Church protests vs. casino at capitol

Cabanatuan Bishop Sofronio Bancud and San Jose Bishop Mylo Hubert Vergara led diocesan priests in joining some 6,000 anti-casino protesters outside the Nueva Ecija provincial capitol in Palayan City last August 9.

The protesters, joined by students from private and state colleges and universities and representatives of the Nueva Ecija Chamber of Commerce and Industry, shouted anti-gambling slogans and prayed in front of the capitol.

"We want to air opposition to the impending opening of the casino and other forms of gambling," Bancud later said over Radio Veritas.

He said that the demonstration was just the first in a series of rallies that they intend to stage unless the government does not stop the implementation of the casino project in San Leonardo town which had been approved by the previous Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR), allegedly to boost local tourism and economy.

Vergara countered that there are many creative ways to improve the economic situation in the province but still uphold public morals. Institutionalizing gambling, he said, will seriously affect the moral fiber of the community. ###
 
 

After San Leonardo...
2 more casinos slated to rise

It turns out that the provincial government has approved the setting up and operation of TWO more casinos aside from the one in San Leonardo.

Fr. Noel Jetahobe, chancellor of the Diocese of Cabanatuan, bared that casinos will also open in Cuyapo and Pantabangan.

“Itong sa amin (San Leonardo), this is just one… mayroon pa pala kaming dapat paghandaan at yung dalawa na yun approved na ang application,” he said over Radio Veritas.

He said that Gov. Aurelio Umali told the anti-casino rally in front of the capitol building last August 9 that he was also against gambling. However, he would abide by legal processes in dealing with the casino issue.

“He told us that the provincial board approved the franchise of these casinos in 2002 so it will not be that easy… but we are still hoping that he will help us (in our crusade against gambling),” Jetahobe said. ###
 
 

Board members to get service vehicles

All of the 14 members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan -- regardless of party affiliation --
will each be provided with a service vehicle by the provincial government to enhance their mobility.

This was announced by Vice Gov. Jose Gay Padiernos, adding that Gov. Aurelio Umali has allocated funds for the purchase of the vehicles.

He said that each board member would be provided with at least a Toyota Innova costing about P800,000 per unit.

He said that he had already instructed the preparation of the purchase request for the vehicles so each board member can drive an Innova in going out to the barangays.

Padiernos pointed out that the governor did not leave out a single board member from the service vehicle program even though some are from the rival camp.

The beneficiaries include six new board members -- Estrellita Suansing, Eduardo Rey Joson, Edgardo Agliam, Johnero Mercado, Myrna Corpuz and the governor’s younger brother, Emmanuel Antonio Umali -- and oldtimers Joseph Ortiz, Romanito Juatco, Teresita Patiag and Edmund Abesamis. ###
 
 

Changing of the guards at the Provincial Police Office
Marquez exits; Aligayu enters

Sr. Supt. Ricardo Marquez will end his tour of duty as Nueva Ecija provincial police director on August 16, with his most significant accomplishments the conduct of peaceful and orderly elections last May and the dismantling of various criminal syndicates.

Marquez assumed the provincial directorship on June 28, 2008, replacing Sr. Supt. Napoleon Taas who had served for barely six months.

Marquez is considered "too senior" for provincial posting as many of his mistahs in PMA Batch '82 have already reached the rank of chief superintendent. He had been relieved of his Nueva Ecija post four times, but each did not push through for unknown reasons.

He will turn over his post to Sr. Supt. Roberto Aligayu in ceremonies at the Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office (NEPPO) on August 16.

The list of Marquez's possible replacement originally included 18 names, but only three were finally considered -- Aligayu, former commander of the Regional Mobile Group in Camp Olivas, Pampanga; Sr. Supt. Ramon Apolinario, currently chief of the regional personnel office of the National Capital Region Police Office; and Sr. Supt. Roel Obusan, assigned with the Highway Patrol Group in Camp Crame and former intelligence officer of the NEPPO.

The Nueva Ecija Provincial Police Office is considered a breeding ground for future PNP chiefs, with Hermogenes Ebdane and Edgardo Aglipay once serving as police chiefs of the province. ###
 
 

Nueva Ecija Children’s Angklung Ensemble in Beijing 

The Philippine Embassy in Beijing reported that the Music House Ensemble from San Jose City performed in the 29th International Society of Music Education (ISME) Conference held in the Chinese capital from August 3 to 6.

Aged 7 to 16, the musical talents played a repertoire of Philippine folk songs as well as classical and pop melodies under conductor Chito Mediran.

Music House founder Robin Gabasan said he was proud to be with his students and educators from 20 other countries to share their experiences in music education.

Apart from the Nueva Ecija group, the University of Baguio's Bel Canto Singers also participated in the event. ### Photo courtesy of the Department of Foreign Affairs
 
 

Talugtog mayor, 3 councilors survive slay try

Talugtog Mayor Quintin Caspillo, Jr. and two town councilors were unhurt while a third councilor was slightly wounded when men armed with Armalite rifles ambushed them while cruising the Talugtog-Guimba Road at Barangay Villa Boada at about 3:45 A.M. last August 4.

Together with the mayor in a Toyota Innova were councilors Freddie Domingo, Benjie Gait and Jerry Agpalo, and driver Edurado Concepcion.

Sr. Insp. Wilfredo Grospe, Talugtog police chief, said that Domingo was treated at the Guimba District Hospital and declared safe by attending physicians.

Police later filed attempted murder charges against Florentino Fabianes of Barangay Mayamot 1 and Eduardo Corpuz of Magsaysay District, Talugtog

Caspillo is a close ally of Gov. Aurelio Umali and brother of Regional Trial Court Judge Rodrigo Caspillo. ###
 
 

Jaen ex-barangay chair killed

A former barangay chair in Jaen was killed while his daughter was wounded when two men shot them in Cabanatuan City last August 6.

Noel Acosta, former barangay chair of Magsalisi, and his 13 year old daughter Jodonna were in a tricycle when two men aboard a motorcycle shot then at about 11:30 A.M.

The tricycle driver, Rodrigo Bondoc, rushed the victims to the Nueva Ecija Doctors Hospital where doctors failed to save Acosta.

It was learned that Acosta had declared his intention to run again for barangay chair in the barangay elections this October. ###
 
 

Top rice producer Ecija still receives imported rice

Though Nueva Ecija is one of the country's biggest palay producers, it still received a large volume of rice imported by the National Food Authority (NFA) from Thailand, Pakistan and Vietnam.

Edelino Alejandro, provincial NFA manager, said that the agency allocated 626,000 bags of imported rice to the province for the period March to July, despite local farmers' production of 25 million bags of rice yearly.

He pointed out, however, that the imported rice acts as buffer stock for rice producing provinces like Nueva Ecija, where rice traders transport 15 million bags of milled rice from the yearly rice production to Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog, leaving only 10 million bags for the province's consumption.

NFA statistics show that Novo Ecijanos consume 15,000 bags of rice daily. ###
 
 

Inexpensive grains moisture meter developed in Ecija

The Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PhilMech) of the Department of Agriculture based in the Science City of Muñoz has developed a low-cost grain moisture meter for palay and corn farmers.

There are imported moisture meters available in the country through local distributors. The prices range from 15,000 to 30,000 pesos per unit while the PhilMech grain moisture meter called SHEGA III costs only around 12,000 pesos each.

The PhilMech grain moisture meter is powered by four AA batteries, with the measurement range for rice from 10 to 26 percent moisture content (MC) on wet basis, and 10 to 28 percent MC on wet basis for corn. 

The instrument can measure and get the average of 99 readouts and store up to seven levels of memory. 

With this state-of-the-art but low cost technology, PhilMech assures that problems with the grains moisture content will be avoided to bring additional income to farmers. ###
 
 

Questions about rice industry? I-text mo!

The Philippine Rice Research Institute in the Science City of Muñoz has tapped the cell phone as an effective instrument in boosting the development of the country's rice industry.

Through the project called Short Messaging Service (SMS),  an information seeker -- farmer, extension worker or agribusinessmen, for instance --  can get in touch with PhilRice's Farmers' Text Center (FTC) and ask questions through a cell phone, that in turn will be answered by experts.

The FTC was launched in August 2004 in answer to the rice sector's inadequate access to new production technologies. Since then, FTC has answered more than 70,000 text messages with topics covering rice, livestock, vegetables and other high value crops. Today, it receives an average of 3,000 messages a month. FTC also sends technology tips to registered information seekers.

Those interested in receiving free technology tips on rice should register with the FTC by typing REG (space) name, age, address, occupation, and sending this to 0920-9111398. To send a message, type the question and send it to the same number. ###
 
 

Lady broadcaster charged with publisher's killing

A freelance lady broadcaster was charged by the police for the killing last August 1 of a publisher of a now defunct local newspaper.

Charged were Annie Liwag of Purok 8, Barangay M. S. Garcia District, Cabanatuan City and alleged live-in partner of Edilberto Cruz, the slain publisher of "Salida", and an unidentified man who was reportedly hired to do the hit job.

Liwag, who wrote for "Salida", is an active member of the Nueva Ecija Press Club and used to broadcast for DWNE during the time of the Josons, DWJJ owned by Mayor Jay Vergara, and DZXO.

Cruz, 45, was on his way home on his motorcycle when ambushed along Maharlika Highway in Barangay San Juan ACCFA at around 7:30 P.M. He died of gunshot wounds in the head while undergoing operation at the M.V. Gallego Cabanatuan City General Hospital.

In filing the information for murder, the local police included the affidavits of four witnesses, including the victim's wife Regine Pineda-Cruz and a police intelligence officer who claimed that Liwag had offered him P10,000 to kill Cruz.

The intelligence officer said that on July 27 or days before the killing, Liwag cried before him
in front of the Cabanatuan police station over some "big problem" which turned out to be Cruz whom Liwag had introduced to him before as her live-in partner.

He said that Liwag confided that Cruz was hooked on drugs and was a womanizer and the two had frequently quarreled violently.  Liwag allegedly told him that she wanted to leave Cruz and sell their house.

He said that Liwag asked him to "end her miseries" by killing Cruz.

"I implore you, help me to kill Ed. I have P10,000 for you just kill him," he recalled Liwag as saying. ###
 
 

Retired cop killed in LPG blast

A retired Cabanatuan City policeman died when a leaking liquefied petroleum gas tank exploded in his house last August 15.

The victim was identified as SPO4 Candido Renon, Sr., 72 years old, of Purok 3, Barangay Kalikid Sur.

Investigation showed that the victim arrived home drunk from a birthday party and went to the kitchen to cook instant noodles.  When he turned on the gas stove, it suddenly exploded dousing him with flames.

The fire quickly spread to the rest of the house.

Damage to property was estimated at P400,000. ###