Chinese Ship Rammed Pangasinan's Fishermen

One of the victims showed to media men his wound

Victims answer questions from media men

The Philippines alleged on Sunday that a Chinese vessel accidentally rammed a local fishing boat north of a disputed South China Sea shoal, killing one and leaving four others missing.

The fishing boat set out from the northern coastal town of Bolinao, in Pangasinan province, last Monday and was reported to have sunk two days later, Office of Civil Defence chief Benito Ramos told AFP. "Of the eight fishermen aboard, four were plucked out of sea only yesterday, but one of them died in a hospital," Ramos said. "Four more are still missing." The rescued fishermen told authorities they believed the vessel which collided with their boat was Chinese, Ramos said, though this could not be independently verified. Chinese embassy officials were not available for comment on Sunday.

Ramos said the incident occurred north of Scarborough Shoal where the Philippines and China have been engaged in a tense stand off since April. "It's north of the Scarborough, though we could not determine how far in terms of distance or nautical miles," he said.

President Benigno Aquino earlier this month ordered two Philippine ships to pull out from the shoal during bad weather, a move that the Chinese said calmed tensions in the area. While China said it would also ask its fishermen to leave the area, it stressed it had no intention of pulling out its bigger ships from there. As of last week, there were still seven Chinese ships at the shoal, according to the Philippines foreign ministry.

Read more: http://everythinginbudget.blogspot.com/2012/06/chinese-vessel-rams-philippine-boat-1.html#ixzz3HfV33I8z

Smarting Vice Mayor, Shortchanged in Loot?

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA

A vice mayor in a town in Pangasinan yaps and bellyaches about the “anomalous’’ transactions of the mayor he is going to challenge in next year’s mayoralty poll.
“Why is it that checks that run to millions of pesos were released without their corresponding vouchers?” he told me.
When I met the mayor I asked him why the vice mayor continued to assail the X million pesos loan his town contracted with the Land Bank of the Philippines.
“Sa ibang bayan mayor tahimik lang ang vice mayor dahil may share siya na P1 million sa loan (In other town mayor, the vice mayor there just keeps mum after he was given his P1 million share from the loan),” I continued.
The mayor retorted that he could not fathom why the vice mayor still denounces his transaction.
“Binigyan ko naman ng P200 thousand na galing sa loan iyan. Kaya nga na-delay ang P100 thousand sa bawat councilors dahil inuna namin na mabuo iyong P200 thousand niya ( I gave him P200 thousand from the loan. That’s why the P100 thousand intended for each of the councilors has been delayed because we prioritized his P200 thousand),” the mayor told me.
Now I know why the vice mayor goes “ballistic” every session of the council.
He got a pittance of the loot in a transaction that can give 20% to 30% personal share to the mayor from favored private contractors. And I am talking here tens of million of pesos.
***
In the age of internet where one can read almost anything under the sun, I still fancy surplus and second hand hardbound political books that are sold at Power Books in Nepo Mall in Dagupan City and Robinsons in Calasiao, Pangasinan.
Geez, a lot of scintillating books at P80 apiece that I wonder Pangasensinenses do not patronize the store.
“Kukunti lang kayo sir na bumili ng ganyang klasing libro,” quipped by a sales lady there.
Because of these books my wife now mulls to file legal separation from me. Why? I just used the money she gave me for a sack of rice to buy non-fiction books like Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly by Joseph Amann and Tom Breuer, The Kissenger Transcripts Edited by Willian Burr, War Reporting for Cowards By Cris Ayres ,The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw ,and the Man of the House (The Life and Political Memoires of former House Speaker Tip O’Neill) as told by O’Neill to William Novak the other day.

Romero asks Manay Gina for additional funds

Swanky Pink Colored Fish Market: Pangasinan Rep. Gina de Venecia (2nd from right) graced the inauguration of the P20 million fish market located at the public market in Mangaldan, Pangasinan. She got the fund from her P70 million Countryside Development Fund. From Left: Mangaldan Mayor Herminio Romero, former Speaker Joe de Venecia, Rep. de Venecia, and Mangaldan Vice Mayor Berex Abalos

By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
 
MANGALDAN – Mayor Herminio Romero appealed to Rep. Gina de Venecia to give this town additional funds to complete the construction of the new public market and the Macario Ydia Development Center.
He hoped that Rep, de Venecia will prioritize the projects because of the renewed bullish business atmosphere that permeates here after the public market was gutted by fire in 2009.
Romero said P80 million has been used already to bankroll the construction of the two-storey edifice, P60 million of which came from a loan this town obtained from Land Bank of the Philippines while the P20 million came from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of de Venecia.
A staff of the mayor who asked anonymity said this town needs another P20 million from the PDAF of the lady solon.
He said although de Venecia has pledged it already to Romero, the mayor wanted it immediately so he could finish the construction of the market.
“Dito sa Mangaldan, pagdating ng election pinaka-malaki na boto na ibinibigay namin dito kay Manay,” he declared hoping this loyal gesture could prompt de Venecia to release immediately the requested amount.
Because of scarcity of funds source from the government, Romero said public officials are in a quandary looking for funds just to bankroll the repair of their offices in the municipal hall.
“Some of them resort into borrowing from government banks,” he said.
He explained that the fund he needs from the solon is a necessity because once the new market becomes operational, there would be more jobs for his constituents.
Romero said local revenues of the town increase yearly because of the confidence of customers and traders.
He said that collection in 2009, 2010, 2011 increased by P4 million, P5.5Million, and P7.3Million, respectively.
De Venecia is on a construction binge in the 4th Congressional District with hundreds of millions of funds she chalked up through her initiatives and connection with national officials.
Although Mayor Benjamin S. Lim of Dagupan City is not a political ally of de Venecia, the city is a beneficiary of de Venecia’s P200 million public works funds for upgrading of concrete roads and re-construction of drainage systems in six villages of the city.

Investors mull call center in Lingayen

LINGAYEN – Mayor Ernesto Castaneda recently said that investors mull to put a call center in this capital town of Pangasinan.

“Hindi ko alam, basta plano pa lang. Ayaw ko mag-comment ng ganoon pero meron silang plano magkaroon sila ng call center,” he stressed.

In an earlier interview with this paper Castaneda explained that a business process outsourcing with 20 call agents will open here. He said the center will be located near the 711 in the Poblacion area.

Castaneda said that his administration continues to implement those projects being undertaken by the engineering department of this town and those unimplemented projects that were part of the P45 million loans his administration obtained from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

“Nag umpisa na iyong municipal cemetery, then isusunod naman natin ang wet market, at saka iyong slaughter house”.

The other projects funded by the LBP loan were multi-cabs that were distributed to each of the 22 villages here and the police station, fire trucks, and pay loader.

“Puera iyong loan, iyong projects ng municipal government like farm-to-market roads, rehabilitation of schools, sports, various projects for the general welfare”.

The mayor said he also requested projects from the various departments like education, agrarian reform, agriculture, National Irrigation Administration, and the provincial government.

Law enforcers in Pangasinan violating "No Plate-No Helmet Policy"?

Are these law enforcers from the Land Transportation Office and the Philippine National Police mockingly and blatantly violating the "No Plate-No-Helmet Policy" passed by cities in Pangasinan? LTO enforcer at Left has no plate while he waits to arrest motorist without plates on their vehicles. While at the Right photo is a policeman without a helmet but who could arrest motorbike rider who did not wear a helmet This photo was taken from the social network of Pangasinanenses in the internet

MOA sa media irespeto (matapos maaresto media man sa Pangasinan)

Jaime Aquino (2nd from Left) the renowned hard hitting media man

NANAWAGAN kahapon si Alab ng Mamamahayag (ALAM) Chairman Jerry Yap sa pamunuan ng Philippine National Police (PNP) na respetohin ang napagkasunduan nilang MOA noon pang 2001.



Ani Yap, nagkasundo ang pamunuan ng National Press Club (NPC) na dating pinamumunuan ni Louie Loragrta, at ang Department of Interiors ang Local Government (DILG) na noon ay pinamumunuan ni Joey Lina, na ipatupad ang probisyon ng United Nation sa Declaration of Human Rights, na lahat ng tao at may karapatan sa kalayaan sa pamamahayag at pagsasalita.



Aniya, nakapaloob sa memorandum of agreement na pirmado nina Logarta at Lina na obligasyon ng gobyernong respetuhin ang kalayaan sa pamamahayag ng mga media men.



Nakapaloob din umano ditong obligasyon ng NPC na protektahan ang interes ng mga miyembro nito at siguruhing tinutupad din ng mga miyembro ang Journalist’s Code of Ethics at Konstitusyon, gayundin ang mga legalidad na kasangkot dito. 



Dahil dito, nagkasundo umano ang DILG at NPC na hindi isisilbi ang ano mang warrant of arrest sa sino mang media man na inaakusahan ng libel o ano mang kasong may kaugnayan sa kanyang trabaho na hindi muna ipinaaalam sa NPC.



Ayon naman kay ALAM Pres. Berteni Causing, maraming pagkakataong hindi natutupad ng DILG ang nasabing MOA.



Isa aniyang halimbawa ay ang kaso ni Pangasinan reporter Jaime Aquino na inisyuhan ng warrant of arrest kamakailan.



Ani Causing, ayon sa batas ay hindi krimen ang libel kaya hindi dapat tinatratong criminal ang mga reporter.



Kung nakagagawa umano sila ng pagkakamali kaugnay ng kanilang trabaho, dapat ipagbigay-alam ito sa NPC tulad ng napagkasunduan.



Si Aquino ay pinosasan at agad ikinulong noong Miyerkules, June 20, dakong 8 a.m. nang isinilbi sa kanya ang warrant.



Ani Aquino, wala siyang natanggap na notice o subpoena ng libel kaya hindi niya alam na may ganoon siyang kaso.



Hinihinalang ang nasabing kaso ay isang uri lamang ng harassment kay Aquino.



Gayunman, tinulungan si Aquino ng ALAM na magpiyansa ng P10,000 upang pansamantalang makalaya.



Si Aquino ay coordinator ng ALAM sa Pangasinan (Hataw).

Big tax frauds in Pangasinan in DOJ for litigation

BIR Regional Director Arnel Gubala

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO – The regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue said the three controversial cases filed against two officials of the Register of Deeds-Pangasinan and 12 others are pending at the Department of Justice for court litigation.

Director Arnel Gubala said a committee at the DOJ that handles Run After Tax Evaders have taken care of the cases filed by the Bureau of Internal Revenue central office against lawyer Cecilia L. Munar , head of the Register of Deeds (RD) in Dagupan City, lawyer Melvin Castro, assistant head of RD in Lingayen, and the 12 heirs of Gavino Vinluan of Labrador, Pangasinan.

The case ensued when Munar conspired with land seller Humberto Cason Solis and land buyer Elma de la Cruz Versoza.

BIR Commissioner Kim Henares, in a press release, said Solis sold to Versoza an agricultural land in Binalonan, Pangasinan for X amount that were all listed on the Certificate Authorizing Registration (CAR) issued by the Revenue District Office-6 of the BIR in Urdaneta City.

This transaction was covered by Transfer Certificate of Title (TCT) 89201.

By using the same CAR and TCT numbers, Solis sold again to Versoza another 1,282-square meter hotel in Fernandez St., Dagupan City where one of the duo falsified through replacement, alteration, addition and superimposition of details on the face of the documents and the CAR issued by RDO-6 to look liked it was issued by RDO-4 based in Calasiao, Pangasinan.

According to RDO-4 chief Christine Cardona the “malefactor” paid tax payments only of Capital Gains Tax and Documentary Stamp Tax for P6,000 and P1,500 to P206,000 and P31,500, respectively.

She said this deprived the government P51.49 million of revenues inclusive of surcharges and interests.

This happens, according to Henares, with the connivance of Atty. Munar who should have seen the blatant falsifications on the CAR before she allowed the transfer of title to Versoza.

Consequently Munar was charged for permitting the transfer of the said properties in direct violation of Section 58 (E), in relation to Section 269 (e) and (h) of the Tax Code.

Director Gubala said that his personnel at the Special Investigation Division discovered the falsifications of the CAR of Solis and Versoza.

He lauded too the information provided by the heads of the two revenue district offices (RDO) that strengthen the cases against the respondents.

RDO- 4 is headed by RDO chief Cardona and Assistant RDO Charmaine de la Torre, while RDO-6, based in Urdaneta City, is headed by Atty. Beverly Milo and Assistant RDO Maria Bernadette Mangaoang.

Another source who asked anonymity in RDO-6 said the SID discovered the alleged anomalies of Solis and Versoza when the children of the former suspected the “close relationship” of the duo that prompted their father to sell the property in Dagupan City to Versoza.

“This made the children to report the illegal transaction at the BIR,” the source said.

The case of Castro and the 12 heirs of Vinluan stemmed when the latter 358,966 square meters of lands were sold to buyer former mayor Ernesto Acain of Labrador despite the absence of the requisites for transfer.

Quirino Ramos and lawyer Elmer Carolino, chief and assistant chief of RDO-5 based in Alaminos City said the heirs violated Section 258 (E) of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended, for allowing the transfer of ownership of the subject parcels of land without a CAR from the BIR certifying that such transfer has been reported and that the CGT has been paid.

Carolino explained that Castro’s involvement started when he wrote at the Day Book of the RD -Lingayen a statement that was used by the provincial assessor office under Nestor Quimbao to issue new tax declarations in the name of the buyer.

The alleged illegal acts of Castro and the heirs have deprived the government of P9.26 million taxes.

Gubala said before his office files a RATE case against the respondents, he has to recommend it first to the main office of the BIR in Manila that decides with finality the filing.

Lim, Fernandez Plant Tree

Dagupan Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez and Dagupan City Mayor Benjie S. Lim (3rd and 4th from Left respectively)participates in the tree-planting activity held during the 114th Independence Day Celebration at the Dagupan City National High School (DCNHS) on June 12. MITZ CRESENCIO

Politicians should avoid Zubiri otherwise they lose

Besieged former Senator Migz Zubiri

By MORTZ MARCELO ORTIGOZA

My politician friend told me that a corrupt mayor can get 20 percent to 30 percent of the loan his town or city obtained from government- run Land Bank of the Philippines and Development Bank of the Philippines.

“If he wants the money immediately, he can get P20 million or 20% of the P100 million loans in advance from the (private) contractor,” he whispered to me not to divulge his name but to expose this perennial anomaly in public.

But if the mayor wants a 30% or P30 million from the loan, then he should be the one to own the construction firm (of course though a dummy) if he wants the bigger chunks of the anomaly alias S.O.P (Standard Operation Procedure) after the project (construction of either the municipal hall, public market, or other public building) is completed and approved by the concerned government agencies.

****

A day before and a day after the controversial Manny Pacquiao – Tim Bradley tiff, the wire of my internet “burns” in eternity thus I got a backache and strained eyes trying to get the best and latest news from boxing websites all over the world for me to share in public through GMA-7 TV and Bombo Radyo.

I told them that three of the judges (yes, including Jerry Roth who gave Manny a close 115-113) conspired to chalk-up the broad daylight heist.

I scored the fight 117-112 in favor of the Filipino Praying Mantis, er, congressman where I gave to Bradley Rounds 10,11, and 12 and Rounds 2 and 5 a tie ( Tie score is sanctioned by the Nevada State Athletic Commission). My score was corroborated by the CompuBox I brought straight from Nevada (pssst, Nevada Hotel in Baguio City) for Exhibit A before the TV viewers.

I explained that Manny lost because he did not eat all the malunggay (moringa oleifera) leaves he endorsed in his Sting Power Pacq Energy Drink, but should have gnawed as well all the barks and the trunk of the malunggay tree for an explosive lethal treat to the public who thirst for blood, gory, knocked out.

***

I scooped on TV that the motive to swindle the boxing world hinged on BobFather Arum, Pacquiao’s promoter, who will end his contract with Manny this year.

“He hated (Juan Manuel) Marquez because he asks an exorbitant purse ($10 million) and wants the rematch to be held in Mexico,” I explained in Filipino after I ran out of English.

I added that Marquez avoids Las Vegas because he was being cheated there by the judges.

With Pacquiao-Marquez in November, Arum gets a reduced share in the revenues at the gate and the Pay Per View.

But with Bradley versus Pacquiao, Arum still gets a windfall as he dictates how much Bradley gets.

The American pug was too surprised to learn he won after announcer Michael Buffer announced the winner)

***

The other multi-million dollar motivation to swindle boxing fans was the $100 bet that wins $450 if one bet for Bradley.

A big time gambler in the Philippines needs $1 million only to win $4.5 million. Big time gamblers who conspired with the promoter and judges in Vegas went their way to the bank laughing.

The justification of judge Duane Ford that Bradley schooled Pacquiao was a crap.

My poser to judge Ford: How could you sell your souls to the devil and ruin your reputation and the boxing industry?

I emphatically recommend that judges Ford and Cynthia J. Ross be sacked and replaced by Jennifer Lopez and Paula Abdul as the next judge in the rematch of the Filipino and the American on November.

At the end of my interview at that morning TV show Primera Balita, I denied the text messages rumor that three of my fellow media men committed suicide by committing Hara-Kiri after the Filipino superman lost.

“First, Atong Remogat, Harold Barcelona, and Ronel de Vera did not bet their P10 thousand against the P1 thousand bet of the hao-shiao (fake) media men who disagreed Pacquiao could knock out Bradley. Second, they did not commit Hara-Kiri, first because they are not Japanese; and second they don’t have samurai.”

***

The more United Nationalist Alliances and Senator Koko Pimentel and his father Nene exchange barbs, the more UNA self-destructs.

Everybody knows that former Senator Migz Zubiri “cheated” his way to win his former post under the Lakas-NUCD Party of then president Gloria M. Arroyo. Those stalwarts in UNA like vice president Jojo Binay, then President Joseph Estrada, and the senatorial slates of UNA (where some are identified as former President Arroyo’s stooges) would pay the consequences for coddling Zubiri.

***

Politicians in Pangasinan who are too proud parading Zubiri in public whenever he visits the province and her towns should know that Zubiri is a jinx and not an asset for their political stocks in 2013. They have still time to distance themselves from him.

Our politico friends should remember that it is ensconced in the mind of the voters of a witness called by the Senate electoral reform committee chaired by Pimentel who alleged that he delivered genuine tabulation materials to a warehouse allegedly belonging to the Zubiri family in Bukidnon weeks before the 2007 elections.

You can read my selected intriguing but thought-provoking columns at http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com. You can send comments too at totomortz@yahoo.com).

How public officials escape payroll scam raps

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

SAN CARLOS CITY – A treasury consultant of this city said a mayor or department heads can be spared from payroll scam charges by writing an objection to a transaction.

Rival behind Media Attacks vs. Primicias

LINGAYEN – “The media demolition job against Dr. (Sheila Marie A.) Primicias is part of the jockeying to the coveted No.1 post of DepEd that would be vacant on September this year,” a source at the Department of Education – Pangasinan 1, who asked anonymity, said.

She suspected that there was an orchestrated moved by the rivals of Dr.  Primicias by using paid hacks in the media to destroy her so she could not be a contender for the soon to be vacated post of superintendent here.

Dr. Aurora Domingo, the present boss of Pangasinan-1, will retire on September this year.

The source said that she could not fathom why nemesis of Primicias, the assistant superintendent for academics of DepEd Pang-1, made a big fuss on the jogging pants, collar t-shirts, and umbrella that teachers bought as their uniform in the opening of the Palarong Pambansa (National Game).

3 chiefs of police sacked over ‘jueteng’

MANILA, Philippines—Three chiefs of police were removed from their posts Friday for failing to curb the proliferation of illegal numbers game in their areas, Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo said.

Chief Inspector Joseph Calonge Laureta of Alaminos, Laguna; Senior Inspector Allan Joy Medina Suratosn of Alcala, Pangasinan; and Senior Inspector Roger Manuel Digmayo, of Santo Tomas, Pangasinan were relieved under the Philippine National Police’s “one-strike policy,” Robredo said.

Police raided a small-time lottery outlet owned by Ramloid Gaming Corp. last June 8 and a jai-alai operation at the Alcala public market in Santo Tomas, Pangasinan on June 10 (Jamie Elona, Inquirer.net).

A scheming vice mayor?

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A vice mayor of a city in Pangasinan complained to a radio station about the million of peso loan obtained by his mayor from a government bank.
A former mayor told me to tell the city mayor that he could “silence” the whinings of the vice mayor he suspected to be making noise because he wants a share of the loan.
“I did that to my vice mayor and his councilors and everybody was happy,” the former mayor said.
I told what the former mayor told me to the city mayor’s man Friday
The man Friday torpedoed the request of the former mayor.
“Kahit mag-dadak-dak siya sa media (vice mayor),kahit singko sentimos hindi siya bibigyan ni mayor. Hindi ganoon si mayor! (Despite his acrimony in the media, the bellyaching vice mayor would not get even a cent. Our mayor is not like that!)” he told me.
***
Other mayors know how to buy the silence of their vice mayor and councilors.
According to the former mayor, in the X amount he contracted with Land Bank of the Philippines he gave P1 million to the vice mayor, an opposition; P500 thousand and P300 thousand to each of the opposition councilors and pro-mayor dads.
“The loan was approved as fast as one can imagine at the council dominated by opposition members who impressed to the public that they are morally fit who think of the welfare of their constituents.’
Thanks to the narration of my politician friend, now we know how hypocrites our public officials are.
Can you stillremember dear readers my last column on how 70% of the P3 million re-gravelling funds went to the pockets of the mayor, private contractor, and the municipal engineer?

***
Hereunder is my analysis on the Pacquiao vs. Bradley tiff I explained in my interview with TV stations GMA-7 and ABS-CBN last week:
Manny Pacquiao is Jim Croce’s Big Bad Leroy Brown on his outing against Tim Bradley on June 10, 2012. Manny has been fighting at 147 lbs for countless of times while Tim fought on it, excellently and dominantly, only once versus Luis Carlo Abrigu in July, 2010.
The Filipino has knack for knockouts with 64.41 % ratio on his 54 fights versus the modest 41.38 % of the American’s 28fights.

But there was a crack on the armor of Pacquiao in his sluggish rubber match against Juan Manuel Marquez in November 12, 2011.
It can either be a sign of wear and tear from the wars he had been, or a sign of too many activities in politics and showbiz?
Bradley declared he trained hard for 10 weeks on this toughest fight of his life.
“I studied Pacquiao for four years” he quipped.
Manny satisfied himself with seven weeks of training that could be deducted by “a week” of emphatic prayer meeting, intense proselytizing,zealous curing of believers with eye and hand problems and flocked for a miracleto an overnight preacher in his training hideaway in the cloud kissed mountain of Baguio City.
In case the congressman loses because of these spiritual destructions, it means God Almighty has a plan for him: Preach, sing, govern, or a comeuppance. It is a comeuppance for him to train harder for arematch with the “Desert Storm” on November this year.
(You can access the nitty –gritty of this article at:http://mortzortigoza.blogspot.com/2012/06/pacquiao-vs-bradley-analysis.html)
(Please send comments at totomortz@yahoo.com)