Davao Or town VM surrenders driver over hit and run incident Japanese government to fund WTE: EMB 11

An official of the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) Environmental Management Bureau-Davao Region (EMB) clarified on Monday that the establishment of the Waste-to-Energy (WTE) project in Davao City will be funded by the government of Japan and not the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

“We would like to correct everyone kay abi man gud nila the WTE is supported by JICA. Ang first feasibility study was conducted by JICA but the funding assistance is from the government of Japan not the JICA,” said Jay Christoffer Bawi-in, chief of EMB 11 Ecological Solid Waste Management Section, during Kapehan sa Dabaw at SM City Davao on Monday.

Bawi-in, who is part of the technical group for the processing of the WTE project, said WTE is a P5 billion project wherein the government of the Philippines will provide P3.5 billion while the government of Japan will pro- vide assistance amounting to P2.5 billion.

Bawi-in said the technical group is still working now as to the papers of the project, it is still pending for the approval at the National Economic and Development Authority-Investment Coordination Committee (NEDA-ICC).

“For the information of everybody WTE is a P5 billion project ug kani gihati sa duha, the government of the Philippines that is P3.5 billion and P2.5 billion from the government of Japan. Once ma-approve na we will go with other permitting requirements and we will support the city government of Davao as to the conduct of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA),” he said.

JICA in the Philippines was reported issuing a statement that it is “neither funding nor implementing” the proposed WTE facility of the city government of Davao.

This after environmental groups asked JICA last month to divest from Davao City’s WTE project.

By Maya M. Padillo

By MAYA M. PADILLO

Police Regional Office (PRO 11) spokesperson Major Eudisan Gultiano confirmed on Wednesday that the suspect for the hit and run incident in Davao City that killed 21-year-old Ana Mae Talili has surrendered on Tuesday evening, five days after the incident.

Gultiano said Vice Mayor John Paul Lampig of Boston, Davao Oriental surrendered his driver, Jester Yucosing, 40.

Gultiano said the Traffic Enforcement Unit (TEU) has already extracted Yucosing’s extra judicial affi- davit Tuesday evening.

According to the investigation, Talili was riding a motorcycle driven by her boyfriend on the evening of January 26, 2023. They stopped at the traffic light along Mac Arthur Highway, Tulip Drive when they were hit by a pick-up vehicle which was apparently beating the red light. Talili suffered serious injuries from the collision and died on the spot.

The vehicle, a Toyota Hi-Lux Conquest, is registered under the name of Vice Mayor Lampig.

“Hindi naman involved is vice mayor because validated naman natin na he was in Iloilo. Before that meron na tayong witness na nagbigay ng information kung sino yung driver and we are just happy at least sinurender ni vice may- or,” Gultiano said during the AFP PNP Press Corps media forum at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday.

It can be recalled that former president Rodrigo Duterte offered a P500,000 reward during his “Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa” television program for those who can give information on the incident.

Gultiano said no charges have been filed yet against Yucosing as they are still facilitating the affidavits of the driver and the

FDAVAO, P10