Legarda Urges OFWs to Vote

Reelectionist Sen. Loren Legarda today expressed hope that the month-long voting for overseas Filipino workers will proceed smoothly in all the voting precincts worldwide as she called on OFWs to exercise their right to vote.
 “Overseas Filipinos should take advantage of the opportunity to choose their next leaders, and to choose wisely,” Legarda, co-author of the Overseas Absentee Voting Law of 2003, said.
"Hopefully this time, the 975,263 registered Filipino voters overseas will exercise their right to vote today up to May 13," she noted. Legarda said the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) should see to it that the registered overseas Filipino voters are adequately assisted as they cast their votes in Philippine embassies and consulates worldwide. Legarda, chair of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, made the call as she assured OFWs that their welfare would remain in her priority agenda in her next term.
 "Strengthening the OWWA Charter and ensuring that the OWWA fund which is built on the hard labor of our Filipino workers abroad is safely invested and plowed back for their needs is my promise. Also, I will create an information desk for their families here on entrepreneurial ventures that will multiply their earnings and allow our OFWs to retire comfortably," Legarda emphasized.
 Legarda has been responsible for the passage of laws promoting the rights and welfare of OFWs and seafarers. Through the Senator’s efforts, the Senate has concurred in the ratification of treaties and international agreements that promote the protection of the rights of overseas Filipinos, including the ILO Convention 189 on Decent Work for Domestic Workers, the Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 (MLC, 2006) for the protection of the rights of seafarers; the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLAT) with the United Kingdom, Northern Ireland and China, which establish a legal framework that obligates Contracting Parties to assist in the investigation, prosecution, and suppression of criminal offenses and proceedings related to criminal matters, the Consular Agreement with the People's Republic of China, which provides assistance to Filipino nationals in China, and the Convention on Social Security between the Philippines and Spain, which ensures that Filipinos in Spain are secured upon retirement

Nacar denounces charges against him; claims he's the victim

DASOL, Pangasinan -- Mayor Noel Nacar of this town belied news reports he ordered his aides to attack and beat up four supporters of rival Erick Versoza who allegedly blocked the mayor’s vehicle along a road here. In a press conference last April 9, the mayor asserted that he was the real victim of harassment in that incident.
Nacar said that he charged seven people- Roger Valderama, Arche Nomus, Robert Canilang, Robert Naranja, Pedro Balatico, Regemio Banigon, and Roger Sison –all identified supporters of Verzosa, for grave coercion and direct assault of a person in authority as a result of the incident on April 1 where the respondents in their motorcycles blocked the path of the car the mayor was riding. In his affidavit, Nacar narrated events that nearly caused a physical commotion. He said that in the morning of April 1, his party had just started on a house-to-house campaign in Brgy. Malimpin when his aides noticed that unidentified men in motorcycle convoy were trailing them.
Later, while having a meeting at the Malimpin Barangay Hall, Nacar’s aides again saw the riders roving around the area. Owing to the incidents, with Vice Mayor Manuelo Rivera, Councilor Migueltio Nono and his driver, Nacar decided to adjourn the meeting after Rivera’s wife advised the Vice Mayor that motorcycle riders were roaming in their vicinity.
However, on their way home, just a few meters away from the Brgy. Hall, Nacar said “two motorcycles who belonged to the same group tried to block our way but later on moved and a few meters thereafter, the same motorcycles suddenly stopped and I pulled the steering wheel from my driver to evade a possible collision with the two motorcycles.” Nacar said he then got off the car and asked the riders why they were blocking his vehicle. “Both driver did not answer and instead were making faces and laugh laughed loudly for which I realized that it was a signal on their companions who were also on their motorcycles and as their companions were about to come near to us…persons who attended out meeting proceeded to us and sensing trouble may arise…I tried to pacify them and separated the group in motorcycles while Vice Mayor Rivera and Councilor Nono appealed to our supporters,” the mayor narrated.
He said he then called the police station “to avoid any untoward incident for which the police officers immediately arrived.” Nacar said that he requested from the Commission on Elections (ComElec) and Philippine National Police (PNP) for a meeting between him and Verzosa to settle the issue for which the authorities have agreed. Thus on April 3, a meeting and even a peace covenant signing was conducted. However, a day after the “peace talk,” Nacar said he was surprised that charges were filed against him by Robert Canilang, Roger Valderma, Archie Nomus, Robert Naranja and Pedro Balatico. Aside from Nacar, also named respondents in the complaint fildenieded April 8 for physical injuries, grave threats and malicious mischief were Engr. Amado Balaoing, Reynaldo Balaoing, Romeo Verzosa and Jesus Reyes. But Nacar denied all the allegations during the presscon. Mayor Nacar is the president of the Pangasinan Mayors’ League while Verzosa is the son of retired Philippine National Police chief Jesus Verzosa.

Purisima lauds BIR-Region 1 as highest collector nationwide

CPA-Lawyer Gubala

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

CALASIAO, Pangasinan – Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima hailed the regional director of the Bureau of Internal Revenue in Region 1 by spearheading the highest increase of tax collection effort last year vis-a-vis the other regions in the country. Attorney Arnel Guballa said that Purisima extended his plaudits to him when the latter visited him recently at his office to get an update of what he has been doing in the six revenue district offices (RDO) Region 1.

“Sabi iyan ni Secretary Purisima. Region-1 ha talagang you have the highest increase in the entire region,” Guballa rephrased what Purisima quipped to him.

Guballa said that with a tax goal of more than P7 billion given by the national government to him last year, he chalked up P7.2 billion from the P6.2 billion collections it got in 2011 in the four provinces Region 1.

 “Of al the region in the Philippines, ito ang pinakamalaking increase sa Region 1,”Guballa beamed.

In a press conference here lately to drum up the last day of filling of income tax, the regional director said the national office gave him a tall order to collect P9 billion this year.

But he said he and his personnel will soldier on with the new tax target given to him.

Guballa said that higher ups in Manila have been impressed by the series of edifices he constructed under his more than two years stint in the region.

 “Iyong Alaminos City building the most modern and beautiful BIR builds in the Philippines”. 

Guballa said he saved P10 million that he reverted in the national coffer in the construction of the tax office’s building in Alaminos.

 He cited that city mayor Hernani Braganza donated the lot when he asked for it after he learned that the late Lingayen Mayor Ernesto Castaneda was interested too to host the BIR office in his town to draw more people there.

The edifices constructed under the watch of Guballa, a former head of the National Investigation Division who architect the vaunted Run After Tax Evaders (RATE), were the all purpose gymnasium here. living quarters for BIR personnel who transact business in the regional office here but come as far as Ilocos Norte, automotive data center here, taxpayers lounge in RDO-4 where filing of taxes are done electronically.

BIR gadget deters rogue personnel not to remit taxes 

URDANETA CITY –Gone were the days where unscrupulous BIR personnel dilly-dally to remit their collection after the mobile revenue collection officers system (MRCOS) have been deployed recently all over the country.
 Attorney Beverly Milo, chief of BIR’s Revenue District Office-6 in Eastern Pangasinan, explained that the MRCOS, a wireless device, is an instrument where it automatically informed the data bank of the BIR that a tax payment on a particular day is received and has been issued with corresponding receipt on that same day.
Charmaine dela Torre, Assistant chief of RDO-4, said the MRCOS carried like a telephone by BIR collection agents outside their office is capable of issuing mobile receipts for tax payments, generating collection reports, and reconciling tax collections and tax returns. “The MRCOS is comprised of a wireless device that is connected to the Internet, and a handy printer which will allow the printing of receipt upon payment of taxes,” she said.
According to Maria Bernadette Mangaoang, assistant chief of RDO-6, the fancy gadget will be used by the collection agent of the tax office in Region 1.
 She said the MRCOS serves as a tool to collect taxes, the tax details of the taxpayers like their address, their tax information number, and the amount they are going to pay to the BIR. “Nag iisyu na kaagad ng recibo,” She quipped.
 According to Attorney Milo its advantage is collection agent no longer allowed to procrastinate not to remit their collection. “ If today is (April) 5 definitely dapat collection mo ngayon (April) 5 goes to the bank hindi ka pueding makapag recibo on (April) 6 kung walang pumapasok doon na remittance,” she stressed. Milo said before the arrival of the MRCOS stakeholders at the BIR suspected that some collection agents did not deposit immediately to the bank their collection but instead personally use them.
 “Kung kakilala mo, o ni recibo mo ngayon pero ang recibo end of the month hindi na puedi iyon”. She said the MRCOS does not only relay the amount collected from the taxpayer to the data base of the tax agency but vouch it with a record of its corresponding receipts about the real amount and the day it was paid. Meanwhile, Milo said that all official receipts and other commercial receipts sanctioned by the BIR will expire on June this year.
 She explained the wisdom behind the nullity was to discourage the non-issuance of the receipts that have been given a five-year period to be deposed by the taxpayers.
 “Basing through experiences nagagamit nila 10 years iyon pa rin. With that ang monitoring natin ngayon bakit ngayon itong taxpayer na ito ang ATT (authority to print) niya 2001 to 2012 iyan pa rin ang ginagamit niya?” she posed.
 With the impending expiration of the ATP, Milo hopes that businessmen will no longer to withhold the receipts but would be obliged to issue them every time a transaction ensued with their customers (MCO).

US envoy doubted murder probe on Jack Enrile

MANILA (UPDATED) - The Marcos government's alleged half-hearted investigation into Juan Ponce "Jack" Enrile Jr.'s involvement in the killing of the son of a former Philippine Navy chief in 1975 left a bitter aftertaste in the mouth of the United States' top envoy to Manila, according to declassified diplomatic cables published online by anti-secrecy group WikiLeaks on Monday.
 Then US Ambassador to Manila William H. Sullivan, in a cable to the Department of State, said although then Defense Secretary Juan Ponce Enrile promised not to influence the Ernest Lucas, Jr. case, the "handling of homicide charges against Enrile, Jr., appears rather rank." "Jackie did not even appear in person at hearings since he was 'attending classes,'" Sullivan said on cable 1975MANILA14151_b that was earlier released on public domain by the US government in 2006. He said the younger Enrile, who was accused of involvement in the Lucas killing, was not even interrogated and government investigators only relied on his deposition.
 The younger Enrile, who is now running for senator in the May midterm elections, has repeatedly denied any involvement in the death of Lucas.
 Enrile told ANC earlier that Lucas' death was accidental after his bodyguard, Danilo Cruz, accidentally shot the Navy chief’s son during a party. Sullivan relayed to Washington the facts in the Lucas killing. "On September 20, young Lucas escorted his sister to party in San Lorenzo Village in Makati at which Enrile, Jr., present. Lucas reportedly asked to be admitted as well but was told party private," he said. "Lucas and three companions later returned to pick up Lucas's sister. During unexplained altercation, Lucas was shot in the head by Enrile, Jr.'s security guard.
He died 5 hours later." In another cable to Washington, Sullivan quoted US embassy sources in the National Bureau of Investigation "both the Enrile boy and his bodyguard are liable to prosecution." The US ambassador, in cable 1975MANILA13806_b, said unnamed "NBI sources have told us unequivocally... that Enrile's son did the shooting." "We also understand that chief prosecuting attorney Nocon believes that NBI investigation results provide adequate basis for legal action, charges unspecified," he said. The chief prosecutor later dismissed NBI recommendations of homicide charges against Jack Enrile.
 The younger Enrile's bodyguard stood trial and was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for Lucas' death. Sullivan said if the younger Enrile was charged with homicide, it would have had a serious effect on the status of his father in the Marcos regime, including the older Enrile's possible removal from the halls of power during the dictatorship. 'Kissinger Files' The US envoy's cables on the Enriles are in WikiLeaks' searchable archive of 1.7 million US State Department documents from 1973-6 that had long been in the public domain. The archive includes the officially declassified memos -- which WikiLeaks referred to as the "Kissinger Cables" after then secretary of state Henry Kissinger -- and the 250,000 cables leaked by the anti-secrecy website in 2010. WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said that even though the 1973-6 cables were declassified, they previously could only be accessed through the US National Archives in PDF format. The National Archives said in response that the 1973-6 documents have been in the public domain since they were published in 2006, and provided a link to their own database, where users can also search by date, subject and tag. The archive can be viewed at wikileaks.org/plusd/. WikiLeaks rose to fame in recent years by releasing hundreds of thousands of secret military logs from Afghanistan and Iraq, as well as the trove of classified US diplomatic cables. - with a report from Agence France-Presse

 STATEMENT OF REP. JACK ENRILE ON HIS INVOLVEMENT IN THE 1975 DEATH OF ERNEST LUCAS, JR. AS REPORTED IN PHILIPPINE STAR ISSUE OF APRIL 11, 2013 

 First and foremost, I'd like to state categorically that I had nothing to do with the incident in 1975 wherein Ernest Lucas, Jr. was killed.
This matter was investigated by police authorities. Charges were filed, the case was properly heard in courts, and the suspect was tried and later sentenced to 12 years in prison which he served.
 My father who was then Defense Minister offered to resign his position in order to avoid suspicions of pressure or influence on those who had jurisdiction over the case. When his offer was turned down, he went on official leave and left for Japan until the investigation was concluded.
 The statements of the late former U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines linking me to the killing were based on mere speculation and hearsay as the Wikileaks report itself will bear this out. He was, at that time, known to be against the administration, and that incident provided him an opportunity to embarrass the Marcos administration and cast a high government official and his son in a negative light with Washington.
 All documents submitted to the court prove the falsity of the allegations that were based on rumors. That this is being resurrected and circulated at this time when I am running for Senator is highly suspect. Some well-meaning friends have suggested that I file appropriate cases against those who are using that incident to harass me.
But I would rather not be distracted as my conscience is clear and my mind is set on pursuing my advocacies for food security and fair prices for the consuming public to help our people and our country. There are also reports that this demolition job is being done in order to derail my plan to look into and expose a government project that is highly questionable and grossly disadvantageous to the public. It will no longer be surprising, therefore, if some other fabrications and vicious stories are hurled against me and my teammates in the course of this campaign.
 However, I deeply regret the fact that such moves have had a serious effect on my father's health. At 89 years of age, he is suffering from severe hypertension and serious vision impairment. I feel for my ailing father who has been agonizing in silence, seeing me suffer all these unfair attacks as a result of old and deep-seated grudges against him. My old man does not deserve all these. He has served this country well. But I refuse to be intimidated. I will not be stopped.

SA DEBATE SA BOMBO: Gob Espino nabahag ang buntot!

Hindi sumipot si reelectionist Gov. Amado T. Espino J.r sa pinakauna at pinakaaabangang debate sa Bombo Radyo Dagupan noong Sabado, dahilan upang umiskor ng malaking puntos ang kanyang mahigpit na kalaban sa pagka-gobernador na si Alaminos City Mayor Hernani Braganza.
 Ang debate ay inorganisa ng Commission on Elections, Kapisanan ng mga Broadkaster ng Pilipinas, PPCRV at ng Bombo Radyo Philippines upang bigyan ang mga kandidato sa Pangasinan at siyudad ng Dagupan ng pagkakataong iprisinta ang kanilang plataporma de gobyerno at sagutin ang mga maiinit na isyus na kinakaharap nila.
 Marami sa mga Pangasinenses, maging ang mga organizers, na umantabay sa debate ay dismayado sa hindi pagsipot ni Espino ngunit nalugod na rin sa isang banda dahil kanilang narinig ang maliwanag na plano ni Braganza para sa tunay na pagunlad ng lalawigan ng Pangasinan.
 PANGIT POINTS

 Ayon sa mga mamamahayag sa radyo, TV, at pahayagan, isang malaking minus factor kay Espino ang ginawang pag-isnab niya sa debate, dahil lumalabas na iniiwasan o hindi niya kayang sagutin ang mga mabibigat na isyung ipinupukol sa kanya.
 Pangunahin dito ang umano’y pagkakasangkot niya sa iligal na sugal na jueteng, black sand mining sa Lingayen, at San Fabian at pagpatay kay Mayor Ruperto Martinez ng bayan ng Infanta.
 “Mas naniniwala ngayon ang maraming mamamayan ng Pangasinan na mas mapagkakatiwalaang pinuno ng lalawigang Pangasinan si Braganza dahil mag-isa at direkta niyang hinarap at sinagot ang lahat ng mga katanungan ng mga panelista,” ayon kay aling Rosalinda Manuel, isang guro sa bayan ng Sison, Pangasinan.
 PANGASINAN MUNA, HINDI BULSA MUNA 

Umani naman ng maraming “Pogi Points” si Braganza sa kanyang maliwanag na development plan para tuluyan ng magtake-off ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan na ayon sa kanya ay “napag-iwanan na ng mga lalawigan katulad ng Cebu at Davao.”
Aniya mayaman ang natural at human resources ng lalawigan ngunit hindi ito napapakinabangang mabuti dahil mas inuuna pa ng gobernador ang sarili nitong pakinabang.
 “Patunayan ni Espino na wala siyang nakaw na yaman, hinahamon ko siyang na sabay naming ilabas ang aming Statement of Assets and Liabilities (SALN) para makita ng aming mga kababayan kung sino ang nagpayaman sa posisyon.
 GIANT PROJECTS, HINDI GHOST PROJECTS

Ipinagmalaki din ni Braganza ang ilan sa kanyang “giant projects” na aniya ay dahilan ng mabilis na pag-unlad ng Alaminos gaya ng mga sumusunod:
1. Pangasinan State University (Alaminos City Campus) 2. Gawad Kalinga Eco-Village 3. E-Kawayan Factory 4. Hundred Islands Services Complex 5. Convention Center and Hotel 6. Alaminos City Development Airport 7. Computer Laboratories with free internet in all barangays
2 BILYONG PISO, UTANG NG LALAWIGAN 

Ibinunyag ni Braganza sa debate na ang lalawigan ng Pangasinan ngayon ay may P2 Bilyon utang kaya ipinilit ni Espino at kanyang mga kakampi sa Sangguniang Panlalawigan na ipatupad ang 300 porsyentong pagtaas sa pagbabayad ng Real Property Taxes.
 Noong tumakbo siyang gobernador noong 2007, binatikos niya ang 300 milyong pisong utang ng lalawigan sa ilalim ni dating gobernador Victor E. Agbayani.
Ngunit sa kanyang panunungkulan, nagkaroon ng 2 bilyong pisong utang ang ating lalawigan, ani Braganza. MORE PUBLIC DEBATES

 Ayon naman sa isang iskolar na si Engelbert Maramba ng Calasiao, “katulad ng mga inaabangang public debates ng mga lumalabang pangulo sa Amerika, ang debate ang pangunahing batayan ng mga botante sa pagpili ng mahusay at tapat na pinuno.” “Kung sa America ginanap ang debateng ‘yan at hindi sumipot si Espino, siguradong talo na siya sa eleksyon,” dagdag ni Maramba (Pangasinan Muna).

Youth Caught Distributing “Black Pro” Newspapers

 Photo shows four unidentified young persons who were caught distributing copies of “Black Propaganda” newspaper containing articles that destroy the reputation of the local candidates of the Nationalist People’s Coalition (NPC), especially Gov. Amado T. Espino, Jr. and 1^st District Congressman Jesus “Boying” Celeste.  The four were also reportedly distributing campaign leaflets of Liberal Party’s candidate (Nani Braganza and Atty. Bodie Pulido) before the start of the NPC’s proclamation rally at Infanta town last April 2.  

Chiz hits Heart’s parents

 Controversial Couple: Actress Heart Evangelista (L) kisses her
boyfriend Senator Chiz Escudero.

Fuming Parents: Reynaldo Ongpauco (R) and Cecilia Payawal, 
Heart's smarting parents who owned the food chain Barrio Fiesta assailed
 on TVrecently Escudero's  Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personalities.

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

DAGUPAN CITY - Senator Francis Escudero took recently a swipe at the parents of his girlfriend actress Heart Evangelista in a press meeting here.
The senator who is seeking reelection in this year's middle term polls deplored the decision of Reynaldo Ongpauco and Cecilia Payawal, owners of the food chain Barrio Fiesta, who aired their grievances that turned ugly in the mass media against the senator whom they opposed as boyfriend of their 28 years old daughter.
 “May anak din ako at mahal ko sila. Kung may problem ako hindi ako magpapatawag ng press con kakausapin ko iyong anak,” he stressed.
 Escudero, known by his nickname as Chiz, said as a parent he knows too the best thing a parent should give to their children.
 He thought that the “Romeo & Juliet” liked relationship he has with Heart only happened in the movies where parents throw their weights to destroy a beautiful affair. “Iyong kuwento ng bawal na pag-ibig, bawal ibigin ng mahirap iyong mayaman iyon pala sa tunay na buhay din nangyayari iyon. Hindi ko akalain bakit sa pangyayari na iyon ako pa”.
He said the crisis he and Heart weather now is a tough call.
 “Sana malampasan namin ito kasi pag malagpasan namin ito wala na sigurong hamon na pagsubok na puweding ibato sa darating na panahon”.
 Meanwhile, the senator, who was accompanied by senatorial bet Grace Poe and Abono Party List chairman Rosendo So at the Star Plaza Hotel here, declared that he has no personal knowledge about the demolition job perpetrated in the media by his probable opponent in the 2016 vice presidential election. “Wala akong ebidensiya. Ayaw ko magbintang. Pero sa tagal-tagal ko na sa pulitika hindi na ako nagugulat kung may mga ganyang galaw. Nakakalungkot lang dahil lumang pulitika. Ang paninira ng kapwa kandidato imbes na ang pag-uusapan plataporma nila”.
 Political pundits said that Escudero and Senator Jinggoy Estrada are being groomed to cross sword on the number two highest position of the land in the 2016 poll.