TACLOBAN CITY- A commissioner of the National Youth Commission (NYC) has expressed his support to release the list of candidate-politicians who are running in this midterm elections engaging in the illegal drug trade.
By releasing the so-called narco list, the young voters, in particular, would know that they should not vote these candidates as they are involved in the illicit activity, Victor del Rosario, NYC commissioner for the Visayas, said in an interview.
According to him, Malacañang, through the Department of Interior and Local Government, will do a great service to the 19 million young voters who will cast their votes in the May 13 elections if they will release its narco list.
“(This) will guide our voters, especially the youth. We cannot allow destroyers of the society to be in the government,” del Rosario, who is from Naval, Biliran, said.
“We cannot allow narco politicians to be in power. We know very well that the youth is the number one victims of this drug menace,” he added.
del Rosario said that with these candidate-politicians losing on their bids, this will result to the decline or stop of their illegal drug operation as they loses their clout or influence.
“In the name of the 30 million Filipino youth, as NYC commissioner, ako’y nagpapasalamat sa ating mahal na Pangulong Duterte in his commitment to release the narco list,” he said, expressing his support on this move.
On Tuesday(March 5), during his visit to this city, opposition senatorial candidate Jose Manuel ‘Chel’ Diokno of the Otso Diretso expressed his alarm on this move of Malacañang.
Diokno, a human rights lawyer and advocate, said that the list could be used as a witch hunt to pin down the ‘perceived enemies’ of the administration.
“Pagnagamit yung list na yan ngayon elections, very likely, lahat ng perceived na kalaban nila isasama sa list,” he added.
Diokno said that instead of coming out of its narco list, the administration should instead strengthen the justice system by filing appropriate charges against those suspected to be involved in the illegal drug trade if they have solid evidence against them.
“Kung talagang may basis sila, sampahan nila ng kaso, prosecute them at ikulong and that should happen whether there is an election or not,”Diokno said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Youth commissioner support release narco-list to help ‘guide’ voters in this year’s elections
Perennial candidate counts Mayor Sara Duterte for an electoral victory this time
HILONGOS, Leyte- A congressional candidate for Leyte’s fifth district is pinning her polls victory to presidential daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte.
Marilou Galenzoga said that she is optimistic that this time, she will prevail victorious now that she enjoys the support of the presidential daughter and by extension, President Rodrigo Duterte.
She is running for Congress under Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC) which has a coalition with Duterte-funded Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
Galenzoga, a businesswoman, has attempted several times to topple the family of outgoing Baybay City Mayor Carmen Cari but lost them all.
For the forthcoming May 13 elections, Galenzoga is seeking the congressional seat to be vacated by Cari’s son, Jose Cari.
Rep. Cari is running for mayor of Baybay with his son, Carl Nicholas, running for the congressional post.
Galenzoga said that she would not stop in running for elective post so long as she could not end what she claimed the Cari dynasty.
The Caris have ruled Leyte’s fifth district for more than four decades now and are relatives to Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.
A drug-cleared fifth district, livelihood program for the people; a much improved hospital with free medicines and free ambulance use are the programs that she would initiate if elected as a Congress member, Galenzoga said.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
FM Romualdez eyes House Speakership
Endorsed by Mayor Sara Duterte
TACLOBAN CITY- Former congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez has confirmed that he is seeking for the speakership of the House of Representatives.
Romualdez is running for congressman in Leyte’s first congressional district in this year’s May 13 midterm elections.
The former solon, whose wife Rep. Yedda Marie Romualdez is the incumbent congressional representative of the district, made his interest known after his name was mentioned by presidential daughter, Mayor Sara Duterte, among those eyeing to become the successor of Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
“Many congressmen aspire for that position. I am humbled and honored that she (Mayor Sara) mentioned my name as one of the contenders,” said Romualdez, who is the president of the Lakas-Christian Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.
Lakas-CMD has forged a political alliance of Hugpong ng Pagbabago founded by the Davao city mayor.
“As a Malacañang ally, it is my duty to push the legislative agenda of the President. Right now, I am working very hard to ensure my victory in the coming election,” Romualdez said in a statement.
Romualdez, a nephew of the former first lady and incumbent Ilocos Norte Rep.Imelda Marcos, is a known ally of Arroyo.
Aside from Romualdez, the possible contenders for House Speakers reportedly include Majority Leader and Capiz Representative Fredenil Castro, Marinduque Representative Lord Allan Velasco, and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Alan Peter Cayetano, the running-mate of President Rodrigo Duterte during the 2016 presidential elections.
Meanwhile, asked on the reported bid for Speakership of her husband, Rep. Romualdez said that it’s still a long way to go.
“Many things could still happen. The election is still far. Let’s focus first for his electoral victory,” she said.
She added that whoever will become the next House Speaker will depend on the choice of Pres. Duterte.
The lady solon was interviewed in Hilongos town, Leyte during an oversight hearing of the committee on transportation of the House of Representatives also attended by Speaker Arroyo held on March 5.
Rep. Romualdez, however, admitted that if ever her husband will be elected as Speaker, it will benefit not only Leyte’s first district but the rest of Eastern Visayas.
“It will be very great and big help for the region,” Romualdez, who is running under the party-list system as the first nominee of Tingog, said.
By: RONALD O. REYES, JOEY A. GABIETA
DOT promotes cruise tourism at the Golden River
Part of the Spark Samar campaign
TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Tourism (DOT) here in the region recently launched, as a pilot project, the Inclusive Local Growth (IloG) Project: Basey Golden River Cruise in the town of Basey.
The program, which is part of the provincial government’s tourism promotional campaign known as ‘Spark Samar’, capitalizes the old town’s natural attractions like the Sohoton Natural Bridge Natural Park, its historicity and the diverse communities that live along its riverbanks.
The ground breaking rites signals the start of the construction of the different tourism facilities involved in the ILoG Project, the DOT said.
The program is an attempt to recreate the rural ambience of the river people in the Philippines and in the process, introduce tourists or visitors the culture of the people of the town and the rest of Samar province.
With the success of community-based tourism in Sohoton Service Cooperative, the new project aim to replicate the same to other barangays along the Golden River and provide the residents along the coast income opportunities.
The ground breaking rites signals the start of the construction of the different tourism facilities involved in the ILOG Project. (JOEY A. GABIETA)