May 7, 2009 Major News Stories

OFW's fever is gone; Briton's improving

THE two patients who are being observed by the Department of Health (DOH) 7 on suspicion of carrying the influenza A (H1N1) virus are "getting better."  Respiratory swabs were taken from the British national and the OFW and were sent to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine in Manila for laboratory testing. Results are expected to be released today.

Dr. Emmanuel Labella, chief of the Bureau of Quarantine-Cebu Station suggested that airline companies immediately inform their ports of call if they are transporting a passenger with flu-like symptoms.

This way, the authorities concerned can immediately know who have come in contact with the particular passenger and can prepare for their arrival," he said.

If someone is found to have influenza A (H1N1) patient, medication is avilable in Cebu.

"It is only Oseltamivir and Zanamivir which the virus has not built any resistance against."

Swine flu tests, tesults due today - DOH

The test results of two of three people now quarantined at the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center who are under observation for the Influenza A H1N1 virus will hopefully be out today.

2 Pinoy, 3 dayuhan suspects sa AH1N1

Dalawang Pinoy at tat long dayuhan ngayon ang  kasalukuyang inoob ser­bahan ng Department of Health (DOH) matapos na paghinalaang infected ng nakamamatay na AH1N1 virus.

Mexico reopens; touts breakthrough

Mexico relaxed strict controls aimed at containing swine flu Wednesday after a five-day lockdown, as officials heralded a scientific breakthrough towards finding a vaccine for the virus.

Mexico confirms 42 deaths of A/H1N1 flu

Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos said yesterday that a total of 42 A/ H1N1 flu deaths have been confirmed, up from 29 a day earlier, but the increase was due to testing catching up with samples, not a sudden increase in mortality.

Ouano, Radaza charged

TANODBAYAN Merceditas Gutierrez is reviving the anti-graft cases earlier filed against 21 people, 20 of them in public office, for the allegedly overpriced lampposts bought to beautify Cebu for the 12th Asean summit in 2007.

This follows a reinvestigation by the sectoral office here, which found sufficient basis to bring former Mandaue city mayor Thadeo Ouano, incumbent Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Arturo Radaza and the others before the Sandiganbayan once again.

The reinvestigation, which ended last April 30, sustained the earlier findings that the lampposts "were highly overpriced."

The cost of each lamppost, "apparently, was expanded to almost ten (10) times its actual cost," stated a portion of the reinvestigation report prepared by Associate Graft Investigators Rod Blazo, Elmer Gutierrez and Joy Dacumos.

Based on the reinvestigation, evidence showed that the mayors and the public respondents were directly responsible for awarding the various contracts for the supply of street lighting facilities, testing and commissioning of LED. bulbs, traffic signal lantern and other traffic control devices along roads in Cebu to Gampik Construction and Development, Inc. and Fabmik Construction and Equipment Supply Co. Inc.

The total contract price reached P164,524,401.25, which was way beyond the estimates of the Commission on Audit and the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas. The agencies only pegged the value of the contract at P60 million.

The revived indictments are for violation of Republic Act 3019, also known as the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act, and against Ouano, Radaza, then Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 7 director Roberto Lala and assistant directors Gloria Dindin and Marlina Alvizo, who also chaired the bids and awards committee.

Ouano lost in the last election while Radaza won, so he was freed of administrative liability.

Likewise charged were Pureza Fernandez, Cresencio Bagolor, Agustinito Hermoso, Luis Galang, Restituto Diano and Buenaventurada Pajo, Teresa Bernido, Ayaon Manggis and Marilyn Ojeda, all of the DPWH.

Together with them are officials from the Office of the Mandaue City Engineer—city engineer Hidelisa Latonio and assistant engineer Gregorio Omo—and from the agency's counterpart in Lapu-Lapu City—city engineer Julito Cuizon and assistant engineers Fernando Tagaan, Jr. and Rogelio Veloso.

The two men whose companies supplied the allegedly overpriced decorative lamps—Gerardo Surla of Gampik Construction and Development, Inc. and Isabelo Braza of Fabmik Construction and Equipment Supply Co. Inc.—also stand charged.

DOJ orders probe on 2 officials

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) has created a panel to investigate Cebu Assistant Prosecutor Mary Ann Castro and Bureau of Immigration (BI-Cebu) Director and Alien Control Officer Casimiro Madarang III.  Senior State Prosecutor Philip dela Cruz, the DOJ chief of staff, said Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez issued the order to create the investigating panel after his closed-door meeting with Castro at lunch time yesterday.

Province to pay Tudela employees

The Cebu Provincial Government would, in the meantime, shoulder the unpaid salaries of the 41 regular employees and officials of Tudela town in Camotes Island that have not been paid since the January 15 payday.

Garganera to COA: Check CH contracts

OPPOSITION figure Joel Garganera yesterday asked the Commission on Audit (COA) to look into what he suspects to be the malversation of public funds and violation of the procurement law at Cebu City Hall.  He questioned the City's entering into contracts with private towing providers without a public bidding.  After tangling with a worker of one of the Cebu City Government's towing service providers last April 8, Holy Wednesday, Garganera has branded the City's agreement with One Stop Towing Services and Road Warrior Towing Services as "grossly disadvantageous."  City Ordinance 2054, which amended City Ordinance 1335, prescribes the towing charges for the first five kilometers for extra-light duty vehicles (motorcycles) at P1,500; light duty (1,600cc), P1,800; medium duty (1,601cc to 2,800cc), P2,000; heavy duty (2,801cc and up), P2,500; and trailers, P3,000.

The City also imposes an additional P100 for every succeeding kilometer, while storage fees range from P100 to P2,000.

Under the previous agreement with Road Warriors, the City would only get P225 for every P1,500 paid by a motorcycle owner.

Through a compromise ratified by the City Council, Road Warriors and One Stop agreed to increase the City's share from a towed car to 25 percent, while that for motorcycles remains at 15 percent.

Dads defer approval of Ban-Tal ordinance

The Cebu City Council yesterday deferred the approval of the proposed ordinance prohibiting the development of any government-owned lots in Banilad-Talamban corridor.

Mics owns up specs, prices for laptops

CEBU City Management Information and Computer Services (Mics) Chief William Artajo yesterday admitted that the specifications and cost estimate for laptops City Councilor Gerardo Carillo had recommended for allocation came from his office.

He made the statement in front of city councilors, including Carillo, after telling the media last week that the P80,000 per unit price, which was criticized as too much, came from Carillo's office.

Pablo: Full automation of 2010 polls illegal

Cebu Rep. Pablo Garcia invited fellow congressmen to sign a letter that he drafted calling on the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to abandon its plan to fully automate the 2010 elections.

NBI: Charge agent in "Hello, Garci" 

The Court of Appeals has ordered the reinstatement of the criminal charges against a former government agent who claimed he was in possession of the master tape containing the alleged conversation between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and an elections commissioner.  he CA's Third Division granted the government's petition seeking to set aside the ruling of Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 139 Judge Benjamin Pozon dismissing the illegal detention charges against former National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) deputy director Samuel Ong.

Ong in 2005 claimed to have in his possession a master tape containing the alleged conversation between President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and former Elections commissioner Virgilio Garcillano shortly after the 2004 elections. The controversy was known as the "Hello, Garci" scandal. 

Also charged were actor Rez Cortez, and private citizens Angelito Santiago and Wilson Fenix. 

The case was in connection with the alleged illegal detention of military intelligence agent T/Sgt. Vidal Doble, the supposed source of the master tape.

Buses of EDC Liner pass new inspection

The six buses of EDC Liner have passed the recent road worthiness inspection conducted by the Motor Vehicle Inspection Center of the Land Transportation Office.

Man who dumped son's body charged

Police filed child abuse charges against the father of the boy who admitted placing his son's dead body into a sack and dumping the sack into a pond early morning last April 25.  City Police Director Patrocinio Comendador admitted yesterday it is difficult for them to gather evidence to prove that Arsenio Trasmil killed his own son Michael, a special child and a polio victim.

Illegal structures demolished in Suba

A team from the Squatters Prevention Encroachment and Elimination Division of the Cebu City Hall demolished dozens of stalls and shanties that encroach on the streets in at least 10 sitios of barangay Suba yesterday morning.

GSIS bares P46.42B net income in 2008

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), the state-owned pension fund for government employees, reported yesterday that its income from loans and investments went up by 30.39 percent to P46.42 billion in 2008 from P35.6 billion recorded in 2007, GSIS data showed.

Ex-SEC exec in Legacy mess passes away

A former Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) official who got embroiled in the so-called Legacy mess passed away Wednesday.  Jesus Martinez succumbed to massive pulmonary embolism at the Makati Medical Center Wednesday afternoon. The commissioner was earlier diagnosed to have colon cancer.

Two US marines killed in helicopter crash

Two US marines were killed in a helicopter crash overnight near Los Angeles, the Marine Corps said in a statement yesterday.

'Pacquiao on his way to boxing greatness'

Filipino boxing hero Manny Pacquiao can be considered among the greatest fighters that came out since Sugar Ray Leonard in the 80s, according to Ring Magazine scribe Michael Rosenthal.

A statue of Pacman in Cebu City?

People's Champ Manny Pacquiao will soon have a statue in the City of Cebu as a symbol of his excellence in boxing and as an inspiration to the youth.  The Cebu City Council yesterday unanimously approved a resolution giving Pacquiao the local awards he deserves, including a life-sized statue.

Dionesia enjoys US stay, misses ballroom 

Nanay Dionesia opted not to watch the fight of her son Manny Pacquiao vs Ricky Hatton live at the MGM Grand Arena. As she does in the Philippines, she opted to stay home and pray.

ABS-CBN: P1 million in pre-season caging

Television giant ABS-CBN is putting up a P1 million prize in a pre-season tournament pitting UAAP teams against those from the NCAA in what promises to be an interesting showdown of the country's top varsity squads.

Rain or Shine beats TNT in overtime 

Rain or Shine escaped with a 118-116 overtime win over Talk 'N Text Wednesday night in the 2008-09 Motolite-PBA Fiesta Conference at the Araneta Coliseum.  

Nievera: 'Take 2' to sing national anthem

Singer Martin Nievera had issued conflicting statements on whether he will apologize or not for his different rendition of the national anthem "Lupang Hinirang" before the start of the bout between Manny Pacquiao and Briton Ricky Hatton in Las Vegas, Nevada last Sunday.  In an interview over ABS-CBN Teleradyo Tuesday, Nievera requested that he will be allowed to sing the national anthem again under the supervision of the National Historical Institute to ensure the proper rendition of the anthem as he expressed his willingness to apologize to those he offended by his style of singing the anthem before the boxing event in Las Vegas.

"I am requesting for a take two, to sing the national anthem," he said. But yesterday, Nievera said that he will not apologize because he was just doing his best as an artist.

I warned Martin on changing anthem style

If only Martin Nievera listened to the advice of maestro Ryan Cayabyab, he would not be embroiled in national controversy.

Solon to file raps vs. Martin Nievera

A lawmaker said he would charge singer Martin Nievera for breach of the Flag and Heraldic Code over his incorrect rendition of the national anthem during the Pacquiao-Hatton fight.

F. Prieto's mom diagnosed with cancer

The mother of Francine Prieto has been diagnosed with ovarian cancer and the actress is appealing for blood donation.

'Emong' enters RP; storm warning raised in eight provinces

Eight provinces are now under public storm warning signal number one after tropical storm Emong entered the Philippine area of responsibility Wednesday evening.  Emong is already 465 kilometers west southwest of Iba, Zambales, packing winds with speeds of 110 kilometers per hour near the center.  The provinces under signal number one are Zambales, Tarlac, Pangasinan, La Union, Benguet, Ilocos Sur, Abra and Ilocos Norte.