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Cebu City Cathedral

Magellan's Cross in Cebu City

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:

The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Mormon Temple Lahug cebu city philippines

Startup Weekend Cebu 3 set in June

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/04/30/startup-weekend-cebu-3-set-june-280115
Tuesday, April 30, 2013

By (Melmae L. Makiputin, Norsu-Intern/Sunnex)

CEBU CITY -- TechTalks.ph and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Mandaue are joining forces to start another Startup Weekend Cebu (SWC) this year, for the third time.

The event is scheduled on June 7, 8, and 9.

Paul Villacorta, of JCI and TechTalks, said the event will give the participants the chance to make their ideas happen. "SWC 3 is a workshop with no talk, all action," he said.

Villacorta said, the Department of Science and Technology's information and communication technology (ICT) and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce are supporting this year's Startup Weekend Cebu.

The workshop welcomes all interested individuals with a business in mind and with “advance technological intellect.” SWC 3 also welcomes students who want to boost their confidence.

Ramil Montealto, another JCI Mandaue and TechTalks member, said the event is open to all interested individuals not only in Cebu but also in different areas in the Philippines and the world.

For those who want to find a partner in business and want to “come out from their shell,” Tina Ampen, TechTalks founder and adviser to SWC 3, advised them to sign up for the event at cebu.startupweekend.org.

BOPK: Celebrities no bearing on results

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/29/bopk-celebrities-no-bearing-results-279937
Monday, April 29, 2013

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

THE Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) is not threatened by the endorsement of several celebrities of the slate of Mayor Michael Rama’s Team Rama.

BOPK chief Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) believes celebrities will not make Team Rama win.

“It is useless. Just like it failed to help (Manny) Villar in 2010 presidental elections,” he said.

Osmeña’s statement came after television host Wille Revilliame held a “Wowowillie” show in the city Saturday night at Plaza Independencia and endorsed Team Rama north district congressional candidate Anabelle Rama and the group’s whole slate.

Celebrities Ogie Alcasid and James Blanco also endorsed Anabelle during the show.

In the April 6 Team Rama rally, several celebrities who are talents of Anabelle also endorsed the group.

Like Osmeña, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said celebrities will not make Team Rama win. He said Cebuanos are intelligent voters.

Young also told Team Rama not to brag about the crowd they gathered, more particularly during the Wowowillie activity. He said people went there for the celebrities, not the Team Rama bets.

“It’s a false sense of accomplishment or power ba. It’s so stupid on their part because the people only went there kay motan-aw og artista,” he said.

But Young encourages Team Rama to continue bringing in celebrities in the city because it will give the city’s constituents free entertainment.

Waterfront Police Station Chief Wildemar Tiu estimated the crowd who went at the Wowowillie activity Saturday night to have reached 80,000 to 90,000.

Mayor Rama put the number at 100,000.

In a separate interview, Rama said he is no longer surprised that BOPK is criticizing the number of celebrities endorsing the Team Rama candidates.

“What else is new?” he said.

Rama said he is not bragging about the crowd nor using it to counter the estimated 65,000 people who attended the BOPK rally with the Liberal Party last April 19.

“I don’t want to compete with them but it’s just to show nga naay mga tawo nga nisuporta namo kay ang akong kontra sige man og panghinambog nga mas daghan ilaha (We have supporters, contrary to what the other party is saying),” he said.

Last night, Anabelle celebrated her birthday at the Plaza and it was graced by more celebrities, particularly those who are her friends in the showbiz industry.

Cebu’s P55-M trash stations project deferred

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/28/cebu-s-p55-m-trash-stations-project-deferred-279797
Sunday, April 28, 2013

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

CEBU CITY – The City Government’s Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) wants to put on hold the establishment of materials recovery facilities (MRF) in five barangays, which will cost P55 million.

The SWMB’s technical audit on the status of one of the MRFs in the city showed that the facility has not served its purpose.

It was Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairperson of the committee on environment, who pushed for the MRFs in five more barangays: Luz, Talamban, Guba, Kalunasan and Adlaon.

The P55 million that will be used to fund the project is the City’s grant from the Local Government Support Fund of the Department of Interior and Local Government.

The amount is supposed to cover the construction of the facility itself, purchase of composting shredders, installation of waste-to-energy equipment, purchase of composting materials, and the honoraria of five personnel who will run the MRF.

A materials recovery facility or MRF receives and sorts materials. There, recyclables are separated from biodegradable waste that can then be composted. These facilities are required under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.

But in their technical audit, the SWMB found out that the existing MRF in Barangay Luz, particularly the one located behind the Pag-ibig building, is no longer functioning.

Engr. Amancio Dongcoy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources director for solid waste management, said there has been no activity in the site for quite a long time now. Dongcoy is a member of the SWMB.

“Sa pagbisita namo didto, nakakita mi nga wa na gyu’y operation. Nakastorya namo ang isa sa caretaker unya ingon siya ang shredder gani nila mga usa ka tuig na nagtambay ug wa na naggamit (When we visited, we saw that it was no longer operating. One of the caretakers told us that the shredder has been idle for about one year now),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

Aside from this, Dongcoy said that accumulated mix garbage was seen in the MRF site.

“Nanimaho na man gani to didto (It was starting to smell),” he said.

Dongcoy said they will be assessing the other MRF in the different villages in the coming weeks.

During the inspection, Dongcoy was accompanied by Engr. Randy Navarro of the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Engr. Allan Dinampo and Francis Pagusara of SWMB.

On hold

Because of the findings of the technical audit team, SWMB chairperson Atty. Janesis Ponce said they want to put on hold the establishment of additional MRFs in the barangays.

Ponce said he sees no need to add more MRFs in the barangays since the existing ones may not even be functioning.

“Sayang kaayo ang kwarta. P55 million is P55 million. It is the people’s money. And if we push through with this, we may just be establishing small dumpsites in the barangays,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.

Ponce said the SWMB is for MRFs but its implementation should not be rushed and its effective implementation has to be studied well.

Councilor Cabrera, when sought for comment, said it is good that the SWMB saw that the MRF in Barangay Luz is no longer functioning, adding that the barangay environmental officers assigned there were transferred by the City to other barangays.

“As for the P55 million, sila na ang bahala ana. (The use of the P55 million is really up to them.) Ang ako (I think) they should use the money for its intended purpose because I heard that they approved the request of Barangay Binaliw to use the money for its proposed market,” she said.

Cabrera earlier wanted the MRFs to be established in more barangays in order to divert the city’s solid waste.

That way, the amount of garbage that the City will deliver to the private sanitary landfill in Consolacion town will be significantly reduced, and the City will be able to cut the P700 tipping fee that it pays to the private facility.

Since it closed the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Inayawan in December 2011, the City has been delivering 300 tons of garbage in Consolacion.

Cabrera said the city’s garbage is expected to be reduced to 250 tons once the MRF in the barangays will be in place. (Sun.Star Cebu)

MGB-7 intensifies geohazard assessment and mapping in Cebu

Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1091366960811
Saturday, April 27th , 2013

By (FCR/HFG/PIA-7/DENR-7)

CEBU CITY, April 27 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 has heightened its geohazard assessment and mapping covering 221 barangays in four cities and five municipalities in Cebu.

MGB-7 Regional Director Loreto Alburo said, this activity is anchored on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) of the Aquino administration to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change as it gives a detailed mapping and study particularly those areas which have been highly susceptible to landslides and flooding.

This is a detailed geohazards mapping using a 1:50,000-scale which gets information or data at the sitio or “purok” level in a barangay, said Alburo.

About 30 barangays in Lapulapu city will be mapped including 42 and 27 barangays in Danao and Mandaue cities, respectively.

The list also includes Compostela with 17 barangays; Liloan, 14; Consolacion, 21; Cordova, 13; Barili, 42; and Carcar City with 15 barangays.

Alburo said to the senior geologists team that they will also identify and locate possible relocation sites in each barangay, city or municipality so that communities could be moved to safer grounds.

Meanwhile, DENR-7 has already distributed 3,003 copies of geohazard maps to the 3,003 barangays in Central Visayas with a scale of 1:50,000 to help LGUs mitigate the effects of flashfloods and landslides.

So far, MGB has made available color-coded maps in four websites in denr.gov.ph, mgb.gov.ph, pia.gov.ph, and essc.org.ph to allow free and quick access as to the level of vulnerabilities.

The geohazard maps prepared by the MGB would pinpoint which sitios are critically prone to landslides and flooding.

Cebu one of next wave cities in PH for BPO expansion

Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1061366876860
Friday, April 26th , 2013

By Fayette C. Ri�en

CEBU CITY, April 26 (PIA) – Cebu is one of the next wave cities in the country outside of Metro Manila that is being promoted for expansion of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms.

Rosemarie G. Edillon, assistant director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the country is experiencing rapid growth at the moment due to macroeconomic stability.

Edillon cited the 6.6 gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2012 which has surpassed the 6.5 GDP growth forecast last year, the positive performance of the Philippine stock market and the recent credit upgrade of the Philippines by International Fitch Ratings as cases in point.

The NEDA official also attributed the country’s strong economic performance to the administration’s good governance policies on transparency and accountability and curbing corruption.

“Most BPOs are concentrated in Metro Manila and only about 25 percent are spread outside Metro Manila,” said Edillon during the Regional Consultation on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) Midterm Update in Cebu City.

Early this year, a study of research firm Tholon showed that Metro Manila is third in the list of the world’s top outsourcing hubs. Top spot went to India’s Bangalore and Mumbai came in second place.

Cebu meanwhile, ranked eighth best BPO destination while other Philippine cities included in the list were Davao, Sta Rosa, Iloilo, Bacolod and Baguio.

Edillon said the wave cities like Cebu for BPO expansion were identified due to the workforce already present in the area.

Edillon said only through jobs can social inclusive growth be visibly felt down to the grassroots level which has direct impact on quality of life.

“Rapid economic growth is different from social inclusive growth,” clarified Edillon as the latter seeks to provide growth opportunities for all particularly those households in the poverty threshold level.

BPO is one of the high growth potentials for Central Visayas including Cebu, Edillon said along with agribusiness, tourism, infrastructure and food processing. (PIA7)

Election surveys as public service

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/397253/election-surveys-as-public-service
Thursday, April 25th, 2013

By Cebu Daily News

The University of San Carlos survey which showed Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama in a close race for the mayorship bears watching. It’s less than 20 days to the May 13 election. The survey showed that while the mayor led in November, the final month for the filing of candidacies, Osmeña overtook him by March. This developed despite Rama’s showbiz-fueled rallies courtesy of his cousin, talent manager and congressional candidate Annabelle Rama. Rama can at least heave a sigh of relief that the lead of his former patron isn’t insurmountable. Osmeña, of course, was not pleased to be even suspected of losing this race. He said he believes his own survey which places him miles ahead of Rama. We welcome the effort of the well respected Catholic university to undertake a non-partisan, scientific survey by the Department of Political Science’s Center for Governance and Leadership. There were 500 respondents in the November survey and a bigger pool of 1,500 respondents in the March leg. Let it not be said that pre-election surveys can only be done by the Social Weather Station or Pulse Asia. Even SWS founder Mahar Mangahas has repeatedly said Cebu’s academic community had the technical and intellectual resources to do exactly what he’s been doing for over 20 years. Social science academics and professionals in Cebu are actually being tapped by political camps to do conduct surveys, but the results are kept confidential for strict internal use of their paying client. So it’s a public service indeed for a university to undertake a survey whose results are intended “to shape political discourse” with no allegiance to any candidate or party. We suggest that USC maximize its credibility by keeping the process and results fully transparent. Releasing the results in a press conference where the study was explained was a good move. They can also post the results online and discuss the methodology in more detail. The fear that pre-election surveys would “condition the minds” of voters has long been debunked in Supreme Court cases where the SWS won its battle to conduct political surveys before an actual election. The SWS showed, in statstical analysis, that voters were not swayed in the 2007 and 2010 election by preliminary findings of surveys. There was no “statistical correlation” shown between exposure to or awareness of SWS survey result and how they voted. In the 2010 presidential election, for example, it was shown that most voters had already made up their mind who to vote for by February or three months before the actual election. There’s always room for an independent and scientific survey to enrich our exercise of freedom of expression. That in essence is what the Supreme Court upheld in allowing SWS to continue its pre-election polling. We hope this invigorates Cebu’s academics and research groups to continue the SWS tradition in our community as a public service.

Cebu NGO urges voters to apply 'laser test' to elect right leaders

Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1061366777325
Wednesday, April 24, 2013

By Fayette C. Ri�en

CEBU CITY, April 24 (PIA) – Electing the right leaders into public office requires careful discernment as Cebu non-government organization Dilaab Foundation urged voters to apply the LASER test.

Jenny Tan, project coordinator for Circles of Discernment for Empowerment Project of the Dilaab Foundation said the LASER test is an appropriate tool to assist electorates in making the right choice on May 13.

LASER is an acronym of lifestyle, action, supporters, election conduct and reputation which can answer the question “How Can I Vote Good?,” said Tan before members of the media during the recent 3rd quarterly meeting of the Cebu Citizens Press Council.

Tan said electorates need to check the lifestyle of the candidate whether his or her standard of living is modest or lavish while action refers to what the candidate so far has done for the community.

Candidates should be the first in following election rules while reputation is very important for credibility as Tan added that voters should also check the supporters or those behind the campaign of the candidate.

“The ‘I Vote Good’ campaign is to encourage voters to rethink the value of their vote and to renounce vote buying and selling,” further said Tan.

“Choosing good (this coming elections) means carefully selecting candidates and going deeper beyond popularity and name recall,” stressed Tan.

Patronage politics during election is the original sin of graft and corruption, said Tan referring to candidates’ desire to win at all costs and looking at elections as an investment and public service.

Tan said what is missing is the mechanism or process for forming the practical conscience and that as voters “we should be more discerning and more Christian by rejecting evil.”

The Dilaab Foundation together with election watchdog the Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation Foudnation, Inc. (C-Cimpel) are currently undertaking voters’ literacy program to educate electorates to choose the right leaders into public office. (PIA7)

Close fight in Cebu City

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/395905/close-fight-in-cebu-city
Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013

By Carine M. Asutilla, Correspondent

Surveys conducted by the University of San Carlos (USC) in November 2012 and March this year revealed a neck-to-neck battle for the mayoralty between Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña. For the vice mayoralty and the north and south congressional races however, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kagawasan – Liberal Party (BOPK-LP) bets have started to pull away from their Team Rama rivals. The March survey result has seen Osmeña leading Rama with 50.6 percent. The incumbent mayor trailed at 43.6. The undecided was pegged at 5.5 percent. The March result shows some promise to the BOPK-LP standard bearer who was trailing Rama in the November USC survey. The survey results released yesterday saw Rama’s 44.9 percent is slightly leading Osmeña’s 40.3 percent in the November survey. Undecided for the mayoralty race that time was 14.8 percent. For the vice mayoralty BOPK-LP reelectionist Joy Augustus Young leads Councilor Edgardo Labella in the November and March surveys. Young’s figures rose from 46.9 percent in November to 53.10 percent in March, against Labella’s 34.7 percent in November and 40.3 percent in March. The undecided was 18.4 percent in November and 6.6 last March. For the north district congressional race, the figures are not assuring at all for showbiz celebrity Anabelle Rama whose 10.95 percent in November declined to 6.25 in March against Raul del Mar’s 84.72 percent in November and 85.11 in March. A similar story can be gleaned in the south district with Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa pulling away from 53.55 percent in November to 64.16 in March against lawyer Aristotle Batuhan’s 28.44 percent in November and 31.1 percent in March. Still unpredictable Brenette Abrinica, program director of the survey said that the race between Rama and Osmeña is still unpredictable. “This is very telling, Osmeña worked for the last four months with that 10.30 percent increase in vote over Rama. Rama should also work to maintain the slim margin of the decrease. Rama cannot afford the increase of the decrease. If the decrease will increase, more than 8.2 percent will be favoring for Tomas,” says Abrenica. For the vice mayoralty, Abrenica said that Young is establishing a 12.8 percent margin. But it also has to be noted that none of them garnered a decreasing rate from November to March. Labella increased at 5.6 percent while Young increased at 6.2 percent. “If Labella is experiencing an increasing rate, he has to double the effort in increasing such rate for him to be at par to the statistics of Young,” says Abrenica. For the north district congressional race, the statistical change of Anabelle Rama scoring an upset is very slim. Eight of 10 voters prefer Del Mar. Abrenica said, the same can be said with the south district congressional election between Abellanosa and Batuhan. Grace Magalso, Chairperson of the USC Political Science Department said that the main rational is to address the concern that there is an absence of the local counterpart of SWS survey. Magalso said that the Department of Political Science Center for Governance, Leadership, and Development at USC is a non-partisan group. “Being truthful to our task in the academe to intervene when necessary to shape political discourse and to help the Cebuanos to come up with political decisions, we decided to have this,” she added. The November survey had 500 respondents with +/- 4.3 percent margin of error, while the March survey had 1,500 respondents with +/-2.5 margin of error. All the respondents were registered voters in the 30-49 years old age range, with income of about P10,000 per month. The respondents were made to answer 21 pre-structured questions.

Over 2,000 homeless: Toddler dead in Ermita fire

Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/22/933532/over-2000-homeless-toddler-dead-ermita-fire
Monday, April 22, 2013

By Ria Mae Y. Booc, Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua

CEBU, Philippines - An 11-month-old girl was killed when a fire hit Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, last Saturday evening. As of last night the count of houses destroyed was 237 with an estimated damage of P1 million.

Fishermen found the charred body of Mary Claire Flores covered by ashes and fallen beams at the ground floor of her house.

The girl was alone as her father Torivio Flores Jr., was out to run some errands at a nearby store when their house caught fire at around 10:20 p.m. The siblings of the victim were also not around at the time.

Mary Claire was reportedly sleeping at the second floor of the house when the fire broke out. She tried to escape but failed due to the heat.

“Didto na iyang lawas sa ubos duol sa bungbong sa balay posible natagak pagkahunlak sa flooring sa second floor o ba kaha nilayat gikan sa taas,” said FO3 Lowel Opolentisima, fire investigator.

Opolentisima told The FREEMAN that Torivio hurried home to rescue his daughter but the fire had already engulfed his house and nearby houses as well. Most of the houses there were made of light materials.

Opolentisima added they plan to invite Torivio for questioning to ascertain the real cause of fire, which according to his neighbors, started in his house.

“Sa pagkakaron wala pa namo siya makit-i kay nawala man to gabii ug kalit mura’g naratol, amo pang balikon,” Opolentisima said.

The fire was raised to Task Force Alpha status and the different fire volunteers, barangay brigades, and the crew of the fire stations of Minglanilla and Talisay City rushed to help. Firemen placed the fire under control at 11:27 p.m. totally extinguished it by 2:09 a.m.

Opolentisima said the accessibility of the area was a problem. The big fire trucks were left at a corner due to the narrow roads and they needed to connect fire hoses together to reach the scene.

He further said that some of firemen needed to cross the river and even jump from the roof of one house to another to fight the fire.

“Ang uban didto na agi sa atop unya ang uban didto sa sapa kay lisod ang dalan,” Opolentisima said.

According to Cebu City Department of Social Welfare Services chief Ester Concha over found hundred families were left homeless.

“As of 4p.m. (yesterday), there were a total of 2,076 individuals affected by this huge fire reaching 462 families,” Concha said. But she added the numbers may yet change pending verification.

Data from DSWS also showed that 237 houses were destroyed with 12 damaged.

The affected residents are temporarily taking shelter at the barangay sports complex.

Concha said apart from the baby who died during the fire, no other casualties were recorded.

“Naa man say taga city disaster risk dinhi. Ready ra man sad sila mutabang,” Concha added.

The city government will be taking care of the food of the fire victims.

Last Friday morning a fire destroyed houses in Barangay Kamputhaw and displaced about 50 families and last Saturday an establishment in Barangay San Nicolas was also destroyed by a fire.

Nobody was reported injured in those two fires. —/BRP (FREEMAN)

A draw for BOPK, Team Rama

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2013/04/21/wenceslao-draw-bopk-team-rama-278761
Sunday, April 21, 2013

By sunstar.com.ph

FINALLY, the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) flexed its muscle for President Noynoy Aquino, gathering a crowd last Friday in front of the Provincial Capitol to show its rival Team Rama that it has no monopoly of mounting a political activity in Cebu City. Was the BOPK able to silence Team Rama partisans and prove that it is still the dominant political party come the May 13 polls?

First a caveat: comparison in this case can be odious if one refers to Friday’s rally and the one held weeks ago by Team Rama at the Plaza Independencia. Three reasons:

One, the crowd in the BOPK rally was beefed up by supporters of the Liberal Party (LP) in the province while that of Team Rama was “stand alone.” Two, the venues are different (it is difficult to compare the crowd occupying the small space fronting the Capitol building and the relatively narrow stretch going to Fuente Osmeña with the Plaza’s bigger expanse). Three, the BOPK rally was graced by no less than the President while that of Team Rama “only” had Annabelle Rama’s family and talents.

Cebu City Police Office Chief Mariano Natuel estimated the LP-BOPK crowd at a generous 65,000 but the Philippine News Agency, quoting an unnamed police official, placed it at 25,000. Police placed the Team Rama crowd at 30,000, which the rally organizers said was a rather low estimate. Rep. Tomas Osmeña, citing his own sources, said the Plaza crowd had only 3,000 people.

As I pointed out, the ability of a party to gather partisans in a political activity such as a rally can be a measure of its ability to gather votes in an election. So who between BOPK and Team Rama has the bragging rights on this regard? If you ask me, no one. I would grade the ability to draw a crowd as the same for BOPK and Team Rama.

Which I think is consistent with the belief that the electoral battle in the city will go down the wire. It is also reflected in the kind of heat the campaign in the city has generated.

As for the presidential endorsement, including P-Noy taking the cudgels for his local candidates by attacking their political opponents, it may matter, but only a little.

As I pointed out before, the Aquino aura that catapulted Noynoy to the presidency is gone. He is now but another president, albeit still popular, campaigning for his allies. He is no longer idolized and supported because he is the son of Ninoy and Cory.

I heard from sources that one of Aquino’s campaigners in the 2010 presidential polls has asked where those groups and individuals who worked voluntarily and were willing to lay down their lives for Noynoy’s campaign have gone. My answer to that is that they are either disillusioned or feel that campaigning for the LP’s local candidates is too partisan.

I listened to the President’s talk last Friday and was amazed to realize how ordinary a politician he has become. Don’t get me wrong. I still believe that he is a good fit for the presidency after what Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her minions did while in power. He is still relatively clean and is perceived by the world as honest. My objection is with his politics.

I maintain that his forcible ouster of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia from the Capitol to allow his people to take over the helm of the province and gain ascendancy in the May polls is politicking worthy of a Ferdinand Marcos or even Arroyo. His endorsement of candidates, therefore, do not ring true for me.

Tomas wants Mike investigated

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/20/tomas-wants-mike-investigated-278523
Saturday, April 20, 2013

By Jujemay G. Awit and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

REP. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) wants three government agencies to investigate Mayor Michael Rama for signing a contract for a P50-million project at the South Road Properties (SRP) without an authorization from the City Council.

Osmeña said the matter should be looked into by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, the Commission on Audit and the Department of Interior and Local Government.

“You don’t have to be a genius to say that this matter (signing of contract without a council authorization) is really an abnormal situation. This is truly an exceptional development. Definitely, this should be investigated. Then if so warranted, a proper case should be filed,” he said.

This, as some Cebu City department heads were surprised when Mayor Michael Rama called them to a meeting last Wednesday and asked them who they’ll support for mayor in next month’s elections.

“He told us that those who cannot support him politically can get out,” City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez said.

Bernaldez was one of six department heads who left the room. The others were City Treasurer Emma Villarete, Human Resource and Development Office Head Evangeline Abatayo, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries Chief Alice Utlang, Department of Manpower Development and Placement Head Fidel Magno and Internal Audit and Service Office Chief Arlene Rentuza.

The council had earlier learned that Rama already executed a contract with engineer Bernabe Gilbor of the Supreme ABF Construction in March 26 for the multi-million project to clear and establish an embankment at the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route at the SRP.

Bidding

The contract was signed a day after the bidding for the project was conducted.

The council believes Rama’s move to bypass them is illegal as the Local Government Code provides that no contract should be entered into by the local chief executive without an authorization from the legislative body.

In a news conference he called at his house yesterday, Osmeña said what Rama did is “a symptom of graft and corruption.”

“Am I saying this one is graft and corruption? No. But it has all the symptoms of graft and corruption because it is very abnormal,” he said.

Osmeña believes the clearing of the BRT route is not yet a priority project considering that the implementation of the BRT has temporarily been suspended.

Sought for comment, Rama said the concern of the council can be cured through ratification of the contract.

“If di nila i-ratify sa council, it means dili sila gusto og BRT. Ako gusto man ko’g BRT (I like BRT),” he said.

He said that during Osmeña’s term as mayor, there were many resolutions passed by the council ratifying the contracts he already signed.

Rama said Osmeña should not to talk about graft and corruption.

He said what is graft and corruption is Osmeña’s move pushing for the payment of the P133 million to the heirs of Fr. Vicente Rallos, buying surplus vehicles for a price of brand new ones, and using two luxury vehicles supposed to be donated to the City by a lessee at the SRP.

As to last Wednesday’s meeting, Bernaldez said his leaving the room didn’t mean he supports Osmeña.

“The way I took it was that the mayor wanted us to participate in partisan politics, which is prohibited by law,” Bernaldez said.

But Rama said being non-partisan is no longer practiced now that the campaign season is at its peak.

The mayor said even barangay captains are making their choices known.

“Even the President is here,” he said.

Rama said there was no walkout last Wednesday.

He said he told the department heads he might need their help this campaign season that will be beyond their regular call of duty.

The mayor said he wasn’t asking them to campaign for him, adding there may be other ways they can help his reelection bid.

He said he left the 22 department heads to make a choice. When he returned, no one had left.

“They don’t need to worry because I won’t take it against them,” he said.

The mayor said he just wanted to know where the department heads stood politically.

Aquino to push Cebu bets today

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/393547/aquino-to-push-cebu-bets-today
Friday, April 19th, 2013

By Carmel Loise Matus, Jose Santino Bunachita

President Aquino will have a busy day in Cebu today, his third visit to the province this year. The President is scheduled to arrive in the morning and go straight to Mactan where he will break ground for the construction of the new Mactan Circumferential Road in barangay Ibo. Aquino and his party will then proceed to Bogo City in north Cebu for the first of three political events meant to push for the candidacy of his local allies led by by Liberal Party gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Junjun” Davide III and his runningmate Agnes Magpale. His trips across Cebu province will likely be made by helicopter to catch up with his schedule.’ Celestino Martinez III, the LP congressional bet in Cebu’s 4th district, will deliver welcome remarks in the “community meeting” in Bogo, where a new City Hall will be inaugurated. The President will have lunch in Bogo and meet with local leaders in the sports and cultural center in barangay Taytayan. At 2:30 p.m., the presidential party will go to Toledo City for another “community meeting” and cap the day with a grand rally of his Cebu City allies at the front steps of the Provincial Capitol. Organizers said they expect a crowd of 15,000 in the rally of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagawan led by Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who is running for mayor. Acting Gov. Magpale, who will deliver welcome remarks in the rally, said the Capitol’s social hall and old session hall were spruced up for a dinner reception for Aquino. Security will be tight in the Capitol area where roads leading to the venue will be closed from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. today. Everything is set for today’s road closures and rerouting, said Raffy Yap, head of the Cebu City Traffic and Operations Management (Citom). “I will be manning traffic during the event,” Yap told Cebu Daily News.

NBI agents nab Aussie, rescue 15 women, girls

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/392839/nbi-agents-nab-aussie-rescue-15-women-girls
Thursday, April 18th, 2013

By Ador Vincent Mayol

The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday rescued about 15 females, including four suspected minors, in a house believed used as a cybersex den in barangay Labangon, Cebu City. The victims were purportedly paid to perform lewd acts in front of web cameras and to have sex with their employer. The late afternoon raid resulted in the arrest of 46-year-old Drew Shobbrook, an Australian who rented three apartments which re losed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The NBI agents confiscated at least seven laptops, four desktop computers, computer parts, an iPad tablet, hard disks containing “explicit and lewd photographs,” and bottles of energy drinks. Charges for violating Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 will be filed by the NBI-7 against the foreigner before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office. The victims cannot be identified by the media under the special law’s confidentiality provisions. However, identities and circumstances of human trafficking offenders are no longer held confidential in the recently signed RA 10364. The law amended Republic Act 9208 that previously shielded both victims and suspected human traffickers. With the change, the media can now report names and other circumstances of suspected offenders to warn the public not to do business with them and to avoid being victimized. In an interview, the Australian suspect denied he was involved in criminal activities. “I’ve been falsely accused. I’m definitely not involved in cybersex operations,” he told reporters. The Australian gave his his name as Drew Shobbrook, but the NBI found a Philippine driver’s license and other documents where he used the name Dean Fred Joban. The suspect said his wife and daughter in Sydney, Australia have yet to be informed about his arrest. “I hope the charges against me will be dropped unless this country falsely accuses people,” he said. Shobbrook said he arrived in the country in 2011. “I decided to come to the Philippines to give people jobs. I’m not sure what accusations they brought against me,” he said. The Australian said he rented a two-storey apartments in Cebu City last year for a bookkeeping business and hired seven female staffers as encoders. Some months ago, three staff members purportedly stole valuables including a laptop, motorbike, iPhones, and an iPad. He said he decided to fire his three staffers last week, adding that they fabricated accusations against him. The three staffers sought the assistance of the NBI 7. The raid was authorized by a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Alexander Acosta of Branch 9. It was mounted in cooperation with the International Justice Mission. NBI Central Visayas Regional Director Antonio Pagatpat said they are serious in their campaign against human trafficking and cyberpornography. “My message is simple. We have a law that prohibits exploitation of women and minors. We won’t allow anyone to just exploit minors and women,” he told Cebu Daily NBI is under the supervision of the Department of Justice (DOJ). “We urge the community, if they have any information about cybercrimes to report to the NBI and we will act on it,” said Pagatpat. The Australian suspect was brought to the NBI stockade pending the filing of charges against him.The female victims were taken to the Department of Social Welfare and Development. NBI supervising agent Reynaldo Villordon, team leader in yesterday’s operation, said surveilance was made before the raid. The NBI earlier received complaints that the Australian hired women and girls for sex, and would take videos of the lewd acts which he sold and uploaded on a pornographic website. “We will find out who are their contacts outside the country,” he said. “The victims can be considered sex slaves. They were offered some considerations by the suspect,” The sister of one of the rescued women was surprised about the raid. She said her two sisters were hired as encoders for a website and received P10,000 a month. They were also sent to school by the Australian. /with Fe Marie Dumaboc

Cebuano runner finishes, unhurt

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/17/cebuano-runner-finishes-unhurt-277973
Wednesday, April 17, 2013

By Cheska D. Geli and Linette Ramos Cantalejo

RICARDO Mansueto believes he will never forget his first Boston Marathon. He safely finished the race, considered the holy grail of running, yet the lone Cebuano runner also expects he will have flashbacks of the attack.

Mansueto, 32, is safe. The former physical education instructor and coach of the track and field team of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu finished the race in 3:10.

About four hours after the first runners were released, two blasts about 10 seconds apart near the finish line left three dead and over 170 injured.

“When we first heard the bomb, we thought something in one of the stores had collapsed, but all of a sudden people were rushing to the door or hiding under the tables. My family and I left the building since it wasn’t confirmed if it was a bombing or not, but we knew there was a problem,” said Mansueto.

Closer to home, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella said he is considering revisiting an ordinance that regulates marathons, in order to find ways to protect runners and spectators from similar attacks.

Triathlete Jaymie Pizarro, on her blog The Bull Runner, said she was scheduled to leave last night to run the London Marathon on Sunday.

“I pray that the event be safe and that we can all go out there and, as good friend Drew Arellano tweeted, show these people that they cannot kill the human spirit,” she wrote in her blog.

Boston

For runners, Boston is the big dream.

To qualify, one must beat a set time. These differ with each group, but qualifiers have to be fast.

Mansueto earned his slot in the race after he finished in 03:02 in the Toronto Marathon, well within the 3:05 qualifying time for the 29-34 category.

“Dugay na gyud na nako na pangandoy na maka-apil jud ko aning pinakadako na marathon.

Pwerteng daghana ug tawo gyud. (It has long been my dream to join this marathon.) The entire course was filled with people,” he said.

A middle distance runner and former athletics varsity member of the University of Cebu, Mansueto usually belongs to the fastest group of runners.

His speed helped keep him safe yesterday. He finished the race and found his wife Jaclyn, three daughters and a brother-in-law before tragedy struck.

Left

They were inside a nearby building on the same street, where they planned to have dinner, when they heard an explosion from outside.

They were all alerted when the first bomb blew up and, less than 30 seconds after, the second one followed. (The devices were later found inside a trash can, about 10 meters away from the finish line. CNN reported last night that one of the devices was hidden in a pressure cooker, which was stashed inside a backpack.)

Mansueto recalled a mass exodus on Boylston St., people all around them crying or calling their loved ones on their cell phones. Others called out the names of missing companions.

Together with his family, Mansueto walked another hour and ten minutes to leave downtown and proceeded to Cambridge.

“That was our only choice. We would have wanted to take the car but we just really wanted to evacuate from the crowd and be outside the area immediately,” said Mansueto.

A native of Madridejos, Bantayan Island, Mansueto moved to Toronto, Canada in 2005 to start a family. Last year, he joined the Cebu City Marathon, and he is set to return home to join the Ironman triathlon this August in Cebu.

All safe

Triathlon fixture Arland Macasieb, one of the few Filipino runners who joined the Boston Marathon this year, confirmed that they are all safe.

Some of the Filipino runners identified were Arnie and Anton Aguila, Amanda and Leica Carpo, Noel Colina, Richelle Embree, Efraim Manzano, Rolando Ocampo, Jose Martin Paiso and Angielyn San Juan.

Manila-based Irish athlete Aileen Breen, who was the Xtrerra Trail Run women’s half-marathon runner-up, was also accounted for.

Macasieb finished in 3:06, just behind Anton Aguila from Pasadena, who emerged as the best Filipino finisher in 2:50.

Runners foresee that the attack will compel increased security measures for runners and spectators.

Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal III said the potential effects are two-pronged, “on the runners as they may now fear joining races and on the organizers” whose responsibilities will increase.

Following the explosion, Councilor Labella said he did not consider the possibility of bombings during races when he drafted the Road Race Ordinance in 2011, which is why the law does not include provisions on peace and order.

Review

The ordinance focuses instead on road safety and sanitation, to protect runners from erring drivers who may sideswipe them and to ensure that the city’s streets are litter-free after each race.

“I never thought of terrorist activities being a possibility during a race... But after what happened in Boston, I would seriously consider revisiting the ordinance and looking into the peace and order aspect, on how to prevent terrorist activities. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere,” Labella, a member of the Cebu Executive Runners Club, told Sun.Star Cebu.

Labella, who is running for Cebu City vice mayor, said he will ask for help from the Philippine National Police to find ways to ensure peace and order and tighten security during races and similar public events.

The councilor wrote the country’s only running ordinance to make fun runs, marathons and other road races safe for the participants and manageable for Cebu City’s traffic body.

The ordinance, which took effect last year, limits the number of races in Cebu City to only one race a day to make it easier for traffic enforcers to man traffic and ensure the safety of runners, Labella said.

Masbate mayor’s lover gunned down in Cebu

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/16/masbate-mayor-s-lover-gunned-down-cebu-277809
Tuesday, April 16, 2013

By Jill B. Tatoy and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

CEBU CITY (Updated) -- A woman who was said to have been living with a mayor from Masbate was shot and killed, while the mayor’s sister was injured an hour after they arrived in Cebu City Monday morning.

Police investigators are considering all angles, including political rivalry or family conflict, as possible motives in the ambush that killed Crisanta Lauro, 39, wife of former Placer, Surigao del Norte Mayor Charry Mangako.

Lauro was two months pregnant. She was reportedly living with Pio V. Corpus Mayor Herminigildo Betonio III of Masbate, after leaving her husband last December.

Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Mariano Natuel Jr. said they reveal any suspects yet, since they are still awaiting a report on the victims’ background from the Masbate police.

Also injured in the attack that took place before 6 a.m. was Leny Betonio Eser, 46, a sister of Mayor Betonio. She is also a municipal councilor of Pio V. Corpus.

Police believe the two assailants, who shared a blue motorcycle, were not from Cebu as they did not bother to wear any mask or helmet to conceal their faces.

Waited

Lauro died after being shot twice in the chest and head. A private hospital’s doctor declared her dead on arrival.

Councilor Eser was shot in her left hand and was already out of danger Monday.

Lauro and Eser had boarded the MV Lapu-Lapu from Masbate and arrived in Cebu City at 4 a.m. Monday. They stayed on the ship for an hour and got out an hour later, then boarded a taxi in Pier 3.

They told Gilbert Benito, who drove a Ken taxi (GXR-916), and told him to drive them to Talisay City, where Lauro reportedly owned a house.

Just as they reached the stop light at the corner of V. Sotto St. and Sergio Osmeña Blvd. in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, two unidentified men stopped next to the driver’s side and fired four shots at Lauro and Eser.

Benito said the attack took less than 40 seconds.

The taxi driver later said he noticed the two assailants, who also stopped for the red light. But he was stunned to hear the gunshots.

He sped off in order to escape, but the attackers fired another shot, which shattered the rear windshield.

Help

Benito said he sought help from the taxi company’s base radio operator and asked him to call the police.

He denied speculations that he was involved in the shooting, because he reportedly asked the women if they were headed for Talisay City before they boarded his taxi. He explained to the police that he was about to go home to Talisay and was asking around for passengers going in the same direction.

He added that while heading to Chong Hua Hospital, he did not stop anymore for any traffic lights, for fear that the gunmen might still be tailing them.

“Akong huna-huna na kinahanglan nako sila dad-on sa hospital kay nangaigo man sila (I focused on getting them to the hospital because they were hit),” said Benito in a dyLa radio report.

He said that when they arrived in the hospital, he overheard Councilor Eser telling someone over the phone that they had been followed and she wished they had not decided to come to Cebu.

“Wala na kaayo ko kaklaro sa iyang giistorya kay daghan na ang tawo nitapok namo unya sige sad siya’g hilak (I couldn't hear the rest of it because people surrounded us and the woman kept crying),” added Benito in the same radio interview.

Followed

Sun.Star Cebu tried to contact Councilor Eser on Monday but had yet to get an answer as of press time.

Natuel said the police are still waiting to find out from Mayor Betonio if the couple had received death threats before the attack.

The police chief added they coordinated with the Masbate police for more background information on the victims.

“I’m not sure if they have been receiving death threats kay if naa pa, dili ni sila mokompyansa ug biyahe-biyahe na sila lang (because if that was the case, they might not have traveled on their own),” explained Natuel.

He said that the women may have been tailed from the time they boarded in Masbate until they reached Cebu City.

“Naa’y nagsunod ani nila nga nireport sa mga triggerman gikan sa paggawas nila sa barko (That person could have informed the triggermen as soon as the women left the boat),” added Natuel.

‘Insulting’

He said the police will gather witnesses who can describe the suspects’ appearances.

A closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was also seen near the crime scene that might have recorded the incident.

However, Harold Alcontin of the Management Information and Computer System (MICS) of Cebu City Hall said that the camera, attached to a traffic light near the crime scene, has not been working for more than six years.

He said the CCTV project of the City Government is still ongoing and the security camera seen near the crime scene was installed by the Department of Public Works and Highways last 2007.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday urged the CCPO to “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation.

In his regular news conference, the mayor said he believes the incident was an insult to the city’s police force.

“Di gud taga diri, unya diri ig-on. Insulto na (They victims don’t live here and yet they were attacked here. That’s an insult to the authorities),” he said. (Sun.Star Cebu)

Masbate mayor’s live-in partner shot dead, sis wounded in Cebu ambush

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/391131/masbate-mayors-live-in-partner-shot-dead-sis-wounded-in-cebu-ambush
Monday, April 15th, 2013

By Chito O. Aragon

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A live-in partner of a Masbate municipal mayor was killed while the town’s councilor was wounded in an ambush shortly after they arrived in this city early Monday morning, a police official said. Councilor Leny Betonio-Eser of Pio V. Corpuz town in Masbate and Cristina Lauro, 39, were on board a taxi past 5 a.m. when one of two men riding a motorcycle fired at them at V. Sotto and S. Osmeña streets in Cebu City. SPO1 Victor Ayuman, Cebu City homicide investigator, said Lauro was a live-in partner of Mayor Hermigildo Betonio III of Pio V. Corpuz town while Eser was the mayor’s sister. He said the two women arrived from Masbate on a vessel that docked at Pier 3 in Cebu City past 5 a.m. The two women then boarded a taxi that was supposed to take them to Talisay City, about 12 kilometer south of Cebu City. Lauro and Mayor Betonio own a house in a subdivision in Talisay, Ayuman said. The taxi stopped on a red light at the corner of V. Sotto and S. Osmeña when one of the two assailants shot at them from behind. A bullet hit Lauro in the back of the head which exited her temple and another pierced her heart through the left chest, said Ayuman. Eser was hit in the right palm, he added. The two women were brought to a private hospital in Cebu City where Lauro was pronounced dead on arrival. Police investigators later found at the crime scene three empty shells and a slug of a .45 cal. pistol.

GPS installed on Citom vehicles

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/14/gps-installed-citom-vehicles-277498
Sunday, April 14, 2013

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

PERSONNEL from the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will now be able to immediately respond to vehicular incidents.

It has installed global position system (GPS) units to its fleet of vehicles last Friday.

Citom executive director Atty. Rafael Yap said the move is an offshoot of the World Bank’s P12.9-million technical grant to the City Government on the use of low-cost communication devices to improve transportation and traffic.

Yap said 22 of their vehicles including five four-wheeled vehicles, five mobile patrol units, five multicabs, two boom trucks, two manlifts and a tow truck, have been installed with GPS.

More efficient

“This will improve our response time to vehicular accidents as we can now prioritize. If kinsay duol sa area maoy among i-send (Whoever is near the accident will be the one we send to respond),” he said.

In their previous setup, Yap said their dispatch system was only through radio, which had several disadvantages.

“Some areas in the city… cannot be reached by a radio or the radio is off because the battery is dead. So we really need a better way to respond and communicate with our mobile units to respond to incidents,” he said.

Yap said the installation of the GPS will also allow them to monitor their personnel and resources, particularly fuel consumption.

“This is because gasoline now is very hard to come by,” he said.

Mayor Michael Rama had cut the fuel allocation to City-owned and -operated motor vehicles last September due to lack of budget.

The City’s multicabs get 50 liters of fuel per month. Its light vehicles get 100 liters, while the motorcycles get 20 liters.

In the future, Yap hopes to expand the installation of GPS to its fleet of motorcycles, which are used by traffic enforcers, adding that motorcycles are the backbone of Citom’s operation.

Guard who shot snatcher receives award

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/13/guard-who-shot-snatcher-receives-award-277381
Saturday, April 13, 2013

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

THEY say good deeds never go unnoticed. This rings true for a security guard who shot an alleged snatcher outside the establishment he was manning on Magallanes St., Cebu City.

Yesterday, Andy Pacana Carnay, who is employed under Sealion Security and Investigation Agency, received a cash incentive for his “heroic act” from the City Government.

Mayor Michael Rama together with Engr. Eugene Elizalde of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) and Cebu City Police Office Director Mariano Natuel Jr., gave Carnay P10,000.

Good work

“Keep up the good work,” the mayor told Carnay during the short awarding ceremony yesterday.

Aside from giving financial assistance, Elizalde said the PCAC is proposing to make Carnay one of the awardees during the City Government’s Charter Day celebration next year.

In an interview, Carnay thanked the City for rewarding his act, saying he will use the money to buy some things for his home on A. Lopez St. in Barangay Labangon.

The 28-year-old security guard, who has been employed at Sealion for seven years, advised other security guards to always protect the public.

“Magpadayon unta sila sa pagbantay sa atong mga palibot ug pag-distansiya sa mga law-ay nga mga butang (I hope they continue keeping our environment safe),” he said.

Asked if he regretted shooting the snatcher, who has been identified by police officials as Julito Cabigon, 24, Carnay said he didn’t. He said the latter has been victimizing many of their customers at Bea Star Fashion Center.

He said, though, that if other will try to snatch valuables from their customers, he will just immediately report it to the police, considering that he was put to jail for a day after the incident.

Last March 14, Carnay shot Cabigon for snatching the earrings of a customer who was entering their store.

CFA starts rehabilitating field

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/sports/2013/04/12/cfa-starts-rehabilitating-field-277314
Friday, April 12, 2013

By Cheska D. Geli

THE Cebu Football Association (CFA) doubles its effort to make sure the Cebu City Sports Center field will be ready for the city’s hosting of the Asian Football Confederation Presidents Cup next month.

After the 15th Aboitiz Football Cup, CFA took over the rehabilitation measures of the field and closely worked with the Cebu City Sports Center.

CFA Committee for Referees Head Engr. Rodney Orale once again took charge of reviving the pitch back to international standard. Orale said they would have to deal with more damage to the field caused by the Sinulog festivities.

In the friendly against Singapore last November, CFA only did some patching near the goal area. But right now, he is faced not only with the Sinulog aftermath but also the grueling hot weather conditions.

Last Wednesday, Orale bought a new 50-meter hose to replace the old one so it could water the entire field.

Last week, CCSC and CFA planted 1,000 square feet of carabao grass in the affected areas and will go for 1,000 square feet more this week.

Orale is confident that they are still within schedule to cure the field and present it in its best condition before the tournament.

“In one week’s time, the grass are expected to be deeply rooted to the soil with the right amount of fertilizers,” said Orale.

67 families to lose homes

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/11/67-families-lose-homes-277011
Thursday, April 11, 2013

By Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

SIXTY-SEVEN families in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City are expected to lose their homes to pave the way for the construction of a public elementary school.

The families, though, sought the intervention of the City Council and asked the body to postpone the implementation of the project, saying that they don’t have other place to stay.

Datu Abubakar Gunang, president of the Association of Cebu Muslim Professional and Entrepreneurs Inc., said Barangay Ermita has already issued a notice to vacate to the families living in the Mandatan Building owned by Alberto Manda.

The notice says the families only have until April 15 to vacate as it will soon be the site of the Ermita Elementary School.

Gunang, who is speaking on behalf of the Carbon Muslim Brotherhood Inc. (CMBI), questioned the move to evict the 67 Muslim families.

“There was no proper dialogue conducted for the project. No proper consultation was made. These people are displaced Bangsamoro people in Mindanao and they have been living here for 20 to 30 years. Masakit isipin na silay papaalisin,” he told reporters yesterday.

Gunang said the 67 families are living legally in Mandatan Building as they have been paying their monthly rents to Manda.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairperson of the council committee on housing, said the construction of the school is a joint venture of the City Government and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) Dizon said the City will be buying the lot at an estimated cost of P10 million, while the Rafi will be the one to build the school.

Dialogue

During the council’s regular session yesterday, the council passed Dizon’s resolution asking the City’s Local School Board to conduct a dialogue with the members of the CMBI to discuss a win-win solution with them.

“While the construction of the school is for a public purpose and will undoubtedly benefit the students in Ermita, it is also incumbent upon the City to address the needs of the 67 families who will be affected by the construction of the school,” he said.

Sought for comment about the matter, Mayor Michael Rama said the concern of the Muslim community will have to be discussed in the barangay level.

“What is needed is a community decision. All should have a consensus of what’s really best for them and what is best for the community,” he said.

Rama believes a consultation was already made with the affected families, though, adding that he was able to speak in a meeting with them.

But Rama said he will check with the barangay to know the status of the project.

Barangay Luz

In a related development, 12 families in Sitio Lubi in Barangay Luz were evicted yesterday through a court-ordered demolition.

The 12 families form part of the estimated 30 families that will be evicted from Luz.

Some of them are in Sitio Mabuhay (10) while others are in Sitio Nangka (6). The residents of Mabuhay and Nangka have been demolished in October last year yet.

The court has ordered the demolition of the houses after the residents lost in a case they filed in 1994 against three homeowners’ associations—the Mabuhay Homeowners’ Association, Lubi Homeowners’ Association, Nangka Homeowners’ Association—and the Cebu Provincial Government, to resist the community mortgage program that allowed the urban poor to own their homes through a 25-year amortization plan.

Mall demo educates voters

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/388223/mall-demo-educates-voters
Wednesday, April 10th, 2013

By /Joy Cherry Quito, Correspondent with Correspondent Christine Emily Layos Pantaleon

A Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine set up for demonstration in SM Cebu City has attracted at least 150 persons since it was set up on April 5. The PCOS machine displayed in the lower ground floor of the mall is open for anyone who wants to learn how automated voting is done. “The objective of the demo is to educate the voters especially our first time voters on how to shade properly and how to feed their ballot into the PCOS machine,” said April Mae Gamboa, member of the Comelec PCOS demonstration team. Gamboa said that most of those who showed enthusiasm in trying the machine were senior citizens and members of media. “Ang mga batan-on, labi na ang mga first time voters, kelangan pa sila i-push ila parents to try the machine,”Gamboa said. (The young, especially the first time voters still needs to be encouraged and pushed by their parents to try the machine.) Overshading and undershading are the most common mistake of the people who tried the automated voting demo, said Gamboa. Lanie Vismanos of barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City, a voter for 20 years, said that the machines are easier and faster. However, she said that she still prefers the manual voting system. “With this, we will not know how our votes are appreciated by the machines. Before, we see with our own eyes the results because the ballots are counted manually,” the 40-year-old Visamanos said in Cebuano. The voting demo in SM Cebu runs from April 5 to April 30, 2013.

Cebu City will have to scrounge for funds if BIR chief’s proposal pushes through

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/387573/cebu-city-will-have-to-scrounge-for-funds-if-bir-chiefs-proposal-pushes-through
Tuesday, April 9th, 2013

By Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters with a report by Ador Vincent S. Mayol

The Cebu City government will lose at least P50 million if a proposal to scrap the collection of community taxes, popularly known as cedula, gets approved and implemented. Emma Villarete, OIC city treasurer, said collections made from the payment of community taxes and the issuance of community tax certificates (CTC) go to the city’s general fund. “It would be a waste if we they stop the community tax collection because that’s P50 million revenue,” she told Cebu Daily News. If Congress heeds the proposal of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, local government units like Cebu City will have to double its tax collection efforts elsewhere to cover for the loss. “Smaller LGUs that only rely on their Internal Revenue Allotment share and local taxes will be hit harder,” said Villarete. Henares broached the idea as she said that the cedula has already become “useless” and “irrelevant.” She said the cedula, which was a Spanish colonial era imposition, is no longer recognized as a valid identification document. Henares said that while the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) spends for the printing of the cedula forms, they do not get a share of the revenue collected. Villarete however, disputed the BIR commissioner’s claim. “We buy the forms from the BIR,” she said. Cebu City issues around 10,000 pads of cedula per year. There have been instances when neighboring local government units (LGU) would run out of cedula forms and get supplies from the Cebu City government. Villarete said the city government pays P57.50 per cedula pad or booklet and defrays the additional charges for shipping and handling. Cebu City used to share community tax revenues with the barangays under a 50/50 sharing scheme a few years back when barangays were still deputized to help issue community tax certificates. The collection of community taxes is provided for under the Local Government Code and the Omnibus Tax Code. Presentation of the employees’ community tax certificates is one of the requirements in the application for the renewal of business permits. She admitted however, that there are instances where the issuance of community taxes is prone to abuse. Some Cebuanos who are already living outside of Cebu City would just send representatives to secure a community tax certificate from the city treasurer’s office for use in their application legal documents. “But we’ve never caught an actual case of that because we don’t require proof of identity when we issues the certificates,” she said. Added Burden James Mendoza, 20, said the cedula is just an added burden for job applicants like him. A fresh graduate, Mendoza said he had to ask P50 from his mother to pay for the certificate. Counters at the City Treasurer’s Office on the second floor of the city hall executive building where cedulas are issued would normally have the longest lines. Extension counters are put up at the Plaza Sugbu grounds every January when most employees apply for them for their employeer’s business permit application. Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes said he is not in favor of scrapping the cedula as a s means to identify a person in some remote areas. While they don’t always reflect the correct income of the person, he said inaccuracy alone is not enough basis to scrap the cedula. “There are those who don’t know their actual income. Therefore, what they declare in securing a cedula is not factual. That is, however, no reason to remove the cedula,” Paredes told Cebu Daily News. He said the country hasn’t adopted the national ID system so some individuals don’t have any other means to manifest their identities other than the cedula. Court of Appeals Justice Gabriel Ingles agreed with observations that the cedula doesn’t provide accurate data about someone. “First, the CTC no longer provides a reliable information on residency because one can get it anywhere,” Ingles said. “Second, the amount which someone ought to pay equivalent to his or her income is incorrect,” he added. Former Cebu City Judge Donato Sotero Navarro agreed. “The community tax certificate is still a source of income for the local government (LGUs). Until LGUs can find other sources of income, I shall oppose the abolition of the CTC,” he said. But veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas said it’s high time to scrap the cedula. “I’m all for scrapping of cedula. It is a leftover of the colonial imposition of the Spanish regime,” he said. Barcenas explained that the present notarial laws do not require a person to present a cedula. “What is required is the Deed of Sale and other necessary proof of identification like IDs from the SSS (Social Service System) and the driver’s license. The cedula is no longer required,” he said. “The move of Henares is a step in the right direction. (But) it’s up to Congress (to scrap the community tax),” he said.

Keep ballots clean, voters advised

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/08/keep-ballots-clean-voters-advised-276542
Monday, April 8, 2013

By (FMG/Sun.Star Cebu)

CEBU CITY -- Overshading and paper jams were among the problems encountered by voters who tried the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) demo center in a mall during the weekend.

To help avoid paper jams, voters must make sure the timing mark – those black markings on the sides of the official ballots -- should not have any writing or rips on them.

Cebu City South District Election Assistant Bernard de los Reyes said that in the past three days when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducted the voter education and PCOS demo in the SM City Cebu, paper jams were the most common problem voters encountered.

Until April 30, Comelec is testing its machines and systems for the May 13 elections, when some 77,800 clustered precincts will be activated nationwide.

It will only be the second time the country will use an automated system, hence the need for demos to help voters familiarize themselves with the PCOS.

Danao City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen showed volunteers how to operate the PCOS machine when the demo started last Friday.

Last Saturday, about 50 voters tried using the machine, taking a break from their mall errands.

Voters are advised to handle their ballot carefully and prevent it from getting ink smudges.

Demo team member Doreen Marigomen said among the reasons behind the paper jams is improper positioning of the ballot when it is fed into the optical scanning machine.

Rejected ballots -- usually those with torn edges or unnecessary markings -- will not be replaced, but only noted by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) and turned over to the Comelec.

Marigomen said the BEI will also assist those who have poor eyesight. The Comelec is advising senior citizens not to forget their eyeglasses on the day of the election.

To select a candidate, a voter must shade at least 50 percent of the oval before that candidate or party’s name.

If the shading goes beyond the oval, the PCOS machine will still accept the ballot, as long as the shading does not extend to another oval.

Voters who have tried “voting” with the PCOS machine commented that they found it more convenient and easier than the manual election system.

After shading the appropriate names and feeding their ballot into the machine, voters are advised to wait for the PCOS to flash “Congratulations,” which means that their ballot was valid.

Marigomen encouraged registered voters, especially first-timers to visit the PCOS Demo Center, whose services are for free.

It will stay open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 30.

Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, who is currently assigned in Bohol for the May 2013 elections, has previously advised voters to be patient and expect long lines on election day.

In 2010, Comelec formed clusters of five precincts each, because there weren’t enough PCOS machines. This year, the clusters can consolidate up to seven precincts each.

Osmeña claims Rama lags behind in surveys

Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/07/927916/osmena-claims-rama-lags-behind-surveys
Sunday, April 7, 2013

By Rene U. Borromeo, FPL

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña claimed that incumbent Mayor Michael Rama is lagging behind him in the latest Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) commissioned surveys.

Osmeña said BOPK has commissioned two survey firms, a Manila-based and a Cebu-based, to do separate surveys for its candidates. The results of both surveys which were conducted last month allegedly show that Osmeña is winning over Rama if elections were held during that time.

Although Osmeña refused to divulge the entire results, he gave The FREEMAN a glimpse of the results in 22 lowland barangays in the south district. He said the 80 barangays were divided into four sectors—the upland and the lowland in both south and the north districts.

Osmeña said there were 6,151 respondents surveyed in the 22 urban barangays in the south where he got 57-percent. Rama reportedly got 40 percent while the remaining 3 percent is undecided.

Osmeña said he has decided to announce the results in four installments to give the public a thrill.

According to Osmeña, nine of the 22 urban barangays in the south district are headed by Rama’s allies. These are Basak-Pardo, Basak-San Nicolas, Buhisan, Dulho-Fatima, Ina-yawan, Mambaling, Punta Princesa, Suba-Abuno, and Sawang Calero.

But in those nine barangays whose captains are his allies, Rama won only in four — Basak-Pardo, Basak-San Nicolas, Inayawan, and Sawang Calero. Osmeña admitted he only got 39 percent in Basak-Pardo while Rama had 58 percent. Rama had a whopping 67 percent in his Barangay Basak-San Nicolas while Osmeña only had 29 percent. The congressman was also behind in Inayawan with only 45 percent as against 52 percent of Rama.

The mayor also won with 50 percent in Sawang Calero as against 42 percent of Osmeña. But Osmeña also had an upper hand over Rama in Buhisan and Duljo-Fatima with 62% and 64%, respectively. Rama only have 33% in both barangays despite the barangay captains are his allies.

Osmeña also had a commanding 54% in Mambaling as against the 42% of Rama. Even in Punta Princesa, a known opposition barangay, Osmeña garnered 57% while Rama only had 38%. In Barangay Suba-Abuno, Osmeña got 56% while Rama had 33%.

Osmeña bragged that Rama did not win a single barangay in the south district whose captains are allied with BOPK.

Rama belittled the BOPK survey results saying he also has an inspiring result of his own survey. The mayor, however, refused to announce it.

“Kauwaw nato kon sigi ta og pahibalo sa atong survey nga mangangkon ta nga daug apan mapilde diay. Sagdi lang trabaho lang ta,” the mayor said.

Osmeña said he is not worried that several barangay captains are no longer supporting him. Rama had 42 barangay captains with him when he called for a press conference last Sunday.

Osmeña recalled that when he first ran for mayor in 1988, he only had barangay captains in the south district supporting his candidacy but he won in almost all barangays except in Sudlon.

He said he even won in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas where his opponent that time had a candidate for councilor who is a member of the Rama family. (FREEMAN)

Comelec opens demo center to educate voters about PCOS

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/06/comelec-opens-demo-center-educate-voters-about-pcos-276246
Saturday, April 6, 2013

By Flornisa M. Gitgano

CONVENIENT and easy.

These are among the comments of persons who tried the automated voting system using the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines stationed at SM City Cebu, in line with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7’s voting education campaign.

The Comelec PCOS demonstration center will remain at the mall until April 30.

During the center’s opening yesterday, Danao City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen demonstrated how to operate the PCOS.

Among those who tried the PCOS machine at the demo center was Ramon Anthony Miñoza, 27, from Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental.

He said he was not able to vote in the first automated election so he was surprised at how easy and convenient the process is compared to manual voting.

Timely

He noted that even if some of his shadings went out of the oval, the machine still read his ballot.

Gabriel Orzales, 46, of Talisay City said automated elections is timely.

Cebu City South Election Assistant Officer Bernard Delos Reyes said they observed the same problems in the May 2010 elections at the demo center.

One problem involved the elderly with poor eyesight who have difficulties shading the oval next to a candidate’s name.

Delos Reyes said that to ensure that the PCOS machine will accept the ballot, at least 50 percent of the oval must be shaded.

Reading glasses

He said the Cebu City Government provided reading glasses for voters with poor eyesight but many senior citizens forgot to return them after voting.

Delos Reyes reminded voters to check the ballot handed to them by the board of election inspectors if there are markings. Ballots with markings, even ink smudges, must be returned.

Doreen Marigomen, PCOS demo team member, said the “timing mark,” the black markings on the sides of the ballot, should not be written on otherwise it will be rejected by the machine.

The machine will also reject the ballot if the shading is not clear or the ballot is damaged or torn. The machine will also likely to misread the ballot if its identification is not registered.

Delos Reyes said ballot’s identification is defined per clustered precinct so it cannot be used in machines for other areas.

Voters should not leave until the machine flashed the word “Congratulations,” delos Reyes said.

In a related development, Comelec 7 Director Temie Lambino said they are coordinating with local environmental groups in monitoring the placement of campaign materials outside designated areas.

Disapproved consultants to remain with City Hall

Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/385369/disapproved-consultants-to-remain-with-city-hall
Friday, April 5th, 2013

By /Chief Of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama intends to retain the services of two of his consultants despite the City Council’s refusal to renew their contracts. Lawyer Jade Ponce will continue to function as chairman of the Solid Waste Management Board while Ester Cubero will remain with the Local School Board. Rama said he will hire Cubero as an executive assistant under the Office of the Mayor to make sure that she will get compensated for her services. “I am now having the papers for her (Cubero’s) employment with the Office of the Mayor processed. She will now be my executive assistant (and will) still (be) assigned with the Local School Board,” he said. Ponce meanwhile, will work at City Hall for free. “Jade Ponce does not need money from his consultancy. But I want him to continue on his private capacity as chairman of the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) on behalf of the mayor,” said Rama. The City Council on Wednesday approved the renewal of the consultancy contracts of 45 individuals – 23 for the Office of the Mayor and 22 for the City Council. Ponce and Cubero were dropped from the approved list of consultants who will serve from January to June. Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he personally opposed the renewal of Cubero and Ponce’s contracts because of their alleged “mortal sins” which they have committed against him and the City Council. Ponce said that the councilors were only picking on him because he doesn’t mince words when he speaks his mind.

Woman, 87, hurt in Banilad fire

Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/04/926817/woman-87-hurt-banilad-fire
Thursday, April 4, 2013

By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JPM

CEBU, Philippines - An 87-year-old woman was injured in a fire that destroyed seven houses and damaged two vehicles at midday yesterday in Sitio Baka, Barangay Apas, Cebu City.

Remedios Manapsal suffered burns in her face and arms for trying to save some of their belongings as the fire engulfed her house, where the blaze reportedly started.

Manapsal was taken by the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) to the Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.

Chief Insp. William Tacaldo, Cebu City Fire Marshal, said they are still investigating the incident.

Initially, according to neighbors, the fire started at the room of Manapsal before it easily spread to nearby houses.

As of this writing, the fire bureau has yet to get the names of the owners of the other destroyed houses.

Aside from the seven houses, two vehicles - a Mitsubishi Adventure and a Volkswagen, were damaged. A pet dog was also hurt.

The Bureau of Fire and Protection received the alarm at 11:03 a.m. and was raised to third alarm. The fire was controlled around 11:22 a.m. and damage was pegged at P350,000.

Jasmine Sestoso, who rented a room at the place and employee of a mall nearby, said that she was on duty when her roommate informed her. Sestoso rushed to the scene but unfortunately she failed to save her belongings.

Tacaldo reminded the public to be cautious anytime to always unplug unused appliances especially cellular phones and ceiling fans.

“Magbantay ta kanunay labi na init ang panahon nga maka-contribute sad sa sunog,” Tacaldo said. (Let’s all be mindful of safety especially during this hot season.) — (FREEMAN)

2 policemen ‘who shot each other’ laid to rest

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/03/16/fire-hits-labangon-apartment-273240
Wednesday, April 3, 2013

By Jill B. Tatoy

FIRE hit a three-door apartment on Tres de Abril St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, leaving P250,000 worth of property damaged last Thursday evening.

The third-alarm fire was received at 10:05 p.m. and was placed under control after five minutes.

The fire reportedly started in the apartment occupied by a Norma Gabor.

Raul Todiño, owner of the apartment, said that at 10 p.m., he heard three explosions in a neighboring apartment.

He said he turned off the circuit breaker of the apartment to be safe. But he heard another small explosion.

When he checked outside, he saw the apartment unit of Gabor already on fire. Gabor's apartment was destroyed while two other apartment units were damaged.

City Fire Marshall William Tacaldo said they didn't have difficulty arriving at the fire scene because the roads leading to it are wide.

He said the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured nor killed in the incident, he said.

Four hours earlier, a fire also hit a business establishment on M.J. Cuenco Ave. leaving P500,000 worth of properties destroyed.

Alarm

BFP 7 received the alarm from Sitio Lower Lomar, MJ Cuenco Ave. in Barangay T. Padilla at 5:54 p.m. They placed it under control at 6:18 p.m.

The fire destroyed Unisports Tailoring on the building's second floor, and a surplus tire shop at the ground floor. The building was owned by a Endre Reyes.

Tacaldo said the fire reportedly started in the tailoring shop. It is still under investigation. Tacaldo said they had no problem reaching the area as it was along the highway.

But the black smoke from burning tires made it difficult for firemen to breathe, he said.

He said they used some breathing apparatus to penetrate the area.

‘Are you fit to run?’

Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/01/are-you-fit-run-275408?quicktabs_6=0
Monday, April 1, 2013

By Elias O. Baquero and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas

FOR at least two candidates in Cebu City, the official campaign period for the local elections began with questions over their health.

Although he is already out of danger, former Cebu City councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem will not be able to personally campaign for May 13. So his wife, Sharon, will campaign for him instead.

For former Cebu City congressman Raul del Mar, three speeches delivered in different campaign events in less than two hours yesterday should disprove the rumors that he is ailing.

Most local parties in Metro Cebu chose to formally begin their campaign today, while crowds head back into the city after the Holy Week.

Both Team Rama and Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) have scheduled a 7 a.m. mass at the Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral and the San Pedro Calungsod Shrine in the South Road Properties, respectively.

They will then visit different areas to shake hands with potential voters.

On April 6, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said, his group will hold a Team Rama rally at Plaza Independencia around 6 p.m.

Rama said he already communicated with United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) Vice President Jejomar Binay, inviting UNA candidates for the local rally but nothing is final yet.

To prove he is healthy and strong, former deputy speaker Raul del Mar delivered three speeches during the general assemblies of senior citizens and a cooperative in Barangays San Jose and Bacayan, Cebu City in less than two hours yesterday.

In his speeches, del Mar said he can even join a ballroom dancing contest just to show to his detractors that he is healthy mentally and physically.

Tomas, too

“Reporters kept on calling me the past two weeks to confirm reports they’ve received that Tommy (Osmeña) is dying and I am already dead. One reporter asked: Is it true that you are comatose and in ICU (intensive care unit)? I replied: If it is true, then how come I was able to answer your call?” del Mar told a huge crowd in Lower Bacayan.

Jakosalem’s wife, Sharon, will campaign for him all throughout the campaign period, which will run until May 11.

Jakosalem is one of Team Rama’s eight candidates for councilor in the city’s north district.

In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Sharon said her husband was discharged from the hospital on Dec. 31 last year, but he is currently in rehabilitation.

She wants to spare him from the stress of campaigning, so he can recover fully faster. She is hopeful that even in his absence from the campaign trail, her husband will not be placed at a disadvantage.

“Because I think the people will understand his situation,” she said.

At present, Sharon said her husband can already talk a little and is already on a wheelchair. According to his doctors, the former city councilor is fast recovering.

She added that the parasite in his brain has already been removed and the swelling of his brain has subsided.

Support

Jakosalem had suffered a relapse of the parasite infection in his brain last October.

Yesterday, Sharon represented her husband during the press conference called by Team Rama at the Rama Compound in Barangay Basak San Nicolas for the announcement of the group’s campaign activities.

Rama announced that some officials from some 75 out of 80 barangays have expressed support to his group for the elections.

Forty-one of them were represented by barangay captains while 34 were represented by barangay councilors.

The five barangays that sent no one to the event are Guba, Sto. Niño, Tisa, Pahina San Nicolas and Lorega.

BOPK chief and Rama’s opponent for City Hall’s top post in the upcoming polls, Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district), downplayed the figures.

Captains

He said most of Rama’s barangay captains are from the mountain villages that have small voting populations.

Osmeña said BOPK still has control over both urban and rural barangays except some 15 percent of them.

“We will erode Rama’s 15 percent in the next few days,” he added.

Del Mar, for his part, said he found it amazing that while their political opponents wished them (he and Osmeña) dead, they become stronger and healthier instead.

Those who spoke in the same forums were reelectionist Cebu City Councilors Margot Osmeña, Lea Ouano Japson, Noel Wenceslao, Nida Cabrera, Nestor Archival, Alvin Arcilla and Alvin Dizon.

Del Mar told his audience in San Jose that while his opponent is promising to deliver goods to the people, he has already done it in form of free medicines, various infrastructure projects and cash aids to senior citizens.

“I was one of the authors of the Senior Citizens Law, which mandates Local Government Units (LGUs) to give cash assistance to you. I was also one of the authors of the Local Government Code that gave powers to LGUs. So, we already worked for the best interest of the people, starting way back 25 years ago,” del Mar told the senior citizens in San Jose and Lower Bacayan.

Effort

In his speech before the Bacayan Multi-Purpose Cooperative 19th General Assembly, del Mar, he congratulated the coop’s officials.

“Your coop can expect assistance from Tommy (Osmeña) and me soon,” del Mar said. Osmeña is running for mayor against incumbent Mayor Cebu City Michael Rama while del Mar is being opposed by talent manager Anabelle Rama.

Del Mar said that he and Osmeña will do their best to bring important facilities to Bacayan, being the center of Cebu City’s north district.

He said that they converted the Bacayan city road into a national road so it could be widened through the Department of Public Works and Highways.

“I believe that with our collective efforts, Bacayan will become better than before in the next 20 years,” del Mar said.

Difference between revisions of "Cebu City News April 2013"

Latest revision as of 10:33, 8 May 2013

Contents

Startup Weekend Cebu 3 set in June

BOPK: Celebrities no bearing on results

Cebu’s P55-M trash stations project deferred

MGB-7 intensifies geohazard assessment and mapping in Cebu

Cebu one of next wave cities in PH for BPO expansion

Election surveys as public service

Cebu NGO urges voters to apply 'laser test' to elect right leaders

Close fight in Cebu City

Over 2,000 homeless: Toddler dead in Ermita fire

A draw for BOPK, Team Rama

Tomas wants Mike investigated

Aquino to push Cebu bets today

NBI agents nab Aussie, rescue 15 women, girls

Cebuano runner finishes, unhurt

Masbate mayor’s lover gunned down in Cebu

Masbate mayor’s live-in partner shot dead, sis wounded in Cebu ambush

GPS installed on Citom vehicles

Guard who shot snatcher receives award

CFA starts rehabilitating field

67 families to lose homes

Mall demo educates voters

Cebu City will have to scrounge for funds if BIR chief’s proposal pushes through

Keep ballots clean, voters advised

Osmeña claims Rama lags behind in surveys

Comelec opens demo center to educate voters about PCOS

Disapproved consultants to remain with City Hall

Woman, 87, hurt in Banilad fire

2 policemen ‘who shot each other’ laid to rest

‘Are you fit to run?’

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+==Startup Weekend Cebu 3 set in June==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2013/04/30/startup-weekend-cebu-3-set-june-280115
+*Tuesday, April 30, 2013
+:By  (Melmae L. Makiputin, Norsu-Intern/Sunnex)
+CEBU CITY -- TechTalks.ph and Junior Chamber International (JCI) Mandaue are joining forces to start another Startup Weekend Cebu (SWC) this year, for the third time.
+The event is scheduled on June 7, 8, and 9.
+Paul Villacorta, of JCI and TechTalks, said the event will give the participants the chance to make their ideas happen. "SWC 3 is a workshop with no talk, all action," he said.
+Villacorta said, the Department of Science and Technology's information and communication technology (ICT) and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce are supporting this year's Startup Weekend Cebu.
+The workshop welcomes all interested individuals with a business in mind and with “advance technological intellect.” SWC 3 also welcomes students who want to boost their confidence.
+Ramil Montealto, another JCI Mandaue and TechTalks member, said the event is open to all interested individuals not only in Cebu but also in different areas in the Philippines and the world.
+For those who want to find a partner in business and want to “come out from their shell,” Tina Ampen, TechTalks founder and adviser to SWC 3, advised them to sign up for the event at cebu.startupweekend.org.
+==BOPK: Celebrities no bearing on results==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/29/bopk-celebrities-no-bearing-results-279937
+*Monday, April 29, 2013
+:By  Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+THE Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) is not threatened by the endorsement of several celebrities of the slate of Mayor Michael Rama’s Team Rama.
+BOPK chief Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) believes celebrities will not make Team Rama win.
+“It is useless. Just like it failed to help (Manny) Villar in 2010 presidental elections,” he said.
+Osmeña’s statement came after television host Wille Revilliame held a “Wowowillie” show in the city Saturday night at Plaza Independencia and endorsed Team Rama north district congressional candidate Anabelle Rama and the group’s whole slate.
+Celebrities Ogie Alcasid and James Blanco also endorsed Anabelle during the show.
+In the April 6 Team Rama rally, several celebrities who are talents of Anabelle also endorsed the group.
+Like Osmeña, Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said celebrities will not make Team Rama win. He said Cebuanos are intelligent voters.
+Young also told Team Rama not to brag about the crowd they gathered, more particularly during the Wowowillie activity. He said people went there for the celebrities, not the Team Rama bets.
+“It’s a false sense of accomplishment or power ba. It’s so stupid on their part because the people only went there kay motan-aw og artista,” he said.
+But Young encourages Team Rama to continue bringing in celebrities in the city because it will give the city’s constituents free entertainment.
+Waterfront Police Station Chief Wildemar Tiu estimated the crowd who went at the Wowowillie activity Saturday night to have reached 80,000 to 90,000.
+Mayor Rama put the number at 100,000.
+In a separate interview, Rama said he is no longer surprised that BOPK is criticizing the number of celebrities endorsing the Team Rama candidates.
+“What else is new?” he said.
+Rama said he is not bragging about the crowd nor using it to counter the estimated 65,000 people who attended the BOPK rally with the Liberal Party last April 19.
+“I don’t want to compete with them but it’s just to show nga naay mga tawo nga nisuporta namo kay ang akong kontra sige man og panghinambog nga mas daghan ilaha (We have supporters, contrary to what the other party is saying),” he said.
+Last night, Anabelle celebrated her birthday at the Plaza and it was graced by more celebrities, particularly those who are her friends in the showbiz industry.
+==Cebu’s P55-M trash stations project deferred==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/28/cebu-s-p55-m-trash-stations-project-deferred-279797
+*Sunday, April 28, 2013
+:By  Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+CEBU CITY – The City Government’s Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) wants to put on hold the establishment of materials recovery facilities (MRF) in five barangays, which will cost P55 million.
+The SWMB’s technical audit on the status of one of the MRFs in the city showed that the facility has not served its purpose.
+It was Councilor Nida Cabrera, chairperson of the committee on environment, who pushed for the MRFs in five more barangays: Luz, Talamban, Guba, Kalunasan and Adlaon.
+The P55 million that will be used to fund the project is the City’s grant from the Local Government Support Fund of the Department of Interior and Local Government.
+The amount is supposed to cover the construction of the facility itself, purchase of composting shredders, installation of waste-to-energy equipment, purchase of composting materials, and the honoraria of five personnel who will run the MRF.
+A materials recovery facility or MRF receives and sorts materials. There, recyclables are separated from biodegradable waste that can then be composted. These facilities are required under Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act.
+But in their technical audit, the SWMB found out that the existing MRF in Barangay Luz, particularly the one located behind the Pag-ibig building, is no longer functioning.
+Engr. Amancio Dongcoy, Department of Environment and Natural Resources director for solid waste management, said there has been no activity in the site for quite a long time now. Dongcoy is a member of the SWMB.
+“Sa pagbisita namo didto, nakakita mi nga wa na gyu’y operation. Nakastorya namo ang isa sa caretaker unya ingon siya ang shredder gani nila mga usa ka tuig na nagtambay ug wa na naggamit (When we visited, we saw that it was no longer operating. One of the caretakers told us that the shredder has been idle for about one year now),” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
+Aside from this, Dongcoy said that accumulated mix garbage was seen in the MRF site.
+“Nanimaho na man gani to didto (It was starting to smell),” he said.
+Dongcoy said they will be assessing the other MRF in the different villages in the coming weeks.
+During the inspection, Dongcoy was accompanied by Engr. Randy Navarro of the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office, Engr. Allan Dinampo and Francis Pagusara of SWMB.
+On hold
+Because of the findings of the technical audit team, SWMB chairperson Atty. Janesis Ponce said they want to put on hold the establishment of additional MRFs in the barangays.
+Ponce said he sees no need to add more MRFs in the barangays since the existing ones may not even be functioning.
+“Sayang kaayo ang kwarta. P55 million is P55 million. It is the people’s money. And if we push through with this, we may just be establishing small dumpsites in the barangays,” he told Sun.Star Cebu.
+Ponce said the SWMB is for MRFs but its implementation should not be rushed and its effective implementation has to be studied well.
+Councilor Cabrera, when sought for comment, said it is good that the SWMB saw that the MRF in Barangay Luz is no longer functioning, adding that the barangay environmental officers assigned there were transferred by the City to other barangays.
+“As for the P55 million, sila na ang bahala ana. (The use of the P55 million is really up to them.) Ang ako (I think) they should use the money for its intended purpose because I heard that they approved the request of Barangay Binaliw to use the money for its proposed market,” she said.
+Cabrera earlier wanted the MRFs to be established in more barangays in order to divert the city’s solid waste.
+That way, the amount of garbage that the City will deliver to the private sanitary landfill in Consolacion town will be significantly reduced, and the City will be able to cut the P700 tipping fee that it pays to the private facility.
+Since it closed the Inayawan Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Inayawan in December 2011, the City has been delivering 300 tons of garbage in Consolacion.
+Cabrera said the city’s garbage is expected to be reduced to 250 tons once the MRF in the barangays will be in place. (Sun.Star Cebu)
+==MGB-7 intensifies geohazard assessment and mapping in Cebu==
+*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1091366960811
+*Saturday, April 27th , 2013
+:By  (FCR/HFG/PIA-7/DENR-7)
+CEBU CITY, April 27 (PIA) -- The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 7 has heightened its geohazard assessment and mapping covering 221 barangays in four cities and five municipalities in Cebu.
+MGB-7 Regional Director Loreto Alburo said, this activity is anchored on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) of the Aquino administration to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change as it gives a detailed mapping and study particularly those areas which have been highly susceptible to landslides and flooding.
+This is a detailed geohazards mapping using a 1:50,000-scale which gets information or data at the sitio or “purok” level in a barangay, said Alburo.
+About 30 barangays in Lapulapu city will be mapped including 42 and 27 barangays in Danao and Mandaue cities, respectively.
+The list also includes Compostela with 17 barangays; Liloan, 14; Consolacion, 21; Cordova, 13; Barili, 42; and Carcar City with 15 barangays.
+Alburo said to the senior geologists team that they will also identify and locate possible relocation sites in each barangay, city or municipality so that communities could be moved to safer grounds.
+Meanwhile, DENR-7 has already distributed 3,003 copies of geohazard maps to the 3,003 barangays in Central Visayas with a scale of 1:50,000 to help LGUs mitigate the effects of flashfloods and landslides.
+So far, MGB has made available color-coded maps in four websites in denr.gov.ph, mgb.gov.ph, pia.gov.ph, and essc.org.ph to allow free and quick access as to the level of vulnerabilities.
+The geohazard maps prepared by the MGB would pinpoint which sitios are critically prone to landslides and flooding.
+==Cebu one of next wave cities in PH for BPO expansion==
+*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1061366876860
+*Friday, April 26th , 2013
+:By  Fayette C. Ri�en
+CEBU CITY, April 26 (PIA) – Cebu is one of the next wave cities in the country outside of Metro Manila that is being promoted for expansion of business process outsourcing (BPO) firms.
+Rosemarie G. Edillon, assistant director general of the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), said the country is experiencing rapid growth at the moment due to macroeconomic stability.
+Edillon cited the 6.6 gross domestic product (GDP) growth of 2012 which has surpassed the 6.5 GDP growth forecast last year, the positive performance of the Philippine stock market and the recent credit upgrade of the Philippines by International Fitch Ratings as cases in point.
+The NEDA official also attributed the country’s strong economic performance to the administration’s good governance policies on transparency and accountability and curbing corruption.
+“Most BPOs are concentrated in Metro Manila and only about 25 percent are spread outside Metro Manila,” said Edillon during the Regional Consultation on the Philippine Development Plan (PDP) Midterm Update in Cebu City.
+Early this year, a study of research firm Tholon showed that Metro Manila is third in the list of the world’s top outsourcing hubs. Top spot went to India’s Bangalore and Mumbai came in second place.
+Cebu meanwhile, ranked eighth best BPO destination while other Philippine cities included in the list were Davao, Sta Rosa, Iloilo, Bacolod and Baguio.
+Edillon said the wave cities like Cebu for BPO expansion were identified due to the workforce already present in the area.
+Edillon said only through jobs can social inclusive growth be visibly felt down to the grassroots level which has direct impact on quality of life.
+“Rapid economic growth is different from social inclusive growth,” clarified Edillon as the latter seeks to provide growth opportunities for all particularly those households in the poverty threshold level.
+BPO is one of the high growth potentials for Central Visayas including Cebu, Edillon said along with agribusiness, tourism, infrastructure and food processing. (PIA7)
+==Election surveys as public service==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/397253/election-surveys-as-public-service
+* Thursday, April 25th, 2013
+:By Cebu Daily News
+The University of San Carlos survey which showed Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama in a close race for the mayorship bears watching.
+It’s less than 20 days to the May 13 election.
+The survey showed that while the mayor led in November, the final month for the filing of candidacies, Osmeña overtook him by March.
+This developed despite Rama’s showbiz-fueled rallies courtesy of his cousin, talent manager and congressional candidate Annabelle Rama.
+Rama can at least heave a sigh of relief that the lead of his former patron isn’t insurmountable. Osmeña, of course, was not pleased to be even suspected of losing this race. He said he believes his own survey which places him miles ahead of Rama.
+We welcome the effort of the well respected Catholic university to undertake a non-partisan, scientific survey by the Department of Political Science’s Center for Governance and Leadership.
+There were 500 respondents in the November survey and a bigger pool of 1,500 respondents in the March leg.
+Let it not be said that pre-election surveys can only be done by the Social Weather Station or Pulse Asia.
+Even SWS founder Mahar Mangahas has repeatedly said Cebu’s academic community had the technical and intellectual resources to do exactly what he’s been doing for over 20 years.
+Social science academics and professionals in Cebu are actually being tapped by political camps to do conduct surveys, but the results are kept confidential for strict internal use of their paying client.
+So it’s a public service indeed for a university to undertake a survey whose results are intended “to shape political discourse” with no allegiance to any candidate or party.
+We suggest that USC maximize its credibility by keeping the process and results fully transparent.
+Releasing the results in a press conference where the study was explained was a good move. They can also post the results online and discuss the methodology in more detail.
+The fear that pre-election surveys would “condition the minds” of voters has long been debunked in Supreme Court cases where the SWS won its battle to conduct political surveys before an actual election.
+The SWS showed, in statstical analysis, that voters were not swayed in the 2007 and 2010 election by preliminary findings of surveys. There was no “statistical correlation” shown between exposure to or awareness of SWS survey result and how they voted.
+In the 2010 presidential election, for example, it was shown that most voters had already made up their mind who to vote for by February or three months before the actual election.
+There’s always room for an independent and scientific survey to enrich our exercise of freedom of expression. That in essence is what the Supreme Court upheld in allowing SWS to continue its pre-election polling.
+We hope this invigorates Cebu’s academics and research groups to continue the SWS tradition in our community as a public service.
+==Cebu NGO urges voters to apply 'laser test' to elect right leaders==
+*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1061366777325
+*Wednesday, April 24, 2013
+:By Fayette C. Ri�en
+CEBU CITY, April 24 (PIA) – Electing the right leaders into public office requires careful discernment as Cebu non-government organization Dilaab Foundation urged voters to apply the LASER test.
+Jenny Tan, project coordinator for Circles of Discernment for Empowerment Project of the Dilaab Foundation said the LASER test is an appropriate tool to assist electorates in making the right choice on May 13.
+LASER is an acronym of lifestyle, action, supporters, election conduct and reputation which can answer the question “How Can I Vote Good?,” said Tan before members of the media during the recent 3rd quarterly meeting of the Cebu Citizens Press Council.
+Tan said electorates need to check the lifestyle of the candidate whether his or her standard of living is modest or lavish while action refers to what the candidate so far has done for the community.
+Candidates should be the first in following election rules while reputation is very important for credibility as Tan added that voters should also check the supporters or those behind the campaign of the candidate.
+“The ‘I Vote Good’ campaign is to encourage voters to rethink the value of their vote and to renounce vote buying and selling,” further said Tan.
+“Choosing good (this coming elections) means carefully selecting candidates and going deeper beyond popularity and name recall,” stressed Tan.
+Patronage politics during election is the original sin of graft and corruption, said Tan referring to candidates’ desire to win at all costs and looking at elections as an investment and public service.
+Tan said what is missing is the mechanism or process for forming the practical conscience and that as voters “we should be more discerning and more Christian by rejecting evil.”
+The Dilaab Foundation together with election watchdog the Cebu-Citizens Involvement and Maturation in People’s Empowerment and Liberation Foudnation, Inc. (C-Cimpel) are currently undertaking voters’ literacy program to educate electorates to choose the right leaders into public office. (PIA7)
+==Close fight in Cebu City==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/395905/close-fight-in-cebu-city
+*Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
+:By Carine M. Asutilla, Correspondent
+Surveys conducted by the University of San Carlos (USC) in November 2012 and March this year revealed a neck-to-neck battle for the mayoralty between Mayor Michael Rama and Cebu south district Rep. Tomas Osmeña.
+For the vice mayoralty and the north and south congressional races however, Bando Osmeña Pundok Kagawasan – Liberal Party (BOPK-LP) bets have started to pull away from their Team Rama rivals.
+The March survey result has seen Osmeña leading Rama with 50.6 percent. The incumbent mayor trailed at 43.6. The undecided was pegged at 5.5 percent. The March result shows some promise to the BOPK-LP standard bearer who was trailing Rama in the November USC survey.
+The survey results released yesterday saw Rama’s 44.9 percent is slightly leading Osmeña’s 40.3 percent in the November survey. Undecided for the mayoralty race that time was 14.8 percent.
+For the vice mayoralty BOPK-LP reelectionist Joy Augustus Young leads Councilor Edgardo Labella in the November and March surveys.
+Young’s figures rose from 46.9 percent in November to 53.10 percent in March, against Labella’s 34.7 percent in November and 40.3 percent in March. The undecided was 18.4 percent in November and 6.6 last March.
+For the north district congressional race, the figures are not assuring at all for showbiz celebrity Anabelle Rama whose 10.95 percent in November declined to 6.25 in March against Raul del Mar’s 84.72 percent in November and 85.11 in March.
+A similar story can be gleaned in the south district with Councilor Rodrigo Abellanosa pulling away from 53.55 percent in November to 64.16 in March against lawyer Aristotle Batuhan’s 28.44 percent in November and 31.1 percent in March.
+Still unpredictable
+Brenette Abrinica, program director of the survey said that the race between Rama and Osmeña is still unpredictable.
+“This is very telling, Osmeña worked for the last four months with that 10.30 percent increase in vote over Rama. Rama should also work to maintain the slim margin of the decrease. Rama cannot afford the increase of the decrease. If the decrease will increase, more than 8.2 percent will be favoring for Tomas,” says Abrenica.
+For the vice mayoralty, Abrenica said that Young is establishing a 12.8 percent margin. But it also has to be noted that none of them garnered a decreasing rate from November to March. Labella increased at 5.6 percent while Young increased at 6.2 percent.
+“If Labella is experiencing an increasing rate, he has to double the effort in increasing such rate for him to be at par to the statistics of Young,” says Abrenica.
+For the north district congressional race, the statistical change of Anabelle Rama scoring an upset is very slim. Eight of 10 voters prefer Del Mar.
+Abrenica said, the same can be said with the south district congressional election between Abellanosa and Batuhan.
+Grace Magalso, Chairperson of the USC Political Science Department said that the main rational is to address the concern that there is an absence of the local counterpart of SWS survey.
+Magalso said that the Department of Political Science Center for Governance, Leadership, and Development at USC is a non-partisan group.
+“Being truthful to our task in the academe to intervene when necessary to shape political discourse and to help the Cebuanos to come up with political decisions, we decided to have this,” she added.
+The November survey had 500 respondents with +/- 4.3 percent margin of error, while the March survey had 1,500 respondents with +/-2.5 margin of error.
+All the respondents were registered voters in the 30-49 years old age range, with income of about P10,000 per month.
+The respondents were made to answer 21 pre-structured questions.
+==Over 2,000 homeless: Toddler dead in Ermita fire==
+*Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/22/933532/over-2000-homeless-toddler-dead-ermita-fire
+*Monday, April 22, 2013
+:By Ria Mae Y. Booc, Jessa Chrisna Marie Agua
+CEBU, Philippines - An 11-month-old girl was killed when a fire hit Sitio Bato, Barangay Ermita, Cebu City, last Saturday evening. As of last night the count of houses destroyed was 237 with an estimated damage of P1 million.
+Fishermen found the charred body of Mary Claire Flores covered by ashes and fallen beams at the ground floor of her house.
+The girl was alone as her father Torivio Flores Jr., was out to run some errands at a nearby store when their house caught fire at around 10:20 p.m. The siblings of the victim were also not around at the time.
+Mary Claire was reportedly sleeping at the second floor of the house when the fire broke out. She tried to escape but failed due to the heat.
+“Didto na iyang lawas sa ubos duol sa bungbong sa balay posible natagak pagkahunlak sa flooring sa second floor o ba kaha nilayat gikan sa taas,” said FO3 Lowel Opolentisima, fire investigator.
+Opolentisima told The FREEMAN that Torivio hurried home to rescue his daughter but the fire had already engulfed his house and nearby houses as well. Most of the houses there were made of light materials.
+Opolentisima added they plan to invite Torivio for questioning to ascertain the real cause of fire, which according to his neighbors, started in his house.
+“Sa pagkakaron wala pa namo siya makit-i kay nawala man to gabii ug kalit mura’g naratol, amo pang balikon,” Opolentisima said.
+The fire was raised to Task Force Alpha status and the different fire volunteers, barangay brigades, and the crew of the fire stations of Minglanilla and Talisay City rushed to help. Firemen placed the fire under control at 11:27 p.m. totally extinguished it by 2:09 a.m.
+Opolentisima said the accessibility of the area was a problem. The big fire trucks were left at a corner due to the narrow roads and they needed to connect fire hoses together to reach the scene.
+He further said that some of firemen needed to cross the river and even jump from the roof of one house to another to fight the fire.
+“Ang uban didto na agi sa atop unya ang uban didto sa sapa kay lisod ang dalan,” Opolentisima said.
+According to Cebu City Department of Social Welfare Services chief Ester Concha over found hundred families were left homeless.
+“As of 4p.m. (yesterday), there were a total of 2,076 individuals affected by this huge fire reaching 462 families,” Concha said. But she added the numbers may yet change pending verification.
+Data from DSWS also showed that 237 houses were destroyed with 12 damaged.
+The affected residents are temporarily taking shelter at the barangay sports complex.
+Concha said apart from the baby who died during the fire, no other casualties were recorded.
+“Naa man say taga city disaster risk dinhi. Ready ra man sad sila mutabang,” Concha added.
+The city government will be taking care of the food of the fire victims.
+Last Friday morning a fire destroyed houses in Barangay Kamputhaw and displaced about 50 families and last Saturday an establishment in Barangay San Nicolas was also destroyed by a fire.
+Nobody was reported injured in those two fires.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)
+==A draw for BOPK, Team Rama==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/opinion/2013/04/21/wenceslao-draw-bopk-team-rama-278761
+*Sunday, April 21, 2013
+:By  sunstar.com.ph
+FINALLY, the Bando Osmena-Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) flexed its muscle for President Noynoy Aquino, gathering a crowd last Friday in front of the Provincial Capitol to show its rival Team Rama that it has no monopoly of mounting a political activity in Cebu City. Was the BOPK able to silence Team Rama partisans and prove that it is still the dominant political party come the May 13 polls?
+First a caveat: comparison in this case can be odious if one refers to Friday’s rally and the one held weeks ago by Team Rama at the Plaza Independencia. Three reasons:
+One, the crowd in the BOPK rally was beefed up by supporters of the Liberal Party (LP) in the province while that of Team Rama was “stand alone.” Two, the venues are different (it is difficult to compare the crowd occupying the small space fronting the Capitol building and the relatively narrow stretch going to Fuente Osmeña with the Plaza’s bigger expanse). Three, the BOPK rally was graced by no less than the President while that of Team Rama “only” had Annabelle Rama’s family and talents.
+Cebu City Police Office Chief Mariano Natuel estimated the LP-BOPK crowd at a generous 65,000 but the Philippine News Agency, quoting an unnamed police official, placed it at 25,000. Police placed the Team Rama crowd at 30,000, which the rally organizers said was a rather low estimate. Rep. Tomas Osmeña, citing his own sources, said the Plaza crowd had only 3,000 people.
+As I pointed out, the ability of a party to gather partisans in a political activity such as a rally can be a measure of its ability to gather votes in an election. So who between BOPK and Team Rama has the bragging rights on this regard? If you ask me, no one. I would grade the ability to draw a crowd as the same for BOPK and Team Rama.
+Which I think is consistent with the belief that the electoral battle in the city will go down the wire. It is also reflected in the kind of heat the campaign in the city has generated.
+As for the presidential endorsement, including P-Noy taking the cudgels for his local candidates by attacking their political opponents, it may matter, but only a little.
+As I pointed out before, the Aquino aura that catapulted Noynoy to the presidency is gone. He is now but another president, albeit still popular, campaigning for his allies. He is no longer idolized and supported because he is the son of Ninoy and Cory.
+I heard from sources that one of Aquino’s campaigners in the 2010 presidential polls has asked where those groups and individuals who worked voluntarily and were willing to lay down their lives for Noynoy’s campaign have gone. My answer to that is that they are either disillusioned or feel that campaigning for the LP’s local candidates is too partisan.
+I listened to the President’s talk last Friday and was amazed to realize how ordinary a politician he has become. Don’t get me wrong. I still believe that he is a good fit for the presidency after what Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her minions did while in power. He is still relatively clean and is perceived by the world as honest. My objection is with his politics.
+I maintain that his forcible ouster of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia from the Capitol to allow his people to take over the helm of the province and gain ascendancy in the May polls is politicking worthy of a Ferdinand Marcos or even Arroyo. His endorsement of candidates, therefore, do not ring true for me.
+==Tomas wants Mike investigated==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/20/tomas-wants-mike-investigated-278523
+*Saturday, April 20, 2013
+:By   Jujemay G. Awit and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+REP. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south) wants three government agencies to investigate Mayor Michael Rama for signing a contract for a P50-million project at the South Road Properties (SRP) without an authorization from the City Council.
+Osmeña said the matter should be looked into by the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, the Commission on Audit and the Department of Interior and Local Government.
+“You don’t have to be a genius to say that this matter (signing of contract without a council authorization) is really an abnormal situation. This is truly an exceptional development. Definitely, this should be investigated. Then if so warranted, a proper case should be filed,” he said.
+This, as some Cebu City department heads were surprised when Mayor Michael Rama called them to a meeting last Wednesday and asked them who they’ll support for mayor in next month’s elections.
+“He told us that those who cannot support him politically can get out,” City Attorney
+Joseph Bernaldez said.
+Bernaldez was one of six department heads who left the room. The others were City Treasurer Emma Villarete, Human Resource and Development Office Head Evangeline Abatayo, Department of Veterinary Medicine and Fisheries Chief Alice Utlang, Department of Manpower Development and Placement Head Fidel Magno and Internal Audit and Service Office Chief Arlene Rentuza.
+The council had earlier learned that Rama already executed a contract with engineer Bernabe Gilbor of the Supreme ABF Construction in March 26 for the multi-million project to clear and establish an embankment at the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route at the SRP.
+Bidding
+The contract was signed a day after the bidding for the project was conducted.
+The council believes Rama’s move to bypass them is illegal as the Local Government Code provides that no contract should be entered into by the local chief executive without an authorization from the legislative body.
+In a news conference he called at his house yesterday, Osmeña said what Rama did is “a symptom of graft and corruption.”
+“Am I saying this one is graft and corruption? No. But it has all the symptoms of graft and corruption because it is very abnormal,” he said.
+Osmeña believes the clearing of the BRT route is not yet a priority project
+considering that the implementation of the BRT has temporarily been suspended.
+Sought for comment, Rama said the concern of the council can be cured through ratification of the contract.
+“If di nila i-ratify sa council, it means dili sila gusto og BRT. Ako gusto man ko’g BRT (I like BRT),” he said.
+He said that during Osmeña’s term as mayor, there were many resolutions passed by the council ratifying the contracts he already signed.
+Rama said Osmeña should not to talk about graft and corruption.
+He said what is graft and corruption is Osmeña’s move pushing for the payment of the P133 million to the heirs of Fr. Vicente Rallos, buying surplus vehicles for a price of brand new ones, and using two luxury vehicles supposed to be donated to the City by a lessee at the SRP.
+As to last Wednesday’s meeting, Bernaldez said his leaving the room didn’t mean he supports Osmeña.
+“The way I took it was that the mayor wanted us to participate in partisan politics, which is prohibited by law,” Bernaldez said.
+But Rama said being non-partisan is no longer practiced now that the campaign season is at its peak.
+The mayor said even barangay captains are making their choices known.
+“Even the President is here,” he said.
+Rama said there was no walkout last Wednesday.
+He said he told the department heads he might need their help this campaign season that will be beyond their regular call of duty.
+The mayor said he wasn’t asking them to campaign for him, adding there may be other ways they can help his reelection bid.
+He said he left the 22 department heads to make a choice. When he returned, no one had left.
+“They don’t need to worry because I won’t take it against them,” he said.
+The mayor said he just wanted to know where the department heads stood politically.
+==Aquino to push Cebu bets today==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/393547/aquino-to-push-cebu-bets-today
+*Friday, April 19th, 2013
+:By  Carmel Loise Matus, Jose Santino Bunachita
+President Aquino will have a busy day in Cebu today, his third visit to the province this year.
+The President is scheduled to arrive in the morning and go straight to Mactan where he will break ground for the construction of the new Mactan Circumferential Road in barangay Ibo.
+Aquino and his party will then proceed to Bogo City in north Cebu for the first of three political events meant to push for the candidacy of his local allies led by by Liberal Party gubernatorial candidate Hilario “Junjun” Davide III and his runningmate Agnes Magpale.
+His trips across Cebu province will likely be made by helicopter to catch up with his schedule.’
+Celestino Martinez III, the LP congressional bet in Cebu’s 4th district, will deliver welcome remarks in the “community meeting” in Bogo, where a new City Hall will be inaugurated.
+The President will have lunch in Bogo and meet with local leaders in the sports and cultural center in barangay Taytayan.
+At 2:30 p.m., the presidential party will go to Toledo City for another “community meeting” and cap the day with a grand rally of his Cebu City allies at the front steps of the Provincial Capitol.
+Organizers said they expect a crowd of 15,000 in the rally of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagawan led by Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña, who is running for mayor.
+Acting Gov. Magpale, who will deliver welcome remarks in the rally, said the Capitol’s social hall and old session hall were spruced up for a dinner reception for Aquino. Security will be tight in the Capitol area where roads leading to the venue will be closed from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. today.
+Everything is set for today’s road closures and rerouting, said Raffy Yap, head of the Cebu City Traffic and Operations Management (Citom).
+“I will be manning traffic during the event,” Yap told Cebu Daily News.
+==NBI agents nab Aussie, rescue 15 women, girls==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/392839/nbi-agents-nab-aussie-rescue-15-women-girls
+*Thursday, April 18th, 2013
+:By   Ador Vincent Mayol
+The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) yesterday rescued about 15 females, including four suspected minors, in a house believed used as a cybersex den in barangay Labangon, Cebu City.
+The victims were purportedly paid to perform lewd acts in front of web cameras and to have sex with their employer.
+The late afternoon raid resulted in the arrest of 46-year-old Drew Shobbrook, an Australian who rented three apartments which re losed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.
+The NBI agents confiscated at least seven laptops, four desktop computers, computer parts, an iPad tablet, hard disks containing “explicit and lewd photographs,” and bottles of energy drinks.
+Charges for violating Republic Act 10364 or the Expanded Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act of 2012 will be filed by the NBI-7 against the foreigner before the Cebu City Prosecutors’ Office.
+The victims cannot be identified by the media under the special law’s confidentiality provisions.
+However, identities and circumstances of human trafficking offenders are no longer held confidential in the recently signed RA 10364. The law amended Republic Act 9208 that previously shielded both victims and suspected human traffickers.
+With the change, the media can now report names and other circumstances of suspected offenders to warn the public not to do business with them and to avoid being victimized.
+In an interview, the Australian suspect denied he was involved in criminal activities.
+“I’ve been falsely accused. I’m definitely not involved in cybersex operations,” he told reporters.
+The Australian gave his his name as Drew Shobbrook, but the NBI found a Philippine driver’s license and other documents where he used the name Dean Fred Joban.
+The suspect said his wife and daughter in Sydney, Australia have yet to be informed about his arrest.
+“I hope the charges against me will be dropped unless this country falsely accuses people,” he said.
+Shobbrook said he arrived in the country in 2011.
+“I decided to come to the Philippines to give people jobs. I’m not sure what accusations they brought against me,” he said.
+The Australian said he rented a two-storey apartments in Cebu City last year for a bookkeeping business and hired seven female staffers as encoders.
+Some months ago, three staff members purportedly stole valuables including a laptop, motorbike, iPhones, and an iPad.
+He said he decided to fire his three staffers last week, adding that they fabricated accusations against him.
+The three staffers sought the assistance of the NBI 7.
+The raid was authorized by a search warrant issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Alexander Acosta of Branch 9. It was mounted in cooperation with the International Justice Mission.
+NBI Central Visayas Regional Director Antonio Pagatpat said they are serious in their campaign against human trafficking and cyberpornography.
+“My message is simple. We have a law that prohibits exploitation of women and minors. We won’t allow anyone to just exploit minors and women,” he told Cebu Daily
+NBI is under the supervision of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
+“We urge the community, if they have any information about cybercrimes to report to the NBI and we will act on it,” said Pagatpat.
+The Australian suspect was brought to the NBI stockade pending the filing of charges against him.The female victims were taken to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
+NBI supervising agent Reynaldo Villordon, team leader in yesterday’s operation, said surveilance was made before the raid.
+The NBI earlier received complaints that the Australian hired women and girls for sex, and would take videos of the lewd acts which he sold and uploaded on a pornographic website.
+“We will find out who are their contacts outside the country,” he said.
+“The victims can be considered sex slaves. They were offered some considerations by the suspect,”
+The sister of one of the rescued women was surprised about the raid.
+She said her two sisters were hired as encoders for a website and received P10,000 a month. They were also sent to school by the Australian. /with Fe Marie Dumaboc
+==Cebuano runner finishes, unhurt==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/17/cebuano-runner-finishes-unhurt-277973
+*Wednesday, April 17, 2013
+:By  Cheska D. Geli and Linette Ramos Cantalejo
+RICARDO Mansueto believes he will never forget his first Boston Marathon. He safely finished the race, considered the holy grail of running, yet the lone Cebuano runner also expects he will have flashbacks of the attack.
+Mansueto, 32, is safe. The former physical education instructor and coach of the track and field team of the Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu finished the race in 3:10.
+About four hours after the first runners were released, two blasts about 10 seconds apart near the finish line left three dead and over 170 injured.
+“When we first heard the bomb, we thought something in one of the stores had collapsed, but all of a sudden people were rushing to the door or hiding under the tables. My family and I left the building since it wasn’t confirmed if it was a bombing or not, but we knew there was a problem,” said Mansueto.
+Closer to home, Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella said he is considering revisiting an ordinance that regulates marathons, in order to find ways to protect runners and spectators from similar attacks.
+Triathlete Jaymie Pizarro, on her blog The Bull Runner, said she was scheduled to leave last night to run the London Marathon on Sunday.
+“I pray that the event be safe and that we can all go out there and, as good friend Drew Arellano tweeted, show these people that they cannot kill the human spirit,” she wrote in her blog.
+Boston
+For runners, Boston is the big dream.
+To qualify, one must beat a set time. These differ with each group, but qualifiers have to be fast.
+Mansueto earned his slot in the race after he finished in 03:02 in the Toronto Marathon, well within the 3:05 qualifying time for the 29-34 category.
+“Dugay na gyud na nako na pangandoy na maka-apil jud ko aning pinakadako na marathon.
+Pwerteng daghana ug tawo gyud. (It has long been my dream to join this marathon.) The entire course was filled with people,” he said.
+A middle distance runner and former athletics varsity member of the University of Cebu, Mansueto usually belongs to the fastest group of runners.
+His speed helped keep him safe yesterday. He finished the race and found his wife Jaclyn, three daughters and a brother-in-law before tragedy struck.
+Left
+They were inside a nearby building on the same street, where they planned to have dinner, when they heard an explosion from outside.
+They were all alerted when the first bomb blew up and, less than 30 seconds after, the second one followed. (The devices were later found inside a trash can, about 10 meters away from the finish line. CNN reported last night that one of the devices was hidden in a pressure cooker, which was stashed inside a backpack.)
+Mansueto recalled a mass exodus on Boylston St., people all around them crying or calling their loved ones on their cell phones. Others called out the names of missing companions.
+Together with his family, Mansueto walked another hour and ten minutes to leave downtown and proceeded to Cambridge.
+“That was our only choice. We would have wanted to take the car but we just really wanted to evacuate from the crowd and be outside the area immediately,” said Mansueto.
+A native of Madridejos, Bantayan Island, Mansueto moved to Toronto, Canada in 2005 to start a family. Last year, he joined the Cebu City Marathon, and he is set to return home to join the Ironman triathlon this August in Cebu.
+All safe
+Triathlon fixture Arland Macasieb, one of the few Filipino runners who joined the Boston Marathon this year, confirmed that they are all safe.
+Some of the Filipino runners identified were Arnie and Anton Aguila, Amanda and Leica Carpo, Noel Colina, Richelle Embree, Efraim Manzano, Rolando Ocampo, Jose Martin Paiso and Angielyn San Juan.
+Manila-based Irish athlete Aileen Breen, who was the Xtrerra Trail Run women’s half-marathon runner-up, was also accounted for.
+Macasieb finished in 3:06, just behind Anton Aguila from Pasadena, who emerged as the best Filipino finisher in 2:50.
+Runners foresee that the attack will compel increased security measures for runners and spectators.
+Dr. Potenciano Larrazabal III said the potential effects are two-pronged, “on the runners as they may now fear joining races and on the organizers” whose responsibilities will increase.
+Following the explosion, Councilor Labella said he did not consider the possibility of bombings during races when he drafted the Road Race Ordinance in 2011, which is why the law does not include provisions on peace and order.
+Review
+The ordinance focuses instead on road safety and sanitation, to protect runners from erring drivers who may sideswipe them and to ensure that the city’s streets are litter-free after each race.
+“I never thought of terrorist activities being a possibility during a race... But after what happened in Boston, I would seriously consider revisiting the ordinance and looking into the peace and order aspect, on how to prevent terrorist activities. If it can happen there, it can happen anywhere,” Labella, a member of the Cebu Executive Runners Club, told Sun.Star Cebu.
+Labella, who is running for Cebu City vice mayor, said he will ask for help from the Philippine National Police to find ways to ensure peace and order and tighten security during races and similar public events.
+The councilor wrote the country’s only running ordinance to make fun runs, marathons and other road races safe for the participants and manageable for Cebu City’s traffic body.
+The ordinance, which took effect last year, limits the number of races in Cebu City to only one race a day to make it easier for traffic enforcers to man traffic and ensure the safety of runners, Labella said.
+==Masbate mayor’s lover gunned down in Cebu==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/16/masbate-mayor-s-lover-gunned-down-cebu-277809
+*Tuesday, April 16, 2013
+:By Jill B. Tatoy and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+CEBU CITY (Updated) -- A woman who was said to have been living with a mayor from Masbate was shot and killed, while the mayor’s sister was injured an hour after they arrived in Cebu City Monday morning.
+Police investigators are considering all angles, including political rivalry or family conflict, as possible motives in the ambush that killed Crisanta Lauro, 39, wife of former Placer, Surigao del Norte Mayor Charry Mangako.
+Lauro was two months pregnant. She was reportedly living with Pio V. Corpus Mayor Herminigildo Betonio III of Masbate, after leaving her husband last December.
+Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) Director Mariano Natuel Jr. said they reveal any suspects yet, since they are still awaiting a report on the victims’ background from the Masbate police.
+Also injured in the attack that took place before 6 a.m. was Leny Betonio Eser, 46, a sister of Mayor Betonio. She is also a municipal councilor of Pio V. Corpus.
+Police believe the two assailants, who shared a blue motorcycle, were not from Cebu as they did not bother to wear any mask or helmet to conceal their faces.
+Waited
+Lauro died after being shot twice in the chest and head. A private hospital’s doctor declared her dead on arrival.
+Councilor Eser was shot in her left hand and was already out of danger Monday.
+Lauro and Eser had boarded the MV Lapu-Lapu from Masbate and arrived in Cebu City at 4 a.m. Monday. They stayed on the ship for an hour and got out an hour later, then boarded a taxi in Pier 3.
+They told Gilbert Benito, who drove a Ken taxi (GXR-916), and told him to drive them to Talisay City, where Lauro reportedly owned a house.
+Just as they reached the stop light at the corner of V. Sotto St. and Sergio Osmeña Blvd. in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City, two unidentified men stopped next to the driver’s side and fired four shots at Lauro and Eser.
+Benito said the attack took less than 40 seconds.
+The taxi driver later said he noticed the two assailants, who also stopped for the red light. But he was stunned to hear the gunshots.
+He sped off in order to escape, but the attackers fired another shot, which shattered the rear windshield.
+Help
+Benito said he sought help from the taxi company’s base radio operator and asked him to call the police.
+He denied speculations that he was involved in the shooting, because he reportedly asked the women if they were headed for Talisay City before they boarded his taxi. He explained to the police that he was about to go home to Talisay and was asking around for passengers going in the same direction.
+He added that while heading to Chong Hua Hospital, he did not stop anymore for any traffic lights, for fear that the gunmen might still be tailing them.
+“Akong huna-huna na kinahanglan nako sila dad-on sa hospital kay nangaigo man sila (I focused on getting them to the hospital because they were hit),” said Benito in a dyLa radio report.
+He said that when they arrived in the hospital, he overheard Councilor Eser telling someone over the phone that they had been followed and she wished they had not decided to come to Cebu.
+“Wala na kaayo ko kaklaro sa iyang giistorya kay daghan na ang tawo nitapok namo unya sige sad siya’g hilak (I couldn't hear the rest of it because people surrounded us and the woman kept crying),” added Benito in the same radio interview.
+Followed
+Sun.Star Cebu tried to contact Councilor Eser on Monday but had yet to get an answer as of press time.
+Natuel said the police are still waiting to find out from Mayor Betonio if the couple had received death threats before the attack.
+The police chief added they coordinated with the Masbate police for more background information on the victims.
+“I’m not sure if they have been receiving death threats kay if naa pa, dili ni sila mokompyansa ug biyahe-biyahe na sila lang (because if that was the case, they might not have traveled on their own),” explained Natuel.
+He said that the women may have been tailed from the time they boarded in Masbate until they reached Cebu City.
+“Naa’y nagsunod ani nila nga nireport sa mga triggerman gikan sa paggawas nila sa barko (That person could have informed the triggermen as soon as the women left the boat),” added Natuel.
+‘Insulting’
+He said the police will gather witnesses who can describe the suspects’ appearances.
+A closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera was also seen near the crime scene that might have recorded the incident.
+However, Harold Alcontin of the Management Information and Computer System (MICS) of Cebu City Hall said that the camera, attached to a traffic light near the crime scene, has not been working for more than six years.
+He said the CCTV project of the City Government is still ongoing and the security camera seen near the crime scene was installed by the Department of Public Works and Highways last 2007.
+Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday urged the CCPO to “leave no stone unturned” in its investigation.
+In his regular news conference, the mayor said he believes the incident was an insult to the city’s police force.
+“Di gud taga diri, unya diri ig-on. Insulto na (They victims don’t live here and yet they were attacked here. That’s an insult to the authorities),” he said. (Sun.Star Cebu)
+==Masbate mayor’s live-in partner shot dead, sis wounded in Cebu ambush==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/391131/masbate-mayors-live-in-partner-shot-dead-sis-wounded-in-cebu-ambush
+* Monday, April 15th, 2013
+:By   Chito O. Aragon
+CEBU CITY, Philippines – A live-in partner of a Masbate municipal mayor was killed while the town’s councilor was wounded in an ambush shortly after they arrived in this city early Monday morning, a police official said.
+Councilor Leny Betonio-Eser of Pio V. Corpuz town in Masbate and Cristina Lauro, 39, were on board a taxi past 5 a.m. when one of two men riding a motorcycle fired at them at V. Sotto and S. Osmeña streets in Cebu City.
+SPO1 Victor Ayuman, Cebu City homicide investigator, said Lauro was a live-in partner of Mayor Hermigildo Betonio III of Pio V. Corpuz town while Eser was the mayor’s sister.
+He said the two women arrived from Masbate on a vessel that docked at Pier 3 in Cebu City past 5 a.m.
+The two women then boarded a taxi that was supposed to take them to Talisay City, about 12 kilometer south of Cebu City.
+Lauro and Mayor Betonio own a house in a subdivision in Talisay, Ayuman said.
+The taxi stopped on a red light at the corner of V. Sotto and S. Osmeña when one of the two assailants shot at them from behind.
+A bullet hit Lauro in the back of the head which exited her temple and another pierced her heart through the left chest, said Ayuman.
+Eser was hit in the right palm, he added.
+The two women were brought to a private hospital in Cebu City where Lauro was pronounced dead on arrival.
+Police investigators later found at the crime scene three empty shells and a slug of a .45 cal. pistol.
+==GPS installed on Citom vehicles==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/14/gps-installed-citom-vehicles-277498
+*Sunday, April 14, 2013
+:By   Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+PERSONNEL from the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) will now be able to immediately respond to vehicular incidents.
+It has installed global position system (GPS) units to its fleet of vehicles last Friday.
+Citom executive director Atty. Rafael Yap said the move is an offshoot of the World Bank’s P12.9-million technical grant to the City Government on the use of low-cost communication devices to improve transportation and traffic.
+Yap said 22 of their vehicles including five four-wheeled vehicles, five mobile patrol units, five multicabs, two boom trucks, two manlifts and a tow truck, have been installed with GPS.
+More efficient
+“This will improve our response time to vehicular accidents as we can now prioritize. If kinsay duol sa area maoy among i-send (Whoever is near the accident will be the one we send to respond),” he said.
+In their previous setup, Yap said their dispatch system was only through radio, which had several disadvantages.
+“Some areas in the city… cannot be reached by a radio or the radio is off because the battery is dead. So we really need a better way to respond and communicate with our mobile units to respond to incidents,” he said.
+Yap said the installation of the GPS will also allow them to monitor their personnel and resources, particularly fuel consumption.
+“This is because gasoline now is very hard to come by,” he said.
+Mayor Michael Rama had cut the fuel allocation to City-owned and -operated motor vehicles last September due to lack of budget.
+The City’s multicabs get 50 liters of fuel per month. Its light vehicles get 100 liters, while the motorcycles get 20 liters.
+In the future, Yap hopes to expand the installation of GPS to its fleet of motorcycles, which are used by traffic enforcers, adding that motorcycles are the backbone of Citom’s operation.
+==Guard who shot snatcher receives award==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/13/guard-who-shot-snatcher-receives-award-277381
+*Saturday, April 13, 2013
+:By  Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+THEY say good deeds never go unnoticed. This rings true for a security guard who shot an alleged snatcher outside the establishment he was manning on Magallanes St., Cebu City.
+Yesterday, Andy Pacana Carnay, who is employed under Sealion Security and Investigation Agency, received a cash incentive for his “heroic act” from the City Government.
+Mayor Michael Rama together with Engr. Eugene Elizalde of the Police Coordinating and Advisory Council (PCAC) and Cebu City Police Office Director Mariano Natuel Jr., gave Carnay P10,000.
+Good work
+“Keep up the good work,” the mayor told Carnay during the short awarding ceremony yesterday.
+Aside from giving financial assistance, Elizalde said the PCAC is proposing to make Carnay one of the awardees during the City Government’s Charter Day celebration next year.
+In an interview, Carnay thanked the City for rewarding his act, saying he will use the money to buy some things for his home on A. Lopez St. in Barangay Labangon.
+The 28-year-old security guard, who has been employed at Sealion for seven years, advised other security guards to always protect the public.
+“Magpadayon unta sila sa pagbantay sa atong mga palibot ug pag-distansiya sa mga law-ay nga mga butang (I hope they continue keeping our environment safe),” he said.
+Asked if he regretted shooting the snatcher, who has been identified by police officials as Julito Cabigon, 24, Carnay said he didn’t. He said the latter has been victimizing many of their customers at Bea Star Fashion Center.
+He said, though, that if other will try to snatch valuables from their customers, he will just immediately report it to the police, considering that he was put to jail for a day after the incident.
+Last March 14, Carnay shot Cabigon for snatching the earrings of a customer who was entering their store.
+==CFA starts rehabilitating field==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/sports/2013/04/12/cfa-starts-rehabilitating-field-277314
+* Friday, April 12, 2013
+:By  Cheska D. Geli
+THE Cebu Football Association (CFA) doubles its effort to make sure the Cebu City Sports Center field will be ready for the city’s hosting of the Asian Football Confederation Presidents Cup next month.
+After the 15th Aboitiz Football Cup, CFA took over the rehabilitation measures of the field and closely worked with the Cebu City Sports Center.
+CFA Committee for Referees Head Engr. Rodney Orale once again took charge of reviving the pitch back to international standard. Orale said they would have to deal with more damage to the field caused by the Sinulog festivities.
+In the friendly against Singapore last November, CFA only did some patching near the goal area. But right now, he is faced not only with the Sinulog aftermath but also the grueling hot weather conditions.
+Last Wednesday, Orale bought a new 50-meter hose to replace the old one so it could water the entire field.
+Last week, CCSC and CFA planted 1,000 square feet of carabao grass in the affected areas and will go for 1,000 square feet more this week.
+Orale is confident that they are still within schedule to cure the field and present it in its best condition before the tournament.
+“In one week’s time, the grass are expected to be deeply rooted to the soil with the right amount of fertilizers,” said Orale.
+==67 families to lose homes==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/11/67-families-lose-homes-277011
+* Thursday, April 11, 2013
+:By  Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+SIXTY-SEVEN families in Barangay Ermita, Cebu City are expected to lose their homes to pave the way for the construction of a public elementary school.
+The families, though, sought the intervention of the City Council and asked the body to postpone the implementation of the project, saying that they don’t have other place to stay.
+Datu Abubakar Gunang, president of the Association of Cebu Muslim Professional and Entrepreneurs Inc., said Barangay Ermita has already issued a notice to vacate to the families living in the Mandatan Building owned by Alberto Manda.
+The notice says the families only have until April 15 to vacate as it will soon be the site of the Ermita Elementary School.
+Gunang, who is speaking on behalf of the Carbon Muslim Brotherhood Inc. (CMBI), questioned the move to evict the 67 Muslim families.
+“There was no proper dialogue conducted for the project. No proper consultation was made. These people are displaced Bangsamoro people in Mindanao and they have been living here for 20 to 30 years. Masakit isipin na silay papaalisin,” he told reporters yesterday.
+Gunang said the 67 families are living legally in Mandatan Building as they have been paying their monthly rents to Manda.
+Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairperson of the council committee on housing, said the construction of the school is a joint venture of the City Government and the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi) Dizon said the City will be buying the lot at an estimated cost of P10 million, while the Rafi will be the one to build the school.
+Dialogue
+During the council’s regular session yesterday, the council passed Dizon’s resolution asking the City’s Local School Board to conduct a dialogue with the members of the CMBI to discuss a win-win solution with them.
+“While the construction of the school is for a public purpose and will undoubtedly benefit the students in Ermita, it is also incumbent upon the City to address the needs of the 67 families who will be affected by the construction of the school,” he said.
+Sought for comment about the matter, Mayor Michael Rama said the concern of the Muslim community will have to be discussed in the barangay level.
+“What is needed is a community decision. All should have a consensus of what’s really best for them and what is best for the community,” he said.
+Rama believes a consultation was already made with the affected families, though, adding that he was able to speak in a meeting with them.
+But Rama said he will check with the barangay to know the status of the project.
+Barangay Luz
+In a related development, 12 families in Sitio Lubi in Barangay Luz were evicted yesterday through a court-ordered demolition.
+The 12 families form part of the estimated 30 families that will be evicted from Luz.
+Some of them are in Sitio Mabuhay (10) while others are in Sitio Nangka (6). The residents of Mabuhay and Nangka have been demolished in October last year yet.
+The court has ordered the demolition of the houses after the residents lost in a case they filed in 1994 against three homeowners’ associations—the Mabuhay Homeowners’ Association, Lubi Homeowners’ Association, Nangka Homeowners’ Association—and the Cebu Provincial Government, to resist the community mortgage program that allowed the urban poor to own their homes through a 25-year amortization plan.
+==Mall demo educates voters==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/388223/mall-demo-educates-voters
+* Wednesday, April 10th, 2013
+:By /Joy Cherry Quito, Correspondent with Correspondent Christine Emily Layos Pantaleon
+A Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machine set up for demonstration in SM Cebu City has attracted at least 150 persons since it was set up on April 5.
+The PCOS machine displayed in the lower ground floor of the mall is open for anyone who wants to learn how automated voting is done.
+“The objective of the demo is to educate the voters especially our first time voters on how to shade properly and how to feed their ballot into the PCOS machine,” said April Mae Gamboa, member of the Comelec PCOS demonstration team.
+Gamboa said that most of those who showed enthusiasm in trying the machine were senior citizens and members of media.
+“Ang mga batan-on, labi na ang mga first time voters, kelangan pa sila i-push ila parents to try the machine,”Gamboa said. (The young, especially the first time voters still needs to be encouraged and pushed by their parents to try the machine.)
+Overshading and undershading are the most common mistake of the people who tried the automated voting demo, said Gamboa.
+Lanie Vismanos of barangay Camputhaw, Cebu City, a voter for 20 years, said that the machines are easier and faster.
+However, she said that she still prefers the manual voting system.
+“With this, we will not know how our votes are appreciated by the machines. Before, we see with our own eyes the results because the ballots are counted manually,” the 40-year-old Visamanos said in Cebuano.
+The voting demo in SM Cebu runs from April 5 to April 30, 2013.
+==Cebu City will have to scrounge for funds if BIR chief’s proposal pushes through==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/387573/cebu-city-will-have-to-scrounge-for-funds-if-bir-chiefs-proposal-pushes-through
+* Tuesday, April 9th, 2013
+:By Doris C. Bongcac, Chief of Reporters with a report by Ador Vincent S. Mayol
+The Cebu City government will lose at least P50 million if a proposal to scrap the collection of community taxes, popularly known as cedula, gets approved and implemented.
+Emma Villarete, OIC city treasurer, said collections made from the payment of community taxes and the issuance of community tax certificates (CTC) go to the city’s general fund.
+“It would be a waste if we they stop the community tax collection because that’s  P50 million revenue,” she told Cebu Daily News.
+If Congress heeds the  proposal of Internal Revenue Commissioner Kim Henares, local government units like Cebu City will have to double its tax collection efforts  elsewhere to cover for the loss.
+“Smaller LGUs that only rely on their Internal Revenue Allotment share and local taxes will be hit harder,” said Villarete.
+Henares broached the idea as she said that the cedula has already become “useless” and “irrelevant.” She said the cedula, which was a Spanish colonial era imposition, is no longer recognized as a valid identification document.
+Henares  said that while the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) spends for the printing of the cedula forms, they do not get a share of the revenue collected.
+Villarete however, disputed the BIR commissioner’s claim. “We buy the forms from the BIR,” she said.
+Cebu City issues around 10,000 pads of cedula per year.  There have been instances when neighboring local government units (LGU) would run out of cedula forms  and get supplies from the Cebu City government.
+Villarete said the city government pays P57.50 per cedula pad or booklet and defrays the additional charges for shipping and handling.
+Cebu City  used to share community tax revenues with the barangays under a 50/50 sharing scheme a few years back when barangays were still deputized to help issue  community tax certificates.
+The  collection of community taxes is provided for under the Local Government Code and the Omnibus Tax Code.  Presentation of the employees’  community tax certificates is one of the requirements in the application for the renewal of business permits.
+She admitted however, that there are instances where  the issuance of community taxes is prone to abuse. Some  Cebuanos who are already living outside of Cebu City would just send representatives to secure a community tax certificate from the city treasurer’s office for use in their application legal documents.
+“But we’ve never caught an actual case of that because we don’t require proof of identity when we issues the certificates,” she said.
+Added Burden
+James Mendoza, 20, said the cedula is just an added burden for job applicants like him. A fresh graduate, Mendoza said he had to ask P50 from his mother to pay for the certificate.
+Counters at the City Treasurer’s Office on the second floor of  the city hall executive building where cedulas are issued would normally have the longest lines. Extension counters are put up at the Plaza Sugbu grounds every January when most employees apply for them for their employeer’s business permit application.
+Regional Trial Court Judge Meinrado Paredes said he is not in favor of  scrapping the cedula as a s means to identify a person in some remote areas. While they don’t always  reflect the correct income of the person, he said  inaccuracy alone  is not enough basis to scrap the cedula.
+“There are those who don’t know their actual income. Therefore, what they declare in securing a cedula is not factual. That is, however, no reason to remove the cedula,” Paredes told Cebu Daily News.
+He said the country hasn’t adopted the national ID system so some individuals don’t have any other means to manifest their identities other than the cedula.
+Court of Appeals Justice Gabriel Ingles agreed with observations that the cedula doesn’t provide  accurate  data about someone.
+“First, the CTC no longer provides a reliable information on residency because one can get it anywhere,” Ingles said.
+“Second, the amount which someone ought to pay equivalent to his or her income is incorrect,” he added.
+Former Cebu City Judge Donato Sotero Navarro agreed.
+“The community tax certificate is still a source of income for the local government (LGUs). Until LGUs can find other sources of income, I shall oppose the abolition of the CTC,” he said.
+But veteran lawyer Democrito Barcenas said it’s high time to scrap the cedula.
+“I’m all for scrapping of cedula. It is a leftover of the colonial imposition of the Spanish regime,” he said.
+Barcenas explained that the present notarial laws do not require a person to present a cedula.
+“What is required is the Deed of Sale and other necessary proof of identification like IDs from the SSS (Social Service System) and the driver’s license. The cedula is no longer required,” he said.
+“The move of Henares is a step in the right direction. (But) it’s up to Congress (to scrap the community tax),” he said.
+==Keep ballots clean, voters advised==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/08/keep-ballots-clean-voters-advised-276542
+*Monday, April 8, 2013
+:By  (FMG/Sun.Star Cebu)
+CEBU CITY -- Overshading and paper jams were among the problems encountered by voters who tried the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) demo center in a mall during the weekend.
+To help avoid paper jams, voters must make sure the timing mark – those black markings on the sides of the official ballots -- should not have any writing or rips on them.
+Cebu City South District Election Assistant Bernard de los Reyes said that in the past three days when the Commission on Elections (Comelec) conducted the voter education and PCOS demo in the SM City Cebu, paper jams were the most common problem voters encountered.
+Until April 30, Comelec is testing its machines and systems for the May 13 elections, when some 77,800 clustered precincts will be activated nationwide.
+It will only be the second time the country will use an automated system, hence the need for demos to help voters familiarize themselves with the PCOS.
+Danao City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen showed volunteers how to operate the PCOS machine when the demo started last Friday.
+Last Saturday, about 50 voters tried using the machine, taking a break from their mall errands.
+Voters are advised to handle their ballot carefully and prevent it from getting ink smudges.
+Demo team member Doreen Marigomen said among the reasons behind the paper jams is improper positioning of the ballot when it is fed into the optical scanning machine.
+Rejected ballots -- usually those with torn edges or unnecessary markings -- will not be replaced, but only noted by the Board of Election Inspectors (BEI) and turned over to the Comelec.
+Marigomen said the BEI will also assist those who have poor eyesight. The Comelec is advising senior citizens not to forget their eyeglasses on the day of the election.
+To select a candidate, a voter must shade at least 50 percent of the oval before that candidate or party’s name.
+If the shading goes beyond the oval, the PCOS machine will still accept the ballot, as long as the shading does not extend to another oval.
+Voters who have tried “voting” with the PCOS machine commented that they found it more convenient and easier than the manual election system.
+After shading the appropriate names and feeding their ballot into the machine, voters are advised to wait for the PCOS to flash “Congratulations,” which means that their ballot was valid.
+Marigomen encouraged registered voters, especially first-timers to visit the PCOS Demo Center, whose services are for free.
+It will stay open from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until April 30.
+Cebu Provincial Election Supervisor Lionel Marco Castillano, who is currently assigned in Bohol for the May 2013 elections, has previously advised voters to be patient and expect long lines on election day.
+In 2010, Comelec formed clusters of five precincts each, because there weren’t enough PCOS machines. This year, the clusters can consolidate up to seven precincts each.
+==Osmeña claims Rama lags behind in surveys==
+*Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/07/927916/osmena-claims-rama-lags-behind-surveys
+*Sunday, April 7, 2013
+:By  Rene U. Borromeo, FPL
+CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña claimed that incumbent Mayor Michael Rama is lagging behind him in the latest Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) commissioned surveys.
+Osmeña said BOPK has commissioned two survey firms, a Manila-based and a Cebu-based, to do separate surveys for its candidates. The results of both surveys which were conducted last month allegedly show that Osmeña is winning over Rama if elections were held during that time.
+Although Osmeña refused to divulge the entire results, he gave The FREEMAN a glimpse of the results in 22 lowland barangays in the south district. He said the 80 barangays were divided into four sectors—the upland and the lowland in both south and the north districts.
+Osmeña said there were 6,151 respondents surveyed in the 22 urban barangays in the south where he got 57-percent. Rama reportedly got 40 percent while the remaining 3 percent is undecided.
+Osmeña said he has decided to announce the results in four installments to give the public a thrill.
+According to Osmeña, nine of the 22 urban barangays in the south district are headed by Rama’s allies. These are Basak-Pardo, Basak-San Nicolas, Buhisan, Dulho-Fatima, Ina-yawan, Mambaling, Punta Princesa, Suba-Abuno, and Sawang Calero.
+But in those nine barangays whose captains are his allies, Rama won only in four — Basak-Pardo, Basak-San Nicolas, Inayawan, and Sawang Calero. Osmeña admitted he only got 39 percent in Basak-Pardo while Rama had 58 percent. Rama had a whopping 67 percent in his Barangay Basak-San Nicolas while Osmeña only had 29 percent. The congressman was also behind in Inayawan with only 45 percent as against 52 percent of Rama.
+The mayor also won with 50 percent in Sawang Calero as against 42 percent of  Osmeña. But  Osmeña also had an upper hand over Rama in Buhisan and Duljo-Fatima with 62% and 64%, respectively. Rama only have 33% in both barangays despite the barangay captains are his allies.
+Osmeña also had a commanding 54%  in Mambaling as against the 42% of Rama. Even in Punta Princesa, a known opposition barangay, Osmeña garnered 57% while Rama only had 38%. In Barangay Suba-Abuno, Osmeña got 56%  while Rama had 33%.
+Osmeña bragged that Rama did not win a single barangay in the south district whose captains are allied with BOPK.
+Rama belittled the BOPK survey results saying he also has an inspiring result of his own survey.  The mayor, however,  refused to announce it.
+“Kauwaw nato kon sigi ta og pahibalo sa atong survey nga mangangkon ta nga daug apan mapilde diay. Sagdi lang trabaho lang ta,” the mayor said.
+Osmeña said he is not worried that several barangay captains are no longer supporting him. Rama had 42 barangay captains with him when he called for a press conference last Sunday.
+Osmeña recalled that when he first ran for mayor in 1988, he only had barangay captains in the south district supporting his candidacy but he won in almost all barangays except in Sudlon.
+He said he even won in Barangay Basak-San Nicolas where his opponent that time had a candidate for councilor who is a member of the Rama family.  (FREEMAN)
+==Comelec opens demo center to educate voters about PCOS==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/06/comelec-opens-demo-center-educate-voters-about-pcos-276246
+*Saturday, April 6, 2013
+:By  Flornisa M. Gitgano
+CONVENIENT and easy.
+These are among the comments of persons who tried the automated voting system using the Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines stationed at SM City Cebu, in line with the Commission on Elections (Comelec) 7’s voting education campaign.
+The Comelec PCOS demonstration center will remain at the mall until April 30.
+During the center’s opening yesterday, Danao City Election Officer Dominic Ian Marigomen demonstrated how to operate the PCOS.
+Among those who tried the PCOS machine at the demo center was Ramon Anthony Miñoza, 27, from Oroquieta City in Misamis Occidental.
+He said he was not able to vote in the first automated election so he was surprised at how easy and convenient the process is compared to manual voting.
+Timely
+He noted that even if some of his shadings went out of the oval, the machine still read his ballot.
+Gabriel Orzales, 46, of Talisay City said automated elections is timely.
+Cebu City South Election Assistant Officer Bernard Delos Reyes said they observed the same problems in the May 2010 elections at the demo center.
+One problem involved the elderly with poor eyesight who have difficulties shading the oval next to a candidate’s name.
+Delos Reyes said that to ensure that the PCOS machine will accept the ballot, at least 50 percent of the oval must be shaded.
+Reading glasses
+He said the Cebu City Government provided reading glasses for voters with poor eyesight but many senior citizens forgot to return them after voting.
+Delos Reyes reminded voters to check the ballot handed to them by the board of election inspectors if there are markings. Ballots with markings, even ink smudges, must be returned.
+Doreen Marigomen, PCOS demo team member, said the “timing mark,” the black markings on the sides of the ballot, should not be written on otherwise it will be rejected by the machine.
+The machine will also reject the ballot if the shading is not clear or the ballot is damaged or torn. The machine will also likely to misread the ballot if its identification is not registered.
+Delos Reyes said ballot’s identification is defined per clustered precinct so it cannot be used in machines for other areas.
+Voters should not leave until the machine flashed the word “Congratulations,” delos Reyes said.
+In a related development, Comelec 7 Director Temie Lambino said they are coordinating with local environmental groups in monitoring the placement of campaign materials outside designated areas.
+==Disapproved consultants to remain with City Hall==
+*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/385369/disapproved-consultants-to-remain-with-city-hall
+*Friday, April 5th, 2013
+:By /Chief Of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac
+CEBU City Mayor Michael Rama intends to retain the services of two of his consultants despite the City Council’s refusal to renew their contracts.
+Lawyer Jade Ponce will continue to function as chairman of the Solid Waste Management Board while Ester Cubero will remain with the Local School Board.
+Rama said he will hire Cubero as an executive assistant under the Office of the Mayor to make sure that she will get compensated for her services.
+“I am now having the papers for her (Cubero’s) employment with the Office of the Mayor processed. She will now be my executive assistant (and will) still (be) assigned with the Local School Board,” he said.
+Ponce meanwhile, will work at City Hall for free.
+“Jade Ponce does not need money from his consultancy. But I want him to continue on his private capacity as chairman of the Solid Waste Management Board (SWMB) on behalf of the mayor,” said Rama.
+The City Council on Wednesday approved the renewal of the consultancy contracts of 45 individuals – 23 for the Office of the Mayor and 22 for the City Council.
+Ponce and Cubero were dropped from the approved list of consultants who will serve from January to June.
+Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said he personally opposed the renewal of Cubero and Ponce’s contracts because of their alleged “mortal sins” which they have committed against him and the City Council.
+Ponce said that the councilors were only picking on him because he doesn’t mince words when he speaks his mind.
+==Woman, 87, hurt in Banilad fire==
+*Source: http://www.philstar.com/cebu-news/2013/04/04/926817/woman-87-hurt-banilad-fire
+*Thursday, April 4, 2013
+:By Ria Mae Y. Booc/JPM
+CEBU, Philippines - An 87-year-old woman was injured in a fire that destroyed seven houses and damaged two vehicles at midday yesterday in Sitio Baka, Barangay Apas, Cebu City.
+Remedios Manapsal suffered burns in her face and arms for trying to save some of their belongings as the fire engulfed her house, where the blaze reportedly started.
+Manapsal was taken by the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation (ERUF) to the Cebu City Medical Center for treatment.
+Chief Insp. William Tacaldo, Cebu City Fire Marshal, said they are still investigating the incident.
+Initially, according to neighbors, the fire started at the room of Manapsal before it easily spread to nearby houses.
+As of this writing, the fire bureau has yet to get the names of the owners of the other destroyed houses.
+Aside from the seven houses, two vehicles - a Mitsubishi Adventure and a Volkswagen, were damaged. A pet dog was also hurt.
+The Bureau of Fire and Protection received the alarm at 11:03 a.m. and was raised to third alarm. The fire was controlled around 11:22 a.m. and damage was pegged at P350,000.
+Jasmine Sestoso, who rented a room at the place and employee of a mall nearby, said that she was on duty when her roommate informed her. Sestoso rushed to the scene but unfortunately she failed to save her belongings.
+Tacaldo reminded the public to be cautious anytime to always unplug unused appliances especially cellular phones and ceiling fans.
+“Magbantay ta kanunay labi na init ang panahon nga maka-contribute sad sa sunog,” Tacaldo said. (Let’s all be mindful of safety especially during this hot season.) — (FREEMAN)
+==2 policemen ‘who shot each other’ laid to rest==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/03/16/fire-hits-labangon-apartment-273240
+*Wednesday, April 3, 2013
+:By   Jill B. Tatoy
+FIRE hit a three-door apartment on Tres de Abril St., Barangay Labangon, Cebu City, leaving P250,000 worth of property damaged last Thursday evening.
+The third-alarm fire was received at 10:05 p.m. and was placed under control after five minutes.
+The fire reportedly started in the apartment occupied by a Norma Gabor.
+Raul Todiño, owner of the apartment, said that at 10 p.m., he heard three explosions in a neighboring apartment.
+He said he turned off the circuit breaker of the apartment to be safe. But he heard another small explosion.
+When he checked outside, he saw the apartment unit of Gabor already on fire. Gabor's apartment was destroyed while two other apartment units were damaged.
+City Fire Marshall William Tacaldo said they didn't have difficulty arriving at the fire scene because the roads leading to it are wide.
+He said the fire is still under investigation. No one was injured nor killed in the incident, he said.
+Four hours earlier, a fire also hit a business establishment on M.J. Cuenco Ave. leaving P500,000 worth of properties destroyed.
+Alarm
+BFP 7 received the alarm from Sitio Lower Lomar, MJ Cuenco Ave. in Barangay T. Padilla at 5:54 p.m. They placed it under control at 6:18 p.m.
+The fire destroyed Unisports Tailoring on the building's second floor, and a surplus tire shop at the ground floor. The building was owned by a Endre Reyes.
+Tacaldo said the fire reportedly started in the tailoring shop. It is still under investigation. Tacaldo said they had no problem reaching the area as it was along the highway.
+But the black smoke from burning tires made it difficult for firemen to breathe, he said.
+He said they used some breathing apparatus to penetrate the area.
+==‘Are you fit to run?’==
+*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/local-news/2013/04/01/are-you-fit-run-275408?quicktabs_6=0
+*Monday, April 1, 2013
+:By   Elias O. Baquero and Princess Dawn H. Felicitas
+FOR at least two candidates in Cebu City, the official campaign period for the local elections began with questions over their health.
+Although he is already out of danger, former Cebu City councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem will not be able to personally campaign for May 13. So his wife, Sharon, will campaign for him instead.
+For former Cebu City congressman Raul del Mar, three speeches delivered in different campaign events in less than two hours yesterday should disprove the rumors that he is ailing.
+Most local parties in Metro Cebu chose to formally begin their campaign today, while crowds head back into the city after the Holy Week.
+Both Team Rama and Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) have scheduled a 7 a.m. mass at the Metropolitan Cebu Cathedral and the San Pedro Calungsod Shrine in the South Road Properties, respectively.
+They will then visit different areas to shake hands with potential voters.
+On April 6, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said, his group will hold a Team Rama rally at Plaza Independencia around 6 p.m.
+Rama said he already communicated with United Nationalists Alliance (UNA) Vice President Jejomar Binay, inviting UNA candidates for the local rally but nothing is final yet.
+To prove he is healthy and strong, former deputy speaker Raul del Mar delivered three speeches during the general assemblies of senior citizens and a cooperative in Barangays San Jose and Bacayan, Cebu City in less than two hours yesterday.
+In his speeches, del Mar said he can even join a ballroom dancing contest just to show to his detractors that he is healthy mentally and physically.
+Tomas, too
+“Reporters kept on calling me the past two weeks to confirm reports they’ve received that Tommy (Osmeña) is dying and I am already dead. One reporter asked: Is it true that you are comatose and in ICU (intensive care unit)? I replied: If it is true, then how come I was able to answer your call?” del Mar told a huge crowd in Lower Bacayan.
+Jakosalem’s wife, Sharon, will campaign for him all throughout the campaign period, which will run until May 11.
+Jakosalem is one of Team Rama’s eight candidates for councilor in the city’s north district.
+In an interview with Sun.Star Cebu, Sharon said her husband was discharged from the hospital on Dec. 31 last year, but he is currently in rehabilitation.
+She wants to spare him from the stress of campaigning, so he can recover fully faster. She is hopeful that even in his absence from the campaign trail, her husband will not be placed at a disadvantage.
+“Because I think the people will understand his situation,” she said.
+At present, Sharon said her husband can already talk a little and is already on a wheelchair. According to his doctors, the former city councilor is fast recovering.
+She added that the parasite in his brain has already been removed and the swelling of his brain has subsided.
+Support
+Jakosalem had suffered a relapse of the parasite infection in his brain last October.
+Yesterday, Sharon represented her husband during the press conference called by Team Rama at the Rama Compound in Barangay Basak San Nicolas for the announcement of the group’s campaign activities.
+Rama announced that some officials from some 75 out of 80 barangays have expressed support to his group for the elections.
+Forty-one of them were represented by barangay captains while 34 were represented by barangay councilors.
+The five barangays that sent no one to the event are Guba, Sto. Niño, Tisa, Pahina San Nicolas and Lorega.
+BOPK chief and Rama’s opponent for City Hall’s top post in the upcoming polls, Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district), downplayed the figures.
+Captains
+He said most of Rama’s barangay captains are from the mountain villages that have small voting populations.
+Osmeña said BOPK still has control over both urban and rural barangays except some 15 percent of them.
+“We will erode Rama’s 15 percent in the next few days,” he added.
+Del Mar, for his part, said he found it amazing that while their political opponents wished them (he and Osmeña) dead, they become stronger and healthier instead.
+Those who spoke in the same forums were reelectionist Cebu City Councilors Margot Osmeña, Lea Ouano Japson, Noel Wenceslao, Nida Cabrera, Nestor Archival, Alvin Arcilla and Alvin Dizon.
+Del Mar told his audience in San Jose that while his opponent is promising to deliver goods to the people, he has already done it in form of free medicines, various infrastructure projects and cash aids to senior citizens.
+“I was one of the authors of the Senior Citizens Law, which mandates Local Government Units (LGUs) to give cash assistance to you. I was also one of the authors of the Local Government Code that gave powers to LGUs. So, we already worked for the best interest of the people, starting way back 25 years ago,” del Mar told the senior citizens in San Jose and Lower Bacayan.
+Effort
+In his speech before the Bacayan Multi-Purpose Cooperative 19th General Assembly, del Mar, he congratulated the coop’s officials.
+“Your coop can expect assistance from Tommy (Osmeña) and me soon,” del Mar said.
+Osmeña is running for mayor against incumbent Mayor Cebu City Michael Rama while del Mar is being opposed by talent manager Anabelle Rama.
+Del Mar said that he and Osmeña will do their best to bring important facilities to Bacayan, being the center of Cebu City’s north district.
+He said that they converted the Bacayan city road into a national road so it could be widened through the Department of Public Works and Highways.
+“I believe that with our collective efforts, Bacayan will become better than before in the next 20 years,” del Mar said.