Amante files petition for disqualification vs
Aquino
By Robert E. Roperos
BUTUAN CITY, May 10 – Incumbent Mayor Ferdinand
M. Amante, Jr. on Thursday filed a petition for disqualification against his
rival, incumbent Cong. Jose S. Aquino II before the Regional and City Comelec
here.
The petition was filed against the respondent
for having committed the prohibited acts defined under the Omnibus Election
Code.
Specifically, the petition was based on Section
68 of the code which states that any candidate who, in an action or protest in
which he is a party is declared by final decision of a competent court guilty
of, or found by the Commission of having violated Section 85, shall be
disqualified from continuing as a candidate, or if he has been elected, from
holding the office.
The petition also stated that under Section 85B
- prohibited forms of election propaganda, it shall be unlawful to erect, put
up, make use of, attach, float or display any billboard, tinplate-poster,
balloons and the like, of whatever size, shape, form or kind, advertising for
or against any candidate or political party. It is also unlawful to show or
display publicly any advertisement or propaganda for or against any candidate
by means of audio visual units.
Also, under Section 2-3, the Comelec shall
exercise the power and function to decide all questions affecting elections.
Thus, the jurisdiction of the Comelec to disqualify candidates is limited to
those enumerated in Section 68 of the Omnibus Election Code.
The petition’s cause of action stated that on or
about April 17, 2013 and within the election campaign period, respondent
installed, or, at the very least, has allowed the installation of a large
billboard, with a bulldozer displayed at its side.
The billboard and the bulldozer were displayed
along J.C. Aquino Avenue, the main thoroughfare and the National Highway in
this city, fronting the respondent’s Political Headquarters.
Thus, the billboard, notably without any
identification as to source and in whose favor it was made, conspicuously made
announcements of an allege evidence portraying petitioner as a corrupt public
official who allowed the sale of alleged serviceable heavy equipment owned by
Butuan City as scrap at a much lower price than the prevailing market value.
Amante’s petition also stated that the issue of
an alleged anomaly in the sale of the city’s heavy equipment has been one of
the central issues in the public rallies of respondent, urging the public not
to vote against the petitioner.
The petition continued that in the political
campaign materials distributed by respondent’s supporters to the electorate of
this city, the same issue involving the alleged anomalous sale of heavy
equipment, particularly a D6C bulldozer unit, has been at the fore.
It was also stated that while it was made to
appear in one of the political ads that Norbert Pagaspas, presently a Mayoralty
candidate in the Municipality of Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, bought the unit,
the pertinent Deed of Sale showed that the same was bought by a certain Angelo
C. Pomar from Cagayan de Oro City. The personal connections between Pomar and
Aquino are beyond dispute. In the FaceBook account of Angelo Pomar, numerous
pictures were shown where he was with the respondent in several occasions,
together with immediate members of their families.
The petition likewise stated that the use of
billboards as political advertisement is one of the prohibited forms of
election propaganda under Section 85 of the Omnibus Election Code.
Mayor Amante is seeking his second term as mayor
of this city while Cong. Aquino is now on his second term as representative of
the first district of this city and in Las Nieves, Agusan del Norte, and is
eligible to run for his third and last term. (Media ng Bayan/PIA-Caraga)
Naliyagan Festival 2013: Unveiling Agusan’s
culture, wealth and beauty
By David M. Suyao
AGUSAN DEL SUR, May 10 (PIA) -- The province of
Agusan del Sur will unveil its rich culture, natural wealth and beauty in the
upcoming 21st Naliyagan Festival from June 12-17, 2013.
The formal opening program on June 12 is in time
with the celebration of the 115th Philippine Independence Day which will start
at 4:30 in the morning with an ecumenical dawn prayer. This will be followed by
the holding of the holy mass at 6 a.m. in all Parish churches in the province.
While the holy mass is on-going, a Manobo ritual
called the “Panawagtawag” (Calling of the good spirits) will also be conducted.
The wreath-laying at the Rizal monument will highlight the celebration of the
Philippine Independence Day.
At 10:30 in the morning of the first day, the
opening of the Naliyagan Trade, Services and Entertainment Center (NTSEC) will
be held. At the NTSEC, various booths by the 13 municipalities and the lone
city of Bayugan will be proudly displaying their best products, including farm
produce and handicrafts.
The aroma of Agusan delicacies will surely fill
the air as booths of food and entertainment will also be opened to the public.
Agusan del Sur will also showcase the best practices of the local government
and the different services offered by the provincial government.
The evening will even be more colorful with the
presentation and talent showdown of the 2013 Bai Naliyagan. Back to back
concert will be held at the Naliyagan Main Stage and the Rizal Stage, with
performers coming from Manila. A fireworks display will brighten and color the
skies at 9:30 in the evening and the live bands will play until 12:00 midnight.
During the duration of the six-day festival,
various displays of region’s indigenous culture and sports competitions can be
witnessed. A bauto (canoe) race will take place at the lagoon right at the
center of the Naliyagan cultural area.
All 114 barangays will participate in the
Barangayan sa Naliyagan. Every barangay is expected to send a delegation and
hold a presentation during this event. And just like the past Naliyagan
Festival, motorcycle drag race and motocross will highlight the fourth and
fifth day of the festival.
On the sixth and awarding day, the 46th
Foundation Day Anniversary Celebration will take place, and the famous “Binaga”
or the roasting of hundreds of kilos of mudfish will be the highlight the day.
Everybody is encouraged to join and take part in the famous and longest binaga.
During this time, Agusanon’s hospitality, kindness and friendliness will be
seen and felt by those who want to know who they are. (DMS/RER/PIA-Caraga)
94 Surigaonon Youth leaders join Leadership Seminar
By 1LT Stephen G. Basco, Jr.
SURIGAO CITY, May 10 (PIA) -- Around 94 youth
leaders representing the in-school-youth, out-of-school youth, the Sangguniang
Kabataan, and youth church leaders participated and successfully completed the
three-day live–in Youth Leadership Seminar from May 4 to 6, 2013 at Anao-aon
Central Elementary School, Poblacion, San Francisco, Surigao del Norte.
Led by the 30th Infantry "Python"
Battalion, Philippine Army (30IB PA), the three-day live-in seminar geared
towards guiding the youth to become more disciplined and responsible citizens
and it also aims to empower the youth to be more responsible, productive, and
well-informed in fulfilling their active roles in building a morally and spiritually
upright society.
A series of lectures and interactive discussions
focusing on four key topics were discussed, to wit: leadership development;
interpersonal communication; moral value enhancement; and drug prevention and
security awareness. Other undertakings include team building activities, small
group discussions, tae-bo exercises, and musical activities.
In his message, 30IB PA Commanding Officer Lt.
Colonel Vincent B. Iringan said that the Youth Leadership Seminar is an
activity focusing on the youth, "it was conceived to generate awareness
and goes further by developing and nurturing the youths’ leadership
potentials."
He also said that the activity helps the youth
to have a “paradigm shift” that will enhance their personality, "and at
the same time appreciate the necessity for an accurate and positive social
participation and responsibility."
It is to this effect that all stakeholders that
are concerned with youth development should make it a personal commitment to be
“youth keepers,” by equipping them with the right information and education and
to re-direct their creativity and passion to advocacies that will truly benefit
the schools and communities where they belong, he added.
The activity was made possible through the
collaboration of the Provincial Local Government Unit of Surigao del Norte; the
Local Government Unit (LGU) and Local Government Agencies (LGAs) of San
Francisco; the Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) of San Francisco, Surigao
del Norte; and the 30th Infantry (Python) Battalion, 4th Infantry (Diamond)
Division, Philippine Army. (SDR/PA/PIA-Surigao del Norte)
Tagalog News: DENR pinaigting ang anti-illegal
logging task force sa Caraga
Ni Joan Yaesu Pepito
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Mayo 10 (PIA) -- Pinaiigting
ng Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) ang anti-illegal
logging task force bilang suporta sa nasyunal na pamahalaan sa pagsisikap
nitong makontrola ang patuloy na illegal logging na gawain sa bansa.
Sa ginawang pagtitipon ng Executive Committee ng
Caraga Conference for Peace and Development (CCPD) na ginanap kamakailan sa
Bishop’s Home, Barangay Ampayon, binigyang-diin ni Forester Achilles Ebron ng
DENR-Caraga na ito ay daan para malabanan ang patuloy na ilegal na pamumutol ng
kahoy sa Caraga.
Dagdag ng opisyal na ang checkpoint ay itinatag
sa pangunguna ng DENR-Caraga upang matugunan and gawaing illegal logging sa mga
hot spot areas.
Ipinaliwanag rin ni Ebron na ang implementasyon
ay nasa ilalim ng Serial No. 2012-005.
Napag-alaman na ang planong pagtatatag ng
checkpoints ay ideya ng mga representante ng ilang ahensiya ng pamahalaan,
kabilang na si PNP-Caraga Regional Director PSupt. Getulio NapeΓ±a na
nagmungkahing pag-isahin ang DENR, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine
National Police at iba pang mga ahensya at magmonitor sa nasabing checkpoint.
Isa sa mga tungkulin ng naturang checkpoint ay
ang pagsasagawa ng self-monitoring sa mga ilegal na produktong kahoy at
pagbibiyahe nito, hindi lamang sa pagkukumpiska ng mga pekeng dokumento.
Maliban pa dito, nagrekomenda din si Forester
Ebron ng operationilization ng anti-illegal logging task force operation
center.
“Our basis for establishing anti-illegal logging
task force operation center is the executive order No.23 issued in February 1,
2011 referring to the moratorium of the cutting and harvesting of timber in a
natural and habitual forest then creating the anti-illegal logging task force.”
(Ang aming legal na basihan ng pagsasagawa ng anti-illegal logging task force
operation center ay nasa executive order No 23 na inilabas noong Pebrero 1,
2011, na sumasangguni sa moratorium ng pagputol at pag-aani ng kahoy sa natural
at habitual forest at pagsagawa ng anti-illegal logging task force),” pahayag
ni Ebron.
Isinalin sa pamamagitan ng Resolution No.
2012-005, ang anti-illegal logging task force operation sa Mindanao ay mula sa
sibilyan hanggang sa aktibong operasyon ng militar. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: BIR Revenue District Office-17
ginawaran ng Seal of Excellence Award ng CSC
Ni Hyazel Rose M. Ampo
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Mayo 10 (PIA) -- Ginawaran ng
Civil Service Commission (CSC) ng titulong Seal of Excellence Award ang
tanggapan ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Revenue District Office sa ilalim
ng Revenue Region 17 kamakailan lang sa BIR Grounds dito sa lungsod.
Ito ay iginawad bilang gantimpala sa maayos na
pamamalakad at serbisyo ng BIR sa publiko kasunod sa ulat na survey na
isinagawa ng CSC sa ilalim ng Anti-Red Tape Act (ARTA).
Ayon kay CSC-Caraga Regional Director Adams D.
Torres, ipinahayag nito na ang tanggapan ng Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) ay
matagumpay na naipasa ang mga nailatag na requirements ng nasabing pagsusuri.
“In the month of June of every year, the CSC is
conducting simultaneous survey to all BIR offices to assess their performance
on the compliance of the ARTA law. There are thirty respondents for this survey
who are taxpayers and are directly transacting at the respective BIR office”
(Tuwing buwan ng Hunyo taun-taon, ginanaganap ng CSC ang magkasabay na survey
sa lahat ng BRI offices upang ma-assess ang performance sa compliance ng ARTA
law. May 30 respondents sa nasabing survey na pawing mga taxpayers na direktang
nagta-transact sa BIR office sa kani-kanilang lugar), paliwanag ni Torres.
Binigyang diin din ni Torres sa kanyang
pananalita na kinakailangan magtalaga ng Agency’s Citizen Charter sa pasukan ng
building ng ibat-ibang ahensya ng gobyerno.Sa ganitong pamamaraan, ang publiko
ay agad malalaman ang awtorisadong tao kailangan kailangan nilang isangguni
para sa mga transaksyon at proseso. Kasabay na rin nito, ang pagpapaskil ng
Anti-Fixer Campaign Material.
Napag-alaman din na ang mga sumusunod ay mga
kinakailangan i-comply ng mga ahensya o sangay ng gobyerno upang maigawad ang
Seal of Excellence: 1. Kalidad na Serbisyo 2. Pisikal na kondisyon ng mga
pasilidad sa opisina 3. Pagbibigay ng pangunahing kagamitan sa mga buntis,
senior citizen at mga taong may kapansanan 4. Pagpapatupad ng “No Noon Break”
rule.
“We have assessed the BIR’s performance on the
compliance of the ARTA through the 30 respondents of the Report Card Survey
that our office has conducted which showed an excellent public performance in
the overall rating,” diin ni Torres.
Ginawaran din ng CSC ng kaukulang cash reward na
nagkakahalaga ng P75,000 sa opisina ng BIR Revenue District Office-17 sa
pangunguna ni Regional Director ROD-13 Samer Muti at Regional Director BIR
Revenue Region-17 Norberto Vitug kasama si Assistant Commissioner, David
Cabanag.
Ang natanggap na cash reward ay gagamitin sa
pagbibili ng mga kinakailangan na kagamitan sa opisina tungo sa pagpapalago ng
serbisyo ng tanggapang ng BIR sa publiko. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
Tagalog news: Krimen sa Lungsod ng Butuan,
bumaba ng 9% ayon sa PNP
Ni Mikee Joy Rodriguez
LUNGSOD NG BUTUAN, Mayo 10 (PIA) -- Bahagyang
bumaba ng siyam na porsyento ang krimen dito sa lungsod sa buwan ng Abril
ngayong taon kung ikukumpara sa parehong buwan noong nakaraang taon.
Ayon sa ulat ni SSupt Nerio Bermudo, hepe ng
BCPO, sa buwan ng Abril sa taong ito, may naitalang 223 crime incidents na
mababa ng siyam na porsyento sa nakaraang taon.
Sa Average Monthly Crime Rate (AMCR), may
naitalang 17.23 incidents kada 323,520 populasyon na nagpapakita ng pagbaba ng
siyam na porsyento kumpara sa 18.93 sa parehong buwan noong nakaraang taon.
Sa 223 na naitalang insidente sa Abril 2013, 92
na rito ang naresolba na may 41 percent efficiency rating.
Sa Statistics Per Crime (SPC), bumaba ng 10
porsyento ang murder incidents, habang ang homicide cases ay nanatiling 3
porsyento, ibig sabihin hindi ito tumaas.
Tumaas naman ang physical injuries incidents ng
38 porsyento at ang rape incidents naman ay tumaas rin ng 5 kumpara sa
naitalang 3 nang nakaraang taon.
Samantala, ang robbery at theft incidents ay
bumaba naman ng 5 porsyento at 26 porsyento, habang sa carnapping ay walang
naitalang insidente, bagkus ang cattle rustling incidents tumaas ng 2 kumpara
sa nakaraang taon na 0 crime incident.
Ayon kay Bermudo, may naitalang 624 crime
incidents sa taong 2012 kumpara sa 772 incidents sa taong 2011 na nagpapakita
ng pagbaba ng 19 porsyento.
Ang Average Monthly Crime Rate para sa 2012 ay
may naitalang 16.07 kada 323,520 populasyon na nagpapakita ng pagbaba ng 19
porsyento kumpara sa 2011 na may 19.86 incidents.
Sa mahigit na 624 na naitalang insidente sa
2012, 264 na rito ang naresolba na nagpapakita ng 42 porsyentong efficiency
rating.
Ayon sa kanilang ulat, ang kaayusan at
katahimikan ng lungsod ng Butuan ay kontrolado. Dagdag ni Bermudo, may maliit
na pagbaba sa mga krimen kumpara sa mga huling taon.
Ayon naman kay Mayor Ferdinand Amante Jr., kahit
na may pagbaba sa crime rate, hindi pa rin siya gaanong nasiyahan sa resulta.
Hinimok rin nito ang pulisya na taasan ang "solution rate" sa lungod
ng Butuan.
Sa huling mensahe ng Mayor, sinabi niya na ang
pulisya ay dapat may magandang pakikitungo sa mga tao, ngunit kinatatakutan ng
mga kriminal. (RER/PIA-Caraga)
Cebuano news: Presidente Aquino mipahayag og
katagbawan sa mga preparasyon nga gihimo sa umaabot nga piniliay
Ni Nida Grace B. Tranquilan
MANILA, Mayo 10 (PIA) -- Si Presidente Benigno
S. Aquino III mipadayag sa iyahang katagbawan niadtong Huwebes sa gihimong
preparasyon sa gobyerno alang sa umaabot nga piniliay karong Lunes, Mayo 13
diin gipasidunggan ang Armadong Kusog sa Pilipinas kon Armed Forces of the
Philippines (AFP) ug Philippine National Police (PNP).
Siya miingon nga ang AFP ug ang PNP mituman sa
paghimo sa iyahang gimando sa pagpatuman sa regulasyon pinasubay sa balaod sa
loose firearms ug private armies sa 15 ka probinsiya nga gitoohan nga electoral
hotspots.
Sumala pa sa Presidente, “dunay 15 ka mga
probinsiya ang gibantayan ug maayo ug daghan sila ug mga napatuman pinaage sa
pagpuhag sa mga “private armed groups kon PAGs; pagpangumpiska sa mga armas,
pagpangsikop sa mga tawo nga dunay warrant of arrest, ug apil na ang mga
lisensyadong mga armas nga nilapas na kon expire na ang lisensya diin nalangkob
na nila ang pag adto sa mga kabalayan niini; ug padayon ang pagproseso kon kini
isurender na sa kapulisan o kaha i-renew ang mga lisensya niini".
Dugang pa niya, “tanan nga boot ipahamtang nato
gikan sa imaging tuig natuman sa paghimo ug hataas ang kumpiyansa nato na….
akoa ng nakaestorya ang mga area commands… nga andam na kita sa pagsanta sa mga
mohimo ug mga bayolente nga lihok,” (So, lahat ng pinag-utos natin from last
year ay ginagawa at mataas ang kumpiyansa natin na... naka-usap ko lahat ng
area commands na rin ...na ready na tayo to forestall any more acts of
violence).
“So, kutob sa atoa makaya… matood lang nga ato
gipangandaman kini nga piniliay matud pa sa Presidente. (RER/NGBT/PIA-Surigao
del Sur)
