DIWALWAL LEADER WARNS OF HUNGER AND UNREST IF ZTE CORPORATION IS ALLOWED TO MINE

Dakong Yagaw sa Diwalwal

 

Dakong yagaw gyod ang mahitabo sa Diwalwal kung tugtan sa gobyerno nga ang dagkong kompaniyang langyaw ang mag mina sa mga rekursos naturales sa bukid sa Comval.

 

Mao kini ang bahad ni Kapitan Franco Tito nga nagklarong supakon gyud sa katawhang molupyo sa Diwalwal ug sa mga taong aktuwal nga nanginabuhi didto ang planong pagpasulod sa ZTE Corporation, ang kompaniyang intsik nga gilambigit ngadto sa anomaliya sa National Broadband Network project sa gobyernong Arroyo.

 

“Moabot gyud sa bukid sa Diwalwal ang dakong kagutom ug kasamok kung tugotan sa gobyerno nga mosulod ang ZTE Corporation sa mga intsik didto sa gold rush area. “

pasabot ni Tito.

 

Matud sa kapitan taud taod nang nag malinawon ang Diwalwal, apan kung pugson gyod nga ang higanteng kompaniya maoy mohabwa sa bulawan nga nagkahulogan ug dakong ka wala sa kinitaan sa gagmay nga minero sigurado gyud nga magkayagaw.

 

Nabalaka pod si Tito nga bisan ang mga pagtuon unya sa kabataan maapektuhan kung maitsa puwera na sa bukid ang mga gagmay nga nagtikad sa minahan. 

 

Si Tito nagtin aw nga dili lang ang 40 mil ka mga tawo sa Diwalwal ang mobabag sa planong momina ang higanteng kompaniya, kondili hasta na an linibo ka mga tawo nga nanginabuhi pod didto sa minahan gawas sa pagpamulawan. (Ben Catisay, Periodico Vismin News- Comval Province)

 

 

LESS IRA FORCING MINDANAO CITIES TO CUT DOWN ON SERVICES, WORKERS

Less IRA Forcing Mindanao Cities to Cut Down on Services, Workers

Budgets for education, health, peace and order to be reduced by as much as 40 percent

By Jesus Llanto

City governments in Mindanao are set to cut down on basic services and contractual employees to cope with the unexpected decrease in their Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA) share this year.Cities nationwide were expecting huge increases in their IRA this year, and thus programmed their expenditures based on those amounts. However, the national government–upon Congress’s initiative and the President’s approval–created 16 cities in 2007 that didn’t meet the requirements set by law. This slashed the old cities’ expected IRA increase by tens of millions each.Earlier, existing cities launched a series of protest actions by threatening to halt operations or withholding tax remittances and government insurance payments. Six of the 16 municipalities that gained cityhood status in 2007 are from Mindanao, and most of them missed not just one but two of the requirements for conversion–locallly generated income (from fees and taxes collected) and population size. Under the Local Government Code, a municipality or cluster of barangays can be converted into a city if it has a minimum local income of P100 million, a population of 150,000 inhabitants, and a contiguous territory of 100 square kilometers. The League of Cities in the Philippines (LCP) has questioned the conversion of the 16 cities before the Supreme Court as soon as the laws creating them were passed last year. However, since the tribunal had not decided on the case, plebiscites were conducted and affirmed the conversion of those cities.Surigao City Mayor Alfonso Casurra, executive vice president of the LCP, said they are planning to reduce spending for basic services like education, health, and peace and order by as much as 40 percent.“It’s our way of making up with the cut,” said Casurra, who added that they could not make adjustments with the budget for personnel services or employees salaries because it is already fixed.

In 2007, the IRA accounted for 84 percent of Surigao City’s total tax revenue. It’s expected IRA increase for 2008 has been reduced by P31 million.

In Caraga region, where Surigao City is located, three new cities have been created.

For its part, Panabo City plans to reorganize and lay off at least 100 contractual workers from various offices. Panabo, whose 2007 IRA share accounted for 87 percent of its total tax revenue, will see its original IRA increase of P48 million reduced to just P8 million.

“We cannot provide the budget for personnel services of all departments,” Panabo City Mayor Jose Silvosa said.

Silvosa added that if the city is not going to reduce its workforce, they would be forced to cut their spending for basic services. He said that their budget for this year was computed using income estimates and the expected IRA increases.

Other cities in Mindanao are also facing huge IRA share cuts. Highly urbanized cities, like Davao and Zamboanga, will have IRA cuts of P194.5 million and P114.97 million, respectively. Iligan City will be facing a P68.83-million cut, and Butuan, P68.1 million. The six Mindanao cities whose cityhood are being challenged by LCP are Cabadbaran in Agusan del Norte, Bayugan in Agusan del Sur, Tandag in Surigao del Sur, Mati in Davao Oriental, Lamitan in Basilan, and El Salvador in Misamis Oriental.

Casurra said some of the towns converted last year become a city even if they did not achieve first-class income status as municipalities. Mati and El Salvador were third-class municipalities before the conversion, while Cabadbaran and Tandag were second-class municipalities.

The league is also opposing House Bill 24 filed by Rep. Dulce Ann Hofer (2nd District, Zamboanga Sibugay). The bill seeks to automatically convert into cities 27 capital towns—14 in Luzon, 9 in Mindanao, and 5 in the Visayas—of provinces with no existing cities even if they do not meet the income requirement.

Among the Mindanao capital towns included in Hofer’s bill are Mambajao in Camiguin, Nabunturan in Compostela Valley, San Jose in Dinagat Islands, Shariff Aguak in Maguindanao, Alabel in Saranggani, Datu Odin Sinsuat in Shariff Kabunsuan, Jolo in Sulu, Bongao in Tawi-Tawi, and Hofer’s bailiwick—Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay.

Most of these Mindanao capital towns earn less than the minimum P100 million required for cityhood. Mambajao, Jolo, and Bongao are third-class municipalities with annual incomes ranging from P30 million to P40 million. San Jose, the capital of the newly created province of Dinagat Islands, is a fourth-class city with an average annual income of P20 million to P30 million.

Casurra said that existing cities are not against the conversion of towns into cities as long as they meet the requirements. “We are only against creation of cities by exemption.”

Casurra added that if Hofer’s bill is passed, they are afraid that other lawmakers will file similar bills to accelerate conversion of cities. “What will prevent from making other exemptions?”

Editor’s Note: This story is part of the Mindanao Online Reporting Project funded by the Australian Embassy.

 

 

FALCON, BB PIMENTEL ALLIANCE CRUMBLE

Former Surigao del Sur 2^nd District Congressman Jessnar Falcon had a falling out with Governor Vicente Pimentel. This accordingly stems from the negative comments from the Governor when Falcon was trounced by his congressional rival, Florencio Garay. Even former Congressman Butch Pichay confirmed of this rift. The news is that Falcon will make a run for Governor in the coming 2010 elections. He will possibly face Johnny Pimentel, the present Provincial Administrator and the younger brother of the Governor. Earlier, Governor Pimentel is set to challenge the seat of Cong. Florencio Garay. Will this lead to the alliance of Falcon and Garay, erstwhile political opponents against a common adversary which are the Pimentels? Politics will bring strange bedfellows.

***

Its final. The COMELEC dismisses the appeal of El Salvador Mayor Emelita Almirante on technicalities. According to the poll body, Almirante failed to pay the required 3 thousand appeal fee within the period for the filing of notice of appeal and thus failed to perfect her appeal within the required period. However according to the Almirante camp, the decision will not result in the automatic installation of rival Nilo Pates. “As long as the COMELEC will not order the lifting of the restraining order they previously issued, Mayor Almirante will sit and continue to serve as Mayor of El Salvado City in Misamis Oriental.

***

Cagayan de Oro Vice Mayor Vicente Emano criticized the Roads and Traffic Administration (RTA) for driving sidewalk vendors around Cogon market. The clearing operation was ordered by Mayor Tinnex Jaraula. He criticized the act as “inhuman” when goods were spoiled, damaged or destroyed and some lost their day’s earning. “Mga itlog nangabuak. Moabot ra gihapon ang gaba kanila. RTA justified that the demolition is part of their mandate to keep the city streets clean and orderly.

***

How true? Manny Pacquiao will try his luck again in politics this time against General Santos City Mayor Pedro Acharon. Looks like Manny has not learned his lessons. Manny Pacquiao have a big chance of beating Charlene Antonino-Custodio in the Congressional race than unseating Mayor Acharon. Besides does Pacquiao have administrative experience to lead a big city like Gen San? Instead of dipping his fingers again in politics, Pacquiao should concentrate on boxing first and attend to his some of his personal problems which bring negative publicity these days. Lately, a businesswoman from Davao Geraldine Valdivieso complained of unpaid accounts of Manny Pacquiao for the puchase price of a SUV bought by Pacquiao for his wife Jinky’s uncle. The businesswoman have repeatedly demanded for the balance of the purchase price but the same were just responded by Manny with denial and some threats. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

***

Davao City Mayor Rody Duterte is reported to have resigned from his post as the head of the Regional Peace and Order Council. The resignation was irrevocable but the LGU heads of Davao Region led by Gov. Arturo Uy of Compostela Valley seems to initiate a last ditch effort to dissuade the Mayor from resigning.

***

Its not only in Surigao del Sur that political allies will square off. Talks are persistent that Del Rosarios and the Floirendos of Davao del Norte have parted ways and is headed to a collision course in 2010 elections. After vanquishing different respective rivals in the past, it has come to this point that they will finally turn against each other.

***

In the program Korina Today, Koko Pimentel and his lawyer, Leila de Lima narrated in detail and discuss the legal implications of the discovery of empty ballot box in Sultan Kudarat town in Shariff Kabunsuan. In the Maguindanao recount, although there were ballots, it was observed that the ballots were fake and that it was not accompanied with tally sheets and Election Returns. The camp of Miguel Zubiri seems lost in how to deal with these latest development. They will asked the Senate Electoral Tribunal to investigate the matter. But is that still the function of the SET? The SET’s function is to rule and not investigate. This duty to investigate should fall on the Zubiri camp to defend their position. Also, Zubiri should stop portraying himself as the victim. How can he be the victim when he is the one sitting in the Senate and Koko waging a protest outside. The way Zubiri justified the absence of the ballots, he seems like he is putting the blame on the local warring politicians in Sharif Kabunsuan. In the entire stretch of the program, the people waited for a plausible explanation from the Zubiri camp of the missing ballots, but all they got were side stories and other extraneous topics that skirt the real issue which is the missing ballots.

Zubiri’s position in the Senate is imperiled. Majority of the SET officials are coming from the opposition and with evidence overwhelmingly favor on Koko, the fate of Migs is sealed. This explains also that after half a year in the Senate, Migs seems to avoid confrontation with his colleagues and opt to attend to local concerns. Migs is frequently seen in public functions in Cagayan de Oro and in Bukidnon. Although it is expected that Migs lawyer will do whatever they can to prevent Koko from assuming the post of Migs. If that’s the case, the true will of the people is thwarted.