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By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Iloilo provincial board unanimously approved Thursday the P69-million supplemental budget which will entitle Capitol workers to an extra P40,000 cash gift on top of their regular P10,000 Productivity Enhancement Incentive (PEI).
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved the P36-million budget augmentation where the P10,000 PEI will be sourced. The additional budget was obtained from savings culled from unfilled plantilla positions in the Capitol.
Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. then submitted the supplemental budget to increase the PEI by P40,000.
In sum, the 2,200 capitol workers will receive P50,000 each for their PEI or popularly known as cash gift.
The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) had advised the provincial government to wait for its review of the augmentation and supplemental budget before releasing the cash gift.
Alfonso Bedonia, DBM assistant regional director, said they need to review the additional allocation to find out if the Capitol did not exceed the budgetary cap on personal services (PS).
The personal services (PS) cap refers to the maximum salaries and benefits for employees of a local government unit (LGU).
The Local Government Code provides that total appropriations, whether annual or supplemental, for personal services of an LGU for one fiscal year shall not exceed 45% in the case of 1st to 3rd class LGUs and 55% in the case of 4th class or lower class LGUs.
DBM’s Budget Circular 2009-5 issued this week provided the guidelines for the release of the PEI/cash gift to government employees.
Citing Administrative Order No. 276, the DBM circular said “government employees in the Executive Branch, including those in government-owned or controlled corporations (GOCCs) and government financial institutions (GFIs), whether hired on permanent, temporary, casual, or contractual basis, are entitled to receive a one-time grant of a maximum of P10,000 each” as long as they have not received any additional year-end benefit in Fiscal Year 2009 over and above the benefit authorized under Republic Act 6686, as amended by RA 8441.
Bedonia said if the Capitol exceeded its PS cap due to the extra cash gift, they will disallow the allocation and require the recipients to refund the excess benefit.
Bedonia said LGUs must seek clearance from the Office of the President if they intend to hand out cash gifts in excess of what is stipulated in the DBM circular.
During their session yesterday, members of the provincial board also raised the concerns on the legal problems posed by the extra cash gift.
Vice Governor Rolex T. Suplico said they decided to approve the P50,000 cash gift to give capitol employees a bright Christmas.
The P50,000 cash gift will be released Monday next week.
Tupas earlier said he will take the risk of any disallowance in handing out the extra cash gift.
Extended voters list-up pose problems
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) in the city and province of Iloilo is foreseeing many problems with the latest decision of the Supreme Court to extend the voters’ registration period.
Atty. Elizabeth Doronila, Iloilo provincial election supervisor, said election officers in the province flocked her office yesterday to express their apprehensions about the SC decision.
In a nine-page unanimous decision penned by Associate Justice Conchita Carpio Morales, the high court en banc granted the petition filed by Kabataan party-list seeking to declare null and void Commission on Elections (Comelec) Resolution No. 8585, which shortened the deadline of voters registration to October 31, 2009, instead of December 15, 2009, as previously fixed by Comelec Resolution No. 8514.
The decision, which is immediately executory, will extend the voters’ registration period to January 9, 2010.
The Comelec earlier set the deadline for voters’ registration to October 31 due to the demands of poll automation.
In its decision, the Supreme Court said the people’s right to suffrage “is at the heart of our constitutional democracy.” It said the Comelec has no valid ground to justify its non-compliance to the system of continuing voter registration mandated under Section 8 of Republic Act 8189 or the Voter’s Registration Act of 1996.
Under the said provision, the registration of voters shall be conducted daily in the office of the election officer during regular office hours, except during the period starting 120 days before a regular election and 90 days before a special election.
“In the present case, the Court finds no ground to hold that the mandate of continuing voter registration cannot be reasonably held within the period provided by R.A. 8189, Section 8 – daily during officer hours, except during the period starting 120 days before the May 10, 2010 regular elections. There is thus no occasion for the Comelec to exercise its power to fix other dates or deadlines therefor,” the Court said.
Doronila said the SC order will compel election officers to undo the final list of voters culled from the latest registration period which ended last October 31.
“Our election officers have already finalized their list is (which is) ready for sealing and submission. If the registration period is extended, the election officers will have to make a new list of voters which is a tedious process,” Doronila said.
Aside from registering first time voters, Doronila said they foresee problems in transferees from other areas outside Iloilo.
“The mailing of the documents of transferees take some time which will surely delay things,” she added.
Jonathan Sayno, Iloilo City election assistant, said their timetable will be set back by the high court’s ruling as they are supposed to hear exclusion petitions against registered voters next year.
Sayno also echoed Doronila’s sentiments on undoing the final list of voters which the city Comelec office has already completed.
“We also lack registration forms. During the last day of registration, we even asked for 1,000 extra copies to accommodate those who tried to beat the deadline,” Sayno said.
Sayno added that they expect 5,000 additional registrants to take advantage of the extended registration period.
Sayno said the most practical period for the extension of the registration period is from December 21 to 29 to avoid disrupting Comelec’s timetable for the automated elections.
“Everything really depends on the Supreme Court. Since the decision is immediately executory, we are just awaiting guidance from our central office,” Sayno said.
PCOS allocation
Doronila said the allocation of the precinct count optical scan (PCOS) machines in clustered precincts will also be affected with the extension of the registration period.
Doronila said the Comelec increased the number of precincts per cluster from five to seven because of the number of voters.
Based on Comelec’s calculation, the city and province of Iloilo need 2,392 PCOS machines for the same number of clustered precincts.
There are a total of 1,257,661 voters in the city and province, according to Doronila.
Registered voters in Iloilo City totaled 242,033, lower by 1% compared to 245,734 registered voters during the October 2007 barangays election.
“If the number of registered voters increases with the extension of the registration period, the number of clustered precincts and PCOS allocation will also increase which poses logistical problems to the Comelec,” she said.
Doronila said the extension might not be practical for areas in the province.
“Most municipal election officers said nobody else went to their office on the last day of registration on October 31. Maybe because the voters were informed through the media not to flock the election offices on the last day of registration. Except for Iloilo City which was swamped by last day registrants, our offices in the towns did not face such predicament. This is the first time that we will register voters after the deadline for the filing of candidacy,” Doronila said.
But Doronila and Sayno said their offices are ready for the extension.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
ILOILO Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. said he is willing to face charges that may result from his plan to give P50,000 in cash gift to each of the more than 2,000 Capitol employees.
The cash gift, which will total P105 million, is embodied in two budget requests the governor asked from the Sangguniang Panlalawigan.
Tupas requested for an augmentation in the 2009 budget amounting to P36 million and a supplemental budget totaling P69 million.
Instead of the usual P15,000 cash gift to each capitol employee, Tupas is planning to hand out P50,000 to each worker “to help them in these trying times”.
The governor said he will face any notice of disallowance or charges that may arise should they overshoot the personal services cap in the 2009 budget.
The personal services (PS) cap refers to the maximum salaries and benefits for employees of a local government unit (LGU).
The Local Government Code provides that total appropriations, whether annual or supplemental, for personal services of an LGU for one fiscal year shall not exceed 45% in the case of 1st to 3rd class LGUs and 55% in the case of 4th class or lower class LGUs.
“If they disallow it, we will face it. We will not let the workers suffer,” he said over RMN-Iloilo.
The augmentation and supplemental budget requests are now pending with the SP’s committee on appropriations.
The SP is also deliberating the P23.8-million financial assistance to volunteer health workers for 2009.
Earlier, the Commission on Audit (CoA) had directed the provincial government to refund the P71-million extra cash gift given to Capitol employees in December 2008.
The audit agency said the extra cash gift exceeded the Personal Services cap or limit of the capitol budget amounting to P118.5 million.
The CoA said the allowable PS level of the capitol is P380.1 million. But Capitol disbursement for PS in 2008 including the extra cash gift amounted to P546.4 million.
The next PS cost incurred in 2008 totaled P427.6 million, which is already P47.48 million over the PS cap, the CoA report said.
The provincial government disputed the CoA’s findings saying their own computation showed that they only exceeded 8% of the PS cap amounting to P8 million.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
VOLUNTEER health workers (VHW) in northern Iloilo would rather receive their honorarium in their respected towns than trooping to the house of Iloilo Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. in Barotac, Viejo town.
This was the sentiment VHWs who attended the public hearing conducted by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s committee on appropriations in Balasan and Sara towns Wednesday.
The fifth district is composed of the towns of Sara, Balasan, Estancia, Batad, Carles, San Dionisio, San Rafael, Concepcion, Ajuy, Barotac Viejo and Lemery.
The VHWs said they will be spend more than P300 for their fare and food before they could lay their hands on the P2,000 honorarium from the provincial government.
In their own reckoning, the VHWs will spend a total of P220 for their fare to Barotac Viejo and back to their respective towns.
Another P100 will be spent for their lunch and snacks while waiting for the release of their allowances.
The volunteer workers said it would be more practical and convenient if they collect their honorarium from the municipal treasurers in their respective towns.
The committee on appropriations chaired by Board Member Jesus “JR” Salcedo is conducting hearings on the P180-million Supplemental Budget No. 1 which includes the allowances fro VHWs.
The supplemental budget includes the honorarium of day care workers amounting to P3.314 million, BSPOs P4.25 million, barangay health workers P14.756 million; and barangay nutrition scholars P1.692 million.
Last year, the SP provided “riders” to the appropriation ordinance which authorized the release of the VHWs’ allowances, specifically the release of the money through municipal treasurers.
It has been a tradition under the Tupas administration to release the VHWs’ allowances at the capitol and his house in Barotac Viejo but not after a series of statements from the governor’s political allies.
Tupas defied the SP’s codicil by insisting that only the Office of the Governor can decide on how to release the money.
The VHWs also agreed to an increase in their allowances from P2,000 to P2,400 per year.
But Vice Gov. Rolex T. Suplico said the workers will have to write Tupas so he can include the increase in the 2010 budget.
“If the allowance is embedded in the annual budget, there would be no more delays and no politics in the release,” Suplico said.
Tupas’ gift?
Meanwhile, Vice Gov. Rolex T. Suplico slammed text messages which accused him of stalling the release of the VHWs’ honorarium.
Suplico said he is neither the chairman nor a member of the committee on appropriations.
“The release of the allowances is being rushed by the Sanggunian. I have no hand in this alleged delay,” Suplico said.
Suplico said the text messages claimed that the allowance is the Tupases’ gift to the VHWs.
“Correction, this money is from the provincial government, not Gov. Tupas. The governor is only using the money to further his political plans and expand their clan’s (political power),” he said.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
ILLEGAL drug operations may have shifted to Iloilo province following the decline and operations and apprehensions of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Iloilo City.
Paul Ledesma, officer-in-charge of PDEA-6 office, said they reported fewer anti-drug operations and arrests in Iloilo City because of the declining illegal drugs trade in the metropolis.
As of November this year, PDEA mounted 67 anti-drug operations in Iloilo City compared to 113 in 2008.
The number of arrested drug pushers and users also declined to 82 this year from 322 in 2008.
Ledesma said drug syndicates may have shifted their operations to Iloilo province following the series of anti-drug operations in the metropolis.
“The situation in the city became too hot for these syndicates to handle and may have transferred to other places. We continue to monitor their activities wherever they transfer their operations,” Ledesma said.
The PDEA also noticed increased sales of marijuana due to increasing prices of shabu.
Ledesma said the shabu price hike is a result of their operations against the entry of shabu in Western Visayas.
Shabu is now being sold at P10,000 per gram, lower than last year’s price of P15,000 per gram. Marijuana is sold for P40-45 per gram.
Ledesma said they have neutralized 11 of 23 drug dens in the region aside from arresting members of five drug syndicates in Western Visayas.
The PDEA chief said they will intensify their operations to prevent drugs from flooding the region during Christmas season and Dinagyang and Ati-Atihan festivals.
3 firms win MIWD contracts
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THREE firms won bulk water supply contracts from the Metro Iloilo Water District (MIWD) Wednesday (December 9) afternoon.
The winners are Maynilad Water Services Inc., Solerex Water Technologies, Inc. and Abejo Builders Corp.
Engr. Adrian N. Moncada, MIWD director, said a total of 20,000 cubic meters of water supply daily was bidded out.
The winning bidders were allocated four injection points where they can establish and connect their contracted water supply.
Maynilad won the contract for the Pavia injection point, which has a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters, at P11.98 per cu m.
Solerex got the Leganes injection point (2,000 cu m) at P14.28 per cu m.
Abejo will supply 8,000 cu m of water through the San Miguel and Ungka (Jaro) injection points at P13.98 per cu m.
The winnings bidders tendered prices below the P15 approved budget for construction stipulated in MIWD’s terms of reference.
Moncada said they might formally award the contracts to the winners next week.
“It (bidding) looks like a successful one. A total of 20,000 cubic meters of water was bidded out. The Special Bids and Awards Committee is undertaking the post qualification process and may recommend to the board the awarding of contracts during the December 17 meeting,” Moncada said.
The contracted water supply is seen to serve part of MIWD’s 31,000 consumers in Iloilo City and neighboring towns.
Some 74% or 23,000 MIWD consumers are based in Iloilo City while the other consumers are spread in the towns of Pavia, Sta. Barbara, Cabatuan, Maasin, San Miguel and Oton.
The additional 20,000 cu m supply from bulk contractors will serve an additional 23% of the firm’s total consumers.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Supreme Court must provide closure to the declaration of martial law in Maguindanao even if the government has military rule in the province Saturday evening.
In an interview with Serbisyo Publiko hosted by Iloilo City Councilor Perla Zulueta over Sky Cable Sunday, Atty. Hans Sayno, former Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP)-Iloilo president, said the high tribunal should decide whether Proclamation No. 1959, which imposed martial law on Maguindanao, was constitutional or not.
“The Supreme Court should discuss and decide the petitions filed against the declaration of marital law in Maguindanao to set the right precedent. If the SC does not act on these, the present administration and future presidents will be tempted to use martial law in any place of the country,” Sayno said.
Proclamation No. 1959 put Maguindanao under martial law last December 5 following the gruesome massacre of more than 50 persons, including the kin of a political clan and Mindanao journalists.
Military and police officials claimed that a rebellion was brewing after the arrest of key members of the Ampatuan clan who are the suspects in the massacre.
Seven petitions from various individuals and groups were filed with the SC questioning the constitutionality of martial law in Maguindanao.
President Gloria Arroyo lifted martial law in the province effective 9pm Saturday after the PNP and AFP said that they have neutralized armed groups planning to rebel against the government.
But Maguindanao remains under a state of emergency, according to Malacañang officials.
Sayno said the SC can opt not to act on the petition by ruling that the issue has become “moot and academic” with the lifting of martial law in Maguindanao.
According to the Supreme Court in Mitre v. Tan Torres, “a case is considered as presenting a moot question when a judgment thereon cannot have any practical legal effect, or in the nature of things, cannot be enforced.”
Sayno said that while the SC cannot be compelled to rule on the anti-martial law petitions, proper closure through the high tribunal’s decision must be made to avoid abuse of the martial law edict.
“The petitions can be dismissed for being moot and academic. But on issues of constitutional magnitude, like the declaration of the state of emergency, the SC can decide and put the issue to rest,” he added.
Sayno cited the declaration of a state of emergency on February 24, 2006, by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1017 after the government claimed that it foiled an alleged coup d’état attempt by Magdalo soldiers against the Arroyo administration.
The President lifted the state of emergency on March 3, 2006 by the virtue of Proclamation No. 1021.
Sayno said the SC rendered a decision on Proclamation No. 1017 and set the basis for the imposition of the policy on May 6, 2006.
In an 11-3 decision, the high court upheld President Arroyo’s right to declare a state of emergency, but said she exceeded her authority by allowing the military to make warrant-less arrests and raid media outlets.
Meanwhile, House Majority Floor Leader Arthur D. Defensor Sr. said Congress will continue the joint session on the imposition of martial law in Maguindanao today.
Defensor said the session must be adjourned properly now that the government has lifted Proclamation No. 1959.
The Senate and the House of Representatives went on joint session Thursday to hear the executive department’s justification for the declaration of martial law and decide whether or not to revoke military rule in Maguindanao.
A total of 40 lawmakers were scheduled to grill government officials today over the martial law declaration.
Defensor said he had a hunch that martial law will be lifted after the PNP and AFP arrested the main suspects in the Maguindanao massacre and recovered caches of firearms and ammunitions believed to be owned by the Ampatuan clan.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
MARTIAL law in Maguindanao may have been an experiment on the part of the national government to test the political waters, a lawyer said.
Atty. Hans Sayno said over cable TV program Serbisyo Publiko hosted by Councilor Perla Zulueta Sunday that the government may have had other objectives in declaring martial law aside from quelling a supposed rebellion looming in Maguindanao.
He said the martial law edict was also meant to gauge the actual application of martial law and the people’s reaction to military rule.
Also, martial law is also a way to measure the loyalty of the allies of President Gloria Arroyo in Congress en route to the 2010 elections.
“Even the withdrawal of martial law could be a strategy to show that Malacañang is listening to the people,” Sayno said.
The imposition of martial law in Maguindanao also spurred constitutional issues which could be remedied either by the Supreme Court and charter change which the Arroyo administration is pushing.
One amendment Sayno cited is Congress’ manner of voting on constitutional issues such as martial law imposition.
The 1986 Constitution provides that Congress (the House of Representatives and the Senate), voting jointly, may revoke the martial law proclamation with a simple majority vote.
The House has 268 members while there are only 24 senators. At least 147 votes are needed to revoke martial law edicts.
Sayno said the “voting jointly” provision puts the Senate on unequal footing in debates on constitutional issues even if both legislative chambers are considered co-equals.
“The ratio between the senators and congressmen is 1:11 approximately. A senator must convince 11 congressmen to join their cause. The voting jointly provision is unfair to the senators because they will always be outnumbered by the congressmen. This provision should be scrapped and replaced with ‘Congress voting separately’ so that the voices of each chamber will be clearly heard,” he added.
On the part of the SC, Sayno said it should rule whether the government can declare martial rule on a per province basis.
“This might be repeated so the SC should rule to it will not be repeated. The situation was a trial-and-error, an experiment with potential damage to the country,” he said.
Sayno said the government should have not declared martial law in order to go after the Ampatuan clan who are the suspects in the Maguindanao massacre.
“The massacre did not threaten the republic, it only tarnished its image. Ordinary government law enforcement powers were sufficient to go after the suspects. The PNP and the AFP can take care of the situation. What happened was an ordinary crime but considered savage in our modern time,” Sayno added.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Regional Development Council (RDC) in Western Visayas gave its nod to a proposed P8-billion irrigation rehabilitation project which will cover five provinces in the region.
Antique Gov. Salvacion Z. Perez, RDC regional chair, said the council passed a resolution endorsing the Irrigation System Operation Efficiency Improvement Project (ISOEIP) of the National Irrigation Administration (NIA).
The endorsement was passed during the RDC-Western Visayas’ last quarter meeting in Roxas City, Capiz last week.
“It (ISOEIP) needs approval of the RDC. If realized, it’s going to be a big help to our farmers here in Panay by improving existing communal irrigation facilities,” Perez said.
ISOEIP, which will be implemented in Western Visayas and Davao del Norte, has a total funding of P8.06 billion. The Asian Development Bank, using the Japan Special Fund, will provide P5.15 billion while the Philippine government’s counterpart funding is P2.866 billion.
In Western Visayas, ISOEIP has two core sub-projects, the San Jose Community Irrigation System (CIS) in Aklan and the Sibalom-San Jose River Irrigation System (RIS) in Antique.
The nine none-core sub-projects covers the Aklan RIS, and Panacuyan RIS in Aklan; Mambusao RIS, Balucuan CIS and Nagba CIS in Capiz; Barotac Viejo RIS in Iloilo; and Cabano CIS in Guimaras.
The project aims to improve agricultural productivity and production of selected irrigation systems through rehabilitation of irrigation infrastructures, improvement of agricultural support services, project coordination support and institutional strengthening and agencies involved.
The project components are irrigation facilities improvement/rehabilitation; watershed development; drainage system improvement and roads and post-harvest facilities
The project is expected to be implemented next year until 2016.
The Philippine government has included the ISOEIP in the Comprehensive Integrated Infra-structure Program (CIIP) for 2008-2010. (With reports from PNA)
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Iloilo provincial government is to be blamed for the purported debts of a politician’s foundation to the Dumangas District Hospital in Dumangas, Iloilo.
Rep. Ferjenel G. Biron (4th district, Iloilo) said the provincial government has been dilly-dallying on submitting a list of his constituents who charged their hospital bills to the Biron Foundation.
Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. earlier claimed that the foundation owes the Dumangas hospital more than P200,000 since July 2009.
Tupas said he ordered that all hospital fees charged against the foundation be stopped and told patients that they can avail of assistance from the provincial government’s social program funds.
Tupas is running for congressman in the 4th district against Biron in the 2010 elections.
Biron said they have been asking the provincial government for a verified list of hospital charges made in the foundation’s name “but they have been delaying the submission.”
“In other hospitals such as the Western Visayas Medical Center, they submit the list of our constituents who charged their hospital bills to the foundation so we can verify from our own list and process the payment. But in Dumangas, they have yet to submit any paper despite our requests,” Biron told RMN anchorman Novie Guazo Thursday evening.
Biron also slammed Tupas for telling his constituents to charge their bills to the capitol coffers when district and provincial hospitals are supposed to offer free services to the poor.
The congressman said Tupas is to be blamed for the bills incurred by poor patients when the latter implemented a provincial ordinance which levied fees on hospitals services.
Provincial Ordinance No. 2005-061 set standard fees on hospital services availed by patients who seek treatment in the 11 district and provincial hospitals in Iloilo. The ordinance requires a P200 “user’s fee” aside from charges on laboratory, dental, confinement services.
Biron cited the administration of then governor now House Majority Floor Leader Arthur D. Defensor Sr. who offered free hospitalization to poor patients.
Defensor will run for Iloilo governor next year against one of Tupas’ sons, Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul C. Tupas
“Instead of charging the bills to the capitol funds, why not remove the fees and offer free services to the people. Public hospitals should be free,” he added.
Biron said the Tupas administration should be thankful to congressmen who shoulder hospital bills “because we are contributing to the income of district hospitals.”
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
A LABOR group is seeking a P50 increase in daily minimum wage in Western Visayas with the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB-6).
The Trade Union of Filipino Workers, headed by national president Randy Ronquillo, was named petitioner in the plea filed before RTWPB during its meeting Tuesday.
Labor sector representatives Wennie Sancho and Hernane Braza filed the petition with the board.
The petitioners said the lifting of the price ceiling on oil will trigger hikes in the cost of basic goods and services.
Sancho said the sudden surge in prices of basic commodities will erode the purchasing power of workers who are likely to face a blue Christmas.
Sancho said a minimum wage earner in the region needs at least P500 a day to feed his family.
Western Visayas minimum wage workers now get P208-P250 daily, based on Wage Order No. 17 that took effect on December 25, 2008.
Non-agriculture workers are paid P240-P250, while non-plantation, plantation and agriculture workers get P208-P218.
The petitioners said the proposed wage hike will not affect most of the employers as more than 90% of the 44,000 businesses in the region are micro enterprises, with 10 workers at most, hence, exempted from the mandated hike in minimum wage.
The RTWPB is set to discuss the wage hike petition after December 25.
Lea Lara, executive director of the Iloilo Business Club, said they have yet to see the wage hike petition.
“We hope to get a copy today. Pigado gid subong, I don’t think this is a good time for it (wage hike),” Lara said in a text message.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
AN independent power producer in Iloilo City is reaching out to prospective investors in the metropolis to address their projected energy requirement.
Engr. Henry Alcalde, project manager of the 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant of Global Business Power Corp. (GBPC), said they expect the demand in Panay to increase once their new plant operates next year.
“If you lower the cost of power, you encourage consumption. Lower prices will also attract businesses in our area. And once these investors come in, they will gradually use up the capacities of the new coal-fired power plant and the diesel plant. How fast this demand will be, we don’t know. But once the demand gets higher than our capacity, we will try to address that,” Alcalde said.
The coal-fired power plant will be operated by the Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC), a subsidiary of GBPC under the Metrobank Group. It is expected to go online in the last quarter of 2010.
The construction of the coal-fired power plant has resulted in renewed interests by investors to enter Iloilo City, particularly business processes outsourcing (BPO) firms.
A major investor expected to do business in the city is giant land developer Megaworld which bought the old Iloilo airport lot in Mandurriao district for P1.2 billion.
Megaworld is planning to develop the 54.5-hectare lot into a new business district with facilities such as hotels, convention center and BPO offices.
Industry sources said Megaworld would require around 20MW of power for its initial operations which is estimated to cost P1.5 billion.
Recently, the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP), which handles the transmission side of the energy sector, made a positive projection on the energy needs in the Visayas grid.
Without factoring in the projected huge power demand from new growth areas such as the 300-hectare South Road Properties in Cebu City and the 54-hectare Megaworld property in Iloilo City, the NGCP said the next round of power supply problems in Cebu, Negros and Panay would be felt in 2018.
Alcalde said NGCP’s projections somehow jives with their own forecast, with Iloilo City suffering a 4-MW shortfall by 2014 on an annual demand growth of 3%. This does not include Megaworld’s demand.
Engr. Gil Altamira, GBPC commercial manager, said they are reaching out to Megaworld to find out how much power they will need.
“Power plants don’t just pop up like mushrooms. We have to know the needs of the consumers so we can plan ahead of time, whether Engr. Alcalde will put up another unit.” Altamira said.
In Negros and Panay, load growth averaged 6.1% and 5.9%, respectively, this year. Panay’s load grew nearly 50% in 2007 only because the Panay Electric Co., Inc., sole electricity distributor in Iloilo City, was synchronized to the grid that year.
Growing demand has used up power reserves in the grid, leaving Cebu, Negros and Panay vulnerable to outages whenever a plant breaks down. Rotating brownouts have been the norm in these islands since summer.
Cebu’s actual peak demand this year reached 577 MW, while those of Negros and Panay hit 226 MW and 221 MW, respectively. Including Bohol and Leyte-Samar islands, the Visayas’ actual peak demand this year reached about 1,300 MW.
The Cebu-Negros-Panay grid gets 360 MW from the geothermal fields in Leyte, boosting total dependable capacity in the Visayas to 1,466 MW. Of the 360 MW, 200 MW goes to Cebu first and the balance is divided between Negros and Panay.
Cebu, Negros and Panay are expected to continue to experience power shortage until the first quarter of 2010, when the first of three 82-MW coal plants that Cebu Energy is building in Toledo City comes onstream. (With reports from BusinessWorld)
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
UNLESS the Iloilo Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) provides the programs of works for the proposed repair and waterproofing of the leaky Iloilo Capitol roof, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan will not approve the P4 million requested by the executive department.
The General Services Office (GSO) made the request for the repair and waterproofing of the Capitol’s roof. It is included in the P180-million supplemental budget requested by the Office of the Governor.
During its session Monday, the SP asked Engr. Ardiel Alacian, capitol building administrator, for the program of works (POW) for the proposed repair and waterproofing project.
But Alacian told the provincial board that they lost the program of works which was prepared around two years ago.
Alacian said a copy of the POW is with Assistant Provincial Engineer Romeo Andig. But Andig said the computer containing the electronic copy of the POW was infected with a virus.
The PEO is now trying to reconstruct the POW for the waterproofing project.
Alacian said they were able to come up with the estimated cost of P4 million by asking an engineer of SM City-Iloilo about the mall’s waterproofing technology. But he could not recall the name of the engineer and contractor who worked on the mall’s roof.
He said they proposed to use the flexbond technology to make sure that water does not seep in the Capitol roofs.
The new Iloilo Capitol was first constructed in 2001 and was inaugurated November 2003. It was a brainchild of then governor now 3rd district Rep. Arthur D. Defensor Sr. but was completed during the term of Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr.
The initial cost of the new capitol was around P360 million but it ballooned to P385 million after additional costs. (With reports from Aksyon Radyo-Iloilo)
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
ILOILO Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. is worth more than P33 million despite not having any source of income other than his salary as a public official.
Based on his statement of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN) as of December 31, 2008, Tupas’ net worth (total assets less liabilities) is P33,325,093.61.
In 2006, Tupas’ net worth was P25,662,771.01. His 2007 SALN is not available.
The governor declared ownership of six residential lots and houses in the city and province of Iloilo and Metro Manila:
- residential house in Barotac Viejo (P750,000);
- residential lot in Las Palmas, Jaro, Iloilo city (P3 million);
- residential lot and rest house in Purdue, Quezon, Metro Manila (P10 million);
- residential lot in Quezon City (P5 million);
- residential house and lot in Iloilo City (P6.5 million); and
- residential house in Brgy. Juanico, Banate, Iloilo (P822,000).
Tupas did not state when he acquired the Iloilo City house and lot and his Brgy. Juanico residential house.
Tupas also declared ownership of agricultural and beach properties – agricultural land in Barotac Viejo, Iloilo (P830,000); beach lot in Barotac Viejo (P2 million) and another agricultural lot in Barotac Viejo (P500,000).
In sum, Gov. Tupas’ real properties totaled P29.402 million.
His other assets include furniture and fixture (P1.311 million), jewelries (P1.49 million), three vehicles (Nissan pick-up, Mitsubishi Galant and Toyota Hi-ace with a total worth of P1.917 million), cash on hand (P600,000), growing crops (P439,713.61) and improvements (P300,000).
Tupas’ total other assets, less the accumulated depreciation, is P3,923,093.61.
Interestingly, Tupas’ declared liabilities was only P350,000.
The governor did not disclose nor declare any business interest and financial connection in his SALN.
Tupas had said that his salary as governor is P34,939 a month aside from his representation and travel allowance amounting to some P10,000 monthly.
The governor said he acquired the properties when he was still practicing law and from his inheritance.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
A TOTAL of 24 persons were killed and almost P130-million worth of properties was damaged in 745 fire incidents in Western Visayas since January, this year.
Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) regional office records show that Negros Occidental had the most number of fires with 372, Iloilo 286, Guimaras 29, Aklan 23, Capiz 19 and Antique 16.
The biggest single fire to hit the region was in Bacolod City last November 2 which killed 17 persons, mostly children.
Defective electrical wiring is the most common cause of fires in the region, the BFP said.
Yesterday, two fires occurred in Iloilo City. The first incident happened around 3am when a blaze razed a barber shop and beauty salon in Yulo Street in the City Proper district. A faulty electrical wire is believed to be the cause of the fire which started in the ceiling of the barber shop, initial BFP reports said. Around 9am also yesterday, a fire also blamed to a faulty electrical wiring burned a house on 7th Street, Lawaan Village, at Brgy. Balantang, Jaro district. Damage was placed at P100,000
Another anomaly rocks Iloilo Capitol
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
ANOTHER transaction in the Iloilo provincial government was stalled due to anomalies in the bidding process.
The Commission on Audit (CoA) in a letter dated October 20, 2009 returned the disbursement papers for payment of various equipment supplied to the Iloilo Provincial Hospital (IPH) in Pototan, Iloilo as the bidding was purportedly manipulated.
The letter was sent to the office of Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. and Provincial Accountant Lyd P. Tupas.
Disbursement Voucher No. 300-09-10-950 dated October 6, 2009 covers the payment for computer equipment to the IPH amounting to more or less P250,000.
According to the audit agency, the equipment were already delivered on November 3, 2008 even before the public bidding was conducted on November 26, 2008. The participating bidders were Cyber Link Compu Sales and Strides PEF Enterprises.
The delivery before the bidding was supported by Delivery Receipt (DR) No. 5459 dated November 3, 2008. The CoA’s audit team also confirmed that the items were already delivered during a visit at the IPH on January 19, 2009.
The purchase was covered by the Purchase Order No. IPH-178 dated December 15, 2008 and was received by the supplier on January 19, 2009. The delivery term is 15 calendar days after received of the approved PO.
But upon verification of the disbursement voucher and other supporting papers, the audit agency found out that another DR No. 5481 dated February 4, 2009 was prepared to replace DR No. 5459 dated November 3, 2008.
“Fourteen (14) of the items stated in the two DRs are exactly the same as to specifications and serial numbers. It can be presumed that the issuance of a new DR was resorted to by the persons liable to show that proper bidding procedures were followed. Since there is already a winner prior to the actual conduct of bidding, then credence could not be given to the public bidding conducted,” the CoA said.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
POOR patients in Iloilo province will be disadvantaged by the move of the provincial government to turn district hospitals into “economic enterprises,” according to House Majority Floor Leader Arthur D. Defensor Sr.
Rep. Defensor was reacting to the proposal of the Provincial Health Office, through the Hospital Operations and Management Service, and the Provincial Planning and Development Office to convert the 11 district hospitals into income generating entities.
The proposal is seen to cut the subsidies of district hospitals from the provincial government. Hospitals will have to support their operations by charging service fees on patients who are mostly indigents from the 42 towns and 1 component city of the province.
The proposal is pending with the committee of ways and means chaired by Board Member Arthur r. Defensor, son of Rep. Defensor.
Rep. Defensor said health care is a basic service that must be provided free or affordably by the government to the poor.
He surmised that turning district hospitals into “cash cows” of the provincial government will jack up fees for various hospitals services.
“The district hospitals are for the poor. What will happen if they become economic enterprises instead of service-oriented?” said Defensor who is running for Iloilo governor.
Defensor said the provincial government will have to realign its priorities to address the health needs of its constituents.
“This government must be prepared to sacrifice somewhere. I would rather sacrifice government resources than let the poor pay,” he added.
Defensor said he will continue to give honorarium to volunteer workers in the province in recognition of their services to their constituents. “There is a possibility that we might even increase their honorarium.”
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Iloilo provincial government has appealed the decision of the Civil Service Commission reinstating Dr. George A. Acepcion as chief of the Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital (RTMDH).
In a motion for reconsideration submitted to the CSC central office December 1, 2009, Provincial Legal Office chief Salvador P. Cabaluna III asked the commission to deny Acepcion’s appeal to reinstate him at the RTMDH.
Cabaluna said Resolution No. 09-1439 erred and misappreciated some facts surrounding Acepcion’s assignment to the capitol clinic.
Cabaluna said Acepcion was never demoted or booted out from his official station and plantilla which is the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
Acepcion’s assignment to the PHO is due to Appropriation Ordinance No. 2006-07 which transferred the plantilla position of chiefs of hospitals I to the PHO.
“Pursuant to the said ordinance, appelee Tupas issued appointments to all current chiefs of hospitals to the rank of “Chief of Hospital I” under the Provincial Health Office, appellant (Acepcion) included. Thus, the official plantilla position of chiefs of hospitals is Chief of Hospital I and their place of assignment the Provincial Health Office. The station of the Chiefs of Hospital I are no longer the specific hospitals they were previously assigned to but the PHO,” the motion said.
After Acepcion served a one-month suspension for an administrative case in 2007, Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. issued Office Order No. 216 (series of 2007) which assigned Acepcion to the capitol clinic which is also under the PHO.
“Appelant Acepcion, in effect, was neither transferred nor reassigned by virtue of the assailed Office Order No. 216, s. 2007. He still remained at his official station and plantilla which is the Hostile Operations and Management Service, (under the) PHO,” Cabaluna said.
Cabaluna said the decision of the CSC to nullify Acepcion’s retention at the capitol clinic is tantamount to nullifying the appropriation ordinance which empowered Tupas to manage hospitals.
The same managerial prerogative on hospitals and health facilities is also vested in the governor by virtue of the Local Government Code, Cabaluna said.
“It (CSC decision) will also result to a situation where the Honorable Commission would be directing the Governor to violate an existing valid and enforceable local ordinance,” he added.
The CSC pointed out in its November 6, 2009 resolution that Tupas showed bad faith by reassigning Acepcion as chief of hospital to the capitol clinic.
The commission said Acepcion was also made to report to another officer whose two salary grades lower than his plantilla.
“In the present case, the bad faith of Gov. Tupas is evident in that he singled out Acepcion by reassigning him to another office under the PHO while the other Chiefs of Hospital in Iloilo Province remained at their respective official stations,” said CSC Resolution No. 09-1439.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE imposition of martial law in Maguindanao province met mixed reactions as to its necessity following the gruesome Ampatuan massacre.
While he declined to comment on the constitutionality of Proclamation No. 1959, House Majority Arthur D. Defensor Sr. said there is no need to fear martial rule will be imposed in the rest of the country.
Defensor said Congress will study the legality of martial law in Maguindanao once President Gloria Arroyo submits her report on the measure to lawmakers.
Defensor said there are factual basis for declaring martial rule in Maguindanao but he could not comment on the issue as he has not seen the situation in that province.
“The PNP and the AFP have the authority to comment on the situation because they are the ones on the ground,” he added.
Under the 1986 Constitution, the President is required to report to Congress within 48 hours why martial law was declared.
The Senate and House of Representatives, in joint session, will then approve or disapprove the declaration of martial law which should only last for 60 days. It can only be extended upon approval of Congress.
Former defense secretary and Lakas-Kampi presidential bet Gilbert Teodoro said he will wait for President Arroyo’s report to Congress as to what prompted the government to declare Martial Law.
Teodoro said the constitutionality of the measure can only be determined after the President has made a complete report to lawmakers.
As regards possible violation of human rights in Maguindanao in the duration of martial law, Teodoro said human rights were already violated when 57 people, mostly women and journalists, were massacred in Ampatuan town.
“The massacre is the grossest violation of human rights that we have seen in recent history. I’m really concerned about human rights but not necessarily in martial law but what happened in the massacre,” he added.
Teodoro also concurred with the planned investigation on government ammunitions found in the armory of the Ampatuan clan members’ homes.
He said he has monitored cases of ammunition pilferages in the AFP when he was still defense secretary “but not of this magnitude where boxes of bullets enough to arm an Army brigade were found in private persons’ ownership.”
Teodoro arrived in Iloilo City Sunday morning to grace the birthday celebrations of Sec. Raul M. Gonzalez Sr. and his son, Iloilo City Rep. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. at Jaro plaza.
Lawyer Adel Tamano, a Muslim Maranao who is seeking a Senate seat under the Nacionalista Party (NP), branded as an “outrage” the decision to put Maguindanao under martial law.
Tamano, who was in Iloilo City Sunday for a speaking engagement, said the lack of actual rebellion shows the illegality of Proclamation No. 1959.
“The Constitution is very clear that martial law can only be declared when there is actual rebellion or uprising, not an imminent or looming rebellion,” he said.
He added that although the incident in Maguindanao will need speedy resolution, the current situation does not warrant the need for a martial rule.
“The Maguindanao massacre was an outrage but you do not solve it by committing an outrage on the rights of Mindanaoans, specifically those of Muslim Mindanao, by declaring unconstitutional martial law,” he added.
The martial law declaration in Maguindanao is also unfair to Mindanao residents who suffered during Martial Law imposed by the Marcos regime.
Tamano said Mindanao has suffered much when the whole country was placed under martial law in the ‘70s. Now that the same rule has been applied to Maguindanao, he said the people of the province will suffer the same fate.
“Majority of Maguindanaons who were the victims themselves of the warlords – who were created by this administration – will now have to suffer the yoke of martial law,” he added.
Tamano said the declaration of martial law might weaken the case against the Ampatuan clan who are accused of masterminding the massacre.
“If they charge the Ampatuans with rebellion, they can post bail because rebellion is bailable while murder is not,” he said.
Tamano said NP has a set of priority actions for the Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao such as dismantling of private armies and elimination of warlords.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
MORE than 40 towns and cities in Western Visayas are considered probable political flashpoints as the May 2010 elections approach, according to the Police Regional Office (PRO-6).
Supt. Ranulfo Demiar, PRO-6 regional public information officer, said 48 areas in the region were listed as areas of election concern based on their data during the 2004 and 2007 elections.
Demiar said the PNP and the Philippine Army are still validating if some of the areas should be retained or scrapped from the election hotspot list.
Iloilo province has the most number of probable poll flashpoints with 16 towns, Negros Occidental – 10, Antique – 8, Aklan – 7, Capiz – 5 and Guimaras – 2.
A total of 25 probable hotspots are classified as Category 1 which means these areas where the possibility of election-related violent incidents (ERVI) is high.
Category 2 areas (areas with history of ERVIs, intense political rivalries and high probability of occurrence of ERVIs with participation of private armed groups and rebel groups) numbered 23.
ERVIs are incidents which could affect or disrupt the electoral proceedings in the area or create a form of political tension that could eventually upset the electoral process, not only in the site of the incident but also in the surrounding areas during election days.
Areas with very serious ERVIs can be put under the control of the Commission on Elections which means that the local police and even military forces in the area will under the poll body’s direction.
Demiar said the PRO-6 will come up with an official list of election flashpoints after the PNP and the AFP have finished the validation process.
In the 2007 elections, the towns of Estancia and Igbaras were considered election hot spots because of intense political rivalry and the presence of armed rebels.
CSC rebuffs Tupas on hospital chief’s case
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) central office ordered the Iloilo provincial government to reinstate a former district hospital chief to his old post more than two years after he was “demoted.”
In CSC Resolution No. 09-1439 promulgated on November 6, 2009, the commission invalidated Office Order No. 216 (series of 2007) issued by Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. last October 4, 2007 which reassigned Dr. George A. Acepcion as chief of the Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital (RTMDH) in Cabatuan, Iloilo to the Capitol clinic.
Acepcion was initially transferred to the Capitol clinic, which is under the Office of the Governor on July 31, 2006 while being investigated for alleged disgraceful and immoral conduct in office.
A year after on July 30, 2007, Tupas rendered a decision finding Acepcion guilty of the charges and suspended him for one month.
Subsequently, Acepcion informed Tupas in a letter dated October 5, 2007 that he will resume his duties as RTMDH chief.
But Tupas issued on the same date Office Order No. 216 assigning Acepcion to the Hospital Operations and Management Service. He was also directed to render services at the Capitol clinic.
Tupas would later assign Acepcion as officer-in-charge of the medical/dental services on January 8, 2008. On July 14, 2008, the governor issued Office Order 174 relieving Acepcion as OIC of the clinic for Dr. Ma. Portia Manejero.
The same order also put Acepcion, who is a salary grade 24 employee, under the supervision of Manejero who is a salary grade 22 worker.
Acepcion questioned Office Order No. 216 (series of 2007) with the CSC Western Visayas office on the grounds that his reassignment violated election laws on the transfer of government workers.
Acepcion said he was moved from RTMDH to the Capitol clinic three months before the October 29, 2007 barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
He cited the Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Resolution No. 8264 which prohibited the transfer and details of public employees from September 29, 2007 to November 13, 2009.
Acepcion said his reassignment from a district hospital to the Capitol clinic is tantamount to constructive dismissal.
Tupas, through the Provincial Legal Office, nixed Acepcion’s argument saying his reassignment is pursuant to Appropriation Ordinance No. 2006-07 which transferred the items of all chiefs of hospital to the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
The transfer of items is in line with the principle of devolution of national powers and functions to the local government units.
But according to the CSC regional office’s fact-finding investigation, only 2 of the 11 hospital chiefs in Iloilo – Acepcion and Dr. Edgar Castaños – were reassigned to another office under the PHO.
Castaños was later returned to his original station, leaving Acepcion to work in the clinic under a supervisor with a lower salary grade.
The CSC resolution said Tupas showed bad faith in transferring Acepcion from a district hospital to the clinic.
“In the present case, the bad faith of Gov. Tupas is evident in that he singled out Acepcion by reassigning him to another office under the PHO while the other Chiefs of Hospital in Iloilo Province remained at their respective official stations,” said CSC Resolution No. 09-1439.
Worse, the CSC resolution said, Acepcion, who holds a Chief of Hospital position with Salary Grade 24, was made to report and was supervised by Dr. Manejero, a Medical Officer 5 with a lower Salary Grade 24.
“Hence, for being done indiscriminately and whimsically, the reassignment of Acepcion must be declared null and void,” it said.
The CSC said Tupas’ Office Order No. 216 (series of 2007) is not proper as it violated Section 261(h) of Batas Pambansa 881 (Omnibus Election Code of the Philippines) which prohibits the transfer of public employees during election season except when approved by the Comelec.
“Wherefore, the appeal of George A. Acepcion, Chief of Hospitals, Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital, Cabatuan, Iloilo is hereby granted. Accordingly, the Office Order No. 216, s. 2007 dated October 4, 2007 issued by Governor Niel D. Tupas Sr. reassigning him to the Provincial Health Office, Iloilo Provincial Capitol, effective October 5, 2007 is declared invalid and not in order. The Governor of the Province of Iloilo is hereby directed to immediately restore George A. Acepcion to his official station at the Ramon Tabiana Memorial District Hospital,” the CSC resolution said.
The CSC regional office was directed to monitor the implementation of the resolution and submit a report to the CSC central office within 15 days from receipt of the resolution.
The resolution was signed by Acting CSC Chairman Cesar D. Buenaflor and Commissioner Mary Ann Z. Fernandez-Mendoza.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Commission on Audit (CoA) Iloilo office has issued a Notice of Finality of Decision (NFD) relative to the disallowed purchase of a laptop computer by the Iloilo provincial government in 2007.
The NFD, which was issued early this week, is a follow up to the Notice of Disallowance No. 2008-003-300 (08) dated December 2, 2008 which nixed the acquisition of an Acer laptop computer for the Provincial Health Office (PHO).
State Auditor 4 Haydee Pasuelo of CoA provincial office, said they did not accept the justification of the provincial Bids and Awards Committee (BAC) on why the laptop computer delivered by the lone supplier was different from the item described in Purchase Order No. B-1273.
The laptop transaction was included in the 2008 Annual Audit Report on the provincial government which outlined why the deal was attended with irregularities.
According to the CoA report, the PHO requested an Acer Aspire laptop computer (model 5920G-302G16N) costing P99,000.
But the lone bidder, Seven Seven Trading, delivered another brand of lesser specification, an Acer Travelmate 6292-101616MI which only costs P59,900.
But the BAC’s inspection team accepted the delivered laptop even if it deviated from what was originally ordered.
CoA also found out that Seven Seven Trading carries only supplies such as computer ink, not a computer distributor.
The supplier is actually a middleman for a computer supplier, the audit agency found out.
The audit body said the transaction “is considered an irregular expenditure since it is in violation of a government policy to acquire the same directly from reputable manufacturers or their duly licensed distributors.
CoA also rapped the BAC for its “failure to exert efforts to attract competitive bidders, especially the duly registered computer stores in the city, to avail of price advantageous to the government.”
The provincial government, through the General Services Office (GSO), justified the deal saying that the delivered unit was upgraded from 1526 MB DDR2RAM to 2 GB DDR2RAM.
“The upgraded unit has higher specifications compared to the one that was bidded out which Acer Aspire 5290 G-302 G16N. As to its durability, Acer Aspire model is usually used indoor while Acer Travelmate is used for outdoors and could withstand traveling thus considered more durable than the former,” the GSO said.
But the CoA provincial office did not accept the GSO’s justification and recommended the return of the delivered unit and the conduct of a new bidding on the item.
The Iloilo provincial government can still appeal the Notice of Finality of Decision with the CoA regional office.
CoA held Gov. Niel Tupas Sr., the BAC and other officials who released the funds for the laptop computer liable for the controversial deal.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
MISFITS in the PNP might be sent to replace cops that were relieved in the aftermath of the Maguindanao massacre in Mindanao, the Police Regional Office (PRO-6) said.
C/Supt. Isagani R. Cuevas, PRO-6 director, said cops in Western Visayas who misbehave might be sent to Maguindanao if they don’t reform their ways.
“They should not be hard headed and behave well for they might be chosen to serve in Maguindanao,” Cuevas said.
Cuevas said the PRO-6 is ready to send a team of police officers who will replace their colleagues who were sacked after 57 people were massacred in the heated political rivalry between the Ampatuan and Mangudadatu clans.
“If the headquarters requests that we send a team to Maguindanao, we have ready personnel to be dispatched in the area. But I hope that policemen in Western Visayas will not be chosen to replace the relieved officers,” Cuevas said, apparently concerned with the political tension in Maguindanao.
PNP Chief Jesus Verzosa ordered the relief of the entire Maguindanao Provincial Police Office (PPO) personnel to pave the way for an impartial investigation on the Maguindanao massacre.
According to C/Supt. Leonardo Espina, PNP spokesman, more or less 1,000 Maguindanao policemen would be replaced.
Some police officers in Maguindanao are believed involved in the massacre which also claimed the lives of 30 journalists.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Commission on Audit (CoA) has reminded the Iloilo provincial government and more than 11,000 volunteer health workers (VHW) to refund the P23.2-million financial assistance given out December 2008.
In its Notice of Disallowance No. 09-011-100 (08) dated November 20, 2009, the audit agency said the financial assistance to VHWs has no legal basis as the provincial government was operating under a reenacted budget.
The office of Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. received a copy of the notice of disallowance November 23.
The provincial government reenacted the 2007 budget after the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ruled the 2008 annual budget as entirely inoperative.
The grants were given to the volunteer health workers December 2008 after the Sangguniang Panlalawigan approved Supplemental Budget No. 1 per Appropriation Ordinance No. 2008-08.
The DBM had also declared the grant to VHWs as inoperative since the provincial government was operating on a reenacted budget. Since there was no annual budget, the SP cannot pass a supplemental budget.
The CoA 2008 Annual Audit Report on the Iloilo provincial government also pointed out the same flaw in the release of the VHWs’ allowances.
The CoA provincial office also issued an audit observation memorandum regarding the financial assistance.
CoA also held Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr., Vice Gov. Rolex T. Suplico, the Iloilo provincial board and other Capitol officials liable for releasing the allowances to the VHWs sans legal basis.
A total of 11,659 barangay service point officers, barangay nutrition scholars and barangay health workers received P2,000 each from the Capitol for their allowances.
Gov. Tupas has refused to refund the P23.2 million fund claiming it was released to VHWs in good faith.
Meanwhile, the P23.8-million financial assistance to VHWs for 2009 is still pending with the committee on appropriations of the provincial board.
Tupas had accused his nephew, Vice Gov. Suplico of deliberately delaying the approval of the P180-million Supplemental Budget No. 1 where the assistance is included.
But Suplico debunked his uncle’s claim as he is neither the chairman nor a member of the appropriations committee anymore.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
THE Tupas clan leads other families in the number of kin who will run for various posts in the 2010 elections.
Six Tupases will run for different positions in Iloilo province next year.
Gov. Niel D. Tupas Sr. will run for congressman of the 4th congressional district and four of his children and a son-in-law are aiming for various elective posts: Rep. Niel “Jun-Jun” C. Tupas Jr. is seeking reelection in the 5th district, while Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas is running for Iloilo governor.
Niel C. Tupas III is gunning for the Barotac Viejo mayorship which Raul will vacate while Nielo C. Tupas is eyeing a seat in the Iloilo provincial board representing the 5th district.
Nielex “Lex” C. Tupas is seeking reelection as Iloilo City councilor. Parly Balleza, husband of Nielette “Tweety” Tupas, is running for the Sangguniang Bayan of Banate, Iloilo.
The Tupas regime at the Iloilo provincial capitol has been mired with issues of corruption starting with the overpriced construction of the new Capitol building and the controversial “borrow” pit project of the new Iloilo airport.
Commission on Audit reports have also questioned various transactions of the Capitol such as catering services worth millions of pesos, defective hospital equipment and suppliers with dubious qualifications.
Recently, Gov. Tupas got flak for obviously using government-owned heavy equipment in the construction of his house in Banate, Iloilo. He was also dragged in the bribery of the Iloilo Electric Cooperative (Ileco) 3 directors by an independent power producer.
Aside from the Tupases, other families also fielded their own relatives in their respective turfs.
The Garin family continues to dominate the political landscape of the 1st congressional district. Rep. Jeanette L. Garin is seeking reelection while her husband, Board Member Oscar Richard S. Garin is running for Iloilo vice governor. Mayors Ninfa S. Garin and her daughter Christine S. Garin are also seeking fresh terms in the towns of San Joaquin and Guimbal, respectively.
In the 3rd district, House Majority Floor Leader Arthur D. Defensor Sr. is running for Iloilo governor. His son, Board Member Arthur R. Defensor, will try to replace him as 3rd district congressman.
Rep. Ferjenel G. Biron (Iloilo, 4th district) is also seeking reelection in the 2010 elections while his father, Barotac Nuevo Mayor Hernan Biron Sr. is gunning for his second term. Dumangas Vice Mayor Hernan G. Biron Jr. is seeking a seat in the Iloilo provincial board representing the 4th district.
Iloilo Vice Governor Rolex Tupas Suplico will run against his cousin, Rep. Jun-Jun Tupas in the 5th congressional district.
By Francis Allan L. Angelo
IS the 18-year-old lad who filed his candidacy for the Iloilo provincial board under the Liberal Party for real or just a dummy for another candidate?
This, after it was found out that Nonito Pasuelo Jr., incumbent Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) Federation president of Pototan, Iloilo, is too young to run in the 2010 election.
Pasuelo, who filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) Tuesday, will run for the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Iloilo representing the 3rd district. He is running under the Liberal Party led by the party’s gubernatorial bet, Barotac Viejo Mayor Raul Tupas.
Based on Section 39(b) of the Local Government Code of 1991: “Candidates for the position of governor, vice-governor or member of the sangguniang panlalawigan, or mayor, vice-mayor or member of the sangguniang panlungsod of highly urbanized cities must be at least twenty-three (23) years of age on election day.”
Atty. Elizabeth Doronila, Iloilo election supervisor, said anyone who questions Pasuelo’s qualification can file a petition to deny or cancel his candidacy with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) within 25 days after the deadline of the filing of CoCs which is December 1.
Even if no petition to deny due course or to cancel a CoC is filed against any candidate, the Comelec can cancel his or her candidacy if the poll body finds that the candidate did not pass the requirements.
Political observers said Pasuelo might just be a dummy for another Liberal candidate in the 3rd district.
The more serious candidate might replace Pasuelo on or before December 14 which is the deadline for the filing of CoC for substitute bets, based on Comelec Resolution No. 8678 (guidelines on the filing of candidacy and nomination of official candidates of registered political parties).
Pasuelo’s substitute may also replace him midday of election day, May 10, 2010.
The Comelec resolution said the substitute for a candidate who died or suffered permanent incapacity or disqualified by final judgment may file his certificate of candidacy up to mid-day of election day.
Comelec also said that a person who has withdrawn his candidacy for a position shall be no longer be eligible as substitute candidate for any other position after the deadline for COC.
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