The Inayawan barangay captain is warning the Cebu City Police Office
of possible legal actions if the police would insist on erecting a
police station on a disputed lot in the barangay.
Barangay Captain Kirk Bryan Repollo, who is affiliated with the Bando
Osmena Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), said on Wednesday that they were
exploring possible legal actions if the CCPO would build a police
station on the disputed lot.
In a Facebook message sent to Cebu Daily News, Repollo said they did
not block CCPO’s plans to have a new police station there, but they
merely offered them to look for another area.
Aside from the legal consequences that the police might face in
constructing the police station there, Repollo claimed that the previous
administration allegedly failed to ask authorization from the barangay
council in the donation of the lot.
“There is no barangay resolution authorizing the barangay captain to
sign a deed of donation. They only have a barangay resolution donating a
property. They don’t even state where specifically is the lot to be
donated is located,” Repollo said.
Senior Supt. Royina Garma, CCPO director, criticized the barangay
officials' refusal to let the CCPO construct a police station in the
area.
“This is my first time to see a barangay captain who refused to have
the police station beside or near the barangay hall while other
barangays here would even want police presence at the barangay hall,”
Garma said in Filipino.
She said that they would have started constructing the new Police
Station 7 in Inayawan but the officials allegedly blocked the project
citing irregularities in the deed of donation.
A 10,000 square meter lot was donated by the barangay during the
administration of then Inayawan Barangay Captain Lotlot Ignacio-Soon,
who was also a Barug Rama ally, to the CCPO where the new Police Station
7 will be constructed.
Garma claimed that the barangay officials would not allow the
construction of the police station there because they were allegedly
involved in illegal activities.
Repollo, however, denied these allegations and cited traffic and
irregularities of the deed of donation as the reasons for their refusal
to have the police station constructed in the donated lot.
He said in an earlier interview that he had met with Barangay
Poblacion Pardo officials and they agreed to have the police station in a
lot near the tennis court near the barangay hall in Pardo instead. ( Nestle L. Semilla and Morexette Marie B. Erram)
Source of news: Cebu Daily News. Photo credit: Cebu City Police Office Facebook Page.
Watersheds must be
protected “for the present and future generations,” according to
Environment regional director Jim O Sampulna.
“Watersheds
should be protected against human or natural exploitation. Protecting
our watersheds means protecting the health and well-being of everyone,”
he stressed.
More than 60 percent of the country’s
land area is classified as watersheds. This means that there are about
21-million hectares of catchment areas in the Philippines.
These include 142 critical watersheds – 11 of which are found in Western Visayas.
In
connection to this, the DENR Region 6 through the Provincial
Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) recently held a
symposium on watershed conservation in Barangay Buluagan, Jordan town.
The symposium targeted the youth sector.
A
watershed is a land area drained by a stream or fixed body of water
whose tributaries have a common outlet for surface run-off.
It
serves to capture, store and recharge groundwater, filter out water
pollutants, and safely release precipitation or rainwater as to prevent
floods during episodes of heavy downpour.
If watersheds are not protected
against free grazing, forest fire, timber poaching, unregulated
extraction of raw materials and minor forest products, inappropriate
upland farming practices, severe erosion that resulted to sedimentation
and siltation of rivers, and wildlife poaching, they become “critical.”
A
critical watershed is a drainage area of a river system supporting
existing and proposed hydroelectric power, irrigation works or existing
water facilities that needs immediate protection and rehabilitation to
minimize erosion and improve water yield.
Forester Leonora Magno, chief of PENRO’s Conservation and Development Section, was the resource speaker during the symposium.
Magno
discussed the programs and thrusts of the DENR, the state of watersheds
in the country, and the characteristics of watersheds and their
importance.
Barangay
Buluangan was a fitting venue because it is the main source of domestic
water supplied to consumers in Barangay San Miguel, Jordan. (With DENR Region 6/PN)
Source of news and photo credit: DENR 6/Panay News
40 Barangay Health Workers, Nutrition Scholars
and representatives from the Sipalay City Nutrition Office gathered at
the Brgy. Mambaroto Gym in Sipalay City for their first team building
and final orientation under TraNSCEnd Hunger, a program focused on the
training of barangay nutrition scholars and health workers to end
hunger.
Communities First Executive Director Kath Maguad discussed the goals
of the program, as well as the calendar of upcoming activities to the
participants. She also announced that though the pilot program had
originally been planned for only 20 participants, that number was
doubled because the organizers saw the need to train more health workers
to support more barangays. Ms. Maguad then did a Q&A session with
the participants so they could clarify any questions they had with the
organizers.
Afterwards, Yols Hortillosa, Co-Founder of BMBC – Bacolod Mom &
Baby Club, gave a primer on the breastfeeding peer counselor training
that the participants would be undergoing on October 1-2, 2018. She also
discussed what the roles of a breastfeeding peer counselor were and how
their skills would be needed especially in times of disaster to support
the most vulnerable members of their community – the babies and the
children.
To cap off the event, Community Facilitator Valirie Haguisan
conducted an activity for the health workers to get to know each other
better. Through the activity, the participants were reminded that no
matter what their backgrounds were, each of them could make a positive
impact on the lives that they touched on a daily basis.
Snacks for the event were prepared by the Sipalay BLT Central Kitchen.
TraNSCEnd Hunger is supported by the LGU of Sipalay City, Communities
First – Creative Initiatives for Development, BMBC – Bacolod Mom &
Baby Club and VGIF – Virginia Gildersleeve International Fund.
Source of news and photo credit: The Daily Guardian.
The Sandiganbayan has ordered a Manila Regional Trial Court (RTC) to
hear the suspension of an incumbent barangay (village) chairman,
pending the trial of his falsification of public document case.
In
a decision dated Sept. 7, the Sandiganbayan 4th Division ordered Manila
RTC Branch 1 Presiding Judge Tita Bughao Alisuag to conduct the
necessary proceeding to determine the propriety of placing Ernesto
Evasco Jr., chief of Barangay 500, Zone 49 in Sampaloc, Manila, under
suspension pendente lite (during litigation).
“The order dated
March 16, 2010 and the order dated July 19, 2010, both issued by Hon.
Tita Bughao Alisuag in Criminal Case No. 09-270-244 of the Regional
Trial Court, Branch 1, Manila, are hereby nullified and set aside,” the
anti-graft court said.
Earlier, the Office of the Ombudsman filed a
petition for certiorari, questioning the orders of the Manila RTC
Branch 1 dated March 16, 2010 and July 19, 2010, which denied the
prosecution’s motion to suspend Evasco pendente lite and motion for
reconsideration, respectively.
Evasco was arraigned and entered a not guilty plea on the case of falsification of public document on Oct. 21, 2009.
In their motion, the state prosecutors claimed that Alisuag acted with abuse of discretion in denying their motion.
Alisuag
said she has no power to suspend Evasco in view of Section 63 of
Republic Act (RA) No. 7160, or the “Local Government Code of 1991”,
arguing that Evasco's suspension is an executive act.
The
Sandiganbayan, however, ruled that there are three provisions concerning
the preventive suspension of a public officer – Section 24 of RA 6770,
or the “Ombudsman Act”; Section 63 of RA 7160; and Section 13 of RA
3019, or the “Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act”.
“Wherefore,
premises considered, herein petition for certiorari filed by petitioner
People of the Philippines, represented by the Office of the Ombudsman,
through the Office of the Special Prosecutor, is hereby granted,” the
Sandiganbayan said. (Perfecto Raymundo, Jr.)
Source: Philippine News Agency. Photo credit:politics.com.ph
A group of residents in Barangay San Joacquin, Mabalacat City are opposing the opening a new gate leading to Clark Freeport.
The
village's main road, named Imelda Marcos Street, will be opened to
motorists once the ongoing construction of the Clark Mabalacat Angeles
Road (CMAR) extension is completed.
But the residents asked the Clark Development Corporation (CDC) and the local government here to consider other routes.
They claimed that San Joacquin is residential and thickly-populated barangay and Imelda Marcos Street is the only road they use.
The
opening of the road will compromise the safety of the school children
and people living in community, according to the group of residents who
prepared a position paper against the project.
The 15-meter street is not sufficient to serve as an access road to Clark at the same time service road of the residents.
During
the time of the US military, Barangay San Joaquin was never used as an
entry point to Clark, according to the residents. “Historically,
Barangay Dolores was where the gate of Clark for the entry of supplies
was located.”
Local officials earlier asked the CDC to extend the
CMAR to the city's northern villages in a bid to decongest the
MacArthur Highway.
The residents claimed that the government implemented without consulting the people living in the area.
Vice Mayor Christian Halili said they have recommended to CDC alternative routes including a road leading to Barangay Dolores.
The
CDC said that the road project was envisioned to help decongest traffic
at Macarthur Highway per arrangements with Mabalacat City Government,
it being primarily affected by congestion. Safety and security of all
concerned have also been factored in by way of added provisions like
lighting, canal and narrowing the road width.
“But given all
these features, CDC will always consider the decision of the LGU
Mabalacat — them being considered not just the beneficiary but also our
partner in progress.” (Reynaldo Navales)
Source: SunStar Pampanga. Photo credit: commons.wikimedia.org
The Commission on Elections’ (Comelec) Second Division in Intramuros,
Manila has dismissed the instant appeal of a losing candidate for the
position of barangay kagawad (village councilor) in Dumaguete City due
to her failure to file the Notice of Appeal within the prescribed
period.
The case stemmed from the protest initially filed before
the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) by then incumbent Taclobo
barangay kagawad Jocelyn Z. Ombos against newly-elected councilor
Enrique S. Oira, which was resolved in the latter’s favor.
Records
show that MTCC Branch 1 presiding Judge Dinah B. Tabada-Chu ordered the
dismissal of the protest filed by Ombos against Oira last June 8. Both
parties received a copy of the decision on June 13.
Instead of
filing a Notice of Appeal consistent with the rules of procedure in
election contests before the courts involving elective municipal and
barangay officials and the Comelec Rules of Procedure, Ombos filed a
Motion for Reconsideration on June 14, which was eventually denied by
the trial court in its order dated June 19.
It was only on June 28 that Ombos filed her Notice of Appeal and settled the corresponding court appeal fee.
Considering
that a motion for reconsideration is a prohibited pleading, the June 14
motion for reconsideration of Ombos did not interrupt the period
prescribed by the rules to file a requisite Notice of Appeal.
It
said that Ombos only had five days from receipt to file the notice but
the notice of appeal was filed only on June 28, or 15 days from receipt
of the June 8 order of the MTCC.
Thus, premises considered, the
Comelec 2nd division resolved to dismiss the instant appeal. Presiding
commissioner Luietito F. Guia penned the decision.
Oira won by only two votes against Ombos who landed in the eighth position.
Meanwhile,
the camp of newly-elected barangay kagawad of Looc, Sheila Mae Catada,
awaits a resolution from the MTCC on the recount filed by Anna Marie
Larena who lost by only one vote to Catada.
According to Catada, two more votes were added to her name in the recount. (Juancho Gallarde)
Source: Philippine News Agency. Photo credit: gmanetwork.com
DILG officer-in-charge (OIC) Eduardo M. Año stressed that barangay
officials must be proactive in ensuring all NGOs within the barangay are
accredited for proper accounting as they should partner with the
Barangay Development Council (BDC) and other barangay-based institutions
(BBIs) to facilitate progress.
“As partners of the government in its pursuit for progress, NGOs play
a crucial part in delivering services to the people, especially in the
grassroots level. And as such, it is imperative that they are accredited
to formalize their operation in the barangay and for their voice to be
heard in the BDC, BBIs,” Año said.
“The punong barangay, SB must therefore carefully enforce their
mandated functions of accrediting barangay-based NGOs under their
jurisdiction,” he added.
Under Article 64 (a) of the Local Government Code, within 30 days
from the organization of the newly elected sanggunian, each sanggunian
concerned shall call all community-based people’s organizations or NGOs,
including business and professional groups, to apply with the same LGU
concerned for accreditation for membership in the local special bodies.
Accreditation process
A DILG directive compels the punong barangays and SBs to ensure
participation of NGOs by undertaking information campaign and to
encourage all barangay-based NGOs participation in the accreditation and
selection process.
The DILG also noted that all community-based NGOs, whether previously
accredited or seeking accreditation for the first time, shall be handed
with the Notice of Call for Application and Accreditation.
It added the same Notice shall be posted in three conspicuous areas
of the barangay, on social and print media or on the barangay website,
if available.
The SB, through the barangay secretary, shall then prepare the list
or directory of interested NGOs containing the name of the organization,
contact information of the head of the organization, and services
offered, among others.
Interested parties are requested to submit a letter of application
for accreditation, and the accomplished Application and Accreditation
Form (AAF) to the SB with the inclusion of Certificate of Registration
issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission, list of current
officers, and the annual accomplishment report and financial statement
for the immediately preceding year.
“Failure to submit all the requirements shall cause the denial of the
NGOs accreditation which is why it is important for them to produce all
of the supporting documents. Ngunit maaari pa din naman nilang ipasa
ang mga requirements basta makumpleto nila,” Año warned.
The SB will then pass an ordinance or resolution setting the
additional criteria, if necessary; set the day for the conduct of
assessment and evaluation; assess and evaluate the submitted AAF and
other requirements; and direct the barangay secretary to document the
assessment and evaluation process.
Participating NGOs will then be notified by the punong barangay
regarding the status of their application for accreditation. Qualified
NGOs will be issued with a certificate of accreditation indicating the
concerned BBI to be represented.
In the same directive, it is stipulated that as much as practicable, only one NGO per sector will be accredited.
But in the event that there are multiple applicants catering services
to the same sector, heads of those NGOs must convene to elect a leader
among themselves.
The DILG chief also reminded interested NGOs and the barangay
officials that the accreditation process shall not cost anything hence
“collection of any amount in connection to the accreditation shall be
subjected to appropriate sanctions, in accordance with the law.” (Chito Chavez)
Source: Manila Bulletin. Photo credit: AP Photo/Bullit Marquez /MB)
