BY ROGER M. BALANZA

      Even as the “Anti-Epal” bill proposed by Sen. Miriam Santiago sleeps in limbo, lawyer Elly Velez Pamatong wants Davao City First District Representative Karlo Nograles punished for plastering his face and name in government vehicles and in signboards of government projects.

The so-called Anti-Epal bill is the bill authored by Santiago— Senate Bill No. 1967—formally titled An Act Prohibiting Public Officers from Claiming Credit through Signage Announcing a Public Works Project—that penalizes politicians who affix their names and faces on government properties and projects.

      Pamatong said Nograles committed corruption, vandalism and constructive malversation, among others, for his “malicious act of plastering public parks, walls, streets, basketball courts, public vehicles and buildings, with his name and face” to gain undue political mileage at the expense of people’s money.

      Pamatong, who, with former Vice Mayor Luis Bonguyan, is contesting Nograles’ reelection in next year’s polls, said Nograles violated election laws on “fair election process.”

      He has filed a complaint before the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Manila, seeking prosecution of Nograles or his disqualification from running in the May 2013 elections.

      In his complaint filed on November 3, 2012, Pamatong accused Nograles of betrayal of public trust in violation of Article XI, Sec. 3 of the Constitution, dishonesty in violation of Article 19 of the Civil Code, graft and corruption for placing his name in government projects and properties, for violation of election laws on fair campaigning.

      Pamatong also slammed Nograles for his government-sponsored television show that he described as a “hypnotizing and brainwashing apparatus” that “subliminally conditioned voters into deifying Nograles as the political gods of the First District.”

      He likened Nograles’ television program to “brainwashing technique used by Mao Tse Tong, Hitler and other megalomaniacs who despicably stained the pages of human history.”

While Senate Bill No. 1967 sleeps the sleep the dead in the Senate, its House version is suffering the same torment, gathering dust in the Lower House.

The House version- House Bill 2309—is authored by Bayan Muna representatives Teodoro Casiño and Neri Colmenares.

But Amatong is apparently aware he cannot tie down Nograles under the Anti-Epal bill and has sought his disqualification from running in the coming elections under the provisions of the Constitution, the Civil Code and the Omnibus Election Act.

Lawyer Anwar Malang, ARMM chief of staff and currently Interior and Local Governments secretary, recently met with Lawyer Randolp Parcasio, legal adviser of Nur Misuari, chair of a faction of the MNLF.

The MNLF move came as a total turn around from Misuari’s earlier provocative statements undermining the Framework Agreement on Bangsamoro signed by the government and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

ARMM is composed of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi, areas covered by the Sept. 2, 1996 GPH-MNLF peace agreement.

Parcasio and Malang signed the “ARMM-MNLF Peace and Development Compact.”

Under the Compact, the group of Misuari is encouraged to cooperate with the ARMM leadership in addressing peace and order problems that have been causing poverty and underdevelopment in Muslim region.

Misuari said the accord abrogated the 1996 peace deal and threatened to bring his complaint before the pan-Islamic body – the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) which brokered the 1996 peace accord.

Under the Compact, both the MNLF and ARMM leadership will cooperate “to protect life, liberty and property of all the people of ARMM. (PNA)

 KORONADAL CITY — The city government of Cotabato, with the help of Saudi Arabia is set to construct a “peace diversion artery” which will serve as an alternate route connecting the city to the southern side of Maguindanao province.

Maguindanao First District Rep. Bai Sandra Sema said her district is grateful to the Saudi Development Fund.  

Saudi Arabia has allotted a fund worth P709.3 million from its Saudi Fund for Development which would include three long bridges that would interconnect riverside villages. 

The assistance from Saudi Arabia was committed several years ago in support of Malacañang’s Southern Mindanao peace process. 

The project will connect a strategic stretch of the Cotabato-General Santos Highway in Barangay Daiwan in Datu Odin Sinsuat town to Cotabato City. 

Rep. Sema said sectors in her district are grateful to Saudi Arabia, President Benigno S. Aquino and to Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson. 

She added the Saudi-assisted road project complements the peace and development initiatives of her office for the city and the 11 towns in the first district of Maguindanao that are funded out of her Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).

SUN.STAR Davao bagged three of the seven awards in the print category of the first-ever Globe Media Excellence Awards held at The Royal Mandaya Hotel Friday night.

Virginia Arcilla-Agtay led the winners for Sun.Star Davao when her piece “Back to the Dark Ages” was adjudged Feature Story of the Year.

Also winning for Sun.Star Davao were reporters Antonio L. Colina IV and Ivy C. Tejano, who were awarded Reporter of the Year for Information and Communications Technology and Reporter of the Year for Youth and Education categories, respectively.

Kristianne Marie Fusilero of Mindanao Times also grabbed the Reporter of the Year award for both Environment and Disaster Response and Governance and Social Progress categories.

Sharing honors in the print category were Roger Balanza of the Durian Post as Reporter of the Year for Business and Entrepreneurship category, and Rene Bartolo of the Mindanao Times as Columnist of the Year.

Balanza, through his durianburgdavao, also won the Blogger of the Year award, Vinafel Araneta of ABS-CBN Davao emerged Reporter of the Year for Television, while Admar Vilando of DXRD Sonshine Radio Davao was awarded Reporter of the Year for Radio.

John Paul Seniel of GMA Davao received the Feature Story of the Year for Television award, while Randolph Cañedo of ABS-CBN Davao got the award for TV Broadcaster of the Year.

The Globe Media Excellence Awards also coincided with the 3rd Davao Media Freedom Day.

“As 2012 draws to a close, the Davao Media Excellence Awards is a fitting event to honor the best and brightest from print, broadcast and online media. The Media Awards are conferred to press people who have demonstrated journalistic achievement in their reportage of issues both of local and national significance,” said Yoly Crisanto, corporate communications head of Globe Telecom.

“We had a great response from members of the Davao media and we look forward to continuing this yearly event. Globe will always be supportive of the remarkable achievements of the members of the Davao media,” Crisanto added.

The awardees were chosen by a distinguished panel of judges led by Ms. Ma. Margarita “Margie” Moran Floirendo, chair of the Mindanao Commission on Women, from 24 finalists.

Other judges include Philippine Women’s College of Davao director Dr. Marario Tiu, University of Southeastern Philippines Institute of Language executive director Dr. Patricia Elbanbuena; University of Mindanao Institute of Popular Opinion executive director Dr. Ma. Linda Arquiza; DOT 11 director Arturo Boncato Jr.; ICT-Davao president Wit Holganza; Investment Promotion and Public Affairs Office director III Romeo Montenegro; Yahoo Philippines country editor Erwin Oliva; and Investor Relations Global managing director Lito Buñag.

Punongbayan & Araullo, a leading accounting, auditing and advisory services firm counted and validated the winners of the Media Awards.
The Davao winners received cash prizes and a trophy.

The first Davao Media Excellence Awards will be presented on November 23 at a special ceremony in The Royal Mandaya Hotel. Twenty-four journalists, from print and broadcast media will vie for different awards that will honor their outstanding works.
For PRINT, the finalists for the different categories are, Reporter of the Year Business & Entrepreneurship category – Virginia Arcilla-Agtay and Antonio Colina IV of SunStar Davao, Kristianne Marie Fusilero of Mindanao Times, and Roger Montano Balanza of Durian Post; Reporter of the Year Environment and Disaster Response andReporter of the Year Governance & Social Progress categories – Kristianne Marie Fusilero of Mindanao Times; Reporter of the Year Information and Communications Technology category – Antonio Colina IV of SunStar Davao and Jesse Pizarro Boga of Mindanao Times; and Reporter of the Year Youth and Education category – Ivy Tejano of SunStar Davao.
Feature Story of the Year – Print finalists are ‘Reviving the Coconut Industry (2 parts)’ by Henrylito Tacio of Philippine Graphic; ‘Child Labor is Still a Sad Reality’ by Stella Estremera of SunStar Davao; ‘Science vs Law – Battle Over the Dumoy Water Resources Part 1’ by Ricardo Jimenez Jr. of Mindanao Times; ‘Tree Farming Laughs All the Way to the Bank’ by Aurelio Peña of Edge Davao; and “Back to the Dark Age?’ by Virginia Arcilla-Agtay of SunStar Davao.
Rene Espeleta Bartolo and Joan Mae Soco of Mindanao Times, Radzini Oledan of SunStar Davao, Aurelio Peña of Edge Davao, and Roger Balanza of Durian Post are all in the running for the Columnist of the Year category.
For RADIO, Admar Vilando of DXRD Sonshine Radio Davao is the lone nominee for the Reporter of the Year category.
For TELEVISION, Viafel Araneta of ABS-CBN Davao is the solo finalist for Reporter of the Year while John Paul Senel’s three stories namely ‘Gisukod na ang Teytuyan’, ‘Classroom sa Utlanan’, and ‘Pantukan’ are the finalists for The Feature Story of the Year.Nominees for Broadcaster of the Year category include John Paul Seniel of GMA Davao and Randolph Canedo of ABS-CBN Davao.
The Media Awards will also give away a special Blogger of the Year award for local-based bloggers. The finalists in this category are Jeff Tupas of jeftupas.com, Jon Joaquin of jonalism.com, and Roger Montano Balanza of durianpost.com.
The auditing firm of the Davao Media Awards, Punongbayan & Araullo (P&A) validated the list of finalists.
The awardees on the other hand will be chosen by a distinguished panel of judges led by Ms. Ma. Margarita “Margie” Moran Floirendo, Chairperson of the Mindanao Commission on Women.

The President said that although the proposed original amount had been downsized, his government could still use the new amount to manage the deficit and fund healthcare programs.

“Mabuti sana kung 60 magagamit ng healthcare programs. For 40, I think, is also a good number,” the President said.

“At 40, we’re happy. At 60, we’ll be happier. For 40 is already, I think, sufficient to meet the objectives both in terms of gaining more resources, managing the deficit but most importantly addressing the health issues. Most of the funds that will be generated are earmarked for supporting our health program,” he added.

The money to be collected from sin taxes will be spent in building more health facilities, rural health units, district hospitals, and other facilities and will also be used for premiums for the expanded coverage of PhilHealth, the State’s healthcare insurance program. (PNA)

The revaluation of group-wide dollar-denominated loans and placements resulted in a non- recurring gain of P1.2 billion. In addition, AboitizPower logged P668 million one-off losses during the nine-month period.

With these adjustments, AboitizPower’s core net income as of Sept. 30 amounted to P17.9 billion, up by 15 percent year-on-year.

In the third quarter of 2012, AboitizPower’s net income was P6.2 billion, a 10 percent improvement year-on-year.

The strengthening of the peso resulted in a P220 million non-recurring gain due to the revaluation of dollar-denominated liabilities and placements across the group.

Netting out one-off items, AboitizPower’s core net income for the third quarter of 2012 was P6.4 billion, which is 13 percent higher than the same period last year.

”AboitizPower’s third quarter results reflected the higher demand coming from both our generation and distribution businesses. This was further boosted by higher Wholesale Electricity Spot Market prices due to higher demand and supply shortage because of several plant outrages. We also saw improvement in the distribution margins with the implementation of Performance Based Regulation and reduction of systems loss,” said AboitizPower president and CEO Erramon Aboitiz.

”This growth in demand reflects the overall economic growth that our nation is enjoying. AboitizPower is steadfast in our commitment to powering our nation’s future by providing ample power when needed, at the most competitive cost, utilizing the latest technology to allow us to harness power with the least adverse effect to the environment,” Aboitiz said.

The generation business contributed P17.2 billion in the first nine months of the year, accounting for 89 percent of earnings contributions from AboitizPower’s business segments.

This is up 12 percent higher year-on-year.

Netting out one-off items, AbotizPower’s generation business earned P16.4 billion for the period, which is 12 percent higher than in the same period last year.

The distribution business contributed P2.2 billion as of September, 24 percent year-on-year increase.

Total attributable electricity sales increase by six percent yea-on-year, from 2,764 GWh to 2,935 GWh.

Demand from all customer segments continued to grow with the industrial segment recording a seven percent year-on-year expansion in volume sales, while residential and commercial accounts registered five percent and three percent growth, respectively.(PNA)

In a 14-page petition, Palparan, with co-accused retired Army Master Sgt. Rizal Hilario of the Army’s 24th Infantry Battalion, urged the CA to issue a temporary restraining order against the Bulacan RTC.

The two questioned the April 2012 omnibus order issued by Bulacan RTC Branch 14 Presiding Judge Teodora Gonzales which was affirmed in July 2012 that ordered their arrest and issuance of a hold departure order after finding probable cause to the case of kidnapping and serious illegal detention of Sherlyn Cadapan and Karen Empeno.

Palparan and Hilario argued the order should be nullified and that the CA direct the Dept. of Justice to conduct another preliminary investigation.

The petitioners said the DOJ did not investigate the allegations of kidnapping and serious illegal detention.

They said the DOJ investigation was for rape, serious physicial injuries, arbitrary detention, grave threat and other charges filed by the mothers of the two UP students.

“Clearly the right of petitioners to due process and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation against them were violated. They were not given an opportunity to submit countervailing evidence to squarely refute the charge of kidnapping and serious illegal detention in violation of their right to due process,” their petition said.

The petitioners said allowing this violation of due process to proceed would cause them “irreparable injury considering that all the might and resources of the government are being used against them.”

Palparan is included in the “Big 5″ most wanted men in the Philippines with a P2 million reward for his arrest.

Aside from Palparan and Hilario, their other co-accused are Army Staff Sgt. Edgardo Osorio, Lt. Col. Felipe Anotado of the Army’s 25th Infantry Battalion.

Both Osorio and Anotado have surrendered after the Bulacan RTC issued warrants of arrest against them. (PNA)

GENERAL SANTOS CITY, Philippines — The provincial government of South Cotabato is no longer pursuing a review of the environmental impact study (EIS) of foreign-backed Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) after the German team it earlier tapped for its expertise has reportedly backed out.

South Cotabato Gov. Arthur Pingoy Jr. said the DeutscheGesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH or German Development Cooperation in Manila decided to back off after drawing criticism from environmental groups.

“It created a controversy when it came out in the news, that’s why GIZ called it off,” Pingoy said.

The governor said the proposed EIS review initially came up after his trip to Germany last June.

The review would have “answer all our questions and concerns regarding the Tampakan project,” Rudy Jimenia, Pingoy’s executive assistant earlier said.

The local government was also hoping the GIZ study could break the impasse between SMI and the Diocese of Marbel, which is staunchly opposing the company’s planned large-scale copper and gold mining project in the mountains of Tampakan town.

While saying that the botched study is not a review of the provincial ordinance that banned open pit mining, Pingoy said its results could weigh on the possible review of the controversial South Cotabato Provincial Environment Code.

Pingoy said the proposed cost of the study was very minimal and would have been paid for by the League of Province in the Philippines.

SMI owns the Tampakan Copper and Gold Project that is said to contain the largest untapped deposits of copper and gold in Asia with estimated deposits of up to 15 million metric tons and 17.9 million ounces of copper and gold, respectively.

SMI-Xstrata has repeatedly announced it would pour in US$ 5.9 billion in investments to extract copper and gold deposits in the village of Tablu in Tampakan, South Cotabato and the neighboring villages.

SMI said “if approved, the mine (is) estimated to yield an average of 375,000 tonnes per annum of copper and 360,000 ounces per annum of gold in concentrate over the 17 year period of mining and ore production.”

If developed, the mine will contribute an average of P134 billion (US$ 2.8 billion) to the country’s annual GDP and 10.4 percent of the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Regions 11 and 12, according to SMI corporate affairs superintendent Roy Antonio.

But the project’s development is being challenged by the denial of its application for Environmental Compliance Certificate or ECC by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) last January.

The DENR cited the standing ban on open-pit mining, which SMI had signified to utilize, as reason for the ECC application’s denial.(PNA)