Newsmakers of 2011 (first part)

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

THE tragedy brought by Tropical Storm Sendong has made 2011 an unforgettable year for the residents of Northern Mindanao.

Thousands have died and thousands are still missing, while billions worth of properties were damaged.

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But before “Sendong” hit Cagayan de Oro this month, news of crime, political dispute, issues plaguing the Church, among others, occurred since January this year.

And as 2011 is about to end, Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro is doing a flashback of what made the year truly unforgettable aside from the deadly storm.

On January 1, a 20-year-old woman was found dead inside a motel in Barangay Consolacion in Cagayan de Oro.

The hotel’s room boy found the body of Mai-Mai Labaon of Talakag, Bukidnon naked inside the comfort room with markings on the neck, showing that she was strangled to death.

Police have yet to arrest the suspect though they did not discount the possibility that the killing of Labaon was motivated by robbery since all her belongings were taken by the suspect.

Police also said Labaon’s murder appeared to have similar patterns with previous killings inside various motels in the city.

On January 6, the 60-year-old Central Post Office building in Cagayan de Oro was razed by fire, putting the damage at P500 million. Fire investigators said the fire may have been caused by faulty electrical wirings.

On January 9, the procession of the Black Nazarene was held peacefully as police personnel were on hand to ensure the security of thousands of devotees who joined the annual walk.

Also in January, three police officers assigned at the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group in Cagayan de Oro were the subject of a complaint by a woman for alleged physical abuse and sexual harassment.

The People’s Law Enforcement Board (Pleb) identified the police officers as Police Officer (PO) 3 Michael Alvarez, PO2 Eugene Gallana and PO2 Sunday Go a.k.a. Alex Go. They faced the charges of slight injury, acts of lasciviousness, unjust vexation and grave threat before the Pleb.

Another six members of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office (Cocpo) have been charged by a former army soldier after they arrested and detained him without warrant and formal charges.

Charged were Police Chief Inspector Reynante Reyes, Police Inspector Harvey Abellanosa, PO3 Ferdinand Capistrano, Senior Police Officer (SPO) 3 Glenn Abalde, SPO1 Francisco Granada Jr. and PO3 Eugene Solidarios.

Edgar T. Chavez alleged he was arrested by the six police officers without a corresponding arrest warrant and was detained without knowing of the formal charges.

But then Cocpo chief Benedicto Lopez felt disgust over the charges, saying that the police personnel were just doing their job in arresting Echavez, who was involved in a robbery case.

Also in January, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) launched its anti-drug courier program in the region as it hoped to warn those seeking work abroad of the clandestine drug courier trade in the country.

Related to this, a police assigned at the Jasaan Police Station was arrested in January during a “pot session” inside a suspected drug den in Santo Niño, Cogon.

Police Inspector Anthony Balaba has since been charged with violation of the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act.

In the political scene, dispute erupted within the Provincial Capitol in January after both the administration and opposition members of the Provincial Board submitted two versions of the province’s 2011 budget.

Because of this, the 2010 budget was first reenacted, as ordered by Governor Oscar Moreno.

However, Moreno later vetoed the budget ordinance certified by the administration headed by Vice Governor Norris Babiera and signed by the board secretary.

The name of Cagayan de Oro Mayor Vicente Emano was later dragged into the budget row at the Provincial Capitol after reports came out that he masterminded the “budget squabble,” which he denied.

In January, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. filed charges of anti-graft and corruption against Emano in connection with the latter’s controversial “piso-piso” lot project which Pimentel said was “packed with irregularities.”

The case is still ongoing.

In February, the military in Cagayan de Oro felt sad over the death of former defense secretary Angelo Reyes Jr. who committed suicide in front of the grave of his mother allegedly due to issues of corruption within the military.

In the business side, an Australian company selling Power Balance wristbands admitted in January there is no truth to their claims that the wristbands increase strength and flexibility as it offered refunds to customers who felt may have been misled by the firm’s promotions.

In Barangay Iponan, one of the areas ravaged by “Sendong”, a P4-million electronic library and activity room was opened in February, giving residents easier access to the Internet.

In Bukidnon, at least 700 farmers protested the proposed construction of Pulangi Dam V, citing the project would affect the lumad’s ancestral domain and would eventually wipe out some barangays in the province.

To date, the proposed dam has yet to commence.

In sports, athletes from Cagayan de Oro ruled the 2011 Palarong Pampook held in February in Tubod, Lanao del Norte, after they dominated in swimming, chess and taekwondo, bagging the overall championship crown.

(To be continued)