Ex-commissioner to review Cebu poll results

CEBU CITY -- Former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Gregorio Larazabal will review and analyze records on the May 13 elections to help determine what next step Representative Pablo John Garcia will take.

Garcia, outgoing congressman of Cebu Province’s third district, lost by 163,906 votes to lawyer and former Cebu City councilor Hilario Davide III.

‘Life’ claims victory

THE outcome from last Monday’s election shows there is a Catholic vote, said one of the most vocal campaigners against the Reproductive Health (RH) law.

Of the candidates endorsed and campaigned for by the Lay Initiative for Elections 2013 (Life), six out of 12 made it to the Senate and seven out of eight in Cebu will be joining the Lower House.

Most CCMC nurses hired between July and Dec not interviewed

THE Civil Service Commission (CSC) 7 has ordered an investigation on the hiring of 17 nurses for the Cebu City Medical Center who were not interviewed by the Personnel Selection Board.

The Human Resource and Development Office, through acting head Evangeline Abatayo, confirmed that only three of the nurses were interviewed.

Argao politician talks about waking the ‘sleeping giant’

PROVINCIAL Board Member Wilfredo Caminero attributed his recent victory in the second district congressional race to the farmers and fisherfolk in the province.

“Kay kining mga tawhana sleeping giant, nga maoy makatampo pag-irog ug pagdasig sa economiya sa lungsod (They are the sleeping giant who can move and stimulate a town’s economy),” he said.

Rama off to a ‘secret’ holiday

FRESH off a reelection victory, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama will leave for a 22-day vacation today. However, he’s not saying where he’s going.

For his equally successful runningmate, Vice Mayor-elect Edgardo Labella, he will hold a victory party tonight and a thanksgiving mass.

Job fair attracts hundreds

IRINE Cantal dressed up and went to the Benedicto College carrying a brown envelope filled with copies of her resume.

She has been looking for work for the past six weeks, handing out copies of her resume and taking tests in one hotel after another.

Thai journalists briefed on CCPC’s objectives

A GROUP of journalists from Thailand met with the Cebu Citizens-Press Council (CCPC) yesterday. They’re here because they want to write something good about the Philippines.

Anucha Charoenpo, vice president of the Thai Journalists Association (TJA), said members of their media organizations were divided into groups.

CA reverses ruling on drug suspect

THE Court of Appeals (CA) has saved a man from Cebu City from spending his entire life in prison for an illegal drugs sale.

The appellate court’s Special 12th Division reversed the lower court’s decision finding Solomon Dequitos guilty of violating Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.

Cabahug wharf resumes operation after capsized cargo vessel towed

THE MV Maria Angelica Grace was removed from the Cabahug private wharf in Barangay Looc, Mandaue City last week, allowing the facility to operate again more than two months after the vessel capsized.

Philippine Coast Guard Cebu Station Commander Weniel Azcuna said the Uni Orient Pearl Venture Inc., the firm hired to salvage the vessel, was able to tow the vessel some 200 meters away, after a failed attempt last month.

Family figures in mishap after southern beach trip

A FAMILY of 14 from Cebu City was injured after the sports utility vehicle they were riding fell into a ditch in Barangay Poblacion West in the southern town of Moalboal last Saturday night.

PO2 Romeo Legaspi Jr. of the Moalboal Police Station said the accident happened at 7 p.m. when the white Galloper (MDX-554) driven by Edwardo Badayos lost control.

3 men caught for cop’s death

THE police arrested last Friday night three men who were allegedly involved in the fatal shooting of a policeman in Barangay Looc, Danao City.

Supt. Resty Santos, Danao City police chief, identified the suspects as Ronstel Casas, 27; Rollie Capin, 31; and Brave Alvaro, 19.

Police probe shooting of Kalunasan woman, stabbing of tire salesman

AN unknown man shot and killed a woman in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City last Friday night.

Jovelyn Pepito Casida, 28, died after being shot in the eye allegedly by the driver of a motorcycle she was riding at 6:30 p.m.

Danao policeman shot 7 times, dies

A POLICE officer died after five men repeatedly shot him near an illegal cockfight arena in Barangay Looc, Danao City late yesterday afternoon.

SPO3 Jose Relampagos, who was assigned to the Tuburan Police Station, was shot seven times in his head and body.

Mayoralty candidate in Tuburan won’t face raps

DEFEATED Tuburan, Cebu mayoralty candidate Rose Marie Suezo and her running mate Daphne Lagon will not face trial for allegedly employing six armed men as bodyguards.

Cebu got most poll problems

CEBU Province has the most number of defective Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines in the entire Central Visayas.

Of the total 215 defective PCOS machines in Region 7, Cebu has 134.

Radaza wants separate province for Mactan

NEWLY elected Rep. Aileen Radaza (Lapu-Lapu City, lone district) announced she will file a bill creating Mactan Province, saying this will hasten economic growth in the island.

Young to protest poll defeat

LIKE Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district), Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young won’t concede defeat to Councilor Edgardo Labella who was proclaimed vice mayor in last Monday’s elections last Thursday night.

Young said the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) will file a protest before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) against the results for both the mayoral and vice mayoral races.

Call center official ‘tries to bribe’ police, arrested

THE vice president for external affairs of a call center company that was raided on suspicion of being involved in an online scam was arrested late Thursday afternoon for allegedly trying to bribe police.

Mayor’s executive asst. denies certifying funds are available

THE executive assistant of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama denied she was certifying the availability of funds when she signed a document for the clearing of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) route at the South Road Properties (SRP).

Councilor Margarita Osmeña, the chairperson of the committee on budget and finance, questioned the authority of executive assistant Nenita Fernandez to sign the document.

2 persons face child abuse raps for jewelry theft

FOR allegedly instructing an 11-year-old boy to steal his grandmother’s jewelry worth P170,000, two persons will face trial.

The Cebu City Prosecutor’s Office charged Noel and Marlinda Oporto with violating Republic Act 7610, or the Special Protection of Children against Abuse, Exploitation and Discrimination Act.

Gwen makes it

IT WAS a huff-and-puff race and Gwendolyn Garcia crossed the finish line ahead of Geraldine Yapha by a few strides.

At 4:05 p.m. yesterday at the Capitol social hall, the Provincial Board of Canvassers raised the hands of the suspended governor to proclaim her winner in the congressional contest in Cebu’s third district.

Labella beats Young by 184 votes

CAMBINOCOT provided the answer to the question that hung for hours.

Who between incumbent Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young and Councilor Edgardo Labella won the Cebu City vice mayorship?

One Cebu discusses poll-related events, consults former Comelec exec

ONE Cebu gubernatorial candidate, Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third district), met allied mayors yesterday to discuss the results of the May 13 elections.

Garcia said they are gathering information and consulting mayors before deciding on his next move. He said he will also consult his counsel, former Commission on Elections (Comelec) commissioner Gregorio Larrazabal.

Quiño wins seat again

THE Commission on Election (Comelec) proclaimed reelectionist Mayor Joel Quiño winner in the Compostela mayoralty race at 1 a.m. yesterday, while supporters of Ritchie Wagas held a rally outside the town hall.

The Municipal Board of Canvassers also proclaimed Quiño's running mate, Rosalinda Abing, and his brother, Esperidion, as first councilor. The other seven winners for councilor were also proclaimed.

‘Psychic’ runs off with valuables

A WOMAN from Barangay Guadalupe, Cebu City lost P49,000 in cash and P131,000 worth of jewelry to a woman who posed as a psychic.

Flordeliza Santillan of Sitio Sudina, Barangay Guadalupe told Sun.Star Superbalita that she entrusted her money and jewelry to a woman named Irene, who introduced herself as a psychic from Siquijor.

Teachers await payment

THE more than 1,770 public school teachers in Cebu City who served as board of election inspectors (BEIs) during last Monday’s elections have yet to receive their P4,000 honorarium.

They thought they would get it immediately because Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairperson Sixto Brillantes Jr. had announced that they would.

More voters turned out last Monday

VOTER turnout in midterm elections is usually lower than presidential elections, but that is not the case in Cebu Province this year.

According to Commission on Elections 7 Director Temie Lambino, voter turnout was around 85 percent, even if some election districts have yet to complete their proclamation.

Call center raided; police question 120 employees

A CALL center at the Cebu Business Park was raided by the Anti-Cybercrime Group of the Cebu Provincial Police Office at midnight yesterday.

Interface Techno-Phil Inc. (ITI), which is reportedly owned by American national Sylvia Norton, is accused of deceiving its customers and giving them additional charges without basis.

Cops sued for arrest of boy, 17

FOR allegedly arresting a 17-year-old boy who violated the election gun ban, the chief of Carmen Police Station and three other police officers were charged before the Cebu Provincial Prosecutor’s Office.

Senior Insp. Audie Pelayre, SPO3 Renerio Masucol Jr., PO3 Edgardo Papaya, and PO3 Ronald Nuñez was charged with violation of Sections 21 and 22 of Republic Act (RA) 9344, or the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006 in relation to Section 11 of the Rule on Juveniles in Conflict with the Law.

Duranos’ ‘practical politics’ worked well

THE “practical politics” of the Durano clan in Danao City apparently worked.

With presumptive Cebu governor-elect Hilario Davide III getting about 40, 000 votes ahead of his rival, Pablo John Garcia, in the fifth district, Danao City Vice Mayor-elect Ramon “Red” Durano VI said Bakud Party kept its commitment to the Liberal Party (LP) by delivering substantial votes for Davide and his running-mate, acting Gov. Agnes Magpale.