A
2
News
THURSDAY
October 22, 2015
150,000 kids in Luzon
displaced by‘Lando’
M
BY MICHAEL JOE DELIZO
REPORTER
ORE than 150,000 kids were
affected by Typhoon Lando,
which recently steamrolled
Central Luzon and Northern Luzon,
according to Save The Children, a
Makati City-based humanitarian
organization.
The group on Wednesday said
the children are staying in cramped
evacuation centers, having been
displaced by massive flooding in
their respective communities.
It has mounted an emergency
response that gives priority to relief support, education, health and
child protection in the affected
areas with a commitment to stay
there for three to six months.
“The typhoon continues to put
more children at risk, and we are
now very concerned about their
safety with severe flooding being reported. We expect that the
worst affected families will face
prolonged stay in evacuation
centers, and this raises our concern considering such spaces are
usually unsuitable for vulnerable
children to live in for an extended
period of time, because of limited
hygiene and sanitation facilities,”
Ned Olney, country director for
the Philippines of Save The Children, said.
The group aims to come to the
aid of 8,000 households in the
worst affected areas.
It said it is preparing an initial
1,000 relief kits for dispatch to
Aurora, Bulacan and Pampanga,
three of the provinces hit the hardest by Lando.
The Save The Children will also
be sending emergency supplies
to the most vulnerable families
affected by the typhoon such as
tarpaulins to serve as emergency
shelters; basic household kits containing kitchen utensils, mosquito
nets and sleeping mats; water
items, including water purification
tablets; and household kits with
soaps, towels and toothbrushes.
The United Nations Children’s
Fund (Unicef) has also expressed
concern about the plight of children especially in remote areas of
the country.
“Unicef’s first priority is to
ensure children are safe and protected. Following a typhoon, children face risks from contaminated
water sources, lack of food, and
epidemics such as cholera, hypothermia, diarrhea and pneumonia. Second, we must ensure that
the rhythms of children’s lives,”
Philippine Representative Lotta
Sylwander said.
The typhoon’s “slow-moving
path includes mountainous and
hard-to-reach areas [and] we are
concerned about the well-being
of all affected children there.
Unicef is ready to move with
response as soon as asked by
the government.”
Save The Children said it has to raise
$2.8 million to replenish its supplies.
OFW advocate is Binay party’s guest candidate
AN overseas Filipino worker
(OFW) advocate has accepted an
offer of the opposition United
Nationalist Alliance (UNA) to be
the latter’s guest candidate for the
2016 elections.
Susan “Toots” Ople, also the
lone senatorial bet of the Nacionalista Party (NP), on Wednesday
said she is also open to other endorsements, as long as these are
based on a keen interest in and appreciation of her cause to promote
the rights and welfare of OFWs.
Ople is running on a platform that
is focused on OFW and labor rights.
“I am in this race because I have
ideas to share and concerns to
raise. My father had always waged
his political campaigns based on
issues, not personalities. I shall
endeavor to do the same, no matter how difficult that may be given
the weird political environment
that we are in,” she said.
Susan is the youngest daughter
of the late former senator and Labor and Foreign Affairs secretary
Blas F. Ople.
The decision to accept UNA’s
offer came after Ople met with
Sen. Gregorio Honasan, the vicepresidential candidate of UNA
standard-bearer Jejomar Binay, last
Monday in Quezon City.
Honasan, Vicente Sotto and Tessie Aquino-Oreta were together in
the Senate with then-fellow senator Ople.
Honasan “gave me advice and I
felt his sincerity all throughout our
conversation. He also understands
and appreciates my predicament
because the NP has not just one,
but three members vying for the
vice presidency. He emphasized
that the offer came without any
conditions from UNA. We agreed
to collaborate on certain issues,
particularly on global security concerns that now have an impact on
the lives of our OFWs,” Ople said.
In particular, the labor advocate
expressed concern over the plight
of more than a thousand Filipinos,
mostly women domestic workers,
still in war-torn Syria.
The Russian government has
been reported to be aggressively
using its air power to back embattled Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad against various rebel
groups including those influenced
by the ISIS.
“Lives of Filipinos overseas
hang in the balance in conflictaffected countries such as Libya,
Syria and Iraq. Let’s keep tabs on
them, and beef up resources for
our embassies to be able to protect
them,” Ople said.
The senatorial aspirant from
Bulacan also urged the Overseas
Workers’ Welfare Administration
(OWWA) to offer calamity assistance to OFW families affected by
Typhoon Lando.
Her hometown of Hagonoy,
Bulacan, is among those affected
by floodwaters from Pampanga.
“With billions in membership
funds, OWWA has the capability
to assist its members and their
families direly affected by this
recent calamity. Certainly, it can
mobilize its regional offices to
spearhead relief operations, and as
a clearing house of information for
OFWs who are unable to contact
their families in calamity-stricken
areas,” Ople said.
She received the Hero Acting to End
Modern-Day Slavery Award from the
US State Department in 2013.
Ople was also conferred with the
Alumni Achievement Award from
the Kennedy School of Government-Harvard University in 2010.
She is the only national candidate running on a platform against
human trafficking, and for the protection of OFW rights and welfare.
“This is a 24/7 concern of mine,”
Ople said.
2 Chinese
diplomats
UNDER INVESTIGATION
Two Chinese nationals, a consular officer (left) and her
husband (right, with handcuffs), suspects in the shooting of Chinese consul general Song Ronghua at a restaurant,
talk to an interpreter at a police station in Cebu City. AFP PHOTO
gunman casually walked into the
restaurant and fired at the victims.
Santander said Gou was also arrested after witnesses said she took
the pistol that Li allegedly left on
the table before he fled.
A local police official, meanwhile, said they were prohibited by
higher headquarters (Camp Crame
I Quezon City) from making
further statements as the incident
involves “national security.”
Another police source said they
are yet to determine the motive
behind the attack but apparently
the suspects and the victims knew
each other.
Stephen John Patero, the restaurant manager, said the shooting
happened in a private room of the
upmarket restaurant, a favorite of
local politicians.
“We did not really see the actual shooting. They were inside a
private function room. There was
a series of gunshots,” Patero told
Agence France-Presse by phone.
But, according to him, waiters
who served them beforehand
had heard the guests shouting at
each other.
“They are all friends who appar-
ently figured in an argument,” he
said, citing the waiters.
A spokesman at the Chinese Embassy in Manila, Li Lingxiao, said she
could not comment immediately.
“Our embassy is still verifying
the facts. We’ll update you as soon
as I have anything new,” Li said in
a text message.
Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman Charles
Jose said he also had no comment,
as authorities were still determining what happened.
WITH BERNICE CAMILLE V.
BAUZON AND AFP
n GIVING UP FROM A1
Cayetano: I’m not giving up on Duterte
According to the Commission
on Elections’ 2016 elections
schedule, the last day for the
substitution of candidates is on
December 10.
Cayetano said Duterte had told
him in a telephone conversation
that “it’s only God who knows if
I will become President, and then
there is still December.”
Duterte did not show up at the
Comelec main offices in Intramu-
EDUCATION Secretary Armin
Luistro has warned public school
teachers nationwide against involving themselves in partisan
politics as the 2016 election nears.
He noted that public school
teachers, including school heads,
should remain non-partisan and
continue to uphold neutrality
during elections.
“We [at DepEd] have always
reminded our teachers not to participate in partisan politics and to
be models of professionalism at all
times but most especially in these
months as we near the election
period,” Luistro told this reporter
in a text interview on Wednesday.
The DepEd chief also asked
candidates not to use the teachers
to advance their political interests.
“At the same time we appeal
to our candidates for local and
national positions to keep our
teachers free from pressure and
partisan interference. Our teachers have election duties that we
need to keep beyond reproach,”
Luistro said.
For the past years, public
school teachers had been deputized as poll workers as mandated by the law.
The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition
(TDC) in an earlier statement called
on the government to make election
duties optional, not mandatory.
The group said the teachers,
who are the frontliners during
elections, should be freed from
compulsory poll duties as most of
them experience sleepless nights,
hunger, fatigue and sometimes
harassment from candidates.
Worse, it added, some of the
teachers have become victims of
violence in election “hot spots.”
Luistro, in an earlier interview,
said he is open to suggestions that
teachers should not be forced to
render election duties next year.
Rep. Antonio Tinio of Alliance
of Concerned Teachers partylist has filed House Bill 5412,
which seeks to make election service non-compulsory for public
school teachers.
“With the proposed legislation
on optional service for teachers,
that would be an additional support and help so they will not be
harassed,” he said.
The DepEd chief noted that the
Education department and the
Commission on Elections are also
discussing raising the payment of
teachers who render poll duties.
“Last May 2013 elections, teachers were given P3,000 and an additional P500 for testing and sealing
and P500 for transportation if they
are Board of Election Inspectors
(BEI) members,” he said.
Meanwhile, Rep. Joselito Atienza of Buhay Hayaang Yumabong
party-list wanted to increase the
honorarium of teachers serving
during elections to P8,000 from
the proposed P4,000.
NEIL A. ALCOBER
Aquino awaits Congress
OK of lower tax rate bills
PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino 3rd
has not closed his doors to pending proposals seeking to lower
income tax rates in the country.
Presidential Communications
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. on
Wednesday said Aquino will wait
for lawmakers’ final push for their
proposed income tax cuts.
“We recognize the mandate
of Congress to initiate revision
of laws involving revenue generation for the government,”
Coloma told reporters.
“We will await specific proposals from Speaker [Feliciano] Bel-
monte [Jr.] and other leaders of
Congress,” he said when asked if
Aquino is still willing to consider
arguments of lawmakers.
Last month, President Aquino
rejected legislative measures
aimed at lowering the prevailing income tax rates, saying
these will not help the economy
and the people.
Aquino said income tax cuts will
decrease government revenues and
expand tax collection deficit.
He added that these scenarios will
affect the country’s credit ratings.
CATHERINE S. VALENTE
Bettor from Batangas
bags P69-M lotto pot
n DIPLOMATS FROM A1
Chief Supt. Wilben Mayor said in
a text message.
Song was appointed consulgeneral in charge of the Chinese mission in Cebu only last
September.
Two were arrested after the
attack--Li Qing Liang, reportedly
the husband of a diplomat at the
consulate, and Gou Jing, a member of the consular staff, according
to Mayor.
He said police retrieved a semiautomatic .45 Colt Defender
pistol, three spent shells, two
deformed slugs and a live round
from the scene.
The attack took place at 1:30
p.m. at the Lighthouse Restaurant
on Gen. Maxilom Avenue.
A report from Cebu radio station
dySS said the diplomats together
with a group of Chinese were attending a birthday celebration inside the restaurant’s function room.
Supt. Romeo Santander, chief
of the Cebu City Police Office
Criminal Investigation Branch,
told The Manila Times that he
DepEd chief to teachers:
Avoid partisan politics
ros, Manila, last Friday, the last
day for the filing of COC, where
about a hundred of his supporters
gathered, expecting that he would
file his COC for President.
Cayetano, who is eyeing to
team up with the Davao mayor,
and his supporters also awaited
Duterte’s arrival after he filed his
COC last Friday.
Instead, former Quezon City
barangay (village) captain Martin
Diño filed his COC for President
shortly before the final hour struck
as a candidate of PDP-Laban.
PDP-Laban president, Sen. Aquilino Pimentel 3rd earlier announced that they will make
Duterte as their official candidate.
Diño filing his COC was seen
as an “insurance move” to enable Duterte to come in as a
substitute candidate.
Cayetano said Duterte sym-
bolizes hope as he could shake
things up.
He added that he is certain that
more people will be thankful than
those who will get angry if the
mayor changes his mind.
“I am excited on what he can
do for the country. I’m not saying
that he is perfect, but I think he is
the only candidate who will exactly tell you what to do directly,”
Cayetano said.
A BETTOR from Batangas has
claimed the more than P69-million
jackpot prize in the Mega Lotto
6/45 draw of the Philippine Charity
Sweepstakes Office (PCSO).
The PCSO assistant general manager for Gaming Sector, Conrado
Zabella, said the winner is a 55-yearold businessman from the province.
The winner got the winning
combination 07-09-12-20-21-25
through Lucky Pick.
Zabella said the winner has
been betting in lotto for 10 years.
The winner, he added, plans
to put additional capital to his
existing business, help his poor
relatives and finance the education
of out-of-school children.
“The PCSO always wishes lotto
winners to spend their winnings
wisely, invest in good businesses, save
some in the banks, for their children’s
education and future,” Zabella said.
He added that the PCSO wishes
the winners to also give a part of
the jackpot to charity.
The winner received his prize
check at the charity agency main
office in Mandaluyong City (Metro
Manila) on Tuesday.
RITCHIE A. HORARIO
n PETITION FROM A1
Habeas corpus petition
Lowell was later released after
complainants signed affidavits
of desistance.
He later went public and denied
that he had been abducted.
In a nine-page complaint, the
petitioners asked the SC to order
the respondents to bring with them
before the court the living bodies
of Lowell, his wife Jinky, daughter
Yurie and househelp Abbegail.
They also alleged that their family members and househelp were
in the custody of the respondents.
The petitioners moreover alleged that Lowell was abducted by
unidentified armed men while he
was walking to his pastoral house
in Bulan, Sorsogon, last July and
his wife was compelled to be placed
under the custody of the INC after
she was threatened on the phone by
Esguerra that she would no longer
see Lowell if she would not appear
at the INC Central Office on Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City.
They also claimed that the
INC was behind the abduction
of Menorca as well as his family’s
allegedly illegal detention.
The petitioners said the INC
leadership believed that Lowell
was also Antonio Ebangelista, the
blogger who wrote about an alleged controversy in the INC.
They expressed fears that for
as long as Lowell and his family
remain in the custody of the INC,
their safety is in danger.
If ever the respondents deny that
the Menorca family is in their custody,
the petitioners asked the SC to order
the inspection of the INC Central
Compound where the victims were
believed to have been brought.
They asked the tribunal to order
the submission before it of relevant documents, including the
electronic surveillance reports of
ACTIV, the Internet technology
department of INC, and direct the
respondents neither to get near
nor contact the Menorca family.
PNA
The Manila Times
News
Vatican denies report
Pope has brain tumor
THE spokesman for the Vatican has called a
newspaper report that Pope Francis has “a
small dark spot on the brain” as unfounded.
According to the Vatican Radio, Father
Federico Lombardi, director of the Holy See
Press Office, issued the denial after an Italian newspaper reported that Pope Francis
had sought treatment for a tumor.
Lombardi said Pope Francis was carrying
out his activities as usual and the spread of
unfounded rumors was “extremely irresponsible and not worthy of attention.”
The report came from the Quotidiano
Nazionale newspaper.
“Also, as all can see, the Pope continues
to exercise his intense activity without
interruption and in an absolutely normal
way,” Lombardi’s statement said.
In the report on its front page on
Wednesday, the newspaper said the
78-year-old pontiff was taken to a clinic
near Pisa in Tuscany in Italy to see a Japanese doctor named Takanori Fukushima
“some time ago,” who determined a small
dark spot on the Pope’s brain could be
cured without surgery.
The Vatican on Wednesday dismissed
an Italian media report that Pope
Francis has a treatable brain tumour as
“unfounded and seriously irresponsible.”
Quotidiano Nazionale (QN), the newspaper which made the claim, said it stood
by its story that a “small dark spot” had
been detected on the 78-year-old pontiff’s
brain earlier this year.
The paper said it was discovered by
Japanese physician Takanori Fukushima
during an examination at the San Rossore di
Barbaricina clinic near Pisa in central Italy.
The professor reportedly concluded
that the tumor was treatable and that
no surgery was required.
Andrea Cangini, the director of
Quotidiano, said he had expected the
Vatican’s statement.
“This denial is understandable and
expected,” he said. “We waited a long time
before publishing the report in order to
carry out every possible check. We don’t
have the slightest doubt that it is founded.”
Pope Francis has maintained an intense work schedule throughout his two
and a half years in the Vatican, eschewing the long summer breaks enjoyed by
many of his predecessors.
He has looked extremely weary at
times and in several interviews he has
made reference, sometimes lightheartedly, to an apparent belief that he
only has a few years to live.
The Argentinian nearly died as a
young man after contracting an infection which resulted in the removal of
part of his right lung.
AFP
thursday
October 22, 2015
a
3
Comelec powerless vs
premature campaigning
By WILLIAM B. DEPASUPIL Reporter
T
HE Commission on Elections
(Comelec) calls the shots in
all poll-related matters but it
is helpless when it comes to illegal
campaigning.
Comelec Chairman Andres
Bautista admitted that the Supreme Court ruling on the Penera
vs. Comelec virtually abolished
illegal campaigning as an offense
when the campaign period has
not officially started.
The commission has earlier directed its legal department to come
out with a memorandum on what a
candidate can and cannot do before
the campaign period.
However, the draft report submitted to him only touched on
actions that a candidate can do.
This prompted the Comelec
chief to call on Congress to come
up with a measure that will clearly
set the guidelines on what a candidate can and cannot do starting
from the filing of certificates of
candidacy (COCs) up to the start
of the campaign period.
“The call is really on Congress
in order to come up with a law
that would spell out with clarity
which actions are allowed from
this period until the campaign
period, from the filing of COCs
to the election period and which
activities should not be allowed,”
Bautista said.
“The problem is this decision on
the Penera case which appears to
prohibit nothing. We’ve been saying that there should be a law that
would regulate from now and the
election period,” he told reporters.
In its 2010 ruling, the High Court
reversed its earlier decision in the
Penera vs. Comelec case where it
disqualified Sta Monica, Surigao del
Norte Mayor Rosalinda Penera as
a candidate in the 2007 local elections for violation of Section 80 of
the Omnibus Election Code which
prohibits premature campaigning.
With the reversal, the SC effectively nullified Section 80 of the
Omnibus Election Code. Section
80 states that “it shall be unlawful
for any person, whether or not a
voter or candidate…to engage in
an election campaign or partisan
political activity, except during the
campaign period.”
The Comelec chief lamented that
the SC ruling tied the hands of the
poll body.
“If you look at the decision of the
SC in Penera, technically you can
only engage in prohibitive campaign
activities during the campaign period. Essentially before that you’re
free to do [anything],” he explained.
Bautista said the Comelec legal
department continues to study
and find ways how the poll body
can regulate activities with corresponding penalty for violators
to level the playing field between
rich and poor candidates.
He said the Comelec is also in
the dark when it comes to handing
down penalties for poll violators.
“The law is very clear, particularly
penal law, that if you’re not given
authority by Congress to provide
the punishment you just can’t do
it,” he explained.
Palace bows to SC ruling stopping Arroyo trial Marcos defends Santiago
MALACANANG on Wednesday
said it is bound to respect the
Supreme Court (SC) order
stopping for 30 days the plunder trial of former President
Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at
the Sandiganbayan.
“Well, that is a resolution of
the Supreme Court. As always, we
will respect and respond to (it)…
I think there is a resolution asking
government to respond. So we
will just act on what the Supreme
Court has directed the government
to do,” Palace spokesman Edwin
Lacierda said.
In a press briefing, Lacierda also
subscribed to the possibility that
Arroyo may not even be convicted
of the charges against her during
the administration of President
Benigno Aquino 3rd.
“There’s an expectation but
there is also the reality that the
judiciary operates separately, independently from the Executive
branch,” the official told reporters.
He maintained that the tribunal has the sole power to act on
such cases.
“When it comes to the judicial
process, we always defer and respect
the process and how a particular case
proceeds,” Lacierda pointed out.
The SC issued a status quo ante
order in relation to the case involving the allegedly anomalous
disbursement of the intelligence
fund of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO)
amounting to P365 million during Arroyo’s term as president.
The High Court also ordered
the Sandiganbayan’s 1st Division
to comment on Arroyo’s petition
for certiorari, which was filed by
her legal counsel, former Solicitor-General Estelito Mendoza.
JOEL M. SY EGCO
SENATOR Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
on Wednesday defended Senator Miriam Santiago from calls
for her to release her medical
records to prove that she is
physically fit for the presidency,
noting that her right to privacy
should be respected.
“Ako, pagka sinabi niya na kaya
niya ang mangampanya, na magaling
na siya, e di sino pa ba paniniwalaan
ko kung hindi si Senator Miriam,
(if she said that she can join the
campaign and that she is well, then
there is no reason to doubt Senator
Miriam),” Marcos said in a television interview.
Dr. Sylvia Estrada Claudio, in
an open letter to Santiago, asked
5 TRC execs dismissed
HOSPITAL VISIT Former president Gloria Arroyo arrives at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in
Quezon City for a medical checkup. She will stay at the hospital until Thursday. Photo by Mike de Juan
Employees entitled to 1-hour meal period
Dear PAO,
Is there any specific law regarding the lunch period for employees?
I am about to start my own retail
store where I have four personnel.
I want to know the exact legal rule
on the length of lunch breaks that
I should give to my employees to
comply with labor laws. Thank you
in advance for your advice.
Oscar
Dear Oscar,
The answer to your concern
is found in the Implementing
Rules of the Labor Code of the
Philippines which specifically
provides for the mandatory duration for meal periods. According
to this rule:
Section 7. Meal and Rest Periods. — Every employer shall give
his employees, regardless of sex,
not less than one hour time-off for
regular meals, except in the following cases when a meal period of
not less than 20 minutes may be
that the senator’s medical records
be released.
But Santiago rejected the request.
“If she (Claudio) wants to she
can go to St. Lukes Medical Center
and she can formally ask there in
writing then St. Lukes will follow
their protocol and abide by it,” the
feisty senator said.
Before she filed her certificate of
candidacy for president, Santiago
said she has been cured of lung
cancer. She chose Marcos as her
running mate.
Marcos said that talks are still
ongoing between his camp and
Santiago to discuss the details of
their alliance.
JEFFERSON ANTIPORDA
dear pao
persida
acosta
given by the employer provided
that such shorter meal period is
credited as compensable hours
worked of the employee:
(a) Where the work is nonmanual work in nature or does not
involve strenuous physical exertion;
(b) Where the establishment
regularly operates not less than
sixteen (16) hours a day;
(c) In case of actual or impending emergencies or there
is urgent work to be performed
on machineries, equipment or
installations to avoid serious
loss which the employer would
otherwise suffer; and
(d) Where the work is necessary
to prevent serious loss of perishable goods.
Rest periods or coffee breaks
running from five (5) to twenty
(20) minutes shall be considered
as compensable working time.
(Book III, Rule I)
As mentioned above, employees are entitled to a regular meal
period of not less than one (1)
hour. Should you provide your
employees a meal period that is
less than one (1) hour, you will
be required to provide compensation for the employees during
the said shortened meal period as
part of their working hours.
In addition to this, the law also
recognizes situations wherein the
duration of a meal period can be
less than one (1) hour but not
shorter than twenty (20) minutes.
This arrangement is applicable
only if the nature of the work
and the working conditions are
among those described in the
abovecited law. And even during
this shortened meal period, the
employees must be compensated
since this will still be part of their
working hours.
In summation, an employee
is legally entitled to be given a
non-compensable meal period of
not less than one (1) hour. Any
meal period less than one (1)
hour, subject to the aforementioned conditions, will entitle the
employee compensation since it
will be considered as a part of an
employee’s working hours.
Again, we find it necessary
to mention that this opinion
is solely based on the facts you
have narrated and our appreciation of the same. The opinion
may vary when the facts are
changed or elaborated.
We hope that we were able to
enlighten you on the matter.
Editor ’s note: Dear PAO is a
daily column of the Public Attorney’s Office. Questions for Chief
Acosta may be sent to dearpao@
manilatimes.net
OMBUDSMAN Conchita Carpio
Morales ordered the dismissal of
five officials of the Technology
Resource Center (TRC) for their
alleged involvement in the misuse of the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) or pork
barrel allocations of three former
lawmakers totaling P101 million.
Dismissed were former Deputy
Director General Dennis Cunanan,
Chief Accountant Marivic Jover, Budget
Officer IV Consuelo Lilian Espiritu,
Sales and Promotion Officer V Belina
Concepcion, and Internal Auditor V
Maurine Dimaranan. They were found
guilty of grave misconduct, serious
dishonesty and conduct prejudicial to
the best interest of the service.
The TRC officials were accused
of facilitating and approving the
illegal disbursement of the pork
barrel of former Representatives
Alvin Sandoval, Anthony Miranda
and Constantino Jaraula.
The TRC was the implementing
agency of projects identified by
the lawmakers.
The Office of the Ombudsman
said that its investigation “uncovered irregularities such as lack of
public bidding in the procurement
of projects, lack of due diligence
and audit in checking the track
record and financial capability of
the selected NGOs, acceptance of
fabricated liquidation reports, list
of recipients/beneficiaries, inspec-
tion reports, progress reports and
other PDAF-related documents.”
Jaraula is facing graft, malversation, and direct bribery charges
in connection with the allegedly
anomalous use of his PDAF totaling
P50.5 million from 2004 to 2007.
Pork scam witness Benhur Luy
has alleged that Jaraula received
kickbacks of P20.8 million.
Cunanan, Jover, Concepcion,
and Dimaranan were among indicted along with Jaraula.
In July, graft and malversation
charges were filed against Sandoval
for the alleged misuse of his P30
million PDAF allocation from 2007
to 2009 which was released to TRC.
The Ombudsman said the TRC
channeled the funds to the Dr. Rodolfo A. Ignacio Sr. Foundation Inc.
(DRAISFI), Pangkabuhayan Foundation Inc. (PFI), and Jacinto Castel
Borja Foundation, Inc. (JCBFI).
Graft and malversation charges were
also filed against Miranda last month
in connection with the release of P20
million of his PDAF in 2007 to his own
NGO Aksyon Makamasa Foundation
Inc. (AMFI) for livelihood projects
which were allegedly non-existent.
Miranda’s co respondents include
Ortiz, Cunanan, Jover, Group Managers Maria Rosalinda Lacsamana
and Francisco Figura, and Concepcion as well as AMFI representatives
Domingo Mamauag and Edison
REINA TOLENTINO
Sabio.
Metro cities adopt
typhoon-lashed areas
THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Metro Manila mayors
agreed to adopt some local government
units (LGUs) hit by Typhoon Lando.
During the meeting of the Metro Manila
Council (MMC), MMDA Officer in Charge
Emerson Carlos approved the resolution to
adopt some LGUs to speed up their recovery.
Carlos said a Metro Manila mayor will
select one or several LGUs that it will
assist for a year.
The MMC, composed of 17 mayors of
the National Capital Region, is the policymaking body of the MMDA.
The money to be utilized for the
adopt-an-LGU scheme will come from
the disaster risk reduction management
fund of Metro mayors.
The council initially listed 18 municipalities in Luzon affected by Lando that
will be adopted.
Muntinlupa City will adopt Jaen and
Lupao, both in Nueva Ecija; Valenzuela City
will adopt San Antonio, Nueva Ecija; Las
Piñas City will help Calumpit, Bulacan while
Quezon City will adopt San Miguel, Bulacan;
Bambang, Nueva Ecija; and Baler, Quezon.
San Juan City meanwhile chose Caba,
La Union and Manila, Cabanatuan City.
RITCHIE A. HORARIO