Akusado nin BP 22 sa Naga City, arestado

NAGA CITY (Bicol Standard) - Dinakop kan pulis si Maricar San Vicente y Alcaba, taga Grandview Heights Subd., sa Barangay Pacol digdi huli sa mandamiento de aresto na firmado ni Judge Jocelyn P. Gamboa-Delos Santos kan Brach 4 kan MTCC.

Si San Vicente may inaatubang na kasong 21ng counts nin pagbalga kan BP 22, na mas bisto sa apod na Bouncing Checks Law.

Dinara sa Custodial Facility kan Police Station 3 an akusado, antes na isuko siya sa MTCC.

Mantang bibistahan an kaso tinugotan kan jusgado an akusado na mag fianza.

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Police exec says crime index in Bicol down by 20.5%

LEGAZPI CITY—A ranking official of the Police Regional Office in Bicol (PRO5) said the crime index in the Bicol region went down by 20.52 percent during the first five months of this year compared to the same period last year.

This was disclosed by Sr. Supt. Cirilo Trilles, chief of operation division of PRO5, who presented the data during a meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC).

Legazpi City Mayor Noel E. Rosal, RPOC head, convened the second quarter meeting of the council that was attended by heads of key local government units, government agencies and units of the Philippine National Police.

Trilles said the help of various government agencies, Armed Forces of the Philippines and the people in the communities themselves contributed to the decrease in the index crime.

He said that for the period January to May 2017, there was a decrease in the index crime to 3,235 cases from the 4,070 cases for the same period in 2016.

He said there was a downtrend in the incidence of most crimes cases such as theft-31.4 percent; cattle rustling-27.7 percent; robbery-25.6 percent; rape-25.6 percent; homicide-17.6 percent; and physical injury-2.1 percent.

Trilles, however, said their data showed that for the period compared there was 3 percent increase in the murder cases this year compared to last year.

He said PRO5 recorded 171 cases from January to May 2017 compared to 166 for the same period in 2016 for a 3.01 percent increase.

Trilles noted also that there was a very minimal decrease in the incidence of theft of cars and motorcycles, which went down by just “.86 percent.”

PRO5 records showed there were 116 cases of cars and motorcycles that were lost to theft or “carnapping and motornapping” from January to May in 2016 compared to 115 cases for the same period this year. (Jorge Hallare/PNA)

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Posts on highway worry motorists

Photo by Oscar Esmenda/BICOLSTANDARD.COM

NAGA CITY (Bicol Standard)—Motorists plying the national highway between the towns of Magarao and Bombon have raised their concern over the life-threatening danger posed by the electric and telco posts, which are now in the middle of the road due to an ongoing road-widening project.

"The national highway is an accident-prone area in the offing," claimed a motorist who frequents said highway in an interview by the Bicol Standard.

"Those concerned must not wait until it claims a life, or worse, lives," he added.

In a separate interview, Rolly Pante of Camarines Sur II Electric Cooperative (CASURECO II) said they have no available funds for the relocation of said posts.

Pante said this is a ticklish issue that they already tossed to the DPWH to settle.

A police officer of Bombon, Camarines Sur who requested anonymity told the Bicol Standard that they will make the recommendation to the proper authorities that the relocation of the posts be expedited.

"This can cause major traffic accidents," he said.

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All cut logs accounted for --DE Roces

NAGA CITY (Bicol Standard)—Representatives of the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources have both clarified that the logs recently cut from Magsaysay Avenue were not sold to furniture shops, contrary to reports of the same.

In an interview with the Bicol Standard, District Engineer Rebecca Roces of the Camarines Sur 2nd Engineering District said there is no way they would permit such irregularity.

She called upon the employees involved to personally shed light on the issue.

It was explained that some of the cut logs were brought to Barangay Del Rosario and Barangay Carolina in Naga City for DepEd's Project Silya.

Some, meanwhile, were taken to a furniture shop in Palestina, Pili, with whom they have entered into a verbal agreement to have the logs made into chairs and other office property for the DENR.

"Everything is documented. Everything is accounted for," Roces assured the public.

Forester Apolonio Gonzales of the DENR also confirmed Roces' statement, adding that they were even directed by the CENRO to monitor the activities so that no such irregularities would occur.

Previously, trees were cut from Magsaysay Avenue as a safety measure for motorists.

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Daet town officials may face graft raps

DAET, Camarines Norte (Bicol Standard)—Former Mayor Tito Sarion and other past and present local officials are on the receiving end of the continuing controversy regarding the acquisition of the Waste Diversion Scheme.

Sarion, it would be recalled, loaned P20 million from the Land Bank of the Philippines for the project located at Barangay Bibirao, this town.

The loan covered the cost of supply and installation of Fiber Reinforced Plastic Board System for non-biodegradable waste and Quick Composting System for biodegradable waste.

Furthermore, it included the technology fee of P10 million, and technical training and technology transfer fee of P550,000.00.



Controversy



The controversy stems from the alleged failure of the LGU to study and evaluate the contract properly which gave rise to irregularities and anomalies.

Regarding the project, Roberto Asistin Albia, a resident of this town, wrote to Mayor Benito Ochoa, to seek investigation on the Waste Diversion Scheme.

He (Albia) pointed out in his letter: “In the separation of the biodegradable and non-biodegradable garbage alone, LGU Daet spent the amount of ELEVEN MILLION NINE HUNDRED SEVENTY THOUSAND PESOS (P11,970,000.00).

He said the purported technical training and technology transfer also allegedly did not take place.

He added that there was no negotiated procurement, which is required by Section 35.5 of the IRR of R.A. 9184.

ano ngaya ta an ecogreen valiant alternatives corporation binayadan nin P350,000 para sa training kan mga mahandle kan fiber-reinforced plastic board system

P200,000 para sa quick composting system

“And now, who will pay the loan? This town (DAET) will be left paying the P20,000,000.00 that is overpriced, worthless and useless for generations to come,” Albia wrote.

Ochoa then assured Albia: “We will exhaust all means in determining whether or not the project is tainted with anomalies and irregularities, and who should be held liable therefor.”


Explanations


Following Albia’s query, Ochoa directed all the members of the Bids and Award Committee (BAC) during the previous administration to submit their written explanation.

The former members of the Bids and Award Committee (BAC) during the previous administration are: Engr. Jesus Thomas L. Fernandez Jr., Chairman Santiago M. Mella Jr., Ronnel C. Yu, Juan L. Daria Jr., and Engr. Carmichael S. De Alva.

All the three former BAC members, except for Engr. Carmichael S. Aliva who was on official leave of absence, submitted their replies.

In their answer, they categorically stated that they all acted within the ambit of their mandate.

Meanwhile, Ramon R. Ramos, Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) told Mayor Benito S. Ochoa that he could not believe what he saw when he inspected the Bibirao dumpsite.

“There was a pile of garbage so enormous that it has already reached 30 meters in height from the road level,” he said.

“It’s a terrible mess,” he added.

He (Ramos) claimed he was surprised why his name was included in the list of employees who were directed to shed light regarding the alleged anomalies, when in fact he had no involvement in the project.

Meanwhile, Daet has been repeatedly warned by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Office of the Ombudsman, pursuant to Republic Act No. 9003.

Bicol Standard's source learned that an anti-crime watchdog is now in possession of various documents regarding the alleged highly-irregular transactions involving former and incumbent town officials.

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