Edno asks for police control over Ecija

First District Rep. Eduardo Nonato Joson has asked the Philippine National Police to place Nueva Ecija under its direct control after a series of violent incidents that resulted in the killing of former and incumbent political leaders.

"Kahit parang Martial Law," Joson suggested.

With police control in place, Joson said more checkpoints could be put up, incentives given for a campaign against loose firearms and warring politicians called to a meeting with the police as often as necessary.

He said that police control of the province would contain not only violence caused by fighting among politicians but also the killings caused by ideological causes and summary executions.

Joson said he had sent a letter to PNP chief Avelino Razon, Jr. regarding his proposal, with a copy furnished to the Office of the President.

Meanwhile, Gov. Aurelio M. Umali refused to comment on Joson's petition, saying he has not read it. ###
 
 

Former Cabiao vice mayor killed

Former Cabiao Vice Mayor Bonifacio Clemente was shot dead by two unidentified men last August 14.

Investigation showed that Clemente, 54, popularly known as "Boy Good", was making a call with his mobile phone in a vulcanizing shop at Purok 1, Barangay San Fernando, where he went to have the flat tire of his Starex van replaced, when the motorcycle riding assailants arrived and repeatedly shot him from behind.

He sustained six gunshot wounds in the head and neck. Four of the shots fired from a .45 caliber pistol caused his instant death.

The suspects immediately fled.

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, OIC provincial police director, said that he has formed "Task Force Boy Good" to run after the killers and determine the motive for the attack, with personal vengeance as one angle being looked into.

Clemente had been operating a local cockpit since stepping down as vice mayor. ###
 
 

Ex San Isidro barangay chair cheats death

Former Barangay Chair Bernardo Mangaliman of Santo Cristo, San Isidro was repeatedly shot at last August 10 in Barangay Malapit but was able to escape unharmed.

Investigators found some 20 pieces of M-14 Armalite bullets at the scene.

Mangaliman's companion, Antonio Francisco Mendoza, 59, was wounded in the attack that happened at about 12:30 AM.

Last June 28, three former associates of Mangaliman -- Danilo Cucio and siblings Rolando and Alex Magno -- were found dead in Arayat, Pampanga after being abducted by unidentified men. Another associate, Carlito Pascual, barangay tanod head, was also abducted and has remained missing. ###
 
 

Cuyapo mayor protests 'political harassment'

Mayor Amado Corpus, Jr. of Cuyapo called as political harassment his inclusion as a respondent in the criminal complaint for the gun slaying of the town's Sangguniang Bayan secretary, Angelito Espinosa, last June 4.

Corpus said that his political rivals from Lakas-CMD were behind a plot to unseat him by linking him to the Espinosa killing.

"It's politically motivated. The charges are all lies and totally fabricated," Corpus said.

The mayor was reacting to a supplemental affidavit filed with the prosecutor's office in Cabanatuan City by tricycle driver Alexander Lozano, who claimed having seen Corpuz very mad and cursing a certain  "Lito" while talking to his bodyguard, Carlito Samonte. The witness said he saw the mayor handing over a stainless .45 caliber pistol to Samonte while telling the latter "Putang-inang Lito iyan, sige birahin mo."

Espinosa was shot dead after a heated quarrel with Samonte in the municipal compound.

Samonte tried to escape but was arrested by the town's police chief, Supt. Danilo Fernando, and two policemen after a brief chase.

A criminal complaint against Samonte was filed with the Provincial Prosecutor's Office.

Corpus was not in that original complaint but was later included based on Lozano's supplemental affidavit.

Corpus said the Espinosa killing was the result of a personal matter which should not have involved an innocent third person like him.

He said he plans to file perjury charges against the tricycle driver. ###
 
 

Ecijano teen, teacher shine in youth entrepreneurship confab

A high school student from San Jose City and a teacher from Muñoz received awards in the recently concluded Third Youth Entrepreneurship and Cooperativism in Schools (YECS) conference held at Teachers Camp in Baguio City.

Micah Pascual of Constancio Padilla National High School in San Jose City was declared as one of the country's most outstanding student entrepreneurs.

Pascual, a Methodist pastor's daughter,  was cited for her business, Micah's Delicacies, that sells polvoron, yema, pastillas and puto.

She said that as early as grade school, she had learned the basics of preparing the local delicacies, with her interest and skills finally being developed last year in her culinary arts class.

“Sales from my very own Micah’s Delicacies now provide for my personal needs and pay for some of my school expenses. Malaking tulong talaga,”  Pascual said.

Meanwhile, Veronica Paraquison of Muñoz National High School in the Science City of Muñoz was named one of the best entrepreneur educators of the year.

Some 1,400 high school students, teachers, principals and other public school officials attended the conference jointly sponsored by the Department of Education's Center for Students and Co-Curricular Affairs (CSCA), Philippine Veronica Parqag Center for Entrepreneurship, the Department of Trade and Industry's Philippine Trade Training Center and the non governmental organization The Master's Lighthouse Foundation.

With "Young Entrepreneurs Taking Charge" as the theme, the conference workshop aimed to prepare students to take charge of their future by taking on active and responsible roles in entrepreneurial endeavors.

CSCA Executive Director Joey Pelaez said that the program is also intended to inspire high school students and out-of-school youth to consider entrepreneurship as a career and initiate them into entrepreneurial challenges. ###
 
 

PhilRice trains task force vs. rice crisis

The Philippine Rice Research Institute in the Science City of Muñoz is spearheading a three month intensive training for extension workers and agriculture graduates who will be sent to different parts of the country as a task force against the rice crisis.

The members will be assigned to various provinces to coordinate with different institutions for the implementation of the government's rice self-sufficiency program.

Roniro Beronio, acting PhilRice director, said the training program called "Focusing on Increasing Provincial Productivity" aims to improve the rice yield per hectare through technology transfer, to eventually attain self sufficiency in rice by 2010.

Beronio said that with proper technology, farmers can produce seven to nine tons per hectare of palay compared to the present average harvest of 3.8 tons per hectare.

The training that started last July 21 covers integrated crop management, high quality rice seeds, research and development, capacity enhancement, irrigation system repair, restoration and rehabilitation, post harvest and mechanization assistance, program monitoring and evaluation, incentive system, policy analysis and database management. ###
 
 

Bancud, 5 other bishops elected as RP delegates to India assembly

Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud was one of six delegates elected by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) to represent the country in the ninth plenary assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences (FABC) in Bangalore, India from January 11 to 20, 2009.

Bancud and Bishop Carlito Cenzon of Baguio will represent Luzon. They will join Archbishops Onesimo Gordoncillo of Capiz and Jose Palma of Palo, representing the Visayas; and Zamboanga Archbishop Romulo Valles and Tandag Bishop Nereo Odchimar, representing Mindanao.

CBCP President and Jaro Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, an automatic member of FABC, will also participate in the assembly.

FABC is a voluntary association of episcopal conferences in Asia which meets in plenary every four years. ###
 
 

Floods affect Ecija roads, low-lying barangays

Heavy monsoon rains induced by storm Julian when it passed Northern Luzon resulted in floods that inundated low-lying areas in parts of Nueva Ecija and forced the closure of  several roads.

The Zaragoza-La Paz Road became impassable due to floodwater.

Small vehicles were not allowed to pass through the Bongabon-Baler Road due to flooded portions in Barangay Villa, Maria Aurora.

Also reported flooded were Barrera, D. S. Garcia and San Juan ACCFA in Cabanatuan City;
Santa Clara and Casanova, Quezon, and Panabingan and Camajuan in San Antonio. ###
 
 

Ecija ranks 3rd in dengue incidence

Nueva Ecija registered a total of 430 dengue cases from January to June this year, becoming the Central Luzon province with the third most number of dengue cases.

The Regional Epidemiology Surveillance Unit of the Department of Health-Region 3 said that the total number of dengue cases registered in the first half of this year -- 2,636 -- was 238% more than those reported for the same period last year.

Topping the list of provinces with the most number of dengue cases was Pampanga with 1,009, followed by Bulacan with 650.

DOH Regional Director Rio Magpantay said the number of fatalities has reached 18, with 63% of all dengue victims aged 16 years and below. ###
 
 

Bayani Fernando 'invades' Ecija

Residents of Cabanatuan City and Talavera woke up one day, seeing giant posters of Metro Manila Development Authority Chair Bayani Fernando hanging from electric posts along the national highway.

This raised speculations that Fernando is bent on running for president in the 2010 elections.

Some residents observed that the vehicles of persons who installed Fernando's posters bore MMDA stickers.

Cabanatuan City Mayor Alvin Vergara said he had no idea why Fernando's posters were scattered around the city streets. He said he had no projects involving the MMDA chair.

The Fernando posters, with his photo prominently displayed, carried messages on law, cleanliness and discipline, similar to the posters found in Metro Manila.

In a television news interview later, Fernando denied that his posters in Nueva Ecija were political, saying that their messages were purely public service in nature.

Which only led back to the Novo Ecijanos' original question: "Why here?!" ###
 
 

Cop charged for killing of Japanese national

The Nueva Ecija police filed filed murder charges against a policeman for the killing of a Japanese man in Cabanatuan City last July 31.

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director, said that the suspect, PO3 Francisco Catabas, would also face administrative charges.

Witnesses pointed to Catabas as one of two men who shot Akiyu Ohara, 51, in Barangay Valdefuente.

A report reaching the regional police office at Camp Olivas said investigators are looking into reports that a person close to Ohara had hired Catabas to kill the victim. ###
 
 

NBI nabs 3 'Baklas-Sobre' members

Agents of the local National Bureau of Investigation office have arrested three suspected members of the so-called "Baklas-Sobre" gang while in the act of stealing mail materials inside a van in Cabanatuan City.

Pedro Roque, Jr., NBI-Cabanatuan head, identified those nabbed as Doan Lomboy, an employee of the Philippine Postal Corp. (PhilPost) office at Gen. Luna Street, Cabanatuan City, Leonilo Valenzuela of Rizal and Rogelio Estabillo of Laur.

They were caught opening two bundles of mail inside a Ford Fiera van parked at a secluded section of Hilltop, Marcos Village. Seized from the suspects were three cellular phones and dollar and yen bills believed to have been pilfered from letters and packages.

Roque said that he had received several complaints regarding missing money and other valuable items from the mail.

He said that surveillance operations resulted in the tracking down of Lomboy's group in Marcos Village.

The Ford Fiera van driven by Estabillo and the postal van driven by Lomboy stopped at the middle of the road where two mail packs were transferred to the Fiera. Lomboy then drove  on to Laur. On the way back, he stopped at the same spot and retrieved the two mail packs he had earlier turned over to Estabillo.

"Pagkatapos baklasin ang mail, ang ginagawa nila ay ire-repack uli ito at ibabalik sa dating ayos," Roque explained.

The suspects have been charged with qualified theft at the Cabanatuan City Prosecutor's Office. ###
 
 

5 hurt in Rizal accident

Five persons were hurt when a motorcycle and a tricycle smashed into each other during heavy rains along the national highway in Rizal, Nueva Ecija last August 9.

Investigators said that the accident involved a tricycle driven by Ronnie Sapla, 43, of Barangay Agbannawag,  and a motorcycle driven by Roy Sumagon, 19, of Barangay Cabucbucan, all in Rizal town.

The two drivers and their three passengers sustained leg fractures and head injuries and were taken to Dr. Paulino J. Garcia Memorial Research and Medical Center in Cabanatuan City.

Mark Sapla, 20; Gerardo Santos, 47; and Dennis Galindez, 16, who were all riding with Sumagon, were also hurt.

The two vehicles were at opposite lanes when they collided at a flooded portion of the Nueva Ecija-Aurora Road in Poblacion Sur, Rizal. ###