AUGUST 23-29, 2010

Gumban replaces Angan as Capiz police director

By ALEX LUMAQUE (PIA) and WOW FENEQUITO-DADULA

    ROXAS CITY –– Sr. Supt. Renato Gumban formally assumed as Capiz police director on Aug. 25 following a simple turnover ceremony at Camp Teodorico Apil in Barangay Lanot here.
     Gumban replaced Sr. Supt. Josephus Angan, who was be assigned to the Police Regional Office VII in Cebu City. Angan had served as the province’s top cop since July 2, 2008. In his speech, Gumban emphasized  the need to  prioritize the anti-criminality and anti-illegal drugs campaigns, and to strengthen the arrest of most wanted personalities in Capiz.  He would also implement the Integrated Transformation Program (ITP) of the PNP.
    Gumban stressed among Capiz policemen that he is very particular with the program “Tamang Bihis,” which refers to the attributes of a policeman as dependable, presentable, humane, approachable and God-fearing.   This is one way for policemen to become effective law enforcers and to gain public support.
    He appealed for the support of the local officials and the community for the realization of his programs.  Gumban is a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy Class 1985.  He was assigned as group director of the 604th Provincial Mobile Group based in Barangay Manhoy, Dao, Capiz sometime in the late 1980’s.
    Prior to his assignment here, he was the provincial director of the Iloilo Police Provincial Office (IPPO). Present during the turnover rites were regional director Chief Supt. Samuel Pagdilao, Gov. Victor Tanco, Vice Gov. Esteban Evan Contreras II, board members and town mayors. ––(with reports from Capiz Police Provincial Office)

The Capiz Times is published weekly by The Capiz Times, Inc. with business offices at 2/F Buyco Bldg., McKinley St., Roxas City 5800, Capiz, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (63) (36) 621-0949 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (63) (36) 621-0949      end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (63) (36) 621-0949      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (formerly it was at MARC’s Apartments, Zamora St., Roxas City 5800, Capiz, PHILIPPINES).  Email:  thecapiztimes@yahoo.com  Subscription rates:  yearly (prepaid) PhP 1,000.00  (postpaid) PhP 1,500.00

AUGUST 16-22, 2010

Teachers accused of ‘harming’ pupils admit errors 

 By GERRY T. PAGHARION ( fromThe Capiz Times)

            ROXAS CITY – After the admission made by the controversial teacher in Panay, Capiz that she let her pupil bite (not eat, she corrected) a piece of crumpled paper as a form of punishment  last June 16  inside the classroom, another teacher  in Pontevedra, Capiz owned up to his folly  when he threw a pomelo (a fruit locally known as “cabugao”) at his Grade V pupil last Aug. 13, a Friday, purportedly to call his attention to the subject matter being discussed.

            The boy, reportedly still nursing from fever, was hit in the head.

            But Rogelio “Dodong” Arceño of Hipona Elementary School was quick to own up to his mistake and stressed that he  terribly felt sorry for what he did.  He has since then been profusely apologizing to the pupil and to his parents for his “spur of the moment” action.

            Arceño’s classroom  story came amid the widely-publicized case of Gelisa Bocala of Agbalo Elementrary School in Panay, Capiz, who is now under investigation by the Capiz Division reportedly  for lodging a piece of crumpled paper into the mouth of her  Grade V pupil as a form of disciplinary action.

            The “badly traumatized” pupil has since transferred to Dona Victoria Cortez Dais Memorial in the nearby Pontevedra town.

            The trouble started when, on June 16, Bocala’s attention was called to the presence of a piece of crumpled paper on top of the desk of the pupil.  It was reportedly agreed by the whole class that whoever is found guilty of littering would be made to “eat” the littered object.

            This paper learned that Bocala is now working on an amicable settlement with the pupil’s parents.  The pupil’s father, Efren Bulao, however, wanted Bocala punished for her “abusive act.”

            Arceño, meanwhile, said that since the fruit he threw at his pupil was slightly bigger than the size of a ping pong ball and that it was tender, it could not have inflicted serious injury to the boy.  The teacher said he felt so concerned with reports coming out in media saying that the boy was placed in the intensive care unit of a hospital after incurring serious injury in the head as a result of the fruit-throwing incident.

            The fruit was used by Arceño as a substitute for a ball he would press every now and then to prevent his hand from getting numb, the result of a stroke he suffered years back.

            Before the classroom incident last Aug. 13, the boy was absent from his class for three days because he had fever.  The boy’s parents also explained that their son had to be placed in the ICU because there was no available space in the hospital that time, Arceño said.

            It could not yet  be established whether the boy was hospitalized due to continuous fever or as a result of the classroom incident.

            Reynaldo D. Azcarraga, the school’s principal, said there was no hint or sign so far   that the parents of the boy would file a complaint against Arceño. 

            Nevertheless, Arceño expressed remorse for his action.

            Meanwhile, Bocala said she has agreed to be transferred to another school –the Panay Central School — as part of the compromise agreement with the pupil’s parents. 

            Bocala’s contention is found  in the supposed draft agreement apparently prepared by her lawyer and at her behest supposedly  to be signed by her and the pupil’s parents as a settlement.  The  agreement would  assure that the latter will drop the administrative charges they have filed against her and that they  would no longer pursue the criminal aspect of the case.

            But Bulao was not ready to exonerate Bocala of her misdemeanor as he refused to sign the supposed agreement, it was learned.

            In that agreement, Bulao,   would supposedly agree not to pursue the case against Bocala, the first party,  and that he and his wife, the second party,   would no longer bring up the case in media and other venues.

            The draft also specifies that Bocala and Bulao  agree that after they shall have signed the agreement, they would forget everything  as if nothing had happened and that they would move on with their respective lives while “maintaining their respect towards one another.”

            It was learned that Bocala expressed willingness to reimburse all the expenses incurred by the pupil’s parents as a result of the classroom incident.

The Capiz Times is published weekly by The Capiz Times, Inc. with business offices at 2/F Buyco Bldg., McKinley St., Roxas City 5800, Capiz, PHILIPPINES Tel. No. (63) (36) 621-0949 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting              (63) (36) 621-0949      end_of_the_skype_highlighting (formerly it was at MARC’s Apartments, Zamora St., Roxas City 5800, Capiz, PHILIPPINES).  Email:  thecapiztimes@yahoo.com  Subscription rates:  yearly (prepaid) PhP 1,000.00  (postpaid) PhP 1,500.00

August 9-15, 2010

Land Bank, Health Centrum execs  ink MOA for P75-M loan

by Gerry Pagharion

ROXAS CITY –Officials of the Land Bank of the Philippines –Roxas Branch and proponents of the roughly P450-million hospital cum wellness center  recently  signed a memorandum of agreement for the  P75-million loan,  which forms part the P120 –million initial capitalization needed  to finance the Phase l of the project.

To be known as The Health Centrum, the project  is now under construction  in Barangay Banica here at  a 30- hectare  complex  owned by the family of the late Capiz Gov. Atila Balgos.

The Health Centrum proponents, mainly members of the Balgos family,  and Land Bank officials led by its Roxas branch manager Gina Gomez, have formally signed a memorandum of agreement for the  P75-million loan  in simple rites held  at the Hall of Governors of the provincial capitol here last Aug. 6.

                The Land Bank is committed to finance the project up to Phase IV, it was announced by Vivian Canenero, head   of the LBP’s Iloilo Lending Center.

                Phasing of the project construction has been modified, according to the project’s prime mover Dr. Abundio Balgos.  Phase I consists of ambulatory care plus 19 inpatient beds; Phase II 38 inpatient beds plus initial hotel rooms; Phase III 75 inpatient beds plus completion of hotel; and Phase IV 100 inpatients beds plus managed care retirement facility in hotel. 

                The project is expected to be fully completed and/or operational either in the latter part of 2014 or in the early part of 2015.

                The laying of the time capsule for the project was held in December last year.  It was graced by Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco Sr., RTC executive judge Edward Contreras, among others. In his message the Governor endorsed the project “as an effective way of luring more investors for the province and city.”

                During the Aug. 6 MOA signing, Capiz provincial administrator Atty. Jose “Joe” Villanueva said that with the Health Centrum, Capiz will now be placed in the league of big cities.

                The project, he said, highlights the tri-partite relationship among the University of the Philippines-Philippine General Hospital, the Health Centrum and the Provincial Government of Capiz.

                Dr. Balgos, who is also Associate Dean of the University of the Philippines’ College of Medicine, said that under the Health Centrum project, they intend to establish a 100-bed capacity tertiary hospital with an adjoining hotel  (thus the term ‘Hospitel’) in Capiz “to humanize the health care services.”  This is also in line with the growing popularity of the medical tourism concept.

                In an earlier interview, Balgos said he would relocate his practice to Roxas City when the project starts operations.  He sees Roxas City to be a potential major seat of medical advancement in Western Visayas.

                He said that the planned integrated hospital , hotel and mall complex will serve clients from Roxas City and Capiz province, and the northern part of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region, including the surrounding provinces of Iloilo, Aklan, Antique and Masbate, Boracay Island in Aklan, as well as the northern part of Palawan.

                Because of the project’s proximity to island resorts and diving spots, Balgos said, the facility will also have a decompression chamber.

                An 11-hectare residential subdivision which is targeted to be mainly a retirement village is also planned.

                Balgos expressed optimism that medical tourism will enhance the viability of the project once the institution is able to establish a good reputation built on competent medical specialists, excellent nursing care, and state-of-the –art equipment. The project will also cater to alternative medicine.

August 2-8, 2010

Dengue cases hit 1,535 with 11 deaths  

By GERRY T. PAGHARION

                ROXAS CITY –The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council on August 2 held an emergency meeting to draw up plans of action on how to combat the rising cases of dengue in Capiz which, from January up to July 27 this year, have already reached 1,285, with 10 deaths.

                The next day, Aug. 3, the Capiz Provincial Board, acting on the request of Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr., convened for a special session and declared Capiz in a state of calamity due to the dengue outbreak.

                The declaration was needed to allow the province to use the 5 percent calamity fund.  The sight of overflowing dengue patients in several hospitals here was proof enough of the gravity of the problem, health officials said.

                As of press time, the number of dengue cases in Capiz has shot up to a record 1,535, with 11 deaths.

                The Roxas City Council here also declared  an outbreak of dengue fever in the city in the wake of the rising number of cases that has reached 444, with five deaths, since Janruary until Aug. 7.

                The council held a special session Aug. 7 upon the request of Mayor Angel Alan Celino, for the sole purpose of declaring the outbreak.

                Using a portion of the city’s calamity fund, Celino said, the City Government would be able to provide its households with mosquito nets and repellents.

                The city government will  likewise pay for the processing fee of indigent patients in need of blood transfusion, in coordination with the Philippine Red Cross.

                Vice Mayor Ronnie Dadivas said each member of the City Council would also do their share by leading clean-up drives .

                This Friday, Aug. 13, there will be simultaneous clean-up drives throughout the province on top of the daily 4 0’clock habit to fully disseminate to the people the needed information about dengue.

                                                        APPEAL FOR UNITY

                The Governor, who is also the PDCC chair, earlier issued an executive order declaring Capiz in a “state of impending outbreak of dengue cases.”  He appealed for unity from all the Province’s sectors in the wake of the outbreak, stressing that such problem “transcends geographical, personal and political boundaries.”

                In the presence of some board members who are not his political allies, Tanco stressed at the PDCC meeting that   it will be only when everybody unites and helps one another that the threat of dengue outbreak in the province could be dealt with effectively.

                The Governor noted that this was the first time that dengue cases in Capiz have reached more than 1,000.

                Dr. Evelyn Bolido, Medical  Specialist IV of Capiz’s Integrated Provincial Health Office, noted the dramatic increase in the number of dengue cases in Capiz, noting that in 2008, there were only 126 cases for the whole year and 306 cases in the whole 2009.

                However, for this year, more than 1,000 cases have already been reported during the seven-month period (January to July), Bolido said.

                                                        OUTNUMBERED

                A source said Tanco was having difficulty convincing the board to make the declaration because the LP, the Governor’s party, is outnumbered in the board 8-5 in favor of Ugyon Kita Capiz.

                However, board members belonging to Ugyon Kita Capiz present during the PDC meeting appeared supportive of  the idea to declare Capiz in a state of calamity after being apprised of the magnitude of the problem.

                The board’s chair of the committee on health, Board Member Mimi Ardivilla,  expressed support for the declaration of Capiz in  state of calamity provided “proper measures are taken” to see to it that funds are solely used for such purpose.

                Board members aligned with Ugyon who attended the meeting held at the Pag-ulikid Training Center in ESLA, Lanot here were board members Jeffrey Layo, James Magbanua, Mimi Ardivilla and Blesilda Almalbis. The other members of the Ugyon in the board are Camilo Robles and the ex-officio members representing the PCL, the SK and the Liga nga mga Barangay.

                The LP, on the other hand,  has five members in the provincial legislative body.  They are Sonny Besa, Aldwin Cruz-Am, Remia Fuentes-Bartolome, Roberto Ignacio and Eduardo Magallanes.

                                                         ALARMING

                In his letter to the board members coursed thru the board’s presiding officer, Vice Gov. Esteban Evan B. Contreras all, Tanco said, the Department of Health and Provincial Health Office monitoring reports reveal that the clustering of dengue cases in different barangays in almost all municipalities has increased astronomically from 51 in July 17 to 76 in July 24, thus reaching a level of an actual Dengue  Fever Outbreak which is already categorized as Epidemic.”  

 Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease that causes infection to humans thru a bite of an infected female mosquito known as Aedes Aegypti. The mosquitoes thrive in clear, stagnant water and only attack the victims during daytime.

                Prevention has been cited by health officials as the most effective way of combating the mosquito-borne disease as there has been no known cure for it once it reaches its “acute stage.”

                Board member Layo said there was a need to strengthen the preventive measures before going into the “curative measures.”

                                                          LACK OF BLOOD DONORS

                Jessie Contreras, administrator of Capiz Emmanuel Hospital in which the bulk of the dengue victims in Capiz was confined, lamented that Capiz “does not have a blood bank,” and went on to enumerate other  problems they have encountered as a result of the outbreak, like lack of beds.

                Charles Robles, chair of the Philippine National Red Cross in Capiz, refuted Contreras’ statement by saying “we actually have a blood bank.’  The problem is, Robles explained, the lack of (blood) donors.

                Robles said only 30 percent constitute the so-called “voluntary (blood) donors” while 70 percent are classified as “paid donors.”

                That’s why, he said, unless the community cooperates, it would be hard to ensure a steady supply of blood badly needed by the dengue victims as the blood platelets only last five days.

                He also suggested that hospitals must have refrigerators to store the blood.

                Tanco said that if there are enough funds, the province can buy folding beds and even share these beds with other private hospitals which are often caught in a dilemma on how to accommodate the overflowing dengue patients.

July 26-August 1, 2010

P35-M Dao district hospital now 37% complete — Agana

by Gerry T. Pagharion

       ROXAS CITY ––– Provincial engineer Edgar Agana disclosed that the construction of the P35-million Gerardo Roxas Memorial District Hospital in Dao, Capiz is now 37 percent complete.

       Since the project  was started  the last week of February this year, work has been unhampered and, within 450 days, it will finally be finished, Agana said in an interview.  Thus, the hospital is expected to be operational either by March or April next year.

       The project, funded by the Department of Health, will boost the delivery of  health services to the people in the second district as well as enable them to avail themselves  of modern hospital equipment.

       The putting up of health facilities in Capiz, foremost of which is the Dao district hospital, is in line with Gov. Victor Tanco’s thrust of ensuring healthy Capiceños, Agana said.

       Aside from the aforesaid hospital, Tanco also pushed for the renovation of 14 health facilities like the Botica sa Barangay and birthing clinics costing P12 –million and providing medical and other various kinds of equipment to the rural health units, it was learned from Agana.

       In a report, the governor disclosed that the Province has also seen to it to ensure the availability of cheap but high quality of medicines in the 85 Botika sa Barangays which the Province has established.  It also has procured P1.5-million worth of medicines and distributed these to 5 government hospitals.

       Meanwhile, Capiz provincial administrator Jose Villanueva revealed that since the PhilHealth program of the province was institutionalized, it has increased its enrollment in the PhilHealth Indigency Program.  To date, he said, Capiz is now “universally covered” by the program.  Which means that at least 85 percent of the Province’ s target beneficiaries are now covered by the program.

       Because of these, the Province was among the few local government units and Governor Tanco among the few local chief executives who received an award, Villanueva added.

July 19-25, 2010

2 Capiz villages are dengue ‘hot spots’

By Jimen B. Guillermo, PIA

     ROXAS CITY -––  Two barangays in Capiz are already considered as dengue hot spots.

According to Information Officer Jeoffry Espiritu of the Provincial Health Office of Capiz, barangays Banica and Lawaan in Roxas City are also considered as dengue hot spot areas.

     He explained that to be considered as hot spot area, a barangay must have at least 2 to 4 dengue cases in a week for 4 consecutive weeks.

Data from the PHO disclosed that from January to July 17 this year, Capiz has already 1,006 dengue cases with 8 fatalities.

     Of the total dengue victims in the province, 292 of whom are in Roxas City, Espiritu said, adding that the city has already recorded 3 deaths.

     On the other hand, Roxas City Health Office Program Coordinator Mignon Bermejo said the city’s Sanitary Inspectors are already conducting barangay-based inspections and surveillance especially in the declared hot spot areas here.

     Bermejo stressed that they are also closely coordinating with the barangay officials and different schools for the clean-up drive, particularly destroying the breeding sites of mosquitoes.

     Meanwhile, Department of Health representative in Capiz Dr. Elmer Bucayan pointed out that with the declaration of some areas as dengue hot spots, the people in the barangay must be mobilized to do their share in this clean-up drive.

     Bucayan also said that express lanes for dengue patients must also be put in place in all public and private hospitals, including the rural health units.

     “Persons having fever must already be considered as dengue case and must be closely monitored,” he said, adding that said patients must be given priority attention through the express lane.

     He also encouraged health officials throughout Capiz to have a simultaneous one-time “big-bang” information drive about the increasing number dengue cases in the province.

July 12-18, 2010

FCC now a university

By Gerry T. Pagharion and Edalyn B. Acta

       ROXAS CITY ––– The Filamer Christian College, a 106 year-old private institution, has been granted the University Status by the Commission on Higher Education effective July 14 this year.

       This  was   disclosed  by FCC officials led by its president, Dr. Expedito Señeres, and its Board of Trustees led by its chair  Rev. Eliseo Fantilaga,   during a press conference July 16.

       From a  school for the poor and the orphaned children established by the American missionaries in August of 1904, FCC has grown to become one of the leading institutions in Capiz today, serving a total of 4,712 students in elementary, secondary and tertiary levels.

       Thus, from being known as  “Home School,” then as   “Filamer Christian Institute” and, later, as   “Filamer Christian College,” the school has been  renamed  Filamer Christian University or FCU to conform with its present status.

       In a letter dated July 14, 2010, CHED chair Emmanuel Y. Angeles  declared that the FCC, in accordance with the pertinent provisions of Republic Act No.7722, otherwise known as the “Higher Education Act of 1994,” and by virtue of Resolution No. 186-2010 dated July 14,2010 of the Commission en banc,   the Filamer Christian College is hereby granted University Status.

        Earlier, on July 12 this year, Angeles led a team of five CHED commissioners and three CHED regional directors in validating the recommendations of the evaluators who were tasked to look into the viability of the FCC as a university.

A YEAR’S TIME

       Salvio Llanera, dean of the school’s Graduate School and designated as chairman of the University Task Force, said they have applied for a University Status in June last year. In a year’s time, they  got the title, he said, the shortest ever for  schools which applied for such Status.

       It took some schools 15 to 20 years to become universities.  FCC only waited for one year.  The Cordillera University in Baguio, according to Llanera, waited for four years before it realized its dream of becoming a university.

       With the granting of its new status came the need to upgrade the capabilities of the school’s  faculty members in the tertiary level.   Thus, starting 2011, all teachers of the school must have at least a Master’s Degree.   And by 2015, they  must be holders of the Doctorate Degrees.

       Señeres disclosed that the school will offer Bachelor of Science in Information System and Bachelor of Science in Information Technology.                                   Board of Trustee member Jessie Contreras, who is also the administrator of the Emmanuel Hospital, said they expect an increase in enrolment in the coming years. And the school would do within its capability to accommodate the increase by being “pro-active” rather than “re-active.”

       As part of the upgrading of its facilities, construction of the school’s library is now ongoing and is expected to be finished in two years.  The university library will also cater for public use, it was learned.

DOCTORATE STUDY

       It was also stressed during the press con that should there be local issues, such as the perennial flooding in Capiz that need attention, the school can enter into a memorandum of agreement with the city and provincial governments for the FCU to make a “doctorate study.”

       Fantilaga, in his closing remarks, said the granting of a University Status is a process, a long process and it came 106 years after its existence. Everyone, he said, has a role in the “making of a university.”

       He said that becoming a university “is a dream of the American missionaries” to introduce a quality education in a Christian atmosphere.”

       Also present during the press con were the other  members of the FCU Board of Trustees: Samuel Felasor, Violeta Barredo, George Cortel, Mariano Dioso Jr., Nilo Delfin  and  Lucy de la Fuente.

       The name Filamer is a combination of the word Filipino and American as an acknowledgement of the role that the latter played in the establishment of the school.

       The late Capiz Rep. Gerardo “Dinggoy” Roxas Jr. called it the “UP of Capiz” because of its “liberal policies” that enabled students to exercise their “academic freedom.”

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

       It all started in 1900 when American Baptist missionaries in Jaro, Iloilo led by Mrs. Peter H. J. Lerrigo began their missionary work in Capiz.

       Aside from extending medical help to the poor and the needy, Lerrigo’s group also attended to the spiritual needs of Capiz residents.

       Soon, a group of Capiceño believers built a small chapel near the river, which is about 50 meters from the school’s present site known as “Capiz Hill” because of its elevated terrain.

       In December of 1903, Baptist missionary Celia Sainz arrived in Capiz to begin training “Bible Women,” a term coined to refer to women capable of propagating the words of the Bible.

       Iloilo-based Rev. Joseph Robbins spent the whole month of January 1904 in Capiz assisting Dr. Lerrigo.  Later that year, the Robbins family moved to Capiz and organized Sunday school activities for children under the auspices of the Amercian Baptist Church in Mission Society.

       Then sometime in August of 1904, the Robbins received a note from the chief of the now defunct Capiz Constabulary requesting them to take charge of orphaned children and those whose parents were placed behind bars for crimes and other unlawful acts.

       One of those was named Regina.  She and her two brothers were taken by the Robbins into their home.  This was on top of the seven children that the couple had been feeding daily.

       Thus, the deep concern of the missionaries for the poor and neglected children of Capiz grew that it finally gave birth to a Home School, then renamed Filamer Christian Institute and, later, Filamer Christian College.    

2nd UNIVERSITY

IN    CAPIZ  

       FCU is the second university in Capiz, the first being the Capiz State University with a main campus in Roxas City, and branches in Dumarao, Pontevedra, Pilar, Mambusao, Sapian, Tapaz and Jamindan towns.

       It is an affiliate of Capiz Emmanuel Hospital and is a sister school of Central Philippine University and Iloilo Mission Hospital in Iloilo City.

NO INCREASE

Lawyer Mariano Dioso, a member of the FCC Board, said there will be no increase in tuition fees.  Instead, FCU will set a high standard of qualifications for its faculty members who are required to have doctorate degrees.

July 4-11, 2010

Tutor who forced pupil to ‘eat’ crumpled paper probed

      ROXAS CITY –––  A teacher in the Agbalo  Elementary School in Panay town in Capiz is now under investigation reportedly for  lodging a crumpled paper into the mouth  of her pupil as a form of disciplinary action   during a classroom incident on  June 15 this year.

      Class adviser Gelisa Bocala, said to be a native of Bacolod City, and has reportedly made it as a “rule” in her Class that whoever is found guilty of littering, he or she would be made to eat the littered object.

      The female victim, a Grade 3 pupil and a resident of the nearby Barangay Cogon, also in Panay,   had been badly traumatized as a result of the incident.  She   has since transferred to another school in nearby Pontevedra town.

      The June 15 incident started when one of the victim’s classmates reportedly called the attention of Bocala to a crumpled paper atop the desk of the pupil.

      Bocala reportedly then reminded her pupils of her standing rule, which is to let the guilty one “eat” the littered object.

      The teacher reportedly then took the crumpled paper, asked the “guilty” pupil to open her mouth and then stuffed the crumpled paper into it.  

      The victim’s father, Efren Bulao, wrote members of the local media July 6 asking for their help to ensure transparency in the “Committee Hearing” called by the Department of Education-Division of Panay “to give justice to my daughter.”

      The hearing, set at 9 a.m. July 8 inside the Panay Central School compound in Poblacion, Panay, where the DepEd- Division of Panay building was located, was held closed-door.  Broadcasters from dyVR and dyOW Bombo Radyo  who came to cover the hearing were reportedly not allowed to enter the hearing venue. This raised suspicion of a possible white-wash.

      Bulao told reporters here that all he wanted was to give the teacher a lesson.  The teacher had reportedly apologized for her “abusive act”  and has since warned Bulao that he would only “incur more expenses” if he would push through the case.

      “What do you want me to do?  I already  have  apologized,” Bocala was said to have confronted Bulao.

      The teacher was also said to have told Bulao that the most that can be meted to her as a punishment “is a one-month suspension.”

      Bulao said the teacher  was apparently  trying to discourage him from pursuing the case by warning him of the  “complicated process and the  expensive cost” it may entail.

JUNE 28 –– JULY 4, 2010

18 cases of motorcycle theft during 2-month period bared

By Gerry T. Pagharion

      ROXAS CITY ––  Eighteen cases of motorcycle theft were reported to the police here during the two-month (May-June, 2010) period.

      This was disclosed by Supt. Leo Batiles during a recent press conference here.  Of this number, Batiles said, four units were recovered.

      In the wake of this rampant stealing of motorcycles, Batiles advised motorcycle owners to properly secure their units.  He disclosed that one of the suspects was found to have been both involved in motorcycle stealing and  illegal drugs.

      Batiles said they have already tackled the problem with the provincial command after this has reached the attention of Sr. Supt. Josephus Angan, police director of Capiz.  A task force, known as Task Fore Pag-ulikid, has been formed to track down motorcycle theft suspects,he said.

      Owners of stolen motorcycles reportedly have had a hard time recovering their units as these were reportedly dismantled with only their engines being preserved with other parts thrown into the seas.  Thus, once the units are dismantled, there was no way they could recover them, it was learned.

      The engines are reportedly used to run the pump boats, it was further learned.

      In line with this, Batiles said he had ordered the deployment of patrol cars in strategic vicinities and intensity police visibility by  having policemen in civilian clothes deployed in such areas to prevent the occurrence of similar cases.

JUNE 21 –– 27, 2010

4 Indians, 6 Capiceños face kidnap-slay raps

      ROXAS CITY ––– Robbery with homicide charges were filed by the police against four Indian nationals and six Capiceños over a kidnap-slay case involving Indian trader Naib Singh, an Iloilo-based trader who was found dead  on May 29 at Mt. Napatagan in Barabgay Sibariwan, Dumarao, Capiz.

      Charged for the death of Naib Singh,38, were Harpreet Singh and three Indians whose names were not disclosed; Sally Besonia, alias Sherly Lago, and her two brothers, Joel and Rio; Edwin Agroda; Felomino Agroda; and Elmer Dime.

      The Criminal Investigation and Detection group (CIDG) in Capiz filed the charges against the suspects on  June 18 before the Iloilo Provincial Prosecutor’s Office, said PO3 Pedro Celino, CIDG-Capiz investigator.

      Two of the Indian nationals were reportedly staying in Barangay Aspera, Sara, Iloilo; the other one lives in Barangay Tanque here.

      The three were also engaged in trading business in Iloilo and Capiz.

      Celino said they have six witnesses, including the victim’s wife Ranjit Kaur and daughter  Pavandeep Kaur.

       The police begged off from divulging the suspects and witnesses’ names for security purposes.

      Singh, a resident of Gran Plains Subdivision in Jaro, Iloilo City, was found dead on May 29 by local residents at Mt. Napatagan in Sitio Ulang, Barangay Sibariwan, some 35 kilometers from Dumarao town proper in Capiz.

      In sworn statements to the CIDG, Ranjit and Pavendeep identified Harpreet Singh and Besonia as the masterminds of the kidnap-slay.

      Ranjit said that, like her husband,  Harpreet Singh was also engaged in a lending business but  got bankrupt later.

       She  said Harpreet even asked her to allow Besonia to work in their house in Jaro, Iloilo city as a  housemaid.

      Ranjit also said Harpreet tried to borrow money from Naib several times but to no avail.

      Ranjit narrated that last May 28 Besonia asked Naib when he will go to Sara to collect the money from his lending business.

      Naib told her that he might do so on May 29.

      Upon learning of this, Besonia asked permission to go to Sara, with an alibi of not being able to do  household chores anymore because of physical pains due to abortion, and asked for her six-day salary.

      Ranjit added she would usually observe Besonia frequently calling and texting someone.

            Initially, Celino said Besonia could not be found, while Harpreet has no permanent address in Iloilo and reportedly went back to India on June 1.

JUNE 14 –– 20, 2010

Bermejo on Celino;  ‘Give him a chance’

Outgoing mayor adopts conciliatory gesture

By Gerry T. Pagharion

      ROXAS CITY –– Outgoing Mayor Vicente Bermejo had nothing but good words for his successor, Mayor-elect Alan Celino,  despite the latter’s continued  “adversarial stance” towards him (see separate story on this page –– ED)

      In a speech at the launching of the Olotayan Island Tour June 10, the outgoing mayor, referring to the joint efforts of the City’s Coastal Resource Management and the community-based Dagat sa Isla Olotayan Sagupon Asosasyon (DIOSA) in making the island barangay a tourist haven said: “I’m confident that our new mayor will support your endeavors.”

      Because of the heat of elections, there were a lot of things said in a negative way, Bermejo had acknowledged.  But since the political exercise is already over, Bermejo said he believes that Celino should be given leeway to “do things on his own way” and that “we should all think positively.”

      “I believe that no one enters public service with a bad intention,” Bermejo said, apparently referring to Celino, who beat him in the May 10 mayoral race by a slight margin of 691 votes.

      Bermejo said he has already instructed department heads to submit “entry reports” to ensure a smooth transition.   These reports, he said, would guide the new city mayor in discharging his “avowed tasks.”

      In what could be his last “coffee talk” with local media men on June 16,  Bermejo, while saying that the recent election was the dirtiest ever in Capiz, said that “the people have spoken and the people have chosen ––– for whatever reasons they may have, I have to abide by it.”

      Bermejo said he was keeping his fingers crossed and hope that the new mayor will succeed as the hope of the people for a better tomorrow “is largely dependent in the occupants of the mayorship of the city.”

      Bermejo said he will leave City Hall in a better financial condition.

      “We will have an unappropriated IRA (internal revenue allotment) share of P31 million that the new mayor can use for his programs.   If God allows that there will be no calamity this year, he (referring to Celino) can also use the calamity fund amounting to P17.7 million effective on the first day of the year,” Bermejo said.

      As of June 15, 2010, Bermejo said, the city has cash in bank amounting to P150.4 million plus IRA receivables of P153-million from July to December 2010.

      The city also has savings of P5.7 million, according to Bermejo.

      The outgoing mayor disclosed that he has issued an executive order organizing a transition team that will prepare a report that has, he said, a two-fold function –– one for Celino to know what he had accomplished “because I know we accomplished a lot even for a short time.”

      The other function, he explained, is to present that report as an entry plan to Celino so that he will know the programs and decide accordingly whether to sustain, amend, revise  and “whatever he pleases to do with it.”

      For 24 years in public service, Bermejo said that he learned a lot of lessons and remember the good words of the late Capiz Gov. Cornelio “Dodoy” Villareal that to be in politics, “one should not put all your feet inside for it would be difficult for you to get out. One should not pin everything in politics so that it would be easier to quit at appointed time.”

      He said that his only regret (in losing) in the election is that he would not be able to continue the numerous projects he had started which could have made a difference in the development of the city. For three years, Bermejo said he has demonstrated the physical, social and economic improvements of the city by using local funds. 

      The mayor said that losing in the race does not give him sleepless nights.  It’s his inability, he said, to protect the plight of those who have supported him now facing the “threats of persecution.”

      As he retires to private life, Bermejo said he will leave a legacy of good governance founded on the people’s interest and genuine concern for their welfare.”        

JUNE 7–– 13, 2010

Money did me in — Bermejo

By Gerry T. Pagharion

   ROXAS CITY –– Mayor Vicente Bermejo of the Ugyon Kita Capiz said he   has   accepted  his loss to Liberal Party  mayoral candidate Alan Celino in the recent  May 10 elections.  But he  attributed his defeat  to  the enormous campaign funds put up against him by his erstwhile  LP allies.

   “It no longer matters whether you are a good leader.  Money now decides the polls,” Bermejo said  in an interview with The Capiz Times.  He was   referring to the massive vote-buying practice resorted to by the Roxases.  

   LP stalwarts Sen. Mar Roxas and his mother Judy Araneta-Roxas  have reportedly made the huge campaign funds of the LP  available to their ward leaders prior to and during the May 10 elections just to ensure Bermejo’s defeat in his reelection bid.

   The mother and son, who claimed to be responsible for  Bermejo’s more than 20 years of foray into Capiz politics,  have on several occasions “poured out”  their deep  frustration over the alleged betrayal of  Bermejo when he   decided to ally himself with the Ugyon Kita Capiz, a newly formed local political party, months before the May 10 elections.    

   Bermejo, who at first looked very much  confident of his victory owing to the fact that he had 36 incumbent barangay captains out of the 47 practically at his beck and call, was caught flat-footed at the last hour by the “tsunami of money” released by the Roxases.  This was seen as a crucial  factor that eventually  turned the tide in LP’s favor.

   He confirmed that many barangay officials have turned their backs on him “for money.”

   On the assertion that he is just a “creation of the Roxases,” Bermejo said they (the Roxases) have also used him to serve their political ends.

   He recalled that in the 1998 elections, the Roxases fielded him for the Capiz governorship to defeat then incumbent Capiz Gov. Esteban Contreras, who left the LP that time and aligned himself with the ruling Lakas.

   The Roxases also fielded him as a candidate  in 2007 to prevent the opposition  from wrestling the top City Hall post, he said.    

   Meanwhile,  Bermejo  said that with  the highly-tensed elections now  over,  he “feels  relieved” for he can now go back to normal life.

   When asked how much he spent to bankroll his reelection bid, Bermejo cited the amount of P8-million.  This was way below the P60-million shelled out by the LP, he claimed.  

   But an LP ally expressed doubts on Bermejo’s claim that he only spent P8-million.  “I think it’s more than.”

   What will he do after bowing out of public office?

   Interviewed at his office 22 days after the May 11 polls,  Bermejo said “life must go on” and that  he would now be able “to take care of whatever I have.”

   Bermejo, at first, refused to be interviewed, saying he would hold a “coffee talk” among  media  people in  “due time.” He gave in though  when prodded by this reporter.

   The outgoing mayor has been making himself scarce for media interviews since the May 11 elections, which saw his defeat to Celino by 69l votes.

   Bermejo said his family still  owns the Rural Bank of Panay and the Rural Bank of Cuartero.  He also has some 13 hectares of fishpond property to attend to.

   The outgoing mayor also hinted    he would go into real estate development through the subdivision business.

   If ever, Bermejo said, he found comfort in the fact that those who voted for him really did so out of love and loyalty (to him) as well their  strong belief in his capacity as a leader and  not because of   monetary considerations.

    Bermejo said he was aware of the fact that a number of his  supporters  cried on learning about his defeat.

   Celino, he noted, edged him out by only 691 votes.  Most of those who voted for Celino, he said, came from slum areas or those who can easily be swayed by money owing to their poor  economic condition.

   Now, Bermejo said, he realizes that being a good leader is not enough to propel him –– or any candidate for that matter ––– to victory.

   He could not,  as yet, say  on what his  future political plans will be.

            Meanwhile, to  prevent this reporter from asking more questions, Bermejo  stood up and gestured to leave this office.  This reporter had no choice but to cut short the interview.

MAY 31 –– JUNE 6, 2010

Move on to unseat Acervo

 Alisasis given go-signal by new mayor

BY GERYY T. PAGHARION

      ROXAS CITY – The move is on to unseat Roxas City Liga ng mga Barangay president Wilson Acervo  and have him replaced by Brgy. Captain Solomon Alisasis of Libas.

      Acervo, barangay chair of Mongpong, is identified with incumbent Mayor Vicente Bermejo of Ugyon Kita Capiz who lost his reelection bid to LP mayoral bet Alan Celino in the recently-concluded May 10 elections.

      Acervo’s term  of office as the City Liga head  expires in October this year but  Celino  wants him replaced earlier than that, according to Alisasis.

      Alisasis said Celino paid him a visit last week during which he sounded to him  the idea of unseating Acervo.                           “Mayor Celino, as I now call him, told me to prepare (for the Liga presidency)  and get the commitment of at least 17 barangay captains in the city, “ Alisasis told The Capiz Times in an interview.

      Out of the city’s  47 barangay chairmen, only 11 are identified with the LP who will likely support Alisasis’ bid  for the top Liga post.  The rest are identified with the UKC. 

      But Alisasis is hopeful that, with the able support of Celino and the party,  he would be able to win over a number of barangay captains to his side in due time.

According to him, he is going around the city trying to court his fellow barangay captains to support his cause and impart to them the message of  the new city mayor.  Celino’s  message is that he   is opening the doors of City Hall to all barangay captains  who are willing to work with his administration.

      Alisasis said  Celino is adopting this “non-vindictive” stance in dealing with barangay officials.  For him, he said, he welcomes this attitude of the new mayor because he did not want other barangay officials to experience what he had experienced in the hands of what he called a “vindictive official.”

      Meanwhile, Acervo said he welcomes the move of those from the LP to unseat him even though his term will expire in October.

      He explained that Alisasis needs the votes of 36 (three fourths)  out of the 47 barangay captains in the city in order to unseat him.

      The process, he said, will also have to pass through the approval of the provincial Liga federation under the leadership of its president Clemente “Budong”  Firmalino, who is Acervo’s ally at Ugyon Kita Capiz.

      Interviewed over Wesfardells’ Budyong Kapehan, Acervo hinted that  he was willing to cooperate with the Celino administration in the same manner that he supported the administrations of then Mayors Antonio del Rosario and Bermejo.

      “If it was for the good of the people and everybody, then there’s no problem with me,” Acervo said.

            Acervo acknowledged  Celino’s right to  choose the people he wants to work with, although, he said, the barangay election was  approaching and it’s proper to wait for that time for any reorganization efforts.

MAY 24 –– 30, 2010

STATUS QUO AT CAPITOL

By Gerry T. Pagharion

     ROXAS CITY –– There will be little changes at the provincial Capitol insofar as the reshuffling of government heads and employees is concerned, according to reelected Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr.

     The governor’s media handlers,  Capitol media bureau chief Edward Basilonia and his assistant Allen Hervias, told reporters that some vacant posts will have to be filled in by interested applicants.  But the governor is not about to rock the boat, they said.

     In radio interviews shortly after  records showed he won overwhelmingly in the gubernatorial contest  over his rival Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante last May 10, Tanco bared that the acquisition of heavy equipment, health care, education, implementation of infrastructure projects, tourism and employment remain as his top priorities.

     Tourism under Tanco’s care has become “alive and kicking”  with the holding of regional, local and national events during his first term in office.

     He would, as he had done so during his first term, again call all sectors of society to a strategic planning workshop as part of his agenda during his 100 days in office.

     To upgrade the status of roads and other infrastructure facilities in Capiz, Tanco said  the Province would acquire additional heavy equipment out of the credit facilities of the provincial government with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

     Likewise concreting of provincial roads will also be implemented, again to be funded by the aforesaid credit facilities.

     In the area of health, the governor said the  hospital bed capacity at the Roxas Memorial Provincial Hospital would be increased, among other things.

     The governor also bared that the Ivisan-Basiao provincial road’s concreting will be hastened up as part of  his administration’s  tourism program. 

     The Basiao and Balaring beaches are among the cleanest beaches in the country and offer scenic  and  paronamic views for tourists and guests.

     Aside from increasing the number of provincial government scholars, Tanco said he would also push for a review of some courses suited for students.

     To boost employment, the governor said he would try to invite investors to put up businesses, like call centers in Capiz. 

MAY 17 –– 23, 2010

Celino is new city mayor; Tanco trounces Bolante

By  WOW FENEQUITO-DADULA and GERRY T. PAGHARION

       ROXAS CITY –– Leading by  a slight margin of  691 votes, former city vice mayor Alan Celino won the hotly-contested mayoral race here over  reelectionist Mayor Vicente Bermejo in the country’s  first-ever automated national  elections  May 10.

       Backed by the powerful machinery of the Liberal Party (LP), Celino, who exuded confidence and lots of positive energy, garnered  33,122 votes  over Bermejo of the Ugyon Kita Capiz, who chalked up   32,431 votes. (Please see complete list of winning candidates and their corresponding votes on page 4.)

 TEARS OF JOY

        Celino    shed “tears of joy” shortly after his  proclamation  for what his supporters described as his “sweet victory.”

       Celino’s win ended Bermejo’s more than two-decades stint in local politics and put a halt to his continuous winning streak during elections.

       Bermejo had served as mayor of Panay town for 10 years, one year of which he spent as OIC when he was appointed in 1986 by President Corazon Aquino to the post under her so-called revolutionary government.

       At the end of his term as Panay mayor, he ran for and won the Capiz governorship in 1998 under the LP and was subsequently reelected to the same post in the succeeding two elections.

GETTING LP’s IRE

       Bermejo got the ire of the LP in Capiz  months before the May 10 elections after he  declared his support to Ugyon Kita Capiz gubernatorial candidate, the controversial  former Agriculture undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante  who figured in the alleged  P723-million fertilizer fund fiasco months before the 2004 elections.

       He further alienated himself from the LP  when he  indicated his nonsupport to his then LP allies, first termers  Gov. Victor Tanco Sr.,  city vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas and Capiz first district Rep. Antonio del Rosario.

       Bermejo’s political decision did not sit well with Sen. Mar Roxas and his mother, Judy Araneta-Roxas, deemed pillars of the LP in Capiz.

 ROXAS CLAN UNITE

       Feeling betrayed and badly hurt by Bermejo’s stance, the senator and his mother, who claimed to be responsible for Bermejo’s successful foray into Capiz politics, fielded Celino to run against Bermejo.

       The whole Roxas clan (including Mar’s sister Ria Roxas-Ojeda) also  vowed to ensure the defeat of Bermejo and those who betrayed the LP.

       In one occasion,  Senator Roxas even  declared that he would not hesitate to borrow the inheritance of his sister, Ria, if only to ensure the defeat of his erstwhile political allies who turned their backs on him and supported Bolante.

 MORE LP’S TRIUMPH

       Bolante himself lost in his bid for Capitol post to incumbent Capiz Gov. Victor Tanco, Sr. of the LP, who won  by a margin of 68,425 votes.

       Bolante got 121,176 votes as against Tanco’s 189,501 votes.

       Another gubernatorial bet, Zenon E. Amoroso, got 2,329 votes.

       Bermejo’s running-mate, councilor Dennis Altobano, who got 21,865 votes also lost to incumbent city vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas with 39,940 votes or a margin of 18,075 votes.

       The four-cornered first district congressional fight was dominated by Del Rosario with 77,584 votes followed by Felipe Barredo (UKC) with 45,859 votes.

       Former Capiz first district congressman Rodriguez Dadivas got 41,205 votes while Conrado Tinsay II had 1,397 votes.

 IT’S STILL CASTRO

       In the second district congressional race, Jane Tan-Castro (Lakas), wife of last term Rep. Fredenil Castro got 109,147 votes  against former PNP chief Roberto Lastimoso’s 44,321 votes.

       For vice governor, incumbent board member Esteban Evan Contreras of the LP won over former city councilor Mark Anthony G. Ortiz (UKC) edging him out by 47,130 votes.

       Contreras received 170,340 votes while Ortiz, 123,210 votes. 

       Meanwhile, Celino and his running-mate, reelectionist vice mayor Ronnie Dadivas were proclaimed by the city  Commission on Election    supervisor Joemar  Betita in the early   morning  of    May 11.

SICAD TOPS RACE

       In the hotly-contested city council race, incumbent city councilor Erwin Sicad (LP) maintained the top position with 35,536 votes.

       Former city councilor Teresa Almalbis (UKC) was No. 2 with 34,874 votes.

       Powell    Del Rosario (LP) was third with 33,166 votes followed by Barangay Talon chairman Matthew James Viterbo (LP) with 29,119 votes.

       Other candidates who made it to the Council were Jennifer Ann Anisco (LP), 27,419 votes; re-electionist city councilor Jose Agdalipe with 24,925 votes; Erlynne Lim, 24,328 votes; Emmanuel Billones Jr. with 24,155 votes; re-electionist city councilor Carla Abela with 22,792 votes and former city prosecutor Julius Abela with 22,641 votes.

       Of those who ran for councilor under the ticket of UKC, only three managed to survive the LP’s wrath.  They are Almalbis, Agdalipe and Carla Abela.

MAY 10 –– 16, 2010

Capelco on ‘red alert’ on election day

   ROXAS CITY –– The Capiz Electric Cooperative (CAPELCO) has assured of a stable power supply in the province for the upcoming May 10 national and local elections.

   “Power supply will continue as long as there is no problem from our suppliers,” CAPELCO Public Information Officer Kenneth Tipon clarified.

   The cooperative will also maximize its manpower to ensure that power supply in the province will not be distracted during election.

   Earlier, Capelco general manager Engr. Edgar Diaz said that the cooperative’s linemen are not enough to the number of schools that will be utilized as voting centers “but we will try hard to deliver stable power supply.”

   The cooperative’s assurance came after the DOE has presented its power contingency plan to the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) to ensure “adequate and fail-safe” power supply during the election.

   Meanwhile, Malacañang is confident that Monday’s election will push through, adding it will come out as an honest, peaceful and fair political exercise.

   Several presidential spokespersons said Malacañang harbors no doubt whatsoever on the capability of the Commission on Election to settle the technical problems that surfaced during the test-runs of the automated vote counting machines.

   “Let’s give COMELEC a chance. They say they can do it so let’s respect them,” said Deputy Presidential Spokesperson Gary Olivar during a Malacañang press briefing.

   Olivar also called on the people to ignore “political noise” like one linking Malacañang to a possible postponement of May 10 exercise.

––(PIA/A.Lumaque)

MAY 3 –– 9, 2010

Bolante calls Magsaysay liar; demands apology

   ROXAS CITY –– Former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-Joc” Bolante called former Sen. Ramon “Jun” Magsaysay a “liar” for accusing him of signing checks and forwarding them to politicians.

   “If Magsaysay said that I signed the checks forwarded to politicians who were recipients of the fertilizer funds, then I demand that he (Magsaysay) immediately present even just once check or a check number to prove his allegation,” Bolante said.

   “I am certain that I never signed a single check in favor of any one out of the P728-million fertilizer funds. I challenge him to show proof that I indeed signed checks. That is absolutely false, a cheap fabricated information,” he stressed.

   He explained that the said fund was released by different regional offices of the Department of Agriculture (DA) after they have validated the projects of the local government units concerned.

   “The Commission on Audit and the DA reports are very clear on this fact. Thus Magsaysay should be ashamed for lying. It is a cheap character assassination and desperate politics. He should apologize to the people for lying, for instigating anger thru use of false information,” Bolante said.

   If he could not produce proof, Bolante said Magsaysay should issue a public apology.

   Bolante earlier said the fertilizer fund scandal issue has become a “broken record” which he had already answered squarely for several times.

“I already answered all the allegations several times over the radio, television, newspapers and even in public fora. But my detractors keep on reiterating the issue,” he said.

   Bolante challenged anew his detractors to find evidence that he pocketed the funds. He insisted that not a single centavo went to his pocket.

APRIL 26 –– MAY 2, 2010

Noynoy, Gibo take Capiz ‘by storm’

Teodoro’s ‘sagging bid’ boosted

By Gerry T. Pagharion

   ROXAS CITY –– Will it be Aquino, Villar or Teodoro? 

    Indeed,  who among the presidential candidates will Capiz folks likely support come May 10?

    The fight, based on the number of mayors supporting them, appears to have been narrowed down between Liberal Party standard-bearer Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and administration candidate Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro (Lakas-Kampi).

    Unless some mayors  are keeping  “secret alliances” with Nacionalista Party Manny  Villar, it would be safe to say that the presidential  game in Capiz is now  confined  between Teodoro and Aquino.

    So far, only one town mayor in Capiz –– Sapian  Mayor Arturo Orosco — who came out in the open backing Villar. It is believed though that there are other  mayors in Capiz  who are secretly campaigning for Villar and may, in fact, have already received “initial fundings” from his camp.

    Aquino, understandably, is  easy to sell  among Capiz   folks owing to the fact that his running-mate, Mar Roxas III, is a Capiceño.  Four out of the 16 mayors are reportedly backing   his bid.  They are Esteban “Steve’ Contreras of Pontevedra,  Ma. Rita Lyn Patricio of Pilar, Belegio Dueñas of Maayon and  Mary Andaya of Sigma.

    But an observer said it still  boils down to one factor: Funding.

    He added that should   Teodoro and Aquino fail to “satisfy” the mayors’ funding requirements, then “Villar may yet capture Capiz  votes.”

 BOOSTED

 Teodoro’s sagging candidacy  was propped up by the “show of force” put up mostly by the second district “delegation” during the April 23 rally at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center here.

    This “show of force” came just as everybody thought Teodoro was  quitting the race amid reports of “massive” defections of administration allies into the camps of the  NP and the LP.

    Twelve town mayors of Capiz have reportedly pledged support for Teodoro, including Roxas City mayor Vicente Bermejo.

  LP RALLY

    Meanwhile, Aquino and his running-mate, Sen. Mar Roxas III, were here April 15 supposedly to grace the 62nd death anniversary of former President Manuel Roxas, Mar’s grandfather.

 After a short press conference at the Roxas City Airport, the LP candidates and party   motored to and made a brief stopover at the monument of President Manuel Roxas at the Roxas City plaza where they offered  wreaths before proceeding to the Capiz gymnasium at the Villareal Stadium for a mammoth political rally.

    The LP team apparently took advantage of the huge crowd attending the CAPIZtahan  2010, which was also in commemoration of the 109th foundation day of the province.

 FIESTA–LIKE AIR

    Just like the fiesta atmosphere that  pervaded the LP rally, which saw even Mrs. Judy Roxas and her rah-rah girls dancing on stage, the rally of Teodoro, which saw the huge attendance of those from the second district and the active participation of last term second district congressman Fredenil Castro and Roxas City mayor Vicente Bermejo, was also festive but less simple and extravagant.

    Posters of Teodoro, however, were prominently displayed all over the city in what was seen as a case of  “overkill.”

    While Aquino and Roxas took turns in lambasting former  Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn “Joc-joc” Bolante, standard –bearer of Ugyon Kita Capiz in the province’s gubernatorial race,  Teodoro talked more about his platform of government and the need to do away the practice of   destructive politics.

    The LP team  also emphasized the need to combat corruption to lessen the ills plaguing the country.

    Never was there an instance in the UKC rally,  though , that one of its members took potshots at their rivals at the LP,  which was in contrast to the  “combative stance” adopted by the latter.

 BOLANTE NO-SHOW

    Almost all UKC candidates were present during Teodoro’s rally except –– interestingly –– for Bolante.  UKC’s vice gubernatorial bet Mark Ortiz and the whole UKC ticket were around during the rally.

    Teodoro’s running-mate, movie actor Edu Manzano, failed to make it to the rally after arriving late.  He reportedly just held a mini-press conference at a hotel here.

    Bolante, who is close to the First Couple, especially First Gentleman Juan Miguel “Mike” Arroyo, was earlier reported to be backing the presidential bid of Villar.  Thus, the term Villaroyo.

NO TO SURVEYS

    Speaking  mostly in Hiligaynon, Teodoro, described by Bermejo as the “next president of the Philippines” and by Castro as the “most qualified” among the presidential candidates, pooh- poohed the various surveys showing him and other candidates trailing behind Aquino, Villar and Joseph Estrada.

    The power of the President, he said, should come from the people, not from surveys.

    Teodoro also noted that people are fed up with traditional politics.  If elected, he would focus his programs in affording the poor with low cost housing units, easy access to health and education, providing  free medicines  as well as ensuring  sustainable and quality livelihood, among others.

    He also saw the need to improve the country’s international standings “in order for investors to come in.”

             NO ELITE

    Addressing one issue raised against him, that of being elite, Teodoro  took pride in the fact that he is  fluent  in  Hiligaynon or Iloggo something, he said, that other presidential candidates who claimed to be “maka-masa” (pro-pooor) do not possess.

    It was through his interaction with the small people or the masa that he was able to master the Iloggo dialect, he said. 

    With him during the rally was Lakas senatorial candidate Silvestre “Bebot” Bello.

    In his speech, Bello recalled that he and his wife got married in Roxas City with then House Speaker Cornelio “Kune” Villlareal Sr. as their “ninong.”  He and his wife eloped and hid  in Capiz because the girl’s  parents had disapproved of him, he said.

    Bello also said that it was he who taught the Mambusaonons to eat “dog meat,” which was already a  delicacy in their place but was still unheard of in Capiz that time.

 HUMAN MEAT

    Before the rally ended,  Castro made a retort  to Bello:  If he  (Bello)  taught the Mambusanons to eat dog meat, we Capiceños can in turn teach him to eat human meat, in apparent reference to Capiz’s reputation as an “Aswang country (home of the witches).”

    This practically brought the house down.  

APRIL 19 –– 25, 2010

Destructive politics takes center stage

By Gerry T. Pagharion

    ROXAS CITY  –– Are there sacred cows among politicians?

    This question comes to the fore after politics in Capiz and even elsewhere in the country has become so destructive.  The protagonists for the May 10 battle and their respective supporters have resorted to foul language as they try to demolish one another.

    In Capiz, it has become common for one to hear from the LP camp calling Ugyon Kita Capiz gubernatorial candidate Jocelyn Jocjoc Bolante “a thief.” Which is usually met with a retort from the UKC territory: “Look, who’s talking?”

    This “thief” thing has resulted in the filing by Bolante of a libel case against a radioman identified with the LP, who refused to budge and kept on calling Bolante a “thief” on the air.

    Another put it this way: “They are just washing their dirty linens in public.”

    Lately, a statement written in Hiligaynon  and in “kilometric lines” was posted in the Internet and lambasted those belonging to the LP, particularly LP’s matriarch Judy Roxas.

    An LP insider said they had an idea of who were behind the latest “venom,” apparently a “poison letter,” against the LP.

    The statement

chided Mrs. Roxas, among others, for intervening in Capiz politics and telling her not to get mad at people who will not vote for the LP candidates.

    That politics has   sunk so low could be a sign of the times, what with the advent of modern communication technology,  like the Internet and cell phones,  which make it easy for one to spread the “venom” at a faster pace for everyone to feast, observers say.

    In their April 25 sortie in Capiz, the top two LP candidates  –– Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino lll and his running-mate Mar Roxas III ––  have vowed to work for the defeat of Bolante,  standard bearer of UKC for Capiz governor.

    The duo’s pronouncements were picked up by the media and landed on the front pages of newspapers  and enjoyed primetime coverage on TV and radio.

    Bolante was being pictured as an “evil” by his critics who, observers say,  probably saw themselves as “saints.”

    Aquino called on the people of Capiz to “maintain the province’s clean image and by not voting for Bolante and his allies.”

    In short, Aquino saw himself and his allies as “good” and Bolante and his ilk, “evil.”

    Roxas went further by saying that Capiz “could become the laughing stock of other provinces if Bolante won and became governor.”

    The visit of Aquino and Roxas concided with the 62nd death anniversary of former President Manuel Roxas and the 109th founding anniversary of the province.

    Roxas said Capiz would be the political battleground between the Liberal Party and President Macapagal-Arroyo.

    He said Bolante’s candidacy was proving that Malacañang wanted to continue its corrupt governance and hide evidence of questionable activities.

    “The fight in Capiz is the LP’s “Tuloy and Laban (On with the Fight) versus the present administration’s ‘Tuloy ang Ligaya’ (Let the Good Times Continue,” he said.

    Roxas also said he was “hurt” that the people he had helped “become successful in their political career”  were “the ones who abandoned us in favor of Bolante.”

    The senator was referring to Roxas City Mayor Vicente Bermejo and other former LP allies who had defected to Ugyon Kita Capiz, which Bolante formed together with Rep. Fredenil Castro.

    During the press con shortly after their arrival here April 15, Aquino disclosed that he tried to mediate in the quarrel of Congressman Antonio del Rosario and Mayor Bermejo.

    While Del Rosario was smiling while he was talking to him and quite amenable in smoking the peace pipe, the other man (referring to Bermejo), 

he said, “was frowning.”

    For his part, Bolante, in a press statement, said the Roxases (Mar and his mother Judy Araneta-Roxas) are so desperate in destroying him and attributed this to his stance  of “firmly  standing up against them.”

    He said the Roxases don’t want to lose their power in Capiz.  “They want continued political dominance in the province.”

    “They (the Roxases) look at Capiz as their “hacienda” and the Capiceños, their “sakadas,” he said.

    Bolante said Roxas has no evidence that he stole public funds  and accused the senator of employing “dirty politics.           

APRIL 12 –– 18, 2010

Police to secure polling areas

   ROXAS CITY  – At least two personnel from the Philippine National Police will be deployed in every polling precinct in Capiz during the May 10 national and local elections.

   Police provincial director Sr. Supt. Josephus Angan disclosed that the move of deploying police men in said polling centers aims to ensure orderly and peaceful elections.

   He said that with police visibility in the polling places in the province would also prevent bad elements in the community to make criminalities and other illegal activities.

Angan said that they will also request for additional personnel from their higher headquarters to beef up the PNP strength in the province, especially during the elections.

   He also revealed that they will utilize and maximize their local force multipliers and other volunteers to maintain peace and order.

   Earlier the Joint Security Coordinating Center had conducted a meeting to review the PNP deployment and security plan, according to police officer 3 Donna Asmod.

   Included in the focus of discussion were the deployment of PNP personnel in the polling precincts, security of candidates, transportation and security of precinct optical scan machines (PCOS) and other election paraphernalia and possibilities of power shortage, she said

   Aside from Angan, said conference was attended by Comelec provincial supervisor Lawyer Wil Arceño, 47 Infantry Batallion commanding officer Tyne Bañas, chiefs of police, municipal election officers, SMARTMATIC coordinator, and representative from the Capiz Electric Cooperative.

   –(PIA/Jemin B. Guillermo)