Goma sues Jovie, 2 others
P15
Gomez was tagged by Larraga as one of the Leyte political personalities linked to Espinosa. But when queried, Larraga pointed at Espenido as the source of the information. He said he heard Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido mention Gomez’s name during a case conference as among the politicians involved in the drug trade in the region. Last week, Gomez and Gomez cropped up in the his wife, Leyte Rep. Lucy ‘pink book’ as well as in the Torres Gomez, trooped to the affidavit of one of the witNational Police Commission nesses. According to said witheadquarters to file an ad- ness, Gomez received P4 milministrative case for gross lion payola. Also mentioned misconduct, abuse of author- was Leyte Board member ity, dishonesty and conduct Matt Torres, the brother of unbecoming of a public offi- Rep. Lucy Torres. cer against the three police But Espenido dismissed officers. the political angle, saying his feud with Gomez started beDenial fore he helped Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. exThe actor has vehement- ecute an affidavit identifying ly denied the accusation and public officials who coddled said it was the handiwork of the illicit dealings of his son, his political opponents. Kerwin Espinosa. “Nag-file ako ng com“Kasi sa akin naman, plaint against dun sa tatlong galit si Mayor Richard. Maspulis. Ang isa, kay Major ki wala pa iyung affidavit ni Laraga for implicating my Mayor Espinosa, talagang name during the Senate in- pinipersonal ako ni Mayor vestigation and yung pagsabi Richard,” Espenido told raniya, hindi naman niya vin- dio DZMM. erify, na kasama ako. Puro “Nagpunta siya doon, hearsay lang. Nevertheless, sinabi niya na uubusin ko sinama niya pa rin pangalan ang intelligence fund ko mako,” Gomez told reporters. matay lang si Espenido. GalAlthough Gomez was ing iyun sa bibig niya.” not included in the affidavit (Mayor Richard has been of the slain mayor Espinosa, angry with me even before Espenido said the name of the affidavit of Mayor Espi-
The Weekly
Vanguard Vol. 1, No. 6
File photo
Ormoc City – After being publicly cited as an actor in the Espinosa drug trade, Mayor Richard Gomez has filed administrative charges against Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido, CIDG’s Leo Larraga and another cop Heidi Yutrago.
For what is true, for what is just, for what is right!.
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
nosa . He has made personal attacks against me. He once said he will use all his intelligence funds just so Espenido would die. That came from his own mouth.) Duress In the meantime, the camp of Gomez has also accused Espenido of forcing witnesses to sign affidavits not of their own making. Recently, three former aides have fled Espenido’s camp and went to that of Gomez, retracting their former testimonies and saying these were fabricated by Jovie Espenido and PO3 Hydie Yutrago. The three witnesses Galo Bobares, Max Miro and Brian Zaldivar - executed new affidavits recanting previous statements allegedly made under duress. The new statements were taken by Adelito Solibaga Jr., a lawyer for Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez. “They confirmed that the
Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido
CIDG’s Chief Inspector Leo Larraga
affidavits were ready-made when they were told to sign the same before a lawyer in Tacloban,” Solibaga said in a statement. The new affidavits were dated Nov. 10, five days after the elder Espinosa was killed inside his detention cell at the subprovincial jail in Baybay City, Leyte. But Espenido denied he coerced the three men. “They must remember that they
voluntarily approached me and manifested their intent to execute those affidavits,” he said, Espenido said he believed Gomez was behind the decision of the three witnesses to recant. “I knew it. I wonder why they only did it now,” he said He also insisted that the three men gave their original statements in the presence of
(Go to p. 4)
2 In Tomas Oppus, So. Leyte
Vanguard
Nov 21 - 26, 2016
Witness in warrant Mayor denies murder charges issuance disappears
Tomas Oppus, Southern Leyte - The 78-year old mayor of this town has vehemently denied his involvement in the murder of the Barangay Captain of Hinagtican, even as the family of the murder victim and other barangay captains are saying they have been receiving death threats from him since the election period. Celso Torion, 46, was killed in front of his 8-year old son last October 19 in the evening by a suspected hired killer in Barangay Looc, the barangay next to Hinagtican. The family claimed the mayor was responsible for such a killing and has asked the assistance of the National Bureau of Investigation after the local police took two days to arrive at the crime scene after the murder. Mayor Agustin Escano in a face-off with the media said he finds no reason to kill somebody as he handily won in the elections. He said there is no problem with his leadership, and besides he is a religious person who prays the rosary every now and then. The mayor belongs to
the old Escaño clan based in Malitbog, who has since resided in Tomas Oppus, a few towns south of the family’s roots. He has been occupying the post of mayor since 1972 intermittently. “Why? What can I get from trouble? Those are useless and baseless accusations. Before doing a crime, there should have a motive. And what is my motive anyway? I already won during the election. It (the complaint) may be just an act from people who cannot move on from being defeated and cannot accept it,” a visibly irritated mayor said. He challenged government investigating agencies to conduct an in-depth investigation and said he is willing to submit himself to any probe. The family of Torion and officials from other barangays had earlier reported the crime to the NBI, adding that even before the murder of Torion, he had been receiving death threats from the mayor, which they reported to the police. The victim was a political ally of Escaño in the previous elections. But in the last election, he shifted
to the opposing candidate, which could be the reason why he was killed, according to members of the family. Torion was shot twice by two men riding on a blue motorcycle. He was hit on the forehead and on the left side of his body. Besides Torion, 19 others have been killed for allegedly political motives, mostly barangay officials and political enemies. But Escaño was quick to deny these accusations, saying these are politically motivated. Such murders have not reported by the media. Meanwhile, Tomas Oppus Police Chief Rolando Paloma maintained that they did not fail to conduct an investigated on the reported murder, contrary to accusations of the victim’s family that the police arrived at the scene two days after the murder was committed. He said he immediately sent a group of investigating team after Torion was killed. Paloma once more gave assurance to the family that the police will not be biased in the conduct of their investigation. Southern Leyte PNP provincial director Sr. Supt. Warren de Leon confirmed that Paloma already submitted his answer to the letter complaint of the family on the lateness of their response. Paloma said he is willing to step down once orders from his superiors relieving him from the post. On the other hand, Remegio Lavilla, Sr. investigator of the National Bureau of Investigation in Eastern Visayas, said they have already started the investigation right after the family and barangay officials sought help from the NBI.#
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar (PIA) - The management of the Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office (ESPPO) expressed its firm support on the government’s campaign against anomaly, criminality, and illegal drugs in the province of Eastern Samar. This expression of support was disclosed by Deputy Director for Operations Police Superintendent Noelito Getigan. He represented ESPPO Director Tranquilino Araral III during the launch of the Department of the Interior and Local Government- Eastern Samar Field Office (DILG-Eastern Samar) and the Eastern Samar Provincial Government’s Mamamayan Ayaw Sa Anomaliya- Mamamayan Ayaw Sa Iligal na Droga or Masa-Masid Program. Getigan said Estehanons must encourage one another
to cooperate with the government’s programs like the Masa-Masid, a communitybased whose purpose is to combat anomaly, criminality, and illegal drugs the public’s participation. It also aims to open the minds of Estehanons on the voluntary participation in the other programs of the government that result in community development. He cited the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) Project Double Barrel as an example. The Project Double Barrel is now being implemented by the ESPPO and continues to be successful because of the support of the people in every barangay through the Barangay Anti-drug Council (BADAC). Through the BADAC, the people can now identify or recognize illegal drug pushers and users in every barangay, which made the implementation of the
Project Double Barrel easier. Since its implementation last July, the police office was able to record 3, 099 illegal drug surrenderees who are now undergoing local drug rehabilitation. Meanwhile, 87 illegal drug personalities were arrested in the series of drug operations held by the PNP. Aside from this number of arrested drug personalities, they were also able to arrest a farmer, a principal, a security guard, barangay officials, some policemen, and teachers, among others. During this heightened campaign, one was killed when he put up a fight with the authorities while five others are considered as “death under investigation” cases. Getigan said the number of crimes in the province has been reduced to almost 50%. (ajc/SDC/PIA8-Eastern Samar)
Mayor Agustin Escaño
By Miriam Desacada
Police Chief Rolando Paloma
Police supports Masa-Masid
Tacloban City – A victim of foul play? Another player in the Espinosa rubout appears to have disappeared as all those involved are now being investigated, including the judge who issued the search warrant. The witness, whose name is being withheld for security reasons, is now deemed important as questions about his actual statements in front of the judge are being asked. The witness had provided data to justify CIDG’s need to have the court issue the search warrants, which it later served against Espinosa and Yap at their detention cells at the Leyte Sub-Provincial Jail in Baybay City at dawn of November 5. The implementation of the warrants inside the jail however resulted in the deaths of the two inmates. The witness was a former prisoner at the Baybay City sub-provincial jail whose access to the detention facility before the warrant was issued is in question. How could an ex-prisoner provide accurate information about the two inmates, Espinosa and Yap? Regional Trial Court in Basey, Samar, Judge Tarce-
lo Sabarre Jr., who issued the warrants, earlier clarified that the witness did not mention that Yap was in possession of a short firearm, contrary to the claims by the CIDG men, as stated in their search warrant application. But, after the serving of the warrants, the CIDG operatives recovered two short firearms—one from Espinosa and one from Yap. These, as evidences, were later submitted by the CIDG to Judge Sabarre of RTC in Basey Samar. On November 7, Ferdinand Lavin, NBI spokesperson, confirmed that a separate probe on Espinosa’s killing was started, with the NBI-Region 8 heading it. NBI agents from its national office and forensic personnel, including a ballistician, were already in the region for the purpose. NBI-8 Regional Director Jerry Abiera assured the public that there will be no whitewash in the investigation and that it will be fair. He noted that witnesses were very cooperative in the process of the investigation. He however refused to reveal the progress report until the entire probe is completed.# (By Miriam Desacada)
Polio victim nabbed Bato, Leyte – For the second time around, a polio victim who is peddling drugs in Brgy. Iniguihan, Bato, Leyte was nabbed Monday afternoon. Armed with a search warrant issued by RTC Judge Ephrem Abando of Hilongos, Leyte, the Bato Police force raided the house of Julius Canda, 45 years old of Brgy. Iniguihan, Bato, Leyte. Canda was subsequently detained for illegal possession of fire arms and illegal drugs last May and posted bail for his temporary freedom. That was his first arrest. This time around, Canda’s house in Brgy. Iniguihan was raided by the police headed by SPO4 Alexander Astorga. The team recovered 4 pieces of shabu and a .22 cal pistol. SPO4 Astorga told The Weekly Vanguard that they were monitoring the movement of Canda after he was released from jail last September. He added that after Canda was released,
Polio victim Julius Canda he wasted no time in selling illegal drugs again in his barangay. When interviewed, Canda said he was forced to sell drugs because he has no other means of supporting his daily needs because of his physical condition. Canda will be facing two cases, one for possession of illegal drugs and another for possession of an unlicensed firearm.(By Najib M. Cubio)
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Vanguard
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
3
ABS-CBN photo
Albuera official claims innocence
UP studes protest against Marcos burial
TACLOBAN CITY- Students of the University of the Philippines Visayas Tacloban College and other local colleges joined the mass protests held all over the country in indignation against the burial of the late President and dictator Ferdinand E. Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Earlier, they also marched to the city hall to air their protest against the decision of the Supreme Court allowing his burial at the Libingan. This time, they went to the downtown center to raise their placards and their fists, saying Marcos was not a hero and therefore did not deserve to be buried at the Libingan, the heroes’ burial ground. A Student spokesman slammed claims that Mar-
cos’ infrastructure projects in the ‘70s are at par with the number of tortured victims. To recall, the Eastern Visayas region was a favorite beneficiary of infrastructure projects, one of which was the San Juanico Bridge. This was probably because the strong man’s wife, Imelda Romualdez Marcos, hails from this region. “The moment na mamatay tayong lahat and the next generation will follow, they won’t be remembering our arguments today. They won’t be remembering the reasoning of the Marcoses. They will see a shrine, a shrine in the Libingan ng mga Bayani with the dead body of Marcos there at kung makikita nila, a bayani pala si Marcos,” said Joshua Sagdulla, chairperson of the Katipunan ng Sanggunian ng Mag-aaral sa
UP Tacloban. He added: “If you multiply the infrastructure projects during the time of martial law, if you multiply that by a hundredfold, it will not compensate for the thousands of lives that have yet to acquire justice because they were tortured during the time of martial law.” The protest was also an indication that Eastern Visayas is not a Marcos country, according to Sagdullas. “The population here in UP Tacloban is representative of the entire region. It means that if UP Tacloban marched the streets against the burial of Marcos, it is a political statement that the entire region is not actually a Marcos country,” Sagdullas said. The protesters dispersed later peacefully after their lightning rally.
Tacloban City - The immediate relief of Albuera Police Chief Jovie Espenido is being pursued by personalities he has implicated as drug coddlers and protectors. This was learned from Espenido himself who appears to be unfazed by such moves, coming after both Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez and veteran journalist Lalaine Jimenea were cited in the list. Such moves, according to a police official, are expected, especially since he has unmasked the involvement of government officials, police officers and media in the Espinosa drug trade. In a phone interview, Espenido said he was informed by PNP regional director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar and a source from the PNP national headquar-
ters that Gomez and other officials in the region named in the narco list wanted him sacked from his current post. “I am always ready to step down as a good soldier and will always follow orders from my superiors once a relief order is received by my office. No problem about that. We come and go from our post. Of course, there is no personal motive here. Trabaho lang, walang personalan,” Espenido said. Recently Gomez filed administrative charges against Espenido, Chief Inspector Leo Laraga and one PO3 Hydie Yutraga before the National Police Commission in Quezon last Wednesday, claiming them responsible for linking him to illegal drug operations in the Eastern Visayas Prior to the filing of
charges against Espenido by actor Gomez, Jimenea, one of the three media personalities in Ormoc charged with receiving payola from the Espinosas, also filed a string of complaints against the Albuera PNP head. She said Espenido was coddling a drug suspect linked to suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa Jr. She requested the Ombudsman to investigate Espenido, citing him for grave misconduct and abuse of authority. The controversial police chief in Albuera however belittled such moves, saying it is clearly a desperate act from one respondent of the criminal case filed before the Leyte provincial prosecutor’s office. The move to have Espenido ousted already surfaced
‘Coddlers’ want Jovie out
(Go to p. 4)
Albuera, Leyte - One of three Albuera town officials, who were dismissed by Ombudsman for grave misconduct and dishonesty last September, maintains that he and the two others are innocent, saying they were also “victims” of fraud and falsification of public documents committed by former councilor Sergio Batistis. Sangguniang Bayan Sec. Wilfredo F. Andrade said they entrusted their registration fees to Batistis when they attended the 3-day 2nd Quarterly National Executive OfficersNational Board Meeting of the Phil. Councilors’ League (PCL) in Davao City, last year. But contrary to the findings of the Ombudsman, they were present during that conference. He said they all entrusted their payments to Batistis so that they wanted to avoid the long lines at the registration table. He said they did not know Batistis faked
their official receipts for the payment of the registration and certificate of attendance. Pictures taken during that affair would however prove that they were present, Andrade said. He said they were dismayed over the dismissal order on Sept. 14, 2016 because the Ombudsman did not give them time to present their side at the witness stand. They subsequently filed an appeal with the Court of Appeals. He hopes the Ombudsman’s decision will be repealed. Andrade was formally appointed as SB secretary 12 years ago. Other dismissed town officials who are still holding office are Councilors Atanacio M. Barte, and Nelson D. Pepito Sr. Meanwhile, Albuera DILG Officer Ida Aquilina V. Lopes said also in a separate interview that she is waiting an order of her superior to implement the Ombudsman dismissal order against the three. (By JunTarroza)
(Soul...from p. 6)
ego, or expectations, or simply just a surfeit of pains, the soul finds the means to eject it, into the darkness of the pit, and the resulting lightness, carries you up again, to live another day, and meet up with despair another time. Oh yes, we have an unending battle with despair. Every once in a while, our soul becomes burdened with the cares of this world, and must wrestle with despair, a private agony in its own hidden Getsemane. Every time we survive, we carve deeper into our souls, because these dark cares must have someplace to go, and every bout with despair carries with it the weight of struggles past. The hole becomes larger, and the capacity becomes correspondingly bigger, and the weight heavier, and so on the cycle runs. This continues until we are either broken, and end up adrift in life, letting chance and fate cast us about unheeding of whatever happens, or we break through, boring through and finding that infinite place where these tools of despair can pour through, and pour out of our souls, leaving behind only the memory and the wisdom brought by the experience. Surviving this in a conscious manner is a grace. As I sit, alone, in the gloom of the concrete steps carved in the embankment of Pasig, as I watch the streetlights strike and come alive, I take another breath, another reminder, that I am still here, still breathing, still alive, and that is another grace enough for still another day.#
pass. That like any night, dawn must follow, and that while death always comes, life will always thrive somewhere somehow. It begins with the sense of the world weighing you down, those little worries that creep in on strange times, keeping you awake at night worried but not knowing why. It piles itself on your energy, swallowing it, making it an even greater struggle to go on waking up in the morning, getting through with work, keeping a happy face with colleagues, and struggling to keep making sense of reality, trying to retain that sense of value. Slowly, you forget what is it that is valuable, and wonder at the point of all this hustle and bustle. Thus, you enter into a relationship with despair, and conspire to dance to its tune. In time, you recognize the symptoms, and you rail against it, against the burdensome life that it keeps presenting you with. And the more you struggle against it, the more it demonstrates how empty this reality has become, the more life reminds you that what you struggle against is in itself a myth, a construct, and each time of this realization hammers the despair even deeper. When you are finally at your lowest point, when the weight has reached the bottom of that pit in your soul that despair has carved deep, it is then that your soul recognizes what it is that burdens you, and gives you the chance to jettison it. Whether
Vanguard
4
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
New power lines Sueno: ADM is not BuB to reduce slumps
Maasin City , Southern Leyte (PIA) - The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) assures lesser power interruptions in the future as soon as the second circuit project along the Ormoc-Maasin and TongonanOrmoc-Isabel 138kV transmission lines will be completed. Alvin Santos, NGCP Planning Section Officer said during the Power 102 held at Ormoc Villa Hotel, Tuesday, the two-138kV transmission lines will serve as the alternate way for power supply to continue in the midst of necessary maintenance along the first circuit. Unlike the first transmission line, power interruptions were scheduled ahead to pave the way for the maintenance of NGCP facilities, he said. He also said the OrmocMaasin 138kV transmission line traverses through 99 local government units from
Maasin City down to Ormoc City covering 113.98 kilometers, while the Tongonan-Ormoc-Isabel 138kV line also covers the municipalities of Kananga, Merida, Isabel and Ormoc that travel through 39.92 circuit kilometers. Hannel R. Tamayo, principal engineer, discussed the other interconnection projects NGCP planned for the next ten years to further facilitate stable and steady delivery of power supply not only in the Visayas but throughout the country, as well. He said that by 2021, NGCP eyed an interconnection from Cebu to Bohol to complete the loop in the Visayas to assure steady delivery of power to Bohol, in case the Leyte-Bohol interconnection fails. Presently, Bohol is solely dependent on the interconnection from Leyte, he added. (ajc/esg/PIA SoLeyte)
(Goma...from p. 1)
baril nila, iyung tatlong kilo na shabu na dala nila,” he explained. “Kung pilitin man natin, anytime makakalabas sila kasi walang tayong hold ang pulis.” Espenido added that he understands if the witnesses retracted their statements out of fear for their lives because he could not offer them protection. (By The Weekly Vanguard Research team)
their lawyers and were not detained afterwards. “Lahat ng mga witness natin na nag-voluntary surrender at gawa ng salaysay sa mga payola, mayroon po talaga [na abogado]. Free sila. They are not a warranted person na masabi nating matakot sila sa pulis. They are all voluntarily na nagpunta sa istasyon dala ang
Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno today said that the DILG’s new Assistance to Disadvantaged Municipalities (ADM) program is ‘different’ from the Bottom-Up Budgeting (BuB) program of the previous administration. Sueno said ADM is quite distinct in terms of its objectives, type of projects, eligibility for funding, projects identification scheme, and budget allocation per local government unit (LGU). He said that unlike BuB whose main objective is citizen engagement and participation, ADM is designed to assist LGUs in strengthening their ability to deliver basic services. “The ADM is anchored on the need to somehow provide fiscal space to municipalities, to allow them not to become too dependent on their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) and to help LGUs utilize their local resources for other programs and projects,” he said. Sueno said that under the new program, the local chief executive has to submit a project list culled out from any of the existing plans of
the municipality, unlike in the BuB wherein civil society organizations are included in project identification. “The main trajectory of BuB then was people participation. In ADM, we are more concerned in helping the towns address the essential needs of their constituents,” he said. According to him, the projects eligible for ADM assistance include the five basic infrastructure that are most needed in municipalities – access roads, potable water, evacuation centers, sanitation facilities, and small water impounding.
Drug council set up Catarman, Northern Samar (PIA) – The Province of Northern Samar will organize its anti-drug abuse council to strengthen its commitment to fight illegal drug abuse in the province. Governor Jose L. Ong Jr. in an Executive Order 01-11 said the council will serve as a focal point through which various organizations and individuals work together in the planning, implementation and evaluation of programs on drug abuse prevention. The Executive Order states that the council will also provide for an effective mechanism for the coordina-
tion of existing services and programs, and this might be developed in the immediate future to eliminate illegal drugs. Further, the council is tasked to conduct an intensive information campaign in all schools throughout the province so that students and pupils will be informed on the ill-effects of the use of prohibited drugs. The council will help ensure community peace and harmony in addressing problems on illegal drugs since its increasing use has significantly contributed to the incidence of heinous crimes. (pia8northsamar)
The DILG Secretary also said that the ADM, similar to the BuB, also imposes a governance requirement wherein municipal governments have to meet good governance standards prior to the release of funds to them. These standards include passing the good financial housekeeping component of the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG) and completion of assessment of its Public Financial Management System. He said that although not all of the 1,373 out of the total 1,489 municipalities in the country covered under the program may be considered ‘disadvantaged’, the ADM looks at the magnitude of poverty in the area and not just at the baseline income of the municipalities. The DILG Chief also stressed that there is no duplication or repetition of projects under the ADM program with other national government agencies, noting that the P19.4 billion budget being proposed for ADM is for projects that are within the scope of implementation of the DILG. (DILG press release)
(Coddlers...from p. 3.) during the visit of PNP Chief Ronald Dela Rosa, who confirmed that several personalities were seeking the relief of Espenido. But de la Rosa did not grant their requests which were accordingly ”baseless.” Espenido made it clear that everything he has done in the war against illegal drugs under this present administration has never been biased but was fair and involved no personal motive. “That is why whatever happens with my life and my career, I am not afraid because the truth is with me,” he said. (By Miriam Desacada)
Ericson Cycle Center
Dealer of all kinds of motorcycle spareparts- genuine and replacement Rizal Corner Osmeña St., Ormoc City, 5616399
Proprietor: Babie Ong
Forester Alejandro K. Bautista
Community Environment and Natural Resources Officer
CENRO, Baybay City
Supports the Campaign for Climate Justice
Vanguard
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
5
Charcoal kilns destroyed
in Villareal and Sta Margarita, Samar, mangroves are being cut to turn into charcoal. Catbalogan City, Samar (PIA) – The Catbalogan Community Environment and Natural Resources (CENRO) team has destroyed charcoal kilns in the towns of Villareal and Sta Margarita recently, putting a stop to the destruction of mangroves in the area. CENR Officer Mar Torres, in a press conference said that the more than 45
carcoal kilns called “bulkan” in Villareal and “pugon” in Sta Margarita are illegal as they use mangrove species for making charcoal. The “pugon” in the barangays of Sta Margarita can produce more than 30 bags in a single operation, he said. Sacks of charcoal are then shipped to Calbayog, Tacloban and Catbalogan where demand is high.
Asked whether they have identified the owners, CENRO said that they have and are now preparing charges for violation of environmental laws. In Villareal town, kids as young as first graders are already experts in making “bulkan” that can produce at least two bags of charcoal, said em employee of the CENRO.
When asked what alternative livelihood the DENR can provide the folks engaged in charcoal making, PENR Officer Elpedio Simon said that they have allotted some P20 M for the National Greening Program (NGP) in the areas where there is rampant cutting of mangroves. “There are people’s organization here under contract with DENR for NGP, yet it is sad that they are still doing this,” said Simon. The DENR admitted
they have no other choice but to file charges against those defiling the environment. Once again, Simon urged the coastal barangays to refrain from destroying the very mangrove that will protect them once calamities occur. “It is absolutely illegal to cut mangrove species,” said Simon. Mangroves, he said, are the most diverse ecosystem as fish, crabs and other marine life spawn in them. (ajc/nbq/PIA 8-Samar)
Greetings to
The Rebolusyonaryong Alyansang Makabansa (RAM) on its 27th Anniversary on November 30, 2016
Greetings from
Ecological Farmer Cooperators
Pagtinabangay Foundation
RAM Guardians Inc - Alakdan
OPINION
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
Vanguard
6
The Power of Far Vista By Phillip Ting
Soul tiredness and an anatomy of despair
I Editorial
The long and winding road
W
ith Kerwin’s entry to a case where more than 200 drug protectors and coddlers are said to be involved, many of them in powerful and influential positions, Gen. Bato de la Rosa appears jubilant, thinking that he will finally put the last nail on the coffin. But at this point of the game, this jubilant mood seems too soon. The long and tedious process is just about to unfold. A case against one suspected coddler, even with the paper trail of checks and bluebooks intact, could take years in our present courts of law, given its turtle pace. Take note that each of these suspects would have his own lawyer who would be expected to apply all the tricks of the trade just to drag the case, until the one sole principal witness, that is Kerwin, breaks down in exhaustion after endless hours in court, telling and retelling his testimony against each of the more than 200 suspects. In the history of our jurisprudence, this is probably the first of its kind,
where one person becomes a witness against a wide array of suspects. First, can he remember all the incidents involving each individual? Each would be a different story, a different occasion, a different set of circumstances. Would he be able to tell each story credibly, without faltering or sudden loss of memory and confusion? Government prosecutors should be able to let Kerwin tell the story about each coddler and protector, where and when he received the amounts, how much the amounts were, and maybe who were the other persons present. Without a material evidence showing that certain amounts changed hands, it will be the word of Kerwin against that of the suspect who, in most cases. will be a powerful and influential person. Now how can we determine if Kerwin is just out to drag the good name of the person? Difficult. In the meantime, there are forces who are out to distort the process, muddle the issues, and make
things difficult for the cases to prosper. It has begun with the murder of Mayor Rolando Espinosa who was starting to spill the beans. Witnesses are killed and the case is dismissed. That has happened too often. Thus, Bato is right to give his principal witness utmost protection. But what about the others who might be involved in one way or another? The corroborating witnesses. They too could disappear if not given enough protection. And there are a lot of them. Among Kerwin’s trusted men who had initially surrendered to Police Chief Espenido, three have already retracted their earlier statements. In all likelihood, several names earlier cited could have disappeared in their new testimonies under their new handlers. Now which affidavits are more credible? As we said, the long and tedious process is just unfolding. And it could lead us to the truth or to hell and perdition.#
The Weekly Vanguard
is the Eastern Visayas weekly newspaper published by The Vanguard Communications and Publishing Corporation, with its main office at Brgy. 95, Diversion Road, Caibaan, Tacloban City. Publisher: Bong Contapay Business Manager: Rey Enales Editor: Emil B. Justimbaste Associate Editor: Elmer V. Recuerdo Columnists: Prof. Rolando Borrinaga, Phillip Ting, Fr. Virgilio Cañete, Eric Aseo, Jun Portillo Writers/Correspondents: Miriam Desacada (Tacloban), Gina Dean (Samar), Jun Tarroza (Ormoc), Production staff: Emilio Bacoto, Sergio S. Canoy Jr., Christian RayTorres Asprenio G. Ladim Email Address: theweeklyvanguard@yahoo.com Telephones: (053) 888-0947
t comes upon you like a thief in the night. One moment, the world seems to be a brilliant place still, glimmering with potential and hope. The next moment, it feels like everything is but an illusion, a fake reality masking an unplumbed despair. Yet despite this, life must go on, and this weary path must be trod through, because there is nothing else but it. The EJK, the Marcos burial, the disappointments and disillusionment, the physical illness and bodily pains, everything all come together in a pile and must be shouldered on. It catches you at the moment of your greatest weakness, when you are sick or in pain, in doubt, in fear, or in an imprisoning solitude. The doctors have managed to develop a special language to call this malaise, this disease of the soul, and they called
it depression. Studies after studies have shown how we cope with this recurring disease, and certainly, it is easier for those younger, or those who have others to lean on. Husbands have wives to unburden themselves to, or children from whom they are inspired and take strength from their dreams of the future potential sleeping in these kids. Kids certainly do not have this problem,because the world is still too large and too new for them to feel weary of it. The young lovers, the emos, on the other hand, have their tears, lusts and passions to pass from it. The rich have their wealth and a need to spend and consume as a means to survive its time. Hermits, like me, on the other hand, only have recourse to grace, and that acceptance that this, too, shall
(Go to p. 3)
Marcos is not a hero, not absolve of his crimes
T
he KILUSANG PAGBABAGO stands that the burial of the late dictator Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani (LNMB) does not make him a hero nor absolves him of his grave crimes of thievery, oppression and brutality against the thousands of Martial Law victims and the nation as a whole. He remains as the worst President in Philippine history. To paraphrase the late Filipino nationalist historian Renato Constantino Sr., history can never be re-written, changed nor claimed by the oppressors, dictators and self proclaimed heroes and heroines because it is the masses and the masses alone who make history. President Rodrigo Duterte has given his firm stand on the Marcos burial; his acquiescence simply reasoned with the law. The Supreme Court has also spoken. Whether their respective stands maybe legally and politically contentious, but it is up to the Filipino people to judge. Still we continue to grieve and we have learned so much lessons from this issue. We continue to support the struggles of the Marcos victims for real justice; in fact, many among our ranks victims of Marcos regime remain indignant and demanding. However, as Filipino patriots and democrats, these should not hinder us from advancing vigorously our struggle for real change. As a people’s social movement of the Duterte forces and other patriotic and democratic forces, KILUSANG PAGBABAGO CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE DUTERTE REGIME especially in its unrelentless campaign against drug menace, organized crimes and corruption; its campaign vs poverty, underdevelopment and for intensifying social services; its campaign for land reform and moratorium on land use conversion; its peace talks with the CPP-NPA-NDFP, MILF and MNLF; its platform for federalism; and its pursuit of an independent foreign policy. The KILUSANG PAGBABAGO HOWEVER RESERVES THE RIGHT TO EXERCISE PRINCIPLED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DUTERTE REGIME on issues that affect the basic interests and aspirations of the Filipino people, especially the marginalized classes and sectors. Council of Regional and Provincial Focal Persons KILUSANG PAGBABAGO 19 November 2016
OPINION Vanguard
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
Vintage View
Voices
By Prof. Rolly Borrinaga
ByJun Portillo
Rewriting history
H
istorical revisionism is now a worldwide phenomenon. And it had succeeded in unsettling the conventional view of history. Some of us here in Leyte and Samar are not exactly ignorant of the global trend. After all, some of the seminal works on what is now called “regional” or “local” history were about the history of Leyte and Samar. We would like to share with our readers some other thoughts about the “revisionist approach” that we use in writing historical articles. These were taken from the May/June 1995 issue of Index on Censorship, a journal published in London. The whole issue was devoted to the topic “Rewriting history” and includes articles of similar efforts around the world (USA, Russia, Japan, Israel, Korea, etc.). The first quoted material is the editorial for the whole issue; the second is the concluding paragraph of an article entitled “Revisionism”:
All change on the history train “’Historians are dangerous, and capable of turning everything topsy-turvy. They have to be watched,’ said Kruschev in 1956 – one of the more candid admissions that people in power try to determine the history of their nations. “It is a good moment to be looking at censorship in the writing of history. 1995 is a year of important anniversaries – of the end of the war in Europe, the liberation of concentration camps, the first use of the atom bomb, the signing of the UN charter, the fall of Saigon – and of the first shot fired in the American War of Independence. “Some of the reordering of history has been particularly unsettling. In Germany a main thrust of the anniversaries this May has been to establish the sufferings of the German people rather than the horrors of Nazism. In Russia, key material from the Central Party archive
Reflectors
Reynaldo B. Almenario
Eradicating extreme poverty by 2030
O
(First of a series)
urs,” said the late Fr. Horacio de la Costa, Filipino Jesuit scholar, historian and writer, “is a society where justice is not conspicuous, where too few have too many and too many have too less.” Said many decades ago, this courageous declaration remains no less valid today than the day it was written. Now as then, the Philippine situation stays as a great divide between the few rich and the destitute majority. Official government statistics, of course, belie this assertion. National poverty, said the National Statistics Authority (NSA), declined steadily over time: 22.9 percent of all families in 2009; 22.3 percent in 2012; and 19.1 percent in 2013. Similarly, it said the trend in subsistence incidence (or food-poor families)
is declining. From 10 percent in 2009 and 2012, it was down to 10.7 percent in 2013. On the other hand, results of self-rated poverty surveys of the Social Weather Station (SWS) reveal a story in qualitative and quantitative contrast. Incorporating more basic food items than the NSA’s “food basket,” the SWS said there were 49 percent of all families who considered themselves poor in 2009, a level that rose to 52 percent in 2012, then slid back to 49 percent in June 2013. Likewise, 19.2 percent of all families in March 2013 said they experienced hunger, a level that rose to 22.7 percent in June of the same year. There thus appears a huge chasm between the official poverty and hunger statistics and those gathered by the privately run
7
has not yet been made available, despite promises. “In Korea, the story of the Korean ‘comfort women’ is only now being fully told – a story of 200,000 young girls kidnapped and coerced into brutal prostitution for the Japanese military, and brushed under the carpet for nearly 50 years by the Japanese, Korean and US governments. Now the women themselves have broken their silence … “The comfort women exemplify what is so disturbing about revisionist history - (it often exposes the) triumph of official orthodoxy, the voice of power, (in) obliterating the diverse voices of the people, for political ends. “Even where the rewriting of history is a cause for rejoicing – the defeat of authoritarianism or racism, as in Russia or South Africa – there is still the danger of a new orthodoxy. “One safeguard against the distortion of history is
(Go to p. 8)
SWS. It is difficult to judge which estimates are more realistic, given the differing methodologies employed by both statistical agencies. The implication of such disparity can be significant, even confusing, when it comes to making realistic targets on poverty reduction measures. This suggests that a common definition of poverty, let alone extreme poverty, need be crafted and a more rational survey methodology collectively designed. This essay will go by Wikipedia’s definition of extreme poverty as “severe deprivation of basic human needs, including food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities, health, shelter, education and information.” More than this, the global definition should incorporate “severe deprivation of peace and political freedom” to which every human being is entitled. Deprivation of peace can be quantified by the number of people enveloped by internal conflicts or foreign invasions, and deprivation of freedom by a similar number of people under dictatorial or martial rule. Meanwhile, the 2013 official Philippine poverty incidence estimate was 19.1 percent of all families, or around 3.73 million families involving some 18.7 million people. Eradicating this much pov-
A
Way too far
rmed men barged into our home and brought me to a camp. They detained and interrogated me. I was taken…just like that.” My teacher in UP proceeded to tell the experience in one of our conversations at Dunkin’ Donuts in Tacloban. I shook my head with deep sadness fighting the urge to cry in public. Another friend also endured the long and grueling interrogation. He had gone through harrowing mental and physical torture. He was also taken without warrant of arrest from where he lived, brought and detained somewhere, tortured, and imprisoned in a camp together with many other political detainees. Just hours after suspension of the writ of habeas corpus by then president and soon-to-be dictator Ferdinand Marcos, thousands of Filipinos across the country were forcibly taken to a camp or to a safe house out of nowhere to be interrogated or tortured or killed or all of that. In Hinunangan, Southern Leyte, a farmer was taken from his house, thrown into a jeep and dragged to a safe house. “Even before they started questioning me, they beat me up because, they said, they wanted to introduce themselves to me…” stated the farmer in a court testimony. The worst was yet to come. Ron de Vera’s mother was also taken and detained when he was a child. Ron now works for Amnesty International. His parents went underground to evade martial law but his mother, Adora Faye, was arrested. She was stripped, beaten and raped. She got pregnant and was forced to undergo abortion. Even people who refrain from involvement were not spared. Such is the story of Josephine Dongail, employee
of Development Academy of the Philippines. She was detained because of her workrelated association with Horacio Morales who was then vice president of DAP before going underground. By the time martial law was over, 70,000 Filipinos were arrested, 35,000 of them were tortured and 3,257 were killed. The count is from American historian Alfred McCoy. Behind the numbers are ordinary folks who went through extraordinary ordeal in the hands of people who did it with impunity. There was no legal process whatsoever. Well, there was a process. Good people, cream of the crop of their generation, principled citizens were taken from their homes, detained and then subjected to abomination. These was all made possible because of a legal ploy - suspension of Habeas Corpus. When the possibility of the suspension of habeas corpus was brought up in the national conversation and with the burial of Marcos at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani today as I write this, I was immediately reminded of those stories heard first hand and the stories read or heard from others. Habeas Corpus is a writ (court order) that commands an individual or a government official who has restrained another to produce the prisoner at a designated time and place so that the court can determine the legality of custody and decide whether to order the prisoner’s release. Our president’s determination to eliminate the drug problem is admirable. Legal arrests of suspects are commendable. But killing drug suspects while in prison, whoever killed them, is going too far. Suspending Habeas Corpus, even just thinking about it, is going way too far in the wrong direction. #
erty by end of 2030 would mean lifting at least 237,695 families a year (1.19 million people) above the poverty line, beginning in 2015. How do we propose to achieve this milestone? It is interesting to note that Fr. de la Costa described the Philippine situation as an issue of inconspicuous justice. Indeed, citing the IMF et al as data sources, Prof. Tadem wrote that, in 2011, the poorest 10 percent shared but 2.2 percent of to-
tal income or consumption, while the richest 10 percent partook of 33.4 percent (Philippine Daily Inquirer, May 4, 2014). In the same year, the richest 40 Filipino families, said the former national economic planning secretary, Dr. Cielito Habito, received 76 percent of the growth in gross domestic product. Clearly then, the Philippine problem, or the global poverty problem for that matter,
(Go to p. 8)
Vanguard
8
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
PASAR rehabs 2 workers P22M works rushed
Isabe, Leyte - This is one for the books. Instead of firing two of its employees addicted to drugs, the company has medically rehabilitated them and reinstated them to their jobs. Legal and corporate affairs officer of the Phil. Associated Smelting and Refining Corp. (PASAR), Atty. Noli Del Rosario, said after the company found out they were under the influence of drugs from their urine tests, they sent them to a psychiatric clinic in Tacloban for treatment, the expenses paid for by the company while under suspension from their jobs. They were restored to their jobs after their rehab, he said. This is in accordance with PASAR’s core values anchored on “fairness, team-
work, integrity, malasakit and excellence.” This happened long before Pres. Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs as one of the two has already reached his retirement age. As for the Endo (end of contractualization) issue, Del Rosario said their firm is studying if some 700-800 contractual employees can be absorbed as regular employees considering the nature of their work, such as janitorial services, emergency job hiring, and job contracts from agency companies. He said for over a decade ago no labor strike has had occurred in PASAR. This means there is harmonious relation between labor and management in industrial workplace as its workers are among highest paid employees in Eastern Visayas re-
gion. He said if PASAR export products decline, it will affect the region’s domestic products as Isabel is the only industrialized town in Eastern Visayas. This happened sometime in 2012 fire incident here and during the 2013 Typhoon Yolanda. He also said the good news is that the National Economic Dev’t. Authority (NEDA) has a “copper road map project,” which means that a Japan company might build a process plant inside Leyte Industrial Development Estate, to transform its copper cathodes into electrical wires and the like two years from now. PASAR envisions that its company is “to be the benchmark copper smelter and refinery.”(By Jun Tarroza)
Merida, almost crime-free Merida, Leyte - Given its figures on crime incidence, this town may qualify for the term ‘crime-free’. According to records at the police station, there were two to three cases of salvaged victims dumped in Barangay Can-unzo here two months ago, but the cadavers had no claimants. According to Police Chief Ruben A. Recilla, they had only one death under investigation since the war on drugs began. Recilla said the body had multiple gunshot wounds, and according to his investigators, the victim was not a resident of Merida. The victim had a big “Raquel” tattoo on his breast, behind the right ear and side of his right palm. Recilla suspects the victim was killed in Ormoc City and was dumped in this town. He said the cadaver they buried had a nameless tomb. He said his investigators went to several areas in Ormoc but no one would tell them about the victim, apparently afraid that they would be implicated in his crime. The police chief also said that that was one of three crime incidents for the past five months since July. The two other two cases were a
(Eradicating...from p. 7 is a fundamental issue of injustice, or the concentration of resources and wealth of this earth, including political power, in the hands of a few. The culprit is a prevailing global economic, political, and cultural system that worships and defends absolute ownership of private property, even resources that ought to be shared rather than owned individually or by select groups. Truly, the Philippine and the global poverty situ-
An old acacia tree marks the center of the town. homicide and a physical injury. This crime rate is very much lower compared with 12 crime incidents of the same period last year, the cop said. He said such crimes in the town are manageable even as they are continuing Oplan “Tokhang” operations, which meted 111 surrenderees to date. He said Merida has slight problems on illegal drugs. There are no big-time pushers after they filed a case against three drug profile personalities here. He said his 22 policemen are sufficient to serve nearly 30,000
constituents. To keep illegal drugs away from the town, the police continue to educate the people here about drug awareness through symposiums, house visits, and implementation of the curfew hours for minors. In the words of one local officials:”Maayo na siya nga hepe kay simple, boutan, ug motrabaho sab. Dili parehas niadtong una nga hepe nga kusog momasyada sa buwangan (He is a good chief because he is simple, good and diligent. He is unlike the previous chief who frequented the cockpit.)”. (By Jun Tarroza)
ation cries for a just re-distribution of the wealth of the earth such that the poor majority who have as much right as the few rich to lead a decent, human living are also benefited. More than this, eradicating extreme global poverty requires governmental, nongovernmental, inter-governmental and inter-nongovernmental collaboration towards progress of all peoples, by all peoples and for all peoples. (Next serial: Some Strategies to Eradicate Extreme Poverty)
(Rewriting...from p. 7 a free press, and we don’t have much cause for rejoicing on that front. There are journalists in all continents who are under threat of imprisonment or death … Free speech, as ever, is a hard and costly business.” (Editorial written by Ursula Owen) Revisionism “Even as history succumbs to the influence of science, it is becoming less ‘scientific’ in the conventional
Isabel, Leyte municipal hall Isabel, Leyte - For about five months, the administration of Mayor Saturnino Medina Jr. has been able to fast track its infrastructure projects worth over P22 million. This is according to Municipal Engr. Armand A. Oliveros during an interview by The Weekly Vanguard in his office last Tuesday. He said the projects they are now implemented are the solar-powered street lightings worth P9 million, P5-M flood control river dike, P5-M road concreting, P1.5-M baywalk beautification, P800-K installation of CCTV cameras, and P1.2-M hospital perimeter fence. He explained Medina administration has come up with such a street lighting project so that the local government can save people’s taxes from paying electric bills and can use it when at times of natural calamities such as during typhoons. The project will cover the installation of 100 posts in the
town proper. The road concreting and flood control, located at Brgy. Marvel, would provide easy access road and flood reduction risk for Badiaos at the Dupong River. He also said the CCTV will be installed in Isabel’s 24 barangays for security and monitoring purposes. Likewise, Oliveros said the hospital, which Medina built during his first term as mayor and went through rehab project under former mayor Greg Cerillo due to typhoon Yolanda, will be operational after the local government finalizes its organizational and staffing structure. He said the P10-M one-storey hospital building has a floor area of 504 square meters. Oliveros said Mayor Medina has a list of infrastructure projects, but these had just gone through public bidding, which means they will have budget for these in the next year.# (By Jum Tarroza)
sense. Out of structuralism and post-structuralism, a new humanism has evolved that relishes texts as evidence of themselves rather than as means to reconstruct events. “A new antiquarianism has arisen, which ransacks middens and treasuries for instructive objects. Historians are getting out of the archives into the open air – walking in the woods, strolling in the streets, making inferences from landscapes and cityscapes. “The avant-garde are incorporating oral research and personal experience into their work, to the dismay of those still trapped in the lanes of a race for objective truth. The best effect of these changes is that there are now again history books that are works of art as well as of scholarship. “Great history, like great literature in other genres, is written along the faultline where experience meets imagination. When well written, it has all the virtues of egghead fiction, plus better plots. Right now, the past has a great future.” (Concluding paragraph of the article “Revisionism” by Felipe Fernandez-Armesto)
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DTI holds seminars on fair trade laws Borongan City, E. Samar (PIA) - The Department of Trade and Industry-Eastern Samar Provincial Field Office (DTI-Eastern Samar) continues to implement Fair Trade Laws seminars to local business owners in the various municipalities and city of the province. Ligaya Catuday, Chief, DTI Eastern Samar Consumer Welfare Division, said seminars are part of the agency’s Consumer Education Program aimed at inculcating to local business owners their rights and responsibilities. She also disclosed that they have already visited three municipalities and one city to implement these seminars participated by local business owners, particularly the ones with an existing businesses. The municipalities are Dolores, Guiuan, and Oras and Borongan City. These places can also be considered as the major trading centers of Eastern Samar based on the fact that this seminar is being held annually as part of DTI-Eastern
Samar’s regular program. Catuday further said that it is important to always notify business owners regarding these seminars to avoid incurring a penalty if ever they have a violation. Also discussed in these seminars were the topics on business name registration, product standards, sales promotion permit application, and the implementation of the Price Tag Law. During these seminars, business owners, especially the ones with 100, 000 capitalization, were also notified to strictly implement the 5% senior citizens’ discount in basic and prime commodities. DTI-Eastern Samar also encouraged establishments and stores selling Christmas lights to sell only genuine ones with genuine ICC stickers to ensure the safety of the consumers. A surprise monitoring and visit of stores which sell these Christmas lights will be held anytime this month to inspect these commodities if they follow product standards. (ajc/ SDC/PIA-Eastern Samar)
Any definition of a culture of peace must address the problem of achieving justice for communities and individuals who do not have the means to compete or cope without structured assistance and compassionate help. -- Mahnaz Afkhami
Ormoc airport reopens By Ronnie Roa Ormoc City – The city’s fastest link to Cebu and Manila is already in service after it was inaugurated with the Cebu Pacific ATR 72-500 landing in Ormoc Airport last November 19, 2016, 37 minutes after it departed from Cebu at 7:48 AM that same day. This was based on the record by the flight stewardess. The maiden flight of CebuPac carried 31 passengers including Ormoc Mayor Richard Gomez. For the record, he was the first passenger to step on the tarmac.
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Its introductory fare is only 599 pesos only as their promo fare booked from July 5-7, 2016. Their regular fare is at 1,591 pesos, the “cheapest,” said Alex Reyes, CebuPac VP for Cargo. The return flight to Cebu carried 54 passengers. On this same date, there were also maiden flights from Cebu to Calbayog City and Roxas City. Reyes said with these additional flights, the links to various islands in the region will be strengthened and and will allow every “Juan” to fly to dynamic cities in the Visayas region faster and more conveniently. Trina Dacoycoy, Supervising Tourism Officer in Eastern Visayas said this will boost the tourism industry in Eastern Visayas as tourism is equated to connectivity. Tourist destina-
Photo by Ronnie Roa
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
tions should be accessible by air, land and sea, she added. They agreed that reopening Ormoc airport will benefit businessmen and tourists that will boost the economy in the region. To recall, Typhoon Yolanda destroyed the new airport terminal building on November 8, 2013 even before it was utilized. Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) representative Danilo Abareta said he will recommend the immediate rehabilitation of the building to their director general. Capt. Jim Sydiongco. The city government here had already rehabilitated the access road and the concreting of the parking area before the airport reopening. Reyes also announced that in 5 years CebuPac will acquire 48 brand new aircrafts that will add new trips to Ormoc.#
Drug rehab center opens in Dulag Tacloban City, Leyte (PIA) – Persons who show addiction to drugs may now seek confinement at the newly rehabilitated facility of the Department of Health, formerly Saving Lives at a Common Ground (SALAG) facility, located in Dulag, this province. DOH program officer Michael J. Tenebro announced this during the Panginsayod ha PIA held Friday at PIA regional office 8. Tenebro said the drug rehabilitation and treatment center helps individuals to be free from dependence on drugs while improving their lifestyles. “A six-month detoxification treatment will be given to the patient and possibly to last for a year. Afterwards, he will undergo a holistic after care services by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for 18 months,” Tenebro said.
Privately-owned rehabilitation centers usually cost more compared to government run-rehab centers. Affluent families are charged P10,000 monthly fees to cover the patient’s stay including board and lodging, therapies, medicines and other rehabilitation services. However, for people who cannot afford to pay the monthly fees, the center offers free rehabillitation services, provided a certification from DSWD is secured attesting that the patient is indigent and a court clearance for his temporary confinement. To date, 11 individuals are being treated at the center which has a 110-bed capacity. The DOH-TRC, which was destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, region reopened last September 7, this year.(cba/PIA8)
Vanguard
10
Nov. 21 - 26, 2016
City Govy FB page
Are the fountains finished? By Jun Tarroza Ormoc City - In the eyes of the public, the fountains in front of the city hall are fully operational as demonstrated last October 30 when they were opened for everyone to see. Mayor Richard Gomez himself said they are just putting the finishing touches for them to become fully operational. But as of last week, the fountains were blanketed with blue plastic tarp around
each of them. No billboard signs were seen around them to indicate project name, cost, name of the contractor, duration and target completion of the project, information that the public are entitled to. In a check with the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) where biddings are supposed to be posted, the fountains were bid in two separate amounts. The fountains are supposed to cost
P13,332,794.53. The first one worth P2,832,794.53 was published in PhilGEPS on October 6, 2016. The Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) chaired by City Administrator Vincent L. Emnas approved an “Invitation to Bid” with a closing date on Oct. 26, 2016. The work includes “excavation, reinforcing steel, concrete works, waterproofing, installation of Ashlar Stone, stainless steel works, and electrical works.” It should
last no more than 60 calendar days. In another invitation to bid for a project worth P10.5million, it was formally opened to public bidding on November 8, 2016. The project involves the “supply and installation of multi-pattern modular fountain,” and this was also in front of the old city hall and public plaza. By this time, somebody should have been already awarded the contract
Cucina de Amelia
But it appears that the fountains have been worked on earlier because as of October 30, it was already gushing with water amid colorful lights. A check with the bids and awards committee vice chairman Engr. Domardoni Cayanong regarding the status of these projects proved futile. The said official did not return messages sent by this paper or answer telephone calls.#
Dealer & merchandiser of imported kitchenwares
Maharlika Highway, Brgy. Tagak, Carigara,Leyte.