VOLUME 3NUMBER 138WEDNESDAYNOVEMBER 11, 2009

P 8.P 8.P 8.P 8.P 8.0000000000

BY DING CERVANTES

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO –Presidential sister CieloMacapagal-Salgado said

yesterday that “family healing” willresult if Pres. Arroyo abandonsalleged plan to run for Congressin this province’s second districtand instead pave the way for thecandidacy of their brother ArthurMacapagal.

‘9 years is enough’Presidential sister: ‘Family healing’ will happen if GMA gives way to brother Arthur

PAGE 6 PLEASE

BY JOEY PAVIA

PASAY CITY – There are more reasonsfor the oldest state college in Asia tocelebrate its 148th founding anniversa-ry on November 17.

The Senate on Monday approved onsecond reading the proposed law(House Bill No. 6319) converting theDon Honorio Ventura College of Arts andTrade (DHVCAT) in Bacolor, Pampan-ga into a state university. The proposedlaw is being authored by Pampanga 3rd

District Rep. Aurelio “Dong” Gonzales.

ON 2ND READING

Senate approvesDHVCAT state U bill

“I am happy because we haveworked hard for this,” said Gonzales,whose bill was introduced in the Sen-ate by Sen. Manuel “Lito” Lapid.

“Education is important. It’s yourweapon everywhere you go,” addedGonzales in explaining why he had pur-sued and prioritized the bill.

The third reading is set on Novem-ber 16, a day before the school cele-brates its 148th founding anniversary. Itwas established in 1861.

DHVCAT President Dr. Enrique Bak-PAGE 7 PLEASE

Rep. Gonzales (left) and Sen. Zubiri exchange notes on the solon’s billconverting DHVCAT into a state university. PHOTO BY JOEY PAVIA

“I think her nine yearsas president should beenough and others shouldbe allowed to take over,”Salgado told Punto in atelephone interview.

Should the Presidentnot run for the congres-sional post afterall, Salga-do urged her nephew,

presidential son Rep.Mikey Arroyo who is enti-tled to a third term in thesecond district, to run forother provincial post.

She suggested the po-sition of vice governorwhich the younger Arroyooccupied for only two

BY PUNTO I-TEAM

ANGELES CITY – A 41-year-old American womanclaiming to be a journalist-member of the NationalPress Club (NPC) is nowbeing hunted by the policeafter the regional trial court(RTC) here issued twowarrants of arrest for libelfiled against her by a localpoliceman and some pri-vate persons.

This after the SupremeCourt junked her petitionfor writ of amparo.

The arrest warrantswere issued by Judge Ma.Angelica Paras-Quiambaoagainst Maribel Langleyvan Keulen, who earlier PAGE 7 PLEASE

Cops huntAmerican

‘journalist’filed before the SupremeCourt a writ of amparoagainst Philippine Nation-al Police (PNP) DirectorGeneral Jesus Versoza,National Bureau of Inves-tigation (NBI) Region 3 di-rector Rustico Vilgilia, and10 other police officials inthis city, including ChiefInspector Luisito Tan whofiled the liber chargesagainst her.

Van Keulen is suspect-ed to be the author of thew e b s i t ecentralluzoncorruption.comwhich labels Pres. Arroyoas “thief and murderouspresident”, among otherscandalous terms, and

BY DINO BALABO

MARILAO, Bulacan –Local government offi-cials from Bulacan andMetro Manila joinedhands on Friday andsigned a declaration ofcommitment for the res-toration of the Marilao-Meycauayan-ObandoRiver System(MMORS).

This came two yearsafter the MMORS wasincluded in the list of 30dirtiest places in theworld by New York-based Blacksmith Insti-tute, and more than a

Officialsjoin riverclean-up

drive

PAGE 7 PLEASE

MARILAO, Bulacan—Sen-ator Loren Legarda has thefull support of the Nation-alist Peoples’ Coalition(NPC) giving her right toform alliance with otherparties.

However, she remainedevasive who will be her run-ning mate but made assur-ance that when she filesher candidacy, she will

Loren getsNPC nod

Legarda

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BY ARMAND GALANG

CABANATUAN CITY – A ranking official of a municipalwater system lost P600,000 to two armed men in adaytime heist along Del Pilar St. here over the week-end, police reported on Monday.

Supt. Efren Ramos, city police chief, identified thevictim as Lamberto Roxas, 51, general manager of JaenWater District in Jaen, Nueva Ecija.

Investigation disclosed that Roxas, along with acertain Shirley Roxas, 51, took their lunch at Vicenti-co’s Restaurant, a few meters away from the Land Bankof the Philippines, Gabaldon St. branch where they havewithdrawn the money on Friday.

But while the duo were leaving the restaurant andabout to board the victim’s red Toyota Vios (ZJF-728)at about 1:10 p.m., the two suspects suddenly getclosed and at gunpoint took the bag containing themoney, police reported.

The suspects also took victim’s mobile phone, ATMcards and credit cards. The restaurant’s security guardapparently failed to help Roxas.

Reports said the suspects then walked away fromthe crime scene, taking advantage of the heavy trafficin the area.

Water district execrobbed of P600-T

THINKGREEN

NI ERNIE B. ESCONDE

MARIVELES, Bataan –Humaba na naman ang pilanoong Linggo ng malalakingtanker buhat sa iba’t-ibanglugar upang magkarga ngLiquefied Petroleum Gas(LPG) sa terminal ng Liq-uigaz sa Alas-Asin, dito.

Ayon kay FernandoQuijano, isa sa mga driver ngCostal Flame mula saCavite, na Huwebes pa

Pila ng tankers sa pagkuhang LPG humaba na naman

lamang ay nakapila na siyaat naghihintay ng tawagmula sa Liquigaz upangmakargahan na ang kanyangLPG tanker.

“Wala kaming nararamda-mang shortage ng LPG kunditalagang mahaba lamangang pila,” sabi ni Quijano atng isang pang driver na siHonesto Daza.

Sinabi ng dalawa nakontrolado ang pagbibigaysa kanila ng LPG ng Petron

sa Limay, Bataan kayatumatakbo sila sa Liquigaz.

“Unang binibigyan ngsupply ng Petron ang sarilinilang mga haulers samanta-lang kami’y independenthaulers lang naman ,”paliwanag ni Daza.

“Mag-antay at magtiis, itoang dalawang salitangginagamit namin dito ngay-on,” sabi ni Daza kasamaang iba pang mga driver atpahinante ng mga mala-

higanteng tanker na nakapilapaharap sa dagat ng Alas-Asin at nakatalikod sabundok ng Mariveles.

Nagdagsaan din angmaraming tankers sa Marive-les sapagka’t ang mgadating kumukuha ng LPGsupply sa Shell Batangas aynahihirapan diumano sapagbiyahe sa nasabinglalawigan dahil may isangtulay na nasira o kinukumpu-ni.

Ilang driver mula saCavite, Bulacan at Isabelaang kumumpirma na mayisang tulay na nasira papun-ta sa Batangas at malakingabala ang biyahe doon kayasa Liquigaz tumakbo angmga tankers na naging isangdahilan kung bakit humabaang pila.

Walang matanong naopisyal mula sa Liquigazterminal kung sapat ba ohindi ang supply nila ng LPG.

THE SM Retail Group was a recip-ient of the Best of the Best Awardduring the 2008 Retail Asia-Pa-cific Top 500 Awards held recent-ly at the Venetian Hotel-Resort inMacau, making it one of the re-gion’s premier retailers. During thesame event, it also won the GoldAward as the Philippines’ top re-tailer for the fifth year in a row.

Spearheaded by Retail Asia,the prestigious Singapore basedmagazine five years ago, the Top500 ranks retailers in 14 Asia-Pa-cific economies on sales turnoverand sales productivity. The rank-ing continues to highlight compa-nies that have become the mov-ers and shakers in the region’sretail sector.

Drawing from Euromonitor In-ternational’s research and analy-sis of the retail industry around theworld, analysts in the 14 Asia-Pacific economies featured didresearch for the 2008 edition. Thelatter included Australia, China,Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ja-pan, Malaysia, New Zealand, thePhilippines, Singapore, SouthKorea, Taiwan, Thailand, and Viet-nam.

The top three retailers from

SM wins Retail Asia’sBest of the Best award

each of the countries in the Asia-Pacific region were awarded Gold,Silver, and Bronze awards duringthe event; and the Best of the Bestwere selected from the GoldAwardees. Other Best of the Bestawardees included Matahari of In-donesia, GCH Retail in Malaysia,and NTUC Fairprice of Singapore.Local retailers cited included Mer-cury Drug and Rustans, which wonthe Silver and Bronze Awards, re-spectively, for the Philippines.

In a “year that was subjectedto an enormous repertoire of upsand downs . . . Asian economiessoared to a fifth straight year ofgrowth in 2007,” says Steven H LGoh, Executive Chairman of Re-tail Asia. “And Asia’s retail indus-try prospered and grew. “

“The clear inference is the tre-mendous resilience, tenacity, andentrepreneurial spirit of Asia-Pacif-ic’s top retailers in coping withmarket fluctuations,” he adds. “Itis also a clear testimony to theirstrategic and tactical capability insuccessful retailing – forging thecompelling value proposition fortheir customers and delivering thebest possible customer experienceat all times.”

SM SVP for Controllership Ricky Lim receives the Retail Asia’sBest of the Best Award from Anson Bailey of KPMGInternational of Hong Kong.

NOTICE OF LOSSNotice is hereby given that LYDIA O. GARCIA of 1055 Villa Corazon

Subdivision, San Agustin, City of San Fernando, Pampanga executed anAFFIDAVIT OF LOSS of her GREENFIELD SUBDIVISION CLUBSHARE CERTIFICATE NO. 825.

Punto! Central Luzon: November 11, 18 & 25, 2009

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESRegional Trial Court

THIRD JUDICIAL REGIONCity of San Fernando (P)

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT& EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK, INC.Mortgagee,

-versus- E.J.F. No. 105-09

SPS. GREGORIO G. SABLANAnd EVELYN S. SABLAN,

Mortgagors.x—————————————————————————————x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE(Real Estate Mortgage under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118)

Upon Extra-Judicial Petition for Sale under Act 3135 as amended,filed by BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK, INC., mortgagee, with its principaloffice and place of business address at Paseo de Roxas cor. Dela RosaSt., Makati City, and with branch office address at BPI Building, Dolores,City of San Fernando, (P), against SPS. GREGORIO G. SABLAN andEVELYN S. SABLAN, mortgagors, with residence and postal address at20 Fidela Vil lage, Arayat, Pampanga, to satisfy the mortgageindebtedness which as of July 22, 2009 amounts to FOUR MILLIONFIVE HUNDRED SIXTY FOUR THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTYONE and 40/100 PESOS (Php4,564,821.40) exclusive of interest,penalties, expenses, charges and 25 percent (25%) attorney’s fees and15 percent (15%) liquidated damages and the expenses of this foreclosureproceedings, the undersigned O.I.C./Clerk of Court/Ex-Officio Sheriffand/or his duly authorized Deputy Sheriff will sell at public auction onDECEMBER 08, 2009 from 9:01 A.M. to 12:00 N.N. and from 1:00 P.M.to 3:59 P.M. at the main Entrance of the Regional Trial Court Building,City of San Fernando, (P), to the highest bidder for CASH or MANAGER’SCHECK and in Philippine Currency, the following property/ies with allthe improvements thereon, to wit;

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 656415-R“A parcel of land (Lot 15 of the subd. Plan (LRC) Psd-

15711 being a portion of Lot 1884-E, described on plan Psd-33404, LRC (GLRO) Cad. Rec. No. 1276), situated in the Bo.of Manga, Mun. of Arayat, Prov. of Pampanga, Island of Luzon.X x x Containing an area of FOUR HUNDRED FORTY FIVE(445) Square Meters more or less x x x.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the statedtime and date.

In the event that the Public Auction should not take place on the saiddate, it shall be held on December 15, 2009 at the same time and placewithout further notice.

Prospective buyers may investigate for themselves the title hereinabove described and encumbrances thereon, if any therebe.

City of San Fernando, Pampanga, October 30, 2009

ATTY. APOLLO J. UMADHAYO.I.C./Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff

FORTUNATO S. GAJES Assigned Deputy Sheriff IV

Cc.BPI FAMILY SAVINGS BANK• Principal office and place of business address: Paseo De Roxas cor. Dela Rosa St., Makati City• Branch office address: BPI Building, Dolores, City of San Fernando (P)

Sps. GREGORIO G. SABLAN and EVELYN S. SABLAN20 Fidela Village, Arayat, Pampanga

ATTY. NOEL C. QUIOCPlaza Garcia BuildingDolores, City of San Fernando (P)

Punto! Central Luzon: November 11, 18 & 25, 2009

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINESRegional Trial Court

THIRD JUDICIAL REGIONCity of San Fernando (P)

OFFICE OF THE CLERK OF COURT& EX-OFFICIO SHERIFF

PCI LEASING and FINANCE, INC.(now known as BDO LEASING &FINANCE INC.)

Mortgagee,

-versus- E.J.F. No. 108-09

SPS. PABLO CANLAS, JR.And LALAINE P. CANLAS,,

Mortgagors.x—————————————————————————————x

NOTICE OF EXTRA-JUDICIAL SALE(Real Estate Mortgage under Act 3135, as amended by Act 4118)

Upon Extra-Judicial Petition for Sale under Act 3135 as amended,filed by PCI LEASING and FINANCE, INC. (now known as BDOLEASING & FINANCE INC.), mortgagee, with its principal office andbusiness address at BDO Leasing Centre, Ortigas Avenue, CorinthianGardens, Quezon City, against SPS. PABLO CANLAS, JR. and LALAINEP. CANLAS, mortgagors, with postal address at 5 Road 2 Quezon Hill,Baguio City and/or at San Nicolas, Mexico, Pampanga, to satisfy themortgage indebtedness which as of MAY, 2009 amounts to TWOHUNDRED EIGHTY ONE THOUSAND NINE HUNDRED FIFTY EIGHTand 05/100 Pesos (Php281,958.05) inclusive of interest and penaltiesand the expenses of this foreclosure proceedings, the undersignedO.I.C./Clerk of Court/Ex-Officio Sheriff and/or his duly authorized DeputySheriff will sell at public auction on DECEMBER 08, 2009 from 9:01A.M. to 12:00 N.N. and from 1:00 P.M. to 3:59 P.M. at the mainEntrance of the Regional Trial Court Building, City of San Fernando, (P),to the highest bidder for CASH or MANAGER’S CHECK and in PhilippineCurrency, the following property/ies with all the improvements thereon,to wit;

TRANSFER CERTIFICATE OF TITLE NO. 574985-R“A parcel of land (Lot 10 Blk. 14 of the subd. Plan, Psd-03-

086735, being a portion of Lot 2485-B, Psd-49425, L.R.C.Rec. No.), situated in the Bo. of San Agustin, Mun. of Arayat,Prov. of Pamp. X x x Containing an area of ONE HUNDREDTWENTY (120) Square Meters more or less x x x.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the statedtime and date.

In the event that the Public Auction should not take place on the saiddate, it shall be held on December 15, 2009 at the same time and placewithout further notice.

Prospective buyers may investigate for themselves the title hereinabove described and encumbrances thereon, if any therebe.

City of San Fernando, Pampanga, October 30, 2009

ATTY. APOLLO J. UMADHAYO.I.C./Clerk of Court & Ex-Officio Sheriff

FORTUNATO S. GAJES Assigned Deputy Sheriff IV

Cc.• PCI LEASING and FINANCE, INC.(now known as BDO LEASING & FINANCE INC.)BDO Leasing Centre, Corinthian Gardens, Ortigas AvenueQuezon City

• SPS. PABLO CANLAS, JR. and LALAINE P. CANLASSan Nicolas, Mexico, Pampanga

• SUMALPONG and ASSOCIATESCounsel for Mortgagee10th South Tower, BDO Corporate Center7899 Makati Avenue, cor., H.V. Dela Costa St.Makati City

Punto! Central Luzon: November 11, 18 & 25, 2009

IN LINE with the Pam-panga provincial govern-ment’s priority thrust toupgrade the nutritionalstatus of people in theprovince, the call topromote good nutritionalpractices continues.

This was announcedby Ma. Vicenta C.Magpantay, officer-in-charge of the NationalNutrition Council (NNC)in Region III, as sheemphasized that goodnutrition plays a vitalrole in preventinglifestyle diseases.

“This was the themeof the 2009 NutritionMonth celebration lastJuly but the drive topromote it among thepublic should not stop.”

Magpantay men-tioned Pampanga’sefforts for the past twoyears as a good exam-ple of a government’srelentless pursuit tofurther improve thenutritional status of itspeople.

She emphasized,however, that effortsshould be raised to ahigher level that couldlead to the prevention oflifestyle-related or non-communicable diseases(NCD) such as cardio-vascular diseases,cancer, diabetes, andchronic obstructivepulmonary diseases.

“These diseases maybe brought on bymalnutrition, unhealthydiets, smoking, harmfuluse of alcohol, obesity,and physical inactivity.”

Magpantay cited thefindings of the WorldHealth Organization(WHO) 2005 globalreport that an “estimated35 million deaths out of58M deaths from allcauses in 2005 weredue to lifestyle-related orchronic diseases”.

Other findingsinclude: that 60% ofdeaths are due tochronic diseases;cardiovascular diseasekills five times as manypeople as HIV/AIDS;and more than 80% ofdeaths caused bychronic diseaseshappen in the low and

Pampanga to intensifynutrition info campaign

middle income countrieslike the Philippines .

The good news,Magpantay explained, isthat lifestyle diseasescan be prevented.

“The Department ofHealth (DOH) defines ahealthy lifestyle as away of life that promotesand protects health andwell being.”

Thus, the DOH’s listof do’s and don’tsinclude, do physicalactivity; do managestress; do preventhypertension; do eatlow-fat, low-salt, high-fiber diet; and don’tsmoke; don’t drink; don’ttake illegal drugs.

The recommendeddiet emphasizes vegeta-bles, fruits, wholegrains, root crops, fat-free or low-fat milk, butalso includes leanmeats, poultry, fish,beans, eggs and nuts.

Magpantay alsonoted that a healthy dietis low in saturated andtransfats, cholesterol,salt and added sugars.

Governor Eddie T.Panlilio has urged theprovincial offices andemployees involved innutrition-related pro-grams to spread theappropriate informationto families via theschools and theirinteraction with the localgovernment units(LGUs).

He called for familiesand communities togrow fruits and vegeta-bles at home, inschools; monitor andmanage the weight offamily members andstudents; promotehealthy food sold inschool canteens; doregular exercises; andsubmit to regular checkup.

On the part of thelocal chief executives,Panlilio encouraged thecontinuing formulation ofpolicies and programs toimplement healthy dietsand lifestyle even at theworkplace, while callingon other sectors topursue activities alongthis line. –PampangaPIO Press Release

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Zona LibreBong Z. Lacson

E d i t o r i a l O p i n i o nO p i n i o n

acaesar.blogspot.com

Business & Editorial office at Unit B Essel Commercial Center,McArthur Highway, Telabastagan, City of San Fernando

Tel. No. (45) 636•6327 Cel. No. 0917•481•1416e-mail address: puntogitnangluzon@yahoo.com

pdf file at http://www.punto.com.phPunto! Central Luzon is a proud member ofThe Philippine Press Institute

General ManagerEditor

Editorial ConsultantMarketing Manager

Administrative StaffLayout

Circulation

Atty. Gener C. EndonaJoey R. AguilarCaesar “Bong” LacsonJoanna Niña V. CorderoMa. Teresa U. VillanuevaDondie B. VenturaGilbert Mendoza

LLL Trimedia CoordinatorsPublisher

EDGAR V. MOVIDOFounder

BOTH HOUSES of the United States congress each adoptedrecently a resolution to withhold the country’s military aid to thePhilippines due to its unflattering record on protecting or moreaccurately, not protecting the Filipino citizens’ human rights.

The US House of Representatives passed House Resolution3081 stating that the US$2-million Foreign Military FinancingProgram for the Philippines may not be released until threeconditions have been met by the government of Mrs. GloriaMacapagal-Arroyo. The US Senate also adopted a similar resolutionlast October 26.

NOT ALL quarry truckers are what you call them.And what did I call them? Retorted I to a long-time friend who

operates a trucking firm.The most arrogantly undisciplined road users, as you wrote in

your column titled “Destroying the megadike.”Okay, the fault of one is the fault of all. My generalization borne

by myopia – all quarry trucks and their drivers look the same tome. One overspeeding, traffic rule-violating trucker makes all quarrytruckers traffic violators. Call it the fixity of my intellectual habits,of drawing generalizations from specific cases.

Spare me from your verbal diarrhea, I only wanted to clear someissues with you on the proposal for quarry truckers to use the FVRmegadike, or to be specific, its western portion.

I thought you read my column, so why still raise the issue withme.

It’s precisely because of what you wrote that I sought you tohear me out, to listen to the truckers’ side of the issue. For once,suspend your prejudice against the truckers, will you?

The truckers’ side

Citizen EdIF PLANS will not miscarry, if he would not make achange of heart at the last minute, the reverentialAmong would have to be stricken off the nicknameof Eddie T. Panlilio, governor of Pampanga.

Based on his own text message to journalist DingCervantes, Panlilio is set to take his oath ofmembership with the Liberal Party tomorrow,Thursday, at the party’s gathering in Cubao, QuezonCity.

“But NOT for senator. Not yet for gov.” So his textmessage reportedly said.

Whichever, and even if he would not run for anyoffice in 2010, Panlilio – by affiliating himself with apolitical party – has effectively shucked off hisecclesiastical persona in favor of a political one.

Absurd, indeed, for Panlilio to return to thepriesthood after taking his oath as LP member.

And then the Pampanga hierarchy has time andagain told Panlilio he could not have his cake andeat it too by remaining a priest, albeit suspended,while continuing to engage in partisan politics.

The Canon Law is clear in that regard: “Clericsare forbidden to assume public offices which entaila participation in the exercise of civil power.”

After Thursday – again, if plans won’t go awry –the Church’s loss of Among Ed may well be theSenate’s gain next year.

Run for the Senate, Gov. Be the rightful successorto Lito Lapid’s seat there.

Cielo to CongressELDER SISTER makes a lot better than eitheryounger sibling and nephew.

A growing consensus among elder voters pointsto Cielo Macapagal-Salgado as a better choice forPampanga’s 2nd congressional district amidincessant reports of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo planning to ease her son Mikey off his seat. Insuch a scenario, Mikey is said to run as partylistrepresentative.

Half-sister to GMA, Cielo served two terms asPampanga vice-governor: in 1988-1992 under BrenZ. Guiao who beat her in 1992, and in 1995-1998under Lito Lapid who beat her in 1998.

Known for her spirituality and no-nonsense fiscalmanagement skills, Cielo is said to draw moresupport and less controversy among the electoratethan either mother or son.

Cielo has however remained undecided.Take the challenge madam, the people need you.

Okay, my position is that allowing the truckersto use the megadike will hasten its destruction,as it was not meant to be a highway that couldaccommodate all sorts of vehicles. Then there isthe certain high cost to human life and propertythat would surely result, given the narrowness ofthe road and the obnoxious driving habits of thetruckers.

Wrong on both counts you are there.Prove it.The integrity of the megadike, its strength and

compaction has withstood, not only the test oftime, but the heavy load of quarry trucks that usedit at the time of the construction of the SCTEx(Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway), that used iteven before that time and thereafter up to thepresent.

Now you’re pulling my leg, no way could dumptrucks use the megadike without destroying thoseconcrete barriers limiting the vertical clearanceto small vehicles.

We are on parallel thoughts here, I am referringto the western portion of the megadike, you havethe eastern side in mind.

Oh, I did not know that.Now you do. It is precisely the western portion

that the quarry association and the truckers areproposing to use, and rehabilitate with their ownfunds if allowed by the DPWH, as Mike Tapangproposed but which you scorned as a “sweetener.”Seriously, the quarry operators and truckers areready to shoulder the repair of the dike if everbreached by the quarry trucks.

Owww? How can we be certain of this?Quarry truckers have no choice. For sometime

now, a truck ban is in effect in Sta. Rita. MayorBlueboy Nepo had imposed the same in Angeles

City. Now, where will the trucks coming out ofPorac pass to deliver their goods in Metro Manila?

Search me.The most viable passageway is the western

portion of the megadike. From Porac, quarrytrucks would go directly to the Olongapo-GapanRoad, sparing all the barangay, municipal,provincial roads and even the MacArthur Highwayin the process. What is needed is for the westernportion of the megadike to be solely dedicated toquarry trucks, and your fears of a high toll in humanlife and property will prove unwarranted. Have youever heard of any accident at the western portionso far?

Good arguments, but the sangguniangpanlalawigan has already shot down your proposaleven before it reached the members officially.

Yes, the SP mouthed the very argumentscontained in your column. I just hope they wouldbe as open as you are to our reasoning. Anyway,we have an ally in the Office of the Governor.

Oh, the governor is endorsing your proposal?Yes, if we go by the words of the provincial

administrator. Read what she said in Sun StarPampanga: “...Meanwhile, in a separate interview,Provincial Administrator Vivian Dabu said thePQA proposal for the use of the Megadike roadis essential for the “survival” of the quarry industry.

“They cannot use the Sta. Rita roads. Theyare banned from Angeles City. They could haveaccess to the SCTEx. Paano naman ang mgatruckers at quarry operators natin? How will theindustry survive kung wala na silang pwedengdaanan,” Dabu said, adding the Megadike roadis for now the best option at hand.”

Okay, with Dabu as your strongest supporter,I wish you all the luck before the SP.

Napag-uusapanlangNi Felix M. Garcia

‘World ClassCity Mayor,’ di pahanda sa Capitol?

(KARUGTONG NG SINUNDANG ISYU)

MGA KABAHAYAN, kongkretong gusaliNa ang pundasyon n’yan o mga haligiAy sumakop na ng ikatlong bahagiNg lawak ng ilog o sukat n’yan dati.

Kung kaya hayan at sapa na lang halosAng dati ay isang maluwang na ilog,Gawa nitong walang malasakit lubosNg mga nauna nating nailuklok;

Pagkat kung di nga po nila hinayaanAng mga ‘squatters’ sa gilid ng pampangAy di mangyayaring pagdating ng arawAng ilog natin ay kikipot, bababaw.

Na ngayo’y kabilang nga ang “Sagip Ilog”Sa proyekto niya sa naturang lungsod,Na ninanais niyang gustong ipataposBago tanggapin ang ano pa mang alok.

Nitong iba’t-ibang sektor sa Pampanga,Upang siya na ang itulak kumbagaNa humabol bilang Ama ng Probinsya,Pagkat wala pa nga siyang plano talaga.

Maliban sa ‘last term’ niya bilang Mayor,Kung kaya ‘serious’ man itong nagsusulongKay Oca Rodriguez sa pagka-governorAy bantulot siyang tanggapin ang hamon.

At mas pinili niya ang huag mag-apuraO magdahan-dahan… kasi marami paItong kailangan n’yang kumpetuhin munaSa City Hall bilang responsableng Ama

Ng isang di lamang karaniwang lungsod;(Na dati ay baon sa pagkakalugmokDala ng pinsalang dulot ng pagsabogNg Mt. Pinatubo sa karatig pook.

Dahil hindi man direktang tinamaanAt nadaplisan lang ang ilang barangay,Gaya nitong Sto. Nino at ng San Juan,Ang pinsalang dulot ay malaking bagay.

Pagkat ang ‘investors’ na balak mag-‘put up’Ng negosyo rito ay nagsipag-atras;At ang kalakala’y muli lang umangatNang siya na ang maging Alkalde ng Siyudad.)

Na di nagawa ng kanyang pinalitan,Sa loob ng ‘3 terms’ na panunungkulan;Pagkat maliban sa Bulwagang Pambayan,Aywan kung ano pa ang pinagawa r’yan.

Kung saan oo nga’t may naipagawaPero tadtad daw ng anomalya yata,At kung anu-ano ang napabalitaHinggil sa kasabay yatang pinagawa;

Na diumano ay sariling pag-aariNg ‘ex-mayor’ pero kung tingnang maigiAng pigura at pintura ng gusaliAy ‘carbon copy’ ng munisipyo dati?

Di ko sinasabing galing sa City HallAng mga ginamit na materyales d’un,Kundi ‘in terms of what we call comparison,’Sa linis ng rekord, si Oca ang tsampyon!

(May karugtong pa)

No quick fixEdgar V. Movido

The Arroyo gov’tmay have to go

US$2-million lessagain by 2010

These include taking effective steps inimplementing the recommendations of UnitedNations Special Rapporteur Philip Alston onextrajudicial killings, summary and arbitraryexecutions; investigation and prosecution ofmilitary personnel who allegedly have violatedhuman rights.

Philip Alston visited the Philippines in February2007 and has recommended, among others, theelimination of extrajudicial killings in the counter-insurgency program of the Philippine government,the abolition of the Inter-Agency Legal ActionGroup (IALAG), which was tasked with filingtrumped-up charges against activists and theprosecution of human rights violators.

The US House resolution based on a digitalcopy shared by the office of Bayan MunaRepresentative Neri Javier Colmenares states toothat the Philippine military institution must nothave ‘a policy of, and are not engaging in, acts ofintimidation or violence against members of legalorganizations who advocate for human rights.’

In 2008, after a hearing by the United StatesSenate Committee on Foreign RelationsSubcommittee on East Asian and Pacific Affairsregarding the human rights situation in thePhilippines, the US Congress voted to setconditions for the release of the full amount of2009 military aid. The recent resolution has thesame set of conditions.

Colmenares who also chairs the NationalUnion of Peoples Lawyers met on October 27 withofficials from the US Department of State inWashington DC whose responsibility includespolicy towards the Philippines, and they confirmedwith him that the conditioned amount has in factbeen withheld — and it was tied to the prosecutionof human rights violators in the country includingretired General Jovito “The Butcher” Palparan whonow is a partylist representative.

Ironically though the department officialsaverred they failed to report to the US Congress

that the Arroyo government had met the humanrights conditions required for the release of themilitary aid.

But Colmenares countered that instead ofheeding the conditions, the Arroyo governmentmerely launched high-level lobbying efforts at theUS Congress, led by Executive SecretaryEduardo Ermita, Mrs. Arroyo’s Special EnvoyPatricia Ann Paez and the Philippine LegislativeAffairs Officer Ariel Penaranda, and Pres. Arroyo’failure to investigate and prosecute Gen. Palparandefeated all their lobbying efforts.”

To date, not one perpetrator of extrajudicialkillings has been prosecuted. Despiterecommendations from Alston and otherinternational organizations, summary executionscontinue with impunity. Even as the Arroyogovernment abolished the IALAG, activistscontinue to face fabricated charges.

The Arroyo government also paid no attentionto the to the report submitted by the Philippinecongress lower house’s human rights committeeheaded by Quezon Representative Lorenzo ‘Erin’TaHada also in 2008. The committee’sinvestigation participated by the likes of BayanMuna Representatives Satur Ocampo and TeddyCasiHo, Gabriela’s Liza Maza and Nueva Ecija’sEdgardo Nonato Joson reported a clear militarypattern of all the human rights cases they hadinvestigated.

Colmenares also raised concerns on theprogress of the US-Philippines Defense ReformProgram, a large US funding for the modernizationand reform of the AFP. The Philippines DefenseReform Program began in 2003 in cooperation withthe US military and is funded, in part, by the USCongress.

Well, two million dollars is two million dollars,and it can be two years in a row, considering thatthe Arroyo government’s lack of action or non-action may indeed be borne from a state policymore than lack of political will.

AT THE 11th hour on the 11thday of the 11th month of 1918,the Great War ends. At 5 a.m.that morning, Germany, bereftof manpower and supplies andfaced with imminent invasion,signed an armistice agree-ment with the Allies in a rail-road car outside Compiégne,France. The First World Warleft nine million soldiers deadand 21 million wounded, withGermany, Russia, Austria-Hun-gary, France, and Great Brit-ain each losing nearly a mil-lion or more lives. In addition,at least five million civiliansdied from disease, starvation,or exposure.

On June 28, 1914, in anevent that is widely regardedas sparking the outbreak ofWorld War I, Archduke FranzFerdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian empire, was shot todeath with his wife by BosnianSerb Gavrilo Princip in Sara-jevo, Bosnia. Ferdinand hadbeen inspecting his uncle'simperial armed forces in Bos-

nia and Herzegovina, despitethe threat of Serbian national-ists who wanted these Austro-Hungarian possessions to joinnewly independent Serbia. Aus-tria-Hungary blamed the Serbi-an government for the attackand hoped to use the incidentas justification for settling theproblem of Slavic nationalismonce and for all. However, asRussia supported Serbia, anAustro-Hungarian declaration ofwar was delayed until its lead-ers received assurances fromGerman leader Kaiser WilhelmII that Germany would supporttheir cause in the event of a Rus-sian intervention.

On July 28, Austria-Hunga-ry declared war on Serbia, andthe tenuous peace between Eu-rope's great powers collapsed.On July 29, Austro-Hungarianforces began to shell the Serbi-an capital, Belgrade, and Rus-sia, Serbia's ally, ordered atroop mobilization against Aus-tria-Hungary. France, allied withRussia, began to mobilize on

August 1. France and Germa-ny declared war against eachother on August 3. After cross-ing through neutral Luxem-bourg, the German army in-vaded Belgium on the night ofAugust 3-4, prompting GreatBritain, Belgium's ally, to de-clare war against Germany.

For the most part, the peo-ple of Europe greeted the out-break of war with jubilation.Most patriotically assumed thattheir country would be victori-ous within months. Of the ini-tial belligerents, Germany wasmost prepared for the outbreakof hostilities, and its militaryleaders had formatted a sophis-ticated military strategy knownas the "Schlieffen Plan," whichenvisioned the conquest ofFrance through a great arcingoffensive through Belgium andinto northern France. Russia,slow to mobilize, was to bekept occupied by Austro-Hun-garian forces while Germanyattacked France.

The Schlieffen Plan was

nearly successful, but in early Sep-tember the French rallied and halt-ed the German advance at the bloodyBattle of the Marne near Paris. Bythe end of 1914, well over a millionsoldiers of various nationalities hadbeen killed on the battlefields of Eu-rope, and neither for the Allies northe Central Powers was a final vic-tory in sight. On the western front--the battle line that stretched acrossnorthern France and Belgium--thecombatants settled down in thetrenches for a terrible war of attrition.

In 1915, the Allies attempted tobreak the stalemate with an amphib-

ious invasion of Turkey, which hadjoined the Central Powers in Octo-ber 1914, but after heavy bloodshedthe Allies were forced to retreat inearly 1916. The year 1916 saw greatoffensives by Germany and Britainalong the western front, but neitherside accomplished a decisive victo-ry. In the east, Germany was moresuccessful, and the disorganizedRussian army suffered terrible loss-es, spurring the outbreak of the Rus-sian Revolution in 1917. By the endof 1917, the Bolsheviks had seizedpower in Russia and immediately setabout negotiating peace with Germa-

TODAY IN HISTORY

World War I ends

ny. In 1918, the infusion of Ameri-can troops and resources into thewestern front finally tipped the scalein the Allies' favor. Germany signedan armistice agreement with the Al-lies on November 11, 1918.

World War I was known as the"war to end all wars" because of thegreat slaughter and destruction itcaused. Unfortunately, the peacetreaty that officially ended the con-flict--the Treaty of Versailles of 1919--forced punitive terms on Germanythat destabilized Europe and laid thegroundwork for World War II.

Source: www.history.com

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TheGossip-millerby Cesar Pambid

TUWANG-TUWA’ng ilang press people na kausap ni Vilma Santos sa isang press brief kamakailan lang sa Batangas ProvincialCapitol. Dinayo ng naturang press ang gobernadora ng Batangas upang batiin ito ng masayang kaarawan as the governor celebratedher 56th birthday sa Batangas. In her tete-a-tete with them, maraming personal insighst ang nai-share ng gobernadora sa kanila.

For instance, inamin ni Gov. Vilma na nambababae ang kanyang senador na asawang si Senator Recto at ‘di iisang beses niya itongnahuli. Pero hindi raw ‘yun pinagmumulan ng malaking away, kasi nga, may paraan si Ate Vi upang mapa-cool ang sitwasyon. “ I alwaystell him na mag-ingat siya. Sabi ko sa kanya, mag-ingat siya, kasi, tiyak na madidiyaryo siya. Kaya sana kapag nabasa ko na attinanong ko siya, umamin na lang siya para ‘di na lumaki ang gulo. Ako naman, naiintindihan ko ‘yung mga lakad na for the boys, hindimaiwasan ‘yun. Basta ‘wag siyang magderyoso.

“So far naman, umaamin siya, hindi naman siya nagseseryoso sa iba, pero kung sakaling ‘di siya makinig sa akin, it’s his lost, notmine,” nagpapatawang sabi pa ni Gov. Vi.

Malaki raw ang respeto niya kay Senatror Ralph. “He’s a very good person, perhaps the best of the men in my life. He is so secureat hanga ako sa kanya sa respetong binigay niya sa akin. In fact, I can not be the Vilma Santos I am now if not for him.

“Aside from my sons, siya na lang siguro ang tanging lalaki sa buhay ko. I love him very much,” sabi pa ni Vilma Santos.On her career as an actress, naiintindihan daw siya ni Senator Ralph. “Yes, I do kissing scenes in my movies at wala siyang against

doon. One thing a I like pa about him, he understands my craft and its need. Gaya nga ng mga halikang eksena, okey lang ‘yun sakanya. Wala pa ni isang beses kaming hindi pinagkaintindihan pagdating diyan,” pagmamalaki pa ni gobernadora.

Tungkol naman sa muling pagbababalikan nina Luis at Angel, Vilma says she is very happy at muling nagkamabutihan ang dalawa.“I’ve never seen my son so much happy because of his love for angel. Importante sa akin na makita’ng anak ko na masaya. Kay Angel

Gov. Vilma Santos pinapayagangmakipaghalikan sa iba ni Sen. Ralph Recto

naman, she respects my son, I must say that I saw my son felt bad at ako mismo, I felt bad sa mga usaping nag-break sila. Kaya now that they are well again, I mean, ayos na silang dalawa, I am happy for them. I just hopethat this lasts forever,” pagtatapos pa ni Ms. Vilma Santos.

Lovi Poe pinandidirihan na ni Jolo Revilla?WE WILL see kung hindi na kasama ni Lovi Poe sa kanyang entourage siJolo Revilla sa kanyang show sa Sta. Catalina, Lubao, Pampanga onNovember 25. You see, si Lovi ang special guest ng hermano na siNestor Quiboloy na kasama nga ng kanyang pamilya ay galling pa saibang bansa. Special request nga nila si Lovi Poe at ang isa pangKapuso star na si Diana Meneses na guest nga rin sa show.

Nang huli kasi naming kasama si Lovi Poe in a provincial show,kasama nito si Jolo who even obliged to go up the stage for free.

Well, ngayon nga, malapit na ‘yung show, dito mate-test kungtalagang break na sila.

Some quarters went the extent of saying na nandidiri na si Jolokay Lovi dahil nagpa-sexy ito sa isang eksena sa Sagrada Familia namovie nga ni Lovi which is directed by Joel Lamangan. Kesyo ‘di rawgusto ni Jolo na sobrang paghuhubad at pakikipag-sex kay Felix Roco nasiya niyang leadingman in the movie.

Is that true?So there!

Niña Jose goes all the wayNIÑA JOSE started as sweet-imaged teener mulasa Pinoy Big Brother House. At first, Gusto niy-ang magpaka-wholesome dahil nga galling na-man siya sa isang buena familia. But seeingna ganoon pala kahigpit ang kumpetisyon, sheannounced na okey lang sa kanya na mag-pa-sexy.

She was on the cover of a girlie maga-zine pero ‘di naman gaanong umunlad angcareer niya.

Until lately na medyo sinuwerte na-man siya dahil siya ang napiling Calen-dar Girl ng Tanduay sa 2010.

Nai-launch si Niña bilang calendar girlsa mismong office ng Tanduay sa Brgy.Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

Siya na ngayon ang sumunod siya sayapak nina Katrina Halili, Ehra Madrigal atBangs Garcia.

Talaga namang sumeksi nang husto siNina at blooming ever ang beauty niya.

Dapat lang siyang bigyan ng break sa mgasexy pictorial tulad ng Tanduay.

Dating ngang housemate sa Pinoy Big Broth-er si Niña at madalas kasama sa Shake Rattle andRolls movies ng Regal Films.

Krista Ranillo binabalaanni Jinkee Pacquiao

KAHIT NA ano pang sabihin ng mga kapanalig ni Manny na ke-syo, hindi apektado si Jinkee Pacquiao sa mga tsismis kina Kristaat Manny, walang maniniwala sa kanila, kasi nga alam nilang so-brang selosa ng dyowa Manny Pacquiao.

Thy truth is, noong kay Ara Mina natsismis ang asawa niyangsi Manny, galaiti-to-death si Jinkee na sobrang ikinairita ni Ara whoannounced na walang katotohanan ‘yung tsismis sa kanila ng sikatna boksingero. Pero halatang asiwa nga’t nagngingitngit si Ara dahilsa isyu.

Anyway, some quarters say na isa sa ikinaiinis pa ni Jinkee kayKrista is the fact na inunahan pa siya nitong umalis papuntang LA tosupport Pacquiao kun

ing kuning sa kanyang laban. To this, Krista’s camnp says na kasa-ma nga niya ang amang si Mat Ranillo dahil sumusupota daw sila ritokapalit ng suporta sa kanyang bid sa isang political position in his home-towen in Mindanao. Kumbaga, nais lang sumuporta ng mag-ama sa labanni Pacquaio kontra kay Coto.

Sino kaya’ng nagpamasahe sa eroplano sa mag-ama?Kung sariling gastos nila, well, maniniwala kaming gusto nilang sumupor-

ta. Pero kung si Manny Pacquiao ang nagbayad sa pamasahe, ang masas-abi lang namin, utot nila.

Anyway naman, ayon sa isang tsismis, posibleng iskandaluhin ni Jin-kee si Krissta kapag kumilos ito nang alanganin sa LA.

Abangan na lang natin kung may untoward incident na mangyayari whilePacquiao’s camp is in Los Angeles.

Kri

sta

Ran

illo

terms when Sen. Lapidwas governor.

“The family will beunited. There will be fam-ily healing even amongour children if she (Pres.Arroyo) supports Arthur’scandidacy,” Salgadosaid.

Salgado and Arthurwere children of the latePresident by his first wifePurita de la Rosa, whilethe President and Dios-dado Jr. were his childrenby his second wife formerFirst Lady Eva Macaraig.

FROM PAGE 1

‘9 years is enough’The rift between Salgadoand the President, evenbetween their children,has been known even be-fore Mrs. Arroyo as-sumed the presidency.

Salgado, who hadbeen vice governor ofPampanga during theterm of Pres. Cory Aqui-no, noted that of the fourchildren of the late Pres.Diosdado Macapagal,Arthur is the only onewho has yet to occupy agovernment post. Shenoted that DiosdadoMacapagal Jr. was onceundersecretary of finance

during the term of formerPres. Ramos.

But Salgado admittedshe has not yet talked toArthur about her propos-al for him to run for Con-gress in this province’ssecond district. “I amconveying my proposalthrough the media and Iknow he will get in touchwith me once he picks itup from media,” she said.

She noted, however,that in the 2001 elec-tions, Arthur was alreadyset to enter politics byrunning for congressmanin the district, but he was

talked out of it for the con-gressional bid of Mikey.

She said that Arthurseemed fated to the post,as she noted that hisbirthday on Sept. 14 isalso the date of the found-ing of the Macapagal’sLubao hometown in thedistrict.

While the Presidenthas not talked about anypolitical plans in nextyear’s elections, her fre-quent sorties to Pampan-ga’s second district con-tinues to fuel specula-tions she will seek thecongressional post, withMikey reportedly eitherrunning under a partylistor quitting politics alto-gether.

Salgado said, howev-er, that Gov. Eddie Pan-lilio has been urging herto run for congress in thesecond district againstthe possibility of her sis-ter running for the samepost.

But she said she has

not decided on this, asshe preferred Arthur forthe post.

“All I desire is thegood of the people inPampanga. I survivedstage 4 cancer in 1982and since then, I consid-er my life now as a graceI should devote to God,”she said.

She said “I am tired ofthe greed, personal am-bitions, selfishness of pol-iticians”, as she lament-ed the failure of the Of-fice of the Ombudsmanto act on a complaint shefiled years ago againstSen. Lito Lapid who wasthen governor.

Lapid announced lastmonth he will again runfor governor in next year’spolls.

Salgado said thecase, alleging anomaliesin the purchase of landpurportedly for the hous-ing of provincial capitolemployees in SanFernando in this province,

has been buried by theOmbudsman.

“The last time I was atthe Ombudsman for thecase was two years ago,”she noted.

Meanwhile, anotherclose relative who askednot to be named urgedthe President to retirefrom politics after her termends next year. “Nineyears na siya nakaupo,bakit pa siya tatakbo?Bukod pa sa three yearssa Senate and threeyears as vice president.(For nine years she waspresident, so why shouldshe run? This is apartfrom three years in theSenate and three yearsas vice president,” hesaid.

The relative also citedthe President’s state-ment of assets and liabil-ities which indicated in-crease in her wealth dur-ing her presidential termas another reason for herto retire.

the Philippines as the“murder capitol (sic) of theworld”.

The website claimedthat last August, US Pres.Barrack Obama himselfhad asked Pres. Arroyo,whom it referred to as “thebuck-toothed dwarf”, toensure Van Keulen’s safe-ty in the Philippines.

In her writ for amparo,she claimed that police-men in this city had beenharassing and even threat-ening her life after her ef-forts to do investigative re-ports into human traffick-ing and prostitution hereallegedly involving collu-sion between law enforc-ers and bar owners.

The petition for the writwas junked by the HighCourt en banc last Octo-ber after it noted the VanKeulen failed to submit tothe court proof that a copyof her petition was servedto the respondents.

An official certificationfrom Branch 1 of the mu-nicipal trial court (MTC),signed by clerk of courtAbnel Romeo Sicat saidthat Van Keulen is alsofacing other criminal cas-es for alarm and scandal,simple oral defamation,and serious resistanceand disobedience to anagent of a person in au-thority.

Van Keulen has report-edly been claiming to be aFilipino-American but,

FROM PAGE 1

Cops hunt American...Eranio Manalo, chief of theBureau of Immigration (BI)based at nearby ClarkFreeport, said that his of-fice’s record indicated t sheis an American. Recordsalso indicated that her lat-est recorded arrival was onJan. 1, 2006.

“There is no record ofher extending her visa,”Manalo said.

In an affidavit, GeorgeCayanong of the Lupon ngTagapamayapa (PeaceCoucil) of Barangay Bali-bago here, said VanKeulen had identified her-self as a reporter with linksto Malacanang. He issuedthe statement in relation toa complaint filed beforehim last August by oneRaquel Manez who ac-cused Van Keulen of nonpayment of apartmentrentals.

NPC president LouieLogarta confirmed VanKeulen is an affiliate mem-ber of the NPC although henoted that she did notidentify her media outfit.

“She claimed to be do-ing investigative reportingfor a correspondent of anational paper,” Logartasaid, although the corre-spondent denied to Puntoany such arrangement withVan Leuken.

One of the libel cases,filed by Tan and civiliansJonathan Ponce and Elpid-ioLim, was based on thew e b s i t ecentralluzoncorruption.comwhich, however, Van

Keulen denied being in-volved with.

In an information hecertified, governmentcounsel Mark Oliver Sisonsaid Van Keulen exposedthe respondents “to pub-lic hatred, contempt andridicule” by “unlawfully andfeloniously” publishing inthe website the respon-dents’ photo whose cap-tion identified them as un-dercover cops engaged inextortion at the tourismdistrict of this city.

Tan said he was surethat the website has beenunder Van Leuken’s con-trol, as he cited the photowhich he witnessed hertaking with the use of hercell phone. He also notedthat the website’s updatesconform to Van Keulen’sinvolvements in this city.

The website has arti-cles, often using vulgarlanguage, accusing toppolitical, police, and evenmedia personalities ofanomalies. It also cites thePhilippines as the “murdercapitol (sic) of the world”.

The website said: “Mur-der has become the prima-ry tool whereby the Philip-pine Islands’ state seeksto control the organs of lib-erty. They already controlthe judiciary. We canprove that some news-peo-ple have valuable intelli-gence that once revealedwould help their own peo-ple, but they are afraid toeven allow us to print it forthem.”

year after EnvironmentSecretary Lito Atienzaplaced the said river sys-tem under Water QualityManagement Area(WQMA).

Aimed at restoring andrehabilitating the heavilypolluted river system, theMMORS declaration wassigned by local officialsfrom Bulacan led by Gov.Joselito Mendoza; andfrom the cities of Valen-zuela and Caloocan, andby Senator Loren Legar-da, chair of the SenateCommittee on ClimateChange.

The signing of decla-ration was preceded bymassive clean up drive onthe Marilao River. This wasmarked by the participa-tion of volunteers from thecities of Valenzuela andCaloocan who were earli-er blamed for dumpinggarbage on the river up-stream and a public con-sultation on climatechange which was presid-ed by Legarda.

Officials said that thenew declaration is paral-lel to Atienza’s WQMA,

but noted their impatienceover Department of Envi-ronment and Natural Re-sources’ (DENR) inactionon WQMA despite pledg-es of financial supportfrom the provincial govern-ment of Bulacan and oth-er non-governmental or-ganizations (NGO).

“This is LGU initiatedand we hope it will workthis time,” Mendoza said.

He said that DENR’sinaction over the creationof WQMA led them tocome up with the new ini-tiative.

Mendoza said that re-habil itation of theMMORS cannot wait forthe DENR’s moves. Headded that they conduct-ed a number of consulta-tive meetings on WQMAbut DENR decision mak-ers failed to come.

With regards to pollu-tion on MMORS, he saidthat water quality has im-proved based on recenttests conducted by Black-smith Institute.

“Mas maganda na angwater quality ngayon. Sabing Blacksmith bumaba nayung heavy metal tracessa tubig. Yung solid

waste na lang ang proble-ma natin,” Mendoza said.

In the past, MarilaoMayor Epifanio Guillermoalong with Mendozablamed city governmentof Caloocan and Valenzu-ela for failure to implementsolid waste management.

They said that resi-dents of the cities of Ca-loocan and Valenzuela liv-ing on the upstream of theriver dumped their gar-bage on the river that ledto the clogging of PrenzaDam here which was de-scribed last April byAtienza as a “dumpsite”and not a river.

For her part, Legardarecognized the initiativesof the LGUs saying reha-bilitation of the MMORSrequires concerted effort.

She said that it is clearthat MMORS has be-come the catch basin ofgarbage.

“Garbage dumped tothe Marilao River has notonly contributed to its pol-lution but also on theflooding during the on-slaught of typhoon On-doy,” Legarda said andstressed the need to pre-serve the environment.

FROM PAGE 1

Officials join river clean-up...

have a running mate forPresident.

Legarda said she willdisclose her decision byNovember 23, which somecritics labeled as somesort of “political strip-tease.”

“NPC gave 100 percentsupport and the right namakipag-aliyansa saibang partido,” said Legar-da who earlier declaredthat she is running for theposition of the Vice Presi-dent in the 2010 automat-ed elections.

This prompted journal-ists to ask her to confirmif she will actually ran asVice President to Sena-tor Manuel Villar of theNacionalista Party (NP),or Defense Secretary Gil-bert Teodoro, the stan-dard-bearer of the admin-istration’s Lakas-Kampi

party.Both Villar and Teodoro

were rumored to havebeen wooing Legarda astheir running mate sincethe two do not have run-ning mates yet.

But Legarda was eva-sive saying she will onlydisclose her running mateif he was able to plant 1-million trees referring to herenvironmental advocacy.

When asked if she willrun without a president,she said “siguradongmagkakaroon ng presi-dente.

When pressed for an-swer when she will decide,Legarda said she will dis-close her decision by No-vember 23.

As chair of the Sen-ate’s Committee on Cli-mate Change, Legarda vis-ited Marilao town on Fri-day and presided over in apublic consultation.

The public consultationwas first schedule at theMarilao Convention Centerlocated at the Constanti-no Village in BarangayPoblacion.

However, organizerssaid Legarda made a lastminute decision to hold theconsultation meeting be-side the Marilao River atthe Ramcar Subdivision inBarangay Saog here.

Some participants inthe meeting complainedon the sudden change ofvenue saying it appear tospeak of Legarda fickle-mindedness.

They said that Legar-da made the same lastminute decision when in-vited to Bulacan’s Singk-aban Fiesta celebrationlast September.

In that invitation,Legarda confirmed her at-tendance, but later calledit off. –Dino Balabo

FROM PAGE 1

Loren gets NPC nod

ing, who attended the ses-sion with Gonzales, saidstudents and teachers oftheir school “have morereasons to celebrate theirupcoming anniversary.” Headded that his speech onNovember 17 would focuson thanking the efforts ofGonzales.

Baking said some10,000 students are en-rolled at DHVCAT. He add-ed that more students,even those in nearby prov-inces, would benefit oncetheir school becomes auniversity.

The senate approvedthe bill with the followingamendments: “Provided,that no degreed programshall be offered withoutthe approval of the Com-

mission on Higher Edu-cation before the sameshall be approved by itsboard; The president ofthe University shall beassisted by the Vice –President/s, who shall beappointed by the boardupon recommendation ofthe president; and themonitoring and evaluationof CHED shall conductregular monitoring andevaluation to determinecontinuing compliancewith the requirements onuniversity status and inthe event that the com-mission finds that theuniversity does not main-tain compliance thereof,it shall submit the appro-priate recommendationfor the revocation of theuniversity status to thesenate committee on ed-

ucation, arts, and culture,and the House Commit-tee on Higher and Tech-nical Education.”

DHVCAT was estab-lished on November 4,1861 upon the approval ofits statutes by the Span-ish-Governor-GeneralLemery as “Escuela DeArtes y Officios de Bacol-or.”

Baking disclosed thatDHVCAT was hailed asthe oldest trade school inAsia, and one of the old-est scholastic institutionsin the country. It was laternamed after philanthropistDon Honorio T. Ventura ofBacolor. Ventura also be-came provincial governorand secretary of the inte-rior ministry where he dis-tinguished himself in pub-lic service.

Senate approves DHVCAT...FROM PAGE 1

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METRO, the newestshopping destination inPampanga, celebratesFun for Kids Festivalfrom October 23 to No-vember 16. A fun-filledexperience for kids anddiscover great buys formoms.

One of the excitingactivities of the festivalwas the fascinatingKiddie Fashion Showheld last November 7at the 2nd floor of MetroDepartment Store.

It was participatedby cute and charmingkid and mom modelswearing creative ap-parel sponsored byBluecamp, Hammer-head, Read Bear, Kid-die House and Shini-juku plus performanc-es from local talentslike Cordan Kid Danc-ers, Daniela Cruz, andAmiel de Leon and ex-citing games for kidssponsored by Gold-ilocks.

To further highlightthe event, the festivaloffers big discounts,freebies and raffle pro-mo at the Children’sDepartment until pro-mo period.

Every valued shop-per will have thechance to win any ofthe raffle prizes likeNintendo Wii and get-away for family of 4 toHong Kong Disney-land.

Metro celebrates Fun for Kids

Cassandra Buena, Mandela Rae Abad, Ionna Keizha Samia &Darlen Joyce Leal in Blue Camp apparel from Metro DepartmentStore.

BY DING CERVANTES

ANGELES CITY – TheArmed Forces NorthernLuzon Command (Nolcom)said yesterday that“remnants” of the NewPeople’s Army (NPA) inAurora province “sufferedanother major setback” withthe military’s seizure lastSunday of the rebels’ armsdepot in Sitio Tambalungan,Barangay Nipoo inDinalungan, Aurora.

Nolcom spokespersonMaj. Rosendo Armas saidelements of the 48th InfantryBattalion led by 1Lt. ArielLobusta found five M16 riflesand two claymore minesexactly as tipped off by a“concerned resident” of thebarangay.

Nolcom chief Maj. Gen.Ricardo David Jr.commended the civilian who,he noted, “had musteredenough courage to divulgethe enemy’s armory”. Healso commended thesoldiers.

David said “the growingawareness of the people onthe programs of thegovernment and the armedforces paved the way for the

renewed support andconfidence of the people” inthe anti-insurgency drive.

“The information providedby the tipster that led to thediscovery of war materialswhich could have been usedto harm villagers or sabotagevital facilities in the region,at a time when the peopleare still reeling from thedevastations of typhoons,was clearly an offshoot of thepeople’s trust,” he said.

Only last May 7, soldiersfrom the 56th InfantryBattalion led by 1Lt. BennyEspanola unearthed a drumcontaining 14 M16, one M14and one garand rifles in SitioBulo Dam, BarangayKalawakan, Dona RemediosTrinidad, Bulacan.

“Notwithstanding thesemajor operationalaccomplishments, the publicis assured that the troopsare always on guard toprotect our people,” Davidsaid.

“They are already a spentforce – no manpower, muchmore of firepower. Still, weshould not be complacentbecause the AFP has atarget goal to meet by 2010and we shall accomplish itby all means,” he also said.

Nolcom seizesNPA arms depot inAurora province