Land deal regular: Mayor Step asserts
No Overpraicing
CATBALOGAN CITY – Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan of this city maintains that the project that was questioned by the Office of the Ombudsman was above-board.
Still, the city mayor added that she would submit herself to the legal processes and prove her innocence.
“If the suspension is served on me, I will not escape. I will accept it and respond in the proper forum because I know that what they accused of me is not true,” Uy-Tan, who remains unfazed, said in an interview.
She said that this particular issue is nothing compared to previous issues that were thrown at her which she faced head-on.
Earlier, several posts and news reports circulated in social media on the alleged issuance of preventive suspension order against Uy-Tan, Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon, seven councilors and several City Hall personnel due to what is claimed an irregularity on the purchase of a parcel of property in the city.
Mayor Uy-Tan said that, as of press time, she has yet to receive a copy of the said Ombudsman decision seeking for her suspension for six-months without pay.
And contrary to the observations and conclusions of the said posts and news articles quoting the order of the Ombudsman, the questioned transaction was made aboveboard, she said.
As to the fair market value alone, she emphasized that the purchase price of the city amounting to P 1,500 per square meter is comparatively fair as compared to the purchase prices of adjoining lots such as those of the Religious of Virgin Mary (2004), Millennium Ocean Star (2011), San Miguel Corporation (2012) and Alvin Abejuela (2015) which are priced at P1454.33, P 8,403 P1,000 and P3,500, respectively.
Mayor Uy-Tan said that the transaction, in fact, made the city government ‘richer’ by P300 million in assets.
She added that the cases filed against her, the vice mayor and the rest of the council are purely politically motivated for they are orchestrated by their political enemies who are running against the Mayor’s slate come 2019 local elections. She added also that there is a pending robbery/extortion case filed by one of the respondents of the Ombudsman case, Councilor Tekwa Uy against the complainant, Bernard Jake Ramos.
On the other hand, despite these issues, she expressed her hope that the projects that are ongoing and to be constructed in the questioned property will continue for this will benefit its targeted constituents.
As this developed, Mayor Uy-Tan withdrew her certificate of candidacy for mayor on November 29, the last day for filing for substitution for candidates running in next year’s elections.
She was substituted by her younger brother Dexter, former city federation president of the Sangguniang Kabataan and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the years 2011-2013.
Mayor Uy-Tan will run instead for councilor.
By: ROEL T. AMAZONA
Ex-Samar mayor dismisses NPA claim that they were behind slay try on him
It’s politics, Boller says
CATBALOGAN CITY-Former mayor Aran Boller of Matuguinao, Samar dismissed claim by the New People’s Army that they were behind on attempt to his life.
On November 18, while inside his vehicle parked in Barangay San Francisco, which is located within the district area of this city, Boller was fired upon by one of the three suspects, hitting him on his right hand.
The city police of Catbalogan recovered eight empty shells from caliber 45 at the crime of the scene.
The NPA’s Arnulfo Ortiz Command (AOC), in a statement, said that they were responsible on Boller’s slay try as he was said to be responsible in “series of unsolved killings and other acts of reactionary violence” in the town.
“The special operations group of the AOC attempted to carry out the decision of the people’s court to impose the death penalty on Aran Boller, ex-mayor of Matuguinao, who managed to escape justice. Boller was found guilty as the criminal mastermind behind the series of unsolved killings and other acts of reactionary violence in the town,” the outlawed group, which operates in Samar, said in a statement.
But Boller, who is running for mayor in next year’s elections against incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel de la Cruz, maintained that there would be no other group who are interested to kill him but his political opponents.
“I really doubt if they were really behind on the incident. I don’t see any reason why they will do that. The only reason that I see why this happened is politics,” the mayoralty candidate said.
Boller became the vice mayor of the town after then mayor, Celso de la Cruz, was gunned down in 2009.
The incumbent mayor, Melissa de la Cruz, daughter of the slain mayor, is now on her third and last term with her sister, incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel de la Cruz, switching posts for the 2019 elections.
Boller said that he has the trust and the support of the people of Matuguinao and is sure to win if the conduct of the election will just be fair and would not be marred by some ‘armed men.’
“I am running on the basis of their trust on me. I could win the election because the people want change. They have been suffering extreme poverty because of the neglect of the current administration in Matuguinao,” he said.
Boller said that after the incident, he even thought of withdrawing from running but was prevailed upon by his supporters.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Defense Sec. Lorenzana says bells to return to Balangiga on Dec.11
ORMOC CITY- The historic bells of Balangiga town, Eastern Samar are to return to the country on December 11.
This was announced by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana in his remarks during the joint meetings of the Regional Peace and Order Council, Regional Development Council, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held in Ormoc City Monday (Dec.3).
The Defense Secretary said that the welcoming rites, to be held at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, would be ‘simple.’
“Yung bells of Balangiga are coming back home on December 11 in the morning in a very simple ceremony in Villamor Air Base,” Lorenzana said to the applause of the council members.
He said that he learned on this development through a staff of US Defense Sec. James Mattis.
Lorenzana said that they will first ask the availability of the President for the bells’ eventual return to Balangiga, suggesting that no less than Mr. Duterte will be leading the restoration of the historical items in Balangiga.
“We are just looking on the availability of the President. But I suggested not to take this long in Manila and bring them to Balangiga right away,” he said.
“So we are looking at December 15 for the turnover in Balangiga,” he added.
This way, the people of Balangiga would start the holding of their Misa de Gallo with the iconic bells pealing across the town, Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana said that the two bells are now temporarily deposited in an air base in Guam and together with the other one in South Korea, will be repatriated back home.
He said that the bells previously displayed at F. E. Warren Air Force in Cheyenne, Wyoming underwent repair.
“And I saw in the photos, they are beautiful (after the repair),” he said.
“So, this is a good news for Eastern Visayas,” Lorenzana said.
Mattis led the turnover of the bells on November 15(Philippine time) during a ceremony at the F.E.Warren Air Base and accepted by Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.
The bells were used by the Filipino resistance fighters to signal the attack on the American detachment in Balangiga on Sept. 28, 1901. At least 54 American soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded in the attack.
An outraged American Gen. Jacob Smith deployed 180 soldiers on Sept. 29, 1901 and ordered them to turn the town into a “howling wilderness” where every Filipino male, at least 11 years old and capable of carrying firearms, was killed while communities were burned down.
Not contented with the killing of thousands of Filipinos, American soldiers took the Balangiga bells as their war trophies.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/JOEY A. GABIETA)
Samar’s contribution to Russian history to be promoted
GUIUAN, Eastern Samar- The Russian ambassador to the Philippines has vowed to help the local government unit of Guiuan and the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation in their campaign to let more people learn about Tubabao Island and the plight of “White Russians” who lived there, 69 years ago.
Ambassador Igor Khovaev said the campaign will help not only in strengthening the ties between the two countries but will also pave the way for more Russian tourists to visit, especially Tubabao Island.
About 6,000 White Russian refugees from China stayed on Tubabao Island, this town, in 1949, a former American base during World War II.
The refugees were called White Russians as they opposed communism.
The group, which started in Russia, also organized the Russian immigrants in China to leave, when the Communists came into power.
In their appeal to the international community, only the Philippines – through the administration of then-President Elpidio Quirino – replied to their request. The offer was made even if the country was still recovering from the devastation of WWII.
Tubabao Island was the designated place for the “White Russians” to stay while they wait for other countries to grant them asylum. In 1951, after two years of stay on the island, the refugees were granted asylum to the United States of America, Australia, France, and South American and European countries.
“Unfortunately, this story is little known in Russia. I think we should combine our effort to let all people know that. This can be a bridge of friendship, connecting Russia and all Filipinos,” Ambassador Khovaev said on November 29.
“They deserve to know the story and I’m sure that many of them will have desire and will want to visit this place. Hopefully this can be our modest contribution for the social and economic development of this region,” Khovaev added.
“As far as the Russian Embassy in Manila, we will do our best. I hope that in the near future that Tubabao and Guiuan will become a destination of pilgrimage of Russian tourists because this is a very special story. A story that is very close to the heart of all Russian people. We will do our best to let as many people to know that,” Khovaev added.
Next year, the odyssey of White Russians to Tubabao Island will mark its 70th year, a milestone that needs to be properly celebrated.
The ambassador said they will work closely with the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation on this.
In his visit to this town, the ambassador went to Tubabao Island and offered prayers and flowers at the refugee marker located in the heart of the island.
He also visited the old site of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos (Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary), where then Archbishop John Maximovich, who was later venerated into sainthood, served.
The archbishop, now known as Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco, was also instrumental for the granting of asylum to the “White Russians in Tubabao” in the US.
Ambassador Khovaev also went to the Guiuan public cemetery to visit the graves of some of the “White Russians” who died during their stay in Tubabao.
During his visit to Guiuan, Ambassador Khovaev also expressed his elation to the effort of the former mayor of Guiuan, Annaliz Gonzalez-Kwan and her daughter Kinna Kwan to conduct research to let the people know about the forgotten history of Tubabao that has a great impact on the lives of the Russian people.
“I’m deeply impressed, touch and humbled. I think this is a very meaningful story because despite that huge geographical distance there is something that connects our country,” Ambassador Khovaev.
Ambassador Khovaev referred to the Philippines as a “country of refuge, country of assistance and help, and country of care” when showed the documentary about the “White Russians” in Tubabao, which was produced by the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Leyte mayor says music fest held at their town boosts tourism and transport sectors
SAN MIGUEL, Leyte- The holding of music and art festival in their town was a big boost to their local tourism.
Thus said Mayor Cheeryl Enrica Esperas as she lauded the organizers of the ‘For the Love of Leyte’ which initiated a four-day music and arts festival in Barangay Guinciaman.
“This very big event will boost the tourism of our humble municipality,” Esperas said.
Thousands witnessed the ‘Woodstock’-style event held in a sprawling private-owned property in Brgy. Guinciaman.
According to Esperas, the November 30-December 2 event also helped the transport sector of the town as they were serviced by those who attended the event.
The town mayor added that local weavers also benefited from the show as they were featured in the event.
The site itself, owned by the family of Leyte Rep. Vicente Veloso (3d district), is considered as a farm school.
Kaye Veloso, who spearheaded the event, thanked those who attended the occasion, which is now on its second year.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)