CALBAYOG CITY, Samar
– A widower known around a village in
Calbayog
City
as trouble-maker and mentally imbalanced landed in city police jail
after he ran amuck leaving 9 people hacked to death while 18 others
wounded early Saturday morning.
Suspect Danilo Guades,
39, immediately surrendered to Fortunato Burbana, 63, with his 22-inch
bolo. The latter who also resides in Brgy. Gadgaran where the incident
took place turned over the suspect to the responding police officers
led by SPO4 Reynaldo Cajurao and the duty investigator PO3 Inocentes
Laure.
The police identified
the victims who died on the spot were as Gemma Jadulco, 32 and her
children, Jennylyn, 12; Jinggoy, 8; Renato, 3; Nadine, 2; and
Christine, 1; Candido Canteros, 46 and Eduardo Lecis, 35. Eric
Benjamin Poce, 7 died while treated at St. Camillus Hospital. The
victims were all residents of Purok 4, Brgy. Gadgaran, Calbayog City.
Wounded and presently
confined at the two hospitals in Calbayog were the Jadulco sisters
Joan, 4 and Jocelyn, 9; Maria Canteros, 37 and his son Danilo, 12;
Jennylyn Ceromenes, 16; Enis Lecis, 54; The Ramada family – Francisco,
56; Ernesto, 45; Armando, 35; Michael Caber, 31; Myra Manlapid, 24;
the couple Eddie Gonzaga, 47; Jocelyn, 44 and Carlito Layam, 46.
Also injured were
Emily Guades Ponce, 27, the suspect’s cousin; her husband Benjamin,
42; and their children Marilyn, 3 and Benjie, 5.
The suspect first
barged into the house of his cousin Emily Ponce at 2 a.m. and thereat
hacked her husband hitting him in the left shoulder and thereafter
hacked their children Eric and Benjie hitting them at the back of
their heads. Her daughter Marilyn was hit in the head and on her right
arm. Emily who was also hit in the head managed to jumped from the
window and was later able to hide with her children.
By entering through
the door, he attacked next the nearby house owned by Totoy Jadulco,
and hacked her wife and their 5 children in the different parts of
their body resulting to their death. Their 2 children Joan and Jocelyn
were treated and confined at the Calbayog Sanitarium and Hospital.
Totoy was reportedly at the Fish Port when the incident happened.
The suspect went also
to the Canteros residence and hacked the couple Candido and Maria and
their child Danilo. Candido died but his wife Maria and his son were
wounded and were brought to the St. Camillus Hospital in Calbayog
City.
At their backyard,
Carlito Layam whose house is adjacent with Canteros, managed to fight
back Guades but sustained slight injury on his right arm.
Guades then walked and
entered into the window the house of Enis Lecis with 8 family members
inside. Enis and Eduardo who were sleeping near the window were hit in
the head that resulted to the death of the latter while the former was
confined at Calbayog Sanitarium and Hospital.
The suspect then
proceeded to the wake of Teotime Ramada in Purok 2, Brgy. Gadgaran and
attacked the Ramada family where Francisco was hit at the throat,
Ernesto at his nape and Armando was stabbed on the left side of his
body. Michael Caber and Myra Manlapid was also injured but they were
also treated at the Calbayog Sanitarium and Hospital.
One who attended the
said wake fought back so Guades ran and reached the junction road
bound to Brgy. Bontay and thereat met the couple Eddie and Jocelyn
Gonzaga who were on board a motorcycle. The suspect who had a wooden
club and bolo hacked and stabbed Eddie hitting him in the right
armpit, right jaw and forehead while his wife sustained hematoma in
the left elbow. The driver of the motorcycle was able to escape.
Fred Saldaña, a
brother-in-law of Benjamin Ponce said that the suspect was jailed for
seven years at the Caloocan City Jail for stabbing to death his elder
brother. Benjamin disclosed that Toto, Danny’s brother died in the
80’s.
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– Taiwan’s Dharma Drum Social Welfare and Charity Foundation and the
Rotary Club of Taiwan, through Mr. Philipp Tseng has already turned
over more than P3 million as part of the total P9 million commitment
to the orphans of the Guinsaugon tragedy.
On June 1, 2007, Mr.
Philipp Tseng personally distributed checks totaling to more than
P800,000.00, flashlights and P500.00, to each of the 30 scholars at
San Juan Municipal Gym. He was joined by the Mayor of San Juan, Hon.
Boy Mortera, the partner clubs, the Rotary Club of San Juanico, the
Tacloban Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the
coordinating agencies and some members of the media.
The checks represent
the amount needed by each scholar in order to pay their tuition fees,
buy books and school projects, uniforms, subsistence allowance,
transportation and board and lodging allowance. Each of the scholars
has bank accounts which they opened jointly with Mayor Mortera
considering that 75% of the orphans are studying at the municipality
of San Juan.
During the short
program, the scholars presented intermission numbers dedicated to Mr.
Tseng and the other visitors. Many observed that the orphans have
greatly changed from the withdrawn and sad orphans right after the
tragedy to vibrant talented students.
Mr. Tseng, during his
inspirational talk, told the students not to dwell in their miseries
but to continue living and striving to improve their lives. He said
every time they feel sad, the orphans should look up at the site and
look up at the mountains and feel that they can aspire of great things
as high as the mountains. He assured the scholars that the Dharma Drum
Foundation and the Rotary Club of Taiwan will continue to fulfill
their commitment until the youngest scholar has already finished his
college education.
Mr. Francisco Darang,
the incoming president of the Rotary Club of San Juanico urged the
scholars to study hard and to use the money which their benefactors
are giving them.
Mayor Virgilio Mortera
of San Juan lauded Mr. Tseng for strongly recommending the project to
the Dharma Drum Foundation and the Rotary Club of Taiwan. He also
commended the Rotary Club of Taiwan and the Dharma Drum Foundation for
their sincere commitment to help their fellowmen across the world.
PIA Director Olive Tiu
who delivered the message in behalf of the partner government agencies
exhorted the scholars to consider themselves lucky because even if
they lost their entire family to the Guinsaugon tragedy, they acquired
a new family in the Dharma Drum Foundation and the Rotary Club of
Taiwan which accepted responsibility to provide them with all their
needs. She said the blessings they received is a manna from heaven
which not all young students like them receive. The best way, they can
show their gratitude for the blessing and the gift they have received
is to live their lives to the fullest, by giving their best in all
their endeavors and in their studies.
Director Tiu
congratulated Mr. Tseng for discovering the wonder law of nature that
in order to achieve the three important things in life which men crave
for – happiness, freedom and peace and mind, one must give them first
to others.
Director Tiu also
acknowledged that the project would not have materialized without the
coordination and support of Mr. Henry Yaokasin, the president of
Tacloban Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry. She
recalled that it was during the despedida party for the Taiwanese
rescuers when Mr. Yaokasin introduced her to three members of the
Dharma Drum Foundation and asked her suggestion as to how the
Foundation will be of help in Guisaugon. Having heard of the orphans
which Bishop Canillas of the Diocese of Maasin housed at the Saludo
Beach, Director Tiu and Mr. Yaokasin decided to suggest that the
Foundation take care of the welfare of the orphans.
After one week, Mr.
Tseng was sent back to the Region to interview the orphans. The rest
is history.
Borongan braces up for
cityhood
By ALICE NICART (PIA Borongan)
June
2, 2007
BORONGAN, Eastern
Samar – The local government unit of Borongan is set to conduct soon
the much awaited plebiscite for its conversion to a component city.
Despite the opposition
of the country’s League of City Mayors, Borongan might just be blessed
with the “Yes” vote as more and more sectors put their axe together
for the massive information dissemination campaign.
Reelected Sangguniang
Bayan member and OIC-Mayor, Dr. Jessie Solidon in yesterday’s forum
belied reports that the proposed cityhood had been disapproved due to
income requirement.
He stressed that it is
now on record of Senator Franklin Drilon what the Senate Committee had
previously agreed that “municipal applicants which were still within
the P20-M income requirement may be considered,” thus when the bill
was returned back to the Lower House and so endorsed again by
Congressman Prospero Pichay and Alfredo Lim, the bill was approved.
What the LGU is
projecting instead is the people’s reactions to the cityhood thing.
Several words have
surfaced recently of some negative remarks emanating from the business
sectors of Borongan in particular. However, the Cityhood Team had
prepared a series of information campaign sorties and IEC materials in
order for the cityhood message to be captured and fully understood by
every voting entity. As an information man himself, Solidon, speaking
before Mayor Fidel Anacta (who is in Manila submitting other
requirements) believes that once people get to know of the benefits
they would derive from living in a city instead of just in a mere
municipality albeit, better health services, infrastructure, education
and other social services, then they will accept the proposal and vote
“Yes” to Borongan cityhood.
On taxation, Mr. Emman
Balondo, Assistant Treasurer stressed that once the cityhood is
approved, it is mandated, that no increase in real property taxes
shall be rendered within the five year period since its approval date.
Or, Balondo added that, should the government finds out that the new
IRA is sufficient for the city’s expenditure then, no increase in
taxes shall occur at all. On the other hand, Balondo said, since it is
eminent that taxation is progressive, the feared increase may have to
happen instead in 2009 as there is a mandate to revise the real
property taxes come 2008.
Thus, the Cityhood
Team appeals for open minds and hearts. As Solidon puts it, more money
infused in this place we call Borongan, would mean more economic
activity and better delivery of social services.
DILG sets trainings
for new set of local officials
By MYLES JOSEPH E. COLASITO
June
2, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– To help the new set of local officials perform their duties and
functions, the Department of the Interior and Local Government has
slated a series of trainings beginning July 2007.
The Orientation
Program for Newly Elected Officials, according to DILG 8 Regional
Director William C. Paler, is composed of three parts. The first
consists of individualized two-day general orientations by the DILG in
the municipalities involving the newly elected officials.
“They would be
apprised and reminded of their powers, roles and responsibilities
under the Local Government Code, and would be presented the results of
their local government unit’s (LGU) 2006 State of Local Governance
Report to help them identify their local government’s strengths and
areas for improvement”, said Dir. Paler.
The workplace
orientation shall likewise serve as a chance for mayors and members of
the sangguniang bayan to come up with priority programs to be
implemented during their term.
The second part is the
Provincial Orientation and
Alliance
Building,
which would provide opportunities for partnership and interaction
between national government agencies and LGUs.
The third part
consists of specialized, demand-driven trainings. LGUs may get
assistance from the DILG, the League of Provinces, other local
leagues, national agencies and non-government organizations on topics
they may want to know more about, such as financial administration,
budgeting, revenue generation, and local legislation, among others.
At present, the
DILG is preparing its training staff and materials for the full-scale
implementation next month. Dir. Paler said the trainings are part of
the Department’s mission to nurture self-reliant and progressive
communities by promoting good governance.
Speakership should not
be a battle between Lakas and Kampi, lady solon says
Press Release
By
Provincial
Media Relations Center (PMRC Leyte)
June 1, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– Leyte First District Representative Remedios “Matin” Petilla said
the position for the House speakership in Congress should not be a
fight between the ruling coalition’s Lakas or Kampi.
Early this week, a
pitch was made by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s Kabalikat ng
Mamayang Pilipino (KAMPI) party at the House of Representative to
challenge the present House Speaker Jose De Venecia of the Lakas-Christian
Muslim Democrats (Lakas-CMD) party.
Kampi is rooting for
Cebu Second District Congressman-elect Pablo Garcia for the
speakership.
“It shouldn’t be a
squabble between Lakas or Kampi. It should be a question who can
better serve the speakership position and redound to a better and
cohesive legislative body,” Rep. Petilla said before she flew to
Manila Wednesday.
According to reports,
the challenge came out to provide for a speaker, who would come from
the Visayan region, and end the term of speakers from
Luzon.
According to Rep.
Petilla it is quite unfair to say that the present House Speaker De
Venecia, a Luzon native himself, has thus far concentrated his
leadership only for projects in the Luzon area.
“It should not be said
nga porke taga Luzon ka, Luzon la liwat and imo priority. O kon taga
Visayas ka, Visayas liwat or kon taga Mindanao, Mindanao la liwat,”
Rep Petilla said.
She said that so far
during her first term in Congress, the speaker has been quite fair in
all the areas of concern of the different congressional
representatives.
The ruling coalition
in the House of Representatives is composed of Lakas-CMD, Kampi, the
Nationalist People's Coalition, the Liberal Party-Lito Atienza group,
Laban ng Demokratikong Pilipino and the Partido Demokratiko Sosyalista
ng Pilipinas.
Before the start of
the campaign for the midterm elections, Kampi was accused of raiding
the ranks of Lakas and for having the ulterior plan of making their
own party mate into the speakership.
It was observed in
the recently concluded elections that in a number of provinces, Lakas
and Kampi candidates competed against each other.
Taiwanese donors
continue to fulfill commitment to 31 Guinsaugon orphans
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
June
1, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– There is a wonderful mythical law of nature that the three things
we crave most in life – happiness, freedom, and peace of mind – are
always attained by giving them to someone else.
With this as their
principle, the Dharma Drum Social Welfare and Charity Foundation and
the Rotary Club of Taiwan through Mr. Philipp Tseng, continue to
fulfill their commitment to make life full of hope and sunshine for
the thirty one orphans of the Guinsaugon Landslide Tragedy.
Today, together with
the local partners, the Rotary Club of San Juanico, the Tacloban
Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and the partner government
agencies represented by the Philippine Information Agency, Mr. Tseng
will distribute the second semester scholarship funding to the thirty
one orphan-scholars at the Municipal Gym of San Juan, Southern Leyte.
Mr. Tseng informed
that more than P800,000.00 will be distributed to the scholars to pay
for the second semester tuition fees, book allowance, board and
lodging, subsistence and clothing allowance of the scholars who are
mostly in the high school and college level.
Mr. Tseng recalled
that three members of the Dharma Drum Foundation joined the Taiwanese
Rescuers who responded to the call for help in the Guinsaugon Tragedy
in February last year.
The Dharma Drum
Foundation through Mr. Tseng Chao-Sung took notice of the situation of
the tragedy stricken students and decided to take them under the
Foundation’s care by giving them financial assistance in order to be
able to finish their studies, become good citizens and be of help to
their disadvantaged brethren.
Mr. Tseng said that
since the funding needed to enable the young orphans to finish their
studies is an enormous amount of more than P9 million, he personally
requested for the help of the Rotary Club of Taiwan where he is past
president. He also had to solicit from his sister and he himself had
to donate one-third of the amount needed.
The Taiwanese donors
hope that the 31 scholars will make use of the money wisely so that
they will be able to finish their studies within the period of seven
years, when the youngest of the scholars is expected to graduate in
college. By that time, the scholars will hopefully be able to find a
good job and stand on their own already.
Mr. Tseng assured
that the donors will fulfill its commitment to the young scholars. It
is hoped that the young scholars will do their best in their studies.
Doing so is the only way they can show their gratitude to the donors.
Junk RP-Australia
defense pact, environmental activists urge new Senate
Press Release
By KALIKASAN-PNE
June
1, 2007
QUEZON CITY,
Philippines
– Are mining-affected communities in Mindanao the next playgrounds of
RP-Australian war games?
Environmental
activists from Kalikasan PNE urged newly-elected Senators to reject
the joint RP-Australia military agreement expected to be signed by
President Arroyo today, asserting that the entry and deployment of
Australian troops was partly meant to crush local opposition to the
intensified entry of giant Australian mining firms in the Mindanao
region.
"The deployment of
Australian troops will be concentrated in the southern Philippines
region where mining investments especially from Australian firms are
on the rise. This includes BHP Billiton – the world's largest mining
firm – in Pujada Peninsula in Davao Oriental and Claver in Surigao del
Norte, Medusa Mining in
Eastern Mindanao,
Red 5 in Siana in Surigao del Norte, Indophil in
South Cotabato, Climax-Arimco in Surigao del Norte," Kalikasan Peoples
Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) National Coordinator
Clemente Bautista said.
"It is no sheer
coincidence that the war games with Australia are planned to be held
near the mineral-rich regions coveted by Australian mining giants.
These military war games will only contribute to securing their
economic interests over the province and suppressing growing local
opposition to these destructive and plunderous mining projects. These
foreign troops and military aid will be used against the Filipino
people themselves," he said.
"Local communities are
sure to stand up in arms against these huge mining projects which
threaten their ancestral lands, ecosystems, livelihoods, and ways of
life. Are they the "terrorist threats" that the RP-Australia defense
pact claims to crush?" Bautista asked.
Uniting with national
fisherfolks federation Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng
Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), Kalikasan PNE and its allied environmental and
peoples organizations vowed to lobby for the junking of the
RP-Australia defense pact as the Senate convenes in July.
"We will challenge our
fellow patriots from the new Senate to uphold our sovereignty and
national patrimony and DEFEND MINDANAO against more intrusions of
foreign troops and mining giants," Bautista said.
"We remind our
incoming Senators that overseas operations of many mining companies
have actually contributed to conflict and instability, human rights
violations, and environmental degradation in local communities
throughout Indonesia, Papua new Guinea, and the Philippines." Bautista
explained.
With the overwhelming
defeat of administration bets in the Senatorial race, Bautista hopes
that the Senate will be more open to the people's clamor for the
pull-out of foreign troops and foreign mining firms in Mindanao and
the adoption of a genuine people's mining policy.
"It's good that
Mike Defensor has already acknowledged defeat in the Senate race. That
means one less vote for foreign mining and foreign troop deployment,
since Defensor has a record of rabidly supporting mining
liberalization," Bautista cited.
GMA wooing grave
trouble with Australian mining deals, Philippine environmental
activists say
Press Release
By KALIKASAN-PNE
May 28, 2007
QUEZON CITY, Philippines – Pres. Gloria Arroyo stubbornly refuses to heed the grim
warnings left by the environmental disaster caused by Australian-owned
Lafayette Mining in Rapu-Rapu island, Albay and is even courting more
danger by trying to seal a multi-billion dollar deal with BHP Billiton,
the world's largest mining company whose main headquarters is located
in Melbourne, decried environmental activist organization Kalikasan
Peoples Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE).
"We fear that GMA's
trip to Australia – combined with the government's refusal to uphold a
moratorium on mining in the environmentally-critical island of
Rapu-Rapu in deference to Lafayette's wishes – will only encourage
more mining firms to flock into the Philippines and engage in wanton,
plunderous and irresponsible mining operations," Kalikasan PNE
National Coordinator Clemente Bautista said.
Among the giant mining
firms that GMA is wooing is BHP Billiton, which continues to evade
responsibility for the environmental disaster it caused in the island
of Papua New Guinea, Bautista said.
"GMA is set to
formally meet up with executives of BHP Billiton and other mining
executives from the Australia-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce (ANZCham)
in the course of her visit to
Australia.
This alone is a grave cause for alarm because BHP Billiton is a giant
mining firm which has been facing a $4 billion class suit filed this
January 2007 by the Ninerum people of Papua New Guinea for the Ok Tedi
environmental disaster it caused," Bautista said.
"For two decades, BHP
Billiton dumped 80,000 tons of rock mine tailings filled with toxic
heavy metals such as copper, zinc, cadmium, and lead directly into the
Fly and Ok Tedi rivers in Papua New Guinea. This has ruined the
livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of farmers, poisoned some 2,000
square kilometers of forests, and contaminated two of Papua New
Guinea's largest river systems. The damage is expected to continue for
decades, possibly even centuries," he explained.
BHP Billiton is now
eyeing a multi-million dollar nickel project in Pujada Peninsula,
Davao Oriental province in partnership with local mining firms
Hallmark Mining Corp. and AustraAsia Link Mining Corp, Bautista noted.
"In effect, GMA is
actually wooing a giant mining firm that killed a river system in
another Asia-Pacific country. And now she is practically begging these
same mining fims to operate in the
Philippines,"
Bautista said.
"GMA's Australia
trip is downright unpatriotic and dangerous to the Filipino people and
our patrimony. The President is literally asking for more foreign
military troops and giant foreign mining operations in the Philippines
without heed to their long-term implications," Bautista said.
