GAMAY, Northern Samar- The reelectionist mayor of this town was dismissed by the Supreme Court for an offense he committed 10 years ago.
Ordered dismissed from his post is Mayor Timoteo Capoquian, Jr., for nepotism when he appointed his sister, Raquel Capoquian, as member of the board of directors of the Gamay Water District on March 5,2008.
Also appointed to the same position was Clarita Gumba, wife of then vice mayor of the town.
Gumba is the running-mate of Capoquian, who is seeking for another term in this Monday’s elections.
The high Court, on its 20-page decision written by Chief Justice Lucas Bersamin and issued on April 10 of this year, said that Capoquian clearly violated the rule on nepotism when he named his sister to the local water district as a board of director.
The High Court noted that while the incident happened in 2009 and Capoquian was reelected during the 2010 elections which resulted for him to enjoy the principle of condonation under the Aguinaldo doctrine, he should still be punished.
“Despite the principle penalty of dismissal becoming moot, he should nonetheless suffer the accessory penalties of cancellation of eligibility, forfeiture of retirement benefits, perpetual disqualification from holding office, and bar from taking civil service examinations,” the Supreme Court said.
According to the Supreme Court, when Capoquian appointed his sister Raquel to the board of director of the Gamay Water District, he clearly violated the rule on nepotism as the act falls within the prohibited third degree of consanguinity.
Capoquian could not be reached for his reaction on this Supreme Court.
Capoquian is a long time mayor of this 4th class town which has a population of more than 23,000(2016 census) people spread on its 26 villages.
He first served as mayor for nine years starting in 2007.
During the 2016 elections, he ran for vice mayor and won but assumed the post by virtue on the rule of succession when then mayor, Enrique Gomba was dismissed by the Office of the Ombudsman for nepotism.
Vice Mayor Glenn Doxi of the Federal ng Pilipinas, is running against Capoquian for the mayoralty post for Monday’s elections (JOEY A. GABIETA, PETER D. PAREDES)
As part of the dry run to the May 13 balloting, the Commission on Elections conducted a final testing and sealing of counting machines which the poll body described as successful. Photo shows teachers of the Rizal Central School in Tacloban City superivising the testing of the counting machines. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
As part of the dry run to the May 13 balloting, the Commission on Elections conducted a final testing and sealing of counting machines which the poll body described as successful. Photo shows teachers of the Rizal Central School in Tacloban City superivising the testing of the counting machines. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Over 3.05 million voters are to cast their votes
TACLOBAN CITY-As the region’s more than 3.05 million voters are to troop at their respective polling precincts on Monday(May 10), the Commission on Elections (Comelec) assures of a peaceful, honest and orderly elections.
On Wednesday (May 8), the Philippine National Police (PNP) deployed 1,380 personnel with the Army augmenting the security personnel to help secure the balloting with another 2,000 forces.
Officials of both the PNP and the Army asked their personnel not to engage acts that could taint the image of their organizations and always remain neutral.
Lawyer Rafael Olaño, Comelec regional director, said that they are ready with the Monday’s midterm elections as all the elections paraphernalias now ready to be delivered to all the region’s 3,771 polling centers which are mostly public schools.
The poll body, with the concurrence of both the police and the Army, declared 11 areas in the region, four in Samar and seven in Northern Samar, ‘category red’ or grave areas of concern.
Killings, mostly in Samar province, have occurred during the election period involving political supporters or barangay officials. Members of the rebel New People’s Army have also conducted ambuscades on these areas, particularly in Northern Samar.
“We will closely monitor these areas and we are ready to deploy additional troops if needed on these areas to ensure that any possible violence could be thwarted,” Olaño said.
He said that the security component to include the civil components like personnel coming from the Department of Education and Department of Health, are all ready for the May 13 elections.
“We are prepared for the elections and have delivered all the election paraphernalias,” Olaño said.
All these election paraphernalias are currently deposited at the city and municipal treasurer offices and fully secured by police and Army personnel.
The Comelec had conducted the final testing and sealing of the voting counting machines on Thursday with the Comelec reporting of no major untoward incident.
There are 3,391 candidates in the region who are vying for elective posts up for grabs in the Monday’s elections.
The candidates are seeking to fill up 12 congressional posts, six for governors and vice governors positions and their respective board members, cities and municipal mayoralty posts and their respective councilors.
The voters are also to vote for 12 senators and one party-list group.
The polling precincts are to open at 6 am and to close by 6 pm.
The Comelec regional director also issued an appeal to the candidates and the voters alike not to resort to vote-buying which has been reported to have occurred in the different parts of the region days before the balloting.
“If there are reports on vote-buying, please inform our office and those who have witnessed it, make an affidavit and file complaint. We really need to stop this vote-buying (scheme),” Olaño said.
Reports have said that money ranging from P20 up to P3,000 were being dangled by candidates just to ensure their poll victories.
Brigadier General Ariel Arcenas, police regional deputy director for administration, said that the primary goal why they have deployed security personnel is to ensure that the conduct of elections on their respective areas of assignment would be orderly and peaceful.
This way, the voters could exercise their right of suffrage without fear.
For his Brigadier Gen. Eliezer Losañes, deputy commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division, said that soldiers deployed for election duties were also committed to ensure that the conduct of the elections in the region would be smooth and violent-free.
“We also remind them to remain apolitical to avoid violence and not to side (any candidate),” Losañes said. (with reports from RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT,LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA and RONALD O. REYES)
In its continuing mission to help students become the best that they can be, Southwestern University PHINMA (SWU PHINMA) announces the third batch of freshmen recipients of the Chairman’s and the Presidential’s scholarships for the School of Medicine.
The Chairman scholars are Gabrielle Ignacio, Lovelyn Queroga, Precille Flores, Lord Raguro, and Janine Cordova.
The Chairman’s scholarship recipients will enjoy free tuition, miscellaneous, and lab fees plus a modest monthly allowance.
The Presidential scholars are Mahaleel Migallos, Ghea Nuñeza, Jievan Gallo, Rodjean Barizal, and Noel Almelor. Recipients of the Presidential’s scholarship are granted with free tuition fee.
Braganza said that the yearly scholarships SWU PHINMA awards to deserving students “help level the playing field and ensure more young people have access to quality education.”
Enrollment for the SWU PHINMA School of Medicine for the August 2019 intake is currently ongoing. Application details and requirements are available at swu.edu.ph/medicine.
TACLOBAN CITY – The tourism industry in the province of Leyte remains to be vibrant and has earned a total of P12.25 billion from tourist receipts in 2018, a report from the regional office of the Department of Tourism (DOT).
Karina Rosa Tiopes, DOT-8 director, told reporters that the total income of P12.5 billion earned by the province from tourists last year was derived from the total of 1,147,462 tourist arrivals wherein 36,411 were foreign while the 1,111,051 were domestic tourists.
Tiopes reported that Leyte recorded an increasing trend of tourist arrivals and income for the past three years.
She said that in 2017, the province recorded a total of 971,032 tourist arrivals wherein 40,043 were foreign while the 930,989 were domestic tourists, with the total tourist receipts of P9.75 billion.
On the other hand, in 2016, the province had 755,144 total tourist arrivals of which 22,749 were foreigners while the 732,395 were domestic tourists. The total tourist receipts reached P7.17 billion, Tiopes added.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, in a separate interview, said that the tourism industry of the province remains active as Leyte continue to draw most of the tourists visiting the region every year.
Petilla added that the income derived from the tourism industry contributes to the economy of the province. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Former Special Assistant to the President and 2019 senatorial candidate Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go threw his support behind President Rodrigo Duterte’s call for the creation of a Department of Disaster Resilience amid the deadly 6.1 magnitude earthquake that hit Luzon on Monday.
It could be recalled that in his 3rd State of the Nation Address last July 23, 2018, President Rodrigo Duterte reiterated his call for Congress to pass a law creating a more empowered department that would provide full-time focus on disaster management and would take charge of disaster risk reduction, preparedness and response with better recovery and rehabilitation.
“Madalas po tamaan ng bagyo, lindol at iba pang kalamidad ang ating bansa. Kung may iisang ahensya po na nakatutok dito, mas maayos, mabilis at maaasahan ang serbisyong maibibigay ng gobyerno para rumesponde at ihanda ang bansa sa ganitong mga hindi inaasahang pangyayari,” he said.
As of 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, a total of 16 people were killed, 86 wounded and 14 persons still missing in Region III, according to the official report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council. A total of 80 structures and buildings in Region III and NCR sustained damage as a result of the quake.
NDRRMC also reported that at least 10 persons were injured in Region VIII as a result of the 6.5 magnitude quake in Eastern Samar.
“Kailangan po talaga natin na ang i-scale up ang preparedness to resilliency against earthquake….Ibig sabihin napapanahon na din na talagang magkaroon ng sariling departamento na nakatutok talaga dito sa mga ganitong pangyayari. Ako suportado ko po ito,” Go said in a radio interview.
Go said the matter was brought up anew during the briefing led by President Duterte in San Fernando, Pampanga after conducting an ocular inspection of the damage caused by the tremor.
The former SAP said that if he is elected to the Senate, he would press efforts to pass a law creating such a department.
“Nasa kongreso na po ito itong creation of Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR) at napapanahon na (ito). Aprubado na ito sa House of Representatives and pending na ito sa Senado. Asahan niyo, supportado ko ito pag nasa Senado na ako, “ Go said.
Go has been advocating for the establishment of strong, safe and well-equipped evacuation centers in the country as part of his legislative agenda.
Meanwhile, Go assured the people of Samar and adjacent provinces rocked by the 6.5 magnitude earthquake on Tuesday that the Duterte administration will extend to them the same kind of assistance extended to the victims of Luzon earthquake. Go had accompanied President Duterte in the Pampanga briefing.
“Siyempre ang Pangulong Duterte at ang mga kasamahan n’ya sa gobyerno (ay) 100% na (handang) tumulong malutas po kung ano ang pinsala na nangyari doon sa apektadong mga lugar dahil ready naman ang ahensya ng gobyerno na tumugon kaagad,” Go said.
“Narinig ko rin po sabi ng Pangulo, lalong-lalo na po diyan sa mga kapatid natin sa Samar na handa po ang ating national government agencies na tumulong po sa inyo po. Unang-una trabaho ng ating opisyales diyan ay para tumulong,” he added.
In the case of the Luzon earthquake, Go said President Duterte visited the family of the initial five quake fatalities reported and provided them assistance before the briefing in San Fernando. Go said the President was apparently satisfied with the initial response of both the concerned local government units and the national agencies.
“Gusto po sana n’ya (na) siya ang mauna (pumunta sa Pampanga), pero nabalitaan niya na mabilis ang response ng local government unit, at national government at talagang nag-augment po sila sa lahat ng pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan,” Go said.
He said that President Duterte’s main directive to the concerned agencies is to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
Go also thanked private individuals and entities who have volunteered their services and resources in helping victims of the quake in Pampanga.
“Nakakatuwang tingnan na tulong-tulong ang mga kapatid natin, hindi lang po sa gobyerno pati po yung sa mga pribado nagpadala sila ng kagamitan para doon sa gumuhong supermarket,” he said.
The former SAP said the strong quakes that hit Luzon and Samar should be reminded to everyone not to take for granted the earthquake drills.
“Sana po ay huwag nating balewalain yung mga earthquake drills po…. at isaisip po natin parati kung ano ba ang dapat nating gawin sa mga ganitong pangyayari tulad ng nangyari sa Pampanga…Dapat nating tandaan parati na kung ano ba ang dapat gawin kaya sundin po natin ang ating awtoridad,” Go said.
Likewise, Go said that like many of the quake victims in Pampanga, those affected by the tremor in Samar and nearby areas needing medical assistance can seek help from the Malasakit Center in Tacloban City.
“Sa mga kapatid natin na sa Samar, mayroon po tayong Malasakit Center diyan sa Tacloban tulad po dito sa Pampanga. Marami pong natulungan ang Malasakit center natin diyan sa San Fernando, Pampanga. Handa pong tumulog ang ating Malasakit center naman po sa Tacloban sa Eastern Visayas Medical Center,” Go said.
“Sa inyo po iyan, bukas po iyan para sa pagpapagamot. At alam ninyo po na kahapon ay marami pong natulungan ang Jose Lingad Memorial Regional Hospital sa San Fernando, Pampanga iyong Malasakit Center natin doon,” he added.
A program of the Duterte administration based on Go’s idea, the Malasakit Center makes it easier and faster for poor patients to avail of medical and financial assistance from the government by bringing together in one room concerned agencies such as the DOH, DSWD, PCSO, and Philhealth.
Go is proposing a law to enable the establishment of Malasakit Center in more provinces and key urban centers of the country and ensure as well the continuation of the program even after the term of President Duterte.
