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.

Alayon-ruled council to cooperate

THE Alayon Party will not be obstructionists to the administration of Talisay City mayor-elect Johnny delos Reyes despite getting the majority seats in the City Council during the last May 13 elections, an official said yesterday.

But for Talisay City councilor-elect Doroteo Emit, if Delos Reyes’s administration will create proposals that will not be beneficial to the city’s constituents, he and his allies in the City Council will not hesitate to block it.

Witness surfaces

THE Theft and Robbery Section of the Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) said the unidentified burglar that stole jewelries from an icon at the Redemptorist Church might have done the crime during the mass at 5 p.m. Tuesday.

TRS Chief William Alicaba said they invited one witness, a candle maker who first noticed the missing jewelries.

Delay worries Gwen's camp

DELAYS in the results from Balamban and Tuburan prevented canvassers from confirming last night whether suspended Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia or Pinamungajan Mayor Geraldine Yapha won the congressional seat in Cebu province's third district.

The governor's daughter, lawyer Christina Frasco, said in a press statement that Garcia "pending her proclamation, will soon be congresswoman of the third district of Cebu."

Ballot box's storage an issue in close contest

THE results from three ballot boxes will determine who will be Cebu City's vice mayor and three councilors.

So when one of them was found kept away from the others, the camp of reelected Mayor Michael Rama questioned the integrity of its contents.

Rama wants to move some department heads

HEADS may soon roll at Cebu City Hall.

A day after he was proclaimed reelected by the Commission on Elections (Comelec), Mayor Michael Rama said he will be revamping some assignments at City Hall.

Quiet Danao polls encourage officer

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has reported a "very orderly and peaceful" election in Danao City, in contrast to its reputation for the use of "guns, goons and gold" in previous elections.

"When I was told that I will be assigned to Danao City for the May 13 elections, I was a little bit apprehensive," said lawyer Enerio Ocariza Jr., the election officer and chairman of the City Board of Canvassers.

Winners told to clean up

THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Central Visayas called on newly-elected public officials to clean up and gather campaign paraphernalia that were put up during the campaign period.

Random manual audit shows some differences

THE votes cast for senators in clustered precincts in Barangay Talamban, Cebu City where Random Manual Audit (RAM) was conducted showed some differences from the topnotchers in the national canvassing of the mid-term elections.

Reluyas to contest results in court

EVEN before the election protest filed after the May 2010 polls is resolved, rival candidates in San Fernando, Cebu will likely have a face-off in court anew.

The husband of former mayor Lakambini “Neneth” Reluya said Wednesday that they will file an election protest against Mayor-elect Antonio “Abe” Canoy and his son and runningmate Micko.

Benhur to revive bill reclassifying Bantayan Island

REPRESENTATIVE Benhur Salimbangon (Cebu, fourth district), who gained a landslide victory over his rival Celestino “Tining” Martinez III, said he is glad that all his candidates for mayor in the three municipalities of Bantayan Island have won.

Nephew gets tied, handcuffed by uncle

FOR allegedly stealing from his uncle several times, a man was tied and handcuffed for two days outside his uncle’s house in Sitio Tormis, Barangay Sambag 1, Cebu City.

McArthur Tabasa, 34, was accused of stealing items from his 70-year-old uncle Matias Tabasa.

Burglars hit Redemptorist Church, take jewelry from Sto. Niño image

AN IMAGE of Señor Sto. Niño inside the Redemptorist Church in Cebu City was stripped of jewelry by burglars. The incident was discovered at 5 p.m. last Tuesday afternoon.

Six bracelets and three necklaces were reportedly taken by the culprits.

PIB cop accused of harassment, to face charges

A POLICEMAN was arrested and detained after he was accused of harassment by a taxi driver at 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

SPO2 Emmanuel Cabilao, who is assigned at the Provincial Intelligence Branch of the Cebu Provincial Police Office, will also have to face charges of illegal possession of firearm and violation of the election gun ban.

Loot won’t concede to incredible results

HER reign may be over for now, but incumbent Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot will not concede in this year’s election.

“Dili ko mo-concede. Dili katuohan ang resulta gud (I won’t concede. The results are unbelievable),” she told Sun.Star Cebu.

No easy task for Talisay’s JVR

EVEN though he has secured the city’s highest post, Johnny “JVR” delos Reyes will not have an easy term as Talisay City mayor with an Alayon-dominated Council, a newly-elected official said yesterday.

Talisay City vice mayor-elect Romeo Villarante said that with majority of the City Council from the other party, it may be challenging to push for the new administration’s programs and plans.

Bugs on vote scanners, cards delay proclamation

CEBU CITY -- If many voters waited for hours to be able to cast their votes last Monday, technical problems involving ballot optical scanners and their memory cards caused candidates and their watchers, as well as the press, to continue to wait for the transmission of election results to be completed.

On election day, some Precinct Count Optical Scan (PCOS) machines bogged down and voting had to be suspended while technicians fixed or replaced them.

GULLAS CONCEDES

A BUSINESSMAN who made money after concocting a canker sore remedy made history in Talisay City yesterday, defeating veteran legislator Eduardo Gullas in the city’s mayoralty race.

Johnny de los Reyes ended Congressman Gullas’s 38-year winning streak, with 39,453 votes against the more seasoned politician’s 38,717.

With 6T votes more, Mike hands Tomas his first loss

TWENTY-ONE hours after the precincts closed in this year’s elections, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama was proclaimed the winner, making him the first politician to defeat Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district) since the latter entered politics in 1988.

Rama earned 217,448 votes while Osmeña garnered 211,072.

Junjun Davide maintains lead over One Cebu’s PJ Garcia

LIBERAL Party (LP) gubernatorial candidate Hilario Davide III maintained a comfortable lead over One Cebu Party candidate Rep. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu, third district), as shown in the partial tally of the Commission on Elections website.

As of 12:10 a.m. today, Davide got 565,373 votes while Pablo John had 413,254.