LTO HPG arrests 156 impounds 34 vehicles

DARAGA, Albay, Feb. 11 (PNA) – In a span of 11 hours, the combined enforcement of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) and the police highway patrol group (HPG) arrested a total of 156 violators and impounded at least 30 motor vehicles and four passenger buses in separate field operations Friday. Two PP Company buses from Manila bound for Legazpi City were flagged down along the highway in barangay Culiat, this town and were subsequently impounded for violations of registration and travel route during the early morning field operations. The other two buses, both owned by DLTB Company, were also impounded for similar violations in the evening field operations along the highway junction in Polangui, Albay. Mar Jose Magistrado, LTO operations division chief said 40 violators were also arrested and issue temporary operator’s permits during the operation in this town, while in the Polangui, the team netted 116 violators and impounded 30 motor vehicles. HPG members have expressed willingness to join LTO enforcers in field operations because they can also carry out at the same time the implementation of the election gun ban. During the conduct of police check points for gun ban implementation motorcycle riders cannot be required to open the u-box (under seat compartment), but this can be carry out on LTO-led operations especially on cases of impounded motorcycles and cars. “We have to open the motorcycles’ u-box and the cars’ doors and hoods to make an inventory of the tools and other things contained in them before we tow them to the impounding facility. It is part of our standard operating procedure which the police considers more beneficial to their campaign”, Magistrado added.(PNA)

Bicol PNP to rid camps with informal settlers

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 11 (PNA) – Hundreds of families residing inside Philippine National Police (PNP) camps across Bicol region are set to be ejected next month for reasons of threats to security and maximization of the area for police-related projects and activities. The deadline agreed upon between the PNP and informal settlers concerned in the previous string of dialogues was December last year, however, most residents declined to voluntarily relocate. Informant settlers were retired police officials, soldiers, non-uniformed office employees, who were previously allowed in relation to their connection to camp operations. However, there are also civilians that have gained entrance to the camp premises when allowed to put up small stores and eateries but have later established permanent residences. The camps being located in urban areas and nearby university belts, some informal settlers have been maintaining boarding houses. In Camp Gen. Simeon Ola, the regional police headquarters, in this city alone there are over 60 families who remained defiant to the ejection order. Members of the Philippine Army residing in Camp Ola have all relocated themselves voluntarily prior to the December 2012 deadline, said Senior Supt. Renato Bataller, Bicol PNP spokesperson. There are over 50 illegal settlers in Camp Escudero, the Sorsogon provincial police office (PPO) headquarters based in Sorsogon City while Camp Camacho, the Catanduanes PPO headquarters in the capital town of Virac has remained densely populated by informal settlers, Bataller said. It was learned that the back part of the police headquarters in Camp Camacho and a big portion of the firing range have been encroached by illegal residents. The police camp in Cataingan, Masbate has also remained teeming with illegal occupants that is denser compared to the situation in Masbate PPO headquarters. It was learned that the present regional police leadership is also aiming at preventing illegal settlers from acquiring titles over the lot they are occupying and take possession of government owned structures just how a retired police official did in Camp Ola. Bataller, also the chief of the regional human affairs office, revealed that a former police official from Batangas who brought in his family when he was assigned as chief of police in this city, first occupied the bungalow structure with wide garage behind the Albay PPO as temporary quarters. The structure is owned by Albay PPO and previously used as base of its provincial police mobile group prior to the official’s assignment. The official later was able to acquire title over the lot and has since then took possession of the area and the government structure. When ordered to vacate the area, the official and his family presented the land title and declined the order. “That building was constructed out of the funds of Albay PNP, and the lot is within the camp reserve area. The regional command is set to file charges to recover ownership and find out how he was able to acquire title over it”, Bataller said.(PNA)

SC denies cult claims over farmers’ land

GUINOBATAN, Albay, Feb. 11 (PNA) – The Supreme Court (SC) has ruled with finality on the case between heirs of a local farmer and members of a religious cult in barangay Maipon this town. After more than 13 years of court battle, the SC Third Division’s recent decision provided relief to the heirs of Eutiquio Palencia Sr., in their effort to regain ownership of the 522 square-meter Lot 2747 that had been taken possession of for more than a decade by the followers of “Lola Maria,” a self-proclaimed “true messenger of God.” The SC decision affirmed the previous rulings by a local court and the Court of Appeals (CA) all in favor of the heirs. Documents obtained by the Philippines News Agency revealed the Regional Trial Court Branch 12 in Ligao City ruled in favor of the five heirs but the other party, sisters Letecia and Corina Nabata, and Vicente Villafuerte elevated the case to the CA . It was learned the Nabatas are children of a tenant of the Palencias in the early 60’s. Letecia Nabata has been regarded by her followers as God’s messenger and redeemer calling her “Lola Maria (Grandmother Mary)”. Her followers established prayer houses and residential communities at the foot of the hill in Maipon where the lot of the Palencias is located. The CA last Mach 7, 2012 also ruled in favor of the heirs and the other party again petitioned the SC to review the decision. The SC Third Division’s decision under G.R. 200263, stated that, there was no irreversible error in the CA’s affirming of the findings and conclusions of the RTC.(PNA).

Mining operations in Albay island nears end By: Alfredo L. Vargas Jr.

LEGAZPI CITY, Feb. 12 (PNA) -- The operations of polymetallic open-pit mining in Rapu-Rapu, Albay is set to end this month and decommissioning procedures are expected to start by March. The absence of a decommissioning plan presented to stakeholders by the two main mining firms involved in the Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project (RRPP) has triggered fears of possible inefficient environmental recovery and rehabilitation of the mine site, and the impact barangays and contiguous areas. Its open-pit area covers 26 hectares located approximately 200 meters above sea level. The pit is 810 meters in length and 300 meters in width and the deepest part is estimated at 180 meters below ground Bem Redito, an environmentalist and a non-government organization (NGO) representative to the RRPP Mine Recovery Fund Management Council (MRFMC) confirmed to Philippines News Agency the upcoming closure of mine operations in the area and the start next month of decommissioning activities. Redito also admitted that until this week the council has neither been briefed about nor received a copy of the decommissioning plans. Residents have enough bases to fear possible negative environmental impact after the mine operations, just what they had experienced from the operation of the Taiwanese-run coal mining project in Batan Island, one of the three islands of Rapu-Rapu town, from early 80’s until early 90’s. In Batan Island, there are at least three gigantic lakes that were created from the open-pit areas of hundreds of meters depth and width left behind by the Taiwanese firm, posing grave hazards the community up to the present especially during the rainy season. These, aside from the lost forest cover and the soil quality had remained unfit for farming because the ground was loaded and spread with materials excavated from the pit. “We share with the residents feelings because they have already experienced the effects of environmental neglect before”, said Redito giving assurance that he will propose for the involvement of the fisheries and aquatic resource management councils (FARMC) in every barangay in the island in the decommissioning activities. Other residents fear loss of employment and other economic benefits in the town including the multi-million taxes yearly generated from the mining operations. Not less than 900 locals are employed in the mine site. Last December 19, 2012, a total of P16.5 million was generated from the Real Property Tax for Machineries and Equipment of RRPP. RRPP is a zinc and copper mining venture owned and managed by the Rapu-Rapu Minerals, Inc.(RRMI), which handles the exploration works, and the Rapu-Rapu Processing, Inc. (RRPI), which is in-charge for processing and marketing. RRPI owns the first and only zinc processing plant in the country. There are four other companies sharing in the mining management and technical and financial interests – the Korea, Malaysia, Philippines Resources (KMP), LG International, the Malaysia Smelting Company (MSC), and Korea Resources Corporation (KORES). Rapu-Rapu Island has been known to have rich mineral deposits and had a long history of mining activities believed to have started during the Spanish occupation. The town first became famous for rich gold deposits with the operation of Hixbar Gold Mines in 1936. During the war, the Japanese army took over the mining operation, but HIxbar was able to recover ownership after the liberation and resumed operations until 1960. After Hixbar, came the Benguet Corporation operating from 1960 until 1982, then in the early 90’s, mining was resumed by Toronto Ventures, Inc. and the LaFayette Philippines, Inc. RRPP was acquired by RRMI in 1999 and massive mineral extraction began in 2003 with a total investment of US$33.5-million. The base camp of mining and processing operations has been set up at the eastern tip of the island with a concession involving 180 hectares. The site covers the whole barangays of Pagcolbon, Binosawan, and Malobago and parts of barangays Linao, Tinopan and Santa Barbara. Series of small creeks nearby and downslope from the wide and deep open-pit trickle down the hilly terrain toward the sea. Two of them, the Maypajo and Catmon Creeks are with mine tailing storage facilities. Redito said RRMi has earlier assured the MRFMC that the company will regularly monitor the rehabilitation works for 10 years from start of decommissioning activities. “Our concern, aside from the quality and quantity of recovery and rehabilitation efforts directly after mining operations shuts down, is the other effects in the environment that are sure to become visible 10 years later or more”. He said. The multi-million recovery fund deposited by the mining firms does not cover the rehabilitation of the site and contiguous areas beyond 10 years.(PNA)

Man walking with gun tucked on waist arrested

By: Alfredo L. Vargas Jr. LEGAZPI CITY, Feb 10 (PNA) – A civilian roaming around his place of residence with a gun tucked on his waist IN Castilla, Sorsogon has been arrested by policemen and charged in court for violations of the Firearm Law of the Philippines (Presidential Decree 1866) the ongoing election gun ban. Reports reaching the Regional election Monitoring Action Center (REMAC) at Camp Gen, Simeon Ola, this city revealed the police were on patrol as part of its enhanced visibility and security measures in relation to the ongoing election period when they chanced upon the suspect, Eugene Gilliam, 44 and resident of barangay Bagalayag in Castilla. The patrol group by Senior Insp. Jimmy Pintor is a composite team from Castilla town police and the regional special operations task group (RSOTG) seized from Gulliam were a caliber .45, two pieces of magazines, and 11 rounds of ammunition. The suspect failed to present necessary firearm license and permit to carry. RSOTG teams are deployed on areas presently either under the first or second category of election hot spots who were ordered by Bicol police director, Chief Supt. Clarence Guinto to assist the local police in intelligence-related patrol system, and enhanced visibility and security measures in highly populated areas in relation to the ongoing election period. In another development a joint operatives from the Philippine Army in and the local police in Cataingan, Masbate arrested in a seaborne patrol operations three suspects for illegal transport of logs and possession of firearms. Cataingan police’s report to REMAC revealed the suspects - Eduardo Orcales, 51 and married, and Slvador Pepito and Roy Prudenciado, both 19 and single – all resident residents of barangay Mataluto, Tagapul-an, Samar, were on board the motorized banca, M/B Edlyn, when arrested. The government troops chased the suspects upon seeing pieces of logs protruding on one side of the banca to verify if the cargo was legally obtained and with a permit to transport, however, it later turned out to be illegal lumbers and an Armscor caliber .45 and two loaded magazines were found in their possession.(PNA)

DepEd central office directs teacher distribution in Bicol

LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 24 (PNA) –- The over 3,000 new public school teachers to be hired and assigned in Bicol starting school year 2013-2014 have to choose from the areas of assignment the Department of Education (DepEd) central office has identified in an effort to set right the faulty teacher-student ratio in government schools in the region. As to the present number of teachers in the region, Bicol public schools can achieve the efficient ratio of one teacher per 35 students, but they are not properly distributed. Some schools have an oversupply of teachers while there are others that lack instructors, Dr. Jose Bonto, DepEd Bicol administrative officer, said. The central office’s intervention is both an offshoot of the color-coding scheme implemented by regional education officials to identify schools that need reinforcement of faculty members and the immediate dissemination of these data by the department’s Bureau of Education Information System (BEIS). “The BEIS gave us relief. No applicant now can accuse regional or division officials of favoritism or of constraining them to accept assignment in areas away from their residence that is a violation of Republic Act 8190 or the Localization Law. The areas are identified by the central office and what we are to do is simply fill the vacancies,” Bonto said. Local education officials have implemented since middle last year a color-coding scheme in an effort to reassign and redeploy teachers to public elementary and high schools in the region with insufficient number of instructors in anticipation of the upcoming opening of classes this June. It is also being done in anticipation of the prohibition of transfer of teachers by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) relative to the upcoming 2013 local and national elections and to harmonize with the K+12 curriculum requirements next school year. White patch is attached to names of schools with enough number of teachers and proper ratio, black patch to those in excess while red patch is given to schools with insufficient number of educators. “The color-coded schools were reported to the central office through the BEIS and were posted in the DepEd website. So applicants, through the Internet, can now outright know the area of possible assignment that is nearest their domicile. They don’t have to come to the regional or division office to know the areas with vacancies,” Bonto said. He, however, made clear that the Localization Law shall be enforced in schools with vacancies and which have applicants living within or nearby the host barangay. Republic Act 4670 or the Magna Carta for Public School Teachers had also, so far, prevented efforts to rectify teacher distribution in the region because it is mandated that transfer of teachers could not be done without the consent of the teacher concerned, or it must be done only “for the exigency of the service.” On transfers made under the latter condition, the DepEd regional office is required under the law to pay the transportation expenses of the concerned teachers. It was learned that DepEd Bicol succeeded in persuading some teachers to transfer from schools with oversupply to undermanned areas through payment of a P3,000 monthly transportation allowance for a span of six months only. We have enough funds for the payment of the six-month allowances to fully rectify the distribution problem. But it was not enough to encourage most teachers to accept transfer of assignments,” Bonto said. Aside from the new public school teachers to be hired this year, local education officials have also been expecting a share from Deped’s 2013 budget for the purchase of about 38,000 armchairs and construction of 3,500 additional classrooms. (PNA) LAP/FGS/ALV/MMG/ABB

NGCP blames right-of-way violators for 44 power outages in 2012

By Alfredo L. Vargas Jr. LEGAZPI CITY, Jan. 25 (PNA) -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has put the blame on residents squatting and into other activities within the immediate vicinity of its transmission towers and cables for the 44 episodes of power outages and line trip-offs that occurred last year. Areas directly beneath transmission towers and cables and at certain safety clearance on both sides are considered a grid right-of-way (ROW) where human activities are prohibited for technical and safety reasons, said Nelson Bautista, NGCP South Luzon corporate communication and public affairs officer, in his letter to the Philippines News Agency. Transmission lines are open power wires that carry a minimum of 69,000 volts and a maximum of 500,000 volts. Electricity induction may occur once the safe clearance is breached, Bautista said, adding that the danger of being electrocuted by getting near enough is very high even without touching the lines. “Our lines carry electricity that is more than 300 times the power of the electricity flowing in our households, which is just 220 volts. Breaching our safety clearances can be fatal,” he warned. Common violations range from planting of trees and crops within ROW corridors, igniting grass fires at or around the facilities, squatting and putting up of structures under transmission lines, and playing, such as kite flying. All of these activities can disrupt the transmission of power and trigger outages, damage transmission lines, hamper the speedy delivery of electricity, and compromise the safety of the public, Bautista said. These problems also make it more difficult for NGCP linemen to efficiently and effectively carry out regular maintenance operations because a substantial amount of time is spent in clearing the ground of vegetation and structures. Apart from these, some ROW violators are preventing NGCP teams from coming in for maintenance or to fix damaged lines making the operations more risky. NGCP incurs huge expenses in clearing activities and on cases where the ROW violations cause damage to facilities. The cost implication multiplies in the form of repairs and restoration works and additional manpower and man-hours. In the 44 recorded outages and trip-offs last year, 25 of them occurred in Mindanao. (PNA) LAP/FGS/ALV/MMG/EBP