AG&P may hire Filipino workers displaced by Libyan conflict

ATLANTIC Gulf & Pacific Co. of Manila (AG&P) is considering hiring Filipino engineers displaced by the current unrest in Libya, a day after President Benigno Aquino III paid a visit to its facilities in Batangas.

Poll body orders retrieval of ballot boxes in Taguig

THE Commission on Elections (Comelec) has ordered the retrieval of the almost 400 contested ballot boxes in Taguig City, in connection with the election protest filed by mayoralty candidate Dante Tinga against incumbent Mayor Laarni Cayetano.

In its order dated March 30, 2011, the poll body's Second Division directed lawyer Teopisto Elnas of their Election and Barangay Affairs Department (Ebad), to gather the contested ballot boxes and deliver them to the Comelec Philpost Warehouse in Manila.

Yellow fever vanishing: opposition legislator

DECLINING performance and approval scores while corruption rating and unemployment rates rise show the Aquino administration's "lackadaisical performance and anemic implementation of its ballyhooed socio-economic agenda," an opposition lawmaker said Friday.

House Minority Leader Edcel Lagman said only Malacanang's "braggadocio" have escalated while the post-election euphoria has begun to vanish.

Order mandates establishment of government personnel database

A COMPREHENSIVE database on government personnel will be established in three years after President Benigno Aquino III signed Executive Order 31, the Palace said Friday.

The database will allow government to accurately determine the number of people under its employ so that "only the appropriate funds for filled positions will be included in the national budget and be released accordingly," Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa said.

Philippines names new national scientist

THE Philippine government named a new national scientist on Friday, recognizing her achievements and contributions to the field of pediatrics.

Perla Dizon Santos-Ocampo, MD has been proclaimed by Malacañang, as the new national scientist, owing to her significant contributions as "scientist in the field of pediatrics, as medical educator, leader and mentor, institution-builder and advocate for better health of the Filipino people, particularly, the children."

Lawmaker alarmed over increase in HIV cases

A TOTAL of 159 new HIV cases were diagnosed in the country in February, up 22 percent compared to the 130 reported in the same month last year, a member of Congress disclosed Friday.

The new cases brought to 311 the cumulative number of new HIV infections detected this year, and raised to 6,326 the aggregate listed in the National HIV and Aids Registry, LPG/MA party-list Representative Arnel Ty said.

'Green' vehicles are the future of public transportation

THE future of public transportation is in hybrid and electric jeepneys, tricycles, and buses, Senator Edgardo Angara said Friday.

He said the development of a "green" vehicle industry will also improve air quality in Manila.

Kidnap trader seeks help in video

A 37-YEAR-old businesswoman abducted in Zamboanga City on March 4 had asked authorities to free her from her kidnappers, a top Basilan official said Friday.

OL traps tested in village with high dengue cases

THE health and science departments have chosen the village of Tumaga in Zamboanga City as the pilot area of their Ovicidal/Larvicidal (OL) Trap project, one of the measures to reduce dengue.

The OL Trap project launched on Friday is a joint undertaking of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Department of Health (DOH).

Aquino vows to rebuild country by sustainable energy

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino III opened the full operation of the 164-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Barangay Ingore, La Paz, Iloilo City with a vow to rebuild the country through sustainable energy.

Keynoting the unveiling of marker and switch-on ceremony of the power plant on April 1, the President said sustainable energy will power industries and businesses that will develop and put the Philippines in the developing business map.

Ilonggos told to improve tourism packages

TOURISM Secretary Alberto Lim urged the Ilonggo private sector to help in the development of other tourism destinations in Western Visayas aside from world-renowned Boracay Island.

Lim said the agency is willing to promote other tourism destinations in the region but the private sector will have to play a major role in arranging total tourism packages and help market the tourism products.

Jalaur River project ‘to solve water crisis’

A PROMINENT Ilonggo businessman and civic leader is pushing for the realization of the multi-billion peso investment on the Jalaur River multi-purpose project that will help solve farm irrigation needs and water shortage in Iloilo.

Doctor Alfonso Uy, a top official of the Iloilo Economic Development Foundation (ILEDF), national president of the Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and vice chairman of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) warned of a looming water shortage should there be no other water source tapped to deliver the water needs of a growing city.

Power firm to cut rate by P2/kilowatt-hour

PANAY Electric Company (Peco), the sole power distributor in Iloilo City, is set to reduce consumer’s power bill by P2 per kilowatt-hour after the coal-fired power plant of Panay Energy Development Corp. (PEDC) started operating this week.

Public told to be vigilant amid heavy rains

THE Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-Eastern Visayas on Thursday advised citizens to be vigilant for any possible fallout due to the continued heavy downpours the region has been experiencing for the past weeks now.

Graduates advised to become businessmen

DEPUTY majority floor leader and Pasig City Representative Roman Romulo advised the graduates to go into business.

“We should emphasize to our people to turn into entrepreneurs and become businessmen,” Romulo, who was the commencement speaker of the Eastern Samar State University-Guiuan Campus, said Thursday.

21 houses in creek removed

THE City Engineers Office demolished 21 houses illegally constructed inside the creek in Barangay 59-A Sampaguita, Tacloban City that has been blocking the free flow of water last week.

The demolition team was led by City Engineer Donnie de Paz with Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

Daughters give updates on Cebu vice guv's health

CEBU CITY (Updated 6:56 p.m.) -- The daughters of Cebu Vice Governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. assured Cebuanos he will return to serve his constituents.

Gerlyda "Gerly" Sanchez Spiller and Grezild "Gigi" Sanchez Zaballero called for a news conference on Friday at the Cebu Provincial Capitol to address questions raised by the Provincial Board about the vice governor's health condition.

Ombud office refuses to sack Gonzalez

MANILA (2nd Update, 4:20 p.m.) -- The Office of the Ombudsman refused to implement the order of Malacañang dismissing Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III for gross neglect of duty and gross misconduct in handling the case of an embittered policeman who killed eight tourists from Hong Kong, China last year.

Deputy Ombudsman sacked over hostage crisis

MANILA (Updated 12 p.m.) -- Malacañang ordered the dismissal of Deputy Ombudsman Emilio Gonzalez III for gross neglect of duty and gross misconduct in handling the case of an embittered policeman who killed eight Hong Kong tourists he had taken hostage last year.

The Office of the President legal team headed by Executive Secretary Pacquito Ochoa, who reviewed the findings of the Incident Investigation and Review Committee (IIRC), recommended Gonzalez’s dismissal.

Drivers call for abolition of energy agency

SOME 300 public utility drivers gathered in a rally Thursday to protest the unabated increases in oil products and the government's failure to address the P5 price disparity in oil prices in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental.

The protesters condemned the Department of Energy (DOE) and called for its abolition.

DOE to hire experts to probe fuel price disparity

THE Department of Energy (DOE) will hire experts to conduct a deeper probe on the alleged high fuel cost in Bacolod City and Negros Occidental, Energy Undersecretary Jose Layug Jr. said in a dialogue on Wednesday.

In February, Layug personally discovered during a surprise inspection that fuel prices in the city province are higher by P5 per liter compared to Manila.

Rampant rape cases in Bacolod alarm councilors

THREE members of the Bacolod City Council called on the local police to investigate and immediately resolve the spate of rape cases in the city.

Councilors Em L. Ang, Caesar Distrito and Mona Dia Jardin filed a resolution urging the Women and Children’s Desk of the Bacolod City Police Office to swiftly resolve the cases.

DILG assures firemen new gears

THE local fire bureau ended the observance of the fire prevention month with a pledge from a Cabinet official to upgrade their worn-out equipment, hire more personnel and make enough room for promotions.

Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Undersecretary for Peace and Order Rico Escalona Puno also assured there will be transparency in the procurement of new firefighting equipment.

Councilor supports reduced VAT on petroleum products

BACOLOD City councilor Caesar Distrito filed a resolution supporting House Bill No. 4309, which seeks to limit the imposition of the 12 percent value added tax (VAT) on petroleum products only on instances when the world price of oil is US$80 or lower per barrel.

HB 4309 is authored by Representatives Rufus B. Rodriguez and Maxie B. Rodriguez Jr., both from Cagayan de Oro City.

Ex-plumber, 78, graduates, to proceed to law school

SHORT of money to go to college, a 78-year-old plumber from Dalaguete town quit school, and got married to raise kids instead, as he envisioned his youngsters to be the ones to send him to college instead.

Yesterday, Miguel Lajos Sr., fondly called “Atorni” by his drinking buddies in Dalaguete town, realized his goal. He went up the stage in black toga with his children and financier to get his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science diploma.

City official bats for regulation of oil industry

BACOLOD City Councilor Caesar Distrito said he supports the move to regulate the oil industry in the country.

Gov’t. urged to build center for pedophiles, sex offenders

A PSYCHOLOGIST urged the government to open a treatment facility for sexual offenders, and for parents and the community to look after the children in the wake of the arrest of an alleged pedophile in Cebu City.

Rosemarie Gonato, resident psychologist of the Women and Children Protection Center of the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC), advised parents to teach their children to protect themselves from pedophiles, who often pose as an acquaintance.

‘Anti-illegal fishing campaign is not about credits, but law’

CEBU Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia said the confiscation of endangered corals in Lapu-Lapu City is not about who gets the credit, but about implementing the law.

This is why she pooled law enforcement agencies, including the Police Regional Office 7, to form an inter-agency task force against illegal fishing. She said the Lapu-Lapu Police should be lauded for first seizing the corals.

Keep children close: DSWD 7

“REPORT, run, and seek protection.”

Children should keep that in mind if a stranger approaches them and offers them money for sexual favors, an official of the Department of Social Welfare Development (DSWD) 7 said yesterday.

Doctors advise Greg to decline visitors in hospital, rest throat

CEBU Vice Gov. Greg Sanchez is still in the hospital, but he is not allowed to accept visitors because doctors have advised him not to talk, his spokesperson said.

Eliodoro Sanchez, the vice governor’s spokesperson, however, declined to comment on the Capitol official’s condition.