Cebu local news (daily update)

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Recla road project to go on

CEBU, Philippines - The two road concreting projects at Third Avenue and J.L. Briones Street in the North Reclamation Area worth P33.8 million will be pursued as the Bids and Awards Committee already awarded the projects to two contractors.

This as Cebu City Engineer Kenneth Enriquez also apologized to the members of the City Council yesterday for charging the expenses of the concreting projects to the budget already allotted for the road concreting of the mountain barangays.

“Mo-apologize lang g’yud ko ani kay I would accept it as lapse g’yud ni sa akong part,” Enriquez said during the executive session yesterday.

Enriquez, City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete, Budget Officer Nelfa Briones and City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez, appeared before the City Council yesterday to explain to city legislators why the budget intended for the mountain barangays was used for the road concreting.

“Ako na lang gi-recommend ni Mayor (Michael) Rama nga adto na lang i-charge ang bayad pagpasemento sa mga karsada sa north reclamation area sa budget nga para unta sa karsada sa bukid kay ngil-ad na g’yud kaayo ang karsada sa NRA,” she said.

Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, chairwoman of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance, is worried because now they have to explain to the residents of mountain barangays why the road concreting projects in their areas have been cancelled.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young and some other city councilors believe Enriquez was not telling the truth because Young said “Kang mayor Rama man kana nga order nga sementohon ang mga karsada sa NRA.. dili man kana imo.”

Although Young and the city councilors did not believe Enriquez they accepted her apology.

Poblete also explained to the council that the city was forced to use the amount allotted for the mountain roads because the NRA roads are already dilapidated.

Rama said he sees no problem because he allocated several barangay-based projects, including road concreting in the mountain barangays, in his 2012 budget that is scheduled to be tackled by the City Council on November 4.

The concreting of Third Avenue was awarded to GOWL Builders at P18,069,537 while WTG Construction also won the bidding for the concreting of J.L. Briones Street amounting to P15,818,322. (FREEMAN)

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Girl steals "for birth certificate" she tried to victimize policewoman

CEBU, Philippines - “I had no other choice.”

This was the excuse an 11-year-old girl used to explain why she tried to steal the wallet of a policewoman yesterday afternoon.

PO1 Irish Buena, 34, of Alcantara, southwestern Cebu, was shopping for a new bag inside a store along Osmeña Boulevard when she felt her bag move.

She turned to her side and caught the 11-year-old in the act of stealing the wallet from her shoulder bag.

Buena was shocked that the thief was only a girl but she was able to hold the girl’s hand immediately and take her to the Waterfront Police Station at around 2:30 p.m.

In an interview with The FREEMAN, the girl admitted it was not her first time to steal. She is from Barangay Inayawan, Cebu City.

The girl said she had no choice but to steal so that she can give what her teacher had long been asking from her – her birth certificate.

“My teacher asked me to submit my birth certificate so that I can proceed to grade one,” the girl said in Cebuano.

She said she needed the money after her mother, who is unemployed, failed to keep the promise of helping her. “My mother keeps on promising that she will help me, but after weeks of asking, nothing happened,” she said.

Aside from her problem in getting her birth certificate from the National Statistics Office, the girl told The FREEMAN that her name was also misspelled in her birth certificate from the local registrar so, she said, she needs a lot of money to rectify her misspelled name.

Youngest among four children, the girl has allegedly been neglected because her father is different from the others. “I came from another father,” she said.

She admitted she tried to steal the wallet of the policewoman and promised never to do it again. She will be turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development – 7. (FREEMAN)

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Citom asked: Study odd-even scheme

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama will ask the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) board to study Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes’ suggestion to allow Mandaue City’s jeepneys to ply in Cebu City on an “odd-even” scheme.

Rama refuses to comment on the suggestion until a thorough study is made.

The odd-even scheme is for PUJ’s with plate numbers ending with 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 to ply Cebu City’s streets on a particular day, then allow those ending with 2, 4, 6, 8, and 0 to enter Cebu City on the next day.

This scheme has been proven to help ease traffic in Metro Manila.

“I am open to any proposal and suggestions, but I would like that CITOM Board should first study it and submit its recommendations to me,” Rama said.

Cortes asked Rama and other city officials to allow the re-entry of Mandaue City PUJs not only for the sake of Mandaue City residents but also for Cebu City residents who are working in Mandaue City and neighboring areas.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young is amenable to the suggestion. He already suggested to introduce amendments to the ordinance banning jeepneys from outside Cebu City.

Young had observed the difficulty of workers and students who are forced to take three or more rides to reach their workplaces or schools. (FREEMAN)

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Kenyan asks court to release money

CEBU, Philippines - Saying she is in dire need of cash, the Kenyan national who was arrested at the airport for possession of illegal drugs filed a motion for the court to release the money which was allegedly confiscated by the arresting officers last September 29.

Asha Atieno Ogutu, through her legal counsel, filed the motion yesterday before Judge Torebio Quiwag of Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 27 in Lapu-Lapu City.

Lawyer Ricardo Amore said that when his client was arrested, the personal belongings and the money she bought were also confiscated.

“The accused is in dire need of her money which was confiscated by the arresting officer even though the same is not an element of the alleged crime filed against (her). As such, accused respectfully moves for the release of the US$ 3,700 and 2,000 Qatari Riyal,” the motion reads.

Amore insists that his client is innocent of the crime. He added that Ogutu was mere tourist with no other purpose but to explore any business opportunity.

Ogutu was engaged in selling “malongs”.

Ogutu was arrested by the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)-7 at the airport for transporting three kilos of shabu which was placed inside her baggage. She is facing a criminal case for violation of Section 5, Article II of Republic Act 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

Ogutu, however, vehemently denied the existence of illegal drugs. She claimed the baggage was handed to her by a friend, a certain Josh in Bernin in Western Africa.

The court will hear the motion on Friday, November 4, 2011.

NBI Agent Arnel Pura said that they will oppose the motion. He said the money is an important evidence to prove the guilt of the accused.

The money, Pura said, is with the bureau. (FREEMAN)

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School and houses in Sinsin threatened

CEBU, Philippines - A public school and two houses are in danger of collapsing due to the consistent earth movement in a hilly area in Sitio Sangi, barangay Sinsin, Cebu City.

A portion of the road down the hill where the school is located also continues to erode, now reaching up to a meter deep and stretching six to seven meters.

The damaged portion of the road makes it difficult for vehicles to pass because it occupies one whole lane at one point.

This road is an access road to Toledo City. Heavy trucks usually pass by the area on the way to the mainland.

The Barangay Affairs Unit (BAU) of the Office of the Mayor reported that during their ocular inspection in the area early this week, they observed a “clear consistent earth movement in the area” where the school and two houses are located.

If the city shall experience incessant rains again, barangay officials fear that the area might totally erode, affecting the school and the houses. Residents refuse to abandon the place despite the risk.

Barangay officials asked the City Government’s assistance to fix the road and to possibly construct a slope protection to protect it from soil erosion.

The road is not paved and the BAU recommended to put filling materials on the damaged portion for the meantime until they are able to find a budget for road concreting.

About two trucks of filling materials are expected to be consumed to level the area.

BAU said they requested the Department of Engineering and Public Works to create a Program of Works and Estimates for the slope protection and road concreting.

This road was reportedly a river in the past but was reclaimed to create a road.

Barangay Sinsin is also one of the landslide-prone barangays in the city. Barangay officials admit that landslides always occur in the area due to lack of slope protection. (FREEMAN)

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Rama ready to defend budget

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has clarified that he and his department heads are already prepared to face members of the Cebu City Council to defend his proposed P11.8 billion budget.

But he insisted that they will appear only during the full council budget hearing.

“Dugay ra ming andam uy.. Sayop na ang giingon nga dili kami preparado pagdepensa sa gi-propose namo nga budget (We have long been prepared),” the mayor told the reporters as he celebrated his 57th birthday at his office yesterday.

It was Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young who said that the department heads are not yet ready to defend their proposed budget. This was after not one of them showed up during last Thursday’s pre-budget hearing of the City Council.

Rama is firm on his decision to allow the department heads, particularly the city treasurer and the budget officer, to face the city legislators only during the full council budget hearing and not during the pre-budget hearing.

The pre-budget hearing is conducted only supposedly by the members of the City Council’s committee on budget and finance headed by Councilor Margarita “Margot” Osmeña, although all the councilors decided to attend.

“Kadto og miari pa lang sila, diritso-diritso na man to ba kay dia na gud ming tanang sakop sa City Council (It would have been best had they appeared because all the councilors were already present),” the vice mayor said.

The FREEMAN asked Rama whether there was any instance during his nine years as councilor and nine years as vice mayor that the department heads were invited to the pre-budget hearings, and he said there was.

He refused to elaborate.

The City Council members invited the department heads, particularly city treasurer Tessie Camarillo, to whether the P11.8 billion proposed budget for 2012 is attainable. (FREEMAN)

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Former soldier arrested for 'smuggling' firearms

CEBU, Philippines - A former soldier was arrested yesterday morning by the Danao police at the Dunggoan wharf in Danao City for allegedly smuggling assorted firearms worth P50,000.

Ariel Bolivar, 47, was arrested as he was about to go on board a vessel for Isabel, Leyte.

A team headed by SPO3 Nilo Pantoja Jr. confiscated from Bolivar seven magazines of a .45 caliber pistol, three .45 pistols, two.357 revolvers, one 9mm assault rifle and three magazines of a 9mm assault rifle.

The items were covered with paper and placed inside a box of liquor.

Bolivar’s arrest stemmed from information relayed to the police identifying him as a gun runner from Bunyasan, Malimono, Surigao Del Norte, where he is also a native.

Inspector Romulo Torralba Jr., deputy of the Danao City Police Station, said they immediately approached Bolivar when they saw him carrying a box. The guns were discovered after the box was inspected.

Police left with no choice but to arrest Bolivar after the latter failed to show documents to support the cargo.

Torralba reportedly left the military about two decades ago when he suddenly became absent without official leave. He reportedly left because he was earning too little in the service.

“Mao nay iyang ingon nako kay barato pa man to kaniadto,” Torralba said.

Bolivar refused to give any comment, as well as any information about his sources of the firearms and financiers.

Provincial Police Director Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador said it is possible that the seized firearms were intended for criminal activities.

Comendador said that Bolivar’s arrest showed that CPPO is intensifying their campaign on loose firearms in the entire province. A case for violation of RA 8294 or illegal possession of firearms was filed against Bolivar at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office yesterday. (FREEMAN)

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7 drivers test positive of drug use

CEBU, Philippines - Seven drivers of public utility vehicles tested positive for using illegal drugs during a roadside drug testing conducted by the Land Transportation Office (LTO) 7 in Talisay City yesterday.

Of the seven, three are minibus drivers and four are jeepney drivers. The LTO tested 53 drivers from 9am to 12pm at an improvised station in Barangay Linaw, Talisay City.

The licenses of those who tested positive were immediately confiscated pending confirmatory test to be conducted in Manila.

The licenses will be revoked once the confirmatory test will yield positive results and the driver(s) concerned can only re-apply for another license after three months after they pay a fine of P10,000; if they can produce a certificate of rehabilitation from the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA); and if they can produce a new drug test result that proves them negative of using illegal drugs.

The surprise drug test was part of LTO’s efforts of making roads and travelers safer in relation to the observance of the upcoming All Souls and All Saints day.

LTO7 Director Raul Aguilos told The FREEMAN they are satisfied with the result of the surprise test. “We want to conduct similar activities throughout the region in the future,” he said.

However, with their limited resources, they could only make use of drug testing kits (DTK) donated by private entities. They received 100 pieces of DTKs from a Cebu-based club.

Aguilos assured, nevertheless, that more surprise drug tests will be conducted once their budget increases. He said a roadside drug testing is one of best practices that he personally wants to continue.

For now, Aguilos urged vehicle operators to take the challenge of subjecting their own drivers to drugs tests as part of their employment requirement. “Ako nalang hangyo karon, kay kuwang man tag pundo, ang mga operators nay mangunay og pa drug test,” he said.

Aguilos also urged the public to be vigilant by reporting abusive drivers and law-breakers to their office to prevent further road related incidents and problems.

Also yesterday, still part of its efforts to assist passengers for the upcoming All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day, LTO conducted road worthiness tests, road safety seminars and installed assistance desks at bust terminals in the region. (FREEMAN)

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PDEA eyes 2 drug groups

CEBU, Philippines - There are two local drug groups reportedly operating in Central Visayas that the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) 7 is monitoring closely, PDEA7 Director Jigger Montallana revealed yesterday.

These groups reportedly focus on selling shabu and have used Cebu as a transient point in distributing the substance to other provinces in the Visayas, including some areas of Luzon and Mindanao.

Montallana said this was revealed during interrogations of arrested drug pushers. He refused to disclose further details, but said PDEA is strengthening its efforts through intelligence build-up and coordination with other law enforcement agencies to intercept couriers at the airports, wharfs and terminals.

During a recent international conference, PDEA also identified two transnational drug syndicates that are operating in the country, but these groups have reportedly not penetrated Region 7 just yet. (FREEMAN)

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Ex-policeman accused of aiming gun at SK head

CEBU, Philippines - The chairman of the Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) in Barangay Malingin, Bogo city has accused a retired policeman of allegedly pointing his gun at him and his friends last Thursday morning.

The suspect allegedly, was with another retired policeman at that time.

Mark Jason Calidguid, 18, son of Malingin Barangay Captain Marilyn Calidguid said he was on board a motorcycle together with his two friends when a yellow multi-cab reportedly blocked their way near the house of former Bogo Councilor Loloy Horbisi.

When they stopped the motorcycle, one of the two ex-cops reportedly asked where they were going, but when Calidguid answered, the suspect disembarked from the multi-cab, pulled out a gun tucked on his waist, and allegedly aimed the firearm at Calidguid and his friends.

Calidguid was with Elgen del Carmen, 23, and Joseph Imelda, 21, at that time. They were reportedly supposed to pay for an electricity bill when the incident happened at around 11am.

Because of fear, Calidguid sped off and later called his mother for help.

The barangay captain said she was in a meeting when she received the call from her son, which also terrified her.

The FREEMAN is withholding the names of the two ex-policemen pending the filing of a formal complaint against them. One of the two was reportedly a former chief security officer at the Bogo City Hall while the other was reportedly a member of the Barangay Peace-Keeping Action Team. Their companion at the time of the incident was not identified.

Sr. Insp. Ceferino Tabay, chief of the Bogo City Police, told The FREEMAN said they have yet to ascertain if the alleged suspects were under the influence of liquor during the incident.

Tabay said they are just waiting for Calidguid to file a formal complaint. No complaint was filed as of yesterday. (FREEMAN)