TACLOBAN CITY – Political allies here in the region of former president and now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo expressed their delight over her release from detention. Arroyo, president of the country from 2001 up to 2010, was acquitted by the Supreme Court on the plunder charge filed against her by the Office of the Ombudsman over alleged misuse of the intelligence fund worth P366 million of the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office(PCSO) on Tuesday(July 19)voting 11-4. Victor Domingo, who held various government posts during the Arroyo administration, the last being secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highways(DPWH), said he is happy that after almost five years, “justice prevailed” in favor of the former Chief Executive.  “From the beginning, I believe there was no basis of those charges against her since she did not seat as member of the PCSO board. She just trusted the judgment of the board and did not personally use the money,” said Domingo, who was also a PCSO director during the early years of the Arroyo presidency. He also said that the former president should have been released earlier considering her weak condition. “They should have considered Arroyo’s health. It was not prosecution, but persecution as she was not able to leave the country to get the best treatment For former congressmen Sergio Apostol of Leyte and Emil Ong of Northern Samar, the release of Arroyo was only an indication that the plunder charge filed against her was weak from the very beginning. “Arroyo did not embezzle the intelligence funds of the PCSO. She was just involved because of the marginal note(she made),” Apostol said.
Ong, meantime, said that his only disappointment is that Arroyo was released only this time as she is suffering from a debilitating ailment. “It’s too harsh. Why did they delay the decision of the case if the respondent is innocent,” Ong said.  (SARWELL Q. MENIANO/RYAN GABRIEL ARCENAS)

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The proposed tide embankment along coastlines of this city and the towns of Palo and Tanauan will proceed as scheduled. However, unlike in the Palo-Tanauan area, the Tacloban side is encountering some problems reason why the construction on this side is hampered, said Edgar Tabacon, regional director of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), said. In fact, because of the problems involving the Tacloban side, the work of the tide embankment project connecting it to the Palo side is also affected, he added. “But the project will continue. It will proceed as scheduled. In fact, there is already a budget allocated to pay families that will be affected by this project,” Tabacon said. The DPWH has allocated around P10 million to pay the families to be hit by the project.
The amount is part of the P9.7 billion total budget of the project covering the towns of Palo and Tanauan and Tacloban city spanning 27.3 kilometers in all. The three areas are considered among the hard-hit when supertyphoon “Yolanda” pummeled Leyte on November 8, 2013.  Tabacon said that the refusal of some house owners and the lack of relocation site for the families located along Barangay 90, San Jose district that will be affected hinder the project to start. “Of course, we cannot just remove these houses without the (owners) being relocated. This is also the request of City Mayor (Cristina) Romualdez; that we’ll not start the project without these families relocated to their new resettlement,” the DPWH regional director said. Around 49 houses, to include a beach resort, are to be affected in Brgy. 90 for this project. The tide embankment is a project of the national government design as a deterrent against storm surges. Its time table covers 2016 up to 2020. Yolanda generated storm surges that rendered houses and other structures located along shoreline to be totally destroyed. The storm surges were also blamed for the death of thousands of people during Yolanda’s onslaught. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- An anti-mining group is calling for the resignation of officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources- Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) here in the region. Sought for their ouster are Leonardo Sibbaluca and Nonita Caguioa, executive director of the DENR and regional director of the MGB, respectively. The two officials appear not to heed the order of Environment Sec. Gina Lopez to stop the transport of nickel ore in Manicani Island, off Guiuan town, Eastern Samar, said officials of the Protect Manicani Society (Promisi), citing their reason why they are seeking for their resignation. Promisi is a group that opposes mining activity in Manicani, an island of more than 2,000 inhabitants.

The Hinatuan Mining Corp. (HMC), which has a mining permit on the island, is on the process of hauling their nickel ore stockpile which is being opposed by the Promisi.
“We are seeking for the two to resign from their posts as they are not serving our interests but that of HMC. There is already an order from Sec. Lopez to stop the transport and yet Sibbaluca and Caguioa appear not to heed the order,” Marcial Somooc, Promisi president said in a press conference on Friday(July 22). Somooc said that the presence of the HMC in the island is not only causing environmental danger to them but even their personal relationships are affected. He said that while there are group opposing for the stoppage of the mining activity in the island, there are also people who favor the HMC’s presence.  The group is also seeking for the ouster of MGB national director Leo Jasareno who earlier allowed the HMC, through its mother company Nickel Asia Corp., to dispose the stockpile.

Sec. Lopez had issued an order on July 19 directing HMC to stop in the transport of nickel ore in Manicani to prevent environment damage caused by excessive soil extraction.” About 50,000 metric tons of nickel ore are said to be transported by the HMC under an ore transport permit granted to it by the MGB. HMC had started its mining operation in Manicani Island in 1992 but due to low price of nickel in the world market, temporarily ceased its operations in 1993. In 2002, then DENR Sec. Heherson Alvarez suspended HMC operations in the island due to its alleged human rights and environmental violations. Last year, HMC was given the permit by the MGB-8 to transport its stockpile. The mineral is being transported to China. Larry Pascua, regional coordinator of Sanlakas which supports the Promisi on this campaign, said that he find it “ironic” that the mineral deposits are to be transported to China where the Philippines are having territorial dispute.

“They are helping enrich China to the expense of our poor people in Manicani,” Pascua said, referring to DENR and MGB officials. Leyte Samar Daily Express contacted Sibbaluca and Caguioa through their respective staff but there was no response from their end. But earlier, Coquioa said that the stockpile were not only of “low quality” but wastes reason why her office allowed it to be transported away from the island. She had also vehemently denied that they are serving the interests of the mining company. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- City Mayor Cristina Gonzales Romualdez expressed her total support on the campaign of the Office of the Ombudsman to act on cases of sexual harassment against members of the government’s bureaucrats. Romualdez made her assurance as the Office of the Ombudsman launched on Tuesday (July 19) its gender information desk (GID). The gender information desk will now allow alleged victims of sexual harassment or discrimination to file their complaints. Romualdez narrated that her administration is also providing support to victims of sexual harassment involving women and children. The city mayor said that the Women Shelter, the name of the facility, does not offer temporary haven and protection to distress women and children but at the same time provides them courses of livelihood for them to earn. Jennifer Manalili, assistant ombudsman and chairperson on gender development, said that that it is very important to have a GID here in Tacloban because studies have shown that after supertyphoon “Yolanda,” people have been affected and there a lot of economic and social dislocation going on.

The GID aims to ventilate the complaints of the victims with the Ombudsman referring them to the proper authorities if they need psychological counseling. On the other hand, they can act immediately on the complaint if the complaint is against a public official or employee Cases of sexual harassment, particularly involving women, was noted to have increase after the region was pummeled by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013. As reported by the Philippine National Police, cases of violence against women (VAW) have been increasing in the last six years or from 2010 to 2015. A total of 1,466 VAW cases were reported in January to October 2015 which was higher compare to only 60 cases in 2010. The increase in the number of reported VAW cases can be attributed to the massive campaign and implementation of the country’s laws on violence against women and the improved reporting system on VAW in the region.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto lauds a bill filed by Senator Francis Pangilinan that would automatically grant civil service eligibility and, thus, regular employment to government workers who have rendered at least five years of continuous and efficient service. Loreto said it is a “good and sound bill” as there are more than 50% casual and contractual employees being employed by the government. He added that casual and contractual employees should also enjoy the benefits of regular employees such as security of tenure, social security and Pag-ibig Funds incentives, among others.

“The bill makes sense. For the reason that they are contractual and casual and subject to renewal for a period of time makes them work more efficiently so they can be rehired. That is why I say they should be entitled to the same benefits,” Loreto said. As for the province of Leyte, Loreto said, should the bill becomes a full law, putting in additional budget for more regular employees complete with benefits can be worked out. “It can be done. For the Sangguniang Panlalawigan alone, counting all casual and contractual employees would cost P30 million more in budget for personnel,” Loreto disclosed.

Pangilinan’s Civil Service Eligibility Bill acknowledges the long years of experience in the service of contractual and casual employees are enough to merit them regularization. The government is the biggest employer of the country, with some 1.4 million civil servants. However, almost three of four non-career workers hold casual or contractual positions. The measure would also make good on the promise of President Rodrigo Duterte to end contractualization. (AHLETTE C. REYES)