dingle, Iloilo for power supply.
Gerochi said the Napocor is due to activate the Pinamucan power plant which has a higher capacity than PPC.
But Napocor officials already admitted the Pinamucan diesel-fired power plant is not enough to augment the power needs of Iloilo.
It has been more than a year since the Napocor transferred the Pinamucan power plant, which cost the government more than P600million, but it has yet to operate due to mechanical defects.

‘Hello Garci’ in SEA Games? Why not, says ex-cabinet member

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

FILIPINOS should not wonder if Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra accused us of cheating in the ongoing Southeast Asian Games.
After all, President Gloria Arroyo is accused by some of her own countrymen of rigging last year’s elections, a former cabinet secretary said.
Former National Anti-Poverty Commission secretary Teresita “Ding” Quintos-Deles yesterday said questions against the legitimacy Arroyo administration has already reached the international community.
“Internationally, we are being regarded as adept cheaters since doubts on the President’s legitimacy have preceded her even to the SEA Games. For the international community, Filipinos have the penchant to cheat as there is still no closure to the allegations against the President despite the pronouncements of her spokesperson that the ‘Hello Garci’ issue is a closed book already,” Deles said.
Deles, also the former chairman of the government peace panel, was in Iloilo City yesterday to grace the opening of the 6th NGO-PO Week celebration.
The celebration is spearheaded by the Iloilo Coalition of People’s Organizations and Non-Government Organizations.
Deles said the lingering issues of alleged cheating and graft and corruption against the President is giving the country a bad image.
“Our dilemma now is how we can protect our reputation against derisive accusations when our very leaders are also under suspicion of cheating. Our sense of morality is now diminished,” she said.
Still, Deles said Shinawatra’s statements were undiplomatic and distasteful for a foreign official to make “and that must be addressed through diplomatic channels.”
“It was an extraordinary statement on the part of high foreign official to accuse a nation of cheating and it was very rude as we are the host country. But once foreign leaders speak like that about us, we should start wondering why,” Deles said.
But Thai sports officials have apologized for Shinawatra’s statement even as President Arroyo ordered an investigation into her counterpart’s allegations.
Meanwhile, Deles attributed the surge in violence between government and rebel forces to the government’s lack of focus on the peace and order situation.
“During my time as adviser for peace process, we really gave our full attention to the peace talks and any encounters between the military and the rebels. But since the present government is pre-occupied with political survival, we can expect more clashes in the future,” Deles said.
Deles, along with other members of the so-called Hyatt 10, resigned from the Arroyo cabinet and exposed alleged irregularities committed by the President to win in the last elections.
Deles is now one of the stalwarts of the Black and White Movement which is also calling for reforms in the government and the resignation of the President. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, December 2, 2005)

BLACKOUT LOOMS

2005-12-02T09:43:00.001+08:00

PPC bleeding due to Peco rate cut

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE looming power blackout in Iloilo City is becoming real as independent power producer (IPP) Panay Power Corporation (PPC), is reeling from over a hundred million pesos in losses as a result of the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) order reducing Panay Electric Company’s (Peco) power rates.
In the last two months, PPC has lost P250million in revenues as Peco has passed on to the said power producer the ERC-sanctioned rate reduction. PPC operates a 72-megawatt diesel-fired power plant in LaPaz district.
Arman Lapus, Mirant Global Corporation vice president for Visayas New Business, yesterday said Peco virtually charged to PPC the P2 rate reduction by paying less than what is stipulated in their power supply agreement.
To stress his point, he said that "what we collect from Peco now is not even enough to pay for our fuel. That has been our situation for the pass three months and I am not even talking about other operational cost," Lapus said.
He added PPC can absorb the losses until December only. "If nothing happens for us this December, then we have no choice but to shut down the plant."
Along with the erratic movement of oil prices in the world market and the peso-dollar rate Lapus said PPC’s operations have been severely affected by Peco’s sudden rate cut. And if the bleeding continues, Iloilo City might a power blackout during the Christmas season.
Lapus said what they are spending over P4 per kilowatt-hour for fuel alone but Peco pays PPC less than P4.
Meanwhile, Lapus confirmed the pending petition with the ERC to revalidate Peco's power purchase agreement with PPC. The hearing for the said petition is scheduled on December 6, 2005 in Iloilo City.
Lapus said there is a need to return to the old Peco rate to sustain the operation of PPC and avert a possible power blackout in the city.
“Since PPC operates a diesel-fired power plant, our operations are influenced by oil price and inflation and which we pass on to Peco. We have a fixed rate which moves depending on market forces which is normal in the energy industry. But we don’t make money from the adjustment due to price of diesel, we pass it to Peco which in turns passes it to the consumers,” Lapus said. Lapus said they want to return to the old Peco rate "to ensure the availability and reliability of power in Iloilo City.”
“We are going around Iloilo gain the support of various sectors to go back to the old rate because it will allow us to continue running the plant. With the existing rate, we cannot (operate the plant). We have to stop the bleeding or else we might not sustain our operations. We want to hold on for the consumers but we just can’t do it at the present rate,” Lapus said.
Lapus added PPC’s rates cannot be pegged to what National Power Corporation (Napocor) is charging other distribution firms “since its rate is a mix of many sources like geothermal, hydropower and diesel and is subsidized by the government.”
Engr. Adrian Moncada, Mirant assistant vice president for Visayas, said Peco cannot rely on the debt-saddled Napocor for power supply as Iloilo province has been suffering from rotation brownouts the past months.
With Panay at the tailend of teh Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid, Ilonggos still cannot rely on Napocor for power supply due to the limited capacity of Napocor's submarince cable connecting Panay to Negros.
Moncada added private power producers have no choice but to increase their rates since “we do not enjoy subsidy from the government.”
Under the Electric Power Industry Act, 70 percent of Napocor asset will be privatized by the end of this year.
But so far, Napocor has only disposed 14 percent of its plants which prompted Energy Secretary Raphael Lotilla to extend the privatization program to March 31, 2006.
Slated to be privatized are the Pinamucan plant now based in Dingle, Iloilo, the Palimpinon hydrothermal plant in Negros Island and the power plant in Tongonan, Leyte.
Lapus also asked the support of the public in the return to Peco’s old rate “because we are all involved in this concern.”
“If we shut down the plant, there will be no power which I don’t think everybody wants,” Lapus said. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, December 1, 2005)

Militants ‘hang’ selves on Boni day

By Jeehan V. Fernandez

In a novel and traffic-snarling manner of expressing dissent against the government, members of labor and urban poor groups hanged themselves near a mall at LaPaz, Iloilo city yesterday during the commemoration of the birth of national hero Andres Bonifacio.
The innovative protest-rally caught the fancy of shoppers, commuters and plain kibitzers who saw three persons – two males and a female – dangling the overpass of Gaisano City Mall yesterday morning.
The three were members of Bukluran ng Manggawang Pilipino and Partido Manggagawa.
To make a realistic dramatization of the hanging and also for the safety of the protesters and commuters alike, the organizers employed harnesses used by mountain climbers.
In a statement, Bukluran ng Manggagawang Pilipino (BMP) chairman Zaldy Yebra stressed that hanging symbolized the workers’ sad plight under the “pro-capitalist atmosphere in the country."
“The Philippine labor sector is treacherously under attack on all fronts. We are being assaulted by the grave impact of the policies of trade liberalization, globalization and General Agreement on Tariff and Trade of World Trade Organization (GATT-WTO). We are also pounded by continuous repression of labor rights and welfare,” Yebra said.
“The workers’ situation in the country is at its worst,” he noted.
Yebra added “with the prevailing wage rates ranging from P200 to P325 while the daily cost of living for a family of six is estimated at P681, workers can barely survive.”
“The government’s package of non-wage benefits to enable workers cope with the grueling economic crunch is inadequate and arbitrary,” he clamored.
For the protesters, hanging does not only symbolize death but also the shame to the condemned man and his family.
But it seemed the protesters themselves could not stand the heat and strain of hanging in the air as they requested to be lowered to solid ground from time to time. The female protester even fainted out of sheer exhaustion. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, December 1, 2005)

2005-11-30T22:13:00.000+08:00

ODICTA STILL IN BUSINESS
Bautista: He’s still in our watch list

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

HE is still in the drug business.
Senior Supt. Norlito Bautista, Iloilo City Police Office (IPCO) director, yesterday said they have never cleared Melvin “Boyet” Odicta of any involvement in the illegal drug trade.
“As far as we are concerned, Odicta is still in our drug watch list,” Bautista told The Guardian yesterday.
Bautista alleged that Odicta’s base of operation is still in Barangay Malipayon, Iloilo City Proper and continues to be active in the illegal drug trade.
In 2003, then ICPO director Policarpio Segubre cleared Odicta’s name after the latter pledged to cease from peddling illegal drugs.
But the ICPO in a recent report said illegal drugs continue to flood at the Iloilo City Proper area, particularly at Barangays Tanza Esperanza and Malipayon
Bautista said he has not seen Odicta’s oath of undertaking or any document that will prove that he has indeed ceased from trafficking illegal drugs in the city.
The recurring problem of illegal drugs in Iloilo City has forced police and local authorities to put up baby police precincts which will focus on anti-drug operations. The first of its kind is Task Force Bakhaw.
Next month, TF Angel will be put up at the area of Barangays Tanza-Esperanza and Malipayon.
Initially, the headquarters of the newest anti-drug task force will be at Tanza-Esperanza barangay hall.
The Police Regional Office (PRO) 6 will provide a platoon of police officers, mostly new recruits, to TF Angel while the ICPO is still searching for its overall commander.
Bautista said Mayor Jerry Treñas and the Iloilo City Anti-Drug Council already gave their blessing to the new task force.
Odicta remains elusive from the media despite efforts to reach his side.
His wedding godfather, Kagawad Erwin “Tong-Tong” Plagata has even advised him to air his side and clear his name.
Word war
Bautista also dispelled insinuations that he is at loggerheads with Plagata, chairman of the committee on police matters.
“I don’t see any reason why Kagawad Plagata and I would figure in a word war. We are closely working together for our policemen,” Bautista said.
Plagata has become critical of several issues involving the ICPO such as the computerization fund which Bautista sought from the city council.
Two weeks ago, Plagata read an anonymous letter before the city council which accused a city cop of involvement in the illegal drug trade.
Plagata even hit the purported bypassing of his committee in the creation anti-drug task forces in the city.
The purported “word war” between Bautista and Plagata was fueled by the latter’s refusal to guest in Budyong Kapehan after learning that he will be sharing the microphone with the ICPO director.
But Bautista said he is in talking terms with Plagata, particularly on programs that could help police personnel.
The ICPO chief credited the doctor-turned-politician for providing free ECG services to the police and the construction of a conference room at the ICPO compound.
“Councilor Plagata has been very supportive of our plans and programs that pass through the city council,” Bautista said.
Interestingly, Bautista saw nothing wrong with Plagata being a godfather to Odicta.
“It doesn’t mean that if you are a maninoy of a suspected drug lord, you are already part of his illicit business. But in the end, only Councilor Plagata can clear the air of any doubts,’ he said. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, November 30, 2005)

‘RESBAK’

2005-11-30T22:05:00.000+08:00

ON THEIR TOES. Molo cops keep the peace at Barangay Boulevard to more retributions against Calaparan folks.

Burglar’s death ignites violence
between Molo, Arevalo barangays

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

UNLESS local officials do something about it, residents of two barangays in Molo and Arevalo, Iloilo City might figure in a violent spree over the death of a burglar last week.
Residents of Barangays Boulevard, Molo are exacting revenge on every resident of Zone 10, 11 and 12 in Calaparan, Arevalo to avenge the death of Rodolfo Benosa.
Benosa, 36, of Zone 3 Barangay Boulevard was lynched to death by residents of Barangay Calaparan Friday for allegedly looting several houses in the latter village.
Benosa died of a neck injury aside from bruises and a gunshot wound on the back.
On Sunday evening, several friends and relatives of Benosa from Barangay Boulevard allegedly put up a checkpoint at Crossing Sambag near the boundary of the two villages.
At the checkpoint, the Boulevard folks flagged down every jeepney passing through the checkpoint and asked the passengers if who among them are from Calaparan.
Calaparan native Jomarie Abayon who was on board a Calumpang jeepney presented himself and asked the people at the checkpoint of their purpose.
Without any provocation, one of Boulevard folks stabbed Abayon on the body.
Abayon was brought to the Iloilo Doctor’s Hospital for treatment while the suspects fled.
Around 2am Monday, a certain Robles died at the IDH after being stabbed by the same Boulevard group.
Robles was riding his bicycle to the Fishing Port Area when the suspects ganged up on him.
Aside from Abayon and Robles, four other Calaparan residents were also mauled by the Boulevard residents.
Although Insp. Frankie Lugo, Molo PNP chief, identified a cousin of Benosa as the leader of the Boulevard group, he denied somebody was killed in Sunday night rampage.
Lugo also deployed his personnel to put up a checkpoint at Bangga Sambag in Boulevard to deter further violent incidents.
Meanwhile, Punong Barangays Cecilia Nava of Calaparan and Arlindo Espia already met to discuss the problem.
Espia said he already deployed his tanods to prevent his constituents from harming residents from the neighboring barangay.
But Espia said the suspects outwitted the tanods by putting up their checkpoint at barious points from 2 to 4am.
Espia also said there is the possibility of the Calaparan folks to “invade” Barangay Boulevard thus exacerbating the volatile situation.
Nava urged her counterpart to keep his constituents at bay and prevent more bloodshed.
“I have been swamped with complaints from my constituents so I hope Punong Barangay Espia can do something about this problem,” Nava said.
Nava added Boulevards folks and Benosa’s relatives cannot blame her constituents for killing the alleged burglar “since he is very notorious in our area.”
But who really killed Benosa?
An anonymous letter to Bombo Radyo pointed to a certain SPO2 Rosario Ramos as the one who broke Benosa’s neck.
The letter-writer, apparently a resident of Barangay Calaparan, accused Ramos of steeping on the suspected burglar’s neck despite his plea for mercy.
The unknown author also warned Boulevard residents to spare Calaparan folks “for we will not hesitate to fight back wherever you go.”
Benosa’s family said they are still waiting for results of the autopsy to determine te cause of his death.

LaPaz cops sleeping on the job?

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CRITICISM rained on members of the LaPaz district PNP for reportedly sleeping inside the police station on Sunday evening.
But officers of the said station they deliberately slept on their job.
The brouhaha began when two suspects snatched the wallet of Josephine Patriarca, 29, of Aquino-Nobleza Streets, Janiuay, Iloilo 4:45am Sunday in front of the LaPaz public market.
With the assistance of Bombo Radyo reporter Peter John Bayasca, Patriarca went to the LaPaz police station to complain.
But when they arrived at the police precinct, Patriarca and Bayasca said they saw PO1 Alfonso Redonda sleeping on the complaint desk.
Bayasca said he roused Redonda from slumber and told him about Patriarca’s concern.
Redonda and Bayasca then went to the investigation room and woke up SPO2 Wilson Allona, PO2 Wilson Sompio and PO1 Jerry Bayahay.
Bayasca said the trio was sound asleep and even forgot the key to mobile patrol as they were about to conduct a hot pursuit operation.
Bayasca said he had difficulty waking up the police as they were sleeping soundly. He also noticed the TV set was turned on while the cops were in slumber
In an interview with The Guardian, Redonda admitted he fell asleep while manning the complaint desk “but I immediately woke up and attended to Patriarca’s problem.”
Redonda said Allona, Sompio and Bayahay went back to their station around 4am already after doing patrol rounds the whole Saturday evening at the benefit dances in Barangays Lapuz Norte, Sinikway and Railway.
“Naturally, they were very tired after an evening of patrol work. But despite that, we responded to Patriarca’s complaint,” Redonda said.
In fact, the LaPaz cops immediately arrested suspects Alfonso Lim, 28, and Donde Columbres, 28, both of Barangay Rizal.
But the police officers did not recover Patriarca’s wallet containing P480 cash, US$60 and various ID cards.
SPO3 Alex Amable said he gave Patriarca money so she can go home to Janiuay.
LaPaz PNP chief Alejandro Apostol even congratulated his men for the speedy arrest of the suspects.
“Our police officers are also human and we must understand them if they sometimes fall asleep while on night duty. But what is important here is that we responded immediately and solved the crime,” Apostol said.

WHO GOT FERTILIZED?

2005-11-30T22:02:00.000+08:00

Six congressmen, 4 guvs received fertilizer fund

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

WHO among the Western Visayas politicians sources in the Senate and Department of Agriculture (DA) documents, at least nine former and incumbent congressmen and four governors from Region 6 allegactually received part of the controversial fertilizer fund which was released three months before the 2004 elections?
Based on the latest information received by The Guardian from edly benefited from the fertilizer fund through the Ginintuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) of the Arroyo administration.
Among the incumbent solons who allegedly received the controversial funds were Reps. Arthur Defensor (3rd district, Iloilo) – P3million; Edgar Espinosa (Guimaras) – P5million; and Monico Puentebella (Bacolod City) P5million.
Also getting part of the fund were former Reps. Augusto Syjuco (2nd district, Iloilo) – P5million; Oscar Garin (1st district, Iloilo) – P3million; the late Narciso Monfort (4th district, Iloilo) – P3million; and now Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez Sr. (Iloilo City) – P5million.
Only opposition Rep. Rolex Suplico (5th district, Iloilo) was not included in the list.
While the names of former Negros Occidental congressmen Apolinario Lozada (4th district) Alfredo Marañon Jr., (2nd district) and incumbent Rep. Jose Carlos Lacson (3rd district) were also listed in the February 3, 2004 special allocation release order, it has yet to be confirmed if they actually received the funds.
Even Governors Niel Tupas of Iloilo, Joseph Marañon of Negros Occidental, Vicente Bermejo of Capiz and Florencio Miraflores of Aklan also benefited from the fertilizer fund.
During the Senate inquiry into the fertilizer fund controversy last week, Jose Barredo, a self-proclaimed DA runner from Capiz, said Garin, Puentebella, Espinosa and Gov. Bermejo indeed received the fertilizer fund.
In a press con last week, Bermejo confirmed receipt of the funds “but we observed proper procedures and all pertinent documents are with the DA.”
Bermejo said the funds were used for the agriculture development program of the provincial government.
Tupas said he did not receive the fund “as I smelled something fishy from the transaction.”
Garin, Puentebella and Espinosa also denied the allegations and even filed libel charges against Barredo.
Syjuco, who was also challenged by Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada to liquidate the fertilizer fund he received, said he divided the funds to his constituents at the second district
Defensor and Gonzalez were not available for comments.

‘ALL IN THE FAMILY’
Girl, 16, raped by uncle, cousin

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

FOR more than nine years, a 16-year-old girl suffered in the hands of her own relatives who took turns in raping her at their home at Tapaz, Capiz.
Nene (not her real name) left her home at Barangay San Nicolas, Tapaz after her parents refused to believe her accusations against two uncles and two cousins.
Nene said the five suspects have been “feasting” on her body since she was seven years old.
Nene first suffered in the hands of her mother’s cousin sometime in 1996 at their own home in San Nicolas.
The victim said she did not tell her mother about her ordeal for fear of her life.
For the next four years, two of her uncles and a cousin took turns in raping her in their home whenever they got the chance.
The last time Nene was abused was on November 20 and 22 when a 17-year-old cousin satisfied his carnal desires against her.
Unable to suffer her fate, Nene told her parents what happened to her the past nine years. But her parents did not believe Nene saying it was impossible for their relatives to abuse her.
Last weekend, Nene fled to Calinog, Iloilo to avoid more abuse and also in protest for the lack of concern she got from her parents.
Luckily, Punong Barangay Efren Zerrudo pitied Nene and helped the victim by bringing her to the police.
Nene is now under custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development where she is undergoing counseling.
The suspects, whose identities the police did not reveal, are now at-large.
Reportedly, two already went to Manila, one to Mindanao while the other one is still in Tapaz town. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, Nov. 28, 2005)

PECO SEEKS RATE HIKE?

2005-11-28T12:59:00.001+08:00

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

PANAY Electric Company (Peco) is revalidating its power purchase agreement (PPA) with Panay Power Corporation (PPC) which could lead to a possible increase in power rates.
Now pending before the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) is ERC Case No. 2005-043RC for the petition of a new PPA between the two power firms.
ERC sources said a hearing on the said petition is scheduled on December 6, 2005 here in Iloilo City.
The PPA is an agreement between independent power producers and power distributors on the rate of electricity the latter will buy from the former.
But Atty. Romeo Gerochi, Freedom from Debt Coalition chairman and the one responsible for the P2-reduction in Peco rates, said a new PPA between the two firms will give Peco a chance to jack up its power charges.
Gerochi already wrote Mayor Jerry Treñas and Peco regarding the matter.
“It is a source of wonder why Peco and the mayor are mum on this. The consumers should know about this transaction,” Gerochi said.
Gerochi said Peco and PPC assured the ERC that their rates will be equal to or less than the rates of the National Power Corporation (Napocor).
Peco buys power from PPC but the lawyer-activist said under the open market setup Peco can also buy power from other producers.
But Peco and PPC have an agreement that the latter will supply the power requirements of the former.
Peco also cannot rely on Napocor’s supply as Iloilo electric cooperatives are also experiencing power shortage for several months already.
The 100-megawatt Pinamucan diesel fired power plant, which was seen to augment to Panay’s power needs, is still un-operational.
Under the Electric Power Industry Reform Act, by end of 2005, 70 percent of Napocor's assets will be privatized, which means the abolition of government subsidies for Napocor rates.

ILOILO domestic airport: A war zone?

‘SHOOTOUT AT AIRPORT’

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

IS THE Iloilo domestic airport at Mandurriao, Iloilo City becoming a war zone between the security personnel of the Air Transportation Office (ATO) and an airport concessionaire?
On Tuesday evening, Francisco “Paco” Defensor, reportedly a security guard of concessionaire and publisher Bernie Miaque, accused ATO police Nelson Zabala of shooting him while passing by the airport cargo bay.
Defensor said he was on board a motorcycle with a friend when they heard successive gunfire near the cargo area.
Defensor added he saw Zabala pointing a pistol at them but failed to hit him.
During the airport standoff when government agents tried to evict Miaque from his concession area, Zabala was the ATO security personnel who allegedly harassed one of Miaque’s employees.
Zabala was also accused of firing his gun inside the airport area when Miaque’s security force took back his stalls.
But in an interview with Aksyon Radyo yesterday, Zabala turned the tables on Defensor.
Zabala said he was walking by the cargo area to the ATO office when he saw Defensor and another man on board a motorcycle.
Initially, Defensor and his companion only passed by Zabala but made a complete turn some 10 meters ahead and headed back towards the ATO police.
Zabala said he saw Defensor’s companion draw a caliber .38 revolver and shot him three times.
Zabala evaded the shots, drew his pistol and fired back at his attackers.
Aside from Defensor, Zabala also saw eight other people chasing him. He overheard them say “Dakpa, dakpa nyo. Kay parehoson ta kay Cañasares (Catch him so he will end up like Cañasares).”
Zabala was referring to Gerardo Cañasares is also an ATO security personnel who was found dead at Barangay Cabugao Sur, Iloilo last September.
Cañasares showed signs of torture according to medico legal reports.
To prove his claim, Zabala showed the wound on his left leg allegedly caused by a bullet from Defensor’s group.
Zabala espcaed
The Mandurriao polic said a shootout indeed occurred between the two parties. But the only recovered 4 empty shells of caliber .45 pistol in the area. (Published in The Guardian, November 26-27, 2005)

POWER THIEVES

2005-11-25T21:44:00.000+08:00

Peco losing heavily to pilferers

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

LEGITIMATE consumers of Panay Electric Company (Peco) are the ones paying for electricity lost to power pilferers in Iloilo City.
In fact, the problem of power theft in the city is deeply rooted in more than 50 percent of barangays in the city which are infested with jumpers and other forms of illegal connections to Peco lines.
Engr. Carlos Borja, Peco assistant vice president for corporate communications, said the ideal systems loss for power distributors is 5 percent. On the average, Peco generates 30million kilowatt-per-hour of power every month.
But computations by Peco showed its actual system loss is pegged at 13 percent, a big chunk of which is brought about by power pilferages.
In order to recoup its losses, Peco is allowed by the Electric Power Reform Act (Epira) to charge to its consumers 9.5 percent of the actual systems loss while the rest will be shouldered by the power utility.
Borja said their actual losses could go up to 15 percent during summer season where power consumption is high.
Borja further said a big chunk of their systems loss is attributed to power pilferers in the city who illegally tap to Peco lines.
“Our actual consumers are the ones footing the tab for these power pilferers which is very unfair for them. If we can only reduce the number of households with illegal connection to our power lines, it will be a big relief to our customers,” Borja said.
Aside from the economic effect, illegal connections are also potential fire hazards, particularly “octopus connections” in heavily populated areas.
The past two years, Peco has been cracking down on power thefts but they continue to devise ways to get electricity illegally.
Last Tuesday evening, Peco personnel along with the National Bureau of Investigation and the City Engineer’s Office scoured several villages in Molo, Jaro and Iloilo City Proper districts for pilferers.
Topping the list of most households with illegal connections is Barangay Infante, Molo with 30; Barangay Hipodromo, Iloilo City Proper with 5 households; and Barangay Flores City Proper with 3 households.
At present, Peco has a subscriber base of 53,000 households.
Engineer Bienvenido Anatan, Peco vice president for engineering, said they are saturating all city barangays to apprehend more power thieves.
“We expect to meet the 9.5-percent systems loss next year if we sustain our campaign against power pilferers,” Anatan said.
Anatan said they are targeting the port area at the Iloilo City proper district where majority of households have illegal connections to Peco lines.
Syndicate
Meanwhile, Borja said power thieves are getting smarter as they try to circumvent authorities.
While most illegal connections are found in slum areas, there are also power thieves in posh subdivisions Iloilo City.
Borja said there is a syndicate operating in the city that approaches household owners who want to reduce their power bills.
Aside from the usual illegal connection to Peco power lines, members of this syndicate tamper with electricity meters of unscrupulous consumers so it will register a lower reading than the actual consumption.
And to avoid detection and the hassle of the usual illicit tapping to electric lines, other power thieves use alligator clips which they can easily detach during daytime.
Apart from crackdown on power thieves, Peco are installing its distribution lines at towering poles which are hard to reach.
Peco has also transferred meter readers outside of residential areas to prevent tampering and illegal connection.
So far, officials of Barangay Hipodromo already showed concern with the growing problem of power pilferage in their village.
The Hipodromo barangay council passed last September 18, 2005 a resolution asking the help of concerned government officials to address the said problem.
The officials cited the big amount of distribution charges they are paying to Peco and the potential hazard that illegal connections may cause in the resolution.
Hipodromo officials even named five residents allegedly made illegal connections to city streetlights: Roger Sabado, Tomas Murillo, Francisco Roquios Jr., Jose Marie Libo-on, and Anthony Macavinta.
Borja said they will also lobby for the passage of an ordinance outlawing unauthorized persons from climbing poles used by public utilities, especially Peco and telecommunication firms.
Anatan added they will immediately persecute violators of Republic Act 7832 or the Anti-Pilferage Act “primarily to protect the interest of our customers and also of the company.”

PGMA kin detained for Boracay credit card scam

By Jonathan Cabrera

BORACAY ISLAND – A first cousin of Presidential son and Pampanga Rep. Mikey Macapagal Arroyo has been detained here since Tuesday along with other suspects, one of them is reportedly the first wife of Tony Boy Cojuangco, for using fake credit cards.
Arrested was Ma. Marietta Quimson alias Maria Sylvia Garcia, 22, reportedly the first cousin of Rep. Arroyo, and Ma. Isabel Quiros, 46, said to be the first wife of Cojuangco.

The two were arrested together with Jung Gwan Seob, Anthony Cruz alias R. Cruz, Mark Mendoza, 41; Sean Eric Pineda, 30; David Pineda Martinez, 24; Jeremy Chun Lopsing, 32; Paolo Soler, 22; Andrew Tan Go, 27; and Jeremy Pineda 28. All of the suspects are residents of Makati and Quezon cities.
Reports gathered by The Guardian said the suspects owed Tourist Center Corporation (TCC) a total of P634,669.82 for various transactions since November 19, 2005 after it was found that the JBC and Amexco credits they used were bogus.
The TCC, which is located near the police station here, facilitates payment of credits incurred by credit-card holding tourists in the island.
The TCC informed the police of the suspects’ modus operandi/
A team from the Boracay Special Tourist Police Office (BSTPO) led by Supt. Remigio Gregorio put the suspects under surveillance until their arrest Tuesday.
The suspects refused to comment to the media but reports gathered by The Guardian showed the group is planning to settle their case with TCC.
Some of the establishments which the selects allegedly hoodwinked using fake credit cards include Boracay Regency Hotel, Mandala Spa, Seawind, Scuba World Diving, Island Surf, La Carmela Resort, Lonely Planet, El Centro Resort, and Aquaventure Whitetip Dive.
A certain Mariano “Nani Almeda,” reportedly the chief of staff of Rep. Arroyo, is the one negotiating for the settlement of the case.
The suspects are still detained at the lock-up cell of the BSTPO. (Published in The Guardian, November 25, 2005)

COUNCILOR IN DRUG YARN

2005-11-25T21:29:00.000+08:00

Plagata denies taking money from illegal drugs

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

KAGAWAD Erwin “Tong-tong” Plagata admitted yesterday that he is a wedding godfather of a suspected drug lord in Iloilo City amid reports of a city official involved in the illegal drug trade.
But for Plagata, being a godfather to Melvin “Boyet” Odicta is a moral obligation he cannot refuse and should not be tainted with malice.
“Yes I am his godfather but not for whatever illegal transaction he is reportedly involved in. I just cannot refuse him since I saw it as a big responsibility and also it shows the kind of respect the guy has for me,” Plagata said.
In early 2000, Odicta’s name was on top of the PNP’s list of alleged drug personalities operating in Iloilo City. His “contemporaries” at that time were a certain Levi Zerrudo, Bondjing Paras and Jose Kim “Boy” Cuadra who is presently detained in Aklan for drug trafficking charges.
But sometime in 2003, then Iloilo City Police Office (ICPO) director Policarpio Segubre deleted Odicta’s name in the order of battle after the latter executed an oath of undertaking to cease from selling illegal drugs.
Plagata, chairman of the committee on police matters, said Odicta invited him to become one the major sponsors to his wedding last April “as he wanted to reform and give his child a decent future.”
“Hearing those words I took it upon myself to help Boyet by agreeing to become one of his maninoys. Maybe that was one way of showing his sincerity in his plan to turn a new leaf over,” Plagata said.
But Plagata said he accepted Odicta’s invitation on one condition.
“I made it categorically clear with him that our relationship is up to his marriage only. Maninoy lang ako sa kasal, wala na iban pa (I’m only his wedding godfather),” Plagata said.
The doctor-turned-councilor decided to admit his relationship to Odicta after learning of rumors linking him to his godson’s alleged illegal activities.
“Since last month, I already heard stories about me coddling a drug lord in the city. Once and for all, I am disclosing my relationship to Boyet (Odicta) to avoid more malicious stories from cropping up. I have nothing to hide and I believe that saying the truth will always help me clear the air of any doubt,” he said.
Whether Odicta continues to peddle drugs, Plagata said he cannot validate such information.
But he confirmed that his godson did pledge in a sworn document to stop selling prohibited substances.
To show sincerity in his desire to change, Plagata said Odicta favors the installation of a special police task force at Barangay Malipayon, Iloilo City Proper where the latter resides.
Plagata has been convincing his godson to clarify his name with the media.
Aside from Malipayon, a similar task force is being mulled at nearby Barangay Tanza-Esperanza.
Last September, the ICPO established Task Force Bakhaw at Mandurriao district, the city’s top drug spot.
However, Plagata revealed before the City Council an anonymous letter lambasting TF Bakhaw for sitting on its job which resulted to the resurgence of illegal drug trade in the village.

More HIV/Aids cases in WV

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

HEALTH officials are concerned with the growing number of persons living with (HIV)/Aids (PLWHAs) who might be hiding in the region.
The Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) yesterday presented the “hiding but growing” trend of the Philippine Aids situation during a media forum at the Kabalaka Reproductive Health at the Central Philippine University (CPU).
Since 1998 to 2004, a total of eight persons, including three females and five males, in Western Visayas have died of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (Aids).
From 1995 to 2002, four commercial sex workers in Iloilo City were tested positive of Aids through serological surveillance conducted by the health department.
As of August 2005, a total of 30 PLWHAs have been recorded by the DOH. Of the number, 13 PLWHAs are located in Iloilo.
Negros Occidental has 12 persons with HIV/Aids, Aklan with 3 cases while Guimaras and Capiz have 1 case each.
The total number of persons with HIV/Aids in the region includes 22 males and 8 females.
Fourteen of the male HIV/Aids patients are married while six out of the eight female cases also belong to the same civil status.
In terms of employment, 14 of the victims are overseas Filipino workers, 4 housewives, 3 waiters/bar tenders, 1 medical doctor and 2 nurses. The rest are lawyer, student, nautical courses graduate, X-ray technician and security guard.
Majority of the patients were infected with HIV/Aids through heterosexual intercourse.
As regards the status of the PLWHAs, 23 patients are already symptomatic or have shown signs of the disease while 7 are asymptomatic.
Of the 23 symptomatic patients, 9 have already died.
Health officials said all of the 23 symptomatic PLHWAs may have died if not for the proper care and education they obtained after coming out into the open.
Due to community preparedness, established management and referral systems and strong collaboration between the government and non-government organizations, more PLWHAs have been disclosed and given appropriate care.
Patients who already came out of the open have been effective peer educators and counselors.
The DOH regional office believes there are more PLWHAs in the region who must be reached for immediate medical attention.
Worse, many of them may not be aware that they already have the virus which can further spread the disease.
On December 1, the whole world will observe World Aids Day to raise awareness that Aids should not be feared and hidden but should be confronted by all sectors of community. (Published in The Guardian, November 24, 2005 issue)

CAUGHT IN THE ACT

2005-11-22T22:49:00.000+08:00

The car in question, folks.

Capitol driver in hot water
for driving car inside motel

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO Governor Niel Tupas Sr. gave the driver of the Provincial Treasurer’s Office (PTO) three days to explain why he checked-in at a motel in Molo, Iloilo City using a provincial government vehicle.
Tupas said he already sent a letter to erring driver Richard Villanueva to answer the charges filed against the latter by Provincial Planning and Development Office chief Mario Nillos.
Around 9pm Monday, several media outlets spotted the PTO’s service vehicle, a red-colored Mitsubishi Adventure with plate number SGA-448, go inside the Dragon Lodge Motel at Barangay Baluarte, Molo.
Reports from Aksyon Radyo reporters who received a tip on the PTO car inside the motel claimed that Villanueva and an unidentified female companion were on board the government vehicle.
After two hours, Villanueva and his companion went out of the motel to go home. Unknown to the driver, reporters have patiently waited for him tom come out of the lodging inn.
A chase ensued between Villanueva and the mediamen who wanted to get a piece of the story.
One version of the incident said Villanueva left his woman companion in an unspecified area to avoid undue publicity.
Unconfirmed reports said the woman was also a Capitol employee but Tupas and other provincial officials did not confirm nor deny the information.
The chase ended at the provincial capitol where Villanueva parked the vehicle and went out to explain to reporters who followed him.
Villanueva said he only ferried provincial treasurer Melba Sullivan to her home and he has a trip ticket authorizing the use of the vehicle.
Tupas said Villanueva can be dismissed for violating Civil Service regulations on the use of government vehicles and the capitol executive order on austerity measures.
The governor said Villanueva’s act of taking a provincial government vehicle inside a motel for personal use constitutes grave misconduct.
“It is rather unsavory to hear that he used the car for very personal purposes,” Tupas said.
Villanueva is now “grounded” as he will not be allowed to drive any government car for now.
Yesterday morning, Tupas met with all department heads to reiterate the austerity measures undertaken at the capitol to save on fuel and electricity.
Provincial legal officer Salvador Cabaluna said since this is his first offense, Villanueva can be suspended for six months and one day without pay.
Cabaluna said they will charge Villanueva with simple misconduct and conduct prejudicial to the interest of the service.
But Cabaluna refused to comment whether bringing the car inside a motel is an aggravating circumstance to Villanueva’s case “as we have yet to know what really happened.”
If Villanueva fails to answer in three days, Cabaluna said: “We will decide on what to do with him.”

Peruvian wanted for rape

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THIS should serve as a warning to all ladies who like to male meet friends over the World Wide Web.
After the alleged rape of a Zamboangeña by six Americal soliders in Subic, immigration and deportation officials are hot on the trail of a Peruvian national who allegedly raped a physical therapist in Bacolod City last Sunday.
Initial information from the Bureau of Immigration and Deportation (BID) identified the suspect as a certain George Felonario, 38, a native of South American nation Peru.
The alleged rape occurred on Sunday inside Felonario’s hotel room in Bacolod City.
Victim Sally, 24, (not her real name) said Felonario is her long time chat mate and email pal.
In fact, the victim made the hotel reservation for the suspect when he arrived at Bacolod City for a vacation.
On Sunday afternoon, Felonario invited Sally to visit him at his hotel room and since this was not the first time they met, the victim consented.
At the hotel room, the suspect overpowered Sally and consummated his carnal desire for the victim.
Sally resisted the suspect but she was no match to Felonario’s superior strength.
Sally said she trusted the Peruvian as he has been to Bacolod City for several times. She even introduced the suspect to her parents during one of his visits.
Results of the medical examination conducted by the Bacolod City Health Office on the victim showed signs of rape.
The Bacolod City police office has filed charges of rape against Felonario in order for the BID to issue a hold departure order against the suspect.
Based on police records, Felonario is also wanted for allegedly raping a doctor, an accountant and a medical representative in various parts of the country. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, November 23, 2005)

AMBUSH

2005-11-20T20:46:00.000+08:00

MOURNING. Relatives of soldiers slain during an ambush in Calinog, Iloilo get comforting words from a member of the Army's Task Force Panay outside St. Therese Memorial Chapel. (FAA)

9 killed, 14 wounded in Calinog ambush

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Philippine Army denounced the New People’s Army (NPA) for using landmines in the Saturday evening ambush in Calinog, Iloilo which killed nine soldiers and wounded 14 others.
"The recent attack by members of the communist NPA using landmines indicates a shift in their usual conduct of combat operations and is a clear manifestation of their terroristic nature," said Army spokesman Major Bartolome Bacarro.
Members of the Army’s 47th Infantry Battalion and elite 1st Scout Ranger Company were waylaid at Barangay Datagan, some 7 kilometers from Calinog town proper past 8pm Saturday.
The Army soldiers were returning to their barracks on board two trucks after conducting patrol operations in the mountains of Iloilo and Capiz.
One of the trucks stepped on a landmine planted by the rebels instantly killing six government soldiers.
Remaining Army troops returned fire at 15 NPA rebels in an hour-long gun battle.
Reinforcements from the Army’s Task Force Panay based in Dingle, Iloilo forced the rebels to retreat to the mountains.
Major Lyndon Sollesta, spokesperson of the 3rd Infantry Division in Jamindan, Capiz said the rebels belonged to the NPA’s Central Front Committee.
The casualties were Staff Sgt. (SSgt.) Melquiades Montemayor of Cebu, Master Sgt. Paterno Villarente of Iloilo City, SSgt. Ronel Panes of Passi City, Corporal Rodelo Pacia of South Cotabato, Private First Class (PFC) Nuol Rosbert, a certain PFC Angeles of Davao, PFC Villamor of Davao, Corp. Marlon Cepalle of Bicol and SSgt. Alexander Luis of Ilocos region.
The remains of the dead soldiers were brought to St. Therese Memorial Chapel in Molo, Iloilo City.
Injured were PFC Ervin Gerona, Rodrigo Agud, Nasser Abellar, Ronnie Espiritu, Joel Ryan Delmonte, John William Oñaz, Richard Baslot, Michael Camotojan, James Carlito Rodel Jaud, Corp. Raul Fuentes, Mike Gigante, Edgar Gelito, Adonis Vincent Cabaljin and Mario Pascua.
They were brought to Western Visayas Medical Center and West Visayas State University Medical Center.
Most of the fatalities were on board the truck which stepped on the landmine.
The blast was so powerful it ripped the legs of the fatalities while others were killed by a hail of rebel bullets.
Authorities have yet to report on rebel casualties.
Calinog police investigators said the rebels planned the ambush for some time as several armed insurgents were reportedly spotted at the ambush site four days prior to the incident.
Investigator recovered plastic fragments probably used to wrap the landmine. They also discovered chewed sugarcane stalks in the area which the rebels consumed while awaiting their target.
Major Sollesta denounced the NPA for using landmines “which is no longer authorized under United Nations laws.”
The Army continues to pursue the rebels in the hinterlands of central Panay as of presstime.
Since last month, the NPA has waged sporadic attacks against Army and PNP personnel. (Published in The Guardian, November 21, 2005 issue)

‘BANDIDO’

2005-11-19T12:11:00.000+08:00

Syjuco couple lashes back at Mejorada

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

VISIBLY hurt by accusations thrown against them, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) chief Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco and wife Rep. Judy Syjuco (2nd district, Iloilo) warned Gov. Niel Tupas of another “political holy war” if the latter fails to stop Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada from besmirching their reputations.
Appearing before Bombo Radyo anchorman Novie Guazo over Zona Libre, the beleaguered couple called Mejorada a “bandit, terrorist, liar, an attack dog and extortionist out to milk money.”
Mejorada accused the Syjucos of abandoning the second district and funneling public funds to the Tagipusuon Foundation.
“Knowing (Boy) Mejorada, I did not take this seriously, as I took it to be his style and standards operating procedure, the kuratong way of attack-and-collect-defend-and-collect kay man malapit na gid man ang paskua (because Christmas is approaching),” Augusto said.
Augusto said he is wandering why Mejorada launched the “personal lynching” against him and Judy “when elections are still over a year and half away.”
While he did refused to justify “the lies and fabrications” made by Mejorada, the Tesda secretary-general enumerated his accomplishments to prove they did not abandon the 2nd district.
“The education for all I started eight years ago has delivered clothes and school supplies to elementary students for many years. This was initially funded by personal money and then with additional government grants both of which amounted to P70million,” he said.
As regards the kabir chicken dispersal which Mejorada labeled as anomalous, Augusto said some 80,000 kabirs were given out for free to some 35,000 households at the second district.
“On the matter of fertilizers, we have given out to a few of the farmers at the second district all that came from the small and inadequate amount provided by the government and we followed government procedures and requirements,” he said.
The former second district representative said even the provincial government received larger amount of fertilizer “which I have not been provided either with a copy of that liquidation report from the provincial administrator.”
Meanwhile, Judy said she has accomplished millions worth of infrastructure projects since she assumed the helm of the second district.
The Syjucos also lambasted Mejorada for going after their finances when the latter refused them to gain access to the capitol financial records.
Augusto also warned Tupas to “restrain his dog from biting.”
“The owner has the responsibility to teach his dog good habits or else my ire will fall upon the owner and not the canine,” Augusto said.
The Syjucos reminded Tupas that “we are the only friends you have left” after all other congressmen in the province joined in the investigation of the Iloilo international airport.
Although the couple was disappointed with “the lack of moral power” of Senate President Franklin Drilon over Tupas and Mejorada, “we still respect him.”
Judy also wandered how her letter to Drilon asking the latter to discourage Mejorada from making more attacks at them ended up at in the hands of the provincial administrator. “That was a privileged communication.”
“We just hope the governor will put an end to all of this mudslinging to keep the peace within the Liberal Party. I can still forgive Mejorada but not for long. And I don’t think he is serious in running for congressman at the second district,” Augusto said.
In a text message, Mejorada expressed disappointment over the Syjucos response to his challenge.
“They should answer what happened to their P100-million pork barrel that went to their foundation, the P3.25-million fertilizer fund and the P4.2-million kabir project,” Mejorada said.

‘LET US MARRY’

2005-11-19T12:05:00.000+08:00

Married priests Hector Canto and Jess Siva hold a mass at the Jaro plaza shortly after the Synod mass led by Archbishop Lagdameo.

MARRIED PRIESTS ‘JOIN’ JARO SYNOD

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MARRIED Catholic priests in Iloilo also joined the opening of the 3rd Diocesan Synod of Jaro yesterday as they called for the acceptance of optional celibacy within the Catholic Church hierarchy.
Fathers Hector Canto and Jess Siva held a mass in the middle of the Jaro plaza right after the concelebrated mass at the Jaro Cathedral for the formal opening of the synod.
Canto and Siva are the prime movers behind Kapilya Kita, a gathering of priests and children. The group has been calling reforms in the Catholic Church by way of adopting optional celibacy for priests.
Under the vow of celibacy, Catholic priests are strictly not allowed to marry or bear children in order to give undivided attention to their vocation.
But Siva and Canto said the Vatican must give priests between having a wife and family or living a celibate life.
The two priests added allowing priests to marry is “a gain for the Catholic Church rather than a loss.”
“It will give our priests a more holistic view of their selves and vocation and it will also help stem cases of sexual abuses within the church,” Siva said.
Last year, Kapilya Kita hogged the headlines when it revealed a purported “haven for priests’ children” in Molo, Iloilo City.
A couple also claimed acting as surrogate parents to priests’ children including that of a ranking official in the Archdiocese of Jaro.
Siva and Canto made news with their marriage to two women in the 90s. While they are still considered priests, the Catholic Church bars them from holding mass and administering communion.
Open to change
In his homily, Archbishop Angel Lagdameo said the purpose of the synod is “renewal of revitalization.”
Lagdameo said the Catholic Church is open to any changes to suit the needs and demans of present times.
“In order to be renewed as a Church, we must leave behind many ways of thinking, speaking and acting which no longer effectively serve and perhaps even obstruct our evangelizing mission. This mean an unsettling pain, a disengagement from what is cherished but is now obsolete or obstructive, a dying to what is sinful, that we may come to newness of life,” Lagdameo said.
Lagdameo said the synod “is an act of looking together in the same direction even if standing in different situations.
“It is an act of journeying towards the same direction, even if coming from different points of departure, like the twelve wise men looking for Jesus,” said the president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines.
The synod is composed of 129 participants including Lagdameo, 63 diocesan priests, 51 laity members, nine nuns, and five men religious.
Three non-Catholic representatives responded to attend the proceedings from the Baptist Church, from the United Christian Churches of the Philippines and from the Aglipayan Church.
The 3rd Synod of Jaro will discuss three important concerns – the life and ministry of priests; the life and ministry of women religious; and vocations and mission.
The synod will discuss results of the pre-synod consultations held in parishes and institutions, religious organizations, and religious congregations which are embodied in a paper called Instrumentum Laboris.
The approved proposals will be submitted to the archbishop on Saturday who will turn the same into decrees. Synod decrees will guide the implementation of the pastoral program of the archdiocese. (Published in The Guardian, November 18, 2005 issue)

‘TRUTH HURTS’
Syjucos afraid of what I know

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ILOILO Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada has earned the ire of the Syjuco couple at the second district whom he plans to challenge in the next congressional race.
Mejorada yesterday revealed how Rep. Judy Syjuco, wife of former Rep. Augusto “Boboy” Syjuco, has successfully barred him from attending two important activities at the second district.
A day before the opening of the 2nd Congressional District Sports Association (CDSA) meet last Saturday, host Mayor Rigor Brazas of Zarraga went to Mejorada to convince the latter not to show up at the opening salvo.
Brazas said he received pressures from Rep. Syjuco not to invite Mejorada to the sports event.
“I was ready to go to Zarraga since the province gave a hefty P150,000 financial aid to the CDSA meet aside from the P50,000 contribution of 2nd district Board Member Cecilia Capadosa. From what I heard, for the first time in the history of the Syjuco congressional reign at the second district, the couple also doled out P50,000,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada said he agreed not to attend the opening rites “as Mayor Brazas might find himself between two clashing rocks.”
“But in the evening during the fellowship night, I went to Zarraga since Rep. Judy already went home after the opening,” Mejorada added.
Yesterday morning, Mejorada received a call from Sta. Barbara Mayor Isabelo Maquino who also asked the latter not to show up at the opening of the 107th anniversary of the Cry of Sta. Barbara and Kahilawayan Festival today.
“I told Mayor Maquino that I will be at the sidelines only. I will be there but I won’t share the stage with Rep. Syjuco. Again, I don’t want Mayor Maquino to get caught in the middle,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada added he will accompany Gov. Niel Tupas today to the airport site in Cabatua-Sta. Barbara area after the Kahilwayan opening.
“But what do all of these actuations of Rep. Syjuco mean? Is she afraid to share the stage with me because the people will recall the questions I have raised against them as regards various funds that did not reach their constituents at the second district?” he said.
Earlier, Mejorada alleged that the P47-million pork barrel fund for the town of Alimodian was reverted to Syjuco’s Tagipusu-on Foundation. He also made the same claim in the P10-million skills development fund released to the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) regional office.
Recently, Mejorada also divulged Rep. Syjuco’s alleged receipt of the controversial fertilizer fund worth P3.25million and the purported irregularities in the P4.2-million kabir chicken dispersal project granted by the Department of Agriculture (DA) to the Tagipusuon Foundation.
Mejorada alleged that more than 2,000 kabir breeder stocks were “illegally and improperly” turned over to a commercial breeder.
The provincial administrator said he already called the attention of the DA and the Commission on Audit to the alleged irregular transactions.
Mejorada also hit Rep. Syjuco for trying to drag Senate President Franklin Drilon into their fray.
“Apparently, instead of answering my questions, Rep. Syjuco wrote Senator Drilon asking him to bar me from making offensives against her and her husband. Unfortunately for her, the good senator deferred from directly involving himself in the issue,” Mejorada said.
In his letter-reply to Syjuco dated November 9, 2005, Drilon said “(Boy) Mejorada is acting on his own and I have nothing to do whatsoever with his attacks against you or (Boboy).”
“I certainly value our friendship, and as you have put it, would want to ‘keep peace in the family.’ I will talk to Boy Mejorada, but please understand that, at the end of the day, I cannot control or dictate what he will do,” Drilon replied to Syjuco.
Mejorada said with the way Rep. Syjuco is acting, “I consider my presence a threat against her and his husband. Any maybe they are afraid of the truth.” (Published in The Guardian, November 17, 2005 issue)

‘THE DOCTOR IS OUT’

2005-11-17T20:54:00.001+08:00

More physicians want to
work as nurses abroad

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

More than 4,000 doctors are bound to leave the country in search for greener pastures abroad, a dilemma which will result in utter degradation of the public health system.
Concerned with the continuing exodus of their colleagues to foreign countries to work as nurses, government doctors in the region banded together to address “the public health hemorrhage.”
Dr. Lydia Depra-Ramos, regional director of the Department of Health-Center for Health Development (DOH-CHD) and founding president of the Philippine Association of Government Physicians, Inc. (Pagpi), expressed alarm over the growing number of public doctors leaving the country to earn more as nurses in Western nations.
Pagpi, which was conceived in September 2004, aims to “guarantee opportunities to government physicians for professional and personal growth, development and advancement and also to maximize their potentials and give recognition to their services.”
Government doctors include physicians working at rural health units and local government and DOH hospitals.
From November 18-19, 2005, Pagpi will hold its first annual national convention to discuss possible solutions to the continuing mass departure of Filipino doctors abroad
Ramos fear the migration of doctors to US and other foreign nations will result to less nurtured Filipinos.
“Before, the idea of a doctor becoming a nurse was unthinkable. But because of the present situation where doctors are not well paid with lots of works and responsibilities and so many social expectations, they are tempted to leave the country for better-paying jobs,” Ramos said.
Ramos added “we should start nurturing our doctors or else the Philippine health system will suffer. That is the purpose of Pagpi.”
“Pagpi will give a face, a voice and a group to government doctors so they will feel assured that whatever problems they encounter will be addressed,” Ramos said.
Lack of opportunity
Behind these alarming number of doctors mass migrating for better pastures abroad (see related front page story), Ramos said the real reasons are “low pay, lack of opportunity for personal and professional advancement, demoralization over poor hospital facilities and lack of support from the government for proposed solutions.”
“Dissatisfaction is spreading among government doctors. Despite the years they spent to prepare for their profession and their workload, their pay is lower compared to a Supreme Court clerk. A clerk receives P20,000 monthly while our doctors only get P15,000 a month,” Ramos said.
Ramos proposed to exclude government health workers from the salary standardization policy of the government just like the judiciary to address the concern of low wages among heath workers.
“Just imagine drivers and clerks of the judiciary earning more than our doctors and nurses. This is really lopsided appreciation of physicians in government. Our efforts might be late, but it’s better than doing nothing,” she said.
Aside from an independent salary scheme, Pagpi will also lobby with the government to allow government doctors to engage in private practice.
“As we try to increase the salaries and benefits of our health workers, they can earn extra income by moonlighting as medical specialists,” Ramos said.
Pagpi will also try to inject fresh blood into the public health system by attracting more students to enter medical schools by way of scholarships.
“But we will require our scholars to work for two years for every year of scholarship they enjoyed. Even if more doctors come out, we will ensure that much more will come in,” Ramos said.
Another way of enticing more medical students is to relax requirements for residency programs of hospitals and attractive compensation package upon employment.
The DOH also urged local government units to allow and help public doctors and nurses to go on trainings and seminars “to hone their skills.”
“In most towns and cities, the doctors and nurses are all work because some mayors complain that no one is left to attend to patients at hospitals when they go on training. But the medical profession is an ongoing training given its scientific background. That is the problem with devolution of health services. The politicians speak a language different from that of medical professionals,” Ramos said.
The DOH regional chief further said: “The lack of state of the art equipment in hospitals also demoralizes physicians as they feel inadequate in practicing their expertise. But if you have these modern gadgets to help our doctors, they will be inspired to serve.”
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque, Cong. Francis Escudero and former health secretary Jaime Galvez Tan are among the speakers of the two-day event which will be held Amigo Terrace Hotel.
The theme for the first Pagpi annual convention is “Nurturing Government Physician Practice in the Philippines. (Published in The Guardian, November 16, 2005)

IN HOT WATER

2005-11-17T20:51:00.000+08:00

Suspected robber pulls rug
under Barotac Nvo police

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Barotac Nuevo police force is in hot water over the escape of a robbery suspect from the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) Sunday afternoon.
Insp. Avelino Natal, Barotac Nuevo PNP chief, and his personnel have a lot of explaining to do with their superiors as to why Johnny Balsomo, 24, of Barangay Concepcion-Duran, Iloilo City Proper slipped past their guard at the WVMC.
Balsomo is one of the suspects in the November 6 robbery attempt on businessmen Simeon and Aida Rubuin at Fiammetta Subdivision in Barangay Tabuc Suba, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo.
The Rubuin couple and two of their children were on board an Anfra van when Balsomo and two other suspects chased the family on board a motorcycle.
The suspected robbers shot the van with an unknown firearm which damaged the vehicles right front wheel and windshield.
The chase continued at a heavy populated area of the subdivision until gunshots flared in the area.
Balsomo, who drove the motorcycle, felt the bullet from the unseen gunman hit his abdomen.
The suspects immediately fled and brought Balsomo to the Passi District Hospital but he was later transferred to WVMC at Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
When investigated by police, Balsomo said he incurred the wound during a shooting incident at Dumarao, Capiz.
On Sunday, Balsomo’s mother Rosini reported to the Mandurriao PNP that her son was nowhere to be found.
Based on the blotter report, Rosini said her son asked for permission to have snacks at the WVMC cafeteria past 3pm Sunday.
After several minutes, Rosini fetched her son from the cafeteria but he already vanished from the hospital’s vicinity.
UNGUARDED
What made Balsomo’s escape controversial is the failure of the Barotac Nuevo police to guard the suspect while in confinement at the hospital.
Right after he was confined at the Passi City hospital, Shiela Rubuin, daughter of Simeon and Aida, positively identified Balsomo as one of the suspects who waylaid their vehicle on November 6.
Despite the identification of the victims, the Barotac Nuevo police only decided to guard Balsomo on November 9 after Senior Supt. Efren Quintos, Iloilo Provincial Police Office (IPPO) director, ordered them to secure the suspect.
PO3 Rio Estilo, Barotac Nuevo PNP investigator, said they cannot handcuff Balsomo to his hospital bed since no warrant of arrest has been issued against the suspected robber.
Estilo said they still have to wait for the provincial prosecutor to resolve the attempted robbery with homicide charges against Balsomo and his cohorts.
Supt. Cornelio Defensor, IPPO deputy director for operations, said they will investigate the whole Barotac Nuevo police force why they failed to guard Balsomo.
But Defensor said they also have to follow procedures on the issuance of warrants of arrest.
As to Balsomo’s case, Defensor said the principle of hot pursuit did not apply anymore since they only ascertained the suspect’s involvement in the case more than three days after the incident.
“We have to follow the process or else our police will bear the brunt of their actions,” Defensor said.
Defensor added Natal has no liability over Balsomo’s disappearance since the latter was not under arrest “but if he violated a direct order from our provincial director, then he (Natal) is liable for insubordination.”
The Rubuins were disappointed to learn of Balsomo’s escape.
Lawyer Evary Tupas, counsel for the Rubuins, told Aksyon Radyo that his clients were surprised to learn of the escape since “we trusted the police to guard him at the hospital.”
Equally distraught was Balsomo’s mother who is now in a quandary on how to pay her son’s P9,000 hospital bill.
Natal admitted his failure to deploy his personnel to secure Balsomo.
Doctors and nurses who took care of Balsomo said Natal asked them to inform the latter if the suspect is discharged from the hospital.
WHO’S THE GUNMAN?
Based on latest investigation by the IPPO, one of the Rubuins may have shot Balsomo.
IPPO sources said the suspects planned to kill an unidentified son of the Rubuins for personal reasons.
“Ang holdup pag-patalang lang ato. Ang motibo amu nga patyun ang anak sg mga Rubuin (The holdup angle is just a deception. The real motive is to kill the son of the Rubuins),” the IPPO source said.
The source added “it was easy for the victims to hit Balsomo since the suspects were driving close to the van.”
The Rubuins had denied carrying a gun during the incident. (Published in The Guardian, November 15, 2005 issue)

CATTLE RUSTLERS

2005-11-14T14:22:00.000+08:00

Police say suspects are members of syndicate in Iloilo province

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CATTLE rustlers are having a field day in a village in LaPaz, Iloilo City with more than 30 cows already stolen since January.
Around 1am Saturday, Angelico Juntado of Barangay Banuyao, LaPaz lost his 1-year old cow to unidentified suspects.
Juntado’s case is the latest in more than 30 cattle rustling incidents this year which have remained unsolved.
Residents of Banuyao said their village chief Arturo Magbanua and tanods are helpless against animal robbers.
“We have been complaining with our Punong barangay but the stealing of our livestock continues. The police have not done any action against the suspects,” Juntado said.
Juntado added they have resorted to guarding their livestock “since we cannot rely on our officials and police.”
Aside from Juntado, the latest victims were identified as Henry Mabilos, Agustin Ofealta, Margie Delilla, Rodolfo Genallos and Antonio Petiño.
Even residents of nearby barangays of Ticud and Gustilo and areas of Jaro have fallen victims to cattle rustlers.
Barangay Kagawad Boyet Fernandez said they have instituted security measures to stave off cattle thieves.
But Fernandez said their barangay tanods are no match to the poachers who are “heavily-armed and well organized.”
Based on reports from residents, Fernandez said the cattle rustlers transported their loot on board a container van and accompanied by motorcycle-riding lookouts.
“Our tanods who only have nightsticks (batuta) cannot do anything against these heavily armed suspects. We are afraid that some of us might get killed if we run after these robbers,” Fernandez said.
However, Punong Barangay Magbanua blamed the police for his village’s peace and order problem.
“The police just told us to be vigilant against cattle rustlers. But what can we do when the suspects are brandishing long firearms. We expected the police to help us but we received nothing,” Magbanua clamored.
Magbanua added they have passed a resolution urging the city government and the police to carefully inspect cattle brought to the slaughterhouse at Molo district to ascertain if the animals are stolen or not.
Magbanua said they have also requested the police to put up a detachment in their area “but it has remained a request.”
The village chief although he understood the lack of police personnel to cover the whole district, “all I am asking is for our authorities to act in order to stop these suspects from stealing our animals.”
But Senior Insp. Alejandro Apostol, LaPaz police chief, said they have been helping Banuyao residents and officials “but the suspects are hard to catch.”
Apostol said cattle rustlers operate in the village at the most unexpected time.
LaPaz police intelligence officers said the poachers are members of a cattle rustling syndicate from Iloilo province.

Blue guard in Calzada
shooting at-large

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THE Mandurriao police is still looking for the whereabouts of a security guard who shot the son of an Iloilo town mayor Saturday morning.
Senior Insp. Kim Legada, Mandurriao PNP chief, said they have yet to locate Eladio Prior of Bingawan, Iloilo and security guard of Calzada Bar and Grill at Diversion Road, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Prior is the suspect in the shooting of Rodgen Balasico, 21, son of San Rafael Mayor Ronnie Balasico, around 1am Saturday at the said nightspot.
Police reports said Rodgen was having a drinking spree with his friend James Belleza prior to the incident.
As Rodgen and Belleza were about to go home, the former argued with the bar’s management over their bill.
When Rodgen went rowdy, Prior allegedly shot him on the chest with a caliber .38 revolver.
The victim was rushed to the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital and went under the knife to for his wounded heart.
Legada said Tomas Chua, owner of the said bar, had no idea about Prior’s whereabouts.
But Prior’s agency, R & E Detective & Security Agency, has been coordinating with the police to facilitate his surrender.
Mayor Balasico admitted his son is “immature” despite his age.
“Palalagaw ina sya kag mahilig mag gwa kung gab-i para mag-inom. Amo na gain nga ang iya balon sakto lang para di sya mag kadto kung diin-diin (He likes to go out at night to have drinking sprees. That is why his allowance is only enough for his necessities so he won’t stray at night),” Balasico said.
The mayor also admitted his son may have failed to pay his bills which resulted to the shooting incident.
Rodgen is also involved in a shooting incident during their town fiesta last month. (Published in The Guardian, November 14, 2005 issue)

SEX SLAVES

2005-11-11T22:13:00.000+08:00

Three minors accuse fratmen of rape

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

IN A period of five days, two minor-aged girls allegedly became sex slaves of three fraternity members in Cabatuan, Iloilo.
Records from Cabatuan police identified the victims as Sherlyn, 15, and Shiela Fe, 14, (not their real names), all of the said town.
According to Vanessa, 14, a friend of the two victims, last October 29, 2005, a certain Jovie Pelonia, 25, invited them to go to his home at Barangay Acao, Cabatuan for a party on November 2.
The three girls agreed and they met each other outside of the Cabatuan Catholic Cemetery and boarded a jeepney bound for Acao.
After a 30-minute ride, the trio arrived at Jovie’s house only to find out that there was no party after all. Instead, Pelonia invited them to the house of Joey Line at Barangay Salacay, Cabatuan.
Police said Pelonia and Line are members of an unidentified fraternity in Cabatuan.
After two hours of walking, the three girls and Pelonia arrived at Salacay around 7pm of November 2.
By 7:30pm, Line arrived and accommodated his visitors.
The victims’ ordeal began on the evening of November 3 when Rodolfo Cerego, also a friend of Pelonia and Line, allegedly abused Shiela Fe and Sherlyn.
Vanessa, the only girl who was not raped, alleged that Cerego, Pelonia and Line feasted on her two friends from November 3 to 6.
Vanessa added the suspects kept them locked inside the house and only gave them rice and sugarcane to eat.
On the evening of November 6, Jason, another friend of the suspects, and two unidentified women fetched the victims at Julie’s house.
From Salacay, Jason and the two women brought the victims to 95 Place, a videoke bar at Barangay Bolong Oeste, Sta. Barbara, Iloilo. But the management of the bar refused to accept the victims saying they were minors.
Jason planned to bring them to Boracay Island but failed.
While at Sta. Barbara, the victims asked Jason’s women companions to free them which they did.
Early this week, the family of the victims filed cases of rape against Line, Pelonia and Cerego.
Cerego remains at-large while the two suspects are now detained at the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center.
But Pelonia denied the allegations saying the three minors asked for his help to look for jobs.
Pelonia accommodated the three to his house but he transferred them to Line’s house at Salacay.
The three minors stayed at Salacay with Pelonia, Line and Cerego.
Pelonia said that for three days nothing happened to the three girls but Cerego admitted to the former having sex with Sherlyn. (Published in The Gaurdian-Western Visayas, November 12-13, 2005)

TUPAS DEFENDS
MONTESCLAROS

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

“SO what’s wrong if Montesclaros does business at the airport project?”
Short of defending his balaye, Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas said the contract between Montesclaros Construction and the Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV), contractor of the new Iloilo international airport project, “is their own affair.”
Tupas issued the statement after the House committee on good government chaired by Rep. Arthur Defensor (3rd district, Iloilo) learned on Wednesday that Montesclaros is the one supplying crushed rocks to TSJV and not Estancia-based businessman Melvin Requinto who is the permitee of the rock crusher at Barangay Caigon, Maasin, Iloilo.
Requinto claims he leased the crusher from Montesclaros who is based in Bukidnon province in Mindanao.
But Rep. Ferj Biron (4th district, Iloilo) said Requinto is a mere dummy of Montesclaros.
However, Tupas said there is nothing wrong with such setup.
“The committee is trying to connect me to the issue (since my balaye is involved). But that is the internal arrangement between Montesclaros and the Japanese contractor,” Tupas said.
The governor added Requinto already secured a permit to operate the crusher and “it is wrong to say that Montesclaros is the one supplying crushed rocks to the project.”
“The Japanese is only paying for the use of the crusher which is owned by my balaye. There is no need for Monteclaros to get a permit since he has no transaction with the provincial government,” Tupas said.
To dispel insinuations that only the family of the wife of his son Mayor Raul Tupas is operating a rock crusher for the airport project, Tupas said two other plants owned by Metro Alpha Construction and a certain Edgar Comoda are also running at Sta. Barbara town.
“It’s all politics. We should not wonder if they keep giving malice to this issue and at the same time link me to it. We all want the airport to be finished soon but look at what other people are doing,” Tupas said.
Already fed up with threats of House inquiries against his administration, Tupas said “they have alleged a lot of things (against me) but nothing has happened.”
Lately, Akbayan representative Risa Baraquel-Hontiveros passed a resolution to investigate alleged irregularities in the construction of the new capitol building.
But Tupas said he welcomes the investigation “so the people will know.”
As regards the delay in the airport project, Tupas said it is unlikely for the national government to rescind the contract with TSJV “since it would take more than four years to look for a new contractor.”
“What is important is that this airport will be finished as soon as possible. The original completion target was October 2006. But under present circumstances, the project might be over in the middle of 2007,” Tupas said.
Earlier, Rep. Rolex Suplico, who is Tupas’s nephew, called for the rescission of the contract with TSJV due to the 55 percent slippage of the project which is a grievous mistake for government infrastructure projects. (Published in The Gaurdian-Western Visayas, November 12-13, 2005)

‘DUMMY’

2005-11-11T22:08:00.000+08:00

Who’s earning from Maasin rock crusher?

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

TWO Ilonggo representatives are wondering why two different entities are running the operations of the controversial rock crusher plant at Barangay Caigon, Maasin, Iloilo.
During the penultimate leg of the Iloilo international airport investigation the other day, Reps. Arthur Defensor (3rd district, Iloilo), and Ferj Biron (4th district, Iloilo) found out that while Estancia-based merchant Melvin Requinto got the permit to run the plant, the Montesclaros family from Bukidnon province in Mindanao is the one earning from its operation.
The rock crusher plant “refines” filling materials for the airport project at the Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area per requirements of the Japanese contractor Taisei-Shimizu joint venture (TSJV).
Requinto, a gasoline dealer and general merchant from Estancia town, got a permit from the provincial government to operate the plant in Maasin.
Requinto claimed he rented the plant from the Montesclaros family, the in-laws of Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas who is the son of Governor Niel Tupas Sr.
But during the investigation on Tuesday, TSJV representatives, through legal counsel and former Iloilo vice governor Roberto Maroma, admitted they are actually doing business with the Montesclaros family and not with Requinto.
Maroma confirmed to the House committee that the Montesclaroses entered into a contract with TSJV to supply crushed rocks to the airport project.
“What is clear now is that while Requinto is the permitee to run the plant, Montesclaros is the one who has a contract with the Japanese firms to supply crushed rock to the project,” Defensor said.
But Defensor added: “We will evaluate this development further. The committee will look into the implications of this setup to our existing regulations.”
Biron said Requinto “is purely a dummy of Montesclaros.”
“Why will Montesclaros, who is not a quarry permitee, deliver filling materials to the airport site? It is strange that Requinto, who has the permit to operate the plant, does not engage in actual sale of the products that he was licensed to process,” Biron said.
The committee also required TSJV to provide a copy of the contract and all purchase receipts issued by Montesclaros Construction in the next airport project hearing.
In a separate interview with The Guardian, Maroma said the contract between TSJV and Montesclaros may have been part of their internal arrangement.
“According to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, there is nothing wrong with such setup if that is the internal agreement between the contractor and the supplier. Requinto was given a permit because he was capable of putting up the plant,” Maroma said.
Maroma clarified the contract between Montesclaros and the TSJV is not exclusive.
But during the April leg of the airport investigation, the committee found out that Requinto was not registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to engage in construction and quarry business.
Requinto only registered his business with the DTI as a quarry firm in December 2004, three months after getting his permit from the provincial government.
SLIPPAGE
Meanwhile, Defensor said they have required Department of Transportation and Communication Secretary Leandro Mendoza to appear in the next hearing to explain the 55.60 percent slippage in the airport project.
“We demanded no less than the presence of Secretary Mendoza since there are matters which his emissaries cannot answer,” Defensor said.
Biron said the Japanese contractor admitted the slow progress in the groundwork of the new airport site has affected the project.
“Maybe because there is only one rock crusher that is operating, the contractor cannot go full scale in the groundwork,” Biron said.
Maroma said the delay in the airport cannot be attributed to the TSJV.
“The four-month delay in the awarding of the contract to the winning bidder, in this case the TSJV, also affected the progress of the project. The initial plan was to start the construction in January last year but due to problems in the bidding, actual works began in April 2004,” Maroma said.
Maroma also cited problems of the remaining tenants and residents at the airport and burrow pit sites as factors which delayed the airport project.
Even the quality of filling material from the burrow pit in Sta. Barbara impeded the construction, Maroma said.
“The soil from the burrow pit has high moisture content so the contractor has to wait for a long time in order for the soil to dry before resuming with the construction. The contractor decided to mix sand with soil from the burrow pit to solve this problem,” Maroma said.
With the regulation of heavy duty trucks passing through Cabatuan and Maasin areas, Maroma said the project will be delayed even more.
“But the actual delay is only 10-11 percent according to the explanation of the Japan Airport Consultants,” Maroma said.
Gov. Tupas also attended the committee investigation but he has yet to return to the capitol as of yesterday morning. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, November 11, 2005 issue)

DRYING UP

2005-11-11T22:04:00.000+08:00

Maasin watershed deteriorating

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

ASIDE from management dilemmas, the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) is also in danger of losing its main source of potable water at the Maasin watershed due to lack of comprehensive planning.
Based on the latest feasibility study of the Kahublagan sang Panimalay Foundation, Inc. (KSPFI), the absence of a central body that will handle preservation efforts and conflicts in strategies have resulted to the gradual withering of the watershed.
The KSPFI also conducted a study on the rehabilitation of watershed in the early 90s, the period where the Maasin watershed was already 92 percent denuded due to human activities.
The watershed has a total area of 6,150 hectares and provides water for agricultural, domestic and industrial uses.
In 1990s, the MIWD sourced 72 percent of its water requirement from the Maasin catchment until it began to explore other sources like surface and deep wells. But the latter sources have also diminished due to continuous diggings of private wells within MIWD’s concession area.
Aside from the lack of reliable water source, the MIWD is also suffering from old and defective pipelines aside from numerous cases of water pilferers.
In 2000, the projected demand of water for all uses from the Maasin watershed was at 62,468,380 cubic meters per year but the projected water supply was only 5,298,048 cubic meters, a staggering gap of 57.17million cubic meters per year.
Although the KSPFI recommended reforestation and preservation programs to save watershed, it continued to deteriorate particularly this year when the Maasin dam and Tigum River dried up.
The KSPFI and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) even conducted an ocular inspection of the watershed to investigate its status.
Dr. Jessica Salas of KSPFI found out that their recommendations were not followed to the letter.
“Because of different and irreconcilable goals of the earlier feasibility study and the actual implementation, two strategies recommended in the study have not been implemented namely the improved production practices and increase productivity/efficiency. The former was for the conservation of resources and the latter the development of farm livelihood,” Salas observed in her study.
Salas also noticed the lack of coordination among the MIWD, environment department and the local government to solve the problem.
In a meeting of the Iloilo Watershed Management Council this year, Salas noted “finger pointing between the MIWD, DENR and the local government.”
“The MIWD blamed the DENR for not properly protecting the watershed. The local government blamed the MIWD for getting more water that it should. The DENR said it was climate change. The non-government organizations said the massive plantation and exotic species in the rehabilitation project siphoned available water during distinct dry season. And all the council did was to listen,” Salas said.
Non-implementation
On the other hand, Local Waters Utilities Administration (Lwua) chief Lorenzo Jamora said the takeover of the MIWD is necessary “to protect our consumers and the interest of the Lwua.
The Lwua is the regulating body of all water utilities in the country.
Jamora said they are concerned with the slow implementation of the MIWD’s rehabilitation project.
“The takeover stemmed from purely management problems. It has been two years since we approved the loan for the project but not much has been accomplished. We are concerned with the very slow pace of the rehabilitation,” Jamora said.
Jamora clarified the slippage in the project is 80 percent “which is already a case of non-implementation of the project.”
“The MIWD owes us money so we have to protect our interest. And in the end the consumers themselves will suffer,” Jamora said.
Jamora added interim MIWD general manager Engr. Edwin Reyes will only stay on a temporary basis “until we have finished the internal audit of the project.”
“Engr. Le Jayme Jalbuena is still the general manager but for the meantime, he is giving way for our people for the audit. This is purely a managerial matter since it was the MIWD board of directors that requested for our help,” Jamora said. (Published in The Gaurdian-Western Visayas, November 10, 2005 issue)

Molo robbery confuses cops, too

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

EVEN the police are confused if what really happened during the Monday evening robbery of a collector of a chain of gasoline pump stations at Barangay East Timawa, Molo, Iloilo City.
Inspector Frankie Lugo, Molo PNP chief, said they are also wondering why collector-cum-driver Anthony Biscayda (not Viscaya as earlier reported), 34, of Escarilla Subdivision, Mandurriao, Iloilo told two versions of the heist.
Biscayda is the collector of the Santos chain of Shell gas stations.
Worse, the person whom Biscayda recognized as one of the robbers is presently detained for possession of illegal drugs.
Lugo said they are carefully investigating the two versions of the incident by Biscayda.
In several media interviews right after the incident, Biscayda said one of the suspects already held him at gunpoint after getting the day’s collection at their outlet at Ledesma-Mabini Streets, Iloilo City Proper.
The suspect then told him to proceed with his collection chores at Ledesma-Jalandoni and East Timawa outlets.
Biscayda said the robbers carted away more than P100,000 in cash.
But in the Molo police blotter report, Biscayda said he was already on his way to the East Timawa pump station when the robbers on board a white taxi blocked his path near the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital.
One of the suspects armed with a caliber .45 pistol forcibly opened the van and told Biscayda to proceed to the Timawa station.
At the said gasoline outlet, three more suspects emerged and took away all the collection money.
The suspects even forced the station attendants to go under the benches to prevent them from fighting back.
The four robbers fled from the scene on board the same white taxi.
Biscayda said he failed to take note of the taxi’s plate number since it was parked at a dark portion of the crime scene.
At the Molo PNP yesterday, Biscayda recognized a certain Gilbert Hortillas from the rogues’ gallery as one of the suspects.
Hortillas is a resident of Barangay San Vicente, Jaro, Iloilo City. But his relatives said it is impossible for Hortillas to join in the robbery since he is presently detained at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP) district jail in Barangay Ungka, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Hortillas was arrested last October for possession of shabu at Barangay Bakhaw, Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Chief Insp. Amelito Fuentes, BJMP district jail warden, confirmed Hortillas is one of their inmates.
“He has been detained at Selda 1 since last week so it is impossible for him to get out of prison without any court clearance. Maybe the suspect in the robbery was just a look alike of Hortillas,” Fuentes said.
In an interview with Bombo Radyo reporter Edwin Laruan, Hortillas denied involvement in the heist “since I am here inside the jail.”
Hortillas added he has never been involved in any robbery case before.
Insp. Lugo said they will dig deeper into the case particularly on the inconsistencies in Biscayda’s statements.
Police have also identified other suspects but Lugo declined to name them pending their investigation.
Lugo said they make Biscayda identify Hortillas in person to ascertain the former’s claim. (Published in The Gaurdian-Western Visayas, November 10, 2005 issue)

MIWD IN CRISIS

2005-11-09T17:55:00.000+08:00

What's bugging the MIWD which forced Lwua to takeover its operations?

Two GMs head water firm

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

AFTER the looming power crisis in Iloilo, it’s now the turn of the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) to hog the limelight as management problems has forced the Local Water Utilities Administration (Lwua) to partially takeover its operations.
The takeover has also given MIWD the dubious reputation of having two general managers serving at the same time.
Since October 11, interim general manager Engr. Edwin Reyes took over sensitive operations of the MIWD from Engr. Le Jayme Jalbuena after Lwua administrator Lorenzo Jamora ordered the takeover.
Reyes is the management adviser of Lwua and also served as interim manager in several areas in Tarlac, Vigan, Palawan, Ilocos Sur and other water districts in Luzon.
Reyes said the takeover stemmed from the negative 20 percent slippage in the P207million Small Towns Water Supply Structure Project (STWSSP).
Covering the towns of Oton, Sta. Barbara, Maasin, Cabatuan, San Miguel, Pavia and Iloilo City, the STWSSP aims to upgrade water supply systems in MIWD areas of operations.
The Asian Development Bank granted a loan for the said project which is set to be completed next year.
The Guardian secured a copy of a Lwua report which outlined the problems of the rehabilitation project.
The report said MIWD systems losses remain high due to old pipes, illegal connections and low revenues. It also cited the slow increase in additional household connections as another problem besetting the MIWD management.
MIWD records showed only 22,000 households out of more than 300,000-population in Iloilo City have service connections with the said water utility firm due to expensive charges and dragging flow of paperworks.
The MIWD is also having problems with its potable water source due to private wells existing within its area of concession.
The problems caught the attention of the MIWD board of directors which in turn reported the matter to the Lwua, thus the takeover.
Although Jalbuena is still the general manager, Reyes has assumed sensitive functions like entering and signing contracts and other vital transactions of the MIWD.
“The interim management will be here from three to five months only after we have settled the problems. This is a usual process every time we see problems in water districts under the Lwua’s jurisdictions. We are focusing on Iloilo because this one of the biggest water districts in the country. Operations will go on as usual and we see no water crisis in future here in Iloilo,” Reyes said.
However, Reyes declined to comment on allegations of corruption at the MIWD which has resulted to the delay of the rehabilitation project and the takeover. “It is up to the local board to tackle such problems.”
To solve the problem in the STWSSP, Reyes said they will bid out the project to the private sector to fast track its completion.
Reyes said they plan to hold the bidding on January 6, 2006 to complete the project within eight months.
The interim MIWD manager said they will make affordable their connection rates while reducing bureaucracy to increase their consumer base. (Published in The Guardian-Western Visayas, November 9, 2005 issue)

‘GHOST GUNMAN’

2005-11-08T07:58:00.000+08:00

UNSEEN SHOOTER NAILS ROBBER

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A BUSINESS couple and children in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo survived a robbery attempt past 6pm Sunday after one of the suspects was mysteriously shot in the chest.
Simeon Ruben, 60, and his wife Aida, 56, along with their daughter Sheila and an unidentified son were on their home to Fiammetta Subdivision, Barangay Tabuc Suba, Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo on board their Anfra van when three motorcycle riding men chased them at Barangay Tabuc Suba in the said town.
During the chase, the suspect right behind the driver opened fire at the van and hit the vehicle’s windshield and left front tire.
Aside from the trio, the Rubens also saw two more men on board another tricycle cruising from a distance.
The pursuit continued until they ended up in a heavily populated area of the subdivision.
Several residents came out when they heard the Rubens shout for help. Out of nowhere, gunshots erupted which hit one of the suspects on the chest.
The trio quickly fled from the scene and brought their wounded companion, who was later identified as Johnny Balsomo of Zerrudo Street, Barangay Sto. Rosario, Iloilo City Proper district, to the Passi District Hospital.
Balsomo was later transferred to the Western Visayas Medical Center. At the hospital, Sheila positively identified Balsomo as the one who drove the motorcycle.
Balsomo denied involvement in the Barotac Nuevo incident saying he was shot during an altercation at Dingle then later at Dumarao, Capiz.
However, police from the said areas denied the occurrence of any shooting incident in their area on Sunday.
According to the National Bureau of Investigation, Balsomo, a former Army member, was one of the suspects in robbery of Chicken Sari-Sari restaurant at Commission Civil Street, Jaro, Iloilo City.
Aida said she noticed something unusual while closing their grocery store at Barotac Nuevo town proper before going home to Fiammetta Subdivision.
Last June, Aida claimed receiving information from a friend that they are the target of a robbery gang.
The wife also denied that he husband shot Balsomo since “he has no weapon with him.”
“Maybe one of the residents who went out shot the suspects. My husband had no gun. It is impossible for him to shoot at the suspects,” she said.
The Rubens will file charges of attempted multiple homicide against Balsomo and his companions.
Barotac Nuevo police said they are still boggled by Balsomo’s shooting. (Published in the November 8, 2005 issue of The Guardian)

‘INADEQUATE’

2005-11-04T20:18:00.000+08:00

POWER CONCERNS. Iloilo Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. listens as Engr. Nelson Homena (2nd from left), plant manager of the Dingle power plant of Napocor, discusses the activation of additional power capacity for Iloilo in time for the Christmas season yesterday.

Pinamucan can’t supply power to Panay

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

BRACE for a possible bleak Christmas and New Year's Day.
Residents of Panay cannot rely on the Pinamucan power plant to supply the growing energy needs of the island, particularly during the Yuletide season.
This was the admission of National Power Corporation (Napocor) officials during a meeting with Iloilo Governor Niel Tupas Sr. the other day.
Aside from the Napocor, Tupas also convened officials from the National Transmission Corporation (Transco) and the three Iloilo electric cooperatives after learning of the problems besetting the Pinamucan facility.
Provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada said the governor discussed with energy officials and electric cooperatives preparations for the coming Christmas season.
‘We wanted to make sure that there is enough power during the holidays,” Mejorada said.
But Engineer Nelson Homena, plant manager of the Dingle power facility, said the 110-megawatt Pinamucan diesel-fired power plant alone is not enough to satisfy the power demands of Panay.
Earlier, Napocor sources said the Pinamucan plant experienced problems during initial testing.
Tupas said the facility “is very old” and was only resurrected to augment the energy requirements of Panay after being deactivated several years back.
The Pinamucan plant has eight engines but only half are operational due to unspecified defects.
Capitol sources said Napocor personnel “cannibalized” several parts of the Pinamucan plant to replace busted instruments.
But Homena said they will try to operate one unit of the plant by December in preparation for the holidays when demand for electricity is expected to reach its highest peak.
The Napocor will also try to reactivate the two power barges from stationed in Iloilo to add to the capacity of the Pinamucan facility.
Homena said the Pinamucan plant can only used as “voltage capacity building” and not for full power generation.
Aside from defects, the Napocor executive also said it would be costly for them to fully operate the said plant with the rising prices of fuel in the world market and the recent implementation of the revised Value Added Tax.
It takes ¼ of a liter of diesel to generate one kilowatt-hour of electricity. Presently, a liter of diesel costs P34.
For fuel alone, the Napocor said they will spend P8.50 per kilowatt-hour.
“If we add other expenses like labor, our generation cost might reach more than P20 per kilowatt-hour,” Homena told Tupas.
Meanwhile, Transco officials promised to increase their transmission capabilities for Panay.
Mejorada said the Pinamucan plant is only a “band aid” solution to the growing power needs of Iloilo and other provinces.
“The best solution we can have is to put up baseload plants like coal-fired plants,” Mejorada said.
The national government spent more than P600million just to transfer the Pinamucan plant from Bataan to Iloilo.
Because of its weight and size, a specially-designed bridge was built just to transport the whole facility from the Naluoyan port in Dumangas to Dingle. (Published in the November 5-6, 2005 of The Guardian-Western Visayas)

SP IN MAYHEM

2005-11-04T15:22:00.000+08:00

The Iloilo provincial capitol is a grandiose and proud image but within its trappings, discord pervades aong members of the provincial board.

Armada-Oso tiff gets ugly

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CHAOS now rules the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo.
Legislative courtesy at the provincial board took the backseat as two of its prominent members continued to trade barbs over the Capitol’s P100-million loan.
And as the days went by, the verbal tussle between Vice Governor Roberto Armada and his former college teacher and 4th district board member Domingo Oso also got ugly.
In his privilege speech during the SP’s regular session Wednesday, Oso called Armada a “co-conspirator of the minority bloc” that secured a temporary restraining order against the loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
Oso said Armada betrayed his participation in efforts to derail the loan by not signing the resolution approving and ratifying the said agreement.
Oso did not spare the minority composed of BMs Emmanuel Gallar, Bernardo Silla, Macario Napulan and Licurgo Tirador by calling them the “conscienceless bloc.”
He said the act of the monitory “abetted by the vice governor” was “un-parliamentary.”
“First, they did not object when we approved the resolution ratifying the loan. All of a sudden they go to the Regional Trial Court presided by the balaye of Governor Niel Tupas’ political opponent last year. Is this parliamentary conduct?” Oso said.
After the privilege speech, it was Armada’s turn to lambast his former mentor when he requested the deletion the term “co-conspirator” from the minutes of the session.
However, Oso insisted that all he said against the vice governor be put on record.
Flustered and irritated, Armada told Oso: “I want to put this on record. Thank you for being a rabid attack dog of the administration.”
But the tiff did not stop at the session hall as Armada and Oso continued to throw potshots at each other over Bombo Radyo yesterday.
With anchorman Ted Francia acting referee, the two officials continued to display their dirty linens on air.
Armada said his fellow teacher took things to personally by calling him names.
“I only wanted to delete what he said against me as it will be enshrined in the archives of the SP forever. Even we patch things up, what he said will remain part of the annals of the 8th Sanggunian,” Armada said.
Armada added he already told BM Niel “Jun Jun” Tupas Jr. that he will not sign the resolution but only the minutes.
But if Oso is adamant in what he uttered during the session, Armada said: “I cannot force him to like me. I don’t really care.”
Meanwhile, Oso said he only criticized the vice governor for sitting on the resolution for the LBP loan.
“What I was attacking was his conduct and not his person. He was the one made personal comments,” Oso said.
The board member also blamed Armada for the schism within the SP.
“He does not care to settle our differences despite my suggestions to do so. He always says ‘I have no jurisdiction over it’. He is like the only person I know in the Bible who washes his hands – Pontius Pilate. If he is a responsible father to the SP, he should initiate moves to settle our conflicts,” Oso said.
Oso particularly cited the administrative case filed against BM Cecilia Capadosa which he alluded to Gallar.
But Gallar joined in the fray saying he did not file the case but the People’s Graftwatch of Iloilo, Inc.
Armada did not let Oso’s comment pass as he called the former a “liar.”
“BM Oso has not been attending the last four executive sessions I have been calling. He never approached me ask for my help as regards the cases against the other board members,” Armada said.
Despite their heated exchange, Armada said he is willing to patch things up with his former professor.
But Oso retorted: “The vice governor does not have to say or wait for someone to tell to settle our differences. His sincerity will only discerned from his actions.”

Inhibit Guimbal judge, CA asked
NINE provincial board members yesterday asked the Court of Appeals to stop Judge Teodolo A. Colada of the Regional Trial Court based in Guimbal, Iloilo from continuing to hear the civil case filed by the so-called “conscience bloc” in the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to derail the P100-million loan with the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP).
In an 18-page petition, the board members said Colada committed “grave abuse of discretion” in handing down a temporary restraining order (TRO) against Vice Governor Roberto Armada and Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo “Boy” Cabado to stop them from signing a resolution that ratified the loan agreement between the Province and Land Bank.
The petition for certiorari, TRO and injunction was filed yesterday by provincial lawyer Teofisto “Pet” Melliza and board member Niel C. Tupas, Jr. before the Court of Appeals in Cebu City. The case will be raffled on Monday.
The majority-bloc board members said Colada displayed apparent bias and partiality as he conducted a “charade” during the hearing for the TRO on Oct. 27 by preventing their counsels from presenting their own evidence and turned down their motion for inhibition against him.
They asked the CA to dissolve the TRO and force Colada to inhibit himself from the case.
“(Colada) never gave herein petitioners the opportunity to cross-examine exhaustively the respondents’ witnesses, and much less, present a single witness and offer evidence,” the petitioners alleged through their counsels, Atty. Salvador Cabaluna III and Melliza.
The case was filed before the RTC in Guimbal by board members Emmanuel R. Gallar, Bernardo Silla, Macario Napulan and Licurgo Tirador.
Gallar and company are asking Colada to nullify the loan agreement between the Province of Iloilo and Land Bank for alleged defects in the contract, a claim that provincial officials are disputing.
“This is an effort to derail the acquisition of heavy equipment that are badly needed for the repair and maintenance of our roads,” Iloilo provincial administrator Manuel “Boy” Mejorada said.
The P100-million loan is intended to finance the purchase of brand-new heavy equipment for the Provincial Engineers Office (PEO).
In their petition, the nine board members --- Rodolfo Cabado, Domingo Oso, Niel Tupas Jr., Cecilia Capadosa, Romeo Palmares Sr., Eric Barbosa Sr., Angel Briones, Jeneda Salcedo and Lilia Gonzales --- charged Colada with undue haste and bias in dealing with the case.
“There was no hearing to speak of,” they claimed. “All that transpired was a charade.”
The petitioners also assailed Colada’s persistence in hearing the case despite the existing enmity between them arising from the administrative case some of them had filed against the RTC judge. The case is pending before the Supreme Court.
“The Supreme Court time and again has reaffirmed the dictum that it is not enough for a judge to be impartial,” they pointed out. “He or she must also be above suspicion of partiality,” they added, citing a long string of High Court decisions.
Colada is the same judge who stopped the Iloilo provincial government from releasing the P100 monthly allowances for more than 8,000 barangay health workers, day care workers and population service volunteers just before the 2004 elections.
At the time, his son’s father-in-law, or “balaye” in the dialect, Cong. Oscar Garin, was running against Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. for the gubernatorial post.
The petitioners also alleged that Colada granted the TRO sought by Gallar and company despite the latter’s failure to show that they will suffer grave and irreparable injury and damages as a result of the passage of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution.
They said that the testimony of Gallar about suffering “tremendous shame that could not be paid for by money (daku nga kahuy-anan nga indi mabaydan sang kwarta)” is not the kind of irreparable damage or injury contemplated in a special civil action for injunction and TRO.
Moreover, the petitioners pointed out that Gallar and company did not even raise a “whimper of protest” when the questioned resolution was taken up by the Sangguiang Panlalawigan in its session on Sept. 27.
“It was approved unanimously,” they asserted.
In assailing the complaint filed by Gallar, the petitioners also asked whether Gallar, a former broadcaster, could read or write in English, as the contract he was trying to have nullified did not contain provisions that would allow Land Bank to “gobble up the entire IRA fund of the province.”
The Gallar complaint was also trying to nullify a resolution that is already a “fait accompli”, a done deal, the petitioners said.
At the time the TRO was issued, Cabado had already signed the resolution, and the document was approved by Tupas on Oct. 17 after the SP secretary issued a certification that Armada had refused to perform his ministerial duty to attest to the passage of the resolution.
“It stretches the imagination why public respondent (Colada), despite manifestation by herein petitioners to that effect, still issued the assailed order insteading of dismissing (it),” they said. (Published in The Guardian Western Visayas, November 4, 2005 issue)

'ANAK NG IMBURNAL'

2005-11-02T18:12:00.000+08:00

Joemarie Desilao grimaces in pain as PG2 Gerald Lim nurses his gunshot wound on his waist.

Jailbird hides in IRC gutter for 3 days

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

CONTRARY to earlier reports that he made good his escape, inmate Joemarie Desilao of Anilao, Iloilo did not really make it past the walls of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC).
In fact, Desilao spent All Saints’ Day at a rather unusual and stinky hideout – the sewer for prison and human wastes.
According to IRC Warden Juan Mabugat, utility workers Elmer Balgos and Armand Liboon and several jail guards discovered Desilao 9:30am yesterday beneath a pile of GI sheets behind the kitchen area.
The utility workers were repairing the barbed wire fence at the IRC annex building where Desilao reportedly jumped off when Balgos saw the jailbird’s head and tipped off the jail guards who escorted them.
Since Desilao was armed with the caliber .45 pistol which he took from Provincial Guard 2 Samuel Sollesta, the jail guards fired warning shots to prevent him from making any violent move.
But when PG2 Randy Rutor saw Desilao clutching the pistol, the guard shot the latter on his left waist to disable him.
“He was armed and our personnel cannot take any chances at that time so they decided to disable him,” Mabugat said.
Already weakened after three days of hunger and fatigue, the wounded Desilao surrendered to his jailers.
“It was a good thing he did not shoot back. He could have met his end if he put up a fight,” the warden added.
Jail guards brought Desilao to the Western Visayas Medical Center for treatment. Jail guards also recovered Sollesta’s pistol with three spare magazines and 18 live ammunitions.
Despite being outsmarted by the inmate three days ago, Mabugat and the jail guards were amused over how the inmate endured the smelly sewers aside from lack of food and sleep.
“Wala sya mahadluk sa matabu sa iya kung nga nag-palagas sya sa sagwa sang prisohan. Pero sa bahu kag gutom wala sya mahimu (He was not threatened by the consequences if he gave a chase. But he was not able to stand the stink and hunger),” a jail guard said.
Mabugat said they inspected Desilao’s refuge the other day after one of the jail guards on duty reported that they heard crashing sounds when the jailbird scaled the IRC wall near the new provincial capitol building.
“But he was well-hidden behind the G.I. sheets that is why we failed to find him during the first search. Maybe he went out due to hunger and exhaustion. Imagine not eating and drinking clean water for three days. Mabaho pa ang kanal (the sewer is also stinky),” Mabugat said.
However, Mabugat said the investigation on Sollesta and other jail guards will continue despite Desilao’s recapture.
In fact, Mabugat already submitted to Gov. Niel Tupas his recommendation to preventively suspend Sollesta and fellow guards Rodolfo Picara, Rodolfo Abordo, Herver Piola, Noel Villavicencio and Febe Villanueva once the investigation begins.
The warden added he is also willing to go on leave to give way to the investigation.
Meanwhile, Tupas said he has tasked provincial legal Salvador Cabaluna to lead the investigating body.
Tupas, Cabaluna and Mabugat also discussed yesterday the preventive suspension of the six jail guards.
“Someone has to answer for this escape. We will find out if who is liable for this,” Tupas said.
Desilao’s recapture shadowed the discovery of the body of Ildefonso Pillano, 65, of Barangay Layog, Maasin, Iloilo.
Pillano was found dead inside the bathroom of the IRC main building 7am yesterday.
Mabugat said Pillano may have died to cardiac arrest while taking a bath. Aside from the wound on his head, IRC personnel said the inmate’s body showed no signs of foul play.
“It is impossible that there was foul play in his death since his cellmate is his own grandson,” Mabugat said.
Still, Mabugat requested an autopsy on Pillano’s remains.
Pillano was detained in February last year for killing his own daughter. (Published in the Nov. 3, 2005 issue of The Guardian, Iloilo City)

BRO VS BRO

2005-10-31T19:56:00.000+08:00

Two dead in sibling fights

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

THREE pairs of brothers belonging to three different families in Molo, Iloilo City and Passi City must have thought of joining today’s All Saints’ Day in a way different from the common practice of the living.
They must have ambitioned to join their dead by stabbing and shooting each other.
As a result of their deadly actions, two of them were killed.
The first Cain-and-Abel incident occurred at Zone 3, Barangay San Juan, Molo 12:10am yesterday when Dexter Lee, 17, repeatedly stabbed his brother Roland, 25, with a steel bar.
According to the Molo PNP report, Roland came home drunk and attempted to stab their father Rodolfo, 40, with the same steel bar. Roland also threatened to detonate a grenade inside their house.
Roland’s brother Dexter, who was watching TV with their parents, reacted to Roland violent ways. Filled with rage, Dexter grabbed the steel bar from Roland and stabbed the latter with it 32 times.
Neighbors and relatives rushed Roland to the Iloilo Doctors’ Hospital (IDH) but expired minutes later.
Roland and Dexter are among the 10 children of Rodolfo and Linda.
Bruce, brother to both suspect and victim, said Roland is the “black sheep” of their family and would usually hurt any of them every time he got intoxicated.
“He is a drunkard and he was unemployed,” Bruce said.
The father said they will not file charges against Dexter who is now detained at the Molo PNP lockup cell.
In Barangay Buyo, Passi City around 12:30am, Lito Pinuela shot his half-brother Steve Cerbo.
The two were having a drinking spree when Cerbo attempted to shoot Pinuela with a gun of unknown caliber.
However the gun did not fire, giving Pinuela the chance to seize it from Cerbo and successfully shot the latter on the chest, nape and right knee.
Cerbo died at the Passi City District Hospital.
Just like the case of the Lees in Molo, the Passi City PNP said Cerbo was “a cruel brother and son to their family.”
Later afternoon yesterday in West Habog-Habog, Molo, John De La Cruz stabbed his own brother Rolly on the back.
Fortunately, the stab wound was not fatal. Rolly is now recuperating at the IDH.
The Molo police said the two brothers have been at odds for some time now.
John remains at large as of presstime last night. (Published in The Guardian-Iloilo City November 1-2, 2005 issue)

Anthropologist: What aswang?

2005-10-31T19:47:00.000+08:00

Breaking the aswang complex

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

FOR a lady anthropologist from the country’s premiere state university, aswang or flesh eating monsters of Filipino folklore is nothing more than an invention.
Worse, the term represents the oppression and colonization experienced by the Philippines.
During Halloween season, stories of ghouls, ghosts, headless priests and other tales from the nether world emerge to spice up the occasion.
But for Dr. Alicia Magos, one of the big names in Philippine anthropology, these stories are offshoots of “combined military, religious and cultural tactics used to conquer the early Filipinos.”
Magos, who has conducted extensive studies into the indigenous culture and traditions of early Panay settlers, said the origins of aswangs are the powerful babaylans or priestesses of pre-Hispanic Panay.
“A datu or a village cannot earn respect if he was not a babaylan. So they resort to ‘hiring’ or getting the services of babaylans, who are mostly female, who are considered the link of the community to the spiritual world. Such was the high regard of our forefathers to these women priestesses,” Magos said.
Since they are the channel of the humans to their spirit gods and goddesses, babaylans performed certain rituals which the Spanish conquerors regarded as “pagan and demonic.”
At that time, babaylans have their own annual convention in Antique which a Spanish friar described as “diabolical.”
Since the datus heeded the advice of the babaylans, the Spanish, who were out to spread Catholicism and grab new territories in Asia, first went after the priestesses.
The first order of the day for the early Catholic clerics was to spread stories that babaylans were “agents of Satan and all that is evil.”
Coupled with the military might of the conquerors, the friars managed to wipe out the influence of babaylans over early Panay communities which eventually paved the way for the colonization of the country.
“It was a perfect religious-military tool for conquering other cultures. Through time, the term aswang was invented and its description became more morbid and cruel as generations passed these fabricated stories,” Magos added.
Even the famous legend of Tiniente Gimo, a purported aswang from Dueñas, Iloilo, was allegedly fabricated by American colonizers against a labor leader in the early 1900s.
The term aswang, which is now used to describe flesh eating and blood sucking creatures, was also used against freedom fighters who refused to bow down to American rule.
Even local folklores narrated of heroes who ate body parts of enemies they killed in the battlefield. “Such act of cannibalism was a badge of courage. Eating body parts of slain enemies serve as battle trophies of the victor.”
Even the word yawa, which is now equated to evil, originally meant supernatural powers.
Magos cited the tale of Malitong Yawa, a character in the epic chant of the Panay Bukidnons in the central part of the island.
“Malitong Yawa was a beautiful woman with extraordinary powers. Later, the Spanish and American colonizers transformed her into an evil creature,” Magos said.
Magos’ explanation was also used to justify the celebration of the Aswang Festival in Capiz province.
Criticisms from Catholic Church authorities and a handful of politicians forced organizers of the festival to rename it to “Lupad” festival.
“We should start to straighten these fabrications so we can recover our own identity which is a viable source of empowerment and development. We must free ourselves of religious and political deceptions that have kept us from advancing. We must be proud to be called aswangs and yawa,” Magos said. (Published in The Guardian, November 1-2, 2005 issue)

PANAY RAILWAY REHAB NEXT YEAR

2005-10-30T22:52:00.000+08:00

SPARED. This old PRI railway bridge in Passi City, Iloilo will be maintained as the national government begins the rehabilitation of the 117-km railroad next year.

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

WILL the glory that was Panay Railways Inc. (PRI) be finally revived?
Retired Colonel and PRI general manager Hannibal Lipado revealed the initial phase of the P23.5-billion rehabilitation project has begun with the dismantling of 44 old railway bridges in various towns in Panay.
Lipardo said the P20-million contract for the demolition of the old rail bridges was awarded to LT Arceo Trading (LTAT) based in Pasay City, Metro Manila.
The Privatization Management Office (PMO) of the Department of Finance (DoF) awarded the contract to LTAT after it won the bidding last October 20, 2004.
Last January 25, 2005, Ricardo Canlas of the PMO signed the deed of sale to LTAT representative Antonio Arceo.
The demolition of the bridges began March 3, 2005.
The 117-kilomoter railway system, which stretches from Iloilo City to Roxas City, Capiz, has 46 bridges but two – Passi City rail bridge and the Drilon Bridge – were excluded from the demolition project.
Lipardo said the Passi City Bridge has historical value as it was the execution site of Ilonggo guerillas during World War 2. “It will be reinforced so the new railway system can still pass through it.”
On the other hand, the Drilon Bridge area has been donated to the Iloilo City.
Last September 28, 2005, the PMO gave LTAT a two-month extension to finish the demolition of the old rail bridges.
Once the old bridges have dismantled, Lipardo said actual rehabilitation works under phase 1 of the project will be undertaken by German firm Siemens next year.
Modifications will be made on the old line as the rail system, which starts from Muelle Loney area in Iloilo City passing through Lapaz district to Pavia, will loop around the new international airport in Sta. Barbara-Cabatuan area.
From the airport area, the rail system will proceed to Iloilo towns of New Lucena, Pototan, Dueñas, Passi City to Dumarao, Cuartero, Dao, Panit-an and Roxas City in Capiz.
Aside from rehabilitating the 90-year-old line, PRI also plans to extend it from Roxas City to Kalibo and Caticlan in Aklan. Another extension is from Iloilo City to Guimbal and Tubungan in Iloilo to San Remigio, Sibalom and San Jose in Antique.
Lipardo said the rail cars are ready for installation once the lines have been constructed.
“The railway will shorten the travel time of the Iloilo City to Roxas City route from three hours to 1 hour and 10 minutes,” Lipardo said.
The contract for the dismantling of old rails was given to a China-based firm for P32.2million.
As to the relocation of occupants along the railway, Lipardo said they will prioritize those who pay rent to PRI.
Early this year, the Philippine Investment and Development Corp. (Phividec) announced the bidding of the rehabilitation project.
Ofelia Bulaong, chair of Phividec, expects the rehabilitation to last for about three years from 2005 to 2007. They want the transit system to be operational by 2008.
The project also involves the procurement of eight trains, consisting of three passenger cars and a cargo trailer for every train unit for long distance traffic.
The railway is also seen to have 25 million passenger trips a year.
Feasibility studies conducted by the consortium of Siemens from Germany, Systra of France, and Voest Alpine of Austria showed that the rehabilitation of the Panay Railways Inc. would cost $658.41million.
This amount would cover the $164.71million for civil works around the facility, $168.97million for the rolling stock, $104.67million for engineering and maintenance and $50million to $60million for the compensation of households that will be affected by the rehabilitation project.
Other costs include the $12.55million for right-of-way acquisition, $25.79million in interest payment and some $100.94 for other miscellaneous costs.
Bulaong said that the undertaking will also work for the compensation of the 1,500 families who are expected to be dislocated by the project.
She said that these families will not be relocated but will be allowed to stay in a community, which Phividec intends to construct near the Panay railway.
“If there is no housing project, there is no rehabilitation,” Bulaong said.
Next year, the PRI will celebrate its centennial year.
The railway was established on May 28, 1906 and went on its passenger operation until 1985.
In 1989, PRI ceased its cargo operations. (Published in the October 31, 2005 issue of The Guardian, Iloilo City)

Murder suspect bolts IRC

2005-10-30T22:38:00.000+08:00

ICMG members rushed to the IRC but inmate Jomarie Desilao made good his escape under cover of the night.

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A LIVING out prisoner of the Iloilo Rehabilitation Center (IRC) grabbed the caliber .45 service pistol of one of the jail guards and bolted out of the said facility yesterday evening.
Initial reports from IRC personnel identified the jailbird as Jomarie Desilao, 21-25 years old, and native of Anilao, Iloilo.
Desilao and his brother Alberto are detained at the IRC for murder charges.
The daring escape occurred 7pm yesterday after the basketball game of the inmates.
IRC personnel said Desilao snatched the pistol of an unidentified jail guard and jumped over the fence behind the jail facility.
Several jail guards opened fire at Desilao but the latter made good his escape.
Investigators said a getaway vehicle may have been waiting for Desilao behind the IRC to facilitate his escape.
Jail guards said Desilao is considered a living out prisoner since he is not detained in one of the IRC cells.
In return for the relaxed treatment he gets, the escapee serves as an errand boy of the inmates and jail guards.
Jail personnel described Desilao as fair complexioned, 4 feet and 11 inches tall, chubby and wears a short hair.
He wore a white polo short and dark maong pants.
Aside from the pistol, Desilao also took away undetermined amount of cash bets from the basketball game of his fellow inmates.
Heavily-armed members of the Iloilo City Mobile Group were seen milling around the IRC compound as they prepared for a hot pursuit operation against the Desilao.
The Guardian tried to get additional information from IRC Warden Juan Mabugat but he was busy interrogating Alberto Desilao for possible leads of his brother’s location.
Desilao’s case is the most recent jail break after Jerry Suficiencia escaped last year.
The provincial government has been rushing the construction of the new IRC facility in Barangay Nanga, Pototan, Iloilo for the some 800 inmates crammed inside the old facility. (Published in the October 31, 2005 issue of The Guardian, Iloilo City)

P600-M WASTE?

2005-10-30T17:21:00.000+08:00

WHITE ELEPHANT? The Pinamucan plant at Dingle, Iloilo looks grandiose but still unoperational.

What’s bugging Pinamucan plant?

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

WHAT’S stopping the Pinamucan power plant from serving the power needs of Ilonggos?
After almost two years, the 110 megawatt diesel power plant has yet to operate to augment to the rising demand for electrical power of Panay consumers.
The project, which includes the transfer of the plant from Bataan to the National Power Corporation (Napocor) facility at Barangay Tabugon, Dingle, Iloilo, began on February 18, 2004 with a total cost of P629,503,111.
The Dingle II Consortium, which includes the Napocor and the DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI), is the contractor of the project.
President Gloria Arroyo ordered the transfer of the diesel power plant last year to address the growing power requirement in Panay
The Department of Energy had projected that existing power baseloads in the island are not enough supply the energy needs of Ilonggos in the next three years.
As an immediate solution to the power problems of Panay, the DoE encouraged the construction of power plants in the island.
So far, Mirant Philippines and the DMCI are actively working for the establishment of two coal-fired power plants in Barotac Viejo and Concepcion, respectively.
In particular, various towns in Iloilo province have been suffering from rotating brownouts due to lower power supply.
The plant was supposed to be inaugurated on September 30, 2005 with no less than President Arroyo as guest of honor.
But sources at Napocor said during testing of the plant, engineers found defects in the machine which required extensive rehabilitation.
The sources did not elaborate the problems besetting the plant.
The inauguration was moved to November 9 but latest report from the Consortium said it might be postponed once more.
But the Napocor clarified in a statement that the long delayed operation of the Pinamucan plants cannot be attributed to the “load shedding/brownouts recurring in Panay Island.”
“To stabilize the system voltage in Panay Island, it is imperative that an additional capacitor bank be installed to come up with a permanent solution to the recurring problem of brownouts,” the Napocor said.
The government-owned power producer added its Cebu-Negros-Panay power grid has “an excess of 7MW as per daily operations report of the System Operations Division of the National Transmission Corporation.”
“Hence, there is no shortage of power, and therefore the National Power Corporation should not be blamed for any blackout/brownout that is happening now,” the statement said.
Aside from the Pinamucan plant, the national government also deployed two power barges as additional sources of power for Panay.
Reportedly, one of the barges was transferred to Davao for rehabilitation.
If all ten engines of Pinamucan go on operation, it is expected to generate an effective 80 megawatt energy.

STOP!

2005-10-27T22:06:00.000+08:00

STUMPED ONCE MORE. Iloilo Gov. Niel Tupas encounters another obstacle in the form of the TRO against the capitol's loan for the purchase of heavy equipment.

Guimbal RTC restrains Capitol’s P100-M loan

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

AN OPPOSITION member of the Iloilo provincial board secured a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the P100million loan agreement between Governor Niel Tupas Sr. and the Land bank of the Philippines (LBP).
Judge Teodulo Colada of the Regional Trial Court Branch 67 in Guimbal, Iloilo heeded the plea of BMs Emmanuel Gallar, Macario Napulan, Bernardo Silla and Licurgo Tirador to bar Vice Governor Roberto Armada and 2nd district and majority floor leader Rodolfo Cabado from signing the SP resolution confirming and ratifying the loan agreement.
Gallar filed his motion for declaration of nullity, certiorari, prohibition, injunction and restraining order on Wednesday.
Gallar, through his lawyer and former provincial legal counsel Manuel Justiniani, argued that the loan, which the capitol will use to purchase brand new heavy equipment, is illegal due to the absence of a resolution from the LBP board of directors authorizing Mercy Ann Chiongson, OIC of the LBP-Iloilo Lending Center, to sign the agreement.
The broadcaster-turned-politician also questioned the use of the capitol’s P687.47million Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) as collateral for the loan.
“This loan will cause irreparable injury not only to the SP but also to the whole province. Imagine giving away our IRA share which is the source of the salaries and benefits of our employees aside from the 20 percent development and 5 percent calamity funds,” Gallar said.
When asked why he filed his civil suit docketed as Civil Case No. 300 in Guimbal, the hometown of the Garins who are Tupas’ political rivals, Gallar said it was Justiniani’s choice.
“We have the liberty to file civil suits in any RTC in the province,” Gallar said.
Interestingly, Colada’s son is married to a daughter of former Rep. Oscar Garin who lost to Tupas in the 2004 gubernatorial race.
In issuing the TRO, Colada ordered Armada and Cabado not to affix their signatures, within 20 days, on the resolution which authorized Tupas to consummate the loan in behalf of the province.
The SP passed the said resolution during its regular session on September 27, 2005.
Colada also trashed the motion for inhibition filed by provincial lawyer Salvador Cabaluna “for lack of factual and legal basis.”
‘A travesty of justice’
In a statement to The Guardian, provincial administrator Manuel Mejorada labeled the TRO as “a mockery of our laws and a travesty of justice.”
“In handing down the order, Judge Colada disregarded the failure of the petitioners to establish the irreparable damage and harm that would be caused them as well as ignored the solid arguments of provincial lawyers against the issuance of such TRO,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada also accused the judge of allowing himself to become “a tool for a clear act of political obstructionism, the sole purpose of which is to block the plan of (Governor Niel) Tupas Sr. to acquire new heavy equipment for the province.”
“Judge Colada also showed lack of delicadeza in dismissing outright the motion to inhibit filed by lawyers (Salvador ) Cabaluna III and Teofisto Melliza on the ground that there is animosity between him and the Tupas administration,” he said.
Mejorada also stressed the pending administrative complaint filed by Tupas against Colada before the Supreme Court for a similar act of issuing a TRO, and then an Injunction, last year.
“The injunction was eventually lifted by the Court of Appeals which chided Judge Colada for his refusal to inhibit from that case despite his being “balaye” of (then gubernatorial candidate Oscar) Garin,” Mejorada averred.
Mejorada further said: “The TRO, which Attys. Cabaluna and Melliza received at about 3:35p.m., will make our judicial system look ridiculous. The acts sought to be stopped or prevented – the signing of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan resolution by the floor leader and presiding officer – are a fait accompli. The resolution has already been approved by the Governor even without the signature of Vice Governor Armada as presiding officer. The issue has become moot and academic. There is nothing to stop or restrain.”
The administrator also made potshots at Armada by accusing him of taking part in the legal maneuvering against the loan.
“There is strong reason to believe that Vice Governor Armada is part of this legal maneuver to stop the acquisition of heavy equipment. His overt act of refusing to sign SP Resolution No. 2005-156 despite the fact that it is just a ministerial duty on his part betrays that malicious intent to block this project,” he said.
He also hit the conscience bloc at the SP, which includes Gallar, for not respecting the rule of the majority.
“The petitioners have no right to question SP Resolution No. 2005-156, as they, together with the majority bloc, unanimously voted for its passage during the SP session on September 27, 2005. Such resolution was ratified and made official on October 4, 2005 when the minutes of the previous session were adopted. So how could they now go to court and seek its nullification? If ever, this TRO is an empty, hollow victory for the minority-bloc Board Members. They call themselves the ‘conscience bloc’, but they have the gall to block this vital project that would immensely benefit our people.”

DYNAMITED

2005-10-27T22:01:00.000+08:00

Cop blown to bits

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A PAROLEE who went berserk literally blasted to bits two police officers of San Dionisio, Iloilo who tried to restrain him Wednesday afternoon.
The suspect, Jose Edsel “Kabug” Francisco, 32, of Barangay Agdaliran, San Dionisio and SPO1 Mike Talaban died of massive injuries due to improvised dynamites thrown by the former.
The dynamites were fashioned from bottles containing ammonium nitrate.
The incident occurred 6:30pm the other day at Barangay Agdaliran, 18 kilometers from San Dionisio proper.
Talaban, the chief investigator of the said town, received a call about a man who ran amuck by throwing explosives around Agdaliran.
Along with PO2 Rey Bedua, Talaban responded to the incident on board a motorcycle.
The two cops stumbled upon the bloodied Jefferson Pajonilla, elder brother of a 10-year-old girl whom Francisco allegedly raped.
Talaban also found out that Francisco already set to fire his own house and Pajonilla’s.
He tried to convince Francisco who was hiding in a nipa hut to surrender but the latter cannot be swayed.
While in the middle of the negotiations, Francisco emerged from the hut brandishing an improvised explosive in one hand.
Talaban attempted to grab the dynamite but it was too late as Francisco already threw the deadly device towards the rushing cop.
The sheer impact of the explosion ripped apart Talaban’s groin and abdomen and disintegrated his scrotum and penis.
Bedua rushed Talaban to Sara District Hospital (SDH) but the latter died a few minutes due to massive hemorrhage.
Despite the fate of his fellow cop, Bedua went back to Barangay Agdaliran to arrest Francisco.
But the suspect chose death over incarceration by blowing himself up with his own weapon.
The dynamite also blew Francisco’s right arm to bits aside from lacerations on his abdomen, cheeks and legs.
Bedua also sustained cuts on various parts of his body due to flying shrapnel from the homemade dynamite.
Francisco expired at the SDH 11:20am yesterday while Pajonilla and Bedua are recuperating at the same hospital.
According to SPO1 Gilbert Gonzales, San Dionisio PNP investigator, Francisco was charged with rape by the Pajonillas three weeks ago.
Francisco, a native of Negros Occidental, went out of prison on parole one year ago. He moved to San Dionisio where he worked as a fisherman, thus his ownership of the improvised dynamites.
Gonzales said Francisco went berserk after he was charged with rape. “He did not want to go back to prison since he is still on parole.”
Tthe remains Talaban and Francisco lie in a funeral parlor at San Dionisio.

‘WE’RE NO DUMMIES’

2005-10-27T15:22:00.000+08:00

THE GREAT DEBATE. Commissioners Ronald Adamat and Carmen Pedrosa are locked in an animated discussion with a businessman from Bacolod City during the consultation on the change in the form of government Wednesday.

Commissioners debunk rubber stamp yarn

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MEMBERS of the Consultative Commission (Con-Com) tasked to gather proposed changes to the 1987 Constitution brushed aside reports that their group is a rubber stamp of the Arroyo administration.
The Con-com conducted a consultation with various sectors on what are the possible amendments to the 18-year-old charter at Amigo Terrace Hotel Grand Ballroom yesterday.
Joji Ilagan-Bian headed the delegation which tackled proposed changes in the structure of the republic, form of government and national patrimony and economic reforms.
Early this week, several Con-Com members fear their efforts to go around the country might become a formality as they already approved a draft report on the change in the form of government.
But Lito Monico Lorenzana, Con-Com secretary-general, said they cannot become a rubber stamp commission “since we are only tasked to gather and study proposals from various groups around the country.”
“In fact, we are not receiving any salary or honorarium from our participation. Most of us left our day jobs to heed the President’s call to gather modifications to the Constitution. We are not government employees, we have nothing to gain instead the privilege to help the government,” Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana added the report that was voted upon by the commission members was just a pro-forma document on which to base the consultation-cum-debates. “After three months, that draft report will be amended and forwarded to the President who in turn will submit it to Congress.”
Atty. Ma. Romela Bengzon said they were only invited by the President “and our only commitment was a pledge of support for the efforts to revise the Constitution.”
Bengzon added their proposals will be accepted by Congress based on their talks with several congressmen.
Commissioners Ronald Adamat and Carmen Pedrosa said the differences in opinion among the Con-Com members and in the consultations prove the independence of the commission.
“If we were paid then maybe they can say we are a rubber stamp group. But then we are not paid for this,” Adamat added.
Pedrosa, who has been supporting for charter change for several years, said she joined the commission upon invitation of Mrs. Arroyo “because this is what I have been advocating for.”
Former Minister Vicente Paterno was more emotional in his explanation: “I shed off my interests in various businesses just to join the commission. I am doing for the future of my family. So, am I a rubber stamp of the President? No (I’m not). But for my family, yes.”
The Con-Com was formed by virtue of President Arroyo’s Executive Order 453 and composed of businessmen, lawyers, former public officials, journalists and political and social scientists.
Conservative
Focusing on the three issues, the commissioners divided themselves into three groups to spearhead the panel discussions.
Paterno, Bengzon and Francis Chua led the panel on national patrimony and economic reforms; Pedrosa, Adamat and Sister Luz Emmanuel Soriano was in charged with the form of government; the group of Bian, Emily Marohombsar and Rey Magno Teves handled the discussions on the structure of the republic.
Based on the initial data gathered by the commissioners, majority of those who attended the consultation agreed to change the formats of the republic and the government from presidential-unitary to federal-parliamentary. The latter proposal gained much support with the presence of pro-federal figures like lawyer Leopoldo Causing of the Citizens Movement for Federal Philippines.
But when it comes to liberalizing vital sectors of the economy to foreign investors, Bengzon said Ilonggos are more conservative than Cebuanos.
“Cebuanos are more aggressive when it comes to business that they are willing to allow foreigners to wholly own public utilities, media and education entities and real properties. But Ilonggos are different. Except for agreeing to repeal the Filipino first policy, opening up of the education sector and public utilities to foreign capitalists, Ilonggos don’t want foreigners to buy lands and own business by themselves. Capitalists can rent but they cannot own,” Bengzon explained.
The commissioners will fly to Davao City today for the Mindanao leg of the consultations.
The Visayas leg opened in Cebu on Monday headed by Con-Com chairman Jose Abueva.

‘ALARMING DELAY’

2005-10-27T15:14:00.000+08:00

Iloilo intl airport construction very slow - Suplico

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

After one year of construction, the contractor of the New Iloilo International Airport Development Project (NIADP) at Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area has accomplished barely 20 percent of the P6.8-billion structure, imperiling the project’s target completion late next year.
Rep. Rolex Suplico (5th district, Iloilo) yesterday presented the August 2005 status report of the project which indicated an “alarming” 55.60 percent slippage which is equivalent to a cumulative slippage of five months.
Construction of the airport project began on April 19, 2004 after the contractor Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV) received the notice to proceed from the national government through the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC).
The planned progress for August was 5.19 percent for a cumulative completion rate of 33.32 percent.
But actual progress for the same month was only 1.58 percent for a total completed work of 14.80 percent.
According to the status report, which was prepared by the Japan Airport Consultants, Inc. and Basic Technology and Management Corp., “the continuing rainy season is having an ongoing effect on overall progress, but particularly to critical earthworks, and the rate of progress is worsening with the overall delay now being estimated at five months.”
The report also said revealed that only 15,000 cubic meters of filling material was embanked on the runway area for the whole month of August, which pales on comparison to the 10,000-daily requirement to recover lost time.
Although works in the passenger terminal and the control tower and operations buildings are ongoing, these are still behind the program of works.
Because of the delay, the contractor is in talks with the national government to propose a new completion date of June 2007 although the TSJV has yet to substantiate its proposal.
Despite the catch-up program, which was implemented in December 2004 to make up for lost time, the project slippage is still at 40.32 percent.
The make up program excludes works on the fuel supply facilities which is a vital part of the operation of the airport.
A breakdown of the progress of the project according to work areas also reveals staggering slippages.
Civil works, which includes the airport and the access road, has a (-11.10) percent; utility works (-11.48) percent; building works (-34.70) percent; navigational aids (-8.79) percent; and airfield lighting works (-9.68) percent.
“This is very problematic because the gap between the actual work completed and the slippage is getting wider,” Suplico said.
Suplico said it is “unbelievable” that the project will be delayed just because of inclement weather.
“The only solution to this is to sack the contractor and look for a new one. This has been done before when the government blacklisted contractor RII Builders, Inc., JM Luciano Construction, Inc., and 3310 Construction Specialist Corp. on October 6, 2005 when they incurred a -33.86 slippage in the implementation of the Bacuag-Claver Section of the P511million Surigao-Davao coastal road. There is no reason not to suspend Taisei for its 55.60 slippage,” the solon said.
Suplico said he will write to DOTC Secretary Leandro Mendoza asking him to consider rescinding the contract with TSJV.
Although it has no direct involvement in the project, the provincial government said it is not easy to just boot out the TSJV from the project.
Provincial Administrator Manuel Mejorada said weather problems have indeed affected the progress of the project “but there is not cause for alarm on this.”
“The project engineers and the provincial government will make sure that the project will be finished in time. We cannot do anything if the weather gets in the way of the construction,” Mejorada said.
Mejorada also said there is no need for the capitol to call the attention of the project contractor on the delay “since it is the project of the national government.”

TUPAS BACKS MALONES

2005-10-24T21:17:00.000+08:00

‘Rock crusher transfer not easy’

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

RELOCATING the rock crusher plant from Barangay Caigon, Maasin, Iloilo nearer the international airport site in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area is not as easy as changing one’s home address.
Gov. Niel Tupas said due process should be followed before the rock crusher, which is reportedly owned by the in-laws of his son Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas, is transferred to another area.
Earlier, Rep. Arthur Defensor (3rd district, Iloilo) told Maasin Mayor Mariano Malones and the Sangguniang Bayan to revoke the business permit of the plant and transfer the facility somewhere in Cabatuan or Sta. Barbara.
Defensor ordered the transfer to minimize the number of heavy-duty trucks passing through the Marcos and Tigum Bridges in Cabatuan en route to the airport site.
Government engineers fear the bridges will collapse if trucks continue to traverse the already shaken structures.
Tupas said the owners of the plant also invested money to put up their business in the said town.
“We have to consider that a lot of money was spent to put up the plant, how much more in transferring the facility. Due process must be observed in this matter,” Tupas said.
Instead of moving the facility to another location, the governor suggested for an alternative route from Maasin to the airport site, thus bypassing the Cabatuan bridges.
Aside from the inconvenience on the part of the owners, Tupas said they also have to consider revenues that Maasin will lose if the plant transfers to another location.
“I will talk to the mayors of Cabatuan and Maasin to settle this problem. We are also concerned with the safety of the people but we also have to consider the businessmen’s plight,” Tupas said.
Tupas also said aside from trucks delivering aggregates to the airport site, vehicles loaded with sugarcane are also the main cause of road damage.
Defensor had warned he will not shed a centavo of his pork barrel fund to repair the badly beaten roads and bridges in Cabatuan and Maasin if the rock crusher stays.
Yesterday, personnel from the Land Transportation Office (LTO) headed by assistant regional director Eric Lenard Tabaldo have setup checkpoints at the Tigum and Marcos Bridges.
The checkpoints will monitor trucks that exceed the 20-ton load limit of the bridges. But in the absence of portable weighing scales, which are expected to arrive from Cebu today, LTO personnel will just warn the trucks not to overload.
Tabaldo said they will install the weighing scales when they arrive today.
Aside from regulating the load, trucks will only pass the bridges one at a time.

Rubber stamp

2005-10-24T21:15:00.000+08:00

The perception that the Constitutional Commission established by Malacañang to gather data and inputs about Charter Change is a mere rubber stamp erodes the patina of credibility that the members of the commission have lent to the commission.
There is no denying that the members of the commission are intellectual and political heavyweights in their own rights. Just look at the roster of members: journalist Jarius Bondoc, former Cebu Gov. Pablo Garcia and the former UP President Jose Abueva and many more bright boys and girls from the business, civil society and political circles.
It is very disturbing, however, that the members of the commission themselves would wonder if they are really a consultative and data-gathering body or just an approve-now-consult-later clique.
In a country that has yet to harness and maximize the potentials of the presidential form of government, ramming the federal-parliamentary setup down the throat of hungry Filipinos will just deepen the political apathy and cynicism that has shrouded this god-forsaken country.
As what academicians and the religious sector have observed, cha-cha sounds Greek to most Ilonggos and Filipinos who spend most of their time grappling with the crises affecting their lives. It is but proper that they should understand why there is a plan to tinker with the Constitution, why do we need to change our form of government and what are the alternatives.
The commissioners maybe the best and the brightest in the country, but the appointing power that constituted them and gave them a staggering P10-million budget is the very same person accused of stealing the 2004 elections and enriching her clan’s coffers with jueteng money.
This is the very reason why the credibility of the commission is very much in question. The credibility-crisis worsened with the pronouncements of its own members who raised their eyebrows on the practices and policies they have adopted like approving a report on the change in the form of government.
Don’t tell me that these commissioners will go around the country to seek and feel the pulse of the people when they already agreed on what to recommend to the President and Congress. What is this, a multimillion countryside junket?
The commission is given two to three months to gather inputs of concerned sectors around the country. Is this enough to come up with an encompassing and comprehensive report on what should be changed in our charter?
For a sensitive issue such as tinkering with our Constitution, three months is only enough for the debate phase.
To be a truly recommendatory and consultative entity, the Con-com should have refrained from drafting a template report on the form of government. In the first place, do all Filipinos, except for the local politicians, want a shift from presidential to parliamentary?
Or do we need to have a change of heart and conscience?

AIRPORT FOR SALE

2005-10-24T17:03:00.000+08:00

Ayala firm wants domestic airport

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

A MANILA-BASED real estate developer is one of the companies interested in buying the Iloilo domestic airport site in Mandurriao, Iloilo City.
Kagawad Eduardo Peñaredondo confirmed that Ayala Land, Inc. (ALI) is bent in buying the 62-hectare lot once the new international airport in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area operates.
Ayala Land is the Philippines' largest and only full-line property developer of real estate and hotels and is one of the most successful operators of prime commercial spaces in the country.
Aside from the Ayala-owned firm, also mentioned were “two local firms and foreign outfit” that also want to develop the old airport facility.
A source from the Ayala Group of Companies also confirmed Peñaredondo’s statement saying the ALI is planning to put up a business center in the area.
“If the new airport opens, there would be no problem putting up high rise buildings in Iloilo City. We want to develop the old airport site into a business destination just like in Makati and Cebu City,” the source said.
Based on the computations of Air Transportation Office (ATO) Manager Allan Java, sale of the Mandurriao airport lot will generate the national government P6-12billion, which is enough to pay the loan used to construct the international airport.
Early this year, the ATO has begun the inventory of existing structures at the Mandurriao airport lot to facilitate its sale to the winning in the future.
Peñaredondo also revealed that Mayor Jerry Treñas had lobbied with President Gloria Arroyo to use the proceeds from the sale for developmental projects in Panay.
Peñaredondo said the national government is planning to use the revenues from the old airport for the construction of a superhighway from Iloilo to Kalibo, Aklan.
“But all these are still under negotiation with the City Planning and Development Office representing the Iloilo City government,” Peñaredondo said.
Based on the present land value assessment of Iloilo City, the old airport lot costs between P1,000 to P2,000 per square meter.
Engineer Jaime Puzon of the Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture, contractor of the new airport facility, said they expect to finish the airport by middle of 2007.

‘DON’T DARE ME’

2005-10-23T18:17:00.000+08:00

Rep. Defensor tells Malones: Rock crusher must go

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MAYOR Mariano Malones of Maasin, Iloilo has more to lose than gain if he refuses to evict the rock crusher plant in his municipality.
This was the stern warning of third district Rep. Arthur Defensor to Malones after the latter showed resistance to the former’s desire to relocate the rock crusher facility nearer the international airport project in Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area.
Defensor said Malones has “to choose between the revenues his town gets from the rock crusher or the convenience and safety of his people.”
Defensor sought to pull out the rock crusher from Maasin to either Cabatuan or Sta. Barbara to minimize and reroute the traffic of heavy-duty trucks passing through Marcos bridge in Barangay Amerang, Cabatuan.
The facility is said to be owned by the Montesclaros family from Bukidnon, the in-laws of Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas and son of Gov. Niel Tupas Sr.
“He (Malones) will have to weigh his options between the safety of his townspeople or the money from the rock crusher. He will not only suffer from bad roads but also the complaints of his own constituents,” Defensor said.
Defensor reiterated his threat on Thursday that he will not shell out a centavo of his pork barrel if Malones defies him.
“It’s up to him if he defies me. If he does not my instructions despite my explanations, I will no repair the bad roads of his town because that rock crusher is the root of our woes. If he wants to make his people suffer in exchange of the revenues from the rock crusher, so be it. Anyway, he will be blamed by his own constituents. I already told them of the consequences,” Defensor warned.
Defensor said the roads in Maasin were in good condition prior to the operation of the facility. “But after it began operating, the roads in Malones’ have deteriorated to the detriment of the commuters and motorists. We fear that the Marcos Bridge will further weaken if it continues to operate.”
Defensor on Thursday also told the Sangguniang Bayan of Maasin to pass a resolution urging Malones to revoke the business permit of Montesclaros’ facility.
He also told the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to inspect the plant and make a report on its environmental effects.
In the event that he refuses to repair the roads of Maasin, Defensor said the town will have to use its maintenance and other operating expenses fund “which is not enough even for asphalt overlay.”
Yesterday, Malones met with SB members to discuss the conditions set by Defensor.
Malones said the council has referred the matter to the committee on infrastructure chaired by SB member Jesse Miado.
The mayor said he is torn between their desire to solve their road problems and the revenues from the plant.
“But we hope to reach a solution that is beneficial to all,” Malones said.
The Tupas camp, however, was mum on the issue. “No comment,” was the reply of one of the governor’s aides.
Defensor denied that politics is behind his dogged desire to pull out Montesclaros’ rock crusher plant.
“I’m not running for governor, why should politics rear its head in this issue? In fact, I did not mind the existence of that plant until this problem came about. I did not expect that it will cause much hassle. But the town officials abused the situation and failed to regulate the load and frequency of trucks transporting crushed rock from the plant to the airport site. There is no politics here. I have no vested interest in this since I am not engaged in the quarry business nor do I own a rock crushing plant,” Defensor said.

‘ANGRY ART’

2005-10-23T18:13:00.000+08:00

Defensor badgers govt agencies,
LGUs to protect roads, bridges

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

REPRESENTATIVE Arthur Defensor (Third district, Iloilo) virtually played god during the strategic meeting on the deteriorating bridges and roads at his district caused by overloaded trucks carrying quarry materials to the international airport project site at the Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area.
The meeting was held yesterday at the conference room of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) regional office and attended by representatives from the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR, Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR), Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV), and subcontractors of the airport project.
Mayors Ramon Yee of Cabatuan, Mariano Malones of Maasin and Ellery Gaje of Badiangan were also present.
All throughout the meeting, which was meant to come up with measures and policies to arrest the gradual destruction of easements and bridges at the third district, Defensor showed to all present “who’s boss.”
“We must realize that there is present and clear danger to public and private properties if we don’t get our acts together. If we just let other people, who have no concern over our roads, on their own, we will be courting disaster,” Defensor said.
Defensor said he will not “waste a centavo of my pork barrel if we just allow overloaded trucks to trample on our roads and bridges.”
Haulers were compelled to go over the capacity of their trucks to cover their expenses in delivering sand, gravel and basalt to the airport site.
Also during the meeting, the DPWH presented the results of their ocular inspection on the Tigum and Marcos Bridges in Barangays Tabucan and Amerang, respectively in Cabatuan.
In the presentation, government engineers discovered cracks and gaps on the spans, pilots and steel supports of the 30-year old Tigum Bridge which connects Cabatuan to Iloilo City.
The condition of the Marcos Bridge, which links Cabatuan to Maasin, is worse as the footing of its pilot or foundation was already exposed due to erosion.
The footing, DPWH engineers said, was supposed to be buried under the river bed. “But because of extensive quarrying activities near the bridge, sand and gravel that were supposed to cover the footing were eroded by the rushing river.”
With the weakening status of the two structures, the engineers fear that trucks loaded with quarry materials will cause the collapse of the bridges.
And like a father to his children, Defensor told representatives of each agencies present in the meeting to do their part.
The congressman specifically told the LTO to send a team complemented by PNP personnel to monitor trucks passing by the two bridges.
LTO assistant director Eric Lenard Tabaldo said they will implement Defensor’s biddings Monday by putting up checkpoints at the two Cabatuan bridges.
Presently, trucks carrying 20-ton load can only pass through the said bridges one at a time on a 20-kilometer-per-hour speed.
Defensor also told the DENR to monitor quarrying activities at the Tigum River to prevent further damage on the two bridges and to look for ways to reduce the fees in securing quarry fees exacted on haulers.
He also told the environment department to inspect and ascertain the permits and status of the rock crusher plant in barangay Caigon, Maasin.
Defensor wanted the plant to be transferred either to Sta. Barbara or Cabatuan to minimize the number of trucks passing through the Marcos Bridge.
“These overloading trucks get heavier if loaded with crushed rock. And that will surely weaken our only link to Maasin,” Defensor said.
Defensor warned the DENR officials of the dire consequences that will come their way if they don’t heed his order.
“The DENR must act on this in any legal way. You will visit and inspect the rock crusher, make a report and decide. If you don’t act on this, I will immediately complain to the Secretary of Environment and Natural Resources. And if the DENR secretary (Michael Defensor) does not make a recommendation, I will report directly to the President. He is my nephew and I am not afraid of him. I am not afraid of any king for the sake of public safety,” Defensor said.
The Ilonggo solon also told the Sangguniang Bayan of Maasin to pass a resolution urging Mayor Malones to withdraw the business permit of the rock crusher.
However, Mayor Malones was a bit resistant to Defensor’s desire to relocate the rock crusher plant as “we might lose millions of pesos in taxes.”
“We will discuss this matter with the Sanggunian. We also want to follow the wishes of the good congressman but we also have to consider the welfare of our town,” Malones said.
Defensor also asked the TSJV to sit down with the haulers and discuss the possible increase in the rate per cubic meter of the aggregate materials delivered to the site.
Engr. Jaime Buzon of TSJV said they are willing to negotiate the price of the quarry materials. At present, the Japanese contractor pays P300 per cubic meter of aggregates delivered by the haulers.
“This problem can be addressed easily as we have been cooperating with the national and local governments,” Buzon said.
The BIR will also invite the haulers and TSJV to discuss their tax payments and ease the expenses of the former.
After the meeting, a memorandum of agreement will be drafted and signed by the concerned government agencies.
Defensor further warned each agency to fulfill their roles immediately.
“Let’s forget about profit and business. We must make some sacrifices. We cannot allow those who want to fatten their pockets with money from the airport to destroy our roads and bridges. I will re-align part of my pork barrel intended for other project to the repair and maintenance of our deteriorating thoroughfares. Now you must do your part or else disaster will fall us,” Defensor said.

OVERLOADED

2005-10-23T18:11:00.000+08:00

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

OVERLOADED trucks which transport aggregates and materials to the ongoing Iloilo international project at the Cabatuan-Sta. Barbara area are taking toll on two major bridges and roads of Cabatuan town, 24 kilometers west of Iloilo City.
Cabatuan Mayor Ramon Yee revealed they are overly concerned with the weakening foundations of the Tigum and Marcos Bridges at Barangays Tabucan and Amerang, respectively, due to wear and tear caused by heavy-duty trucks.
The trucks are owned by some 30 sub-contractors of the Taisei-Shimizu Joint Venture (TSJV), the contractor of the airport project, who supply sand, gravel and other materials for the construction.
Last Friday, Yee and other mayors from the third district spearheaded a dialogue with the Departments of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Environment and Natural Resources, Land Transportation Office, Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board and the Iloilo provincial government to discuss the problems brought about by the project.
Third district Rep. Arthur Defensor also attended the said dialogue.
Citing the assessment of the DPWH regional office, Yee said the 30-year-old Tigum Bridge has shown structural defects such as cracks in the spans.
The said bridge’s weight capacity also diminished from 27 tons to 20 tons because of wear and tear through time.
A similar observation was noted in the Marcos Bridge due to its shaky foundations.
Yee revealed almost all trucks are carrying as much as 27-30 tons of aggregates “which further weakens the bridges.”
The mayor added majority of roads in his town that lead to the project site are in a deplorable state because of overloaded trucks.
But why overload?
A top municipal official of Cabatuan who declined to be identified said sub-contractors are trying to maximize their deliveries to the project site to cover their expenses for the numerous fees they are paying.
“They have to pay for P600 road-right-of-way fee, another P20 as delivery fee to the provincial government and many more fees aside from their operational expenses. With the rising prices of oil, truckers resort to overloading their trucks to earn more,” the source said.
During last week’s dialogue, Defensor said he might have some problems as regards funding for the maintenance and repair of the bridges and roads in at his district due to the financial crisis besetting the national government.
Although he batted to continue the airport project, Defensor said he does not want the roads and bridges to be sacrificed.
Yee said municipal officials can be held liable if disaster occurs at the two major bridges.
“And we also have to consider public convenience and transportation. Cabatuan is the nearest link of four third district towns to Iloilo City and other parts of the province. If something happens to our infrastructures, we can be held liable and face charges,” Yee said.
Temporary remedies
To prevent the bridges and roads from deteriorating further, the municipal government of Cabatuan has instituted regulations on trucks passing through his town.
Heavy duty vehicles are only allowed to pass by the Tigum and Marcos Bridges “one at a time” to avert further damage to the said structures.
A weigh bridge has also been installed at the approach of the Marcos Bridge to monitor the load of trucks.
Yee also asked the TSJV to increase its payments for supplies and materials to discourage truckers from resorting to overloading.
He is also pushing for the transfer of the rock crusher plant from nearby Maasin town to an area near the project site to minimize the number of trucks passing through Cabatuan.
Recently, Yee secured authorization from the Sangguniang Bayan to negotiate and enter into a memorandum of agreement with the TSJV to re-route trucks from passing through the town proper.
The TSJV, however, will have to help maintain the roads included in the new truck route since most of these thoroughfares are unpaved.
The alterative route will pass through Barangays Gaub, Duyan-Duyan, Calayo, Tupol and Bacan on the way to Maasin town.
From Maasin, the trucks will pass through the villages of Salacay and Acao to the project site.
Yee said he will meet with national government offices and other local government units in the third district to finalize the solutions to the problems faced by his town.
“We are happy with the airport project but we also have to make some sacrifices to ensure public safety and convenience,” he said.
But the anonymous municipal official lambasted the national government for its lack of forethought in implementing the P6-billion project.
“The national government did not foresee the possible effects of the project on the surrounding communities we fear that the airport will be delayed even more because of this project,” the source said.
Reports from the Japanese contractors said the project has encountered an 18 percent slippage due to bad weather and in delay the arrival of materials and equipment.

Basaan - Brrrrr.... Grrrr...

2005-10-17T14:51:00.000+08:00

Okay, nalamigan at nabasa ang mga pantog, batok and likod ng isang dating bise presidente, isang dating gobernador, isang senadora, mga obispo at iba pang mga taong sumama sa mapayapang prayer rally malapit sa Malakanyang.
Baka naman medyo trigger happy na ang ugok na bumberong yun at di na nakapagpigil pang magpa putok ng kanyang, kwan... hose syempre.
Cannonized... yun ang termino ang na naglalarawan ng nangyari sa mga pulitiko and obispo na nandun.. hindi po iyun patungkol sa pagsasanto ng tao nag alay nga buhay sa simbahan. ang nangyari po ay sagupaan ng galamay ng bulok na pamahalaan laban sa mga grupo at mga taong nagpapanggap na sila ang tamang alternatibo subalit wala rin palang pinag-kaiba duon sa mga binabatikos nila.
Sa puntong ito, ang naging pangit na eksena duon ay ang pagkaka dawit at pagkabasa ng mga pari at obispo sa eksenang yun. Kung wala siguro ang mga men of the cloth duon, parang normal lang na pangyayari yaon. Mas makulay sa punto de bista ng pulitika pero wala syang moral na aspeto.
kung away mung mabasa, wag kang sumama. tama nga naman... pero mali pa rin... kahit gaanu man ka baluktot ang mga kaisipan ng iban nating kababayan, hindi natin silang pigilan, ni ng baha, sa pag lalabas ng kanilang saloobin...
kung hindi siguro magulo ang mga rali okay lang yun. pero kung naalala natin ang rali ng partido Liberal sa Plaza Miranda, maiisip natin na kung sino pa yung laban sa pang-aapi ay siya ring kampon ng gulo at kamatayan.
gusto mo pang mabasa? kung sa kalayaan at katarunga, sama ako... pero kung yun ay pari sa ibang uri ng hari at kawatan, sige lunurin mu sarili mo...

Bawal magkasakit

2005-10-14T14:51:00.000+08:00

Minsan pag may lagnat ka, lalo kang nagkakasakit sa tuwing iniisip mo ang gastos mo sa gamot. okay lang yan pag nadadala mo ang katawan mo sa pamamagitan ng tubig at mamisong paracetamol. Pero kung tutuusin, mas malala yaong mga kaptid natin na nasa mas malubhang kondisyon. Paano kung ikaw ay may kanser, sakit sa baga, namamaga ang atay o may sakit sa puso? Sa pagtingin pa lang ng haba ng reseta at nagmamahalang presyo, minsan tuloy ay parang gusto mo na lang mamatay para mapawi ang pait na dulot ng nanghihinang katawan at butas na bulsa.
Kung ikukumpara natin sa ibang bansa, ang tableta na para sa sakit ng tyan o lagnat na ibenebenta ng mga naglalakihang botika dito ay halos syento porsyento (100%) na mas mahal. Kung sa India ang paracetamol ay nabibili sa piso kada tableta, ang presyo sa Pilipinas ay umaabot nga P4-5.
Buti na lang duon sa mayayamang angkan dahil sila ay may perang magagastos. Paano na lamang ang 70% na Pinoy na nasasadlak sa kahirapan?
Ito ang epekto ng kartel na sumsaklaw sa paggawa at pagbebenta ng gamot.
Sa ngayong panahon na ang inaatupag ng mga bwitre sa pamahalaan ay pulitika at pera, malabong maaksyunan ang problema natin sa kartel sa gamot.
Mas mainam nga na idaan ang mga solusyon sa kooperatiba at sa mga komunidad datapwat mahirap kalabanin ang kartel ng gamot na syang pumipiga sa mga mahihirap nating kapatid.
Ikaw, ano ang masasabi mo?

‘DRUG CARTEL’

2005-10-13T21:34:00.000+08:00

‘DRUG CARTEL’
MNCs behind high cost of medicines

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

MANY Filipinos die not because of diseases but due to prohibitive prices of medicine.
This was the sad assessment of Roberto “Obet” Pagdanganan, chairman and president of the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), as he exposed the so-called cartelization of the Philippine pharmaceutical industry.
Pagdanganan, a former governor of Bulacan province, yesterday keynoted the 2005 International Cooperative Month celebration at the Iloilo provincial capitol which focused on health coop business and the Botika ng Bayan program of the government.
In a Power Point presentation before cooperative members and officers in the province, Pagdanganan outlined how multinational corporations (MNCs) manipulate the manufacturing and selling of medicines in the country.
Pagdanganan said approximately 70 percent of P80-billion pharmaceutical market is in the grip of MNCs.
For one, Interphil, a giant pharmaceutical maker, controls 80 percent of toll manufacturing while its sister company Zuellig Pharma/Metro Drug also controls 80 percent of the wholesale distribution of its products.
About 70% of medicines is sold to the public through giant drugstore chain Mercury Drugs which has an estimated annual sale of P30billion.
Because of this setup, Pagdanganan said “the Philippines has the highest drug prices in the world in relation to per capita income.”
The overall picture of the types of medicines sold in the country also reinforced Pagdanganan’s observation – 69 percent of the market is comprised of ethical or prescribed (Rx) drugs which are mostly branded while the remaining 31 percent are proprietary or over-the-counter (OTC) drugs.
Despite the Generics Law, which aimed at giving consumers the chance to buy cheap but effective drugs, 97 percent of medicines sold in the country are branded.
Because of this lopsided condition of the industry, giant drugstores are the ones who eat up the P80-billion industry, accounting for 88 percent of the total sales while the remaining 12 percent goes to hospital sales.
When compared to other countries, prices of medicines sold in the country are 99 percent higher. For example, a 500-milligram tablet of Ponstan (a brand of painkiller) costs P 20.98 here when one can buy it for only P1.46 in Pakistan and P2.80 in India.
Pagdanganan said the cartelization of the pharmaceutical industry in the country has resulted to 40 percent of 82.7million of Filipinos not having access to medicines. Worse, 70 percent cannot buy medicines because of prohibitive prices.
Aside from the control of MNCs over the industry, Pagdanganan said “the current system of patent registration and protection favors of the biggest players, exorbitant marketing/administrative costs and the lack of price control even for off-patent products are also factors why we suffer from high cost of drugs.”
“There are manufacturers who even re-label their off-patent products by literally sugar-coating the capsule. They will promote it as a new and slow-acting drug but in reality it does not contain new base ingredient, it’s only a sweetened capsule,” Pagdanganan said.
To solve the problem of overpriced drugs sold in the country, the PITC chief said they are taking the cudgels of importing cheap drugs from manufacturers in India and Pakistan.
The PTIC is also working for the establishment of a government-owned drug factory in the country which will result to lower prices of medicines.
Pagdanganan also lauded the efforts of 4th district Rep. Ferjenel Biron who filed a bill with Congress which seeks to regulate drug prices and break the cartel that controls the pharmaceutical industry.
At present, the Botika ng Bayan program is the conduit of the PTIC’s efforts to bring cheap but effective medicines.
Their efforts, however, are not without “harassments” from the pharmaceutical giants, Pagdanganan said.
“They have been threatening us with lawsuits while sowing wild rumors about the proliferation of counterfeit drugs because of our importation program. But we are not bothered about it,” he said.
The PTIC is eyeing cooperatives to help establish Botika ng Bayan (BnB) outlets in the country.
Pagdanganan said Iloilo is a potential area for the BnB because of the strong support of the local government units to cooperatives here.
“For a P500,000-capital, our cooperatives here can put up BnB outlets. While earning, they can help our less-fortunate countrymen. Iloilo has a strong cooperative base compared to the rest of the country,” he added.
The Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center is one of the BnB outlets in Iloilo City.
(Published in the October 14, 2005 issue of The Guardian-Iloilo)

lingering fear

2005-10-12T15:58:00.000+08:00

nowadays, reading the newspapers and listening to the news give us the creeps... heck, martial law is approaching daw... we can see it through EO 464 which bars top government officials from appearing before congressional and senate inquiries... the CPR (calibrated preemptive response for the political idiots) or a more painful definition would be cruel and painful response.... then wer have the national emergency ek-ek... whew... are we doomed to be ruled by opportunists, dictators and despots... what have we done that we were accursed with inept leaders like actors, actresses, lunatics (do i hear Madam Miriam?), former athletes and military men, disgruntled relatives of some fallen plunderer and other scums of the world?
does this call for a revolution? but what if the so-called reformists are no different from those we want out of our system? sounds grim and hopeless but that's the truth... i think we should go back to history and learn what went wrong...

The answer to the oil crisis: Bio-diesel from used oil

2005-10-12T06:00:00.000+08:00

By Francis Allan L. Angelo

DIESEL fuel from used oil? Why not.
An Ilonggo inventor from Mandurriao, Iloilo City has found a way to beat the rising prices of fuel by turning waste cooking oil into clean and environment-friendly bio-diesel.
It took almost a year for Jasper Aguilar, 33, of Imperial Homes 5, Mandurriao to perfect his technique of trans-esterification – the process of separating dio-diesel from impurities.
He first stumbled upon bio-diesel in the late 90s when he was doing his research on one of his projects.
Bio-diesel began in the US and Europe in the last two decades but it is only now that the Philippines showed interest in the technology of making alternative, organic fuel.
In fact, the coco methyl ester fuel which the national government is sponsoring can be traced to the advent of bio-diesel.
The 33-year-old bookworm and electronics buff became obsessed with pioneering the said technology in Iloilo which was basically hinged upon the principles of chemistry.
One stumbling block Aguilar met was the tropical climate in the Philippines which affects the process of making bio-diesel.
“In the US and Europe which are located in the temperate zones, the process vary. So I have to improvise a process that is tailored for our climate,” said Aguilar who hails from Batad, Iloilo.
Also, the raw material used in western countries is different from available oil here. “Americans and Europeans use canola oil while here the most common type of oil is from coconut.”
Likewise, Aguilar had to improvise his own equipment for his bio-diesel factory.
He converted a machine drill to a mixer while his reacting and washing vats are made up of welded metal sheets.
Aguilar studied electrical technology in a university in Bukidnon province for three years. But he did not limit himself to wires and circuits as he also took interest in chemistry and other fields of sciences.
The process of trans-esterification requires mixing of alcohol and catalyzer with used oil to separate clean and organic diesel fuel.
Aguilar uses methyl alcohol which is also present in rubbing alcohols. However, he declined to reveal the catalyzer of then formula. “It’s a trade secret.”
When the three components react at the right temperature, triglycerides separate from diesel oil.
While it is considered a waste product of trans-esterification, triglycerides can be used as weed killers. On the downside, it is also an ingredient for the highly unstable explosive nitro-glycerin.
On the average, Aguilar can concoct 180 liters of bio-diesel in a process which takes about 24 hours of mixing, settling and washing.
So far, a number of jeepney drivers and Aguilar’s neighbors have been patronizing his product because it is cheap – P25 per liter. The average price of diesel is from P30 to P33.
His hometown Batad is also going gaga over his invention with majority of diesel-run vehicles making bulk orders of bio-diesel.
“If drivers use bio-diesel, they can save at least P100. That’s P3,000 a month which is a significant amount for our drivers. Most of the time I run out of supply and I have to tell our clients return when we have stocks already,” Aguilar said.
Since it is organic, engines running on bio-diesel have very clean emissions.
“In fact, the scent of the oil based can be smelled from the emission,” Aguilar jokingly said.
Also, vehicle owners don’t have to modify their engines to suit bio-diesel. “It is similar to commercial diesel but much cleaner and efficient.”
Aguilar gets help from his father-in-law Bert Felongco and G-Boy Bollo and both have also mastered the formula and process of trans-esterification.
But while Aguilar admitted they also earn minimal profit from their product, the venture has limitations.
“We find it hard to look for raw material like used oil. Our main competitor for getting used oil from fastfood chains and restaurants are chicharon manufacturers. Also, we have to ship our chemicals from Cebu which also entails freight costs,” Aguilar said.
Aguilar also noted the lack of support from the national and local government on projects that could benefit the public in times of crisis.
“There are many inventors who have made innovation that may have significant impacts on our lives. But sadly, we lack the support from the government. We are not asking for money. Technical support will do,” Aguilar said.
Recently, the Department of Science and Technology took interest in Aguilar’s project and pledged to help him by way of upgrading his equipment and patenting his formula in his name.
Aguilar is also suggesting to the city government to put up a recycling facility for used oil where he can apply his “homemade technology” of manufacturing bio-diesel.
While he invested much of his money, time and effort in his bio-diesel project, Aguilar also believes in sharing his knowledge to the common folks.
“I want to transfer what I know to the public by writing a book about this. It would be satisfying on my part if other people can also have their own backyard bio-diesel refinery,” Aguilar said. (Published in The Guardian newspaper-Iloilo City August 19, 2005)

martial law?

2005-10-11T14:35:00.000+08:00

what's happening folks? felt like being squeezed by the events around you? well, i don't feel guilty because i did not vote that matron occupying the Palace by the river....
i don't know but i don't feel right about things... hmmmm

Sona of political payback?

2005-07-25T22:14:00.000+08:00

Sona of political payback?
whoever heard of PGMA's Sona would say... Ooops... that sounded like a political campaign... yeah sure it did sound that way. promises of federalism and charter change sounded like dole outs for politicians who stood out for PGMA. well, what else is new? even if we change the system if the people are still the same, we cannot expect any good changes...so much for the Philippines

2005-07-21T20:36:00.000+08:00

Sana nga totoo ang mga sasabihin ni Pangulong Arroyo ngayong araw. Kung may nanawagan ng kanyang pagbaba sa puwesto, maaring iyon ay dahil sa may mga taong hindi masaya sa kanyang pamamahala.Ang mga panawagan ding ito ay nagpapahiwatig na sadyang di pa naghihilom ang mga sugat pulitikal na bunga ng pagpapababa kay erap...Ang kailangan ng Pangulo ay hindi magarang baro o makabagbag-damdaming talumpati, kundi tapat na loob at malinis na konsensya....