No one admits instructing secretary to write the council

IN A letter dated June 27, the Office of the Mayor asked the Cebu City Council to adopt a resolution authorizing Mayor Michael Rama to sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA), creating the Metro Cebu Development Coordinating Board (MCDCB).

The letter written by Belinda Navascues, the mayor’s secretary, was addressed to City Councilor Edgardo Labella.

Release of seniors’ aid hits snag

SENIOR citizens in Cebu City might not receive this month half of their P4,000 cash assistance, contrary to what the City Government promised.

This after the City’s liquidation of the P20-million cash advance used as financial aid to the senior citizens last year was questioned by the Commission on Audit (COA).

Bella Ruby, Griffiths ask DOJ to review prosecutors’ ruling

THE Department of Justice (DOJ) was asked to review the resolution of investigating prosecutors who indicted Bella Ruby Santos and Ian Charles Griffiths for the gruesome death of Ellah Joy Pique.

Defense counsels Rameses Villagonzalo and Roberto Rublico filed yesterday a petition for review with the DOJ, through the Office of the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor, and asked the Justice Department to re-evaluate the government prosecutors’ ruling on the case.

Schools ban smoking, to dismiss violators

SMOKING will never be tolerated in schools, and those who violate the policy can be suspended or dismissed, an education official warned.

Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Director Recaredo Borgonia cited R.A. 9211 or the Tobacco Regulation Act of 2003, which prohibits smoking in schools and other public places.

Officials urged to answer perjury charge

THE Office of the Ombudsman (Visayas) ordered Danao City Mayor Ramon “Boy” Durano Jr. and City Administrator Jesus “Don” Durano to file their counter-affidavit to the complaint for perjury and dishonesty against them.

The charges were filed by their brother, Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III and the members of the Danao City Council.

DENR repeats reminder to City on pollutants

CEBU City Hall was given a second reminder to answer a complaint on water pollution allegedly caused by wastewater from jail facilities in Barangay Kalunasan.

Environmental Management Bureau (EMB 7) Director Alan Arranguez sent to Mayor Michael Rama’s office early this week the second notice for a technical conference on July 14.

P800T marijuana seized from Danao plantation

OPERATIVES seized nearly P800T worth of marijuana during a raid in a mountain barangay of Danao City yesterday morning.

But the person who allegedly planted the marijuana, Dan Hermita, escaped during the operation.

Palace asks Rama to submit plans for Malacañang sa Sugbu

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III wants to know what the Cebu City Government intends to do with the Malacañang sa Sugbu, following the latter’s request to take over the property.

In a letter dated June 2, 2011, lawyer Herminio Bagro, Aquino’s chief of staff, requested Mayor Michael Rama to submit the City’s development plan for the Malacañang sa Sugbu.

Justice department's review on Pique's case sought

CEBU CITY (Updated 12:27 p.m.) -- The defense team of suspects Bella Ruby Santos and Ian Charles Griffiths filed Thursday a petition for review at the Department of Justice (DOJ) over Ellah Joy Pique's death.

Government prosecutors earlier junked the respondents motion for reconsideration on the kidnapping with homicide charges against them.

Binay intervenes in Cebu lot row

CEBU CITY -- Vice President Jejomar Binay stepped into two disputes involving the Cebu Provincial Government and occupants of its properties in Cebu City, then said he is optimistic a solution remains within reach.

But one of his meetings briefly hit a sour note, when Representative Tomas Osmeña again blamed Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama for an aborted plan for the city and province to exchange lots five years ago.

P3M worth of ‘chop-chop’ vehicles seized

THE Bureau of Customs (BOC) Port of Cebu yesterday seized parts of used vehicles from South Korea, which were allegedly misdeclared and imported illegally.

Port of Cebu District Collector Ronnie Silvestre issued a Warrant of Seizure and Detention (WSD) immediately after the 40-foot van containing an estimated P3 million worth of prohibited goods was opened.

Mayor’s office sought council’s nod on MCDCB pact

IS IT a matter of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing?

Mayor Michael Rama had said he does not need the City Council’s authorization to sign the memorandum of agreement (MOA) on the creation of the Metro Cebu Development Coordination Board (MCDCB).

Saavedra wants anti-graft body to pursue rap against Capitol

BUSINESSMAN Crisologo Saavedra has asked the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas to file graft cases against Provincial Capitol officials over the allegedly anomalous purchase of the Balili property in Naga, Cebu.

Saavedra filed a comment, opposing the counter-affidavit Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia had filed seeking the dismissal of the graft complaint.

Citizens laud Consolacion mayor

CONSOLACION Mayor Teresa Alegado reported on improvements and ongoing projects, highlighting an efficient tax collection and improvement in education facilities in her first State of the Town Address yesterday afternoon.

Her speech at the covered court, located just below the town hall, lasted for one hour and 11 minutes that included more than 20 breaks for applause. The audience was composed of government employees, with the 21 barangays represented. and school administrators.

JBC pares list of Tanodbayan choices to 4

THE Judicial and Bar Council (JBC) has trimmed down to four the nominees for the next Tanodbayan.

Although he was excluded from the shortlist submitted by the Bar Council to President Aquino, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol accepted his fate.

Bella Ruby Santos still in Cebu, police says

BELLA Ruby Santos has not gone out of Cebu, Senior Supt. Patrocinio Comendador Jr. said yesterday.

Comendador, who also serves as the Task Force Ellah Joy spokesperson, said based on their monitoring, Santos is still in Cebu.

Tomas hits Rama for non-renewal of casuals

REP. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) promised to help in any way he can those casual and job-order employees in City Hall whose contracts were not renewed by Mayor Michael Rama.

This, as the former mayor criticized Rama for not renewing the contracts of 53 casuals and 25 job-order employees after these expired last June 30.

Man ‘molests’ boy, 14, in Bantayan

IN NEED of money, a 14-year-old high school dropout reportedly allowed himself to be molested by a man in the northern town of Bantayan last Tuesday night.

Gerry (not his real name) did not know that the 24-year-old suspect, who works as a waiter in a restaurant, would only pay him P50, PO2 Roberto Rondina said in a phone interview.

Lending collector robbed, killed in Medellin town

A LENDING collector was robbed and shot dead by three unidentified men in the northern town of Medellin, Cebu last Tuesday afternoon.

Dexter Canales, 29, died from gunshot wounds in the stomach and in the right side of his body, said PO2 Rocelito Ortega in a phone interview.

Group pushes creation of Visayas' first shark sanctuary

CEBU CITY -- A divers group recently launched a signature campaign calling for the public to support the creation of a "Shark Sanctuary" in Moalboal, Cebu.

2 rapists attack call center agent on her way home

SEVERAL tanods aboard a multicab stopped near part-time call center agent Marites (not her real name), as she walked alone in Barangay Paknaan, Mandaue City around 1:40 a.m. yesterday.

Since it was raining, investigator PO2a Pearl Anne Flores said that the tanods offered to drive the 18-year-old home.

Council cuts by half proposed funding for taxpayers’ night

CEBU City councilors agreed to cut by half the P2.358-million budget proposed by the City Treasurer’s Office (CTO) for the awarding of outstanding taxpayers, saying the original amount is “too much” and some of the items in the budget are unnecessary.

Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said the CTO will just have to organize the event with some P1.17 million and scrimp on invitations, plaques and corsages for the awardees.

Binay to meet city, province officials today

VICE President Jejomar Binay will be in Cebu today to discuss with Cebu City and Capitol officials the status of Province-owned lots occupied by the City’s constituents, as well as the status of the occupants.

Binay, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), specifically wants to discuss possible solutions to the “issues that have long derailed the implementation of Presidential Proclamation (PP) 409 and Provincial Ordinance No. 93-1.”

Gullas frowns on cop, Joavan’s ‘ties’

REP. Eduardo Gullas (Cebu, first district) yesterday expressed disapproval of the “friendship” between Talisay Police officer-in-charge Eddie Recamora and Joavan Fernandez.

He told a press conference in his office at the University of the Visayas that he is concerned that the relationship might prevent the police official from effectively implementing the law.

Capitol seeks PCA approval on tree cutting

CAPITOL applied yesterday for a permit to cut coconut trees on the property it bought from the Balili family in Barangay Tina-an, City of Naga.

This, after the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) 7 issued last Thursday a notice of violation, citing four unmet conditions in the environmental compliance certificate (ECC) for the Capitol’s coal ash landfill project on the former Balili property. One of the ECC violations that Capitol allegedly committed was its failure to secure a permit from the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to cut some coconut trees in the area.

Inmate hangs self in provincial jail’s solitary confinement cell

SPENDING time in solitary confinement proved to be too much for an inmate at the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center (CPDRC) in Bara-ngay Kalunasan, Cebu City.

Ricky Salidaga, 30, was found dead, hanging from the ceiling of the solitary confinement cell, at 5 a.m. last Monday. He used a blanket to kill himself.

City’s 8 lost guns ‘must be paid’

EIGHT Cebu City-issued firearms have been reported lost.

The General Services Offices (GSO) said that Councilor Noel Wenceslao, former mayor Alvin Garcia and former Bulacao barangay captain Celerino Cabanca were among those who reported to the department that they lost their firearms.

Lawyers of Bella Ruby, Brit rush to stop issuance of arrest warrant

THE defense lawyers for abduction-slay suspects Bella Ruby Santos and Ian Charles Griffiths are racing against time to stop the issuance of an arrest warrant against the couple, whom state prosecutors indicted for the death of Ellah Joy Pique.

Rameses Villagonzalo, one of the couple’s lawyers, said they are finalizing their petition for review to be filed with the Justice Department soon.

4 bry. workers test positive for shabu

FOUR more workers of Barangay Basak San Nicolas, Cebu City may lose their jobs after they tested positive for shabu yesterday morning.

During the surprise drug test, the Cebu City Office for Substance Abuse Prevention (Cosap) asked 48 barangay workers to submit urine samples.

Rift widens as camps trade barbs

DANAO City Councilor Jorge John Cane yesterday said the charges Mayor Ramon “Boy” Du-rano Jr. filed against Vice Mayor Ramon “Nito” Durano III for usurpation of function are “plain and simple hogwash.”

Cane said the memorandum Mayor Boy issued authorizing his brother to sign documents was never revoked.