Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
City status for Naga, Carcar – Sun.Star Cebu!
The towns of Naga and Carcar in southern Cebu may be converted into cities before next year’s elections.
Rep. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, 1st district) announced yesterday that the proposals may be taken up by the Senate when sessions resume next month or in July.
“We are hopeful,†he said, adding that there are 23 pending proposals for cityhood.
Gullas said the House of Representatives already approved the creation of the 23 cities during the 11th Congress, whose term ran from 1998 to 2001.
However, the proposals were set aside because of the impeachment trial of former president Joseph Estrada.
Gullas said the petitioners already appeared before the Sen. Alfredo Lim, chairman of the Senate committee on local government, so the proposals will be taken up.
Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong said the town is “ready†for cityhood.
With an increase in the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA), Chiong hopes to bring more services to his constituents once Naga becomes a city.
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Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
Dinagat residents uncover ‘firestones’ – Sun.Star Cagayan De Oro!
Wilma Catoto, a Surigao City resident with relatives in the island to Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro how the stone taken out from a glass filled with water bursts into flames when exposed in a matter of seconds to thin air outside her home.
Catoto through her son, Roel, a journalism graduate from the University of the Visayas cut out a small portion of the “miracle stone” and soaked it into a glass of water.
But the stone still flared up when exposed to air.
Catoto said Dinagat residents stockpiled the stones they discovered but are hesitant to bring it along with them whenever they visit this seaport city of Surigao due to the danger it may cause during their travels.
“The danger is that when the stones are taken out from its container where it was soaked and suddenly burst into flames that it would near gasoline or alcohol,” Roel Catoto said.
Catoto claimed that some government officials already have pieces of the stone, which includes Surigao del Norte Governor Robert Lyndon Barbers.
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Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
Hospital chief assures enough medical supplies – Sun.Star Baguio!
PATIENTS of the Benguet General Hospital (BeGH) would be expecting better health services with its operation as an economic enterprise.
This was disclosed by BeGH Administrator Esteban Piok, who said hospital clients would be assured of adequate medical supplies in their pharmacy since the health institution has now created an independent Bids and Awards Committee (BAC).
He said the creation of the hospital’s BAC would significantly improve the procurement system of the health institution.
“The acquisition of medicines for the pharmacy would now be faster because the procurement process is done here,” said Piok, who is also the Provincial Health Officer of Benguet.
One of the complaints received by the hospital management, according to Piok, is the lack or absence of needed medicines in their pharmacy, which usually happens because they have to forward to the provincial BAC requests for medical supplies first.
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Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
Bing dismisses Qui̱ones РSun.Star Bacolod!
City Legal Officer Allan Zamora told the members of the City Hall Press Corps that the mayor filed the charges last March 9 after Quiñones failed to answer the mayor’s memorandum issued last Oct. 14, 2005.
Zamora said his personnel served the order at Quiñones’ house. However, he said, Quiñones did not accept the order and instead will be filing an appeal before the concerned agencies.
Zamora explained that despite many reminders, Quiñones failed to perform his duties as city accountant and failed to produce documents that were asked of him.
Sun.Star tried to reach Quiñones for reaction but failed.
Leonardia relieved Quiñones last year as City Accountant and appointed Eduardo Ravena as replacement.
In his Memorandum 176 issued Oct. 14, 2005, the mayor filed administrative charges against Quiñones for “absence without official leave” and “gross neglect of duty.”
Still, Quiñones “failed and/or refused to file his answer.”
The charges stemmed from the Commission on Audit (COA) report dated January 26, 2005 which stated that Quiñones failed to submit and continued to defy demands to submit reports required by the audit office in violation of Presidential Decree 1445, particularly Section 474 and 374 of the Republic Act No. 7160, or an act providing for a Local Government Code of 1991.
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Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
COPS FOIL LABOR DAY BOMB PLOT – Tempo News!
By AARON B. RECUENCO
Authorities claimed it had foiled a bombing plot in Metro Manila following the confiscation of explosive materials in a raid at a suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) hideout in Marikina City.
But Senior Superintendent Asher Dolina, chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group- National Capital Region, said the confiscated explosives are not actually meant to blow up buildings and vital installations but for crowds, bolstering police theory that they will be utilized during the international Labor Day celebration on May 1.
Among those seized were hand and rifle grenades, detonating cords, blasting caps and six pieces of explosive substances stuffed in a block-type made of light materials. “These explosives are ready for detonation, the grenades could just be easily thrown to the crowds on May 1,” said Dolina.
Dolina said no arrest was made when his men raided the house located at 21 Champagne St., SSS Village, Marikina City, at around 9 a.m. yesterday. He revealed that the house is being rented by a group of some ASG members sent to carry out terrorism activities in the metropolis.
In a document released by the police, some of the occupants of the raided bungalow-type house are Victor Zimenez, Jojo Janjalani, Neri Villacastin, Ismael Yusuf and Datu Ismael Usop alias Alex.
Janjalani is reportedly a cousin of Abu Sayyaf chieftain Khaddafy Janjalani, a suspect in the 2001 kidnapping of 20 people, including three Americans, from the Dos Palmas resort in Palawan.
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Posted by Michille on 28th April 2006
Aquino: ‘This is not the time for Charter change’ – INQ7.net!
First posted 11:56am (Mla time) April 28, 2006
By Maila Ager
INQ7.net
WHILE acknowledging the need for reforms, former president Corazon Aquino said this was not the time to implement Charter change and that the government must first address pressing problems in the country.”While I’m for amendments, not at this time because there are more serious problems that we have to address,” Aquino told reporters before a dialogue on the people’s initiative for Charter change (Cha-cha) at the Club Filipino in San Juan.
Former Vice President Teofisto Guingona agreed and said the government’s decision to institute reforms was a mere “cover-up to divert people from the real issues.â€
Aquino and Guingona are at the forefront of “STOP (Sa Tamang Oras at Paraan) Cha-cha,” which seeks “to ardently oppose the Charter change railroad” of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. Also in the bandwagon are senators and congressmen and civil society, Church and business groups.
Aquino said the people must be informed before being asked to sign up for a people’s initiative, a process that would eventually pave the way for Charter amendments.
She said she joined the coalition of multi-sectors opposed to Charter change to help explain to the people why they should either support or not support the initiative, especially now that the government seemed to be rushing it.
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