Cebu local news (daily update)

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Mayor, 6 ka mga kawani gikiha

GIPASAKAHAG kasong kriminal ug administratiba si San Fernando Mayor Antonio Canoy lakip ang unom ka mga empleyado sa munisiyo sa Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

Kini tungod sa giingong ilegal nga pag-demolish sa usa ka balay sa Barangay North Poblacion niadtong miaging buwan.Sila si Lourdes Cadillero ug Phoebe Rose Guzon maoy nisang-at sa reklamo sa Ombudsman.

Sila nag-awhag sa Ombudsman nga imbestigahon sila si Canoy, iyang executive assistant nga si Rey Canoy, municipal engineer Simeon Lauronal ug mga empleyado nga silang Mariano Balduman, Pepito Panedo, Clivin Loquez ug Gil Villariasa.

Sila ningpasaka og mga reklamong robbery, malicious mischief, grave misconduct ug abuse of authority niadtong Oktubre 11.

Gitabangan sila sa Commission on Human Rights (CHR) sa pag-andam sa ilang mga affidavit nga gisang-at sa Ombudsman, kansang insidente nahitabo niadtong Septiyembre 20.

Nalatid sa affidavit ni Cadillero nga niadto siya sa Minglanilla aron mangompra alang sa iyang tindahan dihang gitawag siya sa iyang pag-umangkon aron pahibawo nga gi-demolish ang iyang balay.

Giingong kini tungod sa wa niya pagpanumbaling sa tulo ka notice of demolition nga gipadala kaniya.

Wa nalatid sa reklamo kon unsay rason nganong gimanduan siyang biyaan ang iyang balay.

Dihang nasayod siya sa demolisyon dali siyang niuli ug nakita niya ang mga empleyado sa munisipyo sa San Fernando nga maoy nagpahigayon sa demolisyon.

Nahunong lang ang demolisyon dihang niabot ang usa ka konsehal ug nimando sa demolition team nga hunongon ang ilang gibuhat dihang napakyas ang grupo sa pagpakita og kamanduan sa gikan sa korte.

Gipatik sa mantalaang SuperBalita Cebu Oktubre 19, 2011.

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For coastal clean-up, to fight fires: Mayor eyes P50M barge

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said that he has asked the City Council to allocate P50 million out of his proposed P11.8 billion budget for 2012 for the purchase of a barge.

Rama said the barge will be used by the city in cleaning up our coastlines of garbage and mud, particularly at the entrance of creeks, and it can be used also for fire fighting if there will be fire incidents in coastal areas that the fire trucks can no longer penetrate.

According to the mayor it is very expensive if the city will just rent a barge, however, it is up to the members of the City Council to evaluate his intention of buying a barge.

When Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita was hit by a fire several years ago all of the houses were razed because the fire trucks could not penetrate the coastline areas.

Rama explained that a fire truck can be loaded into the barge so it can penetrate to the coastal areas and it cannot run out of water because it can use the seawater.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, the presiding officer of the Cebu City Council, refused to comment about the matter because he still has to read the contents of Rama’s proposal.

But Councilor Richard “Ritchie” Osmeña said Rama’s budget proposal for the barge may not be approved by the City Council, saying “Unsaon man na niya ang barge! Unya P50 million?”

In yesterday’s press conference at the City Hall, Rama said that during their quarterly coastal clean-up several tons of waste were gathered from the coastal areas of the city, but there is a need to conduct a continuous clean up to our shorelines.

Only last week, Rama also announced that the city may hire some scuba divers to inspect the entrance of the creeks in the city because he believed that these are already full of mud.

“Daghan kaayo og kagamitan kining maong barge. Kon moabang lang kita og barge mas daku pa ang atong magasto,” Rama said.

Rama’s P11.8 billion proposed annual budget for 2012 is still being reviewed by the City Council’s Committee on Budget and Finance headed by Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña.

Young earlier said Rama was “dreaming” when he proposed the huge budget that even City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo has admitted that it is very difficult for them to collect such amount.

It is expected that the committee will render its report by next week’s regular session of the City Council. After Margot’s committee will render its report, the City Council will immediately schedule for the budget hearing.

Rama said it is necessary that he will be the one to attend the budget hearing because City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete can represent him and explain the executive budget proposal.

“Ang presidente bitaw moatubang ba gud na sa Congress atul sa budget deliberation?” Rama said. –/NLQ (FREEMAN)

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Student gang-raped in school


The victim is comforted by her father and boyfriend at the prosecutor’s office. Standing behind her is one of the suspects, Dexter Silangan Paalisbo (in red shirt). PAUL JUN E. ROSAROSO

CEBU, Philippines - A third year medical technology student in one of the universities in Cebu was allegedly gang-raped in the presence of her own boyfriend inside her school campus.

One of the three suspects, who are friends of the victim’s boyfriend, was arrested by the operatives of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group-7 few hours after the alleged rape.

Rape charges were also filed yesterday before the Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office against Dexter Silangan Paalisbo, 24, of Oslob, Cebu who was arrested during the hot pursuit operation and Darwin Ampil Barbosa and Antonio Molina, who are still at large.

Paalisbo, however, signed a waiver of detention to avail of his right for a preliminary injunction wherein he will be giving a chance to submit controverting evidence.

The 22-year-old victim from Barangay Apas said she was waiting for her friend at the gate of her school past midnight Saturday when she was invited by her boyfriend to join them in the celebration of Paalisbo’s birthday.

The celebration was held inside the school campus (The Freeman is withholding the name of the university pending its official statement) where the suspects work as student guards. The victim, name withheld by The Freeman, said she refused at first but was obliged later out of respect to her boyfriend.

She said she was offered to drink while waiting for her friend until she got drunk. According to the victim, she wanted to rest before going home, prompting her boyfriend to bring him inside Paalisbo’s bunkhouse where they slept together.

However, the victim said she was awakened when she felt something was inserted into her private part. According to her, she immediately stood up and alarmed her boyfriend prompting the suspects to run outside the room.

The victim said she asked a friend of her to call her father to inform him of what had happened. The victim’s father who is a Navy officer reported the incident to the CIDG-7 and a hot pursuit operation was conducted resulting to Paalisbo’s arrest.

Dreams

In an interview with the victim’s father, he told The Freeman that he is very concerned with his daughter’s situation.

The incident, according to him, has greatly affected his daughter’s behavior.

“Mo kalit lang og mata akong anak sa gabi-i. nabalaka gyud ko niya,” he said.

Despite the incident, however, the victim is determined to finish her studies and to achieve her dreams of becoming a doctor or a lawyer someday. — /FPL (FREEMAN)

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Secretary charged for faking annulment case

<p>CEBU, Philippines -&nbsp;The National Bureau of Investigation in Central Visayas yesterday filed four counts of falsification of public documents against a secretary of a law firm in Talisay City who reportedly faked an annulment case.</p> <p>NBI-7 director Eduard Villarta filed the complaints against Joahanna Lariosa Padua before the Talisay City Prosecutor&rsquo;s Office.</p> <p>Padua, resident of San Isidro Talisay City, was found in the investigation to have forged the signature of Regional Trial Court Judge Ester Veloso in the supposed decision of an annulment case.</p> <p>Veloso together with lawyers Christine Doller-Poligrates and Rowell Gomez Juban earlier requested the NBI to investigate the alleged falsification of court decisions in certain annulment cases.</p> <p>Based on the investigation made by Supervising Agent Rennan Oliva, a certain Leah Deparine introduced Cheryl Valle to Padua sometime in December 2010.</p> <p>Valle wanted her marriage to her husband Peter Anthony Barrientos to be annulled. Padua allegedly demanded P60,000 from Valle to process her annulment papers.</p> <p>The suspect asked for a P15,000 down payment and told Valle that her annulment papers will be completed within one to two months time.</p> <p>Valle was told to sign the petition for the annulment of marriage with Civil Case No.36965 entitled &ldquo;Cheryl Valle vs. Peter Anthony Barrientos.&rdquo; Valle was given an official receipt with the letterhead of Juban for the amount she paid as down payment.</p> <p>In January 2011 Valle was given the certificate of finality under Sp. Proc. No. 36765-CEB dated January 7, 2011 signed by Poligrates, clerk of court of RTC Branch 6 and a decision of the case signed by Veloso.</p> <p>A document from the National Statistics Office indicating that her marriage was already annulled was also given to Valle. However, the NBI found out that the case number of the supposed annulment case of Valle belongs to another case.</p> <p>Based on the court records, the case number 36965 is assigned in the case of &ldquo;Kristine Costelo vs. Kent Ace Estominos.&rdquo;</p> <p>Padua allegedly falsified the court document and forged the signatures of the judge including the clerk of court. The NSO certification was likewise fake. (FREEMAN)

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Cokaliong accepts PCG award from Aquino

CEBU, Philippines - President Aquino, on behalf of the Philippine Coast Guard, awarded Cebu-based Cokaliong Shipping Lines last October 18 for the bravery and heroism of the crew of its MV Filipinas Cebu.

The Filipinas Cebu came to the rescue of the passengers and crew of the MV Trans-Asia Malaysia of Trans-Asia Shipping Lines just before it sank off Iloilo a couple of months ago.

Aquino handed the award to Cokaliong Shipping founder and CEO/COO Chester Cokaliong, who accepted the award on behalf of the crew of his MV Filipinas Cebu.

The award was given during the 110th founding anniversary of the Philippine Coast Guard, where Aquino was the guest of honor and keynote speaker.

Also on hand to witness the awarding of Cokaliong was Transportation and Communications secretary Mar Roxas and PCG commandant Admiral Ramon Liwag.

The award was the latest in a string of achievements for Cokaliong and his company. This year, the Province of Cebu, through its Garbo sa Sugbo Awards, and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry each named Cokaliong Entrepreneur of the Year.

Cokaliong Shipping, now with a fleet of nine vessels plying the Visayas and Mindanao, boasts of some of the youngest ships in the country today and has been consistently acknowledged, through numerous awards and citations, for its cleanliness and safety record.

It has also been attracting attention and gaining admiration for the ambiance and hotel-like accommodations on most of its ships. (FREEMAN)

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Cebu City "might be short" of this year's target income

CEBU, Philippines - Almost P1 billion of the Cebu City Government’s target income this year might not be realized.

City Treasurer Tessie Camarillo told the Council in an executive session yesterday that her office cannot collect more than P3.7 billion by the end of the year. The CTO is expected to collect P4.6 billion this year to fund this year’s 4.6 annual budget.

“Dili gyud na nako ma-realize, Madam. Surrender gyud ko,” Camarillo told Councilor Margarita Osmeña, chairperson of the committee on budget and finance.

Yesterday’s meeting was attended by the city councilors and heads and representatives of the CTO, the City Budget Office and the City Accounting Office.

As of October 15, Camarillo said, they collected P3.2 billion from various income sources. Of the P3.2 billion actual collection, P929 million came from the city’s share of the Internal Revenue Allotment, P1.1 billion from tax revenues and P881.6 million from non-tax revenues.

The P1.1 billion tax revenues is broken down to the Real Property Tax from which the city collected P250 million as of October 15. Their target for this is P450 million this year.

Camarillo said from October 15 to December 31, they expect to collect P100 million more. She said they can not definitely reach P450 million.

Part of the P1.1 billion is the P920 million collected from business tax and other local taxes. Camarillo said that they have exceeded the target on business taxes and other local taxes while they still have P518 million of collectibles up to December.

On non-tax revenues, P255 million has been collected from miscellaneous and other receipts which include regulatory fees, license and other fees. They only targeted P163 million but have collected over P255 million. They expect to collect an additional P50 million by the end of the year.

From other income, particularly from the City Traffic Operations Management, City Health Department, City Environmental Sanitation Enforcement Team and Civil Registrar’s Office, the city earned P70 million so far and expects to earn P10 million more by end of the year.

From extraordinary receipts from the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor, CREMDEC, Market, Slaughter House, Fort San Pedro, City Hospital, Cebu City Zoo, CCMC School fees, Tubig Project and rental of the condominium, the city has so far earned P130.8 million.

Extraordinary receipts also include the proceeds from the sale of the South Road Properties lot where the City earned P676.8 million this year.

The city targeted to earn P1.134 billion budget from the sale of government assets but the CTO was only able to earn P676.8 million. Camarillo said SM and Filinvest have completed their payment for this year so there is nothing more to expect.

The share of the city from ecozone is also short of P100 million because they are only able to collect P40 million while their target was P145 million.

The councilors said the CTO estimated more than the city can actually collect and now they are about to face a deficit.

“Dili baya ako ang nag-estimate ana ha,” Camarillo was quick to tell the council.

The 2011 Annual Budget was passed during the time of former City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva.

City Budget Officer Nelfa Briones said that of the P5.5 billion appropriations of the city this year, including already the supplemental budgets, the budget office has allotted P4.1 billion.

Of the P4.1 billion allotment though, only P2 billion has been obligated.

Briones said that when the appropriation is allotted, it doesn’t mean the fund is ready for release. She said it will still undergo a long process which is why it is already the fourth quarter of the year, yet they have only obligated P2 billion of the P4.1 billion allotment.

Briones said that it is unlikely that all P4.1 billion will actually be spent because some of it or at least 20 percent are under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses which is reverted to the general fund if left unused until the end of the fiscal year.

She said, though, that in the event of a deficit, the budget office will have to analyze which projects may be deferred until next year or which items may be realigned to fund necessary expenditures.

She said it is premature to think that the city will have a deficit because two months is still long for the city to earn more. — (FREEMAN)

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Ciudad hearing today: Capitol to discuss land title

CEBU, Philippines - After showing yesterday the original land title which Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) had claimed is fake, Provincial Attorney Marino Martinquilla said he will discuss the issue thoroughly during the public hearing of the Ciudad project tomorrow.

Martinquilla maintained that the Capitol has “clean title” of the property for the proposed Ciudad project, a joint undertaking of the Provincial Government and the Fifth Avenue Development Corp. He said that Osmeña might not have understood when he got hold of the documents, prompting him to ask the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to suspend the processing of the project’s application for an environmental compliance certificate.

“Wa lang siguro siya kasabot. He is trying to make an issue out of it,” Martinquilla said.

The Environmental Management Bureau of DENR-7 has certified last August 2, 2011 that the ECC application for Ciudad Land Development Project in Barangay Apas, Cebu City is currently under pre-evaluation by the office.

Jonjie Gonzales, the developer’s PR consultant, told The FREEMAN that they used the said certification to secure the locational clearance from the Cebu City Planning and Development Office.

“That proves our documents are in order when it was received by DENR,” Gonzales said.

The CPDO issued the locational clearance, saying that the Fifth Avenue Development Corp. has met the requirements such as barangay clearance, site development plan, vicinity map, engineering details and floor plan, among others.

The Fifth Avenue Property Development Corp. needs an ECC to secure a building permit from the Cebu City Office of the Building Official.

In a letter dated October 7, 2011 to DENR-7, Osmeña claimed that Ciudad’s developer applied for an ECC using void titles.

Osmeña said that the two documents submitted by Fifth Avenue for its ECC application indicated two lots which are covered by two titles under the name of the Province of Cebu.

One of the titles, which covers an area of 5.9555 hectares, was reportedly submitted to DENR-7 and was discovered to be void.

However, the said titles were resubmitted to DENR-7 and were allegedly accepted when a new copy of the said title was resubmitted and the word “cancelled” on all its pages have been removed. — (FREEMAN)

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Rama won't use gym and spa benefits

CEBU, Philippines - After Cebu City officials were criticized publicly for their membership with the Cebu Holiday Gym and Spa using tax payer’s money, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he will withdraw his membership and clarified that he has not used it even once.

Rama, however, has signed the notice of award for a one-year membership of 18 councilors, the vice mayor and himself costing P360,000 or P18,000 each even before the issue was made public.

He said he signed it out of respect for the councilors since this is what they wished.

“But I want to clarify that I have not been there ever. And I have no plan to use it,” Rama said.

When asked if he will just let his membership fee put to waste since he is part of the package, Rama said he will withdraw his membership.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said that their deal with the Cebu Holiday Gym and Spa is a package for 20 people so the mayor cannot withdraw his membership, even if he wants to.

“Whether napu or beinte, pareha ra ang presyo. Gitagaan pa gyud mi nila og three months free, mao bitaw amo nang gikuha kay barato,” Young said.

At P18,000 a year or P1,500 per month, the city officials are already entitled to a full use of the fitness center’s facilities such as the gym, boxing ring, swimming pool, jogging track, wall climbing facilities and group exercise sessions. They also get a free body fat analysis and fitness testing, free nutritional counseling, free use of the sauna, shower and the lockers. Massage services are also discounted where they only have to pay P300 instead of P450 while a 10-percent discount is applied on other major services. The contract shall run from May 2011 to May 2012.

A lawyer and taxpayer sent the mayor an email recently criticizing the use of government funds for the city officials’ unlimited use of a gym.

Lawyer Gloria-Estenzo Ramos asked the mayor to consider the legality and morality of the action because she said, while the councilors is enjoying unlimited usage of the gym paid from taxpayers’ money, there are thousands of displaced environmental refugees needing the city’s help.

“Is it so difficult to shell out P18,000 from your own pocket? The amount of P360,000 that will be spent for your workout will go a long way in providing school supplies for the children, maintain shelters and even protective gears for the garbage collectors, among so many others,” she said.

Ramos said that what the city officials intend to do might just be considered a “thoughtless extravagance in expenses for pleasure or display during a period of acute public want.”

Young said they are not planning to renew the membership next year. — (FREEMAN)

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"Politicians should not join public hearing on flyovers"

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama yesterday said politicians should not interfere with the public hearing to be conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in relation to the proposed construction of two flyover projects in barangays Caretta and Camputhaw, Cebu City.

Rama said he himself will not attend the event even if he receives an invitation from DPWH because he wants that only experts on the issue will speak and share their experiences.

But Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he and members of the City Council, who believe that the construction of the flyovers will minimize traffic, are willing to attend the event if invited.

It was reported that Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas R. Osmeña will attend the public hearing on October 28. DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson will attend the event.

Rama said the mere presence of politicians during the public hearing may affect the real stand of the speakers. “Mahimong maikog man sila nga mosulti unya sa tinuod nilang baruganan. Ang maayo pasagdan lang sila nga mga experts.”

According to the mayor, politicians are not experts in the field of infrastructure projects, except if they are engineers. “Kon pangutan-on sila og mga technical matters moingon ra unya dayon sila nga dili ko makatubag kay dili man ko engineer,” he said.

It was Rama who sent a letter to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III urging him to suspend the implementation of the projects. For him, the proposed projects to be constructed at the corner of M.J. Cuenco and General Maxilom Avenues in barangay Caretta and at the intersection of Gorordo and Archbishop Reyes Avenues in barangay Camputhaw will not totally solve traffic.

The DPWH had announced that it will temporarily suspend the implementation of the P600-million projects pending the outcome of the public hearing. — (FREEMAN)

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Some DWUP personnel allegedly into extortion

CEBU, Philippines - Some personnel of the Cebu City Hall’s Division for the Welfare and Urban Poor are allegedly demanding money from some applicants for government housing lots with the promise that they will be prioritized in the program.

DWUP head Collin Rosell revealed the alleged illegal activities of some City Hall employees when he appeared before the members of the Cebu City Council during their regular session yesterday.

Rosell was hesitant to reveal the names of the concerned DWUP personnel, but he assured the members of the City Council to furnish them with the report that he had submitted to the City Legal Office.

Rosell later told The FREEMAN that a female City Hall employee reported to him that a former DWUP employee demanded P5,000 from her after she applied for a government housing lot, to be paid through installment basis, so she will be prioritized in the project.

The extortion allegedly happened before Rosell assumed as DWUP chief.

Rosell said the employee gave in to the demands but still was not able to avail of a government housing lot.

During yesterday’s session, Rosell also denied speculations by some councilors that the 40 workers he asked to hire will be used to campaign for the reelection of Mayor Michael Rama in May 2013 polls.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña grilled Rosell about his recommendation DWUP will hire 40 new workers to conduct re-registration, revalidation and make a socio-economic study of the 15,000 families presently occupying the city’s socialized housing sites.

Osmeña said Leonardo Chiu, formerly the mayor’s political analyst, reported he already coordinated with Rosell for the implementation of projects within the scope of DWUP that will help for the reelection of Rama in 2013. Rosell did not confirm it.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young, who presided the session, said Rosell cannot blame the city legislators because it was Chiu who exposed their activity, which was allegedly supposed to be confidential. But the report was mistakenly attached to Chiu’s application for his renewal of contract.

“Dili man kami ang nagsulti ana, naa man kana sa report ni Chiu nga gamiton nila ang mga sakop sa DWUP sa reelection ni Mayor Rama,” Young said.

Rosell said the workers will be hired to update DWUP’s records of the beneficiaries of the city’s urban poor housing programs.

When asked if he was satisfied with Rosell’s explanation, the vice mayor refused to comment, aside from saying that the city legislators will still discuss the issue and decide whether or not to approve the hiring of the 40 workers.

Rosell explained that the city only recovered more than P100 million out of its P500 million capital that has been spent to buy socialized housing lots in different barangays of the city.

The reason of the non-collection of the amortization from the beneficiaries is because DWUP has no more contracts with the homeowners associations.

“Mao kini ang rason nga mo-hire ta og bag-ong 40 ka kawani aron makakuha ta og bag-ong lista sa mga occupants sa city-owned lots.”

Rosell also said that the revalidation of the records is necessary because they observed that a number of beneficiaries have multiple lot assignments while the others sold their rights and the former DWUP officials still accepted them to the program. — (FREEMAN)