WOA Issued: Goto Violago hunted by CIDG

MALOLOS CITY—A mayoral candidate in Bulacan is now in hiding days before the May 13 polls after the Regional Trial Court (RTC) here issued a warrant of arrest (WOA) against him on Wednesday for the murder of a police officer who is said to be his close friend.

Incumbent Vice Mayor Cipriano Violago who is now running for mayor in San Rafael town is now the target of a massive manhunt operations of the Criminal Investigation Detection Team (CIDT) here.

This came as Judge Corazon Domingo-Ranola of RTC Branch 10 here issued on a Wednesday as WOA against Violago and four other cohorts in connection with the murder of SPO1 Rafael Bartolome, a CIDT operative on May 13 last year.

Violago’s cohort were identified as Vergel dela Rosa Liquino, a resident of Barangay Pansumalok in San Rafael town; Nicolas Mangaluz alias Boyet and Joel Mangaluz, both of  Barangay Bahay Pare, Candaba, Pampanga; and Tristan S. Cruz IV, of Barangay  Tanauan in Bustos town.

No bail was recommended for the provisional liberty of all the accused pending their arrest.

Based on records,the CIDT filed  murder charges against Violago for the death of Bartolome who was identified in earlier reports as “close friend” of the mayoral candidate.

According to initial police report at the time of the killing, Bartolome was allegedly “set-up” and killed by assailants aboard a motorcycle riding-in-tandem after he responded to a friends call inside Lapid’s Ville Subdivision in Barangay Tambubong, San Rafael town.

Police claimed that the death of Bartolome was set-up, because he was killed a by two motorcycle riding men after he responded to the call of his friend residing at Lapid’s Ville in Barangay Tambubong, San Rafael on the night of May 13, 2012.

As a standard bearer of the Liberal Party (NUP) in San Rafael town, Violago is challenging incumbent Mayor Lorna Silverio of the National Unity Party (NUP) who is seeking reelection.

Silverio and Violago were running mates in the 2010 automated elections, until the latter severed ties with the former and decided to run for mayor.

Violago is the father of Board Member Mark Cholo Violago, representing the Association of Barangay Captains (ABC) of Bulacan in the Sangguniang Panglalawigan.

Last October, the Violago’s were blamed for the killing of Renato Ignacio, the younger brother of SPO4 Norberto Ignacio who was killed on April15, 2012. 

On November 29 last year, Violago’s son Mark Cholo survived an ambush attempt in Plaridel town.  Dino Balabo

11 ‘NPA rebels’ arrested: Cited as members of private army of Bulacan politician

By Ding Cervantes

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -  Eleven armed alleged members of the New People’s Army (NPA) were arrested over the weekend in a joint army and police operation in Barangay Kabayunan, Doña Remedios Trinidad (DRT) in Bulacan, but sources from Camp Olivas here said the armed men belonged to a private army of a politician running in the local elections.

Army 7th Infantry Division (7ID) public affairs officer Capt. Mark Anthony Ruelos said in a report the men were arrested by troops from the 56th Infantry Battalion (56IB) headed by Lt. Col. Bernardo Oña and the DRT police.

The arrested suspected NPA rebels were identified as Rodolfo Cruz, 65, of Barangay Bigte, Norzagaray, Bulacan; Rico Vicene, 43,  of San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan; Josefino Lupanco, 34, of Salangan, San Miguel; Cyrhyl dela Cruz,19, of Barangay. Tibagan, San Miguel; Jayson Valmadrid, 25, of Barangay San Juan, San Miguel; Randy Puno, 33, of Barangay Salangan, San Miguel; and Angel Cabrera, 48, also of Barangay Salangan, San Miguel.

“The operation resulted in no gunfire and yielded three .45 mm high-powered firearms, four hand grenades, a shotgun with six ammunitions, subversive documents which included Permit to Campaign (PTC) letters, solicitation letters, and a blue book containing names, places, activities, and area study; and paramedic instruments such as medicines, stethoscope, and syringe,”  Ruelos said.

Follow-up operations in the area later led to the capture of three more alleged NPA members identified as Graciano dela Cruz, Billy Asuncion and William Asuncion, and the seizure of their arms that included three M16 and two M14 rifles, as well as subversive documents.

The arrest of the armed men was triggered by information from a “concerned citizen” that about 30 men alleged to be NPA members were present in remote Sitio Mahangin and Sitio Sapang Linao in DRT, he said.

Ruelos said the armed men were apparently “sending PTC letters to local candidates and had even planned to establish checkpoints in the area to ambush uncooperative bets.”

”The seized items were turned over to the local police and will serve as evidences against the suspects who are now under the custody of DRT police for proper documentation and filing of appropriate criminal charges,” Ruelos added.

A source from Camp Olivas who asked not to be named for lack of authority to disclose information said that the alleged communist rebels who were captured in DRT were also members of an armed group being maintained by one candidate running for a local post in the Bulacan town in the coming May elections. The politician was not identified. – With reports from Rommel Ramos

Film shows the science of climate change

As part of Earth Day celebration, the British Embassy in partnership with the Climate Change Commission, New Zealand Embassy, SM Cares and SM Megamall, is participating in the global screening of the film ‘Thin Ice – the Inside Story of Climate Science’ through a private showing in SM Megamall on April 22 (Monday) at 7:00PM. The film about climate science made by geologist Simon Lamb as he takes a journey across the globe following leading scientists to the ends of the earth as they explain why they think humans are changing the planet’s climate through our emissions of greenhouse gases. Climate science has come under sustained attack in recent years, so Lamb took his camera to find out what is really going on. For over three years he followed scientists from a wide range of disciplines at work to create an intimate portrait of the global community of researchers racing to understand our planet’s changing climate which provides a compelling case for rising levels of carbon dioxide as the main cause, and Thin Ice is the culmination of that work. The Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to extreme weather events. The country experiences an average of 20 typhoons a year. Almost 80 percent of disasters which occurred over the past 100 years have been weather-related, with typhoons and floods contributing to the two highest disaster event categories. Climate change is predicted to significantly increase the strength and frequency of such events in addition to putting strain on water resources and agriculture. The film is therefore of huge interest to the people of the Philippines. The British Embassy Manila and its partners are giving away up to 100 pairs of free movie tickets through an online contest so that members of the public will get a chance to join the private screening. Details of the contest are posted in the British Embassy Manila Facebook and Twitter accounts (@ukinphilippines). To join the contest, simply share British Embassy Manila Facebook posts bearing the headline “Thin Ice Movie (Earth Day 2013)”. Contestants may also use their Twitter accounts to re-tweet any messages on @ukinphilippines with the hashtag “#ThinIcePHL”. It is also encouraging people to view the film for free on April 22nd and 23rd viawww.thiniceclimate.org     Dignitaries to the private screening will be led by British Ambassador Stephen Lillie and officials from the Climate Change Commission, the British Embassy and the New Zealand Embassy. Among those invited are government officials, business leaders and members, civil society representatives and celebrities.

Ramon Efren R. Lazaro

Malolos Diocese to lead Earth Day Concert

MALOLOS CITY—Its all system go for the Earth Day concert here on Friday, a run up for the global celebrations next Monday.

Organized by the ecology desk of the Diocese of Malolos, the concert’s theme will focus on “Pintig ng Kalikasan: Buhay ng Sangkatuhan.”

It will feature singer-composer Noel Cabangon and will be held at the Malolos Convention and Sports Complex here on Friday at 7PM.

Father Efren Basco, head of the Diocesan Ecological and Environmental Program (DEEP) said the concert is an event that will fuse live music and environmental education and hopes to deepen people’s commitment towards being environmentally responsible.

He said that the concert will bring about the coming together of all age groups to a meaningful activity of great exuberance which speaks directly to our times.

“It’s the perfect time to ‘show and tell’ why concerts are the perfect venue to teach stewardship of the planet,” the priest said.

Basco stressed that  “addressing the beauty of creation as well as its destruction by humankind, this concert is both a call to action and a cry of hope; it promises to be an unforgettable experience for all who will attend it. May we be inspired and collectively work towards a common mission for Mother Earth’s well-being.”

Part of the run-up of activities before the Earth Day 2013 Concert were a series of education for care of the environment seminars that include proper waste management and promotion of organic method, tree planting in the Sierra Madre mountains.

They also led planting thousands of mangoves seedlings on the coastal towns of Hagonoy, Paombong and the City of Malolos.

Basco added that environmental care and protection is one of the key highlights in the year-long celebrations of the Golden Jubilee of the Diocese of Malolos that started last year.

This was magnified in DEEP’s Ecological Conference Statement of June 12, 2009 signed  by the Bishop Jose F. Oliveros and by 140 Clergy, 105 Religious communities and 132 parish and school leaders in the diocese.

An excerpt of the said statement declared that  “we affirm that the whole universe reveals God’s manifold blessings and acknowledge our responsibility as caretakers of God’s dwelling place. There is only one air, water and land system on planet Earth. Upon these interrelated systems, the health and survival of all forms and all peoples depend. Damage to one part of a system affects the whole system; damage to one system affects the other systems.” (Dino Balabo)

Strictly monitor dams, expert said

MALOLOS CITY—While dams in Central Luzon remain safe after the 5.4 earthquake that hit Baler, Aurora on April 4, a dam safety expert advised that a thorough monitoring and assessment on structures be conducted.

Engineer Roderick Dela Cruz, a Bulakenyo dam safety expert based in California said that in the United States, they immediate conduct the same after an earthquake of at least magnitude 5.

“We want to be sure of the safety of our facilities,” said during his presentation on dam safety here on Thursday afternoon, April 4 hours after the earthquake.

As lead dam safety engineer of Southern California Edison (SCE), Dela Cruz manages 82 large dams with age range of 80 to 100 years old.

He said that immediate monitoring and assessment of dam structures especially dikes and spillways are important to see its integrity.

The said actions are mandated by US state and federal laws on dam safety that set standards in the management of dams.

He said that it is unfortunate that in the Philippines there is no law yet that cover dam safety which will also set standards in dam management.

“There are many stake holders in dam operations in the Philippines, but there is no single office that monitors the dam because there no law on dam safety,” he said.

He also lamented Congress’s slow pace on the ratification of the proposed bill for a national dam safety program.

However, he remained optimistic that advocacy n dam safety can be taken by local government units through the enactment of provincial ordinance on the same concern.

This was affirmed by Governor Wilhelmino Alvarado in an interview after Dela Cruz’s presentation.

Alvarado vowed that he will coordinate with the Sangguniang Panglalawigan of Bulacan to pass a local ordinance on dam safety.

He said that a local ordinance can later be improved by Congress, and will serve as their basis in passing a national law which takes time.

Meawhile, the National Power Corporation (Napocor) made assurance that Angat Dam in Hilltop,Norzagaray town is safe after the recent earthquake.

Engineer Rodolfo German,the general manager of the Angat River Hydroelectric Power Plant (Arhepp) said that Thursday’s earthquake was hardly felt at the dam.

  

However,he said that Napoco Dams and Waterways division along with representatives of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology were tasked to conduct monitoring and assessment of dam structures.

Constructed 43-years ago, Angat Dam is facing its first major rehabilitation due to the presence of a splay of the Marikina West Valley Faultline near the dam’s dike.

The Aquino Administration has allocated P5.7-Billion for the said rehabilitation but the bidding for the construction still have to be conducted.  Dino Balabo

Team Patay faces trouble in vote rich Bulacan

MALOLOS CITY—Team Patay candidates are likely to face bigger challenge in the vote rich province of Bulacan as lay leaders of the Church here vowed that they will not vote for candidates who voted in favor of the Reproductive Health (RH) Law.

This came as some political and Church leaders claimed that there is Catholic vote in this predominantly Catholic country is nothing but a myth.

The decision of the lay leaders, however, remains independent, as Bishop Jose Francisco Oliveros of the Diocese of Malolos is still preparing a pastoral letter that sources said was greatly influence by the passage of the RH law.

The bishop’s letter is expected to be issued after next week when the Church completed its second diocesan synod that will be held from April 8 to 13.

Father Dars Cabral, chair of the Commission on Social Communications admitted that there is not Catholic vote in the country for simple reason that Filipino voters are mostly Catholics.

He warned that said point of view might change in the coming May polls as the Church in Bulacan with almost 3-Million population has started working to educate the province’s over 1.4-M registered voters.

Cabral disclosed that there is no official communication yet from the Church hierarchy telling voters who to vote.

But he added that members of the church laity has already made a vow not to vote for candidates who voted in favor of RH Law last year.

He also disclosed that Bishop Oliveros is preparing a letter on the stand of the church.

But he stressed that while the Diocese did not make a clear cut stand in the past, its stand in the May poll is greatly influenced by the outcome of the passage of the RH law.

“There will be modification because of the influence of  the RH Law, yung  mga di pumanig sa paninindigan ng simbahan laban sa RH ay pinaninindigan din ng mga layko na hindi nila iboboto,” Cabral said.

Cabral also disclosed that all congressional representatives in the province gave their word to Bishop Oliveros that they will not support RH bill which was passed into law last year.

However, only Rep. Arthur Robes of the Lone District of San Jose Del Monte remained true to his words, while others either voted in favor of the controversial law or wne out of the country at the time that it is being ratified in Congress.

Cabral admitted that he still don’t what will be content of the bishop’s pastoral letter, but he stressed that Oliveros is interested in awakening the members of the church to vote based on their conscience.

He also said that the Parish Pastoral Councils (PPCRV) in Bulacan has started their voter’s education campaign as early as February.

As the citizen’s arm of the Church, the PPCRV campaign is parallel with the teachings of the church.

The provincial chapter of the PPCV is also responsible for the translation of its materials into Filipino. Dino Balabo

Jobs fair pre-registation at SM City Baliwag

MALOLOS CITY—Jobseekers are in for a real treat as the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Bulacan together with the Municipal Public Employment Service Office (PESO) will hold an early registration for the upcoming Labor Day Job Fair on May 1 at SM City Baliwag.

 To help aspirants speed up their application process, a DOLE Pre-Registration Booth will be stationed at the mall’s event center where job hopefuls can drop by every Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting April 8, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Beverly Cruz, SM City Baliwag public relations specialists said the early screening will allow an applicant to sign up in advance, get their requirements validated and select possible jobs and employers.

During the actual day of the job fair, a pre-registered applicant will be able to go directly to their prospective employer for the interview.

Apart from the pre-registration opportunity, DOLE and PESO representatives will also conduct a Pre-Employment Orientation Seminar (PEOS) every Monday, starting April 8, 2 p.m. at the event center of SM City Baliwag.

The seminar will aid job hunters and fresh graduates with information to prepare them for local and overseas employment.

For inquiries, please call DOLE Bulacan Provincial Field Office at (044) 662-0656 or SM City Baliwag at (044) 761-0723. Dino Balabo