CEBU CITY- The newly- appointed chairperson of the National Youth Commission(NYC) Aiza Seguerra will give focus in providing protection and information awareness among youth, giving special focus among members of the LGBT community. Seguerra clearly stated that gender sensitivity and awareness will be on the list of her priorties which also include the prevention of spreading of human immuno deficiency virus (HIV), mental health, unemployment of LGBT youth, the harassment, bullying of the youth and the empowerment of youth. Seguerra, who wanted to be addressed as “he,” said that no region including Eastern Visayas will be left out. “It is my goal, since our President is pushing for federalism, it will also be my priority making sure that no region will be left out when it comes to projects for the youth” he said. Seguerra acknowledged that the previous administration tend to overlook other regions and focus most of the projects in Manila. Seguerra is planning as early as now to visit all the regions in the country for him to see the problems the youths are facing now. “The real data will never be presented to you, it is best to go the ground and see for yourself the real deal” Seguerra said. In Eastern Visayas, Seguerra vowed to work with other national government agencies to address the problems after youth were devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda.” “It’s what is good with NYC because we can always partner with other government agencies, such as the Department of Labor when it comes to unemployment and the Department of Social Welfare and Development when it comes to other concern,” he added. Seguerra is aware that previous chairman of the commission were not able to perform their job perfectly but for himself he vowed that in his term all programs and projects will be inclusive. Seguerra was the guest of honor of the recently concluded Pink Ink Training: Empowering Professional Media PR actioners to deal LGBT human rights issues last August 13 in Cebu where he discussed sexual orientation and gender identity and expression. He was joined by his wife, Liza Dino. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY-For not remitting the town’s tax collections, the Office of Ombudsman ordered for the filing of malversation charge against a former mayor of San Sebastian in Samar. Recommended by the anti-graft court for the Sandiganbayan to prosecute for malversation of funds and violation of section 3 of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act (Republic Act 3019) was former mayor Arnold Abalos. The complaint against Abalos, who ended his second term as mayor of the town this year, stemmed from his failure to remit the tax collection of his town in the amount of P1,272,831.63 for the years 2008 and 2009.  Also charged was municipal treasurer Virginia Uy. The failure of Abalos and Uy, both accountable officers for the funds of San Sebastian, to remit the tax collections gave rise to the presumption that respondents misappropriated the amount intended for the Bureau of International Revenue, the Ombudsman stated. (MEL CASPE/RYAN ARCENAS)

TACLOBAN CITY – No single local government-run abattoir in Eastern Visayas passed the accreditation standards this year, raising concerns that some meat might not be suitable for distribution and sale, the National Meat Inspection Service (NMIS) reported. NMIS Regional Director Orlando Ongsotto said that some previously accredited slaughterhouse failed to restore their facilities after it was destroyed by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013.

Consequently, areas without government-accredited abattoirs cannot market their product outside their city or town, according to NMIS. “Only 45 percent of our 143 cities and towns in the region have abattoirs. Other areas do the slaughtering of livestock and poultry products in houses, public or under a tree,” Ongsotto said. Local abattoirs are still practicing old concept, which are open type, without partitions and using manual operational system. Ongsotto has called on mayors to appoint meat inspectors to ensure meat safety even with the absence of slaughter houses. Latest NMIS report shows that 60 percent of the region’s 136 towns have no meat inspectors.

Under the law, all livestock and poultry products slaughtered for food should be subject to veterinary inspection and examination before distribution and sale. “However, the local government cannot effectively implement meat inspection if there’s no slaughterhouse in an area,” Ongsotto added. Next year, the NMIS hopes that four areas – Catbalogan City in Samar, Naval in Biliran, Tacloban City in Leyte, and San Roque in Northern Samar – will have accredited slaughterhouses as construction kicks off this year.
Some LGUs are recipients of post-Yolanda rehabilitation projects, but no single budget has been released so far for abattoir construction, according to Ongsotto. Some LGUs will also get financial assistance to build slaughterhouses through the bottom-up budgeting. “The challenge with LGU is funding constraint. Government facility is always a service. It’s hard to maintain a facility if it’s not generating income,” the official stressed. A city or town needs at least P10 million for the construction of a fully equipped abattoir.  (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine National Police (PNP) is studying the possibility of revoking Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.’s authority over the police now that he is facing drug-related charges. Chief Insp. Ma. Bella Rentuaya, spokesperson of the PNP Eastern Visayas regional office, said the decision whether to strip the mayor’s supervision of the local police will depend on the progress of the case filed at the Leyte provincial prosecutor’s office. Rentuaya believed, however, that Espinosa never exercised his police power since he assumed post as the town mayor on July 1.  “Since the mayor had not chosen a chief of police until the third week of July, the regional office assigned Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido as officer-in-charge,” the PNP official said.
As deputy of the National Police Commission (Napolcom), mayors have the authority to choose their chief of police.

The PNP presents three names to a local chief executive as possible chiefs of police. Revoking his supervision over the police mainly depends on the resolution from the prosecutor’s office. “We will respect whatever is the decision of the prosecutor,” Rentuaya said. Last week, the Leyte police provincial office and Albuera town police filed two cases against Espinosa for illegal possession of firearms and violations of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002. Cases were filed following series of operations that led to the recovery of shabu, bomb components, and several firearms at Espinosa’s houses in Barangay Binulho, Albuera.

“I will face all charges that they filed against me. The truth is that I am innocent. I was not here during police operations,” Espinosa told reporters when he returned to work on Tuesday (August 16) after more than three weeks of absence. The mayor reportedly left his hometown on July 22, just four days after Espenido assumed as police chief. Espinosa surrendered to PNP Director General Ronald Dela Rosa on Aug. 2, after President Rodrigo Duterte demanded for his surrender and son, Kerwin within 24 hours or face a “shoot on sight.” The son, alleged to be the biggest drug lord in Eastern Visayas, remain at-large. While at Camp Crame, the mayor claimed that he left the town because of death threats from Espenido. The police official denied the allegations and said that they are just doing their job to maintain peace and order. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)