Prov'l administrator bashes Joson's 'disruptive' acts

Lawyer Alejandro R. Abesamis, provincial administrator and legal officer, called as "disruptive" the acts of Vice Gov. Edward  Thomas F. Joson in canceling last March 14 the appointments of six chiefs of offices appointed by Gov. Aurelio M. Umali and replacing them with former Joson administration officials.

Gov. Aurelio M. Umali went on leave to go the United States and Singapore from March 12 to 25 for personal reasons. The leave was authorized by Interior and Local Government Sec. Ronaldo V. Puno.

In Umali's absence, Joson took over as acting governor last March 13.  The following day, he issued 20 memoranda canceling or suspending Umali's appointees and reinstating former chiefs of offices.

Among the Umali appointees affected were Leoncio A. Daniel, OIC of the provincial social welfare and development office who was replaced by Zoilo Pangilinan; Eng. Vicente Santos, OIC, provincial engineer, replaced by Eng. Edgardo Gabata; Eng. Roque Roberto Leoncio, OIC, provincial general services office replaced by Arthur Serdeña; Ma. Cristina G. Roxas, OIC, provincial accounting office, replaced by Romeo del Mundo; Mary Grace L. Irabagon, OIC, provincial tourism office, replaced by Annaliza A. Eugenio; Eng. Maximo A. Borja, OIC, provincial environment and natural resources office, replaced by Jose N. Quiseng

Abesamis admitted that Joson had the legal capacity to "automatically exercise the powers and perform the duties" of the governor but questioned what he termed the "disruptive effect" of Joson's actions.

He said that official business transactions stopped arising from the confusion as to which official to follow, especially in the payments of salaries.

Abesamis said that Joson, as acting governor, was prohibited by the Local Government Code from exercising the power to appoint, suspend or dismiss employees which can only be done if the period of temporary incapacity of the governor exceeds 30 working days.

He advised various department heads and employees to maintain the status quo ante while awaiting the result of a legal inquiry that he made to the Department of Interior and Local Government and the Civil Service Commission on the legality of Joson's actions.

Umali's panel of lawyers also considered filing a court suit for mandamus to contest the legality of Joson's actions. ###
 
 

Umali back from foreign trip

Gov. Aurelio M. Umali returned to his post last March 24, one day earlier than expected, after a much needed vacation in the United States and Singapore during the Lenten break.

He reported that he met with several overseas Novo Ecijanos who pledged to extend support to their compatriots back home.

In Houston, Texas, Umali said a group of Fil-American physicians who conducted a medical mission in Nueva Ecija made several pledges for hospital equipment for local hospitals that are in dire need of these

Umali said that Novo Ecijanos in the US and Singapore committed pledges for his "bayanihan concept" of road building, citing the Pinanggaan Road in Jaen that was funded by private donations of 3,000 bags of cement,  constructed using public road building equipment, with local residents providing the labor.

To bring the government closer to the people, Umali said he had  been moving around the 27 towns and five cities of the province to feel the pulse and needs of poor residents. He said that he would devote the next 100 days of his term to using the inputs of his leg work and the commitment of support from various investment sectors who have been assured of a sound business climate because of the prevailing peace and order situation in the province. ###
 
 

40% drop in Ecija index crimes noted

The Nueva Ecija police recorded a 40% drop in index crimes during the first quarter of this year compared to 2007.

A total of 69 crimes committed against persons or property was reported during the period compared to 116 during the same quarter last year.

Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas, Nueva Ecija police chief, said the strict implementation of high police visibility under the "Mamang Pulis" project of Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon, Jr. accounted for the decrease in index crimes.

Taas also reported the arrest of 140 wanted persons, including Patricio Quiambao and Catalino Garcia, the second and 15th most wanted in Nueva Ecija, respectively.

"We are aiming high because Novo Ecijanos are now cooperating fully with their local police," Taas said.

He said citizens are now reporting crimes or the presence of undesirable persons in their neighborhoods by texting 0917-9379079. ###
 
 

Ecija cops go hi tech

Files and other crime updates of the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office can now be accessed through the computer.

This, after the provincial police went high tech with its main command, 27 municipal and five city police stations and three mobile groups getting connected to the Internet for the first time after Sr. Supt. Napoleon C. Taas assumed office as Nueva Ecija police chief.

The provincial command in Cabanatuan City is now a WiFi zone, equipped with two local area network hubs using two wireless routers from Smartbro and PLDT. ###
 
 

Ex-ABC president shot dead

A former Association of Barangay Captains president was shot and killed by four men after stepping out of the San Isidro parish church in Barangay Poblacion, San Isidro last March 29.

The victim, Rodolfo "Uding" Lopez of Barangay Pulo, was formerly an ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and a political coordinator of 4th Dist. Rep. Rodolfo Antonino in the KAMPI-Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija coalition of the Josons.

Lopez was attacked after hearing Mass with his family at about 7:40 PM.

He sustained four gunshot wounds and was declared dead on arrival at Good Samaritan Hospital in Gapan City.

Before Lopez died, he told a witness that his former driver was one of the trigger men. ###
 
 

Edno files bill to privatize rice importation

First Dist. Rep. Eduardo Nonato "Edno" Joson has filed a bill seeking to privatize rice importation in the country.

Under the present set up, the National Food Authority (NFA) is mandated by Presidential Decree 1770 to import or cause the importation of food products and commodities or raw materials, equipment and facilities needed for the manufacture and processing of food commodities.

Joson's bill known as the "Rice Importation Privatization Act" wants those functions transferred to the private sector because of rising rice prices resulting in the increase of NFA debt stock.

His bill proposes to reduce, if not eliminate, the debt stock by allowing the private sector to enter the process using its own funds.

He said that with the removal of NFA's monopoly on rice importation, rice will no longer be considered as a political commodity and without sacrificing the buffer stock requirement for a stable rice supply that will come from local palay procurement. ###
 
 
 

HOLY WEEK 2008 in Gapan City

Land conversion blamed for rice crisis

Butil Party-list Rep. Leonila Chavez has blamed the wide scale conversion of agricultural lands, especially in Central Luzon, for the food crisis facing the country.

Chavez, chair of the House special committee on food security, said the conversion of irrigated lands into subdivisions and malls has weakened the capability of the country to become a prime rice producer in Asia.

She said that the government should restrict land conversions. At present, she said that there are only two million hectares of irrigated lands left in the country, much too small compared to those in Thailand and Vietnam. ###
 
 

Lapus disagrees with Joson's anti boxing bill

Education Sec. Jesli Lapus disagreed with a bill filed by First Dist. Rep. Eduardo Nonato "Edno" Joson to outlaw boxing and other "violent sports".

Lapus said boxing is one of the age-old sports where Filipino athletes have gained international recognition. He said boxing is even included in the annual Palarong Pambansa scheduled to held from April 20 to 26 in Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.

Joson filed House Bill 3743 banning "violent sports". He mentioned boxing, calling it a dangerous sport whose basic intent is to inflict physical injury on the opponent.

He cited studies showing that boxing resulted in permanent damage to the boxer, including brain injury, blindness and deafness and even death in some cases. ###
 
 

Infrastructure boom in Pantabangan

Some P470.7 million worth of projects is triggering a construction boom in Pantabangan, called the province's "Little Baguio" for its cold climate and the potential to become a tourist destination.

Mayor Romeo Borja, Sr. said that P266.7 million of the municipal government's projects are ongoing.

The biggest is the construction of the new Pantabangan P70 million municipal building in front of the old municipal hall, funded by a loan from the Philippine National Bank and expected to be finished by October.

Borja also reported that the P30 million road concreting of the 2.7 kilometer Malbang Road has been completed while the other road projects -- the P40 million, 3.5 kilometer Conversion Road; the P29 million, 2.8 kilometer Ganduz-Sampaloc Road and the P15 million, 1.2 kilometer Cadaclan-Napon-Napon Road -- are in various stages of completion.  Preparations have also been completed for the P25 million, two kilometer Marikit Road and the two kilometer East Poblacion Road.

The municipal government is also constructing two to four classroom school building in East Poblacion, San Juan, Poblacion West, Marikit and Malbang, and a health center in Villarica that will serve the adjacent barangays of Malbang and Liberty. ###
 
 

PCSO to NBI: Probe cops' involvement in illegal number game

The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) asked Philippine National Police chief Avelino Razon, Jr. to investigate some police officials running an illegal number game in Nueva Ecija using the results of the Keno Online games of PCSO.

PCSO Director Larry Cedro said his agency's Online Lottery sector group under Assistant General Manager Conrado Sabello would also conduct its own investigation to verify reports that some local police officials are using the Keno Online games for the illegal number game activities in Talavera, Llanera, Aliaga and Carranglan.

A week earlier, PNP Region 3 chief Errol Pan ordered his men to raid the so-called Keno-jueteng operation in Barangay Calipahan, Talavera resulting in the arrest of 26 persons.

The operator of small town lottery (STL) in Nueva Ecija had filed a complaint with the PCSO against the Keno-jueteng operations allegedly being run by a Supt. Vero of the CIDG and a Supt. Divina of Camp Crame.

Vero is allegedly the husband of a town mayor in Nueva Ecija.

The Keno-jueteng operation has an outlet in Zaragoza, with bet collectors using legitimate Keno play slips and IDs to make their operation appear legal.

Cedro warned residents of Nueva Ecija that the game is not sanctioned by PCSO and is therefore illegal. ###
 
 

Suspect in killing of Japanese national arrested

The Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office announced the arrest last Easter Sunday of the alleged gunman in the killing of a Japanese national during a robbery in Barangay Macatbong, Cabanatuan City last March 5.

The Nueva Ecija police director, Sr. Supt. Napoleon C. Taas, said Lauro Roxas Javier, 36, of Purok 6, Barangay Bagong Sikat, Cabanatuan City was arrested in Barangay Mabini Homesite after two weeks of manhunt.

A team led by the city police chief, Supt. Eliseo D. Cruz, arrested the suspect while with his live-in partner, Jenn Alingasa. He yielded a 9mm pistol with five bullets and Bajaj motorcycle while the woman was held for possession of several drug paraphernalia.

Javier was identified as the person who shot Junichi Itoh, 45.

Itoh, his wife, children and some friends just came from a swimming party and were on their way home when the robbery happened.

Taas said a key witness, Ramon Huerta Balintag, father in law of the victim, positively identified Javier as the gunman.

 Another witness said she overheard Javier and a cohort talking about a foreigner that they had killed this March. ###
 
 

Nampicuan teacher gunned down

A 52 year old teacher was gunned down in Barangay Narvacan, Nampicuan last March 17.

The victim, Onofre Buan of Barangay Cavite, Nampicuan, was riding his motorcycle in Barangay Narvacan when two unidentified suspects fired at him.

Investigators later recovered three caliber .45 shells in the crime scene. ###