Rural Urban News

cha monforte blogs jan 31-1st week feb 2009

2009-02-08T08:19:00.000-08:00

February 8, 2009 • 4:08 pm 0

OPINION: Bal Sator reminisces (last of two parts)

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Former Davao del Norte Congressman Baltazar “Bal” Sator was the paper pusher in Congress during the time when the breaking up of mother Davao del Norte was underway. In the brood of four lead gerrymanders of the erstwhile big Davao del Norte, quite visibly it was Sator, a lawyer, who buried his neck into the thick of legislative paperworks than his counterparts in the old Davnor’s districts. Close to the eventful year of 1998, he held the chairmanship of the committee on revision of laws in Congress. He had had on his lap the important issue on re-districting of legislative districts demanded by many legislator-gerrymanders in the country. The cries of cityhood and provincehood across the country would seem to have started in later 90s following the enactment of the New Local Government Code of 1991.
So influential Sator with that post that he said even Senator Nene Pimentel called him up to divide a district in Misamis Oriental. In his fine recollection, both the present Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, a last-termer congressman of the old District 3 at that time, and today’s Comval statesman-provincial elder Prospero Amatong, also a last termer-governor of the old Davnor, separately reminded Sator to ensure the breaking up the mother province as they were already running out of time and- term.

Sator’s other counterpart- former Cong. Roger M. Sarmiento (“RMS”) of the old District 1 of Davnor earlier re-filed his father’s bill on the 7-town Comval (the mainland valley towns of Mawab, Nabunturan, Montevista, Monkayo, Compostela and New Bataan plus the highland Maragusan). The late Don Enchong Sarmiento, erstwhile politico-economic patriarch in the big province similar in various pedigrees of influence of the Don Antonio Floirendo Sr. (who was politically represented by Del Rosario at that time) had first thought of that old Comval composition for a new province but his bill did not saw passage in Congress.

Shortly there was already a running feud between Sator and Amatong over territories. It was then that Sator and a number of Tagum politicians chief among whom was then Mayor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio were much going after first and foremost Maco to become a part of the planned Tagum City, and by territorial proximity, the Mabini and Pantukan as part of the smaller Davao del Norte. But Amatong aside from the three coastal towns wanted even more the Laak and New Corella towns to become part of new Comval province since that a new smaller Davnor province could still be created even without the two. It could still comply with the requirements of land area, population and income and at the same time give more equity to the new Comval as Davnor has still the big IGACOS under it.

Sator recalled that his feud with Amatong over territories centered on the issue on whether the coastal towns would really have to be given to Comval. RMS subsequently joined, praying to Sator not to make the new Comval a landlocked province by giving it the towns with a sea. In a seeming compromise, Sator proposed for either to retain New Corella and Maco, or New Corella and Laak to Davnor. But the feud turned a controversy that already involved municipal mayors. Then a stalemate on the issue developed that Del Rosario mediated. The issue was inevitably thrown for a consensus with lesser gerrymanders- the mayors.

In the meeting with mayors called for the purpose, it was then that Sator knew to his dismay that only the New Corella mayor chose to be with Davnor. “I learned later that the rest of the involved mayors were each given earlier by Gov. Amatong a P1 million-worth of provincial government project,” he said.

The sub-plot of the story on gerrymandering was that the planned new Comval was first contemplated to have only one district but Amatong was persistent to Sator to break it into two districts. When the provincehood bill was heard by the Congress committee on local government chaired by Cong. Felix Alfelor, a one-district Comval was approved, moving Sator and his co-authors - prodded by Amatong- to seek for reconsideration before it was put in plenary. “The proposal to have the 2nd District in Comval was really first denied by Alfelor’s committee,” he reminisced.

The rest is history. Eleven years after we are remembering how the mother Davao del Norte was broken up by gerrymanders, and reliving the steps of the few who made a great impact to over a million populace who now live separately in two smaller provinces. This shows Sator as the thinktank-legworker-paper pusher combined, while Amatong was the leading moving spirit behind the division. Asked on whether the breaking up of mother province was such a gerrymandering act, the former congressman admitted in my interview without a second thought. Of course, the issue is moot and academic now. But history must be retold for history’s sake. Journalism, I should say, isn’t only “history in a hurry”, it is as much history coming out late. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553. Watch for my newscast in “Tagum Newsbreak” over WTV 11 channel in Skycable Tagum)

Filed under: baltazar sator, comval history, davao del norte history, propero amatong, rodolfo del rosario, roger sarmeinto, victorio suaybaguio , baltazar sator, comval history, davao del norte history, propero amatong, rodolfo del rosario, roger sarmeinto, victorio suaybaguio

February 6, 2009 • 12:37 am 0

NEWS: 200 workers to lose jobs from Panabo City Hall

By Cha Monforte, Rural Urban News

Panabo new City Hall/photo by Rural Urban News

Some 200 of the 700 workers in Panabo City Government will be losing their jobs due to the implementation of the ongoing reorganization scheme that already started February 1.

“For sure there will about 200 workers who could no longer return to work as we implement the ordinance on reorganization to make our government machinery work efficiently and effectively,” said city administrator Nemesio Rasgo.
City ordinance 43 enacted last year fixed only 400 posts to be filled up arising out from new organizational structure and classification of positions.
On last Monday convocation, the city administrator announced that contractual workers whose contracts ended last January 31 would have to stop working and wait for the end of the first quarter for possible re-hiring when the city government could generate additional income like the refund of the amount the city lost from Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) shared by the 16 cities that were classified back to their status as municipalities.
Those who would be displaced though are contractual workers who were employed on programs and need-basis, Rasgo said.
Last January 31 contracts of casual and contractual workers ended and the city placement committee headed by Rasgo is at press time renewing contracts of relevant positions.
He said that City Mayor Jose Silvosa Sr wanted to professionalize the city bureaucracy and “insulate personnel from politics”.
There is unwanted situation in local governments on workers being beholden to politicians in power and are therefore bound to work for the politics of the administration that they are in.
Rasgo said that permanent employees need not worry but he said there would be reassignments to fit personnel to work and eliminate the sight of city workers just sitting on their table without work.
“Way klaro ang mga tawo sa opisina (There’s unclear personeling in offices),” he said referring to the situation that the Silvosa administration inherited to the previous administration of former Mayor Rey Gavina.
“We want to have a lean and mean government structure that works,” he added.
On the other hand, in separate interview, Mayor Silvosa said that the reorganization was not his own making but by the legislative department of the previous administration.
He said that the present reorganization plan was started four years ago and the involved city councils including the present had thoroughly studied it based on civil service laws and and tapped various authorities as resource persons during its formulation.
“I am just here to implement the ordinance as a chief executive,” he said.
An undetermined number of casual employees, whose contracts are renewed every six months, especially those employed by the previous administration are reportedly expressing anxieties of losing their jobs.
City administrator Rasgo said that there are casual and contractual personnel in the city hall whose appointing authority is no longer in office, in obvious reference to Gavina, who had served as city mayor for three consecutive terms or nine years.
“Job order and even casual employees have not other recourse but work for the politics of the power holders so as continue working. It’s just okay for the permanent employees as they usually hide or go neutral during the campaign period,” a casual employee from the office of he city vice mayor said on the condition of anonimity.
Meanwhile, Councilor and ABC President Ferdinand Gocon said that the job order workers employed in legislative department are not included in the no-work order of the executive department.
He said that city councilors have usually five personnel staff, three of whom are co-terminus and two are contractual in employment status.
The city vice mayor’s office has reportedly bloated staff numbering over 20 personnel. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: former panabo mayor rey gavina, nemesio rasgo, panabo abc president ferdinand gocon, panabo vice mayor james gamao, panbo city mayor jose silvosa sr. , former panabo mayor rey gavina, nemesio rasgo, panabo abc president ferdinand gocon, panabo vice mayor james gamao, panbo city mayor jose silvosa sr.

• 12:34 am 0

OPINION: Bal Sator reminisces

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

There’s new revelation and now we have oral testimonies taken in journalistic way to document the gerrymandering acts of leading politicians in the breaking up of mother Davao del Norte. Well, this might be an initial offer for history as Tuesday I got the chance to talk with the one of the founding fathers of the division of Davao del Norte into two provinces- the 8-town smaller Davao del Norte and the 11-town Compostela Valley, and of the conversion of Tagum and Igacos into cities. He’s former Cong. Baltazar “Bal” Sator.
Quite visibly he’s aged now- 71 but for that he’s younger than Gov. RDR, 76, former Gov. Yayong, 74 and former Gov/Cong. Pros Amatong, 77. After that energetic opposition image in the 80s when I was just out from the university and became watcher to a daring Atty. Bal Sator onstage during opposition rallies, along with his early colleagues in provincial opposition- Cris Maniwang, Jess Albacite, Max Estela, Jose Silvosa, former Carmen Mayor Claudio, Atty. Romraflo Taojo (a human rights lawyer who was killed in his own home in Tagum on April 2, 1985, after he had been allegedly warned by the military about the nature of the cases he was handling, as cited in Ilagan’s doctrine). The famed Rolly Marcial and BM Tony Lagunzad came later after Ninoy’s death as they jumped ship from Marcos KBL, while Pros Amatong was also making his own opposition voices in Nabunturan and others of the old Comval numenklatura (Rey Castillo and other Compostela fellows).
But despite his age now, he dared anyone of my age for a long walk, perhaps that fatigue-ending walkathon. As a private citizen, he’s in the thick of pro bono lawyering that even RTC Judge Justino Aventurado called him and referred poor litigants to go to the “PAO (Public Attorneys Office) nga private”. Sator said it just like he went into vacation from the court bista when he had his 11 years of serving as Davnor’s District 1 congressman (2 years during Cory’s revolutionary time plus the three straight terms) and came back only to know he could not say “no” to poor litigants for pro bono legal service, which his better-half keeps on protesting. At one time his wife called him when he would ever bring his lawyer’s office table at their home for final retirement days he should spend as they’re most contented now for having small fishpond, small corn and coco farm given by his clients, “pang bugas ug sud-an”, for the couple to subsist on til the lights go off. (To be continued. For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553. Watch my newscast over WTV 11 channel at Skycable Tagum.

Filed under: 16504759, Atty. Romraflo Taojo, Bal Sator, Cris Maniwang, Jess Albacite, Jose Silvosa, Max Estela, RTC Judge Justino Aventurado, congressman bal sator, congressman baltazar sator, former Carmen Mayor Claudio , Atty. Romraflo Taojo, Bal Sator, congressman bal sator, congressman baltazar sator, Cris Maniwang, former Carmen Mayor Claudio, Jess Albacite, Jose Silvosa, Max Estela, RTC Judge Justino Aventurado

February 4, 2009 • 11:05 pm 0

NEWS: No Lakas decision yet on Ramil-Maricar toss up- Chiongkee

The Lakas party in Compostela Valley has not yet made a decision on who to anoint between Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay for the District 1 congressional post for the 2010 polls, breaking the party leaders’ pledge late last year that they would announce the decision by January 2010 after a party caucus.

In a text message, Comval Lakas party provincial chairman Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy said that “it is still too early” in reference as to when the party decision would be handed down to resolve the Ramil-Maricar row over who between them becomes the Lakas standard-bearer.

Vice Gov. Gentugaya in separate text message confirmed on Monday that no party decision yet has been made on the issue.

In a news report November last year Uy was qouted as pledging that the Lakas party would convene a caucus to resolve the issue that has already become a major party headache while there has been no competition among partymates in the District 2 congressional post currently held by neophyte Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong.

District 2 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, father of Maricar, is serving his last term at present.

Both Gentugaya and Apsay have still one more term for reeelection in their respective posts.

Gentugaya is a kin of Uy by Chinese blood while Cong. Zamora has been a political ally of Uy.

Sources said that the issue has already tried to rock the unified Lakas party about two weeks ago during a meeting of provincial party leaders for the Uswag Comval, a local political aggrupation being pushed by the governor.

Sources said that at one time during the affair when Cong. Zamora introduced his daughter as the incoming congresswoman to affix her signature to support Uswag Comval, former Cong. Prospero Amatong stood up and said it would be Ramil as the next congressman of District 1.

The elder Amatong is a voting member-emiritus of the Comval Lakas provincial directorate.

Earlier, Uy said that both “stand in equal footing if the choice is baeed on the Lakas party rules”. He did not not enumerate the rules.

He said it would be the Lakas provincial directorate which would decide the official bet for the post. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Filed under: chiongkee uy, comval news, comval officials, maricar zamora-apsay, ramil gentugaya , chiongkee uy, comval news, comval officials, maricar zamora-apsay, ramil gentugaya

February 1, 2009 • 9:23 am 0

OPINION: The dark horse and the populist

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Boardmember Helario “Larry” Caminero has all the potential to be a congressman in the District 1 of Davao del Norte. At least that was one floated by others last week. But I say BM Caminero has first the qualifications- he came from the legitimate media, became a Kapalong administrator, councilor and now the PCL president in the province. He has also the winnability- only and only if all the municipal councilors will troop around him and dream they could produce a congressman of their own. Why not?
In the country’s elections, there are suprises and upsets. But it looks like these took place in different tempos. North Cotabato Greg Andolana, for one, had only little money from lawyering but he was carried by the waves of victorious opposition right after EDSA Uno uprising and had the backing of the Church people that made him a congressman. Andolana fought against an entrenched fortress of moneyed poliliticians in the late 80s and showed that with a galvanized people long revolted by the traditionalism and excesses of provincial power brokers one poor man could still win in a high public position. That was Andolana’s favorable epoch- similar to the springing up of Atty. Bal Sator as congressman then.

It was so long after EDSA Uno military-backed civilian uprising that Grace Padaca of Isabela in 2004 and Ed “Among” Panlilio of Pampanga in 2007 respectively captured the gubernatorial post against long-entrenched and moneyed political clans, no less than in the President’s home province in Among’s case. While they lacked a party and a well-oiled machinery to run a campaign, there was a groundswell of support from the people, who desperately sought a change in leadership. The good political fortunes of Cong. Way Kurat Zamora, former Gov. Joecab, and Cong Olano were etched in queer political milieu and tempo, but these need a another essay or two to bare.

But if a tempo that local legislators, the councilors who comprise 98 percent of incumbent elected officials could be made and they rally for their own congressman, BM Caminero has a chance to beat today’s current aspirants for the post- Vice Gov. Baby Suaybaguio and BM Roger “Dangpanan” Israel. This is the key in setting up BM Caminero as the dark horse for the congressional post in District 1.

But at the end of the day, it is still the people who should be awakened for ideals for them to rally for a good candidate who truly represents their plight and aspirations.

*****
Then and now populism- seen in the common tao’s cry “gikan sa masa para sa masa”- has been a leveler factor for poor candidates against those coming from the rich and moneyed. Even if it’s made and spinned as battlecry, in the likes of the hit rapped up by Erap in his presidential run, the dominantly poor electorate are won over for the sight that they have one of their own running for a public office. Ours is representative democracy, and we need true representatives, not the representa-thieves.
Former Davao del Norte Governor Yayong Gementiza quipped in my recent interview that he had only the fermented tuba nga bahal when he was still a jambolero, a street-smart broker of agricultural products, to feast on with the masa when he defeated a young, popular UM Tagum professor Nick Suaybaguio Sr. for Tagum municipal mayorship in 1967. For being with the unwashed masa, Yayong’s political career keeps on flickering- even now, I suppose.
Last-termer City Councilor Vicente “Enting” Eliot, the one teased (condescendingly?) during sessions by lawyer Councilor Joey Millan, has been in a life of odors, dusts and gutters as a magbobote, but being “Mr. Botelya” is one sight the great unwashed masa in Tagum has been visibly proud of. No wonder they voted “Enting Magbobote” for a long-reigning barangay captain and a city councilor for three straight terms, besides the various presidencies of Church organizations he served from the mandate of pastoral and laymen’s flocks (Name it, he has it). For over thirty years now since the early 70s, Enting does buy and sell of bottles, bakal, plastics and other recyclable saleables for a living, from which his brood of six children have succesfully earned their respective professions.

No doubt, Enting’s livelihood on scrap through the decades allowed him to talk and immerse with the masa. That makes him different to Millan, who lawyers for the few landowners. Enting is not annoyed of the sweat and brawn of the laborers, who compose the backbone of Tagum’s economy. The populism that has long come to associate to Enting Eliot by his trade is his most competitive edge in politics. That did him already through the years as a populist politician.

That makes him also a sure replacement to one of the four vacant slots for boardmember in District 1 of Davao del Norte. Sources said that only BM Tony Lagunzad will be left for reelection as two BMs are going back for mayoral comeback, one is graduating and another is running for Congress. Now if there’s already that Great Tug-of-War in the SP, with the moves of former Cong. Tonyboy Floirendos (will this ever come), the more a populist Eliot is given vacant BM slots for a good filler.

BLOG & BUZZ: Welcome Police Supt. Giusseppe Geralde for the Tagum City PNP chief post. His first name, from Italian name, is just pronounced “Joseph” and his family name pronounced “Heralde”. Today he would be conferred the rank of police supt from police chief inspector. He’s a PNPA graduate Class ‘98 and has gone serving as chief of police in Sulop, Magsaysay and Digos City in Davao del Sur before becoming the intel and operations provincial chief of Davao del Norte, his most recent prior his present assignment. The new COP is like Police Supt. Dario Gunabe- amiable, friendly to local reporters. COPs being civilian in character should know rudiments of community relations through the legitimate press….Who’s this rumored public officials (male and female) who went abroad to secretly meet there to rekindle past and present love affair? Just tsismis?

(For online edition, visit my site: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, or email: chamonforte@yahoo.com, text 09069104553 for your reactions and commentaries. Watch my hourly “Tagum Newsbreak” over WTV 11 channel in Skycable Tagum)

Filed under: boardmember larry caminero, boardmember roger israel, councilor joey millan, plc president boardmember helario "larry" caminero, tagum councilor vicente "enting" eliot, vice governor baby suaybaguio , boardmember larry caminero, boardmember roger israel, councilor joey millan, plc president boardmember helario "larry" caminero, tagum councilor vicente "enting" eliot, vice governor baby suaybaguio

January 31, 2009 • 3:53 am 0

OPINION: The admission

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

The admission of leading congressional aspirant Anthony Rafael del Rosario (AGR) that he is afflicted with Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer- Stage 3 is fatal to his political career and specifically to his plan of running for the District 1 post. Like it or not, even if he survives from the debilitating disease, people will talk about his health and physical capacity to handle the post.

We are forced to research online and found in the website of the National Cancer Institute of the United States that Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer in Stage 3 development has this state: “The lymphoma cells are in lymph nodes above and below the diaphragm. Lymphoma also may be found in one part of a tissue or an organ (such as the liver, lung, or bone) near these lymph node groups. It may also be found in the spleen.” The treatment requires chemotherapy or radiation therapy or both, good nutrition, and a lot of rest.

Hodgkin Lymphoma is a cancer of the immune system and its symptoms include the painless enlargement of lymph nodes, spleen, or other immune tissue. Its symptoms include fever, weight loss, fatigue, or night sweats. The website tells of sure side effects of the treatment that include a weakened immune system “because chemotherapy and radiation therapy often damage healthy cells and tissues and the common side effects of cancer treatment are fatigue, pain, nausea, vomiting, decreased blood cell counts, hair loss, and mouth sores.”

Taking these literature, AGR’s cancer would really have an impact to his physique and gives great physical challenge to him in case he or his family still decides to still engage him in politics after his recovery from the treatment. We are 12 months ahead before a heightened electoral tempo of 2010, and if for the next 6 months his chemotheraphy is through and the next 6 months (July to January) he’s quite on track on rest and recovery, the early months of 2010 would all still be needed by him for mild physical activity considering that it is cancer and not a common disease that is afflicting him.

What Tagum pundits are saying that there is quite a doubt that he could withstand a bruising electoral campaign by March 2010 is thinkable speculation. As of this writing, we don’t hear yet that the Lakas leaders in Davao del Norte led by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario have convened purposely to tackle on who is the next in line after AGR for the congressional standard bearer although Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio is now much talked of as the logical choice for the post.

But the governor could not indefintely put the issue on his hand considering the wrangling of Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel and the need for certainty in the political realignment with the seeming political exit of AGR. Also, with Baby’s shift for the congressional post, the vice governor’s post will become an open, vacant post and we expect further wrangling over for this from other Lakas party wannabes. Dangpanan for the VG post? What about the last-termer Cong. Arrel Olano? This has to be decided in consideration to the possible moves of the other factors outside the provincial political boardroom- City Mayor Rey Uy, former Gov. Gelacio “Yayong” Gementiza (who has said why not also in Congress? But he threw his indorsement to Baby), and as well as the Floirendos.

Things are just beginning to be both certain and messy with AGR’s political exit due to his health (For online edition, visit http://cha4t.wordpress.com, ot http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, or email chamonforte@yahoo.com, watch “Tagum Newsbreak” of WTV 11 channel over Skycable Tagum)

Filed under: anthony del rosario, baby suaybaguio, yayong gementiza , anthony del rosario, baby suaybaguio, yayong gementiza

CHA MONFORTE BLOGS JANUARY 2009

2009-01-28T06:49:00.000-08:00

NEWS: Yayong endorses Baby Suaybaguio for Congress 2010

“New City Hall is just a walking distance from my house”

Former Davao del Norte Governor Gelacio “Yayong” Gementiza Tuesday in an interview said that he liked to see Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio taking the crack for the District 1 congressional post which last-termer Arrel Olano is finishing to serve at present.
“Yes, I am endorsing him (Suaybaguio) for Congress,” he said.
Gementiza’s statement came close to what observers said as political exit of former Vice Gov. Anthony Rafael del Rosario who admitted last week that he is afflicted with Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer in Stage 3 development.
Gementiza opined that between Suaybaguio and the young Del Rosario the former has more winnability in District 1 saying that the latter “is more identified with the second district”.
He added that Del Rosario only established residence in Tagum City in a recent year “because he wanted to be a candidate”.
Asked on his political plan by 2010, Gementiza said “wala sa, kay layo pa” (none yet as the election is still away). “It’s still a nobody’s game,” he said.
But on the next breath, he said that the location of the new City Hall that is being fast-tracked for completion by Mayor Rey Uy at present at Apokon “is good that it is just a walking distance to my residence”, a seeming potshot to one of Yayong’s political options.
Gementiza though admitted that he and the present governor have been calling each other in phone saying in vernacular that “if it’s not me calling him, it’s he who gives a call”.
Gementiza, now 74, ran but lost to the governor in the last 2007 polls.
The young Del Rosario, known by his political nick AGR, was earlier so much speculated to be the inevitable Lakas standard-bearer for the District 1 congressional post given that he is the son and political heir-apparent of the aged Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario. The latter is already 76.
AGR announced last week that he would be undergoing chemotherapy treatment for the next six months and hence would be on leave from his present position as the provincial sports coordinator.
But observers speculated that with AGR’s disease there would be difficulties for him to stand the rigors of the bruising electoral campaign once he physically recovers, or he would be associated with an electoral issue on his health.
With Del Rosario’s political exit, Suaybaguio, known close to the governor, is now speculated to take the stead of AGR in the governor’s endorsement for the post.
But Gementiza commented that Boardmember “Dangpanan” Roger Israel, who is also aspiring for the congressional post, could not also be discounted citing that Israel has a record of landing as topnotcher for senior boardmember in three elections in the past. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)
Filed under: boardmember roger israel, gelacio "yayong" gementiza, governor rodolfo del rosario, vice governor victorio suaybaguio , boardmember roger israel, gelacio "yayong" gementiza, governor rodolfo del rosario, vice governor victorio suaybaguio
• 10:38 pm 0

NEWS: Investigation on alleged Sportivo overpricing scam in Davnor Capitol called on

BM San Juan asked for parallel probe

Davao del Norte Boardmember Artemio San Juan called on for a “parallel investigation” by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan on the alleged Sportivo overpricing scandal being circulated in malicious text messages from still unknown senders.

Showing previous copies of a local Tagum daily, Sidlak and of a local Visayan daily which reported last week the spread of said text messages to among local mediamen, San Juan, chair of the SP’s laws and justice committee, moved in Monday’s session to refer the matter to the committee on good government chaired by Demitrio Maligro for “proper investigation parallel” to the one pledged by Governor Rodolfo del Rosario during a press conference.

A few interpellations were heard on the floor to clarify San Juan’s motion.

Boardmember Ely Dacalus stood up and asked for copies of the previous issues of Sidlak and a Visayan daily saying that he had not yet read the news items.

San Juan then made supplementary motion directing the Office of the Secretary of the Sanggunian (OSS) to reproduce copies of the issues for the rest of the boardmembers.
Floorleader Gregorio Facula wrapped up San Juan’s motion following clarificatory queries from senior Boardmember Janet Gavina, who was still presiding over the provincial board yesterday in view of the continued absence of Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio.
There was no comment heard on the floor when Gavina asked for it before the motion was sent to Maligro’s committee.

Gov. Del Rosario Tuesday last week in the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo press forum at the Media Center in the Capitol compound pledged he would conduct his own inquiry-probe on overpricing allegations spread by text messages that tagged his provincial administrator Rufo Peligro and general services department head Sammy Sanchez.

He dared the unknown senders to come out in the open and bring out evidences to their allegations even as he swore on the integrity of the bidding processes at the Capitol.

The governor also decribed the text messages in one angle as political intrigue intended to sow disunity among political leaders adding that it came with 2009 being a political year already.
Menwhile, the vice governor is due to return office on February 2 after his over a month of vacation from the United States, said Nicandro “Nick” Suaybaguio Sr., brother of the vice governor.

He said that the vice governor also underwent medical checkup in the US for his minor arthritis ailment.

He said that the DILG provincial office made Tuesday a favorable legal opinion that the authorization of the vice governor to OIC Vice Gov. Gavina to sign papers as e-mailed last Friday is “valid in form and substance”.

“All’s well already so the SP casual employees could already have their salaries,” he said.
Reports said that casual employees in the SP have been already complaining last week over the delayed release of their salaries this month as their contracts have still to be renewed and signed by the vice governor.

However, staff members of the vice governor’s office told Sidlak that release of salaries for casual employees has always been rather delayed every contract renewal month of January and July citing the need to process working papers and requirements which would pass various departments in the Capitol. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)
Filed under: boardmember demitrio maligro, davao del norte boardmember artemio san juan, former vice governor anthony rafael del rosario, governor rodolfo del rosario, nicandro "nick" suaybaguio sr., vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio , boardmember demitrio maligro, davao del norte boardmember artemio san juan, former vice governor anthony rafael del rosario, governor rodolfo del rosario, nicandro "nick" suaybaguio sr., vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio
January 25, 2009 • 12:32 am 0

OPINION: Baby Suaybaguio, the logical choice for Congress

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

The admission of former Davao del Norte Vice Governor Anthony Rafael del Rosario (AGR) last week that he is afflicted with Hodgkin Lymphoma cancer on Stage 3 development and that he is now on the way for treatment and rest for the next six months has given a new, big twist in the political landscape of the province.

Since shortly after the middle last year, the congressional post that the last-termer District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano is finishing to serve had then become fait accompli in the declaration of the governor’s son to vie for it. AGR’s declaration edged out early bird congressional aspirants from political warrooms in the province though it earned more audible verbal sniping from Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel over Radyo Ukay-Tagum, and flickers of thoughts from pundits on the possibilities of City Councilor Oyo Uy and even former Gov. Yayong Gementiza vying for the position. Blank blips were however were seen from the quarters of the two, while there was that little talk last week that former Cong. Bal Sator has been reviving his PDSP network in District 1. A source confirmed that before former Vice Gov.AGR made his declaration, Governor Rodolfo del Rosario had actually blessed first Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio to prepare for Olano’s post as he was his choice. AGR’s congressional plan was only prodded by a Kapihan questioning and earned subsequent bias interpretations even as he lay his bid that it was still up to the Lakas party’s decision (but who else can vote against a kingpin’s son). It was such declaration that preempted VG Baby’s subsequent moves in deference to AGR and true to his being a governor’s good soldier. Sator for being a Lakas outsider even if he is connected with Bert Gonzales PDSP, a minority ally party of the administration, has still to fend much for himself. He is a political has-been now, just like former Cong. Bebot Alvarez despite the unrepentant insistence of their respective political merons like that pondok sa purok.

Time’s a-changing really and the electorate is now looking for new, fresh faces in politics. Perhaps last-termer Councilor Joey Millan can cast his hat for the congressional post but it’s unlikely he’ll get the backing of City Mayor Rey Uy given that the known Suaybaguios- VG Baby and Councilor Nickel (include there the influential Nick Sr) are in ally with Uy.

Millan may as well join in the fray to the one open District 1 boardmember’s slot to be vacated by last-termer Macario “Bong” Bermudez, but the lawyer councilor would also be facing his co-equal last-termer councilors, chief among whom is the populist Councilor Enting Eliot.

But BM aspirants have also stopper scenarios coming: if last-termer Olano does run least dignified when he chickens out from squaring off with Uy in his mayoral option, or if City Vice Mayor Rellon isn’t shoved out from his last term to take instead for the BM’s seat if Oyo is positioned ala Sara Duterte by 2010 for his eventual mayorship by 2013, the year when the mayor will possibly gun for governorship, his ultimate pipe dream.

But then when Vice Gov. Baby becomes now a logical choice to take the place of Olano by 2010 the vice gubernatorial post is not only left much open but also much sighted by 2013 given the fast retirement age of Gov. RDR and the absence of a politico kin from his family now with AGR’s exit. The post is just a spit away to governorship.

There are also big variables in the political equation that Olano has to contend with- former Cong. Tonyboy Floirendo (and the grand old man “White Hair” Don Antonio Floirendo, and who knows Cong. Anton Lagdameo’s political lollipop is taken back by his tito and he’s positioned for VGship), Mayor Uy and former Gov. Yayong Gementiza. On where Tonyboy and Uy stand and relate to each other and on RDR’s political and familial considerations lie the next political fate of Olano.

But for VG Baby Suaybaguio? It looks like his political star is ever smiling now. Ok, there’s no “equity of the incumbent” Lakas rule for an open post. But what other yardsticks which could then be the bases of choice for the congressional standard bearer? Surveys, popularity, seniority in present position, Lakas years of membership and lastly but most importantly- the vote of the kingpin that partymates nevertheless have to follow. Certainly, VG Baby has all these even if BM Dangpanan sings “it’s now” than “never” or Yayong sings in refrain “you’re loser to me”.

AGR’s recent political exit has sprung up a new, big twist in the province’s political landscape that first made VG Baby Suaybaguio as the logical choice for Congress. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t,wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, txt 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com. Watch “Tagum Newsbreak” over wTV 11 channel in Skycable Tagum. Coming up “Ang Lungsod” over DXPA 103.2 FM)
Filed under: AGR, anthony del rosario davao del norte, davao del norte, rdr, rodolfo del rosario, tagum city, vice gov baby suaybaguio davao dedl norte , AGR, anthony del rosario davao del norte, davao del norte, rdr, rodolfo del rosario, tagum city, vice gov baby suaybaguio davao dedl norte
January 23, 2009 • 2:25 am 0

OPINION: Political year

BLOGISTABy Cha Monforte

We’re definitely on political times down the road. Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said it so Monday during a Kapihan. On the broadside, he described the spread of malicious text messages on the alleged Sportivo overprice scam as one political intrigue, even while he dared the unknown cabal to come out into the open and then prove and substantiate allegations. Veteran and seasoned Igacos politician, Boardmember Artemio San Juan has no reservation in saying that this year is when intrigues will fly thick and fast.

Good for Gov. RDR and BM San Juan. They said what should be expected. Recalling back during the gubernatorial reign of Joecab in Comval, this is the same time of his last term term when he got an ultra-filibustering and obstructionist majority of boardmembers led now Gov. Chiongkee Uy. Joecab’s executive budget was re-enacted for the majority’s intentioned failure to approve. On a hailstorm of allegations vented by Joecab’s oppositionists over the media, new budget approval was snagged while the issue of pork barrel for direct disbursement by the legislative department landed on COA’s frying pan. The cooked menu was named disallowance.

That was history though but preluding Joecab’s electoral defeat. The lesson learned is that towards halfway of a term is already a political season and politicians have to start politicking in the open. It’s now time to cast that phrase out, “malayo pa ang eleksyon, trabaho muna.” It’s no-no now. Such is good for the last year. The pundits are after all right. If outsiders and challengers could not make a dent in the public mind later this year, they could not break even with the incumbents considering the latter’s administration advantages. January 2010 is time for premature electioneering already.

So with this, the choice of Comval Lakas to make this month, January as the time to decide whether the congressional standard-bearer is Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya or congressman’s daughter Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay is just right and fitting. At least the one who is left out by the party has still the time to jump to opposition’s ship and dovetail with the national opposition presidentiables and senatoriables. That way he or she could still have plenty of time to organize a districtwide or provincewide political structure and machinery.

The case of former Davao del Norte Gov. Yayong Gementiza is an exemption. He was shoved out from Lakas on the rather eleventh hour, two months before the 2007 elections, while he was the sitting governor. When he jumped to United Opposition, it was not late as he had all the provincial activities and government manpower and logistics served for his reelection. But RDR had more logistics, men, media, bailiwick, techniques and organization than what a personalistic Yayong could muster for a win.

The Big Ramil-Maricar Problem of Comval Lakas is different. If it’s BM Maricar now, then VG Ramil is shunted out from provincial-sponsored activities and mass gatherings from this month up to the election ban time as it would be a duty of of Gov. Uy in the tandem to expose and promote Maricar as his runningmate. VG Ramil could still invoke his inclusion being a VG to whatever provincial activity but it would be a sneaky one, if not a cat-and-mouse affair- he’ll appear first onstage while Maricar is still away and coming.

But that’s still an iringan win-win solution while VG Ramil holds his ground as a Lakas member banking on the possible free zone stance or lobotomy of Uy on the last hour. But it’s better for VG Ramil to jump ship to the opposition on this scenario as he has his own logistics and two mayores and the people’s opposition temper on the waiting to favor him. But a longstanding-Lakas member Ramil to the opposition? It’s too unlikely, but just maybe.

On the other hand, if the choice is VG Ramil, the same scenario would hold true to the provincial activities except that BM Maricar is a lesser political mortal for constant isolation. The big problem is that she has a card, in fact a wild card who could throw a money wrench to Lakas in Comval Uno- Cong. Way Kurat Zamora, a stage-, propa- and gimmick-savvy and most popular politician in Comval, while he has three mayores at his side. Which could trigger a chain reaction to District 2, and voila- provincewide! Being that, Cong. Way Kurat is good opposition material and a potential regional opposition chairman, from whom funding flows in the likes of Joe Tesado during Erap’s presidential running in 2001 elections.But a Way Kurat to the opposition? He who delivered over 13,000 votes margin to GMA over FPJ in 2004 elections and who consistently participated in slaying the four impeachment complaints against GMA? It’s still likely since GMA has already been repaid by Way Kurat’s votes. Bayad na. A plain citizen Way Kurat could have the best potential of becoming a cabinet member, chairman or undersecretary of a national agency under a new President coming from the opposition. On this good scenario, Way Kurat has nothing to lose even if Maricar loses. But he has more to gain if Maricar wins. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
Filed under: alleged sportivo scam in davao del norte, boardmember artemio san juan, comval, cong way kurat zamora, davao del norte, gov. chiongkee uy, governor rodolfo del rosario, tagum , alleged sportivo scam in davao del norte, boardmember artemio san juan, comval, cong way kurat zamora, davao del norte, gov. chiongkee uy, governor rodolfo del rosario, tagum
January 17, 2009 • 9:30 am 0

OPINION: Sigh of relief

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

Davao del Norte Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio until this writing is out of town. In his absence since last week, senior Boardmember Janet Gavina took the helm of presiding the provincial board, that was well known last year of its legislative vigilance, I should say. BM Gavina is spirited in steering on the provincial board. Maybe it’s due to the good stuff that the body is made of while the Great Tug-of-War has not yet come (Or will it really come?).
Well, for the last year’s feat, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan junked two controversial city ordinances- the Nickel Suaybaguio-authored Urban Poor Ordinance and the legally infirmed Purok Ordinance.

But on the same year, the body’s policy confirmatory authority was somehow belittled if not undermined when City Hall enforced its Flexi-Fare Ordinance even while the measure was not yet confirmed at the provincial level.Somehow the hurried pre-implementation of the flexi-fare measure was just a revenge of sort for what the SP did to the first piecemeal P7-to-P10 tricycle fare measure when they evidently put it in suspended animation while the gasoline prices were still up and only let go off the increase when gasoline prices had already decreased thereby putting the City Hall red in cheek reeling on the shadow of irate tricycle-riding housewives.

Nevertheless, the year 2008 ended well with City Council and the SP declaring sort of ceasefire. But it was not really a joke when four lawyer city legislators hopped on at the Capitol’s SP conference hall to advance the merit and worth of their Purok Ordinance only to know after that the measure was returned to the sender. But now here’s one proof of democracy, while the city remains a true component of the province.But for those two stones, the City Hall made even with the Capitol at the year’s tailend with that hurried implementation of the Flexi-Fare Ordinance (as if the provincial board didn’t exist at all). When the SP would say negative, we would stop enforcing, City Legal Officer and CTFRB chair Roland Tumanda offered though a caveat. But who among the SP could junk the fare measure when the gasoline prices were decreasing last Yuletide Season and P1-fare saving was the first thing wanted by Tagumenyos as a Christmas gift. The City Hall felt vindicated, and more so last January 2 when it gave a New Year’s gift of another P1-fare saving to the city’s riding public. We pray that gasoline prices nowadays could hit the range of P20 to P29.99 so the tricycle fare can be adjusted down to P6, and what a forthcoming sigh of relief.

BLOGBUZZ: But Councilor Joedel Caasi on Monday’s session expected an uptrend of gas prices and reported about cases of arguments breaking down between tricycle drivers and passengers over whether the fare is still P8 or P7. Time to mount an electronic billboard for fare advisory infront the City Hall…. It’s almost mid January. Time flies so fast. We have a half month more of waiting on who should be the Comval standard-bearer for the District 1 congressional post. Is it VG Ramil or BM Maricar?…. A bubuwet said that Senator Chiz Escudero, a presidential wannabe, secretly went to Tagum City last week and met with someone who has a good record of electoral cheating. Intriguing lie?…. A pundit tipped us that a Davnor congressional dreamer is changing color and repackaging himself. From a social drinker, he’s now fast becoming a drunkard, if only to cast away his old image of being unreachable un-makamasa. He was last seen drinking til the wee hours of the night with a town priest. Who is he? (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, text 09069104553)
Filed under: davao del norte, davao del norte boardmember janet gavina, tagum officials, tagum tricycle fare, vice gov. victorio suaybaguio , davao del norte, davao del norte boardmember janet gavina, tagum officials, tagum tricycle fare, vice gov. victorio suaybaguio
January 7, 2009 • 2:01 am

OPINION: Nasty virus
BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte
jan 6

The long holiday vacation of government officials and workers has also given us in the media a break. Without much government beat to cover, while this month the Ramil-Maricar row over the issue on who should be of the two congressional wannabes would be chosen by Lakas party in Compostela Valley (yes it’s electoral time now), I also got a splendid time to revisit the ways of the techies and geeks in computer and web world.

My PC at home has long been infected by this nasty huelar browser virus that leads to the porn site of redtube, while my flash disk we commonly call as USB has long resided by this Cool USEP virus. In preferring to get and write news since late last year, I ended up letting my patience go on with slow speed and often interrupted online PC. I also didn’t mind inserting my USB to any PC in internet cafes I dropped by to send my news and views. Anyway, I always thought, the cafes have technicians to repair virus-infected PC. It’s part of their business and getting virus, worms, trojans, etc and spreading them isn’t intentional. When you’re Internet-engaged, think it normal, don’t panic.

But really this redtube virus is snapping my patience’s limits. I tried reformatting my PC for two times over the weekend, and awhile after in each successful reformat the huelar redtube virus was re-launched, and there, it wanted that the porn redtube site would be your only site to browse on and nothing else. This worm stops other programs, disallows other installations and disables the PC administrator.

I downloaded a lot of free anti-virus and installed them on the third reformat, before the redtube virus crept in to the PC’s system, but a little while the redtube site again flashed onscreen. I thought of the boot sector being infected by this nasty virus, but online sources said it is the PC’s task manager and registry editor being disabled by it. Either, it’s not the orgasmic site that launched it. The naughty virus maker just chose redtude as the site to where all your clicks lead to. But maybe he/she wanted infected PC owners to get horny first before becoming mad at this virus. Anyway, until this writing I’m still searching for solution and has posted help in various online forum using another uninfected online PC.

For this virus variant alone, I’m saying now that nastier virus, worms, trojans etc could still come ahead of us to test patience, wreck time and money of PC owners and those engaged online. But not to worry, virus makers are humans- we know that among them are engaged in business of selling solutions for the virus they created to amass monies worldwide. This is one big paradox in the era of the Internet and computerization. Who knows multi-billionaire Bill Gates is one among them? But this is a techie reality we have to live with.
As to the Cool USEP virus that infects removable disks, it still resides in the USB I’m using. Online sources said it is made from the Philippines. My two-cents worth guess since last year is that USEP stands for University of the Southeastern Philippines. Maybe a computer geek from USEP’s School of Computing made and unleashed it, ala the Love virus years ago that hit even the Pentagon website. Maybe we now have our own Davaoeno IT genius. Looking at it liberally, the Cool USEP virus shows of the latent wizardry of the Filipinos in the field of information technology. Why does our government fail yet to seize this opportunity for good use and realize leap-frogging of our computing and software industry to the level of India. They say we have also a braindrain of our IT talents.

Looking the state of the tech-voc schools in our provinces, there’s still a large lack of governmental support to IT development. Sadly, our tech-voc schools are left to fend for themselves- operating under inadequate learning facilities, lack of computers, instructors- absence the State subsidies, and as to the IT development, they are left to rot as certificate mills for poor-caliber computer technician graduates. In Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley, a number of voch-tech schools are offering computer technician courses while standing alone without being even connected with the Internet, which is a basic aid of any computer technician worth his salt. Paging our congressmen- pogi points can be more earned if you set aside a budget from your pork barrel for the puchase of computers and Internet connection of these schools. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)
Filed under: Uncategorized , comval tesda, cool usep virus, davao del norte tesda, davao hackers, huelar browser virus, redtube virus, vocational schools in comval, vocational schools in davao del norte
• 1:53 am

OPINION: The year that was in Davnor and Comval
BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

The year that was in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley was politically gruesome. At least it was not yet economically gruesome when gasoline price decreases had the Tagum City tricycle fares decreased twice by total of P2, and by Friday the third P1 decrease took effect, compliments from the city’s flexi-fare ordinance.
This good tiding for Tagum’s riding public isn’t however true to most of the poblaciones in the two provinces as tricycle fare remains to its early last year’s increased rates despite the many instances of gasoline decreases. Oil price volatility on the downtrend hasn’t unnerved most our local chief executives to call for fare decreases for perhaps seeing that pedicab drivers are political threats to their political career when they initiate for such.
More than ever, most if not all incumbent officials in the two provinces, in the year that was, were dreaming that riding on the Lakas boat was the best thing for their political career’s sake even if the Lakas or the purportedly merged Lakas-Kampi party is now the party much hated by the Filipinos that is almost having the image of Marcos KBL.
Wanting not to be left out of the political blue, losing Kampi bets in 2007 polls and now the out-of-office politicians were also dreaming to be like rats wanting to ride in the Lakas boat as replacements of last-termers not knowing that the Lakas and Kampi parties are now the most hated political parties for moving heaven and earth in covering the heaps of scandals and ripoffs of the Arroyo administration.
For giving a blind eye to their democratic obligation to locally oppose in Davnor and Comval, and take the cudgel of the legal opposition in the call and temper of the times, potential oppositionists wanting to ride the Lakas boat themselves buried last year democracy in this part of the country.
The politically gruesome in the year that was comes with the politics of opportunism and patronage, and the politics for one’s political career’s sake nurtured by the odorous administration parties of Lakas and Kampi, while its germination started right late last year in the making of Comval’s Lakas unity and the unstated yet standing Lakas-Kampi unification in Davao del Norte even if Governor Rodolfo del Rosario and former Congressman Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. could not yet see eye to eye.
But these supposedly Lakas-Kampi vassal provinces are pretentious and much more so in the coming of the year that will be when the effects of international financial crisis start to pinch on us. It has been so in 2004 and 2007 polls when Davnor and Comval voters consistently chose the opposition senatorial bets than those offered by the Palace and despite the unification of the provincial political stalwarts in 2004 and their division into Lakas and Kampi in 2007. Different dogs with the same admin collars.
In 2004, GMA lost to FPJ in overall count in Davnor, and if not of Cong. Way Kurat’s 32-0 bluffing campaign FPJ could have won in District 1 towns even if there was no party campaigning for him as he won over GMA in Maco, Mabini, Pantukan and Maragusan. It is still farcical to claim that Davnor and Comval are Lakas-Kampi Country unless they undo the placing of foremost the still jailed Senator Antonio Trillanes IV in the Top 10 tallies in both the provinces (and so with most of the present opposition senators). It was always during election year that the polarized character of the two provinces showed the true opposition majority in this part of the country, despite the latest phenomenon of massive vote-buying (and massive vote-selling).
Perhaps the year that will be when the world’s financial crunch has truly reached ashore in us, when cavendish bananas are affected- great heaven’s forbid- and when cries and hues of the people become so louder, there comes in a new politicians’ season characterized by political turncoats and butterflies, the balimbings, from what else - but the opportunistic and selfish Lakas and Kampi parties. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or txt 09069104553)
Filed under: cong. tonyboy floirendo jr., governor rodolfo del rosario, lakas kampi comval, lakas kampi davao del norte, mabini comval, maco comval, pantukan comval , cong. tonyboy floirendo jr., governor rodolfo del rosario, lakas kampi comval, lakas kampi davao del norte, mabini comval, maco comval, pantukan comval

cha monforte recent posts december 24, 2004

2008-12-23T15:09:00.000-08:00

cha monforte blog december 3rd week 2008

2008-12-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

NEWS: Duterte to formally announce when to retire soon

Sara to serve as mayor before 2010 polls

dec 23

Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has clarified yesterday on his earlier statement that he would hand in the reins of mayorship to his daughter Vice Mayor Sara Duterte before his current term will end.

He said that he would soon make a formal announcement on his planned retirement that would cut his current term citing that due to his age he wanted to rest.

In a talk with city’s members of the press yesterday, the mayor said that he would not just go out from the city in the days following his retirement.

But he added his plan of retiring is depending yet on the state of things in the city saying that he wanted that the peace and order situation in the city would remain to be fully secured before he would have Sara served as mayor to complete the rest of his current term, a radio report said.

The mayor’s statement though has fueled anew speculations that he is preparing Sara for her mayoral bid in 2010 polls.

Duterte is now on his last term.

Under a provision of the Local Government Code, current local elected officials would end their term on June 30, 2010 following the May 2010 polls. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

OPINION: The three-corner fight for Comval gov scenario

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

It’s likely that the national opposition will have again a split with the reported plan of Erap to run for President in tandem with Senator Loren Legarda for Vice President. If Erap does, Senator Manny Villar and Senator Roxas will most likely do the same, being also today’s front-running presidential bets from the opposition. Just like Davao del Norte Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel and Comval Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya, “it’s now or never” for them not to vie for President (for congressman for Dangpanan and Ramil).

Local politicians know well that if three or more parties tangle in elections in the national level, provincial and municipal levels take similar if not the same political transfigurations. Lakas party in Comval despite its much-ballyhoed unity as far as its drum-beaters are concerned is still standing on so fragile grounds with the still unsettled Ramil-Maricar row over the standard-bearer issue for the post that last-termer Cong, Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora is finishing at present. Meantime, January is fast approaching when the Lakas-Comval honchos will announce who should be the choice between Way Kurat’s daughter Maricar and Ramil, son of known big businesswoman in Comval mainland.

With this potential opposition configuration of having at least 2 opposition wings against 1 Lakas candidate, there’s that earlier report that the province’s potential gubernatorial bets would be three- reelectionist incumbent Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, Cong. Way Kurat and former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero.

The report said that Cong. Way Kurat, for being a tested administration ally when he delivered over 13,000 votes’ margin to President Arroyo over Fernando Poe in his home district in 2004 polls and voted hell and water to contribute in killing the impeachment bids of the opposition could potentially get the Palace backing if he decides to run for governor. It said that when it comes to the protecting the Palace’s national interests, the GMA’s advisers would go for a tested ally who could deliver and secure the votes for the administration candidates. But that’s also if Ramil, a kin by the Chinese blood of the governor, gets the choice as standard-bearer for the Lakas District 1 congressional post. Naughty pundits now say that in that scenario it’s Way Kurat who’ll break the so-called Lakas unity.

We don’t wish for that to happen as it would open a floodgate for Joecab to run for governor. That’s self-explanatory: when Lakas political gods and fans are divided, Joecab might win.
Although really a three-corner gubernatorial fight is worth watching and most exciting given that Uy has logistical and administration advantages, Cong. Way Kurat is a most popular Comval politician now and gimmick-savvy, while Joecab is still a maverick, charismatic politician, this scenario is not likely to happen in the event that Cong Way Kurat will make true his earlier political gambit - of retiring from politics to concentrate as the Lakas provincial campaign manager. Well, there seems to be that Big If- that is if Maricar gets January’s choice of becoming the Lakas congressional standard-bearer. In this scenario, provincial elder-statesman Pros Amatong will most probably gravitate towards Cong. Way Kurat for governor, pundits say.

Meantime, the regional Lakas boss Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, one tested Lakas partyman and Malacanang’s player, would also gravitate towards a Way Kurat gubernatorial candidacy if the home scene in Tagum City is spoiled on the scenario that City Mayor Rey Uy, the governor’s brother, has something in his cards for the good of his own city turf that won’t jibe with the cards of Gov. RDR.

Again, we don’t wish for this to happen as it’s easy for Lakas-Kampi local bets to win under a unified ticket, that is if a strong local opposition will not emerge from the boondocks out from the splintering of the national opposition. But this would never happen as there are really local opposition contenders, chief among them are the Lakas shoved-outs, jumpshippers and Kampi out campers who would have at least two opposition parties waiting for their ride. When people rue for victory of national opposition bets in 2010 egged out by the corruption scandals under the Arroyo administration, gee, there’s still that exciting political scenario in Davao del Norte and Comval by 2010. And we’re only 9 days to go before the electoral year 2009 sets in.

Happy Holidays! (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

OPINION: Like copra price today

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

dec 22

If Tagum’s flexi-fare ordinance will be followed to the liter, err letter, the fare cut of P7 should have been effected sometime a month ago. On Saturday, Mayor Rey Uy and the City Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board officers led by Atty. Roland Tumanda agreed in a meeting to effect the P7 minimum fare from the latest P8 by January 2. That’s still within the Holiday and classes will resume by January 5, Monday. It’s good enough and it’s still one big Christmas gift for Tagumenyos.

The flexi-fare ordinance is now showing to be novel piece of legislation that relates with the changes of the world, particularly the international oil price that has been affecting Filpinos since then. Tagumenyos are also worth for their due if oil prices are falling. It’s a legislation with built-in reflex mechanism adjustible to the workings of the market.

It appears now that the City Hall is putting up sort of implementing rules and regulations (IRR) of the flexi-fare ordinance. While it chooses the CTFRB as the fare setter, the chief executive being the man on top of all City Hall layers and bodies has the final say and Saturday’s meeting is right process, to consult also the affected sector, the pedicabbers. After that, the corresponding CTFRB board resolution is a foregone conclusion to legally implement the second fare cut. What about the habal-habals? They have been adjusting by P2 to P5 over the tricycle fare in the two fare movements. When the tricycle fare was increased to P10 from P7, habal-habal drivers also increased and collected P15 from their usual P10. Today’s P8 fare is countered by habal-habal fare of P10. Sineswerte talaga ang mga colorum habal-habals. But it seems the usual market force determines the habal-habal fare rates in the city.

Without the de facto IRR on the flexi-fare ordinance, the order of the day under this flexible regime could be riotous. Fare decrease or increase isn’t automatically dependent on current gasoline rates after all. But such could be remedied possibly if the City Hall mounts electronic billboard in strategic corners in the city informing the current gasoline prices and the price average as a yardstick, as well as the City Hall-set tricycle fare. I don’t know if the jacking up of crude and gasoline prices in gas stations in the city above the levels in Panabo and Davao City has been addressed already by Councilor Mylene Baura. Or her probe was just for media op?

Anyway, the unsolicited advice to make the flexi-fare fully operational and automatic is a mounting of electronic billboard, like the basketball scoreboard, stating the fare akin to the copra buyer’s notice on his buying price with words “COPRA PRICE TODAY:P__”, no resecada. In the Tagum City Hall case today, this would be: “TRICYCLE FARE TODAY: P8″. Perhaps Councilor Rey Salve could be a devil’s advocate for this.

BLOGBUZZ: The Panabo legislative department, they say last week, is too over security conscious. During sessions, in its door, there’s that bully who flag down and ask visitors of their purpose in entering the gallery of the session hall. Inside, there’s one sitting cop and a sergeant at arms who watches the faces of entering visitors. Inside the gallery, there’s another who hangs on and looks over the crowd with suspicions. Mediamen are prevented from taking photos of the session inside but only in the glass-enclosed gallery. People entering the Panabo City Hall are earlier thoroughly checked by the security guards and SCU at the front main gate. They say na-OA na ang security details for Panabo session hall during sessions. Such SOP is driving the public from listening the session and getting public records in its rawest verbal forms. We don’t know yet if Vice Mayor James Gamao throws this OA security details intentionally. It’s only in Panabo and not found in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley and elsewhere. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

NEWS: P7 fare to effect January 2

dec 22

Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy has approved to implement a reduced tricycle fare of P7 starting on January 2 next year.

In his meeting on Saturday with the City Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (CTFRB) chairman Atty. Roland Tumanda and other board officers, the decision was reached to effect the second fare cut from the latest P8 since that the current gasoline pump prices already hit within the P30-P39.99 range in a general matrix provided under the city’s flexi-fare ordinance.

If the minimum fare is P7, students and senior citizens would only have to pay P5 for the regular tricycle ride.
However, the CTFRB will still have to formally make a corresponding board resolution for the new fare cut this week, Atty. Tumanda, also the city legal officer, told Sidlak.

The city has now its flexible mode of charging tricycle fare due to the flexi-fare ordinance which provides a bracket on tricycle fares depending on gasoline pump prices.

The City Hall already ordered for fare reduction to P8 fare from P10 last November 18.

When the reduction was effected on that date, gasoline prices were already observed to be diving below the P40 per liter mark.

There was then a fare increase from P7 to P10 approved by the city
council which effected last September 19.

But a week after due to growing complaints of riding public as gasoline prices were decreasing then when the increased P10 fare was implemented, Uy backpedaled and pushed
the flexi-fare ordinance as a novel way of skipping the tedious and long legislative process of enacting an ordinance in view of the volatility of oil prices.

The ordinance’s bracket provides that if gasoline prices per liter
(gpl) range P20 to 29.99 it will have P6 for regular fare and P4 for
student or senior citizen; P30 to P39.99 gpl- P7 regular fare, P5 student/senior citizen; P40 to 49.99 gpl- P8 regular fare, P6 student/senior citizen; P50 to P59.99 gpl- P9 regular fare, P7 student/senior citizen; P60 to P69.99 gpl- P10 regular fare, P8 student/senior citizen; P70 to P79.99 gpl- P11 regular fare, P9 student/senior citizen; P80 to P89.99 gpl- P12 regular fare,
P10 student/senior citizen; P90 to P99.99 gpl- P13 regular fare, P11 student/senior citizen; and P100 and above gpl- P14 regular fare, P12 student/senior citizen. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

cha monforte recent blogs december 2008

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NEWS: Davnor police on full alert these Yuletide days- Bianzon

dec 19

As twin bombings rocked the heart of Iligan City yesterday, the Davao del Norte police is more keeping up its toes these Yuletide days in putting up full-alert security in Tagum City and the province especially for the dawn masses.

Provincial police director PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon said that he placed on full-alert status his police force starting the first day of the December until the New Year.
He said that everybody in his police force has been alerted for any eventualities and to thwart any terroristic acts of rebels that would do harm to the people.

Yesterday, RMN Iligan City reported at 4:00 P.M. that two blasts in Iligan City hit first the Unicity Mall at around 1:35 and 15 minutes after hit another adjacent Sista Mall while a bomb was recovered and defused by the police in the adjoining Jerry Shopping Center.

The establishments are located along Aguinaldo Street, a major thoroughfare in the city.
Bombo Radyo reported at least 5 were killed and at least 28 injured from the twin bombings.

The elusive MILF’s Kumander Bravo has earlier threatened to make bombings in retaliation to hot pursuit of authorities, said the radio report. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

OPINION: A Season’s right topic

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

dec 19

If there’s one good topic good-natured politicians in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley must discuss during the merrymaking in the Yuletide Season it is the death of vibrant democracy in this part of the country. This death has been with us since two elections ago. This dying little by little occured starting when Fernando Poe Jr. ran for President, and when Kampi emerged as a new pro-administration party that fought against Lakas in 2004 polls. In FPJ’s loss, a song was made with a lyrics, “sa Pinas ang talo ay naging Pangulo.”

Since then electoral battles in Davnor and Comval have been engaged by Lakas and Kampi parties although there was such exemption when former Davao del Norte Governor Gelacio “Yayong” Gementiza was forced to jump ship and went to United Opposition (UNO) after a political wrangling. But then Yayong’s muckracking wasn’t against Lakas nor Kampi being opportunist political parties, while his campaign went only for rallying around his personality and not much on issues. It was in that 2007 polls when Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario clutched in straws both the Lakas and Kampi bets that threw a monkey wrench to the District 2 bets of former Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr.

Comval in 2004 polls has that political unification with former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero running under Lakas with erstwhile political rivals, former Cong. Pros Amatong, Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, and the Lakas mayors while Kampi then scarcely fielded municipal slates. It was in 2007 polls, when Caballero was shoved out from Lakas forcing him to use Kampi to engage in feverish battle with the Lakas titans.

When Kampi emerged only with few flickers in 2004 polls, it turned out to be a serious, alternative power contender against Lakas in 2007 polls, but in so far as the national bets were concerned, just the same to Lakas, Kampi also rued for Malacanang bets.

Without now the strong presence of Erap’s PMP, De Villa’s Reporma, Danding’s NPC, Drilon-wing Liberal parties in the two provinces, alternative political figures in the opposition are largely absent in the present political landscape.

At this writing, nobody even from the losing bets especially those having provincial stature and prominence, while not yet considered as political has-beens have engaged in even discursive engagements with Lakas and Kampi incumbents in critical and gut public issues of the day. Well, then Gob. Yayong and then Gob. Joecab are not yet seen as has-beens and spent force as far as my jaded eyes can see, but the former chose to still play a guessing game with the media when he earlier said he was convenient also to run with Gov. RDR, while the latter is still reportedly entertaining to be with the administration through Kampi. Santa Banana! Basa na ang record sa Lakas ug Kampi these days for pure and simple political opportunism while corruption issues are burning the fences of the administration, but sadly in our locales, no non-incumbent politician has yet emerged to engage in democratic discourse pertaining the incumbents’ policies and ways of running the government, nor someone from them has risen to be counted on as representative of the legal opposition.

But maybe potential legal oppositionists in our provinces, if really there are still souls out there, are just waiting for Lakas and Kampi parties to turn from basa to baho in the likes to what had befallen into KBL (Kilusang Bagong Lipunan) during the dying years of Marcos dictatorship. It seems that the blunder of legal oppositionists occurs not only when they continue to be in the comfort zone but more so when the refuse to see the writings in the wall, like the sentiments of our bishops these days, and feel the pulse of people. Look only how people gave political fortune to Isabela Governor Grace Padaca and Pampanga Governor Ed Panlilio, who read well the temper of their own people.

For their continued silence as we now enter in electoral year a few days from now, while people observe, see and listen the failings and arrogance of administration Lakas and Kampi parties over the media, legal oppositionists in our provinces have only themselves to blame when they are routed again comes 2010. It’s they who voice for the practical check and balance in the provinces. The legal opposition place is right in the bedrock of our democracy. It’s the safety valve of peace. Without it, the alternative is the underground opposition, that only begets further violence and bloodshed we can only regret. It seems they don’t rage to the dying of the light or choose to become bystander in their own dark tunnel. (For online edition, visit my blog: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, txt 09069104553, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

NEWS: 201 new cops sent to guard Misa de Gallo

dec 18

Some 201 new policemen admitted into service yesterday morning were immediately deployed by the regional police officials for their first assignment-the guarding for the third Misa de Gallo just this dawn.

The policemen just passed for their graduation-acceptance rite yesterday morning held at San Gabriel training ground and admitted into service, a Bombo Radyo report said.

They were all conferred with the rank police officer 1 (PO 1).

The new policemen were ordered to report by 10 PM last night to city police director Senior Superintendent Ramon Ramon Apolinario who subsequently deployed them to various churches holding the dawn mass.

Some 175 new cops were assigned in the city, while the rest were deployed to Davao del Sur.

Attending the rite were police director Benjamin Villareno Jr of the Police Training Institute representing PNP chief General Jesus Versoza and regional and city police officials led by regional police director Chief Superintendent Pedro Tango. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

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NEWS: No 13th month bonus for Tagum City Hall contractuals

December 22, 2008 at 3:49 am · Filed under comval capitol, davao del norte, mayor rey uy and tagged: comval capitol, davao del norte capitol, tagum city hall, tagum city mayor rey uy · Edit

Davnor, Comval Capitols to release P10 T performance bonus

dec 18

Tagum City Mayor Rey Uy said yesterday that he could not give 13th month Christmas bonus to contractual employees saying that the Commission on Audit disallows it for them.

He said in radio interview that a law prevented him from proceeding of his plan of sharing also Christmas bonanza to contractual employees even as he bared that the City Hall has money for it.

He added that he would give the bonus for them it might be later be subjected to refund.

In that supposed case, the mayor said he has not regret if the money would be put to good use, but added it would be a problem if it would be splurged to booze.

Permanent and casual government employees in national government agencies, government-owned and -controlled corporations and financial institutions across the country have been receiving bonuses since late November, and since lately of the P10,000 performance bonus as covered by President Arroyo ‘s Administrative Order No. 250 signed last December 10.

Both the Capitols in Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley are accordingly releasing the performance bonus either today or tomorrow, sources said.

At press time, however, the amount of the performance bonus from said Capitols could not be known as it is to be funded from agency savings as contained in the Dept. of Budget and Management’s EO 250 circular for national State workers.

Said circular stated that if the savings is insufficient to cover for the P10,000 performance bonus smaller amount could be released provided it is the same and equal to all employees. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

OPINION: The race for Xmas

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

dec 18

It’s not only the Panabo City Council which is in a hurry of wrapping up things before this mid December. The council steered by Vice Mayor James Gamao had made marathon sessions since Monday to beat a finish before yet the middle of the month.

Yesterday, it made its last for this year to compensate the no-session Mondays beginning today until the New Year. Just like the Congress that is in a hurry of settling the thorny issue on CARP extension, municipal and provincial sanggunians also want now to have their Christmas vacations.

This has been easily so with our government officials while ordinary government men have a hard time getting approval for official leaves during the Yuletide Season even while they have a lot of earned leave credits. The department heads, on the other hand, try to beat the elected officials to the draw by setting at the most early date the closing of books as far as the COA rules could allow. In turn, many well-meaning suppliers-those who won their bids fair and honest- will end up scratching their heads for not getting their checks before the New Year. Now there’s a long Christmas vacation waiting out there, compliments of GMA’s holiday economics. Surely, banks will be closed, and government checks have to wait for encashment by 2009 na.

OK, there’s this great race for Christmas. The kargadors in our palengkes and all those in the underground economy remain to be hopeful of earning good bucks before Christmas day. They are hopeful of the Season’s big consumer spending when OFW remittances are heavy and bulk of yearend savings are splurged. Oh, that Pinoy spending again. There’s still no crunch for our OFWs and their families back home, I observe. Bettors are also extra hopeful- of winning the Last 2 that has now proliferated in Davao del Norte and Comval. The estimate three years ago is that each day bettors delivered at least P3 million bet money in our two provinces. (Is this underestatement? I ask our authorities). That’s a cool P1.095 billion industry yearround since Last 2 has no holiday. Multiply it by 365 days.

OK, our farmers on the other hand are hopeful, too, over the yearend benevolence of their landlords not to take fully their shares and give gifts to them, although the landlord- and Lakas-Kampi-dominated Congress as of this writing is in the thick of of marathon discussions on whether to extend CARP or not. But I bet my usual, seldom P10-worth Last 2 bet: the Congress will end up giving not the pantawid sa gutom but a pantalya legislative measure that would be left hanging on the Yuletide’s air since like Davao del Norte District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano they want to have the Christmas vacation so they can resume their gift-giving of rice, noodles and sardines, the “electoral gifts” (I should kindly repeat the words of naughty and malicious pundits in our kantos, inggit lang mo).

Anyway, also in this season of oil price decreases, presidentiable Senator Mar Roxas is crying SOB to the Palace for wanting to effect more price rollback to the level of over P20 per liter for gasoline as the crude oil price in the world market is further nose-diving, so poor Juan dela Cruz in the Pilipins and the Tagumenyos -because of Mayor Uy’s novel flexi-fare ordinance- could have one biggest pinaskuhan in this Yuletide Season of 2008. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, text 09069104553, or e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

NEWS: Davnor pols dazzle groceries, foodstuffs as Xmas gifts

dec 17

Despite still harder times, several Davao del Norte politicians are moving on these days giving groceries and foodstuffs to constituents in kindling the Christmas spirit.

So as not to be interpreted, Davao del Norte District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano defused speculations that his gift-giving of grocery package consisting of rice, noodles and sardines is not for politicking purposes.

In a report of Periodico Norte, he said in vernacular that as his tradition he has been giving “give-aways every December and in fact I started giving these in September in my district”.

Since last week Olano’s house was reportedly flocked in by droves of people including children who lined up to wait for their to receive the foodstuff.

Tricycle drivers have also received insurance certificates besides the groceries from the last-termer congressman.

The same, Olano was consistent in his earlier media statement that he is a “partidista” and would not fight the present governor, vice governor and city mayor, who are all reelectionists, saying that they all belong to Lakas party like him.

But he has a caveat for this: “unless Lakas breaks up.”

Not to be outdone, the other day Asuncion Mayor Municipal Joseph Pareñas showed to the local media his stockpile of Christmas gifts, still packed groceries, ready for distribution to his needy constituents.

Where before DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum used to have a lot of time for commentaries, now the primetime from 7:00 to 9:00 A.M. is booked to seconders of Christmas greetings from city councilors up to the governor.

The much-touted RDR on Wheels of Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, on the other hand, is scheduled to make a lot of municipal sorties during this Yuletide Season.

In most of its sorties, provincial officials and manpower drew out various provincial services such as medical check up and medicine distribution, dental services, therapists’ massage, dispersal of agricultural products and animals, while the governor gave thousands of Philhealth cards and acted as collective ninong of mansibados (unmarried in the Church).

Sources said that the RDR on Wheels hit bumps when it drew scarce constituents begging for provincial services in municipalities whose mayors are known to be political proteges of former Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr.

The Floirendos and Del Rosarios have had political, family and business feud which started near the time before the May 2007 polls.

MeanwHile, sour-graping pundits however said that Christmas gifts consisting of the familiar rice, noodles and sardines that have been going to barangays every election time are therefore suspect. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

OPINION: So cool Misa de Gallo then

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

They say it’s officially Christmas starting today, with the first Misa de Gallo held just this dawn. This is one cherished Filipino custom that lasts for nine days, from today until the Christmas eve, December 24. It started during the Spanish colonial period, and accordingly was initially intended for farmers who wanted to attend Christmas Mass but could not leave their fields.

There’s this passing nostalgia to be with kababayans each dawn, and the longing to share victory in a cool, foggy Yuletide Season after a fight not to drowse off during each dawn mass. Well, that was so before in my youth in a backwoods of a countrysides. There was so much excitement to meet the dawn while serving as sakristan under the tutelage of a motherly Sister Cima of fma, like when we were made to believe then that Santa Claus is coming to town to give toys to good boys and girls.

It was also then that barangay farmers, when the GKKs weren’t so strong, for which the dawn masses were first intended for them by the friars, had no luxury to rise up at dawn just to trek downhill for long walk to the church in the poblacion. But I saw a few of them possibly rising by 2:00 or 3:00 dawn to walk for 1 or 2 hours just to catch up dawn masses.

It was only last year (a poor churchgoer am I) that I learned that GKK chapels had then been holding dawn mass celebrations. The GKK, the harbinger of the purok, offers a most proximate and so closed affair for Misa de Gallo, with your own neighbors and other familiar faces attending. I must say that in towns, where there are no long-known vendors of the common puto maya and tsokolate, dawn mass goers have been savoring the shrunk pandesal they bring home after a drop in a town bakery. Though lacking in snack delicacies like the many that spring up abundantly and cherish in other places like in Luzon or in Cebu in church frontyards, the Yuletide cheer and wish for abundant life isn’t lacking for the Mindanaoan probinsyanos subsisting on pandesal after dawn masses.

It is also so for the forsaken farmers and poor to merry over what they could easily afford from what’s left from their bonuses, if ever there is still after going from London (loan dito, loan doon, the teachers’ lingo, you know), even while TV advertisements have always show the noche buena meal of the privileged after the December 24 night Misa de Aguinaldo: lechon, hamon, cheeses, a variety of salads, pasta, embotido and sweets.

Del Monte seasons these locally, while Davao del Norte and Comval bananas show the craving of the rich countries for desserts on the table during the Holiday. But otherwise, and sadly, beyond our preference for the basic staple rice, Compostela and Pagsabangan landowners now plow their fields for dollars’ sake, but understandably, out of economic necessities beyond what rice could offer for their children and future. Ultimately, it’s for Pete’s sake.

There’s also this nostalgia creeping in us for a so cool, so foggy dawn. Before it was always raining during the Yuletide Season. The thick fog and the rains are gone now. There was hot streak of sunlight yesterday. The cool and humid December before is gone now. After decades of unabated illegal logging activities in our provinces and illegal loggers have continued to have still their best laughs, while our environment and local government officials continue to see and hear no evil, this is what we have now: our weather has become so feckle, and for the other man-made destructions against our surrounding and environment, nature has been fighting back like what it struck in Masara and Diwalwal landslides, and in the flooding in the many lowlands in our provinces.

After today’s first Misa de Gallo, I can only reminisce on those good old dawns when so mountain-fresh and so thick fog envelop entirely my hometown Nabunturan in so cool embrace during the Yuletide Season. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

OPINION: Death of democracy in Davnor and Comval

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

Our congressmen have backpedalled in their Con-Ass assault. We may surmise that days prior Friday’s Makati rally either our own congresssmen have stood in the sidelines yet supportive to the move of Kampi and Lakas to pursue the path of converting Congress into constituent assembly to change our Constitution by their own, or became part of the rabid Con-Ass movers led by Cong. Luis Villafuerte of Kampi and Speaker Prospero Nograles of Lakas.

We know for sure that Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario, being the Lakas regional chairman, would feign no qualm over the Con-Ass move. After all, he’s the one in charge to crack a party whip in this part of the country, for good or for bad for the party, while the Con-Ass move shows that it is just too divisive for the country.

There are expectations from the kanto that should the ilk of Villafuerte and Nograles made true the convening of the Congress into Con-Ass last week and sailed on despite the legislative stalemate posed by the Senate’s resolution of nixing the move, pro-administration rallies led by Lakas in the provinces would be mounted. We know of the superficial Lakas unity in Comval and Lakas-Kampi unification in Davao del Norte. Just like in Marcos time when a mammoth crowd of KBL kapitans and municipal officials could be mobilized in Tadeco using government resources, the Lakas in Davao del Norte and Comval could do a KBL separately in the provinces and pledge support while our Supreme Court tackles the legality of the Con-Ass without the Senate. But since Nograles had backtracked the other day while Villafuerte mumbled in the corner, The kanto expectations nevertheless died down.

This local show of support to the administration is one that is yet unchallenged. Fact is, there is yet no organized legal opposition in the two provinces. Our time hasn’t yet reached the time before when erstwhile opposition politicians in the provinces stood to be counted on in the fight against Marcos dictatorship. Before we have Bal Sator, Rolly Marcial, Tony Lagunzad, Jess Albacite, Rey Castillo, and later Florante Garcia castigating Marcos. What we have at present are the traditonally noisy organizations in the Left But these are few, disjoined, scattered and only propaganda-obsessed. No politician of the caliber of Sator et al in their past mold (forget them at present) has yet taken even a voice of a legal opposition in Davao del Norte and Comval. And this is alarming to the democracy in this part of the country!

The check and balance of governance in the provinces and in the lives of towns and provinces has been practically played by opposition politician figures. When all incumbent politicians now, chiefly those constituting the legislative departments, bid for blessings for patronage of the Lakas chief executives and rabidly vie for inclusion to the Lakas party slate in 2010 polls, while politicians outside who lost in 2007 polls couldn’t yet shake off their losing Kampi membership or either constantly pray for inclusion to Kampi slate once again or the better as replacement for Lakas open post, and emerging ones are afraid to rock the Lakas boat, provincial and municipal governance is left to rot of itself. Check and balance becomes a misnomer. Politics becomes so opportunistic, so obsessed for political career’s sake. Transparency and accountability in governance are absent as these have been left at the discretion of power holders.

With the people in the sidelines, without the legal opposition, and with the Lakas-Kampi opportunistic politics foisted upon us, I must say a living democracy has already died in our provinces. It seems the death of our democracy comes voluntary with the acquiescence and opportunism of our politicians, reigning or otherwise, to the opportunistic baton of the pro-administration Lakas and Kampi parties. Time has indeed changed. (For online edition, visit my blog at: cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

NEWS: Tagum City govt to borrow anew P400 M from DBP to finish new City Hall

dec 16

The Tagum City government will be securing a new P400 million loan from the Development Bank of the Philippines to fund the completion its new City Hall building, which needs another P250 million, and for the other priority projects of Mayor Rey Uy.

On Monday the City Council approved Resolution No. 573 authorizing Uy to negotiate with the DBP for a P400-million loan payable for 10 years.

The half of the amount or P250 million would be used for the acquisition of equipment and land and for the construction of city’s food terminal complex, said Vice Mayor Allan Rellon.

The city government has already spent P200 million, still secured on DBP borrowing, for the new City Hall building, which is located at the eleven-hectare lot in barangay Apokon donated by the Ayala family.

It is being built in-house using the City Engineer’s Office and city’s own manpower and equipment including its batching plant under the guidance of a project management office and project consultant.

While the fresh loan to be sought is on top of previous loans, the City Budget Office clarified that the P400-million loan amortization is still way below the city’s loan amortization cap of P42 million as computed by the Department of Finance.

City Engineer Gilbert Mambulao has reported that the building with the initial P200 million is now “60 percent complete” standing in skeleton with columns, beams, slabs and roofing parts.

He said that they have the original target of completing the building and “fully furnished” by September 10, 2009 before the 2010 elections.

The DBP has offered to put the interest rate of the planned P400 borrowing on floating interest rate and not a fixed one noting on the prevailing economic uncertainty due to international financial crunch and the possible vulnerability of local banks in case of economic downtrend.

On the other hand, the P100-million food terminal complex, that is planned to have a food packaging center and which is one of the Regional Development Council’s identified regional projects, is planned to be constructed in progressive type of development, said Sonny Manigo of the City Planning and Development Office.

He said that from what the city government could build private investors could infuse investments if they choose to locate within the food terminal complex. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

NEWS: PUJ drivers warned to cut fare or be fined P3,000

LTFRB sets Friday deadline to get free taripa

dec 16

DAVAO CITY- The Land Transportation Franchise and Regulatory Board -XI has warned public utility jeepney drivers and operators to fully implement the reduced fare until Friday or both of them would be fined P3,000 each for overcharging as the implementation of fare rollback started yesterday.

But the LTFRB-XI has still given a grace period for the PUJ drivers and operators to secure the LTFRB’s fare matrix, otherwise another P500 fine would be charged to them as few were seen lining up at LTFRB office in Ecoland road yesterday to secure the free fare matrix.

“Drivers who would be caught overcharging and even undercharging would be apprehended and fined with P3,000 and if the operator has instructed the driver not to reduce the fare he would also be fined with P3,000,” LTFRB Davao spokesperson Edgar Violan said in a Bombo Radyo phone-patch interview yesterday.

With further oil price decreases in the recent days, the LTFRB has ordered for a fifty centavo fare rollback from the latest P7.50 for the first 4 kilometers to a rounded P7 minimum fare and P1.40 from P1.50 for the succeeding kilometers thereafter.

Violan, also the LTFRB-XI administrative officer, said that few were lining up to secure the fare matrix even it is being released for free adding that “since that it is advantageous to them”.

He added that the new fare is just provisional and covers the period December 15 until March 15 next year, a longer period that is rarely ordered by LTFRB since the recent months.

The stopping of the P10-additional fare of taxis was also effected yesterday but taxi flag down rate remains the same, P20 for the non-airconditioned and P30 for airconditioned units.

Violan called on taxi drivers and operators to detach the “plus P10 sticker” in their units that marked for the P10-additional fare that has been levied after every a taxi ride.

Meanwhile, the tricycle regular fare has remained at P6. Tricycles are covered with local franchise and the City Hall decides on the matter of its fare reduction.

The LTFRB has also ordered corresponding fare reduction for provincial buses.

LTFRB effected here the first P0.50 fare rollback last November 7 bringing down the minimum fare to P7.50 and P6 for the students, differently-abled and the elderly.(Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News)

Cha Monforte Blogs November last week 2008

2008-11-28T06:03:00.000-08:00

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CHA MONFORTE BLOGS NOVEMBER LAST WEEK 2008

2008-11-28T05:54:00.000-08:00

Comval Congress 2010

NEWS: Ramil breaks silence, says his ambition remains

“Roger Sarmiento will do a comeback”

nov 28

Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya yesterday broke his silence and said that his “ambition to run for Congress in 2010 remains”.

“However, being a member of the Lakas-CMD party, I will abide by the decision on however the party will endorse as the standard bearer, ” he said in a text message.

“At this point no one has been endorsed yet, thus the field is still open. Anything is possible,” he added.

It is about two weeks until yesterday that Gentugaya had been mum on the local press following the revelation of Apsay that she had participated in a leadership training at Tagbilaran City in Bohol sponsored by the Lakas-CMD nationale directorate.

Later this month she is slated to undergo another leadership training for women Lakas leaders in Manila. The same the Lakas national directorate will foot the bill for its Manila affair.

Observers said that the Lakas-CMD national directorate appears to be already grooming Apsay as its pick for standard bearer for the post that her father Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” will be leaving by 2010.

But others see otherwise, saying it is the Lakas local leadership, the provincial directorate chaired by Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy which has the “greater voice” in the choice of the standard bearer.

As this developed, a source said that former Cong. Roger “RMS” Sarmiento is already going for a comeback as he would reportedly run to vie against Gentugaya or Maricar, or both in a scenario of a three-corner fight over the District 1 congressional post.

Compostela Barangay Poblacion secretary Pepot Garcia said that he was approached recently by a Compostela resident and former manager of the Sarmientos who said that Roger Sarmiento is girding to run to reclaim the congressional post that he bequeathed to Cong. Zamora when he ran but lost as governor against former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero in 2001 polls.

Provincial elder Prospero Amatong was also reportedly qouted as saying that Sarmiento would be running for the post, mediaman Rudy Calansingin said.
Amatong was interviewed by the local media inside the residence of former Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Anthony del Rosario during the last Tagum City fiesta. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, former comval cong. roger "rms" sarmiento, newsman rudy calinsingin, pepot garcia compostela | Tagged: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, former comval cong. roger "rms" sarmiento, newsman rudy calinsingin, pepot garcia compostela

NEWS: Workers themselves cover for employers’ violation of minimum wage law- Davnor DOLE exec

nov 28

TAGUM CITY- A provincial officer of the Dept. of Labor and Employment has bared here that there are cases when the workers themselves cover the violations of their employers on the minimum wage law.

“Di sila kaako motug-an sa gipanghimo sa ilang employer sa ila (They cannot afford to tell to the labor department what their employers have been doing),” said Albert Degamo, DOLE provincial officer in Davao del Norte during yesterday’s edition of the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo in the Media Center, Capitol at Mankilam.

Degamo however bared that his office has been hearing cases every Monday relating to labor standards including those covering minimum wage laws and orders.

He could not though cite provincial statistics on the extent of violations of employers and businesses on mandated minimum wage of the workers.
Instead he cited that his agency has three frameworks in enforcing the minimum wage law.

He said that at the latest Wage Order 15 made by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board-XI the workers in the region employed in businesses having 10 or more workers the current effective rate for minimum wage is P265 per day from P250 per day for the period June 16 to Sept. 16, 2008.

The framework to be taken for businesses having 1 to 9 workers requires only technical visit during which employers are only required to give their action plan on the minimum wage, adding that DOLE is still giving small businesses “time to grow”.

“For businesses having 10 to 129 workers, we do inspection on whether they comply with the law and enforce our labor standard laws,” Degamo said.

“For those having 200 workers or more, we make no inspection but rely the self-assessment on implementation of minimum wage on labor unions as embodied in their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) (with their employers),” he added.
Micro-enterprise businesses, he said, are exempted though from complying with the minimum wage law. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: albert degamo tagum dole, davao del norte minimum daily wage, davao del norte workers | Tagged: albert degamo tagum dole, davao del norte minimum daily wage, davao del norte workers

NEWS: City dads to correct junked Urban Poor Ordinance

nov 27

The Tagum City Council will make due corrections and revisions to their Urban Poor Ordinance that was not confirmed and returned by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to the City Hall Monday.

City Councilor Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio Jr, also housing committee chairman, said in a text message yesterday that he and his colleagues will take into consideration the recommendations of the SP in revising the ordinance, adding that “we are of the same plight of protecting the welfare of the urban poor.”

“My committee will find pursue to find ways to address the problems of the urban poor,” he said.

As of yesterday, Suaybaguio had not yet received a referral of the ordinance to his committee

He added that for this his committee is also presently crafting the city’s housing code and reviewing the zoning ordinance.

The known Urban Poor Ordinance of Suaybaguio, City Ordinance 302, sought to defer for five years the issuance of accreditation and approval of development plans to new urban poor associations wanting to undertake housing subdivisions projects for their members.

The City Hall came up with the measure to stop urban poor housing projects that it said resulted to low occupancy, underdevelopment and blight due to lack of basic facilities and services such as access roads, drainage, water system, power and electricity, solid waste disposal system, and other facilities.

It however gave exemptions to ten community associations which are still on the process of complying the necessary permits and those which have already approved preliminary approval and locational clearance (PALC) and development permit (DP) but with a low occupancy rate will be subjected to verification process to be conducted by the City Planning and Development Office.

Listed exempted were Barangay Magugpo East Urban Poor Homeowners Association, Curvada-Magdum Homeowners Association, Immaculada Concepcion Urban Poor Homeowners Association, Malinawon Urban Poor Homeowners Association, San Antonio Homeowners Association, San Jose Homeowners Association, San Rafael Homeowners Association, Tagum CEBOLE Homeowners Association, Inc., Velasco Urban Poor Homeowners Association – Phase 1, and Velasco Urban Poor Homeowners Association – Phase 2.

The measure also provided that the ordinance will be lifted anytime when ninety five percent actual occupancy rate of those subdivisions that have low occupancy is realized. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: tagum city councilor nicandro "nickel" suaybaguio jr, tagum urban poor, tagum urban poor ordinance | Tagged: tagum city councilor nicandro "nickel" suaybaguio jr, tagum urban poor, tagum urban poor ordinance

OPINION: Tough class acts of Pros Amatong

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

Nov 24

The last time I got an opportunity to interview today’s best known provincial elder-statesman Prospero “Pros” Amatong was in the late 80s, when he was still the governor of the erstwhile undivided Davao del Norte. That time I was then with the defunct Northern Star published by late Cesar “Rasec” Sotto. Thursday was like the same day repeating in terms of ambiance in my interview with him in the 80s.

The grand old man in Davao del Norte-Comval politics was still at his signature form at home: he donned pure cotton white shirt and shorts, while Ma’am Luz sit nearby. The same - he has been smoking menthol then and now. For all those greatest political and electoral feats after over 4 decades in public service, Pros Amatong remains down-to-earth and charismatic, speaks candid, terse jab, punch lines and unleashes keen political thoughts, while the Amatong ancestral house in Purok 3, Nabunturan remains largely the same inside: wooden, archaic and its kitchen downstairs can still be seen from the sala. Nabunturan’s greatest father is unblemished: not a single Ombudsman complaint, not even from anonymous complainant, has been filed against him in his 45 years of public service.

He’s one unscathed after serving as Nabunturan councilor (3 years), Nabunturan mayor (14 years, 2 years in New Corella), undivided Davao del Norte governor (9 years), District 2 Comval congressman (9 years), 2 years as project manager of the Philippine National Oil Corp. and 6 years as project engineer of the then Bureau of Public Works, his first stint in government.

He has two episodes when his mandate was cut short: the first on September 28, 1977 when he was purged by dictator Marcos for being with the opposition and replaced by Vice Mayor Zosimo Bugas who served for 4 years, and on March 31, 1986, after reclaiming his mayoral seat in 1980 polls, when he was appointed by President Cory Aquino as the OIC governor of the Davao del Norte.

Now at 77, Nabunturan’s kingmaker visibly remains yet so influential in town and even the whole province despite his exit from political corridor of power in 2007. “When I say I’ll no longer run, I’ll not run,” he says in vernacular adding that he differs to others who make a lot of fuss over their political decisions. His decision of no longer running for office in 2007 polls is tough class act of seasoned and experienced politician. But from it, he bequeathed his political power to his successor son now Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong. At a time when he retired began the baptism of fire in politics of his political heir. All out of the service-rich patriarch, the neophyte scion becomes a shoo in. This shows though particularly for Davao del Norte now that there were no two or more Amatongs holding the reins of power at the same time.

In the circles of politicians and barangay kapitans asking for projects from him, his bluntness is well known. Davao del Norte Vice Gov. Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio recalls that when Amatong fumed anger he surely would give the proponent the project requested. “It’s like a situation of a father scolding a son,” Suaybaguio says as he recalls how Amatong counterparted much for the province when he built Totit during VG Baby’s stint as Tagum mayor.

It’s in Amatong’s brand of management that government projects must always be placed on the ground based on “felt need”. Same words then and now. Visibly this is one of the cornerstones why he stayed long in public office. “The felt need is determined by experience,“ he says. When he went on a spree of opening new roads and building bridges in farthest villages across the then undivided Davao del Norte after EDSA Uno people power, he ended up beloved by many not only in Comval but also in Davnor. As to one of the values he holds dear, he talks on the need of a no-changing character that must be in place in every politician regardless of the stardom status one may have reached in his political career. But, he added, it should be the people themselves who’ll remind politicians in power who’ve changed in character.
After all those punishing years in public service, include there Jun Pala’s Kumander Puti witchhunt when he became the OIC Davnor Gob, the acknowledged Comval father Pros Amatong remains oozing with charisma and gems of political thoughts despite that he’s gone south of his age now. But by and large, as I see him now, he’s one great political statesman-elder, who has rich legacies that have reshaped towns and provinces and vast experience as a vintage master politician behind him from whom today’s provincial and local politicians ought to take stock of for advice if not emulation. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Filed under: provincial elder-statesman prospero amatong, vice gov baby suaybaguio | Tagged: davao del nrote vice gov. baby suaybaguio, former cong. prospero amatong, former governor prospero amatong, provincial elder-statesman prospero amatong

NEWS: Pulis mas alerto karon sa Tagum bisperas, pista- Gunabe

Seguridad pahugtan pa gyud

nov 22

Pahugtan pa gayud ug ensakto ang pagbantay sa kapulisan sa seguridad sa syudad karong adlawa nga bisperas na sa kapistahan ni Patron Kristong Hari sa syudad sa Tagum.

Magduha na ka semana sugod nga gipataas sa kapulisan ngadto sa heightened alert ang ilang 0agbantay sa kalinaw sa syudad.

Sa pagpahugot sa kapulisan sa ilang pag-gwardya aktibong ginamobilisar usab ang mga barangay tanod, matud pa ni Tagum City police chief Dario Gunabe sa pakighinabi kagahapon.

Subay niini, ang hepe sa kapulisan nanawagan usab sa suporta sa katawhan sa pagsalmot sa pagbantay sa kalinaw tungod kay matud niya gamay ra gayud ang mga elemento sa kapulisan ikumpara sa kadaghanon sa katawhan sa syudad.
Bisan niini kanunay pa gihapong alerto ug aktibo ang kapulisan sa pagpakgang sa mga krimen nga makadaut sa maayong estado sa kahusay ug kalinaw sa syudad, dugang pa ni PSupt. Gunabe.

Siya usab mipahibalo nga sa natalang estadistika sa kapulisan sa tibouk nasud nakit-an nga sa bulan sa Nobyembre ug Disyembre partikularmente sa panahon sa kapaskuhan taas gayud ang national rate sa crime against property.

Nagpasabot, matud niya, nga modaghan ang mga kaso sa kawat, pagpanglungkab ug uban pang krimen batok sa propriedad.

Ang unang makakontra niining klaseng krimen mao ang pagbantay mismo sa katawhan sa ilang pinuy-anan diin anaa ang ilang mga propriedad, matud pa sa hepe. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: Tagum police chief Dario Gunabe, tagum city fiesta | Tagged: tagum city fiesta, Tagum police chief Dario Gunabe

NEWS: Pros Amatong: “DA, real recipient of Bolante fertilizer”

His office just coordinated the distribution

nov 21

Former Compostela Valley District 2 Congressman Prospero Amatong bared yesterday that the real recipient of of the so-called Bolante fertilizer was the Department of Agriculture-XI and that his congressional office then just coordinated its distribution to the farmers in his district.

“We just identified the recipients of the fertilizer,” he said in an exclusive interview.
He added that the fertilizer was a cargo and he shied away from micro-managing it.

“Sila na adto, bagahi to siya ug kapoy kung ako pay mangunay adto,” he added.
Even then, he said there was an auditing team from Commission on Audit which went to his congressional office and cleared the transaction.

“The Bolante fertilizer just passed in my congressional office,” he said, adding that he had not much thought of it since he saw mayors and farmers in the province also coordinating DA-XI to access it.

He said his office ultimately received goods in the form of fertilizer and not money.
He recalled that his office received the fertilizer close before the elections and that its distribution went beyond the elections due to the election ban.

Asked on how he is seeing the investigation on the P728-million fertilizer fund scam reportedly pulled by former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante before the May 2004 polls, he said that the current drift of pinning down the suppliers and the DA “is good” and that those culpable could be uncovered through a “paper trail” and “missing links”.

The recognized provincial elder has been undefeated in electoral races in his 50 year of public service during which not a single Ombudsman complaint, even from anonymous sender, was filed against him. His son Cong. Rommel Amatong is taking his footsteps at present.

Earlier, several incumbents during the 2004 polls had already spoken on the Bolante fertilizer scam.

Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario in a TV report said he did not receive the Bolante fertilizer but drip irrigation projects to boost vegetable production in his province.

At that time he was the national president of both the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP)

On Monday Davao del Norte Cong. Arrel Olano (District 1) admitted he received Bolante’s fertilizer and distributed it to some 6,000 farmers in Asuncion, Kapalong, San Isidro and Talaingod towns. He said his recipients could be verified right in the field.

Olano said that he started distributing the fertilizer before the May 2004 polls and stopped when the election period began. He said he continued distributing the fertilizer after the elections.

Last Sunday, Comval Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora (District 1) admitted, too, he received fertilizer but only in August 2004, after the May polls in that year.
Zamora said his recipients included even the farrmers belonging to the militant Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas in his province.

He said the transaction was “duly accounted for” and that he has a list of recipient barangay captains throughout his district except Monkayo town. where he did not distribute the fertilizer as Zamora were at political odds then with Mayor Manuel Brillantes.

Both Olano and Zamora said they did not receive money but only fertilizer.
Early last week, former Comval Gov. Jose Caballero said he did not receive any fertilizer nor money for it, although he complied with the requirements asked by the DA for him to access the so-called Bolante fertilizer.

Former Davao del Norte Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” del Rosario (District 2) has yet to issue a statement on the issue to the local press.

Bolante has been accused of engineering the alleged diversion of P728 million to the 2004 campaign kitty of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, whom he had cleared to have not been involved in the scam, along with other names of local officials and congressmen who were identified as proponents of the fertilizer funds.

A total of 103 congressmen, 53 provincial governors and 23 mayors were identified as among those who availed of the funds. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: cong. olano, cong. way kurat, former comval cong. prospero amatong, former cong. tonyboy floirendo | Tagged: cong. olano, cong. way kurat, former comval cong. prospero amatong, former cong. tonyboy floirendo

OPINION: Forget Sto. Tomas and Nabunturan cityhood

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

nov 20

There was that buzz last week that the cityhoood in Nabunturan is forthcoming. Was it another diversionary stuff for the P90-million bond flotation that the town’s administration pushes to be implemented? (The bond float pushers are now respondents to an injunction case filed by representatives of people initiative petitioners in town. We’ll not touch this for now at the risk of being held in contempt of court). But sadly, for Nabunturan, the cityhood isn’t really coming (so with Sto. Tomas in Davao del Norte) since the Supreme Court the other day struck out the 16 new cities including the near Mati in Davao Oriental, Bayugan, Agusan del Sur, Cabadbaran, Agusan del Norte and Tandag, Surigao del Sur. They’re now back as municipalities!

Forget the costly hoopla and celebrations when these towns became cities via Congress and not via the requirements of the New Local Government Code. What now magistrates, when the “city” officials have been already called as city mayores, city vice mayores and city konsehales? Throw into the garbage cans their calling cards, stationeries, and discard the new “city” logo and seal, or put white-outs to the word “city” in the birth and marriage certificates of those who were born and who married during the time when Mati, Bayugan, Cabadbaran and Tandag were still called as “cities”?

In declaring the 16 cityhoood laws unconstitutional, the High Couirt pointed out: “The Constitution is clear. The creation of local government units must follow the criteria established in the Local Government Code and not in any other law. There is only one Local Government Code. The Constitution requires Congress to stipulate in the Local Government Code all the criteria necessary for the creation of a city, including the conversion of a municipality into a city. Congress cannot write such criteria in any other law, like the Cityhood Laws.” It’s really a big sorry for our four neighboring towns.

The trouble with their city conversion was that they had their congressmen sponsored their respective cityhood bills when their annual income had not yet hit the P100-million mark. They asked for exemption for it and the Congress granted. That’s via legislative fiat.

Really, forget the congressmen unless they sponsor for the further revision of the New Local Government Code (LGC) and not file bill through the short-cut, backdoor route. You see there’s that ultra-resistence from the cities as the SC’s nullification came from the court case filed by the the league of cities. They, like Tagum City, just don’t want more towns to become cities to eat with them the big IRA allocation for the cities.

But now the real route to cityhood is the New Local Government Code, as amended. Through this, the 3 requirements are needed: 100 square kilometer land area, 150,000 population based on the latest 2007 census and P100 million annual income. Nabunturan has 245.26 sq. kms land area, check. In 2007 census, it has only 67,365 population, fail. By next month, the town’s real income is still less than P100 million as the P40-50 million is still a planned borrowing for the bond float. I said it before, at the very least, the town could only hit the 150,000 population mark in 15 years.

Monkayo is more dejado since it already has the land and income requirements. If Mayor Manuel Brillantes is wise enough, he’ll have to lobby for the correction of the wrong boundary line of Comval’s north and Monkayo gets big chunks of population of Laak, and the Agusan del Sur towns of Santa Josefa and Veruela, and presto, it immediately qualifies to become a city. In 2007 census, Monkayo has 90,971 population.

What’s in a name? Nabunturan town can still function like a city without a city tag if has all the amenities, facilites and services well in place for its residents to live in comfort and convenience. Unfortunately, the town administration of Mayor Macario Humol has apparently been lacking of efforts in delivering good, potable water for the poblacion residents. This, for one gauge alone. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Filed under: bayugan agusan del sur, cabadbaran agusan del norte, comval, davao del norte, mati davao oriental, nabunturan, nabunturan cityhood, nabunturan mayor macario humol, sto tomas davao del norte cityhoo, sto. tomas, tandag surigao del sur. requirements of cityhood | Tagged: nabunturan, comval, davao del norte, nabunturan mayor macario humol, sto tomas davao del norte cityhoo, nabunturan cityhood, sto. tomas, mati davao oriental, bayugan agusan del sur, cabadbaran agusan del norte, tandag surigao del sur. requirements of cityhood

OPINION: Way K’s realpolitik

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

There are now signs and the inevitable came out: it was no other than Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay held at bay by a mix of persons in the media to talk about politics last Sunday amid the ongoing 58th birthday celebration of his father, Cong. Way Kurat at their known Octagon farm park in Monkayo.

“The equity of the incumbent applies only to the reelectionists of the same position,” she said in answering the earlier postulation that Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya is most senior among Lakas partymen to claim for the coveted title of becoming the administration standard bearer for the District 1 congressional post by 2010.

There were no ifs, nor buts for the BM Maricar on this issue. The post that sooner his father would be leaving is really an open one, vouched even by an earlier opinion of Lakas-CMD regional president, Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario.

So it’s the party that would really decide who from the front-running congressional wannabes- BM Maricar and VG Ramil would be picked up. There seems no more District 1 bidders for the post. Lito Brillantes, for one, is outsider, not incumbent. As of this writing, Monkayo Mayor Manuel Brillantes, then with Liberal party (Atienza wing) is smoking a peace pipe with Way Kurat and Lakas-CMD when he took oath as a party member two weeks ago.

We heard from buzz that VG Ramil has stockpiled financial logistics when he became a married man last Oct 18. “If it’s Maricar, he (Ramil) would either stay or go out from the party,” said Cong. Way Kurat in an imprompto presscon amid his birthday bash. “But if it’s Ramil… ah we will not talk about it as it will never happen anyway,” he added as he turned quizzical.

We’ve learned also that BM Maricar appears to be already groomed as the Lakas-CMD national directorate’s pick. She just joined in the Tagbilaran leadership training, all at the national party’s expense. There, BM Maricar along with 40 other Lakas-CMD potential standard bearers were accordingly trained on “how to’s” rudiments including how to win in the coming polls. By the end of this month, she’ll again join in another Lakas-CMD leadership training for women party leaders sponsored by the Lakas-CMD national directorate.

We’ve also learned that Cong. Way Kurat was just testing who his loyalists really are when he floated he would be running as Compostela mayor. “Atik ra to,” he announced before over a thousand of birthday well-wishers.

He said he is due to retire from politics two years from now to be the Lakas-CMD campaign manager, as Gob. Uy listened intently. In the presscon, he said he don’t want also to suffer the same fate of Caballeros and Palma Gils in Davao Oriental, who were all defeated for running simultaneously in two top positions. Well, we knew of ex-Gob. Joecab and ex-BM Kris.

Meantime, Konsehal Dolfo Ang of Compostela enthused that the election is still far and “many things would still happen”, when referred of the no Way Kurat for mayor scenario in his town. Ang was reported to be vying for mayoral post. But he just don’t believe yet of the scenario.

With these, we see that Way Kurat’s plan of becoming a Lakas-CMD campaign manager in the province is one big enigma. While it’s one caveat for ensure Maricar’s pick (for who else could not vote against a scene-stealing and stage-propa veteran politician becoming the admin campaign manager?), a realpolitik act, but the spectacle of seeing Way K become a plain citizen again after the May 2010 elections doesn’t sit well among his loyalists. Maybe he’ll also take a crack for the vice gubernatorial post, and bargain for it, too, or the much-touted Comval unity will come crashing down in smithereens. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Filed under: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, compostela councilor dolfo ang, comval politics, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, cong way kurat zamora, way kurat birthday | Tagged: boardmember maricar zamora-apsay, compostela councilor dolfo ang, comval politics, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, cong way kurat zamora, way kurat birthday

NEWS: Flexi-fare ordinance takes effect without SP confirmation

Fare is already P8 starting yesterday

nov 19

The tricycle fare should already be P8 and not P10 starting yesterday in Tagum City based on the brackets in the approved flexi-fare ordinance.

Under it and at today’s reduced price of gasoline, the senior citizens and students would have to pay only P6 for the average ride.

City Land Transportation and Regulatory Board chairman Atty. Roland Tumanda, also the city legal officer, clarified in an interview with Sidlak that even if the ordinance has not yet been confimed by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the city government has the legal basis and is empowered to enforce it to give urgent public welfare.

“But once it (the ordinance) is not confirmed by the SP, we will stop (the implementation),” he said.

Last Monday’s SP session, the flexi-fare ordinance was not yet even calendared while the SP secretary Dennis Dean Castillo confirmed that as of 5:00 PM that day he had not yet received the ordinance.

The ordinance was approved in last week’s session of the city council.

The measure was enacted due to decreases of gasoline prices.

Earlier, Mayor Rey Uy asked for patience of commuting public in the city to wait for the eventual approval of the ordinance amid calls for decrease of tricycle fare.
The ordinance has brackets of tricycle fares that would either increase or decrease depending on the current pump prices of gasoline.

Under the ordinance, the CTFRB is the one which will call for fare increase or fare decrease from time to time.

Uy pushed the flexi-fare ordinance a week after the ordinance on fare increase from P7 to P10 effected last September 19.

Tagum is a component city of Davao del Norte and under the New Local Government Code all city resolutions and ordinances are subject for review and confirmation by the SP. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: atty roland tumanda, flexi-fare ordinance, tagum city mayor rey uy, tricyle fare tagum city | Tagged: atty roland tumanda, flexi-fare ordinance, tagum city mayor rey uy, tricyle fare tagum city

NEWS: RDR’s turn to say on Bolante fertilizer: “I did not receive it”

nov 19

It is two more to go for their say on P728-million fertilizer fund scam that spilled over in Davao del Norte an Compostela Valley areas.

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario took his turn yesterday in saying he did not receive any of the controversial fertilizer from former agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Jocjoc” Bolante before the May 2004 polls.

In a DXDN Radyo Ukay-Tagum report early morning yesterday, the governor said that instead he received from the Dept. of Agriculture funds for irrigation projects for the province’s farmers.

A google search ended up in link stating that the govenor at that time was the national president of both the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP) and the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP)

After Del Rosario’s made his turn to talk with the local media on the issue, who remains now in the so-called Bolante list in the two provinces is former District 2 Cong. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo, and Comval Cong. Prospero Amatong (District 2), who would still have to state on whether they had receive Bolante’s fertilizer or not prior the May 2004 elections.

Sidlak tried but failed to reach them yesteday.

The other day Davao del Norte Cong. Arrel Olano (District 1) admitted he received Bolante’s fertilizer and distributed it to some 6,000 farmers in Asuncion, Kapalong, San Isidro and Talaingod towns. He said his recipients could be verified right in the field.

Olano said that he started distributing the fertilizer before the May 2004 polls and stopped when the election period began. He said he continued distributing the fertilizer after the elections.

Both Olano and Zamora said they did not receive money but only fertilizer. .
Last week, former Comval Gov. Jose Caballero said he did not receive any fertilizer nor money for it, although he complied with the requirements asked by the DA for him to access the so-called Bolante fertilizer.

A total of 103 congressmen, 53 provincial governors and 23 mayors were identified as among those who availed of the funds. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Filed under: bolante fertilizer comval, bolante fertilizer davao del norte, comval cong prospero amatong, davao del cong. tonyboy floirendo, gov. rodolfo del rosario | Tagged: bolante fertilizer comval, bolante fertilizer davao del norte, comval cong prospero amatong, davao del cong. tonyboy floirendo, gov. rodolfo del rosario

davao del norte compostela valley recent news and views posts november 1st-2nd week 2008

2008-11-13T18:57:00.000-08:00

davao del norte comval news november 1st-2nd week 2008

2008-11-13T18:49:00.000-08:00

NEWS: Judge Clapis subpoenas DoF, DBM experts for say on P90 M bond float

On TRO, injunction vs. Nabunturan bond flotation
nov 13

NABUNTURAN- Regional Trial Court Judge Helarion Clapis here has ordered yesterday to send subpoenas to the regional offices of the Department of Finance and the Department of Budget and Management for their experts to testify and give opinions as neutral parties on the P90-million bond flotation project of the municipal administration which town oppositors seek to stop through court action.

Bond float oppositors last Friday filed at RTC-Branch 3 here last Friday a court case praying for injunction with application for writ of preliminary injunction and temporary restraining order (TRO) against respondents Mayor Macario Humol, Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin and Councilors Iluminada Cabuga, Darwin Tan, Edilberto Minoza, Vivencia Secuya, Cheryl Trinidad, ABC president Alfredo Manalop, sectoral representative Felipe Masambo and Sangguniang Kabataan president Jennifer Gamao.

Not included in the case were also oppositionist councilors Raul Caballero and Editha Arangcon.

Complainants of the case and authorized representatives of the people’s initiative petition were Councilor Alfonso Tabas, Jr. Emilio delos Reyes and newsman Cha Monforte.

The case filed was docketed as Civil Case No. 898.
The respondents have answered yesterday their comment and opposition to the case following Monday’s summons of Judge Clapis for them to enter appearance within 15 days from receipt of summons.

Only Minoza and Gamao were absent in yesterday’s hearing.

They were represented by their counsels prosecutor Ferdinand Villanueva and provincial prosecutor Graciano Arafol.

On the other hand, the complainants’ counsels were Atty. Rex Lopoz and Atty. Carlo Ancla.

In yesterday’s first hearing on the injunction with TRO, following hearing of arguments that a took a little over an hour, Judge Clapis said, citing Rule 58 on the rules of court on injunction and a “limited knowledge of this court” on bond flotation such as about its fees and costs and how it affects the people of Nabunturan, “there is a need to issue subpoenas” to DoF and DBM “to testify and inform this court on the effects of bond flotation, whether or not it would be for the benefit or disadvantage of the people”.

He said that the court has the power to impose an injunction to a government unit if there is a need for “special probationary remedy to correct an error”.
He said there is a need for experts from neutral parties and not those coming from local parties on the bond flotation to enlighten his court whether he would issue an injunction or not.

He ordered his court sheriff Rene Suarez to serve the summons to DoF and DBM today and scheduled the next hearing Thursday next week, Nov. 20. (Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

NEWS: Mayor Uy will not revoke business permit if payment is voluntary

As NDC-Tagum appeals

nov 13

Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy will not be revoking the business permit of North Davao College Tagum Foundation Inc if the school will first make voluntary the payment of the fees for the nursing review and mock board examinations.

The mayor made bare his stand in a text message yesterday following Tuesday’s appeal of the censured officials and nursing students in lower years of the NDC-Tagum for the mayo not to revoke the school’s business permit.

In a DXDN Radyo Ukay-Tagum report yesterday, Dr. Roberto Palec, NDC-Tagum dean of nursing, pleaded to Uy to make more probe on the allegations against his school before making his final decision on whether to revoke the business permit of the school particularly for its nursing school program.

Dr. Palec said there is a process to follow before they could be penalized with revocation of business permit.

In another radio report, the NDC-Tagum nursing students in lower years especially those in the fourth year now also asked for non-revocation since they are already graduating by March next year.

On Monday the city council has censured the school with seven resolutions including the declaration of four top officials of the school as persona non grata and the revocation of the permit of the school’s nursing course program.

NDC president Anita Somoso, Palec and other officials went to the mayor’s office on Tuesday for the purpose but they were only met by City Administrator Raffy Abrenica and City Legal Officer Roland Tumanda.

Meanwhile, Councilor Francisco Militar said that while the city council has declared persona non grata to several NDC-Tagum officials it can only declare as such and could not put the censured officials in contempt.

He advised complaining party of nursing graduates and parents to go first to the barangay and then to the court for due relief. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: atty roland tumanda, mayor rey chiong uy, ndc-tagum, nursing gradautes tagum city, tagum city administrator raffy abrenica. atty roland tumanda, mayor rey chiong uy, ndc-tagum, nursing gradautes tagum city, tagum city administrator raffy abrenica

NEWS: RDR: Tagum Lakas chair reserved for CO

nov 13

Davao del Norte Governor Rodolfo del Rosario said yesterday that since Tagum Mayor Rey Uy was the standard bearer of the ruling administration Lakas-CMD, the party’s chairmanship in the last 2007 elections is thus reserved to the latter being the top incumbent official in the city, said a DXDN Radyo Ukay-Tagum report.

“As far as I know, he is still with Lakas,” said Del Rosario in apparent comment to the report that the mayor has been gravitating towards the opposition based on his statements on a few of national issues in the past.

“Hinid na kailangang galawin ito,” he said referring to the current leadership set-up on the administration party in the city.

Picking up from the recent Lakas-CMD unification in Compostela Valley, the governor said the Lakas-CMD in his province would also have its oathtaking and reaffirmation of membership before the year will end.

The Lakas-CMD in Comval is chaired by the city mayor’s elder brother Governor Arturo Uy. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: dxdn radyo ukay-tagum news, governor rodolfo del rosario, lakas-cmd in comval, lakas-cmd in davao del norte, tagum city mayor rey uy. dxdn radyo ukay-tagum news, governor rodolfo del rosario, lakas-cmd in comval, lakas-cmd in davao del norte, tagum city mayor rey uy

OPINION: VG Baby’s good reflex (Look ma, no pork)

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

nov 13

The feathers of one of Tagum’s illustrious sons have been unruffled, to say proverbially. Right after the Davao del Norte’s 2009 annual budget of P624.5 million was approved Monday by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan without still an item Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which has been considered as the pork barrel fund, Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio told me the budget is “reflective of the real needs of the province”. He added that he has no regrets that it has no PDAF for the SP members including for himself.

“Mao gyud na ang tama, ang amo lang is to legislate,” he added.

He said that due to limited funds the legislative department is with Governor Rodolfo del Rosario in concentrating funds for his priority programs under the RDR wheels strategy of governance.

He said though that for the next year the SP has also no capital outlay and almost the same budget for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) compared to this year.

What a sportsman he is. Well, earlier reports said that the governor’s predecessor ex-Gob YG had reportedly dispensed PDAF for the BMs and VG for them to respond to thousands of requests of small projects, services and solicitations like medicines for the sick and hospitalized, paupers burials etc, etc from barangays and constituents (read: the voters).

It’s what Speaker Boy Nograles asserted in his white paper to justify his giving of pork barrel to the congressmen, like Joe DV. They are also politicians and in a band of legislators also engaged in politics, congressmen also need magnanimity, the pork regardless of the many issues and allegations hounding it. Otherwise, BM Dangpanan is quite right in asking his constituents’ indulgence for giving only a pittance for solicitations or else he goes home with much dwindled take home pay from his P28,340 salary or of the VG’s P29,474 salary, without yet counting their monthly RATA yet, anyway.

Be that at it may, but VG Baby may well be apprised that in the country’s fiscal structure in LGUs it is, as usual, skewed to the executive, the implementor.
As in the approved budget, the Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) got the usual bulk in terms of personal services (PS, which is for salaries and wages) and MOOE across offices, seizing up about 13 percent or P81,060,617 of the total Capitol’s budget of P624,504,612 for 2009.

Under the general public services of the 20-percent development fund, the governor has P17,168,000 for the peace and order program, from which the confidential intelligence fund (IF) is pegged. Well, the IF is computed to be either 30 percent of the total peace and order appropriation, or 1 percent of the annual budget, whichever is lower, or hence Gov. Del Rosario has P5.15 million intel fund for next year.

Besides, the PGO has also P28 million for universal Philhealth coverage
of the P38.7 million for health services, P11 million for other general public services, P61.2 million for various economic services, among others.
Under this traditional fiscal parameter, look ma no pork, VG Baby’s office and the SP offices have only a budget of P15,261,550 and P30,998,586, respectively, or a total of P46,260,136 for the legislative department’s PS and MOOE. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

nov 13

November 14, 2008. Tags: boardmember salary, davao del norte 2009 budget, governor rodolfo del rosario, intelligence fund computation, pork barrel funds in davao del norte, vice governor salary, vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio. boardmember salary, davao del norte 2009 budget, governor rodolfo del rosario, intelligence fund computation, pork barrel funds in davao del norte, vice governor salary, vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio

NEWS: Sarmiento compound in Montevista now a log buying station?

nov 12

The sprawling and known Sarmiento compound in Montevista, Compostela Valley has been reported to have been already leased and used as log buying station allegedly fronting for sawmills and log processors operating outside the town.

The still unknown entity leasing the Sarmiento compound that has big warehouse and a ricemill inside is accordingly engaged in buying logs sourced from as far as Santa Josefa town in Agusan del Sur even if it has allegedly no sawmilling, logging operations and clearances secured from the municipality and the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources.

Sources said that legitimate wood processors have now been experiencing scarce wood supplies these days.

Sidlak tried but failed to contact the provincial environment officer Gregorio Lagura, who was out of his office yesterday morning.

The Sarmiento compound was once a known political venue since the 80s until the late 90s when the Sarmientos were then on their heydays as political kingmakers in Comval and the old first district of the still undivided Davao del Norte. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: comval penro gregorio lagura, logging in comval, sarmiento compound montevista. comval penro gregorio lagura, logging in comval, sarmiento compound montevista

NEWS: Oyo: “I’m also eligible for Congress”

nov 12

First-termer City Councilor De Carlo “Oyo”, son of Mayor Rey Uy, said when prodded in an interview that he is also eligible to run for the congressional post that would be considered by Lakas party as vacant once its holder last-termer Cong. Arrel Olano goes out from the office by 2010.

But he said that that for now “trabaho muna bago yang politika”.
Asked if the report was true on his close friendship with former Vice Gov. Anthony Rafael del Rosario, he smiled and said that it might be because they are both young.

The young Del Rosario has been reported to aspiring for Olano’s post, while Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel has been making louder noises on his congressional ambition over the airwaves through DXDN Radyo Ukay-Tagum where Israel anchors in an early morning program.

Mayor Uy, who recently said that he still has one more term to serve, has remained silent until press time on his son’s 2010 plan.

Observers said that there seems now a start-up guessing game as to what Councilor Oyo would take a crack on by 2010, which they say may include also the vice mayoral post considering that the Davao City’s tandem of Mayor Rody and his daughter Vice Mayor Sara had already been realized and made as precedent.

Asked on his stand on the City Hall’s tiff with the North Davao College Tagum Foundation Inc., he said that the city council had thoroughly studied and discussed all the issues and their ramifications and as collegial body they ended up approving the resolutions that censured the school officials.

He admitted though that the city council has no power to contempt, even as it has the power to declare persona non grata. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: boardmember dangpanan israel, cong. arrel olano, ndc-tagum, tagum city councilor de karlo "oyo" uy, tagum city mayor rey uy. boardmember dangpanan israel, cong. arrel olano, ndc-tagum, tagum city councilor de karlo "oyo" uy, tagum city mayor rey uy

OPINION: Dangpanan sings louder this time

BLOGISTA
By Cha Monforte

nov 12

After his recent trip in Rome where the Santo Papa lives, Davao del Norte Boardmember Roger “Dangpanan” Israel isn’t yet singing a different song. He’s still singing the same song but already louder this time.

Before his departure last month, Tagum’s veteran politician, who came from the ranks of the local media, told me in an interview that he would go into “deep personal reflection” that included on whether he would finalize his plan of running to run for the first congressional post that the last-termer Cong. Arrel Olano is finishing to serve at present.

In that interview, he said that considering his length of service as an elected official and the masteral studies on public administration he graduated, he is ready and capable to handle higher posts including that of the governor and congressman.

But Dangpanan is most interested to run though for Congress which is also being vied by former Vice Gov. Anthony Rafael del Rosario, son of Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, the district’s recognized kingmaker.

“We still have not made an agreement on it,” he said referring to the young Del Rosario as the other party.

In his early morning radio program over DXDN Radyo Ukay-Tagum late last week, Israel, who said he had just gone from Rome in Europe, was not yet singing a different tune but was more loudly repetitious on the absence of agreement between him and Anthony.

On the airwaves, he’s either been singing “It’s not too late” or “It’s now or never” with a refrain that he could not wait to be 65 anymore by 2013.

But in a rather bellicose commentaries, Israel, also of the administration party, announced that he would be going to the barangays and consult the people on his congressional plan “kay wa man silay gusto nako”.

He bared his plan of organizing a grassroots structure parallel to the RDR Wheels of the governor.

He also asked for indulgence from his constituents for the small amount he is giving for their solicitations reasoning on the present absence of pork barrel funds for the Davao del Norte boardmembers.

He also alleged that the capitol has been engaged on borrowing binge from banks here and there and bared that the 2009 budget for education for the thousands of provincial scholars would not be for the 2009 expenditure but for the 2008 payables to the schools where the scholars study.

But also playing coy on his plan, Israel said that “pwede pod ko nga di na lang modagan ug mag technician na lang sa FM station ni kanhi governor ug congressman Pros Amatong sa Nabunturan” as he greeted the provincial elder on the air. An FM station owned by Amatong located along the road going to the Cabidianan Capitol in Nabunturan is now reportedly ready for test broadcast.

The other day, he said he has gone in seven countries in Europe including the country-city Rome, from where he brought home a holy miraculous water he is sharing at press time to his constituents.

After I recently enjoyed listening to what appears as BM Roger’s comic cum tear-jerker and hullabaloo on his congressional plan, I imagined of the coming Tagum’s fiesta bolanteros. From such imagery it’s now either kwarta o kahon, or believe it or not, or she loves me, she loves me not. But when he makes true his threat of running for Congress, there’s then that spectacle of ruining the Lakas unity in Davnor, and one may say, nah naluke na. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

November 14, 2008. Tags: anthony del rosario davao del norte, boardmember roger "dangpanan" israel, cong. arrel olano, fofer mer cong prospero amatong, gov. rodolfo del rosario. anthony del rosario davao del norte, boardmember roger "dangpanan" israel, cong. arrel olano, fofer mer cong prospero amatong, gov. rodolfo del rosario

NEWS: P624.5 M Davnor budget for 2009 OKd

Still no PDAF pork for VG, BMs

nov 11

A total of P624.5 million annual budget for year 2009 was approved yesterday by the Davao del Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan without still an item Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) which has been considered as the pork barrel fund of provincial board members.

Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio, in an interview with Sidlak after the SP budget approval, said that the budget is “reflective of the real needs of the the province” adding that he has no regrets that it has no PDAF for the SP members including for himself.

“Mao gyud na ang tama, ang amo lang is to legislate,” he added.
He said that due to limited funds the legislative department is with Governor Rodolfo del Rosario in concentrating funds for his priority programs under the RDR wheels strategy of governance.

He said though that for the next year the SP has also no capital outlay and almost the same budget for the maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) compared to this year.

In the approved budget, Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) got the usual bulk of the budget in terms of personal services (PS, which is for salaries and wages) and MOOE across offices, seizing up about 13 percent or P81,060,617 of the total Capitol’s budget of P624,504,612 for 2009.

The PGO’s budget is further boosted by budget allocations across various fund accounts and services such as the P20.8-million general fund for regular programs and various services listed under the 20-percent development fund.
Under the general public services of the 20-percent development fund, the governor has P17,168,000 for the peace and order program, from which the confidential intelligence fund (IF) is pegged.

The IF budget is computed to be either 30 percent of the total peace and order appropriation, or 1 percent of the annual budget, whichever is lower, or hence Gov. Del Rosario has P5.15 million intel fund for next year.

Besides, the PGO has also P28 million for universal Philhealth coverage
of the P38.7 million for health services, P11 million for other general public services, P61.2 million for various economic services, among others.
On the other hand, the Vice Governor’s Office and the SP offices have only a budget of P15,261,550 and P30,998,586, respectively, or a total of P46,260,136 for the legislative department’s PS and MOOE. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: davao del norte 2009 budget, governor rodolfo del rosario, prok barrel funds for davao del norte boardmembers, vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio. davao del norte 2009 budget, governor rodolfo del rosario, prok barrel funds for davao del norte boardmembers, vice governor victorio "baby" suaybaguio

NEWS” NDC-Tagum execs declared persona non grata

Because of controversy, NDC nursing grads cannot take Nov. 30 exam anymore

nov 11

Four top officials of the controversy-wracked North Davao College Tagum Foundation Inc. were declared by the Tagum City Council after a lengthy question hour portion attended by some school and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) officials in yesterday’s sanggunian session.

Declared persona non grata in the city council’s Resolution No. 534 were Dr. Anita Somoso, NDC-Tagum school president, Dr. Roberto Palec, dean of college of nursing, nurse Ms. Rosie Jay Rom, assistant dean, and Lida Natavio, school administrator.

Somoso was not present in yesterday’s session.

Dr. Palec was largely unmoved though at times put in precarious situation in defending his school to the several allegations posed by lead proponent Councilor Joey Millan.

Palec debunked allegations that they were into money-making activities in collecting P10,000 review fee and P7,500 mock board examination fee from their nursing graduates before school credentials could be released to them.

But present councilors after hearing the side of several NDC-Tagum officials were still unconvinced and made true approving their last week’s seven resolutions censuring the school and its officials with only insignificant amendments.

Also approved by all members present were Resolution No. 535 demanding to NDC-Tagum to release the school credentials of the affected nursing graduates, Resolution No. 536 demanding for the refund of the collected sum from the P10,000 review fee and P7,500 mock board exam fee, Resolution No. 537 urging CHED to investigate the alleged 20-percent interest charged on late payments on financial obligations of the nursing graduates, Resolution No. 538 urging CHED for the non-renewal of the school’s permit to operate as nursing school, and Resolution No. 539 manifesting the city government’s stand never again to enter into contract of affiliation with NDC-Tagum.

The city council amended to approve the last Resolution No. 540 urging the city mayor to revoke the NDC-Tagum’s business permit to operate a nursing course only from a business to operate as an entire school following debate between Councilor Millan and Councilor Rey Salve.

Salve contended that it was still premature to censure the school entirely with the proposed resolution, citing that the lower year nursing students and other courses might be affected which would result to transfers to other schools or closure of the school.

Millan however contended that the resolution was only an expression of sentiment of the body following tedious five sessions of deliberating the issues. He subsequently agreed for amendment after Vice Mayor Allan Rellon called for on-recess caucus attended by him.

During the question hour where Dr. Palec was the one always grilled by Millan, the gallery was filled of nursing graduates and their parents and several faculty members of the school.

Millan reminded present school officials on the standing CHED Memorandum Circular No. 13, series of 2006 which prohibits schools to force their students to take up review classes to schools not of their own choice and to withhold credentials after being cleared of all academic and financial obligations.

Palec denied charges that they were forcing the graduates to take the in-house nursing review and the mock board exams and the withholding the graduates’ credentials saying that they have only school’s requirements and obligations to satisfy.

He denied forcing the graduates to take the in-house nursing review and mock board requirements which he said have been implemented in the school for three years now, drawing some heckles from the gallery.

But Palec immediately shot back to those in the gallery not to make disturbance during the question hour saying “it’s against the law”.

He added that they made the review in house with Kaplan Review Center as the school’s choice saying that “it somehow gives them the confidence in the school … that (the graduates) can pass the board exams”, adding that they also noted of the strict requirement of the Professional Regulation Commission of closing nursing schools based on the failing rate of graduates.

CHED OIC regional officer Eduard Aquino, on the other hand, said that his office has made efforts in negotiating with school officials to release the graduates’ credentials but the latter was insistent of enforcing their own school policies.

He informed that NDC-Tagum officials had “committed lapses” contrary to CHED policies.

Aquino though said that CHED lawyers would be coming this week to investigate the case and make “final word” on the matter.

Both Palec and the school human resource director Evelyn Dismas said respectively they made “shortcomings” and “lapses” in informing the graduates’ parents.

For the several allegations, Palec dared graduates to go to court to settle the issues.

On his parting shot, Palec said that they may release the graduates’ credentials with notation “for employment purposes” and not “for board exams” unless the fees for nursing review and mock board exams are paid.

He implied however that the school officials would still meet to study on whether to refund the fees or not.

Because of the controversy, at least 52 nursing graduates of the school are sure they could no longer take the slated Nov. 30 nursing board exams since their credentials were already withheld for not paying the said fees and as the deadline of application to take the board exam already lapsed a month ago.

It was learned that some 208 nursing students graduates from NDC-Tagum last March and unaccounted number of whom had resorted to executing promissory notes with the school for the contended fees in order to secure school credentials needed for the board exams.

Also present yesterday were Councilors Allan Zulueta, De Karlo “Oyo”, Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio, Mylene Baura, Joedel Caasi, Vicente “Enting” Eliot Sr. and Robert “Tete” So. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 14, 2008. Tags: dr. anita somoso, dr. roberto palec, Ms. rosie jay rom assistant dean NDC tagum. lida natavi, ndc-tagum, tagum councilor allan zulueta, tagum councilor de karlo "oyo", tagum councilor joedel caasi, tagum councilor joey millan, tagum councilor mylene baura, tagum councilor nicandro "nickel" suaybaguio, tagum councilor rey salve, tagum councilor vicente "enting" eliot sr. tagum counci. Ms. rosie jay rom assistant dean NDC tagum. lida natavi, dr. anita somoso, dr. roberto palec, ndc-tagum, tagum councilor allan zulueta, tagum councilor de karlo "oyo", tagum councilor joedel caasi, tagum councilor joey millan, tagum councilor mylene baura, tagum councilor nicandro "nickel" suaybaguio, tagum councilor rey salve, tagum councilor vicente "enting" eliot sr. tagum council

NEWS: Silence on for Maricar-Ramil for Congress tiff for now til January

nov 10

Silence would be observed for now by both camps of Compostela Valley Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya and Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay on who of them is rightful to be standard-bearer for fielding by the unified Lakas-CMD party- but only until January.

In a report carried by a daily in Davao City, Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy said both of the congressional wannabes who earlier both declared to be running for the congressional post in the first district have agreed to abide with a party decision on who to field for the post.

The governor said that the Lakas-CMD party will make a formal announcement of its decision in January.

Also, a source close to Lakas-CMD provincial leaders said that both agreed not to talk to the media on the issue “so that energies would not be wasted by anyone of them.”.

The source said that the party will hold a caucus by December especially to resolve it and strike consensus and agreement so as not to divide the party in the first district.

Earlier, last-termer Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora said that he would be sticking to the agreement on July 1, 2007 forged by him, daughter Maricar, Uy and Gentugaya for Maricar vie for the congressional post while Ramil would seek for reelection in his current post by 2010.

The suggestion that in order for the party not to be divided in the first district Maricar would instead take the vice gubernatorial bid while Cong. Way Kurat take the mayoral bid in Compostela town was earlier thumbed down by the congressman, saying that the said agrement was already “a solution that has been there.”

Meanwhile, Boardmember Moran Takasan in an interview said that the second district runs smoothly without political quivering thus far as Cong. Rommel Amatong is not facing a challenger at this early from within the party.

Earlier, former Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero said that he would still be running “either-or” meaning either for a return bout for the congressional post or for gubernatorial bid. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

November 10, 2008. Tags: boardmember maricar apsay-zamora, boardmember moran takasan, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, cong way kurat zamora, cong. rommel amatong, former gov. joecab caballero, gov. chiongkee uy. boardmember maricar apsay-zamora, comval boardmember moran takasan, comval vice gov. ramil gentugaya, cong way kurat zamora, cong. rommel amatong, former gov. joecab caballero, gov. chiongkee uy

RUN POSTS 4TH WEEK OCTOBER 2008

2008-10-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

OPINION: Scent of a Woman

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

That award-winning 1992 film Scent of Woman strikes a nostalgia in me. I ask Davao del Norte Vice Governor “Baby” Suaybaguio to watch the blockbuster film again- at home.

The film is starred by actor Al Pacino (a retired irascible, blind, medically retired U.S. Army officer Lieutenant Colonel Frank Slade in the film) and Chris O’Donnell (tukayo Charlie Simms, a preparatory school student who takes a job as an assistant to Al Pacino or Frank Slade).It won for Al Pacino the Academy Award for Best Actor and more cinema laurels for director Martin Bres.

I think last year or early this year the HBO and Cinemax played it again- and again (in the outfits’ shenanigans to playing with our culture of easily forgetting things, err like Ninoy’s heroism or Kris loves with Phillip Salvador and Joey Marquez- no pun intended).

There’s a lot of walking CD vendors now and pirates are coming up with well-CD recorded films in glossy and sleek covers. Ask for it, and the latest Pacquaio’s fight, and vuela- they have it.

Anyway, film-watching at home is good for the coming weekend holiday as warm-up starter before going to the cemetery to meet a riotous exploding living population paying homage to our millions of beloved dead, the global warming notwithstanding.

To set our mood for the All Saints Day (Nov 1, Saturday) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2, Sunday), choose the film genres that are good for the soul- the classic, romantic, that which dramatically slow-moving but emotion-captivating with surprise denouement. Not the comedy, action, Jacky Chan, brutal, horror films please.

I mean the Scents of the Woman is primarily classic but comic. It intrigues the heart in seeing a cantankerous middle-aged man who is now blind, alcoholic and impossible to get along with (Al Pacino) having a time in New York with the aid of youthful assistant Charlie Simms, just to take a room at the posh hotel, eat at an expensive restaurant, to wish to sleep with a beautiful woman, and then commit suicide. Later, the blind Colonel tangoes with a girl whose perfume captivates him (hence the title of the movie).

To cut the movie short, Slade’s suicide does not materialize as he is prevailed upon by Simms.The rest is history.- they become close friends and shortly Slade cause for the exoneration of Simms from the allegation that he plays the prank on school headmaster. End for now.

Flashback: I saw the vice governor two decades ago so smart in jeans when he was still the city mayor. That time his nephew Konsehal Nickel must have been still in shorts. I saw in the latter a déjà vu on VG Baby. But being older but still smarter, VG Baby could take the Al Pacino’s role, while being young and neophyte, Kons. Nickel could take Chris O’Donnell’s.

Not that the VG portrays in real life Slade’s film character. He’s already south in age now after serving the city and province in length, with interregnums after electoral defeats.And huwah! (Slade’s stereotyped shout in the movie which I like to hear), the VG has returned fragrantly ensconced in his current public seat- for that scent of a kingmaker.

Forget that blink when he was reminded by movant BM Larry Caminero there was still that third and final reading to finally junk the Purok Ordinance two weeks ago. VG Baby might have just an afterthought what’s in store for the Urban Poor Ordinance of his young nephew Nickel that was yet forthcoming to land in his august hall.

As to Kons. Nickel, he may play a prank of his Urban Poor Ordinance, knowing that as his uncle’s earlier plan of running for the Congress was political suicide, hence the VG’s silence now, the new measure that has recently reached at the Davnor SP seems to be also one that would have him kissed his young political career goodbye. Or this scent of 2010 is just subject for a director’s cut? Oh baby, for that Scent of a Woman. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments, reactions, e-mail: ruralurbanews@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Tags: davao del norte vice gov. baby suaybaguio, tagum councilor nicandro suaybaguio, um tagum sex scandal

NEWS: Oplan Kaluluwa of Davnor police up

oct 30

Ban on firearms, liquor, sound system to be enforced

Davao del Norte provincial police director PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon bared yesterday that he has already directed all his police chiefs and stations to secure all cemeteries and memorial parks across the province for the All Saints Day and All Souls Day celebration this coming weekend.

He said that, under the police-coordinated Oplan Kaluluwa, police elements with civilian force multipliers will be deployed in every cemetery to put up close security and public assistance centers.

He added that the police will coordinate with each local government unit in the province on the properly designated parking areas, stalls, entrances and exit ways.

He reminded cemetery goers on the ban to carry firearms and other deadly weapons, liquors and sound systems inside the cemeteries that the police would enforce to make our All Saints Day and All Souls Day solemn and peaceful.

The police will be in full alert starting Saturday. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: all souls day all saints day tagum davao del norte, davao del norte pssupt benelito bianzon, oplan kaluluwa savao del norte, oplan kaluluwa tagum city

NEWS: Tagum bankers cannot feel yet effects of global financial crisis

oct 30

Tagum City bankers interviewed by the press yesterday said they “could not yet sense or feel” that the effects of the global financial crisis that is affecting intensely the United States are already reaching the city.

A branch manager of a nationwide bank, who requested anonymity, said that at present his bank has not yet experienced decrease in their accounts on foreign remittances and foreign currency deposits.

He said that his bank has largely the same trend on their foreign accounts since the recent months when the global financial crisis hit the headlines, even if they are catering only a “not so significant volume of dollar remittances” from the United States.

“Still we are experiencing the same trend,” he said.

He said though that when the news on the global financial meltdown have been nagging the headlines recently, several depositors in Tagum City had made phone calls to his bank to inquire and verify.

But he said that even the few banks in Manila that have been reported to have investment exposures to collapsed banks and financial companies in the US can only be likened to have been “wounded” adding that the affected banks are not bound for closure considering the provision on retaining cash liquidity.

On the other hand, LandBank-Tagum assistant manager Eunice Sumatra in an interview with Sidlak said that “they are business as usual”.

She added that the Landbank is unperturbed by the global financial crisis knowing that they financially cater to government offices and government workers.

“Dili pa gyud ma-feel nang international financial crisis namo,” she said.

An internal corporate circular obtained by Sidlak from another local bank official who also refused to be named, advises local clients not to panic, saying that Philippine banks remain strong, their exposure to the credit crisis is minimal and small, relative to their or entire Philippine banking system capital base”.

It also said that the country “has lessened dependence on the US economy on account of its strong consumer-led economy and the increasing prominence of other countries and regions that it trades with- such as China, India, Japan, Europe and other ASEAN countries.”

“The Philippines also can count on the continued strong inflows of remittances from its OFWs (projected to top last year’s $18 billion), most of whom are in oil-rich Middle East nations whose economies remain buoyant due to high oil prices,” the internal corporate circular said. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: landban-tagum eunice sumatra, tagum banks

NEWS: Minority councilors call for new public hearing on P90 M bond float

oct 29

NABUNTURAN- The minority councilors opposing the controversial P90-million bond flotation of the municipal government managed yesterday in their session for the backtracking of the steps the majority councilors by putting anew for questioning the project and its feasibility study and particulars with the participation of the municipal accountant.

Opposing Councilors Alfonso “Jun” Tabas and Raul Caballero got their motion approved to call in municipal accountant Gilda Savellano in their next session by Monday to give her opinion on the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the P90-million municipal bond float that would fund for the construction of a new public market building.

Savellano, a member of the Local Finance Committee, accordingly has preferred a loan option and not the bond flotation which in the earlier LFC recommendation tagged as more costly and has uncertain terms that could potentially run havoc to government yearly budgeting.

Surprisingly, pro-bond float councilor Eddie Minoza, LFC chairman, suddenly moved for the deferment of the discussion of the TOR.

But Councilor Tabas was quick to call for a new public hearing on the TOR, that for the recent three sessions including yesterday has been sought for approval by the majority.

The consensus of six present deliberating councilors was reached to put it on public hearing although the presiding officer Councilor Iluminada Cabuga was insistent to put the TOR on “thorough discussion”.

Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin was not presiding as he reportedly graced an affair at the municipal gym for being the town’s OIC Mayor.

Mayor Macario Humol was accordingly out of town.

Also present in yesterday’s session were pro-bond float Councilors Vivencia Secuya and Cheryl Asion, and also opposing Councilor Editha Arangcon.

The town’s oppositionists have charged the P90-million as exorbitant, extravagant and grossly disadvantageous to the government as spelled out in their running people’s initiative petition to repeal the ordinance approving the project.

Last week, the sanggunian majority denied the petition filed last Sept. 25 but petitioners bounced back by girding to prepare at press time to lodge the petition in higher phase at the Comelec level which they hope could finally result to a people’s referendum to decide the fate of the controversial project. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews/blogspot.com

Tags: councilor alfonso tabas, councilor cheryl asion, councilor eddie minosa, councilor editha arangcon, councilor ilumindada cabuga, councilor raul caballero, councilor vivencia secuya, nabunturan bond flotation, vice mayor romeo clarin nabunturan

NEWS: “Anti-Urban Poor” Ordinance reaches SP

Legislation seeks to defer approval of urban poor housing for 5 years

oct 28

TAGUM CITY - Two weeks after the controversial Purok Ordinance of the City Hall was unanimously junked by Davao del Norte Sangguniang Panlalawigan, another city ordinance considered by several quarters here as ”contentious” and critics as “anti-urban poor” reached yesterday at the provincial board in its 48^th regular session.

Vice Governor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio immediately referred City Council Ordinance No. 320 to the SP committee on human settlements, planning and development chaired by Boardmember Roger Israel as the lead committee and to the committee on laws, resolutions, ordinance and justice chaired by Boardmember Artemio San Juan.

Dubbed by critics as “Anti-Urban Poor Ordinance”, the new legislation reaching the provincial board, which recently smarted from its act of finally junking the controversial Purok Ordinance, is seeking to defer for a period of five years the issuance of accreditation and approval of permits and other requirements by the City Hall for urban poor subdivision housing projects.

It appeared to have been passed at the city council without much fuss, and suddenly it reached at the SP secretariat last October 22.

It was authored and pushed by Councilor Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio as initiated by the city executive department. He is a nephew of the presiding vice governor.

But the young Suaybaguio, in a phone interview yesterday, said that the city council had passed it in two sessions, the first one of which was followed by a public hearing attended by representatives of shelter agencies and the affected sectors.

He said that his measure was approved by the city council last September 22 and that for a month it was at the city council secretariat which had worked on its long minutes and proceedings.

Yesterday, urban poor leader Gregorio “Loloy” Ibanez said in text message that Suaybaguio’s ordinance “is anti-urban poor for being contrary to the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) and executive order of the Dept. of Interior and Local Government and to the policy of the Presidential Commission of the Urban Poor (PCUP)”.

He vowed that he himself will make a petition to oppose it at the SP level.

Ibanez is the executive director of the Davao del Norte Urban Poor Foundation, Inc. He is also the president of the Davao del Norte Press. Radio and TV Club.

Earlier, in one report of a weekly paper, District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano branded as “anti poor” the ordinance that would evidently stop him from carrying out land acquisition projects for the urban poor which he has been funding out from a congressional fund.

Sidlak clarified also with Vice Mayor Allan Rellon an earlier report that the urban poor ordinance would have still to be fully sponsored by Suaybaguio saying that he was confused on the question posed to him by the media adding that it mixed up with the preoccupation of the city council of also formulating a revised comprehensive ordinance on the city’s land use.

Earlier also, Vice Gov. Suaybaguio said he would not inhibit from the deliberations on the ordinance authored and pushed by his nephew, adding that the rule of the majority would prevail He presided when the Purok Ordinance was unanimously junked by his boardmembers.

The urban poor ordinance has invoked the ground that that urban poor subdivisions and informal settlements in the city are not livable due to inadequacies of basic community facilities and services such as road, water, electricity and have low occupancy rate.

The young Suaybaguio earlier said that the deferment could be “automatically lifted” if a high occupancy rate of existing urban poor housing projects could be attained.

He also said that several existing urban housing projects whose requirements are on process are included in the exemption clause of the ordinance.

But critics also charged that the ordinance is “a class legislation” saying that it favored the rich subdivision developers and would stop informal housing for the poor in the city like the Habitat and the Gawad Kalinga projects initiated by the religious.

They said that the urban poor housing projects instead contributed to solve the city’s acute housing backlog of at least 28,000 families per projection of the City Comprehensive and Development Plan (2001-2010). (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: boardmember artemio san juan, boardmember roger israel, councilor nickel suaybaguio, tagum housing situation, tagum sex scandal, tagum urban poor, vice gov baby suaybaguio

NEWS: Objection raised vs NDC’s affiliation to Davnor PG

Row on NDC nursing graduates, City Council snubbed again

oct 28

Davao del Norte Boardmember Gregorio Facula registered his objection in yesterday’s session of the provincial board to the measure that would open the province-run hospitals for the medical training of the nursing students of the controversy-wracked North Davao College (NDC)- Tagum Foundation, Inc.

He said he was opposing the resolution approving the contract of affiliation between the NDC-Tagum and the provincial government pending the resolution of the row between the nursing graduates and their parents and the NDC at Apokon, Tagum City.

Nursing graduates and their parents have been up in arms recently against the NDC school administration for allegedly requiring graduates to take first a P10,000-worth nursing review and mock board examination at the school before their credentials would be issued to them.

The city council had invited NDC’s officials to shed light on the issue during question hour in its last week’s session with the complainants but the NDC officials did not attend.

Yesterday, the city council and complainants were reportedly snubbed again of their invitation by the NDC officials, who accordingly are out of town or in Manila since last week.

Hearing of NDC’s second snub over DXDN live coverage on the city council’s session in the morning yesterday, Boardmember Facula dared colleagues saying that “there are matters we need to clarify on how (NDC officials) handle our constituents” before acting on the measure on NDC’s asking a favor from the provincial government.

“Pending that, I’m registering my objection for now,” Facula added.

Ten of his colleagues though still approved the measure. Committee on laws chairman Boardmember Artemio San Juan sponsored the measure. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: apokon, davao del norte boardmember greg facula, inc, north davao college-tagum foundation, tagum

NEWS: P22.4 M Davnor’s SB No. 4 approved with little hitch

oct 28

Snagging only with a little hitch raised by a questioning boardmember from Panabo, the P20-million general appropriation supplemental budget (SB) number 4 ordinance that contains a budget’s bulk for the Provincial Governor’s Office (PGO) was approved yesterday afternoon.

The SB No. 4 amounting to P22,404,836 was approved by present 11 members with Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio Jr presiding the session following two queries posed by Boardmember Ely Dacalus on the expenditure object of over P8,000 and the “discrepancy” of a PGO budget amounting to over P4 million.

The budgetary measure was just received by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan yesterday with the Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario treating it as “urgent”.

Provincial Budget Officer Norma Lumain, who was asked to be present during the session, informed that the P8,389 expenditure object represented the five percent calamity fund taken from the province’s share of national wealth.

On the other hand, she said that while the PGO has a budget of P14,723,127 in summary by department, for the current year the governor’s office has a budget of P10,073,027, and the over P4.6 million “discrepancy” is stated under the 20-percent development fund.

Having known that, Dacalus, who said earlier “I’m a little bit confused”, said he was already enlightened.

Asked on why the measure was deemed urgent when transmitted, Lumain said that “there are items waiting to be paid, almost all items here”.

“The programs and projects have already started and to be completed” and “appropriations of department offices are already exhausted, so we have to act now,” she added.

A copy of the approved SP Appropriation Ordinance No. 2008-204 for the SB No. 4 is still to be obtained by the press at press time. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: boardmember ely dacalus, davao del norte provicnail budget, gov. rodolfo del rosario, provinical budget officer norma lumain davao del norte

NEWS: 300 New Bataan evacuees return home

oct 29

COMPOSTELA VALLEY- Some 300 evacuees from faraway highland barangay of Manurigao in New Bataan started returning home by 3:00 yesterday afternoon since Sunday’s start of skirmishes between government troopers and communist New People’s Army (NPA) rebels.

Municipal information officer Marvin Ilajas said in text message that the evacuees who sought temporary refuge at the municipal gym have been returning home after the municipal disaster coordinating council in town declared the Manurigao area as already safe for the evacuees to return.

The evacuees since Monday trickled in to the town poblacion after eight government soldiers were killed in an ambush staged by the NPA rebels.

Ilajas said that during the evacuees’ temporary stay at the municipal gym Mayor Lorenzo Balbin Sr had to shell out funds from their limited resources for the rice, canned goods and other foodstuffs for the large number of evacuees.

He added that the Dept. of Social Welfare and Development, Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora and Governor Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy had also chipped in provisions for the evacuees.

The military said Monday that the slain soldiers were on a humanitarian mission in the town when ambushed by the NPA rebels.

In emailed statements to the media, Rigoberto Sanchez, a regional spokesman for the New People’s Army (NPA), claimed that the ambushed soldiers were on a military operation and part of a bigger group deployed to track down NPA rebels in the province.

On Monday, NPA rebels launched separate attack to government soldiers in Monkayo resulting to the wouding of trooper Cpl. Robert Cabadocia of 66th Infantry Battalion.

The separate military report said the soldiers were bringing the body of a dead comrade to Sarangani province who died in Friday’s land mine attack when harassed by undetermined number of NPA rebels communists in Olaycon area in Monkayo.

Cpl. Cabadocia was the driver of the vehicle the soldiers were riding when they were ambushed by the NPAs, a military field report said.

The other soldiers on board the truck fired back, triggering a brief firefight with the rebels. However, there were no reports of rebel casualties during the brief gunbattle as the rebels immediately run away to nearby mountain.

Also on Sunday, undetermined number of communist rebels attacked a patrol base of the Army’s Special Forces Battalion in the village of Canidkid in neighboring Montevista town. The defending troops managed to foil the attack, a military field report said.

Col. Alan R. Luga, commanding officer of the Army’s 1003rd Infantry Brigade, is currently leading the big ground operation in “specified targets” of communist lairs in the province, said EastMincom spokesman Maj. Randolf Cabangbang on Monday.(Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News with reports from PNA)

Tags: comval military, comval npa, new bataan

OPINION: History in a hurry

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

oct 27

Journalism, someone said, “is history in a hurry”. The news that comes out now becomes accumulating details for summarizing history in the future. And so, at the hands of a journalist lies constantly developing stories, sans those news stories of one-shot, short shelf life. But whatever, such news might be later be a relevant part one day in history.

For this, especially in print daily, a journalist is faced everyday of beating the deadline. Always he sends his story immediately after it unfolds to his outlet on or before the deadline set by the editor as there are still series of works to do involving machines, working men and newsboys before the news gets to the hands of the readers the early morning after. Sidlak is one of these.

At the age of the Internet, there are now news outfits in the country that updates its news from time to time in a day in their websites. Just visit the good online sites of GMA TV, the Inquirer, or Philippine Star. Traditional media converging with net and cellphone technologies is today’s challenge in the country. Innovative print media or journalists in the provinces wanting to share their news and information to the world, outside the localities where their papers are in circulation, have now the free blogs to seize on. I’m doing this since June although in two days delayed to give exclusivity and justice to Sidlak which funds for my newsgathering.

Now thanks again to the web’s e-mail feature. Now, at least I have a lot or Internet cafes anywhere, in Tagum, in most of Comval towns, wherever I cover, to choose from to send my news stories since I have no laptop and purse to seize on the free WIFI like at Miko’s Brew, where coffee latte is not–of course- free. Sidlak has email address intentionally flashed daily right at its front page so readers and sources could send contributions, comments, reactions or sides from any party, aggrieved or not. This is the latest technology, and by e-mail’s speed in delivering messages in seconds, let’s avail it.

In freer Manila, journalists are better off. Besides the higher remuneration and abundant centers of news of journalists of the Big Club that come with the Imperial Manila as the center of everything and the national market and audience, most important is that they are situated in a freer milieu , in liberated zones where news sources aren’t afraid to be identified as news sources and often they are properly attributed in the news. In the provinces, there is a gulf of difference as often sources of news, which is “sensitive”, or that which may step on someone’s toes, have the tendency to beg not to be named or to speak only on the condition of anonymity to the Small Club journalists.

This is compounded by the tendency of public officials in the provinces to be mum, to tombstone or not to reply to media issues about them or reply to gut issues head on. The worst is they become onion-skinned. If this situation would have its way, then we’re left to have no public interest news at all, and PIA apologists would be happy churning out their always positive devcom news for the government. Press Sec. Jess Dureza should better be apprised on these difficulties than telling all and sundry, brimming last week on the caveat about “efforts of the press to get the side of Mr. So and So proved futile”. It’s easily said than done in countrysides newspapering- except perhaps to Cong. Anton Lagdameo, who is a stand out among the big Davnor and Comval politicians for always texting us his replies, even long, when we did ask for his statement on burning issues of the day. So he got for several times front-page treatment on the next day.

There are cases that since the information given by the source who spoke on anonymity is one issue of public interest, especially about one who occupies a public position (not private citizen), so the news of the source comes out on the news values of immediacy and public interest, with us relying that the subject who cannot be immediately reached at a time near to the deadline can have all his reply on the next day or next immediate days.

It wasn’t Friday (daily Sidlak has no issues on Saturdays and Sundays), but Monday last week when we did run the story about AGR’s alleged frequent stay in Manila. On the next day, his reply “Not true” did see another banner headline to give fairness to him, in equal space and prominence. I made sure I could interview him at Tahanan on the day Press Sec. Dureza came as the guest of NPC-Davnor-Comval Chapter oath-taking and opening of the provincial media center. Moreover, the story was proactive to him as it was about a source supportive to him and to his congressional bid wanting for his visibility for sure winning by 2010.

Had it been published Friday (which we would not allow), it could have been unfair, kay we know bahaw na ang AGR reply by Monday. No malice about that, sir. As we seek solace on the right of journalists to protect their sources, we also are holding sacrosanct the right to reply of subject parties in the news as we did in our Tuesday’s issue. But unfortunately, the Provincial Legal Officer Jennifer Namoc for asking for Sidlak’s fairness and objectivity in her letter that reached Sidlak office by Wednesday obviously failed to read AGR’s reply in our banner story on Tuesday or get hold of the issue. She could have sent her protest via the email and not via the snail mail, so we could immediately publish it the next day. But maybe the good lawyer was not just apprised on our Tuesday’s issue by the politically nosey provincial administrator Rufo Peligro, who is also the ed in chief of Executive Report, PGO’s weekly news bulletin, or by his many info men. Otherwise, we’ll say it’s not our duty to always give you free complimentary copies of Sidlak. A newspaper is sold, not given.

BLOGBUZZ: Heard about that when it comes to the Davnor Capitol, the local media is being looked upon with divisive stare, either you’re a suspect to be with the Panabo-based weekly publisher who is a long-time biased drum-beater for the Floirendos, or with the docile ones (di makabasag pinggan), the kongko (always soliciting) media of dubious circulation or outlets. Sidlak is neither either-or of whom… Oh my gulay! that usual and bankrupt media parameter- that you need a big ad sponsor in order to survive. Of course, we need ads to have cash, but we’re banking more on our burgeoning subscribers’ and readership base in order to survive…. We print replies as we really need them to be fair and objective. Again, we’re just striving to be your little real press. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, for comments and reactions, e-mail: ruralurbanews@yahoo.com, or chamonforte@yahoo.com)

Tags: AGR, anthony rafael g. del rosario, cong. anton lagdameo, sidlak news

NEWS: Internet cafes given til December to dismantle cubicles

Aftermath of UM Tagum sex scandal

oct 27

Internet cafes are given until December to dismantle their long, unauthorized semi-closed cubicles that authorities considered as one of the physical reasons that led to improper use of the Internet, said a report of a local Visayan paper last Friday.

But Vice Mayor Allan Rellon said in text message yesterday that while the Internet Café Advisory Board (ICAB) in its recent meeting agreed to still make the dismantling of the cubicles optional for now ICAB is enforcing to establishments wanting to put cubicles for privacy purposes to comply with the regulated height of up to four feet or face sanctions as provided by the city ordinance regulating operations of internet cafes. .

In earlier report, Councilor Joey Millan said that cubicles that are intended to protect privacy in communication have not actually led to increase of internet users that benefit internet cafes.

Reports said earlier that long cubicles have been used as a cover of the youths like high schoolers to surf pornographic sites in the web or malicious chatters to show their private parts on webcams to the ones they are chatting with.

The same report said that the victim UM Tagum student who was secretly camcorded resulting to the spread of what was dubbed as UM Tagum sex scandal video has already filed a case against suspects after NBI Tagum agents raided Oct. 15 the Aroma Internet and Computer located in Suarez Building along Sobrecarey Street.

The raided establishment is owned by Edgardo Silagan, president of the Internet Café Association of Tagum City (ICAT). His branch along Mabini St. has been closed for about two weeks.

The raiding team led by Head Agent Lorenzo Tan seized 23 computer units including webcams and other peripherals which were sent to Manila for the NBI computer experts to track on “cookies” that could leave imprints on the recording of the UM Tagum sex scandal video that shocked the city two months ago.

In an earlier interview at the height of the stunning news on Tagum sex scandal video, Silagan said that owners of internet cafes are usually entrepreneurs who did not know about technicalities of computer programs but he also admitted that there are some owners who know about it.

In that interview, he also expressed apprehension over what legal repercussions internet café owners would be culpable of if one of their attendants did something wrong without their knowing.

NBI agent Tan said that the suspected internet café will be facing a case for alleged violations to Republic Act 9208 otherwise known as Anti-Trafficking Law. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: councilor joey millan, edgardo silagan tagum, internet cafe association of tagum, tagum internet cafes, tagum sex scandal video update

NEW POSTS 3RD WEEK OCT 2008

2008-10-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

MORE NEWS AND VIEWS FROM DAVAO DEL NORTE AND COMVAL OCT 3RD WEEK 2008

2008-10-21T17:36:00.000-07:00

NEWS: Flexi fare ordinance not yet acted upon - Rellon

oct 21

Tagum City Mayor Allan Rellon said yesterday that the City Council as a whole has not yet acted upon the proposed executive-initiated ordinance putting as flexible the motorcycle fare based on the current prices of gasoline.

“We are still waiting for it,” he said in an interview at Tahanan ng Punong Lalawigan, the official residence of the governor inside the Capitol complex at Mankilam, Tagum City where guests, mediamen and provincial officials with Press Secretary Jesus Dureza took their lunch after the holding of local National Press Club activities yesterday.

Last October 8 the new measure passed the first reading and was referred to the committees of laws and of public facilities.

On the other hand, as to what is dubbed as urban poor ordinance, he said that its proponent Councilor Nicandro “Nickel” Suaybaguio has still to fully introduce the measure.

Observers earlier said that Suaybaguio’s measure may yet draw another controversy as it plans to suspend for five years the issuance of approval of permits and requirements to urban poor housing.

Last week, the city’s purok ordinance on motion for reconsideration was junked anew by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for being “legally infirmed”.

Under the proposed ordinance entitled “An Ordinance Imposing the Regulation of Fare Rates of Motorized Tricycles for Hire (MTH) of the City of Tagum” fare rates would vary based on the set schedule.

If gasoline prices per liter (gpl) range P20 to 29.99 it will have P6 for regular fare and P4 for student or senior citizen; P30 to P39.99 gpl- P7 regular fare, P5 student/senior citizen; P40 to 49.99 gpl- P8 regular fare, P6 student/senior citizen; P50 to P59.99 gpl- P9 regular fare, P7 student/senior citizen; P60 to P69.99 gpl- P10 regular fare, P8 student/senior citizen; P70 to P79.99 gpl- P11 regular fare, P9 student/senior citizen; P80 to P89.99 gpl- P12 regular fare, P10 student/senior citizen; P90 to P99.99 gpl- P13 regular fare, P11 student/senior citizen; and P100 and above gpl- P14 regular fare, P12 student/senior citizen.

The fare rates are good for the first three kilometers of the Central District from where the passenger originated, and would have an additional of P1 for every kilometer or every fraction thereof. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: tagum city councilors, tagum flexi fare ordinance, tagum tricycle fare, vice mayor allan rellon

NEWS: “NOT TRUE!” AGR says on report on his Manila frequent stay

oct 21

Former Vice Gov. and current executive assistant Anthony G. del Rosario (AGR) yesterday vehemently belied the report that he has been staying always in Manila sub-office of the provincial government of Davao del Norte, saying that it was “not true”.

In an interview, he said that on the contrary he is preoccupied with his work as a provincial sports coordinator and to the sports activities launched by the provincial government.

Del Rosario talked to the local press Monday after the lunch following the opening rite for the Capitol’s media center building and the oathtaking of the officers of the National Press Club- Davao del Norte and Compostela Valley Chapter guested by Press Secretary Jesus Dureza.

He added that his preoccupied field activities might be the reason why other people have not seen him at the Capitol.

He said that he had never visited in fact the Capitol’s sub-office at Regus Business Center located at Taguig City, Metro Manila.

Earlier report said that as sources were supportive to the earlier declaration of the former vice governor to run for the District 1 congressional post that would be vacated by last-termer Cong. Arrel Olano by 2010 they wanted the young Del Rosario to be visible in the province.

Meantime, in a phone patch radio interview with Radyo Ukay- Davao City blocktimers Ben Wang and Manny Pajarito, Del Rosario said that it was still “too early” to talk about politics and that he would still wait for the “plan” of his fellow members of the Lakas-CMD in Davao del Norte on who would be the party man for the congressional post in the District, an apparently dissimilar stance he gave during the Kapihan sa Kapitolyo about a month ago when he declared his bid for the post.

He said he would abide and follow the decision of the Lakas-CMD in the province although he cited that “there are sectors” which have been reportedly endorsing him to take a crack for Olano’s post by 2010.

The provincial government forged a contract last April following approval of the provincial board with Regus Business Center where the provincial sub-office will hold office “to facilitate all official transactions of the provincial government in the National Capital Region (NCR)”.

Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario contracted with Ms. Cristina Davila, the general manager of Regus Business Center. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: AGR, anthony del rosario, davao del norte capitol provincial government, gov. rodolfo del rosario, regus business center

NEWS: Kabir, a political animal no more- Comval Pagro

oct 20

The kabir chicken that former Compostela Valley Gov. Jose “Joecab” Caballero had then been massively reproducing and dispersing in droves of thousands to the farmers in the province is political animal no more under the administration of Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy.

In an interview, provincial agriculturist Dr. Rolando Simene said that the provincial government is no longer dispersing kabir but only maintaining about 400 kabirs at the Lamdag center for breeding with the local bisaya and other chicken breeds for experimentation.

He said that Uy remained committed to develop further the sprawling 97-hectare Lamdag agri-eco-tourism center of the provincial government at Pasian, Monkayo.

He added that the governor is actively pursuing to develop more the fresh milk production from the buffalo stock at the agricultural center in view of the melamine scare in the country.

In early 2000s Caballero started the development of the Lamdag center which was then lying as idle, neglected provincial farm barn since when the province was not yet separated from Davao del Norte.

There was one time that the former governor was named by the monicker “Cabirero” by his oppositionists including the present governor, who was then serving as the senior boardmember during Caballero’s third term.

Uy before becoming a boardmember ran but was defeated by the recent birthday celebrator last Saturday, provincial elder Prospero Amatong during the 1999 toss up for the district 1 congressional post. They had only a margin of over 1,000 votes in the election where Uy was then allied with Caballero.

Earlier reports said that Caballero would be running for a “comeback either-or”, meaning either as congressman in District 1 where he was defeated by Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong in the last polls, or as governor.

This developed as reports also said that District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora is also entertaining to run as governor in the province, besides eyeing to run as mayor in Compostela town.

If Joecab’s comeback is realized, he would no longer have thousands of kabirs in his hand. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: comval, comval news, ex-governor joecab caballero, gov. chiongkee uy, kabir comval, prospero amatong

NEWS: Nabunturan DILG exec faces persona non grata charge

For not replying to request of town dad for a year

oct 20

NABUNTURAN- A local official of the Department of Interior and Local Government here assigned at the municipal hall is facing a resolution in the Sangguniang Bayan declaring him as as persona non grata for not responding to several requests of a councilor for over a year now until at press time.

Councilor Raul Caballero filed last week a resolution declaring municipal local government operations officer of Nabunturan Evan Pascua such for alleged conduct unbecoming as a government officer pursuant to Republic Act No. 6713, otherwise known as the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.

The resolution is already at that hands of Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin and is expected to be calendared in tomorrow’s SB session.

Caballero charged that on Sept 3, 2007 he requested Pascua for an opinion relevant to the procedure in rendering a committee report but it was not responded.

The councilor questioned as “erroneous” the particular procedure of the Sangguniang Bayan of discussing and approving any committee report without first adopting it.

The practice has been running as a wayward procedure compared to other local sanggunians for 15 years, leaving always having no items in the unassigned business of the day, sources said.

On October 1, 2007 Caballero made a follow up letter reiterating the same. Still Pascua did not reply.

On September 25 this year Caballero sent another letter on the same matter to DILG provincial director Abito Bernasor but his office refused to receive it and instead it was referred to the municipal mayor’s office for the same to be received.

Caballero’s resolution stated that it was more than a year that Pascua “is adamant to answer the request” in alleged violation to the 15-day period provision of RA 6713 for all government officials and employees to act promptly on letters and requests from the public.

“The actuations shown by (Pascua) constituted disrespect and conduct unbecoming of government officer not only to the requisitioning official but to the entire people of Nabunturan,” portion of the letter stated.

Efforts to reach Pascua for comments proved futile. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: councilor raul caballero, dilg comval, evan pascua dilg, nabunturan, nabunturan news, nabunturan officials

OPINION: Too high a budget for “paperless legislation”

Prices of computer nowadays are dropping. It’s different before, 5 or 10 years ago, when acquiring a computer was considered a rare luxury. Appliance stores in Davao City and Tagum City then made so much a killing for profit by selling slow-speed computers at so expensive price through installments.

Now you can buy a computer set at P5,000. It’s a surplus though but it works for the novice and practicing, kids and youths who are not addicted to top speed RAN online game and its ilk, say it’s only for encoding, web research and small games (not the one the needs 1 gigahertz of processor and 1 gigabytes of memory, that’s so fast at these specs).

With the fast rate of computer innovations and production of new brands and products at much improved performance and more features, as well as the stiff competition of computer makers while chip and parts makers are vast for computer assembly industry, computer imports are ever coming to the country inevitably decreasing computer prices. It’s like the cellphones.

Try online search in Davao City stores, the usual source of supplier in Davao del Norte and Comval local government units for the product and you’ll see good, fast brand new laptops having a capacity of 1 GHz processor and 1 GB of memory, which are so fitted to for the city councilors and vice mayor eyeing to have “paperless legislation” next year priced lower. Say an HP Compaq Presario or Acer, both with 512 RAM, priced at P35,000. That’s fair and modest budget, although one could now buy a fairly fast WIFI (wireless) capable laptop at P25,000 nowadays.

But we’ll stick to P35,000-worth laptop that’s already so good for our city councilors. At this budget multiplied by the number of Tagum City councilors plus the vice mayor and the secretariat or 14, and add P200,000 for the two servers, peripherals and for the licenses of operating systems so the greedy software business alliance cohorts of Bill Gates will not run after the City Hall, and what we have as modest and practical budget for Tagum SP “paperless legislation” is a little over the half of the planned P1.5 million budget as proposed by Councilor Rey Salve. That’s too high a budget Kons.

An P800,000 budget is already so good and cool budget to our estimate.
There’s actually no training seminar in other venues needed there. What is important is that the city IT department first set up the networking cables, and conduct hands-on training, dry run for the city councilors right at SP hall after the goods arrived. And that’s it. Meantime, Councilor Inting Eliot could have all the time learning the sophistication of his laptop at home with an apo at his side. There’s actually no so much fuss and grand in implementing a “paperless legislation”. And the balance of P700,000 that is squeezed out could as well be infused to the La Filipina public cemetery for our beloved deads to be happy. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: la filipina cemetery, tagum city councilors, tagum city officials, vice mayor allan rellon

NEWS: Chiz Escudero riddles Davnor politicians

oct 17

Davao del Norte provincial and city officials faced baffling scenarios from Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero when he personally visited them yesterday at the Capitol, Mankilam, Tagum City.

Senator Escudero was the guest speaker for the Philippine Judges Association in the evening in Davao Davao City but he made first a side trip in Tagum City to personally visit and consult politician friends.

He made baffling riddles about the real opposition in the county citing the flip-flopping record of several wannabes for the top post in the country.
He named potential presidential bets as Senate President Manny Villar, Mar Roxas, Panfilo Lacson, and even former President Joseph Estrada.

“Sino ba talaga ang tunay na oposisyon?”asked Sen. Escudero.
He just recalled past records of presidential wannabes flip-flopping in their past dealings with the Macapagal administration.
Present in friendly roundtable exchange of friendly talk at Tahanan building at the provincial Capitol complex in Mankilam were Davao del Norte Rodolfo del Rosario, Vice Gov. Victorio Suaybaguio, Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy, District 1 Cong. Arrel Olano and others.
They were cheerfully dumbfounded of Escudero’s presentation on past record of flip-flops of the said presidential wannabes. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: cong. arrel olano, gov del rosario, mayor rey uy tagum, senator chiz escudero davao del norte

NEWS: Olano says he doesn’t want to break the Lakas unity in Davnor

He wants fair weather with local media

oct 17

Davao del Norte District 1 Congressman Arrel Olano appears to be wanting to talk with the local media in fair weather.

He said that he did not want intriguing questions posed to him by the local media that would lead him to say words that would threaten to break the Lakas unity in the province.

Asked yesterday on whether he would make true his earlier statement of running for city mayor or for governor as among his options, he appeared evasive saying that he should not be intrigued with questions that would break the Lakas party in the province since City Mayor Rey Uy and Governor Rodolfo del Rosario as well as him belong to the same party.

He did not also give comment on the Purok Ordinance that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. junked last Monday.

But asked in an ambush interview about his congressional bill about puroks pending at the Congress, he said that it is still a pending measure.
Asked further on what it is all about, he he cut short, saying: “it is not comfortable for us to talk about it here” in obvious irritation to the posed question as a streak of sunlight hit the place of interview. After snapping that, he then immediately sped away riding on his government issued car with plate no. 8. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: congressman arrel olano, davaod el norte officials davao del norte news, governor dolfo del rosario, mayor rye uy, senator chiz escudero, vice gov baby suaybaguio

OPINION: Nowhere to go

oct 20

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

Congressman Arrel Olano of Davao del Norte’s 1^st District might have already chickened out from taking another political career path gauging his latest tough talk with the local media. I got him right after Senator Chiz Escudero ended his friendly banter last Friday at Mankilam’s Tahanan with Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario, Tagum City Mayor Rey Chiong Uy, him- Olano, Vice Mayor Victorio “Baby” Suaybaguio and several other officials.

The info man of Sen. Chiz told me while covering their table talk that the good opposition senator was on a side trip in the province just to meet with provincial officials who are his friends and possibly know problems and suggestions from his constituents in this part of the country. (He was the guest speaker of the Philippine Judges Association conference in Davao City in the evening) . Naturally, being an elected senator of the Republic the governor, city mayor and Cong.Olano had to meet and accommodate Sen, Chiz regardless that he is one great oppositionist. Maybe Cong. Anton of the 2^nd District was not home yet last Friday, that is if the hatchet has already been buried between RDR and the Floirendos. Had that been the case, the Lakas-Kampi family in the province would have been complete in meeting the youthful Chiz, a presidential timber.

Sino ba kaya sa kanila ang tunay na oposisyon? Si Manny Villar? Si Mar Roxas? Si Ping Lacson? Si Erap? Sen. Chiz threw a puzzle to his listening pack of provincial and city officials. Each one of today’s presidential timbers, sans him and Sen. Loren, were unmasked of their flip-flopping records in terms of legislations pursued and positions to Pres. GMA’s policies and actuations. Sen. Chiz would seem to say that all of these presidential wannabes in the opposition picked up both carrots and sticks in dealing with GMA, and hence imply that all of them were not true-blue oppositionists. I wouldn’t enumerate here such flop-flops for lack of space.

They were all listening perhaps dumbfounded to the usual razzle-dazzle of Tagalog enunciation of the senator on the matter except quite visibly Cong. Olano who was so busy in his cellphone- texting. Had it not been a friendly banter, he could have been called as out of protocol before a talking senator. Maybe those were urgent messages. I wouldn’t imply that the congressman wasn’t interested to the topic of Sen. Chiz. He has nowhere to go except the opposition.

If Cong. Olano meant it true, during an ambush interview made by some local mediamen, that he didn’t want to be intrigued by the question posed of whether his earlier plan of running for city mayor or governor and others when the present reelectionists are all his partymates, then he is indeed nowhere to go. He said that “the mayor is with Lakas, the governor is with Lakas and I am with Lakas” “Don’t intrigued me with that question,” Olano threw a pique on us.

If we voluntarily take a ride over Gov. RDR’s hint that there seems to be no Floirendo running against him for his reelection, then all’s well is bound to end well with Lakas in Davnor. With the principle of the equity of incumbent, Olano couldn’t be the administration’s standard–bearer for mayorship, governorship, and even to vice governorship and vice mayorship that rightly belong to reelectionist Suaybaguio and Allan Rellon, respectively. He has no incumbent son or daughter to bargain for the open post that he’s finishing to serve, unlike Comval District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, who has his daughter Boardmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay long gunning for the post in stiff competition with Vice Gov. Ramil Gentugaya (don’t disturb, just married).

But sadly, what remains to Olano for an easy admin crack is a lowly boardmember’s seat, for remaining up to this day to be porkless unlike their Comval counterparts. Such is a real contrast to a congressman’s position that has lots of pork barrel funds that a white paper of Speaker Nograles wanted so much to be demystified of its negative and irregular connotations. But he has lots of top posts for a picking at his pleasure and luxury. Only that he’ll have to jump ship to the opposition where Sen. Chiz truly belongs.

BLOGBUZZ: I felt the academe’s free spirit again. That was last Tuesday when I gave journalism crash course for the UMTC English Guild. Thanks for the invitation to the Rural Urban News, my outfit, for Felimonne Em-em Monteros, the guild’s prexy, Ma’am Armela Gertos, the amiable adviser…. Kodus to NBI Tagum for pinpointing the establishment where the known UM Tagum sex scandal occurred- the Aroma Café and Computer along Sobrecarey St.. Ironically, the suspect establishment is owned by Edgardo Silagan, the president of ICAT- Internet Café Association of Tagum City. The NBI agents armed with warrant seized Thursday 23 computer units from the alleged culprit establishment. Now justice for Baby and her family is near. (Tomorrow: Olano’s fret on purok. For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, email: chamonforte@yahoo.com)

Tags: arrel olano tagum city, congressman arrel olano, davao del norte, senator francis "chiz" escudero, tagum city, tagum sex scandal

DAVAO DEL NORTE AND COMVAL NEWS OCT 2ND-3RD WEEK 2008

2008-10-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

DAVAO DEL NORTE AND COMVAL NEWS OCT 2ND-3RD WEEK 2008

2008-10-19T09:48:00.000-07:00

NEWS: Who’s whos, rivals in Davao politics ninongs of Ramil and Joanna

Two affairs to remember in Comval this Saturday

oct 16

The grandest wedding in Compostela Valley for Vice Governor Ramil Gentugaya and Joanna Aileen Ang this Saturday will usher a toast for cheers by among known who’s whos in Davao politics, pairs among whom would soonest be calling each other “pare” for being the chosen ninongs of the most sought-after bachelor Valentino in Comval.

Sources said that among the sponsors, the ninongs and ninangs of Ramil and Joanna, are Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte and House Speaker Prospero Nograles, Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario and former District 2 Cong. Tonyboy Floirendo, Comval Gov. Arturo “Chiongkee” Uy, Comval District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora, District 2 Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, Tagum City Mayor Rey “Chiong” Uy, who’s whos in business and corporate world Nonoy Te, Madeline Dizon Marfori, Beth Uy Colina, Evelyn Ang, Arlene Ang and Nobleza Ang, among others.

Ramil, 33, and Joanna, 28, will exchange vows at the Redemptorist Church in Davao City at 2 P.M. this coming Saturday, Oct. 18. The reception will be at the Davao Convention Center along Torres Street, Davao City.
Joanna, an Ateneo De Manila graduate, is the daughter of businessman Joseph Ang and Angelita Maranan Ang of Davao City. She is a high-ranking staff of Unilab Phils.

Ramil is son of businessman and former Monkayo Mayor Rizal Gentugaya and Rosita Lao Gentugaya. His constituents will have a date with the couple in a post-wedding ceremony at Monkayo on Sunday, reports said.
From reports gathered, Ramil and Joanna met through his younger brother Roger (Ogie), who is also an Atenean but their families have been close due to some common businesses. The vice governor got Joanna’s “yes” just a few days before the May 2007 elections for his second term.

Ramil is considered as the most senior Lakas party member in District 1 qualified for the open congressional post in District 1 by 2010. He earlier confirmed to be running for the post, which Cong. Zamora’s daughter Boarmember Maricar Zamora-Apsay confirmed to be also running for.
But Comval has two great affairs to remember this Saturday.

Coincidentally, the province has the other big bash- the 77th birthday of provincial elder Prospero Amatong, a former councilor, former mayor, former governor, and former congressman, with at least 43 years in elected public service with no record of electoral defeat.

When he retired from politics to have his son Bobong picked up his tough service close before the campaign period of the May 2007 elections, he was hailed as a true statesman. Until now even outside of the government, he remains to be influential political kingmaker. He is feared by the incumbents. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: nonoy te, prospero amaontg birthday, prospero amatong birthday, ramil gentugaya wedding

NEWS: P90 M bond float in Nabunturan being junked?

Humol does not mention controversial project in town’s festival opening

oct 16

The controversial P90-million bond flotation project pushed by Nabunturan Mayor Macario Humol during his last term appears to be turning either a hot potato, otherwise it appears to be junked as local officials never mentioned a single word of it during yesterday’s opening of the town’s 14th Simballay Festival.

In his keynote speech, instead Humol drumbeat on his administration’s recent accomplishments such as the P13-million integrated agricultural center in 5.6-hectare municipal land at Barangay Saosao where the farmers’ training center building and new slaughterhouse were inaugurated yesterday before noon after the parade and program at the municipal gym in the public market area.

He called on for continued unity of the people and prayed for paying of respect to one another.

He thanked Cong. Rommel “Bobong” Amatong, who was present, for the P1 million financial contribution from his congressional office for the slaughterhouse project.

Guests present during the festival’s opening included Dept. of Agriculture regional director Roger Chio, provincial senior executive assistant Belo Melendres, who represented Gov. Arturo Uy, who was accordingly on barangay sortie at faraway Panganason in Pantukan, and other municipal officials.

Humol however capped his speech with parting words, “what we have started must be completed.”

He finally recognized in public the donation of Councilor Raul Caballero of an ambulance unit to the municipal government, twice thanking the latter in his speech.

Caballero donated an ambulance he got from his South Korean friends for humanitarian purpose last May and for almost five months now the unit is still being held at the town’s motorpool and is prevented from running as the majority in the council including Vice Mayor Romeo Clarin allegedly did not want it to run ”due to politics”.

Clarin and Caballero have been reported to be both aspiring for the mayoral post by 2010.

With the holding on of the ambulance, it was even prevented from running during the July 3 bombing of Park and Go bakeshop which killed three persons and injured 14 others.

It was strange that the donee Caballero, who only wanted to realize one of his campaign promises, was even lengthily questioned by several collegues about the legality of the papers of his ambulance, “that’s why it is still not allowed to run,” said Councilor Alfonso “Jun” Tabas, another opposition councilor.

Yesterday, Caballero drove an ambulance with the same brand and looks to the one left in standby at the motorpool during the parade saying that it was meant for the public to know on the plight of his donated ambulance.

Also in yesterday’s affair, Clarin did not utter about the ambitious municipal bond float, which last Sept. 25 was formally opposed when about 200 petitioners filed a people’s initiative petition to the local sanggunian in their bid of having the controversial ordinance approving the bond float directly repealed by the people pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the New Local Government Code of 1991.

Petitioners led by Caballero charged that the P90-million bond float is exorbitant, extravagant and grossly disadvantageous to the government.

Amatong yesterday announced he would be infusing P15 million for roads in Nabunturan and other infrastructures in Nabunturan. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: comval congressman rommel amatong, councilor alfonso jun tabas, councilor raul caballero, mayor macario humol, nabunturan bond flotation

NEWS: Purok Ordinance junked, returned to City Hall

oct 15

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan finally sent back the Purok Ordinance to its point of origin- the City Hall in their last Monday’s session after denying the latter’s motion for reconsideration.

Eleven boardmembers present voted to return the measure to the proponent council for shelving on the same ground that “it is legally infirmed” as earlier ruled by the provincial legal department.

Sangguniang Kabataan federation president Dennis Cafe, who was earlier present, was mysteriously nowhere in sight when the measure was junked by his seniors.

Boardmember Helario “Larry” Caminero moved for the sponsorship of the Provincial Resolution No. 588 junking the City Council’s Resolution No. 71 on motion for reconsideration, following recommendation by the joint committees of government organizations and non-government organizations, and of laws, resolutions, ordinances and justice.

The Purok Ordinance under Resolution No. 27-2007 became controversial when it sought to abolish elections to give the city mayor the power to appoint officers from barangay nominees. It also provided merging of adjoining puroks. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: boardmember larry caminero, davao del norte SP, mayor uy tagum, tagum city purok ordinance

NEWS: No increases in MOOE, capital outlay in P624 M PG budget for 2009

Due to RDR on Wheels for the “political year”

oct 15

All departments of the Davao del Norte provincial government will be having no increase in their maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) and capital outlay to scrimp more funds for a bigger budget for the priority projects under the overall RDR on Wheels program of Governor Rodolfo del Rosario.

In a phone interview yesterday, provincial budget officer Norma Lumain squelched reports that provincial departments would be suffering decreases in their MOOEs and zero capital outlay for next year, which observers considered to be already the “start of political year”.

“It’s not true. We’re only maintaining the 2008 budget level for the MOOE while the capital outlay proposals from departments are just deferred,” Lumain said.

She said that the maintaining of budget is being made to give way to del Rosario’s priority programs such as the universal Philhealth coverage for all province-identified poor and indigents, which needs P28 million, and his commitment to give P1 million per barangay in the province.

She added that if the provincial government could share an increment from the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) from the national government and would have savings, the capital outlay for the purchase of equipment and vehicles of departments “would be prioritized in the first supplemental budget next year.”

In the annual executive budget that Lumain expected to forward to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan yesterday, it proposed for the 2009 budget of P624,540,612, of which P568,311,612 is the IRA. The budget grew by 14.7 percent from last year’s P544,583,000.

But sources close to the provincial Local Finance Committee considered that budget proposals from all departments were cut and slashed by 20 to 30 percent or about P2 million to P3 million down, “gikaltasan tanan”.

“They need to raise about P153 million to meet the essential ones, about P121 million for the statutory obligations,” sources said.

They also said that departments badly need MOOE increases next year considering the spiralling prices in the market to render public services effectively.

Budget cuts and slashes though have been made in order to meet increases in salaries and wages and for new positions and jobs under the reorganization that would take effect by the coming December, they said.

Political observers who refused to be named told Sidlak that next year is a “political year” and naturally any incumbent reelectionist would need to have populist projects and services such as the giving of thousands of Philhealth cards aside positioning to create jobs especially the political ones.

Earlier, the governor’s son and provincial sports coordinator, Anthony del Rosario, said that the RDR on Wheels, a numenclature representing the governor’s priorities and thrusts in his administration, is accomplishing only 20% rate, short of its three-year target. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: davao del norte, davao del norte budget 2009, norma lumain, RDR on Wheels

OPINION: Give what is due to Cesar

BLOGISTA

By Cha Monforte

Newly chosen Tagum Press Ombudsman, businessman Cesar Cuntapay doesn’t think so that the city will be much affected by the current global financial crisis. In his point of view as the chair of a consumer’s group in the city, he said that “Tagum can stand on its own feet”. He said that this is seen in the way the city taxpayers are religiously paying their taxes with subservience even under the high and so much taxation schemes of the city government. “They are left with no choice except to pay taxes,” he said.

Cuntapay visibly equates the city consumers he wants to protect to the paying taxpayers. He must have been bedazzled by a question from the local press. He has the right to say that, but isn’t taxes meant for the good of the people? So that we could have so much funds for development if we could squeeze further the people, especially the cheating businessmen to pay their right taxes to the government. Just give what is due to Cesar- he has a right to still open his mind now when the electoral mood is forthcoming- it’s almost December, regardless that he lost in his crack for the congressional post the last time. But I find many of his opinions to be ranging from rational to practical if not- cool huh?

Davao del Norte Gov. Rodolfo del Rosario during the last time he blamed the pole-vaulting growers with harsh words -short of saying dah gigabaan lagi mo! - was optimistic that the province could be spared by the global depression for being a largely agricultural province. Our provincial economy is not much tied to the workings of international banks. This is a blessing although when the Press Secretary Jess Dureza said we have to prepare for the storm, he might have meant that the storm would come in seeing our share of OFWs returning home in droves to be with us by Christmas or early next year when their employers could no longer withdraw their deposits as banks abroad close shop and stock exchange markets tumble one after another.

We pray there would be no alien, strange repercussions to our local economies by the next movement of the present world in fear of depression worst than the last one in the 30s. Like what if what our vast banana markets abroad would be affected by the present financial storm, and domino effects would sooner come threatening to crash down our Davnor and Comval banana plantations to smithereens? In such unwanted spectre, our tens of thousands of banana workers will be thrown out from their jobs and livelihood, massive hunger would come, high crime index would further rise while the banana barons and growers, pole-vaulting and non pole-vaulting alike, will lose their dollar income sources. In such doomed afterthought, the fortress Tadeco collapses as well as the banana exporting firm that remains to the del Rosarios will go banana. Then banana economics determines Davnor politics. What if the global storm barrels through the world out here with two political kingdoms made out from the rubrics of bananas? I’m facing a blank wall on this except on new realignment of political forces and a changing of political landscape in the province, our number 1 banana exporter. (For online edition, visit my blog at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com)

Tags: cesar cuntapay, city mayor uy, davao del norte banana politics, gov del rosario, tagum city taxation

NEWS: Mayor Cee O: “No cause for alarm”

On rise of killings in Tagum

oct 14

Tagum Mayor Rey Chiong Uy in a report of DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum early morning yesterday said that the city’s statistics on killings reported by the police “is no cause for alarm” adding that that those “salvaged” or killed were bad elements in the society, “mga kawatan, holdupper, snatcher, akyat bahay… so walay dapat ikaalarma.”

Asked in an exclusive field interview the other day by Ruel Dagsangan, anchor of Radyo Ukay’s early morning newscast program, the mayor added that the city in fact had been banking on its good peace and order situation in receiving continuing confidence from people for its continuing development.

In the same Radyo Ukay report, Vice Mayor Allan Rellon condemned extrajudicial killings in the city saying that the “root cause of the problem” should be addressed to in an effort of helping the police solve it.

The mayor’s and vice mayor’s statements came close to the heels of provincial police reports on the rise of crimes against persons particularly shooting incidents in the city that accounted the bulk in the reported cases throughout Davao del Norte.

Provincial police director PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon bared a total of 54 shooting incidents from January to October 10 in the city last Friday’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry initiated by Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad, the committee chairman.

The crime statistics included the still unresolved slaying of long-time serving former Mankilam barangay captain and kagawad Noel dela Cruz.

PSSupt. Bianzon however that police has solved 23 crimes and a lot of petty crimes like stabbing, hacking and others and recovered many loose firearms in their Operation Kapkap.

But he also bared on increasing death threats which he said the police has been meeting difficulties in responding to all requests for protection considering the limited number of police personnel.

In that committee hearing, the police director admitted difficulties and loose ends in stemming off the rising crime index in the city primarily owing to the lack of police personnel to secure the high city population even as he said that the province is still generally peaceful.

He called on for active civilian support while asserting that police has all been doing its work to secure the populace.

Also in that hearing, Bianzon downplayed reports on the presence of death squad operating in the city, but he admitted the police is looking into reports on hired killers. PSSupt. also cited various causes and motives in the rise of shooting incidents in the city.

The hearing led to various initial proposals in addressing the problem of criminality which the SP committee had documented.

Boardmember Lagunzad said that extrajudicial killing is a human rights violation and vowed to continue his committee’s probe. He planned to conduct activities with barangay officials to address the problem.

Also present during last Friday’s committee hearing-inquiry held at Lakan’s Place were Boardmembers Jose Recarido Federiso, Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo, and SK federation president Dennis Café, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena Garma, and some members of the family of the slain Dela Cruz who shared their fearful plight to the committee. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: boardmember tony lagunzad, CIDG-Davao del Norte provincial director PSupt. Rowena, killings crimes in tagum city, mayor rey chiong uy, Tagum City police chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, vice mayor allan rellon

OPINION: Franco’s 729

BLOGISTA

by Cha Monforte

Diwalwal’s feisty barangay kapitan Franco Tito is at it again. He said he wants no comment to the forthcoming bidding to the areas outside the 729-hectare small scale mining area that his barangay covers because it is not within his area of jurisdiction, but on the next breath, he wants that the entire country should be off-limit to foreign mining. Not only the 1,800-hectare mineral reservation area, outside Franco’s 729.

It’s perhaps in the innate wizardry of the region’s most popular kapitan that whenever his mouth opens up, always it spews out sound bytes fitting to become a news. He’s after all an authority up there in Diwalwal, besides that Fr. Melvin dela Cuesta, the former controversial Nabunturan priest, is a new add-on one- in terms of religious life (Well, the priest has erected a over million-worth kumbento in Diwalwal which can be a good sleeping space ala Emmaus for visiting officials and wanderers. He intimated to this quarter that God really exists when he managed to strengthen the many GKKs there by just sipping a lot of coffee from parishioners when he jumped and hopped to unite a divided GKKs, between pro- and anti-Fr. Ali. Amen to that pads, dre, sure I’ll be there to document more Diwalwal’s long-running history, that is, if you already have a smartbro up there like kapitan, check my serious stuff at http://diwalwal.multiply.com).

Diwalwal’s great Franco Tito is not only a kapitan but also a Filipino. Sure. The kapitan is one down-to-earth, and hit talker. In all the tumbles of the most controversial and troublesome gold mountain in the country since be became a kapitan after Nonoy Pabilona became the first, Franco has been riding over crests of controversies carried up to Davao City and Manila media and always ends up to be the last man standing after the hubris settle down. He becomes a permanent media fixture and becomes one authoritative representation of the Diwalwal people. For as long as his 729 is not touched he’ll keep his silence, but since he’s a Pinoy, too, he shouts- the Pinas is for the Filipinos to mine, and not for the foreigners. Such a usual Franco barb trademark.

By the worst problems and great tasks that attend to the infamous mountain, even if he’s just a kapitan, he’s works like mayor reigning over 20,000 people. But don’t convert Diwalwal as town as a monkey wrench can be thrown to the Monkayo’s bid for cityhood for lack of 150,000 population, while it has still over 80,000 and already complied the requirements of P100-million annual income and 100 square kilometer land area. Monkayo after all is the No. 1 candidate for cityhood in the 11-town Comval. If Mayor Manuel “Junjun” Brillantes is wise enough he immediately attain the 150,000 population and make Monkayo a city if he insists on getting a lot of barangays that rightly belong to Comval and not Agusan del Sur if today’s erroneous northern borderline is corrected.

Now back to Franco, who is actually no alien to net technology. Perhaps he’s the first kapitan who uses Yahoo Messenger from his house in Panabo to teleconference using webcams for a meeting with his barangay kagawads up in Diwalwal barangay hall. Sources said Franco has long been using that since the Smart integrated a wireless net technology in its cellular system in the recent year. Such is first, another wizardry to the always beleaguered but indefatigable and hit talker kapitan. That’s a cheer, too, to the Chicken Joy-munching Chinese ZTE miners who had stalked Diwalwal’s belly sometime ago. (For online edition, visit my blot at: http://cha4t.wordpress.com, e-mail: chamonforte@yahoo.com, or ruralurbanews@yahoo.com)

Tags: diwalwal comval, franco tito diwalwal, mayor junjun brillantes, nonoy pabilona

NEWS: Compostela banana workers decry losing land, jobs by DAR- installed “dummies”

oct 13

Leaders of Namasco banana workers decry forcible takeover of their banana plantation in Compostela town during the press conference last Saturday with the Davao del Norte Press Radio and TV Club (DNRPC), Inc.at Cevannah Bar Café and Restaurant at Lapulapu St., Tagum City. At left is DNRPC chairman Greg “Loloy” Ybanez (Rural Urban News photo)

Some 170 banana workers in Barangay Osmena in Compostela town who are claiming to be the actual tillers of the land are protesting the forcible takeover to the 139–hectare of banana plantation by 159 “agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs)” after earlier given with Certificate of Land Ownership Award (CLOA) by the Department of Agrarian Reform.

The plantation is then leased bv the Ayala-owned Davao Fruits Corporation until leasehold contracts expired and workers went on growership.

“Many of them are dummies, former DFC employees, already businessmen, even some area already living in Davao City and in United States,” said Zosimo Ombajin, president of the Nagkahiusang Mamumuo sa Compostela (Namsaco) in a press conference after Saturday’s “Ipalanog sa Katawhan” press forum of the Davao del Norte Press, Radio and TV Club, Inc., (DNPRC) at Cevannah Bar Café and Restaurant in Tagum City.

Ombajin said that last August 11 the ARBs, accompanied by District 1 Cong. Manuel “Way Kurat” Zamora and some policemen, allegedly went into breaking their barricade, disarmed their security guards and forcibly takeover a half of their supposed land.

“We were surprised on that day that the DAR installation order suddenly arrived ejecting us from the land we have been productively cultivating for many years,” said Ombajin.

Zamora accordingly accompanied the ARBs to help them be installed on the land as the CLOA holders due to the congressman’s promise in the last elections.

The 159 CLOA holders are accordingly girding to takeover the whole of the 139-hectare land, while the 170 actual workers are holding on working on half of the plantation area.

“As a result our families are now starving,” said complaining of scarce jobs and excess workers since they have already to be content on working a half the 139-hectare land.

On the same press conference, Pantaleon Libre Jr, an officer of Namasco, said that after the takeover the occupied land have already new workers of new growers from CLOA holders.

The actual workers though would still get the last harvest from the remaining bunches in the occupied land, he said.

“What we are demanding is that we should also be included as CLOA holders since it is us who made continuous possession and production over the land for the past ten years since 1998,” he said.

He said that CLOA holders are former DFC employees and workers who were already compensated by DFC as early as 1994 due to retrenchment, resignation or retirement.

“We were not informed on the CARP application nor had seen in the barangay bulletin board of any posting on DAR notice to put the land we have been actually working under CARP,” Ombajin said.

The Namasco has already petitioned the DAR central office to revoke the CLOA. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: compostela banana growers, dar comval, namasco, way kurat zamora

NEWS: PSSupt Bianzon downplays “death squad” but looks on “hired killers”

Oct 13

Lagunzad’s HR committee probes on rise of killings in city

Rise of shootings, death threats reported to police

Civilians’ massive support vs. criminality called on

Mayor Uy: “killings no cause for alarm”

Davao del Norte police director Benilito Bianzon has called on

Attending the SP human rights committee hearing-inquiry Friday at Lakan’s Place restobar are (from right): Tagum city chief PSupt. Dario Gunabe, Davao del Norte PNP provincial director PSSupt. Benilito Bianzon, Boardmembers Salvador Royo, Ely Dacalus, Antonio Lagunzad (center), and (from left) CIDG-Davao del Norte PSupt. Rowena Garma, and other police officials (Rural Urban News photo)

support of civilians in the fight against rising criminality even as he downplayed reports on the presence of death squad operating in the city.

But he admitted the police is looking into reports on “hired killers” that has put Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad into saying that from reports that reached him they go for a kill at a lowly fee of only P3,000.

With that amount, Lagunzad said “pwede na… seguro sa hirap ng panahon. Lalo na kung ang papatayin ay may record na o kalalabas lang ng kulungan”.

The posh Lakan’s Place stands as a proud venue of the SP’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry on the reported rise of killings in the city last Friday. It is located along the national highway. some 3 kms away going south from the heart of the city. (Rural Urban News photo)

But Boardmember Lagunzad said “di pwede yan, human rights (violation) yan”. during Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human rights committee hearing-inquiry on the reported rise of killings in Tagum City Friday morning at Lakan’s Place restobar.

He added that the provincial officials are watching developments and seeing many angles in the rise of criminality index which the police admitted to be occurring and wanted to stem down particularly in shooting incidents in the city.

As this developed, Mayor Rey Chiong Uy in a report of DXDN Radyo Ukay in Tagum Monday morning said that the the city’s statistics on killings reported by the police “is no cause of alarm” adding that that those who were killed were bad elements in the society, “mga kawatan, holdupper, snatcher, akyat bahay… so walay dapat ikaalarma.”

He said that the city in fact banks on its good peace and order situation in receiving continuing confidence from people for its continuing development.

On the hearing attended by boardmembers who are members of the SP committees on human rights and on peace and order and police and intelligence officers, police provincial director PSSupt. Bianzon bared that from January to October 10, the city has 54 shooting incidents including the still unresolved slaying of long-time serving former Mankilam barangay captain and kagawad Noel dela Cruz.

Dela Cruz, who was back riding on motorcycle, was waylaid morning the other Sunday at Mankilam and was shot to death by still unknown motorcycle-riding gunmen. Dela Cruz driver Albert Abule was left unharmed. As of Friday, the police was facing a blankwall on the suspects and the motive of the killing.

“About 5 percent of the shooting incidents is drug-related,” Bianzon said.

The Island Garden City of Samal (Igacos), on the other hand, has only two shooting incidents.

“There is also increasing death threats,” Bianzon said, for which he said the police has been meeting difficulties in responding to all requests for protection considering the limited number of police personnel..

He said that the incapacity of the police is seen in the high ratio of 1 policeman is to 1,373 persons to protect in the city.

He added that considering this high number of civilians to protect, while the “police has been on 24-hour duty and is doing its best”, chances are still “malulusutan pa rin kami even our checkpoints,” he added. “Give me one battalion of policemen and I’ll assure you for no crime.”

The city police is beefed up by support and mobile units such as reaction forces and the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG).

Biazon then called for massive civilians’ support to fight criminality in counterpart to the heightened police visibility that they have been putting up. “The PNP cannot stand alone without the help of the people. The PNP cannot effectively battle criminality without help.”

He said that if the police is given reliable information by the public “on the go agad kami” citing what they had accomplished when they were tipped off on the case where the kidnap and murder suspect fled to Samar from the city and they arrested the suspect there and resolved the case.

The police nonetheless solved 23 crimes against persons from January to September and solved a lot of petty crimes like stabbing, hacking and others and recovered many loose firearms in their Operation Kapkap, the police director bared.

But he said it is in crime against persons where the police finds difficulties in solving, largely owing to lack of witnesses from the public.

Tagum City police chief Dario Gunabe said that “there is a big problem on how the public react” to shooting incidents where witnesses shy out from giving statements to the police like the description of the suspect compared to petty crimes such as robbery and thief where people themselves volunteered to give information or even pursued suspects.

“The police should not be blamed and charged to be doing nothing. The people have the shared obligation to help the police such as when they see crimes happened, they have to give statement to the police,” Gunabe added.

PSSupt. Biazon also cited various causes and motives in the rise of shooting incidents in the city.

He named these as drug-related, involving persons with criminal instincts “na di makatulog kung di makapatay”, cases of killed persons with criminal records such as drug pushers and users, “na meron dyan na kalalabas pa lang pinapatay”, bungling and double-crosses within criminal syndicates, and a host other factors due to conflicts such as relating properties and land, “nag-aawayan sa lupa”.

SP’s peace and order committee chairman Boardmember Jose Recarido Federiso called for support to the full activation of 4,000 barangay tanods in the province.

As to the arming of the barangay tanods, there is however financial and legal constraints to it, police authorities said.

Bianzon also called on public to immediately report police crime occurrences using the advantage of cellphone technology as he had earlier directed all his police chiefs in the province to post in public their hotline cellphone numbers.

Boardmember Lagunzad said that his committee probe would continue and that they would also conduct seminars with barangay officials on this.

Also present during the committee hearing-inquiry were Boardmembers Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo, and SK federation president Dennis Café, and CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma. Some family members of the slain Dela Cruz were also present. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: lakan's place, PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon, tagum city police chief dario gunabe, tagum death squad, tagum hired killers, tagum killings

NEWS: Still no lead in Dela Cruz killing

oct 13

TAGUM CITY- As of Friday during the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s human right committee hearing, the police is facing a blankwall as to who are the suspects and what is the motive in the killing of former Mankilam barangay captain amd kagawad Noel dela Cruz the other Sunday.

CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma apprised the hearing committee chaired by Boardmember Antonio Dela Cruz that CIDG investigators had still no lead on the suspects as they only had to contend with pieces of evidences left at the crime of the scene which they were evaluating.

She requested the bereaved family to have Dela Cruz body autopsied before burial even as her CIDG team is on the thick of investigation to arrest the attackers.

Evelyn de Vera, sister of wife of Dela Cruz, told the committee that they were facing a blankwall and a “big question mark”.

Tagum City police chief Dario Gunabe, on the other hand, said important in the solution of the case was the full statement of Abule.

He said that he found inconsistencies in the earlier statement of Abule, who said that he did not saw the suspects except the tire of the motorcycle of the attackers when he was thrown out to slump on the road.

“Why he sustained no bruises at all in claiming for that?” Gunabe pointed out.

He said that the driver might be charged of obstruction of justice if he would not cooperate with the police.

De Vera though reasoned out that Abule feared for the safety of his family and was still on the stage of fear as of Friday.

She also said that the Dela Cruz family members also feared for their safety as well.

In the same hearing, Davao del Norte police provincial director Benelito Bianzon also asked the present Dela Cruz kins to trust the police in solving the crime.

He said he immediately organized the Task Force Dela Cruz after the killing with the provincial CIDG as the lead unit in the investigation to pursue and arrest the suspects

The SP human rights committee chaired by Boardmember Antonio Lagunzad conducted a hearing-inquiry on the reported rise of killings in Tagum City with the presence of provincial and city police officials last Friday morning at Lakan’s Place restobar.

Also present during the committee hearing-inquiry were Boardmembers Jose Recarido Federsio, also the chair of peace and order committee, Ely Dacalus, Artemio San Juan, Salvador Royo and SK federation president Dennis Café. Some family members of the slain Dela Cruz were also present. (Cha Monforte/Rural Urban News) http://ruralurbanews.blogspot.com

Tags: CIDG-Davao del Norte Police Supt. Rowena Garma, PSSupt. Benelito Bianzon, tagum killing, Tagum police chief Dario Gunabe

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Lagunzad’s HR committee probes on rise of killings in city

Rise of shootings, death threats reported to police

Civilians’ massive support vs. criminality called on