Umali asks PNP to monitor post-election violence

Re-elected Gov. Aurelio M. Umali asked the local police to closely monitor the occurrence of post-election violence in Nueva Ecija despite the peaceful elections experienced last May 10.

Umali pointed out that he was the only incumbent governor in the country to ask the Commission on Elections to place his province under its control.

The move was criticized by Umali's political opponents who said that he placed himself in an awkward situation in asking for COMELEC control for the province as this implied that he failed in his job as chair of the Provincial Peace and Order Council. ###
 
 

 Police offers Thanksgiving Mass for peaceful polls

A Thanksgiving Mass was offered by the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office (NEPPO) for the peaceful conduct of elections in the province.

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, NEPPO director, said that the province's peace and order situation did not suffer much in the May elections compared to those in previous years.

The police, however, continues to investigate the killing of Marcelino Miranda, chair of Barangay San Juan, Aliaga that happened about a week before election day. ###
 
 

Manang Josie withdraws protest to speed up canvassing

Former First District Rep. Josefina Manuel Joson who ran for her old seat in the May 10 elections, withdrew her protest over the zero votes she allegedly got in some precincts in her own hometown of Quezon to speed up the canvassing of votes and the proclamation of the winners.

“Representative Joson decided not to pursue the correction of the glitch,” lawyer Chito Lahom, secretary general of the Bagong Lakas ng Nueva Ecija ( BALANE), Joson’s party, announced.

He said that Joson’s complaint, if not withdrawn, would further delay the proclamation of winners for representative and board members in her district and for the various elective posts in Quezon where her husband, former Vice Gov. Mariano Cristino Joson, was running for mayor.

Earlier, the PCOS machines in three precincts in Quezon transmitted a total of only six votes for Joson. Her rival, former Rep. Renato Diaz of the Lakas-Kampi-CMD, also lost 155 votes because of the glitch, with the machines transmitting zero votes for some candidates to the provincial board of canvassers.

“Anyway, Rep. Joson is leading in the vote counts in the district by a huge margin over her closest rival,” Lahom said. ###
 
 

Lady politicos make strong showing in local polls

Female candidates showed their mettle in the May 10 local elections.

Records from the office of Provincial Election Supervisor Fernando Cot-on showed that among those who won were re-electionists San Jose City Mayor Marivic Belena, Bongabon Mayor Amelia Gamilla and Llanera Mayor Lorna Mae Vero.  The newly elected mayors were Lovella Belmonte of Zaragoza and former Cabiao Mayor Gloria Congco.

Elected as vice mayors were re-electionists Elizabeth Vargas of Aliaga and Irene Bernardo of Santa Rosa, and first timers Ester Lazaro of the Science City of Muñoz, Ma. Lourdes C. Lahom of Quezon, Cora G. Lacurom of Nampicuan,  Cinderella Ramos of Cuyapo and Carmencita Natibo-oc of Carranglan.

Elected to the Sangguniang Panglalawigan were Estrellita ‘Ging’ Suansing and Belinda E. Palilio  of the First District and Teresita A. Patiag of the Fourth District.

Meanwhile, Third District Rep. Czarina Domingo-Umali, wife of Governor-elect Aurelio ‘Oyie’ M. Umali, was also reelected.

Former three-termer Rep. Josefina Manuel-Joson won her former congressional seat. ###
 
 

DOH asks newly elected officials to prioritize measles vaccination

The regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) appealed to local government winners in the last elections to give priority to measles vaccination in their areas in the light of reports that the incidence of measles in Central Luzon has increased by 2,500 percent.

Dr. Jessie Fantone, regional epidemiologist, said that they have monitored 518 cases of measles since January, compared to only 20 cases reported within the same period last year.

Bulacan topped the list with 145 measles cases, followed by Nueva Ecija with 112, Pampanga with 99 cases, Tarlac with 73, Bataan with 55 and Zambales with 34.

“Measles is preventable by vaccines which is available from the DOH. The problem seems to be at the local level,” Fantone said.

He said that some mayors had appointed new health personnel who were not familiar with the vaccination campaign, while in other areas, the local officials failed to provide the logistics for a vaccination drive.

Fantone also reported that so far, no one in the region has died of measles because parents bring their sick children to doctors for early treatment. ###
 
 

4 Army soldiers dismissed for violating election gun ban

Four members of the 7th Infantry Division of the Philippine Army were dismissed from the service for violating the election gun ban.

This was confirmed by Army Maj. Gen. Ireneo Espino, 7th ID commanding general, during the joint PNP-AFP fellowship and thanksgiving program for the peaceful conduct of the May 10 elections, held at the MC Farm and Resort last May 27 .

Espino did not identify the dismissed soldiers but said that their ouster was proof that the Army leadership does not condone violations committed by its soldiers.

Among those present at the event were  Col. Felicito Trinidad of the 702nd Brigade; Col. Ernesto Benitez of the 703rd Brigade and all Nueva Ecija chiefs of police headed by Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director. ###
 
 

DepEd launches 'Brigada Eskuwela'; projects teacher/classroom shortage

In preparation for the opening of classes in June, the Department of Education (DepEd)  launched the "Brigada Eskuwela" program participated in by pupils, parents and teachers.

Cabanatuan City Schools Supt. Malcolm Garma said that the week-long program aims to clean and repair school facilities in time for the start of the school year on June 15.

Meanwhile, the DepEd regional office has estimated a shortage of 2,000 teachers and 3,757 classrooms in public elementary and high schools in Central Luzon.

Irene Lusong of the DepEd’s regional planning unit said that the teacher and classroom shortage estimate was based on a population of 45 pupils per class in the elementary level and 40 students per class in high school.

The DepEd regional office has projected that for school year 2010-2011, public school enrollment will increase to 274,850 in elementary and 125,430 in high school in Nueva Ecija; 37,293 in the elementary and 12,925 in high school in Aurora; 378,031 in elementary and 163,045 in high school in Bulacan; 332,378 in elementary and 138,097 in high school in Pampanga; 184,537 in elementary and 77,647 in high school in Tarlac, and 113,918 in elementary and 48,522 in high school in Zambales. ###
 
 

Ecija nursing schools among 147 'flunked' by CHED

Seven schools of nursing in Nueva Ecija are among 147 such schools nationwide that face closure by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) after their graduates performed below the national passing percentage rate of 46.14 percent for the past five years.

CHED Chair Emmanuel Angeles released the list of schools to the media, saying that by publicizing their names “they will be forced to improve their performance.”

“With this move, we are helping not only the parents and students to carefully choose the nursing schools they want to go to,” Angeles said.

Included in the list are Wesleyan University-Philippines, College of the Immaculate Conception, Dr. Gloria D. Lacson Foundation Colleges, Good Samaritan Colleges, Manuel V. Gallego Foundation Colleges, Nueva Ecija Colleges and Pamantasan ng Araullo.

Also in the CHED list are four government universities and 11 other state institutions. ###
 
 

Poor Ecija families get cash benefits from PGMA

Over 400 indigent families from Pantabangan received P1,000 to P2,800 each from the Arroyo government's flagship Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps)

Adelina Apostol, regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), said that the cash benefits were paid through the Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) San Jose City Branch from May 27 to 28. The amounts paid represented cash subsidies for November and December 2009.

Under the program, indigent families with children up to 14 years old receive cash assistance for the latter’s education and nutrition.

The beneficiary families from Pantabangan include 94 from Barangay Conversion, 92 from Marikit, 81 from Cambitala,  64 from Cadaclan and 86 from Sampaloc.

Also this May, the DSWD released the cash subsidies for indigent families in five other towns. Cuyapo beneficiaries received a total of P947,600; Guimba, P829,000; Quezon, P1,015,700; Lupao, P998,800 and Laur, P1,674,000. ###
 
 

Construction of Pantabangan-Canili road begins

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has started the construction of the Pantabangan-Canili Road project.

The project involves the construction of 31.3 kilometers of road, four new bridges, drainage system and slope protection work, and the repair of one other bridge.

DPWH Sec. Victor Domingo said that the road improvement project aims to cut travel time from Nueva Ecija to Nueva Vizcaya via Aurora from three hours to one and a half hours.

"Nueva Ecija is the gateway of agricultural industry in the Cagayan Valley Region. Creating more alternative road links leading to its major agricultural communities will increase the potential of investment opportunities and improve the profit of the local farmers," he said. ###
 
 

2 hired killers arrested

A joint team of Army soldiers and policemen arrested two suspected gun-for-hire gang men after a brief fire fight in Llanera town.

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director, identified the two as Dennis Vilelia, 30, of Barangay Puting Tubig, Gapan City and Rafael Merez, 25, of Barangay San Juan, Aliaga.

Marquez said that before the encounter, the suspects, riding a motorcycle in tandem, shot Bernardo Martin, a bottling company sales agent, in Barangay Mabini, Llanera. Martin was listed in critical condition in a local hospital.

Elements of the Llanera police led by SPO2 Edilberto Cruz rushed to the scene triggering a fire fight with the two suspects. The local policemen were reinforced by elements from the provincial public safety management company and the Army's 81st Infantry Battalion. Merez was wounded in the encounter and he and Vilelia were eventually captured.

When interrogated, the suspects said that they were hired by Merez’s relative, Renato Merez, who suspected that the victim was having an affair with his wife. Renato allegedly provided them with a caliber .45 pistol and a motorcycle. The suspects said that they were given P1,000 as downpayment, with the balance of P20,000 to be paid once the killing mission was completed.

Marquez said Vilelia was also identified as the one responsible for the December 8, 2009 aborted shooting of one Rene Bernalte in Barangay San Ricardo, Talavera.

The suspects were charged with direct assault, illegal possession of firearms and violations of the Omnibus Election Code and frustrated murder at the provincial prosecutors office. A separate charge of frustrated murder will be filed against Vilelia for the Talavera case. ###
 
 

Suspected PAG leader killed

Unidentified armed men ambushed the suspected leader of a private armed group (PAG) operating in Nueva Ecija last May 24.

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez, provincial police director, identified the victim as Virgilio Alejo, 47, suspected leader of the so-called "Kamagong Group" involved in gang killings. He had outstanding warrants of arrest for murder and rebellion.

Investigation showed that Alejo was with some friends near his house at about 8:15 P.M. when fired upon by four masked armed men who had alighted from a Toyota Corolla car with plate number PTB-736.

The Bongabon chief of police, Chief Insp. Arnel Santiago, said that Alejo ran towards the edge of the Pampanga River in Barangay Vega but the gunmen chased him and fired at him several times with M-16 Armalite rifles.

Last January, the Kamagong Group was identified by the Philippine National Police as one of three private armed groups in Nueva Ecija that was intending to create trouble during the national elections.  These groups were reported to be engaged in armed robbery and gun-for-hire activities.

The police have yet to establish if the activities of the Kamagong Group are linked to those of the two suspected hired guns earlier arrested in Llanera. ###
 
 

Guns claim victims despite ban

Despite the total gun ban imposed during the election period, six shooting incidents have been reported to the police since May 23.

On May 23, Apolinario Flores, 28, of Barangay Aduas Centro, Cabanatuan City, was found sprawled and bloodied along Calara Street, Aduas Centro. He sustained a gunshot wound in his face and was pronounced dead on arrival at a hospital in the city. The police are still at a loss as to the suspect in or motive for the shooting.

Last May 24, in Barangay Vega, Bongabon, Nueva Ecija, one Virgilio Alejo, 47, alleged leader of the dreaded “Kamagong Group” involved in gangland style killings, was ambushed by four masked heavily armed men near his house.

On the same day in Santa Rosa, Eusebio Jardiel, Jr., 19, student, of Barangay Mapalad, was found dead of gunshot wounds along the Sta. Rosa-Dingalan Road.

In Guimba, Gener Llanes, 42, a tricycle driver and resident of Barangay Bantug, was watching TV in his house at about 7:45 P.M. when two armed men barged into his house and shot him four times in different parts of the body, with a caliber .45 pistol.

In Barangay Castellano, San Leonardo, a shooting incident disrupted a drinking session in the house of one Pablo Padilla, resulting in the death of Albert de Jesus, 31, of Barangay San Juan ACCFA, Cabanatuan City. The gunman was identified as Nelson Miranda, 35, of Barangay Mangga, San Isidro town. He was identified by the victim's wife, Julieta.

Padilla reportedly confronted responding policemen with a caliber .45 pistol tucked in his waist. ###
 
 

Ex-barangay councilman shot dead

A former councilman of Barangay Palomaria, Bongabon was shot dead in his house by an unidentified suspect.

Chief Insp. Arnel Santiago identified the fatality as Jacinto Herrera Angeles, 51, of #98 Purok 4, Barangay Palomaria. He sustained six gunshot wounds in the chest.

It was learned that the victim was about to enter the kitchen to eat supper when the suspect fired at him from a dark portion of the backyard. ###
 
 

Dismembered body found in Santa Rosa

Police recovered a human torso and a pair of feet with their ankles sliced off from an isolated area in Barangay Soledad, Santa Rosa last May 13.

Chief Insp. Reynaldo de la Cruz, Santa Rosa police chief, said that they failed to find the victim's head and arms.

Investigators found a handkerchief embroidered with the name and address of a man near the body. ###
 
 

Aliaga mayor's Pajero carnapped

The Pajero vehicle of Aliaga Mayor Marcial Vargas was stolen while parked in front of his house along  Masikap Street, Barangay Piñahan, Quezon City.

The carnapping incident was reported to the Police Community Precinct 10 of the Quezon City Police last May 31 by Carlos Angeles, 50, driver/security aide of the Aliaga mayor.

Investigation showed that the silver Pajero was parked in front of the mayor's house at 8:00 A.M. last May 29 but went missing after a few hours.

Angeles said that at first, he thought that the vehicle was used by the mayor's family but suspected that something was wrong when the Pajero failed to arrive home that evening. ###
 
 

Man shot dead then burned

The still burning body of a man with multiple gunshot wounds was discovered beside a road in Sitio Lomboy Bukid, Carranglan last May 17.

Insp. Denver de Guzman, deputy chief of the Provincial Special Reaction Team, said that the body was found between 7:30 and 8:00 P.M. by Michael Dar Doroja, 26, a Smart Telecom employee, who then reported it to the police.

The victim's hands and feet were tied, and the body was apparently doused with gasoline before being set on fire.

The body was taken to Funeraria Manuel in San Jose City. ###