CARIGARA, Leyte- The mayor of this town has filed criminal cases against the incumbent vice mayor and a councilor who is running against him in this year’s midterm elections.
Mayor Eduardo Ong filed perjury and falsification of public documents against Vice Mayor Mildred Modesto and Councilor Rachel Makabenta before the Office of the Assistant Provincial Prosecutor based this town on February 18.
On his affidavit-complaint, Ong claimed that both Makabenta and Modesto, running-mates in this year’s elections, committed forgery using falsified documents when they filed disqualification cases against him and his son who is his running mate.
Ong alleged that the witness of the complainants, Maritess Cantojos, denied that she signed an affidavit supporting the disqualification cases filed against Mayor Ong and his son, Eduardo, Jr.
Cantojos claimed that her signature that appeared on the complaint was forged.
Ong also said that lawyer Ulpiano Arpon, Jr., who was said to have notarized the disqualification cases filed against them before the Commission on Elections has also made a denial.
Ong, who is seeking for his third and last term as mayor, faces disqualification on the grounds of residency.
Dennis Garay, spokesperson of Mayor Ong, dismissed the disqualification petitions saying it’s nothing but political harassment saying that Ong has been serving as mayor of Carigara for the past six years now.
Still, they will answer the petition as they remain positive that it will eventually be dismissed by the Comelec for lack of merit.
Mayor Ong claims residency in Barangay Sagkahan of said town.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/
LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Leyte mayor files perjury, falsification of public documents against his vice mayor and councilor
Teachers undergo officiating and coaching training
Biliran prepares for EVRAA 2019
NAVAL, Biliran- A total of 373 teachers attended and participated a three- day division- based regional training for training and coaching official enhancement.
The activity was aimed at capacitating and enhancing the coaching skills of teachers who will serve as coaches in the forthcoming Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) Meet which is set on April 7-12, 2019 in Ormoc City.
Biliran has improved its ranking during the last three years where it holds the crown in archery for the last five years.
In an interview, Ryan Remandaban, the division sports coordinator, expressed his thanks to the eight mayors of the province for supporting the sports program of Governor Gerardo J. Espina, Jr. and Rep. Roger Espina.
Both officials have been supporting the sports program of the Department of Education (DepEd).
The training covered all games such as archery, baseball, basketball, softball, sepak takraw, taekwondo, volleyball, boxing, chess, bowling, billiard, arnis, among others.
Resource speakers and trainers from other school divisions shared their expertise on the different techniques and strategies in winning the games.
Last December, a special four- training for gymnastics was also conducted for Biliranon gymnasts with trainers from Manila.
It was participated by elementary and secondary pupils and students who aspire to become versatile gymnasts. Biliran wants to restore back gymnastics along with other new games.
(REY E. FAJARDO)
Gaisano-led company enters joint venture deal with Samar gov’t
Business complex, public terminal to be constructed
TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial government of Samar and the Gaisano-owned Metro Retail Stores Group Inc. (MRSGI) has entered a joint venture agreement wherein a 22-hectare property located in Catbalogan City will be converted into a mixed-use complex.
And this early, Governor Sharee Ann Tan expressed her optimism that the joint venture agreement that she entered in behalf of the provincial government will reap benefits in favor of Samar’s economy and its people.
“Among the advantages of this joint venture is the foreseeable increase in employment rate, the economic boom, and the revenues from the operation of the convention center, government center with business processing outsourcing(BPO) center, and terminal will all belong to the province,” Tan said.
The governor heralded the joint venture agreement saying it will kick start on the economic development of Samar.
It was learned that based on the joint venture agreement, MRSGI will construct and operate a department store, supermarket with a movie theater, a convention center, a government center with BPO space, and a hotel complex in Barangay 7 in Catbalogan City.
Also to be constructed inside the 22-hectare complex is a transport terminal.
It was learned that MRSGI has earmarked a total budget of more than P472.9 million to develop the area while the provincial government will provide the needed space where the mixed-use complex will be constructed.
The project is expected to start immediately after the provincial government formally turn over the property to MRSGI.
On its disclosure before the Philippine Stocks Exchange (PSE), MRSGI promised to complete the first phase which includes the department store, the supermarket with a theater and the hotel.
And as part of the deal, both the provincial government and MRSGI agreed to share in the monthly gross revenue and gross rent, without value-added tax, sourced from the operation of the department store and the supermarket.
MRSGI is to turn over the ownership of the department store, supermarket and the leasable spaces, to the provincial government after the agreed 30 year period.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Gov. Petilla appeals to parents to have their children immunized
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla has called on parents to have their children immunized with the anti-measles vaccine.
The call of the governor came in the wake of the increasing number of persons contacting the measles virus in Leyte.
Records from the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) disclosed that Leyte has the highest number of measles cases.
As of this week, about 312 persons, mostly children, were afflicted with measles across the province.
And of the confirmed 16 deaths due to measles in the region, Leyte has 13, to include the four from Tacloban City.
“Those who have not yet received the measles vaccination should avail (it),” Petilla said.
The governor said that based on the reports relayed to him, the measles outbreak is not only affecting babies or children but even adults which makes it more worrisome.
Thus, Petilla is calling even the adults to have themselves vaccinated, especially those who did not receive the vaccine, or have them inoculated as a booster.
Gov. Petilla said that parents should not be afraid to have their children vaccinated and should give priority on the well-being of their children.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte has also made a similar call to parents to have their children treated with anti-measles vaccine amid the ballooning of measles cases in the country, with several region Eastern Visayas, declaring an outbreak.
The rise of measles in the province and the rest of the country was due to the scare brought by the Dengvaxia scare.
Dengvaxia is an antidote for dengue fever but was surrounded with controversy after several parents came out and claimed that their children died after receiving the said medicine.
The DOH has banned Dengvaxia as an anti-dengue fever vaccine in the country due to the controversy. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Gov. Ong asked by Malacañang to explain absenteeism complaint
TACLOBAN CITY- Northern Samar Governor Jose Ong was directed by Malacañang to answer a complaint filed against him for his alleged frequent absences.
The letter, issued on January 14, was signed by lawyer Ryan Alvin Acosta, deputy executive secretary for legal affairs of the Office of the President.
The order stemmed from a complaint filed by lawyer Reyzandro Unay, a resident of San Roque town in Northern Samar, on December 12,2018 before the Office of the President who alleges that Ong’s “calloused habitual absenteeism” is tantamount to dishonesty, misconduct in office and dereliction of duty.
Thus, he is seeking the Office of the President to suspend Ong, who is serving on his second term but is running as congressman in the second district of the province in this year’s midterm elections.
“So egregiously shameless and irresponsible of a public official is respondent’s Ong’s absenteeism that even during times of calamities, of which Northern Samar is prone to, he cannot attend to the immediate needs of his constituents,” part of Unay’s complaint said.
He added that in most cases, it is Vice Gov. Gary Lavin who issues memoranda and orders to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office calling for the suspension of classes or works, citing as an example, a such order when the province was hit by tropical depression ‘Samuel’ on November 20,2018.
“With his habitual absence in the province of Northern Samar, by no stretch of imagination can respondent Ong be expected to perform (his) duties and responsibilities when it is clearly physically impossible for him to do so,” Unay said on his 14-page complaint, a copy was furnished to Leyte Samar Daily Express.
Unay claims that Ong, when he is not in the province, stays in Manila to attend his businesses and other personal concerns.
And despite of his alleged frequent absences, the governor continues to claim his salaries, travel allowances and other emoluments, thus he is guilty of dishonesty, he alleged.
Unay said that he is seeking for Ong’s preventive suspension in the conduct of investigation to ensure that he could not influence possible witnesses against him.
Reached for his comment, Gov. Ong dismissed the complaint saying it smack with political motive as Unay is running for congressman against him.
Ong, however, said that he filed his answer to the complaint through his lawyers on Wednesday (Feb.20).
He also contended that whenever he is outside the province, he could still carry out his obligations as governor.
“I can still function as governor even when I am outside the province. I always give formal authorization to Vice Gov. Lavin assigning him as officer-in-charge to ensure that transactions will remain smooth,” Ong said in a phone interview.
He also said that whenever he is outside the province and there is a threat of calamity, he was the one who direct Lavin to declare suspension of classes or works.
Ong also said that whenever he is in Manila, he was there to follow up some official transactions, adding that under Local Government Code, he is allowed to have absences of not more than 15 working days.
By: Joey A. Gabieta/RACHEL V. ARNAIZ