Pangatian remembered (though a bit late)
Umali pleads for support for 
Veterans Equity Bill

Gov. Aurelio M. Umali pleaded for support for the Filipino Veterans Equity Bill pending in the
United States Congress during the commemoration of the liberation of the Pangatian prisoners of war camp in Cabanatuan City last March 9.

The raid on Pangatian by Filipino and American soldiers, considered a classic military operation in US military history, resulted in the rescue of 516 American, British, Norwegian and Dutch POWs on January 30, 1945.

Umali and Lt. Col. Marc Arellano, US Army deputy commander of Task Force 294, laid wreaths at the site.

In his speech, the governor called on peace loving Filipinos and soldiers of various nationalities to rally support for the approval of the veterans bill that seeks to give Filipino World War II veterans the same benefits received by their American counterparts.

In an interview later, Umali remarked, "It is high time we got back what is due us."

Earlier, some 300 American soldiers participating in the Balikatan military exercise in Fort Magsaysay spruced up Pangatian Camp and painted the perimeter fence and the giant sundial that serves as marker in the site.

Lt. Col. Ken Nava, public affairs officer of Task Force 294, said the activity was a small token of their appreciation and remembrance of the "true grit" of Filipino soldiers who fought side by side with their American counterparts. [Photos by Jun Torres] ###
 
 

US ambassador praises agri sector for fighting poverty, malnutrition

US Ambassador to Manila Kristie Kenney praised Filipino farmers, scientists and extension workers for feeding the nation and working with the government to fight poverty and malnutrition.

Kenney spoke before some 1,500 agriculture stake holders at the opening of the three-day 21st National Rice Research and Development Conference at the Philippine Rice Research Institute (PhilRice) Central Experiment Station in Barangay Maligaya, Science City of Muñoz.

The conference tackled technologies and strategies to enhance productivity and sustainability of the rice industry. More than 500 scientists and research and development workers of agencies under the Department of Agriculture, state colleges and universities, people's organizations and farmer leaders attended the affair whose team was "Addressing poverty and malnutrition through rice R&D".

Dr. Leocadio Sebastian, PhilRice executive director, briefed the US ambassador on the technology that his agency is transferring to Filipino farmers. Kenney was toured around the research facilities and experimental rice farms.

Kenney said the US and Philippine governments are one in fighting malnutrition and poverty. ###
 
 

Onion farmers seek review of importation procedure

Onion farmers are urging the Department of Agriculture and the National Bureau of Investigation to review its "faulty" procedure on onion importation which has benefited big onion traders instead of small farmers.

They said the DA should prevent the recurrence of the recent importation program that allowed a single farmers' group to get hold if a big chunk of the import permits.

Last year, to ease onion prices  that had gone up to about P100 per kilo and allow onion farmers themselves to earn from the importation of the crop, the Bureau of Plant Industry issued 200 import permits to the Katipunan ng Samahan ng Magsisibuyas sa Nueva Ecija (KASAMNE) equivalent to 400 container vans with each container carrying 30 to 40 metric tons. Each permit represented the approval for the importation of two container vans.

Industry sources said that instead of benefiting some 300 small farmer members, only big traders or wholesalers which had been advancing the capitalization of the farming activities of the farmers' group earned from the onion importation.

Agriculture Sec. Arthur Yap said that the government might no longer grant a bulk of onion import permits to a farmers' association, but only 20 percent of a permit to group.

"Farmers don't have the money, the financial muscle, to do this big quantity of importation. That's why a big trader was the one who got the big profit. But the government should monitor how all these permits are being used," Yap said.

The onion industry said that the NBI should investigate the transactions made by the onion group to avoid a recurrence of similar incident once another shortage occurs. ###
 
 

San Jose bishop sends anti STL / jueteng letters to local execs

Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara of the Diocese of San Jose has intensified his campaign against small town lottery (STL) and jueteng by writing letters to mayors and vice mayors reiterating the position of the Catholic Church against the number games.

He told the local officials in the 10 towns and two cities covered by his diocese in northern Nueva Ecija not to allow the number games in their areas.

This was after the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office granted CTG Prime Ventures, Inc. a permit to operate STL, and reports of a resurgence of jueteng started to circulate.

Vergara attached to each of his letters a copy of a certificate issued by the PCSO board secretary that said that no operation of the STL would be undertaken in experimental areas where there is opposition or objection by certain officials or sectors. The letter mentioned the bishops as among the officials whose objections would be taken into serious consideration before a permit is granted for STL operations. ###
 
 

San Leonardo jueteng den raided

Elements of the Regional Mobile Group and Regional Intelligence Group from the the regional police office raided a jueteng den in San Leonardo and arrested 14 persons after the local police failed to stop the operations of the illegal game.

PNP Region 3 chief Errol Pan ordered the raid on the jueteng den in Barangay Mambangnan allegedly owned by a certain Tomboy.

The raid also resulted in the confiscation of jueteng paraphernalia.

It was learned that the jueteng operation was being managed by a barangay official. ###
 
 

Cops launch month long shootfest

Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas, Nueva Ecija provincial police director, launched the "PD Challenge" to develop and upgrade marksmanship skills of the 1,400 members of the local police force.

The project is among the first 100 days program of action being implemented by the new provincial police chief to ensure that policemen adhere to the standards set under the PNP Transformation Program.

The marksmanship training is jointly sponsored by the International Defense Pistol Association and Camp Crame National Headquarters, and is part of the "Mamang Pulis" program of the PNP chief, Director General Avelino Razon, Jr., and the Police Regional Office 3 director, Chief Supt. Errol T. Pan.

Taas said the local policemen are undergoing firearm proficiency training and actual firing at the newly refurbished provincial police firing range in Cabanatuan City.

He said that all policemen who fail in the training will have their firearms recalled and given instead to more qualified policemen who do not have guns. ###
 
 

Gapan mayor says 'yes' to conversion of towns into cities if...

Gapan City Mayor Ernesto L. Natividad said he is not against the conversion of any town into a city provided that the existing cities' share of internal revenue allotment (IRA) is not reduced.

Natividad was reacting to a call made by Rep. Juan Edgardo Angara of Aurora to governors whose provinces have no city yet, to appeal to President Arroyo to allow the automatic conversion into cities of capital towns but not to the detriment of existing cities. He has filed a House resolution seeking the conversion of Baler, Aurora into a component city to spur its economic growth.

"Sang-ayon ako na magkaroon ng siyudad ang mga probinsiya na walang siyudad upang umangat din ang kanilang ekonomiya pero huwag lang sana bawasan ang share namin," Natividad said.

The League of Cities of the Philippines has a pending case in the Supreme Court in connection with its opposition to the conversion of 16 towns into cities. ###
 
 

5 die in Quezon blast

Four children and a 20 year old tricycle driver died after a grenade launcher ammunition accidentally exploded in Quezon town last March 15.

The victims were Judy Ann Victorio, 11; her brother John Luis, 5; May Ann Jardiniano, 9; Emily Dotimas, 5 -- all of Barangay Santa Clara -- and Philip Penuliar, 20. They were rushed to the Santo Domingo General Hospital but died due to serious injuries.

Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas, Nueva Ecija police chief, said the victims were playing with a "yellowish" object before the explosion happened.

The object turned out to be an ammunition for an M-203 grenade launcher that the children found while bathing in a river. ###
 
 

3 dead, 1 injured in Talavera ambush

Three persons died, one was seriously injured, and three escaped unhurt when the Mitsubishi Pajero they were riding was fired upon last March 13 in Barangay Pinagpanaan, Talavera.

Supt. Arnel Santiago identified the fatalities as Cesar de Guzman Fraile, 68; Jessica Corpuz dela Cruz, 21; and Marie Graneya dela Cruz, 21. Wounded in the attack was Irene de Guzman, 30, who underwent treatment at Premier General Hospital in Cabanatuan City.

Those who managed to escape unhurt were Macy Fraile, 19; Yolanda Fraile, 42 and Dennis Joy Aisporna, 19.

Investigation showed that the victims' vehicle was slowly negotiating a road hump in Purok Diego Silang when two gunmen aboard a motorcycle without license plates approached and fired at them. ###
 
 

Japanese national shot dead

A Japanese national was shot dead when he fought off two motorcycle riding hold uppers who tried to take his bag in Barangay Macatbong, Cabanatuan City last March 5.

Supt. Eliseo Cruz, Cabanatuan police chief, identified the victim as Junichi Ito,  a 45 year old native of Hyogo Prefecture, a mechanical engineer and resident of Purok 3, Barangay Patalac.

Ito was shot in the face, killing him instantly.

The victim, his Filipina wife, Arlene dela Cruz Balintag,  and his mother-in-law were heading home after going swimming when the tricycle they were riding stopped because of engine trouble. That was when the robbers appeared. ###