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Umali charged anew

A new case of violation of the Anti Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, Civil Service Law and the Local Government Code has been filed against Gov. Aurelio Umali by a former provincial official.

In his complaint,  Romeo T. del Mundo, designated provincial accountant since October 1993, said Umali went to his office after winning the gubernatorial election and forced him to resign, else he would be transferred to another position. Because del Mundo knew that he had security of tenure because of his permanent appointment, he said that he did not resign and was subsequently detailed to the Provincial Information where he had nothing to do.

He said that last  February, he was transferred to the office of the provincial administrator under lawyer Alejandro Abesamis and was asked to do things that he considered as an insult to his being a department head.

Del Mundo said that from April 21 to May 30, he was asked to go to various places in the province to do internal audits of hospitals and income generating offices of the provincial government. ###
 
 

Ecija prepares for typhoon but gets spared

Though the destructive typhoon "Frank" spared Nueva Ecija from a direct hit, the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) readied its forces made up of police and military personnel, engineers and civilian volunteers as early as two days before the weather disturbance passed west of the province.

The PDCC vice chair, Sr.  Supt. Napoleon Taas, provincial police director, said several search and rescue teams from the police mobile groups were activated.

In Cabanatuan City, the city police chief, Supt. Eliseo Cruz, placed on stand by a group of interagency volunteers to respond to flooding in several low-lying barangays like Imelda and those across the Pampanga River.

Dr. Abraham Pascua, Department of the Interior and Local Government provincial director, said that engineering equipment were readied for dispatch when necessary.

He said Gov. Aurelio Umali asked the PDCC to ensure the availability of safe evacuation centers.

Meanwhile, the operations manager of the National Irrigation Administration-Upper Pampanga River Integrated Irrigation systems, Eng. Antonio Nangel, allayed fears that rains brought by the typhoon could result in the spilling of Pantabangan Dam.

He said the water elevation of the dam was at 200.3 meters as of June 22 -- way below the automatic spilling level of 221 meters.

Before the rains brought by "Frank", the water level at the dam was at 199.6 meters.

"We still have to impound water for the reservoir," Nangel pointed out. ###
 
 

DA starts distribution of farm subsidies

The Department of Agriculture (DA) has started distributing fertilizer discount coupons to farmers, with rice growers in Nueva Ecija and Pangasinan being the first beneficiaries in Luzon of the fertilizer subsidy program jointly implemented by the department and local government units.

Sec. Arthur Yap said that the innovative subsidy program was launched to help rice farmers cope with the spiraling cost of fertilizer across the globe.  He said that intervention measures such as fertilizer and seed support and irrigation maintenance are vital cogs in the two-year,  five-harvest plan to raise the country's rice self-sufficiency from a projected 92.38% this year to at least 98% in 2010.

Under the program, Luzon farmers receive discount coupons worth P500 for their fertilizer purchases with the implementation of the scheme timed to coincide with the wet or main cropping season.

Earlier, Yap flew to the Science City of Muñoz to distribute two coupons worth P250 each, to each of hundreds of farmers.

The local governments are providing counterpart funds for the subsidy program to help assure them of much higher rice yields per hectare. ###
 
 

Ecija wants to be RP's dairy capital

The Umali administration has launched a mass based project initiated by the Department of Trade and Industry's "One Town, One Product Program" and in coordination with the Muñoz-based Philippine Carabao Center to make Nueva Ecija the country's top producer of carabao milk.

Gov. Aurelio M. Umali said the provincial government will provide technical and financial support to the project to further strengthen the local dairy industry and make it into an alternative source of income for farmers.

Brigida Pili, DTI director for Nueva Ecija, said the project had been launched in Talavera, Llanera and Guimba and in the Science City of Muñoz.

She said that the production of milk and milk products like pastillas de leche and mozzarella cheese has become a rich source of alternative income in those areas.

The DTI is preparing for the holding in July of the "Second Gatas Festival" in support of the program. Recognition will be given to farmer cooperatives, local entrepreneurs, technical institutions and local government units who have participated in promoting the local dairy industry. ###
 
 

Cabanatuan eyes 47 new school buildings

The Cabanatuan City government plans to build 47 public school buildings consisting of 125 classrooms this year to support the education infrastructure program of the national government.

Mayor Alvin Vergara said the project aims to solve the classroom shortage resulting from the big jump in enrollment in public elementary schools.

Many parents opted to enroll or transfer their children in public schools because of the high tuition in private schools.

The planned new buildings will replace the dilapidated ones damaged by termites and earthquakes.

Vergara said the lack of school buildings forced some schools to use barangay halls, school grandstands and stages as temporary classrooms.

The school building program will cost P100 million, with P90 million borrowed from the Development Bank of the Philippines. The remainder will be shouldered by the city government. ###
 
 

Edno wants a ban on smoking in schools...

First Dist. Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson filed House Resolution 16 seeking to ban smoking in campuses, schools and universities nationwide.

In a statement posted on the web site of the House of Representatives, Joson said that studies conducted here and abroad unanimously concluded that thousands of people have died from smoking.

"Despite these alarming studies, surveys revealed that four out of 10 students aged 13 to 15 years old in the Philippines are smokers," Joson said.

He cited reports from a global youth tobacco survey that as many as 21.6 percent of Filipino students are smokers, and that 20% of young Filipinos begin smoking before the age of 10, while 70% start the habit at the age of 20.

Joson explained that his resolution aims to protect and promote the people's right to good health and instill health consciousness among them. ###
 
 

... and a House probe on the safety of student dorms

First Dist. Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson filed House Resolution 580 calling for a congressional investigation on student dormitories and boarding houses in the country to determine if they meet the necessary safety standards.

He said that dormitories and boarding houses like those in the University Belt in Sampaloc, Manila are dilapidated, unsanitary and unsafe and many such facilities remain operational despite their failure to comply with health, safety and structural standards.

He pointed out that owners and operators of the housing facilities neglect to provide their boarders and occupants with basic amenities such as fire protection, lighting and electricity, proper ventilation and study areas.

He said that it is imperative that measures be adopted to provide safe, clean and convenient accommodation to students to promote their educational, social and cultural development. ###
 
 

Agreement for Pantabangan forest land use plan signed

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Environmental Governance Project Phase 2 (ECOGOV 2) and the local government of Pantabangan signed an agreement last June 24 for the protection of the forest resources in the municipality.

The Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) was signed by Eng. Regidor del Leon, DENR-Region 3 executive director; Dr. Rogelio Serrano of ECOGOV 2; and Mayor Romeo Borja

The signing rite was witnessed by Raul Battang of CENRO-Talavera, Melanio Abalos of MENRO-Pantabangan and representatives of ENRO-Nueva Ecija and National Power Corporation.

Pantabangan is the site of a watershed that feeds water to the giant Pantabangan multipurpose dam. ###
 
 

Cabiao sorghum production for bio-fuel will not affect rice production

Cabiao Mayor Abundia Garcia assured that the massive planting of sweet sorghum as a bio-fuel crop in her town would not affect local rice production.

Garcia said the areas planted to sweet sorghum used to be idle lands, and existing rice lands are not affected.

The mayor led local officials in unveiling a plan to plant sweet sorghum in 7,000 hectares of agricultural lands in the next two years to provide 49,000 local farmers and their families with a total of P1.5 billion in potential yearly income.

Garcia said that the municipal government will put up a multi-stock distillery plant in the impact zone of the sweet sorghum project, capable of producing up to 100,000 liters of ethanol  -- a gasoline substitute -- daily. This is in line with the national government's thrust of tapping environmentally friendly source of energy.

Last March, the mayor, Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator Jose Hipolito and Municipal Agriculturist Ruperto Joson, Jr. led local officials in harvesting sweet sorghum at a two hectare portion of the plantation in Barangay Bagong Sikat.

Targeted as sites for the mass production of sweet sorghum are barangays Entablado, Bagong Silang, San Gregorio, San Antonio, Santa Isabel and San Carlos.

Garcia said the project could restore Cabiao's former reputation as the earliest site of sugar plantation in Luzon.

Dr. Heraldo Layaoen, national program coordinator for sweet sorghum and vice president for development planning and external linkages of Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte, projects that in two years, Cabiao could emerge as the capital of sweet sorghum production in Central Luzon. Ilocos Norte is the biggest producer of the cereal in the country, with some 30,000 hectares devoted to it.

Cabiao has established a linkage with MMSU for the sweet sorghum project. ###
 
 

4 summary execution victims found in Ecija

The body of four men believed to be victims of summary executions were found in a grassy lot in Barangay Sapang, Jaen last June 22.

Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas, provincial police director, reported to the regional police office at Camp Olivas that the victims were between 30 and 40 years old, hog-tied with nylon rope, with their eyes and mouths covered with packaging tape.

All of the bodies had gunshot wounds in the heads and believed killed somewhere and then dumped in Barangay Sapang.

Relatives later identified the bodies as those of Randy Valencia, a taxi driver of Barangay Bagong Silang; Mar Tecson of Barangay Polilio; and Jayson Roque of Barangay San Roque, all in Cabiao; and Efren Pimentel, a tricycle driver of Barangay Imelda, Cabanatuan City.

The police said that the victims were last seen alive at the house of a certain Victor Valencia. ###
 
 

Police arrest 88 crime suspects

The Nueva Ecija police arrested some 88 crime suspects during a nine day operation in the province.

Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas, provincial police director, said the operation done with the help of local government officials and informants, was conducted from June 11 to 20 following complaints that the suspects had been moving freely around the province.

Taas also reported that some 73 unlicensed firearms have been seized in various towns and cities of the province since January 11. ###
 
 

10 hot cars recovered in Ecija

The Highway Patrol Group 3 (HPG3) has recovered 10 hot cars in Nueva Ecija since January.

In the entire region, the HPG3 managed to recover a total of 48 vehicles most of which had been either stolen, abandoned or carjacked.

Sr. Supt. Fernando Villanueva, HPG3 regional officer, said 13 of the hot cars were recovered in different areas in Pampanga, nine in Bulacan, seven in Tarlac, seven in Angeles City, three in Camp Olivas, three in Olongapo City and one in Bataan.

He stressed that this showed that HPG3 personnel were not remiss in their job, particularly in the campaign against carjacked vehicles and cars with spurious documents.

He said the HPG3 operatives are strictly enforcing the "no plates, no travel" policy. ###
 
 

Arms cache seized in Gapan raid

The Gapan City police arrested last June 18 a 65-year old man for possession of several illegal high powered firearms and ammunition.

Supt. Marlon Bingcang, city police chief, said the raid on the house of Danilo Ramos alias Danilo de Guzman of Purok 5, Barangay Mangino yielded a .45 caliber pistol, a .30 caliber pistolized Carbine, a 12 gauge shotgun, an M-16 baby Armalite rifle and hundreds of assorted ammunition.

Bingcang said that Ramos tried to escape when he saw the approaching police patrol vehicles by blocking the road with a farm tractor.

The house was placed under surveillance for two weeks following reports that armed men had been seen several times in the area.

The suspect admitted owning the firearms but denied that he had links to any armed groups. He said he already owned the guns while he was living in Bongabon.

Charges of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition were filed against the suspect, with Assistant City Prosecutor Edwin Bonifacio recommending a bail of P80,000.

Meanwhile, Bingcang reported that an intensified police campaign in Gapan City against loose firearms from June 12 to 20 resulted in the surrender of 12 high-powered guns. ###
 
 

Hot lumber, 2 trucks confiscated in Bongabon

Two cargo trucks ferrying illegal lumber from Aurora were intercepted by a team from Task Force Pagbabago and forest rangers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Bongabon town.

A Mitsubishi closed van driven by Segundo Flores was found loaded with 198 pieces of hot lumber, while another van driven by Danilo Corpuz had 195 pieces.

The drivers failed to present documents for the lumber.

Raul Batang, central Nueva Ecija CENRO, said the illegal cargo came from Villa Aurora, Aurora and was to be taken to Bulacan when intercepted at the checkpoint in Barangay Calaanan, Bongabon.

The owner of the hot lumber was identified by the drivers as a certain Boy Kulot of Vega, Bongabon whose name was also mentioned in another anti illegal logging operation in Bongabon by the National Bureau of Investigation Cabanatuan branch.

The trucks and the lumber were impounded in Fort Magsaysay, Palayan City.

Charges of violation of forestry laws were separately filed against the drivers and Boy Kulot at the provincial prosecutor's office, with the DENR seeking a P1.4 million fine from the accused. ###
 
 

Father and son kill jeepney driver, barangay watchman

A man and his son held up a passenger jeepney in Talavera on the night of June 13, and shot and killed the driver.

Police said the suspects, Bayani Corpuz and his son Sonny Boy, killed the driver, Jesus Mesinas, 54, and wounded two passengers identified as Jennifer Andaya-Catalan, 32, a teacher, and Diana Rose Baniaga, 21, a nursing student, both of San Jose City.

Investigation showed that the robbery and shooting happened in Barangay Matingkis at past 8:00 PM.

The suspects were arrested six hours later after they shot and killed Ignacio Eugenio, a barangay tanod of Bakal Uno, and wounded his companion, Renato Salvador. ###